(Gen 1:1 NCV)  In the beginning God created the sky and the earth.

       (Gen 1:2 NCV)  The earth was empty and had no form. Darkness covered 
       the ocean, and God's Spirit was moving over the water.

       (Gen 1:3 NCV)  Then God said, "Let there be light," and there was 
       light.

       (Gen 1:4 NCV)  God saw that the light was good, so he divided the 
       light from the darkness.

       (Gen 1:5 NCV)  God named the light "day" and the darkness "night." 
       Evening passed, and morning came. This was the first day.

       (Gen 1:6 NCV)  Then God said, "Let there be something to divide the 
       water in two."

       (Gen 1:7 NCV)  So God made the air and placed some of the water above 
       the air and some below it.

       (Gen 1:8 NCV)  God named the air "sky." Evening passed, and morning 
       came. This was the second day.

       (Gen 1:9 NCV)  Then God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered 
       together so the dry land will appear." And it happened.

       (Gen 1:10 NCV)  God named the dry land "earth" and the water that was 
       gathered together "seas." God saw that this was good.

       (Gen 1:11 NCV)  Then God said, "Let the earth produce plants--some to 
       make grain for seeds and others to make fruits with seeds in them. 
       Every seed will produce more of its own kind of plant." And it 
       happened.

       (Gen 1:12 NCV)  The earth produced plants with grain for seeds and 
       trees that made fruits with seeds in them. Each seed grew its own kind 
       of plant. God saw that all this was good.

       (Gen 1:13 NCV)  Evening passed, and morning came. This was the third 
       day.

       (Gen 1:14 NCV)  Then God said, "Let there be lights in the sky to 
       separate day from night. These lights will be used for signs, seasons, 
       days, and years.

       (Gen 1:15 NCV)  They will be in the sky to give light to the earth." 
       And it happened.

       (Gen 1:16 NCV)  So God made the two large lights. He made the brighter 
       light to rule the day and made the smaller light to rule the night. He 
       also made the stars.

       (Gen 1:17 NCV)  God put all these in the sky to shine on the earth,

       (Gen 1:18 NCV)  to rule over the day and over the night, and to 
       separate the light from the darkness. God saw that all these things 





       were good.

       (Gen 1:19 NCV)  Evening passed, and morning came. This was the fourth 
       day.

       (Gen 1:20 NCV)  Then God said, "Let the water be filled with living 
       things, and let birds fly in the air above the earth."

       (Gen 1:21 NCV)  So God created the large sea animals and every living 
       thing that moves in the sea. The sea is filled with these living 
       things, with each one producing more of its own kind. He also made 
       every bird that flies, and each bird produced more of its own kind. 
       God saw that this was good.

       (Gen 1:22 NCV)  God blessed them and said, "Have many young ones so 
       that you may grow in number. Fill the water of the seas, and let the 
       birds grow in number on the earth."

       (Gen 1:23 NCV)  Evening passed, and morning came. This was the fifth 
       day.

       (Gen 1:24 NCV)  Then God said, "Let the earth be filled with animals, 
       each producing more of its own kind. Let there be tame animals and 
       small crawling animals and wild animals, and let each produce more of 
       its kind." And it happened.

       (Gen 1:25 NCV)  So God made the wild animals, the tame animals, and 
       all the small crawling animals to produce more of their own kind. God 
       saw that this was good.

       (Gen 1:26 NCV)  Then God said, "Let us make human beings in our image 
       and likeness. And let them rule over the fish in the sea and the birds 
       in the sky, over the tame animals, over all the earth, and over all 
       the small crawling animals on the earth."

       (Gen 1:27 NCV)  So God created human beings in his image. In the image 
       of God he created them. He created them male and female.

       (Gen 1:28 NCV)  God blessed them and said, "Have many children and 
       grow in number. Fill the earth and be its master. Rule over the fish 
       in the sea and over the birds in the sky and over every living thing 
       that moves on the earth."

       (Gen 1:29 NCV)  God said, "Look, I have given you all the plants that 
       have grain for seeds and all the trees whose fruits have seeds in 
       them. They will be food for you.

       (Gen 1:30 NCV)  I have given all the green plants as food for every 
       wild animal, every bird of the air, and every small crawling animal." 
       And it happened.

       (Gen 1:31 NCV)  God looked at everything he had made, and it was very 
       good. Evening passed, and morning came. This was the sixth day.

       (Gen 2:1 NCV)  So the sky, the earth, and all that filled them were 
       finished.






       (Gen 2:2 NCV)  By the seventh day God finished the work he had been 
       doing, so he rested from all his work.

       (Gen 2:3 NCV)  God blessed the seventh day and made it a holy day, 
       because on that day he rested from all the work he had done in 
       creating the world.

       (Gen 2:4 NCV)  This is the story of the creation of the sky and the 
       earth. When the LORD God first made the earth and the sky,

       (Gen 2:5 NCV)  there were still no plants on the earth. Nothing was 
       growing in the fields because the LORD God had not yet made it rain on 
       the land. And there was no person to care for the ground,

       (Gen 2:6 NCV)  but a mist would rise up from the earth and water all 
       the ground.

       (Gen 2:7 NCV)  Then the LORD God took dust from the ground and formed 
       a man from it. He breathed the breath of life into the man's nose, and 
       the man became a living person.

       (Gen 2:8 NCV)  Then the LORD God planted a garden in the east, in a 
       place called Eden, and put the man he had formed into it.

       (Gen 2:9 NCV)  The LORD God caused every beautiful tree and every tree 
       that was good for food to grow out of the ground. In the middle of the 
       garden, God put the tree that gives life and also the tree that gives 
       the knowledge of good and evil.

       (Gen 2:10 NCV)  A river flowed through Eden and watered the garden. 
       From there the river branched out to become four rivers.

       (Gen 2:11 NCV)  The first river, named Pishon, flows around the whole 
       land of Havilah, where there is gold.

       (Gen 2:12 NCV)  The gold of that land is excellent. Bdellium and onyx 
       are also found there.

       (Gen 2:13 NCV)  The second river, named Gihon, flows around the whole 
       land of Cush.

       (Gen 2:14 NCV)  The third river, named Tigris, flows out of Assyria 
       toward the east. The fourth river is the Euphrates.

       (Gen 2:15 NCV)  The LORD God put the man in the garden of Eden to care 
       for it and work it.

       (Gen 2:16 NCV)  The LORD God commanded him, "You may eat the fruit 
       from any tree in the garden,

       (Gen 2:17 NCV)  but you must not eat the fruit from the tree which 
       gives the knowledge of good and evil. If you ever eat fruit from that 
       tree, you will die!"

       (Gen 2:18 NCV)  Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to 





       be alone. I will make a helper who is right for him."

       (Gen 2:19 NCV)  From the ground God formed every wild animal and every 
       bird in the sky, and he brought them to the man so the man could name 
       them. Whatever the man called each living thing, that became its name.

       (Gen 2:20 NCV)  The man gave names to all the tame animals, to the 
       birds in the sky, and to all the wild animals. But Adam did not find a 
       helper that was right for him.

       (Gen 2:21 NCV)  So the LORD God caused the man to sleep very deeply, 
       and while he was asleep, God removed one of the man's ribs. Then God 
       closed up the man's skin at the place where he took the rib.

       (Gen 2:22 NCV)  The LORD God used the rib from the man to make a 
       woman, and then he brought the woman to the man.

       (Gen 2:23 NCV)  And the man said, "Now, this is someone whose bones 
       came from my bones, whose body came from my body. I will call her 
       'woman,' because she was taken out of man."

       (Gen 2:24 NCV)  So a man will leave his father and mother and be 
       united with his wife, and the two will become one body.

       (Gen 2:25 NCV)  The man and his wife were naked, but they were not 
       ashamed.

       (Gen 3:1 NCV)  Now the snake was the most clever of all the wild 
       animals the LORD God had made. One day the snake said to the woman, 
       "Did God really say that you must not eat fruit from any tree in the 
       garden?"

       (Gen 3:2 NCV)  The woman answered the snake, "We may eat fruit from 
       the trees in the garden.

       (Gen 3:3 NCV)  But God told us, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree 
       that is in the middle of the garden. You must not even touch it, or 
       you will die.'"

       (Gen 3:4 NCV)  But the snake said to the woman, "You will not die.

       (Gen 3:5 NCV)  God knows that if you eat the fruit from that tree, you 
       will learn about good and evil and you will be like God!"

       (Gen 3:6 NCV)  The woman saw that the tree was beautiful, that its 
       fruit was good to eat, and that it would make her wise. So she took 
       some of its fruit and ate it. She also gave some of the fruit to her 
       husband, and he ate it.

       (Gen 3:7 NCV)  Then, it was as if their eyes were opened. They 
       realized they were naked, so they sewed fig leaves together and made 
       something to cover themselves.

       (Gen 3:8 NCV)  Then they heard the LORD God walking in the garden 
       during the cool part of the day, and the man and his wife hid from the 
       LORD God among the trees in the garden.






       (Gen 3:9 NCV)  But the LORD God called to the man and said, "Where are 
       you?"

       (Gen 3:10 NCV)  The man answered, "I heard you walking in the garden, 
       and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid."

       (Gen 3:11 NCV)  God asked, "Who told you that you were naked? Did you 
       eat fruit from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?"

       (Gen 3:12 NCV)  The man said, "You gave this woman to me and she gave 
       me fruit from the tree, so I ate it."

       (Gen 3:13 NCV)  Then the LORD God said to the woman, "How could you 
       have done such a thing?" She answered, "The snake tricked me, so I ate 
       the fruit."

       (Gen 3:14 NCV)  The LORD God said to the snake, "Because you did this, 
       a curse will be put on you. You will be cursed as no other animal, 
       tame or wild, will ever be. You will crawl on your stomach, and you 
       will eat dust all the days of your life.

       (Gen 3:15 NCV)  I will make you and the woman enemies to each other. 
       Your descendants and her descendants will be enemies. One of her 
       descendants will crush your head, and you will bite his heel."

       (Gen 3:16 NCV)  Then God said to the woman, "I will cause you to have 
       much trouble when you are pregnant, and when you give birth to 
       children, you will have great pain. You will greatly desire your 
       husband, but he will rule over you."

       (Gen 3:17 NCV)  Then God said to the man, "You listened to what your 
       wife said, and you ate fruit from the tree from which I commanded you 
       not to eat. "So I will put a curse on the ground, and you will have to 
       work very hard for your food. In pain you will eat its food all the 
       days of your life.

       (Gen 3:18 NCV)  The ground will produce thorns and weeds for you, and 
       you will eat the plants of the field.

       (Gen 3:19 NCV)  You will sweat and work hard for your food. Later you 
       will return to the ground, because you were taken from it. You are 
       dust, and when you die, you will return to the dust."

       (Gen 3:20 NCV)  The man named his wife Eve, because she is the mother 
       of everyone who has ever lived.

       (Gen 3:21 NCV)  The LORD God made clothes from animal skins for the 
       man and his wife and dressed them.

       (Gen 3:22 NCV)  Then the LORD God said, "The man has become like one 
       of us; he knows good and evil. We must keep him from eating some of 
       the fruit from the tree of life, or he will live forever."

       (Gen 3:23 NCV)  So the LORD God forced the man out of the garden of 
       Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.






       (Gen 3:24 NCV)  After God forced the man out of the garden, he placed 
       angels and a sword of fire that flashed around in every direction on 
       its eastern border. This kept people from getting to the tree of life.

       (Gen 4:1 NCV)  Adam had sexual relations with his wife Eve, and she 
       became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. Eve said, "With the Lord's 
       help, I have given birth to a man."

       (Gen 4:2 NCV)  After that, Eve gave birth to Cain's brother Abel. Abel 
       took care of flocks, and Cain became a farmer.

       (Gen 4:3 NCV)  Later, Cain brought some food from the ground as a gift 
       to God.

       (Gen 4:4 NCV)  Abel brought the best parts from some of the firstborn 
       of his flock. The LORD accepted Abel and his gift,

       (Gen 4:5 NCV)  but he did not accept Cain and his gift. So Cain became 
       very angry and felt rejected.

       (Gen 4:6 NCV)  The LORD asked Cain, "Why are you angry? Why do you 
       look so unhappy?

       (Gen 4:7 NCV)  If you do things well, I will accept you, but if you do 
       not do them well, sin is ready to attack you. Sin wants you, but you 
       must rule over it."

       (Gen 4:8 NCV)  Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out into the 
       field." While they were out in the field, Cain attacked his brother 
       Abel and killed him.

       (Gen 4:9 NCV)  Later, the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother 
       Abel?" Cain answered, "I don't know. Is it my job to take care of my 
       brother?"

       (Gen 4:10 NCV)  Then the LORD said, "What have you done? Your 
       brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground.

       (Gen 4:11 NCV)  And now you will be cursed in your work with the 
       ground, the same ground where your brother's blood fell and where your 
       hands killed him.

       (Gen 4:12 NCV)  You will work the ground, but it will not grow good 
       crops for you anymore, and you will wander around on the earth."

       (Gen 4:13 NCV)  Then Cain said to the LORD, "This punishment is more 
       than I can stand!

       (Gen 4:14 NCV)  Today you have forced me to stop working the ground, 
       and now I must hide from you. I must wander around on the earth, and 
       anyone who meets me can kill me."

       (Gen 4:15 NCV)  The LORD said to Cain, "No! If anyone kills you, I 
       will punish that person seven times more." Then the LORD put a mark on 
       Cain warning anyone who met him not to kill him.






       (Gen 4:16 NCV)  So Cain went away from the LORD and lived in the land 
       of Nod, east of Eden.

       (Gen 4:17 NCV)  He had sexual relations with his wife, and she became 
       pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. At that time Cain was building a 
       city, which he named after his son Enoch.

       (Gen 4:18 NCV)  Enoch had a son named Irad, Irad had a son named 
       Mehujael, Mehujael had a son named Methushael, and Methushael had a 
       son named Lamech.

       (Gen 4:19 NCV)  Lamech married two women, Adah and Zillah.

       (Gen 4:20 NCV)  Adah gave birth to Jabal, who became the first person 
       to live in tents and raise cattle.

       (Gen 4:21 NCV)  Jabal's brother was Jubal, the first person to play 
       the harp and flute.

       (Gen 4:22 NCV)  Zillah gave birth to Tubal-Cain, who made tools out of 
       bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah.

       (Gen 4:23 NCV)  Lamech said to his wives: "Adah and Zillah, hear my 
       voice! You wives of Lamech, listen to what I say. I killed a man for 
       wounding me, a young man for hitting me.

       (Gen 4:24 NCV)  If Cain's killer is punished seven times, then 
       Lamech's killer will be punished seventy-seven times."

       (Gen 4:25 NCV)  Adam had sexual relations with his wife Eve again, and 
       she gave birth to a son. She named him Seth and said, "God has given 
       me another child. He will take the place of Abel, who was killed by 
       Cain."

       (Gen 4:26 NCV)  Seth also had a son, and they named him Enosh. At that 
       time people began to pray to the LORD.

       (Gen 5:1 NCV)  This is the family history of Adam. When God created 
       human beings, he made them in his own likeness.

       (Gen 5:2 NCV)  He created them male and female, and on that day he 
       blessed them and named them human beings.

       (Gen 5:3 NCV)  When Adam was 130 years old, he became the father of 
       another son in his likeness and image, and Adam named him Seth.

       (Gen 5:4 NCV)  After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other 
       sons and daughters.

       (Gen 5:5 NCV)  So Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died.

       (Gen 5:6 NCV)  When Seth was 105 years old, he had a son named Enosh.

       (Gen 5:7 NCV)  After Enosh was born, Seth lived 807 years and had 
       other sons and daughters.






       (Gen 5:8 NCV)  So Seth lived a total of 912 years, and then he died.

       (Gen 5:9 NCV)  When Enosh was 90 years old, he had a son named Kenan.

       (Gen 5:10 NCV)  After Kenan was born, Enosh lived 815 years and had 
       other sons and daughters.

       (Gen 5:11 NCV)  So Enosh lived a total of 905 years, and then he died.

       (Gen 5:12 NCV)  When Kenan was 70 years old, he had a son named 
       Mahalalel.

       (Gen 5:13 NCV)  After Mahalalel was born, Kenan lived 840 years and 
       had other sons and daughters.

       (Gen 5:14 NCV)  So Kenan lived a total of 910 years, and then he died.

       (Gen 5:15 NCV)  When Mahalalel was 65 years old, he had a son named 
       Jared.

       (Gen 5:16 NCV)  After Jared was born, Mahalalel lived 830 years and 
       had other sons and daughters.

       (Gen 5:17 NCV)  So Mahalalel lived a total of 895 years, and then he 
       died.

       (Gen 5:18 NCV)  When Jared was 162 years old, he had a son named 
       Enoch.

       (Gen 5:19 NCV)  After Enoch was born, Jared lived 800 years and had 
       other sons and daughters.

       (Gen 5:20 NCV)  So Jared lived a total of 962 years, and then he died.

       (Gen 5:21 NCV)  When Enoch was 65 years old, he had a son named 
       Methuselah.

       (Gen 5:22 NCV)  After Methuselah was born, Enoch walked with God 300 
       years more and had other sons and daughters.

       (Gen 5:23 NCV)  So Enoch lived a total of 365 years.

       (Gen 5:24 NCV)  Enoch walked with God; one day Enoch could not be 
       found, because God took him.

       (Gen 5:25 NCV)  When Methuselah was 187 years old, he had a son named 
       Lamech.

       (Gen 5:26 NCV)  After Lamech was born, Methuselah lived 782 years and 
       had other sons and daughters.

       (Gen 5:27 NCV)  So Methuselah lived a total of 969 years, and then he 
       died.

       (Gen 5:28 NCV)  When Lamech was 182, he had a son.






       (Gen 5:29 NCV)  Lamech named his son Noah and said, "He will comfort 
       us in our work, which comes from the ground the LORD has cursed."

       (Gen 5:30 NCV)  After Noah was born, Lamech lived 595 years and had 
       other sons and daughters.

       (Gen 5:31 NCV)  So Lamech lived a total of 777 years, and then he 
       died.

       (Gen 5:32 NCV)  After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of 
       Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

       (Gen 6:1 NCV)  The number of people on earth began to grow, and 
       daughters were born to them.

       (Gen 6:2 NCV)  When the sons of God saw that these girls were 
       beautiful, they married any of them they chose.

       (Gen 6:3 NCV)  The LORD said, "My Spirit will not remain in human 
       beings forever, because they are flesh. They will live only 120 
       years."

       (Gen 6:4 NCV)  The Nephilim were on the earth in those days and also 
       later. That was when the sons of God had sexual relations with the 
       daughters of human beings. These women gave birth to children, who 
       became famous and were the mighty warriors of long ago.

       (Gen 6:5 NCV)  The LORD saw that the human beings on the earth were 
       very wicked and that everything they thought about was evil.

       (Gen 6:6 NCV)  He was sorry he had made human beings on the earth, and 
       his heart was filled with pain.

       (Gen 6:7 NCV)  So the LORD said, "I will destroy all human beings that 
       I made on the earth. And I will destroy every animal and everything 
       that crawls on the earth and the birds of the air, because I am sorry 
       I have made them."

       (Gen 6:8 NCV)  But Noah pleased the LORD.

       (Gen 6:9 NCV)  This is the family history of Noah. Noah was a good 
       man, the most innocent man of his time, and he walked with God.

       (Gen 6:10 NCV)  He had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

       (Gen 6:11 NCV)  People on earth did what God said was evil, and 
       violence was everywhere.

       (Gen 6:12 NCV)  When God saw that everyone on the earth did only evil,

       (Gen 6:13 NCV)  he said to Noah, "Because people have made the earth 
       full of violence, I will destroy all of them from the earth.

       (Gen 6:14 NCV)  Build a boat of cypress wood for yourself. Make rooms 
       in it and cover it inside and outside with tar.






       (Gen 6:15 NCV)  This is how big I want you to build the boat: four 
       hundred fifty feet long, seventy-five feet wide, and forty-five feet 
       high.

       (Gen 6:16 NCV)  Make an opening around the top of the boat that is 
       eighteen inches high from the edge of the roof down. Put a door in the 
       side of the boat. Make an upper, middle, and lower deck in it.

       (Gen 6:17 NCV)  I will bring a flood of water on the earth to destroy 
       all living things that live under the sky, including everything that 
       has the breath of life. Everything on the earth will die.

       (Gen 6:18 NCV)  But I will make an agreement with you--you, your sons, 
       your wife, and your sons' wives will all go into the boat.

       (Gen 6:19 NCV)  Also, you must bring into the boat two of every living 
       thing, male and female. Keep them alive with you.

       (Gen 6:20 NCV)  Two of every kind of bird, animal, and crawling thing 
       will come to you to be kept alive.

       (Gen 6:21 NCV)  Also gather some of every kind of food and store it on 
       the boat as food for you and the animals."

       (Gen 6:22 NCV)  Noah did everything that God commanded him.

       (Gen 7:1 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Noah, "I have seen that you are 
       the best person among the people of this time, so you and your family 
       can go into the boat.

       (Gen 7:2 NCV)  Take with you seven pairs, each male with its female, 
       of every kind of clean animal, and take one pair, each male with its 
       female, of every kind of unclean animal.

       (Gen 7:3 NCV)  Take seven pairs of all the birds of the sky, each male 
       with its female. This will allow all these animals to continue living 
       on the earth after the flood.

       (Gen 7:4 NCV)  Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth. It 
       will rain forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe off from the 
       earth every living thing that I have made."

       (Gen 7:5 NCV)  Noah did everything the LORD commanded him.

       (Gen 7:6 NCV)  Noah was six hundred years old when the flood came.

       (Gen 7:7 NCV)  He and his wife and his sons and their wives went into 
       the boat to escape the waters of the flood.

       (Gen 7:8 NCV)  The clean animals, the unclean animals, the birds, and 
       everything that crawls on the ground

       (Gen 7:9 NCV)  came to Noah. They went into the boat in groups of two, 
       male and female, just as God had commanded Noah.





       (Gen 7:10 NCV)  Seven days later the flood started.

       (Gen 7:11 NCV)  When Noah was six hundred years old, the flood 
       started. On the seventeenth day of the second month of that year the 
       underground springs split open, and the clouds in the sky poured out 
       rain.

       (Gen 7:12 NCV)  The rain fell on the earth for forty days and forty 
       nights.

       (Gen 7:13 NCV)  On that same day Noah and his wife, his sons Shem, 
       Ham, and Japheth, and their wives went into the boat.

       (Gen 7:14 NCV)  They had every kind of wild and tame animal, every 
       kind of animal that crawls on the earth, and every kind of bird.

       (Gen 7:15 NCV)  Every creature that had the breath of life came to 
       Noah in the boat in groups of two.

       (Gen 7:16 NCV)  One male and one female of every living thing came, 
       just as God had commanded Noah. Then the LORD closed the door behind 
       them.

       (Gen 7:17 NCV)  Water flooded the earth for forty days, and as it rose 
       it lifted the boat off the ground.

       (Gen 7:18 NCV)  The water continued to rise, and the boat floated on 
       it above the earth.

       (Gen 7:19 NCV)  The water rose so much that even the highest mountains 
       under the sky were covered by it.

       (Gen 7:20 NCV)  It continued to rise until it was more than twenty 
       feet above the mountains.

       (Gen 7:21 NCV)  All living things that moved on the earth died. This 
       included all the birds, tame animals, wild animals, and creatures that 
       swarm on the earth, as well as all human beings.

       (Gen 7:22 NCV)  So everything on dry land that had the breath of life 
       in it died.

       (Gen 7:23 NCV)  God destroyed from the earth every living thing that 
       was on the land--every man, animal, crawling thing, and bird of the 
       sky. All that was left was Noah and what was with him in the boat.

       (Gen 7:24 NCV)  And the waters continued to cover the earth for one 
       hundred fifty days.

       (Gen 8:1 NCV)  But God remembered Noah and all the wild and tame 
       animals with him in the boat. He made a wind blow over the earth, and 
       the water went down.

       (Gen 8:2 NCV)  The underground springs stopped flowing, and the clouds 
       in the sky stopped pouring down rain.





       (Gen 8:3 NCV)  The water that covered the earth began to go down. 
       After one hundred fifty days it had gone down so much that the boat 
       touched land again. It came to rest on one of the mountains of Ararat 
       on the seventeenth day of the seventh month.

       (Gen 8:4 NCV)  

       (Gen 8:5 NCV)  The water continued to go down so that by the first day 
       of the tenth month the tops of the mountains could be seen.

       (Gen 8:6 NCV)  Forty days later Noah opened the window he had made in 
       the boat, and

       (Gen 8:7 NCV)  he sent out a raven. It flew here and there until the 
       water had dried up from the earth.

       (Gen 8:8 NCV)  Then Noah sent out a dove to find out if the water had 
       dried up from the ground.

       (Gen 8:9 NCV)  The dove could not find a place to land because water 
       still covered the earth, so it came back to the boat. Noah reached out 
       his hand and took the bird and brought it back into the boat.

       (Gen 8:10 NCV)  After seven days Noah again sent out the dove from the 
       boat,

       (Gen 8:11 NCV)  and that evening it came back to him with a fresh 
       olive leaf in its mouth. Then Noah knew that the ground was almost 
       dry.

       (Gen 8:12 NCV)  Seven days later he sent the dove out again, but this 
       time it did not come back.

       (Gen 8:13 NCV)  When Noah was six hundred and one years old, in the 
       first day of the first month of that year, the water was dried up from 
       the land. Noah removed the covering of the boat and saw that the land 
       was dry.

       (Gen 8:14 NCV)  By the twenty-seventh day of the second month the land 
       was completely dry.

       (Gen 8:15 NCV)  Then God said to Noah,

       (Gen 8:16 NCV)  "You and your wife, your sons, and their wives should 
       go out of the boat.

       (Gen 8:17 NCV)  Bring every animal out of the boat with you--the 
       birds, animals, and everything that crawls on the earth. Let them have 
       many young ones so that they might grow in number."

       (Gen 8:18 NCV)  So Noah went out with his sons, his wife, and his 
       sons' wives.

       (Gen 8:19 NCV)  Every animal, everything that crawls on the earth, and 
       every bird went out of the boat by families.





       (Gen 8:20 NCV)  Then Noah built an altar to the LORD. He took some of 
       all the clean birds and animals, and he burned them on the altar as 
       offerings to God.

       (Gen 8:21 NCV)  The LORD was pleased with these sacrifices and said to 
       himself, "I will never again curse the ground because of human beings. 
       Their thoughts are evil even when they are young, but I will never 
       again destroy every living thing on the earth as I did this time.

       (Gen 8:22 NCV)  "As long as the earth continues, planting and harvest, 
       cold and hot, summer and winter, day and night will not stop."

       (Gen 9:1 NCV)  Then God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, 
       "Have many children; grow in number and fill the earth.

       (Gen 9:2 NCV)  Every animal on earth, every bird in the sky, every 
       animal that crawls on the ground, and every fish in the sea will 
       respect and fear you. I have given them to you.

       (Gen 9:3 NCV)  "Everything that moves, everything that is alive, is 
       yours for food. Earlier I gave you the green plants, but now I give 
       you everything for food.

       (Gen 9:4 NCV)  But you must not eat meat that still has blood in it, 
       because blood gives life.

       (Gen 9:5 NCV)  I will demand blood for life. I will demand the life of 
       any animal that kills a person, and I will demand the life of anyone 
       who takes another person's life.

       (Gen 9:6 NCV)  "Whoever kills a human being will be killed by a human 
       being, because God made humans in his own image.

       (Gen 9:7 NCV)  "As for you, Noah, I want you and your family to have 
       many children, to grow in number on the earth, and to become many."

       (Gen 9:8 NCV)  Then God said to Noah and his sons,

       (Gen 9:9 NCV)  "Now I am making my agreement with you and your people 
       who will live after you,

       (Gen 9:10 NCV)  and with every living thing that is with you--the 
       birds, the tame and the wild animals, and with everything that came 
       out of the boat with you--with every living thing on earth.

       (Gen 9:11 NCV)  I make this agreement with you: I will never again 
       destroy all living things by a flood. A flood will never again destroy 
       the earth."

       (Gen 9:12 NCV)  And God said, "This is the sign of the agreement 
       between me and you and every living creature that is with you.

       (Gen 9:13 NCV)  I am putting my rainbow in the clouds as the sign of 
       the agreement between me and the earth.

       (Gen 9:14 NCV)  When I bring clouds over the earth and a rainbow 





       appears in them,

       (Gen 9:15 NCV)  I will remember my agreement between me and you and 
       every living thing. Floods will never again destroy all life on the 
       earth.

       (Gen 9:16 NCV)  When the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it 
       and I will remember the agreement that continues forever between me 
       and every living thing on the earth."

       (Gen 9:17 NCV)  So God said to Noah, "The rainbow is a sign of the 
       agreement that I made with all living things on earth."

       (Gen 9:18 NCV)  The sons of Noah who came out of the boat with him 
       were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.)

       (Gen 9:19 NCV)  These three men were Noah's sons, and all the people 
       on earth came from these three sons.

       (Gen 9:20 NCV)  Noah became a farmer and planted a vineyard.

       (Gen 9:21 NCV)  When he drank wine made from his grapes, he became 
       drunk and lay naked in his tent.

       (Gen 9:22 NCV)  Ham, the father of Canaan, looked at his naked father 
       and told his brothers outside.

       (Gen 9:23 NCV)  Then Shem and Japheth got a coat and, carrying it on 
       both their shoulders, they walked backwards into the tent and covered 
       their father. They turned their faces away so that they did not see 
       their father's nakedness.

       (Gen 9:24 NCV)  Noah was sleeping because of the wine. When he woke up 
       and learned what his youngest son, Ham, had done to him,

       (Gen 9:25 NCV)  he said, "May there be a curse on Canaan! May he be 
       the lowest slave to his brothers."

       (Gen 9:26 NCV)  Noah also said, "May the LORD, the God of Shem, be 
       praised! May Canaan be Shem's slave.

       (Gen 9:27 NCV)  May God give more land to Japheth. May Japheth live in 
       Shem's tents, and may Canaan be their slave."

       (Gen 9:28 NCV)  After the flood Noah lived 350 years.

       (Gen 9:29 NCV)  He lived a total of 950 years, and then he died.

       (Gen 10:1 NCV)  This is the family history of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, 
       the sons of Noah. After the flood these three men had sons.

       (Gen 10:2 NCV)  The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, 
       Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.

       (Gen 10:3 NCV)  The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and 
       Togarmah.






       (Gen 10:4 NCV)  The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and 
       Rodanim.

       (Gen 10:5 NCV)  Those who lived in the lands around the Mediterranean 
       Sea came from these sons of Japheth. All the families grew and became 
       different nations, each nation with its own land and its own language.

       (Gen 10:6 NCV)  The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

       (Gen 10:7 NCV)  The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, 
       and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan.

       (Gen 10:8 NCV)  Cush also had a descendant named Nimrod, who became a 
       very powerful man on earth.

       (Gen 10:9 NCV)  He was a great hunter before the LORD, which is why 
       people say someone is "like Nimrod, a great hunter before the LORD."

       (Gen 10:10 NCV)  At first Nimrod's kingdom covered Babylon, Erech, 
       Akkad, and Calneh in the land of Babylonia.

       (Gen 10:11 NCV)  From there he went to Assyria, where he built the 
       cities of Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, and Calah.

       (Gen 10:12 NCV)  He also built Resen, the great city between Nineveh 
       and Calah.

       (Gen 10:13 NCV)  Mizraim was the father of the Ludites, Anamites, 
       Lehabites, Naphtuhites,

       (Gen 10:14 NCV)  Pathrusites, Casluhites, and the people of Crete. 
       (The Philistines came from the Casluhites.)

       (Gen 10:15 NCV)  Canaan was the father of Sidon, his first son, and of 
       Heth.

       (Gen 10:16 NCV)  He was also the father of the Jebusites, Amorites, 
       Girgashites,

       (Gen 10:17 NCV)  Hivites, Arkites, Sinites,

       (Gen 10:18 NCV)  Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites. The families of 
       the Canaanites scattered.

       (Gen 10:19 NCV)  Their land reached from Sidon to Gerar as far as 
       Gaza, and then to Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as 
       Lasha.

       (Gen 10:20 NCV)  All these people were the sons of Ham, and all these 
       families had their own languages, their own lands, and their own 
       nations.

       (Gen 10:21 NCV)  Shem, Japheth's older brother, also had sons. One of 
       his descendants was the father of all the sons of Eber.





       (Gen 10:22 NCV)  The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, 
       and Aram.

       (Gen 10:23 NCV)  The sons of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech.

       (Gen 10:24 NCV)  Arphaxad was the father of Shelah, who was the father 
       of Eber.

       (Gen 10:25 NCV)  Eber was the father of two sons--one named Peleg, 
       because the earth was divided during his life, and the other was named 
       Joktan.

       (Gen 10:26 NCV)  Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, 
       Hazarmaveth, Jerah,

       (Gen 10:27 NCV)  Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah,

       (Gen 10:28 NCV)  Obal, Abimael, Sheba,

       (Gen 10:29 NCV)  Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these people were the 
       sons of Joktan.

       (Gen 10:30 NCV)  They lived in the area between Mesha and Sephar in 
       the hill country in the East.

       (Gen 10:31 NCV)  These are the people from the family of Shem, 
       arranged by families, languages, countries, and nations.

       (Gen 10:32 NCV)  This is the list of the families from the sons of 
       Noah, arranged according to their nations. From these families came 
       all the nations who spread across the earth after the flood.

       (Gen 11:1 NCV)  At this time the whole world spoke one language, and 
       everyone used the same words.

       (Gen 11:2 NCV)  As people moved from the east, they found a plain in 
       the land of Babylonia and settled there.

       (Gen 11:3 NCV)  They said to each other, "Let's make bricks and bake 
       them to make them hard." So they used bricks instead of stones, and 
       tar instead of mortar.

       (Gen 11:4 NCV)  Then they said to each other, "Let's build a city and 
       a tower for ourselves, whose top will reach high into the sky. We will 
       become famous. Then we will not be scattered over all the earth."

       (Gen 11:5 NCV)  The LORD came down to see the city and the tower that 
       the people had built.

       (Gen 11:6 NCV)  The LORD said, "Now, these people are united, all 
       speaking the same language. This is only the beginning of what they 
       will do. They will be able to do anything they want.

       (Gen 11:7 NCV)  Come, let us go down and confuse their language so 
       they will not be able to understand each other."





       (Gen 11:8 NCV)  So the LORD scattered them from there over all the 
       earth, and they stopped building the city.

       (Gen 11:9 NCV)  The place is called Babel since that is where the LORD 
       confused the language of the whole world. So the LORD caused them to 
       spread out from there over the whole world.

       (Gen 11:10 NCV)  This is the family history of Shem. Two years after 
       the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, his son Arphaxad was born.

       (Gen 11:11 NCV)  After that, Shem lived 500 years and had other sons 
       and daughters.

       (Gen 11:12 NCV)  When Arphaxad was 35 years old, his son Shelah was 
       born.

       (Gen 11:13 NCV)  After that, Arphaxad lived 403 years and had other 
       sons and daughters.

       (Gen 11:14 NCV)  When Shelah was 30 years old, his son Eber was born.

       (Gen 11:15 NCV)  After that, Shelah lived 403 years and had other sons 
       and daughters.

       (Gen 11:16 NCV)  When Eber was 34 years old, his son Peleg was born.

       (Gen 11:17 NCV)  After that, Eber lived 430 years and had other sons 
       and daughters.

       (Gen 11:18 NCV)  When Peleg was 30 years old, his son Reu was born.

       (Gen 11:19 NCV)  After that, Peleg lived 209 years and had other sons 
       and daughters.

       (Gen 11:20 NCV)  When Reu was 32 years old, his son Serug was born.

       (Gen 11:21 NCV)  After that, Reu lived 207 years and had other sons 
       and daughters.

       (Gen 11:22 NCV)  When Serug was 30 years old, his son Nahor was born.

       (Gen 11:23 NCV)  After that, Serug lived 200 years and had other sons 
       and daughters.

       (Gen 11:24 NCV)  When Nahor was 29 years old, his son Terah was born.

       (Gen 11:25 NCV)  After that, Nahor lived 119 years and had other sons 
       and daughters.

       (Gen 11:26 NCV)  After Terah was 70 years old, his sons Abram, Nahor, 
       and Haran were born.

       (Gen 11:27 NCV)  This is the family history of Terah. Terah was the 
       father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran was the father of Lot.

       (Gen 11:28 NCV)  While his father, Terah, was still alive, Haran died 





       in Ur in Babylonia, where he was born.

       (Gen 11:29 NCV)  Abram and Nahor both married. Abram's wife was named 
       Sarai, and Nahor's wife was named Milcah. She was the daughter of 
       Haran, who was the father of both Milcah and Iscah.

       (Gen 11:30 NCV)  Sarai was not able to have children.

       (Gen 11:31 NCV)  Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot (Haran's 
       son), and his daughter-in-law Sarai (Abram's wife) and moved out of Ur 
       of Babylonia. They had planned to go to the land of Canaan, but when 
       they reached the city of Haran, they settled there.

       (Gen 11:32 NCV)  Terah lived to be 205 years old, and then he died in 
       Haran.

       (Gen 12:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Abram, "Leave your country, your 
       relatives, and your father's family, and go to the land I will show 
       you.

       (Gen 12:2 NCV)  I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you. 
       I will make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.

       (Gen 12:3 NCV)  I will bless those who bless you, and I will place a 
       curse on those who harm you. And all the people on earth will be 
       blessed through you."

       (Gen 12:4 NCV)  So Abram left Haran as the LORD had told him, and Lot 
       went with him. At this time Abram was 75 years old.

       (Gen 12:5 NCV)  He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and everything 
       they owned, as well as all the servants they had gotten in Haran. They 
       set out from Haran, planning to go to the land of Canaan, and in time 
       they arrived there.

       (Gen 12:6 NCV)  Abram traveled through that land as far as the great 
       tree of Moreh at Shechem. The Canaanites were living in the land at 
       that time.

       (Gen 12:7 NCV)  The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "I will give this 
       land to your descendants." So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, 
       who had appeared to him.

       (Gen 12:8 NCV)  Then he traveled from Shechem to the mountain east of 
       Bethel and set up his tent there. Bethel was to the west, and Ai was 
       to the east. There Abram built another altar to the LORD and worshiped 
       him.

       (Gen 12:9 NCV)  After this, he traveled on toward southern Canaan.

       (Gen 12:10 NCV)  At this time there was not much food in the land, so 
       Abram went down to Egypt to live because there was so little food.

       (Gen 12:11 NCV)  Just before they arrived in Egypt, he said to his 
       wife Sarai, "I know you are a very beautiful woman.





       (Gen 12:12 NCV)  When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This 
       woman is his wife.' Then they will kill me but let you live.

       (Gen 12:13 NCV)  Tell them you are my sister so that things will go 
       well with me and I may be allowed to live because of you."

       (Gen 12:14 NCV)  When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that 
       Sarai was very beautiful.

       (Gen 12:15 NCV)  The Egyptian officers saw her and told the king of 
       Egypt how beautiful she was. They took her to the king's palace, and

       (Gen 12:16 NCV)  the king was kind to Abram because he thought Abram 
       was her brother. He gave Abram sheep, cattle, male and female donkeys, 
       male and female servants, and camels.

       (Gen 12:17 NCV)  But the LORD sent terrible diseases on the king and 
       all the people in his house because of Abram's wife Sarai.

       (Gen 12:18 NCV)  So the king sent for Abram and said, "What have you 
       done to me? Why didn't you tell me Sarai was your wife?

       (Gen 12:19 NCV)  Why did you say, 'She is my sister' so that I made 
       her my wife? Now, here is your wife. Take her and leave!"

       (Gen 12:20 NCV)  Then the king commanded his men to make Abram leave 
       Egypt; so Abram and his wife left with everything they owned.

       (Gen 13:1 NCV)  So Abram, his wife, and Lot left Egypt, taking 
       everything they owned, and traveled to southern Canaan.

       (Gen 13:2 NCV)  Abram was very rich in cattle, silver, and gold.

       (Gen 13:3 NCV)  He left southern Canaan and went back to Bethel where 
       he had camped before, between Bethel and Ai,

       (Gen 13:4 NCV)  and where he had built an altar. So he worshiped the 
       LORD there.

       (Gen 13:5 NCV)  During this time Lot was traveling with Abram, and Lot 
       also had flocks, herds, and tents.

       (Gen 13:6 NCV)  Abram and Lot had so many animals that the land could 
       not support both of them together,

       (Gen 13:7 NCV)  so Abram's herdsmen and Lot's herdsmen began to argue. 
       The Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land at this 
       time.

       (Gen 13:8 NCV)  Abram said to Lot, "There should be no arguing between 
       you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, because we are 
       brothers.

       (Gen 13:9 NCV)  We should separate. The whole land is there in front 
       of you. If you go to the left, I will go to the right. If you go to 
       the right, I will go to the left."






       (Gen 13:10 NCV)  Lot looked all around and saw the whole Jordan Valley 
       and that there was much water there. It was like the Lord's garden, 
       like the land of Egypt in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the 
       LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)

       (Gen 13:11 NCV)  So Lot chose to move east and live in the Jordan 
       Valley. In this way Abram and Lot separated.

       (Gen 13:12 NCV)  Abram lived in the land of Canaan, but Lot lived 
       among the cities in the Jordan Valley, very near to Sodom.

       (Gen 13:13 NCV)  Now the people of Sodom were very evil and were 
       always sinning against the LORD.

       (Gen 13:14 NCV)  After Lot left, the LORD said to Abram, "Look all 
       around you--to the north and south and east and west.

       (Gen 13:15 NCV)  All this land that you see I will give to you and 
       your descendants forever.

       (Gen 13:16 NCV)  I will make your descendants as many as the dust of 
       the earth. If anyone could count the dust on the earth, he could count 
       your people.

       (Gen 13:17 NCV)  Get up! Walk through all this land because I am now 
       giving it to you."

       (Gen 13:18 NCV)  So Abram moved his tents and went to live near the 
       great trees of Mamre at the city of Hebron. There he built an altar to 
       the LORD.

       (Gen 14:1 NCV)  Now Amraphel was king of Babylonia, Arioch was king of 
       Ellasar, Kedorlaomer was king of Elam, and Tidal was king of Goiim.

       (Gen 14:2 NCV)  All these kings went to war against several other 
       kings: Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of 
       Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela. (Bela is also 
       called Zoar.)

       (Gen 14:3 NCV)  These kings who were attacked united their armies in 
       the Valley of Siddim (now the Dead Sea).

       (Gen 14:4 NCV)  They had served Kedorlaomer for twelve years, but in 
       the thirteenth year, they all turned against him.

       (Gen 14:5 NCV)  Then in the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings 
       with him came and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the 
       Zuzites in Ham, and the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim.

       (Gen 14:6 NCV)  They also defeated the Horites in the mountains of 
       Edom to El Paran (near the desert).

       (Gen 14:7 NCV)  Then they turned back and went to En Mishpat (that is, 
       Kadesh). They defeated all the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who 
       lived in Hazazon Tamar.






       (Gen 14:8 NCV)  At that time the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, 
       Zeboiim, and Bela went out to fight in the Valley of Siddim. (Bela is 
       called Zoar.)

       (Gen 14:9 NCV)  They fought against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal 
       king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Babylonia, and Arioch king of 
       Ellasar--four kings fighting against five.

       (Gen 14:10 NCV)  There were many tar pits in the Valley of Siddim. 
       When the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah and their armies ran away, some 
       of the soldiers fell into the tar pits, but the others ran away to the 
       mountains.

       (Gen 14:11 NCV)  Now Kedorlaomer and his armies took everything the 
       people of Sodom and Gomorrah owned, including their food.

       (Gen 14:12 NCV)  They took Lot, Abram's nephew who was living in 
       Sodom, and everything he owned. Then they left.

       (Gen 14:13 NCV)  One of the men who was not captured went to Abram, 
       the Hebrew, and told him what had happened. At that time Abram was 
       camped near the great trees of Mamre the Amorite. Mamre was a brother 
       of Eshcol and Aner, and they had all made an agreement to help Abram.

       (Gen 14:14 NCV)  When Abram learned that Lot had been captured, he 
       called out his 318 trained men who had been born in his camp. He led 
       the men and chased the enemy all the way to the town of Dan.

       (Gen 14:15 NCV)  That night he divided his men into groups, and they 
       made a surprise attack against the enemy. They chased them all the way 
       to Hobah, north of Damascus.

       (Gen 14:16 NCV)  Then Abram brought back everything the enemy had 
       stolen, the women and the other people, and Lot, and everything Lot 
       owned.

       (Gen 14:17 NCV)  After defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings who were 
       with him, Abram went home. As he was returning, the king of Sodom came 
       out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (now called King's Valley).

       (Gen 14:18 NCV)  Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. 
       He was a priest for God Most High

       (Gen 14:19 NCV)  and blessed Abram, saying, "Abram, may you be blessed 
       by God Most High, the God who made heaven and earth.

       (Gen 14:20 NCV)  And we praise God Most High, who has helped you to 
       defeat your enemies." Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of 
       everything he had brought back from the battle.

       (Gen 14:21 NCV)  The king of Sodom said to Abram, "You may keep all 
       these things for yourself. Just give me my people who were captured."

       (Gen 14:22 NCV)  But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I make a 
       promise to the LORD, the God Most High, who made heaven and earth.






       (Gen 14:23 NCV)  I promise that I will not keep anything that is 
       yours. I will not keep even a thread or a sandal strap so that you 
       cannot say, 'I made Abram rich.'

       (Gen 14:24 NCV)  I will keep nothing but the food my young men have 
       eaten. But give Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre their share of what we won, 
       because they went with me into battle."

       (Gen 15:1 NCV)  After these things happened, the LORD spoke his word 
       to Abram in a vision: "Abram, don't be afraid. I will defend you, and 
       I will give you a great reward."

       (Gen 15:2 NCV)  But Abram said, "Lord GOD, what can you give me? I 
       have no son, so my slave Eliezer from Damascus will get everything I 
       own after I die."

       (Gen 15:3 NCV)  Abram said, "Look, you have given me no son, so a 
       slave born in my house will inherit everything I have."

       (Gen 15:4 NCV)  Then the LORD spoke his word to Abram: "He will not be 
       the one to inherit what you have. You will have a son of your own who 
       will inherit what you have."

       (Gen 15:5 NCV)  Then God led Abram outside and said, "Look at the sky. 
       There are so many stars you cannot count them. Your descendants also 
       will be too many to count."

       (Gen 15:6 NCV)  Abram believed the LORD. And the LORD accepted Abram's 
       faith, and that faith made him right with God.

       (Gen 15:7 NCV)  God said to Abram, "I am the LORD who led you out of 
       Ur of Babylonia so that I could give you this land to own."

       (Gen 15:8 NCV)  But Abram said, "Lord GOD, how can I be sure that I 
       will own this land?"

       (Gen 15:9 NCV)  The LORD said to Abram, "Bring me a three-year-old 
       cow, a three-year-old goat, a three-year-old male sheep, a dove, and a 
       young pigeon."

       (Gen 15:10 NCV)  Abram brought them all to God. Then Abram killed the 
       animals and cut each of them into two pieces, laying each half 
       opposite the other half. But he did not cut the birds in half.

       (Gen 15:11 NCV)  Later, large birds flew down to eat the animals, but 
       Abram chased them away.

       (Gen 15:12 NCV)  As the sun was going down, Abram fell into a deep 
       sleep. While he was asleep, a very terrible darkness came.

       (Gen 15:13 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Abram, "You can be sure that 
       your descendants will be strangers and travel in a land they don't 
       own. The people there will make them slaves and be cruel to them for 
       four hundred years.





       (Gen 15:14 NCV)  But I will punish the nation where they are slaves. 
       Then your descendants will leave that land, taking great wealth with 
       them.

       (Gen 15:15 NCV)  And you, Abram, will die in peace and will be buried 
       at an old age.

       (Gen 15:16 NCV)  After your great-great-grandchildren are born, your 
       people will come to this land again. It will take that long, because I 
       am not yet going to punish the Amorites for their evil behavior."

       (Gen 15:17 NCV)  After the sun went down, it was very dark. Suddenly a 
       smoking firepot and a blazing torch passed between the halves of the 
       dead animals.

       (Gen 15:18 NCV)  So on that day the LORD made an agreement with Abram 
       and said, "I will give to your descendants the land between the river 
       of Egypt and the great river Euphrates.

       (Gen 15:19 NCV)  This is the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, 
       Kadmonites,

       (Gen 15:20 NCV)  Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites,

       (Gen 15:21 NCV)  Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites."

       (Gen 16:1 NCV)  Sarai, Abram's wife, had no children, but she had a 
       slave girl from Egypt named Hagar.

       (Gen 16:2 NCV)  Sarai said to Abram, "Look, the LORD has not allowed 
       me to have children, so have sexual relations with my slave girl. If 
       she has a child, maybe I can have my own family through her." Abram 
       did what Sarai said.

       (Gen 16:3 NCV)  It was after he had lived ten years in Canaan that 
       Sarai gave Hagar to her husband Abram. (Hagar was her slave girl from 
       Egypt.)

       (Gen 16:4 NCV)  Abram had sexual relations with Hagar, and she became 
       pregnant. When Hagar learned she was pregnant, she began to treat her 
       mistress Sarai badly.

       (Gen 16:5 NCV)  Then Sarai said to Abram, "This is your fault. I gave 
       my slave girl to you, and when she became pregnant, she began to treat 
       me badly. Let the LORD decide who is right--you or me."

       (Gen 16:6 NCV)  But Abram said to Sarai, "You are Hagar's mistress. Do 
       anything you want to her." Then Sarai was hard on Hagar, and Hagar ran 
       away.

       (Gen 16:7 NCV)  The angel of the LORD found Hagar beside a spring of 
       water in the desert, by the road to Shur.

       (Gen 16:8 NCV)  The angel said, "Hagar, Sarai's slave girl, where have 
       you come from? Where are you going?" Hagar answered, "I am running 
       away from my mistress Sarai."






       (Gen 16:9 NCV)  The angel of the LORD said to her, "Go home to your 
       mistress and obey her."

       (Gen 16:10 NCV)  The angel also said, "I will give you so many 
       descendants they cannot be counted."

       (Gen 16:11 NCV)  The angel added, "You are now pregnant, and you will 
       have a son. You will name him Ishmael, because the LORD has heard your 
       cries.

       (Gen 16:12 NCV)  Ishmael will be like a wild donkey. He will be 
       against everyone, and everyone will be against him. He will attack all 
       his brothers."

       (Gen 16:13 NCV)  The slave girl gave a name to the LORD who spoke to 
       her: "You are 'God who sees me,'" because she said to herself, "Have I 
       really seen God who sees me?"

       (Gen 16:14 NCV)  So the well there, between Kadesh and Bered, was 
       called Beer Lahai Roi.

       (Gen 16:15 NCV)  Hagar gave birth to a son for Abram, and Abram named 
       him Ishmael.

       (Gen 16:16 NCV)  Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar gave birth 
       to Ishmael.

       (Gen 17:1 NCV)  When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD 
       appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty. Obey me and do what is 
       right.

       (Gen 17:2 NCV)  I will make an agreement between us, and I will make 
       you the ancestor of many people."

       (Gen 17:3 NCV)  Then Abram bowed facedown on the ground. God said to 
       him,

       (Gen 17:4 NCV)  "I am making my agreement with you: I will make you 
       the father of many nations.

       (Gen 17:5 NCV)  I am changing your name from Abram to Abraham because 
       I am making you a father of many nations.

       (Gen 17:6 NCV)  I will give you many descendants. New nations will be 
       born from you, and kings will come from you.

       (Gen 17:7 NCV)  And I will make an agreement between me and you and 
       all your descendants from now on: I will be your God and the God of 
       all your descendants.

       (Gen 17:8 NCV)  You live in the land of Canaan now as a stranger, but 
       I will give you and your descendants all this land forever. And I will 
       be the God of your descendants."

       (Gen 17:9 NCV)  Then God said to Abraham, "You and your descendants 





       must keep this agreement from now on.

       (Gen 17:10 NCV)  This is my agreement with you and all your 
       descendants, which you must obey: Every male among you must be 
       circumcised.

       (Gen 17:11 NCV)  Cut away your foreskin to show that you are prepared 
       to follow the agreement between me and you.

       (Gen 17:12 NCV)  From now on when a baby boy is eight days old, you 
       will circumcise him. This includes any boy born among your people or 
       any who is your slave, who is not one of your descendants.

       (Gen 17:13 NCV)  Circumcise every baby boy whether he is born in your 
       family or bought as a slave. Your bodies will be marked to show that 
       you are part of my agreement that lasts forever.

       (Gen 17:14 NCV)  Any male who is not circumcised will be cut off from 
       his people, because he has broken my agreement."

       (Gen 17:15 NCV)  God said to Abraham, "I will change the name of 
       Sarai, your wife, to Sarah.

       (Gen 17:16 NCV)  I will bless her and give her a son, and you will be 
       the father. She will be the mother of many nations. Kings of nations 
       will come from her."

       (Gen 17:17 NCV)  Abraham bowed facedown on the ground and laughed. He 
       said to himself, "Can a man have a child when he is a hundred years 
       old? Can Sarah give birth to a child when she is ninety?"

       (Gen 17:18 NCV)  Then Abraham said to God, "Please let Ishmael be the 
       son you promised."

       (Gen 17:19 NCV)  God said, "No, Sarah your wife will have a son, and 
       you will name him Isaac. I will make my agreement with him to be an 
       agreement that continues forever with all his descendants.

       (Gen 17:20 NCV)  "As for Ishmael, I have heard you. I will bless him 
       and give him many descendants. And I will cause their numbers to grow 
       greatly. He will be the father of twelve great leaders, and I will 
       make him into a great nation.

       (Gen 17:21 NCV)  But I will make my agreement with Isaac, the son whom 
       Sarah will have at this same time next year."

       (Gen 17:22 NCV)  After God finished talking with Abraham, God rose and 
       left him.

       (Gen 17:23 NCV)  Then Abraham gathered Ishmael, all the males born in 
       his camp, and the slaves he had bought. So that day Abraham 
       circumcised every man and boy in his camp as God had told him to do.

       (Gen 17:24 NCV)  Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was 
       circumcised.





       (Gen 17:25 NCV)  And Ishmael, his son, was thirteen years old when he 
       was circumcised.

       (Gen 17:26 NCV)  Abraham and his son were circumcised on the same day.

       (Gen 17:27 NCV)  Also on that day all the men in Abraham's camp were 
       circumcised, including all those born in his camp and all the slaves 
       he had bought from other nations.

       (Gen 18:1 NCV)  Later, the LORD again appeared to Abraham near the 
       great trees of Mamre. Abraham was sitting at the entrance of his tent 
       during the hottest part of the day.

       (Gen 18:2 NCV)  He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When 
       Abraham saw them, he ran from his tent to meet them. He bowed facedown 
       on the ground before them

       (Gen 18:3 NCV)  and said, "Sir, if you think well of me, please stay 
       awhile with me, your servant.

       (Gen 18:4 NCV)  I will bring some water so all of you can wash your 
       feet. You may rest under the tree,

       (Gen 18:5 NCV)  and I will get some bread for you so you can regain 
       your strength. Then you may continue your journey." The three men 
       said, "That is fine. Do as you said."

       (Gen 18:6 NCV)  Abraham hurried to the tent where Sarah was and said 
       to her, "Hurry, prepare twenty quarts of fine flour, and make it into 
       loaves of bread."

       (Gen 18:7 NCV)  Then Abraham ran to his herd and took one of his best 
       calves. He gave it to a servant, who hurried to kill it and to prepare 
       it for food.

       (Gen 18:8 NCV)  Abraham gave the three men the calf that had been 
       cooked and milk curds and milk. While they ate, he stood under the 
       tree near them.

       (Gen 18:9 NCV)  The men asked Abraham, "Where is your wife Sarah?" 
       "There, in the tent," said Abraham.

       (Gen 18:10 NCV)  Then the LORD said, "I will certainly return to you 
       about this time a year from now. At that time your wife Sarah will 
       have a son." Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent which was 
       behind him.

       (Gen 18:11 NCV)  Abraham and Sarah were very old. Since Sarah was past 
       the age when women normally have children,

       (Gen 18:12 NCV)  she laughed to herself, "My husband and I are too old 
       to have a baby."

       (Gen 18:13 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh? 
       Why did she say, 'I am too old to have a baby'?





       (Gen 18:14 NCV)  Is anything too hard for the LORD? No! I will return 
       to you at the right time a year from now, and Sarah will have a son."

       (Gen 18:15 NCV)  Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, "I didn't 
       laugh." But the LORD said, "No. You did laugh."

       (Gen 18:16 NCV)  Then the men got up to leave and started out toward 
       Sodom. Abraham walked along with them a short time to send them on 
       their way.

       (Gen 18:17 NCV)  The LORD said, "Should I tell Abraham what I am going 
       to do now?

       (Gen 18:18 NCV)  Abraham's children will certainly become a great and 
       powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.

       (Gen 18:19 NCV)  I have chosen him so he would command his children 
       and his descendants to live the way the LORD wants them to, to live 
       right and be fair. Then I, the LORD, will give Abraham what I promised 
       him."

       (Gen 18:20 NCV)  Then the LORD said, "I have heard many complaints 
       against the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. They are very evil.

       (Gen 18:21 NCV)  I will go down and see if they are as bad as I have 
       heard. If not, I will know."

       (Gen 18:22 NCV)  So the men turned and went toward Sodom, but Abraham 
       stood there before the LORD.

       (Gen 18:23 NCV)  Then Abraham approached him and asked, "Do you plan 
       to destroy the good people along with the evil ones?

       (Gen 18:24 NCV)  What if there are fifty good people in that city? 
       Will you still destroy it? Surely you will save the city for the fifty 
       good people living there.

       (Gen 18:25 NCV)  Surely you will not destroy the good people along 
       with the evil ones; then they would be treated the same. You are the 
       judge of all the earth. Won't you do what is right?"

       (Gen 18:26 NCV)  The LORD said, "If I find fifty good people in the 
       city of Sodom, I will save the whole city because of them."

       (Gen 18:27 NCV)  Then Abraham said, "Though I am only dust and ashes, 
       I have been brave to speak to the Lord.

       (Gen 18:28 NCV)  What if there are only forty-five good people in the 
       city? Will you destroy the whole city for the lack of five good 
       people?" The LORD said, "If I find forty-five there, I will not 
       destroy the city."

       (Gen 18:29 NCV)  Again Abraham said to him, "If you find only forty 
       good people there, will you destroy the city?" The LORD said, "If I 
       find forty, I will not destroy it."





       (Gen 18:30 NCV)  Then Abraham said, "Lord, please don't be angry with 
       me, but let me ask you this. If you find only thirty good people in 
       the city, will you destroy it?" He said, "If I find thirty good people 
       there, I will not destroy the city."

       (Gen 18:31 NCV)  Then Abraham said, "I have been brave to speak to the 
       Lord. But what if there are twenty good people in the city?" He 
       answered, "If I find twenty there, I will not destroy the city."

       (Gen 18:32 NCV)  Then Abraham said, "Lord, please don't be angry with 
       me, but let me bother you this one last time. What if you find ten 
       there?" He said, "If I find ten there, I will not destroy it."

       (Gen 18:33 NCV)  When the LORD finished speaking to Abraham, he left, 
       and Abraham returned home.

       (Gen 19:1 NCV)  The two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was 
       sitting near the city gate. When he saw them, he got up and went to 
       them and bowed facedown on the ground.

       (Gen 19:2 NCV)  Lot said, "Sirs, please come to my house and spend the 
       night. There you can wash your feet, and then tomorrow you may 
       continue your journey." The angels answered, "No, we will spend the 
       night in the city's public square."

       (Gen 19:3 NCV)  But Lot begged them to come, so they agreed and went 
       to his house. Then Lot prepared a meal for them. He baked bread 
       without yeast, and they ate it.

       (Gen 19:4 NCV)  Before bedtime, men both young and old and from every 
       part of Sodom surrounded Lot's house.

       (Gen 19:5 NCV)  They called to Lot, "Where are the two men who came to 
       you tonight? Bring them out to us so we can have sexual relations with 
       them."

       (Gen 19:6 NCV)  Lot went outside to them, closing the door behind him.

       (Gen 19:7 NCV)  He said, "No, my brothers! Do not do this evil thing.

       (Gen 19:8 NCV)  Look! I have two daughters who have never slept with a 
       man. I will give them to you, and you may do anything you want with 
       them. But please don't do anything to these men. They have come to my 
       house, and I must protect them."

       (Gen 19:9 NCV)  The men around the house answered, "Move out of the 
       way!" Then they said to each other, "This man Lot came to our city as 
       a stranger, and now he wants to tell us what to do!" They said to Lot, 
       "We will do worse things to you than to them." They started pushing 
       him back and were ready to break down the door.

       (Gen 19:10 NCV)  But the two men staying with Lot opened the door, 
       pulled him back inside the house, and then closed the door.

       (Gen 19:11 NCV)  They struck those outside the door with blindness, so 
       the men, both young and old, could not find the door.






       (Gen 19:12 NCV)  The two men said to Lot, "Do you have any other 
       relatives in this city? Do you have any sons-in-law, sons, daughters, 
       or any other relatives? If you do, tell them to leave now,

       (Gen 19:13 NCV)  because we are about to destroy this city. The LORD 
       has heard of all the evil that is here, so he has sent us to destroy 
       it."

       (Gen 19:14 NCV)  So Lot went out and said to his future sons-in-law 
       who were pledged to marry his daughters, "Hurry and leave this city! 
       The LORD is about to destroy it!" But they thought Lot was joking.

       (Gen 19:15 NCV)  At dawn the next morning, the angels begged Lot to 
       hurry. They said, "Go! Take your wife and your two daughters with you 
       so you will not be destroyed when the city is punished."

       (Gen 19:16 NCV)  But Lot delayed. So the two men took the hands of 
       Lot, his wife, and his two daughters and led them safely out of the 
       city. So the LORD was merciful to Lot and his family.

       (Gen 19:17 NCV)  After they brought them out of the city, one of the 
       men said, "Run for your lives! Don't look back or stop anywhere in the 
       valley. Run to the mountains, or you will be destroyed."

       (Gen 19:18 NCV)  But Lot said to one of them, "Sir, please don't force 
       me to go so far!

       (Gen 19:19 NCV)  You have been merciful and kind to me and have saved 
       my life. But I can't run to the mountains. The disaster will catch me, 
       and I will die.

       (Gen 19:20 NCV)  Look, that little town over there is not too far 
       away. Let me run there. It's really just a little town, and I'll be 
       safe there."

       (Gen 19:21 NCV)  The angel said to Lot, "Very well, I will allow you 
       to do this also. I will not destroy that town.

       (Gen 19:22 NCV)  But run there fast, because I cannot destroy Sodom 
       until you are safely in that town." (That town is named Zoar, because 
       it is little.)

       (Gen 19:23 NCV)  The sun had already come up when Lot entered Zoar.

       (Gen 19:24 NCV)  The LORD sent a rain of burning sulfur down from the 
       sky on Sodom and Gomorrah

       (Gen 19:25 NCV)  and destroyed those cities. He also destroyed the 
       whole Jordan Valley, everyone living in the cities, and even all the 
       plants.

       (Gen 19:26 NCV)  At that point Lot's wife looked back. When she did, 
       she became a pillar of salt.

       (Gen 19:27 NCV)  Early the next morning, Abraham got up and went to 





       the place where he had stood before the LORD.

       (Gen 19:28 NCV)  He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and all the 
       Jordan Valley and saw smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a 
       furnace.

       (Gen 19:29 NCV)  God destroyed the cities in the valley, but he 
       remembered what Abraham had asked. So God saved Lot's life, but he 
       destroyed the city where Lot had lived.

       (Gen 19:30 NCV)  Lot was afraid to continue living in Zoar, so he and 
       his two daughters went to live in the mountains in a cave.

       (Gen 19:31 NCV)  One day the older daughter said to the younger, "Our 
       father is old. Everywhere on the earth women and men marry, but there 
       are no men around here for us to marry.

       (Gen 19:32 NCV)  Let's get our father drunk and have sexual relations 
       with him. We can use him to have children and continue our family."

       (Gen 19:33 NCV)  That night the two girls got their father drunk, and 
       the older daughter went and had sexual relations with him. But Lot did 
       not know when she lay down or when she got up.

       (Gen 19:34 NCV)  The next day the older daughter said to the younger, 
       "Last night I had sexual relations with my father. Let's get him drunk 
       again tonight so you can go and have sexual relations with him, too. 
       In this way we can use our father to have children to continue our 
       family."

       (Gen 19:35 NCV)  So that night they got their father drunk again, and 
       the younger daughter went and had sexual relations with him. Again, 
       Lot did not know when she lay down or when she got up.

       (Gen 19:36 NCV)  So both of Lot's daughters became pregnant by their 
       father.

       (Gen 19:37 NCV)  The older daughter gave birth to a son and named him 
       Moab. He is the ancestor of all the Moabite people who are still 
       living today.

       (Gen 19:38 NCV)  The younger daughter also gave birth to a son and 
       named him Ben-Ammi. He is the father of all the Ammonite people who 
       are still living today.

       (Gen 20:1 NCV)  Abraham left Hebron and traveled to southern Canaan 
       where he stayed awhile between Kadesh and Shur. When he moved to 
       Gerar,

       (Gen 20:2 NCV)  he told people that his wife Sarah was his sister. 
       Abimelech king of Gerar heard this, so he sent some servants to take 
       her.

       (Gen 20:3 NCV)  But one night God spoke to Abimelech in a dream and 
       said, "You will die. The woman you took is married."





       (Gen 20:4 NCV)  But Abimelech had not gone near Sarah, so he said, 
       "Lord, would you destroy an innocent nation?

       (Gen 20:5 NCV)  Abraham himself told me, 'This woman is my sister,' 
       and she also said, 'He is my brother.' I am innocent. I did not know I 
       was doing anything wrong."

       (Gen 20:6 NCV)  Then God said to Abimelech in the dream, "Yes, I know 
       you did not realize what you were doing. So I did not allow you to sin 
       against me and touch her.

       (Gen 20:7 NCV)  Give Abraham his wife back. He is a prophet. He will 
       pray for you, and you will not die. But if you do not give Sarah back, 
       you and all your family will surely die."

       (Gen 20:8 NCV)  So early the next morning, Abimelech called all his 
       officers and told them everything that had happened in the dream. They 
       were very afraid.

       (Gen 20:9 NCV)  Then Abimelech called Abraham to him and said, "What 
       have you done to us? What wrong did I do against you? Why did you 
       bring this trouble to my kingdom? You should not have done these 
       things to me.

       (Gen 20:10 NCV)  What were you thinking that caused you to do this?"

       (Gen 20:11 NCV)  Then Abraham answered, "I thought no one in this 
       place respected God and that someone would kill me to get Sarah.

       (Gen 20:12 NCV)  And it is true that she is my sister. She is the 
       daughter of my father, but she is not the daughter of my mother.

       (Gen 20:13 NCV)  When God told me to leave my father's house and 
       wander in many different places, I told Sarah, 'You must do a special 
       favor for me. Everywhere we go tell people I am your brother.'"

       (Gen 20:14 NCV)  Then Abimelech gave Abraham some sheep, cattle, and 
       male and female slaves. He also gave Sarah, Abraham's wife, back to 
       him

       (Gen 20:15 NCV)  and said, "Look around you at my land. You may live 
       anywhere you want."

       (Gen 20:16 NCV)  Abimelech said to Sarah, "I gave your brother Abraham 
       twenty-five pounds of silver to make up for any wrong that people may 
       think about you. I want everyone to know that you are innocent."

       (Gen 20:17 NCV)  Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, 
       his wife, and his servant girls so they could have children.

       (Gen 20:18 NCV)  The LORD had kept all the women in Abimelech's house 
       from having children as a punishment on Abimelech for taking Abraham's 
       wife Sarah.

       (Gen 21:1 NCV)  The LORD cared for Sarah as he had said and did for 
       her what he had promised.






       (Gen 21:2 NCV)  Sarah became pregnant and gave birth to a son for 
       Abraham in his old age. Everything happened at the time God had said 
       it would.

       (Gen 21:3 NCV)  Abraham named his son Isaac, the son Sarah gave birth 
       to.

       (Gen 21:4 NCV)  He circumcised Isaac when he was eight days old as God 
       had commanded.

       (Gen 21:5 NCV)  Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac 
       was born.

       (Gen 21:6 NCV)  And Sarah said, "God has made me laugh. Everyone who 
       hears about this will laugh with me.

       (Gen 21:7 NCV)  No one thought that I would be able to have Abraham's 
       child, but even though Abraham is old I have given him a son."

       (Gen 21:8 NCV)  Isaac grew, and when he became old enough to eat food, 
       Abraham gave a great feast.

       (Gen 21:9 NCV)  But Sarah saw Ishmael making fun of Isaac. (Ishmael 
       was the son of Abraham by Hagar, Sarah's Egyptian slave.)

       (Gen 21:10 NCV)  So Sarah said to Abraham, "Throw out this slave woman 
       and her son. Her son should not inherit anything; my son Isaac should 
       receive it all."

       (Gen 21:11 NCV)  This troubled Abraham very much because Ishmael was 
       also his son.

       (Gen 21:12 NCV)  But God said to Abraham, "Don't be troubled about the 
       boy and the slave woman. Do whatever Sarah tells you. The descendants 
       I promised you will be from Isaac.

       (Gen 21:13 NCV)  I will also make the descendants of Ishmael into a 
       great nation because he is your son, too."

       (Gen 21:14 NCV)  Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a 
       leather bag full of water. He gave them to Hagar and sent her away. 
       Carrying these things and her son, Hagar went and wandered in the 
       desert of Beersheba.

       (Gen 21:15 NCV)  Later, when all the water was gone from the bag, 
       Hagar put her son under a bush.

       (Gen 21:16 NCV)  Then she went away a short distance and sat down. She 
       thought, "My son will die, and I cannot watch this happen." She sat 
       there and began to cry.

       (Gen 21:17 NCV)  God heard the boy crying, and God's angel called to 
       Hagar from heaven. He said, "What is wrong, Hagar? Don't be afraid! 
       God has heard the boy crying there.





       (Gen 21:18 NCV)  Help him up and take him by the hand. I will make his 
       descendants into a great nation."

       (Gen 21:19 NCV)  Then God showed Hagar a well of water. So she went to 
       the well and filled her bag with water and gave the boy a drink.

       (Gen 21:20 NCV)  God was with the boy as he grew up. Ishmael lived in 
       the desert and became an archer.

       (Gen 21:21 NCV)  He lived in the Desert of Paran, and his mother found 
       a wife for him in Egypt.

       (Gen 21:22 NCV)  Then Abimelech came with Phicol, the commander of his 
       army, and said to Abraham, "God is with you in everything you do.

       (Gen 21:23 NCV)  So make a promise to me here before God that you will 
       be fair with me and my children and my descendants. Be kind to me and 
       to this land where you have lived as a stranger--as kind as I have 
       been to you."

       (Gen 21:24 NCV)  And Abraham said, "I promise."

       (Gen 21:25 NCV)  Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about 
       Abimelech's servants who had seized a well of water.

       (Gen 21:26 NCV)  But Abimelech said, "I don't know who did this. You 
       never told me about this before today."

       (Gen 21:27 NCV)  Then Abraham gave Abimelech some sheep and cattle, 
       and they made an agreement.

       (Gen 21:28 NCV)  Abraham also put seven female lambs in front of 
       Abimelech.

       (Gen 21:29 NCV)  Abimelech asked Abraham, "Why did you put these seven 
       female lambs by themselves?"

       (Gen 21:30 NCV)  Abraham answered, "Accept these lambs from me to 
       prove that you believe I dug this well."

       (Gen 21:31 NCV)  So that place was called Beersheba because they made 
       a promise to each other there.

       (Gen 21:32 NCV)  After Abraham and Abimelech made the agreement at 
       Beersheba, Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, went back 
       to the land of the Philistines.

       (Gen 21:33 NCV)  Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba and 
       prayed to the LORD, the God who lives forever.

       (Gen 21:34 NCV)  And Abraham lived as a stranger in the land of the 
       Philistines for a long time.

       (Gen 22:1 NCV)  After these things God tested Abraham's faith. God 
       said to him, "Abraham!" And he answered, "Here I am."





       (Gen 22:2 NCV)  Then God said, "Take your only son, Isaac, the son you 
       love, and go to the land of Moriah. Kill him there and offer him as a 
       whole burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."

       (Gen 22:3 NCV)  Abraham got up early in the morning and saddled his 
       donkey. He took Isaac and two servants with him. After he cut the wood 
       for the sacrifice, they went to the place God had told them to go.

       (Gen 22:4 NCV)  On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place 
       in the distance.

       (Gen 22:5 NCV)  He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey. 
       My son and I will go over there and worship, and then we will come 
       back to you."

       (Gen 22:6 NCV)  Abraham took the wood for the sacrifice and gave it to 
       his son to carry, but he himself took the knife and the fire. So he 
       and his son went on together.

       (Gen 22:7 NCV)  Isaac said to his father Abraham, "Father!" Abraham 
       answered, "Yes, my son." Isaac said, "We have the fire and the wood, 
       but where is the lamb we will burn as a sacrifice?"

       (Gen 22:8 NCV)  Abraham answered, "God will give us the lamb for the 
       sacrifice, my son." So Abraham and his son went on together

       (Gen 22:9 NCV)  and came to the place God had told him about. Abraham 
       built an altar there. He laid the wood on it and then tied up his son 
       Isaac and laid him on the wood on the altar.

       (Gen 22:10 NCV)  Then Abraham took his knife and was about to kill his 
       son.

       (Gen 22:11 NCV)  But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven 
       and said, "Abraham! Abraham!" Abraham answered, "Yes."

       (Gen 22:12 NCV)  The angel said, "Don't kill your son or hurt him in 
       any way. Now I can see that you trust God and that you have not kept 
       your son, your only son, from me."

       (Gen 22:13 NCV)  Then Abraham looked up and saw a male sheep caught in 
       a bush by its horns. So Abraham went and took the sheep and killed it. 
       He offered it as a whole burnt offering to God, and his son was saved.

       (Gen 22:14 NCV)  So Abraham named that place The LORD Provides. Even 
       today people say, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."

       (Gen 22:15 NCV)  The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a 
       second time

       (Gen 22:16 NCV)  and said, "The LORD says, 'Because you did not keep 
       back your son, your only son, from me, I make you this promise by my 
       own name:

       (Gen 22:17 NCV)  I will surely bless you and give you many 
       descendants. They will be as many as the stars in the sky and the sand 





       on the seashore, and they will capture the cities of their enemies.

       (Gen 22:18 NCV)  Through your descendants all the nations on the earth 
       will be blessed, because you obeyed me.'"

       (Gen 22:19 NCV)  Then Abraham returned to his servants. They all 
       traveled back to Beersheba, and Abraham stayed there.

       (Gen 22:20 NCV)  After these things happened, someone told Abraham: 
       "Your brother Nahor and his wife Milcah have children now.

       (Gen 22:21 NCV)  The first son is Uz, and the second is Buz. The third 
       son is Kemuel (the father of Aram).

       (Gen 22:22 NCV)  Then there are Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and 
       Bethuel."

       (Gen 22:23 NCV)  Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Milcah was the 
       mother of these eight sons, and Nahor, Abraham's brother, was the 
       father.

       (Gen 22:24 NCV)  Also Nahor had four other sons by his slave woman 
       Reumah. Their names were Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

       (Gen 23:1 NCV)  Sarah lived to be one hundred twenty-seven years old.

       (Gen 23:2 NCV)  She died in Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land 
       of Canaan. Abraham was very sad and cried because of her.

       (Gen 23:3 NCV)  After a while he got up from the side of his wife's 
       body and went to talk to the Hittites. He said,

       (Gen 23:4 NCV)  "I am only a stranger and a foreigner here. Sell me 
       some of your land so that I can bury my dead wife."

       (Gen 23:5 NCV)  The Hittites answered Abraham,

       (Gen 23:6 NCV)  "Sir, you are a great leader among us. You may have 
       the best place we have to bury your dead. You may have any of our 
       burying places that you want, and none of us will stop you from 
       burying your dead wife."

       (Gen 23:7 NCV)  Abraham rose and bowed to the people of the land, the 
       Hittites.

       (Gen 23:8 NCV)  He said to them, "If you truly want to help me bury my 
       dead wife here, speak to Ephron, the son of Zohar for me.

       (Gen 23:9 NCV)  Ask him to sell me the cave of Machpelah at the edge 
       of his field. I will pay him the full price. You can be the witnesses 
       that I am buying it as a burial place."

       (Gen 23:10 NCV)  Ephron was sitting among the Hittites at the city 
       gate. He answered Abraham,

       (Gen 23:11 NCV)  "No, sir. I will give you the land and the cave that 





       is in it, with these people as witnesses. Bury your dead wife."

       (Gen 23:12 NCV)  Then Abraham bowed down before the Hittites.

       (Gen 23:13 NCV)  He said to Ephron before all the people, "Please let 
       me pay you the full price for the field. Accept my money, and I will 
       bury my dead there."

       (Gen 23:14 NCV)  Ephron answered Abraham,

       (Gen 23:15 NCV)  "Sir, the land is worth ten pounds of silver, but I 
       won't argue with you over the price. Take the land, and bury your dead 
       wife."

       (Gen 23:16 NCV)  Abraham agreed and paid Ephron in front of the 
       Hittite witnesses. He weighed out the full price, ten pounds of 
       silver, and they counted the weight as the traders normally did.

       (Gen 23:17 NCV)  So Ephron's field in Machpelah, east of Mamre, was 
       sold. Abraham became the owner of the field, the cave in it, and all 
       the trees that were in the field. The sale was made at the city gate, 
       with the Hittites as witnesses.

       (Gen 23:18 NCV)  

       (Gen 23:19 NCV)  After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave 
       in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre. (Mamre was later called Hebron 
       in the land of Canaan.)

       (Gen 23:20 NCV)  So Abraham bought the field and the cave in it from 
       the Hittites to use as a burying place.

       (Gen 24:1 NCV)  Abraham was now very old, and the LORD had blessed him 
       in every way.

       (Gen 24:2 NCV)  Abraham said to his oldest servant, who was in charge 
       of everything he owned, "Put your hand under my leg.

       (Gen 24:3 NCV)  Make a promise to me before the LORD, the God of 
       heaven and earth. Don't get a wife for my son from the Canaanite girls 
       who live around here.

       (Gen 24:4 NCV)  Instead, go back to my country, to the land of my 
       relatives, and get a wife for my son Isaac."

       (Gen 24:5 NCV)  The servant said to him, "What if this woman does not 
       want to return with me to this land? Then, should I take your son with 
       me back to your homeland?"

       (Gen 24:6 NCV)  Abraham said to him, "No! Don't take my son back 
       there.

       (Gen 24:7 NCV)  The LORD, the God of heaven, brought me from the home 
       of my father and the land of my relatives. And he promised me, 'I will 
       give this land to your descendants.' The LORD will send his angel 
       before you to help you get a wife for my son there.






       (Gen 24:8 NCV)  If the girl won't come back with you, you will be free 
       from this promise. But you must not take my son back there."

       (Gen 24:9 NCV)  So the servant put his hand under his master's leg and 
       made a promise to Abraham about this.

       (Gen 24:10 NCV)  The servant took ten of Abraham's camels and left, 
       carrying with him many different kinds of beautiful gifts. He went to 
       Northwest Mesopotamia to Nahor's city.

       (Gen 24:11 NCV)  In the evening, when the women come out to get water, 
       he made the camels kneel down at the well outside the city.

       (Gen 24:12 NCV)  The servant said, "LORD, God of my master Abraham, 
       allow me to find a wife for his son today. Please show this kindness 
       to my master Abraham.

       (Gen 24:13 NCV)  Here I am, standing by the spring, and the girls from 
       the city are coming out to get water.

       (Gen 24:14 NCV)  I will say to one of them, 'Please put your jar down 
       so I can drink.' Then let her say, 'Drink, and I will also give water 
       to your camels.' If that happens, I will know she is the right one for 
       your servant Isaac and that you have shown kindness to my master."

       (Gen 24:15 NCV)  Before the servant had finished praying, Rebekah, the 
       daughter of Bethuel, came out of the city. (Bethuel was the son of 
       Milcah and Nahor, Abraham's brother.) Rebekah was carrying her water 
       jar on her shoulder.

       (Gen 24:16 NCV)  She was very pretty, a virgin; she had never had 
       sexual relations with a man. She went down to the spring and filled 
       her jar, then came back up.

       (Gen 24:17 NCV)  The servant ran to her and said, "Please give me a 
       little water from your jar."

       (Gen 24:18 NCV)  Rebekah said, "Drink, sir." She quickly lowered the 
       jar from her shoulder and gave him a drink.

       (Gen 24:19 NCV)  After he finished drinking, Rebekah said, "I will 
       also pour some water for your camels."

       (Gen 24:20 NCV)  So she quickly poured all the water from her jar into 
       the drinking trough for the camels. Then she kept running to the well 
       until she had given all the camels enough to drink.

       (Gen 24:21 NCV)  The servant quietly watched her. He wanted to be sure 
       the LORD had made his trip successful.

       (Gen 24:22 NCV)  After the camels had finished drinking, he gave 
       Rebekah a gold ring weighing one-fifth of an ounce and two gold arm 
       bracelets weighing about four ounces each.

       (Gen 24:23 NCV)  He asked, "Who is your father? Is there a place in 





       his house for me and my men to spend the night?"

       (Gen 24:24 NCV)  Rebekah answered, "My father is Bethuel, the son of 
       Milcah and Nahor."

       (Gen 24:25 NCV)  Then she said, "And, yes, we have straw for your 
       camels and a place for you to spend the night."

       (Gen 24:26 NCV)  The servant bowed and worshiped the LORD

       (Gen 24:27 NCV)  and said, "Blessed is the LORD, the God of my master 
       Abraham. The LORD has been kind and truthful to him and has led me to 
       my master's relatives."

       (Gen 24:28 NCV)  Then Rebekah ran and told her mother's family about 
       all these things.

       (Gen 24:29 NCV)  She had a brother named Laban, who ran out to 
       Abraham's servant, who was still at the spring.

       (Gen 24:30 NCV)  Laban had heard what she had said and had seen the 
       ring and the bracelets on his sister's arms. So he ran out to the 
       well, and there was the man standing by the camels at the spring.

       (Gen 24:31 NCV)  Laban said, "Sir, you are welcome to come in; you 
       don't have to stand outside. I have prepared the house for you and 
       also a place for your camels."

       (Gen 24:32 NCV)  So Abraham's servant went into the house. After Laban 
       unloaded the camels and gave them straw and food, he gave water to 
       Abraham's servant so he and the men with him could wash their feet.

       (Gen 24:33 NCV)  Then Laban gave the servant food, but the servant 
       said, "I will not eat until I have told you why I came." So Laban 
       said, "Then tell us."

       (Gen 24:34 NCV)  He said, "I am Abraham's servant.

       (Gen 24:35 NCV)  The LORD has greatly blessed my master in everything, 
       and he has become a rich man. The LORD has given him many flocks of 
       sheep, herds of cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, 
       camels, and horses.

       (Gen 24:36 NCV)  Sarah, my master's wife, gave birth to a son when she 
       was old, and my master has given everything he owns to that son.

       (Gen 24:37 NCV)  My master had me make a promise to him and said, 
       'Don't get a wife for my son from the Canaanite girls who live around 
       here.

       (Gen 24:38 NCV)  Instead, you must go to my father's people and to my 
       family. There you must get a wife for my son.'

       (Gen 24:39 NCV)  I said to my master, 'What if the woman will not come 
       back with me?'





       (Gen 24:40 NCV)  But he said, 'I serve the LORD, who will send his 
       angel with you and will help you. You will get a wife for my son from 
       my family and my father's people.

       (Gen 24:41 NCV)  Then you will be free from the promise. But if they 
       will not give you a wife for my son, you will be free from this 
       promise.'

       (Gen 24:42 NCV)  "Today I came to this spring. I said, 'LORD, God of 
       my master Abraham, please make my trip successful.

       (Gen 24:43 NCV)  I am standing by this spring. I will wait for a young 
       woman to come out to get water, and I will say, "Please give me water 
       from your jar to drink."

       (Gen 24:44 NCV)  Then let her say, "Drink this water, and I will also 
       get water for your camels." By this I will know the LORD has chosen 
       her for my master's son.'

       (Gen 24:45 NCV)  "Before I finished my silent prayer, Rebekah came out 
       of the city with her water jar on her shoulder. She went down to the 
       spring and got water. I said to her, 'Please give me a drink.'

       (Gen 24:46 NCV)  She quickly lowered the jar from her shoulder and 
       said, 'Drink this. I will also get water for your camels.' So I drank, 
       and she gave water to my camels too.

       (Gen 24:47 NCV)  When I asked her, 'Who is your father?' she answered, 
       'My father is Bethuel son of Milcah and Nahor.' Then I put the ring in 
       her nose and the bracelets on her arms,

       (Gen 24:48 NCV)  and I bowed my head and thanked the LORD. I praised 
       the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, because he led me on the right 
       road to get the granddaughter of my master's brother for his son.

       (Gen 24:49 NCV)  Now, tell me, will you be kind and truthful to my 
       master? And if not, tell me so. Then I will know what I should do."

       (Gen 24:50 NCV)  Laban and Bethuel answered, "This is clearly from the 
       LORD, and we cannot change what must happen.

       (Gen 24:51 NCV)  Rebekah is yours. Take her and go. Let her marry your 
       master's son as the LORD has commanded."

       (Gen 24:52 NCV)  When Abraham's servant heard these words, he bowed 
       facedown on the ground before the LORD.

       (Gen 24:53 NCV)  Then he gave Rebekah gold and silver jewelry and 
       clothes. He also gave expensive gifts to her brother and mother.

       (Gen 24:54 NCV)  The servant and the men with him ate and drank and 
       spent the night there. When they got up the next morning, the servant 
       said, "Now let me go back to my master."

       (Gen 24:55 NCV)  Rebekah's mother and her brother said, "Let Rebekah 
       stay with us at least ten days. After that she may go."






       (Gen 24:56 NCV)  But the servant said to them, "Do not make me wait, 
       because the LORD has made my trip successful. Now let me go back to my 
       master."

       (Gen 24:57 NCV)  Rebekah's brother and mother said, "We will call 
       Rebekah and ask her what she wants to do."

       (Gen 24:58 NCV)  They called her and asked her, "Do you want to go 
       with this man now?" She said, "Yes, I do."

       (Gen 24:59 NCV)  So they allowed Rebekah and her nurse to go with 
       Abraham's servant and his men.

       (Gen 24:60 NCV)  They blessed Rebekah and said, "Our sister, may you 
       be the mother of thousands of people, and may your descendants capture 
       the cities of their enemies."

       (Gen 24:61 NCV)  Then Rebekah and her servant girls got on the camels 
       and followed the servant and his men. So the servant took Rebekah and 
       left.

       (Gen 24:62 NCV)  At this time Isaac had left Beer Lahai Roi and was 
       living in southern Canaan.

       (Gen 24:63 NCV)  One evening when he went out to the field to think, 
       he looked up and saw camels coming.

       (Gen 24:64 NCV)  Rebekah also looked and saw Isaac. Then she jumped 
       down from the camel

       (Gen 24:65 NCV)  and asked the servant, "Who is that man walking in 
       the field to meet us?" The servant answered, "That is my master." So 
       Rebekah covered her face with her veil.

       (Gen 24:66 NCV)  The servant told Isaac everything that had happened.

       (Gen 24:67 NCV)  Then Isaac brought Rebekah into the tent of Sarah, 
       his mother, and she became his wife. Isaac loved her very much, and so 
       he was comforted after his mother's death.

       (Gen 25:1 NCV)  Abraham married again, and his new wife was Keturah.

       (Gen 25:2 NCV)  She gave birth to Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, 
       Ishbak, and Shuah.

       (Gen 25:3 NCV)  Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. Dedan's 
       descendants were the people of Assyria, Letush, and Leum.

       (Gen 25:4 NCV)  The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, 
       and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah.

       (Gen 25:5 NCV)  Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac.

       (Gen 25:6 NCV)  But before Abraham died, he did give gifts to the sons 
       of his other wives, then sent them to the East to be away from Isaac.






       (Gen 25:7 NCV)  Abraham lived to be one hundred seventy-five years 
       old.

       (Gen 25:8 NCV)  He breathed his last breath and died at an old age, 
       after a long and satisfying life.

       (Gen 25:9 NCV)  His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of 
       Machpelah in the field of Ephron east of Mamre. (Ephron was the son of 
       Zohar the Hittite.)

       (Gen 25:10 NCV)  So Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah in the same 
       field that he had bought from the Hittites.

       (Gen 25:11 NCV)  After Abraham died, God blessed his son Isaac. Isaac 
       was now living at Beer Lahai Roi.

       (Gen 25:12 NCV)  This is the family history of Ishmael, Abraham's son. 
       (Hagar, Sarah's Egyptian servant, was Ishmael's mother.)

       (Gen 25:13 NCV)  These are the names of Ishmael's sons in the order 
       they were born: Nebaioth, the first son, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,

       (Gen 25:14 NCV)  Mishma, Dumah, Massa,

       (Gen 25:15 NCV)  Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.

       (Gen 25:16 NCV)  These were Ishmael's sons, and these are the names of 
       the tribal leaders listed according to their settlements and camps.

       (Gen 25:17 NCV)  Ishmael lived one hundred thirty-seven years and then 
       breathed his last breath and died.

       (Gen 25:18 NCV)  His descendants lived from Havilah to Shur, which is 
       east of Egypt stretching toward Assyria. They often attacked the 
       descendants of his brothers.

       (Gen 25:19 NCV)  This is the family history of Isaac. Abraham had a 
       son named Isaac.

       (Gen 25:20 NCV)  When Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah, 
       who came from Northwest Mesopotamia. She was Bethuel's daughter and 
       the sister of Laban the Aramean.

       (Gen 25:21 NCV)  Isaac's wife could not have children, so Isaac prayed 
       to the LORD for her. The LORD heard Isaac's prayer, and Rebekah became 
       pregnant.

       (Gen 25:22 NCV)  While she was pregnant, the babies struggled inside 
       her. She asked, "Why is this happening to me?" Then she went to get an 
       answer from the LORD.

       (Gen 25:23 NCV)  The LORD said to her, "Two nations are in your body, 
       and two groups of people will be taken from you. One group will be 
       stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger."





       (Gen 25:24 NCV)  When the time came, Rebekah gave birth to twins.

       (Gen 25:25 NCV)  The first baby was born red. Since his skin was like 
       a hairy robe, he was named Esau.

       (Gen 25:26 NCV)  When the second baby was born, he was holding on to 
       Esau's heel, so that baby was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old 
       when they were born.

       (Gen 25:27 NCV)  When the boys grew up, Esau became a skilled hunter. 
       He loved to be out in the fields. But Jacob was a quiet man and stayed 
       among the tents.

       (Gen 25:28 NCV)  Isaac loved Esau because he hunted the wild animals 
       that Isaac enjoyed eating. But Rebekah loved Jacob.

       (Gen 25:29 NCV)  One day Jacob was boiling a pot of vegetable soup. 
       Esau came in from hunting in the fields, weak from hunger.

       (Gen 25:30 NCV)  So Esau said to Jacob, "Let me eat some of that red 
       soup, because I am weak with hunger." (That is why people call him 
       Edom.)

       (Gen 25:31 NCV)  But Jacob said, "You must sell me your rights as the 
       firstborn son."

       (Gen 25:32 NCV)  Esau said, "I am almost dead from hunger. If I die, 
       all of my father's wealth will not help me."

       (Gen 25:33 NCV)  But Jacob said, "First, promise me that you will give 
       it to me." So Esau made a promise to Jacob and sold his part of their 
       father's wealth to Jacob.

       (Gen 25:34 NCV)  Then Jacob gave Esau bread and vegetable soup, and he 
       ate and drank, and then left. So Esau showed how little he cared about 
       his rights as the firstborn son.

       (Gen 26:1 NCV)  Now there was a time of hunger in the land, besides 
       the time of hunger that happened during Abraham's life. So Isaac went 
       to the town of Gerar to see Abimelech king of the Philistines.

       (Gen 26:2 NCV)  The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, "Don't go down to 
       Egypt, but live in the land where I tell you to live.

       (Gen 26:3 NCV)  Stay in this land, and I will be with you and bless 
       you. I will give you and your descendants all these lands, and I will 
       keep the oath I made to Abraham your father.

       (Gen 26:4 NCV)  I will give you many descendants, as hard to count as 
       the stars in the sky, and I will give them all these lands. Through 
       your descendants all the nations on the earth will be blessed.

       (Gen 26:5 NCV)  I will do this because your father Abraham obeyed me. 
       He did what I said and obeyed my commands, my teachings, and my 
       rules."





       (Gen 26:6 NCV)  So Isaac stayed in Gerar.

       (Gen 26:7 NCV)  His wife Rebekah was very beautiful, and the men of 
       that place asked Isaac about her. Isaac said, "She is my sister," 
       because he was afraid to tell them she was his wife. He thought they 
       might kill him so they could have her.

       (Gen 26:8 NCV)  Isaac lived there a long time. One day as Abimelech 
       king of the Philistines looked out his window, he saw Isaac holding 
       his wife Rebekah tenderly.

       (Gen 26:9 NCV)  Abimelech called for Isaac and said, "This woman is 
       your wife. Why did you say she was your sister?" Isaac said to him, "I 
       was afraid you would kill me so you could have her."

       (Gen 26:10 NCV)  Abimelech said, "What have you done to us? One of our 
       men might have had sexual relations with your wife. Then we would have 
       been guilty of a great sin."

       (Gen 26:11 NCV)  So Abimelech warned everyone, "Anyone who touches 
       this man or his wife will be put to death."

       (Gen 26:12 NCV)  Isaac planted seed in that land, and that year he 
       gathered a great harvest. The LORD blessed him very much,

       (Gen 26:13 NCV)  and he became rich. He gathered more wealth until he 
       became a very rich man.

       (Gen 26:14 NCV)  He had so many slaves and flocks and herds that the 
       Philistines envied him.

       (Gen 26:15 NCV)  So they stopped up all the wells the servants of 
       Isaac's father Abraham had dug. (They had dug them when Abraham was 
       alive.) The Philistines filled those wells with dirt.

       (Gen 26:16 NCV)  And Abimelech said to Isaac, "Leave our country 
       because you have become much more powerful than we are."

       (Gen 26:17 NCV)  So Isaac left that place and camped in the Valley of 
       Gerar and lived there.

       (Gen 26:18 NCV)  Long before this time Abraham had dug many wells, but 
       after he died, the Philistines filled them with dirt. So Isaac dug 
       those wells again and gave them the same names his father had given 
       them.

       (Gen 26:19 NCV)  Isaac's servants dug a well in the valley, from which 
       a spring of water flowed.

       (Gen 26:20 NCV)  But the herdsmen of Gerar argued with them and said, 
       "This water is ours." So Isaac named that well Argue because they 
       argued with him.

       (Gen 26:21 NCV)  Then his servants dug another well. When the people 
       also argued about it, Isaac named that well Fight.





       (Gen 26:22 NCV)  He moved from there and dug another well. No one 
       argued about this one, so he named it Room Enough. Isaac said, "Now 
       the LORD has made room for us, and we will be successful in this 
       land."

       (Gen 26:23 NCV)  From there Isaac went to Beersheba.

       (Gen 26:24 NCV)  The LORD appeared to him that night and said, "I am 
       the God of your father Abraham. Don't be afraid, because I am with 
       you. I will bless you and give you many descendants because of my 
       servant Abraham."

       (Gen 26:25 NCV)  So Isaac built an altar and worshiped the LORD there. 
       He also made a camp there, and his servants dug a well.

       (Gen 26:26 NCV)  Abimelech came from Gerar to see Isaac. He brought 
       with him Ahuzzath, who advised him, and Phicol, the commander of his 
       army.

       (Gen 26:27 NCV)  Isaac asked them, "Why have you come to see me? You 
       were my enemy and forced me to leave your country."

       (Gen 26:28 NCV)  They answered, "Now we know that the LORD is with 
       you. Let us swear an oath to each other. Let us make an agreement with 
       you

       (Gen 26:29 NCV)  that since we did not hurt you, you will not hurt us. 
       We were good to you and sent you away in peace. Now the LORD has 
       blessed you."

       (Gen 26:30 NCV)  So Isaac prepared food for them, and they all ate and 
       drank.

       (Gen 26:31 NCV)  Early the next morning the men swore an oath to each 
       other. Then Isaac sent them away, and they left in peace.

       (Gen 26:32 NCV)  That day Isaac's servants came and told him about the 
       well they had dug, saying, "We found water in that well."

       (Gen 26:33 NCV)  So Isaac named it Shibah and that city is called 
       Beersheba even now.

       (Gen 26:34 NCV)  When Esau was forty years old, he married two Hittite 
       women--Judith daughter of Beeri and Basemath daughter of Elon.

       (Gen 26:35 NCV)  These women brought much sorrow to Isaac and Rebekah.

       (Gen 27:1 NCV)  When Isaac was old, his eyesight was poor, so he could 
       not see clearly. One day he called his older son Esau to him and said, 
       "Son." Esau answered, "Here I am."

       (Gen 27:2 NCV)  Isaac said, "I am old and don't know when I might die.

       (Gen 27:3 NCV)  So take your bow and arrows and go hunting in the 
       field for an animal for me to eat.





       (Gen 27:4 NCV)  When you prepare the tasty food that I love, bring it 
       to me, and I will eat. Then I will bless you before I die."

       (Gen 27:5 NCV)  So Esau went out in the field to hunt. Rebekah was 
       listening as Isaac said this to his son Esau.

       (Gen 27:6 NCV)  She said to her son Jacob, "Listen, I heard your 
       father saying to your brother Esau,

       (Gen 27:7 NCV)  'Kill an animal and prepare some tasty food for me to 
       eat. Then I will bless you in the presence of the LORD before I die.'

       (Gen 27:8 NCV)  So obey me, my son, and do what I tell you.

       (Gen 27:9 NCV)  Go out to our goats and bring me two of the best young 
       ones. I will prepare them just the way your father likes them.

       (Gen 27:10 NCV)  Then you will take the food to your father, and he 
       will bless you before he dies."

       (Gen 27:11 NCV)  But Jacob said to his mother Rebekah, "My brother 
       Esau is a hairy man, and I am smooth!

       (Gen 27:12 NCV)  If my father touches me, he will know I am not Esau. 
       Then he will not bless me but will place a curse on me because I tried 
       to trick him."

       (Gen 27:13 NCV)  So Rebekah said to him, "If your father puts a curse 
       on you, I will accept the blame. Just do what I said and go, get the 
       goats for me."

       (Gen 27:14 NCV)  So Jacob went out and got two goats and brought them 
       to his mother, and she cooked them in the special way Isaac enjoyed.

       (Gen 27:15 NCV)  She took the best clothes of her older son Esau that 
       were in the house and put them on the younger son Jacob.

       (Gen 27:16 NCV)  She also took the skins of the goats and put them on 
       Jacob's hands and neck.

       (Gen 27:17 NCV)  Then she gave Jacob the tasty food and the bread she 
       had made.

       (Gen 27:18 NCV)  Jacob went in to his father and said, "Father." And 
       his father said, "Yes, my son. Who are you?"

       (Gen 27:19 NCV)  Jacob said to him, "I am Esau, your first son. I have 
       done what you told me. Now sit up and eat some meat of the animal I 
       hunted for you. Then bless me."

       (Gen 27:20 NCV)  But Isaac asked his son, "How did you find and kill 
       the animal so quickly?" Jacob answered, "Because the LORD your God 
       helped me to find it."

       (Gen 27:21 NCV)  Then Isaac said to Jacob, "Come near so I can touch 
       you, my son. Then I will know if you are really my son Esau."






       (Gen 27:22 NCV)  So Jacob came near to Isaac his father. Isaac touched 
       him and said, "Your voice sounds like Jacob's voice, but your hands 
       are hairy like the hands of Esau."

       (Gen 27:23 NCV)  Isaac did not know it was Jacob, because his hands 
       were hairy like Esau's hands, so Isaac blessed him.

       (Gen 27:24 NCV)  Isaac asked, "Are you really my son Esau?" Jacob 
       answered, "Yes, I am."

       (Gen 27:25 NCV)  Then Isaac said, "Bring me the food, and I will eat 
       it and bless you." So Jacob gave him the food, and he ate. Jacob gave 
       him wine, and he drank.

       (Gen 27:26 NCV)  Then Isaac said to him, "My son, come near and kiss 
       me."

       (Gen 27:27 NCV)  So Jacob went to his father and kissed him. When 
       Isaac smelled Esau's clothes, he blessed him and said, "The smell of 
       my son is like the smell of the field that the LORD has blessed.

       (Gen 27:28 NCV)  May God give you plenty of rain and good soil so that 
       you will have plenty of grain and new wine.

       (Gen 27:29 NCV)  May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. 
       May you be master over your brothers, and may your mother's sons bow 
       down to you. May everyone who curses you be cursed, and may everyone 
       who blesses you be blessed."

       (Gen 27:30 NCV)  Isaac finished blessing Jacob. Then, just as Jacob 
       left his father Isaac, Esau came in from hunting.

       (Gen 27:31 NCV)  He also prepared some tasty food and brought it to 
       his father. He said, "Father, rise and eat the food that your son 
       killed for you and then bless me."

       (Gen 27:32 NCV)  Isaac asked, "Who are you?" He answered, "I am your 
       son--your firstborn son--Esau."

       (Gen 27:33 NCV)  Then Isaac trembled greatly and said, "Then who was 
       it that hunted the animals and brought me food before you came? I ate 
       it, and I blessed him, and it is too late now to take back my 
       blessing."

       (Gen 27:34 NCV)  When Esau heard the words of his father, he let out a 
       loud and bitter cry. He said to his father, "Bless me--me, too, my 
       father!"

       (Gen 27:35 NCV)  But Isaac said, "Your brother came and tricked me. He 
       has taken your blessing."

       (Gen 27:36 NCV)  Esau said, "Jacob is the right name for him. He has 
       tricked me these two times. He took away my share of everything you 
       own, and now he has taken away my blessing." Then Esau asked, "Haven't 
       you saved a blessing for me?"






       (Gen 27:37 NCV)  Isaac answered, "I gave Jacob the power to be master 
       over you, and all his brothers will be his servants. And I kept him 
       strong with grain and new wine. There is nothing left to give you, my 
       son."

       (Gen 27:38 NCV)  But Esau continued, "Do you have only one blessing, 
       Father? Bless me, too, Father!" Then Esau began to cry out loud.

       (Gen 27:39 NCV)  Isaac said to him, "You will live far away from the 
       best land, far from the rain.

       (Gen 27:40 NCV)  You will live by using your sword, and you will be a 
       slave to your brother. But when you struggle, you will break free from 
       him."

       (Gen 27:41 NCV)  After that Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing 
       from Isaac. He thought to himself, "My father will soon die, and I 
       will be sad for him. Then I will kill Jacob."

       (Gen 27:42 NCV)  Rebekah heard about Esau's plan to kill Jacob. So she 
       sent for Jacob and said to him, "Listen, your brother Esau is 
       comforting himself by planning to kill you.

       (Gen 27:43 NCV)  So, my son, do what I say. My brother Laban is living 
       in Haran. Go to him at once!

       (Gen 27:44 NCV)  Stay with him for a while, until your brother is not 
       so angry.

       (Gen 27:45 NCV)  In time, your brother will not be angry, and he will 
       forget what you did to him. Then I will send a servant to bring you 
       back. I don't want to lose both of my sons on the same day."

       (Gen 27:46 NCV)  Then Rebekah said to Isaac, "I am tired of Hittite 
       women. If Jacob marries one of these Hittite women here in this land, 
       I want to die."

       (Gen 28:1 NCV)  Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and commanded him, 
       "You must not marry a Canaanite woman.

       (Gen 28:2 NCV)  Go to the house of Bethuel, your mother's father, in 
       Northwest Mesopotamia. Laban, your mother's brother, lives there. 
       Marry one of his daughters.

       (Gen 28:3 NCV)  May God Almighty bless you and give you many children, 
       and may you become a group of many peoples.

       (Gen 28:4 NCV)  May he give you and your descendants the blessing of 
       Abraham so that you may own the land where you are now living as a 
       stranger, the land God gave to Abraham."

       (Gen 28:5 NCV)  So Isaac sent Jacob to Northwest Mesopotamia, to Laban 
       the brother of Rebekah. Bethuel the Aramean was the father of Laban 
       and Rebekah, and Rebekah was the mother of Jacob and Esau.





       (Gen 28:6 NCV)  Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him 
       to Northwest Mesopotamia to find a wife there. He also learned that 
       Isaac had commanded Jacob not to marry a Canaanite woman

       (Gen 28:7 NCV)  and that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and 
       had gone to Northwest Mesopotamia.

       (Gen 28:8 NCV)  So Esau saw that his father Isaac did not want his 
       sons to marry Canaanite women.

       (Gen 28:9 NCV)  Now Esau already had wives, but he went to Ishmael son 
       of Abraham, and he married Mahalath, Ishmael's daughter. Mahalath was 
       the sister of Nebaioth.

       (Gen 28:10 NCV)  Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran.

       (Gen 28:11 NCV)  When he came to a place, he spent the night there 
       because the sun had set. He found a stone and laid his head on it to 
       go to sleep.

       (Gen 28:12 NCV)  Jacob dreamed that there was a ladder resting on the 
       earth and reaching up into heaven, and he saw angels of God going up 
       and coming down the ladder.

       (Gen 28:13 NCV)  Then Jacob saw the LORD standing above the ladder, 
       and he said, "I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your grandfather, and 
       the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on 
       which you are now sleeping.

       (Gen 28:14 NCV)  Your descendants will be as many as the dust of the 
       earth. They will spread west and east, north and south, and all the 
       families of the earth will be blessed through you and your 
       descendants.

       (Gen 28:15 NCV)  I am with you and will protect you everywhere you go 
       and will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I 
       have done what I have promised you."

       (Gen 28:16 NCV)  Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, "Surely the 
       LORD is in this place, but I did not know it."

       (Gen 28:17 NCV)  He was afraid and said, "This place frightens me! It 
       is surely the house of God and the gate of heaven."

       (Gen 28:18 NCV)  Jacob rose early in the morning and took the stone he 
       had slept on and set it up on its end. Then he poured olive oil on the 
       top of it.

       (Gen 28:19 NCV)  At first, the name of that city was Luz, but Jacob 
       named it Bethel.

       (Gen 28:20 NCV)  Then Jacob made a promise. He said, "I want God to be 
       with me and to protect me on this journey. I want him to give me food 
       to eat and clothes to wear

       (Gen 28:21 NCV)  so I will be able to return in peace to my father's 





       house. If the LORD does these things, he will be my God.

       (Gen 28:22 NCV)  This stone which I have set up on its end will be the 
       house of God. And I will give God one-tenth of all he gives me."

       (Gen 29:1 NCV)  Then Jacob continued his journey and came to the land 
       of the people of the East.

       (Gen 29:2 NCV)  He looked and saw a well in the field and three flocks 
       of sheep lying nearby, because they drank water from this well. A 
       large stone covered the mouth of the well.

       (Gen 29:3 NCV)  When all the flocks would gather there, the shepherds 
       would roll the stone away from the well and water the sheep. Then they 
       would put the stone back in its place.

       (Gen 29:4 NCV)  Jacob said to the shepherds there, "My brothers, where 
       are you from?" They answered, "We are from Haran."

       (Gen 29:5 NCV)  Then Jacob asked, "Do you know Laban, grandson of 
       Nahor?" They answered, "We know him."

       (Gen 29:6 NCV)  Then Jacob asked, "How is he?" They answered, "He is 
       well. Look, his daughter Rachel is coming now with his sheep."

       (Gen 29:7 NCV)  Jacob said, "But look, it is still the middle of the 
       day. It is not time for the sheep to be gathered for the night, so 
       give them water and let them go back into the pasture."

       (Gen 29:8 NCV)  But they said, "We cannot do that until all the flocks 
       are gathered. Then we will roll away the stone from the mouth of the 
       well and water the sheep."

       (Gen 29:9 NCV)  While Jacob was talking with the shepherds, Rachel 
       came with her father's sheep, because it was her job to care for the 
       sheep.

       (Gen 29:10 NCV)  When Jacob saw Laban's daughter Rachel and Laban's 
       sheep, he went to the well and rolled the stone from its mouth and 
       watered Laban's sheep. Now Laban was the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's 
       mother.

       (Gen 29:11 NCV)  Then Jacob kissed Rachel and cried.

       (Gen 29:12 NCV)  He told her that he was from her father's family and 
       that he was the son of Rebekah. So Rachel ran home and told her 
       father.

       (Gen 29:13 NCV)  When Laban heard the news about his sister's son 
       Jacob, he ran to meet him. Laban hugged him and kissed him and brought 
       him to his house, where Jacob told Laban everything that had happened.

       (Gen 29:14 NCV)  Then Laban said, "You are my own flesh and blood." 
       Jacob stayed there a month.

       (Gen 29:15 NCV)  Then Laban said to Jacob, "You are my relative, but 





       it is not right for you to work for me without pay. What would you 
       like me to pay you?"

       (Gen 29:16 NCV)  Now Laban had two daughters. The older was Leah, and 
       the younger was Rachel.

       (Gen 29:17 NCV)  Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was very beautiful.

       (Gen 29:18 NCV)  Jacob loved Rachel, so he said to Laban, "Let me 
       marry your younger daughter Rachel. If you will, I will work seven 
       years for you."

       (Gen 29:19 NCV)  Laban said, "It would be better for her to marry you 
       than someone else, so stay here with me."

       (Gen 29:20 NCV)  So Jacob worked for Laban seven years so he could 
       marry Rachel. But they seemed like just a few days to him because he 
       loved Rachel very much.

       (Gen 29:21 NCV)  After seven years Jacob said to Laban, "Give me 
       Rachel so that I may marry her. The time I promised to work for you is 
       over."

       (Gen 29:22 NCV)  So Laban gave a feast for all the people there.

       (Gen 29:23 NCV)  That evening he brought his daughter Leah to Jacob, 
       and they had sexual relations.

       (Gen 29:24 NCV)  (Laban gave his slave girl Zilpah to his daughter to 
       be her servant.)

       (Gen 29:25 NCV)  In the morning when Jacob saw that he had had sexual 
       relations with Leah, he said to Laban, "What have you done to me? I 
       worked hard for you so that I could marry Rachel! Why did you trick 
       me?"

       (Gen 29:26 NCV)  Laban said, "In our country we do not allow the 
       younger daughter to marry before the older daughter.

       (Gen 29:27 NCV)  But complete the full week of the marriage ceremony 
       with Leah, and I will give you Rachel to marry also. But you must 
       serve me another seven years."

       (Gen 29:28 NCV)  So Jacob did this, and when he had completed the week 
       with Leah, Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as a wife.

       (Gen 29:29 NCV)  (Laban gave his slave girl Bilhah to his daughter 
       Rachel to be her servant.)

       (Gen 29:30 NCV)  So Jacob had sexual relations with Rachel also, and 
       Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah. Jacob worked for Laban for another 
       seven years.

       (Gen 29:31 NCV)  When the LORD saw that Jacob loved Rachel more than 
       Leah, he made it possible for Leah to have children, but not Rachel.





       (Gen 29:32 NCV)  Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She 
       named him Reuben, because she said, "The LORD has seen my troubles. 
       Surely now my husband will love me."

       (Gen 29:33 NCV)  Leah became pregnant again and gave birth to another 
       son. She named him Simeon and said, "The LORD has heard that I am not 
       loved, so he has given me this son."

       (Gen 29:34 NCV)  Leah became pregnant again and gave birth to another 
       son. She named him Levi and said, "Now, surely my husband will be 
       close to me, because I have given him three sons."

       (Gen 29:35 NCV)  Then Leah gave birth to another son. She named him 
       Judah, because she said, "Now I will praise the LORD." Then Leah 
       stopped having children.

       (Gen 30:1 NCV)  When Rachel saw that she was not having children for 
       Jacob, she envied her sister Leah. She said to Jacob, "Give me 
       children, or I'll die!"

       (Gen 30:2 NCV)  Jacob became angry with her and said, "Can I do what 
       only God can do? He is the one who has kept you from having children."

       (Gen 30:3 NCV)  Then Rachel said, "Here is my slave girl Bilhah. Have 
       sexual relations with her so she can give birth to a child for me. 
       Then I can have my own family through her."

       (Gen 30:4 NCV)  So Rachel gave Bilhah, her slave girl, to Jacob as a 
       wife, and he had sexual relations with her.

       (Gen 30:5 NCV)  She became pregnant and gave Jacob a son.

       (Gen 30:6 NCV)  Rachel said, "God has judged me innocent. He has 
       listened to my prayer and has given me a son," so she named him Dan.

       (Gen 30:7 NCV)  Bilhah became pregnant again and gave Jacob a second 
       son.

       (Gen 30:8 NCV)  Rachel said, "I have struggled hard with my sister, 
       and I have won." So she named that son Naphtali.

       (Gen 30:9 NCV)  Leah saw that she had stopped having children, so she 
       gave her slave girl Zilpah to Jacob as a wife.

       (Gen 30:10 NCV)  When Zilpah had a son,

       (Gen 30:11 NCV)  Leah said, "I am lucky," so she named him Gad.

       (Gen 30:12 NCV)  Zilpah gave birth to another son,

       (Gen 30:13 NCV)  and Leah said, "I am very happy! Now women will call 
       me happy," so she named him Asher.

       (Gen 30:14 NCV)  During the wheat harvest Reuben went into the field 
       and found some mandrake plants and brought them to his mother Leah. 
       But Rachel said to Leah, "Please give me some of your son's 





       mandrakes."

       (Gen 30:15 NCV)  Leah answered, "You have already taken away my 
       husband, and now you are trying to take away my son's mandrakes." But 
       Rachel answered, "If you will give me your son's mandrakes, you may 
       sleep with Jacob tonight."

       (Gen 30:16 NCV)  When Jacob came in from the field that night, Leah 
       went out to meet him. She said, "You will have sexual relations with 
       me tonight because I have paid for you with my son's mandrakes." So 
       Jacob slept with her that night.

       (Gen 30:17 NCV)  Then God answered Leah's prayer, and she became 
       pregnant again. She gave birth to a fifth son

       (Gen 30:18 NCV)  and said, "God has given me what I paid for, because 
       I gave my slave girl to my husband." So Leah named her son Issachar.

       (Gen 30:19 NCV)  Leah became pregnant again and gave birth to a sixth 
       son.

       (Gen 30:20 NCV)  She said, "God has given me a fine gift. Now surely 
       Jacob will honor me, because I have given him six sons," so she named 
       him Zebulun.

       (Gen 30:21 NCV)  Later Leah gave birth to a daughter and named her 
       Dinah.

       (Gen 30:22 NCV)  Then God remembered Rachel and answered her prayer, 
       making it possible for her to have children.

       (Gen 30:23 NCV)  When she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, she 
       said, "God has taken away my shame,"

       (Gen 30:24 NCV)  and she named him Joseph. Rachel said, "I wish the 
       LORD would give me another son."

       (Gen 30:25 NCV)  After the birth of Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, "Now 
       let me go to my own home and country.

       (Gen 30:26 NCV)  Give me my wives and my children and let me go. I 
       have earned them by working for you, and you know that I have served 
       you well."

       (Gen 30:27 NCV)  Laban said to him, "If I have pleased you, please 
       stay. I know the LORD has blessed me because of you.

       (Gen 30:28 NCV)  Tell me what I should pay you, and I will give it to 
       you."

       (Gen 30:29 NCV)  Jacob answered, "You know that I have worked hard for 
       you, and your flocks have grown while I cared for them.

       (Gen 30:30 NCV)  When I came, you had little, but now you have much. 
       Every time I did something for you, the LORD blessed you. But when 
       will I be able to do something for my own family?"






       (Gen 30:31 NCV)  Laban asked, "Then what should I give you?" Jacob 
       answered, "I don't want you to give me anything. Just do this one 
       thing, and I will come back and take care of your flocks.

       (Gen 30:32 NCV)  Today let me go through all your flocks. I will take 
       every speckled or spotted sheep, every black lamb, and every spotted 
       or speckled goat. That will be my pay.

       (Gen 30:33 NCV)  In the future you can easily see if I am honest. When 
       you come to look at my flocks, if I have any goat that isn't speckled 
       or spotted or any lamb that isn't black, you will know I stole it."

       (Gen 30:34 NCV)  Laban answered, "Agreed! We will do what you ask."

       (Gen 30:35 NCV)  But that day Laban took away all the male goats that 
       had streaks or spots, all the speckled and spotted female goats (all 
       those that had white on them), and all the black sheep. He told his 
       sons to watch over them.

       (Gen 30:36 NCV)  Then he took these animals to a place that was three 
       days' journey away from Jacob. Jacob took care of all the flocks that 
       were left.

       (Gen 30:37 NCV)  So Jacob cut green branches from poplar, almond, and 
       plane trees and peeled off some of the bark so that the branches had 
       white stripes on them.

       (Gen 30:38 NCV)  He put the branches in front of the flocks at the 
       watering places. When the animals came to drink, they also mated 
       there,

       (Gen 30:39 NCV)  so the flocks mated in front of the branches. Then 
       the young that were born were streaked, speckled, or spotted.

       (Gen 30:40 NCV)  Jacob separated the young animals from the others, 
       and he made them face the streaked and dark animals in Laban's flock. 
       Jacob kept his animals separate from Laban's.

       (Gen 30:41 NCV)  When the stronger animals in the flock were mating, 
       Jacob put the branches before their eyes so they would mate near the 
       branches.

       (Gen 30:42 NCV)  But when the weaker animals mated, Jacob did not put 
       the branches there. So the animals born from the weaker animals were 
       Laban's, and those born from the stronger animals were Jacob's.

       (Gen 30:43 NCV)  In this way Jacob became very rich. He had large 
       flocks, many male and female servants, camels, and donkeys.

       (Gen 31:1 NCV)  One day Jacob heard Laban's sons talking. They said, 
       "Jacob has taken everything our father owned, and in this way he has 
       become rich."

       (Gen 31:2 NCV)  Then Jacob noticed that Laban was not as friendly as 
       he had been before.






       (Gen 31:3 NCV)  The LORD said to Jacob, "Go back to the land where 
       your ancestors lived, and I will be with you."

       (Gen 31:4 NCV)  So Jacob told Rachel and Leah to meet him in the field 
       where he kept his flocks.

       (Gen 31:5 NCV)  He said to them, "I have seen that your father is not 
       as friendly with me as he used to be, but the God of my father has 
       been with me.

       (Gen 31:6 NCV)  You both know that I have worked as hard as I could 
       for your father,

       (Gen 31:7 NCV)  but he cheated me and changed my pay ten times. But 
       God has not allowed your father to harm me.

       (Gen 31:8 NCV)  When Laban said, 'You can have all the speckled 
       animals as your pay,' all the animals gave birth to speckled young 
       ones. But when he said, 'You can have all the streaked animals as your 
       pay,' all the flocks gave birth to streaked babies.

       (Gen 31:9 NCV)  So God has taken the animals away from your father and 
       has given them to me.

       (Gen 31:10 NCV)  "I had a dream during the season when the flocks were 
       mating. I saw that the only male goats who were mating were streaked, 
       speckled, or spotted.

       (Gen 31:11 NCV)  The angel of God spoke to me in that dream and said, 
       'Jacob!' I answered, 'Yes!'

       (Gen 31:12 NCV)  The angel said, 'Look! Only the streaked, speckled, 
       or spotted male goats are mating. I have seen all the wrong things 
       Laban has been doing to you.

       (Gen 31:13 NCV)  I am the God who appeared to you at Bethel, where you 
       poured olive oil on the stone you set up on end and where you made a 
       promise to me. Now I want you to leave here and go back to the land 
       where you were born.'"

       (Gen 31:14 NCV)  Rachel and Leah answered Jacob, "Our father has 
       nothing to give us when he dies.

       (Gen 31:15 NCV)  He has treated us like strangers. He sold us to you, 
       and then he spent all of the money you paid for us.

       (Gen 31:16 NCV)  God took all this wealth from our father, and now it 
       belongs to us and our children. So do whatever God has told you to 
       do."

       (Gen 31:17 NCV)  So Jacob put his children and his wives on camels,

       (Gen 31:18 NCV)  and they began their journey back to Isaac, his 
       father, in the land of Canaan. All the flocks of animals that Jacob 
       owned walked ahead of them. He carried everything with him that he had 





       gotten while he lived in Northwest Mesopotamia.

       (Gen 31:19 NCV)  While Laban was gone to cut the wool from his sheep, 
       Rachel stole the idols that belonged to him.

       (Gen 31:20 NCV)  And Jacob tricked Laban the Aramean by not telling 
       him he was leaving.

       (Gen 31:21 NCV)  Jacob and his family left quickly, crossed the 
       Euphrates River, and traveled toward the mountains of Gilead.

       (Gen 31:22 NCV)  Three days later Laban learned that Jacob had run 
       away,

       (Gen 31:23 NCV)  so he gathered his relatives and began to chase him. 
       After seven days Laban found him in the mountains of Gilead.

       (Gen 31:24 NCV)  That night God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream 
       and said, "Be careful! Do not say anything to Jacob, good or bad."

       (Gen 31:25 NCV)  So Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had made his 
       camp in the mountains, so Laban and his relatives set up their camp in 
       the mountains of Gilead.

       (Gen 31:26 NCV)  Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done? You cheated 
       me and took my daughters as if you had captured them in a war.

       (Gen 31:27 NCV)  Why did you run away secretly and trick me? Why 
       didn't you tell me? Then I could have sent you away with joy and 
       singing and with the music of tambourines and harps.

       (Gen 31:28 NCV)  You did not even let me kiss my grandchildren and my 
       daughters good-bye. You were very foolish to do this!

       (Gen 31:29 NCV)  I have the power to harm you, but last night the God 
       of your father spoke to me and warned me not to say anything to you, 
       good or bad.

       (Gen 31:30 NCV)  I know you want to go back to your home, but why did 
       you steal my idols?"

       (Gen 31:31 NCV)  Jacob answered Laban, "I left without telling you, 
       because I was afraid you would take your daughters away from me.

       (Gen 31:32 NCV)  If you find anyone here who has taken your idols, 
       that person will be killed! Your relatives will be my witnesses. You 
       may look for anything that belongs to you and take anything that is 
       yours." (Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen Laban's idols.)

       (Gen 31:33 NCV)  So Laban looked in Jacob's tent, in Leah's tent, and 
       in the tent where the two slave women stayed, but he did not find his 
       idols. When he left Leah's tent, he went into Rachel's tent.

       (Gen 31:34 NCV)  Rachel had hidden the idols inside her camel's saddle 
       and was sitting on them. Although Laban looked through the whole tent, 
       he did not find them.






       (Gen 31:35 NCV)  Rachel said to her father, "Father, don't be angry 
       with me. I am not able to stand up before you because I am having my 
       monthly period." So Laban looked through the camp, but he did not find 
       his idols.

       (Gen 31:36 NCV)  Then Jacob became very angry and said, "What wrong 
       have I done? What law have I broken to cause you to chase me?

       (Gen 31:37 NCV)  You have looked through everything I own, but you 
       have found nothing that belongs to you. If you have found anything, 
       show it to everyone. Put it in front of your relatives and my 
       relatives, and let them decide which one of us is right.

       (Gen 31:38 NCV)  I have worked for you now for twenty years. During 
       all that time none of the lambs and kids died during birth, and I have 
       not eaten any of the male sheep from your flocks.

       (Gen 31:39 NCV)  Any time an animal was killed by wild beasts, I did 
       not bring it to you, but made up for the loss myself. You made me pay 
       for any animal that was stolen during the day or night.

       (Gen 31:40 NCV)  In the daytime the sun took away my strength, and at 
       night I was cold and could not sleep.

       (Gen 31:41 NCV)  I worked like a slave for you for twenty years--the 
       first fourteen to get your two daughters and the last six to earn your 
       flocks. During that time you changed my pay ten times.

       (Gen 31:42 NCV)  But the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the 
       God of Isaac, was with me. Otherwise, you would have sent me away with 
       nothing. But he saw the trouble I had and the hard work I did, and 
       last night he corrected you."

       (Gen 31:43 NCV)  Laban said to Jacob, "These girls are my daughters. 
       Their children belong to me, and these flocks are mine. Everything you 
       see here belongs to me, but I can do nothing to keep my daughters and 
       their children.

       (Gen 31:44 NCV)  Let us make an agreement, and let us set up a pile of 
       stones to remind us of it."

       (Gen 31:45 NCV)  So Jacob took a large rock and set it up on its end.

       (Gen 31:46 NCV)  He told his relatives to gather rocks, so they took 
       the rocks and piled them up; then they ate beside the pile.

       (Gen 31:47 NCV)  Laban named that place in his language A Pile to 
       Remind Us, and Jacob gave the place the same name in Hebrew.

       (Gen 31:48 NCV)  Laban said to Jacob, "This pile of rocks will remind 
       us of the agreement between us." That is why the place was called A 
       Pile to Remind Us.

       (Gen 31:49 NCV)  It was also called Mizpah, because Laban said, "Let 
       the LORD watch over us while we are separated from each other.






       (Gen 31:50 NCV)  Remember that God is our witness even if no one else 
       is around us. He will know if you harm my daughters or marry other 
       women.

       (Gen 31:51 NCV)  Here is the pile of rocks that I have put between us 
       and here is the rock I set up on end.

       (Gen 31:52 NCV)  This pile of rocks and this rock set on end will 
       remind us of our agreement. I will never go past this pile to hurt 
       you, and you must never come to my side of them to hurt me.

       (Gen 31:53 NCV)  Let the God of Abraham, who is the God of Nahor and 
       the God of their fathers, punish either of us if we break this 
       agreement." So Jacob made a promise in the name of the God whom his 
       father Isaac worshiped.

       (Gen 31:54 NCV)  Then Jacob killed an animal and offered it as a 
       sacrifice on the mountain, and he invited his relatives to share in 
       the meal. After they finished eating, they spent the night on the 
       mountain.

       (Gen 31:55 NCV)  Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren 
       and his daughters and blessed them, and then he left to return home.

       (Gen 32:1 NCV)  When Jacob also went his way, the angels of God met 
       him.

       (Gen 32:2 NCV)  When he saw them, he said, "This is the camp of God!" 
       So he named that place Mahanaim.

       (Gen 32:3 NCV)  Jacob's brother Esau was living in the area called 
       Seir in the country of Edom. Jacob sent messengers to Esau,

       (Gen 32:4 NCV)  telling them, "Give this message to my master Esau: 
       'This is what Jacob, your servant, says: I have lived with Laban and 
       have remained there until now.

       (Gen 32:5 NCV)  I have cattle, donkeys, flocks, and male and female 
       servants. I send this message to you and ask you to accept us.'"

       (Gen 32:6 NCV)  The messengers returned to Jacob and said, "We went to 
       your brother Esau. He is coming to meet you and has four hundred men 
       with him."

       (Gen 32:7 NCV)  Then Jacob was very afraid and worried. He divided the 
       people who were with him and all the flocks, herds, and camels into 
       two camps.

       (Gen 32:8 NCV)  Jacob thought, "Esau might come and destroy one camp, 
       but the other camp can run away and be saved."

       (Gen 32:9 NCV)  Then Jacob said, "God of my father Abraham! God of my 
       father Isaac! LORD, you told me to return to my country and my family. 
       You said that you would treat me well.





       (Gen 32:10 NCV)  I am not worthy of the kindness and continual 
       goodness you have shown me. The first time I traveled across the 
       Jordan River, I had only my walking stick, but now I own enough to 
       have two camps.

       (Gen 32:11 NCV)  Please save me from my brother Esau. I am afraid he 
       will come and kill all of us, even the mothers with the children.

       (Gen 32:12 NCV)  You said to me, 'I will treat you well and will make 
       your children as many as the sand of the seashore. There will be too 
       many to count.'"

       (Gen 32:13 NCV)  Jacob stayed there for the night and prepared a gift 
       for Esau from what he had with him:

       (Gen 32:14 NCV)  two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two 
       hundred female sheep and twenty male sheep,

       (Gen 32:15 NCV)  thirty female camels and their young, forty cows and 
       ten bulls, twenty female donkeys, and ten male donkeys.

       (Gen 32:16 NCV)  Jacob gave each separate flock of animals to one of 
       his servants and said to them, "Go ahead of me and keep some space 
       between each herd."

       (Gen 32:17 NCV)  Jacob gave them their orders. To the servant with the 
       first group of animals he said, "My brother Esau will come to you and 
       ask, 'Whose servant are you? Where are you going and whose animals are 
       these?'

       (Gen 32:18 NCV)  Then you will answer, 'They belong to your servant 
       Jacob. He sent them as a gift to you, my master Esau, and he also is 
       coming behind us.'"

       (Gen 32:19 NCV)  Jacob ordered the second servant, the third servant, 
       and all the other servants to do the same thing. He said, "Say the 
       same thing to Esau when you meet him.

       (Gen 32:20 NCV)  Say, 'Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.'" Jacob 
       thought, "If I send these gifts ahead of me, maybe Esau will forgive 
       me. Then when I see him, perhaps he will accept me."

       (Gen 32:21 NCV)  So Jacob sent the gifts to Esau, but he himself 
       stayed that night in the camp.

       (Gen 32:22 NCV)  During the night Jacob rose and crossed the Jabbok 
       River at the crossing, taking with him his two wives, his two slave 
       girls, and his eleven sons.

       (Gen 32:23 NCV)  He sent his family and everything he had across the 
       river.

       (Gen 32:24 NCV)  So Jacob was alone, and a man came and wrestled with 
       him until the sun came up.

       (Gen 32:25 NCV)  When the man saw he could not defeat Jacob, he struck 





       Jacob's hip and put it out of joint.

       (Gen 32:26 NCV)  Then he said to Jacob, "Let me go. The sun is coming 
       up." But Jacob said, "I will let you go if you will bless me."

       (Gen 32:27 NCV)  The man said to him, "What is your name?" And he 
       answered, "Jacob."

       (Gen 32:28 NCV)  Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be 
       Jacob. Your name will now be Israel, because you have wrestled with 
       God and with people, and you have won."

       (Gen 32:29 NCV)  Then Jacob asked him, "Please tell me your name." But 
       the man said, "Why do you ask my name?" Then he blessed Jacob there.

       (Gen 32:30 NCV)  So Jacob named that place Peniel, saying, "I have 
       seen God face to face, but my life was saved."

       (Gen 32:31 NCV)  Then the sun rose as he was leaving that place, and 
       Jacob was limping because of his leg.

       (Gen 32:32 NCV)  So even today the people of Israel do not eat the 
       muscle that is on the hip joint of animals, because Jacob was touched 
       there.

       (Gen 33:1 NCV)  Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming, and with him were 
       four hundred men. So Jacob divided his children among Leah, Rachel, 
       and the two slave girls.

       (Gen 33:2 NCV)  Jacob put the slave girls with their children first, 
       then Leah and her children behind them, and Rachel and Joseph last.

       (Gen 33:3 NCV)  Jacob himself went out in front of them and bowed down 
       flat on the ground seven times as he was walking toward his brother.

       (Gen 33:4 NCV)  But Esau ran to meet Jacob and put his arms around him 
       and hugged him. Then Esau kissed him, and they both cried.

       (Gen 33:5 NCV)  When Esau looked up and saw the women and children, he 
       asked, "Who are these people with you?" Jacob answered, "These are the 
       children God has given me. God has been good to me, your servant."

       (Gen 33:6 NCV)  Then the two slave girls and their children came up to 
       Esau and bowed down flat on the earth before him.

       (Gen 33:7 NCV)  Leah and her children also came up to Esau and also 
       bowed down flat on the earth. Last of all, Joseph and Rachel came up 
       to Esau, and they, too, bowed down flat before him.

       (Gen 33:8 NCV)  Esau said, "I saw many herds as I was coming here. Why 
       did you bring them?" Jacob answered, "They were to please you, my 
       master."

       (Gen 33:9 NCV)  But Esau said, "I already have enough, my brother. 
       Keep what you have."





       (Gen 33:10 NCV)  Jacob said, "No! Please! If I have pleased you, then 
       accept the gift I give you. I am very happy to see your face again. It 
       is like seeing the face of God, because you have accepted me.

       (Gen 33:11 NCV)  So I beg you to accept the gift I give you. God has 
       been very good to me, and I have more than I need." And because Jacob 
       begged, Esau accepted the gift.

       (Gen 33:12 NCV)  Then Esau said, "Let us be going. I will travel with 
       you."

       (Gen 33:13 NCV)  But Jacob said to him, "My master, you know that the 
       children are weak. And I must be careful with my flocks and their 
       young ones. If I force them to go too far in one day, all the animals 
       will die.

       (Gen 33:14 NCV)  So, my master, you go on ahead of me, your servant. I 
       will follow you slowly and let the animals and the children set the 
       speed at which we travel. I will meet you, my master, in Edom."

       (Gen 33:15 NCV)  So Esau said, "Then let me leave some of my people 
       with you." "No, thank you," said Jacob. "I only want to please you, my 
       master."

       (Gen 33:16 NCV)  So that day Esau started back to Edom.

       (Gen 33:17 NCV)  But Jacob went to Succoth, where he built a house for 
       himself and shelters for his animals. That is why the place was named 
       Succoth.

       (Gen 33:18 NCV)  Jacob left Northwest Mesopotamia and arrived safely 
       at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan. There he camped east of 
       the city.

       (Gen 33:19 NCV)  He bought a part of the field where he had camped 
       from the sons of Hamor father of Shechem for one hundred pieces of 
       silver.

       (Gen 33:20 NCV)  He built an altar there and named it after God, the 
       God of Israel.

       (Gen 34:1 NCV)  At this time Dinah, the daughter of Leah and Jacob, 
       went out to visit the women of the land.

       (Gen 34:2 NCV)  When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of the 
       land, saw her, he took her and forced her to have sexual relations 
       with him.

       (Gen 34:3 NCV)  Shechem fell in love with Dinah, and he spoke kindly 
       to her.

       (Gen 34:4 NCV)  He told his father, Hamor, "Please get this girl for 
       me so I can marry her."

       (Gen 34:5 NCV)  Jacob learned how Shechem had disgraced his daughter, 
       but since his sons were out in the field with the cattle, Jacob said 





       nothing until they came home.

       (Gen 34:6 NCV)  While he waited, Hamor father of Shechem went to talk 
       with Jacob.

       (Gen 34:7 NCV)  When Jacob's sons heard what had happened, they came 
       in from the field. They were very angry that Shechem had done such a 
       wicked thing to Israel. It was wrong for him to have sexual relations 
       with Jacob's daughter; a thing like this should not be done.

       (Gen 34:8 NCV)  But Hamor talked to Dinah's brothers and said, "My son 
       Shechem is deeply in love with Dinah. Please let him marry her.

       (Gen 34:9 NCV)  Marry our people. Give your women to our men as wives 
       and take our women for your men as wives.

       (Gen 34:10 NCV)  You can live in the same land with us. You will be 
       free to own land and to trade here."

       (Gen 34:11 NCV)  Shechem also talked to Jacob and to Dinah's brothers 
       and said, "Please accept my offer. I will give anything you ask.

       (Gen 34:12 NCV)  Ask as much as you want for the payment for the 
       bride, and I will give it to you. Just let me marry Dinah."

       (Gen 34:13 NCV)  Jacob's sons answered Shechem and his father with 
       lies, because Shechem had disgraced their sister Dinah.

       (Gen 34:14 NCV)  The brothers said to them, "We cannot allow you to 
       marry our sister, because you are not circumcised. That would be a 
       disgrace to us.

       (Gen 34:15 NCV)  But we will allow you to marry her if you do this one 
       thing: Every man in your town must be circumcised like us.

       (Gen 34:16 NCV)  Then your men can marry our women, and our men can 
       marry your women, and we will live in your land and become one people.

       (Gen 34:17 NCV)  If you refuse to be circumcised, we will take Dinah 
       and leave."

       (Gen 34:18 NCV)  What they asked seemed fair to Hamor and Shechem.

       (Gen 34:19 NCV)  So Shechem quickly went to be circumcised because he 
       loved Jacob's daughter. Now Shechem was the most respected man in his 
       family.

       (Gen 34:20 NCV)  So Hamor and Shechem went to the gate of their city 
       and spoke to the men of their city, saying,

       (Gen 34:21 NCV)  "These people want to be friends with us. So let them 
       live in our land and trade here. There is enough land for all of us. 
       Let us marry their women, and we can let them marry our women.

       (Gen 34:22 NCV)  But we must agree to one thing: All our men must be 
       circumcised as they are. Then they will agree to live in our land, and 





       we will be one people.

       (Gen 34:23 NCV)  If we do this, their cattle and their animals will 
       belong to us. Let us do what they say, and they will stay in our 
       land."

       (Gen 34:24 NCV)  All the people who had come to the city gate heard 
       this. They agreed with Hamor and Shechem, and every man was 
       circumcised.

       (Gen 34:25 NCV)  Three days later the men who were circumcised were 
       still in pain. Two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi (Dinah's 
       brothers), took their swords and made a surprise attack on the city, 
       killing all the men there.

       (Gen 34:26 NCV)  They killed Hamor and his son Shechem and then took 
       Dinah out of Shechem's house and left.

       (Gen 34:27 NCV)  Jacob's sons came upon the dead bodies and stole 
       everything that was in the city, to pay them back for what Shechem had 
       done to their sister.

       (Gen 34:28 NCV)  So the brothers took the flocks, herds, and donkeys, 
       and everything in the city and in the fields.

       (Gen 34:29 NCV)  They took every valuable thing the people owned, even 
       their wives and children and everything in the houses.

       (Gen 34:30 NCV)  Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have caused 
       me a lot of trouble. Now the Canaanites and the Perizzites who live in 
       the land will hate me. Since there are only a few of us, if they join 
       together to attack us, my people and I will be destroyed."

       (Gen 34:31 NCV)  But the brothers said, "We will not allow our sister 
       to be treated like a prostitute."

       (Gen 35:1 NCV)  God said to Jacob, "Go to the city of Bethel and live 
       there. Make an altar to the God who appeared to you there when you 
       were running away from your brother Esau."

       (Gen 35:2 NCV)  So Jacob said to his family and to all who were with 
       him, "Put away the foreign gods you have, and make yourselves clean, 
       and change your clothes.

       (Gen 35:3 NCV)  We will leave here and go to Bethel. There I will 
       build an altar to God, who has helped me during my time of trouble. He 
       has been with me everywhere I have gone."

       (Gen 35:4 NCV)  So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had, and 
       the earrings they were wearing, and he hid them under the great tree 
       near the town of Shechem.

       (Gen 35:5 NCV)  Then Jacob and his sons left there. But God caused the 
       people in the nearby cities to be afraid, so they did not follow them.

       (Gen 35:6 NCV)  And Jacob and all the people who were with him went to 





       Luz, which is now called Bethel, in the land of Canaan.

       (Gen 35:7 NCV)  There Jacob built an altar and named the place Bethel, 
       after God, because God had appeared to him there when he was running 
       from his brother.

       (Gen 35:8 NCV)  Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died and was buried under 
       the oak tree at Bethel, so they named that place Oak of Crying.

       (Gen 35:9 NCV)  When Jacob came back from Northwest Mesopotamia, God 
       appeared to him again and blessed him.

       (Gen 35:10 NCV)  God said to him, "Your name is Jacob, but you will 
       not be called Jacob any longer. Your new name will be Israel." So he 
       called him Israel.

       (Gen 35:11 NCV)  God said to him, "I am God Almighty. Have many 
       children and grow in number as a nation. You will be the ancestor of 
       many nations and kings.

       (Gen 35:12 NCV)  The same land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give 
       to you and your descendants."

       (Gen 35:13 NCV)  Then God left him.

       (Gen 35:14 NCV)  Jacob set up a stone on edge in that place where God 
       had talked to him, and he poured a drink offering and olive oil on it 
       to make it special for God.

       (Gen 35:15 NCV)  And Jacob named the place Bethel.

       (Gen 35:16 NCV)  Jacob and his group left Bethel. Before they came to 
       Ephrath, Rachel began giving birth to her baby,

       (Gen 35:17 NCV)  but she was having much trouble. When Rachel's nurse 
       saw this, she said, "Don't be afraid, Rachel. You are giving birth to 
       another son."

       (Gen 35:18 NCV)  Rachel gave birth to the son, but she herself died. 
       As she lay dying, she named the boy Son of My Suffering, but Jacob 
       called him Benjamin.

       (Gen 35:19 NCV)  Rachel was buried on the road to Ephrath, a district 
       of Bethlehem,

       (Gen 35:20 NCV)  and Jacob set up a rock on her grave to honor her. 
       That rock is still there.

       (Gen 35:21 NCV)  Then Israel continued his journey and camped just 
       south of Migdal Eder.

       (Gen 35:22 NCV)  While Israel was there, Reuben had sexual relations 
       with Israel's slave woman Bilhah, and Israel heard about it. Jacob had 
       twelve sons.

       (Gen 35:23 NCV)  He had six sons by his wife Leah: Reuben, his first 





       son, then Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.

       (Gen 35:24 NCV)  He had two sons by his wife Rachel: Joseph and 
       Benjamin.

       (Gen 35:25 NCV)  He had two sons by Rachel's slave girl Bilhah: Dan 
       and Naphtali.

       (Gen 35:26 NCV)  And he had two sons by Leah's slave girl Zilpah: Gad 
       and Asher. These are Jacob's sons who were born in Northwest 
       Mesopotamia.

       (Gen 35:27 NCV)  Jacob went to his father Isaac at Mamre near Hebron, 
       where Abraham and Isaac had lived.

       (Gen 35:28 NCV)  Isaac lived one hundred eighty years.

       (Gen 35:29 NCV)  So Isaac breathed his last breath and died when he 
       was very old, and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

       (Gen 36:1 NCV)  This is the family history of Esau (also called Edom).

       (Gen 36:2 NCV)  Esau married women from the land of Canaan: Adah 
       daughter of Elon the Hittite; and Oholibamah daughter of Anah, the son 
       of Zibeon the Hivite;

       (Gen 36:3 NCV)  and Basemath, Ishmael's daughter, the sister of 
       Nebaioth.

       (Gen 36:4 NCV)  Adah gave birth to Eliphaz for Easu. Basemath gave him 
       Reuel,

       (Gen 36:5 NCV)  and Oholibamah gave him Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These 
       were Esau's sons who were born in the land of Canaan.

       (Gen 36:6 NCV)  Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all 
       the people who lived with him, his herds and other animals, and all 
       the belongings he had gotten in Canaan, and he went to a land away 
       from his brother Jacob.

       (Gen 36:7 NCV)  Esau's and Jacob's belongings were becoming too many 
       for them to live in the same land. The land where they had lived could 
       not support both of them, because they had too many herds.

       (Gen 36:8 NCV)  So Esau lived in the mountains of Edom. (Esau is also 
       named Edom.)

       (Gen 36:9 NCV)  This is the family history of Esau. He is the ancestor 
       of the Edomites, who live in the mountains of Edom.

       (Gen 36:10 NCV)  Esau's sons were Eliphaz, son of Adah and Esau, and 
       Reuel, son of Basemath and Esau.

       (Gen 36:11 NCV)  Eliphaz had five sons: Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and 
       Kenaz.





       (Gen 36:12 NCV)  Eliphaz also had a slave woman named Timna, and Timna 
       and Eliphaz gave birth to Amalek. These were Esau's grandsons by his 
       wife Adah.

       (Gen 36:13 NCV)  Reuel had four sons: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and 
       Mizzah. These were Esau's grandsons by his wife Basemath.

       (Gen 36:14 NCV)  Esau's third wife was Oholibamah the daughter of 
       Anah. (Anah was the son of Zibeon.) Esau and Oholibamah gave birth to 
       Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.

       (Gen 36:15 NCV)  These were the leaders that came from Esau: Esau's 
       first son was Eliphaz. From him came these leaders: Teman, Omar, 
       Zepho, Kenaz,

       (Gen 36:16 NCV)  Korah, Gatam, and Amalek. These were the leaders that 
       came from Eliphaz in the land of Edom. They were the grandsons of 
       Adah.

       (Gen 36:17 NCV)  Esau's son Reuel was the father of these leaders: 
       Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the leaders that came 
       from Reuel in the land of Edom. They were the grandsons of Esau's wife 
       Basemath.

       (Gen 36:18 NCV)  Esau's wife Oholibamah gave birth to these leaders: 
       Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These are the leaders that came from Esau's 
       wife Oholibamah the daughter of Anah.

       (Gen 36:19 NCV)  These were the sons of Esau (also called Edom), and 
       these were their leaders.

       (Gen 36:20 NCV)  These were the sons of Seir the Horite, who were 
       living in the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah,

       (Gen 36:21 NCV)  Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These sons of Seir were the 
       leaders of the Horites in Edom.

       (Gen 36:22 NCV)  The sons of Lotan were Hori and Homam. (Timna was 
       Lotan's sister.)

       (Gen 36:23 NCV)  The sons of Shobal were Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, 
       Shepho, and Onam.

       (Gen 36:24 NCV)  The sons of Zibeon were Aiah and Anah. Anah is the 
       man who found the hot springs in the desert while he was caring for 
       his father's donkeys.

       (Gen 36:25 NCV)  The children of Anah were Dishon and Oholibamah 
       daughter of Anah.

       (Gen 36:26 NCV)  The sons of Dishon were Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and 
       Keran.

       (Gen 36:27 NCV)  The sons of Ezer were Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.

       (Gen 36:28 NCV)  The sons of Dishan were Uz and Aran.






       (Gen 36:29 NCV)  These were the names of the Horite leaders: Lotan, 
       Shobal, Zibeon, Anah,

       (Gen 36:30 NCV)  Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These men were the leaders 
       of the Horite families who lived in the land of Edom.

       (Gen 36:31 NCV)  These are the kings who ruled in the land of Edom 
       before the Israelites ever had a king:

       (Gen 36:32 NCV)  Bela son of Beor was the king of Edom. He came from 
       the city of Dinhabah.

       (Gen 36:33 NCV)  When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah became king. Jobab 
       was from Bozrah.

       (Gen 36:34 NCV)  When Jobab died, Husham became king. He was from the 
       land of the Temanites.

       (Gen 36:35 NCV)  When Husham died, Hadad son of Bedad, who had 
       defeated Midian in the country of Moab, became king. Hadad was from 
       the city of Avith.

       (Gen 36:36 NCV)  When Hadad died, Samlah became king. He was from 
       Masrekah.

       (Gen 36:37 NCV)  When Samlah died, Shaul became king. He was from 
       Rehoboth on the Euphrates River.

       (Gen 36:38 NCV)  When Shaul died, Baal-Hanan son of Acbor became king.

       (Gen 36:39 NCV)  When Baal-Hanan son of Acbor died, Hadad became king. 
       He was from the city of Pau. His wife's name was Mehetabel daughter of 
       Matred, who was the daughter of Me-Zahab.

       (Gen 36:40 NCV)  These Edomite leaders, listed by their families and 
       regions, came from Esau. Their names were Timna, Alvah, Jetheth,

       (Gen 36:41 NCV)  Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon,

       (Gen 36:42 NCV)  Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar,

       (Gen 36:43 NCV)  Magdiel, and Iram. They were the leaders of Edom. 
       (Esau was the father of the Edomites.) The area where each of these 
       families lived was named after that family.

       (Gen 37:1 NCV)  Jacob lived in the land of Canaan, where his father 
       had lived.

       (Gen 37:2 NCV)  This is the family history of Jacob: Joseph was a 
       young man, seventeen years old. He and his brothers, the sons of 
       Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives, cared for the flocks. Joseph 
       gave his father bad reports about his brothers.

       (Gen 37:3 NCV)  Since Joseph was born when his father Israel was old, 
       Israel loved him more than his other sons. He made Joseph a special 





       robe with long sleeves.

       (Gen 37:4 NCV)  When Joseph's brothers saw that their father loved him 
       more than he loved them, they hated their brother and could not speak 
       to him politely.

       (Gen 37:5 NCV)  One time Joseph had a dream, and when he told his 
       brothers about it, they hated him even more.

       (Gen 37:6 NCV)  Joseph said, "Listen to the dream I had.

       (Gen 37:7 NCV)  We were in the field tying bundles of wheat together. 
       My bundle stood up, and your bundles of wheat gathered around it and 
       bowed down to it."

       (Gen 37:8 NCV)  His brothers said, "Do you really think you will be 
       king over us? Do you truly think you will rule over us?" His brothers 
       hated him even more because of his dreams and what he had said.

       (Gen 37:9 NCV)  Then Joseph had another dream, and he told his 
       brothers about it also. He said, "Listen, I had another dream. I saw 
       the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowing down to me."

       (Gen 37:10 NCV)  Joseph also told his father about this dream, but his 
       father scolded him, saying, "What kind of dream is this? Do you really 
       believe that your mother, your brothers, and I will bow down to you?"

       (Gen 37:11 NCV)  Joseph's brothers were jealous of him, but his father 
       thought about what all these things could mean.

       (Gen 37:12 NCV)  One day Joseph's brothers went to Shechem to graze 
       their father's flocks.

       (Gen 37:13 NCV)  Israel said to Joseph, "Go to Shechem where your 
       brothers are grazing the flocks." Joseph answered, "I will go."

       (Gen 37:14 NCV)  His father said, "Go and see if your brothers and the 
       flocks are all right. Then come back and tell me." So Joseph's father 
       sent him from the Valley of Hebron. When Joseph came to Shechem,

       (Gen 37:15 NCV)  a man found him wandering in the field and asked him, 
       "What are you looking for?"

       (Gen 37:16 NCV)  Joseph answered, "I am looking for my brothers. Can 
       you tell me where they are grazing the flocks?"

       (Gen 37:17 NCV)  The man said, "They have already gone. I heard them 
       say they were going to Dothan." So Joseph went to look for his 
       brothers and found them in Dothan.

       (Gen 37:18 NCV)  Joseph's brothers saw him coming from far away. 
       Before he reached them, they made a plan to kill him.

       (Gen 37:19 NCV)  They said to each other, "Here comes that dreamer.

       (Gen 37:20 NCV)  Let's kill him and throw his body into one of the 





       wells. We can tell our father that a wild animal killed him. Then we 
       will see what will become of his dreams."

       (Gen 37:21 NCV)  But Reuben heard their plan and saved Joseph, saying, 
       "Let's not kill him.

       (Gen 37:22 NCV)  Don't spill any blood. Throw him into this well here 
       in the desert, but don't hurt him!" Reuben planned to save Joseph 
       later and send him back to his father.

       (Gen 37:23 NCV)  So when Joseph came to his brothers, they pulled off 
       his robe with long sleeves

       (Gen 37:24 NCV)  and threw him into the well. It was empty, and there 
       was no water in it.

       (Gen 37:25 NCV)  While Joseph was in the well, the brothers sat down 
       to eat. When they looked up, they saw a group of Ishmaelites traveling 
       from Gilead to Egypt. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and 
       myrrh.

       (Gen 37:26 NCV)  Then Judah said to his brothers, "What will we gain 
       if we kill our brother and hide his death?

       (Gen 37:27 NCV)  Let's sell him to these Ishmaelites. Then we will not 
       be guilty of killing our own brother. After all, he is our brother, 
       our own flesh and blood." And the other brothers agreed.

       (Gen 37:28 NCV)  So when the Midianite traders came by, the brothers 
       took Joseph out of the well and sold him to the Ishmaelites for eight 
       ounces of silver. And the Ishmaelites took him to Egypt.

       (Gen 37:29 NCV)  When Reuben came back to the well and Joseph was not 
       there, he tore his clothes to show he was upset.

       (Gen 37:30 NCV)  Then he went back to his brothers and said, "The boy 
       is not there! What shall I do?"

       (Gen 37:31 NCV)  The brothers killed a goat and dipped Joseph's robe 
       in its blood.

       (Gen 37:32 NCV)  Then they brought the long-sleeved robe to their 
       father and said, "We found this robe. Look it over carefully and see 
       if it is your son's robe."

       (Gen 37:33 NCV)  Jacob looked it over and said, "It is my son's robe! 
       Some savage animal has eaten him. My son Joseph has been torn to 
       pieces!"

       (Gen 37:34 NCV)  Then Jacob tore his clothes and put on rough cloth to 
       show that he was upset, and he continued to be sad about his son for a 
       long time.

       (Gen 37:35 NCV)  All of his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, 
       but he could not be comforted. He said, "I will be sad about my son 
       until the day I die." So Jacob cried for his son Joseph.






       (Gen 37:36 NCV)  Meanwhile the Midianites who had bought Joseph had 
       taken him to Egypt. There they sold him to Potiphar, an officer to the 
       king of Egypt and captain of the palace guard.

       (Gen 38:1 NCV)  About that time, Judah left his brothers and went to 
       stay with a man named Hirah in the town of Adullam.

       (Gen 38:2 NCV)  There Judah met a Canaanite girl, the daughter of a 
       man named Shua, and married her. Judah had sexual relations with her,

       (Gen 38:3 NCV)  and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, whom 
       Judah named Er.

       (Gen 38:4 NCV)  Later she gave birth to another son and named him 
       Onan.

       (Gen 38:5 NCV)  Still later she had another son and named him Shelah. 
       She was at Kezib when this third son was born.

       (Gen 38:6 NCV)  Judah chose a girl named Tamar to be the wife of his 
       first son Er.

       (Gen 38:7 NCV)  But Er, Judah's oldest son, did what the LORD said was 
       evil, so the LORD killed him.

       (Gen 38:8 NCV)  Then Judah said to Er's brother Onan, "Go and have 
       sexual relations with your dead brother's wife. It is your duty to 
       provide children for your brother in this way."

       (Gen 38:9 NCV)  But Onan knew that the children would not belong to 
       him, so when he was supposed to have sexual relations with Tamar he 
       did not complete the sex act. This made it impossible for Tamar to 
       become pregnant and for Er to have descendants.

       (Gen 38:10 NCV)  The LORD was displeased by this wicked thing Onan had 
       done, so the LORD killed Onan also.

       (Gen 38:11 NCV)  Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, "Go 
       back to live in your father's house, and don't marry until my young 
       son Shelah grows up." Judah was afraid that Shelah also would die like 
       his brothers. So Tamar returned to her father's home.

       (Gen 38:12 NCV)  After a long time Judah's wife, the daughter of Shua, 
       died. After Judah had gotten over his sorrow, he went to Timnah to his 
       men who were cutting the wool from his sheep. His friend Hirah from 
       Adullam went with him.

       (Gen 38:13 NCV)  Tamar learned that Judah, her father-in-law, was 
       going to Timnah to cut the wool from his sheep.

       (Gen 38:14 NCV)  So she took off the clothes that showed she was a 
       widow and covered her face with a veil to hide who she was. Then she 
       sat down by the gate of Enaim on the road to Timnah. She did this 
       because Judah's younger son Shelah had grown up, but Judah had not 
       made plans for her to marry him.






       (Gen 38:15 NCV)  When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, 
       because she had covered her face with a veil.

       (Gen 38:16 NCV)  So Judah went to her and said, "Let me have sexual 
       relations with you." He did not know that she was Tamar, his 
       daughter-in-law. She asked, "What will you give me if I let you have 
       sexual relations with me?"

       (Gen 38:17 NCV)  Judah answered, "I will send you a young goat from my 
       flock." She answered, "First give me something to keep as a deposit 
       until you send the goat."

       (Gen 38:18 NCV)  Judah asked, "What do you want me to give you as a 
       deposit?" Tamar answered, "Give me your seal and its cord, and give me 
       your walking stick." So Judah gave these things to her. Then Judah and 
       Tamar had sexual relations, and Tamar became pregnant.

       (Gen 38:19 NCV)  When Tamar went home, she took off the veil that 
       covered her face and put on the clothes that showed she was a widow.

       (Gen 38:20 NCV)  Judah sent his friend Hirah with the young goat to 
       find the woman and get back his seal and the walking stick he had 
       given her, but Hirah could not find her.

       (Gen 38:21 NCV)  He asked some of the people at the town of Enaim, 
       "Where is the prostitute who was here by the road?" They answered, 
       "There has never been a prostitute here."

       (Gen 38:22 NCV)  So he went back to Judah and said, "I could not find 
       the woman, and the people who lived there said, 'There has never been 
       a prostitute here.'"

       (Gen 38:23 NCV)  Judah said, "Let her keep the things. I don't want 
       people to laugh at us. I sent her the goat as I promised, but you 
       could not find her."

       (Gen 38:24 NCV)  About three months later someone told Judah, "Tamar, 
       your daughter-in-law, is guilty of acting like a prostitute, and now 
       she is pregnant." Then Judah said, "Bring her out and let her be 
       burned to death."

       (Gen 38:25 NCV)  When the people went to bring Tamar out, she sent a 
       message to her father-in-law that said, "The man who owns these things 
       has made me pregnant. Look at this seal and its cord and this walking 
       stick, and tell me whose they are."

       (Gen 38:26 NCV)  Judah recognized them and said, "She is more in the 
       right than I. She did this because I did not give her to my son Shelah 
       as I promised." And Judah did not have sexual relations with her 
       again.

       (Gen 38:27 NCV)  When the time came for Tamar to give birth, there 
       were twins in her body.

       (Gen 38:28 NCV)  While she was giving birth, one baby put his hand 





       out. The nurse tied a red string on his hand and said, "This baby came 
       out first."

       (Gen 38:29 NCV)  But he pulled his hand back in, so the other baby was 
       born first. The nurse said, "So you are able to break out first," and 
       they named him Perez.

       (Gen 38:30 NCV)  After this, the baby with the red string on his hand 
       was born, and they named him Zerah.

       (Gen 39:1 NCV)  Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. An Egyptian 
       named Potiphar was an officer to the king of Egypt and the captain of 
       the palace guard. He bought Joseph from the Ishmaelites who had 
       brought him down there.

       (Gen 39:2 NCV)  The LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful 
       man. He lived in the house of his master, Potiphar the Egyptian.

       (Gen 39:3 NCV)  Potiphar saw that the LORD was with Joseph and that 
       the LORD made Joseph successful in everything he did.

       (Gen 39:4 NCV)  So Potiphar was very happy with Joseph and allowed him 
       to be his personal servant. He put Joseph in charge of the house, 
       trusting him with everything he owned.

       (Gen 39:5 NCV)  When Joseph was put in charge of the house and 
       everything Potiphar owned, the LORD blessed the people in Potiphar's 
       house because of Joseph. And the LORD blessed everything that belonged 
       to Potiphar, both in the house and in the field.

       (Gen 39:6 NCV)  So Potiphar left Joseph in charge of everything he 
       owned and was not concerned about anything except the food he ate. Now 
       Joseph was well built and handsome.

       (Gen 39:7 NCV)  After some time the wife of Joseph's master began to 
       desire Joseph, and one day she said to him, "Have sexual relations 
       with me."

       (Gen 39:8 NCV)  But Joseph refused and said to her, "My master trusts 
       me with everything in his house. He has put me in charge of everything 
       he owns.

       (Gen 39:9 NCV)  There is no one in his house greater than I. He has 
       not kept anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How 
       can I do such an evil thing? It is a sin against God."

       (Gen 39:10 NCV)  The woman talked to Joseph every day, but he refused 
       to have sexual relations with her or even spend time with her.

       (Gen 39:11 NCV)  One day Joseph went into the house to do his work as 
       usual and was the only man in the house at that time.

       (Gen 39:12 NCV)  His master's wife grabbed his coat and said to him, 
       "Come and have sexual relations with me." But Joseph left his coat in 
       her hand and ran out of the house.





       (Gen 39:13 NCV)  When she saw that Joseph had left his coat in her 
       hands and had run outside,

       (Gen 39:14 NCV)  she called to the servants in her house and said, 
       "Look! This Hebrew slave was brought here to shame us. He came in and 
       tried to have sexual relations with me, but I screamed.

       (Gen 39:15 NCV)  My scream scared him and he ran away, but he left his 
       coat with me."

       (Gen 39:16 NCV)  She kept his coat until her husband came home,

       (Gen 39:17 NCV)  and she told him the same story. She said, "This 
       Hebrew slave you brought here came in to shame me!

       (Gen 39:18 NCV)  When he came near me, I screamed. He ran away, but he 
       left his coat."

       (Gen 39:19 NCV)  When Joseph's master heard what his wife said Joseph 
       had done, he became very angry.

       (Gen 39:20 NCV)  So Potiphar arrested Joseph and put him into the 
       prison where the king's prisoners were put. And Joseph stayed there in 
       the prison.

       (Gen 39:21 NCV)  But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him kindness 
       and caused the prison warden to like Joseph.

       (Gen 39:22 NCV)  The prison warden chose Joseph to take care of all 
       the prisoners, and he was responsible for whatever was done in the 
       prison.

       (Gen 39:23 NCV)  The warden paid no attention to anything that was in 
       Joseph's care because the LORD was with Joseph and made him successful 
       in everything he did.

       (Gen 40:1 NCV)  After these things happened, two of the king's 
       officers displeased the king--the man who served wine to the king and 
       the king's baker.

       (Gen 40:2 NCV)  The king became angry with his officer who served him 
       wine and his baker,

       (Gen 40:3 NCV)  so he put them in the prison of the captain of the 
       guard, the same prison where Joseph was kept.

       (Gen 40:4 NCV)  The captain of the guard put the two prisoners in 
       Joseph's care, and they stayed in prison for some time.

       (Gen 40:5 NCV)  One night both the king's officer who served him wine 
       and the baker had a dream. Each had his own dream with its own 
       meaning.

       (Gen 40:6 NCV)  When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw they 
       were worried.





       (Gen 40:7 NCV)  He asked the king's officers who were with him, "Why 
       do you look so unhappy today?"

       (Gen 40:8 NCV)  The two men answered, "We both had dreams last night, 
       but no one can explain their meaning to us." Joseph said to them, "God 
       is the only One who can explain the meaning of dreams. Tell me your 
       dreams."

       (Gen 40:9 NCV)  So the man who served wine to the king told Joseph his 
       dream. He said, "I dreamed I saw a vine, and

       (Gen 40:10 NCV)  on the vine were three branches. I watched the 
       branches bud and blossom, and then the grapes ripened.

       (Gen 40:11 NCV)  I was holding the king's cup, so I took the grapes 
       and squeezed the juice into the cup. Then I gave it to the king."

       (Gen 40:12 NCV)  Then Joseph said, "I will explain the dream to you. 
       The three branches stand for three days.

       (Gen 40:13 NCV)  Before the end of three days the king will free you, 
       and he will allow you to return to your work. You will serve the king 
       his wine just as you did before.

       (Gen 40:14 NCV)  But when you are free, remember me. Be kind to me, 
       and tell the king about me so I can get out of this prison.

       (Gen 40:15 NCV)  I was taken by force from the land of the Hebrews, 
       and I have done nothing here to deserve being put in prison."

       (Gen 40:16 NCV)  The baker saw that Joseph's explanation of the dream 
       was good, so he said to him, "I also had a dream. I dreamed there were 
       three bread baskets on my head.

       (Gen 40:17 NCV)  In the top basket were all kinds of baked food for 
       the king, but the birds were eating this food out of the basket on my 
       head."

       (Gen 40:18 NCV)  Joseph answered, "I will tell you what the dream 
       means. The three baskets stand for three days.

       (Gen 40:19 NCV)  Before the end of three days, the king will cut off 
       your head! He will hang your body on a pole, and the birds will eat 
       your flesh."

       (Gen 40:20 NCV)  Three days later, on his birthday, the king gave a 
       feast for all his officers. In front of his officers, he released from 
       prison the chief officer who served his wine and the chief baker.

       (Gen 40:21 NCV)  The king gave his chief officer who served wine his 
       old position, and once again he put the king's cup of wine into the 
       king's hand.

       (Gen 40:22 NCV)  But the king hanged the baker on a pole. Everything 
       happened just as Joseph had said it would,





       (Gen 40:23 NCV)  but the officer who served wine did not remember 
       Joseph. He forgot all about him.

       (Gen 41:1 NCV)  Two years later the king dreamed he was standing on 
       the bank of the Nile River.

       (Gen 41:2 NCV)  He saw seven fat and beautiful cows come up out of the 
       river, and they stood there, eating the grass.

       (Gen 41:3 NCV)  Then seven more cows came up out of the river, but 
       they were thin and ugly. They stood beside the seven beautiful cows on 
       the bank of the Nile.

       (Gen 41:4 NCV)  The seven thin and ugly cows ate the seven beautiful 
       fat cows. Then the king woke up.

       (Gen 41:5 NCV)  The king slept again and dreamed a second time. In his 
       dream he saw seven full and good heads of grain growing on one stalk.

       (Gen 41:6 NCV)  After that, seven more heads of grain sprang up, but 
       they were thin and burned by the hot east wind.

       (Gen 41:7 NCV)  The thin heads of grain ate the seven full and good 
       heads. Then the king woke up again, and he realized it was only a 
       dream.

       (Gen 41:8 NCV)  The next morning the king was troubled about these 
       dreams, so he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. The 
       king told them his dreams, but no one could explain their meaning to 
       him.

       (Gen 41:9 NCV)  Then the chief officer who served wine to the king 
       said to him, "Now I remember something I promised to do, but I forgot 
       about it.

       (Gen 41:10 NCV)  There was a time when you were angry with the baker 
       and me, and you put us in prison in the house of the captain of the 
       guard.

       (Gen 41:11 NCV)  In prison we each had a dream on the same night, and 
       each dream had a different meaning.

       (Gen 41:12 NCV)  A young Hebrew man, a servant of the captain of the 
       guard, was in the prison with us. When we told him our dreams, he 
       explained their meanings to us. He told each man the meaning of his 
       dream, and

       (Gen 41:13 NCV)  things happened exactly as he said they would: I was 
       given back my old position, and the baker was hanged."

       (Gen 41:14 NCV)  So the king called for Joseph. The guards quickly 
       brought him out of the prison, and he shaved, put on clean clothes, 
       and went before the king.

       (Gen 41:15 NCV)  The king said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, but no 
       one can explain its meaning to me. I have heard that you can explain a 





       dream when someone tells it to you."

       (Gen 41:16 NCV)  Joseph answered the king, "I am not able to explain 
       the meaning of dreams, but God will do this for the king."

       (Gen 41:17 NCV)  Then the king said to Joseph, "In my dream I was 
       standing on the bank of the Nile River.

       (Gen 41:18 NCV)  I saw seven fat and beautiful cows that came up out 
       of the river and ate the grass.

       (Gen 41:19 NCV)  Then I saw seven more cows come out of the river that 
       were thin and lean and ugly--the worst looking cows I have seen in all 
       the land of Egypt.

       (Gen 41:20 NCV)  And these thin and ugly cows ate the first seven fat 
       cows,

       (Gen 41:21 NCV)  but after they had eaten the seven cows, no one could 
       tell they had eaten them. They looked just as thin and ugly as they 
       did in the beginning. Then I woke up.

       (Gen 41:22 NCV)  "I had another dream. I saw seven full and good heads 
       of grain growing on one stalk.

       (Gen 41:23 NCV)  Then seven more heads of grain sprang up after them, 
       but these heads were thin and ugly and were burned by the hot east 
       wind.

       (Gen 41:24 NCV)  Then the thin heads ate the seven good heads. I told 
       this dream to the magicians, but no one could explain its meaning to 
       me."

       (Gen 41:25 NCV)  Then Joseph said to the king, "Both of these dreams 
       mean the same thing. God is telling you what he is about to do.

       (Gen 41:26 NCV)  The seven good cows stand for seven years, and the 
       seven good heads of grain stand for seven years. Both dreams mean the 
       same thing.

       (Gen 41:27 NCV)  The seven thin and ugly cows stand for seven years, 
       and the seven thin heads of grain burned by the hot east wind stand 
       for seven years of hunger.

       (Gen 41:28 NCV)  This will happen as I told you. God is showing the 
       king what he is about to do.

       (Gen 41:29 NCV)  You will have seven years of good crops and plenty to 
       eat in all the land of Egypt.

       (Gen 41:30 NCV)  But after those seven years, there will come seven 
       years of hunger, and all the food that grew in the land of Egypt will 
       be forgotten. The time of hunger will eat up the land.

       (Gen 41:31 NCV)  People will forget what it was like to have plenty of 
       food, because the hunger that follows will be so great.






       (Gen 41:32 NCV)  You had two dreams which mean the same thing. This 
       shows that God has firmly decided that this will happen, and he will 
       make it happen soon.

       (Gen 41:33 NCV)  "So let the king choose a man who is very wise and 
       understanding and set him over the land of Egypt.

       (Gen 41:34 NCV)  And let the king also appoint officers over the land, 
       who should take one-fifth of all the food that is grown during the 
       seven good years.

       (Gen 41:35 NCV)  They should gather all the food that is produced 
       during the good years that are coming, and under the king's authority 
       they should store the grain in the cities and guard it.

       (Gen 41:36 NCV)  That food should be saved to use during the seven 
       years of hunger that will come on the land of Egypt. Then the people 
       in Egypt will not die during the seven years of hunger."

       (Gen 41:37 NCV)  This seemed like a very good idea to the king, and 
       all his officers agreed.

       (Gen 41:38 NCV)  And the king asked them, "Can we find a better man 
       than Joseph to take this job? God's spirit is truly in him!"

       (Gen 41:39 NCV)  So the king said to Joseph, "God has shown you all 
       this. There is no one as wise and understanding as you are, so

       (Gen 41:40 NCV)  I will put you in charge of my palace. All the people 
       will obey your orders, and only I will be greater than you."

       (Gen 41:41 NCV)  Then the king said to Joseph, "Look! I have put you 
       in charge of all the land of Egypt."

       (Gen 41:42 NCV)  Then the king took off from his own finger his ring 
       with the royal seal on it, and he put it on Joseph's finger. He gave 
       Joseph fine linen clothes to wear, and he put a gold chain around 
       Joseph's neck.

       (Gen 41:43 NCV)  The king had Joseph ride in the second royal chariot, 
       and people walked ahead of his chariot calling, "Bow down!" By doing 
       these things, the king put Joseph in charge of all of Egypt.

       (Gen 41:44 NCV)  The king said to him, "I am the king, and I say that 
       no one in all the land of Egypt may lift a hand or a foot without your 
       permission."

       (Gen 41:45 NCV)  The king gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah. He 
       also gave Joseph a wife named Asenath, who was the daughter of 
       Potiphera, priest of On. So Joseph traveled through all the land of 
       Egypt.

       (Gen 41:46 NCV)  Joseph was thirty years old when he began serving the 
       king of Egypt. And he left the king's court and traveled through all 
       the land of Egypt.






       (Gen 41:47 NCV)  During the seven good years, the crops in the land 
       grew well.

       (Gen 41:48 NCV)  And Joseph gathered all the food which was produced 
       in Egypt during those seven years of good crops and stored the food in 
       the cities. In every city he stored grain that had been grown in the 
       fields around that city.

       (Gen 41:49 NCV)  Joseph stored much grain, as much as the sand of the 
       seashore--so much that he could not measure it.

       (Gen 41:50 NCV)  Joseph's wife was Asenath daughter of Potiphera, the 
       priest of On. Before the years of hunger came, Joseph and Asenath had 
       two sons.

       (Gen 41:51 NCV)  Joseph named the first son Manasseh and said, "God 
       has made me forget all the troubles I have had and all my father's 
       family."

       (Gen 41:52 NCV)  Joseph named the second son Ephraim and said, "God 
       has given me children in the land of my troubles."

       (Gen 41:53 NCV)  The seven years of good crops came to an end in the 
       land of Egypt.

       (Gen 41:54 NCV)  Then the seven years of hunger began, just as Joseph 
       had said. In all the lands people had nothing to eat, but in Egypt 
       there was food.

       (Gen 41:55 NCV)  The time of hunger became terrible in all of Egypt, 
       and the people cried to the king for food. He said to all the 
       Egyptians, "Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you."

       (Gen 41:56 NCV)  The hunger was everywhere in that part of the world. 
       And Joseph opened the storehouses and sold grain to the people of 
       Egypt, because the time of hunger became terrible in Egypt.

       (Gen 41:57 NCV)  And all the people in that part of the world came to 
       Joseph in Egypt to buy grain because the hunger was terrible 
       everywhere in that part of the world.

       (Gen 42:1 NCV)  Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, so he 
       said to his sons, "Why are you just sitting here looking at one 
       another?

       (Gen 42:2 NCV)  I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down 
       there and buy grain for us to eat, so that we will live and not die."

       (Gen 42:3 NCV)  So ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain 
       from Egypt.

       (Gen 42:4 NCV)  But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, 
       with them, because he was afraid that something terrible might happen 
       to him.





       (Gen 42:5 NCV)  Along with many other people, the sons of Israel went 
       to Egypt to buy grain, because the people in the land of Canaan were 
       also hungry.

       (Gen 42:6 NCV)  Now Joseph was governor over Egypt. He was the one who 
       sold the grain to people who came to buy it. So Joseph's brothers came 
       to him and bowed facedown on the ground before him.

       (Gen 42:7 NCV)  When Joseph saw his brothers, he knew who they were, 
       but he acted as if he didn't know them. He asked unkindly, "Where do 
       you come from?" They answered, "We have come from the land of Canaan 
       to buy food."

       (Gen 42:8 NCV)  Joseph knew they were his brothers, but they did not 
       know who he was.

       (Gen 42:9 NCV)  And Joseph remembered his dreams about his brothers 
       bowing to him. He said to them, "You are spies! You came to learn 
       where the nation is weak!"

       (Gen 42:10 NCV)  But his brothers said to him, "No, my master. We come 
       as your servants just to buy food.

       (Gen 42:11 NCV)  We are all sons of the same father. We are honest 
       men, not spies."

       (Gen 42:12 NCV)  Then Joseph said to them, "No! You have come to learn 
       where this nation is weak!"

       (Gen 42:13 NCV)  And they said, "We are ten of twelve brothers, sons 
       of the same father, and we live in the land of Canaan. Our youngest 
       brother is there with our father right now, and our other brother is 
       gone."

       (Gen 42:14 NCV)  But Joseph said to them, "I can see I was right! You 
       are spies!

       (Gen 42:15 NCV)  But I will give you a way to prove you are telling 
       the truth. As surely as the king lives, you will not leave this place 
       until your youngest brother comes here.

       (Gen 42:16 NCV)  One of you must go and get your brother. The rest of 
       you will stay here in prison. We will see if you are telling the 
       truth. If not, as surely as the king lives, you are spies."

       (Gen 42:17 NCV)  Then Joseph put them all in prison for three days.

       (Gen 42:18 NCV)  On the third day Joseph said to them, "I am a 
       God-fearing man. Do this and I will let you live:

       (Gen 42:19 NCV)  If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay 
       here in prison while the rest of you go and carry grain back to feed 
       your hungry families.

       (Gen 42:20 NCV)  Then bring your youngest brother back here to me. If 
       you do this, I will know you are telling the truth, and you will not 





       die." The brothers agreed to this.

       (Gen 42:21 NCV)  They said to each other, "We are being punished for 
       what we did to our brother. We saw his trouble, and he begged us to 
       save him, but we refused to listen. That is why we are in this trouble 
       now."

       (Gen 42:22 NCV)  Then Reuben said to them, "I told you not to harm the 
       boy, but you refused to listen to me. So now we are being punished for 
       what we did to him."

       (Gen 42:23 NCV)  When Joseph talked to his brothers, he used an 
       interpreter, so they did not know that Joseph understood what they 
       were saying.

       (Gen 42:24 NCV)  Then Joseph left them and cried. After a short time 
       he went back and spoke to them. He took Simeon and tied him up while 
       the other brothers watched.

       (Gen 42:25 NCV)  Joseph told his servants to fill his brothers' bags 
       with grain and to put the money the brothers had paid for the grain 
       back in their bags. The servants were also to give them what they 
       would need for their trip back home. And the servants did this.

       (Gen 42:26 NCV)  So the brothers put the grain on their donkeys and 
       left.

       (Gen 42:27 NCV)  When they stopped for the night, one of the brothers 
       opened his sack to get food for his donkey. Then he saw his money in 
       the top of the sack.

       (Gen 42:28 NCV)  He said to the other brothers, "The money I paid for 
       the grain has been put back. Here it is in my sack!" The brothers were 
       very frightened. They said to each other, "What has God done to us?"

       (Gen 42:29 NCV)  The brothers went to their father Jacob in the land 
       of Canaan and told him everything that had happened.

       (Gen 42:30 NCV)  They said, "The master of that land spoke unkindly to 
       us. He accused us of spying on his country,

       (Gen 42:31 NCV)  but we told him that we were honest men, not spies.

       (Gen 42:32 NCV)  We told him that we were ten of twelve brothers--sons 
       of one father. We said that one of our brothers was gone and that our 
       youngest brother was with our father in Canaan.

       (Gen 42:33 NCV)  "Then the master of the land said to us, 'Here is a 
       way I can know you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers with me, 
       and take grain to feed your hungry families, and go.

       (Gen 42:34 NCV)  And bring your youngest brother to me so I will know 
       you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give you back your 
       brother whom you leave with me, and you can move about freely in our 
       land.'"





       (Gen 42:35 NCV)  As the brothers emptied their sacks, each of them 
       found his money in his sack. When they and their father saw it, they 
       were afraid.

       (Gen 42:36 NCV)  Their father Jacob said to them, "You are robbing me 
       of all my children. Joseph is gone, Simeon is gone, and now you want 
       to take Benjamin away, too. Everything is against me."

       (Gen 42:37 NCV)  Then Reuben said to his father, "You may put my two 
       sons to death if I don't bring Benjamin back to you. Trust him to my 
       care, and I will bring him back to you."

       (Gen 42:38 NCV)  But Jacob said, "I will not allow Benjamin to go with 
       you. His brother is dead, and he is the only son left from my wife 
       Rachel. I am afraid something terrible might happen to him during the 
       trip to Egypt. Then I would be sad until the day I die."

       (Gen 43:1 NCV)  Still no food grew in the land of Canaan.

       (Gen 43:2 NCV)  When Jacob's family had eaten all the grain they had 
       brought from Egypt, Jacob said to them, "Go to Egypt again and buy a 
       little more grain for us to eat."

       (Gen 43:3 NCV)  But Judah said to Jacob, "The governor of that country 
       strongly warned us, 'If you don't bring your brother back with you, 
       you will not be allowed to see me.'

       (Gen 43:4 NCV)  If you will send Benjamin with us, we will go down and 
       buy food for you.

       (Gen 43:5 NCV)  But if you refuse to send Benjamin, we will not go. 
       The governor of that country warned us that we would not see him if we 
       didn't bring Benjamin with us."

       (Gen 43:6 NCV)  Israel said, "Why did you tell the man you had another 
       brother? You have caused me a lot of trouble."

       (Gen 43:7 NCV)  The brothers answered, "He questioned us carefully 
       about ourselves and our family. He asked us, 'Is your father still 
       alive? Do you have another brother?' We just answered his questions. 
       How could we know he would ask us to bring our other brother to him?"

       (Gen 43:8 NCV)  Then Judah said to his father Jacob, "Send Benjamin 
       with me, and we will go at once so that we, you, and our children may 
       live and not die.

       (Gen 43:9 NCV)  I will guarantee you that he will be safe, and I will 
       be personally responsible for him. If I don't bring him back to you, 
       you can blame me all my life.

       (Gen 43:10 NCV)  If we had not wasted all this time, we could have 
       already made two trips."

       (Gen 43:11 NCV)  Then their father Jacob said to them, "If it has to 
       be that way, then do this: Take some of the best foods in our land in 
       your packs. Give them to the man as a gift: some balm, some honey, 





       spices, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds.

       (Gen 43:12 NCV)  Take twice as much money with you this time, and take 
       back the money that was returned to you in your sacks last time. Maybe 
       it was a mistake.

       (Gen 43:13 NCV)  And take Benjamin with you. Now leave and go to the 
       man.

       (Gen 43:14 NCV)  I pray that God Almighty will cause the governor to 
       be merciful to you and that he will allow Simeon and Benjamin to come 
       back with you. If I am robbed of my children, then I am robbed of 
       them!"

       (Gen 43:15 NCV)  So the brothers took the gifts. They also took twice 
       as much money as they had taken the first time, and they took 
       Benjamin. They hurried down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

       (Gen 43:16 NCV)  When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the 
       servant in charge of his house, "Bring those men into my house. Kill 
       an animal and prepare a meal. Those men will eat with me today at 
       noon."

       (Gen 43:17 NCV)  The servant did as Joseph told him and brought the 
       men to Joseph's house.

       (Gen 43:18 NCV)  The brothers were afraid when they were brought to 
       Joseph's house and thought, "We were brought here because of the money 
       that was put in our sacks on the first trip. He wants to attack us, 
       make us slaves, and take our donkeys."

       (Gen 43:19 NCV)  So the brothers went to the servant in charge of 
       Joseph's house and spoke to him at the door of the house.

       (Gen 43:20 NCV)  They said, "Master, we came here once before to buy 
       food.

       (Gen 43:21 NCV)  While we were going home, we stopped for the night 
       and when we opened our sacks each of us found all his money in his 
       sack. We brought that money with us to give it back to you.

       (Gen 43:22 NCV)  And we have brought more money to pay for the food we 
       want to buy this time. We don't know who put that money in our sacks."

       (Gen 43:23 NCV)  But the servant answered, "It's all right. Don't be 
       afraid. Your God, the God of your father, must have put the money in 
       your sacks. I got the money you paid me for the grain last time." Then 
       the servant brought Simeon out to them.

       (Gen 43:24 NCV)  The servant led the men into Joseph's house and gave 
       them water, and they washed their feet. Then he gave their donkeys 
       food to eat.

       (Gen 43:25 NCV)  The men prepared their gift to give to Joseph when he 
       arrived at noon, because they had heard they were going to eat with 
       him there.






       (Gen 43:26 NCV)  When Joseph came home, the brothers gave him the gift 
       they had brought into the house and bowed down to the ground in front 
       of him.

       (Gen 43:27 NCV)  Joseph asked them how they were doing. He said, "How 
       is your aged father you told me about? Is he still alive?"

       (Gen 43:28 NCV)  The brothers answered, "Your servant, our father, is 
       well. He is still alive." And they bowed low before Joseph to show him 
       respect.

       (Gen 43:29 NCV)  When Joseph saw his brother Benjamin, who had the 
       same mother as he, Joseph asked, "Is this your youngest brother you 
       told me about?" Then he said to Benjamin, "God be good to you, my 
       son!"

       (Gen 43:30 NCV)  Then Joseph hurried off because he had to hold back 
       the tears when he saw his brother Benjamin. So Joseph went into his 
       room and cried there.

       (Gen 43:31 NCV)  Then he washed his face and came out. He controlled 
       himself and said, "Serve the meal."

       (Gen 43:32 NCV)  So they served Joseph at one table, his brothers at 
       another table, and the Egyptians who ate with him at another table. 
       This was because Egyptians did not like Hebrews and never ate with 
       them.

       (Gen 43:33 NCV)  Joseph's brothers were seated in front of him in 
       order of their ages, from oldest to youngest. They looked at each 
       other because they were so amazed.

       (Gen 43:34 NCV)  Food from Joseph's table was taken to them, but 
       Benjamin was given five times more food than the others. Joseph's 
       brothers ate and drank freely with him.

       (Gen 44:1 NCV)  Then Joseph gave a command to the servant in charge of 
       his house. He said, "Fill the men's sacks with as much grain as they 
       can carry, and put each man's money into his sack with the grain.

       (Gen 44:2 NCV)  Put my silver cup in the sack of the youngest brother, 
       along with his money for the grain." The servant did what Joseph told 
       him.

       (Gen 44:3 NCV)  At dawn the brothers were sent away with their 
       donkeys.

       (Gen 44:4 NCV)  They were not far from the city when Joseph said to 
       the servant in charge of his house, "Go after the men. When you catch 
       up with them, say, 'Why have you paid back evil for good?

       (Gen 44:5 NCV)  The cup you have stolen is the one my master uses for 
       drinking and for explaining dreams. You have done a very wicked 
       thing!'"





       (Gen 44:6 NCV)  So the servant caught up with the brothers and said to 
       them what Joseph had told him to say.

       (Gen 44:7 NCV)  But the brothers said to the servant, "Why do you say 
       these things? We would not do anything like that!

       (Gen 44:8 NCV)  We brought back to you from the land of Canaan the 
       money we found in our sacks. So surely we would not steal silver or 
       gold from your master's house.

       (Gen 44:9 NCV)  If you find that silver cup in the sack of one of us, 
       then let him die, and we will be your slaves."

       (Gen 44:10 NCV)  The servant said, "We will do as you say, but only 
       the man who has taken the cup will become my slave. The rest of you 
       may go free."

       (Gen 44:11 NCV)  Then every brother quickly lowered his sack to the 
       ground and opened it.

       (Gen 44:12 NCV)  The servant searched the sacks, going from the oldest 
       brother to the youngest, and found the cup in Benjamin's sack.

       (Gen 44:13 NCV)  The brothers tore their clothes to show they were 
       afraid. Then they put their sacks back on the donkeys and returned to 
       the city.

       (Gen 44:14 NCV)  When Judah and his brothers went back to Joseph's 
       house, Joseph was still there, so the brothers bowed facedown on the 
       ground before him.

       (Gen 44:15 NCV)  Joseph said to them, "What have you done? Didn't you 
       know that a man like me can learn things by signs and dreams?"

       (Gen 44:16 NCV)  Judah said, "Master, what can we say? And how can we 
       show we are not guilty? God has uncovered our guilt, so all of us will 
       be your slaves, not just Benjamin."

       (Gen 44:17 NCV)  But Joseph said, "I will not make you all slaves! 
       Only the man who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may 
       go back safely to your father."

       (Gen 44:18 NCV)  Then Judah went to Joseph and said, "Master, please 
       let me speak plainly to you, and please don't be angry with me. I know 
       that you are as powerful as the king of Egypt himself.

       (Gen 44:19 NCV)  When we were here before, you asked us, 'Do you have 
       a father or a brother?'

       (Gen 44:20 NCV)  And we answered you, 'We have an old father. And we 
       have a younger brother, who was born when our father was old. This 
       youngest son's brother is dead, so he is the only one of his mother's 
       children left alive, and our father loves him very much.'

       (Gen 44:21 NCV)  Then you said to us, 'Bring that brother to me. I 
       want to see him.'






       (Gen 44:22 NCV)  And we said to you, 'That young boy cannot leave his 
       father, because if he leaves him, his father would die.'

       (Gen 44:23 NCV)  But you said to us, 'If you don't bring your youngest 
       brother, you will not be allowed to see me again.'

       (Gen 44:24 NCV)  So we went back to our father and told him what you 
       had said.

       (Gen 44:25 NCV)  "Later, our father said, 'Go again and buy us a 
       little more food.'

       (Gen 44:26 NCV)  We said to our father, 'We cannot go without our 
       youngest brother. Without our youngest brother, we will not be allowed 
       to see the governor.'

       (Gen 44:27 NCV)  Then my father said to us, 'You know that my wife 
       Rachel gave me two sons.

       (Gen 44:28 NCV)  When one son left me, I thought, "Surely he has been 
       torn apart by a wild animal," and I haven't seen him since.

       (Gen 44:29 NCV)  Now you want to take this son away from me also. But 
       something terrible might happen to him, and I would be miserable until 
       the day I die.'

       (Gen 44:30 NCV)  Now what will happen if we go home to our father 
       without our youngest brother? He is so important in our father's life 
       that

       (Gen 44:31 NCV)  when our father sees the young boy is not with us, he 
       will die. And it will be our fault. We will cause the great sorrow 
       that kills our father.

       (Gen 44:32 NCV)  "I gave my father a guarantee that the young boy 
       would be safe. I said to my father, 'If I don't bring him back to you, 
       you can blame me all my life.'

       (Gen 44:33 NCV)  So now, please allow me to stay here and be your 
       slave, and let the young boy go back home with his brothers.

       (Gen 44:34 NCV)  I cannot go back to my father if the boy is not with 
       me. I couldn't stand to see my father that sad."

       (Gen 45:1 NCV)  Joseph could not control himself in front of his 
       servants any longer, so he cried out, "Have everyone leave me." When 
       only the brothers were left with Joseph, he told them who he was.

       (Gen 45:2 NCV)  Joseph cried so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, 
       and the people in the king's palace heard about it.

       (Gen 45:3 NCV)  He said to his brothers, "I am Joseph. Is my father 
       still alive?" But the brothers could not answer him, because they were 
       very afraid of him.





       (Gen 45:4 NCV)  So Joseph said to them, "Come close to me." When the 
       brothers came close to him, he said to them, "I am your brother 
       Joseph, whom you sold as a slave to go to Egypt.

       (Gen 45:5 NCV)  Now don't be worried or angry with yourselves because 
       you sold me here. God sent me here ahead of you to save people's 
       lives.

       (Gen 45:6 NCV)  No food has grown on the land for two years now, and 
       there will be five more years without planting or harvest.

       (Gen 45:7 NCV)  So God sent me here ahead of you to make sure you have 
       some descendants left on earth and to keep you alive in an amazing 
       way.

       (Gen 45:8 NCV)  So it was not you who sent me here, but God. God has 
       made me the highest officer of the king of Egypt. I am in charge of 
       his palace, and I am the master of all the land of Egypt.

       (Gen 45:9 NCV)  "So leave quickly and go to my father. Tell him, 'Your 
       son Joseph says: God has made me master over all Egypt. Come down to 
       me quickly.

       (Gen 45:10 NCV)  Live in the land of Goshen where you will be near me. 
       Your children, your grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all that 
       you have will also be near me.

       (Gen 45:11 NCV)  I will care for you during the next five years of 
       hunger so that you and your family and all that you have will not 
       starve.'

       (Gen 45:12 NCV)  "Now you can see for yourselves, and so can my 
       brother Benjamin, that the one speaking to you is really Joseph.

       (Gen 45:13 NCV)  So tell my father about how powerful I have become in 
       Egypt. Tell him about everything you have seen. Now hurry and bring 
       him back to me."

       (Gen 45:14 NCV)  Then Joseph hugged his brother Benjamin and cried, 
       and Benjamin cried also.

       (Gen 45:15 NCV)  And Joseph kissed all his brothers and cried as he 
       hugged them. After this, his brothers talked with him.

       (Gen 45:16 NCV)  When the king of Egypt and his officers learned that 
       Joseph's brothers had come, they were very happy.

       (Gen 45:17 NCV)  So the king said to Joseph, "Tell your brothers to 
       load their animals and go back to the land of Canaan

       (Gen 45:18 NCV)  and bring their father and their families back here 
       to me. I will give them the best land in Egypt, and they will eat the 
       best food we have here.

       (Gen 45:19 NCV)  Tell them to take some wagons from Egypt for their 
       children and their wives and to bring their father back also.






       (Gen 45:20 NCV)  Tell them not to worry about bringing any of their 
       things with them, because we will give them the best of what we have 
       in Egypt."

       (Gen 45:21 NCV)  So the sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them 
       wagons as the king had ordered and food for their trip.

       (Gen 45:22 NCV)  He gave each brother a change of clothes, but he gave 
       Benjamin five changes of clothes and about seven and one-half pounds 
       of silver.

       (Gen 45:23 NCV)  Joseph also sent his father ten donkeys loaded with 
       the best things from Egypt and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, 
       bread, and other food for his father on his trip back.

       (Gen 45:24 NCV)  Then Joseph told his brothers to go. As they were 
       leaving, he said to them, "Don't quarrel on the way home."

       (Gen 45:25 NCV)  So the brothers left Egypt and went to their father 
       Jacob in the land of Canaan.

       (Gen 45:26 NCV)  They told him, "Joseph is still alive and is the 
       ruler over all the land of Egypt." Their father was shocked and did 
       not believe them.

       (Gen 45:27 NCV)  But when the brothers told him everything Joseph had 
       said, and when Jacob saw the wagons Joseph had sent to carry him back 
       to Egypt, he felt better.

       (Gen 45:28 NCV)  Israel said, "Now I believe you. My son Joseph is 
       still alive, and I will go and see him before I die."

       (Gen 46:1 NCV)  So Israel took all he had and started his trip. He 
       went to Beersheba, where he offered sacrifices to the God of his 
       father Isaac.

       (Gen 46:2 NCV)  During the night God spoke to Israel in a vision and 
       said, "Jacob, Jacob." And Jacob answered, "Here I am."

       (Gen 46:3 NCV)  Then God said, "I am God, the God of your father. 
       Don't be afraid to go to Egypt, because I will make your descendants a 
       great nation there.

       (Gen 46:4 NCV)  I will go to Egypt with you, and I will bring you out 
       of Egypt again. Joseph's own hands will close your eyes when you die."

       (Gen 46:5 NCV)  Then Jacob left Beersheba. The sons of Israel loaded 
       their father, their children, and their wives in the wagons the king 
       of Egypt had sent.

       (Gen 46:6 NCV)  They also took their farm animals and everything they 
       had gotten in Canaan. So Jacob went to Egypt with all his 
       descendants--

       (Gen 46:7 NCV)  his sons and grandsons, his daughters and 





       granddaughters. He took all his family to Egypt with him.

       (Gen 46:8 NCV)  Now these are the names of the children of Israel who 
       went into Egypt (Jacob and his descendants). Reuben was Jacob's first 
       son.

       (Gen 46:9 NCV)  Reuben's sons were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

       (Gen 46:10 NCV)  Simeon's sons were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, 
       and Shaul (Simeon's son by a Canaanite woman).

       (Gen 46:11 NCV)  Levi's sons were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

       (Gen 46:12 NCV)  Judah's sons were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah 
       (but Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan). Perez's sons were 
       Hezron and Hamul.

       (Gen 46:13 NCV)  Issachar's sons were Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron.

       (Gen 46:14 NCV)  Zebulun's sons were Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.

       (Gen 46:15 NCV)  These are the sons of Leah and Jacob born in 
       Northwest Mesopotamia, in addition to his daughter Dinah. There were 
       thirty-three persons in this part of Jacob's family.

       (Gen 46:16 NCV)  Gad's sons were Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, 
       Arodi, and Areli.

       (Gen 46:17 NCV)  Asher's sons were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah, 
       and their sister was Serah. Beriah's sons were Heber and Malkiel.

       (Gen 46:18 NCV)  These are Jacob's sons by Zilpah, the slave girl whom 
       Laban gave to his daughter Leah. There were sixteen persons in this 
       part of Jacob's family.

       (Gen 46:19 NCV)  The sons of Jacob's wife Rachel were Joseph and 
       Benjamin.

       (Gen 46:20 NCV)  In Egypt, Joseph became the father of Manasseh and 
       Ephraim by his wife Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.

       (Gen 46:21 NCV)  Benjamin's sons were Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, 
       Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.

       (Gen 46:22 NCV)  These are the sons of Jacob by his wife Rachel. There 
       were fourteen persons in this part of Jacob's family.

       (Gen 46:23 NCV)  Dan's son was Hushim.

       (Gen 46:24 NCV)  Naphtali's sons were Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and 
       Shillem.

       (Gen 46:25 NCV)  These are Jacob's sons by Bilhah, the slave girl whom 
       Laban gave to his daughter Rachel. There were seven persons in this 
       part of Jacob's family.





       (Gen 46:26 NCV)  So the total number of Jacob's direct descendants who 
       went to Egypt was sixty-six, not counting the wives of Jacob's sons.

       (Gen 46:27 NCV)  Joseph had two sons born in Egypt, so the total 
       number in the family of Jacob in Egypt was seventy.

       (Gen 46:28 NCV)  Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to see Joseph in 
       Goshen. When Jacob and his people came into the land of Goshen,

       (Gen 46:29 NCV)  Joseph prepared his chariot and went to meet his 
       father Israel in Goshen. As soon as Joseph saw his father, he hugged 
       him, and cried there for a long time.

       (Gen 46:30 NCV)  Then Israel said to Joseph, "Now I am ready to die, 
       because I have seen your face and I know you are still alive."

       (Gen 46:31 NCV)  Joseph said to his brothers and his father's family, 
       "I will go and tell the king you are here. I will say, 'My brothers 
       and my father's family have left the land of Canaan and have come here 
       to me.

       (Gen 46:32 NCV)  They are shepherds and take care of farm animals, and 
       they have brought their flocks and their herds and everything they own 
       with them.'

       (Gen 46:33 NCV)  When the king calls you, he will ask, 'What work do 
       you do?'

       (Gen 46:34 NCV)  This is what you should tell him: 'We, your servants, 
       have taken care of farm animals all our lives. Our ancestors did the 
       same thing.' Then the king will allow you to settle in the land of 
       Goshen, away from the Egyptians, because they don't like to be near 
       shepherds."

       (Gen 47:1 NCV)  Joseph went in to the king and said, "My father and my 
       brothers have arrived from Canaan with their flocks and herds and 
       everything they own. They are now in the land of Goshen."

       (Gen 47:2 NCV)  Joseph chose five of his brothers to introduce to the 
       king.

       (Gen 47:3 NCV)  The king said to the brothers, "What work do you do?" 
       And they said to him, "We, your servants, are shepherds, just as our 
       ancestors were."

       (Gen 47:4 NCV)  They said to the king, "We have come to live in this 
       land, because there is no grass in the land of Canaan for our animals 
       to eat, and the hunger is terrible there. So please allow us to live 
       in the land of Goshen."

       (Gen 47:5 NCV)  Then the king said to Joseph, "Your father and your 
       brothers have come to you,

       (Gen 47:6 NCV)  and you may choose any place in Egypt for them to 
       live. Give your father and your brothers the best land; let them live 
       in the land of Goshen. And if any of them are skilled shepherds, put 





       them in charge of my sheep and cattle."

       (Gen 47:7 NCV)  Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and introduced 
       him to the king, and Jacob blessed the king.

       (Gen 47:8 NCV)  Then the king said to Jacob, "How old are you?"

       (Gen 47:9 NCV)  Jacob said to him, "My life has been spent wandering 
       from place to place. It has been short and filled with trouble--only 
       one hundred thirty years. My ancestors lived much longer than I."

       (Gen 47:10 NCV)  Then Jacob blessed the king and left.

       (Gen 47:11 NCV)  Joseph obeyed the king and gave his father and 
       brothers the best land in Egypt, near the city of Rameses.

       (Gen 47:12 NCV)  And Joseph gave his father, his brothers, and 
       everyone who lived with them the food they needed.

       (Gen 47:13 NCV)  The hunger became worse, and since there was no food 
       anywhere in the land, Egypt and Canaan became very poor.

       (Gen 47:14 NCV)  Joseph collected all the money that was to be found 
       in Egypt and Canaan. People paid for the grain they were buying, and 
       he brought that money to the king's palace.

       (Gen 47:15 NCV)  After some time, when the people in Egypt and Canaan 
       had no money left, they went to Joseph and said, "Please give us food. 
       Our money is gone, and if we don't eat, we will die here in front of 
       you."

       (Gen 47:16 NCV)  Joseph answered, "Since you have no money, give me 
       your farm animals, and I will give you food in return."

       (Gen 47:17 NCV)  So people brought their farm animals to Joseph, and 
       he gave them food in exchange for their horses, sheep, goats, cattle, 
       and donkeys. And he kept them alive by trading food for their farm 
       animals that year.

       (Gen 47:18 NCV)  The next year the people came to Joseph and said, 
       "You know we have no money left, and all our animals belong to you. We 
       have nothing left except our bodies and our land.

       (Gen 47:19 NCV)  Surely both we and our land will die here in front of 
       you. Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we will be slaves 
       to the king, together with our land. Give us seed to plant so that we 
       will live and not die, and the land will not become a desert."

       (Gen 47:20 NCV)  So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for the king. 
       Every Egyptian sold Joseph his field, because the hunger was very 
       great. So the land became the king's,

       (Gen 47:21 NCV)  and Joseph made the people slaves from one end of 
       Egypt to the other.

       (Gen 47:22 NCV)  The only land he did not buy was the land the priests 





       owned. They did not need to sell their land because the king paid them 
       for their work. So they had money to buy food.

       (Gen 47:23 NCV)  Joseph said to the people, "Now I have bought you and 
       your land for the king, so I will give you seed and you can plant your 
       fields.

       (Gen 47:24 NCV)  At harvest time you must give one-fifth to the king. 
       You may keep four-fifths for yourselves to use as seed for the field 
       and as food for yourselves, your families, and your children."

       (Gen 47:25 NCV)  The people said, "You have saved our lives. If you 
       like, we will become slaves of the king."

       (Gen 47:26 NCV)  So Joseph made a law in Egypt, which continues today: 
       One-fifth of everything from the land belongs to the king. The only 
       land the king did not get was the priests' land.

       (Gen 47:27 NCV)  The Israelites continued to live in the land of 
       Goshen in Egypt. There they got possessions and had many children and 
       grew in number.

       (Gen 47:28 NCV)  Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years, so he lived to 
       be one hundred forty-seven years old.

       (Gen 47:29 NCV)  When Israel knew he soon would die, he called his son 
       Joseph to him and said to him, "If you love me, put your hand under my 
       leg. Promise me you will not bury me in Egypt.

       (Gen 47:30 NCV)  When I die, carry me out of Egypt, and bury me where 
       my ancestors are buried." Joseph answered, "I will do as you say."

       (Gen 47:31 NCV)  Then Jacob said, "Promise me." And Joseph promised 
       him that he would do this. Then Israel worshiped as he leaned on the 
       top of his walking stick.

       (Gen 48:1 NCV)  Some time later Joseph learned that his father was 
       very sick, so he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim and went to 
       his father.

       (Gen 48:2 NCV)  When Joseph arrived, someone told Jacob, "Your son 
       Joseph has come to see you." Jacob was weak, so he used all his 
       strength and sat up on his bed.

       (Gen 48:3 NCV)  Then Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to 
       me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me there.

       (Gen 48:4 NCV)  He said to me, 'I will give you many children. I will 
       make you the father of many peoples, and I will give your descendants 
       this land forever.'

       (Gen 48:5 NCV)  Your two sons, who were born here in Egypt before I 
       came, will be counted as my own sons. Ephraim and Manasseh will be my 
       sons just as Reuben and Simeon are my sons.

       (Gen 48:6 NCV)  But if you have other children, they will be your own, 





       and their land will be part of the land given to Ephraim and Manasseh.

       (Gen 48:7 NCV)  When I came from Northwest Mesopotamia, Rachel died in 
       the land of Canaan, as we were traveling toward Ephrath. This made me 
       very sad, and I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath." (Today 
       Ephrath is Bethlehem.)

       (Gen 48:8 NCV)  Then Israel saw Joseph's sons and said, "Who are these 
       boys?"

       (Gen 48:9 NCV)  Joseph said to his father, "They are my sons that God 
       has given me here in Egypt." Israel said, "Bring your sons to me so I 
       may bless them."

       (Gen 48:10 NCV)  At this time Israel's eyesight was bad because he was 
       old. So Joseph brought the boys close to him, and Israel kissed the 
       boys and put his arms around them.

       (Gen 48:11 NCV)  He said to Joseph, "I thought I would never see you 
       alive again, and now God has let me see you and also your children."

       (Gen 48:12 NCV)  Then Joseph moved his sons off Israel's lap and bowed 
       facedown to the ground.

       (Gen 48:13 NCV)  He put Ephraim on his right side and Manasseh on his 
       left. (So Ephraim was near Israel's left hand, and Manasseh was near 
       Israel's right hand.) Joseph brought the boys close to Israel.

       (Gen 48:14 NCV)  But Israel crossed his arms and put his right hand on 
       the head of Ephraim, who was younger. He put his left hand on the head 
       of Manasseh, the firstborn son.

       (Gen 48:15 NCV)  And Israel blessed Joseph and said, "My ancestors 
       Abraham and Isaac served our God, and like a shepherd God has led me 
       all my life.

       (Gen 48:16 NCV)  He was the Angel who saved me from all my troubles. 
       Now I pray that he will bless these boys. May my name be known through 
       these boys, and may the names of my ancestors Abraham and Isaac be 
       known through them. May they have many descendants on the earth."

       (Gen 48:17 NCV)  When Joseph saw that his father put his right hand on 
       Ephraim's head, he didn't like it. So he took hold of his father's 
       hand, wanting to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.

       (Gen 48:18 NCV)  Joseph said to his father, "You are doing it wrong, 
       Father. Manasseh is the firstborn son. Put your right hand on his 
       head."

       (Gen 48:19 NCV)  But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I 
       know. Manasseh will be great and have many descendants. But his 
       younger brother will be greater, and his descendants will be enough to 
       make a nation."

       (Gen 48:20 NCV)  So Israel blessed them that day and said, "When a 
       blessing is given in Israel, they will say: 'May God make you like 





       Ephraim and Manasseh.'" In this way he made Ephraim greater than 
       Manasseh.

       (Gen 48:21 NCV)  Then Israel said to Joseph, "Look at me; I am about 
       to die. But God will be with you and will take you back to the land of 
       your fathers.

       (Gen 48:22 NCV)  I have given you something that I did not give your 
       brothers--the land of Shechem that I took from the Amorite people with 
       my sword and my bow."

       (Gen 49:1 NCV)  Then Jacob called his sons to him. He said, "Come here 
       to me, and I will tell you what will happen to you in the future.

       (Gen 49:2 NCV)  "Come together and listen, sons of Jacob. Listen to 
       Israel, your father."

       (Gen 49:3 NCV)  "Reuben, my first son, you are my strength. Your birth 
       showed I could be a father. You have the highest position among my 
       sons, and you are the most powerful.

       (Gen 49:4 NCV)  But you are uncontrolled like water, so you will no 
       longer lead your brothers. This is because you got into your father's 
       bed and shamed me by having sexual relations with my slave girl.

       (Gen 49:5 NCV)  "Simeon and Levi are brothers who used their swords to 
       do violence.

       (Gen 49:6 NCV)  I will not join their secret talks, and I will not 
       meet with them to plan evil. They killed men because they were angry, 
       and they crippled oxen just for fun.

       (Gen 49:7 NCV)  May their anger be cursed, because it is too violent. 
       May their violence be cursed, because it is too cruel. I will divide 
       them up among the tribes of Jacob and scatter them through all the 
       tribes of Israel.

       (Gen 49:8 NCV)  "Judah, your brothers will praise you. You will grab 
       your enemies by the neck, and your brothers will bow down to you.

       (Gen 49:9 NCV)  Judah is like a young lion. You have returned from 
       killing, my son. Like a lion, he stretches out and lies down to rest, 
       and no one is brave enough to wake him.

       (Gen 49:10 NCV)  Kings will come from Judah's family; someone from 
       Judah will always be on the throne. Judah will rule until Shiloh 
       comes, and the nations will obey him.

       (Gen 49:11 NCV)  He ties his donkey to a grapevine, his young donkey 
       to the best branch. He can afford to use wine to wash his clothes and 
       the best wine to wash his robes.

       (Gen 49:12 NCV)  His eyes are dark like the color of wine, and his 
       teeth are as white as the color of milk.

       (Gen 49:13 NCV)  "Zebulun will live near the sea. His shore will be a 





       safe place for ships, and his land will reach as far as Sidon.

       (Gen 49:14 NCV)  "Issachar is like a strong donkey who lies down while 
       carrying his load.

       (Gen 49:15 NCV)  When he sees his resting place is good and how 
       pleasant his land is, he will put his back to the load and become a 
       slave.

       (Gen 49:16 NCV)  "Dan will rule his own people like the other tribes 
       in Israel.

       (Gen 49:17 NCV)  Dan will be like a snake by the side of the road, a 
       dangerous snake lying near the path. That snake bites a horse's leg, 
       and the rider is thrown off backward.

       (Gen 49:18 NCV)  "LORD, I wait for your salvation.

       (Gen 49:19 NCV)  "Robbers will attack Gad, but he will defeat them and 
       drive them away.

       (Gen 49:20 NCV)  "Asher's land will grow much good food; he will grow 
       food fit for a king.

       (Gen 49:21 NCV)  "Naphtali is like a female deer that runs free, that 
       has beautiful fawns.

       (Gen 49:22 NCV)  "Joseph is like a grapevine that produces much fruit, 
       a healthy vine watered by a spring, whose branches grow over the wall.

       (Gen 49:23 NCV)  Archers attack him violently and shoot at him 
       angrily,

       (Gen 49:24 NCV)  but he aims his bow well. His arms are made strong. 
       He gets his power from the Mighty God of Jacob and his strength from 
       the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.

       (Gen 49:25 NCV)  Your father's God helps you. God Almighty blesses 
       you. He blesses you with rain from above, with water from springs 
       below, with many babies born to your wives, and many young ones born 
       to your animals.

       (Gen 49:26 NCV)  The blessings of your father are greater than the 
       blessings of the oldest mountains, greater than the good things of the 
       long-lasting hills. May these blessings rest on the head of Joseph, on 
       the forehead of the one who was separated from his brothers.

       (Gen 49:27 NCV)  "Benjamin is like a hungry wolf. In the morning he 
       eats what he has caught, and in the evening he divides what he has 
       taken."

       (Gen 49:28 NCV)  These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is 
       what their father said to them. He gave each son the blessing that was 
       right for him.

       (Gen 49:29 NCV)  Then Israel gave them a command and said, "I am about 





       to die. Bury me with my ancestors in the cave in the field of Ephron 
       the Hittite.

       (Gen 49:30 NCV)  That cave is in the field of Machpelah east of Mamre 
       in the land of Canaan. Abraham bought the field and cave from Ephron 
       the Hittite for a burying place.

       (Gen 49:31 NCV)  Abraham and Sarah his wife are buried there. Isaac 
       and Rebekah his wife are buried there, and I buried my wife Leah 
       there.

       (Gen 49:32 NCV)  The field and the cave in it were bought from the 
       Hittite people."

       (Gen 49:33 NCV)  After Jacob finished talking to his sons, he lay 
       down. He put his feet back on the bed, took his last breath, and died.

       (Gen 50:1 NCV)  When Jacob died, Joseph hugged his father and cried 
       over him and kissed him.

       (Gen 50:2 NCV)  He commanded the doctors who served him to prepare his 
       father's body, so the doctors prepared Jacob's body to be buried.

       (Gen 50:3 NCV)  It took the doctors forty days to prepare his body 
       (the usual time it took). And the Egyptians had a time of sorrow for 
       Jacob that lasted seventy days.

       (Gen 50:4 NCV)  When this time of sorrow had ended, Joseph spoke to 
       the king's officers and said, "If you think well of me, please tell 
       this to the king:

       (Gen 50:5 NCV)  'When my father was near death, I made a promise to 
       him that I would bury him in a cave in the land of Canaan, in a burial 
       place that he cut out for himself. So please let me go and bury my 
       father, and then I will return.'"

       (Gen 50:6 NCV)  The king answered, "Keep your promise. Go and bury 
       your father."

       (Gen 50:7 NCV)  So Joseph went to bury his father. All the king's 
       officers, the older leaders, and all the leading men of Egypt went 
       with Joseph.

       (Gen 50:8 NCV)  Everyone who lived with Joseph and his brothers went 
       with him, as well as everyone who lived with his father. They left 
       only their children, their flocks, and their herds in the land of 
       Goshen.

       (Gen 50:9 NCV)  They went with Joseph in chariots and on horses. It 
       was a very large group.

       (Gen 50:10 NCV)  When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, near 
       the Jordan River, they cried loudly and bitterly for his father. 
       Joseph's time of sorrow continued for seven days.

       (Gen 50:11 NCV)  The people that lived in Canaan saw the sadness at 





       the threshing floor of Atad and said, "Those Egyptians are showing 
       great sorrow!" So now that place is named Sorrow of the Egyptians.

       (Gen 50:12 NCV)  So Jacob's sons did as their father commanded.

       (Gen 50:13 NCV)  They carried his body to the land of Canaan and 
       buried it in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre. Abraham 
       had bought this cave and field from Ephron the Hittite to use as a 
       burial place.

       (Gen 50:14 NCV)  After Joseph buried his father, he returned to Egypt, 
       along with his brothers and everyone who had gone with him to bury his 
       father.

       (Gen 50:15 NCV)  After Jacob died, Joseph's brothers said, "What if 
       Joseph is still angry with us? We did many wrong things to him. What 
       if he plans to pay us back?"

       (Gen 50:16 NCV)  So they sent a message to Joseph that said, "Your 
       father gave this command before he died.

       (Gen 50:17 NCV)  He said to us, 'You have done wrong and have sinned 
       and done evil to Joseph. Tell Joseph to forgive you, his brothers.' So 
       now, Joseph, we beg you to forgive our wrong. We are the servants of 
       the God of your father." When Joseph received the message, he cried.

       (Gen 50:18 NCV)  And his brothers went to him and bowed low before him 
       and said, "We are your slaves."

       (Gen 50:19 NCV)  Then Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Can I do 
       what only God can do?

       (Gen 50:20 NCV)  You meant to hurt me, but God turned your evil into 
       good to save the lives of many people, which is being done.

       (Gen 50:21 NCV)  So don't be afraid. I will take care of you and your 
       children." So Joseph comforted his brothers and spoke kind words to 
       them.

       (Gen 50:22 NCV)  Joseph continued to live in Egypt with all his 
       father's family. He died when he was one hundred ten years old.

       (Gen 50:23 NCV)  During Joseph's life Ephraim had children and 
       grandchildren, and Joseph's son Manasseh had a son named Makir. Joseph 
       accepted Makir's children as his own.

       (Gen 50:24 NCV)  Joseph said to his brothers, "I am about to die, but 
       God will take care of you. He will lead you out of this land to the 
       land he promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."

       (Gen 50:25 NCV)  Then Joseph had the sons of Israel make a promise. He 
       said, "Promise me that you will carry my bones with you out of Egypt."

       (Gen 50:26 NCV)  Joseph died when he was one hundred ten years old. 
       Doctors prepared his body for burial, and then they put him in a 
       coffin in Egypt.






       (Exo 1:1 NCV)  When Jacob went to Egypt, he took his sons, and each 
       son took his own family with him. These are the names of the sons of 
       Israel:

       (Exo 1:2 NCV)  Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah,

       (Exo 1:3 NCV)  Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin,

       (Exo 1:4 NCV)  Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

       (Exo 1:5 NCV)  There was a total of seventy people who were 
       descendants of Jacob. Jacob's son Joseph was already in Egypt.

       (Exo 1:6 NCV)  Some time later, Joseph and his brothers died, along 
       with all the people who had lived at that same time.

       (Exo 1:7 NCV)  But the people of Israel had many children, and their 
       number grew greatly. They became very strong, and the country of Egypt 
       was filled with them.

       (Exo 1:8 NCV)  Then a new king began to rule Egypt, who did not know 
       who Joseph was.

       (Exo 1:9 NCV)  This king said to his people, "Look! The people of 
       Israel are too many and too strong for us to handle!

       (Exo 1:10 NCV)  If we don't make plans against them, the number of 
       their people will grow even more. Then if there is a war, they might 
       join our enemies and fight us and escape from the country!"

       (Exo 1:11 NCV)  So the Egyptians made life hard for the Israelites. 
       They put slave masters over them, who forced the Israelites to build 
       the cities Pithom and Rameses as supply centers for the king.

       (Exo 1:12 NCV)  But the harder the Egyptians forced the Israelites to 
       work, the more the Israelites grew in number and spread out. So the 
       Egyptians became very afraid of them

       (Exo 1:13 NCV)  and demanded even more of them.

       (Exo 1:14 NCV)  They made their lives bitter. They forced the 
       Israelites to work hard to make bricks and mortar and to do all kinds 
       of work in the fields. The Egyptians were not merciful to them in all 
       their painful work.

       (Exo 1:15 NCV)  Two Hebrew nurses, named Shiphrah and Puah, helped the 
       Israelite women give birth to their babies. The king of Egypt said to 
       the nurses,

       (Exo 1:16 NCV)  "When you are helping the Hebrew women give birth to 
       their babies, watch! If the baby is a girl, let her live, but if it is 
       a boy, kill him!"

       (Exo 1:17 NCV)  But the nurses feared God, so they did not do as the 
       king told them; they let all the boy babies live.






       (Exo 1:18 NCV)  Then the king of Egypt sent for the nurses and said, 
       "Why did you do this? Why did you let the boys live?"

       (Exo 1:19 NCV)  The nurses said to him, "The Hebrew women are much 
       stronger than the Egyptian women. They give birth to their babies 
       before we can get there."

       (Exo 1:20 NCV)  God was good to the nurses. And the Hebrew people 
       continued to grow in number, so they became even stronger.

       (Exo 1:21 NCV)  Because the nurses feared God, he gave them families 
       of their own.

       (Exo 1:22 NCV)  So the king commanded all his people, "Every time a 
       boy is born to the Hebrews, you must throw him into the Nile River, 
       but let all the girl babies live."

       (Exo 2:1 NCV)  Now a man from the family of Levi married a woman who 
       was also from the family of Levi.

       (Exo 2:2 NCV)  She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she 
       saw how wonderful the baby was, she hid him for three months.

       (Exo 2:3 NCV)  But after three months she was not able to hide the 
       baby any longer, so she got a basket and covered it with tar so that 
       it would float. She put the baby in the basket. Then she put the 
       basket among the tall stalks of grass at the edge of the Nile River.

       (Exo 2:4 NCV)  The baby's sister stood a short distance away to see 
       what would happen to him.

       (Exo 2:5 NCV)  Then the daughter of the king of Egypt came to the 
       river to take a bath, and her servant girls were walking beside the 
       river. When she saw the basket in the tall grass, she sent her slave 
       girl to get it.

       (Exo 2:6 NCV)  The king's daughter opened the basket and saw the baby 
       boy. He was crying, so she felt sorry for him and said, "This is one 
       of the Hebrew babies."

       (Exo 2:7 NCV)  Then the baby's sister asked the king's daughter, 
       "Would you like me to go and find a Hebrew woman to nurse the baby for 
       you?"

       (Exo 2:8 NCV)  The king's daughter said, "Go!" So the girl went and 
       got the baby's own mother.

       (Exo 2:9 NCV)  The king's daughter said to the woman, "Take this baby 
       and nurse him for me, and I will pay you." So the woman took her baby 
       and nursed him.

       (Exo 2:10 NCV)  When the child grew older, the woman took him to the 
       king's daughter, and she adopted the baby as her own son. The king's 
       daughter named him Moses, because she had pulled him out of the water.





       (Exo 2:11 NCV)  Moses grew and became a man. One day he visited his 
       people and saw that they were forced to work very hard. He saw an 
       Egyptian beating a Hebrew man, one of Moses' own people.

       (Exo 2:12 NCV)  Moses looked all around and saw that no one was 
       watching, so he killed the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand.

       (Exo 2:13 NCV)  The next day Moses returned and saw two Hebrew men 
       fighting each other. He said to the one that was in the wrong, "Why 
       are you hitting one of your own people?"

       (Exo 2:14 NCV)  The man answered, "Who made you our ruler and judge? 
       Are you going to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" Moses was afraid 
       and thought, "Now everyone knows what I did."

       (Exo 2:15 NCV)  When the king heard what Moses had done, he tried to 
       kill him. But Moses ran away from the king and went to live in the 
       land of Midian. There he sat down near a well.

       (Exo 2:16 NCV)  There was a priest in Midian who had seven daughters. 
       His daughters went to that well to get water to fill the water troughs 
       for their father's flock.

       (Exo 2:17 NCV)  Some shepherds came and chased the girls away, but 
       Moses defended the girls and watered their flock.

       (Exo 2:18 NCV)  When they went back to their father Reuel, he asked 
       them, "Why have you come home early today?"

       (Exo 2:19 NCV)  The girls answered, "The shepherds chased us away, but 
       an Egyptian defended us. He got water for us and watered our flock."

       (Exo 2:20 NCV)  He asked his daughters, "Where is this man? Why did 
       you leave him? Invite him to eat with us."

       (Exo 2:21 NCV)  Moses agreed to stay with Jethro, and he gave his 
       daughter Zipporah to Moses to be his wife.

       (Exo 2:22 NCV)  Zipporah gave birth to a son. Moses named him Gershom, 
       because Moses was a stranger in a land that was not his own.

       (Exo 2:23 NCV)  After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The people 
       of Israel groaned, because they were forced to work very hard. When 
       they cried for help, God heard them.

       (Exo 2:24 NCV)  God heard their cries, and he remembered the agreement 
       he had made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

       (Exo 2:25 NCV)  He saw the troubles of the people of Israel, and he 
       was concerned about them.

       (Exo 3:1 NCV)  One day Moses was taking care of Jethro's flock. 
       (Jethro was the priest of Midian and also Moses' father-in-law.) When 
       Moses led the flock to the west side of the desert, he came to Sinai, 
       the mountain of God.





       (Exo 3:2 NCV)  There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames 
       of fire coming out of a bush. Moses saw that the bush was on fire, but 
       it was not burning up.

       (Exo 3:3 NCV)  So he said, "I will go closer to this strange thing. 
       How can a bush continue burning without burning up?"

       (Exo 3:4 NCV)  When the LORD saw Moses was coming to look at the bush, 
       God called to him from the bush, "Moses, Moses!" And Moses said, "Here 
       I am."

       (Exo 3:5 NCV)  Then God said, "Do not come any closer. Take off your 
       sandals, because you are standing on holy ground.

       (Exo 3:6 NCV)  I am the God of your ancestors--the God of Abraham, the 
       God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Moses covered his face because he 
       was afraid to look at God.

       (Exo 3:7 NCV)  The LORD said, "I have seen the troubles my people have 
       suffered in Egypt, and I have heard their cries when the Egyptian 
       slave masters hurt them. I am concerned about their pain,

       (Exo 3:8 NCV)  and I have come down to save them from the Egyptians. I 
       will bring them out of that land and lead them to a good land with 
       lots of room--a fertile land. It is the land of the Canaanites, 
       Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

       (Exo 3:9 NCV)  I have heard the cries of the people of Israel, and I 
       have seen the way the Egyptians have made life hard for them.

       (Exo 3:10 NCV)  So now I am sending you to the king of Egypt. Go! 
       Bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt!"

       (Exo 3:11 NCV)  But Moses said to God, "I am not a great man! How can 
       I go to the king and lead the Israelites out of Egypt?"

       (Exo 3:12 NCV)  God said, "I will be with you. This will be the proof 
       that I am sending you: After you lead the people out of Egypt, all of 
       you will worship me on this mountain."

       (Exo 3:13 NCV)  Moses said to God, "When I go to the Israelites, I 
       will say to them, 'The God of your fathers sent me to you.' What if 
       the people say, 'What is his name?' What should I tell them?"

       (Exo 3:14 NCV)  Then God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. When you go to 
       the people of Israel, tell them, 'I AM sent me to you.'"

       (Exo 3:15 NCV)  God also said to Moses, "This is what you should tell 
       the people: 'The LORD is the God of your ancestors--the God of 
       Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. He sent me to you.' 
       This will always be my name, by which people from now on will know me.

       (Exo 3:16 NCV)  "Go and gather the older leaders and tell them this: 
       'The LORD, the God of your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has 
       appeared to me. He said, I care about you, and I have seen what has 
       happened to you in Egypt.






       (Exo 3:17 NCV)  I promised I would take you out of your troubles in 
       Egypt. I will lead you to the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, 
       Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites--a fertile land.'

       (Exo 3:18 NCV)  "The older leaders will listen to you. And then you 
       and the older leaders of Israel will go to the king of Egypt and tell 
       him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, appeared to us. Let us travel 
       three days into the desert to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God.'

       (Exo 3:19 NCV)  "But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you 
       go. Only a great power will force him to let you go,

       (Exo 3:20 NCV)  so I will use my great power against Egypt. I will 
       strike Egypt with all the miracles that will happen in that land. 
       After I do that, he will let you go.

       (Exo 3:21 NCV)  I will cause the Egyptians to think well of the 
       Israelites. So when you leave, they will give gifts to your people.

       (Exo 3:22 NCV)  Each woman should ask her Egyptian neighbor and any 
       Egyptian woman living in her house for gifts--silver, gold, and 
       clothing. You should put those gifts on your children when you leave 
       Egypt. In this way you will take with you the riches of the 
       Egyptians."

       (Exo 4:1 NCV)  Then Moses answered, "What if the people of Israel do 
       not believe me or listen to me? What if they say, 'The LORD did not 
       appear to you'?"

       (Exo 4:2 NCV)  The LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" 
       Moses answered, "It is my walking stick."

       (Exo 4:3 NCV)  The LORD said, "Throw it on the ground." So Moses threw 
       it on the ground, and it became a snake. Moses ran from the snake,

       (Exo 4:4 NCV)  but the LORD said to him, "Reach out and grab the snake 
       by its tail." When Moses reached out and took hold of the snake, it 
       again became a stick in his hand.

       (Exo 4:5 NCV)  The LORD said, "This is so that the Israelites will 
       believe that the LORD appeared to you. I am the God of their 
       ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of 
       Jacob."

       (Exo 4:6 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Moses, "Put your hand inside your 
       coat." So Moses put his hand inside his coat. When he took it out, it 
       was white with a skin disease.

       (Exo 4:7 NCV)  Then he said, "Now put your hand inside your coat 
       again." So Moses put his hand inside his coat again. When he took it 
       out, his hand was healthy again, like the rest of his skin.

       (Exo 4:8 NCV)  Then the LORD said, "If the people do not believe you 
       or pay attention to the first miracle, they may believe you when you 
       show them this second miracle.






       (Exo 4:9 NCV)  After these two miracles, if they still do not believe 
       or listen to you, take some water from the Nile River and pour it on 
       the dry ground. The water will become blood when it touches the 
       ground."

       (Exo 4:10 NCV)  But Moses said to the LORD, "Please, Lord, I have 
       never been a skilled speaker. Even now, after talking to you, I cannot 
       speak well. I speak slowly and can't find the best words."

       (Exo 4:11 NCV)  Then the LORD said to him, "Who made a person's mouth? 
       And who makes someone deaf or not able to speak? Or who gives a person 
       sight or blindness? It is I, the LORD.

       (Exo 4:12 NCV)  Now go! I will help you speak, and I will teach you 
       what to say."

       (Exo 4:13 NCV)  But Moses said, "Please, Lord, send someone else."

       (Exo 4:14 NCV)  The LORD became angry with Moses and said, "Your 
       brother Aaron, from the family of Levi, is a skilled speaker. He is 
       already coming to meet you, and he will be happy when he sees you.

       (Exo 4:15 NCV)  You will speak to Aaron and tell him what to say. I 
       will help both of you to speak and will teach you what to do.

       (Exo 4:16 NCV)  Aaron will speak to the people for you. You will tell 
       him what God says, and he will speak for you.

       (Exo 4:17 NCV)  Take your walking stick with you, and use it to do the 
       miracles."

       (Exo 4:18 NCV)  Moses went back to Jethro, his father-in-law, and said 
       to him, "Let me go back to my people in Egypt. I want to see if they 
       are still alive." Jethro said to Moses, "Go! I wish you well."

       (Exo 4:19 NCV)  While Moses was still in Midian, the LORD said to him, 
       "Go back to Egypt, because the men who wanted to kill you are dead 
       now."

       (Exo 4:20 NCV)  So Moses took his wife and his sons, put them on a 
       donkey, and started back to Egypt. He took with him the walking stick 
       of God.

       (Exo 4:21 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses, "When you get back to Egypt, 
       do all the miracles I have given you the power to do. Show them to the 
       king of Egypt. But I will make the king very stubborn, and he will not 
       let the people go.

       (Exo 4:22 NCV)  Then say to the king, 'This is what the LORD says: 
       Israel is my firstborn son.

       (Exo 4:23 NCV)  I told you to let my son go so he may worship me. But 
       you refused to let Israel go, so I will kill your firstborn son.'"

       (Exo 4:24 NCV)  As Moses was on his way to Egypt, he stopped at a 





       resting place for the night. The LORD met him there and tried to kill 
       him.

       (Exo 4:25 NCV)  But Zipporah took a flint knife and circumcised her 
       son. Taking the skin, she touched Moses' feet with it and said to him, 
       "You are a bridegroom of blood to me."

       (Exo 4:26 NCV)  She said, "You are a bridegroom of blood," because she 
       had to circumcise her son. So the LORD let Moses alone.

       (Exo 4:27 NCV)  Meanwhile the LORD said to Aaron, "Go out into the 
       desert to meet Moses." When Aaron went, he met Moses at Sinai, the 
       mountain of God, and kissed him.

       (Exo 4:28 NCV)  Moses told Aaron everything the LORD had said to him 
       when he sent him to Egypt. He also told him about the miracles which 
       the LORD had commanded him to do.

       (Exo 4:29 NCV)  Moses and Aaron gathered all the older leaders of the 
       Israelites,

       (Exo 4:30 NCV)  and Aaron told them everything that the LORD had told 
       Moses. Then Moses did the miracles for all the people to see,

       (Exo 4:31 NCV)  and the Israelites believed. When they heard that the 
       LORD was concerned about them and had seen their troubles, they bowed 
       down and worshiped him.

       (Exo 5:1 NCV)  After Moses and Aaron talked to the people, they went 
       to the king of Egypt and said, "This is what the LORD, the God of 
       Israel says: 'Let my people go so they may hold a feast for me in the 
       desert.'"

       (Exo 5:2 NCV)  But the king of Egypt said, "Who is the LORD? Why 
       should I obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and I 
       will not let Israel go."

       (Exo 5:3 NCV)  Then Aaron and Moses said, "The God of the Hebrews has 
       met with us. Now let us travel three days into the desert to offer 
       sacrifices to the LORD our God. If we don't do this, he may kill us 
       with a disease or in war."

       (Exo 5:4 NCV)  But the king said to them, "Moses and Aaron, why are 
       you taking the people away from their work? Go back to your jobs!

       (Exo 5:5 NCV)  There are very many Hebrews, and now you want them to 
       quit working!"

       (Exo 5:6 NCV)  That same day the king gave a command to the slave 
       masters and foremen.

       (Exo 5:7 NCV)  He said, "Don't give the people straw to make bricks as 
       you used to do. Let them gather their own straw.

       (Exo 5:8 NCV)  But they must still make the same number of bricks as 
       they did before. Do not accept fewer. They have become lazy, and that 





       is why they are asking me, 'Let us go to offer sacrifices to our God.'

       (Exo 5:9 NCV)  Make these people work harder and keep them busy; then 
       they will not have time to listen to the lies of Moses."

       (Exo 5:10 NCV)  So the slave masters and foremen went to the 
       Israelites and said, "This is what the king says: I will no longer 
       give you straw.

       (Exo 5:11 NCV)  Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it. 
       But you must make as many bricks as you made before."

       (Exo 5:12 NCV)  So the people went everywhere in Egypt looking for dry 
       stalks to use for straw.

       (Exo 5:13 NCV)  The slave masters kept forcing the people to work 
       harder. They said, "You must make just as many bricks as you did when 
       you were given straw."

       (Exo 5:14 NCV)  The king's slave masters had made the Israelite 
       foremen responsible for the work the people did. The Egyptian slave 
       masters beat these men and asked them, "Why aren't you making as many 
       bricks as you made in the past?"

       (Exo 5:15 NCV)  Then the Israelite foremen went to the king and 
       complained, "Why are you treating us, your servants, this way?

       (Exo 5:16 NCV)  You give us no straw, but we are commanded to make 
       bricks. Our slave masters beat us, but it is your own people's fault."

       (Exo 5:17 NCV)  The king answered, "You are lazy! You don't want to 
       work! That is why you ask to leave here and make sacrifices to the 
       LORD.

       (Exo 5:18 NCV)  Now, go back to work! We will not give you any straw, 
       but you must make just as many bricks as you did before."

       (Exo 5:19 NCV)  The Israelite foremen knew they were in trouble, 
       because the king had told them, "You must make just as many bricks 
       each day as you did before."

       (Exo 5:20 NCV)  As they were leaving the meeting with the king, they 
       met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them.

       (Exo 5:21 NCV)  So they said to Moses and Aaron, "May the LORD punish 
       you. You caused the king and his officers to hate us. You have given 
       them an excuse to kill us."

       (Exo 5:22 NCV)  Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Lord, why 
       have you brought this trouble on your people? Is this why you sent me 
       here?

       (Exo 5:23 NCV)  I went to the king and said what you told me to say, 
       but ever since that time he has made the people suffer. And you have 
       done nothing to save them."





       (Exo 6:1 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now you will see what I 
       will do to the king of Egypt. I will use my great power against him, 
       and he will let my people go. Because of my power, he will force them 
       out of his country."

       (Exo 6:2 NCV)  Then God said to Moses, "I am the LORD.

       (Exo 6:3 NCV)  I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by the name God 
       Almighty, but they did not know me by my name, the LORD.

       (Exo 6:4 NCV)  I also made my agreement with them to give them the 
       land of Canaan. They lived in that land, but it was not their own.

       (Exo 6:5 NCV)  Now I have heard the cries of the Israelites, whom the 
       Egyptians are treating as slaves, and I remember my agreement.

       (Exo 6:6 NCV)  So tell the people of Israel that I say to them, 'I am 
       the LORD. I will save you from the hard work the Egyptians force you 
       to do. I will make you free, so you will not be slaves to the 
       Egyptians. I will free you by my great power, and I will punish the 
       Egyptians terribly.

       (Exo 6:7 NCV)  I will make you my own people, and I will be your God. 
       You will know that I am the LORD your God, the One who saves you from 
       the hard work the Egyptians force you to do.

       (Exo 6:8 NCV)  I will lead you to the land that I promised to Abraham, 
       Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give you that land to own. I am the 
       LORD.'"

       (Exo 6:9 NCV)  So Moses told this to the Israelites, but they would 
       not listen to him. They were discouraged, and their slavery was hard.

       (Exo 6:10 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Moses,

       (Exo 6:11 NCV)  "Go tell the king of Egypt that he must let the 
       Israelites leave his land."

       (Exo 6:12 NCV)  But Moses answered, "The Israelites will not listen to 
       me, so surely the king will not listen to me either. I am not a good 
       speaker."

       (Exo 6:13 NCV)  But the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them 
       orders about the Israelites and the king of Egypt. He commanded them 
       to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.

       (Exo 6:14 NCV)  These are the leaders of the families of Israel: 
       Israel's first son, Reuben, had four sons: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and 
       Carmi. These are the family groups of Reuben.

       (Exo 6:15 NCV)  Simeon's sons were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, 
       and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. These are the family groups 
       of Simeon.

       (Exo 6:16 NCV)  Levi lived one hundred thirty-seven years. These are 
       the names of his sons according to their family history: Gershon, 





       Kohath, and Merari.

       (Exo 6:17 NCV)  Gershon had two sons, Libni and Shimei, with their 
       families.

       (Exo 6:18 NCV)  Kohath lived one hundred thirty-three years. The sons 
       of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

       (Exo 6:19 NCV)  The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These are the 
       family groups of Levi, according to their family history.

       (Exo 6:20 NCV)  Amram married his father's sister Jochebed, who gave 
       birth to Aaron and Moses. Amram lived one hundred thirty-seven years.

       (Exo 6:21 NCV)  Izhar's sons were Korah, Nepheg, and Zicri.

       (Exo 6:22 NCV)  Uzziel's sons were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.

       (Exo 6:23 NCV)  Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and 
       the sister of Nahshon. Elisheba gave birth to Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, 
       and Ithamar.

       (Exo 6:24 NCV)  The sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. 
       These are the family groups of the Korahites.

       (Exo 6:25 NCV)  Eleazar son of Aaron married a daughter of Putiel, and 
       she gave birth to Phinehas. These are the leaders of the family groups 
       of the Levites.

       (Exo 6:26 NCV)  This was the Aaron and Moses to whom the LORD said, 
       "Lead the people of Israel out of Egypt by their divisions."

       (Exo 6:27 NCV)  Aaron and Moses are the ones who talked to the king of 
       Egypt and told him to let the Israelites leave Egypt.

       (Exo 6:28 NCV)  The LORD spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt

       (Exo 6:29 NCV)  and said, "I am the LORD. Tell the king of Egypt 
       everything I tell you."

       (Exo 6:30 NCV)  But Moses answered, "I am not a good speaker. The king 
       will not listen to me."

       (Exo 7:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses, "I have made you like God to 
       the king of Egypt, and your brother Aaron will be like a prophet for 
       you.

       (Exo 7:2 NCV)  Tell Aaron your brother everything that I command you, 
       and let him tell the king of Egypt to let the Israelites leave his 
       country.

       (Exo 7:3 NCV)  But I will make the king stubborn. I will do many 
       miracles in Egypt,

       (Exo 7:4 NCV)  but he will still refuse to listen. So then I will 
       punish Egypt terribly, and I will lead my divisions, my people the 





       Israelites, out of that land.

       (Exo 7:5 NCV)  I will punish Egypt with my power, and I will bring the 
       Israelites out of that land. Then they will know I am the LORD."

       (Exo 7:6 NCV)  Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded 
       them.

       (Exo 7:7 NCV)  Moses was eighty years old and Aaron was eighty-three 
       when they spoke to the king.

       (Exo 7:8 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

       (Exo 7:9 NCV)  "Moses, when the king asks you to do a miracle, tell 
       Aaron to throw his walking stick down in front of the king, and it 
       will become a snake."

       (Exo 7:10 NCV)  So Moses and Aaron went to the king as the LORD had 
       commanded. Aaron threw his walking stick down in front of the king and 
       his officers, and it became a snake.

       (Exo 7:11 NCV)  So the king called in his wise men and his magicians, 
       and with their tricks the Egyptian magicians were able to do the same 
       thing.

       (Exo 7:12 NCV)  They threw their walking sticks on the ground, and 
       their sticks became snakes. But Aaron's stick swallowed theirs.

       (Exo 7:13 NCV)  Still the king was stubborn and refused to listen to 
       Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.

       (Exo 7:14 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Moses, "The king is being 
       stubborn and refuses to let the people go.

       (Exo 7:15 NCV)  In the morning the king will go out to the Nile River. 
       Go meet him by the edge of the river, and take with you the walking 
       stick that became a snake.

       (Exo 7:16 NCV)  Tell him: The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to 
       you. He said, 'Let my people go worship me in the desert.' Until now 
       you have not listened.

       (Exo 7:17 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: 'This is how you will know 
       that I am the LORD. I will strike the water of the Nile River with 
       this stick in my hand, and the water will change into blood.

       (Exo 7:18 NCV)  Then the fish in the Nile will die, and the river will 
       begin to stink. The Egyptians will not be able to drink the water from 
       the Nile.'"

       (Exo 7:19 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron: 'Take the walking 
       stick in your hand and stretch your hand over the rivers, canals, 
       ponds, and pools in Egypt.' The water will become blood everywhere in 
       Egypt, both in wooden buckets and in stone jars."

       (Exo 7:20 NCV)  So Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded. 





       In front of the king and his officers, Aaron raised his walking stick 
       and struck the water in the Nile River. So all the water in the Nile 
       changed into blood.

       (Exo 7:21 NCV)  The fish in the Nile died, and the river began to 
       stink, so the Egyptians could not drink water from it. Blood was 
       everywhere in the land of Egypt.

       (Exo 7:22 NCV)  Using their tricks, the magicians of Egypt did the 
       same thing. So the king was stubborn and refused to listen to Moses 
       and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.

       (Exo 7:23 NCV)  The king turned and went into his palace and ignored 
       what Moses and Aaron had done.

       (Exo 7:24 NCV)  The Egyptians could not drink the water from the Nile, 
       so all of them dug along the bank of the river, looking for water to 
       drink.

       (Exo 7:25 NCV)  Seven days passed after the LORD changed the Nile 
       River.

       (Exo 8:1 NCV)  Then the LORD told Moses, "Go to the king of Egypt and 
       tell him, 'This is what the LORD says: Let my people go to worship me.

       (Exo 8:2 NCV)  If you refuse, I will punish Egypt with frogs.

       (Exo 8:3 NCV)  The Nile River will be filled with frogs. They will 
       come up into your palace, into your bedroom, on your bed, into the 
       houses of your officers, and onto your people. They will come into 
       your ovens and into your baking pans.

       (Exo 8:4 NCV)  The frogs will jump all over you, your people, and your 
       officers.'"

       (Exo 8:5 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron to hold his 
       walking stick in his hand over the rivers, canals, and ponds. Make 
       frogs come up out of the water onto the land of Egypt."

       (Exo 8:6 NCV)  So Aaron held his hand over all the waters of Egypt, 
       and the frogs came up out of the water and covered the land of Egypt.

       (Exo 8:7 NCV)  The magicians used their tricks to do the same thing, 
       so even more frogs came up onto the land of Egypt.

       (Exo 8:8 NCV)  The king called for Moses and Aaron and said, "Pray to 
       the LORD to take the frogs away from me and my people. I will let your 
       people go to offer sacrifices to the LORD."

       (Exo 8:9 NCV)  Moses said to the king, "Please set the time when I 
       should pray for you, your people, and your officers. Then the frogs 
       will leave you and your houses and will remain only in the Nile."

       (Exo 8:10 NCV)  The king answered, "Tomorrow." Moses said, "What you 
       want will happen. By this you will know that there is no one like the 
       LORD our God.






       (Exo 8:11 NCV)  The frogs will leave you, your houses, your officers, 
       and your people. They will remain only in the Nile."

       (Exo 8:12 NCV)  After Moses and Aaron left the king, Moses asked the 
       LORD about the frogs he had sent to the king.

       (Exo 8:13 NCV)  And the LORD did as Moses asked. The frogs died in the 
       houses, in the yards, and in the fields.

       (Exo 8:14 NCV)  The Egyptians put them in piles, and the whole country 
       began to stink.

       (Exo 8:15 NCV)  But when the king saw that they were free of the 
       frogs, he became stubborn again. He did not listen to Moses and Aaron, 
       just as the LORD had said.

       (Exo 8:16 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron to raise his 
       walking stick and strike the dust on the ground. Then everywhere in 
       Egypt the dust will change into gnats."

       (Exo 8:17 NCV)  They did this, and when Aaron raised the walking stick 
       that was in his hand and struck the dust on the ground, everywhere in 
       Egypt the dust changed into gnats. The gnats got on the people and 
       animals.

       (Exo 8:18 NCV)  Using their tricks, the magicians tried to do the same 
       thing, but they could not make the dust change into gnats. The gnats 
       remained on the people and animals.

       (Exo 8:19 NCV)  So the magicians told the king that the power of God 
       had done this. But the king was stubborn and refused to listen to 
       them, just as the LORD had said.

       (Exo 8:20 NCV)  The LORD told Moses, "Get up early in the morning, and 
       meet the king of Egypt as he goes out to the river. Tell him, 'This is 
       what the LORD says: Let my people go so they can worship me.

       (Exo 8:21 NCV)  If you don't let them go, I will send swarms of flies 
       into your houses. The flies will be on you, your officers, and your 
       people. The houses of Egypt will be full of flies, and they will be 
       all over the ground, too.

       (Exo 8:22 NCV)  But I will not treat the Israelites the same as the 
       Egyptian people. There will not be any flies in the land of Goshen, 
       where my people live. By this you will know that I, the LORD, am in 
       this land.

       (Exo 8:23 NCV)  I will treat my people differently from your people. 
       This miracle will happen tomorrow.'"

       (Exo 8:24 NCV)  So the LORD did as he had said, and great swarms of 
       flies came into the king's palace and his officers' houses. All over 
       Egypt flies were ruining the land.

       (Exo 8:25 NCV)  The king called for Moses and Aaron and told them, 





       "Offer sacrifices to your God here in this country."

       (Exo 8:26 NCV)  But Moses said, "It wouldn't be right to do that, 
       because the Egyptians hate the sacrifices we offer to the LORD our 
       God. If they see us offering sacrifices they hate, they will throw 
       stones at us and kill us.

       (Exo 8:27 NCV)  Let us make a three-day journey into the desert. We 
       must offer sacrifices to the LORD our God there, as the LORD told us 
       to do."

       (Exo 8:28 NCV)  The king said, "I will let you go so that you may 
       offer sacrifices to the LORD your God in the desert, but you must not 
       go very far away. Now go and pray for me."

       (Exo 8:29 NCV)  Moses said, "I will leave and pray to the LORD, and he 
       will take the flies away from you, your officers, and your people 
       tomorrow. But do not try to trick us again. Do not stop the people 
       from going to offer sacrifices to the LORD."

       (Exo 8:30 NCV)  So Moses left the king and prayed to the LORD,

       (Exo 8:31 NCV)  and the LORD did as he asked. He removed the flies 
       from the king, his officers, and his people so that not one fly was 
       left.

       (Exo 8:32 NCV)  But the king became stubborn again and did not let the 
       people go.

       (Exo 9:1 NCV)  Then the LORD told Moses, "Go to the king of Egypt and 
       tell him, 'This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my 
       people go to worship me.

       (Exo 9:2 NCV)  If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them,

       (Exo 9:3 NCV)  the LORD will punish you. He will send a terrible 
       disease on your farm animals that are in the fields. He will cause 
       your horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, goats, and sheep to become sick.

       (Exo 9:4 NCV)  But the LORD will treat Israel's animals differently 
       from the animals of Egypt. None of the animals that belong to the 
       Israelites will die.

       (Exo 9:5 NCV)  The LORD has set tomorrow as the time he will do this 
       in the land.'"

       (Exo 9:6 NCV)  The next day the LORD did as he promised. All the farm 
       animals in Egypt died, but none of the animals belonging to Israelites 
       died.

       (Exo 9:7 NCV)  The king sent people to see what had happened to the 
       animals of Israel, and they found that not one of them had died. But 
       the king was still stubborn and did not let the people go.

       (Exo 9:8 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Fill your hands with 
       ashes from a furnace. Moses, throw the ashes into the air in front of 





       the king of Egypt.

       (Exo 9:9 NCV)  The ashes will spread like dust through all the land of 
       Egypt. They will cause boils to break out and become sores on the skin 
       of people and animals everywhere in the land."

       (Exo 9:10 NCV)  So Moses and Aaron took ashes from a furnace and went 
       and stood before the king. Moses threw ashes into the air, which 
       caused boils to break out and become sores on people and animals.

       (Exo 9:11 NCV)  The magicians could not stand before Moses, because 
       all the Egyptians had boils, even the magicians.

       (Exo 9:12 NCV)  But the LORD made the king stubborn, so he refused to 
       listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.

       (Exo 9:13 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Moses, "Get up early in the 
       morning and go to the king of Egypt. Tell him, 'This is what the LORD, 
       the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go to worship me.

       (Exo 9:14 NCV)  If you don't, this time I will punish you, your 
       officers, and your people, with all my power. Then you will know there 
       is no one in the whole land like me.

       (Exo 9:15 NCV)  By now I could have used my power and caused a 
       terrible disease that would have destroyed you and your people from 
       the earth.

       (Exo 9:16 NCV)  But I have let you live for this reason: to show you 
       my power so that my name will be talked about in all the earth.

       (Exo 9:17 NCV)  You are still against my people and do not want to let 
       them go.

       (Exo 9:18 NCV)  So at this time tomorrow, I will send a terrible 
       hailstorm, the worst in Egypt since it became a nation.

       (Exo 9:19 NCV)  Now send for your animals and whatever you have in the 
       fields, and bring them into a safe place. The hail will fall on every 
       person or animal that is still in the fields. If they have not been 
       brought in, they will die.'"

       (Exo 9:20 NCV)  Some of the king's officers respected the word of the 
       LORD and hurried to bring their slaves and animals inside.

       (Exo 9:21 NCV)  But others ignored the Lord's message and left their 
       slaves and animals in the fields.

       (Exo 9:22 NCV)  The LORD told Moses, "Raise your hand toward the sky. 
       Then the hail will start falling in all the land of Egypt. It will 
       fall on people, animals, and on everything that grows in the fields of 
       Egypt."

       (Exo 9:23 NCV)  When Moses raised his walking stick toward the sky, 
       the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed down to the 
       earth. So he caused hail to fall upon the land of Egypt.






       (Exo 9:24 NCV)  There was hail, and lightning flashed as it 
       hailed--the worst hailstorm in Egypt since it had become a nation.

       (Exo 9:25 NCV)  The hail destroyed all the people and animals that 
       were in the fields in all the land of Egypt. It also destroyed 
       everything that grew in the fields and broke all the trees in the 
       fields.

       (Exo 9:26 NCV)  The only place it did not hail was in the land of 
       Goshen, where the Israelites lived.

       (Exo 9:27 NCV)  The king sent for Moses and Aaron and told them, "This 
       time I have sinned. The LORD is in the right, and I and my people are 
       in the wrong.

       (Exo 9:28 NCV)  Pray to the LORD. We have had enough of God's thunder 
       and hail. I will let you go; you do not have to stay here any longer."

       (Exo 9:29 NCV)  Moses told the king, "When I leave the city, I will 
       raise my hands to the LORD in prayer, and the thunder and hail will 
       stop. Then you will know that the earth belongs to the LORD.

       (Exo 9:30 NCV)  But I know that you and your officers do not yet fear 
       the LORD God."

       (Exo 9:31 NCV)  The flax was in bloom, and the barley had ripened, so 
       these crops were destroyed.

       (Exo 9:32 NCV)  But both wheat crops ripen later, so they were not 
       destroyed.

       (Exo 9:33 NCV)  Moses left the king and went outside the city. He 
       raised his hands to the LORD, and the thunder and hail stopped. The 
       rain also stopped falling to the ground.

       (Exo 9:34 NCV)  When the king saw that the rain, hail, and thunder had 
       stopped, he sinned again, and he and his officers became stubborn.

       (Exo 9:35 NCV)  So the king became stubborn and refused to let the 
       Israelites go, just as the LORD had said through Moses.

       (Exo 10:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses, "Go to the king of Egypt. I 
       have made him and his officers stubborn so I could show them my 
       powerful miracles.

       (Exo 10:2 NCV)  I also did this so you could tell your children and 
       your grandchildren how I was hard on the Egyptians. Tell them about 
       the miracles I did among them so that all of you will know that I am 
       the LORD."

       (Exo 10:3 NCV)  So Moses and Aaron went to the king and told him, 
       "This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: 'How long will 
       you refuse to be sorry for what you have done? Let my people go to 
       worship me.





       (Exo 10:4 NCV)  If you refuse to let my people go, tomorrow I will 
       bring locusts into your country.

       (Exo 10:5 NCV)  They will cover the land so that no one will be able 
       to see the ground. They will eat anything that was left from the 
       hailstorm and the leaves from every tree growing in the field.

       (Exo 10:6 NCV)  They will fill your palaces and all your officers' 
       houses, as well as the houses of all the Egyptians. There will be more 
       locusts than your fathers or ancestors have ever seen--more than there 
       have been since people began living in Egypt.'" Then Moses turned and 
       walked away from the king.

       (Exo 10:7 NCV)  The king's officers asked him, "How long will this man 
       make trouble for us? Let the Israelites go to worship the LORD their 
       God. Don't you know that Egypt is ruined?"

       (Exo 10:8 NCV)  So Moses and Aaron were brought back to the king. He 
       said to them, "Go and worship the LORD your God. But tell me, just who 
       is going?"

       (Exo 10:9 NCV)  Moses answered, "We will go with our young and old 
       people, our sons and daughters, and our flocks and herds, because we 
       are going to have a feast to honor the LORD."

       (Exo 10:10 NCV)  The king said to them, "The LORD will really have to 
       be with you if ever I let you and all of your children leave Egypt. 
       See, you are planning something evil!

       (Exo 10:11 NCV)  No! Only the men may go and worship the LORD, which 
       is what you have been asking for." Then the king forced Moses and 
       Aaron out of his palace.

       (Exo 10:12 NCV)  The LORD told Moses, "Raise your hand over the land 
       of Egypt, and the locusts will come. They will spread all over the 
       land of Egypt and will eat all the plants the hail did not destroy."

       (Exo 10:13 NCV)  So Moses raised his walking stick over the land of 
       Egypt, and the LORD caused a strong wind to blow from the east. It 
       blew across the land all that day and night, and when morning came, 
       the east wind had brought the locusts.

       (Exo 10:14 NCV)  Swarms of locusts covered all the land of Egypt and 
       settled everywhere. There were more locusts than ever before or after,

       (Exo 10:15 NCV)  and they covered the whole land so that it was black. 
       They ate everything that was left after the hail--every plant in the 
       field and all the fruit on the trees. Nothing green was left on any 
       tree or plant anywhere in Egypt.

       (Exo 10:16 NCV)  The king quickly called for Moses and Aaron. He said, 
       "I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you.

       (Exo 10:17 NCV)  Now forgive my sin this time. Pray to the LORD your 
       God, and ask him to stop this punishment that kills."





       (Exo 10:18 NCV)  Moses left the king and prayed to the LORD.

       (Exo 10:19 NCV)  So the LORD changed the wind. He made a very strong 
       wind blow from the west, and it blew the locusts away into the Red 
       Sea. Not one locust was left anywhere in Egypt.

       (Exo 10:20 NCV)  But the LORD caused the king to be stubborn again, 
       and he did not let the Israelites go.

       (Exo 10:21 NCV)  Then the LORD told Moses, "Raise your hand toward the 
       sky, and darkness will cover the land of Egypt. It will be so dark you 
       will be able to feel it."

       (Exo 10:22 NCV)  Moses raised his hand toward the sky, and total 
       darkness was everywhere in Egypt for three days.

       (Exo 10:23 NCV)  No one could see anyone else, and no one could go 
       anywhere for three days. But the Israelites had light where they 
       lived.

       (Exo 10:24 NCV)  Again the king of Egypt called for Moses. He said, 
       "All of you may go and worship the LORD. You may take your women and 
       children with you, but you must leave your flocks and herds here."

       (Exo 10:25 NCV)  Moses said, "You must let us have animals to use as 
       sacrifices and burnt offerings, because we have to offer them to the 
       LORD our God.

       (Exo 10:26 NCV)  So we must take our animals with us; not a hoof will 
       be left behind. We have to use some of the animals to worship the LORD 
       our God. We won't know exactly what we will need to worship the LORD 
       until we get there."

       (Exo 10:27 NCV)  But the LORD made the king stubborn again, so he 
       refused to let them go.

       (Exo 10:28 NCV)  Then he told Moses, "Get out of here, and don't come 
       again! The next time you see me, you will die."

       (Exo 10:29 NCV)  Then Moses told the king, "I'll do what you say. I 
       will not come to see you again."

       (Exo 11:1 NCV)  Now the LORD had told Moses, "I have one more way to 
       punish the king and the people of Egypt. After this, the king will 
       send all of you away from Egypt. When he does, he will force you to 
       leave completely.

       (Exo 11:2 NCV)  Tell the men and women of Israel to ask their 
       neighbors for things made of silver and gold."

       (Exo 11:3 NCV)  The LORD had caused the Egyptians to respect the 
       Israelites, and both the king's officers and the Egyptian people 
       considered Moses to be a great man.

       (Exo 11:4 NCV)  So Moses said to the king, "This is what the LORD 
       says: 'About midnight tonight I will go through all Egypt.






       (Exo 11:5 NCV)  Every firstborn son in the land of Egypt will 
       die--from the firstborn son of the king, who sits on his throne, to 
       the firstborn of the slave girl grinding grain. Also the firstborn 
       farm animals will die.

       (Exo 11:6 NCV)  There will be loud outcries everywhere in Egypt, worse 
       than any time before or after this.

       (Exo 11:7 NCV)  But not even a dog will bark at the Israelites or 
       their animals.' Then you will know that the LORD treats Israel 
       differently from Egypt.

       (Exo 11:8 NCV)  All your officers will come to me. They will bow 
       facedown to the ground before me and say, 'Leave and take all your 
       people with you.' After that, I will leave." Then Moses very angrily 
       left the king.

       (Exo 11:9 NCV)  The LORD had told Moses, "The king will not listen to 
       you and Aaron so that I may do many miracles in the land of Egypt."

       (Exo 11:10 NCV)  Moses and Aaron did all these great miracles in front 
       of the king. But the LORD made him stubborn, and the king would not 
       let the Israelites leave his country.

       (Exo 12:1 NCV)  The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of 
       Egypt:

       (Exo 12:2 NCV)  "This month will be the beginning of months, the first 
       month of the year for you.

       (Exo 12:3 NCV)  Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth 
       day of this month each man must get one lamb for the people in his 
       house.

       (Exo 12:4 NCV)  If there are not enough people in his house to eat a 
       whole lamb, he must share it with his closest neighbor, considering 
       the number of people. There must be enough lamb for everyone to eat.

       (Exo 12:5 NCV)  The lamb must be a one-year-old male that has nothing 
       wrong with it. This animal can be either a young sheep or a young 
       goat.

       (Exo 12:6 NCV)  Take care of the animals until the fourteenth day of 
       the month. On that day all the people of the community of Israel will 
       kill them in the evening before dark.

       (Exo 12:7 NCV)  The people must take some of the blood and put it on 
       the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the 
       lambs.

       (Exo 12:8 NCV)  On this night they must roast the lamb over a fire. 
       They must eat it with bitter herbs and bread made without yeast.

       (Exo 12:9 NCV)  Do not eat the lamb raw or boiled in water. Roast the 
       whole lamb over a fire--with its head, legs, and inner organs.






       (Exo 12:10 NCV)  You must not leave any of it until morning, but if 
       any of it is left over until morning, you must burn it with fire.

       (Exo 12:11 NCV)  "This is the way you must eat it: You must be fully 
       dressed as if you were going on a trip. You must have your sandals on 
       and your walking stick in your hand. You must eat it in a hurry; this 
       is the Lord's Passover.

       (Exo 12:12 NCV)  "That night I will go through the land of Egypt and 
       kill all the firstborn animals and people in the land of Egypt. I will 
       also punish all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD.

       (Exo 12:13 NCV)  But the blood will be a sign on the houses where you 
       are. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. Nothing terrible will 
       hurt you when I punish the land of Egypt.

       (Exo 12:14 NCV)  "You are always to remember this day and celebrate it 
       with a feast to the LORD. Your descendants are to honor the LORD with 
       this feast from now on.

       (Exo 12:15 NCV)  For this feast you must eat bread made without yeast 
       for seven days. On the first day, you are to remove all the yeast from 
       your houses. No one should eat any yeast for the full seven days of 
       the feast, or that person will be cut off from Israel.

       (Exo 12:16 NCV)  You are to have holy meetings on the first and last 
       days of the feast. You must not do any work on these days; the only 
       work you may do is to prepare your meals.

       (Exo 12:17 NCV)  You must celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread, 
       because on this very day I brought your divisions of people out of 
       Egypt. So all of your descendants must celebrate this day. This is a 
       law that will last from now on.

       (Exo 12:18 NCV)  In the first month of the year you are to eat bread 
       made without yeast, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the 
       evening of the twenty-first day.

       (Exo 12:19 NCV)  For seven days there must not be any yeast in your 
       houses. Anybody who eats yeast during this time, either an Israelite 
       or non-Israelite, must be cut off from the community of Israel.

       (Exo 12:20 NCV)  During this feast you must not eat anything made with 
       yeast. You must eat only bread made without yeast wherever you live."

       (Exo 12:21 NCV)  Then Moses called all the older leaders of Israel 
       together and told them, "Get the animals for your families and kill 
       the lamb for the Passover.

       (Exo 12:22 NCV)  Take a branch of the hyssop plant, dip it into the 
       bowl filled with blood, and then wipe the blood on the sides and tops 
       of the doorframes. No one may leave that house until morning.

       (Exo 12:23 NCV)  When the LORD goes through Egypt to kill the 
       Egyptians, he will see the blood on the sides and tops of the 





       doorframes, and he will pass over that house. He will not let the one 
       who brings death come into your houses and kill you.

       (Exo 12:24 NCV)  "You must keep this command as a law for you and your 
       descendants from now on.

       (Exo 12:25 NCV)  Do this when you go to the land the LORD has promised 
       to give you.

       (Exo 12:26 NCV)  When your children ask you, 'Why are we doing these 
       things?'

       (Exo 12:27 NCV)  you will say, 'This is the Passover sacrifice to 
       honor the LORD. When we were in Egypt, the LORD passed over the houses 
       of Israel, and when he killed the Egyptians, he saved our homes.'" 
       Then the people bowed down and worshiped the LORD.

       (Exo 12:28 NCV)  They did just as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron.

       (Exo 12:29 NCV)  At midnight the LORD killed all the firstborn sons in 
       the land of Egypt--from the firstborn of the king who sat on the 
       throne to the firstborn of the prisoner in jail. Also, all the 
       firstborn farm animals died.

       (Exo 12:30 NCV)  The king, his officers, and all the Egyptians got up 
       during the night because someone had died in every house. So there was 
       a loud outcry everywhere in Egypt.

       (Exo 12:31 NCV)  During the night the king called for Moses and Aaron 
       and said, "Get up and leave my people. You and your people may do as 
       you have asked; go and worship the LORD.

       (Exo 12:32 NCV)  Take all of your flocks and herds as you have asked, 
       and go. And also bless me."

       (Exo 12:33 NCV)  The Egyptians also asked the Israelites to hurry and 
       leave, saying, "If you don't leave, we will all die!"

       (Exo 12:34 NCV)  So the people took their dough before the yeast was 
       added. They wrapped the bowls for making dough in clothing and carried 
       them on their shoulders.

       (Exo 12:35 NCV)  The Israelites did what Moses told them to do and 
       asked their Egyptian neighbors for things made of silver and gold and 
       for clothing.

       (Exo 12:36 NCV)  The LORD caused the Egyptians to think well of them, 
       and the Egyptians gave the people everything they asked for. So the 
       Israelites took rich gifts from them.

       (Exo 12:37 NCV)  The Israelites traveled from Rameses to Succoth. 
       There were about six hundred thousand men walking, not including the 
       women and children.

       (Exo 12:38 NCV)  Many other people who were not Israelites went with 
       them, as well as a large number of sheep, goats, and cattle.






       (Exo 12:39 NCV)  The Israelites used the dough they had brought out of 
       Egypt to bake loaves of bread without yeast. The dough had no yeast in 
       it, because they had been rushed out of Egypt and had no time to get 
       food ready for their trip.

       (Exo 12:40 NCV)  The people of Israel had lived in Egypt for four 
       hundred thirty years;

       (Exo 12:41 NCV)  on the very day the four hundred thirty years ended, 
       the Lord's divisions of people left Egypt.

       (Exo 12:42 NCV)  That night the LORD kept watch to bring them out of 
       Egypt, and so on this same night the Israelites are to keep watch to 
       honor the LORD from now on.

       (Exo 12:43 NCV)  The LORD told Moses and Aaron, "Here are the rules 
       for Passover: No foreigner is to eat the Passover.

       (Exo 12:44 NCV)  If someone buys a slave and circumcises him, the 
       slave may eat the Passover.

       (Exo 12:45 NCV)  But neither a person who lives for a short time in 
       your country nor a hired worker may eat it.

       (Exo 12:46 NCV)  "The meal must be eaten inside a house; take none of 
       the meat outside the house. Don't break any of the bones.

       (Exo 12:47 NCV)  The whole community of Israel must take part in this 
       feast.

       (Exo 12:48 NCV)  A foreigner who lives with you may share in the 
       Lord's Passover if all the males in his house become circumcised. 
       Then, since he will be like a citizen of Israel, he may share in the 
       meal. But a man who is not circumcised may not eat the Passover meal.

       (Exo 12:49 NCV)  The same rules apply to an Israelite born in the 
       country or to a foreigner living there."

       (Exo 12:50 NCV)  So all the Israelites did just as the LORD had 
       commanded Moses and Aaron.

       (Exo 12:51 NCV)  On that same day the LORD led the Israelites out of 
       Egypt by their divisions.

       (Exo 13:1 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Moses,

       (Exo 13:2 NCV)  "Give every firstborn male to me. Every firstborn male 
       among the Israelites belongs to me, whether human or animal."

       (Exo 13:3 NCV)  Moses said to the people, "Remember this day, the day 
       you left Egypt. You were slaves in that land, but the LORD with his 
       great power brought you out of it. You must not eat bread made with 
       yeast.

       (Exo 13:4 NCV)  Today, in the month of Abib, you are leaving Egypt.






       (Exo 13:5 NCV)  The LORD will lead you to the land of the Canaanites, 
       Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites. This is the land he 
       promised your ancestors he would give you, a fertile land. There you 
       must celebrate this feast during the first month of every year.

       (Exo 13:6 NCV)  For seven days you must eat bread made without yeast, 
       and on the seventh day there will be a feast to honor the LORD.

       (Exo 13:7 NCV)  So for seven days you must not eat any bread made with 
       yeast. There must be no bread made with yeast anywhere in your land.

       (Exo 13:8 NCV)  On that day you should tell your son: 'We are having 
       this feast because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of 
       Egypt.'

       (Exo 13:9 NCV)  This feast will help you remember, like a mark on your 
       hand or a reminder on your forehead. This feast will remind you to 
       speak the Lord's teachings, because the LORD used his great power to 
       bring you out of Egypt.

       (Exo 13:10 NCV)  So celebrate this feast every year at the right time.

       (Exo 13:11 NCV)  "And when the LORD takes you into the land of the 
       Canaanites, the land he promised to give you and your ancestors,

       (Exo 13:12 NCV)  you must give him every firstborn male. Also every 
       firstborn male animal must be given to the LORD.

       (Exo 13:13 NCV)  Buy back every firstborn donkey by offering a lamb. 
       But if you don't want to buy the donkey back, then break its neck. You 
       must buy back from the LORD every firstborn of your sons.

       (Exo 13:14 NCV)  "From now on when your son asks you, 'What does this 
       mean?' you will answer, 'With his great power, the LORD brought us out 
       from Egypt, the land where we were slaves.

       (Exo 13:15 NCV)  The king of Egypt was stubborn and refused to let us 
       leave. But the LORD killed every firstborn male in Egypt, both human 
       and animal. That is why I sacrifice every firstborn male animal to the 
       LORD, and that is why I buy back each of my firstborn sons from the 
       LORD.'

       (Exo 13:16 NCV)  This feast is like a mark on your hand and a reminder 
       on your forehead to help you remember that the LORD brought us out of 
       Egypt with his great power."

       (Exo 13:17 NCV)  When the king sent the people out of Egypt, God did 
       not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that 
       was the shortest way. God said, "If they have to fight, they might 
       change their minds and go back to Egypt."

       (Exo 13:18 NCV)  So God led them through the desert toward the Red 
       Sea. The Israelites were dressed for fighting when they left the land 
       of Egypt.





       (Exo 13:19 NCV)  Moses carried the bones of Joseph with him, because 
       before Joseph died, he had made the Israelites promise to do this. He 
       had said, "When God saves you, remember to carry my bones with you out 
       of Egypt."

       (Exo 13:20 NCV)  The Israelites left Succoth and camped at Etham, on 
       the edge of the desert.

       (Exo 13:21 NCV)  The LORD showed them the way; during the day he went 
       ahead of them in a pillar of cloud, and during the night he was in a 
       pillar of fire to give them light. In this way they could travel 
       during the day or night.

       (Exo 13:22 NCV)  The pillar of cloud was always with them during the 
       day, and the pillar of fire was always with them at night.

       (Exo 14:1 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Moses,

       (Exo 14:2 NCV)  "Tell the Israelites to turn back to Pi Hahiroth and 
       to camp between Migdol and the Red Sea. Camp across from Baal Zephon, 
       on the shore of the sea.

       (Exo 14:3 NCV)  The king will think, 'The Israelites are lost, trapped 
       by the desert.'

       (Exo 14:4 NCV)  I will make the king stubborn again so he will chase 
       after them, but I will defeat the king and his army. This will bring 
       honor to me, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD." The 
       Israelites did just as they were told.

       (Exo 14:5 NCV)  When the king of Egypt was told that the Israelites 
       had left, he and his officers changed their minds about them. They 
       said, "What have we done? We have let the Israelites leave. We have 
       lost our slaves!"

       (Exo 14:6 NCV)  So the king prepared his war chariot and took his army 
       with him.

       (Exo 14:7 NCV)  He took six hundred of his best chariots, together 
       with all the other chariots of Egypt, each with an officer in it.

       (Exo 14:8 NCV)  The LORD made the king of Egypt stubborn, so he chased 
       the Israelites, who were leaving victoriously.

       (Exo 14:9 NCV)  The Egyptians--with all the king's horses, chariot 
       drivers, and army--chased the Israelites. They caught up with them 
       while they were camped by the Red Sea, near Pi Hahiroth and Baal 
       Zephon.

       (Exo 14:10 NCV)  When the Israelites saw the king and his army coming 
       after them, they were very frightened and cried to the LORD for help.

       (Exo 14:11 NCV)  They said to Moses, "What have you done to us? Why 
       did you bring us out of Egypt to die in the desert? There were plenty 
       of graves for us in Egypt.





       (Exo 14:12 NCV)  We told you in Egypt, 'Let us alone; we will stay and 
       serve the Egyptians.' Now we will die in the desert."

       (Exo 14:13 NCV)  But Moses answered, "Don't be afraid! Stand still and 
       you will see the LORD save you today. You will never see these 
       Egyptians again after today.

       (Exo 14:14 NCV)  You only need to remain calm; the LORD will fight for 
       you."

       (Exo 14:15 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out 
       to me? Command the Israelites to start moving.

       (Exo 14:16 NCV)  Raise your walking stick and hold it over the sea so 
       that the sea will split and the people can cross it on dry land.

       (Exo 14:17 NCV)  I will make the Egyptians stubborn so they will chase 
       the Israelites, but I will be honored when I defeat the king and all 
       of his chariot drivers and chariots.

       (Exo 14:18 NCV)  When I defeat the king, his chariot drivers, and 
       chariots, the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD."

       (Exo 14:19 NCV)  Now the angel of God that usually traveled in front 
       of Israel's army moved behind them. Also, the pillar of cloud moved 
       from in front of the people and stood behind them.

       (Exo 14:20 NCV)  So the cloud came between the Egyptians and the 
       Israelites. This made it dark for the Egyptians but gave light to the 
       Israelites. So the cloud kept the two armies apart all night.

       (Exo 14:21 NCV)  Then Moses held his hand over the sea. All that night 
       the LORD drove back the sea with a strong east wind, making the sea 
       become dry ground. The water was split,

       (Exo 14:22 NCV)  and the Israelites went through the sea on dry land, 
       with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

       (Exo 14:23 NCV)  Then all the king's horses, chariots, and chariot 
       drivers followed them into the sea.

       (Exo 14:24 NCV)  When morning came, the LORD looked down from the 
       pillar of cloud and fire at the Egyptian army and made them panic.

       (Exo 14:25 NCV)  He kept the wheels of the chariots from turning, 
       making it hard to drive the chariots. The Egyptians shouted, "Let's 
       get away from the Israelites! The LORD is fighting for them and 
       against Egypt."

       (Exo 14:26 NCV)  Then the LORD told Moses, "Hold your hand over the 
       sea so that the water will come back over the Egyptians, their 
       chariots, and chariot drivers."

       (Exo 14:27 NCV)  So Moses raised his hand over the sea, and at dawn 
       the sea returned to its place. The Egyptians tried to run from it, but 
       the LORD swept them away into the sea.






       (Exo 14:28 NCV)  The water returned, covering the chariots, chariot 
       drivers, and all the king's army that had followed the Israelites into 
       the sea. Not one of them survived.

       (Exo 14:29 NCV)  But the Israelites crossed the sea on dry land, with 
       a wall of water on their right and on their left.

       (Exo 14:30 NCV)  So that day the LORD saved the Israelites from the 
       Egyptians, and the Israelites saw the Egyptians lying dead on the 
       seashore.

       (Exo 14:31 NCV)  When the Israelites saw the great power the LORD had 
       used against the Egyptians, they feared the LORD, and they trusted him 
       and his servant Moses.

       (Exo 15:1 NCV)  Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the 
       LORD: "I will sing to the LORD, because he is worthy of great honor. 
       He has thrown the horse and its rider into the sea.

       (Exo 15:2 NCV)  The LORD gives me strength and makes me sing; he has 
       saved me. He is my God, and I will praise him. He is the God of my 
       fathers, and I will honor him.

       (Exo 15:3 NCV)  The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name.

       (Exo 15:4 NCV)  The chariots and soldiers of the king of Egypt he has 
       thrown into the sea. The king's best officers are drowned in the Red 
       Sea.

       (Exo 15:5 NCV)  The deep waters covered them, and they sank to the 
       bottom like a rock.

       (Exo 15:6 NCV)  Your right hand, LORD, is amazingly strong. LORD, your 
       right hand broke the enemy to pieces.

       (Exo 15:7 NCV)  In your great victory you destroyed those who were 
       against you. Your anger destroyed them, like fire burning straw.

       (Exo 15:8 NCV)  Just a blast of your breath, and the waters piled up. 
       The moving water stood like a wall; the deep waters became solid in 
       the middle of the sea.

       (Exo 15:9 NCV)  "The enemy bragged, 'I'll chase them and catch them. 
       I'll take all their riches; I'll take all I want. I'll pull out my 
       sword, and my hand will destroy them.'

       (Exo 15:10 NCV)  But you blew on them with your breath and covered 
       them with the sea. They sank like lead in the raging water.

       (Exo 15:11 NCV)  "Are there any gods like you, LORD? There are no gods 
       like you. You are wonderfully holy, amazingly powerful, a worker of 
       miracles.

       (Exo 15:12 NCV)  You reached out with your right hand, and the earth 
       swallowed our enemies.






       (Exo 15:13 NCV)  You keep your loving promise and lead the people you 
       have saved. With your strength you will guide them to your holy place.

       (Exo 15:14 NCV)  "The other nations will hear this and tremble with 
       fear; terror will take hold of the Philistines.

       (Exo 15:15 NCV)  The leaders of the tribes of Edom will be very 
       frightened; the powerful men of Moab will shake with fear; the people 
       of Canaan will lose all their courage.

       (Exo 15:16 NCV)  Terror and horror will fall on them. When they see 
       your strength, they will be as still as a rock. They will be still 
       until your people pass by, LORD. They will be still until the people 
       you have taken as your own pass by.

       (Exo 15:17 NCV)  You will lead your people and place them on your very 
       own mountain, the place that you, LORD, made for yourself to live, the 
       temple, Lord, that your hands have made.

       (Exo 15:18 NCV)  The LORD will be king forever!"

       (Exo 15:19 NCV)  The horses, chariot drivers, and chariots of the king 
       of Egypt went into the sea, and the LORD covered them with water from 
       the sea. But the Israelites walked through the sea on dry land.

       (Exo 15:20 NCV)  Then Aaron's sister Miriam, a prophetess, took a 
       tambourine in her hand. All the women followed her, playing 
       tambourines and dancing.

       (Exo 15:21 NCV)  Miriam told them: "Sing to the LORD, because he is 
       worthy of great honor; he has thrown the horse and its rider into the 
       sea."

       (Exo 15:22 NCV)  Moses led the Israelites away from the Red Sea into 
       the Desert of Shur. They traveled for three days in the desert but 
       found no water.

       (Exo 15:23 NCV)  Then they came to Marah, where there was water, but 
       they could not drink it because it was too bitter. (That is why the 
       place was named Marah.)

       (Exo 15:24 NCV)  The people grumbled to Moses and asked, "What will we 
       drink?"

       (Exo 15:25 NCV)  So Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed 
       him a tree. When Moses threw the tree into the water, the water became 
       good to drink. There the LORD gave the people a rule and a law to live 
       by, and there he tested their loyalty to him.

       (Exo 15:26 NCV)  He said, "You must obey the LORD your God and do what 
       he says is right. If you obey all his commands and keep his rules, I 
       will not bring on you any of the sicknesses I brought on the 
       Egyptians. I am the LORD who heals you."

       (Exo 15:27 NCV)  Then the people traveled to Elim, where there were 





       twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees. So the people camped 
       there near the water.

       (Exo 16:1 NCV)  The whole Israelite community left Elim and came to 
       the Desert of Sin, which was between Elim and Sinai; they arrived 
       there on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left 
       Egypt.

       (Exo 16:2 NCV)  Then the whole Israelite community grumbled to Moses 
       and Aaron in the desert.

       (Exo 16:3 NCV)  They said to them, "It would have been better if the 
       LORD had killed us in the land of Egypt. There we had meat to eat and 
       all the food we wanted. But you have brought us into this desert to 
       starve us to death."

       (Exo 16:4 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will cause food to 
       fall like rain from the sky for all of you. Every day the people must 
       go out and gather what they need for that day. I want to see if the 
       people will do what I teach them.

       (Exo 16:5 NCV)  On the sixth day of each week, they are to gather 
       twice as much as they gather on other days. Then they are to prepare 
       it."

       (Exo 16:6 NCV)  So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites: "This 
       evening you will know that the LORD is the one who brought you out of 
       Egypt.

       (Exo 16:7 NCV)  Tomorrow morning you will see the glory of the LORD, 
       because he has heard you grumble against him. We are nothing, so you 
       are not grumbling against us, but against the LORD."

       (Exo 16:8 NCV)  And Moses said, "Each evening the LORD will give you 
       meat to eat, and every morning he will give you all the bread you 
       want, because he has heard you grumble against him. You are not 
       grumbling against Aaron and me, because we are nothing; you are 
       grumbling against the LORD."

       (Exo 16:9 NCV)  Then Moses said to Aaron, "Speak to the whole 
       community of the Israelites, and say to them, 'Meet together in the 
       presence of the LORD, because he has heard your grumblings.'"

       (Exo 16:10 NCV)  While Aaron was speaking to the whole community of 
       the Israelites, they looked toward the desert. There the glory of the 
       LORD appeared in a cloud.

       (Exo 16:11 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Exo 16:12 NCV)  "I have heard the grumblings of the people of Israel. 
       So tell them, 'At twilight you will eat meat, and every morning you 
       will eat all the bread you want. Then you will know I am the LORD your 
       God.'"

       (Exo 16:13 NCV)  That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in 
       the morning dew lay around the camp.






       (Exo 16:14 NCV)  When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost were on 
       the desert ground.

       (Exo 16:15 NCV)  When the Israelites saw it, they asked each other, 
       "What is it?" because they did not know what it was. So Moses told 
       them, "This is the bread the LORD has given you to eat.

       (Exo 16:16 NCV)  The LORD has commanded, 'Each one of you must gather 
       what he needs, about two quarts for every person in your family.'"

       (Exo 16:17 NCV)  So the people of Israel did this; some people 
       gathered much, and some gathered little.

       (Exo 16:18 NCV)  Then they measured it. The person who gathered more 
       did not have too much, nor did the person who gathered less have too 
       little. Each person gathered just as much as he needed.

       (Exo 16:19 NCV)  Moses said to them, "Don't keep any of it to eat the 
       next day."

       (Exo 16:20 NCV)  But some of the people did not listen to Moses and 
       kept part of it to eat the next morning. It became full of worms and 
       began to stink, so Moses was angry with those people.

       (Exo 16:21 NCV)  Every morning each person gathered as much food as he 
       needed, but when the sun became hot, it melted away.

       (Exo 16:22 NCV)  On the sixth day the people gathered twice as much 
       food--four quarts for every person. When all the leaders of the 
       community came and told this to Moses,

       (Exo 16:23 NCV)  he said to them, "This is what the LORD commanded, 
       because tomorrow is the Sabbath, the Lord's holy day of rest. Bake 
       what you want to bake, and boil what you want to boil today. Save the 
       rest of the food until tomorrow morning."

       (Exo 16:24 NCV)  So the people saved it until the next morning, as 
       Moses had commanded, and none of it began to stink or have worms in 
       it.

       (Exo 16:25 NCV)  Moses told the people, "Eat the food you gathered 
       yesterday. Today is a Sabbath, the Lord's day of rest; you will not 
       find any out in the field today.

       (Exo 16:26 NCV)  You should gather the food for six days, but the 
       seventh day is a Sabbath day. On that day there will not be any food 
       on the ground."

       (Exo 16:27 NCV)  On the seventh day some of the people went out to 
       gather food, but they couldn't find any.

       (Exo 16:28 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Moses, "How long will you 
       people refuse to obey my commands and teachings?

       (Exo 16:29 NCV)  Look, the LORD has made the Sabbath a day of rest for 





       you. So on the sixth day he will give you enough food for two days, 
       but on the seventh day each of you must stay where you are. Do not go 
       anywhere."

       (Exo 16:30 NCV)  So the people rested on the seventh day.

       (Exo 16:31 NCV)  The people of Israel called the food manna. It was 
       like small white seeds and tasted like wafers made with honey.

       (Exo 16:32 NCV)  Then Moses said, "The LORD said, 'Save two quarts of 
       this food for your descendants. Then they can see the food I gave you 
       to eat in the desert when I brought you out of Egypt.'"

       (Exo 16:33 NCV)  Moses told Aaron, "Take a jar and fill it with two 
       quarts of manna. Then place it before the LORD, and save it for your 
       descendants."

       (Exo 16:34 NCV)  So Aaron did what the LORD had commanded Moses. He 
       put the jar of manna in front of the Agreement to keep it safe.

       (Exo 16:35 NCV)  The Israelites ate manna for forty years, until they 
       came to the land where they settled--the edge of the land of Canaan.

       (Exo 16:36 NCV)  The measure they used for the manna was two quarts, 
       or one-tenth of an ephah.

       (Exo 17:1 NCV)  The whole Israelite community left the Desert of Sin 
       and traveled from place to place, as the LORD commanded. They camped 
       at Rephidim, but there was no water there for the people to drink.

       (Exo 17:2 NCV)  So they quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water 
       to drink." Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why are 
       you testing the LORD?"

       (Exo 17:3 NCV)  But the people were very thirsty for water, so they 
       grumbled against Moses. They said, "Why did you bring us out of Egypt? 
       Was it to kill us, our children, and our farm animals with thirst?"

       (Exo 17:4 NCV)  So Moses cried to the LORD, "What can I do with these 
       people? They are almost ready to stone me to death."

       (Exo 17:5 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses, "Go ahead of the people, and 
       take some of the older leaders of Israel with you. Carry with you the 
       walking stick that you used to strike the Nile River. Now go!

       (Exo 17:6 NCV)  I will stand in front of you on a rock at Mount Sinai. 
       Hit that rock with the stick, and water will come out of it so that 
       the people can drink." Moses did these things as the older leaders of 
       Israel watched.

       (Exo 17:7 NCV)  He named that place Massah, because the Israelites 
       tested the LORD when they asked, "Is the LORD with us or not?" He also 
       named it Meribah, because they quarreled.

       (Exo 17:8 NCV)  At Rephidim the Amalekites came and fought the 
       Israelites.






       (Exo 17:9 NCV)  So Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some men and go and 
       fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill, 
       holding the walking stick of God in my hands."

       (Exo 17:10 NCV)  Joshua obeyed Moses and went to fight the Amalekites, 
       while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill.

       (Exo 17:11 NCV)  As long as Moses held his hands up, the Israelites 
       would win the fight, but when Moses put his hands down, the Amalekites 
       would win.

       (Exo 17:12 NCV)  Later, when Moses' arms became tired, the men put a 
       large rock under him, and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur held up 
       Moses' hands--Aaron on one side and Hur on the other. They kept his 
       hands steady until the sun went down.

       (Exo 17:13 NCV)  So Joshua defeated the Amalekites in this battle.

       (Exo 17:14 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write about this battle 
       in a book so people will remember. And be sure to tell Joshua, because 
       I will completely destroy the Amalekites from the earth."

       (Exo 17:15 NCV)  Then Moses built an altar and named it The LORD is my 
       Banner.

       (Exo 17:16 NCV)  Moses said, "I lifted my hands toward the Lord's 
       throne. The LORD will fight against the Amalekites forever."

       (Exo 18:1 NCV)  Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, was the priest of 
       Midian. He heard about everything that God had done for Moses and his 
       people, the Israelites, and how the LORD had led the Israelites out of 
       Egypt.

       (Exo 18:2 NCV)  Now Moses had sent his wife Zipporah to Jethro, his 
       father-in-law,

       (Exo 18:3 NCV)  along with his two sons. The first son was named 
       Gershom, because when he was born, Moses said, "I am a stranger in a 
       foreign country."

       (Exo 18:4 NCV)  The other son was named Eliezer, because when he was 
       born, Moses said, "The God of my father is my help. He saved me from 
       the king of Egypt."

       (Exo 18:5 NCV)  So Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Moses' wife and 
       his two sons and went to Moses. He was camped in the desert near the 
       mountain of God.

       (Exo 18:6 NCV)  Jethro had sent a message ahead to Moses that said, 
       "I, Jethro, your father-in-law, am coming to you with your wife and 
       her two sons."

       (Exo 18:7 NCV)  So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed 
       down and kissed him. After the two men asked about each other's 
       health, they went into Moses' tent.






       (Exo 18:8 NCV)  Moses told his father-in-law everything the LORD had 
       done to the king and the Egyptians to help Israel. He told about all 
       the problems they had faced along the way and how the LORD had saved 
       them.

       (Exo 18:9 NCV)  Jethro was very happy to hear all the good things the 
       LORD had done for Israel when he had saved them from the Egyptians.

       (Exo 18:10 NCV)  He said, "Praise the LORD. He has saved you from the 
       Egyptians and their king, and he has saved the people from the power 
       of the Egyptians.

       (Exo 18:11 NCV)  Now I know the LORD is greater than all gods, because 
       he did this to those who looked down on Israel."

       (Exo 18:12 NCV)  Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, gave a whole burnt 
       offering and other sacrifices to God. Aaron and all the older leaders 
       of Israel came to Moses' father-in-law to eat the holy meal together 
       before God.

       (Exo 18:13 NCV)  The next day Moses solved disagreements among the 
       people, and the people stood around him from morning until night.

       (Exo 18:14 NCV)  When Moses' father-in-law saw all that Moses was 
       doing for the people, he asked, "What is all this you are doing for 
       the people? Why are you the only one to solve disagreements? All the 
       people are standing around you from morning until night!"

       (Exo 18:15 NCV)  Then Moses said to his father-in-law, "It is because 
       the people come to me for God's help in solving their disagreements.

       (Exo 18:16 NCV)  When people have a disagreement, they come to me, and 
       I decide who is right. I tell them God's laws and teachings."

       (Exo 18:17 NCV)  Moses' father-in-law said to him, "You are not doing 
       this right.

       (Exo 18:18 NCV)  You and the people who come to you will get too 
       tired. This is too much work for you; you can't do it by yourself.

       (Exo 18:19 NCV)  Now listen to me, and I will give you some advice. I 
       want God to be with you. You must speak to God for the people and tell 
       him about their disagreements.

       (Exo 18:20 NCV)  Warn them about the laws and teachings, and teach 
       them the right way to live and what they should do.

       (Exo 18:21 NCV)  But choose some capable men from among the 
       people--men who respect God, who can be trusted, and who will not 
       change their decisions for money. Make these men officers over the 
       people, to rule over groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.

       (Exo 18:22 NCV)  Let these officers solve the disagreements among the 
       people all the time. They can bring the hard cases to you, but they 
       can decide the simple cases themselves. That will make it easier for 





       you, because they will share the work with you.

       (Exo 18:23 NCV)  If you do this as God commands you, then you will be 
       able to do your job, and all the people will go home with their 
       disagreements solved."

       (Exo 18:24 NCV)  So Moses listened to his father-in-law and did 
       everything he said.

       (Exo 18:25 NCV)  He chose capable men from all the Israelites and made 
       them leaders over the people; they were officers over groups of 
       thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.

       (Exo 18:26 NCV)  These officers solved disagreements among the people 
       all the time. They brought the hard cases to Moses, but they decided 
       the simple cases themselves.

       (Exo 18:27 NCV)  So Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and 
       Jethro went back to his own home.

       (Exo 19:1 NCV)  Exactly three months after the Israelites had left 
       Egypt, they reached the Desert of Sinai.

       (Exo 19:2 NCV)  When they left Rephidim, they came to the Desert of 
       Sinai and camped in the desert in front of the mountain.

       (Exo 19:3 NCV)  Then Moses went up on the mountain to God. The LORD 
       called to him from the mountain and said, "Say this to the family of 
       Jacob, and tell the people of Israel:

       (Exo 19:4 NCV)  'Every one of you has seen what I did to the people of 
       Egypt. You saw how I carried you out of Egypt, as if on eagle's wings. 
       And I brought you here to me.

       (Exo 19:5 NCV)  So now if you obey me and keep my agreement, you will 
       be my own possession, chosen from all nations. Even though the whole 
       earth is mine,

       (Exo 19:6 NCV)  you will be my kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' 
       You must tell the Israelites these words."

       (Exo 19:7 NCV)  So Moses went down and called the older leaders of the 
       people together. He told them all the words the LORD had commanded him 
       to say.

       (Exo 19:8 NCV)  All the people answered together, "We will do 
       everything he has said." Then Moses took their answer back to the 
       LORD.

       (Exo 19:9 NCV)  And the LORD said to Moses, "I will come to you in a 
       thick cloud and speak to you. The people will hear me speaking with 
       you and will always trust you." Then Moses told the LORD what the 
       people had said.

       (Exo 19:10 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses, "Go to the people and have 
       them spend today and tomorrow preparing themselves. They must wash 





       their clothes

       (Exo 19:11 NCV)  and be ready by the day after tomorrow. On that day 
       I, the LORD, will come down on Mount Sinai, and all the people will 
       see me.

       (Exo 19:12 NCV)  But you must set a limit around the mountain that the 
       people are not to cross. Tell them not to go up on the mountain and 
       not to touch the foot of it. Anyone who touches the mountain must be 
       put to death

       (Exo 19:13 NCV)  with stones or shot with arrows. No one is allowed to 
       touch him. Whether it is a person or an animal, he will not live. But 
       the trumpet will make a long blast, and only then may the people go up 
       on the mountain."

       (Exo 19:14 NCV)  After Moses went down from the mountain to the 
       people, he made them prepare themselves for service to God, and they 
       washed their clothes.

       (Exo 19:15 NCV)  Then Moses said to the people, "Be ready in three 
       days. Do not have sexual relations during this time."

       (Exo 19:16 NCV)  On the morning of the third day, there was thunder 
       and lightning with a thick cloud on the mountain. There was a very 
       loud blast from a trumpet, and all the people in the camp trembled.

       (Exo 19:17 NCV)  Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet 
       God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.

       (Exo 19:18 NCV)  Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD 
       came down on it in fire. The smoke rose from the mountain like smoke 
       from a furnace, and the whole mountain shook wildly.

       (Exo 19:19 NCV)  The sound from the trumpet became louder. Then Moses 
       spoke, and the voice of God answered him.

       (Exo 19:20 NCV)  When the LORD came down on top of Mount Sinai, he 
       called Moses to come up to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

       (Exo 19:21 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses, "Go down and warn the people 
       that they must not force their way through to see me. If they do, many 
       of them will die.

       (Exo 19:22 NCV)  Even the priests, who may come near me, must first 
       prepare themselves. If they don't, I, the LORD, will punish them."

       (Exo 19:23 NCV)  Moses told the LORD, "The people cannot come up on 
       Mount Sinai, because you yourself told us, 'Set a limit around the 
       mountain, and set it apart as holy.'"

       (Exo 19:24 NCV)  The LORD said to him, "Go down and bring Aaron up 
       with you, but don't allow the priests or the people to force their way 
       through. They must not come up to the LORD, or I will punish them."

       (Exo 19:25 NCV)  So Moses went down to the people and told them these 





       things.

       (Exo 20:1 NCV)  Then God spoke all these words:

       (Exo 20:2 NCV)  "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the 
       land of Egypt where you were slaves.

       (Exo 20:3 NCV)  "You must not have any other gods except me.

       (Exo 20:4 NCV)  "You must not make for yourselves an idol that looks 
       like anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the water 
       below the land.

       (Exo 20:5 NCV)  You must not worship or serve any idol, because I, the 
       LORD your God, am a jealous God. If you hate me, I will punish your 
       children, and even your grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

       (Exo 20:6 NCV)  But I show kindness to thousands who love me and obey 
       my commands.

       (Exo 20:7 NCV)  "You must not use the name of the LORD your God 
       thoughtlessly; the LORD will punish anyone who misuses his name.

       (Exo 20:8 NCV)  "Remember to keep the Sabbath holy.

       (Exo 20:9 NCV)  Work and get everything done during six days each 
       week,

       (Exo 20:10 NCV)  but the seventh day is a day of rest to honor the 
       LORD your God. On that day no one may do any work: not you, your son 
       or daughter, your male or female slaves, your animals, or the 
       foreigners living in your cities.

       (Exo 20:11 NCV)  The reason is that in six days the LORD made 
       everything--the sky, the earth, the sea, and everything in them. On 
       the seventh day he rested. So the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and 
       made it holy.

       (Exo 20:12 NCV)  "Honor your father and your mother so that you will 
       live a long time in the land that the LORD your God is going to give 
       you.

       (Exo 20:13 NCV)  "You must not murder anyone.

       (Exo 20:14 NCV)  "You must not be guilty of adultery.

       (Exo 20:15 NCV)  "You must not steal.

       (Exo 20:16 NCV)  "You must not tell lies about your neighbor.

       (Exo 20:17 NCV)  "You must not want to take your neighbor's house. You 
       must not want his wife or his male or female slaves, or his ox or his 
       donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."

       (Exo 20:18 NCV)  When the people heard the thunder and the trumpet, 
       and when they saw the lightning and the smoke rising from the 





       mountain, they shook with fear and stood far away from the mountain.

       (Exo 20:19 NCV)  Then they said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself, and 
       we will listen. But don't let God speak to us, or we will die."

       (Exo 20:20 NCV)  Then Moses said to the people, "Don't be afraid, 
       because God has come to test you. He wants you to respect him so you 
       will not sin."

       (Exo 20:21 NCV)  The people stood far away from the mountain while 
       Moses went near the dark cloud where God was.

       (Exo 20:22 NCV)  Then the LORD told Moses to say these things to the 
       Israelites: "You yourselves have seen that I talked with you from 
       heaven.

       (Exo 20:23 NCV)  You must not use gold or silver to make idols for 
       yourselves; do not worship these gods in addition to me.

       (Exo 20:24 NCV)  "Make an altar of dirt for me, and sacrifice on it 
       your whole burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and 
       your cattle. Worship me in every place that I choose, and I will come 
       and bless you.

       (Exo 20:25 NCV)  If you use stones to make an altar for me, don't use 
       stones that you have shaped with tools. When you use any tools on 
       them, you make them unsuitable for use in worship.

       (Exo 20:26 NCV)  And you must not go up to my altar on steps, or 
       people will be able to see under your clothes."

       (Exo 21:1 NCV)  Then God said to Moses, "These are the laws for living 
       that you will give to the Israelites:

       (Exo 21:2 NCV)  "If you buy a Hebrew slave, he will serve you for six 
       years. In the seventh year you are to set him free, and he will have 
       to pay nothing.

       (Exo 21:3 NCV)  If he is not married when he becomes your slave, he 
       must leave without a wife. But if he is married when he becomes your 
       slave, he may take his wife with him.

       (Exo 21:4 NCV)  If the slave's master gives him a wife, and she gives 
       birth to sons or daughters, the woman and her children will belong to 
       the master. When the slave is set free, only he may leave.

       (Exo 21:5 NCV)  "But if the slave says, 'I love my master, my wife and 
       my children, and I don't want to go free,'

       (Exo 21:6 NCV)  then the slave's master must take him to God. The 
       master is to take him to a door or doorframe and punch a hole through 
       the slave's ear using a sharp tool. Then the slave will serve that 
       master all his life.

       (Exo 21:7 NCV)  "If a man sells his daughter as a slave, the rules for 
       setting her free are different from the rules for setting the male 





       slaves free.

       (Exo 21:8 NCV)  If the master wanted to marry her but then decided he 
       was not pleased with her, he must let one of her close relatives buy 
       her back. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, because he has 
       treated her unfairly.

       (Exo 21:9 NCV)  If the man who bought her promises to let the woman 
       marry his son, he must treat her as a daughter.

       (Exo 21:10 NCV)  If the man who bought her marries another woman, he 
       must not keep his first wife from having food or clothing or sexual 
       relations.

       (Exo 21:11 NCV)  If he does not give her these three things, she may 
       go free, and she owes him no money.

       (Exo 21:12 NCV)  "Anyone who hits a person and kills him must be put 
       to death.

       (Exo 21:13 NCV)  But if a person kills someone accidentally, God 
       allowed that to happen, so the person must go to a place I will 
       choose.

       (Exo 21:14 NCV)  But if someone plans and murders another person on 
       purpose, put him to death, even if he has run to my altar for safety.

       (Exo 21:15 NCV)  "Anyone who hits his father or his mother must be put 
       to death.

       (Exo 21:16 NCV)  "Anyone who kidnaps someone and either sells him as a 
       slave or still has him when he is caught must be put to death.

       (Exo 21:17 NCV)  "Anyone who says cruel things to his father or mother 
       must be put to death.

       (Exo 21:18 NCV)  "If two men argue, and one hits the other with a rock 
       or with his fist, the one who is hurt but not killed might have to 
       stay in bed.

       (Exo 21:19 NCV)  Later if he is able to get up and walk around outside 
       with his walking stick, the one who hit him is not to be punished. But 
       he must pay the injured man for the loss of his time, and he must 
       support the injured man until he is completely healed.

       (Exo 21:20 NCV)  "If a man beats his male or female slave with a 
       stick, and the slave dies on the spot, the owner must be punished.

       (Exo 21:21 NCV)  But if the slave gets well after a day or two, the 
       owner will not be punished since the slave belongs to him.

       (Exo 21:22 NCV)  "Suppose two men are fighting and hit a pregnant 
       woman, causing the baby to come out. If there is no further injury, 
       the man who caused the accident must pay money--whatever amount the 
       woman's husband says and the court allows.





       (Exo 21:23 NCV)  But if there is further injury, then the punishment 
       that must be paid is life for life,

       (Exo 21:24 NCV)  eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for 
       foot,

       (Exo 21:25 NCV)  burn for burn, wound for wound, and bruise for 
       bruise.

       (Exo 21:26 NCV)  "If a man hits his male or female slave in the eye, 
       and the eye is blinded, the man is to free the slave to pay for the 
       eye.

       (Exo 21:27 NCV)  If a master knocks out a tooth of his male or female 
       slave, the man is to free the slave to pay for the tooth.

       (Exo 21:28 NCV)  "If a man's bull kills a man or woman, you must kill 
       that bull by throwing stones at it, and you should not eat the bull. 
       But the owner of the bull is not guilty.

       (Exo 21:29 NCV)  However, suppose the bull has hurt people in the past 
       and the owner, though warned, did not keep it in a pen. Then if it 
       kills a man or woman, the bull must be stoned to death, and the owner 
       must also be put to death.

       (Exo 21:30 NCV)  But if the family of the dead person accepts money, 
       the one who owned the bull may buy back his life, but he must pay 
       whatever is demanded.

       (Exo 21:31 NCV)  Use this same law if the bull kills a person's son or 
       daughter.

       (Exo 21:32 NCV)  If the bull kills a male or female slave, the owner 
       must pay the master the price for a new slave, or twelve ounces of 
       silver, and the bull must also be stoned to death.

       (Exo 21:33 NCV)  "If a man takes the cover off a pit, or digs a pit 
       and does not cover it, and another man's ox or donkey comes and falls 
       into it,

       (Exo 21:34 NCV)  the owner of the pit must pay the owner of the animal 
       for the loss. The dead animal will belong to the one who pays.

       (Exo 21:35 NCV)  "If a man's bull kills another man's bull, they must 
       sell the bull that is alive. Both men will get half of the money and 
       half of the bull that was killed.

       (Exo 21:36 NCV)  But if a person's bull has hurt other animals in the 
       past and the owner did not keep it in a pen, that owner must pay bull 
       for bull, and the dead animal is his.

       (Exo 22:1 NCV)  "If a man steals a bull or a sheep and kills or sells 
       it, he must pay back five bulls for the one bull he stole and four 
       sheep for the one sheep he stole.

       (Exo 22:2 NCV)  "The robber who is caught must pay back what he stole. 





       If he owns nothing, he must be sold as a slave to pay for what he 
       stole. If the stolen animal is found alive with the robber, he must 
       give the owner two animals for every animal he stole, whether it was a 
       bull, donkey, or sheep. "If a thief is killed while breaking into a 
       house at night, the one who killed him is not guilty of murder. But if 
       this happens during the day, he is guilty of murder.

       (Exo 22:3 NCV)  

       (Exo 22:4 NCV)  

       (Exo 22:5 NCV)  "If a man lets his farm animal graze in his field or 
       vineyard, and it wanders into another man's field or vineyard, the 
       owner of the animal must pay back the loss from the best of his crop.

       (Exo 22:6 NCV)  "Suppose a man starts a fire that spreads through the 
       thornbushes to his neighbor's field. If the fire burns his neighbor's 
       growing grain or grain that has been stacked, or if it burns his whole 
       field, the person who started the fire must pay for what was burned.

       (Exo 22:7 NCV)  "Suppose a man gives his neighbor money or other 
       things to keep for him and those things are stolen from the neighbor's 
       house. If the thief is caught, he must pay back twice as much as he 
       stole.

       (Exo 22:8 NCV)  But if the thief is never found, the owner of the 
       house must make a promise before God that he has not stolen his 
       neighbor's things.

       (Exo 22:9 NCV)  "Suppose two men disagree about who owns 
       something--whether ox, donkey, sheep, clothing, or something else that 
       is lost. If each says, 'This is mine,' each man must bring his case to 
       God. God's judges will decide who is guilty, and that person must pay 
       the other man twice as much as the object is worth.

       (Exo 22:10 NCV)  "Suppose a man asks his neighbor to keep his donkey, 
       ox, sheep, or some other animal for him, and that animal dies, gets 
       hurt, or is taken away, without anyone seeing what happened.

       (Exo 22:11 NCV)  That neighbor must promise before the LORD that he 
       did not harm or kill the other man's animal, and the owner of the 
       animal must accept his promise made before God. The neighbor does not 
       have to pay the owner for the animal.

       (Exo 22:12 NCV)  But if the animal was stolen from the neighbor, he 
       must pay the owner for it.

       (Exo 22:13 NCV)  If wild animals killed it, the neighbor must bring 
       the body as proof, and he will not have to pay for the animal that was 
       killed.

       (Exo 22:14 NCV)  "If a man borrows an animal from his neighbor, and it 
       gets hurt or dies while the owner is not there, the one who borrowed 
       it must pay the owner for the animal.

       (Exo 22:15 NCV)  But if the owner is with the animal, the one who 





       borrowed it does not have to pay. If the animal was rented, the rental 
       price covers the loss.

       (Exo 22:16 NCV)  "Suppose a man finds a woman who is not pledged to be 
       married and has never had sexual relations with a man. If he tricks 
       her into having sexual relations with him, he must give her family the 
       payment to marry her, and she will become his wife.

       (Exo 22:17 NCV)  But if her father refuses to allow his daughter to 
       marry him, the man must still give the usual payment for a bride who 
       has never had sexual relations.

       (Exo 22:18 NCV)  "Put to death any woman who does evil magic.

       (Exo 22:19 NCV)  "Put to death anyone who has sexual relations with an 
       animal.

       (Exo 22:20 NCV)  "Destroy completely any person who makes a sacrifice 
       to any god except the LORD.

       (Exo 22:21 NCV)  "Do not cheat or hurt a foreigner, because you were 
       foreigners in the land of Egypt.

       (Exo 22:22 NCV)  "Do not cheat a widow or an orphan.

       (Exo 22:23 NCV)  If you do, and they cry out to me for help, I 
       certainly will hear their cry.

       (Exo 22:24 NCV)  And I will be very angry and kill you in war. Then 
       your wives will become widows, and your children will become orphans.

       (Exo 22:25 NCV)  "If you lend money to one of my people who is poor, 
       do not treat him as a moneylender would. Charge him nothing for using 
       your money.

       (Exo 22:26 NCV)  If your neighbor gives you his coat as a promise for 
       the money he owes you, you must give it back to him by sunset,

       (Exo 22:27 NCV)  because it is the only cover to keep his body warm. 
       He has nothing else to sleep in. If he cries out to me for help, I 
       will listen, because I am merciful.

       (Exo 22:28 NCV)  "You must not speak against God or curse a leader of 
       your people.

       (Exo 22:29 NCV)  "Do not hold back your offering from the first of 
       your harvest and the first wine that you make. Also, you must give me 
       your firstborn sons.

       (Exo 22:30 NCV)  You must do the same with your bulls and your sheep. 
       Let the firstborn males stay with their mothers for seven days, and on 
       the eighth day you must give them to me.

       (Exo 22:31 NCV)  "You are to be my holy people. You must not eat the 
       meat of any animal that has been killed by wild animals. Instead, give 
       it to the dogs.






       (Exo 23:1 NCV)  "You must not tell lies. If you are a witness in 
       court, don't help a wicked person by telling lies.

       (Exo 23:2 NCV)  "You must not do wrong just because everyone else is 
       doing it. If you are a witness in court, you must not ruin a fair 
       trial. You must not tell lies just because everyone else is.

       (Exo 23:3 NCV)  If a poor person is in court, you must not take his 
       side just because he is poor.

       (Exo 23:4 NCV)  "If you see your enemy's ox or donkey wandering away, 
       you must return it to him.

       (Exo 23:5 NCV)  If you see that your enemy's donkey has fallen because 
       its load is too heavy, do not leave it there. You must help your enemy 
       get the donkey back on its feet.

       (Exo 23:6 NCV)  "You must not be unfair to a poor person when he is in 
       court.

       (Exo 23:7 NCV)  You must not lie when you accuse someone in court. 
       Never allow an innocent or honest person to be put to death as 
       punishment, because I will not treat guilty people as if they were 
       innocent.

       (Exo 23:8 NCV)  "You must not accept money from a person who wants you 
       to lie in court, because such money will not let you see what is 
       right. Such money makes good people tell lies.

       (Exo 23:9 NCV)  "You must not mistreat a foreigner. You know how it 
       feels to be a foreigner, because you were foreigners in Egypt.

       (Exo 23:10 NCV)  "For six years you are to plant and harvest crops on 
       your land.

       (Exo 23:11 NCV)  Then during the seventh year, do not plow or plant 
       your land. If any food grows there, allow the poor people to have it, 
       and let the wild animals eat what is left. You should do the same with 
       your vineyards and your orchards of olive trees.

       (Exo 23:12 NCV)  "You should work six days a week, but on the seventh 
       day you must rest. This lets your ox and your donkey rest, and it also 
       lets the slave born in your house and the foreigner be refreshed.

       (Exo 23:13 NCV)  "Be sure to do all that I have said to you. You must 
       not even say the names of other gods; those names must not come out of 
       your mouth.

       (Exo 23:14 NCV)  "Three times each year you must hold a feast to honor 
       me.

       (Exo 23:15 NCV)  You must celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in 
       the way I commanded you. For seven days you must eat bread that is 
       made without yeast at the set time during the month of Abib, the month 
       when you came out of Egypt. No one is to come to worship me without 





       bringing an offering.

       (Exo 23:16 NCV)  "You must celebrate the Feast of Weeks. Offer to God 
       the first things you harvest from the crops you planted in your 
       fields. "You must celebrate the Feast of Shelters in the fall, when 
       you gather all the crops from your fields.

       (Exo 23:17 NCV)  "So three times during every year all your males must 
       come to worship the LORD God.

       (Exo 23:18 NCV)  "You must not offer animal blood along with anything 
       that has yeast in it. "You must not save any of the fat from the 
       sacrifice for the next day.

       (Exo 23:19 NCV)  "You must bring the best of the firstfruits of your 
       land to the Holy Tent of the LORD your God. "You must not cook a young 
       goat in its mother's milk.

       (Exo 23:20 NCV)  "I am sending an angel ahead of you, who will protect 
       you as you travel. He will lead you to the place I have prepared.

       (Exo 23:21 NCV)  Pay attention to the angel and obey him. Do not turn 
       against him; he will not forgive such turning against him because my 
       power is in him.

       (Exo 23:22 NCV)  If you listen carefully to all he says and do 
       everything that I tell you, I will be an enemy to your enemies. I will 
       fight all who fight against you.

       (Exo 23:23 NCV)  My angel will go ahead of you and take you into the 
       land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and 
       Jebusites, and I will destroy them.

       (Exo 23:24 NCV)  "You must not bow down to their gods or worship them. 
       You must not live the way those people live. You must destroy their 
       idols, breaking into pieces the stone pillars they use in worship.

       (Exo 23:25 NCV)  If you worship the LORD your God, I will bless your 
       bread and your water. I will take away sickness from you.

       (Exo 23:26 NCV)  None of your women will have her baby die before it 
       is born, and all women will have children. I will allow you to live 
       long lives.

       (Exo 23:27 NCV)  "I will make your enemies afraid of me. I will 
       confuse any people you fight against, and I will make all your enemies 
       run away from you.

       (Exo 23:28 NCV)  I will send terror ahead of you that will force the 
       Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites out of your way.

       (Exo 23:29 NCV)  But I will not force all those people out in only one 
       year. If I did, the land would become a desert and the wild animals 
       would become too many for you.

       (Exo 23:30 NCV)  Instead, I will force those people out slowly, until 





       there are enough of you to take over the land.

       (Exo 23:31 NCV)  "I will give you the land from the Red Sea to the 
       Mediterranean Sea, and from the desert to the Euphrates River. I will 
       give you power over the people who now live in the land, and you will 
       force them out ahead of you.

       (Exo 23:32 NCV)  You must not make an agreement with those people or 
       with their gods.

       (Exo 23:33 NCV)  You must not let them live in your land, or they will 
       make you sin against me. If you worship their gods, you will be caught 
       in a trap."

       (Exo 24:1 NCV)  The LORD told Moses, "You, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and 
       seventy of the older leaders of Israel must come up to me and worship 
       me from a distance.

       (Exo 24:2 NCV)  Then Moses alone must come near me; the others must 
       not come near. The rest of the people must not come up the mountain 
       with Moses."

       (Exo 24:3 NCV)  Moses told the people all the Lord's words and laws 
       for living. Then all of the people answered out loud together, "We 
       will do all the things the LORD has said."

       (Exo 24:4 NCV)  So Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. And he 
       got up early the next morning and built an altar near the bottom of 
       the mountain. He set up twelve stones, one stone for each of the 
       twelve tribes of Israel.

       (Exo 24:5 NCV)  Then Moses sent young Israelite men to offer whole 
       burnt offerings and to sacrifice young bulls as fellowship offerings 
       to the LORD.

       (Exo 24:6 NCV)  Moses put half of the blood of these animals in bowls, 
       and he sprinkled the other half of the blood on the altar.

       (Exo 24:7 NCV)  Then he took the Book of the Agreement and read it so 
       the people could hear him. And they said, "We will do everything that 
       the LORD has said; we will obey."

       (Exo 24:8 NCV)  Then Moses took the blood from the bowls and sprinkled 
       it on the people, saying, "This is the blood that begins the 
       Agreement, the Agreement which the LORD has made with you about all 
       these words."

       (Exo 24:9 NCV)  Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the older 
       leaders of Israel went up the mountain

       (Exo 24:10 NCV)  and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was a 
       surface that looked as if it were paved with blue sapphire stones, and 
       it was as clear as the sky!

       (Exo 24:11 NCV)  These leaders of the Israelites saw God, but God did 
       not destroy them. Then they ate and drank together.






       (Exo 24:12 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses, "Come up the mountain to me. 
       Wait there, and I will give you two stone tablets. On these are the 
       teachings and the commands I have written to instruct the people."

       (Exo 24:13 NCV)  So Moses and his helper Joshua set out, and Moses 
       went up to Sinai, the mountain of God.

       (Exo 24:14 NCV)  Moses said to the older leaders, "Wait here for us 
       until we come back to you. Aaron and Hur are with you, and anyone who 
       has a disagreement with others can take it to them."

       (Exo 24:15 NCV)  When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered 
       it.

       (Exo 24:16 NCV)  The glory of the LORD came down on Mount Sinai, and 
       the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day the LORD called 
       to Moses from inside the cloud.

       (Exo 24:17 NCV)  To the Israelites the glory of the LORD looked like a 
       fire burning on top of the mountain.

       (Exo 24:18 NCV)  Then Moses went into the cloud and went higher up the 
       mountain. He was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.

       (Exo 25:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Exo 25:2 NCV)  "Tell the Israelites to bring me gifts. Receive for me 
       the gifts each person wants to give.

       (Exo 25:3 NCV)  These are the gifts that you should receive from them: 
       gold, silver, bronze;

       (Exo 25:4 NCV)  blue, purple, and red thread; fine linen, goat hair,

       (Exo 25:5 NCV)  sheepskins that are dyed red; fine leather; acacia 
       wood;

       (Exo 25:6 NCV)  olive oil to burn in the lamps; spices for 
       sweet-smelling incense, and the special olive oil poured on a person's 
       head to make him a priest;

       (Exo 25:7 NCV)  onyx stones, and other jewels to be put on the holy 
       vest and the chest covering.

       (Exo 25:8 NCV)  "The people must build a holy place for me so that I 
       can live among them.

       (Exo 25:9 NCV)  Build this Holy Tent and everything in it by the plan 
       I will show you.

       (Exo 25:10 NCV)  "Use acacia wood and build an Ark forty-five inches 
       long, twenty-seven inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high.

       (Exo 25:11 NCV)  Cover the Ark inside and out with pure gold, and put 
       a gold strip all around it.






       (Exo 25:12 NCV)  Make four gold rings for the Ark and attach them to 
       its four feet, two rings on each side.

       (Exo 25:13 NCV)  Then make poles from acacia wood and cover them with 
       gold.

       (Exo 25:14 NCV)  Put the poles through the rings on the sides of the 
       Ark, and use these poles to carry it.

       (Exo 25:15 NCV)  These poles must always stay in the rings of the Ark. 
       Do not take them out.

       (Exo 25:16 NCV)  Then put in the Ark the Agreement which I will make 
       with you.

       (Exo 25:17 NCV)  "Then make a lid of pure gold for the Ark; this is 
       the mercy seat. Make it forty-five inches long and twenty-seven inches 
       wide.

       (Exo 25:18 NCV)  Then hammer gold to make two creatures with wings, 
       and put one on each end of the lid.

       (Exo 25:19 NCV)  Attach one creature on one end of the lid and the 
       other creature on the other end. Make them to be one piece with the 
       lid at the ends.

       (Exo 25:20 NCV)  The creatures' wings should be spread upward, 
       covering the lid, and the creatures are to face each other across the 
       lid.

       (Exo 25:21 NCV)  Put this lid on top of the Ark, and put in the Ark 
       the Agreement which I will make with you.

       (Exo 25:22 NCV)  I will meet with you there, above the lid between the 
       two winged creatures on the Ark of the Agreement. There I will give 
       you all my commands for the Israelites.

       (Exo 25:23 NCV)  "Make a table out of acacia wood, thirty-six inches 
       long, eighteen inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high.

       (Exo 25:24 NCV)  Cover it with pure gold, and put a gold strip around 
       it.

       (Exo 25:25 NCV)  Make a frame three inches high that stands up all 
       around the edge, and put a gold strip around it.

       (Exo 25:26 NCV)  Then make four gold rings. Attach them to the four 
       corners of the table where the four legs are.

       (Exo 25:27 NCV)  Put the rings close to the frame around the top of 
       the table, because they will hold the poles for carrying it.

       (Exo 25:28 NCV)  Make the poles out of acacia wood, cover them with 
       gold, and carry the table with these poles.





       (Exo 25:29 NCV)  Make the plates and bowls for the table, as well as 
       the jars and cups, out of pure gold. They will be used for pouring out 
       the drink offerings.

       (Exo 25:30 NCV)  On this table put the bread that shows you are in my 
       presence so that it is always there in front of me.

       (Exo 25:31 NCV)  "Hammer pure gold to make a lampstand. Its base, 
       stand, flower-like cups, buds, and petals must all be joined together 
       in one piece.

       (Exo 25:32 NCV)  The lampstand must have six branches going out from 
       its sides--three on one side and three on the other.

       (Exo 25:33 NCV)  Each branch must have three cups shaped like almond 
       flowers on it. Each cup must have a bud and a petal. Each of the six 
       branches going out from the lampstand must be the same.

       (Exo 25:34 NCV)  And there must be four more cups made like almond 
       flowers on the lampstand itself. These cups must also have buds and 
       petals.

       (Exo 25:35 NCV)  Put a bud under each pair of branches that goes out 
       from the lampstand. Each of the six branches going out from the 
       lampstand must be the same.

       (Exo 25:36 NCV)  The branches, buds, and lampstand must be made of one 
       piece, hammered out of pure gold.

       (Exo 25:37 NCV)  "Then make seven small oil lamps and put them on the 
       lampstand so that they give light to the area in front of it.

       (Exo 25:38 NCV)  The wick trimmers and trays must be made of pure 
       gold.

       (Exo 25:39 NCV)  Use seventy-five pounds of pure gold to make the 
       lampstand and everything with it.

       (Exo 25:40 NCV)  Be very careful to make them by the plan I showed you 
       on the mountain.

       (Exo 26:1 NCV)  "Make for the Holy Tent ten curtains of fine linen and 
       blue, purple, and red thread. Have a skilled craftsman sew designs of 
       creatures with wings on the pieces of cloth.

       (Exo 26:2 NCV)  Make each curtain the same size--forty-two feet long 
       and six feet wide.

       (Exo 26:3 NCV)  Sew five curtains together for one set, and sew the 
       other curtains together for the second set.

       (Exo 26:4 NCV)  Make loops of blue cloth on the edge of the end 
       curtain of one set, and do the same for the end curtain of the other 
       set.

       (Exo 26:5 NCV)  Make fifty loops on the end curtain of the first set 





       and fifty loops on the end curtain of the second set. These loops must 
       be opposite each other.

       (Exo 26:6 NCV)  And make fifty gold hooks to join the two sets of 
       curtains so that the Holy Tent is one piece.

       (Exo 26:7 NCV)  "Then make another tent that will cover the Holy Tent, 
       using eleven curtains made from goat hair.

       (Exo 26:8 NCV)  All these curtains must be the same size--forty-five 
       feet long and six feet wide.

       (Exo 26:9 NCV)  Sew five of the curtains together into one set. Then 
       sew the other six curtains together into the second set. Fold the 
       sixth curtain double over the front of the Tent.

       (Exo 26:10 NCV)  Make fifty loops down the edge of the end curtain of 
       one set, and do the same for the end curtain of the other set.

       (Exo 26:11 NCV)  Then make fifty bronze hooks and put them in the 
       loops to join the tent together so that the covering is one piece.

       (Exo 26:12 NCV)  Let the extra half piece of cloth hang over the back 
       of the Holy Tent.

       (Exo 26:13 NCV)  There will be eighteen inches hanging over the sides 
       of the Holy Tent, to protect it.

       (Exo 26:14 NCV)  Make a covering for the Holy Tent from sheepskins 
       colored red, and over that make a covering from fine leather.

       (Exo 26:15 NCV)  "Use acacia wood to make upright frames for the Holy 
       Tent.

       (Exo 26:16 NCV)  Each frame must be fifteen feet long and twenty-seven 
       inches wide,

       (Exo 26:17 NCV)  with two pegs side by side. Every frame must be made 
       the same way.

       (Exo 26:18 NCV)  Make twenty frames for the south side of the Holy 
       Tent.

       (Exo 26:19 NCV)  Each frame must have two silver bases to go under it, 
       a peg fitting into each base. You must make forty silver bases for the 
       frames.

       (Exo 26:20 NCV)  Make twenty more frames for the north side of the 
       Holy Tent

       (Exo 26:21 NCV)  and forty silver bases for them--two bases for each 
       frame.

       (Exo 26:22 NCV)  You must make six frames for the rear or west end of 
       the Holy Tent





       (Exo 26:23 NCV)  and two frames for each corner at the rear.

       (Exo 26:24 NCV)  The two frames are to be doubled at the bottom and 
       joined at the top with a metal ring. Both corner frames must be made 
       this way.

       (Exo 26:25 NCV)  So there will be a total of eight frames at the rear 
       of the Tent, and there will be sixteen silver bases--two bases under 
       each frame.

       (Exo 26:26 NCV)  "Make crossbars of acacia wood to connect the upright 
       frames of the Holy Tent. Make five crossbars to hold the frames 
       together on one side

       (Exo 26:27 NCV)  and five to hold the frames together on the other 
       side. Also make five crossbars to hold the frames together on the west 
       end, at the rear.

       (Exo 26:28 NCV)  The middle crossbar is to be set halfway up the 
       frames, and it is to run along the entire length of each side and 
       rear.

       (Exo 26:29 NCV)  Make gold rings on the sides of the frames to hold 
       the crossbars, and cover the frames and the crossbars with gold.

       (Exo 26:30 NCV)  Set up the Holy Tent by the plan shown to you on the 
       mountain.

       (Exo 26:31 NCV)  "Make a curtain of fine linen and blue, purple, and 
       red thread, and have a skilled craftsman sew designs of creatures with 
       wings on it.

       (Exo 26:32 NCV)  Hang the curtain by gold hooks on four posts of 
       acacia wood that are covered with gold, and set them in four silver 
       bases.

       (Exo 26:33 NCV)  Hang the curtain from the hooks in the roof, and put 
       the Ark of the Agreement containing the two stone tablets behind it. 
       This curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.

       (Exo 26:34 NCV)  Put the lid on the Ark of the Agreement in the Most 
       Holy Place.

       (Exo 26:35 NCV)  "Outside the curtain, put the table on the north side 
       of the Holy Tent. Put the lampstand on the south side of the Holy Tent 
       across from the table.

       (Exo 26:36 NCV)  "Then, for the entrance of the Tent, make a curtain 
       with fine linen and blue, purple, and red thread. Someone who can sew 
       well is to sew designs on it.

       (Exo 26:37 NCV)  Make five posts of acacia wood covered with gold. 
       Make gold hooks for them on which to hang the curtain, and make five 
       bronze bases for them.

       (Exo 27:1 NCV)  "Make an altar of acacia wood, four and one-half feet 





       high. It should be square--seven and one-half feet long and seven and 
       one-half feet wide.

       (Exo 27:2 NCV)  Make each of the four corners of the altar stick out 
       like a horn, in such a way that the corners with their horns are all 
       one piece. Then cover the whole altar with bronze.

       (Exo 27:3 NCV)  "Use bronze to make all the tools and dishes that will 
       be used on the altar: the pots to remove the ashes, the shovels, the 
       bowls for sprinkling blood, the meat forks, and the pans for carrying 
       the burning wood.

       (Exo 27:4 NCV)  "Make a large bronze screen to hold the burning wood, 
       and put a bronze ring at each of the four corners of it.

       (Exo 27:5 NCV)  Put the screen inside the altar, under its rim, 
       halfway up from the bottom.

       (Exo 27:6 NCV)  "Make poles of acacia wood for the altar, and cover 
       them with bronze.

       (Exo 27:7 NCV)  Put the poles through the rings on both sides of the 
       altar to carry it.

       (Exo 27:8 NCV)  Make the altar out of boards and leave the inside 
       hollow. Make it as you were shown on the mountain.

       (Exo 27:9 NCV)  "Make a wall of curtains to form a courtyard around 
       the Holy Tent. The south side should have a wall of fine linen 
       curtains one hundred fifty feet long.

       (Exo 27:10 NCV)  Hang the curtain with silver hooks and bands on 
       twenty bronze posts with twenty bronze bases.

       (Exo 27:11 NCV)  The north side must also be one hundred fifty feet 
       long. Hang its curtains on silver hooks and bands on twenty bronze 
       posts with twenty bronze bases.

       (Exo 27:12 NCV)  "The west end of the courtyard must have a wall of 
       curtains seventy-five feet long, with ten posts and ten bases on that 
       wall.

       (Exo 27:13 NCV)  The east end of the courtyard must also be 
       seventy-five feet long.

       (Exo 27:14 NCV)  On one side of the entry, there is to be a wall of 
       curtains twenty-two and one-half feet long, held up by three posts on 
       three bases.

       (Exo 27:15 NCV)  On the other side of the entry, there is also to be a 
       wall of curtains twenty-two and one-half feet long, held up by three 
       posts on three bases.

       (Exo 27:16 NCV)  "The entry to the courtyard is to be a curtain thirty 
       feet wide, made of fine linen with blue, purple, and red thread. 
       Someone who can sew well is to sew designs on it. It is to be held up 





       by four posts on four bases.

       (Exo 27:17 NCV)  All the posts around the courtyard must have silver 
       bands and hooks and bronze bases.

       (Exo 27:18 NCV)  The courtyard must be one hundred fifty feet long and 
       seventy-five feet wide, with a wall of curtains around it seven and 
       one-half feet high, made of fine linen. The bases in which the posts 
       are set must be bronze.

       (Exo 27:19 NCV)  All the things used in the Holy Tent and all the tent 
       pegs for the Holy Tent and the wall around the courtyard must be made 
       of bronze.

       (Exo 27:20 NCV)  "Command the people of Israel to bring you pure olive 
       oil, made from pressed olives, to keep the lamps on the lampstand 
       burning.

       (Exo 27:21 NCV)  Aaron and his sons must keep the lamps burning before 
       the LORD from evening till morning. This will be in the Meeting Tent, 
       outside the curtain which is in front of the Ark. The Israelites and 
       their descendants must obey this rule from now on.

       (Exo 28:1 NCV)  "Tell your brother Aaron to come to you, along with 
       his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. Separate them from the 
       other Israelites to serve me as priests.

       (Exo 28:2 NCV)  Make holy clothes for your brother Aaron to give him 
       honor and beauty.

       (Exo 28:3 NCV)  Tell all the skilled craftsmen to whom I have given 
       wisdom to make special clothes for Aaron--clothes to show that he 
       belongs to me so that he may serve me as a priest.

       (Exo 28:4 NCV)  These are the clothes they must make: a chest 
       covering, a holy vest, an outer robe, a woven inner robe, a turban, 
       and a cloth belt. The craftsmen must make these holy clothes for your 
       brother Aaron and his sons. Then they may serve me as priests.

       (Exo 28:5 NCV)  The craftsmen must use gold and blue, purple and red 
       thread, and fine linen.

       (Exo 28:6 NCV)  "Use gold and blue, purple and red thread, and fine 
       linen to make the holy vest; skilled craftsmen are to make it.

       (Exo 28:7 NCV)  At each top corner of this holy vest there will be a 
       pair of shoulder straps tied together over each shoulder.

       (Exo 28:8 NCV)  "The craftsmen will very carefully weave a belt on the 
       holy vest that is made with the same materials--gold and blue, purple 
       and red thread, and fine linen.

       (Exo 28:9 NCV)  "Take two onyx stones and write the names of the 
       twelve sons of Israel on them,

       (Exo 28:10 NCV)  six on one stone and six on the other. Write the 





       names in order, from the oldest son to the youngest.

       (Exo 28:11 NCV)  Carve the names of the sons of Israel on these stones 
       in the same way a person carves words and designs on a seal. Put gold 
       around the stones to hold them on the holy vest.

       (Exo 28:12 NCV)  Then put the two stones on the two straps of the holy 
       vest as reminders of the twelve sons of Israel. Aaron is to wear their 
       names on his shoulders in the presence of the LORD as reminders of the 
       sons of Israel.

       (Exo 28:13 NCV)  Make two gold pieces to hold the stones

       (Exo 28:14 NCV)  and two chains of pure gold, twisted together like a 
       rope. Attach the chains to the two gold pieces that hold the stones.

       (Exo 28:15 NCV)  "Make a chest covering to help in making decisions. 
       The craftsmen should make it as they made the holy vest, using gold 
       and blue, purple and red thread, and fine linen.

       (Exo 28:16 NCV)  The chest covering must be square--nine inches long 
       and nine inches wide--and folded double to make a pocket.

       (Exo 28:17 NCV)  Put four rows of beautiful gems on the chest 
       covering: The first row must have a ruby, topaz, and yellow quartz;

       (Exo 28:18 NCV)  the second must have turquoise, a sapphire, and an 
       emerald;

       (Exo 28:19 NCV)  the third must have a jacinth, an agate, and an 
       amethyst;

       (Exo 28:20 NCV)  the fourth must have a chrysolite, an onyx, and a 
       jasper. Put gold around these jewels to attach them to the chest 
       covering.

       (Exo 28:21 NCV)  There must be twelve jewels on the chest 
       covering--one jewel for each of the names of the sons of Israel. Carve 
       the name of one of the twelve tribes on each of the stones as you 
       would carve a seal.

       (Exo 28:22 NCV)  "Make chains of pure gold, twisted together like 
       rope, for the chest covering.

       (Exo 28:23 NCV)  Make two gold rings and put them on the two upper 
       corners of the chest covering.

       (Exo 28:24 NCV)  Attach the two gold chains to the two rings at the 
       upper corners of the chest covering.

       (Exo 28:25 NCV)  Attach the other ends of the two chains to the two 
       gold pieces on the shoulder straps in the front of the holy vest.

       (Exo 28:26 NCV)  "Make two gold rings and put them at the two lower 
       corners of the chest covering, on the inside edge next to the holy 
       vest.






       (Exo 28:27 NCV)  Make two more gold rings and attach them to the 
       bottom of the shoulder straps in the front of the holy vest. Put them 
       close to the seam above the woven belt of the holy vest.

       (Exo 28:28 NCV)  Join the rings of the chest covering to the rings of 
       the holy vest with blue ribbon, connecting it to the woven belt so the 
       chest covering will not swing out from the holy vest.

       (Exo 28:29 NCV)  "When Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will wear the 
       names of the sons of Israel over his heart, on the chest covering that 
       helps in making decisions. This will be a continual reminder before 
       the LORD.

       (Exo 28:30 NCV)  And put the Urim and Thummim inside the chest 
       covering so that they will be on Aaron's heart when he goes before the 
       LORD. They will help in making decisions for the Israelites. So Aaron 
       will always carry them with him when he is before the LORD.

       (Exo 28:31 NCV)  "Make the outer robe to be worn under the holy vest, 
       using only blue cloth.

       (Exo 28:32 NCV)  Make a hole in the center for Aaron's head, with a 
       woven collar around the hole so it will not tear.

       (Exo 28:33 NCV)  Make balls like pomegranates of blue, purple, and red 
       thread, and hang them around the bottom of the outer robe with gold 
       bells between them.

       (Exo 28:34 NCV)  All around the bottom of the outer robe there should 
       be a gold bell and a pomegranate ball, a gold bell and a pomegranate 
       ball.

       (Exo 28:35 NCV)  Aaron must wear this robe when he serves as priest. 
       The ringing of the bells will be heard when he enters and leaves the 
       Holy Place before the LORD so that Aaron will not die.

       (Exo 28:36 NCV)  "Make a strip of pure gold and carve these words on 
       it as you would carve a seal: 'Holy to the LORD.'

       (Exo 28:37 NCV)  Use blue ribbon to tie it to the turban; put it on 
       the front of the turban.

       (Exo 28:38 NCV)  Aaron must wear this on his forehead. In this way, he 
       will be blamed if anything is wrong with the gifts of the Israelites. 
       Aaron must always wear this on his head so the LORD will accept the 
       gifts of the people.

       (Exo 28:39 NCV)  "Make the woven inner robe of fine linen, and make 
       the turban of fine linen also. Make the cloth belt with designs sewn 
       on it.

       (Exo 28:40 NCV)  Also make woven inner robes, cloth belts, and 
       headbands for Aaron's sons, to give them honor and beauty.

       (Exo 28:41 NCV)  Put these clothes on your brother Aaron and his sons, 





       and pour olive oil on their heads to appoint them as priests. Make 
       them belong to me so they may serve me as priests.

       (Exo 28:42 NCV)  "Make for them linen underclothes to cover them from 
       the waist to the upper parts of the legs.

       (Exo 28:43 NCV)  Aaron and his sons must wear these underclothes when 
       they enter the Meeting Tent and anytime they come near the altar to 
       serve as priests in the Holy Place. If they do not wear these clothes, 
       they will be guilty of wrong, and they will die. This will be a law 
       that will last from now on for Aaron and all his descendants.

       (Exo 29:1 NCV)  "This is what you must do to appoint Aaron and his 
       sons to serve me as priests. Take one young bull and two male sheep 
       that have nothing wrong with them.

       (Exo 29:2 NCV)  Use fine wheat flour without yeast to make bread, 
       cakes mixed with olive oil, and wafers brushed with olive oil.

       (Exo 29:3 NCV)  Put these in one basket, and bring them along with the 
       bull and two male sheep.

       (Exo 29:4 NCV)  Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the 
       Meeting Tent and wash them with water.

       (Exo 29:5 NCV)  Take the clothes and dress Aaron in the inner robe and 
       the outer robe of the holy vest. Then put on him the holy vest and the 
       chest covering, and tie the holy vest on him with its skillfully woven 
       belt.

       (Exo 29:6 NCV)  Put the turban on his head, and put the holy crown on 
       the turban.

       (Exo 29:7 NCV)  Take the special olive oil and pour it on his head to 
       make him a priest.

       (Exo 29:8 NCV)  "Then bring his sons and put the inner robes on them.

       (Exo 29:9 NCV)  Put the headbands on their heads, and tie cloth belts 
       around their waists. Aaron and his descendants will be priests in 
       Israel, according to a rule that will continue from now on. This is 
       how you will appoint Aaron and his sons as priests.

       (Exo 29:10 NCV)  "Bring the bull to the front of the Meeting Tent, and 
       Aaron and his sons must put their hands on the bull's head.

       (Exo 29:11 NCV)  Then kill the bull before the LORD at the entrance to 
       the Meeting Tent.

       (Exo 29:12 NCV)  Use your finger to put some of the bull's blood on 
       the corners of the altar, and then pour the blood that is left at the 
       bottom of the altar.

       (Exo 29:13 NCV)  Take all the fat that covers the inner organs, as 
       well as the best part of the liver, both kidneys, and the fat around 
       them, and burn them on the altar.






       (Exo 29:14 NCV)  Take the bull's meat, skin, and intestines, and burn 
       them outside the camp. This is an offering to take away sin.

       (Exo 29:15 NCV)  "Take one of the male sheep, and have Aaron and his 
       sons put their hands on its head.

       (Exo 29:16 NCV)  Kill it, and take its blood and sprinkle it on all 
       four sides of the altar.

       (Exo 29:17 NCV)  Then cut it into pieces and wash its inner organs and 
       its legs, putting them with its head and its other pieces.

       (Exo 29:18 NCV)  Burn the whole sheep on the altar; it is a burnt 
       offering made by fire to the LORD. Its smell is pleasing to the LORD.

       (Exo 29:19 NCV)  "Take the other male sheep, and have Aaron and his 
       sons put their hands on its head.

       (Exo 29:20 NCV)  Kill it and take some of its blood. Put the blood on 
       the bottom of the right ears of Aaron and his sons and on the thumbs 
       of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. Then 
       sprinkle the rest of the blood against all four sides of the altar.

       (Exo 29:21 NCV)  Take some of the blood from the altar, and mix it 
       with the special oil used in appointing priests. Sprinkle this on 
       Aaron and his clothes and on his sons and their clothes. This will 
       show that Aaron and his sons and their clothes are given to my 
       service.

       (Exo 29:22 NCV)  "Then take the fat from the male sheep, the fat tail, 
       and the fat that covers the inner organs. In addition, take the best 
       part of the liver, both kidneys, and the fat around them, and the 
       right thigh. (This is the male sheep to be used in appointing 
       priests.)

       (Exo 29:23 NCV)  "Then take the basket of bread that you made without 
       yeast, which you put before the LORD. From it take a loaf of bread, a 
       cake made with olive oil, and a wafer.

       (Exo 29:24 NCV)  Put all of these in the hands of Aaron and his sons, 
       and tell them to present them as an offering to the LORD.

       (Exo 29:25 NCV)  Then take them from their hands and burn them on the 
       altar with the whole burnt offering. This is an offering made by fire 
       to the LORD; its smell is pleasing to the LORD.

       (Exo 29:26 NCV)  Then take the breast of the male sheep used to 
       appoint Aaron as priest, and present it before the LORD as an 
       offering. This part of the animal will be your share.

       (Exo 29:27 NCV)  Set aside the breast and the thigh of the sheep that 
       were used to appoint Aaron and his sons as priests. These parts belong 
       to them.

       (Exo 29:28 NCV)  They are to be the regular share which the Israelites 





       will always give to Aaron and his sons. It is the gift the Israelites 
       must give to the LORD from their fellowship offerings.

       (Exo 29:29 NCV)  "The holy clothes made for Aaron will belong to his 
       descendants so that they can wear these clothes when they are 
       appointed as priests.

       (Exo 29:30 NCV)  Aaron's son, who will become high priest after Aaron, 
       will come to the Meeting Tent to serve in the Holy Place. He is to 
       wear these clothes for seven days.

       (Exo 29:31 NCV)  "Take the male sheep used to appoint priests and boil 
       its meat in a place that is holy.

       (Exo 29:32 NCV)  Then at the entrance of the Meeting Tent, Aaron and 
       his sons must eat the meat of the sheep and the bread that is in the 
       basket.

       (Exo 29:33 NCV)  They should eat these offerings that were used to 
       remove their sins and to make them holy when they were made priests. 
       But no one else is to eat them, because they are holy things.

       (Exo 29:34 NCV)  If any of the meat from that sheep or any of the 
       bread is left the next morning, it must be burned. It must not be 
       eaten, because it is holy.

       (Exo 29:35 NCV)  "Do all these things that I commanded you to do to 
       Aaron and his sons, and spend seven days appointing them.

       (Exo 29:36 NCV)  Each day you are to offer a bull to remove the sins 
       of Aaron and his sons so they will be given for service to the LORD. 
       Make the altar ready for service to the LORD, and pour oil on it to 
       make it holy.

       (Exo 29:37 NCV)  Spend seven days making the altar ready for service 
       to God and making it holy. Then the altar will become very holy, and 
       anything that touches it must be holy.

       (Exo 29:38 NCV)  "Every day from now on, offer on the altar two lambs 
       that are one year old.

       (Exo 29:39 NCV)  Offer one lamb in the morning and the other in the 
       evening before dark.

       (Exo 29:40 NCV)  In the morning, when you offer the first lamb, offer 
       also two quarts of fine flour mixed with one quart of oil from pressed 
       olives. Pour out a quart of wine as a drink offering.

       (Exo 29:41 NCV)  Offer the second lamb in the evening with the same 
       grain offering and drink offering as you did in the morning. This is 
       an offering made by fire to the LORD, and its smell is pleasing to 
       him.

       (Exo 29:42 NCV)  "You must burn these things as an offering to the 
       LORD every day, from now on, at the entrance of the Meeting Tent 
       before the LORD. When you make the offering, I, the LORD, will meet 





       you there and speak to you.

       (Exo 29:43 NCV)  I will meet with the people of Israel there, and that 
       place will be holy because of my glory.

       (Exo 29:44 NCV)  "So I will make the Meeting Tent and the altar holy; 
       I will also make Aaron and his sons holy so they may serve me as 
       priests.

       (Exo 29:45 NCV)  I will live with the people of Israel and be their 
       God.

       (Exo 29:46 NCV)  And they will know that I am the LORD their God who 
       led them out of Egypt so that I could live with them. I am the LORD 
       their God.

       (Exo 30:1 NCV)  "Make an altar out of acacia wood for burning incense.

       (Exo 30:2 NCV)  Make it square--eighteen inches long and eighteen 
       inches wide--and make it thirty-six inches high. The corners that 
       stick out like horns must be one piece with the altar.

       (Exo 30:3 NCV)  Cover its top, its sides, and its corners with pure 
       gold, and put a gold strip all around the altar.

       (Exo 30:4 NCV)  Make two gold rings beneath the gold strip on opposite 
       sides of the altar, and slide poles through them to carry the altar.

       (Exo 30:5 NCV)  Make the poles from acacia wood and cover them with 
       gold.

       (Exo 30:6 NCV)  Put the altar of incense in front of the curtain that 
       is near the Ark of the Agreement, in front of the lid that covers that 
       Ark. There I will meet with you.

       (Exo 30:7 NCV)  "Aaron must burn sweet-smelling incense on the altar 
       every morning when he comes to take care of the oil lamps.

       (Exo 30:8 NCV)  He must burn incense again in the evening when he 
       lights the lamps, so incense will burn before the LORD every day from 
       now on.

       (Exo 30:9 NCV)  Do not use this altar for offering any other incense, 
       or burnt offering, or any kind of grain offering, or drink offering.

       (Exo 30:10 NCV)  Once a year Aaron must make the altar ready for 
       service to God by putting blood on its corners--the blood of the 
       animal offered to remove sins. He is to do this once a year from now 
       on. This altar belongs completely to the Lord's service."

       (Exo 30:11 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Exo 30:12 NCV)  "When you count the people of Israel, every person 
       must buy back his life from the LORD so that no terrible things will 
       happen to the people when you number them.





       (Exo 30:13 NCV)  Every person who is counted must pay one-fifth of an 
       ounce of silver. (This is set by using one-half of the Holy Place 
       measure, which weighs two-fifths of an ounce.) This amount is a gift 
       to the LORD.

       (Exo 30:14 NCV)  Every person who is counted and is twenty years old 
       or older must give this amount to the LORD.

       (Exo 30:15 NCV)  A rich person must not give more than one-fifth of an 
       ounce, and a poor person must not give less. You are paying this to 
       the LORD to buy back your lives.

       (Exo 30:16 NCV)  Gather from the people of Israel this money paid to 
       buy back their lives, and spend it on things for the service in the 
       Meeting Tent. This payment will remind the LORD that the Israelites' 
       lives have been bought back."

       (Exo 30:17 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Exo 30:18 NCV)  "Make a bronze bowl, on a bronze stand, for washing. 
       Put the bowl and stand between the Meeting Tent and the altar, and put 
       water in the bowl.

       (Exo 30:19 NCV)  Aaron and his sons must wash their hands and feet 
       with the water from this bowl.

       (Exo 30:20 NCV)  Each time they enter the Meeting Tent they must wash 
       with water so they will not die. Whenever they approach the altar to 
       serve as priests and offer a sacrifice to the LORD by fire,

       (Exo 30:21 NCV)  they must wash their hands and their feet so they 
       will not die. This is a rule which Aaron and his descendants are to 
       keep from now on."

       (Exo 30:22 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Moses,

       (Exo 30:23 NCV)  "Take the finest spices: twelve pounds of liquid 
       myrrh, half that amount (that is, six pounds) of sweet-smelling 
       cinnamon, six pounds of sweet-smelling cane,

       (Exo 30:24 NCV)  and twelve pounds of cassia. Weigh all these by the 
       Holy Place measure. Also take four quarts of olive oil,

       (Exo 30:25 NCV)  and mix all these things like a perfume to make a 
       holy olive oil. This special oil must be put on people and things to 
       make them ready for service to God.

       (Exo 30:26 NCV)  Put this oil on the Meeting Tent and the Ark of the 
       Agreement,

       (Exo 30:27 NCV)  on the table and all its dishes, on the lampstand and 
       all its tools, and on the incense altar.

       (Exo 30:28 NCV)  Also, put the oil on the altar for burnt offerings 
       and on all its tools, as well as on the bowl and the stand under the 
       bowl.






       (Exo 30:29 NCV)  You will prepare all these things for service to God, 
       and they will be very holy. Anything that touches these things must be 
       holy.

       (Exo 30:30 NCV)  "Put the oil on Aaron and his sons to give them for 
       service to me, that they may serve me as priests.

       (Exo 30:31 NCV)  Tell the Israelites, 'This is to be my holy olive oil 
       from now on. It is to be put on people and things to make them ready 
       for service to God.

       (Exo 30:32 NCV)  Do not pour it on the bodies of ordinary people, and 
       do not make perfume the same way you make this oil. It is holy, and 
       you must treat it as holy.

       (Exo 30:33 NCV)  If anyone makes perfume like it or puts it on someone 
       who is not a priest, that person must be cut off from his people.'"

       (Exo 30:34 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Moses, "Take these 
       sweet-smelling spices: resin, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense. 
       Be sure that you have equal amounts of each.

       (Exo 30:35 NCV)  Make incense as a person who makes perfume would do. 
       Add salt to it to keep it pure and holy.

       (Exo 30:36 NCV)  Beat some of the incense into a fine powder, and put 
       it in front of the Ark of the Agreement in the Meeting Tent, where I 
       will meet with you. You must use this incense powder only for its very 
       special purpose.

       (Exo 30:37 NCV)  Do not make incense for yourselves the same way you 
       make this incense. Treat it as holy to the LORD.

       (Exo 30:38 NCV)  Whoever makes incense like this to use as perfume 
       must be cut off from his people."

       (Exo 31:1 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Moses,

       (Exo 31:2 NCV)  "See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri from the tribe 
       of Judah. (Uri was the son of Hur.)

       (Exo 31:3 NCV)  I have filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God and have 
       given him the skill, ability, and knowledge to do all kinds of work.

       (Exo 31:4 NCV)  He is able to design pieces to be made from gold, 
       silver, and bronze,

       (Exo 31:5 NCV)  to cut jewels and put them in metal, to carve wood, 
       and to do all kinds of work.

       (Exo 31:6 NCV)  I have also chosen Oholiab son of Ahisamach from the 
       tribe of Dan to work with Bezalel. I have given skills to all the 
       craftsmen, and they will be able to make all these things I have 
       commanded you:





       (Exo 31:7 NCV)  the Meeting Tent, the Ark of the Agreement, the lid 
       that covers the Ark, and everything in the Tent.

       (Exo 31:8 NCV)  This includes the table and everything on it, the pure 
       gold lampstand and everything with it, the altar of incense,

       (Exo 31:9 NCV)  the altar for burnt offerings and everything used with 
       it, and the bowl and the stand under it.

       (Exo 31:10 NCV)  They will make the woven clothes and the holy clothes 
       for Aaron and the clothes for his sons to wear when they serve as 
       priests.

       (Exo 31:11 NCV)  They will also make the special olive oil used in 
       appointing people and things to the service of the LORD, and the 
       sweet-smelling incense for the Holy Place. "These workers will make 
       all these things just as I have commanded you."

       (Exo 31:12 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Moses,

       (Exo 31:13 NCV)  "Tell the Israelites, 'You must keep the rules about 
       my Sabbaths, because they will be a sign between you and me from now 
       on. In this way you will know that I, the LORD, make you holy.

       (Exo 31:14 NCV)  "'Make the Sabbath a holy day. If anyone treats the 
       Sabbath like any other day, that person must be put to death; anyone 
       who works on the Sabbath day must be cut off from his people.

       (Exo 31:15 NCV)  There are six days for working, but the seventh day 
       is a day of rest, a day holy for the LORD. Anyone who works during the 
       Sabbath day must be put to death.

       (Exo 31:16 NCV)  The Israelites must remember the Sabbath day as an 
       agreement between them and me that will continue from now on.

       (Exo 31:17 NCV)  The Sabbath day will be a sign between me and the 
       Israelites forever, because in six days I, the LORD, made the sky and 
       the earth. On the seventh day I did not work; I rested.'"

       (Exo 31:18 NCV)  When the LORD finished speaking to Moses on Mount 
       Sinai, he gave him the two stone tablets with the Agreement written on 
       them, written by the finger of God.

       (Exo 32:1 NCV)  The people saw that a long time had passed and Moses 
       had not come down from the mountain. So they gathered around Aaron and 
       said, "Moses led us out of Egypt, but we don't know what has happened 
       to him. Make us gods who will lead us."

       (Exo 32:2 NCV)  Aaron said to the people, "Take off the gold earrings 
       that your wives, sons, and daughters are wearing, and bring them to 
       me."

       (Exo 32:3 NCV)  So all the people took their gold earrings and brought 
       them to Aaron.

       (Exo 32:4 NCV)  He took the gold from the people and formed it with a 





       tool and made a statue of a calf. Then the people said, "Israel, these 
       are your gods who brought you out of the land of Egypt!"

       (Exo 32:5 NCV)  When Aaron saw all this, he built an altar before the 
       calf and announced, "Tomorrow there will be a special feast to honor 
       the LORD."

       (Exo 32:6 NCV)  The people got up early the next morning and offered 
       whole burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. They sat down to eat 
       and drink, and then they got up and sinned sexually.

       (Exo 32:7 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go down from this 
       mountain, because your people, the people you brought out of the land 
       of Egypt, have ruined themselves.

       (Exo 32:8 NCV)  They have quickly turned away from the things I 
       commanded them to do. They have made for themselves a calf covered 
       with gold, and they have worshiped it and offered sacrifices to it. 
       They have said, 'Israel, these are your gods who brought you out of 
       Egypt.'"

       (Exo 32:9 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses, "I have seen these people, and 
       I know that they are very stubborn.

       (Exo 32:10 NCV)  So now do not stop me. I am so angry with them that I 
       am going to destroy them. Then I will make you and your descendants a 
       great nation."

       (Exo 32:11 NCV)  But Moses begged the LORD his God and said, "LORD, 
       don't let your anger destroy your people, whom you brought out of 
       Egypt with your great power and strength.

       (Exo 32:12 NCV)  Don't let the people of Egypt say, 'The LORD brought 
       the Israelites out of Egypt for an evil purpose. He planned to kill 
       them in the mountains and destroy them from the earth.' So stop being 
       angry, and don't destroy your people.

       (Exo 32:13 NCV)  Remember the men who served you--Abraham, Isaac, and 
       Israel. You promised with an oath to them and said, 'I will make your 
       descendants as many as the stars in the sky. I will give your 
       descendants all this land that I have promised them, and it will be 
       theirs forever.'"

       (Exo 32:14 NCV)  So the LORD changed his mind and did not destroy the 
       people as he had said he might.

       (Exo 32:15 NCV)  Then Moses went down the mountain, and in his hands 
       he had the two stone tablets with the Agreement on them. The commands 
       were written on both sides of each stone, front and back.

       (Exo 32:16 NCV)  God himself had made the tablets, and God himself had 
       written the commands on the tablets.

       (Exo 32:17 NCV)  When Joshua heard the sound of the people shouting, 
       he said to Moses, "It sounds like war down in the camp."





       (Exo 32:18 NCV)  Moses answered: "It is not a shout of victory; it is 
       not a cry of defeat. It is the sound of singing that I hear."

       (Exo 32:19 NCV)  When Moses came close to the camp, he saw the gold 
       calf and the dancing, and he became very angry. He threw down the 
       stone tablets that he was carrying and broke them at the bottom of the 
       mountain.

       (Exo 32:20 NCV)  Then he took the calf that the people had made and 
       melted it in the fire. He ground it into powder. Then he threw the 
       powder into the water and forced the Israelites to drink it.

       (Exo 32:21 NCV)  Moses said to Aaron, "What did these people do to 
       you? Why did you cause them to do such a terrible sin?"

       (Exo 32:22 NCV)  Aaron answered, "Don't be angry, master. You know 
       that these people are always ready to do wrong.

       (Exo 32:23 NCV)  The people said to me, 'Moses led us out of Egypt, 
       but we don't know what has happened to him. Make us gods who will lead 
       us.'

       (Exo 32:24 NCV)  So I told the people, 'Take off your gold jewelry.' 
       When they gave me the gold, I threw it into the fire and out came this 
       calf!"

       (Exo 32:25 NCV)  Moses saw that the people were acting wildly. Aaron 
       had let them get out of control and become fools in front of their 
       enemies.

       (Exo 32:26 NCV)  So Moses stood at the entrance to the camp and said, 
       "Let anyone who wants to follow the LORD come to me." And all the 
       people from the family of Levi gathered around Moses.

       (Exo 32:27 NCV)  Then Moses said to them, "The LORD, the God of 
       Israel, says this: 'Every man must put on his sword and go through the 
       camp from one end to the other. Each man must kill his brother, his 
       friend, and his neighbor.'"

       (Exo 32:28 NCV)  The people from the family of Levi obeyed Moses, and 
       that day about three thousand of the Israelites died.

       (Exo 32:29 NCV)  Then Moses said, "Today you have been given for 
       service to the LORD. You were willing to kill your own sons and 
       brothers, and God has blessed you for this."

       (Exo 32:30 NCV)  The next day Moses told the people, "You have done a 
       terrible sin. But now I will go up to the LORD. Maybe I can do 
       something so your sins will be removed."

       (Exo 32:31 NCV)  So Moses went back to the LORD and said, "How 
       terribly these people have sinned! They have made for themselves gods 
       from gold.

       (Exo 32:32 NCV)  Now, please forgive them of this sin. If you will 
       not, then erase my name from the book in which you have written the 





       names of your people."

       (Exo 32:33 NCV)  But the LORD told Moses, "I will erase from my book 
       the names of the people who sin against me.

       (Exo 32:34 NCV)  So now, go. Lead the people where I have told you, 
       and my angel will lead you. When the time comes to punish, I will 
       punish them for their sin."

       (Exo 32:35 NCV)  So the LORD caused terrible things to happen to the 
       people because of what they did with the calf Aaron had made.

       (Exo 33:1 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Moses, "You and the people you 
       brought out of Egypt must leave this place. Go to the land that I 
       promised with an oath to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I 
       said, 'I will give that land to your descendants.'

       (Exo 33:2 NCV)  I will send an angel to lead you, and I will force 
       these people out of the land: the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, 
       Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

       (Exo 33:3 NCV)  Go up to a fertile land. But I will not go with you, 
       because I might destroy you on the way, since you are such a stubborn 
       people."

       (Exo 33:4 NCV)  When the people heard this bad news, they became very 
       sad, and none of them put on jewelry.

       (Exo 33:5 NCV)  This was because the LORD had said to Moses, "Tell the 
       Israelites, 'You are a stubborn people. If I were to go with you even 
       for a moment, I would destroy you. So take off all your jewelry, and I 
       will decide what to do with you.'"

       (Exo 33:6 NCV)  So the people of Israel took off their jewelry at 
       Mount Sinai.

       (Exo 33:7 NCV)  Moses used to take a tent and set it up a long way 
       outside the camp; he called it the "Meeting Tent." Anyone who wanted 
       to ask the LORD about something would go to the Meeting Tent outside 
       the camp.

       (Exo 33:8 NCV)  Whenever Moses went out to the Tent, all the people 
       would rise and stand at the entrances of their tents, watching him 
       until he entered the Meeting Tent.

       (Exo 33:9 NCV)  When Moses went into the Tent, the pillar of cloud 
       would always come down and stay at the entrance of the Tent while the 
       LORD spoke with Moses.

       (Exo 33:10 NCV)  Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud at the 
       entrance of the Tent, they stood and worshiped, each person at the 
       entrance of his own tent.

       (Exo 33:11 NCV)  The LORD spoke to Moses face to face as a man speaks 
       with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but Moses' young 
       helper, Joshua son of Nun, did not leave the Tent.






       (Exo 33:12 NCV)  Moses said to the LORD, "You have told me to lead 
       these people, but you did not say whom you would send with me. You 
       have said to me, 'I know you very well, and I am pleased with you.'

       (Exo 33:13 NCV)  If I have truly pleased you, show me your plans so 
       that I may know you and continue to please you. Remember that this 
       nation is your people."

       (Exo 33:14 NCV)  The LORD answered, "I myself will go with you, and I 
       will give you victory."

       (Exo 33:15 NCV)  Then Moses said to him, "If you yourself don't go 
       with us, then don't send us away from this place.

       (Exo 33:16 NCV)  If you don't go with us, no one will know that you 
       are pleased with me and with your people. These people and I will be 
       no different from any other people on earth."

       (Exo 33:17 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will do what you ask, 
       because I know you very well, and I am pleased with you."

       (Exo 33:18 NCV)  Then Moses said, "Now, please show me your glory."

       (Exo 33:19 NCV)  The LORD answered, "I will cause all my goodness to 
       pass in front of you, and I will announce my name, the LORD, so you 
       can hear it. I will show kindness to anyone to whom I want to show 
       kindness, and I will show mercy to anyone to whom I want to show 
       mercy.

       (Exo 33:20 NCV)  But you cannot see my face, because no one can see me 
       and live.

       (Exo 33:21 NCV)  "There is a place near me where you may stand on a 
       rock.

       (Exo 33:22 NCV)  When my glory passes that place, I will put you in a 
       large crack in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed 
       by.

       (Exo 33:23 NCV)  Then I will take away my hand, and you will see my 
       back. But my face must not be seen."

       (Exo 34:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses, "Cut two more stone tablets 
       like the first two, and I will write the same words on them that were 
       on the first two stones which you broke.

       (Exo 34:2 NCV)  Be ready tomorrow morning, and then come up on Mount 
       Sinai. Stand before me there on the top of the mountain.

       (Exo 34:3 NCV)  No one may come with you or even be seen any place on 
       the mountain. Not even the flocks or herds may eat grass near that 
       mountain."

       (Exo 34:4 NCV)  So Moses cut two stone tablets like the first ones. 
       Then early the next morning he went up Mount Sinai, just as the LORD 





       had commanded him, carrying the two stone tablets with him.

       (Exo 34:5 NCV)  Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there 
       with Moses, and the LORD called out his name: the LORD.

       (Exo 34:6 NCV)  The LORD passed in front of Moses and said, "I am the 
       LORD. The LORD is a God who shows mercy, who is kind, who doesn't 
       become angry quickly, who has great love and faithfulness

       (Exo 34:7 NCV)  and is kind to thousands of people. The LORD forgives 
       people for evil, for sin, and for turning against him, but he does not 
       forget to punish guilty people. He will punish not only the guilty 
       people, but also their children, their grandchildren, their 
       great-grandchildren, and their great-great-grandchildren."

       (Exo 34:8 NCV)  Then Moses quickly bowed to the ground and worshiped.

       (Exo 34:9 NCV)  He said, "Lord, if you are pleased with me, please go 
       with us. I know that these are stubborn people, but forgive our evil 
       and our sin. Take us as your own people."

       (Exo 34:10 NCV)  Then the LORD said, "I am making this agreement with 
       you. I will do miracles in front of all your people--things that have 
       never before been done for any other nation on earth--and the people 
       with you will see my work. I, the LORD, will do wonderful things for 
       you.

       (Exo 34:11 NCV)  Obey the things I command you today, and I will force 
       out the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and 
       Jebusites ahead of you.

       (Exo 34:12 NCV)  Be careful that you don't make an agreement with the 
       people who live in the land where you are going, because it will bring 
       you trouble.

       (Exo 34:13 NCV)  Destroy their altars, break their stone pillars, and 
       cut down their Asherah idols.

       (Exo 34:14 NCV)  Don't worship any other god, because I, the LORD, the 
       Jealous One, am a jealous God.

       (Exo 34:15 NCV)  "Be careful that you don't make an agreement with the 
       people who live in that land. When they worship their gods, they will 
       invite you to join them. Then you will eat their sacrifices.

       (Exo 34:16 NCV)  If you choose some of their daughters as wives for 
       your sons and those daughters worship gods, they will lead your sons 
       to do the same thing.

       (Exo 34:17 NCV)  "Do not make gods of melted metal.

       (Exo 34:18 NCV)  "Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven 
       days you must eat bread made without yeast as I commanded you. Do this 
       during the month I have chosen, the month of Abib, because in that 
       month you came out of Egypt.





       (Exo 34:19 NCV)  "The firstborn of every mother belongs to me, 
       including every firstborn male animal that is born in your flocks and 
       herds.

       (Exo 34:20 NCV)  You may buy back a donkey by paying for it with a 
       lamb, but if you don't want to buy back a donkey, you must break its 
       neck. You must buy back all your firstborn sons. "No one is to come 
       before me without a gift.

       (Exo 34:21 NCV)  "You must work for six days, but on the seventh day 
       you must rest--even during the planting season and the harvest season.

       (Exo 34:22 NCV)  "Celebrate the Feast of Weeks when you gather the 
       first grain of the wheat harvest. And celebrate the Feast of Shelters 
       in the fall.

       (Exo 34:23 NCV)  "Three times each year all your males must come 
       before the Lord GOD, the God of Israel.

       (Exo 34:24 NCV)  I will force out nations ahead of you and expand the 
       borders of your land. You will go before the LORD your God three times 
       each year, and at that time no one will try to take your land from 
       you.

       (Exo 34:25 NCV)  "Do not offer the blood of a sacrifice to me with 
       anything containing yeast, and do not leave any of the sacrifice of 
       the Feast of Passover until the next morning.

       (Exo 34:26 NCV)  "Bring the best first crops that you harvest from 
       your ground to the Tent of the LORD your God. "You must not cook a 
       young goat in its mother's milk."

       (Exo 34:27 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write down these words, 
       because with these words I have made an agreement with you and 
       Israel."

       (Exo 34:28 NCV)  Moses stayed there with the LORD forty days and forty 
       nights, and during that time he did not eat food or drink water. And 
       Moses wrote the words of the Agreement--the Ten Commandments--on the 
       stone tablets.

       (Exo 34:29 NCV)  Then Moses came down from Mount Sinai, carrying the 
       two stone tablets of the Agreement in his hands. But he did not know 
       that his face was shining because he had talked with the LORD.

       (Exo 34:30 NCV)  When Aaron and all the people of Israel saw that 
       Moses' face was shining, they were afraid to go near him.

       (Exo 34:31 NCV)  But Moses called to them, so Aaron and all the 
       leaders of the people returned to Moses, and he talked with them.

       (Exo 34:32 NCV)  After that, all the people of Israel came near him, 
       and he gave them all the commands that the LORD had given him on Mount 
       Sinai.

       (Exo 34:33 NCV)  When Moses finished speaking to the people, he put a 





       covering over his face.

       (Exo 34:34 NCV)  Anytime Moses went before the LORD to speak with him, 
       Moses took off the covering until he came out. Then Moses would come 
       out and tell the Israelites what the LORD had commanded.

       (Exo 34:35 NCV)  They would see that Moses' face was shining. So he 
       would cover his face again until the next time he went in to speak 
       with the LORD.

       (Exo 35:1 NCV)  Moses gathered all the Israelite community together 
       and said to them, "These are the things the LORD has commanded you to 
       do.

       (Exo 35:2 NCV)  You are to work for six days, but the seventh day will 
       be a holy day, a Sabbath of rest to honor the LORD. Anyone who works 
       on that day must be put to death.

       (Exo 35:3 NCV)  On the Sabbath day you must not light a fire in any of 
       your houses."

       (Exo 35:4 NCV)  Moses said to all the Israelites, "This is what the 
       LORD has commanded:

       (Exo 35:5 NCV)  From what you have, take an offering for the LORD. Let 
       everyone who is willing bring this offering to the LORD: gold, silver, 
       bronze,

       (Exo 35:6 NCV)  blue, purple and red thread, and fine linen, goat hair

       (Exo 35:7 NCV)  and male sheepskins that are colored red. They may 
       also bring fine leather, acacia wood,

       (Exo 35:8 NCV)  olive oil for the lamps, spices for the special olive 
       oil used for appointing priests and for the sweet-smelling incense,

       (Exo 35:9 NCV)  onyx stones, and other jewels to be put on the holy 
       vest and chest covering of the priests.

       (Exo 35:10 NCV)  "Let all the skilled workers come and make everything 
       the LORD commanded:

       (Exo 35:11 NCV)  the Holy Tent, its outer tent and its covering, the 
       hooks, frames, crossbars, posts, and bases;

       (Exo 35:12 NCV)  the Ark of the Agreement, its poles, lid, and the 
       curtain in front of it;

       (Exo 35:13 NCV)  the table, and its poles, all the things that go with 
       the table, and the bread that shows we are in God's presence;

       (Exo 35:14 NCV)  the lampstand for the light and all the things that 
       go with it, the lamps, and olive oil for the light;

       (Exo 35:15 NCV)  the altar of incense and its poles, the special oil 
       and the sweet-smelling incense, the curtain for the entrance of the 





       Meeting Tent;

       (Exo 35:16 NCV)  the altar of burnt offering and its bronze screen, 
       its poles and all its tools, the bronze bowl and its base;

       (Exo 35:17 NCV)  the curtains around the courtyard, their posts and 
       bases, and the curtain at the entry to the courtyard;

       (Exo 35:18 NCV)  the pegs of the Holy Tent and of the courtyard and 
       their ropes;

       (Exo 35:19 NCV)  the special clothes that the priest will wear in the 
       Holy Place. These are the holy clothes for Aaron the priest and his 
       sons to wear when they serve as priests."

       (Exo 35:20 NCV)  Then all the people of Israel went away from Moses.

       (Exo 35:21 NCV)  Everyone who wanted to give came and brought a gift 
       to the LORD for making the Meeting Tent, all the things in the Tent, 
       and the special clothes.

       (Exo 35:22 NCV)  All the men and women who wanted to give brought gold 
       jewelry of all kinds--pins, earrings, rings, and bracelets. They all 
       presented their gold to the LORD.

       (Exo 35:23 NCV)  Everyone who had blue, purple, and red thread, and 
       fine linen, and anyone who had goat hair or male sheepskins colored 
       red or fine leather brought them to the LORD.

       (Exo 35:24 NCV)  Everyone who could give silver or bronze brought that 
       as a gift to the LORD, and everyone who had acacia wood to be used in 
       the work brought it.

       (Exo 35:25 NCV)  Every skilled woman used her hands to make the blue, 
       purple, and red thread, and fine linen, and they brought what they had 
       made.

       (Exo 35:26 NCV)  All the women who were skilled and wanted to help 
       made thread of the goat hair.

       (Exo 35:27 NCV)  The leaders brought onyx stones and other jewels to 
       put on the holy vest and chest covering for the priest.

       (Exo 35:28 NCV)  They also brought spices and olive oil for the 
       sweet-smelling incense, the special oil, and the oil to burn in the 
       lamps.

       (Exo 35:29 NCV)  All the men and women of Israel who wanted to help 
       brought gifts to the LORD for all the work the LORD had commanded 
       Moses and the people to do.

       (Exo 35:30 NCV)  Then Moses said to the Israelites, "Look, the LORD 
       has chosen Bezalel son of Uri the son of Hur, from the tribe of Judah.

       (Exo 35:31 NCV)  The LORD has filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God 
       and has given him the skill, ability, and knowledge to do all kinds of 





       work.

       (Exo 35:32 NCV)  He is able to design pieces to be made of gold, 
       silver, and bronze,

       (Exo 35:33 NCV)  to cut stones and jewels and put them in metal, to 
       carve wood, and to do all kinds of work.

       (Exo 35:34 NCV)  Also, the LORD has given Bezalel and Oholiab, the son 
       of Ahisamach from the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others.

       (Exo 35:35 NCV)  The LORD has given them the skill to do all kinds of 
       work. They are able to cut designs in metal and stone. They can plan 
       and sew designs in the fine linen with the blue, purple, and red 
       thread. And they are also able to weave things.

       (Exo 36:1 NCV)  So Bezalel, Oholiab, and every skilled person will do 
       the work the LORD has commanded, because he gave them the wisdom and 
       understanding to do all the skilled work needed to build the Holy 
       Tent."

       (Exo 36:2 NCV)  Then Moses called Bezalel, Oholiab, and all the other 
       skilled people to whom the LORD had given skills, and they came 
       because they wanted to help with the work.

       (Exo 36:3 NCV)  They received from Moses everything the people of 
       Israel had brought as gifts to build the Holy Tent. The people 
       continued to bring gifts each morning because they wanted to.

       (Exo 36:4 NCV)  So all the skilled workers left the work they were 
       doing on the Holy Tent,

       (Exo 36:5 NCV)  and they said to Moses, "The people are bringing more 
       than we need to do the work the LORD commanded."

       (Exo 36:6 NCV)  Then Moses sent this command throughout the camp: "No 
       man or woman should make anything else as a gift for the Holy Tent." 
       So the people were kept from giving more,

       (Exo 36:7 NCV)  because what they had was already more than enough to 
       do all the work.

       (Exo 36:8 NCV)  Then the skilled workers made the Holy Tent. They made 
       the ten curtains of blue, purple, and red cloth, and they sewed 
       designs of creatures with wings on the curtains.

       (Exo 36:9 NCV)  Each curtain was the same size--forty-two feet long 
       and six feet wide.

       (Exo 36:10 NCV)  Five of the curtains were fastened together to make 
       one set, and the other five were fastened together to make another 
       set.

       (Exo 36:11 NCV)  Then they made loops of blue cloth along the edge of 
       the end curtain on the first set of five, and they did the same thing 
       with the other set of five.






       (Exo 36:12 NCV)  There were fifty loops on one curtain and fifty loops 
       on the other curtain, with the loops opposite each other.

       (Exo 36:13 NCV)  They made fifty gold hooks to join the two curtains 
       together so that the Holy Tent was joined together as one piece.

       (Exo 36:14 NCV)  Then the workers made another tent of eleven curtains 
       made of goat hair, to put over the Holy Tent.

       (Exo 36:15 NCV)  All eleven curtains were the same size--forty-five 
       feet long and six feet wide.

       (Exo 36:16 NCV)  The workers sewed five curtains together into one set 
       and six together into another set.

       (Exo 36:17 NCV)  They made fifty loops along the edge of the outside 
       curtain of one set and fifty loops along the edge of the outside 
       curtain of the other set.

       (Exo 36:18 NCV)  Then they made fifty bronze rings to join the two 
       sets of cloth together and make the tent one piece.

       (Exo 36:19 NCV)  They made two more coverings for the outer tent--one 
       made of male sheepskins colored red and the other made of fine 
       leather.

       (Exo 36:20 NCV)  Then they made upright frames of acacia wood for the 
       Holy Tent.

       (Exo 36:21 NCV)  Each frame was fifteen feet tall and twenty-seven 
       inches wide,

       (Exo 36:22 NCV)  and there were two pegs side by side on each one. 
       Every frame of the Holy Tent was made this same way.

       (Exo 36:23 NCV)  They made twenty frames for the south side of the 
       Tent,

       (Exo 36:24 NCV)  and they made forty silver bases that went under the 
       twenty frames. There were two bases for every frame--one for each peg 
       of each frame.

       (Exo 36:25 NCV)  They also made twenty frames for the north side of 
       the Holy Tent

       (Exo 36:26 NCV)  and forty silver bases--two to go under each frame.

       (Exo 36:27 NCV)  They made six frames for the rear or west end of the 
       Holy Tent

       (Exo 36:28 NCV)  and two frames for the corners at the rear of the 
       Holy Tent.

       (Exo 36:29 NCV)  These two frames were doubled at the bottom and 
       joined at the top with a metal ring. They did this for each of these 





       corners.

       (Exo 36:30 NCV)  So there were eight frames and sixteen silver 
       bases--two bases under each frame.

       (Exo 36:31 NCV)  Then they made crossbars of acacia wood to connect 
       the upright frames of the Holy Tent. Five crossbars held the frames 
       together on one side of the Tent,

       (Exo 36:32 NCV)  and five held the frames together on the other side. 
       Also, five crossbars held the frames together on the west end, at the 
       rear of the Tent.

       (Exo 36:33 NCV)  They made the middle crossbar run along the entire 
       length of each side and rear of the Tent. It was set halfway up the 
       frames.

       (Exo 36:34 NCV)  They made gold rings on the sides of the frames to 
       hold the crossbars, and they covered the frames and the crossbars with 
       gold.

       (Exo 36:35 NCV)  Then they made the curtain of blue, purple, and red 
       thread, and fine linen. A skilled craftsman sewed designs of creatures 
       with wings on it.

       (Exo 36:36 NCV)  They made four posts of acacia wood for it and 
       covered them with gold. Then they made gold hooks for the posts, as 
       well as four silver bases in which to set the posts.

       (Exo 36:37 NCV)  For the entrance to the Tent, they made a curtain of 
       blue, purple, and red thread, and fine linen. A person who sewed well 
       sewed designs on it.

       (Exo 36:38 NCV)  Then they made five posts and hooks for it. They 
       covered the tops of the posts and their bands with gold, and they made 
       five bronze bases for the posts.

       (Exo 37:1 NCV)  Bezalel made the Ark of acacia wood; it was forty-five 
       inches long, twenty-seven inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high.

       (Exo 37:2 NCV)  He covered it, both inside and out, with pure gold, 
       and he put a gold strip around it.

       (Exo 37:3 NCV)  He made four gold rings for it and attached them to 
       its four feet, with two rings on each side.

       (Exo 37:4 NCV)  Then he made poles of acacia wood and covered them 
       with gold.

       (Exo 37:5 NCV)  He put the poles through the rings on each side of the 
       Ark to carry it.

       (Exo 37:6 NCV)  Then he made a lid of pure gold that was forty-five 
       inches long and twenty-seven inches wide.

       (Exo 37:7 NCV)  Then Bezalel hammered gold to make two creatures with 





       wings and attached them to each end of the lid.

       (Exo 37:8 NCV)  He made one creature on one end of the lid and the 
       other creature on the other end. He attached them to the lid so that 
       it would be one piece.

       (Exo 37:9 NCV)  The creatures' wings were spread upward, covering the 
       lid, and the creatures faced each other across the lid.

       (Exo 37:10 NCV)  Then he made the table of acacia wood; it was 
       thirty-six inches long, eighteen inches wide, and twenty-seven inches 
       high.

       (Exo 37:11 NCV)  He covered it with pure gold and put a gold strip 
       around it.

       (Exo 37:12 NCV)  He made a frame three inches high that stood up all 
       around the edge, and he put a gold strip around it.

       (Exo 37:13 NCV)  Then he made four gold rings for the table and 
       attached them to the four corners of the table where the four legs 
       were.

       (Exo 37:14 NCV)  The rings were put close to the frame around the top 
       of the table, because they held the poles for carrying it.

       (Exo 37:15 NCV)  The poles for carrying the table were made of acacia 
       wood and were covered with gold.

       (Exo 37:16 NCV)  He made of pure gold all the things that were used on 
       the table: the plates, bowls, cups, and jars used for pouring the 
       drink offerings.

       (Exo 37:17 NCV)  Then he made the lampstand of pure gold, hammering 
       out its base and stand. Its flower-like cups, buds, and petals were 
       joined together in one piece with the base and stand.

       (Exo 37:18 NCV)  Six branches went out from the sides of the 
       lampstand--three on one side and three on the other.

       (Exo 37:19 NCV)  Each branch had three cups shaped like almond 
       flowers, and each cup had a bud and a petal. Each of the six branches 
       going out from the lampstand was the same.

       (Exo 37:20 NCV)  There were four more cups shaped like almond flowers 
       on the lampstand itself, each with its buds and petals.

       (Exo 37:21 NCV)  Three pairs of branches went out from the lampstand. 
       A bud was under the place where each pair was attached to the 
       lampstand. Each of the six branches going out from the lampstand was 
       the same.

       (Exo 37:22 NCV)  The buds, branches, and lampstand were all one piece 
       of pure, hammered gold.

       (Exo 37:23 NCV)  He made seven pure gold lamps for this lampstand, and 





       he made pure gold wick trimmers and trays.

       (Exo 37:24 NCV)  He used about seventy-five pounds of pure gold to 
       make the lampstand and all the things that go with it.

       (Exo 37:25 NCV)  Then he made the altar of incense out of acacia wood. 
       It was square--eighteen inches long and eighteen inches wide--and it 
       was thirty-six inches high. Each corner that stuck out like a horn was 
       joined into one piece with the altar.

       (Exo 37:26 NCV)  He covered the top and all the sides and the corners 
       with pure gold, and he put gold trim around the altar.

       (Exo 37:27 NCV)  He made two gold rings and put them below the trim on 
       opposite sides of the altar; these rings held the poles for carrying 
       it.

       (Exo 37:28 NCV)  He made the poles of acacia wood and covered them 
       with gold.

       (Exo 37:29 NCV)  Then he made the holy olive oil for appointing the 
       priests and the pure, sweet-smelling incense. He made them like a 
       person who mixes perfumes.

       (Exo 38:1 NCV)  Then he built the altar for burnt offerings out of 
       acacia wood. The altar was square--seven and one-half feet long and 
       seven and one-half feet wide--and it was four and one-half feet high.

       (Exo 38:2 NCV)  He made each corner stick out like a horn so that the 
       horns and the altar were joined together in one piece. Then he covered 
       the altar with bronze.

       (Exo 38:3 NCV)  He made all the tools of bronze to use on the altar: 
       the pots, shovels, bowls for sprinkling blood, meat forks, and pans 
       for carrying the fire.

       (Exo 38:4 NCV)  He made a large bronze screen to hold the burning wood 
       for the altar and put it inside the altar, under its rim, halfway up 
       from the bottom.

       (Exo 38:5 NCV)  He made bronze rings to hold the poles for carrying 
       the altar, and he put them at the four corners of the screen.

       (Exo 38:6 NCV)  Then he made poles of acacia wood and covered them 
       with bronze.

       (Exo 38:7 NCV)  He put the poles through the rings on both sides of 
       the altar, to carry it. He made the altar of boards and left the 
       inside hollow.

       (Exo 38:8 NCV)  He made the bronze bowl for washing, and he built it 
       on a bronze stand. He used the bronze from mirrors that belonged to 
       the women who served at the entrance to the Meeting Tent.

       (Exo 38:9 NCV)  Then he made a wall of curtains to form a courtyard 
       around the Holy Tent. On the south side the curtains were one hundred 





       fifty feet long and were made of fine linen.

       (Exo 38:10 NCV)  The curtains hung on silver hooks and bands, placed 
       on twenty bronze posts with twenty bronze bases.

       (Exo 38:11 NCV)  On the north side the wall of curtains was also one 
       hundred fifty feet long, and it hung on silver hooks and bands on 
       twenty posts with twenty bronze bases.

       (Exo 38:12 NCV)  On the west side of the courtyard, the wall of 
       curtains was seventy-five feet long. It was held up by silver hooks 
       and bands on ten posts with ten bases.

       (Exo 38:13 NCV)  The east side was also seventy-five feet long.

       (Exo 38:14 NCV)  On one side of the entry there was a wall of curtains 
       twenty-two and one-half feet long, held up by three posts and three 
       bases.

       (Exo 38:15 NCV)  On the other side of the entry there was also a wall 
       of curtains twenty-two and one-half feet long, held up by three posts 
       and three bases.

       (Exo 38:16 NCV)  All the curtains around the courtyard were made of 
       fine linen.

       (Exo 38:17 NCV)  The bases for the posts were made of bronze. The 
       hooks and the bands on the posts were made of silver, and the tops of 
       the posts were covered with silver also. All the posts in the 
       courtyard had silver bands.

       (Exo 38:18 NCV)  The curtain for the entry of the courtyard was made 
       of blue, purple, and red thread, and fine linen, sewn by a person who 
       could sew well. The curtain was thirty feet long and seven and 
       one-half feet high, the same height as the curtains around the 
       courtyard.

       (Exo 38:19 NCV)  It was held up by four posts and four bronze bases. 
       The hooks and bands on the posts were made of silver, and the tops on 
       the posts were covered with silver.

       (Exo 38:20 NCV)  All the tent pegs for the Holy Tent and for the 
       curtains around the courtyard were made of bronze.

       (Exo 38:21 NCV)  This is a list of the materials used to make the Holy 
       Tent, where the Agreement is kept. Moses ordered the Levites to make 
       this list, and Ithamar son of Aaron was in charge of keeping it.

       (Exo 38:22 NCV)  Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur of the tribe of 
       Judah, made everything the LORD commanded Moses.

       (Exo 38:23 NCV)  Oholiab son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan helped 
       him. He could cut designs into metal and stone; he was a designer and 
       also skilled at sewing the blue, purple, and red thread, and fine 
       linen.





       (Exo 38:24 NCV)  The total amount of gold used to build the Holy Tent 
       was presented to the LORD. It weighed over 2,000 pounds, as set by the 
       Holy Place measure.

       (Exo 38:25 NCV)  The silver was given by the members of the community 
       who were counted. It weighed 7,550 pounds, as set by the Holy Place 
       measure.

       (Exo 38:26 NCV)  All the men twenty years old or older were counted. 
       There were 603,550 men, and each man had to pay one-fifth of an ounce 
       of silver, as set by the Holy Place measure.

       (Exo 38:27 NCV)  Of this silver, 7,500 pounds were used to make the 
       one hundred bases for the Holy Tent and for the curtain--75 pounds of 
       silver in each base.

       (Exo 38:28 NCV)  They used 50 pounds of silver to make the hooks for 
       the posts and to cover the tops of the posts and to make the bands on 
       them.

       (Exo 38:29 NCV)  The bronze which was presented to the LORD weighed 
       about 5,000 pounds.

       (Exo 38:30 NCV)  They used the bronze to make the bases at the 
       entrance of the Meeting Tent, to make the altar and the bronze screen, 
       and to make all the tools for the altar.

       (Exo 38:31 NCV)  This bronze was also used to make bases for the wall 
       of curtains around the courtyard and bases for curtains at the entry 
       to the courtyard, as well as to make the tent pegs for the Holy Tent 
       and the curtains that surrounded the courtyard.

       (Exo 39:1 NCV)  They used blue, purple, and red thread to make woven 
       clothes for the priests to wear when they served in the Holy Place. 
       They made the holy clothes for Aaron as the LORD had commanded Moses.

       (Exo 39:2 NCV)  They made the holy vest of gold, and blue, purple, and 
       red thread, and fine linen.

       (Exo 39:3 NCV)  They hammered the gold into sheets and then cut it 
       into long, thin strips. They worked the gold into the blue, purple, 
       and red thread, and fine linen. This was done by skilled craftsmen.

       (Exo 39:4 NCV)  They made the shoulder straps for the holy vest, which 
       were attached to the top corners of the vest and tied together over 
       each shoulder.

       (Exo 39:5 NCV)  The skillfully woven belt was made in the same way; it 
       was joined to the holy vest as one piece. It was made of gold, and 
       blue, purple, and red thread, and fine linen, the way the LORD 
       commanded Moses.

       (Exo 39:6 NCV)  They put gold around the onyx stones and then wrote 
       the names of the sons of Israel on these gems, as a person carves 
       words and designs on a seal.





       (Exo 39:7 NCV)  Then they attached the gems on the shoulder straps of 
       the holy vest, as reminders of the twelve sons of Israel. This was 
       done just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

       (Exo 39:8 NCV)  The skilled craftsmen made the chest covering like the 
       holy vest; it was made of gold, and blue, purple, and red thread, and 
       fine linen.

       (Exo 39:9 NCV)  The chest covering was square--nine inches long and 
       nine inches wide--and it was folded double to make a pocket.

       (Exo 39:10 NCV)  Then they put four rows of beautiful jewels on it: In 
       the first row there was a ruby, a topaz, and a yellow quartz;

       (Exo 39:11 NCV)  in the second there was a turquoise, a sapphire, and 
       an emerald;

       (Exo 39:12 NCV)  in the third there was a jacinth, an agate, and an 
       amethyst;

       (Exo 39:13 NCV)  in the fourth there was a chrysolite, an onyx, and a 
       jasper. Gold was put around these jewels to attach them to the chest 
       covering,

       (Exo 39:14 NCV)  and the names of the sons of Israel were carved on 
       these twelve jewels as a person carves a seal. Each jewel had the name 
       of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.

       (Exo 39:15 NCV)  They made chains of pure gold, twisted together like 
       a rope, for the chest covering.

       (Exo 39:16 NCV)  The workers made two gold pieces and two gold rings. 
       They put the two gold rings on the two upper corners of the chest 
       covering.

       (Exo 39:17 NCV)  Then they put two gold chains in the two rings at the 
       ends of the chest covering,

       (Exo 39:18 NCV)  and they fastened the other two ends of the chains to 
       the two gold pieces. They attached these gold pieces to the two 
       shoulder straps in the front of the holy vest.

       (Exo 39:19 NCV)  They made two gold rings and put them at the lower 
       corners of the chest covering on the inside edge next to the holy 
       vest.

       (Exo 39:20 NCV)  They made two more gold rings on the bottom of the 
       shoulder straps in front of the holy vest, near the seam, just above 
       the woven belt of the holy vest.

       (Exo 39:21 NCV)  They used a blue ribbon and tied the rings of the 
       chest covering to the rings of the holy vest, connecting it to the 
       woven belt. In this way the chest covering would not swing out from 
       the holy vest. They did all these things the way the LORD commanded.

       (Exo 39:22 NCV)  Then they made the outer robe to be worn under the 





       holy vest. It was woven only of blue cloth.

       (Exo 39:23 NCV)  They made a hole in the center of the outer robe, 
       with a woven collar sewn around it so it would not tear.

       (Exo 39:24 NCV)  Then they made balls like pomegranates of blue, 
       purple, and red thread, and fine linen and hung them around the bottom 
       of the outer robe.

       (Exo 39:25 NCV)  They also made bells of pure gold and hung these 
       around the bottom of the outer robe between the balls.

       (Exo 39:26 NCV)  So around the bottom of the outer robe there was a 
       bell and a pomegranate ball, a bell and a pomegranate ball. The priest 
       wore this outer robe when he served as priest, just as the LORD had 
       commanded Moses.

       (Exo 39:27 NCV)  They wove inner robes of fine linen for Aaron and his 
       sons,

       (Exo 39:28 NCV)  and they made turbans, headbands, and underclothes of 
       fine linen.

       (Exo 39:29 NCV)  Then they made the cloth belt of fine linen, and 
       blue, purple, and red thread, and designs were sewn onto it, just as 
       the LORD had commanded Moses.

       (Exo 39:30 NCV)  They made a strip of pure gold, which is the holy 
       crown, and carved these words in the gold, as one might carve on a 
       seal: "Holy to the LORD."

       (Exo 39:31 NCV)  Then they tied this flat piece to the turban with a 
       blue ribbon, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

       (Exo 39:32 NCV)  So all the work on the Meeting Tent was finished. The 
       Israelites did everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

       (Exo 39:33 NCV)  Then they brought the Holy Tent to Moses: the Tent 
       and all its furniture, hooks, frames, crossbars, posts, and bases;

       (Exo 39:34 NCV)  the covering made of male sheepskins colored red, the 
       covering made of fine leather, and the curtain that covered the 
       entrance to the Most Holy Place;

       (Exo 39:35 NCV)  the Ark of the Agreement, its poles and lid;

       (Exo 39:36 NCV)  the table, all its containers, and the bread that 
       showed they were in God's presence;

       (Exo 39:37 NCV)  the pure gold lampstand with its lamps in a row, all 
       its tools, and the olive oil for the light;

       (Exo 39:38 NCV)  the gold altar, the special olive oil used for 
       appointing priests, the sweet-smelling incense, and the curtain that 
       covered the entrance to the Tent;





       (Exo 39:39 NCV)  the bronze altar and its screen, its poles and all 
       its tools, the bowl and its stand;

       (Exo 39:40 NCV)  the curtains for the courtyard with their posts and 
       bases, the curtain that covered the entry to the courtyard, the cords, 
       pegs, and all the things in the Meeting Tent.

       (Exo 39:41 NCV)  They brought the clothes for the priests to wear when 
       they served in the Holy Tent--the holy clothes for Aaron the priest 
       and the clothes for his sons, which they wore when they served as 
       priests.

       (Exo 39:42 NCV)  The Israelites had done all this work just as the 
       LORD had commanded Moses.

       (Exo 39:43 NCV)  Moses looked closely at all the work and saw they had 
       done it just as the LORD had commanded. So Moses blessed them.

       (Exo 40:1 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Moses:

       (Exo 40:2 NCV)  "On the first day of the first month, set up the Holy 
       Tent, which is the Meeting Tent.

       (Exo 40:3 NCV)  Put the Ark of the Agreement in it and hang the 
       curtain in front of the Ark.

       (Exo 40:4 NCV)  Bring in the table and arrange everything on the table 
       that should be there. Then bring in the lampstand and set up its 
       lamps.

       (Exo 40:5 NCV)  Put the gold altar for burning incense in front of the 
       Ark of the Agreement, and put the curtain at the entrance to the Holy 
       Tent.

       (Exo 40:6 NCV)  "Put the altar of burnt offerings in front of the 
       entrance of the Holy Tent, the Meeting Tent.

       (Exo 40:7 NCV)  Put the bowl between the Meeting Tent and the altar, 
       and put water in it.

       (Exo 40:8 NCV)  Set up the courtyard around the Holy Tent, and put the 
       curtain at the entry to the courtyard.

       (Exo 40:9 NCV)  "Use the special olive oil and pour it on the Holy 
       Tent and everything in it, in order to give the Tent and all that is 
       in it for service to the LORD. They will be holy.

       (Exo 40:10 NCV)  Pour the special oil on the altar for burnt offerings 
       and on all its tools. Give the altar for service to God, and it will 
       be very holy.

       (Exo 40:11 NCV)  Then pour the special olive oil on the bowl and the 
       base under it so that they will be given for service to God.

       (Exo 40:12 NCV)  "Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the 
       Meeting Tent, and wash them with water.






       (Exo 40:13 NCV)  Then put the holy clothes on Aaron. Pour the special 
       oil on him, and give him for service to God so that he may serve me as 
       a priest.

       (Exo 40:14 NCV)  Bring Aaron's sons and put the inner robes on them.

       (Exo 40:15 NCV)  Pour the special oil on them in the same way that you 
       appointed their father as priest so that they may also serve me as 
       priests. Pouring oil on them will make them a family of priests, they 
       and their descendants from now on."

       (Exo 40:16 NCV)  Moses did everything that the LORD commanded him.

       (Exo 40:17 NCV)  So the Holy Tent was set up on the first day of the 
       first month during the second year after they left Egypt.

       (Exo 40:18 NCV)  When Moses set up the Holy Tent, he put the bases in 
       place, and he put the frames on the bases. Next he put the crossbars 
       through the rings of the frames and set up the posts.

       (Exo 40:19 NCV)  After that, Moses spread the cloth over the Holy Tent 
       and put the covering over it, just as the LORD commanded.

       (Exo 40:20 NCV)  Moses put the stone tablets that had the Agreement 
       written on them into the Ark. He put the poles through the rings of 
       the Ark and put the lid on it.

       (Exo 40:21 NCV)  Next he brought the Ark into the Tent and hung the 
       curtain to cover the Ark, just as the LORD commanded him.

       (Exo 40:22 NCV)  Moses put the table in the Meeting Tent on the north 
       side of the Holy Tent in front of the curtain.

       (Exo 40:23 NCV)  Then he put the bread on the table before the LORD, 
       just as the LORD commanded him.

       (Exo 40:24 NCV)  Moses put the lampstand in the Meeting Tent on the 
       south side of the Holy Tent across from the table.

       (Exo 40:25 NCV)  Then he put the lamps on the lampstand before the 
       LORD, just as the LORD commanded him.

       (Exo 40:26 NCV)  Moses put the gold altar for burning incense in the 
       Meeting Tent in front of the curtain.

       (Exo 40:27 NCV)  Then he burned sweet-smelling incense on it, just as 
       the LORD commanded him.

       (Exo 40:28 NCV)  Then he hung the curtain at the entrance to the Holy 
       Tent.

       (Exo 40:29 NCV)  He put the altar for burnt offerings at the entrance 
       to the Holy Tent, the Meeting Tent, and offered a whole burnt offering 
       and grain offerings on it, just as the LORD commanded him.





       (Exo 40:30 NCV)  Moses put the bowl between the Meeting Tent and the 
       altar for burnt offerings, and he put water in it for washing.

       (Exo 40:31 NCV)  Moses, Aaron, and Aaron's sons used this water to 
       wash their hands and feet.

       (Exo 40:32 NCV)  They washed themselves every time they entered the 
       Meeting Tent and every time they went near the altar for burnt 
       offerings, just as the LORD commanded Moses.

       (Exo 40:33 NCV)  Then Moses set up the courtyard around the Holy Tent 
       and the altar, and he put up the curtain at the entry to the 
       courtyard. So Moses finished the work.

       (Exo 40:34 NCV)  Then the cloud covered the Meeting Tent, and the 
       glory of the LORD filled the Holy Tent.

       (Exo 40:35 NCV)  Moses could not enter the Meeting Tent, because the 
       cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the Holy 
       Tent.

       (Exo 40:36 NCV)  When the cloud rose from the Holy Tent, the 
       Israelites would begin to travel,

       (Exo 40:37 NCV)  but as long as the cloud stayed on the Holy Tent, 
       they did not travel. They stayed in that place until the cloud rose.

       (Exo 40:38 NCV)  So the cloud of the LORD was over the Holy Tent 
       during the day, and there was a fire in the cloud at night. So all the 
       Israelites could see the cloud while they traveled.

       (Lev 1:1 NCV)  The LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the 
       Meeting Tent, saying,

       (Lev 1:2 NCV)  "Tell the people of Israel: 'When you bring an offering 
       to the LORD, bring as your offering an animal from the herd or flock.

       (Lev 1:3 NCV)  "'If the offering is a whole burnt offering from the 
       herd, it must be a male that has nothing wrong with it. The person 
       must take the animal to the entrance of the Meeting Tent so that the 
       LORD will accept the offering.

       (Lev 1:4 NCV)  He must put his hand on the animal's head, and the LORD 
       will accept it to remove the person's sin so he will belong to God.

       (Lev 1:5 NCV)  He must kill the young bull before the LORD, and 
       Aaron's sons, the priests, must bring its blood and sprinkle it on all 
       sides of the altar at the entrance to the Meeting Tent.

       (Lev 1:6 NCV)  After that he will skin the animal and cut it into 
       pieces.

       (Lev 1:7 NCV)  The priests, when they have put wood and fire on the 
       altar,

       (Lev 1:8 NCV)  are to lay the head, the fat, and other pieces on the 





       wood that is on the fire of the altar.

       (Lev 1:9 NCV)  The animal's inner organs and legs must be washed with 
       water. Then the priest must burn all the animal's parts on the altar. 
       It is a whole burnt offering, an offering made by fire, and its smell 
       is pleasing to the LORD.

       (Lev 1:10 NCV)  "'If the burnt offering is a sheep or a goat from the 
       flock, it must be a male that has nothing wrong with it.

       (Lev 1:11 NCV)  The person must kill the animal on the north side of 
       the altar before the LORD, and Aaron's sons, the priests, must 
       sprinkle its blood on all sides of the altar.

       (Lev 1:12 NCV)  The person must cut the animal into pieces, and the 
       priest must lay them, with the head and fat, on the wood that is on 
       the fire of the altar.

       (Lev 1:13 NCV)  The person must wash the animal's inner organs and 
       legs with water, and then the priest must burn all its parts on the 
       altar. It is a whole burnt offering, an offering made by fire, and its 
       smell is pleasing to the LORD.

       (Lev 1:14 NCV)  "'If the whole burnt offering for the LORD is a bird, 
       it must be a dove or a young pigeon.

       (Lev 1:15 NCV)  The priest will bring it to the altar and pull off its 
       head, which he will burn on the altar; the bird's blood must be 
       drained out on the side of the altar.

       (Lev 1:16 NCV)  The priest must remove the bird's crop and its 
       contents and throw them on the east side of the altar, where the ashes 
       are.

       (Lev 1:17 NCV)  Then he must tear the bird open by its wings without 
       dividing it into two parts. He must burn the bird on the altar, on the 
       wood which is on the fire. It is a whole burnt offering, an offering 
       made by fire, and its smell is pleasing to the LORD.

       (Lev 2:1 NCV)  "'When anyone offers a grain offering to the LORD, it 
       must be made from fine flour. The person must pour oil on it, put 
       incense on it,

       (Lev 2:2 NCV)  and then take it to Aaron's sons, the priests. The 
       priest must take a handful of the fine flour and oil and all the 
       incense, and burn it on the altar as a memorial portion. It is an 
       offering made by fire, and its smell is pleasing to the LORD.

       (Lev 2:3 NCV)  The rest of the grain offering will belong to Aaron and 
       the priests; it is a most holy part of the offerings made by fire to 
       the LORD.

       (Lev 2:4 NCV)  "'If you bring a grain offering that was baked in the 
       oven, it must be made from fine flour. It may be loaves made without 
       yeast and mixed with oil, or it may be wafers made without yeast that 
       have oil poured over them.






       (Lev 2:5 NCV)  If your grain offering is cooked on a griddle, it must 
       be made, without yeast, of fine flour mixed with oil.

       (Lev 2:6 NCV)  Crumble it and pour oil over it; it is a grain 
       offering.

       (Lev 2:7 NCV)  If your grain offering is cooked in a pan, it must be 
       made from fine flour and oil.

       (Lev 2:8 NCV)  Bring the grain offering made of these things to the 
       LORD. Give it to the priest, and he will take it to the altar.

       (Lev 2:9 NCV)  He will take out the memorial portion from the grain 
       offering and burn it on the altar, as an offering made by fire. Its 
       smell is pleasing to the LORD.

       (Lev 2:10 NCV)  The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and 
       the priests. It is a most holy part of the offerings made to the LORD 
       by fire.

       (Lev 2:11 NCV)  "'Every grain offering you bring to the LORD must be 
       made without yeast, because you must not burn any yeast or honey in an 
       offering made by fire to the LORD.

       (Lev 2:12 NCV)  You may bring yeast and honey to the LORD as an 
       offering from the first harvest, but they must not be burned on the 
       altar as a pleasing smell.

       (Lev 2:13 NCV)  You must also put salt on all your grain offerings. 
       Salt stands for your agreement with God that will last forever; do not 
       leave it out of your grain offering. You must add salt to all your 
       offerings.

       (Lev 2:14 NCV)  "'If you bring a grain offering from the first harvest 
       to the LORD, bring crushed heads of new grain roasted in the fire.

       (Lev 2:15 NCV)  Put oil and incense on it; it is a grain offering.

       (Lev 2:16 NCV)  The priest will burn the memorial portion of the 
       crushed grain and oil, with the incense on it. It is an offering by 
       fire to the LORD.

       (Lev 3:1 NCV)  "'If a person's fellowship offering to the LORD is from 
       the herd, it may be a male or female, but it must have nothing wrong 
       with it.

       (Lev 3:2 NCV)  The person must put his hand on the animal's head and 
       kill it at the entrance to the Meeting Tent. Then Aaron's sons, the 
       priests, must sprinkle the blood on all sides of the altar.

       (Lev 3:3 NCV)  From the fellowship offering he must make a sacrifice 
       by fire to the LORD. He must offer the fat of the animal's inner 
       organs (both the fat that is in them and that covers them),

       (Lev 3:4 NCV)  both kidneys with the fat that is on them near the 





       lower back muscle, and the best part of the liver, which he will 
       remove with the kidneys.

       (Lev 3:5 NCV)  Then the priests will burn these parts on the altar, on 
       the whole burnt offering that is on the wood of the fire. It is an 
       offering made by fire, and its smell is pleasing to the LORD.

       (Lev 3:6 NCV)  "'If a person's fellowship offering to the LORD is a 
       lamb or a goat, it may be a male or female, but it must have nothing 
       wrong with it.

       (Lev 3:7 NCV)  If he offers a lamb, he must bring it before the LORD

       (Lev 3:8 NCV)  and put his hand on its head. Then he must kill the 
       animal in front of the Meeting Tent, and the priests must sprinkle its 
       blood on all sides of the altar.

       (Lev 3:9 NCV)  From the fellowship offering the person must make a 
       sacrifice by fire to the LORD. He must bring the fat, the whole fat 
       tail cut off close to the backbone, the fat of the inner organs (both 
       the fat that is in them and that covers them),

       (Lev 3:10 NCV)  both kidneys with the fat that is on them, near the 
       lower back muscle, and the best part of the liver, which he will 
       remove with the kidneys.

       (Lev 3:11 NCV)  Then the priest will burn these parts on the altar as 
       food; it will be an offering made by fire to the LORD.

       (Lev 3:12 NCV)  "'If a person's offering is a goat, he must offer it 
       before the LORD

       (Lev 3:13 NCV)  and put his hand on the its head. Then he must kill it 
       in front of the Meeting Tent, and the priests must sprinkle its blood 
       on all sides of the altar.

       (Lev 3:14 NCV)  From this offering the person must make a sacrifice by 
       fire to the LORD. He must offer all the fat of the goat's inner organs 
       (both the fat that is in them and that covers them),

       (Lev 3:15 NCV)  both kidneys with the fat that is on them near the 
       lower back muscle, and the best part of the liver, which he will 
       remove with the kidneys.

       (Lev 3:16 NCV)  The priest will burn these parts on the altar as food. 
       It is an offering made by fire, and its smell is pleasing to the LORD. 
       All the fat belongs to the LORD.

       (Lev 3:17 NCV)  "'This law will continue for people from now on, 
       wherever you live: You must not eat any fat or blood.'"

       (Lev 4:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Lev 4:2 NCV)  "Tell the people of Israel this: 'When a person sins by 
       accident and does some things the LORD has commanded not to be done, 
       that person must do these things:






       (Lev 4:3 NCV)  "'If the appointed priest sins so that he brings guilt 
       on the people, then he must offer a young bull to the LORD, one that 
       has nothing wrong with it, as a sin offering for the sin he has done.

       (Lev 4:4 NCV)  He will bring the bull to the entrance of the Meeting 
       Tent in front of the LORD, put his hand on its head, and kill it 
       before the LORD.

       (Lev 4:5 NCV)  Then the appointed priest must bring some of the bull's 
       blood into the Meeting Tent.

       (Lev 4:6 NCV)  The priest is to dip his finger into the blood and 
       sprinkle it seven times before the LORD in front of the curtain of the 
       Most Holy Place.

       (Lev 4:7 NCV)  The priest must also put some of the blood on the 
       corners of the altar of incense that stands before the LORD in the 
       Meeting Tent. The rest of the blood he must pour out at the bottom of 
       the altar of burnt offering, which is at the entrance of the Meeting 
       Tent.

       (Lev 4:8 NCV)  He must remove all the fat from the bull of the sin 
       offering--the fat on and around the inner organs,

       (Lev 4:9 NCV)  both kidneys with the fat that is on them near the 
       lower back muscle, and the best part of the liver which he will remove 
       with the kidneys.

       (Lev 4:10 NCV)  (He must do this in the same way the fat is removed 
       from the bull of the fellowship offering.) Then the priest must burn 
       the animal parts on the altar of burnt offering.

       (Lev 4:11 NCV)  But the priest must carry off the skin of the bull and 
       all its meat, along with the rest of the bull--its head, legs, 
       intestines, and other inner organs.

       (Lev 4:12 NCV)  He must take it outside the camp to the special clean 
       place where the ashes are poured out. He must burn it on a wood fire 
       on the pile of ashes.

       (Lev 4:13 NCV)  "'If the whole nation of Israel sins accidentally 
       without knowing it and does something the LORD has commanded not to be 
       done, they are guilty.

       (Lev 4:14 NCV)  When they learn about the sin they have done, they 
       must offer a young bull as a sin offering and bring it before the 
       Meeting Tent.

       (Lev 4:15 NCV)  The older leaders of the group of people must put 
       their hands on the bull's head before the LORD, and it must be killed 
       before the LORD.

       (Lev 4:16 NCV)  Then the appointed priest must bring some of the 
       bull's blood into the Meeting Tent.





       (Lev 4:17 NCV)  Dipping his finger in the blood, he must sprinkle it 
       seven times before the LORD in front of the curtain.

       (Lev 4:18 NCV)  Then he must put some of the blood on the corners of 
       the altar that is before the LORD in the Meeting Tent. The priest must 
       pour out the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar of burnt 
       offering, which is at the entrance to the Meeting Tent.

       (Lev 4:19 NCV)  He must remove all the fat from the animal and burn it 
       on the altar;

       (Lev 4:20 NCV)  he will do the same thing with this bull that he did 
       with the first bull of the sin offering. In this way the priest 
       removes the sins of the people so they will belong to the LORD and be 
       forgiven.

       (Lev 4:21 NCV)  Then the priest must carry the bull outside the camp 
       and burn it, just as he did with the first bull. This is the sin 
       offering for the whole community.

       (Lev 4:22 NCV)  "'If a ruler sins by accident and does something the 
       LORD his God has commanded must not be done, he is guilty.

       (Lev 4:23 NCV)  When he learns about his sin, he must bring a male 
       goat that has nothing wrong with it as his offering.

       (Lev 4:24 NCV)  The ruler must put his hand on the goat's head and 
       kill it in the place where they kill the whole burnt offering before 
       the LORD; it is a sin offering.

       (Lev 4:25 NCV)  The priest must take some of the blood of the sin 
       offering on his finger and put it on the corners of the altar of burnt 
       offering. He must pour out the rest of the blood at the bottom of the 
       altar of burnt offering.

       (Lev 4:26 NCV)  He must burn all the goat's fat on the altar in the 
       same way he burns the fat of the fellowship offerings. In this way the 
       priest removes the ruler's sin so he belongs to the LORD, and the LORD 
       will forgive him.

       (Lev 4:27 NCV)  "'If any person in the community sins by accident and 
       does something which the LORD has commanded must not be done, he is 
       guilty.

       (Lev 4:28 NCV)  When the person learns about his sin, he must bring a 
       female goat that has nothing wrong with it as an offering for his sin.

       (Lev 4:29 NCV)  He must put his hand on the animal's head and kill it 
       at the place of the whole burnt offering.

       (Lev 4:30 NCV)  Then the priest must take some of the goat's blood on 
       his finger and put it on the corners of the altar of burnt offering. 
       He must pour out the rest of the goat's blood at the bottom of the 
       altar.

       (Lev 4:31 NCV)  Then the priest must remove all the goat's fat in the 





       same way the fat is removed from the fellowship offerings. He must 
       burn it on the altar as a smell pleasing to the LORD. In this way the 
       priest will remove that person's sin so he will belong to the LORD, 
       and the LORD will forgive him.

       (Lev 4:32 NCV)  "'If this person brings a lamb as his offering for 
       sin, he must bring a female that has nothing wrong with it.

       (Lev 4:33 NCV)  He must put his hand on the animal's head and kill it 
       as a sin offering in the place where the whole burnt offering is 
       killed.

       (Lev 4:34 NCV)  The priest must take some of the blood from the sin 
       offering on his finger and put it on the corners of the altar of burnt 
       offering. He must pour out the rest of the lamb's blood at the bottom 
       of the altar.

       (Lev 4:35 NCV)  Then the priest must remove all the lamb's fat in the 
       same way that the lamb's fat is removed from the fellowship offerings. 
       He must burn the pieces on the altar on top of the offerings made by 
       fire for the LORD. In this way the priest will remove that person's 
       sins so he will belong to the LORD, and the LORD will forgive him.

       (Lev 5:1 NCV)  "'If a person is ordered to tell in court what he has 
       seen or what he knows and he does not tell the court, he is guilty of 
       sin.

       (Lev 5:2 NCV)  "'Or someone might touch something unclean, such as the 
       dead body of an unclean wild animal or an unclean farm animal or an 
       unclean crawling animal. Even if he does not know that he touched it, 
       he will still be unclean and guilty of sin.

       (Lev 5:3 NCV)  "'Someone might touch human uncleanness--anything that 
       makes someone unclean--and not know it. But when he learns about it, 
       he will be guilty.

       (Lev 5:4 NCV)  "'Or someone might make a promise before the LORD 
       without thinking. It might be a promise to do something bad or 
       something good; it might be about anything. Even if he forgets about 
       it, when he remembers, he will be guilty.

       (Lev 5:5 NCV)  "'When anyone is guilty of any of these things, he must 
       tell how he sinned.

       (Lev 5:6 NCV)  He must bring an offering to the LORD as a penalty for 
       sin; it must be a female lamb or goat from the flock. The priest will 
       perform the acts to remove that person's sin so he will belong to the 
       LORD.

       (Lev 5:7 NCV)  "'But if the person cannot afford a lamb, he must bring 
       two doves or two young pigeons to the LORD as the penalty for his sin. 
       One bird must be for a sin offering, and the other must be for a whole 
       burnt offering.

       (Lev 5:8 NCV)  He must bring them to the priest, who will first offer 
       the one for the sin offering. He will pull the bird's head from its 





       neck, but he will not pull it completely off.

       (Lev 5:9 NCV)  He must sprinkle the blood from the sin offering on the 
       side of the altar, and then he must pour the rest of the blood at the 
       bottom of the altar; it is a sin offering.

       (Lev 5:10 NCV)  Then the priest must offer the second bird as a whole 
       burnt offering, as the law says. In this way the priest will remove 
       the person's sin so he will belong to the LORD, and the LORD will 
       forgive him.

       (Lev 5:11 NCV)  "'If the person cannot afford two doves or two 
       pigeons, he must bring about two quarts of fine flour as an offering 
       for sin. He must not put oil or incense on the flour, because it is a 
       sin offering.

       (Lev 5:12 NCV)  He must bring the flour to the priest. The priest will 
       take a handful of the flour as a memorial offering and burn it on the 
       altar on top of the offerings made by fire to the LORD; it is a sin 
       offering.

       (Lev 5:13 NCV)  In this way the priest will remove the person's sins 
       so he will belong to the LORD, and the LORD will forgive him. What is 
       left of the sin offering belongs to the priest, like the grain 
       offering.'"

       (Lev 5:14 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Lev 5:15 NCV)  "If a person accidentally sins and does something 
       against the holy things of the LORD, he must bring from the flock a 
       male sheep that has nothing wrong with it. This will be his penalty 
       offering to the LORD. Its value in silver must be correct as set by 
       the Holy Place measure. It is a penalty offering.

       (Lev 5:16 NCV)  That person must pay for the sin he did against the 
       holy thing, adding one-fifth to its value. Then he must give it all to 
       the priest. In this way the priest will remove the person's sin so he 
       will belong to the LORD, by using the male sheep as the penalty 
       offering. And the LORD will forgive the person.

       (Lev 5:17 NCV)  "If a person sins and does something the LORD has 
       commanded not to be done, even if he does not know it, he is still 
       guilty. He is responsible for his sin.

       (Lev 5:18 NCV)  He must bring the priest a male sheep from the flock, 
       one that has nothing wrong with it and that is worth the correct 
       amount. It will be a penalty offering. Though the person sinned 
       without knowing it, with this offering the priest will remove the sin 
       so the person will belong to the LORD, and the LORD will forgive him.

       (Lev 5:19 NCV)  The person is guilty of doing wrong, so he must give 
       the penalty offering to the LORD."

       (Lev 6:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Lev 6:2 NCV)  "A person might sin against the LORD by doing one of 





       these sins: He might lie about what happened to something he was 
       taking care of for someone else, or he might lie about a promise he 
       made. He might steal something or cheat someone.

       (Lev 6:3 NCV)  He might find something that had been lost and then lie 
       about it. He might make a promise before the LORD about something and 
       not mean it, or he might do some other sin.

       (Lev 6:4 NCV)  If he does any of these things, he is guilty of sin. He 
       must bring back whatever he stole or whatever he took by cheating. He 
       must bring back the thing he took care of for someone else. He must 
       bring back what he found and lied about

       (Lev 6:5 NCV)  or what he made a false promise about. He must pay the 
       full price plus an extra one-fifth of the value of what he took. He 
       must give the money to the true owner on the day he brings his penalty 
       offering.

       (Lev 6:6 NCV)  He must bring his penalty to the priest--a male sheep 
       from the flock, one that does not have anything wrong with it and that 
       is worth the correct amount. It will be a penalty offering to the 
       LORD.

       (Lev 6:7 NCV)  Then the priest will perform the acts to remove that 
       person's sin so he will belong to the LORD, and the LORD will forgive 
       him for the sins that made him guilty."

       (Lev 6:8 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Lev 6:9 NCV)  "Give this command to Aaron and the priests: 'These are 
       the teachings about the whole burnt offering: The burnt offering must 
       stay on the altar all night until morning, and the altar's fire must 
       be kept burning.

       (Lev 6:10 NCV)  The priest must put on his linen robe and linen 
       underclothes next to his body. Then he will remove the ashes from the 
       burnt offering on the altar and put them beside the altar.

       (Lev 6:11 NCV)  Then he must take off those clothes and put on others 
       and carry the ashes outside the camp to a special clean place.

       (Lev 6:12 NCV)  But the fire must be kept burning on the altar; it 
       must not be allowed to go out. The priest must put more firewood on 
       the altar every morning, place the whole burnt offering on the fire, 
       and burn the fat of the fellowship offerings.

       (Lev 6:13 NCV)  The fire must be kept burning on the altar all the 
       time; it must not go out.

       (Lev 6:14 NCV)  "'These are the teachings about the grain offering: 
       The priests must bring it to the LORD in front of the altar.

       (Lev 6:15 NCV)  The priest must take a handful of fine flour, with the 
       oil and all of the incense on it, and burn the grain offering on the 
       altar as a memorial offering to the LORD. Its smell is pleasing to 
       him.






       (Lev 6:16 NCV)  Aaron and the priests may eat what is left, but it 
       must be eaten without yeast in a holy place. They must eat it in the 
       courtyard of the Meeting Tent.

       (Lev 6:17 NCV)  It must not be cooked with yeast. I have given it as 
       their share of the offerings made to me by fire; it is most holy, like 
       the sin offering and the penalty offering.

       (Lev 6:18 NCV)  Any male descendant of Aaron may eat it as his share 
       of the offerings made to the LORD by fire, and this will continue from 
       now on. Whatever touches these offerings shall become holy.'"

       (Lev 6:19 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Lev 6:20 NCV)  "This is the offering Aaron and the priests must bring 
       to the LORD on the day they appoint Aaron as high priest: They must 
       bring two quarts of fine flour for a continual grain offering, half of 
       it in the morning and half in the evening.

       (Lev 6:21 NCV)  The fine flour must be mixed with oil and cooked on a 
       griddle. Bring it when it is well mixed. Present the grain offering 
       that is broken into pieces, and it will be a smell that is pleasing to 
       the LORD.

       (Lev 6:22 NCV)  One of the priests appointed to take Aaron's place as 
       high priest must make the grain offering. It is a rule forever that 
       the grain offering must be completely burned to the LORD.

       (Lev 6:23 NCV)  Every grain offering made by a priest must be 
       completely burned; it must not be eaten."

       (Lev 6:24 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Lev 6:25 NCV)  "Tell Aaron and the priests: 'These are the teachings 
       about the sin offering: The sin offering must be killed in front of 
       the LORD in the same place the whole burnt offering is killed; it is 
       most holy.

       (Lev 6:26 NCV)  The priest who offers the sin offering must eat it in 
       a holy place, in the courtyard of the Meeting Tent.

       (Lev 6:27 NCV)  Whatever touches the meat of the sin offering must be 
       holy, and if the blood is sprinkled on any clothes, you must wash them 
       in a holy place.

       (Lev 6:28 NCV)  The clay pot the meat is cooked in must be broken, or 
       if a bronze pot is used, it must be scrubbed and rinsed with water.

       (Lev 6:29 NCV)  Any male in a priest's family may eat the offering; it 
       is most holy.

       (Lev 6:30 NCV)  But if the blood of the sin offering is taken into the 
       Meeting Tent and used to remove sin in the Holy Place, that sin 
       offering must be burned with fire. It must not be eaten.





       (Lev 7:1 NCV)  "'These are the teachings about the penalty offering, 
       which is most holy:

       (Lev 7:2 NCV)  The penalty offering must be killed where the whole 
       burnt offering is killed. Then the priest must sprinkle its blood on 
       all sides of the altar.

       (Lev 7:3 NCV)  He must offer all the fat from the penalty 
       offering--the fat tail, the fat that covers the inner organs,

       (Lev 7:4 NCV)  both kidneys with the fat that is on them near the 
       lower back muscle, and the best part of the liver, which is to be 
       removed with the kidneys.

       (Lev 7:5 NCV)  The priest must burn all these things on the altar as 
       an offering made by fire to the LORD. It is a penalty offering.

       (Lev 7:6 NCV)  Any male in a priest's family may eat it. It is most 
       holy, so it must be eaten in a holy place.

       (Lev 7:7 NCV)  "'The penalty offering is like the sin offering in that 
       the teachings are the same for both. The priest who offers the 
       sacrifice to remove sins will get the meat for food.

       (Lev 7:8 NCV)  The priest who offers the burnt offering may also have 
       the skin from it.

       (Lev 7:9 NCV)  Every grain offering that is baked in an oven, cooked 
       on a griddle, or baked in a dish belongs to the priest who offers it.

       (Lev 7:10 NCV)  Every grain offering, either dry or mixed with oil, 
       belongs to the priests, and all priests will share alike.

       (Lev 7:11 NCV)  "'These are the teachings about the fellowship 
       offering a person may offer to the LORD:

       (Lev 7:12 NCV)  If he brings the fellowship offering to show his 
       thanks, he should also bring loaves of bread made without yeast that 
       are mixed with oil, wafers made without yeast that have oil poured 
       over them, and loaves of fine flour that are mixed with oil.

       (Lev 7:13 NCV)  He must also offer loaves of bread made with yeast 
       along with his fellowship offering, which he gives to show thanks.

       (Lev 7:14 NCV)  One of each kind of offering will be for the LORD; it 
       will be given to the priest who sprinkles the blood of the fellowship 
       offering.

       (Lev 7:15 NCV)  When the fellowship offering is given to thank the 
       LORD, the meat from it must be eaten the same day it is offered; none 
       of it must be left until morning.

       (Lev 7:16 NCV)  "'If a person brings a fellowship offering just to 
       give a gift to God or because of a special promise to him, the 
       sacrifice should be eaten the same day he offers it. If there is any 
       left, it may be eaten the next day.






       (Lev 7:17 NCV)  If any meat from this sacrifice is left on the third 
       day, it must be burned up.

       (Lev 7:18 NCV)  Any meat of the fellowship offering eaten on the third 
       day will not be accepted, nor will the sacrifice count for the person 
       who offered it. It will become unclean, and anyone who eats the meat 
       will be guilty of sin.

       (Lev 7:19 NCV)  "'People must not eat meat that touches anything 
       unclean; they must burn this meat with fire. Anyone who is clean may 
       eat other meat.

       (Lev 7:20 NCV)  But if anyone is unclean and eats the meat from the 
       fellowship offering that belongs to the LORD, he must be cut off from 
       his people.

       (Lev 7:21 NCV)  "'If anyone touches something unclean--uncleanness 
       that comes from people, from an animal, or from some hated 
       thing--touching it will make him unclean. If he then eats meat from 
       the fellowship offering that belongs to the LORD, he must be cut off 
       from his people.'"

       (Lev 7:22 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Lev 7:23 NCV)  "Tell the people of Israel: 'You must not eat any of 
       the fat from cattle, sheep, or goats.

       (Lev 7:24 NCV)  If an animal is found dead or torn by wild animals, 
       you may use its fat for other things, but you must not eat it.

       (Lev 7:25 NCV)  If someone eats fat from an animal offering made by 
       fire to the LORD, he must be cut off from his people.

       (Lev 7:26 NCV)  No matter where you live, you must not eat blood from 
       any bird or animal.

       (Lev 7:27 NCV)  Anyone who eats blood must be cut off from his 
       people.'"

       (Lev 7:28 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Lev 7:29 NCV)  "Tell the people of Israel: 'If someone brings a 
       fellowship offering to the LORD, he must give part of it as his 
       sacrifice to the LORD.

       (Lev 7:30 NCV)  He must carry that part of the gift in his own hands 
       as an offering made by fire to the LORD. He must bring the fat and the 
       breast of the animal to the priest, to be presented to the LORD as the 
       priests' share.

       (Lev 7:31 NCV)  Then the priest must burn the fat on the altar, but 
       the breast of the animal will belong to Aaron and the priests.

       (Lev 7:32 NCV)  You must also give the right thigh from the fellowship 
       offering to the priest as a gift;






       (Lev 7:33 NCV)  it will belong to the priest who offers the blood and 
       fat of the fellowship offering.

       (Lev 7:34 NCV)  I have taken the breast and the thigh from the 
       fellowship offerings of the Israelites, and I have given these parts 
       to Aaron and the priests as their share for all time from the 
       Israelites.'"

       (Lev 7:35 NCV)  This is the portion that belongs to Aaron and his sons 
       from the offerings made by fire to the LORD. They were given this 
       share on the day they were presented to the LORD as priests.

       (Lev 7:36 NCV)  On the day the LORD appointed the priests, he 
       commanded Israel to give this share to them, and it is to be given to 
       the priests as their share from now on.

       (Lev 7:37 NCV)  These are the teachings about the whole burnt 
       offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, the penalty offering, 
       the offering for the appointment of priests, and the fellowship 
       offering.

       (Lev 7:38 NCV)  The LORD gave these teachings to Moses on Mount Sinai 
       on the day he commanded the Israelites to bring their offerings to the 
       LORD in the Sinai Desert.

       (Lev 8:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Lev 8:2 NCV)  "Bring Aaron and his sons and their clothes, the 
       special olive oil used in appointing people and things to the service 
       of the LORD, the bull of the sin offering and the two male sheep, and 
       the basket of bread made without yeast.

       (Lev 8:3 NCV)  Then gather the people together at the entrance to the 
       Meeting Tent."

       (Lev 8:4 NCV)  Moses did as the LORD commanded him, and the people met 
       together at the entrance to the Meeting Tent.

       (Lev 8:5 NCV)  Then Moses spoke to the people and said, "This is what 
       the LORD has commanded to be done."

       (Lev 8:6 NCV)  Bringing Aaron and his sons forward, Moses washed them 
       with water.

       (Lev 8:7 NCV)  He put the inner robe on Aaron and tied the cloth belt 
       around him. Then Moses put the outer robe on him and placed the holy 
       vest on him. He tied the skillfully woven belt around him so that the 
       holy vest was tied to Aaron.

       (Lev 8:8 NCV)  Then Moses put the chest covering on him and put the 
       Urim and the Thummim in the chest covering.

       (Lev 8:9 NCV)  He also put the turban on Aaron's head. He put the 
       strip of gold, the holy crown, on the front of the turban, as the LORD 
       commanded him to do.






       (Lev 8:10 NCV)  Then Moses put the special oil on the Holy Tent and 
       everything in it, making them holy for the LORD.

       (Lev 8:11 NCV)  He sprinkled some oil on the altar seven times, 
       sprinkling the altar and all its tools and the large bowl and its 
       base. In this way he made them holy for the LORD.

       (Lev 8:12 NCV)  He poured some of the special oil on Aaron's head to 
       make Aaron holy for the LORD.

       (Lev 8:13 NCV)  Then Moses brought Aaron's sons forward. He put the 
       inner robes on them, tied cloth belts around them, and put headbands 
       on them, as the LORD had commanded him.

       (Lev 8:14 NCV)  Then Moses brought the bull for the sin offering, and 
       Aaron and his sons put their hands on its head.

       (Lev 8:15 NCV)  Moses killed the bull, took the blood, and with his 
       finger put some of it on all the corners of the altar, to make it 
       pure. Then he poured out the rest of the blood at the bottom of the 
       altar. In this way he made it holy and ready for service to God.

       (Lev 8:16 NCV)  Moses took all the fat from the inner organs of the 
       bull, the best part of the liver, and both kidneys with the fat that 
       is on them, and he burned them on the altar.

       (Lev 8:17 NCV)  But he took the bull's skin, its meat, and its 
       intestines and burned them in a fire outside the camp, as the LORD had 
       commanded him.

       (Lev 8:18 NCV)  Next Moses brought the male sheep of the burnt 
       offering, and Aaron and his sons put their hands on its head.

       (Lev 8:19 NCV)  Then Moses killed it and sprinkled the blood on all 
       sides of the altar.

       (Lev 8:20 NCV)  He cut the male sheep into pieces and burned the head, 
       the pieces, and the fat.

       (Lev 8:21 NCV)  He washed the inner organs and legs with water and 
       burned the whole sheep on the altar as a burnt offering made by fire 
       to the LORD; its smell was pleasing to the LORD. Moses did these 
       things as the LORD had commanded him.

       (Lev 8:22 NCV)  Then Moses brought the other male sheep, the one used 
       in appointing Aaron and his sons as priests, and Aaron and his sons 
       put their hands on its head.

       (Lev 8:23 NCV)  Then Moses killed the sheep and put some of its blood 
       on the bottom of Aaron's right ear, some on the thumb of Aaron's right 
       hand, and some on the big toe of his right foot.

       (Lev 8:24 NCV)  Then Moses brought Aaron's sons close to the altar. He 
       put some of the blood on the bottom of their right ears, some on the 
       thumbs of their right hands, and some on the big toes of their right 





       feet. Then he sprinkled blood on all sides of the altar.

       (Lev 8:25 NCV)  He took the fat, the fat tail, all the fat on the 
       inner organs, the best part of the liver, both kidneys with their fat, 
       and the right thigh.

       (Lev 8:26 NCV)  From the basket of bread made without yeast that is 
       put before the LORD each day, Moses took a loaf of bread, a loaf made 
       with oil, and a wafer. He put these pieces of bread on the fat and 
       right thigh of the male sheep.

       (Lev 8:27 NCV)  All these things he put in the hands of Aaron and his 
       sons and presented them as an offering before the LORD.

       (Lev 8:28 NCV)  Then Moses took them from their hands and burned them 
       on the altar on top of the burnt offering. So this was the offering 
       for appointing Aaron and his sons as priests. It was an offering made 
       by fire to the LORD, and its smell was pleasing to him.

       (Lev 8:29 NCV)  Moses also took the breast and presented it as an 
       offering before the LORD. It was Moses' share of the male sheep used 
       in appointing the priests, as the LORD had commanded him.

       (Lev 8:30 NCV)  Moses took some of the special oil and some of the 
       blood which was on the altar, and he sprinkled them on Aaron and 
       Aaron's clothes and on Aaron's sons and their clothes. In this way 
       Moses made Aaron, his clothes, his sons, and their clothes holy for 
       the LORD.

       (Lev 8:31 NCV)  Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons, "I gave you a 
       command, saying, 'Aaron and his sons will eat these things.' So take 
       the meat and basket of bread from the offering for appointing priests. 
       Boil the meat at the door of the Meeting Tent, and eat it there with 
       the bread.

       (Lev 8:32 NCV)  If any of the meat or bread is left, burn it.

       (Lev 8:33 NCV)  The time of appointing will last seven days; you must 
       not go outside the entrance of the Meeting Tent until that time is up. 
       Stay there until the time of your appointing is finished.

       (Lev 8:34 NCV)  The LORD commanded the things that were done today to 
       remove your sins so you will belong to him.

       (Lev 8:35 NCV)  You must stay at the entrance of the Meeting Tent day 
       and night for seven days. If you don't obey the Lord's commands, you 
       will die. The LORD has given me these commands."

       (Lev 8:36 NCV)  So Aaron and his sons did everything the LORD had 
       commanded through Moses.

       (Lev 9:1 NCV)  On the eighth day after the time of appointing, Moses 
       called for Aaron and his sons and for the older leaders of Israel.

       (Lev 9:2 NCV)  He said to Aaron, "Take a bull calf and a male sheep 
       that have nothing wrong with them, and offer them to the LORD. The 





       calf will be a sin offering, and the male sheep will be a whole burnt 
       offering.

       (Lev 9:3 NCV)  Tell the people of Israel, 'Take a male goat for a sin 
       offering and a calf and a lamb for a whole burnt offering; each must 
       be one year old, and it must have nothing wrong with it.

       (Lev 9:4 NCV)  Also take a bull and a male sheep for fellowship 
       offerings, along with a grain offering mixed with oil. Offer all these 
       things to the LORD, because the LORD will appear to you today.'"

       (Lev 9:5 NCV)  So all the people came to the front of the Meeting 
       Tent, bringing the things Moses had commanded them to bring, and they 
       stood before the LORD.

       (Lev 9:6 NCV)  Moses said, "You have done what the LORD commanded, so 
       you will see the Lord's glory."

       (Lev 9:7 NCV)  Then Moses told Aaron, "Go to the altar and offer sin 
       offerings and whole burnt offerings. Do this to remove your sins and 
       the people's sins so you will belong to God. Offer the sacrifices for 
       the people and perform the acts to remove their sins for them so they 
       will belong to the LORD, as the LORD has commanded."

       (Lev 9:8 NCV)  So Aaron went to the altar and killed the bull calf as 
       a sin offering for himself.

       (Lev 9:9 NCV)  Then his sons brought the blood to him, and he dipped 
       his finger in the blood and put it on the corners of the altar. He 
       poured out the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar.

       (Lev 9:10 NCV)  Aaron took the fat, the kidneys, and the best part of 
       the liver from the sin offering and burned them on the altar, in the 
       way the LORD had commanded Moses.

       (Lev 9:11 NCV)  The meat and skin he burned outside the camp.

       (Lev 9:12 NCV)  Then Aaron killed the animal for the whole burnt 
       offering. His sons brought the blood to him, and he sprinkled it on 
       all sides of the altar.

       (Lev 9:13 NCV)  As they gave him the pieces and head of the burnt 
       offering, Aaron burned them on the altar.

       (Lev 9:14 NCV)  He also washed the inner organs and the legs of the 
       burnt offering and burned them on top of the burnt offering on the 
       altar.

       (Lev 9:15 NCV)  Then Aaron brought the offering that was for the 
       people. He took the goat of the people's sin offering and killed it 
       and offered it for the sin offering, just as he had done the first sin 
       offering.

       (Lev 9:16 NCV)  Then Aaron brought the whole burnt offering and 
       offered it in the way that the LORD had commanded.





       (Lev 9:17 NCV)  He also brought the grain offering to the altar. He 
       took a handful of the grain and burned it on the altar, in addition to 
       the morning's burnt offering.

       (Lev 9:18 NCV)  Aaron also killed the bull and the male sheep as the 
       fellowship offerings for the people. His sons brought him the blood, 
       and he sprinkled it on all sides of the altar.

       (Lev 9:19 NCV)  Aaron's sons also brought to Aaron the fat of the bull 
       and the male sheep--the fat tail, the fat covering the inner organs, 
       the kidneys, and the best part of the liver.

       (Lev 9:20 NCV)  Aaron's sons put them on the breasts of the bull and 
       the sheep. Then Aaron burned these fat parts on the altar.

       (Lev 9:21 NCV)  He presented the breasts and the right thigh before 
       the LORD as the priests' share of the offering, as Moses had 
       commanded.

       (Lev 9:22 NCV)  Then Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and 
       blessed them. When he had finished offering the sin offering, the 
       burnt offering, and the fellowship offering, he stepped down from the 
       altar.

       (Lev 9:23 NCV)  Moses and Aaron went into the Meeting Tent. Then they 
       came out and blessed the people, and the Lord's glory came to all the 
       people.

       (Lev 9:24 NCV)  Fire came out from the LORD and burned up the burnt 
       offering and fat on the altar. When the people saw this, they shouted 
       with joy and bowed facedown on the ground.

       (Lev 10:1 NCV)  Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu took their pans for 
       burning incense, put fire in them, and added incense; but they did not 
       use the special fire Moses had commanded them to use in the presence 
       of the LORD.

       (Lev 10:2 NCV)  So fire came down from the LORD and destroyed Nadab 
       and Abihu, and they died in front of the LORD.

       (Lev 10:3 NCV)  Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD was 
       speaking about when he said, 'I must be respected as holy by those who 
       come near me; before all the people I must be given honor.'" So Aaron 
       did not say anything about the death of his sons.

       (Lev 10:4 NCV)  Aaron's uncle Uzziel had two sons named Mishael and 
       Elzaphan. Moses said to them, "Come here and pick up your cousins' 
       bodies. Carry them outside the camp away from the front of the Holy 
       Place."

       (Lev 10:5 NCV)  So Mishael and Elzaphan obeyed Moses and carried the 
       bodies of Nadab and Abihu, still clothed in the special priest's inner 
       robes, outside the camp.

       (Lev 10:6 NCV)  Then Moses said to Aaron and his other sons, Eleazar 
       and Ithamar, "Don't show sadness by tearing your clothes or leaving 





       your hair uncombed. If you do, you will die, and the LORD will be 
       angry with all the people. All the people of Israel, your relatives, 
       may cry loudly about the LORD burning Nadab and Abihu,

       (Lev 10:7 NCV)  but you must not even leave the Meeting Tent. If you 
       go out of the entrance, you will die, because the LORD has appointed 
       you to his service." So Aaron, Eleazar, and Ithamar obeyed Moses.

       (Lev 10:8 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Aaron,

       (Lev 10:9 NCV)  "You and your sons must not drink wine or beer when 
       you go into the Meeting Tent. If you do, you will die. This law will 
       continue from now on.

       (Lev 10:10 NCV)  You must keep what is holy separate from what is not 
       holy; you must keep what is clean separate from what is unclean.

       (Lev 10:11 NCV)  You must teach the people all the laws that the LORD 
       gave to them through Moses."

       (Lev 10:12 NCV)  Moses said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar 
       and Ithamar, "Eat the part of the grain offering that is left from the 
       sacrifices offered by fire to the LORD, but do not add yeast to it. 
       Eat it near the altar because it is most holy.

       (Lev 10:13 NCV)  You must eat it in a holy place, because this part of 
       the offerings made by fire to the LORD belongs to you and your sons. I 
       have been commanded to tell you this.

       (Lev 10:14 NCV)  "Also, you and your sons and daughters may eat the 
       breast and thigh of the fellowship offering that was presented to the 
       LORD. You must eat them in a clean place; they are your share of the 
       fellowship offerings given by the Israelites.

       (Lev 10:15 NCV)  The people must bring the fat from their animals that 
       was part of the offering made by fire, and they must present it to the 
       LORD along with the thigh and the breast of the fellowship offering. 
       They will be the regular share of the offerings for you and your 
       children, as the LORD has commanded."

       (Lev 10:16 NCV)  Moses looked for the goat of the sin offering, but it 
       had already been burned up. So he became very angry with Eleazar and 
       Ithamar, Aaron's remaining sons. He said,

       (Lev 10:17 NCV)  "Why didn't you eat that goat in a holy place? It is 
       most holy, and the LORD gave it to you to take away the guilt of the 
       people, to remove their sins so they will belong to the LORD.

       (Lev 10:18 NCV)  You didn't bring the goat's blood inside the Holy 
       Place. You were supposed to eat the goat in a holy place, as I 
       commanded!"

       (Lev 10:19 NCV)  But Aaron said to Moses, "Today they brought their 
       sin offering and burnt offering before the LORD, but these terrible 
       things have still happened to me! Do you think the LORD would be any 
       happier if I ate the sin offering today?"






       (Lev 10:20 NCV)  When Moses heard this, he was satisfied.

       (Lev 11:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

       (Lev 11:2 NCV)  "Tell the Israelites this: 'These are the land animals 
       you may eat:

       (Lev 11:3 NCV)  You may eat any animal that has split hoofs completely 
       divided and that chews the cud.

       (Lev 11:4 NCV)  "'Some animals only chew the cud or only have split 
       hoofs, and you must not eat them. The camel chews the cud but does not 
       have a split hoof; it is unclean for you.

       (Lev 11:5 NCV)  The rock badger chews the cud but does not have a 
       split hoof; it is unclean for you.

       (Lev 11:6 NCV)  The rabbit chews the cud but does not have a split 
       hoof; it is unclean for you.

       (Lev 11:7 NCV)  Now the pig has a split hoof that is completely 
       divided, but it does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you.

       (Lev 11:8 NCV)  You must not eat the meat from these animals or even 
       touch their dead bodies; they are unclean for you.

       (Lev 11:9 NCV)  "'Of the animals that live in the sea or in a river, 
       if the animal has fins and scales, you may eat it.

       (Lev 11:10 NCV)  But whatever lives in the sea or in a river and does 
       not have fins and scales--including the things that fill the water and 
       all other things that live in it--you should hate.

       (Lev 11:11 NCV)  You must not eat any meat from them or even touch 
       their dead bodies, because you should hate them.

       (Lev 11:12 NCV)  You must hate any animal in the water that does not 
       have fins and scales.

       (Lev 11:13 NCV)  "'Also, these are the birds you are to hate. They are 
       hateful and should not be eaten. You must not eat eagles, vultures, 
       black vultures,

       (Lev 11:14 NCV)  kites, any kind of falcon,

       (Lev 11:15 NCV)  any kind of raven,

       (Lev 11:16 NCV)  horned owls, screech owls, sea gulls, any kind of 
       hawk,

       (Lev 11:17 NCV)  little owls, cormorants, great owls,

       (Lev 11:18 NCV)  white owls, desert owls, ospreys,

       (Lev 11:19 NCV)  storks, any kind of heron, hoopoes, or bats.






       (Lev 11:20 NCV)  "'Don't eat insects that have wings and walk on all 
       four feet; they also are to be hated.

       (Lev 11:21 NCV)  "'But you may eat certain insects that have wings and 
       walk on four feet. You may eat those that have legs with joints above 
       their feet so they can jump.

       (Lev 11:22 NCV)  These are the insects you may eat: all kinds of 
       locusts, winged locusts, crickets, and grasshoppers.

       (Lev 11:23 NCV)  But all other insects that have wings and walk on 
       four feet you are to hate.

       (Lev 11:24 NCV)  Those insects will make you unclean, and anyone who 
       touches the dead body of one of these insects will become unclean 
       until evening.

       (Lev 11:25 NCV)  Anyone who picks up one of these dead insects must 
       wash his clothes and be unclean until evening.

       (Lev 11:26 NCV)  "'Some animals have split hoofs, but the hoofs are 
       not completely divided; others do not chew the cud. They are unclean 
       for you, and anyone who touches the dead body of one of these animals 
       will become unclean.

       (Lev 11:27 NCV)  Of all the animals that walk on four feet, the 
       animals that walk on their paws are unclean for you. Anyone who 
       touches the dead body of one of these animals will become unclean 
       until evening.

       (Lev 11:28 NCV)  Anyone who picks up their dead bodies must wash his 
       clothes and be unclean until evening; these animals are unclean for 
       you.

       (Lev 11:29 NCV)  "'These crawling animals are unclean for you: moles, 
       rats, all kinds of great lizards,

       (Lev 11:30 NCV)  geckos, crocodiles, lizards, sand reptiles, and 
       chameleons.

       (Lev 11:31 NCV)  These crawling animals are unclean for you; anyone 
       who touches their dead bodies will be unclean until evening.

       (Lev 11:32 NCV)  "'If an unclean animal dies and falls on something, 
       that item will also become unclean. This includes anything made from 
       wood, cloth, leather, or rough cloth, regardless of its use. Whatever 
       the animal falls on must be washed with water and be unclean until 
       evening; then it will become clean again.

       (Lev 11:33 NCV)  If the dead, unclean animal falls into a clay bowl, 
       anything in the bowl will become unclean, and you must break the bowl.

       (Lev 11:34 NCV)  If water from the unclean clay bowl gets on any food, 
       that food will become unclean.





       (Lev 11:35 NCV)  If any dead, unclean animal falls on something, it 
       becomes unclean. If it is a clay oven or a clay baking pan, it must be 
       broken into pieces. These things will be unclean; they are unclean for 
       you.

       (Lev 11:36 NCV)  "'A spring or well that collects water will stay 
       clean, but anyone who touches the dead body of any unclean animal will 
       become unclean.

       (Lev 11:37 NCV)  If a dead, unclean animal falls on a seed to be 
       planted, that seed is still clean.

       (Lev 11:38 NCV)  But if you put water on some seeds and a dead, 
       unclean animal falls on them, they are unclean for you.

       (Lev 11:39 NCV)  "'Also, if an animal which you use for food dies, 
       anyone who touches its body will be unclean until evening.

       (Lev 11:40 NCV)  Anyone who eats meat from this animal's dead body 
       must wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. Anyone who picks 
       up the animal's dead body must wash his clothes and be unclean until 
       evening.

       (Lev 11:41 NCV)  "'Every animal that crawls on the ground is to be 
       hated; it must not be eaten.

       (Lev 11:42 NCV)  You must not eat any of the animals that crawl on the 
       ground, including those that crawl on their stomachs, that walk on all 
       four feet, or on many feet. They are to be hated.

       (Lev 11:43 NCV)  Do not make yourself unclean by these animals; you 
       must not become unclean by them.

       (Lev 11:44 NCV)  I am the LORD your God. Keep yourselves holy for me 
       because I am holy. Don't make yourselves unclean with any of these 
       crawling animals.

       (Lev 11:45 NCV)  I am the LORD who brought you out of Egypt to be your 
       God; you must be holy because I am holy.

       (Lev 11:46 NCV)  "'These are the teachings about all of the cattle, 
       birds, and other animals on earth, as well as the animals in the sea 
       and those that crawl on the ground.

       (Lev 11:47 NCV)  These teachings help people know the difference 
       between unclean animals and clean animals; they help people know which 
       animals may be eaten and which ones must not be eaten.'"

       (Lev 12:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Lev 12:2 NCV)  "Tell the people of Israel this: 'If a woman gives 
       birth to a son, she will become unclean for seven days, as she is 
       unclean during her monthly period.

       (Lev 12:3 NCV)  On the eighth day the boy must be circumcised.





       (Lev 12:4 NCV)  Then it will be thirty-three days before she becomes 
       clean from her loss of blood. She must not touch anything that is holy 
       or enter the Holy Tent until her time of cleansing is finished.

       (Lev 12:5 NCV)  But if she gives birth to a daughter, the mother will 
       be unclean for two weeks, as she is unclean during her monthly period. 
       It will be sixty-six days before she becomes clean from her loss of 
       blood.

       (Lev 12:6 NCV)  "'After she has a son or daughter and her days of 
       cleansing are over, the new mother must bring certain sacrifices to 
       the Meeting Tent. She must give the priest at the entrance a year-old 
       lamb for a burnt offering and a dove or young pigeon for a sin 
       offering.

       (Lev 12:7 NCV)  He will offer them before the LORD to make her clean 
       so she will belong to the LORD again; then she will be clean from her 
       loss of blood. These are the teachings for a woman who gives birth to 
       a boy or girl.

       (Lev 12:8 NCV)  "'If she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two 
       doves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and one for a sin 
       offering. In this way the priest will make her clean so she will 
       belong to the LORD again, and she will be clean.'"

       (Lev 13:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

       (Lev 13:2 NCV)  "Someone might have on his skin a swelling or a rash 
       or a bright spot. If the sore looks like a harmful skin disease, the 
       person must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of Aaron's sons, 
       the priests.

       (Lev 13:3 NCV)  The priest must look at the sore on the person's skin. 
       If the hair in the sore has become white, and the sore seems deeper 
       than the person's skin, it is a harmful skin disease. When he has 
       finished looking at the person, the priest must announce that the 
       person is unclean.

       (Lev 13:4 NCV)  "If there is a white spot on a person's skin, but the 
       spot does not seem deeper than the skin, and if the hair from the spot 
       has not turned white, the priest must separate that person from other 
       people for seven days.

       (Lev 13:5 NCV)  On the seventh day the priest must look at the person 
       again. If he sees that the sore has not changed and it has not spread 
       on the skin, the priest must keep the person separated for seven more 
       days.

       (Lev 13:6 NCV)  On the seventh day the priest must look at the person 
       again. If the sore has faded and has not spread on the skin, the 
       priest must announce that the person is clean. The sore is only a 
       rash. The person must wash his clothes, and he will become clean 
       again.

       (Lev 13:7 NCV)  "But if the rash spreads again after the priest has 
       announced him clean, the person must come again to the priest.






       (Lev 13:8 NCV)  The priest must look at him, and if the rash has 
       spread on the skin, the priest must announce that the person is 
       unclean; it is a harmful skin disease.

       (Lev 13:9 NCV)  "If a person has a harmful skin disease, he must be 
       brought to the priest,

       (Lev 13:10 NCV)  and the priest must look at him. If there is a white 
       swelling in the skin, and the hair has become white, and the skin 
       looks raw in the swelling,

       (Lev 13:11 NCV)  it is a harmful skin disease. It is one he has had 
       for a long time. The priest must announce that the person is unclean. 
       He will not need to separate that person from other people, because 
       everyone already knows that the person is unclean.

       (Lev 13:12 NCV)  "If the skin disease spreads all over a person's 
       body, covering his skin from his head to his feet, as far as the 
       priest can see, the priest must look at the person's whole body.

       (Lev 13:13 NCV)  If the priest sees that the disease covers the whole 
       body and has turned all of the person's skin white, he must announce 
       that the person is clean.

       (Lev 13:14 NCV)  "But when the person has an open sore, he is unclean.

       (Lev 13:15 NCV)  When the priest sees the open sore, he must announce 
       that the person is unclean. The open sore is not clean; it is a 
       harmful skin disease.

       (Lev 13:16 NCV)  If the open sore becomes white again, the person must 
       come to the priest.

       (Lev 13:17 NCV)  The priest must look at him, and if the sores have 
       become white, the priest must announce that the person with the sores 
       is clean. Then he will be clean.

       (Lev 13:18 NCV)  "Someone may have a boil on his skin that is healed.

       (Lev 13:19 NCV)  If in the place where the boil was, there is a white 
       swelling or a bright red spot, this place on the skin must be shown to 
       the priest.

       (Lev 13:20 NCV)  And the priest must look at it. If the spot seems 
       deeper than the skin and the hair on it has become white, the priest 
       must announce that the person is unclean. The spot is a harmful skin 
       disease that has broken out from inside the boil.

       (Lev 13:21 NCV)  But if the priest looks at the spot and there are no 
       white hairs in it and the spot is not deeper than the skin and it has 
       faded, the priest must separate the person from other people for seven 
       days.

       (Lev 13:22 NCV)  If the spot spreads on the skin, the priest must 
       announce that the person is unclean; it is a disease that will spread.






       (Lev 13:23 NCV)  But if the bright spot does not spread or change, it 
       is only the scar from the old boil. Then the priest must announce that 
       the person is clean.

       (Lev 13:24 NCV)  "When a person gets a burn on his skin, if the open 
       sore becomes white or red,

       (Lev 13:25 NCV)  the priest must look at it. If the white spot seems 
       deeper than the skin and the hair at that spot has become white, it is 
       a harmful skin disease. The disease has broken out in the burn, and 
       the priest must announce that the person is unclean. It is a harmful 
       skin disease.

       (Lev 13:26 NCV)  But if the priest looks at the spot and there is no 
       white hair in the bright spot, and the spot is no deeper than the skin 
       and has faded, the priest must separate the person from other people 
       for seven days.

       (Lev 13:27 NCV)  On the seventh day the priest must look at him again. 
       If the spot has spread on the skin, the priest must announce that the 
       person is unclean. It is a harmful skin disease.

       (Lev 13:28 NCV)  But if the bright spot has not spread on the skin but 
       has faded, it is the swelling from the burn. The priest must announce 
       that the person is clean, because the spot is only a scar from the 
       burn.

       (Lev 13:29 NCV)  "When a man or a woman gets a sore on the scalp or on 
       the chin,

       (Lev 13:30 NCV)  a priest must look at the sore. If it seems deeper 
       than the skin and the hair around it is thin and yellow, the priest 
       must announce that the person is unclean. It is an itch, a harmful 
       skin disease of the head or chin.

       (Lev 13:31 NCV)  But if the priest looks at it and it does not seem 
       deeper than the skin and there is no black hair in it, the priest must 
       separate the person from other people for seven days.

       (Lev 13:32 NCV)  On the seventh day the priest must look at the sore. 
       If it has not spread, and there are no yellow hairs growing in it, and 
       the sore does not seem deeper than the skin,

       (Lev 13:33 NCV)  the person must shave himself, but he must not shave 
       the sore place. The priest must separate that person from other people 
       for seven more days.

       (Lev 13:34 NCV)  On the seventh day the priest must look at the sore. 
       If it has not spread on the skin and it does not seem deeper than the 
       skin, the priest must announce that the person is clean. So the person 
       must wash his clothes and become clean.

       (Lev 13:35 NCV)  But if the sore spreads on the skin after the person 
       has become clean,





       (Lev 13:36 NCV)  the priest must look at him again. If the sore has 
       spread on the skin, the priest doesn't need to look for the yellowish 
       hair; the person is unclean.

       (Lev 13:37 NCV)  But if the priest thinks the sore has stopped 
       spreading, and black hair is growing in it, the sore has healed. The 
       person is clean, and the priest must announce that he is clean.

       (Lev 13:38 NCV)  "When a man or a woman has white spots on the skin,

       (Lev 13:39 NCV)  a priest must look at them. If the spots on the skin 
       are dull white, the disease is only a harmless rash. That person is 
       clean.

       (Lev 13:40 NCV)  "When anyone loses hair from his head and is bald, he 
       is clean.

       (Lev 13:41 NCV)  If he loses hair from the front of his head and has a 
       bald forehead, he is clean.

       (Lev 13:42 NCV)  But if there is a red-white sore on his bald head or 
       forehead, it is a skin disease breaking out in those places.

       (Lev 13:43 NCV)  A priest must look at that person. If the swelling of 
       the sore on his bald head or forehead is red-white, like a skin 
       disease that spreads,

       (Lev 13:44 NCV)  that person has a skin disease. He is unclean. The 
       priest must announce that the person is unclean because of the sore on 
       his head.

       (Lev 13:45 NCV)  "If a person has a skin disease that spreads, he must 
       warn other people by shouting, 'Unclean, unclean!' His clothes must be 
       torn at the seams, he must let his hair stay uncombed, and he must 
       cover his mouth.

       (Lev 13:46 NCV)  That person will be unclean the whole time he has the 
       disease; he is unclean. He must live alone outside the camp.

       (Lev 13:47 NCV)  "Clothing might have mildew on it. It might be 
       clothing made of linen or wool

       (Lev 13:48 NCV)  (either woven or knitted), or of leather, or 
       something made from leather.

       (Lev 13:49 NCV)  If the mildew in the clothing, leather, or woven or 
       knitted material is green or red, it is a spreading mildew. It must be 
       shown to the priest.

       (Lev 13:50 NCV)  The priest must look at the mildew, and he must put 
       that piece of clothing in a separate place for seven days.

       (Lev 13:51 NCV)  On the seventh day he must look at the mildew again. 
       If the mildew has spread on the cloth (either woven or knitted) or the 
       leather, no matter what the leather was used for, it is a mildew that 
       destroys; it is unclean.






       (Lev 13:52 NCV)  The priest must burn the clothing. It does not matter 
       if it is woven or knitted, wool or linen, or made of leather, because 
       the mildew is spreading. It must be burned.

       (Lev 13:53 NCV)  "If the priest sees that the mildew has not spread in 
       the cloth (either knitted or woven) or leather,

       (Lev 13:54 NCV)  he must order the people to wash that piece of 
       leather or cloth. Then he must separate the clothing for seven more 
       days.

       (Lev 13:55 NCV)  After the piece with the mildew has been washed, the 
       priest must look at it again. If the mildew still looks the same, the 
       piece is unclean, even if the mildew has not spread. You must burn it 
       in fire; it does not matter if the mildew is on one side or the other.

       (Lev 13:56 NCV)  "But when the priest looks at that piece of leather 
       or cloth, the mildew might have faded after the piece has been washed. 
       Then the priest must tear the mildew out of the piece of leather or 
       cloth (either woven or knitted).

       (Lev 13:57 NCV)  But if the mildew comes back to that piece of leather 
       or cloth (either woven or knitted), the mildew is spreading. And 
       whatever has the mildew must be burned with fire.

       (Lev 13:58 NCV)  When the cloth (either woven or knitted) or the 
       leather is washed and the mildew is gone, it must be washed again; 
       then it will be clean.

       (Lev 13:59 NCV)  "These are the teachings about mildew on pieces of 
       cloth (either woven or knitted) or leather, to decide if they are 
       clean or unclean."

       (Lev 14:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Lev 14:2 NCV)  "These are the teachings for the time at which people 
       who had a harmful skin disease are made clean. "The person shall be 
       brought to the priest,

       (Lev 14:3 NCV)  and the priest must go outside the camp and look at 
       the one who had the skin disease. If the skin disease is healed,

       (Lev 14:4 NCV)  the priest will command that two living, clean birds, 
       a piece of cedar wood, a piece of red string, and a hyssop plant be 
       brought for cleansing the person with the skin disease.

       (Lev 14:5 NCV)  "The priest must order one bird to be killed in a clay 
       bowl containing fresh water.

       (Lev 14:6 NCV)  Then he will take the living bird, the piece of cedar 
       wood, the red string, and the hyssop; all these he will dip into the 
       blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water.

       (Lev 14:7 NCV)  The priest will sprinkle the blood seven times on the 
       person being cleansed from the skin disease. He must announce that the 





       person is clean and then go to an open field and let the living bird 
       go free.

       (Lev 14:8 NCV)  "The person to be cleansed must wash his clothes, 
       shave off all his hair, and bathe in water. Then he will be clean and 
       may go into the camp, though he must stay outside his tent for the 
       first seven days.

       (Lev 14:9 NCV)  On the seventh day he must shave off all his hair--the 
       hair from his head, his beard, his eyebrows, and the rest of his hair. 
       He must wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and he will be 
       clean.

       (Lev 14:10 NCV)  "On the eighth day the person who had the skin 
       disease must take two male lambs that have nothing wrong with them and 
       a year-old female lamb that has nothing wrong with it. He must also 
       take six quarts of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering and 
       two-thirds of a pint of olive oil.

       (Lev 14:11 NCV)  The priest who is to announce that the person is 
       clean must bring him and his sacrifices before the LORD at the 
       entrance of the Meeting Tent.

       (Lev 14:12 NCV)  The priest will take one of the male lambs and offer 
       it with the olive oil as a penalty offering; he will present them 
       before the LORD as an offering.

       (Lev 14:13 NCV)  Then he will kill the male lamb in the holy place, 
       where the sin offering and the whole burnt offering are killed. The 
       penalty offering is like the sin offering--it belongs to the priest 
       and it is most holy.

       (Lev 14:14 NCV)  "The priest will take some of the blood of the 
       penalty offering and put it on the bottom of the right ear of the 
       person to be made clean. He will also put some of it on the thumb of 
       the person's right hand and on the big toe of the person's right foot.

       (Lev 14:15 NCV)  Then the priest will take some of the oil and pour it 
       into his own left hand.

       (Lev 14:16 NCV)  He will dip a finger of his right hand into the oil 
       that is in his left hand, and with his finger he will sprinkle some of 
       the oil seven times before the LORD.

       (Lev 14:17 NCV)  The priest will put some oil from his hand on the 
       bottom of the right ear of the person to be made clean, some on the 
       thumb of the person's right hand, and some on the big toe of the 
       person's right foot. The oil will go on these places on top of the 
       blood for the penalty offering.

       (Lev 14:18 NCV)  He will put the rest of the oil that is in his left 
       hand on the head of the person to be made clean. In this way the 
       priest will make that person clean so he can belong to the LORD again.

       (Lev 14:19 NCV)  "Next the priest will offer the sin offering to make 
       that person clean so he can belong to the LORD again. After this the 





       priest will kill the animal for the whole burnt offering,

       (Lev 14:20 NCV)  and he will offer the burnt offering and grain 
       offering on the altar. In this way he will make that person clean so 
       he can belong to the LORD again.

       (Lev 14:21 NCV)  "But if the person is poor and unable to afford these 
       offerings, he must take one male lamb for a penalty offering. It will 
       be presented to the LORD to make him clean so he can belong to the 
       LORD again. The person must also take two quarts of fine flour mixed 
       with oil for a grain offering. He must also take two-thirds of a pint 
       of olive oil

       (Lev 14:22 NCV)  and two doves or two young pigeons, which he can 
       afford. One bird is for a sin offering and the other for a whole burnt 
       offering.

       (Lev 14:23 NCV)  On the eighth day the person will bring them for his 
       cleansing to the priest at the entrance of the Meeting Tent, before 
       the LORD.

       (Lev 14:24 NCV)  The priest will take the lamb for the penalty 
       offering and the oil, and he will present them as an offering before 
       the LORD.

       (Lev 14:25 NCV)  Then he will kill the lamb of the penalty offering, 
       take some of its blood, and put it on the bottom of the right ear of 
       the person to be made clean. The priest will put some of this blood on 
       the thumb of the person's right hand and some on the big toe of the 
       person's right foot.

       (Lev 14:26 NCV)  He will also pour some of the oil into his own left 
       hand.

       (Lev 14:27 NCV)  Then with a finger of his right hand, he will 
       sprinkle some of the oil from his left hand seven times before the 
       LORD.

       (Lev 14:28 NCV)  The priest will take some of the oil from his hand 
       and put it on the bottom of the right ear of the person to be made 
       clean. He will also put some of it on the thumb of the person's right 
       hand and some on the big toe of the person's right foot. The oil will 
       go on these places on top of the blood from the penalty offering.

       (Lev 14:29 NCV)  The priest must put the rest of the oil that is in 
       his hand on the head of the person to be made clean, to make him clean 
       so he can belong to the LORD again.

       (Lev 14:30 NCV)  Then the priest will offer one of the doves or young 
       pigeons, which the person can afford.

       (Lev 14:31 NCV)  He must offer one of the birds for a sin offering and 
       the other for a whole burnt offering, along with the grain offering. 
       In this way the priest will make the person clean so he can belong to 
       the LORD again; he will become clean.





       (Lev 14:32 NCV)  "These are the teachings for making a person clean 
       after he has had a skin disease, if he cannot afford the regular 
       sacrifices for becoming clean."

       (Lev 14:33 NCV)  The LORD also said to Moses and Aaron,

       (Lev 14:34 NCV)  "I am giving the land of Canaan to your people. When 
       they enter that land, if I cause mildew to grow in someone's house in 
       that land,

       (Lev 14:35 NCV)  the owner of that house must come and tell the 
       priest. He should say, 'I have seen something like mildew in my 
       house.'

       (Lev 14:36 NCV)  Then the priest must order the people to empty the 
       house before he goes in to look at the mildew. This is so he will not 
       have to say that everything in the house is unclean. After this, the 
       priest will go in to look at it.

       (Lev 14:37 NCV)  He will look at the mildew, and if the mildew on the 
       walls of the house is green or red and goes into the wall's surface,

       (Lev 14:38 NCV)  he must go out and close up the house for seven days.

       (Lev 14:39 NCV)  On the seventh day the priest must come back and 
       check the house. If the mildew has spread on the walls of the house,

       (Lev 14:40 NCV)  the priest must order the people to tear out the 
       stones with the mildew on them. They should throw them away, at a 
       certain unclean place outside the city.

       (Lev 14:41 NCV)  Then the priest must have all the inside of the house 
       scraped. The people must throw away the plaster they scraped off the 
       walls, at a certain unclean place outside the city.

       (Lev 14:42 NCV)  Then the owner must put new stones in the walls, and 
       he must cover the walls with new clay plaster.

       (Lev 14:43 NCV)  "Suppose a person has taken away the old stones and 
       plaster and put in new stones and plaster. If mildew again appears in 
       his house,

       (Lev 14:44 NCV)  the priest must come back and check the house again. 
       If the mildew has spread in the house, it is a mildew that destroys 
       things; the house is unclean.

       (Lev 14:45 NCV)  Then the owner must tear down the house, remove all 
       its stones, plaster, and wood, and take them to the unclean place 
       outside the city.

       (Lev 14:46 NCV)  Anyone who goes into that house while it is closed up 
       will be unclean until evening.

       (Lev 14:47 NCV)  Anyone who eats in that house or lies down there must 
       wash his clothes.





       (Lev 14:48 NCV)  "Suppose after new stones and plaster have been put 
       in a house, the priest checks it again and the mildew has not spread. 
       Then the priest will announce that the house is clean, because the 
       mildew is gone.

       (Lev 14:49 NCV)  "Then, to make the house clean, the priest must take 
       two birds, a piece of cedar wood, a piece of red string, and a hyssop 
       plant.

       (Lev 14:50 NCV)  He will kill one bird in a clay bowl containing fresh 
       water.

       (Lev 14:51 NCV)  Then he will take the bird that is still alive, the 
       cedar wood, the hyssop, and the red string, and he will dip them into 
       the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water. The priest 
       will sprinkle the blood on the house seven times.

       (Lev 14:52 NCV)  He will use the bird's blood, the fresh water, the 
       live bird, the cedar wood, the hyssop, and the red string to make the 
       house clean.

       (Lev 14:53 NCV)  He will then go to an open field outside the city and 
       let the living bird go free. This is how the priest makes the house 
       clean and ready for service to the LORD."

       (Lev 14:54 NCV)  These are the teachings about any kind of skin 
       disease,

       (Lev 14:55 NCV)  mildew on pieces of cloth or in a house,

       (Lev 14:56 NCV)  swellings, rashes, or bright spots on the skin;

       (Lev 14:57 NCV)  they help people decide when things are unclean and 
       when they are clean. These are the teachings about all these kinds of 
       diseases.

       (Lev 15:1 NCV)  The LORD also said to Moses and Aaron,

       (Lev 15:2 NCV)  "Say to the people of Israel: 'When a fluid comes from 
       a person's body, the fluid is unclean.

       (Lev 15:3 NCV)  It doesn't matter if the fluid flows freely or if it 
       is blocked from flowing; the fluid will make him unclean. This is the 
       way the fluid makes him unclean:

       (Lev 15:4 NCV)  "'If the person who discharges the body fluid lies on 
       a bed, that bed becomes unclean, and everything he sits on becomes 
       unclean.

       (Lev 15:5 NCV)  Anyone who touches his bed must wash his clothes and 
       bathe in water, and the person will be unclean until evening.

       (Lev 15:6 NCV)  Whoever sits on something that the person who 
       discharges the fluid sat on must wash his clothes and bathe in water; 
       he will be unclean until evening.





       (Lev 15:7 NCV)  Anyone who touches the person who discharges the body 
       fluid must wash his clothes and bathe in water; he will be unclean 
       until evening.

       (Lev 15:8 NCV)  "'If the person who discharges the body fluid spits on 
       someone who is clean, that person must wash his clothes and bathe in 
       water; he will be unclean until evening.

       (Lev 15:9 NCV)  Everything on which the person who is unclean sits 
       when riding will become unclean.

       (Lev 15:10 NCV)  Anyone who touches something that was under him will 
       be unclean until evening. And anyone who carries these things must 
       wash his clothes and bathe in water; he will be unclean until evening.

       (Lev 15:11 NCV)  "'If the person who discharges a body fluid has not 
       washed his hands in water and touches another person, that person must 
       wash his clothes and bathe in water; he will be unclean until evening.

       (Lev 15:12 NCV)  "'If a person who discharges a body fluid touches a 
       clay bowl, that bowl must be broken. If he touches a wooden bowl, that 
       bowl must be washed in water.

       (Lev 15:13 NCV)  "'When a person who discharges a body fluid is made 
       clean, he must count seven days for himself for his cleansing. He must 
       wash his clothes and bathe his body in fresh water, and he will be 
       clean.

       (Lev 15:14 NCV)  On the eighth day he must take two doves or two young 
       pigeons before the LORD at the entrance of the Meeting Tent. He will 
       give the two birds to the priest.

       (Lev 15:15 NCV)  The priest will offer the birds, one for a sin 
       offering and the other for a burnt offering. And the priest will make 
       that person clean so he can belong to the LORD again.

       (Lev 15:16 NCV)  "'If semen goes out from a man, he must bathe in 
       water; he will be unclean until evening.

       (Lev 15:17 NCV)  If the fluid gets on any clothing or leather, it must 
       be washed with water; it will be unclean until evening.

       (Lev 15:18 NCV)  "'If a man has sexual relations with a woman and 
       semen comes out, both people must bathe in water; they will be unclean 
       until evening.

       (Lev 15:19 NCV)  "'When a woman has her monthly period, she is unclean 
       for seven days; anyone who touches her will be unclean until evening.

       (Lev 15:20 NCV)  Anything she lies on during this time will be 
       unclean, and everything she sits on during this time will be unclean.

       (Lev 15:21 NCV)  Anyone who touches her bed must wash his clothes and 
       bathe in water; that person will be unclean until evening.

       (Lev 15:22 NCV)  Anyone who touches something she has sat on must wash 





       his clothes and bathe in water; that person will be unclean until 
       evening.

       (Lev 15:23 NCV)  It does not matter if the person touched the woman's 
       bed or something she sat on; he will be unclean until evening.

       (Lev 15:24 NCV)  "'If a man has sexual relations with a woman and her 
       monthly period touches him, he will be unclean for seven days; every 
       bed he lies on will be unclean.

       (Lev 15:25 NCV)  "'If a woman has a loss of blood for many days and it 
       is not during her regular monthly period, or if she continues to have 
       a loss of blood after her regular period, she will be unclean, as she 
       is during her monthly period. She will be unclean for as long as she 
       continues to bleed.

       (Lev 15:26 NCV)  Any bed she lies on during all the time of her 
       bleeding will be like her bed during her regular monthly period. 
       Everything she sits on will be unclean, as during her regular monthly 
       period.

       (Lev 15:27 NCV)  "'Whoever touches those things will be unclean and 
       must wash his clothes and bathe in water; he will be unclean until 
       evening.

       (Lev 15:28 NCV)  When the woman becomes clean from her bleeding, she 
       must wait seven days, and after this she will be clean.

       (Lev 15:29 NCV)  Then on the eighth day she must take two doves or two 
       young pigeons and bring them to the priest at the entrance of the 
       Meeting Tent.

       (Lev 15:30 NCV)  The priest must offer one bird for a sin offering and 
       the other for a whole burnt offering. In this way the priest will make 
       her clean so she can belong to the LORD again.

       (Lev 15:31 NCV)  "'So you must warn the people of Israel to stay 
       separated from things that make them unclean. If you don't warn the 
       people, they might make my Holy Tent unclean, and then they would have 
       to die!'"

       (Lev 15:32 NCV)  These are the teachings for the person who discharges 
       a body fluid and for the man who becomes unclean from semen coming out 
       of his body.

       (Lev 15:33 NCV)  These are the teachings for the woman who becomes 
       unclean from her monthly period, for a man or woman who has a 
       discharge, and for a man who becomes unclean by having sexual 
       relations with a woman who is unclean.

       (Lev 16:1 NCV)  Now two of Aaron's sons had died while offering 
       incense to the LORD, and after that time the LORD spoke to Moses.

       (Lev 16:2 NCV)  The LORD said to him, "Tell your brother Aaron that 
       there are times when he cannot go behind the curtain into the Most 
       Holy Place where the Ark is. If he goes in when I appear in a cloud 





       over the lid on the Ark, he will die.

       (Lev 16:3 NCV)  "This is how Aaron may enter the Most Holy Place: 
       Before he enters, he must offer a bull for a sin offering and a male 
       sheep for a whole burnt offering.

       (Lev 16:4 NCV)  He must put on the holy linen inner robe, with the 
       linen underclothes next to his body. His belt will be the cloth belt, 
       and he will wear the linen turban. These are holy clothes, so he must 
       bathe his body in water before he puts them on.

       (Lev 16:5 NCV)  "Aaron must take from the people of Israel two male 
       goats for a sin offering and one male sheep for a burnt offering.

       (Lev 16:6 NCV)  Then he will offer the bull for the sin offering for 
       himself to remove sins from him and his family so they will belong to 
       the LORD.

       (Lev 16:7 NCV)  "Next Aaron will take the two goats and bring them 
       before the LORD at the entrance to the Meeting Tent.

       (Lev 16:8 NCV)  He will throw lots for the two goats--one will be for 
       the LORD and the other for the goat that removes sin.

       (Lev 16:9 NCV)  Then Aaron will take the goat that was chosen for the 
       LORD by throwing the lot, and he will offer it as a sin offering.

       (Lev 16:10 NCV)  The other goat, which was chosen by lot to remove the 
       sin, must be brought alive before the LORD. The priest will use it to 
       perform the acts that remove Israel's sin so they will belong to the 
       LORD. Then this goat will be sent out into the desert as a goat that 
       removes sin.

       (Lev 16:11 NCV)  "Then Aaron will offer the bull as a sin offering for 
       himself, to remove the sins from him and his family so they will 
       belong to the LORD; he will kill the bull for the sin offering for 
       himself.

       (Lev 16:12 NCV)  Then he must take a pan full of burning coals from 
       the altar before the LORD and two handfuls of sweet incense that has 
       been ground into powder. He must bring it into the room behind the 
       curtain.

       (Lev 16:13 NCV)  He must put the incense on the fire before the LORD 
       so that the cloud of incense will cover the lid on the Ark. Then when 
       Aaron comes in, he will not die.

       (Lev 16:14 NCV)  Also, he must take some of the blood from the bull 
       and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the lid; with his 
       finger he will sprinkle the blood seven times in front of the lid.

       (Lev 16:15 NCV)  "Then Aaron must kill the goat of the sin offering 
       for the people and bring its blood into the room behind the curtain. 
       He must do with the goat's blood as he did with the bull's blood, 
       sprinkling it on the lid and in front of the lid.





       (Lev 16:16 NCV)  Because the people of Israel have been unclean, Aaron 
       will perform the acts to make the Most Holy Place ready for service to 
       the LORD. Then it will be clean from the sins and crimes of the 
       Israelites. He must also do this for the Meeting Tent, because it 
       stays in the middle of unclean people.

       (Lev 16:17 NCV)  When Aaron makes the Most Holy Place ready for 
       service to the LORD, no one is allowed in the Meeting Tent until he 
       comes out. So Aaron will perform the acts to remove sins from himself, 
       his family, and all the people of Israel, so they will belong to the 
       LORD.

       (Lev 16:18 NCV)  Afterward he will go out to the altar that is before 
       the LORD and will make it ready for service to the LORD. Aaron will 
       take some of the bull's blood and some of the goat's blood and put it 
       on the corners of the altar on all sides.

       (Lev 16:19 NCV)  Then, with his finger, he will sprinkle some of the 
       blood on the altar seven times to make the altar holy for the LORD and 
       clean from all the sins of the Israelites.

       (Lev 16:20 NCV)  "When Aaron has finished making the Most Holy Place, 
       the Meeting Tent, and the altar ready for service to the LORD, he will 
       offer the living goat.

       (Lev 16:21 NCV)  He will put both his hands on the head of the living 
       goat, and he will confess over it all the sins and crimes of Israel. 
       In this way Aaron will put the people's sins on the goat's head. Then 
       he will send the goat away into the desert, and a man who has been 
       appointed will lead the goat away.

       (Lev 16:22 NCV)  So the goat will carry on itself all the people's 
       sins to a lonely place in the desert. The man who leads the goat will 
       let it loose there.

       (Lev 16:23 NCV)  "Then Aaron will enter the Meeting Tent and take off 
       the linen clothes he had put on before he went into the Most Holy 
       Place; he must leave these clothes there.

       (Lev 16:24 NCV)  He will bathe his body in water in a holy place and 
       put on his regular clothes. Then he will come out and offer the whole 
       burnt offering for himself and for the people, to remove sins from 
       himself and the people so they will belong to the LORD.

       (Lev 16:25 NCV)  Then he will burn the fat of the sin offering on the 
       altar.

       (Lev 16:26 NCV)  "The person who led the goat, the goat to remove 
       sins, into the desert must wash his clothes and bathe his body in 
       water. After that, he may come back into the camp.

       (Lev 16:27 NCV)  "The bull and the goat for the sin offerings, whose 
       blood was brought into the Most Holy Place to make it ready for 
       service to the LORD, must be taken outside the camp; the animals' 
       skins, bodies, and intestines will be burned in the fire.





       (Lev 16:28 NCV)  Then the one who burns them must wash his clothes and 
       bathe his body in water. After that, he may come back into the camp.

       (Lev 16:29 NCV)  "This law will always continue for you: On the tenth 
       day of the seventh month, you must not eat and you must not do any 
       work. The travelers or foreigners living with you must not work 
       either.

       (Lev 16:30 NCV)  It is on this day that the priests will make you 
       clean so you will belong to the LORD again. All your sins will be 
       removed.

       (Lev 16:31 NCV)  This is a very important day of rest for you, and you 
       must not eat. This law will continue forever.

       (Lev 16:32 NCV)  "The priest appointed to take his father's place, on 
       whom the oil was poured, will perform the acts for making things ready 
       for service to the LORD. He must put on the holy linen clothes

       (Lev 16:33 NCV)  and make the Most Holy Place, the Meeting Tent, and 
       the altar ready for service to the LORD. He must also remove the sins 
       of the priests and all the people of Israel so they will belong to the 
       LORD.

       (Lev 16:34 NCV)  That law for removing the sins of the Israelites so 
       they will belong to the LORD will continue forever. You will do these 
       things once a year." So they did the things the LORD had commanded 
       Moses.

       (Lev 17:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Lev 17:2 NCV)  "Speak to Aaron, his sons, and all the people of 
       Israel. Tell them: 'This is what the LORD has commanded.

       (Lev 17:3 NCV)  If an Israelite kills an ox, a lamb, or a goat either 
       inside the camp or outside it,

       (Lev 17:4 NCV)  when he should have brought the animal to the entrance 
       of the Meeting Tent as a gift to the LORD in front of the Lord's Holy 
       Tent, he is guilty of killing. He has killed, and he must be cut off 
       from the people.

       (Lev 17:5 NCV)  This rule is so people will bring their sacrifices, 
       which they have been sacrificing in the open fields, to the LORD. They 
       must bring those animals to the LORD at the entrance of the Meeting 
       Tent; they must bring them to the priest and offer them as fellowship 
       offerings.

       (Lev 17:6 NCV)  Then the priest will sprinkle the blood from those 
       animals on the Lord's altar near the entrance of the Meeting Tent. And 
       he will burn the fat from those animals on the altar, as a smell 
       pleasing to the LORD.

       (Lev 17:7 NCV)  They must not offer any more sacrifices to their goat 
       idols, which they have chased like prostitutes. These rules will 
       continue for people from now on.'






       (Lev 17:8 NCV)  "Tell the people this: 'If any citizen of Israel or 
       foreigner living with you offers a burnt offering or sacrifice,

       (Lev 17:9 NCV)  that person must take his sacrifice to the entrance of 
       the Meeting Tent to offer it to the LORD. If he does not do this, he 
       must be cut off from the people.

       (Lev 17:10 NCV)  "'I will be against any citizen of Israel or 
       foreigner living with you who eats blood. I will cut off that person 
       from the people.

       (Lev 17:11 NCV)  This is because the life of the body is in the blood, 
       and I have given you rules for pouring that blood on the altar to 
       remove your sins so you will belong to the LORD. It is the blood that 
       removes the sins, because it is life.

       (Lev 17:12 NCV)  So I tell the people of Israel this: "None of you may 
       eat blood, and no foreigner living among you may eat blood."

       (Lev 17:13 NCV)  "'If any citizen of Israel or foreigner living among 
       you catches a wild animal or bird that can be eaten, that person must 
       pour the blood on the ground and cover it with dirt.

       (Lev 17:14 NCV)  If blood is still in the meat, the animal's life is 
       still in it. So I give this command to the people of Israel: "Don't 
       eat meat that still has blood in it, because the animal's life is in 
       its blood. Anyone who eats blood must be cut off."

       (Lev 17:15 NCV)  "'If a person, either a citizen or a foreigner, eats 
       an animal that died by itself or was killed by another animal, he must 
       wash his clothes and bathe in water. He will be unclean until evening; 
       then he will be clean.

       (Lev 17:16 NCV)  If he does not wash his clothes and bathe his body, 
       he will be guilty of sin.'"

       (Lev 18:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Lev 18:2 NCV)  "Tell the people of Israel: 'I am the LORD your God.

       (Lev 18:3 NCV)  In the past you lived in Egypt, but you must not do 
       what was done in that country. And you must not do as they do in the 
       land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their customs.

       (Lev 18:4 NCV)  You must obey my rules and follow them. I am the LORD 
       your God.

       (Lev 18:5 NCV)  Obey my laws and rules; a person who obeys them will 
       live because of them. I am the LORD.

       (Lev 18:6 NCV)  "'You must never have sexual relations with your close 
       relatives. I am the LORD.

       (Lev 18:7 NCV)  "'You must not shame your father by having sexual 
       relations with your mother. She is your mother; do not have sexual 





       relations with her.

       (Lev 18:8 NCV)  You must not have sexual relations with your father's 
       wife; that would shame your father.

       (Lev 18:9 NCV)  "'You must not have sexual relations with your sister, 
       either the daughter of your father or your mother. It doesn't matter 
       if she was born in your house or somewhere else.

       (Lev 18:10 NCV)  "'You must not have sexual relations with your son's 
       daughter or your daughter's daughter; that would bring shame on you.

       (Lev 18:11 NCV)  "'If your father and his wife have a daughter, she is 
       your sister. You must not have sexual relations with her.

       (Lev 18:12 NCV)  "'You must not have sexual relations with your 
       father's sister; she is your father's close relative.

       (Lev 18:13 NCV)  You must not have sexual relations with your mother's 
       sister; she is your mother's close relative.

       (Lev 18:14 NCV)  You must not have sexual relations with the wife of 
       your father's brother, because this would shame him. She is your aunt.

       (Lev 18:15 NCV)  "'You must not have sexual relations with your 
       daughter-in-law; she is your son's wife. Do not have sexual relations 
       with her.

       (Lev 18:16 NCV)  "'You must not have sexual relations with your 
       brother's wife. That would shame your brother.

       (Lev 18:17 NCV)  "'You must not have sexual relations with both a 
       woman and her daughter. And do not have sexual relations with this 
       woman's granddaughter, either the daughter of her son or her daughter; 
       they are her close relatives. It is evil to do this.

       (Lev 18:18 NCV)  "'While your wife is still living, you must not take 
       her sister as another wife. Do not have sexual relations with her.

       (Lev 18:19 NCV)  "'You must not go near a woman to have sexual 
       relations with her during her monthly period, when she is unclean.

       (Lev 18:20 NCV)  "'You must not have sexual relations with your 
       neighbor's wife and make yourself unclean with her.

       (Lev 18:21 NCV)  "'You must not give any of your children to be 
       sacrificed to Molech, because this would show that you do not respect 
       your God. I am the LORD.

       (Lev 18:22 NCV)  "'You must not have sexual relations with a man as 
       you would a woman. That is a hateful sin.

       (Lev 18:23 NCV)  "'You must not have sexual relations with an animal 
       and make yourself unclean with it. Also a woman must not have sexual 
       relations with an animal; it is not natural.





       (Lev 18:24 NCV)  "'Don't make yourself unclean by any of these wrong 
       things. I am forcing nations out of their countries because they did 
       these sins, and I am giving their land to you.

       (Lev 18:25 NCV)  The land has become unclean, and I punished it for 
       its sins, so the land is throwing out those people who live there.

       (Lev 18:26 NCV)  "'You must obey my laws and rules, and you must not 
       do any of these hateful sins. These rules are for the citizens of 
       Israel and for the people who live with you.

       (Lev 18:27 NCV)  The people who lived in the land before you did all 
       these hateful things and made the land unclean.

       (Lev 18:28 NCV)  If you do these things, you will also make the land 
       unclean, and it will throw you out as it threw out the nations before 
       you.

       (Lev 18:29 NCV)  Anyone who does these hateful sins must be cut off 
       from the people.

       (Lev 18:30 NCV)  Keep my command not to do these hateful sins that 
       were done by the people who lived in the land before you. Don't make 
       yourself unclean by doing them. I am the LORD your God.'"

       (Lev 19:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Lev 19:2 NCV)  "Tell all the people of Israel: 'I am the LORD your 
       God. You must be holy because I am holy.

       (Lev 19:3 NCV)  "'You must respect your mother and father, and you 
       must keep my Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.

       (Lev 19:4 NCV)  "'Do not worship idols or make statues or gods for 
       yourselves. I am the LORD your God.

       (Lev 19:5 NCV)  "'When you sacrifice a fellowship offering to the 
       LORD, offer it in such a way that will be accepted.

       (Lev 19:6 NCV)  You may eat it the same day you offer it or on the 
       next day. But if any is left on the third day, you must burn it up.

       (Lev 19:7 NCV)  If any of it is eaten on the third day, it is unclean, 
       and it will not be accepted.

       (Lev 19:8 NCV)  Anyone who eats it then will be guilty of sin, because 
       he did not respect the holy things that belong to the LORD. He must be 
       cut off from the people.

       (Lev 19:9 NCV)  "'When you harvest your crops on your land, do not 
       harvest all the way to the corners of your fields. If grain falls onto 
       the ground, don't gather it up.

       (Lev 19:10 NCV)  Don't pick all the grapes in your vineyards, and 
       don't pick up the grapes that fall to the ground. You must leave those 
       things for poor people and for people traveling through your country. 





       I am the LORD your God.

       (Lev 19:11 NCV)  "'You must not steal. You must not cheat people, and 
       you must not lie to each other.

       (Lev 19:12 NCV)  You must not make a false promise by my name, or you 
       will show that you don't respect your God. I am the LORD.

       (Lev 19:13 NCV)  "'You must not cheat your neighbor or rob him. You 
       must not keep a hired worker's salary all night until morning.

       (Lev 19:14 NCV)  You must not curse a deaf person or put something in 
       front of a blind person to make him fall. But you must respect your 
       God. I am the LORD.

       (Lev 19:15 NCV)  "'Be fair in your judging. You must not show special 
       favor to poor people or great people, but be fair when you judge your 
       neighbor.

       (Lev 19:16 NCV)  You must not spread false stories against other 
       people, and you must not do anything that would put your neighbor's 
       life in danger. I am the LORD.

       (Lev 19:17 NCV)  "'You must not hate your fellow citizen in your 
       heart. If your neighbor does something wrong, tell him about it, or 
       you will be partly to blame.

       (Lev 19:18 NCV)  Forget about the wrong things people do to you, and 
       do not try to get even. Love your neighbor as you love yourself. I am 
       the LORD.

       (Lev 19:19 NCV)  "'Obey my laws. You must not mate two different kinds 
       of cattle or sow your field with two different kinds of seed. You must 
       not wear clothing made from two different kinds of material mixed 
       together.

       (Lev 19:20 NCV)  "'If a man has sexual relations with a slave girl of 
       another man, but this slave girl has not been bought or given her 
       freedom, there must be punishment. But they are not to be put to 
       death, because the woman was not free.

       (Lev 19:21 NCV)  The man must bring a male sheep as his penalty 
       offering to the LORD at the entrance to the Meeting Tent.

       (Lev 19:22 NCV)  The priest will offer the sheep as a penalty offering 
       before the LORD for the man's sin, to remove the sins of the man so he 
       will belong to the LORD. Then he will be forgiven for his sin.

       (Lev 19:23 NCV)  "'In the future, when you enter your country, you 
       will plant many kinds of trees for food. After planting a tree, wait 
       three years before using its fruit.

       (Lev 19:24 NCV)  In the fourth year the fruit from the tree will be 
       the Lord's, a holy offering of praise to him.

       (Lev 19:25 NCV)  Then in the fifth year, you may eat the fruit from 





       the tree. The tree will then produce more fruit for you. I am the LORD 
       your God.

       (Lev 19:26 NCV)  "'You must not eat anything with the blood in it. 
       "'You must not try to tell the future by signs or black magic.

       (Lev 19:27 NCV)  "'You must not cut the hair on the sides of your 
       heads or cut the edges of your beard.

       (Lev 19:28 NCV)  You must not cut your body to show sadness for 
       someone who died or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.

       (Lev 19:29 NCV)  "'Do not dishonor your daughter by making her become 
       a prostitute. If you do this, the country will be filled with all 
       kinds of sin.

       (Lev 19:30 NCV)  "'Obey the laws about Sabbaths, and respect my Most 
       Holy Place. I am the LORD.

       (Lev 19:31 NCV)  "'Do not go to mediums or fortune-tellers for advice, 
       or you will become unclean. I am the LORD your God.

       (Lev 19:32 NCV)  "'Show respect to old people; stand up in their 
       presence. Show respect also to your God. I am the LORD.

       (Lev 19:33 NCV)  "'Do not mistreat foreigners living in your country,

       (Lev 19:34 NCV)  but treat them just as you treat your own citizens. 
       Love foreigners as you love yourselves, because you were foreigners 
       one time in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

       (Lev 19:35 NCV)  "'Do not cheat when you measure the length or weight 
       or amount of something.

       (Lev 19:36 NCV)  Your weights and balances should weigh correctly, 
       with your weighing baskets the right size and your jars holding the 
       right amount of liquid. I am the LORD your God. I brought you out of 
       the land of Egypt.

       (Lev 19:37 NCV)  "'Remember all my laws and rules, and obey them. I am 
       the LORD.'"

       (Lev 20:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Lev 20:2 NCV)  "You must also tell the people of Israel these things: 
       'If a person in your country gives one of his children to Molech, that 
       person must be killed. It doesn't matter if he is a citizen or a 
       foreigner living in Israel; you must throw stones at him and kill him.

       (Lev 20:3 NCV)  I will be against him and cut him off from his people, 
       because he gave his children to Molech. He showed that he did not 
       respect my holy name, and he made my Holy Place unclean.

       (Lev 20:4 NCV)  The people of the community might ignore that person 
       and not kill the one who gave his children to Molech.





       (Lev 20:5 NCV)  But I will be against him and his family, and I will 
       cut him off from his people. I will do this to anyone who follows him 
       in being unfaithful to me by worshiping Molech.

       (Lev 20:6 NCV)  "'I will be against anyone who goes to mediums and 
       fortune-tellers for advice, because that person is being unfaithful to 
       me. So I will cut him off from his people.

       (Lev 20:7 NCV)  "'Be my holy people. Be holy because I am the LORD 
       your God.

       (Lev 20:8 NCV)  Remember and obey my laws. I am the LORD, and I have 
       made you holy.

       (Lev 20:9 NCV)  "'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put 
       to death. He has cursed his father or mother, so he has brought his 
       own death on himself.

       (Lev 20:10 NCV)  "'If a man has sexual relations with his neighbor's 
       wife, both the man and the woman are guilty of adultery and must be 
       put to death.

       (Lev 20:11 NCV)  If a man has sexual relations with his father's wife, 
       he has shamed his father, and both the man and his father's wife must 
       be put to death. They have brought it on themselves.

       (Lev 20:12 NCV)  "'If a man has sexual relations with his 
       daughter-in-law, both of them must be put to death. What they have 
       done is not natural. They have brought their own deaths on themselves.

       (Lev 20:13 NCV)  "'If a man has sexual relations with another man as a 
       man does with a woman, these two men have done a hateful sin. They 
       must be put to death. They have brought it on themselves.

       (Lev 20:14 NCV)  "'If a man has sexual relations with both a woman and 
       her mother, this is evil. The people must burn that man and the two 
       women in fire so that your people will not be evil.

       (Lev 20:15 NCV)  "'If a man has sexual relations with an animal, he 
       must be put to death. You must also kill the animal.

       (Lev 20:16 NCV)  If a woman approaches an animal and has sexual 
       relations with it, you must kill the woman and the animal. They must 
       be put to death. They have brought it on themselves.

       (Lev 20:17 NCV)  "'It is shameful for a brother to marry his sister, 
       the daughter of either his father or his mother, and to have sexual 
       relations with her. In front of everyone they must both be cut off 
       from their people. The man has shamed his sister, and he is guilty of 
       sin.

       (Lev 20:18 NCV)  "'If a man has sexual relations with a woman during 
       her monthly period, both the woman and the man must be cut off from 
       their people. They sinned because they showed the source of her blood.

       (Lev 20:19 NCV)  "'Do not have sexual relations with your mother's 





       sister or your father's sister, because that would shame a close 
       relative. Both of you are guilty of this sin.

       (Lev 20:20 NCV)  "'If a man has sexual relations with his uncle's 
       wife, he has shamed his uncle. That man and his uncle's wife will die 
       without children; they are guilty of sin.

       (Lev 20:21 NCV)  "'It is unclean for a man to marry his brother's 
       wife. That man has shamed his brother, and they will have no children.

       (Lev 20:22 NCV)  "'Remember all my laws and rules, and obey them. I am 
       leading you to your own land, and if you obey my laws and rules, that 
       land will not throw you out.

       (Lev 20:23 NCV)  I am forcing out ahead of you the people who live 
       there. Because they did all these sins, I have hated them. Do not live 
       the way those people lived.

       (Lev 20:24 NCV)  "'I have told you that you will get their land, which 
       I will give to you as your very own; it is a fertile land. I am the 
       LORD your God, and I have set you apart from other people and made you 
       my own.

       (Lev 20:25 NCV)  So you must treat clean animals and birds differently 
       from unclean animals and birds. Do not make yourselves unclean by any 
       of these unclean birds or animals or things that crawl on the ground, 
       which I have made unclean for you.

       (Lev 20:26 NCV)  So you must be holy to me because I, the LORD, am 
       holy, and I have set you apart from other people to be my own.

       (Lev 20:27 NCV)  "'A man or woman who is a medium or a fortune-teller 
       must be put to death. You must stone them to death; they have brought 
       it on themselves.'"

       (Lev 21:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses, "Tell these things to Aaron's 
       sons, the priests: 'A priest must not make himself unclean by touching 
       a dead person.

       (Lev 21:2 NCV)  But if the dead person was one of his close relatives, 
       he may touch him. The priest may make himself unclean if the dead 
       person is his mother or father, son or daughter, brother or

       (Lev 21:3 NCV)  unmarried sister who is close to him because she has 
       no husband. The priest may make himself unclean for her if she dies.

       (Lev 21:4 NCV)  But a priest must not make himself unclean if the dead 
       person was only related to him by marriage.

       (Lev 21:5 NCV)  "'Priests must not shave their heads, or shave off the 
       edges of their beards, or cut their bodies.

       (Lev 21:6 NCV)  They must be holy to their God and show respect for 
       God's name, because they present the offerings made by fire to the 
       LORD, which is the food of their God. So they must be holy.





       (Lev 21:7 NCV)  "'A priest must not marry an unclean prostitute or a 
       divorced woman, because he is holy to his God.

       (Lev 21:8 NCV)  Treat him as holy, because he offers up the food of 
       your God. Think of him as holy; I am the LORD who makes you holy, and 
       I am holy.

       (Lev 21:9 NCV)  "'If a priest's daughter makes herself unclean by 
       becoming a prostitute, she shames her father. She must be burned with 
       fire.

       (Lev 21:10 NCV)  "'The high priest, who was chosen from among his 
       brothers, had the special olive oil poured on his head. He was also 
       appointed to wear the priestly clothes. So he must not show his 
       sadness by letting his hair go uncombed or tearing his clothes.

       (Lev 21:11 NCV)  He must not go into a house where there is a dead 
       body. He must not make himself unclean, even if it is for his own 
       father or mother.

       (Lev 21:12 NCV)  The high priest must not go out of the Holy Place, 
       because if he does and becomes unclean, he will make God's Holy Place 
       unclean. The special oil used in appointing priests was poured on his 
       head to separate him from the rest of the people. I am the LORD.

       (Lev 21:13 NCV)  "'The high priest must marry a woman who is a virgin.

       (Lev 21:14 NCV)  He must not marry a widow, a divorced woman, or a 
       prostitute. He must marry a virgin from his own people

       (Lev 21:15 NCV)  so the people will respect his children as his own. I 
       am the LORD. I have set the high priest apart for his special job.'"

       (Lev 21:16 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Lev 21:17 NCV)  "Tell Aaron: 'If any of your descendants have 
       something wrong with them, they must never come near to offer the 
       special food of their God.

       (Lev 21:18 NCV)  Anyone who has something wrong with him must not come 
       near: blind men, crippled men, men with damaged faces, deformed men,

       (Lev 21:19 NCV)  men with a crippled foot or hand,

       (Lev 21:20 NCV)  hunchbacks, dwarfs, men who have something wrong with 
       their eyes, men who have an itching disease or a skin disease, or men 
       who have damaged sex glands.

       (Lev 21:21 NCV)  "'If one of Aaron's descendants has something wrong 
       with him, he cannot come near to make the offerings made by fire to 
       the LORD. He has something wrong with him; he cannot offer the food of 
       his God.

       (Lev 21:22 NCV)  He may eat the most holy food and also the holy food.

       (Lev 21:23 NCV)  But he may not go through the curtain into the Most 





       Holy Place, and he may not go near the altar, because he has something 
       wrong with him. He must not make my Holy Place unfit. I am the LORD 
       who makes these places holy.'"

       (Lev 21:24 NCV)  So Moses told these things to Aaron, Aaron's sons, 
       and all the people of Israel.

       (Lev 22:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Lev 22:2 NCV)  "Tell Aaron and his sons: 'The people of Israel will 
       give offerings to me. These offerings are holy, and they are mine, so 
       you must respect them to show that you respect my holy name. I am the 
       LORD.

       (Lev 22:3 NCV)  Say to them: If any one of your descendants from now 
       on is unclean and comes near the offerings that the Israelites made 
       holy for me, that person must be cut off from appearing before me. I 
       am the LORD.

       (Lev 22:4 NCV)  "'If one of Aaron's descendants has a harmful skin 
       disease, or if he discharges a body fluid, he cannot eat the holy 
       offerings until he becomes clean. He could also become unclean from 
       touching a dead body, from his own semen,

       (Lev 22:5 NCV)  from touching any unclean crawling animal, or from 
       touching an unclean person (no matter what made the person unclean).

       (Lev 22:6 NCV)  Anyone who touches those things will become unclean 
       until evening. That person must not eat the holy offerings unless he 
       washes with water.

       (Lev 22:7 NCV)  He will be clean only after the sun goes down. Then he 
       may eat the holy offerings; the offerings are his food.

       (Lev 22:8 NCV)  "'If a priest finds an animal that died by itself or 
       that was killed by some other animal, he must not eat it. If he does, 
       he will become unclean. I am the LORD.

       (Lev 22:9 NCV)  "'If the priests keep all the rules I have given, they 
       will not become guilty; if they are careful, they will not die. I am 
       the LORD who has made them holy.

       (Lev 22:10 NCV)  Only people in a priest's family may eat the holy 
       offering. A visitor staying with the priest or a hired worker must not 
       eat it.

       (Lev 22:11 NCV)  But if the priest buys a slave with his own money, 
       that slave may eat the holy offerings; slaves who were born in his 
       house may also eat his food.

       (Lev 22:12 NCV)  If a priest's daughter marries a person who is not a 
       priest, she must not eat any of the holy offerings.

       (Lev 22:13 NCV)  But if the priest's daughter becomes widowed or 
       divorced, with no children to support her, and if she goes back to her 
       father's house where she lived as a child, she may eat some of her 





       father's food. But only people from a priest's family may eat this 
       food.

       (Lev 22:14 NCV)  "'If someone eats some of the holy offering by 
       mistake, that person must pay back the priest for that holy food, 
       adding another one-fifth of the price of that food.

       (Lev 22:15 NCV)  "'When the Israelites give their holy offerings to 
       the LORD, the priest must not treat these holy things as though they 
       were not holy.

       (Lev 22:16 NCV)  The priests must not allow those who are not priests 
       to eat the holy offerings. If they do, they cause the ones who eat the 
       holy offerings to become guilty, and they will have to pay for it. I 
       am the LORD, who makes them holy.'"

       (Lev 22:17 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Lev 22:18 NCV)  "Tell Aaron and his sons and all the people of 
       Israel: 'A citizen of Israel or a foreigner living in Israel might 
       want to bring a whole burnt offering, either for some special promise 
       he has made or for a special gift he wants to give to the LORD.

       (Lev 22:19 NCV)  If he does, he must bring a male animal that has 
       nothing wrong with it--a bull, a sheep, or a goat--so it might be 
       accepted for him.

       (Lev 22:20 NCV)  He must not bring an animal that has something wrong 
       with it, or it will not be accepted for him.

       (Lev 22:21 NCV)  "'If someone brings a fellowship offering to the 
       LORD, either as payment for a special promise the person has made or 
       as a special gift the person wants to give the LORD, it might be from 
       the herd or from the flock. But it must be healthy, with nothing wrong 
       with it, so that it will be accepted.

       (Lev 22:22 NCV)  You must not offer to the LORD any animal that is 
       blind, that has broken bones or is crippled, that has running sores or 
       any sort of skin disease. You must not offer any animals like these on 
       the altar as an offering by fire to the LORD.

       (Lev 22:23 NCV)  "'If an ox or lamb is smaller than normal or is not 
       perfectly formed, you may give it as a special gift to the LORD; it 
       will be accepted. But it will not be accepted as payment for a special 
       promise you have made.

       (Lev 22:24 NCV)  "'If an animal has bruised, crushed, torn, or cut sex 
       glands, you must not offer it to the LORD. You must not do this in 
       your own land,

       (Lev 22:25 NCV)  and you must not take such animals from foreigners as 
       sacrifices to the LORD. Because the animals have been hurt in some way 
       and have something wrong with them, they will not be accepted for 
       you.'"

       (Lev 22:26 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,






       (Lev 22:27 NCV)  "When an ox, a sheep, or a goat is born, it must stay 
       seven days with its mother. But from the eighth day on, this animal 
       will be accepted as a sacrifice by fire to the LORD.

       (Lev 22:28 NCV)  But you must not kill the animal and its mother on 
       the same day, either an ox or a sheep.

       (Lev 22:29 NCV)  "If you want to offer some special offering of thanks 
       to the LORD, you must do it in a way that pleases him.

       (Lev 22:30 NCV)  You must eat the whole animal that same day and not 
       leave any of the meat for the next morning. I am the LORD.

       (Lev 22:31 NCV)  "Remember my commands and obey them; I am the LORD.

       (Lev 22:32 NCV)  Show respect for my holy name. You Israelites must 
       remember that I am holy; I am the LORD, who has made you holy.

       (Lev 22:33 NCV)  I brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the 
       LORD."

       (Lev 23:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Lev 23:2 NCV)  "Tell the people of Israel: 'You will announce the 
       Lord's appointed feasts as holy meetings. These are my special feasts.

       (Lev 23:3 NCV)  "'There are six days for you to work, but the seventh 
       day will be a special day of rest. It is a day for a holy meeting; you 
       must not do any work. It is a Sabbath to the LORD in all your homes.

       (Lev 23:4 NCV)  "'These are the Lord's appointed feasts, the holy 
       meetings, which you will announce at the times set for them.

       (Lev 23:5 NCV)  The Lord's Passover is on the fourteenth day of the 
       first month, beginning at twilight.

       (Lev 23:6 NCV)  The Feast of Unleavened Bread begins on the fifteenth 
       day of the same month. You will eat bread made without yeast for seven 
       days.

       (Lev 23:7 NCV)  On the first day of this feast you will have a holy 
       meeting, and you must not do any work.

       (Lev 23:8 NCV)  For seven days you will bring an offering made by fire 
       to the LORD. There will be a holy meeting on the seventh day, and on 
       that day you must not do any regular work.'"

       (Lev 23:9 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Lev 23:10 NCV)  "Tell the people of Israel: 'You will enter the land 
       I will give you and gather its harvest. At that time you must bring 
       the first bundle of grain from your harvest to the priest.

       (Lev 23:11 NCV)  The priest will present the bundle before the LORD, 
       and it will be accepted for you; he will present the bundle on the day 





       after the Sabbath.

       (Lev 23:12 NCV)  "'On the day when you present the bundle of grain, 
       offer a male lamb, one year old, that has nothing wrong with it, as a 
       burnt offering to the LORD.

       (Lev 23:13 NCV)  You must also offer a grain offering--four quarts of 
       fine flour mixed with olive oil as an offering made by fire to the 
       LORD; its smell will be pleasing to him. You must also offer a quart 
       of wine as a drink offering.

       (Lev 23:14 NCV)  Until the day you bring your offering to your God, do 
       not eat any new grain, roasted grain, or bread made from new grain. 
       This law will always continue for people from now on, wherever you 
       live.

       (Lev 23:15 NCV)  "'Count seven full weeks from the morning after the 
       Sabbath. (This is the Sabbath that you bring the bundle of grain to 
       present as an offering.)

       (Lev 23:16 NCV)  On the fiftieth day, the first day after the seventh 
       week, you will bring a new grain offering to the LORD.

       (Lev 23:17 NCV)  On that day bring two loaves of bread from your homes 
       to be presented as an offering. Use yeast and four quarts of flour to 
       make those loaves of bread; they will be your gift to the LORD from 
       the first wheat of your harvest.

       (Lev 23:18 NCV)  "'Offer with the bread one young bull, two male 
       sheep, and seven male lambs that are one year old and have nothing 
       wrong with them. Offer them with their grain offerings and drink 
       offerings, as a burnt offering to the LORD. They will be an offering 
       made by fire, and the smell will be pleasing to the LORD.

       (Lev 23:19 NCV)  You must also offer one male goat for a sin offering 
       and two male, one-year-old lambs as a fellowship offering.

       (Lev 23:20 NCV)  "'The priest will present the two lambs as an 
       offering before the LORD, along with the bread from the first wheat of 
       the harvest. They are holy to the LORD, and they will belong to the 
       priest.

       (Lev 23:21 NCV)  On that same day you will call a holy meeting; you 
       must not do any work that day. This law will continue for you from now 
       on, wherever you live.

       (Lev 23:22 NCV)  "'When you harvest your crops on your land, do not 
       harvest all the way to the corners of your field. If grain falls onto 
       the ground, don't gather it up. Leave it for poor people and 
       foreigners in your country. I am the LORD your God.'"

       (Lev 23:23 NCV)  Again the LORD said to Moses,

       (Lev 23:24 NCV)  "Tell the people of Israel: 'On the first day of the 
       seventh month you must have a special day of rest, a holy meeting, 
       when you blow the trumpet for a special time of remembering.






       (Lev 23:25 NCV)  Do not do any work, and bring an offering made by 
       fire to the LORD.'"

       (Lev 23:26 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Lev 23:27 NCV)  "The Day of Cleansing will be on the tenth day of the 
       seventh month. There will be a holy meeting, and you will give up 
       eating and bring an offering made by fire to the LORD.

       (Lev 23:28 NCV)  Do not do any work on that day, because it is the Day 
       of Cleansing. On that day the priests will go before the LORD and 
       perform the acts to make you clean so you will belong to the LORD.

       (Lev 23:29 NCV)  "Anyone who refuses to give up food on this day must 
       be cut off from the people.

       (Lev 23:30 NCV)  If anyone works on this day, I will destroy that 
       person from among the people.

       (Lev 23:31 NCV)  You must not do any work at all; this law will 
       continue for people from now on wherever you live.

       (Lev 23:32 NCV)  It will be a special day of rest for you, and you 
       must not eat. You will start this special day of rest on the evening 
       after the ninth day of the month, and it will continue from that 
       evening until the next evening."

       (Lev 23:33 NCV)  Again the LORD said to Moses,

       (Lev 23:34 NCV)  "Tell the people of Israel: 'On the fifteenth day of 
       the seventh month is the Feast of Shelters. This feast to the LORD 
       will continue for seven days.

       (Lev 23:35 NCV)  There will be a holy meeting on the first day; do not 
       do any work.

       (Lev 23:36 NCV)  You will bring an offering made by fire to the LORD 
       each day for seven days. On the eighth day you will have another holy 
       meeting, and you will bring an offering made by fire to the LORD. This 
       will be a holy meeting; do not do any work.

       (Lev 23:37 NCV)  ("'These are the Lord's special feasts, when there 
       will be holy meetings and when you bring offerings made by fire to the 
       LORD. You will bring whole burnt offerings, grain offerings, 
       sacrifices, and drink offerings--each at the right time.

       (Lev 23:38 NCV)  These offerings are in addition to those for the 
       Lord's Sabbath days, in addition to offerings you give as payment for 
       special promises, and in addition to special offerings you want to 
       give to the LORD.)

       (Lev 23:39 NCV)  "'So on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after 
       you have gathered in the crops of the land, celebrate the Lord's 
       festival for seven days. You must rest on the first day and the eighth 
       day.






       (Lev 23:40 NCV)  On the first day you will take good fruit from the 
       fruit trees, as well as branches from palm trees, poplars, and other 
       leafy trees. You will celebrate before the LORD your God for seven 
       days.

       (Lev 23:41 NCV)  Celebrate this festival to the LORD for seven days 
       each year. This law will continue from now on; you will celebrate it 
       in the seventh month.

       (Lev 23:42 NCV)  Live in shelters for seven days. All the people born 
       in Israel must live in shelters

       (Lev 23:43 NCV)  so that all your descendants will know I made Israel 
       live in shelters during the time I brought them out of Egypt. I am the 
       LORD your God.'"

       (Lev 23:44 NCV)  So Moses told the people of Israel about all of the 
       Lord's appointed feast days.

       (Lev 24:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Lev 24:2 NCV)  "Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil 
       from crushed olives. That oil is for the lamps so that these lamps may 
       never go out.

       (Lev 24:3 NCV)  Aaron will keep the lamps burning in the Meeting Tent 
       from evening until morning before the LORD; this is in front of the 
       curtain of the Ark of the Agreement. This law will continue from now 
       on.

       (Lev 24:4 NCV)  Aaron must always keep the lamps burning on the 
       lampstands of pure gold before the LORD.

       (Lev 24:5 NCV)  "Take fine flour and bake twelve loaves of bread with 
       it, using four quarts of flour for each loaf.

       (Lev 24:6 NCV)  Put them in two rows on the golden table before the 
       LORD, six loaves in each row.

       (Lev 24:7 NCV)  Put pure incense on each row as the memorial portion 
       to take the place of the bread. It is an offering made by fire to the 
       LORD.

       (Lev 24:8 NCV)  Every Sabbath day Aaron will put the bread in order 
       before the LORD, as an agreement with the people of Israel that will 
       continue forever.

       (Lev 24:9 NCV)  That bread will belong to Aaron and his sons. They 
       will eat it in a holy place, because it is a most holy part of the 
       offerings made by fire to the LORD. That bread is their share 
       forever."

       (Lev 24:10 NCV)  Now there was a son of an Israelite woman and an 
       Egyptian father who was walking among the Israelites. A fight broke 
       out in the camp between him and an Israelite.






       (Lev 24:11 NCV)  The son of the Israelite woman began cursing and 
       speaking against the LORD, so the people took him to Moses. (The 
       mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Debri from the family of 
       Dan.)

       (Lev 24:12 NCV)  The people held him as a prisoner while they waited 
       for the Lord's command to be made clear to them.

       (Lev 24:13 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Moses,

       (Lev 24:14 NCV)  "Take the one who spoke against me outside the camp. 
       Then all the people who heard him must put their hands on his head, 
       and all the people must throw stones at him and kill him.

       (Lev 24:15 NCV)  Tell the people of Israel this: 'If anyone curses his 
       God, he is guilty of sin.

       (Lev 24:16 NCV)  Anyone who speaks against the LORD must be put to 
       death; all the people must kill him by throwing stones at him. 
       Foreigners must be punished just like the people born in Israel; if 
       they speak against the LORD, they must be put to death.

       (Lev 24:17 NCV)  "'Whoever kills another person must be put to death.

       (Lev 24:18 NCV)  Whoever kills an animal that belongs to another 
       person must give that person another animal to take its place.

       (Lev 24:19 NCV)  And whoever causes an injury to a neighbor must 
       receive the same kind of injury in return:

       (Lev 24:20 NCV)  Broken bone for broken bone, eye for eye, tooth for 
       tooth. Anyone who injures another person must be injured in the same 
       way in return.

       (Lev 24:21 NCV)  Whoever kills another person's animal must give that 
       person another animal to take its place. But whoever kills another 
       person must be put to death.

       (Lev 24:22 NCV)  "'The law will be the same for the foreigner as for 
       those from your own country. I am the LORD your God.'"

       (Lev 24:23 NCV)  Then Moses spoke to the people of Israel, and they 
       took the person who had cursed outside the camp and killed him by 
       throwing stones at him. So the people of Israel did as the LORD had 
       commanded Moses.

       (Lev 25:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses at Mount Sinai,

       (Lev 25:2 NCV)  "Tell the people of Israel this: 'When you enter the 
       land I will give you, let it have a special time of rest, to honor the 
       LORD.

       (Lev 25:3 NCV)  You may plant seed in your field for six years, and 
       you may trim your vineyards for six years and bring in their fruits.





       (Lev 25:4 NCV)  But during the seventh year, you must let the land 
       rest. This will be a special time to honor the LORD. You must not 
       plant seed in your field or trim your vineyards.

       (Lev 25:5 NCV)  You must not cut the crops that grow by themselves 
       after harvest, or gather the grapes from your vines that are not 
       trimmed. The land will have a year of rest.

       (Lev 25:6 NCV)  "'You may eat whatever the land produces during that 
       year of rest. It will be food for your men and women servants, for 
       your hired workers, and for the foreigners living in your country.

       (Lev 25:7 NCV)  It will also be food for your cattle and the wild 
       animals of your land. Whatever the land produces may be eaten.

       (Lev 25:8 NCV)  "'Count off seven groups of seven years, or forty-nine 
       years. During that time there will be seven years of rest for the 
       land.

       (Lev 25:9 NCV)  On the Day of Cleansing, you must blow the horn of a 
       male sheep; this will be on the tenth day of the seventh month. You 
       must blow the horn through the whole country.

       (Lev 25:10 NCV)  Make the fiftieth year a special year, and announce 
       freedom for all the people living in your country. This time will be 
       called Jubilee. You will each go back to your own property, each to 
       your own family and family group.

       (Lev 25:11 NCV)  The fiftieth year will be a special time for you to 
       celebrate. Don't plant seeds, or harvest the crops that grow by 
       themselves, or gather grapes from the vines that are not trimmed.

       (Lev 25:12 NCV)  That year is Jubilee; it will be a holy time for you. 
       You may eat only the crops that come from the field.

       (Lev 25:13 NCV)  In the year of Jubilee you each must go back to your 
       own property.

       (Lev 25:14 NCV)  "'If you sell your land to your neighbor, or if you 
       buy land from your neighbor, don't cheat each other.

       (Lev 25:15 NCV)  If you want to buy your neighbor's land, count the 
       number of years since the last Jubilee, and use that number to decide 
       the right price. If your neighbor sells the land to you, count the 
       number of years left for harvesting crops, and use that number to 
       decide the right price.

       (Lev 25:16 NCV)  If there are many years, the price will be high. But 
       if there are only a few years, lower the price, because your neighbor 
       is really selling only a few crops to you.

       (Lev 25:17 NCV)  You must not cheat each other, but you must respect 
       your God. I am the LORD your God.

       (Lev 25:18 NCV)  "'Remember my laws and rules, and obey them so that 
       you will live safely in the land.






       (Lev 25:19 NCV)  The land will give good crops to you, and you will 
       eat as much as you want and live safely in the land.

       (Lev 25:20 NCV)  "'But you might ask, "If we don't plant seeds or 
       gather crops, what will we eat the seventh year?"

       (Lev 25:21 NCV)  I will send you such a great blessing during the 
       sixth year that the land will produce enough crops for three years.

       (Lev 25:22 NCV)  When you plant in the eighth year, you will still be 
       eating from the old crop; you will eat the old crop until the harvest 
       of the ninth year.

       (Lev 25:23 NCV)  "'The land really belongs to me, so you can't sell it 
       for all time. You are only foreigners and travelers living for a while 
       on my land.

       (Lev 25:24 NCV)  People might sell their land, but it must always be 
       possible for the family to get its land back.

       (Lev 25:25 NCV)  If a person in your country becomes very poor and 
       sells some land, then close relatives must come and buy it back.

       (Lev 25:26 NCV)  If there is not a close relative to buy the land 
       back, but if the person makes enough money to be able to buy it back,

       (Lev 25:27 NCV)  the years must be counted since the land was sold. 
       That number must be used to decide how much the first owner should pay 
       back the one who bought it. Then the land will belong to the first 
       owner again.

       (Lev 25:28 NCV)  But if there is not enough money to buy it back, the 
       one who bought it will keep it until the year of Jubilee. During that 
       celebration, the land will go back to the first owner's family.

       (Lev 25:29 NCV)  "'If someone sells a home in a walled city, for a 
       full year after it is sold, the person has the right to buy it back.

       (Lev 25:30 NCV)  But if the owner does not buy back the house before a 
       full year is over, it will belong to the one who bought it and to his 
       future sons. The house will not go back to the first owner at Jubilee.

       (Lev 25:31 NCV)  But houses in small towns without walls are like open 
       country; they can be bought back, and they must be returned to their 
       first owner at Jubilee.

       (Lev 25:32 NCV)  "'The Levites may always buy back their houses in the 
       cities that belong to them.

       (Lev 25:33 NCV)  If someone buys a house from a Levite, that house in 
       the Levites' city will again belong to the Levites in the Jubilee. 
       This is because houses in Levite cities belong to the people of Levi; 
       the Israelites gave these cities to them.

       (Lev 25:34 NCV)  Also the fields and pastures around the Levites' 





       cities cannot be sold, because those fields belong to the Levites 
       forever.

       (Lev 25:35 NCV)  "'If anyone from your country becomes too poor to 
       support himself, help him to live among you as you would a stranger or 
       foreigner.

       (Lev 25:36 NCV)  Do not charge him any interest on money you loan to 
       him, but respect your God; let the poor live among you.

       (Lev 25:37 NCV)  Don't lend him money for interest, and don't try to 
       make a profit from the food he buys.

       (Lev 25:38 NCV)  I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the 
       land of Egypt to give the land of Canaan to you and to become your 
       God.

       (Lev 25:39 NCV)  "'If anyone from your country becomes very poor and 
       sells himself as a slave to you, you must not make him work like a 
       slave.

       (Lev 25:40 NCV)  He will be like a hired worker and a visitor with you 
       until the year of Jubilee.

       (Lev 25:41 NCV)  Then he may leave you, take his children, and go back 
       to his family and the land of his ancestors.

       (Lev 25:42 NCV)  This is because the Israelites are my servants, and I 
       brought them out of slavery in Egypt. They must not become slaves 
       again.

       (Lev 25:43 NCV)  You must not rule this person cruelly, but you must 
       respect your God.

       (Lev 25:44 NCV)  "'Your men and women slaves must come from other 
       nations around you; from them you may buy slaves.

       (Lev 25:45 NCV)  Also you may buy as slaves children from the families 
       of foreigners living in your land. These child slaves will belong to 
       you,

       (Lev 25:46 NCV)  and you may even pass them on to your children after 
       you die; you can make them slaves forever. But you must not rule 
       cruelly over your own people, the Israelites.

       (Lev 25:47 NCV)  "'Suppose a foreigner or visitor among you becomes 
       rich. If someone in your country becomes so poor that he has to sell 
       himself as a slave to the foreigner living among you or to a member of 
       the foreigner's family,

       (Lev 25:48 NCV)  the poor person has the right to be bought back and 
       become free. One of his relatives may buy him back:

       (Lev 25:49 NCV)  His uncle, his uncle's son, or any one of his close 
       relatives may buy him back. Or, if he gets enough money, he may pay 
       the money to free himself.






       (Lev 25:50 NCV)  "'He and the one who bought him must count the time 
       from when he sold himself up to the next year of Jubilee. Use that 
       number to decide the price, because the person really only hired 
       himself out for a certain number of years.

       (Lev 25:51 NCV)  If there are still many years before the year of 
       Jubilee, the person must pay back a large part of the price.

       (Lev 25:52 NCV)  If there are only a few years left until Jubilee, the 
       person must pay a small part of the first price.

       (Lev 25:53 NCV)  But he will live like a hired person with the 
       foreigner every year; don't let the foreigner rule cruelly over him.

       (Lev 25:54 NCV)  "'Even if no one buys him back, at the year of 
       Jubilee, he and his children will become free.

       (Lev 25:55 NCV)  This is because the people of Israel are servants to 
       me. They are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt. I am the LORD 
       your God.

       (Lev 26:1 NCV)  "'Don't make idols for yourselves or set up statues or 
       memorials. Don't put stone statues in your land to bow down to, 
       because I am the LORD your God.

       (Lev 26:2 NCV)  "'Remember my Sabbaths, and respect my Holy Place. I 
       am the LORD.

       (Lev 26:3 NCV)  "'If you remember my laws and commands and obey them,

       (Lev 26:4 NCV)  I will give you rains at the right season; the land 
       will produce crops, and the trees of the field will produce their 
       fruit.

       (Lev 26:5 NCV)  Your threshing will continue until the grape harvest, 
       and your grape harvest will continue until it is time to plant. Then 
       you will have plenty to eat and live safely in your land.

       (Lev 26:6 NCV)  I will give peace to your country; you will lie down 
       in peace, and no one will make you afraid. I will keep harmful animals 
       out of your country, and armies will not pass through it.

       (Lev 26:7 NCV)  "'You will chase your enemies and defeat them, killing 
       them with your sword.

       (Lev 26:8 NCV)  Five of you will chase a hundred men; a hundred of you 
       will chase ten thousand men. You will defeat your enemies and kill 
       them with your sword.

       (Lev 26:9 NCV)  "'Then I will show kindness to you and let you have 
       many children; I will keep my agreement with you.

       (Lev 26:10 NCV)  You will have enough crops to last for more than a 
       year. When you harvest the new crops, you will have to throw out the 
       old ones to make room for them.






       (Lev 26:11 NCV)  Also I will place my Holy Tent among you, and I will 
       not turn away from you.

       (Lev 26:12 NCV)  I will walk with you and be your God, and you will be 
       my people.

       (Lev 26:13 NCV)  I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, 
       where you were slaves. I broke the heavy weights that were on your 
       shoulders and let you walk proudly again.

       (Lev 26:14 NCV)  "'But if you do not obey me and keep all my commands,

       (Lev 26:15 NCV)  and if you turn away from my rules and hate my laws, 
       refusing to obey all my commands, you have broken our agreement.

       (Lev 26:16 NCV)  As a result, I will do this to you: I will cause 
       terrible things to happen to you. I will cause you to have disease and 
       fever that will destroy your eyes and slowly kill you. You will not 
       have success when you plant your seed, and your enemy will eat your 
       crops.

       (Lev 26:17 NCV)  I will be against you, and your enemies will defeat 
       you. These people who hate you will rule over you, and you will run 
       away even when no one is chasing you.

       (Lev 26:18 NCV)  "'If after all this you still do not obey me, I will 
       punish you seven times more for your sins.

       (Lev 26:19 NCV)  I will break your great pride, and I will make the 
       sky like iron and the earth like bronze.

       (Lev 26:20 NCV)  You will work hard, but it will not help. Your land 
       will not grow any crops, and your trees will not give their fruit.

       (Lev 26:21 NCV)  "'If you still turn against me and refuse to obey me, 
       I will beat you seven times harder. The more you sin, the more you 
       will be punished.

       (Lev 26:22 NCV)  I will send wild animals to attack you, and they will 
       take your children away from you and destroy your cattle. They will 
       make you so few in number the roads will be empty.

       (Lev 26:23 NCV)  "'If you don't learn your lesson after all these 
       things, and if you still turn against me,

       (Lev 26:24 NCV)  I will also turn against you. I will punish you seven 
       more times for your sins.

       (Lev 26:25 NCV)  You broke my agreement, and I will punish you. I will 
       bring armies against you, and if you go into your cities for safety, I 
       will cause diseases to spread among you so that your enemy will defeat 
       you.

       (Lev 26:26 NCV)  There will be very little bread to eat; ten women 
       will be able to cook all your bread in one oven. They will measure 





       each piece of bread, and you will eat, but you will still be hungry.

       (Lev 26:27 NCV)  "'If you still refuse to listen to me and still turn 
       against me,

       (Lev 26:28 NCV)  I will show my great anger; I will punish you seven 
       more times for your sins.

       (Lev 26:29 NCV)  You will eat the bodies of your sons and daughters.

       (Lev 26:30 NCV)  I will destroy your places where gods are worshiped 
       and cut down your incense altars. I will pile your dead bodies on the 
       lifeless forms of your idols. I will hate you.

       (Lev 26:31 NCV)  I will destroy your cities and make your holy places 
       empty, and I will not smell the pleasing smell of your offerings.

       (Lev 26:32 NCV)  I will make the land empty so that your enemies who 
       come to live in it will be shocked at it.

       (Lev 26:33 NCV)  I will scatter you among the nations, and I will pull 
       out my sword and destroy you. Your land will become empty, your cities 
       a waste.

       (Lev 26:34 NCV)  When you are taken to your enemy's country, your land 
       will finally get its rest. It will enjoy its time of rest all the time 
       it lies empty.

       (Lev 26:35 NCV)  During the time the land is empty, it will have the 
       rest you should have given it while you lived in it.

       (Lev 26:36 NCV)  "'Those of you who are left alive will lose their 
       courage in the land of their enemies. They will be frightened by the 
       sound of a leaf being blown by the wind. They will run as if someone 
       were chasing them with a sword, and they will fall even when no one is 
       chasing them.

       (Lev 26:37 NCV)  They will fall over each other, as if someone were 
       chasing them with a sword, even though no one is chasing them. You 
       will not be strong enough to stand up against your enemies.

       (Lev 26:38 NCV)  You will die among other nations and disappear in 
       your enemies' countries.

       (Lev 26:39 NCV)  So those who are left alive will rot away in their 
       enemies' countries because of their sins. They will also rot away 
       because of their ancestors' sins.

       (Lev 26:40 NCV)  "'But maybe the people will confess their sins and 
       the sins of their ancestors; maybe they will admit they turned against 
       me and sinned against me,

       (Lev 26:41 NCV)  which made me turn against them and send them into 
       the land of their enemies. If these disobedient people are sorry for 
       what they did and accept punishment for their sin,





       (Lev 26:42 NCV)  I will remember my agreement with Jacob, my agreement 
       with Isaac, and my agreement with Abraham, and I will remember the 
       land.

       (Lev 26:43 NCV)  The land will be left empty by its people, and it 
       will enjoy its time of rest as it lies bare without them. Then those 
       who are left alive will accept the punishment for their sins. They 
       will learn that they were punished because they hated my laws and 
       refused to obey my rules.

       (Lev 26:44 NCV)  But even though this is true, I will not turn away 
       from them when they are in the land of their enemies. I will not hate 
       them so much that I completely destroy them and break my agreement 
       with them, because I am the LORD their God.

       (Lev 26:45 NCV)  For their good I will remember the agreement with 
       their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt so I could 
       become their God; the other nations saw these things. I am the LORD.'"

       (Lev 26:46 NCV)  These are the laws, rules, and teachings the LORD 
       made between himself and the Israelites through Moses at Mount Sinai.

       (Lev 27:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Lev 27:2 NCV)  "Speak to the people of Israel and tell them: 'If 
       someone makes a special promise to give a person as a servant to the 
       LORD by paying a price that is the same value as that person,

       (Lev 27:3 NCV)  the price for a man twenty to sixty years old is about 
       one and one-fourth pounds of silver. (You must use the measure as set 
       by the Holy Place.)

       (Lev 27:4 NCV)  The price for a woman twenty to sixty years old is 
       about twelve ounces of silver.

       (Lev 27:5 NCV)  The price for a man five to twenty years old is about 
       eight ounces of silver; for a woman it is about four ounces of silver.

       (Lev 27:6 NCV)  The price for a baby boy one month to five years old 
       is about two ounces of silver; for a baby girl the price is about one 
       and one-half ounces of silver.

       (Lev 27:7 NCV)  The price for a man sixty years old or older is about 
       six ounces of silver; for a woman it is about four ounces of silver.

       (Lev 27:8 NCV)  "'If anyone is too poor to pay the price, bring him to 
       the priest, and the priest will set the price. The priest will decide 
       how much money the person making the vow can afford to pay.

       (Lev 27:9 NCV)  "'Some animals may be used as sacrifices to the LORD. 
       If someone promises to bring one of these to the LORD, it will become 
       holy.

       (Lev 27:10 NCV)  That person must not try to put another animal in its 
       place or exchange it, a good animal for a bad one, or a bad animal for 
       a good one. If this happens, both animals will become holy.






       (Lev 27:11 NCV)  "'Unclean animals cannot be offered as sacrifices to 
       the LORD, and if someone brings one of them to the LORD, that animal 
       must be brought to the priest.

       (Lev 27:12 NCV)  The priest will decide a price for the animal, 
       according to whether it is good or bad; as the priest decides, that is 
       the price for the animal.

       (Lev 27:13 NCV)  If the person wants to buy back the animal, an 
       additional one-fifth must be added to the price.

       (Lev 27:14 NCV)  "'If a person gives a house as holy to the LORD, the 
       priest must decide its value, according to whether the house is good 
       or bad; as the priest decides, that is the price for the house.

       (Lev 27:15 NCV)  But if the person who gives the house wants to buy it 
       back, an additional one-fifth must be added to the price. Then the 
       house will belong to that person again.

       (Lev 27:16 NCV)  "'If a person gives some family property to the LORD, 
       the value of the fields will depend on how much seed is needed to 
       plant them. It will cost about one and one-fourth pounds of silver for 
       each six bushels of barley seed needed.

       (Lev 27:17 NCV)  If the person gives a field at the year of Jubilee, 
       its value will stay at what the priest has decided.

       (Lev 27:18 NCV)  But if the person gives the field after the Jubilee, 
       the priest must decide the exact price by counting the number of years 
       to the next year of Jubilee. Then he will subtract that number from 
       its value.

       (Lev 27:19 NCV)  If the person who gave the field wants to buy it 
       back, one-fifth must be added to that price, and the field will belong 
       to the first owner again.

       (Lev 27:20 NCV)  "'If the person does not buy back the field, or if it 
       is sold to someone else, the first person cannot ever buy it back.

       (Lev 27:21 NCV)  When the land is released at the year of Jubilee, it 
       will become holy to the LORD, like land specially given to him. It 
       will become the property of the priests.

       (Lev 27:22 NCV)  "'If someone gives to the LORD a field he has bought, 
       which is not a part of his family land,

       (Lev 27:23 NCV)  the priest must count the years to the next Jubilee. 
       He must decide the price for the land, and the price must be paid on 
       that day. Then that land will be holy to the LORD.

       (Lev 27:24 NCV)  At the year of Jubilee, the land will go back to its 
       first owner, to the family who sold the land.

       (Lev 27:25 NCV)  "'You must use the measure as set by the Holy Place 
       in paying these prices; it weighs two-fifths of an ounce.






       (Lev 27:26 NCV)  "'If an animal is the first one born to its parent, 
       it already belongs to the LORD, so people may not give it again. If it 
       is a cow or a sheep, it is the Lord's.

       (Lev 27:27 NCV)  If the animal is unclean, the person must buy it back 
       for the price set by the priest, and the person must add one-fifth to 
       that price. If it is not bought back, the priest must sell it for the 
       price he had decided.

       (Lev 27:28 NCV)  "'There is a special kind of gift that people set 
       apart to give to the LORD; it may be a person, animal, or field from 
       the family property. That gift cannot be bought back or sold. Every 
       special kind of gift is most holy to the LORD.

       (Lev 27:29 NCV)  "'If anyone is given for the purpose of being 
       destroyed, he cannot be bought back; he must be put to death.

       (Lev 27:30 NCV)  "'One-tenth of all crops belongs to the LORD, 
       including the crops from fields and the fruit from trees. That 
       one-tenth is holy to the LORD.

       (Lev 27:31 NCV)  If a person wants to get back that tenth, one-fifth 
       must be added to its price.

       (Lev 27:32 NCV)  "'The priest will take every tenth animal from a 
       person's herd or flock, and it will be holy to the LORD.

       (Lev 27:33 NCV)  The owner should not pick out the good animals from 
       the bad or exchange one animal for another. If that happens, both 
       animals will become holy; they cannot be bought back.'"

       (Lev 27:34 NCV)  These are the commands the LORD gave to Moses at 
       Mount Sinai for the people of Israel.

       (Num 1:1 NCV)  The LORD spoke to Moses in the Meeting Tent in the 
       Desert of Sinai. This was on the first day of the second month in the 
       second year after the Israelites left Egypt. He said to Moses:

       (Num 1:2 NCV)  "You and Aaron must count all the people of Israel by 
       families and family groups, listing the name of each man.

       (Num 1:3 NCV)  You and Aaron must count every man twenty years old or 
       older who will serve in the army of Israel, and list them by their 
       divisions.

       (Num 1:4 NCV)  One man from each tribe, the leader of his family, will 
       help you.

       (Num 1:5 NCV)  These are the names of the men who will help you: from 
       the tribe of Reuben--Elizur son of Shedeur;

       (Num 1:6 NCV)  from the tribe of Simeon--Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai;

       (Num 1:7 NCV)  from the tribe of Judah--Nahshon son of Amminadab;





       (Num 1:8 NCV)  from the tribe of Issachar--Nethanel son of Zuar;

       (Num 1:9 NCV)  from the tribe of Zebulun--Eliab son of Helon;

       (Num 1:10 NCV)  from the tribe of Ephraim son of Joseph--Elishama son 
       of Ammihud; from the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph--Gamaliel son of 
       Pedahzur;

       (Num 1:11 NCV)  from the tribe of Benjamin--Abidan son of Gideoni;

       (Num 1:12 NCV)  from the tribe of Dan--Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai;

       (Num 1:13 NCV)  from the tribe of Asher--Pagiel son of Ocran;

       (Num 1:14 NCV)  from the tribe of Gad--Eliasaph son of Deuel;

       (Num 1:15 NCV)  from the tribe of Naphtali--Ahira son of Enan."

       (Num 1:16 NCV)  These were the men chosen from the people to be 
       leaders of their tribes, the heads of Israel's family groups.

       (Num 1:17 NCV)  Moses and Aaron took these men who had been picked

       (Num 1:18 NCV)  and called all the people of Israel together on the 
       first day of the second month. Then the people were listed by their 
       families and family groups, and all the men who were twenty years old 
       or older were listed by name.

       (Num 1:19 NCV)  Moses did exactly what the LORD had commanded and 
       listed the people while they were in the Desert of Sinai.

       (Num 1:20 NCV)  The tribe of Reuben, the first son born to Israel, was 
       counted; all the men twenty years old or older who were able to serve 
       in the army were listed by name with their families and family groups.

       (Num 1:21 NCV)  The tribe of Reuben totaled 46,500 men.

       (Num 1:22 NCV)  The tribe of Simeon was counted; all the men twenty 
       years old or older who were able to serve in the army were listed by 
       name with their families and family groups.

       (Num 1:23 NCV)  The tribe of Simeon totaled 59,300 men.

       (Num 1:24 NCV)  The tribe of Gad was counted; all the men twenty years 
       old or older who were able to serve in the army were listed by name 
       with their families and family groups.

       (Num 1:25 NCV)  The tribe of Gad totaled 45,650 men.

       (Num 1:26 NCV)  The tribe of Judah was counted; all the men twenty 
       years old or older who were able to serve in the army were listed by 
       name with their families and family groups.

       (Num 1:27 NCV)  The tribe of Judah totaled 74,600 men.

       (Num 1:28 NCV)  The tribe of Issachar was counted; all the men twenty 





       years old or older who were able to serve in the army were listed by 
       name with their families and family groups.

       (Num 1:29 NCV)  The tribe of Issachar totaled 54,400 men.

       (Num 1:30 NCV)  The tribe of Zebulun was counted; all the men twenty 
       years old or older who were able to serve in the army were listed by 
       name with their families and family groups.

       (Num 1:31 NCV)  The tribe of Zebulun totaled 57,400 men.

       (Num 1:32 NCV)  The tribe of Ephraim, a son of Joseph, was counted; 
       all the men twenty years old or older who were able to serve in the 
       army were listed by name with their families and family groups.

       (Num 1:33 NCV)  The tribe of Ephraim totaled 40,500 men.

       (Num 1:34 NCV)  The tribe of Manasseh, also a son of Joseph, was 
       counted; all the men twenty years old or older who were able to serve 
       in the army were listed by name with their families and family groups.

       (Num 1:35 NCV)  The tribe of Manasseh totaled 32,200 men.

       (Num 1:36 NCV)  The tribe of Benjamin was counted; all the men twenty 
       years old or older who were able to serve in the army were listed by 
       name with their families and family groups.

       (Num 1:37 NCV)  The tribe of Benjamin totaled 35,400 men.

       (Num 1:38 NCV)  The tribe of Dan was counted; all the men twenty years 
       old or older who were able to serve in the army were listed by name 
       with their families and family groups.

       (Num 1:39 NCV)  The tribe of Dan totaled 62,700 men.

       (Num 1:40 NCV)  The tribe of Asher was counted; all the men twenty 
       years old or older who were able to serve in the army were listed by 
       name with their families and family groups.

       (Num 1:41 NCV)  The tribe of Asher totaled 41,500 men.

       (Num 1:42 NCV)  The tribe of Naphtali was counted; all the men twenty 
       years old or older who were able to serve in the army were listed by 
       name with their families and family groups.

       (Num 1:43 NCV)  The tribe of Naphtali totaled 53,400 men.

       (Num 1:44 NCV)  Moses, Aaron, and the twelve leaders of Israel, one 
       from each of the families, counted these men.

       (Num 1:45 NCV)  Every man of Israel twenty years old or older who was 
       able to serve in the army was counted and listed with his family.

       (Num 1:46 NCV)  The total number of men was 603,550.

       (Num 1:47 NCV)  The families from the tribe of Levi were not listed 





       with the others, because

       (Num 1:48 NCV)  the LORD had told Moses:

       (Num 1:49 NCV)  "Do not count the tribe of Levi or include them with 
       the other Israelites.

       (Num 1:50 NCV)  Instead put the Levites in charge of the Holy Tent of 
       the Agreement and everything that is with it. They must carry the Holy 
       Tent and everything in it, and they must take care of it and make 
       their camp around it.

       (Num 1:51 NCV)  Any time the Holy Tent is moved, the Levites must take 
       it down, and any time it is set up, the Levites must do it. Anyone 
       else who goes near the Holy Tent will be put to death.

       (Num 1:52 NCV)  The Israelites will make their camps in separate 
       divisions, each family near its flag.

       (Num 1:53 NCV)  But the Levites must make their camp around the Holy 
       Tent of the Agreement so that I will not be angry with the Israelites. 
       The Levites will take care of the Holy Tent of the Agreement."

       (Num 1:54 NCV)  So the Israelites did everything just as the LORD 
       commanded Moses.

       (Num 2:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses and Aaron:

       (Num 2:2 NCV)  "The Israelites should make their camps around the 
       Meeting Tent, but they should not camp too close to it. They should 
       camp under their family flag and banners."

       (Num 2:3 NCV)  The camp of Judah will be on the east side, where the 
       sun rises, and they will camp by divisions there under their flag. The 
       leader of the people of Judah is Nahshon son of Amminadab.

       (Num 2:4 NCV)  There are 74,600 men in his division.

       (Num 2:5 NCV)  Next to them the tribe of Issachar will camp. The 
       leader of the people of Issachar is Nethanel son of Zuar.

       (Num 2:6 NCV)  There are 54,400 men in his division.

       (Num 2:7 NCV)  Next is the tribe of Zebulun. The leader of the people 
       of Zebulun is Eliab son of Helon.

       (Num 2:8 NCV)  There are 57,400 men in his division.

       (Num 2:9 NCV)  There are a total of 186,400 men in the camps of Judah 
       and its neighbors, in all their divisions. They will be the first to 
       march out of camp.

       (Num 2:10 NCV)  The divisions of the camp of Reuben will be on the 
       south side, where they will camp under their flag. The leader of the 
       people of Reuben is Elizur son of Shedeur.





       (Num 2:11 NCV)  There are 46,500 men in his division.

       (Num 2:12 NCV)  Next to them the tribe of Simeon will camp. The leader 
       of the people of Simeon is Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.

       (Num 2:13 NCV)  There are 59,300 men in his division.

       (Num 2:14 NCV)  Next is the tribe of Gad. The leader of the people of 
       Gad is Eliasaph son of Deuel.

       (Num 2:15 NCV)  There are 45,650 men in his division.

       (Num 2:16 NCV)  There are a total of 151,450 men in the camps of 
       Reuben and its neighbors, in all their divisions. They will be the 
       second group to march out of camp.

       (Num 2:17 NCV)  When the Levites march out with the Meeting Tent, they 
       will be in the middle of the other camps. The tribes will march out in 
       the same order as they camp, each in its place under its flag.

       (Num 2:18 NCV)  The divisions of the camp of Ephraim will be on the 
       west side, where they will camp under their flag. The leader of the 
       people of Ephraim is Elishama son of Ammihud.

       (Num 2:19 NCV)  There are 40,500 men in his division.

       (Num 2:20 NCV)  Next to them the tribe of Manasseh will camp. The 
       leader of the people of Manasseh is Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.

       (Num 2:21 NCV)  There are 32,200 men in his division.

       (Num 2:22 NCV)  Next is the tribe of Benjamin. The leader of the 
       people of Benjamin is Abidan son of Gideoni.

       (Num 2:23 NCV)  There are 35,400 men in his division.

       (Num 2:24 NCV)  There are a total of 108,100 men in the camps of 
       Ephraim and its neighbors, in all their divisions. They will be the 
       third group to march out of camp.

       (Num 2:25 NCV)  The divisions of the camp of Dan will be on the north 
       side, where they will camp under their flag. The leader of the people 
       of Dan is Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.

       (Num 2:26 NCV)  There are 62,700 men in his division.

       (Num 2:27 NCV)  Next to them the tribe of Asher will camp. The leader 
       of the people of Asher is Pagiel son of Ocran.

       (Num 2:28 NCV)  There are 41,500 men in his division.

       (Num 2:29 NCV)  Next is the tribe of Naphtali. The leader of the 
       people of Naphtali is Ahira son of Enan.

       (Num 2:30 NCV)  There are 53,400 men in his division.





       (Num 2:31 NCV)  There are 157,600 men in the camps of Dan and its 
       neighbors. They will be the last to march out of camp, and they will 
       travel under their own flag.

       (Num 2:32 NCV)  These are the Israelites who were counted by families. 
       The total number of Israelites in the camps, counted by divisions, is 
       603,550.

       (Num 2:33 NCV)  Moses obeyed the LORD and did not count the Levites 
       among the other people of Israel.

       (Num 2:34 NCV)  So the Israelites obeyed everything the LORD commanded 
       Moses. They camped under their flags and marched out by families and 
       family groups.

       (Num 3:1 NCV)  This is the family history of Aaron and Moses at the 
       time the LORD talked to Moses on Mount Sinai.

       (Num 3:2 NCV)  Aaron had four sons: Nadab, the oldest, Abihu, Eleazar, 
       and Ithamar.

       (Num 3:3 NCV)  These were the names of Aaron's sons, who were 
       appointed to serve as priests.

       (Num 3:4 NCV)  But Nadab and Abihu died in the presence of the LORD 
       when they offered the wrong kind of fire before the LORD in the Desert 
       of Sinai. They had no sons. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests 
       during the lifetime of their father Aaron.

       (Num 3:5 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Num 3:6 NCV)  "Bring the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the 
       priest to help him.

       (Num 3:7 NCV)  They will help him and all the Israelites at the 
       Meeting Tent, doing the work in the Holy Tent.

       (Num 3:8 NCV)  The Levites must take care of everything in the Meeting 
       Tent and serve the people of Israel by doing the work in the Holy 
       Tent.

       (Num 3:9 NCV)  Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; of all the 
       Israelites, the Levites are given completely to him.

       (Num 3:10 NCV)  Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests, but 
       anyone else who comes near the holy things must be put to death."

       (Num 3:11 NCV)  The LORD also said to Moses,

       (Num 3:12 NCV)  "I am choosing the Levites from all the Israelites to 
       take the place of all the firstborn children of Israel. The Levites 
       will be mine,

       (Num 3:13 NCV)  because the firstborn are mine. When you were in 
       Egypt, I killed all the firstborn children of the Egyptians and took 
       all the firstborn of Israel to be mine, both animals and children. 





       They are mine. I am the LORD."

       (Num 3:14 NCV)  The LORD again said to Moses in the Desert of Sinai,

       (Num 3:15 NCV)  "Count the Levites by families and family groups. 
       Count every male one month old or older."

       (Num 3:16 NCV)  So Moses obeyed the LORD and counted them all.

       (Num 3:17 NCV)  Levi had three sons, whose names were Gershon, Kohath, 
       and Merari.

       (Num 3:18 NCV)  The Gershonite family groups were Libni and Shimei.

       (Num 3:19 NCV)  The Kohathite family groups were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, 
       and Uzziel.

       (Num 3:20 NCV)  The Merarite family groups were Mahli and Mushi. These 
       were the family groups of the Levites.

       (Num 3:21 NCV)  The family groups of Libni and Shimei belonged to 
       Gershon; they were the Gershonite family groups.

       (Num 3:22 NCV)  The number that was counted was 7,500 males one month 
       old or older.

       (Num 3:23 NCV)  The Gershonite family groups camped on the west side, 
       behind the Holy Tent.

       (Num 3:24 NCV)  The leader of the families of Gershon was Eliasaph son 
       of Lael.

       (Num 3:25 NCV)  In the Meeting Tent the Gershonites were in charge of 
       the Holy Tent, its covering, the curtain at the entrance to the 
       Meeting Tent,

       (Num 3:26 NCV)  the curtains in the courtyard, the curtain at the 
       entry to the courtyard around the Holy Tent and the altar, the ropes, 
       and all the work connected with these items.

       (Num 3:27 NCV)  The family groups of Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel 
       belonged to Kohath; they were the Kohathite family groups.

       (Num 3:28 NCV)  They had 8,600 males one month old or older, and they 
       were responsible for taking care of the Holy Place.

       (Num 3:29 NCV)  The Kohathite family groups camped south of the Holy 
       Tent.

       (Num 3:30 NCV)  The leader of the Kohathite families was Elizaphan son 
       of Uzziel.

       (Num 3:31 NCV)  They were responsible for the Ark, the table, the 
       lampstand, the altars, the tools of the Holy Place which they were to 
       use, the curtain, and all the work connected with these items.





       (Num 3:32 NCV)  The main leader of the Levites was Eleazar son of 
       Aaron, the priest, who was in charge of all those responsible for the 
       Holy Place.

       (Num 3:33 NCV)  The family groups of Mahli and Mushi belonged to 
       Merari; they were the Merarite family groups.

       (Num 3:34 NCV)  The number that was counted was 6,200 males one month 
       old or older.

       (Num 3:35 NCV)  The leader of the Merari families was Zuriel son of 
       Abihail, and they were to camp north of the Holy Tent.

       (Num 3:36 NCV)  The Merarites were responsible for the frames of the 
       Holy Tent, the braces, the posts, the bases, and all the work 
       connected with these items.

       (Num 3:37 NCV)  They were also responsible for the posts in the 
       courtyard around the Holy Tent and their bases, tent pegs, and ropes.

       (Num 3:38 NCV)  Moses, Aaron, and his sons camped east of the Holy 
       Tent, toward the sunrise, in front of the Meeting Tent. They were 
       responsible for the Holy Place for the Israelites. Anyone else who 
       came near the Holy Place was to be put to death.

       (Num 3:39 NCV)  Moses and Aaron counted the Levite men by their 
       families, as the LORD commanded, and there were 22,000 males one month 
       old or older.

       (Num 3:40 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses, "Count all the firstborn sons 
       in Israel one month old or older, and list their names.

       (Num 3:41 NCV)  Take the Levites for me instead of the firstborn sons 
       of Israel; take the animals of the Levites instead of the firstborn 
       animals from the rest of Israel. I am the LORD."

       (Num 3:42 NCV)  So Moses did what the LORD commanded and counted all 
       the firstborn sons of the Israelites.

       (Num 3:43 NCV)  When he listed all the firstborn sons one month old or 
       older, there were 22,273 names.

       (Num 3:44 NCV)  The LORD also said to Moses,

       (Num 3:45 NCV)  "Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn sons of 
       the Israelites, and take the animals of the Levites instead of the 
       animals of the other people. The Levites are mine. I am the LORD.

       (Num 3:46 NCV)  Since there are 273 more firstborn sons than Levites,

       (Num 3:47 NCV)  collect two ounces of silver for each of the 273 sons. 
       Use the measure as set by the Holy Place, which is two-fifths of an 
       ounce.

       (Num 3:48 NCV)  Give the silver to Aaron and his sons as the payment 
       for the 273 Israelites."






       (Num 3:49 NCV)  So Moses collected the money for the people the 
       Levites could not replace.

       (Num 3:50 NCV)  From the firstborn of the Israelites, he collected 
       thirty-five pounds of silver, using the measure set by the Holy Place.

       (Num 3:51 NCV)  Moses obeyed the command of the LORD and gave the 
       silver to Aaron and his sons.

       (Num 4:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

       (Num 4:2 NCV)  "Count the Kohathites among the Levites by family 
       groups and families.

       (Num 4:3 NCV)  Count the men from thirty to fifty years old, all who 
       come to serve in the Meeting Tent.

       (Num 4:4 NCV)  "The Kohathites are responsible for the most holy 
       things in the Meeting Tent.

       (Num 4:5 NCV)  When the Israelites are ready to move, Aaron and his 
       sons must go into the Holy Tent, take down the curtain, and cover the 
       Ark of the Agreement with it.

       (Num 4:6 NCV)  Over this they must put a covering made from fine 
       leather, then spread the solid blue cloth over that, and put the poles 
       in place.

       (Num 4:7 NCV)  "Then they must spread a blue cloth over the table for 
       the bread that shows a person is in God's presence. They must put the 
       plates, pans, bowls, and the jars for drink offerings on the table; 
       they must leave the bread that is always there on the table.

       (Num 4:8 NCV)  Then they must put a red cloth over all of these 
       things, cover everything with fine leather, and put the poles in 
       place.

       (Num 4:9 NCV)  "With a blue cloth they must cover the lampstand, its 
       lamps, its wick trimmers, its trays, and all the jars for the oil used 
       in the lamps.

       (Num 4:10 NCV)  Then they must wrap everything in fine leather and put 
       all these things on a frame for carrying them.

       (Num 4:11 NCV)  "They must spread a blue cloth over the gold altar, 
       cover it with fine leather, and put the poles in place.

       (Num 4:12 NCV)  "They must gather all the things used for serving in 
       the Holy Place and wrap them in a blue cloth. Then they must cover 
       that with fine leather and put these things on a frame for carrying 
       them.

       (Num 4:13 NCV)  "They must clean the ashes off the bronze altar and 
       spread a purple cloth over it.





       (Num 4:14 NCV)  They must gather all the things used for serving at 
       the altar--the pans for carrying the fire, the meat forks, the 
       shovels, and the bowls--and put them on the bronze altar. Then they 
       must spread a covering of fine leather over it and put the poles in 
       place.

       (Num 4:15 NCV)  "When the Israelites are ready to move, and when Aaron 
       and his sons have covered the holy furniture and all the holy things, 
       the Kohathites may go in and carry them away. In this way they won't 
       touch the holy things and die. It is the Kohathites' job to carry the 
       things that are in the Meeting Tent.

       (Num 4:16 NCV)  "Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, will be responsible 
       for the Holy Tent and for everything in it, for all the holy things it 
       has: the oil for the lamp, the sweet-smelling incense, the continual 
       grain offering, and the oil used to appoint priests and things to the 
       Lord's service."

       (Num 4:17 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

       (Num 4:18 NCV)  "Don't let the Kohathites be cut off from the Levites.

       (Num 4:19 NCV)  Do this for the Kohathites so that they may go near 
       the Most Holy Place and not die: Aaron and his sons must go in and 
       show each Kohathite what to do and what to carry.

       (Num 4:20 NCV)  The Kohathites must not enter and look at the holy 
       things, even for a second, or they will die."

       (Num 4:21 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Num 4:22 NCV)  "Count the Gershonites by families and family groups.

       (Num 4:23 NCV)  Count the men from thirty to fifty years old, all who 
       have a job to do in the Meeting Tent.

       (Num 4:24 NCV)  "This is what the Gershonite family groups must do and 
       what they must carry.

       (Num 4:25 NCV)  They must carry the curtains of the Holy Tent, the 
       Meeting Tent, its covering, and its outer covering made from fine 
       leather. They must also carry the curtains for the entrance to the 
       Meeting Tent,

       (Num 4:26 NCV)  the curtains of the courtyard that goes around the 
       Holy Tent and the altar, the curtain for the entry to the courtyard, 
       the ropes, and all the things used with the curtains. They must do 
       everything connected with these things.

       (Num 4:27 NCV)  Aaron and his sons are in charge of what the 
       Gershonites do or carry; you tell them what they are responsible for 
       carrying.

       (Num 4:28 NCV)  This is the work of the Gershonite family group at the 
       Meeting Tent. Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest, will direct their 
       work.






       (Num 4:29 NCV)  "Count the Merarite families and family groups.

       (Num 4:30 NCV)  Count the men from thirty to fifty years old, all who 
       work at the Meeting Tent.

       (Num 4:31 NCV)  It is their job to carry the following as they serve 
       in the Meeting Tent: the frames of the Holy Tent, the crossbars, the 
       posts, and bases,

       (Num 4:32 NCV)  in addition to the posts that go around the courtyard, 
       their bases, tent pegs, ropes, and everything that is used with the 
       poles around the courtyard. Tell each man exactly what to carry.

       (Num 4:33 NCV)  This is the work the Merarite family group will do for 
       the Meeting Tent. Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest, will direct their 
       work."

       (Num 4:34 NCV)  Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel counted the 
       Kohathites by families and family groups,

       (Num 4:35 NCV)  the men from thirty to fifty years old who were to 
       work at the Meeting Tent.

       (Num 4:36 NCV)  There were 2,750 men in the family groups.

       (Num 4:37 NCV)  This was the total of the Kohath family groups who 
       worked at the Meeting Tent, whom Moses and Aaron counted as the LORD 
       had commanded Moses.

       (Num 4:38 NCV)  Also, the Gershonites were counted by families and 
       family groups,

       (Num 4:39 NCV)  the men from thirty to fifty years old who were given 
       work at the Meeting Tent.

       (Num 4:40 NCV)  The families and family groups had 2,630 men.

       (Num 4:41 NCV)  This was the total of the Gershon family groups who 
       worked at the Meeting Tent, whom Moses and Aaron counted as the LORD 
       had commanded.

       (Num 4:42 NCV)  Also, the men in the families and family groups of the 
       Merari family were counted,

       (Num 4:43 NCV)  the men from thirty to fifty years old who were to 
       work at the Meeting Tent.

       (Num 4:44 NCV)  The family groups had 3,200 men.

       (Num 4:45 NCV)  This was the total of the Merari family groups, whom 
       Moses and Aaron counted as the LORD had commanded Moses.

       (Num 4:46 NCV)  So Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel counted all 
       the Levites by families and family groups.





       (Num 4:47 NCV)  They counted the men from thirty to fifty who were 
       given work at the Meeting Tent and who carried the Tent.

       (Num 4:48 NCV)  The total number of these men was 8,580.

       (Num 4:49 NCV)  Each man was counted as the LORD had commanded Moses; 
       each man was given his work and told what to carry as the LORD had 
       commanded Moses.

       (Num 5:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Num 5:2 NCV)  "Command the Israelites to send away from camp anyone 
       with a harmful skin disease. Send away anyone who gives off body fluid 
       or who has become unclean by touching a dead body.

       (Num 5:3 NCV)  Send both men and women outside the camp so that they 
       won't spread the disease there, where I am living among you."

       (Num 5:4 NCV)  So Israel obeyed the Lord's command and sent those 
       people outside the camp. They did just as the LORD had told Moses.

       (Num 5:5 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Num 5:6 NCV)  "Tell the Israelites: 'When a man or woman does 
       something wrong to another person, that is really sinning against the 
       LORD. That person is guilty

       (Num 5:7 NCV)  and must admit the wrong that has been done. The person 
       must fully pay for the wrong that has been done, adding one-fifth to 
       it, and giving it to the person who was wronged.

       (Num 5:8 NCV)  But if that person is dead and does not have any close 
       relatives to receive the payment, the one who did wrong owes the LORD 
       and must pay the priest. In addition, the priest must sacrifice a male 
       sheep to remove the wrong so that the person will belong to the LORD.

       (Num 5:9 NCV)  When an Israelite brings a holy gift, it should be 
       given to the priest.

       (Num 5:10 NCV)  No one has to give these holy gifts, but if someone 
       does give them, they belong to the priest.'"

       (Num 5:11 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Moses,

       (Num 5:12 NCV)  "Tell the Israelites: 'A man's wife might be 
       unfaithful to him

       (Num 5:13 NCV)  and have sexual relations with another man. Her sin 
       might be kept hidden from her husband so that he does not know about 
       the wrong she did. Perhaps no one saw it, and she wasn't caught.

       (Num 5:14 NCV)  But if her husband has feelings of jealousy and 
       suspects she has sinned--whether she has or not--

       (Num 5:15 NCV)  he should take her to the priest. The husband must 
       also take an offering for her of two quarts of barley flour. He must 





       not pour oil or incense on it, because this is a grain offering for 
       jealousy, an offering of remembrance. It is to find out if she is 
       guilty.

       (Num 5:16 NCV)  "'The priest will bring in the woman and make her 
       stand before the LORD.

       (Num 5:17 NCV)  He will take some holy water in a clay jar, and he 
       will put some dirt from the floor of the Holy Tent into the water.

       (Num 5:18 NCV)  The priest will make the woman stand before the LORD, 
       and he will loosen her hair. He will hand her the offering of 
       remembrance, the grain offering for jealousy; he will hold the bitter 
       water that brings a curse.

       (Num 5:19 NCV)  The priest will make her take an oath and ask her, 
       "Has another man had sexual relations with you? Have you been 
       unfaithful to your husband? If you haven't, this bitter water that 
       brings a curse won't hurt you.

       (Num 5:20 NCV)  But if you have been unfaithful to your husband and 
       have had sexual relations with a man besides him"--

       (Num 5:21 NCV)  the priest will then put on her the curse that the 
       oath will bring--" the LORD will make the people curse and reject you. 
       He will make your stomach get big, and he will make your body unable 
       to give birth to another baby.

       (Num 5:22 NCV)  This water that brings a curse will go inside you and 
       make your body unable to give birth to another baby." "'The woman must 
       say, "I agree."

       (Num 5:23 NCV)  "'The priest should write these curses on a scroll, 
       wash the words off into the bitter water,

       (Num 5:24 NCV)  and make the woman drink the bitter water that brings 
       a curse. If she is guilty, the water will make her sick.

       (Num 5:25 NCV)  Then the priest will take the grain offering for 
       jealousy from her. He will present it before the LORD and bring it to 
       the altar.

       (Num 5:26 NCV)  He will take a handful of the grain, which is a 
       memorial offering, and burn it on the altar. After that he will make 
       the woman drink the water

       (Num 5:27 NCV)  to see if she is not pure and if she has sinned 
       against her husband. When it goes into her, if her stomach gets big so 
       that she is not able to have another baby, her people will reject her.

       (Num 5:28 NCV)  But if the woman has not sinned, she is pure. She is 
       not guilty, and she will be able to have babies.

       (Num 5:29 NCV)  "'So this is the teaching about jealousy. This is what 
       to do when a woman does wrong and is unfaithful while she is married 
       to her husband.






       (Num 5:30 NCV)  It also should be done if the man gets jealous because 
       he suspects his wife. The priest will have her stand before the LORD, 
       and he will do all these things, just as the teaching commands.

       (Num 5:31 NCV)  In this way the husband can be proven correct, and the 
       woman will suffer if she has done wrong.'"

       (Num 6:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Num 6:2 NCV)  "Tell the Israelites: 'If men or women want to promise 
       to belong to the LORD in a special way, they will be called Nazirites.

       (Num 6:3 NCV)  During this time, they must not drink wine or beer, or 
       vinegar made from wine or beer. They must not even drink grape juice 
       or eat grapes or raisins.

       (Num 6:4 NCV)  While they are Nazirites, they must not eat anything 
       that comes from the grapevine, even the seeds or the skin.

       (Num 6:5 NCV)  "'During the time they have promised to belong to the 
       LORD, they must not cut their hair. They must be holy until this 
       special time is over. They must let their hair grow long.

       (Num 6:6 NCV)  During their special time of belonging to the LORD, 
       Nazirites must not go near a dead body.

       (Num 6:7 NCV)  Even if their own father, mother, brother, or sister 
       dies, they must not touch them, or they will become unclean. They must 
       still keep their promise to belong to God in a special way.

       (Num 6:8 NCV)  While they are Nazirites, they belong to the LORD in a 
       special way.

       (Num 6:9 NCV)  "'If they are next to someone who dies suddenly, their 
       hair, which was part of their promise, has been made unclean. So they 
       must shave their head seven days later to be clean.

       (Num 6:10 NCV)  Then on the eighth day, they must bring two doves or 
       two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance to the Meeting Tent.

       (Num 6:11 NCV)  The priest will offer one as a sin offering and the 
       other as a burnt offering. This removes sin so they will belong to the 
       LORD. (They had sinned because they were near a dead body.) That same 
       day they will again promise to let their hair grow

       (Num 6:12 NCV)  and give themselves to the LORD for another special 
       time. They must bring a male lamb a year old as a penalty offering. 
       The days of the special time before don't count, because they became 
       unclean during their first special time.

       (Num 6:13 NCV)  "'This is the teaching for the Nazirites. When the 
       promised time is over, they must go the entrance of the Meeting Tent

       (Num 6:14 NCV)  and give their offerings to the LORD. They must offer 
       a year-old male lamb that has nothing wrong with it, as a burnt 





       offering, a year-old female lamb that has nothing wrong with it, as a 
       sin offering, and a male sheep that has nothing wrong with it, for a 
       fellowship offering.

       (Num 6:15 NCV)  They must also bring the grain offerings and drink 
       offerings that go with them. And they must bring a basket of bread 
       made without yeast, loaves made with fine flour mixed with oil, and 
       wafers made without yeast spread with oil.

       (Num 6:16 NCV)  "'The priest will give these offerings to the LORD and 
       make the sin offering and the burnt offering.

       (Num 6:17 NCV)  Then he will kill the male sheep as a fellowship 
       offering to the LORD; along with it, he will present the basket of 
       bread made without yeast, the grain offering, and the drink offering.

       (Num 6:18 NCV)  "'The Nazirites must go to the entrance of the Meeting 
       Tent and shave off their hair that they grew for their promise. The 
       hair will be put in the fire that is under the sacrifice of the 
       fellowship offering.

       (Num 6:19 NCV)  "'After the Nazirites cut off their hair, the priest 
       will give them a boiled shoulder from the male sheep. From the basket 
       he will also give a loaf and a wafer, both made without yeast.

       (Num 6:20 NCV)  Then the priest will present them to the LORD. They 
       are holy and belong to the priest. Also, he is to present the breast 
       and the thigh from the male sheep. After that, the Nazirites may drink 
       wine.

       (Num 6:21 NCV)  "'This is the teaching for the Nazirites who make a 
       promise. Everyone who makes the Nazirite promise must give all of 
       these gifts to the LORD. If they promised to do more, they must keep 
       their promise, according to the teaching of the Nazirites.'"

       (Num 6:22 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Num 6:23 NCV)  "Tell Aaron and his sons, 'This is how you should 
       bless the Israelites. Say to them:

       (Num 6:24 NCV)  "May the LORD bless you and keep you.

       (Num 6:25 NCV)  May the LORD show you his kindness and have mercy on 
       you.

       (Num 6:26 NCV)  May the LORD watch over you and give you peace."'

       (Num 6:27 NCV)  "So Aaron and his sons will bless the Israelites with 
       my name, and I will bless them."

       (Num 7:1 NCV)  When Moses finished setting up the Holy Tent, he gave 
       it for service to the LORD by pouring olive oil on the Tent and on 
       everything used in it. He also poured oil on the altar and all its 
       tools to prepare them for service to the LORD.

       (Num 7:2 NCV)  Then the leaders of Israel made offerings. These were 





       the heads of the families, the leaders of each tribe who counted the 
       people.

       (Num 7:3 NCV)  They brought to the LORD six covered carts and twelve 
       oxen--each leader giving an ox, and every two leaders giving a cart. 
       They brought these to the Holy Tent.

       (Num 7:4 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Num 7:5 NCV)  "Accept these gifts from the leaders and use them in 
       the work of the Meeting Tent. Give them to the Levites as they need 
       them."

       (Num 7:6 NCV)  So Moses accepted the carts and the oxen and gave them 
       to the Levites.

       (Num 7:7 NCV)  He gave two carts and four oxen to the Gershonites, 
       which they needed for their work.

       (Num 7:8 NCV)  Then Moses gave four carts and eight oxen to the 
       Merarites, which they needed for their work. Ithamar son of Aaron, the 
       priest, directed the work of all of them.

       (Num 7:9 NCV)  Moses did not give any oxen or carts to the Kohathites, 
       because their job was to carry the holy things on their shoulders.

       (Num 7:10 NCV)  When the oil was poured on the altar, the leaders 
       brought their offerings to it to give it to the Lord's service; they 
       presented them in front of the altar.

       (Num 7:11 NCV)  The LORD told Moses, "Each day one leader must bring 
       his gift to make the altar ready for service to me."

       (Num 7:12 NCV)  On the first day Nahshon son of Amminadab brought his 
       gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Judah.

       (Num 7:13 NCV)  His gift was one silver plate that weighed about three 
       and one-fourth pounds, and one silver bowl that weighed about one and 
       three-fourths pounds. These weights were set by the Holy Place 
       measure. The bowl and the plate were filled with fine flour mixed with 
       oil for a grain offering.

       (Num 7:14 NCV)  He also brought a large gold dish that weighed about 
       four ounces and was filled with incense.

       (Num 7:15 NCV)  In addition, he brought one young bull, one male 
       sheep, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering;

       (Num 7:16 NCV)  one male goat for a sin offering;

       (Num 7:17 NCV)  and two oxen, five male sheep, five male goats, and 
       five male lambs a year old for a fellowship offering. This was the 
       gift of Nahshon son of Amminadab.

       (Num 7:18 NCV)  On the second day Nethanel son of Zuar brought his 
       gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Issachar.






       (Num 7:19 NCV)  His gift was one silver plate that weighed about three 
       and one-fourth pounds, and one silver bowl that weighed about one and 
       three-fourths pounds. These weights were set by the Holy Place 
       measure. The bowl and the plate were filled with fine flour mixed with 
       oil for a grain offering.

       (Num 7:20 NCV)  He also brought a large gold dish that weighed about 
       four ounces and was filled with incense.

       (Num 7:21 NCV)  In addition, he brought one young bull, one male 
       sheep, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering;

       (Num 7:22 NCV)  one male goat for a sin offering;

       (Num 7:23 NCV)  and two oxen, five male sheep, five male goats, and 
       five male lambs a year old for a fellowship offering. This was the 
       gift of Nethanel son of Zuar.

       (Num 7:24 NCV)  On the third day Eliab son of Helon brought his gifts. 
       He was the leader of the tribe of Zebulun.

       (Num 7:25 NCV)  His gift was one silver plate that weighed about three 
       and one-fourth pounds, and one silver bowl that weighed about one and 
       three-fourths pounds. These weights were set by the Holy Place 
       measure. The bowl and the plate were filled with fine flour mixed with 
       oil for a grain offering.

       (Num 7:26 NCV)  He also brought a large gold dish that weighed about 
       four ounces and was filled with incense.

       (Num 7:27 NCV)  In addition, he brought one young bull, one male 
       sheep, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering;

       (Num 7:28 NCV)  one male goat for a sin offering;

       (Num 7:29 NCV)  and two oxen, five male sheep, five male goats, and 
       five male lambs a year old for a fellowship offering. This was the 
       gift of Eliab son of Helon.

       (Num 7:30 NCV)  On the fourth day Elizur son of Shedeur brought his 
       gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Reuben.

       (Num 7:31 NCV)  His gift was one silver plate that weighed about three 
       and one-fourth pounds, and one silver bowl that weighed about one and 
       three-fourths pounds. These weights were set by the Holy Place 
       measure. The bowl and the plate were filled with fine flour mixed with 
       oil for a grain offering.

       (Num 7:32 NCV)  He also brought a large gold dish that weighed about 
       four ounces and was filled with incense.

       (Num 7:33 NCV)  In addition, he brought one young bull, one male 
       sheep, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering;

       (Num 7:34 NCV)  one male goat for a sin offering;






       (Num 7:35 NCV)  and two oxen, five male sheep, five male goats, and 
       five male lambs a year old for a fellowship offering. This was the 
       gift of Elizur son of Shedeur.

       (Num 7:36 NCV)  On the fifth day Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai brought 
       his gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Simeon.

       (Num 7:37 NCV)  His gift was one silver plate that weighed about three 
       and one-fourth pounds, and one silver bowl that weighed about one and 
       three-fourths pounds. These weights were set by the Holy Place 
       measure. The bowl and the plate were filled with fine flour mixed with 
       oil for a grain offering.

       (Num 7:38 NCV)  He also brought a large gold dish that weighed about 
       four ounces and was filled with incense.

       (Num 7:39 NCV)  In addition, he brought one young bull, one male 
       sheep, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering;

       (Num 7:40 NCV)  one male goat for a sin offering;

       (Num 7:41 NCV)  and two oxen, five male sheep, five male goats, and 
       five male lambs a year old for a fellowship offering. This was the 
       gift of Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.

       (Num 7:42 NCV)  On the sixth day Eliasaph son of Deuel brought his 
       gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Gad.

       (Num 7:43 NCV)  His gift was one silver plate that weighed about three 
       and one-fourth pounds, and one silver bowl that weighed about one and 
       three-fourths pounds. These weights were set by the Holy Place 
       measure. The bowl and the plate were filled with fine flour mixed with 
       oil for a grain offering.

       (Num 7:44 NCV)  He also brought a large gold dish that weighed about 
       four ounces and was filled with incense.

       (Num 7:45 NCV)  In addition, he brought one young bull, one male 
       sheep, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering;

       (Num 7:46 NCV)  one male goat for a sin offering;

       (Num 7:47 NCV)  and two oxen, five male sheep, five male goats, and 
       five male lambs a year old for a fellowship offering. This was the 
       gift of Eliasaph son of Deuel.

       (Num 7:48 NCV)  On the seventh day Elishama son of Ammihud brought his 
       gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Ephraim.

       (Num 7:49 NCV)  His gift was one silver plate that weighed about three 
       and one-fourth pounds, and one silver bowl that weighed about one and 
       three-fourths pounds. These weights were set by the Holy Place 
       measure. The bowl and the plate were filled with fine flour mixed with 
       oil for a grain offering.





       (Num 7:50 NCV)  He also brought a large gold dish that weighed about 
       four ounces and was filled with incense.

       (Num 7:51 NCV)  In addition, he brought one young bull, one male 
       sheep, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering;

       (Num 7:52 NCV)  one male goat for a sin offering;

       (Num 7:53 NCV)  and two oxen, five male sheep, five male goats, and 
       five male lambs a year old for a fellowship offering. This was the 
       gift of Elishama son of Ammihud.

       (Num 7:54 NCV)  On the eighth day Gamaliel son of Pedahzur brought his 
       gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Manasseh.

       (Num 7:55 NCV)  His gift was one silver plate that weighed about three 
       and one-fourth pounds, and one silver bowl that weighed about one and 
       three-fourths pounds. These weights were set by the Holy Place 
       measure. The bowl and the plate were filled with fine flour mixed with 
       oil for a grain offering.

       (Num 7:56 NCV)  He also brought a large gold dish that weighed about 
       four ounces and was filled with incense.

       (Num 7:57 NCV)  In addition, he brought one young bull, one male 
       sheep, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering;

       (Num 7:58 NCV)  one male goat for a sin offering;

       (Num 7:59 NCV)  and two oxen, five male sheep, five male goats, and 
       five male lambs a year old for a fellowship offering. This was the 
       gift of Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.

       (Num 7:60 NCV)  On the ninth day Abidan son of Gideoni brought his 
       gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Benjamin.

       (Num 7:61 NCV)  His gift was one silver plate that weighed about three 
       and one-fourth pounds, and one silver bowl that weighed about one and 
       three-fourths pounds. These weights were set by the Holy Place 
       measure. The bowl and the plate were filled with fine flour mixed with 
       oil for a grain offering.

       (Num 7:62 NCV)  He also brought a large gold dish that weighed about 
       four ounces and was filled with incense.

       (Num 7:63 NCV)  In addition, he brought one young bull, one male 
       sheep, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering;

       (Num 7:64 NCV)  one male goat for a sin offering;

       (Num 7:65 NCV)  and two oxen, five male sheep, five male goats, and 
       five male lambs a year old for a fellowship offering. This was the 
       gift of Abidan son of Gideoni.

       (Num 7:66 NCV)  On the tenth day Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai brought 
       his gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Dan.






       (Num 7:67 NCV)  His gift was one silver plate that weighed about three 
       and one-fourth pounds, and one silver bowl that weighed about one and 
       three-fourths pounds. These weights were set by the Holy Place 
       measure. The bowl and the plate were filled with fine flour mixed with 
       oil for a grain offering.

       (Num 7:68 NCV)  He also brought a large gold dish that weighed about 
       four ounces and was filled with incense.

       (Num 7:69 NCV)  In addition, he brought one young bull, one male 
       sheep, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering;

       (Num 7:70 NCV)  one male goat for a sin offering;

       (Num 7:71 NCV)  and two oxen, five male sheep, five male goats, and 
       five male lambs a year old for a fellowship offering. This was the 
       gift of Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.

       (Num 7:72 NCV)  On the eleventh day Pagiel son of Ocran brought his 
       gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Asher.

       (Num 7:73 NCV)  His gift was one silver plate that weighed about three 
       and one-fourth pounds, and one silver bowl that weighed about one and 
       three-fourths pounds. These weights were set by the Holy Place 
       measure. The bowl and the plate were filled with fine flour mixed with 
       oil for a grain offering.

       (Num 7:74 NCV)  He also brought a large gold dish that weighed about 
       four ounces and was filled with incense.

       (Num 7:75 NCV)  In addition, he brought one young bull, one male 
       sheep, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering;

       (Num 7:76 NCV)  one male goat for a sin offering;

       (Num 7:77 NCV)  and two oxen, five male sheep, five male goats, and 
       five male lambs a year old for a fellowship offering. This was the 
       gift of Pagiel son of Ocran.

       (Num 7:78 NCV)  On the twelfth day Ahira son of Enan brought his 
       gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Naphtali.

       (Num 7:79 NCV)  His gift was one silver plate that weighed about three 
       and one-fourth pounds, and one silver bowl that weighed about one and 
       three-fourths pounds. These weights were set by the Holy Place 
       measure. The bowl and the plate were filled with fine flour mixed with 
       oil for a grain offering.

       (Num 7:80 NCV)  He also brought a large gold dish that weighed about 
       four ounces and was filled with incense.

       (Num 7:81 NCV)  In addition, he brought one young bull, one male 
       sheep, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering;

       (Num 7:82 NCV)  one male goat for a sin offering;






       (Num 7:83 NCV)  and two oxen, five male sheep, five male goats, and 
       five male lambs a year old for a fellowship offering. This was the 
       gift of Ahira son of Enan.

       (Num 7:84 NCV)  So these were the gifts from the Israelite leaders 
       when oil was poured on the altar and it was given for service to the 
       LORD: twelve silver plates, twelve silver bowls, and twelve gold 
       dishes.

       (Num 7:85 NCV)  Each silver plate weighed about three and one-fourth 
       pounds, and each bowl weighed about one and three-fourths pounds. All 
       the silver plates and silver bowls together weighed about sixty pounds 
       according to a weight set by the Holy Place measure.

       (Num 7:86 NCV)  The twelve gold dishes filled with incense weighed 
       four ounces each, according to the weight set by the Holy Place 
       measure. Together the gold dishes weighed about three pounds.

       (Num 7:87 NCV)  The total number of animals for the burnt offering was 
       twelve bulls, twelve male sheep, and twelve male lambs a year old. 
       There was also a grain offering, and there were twelve male goats for 
       a sin offering.

       (Num 7:88 NCV)  The total number of animals for the fellowship 
       offering was twenty-four bulls, sixty male sheep, sixty male goats, 
       and sixty male lambs a year old. All these offerings were for giving 
       the altar to the service of the LORD after the oil had been poured on 
       it.

       (Num 7:89 NCV)  When Moses went into the Meeting Tent to speak with 
       the LORD, he heard the LORD speaking to him. The voice was coming from 
       between the two gold creatures with wings that were above the lid of 
       the Ark of the Agreement. In this way the LORD spoke with him.

       (Num 8:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Num 8:2 NCV)  "Speak to Aaron and tell him, 'Put the seven lamps 
       where they can light the area in front of the lampstand.'"

       (Num 8:3 NCV)  Aaron did this, putting the lamps so they lighted the 
       area in front of the lampstand; he obeyed the command the LORD gave 
       Moses.

       (Num 8:4 NCV)  The lampstand was made from hammered gold, from its 
       base to the flowers. It was made exactly the way the LORD had showed 
       Moses.

       (Num 8:5 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Num 8:6 NCV)  "Take the Levites away from the other Israelites and 
       make them clean.

       (Num 8:7 NCV)  This is what you should do to make them clean: Sprinkle 
       the cleansing water on them, and have them shave their bodies and wash 
       their clothes so they will be clean.






       (Num 8:8 NCV)  They must take a young bull and the grain offering of 
       flour mixed with oil that goes with it. Then take a second young bull 
       for a sin offering.

       (Num 8:9 NCV)  Bring the Levites to the front of the Meeting Tent, and 
       gather all the Israelites around.

       (Num 8:10 NCV)  When you bring the Levites before the LORD, the 
       Israelites should put their hands on them.

       (Num 8:11 NCV)  Aaron will present the Levites before the LORD as an 
       offering presented from the Israelites. Then the Levites will be ready 
       to do the work of the LORD.

       (Num 8:12 NCV)  "The Levites will put their hands on the bulls' 
       heads--one bull will be a sin offering to the LORD, and the other will 
       be a burnt offering, to remove the sins of the Levites so they will 
       belong to the LORD.

       (Num 8:13 NCV)  Make the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons 
       and present the Levites as an offering to the LORD.

       (Num 8:14 NCV)  In this way you must set apart the Levites from the 
       other Israelites; the Levites will be mine.

       (Num 8:15 NCV)  "Make the Levites pure, and present them as an 
       offering so that they may come to work at the Meeting Tent.

       (Num 8:16 NCV)  They will be given completely to me from the 
       Israelites; I have taken them for myself instead of the firstborn of 
       every Israelite woman.

       (Num 8:17 NCV)  All the firstborn in Israel--people or animals--are 
       mine. When I killed all the firstborn in Egypt, I set the firstborn in 
       Israel aside for myself.

       (Num 8:18 NCV)  But I have taken the Levites instead of all the 
       firstborn in Israel.

       (Num 8:19 NCV)  From all the Israelites I have given the Levites to 
       Aaron and his sons so that they may serve the Israelites at the 
       Meeting Tent. They will help remove the Israelites' sins so they will 
       belong to the LORD and so that no disaster will strike the Israelites 
       when they approach the Holy Place."

       (Num 8:20 NCV)  So Moses, Aaron, and all the Israelites obeyed and did 
       with the Levites what the LORD commanded Moses.

       (Num 8:21 NCV)  The Levites made themselves clean and washed their 
       clothes. Then Aaron presented them as an offering to the LORD. He also 
       removed their sins so they would be pure.

       (Num 8:22 NCV)  After that, the Levites came to the Meeting Tent to 
       work, and Aaron and his sons told them what to do. They did with the 
       Levites what the LORD commanded Moses.






       (Num 8:23 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Num 8:24 NCV)  "This command is for the Levites. Everyone twenty-five 
       years old or older must come to the Meeting Tent, because they all 
       have jobs to do there.

       (Num 8:25 NCV)  At the age of fifty, they must retire from their jobs 
       and not work again.

       (Num 8:26 NCV)  They may help their fellow Levites with their work at 
       the Meeting Tent, but they must not do the work themselves. This is 
       the way you are to give the Levites their jobs."

       (Num 9:1 NCV)  The LORD spoke to Moses in the Desert of Sinai in the 
       first month of the second year after the Israelites left Egypt. He 
       said,

       (Num 9:2 NCV)  "Tell the Israelites to celebrate the Passover at the 
       appointed time.

       (Num 9:3 NCV)  That appointed time is the fourteenth day of this month 
       at twilight; they must obey all the rules about it."

       (Num 9:4 NCV)  So Moses told the Israelites to celebrate the Passover,

       (Num 9:5 NCV)  and they did; it was in the Desert of Sinai at twilight 
       on the fourteenth day of the first month. The Israelites did 
       everything just as the LORD commanded Moses.

       (Num 9:6 NCV)  But some of the people could not celebrate the Passover 
       on that day because they were unclean from touching a dead body. So 
       they went to Moses and Aaron that day and

       (Num 9:7 NCV)  said to Moses, "We are unclean because of touching a 
       dead body. But why should we be kept from offering gifts to the LORD 
       at this appointed time? Why can't we join the other Israelites?"

       (Num 9:8 NCV)  Moses said to them, "Wait, and I will find out what the 
       LORD says about you."

       (Num 9:9 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Moses,

       (Num 9:10 NCV)  "Tell the Israelites this: 'If you or your descendants 
       become unclean because of a dead body, or if you are away on a trip 
       during the Passover, you must still celebrate the Lord's Passover.

       (Num 9:11 NCV)  But celebrate it at twilight on the fourteenth day of 
       the second month. Eat the lamb with bitter herbs and bread made 
       without yeast.

       (Num 9:12 NCV)  Don't leave any of it until the next morning or break 
       any of its bones. When you celebrate the Passover, follow all the 
       rules.

       (Num 9:13 NCV)  Anyone who is clean and is not away on a trip but does 





       not eat the Passover must be cut off from the people. That person did 
       not give an offering to the LORD at the appointed time and must be 
       punished for the sin.

       (Num 9:14 NCV)  "'Foreigners among you may celebrate the Lord's 
       Passover, but they must follow all the rules. You must have the same 
       rules for foreigners as you have for yourselves.'"

       (Num 9:15 NCV)  On the day the Holy Tent, the Tent of the Agreement, 
       was set up, a cloud covered it. From dusk until dawn the cloud above 
       the Tent looked like fire.

       (Num 9:16 NCV)  The cloud stayed above the Tent, and at night it 
       looked like fire.

       (Num 9:17 NCV)  When the cloud moved from its place over the Tent, the 
       Israelites moved, and wherever the cloud stopped, the Israelites 
       camped.

       (Num 9:18 NCV)  So the Israelites moved at the Lord's command, and 
       they camped at his command. While the cloud stayed over the Tent, they 
       remained camped.

       (Num 9:19 NCV)  Sometimes the cloud stayed over the Tent for a long 
       time, but the Israelites obeyed the LORD and did not move.

       (Num 9:20 NCV)  Sometimes the cloud was over it only a few days. At 
       the Lord's command the people camped, and at his command they moved.

       (Num 9:21 NCV)  Sometimes the cloud stayed only from dusk until dawn; 
       when the cloud lifted the next morning, the people moved. When the 
       cloud lifted, day or night, the people moved.

       (Num 9:22 NCV)  The cloud might stay over the Tent for two days, a 
       month, or a year. As long as it stayed, the people camped, but when it 
       lifted, they moved.

       (Num 9:23 NCV)  At the Lord's command the people camped, and at his 
       command they moved. They obeyed the Lord's order that he commanded 
       through Moses.

       (Num 10:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Num 10:2 NCV)  "Make two trumpets of hammered silver, and use them to 
       call the people together and to march out of camp.

       (Num 10:3 NCV)  When both trumpets are blown, the people should gather 
       before you at the entrance to the Meeting Tent.

       (Num 10:4 NCV)  If you blow only one trumpet, the leaders, the heads 
       of the family groups of Israel, should meet before you.

       (Num 10:5 NCV)  When you loudly blow the trumpets, the tribes camping 
       on the east should move.

       (Num 10:6 NCV)  When you loudly blow them again, the tribes camping on 





       the south should move; the loud sound will tell them to move.

       (Num 10:7 NCV)  When you want to gather the people, blow the trumpets, 
       but don't blow them as loudly.

       (Num 10:8 NCV)  "Aaron's sons, the priests, should blow the trumpets. 
       This is a law for you and your descendants from now on.

       (Num 10:9 NCV)  When you are fighting an enemy who attacks you in your 
       own land, blow the trumpets loudly. The LORD your God will take notice 
       of you and will save you from your enemies.

       (Num 10:10 NCV)  Also blow your trumpets at happy times and during 
       your feasts and at New Moon festivals. Blow them over your burnt 
       offerings and fellowship offerings, because they will help you 
       remember your God. I am the LORD your God."

       (Num 10:11 NCV)  The cloud lifted from the Tent of the Agreement on 
       the twentieth day of the second month of the second year.

       (Num 10:12 NCV)  So the Israelites moved from the Desert of Sinai and 
       continued until the cloud stopped in the Desert of Paran.

       (Num 10:13 NCV)  This was their first time to move, and they did it as 
       the LORD had commanded Moses.

       (Num 10:14 NCV)  The divisions from the camp of Judah moved first 
       under their flag. Nahshon son of Amminadab was the commander.

       (Num 10:15 NCV)  Nethanel son of Zuar was over the division of the 
       tribe of Issachar.

       (Num 10:16 NCV)  Eliab son of Helon was over the division of the tribe 
       of Zebulun.

       (Num 10:17 NCV)  Then the Holy Tent was taken down, and the 
       Gershonites and Merarites, who carried it, moved next.

       (Num 10:18 NCV)  Then came the divisions from the camp of Reuben under 
       their flag, and Elizur son of Shedeur was the commander.

       (Num 10:19 NCV)  Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai was over the division of 
       the tribe of Simeon.

       (Num 10:20 NCV)  Eliasaph son of Deuel was over the division of the 
       tribe of Gad.

       (Num 10:21 NCV)  Then came the Kohathites, who carried the holy 
       things; the Holy Tent was to be set up before they arrived.

       (Num 10:22 NCV)  Next came the divisions from the camp of Ephraim 
       under their flag, and Elishama son of Ammihud was the commander.

       (Num 10:23 NCV)  Gamaliel son of Pedahzur was over the division of the 
       tribe of Manasseh,





       (Num 10:24 NCV)  and Abidan son of Gideoni was over the division of 
       the tribe of Benjamin.

       (Num 10:25 NCV)  The last ones were the rear guard for all the tribes. 
       These were the divisions from the camp of Dan under their flag, and 
       Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai was the commander.

       (Num 10:26 NCV)  Pagiel son of Ocran was over the division of the 
       tribe of Asher;

       (Num 10:27 NCV)  Ahira son of Enan was over the division of the tribe 
       of Naphtali.

       (Num 10:28 NCV)  This was the order the Israelite divisions marched in 
       when they moved.

       (Num 10:29 NCV)  Hobab was the son of Reuel the Midianite, who was 
       Moses' father-in-law. Moses said to Hobab, "We are moving to the land 
       the LORD promised to give us. Come with us and we will be good to you, 
       because the LORD has promised good things to Israel."

       (Num 10:30 NCV)  But Hobab answered, "No, I will not go. I will go 
       back to my own land where I was born."

       (Num 10:31 NCV)  But Moses said, "Please don't leave us. You know 
       where we can camp in the desert, and you can be our guide.

       (Num 10:32 NCV)  Come with us. We will share with you all the good 
       things the LORD gives us."

       (Num 10:33 NCV)  So they left the mountain of the LORD and traveled 
       for three days. The Ark of the Lord's Agreement went in front of the 
       people for those three days, as they looked for a place to camp.

       (Num 10:34 NCV)  The Lord's cloud was over them during the day when 
       they left their camp.

       (Num 10:35 NCV)  When the Ark left the camp, Moses said, "Rise up, 
       LORD! Scatter your enemies: make those who hate you run from you."

       (Num 10:36 NCV)  And when the Ark was set down, Moses said, "Return, 
       LORD, to the thousands of people of Israel."

       (Num 11:1 NCV)  Now the people complained to the LORD about their 
       troubles, and when he heard them, he became angry. Then fire from the 
       LORD burned among the people at the edge of the camp.

       (Num 11:2 NCV)  The people cried out to Moses, and when he prayed to 
       the LORD, the fire stopped burning.

       (Num 11:3 NCV)  So that place was called Taberah, because the Lord's 
       fire had burned among them.

       (Num 11:4 NCV)  Some troublemakers among them wanted better food, and 
       soon all the Israelites began complaining. They said, "We want meat!





       (Num 11:5 NCV)  We remember the fish we ate for free in Egypt. We also 
       had cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic.

       (Num 11:6 NCV)  But now we have lost our appetite; we never see 
       anything but this manna!"

       (Num 11:7 NCV)  The manna was like small white seeds.

       (Num 11:8 NCV)  The people would go to gather it, and then grind it in 
       handmills, or crush it between stones. After they cooked it in a pot 
       or made cakes with it, it tasted like bread baked with olive oil.

       (Num 11:9 NCV)  When the dew fell on the camp each night, so did the 
       manna.

       (Num 11:10 NCV)  Moses heard every family crying as they stood in the 
       entrances of their tents. Then the LORD became very angry, and Moses 
       got upset.

       (Num 11:11 NCV)  He asked the LORD, "Why have you brought me, your 
       servant, this trouble? What have I done wrong that you made me 
       responsible for all these people?

       (Num 11:12 NCV)  I am not the father of all these people, and I didn't 
       give birth to them. So why do you make me carry them to the land you 
       promised to our ancestors? Must I carry them in my arms as a nurse 
       carries a baby?

       (Num 11:13 NCV)  Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep 
       crying to me, 'We want meat!'

       (Num 11:14 NCV)  I can't take care of all these people alone. It is 
       too much for me.

       (Num 11:15 NCV)  If you are going to continue doing this to me, then 
       kill me now. If you care about me, put me to death, and then I won't 
       have any more troubles."

       (Num 11:16 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses, "Bring me seventy of Israel's 
       older leaders, men that you know are leaders among the people. Bring 
       them to the Meeting Tent, and have them stand there with you.

       (Num 11:17 NCV)  I will come down and speak with you there. I will 
       take some of the Spirit that is in you, and I will give it to them. 
       They will help you care for the people so that you will not have to 
       care for them alone.

       (Num 11:18 NCV)  "Tell the people this: 'Make yourselves holy for 
       tomorrow, and you will eat meat. You cried to the LORD, "We want meat! 
       We were better off in Egypt!" So now the LORD will give you meat to 
       eat.

       (Num 11:19 NCV)  You will eat it not for just one, two, five, ten, or 
       even twenty days,

       (Num 11:20 NCV)  but you will eat that meat for a whole month. You 





       will eat it until it comes out your nose, and you will grow to hate 
       it. This is because you have rejected the LORD, who is with you. You 
       have cried to him, saying, "Why did we ever leave Egypt?"'"

       (Num 11:21 NCV)  Moses said, "LORD, here are six hundred thousand 
       people standing around me, and you say, 'I will give them enough meat 
       to eat for a month!'

       (Num 11:22 NCV)  If we killed all the flocks and herds, that would not 
       be enough. If we caught all the fish in the sea, that would not be 
       enough."

       (Num 11:23 NCV)  But the LORD said to Moses, "Do you think I'm weak? 
       Now you will see if I can do what I say."

       (Num 11:24 NCV)  So Moses went out to the people and told them what 
       the LORD had said. He gathered seventy of the older leaders together 
       and had them stand around the Tent.

       (Num 11:25 NCV)  Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to 
       Moses. The LORD took some of the Spirit Moses had, and he gave it to 
       the seventy leaders. With the Spirit in them, they prophesied, but 
       just that one time.

       (Num 11:26 NCV)  Two men named Eldad and Medad were also listed as 
       leaders, but they did not go to the Tent. They stayed in the camp, but 
       the Spirit was also given to them, and they prophesied in the camp.

       (Num 11:27 NCV)  A young man ran to Moses and said, "Eldad and Medad 
       are prophesying in the camp."

       (Num 11:28 NCV)  Joshua son of Nun said, "Moses, my master, stop 
       them!" (Ever since he was a young boy, Joshua had been Moses' 
       assistant.)

       (Num 11:29 NCV)  But Moses answered, "Are you jealous for me? I wish 
       all the Lord's people could prophesy. I wish the LORD would give his 
       Spirit to all of them!"

       (Num 11:30 NCV)  Then Moses and the leaders of Israel went back to the 
       camp.

       (Num 11:31 NCV)  The LORD sent a strong wind from the sea, and it blew 
       quail into the area all around the camp. The quail were about three 
       feet deep on the ground, and there were quail a day's walk in any 
       direction.

       (Num 11:32 NCV)  The people went out and gathered quail all that day, 
       that night, and the next day. Everyone gathered at least sixty 
       bushels, and they spread them around the camp.

       (Num 11:33 NCV)  But the LORD became very angry, and he gave the 
       people a terrible sickness that came while the meat was still in their 
       mouths.

       (Num 11:34 NCV)  So the people named that place Kibroth Hattaavah, 





       because there they buried those who wanted other food.

       (Num 11:35 NCV)  From Kibroth Hattaavah the people went to stay at 
       Hazeroth.

       (Num 12:1 NCV)  Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because 
       of his Cushite wife (he had married a Cushite).

       (Num 12:2 NCV)  They said, "Is Moses the only one the LORD speaks 
       through? Doesn't he also speak through us?" And the LORD heard this.

       (Num 12:3 NCV)  (Now Moses was very humble. He was the least proud 
       person on earth.)

       (Num 12:4 NCV)  So the LORD suddenly spoke to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam 
       and said, "All three of you come to the Meeting Tent." So they went.

       (Num 12:5 NCV)  The LORD came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at 
       the entrance to the Tent. He called to Aaron and Miriam, and they both 
       came near.

       (Num 12:6 NCV)  He said, "Listen to my words: When a prophet is among 
       you, I, the LORD, will show myself to him in visions; I will speak to 
       him in dreams.

       (Num 12:7 NCV)  But this is not true with my servant Moses. I trust 
       him to lead all my people.

       (Num 12:8 NCV)  I speak face to face with him-- clearly, not with 
       hidden meanings. He has even seen the form of the LORD. You should be 
       afraid to speak against my servant Moses."

       (Num 12:9 NCV)  The LORD was very angry with them, and he left.

       (Num 12:10 NCV)  When the cloud lifted from the Tent and Aaron turned 
       toward Miriam, she was as white as snow; she had a skin disease.

       (Num 12:11 NCV)  Aaron said to Moses, "Please, my master, forgive us 
       for our foolish sin.

       (Num 12:12 NCV)  Don't let her be like a baby who is born dead. 
       (Sometimes a baby is born with half of its flesh eaten away.)"

       (Num 12:13 NCV)  So Moses cried out to the LORD, "God, please heal 
       her!"

       (Num 12:14 NCV)  The LORD answered Moses, "If her father had spit in 
       her face, she would have been shamed for seven days, so put her 
       outside the camp for seven days. After that, she may come back."

       (Num 12:15 NCV)  So Miriam was put outside of the camp for seven days, 
       and the people did not move on until she came back.

       (Num 12:16 NCV)  After that, the people left Hazeroth and camped in 
       the Desert of Paran.





       (Num 13:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Num 13:2 NCV)  "Send men to explore the land of Canaan, which I will 
       give to the Israelites. Send one leader from each tribe."

       (Num 13:3 NCV)  So Moses obeyed the Lord's command and sent the 
       Israelite leaders out from the Desert of Paran.

       (Num 13:4 NCV)  These are their names: from the tribe of Reuben, 
       Shammua son of Zaccur;

       (Num 13:5 NCV)  from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat son of Hori;

       (Num 13:6 NCV)  from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh;

       (Num 13:7 NCV)  from the tribe of Issachar, Igal son of Joseph;

       (Num 13:8 NCV)  from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea son of Nun;

       (Num 13:9 NCV)  from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti son of Raphu;

       (Num 13:10 NCV)  from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel son of Sodi;

       (Num 13:11 NCV)  from the tribe of Manasseh (a tribe of Joseph), Gaddi 
       son of Susi;

       (Num 13:12 NCV)  from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel son of Gemalli;

       (Num 13:13 NCV)  from the tribe of Asher, Sethur son of Michael;

       (Num 13:14 NCV)  from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi son of Vophsi;

       (Num 13:15 NCV)  from the tribe of Gad, Geuel son of Maki.

       (Num 13:16 NCV)  These are the names of the men Moses sent to explore 
       the land. (Moses gave Hoshea son of Nun the new name Joshua.)

       (Num 13:17 NCV)  Moses sent them to explore Canaan and said, "Go 
       through southern Canaan and then into the mountains.

       (Num 13:18 NCV)  See what the land looks like. Are the people who live 
       there strong or weak? Are there a few or many?

       (Num 13:19 NCV)  What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? 
       What about the towns they live in--are they open like camps, or do 
       they have walls?

       (Num 13:20 NCV)  What about the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there 
       trees there? Try to bring back some of the fruit from that land." (It 
       was the season for the first grapes.)

       (Num 13:21 NCV)  So they went up and explored the land, from the 
       Desert of Zin all the way to Rehob by Lebo Hamath.

       (Num 13:22 NCV)  They went through the southern area to Hebron, where 
       Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak lived. (The city 





       of Hebron had been built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)

       (Num 13:23 NCV)  In the Valley of Eshcol, they cut off a branch of a 
       grapevine that had one bunch of grapes on it and carried that branch 
       on a pole between two of them. They also got some pomegranates and 
       figs.

       (Num 13:24 NCV)  That place was called the Valley of Eshcol, because 
       the Israelites cut off the bunch of grapes there.

       (Num 13:25 NCV)  After forty days of exploring the land, the men 
       returned to the camp.

       (Num 13:26 NCV)  They came back to Moses and Aaron and all the 
       Israelites at Kadesh, in the Desert of Paran. The men reported to them 
       and showed everybody the fruit from the land.

       (Num 13:27 NCV)  They told Moses, "We went to the land where you sent 
       us, and it is a fertile land! Here is some of its fruit.

       (Num 13:28 NCV)  But the people who live there are strong. Their 
       cities are walled and very large. We even saw some Anakites there.

       (Num 13:29 NCV)  The Amalekites live in the southern area; the 
       Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the mountains; and the 
       Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan River."

       (Num 13:30 NCV)  Then Caleb told the people near Moses to be quiet, 
       and he said, "We should certainly go up and take the land for 
       ourselves. We can certainly do it."

       (Num 13:31 NCV)  But the men who had gone with him said, "We can't 
       attack those people; they are stronger than we are."

       (Num 13:32 NCV)  And those men gave the Israelites a bad report about 
       the land they explored, saying, "The land that we explored is too 
       large to conquer. All the people we saw are very tall.

       (Num 13:33 NCV)  We saw the Nephilim people there. (The Anakites come 
       from the Nephilim people.) We felt like grasshoppers, and we looked 
       like grasshoppers to them."

       (Num 14:1 NCV)  That night all the people in the camp began crying 
       loudly.

       (Num 14:2 NCV)  All the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron, 
       and all the people said to them, "We wish we had died in Egypt or in 
       this desert.

       (Num 14:3 NCV)  Why is the LORD bringing us to this land to be killed 
       with swords? Our wives and children will be taken away. We would be 
       better off going back to Egypt."

       (Num 14:4 NCV)  They said to each other, "Let's choose a leader and go 
       back to Egypt."





       (Num 14:5 NCV)  Then Moses and Aaron bowed facedown in front of all 
       the Israelites gathered there.

       (Num 14:6 NCV)  Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who had 
       explored the land, tore their clothes.

       (Num 14:7 NCV)  They said to all of the Israelites, "The land we 
       explored is very good.

       (Num 14:8 NCV)  If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into 
       that land and give us that fertile land.

       (Num 14:9 NCV)  Don't turn against the LORD! Don't be afraid of the 
       people in that land! We will chew them up. They have no protection, 
       but the LORD is with us. So don't be afraid of them."

       (Num 14:10 NCV)  Then all the people talked about killing them with 
       stones. But the glory of the LORD appeared at the Meeting Tent to all 
       the Israelites.

       (Num 14:11 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses, "How long will these people 
       ignore me? How long will they not believe me in spite of the miracles 
       I have done among them?

       (Num 14:12 NCV)  I will give them a terrible sickness and get rid of 
       them. But I will make you into a great nation that will be stronger 
       than they are."

       (Num 14:13 NCV)  Then Moses said to the LORD, "The Egyptians will hear 
       about it! You brought these people from there by your great power,

       (Num 14:14 NCV)  and the Egyptians will tell this to those who live in 
       this land. They have already heard about you, LORD. They know that you 
       are with your people and that you were seen face to face. They know 
       that your cloud stays over your people and that you lead your people 
       with that cloud during the day and with fire at night.

       (Num 14:15 NCV)  If you put these people to death all at once, the 
       nations who have heard about your power will say,

       (Num 14:16 NCV)  'The LORD was not able to bring them into the land he 
       promised them. So he killed them in the desert.'

       (Num 14:17 NCV)  "So show your strength now, Lord. Do what you said:

       (Num 14:18 NCV)  'The LORD doesn't become angry quickly, but he has 
       great love. He forgives sin and law breaking. But the LORD never 
       forgets to punish guilty people. When parents sin, he will also punish 
       their children, their grandchildren, their great-grandchildren, and 
       their great-great-grandchildren.'

       (Num 14:19 NCV)  By your great love, forgive these people's sin, just 
       as you have forgiven them from the time they left Egypt until now."

       (Num 14:20 NCV)  The LORD answered, "I have forgiven them as you 
       asked.






       (Num 14:21 NCV)  But, as surely as I live and as surely as my glory 
       fills the whole earth, I make this promise:

       (Num 14:22 NCV)  All these men saw my glory and the miracles I did in 
       Egypt and in the desert, but they disobeyed me and tested me ten 
       times.

       (Num 14:23 NCV)  So not one of them will see the land I promised to 
       their ancestors. No one who rejected me will see that land.

       (Num 14:24 NCV)  But my servant Caleb thinks differently and follows 
       me completely. So I will bring him into the land he has already seen, 
       and his children will own that land.

       (Num 14:25 NCV)  Since the Amalekites and the Canaanites are living in 
       the valleys, leave tomorrow and follow the desert road toward the Red 
       Sea."

       (Num 14:26 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

       (Num 14:27 NCV)  "How long will these evil people complain about me? I 
       have heard the grumbling and complaining of these Israelites.

       (Num 14:28 NCV)  So tell them, 'This is what the LORD says. I heard 
       what you said, and as surely as I live, I will do those very things to 
       you:

       (Num 14:29 NCV)  You will die in this desert. Every one of you who is 
       twenty years old or older and who was counted with the people--all of 
       you who complained against me--will die.

       (Num 14:30 NCV)  Not one of you will enter the land where I promised 
       you would live; only Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun will 
       go in.

       (Num 14:31 NCV)  You said that your children would be taken away, but 
       I will bring them into the land to enjoy what you refused.

       (Num 14:32 NCV)  As for you, you will die in this desert.

       (Num 14:33 NCV)  Your children will be shepherds here for forty years. 
       Because you were not loyal, they will suffer until you lie dead in the 
       desert.

       (Num 14:34 NCV)  For forty years you will suffer for your sins--a year 
       for each of the forty days you explored the land. You will know me as 
       your enemy.'

       (Num 14:35 NCV)  I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will certainly do 
       these things to all these evil people who have come together against 
       me. So they will all die here in this desert."

       (Num 14:36 NCV)  The men Moses had sent to explore the land had 
       returned and spread complaints among all the people. They had given a 
       bad report about the land.






       (Num 14:37 NCV)  The men who gave a very bad report died; the LORD 
       killed them with a terrible sickness.

       (Num 14:38 NCV)  Only two of the men who explored the land did not 
       die--Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh.

       (Num 14:39 NCV)  When Moses told these things to all the Israelites, 
       they were very sad.

       (Num 14:40 NCV)  Early the next morning they started to go toward the 
       top of the mountains, saying, "We have sinned. We will go where the 
       LORD told us."

       (Num 14:41 NCV)  But Moses said, "Why are you disobeying the Lord's 
       command? You will not win!

       (Num 14:42 NCV)  Don't go, because the LORD is not with you and you 
       will be beaten by your enemies.

       (Num 14:43 NCV)  You will run into the Amalekites and Canaanites, who 
       will kill you with swords. You have turned away from the LORD, so the 
       LORD will not be with you."

       (Num 14:44 NCV)  But they were proud. They went toward the top of the 
       mountains, but Moses and the Ark of the Agreement with the LORD did 
       not leave the camp.

       (Num 14:45 NCV)  The Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in those 
       mountains came down and attacked the Israelites and beat them back all 
       the way to Hormah.

       (Num 15:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Num 15:2 NCV)  "Speak to the Israelites and say to them, 'When you 
       enter the land that I am giving you as a home,

       (Num 15:3 NCV)  give the LORD offerings made by fire. These may be 
       from your herds or flocks, as a smell pleasing to the LORD. These may 
       be burnt offerings or sacrifices for special promises, or as gifts to 
       him, or as festival offerings.

       (Num 15:4 NCV)  The one who brings the offering shall also give the 
       LORD a grain offering. It should be two quarts of fine flour mixed 
       with one quart of olive oil.

       (Num 15:5 NCV)  Each time you offer a lamb as a burnt offering or 
       sacrifice, also prepare a quart of wine as a drink offering.

       (Num 15:6 NCV)  "'If you are giving a male sheep, also prepare a grain 
       offering of four quarts of fine flour mixed with one and one-fourth 
       quarts of olive oil.

       (Num 15:7 NCV)  Also prepare one and one-fourth quarts of wine as a 
       drink offering. Its smell will be pleasing to the LORD.





       (Num 15:8 NCV)  "'If you prepare a young bull as a burnt offering or 
       sacrifice, whether it is for a special promise or a fellowship 
       offering to the LORD,

       (Num 15:9 NCV)  bring a grain offering with the bull. It should be six 
       quarts of fine flour mixed with two quarts of olive oil.

       (Num 15:10 NCV)  Also bring two quarts of wine as a drink offering. 
       This offering is made by fire, and its smell will be pleasing to the 
       LORD.

       (Num 15:11 NCV)  Prepare each bull or male sheep, lamb or young goat 
       this way.

       (Num 15:12 NCV)  Do this for every one of the animals you bring.

       (Num 15:13 NCV)  "'All citizens must do these things in this way, and 
       the smell of their offerings by fire will be pleasing to the LORD.

       (Num 15:14 NCV)  From now on if foreigners who live among you want to 
       make offerings by fire so the smell will be pleasing to the LORD, they 
       must offer them the same way you do.

       (Num 15:15 NCV)  The law is the same for you and for foreigners, and 
       it will be from now on; you and the foreigners are alike before the 
       LORD.

       (Num 15:16 NCV)  The teachings and rules are the same for you and for 
       the foreigners among you.'"

       (Num 15:17 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Num 15:18 NCV)  "Tell the Israelites: 'You are going to another land, 
       where I am taking you.

       (Num 15:19 NCV)  When you eat the food there, offer part of it to the 
       LORD.

       (Num 15:20 NCV)  Offer a loaf of bread from the first of your grain, 
       which will be your offering from the threshing floor.

       (Num 15:21 NCV)  From now on offer to the LORD the first part of your 
       grain.

       (Num 15:22 NCV)  "'Now what if you forget to obey any of these 
       commands the LORD gave Moses?

       (Num 15:23 NCV)  These are the Lord's commands given to you through 
       Moses, which began the day the LORD gave them to you and will continue 
       from now on.

       (Num 15:24 NCV)  If the people forget to obey one of these commands, 
       all the people must offer a young bull as a burnt offering, a smell 
       pleasing to the LORD. By law you must also give the grain offering and 
       the drink offering with it, and you must bring a male goat as a sin 
       offering.






       (Num 15:25 NCV)  "'The priest will remove that sin for all the 
       Israelites so they will belong to the LORD. They are forgiven, because 
       they didn't know they were sinning. For the wrong they did they 
       brought offerings to the LORD, an offering by fire and a sin offering.

       (Num 15:26 NCV)  So all of the people of Israel and the foreigners 
       living among them will be forgiven. No one meant to do wrong.

       (Num 15:27 NCV)  "'If just one person sins without meaning to, a 
       year-old female goat must be brought for a sin offering.

       (Num 15:28 NCV)  The priest will remove the sin of the person who 
       sinned accidentally. He will remove it before the LORD, and the person 
       will be forgiven.

       (Num 15:29 NCV)  The same teaching is for everyone who sins 
       accidentally--for those born Israelites and for foreigners living 
       among you.

       (Num 15:30 NCV)  "'But anyone who sins on purpose is against the LORD 
       and must be cut off from the people, whether it is someone born among 
       you or a foreigner.

       (Num 15:31 NCV)  That person has turned against the Lord's word and 
       has not obeyed his commands. Such a person must surely be cut off from 
       the others. He is guilty.'"

       (Num 15:32 NCV)  When the Israelites were still in the desert, they 
       found a man gathering wood on the Sabbath day.

       (Num 15:33 NCV)  Those who found him gathering wood brought him to 
       Moses and Aaron and all the people.

       (Num 15:34 NCV)  They held the man under guard, because they did not 
       know what to do with him.

       (Num 15:35 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Moses, "The man must surely 
       die. All the people must kill him by throwing stones at him outside 
       the camp."

       (Num 15:36 NCV)  So all the people took him outside the camp and 
       stoned him to death, as the LORD commanded Moses.

       (Num 15:37 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Num 15:38 NCV)  "Speak to the Israelites and tell them this: 'Tie 
       several pieces of thread together and attach them to the corners of 
       your clothes. Put a blue thread in each one of these tassels. Wear 
       them from now on.

       (Num 15:39 NCV)  You will have these tassels to look at to remind you 
       of all the Lord's commands. Then you will obey them and not be 
       disloyal by following what your bodies and eyes want.

       (Num 15:40 NCV)  Then you will remember to obey all my commands, and 





       you will be God's holy people.

       (Num 15:41 NCV)  I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt 
       to be your God. I am the LORD your God.'"

       (Num 16:1 NCV)  Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and On turned against Moses. 
       (Korah was the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi; 
       Dathan and Abiram were brothers, the sons of Eliab; and On was the son 
       of Peleth; Dathan, Abiram, and On were from the tribe of Reuben.)

       (Num 16:2 NCV)  These men gathered two hundred fifty other Israelite 
       men, well-known leaders chosen by the community, and challenged Moses.

       (Num 16:3 NCV)  They came as a group to speak to Moses and Aaron and 
       said, "You have gone too far. All the people are holy, every one of 
       them, and the LORD is among them. So why do you put yourselves above 
       all the people of the LORD?"

       (Num 16:4 NCV)  When Moses heard this, he bowed facedown.

       (Num 16:5 NCV)  Then he said to Korah and all his followers: "Tomorrow 
       morning the LORD will show who belongs to him. He will bring the one 
       who is holy near to him; he will bring to himself the person he 
       chooses.

       (Num 16:6 NCV)  So Korah, you and all your followers do this: Get some 
       pans for burning incense.

       (Num 16:7 NCV)  Tomorrow put fire and incense in them and take them 
       before the LORD. He will choose the man who is holy. You Levites have 
       gone too far."

       (Num 16:8 NCV)  Moses also said to Korah, "Listen, you Levites.

       (Num 16:9 NCV)  The God of Israel has separated you from the rest of 
       the Israelites. He brought you near to himself to do the work in the 
       Lord's Holy Tent and to stand before all the Israelites and serve 
       them. Isn't that enough?

       (Num 16:10 NCV)  He has brought you and all your fellow Levites near 
       to himself, yet now you want to be priests.

       (Num 16:11 NCV)  You and your followers have joined together against 
       the LORD. Your complaint is not against Aaron."

       (Num 16:12 NCV)  Then Moses called Dathan and Abiram, the sons of 
       Eliab, but they said, "We will not come!

       (Num 16:13 NCV)  You have brought us out of a fertile land to this 
       desert to kill us, and now you want to order us around.

       (Num 16:14 NCV)  You haven't brought us into a fertile land; you 
       haven't given us any land with fields and vineyards. Will you put out 
       the eyes of these men? No! We will not come!"

       (Num 16:15 NCV)  Then Moses became very angry and said to the LORD, 





       "Don't accept their gifts. I have not taken anything from them, not 
       even a donkey, and I have not done wrong to any of them."

       (Num 16:16 NCV)  Then Moses said to Korah, "You and all your followers 
       must stand before the LORD tomorrow. And Aaron will stand there with 
       you and them.

       (Num 16:17 NCV)  Each of you must take your pan and put incense in it; 
       present these two hundred fifty pans before the LORD. You and Aaron 
       must also present your pans."

       (Num 16:18 NCV)  So each man got his pan and put burning incense in it 
       and stood with Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the Meeting Tent.

       (Num 16:19 NCV)  Korah gathered all his followers who were against 
       Moses and Aaron, and they stood at the entrance to the Meeting Tent. 
       Then the glory of the LORD appeared to everyone.

       (Num 16:20 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

       (Num 16:21 NCV)  "Move away from these men so I can destroy them 
       quickly."

       (Num 16:22 NCV)  But Moses and Aaron bowed facedown and cried out, 
       "God, you are the God over the spirits of all people. Please don't be 
       angry with this whole group. Only one man has really sinned."

       (Num 16:23 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Moses,

       (Num 16:24 NCV)  "Tell everyone to move away from the tents of Korah, 
       Dathan, and Abiram."

       (Num 16:25 NCV)  Moses stood and went to Dathan and Abiram; the older 
       leaders of Israel followed him.

       (Num 16:26 NCV)  Moses warned the people, "Move away from the tents of 
       these evil men! Don't touch anything of theirs, or you will be 
       destroyed because of their sins."

       (Num 16:27 NCV)  So they moved away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, 
       and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram were standing outside their tents with 
       their wives, children, and little babies.

       (Num 16:28 NCV)  Then Moses said, "Now you will know that the LORD has 
       sent me to do all these things; it was not my idea.

       (Num 16:29 NCV)  If these men die a normal death--the way men usually 
       die--then the LORD did not really send me.

       (Num 16:30 NCV)  But if the LORD does something new, you will know 
       they have insulted the LORD. The ground will open and swallow them. 
       They will be buried alive and will go to the place of the dead, and 
       everything that belongs to them will go with them."

       (Num 16:31 NCV)  When Moses finished saying these things, the ground 
       under the men split open.






       (Num 16:32 NCV)  The earth opened and swallowed them and all their 
       families. All Korah's men and everything they owned went down.

       (Num 16:33 NCV)  They were buried alive, going to the place of the 
       dead, and everything they owned went with them. Then the earth covered 
       them. They died and were gone from the community.

       (Num 16:34 NCV)  The people of Israel around them heard their screams 
       and ran away, saying, "The earth will swallow us, too!"

       (Num 16:35 NCV)  Then a fire came down from the LORD and destroyed the 
       two hundred fifty men who had presented the incense.

       (Num 16:36 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Num 16:37 NCV)  "Tell Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, to take all 
       the incense pans out of the fire. Have him scatter the coals a long 
       distance away. But the incense pans are still holy.

       (Num 16:38 NCV)  Take the pans of these men who sinned and lost their 
       lives, and hammer them into flat sheets that will be used to cover the 
       altar. They are holy, because they were presented to the LORD, and 
       they will be a sign to the Israelites."

       (Num 16:39 NCV)  So Eleazar the priest gathered all the bronze pans 
       that had been brought by the men who were burned up. He had the pans 
       hammered into flat sheets to put on the altar,

       (Num 16:40 NCV)  as the LORD had commanded him through Moses. These 
       sheets were to remind the Israelites that only descendants of Aaron 
       should burn incense before the LORD. Anyone else would die like Korah 
       and his followers.

       (Num 16:41 NCV)  The next day all the Israelites complained against 
       Moses and Aaron and said, "You have killed the Lord's people."

       (Num 16:42 NCV)  When the people gathered to complain against Moses 
       and Aaron, they turned toward the Meeting Tent, and the cloud covered 
       it. The glory of the LORD appeared.

       (Num 16:43 NCV)  Then Moses and Aaron went in front of the Meeting 
       Tent.

       (Num 16:44 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Num 16:45 NCV)  "Move away from these people so I can destroy them 
       quickly." So Moses and Aaron bowed facedown.

       (Num 16:46 NCV)  Then Moses said to Aaron, "Get your pan, and put fire 
       from the altar and incense in it. Hurry to the people and remove their 
       sin. The LORD is angry with them; the sickness has already started."

       (Num 16:47 NCV)  So Aaron did as Moses said. He ran to the middle of 
       the people, where the sickness had already started among them. So 
       Aaron offered the incense to remove their sin.






       (Num 16:48 NCV)  He stood between the dead and the living, and the 
       sickness stopped there.

       (Num 16:49 NCV)  But 14,700 people died from that sickness, in 
       addition to those who died because of Korah.

       (Num 16:50 NCV)  Then Aaron went back to Moses at the entrance to the 
       Meeting Tent. The terrible sickness had been stopped.

       (Num 17:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Num 17:2 NCV)  "Speak to the people of Israel and get twelve walking 
       sticks from them--one from the leader of each tribe. Write the name of 
       each man on his stick, and

       (Num 17:3 NCV)  on the stick from Levi, write Aaron's name. There must 
       be one stick for the head of each tribe.

       (Num 17:4 NCV)  Put them in the Meeting Tent in front of the Ark of 
       the Agreement, where I meet with you.

       (Num 17:5 NCV)  I will choose one man whose walking stick will begin 
       to grow leaves; in this way I will stop the Israelites from always 
       complaining against you."

       (Num 17:6 NCV)  So Moses spoke to the Israelites. Each of the twelve 
       leaders gave him a walking stick--one from each tribe--and Aaron's 
       walking stick was among them.

       (Num 17:7 NCV)  Moses put them before the LORD in the Tent of the 
       Agreement.

       (Num 17:8 NCV)  The next day, when Moses entered the Tent, he saw that 
       Aaron's stick (which stood for the family of Levi) had grown leaves. 
       It had even budded, blossomed, and produced almonds.

       (Num 17:9 NCV)  So Moses brought out to the Israelites all the walking 
       sticks from the Lord's presence. They all looked, and each man took 
       back his stick.

       (Num 17:10 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Moses, "Put Aaron's walking 
       stick back in front of the Ark of the Agreement. It will remind these 
       people who are always turning against me to stop their complaining 
       against me so they won't die."

       (Num 17:11 NCV)  So Moses obeyed what the LORD commanded him.

       (Num 17:12 NCV)  The people of Israel said to Moses, "We are going to 
       die! We are destroyed. We are all destroyed!

       (Num 17:13 NCV)  Anyone who even comes near the Holy Tent of the LORD 
       will die. Will we all die?"

       (Num 18:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Aaron, "You, your sons, and your 
       family are now responsible for any wrongs done against the Holy Place; 





       you and your sons are responsible for any wrongs done against the 
       priests.

       (Num 18:2 NCV)  Bring with you your fellow Levites from your tribe, 
       and they will help you and your sons serve in the Tent of the 
       Agreement.

       (Num 18:3 NCV)  They are under your control, to do all the work that 
       needs to be done in the Tent. But they must not go near the things in 
       the Holy Place or near the altar. If they do, both you and they will 
       die.

       (Num 18:4 NCV)  They will join you in taking care of the Meeting Tent. 
       They must do the work at the Tent, and no one else may come near you.

       (Num 18:5 NCV)  "You must take care of the Holy Place and the altar so 
       that I won't become angry with the Israelites again.

       (Num 18:6 NCV)  I myself chose your fellow Levites from among the 
       Israelites as a gift given for you to the LORD, to work at the Meeting 
       Tent.

       (Num 18:7 NCV)  But only you and your sons may serve as priests. Only 
       you may serve at the altar or go behind the curtain. I am giving you 
       this gift of serving as a priest, and anyone else who comes near the 
       Holy Place will be put to death."

       (Num 18:8 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Aaron, "I myself make you 
       responsible for the offerings given to me. All the holy offerings that 
       the Israelites give to me, I give to you and your sons as your share, 
       your continual portion.

       (Num 18:9 NCV)  Your share of the holy offerings is that part which is 
       not burned. When the people bring me gifts as most holy offerings, 
       whether they are grain or sin or penalty offerings, they will be set 
       apart for you and your sons.

       (Num 18:10 NCV)  You must eat the offering in a most holy place. Any 
       male may eat it, but you must respect it as holy.

       (Num 18:11 NCV)  "I also give you the offerings the Israelites present 
       to me. I give these to you and your sons and daughters as your 
       continual share. Anyone in your family who is clean may eat it.

       (Num 18:12 NCV)  "And I give you all the best olive oil and all the 
       best new wine and grain. This is what the Israelites give to me, the 
       LORD, from the first crops they harvest.

       (Num 18:13 NCV)  When they bring to the LORD all the first things they 
       harvest, they will be yours. Anyone in your family who is clean may 
       eat these things.

       (Num 18:14 NCV)  "Everything in Israel that is given to the LORD is 
       yours.

       (Num 18:15 NCV)  The first one born to any family, whether people or 





       animals, will be offered to the LORD. And that will be yours. But you 
       must make a payment for every firstborn child and every firstborn 
       animal that is unclean.

       (Num 18:16 NCV)  When they are one month old, you must make a payment 
       for them of two ounces of silver, as set by the Holy Place measure.

       (Num 18:17 NCV)  "But you must not make a payment for the firstborn ox 
       or sheep or goat. Those animals are holy. Sprinkle their blood on the 
       altar and burn their fat as an offering made by fire. The smell is 
       pleasing to the LORD.

       (Num 18:18 NCV)  But the meat will be yours, just as the breast that 
       is presented and the right thigh will be yours.

       (Num 18:19 NCV)  Anything the Israelites present as holy gifts I, the 
       LORD, give to you, your sons and daughters as your continual portion. 
       This is a lasting agreement of salt before the LORD for you and your 
       children forever."

       (Num 18:20 NCV)  The LORD also said to Aaron, "You will not inherit 
       any of the land, and you will not own any land among the other people. 
       I will be yours. Out of all the Israelites, only you will inherit me.

       (Num 18:21 NCV)  "When the people of Israel give me a tenth of what 
       they make, I will give that tenth to the Levites. This is their 
       payment for the work they do serving at the Meeting Tent.

       (Num 18:22 NCV)  But the other Israelites must never go near the 
       Meeting Tent, or they will die for their sin.

       (Num 18:23 NCV)  Only the Levites should work in the Meeting Tent and 
       be responsible for any sins against it. This is a rule from now on. 
       The Levites will not inherit any land among the other Israelites,

       (Num 18:24 NCV)  but when the Israelites give a tenth of everything 
       they make to me, I will give that tenth to the Levites as a reward. 
       That is why I said about the Levites: 'They will not inherit any land 
       among the Israelites.'"

       (Num 18:25 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Num 18:26 NCV)  "Speak to the Levites and tell them: 'You will 
       receive a tenth of everything the Israelites make, which I will give 
       to you. But you must give a tenth of that back to the LORD.

       (Num 18:27 NCV)  I will accept your offering just as much as I accept 
       the offerings from others, who give new grain or new wine.

       (Num 18:28 NCV)  In this way you will present an offering to the LORD 
       as the other Israelites do. When you receive a tenth from the 
       Israelites, you will give a tenth of that to Aaron, the priest, as the 
       Lord's share.

       (Num 18:29 NCV)  Choose the best and holiest part from what you are 
       given as the portion you must give to the LORD.'






       (Num 18:30 NCV)  "Say to the Levites: 'When you present the best, it 
       will be accepted as much as the grain and wine from the other people.

       (Num 18:31 NCV)  You and your families may eat all that is left 
       anywhere, because it is your pay for your work in the Meeting Tent.

       (Num 18:32 NCV)  And if you always give the best part to the LORD, you 
       will never be guilty. If you do not sin against the holy offerings of 
       the Israelites, you will not die.'"

       (Num 19:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

       (Num 19:2 NCV)  "These are the teachings that the LORD commanded. Tell 
       the Israelites to get a young red cow that does not have anything 
       wrong with it and that has never been worked.

       (Num 19:3 NCV)  Give the cow to Eleazar the priest; he will take it 
       outside the camp and kill it.

       (Num 19:4 NCV)  Then Eleazar the priest must put some of its blood on 
       his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the Meeting 
       Tent.

       (Num 19:5 NCV)  The whole cow must be burned while he watches; the 
       skin, the meat, the blood, and the intestines must all be burned.

       (Num 19:6 NCV)  Then the priest must take a cedar stick, a hyssop 
       branch, and a red string and throw them onto the burning cow.

       (Num 19:7 NCV)  After the priest has washed himself and his clothes 
       with water, he may come back into the camp, but he will be unclean 
       until evening.

       (Num 19:8 NCV)  The man who burns the cow must wash himself and his 
       clothes in water; he will be unclean until evening.

       (Num 19:9 NCV)  "Then someone who is clean will collect the ashes from 
       the cow and put them in a clean place outside the camp. The Israelites 
       will keep these ashes to use in the cleansing water, in a special 
       ceremony to cleanse away sin.

       (Num 19:10 NCV)  The man who collected the cow's ashes must wash his 
       clothes and be unclean until evening. This is a lasting rule for the 
       Israelites and for the foreigners among them.

       (Num 19:11 NCV)  "Those who touch a dead person's body will be unclean 
       for seven days.

       (Num 19:12 NCV)  They must wash themselves with the cleansing water on 
       the third day and on the seventh day; then they will be clean. But if 
       they do not wash themselves on the third day and the seventh day, they 
       cannot be clean.

       (Num 19:13 NCV)  If those who touch a dead person's body stay unclean 
       and go to the Lord's Holy Tent, it becomes unclean; they must be cut 





       off from Israel. If the cleansing water is not sprinkled on them, they 
       are unclean and will stay unclean.

       (Num 19:14 NCV)  "This is the teaching about someone who dies in a 
       tent: Anyone in the tent or anyone who enters it will be unclean for 
       seven days.

       (Num 19:15 NCV)  And every open jar or pot without a cover becomes 
       unclean.

       (Num 19:16 NCV)  If anyone is outside and touches someone who was 
       killed by a sword or who died a natural death, or if anyone touches a 
       human bone or a grave, that person will be unclean for seven days.

       (Num 19:17 NCV)  "So you must use the ashes from the burnt offering to 
       make that person clean again. Pour fresh water over the ashes into a 
       jar.

       (Num 19:18 NCV)  A clean person must take a hyssop branch and dip it 
       into the water, and then he must sprinkle it over the Tent and all its 
       objects. He must also sprinkle the people who were there, as well as 
       anyone who touched a bone, or the body of someone who was killed, or a 
       dead person, or a grave.

       (Num 19:19 NCV)  The person who is clean must sprinkle this water on 
       the unclean people on the third day and on the seventh day. On the 
       seventh day they will become clean. They must wash their clothes and 
       take a bath, and they will be clean that evening.

       (Num 19:20 NCV)  If any who are unclean do not become clean, they must 
       be cut off from the community. Since they were not sprinkled with the 
       cleansing water, they stay unclean, and they could make the Lord's 
       Holy Tent unclean.

       (Num 19:21 NCV)  This is a lasting rule. Those who sprinkle the 
       cleansing water must also wash their clothes, and anyone who touches 
       the water will be unclean until evening.

       (Num 19:22 NCV)  Anything an unclean person touches becomes unclean, 
       and whoever touches it will be unclean until evening."

       (Num 20:1 NCV)  In the first month all the people of Israel arrived at 
       the Desert of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and 
       was buried.

       (Num 20:2 NCV)  There was no water for the people, so they came 
       together against Moses and Aaron.

       (Num 20:3 NCV)  They argued with Moses and said, "We should have died 
       in front of the LORD as our brothers did.

       (Num 20:4 NCV)  Why did you bring the Lord's people into this desert? 
       Are we and our animals to die here?

       (Num 20:5 NCV)  Why did you bring us from Egypt to this terrible 
       place? It has no grain, figs, grapevines, or pomegranates, and there's 





       no water to drink!"

       (Num 20:6 NCV)  So Moses and Aaron left the people and went to the 
       entrance of the Meeting Tent. There they bowed facedown, and the glory 
       of the LORD appeared to them.

       (Num 20:7 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Num 20:8 NCV)  "Take your walking stick, and you and your brother 
       Aaron should gather the people. Speak to that rock in front of them so 
       that its water will flow from it. When you bring the water out from 
       that rock, give it to the people and their animals."

       (Num 20:9 NCV)  So Moses took the stick from in front of the LORD, as 
       he had said.

       (Num 20:10 NCV)  Moses and Aaron gathered the people in front of the 
       rock, and Moses said, "Now listen to me, you who turn against God! Do 
       you want us to bring water out of this rock?"

       (Num 20:11 NCV)  Then Moses lifted his hand and hit the rock twice 
       with his stick. Water began pouring out, and the people and their 
       animals drank it.

       (Num 20:12 NCV)  But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you 
       did not believe me, and because you did not honor me as holy before 
       the people, you will not lead them into the land I will give them."

       (Num 20:13 NCV)  These are the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites 
       argued with the LORD and where he showed them he was holy.

       (Num 20:14 NCV)  From Kadesh, Moses sent messengers to the king of 
       Edom. He said, "Your brothers, the Israelites, say to you: You know 
       about all the troubles we have had,

       (Num 20:15 NCV)  how our ancestors went down into Egypt and we lived 
       there for many years. The people of Egypt were cruel to us and our 
       ancestors,

       (Num 20:16 NCV)  but when we cried out to the LORD, he heard us and 
       sent us an angel to bring us out of Egypt. "Now we are here at Kadesh, 
       a town on the edge of your land.

       (Num 20:17 NCV)  Please let us pass through your country. We will not 
       touch any fields of grain or vineyards, and will not drink water from 
       the wells. We will travel only along the king's road, not turning 
       right or left until we have passed through your country."

       (Num 20:18 NCV)  But the king of Edom answered: "You may not pass 
       through here. If you try, I will come and meet you with swords."

       (Num 20:19 NCV)  The Israelites answered: "We will go along the main 
       road, and if we or our animals drink any of your water, we will pay 
       for it. We only want to walk through. That's all."

       (Num 20:20 NCV)  But he answered: "You may not pass through here." 





       Then the Edomites went out to meet the Israelites with a large and 
       powerful army.

       (Num 20:21 NCV)  The Edomites refused to let them pass through their 
       country, so the Israelites turned back.

       (Num 20:22 NCV)  All the Israelites moved from Kadesh to Mount Hor,

       (Num 20:23 NCV)  near the border of Edom. There the LORD said to Moses 
       and Aaron,

       (Num 20:24 NCV)  "Aaron will die. He will not enter the land that I'm 
       giving to the Israelites, because you both acted against my command at 
       the waters of Meribah.

       (Num 20:25 NCV)  Take Aaron and his son Eleazar up on Mount Hor,

       (Num 20:26 NCV)  and take off Aaron's special clothes and put them on 
       his son Eleazar. Aaron will die there; he will join his ancestors."

       (Num 20:27 NCV)  Moses obeyed the Lord's command. They climbed up 
       Mount Hor, and all the people saw them go.

       (Num 20:28 NCV)  Moses took off Aaron's clothes and put them on 
       Aaron's son Eleazar. Then Aaron died there on top of the mountain. 
       Moses and Eleazar came back down the mountain,

       (Num 20:29 NCV)  and when all the people learned that Aaron was dead, 
       everyone in Israel cried for him for thirty days.

       (Num 21:1 NCV)  The Canaanite king of Arad lived in the southern area. 
       When he heard that the Israelites were coming on the road to Atharim, 
       he attacked them and captured some of them.

       (Num 21:2 NCV)  Then the Israelites made this promise to the LORD: "If 
       you will help us defeat these people, we will completely destroy their 
       cities."

       (Num 21:3 NCV)  The LORD listened to the Israelites, and he let them 
       defeat the Canaanites. The Israelites completely destroyed the 
       Canaanites and their cities, so the place was named Hormah.

       (Num 21:4 NCV)  The Israelites left Mount Hor and went on the road 
       toward the Red Sea, in order to go around the country of Edom. But the 
       people became impatient on the way

       (Num 21:5 NCV)  and grumbled at God and Moses. They said, "Why did you 
       bring us out of Egypt to die in this desert? There is no bread and no 
       water, and we hate this terrible food!"

       (Num 21:6 NCV)  So the LORD sent them poisonous snakes; they bit the 
       people, and many of the Israelites died.

       (Num 21:7 NCV)  The people came to Moses and said, "We sinned when we 
       grumbled at you and the LORD. Pray that the LORD will take away these 
       snakes." So Moses prayed for the people.






       (Num 21:8 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses, "Make a bronze snake, and put 
       it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, that person will 
       live."

       (Num 21:9 NCV)  So Moses made a bronze snake and put it on a pole. 
       Then when a snake bit anyone, that person looked at the bronze snake 
       and lived.

       (Num 21:10 NCV)  The Israelites went and camped at Oboth.

       (Num 21:11 NCV)  They went from Oboth to Iye Abarim, in the desert 
       east of Moab.

       (Num 21:12 NCV)  From there they went and camped in the Zered Valley.

       (Num 21:13 NCV)  From there they went and camped across the Arnon, in 
       the desert just inside the Amorite country. The Arnon is the border 
       between the Moabites and the Amorites.

       (Num 21:14 NCV)  That is why the Book of the Wars of the LORD says: 
       ". . . and Waheb in Suphah, and the ravines, the Arnon,

       (Num 21:15 NCV)  and the slopes of the ravines that lead to the 
       settlement of Ar. These places are at the border of Moab."

       (Num 21:16 NCV)  The Israelites went from there to Beer; a well is 
       there where the LORD said to Moses, "Gather the people and I will give 
       them water."

       (Num 21:17 NCV)  Then the Israelites sang this song: "Pour out water, 
       well! Sing about it.

       (Num 21:18 NCV)  Princes dug this well. Important men made it. With 
       their scepters and poles, they dug it." The people went from the 
       desert to Mattanah.

       (Num 21:19 NCV)  From Mattanah they went to Nahaliel and on to Bamoth.

       (Num 21:20 NCV)  From Bamoth they went to the valley of Moab where the 
       top of Mount Pisgah looks over the desert.

       (Num 21:21 NCV)  The Israelites sent messengers to Sihon, king of the 
       Amorites, saying,

       (Num 21:22 NCV)  "Let us pass through your country. We will not go 
       through any fields of grain or vineyards, or drink water from the 
       wells. We will travel only along the king's road until we have passed 
       through your country."

       (Num 21:23 NCV)  But King Sihon would not let the Israelites pass 
       through his country. He gathered his whole army together, and they 
       marched out to meet Israel in the desert. At Jahaz they fought the 
       Israelites.

       (Num 21:24 NCV)  Israel killed the king and captured his land from the 





       Arnon River to the Jabbok River. They took the land as far as the 
       Ammonite border, which was strongly defended.

       (Num 21:25 NCV)  Israel captured all the Amorite cities and lived in 
       them, taking Heshbon and all the towns around it.

       (Num 21:26 NCV)  Heshbon was the city where Sihon, the Amorite king, 
       lived. In the past he had fought with the king of Moab and had taken 
       all the land as far as the Arnon.

       (Num 21:27 NCV)  That is why the poets say: "Come to Heshbon and 
       rebuild it; rebuild Sihon's city.

       (Num 21:28 NCV)  A fire began in Heshbon; flames came from Sihon's 
       city. It destroyed Ar in Moab, and it burned the Arnon highlands.

       (Num 21:29 NCV)  How terrible for you, Moab! The people of Chemosh are 
       ruined. His sons ran away and his daughters were captured by Sihon, 
       king of the Amorites.

       (Num 21:30 NCV)  But we defeated those Amorites. We ruined their towns 
       from Heshbon to Dibon, and we destroyed them as far as Nophah, near 
       Medeba."

       (Num 21:31 NCV)  So Israel lived in the land of the Amorites.

       (Num 21:32 NCV)  After Moses sent spies to the town of Jazer, they 
       captured the towns around it, forcing out the Amorites who lived 
       there.

       (Num 21:33 NCV)  Then the Israelites went up the road toward Bashan. 
       Og king of Bashan and his whole army marched out to meet the 
       Israelites, and they fought at Edrei.

       (Num 21:34 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses, "Don't be afraid of him. I 
       will hand him, his whole army, and his land over to you. Do to him 
       what you did to Sihon, the Amorite king who lived in Heshbon."

       (Num 21:35 NCV)  So the Israelites killed Og and his sons and all his 
       army; no one was left alive. And they took his land.

       (Num 22:1 NCV)  Then the people of Israel went to the plains of Moab, 
       and they camped near the Jordan River across from Jericho.

       (Num 22:2 NCV)  Balak son of Zippor saw everything the Israelites had 
       done to the Amorites.

       (Num 22:3 NCV)  And Moab was scared of so many Israelites; truly, Moab 
       was terrified by them.

       (Num 22:4 NCV)  The Moabites said to the older leaders of Midian, 
       "These people will take everything around us like an ox eating grass." 
       Balak son of Zippor was the king of Moab at this time.

       (Num 22:5 NCV)  He sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, 
       near the Euphrates River in his native land. Balak said, "A nation has 





       come out of Egypt that covers the land. They have camped next to me,

       (Num 22:6 NCV)  and they are too powerful for me. So come and put a 
       curse on them. Maybe then I can defeat them and make them leave the 
       area. I know that if you bless someone, the blessings happen, and if 
       you put a curse on someone, it happens."

       (Num 22:7 NCV)  The older leaders of Moab and Midian went with payment 
       in their hands. When they found Balaam, they told him what Balak had 
       said.

       (Num 22:8 NCV)  Balaam said to them, "Stay here for the night, and I 
       will tell you what the LORD tells me." So the Moabite leaders stayed 
       with him.

       (Num 22:9 NCV)  God came to Balaam and asked, "Who are these men with 
       you?"

       (Num 22:10 NCV)  Balaam said to God, "The king of Moab, Balak son of 
       Zippor, sent them to me with this message:

       (Num 22:11 NCV)  'A nation has come out of Egypt that covers the land. 
       So come and put a curse on them, and maybe I can fight them and force 
       them out of my land.'"

       (Num 22:12 NCV)  But God said to Balaam, "Do not go with them. Don't 
       put a curse on those people, because I have blessed them."

       (Num 22:13 NCV)  The next morning Balaam awoke and said to Balak's 
       leaders, "Go back to your own country; the LORD has refused to let me 
       go with you."

       (Num 22:14 NCV)  So the Moabite leaders went back to Balak and said, 
       "Balaam refused to come with us."

       (Num 22:15 NCV)  So Balak sent other leaders--this time there were 
       more of them, and they were more important.

       (Num 22:16 NCV)  They went to Balaam and said, "Balak son of Zippor 
       says this: Please don't let anything stop you from coming to me.

       (Num 22:17 NCV)  I will pay you very well, and I will do what you say. 
       Come and put a curse on these people for me."

       (Num 22:18 NCV)  But Balaam answered Balak's servants, "King Balak 
       could give me his palace full of silver and gold, but I cannot disobey 
       the LORD my God in anything, great or small.

       (Num 22:19 NCV)  You stay here tonight as the other men did, and I 
       will find out what more the LORD tells me."

       (Num 22:20 NCV)  That night God came to Balaam and said, "These men 
       have come to ask you to go with them. Go, but only do what I tell 
       you."

       (Num 22:21 NCV)  Balaam got up the next morning and put a saddle on 





       his donkey. Then he went with the Moabite leaders.

       (Num 22:22 NCV)  But God became angry because Balaam went, so the 
       angel of the LORD stood in the road to stop Balaam. Balaam was riding 
       his donkey, and he had two servants with him.

       (Num 22:23 NCV)  When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in 
       the road with a sword in his hand, the donkey left the road and went 
       into the field. Balaam hit the donkey to force her back on the road.

       (Num 22:24 NCV)  Later, the angel of the LORD stood on a narrow path 
       between two vineyards, with walls on both sides.

       (Num 22:25 NCV)  Again the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, and she 
       walked close to one wall, crushing Balaam's foot against it. So he hit 
       her again.

       (Num 22:26 NCV)  The angel of the LORD went ahead again and stood at a 
       narrow place, too narrow to turn left or right.

       (Num 22:27 NCV)  When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay 
       down under Balaam. This made him so angry that he hit her with his 
       stick.

       (Num 22:28 NCV)  Then the LORD made the donkey talk, and she said to 
       Balaam, "What have I done to make you hit me three times?"

       (Num 22:29 NCV)  Balaam answered the donkey, "You have made me look 
       foolish! I wish I had a sword in my hand! I would kill you right now!"

       (Num 22:30 NCV)  But the donkey said to Balaam, "I am your very own 
       donkey, which you have ridden for years. Have I ever done this to you 
       before?" "No," Balaam said.

       (Num 22:31 NCV)  Then the LORD let Balaam see the angel of the LORD, 
       who was standing in the road with his sword drawn. Then Balaam bowed 
       facedown on the ground.

       (Num 22:32 NCV)  The angel of the LORD asked Balaam, "Why have you hit 
       your donkey three times? I have stood here to stop you, because what 
       you are doing is wrong.

       (Num 22:33 NCV)  The donkey saw me and turned away from me three 
       times. If she had not turned away, I would have killed you by now, but 
       I would have let her live."

       (Num 22:34 NCV)  Then Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, "I have 
       sinned; I did not know you were standing in the road to stop me. If I 
       am wrong, I will go back."

       (Num 22:35 NCV)  The angel of the LORD said to Balaam, "Go with these 
       men, but say only what I tell you." So Balaam went with Balak's 
       leaders.

       (Num 22:36 NCV)  When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out 
       to meet him at Ar in Moab, which was beside the Arnon, at the edge of 





       his country.

       (Num 22:37 NCV)  Balak said to Balaam, "I had asked you before to come 
       quickly. Why didn't you come to me? I am able to reward you well."

       (Num 22:38 NCV)  But Balaam answered, "I have come to you now, but I 
       can't say just anything. I can only say what God tells me to say."

       (Num 22:39 NCV)  Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath Huzoth.

       (Num 22:40 NCV)  Balak offered cattle and sheep as a sacrifice and 
       gave some meat to Balaam and the leaders with him.

       (Num 22:41 NCV)  The next morning Balak took Balaam to Bamoth Baal; 
       from there he could see the edge of the Israelite camp.

       (Num 23:1 NCV)  Balaam said to Balak, "Build me seven altars here, and 
       prepare seven bulls and seven male sheep for me."

       (Num 23:2 NCV)  Balak did what Balaam asked, and they offered a bull 
       and a male sheep on each of the altars.

       (Num 23:3 NCV)  Then Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here beside your 
       burnt offering and I will go. If the LORD comes to me, I will tell you 
       whatever he shows me." Then Balaam went to a higher place.

       (Num 23:4 NCV)  God came to Balaam there, and Balaam said to him, "I 
       have prepared seven altars, and I have offered a bull and a male sheep 
       on each altar."

       (Num 23:5 NCV)  The LORD told Balaam what he should say. Then the LORD 
       said, "Go back to Balak and give him this message."

       (Num 23:6 NCV)  So Balaam went back to Balak. Balak and all the 
       leaders of Moab were still standing beside his burnt offering

       (Num 23:7 NCV)  when Balaam gave them this message: "Balak brought me 
       here from Aram; the king of Moab brought me from the eastern 
       mountains. Balak said, 'Come, put a curse on the people of Jacob for 
       me. Come, call down evil on the people of Israel.'

       (Num 23:8 NCV)  But God has not cursed them, so I cannot curse them. 
       The LORD has not called down evil on them, so I cannot call down evil 
       on them.

       (Num 23:9 NCV)  I see them from the top of the mountains; I see them 
       from the hills. I see a people who live alone, who think they are 
       different from other nations.

       (Num 23:10 NCV)  No one can number the many people of Jacob, and no 
       one can count a fourth of Israel. Let me die like good men, and let me 
       end up like them!"

       (Num 23:11 NCV)  Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I 
       brought you here to curse my enemies, but you have only blessed them!"





       (Num 23:12 NCV)  But Balaam answered, "I must say what the LORD tells 
       me to say."

       (Num 23:13 NCV)  Then Balak said to him, "Come with me to another 
       place, where you can also see the people. But you can only see part of 
       them, not all of them. Curse them for me from there."

       (Num 23:14 NCV)  So Balak took Balaam to the field of Zophim, on top 
       of Mount Pisgah. There Balak built seven altars and offered a bull and 
       a male sheep on each altar.

       (Num 23:15 NCV)  So Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here by your burnt 
       offering, and I will meet with God over there."

       (Num 23:16 NCV)  So the LORD came to Balaam and told him what to say. 
       Then he said, "Go back to Balak and say such and such."

       (Num 23:17 NCV)  So Balaam went to Balak, where he and the leaders of 
       Moab were standing beside his burnt offering. Balak asked him, "What 
       did the LORD say?"

       (Num 23:18 NCV)  Then Balaam gave this message: "Stand up, Balak, and 
       listen. Hear me, son of Zippor.

       (Num 23:19 NCV)  God is not a human being, and he will not lie. He is 
       not a human, and he does not change his mind. What he says he will do, 
       he does. What he promises, he makes come true.

       (Num 23:20 NCV)  He told me to bless them, so I cannot change the 
       blessing.

       (Num 23:21 NCV)  He has found no wrong in the people of Jacob; he saw 
       no fault in Israel. The LORD their God is with them, and they praise 
       their King.

       (Num 23:22 NCV)  God brought them out of Egypt; they are as strong as 
       a wild ox.

       (Num 23:23 NCV)  No tricks will work on the people of Jacob, and no 
       magic will work against Israel. People now say about them, 'Look what 
       God has done for Israel!'

       (Num 23:24 NCV)  The people rise up like a lioness; they get up like a 
       lion. Lions don't rest until they have eaten, until they have drunk 
       their enemies' blood."

       (Num 23:25 NCV)  Then Balak said to Balaam, "You haven't cursed these 
       people, so at least, don't bless them!"

       (Num 23:26 NCV)  Balaam answered Balak, "I told you before that I can 
       only do what the LORD tells me."

       (Num 23:27 NCV)  Then Balak said to Balaam, "Come, I will take you to 
       another place. Maybe God will be pleased to let you curse them from 
       there."





       (Num 23:28 NCV)  So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, the mountain 
       that looks over the desert.

       (Num 23:29 NCV)  Balaam told Balak, "Build me seven altars here and 
       prepare for me seven bulls and seven male sheep."

       (Num 23:30 NCV)  Balak did what Balaam asked, and he offered a bull 
       and a male sheep on each altar.

       (Num 24:1 NCV)  Balaam saw that the LORD wanted to bless Israel, so he 
       did not try to use any magic but looked toward the desert.

       (Num 24:2 NCV)  When Balaam saw the Israelites camped in their tribes, 
       the Spirit of God took control of him,

       (Num 24:3 NCV)  and he gave this message: "This is the message of 
       Balaam son of Beor, the message of a man who sees clearly;

       (Num 24:4 NCV)  this is the message of a man who hears the words of 
       God. I see a vision from the Almighty, and my eyes are open as I fall 
       before him.

       (Num 24:5 NCV)  Your tents are beautiful, people of Jacob! So are your 
       homes, Israel!

       (Num 24:6 NCV)  Your tents spread out like valleys, like gardens 
       beside a river. They are like spices planted by the LORD, like cedar 
       trees growing by the water.

       (Num 24:7 NCV)  Israel's water buckets will always be full, and their 
       crops will have plenty of water. Their king will be greater than Agag; 
       their kingdom will be very great.

       (Num 24:8 NCV)  God brought them out of Egypt; they are as strong as a 
       wild ox. They will defeat their enemies and break their enemies' 
       bones; they will shoot them with arrows.

       (Num 24:9 NCV)  Like a lion, they lie waiting to attack; like a 
       lioness, no one would be brave enough to wake them. Anyone who blesses 
       you will be blessed, and anyone who curses you will be cursed."

       (Num 24:10 NCV)  Then Balak was angry with Balaam, and he pounded his 
       fist. He said to Balaam, "I called you here to curse my enemies, but 
       you have continued to bless them three times.

       (Num 24:11 NCV)  Now go home! I said I would pay you well, but the 
       LORD has made you lose your reward."

       (Num 24:12 NCV)  Balaam said to Balak, "When you sent messengers to 
       me, I told them,

       (Num 24:13 NCV)  'Balak could give me his palace filled with silver 
       and gold, but I still cannot go against the Lord's commands. I could 
       not do anything, good or bad, on my own, but I must say what the LORD 
       says.'





       (Num 24:14 NCV)  Now I am going back to my own people, but I will tell 
       you what these people will do to your people in the future."

       (Num 24:15 NCV)  Then Balaam gave this message: "This is the message 
       of Balaam son of Beor, the message of a man who sees clearly;

       (Num 24:16 NCV)  this is the message of a man who hears the words of 
       God. I know well the Most High God. I see a vision from the Almighty, 
       and my eyes are open as I fall before him.

       (Num 24:17 NCV)  I see someone who will come some day, someone who 
       will come, but not soon. A star will come from Jacob; a ruler will 
       rise from Israel. He will crush the heads of the Moabites and smash 
       the skulls of the sons of Sheth.

       (Num 24:18 NCV)  Edom will be conquered; his enemy Edom will be 
       conquered, but Israel will grow wealthy.

       (Num 24:19 NCV)  A ruler will come from the descendants of Jacob and 
       will destroy those left in the city."

       (Num 24:20 NCV)  Then Balaam saw Amalek and gave this message: "Amalek 
       was the most important nation, but Amalek will be destroyed at last."

       (Num 24:21 NCV)  Then Balaam saw the Kenites and gave this message: 
       "Your home is safe, like a nest on a cliff.

       (Num 24:22 NCV)  But you Kenites will be burned up; Assyria will keep 
       you captive."

       (Num 24:23 NCV)  Then Balaam gave this message: "No one can live when 
       God does this.

       (Num 24:24 NCV)  Ships will sail from the shores of Cyprus and defeat 
       Assyria and Eber, but they will also be destroyed."

       (Num 24:25 NCV)  Then Balaam got up and returned home, and Balak also 
       went on his way.

       (Num 25:1 NCV)  While the people of Israel were still camped at 
       Acacia, the men began sinning sexually with Moabite women.

       (Num 25:2 NCV)  The women invited them to their sacrifices to their 
       gods, and the Israelites ate food there and worshiped these gods.

       (Num 25:3 NCV)  So the Israelites began to worship Baal of Peor, and 
       the LORD was very angry with them.

       (Num 25:4 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses, "Get all the leaders of the 
       people and kill them in open daylight in the presence of the LORD. 
       Then the LORD will not be angry with the people of Israel."

       (Num 25:5 NCV)  So Moses said to Israel's judges, "Each of you must 
       put to death your people who have become worshipers of Baal of Peor."

       (Num 25:6 NCV)  Moses and the Israelites were gathered at the entrance 





       to the Meeting Tent, crying there. Then an Israelite man brought a 
       Midianite woman to his brothers in plain sight of Moses and all the 
       people.

       (Num 25:7 NCV)  Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, 
       saw this, so he left the meeting and got his spear.

       (Num 25:8 NCV)  He followed the Israelite into his tent and drove his 
       spear through both the Israelite man and the Midianite woman. Then the 
       terrible sickness among the Israelites stopped.

       (Num 25:9 NCV)  This sickness had killed twenty-four thousand people.

       (Num 25:10 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Num 25:11 NCV)  "Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the 
       priest, has saved the Israelites from my anger. He hates sin as much 
       as I do. Since he tried to save my honor among them, I will not kill 
       them.

       (Num 25:12 NCV)  So tell Phinehas that I am making my peace agreement 
       with him.

       (Num 25:13 NCV)  He and his descendants will always be priests, 
       because he had great concern for the honor of his God. He removed the 
       sins of the Israelites so they would belong to God."

       (Num 25:14 NCV)  The Israelite man who was killed with the Midianite 
       woman was named Zimri son of Salu. He was the leader of a family in 
       the tribe of Simeon.

       (Num 25:15 NCV)  And the name of the Midianite woman who was put to 
       death was Cozbi daughter of Zur, who was the chief of a Midianite 
       family.

       (Num 25:16 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Num 25:17 NCV)  "The Midianites are your enemies, and you should kill 
       them.

       (Num 25:18 NCV)  They have already made you their enemies, because 
       they tricked you at Peor and because of their sister Cozbi, the 
       daughter of a Midianite leader. She was the woman who was killed when 
       the sickness came because the people sinned at Peor."

       (Num 26:1 NCV)  After the great sickness, the LORD said to Moses and 
       Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest,

       (Num 26:2 NCV)  "Count all the people of Israel by families. Count all 
       the men who are twenty years old or older who will serve in the army 
       of Israel."

       (Num 26:3 NCV)  Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke to the people on 
       the plains of Moab near the Jordan River, across from Jericho. They 
       said,





       (Num 26:4 NCV)  "Count the men twenty years old or older, as the LORD 
       commanded Moses." Here are the Israelites who came out of Egypt:

       (Num 26:5 NCV)  The tribe of Reuben, the first son born to Israel, was 
       counted. From Hanoch came the Hanochite family group; from Pallu came 
       the Palluite family group;

       (Num 26:6 NCV)  from Hezron came the Hezronite family group; from 
       Carmi came the Carmite family group.

       (Num 26:7 NCV)  These were the family groups of Reuben, and the total 
       number of men was 43,730.

       (Num 26:8 NCV)  The son of Pallu was Eliab,

       (Num 26:9 NCV)  and Eliab's sons were Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. 
       Dathan and Abiram were the leaders who turned against Moses and Aaron 
       and followed Korah when he turned against the LORD.

       (Num 26:10 NCV)  The earth opened up and swallowed them and Korah; 
       they died at the same time the fire burned up the 250 men. This was a 
       warning,

       (Num 26:11 NCV)  but the children of Korah did not die.

       (Num 26:12 NCV)  These were the family groups in the tribe of Simeon: 
       From Nemuel came the Nemuelite family group; from Jamin came the 
       Jaminite family group; from Jakin came the Jakinite family group;

       (Num 26:13 NCV)  from Zerah came the Zerahite family group; from Shaul 
       came the Shaulite family group.

       (Num 26:14 NCV)  These were the family groups of Simeon, and the total 
       number of men was 22,200.

       (Num 26:15 NCV)  These were the family groups in the tribe of Gad: 
       From Zephon came the Zephonite family group; from Haggi came the 
       Haggite family group; from Shuni came the Shunite family group;

       (Num 26:16 NCV)  from Ozni came the Oznite family group; from Eri came 
       the Erite family group;

       (Num 26:17 NCV)  from Arodi came the Arodite family group; from Areli 
       came the Arelite family group.

       (Num 26:18 NCV)  These were the family groups of Gad, and the total 
       number of men was 40,500.

       (Num 26:19 NCV)  Two of Judah's sons, Er and Onan, died in Canaan.

       (Num 26:20 NCV)  These were the family groups in the tribe of Judah: 
       From Shelah came the Shelanite family group; from Perez came the 
       Perezite family group; from Zerah came the Zerahite family group.

       (Num 26:21 NCV)  These were the family groups from Perez: From Hezron 
       came the Hezronite family group; from Hamul came the Hamulite family 





       group.

       (Num 26:22 NCV)  These were the family groups of Judah, and the total 
       number of men was 76,500.

       (Num 26:23 NCV)  These were the family groups in the tribe of 
       Issachar: From Tola came the Tolaite family group; from Puah came the 
       Puite family group;

       (Num 26:24 NCV)  from Jashub came the Jashubite family group; from 
       Shimron came the Shimronite family group.

       (Num 26:25 NCV)  These were the family groups of Issachar, and the 
       total number of men was 64,300.

       (Num 26:26 NCV)  These were the family groups in the tribe of Zebulun: 
       From Sered came the Seredite family group; from Elon came the Elonite 
       family group; from Jahleel came the Jahleelite family group.

       (Num 26:27 NCV)  These were the family groups of Zebulun, and the 
       total number of men was 60,500.

       (Num 26:28 NCV)  These were the family groups of Joseph through 
       Manasseh and Ephraim.

       (Num 26:29 NCV)  These were the family groups of Manasseh: From Makir 
       came the Makirite family group (Makir was the father of Gilead); from 
       Gilead came the Gileadite family group.

       (Num 26:30 NCV)  These were the family groups that came from Gilead: 
       From Iezer came the Iezerite family group; from Helek came the 
       Helekite family group;

       (Num 26:31 NCV)  from Asriel came the Asrielite family group; from 
       Shechem came the Shechemite family group;

       (Num 26:32 NCV)  from Shemida came the Shemidaite family group; from 
       Hepher came the Hepherite family group.

       (Num 26:33 NCV)  (Zelophehad son of Hepher had no sons; he had only 
       daughters, and their names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and 
       Tirzah.)

       (Num 26:34 NCV)  These were the family groups of Manasseh, and the 
       total number of men was 52,700.

       (Num 26:35 NCV)  These were the family groups in the tribe of Ephraim: 
       From Shuthelah came the Shuthelahite family group; from Beker came the 
       Bekerite family group; from Tahan came the Tahanite family group.

       (Num 26:36 NCV)  This was the family group from Shuthelah: From Eran 
       came the Eranite family group.

       (Num 26:37 NCV)  These were the family groups of Ephraim, and the 
       total number of men was 32,500. These are the family groups that came 
       from Joseph.






       (Num 26:38 NCV)  These were the family groups in the tribe of 
       Benjamin: From Bela came the Belaite family group; from Ashbel came 
       the Ashbelite family group; from Ahiram came the Ahiramite family 
       group;

       (Num 26:39 NCV)  from Shupham came the Shuphamite family group; from 
       Hupham came the Huphamite family group.

       (Num 26:40 NCV)  These were the family groups from Bela through Ard 
       and Naaman: From Ard came the Ardite family group; from Naaman came 
       the Naamite family group.

       (Num 26:41 NCV)  These were the family groups of Benjamin, and the 
       total number of men was 45,600.

       (Num 26:42 NCV)  This was the family group in the tribe of Dan: From 
       Shuham came the Shuhamite family group. That was the family of Dan,

       (Num 26:43 NCV)  and the total number of men in the Shuhamite family 
       group of Dan was 64,400.

       (Num 26:44 NCV)  These were the family groups in the tribe of Asher: 
       From Imnah came the Imnite family group; from Ishvi came the Ishvite 
       family group; from Beriah came the Beriite family group.

       (Num 26:45 NCV)  These were the family groups that came from Beriah: 
       From Heber came the Heberite family group; from Malkiel came the 
       Malkielite family group.

       (Num 26:46 NCV)  (Asher also had a daughter named Serah.)

       (Num 26:47 NCV)  These were the family groups of Asher, and the total 
       number of men was 53,400.

       (Num 26:48 NCV)  These were the family groups in the tribe of 
       Naphtali: From Jahzeel came the Jahzeelite family group; from Guni 
       came the Gunite family group;

       (Num 26:49 NCV)  from Jezer came the Jezerite family group; from 
       Shillem came the Shillemite family group.

       (Num 26:50 NCV)  These were the family groups of Naphtali, and the 
       total number of men was 45,400.

       (Num 26:51 NCV)  So the total number of the men of Israel was 601,730.

       (Num 26:52 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Num 26:53 NCV)  "Divide the land among these people by the number of 
       names.

       (Num 26:54 NCV)  A large tribe will get more land, and a small tribe 
       will get less land; the amount of land each tribe gets will depend on 
       the number of its people.





       (Num 26:55 NCV)  Divide the land by drawing lots, and the land each 
       tribe gets will be named for that tribe.

       (Num 26:56 NCV)  Divide the land between large and small groups by 
       drawing lots."

       (Num 26:57 NCV)  The tribe of Levi was also counted. These were the 
       family groups of Levi: From Gershon came the Gershonite family group; 
       from Kohath came the Kohathite family group; from Merari came the 
       Merarite family group.

       (Num 26:58 NCV)  These also were Levite family groups: the Libnite 
       family group, the Hebronite family group, the Mahlite family group, 
       the Mushite family group, and the Korahite family group. (Kohath was 
       the ancestor of Amram,

       (Num 26:59 NCV)  whose wife was named Jochebed. She was from the tribe 
       of Levi and she was born in Egypt. She and Amram had two sons, Aaron 
       and Moses, and their sister Miriam.

       (Num 26:60 NCV)  Aaron was the father of Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and 
       Ithamar.

       (Num 26:61 NCV)  But Nadab and Abihu died because they made an 
       offering before the LORD with the wrong kind of fire.)

       (Num 26:62 NCV)  The total number of male Levites one month old or 
       older was 23,000. But these men were not counted with the other 
       Israelites, because they were not given any of the land among the 
       other Israelites.

       (Num 26:63 NCV)  Moses and Eleazar the priest counted all these 
       people. They counted the Israelites on the plains of Moab across the 
       Jordan River from Jericho.

       (Num 26:64 NCV)  Moses and Aaron the priest had counted the Israelites 
       in the Desert of Sinai, but no one Moses counted on the plains of Moab 
       was in the first counting.

       (Num 26:65 NCV)  The LORD had told the Israelites they would all die 
       in the desert, and the only two left were Caleb son of Jephunneh and 
       Joshua son of Nun.

       (Num 27:1 NCV)  Then the daughters of Zelophehad came near. Zelophehad 
       was the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of 
       Manasseh. Zelophehad's daughters belonged to the family groups of 
       Manasseh son of Joseph. The daughters' names were Mahlah, Noah, 
       Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

       (Num 27:2 NCV)  They went to the entrance of the Meeting Tent and 
       stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and all the 
       people. They said,

       (Num 27:3 NCV)  "Our father died in the desert. He was not one of 
       Korah's followers who came together against the LORD, but he died 
       because of his own sin, and he had no sons.






       (Num 27:4 NCV)  Our father's name will die out because he had no sons. 
       Give us property among our father's relatives."

       (Num 27:5 NCV)  So Moses brought their case to the LORD,

       (Num 27:6 NCV)  and the LORD said to him,

       (Num 27:7 NCV)  "The daughters of Zelophehad are right; they should 
       certainly get what their father owned. Give them property among their 
       father's relatives.

       (Num 27:8 NCV)  "Tell the Israelites, 'If a man dies and has no son, 
       then everything he owned should go to his daughter.

       (Num 27:9 NCV)  If he has no daughter, then everything he owned should 
       go to his brothers.

       (Num 27:10 NCV)  If he has no brothers, then everything he owned 
       should go to his father's brothers.

       (Num 27:11 NCV)  And if his father had no brothers, then everything he 
       owned should go to the nearest relative in his family group. This 
       should be a rule among the people of Israel, as the LORD has given 
       this command to Moses.'"

       (Num 27:12 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Moses, "Climb this mountain in 
       the Abarim Mountains, and look at the land I have given to the 
       Israelites.

       (Num 27:13 NCV)  After you have seen it, you will die and join your 
       ancestors as your brother Aaron did,

       (Num 27:14 NCV)  because you both acted against my command in the 
       Desert of Zin. You did not honor me as holy before the people at the 
       waters of Meribah." (This was at Meribah in Kadesh in the Desert of 
       Zin.)

       (Num 27:15 NCV)  Moses said to the LORD,

       (Num 27:16 NCV)  "The LORD is the God of the spirits of all people. 
       May he choose a leader for these people,

       (Num 27:17 NCV)  who will go in and out before them. He must lead them 
       out like sheep and bring them in; the Lord's people must not be like 
       sheep without a shepherd."

       (Num 27:18 NCV)  So the LORD said to Moses, "Take Joshua son of Nun, 
       because my Spirit is in him. Put your hand on him,

       (Num 27:19 NCV)  and have him stand before Eleazar the priest and all 
       the people. Then give him his orders as they watch.

       (Num 27:20 NCV)  Let him share your honor so that all the Israelites 
       will obey him.





       (Num 27:21 NCV)  He must stand before Eleazar the priest, and Eleazar 
       will get advice from the LORD by using the Urim. At his command all 
       the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will all come in."

       (Num 27:22 NCV)  Moses did what the LORD told him. He took Joshua and 
       had him stand before Eleazar the priest and all the people,

       (Num 27:23 NCV)  and he put his hands on him and gave him orders, just 
       as the LORD had told him.

       (Num 28:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Num 28:2 NCV)  "Give this command to the Israelites. Tell them: 
       'Bring me food offerings made by fire, for a smell that is pleasing to 
       me, and be sure to bring them at the right time.'

       (Num 28:3 NCV)  Say to them, 'These are the offerings you must bring 
       to the LORD: two male lambs, a year old, as a burnt offering each day. 
       They must have nothing wrong with them.

       (Num 28:4 NCV)  Offer one lamb in the morning and the other lamb at 
       twilight.

       (Num 28:5 NCV)  Also bring a grain offering of two quarts of fine 
       flour, mixed with one quart of oil from pressed olives.

       (Num 28:6 NCV)  This is the daily burnt offering which began at Mount 
       Sinai; its smell is pleasing to the LORD.

       (Num 28:7 NCV)  Offer one quart of wine with each lamb as a drink 
       offering; pour it out to the LORD at the Holy Place.

       (Num 28:8 NCV)  Offer the second lamb at twilight. As in the morning, 
       also give a grain offering and a drink offering. This offering is made 
       by fire, and its smell is pleasing to the LORD.

       (Num 28:9 NCV)  "'On the Sabbath day you must give two male lambs, a 
       year old, that have nothing wrong with them. Also give a drink 
       offering and a grain offering; the grain offering must be four quarts 
       of fine flour mixed with olive oil.

       (Num 28:10 NCV)  This is the burnt offering for every Sabbath, in 
       addition to the daily burnt offering and drink offering.

       (Num 28:11 NCV)  "'On the first day of each month bring a burnt 
       offering to the LORD. This will be two young bulls, one male sheep, 
       and seven male lambs a year old, and they must have nothing wrong with 
       them.

       (Num 28:12 NCV)  Give a grain offering with each bull of six quarts of 
       fine flour mixed with olive oil. Also give a grain offering with the 
       male sheep. It must be four quarts of fine flour mixed with olive oil.

       (Num 28:13 NCV)  And give a grain offering with each lamb of two 
       quarts of fine flour mixed with olive oil. This is a burnt offering, 
       and its smell is pleasing to the LORD.






       (Num 28:14 NCV)  The drink offering with each bull will be two quarts 
       of wine, with the male sheep it will be one and one-third quarts, and 
       with each lamb it will be one quart of wine. This is the burnt 
       offering that must be offered each month of the year.

       (Num 28:15 NCV)  Besides the daily burnt offerings and drink 
       offerings, bring a sin offering of one goat to the LORD.

       (Num 28:16 NCV)  "'The Lord's Passover will be on the fourteenth day 
       of the first month.

       (Num 28:17 NCV)  The Feast of Unleavened Bread begins on the fifteenth 
       day of that month. For seven days, you may eat only bread made without 
       yeast.

       (Num 28:18 NCV)  Have a holy meeting on the first day of the festival, 
       and don't work that day.

       (Num 28:19 NCV)  Bring to the LORD an offering made by fire, a burnt 
       offering of two young bulls, one male sheep, and seven male lambs a 
       year old. They must have nothing wrong with them.

       (Num 28:20 NCV)  With each bull give a grain offering of six quarts of 
       fine flour mixed with olive oil. With the male sheep it must be four 
       quarts of fine flour mixed with oil.

       (Num 28:21 NCV)  With each of the seven lambs, it must be two quarts 
       of fine flour mixed with oil.

       (Num 28:22 NCV)  Bring one goat as a sin offering, to remove your sins 
       so you will belong to God.

       (Num 28:23 NCV)  Bring these offerings in addition to the burnt 
       offerings you give every morning.

       (Num 28:24 NCV)  So bring food for the offering made by fire each day 
       for seven days, for a smell that is pleasing to the LORD. Do it in 
       addition to the daily burnt offering and its drink offering.

       (Num 28:25 NCV)  On the seventh day have a holy meeting, and don't 
       work that day.

       (Num 28:26 NCV)  "'On the day of firstfruits when you bring new grain 
       to the LORD during the Feast of Weeks, have a holy meeting. Don't work 
       that day.

       (Num 28:27 NCV)  Bring this burnt offering to the LORD: two young 
       bulls, one male sheep, and seven male lambs a year old. This smell is 
       pleasing to the LORD.

       (Num 28:28 NCV)  Also, with each bull give a grain offering of six 
       quarts of fine flour mixed with oil. With the male sheep, it must be 
       four quarts of flour,

       (Num 28:29 NCV)  and with each of the seven lambs offer two quarts of 





       flour.

       (Num 28:30 NCV)  Offer one male goat to remove your sins so you will 
       belong to God.

       (Num 28:31 NCV)  Bring these offerings and their drink offerings in 
       addition to the daily burnt offering and its grain offering. The 
       animals must have nothing wrong with them.

       (Num 29:1 NCV)  "'Have a holy meeting on the first day of the seventh 
       month, and don't work on that day. That is the day you blow the 
       trumpets.

       (Num 29:2 NCV)  Bring these burnt offerings as a smell pleasing to the 
       LORD: one young bull, one male sheep, and seven male lambs a year old. 
       They must have nothing wrong with them.

       (Num 29:3 NCV)  With the bull give a grain offering of six quarts of 
       fine flour mixed with oil. With the male sheep offer four quarts,

       (Num 29:4 NCV)  and with each of the seven lambs offer two quarts.

       (Num 29:5 NCV)  Offer one male goat for a sin offering to remove your 
       sins so you will belong to God.

       (Num 29:6 NCV)  These offerings are in addition to the monthly and 
       daily burnt offerings. Their grain offerings and drink offerings must 
       be done as you have been told. These offerings are made by fire to the 
       LORD, and their smell is pleasing to him.

       (Num 29:7 NCV)  "'Have a holy meeting on the tenth day of the seventh 
       month. On that day do not eat and do not work.

       (Num 29:8 NCV)  Bring these burnt offerings as a smell pleasing to the 
       LORD: one young bull, one male sheep, and seven male lambs a year old. 
       They must have nothing wrong with them.

       (Num 29:9 NCV)  With the bull give a grain offering of six quarts of 
       fine flour mixed with oil. With the male sheep it must be four quarts,

       (Num 29:10 NCV)  and with each of the seven lambs it must be two 
       quarts.

       (Num 29:11 NCV)  Offer one male goat as a sin offering. This will be 
       in addition to the sin offering which removes your sins, the daily 
       burnt offering with its grain offering, and the drink offerings.

       (Num 29:12 NCV)  "'Have a holy meeting on the fifteenth day of the 
       seventh month, and do not work on that day. Celebrate a festival to 
       the LORD for seven days.

       (Num 29:13 NCV)  Bring these burnt offerings, made by fire, as a smell 
       pleasing to the LORD: thirteen young bulls, two male sheep, and 
       fourteen male lambs a year old. They must have nothing wrong with 
       them.





       (Num 29:14 NCV)  With each of the thirteen bulls offer a grain 
       offering of six quarts of fine flour mixed with oil. With each of the 
       two male sheep it must be four quarts,

       (Num 29:15 NCV)  and with each of the fourteen lambs it must be two 
       quarts.

       (Num 29:16 NCV)  Offer one male goat as a sin offering in addition to 
       the daily burnt offering with its grain and drink offerings.

       (Num 29:17 NCV)  "'On the second day of this festival give an offering 
       of twelve bulls, two male sheep, and fourteen male lambs a year old. 
       They must have nothing wrong with them.

       (Num 29:18 NCV)  Bring the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, 
       sheep, and lambs, according to the number required.

       (Num 29:19 NCV)  Offer one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to 
       the daily burnt offering with its grain and drink offerings.

       (Num 29:20 NCV)  "'On the third day offer eleven bulls, two male 
       sheep, and fourteen male lambs a year old. They must have nothing 
       wrong with them.

       (Num 29:21 NCV)  Bring the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, 
       sheep, and lambs, according to the number required.

       (Num 29:22 NCV)  Offer one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to 
       the daily burnt offering with its grain and drink offerings.

       (Num 29:23 NCV)  "'On the fourth day offer ten bulls, two male sheep, 
       and fourteen male lambs a year old. They must have nothing wrong with 
       them.

       (Num 29:24 NCV)  Bring the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, 
       sheep, and lambs, according to the number required.

       (Num 29:25 NCV)  Offer one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to 
       the daily burnt offering with its grain and drink offerings.

       (Num 29:26 NCV)  "'On the fifth day offer nine bulls, two male sheep, 
       and fourteen male lambs a year old. They must have nothing wrong with 
       them.

       (Num 29:27 NCV)  Bring the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, 
       sheep, and lambs, according to the number required.

       (Num 29:28 NCV)  Offer one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to 
       the daily burnt offering with its grain and drink offerings.

       (Num 29:29 NCV)  "'On the sixth day offer eight bulls, two male sheep, 
       and fourteen male lambs a year old. They must have nothing wrong with 
       them.

       (Num 29:30 NCV)  Bring the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, 
       sheep, and lambs, according to the number required.






       (Num 29:31 NCV)  Offer one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to 
       the daily burnt offering with its grain and drink offerings.

       (Num 29:32 NCV)  "'On the seventh day offer seven bulls, two male 
       sheep, and fourteen male lambs a year old. They must have nothing 
       wrong with them.

       (Num 29:33 NCV)  Bring the grain and drink offerings for the bulls, 
       sheep, and lambs, according to the number required.

       (Num 29:34 NCV)  Offer one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to 
       the daily burnt offering with its grain and drink offerings.

       (Num 29:35 NCV)  "'On the eighth day have a closing meeting, and do 
       not work on that day.

       (Num 29:36 NCV)  Bring an offering made by fire, a burnt offering, as 
       a smell pleasing to the LORD. Offer one bull, one male sheep, and 
       seven male lambs a year old. They must have nothing wrong with them.

       (Num 29:37 NCV)  Bring the grain and drink offerings for the bull, the 
       male sheep, and the lambs, according to the number required.

       (Num 29:38 NCV)  Offer one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to 
       the daily burnt offering with its grain and drink offerings.

       (Num 29:39 NCV)  "'At your festivals you should bring these to the 
       LORD: your burnt offerings, grain offerings, drink offerings and 
       fellowship offerings. These are in addition to other promised 
       offerings and special gifts you want to give to the LORD.'"

       (Num 29:40 NCV)  Moses told the Israelites everything the LORD had 
       commanded him.

       (Num 30:1 NCV)  Moses spoke with the leaders of the Israelite tribes. 
       He told them these commands from the LORD.

       (Num 30:2 NCV)  "If a man makes a promise to the LORD or says he will 
       do something special, he must keep his promise. He must do what he 
       said.

       (Num 30:3 NCV)  If a young woman still living at home makes a promise 
       to the LORD or pledges to do something special,

       (Num 30:4 NCV)  and if her father hears about the promise or pledge 
       and says nothing, she must do what she promised. She must keep her 
       pledge.

       (Num 30:5 NCV)  But if her father hears about the promise or pledge 
       and does not allow it, then the promise or pledge does not have to be 
       kept. Her father would not allow it, so the LORD will free her from 
       her promise.

       (Num 30:6 NCV)  "If a woman makes a pledge or a careless promise and 
       then gets married,






       (Num 30:7 NCV)  and if her husband hears about it and says nothing, 
       she must keep her promise or the pledge she made.

       (Num 30:8 NCV)  But if her husband hears about it and does not allow 
       it, he cancels her pledge or the careless promise she made. The LORD 
       will free her from keeping it.

       (Num 30:9 NCV)  "If a widow or divorced woman makes a promise, she 
       must do whatever she promised.

       (Num 30:10 NCV)  "If a woman makes a promise or pledge while she is 
       married,

       (Num 30:11 NCV)  and if her husband hears about it but says nothing 
       and does not stop her, she must keep her promise or pledge.

       (Num 30:12 NCV)  But if her husband hears about it and cancels it, she 
       does not have to do what she said. Her husband has canceled it, so the 
       LORD will free her from it.

       (Num 30:13 NCV)  A woman's husband may make her keep or cancel any 
       promise or pledge she has made.

       (Num 30:14 NCV)  If he says nothing to her about it for several days, 
       she must keep her promises. If he hears about them and says nothing, 
       she must keep her promises.

       (Num 30:15 NCV)  But if he cancels them long after he heard about 
       them, he is responsible if she breaks her promise."

       (Num 30:16 NCV)  These are commands that the LORD gave to Moses for 
       husbands and wives, and for fathers with daughters living at home.

       (Num 31:1 NCV)  The LORD spoke to Moses and said,

       (Num 31:2 NCV)  "Pay back the Midianites for what they did to the 
       Israelites; after that you will die."

       (Num 31:3 NCV)  So Moses said to the people, "Get some men ready for 
       war. The LORD will use them to pay back the Midianites.

       (Num 31:4 NCV)  Send to war a thousand men from each of the tribes of 
       Israel."

       (Num 31:5 NCV)  So twelve thousand men got ready for war, a thousand 
       men from each tribe.

       (Num 31:6 NCV)  Moses sent those men to war; Phinehas son of Eleazar 
       the priest was with them. He took with him the holy things and the 
       trumpets for giving the alarm.

       (Num 31:7 NCV)  They fought the Midianites as the LORD had commanded 
       Moses, and they killed every Midianite man.

       (Num 31:8 NCV)  Among those they killed were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and 





       Reba, who were the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son 
       of Beor with a sword.

       (Num 31:9 NCV)  The Israelites captured the Midianite women and 
       children, and they took all their flocks, herds, and goods.

       (Num 31:10 NCV)  They burned all the Midianite towns where they had 
       settled and all their camps,

       (Num 31:11 NCV)  but they took all the people and animals and goods.

       (Num 31:12 NCV)  Then they brought the captives, the animals, and the 
       goods back to Moses and Eleazar the priest and all the Israelites. 
       Their camp was on the plains of Moab near the Jordan River, across 
       from Jericho.

       (Num 31:13 NCV)  Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the 
       people went outside the camp to meet them.

       (Num 31:14 NCV)  Moses was angry with the army officers, the 
       commanders over a thousand men, and those over a hundred men, who 
       returned from war.

       (Num 31:15 NCV)  He asked them, "Why did you let the women live?

       (Num 31:16 NCV)  They were the ones who followed Balaam's advice and 
       turned the Israelites from the LORD at Peor. Then a terrible sickness 
       struck the Lord's people.

       (Num 31:17 NCV)  Kill all the Midianite boys, and kill all the 
       Midianite women who have had sexual relations.

       (Num 31:18 NCV)  But save for yourselves the girls who have not had 
       sexual relations with a man.

       (Num 31:19 NCV)  "All you men who killed anyone or touched a dead body 
       must stay outside the camp for seven days. On the third and seventh 
       days you and your captives must make yourselves clean.

       (Num 31:20 NCV)  You must clean all your clothes and anything made of 
       leather, goat hair, or wood."

       (Num 31:21 NCV)  Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had 
       gone to war, "These are the teachings that the LORD gave to Moses:

       (Num 31:22 NCV)  Put any gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, or lead--

       (Num 31:23 NCV)  anything that will not burn--into the fire, and then 
       it will be clean. But also purify those things with the cleansing 
       water. Then they will be clean. If something cannot stand the fire, 
       wash it with the water.

       (Num 31:24 NCV)  On the seventh day wash your clothes, and you will be 
       clean. After that you may come into the camp."

       (Num 31:25 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,






       (Num 31:26 NCV)  "You, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the 
       family groups should take a count of the goods, the men, and the 
       animals that were taken.

       (Num 31:27 NCV)  Then divide those possessions between the soldiers 
       who went to war and the rest of the people.

       (Num 31:28 NCV)  From the soldiers who went to war, take a tax for the 
       LORD of one item out of every five hundred. This includes people, 
       cattle, donkeys, or sheep.

       (Num 31:29 NCV)  Take it from the soldiers' half, and give it to 
       Eleazar the priest as the Lord's share.

       (Num 31:30 NCV)  And from the people's half, take one item out of 
       every fifty. This includes people, cattle, donkeys, sheep, or other 
       animals. Give that to the Levites, who take care of the Lord's Holy 
       Tent."

       (Num 31:31 NCV)  So Moses and Eleazar did as the LORD commanded Moses.

       (Num 31:32 NCV)  There remained from what the soldiers had taken 
       675,000 sheep,

       (Num 31:33 NCV)  72,000 cattle,

       (Num 31:34 NCV)  61,000 donkeys,

       (Num 31:35 NCV)  and 32,000 women who had not had sexual relations 
       with a man.

       (Num 31:36 NCV)  The soldiers who went to war got 337,000 sheep,

       (Num 31:37 NCV)  and they gave 675 of them to the LORD.

       (Num 31:38 NCV)  They got 36,000 cattle, and they gave 72 of them to 
       the LORD.

       (Num 31:39 NCV)  They got 30,500 donkeys, and they gave 61 of them to 
       the LORD.

       (Num 31:40 NCV)  They got 16,000 people, and they gave 32 of them to 
       the LORD.

       (Num 31:41 NCV)  Moses gave the Lord's share to Eleazar the priest, as 
       the LORD had commanded him.

       (Num 31:42 NCV)  Moses separated the people's half from the soldiers' 
       half.

       (Num 31:43 NCV)  The people got 337,500 sheep,

       (Num 31:44 NCV)  36,000 cattle,

       (Num 31:45 NCV)  30,500 donkeys,






       (Num 31:46 NCV)  and 16,000 people.

       (Num 31:47 NCV)  From the people's half Moses took one item out of 
       every fifty for the LORD. This included the animals and the people. 
       Then he gave them to the Levites, who took care of the Lord's Holy 
       Tent. This was what the LORD had commanded Moses.

       (Num 31:48 NCV)  Then the officers of the army, the commanders of a 
       thousand men and commanders of a hundred men, came to Moses.

       (Num 31:49 NCV)  They told Moses, "We, your servants, have counted our 
       soldiers under our command, and not one of them is missing.

       (Num 31:50 NCV)  So we have brought the LORD a gift of the gold things 
       that each of us found: arm bands, bracelets, signet rings, earrings, 
       and necklaces. These are to remove our sins so we will belong to the 
       LORD."

       (Num 31:51 NCV)  So Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from 
       them, which had been made into all kinds of objects.

       (Num 31:52 NCV)  The commanders of a thousand men and the commanders 
       of a hundred men gave the LORD the gold, and all of it together 
       weighed about 420 pounds;

       (Num 31:53 NCV)  each soldier had taken something for himself.

       (Num 31:54 NCV)  Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from the 
       commanders of a thousand men and the commanders of a hundred men. Then 
       they put it in the Meeting Tent as a memorial before the LORD for the 
       people of Israel.

       (Num 32:1 NCV)  The people of Reuben and Gad had large flocks and 
       herds. When they saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were good for 
       the animals,

       (Num 32:2 NCV)  they came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the 
       leaders of the people.

       (Num 32:3 NCV)  They said, "We, your servants, have flocks and herds. 
       The LORD has captured for the Israelites a land that is good for 
       animals--the land around Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, 
       Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon.

       (Num 32:4 NCV)  

       (Num 32:5 NCV)  If it pleases you, we would like this land to be given 
       to us. Don't make us cross the Jordan River."

       (Num 32:6 NCV)  Moses told the people of Gad and Reuben, "Shall your 
       brothers go to war while you stay behind?

       (Num 32:7 NCV)  You will discourage the Israelites from going over to 
       the land the LORD has given them.





       (Num 32:8 NCV)  Your ancestors did the same thing. I sent them from 
       Kadesh Barnea to look at the land.

       (Num 32:9 NCV)  They went as far as the Valley of Eshcol, and when 
       they saw the land, they discouraged the Israelites from going into the 
       land the LORD had given them.

       (Num 32:10 NCV)  The LORD became very angry that day and made this 
       promise:

       (Num 32:11 NCV)  'None of the people who came from Egypt and who are 
       twenty years old or older will see the land that I promised to 
       Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. These people have not followed me 
       completely.

       (Num 32:12 NCV)  Only Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua 
       son of Nun followed the LORD completely.'

       (Num 32:13 NCV)  "The LORD was angry with Israel, so he made them 
       wander in the desert for forty years. Finally all the people who had 
       sinned against the LORD died,

       (Num 32:14 NCV)  and now you are acting just like your ancestors! You 
       sinful people are making the LORD even more angry with Israel.

       (Num 32:15 NCV)  If you quit following him, it will add to their stay 
       in the desert, and you will destroy all these people."

       (Num 32:16 NCV)  Then the Reubenites and Gadites came up to Moses and 
       said, "We will build pens for our animals and cities for our children 
       here.

       (Num 32:17 NCV)  Then our children will be in strong, walled cities, 
       safe from the people who live in this land. Then we will prepare for 
       war. We will help the other Israelites get their land,

       (Num 32:18 NCV)  and we will not return home until every Israelite has 
       received his land.

       (Num 32:19 NCV)  We won't take any of the land west of the Jordan 
       River; our part of the land is east of the Jordan."

       (Num 32:20 NCV)  So Moses told them, "You must do these things. You 
       must go before the LORD into battle

       (Num 32:21 NCV)  and cross the Jordan River armed, until the LORD 
       forces out the enemy.

       (Num 32:22 NCV)  After the LORD helps us take the land, you may return 
       home. You will have done your duty to the LORD and Israel, and you may 
       have this land as your own.

       (Num 32:23 NCV)  "But if you don't do these things, you will be 
       sinning against the LORD; know for sure that you will be punished for 
       your sin.





       (Num 32:24 NCV)  Build cities for your children and pens for your 
       animals, but then you must do what you promised."

       (Num 32:25 NCV)  The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, "We are 
       your servants, and we will do what you, our master, command.

       (Num 32:26 NCV)  Our children, wives, and all our cattle will stay in 
       the cities of Gilead,

       (Num 32:27 NCV)  but we, your servants, will prepare for battle. We 
       will go over and fight for the LORD, as you, our master, have said."

       (Num 32:28 NCV)  So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the 
       priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the leaders of the tribes of 
       Israel.

       (Num 32:29 NCV)  Moses said to them, "If the Gadites and Reubenites 
       prepare for battle and cross the Jordan River with you, to go before 
       the LORD and help you take the land, give them the land of Gilead for 
       their own.

       (Num 32:30 NCV)  But if they do not go over armed, they will not 
       receive it; their land will be in Canaan with you."

       (Num 32:31 NCV)  The Gadites and Reubenites answered, "We are your 
       servants, and we will do as the LORD said.

       (Num 32:32 NCV)  We will cross over into Canaan and go before the LORD 
       ready for battle. But our land will be east of the Jordan River."

       (Num 32:33 NCV)  So Moses gave that land to the tribes of Gad, Reuben, 
       and East Manasseh. (Manasseh was Joseph's son.) That land had been the 
       kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og, king of 
       Bashan, as well as all the cities and the land around them.

       (Num 32:34 NCV)  The Gadites rebuilt the cities of Dibon, Ataroth, 
       Aroer,

       (Num 32:35 NCV)  Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,

       (Num 32:36 NCV)  Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran. These were strong, 
       walled cities. And they built sheep pens.

       (Num 32:37 NCV)  The Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,

       (Num 32:38 NCV)  Nebo, Baal Meon, and Sibmah. They renamed Nebo and 
       Baal Meon when they rebuilt them.

       (Num 32:39 NCV)  The descendants of Makir son of Manasseh went and 
       captured Gilead and forced out the Amorites who were there.

       (Num 32:40 NCV)  So Moses gave Gilead to the family of Makir son of 
       Manasseh, and they settled there.

       (Num 32:41 NCV)  Jair son of Manasseh went out and captured the small 
       towns there, and he called them the Towns of Jair.






       (Num 32:42 NCV)  Nobah went and captured Kenath and the small towns 
       around it; then he named it Nobah after himself.

       (Num 33:1 NCV)  These are the places the Israelites went as Moses and 
       Aaron led them out of Egypt in divisions.

       (Num 33:2 NCV)  At the Lord's command Moses recorded the places they 
       went, and these are the places they went.

       (Num 33:3 NCV)  On the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after 
       the Passover, the Israelites left Rameses and marched out boldly in 
       front of all the Egyptians.

       (Num 33:4 NCV)  The Egyptians were burying their firstborn sons, whom 
       the LORD had killed; the LORD showed that the gods of Egypt were 
       false.

       (Num 33:5 NCV)  The Israelites left Rameses and camped at Succoth.

       (Num 33:6 NCV)  They left Succoth and camped at Etham, at the edge of 
       the desert.

       (Num 33:7 NCV)  They left Etham and went back to Pi Hahiroth, to the 
       east of Baal Zephon, and camped near Migdol.

       (Num 33:8 NCV)  They left Pi Hahiroth and walked through the sea into 
       the desert. After going three days through the Desert of Etham, they 
       camped at Marah.

       (Num 33:9 NCV)  They left Marah and went to Elim; there were twelve 
       springs of water and seventy palm trees where they camped.

       (Num 33:10 NCV)  They left Elim and camped near the Red Sea.

       (Num 33:11 NCV)  They left the Red Sea and camped in the Desert of 
       Sin.

       (Num 33:12 NCV)  They left the Desert of Sin and camped at Dophkah.

       (Num 33:13 NCV)  They left Dophkah and camped at Alush.

       (Num 33:14 NCV)  They left Alush and camped at Rephidim, where the 
       people had no water to drink.

       (Num 33:15 NCV)  They left Rephidim and camped in the Desert of Sinai.

       (Num 33:16 NCV)  They left the Desert of Sinai and camped at Kibroth 
       Hattaavah.

       (Num 33:17 NCV)  They left Kibroth Hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth.

       (Num 33:18 NCV)  They left Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah.

       (Num 33:19 NCV)  They left Rithmah and camped at Rimmon Perez.





       (Num 33:20 NCV)  They left Rimmon Perez and camped at Libnah.

       (Num 33:21 NCV)  They left Libnah and camped at Rissah.

       (Num 33:22 NCV)  They left Rissah and camped at Kehelathah.

       (Num 33:23 NCV)  They left Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher.

       (Num 33:24 NCV)  They left Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah.

       (Num 33:25 NCV)  They left Haradah and camped at Makheloth.

       (Num 33:26 NCV)  They left Makheloth and camped at Tahath.

       (Num 33:27 NCV)  They left Tahath and camped at Terah.

       (Num 33:28 NCV)  They left Terah and camped at Mithcah.

       (Num 33:29 NCV)  They left Mithcah and camped at Hashmonah.

       (Num 33:30 NCV)  They left Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth.

       (Num 33:31 NCV)  They left Moseroth and camped at Bene Jaakan.

       (Num 33:32 NCV)  They left Bene Jaakan and camped at Hor Haggidgad.

       (Num 33:33 NCV)  They left Hor Haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah.

       (Num 33:34 NCV)  They left Jotbathah and camped at Abronah.

       (Num 33:35 NCV)  They left Abronah and camped at Ezion Geber.

       (Num 33:36 NCV)  They left Ezion Geber and camped at Kadesh in the 
       Desert of Zin.

       (Num 33:37 NCV)  They left Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the 
       border of Edom.

       (Num 33:38 NCV)  Aaron the priest obeyed the LORD and went up Mount 
       Hor. There he died on the first day of the fifth month in the fortieth 
       year after the Israelites left Egypt.

       (Num 33:39 NCV)  Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor.

       (Num 33:40 NCV)  The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the southern 
       area of Canaan, heard that the Israelites were coming.

       (Num 33:41 NCV)  The people left Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah.

       (Num 33:42 NCV)  They left Zalmonah and camped at Punon.

       (Num 33:43 NCV)  They left Punon and camped at Oboth.

       (Num 33:44 NCV)  They left Oboth and camped at Iye Abarim, on the 
       border of Moab.





       (Num 33:45 NCV)  They left Iye Abarim and camped at Dibon Gad.

       (Num 33:46 NCV)  They left Dibon Gad and camped at Almon Diblathaim.

       (Num 33:47 NCV)  They left Almon Diblathaim and camped in the 
       mountains of Abarim, near Nebo.

       (Num 33:48 NCV)  They left the mountains of Abarim and camped on the 
       plains of Moab near the Jordan River across from Jericho.

       (Num 33:49 NCV)  They camped along the Jordan on the plains of Moab, 
       and their camp went from Beth Jeshimoth to Abel Acacia.

       (Num 33:50 NCV)  On the plains of Moab by the Jordan River across from 
       Jericho, the LORD spoke to Moses. He said,

       (Num 33:51 NCV)  "Speak to the Israelites and tell them, 'When you 
       cross the Jordan River and go into Canaan,

       (Num 33:52 NCV)  force out all the people who live there. Destroy all 
       of their carved statues and metal idols. Wreck all of their places of 
       worship.

       (Num 33:53 NCV)  Take over the land and settle there, because I have 
       given this land to you to own.

       (Num 33:54 NCV)  Throw lots to divide up the land by family groups, 
       giving larger portions to larger family groups and smaller portions to 
       smaller family groups. The land will be given as the lots decide; each 
       tribe will get its own land.

       (Num 33:55 NCV)  "'But if you don't force those people out of the 
       land, they will bring you trouble. They will be like sharp hooks in 
       your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will bring trouble to the 
       land where you live.

       (Num 33:56 NCV)  Then I will punish you as I had planned to punish 
       them.'"

       (Num 34:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses,

       (Num 34:2 NCV)  "Give this command to the people of Israel: 'You will 
       soon enter Canaan and it will be yours. These shall be the borders:

       (Num 34:3 NCV)  On the south you will get part of the Desert of Zin 
       near the border of Edom. On the east side your southern border will 
       start at the south end of the Dead Sea,

       (Num 34:4 NCV)  cross south of Scorpion Pass, and go through the 
       Desert of Zin and south of Kadesh Barnea. Then it will go to Hazar 
       Addar and over to Azmon.

       (Num 34:5 NCV)  From Azmon it will go to the brook of Egypt, and it 
       will end at the Mediterranean Sea.

       (Num 34:6 NCV)  "'Your western border will be the Mediterranean Sea.






       (Num 34:7 NCV)  "'Your northern border will begin at the Mediterranean 
       Sea and go to Mount Hor.

       (Num 34:8 NCV)  From Mount Hor it will go to Lebo Hamath, and on to 
       Zedad.

       (Num 34:9 NCV)  Then the border will go to Ziphron, and it will end at 
       Hazar Enan. This will be your northern border.

       (Num 34:10 NCV)  "'Your eastern border will begin at Hazar Enan and go 
       to Shepham.

       (Num 34:11 NCV)  From Shepham the border will go east of Ain to Riblah 
       and along the hills east of Lake Galilee.

       (Num 34:12 NCV)  Then the border will go down along the Jordan River 
       and end at the Dead Sea. "'These are the borders around your 
       country.'"

       (Num 34:13 NCV)  So Moses gave this command to the Israelites: "This 
       is the land you will receive. Throw lots to divide it among the nine 
       and one-half tribes, because the LORD commanded that it should be 
       theirs.

       (Num 34:14 NCV)  The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh have 
       already received their land.

       (Num 34:15 NCV)  These two and one-half tribes received land east of 
       the Jordan River, across from Jericho."

       (Num 34:16 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Moses,

       (Num 34:17 NCV)  "These are the men who will divide the land: Eleazar 
       the priest and Joshua son of Nun.

       (Num 34:18 NCV)  Also take one leader from each tribe to help divide 
       the land.

       (Num 34:19 NCV)  These are the names of the leaders: from the tribe of 
       Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh;

       (Num 34:20 NCV)  from the tribe of Simeon, Shemuel son of Ammihud;

       (Num 34:21 NCV)  from the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad son of Kislon;

       (Num 34:22 NCV)  from the tribe of Dan, Bukki son of Jogli;

       (Num 34:23 NCV)  from the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph, Hanniel son 
       of Ephod;

       (Num 34:24 NCV)  from the tribe of Ephraim son of Joseph, Kemuel son 
       of Shiphtan;

       (Num 34:25 NCV)  from the tribe of Zebulun, Elizaphan son of Parnach;





       (Num 34:26 NCV)  from the tribe of Issachar, Paltiel son of Azzan;

       (Num 34:27 NCV)  from the tribe of Asher, Ahihud son of Shelomi;

       (Num 34:28 NCV)  from the tribe of Naphtali, Pedahel son of Ammihud."

       (Num 34:29 NCV)  The LORD commanded these men to divide the land of 
       Canaan among the Israelites.

       (Num 35:1 NCV)  The LORD spoke to Moses on the plains of Moab across 
       from Jericho by the Jordan River. He said,

       (Num 35:2 NCV)  "Command the Israelites to give the Levites cities to 
       live in from the land they receive. Also give the Levites the 
       pastureland around these cities.

       (Num 35:3 NCV)  Then the Levites will have cities where they may live 
       and pastureland for their cattle, flocks, and other animals.

       (Num 35:4 NCV)  The pastureland you give the Levites will extend 
       fifteen hundred feet from the city wall.

       (Num 35:5 NCV)  Also measure three thousand feet in each direction 
       outside the city wall--three thousand feet east of the city, three 
       thousand feet south of the city, three thousand feet west of the city, 
       and three thousand feet north of the city, with the city in the 
       center. This will be pastureland for the Levites' cities.

       (Num 35:6 NCV)  "Six of the cities you give the Levites will be cities 
       of safety. A person who accidentally kills someone may run to one of 
       those cities for safety. You must also give forty-two other cities to 
       the Levites;

       (Num 35:7 NCV)  give the Levites a total of forty-eight cities and 
       their pastures.

       (Num 35:8 NCV)  The larger tribes of Israel must give more cities, and 
       the smaller tribes must give fewer cities. Each tribe must give some 
       of its cities to the Levites, but the number of cities they give will 
       depend on the size of their land."

       (Num 35:9 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Moses,

       (Num 35:10 NCV)  "Tell the Israelites these things: 'When you cross 
       the Jordan River and go into Canaan,

       (Num 35:11 NCV)  you must choose cities to be cities of safety, so 
       that a person who accidentally kills someone may run to them for 
       safety.

       (Num 35:12 NCV)  There the person will be safe from the dead person's 
       relative who has the duty of punishing the killer. He will not die 
       before he receives a fair trial in court.

       (Num 35:13 NCV)  The six cities you give will be cities of safety.





       (Num 35:14 NCV)  Give three cities east of the Jordan River and three 
       cities in Canaan as cities of safety.

       (Num 35:15 NCV)  These six cities will be places of safety for 
       citizens of Israel, as well as for foreigners and other people living 
       with you. Any of these people who accidentally kills someone may run 
       to one of these cities.

       (Num 35:16 NCV)  "'Anyone who uses an iron weapon to kill someone is a 
       murderer. He must be put to death.

       (Num 35:17 NCV)  Anyone who takes a rock and kills a person with it is 
       a murderer. He must be put to death.

       (Num 35:18 NCV)  Anyone who picks up a piece of wood and kills someone 
       with it is a murderer. He must be put to death.

       (Num 35:19 NCV)  A relative of the dead person must put the murderer 
       to death; when they meet, the relative must kill the murderer.

       (Num 35:20 NCV)  A person might shove someone or throw something at 
       someone and cause death.

       (Num 35:21 NCV)  Or a person might hit someone with his hand and cause 
       death. If it were done from hate, the person is a murderer and must be 
       put to death. A relative of the dead person must kill the murderer 
       when they meet.

       (Num 35:22 NCV)  "'But a person might suddenly shove someone, and not 
       from hatred. Or a person might accidentally throw something and hit 
       someone.

       (Num 35:23 NCV)  Or a person might drop a rock on someone he couldn't 
       see and kill that person. There was no plan to hurt anyone and no 
       hatred for the one who was killed.

       (Num 35:24 NCV)  If that happens, the community must judge between the 
       relative of the dead person and the killer, according to these rules.

       (Num 35:25 NCV)  They must protect the killer from the dead person's 
       relative, sending the killer back to the original city of safety, to 
       stay there until the high priest dies (the high priest had the holy 
       oil poured on him).

       (Num 35:26 NCV)  "'Such a person must never go outside the limits of 
       the city of safety.

       (Num 35:27 NCV)  If a relative of the dead person finds the killer 
       outside the city, the relative may kill that person and not be guilty 
       of murder.

       (Num 35:28 NCV)  The killer must stay in the city of safety until the 
       high priest dies. After the high priest dies, the killer may go home.

       (Num 35:29 NCV)  "'These laws are for you from now on, wherever you 
       live.






       (Num 35:30 NCV)  "'If anyone kills a person, the murderer may be put 
       to death only if there are witnesses. No one may be put to death with 
       only one witness.

       (Num 35:31 NCV)  "'Don't take money to spare the life of a murderer 
       who should be put to death. A murderer must be put to death.

       (Num 35:32 NCV)  "'If someone has run to a city of safety, don't take 
       money to let the person go back home before the high priest dies.

       (Num 35:33 NCV)  "'Don't let murder spoil your land. The only way to 
       remove the sin of killing an innocent person is for the murderer to be 
       put to death.

       (Num 35:34 NCV)  I am the LORD, and I live among the Israelites. I 
       live in that land with you, so do not spoil it with murder.'"

       (Num 36:1 NCV)  The leaders of Gilead's family group went to talk to 
       Moses and the leaders of the families of Israel. (Gilead was the son 
       of Makir, the son of Manasseh, the son of Joseph.)

       (Num 36:2 NCV)  They said, "The LORD commanded you, our master, to 
       give the land to the Israelites by throwing lots, and the LORD 
       commanded you to give the land of Zelophehad, our brother, to his 
       daughters.

       (Num 36:3 NCV)  But if his daughters marry men from other tribes of 
       Israel, then that land will leave our family, and the people of the 
       other tribes will get that land. So we will lose some of our land.

       (Num 36:4 NCV)  When the time of Jubilee comes for the Israelites, 
       their land will go to the tribes of the people they marry; their land 
       will be taken away from us, the land we received from our fathers."

       (Num 36:5 NCV)  Then Moses gave the Israelites this command from the 
       LORD: "These men from the tribe of Joseph are right.

       (Num 36:6 NCV)  This is the Lord's command to Zelophehad's daughters: 
       You may marry anyone you wish, as long as the person is from your own 
       tribe.

       (Num 36:7 NCV)  In this way the Israelites' land will not pass from 
       tribe to tribe, and each Israelite will keep the land in the tribe 
       that belonged to his ancestors.

       (Num 36:8 NCV)  A woman who inherits her father's land may marry, but 
       she must marry someone from her own tribe. In this way every Israelite 
       will keep the land that belonged to his ancestors.

       (Num 36:9 NCV)  The land must not pass from tribe to tribe, and each 
       Israelite tribe will keep the land it received from its ancestors."

       (Num 36:10 NCV)  Zelophehad's daughters obeyed the Lord's command to 
       Moses.





       (Num 36:11 NCV)  So Zelophehad's daughters--Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, 
       Milcah, and Noah--married their cousins, their father's relatives.

       (Num 36:12 NCV)  Their husbands were from the tribe of Manasseh son of 
       Joseph, so their land stayed in their father's family group and tribe.

       (Num 36:13 NCV)  These were the laws and commands that the LORD gave 
       to the Israelites through Moses on the plains of Moab by the Jordan 
       River, across from Jericho.

       (Deu 1:1 NCV)  This is the message Moses gave to all the people of 
       Israel in the desert east of the Jordan River. They were in the desert 
       area near Suph, between Paran and the towns of Tophel, Laban, 
       Hazeroth, and Dizahab.

       (Deu 1:2 NCV)  (The trip from Mount Sinai to Kadesh Barnea on the 
       Mount Seir road takes eleven days.)

       (Deu 1:3 NCV)  Forty years after the Israelites had left Egypt, on the 
       first day of the eleventh month, Moses told the people of Israel 
       everything the LORD had commanded him to tell them.

       (Deu 1:4 NCV)  This was after the LORD had defeated Sihon and Og. 
       Sihon was king of the Amorite people and lived in Heshbon. Og was king 
       of Bashan and lived in Ashteroth and Edrei.

       (Deu 1:5 NCV)  Now the Israelites were east of the Jordan River in the 
       land of Moab, and there Moses began to explain what God had commanded. 
       He said:

       (Deu 1:6 NCV)  The LORD our God spoke to us at Mount Sinai and said, 
       "You have stayed long enough at this mountain.

       (Deu 1:7 NCV)  Get ready, and go to the mountain country of the 
       Amorites, and to all the places around there--the Jordan Valley, the 
       mountains, the western hills, the southern area, the seacoast, the 
       land of Canaan, and Lebanon. Go as far as the great river, the 
       Euphrates.

       (Deu 1:8 NCV)  See, I have given you this land, so go in and take it 
       for yourselves. The LORD promised it to your ancestors--Abraham, 
       Isaac, and Jacob and their descendants."

       (Deu 1:9 NCV)  At that time I said, "I am not able to take care of you 
       by myself.

       (Deu 1:10 NCV)  The LORD your God has made you grow in number so that 
       there are as many of you as there are stars in the sky.

       (Deu 1:11 NCV)  I pray that the LORD, the God of your ancestors, will 
       give you a thousand times more people and do all the wonderful things 
       he promised.

       (Deu 1:12 NCV)  But I cannot take care of your problems, your 
       troubles, and your arguments by myself.





       (Deu 1:13 NCV)  So choose some men from each tribe--wise men who have 
       understanding and experience--and I will make them leaders over you."

       (Deu 1:14 NCV)  And you said, "That's a good thing to do."

       (Deu 1:15 NCV)  So I took the wise and experienced leaders of your 
       tribes, and I made them your leaders. I appointed commanders over a 
       thousand people, over a hundred people, over fifty people, and over 
       ten people and made them officers over your tribes.

       (Deu 1:16 NCV)  Then I told your leaders, "Listen to the arguments 
       between your people. Judge fairly between two Israelites or between an 
       Israelite and a foreigner.

       (Deu 1:17 NCV)  When you judge, be fair to everyone; don't act as if 
       one person is more important than another, and don't be afraid of 
       anyone, because your decision comes from God. Bring the hard cases to 
       me, and I will judge them."

       (Deu 1:18 NCV)  At that time I told you everything you must do.

       (Deu 1:19 NCV)  Then, as the LORD our God commanded us, we left Mount 
       Sinai and went toward the mountain country of the Amorite people. We 
       went through that large and terrible desert you saw, and then we came 
       to Kadesh Barnea.

       (Deu 1:20 NCV)  I said to you, "You have now come to the mountain 
       country of the Amorites, to the land the LORD our God will give us.

       (Deu 1:21 NCV)  Look, here it is! Go up and take it. The LORD, the God 
       of your ancestors, told you to do this, so don't be afraid and don't 
       worry."

       (Deu 1:22 NCV)  Then all of you came to me and said, "Let's send men 
       before us to spy out the land. They can come back and tell us about 
       the way we should go and the cities we will find."

       (Deu 1:23 NCV)  I thought that was a good idea, so I chose twelve of 
       your men, one for each tribe.

       (Deu 1:24 NCV)  They left and went up to the mountains, and when they 
       came to the Valley of Eshcol they explored it.

       (Deu 1:25 NCV)  They took some of the fruit from that land and brought 
       it down to us, saying, "It is a good land that the LORD our God is 
       giving us."

       (Deu 1:26 NCV)  But you refused to go. You would not obey the command 
       of the LORD your God,

       (Deu 1:27 NCV)  but grumbled in your tents, saying, "The LORD hates 
       us. He brought us out of Egypt just to give us to the Amorites, who 
       will destroy us.

       (Deu 1:28 NCV)  Where can we go now? The spies we sent have made us 
       afraid, because they said, 'The people there are stronger and taller 





       than we are. The cities are big, with walls up to the sky. And we saw 
       the Anakites there!'"

       (Deu 1:29 NCV)  Then I said to you, "Don't be frightened; don't be 
       afraid of those people.

       (Deu 1:30 NCV)  The LORD your God will go ahead of you and fight for 
       you as he did in Egypt; you saw him do it.

       (Deu 1:31 NCV)  And in the desert you saw how the LORD your God 
       carried you, like one carries a child. And he has brought you safely 
       all the way to this place."

       (Deu 1:32 NCV)  But you still did not trust the LORD your God, even 
       though

       (Deu 1:33 NCV)  he had always gone before you to find places for you 
       to camp. In a fire at night and in a cloud during the day, he showed 
       you which way to go.

       (Deu 1:34 NCV)  When the LORD heard what you said, he was angry and 
       made an oath, saying,

       (Deu 1:35 NCV)  "I promised a good land to your ancestors, but none of 
       you evil people will see it.

       (Deu 1:36 NCV)  Only Caleb son of Jephunneh will see it. I will give 
       him and his descendants the land he walked on, because he followed the 
       LORD completely."

       (Deu 1:37 NCV)  Because of you, the LORD was also angry with me and 
       said, "You won't enter the land either,

       (Deu 1:38 NCV)  but your assistant, Joshua son of Nun, will enter it. 
       Encourage him, because he will lead Israel to take the land for their 
       own.

       (Deu 1:39 NCV)  "Your little children that you said would be captured, 
       who do not know right from wrong at this time, will go into the land. 
       I will give the land to them, and they will take it for their own.

       (Deu 1:40 NCV)  But you must turn around and follow the desert road 
       toward the Red Sea."

       (Deu 1:41 NCV)  Then you said to me, "We have sinned against the LORD, 
       but now we will go up and fight, as the LORD our God commanded us." 
       Then all of you put on weapons, thinking it would be easy to go into 
       the mountains.

       (Deu 1:42 NCV)  But the LORD said to me, "Tell the people, 'You must 
       not go up there and fight. I will not be with you, and your enemies 
       will defeat you.'"

       (Deu 1:43 NCV)  So I told you, but you would not listen. You would not 
       obey the Lord's command. You were proud, so you went on up into the 
       mountains,






       (Deu 1:44 NCV)  and the Amorites who lived in those mountains came out 
       and fought you. They chased you like bees and defeated you from Edom 
       to Hormah.

       (Deu 1:45 NCV)  So you came back and cried before the LORD, but the 
       LORD did not listen to you; he refused to pay attention to you.

       (Deu 1:46 NCV)  So you stayed in Kadesh a long time.

       (Deu 2:1 NCV)  Then we turned around, and we traveled on the desert 
       road toward the Red Sea, as the LORD had told me to do. We traveled 
       through the mountains of Edom for many days.

       (Deu 2:2 NCV)  Then the LORD said to me,

       (Deu 2:3 NCV)  "You have traveled through these mountains long enough. 
       Turn north

       (Deu 2:4 NCV)  and give the people this command: 'You will soon go 
       through the land that belongs to your relatives, the descendants of 
       Esau who live in Edom. They will be afraid of you, but be very 
       careful.

       (Deu 2:5 NCV)  Do not go to war against them. I will not give you any 
       of their land--not even a foot of it, because I have given the 
       mountains of Edom to Esau as his own.

       (Deu 2:6 NCV)  You must pay them in silver for any food you eat or 
       water you drink.'"

       (Deu 2:7 NCV)  The LORD your God has blessed everything you have done; 
       he has protected you while you traveled through this great desert. The 
       LORD your God has been with you for the past forty years, and you have 
       had everything you needed.

       (Deu 2:8 NCV)  So we passed by our relatives, the descendants of Esau 
       who lived in Edom. We turned off the Jordan Valley road that comes 
       from the towns of Elath and Ezion Geber and traveled along the desert 
       road to Moab.

       (Deu 2:9 NCV)  Then the LORD said to me, "Don't bother the people of 
       Moab. Don't go to war against them, because I will not give you any of 
       their land as your own; I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as 
       their own."

       (Deu 2:10 NCV)  (The Emites, who lived in Ar before, were strong 
       people, and there were many of them. They were very tall, like the 
       Anakites.

       (Deu 2:11 NCV)  The Emites were thought to be Rephaites, like the 
       Anakites, but the Moabite people called them Emites.

       (Deu 2:12 NCV)  The Horites also lived in Edom before, but the 
       descendants of Esau forced them out and destroyed them, taking their 
       place as Israel did in the land the LORD gave them as their own.)






       (Deu 2:13 NCV)  And the LORD said to me, "Now get up and cross the 
       Zered Valley." So we crossed the valley.

       (Deu 2:14 NCV)  It had been thirty-eight years from the time we left 
       Kadesh Barnea until we crossed the Zered Valley. By then, all the 
       fighting men from that time had died, as the LORD had promised would 
       happen.

       (Deu 2:15 NCV)  The LORD continued to work against them to remove them 
       from the camp until they were all dead.

       (Deu 2:16 NCV)  When the last of those fighting men had died,

       (Deu 2:17 NCV)  the LORD said to me,

       (Deu 2:18 NCV)  "Today you will pass by Ar, on the border of Moab.

       (Deu 2:19 NCV)  When you come near the people of Ammon, don't bother 
       them or go to war against them, because I will not give you any of 
       their land as your own. I have given it to the descendants of Lot for 
       their own."

       (Deu 2:20 NCV)  (That land was also thought to be a land of the 
       Rephaites, because those people used to live there, but the Ammonites 
       called them Zamzummites.

       (Deu 2:21 NCV)  They were strong people, and there were many of them; 
       they were very tall, like the Anakites. The LORD destroyed the 
       Zamzummites, and the Ammonites forced them out of the land and took 
       their place.

       (Deu 2:22 NCV)  The LORD did the same thing for the descendants of 
       Esau, who lived in Edom, when he destroyed the Horites. The Edomites 
       forced them out of the land and took their place, and they live there 
       to this day.

       (Deu 2:23 NCV)  The Cretan people came from Crete and destroyed the 
       Avvites, who lived in towns all the way to Gaza; the Cretans destroyed 
       them and took their place.)

       (Deu 2:24 NCV)  The LORD said, "Get up and cross the Arnon Ravine. 
       See, I am giving you the power to defeat Sihon the Amorite, king of 
       Heshbon, and I am giving you his land. So fight against him and begin 
       taking his land.

       (Deu 2:25 NCV)  Today I will begin to make all the people in the world 
       afraid of you. When they hear reports about you, they will shake with 
       fear, and they will be terrified of you."

       (Deu 2:26 NCV)  I sent messengers from the desert of Kedemoth to Sihon 
       king of Heshbon. They offered him peace, saying,

       (Deu 2:27 NCV)  "If you let us pass through your country, we will stay 
       on the road and not turn right or left.





       (Deu 2:28 NCV)  We will pay you in silver for any food we eat or water 
       we drink. We only want to walk through your country.

       (Deu 2:29 NCV)  The descendants of Esau in Edom let us go through 
       their land, and so did the Moabites in Ar. We want to cross the Jordan 
       River into the land the LORD our God has given us."

       (Deu 2:30 NCV)  But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass, 
       because the LORD your God had made him stubborn. The LORD wanted you 
       to defeat Sihon, and now this has happened.

       (Deu 2:31 NCV)  The LORD said to me, "See, I have begun to give Sihon 
       and his country to you. Begin taking the land as your own."

       (Deu 2:32 NCV)  Then Sihon and all his army came out and fought us at 
       Jahaz,

       (Deu 2:33 NCV)  but the LORD our God gave Sihon to us. We defeated 
       him, his sons, and all his army.

       (Deu 2:34 NCV)  We captured all his cities at that time and completely 
       destroyed them, as well as the men, women, and children. We left no 
       one alive.

       (Deu 2:35 NCV)  But we kept the cattle and valuable things from the 
       cities for ourselves.

       (Deu 2:36 NCV)  We defeated Aroer on the edge of the Arnon Ravine, and 
       we defeated the town in the ravine, and even as far as Gilead. No town 
       was too strong for us; the LORD our God gave us all of them.

       (Deu 2:37 NCV)  But you did not go near the land of the Ammonites, on 
       the shores of the Jabbok River, or the towns in the mountains, as the 
       LORD our God had commanded.

       (Deu 3:1 NCV)  When we turned and went up the road toward Bashan, Og 
       king of Bashan and all his army came out to fight us at Edrei.

       (Deu 3:2 NCV)  The LORD said to me, "Don't be afraid of Og, because I 
       will hand him, his whole army, and his land over to you. Do to him 
       what you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon."

       (Deu 3:3 NCV)  So the LORD our God gave us Og king of Bashan and all 
       his army; we defeated them and left no one alive.

       (Deu 3:4 NCV)  Then we captured all of Og's cities, all sixty of them, 
       and took the whole area of Argob, Og's kingdom in Bashan.

       (Deu 3:5 NCV)  All these were strong cities, with high walls and gates 
       with bars. And there were also many small towns with no walls.

       (Deu 3:6 NCV)  We completely destroyed them, just like the cities of 
       Sihon king of Heshbon. We killed all the men, women, and children,

       (Deu 3:7 NCV)  but we kept all the cattle and valuable things from the 
       cities for ourselves.






       (Deu 3:8 NCV)  So at that time we took the land east of the Jordan 
       River, from the Arnon Ravine to Mount Hermon, from these two Amorite 
       kings.

       (Deu 3:9 NCV)  (Hermon is called Sirion by the Sidonian people, but 
       The Amorites call it Senir.)

       (Deu 3:10 NCV)  We captured all the cities on the high plain and all 
       of Gilead, and we took all of Bashan as far as Salecah and Edrei, 
       towns in Og's kingdom of Bashan.

       (Deu 3:11 NCV)  (Only Og king of Bashan was left of the few Rephaites. 
       His bed was made of iron, and it was more than thirteen feet long and 
       six feet wide! It is still in the Ammonite city of Rabbah.)

       (Deu 3:12 NCV)  At that time we took this land to be our own. I gave 
       the people of Reuben and Gad the land from Aroer by the Arnon Ravine, 
       as well as half of the mountain country of Gilead and the cities in 
       it.

       (Deu 3:13 NCV)  To the people of East Manasseh I gave the rest of 
       Gilead and all of Bashan, the kingdom of Og. (The area of Argob in 
       Bashan was called the land of the Rephaites.

       (Deu 3:14 NCV)  Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, took the whole area of 
       Argob, all the way to the border of the Geshurites and Maacathites. So 
       that land was named for Jair, and even today Bashan is called the 
       Towns of Jair.)

       (Deu 3:15 NCV)  I gave Gilead to Makir.

       (Deu 3:16 NCV)  I gave the Reubenites and the Gadites the land that 
       begins at Gilead and goes from the Arnon Ravine (the middle of the 
       Arnon is the border) to the Jabbok River, which is the Ammonite 
       border.

       (Deu 3:17 NCV)  The border on the west was the Jordan River in the 
       Jordan Valley, and it goes from Lake Galilee to the Dead Sea west of 
       Mount Pisgah.

       (Deu 3:18 NCV)  At that time I gave you this command: "The LORD your 
       God has given you this land as your own. Now your fighting men must 
       take their weapons, and you must lead the other Israelites across the 
       river.

       (Deu 3:19 NCV)  Your wives, your young children, and your cattle may 
       stay here. I know you have many cattle, and they may stay here in the 
       cities I have given you,

       (Deu 3:20 NCV)  until the LORD also gives your Israelite relatives a 
       place to rest. They will receive the land the LORD your God has given 
       them on the other side of the Jordan River. After that, you may each 
       return to the land I have given you."

       (Deu 3:21 NCV)  Then I gave this command to Joshua: "You have seen for 





       yourself all that the LORD your God has done to these two kings. The 
       LORD will do the same thing to all the kingdoms where you are going.

       (Deu 3:22 NCV)  Don't be afraid of them, because the LORD your God 
       will fight for you."

       (Deu 3:23 NCV)  Then I begged the LORD:

       (Deu 3:24 NCV)  "Lord GOD, you have begun to show me, your servant, 
       how great you are. You have great strength, and no other god in heaven 
       or on earth can do the powerful things you do. There is no other god 
       like you.

       (Deu 3:25 NCV)  Please let me cross the Jordan River so that I may see 
       the good land by the Jordan. I want to see the beautiful mountains and 
       Lebanon."

       (Deu 3:26 NCV)  But the LORD was angry with me because of you, and he 
       would not listen to me. The LORD said to me, "That's enough. Don't 
       talk to me anymore about it.

       (Deu 3:27 NCV)  Climb to the top of Mount Pisgah and look west, north, 
       south, and east. You can look at the land, but you will not cross the 
       Jordan River.

       (Deu 3:28 NCV)  Appoint Joshua and help him be brave and strong. He 
       will lead the people across the river and give them the land that they 
       are to inherit, but you can only look at it."

       (Deu 3:29 NCV)  So we stayed in the valley opposite Beth Peor.

       (Deu 4:1 NCV)  Now, Israel, listen to the laws and commands I will 
       teach you. Obey them so that you will live and so that you will go 
       over and take the land the LORD, the God of your ancestors, is giving 
       to you.

       (Deu 4:2 NCV)  Don't add to these commands, and don't leave anything 
       out, but obey the commands of the LORD your God that I give you.

       (Deu 4:3 NCV)  You have seen for yourselves what the LORD did at Baal 
       Peor, how the LORD your God destroyed everyone among you who followed 
       Baal in Peor.

       (Deu 4:4 NCV)  But all of you who continued following the LORD your 
       God are still alive today.

       (Deu 4:5 NCV)  Look, I have taught you the laws and rules the LORD my 
       God commanded me. Now you can obey the laws in the land you are 
       entering, in the land you will take.

       (Deu 4:6 NCV)  Obey these laws carefully, in order to show the other 
       nations that you have wisdom and understanding. When they hear about 
       these laws, they will say, "This great nation of Israel is wise and 
       understanding."

       (Deu 4:7 NCV)  No other nation is as great as we are. Their gods do 





       not come near them, but the LORD our God comes near when we pray to 
       him.

       (Deu 4:8 NCV)  And no other nation has such good teachings and 
       commands as those I am giving to you today.

       (Deu 4:9 NCV)  But be careful! Watch out and don't forget the things 
       you have seen. Don't forget them as long as you live, but teach them 
       to your children and grandchildren.

       (Deu 4:10 NCV)  Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at 
       Mount Sinai. He said to me, "Bring the people together so I can tell 
       them what I have to say. Then they will respect me as long as they 
       live in the land, and they will teach these things to their children."

       (Deu 4:11 NCV)  When you came and stood at the bottom of the mountain, 
       it blazed with fire that reached to the sky, and black clouds made it 
       very dark.

       (Deu 4:12 NCV)  The LORD spoke to you from the fire. You heard the 
       sound of words, but you did not see him; there was only a voice.

       (Deu 4:13 NCV)  The LORD told you about his Agreement, the Ten 
       Commandments. He told you to obey them, and he wrote them on two stone 
       tablets.

       (Deu 4:14 NCV)  Then the LORD commanded me to teach you the laws and 
       rules that you must obey in the land you will take when you cross the 
       Jordan River.

       (Deu 4:15 NCV)  Since the LORD spoke to you from the fire at Mount 
       Sinai, but you did not see him, watch yourselves carefully!

       (Deu 4:16 NCV)  Don't sin by making idols of any kind, and don't make 
       statues--of men or women,

       (Deu 4:17 NCV)  of animals on earth or birds that fly in the air,

       (Deu 4:18 NCV)  of anything that crawls on the ground, or of fish in 
       the water below.

       (Deu 4:19 NCV)  When you look up at the sky, you see the sun, moon, 
       and stars, and everything in the sky. But don't bow down and worship 
       them, because the LORD your God has made these things for all people 
       everywhere.

       (Deu 4:20 NCV)  But the LORD brought you out of Egypt, which tested 
       you like a furnace for melting iron, and he made you his very own 
       people, as you are now.

       (Deu 4:21 NCV)  The LORD was angry with me because of you, and he 
       swore that I would not cross the Jordan River to go into the good land 
       the LORD your God is giving you as your own.

       (Deu 4:22 NCV)  I will die here in this land and not cross the Jordan, 
       but you will soon go across and take that good land.






       (Deu 4:23 NCV)  Be careful. Don't forget the Agreement of the LORD 
       your God that he made with you, and don't make any idols for 
       yourselves, as the LORD your God has commanded you not to do.

       (Deu 4:24 NCV)  The LORD your God is a jealous God, like a fire that 
       burns things up.

       (Deu 4:25 NCV)  Even after you have lived in the land a long time and 
       have had children and grandchildren, don't do evil things. Don't make 
       any kind of idol, and don't do what the LORD your God says is evil, 
       because that will make him angry.

       (Deu 4:26 NCV)  If you do, I ask heaven and earth to speak against you 
       this day that you will quickly be removed from this land that you are 
       crossing the Jordan River to take. You will not live there long after 
       that, but you will be completely destroyed.

       (Deu 4:27 NCV)  The LORD will scatter you among the other nations. 
       Only a few of you will be left alive, and those few will be in other 
       nations where the LORD will send you.

       (Deu 4:28 NCV)  There you will worship gods made by people, gods made 
       of wood and stone, that cannot see, hear, eat, or smell.

       (Deu 4:29 NCV)  But even there you can look for the LORD your God, and 
       you will find him if you look for him with your whole being.

       (Deu 4:30 NCV)  It will be hard when all these things happen to you. 
       But after that you will come back to the LORD your God and obey him,

       (Deu 4:31 NCV)  because the LORD your God is a merciful God. He will 
       not leave you or destroy you. He will not forget the Agreement with 
       your ancestors, which he swore to them.

       (Deu 4:32 NCV)  Nothing like this has ever happened before! Look at 
       the past, long before you were even born. Go all the way back to when 
       God made humans on the earth, and look from one end of heaven to the 
       other. Nothing like this has ever been heard of!

       (Deu 4:33 NCV)  No other people have ever heard God speak from a fire 
       and have still lived. But you have.

       (Deu 4:34 NCV)  No other god has ever taken for himself one nation out 
       of another. But the LORD your God did this for you in Egypt, right 
       before your own eyes. He did it with tests, signs, miracles, war, and 
       great sights, by his great power and strength.

       (Deu 4:35 NCV)  He showed you things so you would know that the LORD 
       is God, and there is no other God besides him.

       (Deu 4:36 NCV)  He spoke to you from heaven to teach you. He showed 
       you his great fire on earth, and you heard him speak from the fire.

       (Deu 4:37 NCV)  Because the LORD loved your ancestors, he chose you, 
       their descendants, and he brought you out of Egypt himself by his 





       great strength.

       (Deu 4:38 NCV)  He forced nations out of their land ahead of you, 
       nations that were bigger and stronger than you were. The LORD did this 
       so he could bring you into their land and give it to you as your own, 
       and this land is yours today.

       (Deu 4:39 NCV)  Know and believe today that the LORD is God. He is God 
       in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other god!

       (Deu 4:40 NCV)  Obey his laws and commands that I am giving you today 
       so that things will go well for you and your children. Then you will 
       live a long time in the land that the LORD your God is giving to you 
       forever.

       (Deu 4:41 NCV)  Moses chose three cities east of the Jordan River,

       (Deu 4:42 NCV)  where a person who accidentally killed someone could 
       go. If the person was not killed because of hatred, the murderer's 
       life could be saved by running to one of these cities.

       (Deu 4:43 NCV)  These were the cities: Bezer in the desert high plain 
       was for the Reubenites; Ramoth in Gilead was for the Gadites; and 
       Golan in Bashan was for the Manassites.

       (Deu 4:44 NCV)  These are the teachings Moses gave to the people of 
       Israel.

       (Deu 4:45 NCV)  They are the rules, commands, and laws he gave them 
       when they came out of Egypt.

       (Deu 4:46 NCV)  They were in the valley near Beth Peor, east of the 
       Jordan River, in the land of Sihon. Sihon king of the Amorites ruled 
       in Heshbon and was defeated by Moses and the Israelites as they came 
       out of Egypt.

       (Deu 4:47 NCV)  The Israelites took his land and the land of Og king 
       of Bashan, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River.

       (Deu 4:48 NCV)  This land went from Aroer, on the edge of the Arnon 
       Ravine, to Mount Hermon.

       (Deu 4:49 NCV)  It included all the Jordan Valley east of the Jordan 
       River, and it went as far as the Dead Sea below Mount Pisgah.

       (Deu 5:1 NCV)  Moses called all the people of Israel together and 
       said: Listen, Israel, to the commands and laws I am giving you today. 
       Learn them and obey them carefully.

       (Deu 5:2 NCV)  The LORD our God made an Agreement with us at Mount 
       Sinai.

       (Deu 5:3 NCV)  He did not make this Agreement with our ancestors, but 
       he made it with us, with all of us who are alive here today.

       (Deu 5:4 NCV)  The LORD spoke to you face to face from the fire on the 





       mountain.

       (Deu 5:5 NCV)  (At that time I stood between you and the LORD in order 
       to tell you what the LORD said; you were afraid of the fire, so you 
       would not go up on the mountain.) The LORD said:

       (Deu 5:6 NCV)  "I am the LORD your God; I brought you out of the land 
       of Egypt where you were slaves.

       (Deu 5:7 NCV)  "You must not have any other gods except me.

       (Deu 5:8 NCV)  "You must not make for yourselves any idols or anything 
       to worship that looks like something in the sky above or on the earth 
       below or in the water below the land.

       (Deu 5:9 NCV)  You must not worship or serve any idol, because I, the 
       LORD your God, am a jealous God. If people sin against me and hate me, 
       I will punish their children, even their grandchildren and 
       great-grandchildren.

       (Deu 5:10 NCV)  But I will be very kind for a thousand lifetimes to 
       those who love me and obey my commands.

       (Deu 5:11 NCV)  "You must not use the name of the LORD your God 
       thoughtlessly, because the LORD will punish anyone who uses his name 
       in this way.

       (Deu 5:12 NCV)  "Keep the Sabbath as a holy day, as the LORD your God 
       has commanded you.

       (Deu 5:13 NCV)  You may work and get everything done during six days 
       each week,

       (Deu 5:14 NCV)  but the seventh day is a day of rest to honor the LORD 
       your God. On that day no one may do any work: not you, your son or 
       daughter, your male or female slaves, your ox, your donkey, or any of 
       your animals, or the foreigners living in your cities. That way your 
       servants may rest as you do.

       (Deu 5:15 NCV)  Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the 
       LORD your God brought you out of there by his great power and 
       strength. So the LORD your God has commanded you to rest on the 
       Sabbath day.

       (Deu 5:16 NCV)  "Honor your father and your mother as the LORD your 
       God has commanded you. Then you will live a long time, and things will 
       go well for you in the land that the LORD your God is going to give 
       you.

       (Deu 5:17 NCV)  "You must not murder anyone.

       (Deu 5:18 NCV)  "You must not be guilty of adultery.

       (Deu 5:19 NCV)  "You must not steal.

       (Deu 5:20 NCV)  "You must not tell lies about your neighbor.






       (Deu 5:21 NCV)  "You must not want to take your neighbor's wife. You 
       must not want to take your neighbor's house or land, his male or 
       female slaves, his ox or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your 
       neighbor."

       (Deu 5:22 NCV)  The LORD spoke these commands to all of you on the 
       mountain in a loud voice out of the fire, the cloud, and the deep 
       darkness; he did not say anything else. Then he wrote them on two 
       stone tablets, and he gave them to me.

       (Deu 5:23 NCV)  When you heard the voice from the darkness, as the 
       mountain was blazing with fire, all your older leaders and leaders of 
       your tribes came to me.

       (Deu 5:24 NCV)  And you said, "The LORD our God has shown us his glory 
       and majesty, and we have heard his voice from the fire. Today we have 
       seen that a person can live even if God speaks to him.

       (Deu 5:25 NCV)  But now, we will die! This great fire will burn us up, 
       and we will die if we hear the LORD our God speak anymore.

       (Deu 5:26 NCV)  No human being has ever heard the living God speaking 
       from a fire and still lived, but we have.

       (Deu 5:27 NCV)  Moses, you go near and listen to everything the LORD 
       our God says. Then you tell us what the LORD our God tells you, and we 
       will listen and obey."

       (Deu 5:28 NCV)  The LORD heard what you said to me, and he said to me, 
       "I have heard what the people said to you. Everything they said was 
       good.

       (Deu 5:29 NCV)  I wish their hearts would always respect me and that 
       they would always obey my commands so that things would go well for 
       them and their children forever!

       (Deu 5:30 NCV)  "Go and tell the people to return to their tents,

       (Deu 5:31 NCV)  but you stay here with me so that I may give you all 
       the commands, rules, and laws that you must teach the people to obey 
       in the land I am giving them as their own."

       (Deu 5:32 NCV)  So be careful to do what the LORD your God has 
       commanded you, and follow the commands exactly.

       (Deu 5:33 NCV)  Live the way the LORD your God has commanded you so 
       that you may live and have what is good and have a long life in the 
       land you will take.

       (Deu 6:1 NCV)  These are the commands, rules, and laws that the LORD 
       your God told me to teach you to obey in the land you are crossing the 
       Jordan River to take.

       (Deu 6:2 NCV)  You, your children, and your grandchildren must respect 
       the LORD your God as long as you live. Obey all his rules and commands 





       I give you so that you will live a long time.

       (Deu 6:3 NCV)  Listen, Israel, and carefully obey these laws. Then all 
       will go well for you, and you will become a great nation in a fertile 
       land, just as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, has promised you.

       (Deu 6:4 NCV)  Listen, people of Israel! The LORD our God is the only 
       LORD.

       (Deu 6:5 NCV)  Love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your 
       soul, and all your strength.

       (Deu 6:6 NCV)  Always remember these commands I give you today.

       (Deu 6:7 NCV)  Teach them to your children, and talk about them when 
       you sit at home and walk along the road, when you lie down and when 
       you get up.

       (Deu 6:8 NCV)  Write them down and tie them to your hands as a sign. 
       Tie them on your forehead to remind you,

       (Deu 6:9 NCV)  and write them on your doors and gates.

       (Deu 6:10 NCV)  The LORD your God will bring you into the land he 
       promised to your ancestors, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and he will 
       give it to you. The land has large, growing cities you did not build,

       (Deu 6:11 NCV)  houses full of good things you did not buy, wells you 
       did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees you did not plant. You will 
       eat as much as you want.

       (Deu 6:12 NCV)  But be careful! Do not forget the LORD, who brought 
       you out of the land of Egypt where you were slaves.

       (Deu 6:13 NCV)  Respect the LORD your God. You must worship him and 
       make your promises only in his name.

       (Deu 6:14 NCV)  Do not worship other gods as the people around you do,

       (Deu 6:15 NCV)  because the LORD your God is a jealous God. He is 
       present with you, and if you worship other gods, he will become angry 
       with you and destroy you from the earth.

       (Deu 6:16 NCV)  Do not test the LORD your God as you did at Massah.

       (Deu 6:17 NCV)  Be sure to obey the commands of the LORD your God and 
       the rules and laws he has given you.

       (Deu 6:18 NCV)  Do what the LORD says is good and right so that things 
       will go well for you. Then you may go in and take the good land the 
       LORD promised to your ancestors.

       (Deu 6:19 NCV)  He will force all your enemies out as you go in, as 
       the LORD has said.

       (Deu 6:20 NCV)  In the future when your children ask you, "What is the 





       meaning of the laws, commands, and rules the LORD our God gave us?"

       (Deu 6:21 NCV)  tell them, "We were slaves to the king of Egypt, but 
       the LORD brought us out of Egypt by his great power.

       (Deu 6:22 NCV)  The LORD showed us great and terrible signs and 
       miracles, which he did to Egypt, the king, and his whole family.

       (Deu 6:23 NCV)  The LORD brought us out of Egypt to lead us here and 
       to give us the land he promised our ancestors.

       (Deu 6:24 NCV)  The LORD ordered us to obey all these commands and to 
       respect the LORD our God so that we will always do well and stay 
       alive, as we are today.

       (Deu 6:25 NCV)  The right thing for us to do is this: Obey all these 
       rules in the presence of the LORD our God, as he has commanded."

       (Deu 7:1 NCV)  The LORD your God will bring you into the land that you 
       are entering and that you will have as your own. As you go in, he will 
       force out these nations: the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, 
       Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites--seven nations that are 
       stronger than you.

       (Deu 7:2 NCV)  The LORD your God will hand these nations over to you, 
       and when you defeat them, you must destroy them completely. Do not 
       make a peace treaty with them or show them any mercy.

       (Deu 7:3 NCV)  Do not marry any of them, or let your daughters marry 
       their sons, or let your sons marry their daughters.

       (Deu 7:4 NCV)  If you do, those people will turn your children away 
       from me, to begin serving other gods. Then the LORD will be very angry 
       with you, and he will quickly destroy you.

       (Deu 7:5 NCV)  This is what you must do to those people: Tear down 
       their altars, smash their holy stone pillars, cut down their Asherah 
       idols, and burn their idols in the fire.

       (Deu 7:6 NCV)  You are holy people who belong to the LORD your God. He 
       has chosen you from all the people on earth to be his very own.

       (Deu 7:7 NCV)  The LORD did not care for you and choose you because 
       there were many of you--you are the smallest nation of all.

       (Deu 7:8 NCV)  But the LORD chose you because he loved you, and he 
       kept his promise to your ancestors. So he brought you out of Egypt by 
       his great power and freed you from the land of slavery, from the power 
       of the king of Egypt.

       (Deu 7:9 NCV)  So know that the LORD your God is God, the faithful 
       God. He will keep his agreement of love for a thousand lifetimes for 
       people who love him and obey his commands.

       (Deu 7:10 NCV)  But he will pay back those people who hate him. He 
       will destroy them, and he will not be slow to pay back those who hate 





       him.

       (Deu 7:11 NCV)  So be careful to obey the commands, rules, and laws I 
       give you today.

       (Deu 7:12 NCV)  If you pay attention to these laws and obey them 
       carefully, the LORD your God will keep his agreement and show his love 
       to you, as he promised your ancestors.

       (Deu 7:13 NCV)  He will love and bless you. He will make the number of 
       your people grow; he will bless you with children. He will bless your 
       fields with good crops and will give you grain, new wine, and oil. He 
       will bless your herds with calves and your flocks with lambs in the 
       land he promised your ancestors he would give you.

       (Deu 7:14 NCV)  You will be blessed more than any other people. Every 
       husband and wife will have children, and all your cattle will have 
       calves.

       (Deu 7:15 NCV)  The LORD will take away all disease from you; you will 
       not have the terrible diseases that were in Egypt, but he will give 
       them to all the people who hate you.

       (Deu 7:16 NCV)  You must destroy all the people the LORD your God 
       hands over to you. Do not feel sorry for them, and do not worship 
       their gods, or they will trap you.

       (Deu 7:17 NCV)  You might say to yourselves, "Because these nations 
       are stronger than we are, we can't force them out."

       (Deu 7:18 NCV)  But don't be afraid of them. Remember what the LORD 
       your God did to all of Egypt and its king.

       (Deu 7:19 NCV)  You saw for yourselves the troubles, signs, and 
       miracles he did, how the Lord's great power and strength brought you 
       out of Egypt. The LORD your God will do the same thing to all the 
       nations you now fear.

       (Deu 7:20 NCV)  The LORD your God will also send terror among them so 
       that even those who are alive and hiding from you will die.

       (Deu 7:21 NCV)  Don't be afraid of them, because the LORD your God is 
       with you; he is a great God and people are afraid of him.

       (Deu 7:22 NCV)  When the LORD your God forces those nations out of the 
       land, he will do it little by little ahead of you. You won't be able 
       to destroy them all at once; otherwise, the wild animals will grow too 
       many in number.

       (Deu 7:23 NCV)  But the LORD your God will hand those nations over to 
       you, confusing them until they are destroyed.

       (Deu 7:24 NCV)  The LORD will help you defeat their kings, and the 
       world will forget who they were. No one will be able to stop you; you 
       will destroy them all.





       (Deu 7:25 NCV)  Burn up their idols in the fire. Do not wish for the 
       silver and gold they have, and don't take it for yourselves, or you 
       will be trapped by it. The LORD your God hates it.

       (Deu 7:26 NCV)  Do not bring one of those hateful things into your 
       house, or you will be completely destroyed along with it. Hate and 
       reject those things; they must be completely destroyed.

       (Deu 8:1 NCV)  Carefully obey every command I give you today. Then you 
       will live and grow in number, and you will enter and take the land the 
       LORD promised your ancestors.

       (Deu 8:2 NCV)  Remember how the LORD your God has led you in the 
       desert for these forty years, taking away your pride and testing you, 
       because he wanted to know what was in your heart. He wanted to know if 
       you would obey his commands.

       (Deu 8:3 NCV)  He took away your pride when he let you get hungry, and 
       then he fed you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had 
       ever seen. This was to teach you that a person does not live by eating 
       only bread, but by everything the LORD says.

       (Deu 8:4 NCV)  During these forty years, your clothes did not wear 
       out, and your feet did not swell.

       (Deu 8:5 NCV)  Know in your heart that the LORD your God corrects you 
       as a parent corrects a child.

       (Deu 8:6 NCV)  Obey the commands of the LORD your God, living as he 
       has commanded you and respecting him.

       (Deu 8:7 NCV)  The LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a 
       land with rivers and pools of water, with springs that flow in the 
       valleys and hills,

       (Deu 8:8 NCV)  a land that has wheat and barley, vines, fig trees, 
       pomegranates, olive oil, and honey.

       (Deu 8:9 NCV)  It is a land where you will have plenty of food, where 
       you will have everything you need, where the rocks are iron, and where 
       you can dig copper out of the hills.

       (Deu 8:10 NCV)  When you have all you want to eat, then praise the 
       LORD your God for giving you a good land.

       (Deu 8:11 NCV)  Be careful not to forget the LORD your God so that you 
       fail to obey his commands, laws, and rules that I am giving to you 
       today.

       (Deu 8:12 NCV)  When you eat all you want and build nice houses and 
       live in them,

       (Deu 8:13 NCV)  when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver 
       and gold increase, when you have more of everything,

       (Deu 8:14 NCV)  then your heart will become proud. You will forget the 





       LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, where you 
       were slaves.

       (Deu 8:15 NCV)  He led you through the large and terrible desert that 
       was dry and had no water, and that had poisonous snakes and stinging 
       insects. He gave you water from a solid rock

       (Deu 8:16 NCV)  and manna to eat in the desert. Manna was something 
       your ancestors had never seen. He did this to take away your pride and 
       to test you, so things would go well for you in the end.

       (Deu 8:17 NCV)  You might say to yourself, "I am rich because of my 
       own power and strength,"

       (Deu 8:18 NCV)  but remember the LORD your God! It is he who gives you 
       the power to become rich, keeping the agreement he promised to your 
       ancestors, as it is today.

       (Deu 8:19 NCV)  If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other 
       gods and worship them and bow down to them, I warn you today that you 
       will be destroyed.

       (Deu 8:20 NCV)  Just as the LORD destroyed the other nations for you, 
       you can be destroyed if you do not obey the LORD your God.

       (Deu 9:1 NCV)  Listen, Israel. You will soon cross the Jordan River to 
       go in and force out nations that are bigger and stronger than you. 
       They have large cities with walls up to the sky.

       (Deu 9:2 NCV)  The people there are Anakites, who are strong and tall. 
       You know about them, and you have heard it said: "No one can stop the 
       Anakites."

       (Deu 9:3 NCV)  But today remember that the LORD your God goes in 
       before you to destroy them like a fire that burns things up. He will 
       defeat them ahead of you, and you will force them out and destroy them 
       quickly, just as the LORD has said.

       (Deu 9:4 NCV)  After the LORD your God has forced those nations out 
       ahead of you, don't say to yourself, "The LORD brought me here to take 
       this land because I am so good." No! It is because these nations are 
       evil that the LORD will force them out ahead of you.

       (Deu 9:5 NCV)  You are going in to take the land, not because you are 
       good and honest, but because these nations are evil. That is why the 
       LORD your God will force them out ahead of you, to keep his promise to 
       your ancestors, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

       (Deu 9:6 NCV)  The LORD your God is giving you this good land to take 
       as your own. But know this: It is not because you are good; you are a 
       stubborn people.

       (Deu 9:7 NCV)  Remember this and do not forget it: You made the LORD 
       your God angry in the desert. You would not obey the LORD from the day 
       you left Egypt until you arrived here.





       (Deu 9:8 NCV)  At Mount Sinai you made the LORD angry--angry enough to 
       destroy you.

       (Deu 9:9 NCV)  When I went up on the mountain to receive the stone 
       tablets, the tablets with the Agreement the LORD had made with you, I 
       stayed on the mountain for forty days and forty nights; I did not eat 
       bread or drink water.

       (Deu 9:10 NCV)  The LORD gave me two stone tablets, which God had 
       written on with his own finger. On them were all the commands that the 
       LORD gave to you on the mountain out of the fire, on the day you were 
       gathered there.

       (Deu 9:11 NCV)  When the forty days and forty nights were over, the 
       LORD gave me the two stone tablets, the tablets with the Agreement on 
       them.

       (Deu 9:12 NCV)  Then the LORD told me, "Get up and go down quickly 
       from here, because the people you brought out from Egypt are ruining 
       themselves. They have quickly turned away from what I commanded and 
       have made an idol for themselves."

       (Deu 9:13 NCV)  The LORD said to me, "I have watched these people, and 
       they are very stubborn!

       (Deu 9:14 NCV)  Get away so that I may destroy them and make the whole 
       world forget who they are. Then I will make another nation from you 
       that will be bigger and stronger than they are."

       (Deu 9:15 NCV)  So I turned and came down the mountain that was 
       burning with fire, and the two stone tablets with the Agreement were 
       in my hands.

       (Deu 9:16 NCV)  When I looked, I saw you had sinned against the LORD 
       your God and had made an idol in the shape of a calf. You had quickly 
       turned away from what the LORD had told you to do.

       (Deu 9:17 NCV)  So I took the two stone tablets and threw them down, 
       breaking them into pieces right in front of you.

       (Deu 9:18 NCV)  Then I again bowed facedown on the ground before the 
       LORD for forty days and forty nights; I did not eat bread or drink 
       water. You had sinned by doing what the LORD said was evil, and you 
       made him angry.

       (Deu 9:19 NCV)  I was afraid of the Lord's anger and rage, because he 
       was angry enough with you to destroy you, but the LORD listened to me 
       again.

       (Deu 9:20 NCV)  And the LORD was angry enough with Aaron to destroy 
       him, but then I prayed for Aaron, too.

       (Deu 9:21 NCV)  I took that sinful calf idol you had made and burned 
       it in the fire. I crushed it into a powder like dust and threw the 
       dust into a stream that flowed down the mountain.





       (Deu 9:22 NCV)  You also made the LORD angry at Taberah, Massah, and 
       Kibroth Hattaavah.

       (Deu 9:23 NCV)  Then the LORD sent you away from Kadesh Barnea and 
       said, "Go up and take the land I have given you." But you rejected the 
       command of the LORD your God. You did not trust him or obey him.

       (Deu 9:24 NCV)  You have refused to obey the LORD as long as I have 
       known you.

       (Deu 9:25 NCV)  The LORD had said he would destroy you, so I threw 
       myself down in front of him for those forty days and forty nights.

       (Deu 9:26 NCV)  I prayed to the LORD and said, "Lord GOD, do not 
       destroy your people, your own people, whom you freed and brought out 
       of Egypt by your great power and strength.

       (Deu 9:27 NCV)  Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 
       Don't look at how stubborn these people are, and don't look at their 
       sin and evil.

       (Deu 9:28 NCV)  Otherwise, Egypt will say, 'It was because the LORD 
       was not able to take his people into the land he promised them, and it 
       was because he hated them that he took them into the desert to kill 
       them.'

       (Deu 9:29 NCV)  But they are your people, LORD, your own people, whom 
       you brought out of Egypt with your great power and strength."

       (Deu 10:1 NCV)  At that time the LORD said to me, "Cut two stone 
       tablets like the first ones and come up to me on the mountain. Also 
       make a wooden Ark.

       (Deu 10:2 NCV)  I will write on the tablets the same words that were 
       on the first tablets, which you broke, and you will put the new 
       tablets in the Ark."

       (Deu 10:3 NCV)  So I made the Ark out of acacia wood, and I cut out 
       two stone tablets like the first ones. Then I went up on the mountain 
       with the two tablets in my hands.

       (Deu 10:4 NCV)  The LORD wrote the same things on these tablets he had 
       written before--the Ten Commandments that he had told you on the 
       mountain from the fire, on the day you were gathered there. And the 
       LORD gave them to me.

       (Deu 10:5 NCV)  Then I turned and came down the mountain; I put the 
       tablets in the Ark I had made, as the LORD had commanded, and they are 
       still there.

       (Deu 10:6 NCV)  (The people of Israel went from the wells of the 
       Jaakanites to Moserah. Aaron died there and was buried; his son 
       Eleazar became priest in his place.

       (Deu 10:7 NCV)  From Moserah they went to Gudgodah, and from Gudgodah 
       they went to Jotbathah, a place with streams of water.






       (Deu 10:8 NCV)  At that time the LORD chose the tribe of Levi to carry 
       the Ark of the Agreement with the LORD. They were to serve the LORD 
       and to bless the people in his name, which they still do today.

       (Deu 10:9 NCV)  That is why the Levites did not receive any land of 
       their own; instead, they received the LORD himself as their gift, as 
       the LORD your God told them.)

       (Deu 10:10 NCV)  I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights 
       just like the first time, and the LORD listened to me this time also. 
       He did not want to destroy you.

       (Deu 10:11 NCV)  The LORD said to me, "Go and lead the people so that 
       they will go in and take the land I promised their ancestors."

       (Deu 10:12 NCV)  Now, Israel, this is what the LORD your God wants you 
       to do: Respect the LORD your God, and do what he has told you to do. 
       Love him. Serve the LORD your God with your whole being,

       (Deu 10:13 NCV)  and obey the Lord's commands and laws that I am 
       giving you today for your own good.

       (Deu 10:14 NCV)  The LORD owns the world and everything in it--the 
       heavens, even the highest heavens, are his.

       (Deu 10:15 NCV)  But the LORD cared for and loved your ancestors, and 
       he chose you, their descendants, over all the other nations, just as 
       it is today.

       (Deu 10:16 NCV)  Give yourselves completely to serving him, and do not 
       be stubborn any longer.

       (Deu 10:17 NCV)  The LORD your God is God of all gods and Lord of all 
       lords. He is the great God, who is strong and wonderful. He does not 
       take sides, and he will not be talked into doing evil.

       (Deu 10:18 NCV)  He helps orphans and widows, and he loves foreigners 
       and gives them food and clothes.

       (Deu 10:19 NCV)  You also must love foreigners, because you were 
       foreigners in Egypt.

       (Deu 10:20 NCV)  Respect the LORD your God and serve him. Be loyal to 
       him and make your promises in his name.

       (Deu 10:21 NCV)  He is the one you should praise; he is your God, who 
       has done great and wonderful things for you, which you have seen with 
       your own eyes.

       (Deu 10:22 NCV)  There were only seventy of your ancestors when they 
       went down to Egypt, and now the LORD your God has made you as many as 
       the stars in the sky.

       (Deu 11:1 NCV)  Love the LORD your God and always obey his orders, 
       rules, laws, and commands.






       (Deu 11:2 NCV)  Remember today it was not your children who saw and 
       felt the correction of the LORD your God. They did not see his 
       majesty, his power, his strength,

       (Deu 11:3 NCV)  or his signs and the things he did in Egypt to the 
       king and his whole country.

       (Deu 11:4 NCV)  They did not see what he did to the Egyptian army, its 
       horses and chariots, when he drowned them in the Red Sea as they were 
       chasing you. The LORD ruined them forever.

       (Deu 11:5 NCV)  They did not see what he did for you in the desert 
       until you arrived here.

       (Deu 11:6 NCV)  They did not see what he did to Dathan and Abiram, the 
       sons of Eliab the Reubenite, when the ground opened up and swallowed 
       them, their families, their tents, and everyone who stood with them in 
       Israel.

       (Deu 11:7 NCV)  It was you who saw all these great things the LORD has 
       done.

       (Deu 11:8 NCV)  So obey all the commands I am giving you today so that 
       you will be strong and can go in and take the land you are going to 
       take as your own.

       (Deu 11:9 NCV)  Then you will live a long time in the land that the 
       LORD promised to give to your ancestors and their descendants, a 
       fertile land.

       (Deu 11:10 NCV)  The land you are going to take is not like Egypt, 
       where you were. There you had to plant your seed and water it, like a 
       vegetable garden, by using your feet.

       (Deu 11:11 NCV)  But the land that you will soon cross the Jordan 
       River to take is a land of hills and valleys, a land that drinks rain 
       from heaven.

       (Deu 11:12 NCV)  It is a land the LORD your God cares for. His eyes 
       are on it continually, and he watches it from the beginning of the 
       year to the end.

       (Deu 11:13 NCV)  If you carefully obey the commands I am giving you 
       today and love the LORD your God and serve him with your whole being,

       (Deu 11:14 NCV)  then he will send rain on your land at the right 
       time, in the fall and spring, and you will be able to gather your 
       grain, new wine, and oil.

       (Deu 11:15 NCV)  He will put grass in the fields for your cattle, and 
       you will have plenty to eat.

       (Deu 11:16 NCV)  Be careful, or you will be fooled and will turn away 
       to serve and worship other gods.





       (Deu 11:17 NCV)  If you do, the LORD will become angry with you and 
       will shut the heavens so it will not rain. Then the land will not grow 
       crops, and you will soon die in the good land the LORD is giving you.

       (Deu 11:18 NCV)  Remember my words with your whole being. Write them 
       down and tie them to your hands as a sign; tie them on your foreheads 
       to remind you.

       (Deu 11:19 NCV)  Teach them well to your children, talking about them 
       when you sit at home and walk along the road, when you lie down and 
       when you get up.

       (Deu 11:20 NCV)  Write them on your doors and gates

       (Deu 11:21 NCV)  so that both you and your children will live a long 
       time in the land the LORD promised your ancestors, as long as the 
       skies are above the earth.

       (Deu 11:22 NCV)  If you are careful to obey every command I am giving 
       you to follow, and love the LORD your God, and do what he has told you 
       to do, and are loyal to him,

       (Deu 11:23 NCV)  then the LORD will force all those nations out of the 
       land ahead of you, and you will take the land from nations that are 
       bigger and stronger than you.

       (Deu 11:24 NCV)  Everywhere you step will be yours. Your land will go 
       from the desert to Lebanon and from the Euphrates River to the 
       Mediterranean Sea.

       (Deu 11:25 NCV)  No one will be able to stop you. The LORD your God 
       will do what he promised and will make the people afraid everywhere 
       you go.

       (Deu 11:26 NCV)  See, today I am letting you choose a blessing or a 
       curse.

       (Deu 11:27 NCV)  You will be blessed if you obey the commands of the 
       LORD your God that I am giving you today.

       (Deu 11:28 NCV)  But you will be cursed if you disobey the commands of 
       the LORD your God. So do not disobey the commands I am giving you 
       today, and do not worship other gods you do not know.

       (Deu 11:29 NCV)  When the LORD your God brings you into the land you 
       will take as your own, you are to announce the blessings from Mount 
       Gerizim and the curses from Mount Ebal.

       (Deu 11:30 NCV)  (These mountains are on the other side of the Jordan 
       River, to the west, toward the sunset. They are near the great trees 
       of Moreh in the land of the Canaanites who live in the Jordan Valley 
       opposite Gilgal.)

       (Deu 11:31 NCV)  You will soon cross the Jordan River to enter and 
       take the land the LORD your God is giving you. When you take it over 
       and live there,






       (Deu 11:32 NCV)  be careful to obey all the commands and laws I am 
       giving you today.

       (Deu 12:1 NCV)  These are the commands and laws you must carefully 
       obey in the land the LORD, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. 
       Obey them as long as you live in the land.

       (Deu 12:2 NCV)  When you inherit the lands of these nations, you must 
       completely destroy all the places where they serve their gods, on high 
       mountains and hills and under every green tree.

       (Deu 12:3 NCV)  Tear down their altars, smash their holy stone 
       pillars, and burn their Asherah idols in the fire. Cut down their 
       idols and destroy their names from those places.

       (Deu 12:4 NCV)  Don't worship the LORD your God that way,

       (Deu 12:5 NCV)  but look for the place the LORD your God will 
       choose--a place among your tribes where he is to be worshiped. Go 
       there,

       (Deu 12:6 NCV)  and bring to that place your burnt offerings and 
       sacrifices; bring a tenth of what you gain and your special gifts; 
       bring what you have promised and the special gifts you want to give 
       the LORD, and bring the first animals born to your herds and flocks.

       (Deu 12:7 NCV)  There you will be together with the LORD your God. 
       There you and your families will eat, and you will enjoy all the good 
       things for which you have worked, because the LORD your God has 
       blessed you.

       (Deu 12:8 NCV)  Do not worship the way we have been doing today, each 
       person doing what he thinks is right.

       (Deu 12:9 NCV)  You have not yet come to a resting place, to the land 
       the LORD your God will give you as your own.

       (Deu 12:10 NCV)  But soon you will cross the Jordan River to live in 
       the land the LORD your God is giving you as your own, where he will 
       give you rest from all your enemies and you will live in safety.

       (Deu 12:11 NCV)  Then the LORD your God will choose a place where he 
       is to be worshiped. To that place you must bring everything I tell 
       you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your offerings of a tenth of 
       what you gain, your special gifts, and all your best things you 
       promised to the LORD.

       (Deu 12:12 NCV)  There rejoice before the LORD your God. Everyone 
       should rejoice: you, your sons and daughters, your male and female 
       servants, and the Levites from your towns who have no land of their 
       own.

       (Deu 12:13 NCV)  Be careful that you don't sacrifice your burnt 
       offerings just anywhere you please.





       (Deu 12:14 NCV)  Offer them only in the place the LORD will choose. He 
       will choose a place in one of your tribes, and there you must do 
       everything I am commanding you.

       (Deu 12:15 NCV)  But you may kill your animals in any of your towns 
       and eat as much of the meat as you want, as if it were a deer or a 
       gazelle; this is the blessing the LORD your God is giving you. Anyone, 
       clean or unclean, may eat this meat,

       (Deu 12:16 NCV)  but do not eat the blood. Pour it out on the ground 
       like water.

       (Deu 12:17 NCV)  Do not eat in your own towns what belongs to the 
       LORD: one-tenth of your grain, new wine, or oil; the first animals 
       born to your herds or flocks; whatever you have promised to give; the 
       special gifts you want to give to the LORD, or any other gifts.

       (Deu 12:18 NCV)  Eat these things when you are together with the LORD 
       your God, in the place the LORD your God chooses to be worshiped. 
       Everyone must do this: you, your sons and daughters, your male and 
       female servants, and the Levites from your towns. Rejoice in the LORD 
       your God's presence about the things you have worked for.

       (Deu 12:19 NCV)  Be careful not to forget the Levites as long as you 
       live in the land.

       (Deu 12:20 NCV)  When the LORD your God enlarges your country as he 
       has promised, and you want some meat so you say, "I want some meat," 
       you may eat as much meat as you want.

       (Deu 12:21 NCV)  If the LORD your God chooses a place where he is to 
       be worshiped that is too far away from you, you may kill animals from 
       your herds and flocks, which the LORD has given to you. I have 
       commanded that you may do this. You may eat as much of them as you 
       want in your own towns,

       (Deu 12:22 NCV)  as you would eat gazelle or deer meat. Both clean and 
       unclean people may eat this meat,

       (Deu 12:23 NCV)  but be sure you don't eat the blood, because the life 
       is in the blood. Don't eat the life with the meat.

       (Deu 12:24 NCV)  Don't eat the blood, but pour it out on the ground 
       like water.

       (Deu 12:25 NCV)  If you don't eat it, things will go well for you and 
       your children, because you will be doing what the LORD says is right.

       (Deu 12:26 NCV)  Take your holy things and the things you have 
       promised to give, and go to the place the LORD will choose.

       (Deu 12:27 NCV)  Present your burnt offerings on the altar of the LORD 
       your God, both the meat and the blood. The blood of your sacrifices 
       should be poured beside the altar of the LORD your God, but you may 
       eat the meat.





       (Deu 12:28 NCV)  Be careful to obey all the rules I am giving you so 
       that things will always go well for you and your children, and you 
       will be doing what the LORD your God says is good and right.

       (Deu 12:29 NCV)  You will enter the land and take it away from the 
       nations that the LORD your God will destroy ahead of you. When you 
       force them out and live in their land,

       (Deu 12:30 NCV)  they will be destroyed for you, but be careful not to 
       be trapped by asking about their gods. Don't say, "How do these 
       nations worship? I will do the same."

       (Deu 12:31 NCV)  Don't worship the LORD your God that way, because the 
       LORD hates the evil ways they worship their gods. They even burn their 
       sons and daughters as sacrifices to their gods!

       (Deu 12:32 NCV)  Be sure to do everything I have commanded you. Do not 
       add anything to it, and do not take anything away from it.

       (Deu 13:1 NCV)  Prophets or those who tell the future with dreams 
       might come to you and say they will show you a miracle or a sign.

       (Deu 13:2 NCV)  The miracle or sign might even happen, and then they 
       might say, "Let's serve other gods" (gods you have not known) "and 
       let's worship them."

       (Deu 13:3 NCV)  But you must not listen to those prophets or dreamers. 
       The LORD your God is testing you, to find out if you love him with 
       your whole being.

       (Deu 13:4 NCV)  Serve only the LORD your God. Respect him, keep his 
       commands, and obey him. Serve him and be loyal to him.

       (Deu 13:5 NCV)  The prophets or dreamers must be killed, because they 
       said you should turn against the LORD your God, who brought you out of 
       Egypt and saved you from the land where you were slaves. They tried to 
       turn you from doing what the LORD your God commanded you to do. You 
       must get rid of the evil among you.

       (Deu 13:6 NCV)  Someone might try to lead you to serve other gods--it 
       might be your brother, your son or daughter, the wife you love, or a 
       close friend. The person might say, "Let's go and worship other gods." 
       (These are gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known,

       (Deu 13:7 NCV)  gods of the people who live around you, either nearby 
       or far away, from one end of the land to the other.)

       (Deu 13:8 NCV)  Do not give in to such people. Do not listen or feel 
       sorry for them, and do not let them go free or protect them.

       (Deu 13:9 NCV)  You must put them to death. You must be the first one 
       to start to kill them, and then everyone else must join in.

       (Deu 13:10 NCV)  You must throw stones at them until they die, because 
       they tried to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you 
       out of the land of Egypt, where you were slaves.






       (Deu 13:11 NCV)  Then everyone in Israel will hear about this and be 
       afraid, and no one among you will ever do such an evil thing again.

       (Deu 13:12 NCV)  The LORD your God is giving you cities in which to 
       live, and you might hear something about one of them. Someone might 
       say

       (Deu 13:13 NCV)  that evil people have moved in among you. And they 
       might lead the people of that city away from God, saying, "Let's go 
       and worship other gods." (These are gods you have not known.)

       (Deu 13:14 NCV)  Then you must ask about it, looking into the matter 
       and checking carefully whether it is true. If it is proved that a 
       hateful thing has happened among you,

       (Deu 13:15 NCV)  you must kill with a sword everyone who lives in that 
       city. Destroy the city completely and kill everyone in it, as well as 
       the animals, with a sword.

       (Deu 13:16 NCV)  Gather up everything those people owned, and put it 
       in the middle of the city square. Then completely burn the city and 
       everything they owned as a burnt offering to the LORD your God. That 
       city should never be rebuilt; let it be ruined forever.

       (Deu 13:17 NCV)  Don't keep for yourselves any of the things found in 
       that city, so the LORD will not be angry anymore. He will give you 
       mercy and feel sorry for you, and he will make your nation grow 
       larger, as he promised to your ancestors.

       (Deu 13:18 NCV)  You will have obeyed the LORD your God by keeping all 
       his commands that I am giving to you today, and you will be doing what 
       the LORD says is right.

       (Deu 14:1 NCV)  You are the children of the LORD your God. When 
       someone dies, do not cut yourselves or shave your heads to show your 
       sadness.

       (Deu 14:2 NCV)  You are holy people, who belong to the LORD your God. 
       He has chosen you from all the people on earth to be his very own.

       (Deu 14:3 NCV)  Do not eat anything the LORD hates.

       (Deu 14:4 NCV)  These are the animals you may eat: oxen, sheep, goats,

       (Deu 14:5 NCV)  deer, gazelle, roe deer, wild goats, ibex, antelope, 
       and mountain sheep.

       (Deu 14:6 NCV)  You may eat any animal that has a split hoof and chews 
       the cud,

       (Deu 14:7 NCV)  but you may not eat camels, rabbits, or rock badgers. 
       These animals chew the cud, but they do not have split hoofs, so they 
       are unclean for you.

       (Deu 14:8 NCV)  Pigs are also unclean for you; they have split hoofs, 





       but they do not chew the cud. Do not eat their meat or touch their 
       dead bodies.

       (Deu 14:9 NCV)  There are many things that live in the water. You may 
       eat anything that has fins and scales,

       (Deu 14:10 NCV)  but do not eat anything that does not have fins and 
       scales. It is unclean for you.

       (Deu 14:11 NCV)  You may eat any clean bird.

       (Deu 14:12 NCV)  But do not eat these birds: eagles, vultures, black 
       vultures,

       (Deu 14:13 NCV)  red kites, falcons, any kind of kite,

       (Deu 14:14 NCV)  any kind of raven,

       (Deu 14:15 NCV)  horned owls, screech owls, sea gulls, any kind of 
       hawk,

       (Deu 14:16 NCV)  little owls, great owls, white owls,

       (Deu 14:17 NCV)  desert owls, ospreys, cormorants,

       (Deu 14:18 NCV)  storks, any kind of heron, the hoopoes, or bats.

       (Deu 14:19 NCV)  All insects with wings are unclean for you; do not 
       eat them.

       (Deu 14:20 NCV)  Other things with wings are clean, and you may eat 
       them.

       (Deu 14:21 NCV)  Do not eat anything you find that is already dead. 
       You may give it to a foreigner living in your town, and he may eat it, 
       or you may sell it to a foreigner. But you are holy people, who belong 
       to the LORD your God. Do not cook a baby goat in its mother's milk.

       (Deu 14:22 NCV)  Be sure to save one-tenth of all your crops each 
       year.

       (Deu 14:23 NCV)  Take it to the place the LORD your God will choose 
       where he is to be worshiped. There, where you will be together with 
       the LORD, eat the tenth of your grain, new wine, and oil, and eat the 
       animals born first to your herds and flocks. Do this so that you will 
       learn to respect the LORD your God always.

       (Deu 14:24 NCV)  But if the place the LORD will choose to be worshiped 
       is too far away and he has blessed you so much you cannot carry a 
       tenth,

       (Deu 14:25 NCV)  exchange your one-tenth for silver. Then take the 
       silver with you to the place the LORD your God shall choose.

       (Deu 14:26 NCV)  Use the silver to buy anything you wish--cattle, 
       sheep, wine, beer, or anything you wish. Then you and your family will 





       eat and celebrate there before the LORD your God.

       (Deu 14:27 NCV)  Do not forget the Levites in your town, because they 
       have no land of their own among you.

       (Deu 14:28 NCV)  At the end of every third year, everyone should bring 
       one-tenth of that year's crop and store it in your towns.

       (Deu 14:29 NCV)  This is for the Levites so they may eat and be full. 
       (They have no land of their own among you.) It is also for strangers, 
       orphans, and widows who live in your towns so that all of them may eat 
       and be full. Then the LORD your God will bless you and all the work 
       you do.

       (Deu 15:1 NCV)  At the end of every seven years, you must tell those 
       who owe you anything that they do not have to pay you back.

       (Deu 15:2 NCV)  This is how you must do it: Everyone who has loaned 
       money must cancel the loan and not make a neighbor or relative pay it 
       back. This is the Lord's time for canceling what people owe.

       (Deu 15:3 NCV)  You may make a foreigner pay what is owed to you, but 
       you must not collect what another Israelite owes you.

       (Deu 15:4 NCV)  But there should be no poor people among you, because 
       the LORD your God will richly bless you in the land he is giving you 
       as your own.

       (Deu 15:5 NCV)  He will bless you if you obey the LORD your God 
       completely, but you must be careful to obey all the commands I am 
       giving you today.

       (Deu 15:6 NCV)  The LORD your God will bless you as he promised, and 
       you will lend to other nations, but you will not need to borrow from 
       them. You will rule over many nations, but none will rule over you.

       (Deu 15:7 NCV)  If there are poor among you, in one of the towns of 
       the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not be selfish or greedy 
       toward them.

       (Deu 15:8 NCV)  But give freely to them, and freely lend them whatever 
       they need.

       (Deu 15:9 NCV)  Beware of evil thoughts. Don't think, "The seventh 
       year is near, the year to cancel what people owe." You might be mean 
       to the needy and not give them anything. Then they will complain to 
       the LORD about you, and he will find you guilty of sin.

       (Deu 15:10 NCV)  Give freely to the poor person, and do not wish that 
       you didn't have to give. The LORD your God will bless your work and 
       everything you touch.

       (Deu 15:11 NCV)  There will always be poor people in the land, so I 
       command you to give freely to your neighbors and to the poor and needy 
       in your land.





       (Deu 15:12 NCV)  If one of your own people sells himself to you as a 
       slave, whether it is a Hebrew man or woman, that person will serve you 
       for six years. But in the seventh year you must let the slave go free.

       (Deu 15:13 NCV)  When you let slaves go, don't send them away without 
       anything.

       (Deu 15:14 NCV)  Give them some of your flock, your grain, and your 
       wine, giving to them as the LORD has given to you.

       (Deu 15:15 NCV)  Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and the LORD 
       your God saved you. That is why I am commanding this to you today.

       (Deu 15:16 NCV)  But if your slave says to you, "I don't want to leave 
       you," because he loves you and your family and has a good life with 
       you,

       (Deu 15:17 NCV)  stick an awl through his ear into the door; he will 
       be your slave for life. Also do this to a female slave.

       (Deu 15:18 NCV)  Do not think of it as a hard thing when you let your 
       slaves go free. After all, they served you six years and did twice the 
       work of a hired person. The LORD your God will bless you in everything 
       you do.

       (Deu 15:19 NCV)  Save all the first male animals born to your herds 
       and flocks. They are for the LORD your God. Do not work the first calf 
       born to your oxen, and do not cut off the wool from the first lamb 
       born to your sheep.

       (Deu 15:20 NCV)  Each year you and your family are to eat these 
       animals in the presence of the LORD your God, in the place he will 
       choose to be worshiped.

       (Deu 15:21 NCV)  If an animal is crippled or blind or has something 
       else wrong, do not sacrifice it to the LORD your God.

       (Deu 15:22 NCV)  But you may eat that animal in your own town. Both 
       clean and unclean people may eat it, as they would eat a gazelle or a 
       deer.

       (Deu 15:23 NCV)  But don't eat its blood; pour it out on the ground 
       like water.

       (Deu 16:1 NCV)  Celebrate the Passover of the LORD your God during the 
       month of Abib, because it was during Abib that he brought you out of 
       Egypt at night.

       (Deu 16:2 NCV)  As the sacrifice for the Passover to the LORD your 
       God, offer an animal from your flock or herd at the place the LORD 
       will choose to be worshiped.

       (Deu 16:3 NCV)  Do not eat it with bread made with yeast. But for 
       seven days eat bread made without yeast, the bread of suffering, 
       because you left Egypt in a hurry. So all your life you will remember 
       the time you left Egypt.






       (Deu 16:4 NCV)  There must be no yeast anywhere in your land for seven 
       days. Offer the sacrifice on the evening of the first day, and eat all 
       the meat before morning; do not leave it overnight.

       (Deu 16:5 NCV)  Do not offer the Passover sacrifice in just any town 
       the LORD your God gives you,

       (Deu 16:6 NCV)  but offer it in the place he will choose to be 
       worshiped. Offer it in the evening as the sun goes down, which is when 
       you left Egypt.

       (Deu 16:7 NCV)  Roast the meat and eat it at the place the LORD your 
       God will choose. The next morning go back to your tents.

       (Deu 16:8 NCV)  Eat bread made without yeast for six days. On the 
       seventh day have a special meeting for the LORD your God, and do not 
       work that day.

       (Deu 16:9 NCV)  Count seven weeks from the time you begin to harvest 
       the grain,

       (Deu 16:10 NCV)  and then celebrate the Feast of Weeks for the LORD 
       your God. Bring an offering as a special gift to him, giving to him 
       just as he has blessed you.

       (Deu 16:11 NCV)  Rejoice before the LORD your God at the place he will 
       choose to be worshiped. Everybody should rejoice: you, your sons and 
       daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites in your town, 
       the strangers, orphans, and widows living among you.

       (Deu 16:12 NCV)  Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and carefully 
       obey all these laws.

       (Deu 16:13 NCV)  Celebrate the Feast of Shelters for seven days, after 
       you have gathered your harvest from the threshing floor and winepress.

       (Deu 16:14 NCV)  Everybody should rejoice at your Feast: you, your 
       sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites, 
       strangers, orphans, and widows who live in your towns.

       (Deu 16:15 NCV)  Celebrate the Feast to the LORD your God for seven 
       days at the place he will choose, because the LORD your God will bless 
       all your harvest and all the work you do, and you will be completely 
       happy.

       (Deu 16:16 NCV)  All your men must come before the LORD three times a 
       year to the place he will choose. They must come at these times: the 
       Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of 
       Shelters. No man should come before the LORD without a gift.

       (Deu 16:17 NCV)  Each of you must bring a gift that will show how much 
       the LORD your God has blessed you.

       (Deu 16:18 NCV)  Appoint judges and officers for your tribes in every 
       town the LORD your God is giving you; they must judge the people 





       fairly.

       (Deu 16:19 NCV)  Do not judge unfairly or take sides. Do not let 
       people pay you to make wrong decisions, because that kind of payment 
       makes wise people seem blind, and it changes the words of good people.

       (Deu 16:20 NCV)  Always do what is right so that you will live and 
       always have the land the LORD your God is giving you.

       (Deu 16:21 NCV)  Do not set up a wooden Asherah idol next to the altar 
       you build for the LORD your God,

       (Deu 16:22 NCV)  and do not set up holy stone pillars. The LORD your 
       God hates them.

       (Deu 17:1 NCV)  If an ox or sheep has something wrong with it, do not 
       offer it as a sacrifice to the LORD your God. He would hate that.

       (Deu 17:2 NCV)  A man or woman in one of the towns the LORD gave you 
       might be found doing something evil and breaking the Agreement.

       (Deu 17:3 NCV)  That person may have served other gods and bowed down 
       to them or to the sun or moon or stars of the sky, which I have 
       commanded should not be done.

       (Deu 17:4 NCV)  If someone has told you about it, you must look into 
       the matter carefully. If it is true that such a hateful thing has 
       happened in Israel,

       (Deu 17:5 NCV)  take the man or woman who has done the evil thing to 
       the city gates and throw stones at that person until he dies.

       (Deu 17:6 NCV)  There must be two or three witnesses that it is true 
       before the person is put to death; if there is only one witness, the 
       person should not be put to death.

       (Deu 17:7 NCV)  The witnesses must be the first to throw stones at the 
       person, and then everyone else will follow. You must get rid of the 
       evil among you.

       (Deu 17:8 NCV)  Some cases that come before you, such as murder, 
       quarreling, or attack, may be too difficult to judge. Take these cases 
       to the place the LORD your God will choose.

       (Deu 17:9 NCV)  Go to the priests who are Levites and to the judge who 
       is on duty at that time. Ask them about the case, and they will 
       decide.

       (Deu 17:10 NCV)  You must follow the decision they give you at the 
       place the LORD your God will choose. Be careful to do everything they 
       tell you.

       (Deu 17:11 NCV)  Follow the teachings they give you, and do whatever 
       they decide, exactly as they tell you.

       (Deu 17:12 NCV)  The person who does not show respect for the judge or 





       priest who is there serving the LORD your God must be put to death. 
       You must get rid of that evil from Israel.

       (Deu 17:13 NCV)  Then everyone will hear about this and will be 
       afraid, and they will not show disrespect anymore.

       (Deu 17:14 NCV)  When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving 
       you, taking it as your own and living in it, you will say, "Let's 
       appoint a king over us like the nations all around us."

       (Deu 17:15 NCV)  Be sure to appoint over you the king the LORD your 
       God chooses. He must be one of your own people. Do not appoint as your 
       king a foreigner who is not a fellow Israelite.

       (Deu 17:16 NCV)  The king must not have too many horses for himself, 
       and he must not send people to Egypt to get more horses, because the 
       LORD has told you, "Don't return that way again."

       (Deu 17:17 NCV)  The king must not have many wives, or his heart will 
       be led away from God. He must not have too much silver and gold.

       (Deu 17:18 NCV)  When he becomes king, he should write a copy of the 
       teachings on a scroll for himself, a copy taken from the priests and 
       Levites.

       (Deu 17:19 NCV)  He should keep it with him all the time and read from 
       it every day of his life. Then he will learn to respect the LORD his 
       God, and he will obey all the teachings and commands.

       (Deu 17:20 NCV)  He should not think he is better than his fellow 
       Israelites, and he must not stop obeying the law in any way so that he 
       and his descendants may rule the kingdom for a long time.

       (Deu 18:1 NCV)  The priests are from the tribe of Levi, and that tribe 
       will not receive a share of the land with the Israelites. They will 
       eat the offerings made to the LORD by fire, which is their share.

       (Deu 18:2 NCV)  They will not inherit any of the land like their 
       brothers, but they will inherit the LORD himself, as he has promised 
       them.

       (Deu 18:3 NCV)  When you offer a bull or sheep as a sacrifice, you 
       must share with the priests, giving them the shoulder, the cheeks, and 
       the inner organs.

       (Deu 18:4 NCV)  Give them the first of your grain, new wine, and oil, 
       as well as the first wool you cut from your sheep.

       (Deu 18:5 NCV)  The LORD your God has chosen the priests and their 
       descendants out of all your tribes to stand and serve the LORD always.

       (Deu 18:6 NCV)  If a Levite moves from one of your towns anywhere in 
       Israel where he lives and comes to the place the LORD will choose, 
       because he wants to serve the LORD there,

       (Deu 18:7 NCV)  he may serve the LORD his God. He will be like his 





       fellow Levites who serve there before the LORD.

       (Deu 18:8 NCV)  They all will have an equal share of the food. That is 
       separate from what he has received from the sale of family 
       possessions.

       (Deu 18:9 NCV)  When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving 
       you, don't learn to do the hateful things the other nations do.

       (Deu 18:10 NCV)  Don't let anyone among you offer a son or daughter as 
       a sacrifice in the fire. Don't let anyone use magic or witchcraft, or 
       try to explain the meaning of signs.

       (Deu 18:11 NCV)  Don't let anyone try to control others with magic, 
       and don't let them be mediums or try to talk with the spirits of dead 
       people.

       (Deu 18:12 NCV)  The LORD hates anyone who does these things. Because 
       the other nations do these things, the LORD your God will force them 
       out of the land ahead of you.

       (Deu 18:13 NCV)  But you must be innocent in the presence of the LORD 
       your God.

       (Deu 18:14 NCV)  The nations you will force out listen to people who 
       use magic and witchcraft, but the LORD your God will not let you do 
       those things.

       (Deu 18:15 NCV)  The LORD your God will give you a prophet like me, 
       who is one of your own people. Listen to him.

       (Deu 18:16 NCV)  This is what you asked the LORD your God to do when 
       you were gathered at Mount Sinai. You said, "Don't make us listen to 
       the voice of the LORD our God again, and don't make us look at this 
       terrible fire anymore, or we will die."

       (Deu 18:17 NCV)  So the LORD said to me, "What they have said is good.

       (Deu 18:18 NCV)  So I will give them a prophet like you, who is one of 
       their own people. I will tell him what to say, and he will tell them 
       everything I command.

       (Deu 18:19 NCV)  This prophet will speak for me; anyone who does not 
       listen when he speaks will answer to me.

       (Deu 18:20 NCV)  But if a prophet says something I did not tell him to 
       say as though he were speaking for me, or if a prophet speaks in the 
       name of other gods, that prophet must be killed."

       (Deu 18:21 NCV)  You might be thinking, "How can we know if a message 
       is not from the LORD?"

       (Deu 18:22 NCV)  If what a prophet says in the name of the LORD does 
       not happen, it is not the Lord's message. That prophet was speaking 
       his own ideas. Don't be afraid of him.





       (Deu 19:1 NCV)  When the LORD your God gives you land that belongs to 
       the other nations, nations that he will destroy, you will force them 
       out and live in their cities and houses.

       (Deu 19:2 NCV)  Then choose three cities in the middle of the land the 
       LORD your God is giving you as your own.

       (Deu 19:3 NCV)  Build roads to these cities, and divide the land the 
       LORD is giving you into three parts so that someone who kills another 
       person may run to these cities.

       (Deu 19:4 NCV)  This is the rule for someone who kills another person 
       and runs to one of these cities in order to save his life. But the 
       person must have killed a neighbor without meaning to, not out of 
       hatred.

       (Deu 19:5 NCV)  For example, suppose someone goes into the forest with 
       a neighbor to cut wood and swings an ax to cut down a tree. If the ax 
       head flies off the handle, hitting and killing the neighbor, the one 
       who killed him may run to one of these cities to save his life.

       (Deu 19:6 NCV)  Otherwise, the dead person's relative who has the duty 
       of punishing a murderer might be angry and chase him. If the city is 
       far away, the relative might catch and kill the person, even though he 
       should not be killed because there was no intent to kill his neighbor.

       (Deu 19:7 NCV)  This is why I command you to choose these three 
       cities.

       (Deu 19:8 NCV)  Carefully obey all these laws I'm giving you today. 
       Love the LORD your God, and always do what he wants you to do. Then 
       the LORD your God will enlarge your land as he promised your 
       ancestors, giving you the whole land he promised to them. After that, 
       choose three more cities of safety

       (Deu 19:9 NCV)  

       (Deu 19:10 NCV)  so that innocent people will not be killed in your 
       land, the land that the LORD your God is giving you as your own. By 
       doing this you will not be guilty of allowing the death of innocent 
       people.

       (Deu 19:11 NCV)  But if a person hates his neighbor and, after hiding 
       and waiting, attacks and kills him and then runs to one of these 
       cities for safety,

       (Deu 19:12 NCV)  the older leaders of his own city should send for the 
       murderer. They should bring the person back from the city of safety 
       and hand him over to the relative who has the duty of punishing the 
       murderer.

       (Deu 19:13 NCV)  Show no mercy. You must remove from Israel the guilt 
       of murdering innocent people so that things will go well for you.

       (Deu 19:14 NCV)  Do not move the stone that marks the border of your 
       neighbor's land, which people long ago set in place. It marks what you 





       inherit in the land the LORD your God is giving you as your own.

       (Deu 19:15 NCV)  One witness is not enough to accuse a person of a 
       crime or sin. A case must be proved by two or three witnesses.

       (Deu 19:16 NCV)  If a witness lies and accuses a person of a crime,

       (Deu 19:17 NCV)  the two people who are arguing must stand in the 
       presence of the LORD before the priests and judges who are on duty.

       (Deu 19:18 NCV)  The judges must check the matter carefully. The 
       witness who is a liar, lying about a fellow Israelite,

       (Deu 19:19 NCV)  must be punished. He must be punished in the same way 
       the other person would have been punished. You must get rid of the 
       evil among you.

       (Deu 19:20 NCV)  The rest of the people will hear about this and be 
       afraid, and no one among you will ever do such an evil thing again.

       (Deu 19:21 NCV)  Show no mercy. A life must be paid for a life, an eye 
       for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot.

       (Deu 20:1 NCV)  When you go to war against your enemies and you see 
       horses and chariots and an army that is bigger than yours, don't be 
       afraid of them. The LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, will 
       be with you.

       (Deu 20:2 NCV)  The priest must come and speak to the army before you 
       go into battle.

       (Deu 20:3 NCV)  He will say, "Listen, Israel! Today you are going into 
       battle against your enemies. Don't lose your courage or be afraid. 
       Don't panic or be frightened,

       (Deu 20:4 NCV)  because the LORD your God goes with you, to fight for 
       you against your enemies and to save you."

       (Deu 20:5 NCV)  The officers should say to the army, "Has anyone built 
       a new house but not given it to God? He may go home, because he might 
       die in battle and someone else would get to give his house to God.

       (Deu 20:6 NCV)  Has anyone planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy 
       it? He may go home, because he might die in battle and someone else 
       would enjoy his vineyard.

       (Deu 20:7 NCV)  Is any man engaged to a woman and not yet married to 
       her? He may go home, because he might die in battle and someone else 
       would marry her."

       (Deu 20:8 NCV)  Then the officers should also say, "Is anyone here 
       afraid? Has anyone lost his courage? He may go home so that he will 
       not cause others to lose their courage, too."

       (Deu 20:9 NCV)  When the officers finish speaking to the army, they 
       should appoint commanders to lead it.






       (Deu 20:10 NCV)  When you march up to attack a city, first make them 
       an offer of peace.

       (Deu 20:11 NCV)  If they accept your offer and open their gates to 
       you, all the people of that city will become your slaves and work for 
       you.

       (Deu 20:12 NCV)  But if they do not make peace with you and fight you 
       in battle, you should surround that city.

       (Deu 20:13 NCV)  The LORD your God will give it to you. Then kill all 
       the men with your swords,

       (Deu 20:14 NCV)  and you may take everything else in the city for 
       yourselves. Take the women, children, and animals, and you may use 
       these things the LORD your God gives you from your enemies.

       (Deu 20:15 NCV)  Do this to all the cities that are far away, that do 
       not belong to the nations nearby.

       (Deu 20:16 NCV)  But leave nothing alive in the cities of the land the 
       LORD your God is giving you.

       (Deu 20:17 NCV)  Completely destroy these people: the Hittites, 
       Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, as the LORD 
       your God has commanded.

       (Deu 20:18 NCV)  Otherwise, they will teach you what they do for their 
       gods, and if you do these hateful things, you will sin against the 
       LORD your God.

       (Deu 20:19 NCV)  If you surround and attack a city for a long time, 
       trying to capture it, do not destroy its trees with an ax. You can eat 
       the fruit from the trees, but do not cut them down. These trees are 
       not the enemy, so don't make war against them.

       (Deu 20:20 NCV)  But you may cut down trees that you know are not 
       fruit trees and use them to build devices to attack the city walls, 
       until the city is captured.

       (Deu 21:1 NCV)  Suppose someone is found murdered, lying in a field in 
       the land the LORD your God is giving you as your own, and no one knows 
       who killed the person.

       (Deu 21:2 NCV)  Your older leaders and judges should go to where the 
       body was found, and they should measure how far it is to the nearby 
       cities.

       (Deu 21:3 NCV)  The older leaders of the city nearest the body must 
       take a young cow that has never worked or worn a yoke,

       (Deu 21:4 NCV)  and they must lead her down to a valley that has never 
       been plowed or planted, with a stream flowing through it. There they 
       must break the young cow's neck.





       (Deu 21:5 NCV)  The priests, the sons of Levi, should come forward, 
       because they have been chosen by the LORD your God to serve him and to 
       give blessings in the Lord's name. They are the ones who decide cases 
       of quarreling and attacks.

       (Deu 21:6 NCV)  Then all the older leaders of the city nearest the 
       murdered person should wash their hands over the young cow whose neck 
       was broken in the valley.

       (Deu 21:7 NCV)  They should declare: "We did not kill this person, and 
       we did not see it happen.

       (Deu 21:8 NCV)  LORD, remove this sin from your people Israel, whom 
       you have saved. Don't blame your people, the Israelites, for the 
       murder of this innocent person." And so the murder will be paid for.

       (Deu 21:9 NCV)  Then you will have removed from yourselves the guilt 
       of murdering an innocent person, because you will be doing what the 
       LORD says is right.

       (Deu 21:10 NCV)  When you go to war against your enemies, the LORD 
       will help you defeat them so that you will take them captive.

       (Deu 21:11 NCV)  If you see a beautiful woman among the captives and 
       are attracted to her, you may take her as your wife.

       (Deu 21:12 NCV)  Bring her into your home, where she must shave her 
       head and cut her nails

       (Deu 21:13 NCV)  and change the clothes she was wearing when you 
       captured her. After she has lived in your house and cried for her 
       parents for a month, you may marry her. You will be her husband, and 
       she will be your wife.

       (Deu 21:14 NCV)  But if you are not pleased with her, you must let her 
       go anywhere she wants. You must not sell her for money or make her a 
       slave, because you have taken away her honor.

       (Deu 21:15 NCV)  A man might have two wives, one he loves and one he 
       doesn't. Both wives might have sons by him. If the older son belongs 
       to the wife he does not love,

       (Deu 21:16 NCV)  when that man wills his property to his sons he must 
       not give the son of the wife he loves what belongs to the older son, 
       the son of the wife he does not love.

       (Deu 21:17 NCV)  He must agree to give the older son two shares of 
       everything he owns, even though the older son is from the wife he does 
       not love. That son was the first to prove his father could have 
       children, so he has the rights that belong to the older son.

       (Deu 21:18 NCV)  If someone has a son who is stubborn, who turns 
       against his father and mother and doesn't obey them or listen when 
       they correct him,

       (Deu 21:19 NCV)  his parents must take him to the older leaders at the 





       city gate.

       (Deu 21:20 NCV)  They will say to the leaders, "Our son is stubborn 
       and turns against us. He will not obey us. He eats too much, and he is 
       always drunk."

       (Deu 21:21 NCV)  Then all the men in his town must throw stones at him 
       until he dies. Get rid of the evil among you, because then all the 
       people of Israel will hear about this and be afraid.

       (Deu 21:22 NCV)  If someone is guilty of a sin worthy of death, he 
       must be put to death and his body displayed on a tree.

       (Deu 21:23 NCV)  But don't leave his body hanging on the tree 
       overnight; be sure to bury him that same day, because anyone whose 
       body is displayed on a tree is cursed by God. You must not ruin the 
       land the LORD your God is giving you as your own.

       (Deu 22:1 NCV)  If you see your fellow Israelite's ox or sheep 
       wandering away, don't ignore it. Take it back to its owner.

       (Deu 22:2 NCV)  If the owner does not live close to you, or if you do 
       not know who the owner is, take the animal home with you. Keep it 
       until the owner comes looking for it; then give it back.

       (Deu 22:3 NCV)  Do the same thing if you find a donkey or coat or 
       anything someone lost. Don't just ignore it.

       (Deu 22:4 NCV)  If you see your fellow Israelite's donkey or ox fallen 
       on the road, don't ignore it. Help the owner get it up.

       (Deu 22:5 NCV)  A woman must not wear men's clothes, and a man must 
       not wear women's clothes. The LORD your God hates anyone who does 
       that.

       (Deu 22:6 NCV)  If you find a bird's nest by the road, either in a 
       tree or on the ground, and the mother bird is sitting on the young 
       birds or eggs, do not take the mother bird with the young birds.

       (Deu 22:7 NCV)  You may take the young birds, but you must let the 
       mother bird go free. Then things will go well for you, and you will 
       live a long time.

       (Deu 22:8 NCV)  When you build a new house, build a low wall around 
       the edge of the roof so you will not be guilty if someone falls off 
       the roof.

       (Deu 22:9 NCV)  Don't plant two different kinds of seeds in your 
       vineyard. Otherwise, both crops will be ruined.

       (Deu 22:10 NCV)  Don't plow with an ox and a donkey tied together.

       (Deu 22:11 NCV)  Don't wear clothes made of wool and linen woven 
       together.

       (Deu 22:12 NCV)  Tie several pieces of thread together; then put these 





       tassels on the four corners of your coat.

       (Deu 22:13 NCV)  If a man marries a girl and has sexual relations with 
       her but then decides he does not like her,

       (Deu 22:14 NCV)  he might talk badly about her and give her a bad 
       name. He might say, "I married this woman, but when I had sexual 
       relations with her, I did not find that she was a virgin."

       (Deu 22:15 NCV)  Then the girl's parents must bring proof that she was 
       a virgin to the older leaders at the city gate.

       (Deu 22:16 NCV)  The girl's father will say to the leaders, "I gave my 
       daughter to this man to be his wife, but now he does not want her.

       (Deu 22:17 NCV)  This man has told lies about my daughter. He has 
       said, 'I did not find your daughter to be a virgin,' but here is the 
       proof that my daughter was a virgin." Then her parents are to show the 
       sheet to the city leaders,

       (Deu 22:18 NCV)  and the leaders must take the man and punish him.

       (Deu 22:19 NCV)  They must make him pay about two and one-half pounds 
       of silver to the girl's father, because the man has given an Israelite 
       virgin a bad name. The girl will continue to be the man's wife, and he 
       may not divorce her as long as he lives.

       (Deu 22:20 NCV)  But if the things the husband said about his wife are 
       true, and there is no proof that she was a virgin,

       (Deu 22:21 NCV)  the girl must be brought to the door of her father's 
       house. Then the men of the town must put her to death by throwing 
       stones at her. She has done a disgraceful thing in Israel by having 
       sexual relations before she was married. You must get rid of the evil 
       among you.

       (Deu 22:22 NCV)  If a man is found having sexual relations with 
       another man's wife, both the woman and the man who had sexual 
       relations with her must die. Get rid of this evil from Israel.

       (Deu 22:23 NCV)  If a man meets a virgin in a city and has sexual 
       relations with her, but she is engaged to another man,

       (Deu 22:24 NCV)  you must take both of them to the city gate and put 
       them to death by throwing stones at them. Kill the girl, because she 
       was in a city and did not scream for help. And kill the man for having 
       sexual relations with another man's wife. You must get rid of the evil 
       among you.

       (Deu 22:25 NCV)  But if a man meets an engaged girl out in the country 
       and forces her to have sexual relations with him, only the man who had 
       sexual relations with her must be put to death.

       (Deu 22:26 NCV)  Don't do anything to the girl, because she has not 
       done a sin worthy of death. This is like the person who attacks and 
       murders a neighbor;






       (Deu 22:27 NCV)  the man found the engaged girl in the country and she 
       screamed, but no one was there to save her.

       (Deu 22:28 NCV)  If a man meets a virgin who is not engaged to be 
       married and forces her to have sexual relations with him and people 
       find out about it,

       (Deu 22:29 NCV)  the man must pay the girl's father about one and 
       one-fourth pounds of silver. He must also marry the girl, because he 
       has dishonored her, and he may never divorce her for as long as he 
       lives.

       (Deu 22:30 NCV)  A man must not marry his father's wife; he must not 
       dishonor his father in this way.

       (Deu 23:1 NCV)  No man who has had part of his sex organ cut off may 
       come into the meeting to worship the LORD.

       (Deu 23:2 NCV)  No one born to parents who were forbidden by law to 
       marry may come into the meeting to worship the LORD. The descendants 
       for ten generations may not come in either.

       (Deu 23:3 NCV)  No Ammonite or Moabite may come into the meeting to 
       worship the LORD, and none of their descendants for ten generations 
       may come in.

       (Deu 23:4 NCV)  This is because the Ammonites and Moabites did not 
       give you bread and water when you came out of Egypt. And they hired 
       Balaam son of Beor, from Pethor in Northwest Mesopotamia, to put a 
       curse on you.

       (Deu 23:5 NCV)  But the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam. He 
       turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God 
       loves you.

       (Deu 23:6 NCV)  Don't wish for their peace or success as long as you 
       live.

       (Deu 23:7 NCV)  Don't hate Edomites; they are your close relatives. 
       Don't hate Egyptians, because you were foreigners in their country.

       (Deu 23:8 NCV)  The great-grandchildren of these two peoples may come 
       into the meeting to worship the LORD.

       (Deu 23:9 NCV)  When you are camped in time of war, keep away from 
       unclean things.

       (Deu 23:10 NCV)  If a man becomes unclean during the night, he must go 
       outside the camp and not come back.

       (Deu 23:11 NCV)  But when evening comes, he must wash himself, and at 
       sunset he may come back into the camp.

       (Deu 23:12 NCV)  Choose a place outside the camp where people may go 
       to relieve themselves.






       (Deu 23:13 NCV)  Carry a tent peg with you, and when you relieve 
       yourself, dig a hole and cover up your dung.

       (Deu 23:14 NCV)  The LORD your God moves around through your camp to 
       protect you and to defeat your enemies for you, so the camp must be 
       holy. He must not see anything unclean among you so that he will not 
       leave you.

       (Deu 23:15 NCV)  If an escaped slave comes to you, do not hand over 
       the slave to his master.

       (Deu 23:16 NCV)  Let the slave live with you anywhere he likes, in any 
       town he chooses. Do not mistreat him.

       (Deu 23:17 NCV)  No Israelite man or woman must ever become a temple 
       prostitute.

       (Deu 23:18 NCV)  Do not bring a male or female prostitute's pay to the 
       Temple of the LORD your God to pay what you have promised to the LORD, 
       because the LORD your God hates prostitution.

       (Deu 23:19 NCV)  If you loan your fellow Israelites money or food or 
       anything else, don't make them pay back more than you loaned them.

       (Deu 23:20 NCV)  You may charge foreigners, but not fellow Israelites. 
       Then the LORD your God will bless everything you do in the land you 
       are entering to take as your own.

       (Deu 23:21 NCV)  If you make a promise to give something to the LORD 
       your God, do not be slow to pay it, because the LORD your God demands 
       it from you. Do not be guilty of sin.

       (Deu 23:22 NCV)  But if you do not make the promise, you will not be 
       guilty.

       (Deu 23:23 NCV)  You must do whatever you say you will do, because you 
       chose to make the promise to the LORD your God.

       (Deu 23:24 NCV)  If you go into your neighbor's vineyard, you may eat 
       as many grapes as you wish, but do not put any grapes into your 
       basket.

       (Deu 23:25 NCV)  If you go into your neighbor's grainfield, you may 
       pick grain with your hands, but you must not cut down your neighbor's 
       grain with your sickle.

       (Deu 24:1 NCV)  A man might marry a woman but later decide she doesn't 
       please him because he has found something bad about her. He writes out 
       divorce papers for her, gives them to her, and sends her away from his 
       house.

       (Deu 24:2 NCV)  After she leaves his house, she goes and marries 
       another man,

       (Deu 24:3 NCV)  but her second husband does not like her either. So he 





       writes out divorce papers for her, gives them to her, and sends her 
       away from his house. Or the second husband might die.

       (Deu 24:4 NCV)  In either case, her first husband who divorced her 
       must not marry her again, because she has become unclean. The LORD 
       would hate this. Don't bring this sin into the land the LORD your God 
       is giving you as your own.

       (Deu 24:5 NCV)  A man who has just married must not be sent to war or 
       be given any other duty. He should be free to stay home for a year to 
       make his new wife happy.

       (Deu 24:6 NCV)  If someone owes you something, do not take his two 
       stones for grinding grain--not even the upper one--in place of what he 
       owes, because this is how the person makes a living.

       (Deu 24:7 NCV)  If someone kidnaps a fellow Israelite, either to make 
       him a slave or sell him, the kidnapper must be killed. You must get 
       rid of the evil among you.

       (Deu 24:8 NCV)  Be careful when someone has a skin disease. Do exactly 
       what the priests, the Levites, teach you, being careful to do what I 
       have commanded them.

       (Deu 24:9 NCV)  Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam on your 
       way out of Egypt.

       (Deu 24:10 NCV)  When you make a loan to your neighbors, don't go into 
       their homes to get something in place of it.

       (Deu 24:11 NCV)  Stay outside and let them go in and get what they 
       promised you.

       (Deu 24:12 NCV)  If a poor person gives you a coat to show he will pay 
       the loan back, don't keep it overnight.

       (Deu 24:13 NCV)  Give the coat back at sunset, because your neighbor 
       needs that coat to sleep in, and he will be grateful to you. And the 
       LORD your God will see that you have done a good thing.

       (Deu 24:14 NCV)  Don't cheat hired servants who are poor and needy, 
       whether they are fellow Israelites or foreigners living in one of your 
       towns.

       (Deu 24:15 NCV)  Pay them each day before sunset, because they are 
       poor and need the money. Otherwise, they may complain to the LORD 
       about you, and you will be guilty of sin.

       (Deu 24:16 NCV)  Parents must not be put to death if their children do 
       wrong, and children must not be put to death if their parents do 
       wrong. Each person must die for his own sin.

       (Deu 24:17 NCV)  Do not be unfair to a foreigner or an orphan. Don't 
       take a widow's coat to make sure she pays you back.

       (Deu 24:18 NCV)  Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and the LORD 





       your God saved you from there. That is why I am commanding you to do 
       this.

       (Deu 24:19 NCV)  When you are gathering your harvest in the field and 
       leave behind a bundle of grain, don't go back and get it. Leave it 
       there for foreigners, orphans, and widows so that the LORD your God 
       can bless everything you do.

       (Deu 24:20 NCV)  When you beat your olive trees to knock the olives 
       off, don't beat the trees a second time. Leave what is left for 
       foreigners, orphans, and widows.

       (Deu 24:21 NCV)  When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, don't 
       pick the vines a second time. Leave what is left for foreigners, 
       orphans, and widows.

       (Deu 24:22 NCV)  Remember that you were slaves in Egypt; that is why I 
       am commanding you to do this.

       (Deu 25:1 NCV)  If two people have an argument and go to court, the 
       judges will decide the case. They will declare one person right and 
       the other guilty.

       (Deu 25:2 NCV)  If the guilty person has to be punished with a 
       beating, the judge will make that person lie down and be beaten in 
       front of him. The number of lashes should match the crime.

       (Deu 25:3 NCV)  But don't hit a person more than forty times, because 
       more than that would disgrace him before others.

       (Deu 25:4 NCV)  When an ox is working in the grain, do not cover its 
       mouth to keep it from eating.

       (Deu 25:5 NCV)  If two brothers are living together, and one of them 
       dies without having a son, his widow must not marry someone outside 
       her husband's family. Her husband's brother must marry her, which is 
       his duty to her as a brother-in-law.

       (Deu 25:6 NCV)  The first son she has counts as the son of the dead 
       brother so that his name will not be forgotten in Israel.

       (Deu 25:7 NCV)  But if a man does not want to marry his brother's 
       widow, she should go to the older leaders at the town gate. She should 
       say, "My brother-in-law will not carry on his brother's name in 
       Israel. He refuses to do his duty for me."

       (Deu 25:8 NCV)  Then the older leaders of the town must call for the 
       man and talk to him. But if he is stubborn and says, "I don't want to 
       marry her,"

       (Deu 25:9 NCV)  the woman must go up to him in front of the leaders. 
       She must take off one of his sandals and spit in his face and say, 
       "This is for the man who won't continue his brother's family!"

       (Deu 25:10 NCV)  Then that man's family shall be known in Israel as 
       the Family of the Unsandaled.






       (Deu 25:11 NCV)  If two men are fighting and one man's wife comes to 
       save her husband from his attacker, grabbing the attacker by his sex 
       organs,

       (Deu 25:12 NCV)  you must cut off her hand. Show her no mercy.

       (Deu 25:13 NCV)  Don't carry two sets of weights with you, one heavy 
       and one light.

       (Deu 25:14 NCV)  Don't have two different sets of measures in your 
       house, one large and one small.

       (Deu 25:15 NCV)  You must have true and honest weights and measures so 
       that you will live a long time in the land the LORD your God is giving 
       you.

       (Deu 25:16 NCV)  The LORD your God hates anyone who is dishonest and 
       uses dishonest measures.

       (Deu 25:17 NCV)  Remember what the Amalekites did to you when you came 
       out of Egypt.

       (Deu 25:18 NCV)  When you were tired and worn out, they met you on the 
       road and attacked all those lagging behind. They were not afraid of 
       God.

       (Deu 25:19 NCV)  When the LORD your God gives you rest from all the 
       enemies around you in the land he is giving you as your own, you shall 
       destroy any memory of the Amalekites on the earth. Do not forget!

       (Deu 26:1 NCV)  When you go into the land the LORD your God is giving 
       you as your own, to take it over and live in it,

       (Deu 26:2 NCV)  you must take some of the first harvest of crops that 
       grow from the land the LORD your God is giving you. Put the food in a 
       basket and go to the place where the LORD your God will choose to be 
       worshiped.

       (Deu 26:3 NCV)  Say to the priest on duty at that time, "Today I 
       declare before the LORD your God that I have come into the land the 
       LORD promised our ancestors that he would give us."

       (Deu 26:4 NCV)  The priest will take your basket and set it down in 
       front of the altar of the LORD your God.

       (Deu 26:5 NCV)  Then you shall announce before the LORD your God: "My 
       father was a wandering Aramean. He went down to Egypt with only a few 
       people, but they became a great, powerful, and large nation there.

       (Deu 26:6 NCV)  But the Egyptians were cruel to us, making us suffer 
       and work very hard.

       (Deu 26:7 NCV)  So we prayed to the LORD, the God of our ancestors, 
       and he heard us. When he saw our trouble, hard work, and suffering,





       (Deu 26:8 NCV)  the LORD brought us out of Egypt with his great power 
       and strength, using great terrors, signs, and miracles.

       (Deu 26:9 NCV)  Then he brought us to this place and gave us this 
       fertile land.

       (Deu 26:10 NCV)  Now I bring part of the first harvest from this land 
       that you, LORD, have given me." Place the basket before the LORD your 
       God and bow down before him.

       (Deu 26:11 NCV)  Then you and the Levites and foreigners among you 
       should rejoice, because the LORD your God has given good things to you 
       and your family.

       (Deu 26:12 NCV)  Bring a tenth of all your harvest the third year (the 
       year to give a tenth of your harvest). Give it to the Levites, 
       foreigners, orphans, and widows so that they may eat in your towns and 
       be full.

       (Deu 26:13 NCV)  Then say to the LORD your God, "I have taken out of 
       my house the part of my harvest that belongs to God, and I have given 
       it to the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows. I have done 
       everything you commanded me; I have not broken your commands, and I 
       have not forgotten any of them.

       (Deu 26:14 NCV)  I have not eaten any of the holy part while I was in 
       sorrow. I have not removed any of it while I was unclean, and I have 
       not offered it for dead people. I have obeyed you, the LORD my God, 
       and have done everything you commanded me.

       (Deu 26:15 NCV)  So look down from heaven, your holy home. Bless your 
       people Israel and bless the land you have given us, which you promised 
       to our ancestors--a fertile land."

       (Deu 26:16 NCV)  Today the LORD your God commands you to obey all 
       these rules and laws; be careful to obey them with your whole being.

       (Deu 26:17 NCV)  Today you have said that the LORD is your God, and 
       you have promised to do what he wants you to do--to keep his rules, 
       commands, and laws. You have said you will obey him.

       (Deu 26:18 NCV)  And today the LORD has said that you are his very own 
       people, as he has promised you. But you must obey his commands.

       (Deu 26:19 NCV)  He will make you greater than all the other nations 
       he made. He will give you praise, fame, and honor, and you will be a 
       holy people to the LORD your God, as he has said.

       (Deu 27:1 NCV)  Then Moses, along with the older leaders of Israel, 
       commanded the people, saying, "Keep all the commands I have given you 
       today.

       (Deu 27:2 NCV)  Soon you will cross the Jordan River to go into the 
       land the LORD your God is giving you. On that day set up some large 
       stones and cover them with plaster.





       (Deu 27:3 NCV)  When you cross over, write all the words of these 
       teachings on them. Then you may enter the land the LORD your God is 
       giving you, a fertile land, just as the LORD, the God of your 
       ancestors, promised.

       (Deu 27:4 NCV)  After you have crossed the Jordan River, set up these 
       stones on Mount Ebal, as I command you today, and cover them with 
       plaster.

       (Deu 27:5 NCV)  Build an altar of stones there to the LORD your God, 
       but don't use any iron tool to cut the stones;

       (Deu 27:6 NCV)  build the altar of the LORD your God with stones from 
       the field. Offer burnt offerings on it to the LORD your God,

       (Deu 27:7 NCV)  and offer fellowship offerings there, and eat them and 
       rejoice before the LORD your God.

       (Deu 27:8 NCV)  Then write clearly all the words of these teachings on 
       the stones."

       (Deu 27:9 NCV)  Then Moses and the Levites who were priests spoke to 
       all Israel and said, "Be quiet, Israel. Listen! Today you have become 
       the people of the LORD your God.

       (Deu 27:10 NCV)  Obey the LORD your God, and keep his commands and 
       laws that I give you today."

       (Deu 27:11 NCV)  That day Moses also gave the people this command:

       (Deu 27:12 NCV)  When you cross the Jordan River, these tribes must 
       stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, 
       Issachar, Joseph and Benjamin.

       (Deu 27:13 NCV)  And these tribes must stand on Mount Ebal to announce 
       the curses: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.

       (Deu 27:14 NCV)  The Levites will say to all the people of Israel in a 
       loud voice:

       (Deu 27:15 NCV)  "Anyone will be cursed who makes an idol or statue 
       and secretly sets it up, because the LORD hates the idols people 
       make." Then all the people will say, "Amen!"

       (Deu 27:16 NCV)  "Anyone will be cursed who dishonors his father or 
       mother." Then all the people will say, "Amen!"

       (Deu 27:17 NCV)  "Anyone will be cursed who moves the stone that marks 
       a neighbor's border." Then all the people will say, "Amen!"

       (Deu 27:18 NCV)  "Anyone will be cursed who sends a blind person down 
       the wrong road." Then all the people will say, "Amen!"

       (Deu 27:19 NCV)  "Anyone will be cursed who is unfair to foreigners, 
       orphans, or widows." Then all the people will say, "Amen!"





       (Deu 27:20 NCV)  "A man will be cursed who has sexual relations with 
       his father's wife, because it is a dishonor to his father." Then all 
       the people will say, "Amen!"

       (Deu 27:21 NCV)  "Anyone will be cursed who has sexual relations with 
       an animal." Then all the people will say, "Amen!"

       (Deu 27:22 NCV)  "A man will be cursed who has sexual relations with 
       his sister, whether she is his father's daughter or his mother's 
       daughter." Then all the people will say, "Amen!"

       (Deu 27:23 NCV)  "A man will be cursed who has sexual relations with 
       his mother-in-law." Then all the people will say, "Amen!"

       (Deu 27:24 NCV)  "Anyone will be cursed who kills a neighbor 
       secretly." Then all the people will say, "Amen!"

       (Deu 27:25 NCV)  "Anyone will be cursed who takes money to murder an 
       innocent person." Then all the people will say, "Amen!"

       (Deu 27:26 NCV)  "Anyone will be cursed who does not agree with the 
       words of these teachings and does not obey them." Then all the people 
       will say, "Amen!"

       (Deu 28:1 NCV)  You must completely obey the LORD your God, and you 
       must carefully follow all his commands I am giving you today. Then the 
       LORD your God will make you greater than any other nation on earth.

       (Deu 28:2 NCV)  Obey the LORD your God so that all these blessings 
       will come and stay with you:

       (Deu 28:3 NCV)  You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the 
       country.

       (Deu 28:4 NCV)  Your children will be blessed, as well as your crops; 
       your herds will be blessed with calves and your flocks with lambs.

       (Deu 28:5 NCV)  Your basket and your kitchen will be blessed.

       (Deu 28:6 NCV)  You will be blessed when you come in and when you go 
       out.

       (Deu 28:7 NCV)  The LORD will help you defeat the enemies that come to 
       fight you. They will attack you from one direction, but they will run 
       from you in seven directions.

       (Deu 28:8 NCV)  The LORD your God will bless you with full barns, and 
       he will bless everything you do. He will bless the land he is giving 
       you.

       (Deu 28:9 NCV)  The LORD will make you his holy people, as he 
       promised. But you must obey his commands and do what he wants you to 
       do.

       (Deu 28:10 NCV)  Then everyone on earth will see that you are the 
       Lord's people, and they will be afraid of you.






       (Deu 28:11 NCV)  The LORD will make you rich: You will have many 
       children, your animals will have many young, and your land will give 
       good crops. It is the land that the LORD promised your ancestors he 
       would give to you.

       (Deu 28:12 NCV)  The LORD will open up his heavenly storehouse so that 
       the skies send rain on your land at the right time, and he will bless 
       everything you do. You will lend to other nations, but you will not 
       need to borrow from them.

       (Deu 28:13 NCV)  The LORD will make you like the head and not like the 
       tail; you will be on top and not on bottom. But you must obey the 
       commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today, being 
       careful to keep them.

       (Deu 28:14 NCV)  Do not disobey anything I command you today. Do 
       exactly as I command, and do not follow other gods or serve them.

       (Deu 28:15 NCV)  But if you do not obey the LORD your God and 
       carefully follow all his commands and laws I am giving you today, all 
       these curses will come upon you and stay:

       (Deu 28:16 NCV)  You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the 
       country.

       (Deu 28:17 NCV)  Your basket and your kitchen will be cursed.

       (Deu 28:18 NCV)  Your children will be cursed, as well as your crops; 
       the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks will be cursed.

       (Deu 28:19 NCV)  You will be cursed when you go in and when you go 
       out.

       (Deu 28:20 NCV)  The LORD will send you curses, confusion, and 
       punishment in everything you do. You will be destroyed and suddenly 
       ruined because you did wrong when you left him.

       (Deu 28:21 NCV)  The LORD will give you terrible diseases and destroy 
       you from the land you are going to take.

       (Deu 28:22 NCV)  The LORD will punish you with disease, fever, 
       swelling, heat, lack of rain, plant diseases, and mildew until you 
       die.

       (Deu 28:23 NCV)  The sky above will be like bronze, and the ground 
       below will be like iron.

       (Deu 28:24 NCV)  The LORD will turn the rain into dust and sand, which 
       will fall from the skies until you are destroyed.

       (Deu 28:25 NCV)  The LORD will help your enemies defeat you. You will 
       attack them from one direction, but you will run from them in seven 
       directions. And you will become a thing of horror among all the 
       kingdoms on earth.





       (Deu 28:26 NCV)  Your dead bodies will be food for all the birds and 
       wild animals, and there will be no one to scare them away.

       (Deu 28:27 NCV)  The LORD will punish you with boils like those the 
       Egyptians had. You will have bad growths, sores, and itches that can't 
       be cured.

       (Deu 28:28 NCV)  The LORD will give you madness, blindness, and a 
       confused mind.

       (Deu 28:29 NCV)  You will have to feel around in the daylight like a 
       blind person. You will fail in everything you do. People will hurt you 
       and steal from you every day, and no one will save you.

       (Deu 28:30 NCV)  You will be engaged to a woman, but another man will 
       force her to have sexual relations with him. You will build a house, 
       but you will not live in it. You will plant a vineyard, but you will 
       not get its grapes.

       (Deu 28:31 NCV)  Your ox will be killed before your eyes, but you will 
       not eat any of it. Your donkey will be taken away from you, and it 
       will not be brought back. Your sheep will be given to your enemies, 
       and no one will save you.

       (Deu 28:32 NCV)  Your sons and daughters will be given to another 
       nation, and you will grow tired looking for them every day, but there 
       will be nothing you can do.

       (Deu 28:33 NCV)  People you don't know will eat the crops your land 
       and hard work have produced. You will be mistreated and abused all 
       your life.

       (Deu 28:34 NCV)  The things you see will cause you to go mad.

       (Deu 28:35 NCV)  The LORD will give you sore boils on your knees and 
       legs that cannot be cured, and they will go from the soles of your 
       feet to the tops of your heads.

       (Deu 28:36 NCV)  The LORD will send you and your king away to a nation 
       neither you nor your ancestors know, where you will serve other gods 
       made of wood and stone.

       (Deu 28:37 NCV)  You will become a hated thing to the nations where 
       the LORD sends you; they will laugh at you and make fun of you.

       (Deu 28:38 NCV)  You will plant much seed in your field, but your 
       harvest will be small, because locusts will eat the crop.

       (Deu 28:39 NCV)  You will plant vineyards and work hard in them, but 
       you will not pick the grapes or drink the wine, because the worms will 
       eat them.

       (Deu 28:40 NCV)  You will have olive trees in all your land, but you 
       will not get any olive oil, because the olives will drop off the 
       trees.





       (Deu 28:41 NCV)  You will have sons and daughters, but you will not be 
       able to keep them, because they will be taken captive.

       (Deu 28:42 NCV)  Locusts will destroy all your trees and crops.

       (Deu 28:43 NCV)  The foreigners who live among you will get stronger 
       and stronger, and you will get weaker and weaker.

       (Deu 28:44 NCV)  Foreigners will lend money to you, but you will not 
       be able to lend to them. They will be like the head, and you will be 
       like the tail.

       (Deu 28:45 NCV)  All these curses will come upon you. They will chase 
       you and catch you and destroy you, because you did not obey the LORD 
       your God and keep the commands and laws he gave you.

       (Deu 28:46 NCV)  The curses will be signs and miracles to you and your 
       descendants forever.

       (Deu 28:47 NCV)  You had plenty of everything, but you did not serve 
       the LORD your God with joy and a pure heart,

       (Deu 28:48 NCV)  so you will serve the enemies the LORD sends against 
       you. You will be hungry, thirsty, naked, and poor, and the LORD will 
       put a load on you until he has destroyed you.

       (Deu 28:49 NCV)  The LORD will bring a nation against you from far 
       away, from the end of the world, and it will swoop down like an eagle. 
       You won't understand their language,

       (Deu 28:50 NCV)  and they will look mean. They will not respect old 
       people or feel sorry for the young.

       (Deu 28:51 NCV)  They will eat the calves from your herds and the 
       harvest of your field, and you will be destroyed. They will not leave 
       you any grain, new wine or oil, or any calves from your herds or lambs 
       from your flocks. You will be ruined.

       (Deu 28:52 NCV)  That nation will surround and attack all your cities. 
       You trust in your high, strong walls, but they will fall down. That 
       nation will surround all your cities everywhere in the land the LORD 
       your God is giving you.

       (Deu 28:53 NCV)  Your enemy will surround you. Those people will make 
       you starve so that you will eat your own babies, the bodies of the 
       sons and daughters the LORD your God gave you.

       (Deu 28:54 NCV)  Even the most gentle and kind man among you will 
       become cruel to his brother, his wife whom he loves, and his children 
       who are still alive.

       (Deu 28:55 NCV)  He will not even give them any of the flesh of his 
       children he is eating, because it will be all he has left. Your enemy 
       will surround you and make you starve in all your cities.

       (Deu 28:56 NCV)  The most gentle and kind woman among you, so gentle 





       and kind she would hardly even walk on the ground, will be cruel to 
       her husband whom she loves and to her son and daughter.

       (Deu 28:57 NCV)  She will give birth to a baby, but she will plan to 
       eat the baby and what comes after the birth itself. She will eat them 
       secretly while the enemy surrounds the city. Those people will make 
       you starve in all your cities.

       (Deu 28:58 NCV)  Be careful to obey everything in these teachings that 
       are written in this book. You must respect the glorious and wonderful 
       name of the LORD your God,

       (Deu 28:59 NCV)  or the LORD will give terrible diseases to you and 
       your descendants. You will have long and serious diseases, and long 
       and miserable sicknesses.

       (Deu 28:60 NCV)  He will give you all the diseases of Egypt that you 
       dread, and the diseases will stay with you.

       (Deu 28:61 NCV)  The LORD will also give you every disease and 
       sickness not written in this Book of the Teachings, until you are 
       destroyed.

       (Deu 28:62 NCV)  You people may have outnumbered the stars, but only a 
       few of you will be left, because you did not obey the LORD your God.

       (Deu 28:63 NCV)  Just as the LORD was once happy with you and gave you 
       good things and made you grow in number, so then the LORD will be 
       happy to ruin and destroy you, and you will be removed from the land 
       you are entering to take as your own.

       (Deu 28:64 NCV)  Then the LORD will scatter you among the 
       nations--from one end of the earth to the other. There you will serve 
       other gods of wood and stone, gods that neither you nor your ancestors 
       have known.

       (Deu 28:65 NCV)  You will have no rest among those nations and no 
       place that is yours. The LORD will make your mind worried, your sight 
       weak, and your soul sad.

       (Deu 28:66 NCV)  You will live with danger and be afraid night and 
       day. You will not be sure that you will live.

       (Deu 28:67 NCV)  In the morning you will say, "I wish it were 
       evening," and in the evening you will say, "I wish it were morning." 
       Terror will be in your heart, and the things you have seen will scare 
       you.

       (Deu 28:68 NCV)  The LORD will send you back to Egypt in ships, even 
       though I, Moses, said you would never go back to Egypt. And there you 
       will try to sell yourselves as slaves to your enemies, but no one will 
       buy you.

       (Deu 29:1 NCV)  The LORD commanded Moses to make an agreement with the 
       Israelites in Moab in addition to the agreement he had made with them 
       at Mount Sinai. These are the words of that agreement.






       (Deu 29:2 NCV)  Moses called all the Israelites together and said to 
       them: You have seen everything the LORD did before your own eyes to 
       the king of Egypt and to the king's leaders and to the whole country.

       (Deu 29:3 NCV)  With your own eyes you saw the great troubles, signs, 
       and miracles.

       (Deu 29:4 NCV)  But to this day the LORD has not given you a mind that 
       understands; you don't really understand what you see with your eyes 
       or hear with your ears.

       (Deu 29:5 NCV)  I led you through the desert for forty years, and 
       during that time neither your clothes nor sandals wore out.

       (Deu 29:6 NCV)  You ate no bread and drank no wine or beer. This was 
       so you would understand that I am the LORD your God.

       (Deu 29:7 NCV)  When you came to this place, Sihon king of Heshbon and 
       Og king of Bashan came out to fight us, but we defeated them.

       (Deu 29:8 NCV)  We captured their land and gave it to the tribes of 
       Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh to be their own.

       (Deu 29:9 NCV)  You must carefully obey everything in this agreement 
       so that you will succeed in everything you do.

       (Deu 29:10 NCV)  Today you are all standing here before the LORD your 
       God--your leaders and important men, your older leaders, officers, and 
       all the other men of Israel,

       (Deu 29:11 NCV)  your wives and children and the foreigners who live 
       among you, who chop your wood and carry your water.

       (Deu 29:12 NCV)  You are all here to enter into an agreement and a 
       promise with the LORD your God, an agreement the LORD your God is 
       making with you today.

       (Deu 29:13 NCV)  This will make you today his own people. He will be 
       your God, as he told you and as he promised your ancestors Abraham, 
       Isaac, and Jacob.

       (Deu 29:14 NCV)  But I am not just making this agreement and its 
       promises with you

       (Deu 29:15 NCV)  who are standing here before the LORD your God today, 
       but also with those who are not here today.

       (Deu 29:16 NCV)  You know how we lived in Egypt and how we passed 
       through the countries when we came here.

       (Deu 29:17 NCV)  You saw their hateful idols made of wood, stone, 
       silver, and gold.

       (Deu 29:18 NCV)  Make sure no man, woman, family group, or tribe among 
       you leaves the LORD our God to go and serve the gods of those nations. 





       They would be to you like a plant that grows bitter, poisonous fruit.

       (Deu 29:19 NCV)  These are the kind of people who hear these curses 
       but bless themselves, thinking, "We will be safe even though we 
       continue doing what we want to do." Those people may destroy all of 
       your land, both wet and dry.

       (Deu 29:20 NCV)  The LORD will not forgive them. His anger will be 
       like a burning fire against those people, and all the curses written 
       in this book will come on them. The LORD will destroy any memory of 
       them on the earth.

       (Deu 29:21 NCV)  He will separate them from all the tribes of Israel 
       for punishment. All the curses of the Agreement that are written in 
       this Book of the Teachings will happen to them.

       (Deu 29:22 NCV)  Your children who will come after you, as well as 
       foreigners from faraway lands, will see the disasters that come to 
       this land and the diseases the LORD will send on it. They will say,

       (Deu 29:23 NCV)  "The land is nothing but burning cinders and salt. 
       Nothing is planted, nothing grows, and nothing blooms. It is like 
       Sodom and Gomorrah, and Admah and Zeboiim, which the LORD destroyed 
       because he was very angry."

       (Deu 29:24 NCV)  All the other nations will ask, "Why has the LORD 
       done this to the land? Why is he so angry?"

       (Deu 29:25 NCV)  And the answer will be, "It is because the people 
       broke the Agreement of the LORD, the God of their ancestors, which he 
       made with them when he brought them out of Egypt.

       (Deu 29:26 NCV)  They went and served other gods and bowed down to 
       gods they did not even know. The LORD did not allow that,

       (Deu 29:27 NCV)  so he became very angry at the land and brought all 
       the curses on it that are written in this book.

       (Deu 29:28 NCV)  Since the LORD became angry and furious with them, he 
       took them out of their land and put them in another land where they 
       are today."

       (Deu 29:29 NCV)  There are some things the LORD our God has kept 
       secret, but there are some things he has let us know. These things 
       belong to us and our children forever so that we will do everything in 
       these teachings.

       (Deu 30:1 NCV)  When all these blessings and curses I have described 
       happen to you, and the LORD your God has sent you away to other 
       nations, think about these things.

       (Deu 30:2 NCV)  Then you and your children will return to the LORD 
       your God, and you will obey him with your whole being in everything I 
       am commanding you today.

       (Deu 30:3 NCV)  Then the LORD your God will give you back your 





       freedom. He will feel sorry for you, and he will bring you back again 
       from the nations where he scattered you.

       (Deu 30:4 NCV)  He may send you to the ends of the earth, but he will 
       gather you and bring you back from there,

       (Deu 30:5 NCV)  back to the land that belonged to your ancestors. It 
       will be yours. He will give you success, and there will be more of you 
       than there were of your ancestors.

       (Deu 30:6 NCV)  The LORD your God will prepare you and your 
       descendants to love him with your whole being so that you will live.

       (Deu 30:7 NCV)  The LORD your God will put all these curses on your 
       enemies, who hate you and are cruel to you.

       (Deu 30:8 NCV)  And you will again obey the LORD, keeping all his 
       commands that I give you today.

       (Deu 30:9 NCV)  The LORD your God will make you successful in 
       everything you do. You will have many children, your cattle will have 
       many calves, and your fields will produce good crops, because the LORD 
       will again be happy with you, just as he was with your ancestors.

       (Deu 30:10 NCV)  But you must obey the LORD your God by keeping all 
       his commands and rules that are written in this Book of the Teachings. 
       You must return to the LORD your God with your whole being.

       (Deu 30:11 NCV)  This command I give you today is not too hard for 
       you; it is not beyond what you can do.

       (Deu 30:12 NCV)  It is not up in heaven. You do not have to ask, "Who 
       will go up to heaven and get it for us so we can obey it and keep it?"

       (Deu 30:13 NCV)  It is not on the other side of the sea. You do not 
       have to ask, "Who will go across the sea and get it? Who will tell it 
       to us so we can keep it?"

       (Deu 30:14 NCV)  No, the word is very near you. It is in your mouth 
       and in your heart so you may obey it.

       (Deu 30:15 NCV)  Look, today I offer you life and success, death and 
       destruction.

       (Deu 30:16 NCV)  I command you today to love the LORD your God, to do 
       what he wants you to do, and to keep his commands, his rules, and his 
       laws. Then you will live and grow in number, and the LORD your God 
       will bless you in the land you are entering to take as your own.

       (Deu 30:17 NCV)  But if you turn away from the LORD and do not obey 
       him, if you are led to bow and serve other gods,

       (Deu 30:18 NCV)  I tell you today that you will surely be destroyed. 
       And you will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan 
       River to enter and take as your own.





       (Deu 30:19 NCV)  Today I ask heaven and earth to be witnesses. I am 
       offering you life or death, blessings or curses. Now, choose life! 
       Then you and your children may live.

       (Deu 30:20 NCV)  To choose life is to love the LORD your God, obey 
       him, and stay close to him. He is your life, and he will let you live 
       many years in the land, the land he promised to give your ancestors 
       Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

       (Deu 31:1 NCV)  Then Moses went and spoke these words to all the 
       Israelites:

       (Deu 31:2 NCV)  "I am now one hundred twenty years old, and I cannot 
       lead you anymore. The LORD told me I would not cross the Jordan River;

       (Deu 31:3 NCV)  the LORD your God will lead you across himself. He 
       will destroy those nations for you, and you will take over their land. 
       Joshua will also lead you across, as the LORD has said.

       (Deu 31:4 NCV)  The LORD will do to those nations what he did to Sihon 
       and Og, the kings of the Amorites, when he destroyed them and their 
       land.

       (Deu 31:5 NCV)  The LORD will give those nations to you; do to them 
       everything I told you.

       (Deu 31:6 NCV)  Be strong and brave. Don't be afraid of them and don't 
       be frightened, because the LORD your God will go with you. He will not 
       leave you or forget you."

       (Deu 31:7 NCV)  Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in front of 
       the people, "Be strong and brave, because you will lead these people 
       into the land the LORD promised to give their ancestors, and help them 
       take it as their own.

       (Deu 31:8 NCV)  The LORD himself will go before you. He will be with 
       you; he will not leave you or forget you. Don't be afraid and don't 
       worry."

       (Deu 31:9 NCV)  So Moses wrote down these teachings and gave them to 
       the priests and all the older leaders of Israel. (The priests are the 
       sons of Levi, who carry the Ark of the Agreement with the LORD.)

       (Deu 31:10 NCV)  Then Moses commanded them: "Read these teachings for 
       all Israel to hear at the end of every seven years, which is the year 
       to cancel what people owe. Do it during the Feast of Shelters, when 
       all the Israelites will come to appear before the LORD your God and 
       stand at the place he will choose.

       (Deu 31:11 NCV)  

       (Deu 31:12 NCV)  Gather all the people: the men, women, children, and 
       foreigners living in your towns so that they can listen and learn to 
       respect the LORD your God and carefully obey everything in this law.

       (Deu 31:13 NCV)  Since their children do not know this law, they must 





       hear it. They must learn to respect the LORD your God for as long as 
       they live in the land you are crossing the Jordan River to take for 
       your own."

       (Deu 31:14 NCV)  The LORD said to Moses, "Soon you will die. Get 
       Joshua and come to the Meeting Tent so that I may command him." So 
       Moses and Joshua went to the Meeting Tent.

       (Deu 31:15 NCV)  The LORD appeared at the Meeting Tent in a cloud; the 
       cloud stood over the entrance of the Tent.

       (Deu 31:16 NCV)  And the LORD said to Moses, "You will soon die. Then 
       these people will not be loyal to me but will worship the foreign gods 
       of the land they are entering. They will leave me, breaking the 
       Agreement I made with them.

       (Deu 31:17 NCV)  Then I will become very angry at them, and I will 
       leave them. I will turn away from them, and they will be destroyed. 
       Many terrible things will happen to them. Then they will say, 'It is 
       because God is not with us that these terrible things are happening.'

       (Deu 31:18 NCV)  I will surely turn away from them then, because they 
       have done wrong and have turned to other gods.

       (Deu 31:19 NCV)  "Now write down this song and teach it to the 
       Israelites. Then have them sing it, because it will be my witness 
       against them.

       (Deu 31:20 NCV)  When I bring them into the land I promised to their 
       ancestors, a fertile land, they will eat as much as they want and get 
       fat. Then they will turn to other gods and serve them. They will 
       reject me and break my Agreement.

       (Deu 31:21 NCV)  Then when many troubles and terrible things happen to 
       them, this song will testify against them, because the song will not 
       be forgotten by their descendants. I know what they plan to do, even 
       before I take them into the land I promised them."

       (Deu 31:22 NCV)  So Moses wrote down the song that day, and he taught 
       it to the Israelites.

       (Deu 31:23 NCV)  Then the LORD gave this command to Joshua son of Nun: 
       "Be strong and brave, because you will lead the people of Israel to 
       the land I promised them, and I will be with you."

       (Deu 31:24 NCV)  After Moses finished writing all the words of the 
       teachings in a book,

       (Deu 31:25 NCV)  he gave a command to the Levites, who carried the Ark 
       of the Agreement with the LORD.

       (Deu 31:26 NCV)  He said, "Take this Book of the Teachings and put it 
       beside the Ark of the Agreement with the LORD your God. It must stay 
       there as a witness against you.

       (Deu 31:27 NCV)  I know how stubborn and disobedient you are. You have 





       disobeyed the LORD while I am alive and with you, and you will disobey 
       even more after I die!

       (Deu 31:28 NCV)  Gather all the older leaders of your tribes and all 
       your officers to me so that I may say these things for them to hear, 
       and so that I may ask heaven and earth to testify against them.

       (Deu 31:29 NCV)  I know that after I die you will become completely 
       evil. You will turn away from the commands I have given you. Terrible 
       things will happen to you in the future when you do what the LORD says 
       is evil, and you will make him angry with the idols you have made."

       (Deu 31:30 NCV)  And Moses spoke this whole song for all the people of 
       Israel to hear:

       (Deu 32:1 NCV)  Hear, heavens, and I will speak. Listen, earth, to 
       what I say.

       (Deu 32:2 NCV)  My teaching will drop like rain; my words will fall 
       like dew. They will be like showers on the grass; they will pour down 
       like rain on young plants.

       (Deu 32:3 NCV)  I will announce the name of the LORD. Praise God 
       because he is great!

       (Deu 32:4 NCV)  He is like a rock; what he does is perfect, and he is 
       always fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong, who is right and 
       fair.

       (Deu 32:5 NCV)  They have done evil against him. To their shame they 
       are no longer his children; they are an evil and lying people.

       (Deu 32:6 NCV)  This is not the way to repay the LORD, you foolish and 
       unwise people. He is your Father and Maker, who made you and formed 
       you.

       (Deu 32:7 NCV)  Remember the old days. Think of the years already 
       passed. Ask your father and he will tell you; ask your older leaders 
       and they will inform you.

       (Deu 32:8 NCV)  God Most High gave the nations their lands, dividing 
       up the human race. He set up borders for the people and even numbered 
       the Israelites.

       (Deu 32:9 NCV)  The LORD took his people as his share, the people of 
       Jacob as his very own.

       (Deu 32:10 NCV)  He found them in a desert, a windy, empty land. He 
       surrounded them and brought them up, guarding them as those he loved 
       very much.

       (Deu 32:11 NCV)  He was like an eagle building its nest that flutters 
       over its young. It spreads its wings to catch them and carries them on 
       its feathers.

       (Deu 32:12 NCV)  The LORD alone led them, and there was no foreign god 





       helping him.

       (Deu 32:13 NCV)  The LORD brought them to the heights of the land and 
       fed them the fruit of the fields. He gave them honey from the rocks, 
       bringing oil from the solid rock.

       (Deu 32:14 NCV)  There were milk curds from the cows and milk from the 
       flock; there were fat sheep and goats. There were sheep and goats from 
       Bashan and the best of the wheat. You drank the juice of grapes.

       (Deu 32:15 NCV)  Israel grew fat and kicked; they were fat and full 
       and firm. They left the God who made them and rejected the Rock who 
       saved them.

       (Deu 32:16 NCV)  They made God jealous with foreign gods and angry 
       with hateful idols.

       (Deu 32:17 NCV)  They made sacrifices to demons, not God, to gods they 
       had never known, new gods from nearby, gods your ancestors did not 
       fear.

       (Deu 32:18 NCV)  You left God who is the Rock, your Father, and you 
       forgot the God who gave you birth.

       (Deu 32:19 NCV)  The LORD saw this and rejected them; his sons and 
       daughters had made him angry.

       (Deu 32:20 NCV)  He said, "I will turn away from them and see what 
       will happen to them. They are evil people, unfaithful children.

       (Deu 32:21 NCV)  They used things that are not gods to make me jealous 
       and worthless idols to make me angry. So I will use those who are not 
       a nation to make them jealous; I will use a nation that does not 
       understand to make them angry.

       (Deu 32:22 NCV)  My anger has started a fire that burns down to the 
       place of the dead. It will burn up the ground and its crops, and it 
       will set fire to the base of the mountains.

       (Deu 32:23 NCV)  "I will pile troubles upon them and shoot my arrows 
       at them.

       (Deu 32:24 NCV)  They will be starved and sick, destroyed by terrible 
       diseases. I will send them vicious animals and gliding, poisonous 
       snakes.

       (Deu 32:25 NCV)  In the streets the sword will kill; in their homes 
       there will be terror. Young men and women will die, and so will babies 
       and gray-haired men.

       (Deu 32:26 NCV)  I will scatter them as I said, and no one will 
       remember them.

       (Deu 32:27 NCV)  But I didn't want their enemy to brag; their enemy 
       might misunderstand and say, 'We have won! The LORD has done none of 
       this.'"






       (Deu 32:28 NCV)  Israel has no sense; they do not understand.

       (Deu 32:29 NCV)  I wish they were wise and understood this; I wish 
       they could see what will happen to them.

       (Deu 32:30 NCV)  One person cannot chase a thousand people, and two 
       people cannot fight ten thousand unless their Rock has sold them, 
       unless the LORD has given them up.

       (Deu 32:31 NCV)  The rock of these people is not like our Rock; our 
       enemies agree to that.

       (Deu 32:32 NCV)  Their vine comes from Sodom, and their fields are 
       like Gomorrah. Their grapes are full of poison; their bunches of 
       grapes are bitter.

       (Deu 32:33 NCV)  Their wine is like snake poison, like the deadly 
       poison of cobras.

       (Deu 32:34 NCV)  "I have been saving this, and I have it locked in my 
       storehouses.

       (Deu 32:35 NCV)  I will punish those who do wrong; I will repay them. 
       Soon their foot will slip, because their day of trouble is near, and 
       their punishment will come quickly."

       (Deu 32:36 NCV)  The LORD will defend his people and have mercy on his 
       servants. He will see that their strength is gone, that nobody is 
       left, slaves or free.

       (Deu 32:37 NCV)  Then he will say, "Where are their gods? Where is the 
       rock they trusted?

       (Deu 32:38 NCV)  Who ate the fat from their sacrifices, and who drank 
       the wine of their drink offerings? Let those gods come to help you! 
       Let them protect you!

       (Deu 32:39 NCV)  "Now you will see that I am the one God! There is no 
       god but me. I send life and death; I can hurt, and I can heal. No one 
       can escape from me.

       (Deu 32:40 NCV)  I raise my hand toward heaven and make this promise: 
       As surely as I live forever,

       (Deu 32:41 NCV)  I will sharpen my flashing sword, and I will take it 
       in my hand to judge. I will punish my enemies and pay back those who 
       hate me.

       (Deu 32:42 NCV)  My arrows will be covered with their blood; my sword 
       will eat their flesh. The blood will flow from those who are killed 
       and the captives. The heads of the enemy leaders will be cut off."

       (Deu 32:43 NCV)  Be happy, nations, with his people, because he will 
       repay you for the blood of his servants. He will punish his enemies, 
       and he will remove the sin of his land and people.






       (Deu 32:44 NCV)  Moses came with Joshua son of Nun, and they spoke all 
       the words of this song for the people to hear.

       (Deu 32:45 NCV)  When Moses finished speaking these words to all 
       Israel,

       (Deu 32:46 NCV)  he said to them: "Pay careful attention to all the 
       words I have said to you today, and command your children to obey 
       carefully everything in these teachings.

       (Deu 32:47 NCV)  These should not be unimportant words for you, but 
       rather they mean life for you! By these words you will live a long 
       time in the land you are crossing the Jordan River to take as your 
       own."

       (Deu 32:48 NCV)  The LORD spoke to Moses again that same day and said,

       (Deu 32:49 NCV)  "Go up the Abarim Mountains, to Mount Nebo in the 
       country of Moab, across from Jericho. Look at the land of Canaan that 
       I am giving to the Israelites as their own.

       (Deu 32:50 NCV)  On that mountain that you climb, you will die and 
       join your ancestors, just as your brother Aaron died on Mount Hor and 
       joined his ancestors.

       (Deu 32:51 NCV)  You both sinned against me at the waters of Meribah 
       Kadesh in the Desert of Zin, and you did not honor me as holy there 
       among the Israelites.

       (Deu 32:52 NCV)  So now you will only look at the land from far away. 
       You will not enter the land I am giving the people of Israel."

       (Deu 33:1 NCV)  Moses, the man of God, gave this blessing to the 
       Israelites before he died.

       (Deu 33:2 NCV)  He said: "The LORD came from Mount Sinai and rose like 
       the sun from Edom; he showed his greatness from Mount Paran. He came 
       with thousands of angels from the southern mountains.

       (Deu 33:3 NCV)  The LORD surely loves his people and takes care of all 
       those who belong to him. They bow down at his feet, and they are 
       taught by him.

       (Deu 33:4 NCV)  Moses gave us the teachings that belong to the people 
       of Jacob.

       (Deu 33:5 NCV)  The LORD became king of Israel when the leaders of the 
       people gathered, when the tribes of Israel came together.

       (Deu 33:6 NCV)  "Let the people of Reuben live and not die, but let 
       the people be few."

       (Deu 33:7 NCV)  Moses said this about the people of Judah: "LORD, 
       listen to Judah's prayer; bring them back to their people. They defend 
       themselves with their hands. Help them fight their enemies!"






       (Deu 33:8 NCV)  Moses said this about the people of Levi: "LORD, your 
       Thummim and Urim belong to Levi, whom you love. LORD, you tested him 
       at Massah and argued with him at the waters of Meribah.

       (Deu 33:9 NCV)  He said about his father and mother, 'I don't care 
       about them.' He did not treat his brothers as favorites or give 
       special favors to his children, but he protected your word and guarded 
       your agreement.

       (Deu 33:10 NCV)  He teaches your laws to the people of Jacob and your 
       teachings to the people of Israel. He burns incense before you and 
       makes whole burnt offerings on your altar.

       (Deu 33:11 NCV)  LORD, make them strong; be pleased with the work they 
       do. Defeat those who attack them, and don't let their enemies rise up 
       again."

       (Deu 33:12 NCV)  Moses said this about the people of Benjamin: "The 
       Lord's loved ones will lie down in safety, because he protects them 
       all day long. The ones he loves rest with him."

       (Deu 33:13 NCV)  Moses said this about the people of Joseph: "May the 
       LORD bless their land with wonderful dew from heaven, with water from 
       the springs below,

       (Deu 33:14 NCV)  with the best fruits that the sun brings, and with 
       the best fruits that the moon brings.

       (Deu 33:15 NCV)  Let the old mountains give the finest crops, and let 
       the everlasting hills give the best fruits.

       (Deu 33:16 NCV)  Let the full earth give the best fruits, and let the 
       LORD who lived in the burning bush be pleased. May these blessings 
       rest on the head of Joseph, on the forehead of the one who was blessed 
       among his brothers.

       (Deu 33:17 NCV)  Joseph has the majesty of a firstborn bull; he is as 
       strong as a wild ox. He will stab other nations, even those nations 
       far away. These are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and these are the 
       thousands of Manasseh."

       (Deu 33:18 NCV)  Moses said this about the people of Zebulun: "Be 
       happy when you go out, Zebulun, and be happy in your tents, Issachar.

       (Deu 33:19 NCV)  They will call the people to the mountain, and there 
       they will offer the right sacrifices. They will do well from all that 
       is in the sea, and they will do well from the treasures hidden in the 
       sand on the shore."

       (Deu 33:20 NCV)  Moses said this about the people of Gad: "Praise God 
       who gives Gad more land! Gad lives there like a lion, who tears off 
       arms and heads.

       (Deu 33:21 NCV)  They chose the best land for themselves. They 
       received a large share, like that given to an officer. When the 





       leaders of the people gathered, the people of Gad did what the LORD 
       said was right, and they judged Israel fairly."

       (Deu 33:22 NCV)  Moses said this about the people of Dan: "Dan is like 
       a lion's cub, who jumps out of Bashan."

       (Deu 33:23 NCV)  Moses said this about the people of Naphtali: 
       "Naphtali enjoys special kindnesses, and they are full of the Lord's 
       blessings. Take as your own the west and south."

       (Deu 33:24 NCV)  Moses said this about the people of Asher: "Asher is 
       the most blessed of the sons; let him be his brothers' favorite. Let 
       him bathe his feet in olive oil.

       (Deu 33:25 NCV)  Your gates will have locks of iron and bronze, and 
       you will be strong as long as you live.

       (Deu 33:26 NCV)  "There is no one like the God of Israel, who rides 
       through the skies to help you, who rides on the clouds in his majesty.

       (Deu 33:27 NCV)  The everlasting God is your place of safety, and his 
       arms will hold you up forever. He will force your enemy out ahead of 
       you, saying, 'Destroy the enemy!'

       (Deu 33:28 NCV)  The people of Israel will lie down in safety. Jacob's 
       spring is theirs alone. Theirs is a land full of grain and new wine, 
       where the skies drop their dew.

       (Deu 33:29 NCV)  Israel, you are blessed! No one else is like you, 
       because you are a people saved by the LORD. He is your shield and 
       helper, your glorious sword. Your enemies will be afraid of you, and 
       you will walk all over their holy places."

       (Deu 34:1 NCV)  Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab 
       to the top of Mount Pisgah, across from Jericho. From there the LORD 
       showed him all the land from Gilead to Dan,

       (Deu 34:2 NCV)  all of Naphtali and the lands of Ephraim and Manasseh, 
       all the land of Judah as far as the Mediterranean Sea,

       (Deu 34:3 NCV)  as well as the southern desert and the whole Valley of 
       Jericho up to Zoar. (Jericho is called the city of palm trees.)

       (Deu 34:4 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Moses, "This is the land I 
       promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said to them, 'I will 
       give this land to your descendants.' I have let you look at it, Moses, 
       but you will not cross over there."

       (Deu 34:5 NCV)  Then Moses, the servant of the LORD, died there in 
       Moab, as the LORD had said.

       (Deu 34:6 NCV)  He buried Moses in Moab in the valley opposite Beth 
       Peor, but even today no one knows where his grave is.

       (Deu 34:7 NCV)  Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he died. 
       His eyes were not weak, and he was still strong.






       (Deu 34:8 NCV)  The Israelites cried for Moses for thirty days, 
       staying in the plains of Moab until the time of sadness was over.

       (Deu 34:9 NCV)  Joshua son of Nun was then filled with wisdom, because 
       Moses had put his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to Joshua, 
       and they did what the LORD had commanded Moses.

       (Deu 34:10 NCV)  There has never been another prophet in Israel like 
       Moses. The LORD knew Moses face to face

       (Deu 34:11 NCV)  and sent him to do signs and miracles in Egypt--to 
       the king, to all his officers, and to the whole land of Egypt.

       (Deu 34:12 NCV)  Moses had great power, and he did great and wonderful 
       things for all the Israelites to see.

       (Josh 1:1 NCV)  After Moses, the servant of the LORD, died, the LORD 
       spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' assistant.

       (Josh 1:2 NCV)  The LORD said, "My servant Moses is dead. Now you and 
       all these people go across the Jordan River into the land I am giving 
       to the Israelites.

       (Josh 1:3 NCV)  I promised Moses I would give you this land, so I will 
       give you every place you go in the land.

       (Josh 1:4 NCV)  All the land from the desert in the south to Lebanon 
       in the north will be yours. All the land from the great river, the 
       Euphrates, in the east, to the Mediterranean Sea in the west will be 
       yours, too, including the land of the Hittites.

       (Josh 1:5 NCV)  No one will be able to defeat you all your life. Just 
       as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or 
       forget you.

       (Josh 1:6 NCV)  "Joshua, be strong and brave! You must lead these 
       people so they can take the land that I promised their fathers I would 
       give them.

       (Josh 1:7 NCV)  Be strong and brave. Be sure to obey all the teachings 
       my servant Moses gave you. If you follow them exactly, you will be 
       successful in everything you do.

       (Josh 1:8 NCV)  Always remember what is written in the Book of the 
       Teachings. Study it day and night to be sure to obey everything that 
       is written there. If you do this, you will be wise and successful in 
       everything.

       (Josh 1:9 NCV)  Remember that I commanded you to be strong and brave. 
       Don't be afraid, because the LORD your God will be with you everywhere 
       you go."

       (Josh 1:10 NCV)  Then Joshua gave orders to the officers of the 
       people:





       (Josh 1:11 NCV)  "Go through the camp and tell the people, 'Get your 
       supplies ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan River 
       and take the land the LORD your God is giving you.'"

       (Josh 1:12 NCV)  Then Joshua said to the people of Reuben, Gad, and 
       East Manasseh,

       (Josh 1:13 NCV)  "Remember what Moses, the servant of the LORD, told 
       you. He said the LORD your God would give you rest and would give you 
       this land.

       (Josh 1:14 NCV)  Now the LORD has given you this land east of the 
       Jordan River. Your wives, children, and animals may stay here, but 
       your fighting men must dress for war and cross the Jordan River ahead 
       of your brothers to help them.

       (Josh 1:15 NCV)  The LORD has given you a place to rest and will do 
       the same for your brothers. But you must help them until they take the 
       land the LORD their God is giving them. Then you may return to your 
       own land east of the Jordan River, the land that Moses, the servant of 
       the LORD, gave you."

       (Josh 1:16 NCV)  Then the people answered Joshua, "Anything you 
       command us to do, we will do. Any place you send us, we will go.

       (Josh 1:17 NCV)  Just as we fully obeyed Moses, we will obey you. We 
       ask only that the LORD your God be with you just as he was with Moses.

       (Josh 1:18 NCV)  Whoever refuses to obey your commands or turns 
       against you will be put to death. Just be strong and brave!"

       (Josh 2:1 NCV)  Joshua son of Nun secretly sent out two spies from 
       Acacia and said to them, "Go and look at the land, particularly at the 
       city of Jericho." So the men went to Jericho and stayed at the house 
       of a prostitute named Rahab.

       (Josh 2:2 NCV)  Someone told the king of Jericho, "Some men from 
       Israel have come here tonight to spy out the land."

       (Josh 2:3 NCV)  So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: 
       "Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house. They have 
       come to spy out our whole land."

       (Josh 2:4 NCV)  But the woman had hidden the two men. She said, "They 
       did come here, but I didn't know where they came from.

       (Josh 2:5 NCV)  In the evening, when it was time to close the city 
       gate, they left. I don't know where they went, but if you go quickly, 
       maybe you can catch them."

       (Josh 2:6 NCV)  (The woman had taken the men up to the roof and had 
       hidden them there under stalks of flax that she had spread out.)

       (Josh 2:7 NCV)  So the king's men went out looking for the spies on 
       the road that leads to the crossings of the Jordan River. The city 
       gate was closed just after the king's men left the city.






       (Josh 2:8 NCV)  Before the spies went to sleep for the night, Rahab 
       went up to the roof.

       (Josh 2:9 NCV)  She said to them, "I know the LORD has given this land 
       to your people. You frighten us very much. Everyone living in this 
       land is terribly afraid of you

       (Josh 2:10 NCV)  because we have heard how the LORD dried up the Red 
       Sea when you came out of Egypt. We have heard how you destroyed Sihon 
       and Og, two Amorite kings who lived east of the Jordan.

       (Josh 2:11 NCV)  When we heard this, we were very frightened. Now our 
       men are afraid to fight you because the LORD your God rules the 
       heavens above and the earth below!

       (Josh 2:12 NCV)  So now, promise me before the LORD that you will show 
       kindness to my family just as I showed kindness to you. Give me some 
       proof that you will do this.

       (Josh 2:13 NCV)  Allow my father, mother, brothers, sisters, and all 
       of their families to live. Save us from death."

       (Josh 2:14 NCV)  The men agreed and said, "It will be our lives for 
       your lives if you don't tell anyone what we are doing. When the LORD 
       gives us the land, we will be kind and true to you."

       (Josh 2:15 NCV)  The house Rahab lived in was built on the city wall, 
       so she used a rope to let the men down through a window.

       (Josh 2:16 NCV)  She said to them, "Go into the hills so the king's 
       men will not find you. Hide there for three days. After the king's men 
       return, you may go on your way."

       (Josh 2:17 NCV)  The men said to her, "You must do as we say. If not, 
       we cannot be responsible for keeping this oath you have made us swear.

       (Josh 2:18 NCV)  When we return to this land, you must tie this red 
       rope in the window through which you let us down. Bring your father, 
       mother, brothers, and all your family into your house.

       (Josh 2:19 NCV)  If anyone leaves your house and is killed, it is his 
       own fault. We cannot be responsible for him. If anyone in your house 
       is hurt, we will be responsible.

       (Josh 2:20 NCV)  But if you tell anyone about this, we will be free 
       from the oath you made us swear."

       (Josh 2:21 NCV)  Rahab answered, "I agree to this." So she sent them 
       away, and they left. Then she tied the red rope in the window.

       (Josh 2:22 NCV)  The men left and went into the hills where they 
       stayed for three days. The king's men looked for them all along the 
       road, but after three days, they returned to the city without finding 
       them.





       (Josh 2:23 NCV)  Then the two men started back. They left the hills 
       and crossed the river and came to Joshua son of Nun and told him 
       everything that had happened to them.

       (Josh 2:24 NCV)  They said, "The LORD surely has given us all of the 
       land. All the people in that land are terribly afraid of us."

       (Josh 3:1 NCV)  Early the next morning Joshua and all the Israelites 
       left Acacia. They traveled to the Jordan River and camped there before 
       crossing it.

       (Josh 3:2 NCV)  After three days the officers went through the camp

       (Josh 3:3 NCV)  and gave orders to the people: "When you see the 
       priests and Levites carrying the Ark of the Agreement with the LORD 
       your God, leave where you are and follow it.

       (Josh 3:4 NCV)  That way you will know which way to go since you have 
       never been here before. But do not follow too closely. Stay about a 
       thousand yards behind the Ark."

       (Josh 3:5 NCV)  Then Joshua told the people, "Make yourselves holy, 
       because tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you."

       (Josh 3:6 NCV)  Joshua said to the priests, "Take the Ark of the 
       Agreement and go ahead of the people." So the priests lifted the Ark 
       and carried it ahead of the people.

       (Josh 3:7 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Today I will begin to 
       make you great in the opinion of all the Israelites so the people will 
       know I am with you just as I was with Moses.

       (Josh 3:8 NCV)  Tell the priests who carry the Ark of the Agreement to 
       go to the edge of the Jordan River and stand in the water."

       (Josh 3:9 NCV)  Then Joshua said to the Israelites, "Come here and 
       listen to the words of the LORD your God.

       (Josh 3:10 NCV)  Here is proof that the living God is with you and 
       that he will force out the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, 
       Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites.

       (Josh 3:11 NCV)  The Ark of the Agreement with the Lord of the whole 
       world will go ahead of you into the Jordan River.

       (Josh 3:12 NCV)  Now choose twelve men from among you, one from each 
       of the twelve tribes of Israel.

       (Josh 3:13 NCV)  The priests will carry the Ark of the LORD, the 
       Master of the whole world, into the Jordan ahead of you. When they 
       step into the water, it will stop. The river will stop flowing and 
       will stand up in a heap."

       (Josh 3:14 NCV)  So the people left the place where they had camped, 
       and they followed the priests who carried the Ark of the Agreement 
       across the Jordan River.






       (Josh 3:15 NCV)  During harvest the Jordan overflows its banks. When 
       the priests carrying the Ark came to the edge of the river and stepped 
       into the water,

       (Josh 3:16 NCV)  the water upstream stopped flowing. It stood up in a 
       heap a great distance away at Adam, a town near Zarethan. The water 
       flowing down to the Sea of Arabah (the Dead Sea) was completely cut 
       off. So the people crossed the river near Jericho.

       (Josh 3:17 NCV)  The priests carried the Ark of the Agreement with the 
       LORD to the middle of the river and stood there on dry ground. They 
       waited there while all the people of Israel walked across the Jordan 
       River on dry land.

       (Josh 4:1 NCV)  After all the people had finished crossing the Jordan, 
       the LORD said to Joshua,

       (Josh 4:2 NCV)  "Choose twelve men from among the people, one from 
       each tribe.

       (Josh 4:3 NCV)  Tell them to get twelve rocks from the middle of the 
       river, from where the priests stood. Carry the rocks and put them down 
       where you stay tonight."

       (Josh 4:4 NCV)  So Joshua chose one man from each tribe. Then he 
       called the twelve men together

       (Josh 4:5 NCV)  and said to them, "Go out into the river where the Ark 
       of the LORD your God is. Each of you bring back one rock, one for each 
       tribe of Israel, and carry it on your shoulder.

       (Josh 4:6 NCV)  They will be a sign among you. In the future your 
       children will ask you, 'What do these rocks mean?'

       (Josh 4:7 NCV)  Tell them the water stopped flowing in the Jordan when 
       the Ark of the Agreement with the LORD crossed the river. These rocks 
       will always remind the Israelites of this."

       (Josh 4:8 NCV)  So the Israelites obeyed Joshua and carried twelve 
       rocks from the middle of the Jordan River, one rock for each of the 
       twelve tribes of Israel, just as the LORD had commanded Joshua. They 
       carried the rocks with them and put them down where they made their 
       camp.

       (Josh 4:9 NCV)  Joshua also put twelve rocks in the middle of the 
       Jordan River where the priests had stood while carrying the Ark of the 
       Agreement. These rocks are still there today.

       (Josh 4:10 NCV)  The priests carrying the Ark continued standing in 
       the middle of the river until everything was done that the LORD had 
       commanded Joshua to tell the people, just as Moses had told Joshua. 
       The people hurried across the river.

       (Josh 4:11 NCV)  After they finished crossing the river, the priests 
       carried the Ark of the LORD to the other side as the people watched.






       (Josh 4:12 NCV)  The men from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East 
       Manasseh obeyed what Moses had told them. They were dressed for war, 
       and they crossed the river ahead of the other people.

       (Josh 4:13 NCV)  About forty thousand soldiers prepared for war passed 
       before the LORD as they marched across the river, going toward the 
       plains of Jericho.

       (Josh 4:14 NCV)  That day the LORD made Joshua great in the opinion of 
       all the Israelites. They respected Joshua all his life, just as they 
       had respected Moses.

       (Josh 4:15 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Joshua,

       (Josh 4:16 NCV)  "Command the priests to bring the Ark of the 
       Agreement out of the river."

       (Josh 4:17 NCV)  So Joshua commanded the priests, "Come up out of the 
       Jordan."

       (Josh 4:18 NCV)  Then the priests carried the Ark of the Agreement 
       with the LORD out of the river. As soon as their feet touched dry 
       land, the water began flowing again. The river again overflowed its 
       banks, just as it had before they crossed.

       (Josh 4:19 NCV)  The people crossed the Jordan on the tenth day of the 
       first month and camped at Gilgal, east of Jericho.

       (Josh 4:20 NCV)  They carried with them the twelve rocks taken from 
       the Jordan, and Joshua set them up at Gilgal.

       (Josh 4:21 NCV)  Then he spoke to the Israelites: "In the future your 
       children will ask you, 'What do these rocks mean?'

       (Josh 4:22 NCV)  Tell them, 'Israel crossed the Jordan River on dry 
       land.

       (Josh 4:23 NCV)  The LORD your God caused the water to stop flowing 
       until you finished crossing it, just as the LORD did to the Red Sea. 
       He stopped the water until we crossed it.

       (Josh 4:24 NCV)  The LORD did this so all people would know he has 
       great power and so you would always respect the LORD your God.'"

       (Josh 5:1 NCV)  All the kings of the Amorites west of the Jordan and 
       the Canaanite kings living by the Mediterranean Sea heard that the 
       LORD dried up the Jordan River until the Israelites had crossed it. 
       After that they were scared and too afraid to face the Israelites.

       (Josh 5:2 NCV)  At that time the LORD said to Joshua, "Make knives 
       from flint stones and circumcise the Israelites."

       (Josh 5:3 NCV)  So Joshua made knives from flint stones and 
       circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath Haaraloth.





       (Josh 5:4 NCV)  This is why Joshua circumcised the men: After the 
       Israelites left Egypt, all the men old enough to serve in the army 
       died in the desert on the way out of Egypt.

       (Josh 5:5 NCV)  The men who had come out of Egypt had been 
       circumcised, but none of those who were born in the desert on the trip 
       from Egypt had been circumcised.

       (Josh 5:6 NCV)  The Israelites had moved about in the desert for forty 
       years. During that time all the fighting men who had left Egypt had 
       died because they had not obeyed the LORD. So the LORD swore they 
       would not see the land he had promised their ancestors to give them, a 
       fertile land.

       (Josh 5:7 NCV)  Their sons took their places. But none of the sons 
       born on the trip from Egypt had been circumcised, so Joshua 
       circumcised them.

       (Josh 5:8 NCV)  After all the Israelites had been circumcised, they 
       stayed in camp until they were healed.

       (Josh 5:9 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Joshua, "As slaves in Egypt you 
       were ashamed, but today I have removed that shame." So Joshua named 
       that place Gilgal, which it is still named today.

       (Josh 5:10 NCV)  The people of Israel were camped at Gilgal on the 
       plains of Jericho. It was there, on the evening of the fourteenth day 
       of the month, they celebrated the Passover Feast.

       (Josh 5:11 NCV)  The day after the Passover, the people ate food grown 
       on that land: bread made without yeast and roasted grain.

       (Josh 5:12 NCV)  The day they ate this food, the manna stopped coming. 
       The Israelites no longer got the manna from heaven. They ate the food 
       grown in the land of Canaan that year.

       (Josh 5:13 NCV)  Joshua was near Jericho when he looked up and saw a 
       man standing in front of him with a sword in his hand. Joshua went to 
       him and asked, "Are you a friend or an enemy?"

       (Josh 5:14 NCV)  The man answered, "I am neither. I have come as the 
       commander of the Lord's army." Then Joshua bowed facedown on the 
       ground and asked, "Does my master have a command for me, his servant?"

       (Josh 5:15 NCV)  The commander of the Lord's army answered, "Take off 
       your sandals, because the place where you are standing is holy." So 
       Joshua did.

       (Josh 6:1 NCV)  The people of Jericho were afraid because the 
       Israelites were near. They closed the city gates and guarded them. No 
       one went into the city, and no one came out.

       (Josh 6:2 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Look, I have given you 
       Jericho, its king, and all its fighting men.

       (Josh 6:3 NCV)  March around the city with your army once a day for 





       six days.

       (Josh 6:4 NCV)  Have seven priests carry trumpets made from horns of 
       male sheep and have them march in front of the Ark. On the seventh day 
       march around the city seven times and have the priests blow the 
       trumpets as they march.

       (Josh 6:5 NCV)  They will make one long blast on the trumpets. When 
       you hear that sound, have all the people give a loud shout. Then the 
       walls of the city will fall so the people can go straight into the 
       city."

       (Josh 6:6 NCV)  So Joshua son of Nun called the priests together and 
       said to them, "Carry the Ark of the Agreement. Tell seven priests to 
       carry trumpets and march in front of it."

       (Josh 6:7 NCV)  Then Joshua ordered the people, "Now go! March around 
       the city. The soldiers with weapons should march in front of the Ark 
       of the Agreement with the LORD."

       (Josh 6:8 NCV)  When Joshua finished speaking to the people, the seven 
       priests began marching before the LORD. They carried the seven 
       trumpets and blew them as they marched. The priests carrying the Ark 
       of the Agreement with the LORD followed them.

       (Josh 6:9 NCV)  Soldiers with weapons marched in front of the priests, 
       and armed men walked behind the Ark. The priests were blowing their 
       trumpets.

       (Josh 6:10 NCV)  But Joshua had told the people not to give a war cry. 
       He said, "Don't shout. Don't say a word until the day I tell you. Then 
       shout."

       (Josh 6:11 NCV)  So Joshua had the Ark of the LORD carried around the 
       city one time. Then they went back to camp for the night.

       (Josh 6:12 NCV)  Early the next morning Joshua got up, and the priests 
       carried the Ark of the LORD again.

       (Josh 6:13 NCV)  The seven priests carried the seven trumpets and 
       marched in front of the Ark of the LORD, blowing their trumpets. 
       Soldiers with weapons marched in front of them, and other soldiers 
       walked behind the Ark of the LORD. All this time the priests were 
       blowing their trumpets.

       (Josh 6:14 NCV)  So on the second day they marched around the city one 
       time and then went back to camp. They did this every day for six days.

       (Josh 6:15 NCV)  On the seventh day they got up at dawn and marched 
       around the city, just as they had on the days before. But on that day 
       they marched around the city seven times.

       (Josh 6:16 NCV)  The seventh time around the priests blew their 
       trumpets. Then Joshua gave the command: "Now, shout! The LORD has 
       given you this city!





       (Josh 6:17 NCV)  The city and everything in it are to be destroyed as 
       an offering to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute and everyone in her 
       house should remain alive. They must not be killed, because Rahab hid 
       the two spies we sent out.

       (Josh 6:18 NCV)  Don't take any of the things that are to be destroyed 
       as an offering to the LORD. If you take them and bring them into our 
       camp, you yourselves will be destroyed, and you will bring trouble to 
       all of Israel.

       (Josh 6:19 NCV)  All the silver and gold and things made from bronze 
       and iron belong to the LORD and must be saved for him."

       (Josh 6:20 NCV)  When the priests blew the trumpets, the people 
       shouted. At the sound of the trumpets and the people's shout, the 
       walls fell, and everyone ran straight into the city. So the Israelites 
       defeated that city.

       (Josh 6:21 NCV)  They completely destroyed with the sword every living 
       thing in the city--men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, and 
       donkeys.

       (Josh 6:22 NCV)  Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the 
       land, "Go into the prostitute's house. Bring her out and bring out 
       those who are with her, because of the promise you made to her."

       (Josh 6:23 NCV)  So the two men went into the house and brought out 
       Rahab, her father, mother, brothers, and all those with her. They put 
       all of her family in a safe place outside the camp of Israel.

       (Josh 6:24 NCV)  Then Israel burned the whole city and everything in 
       it, but they did not burn the things made from silver, gold, bronze, 
       and iron. These were saved for the LORD.

       (Josh 6:25 NCV)  Joshua saved Rahab the prostitute, her family, and 
       all who were with her, because Rahab had helped the men he had sent to 
       spy out Jericho. Rahab still lives among the Israelites today.

       (Josh 6:26 NCV)  Then Joshua made this oath: "Anyone who tries to 
       rebuild this city of Jericho will be cursed by the LORD. The one who 
       lays the foundation of this city will lose his oldest son, and the one 
       who sets up the gates will lose his youngest son."

       (Josh 6:27 NCV)  So the LORD was with Joshua, and Joshua became famous 
       through all the land.

       (Josh 7:1 NCV)  But the Israelites did not obey the LORD. There was a 
       man from the tribe of Judah named Achan. (He was the son of Carmi and 
       grandson of Zabdi, who was the son of Zerah.) Because Achan kept some 
       of the things that were to be given to the LORD, the LORD became very 
       angry at the Israelites.

       (Josh 7:2 NCV)  Joshua sent some men from Jericho to Ai, which was 
       near Beth Aven, east of Bethel. He told them, "Go to Ai and spy out 
       the area." So the men went to spy on Ai.





       (Josh 7:3 NCV)  Later they came back to Joshua and said, "There are 
       only a few people in Ai, so we will not need all our people to defeat 
       them. Send only two or three thousand men to fight. There is no need 
       to send all of our people."

       (Josh 7:4 NCV)  So about three thousand men went up to Ai, but the 
       people of Ai beat them badly.

       (Josh 7:5 NCV)  The people of Ai killed about thirty-six Israelites 
       and then chased the rest from the city gate all the way down to the 
       canyon, killing them as they went down the hill. When the Israelites 
       saw this, they lost their courage.

       (Josh 7:6 NCV)  Then Joshua tore his clothes in sorrow. He bowed 
       facedown on the ground before the Ark of the LORD and stayed there 
       until evening. The leaders of Israel did the same thing. They also 
       threw dirt on their heads to show their sorrow.

       (Josh 7:7 NCV)  Then Joshua said, "Lord GOD, you brought our people 
       across the Jordan River. Why did you bring us this far and then let 
       the Amorites destroy us? We would have been happy to stay on the other 
       side of the Jordan.

       (Josh 7:8 NCV)  Lord, there is nothing I can say now. Israel has been 
       beaten by the enemy.

       (Josh 7:9 NCV)  The Canaanites and all the other people in this 
       country will hear about this and will surround and kill us all! Then 
       what will you do for your own great name?"

       (Josh 7:10 NCV)  The LORD said to Joshua, "Stand up! Why are you down 
       on your face?

       (Josh 7:11 NCV)  The Israelites have sinned; they have broken the 
       agreement I commanded them to obey. They took some of the things I 
       commanded them to destroy. They have stolen and lied and have taken 
       those things for themselves.

       (Josh 7:12 NCV)  That is why the Israelites cannot face their enemies. 
       They turn away from the fight and run, because I have commanded that 
       they be destroyed. I will not help you anymore unless you destroy 
       everything as I commanded you.

       (Josh 7:13 NCV)  "Now go! Make the people holy. Tell them, 'Set 
       yourselves apart to the LORD for tomorrow. The LORD, the God of 
       Israel, says some of you are keeping things he commanded you to 
       destroy. You will never defeat your enemies until you throw away those 
       things.

       (Josh 7:14 NCV)  "'Tomorrow morning you must be present with your 
       tribes. The LORD will choose one tribe to stand alone before him. Then 
       the LORD will choose one family group from that tribe to stand before 
       him. Then the LORD will choose one family from that family group to 
       stand before him, person by person.

       (Josh 7:15 NCV)  The one who is keeping what should have been 





       destroyed will himself be destroyed by fire. Everything he owns will 
       be destroyed with him. He has broken the agreement with the LORD and 
       has done a disgraceful thing among the people of Israel!'"

       (Josh 7:16 NCV)  Early the next morning Joshua led all of Israel to 
       present themselves in their tribes, and the LORD chose the tribe of 
       Judah.

       (Josh 7:17 NCV)  So the family groups of Judah presented themselves, 
       and the LORD then chose the family group of Zerah. When all the 
       families of Zerah presented themselves, the family of Zabdi was 
       chosen.

       (Josh 7:18 NCV)  And Joshua told all the men in that family to present 
       themselves. The LORD chose Achan son of Carmi. (Carmi was the son of 
       Zabdi, who was the son of Zerah.)

       (Josh 7:19 NCV)  Then Joshua said to Achan, "My son, tell the truth. 
       Confess to the LORD, the God of Israel. Tell me what you did, and 
       don't try to hide anything from me."

       (Josh 7:20 NCV)  Achan answered, "It is true! I have sinned against 
       the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I did:

       (Josh 7:21 NCV)  Among the things I saw was a beautiful coat from 
       Babylonia and about five pounds of silver and more than one and 
       one-fourth pounds of gold. I wanted these things very much for myself, 
       so I took them. You will find them buried in the ground under my tent, 
       with the silver underneath."

       (Josh 7:22 NCV)  So Joshua sent men who ran to the tent and found the 
       things hidden there, with the silver.

       (Josh 7:23 NCV)  The men brought them out of the tent, took them to 
       Joshua and all the Israelites, and spread them out on the ground 
       before the LORD.

       (Josh 7:24 NCV)  Then Joshua and all the people led Achan son of Zerah 
       to the Valley of Trouble. They also took the silver, the coat, the 
       gold, Achan's sons, daughters, cattle, donkeys, sheep, tent, and 
       everything he owned.

       (Josh 7:25 NCV)  Joshua said, "I don't know why you caused so much 
       trouble for us, but now the LORD will bring trouble to you." Then all 
       the people threw stones at Achan and his family until they died. Then 
       the people burned them.

       (Josh 7:26 NCV)  They piled rocks over Achan's body, and they are 
       still there today. That is why it is called the Valley of Trouble. 
       After this the LORD was no longer angry.

       (Josh 8:1 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Don't be afraid or give 
       up. Lead all your fighting men to Ai. I will help you defeat the king 
       of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.

       (Josh 8:2 NCV)  You will do to Ai and its king what you did to Jericho 





       and its king. Only this time you may take all the wealth and keep it 
       for yourselves. Now tell some of your soldiers to set up an ambush 
       behind the city."

       (Josh 8:3 NCV)  So Joshua led his whole army toward Ai. Then he chose 
       thirty thousand of his best fighting men and sent them out at night.

       (Josh 8:4 NCV)  Joshua gave them these orders: "Listen carefully. You 
       must set up an ambush behind the city. Don't go far from it, but 
       continue to watch and be ready.

       (Josh 8:5 NCV)  I and the men who are with me will march toward the 
       city, and the men in the city will come out to fight us, just as they 
       did before. Then we will turn and run away from them.

       (Josh 8:6 NCV)  They will chase us away from the city, thinking we are 
       running away from them as we did before. When we run away,

       (Josh 8:7 NCV)  come out from your ambush and take the city. The LORD 
       your God will give you the power to win.

       (Josh 8:8 NCV)  After you take the city, burn it. See to it! You have 
       your orders."

       (Josh 8:9 NCV)  Then Joshua sent them to wait in ambush between Bethel 
       and Ai, to the west of Ai. But Joshua stayed the night with his 
       people.

       (Josh 8:10 NCV)  Early the next morning Joshua gathered his men 
       together. He and the older leaders of Israel led them up to Ai.

       (Josh 8:11 NCV)  All of the soldiers who were with Joshua marched up 
       to Ai and stopped in front of the city and made camp north of it. 
       There was a valley between them and the city.

       (Josh 8:12 NCV)  Then Joshua chose about five thousand men and set 
       them in ambush in the area west of the city between Bethel and Ai.

       (Josh 8:13 NCV)  So the people took their positions; the main camp was 
       north of the city, and the other men were hiding to the west. That 
       night Joshua went down into the valley.

       (Josh 8:14 NCV)  Now when the king of Ai saw the army of Israel, he 
       and his people got up early the next morning and hurried out to fight 
       them. They went out to a place east of the city, but the king did not 
       know soldiers were waiting in ambush behind the city.

       (Josh 8:15 NCV)  Joshua and all the men of Israel let the army of Ai 
       push them back. Then they ran toward the desert.

       (Josh 8:16 NCV)  The men in Ai were called to chase Joshua and his 
       men, so they left the city and went after them.

       (Josh 8:17 NCV)  All the men of Ai and Bethel chased the army of 
       Israel. The city was left open; not a man stayed to protect it.





       (Josh 8:18 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Hold your spear toward 
       Ai, because I will give you that city." So Joshua held his spear 
       toward the city of Ai.

       (Josh 8:19 NCV)  When the Israelites who were in ambush saw this, they 
       quickly came out of their hiding place and hurried toward the city. 
       They entered the city, took control of it, and quickly set it on fire.

       (Josh 8:20 NCV)  When the men of Ai looked back, they saw smoke rising 
       from their city. At the same time the Israelites stopped running and 
       turned against the men of Ai, who could not escape in any direction.

       (Josh 8:21 NCV)  When Joshua and all his men saw that the army had 
       taken control of the city and saw the smoke rising from it, they 
       stopped running and turned to fight the men of Ai.

       (Josh 8:22 NCV)  The men who were in ambush also came out of the city 
       to help with the fight. So the men of Ai were caught between the 
       armies of Israel. None of the enemy escaped. The Israelites fought 
       until not one of the men of Ai was left alive, except

       (Josh 8:23 NCV)  the king of Ai, and they brought him to Joshua.

       (Josh 8:24 NCV)  During the fighting the army of Israel chased the men 
       of Ai into the fields and desert and killed all of them. Then they 
       went back to Ai and killed everyone there.

       (Josh 8:25 NCV)  All the people of Ai died that day, twelve thousand 
       men and women.

       (Josh 8:26 NCV)  Joshua had held his spear toward Ai, as a sign to 
       destroy the city, and did not draw it back until all the people of Ai 
       were destroyed.

       (Josh 8:27 NCV)  The people of Israel kept for themselves the animals 
       and the other things the people of Ai had owned, as the LORD had 
       commanded Joshua to do.

       (Josh 8:28 NCV)  Then Joshua burned the city of Ai and made it a pile 
       of ruins. And it is still like that today.

       (Josh 8:29 NCV)  Joshua hanged the king of Ai on a tree and left him 
       there until evening. At sunset Joshua told his men to take the king's 
       body down from the tree and to throw it down at the city gate. Then 
       they covered it with a pile of rocks, which is still there today.

       (Josh 8:30 NCV)  Joshua built an altar for the LORD, the God of 
       Israel, on Mount Ebal, as

       (Josh 8:31 NCV)  Moses, the Lord's servant, had commanded. Joshua 
       built the altar as it was explained in the Book of the Teachings of 
       Moses. It was made from uncut stones; no tool was ever used on them. 
       On that altar the Israelites offered burnt offerings to the LORD and 
       fellowship offerings.

       (Josh 8:32 NCV)  There Joshua wrote the teachings of Moses on stones 





       for all the people of Israel to see.

       (Josh 8:33 NCV)  The older leaders, officers, judges, and all the 
       Israelites were there; Israelites and non-Israelites were all standing 
       around the Ark of the Agreement with the LORD in front of the priests, 
       the Levites who had carried the Ark. Half of the people stood in front 
       of Mount Ebal, and half stood in front of Mount Gerizim. This was the 
       way the Lord's servant Moses had earlier commanded the people to be 
       blessed.

       (Josh 8:34 NCV)  Then Joshua read all the words of the teachings, the 
       blessings and the curses, exactly as they were written in the Book of 
       the Teachings.

       (Josh 8:35 NCV)  All the Israelites were gathered together--men, 
       women, and children--along with the non-Israelites who lived among 
       them. Joshua read every command that Moses had given.

       (Josh 9:1 NCV)  All the kings west of the Jordan River heard about 
       these things: the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, 
       Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. They lived in the mountains and on 
       the western hills and along the whole Mediterranean Sea coast.

       (Josh 9:2 NCV)  So all these kings gathered to fight Joshua and the 
       Israelites.

       (Josh 9:3 NCV)  When the people of Gibeon heard how Joshua had 
       defeated Jericho and Ai,

       (Josh 9:4 NCV)  they decided to trick the Israelites. They gathered 
       old sacks and old leather wine bags that were cracked and mended, and 
       they put them on the backs of their donkeys.

       (Josh 9:5 NCV)  They put old sandals on their feet and wore old 
       clothes, and they took some dry, moldy bread.

       (Josh 9:6 NCV)  Then they went to Joshua in the camp near Gilgal. The 
       men said to Joshua and the Israelites, "We have traveled from a 
       faraway country. Make a peace agreement with us."

       (Josh 9:7 NCV)  The Israelites said to these Hivites, "Maybe you live 
       near us. How can we make a peace agreement with you?"

       (Josh 9:8 NCV)  The Hivites said to Joshua, "We are your servants." 
       But Joshua asked, "Who are you? Where do you come from?"

       (Josh 9:9 NCV)  The men answered, "We are your servants who have come 
       from a far country, because we heard of the fame of the LORD your God. 
       We heard about what he has done and everything he did in Egypt.

       (Josh 9:10 NCV)  We heard that he defeated the two kings of the 
       Amorites from the east side of the Jordan River--Sihon king of Heshbon 
       and Og king of Bashan who ruled in Ashtaroth.

       (Josh 9:11 NCV)  So our older leaders and our people said to us, 'Take 
       food for your journey and go and meet the Israelites. Tell them, "We 





       are your servants. Make a peace agreement with us."'

       (Josh 9:12 NCV)  "Look at our bread. On the day we left home to come 
       to you it was warm and fresh, but now it is dry and moldy.

       (Josh 9:13 NCV)  Look at our leather wine bags. They were new and 
       filled with wine, but now they are cracked and old. Our clothes and 
       sandals are worn out from the long journey."

       (Josh 9:14 NCV)  The men of Israel tasted the bread, but they did not 
       ask the LORD what to do.

       (Josh 9:15 NCV)  So Joshua agreed to make peace with the Gibeonites 
       and to let them live. And the leaders of the Israelites swore an oath 
       to keep the agreement.

       (Josh 9:16 NCV)  Three days after they had made the agreement, the 
       Israelites learned that the Gibeonites lived nearby.

       (Josh 9:17 NCV)  So the Israelites went to where they lived and on the 
       third day came to their cities: Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath 
       Jearim.

       (Josh 9:18 NCV)  But the Israelites did not attack those cities, 
       because they had made a promise to them before the LORD, the God of 
       Israel. All the Israelites grumbled against the leaders.

       (Josh 9:19 NCV)  But the leaders answered, "We have given our promise 
       before the LORD, the God of Israel, so we cannot attack them now.

       (Josh 9:20 NCV)  This is what we must do. We must let them live. 
       Otherwise, God's anger will be against us for breaking the oath we 
       swore to them.

       (Josh 9:21 NCV)  So let them live, but they will cut wood and carry 
       water for our people." So the leaders kept their promise to them.

       (Josh 9:22 NCV)  Joshua called for the Gibeonites and asked, "Why did 
       you lie to us? Your land was near our camp, but you told us you were 
       from a far country.

       (Josh 9:23 NCV)  Now, you will be placed under a curse to be our 
       slaves. You will have to cut wood and carry water for the house of my 
       God."

       (Josh 9:24 NCV)  The Gibeonites answered Joshua, "We lied to you 
       because we were afraid you would kill us. We heard that the LORD your 
       God commanded his servant Moses to give you all of this land and to 
       kill all the people who lived in it. That is why we did this.

       (Josh 9:25 NCV)  Now you can decide what to do with us, whatever you 
       think is right."

       (Josh 9:26 NCV)  So Joshua saved their lives by not allowing the 
       Israelites to kill them,





       (Josh 9:27 NCV)  but he made the Gibeonites slaves. They cut wood and 
       carried water for the Israelites, and they did it for the altar of the 
       LORD--wherever he chose it to be. They are still doing this today.

       (Josh 10:1 NCV)  At this time Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard that 
       Joshua had defeated Ai and completely destroyed it, as he had also 
       done to Jericho and its king. The king also learned that the 
       Gibeonites had made a peace agreement with Israel and that they lived 
       nearby.

       (Josh 10:2 NCV)  Adoni-Zedek and his people were very afraid because 
       of this. Gibeon was not a little town like Ai; it was a large city, as 
       big as a city that had a king, and all its men were good fighters.

       (Josh 10:3 NCV)  So Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent a message to 
       Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, 
       and Debir king of Eglon. He begged them,

       (Josh 10:4 NCV)  "Come with me and help me attack Gibeon, which has 
       made a peace agreement with Joshua and the Israelites."

       (Josh 10:5 NCV)  Then these five Amorite kings--the kings of 
       Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon--gathered their armies, 
       went to Gibeon, surrounded it, and attacked it.

       (Josh 10:6 NCV)  The Gibeonites sent this message to Joshua in his 
       camp at Gilgal: "Don't let us, your servants, be destroyed. Come 
       quickly and help us! Save us! All the Amorite kings from the mountains 
       have joined their armies and are fighting against us."

       (Josh 10:7 NCV)  So Joshua marched out of Gilgal with his whole army, 
       including his best fighting men.

       (Josh 10:8 NCV)  The LORD said to Joshua, "Don't be afraid of those 
       armies, because I will hand them over to you. None of them will be 
       able to stand against you."

       (Josh 10:9 NCV)  Joshua and his army marched all night from Gilgal for 
       a surprise attack.

       (Josh 10:10 NCV)  The LORD confused those armies when Israel attacked, 
       so Israel defeated them in a great victory at Gibeon. They chased them 
       along the road going up to Beth Horon and killed men all the way to 
       Azekah and Makkedah.

       (Josh 10:11 NCV)  As they chased the enemy down the Beth Horon Pass to 
       Azekah, the LORD threw large hailstones on them from the sky and 
       killed them. More people were killed by the hailstones than by the 
       Israelites' swords.

       (Josh 10:12 NCV)  On the day that the LORD gave up the Amorites to the 
       Israelites, Joshua stood before all the people of Israel and said to 
       the LORD: "Sun, stand still over Gibeon. Moon, stand still over the 
       Valley of Aijalon."

       (Josh 10:13 NCV)  So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped until 





       the people defeated their enemies. These words are written in the Book 
       of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and waited to go 
       down for a full day.

       (Josh 10:14 NCV)  That has never happened at any time before that day 
       or since. That was the day the LORD listened to a human being. Truly 
       the LORD was fighting for Israel!

       (Josh 10:15 NCV)  After this, Joshua and his army went back to the 
       camp at Gilgal.

       (Josh 10:16 NCV)  During the fight the five kings ran away and hid in 
       a cave near Makkedah,

       (Josh 10:17 NCV)  but someone found them hiding in the cave at 
       Makkedah and told Joshua.

       (Josh 10:18 NCV)  So he said, "Cover the opening of the cave with 
       large rocks. Put some men there to guard it,

       (Josh 10:19 NCV)  but don't stay there yourselves. Continue chasing 
       the enemy and attacking them from behind. Don't let them get to their 
       cities, because the LORD your God will hand them over to you."

       (Josh 10:20 NCV)  So Joshua and the Israelites killed the enemy, but a 
       few were able to get back to their strong, walled cities.

       (Josh 10:21 NCV)  After the fighting, Joshua's men came back safely to 
       him at Makkedah. No one was brave enough to say a word against the 
       Israelites.

       (Josh 10:22 NCV)  Joshua said, "Move the rocks that are covering the 
       opening of the cave and bring those five kings out to me."

       (Josh 10:23 NCV)  So Joshua's men brought the five kings out of the 
       cave--the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon.

       (Josh 10:24 NCV)  When they brought the five kings out to Joshua, he 
       called for all his men. He said to the commanders of his army, "Come 
       here! Put your feet on the necks of these kings." So they came close 
       and put their feet on their necks.

       (Josh 10:25 NCV)  Joshua said to his men, "Be strong and brave! Don't 
       be afraid, because I will show you what the LORD will do to the 
       enemies you will fight in the future."

       (Josh 10:26 NCV)  Then Joshua killed the five kings and hung their 
       bodies on five trees, where he left them until evening.

       (Josh 10:27 NCV)  At sunset Joshua told his men to take the bodies 
       down from the trees. Then they threw them into the same cave where 
       they had been hiding and covered the opening of the cave with large 
       rocks, which are still there today.

       (Josh 10:28 NCV)  That day Joshua defeated Makkedah. He killed the 
       king and completely destroyed all the people in that city as an 





       offering to the LORD; no one was left alive. He did the same thing to 
       the king of Makkedah that he had done to the king of Jericho.

       (Josh 10:29 NCV)  Joshua and all the Israelites traveled from Makkedah 
       to Libnah and attacked it.

       (Josh 10:30 NCV)  The LORD handed over the city and its king. They 
       killed every person in the city; no one was left alive. And they did 
       the same thing to that king that they had done to the king of Jericho.

       (Josh 10:31 NCV)  Then Joshua and all the Israelites left Libnah and 
       went to Lachish, which they surrounded and attacked.

       (Josh 10:32 NCV)  The LORD handed over Lachish on the second day. The 
       Israelites killed everyone in that city just as they had done to 
       Libnah.

       (Josh 10:33 NCV)  During this same time Horam king of Gezer came to 
       help Lachish, but Joshua also defeated him and his army; no one was 
       left alive.

       (Josh 10:34 NCV)  Then Joshua and all the Israelites went from Lachish 
       to Eglon. They surrounded Eglon, attacked it, and

       (Josh 10:35 NCV)  captured it the same day. They killed all its people 
       and completely destroyed everything in it as an offering to the LORD, 
       just as they had done to Lachish.

       (Josh 10:36 NCV)  Then Joshua and the Israelites went from Eglon to 
       Hebron and attacked it,

       (Josh 10:37 NCV)  capturing it and all the little towns near it. The 
       Israelites killed everyone in Hebron; no one was left alive there. 
       Just as they had done to Eglon, they completely destroyed the city and 
       all its people as an offering to the LORD.

       (Josh 10:38 NCV)  Then Joshua and the Israelites went back to Debir 
       and attacked it.

       (Josh 10:39 NCV)  They captured that city, its king, and all the 
       little towns near it, completely destroying everyone in Debir as an 
       offering to the LORD; no one was left alive there. Israel did to Debir 
       and its king just as they had done to Libnah and its king, just as 
       they had done to Hebron.

       (Josh 10:40 NCV)  So Joshua defeated all the kings of the cities of 
       these areas: the mountains, southern Canaan, the western hills, and 
       the slopes. The LORD, the God of Israel, had told Joshua to completely 
       destroy all the people as an offering to the LORD, so he left no one 
       alive in those places.

       (Josh 10:41 NCV)  Joshua captured all the cities from Kadesh Barnea to 
       Gaza, and from Goshen to Gibeon.

       (Josh 10:42 NCV)  He captured all these cities and their kings on one 
       trip, because the LORD, the God of Israel, was fighting for Israel.






       (Josh 10:43 NCV)  Then Joshua and all the Israelites returned to their 
       camp at Gilgal.

       (Josh 11:1 NCV)  When Jabin king of Hazor heard about all that had 
       happened, he sent messages to Jobab king of Madon, to the king of 
       Shimron, and to the king of Acshaph.

       (Josh 11:2 NCV)  He sent messages to the kings in the northern 
       mountains and also to the kings in the Jordan Valley south of Lake 
       Galilee and in the western hills. He sent a message to the king of 
       Naphoth Dor in the west

       (Josh 11:3 NCV)  and to the kings of the Canaanites in the east and in 
       the west. He sent messages to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, and 
       Jebusites in the mountains. Jabin also sent one to the Hivites, who 
       lived below Mount Hermon in the area of Mizpah.

       (Josh 11:4 NCV)  So the armies of all these kings came together with 
       their horses and chariots. There were as many soldiers as grains of 
       sand on the seashore.

       (Josh 11:5 NCV)  All of these kings met together at the waters of 
       Merom, joined their armies together into one camp, and made plans to 
       fight against the Israelites.

       (Josh 11:6 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Don't be afraid of 
       them, because at this time tomorrow I will give them to you. You will 
       cripple their horses and burn all their chariots."

       (Josh 11:7 NCV)  So Joshua and his whole army surprised the enemy by 
       attacking them at the waters of Merom.

       (Josh 11:8 NCV)  The LORD handed them over to Israel. They chased them 
       to Greater Sidon, Misrephoth Maim, and the Valley of Mizpah in the 
       east. Israel fought until none of the enemy was left alive.

       (Josh 11:9 NCV)  Joshua did what the LORD said to do; he crippled 
       their horses and burned their chariots.

       (Josh 11:10 NCV)  Then Joshua went back and captured the city of Hazor 
       and killed its king. (Hazor had been the leader of all the kingdoms 
       that fought against Israel.)

       (Josh 11:11 NCV)  Israel killed everyone in Hazor, completely 
       destroying them; no one was left alive. Then they burned Hazor itself.

       (Josh 11:12 NCV)  Joshua captured all of these cities, killed all of 
       their kings, and completely destroyed everything in these cities. He 
       did this just as Moses, the servant of the LORD, had commanded.

       (Josh 11:13 NCV)  But the Israelites did not burn any cities that were 
       built on their mounds, except Hazor; only that city was burned by 
       Joshua.

       (Josh 11:14 NCV)  The people of Israel kept for themselves everything 





       they found in the cities, including all the animals. But they killed 
       all the people there; they left no one alive.

       (Josh 11:15 NCV)  Long ago the LORD had commanded his servant Moses to 
       do this, and then Moses had commanded Joshua to do it. Joshua did 
       everything the LORD had commanded Moses.

       (Josh 11:16 NCV)  So Joshua defeated all the people in the land. He 
       had control of the mountains and the area of southern Canaan, all the 
       areas of Goshen, the western hills, and the Jordan Valley. He 
       controlled the mountains of Israel and all the hills near them.

       (Josh 11:17 NCV)  Joshua controlled all the land from Mount Halak near 
       Edom to Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon, below Mount Hermon. Joshua 
       also captured all the kings in the land and killed them.

       (Josh 11:18 NCV)  He fought against them for many years.

       (Josh 11:19 NCV)  The people of only one city in all the land had made 
       a peace agreement with Israel--the Hivites living in Gibeon. All the 
       other cities were defeated in war.

       (Josh 11:20 NCV)  The LORD made those people stubborn so they would 
       fight against Israel and he could completely destroy them without 
       mercy. This is what the LORD had commanded Moses to do.

       (Josh 11:21 NCV)  Now Joshua fought the Anakites who lived in the 
       mountains of Hebron, Debir, Anab, Judah, and Israel, and he completely 
       destroyed them and their towns.

       (Josh 11:22 NCV)  There were no Anakites left living in the land of 
       the Israelites and only a few were left in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod.

       (Josh 11:23 NCV)  Joshua took control of all the land of Israel as the 
       LORD had told Moses to do long ago. He gave the land to Israel, 
       because he had promised it to them. Then Joshua divided the land among 
       the tribes of Israel, and there was peace in the land.

       (Josh 12:1 NCV)  The Israelites took control of the land east of the 
       Jordan River from the Arnon Ravine to Mount Hermon and all the land 
       along the eastern side of the Jordan Valley. These lands belonged to 
       the kings whom the Israelites defeated.

       (Josh 12:2 NCV)  Sihon king of the Amorites lived in the city of 
       Heshbon and ruled the land from Aroer at the Arnon Ravine to the 
       Jabbok River. His land started in the middle of the ravine, which was 
       their border with the Ammonites. Sihon ruled over half the land of 
       Gilead

       (Josh 12:3 NCV)  and over the eastern side of the Jordan Valley from 
       Lake Galilee to the Dead Sea. And he ruled from Beth Jeshimoth south 
       to the slopes of Pisgah.

       (Josh 12:4 NCV)  Og king of Bashan was one of the last of the 
       Rephaites. He ruled the land in Ashtaroth and Edrei.





       (Josh 12:5 NCV)  He ruled over Mount Hermon, Salecah, and all the area 
       of Bashan up to where the people of Geshur and Maacah lived. Og also 
       ruled half the land of Gilead up to the border of Sihon king of 
       Heshbon.

       (Josh 12:6 NCV)  The Lord's servant Moses and the Israelites defeated 
       all these kings, and Moses gave that land to the tribes of Reuben and 
       Gad and to East Manasseh as their own.

       (Josh 12:7 NCV)  Joshua and the Israelites also defeated kings in the 
       land west of the Jordan River. He gave the people the land and divided 
       it among the twelve tribes to be their own. It was between Baal Gad in 
       the Valley of Lebanon and Mount Halak near Edom.

       (Josh 12:8 NCV)  This included the mountains, the western hills, the 
       Jordan Valley, the slopes, the desert, and southern Canaan. This was 
       the land where the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, 
       Hivites, and Jebusites had lived. The Israelites defeated the king of 
       each of the following cities:

       (Josh 12:9 NCV)  Jericho, Ai (near Bethel),

       (Josh 12:10 NCV)  Jerusalem, Hebron,

       (Josh 12:11 NCV)  Jarmuth, Lachish,

       (Josh 12:12 NCV)  Eglon, Gezer,

       (Josh 12:13 NCV)  Debir, Geder,

       (Josh 12:14 NCV)  Hormah, Arad,

       (Josh 12:15 NCV)  Libnah, Adullam,

       (Josh 12:16 NCV)  Makkedah, Bethel,

       (Josh 12:17 NCV)  Tappuah, Hepher,

       (Josh 12:18 NCV)  Aphek, Lasharon,

       (Josh 12:19 NCV)  Madon, Hazor,

       (Josh 12:20 NCV)  Shimron Meron, Acshaph,

       (Josh 12:21 NCV)  Taanach, Megiddo,

       (Josh 12:22 NCV)  Kedesh, Jokneam in Carmel,

       (Josh 12:23 NCV)  Dor (in Naphoth Dor), Goyim in Gilgal, and

       (Josh 12:24 NCV)  Tirzah. The total number of kings was thirty-one.

       (Josh 13:1 NCV)  When Joshua was very old, the LORD said to him, 
       "Joshua, you have grown old, but there is still much land for you to 
       take.





       (Josh 13:2 NCV)  This is what is left: the regions of Geshur and of 
       the Philistines;

       (Josh 13:3 NCV)  the area from the Shihor River at the border of Egypt 
       to Ekron in the north, which belongs to the Canaanites; the five 
       Philistine leaders at Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron; the 
       Avvites,

       (Josh 13:4 NCV)  who live south of the Canaanite land;

       (Josh 13:5 NCV)  the Gebalites, and the area of Lebanon east of Baal 
       Gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo Hamath.

       (Josh 13:6 NCV)  "The Sidonians are living in the hill country from 
       Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim, but I will force all of them out ahead of 
       the Israelites. Be sure to remember this land when you divide the land 
       among the Israelites, as I told you.

       (Josh 13:7 NCV)  "Now divide the land among the nine tribes and West 
       Manasseh."

       (Josh 13:8 NCV)  East Manasseh and the tribes of Reuben and Gad had 
       received their land. The Lord's servant Moses had given them the land 
       east of the Jordan River.

       (Josh 13:9 NCV)  Their land started at Aroer at the Arnon Ravine and 
       continued to the town in the middle of the ravine, and it included the 
       whole plain from Medeba to Dibon.

       (Josh 13:10 NCV)  All the towns ruled by Sihon king of the Amorites, 
       who ruled in the city of Heshbon, were in that land. The land 
       continued to the area where the Ammonites lived.

       (Josh 13:11 NCV)  Gilead was also there, as well as the area where the 
       people of Geshur and Maacah lived, and all of Mount Hermon and Bashan 
       as far as Salecah.

       (Josh 13:12 NCV)  All the kingdom of Og king of Bashan was in the 
       land. Og was one of the last of the Rephaites, and in the past he 
       ruled in Ashtaroth and Edrei. Moses had defeated them and had taken 
       their land.

       (Josh 13:13 NCV)  Because the Israelites did not force out the people 
       of Geshur and Maacah, they still live among the Israelites today.

       (Josh 13:14 NCV)  The tribe of Levi was the only one that did not get 
       any land. Instead, they were given all the burned sacrifices made to 
       the LORD, the God of Israel, as he had promised them.

       (Josh 13:15 NCV)  Moses had given each family group from the tribe of 
       Reuben some land:

       (Josh 13:16 NCV)  Theirs was the land from Aroer near the Arnon Ravine 
       to the town of Medeba, including the whole plain and the town in the 
       middle of the ravine;





       (Josh 13:17 NCV)  Heshbon and all the towns on the plain: Dibon, 
       Bamoth Baal, and Beth Baal Meon,

       (Josh 13:18 NCV)  Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath,

       (Josh 13:19 NCV)  Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth Shahar on the hill in the 
       valley,

       (Josh 13:20 NCV)  Beth Peor, the hills of Pisgah, and Beth Jeshimoth.

       (Josh 13:21 NCV)  So that land included all the towns on the plain and 
       all the area that Sihon king of the Amorites had ruled from the town 
       of Heshbon. Moses had defeated him along with the leaders of the 
       Midianites, including Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba. All these 
       leaders fought together with Sihon and lived in that country.

       (Josh 13:22 NCV)  The Israelites killed many people during the 
       fighting, including Balaam of Beor, who tried to use magic to tell the 
       future.

       (Josh 13:23 NCV)  The land given to Reuben stopped at the shore of the 
       Jordan River. So the land given to the family groups of Reuben 
       included all these towns and their villages that were listed.

       (Josh 13:24 NCV)  This is the land Moses gave to the tribe of Gad, to 
       all its family groups:

       (Josh 13:25 NCV)  the land of Jazar and all the towns of Gilead; half 
       the land of the Ammonites that went as far as Aroer near Rabbah;

       (Josh 13:26 NCV)  the area from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim; 
       the area from Mahanaim to the land of Debir;

       (Josh 13:27 NCV)  in the valley, Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Succoth, and 
       Zaphon, the other land Sihon king of Heshbon had ruled east of the 
       Jordan River and continuing to the end of Lake Galilee.

       (Josh 13:28 NCV)  All this land went to the family groups of Gad, 
       including all these towns and their villages.

       (Josh 13:29 NCV)  This is the land Moses had given to East Manasseh. 
       Half of all the family groups in the tribe of Manasseh were given this 
       land:

       (Josh 13:30 NCV)  The land started at Mahanaim and included all of 
       Bashan and the land ruled by Og king of Bashan; all the towns of Jair 
       in Bashan, sixty cities in all;

       (Josh 13:31 NCV)  half of Gilead, Ashtaroth, and Edrei, the cities 
       where Og king of Bashan had ruled. All this went to the family of 
       Makir son of Manasseh, and half of all his sons were given this land.

       (Josh 13:32 NCV)  Moses had given this land to these tribes on the 
       plains of Moab across the Jordan River east of Jericho.

       (Josh 13:33 NCV)  But Moses had given no land to the tribe of Levi 





       because the LORD, the God of Israel, promised that he himself would be 
       the gift for the Levites.

       (Josh 14:1 NCV)  Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the 
       leaders of all the tribes of Israel decided what land to give to the 
       people in the land of Canaan.

       (Josh 14:2 NCV)  The LORD had commanded Moses long ago how he wanted 
       the people to choose their land. The people of the nine-and-a-half 
       tribes threw lots to decide which land they would receive.

       (Josh 14:3 NCV)  Moses had already given the two-and-a-half tribes 
       their land east of the Jordan River. But the tribe of Levi was not 
       given any land like the others.

       (Josh 14:4 NCV)  The sons of Joseph had divided into two 
       tribes--Manasseh and Ephraim. The tribe of Levi was not given any 
       land. It was given only some towns in which to live and pastures for 
       its animals.

       (Josh 14:5 NCV)  The LORD had told Moses how to give the land to the 
       tribes of Israel, and the Israelites divided the land.

       (Josh 14:6 NCV)  One day some men from the tribe of Judah went to 
       Joshua at Gilgal. Among them was Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite. 
       He said to Joshua, "You remember what the LORD said at Kadesh Barnea 
       when he was speaking to the prophet Moses about you and me.

       (Josh 14:7 NCV)  Moses, the Lord's servant, sent me to look at the 
       land where we were going. I was forty years old then. When I came 
       back, I told Moses what I thought about the land.

       (Josh 14:8 NCV)  The other men who went with me frightened the people, 
       but I fully believed the LORD would allow us to take the land.

       (Josh 14:9 NCV)  So that day Moses promised me, 'The land where you 
       went will become your land, and your children will own it forever. I 
       will give you that land because you fully believed in the LORD, my 
       God.'

       (Josh 14:10 NCV)  "Now then, the LORD has kept his promise. He has 
       kept me alive for forty-five years from the time he said this to Moses 
       during the time we all wandered in the desert. Now here I am, 
       eighty-five years old.

       (Josh 14:11 NCV)  I am still as strong today as I was the day Moses 
       sent me out, and I am just as ready to fight now as I was then.

       (Josh 14:12 NCV)  So give me the mountain country the LORD promised me 
       that day long ago. Back then you heard that the Anakite people lived 
       there and the cities were large and well protected. But now with the 
       LORD helping me, I will force them out, just as the LORD said."

       (Josh 14:13 NCV)  Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him 
       the city of Hebron as his own.





       (Josh 14:14 NCV)  Hebron still belongs to the family of Caleb son of 
       Jephunneh the Kenizzite because he had faith and obeyed the LORD, the 
       God of Israel.

       (Josh 14:15 NCV)  (In the past it was called Kiriath Arba, named for 
       Arba, the greatest man among the Anakites.) After this there was peace 
       in the land.

       (Josh 15:1 NCV)  The land that was given to the tribe of Judah was 
       divided among all the family groups. It went all the way to the Desert 
       of Zin in the far south, at the border of Edom.

       (Josh 15:2 NCV)  The southern border of Judah's land started at the 
       south end of the Dead Sea

       (Josh 15:3 NCV)  and went south of Scorpion Pass to Zin. From there it 
       passed to the south of Kadesh Barnea and continued past Hezron to 
       Addar. From Addar it turned and went to Karka.

       (Josh 15:4 NCV)  It continued to Azmon, the brook of Egypt, and then 
       to the Mediterranean Sea. This was the southern border.

       (Josh 15:5 NCV)  The eastern border was the shore of the Dead Sea, as 
       far as the mouth of the Jordan River. The northern border started at 
       the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan River.

       (Josh 15:6 NCV)  Then it went to Beth Hoglah and continued north of 
       Beth Arabah to the stone of Bohan son of Reuben.

       (Josh 15:7 NCV)  Then the northern border went through the Valley of 
       Achor to Debir where it turned toward the north and went to Gilgal. 
       Gilgal is across from the road that goes through Adummim Pass, on the 
       south side of the ravine. The border continued to the waters of En 
       Shemesh and stopped at En Rogel.

       (Josh 15:8 NCV)  Then it went through the Valley of Ben Hinnom, next 
       to the southern side of the Jebusite city (which is called Jerusalem). 
       There the border went to the top of the hill on the west side of 
       Hinnom Valley, at the northern end of the Valley of Giants.

       (Josh 15:9 NCV)  From there it went to the spring of the waters of 
       Nephtoah and then it went to the cities near Mount Ephron. There it 
       turned and went toward Baalah, which is called Kiriath Jearim.

       (Josh 15:10 NCV)  At Baalah the border turned west and went toward 
       Mount Seir. It continued along the north side of Mount Jearim (also 
       called Kesalon) and came to Beth Shemesh. From there it went past 
       Timnah

       (Josh 15:11 NCV)  to the hill north of Ekron. Then it turned toward 
       Shikkeron and went past Mount Baalah and continued on to Jabneel, 
       ending at the sea.

       (Josh 15:12 NCV)  The Mediterranean Sea was the western border. Inside 
       these borders lived the family groups of Judah.





       (Josh 15:13 NCV)  The LORD had commanded Joshua to give Caleb son of 
       Jephunneh part of the land in Judah, so he gave Caleb the town of 
       Kiriath Arba, also called Hebron. (Arba was the father of Anak.)

       (Josh 15:14 NCV)  Caleb forced out the three Anakite families living 
       in Hebron: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak.

       (Josh 15:15 NCV)  Then he left there and went to fight against the 
       people living in Debir. (In the past Debir had been called Kiriath 
       Sepher.)

       (Josh 15:16 NCV)  Caleb said, "I will give Acsah, my daughter, as a 
       wife to the man who attacks and captures the city of Kiriath Sepher."

       (Josh 15:17 NCV)  Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's brother, captured the 
       city, so Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to Othniel to be his wife.

       (Josh 15:18 NCV)  When Acsah came to Othniel, she told him to ask her 
       father for a field. So Acsah went to her father. When she got down 
       from her donkey, Caleb asked her, "What do you want?"

       (Josh 15:19 NCV)  Acsah answered, "Do me a special favor. Since you 
       have given me land in southern Canaan, also give me springs of water." 
       So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.

       (Josh 15:20 NCV)  The tribe of Judah got the land God had promised 
       them. Each family group got part of the land.

       (Josh 15:21 NCV)  The tribe of Judah got all these towns in the 
       southern part of Canaan near the border of Edom: Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur,

       (Josh 15:22 NCV)  Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah,

       (Josh 15:23 NCV)  Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan,

       (Josh 15:24 NCV)  Ziph, Telem, Bealoth,

       (Josh 15:25 NCV)  Hazor Hadattah, Kerioth Hezron (also called Hazor),

       (Josh 15:26 NCV)  Amam, Shema, Moladah,

       (Josh 15:27 NCV)  Hazar Gaddah, Heshmon, Beth Pelet,

       (Josh 15:28 NCV)  Hazar Shual, Beersheba, Biziothiah,

       (Josh 15:29 NCV)  Baalah, Iim, Ezem,

       (Josh 15:30 NCV)  Eltolad, Kesil, Hormah,

       (Josh 15:31 NCV)  Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah,

       (Josh 15:32 NCV)  Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon. There were 
       twenty-nine towns and their villages.

       (Josh 15:33 NCV)  The tribe of Judah got these towns in the western 
       hills: Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah,






       (Josh 15:34 NCV)  Zanoah, En Gannim, Tappuah, Enam,

       (Josh 15:35 NCV)  Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah,

       (Josh 15:36 NCV)  Shaaraim, Adithaim, and Gederah (also called 
       Gederothaim). There were fourteen towns and their villages.

       (Josh 15:37 NCV)  Judah was also given these towns in the western 
       hills: Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal Gad,

       (Josh 15:38 NCV)  Dilean, Mizpah, Joktheel,

       (Josh 15:39 NCV)  Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon,

       (Josh 15:40 NCV)  Cabbon, Lahmas, Kitlish,

       (Josh 15:41 NCV)  Gederoth, Beth Dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah. There 
       were sixteen towns and their villages.

       (Josh 15:42 NCV)  Judah was also given these towns in the western 
       hills: Libnah, Ether, Ashan,

       (Josh 15:43 NCV)  Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib,

       (Josh 15:44 NCV)  Keilah, Aczib, and Mareshah. There were nine towns 
       and their villages.

       (Josh 15:45 NCV)  The tribe of Judah was also given these towns: Ekron 
       and all the small towns and villages near it;

       (Josh 15:46 NCV)  the area west of Ekron and all the villages and 
       small towns near Ashdod;

       (Josh 15:47 NCV)  Ashdod and the small towns and villages around it; 
       the villages and small towns around Gaza as far as the brook of Egypt 
       and along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.

       (Josh 15:48 NCV)  The tribe of Judah was also given these towns in the 
       mountains: Shamir, Jattir, Socoh,

       (Josh 15:49 NCV)  Dannah, Kiriath Sannah (also called Debir),

       (Josh 15:50 NCV)  Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim,

       (Josh 15:51 NCV)  Goshen, Holon, and Giloh. There were eleven towns 
       and their villages.

       (Josh 15:52 NCV)  They were also given these towns in the mountains: 
       Arab, Dumah, Eshan,

       (Josh 15:53 NCV)  Janim, Beth Tappuah, Aphekah,

       (Josh 15:54 NCV)  Humtah, Kiriath Arba (also called Hebron), and Zior. 
       There were nine towns and their villages.





       (Josh 15:55 NCV)  Judah was also given these towns in the mountains: 
       Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah,

       (Josh 15:56 NCV)  Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah,

       (Josh 15:57 NCV)  Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah. There were ten towns and 
       their villages.

       (Josh 15:58 NCV)  They were also given these towns in the mountains: 
       Halhul, Beth Zur, Gedor,

       (Josh 15:59 NCV)  Maarath, Beth Anoth, and Eltekon. There were six 
       towns and their villages.

       (Josh 15:60 NCV)  The people of Judah were also given the two towns of 
       Rabbah and Kiriath Baal (also called Kiriath Jearim) and their 
       villages.

       (Josh 15:61 NCV)  Judah was given these towns in the desert: Beth 
       Arabah, Middin, Secacah,

       (Josh 15:62 NCV)  Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En Gedi. There were 
       six towns and all their villages.

       (Josh 15:63 NCV)  The army of Judah was not able to force out the 
       Jebusites living in Jerusalem, so the Jebusites still live among the 
       people of Judah to this day.

       (Josh 16:1 NCV)  This is the land the tribe of Joseph received. It 
       started at the Jordan River near Jericho and continued to the waters 
       of Jericho, just east of the city. The border went up from Jericho to 
       the mountains of Bethel.

       (Josh 16:2 NCV)  Then it continued from Bethel (also called Luz) to 
       the Arkite border at Ataroth.

       (Josh 16:3 NCV)  From there it went west to the border of the 
       Japhletites and continued to the area of the Lower Beth Horon. Then it 
       went to Gezer and ended at the sea.

       (Josh 16:4 NCV)  So Manasseh and Ephraim, sons of Joseph, received 
       their land.

       (Josh 16:5 NCV)  This is the land that was given to the family groups 
       of Ephraim: Their border started at Ataroth Addar in the east, went to 
       Upper Beth Horon,

       (Josh 16:6 NCV)  and then to the sea. From Micmethath it turned 
       eastward toward Taanath Shiloh and continued eastward to Janoah.

       (Josh 16:7 NCV)  Then it went down from Janoah to Ataroth and to 
       Naarah. It continued until it touched Jericho and stopped at the 
       Jordan River.

       (Josh 16:8 NCV)  The border went from Tappuah west to Kanah Ravine and 
       ended at the sea. This is all the land that was given to each family 





       group in the tribe of the Ephraimites.

       (Josh 16:9 NCV)  Many of the towns were actually within Manasseh's 
       borders, but the people of Ephraim got those towns and their villages.

       (Josh 16:10 NCV)  The Ephraimites could not force the Canaanites to 
       leave Gezer, so the Canaanites still live among the Ephraimites today, 
       but they became slaves of the Ephraimites.

       (Josh 17:1 NCV)  Then land was given to the tribe of Manasseh, 
       Joseph's first son. Manasseh's first son was Makir, the father of 
       Gilead. Makir was a great soldier, so the lands of Gilead and Bashan 
       were given to his family.

       (Josh 17:2 NCV)  Land was also given to the other family groups of 
       Manasseh--Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. These 
       were all the other sons of Manasseh son of Joseph.

       (Josh 17:3 NCV)  Zelophehad was the son of Hepher, who was the son of 
       Gilead, who was the son of Makir, who was the son of Manasseh. 
       Zelophehad had no sons, but he had five daughters, named Mahlah, Noah, 
       Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

       (Josh 17:4 NCV)  They went to Eleazar the priest and to Joshua son of 
       Nun and all the leaders. They said, "The LORD told Moses to give us 
       land like the men received." So Eleazar obeyed the LORD and gave the 
       daughters some land, just like the brothers of their father.

       (Josh 17:5 NCV)  So the tribe of Manasseh had ten sections of land 
       west of the Jordan River and two more sections, Gilead and Bashan, on 
       the east side of the Jordan River.

       (Josh 17:6 NCV)  The daughters of Manasseh received land just as the 
       sons did. Gilead was given to the rest of the families of Manasseh.

       (Josh 17:7 NCV)  The lands of Manasseh were in the area between Asher 
       and Micmethath, near Shechem. The border went south to the En Tappuah 
       area,

       (Josh 17:8 NCV)  which belonged to Manasseh, except for the town of 
       Tappuah. It was along the border of Manasseh's land and belonged to 
       the sons of Ephraim.

       (Josh 17:9 NCV)  The border of Manasseh continued south to Kanah 
       Ravine. The cities in this area of Manasseh belonged to Ephraim. 
       Manasseh's border was on the north side of the ravine and went to the 
       sea.

       (Josh 17:10 NCV)  The land to the south belonged to Ephraim, and the 
       land to the north belonged to Manasseh. The Mediterranean Sea was the 
       western border. The border touched Asher's land on the north and 
       Issachar's land on the east.

       (Josh 17:11 NCV)  In the areas of Issachar and Asher, the people of 
       Manasseh owned these towns: Beth Shan and its small towns; Ibleam and 
       its small towns; the people who lived in Dor and its small towns; the 





       people in Naphoth Dor and its small towns; the people who lived in 
       Taanach and its small towns; the people in Megiddo and its small 
       towns.

       (Josh 17:12 NCV)  Manasseh was not able to defeat those cities, so the 
       Canaanites continued to live there.

       (Josh 17:13 NCV)  When the Israelites grew strong, they forced the 
       Canaanites to work for them, although they did not force them to leave 
       the land.

       (Josh 17:14 NCV)  The people from the tribes of Joseph said to Joshua, 
       "You gave us only one area of land, but we are many people. Why did 
       you give us only one part of all the land the LORD gave his people?"

       (Josh 17:15 NCV)  And Joshua answered them, "If you have too many 
       people, go up to the forest and make a place for yourselves to live 
       there in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaites. The mountain 
       country of Ephraim is too small for you."

       (Josh 17:16 NCV)  The people of Joseph said, "It is true. The mountain 
       country of Ephraim is not enough for us, but the land where the 
       Canaanites live is dangerous. They are skilled fighters. They have 
       powerful weapons in Beth Shan and all the small towns in that area, 
       and they are also in the Valley of Jezreel."

       (Josh 17:17 NCV)  Then Joshua said to the people of Joseph--to Ephraim 
       and Manasseh, "There are many of you, and you have great power. You 
       should be given more than one share of land.

       (Josh 17:18 NCV)  You also will have the mountain country. It is a 
       forest, but you can cut down the trees and make it a good place to 
       live. You will own all of it because you will force the Canaanites to 
       leave the land even though they have powerful weapons and are strong."

       (Josh 18:1 NCV)  All of the Israelites gathered together at Shiloh 
       where they set up the Meeting Tent. The land was now under their 
       control.

       (Josh 18:2 NCV)  But there were still seven tribes of Israel that had 
       not yet received their land.

       (Josh 18:3 NCV)  So Joshua said to the Israelites: "Why do you wait so 
       long to take your land? The LORD, the God of your ancestors, has given 
       this land to you.

       (Josh 18:4 NCV)  Choose three men from each tribe, and I will send 
       them out to study the land. They will describe in writing the land 
       their tribe wants as its share, and then they will come back to me.

       (Josh 18:5 NCV)  They will divide the land into seven parts. The 
       people of Judah will keep their land in the south, and the people of 
       Joseph will keep their land in the north.

       (Josh 18:6 NCV)  You should describe the seven parts of land in 
       writing and bring what you have written to me. Then I will throw lots 





       in the presence of the LORD our God.

       (Josh 18:7 NCV)  But the Levites do not get any part of these lands, 
       because they are priests, and their work is to serve the LORD. Gad, 
       Reuben, and East Manasseh have received the land promised to them, 
       which is east of the Jordan River. Moses, the servant of the LORD, 
       gave it to them."

       (Josh 18:8 NCV)  So the men who were chosen to map the land started 
       out. Joshua told them, "Go and study the land and describe it in 
       writing. Then come back to me, and I will throw lots in the presence 
       of the LORD here in Shiloh."

       (Josh 18:9 NCV)  So the men left and went into the land. They 
       described in a scroll each town in the seven parts of the land. Then 
       they came back to Joshua, who was still at the camp at Shiloh.

       (Josh 18:10 NCV)  There Joshua threw lots in the presence of the LORD 
       to choose the lands that should be given to each tribe.

       (Josh 18:11 NCV)  The first part of the land was given to the tribe of 
       Benjamin. Each family group received some land between the land of 
       Judah and the land of Joseph. This is the land chosen for Benjamin:

       (Josh 18:12 NCV)  The northern border started at the Jordan River and 
       went along the northern edge of Jericho, and then it went west into 
       the mountains. That boundary continued until it was just east of Beth 
       Aven.

       (Josh 18:13 NCV)  From there it went south to Luz (also called Bethel) 
       and then down to Ataroth Addar, which is on the hill south of Lower 
       Beth Horon.

       (Josh 18:14 NCV)  At the hill to the south of Beth Horon, the border 
       turned and went south near the western side of the hill. It went to 
       Kiriath Baal (also called Kiriath Jearim), a town where people of 
       Judah lived. This was the western border.

       (Josh 18:15 NCV)  The southern border started near Kiriath Jearim and 
       went west to the waters of Nephtoah.

       (Josh 18:16 NCV)  Then it went down to the bottom of the hill, which 
       was near the Valley of Ben Hinnom, on the north side of the Valley of 
       Rephaim. The border continued down the Hinnom Valley just south of the 
       Jebusite city to En Rogel.

       (Josh 18:17 NCV)  There it turned north and went to En Shemesh. It 
       continued to Geliloth near the Adummim Pass. Then it went down to the 
       great Stone of Bohan son of Reuben.

       (Josh 18:18 NCV)  The border continued to the northern part of Beth 
       Arabah and went down into the Jordan Valley.

       (Josh 18:19 NCV)  From there it went to the northern part of Beth 
       Hoglah and ended at the north shore of the Dead Sea, where the Jordan 
       River flows into the sea. This was the southern border.






       (Josh 18:20 NCV)  The Jordan River was the border on the eastern side. 
       So this was the land given to the family groups of Benjamin with the 
       borders on all sides.

       (Josh 18:21 NCV)  The family groups of Benjamin received these cities: 
       Jericho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz,

       (Josh 18:22 NCV)  Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel,

       (Josh 18:23 NCV)  Avvim, Parah, Ophrah,

       (Josh 18:24 NCV)  Kephar Ammoni, Ophni, and Geba. There were twelve 
       towns and all their villages.

       (Josh 18:25 NCV)  The tribe of Benjamin also received Gibeon, Ramah, 
       Beeroth,

       (Josh 18:26 NCV)  Mizpah, Kephirah, Mozah,

       (Josh 18:27 NCV)  Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah,

       (Josh 18:28 NCV)  Zelah, Haeleph, the Jebusite city (Jerusalem), 
       Gibeah, and Kiriath. There were fourteen towns and their villages. All 
       these areas are the lands the family groups of Benjamin were given.

       (Josh 19:1 NCV)  The second part of the land was given to the tribe of 
       Simeon. Each family group received some of the land inside the area of 
       Judah.

       (Josh 19:2 NCV)  They received Beersheba (also called Sheba), Moladah,

       (Josh 19:3 NCV)  Hazar Shual, Balah, Ezem,

       (Josh 19:4 NCV)  Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah,

       (Josh 19:5 NCV)  Ziklag, Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susah,

       (Josh 19:6 NCV)  Beth Lebaoth, and Sharuhen. There were thirteen towns 
       and their villages.

       (Josh 19:7 NCV)  They received the towns of Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and 
       Ashan, four towns and their villages.

       (Josh 19:8 NCV)  They also received all the very small areas with 
       people living in them as far as Baalath Beer (this is the same as 
       Ramah in southern Canaan). So these were the lands given to the family 
       groups in the tribe of Simeon.

       (Josh 19:9 NCV)  The land of the Simeonites was taken from part of the 
       land of Judah. Since Judah had much more land than they needed, the 
       Simeonites received part of their land.

       (Josh 19:10 NCV)  The third part of the land was given to the tribe of 
       Zebulun. Each family group of Zebulun received some of the land. The 
       border of Zebulun went as far as Sarid.






       (Josh 19:11 NCV)  Then it went west to Maralah and came near 
       Dabbesheth and then near Jokneam.

       (Josh 19:12 NCV)  Then it turned to the east. It went from Sarid to 
       the area of Kisloth Tabor and on to Daberath and to Japhia.

       (Josh 19:13 NCV)  It continued eastward to Gath Hepher and Eth Kazin, 
       ending at Rimmon. There the border turned and went toward Neah.

       (Josh 19:14 NCV)  At Neah it turned again and went to the north to 
       Hannathon and continued to the Valley of Iphtah El.

       (Josh 19:15 NCV)  Inside this border were the cities of Kattath, 
       Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem. There were twelve towns and 
       their villages.

       (Josh 19:16 NCV)  So these are the towns and the villages that were 
       given to the family groups of Zebulun.

       (Josh 19:17 NCV)  The fourth part of the land was given to the tribe 
       of Issachar. Each family group of Issachar received some of the land.

       (Josh 19:18 NCV)  Their land included Jezreel, Kesulloth, Shunem,

       (Josh 19:19 NCV)  Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath,

       (Josh 19:20 NCV)  Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez,

       (Josh 19:21 NCV)  Remeth, En Gannim, En Haddah, and Beth Pazzez.

       (Josh 19:22 NCV)  The border of their land touched the area called 
       Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth Shemesh and stopped at the Jordan River. 
       There were sixteen towns and their villages.

       (Josh 19:23 NCV)  These cities and towns were part of the land that 
       was given to the family groups of Issachar.

       (Josh 19:24 NCV)  The fifth part of the land was given to the tribe of 
       Asher. Each family group of Asher received some of the land.

       (Josh 19:25 NCV)  Their land included Helkath, Hali, Beten, Acshaph,

       (Josh 19:26 NCV)  Allammelech, Amad, and Mishal. The western border 
       touched Mount Carmel and Shihor Libnath.

       (Josh 19:27 NCV)  Then it turned east and went to Beth Dagon, touching 
       Zebulun and the Valley of Iphtah El. Then it went north of Beth Emek 
       and Neiel and passed north to Cabul.

       (Josh 19:28 NCV)  From there it went to Abdon, Rehob, Hammon, and 
       Kanah and continued to Greater Sidon.

       (Josh 19:29 NCV)  Then the border went back south toward Ramah and 
       continued to the strong, walled city of Tyre. There it turned and went 
       toward Hosah, ending at the sea. This was in the area of Aczib,






       (Josh 19:30 NCV)  Ummah, Aphek, and Rehob. There were twenty-two towns 
       and their villages.

       (Josh 19:31 NCV)  These cities and their villages were part of the 
       land that was given to the family groups of Asher.

       (Josh 19:32 NCV)  The sixth part of the land was given to the tribe of 
       Naphtali. Each family group of Naphtali received some of the land.

       (Josh 19:33 NCV)  The border of their land started at the large tree 
       in Zaanannim, which is near Heleph. Then it went through Adami Nekeb 
       and Jabneel, as far as Lakkum, and ended at the Jordan River.

       (Josh 19:34 NCV)  Then it went to the west through Aznoth Tabor and 
       stopped at Hukkok. It went to the area of Zebulun on the south, Asher 
       on the west, and Judah, at the Jordan River, on the east.

       (Josh 19:35 NCV)  The strong, walled cities inside these borders were 
       called Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Kinnereth,

       (Josh 19:36 NCV)  Adamah, Ramah, Hazor,

       (Josh 19:37 NCV)  Kedesh, Edrei, En Hazor,

       (Josh 19:38 NCV)  Iron, Migdal El, Horem, Beth Anath, and Beth 
       Shemesh. There were nineteen towns and all their villages.

       (Josh 19:39 NCV)  The towns and the villages around them were in the 
       land that was given to the family groups of Naphtali.

       (Josh 19:40 NCV)  The seventh part of the land was given to the tribe 
       of Dan. Each family group of Dan received some of the land.

       (Josh 19:41 NCV)  Their land included Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir Shemesh,

       (Josh 19:42 NCV)  Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah,

       (Josh 19:43 NCV)  Elon, Timnah, Ekron,

       (Josh 19:44 NCV)  Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath,

       (Josh 19:45 NCV)  Jehud, Bene Berak, Gath Rimmon,

       (Josh 19:46 NCV)  Me Jarkon, Rakkon, and the area near Joppa.

       (Josh 19:47 NCV)  (But the Danites had trouble taking their land. They 
       went and fought against Leshem, defeated it, and killed the people who 
       lived there. So the Danites moved into the town of Leshem and changed 
       its name to Dan, because he was the father of their tribe.)

       (Josh 19:48 NCV)  All of these towns and villages were given to the 
       family groups of Dan.

       (Josh 19:49 NCV)  After the leaders finished dividing the land and 
       giving it to the different tribes, the Israelites gave Joshua son of 





       Nun his land also.

       (Josh 19:50 NCV)  They gave Joshua the town he asked for, Timnath 
       Serah in the mountains of Ephraim, just as the LORD commanded. He 
       built up the town and lived there.

       (Josh 19:51 NCV)  So these lands were given to the different tribes of 
       Israel. Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders of each 
       tribe divided up the land by lots at Shiloh. They met in the presence 
       of the LORD at the entrance to the Meeting Tent. Now they were 
       finished dividing the land.

       (Josh 20:1 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Joshua:

       (Josh 20:2 NCV)  "Tell the Israelites to choose the special cities of 
       safety, as I had Moses command you to do.

       (Josh 20:3 NCV)  If a person kills someone accidentally and without 
       meaning to kill him, that person may go to a city of safety to hide. 
       There the killer will be safe from the relative who has the duty of 
       punishing a murderer.

       (Josh 20:4 NCV)  "When the killer runs to one of those cities, he must 
       stop at the entrance gate, stand there, and tell the leaders of the 
       people what happened. Then that person will be allowed to enter the 
       city and will be given a place to live among them.

       (Josh 20:5 NCV)  But if the one who is chasing him follows him to that 
       city, the leaders of the city must not hand over the killer. It was an 
       accident. He did not hate him beforehand or kill him on purpose.

       (Josh 20:6 NCV)  The killer must stay in the city until a court comes 
       to a decision and until the high priest dies. Then he may go back home 
       to the town from which he ran away."

       (Josh 20:7 NCV)  So the Israelites chose these cities to be cities of 
       safety: Kedesh in Galilee in the mountains of Naphtali; Shechem in the 
       mountains of Ephraim; Kiriath Arba (also called Hebron) in the 
       mountains of Judah;

       (Josh 20:8 NCV)  Bezer on the east side of the Jordan River near 
       Jericho in the desert in the land of Reuben; Ramoth in Gilead in the 
       land of Gad; and Golan in Bashan in the land of Manasseh.

       (Josh 20:9 NCV)  Any Israelite or anyone living among them who killed 
       someone accidentally was to be allowed to run to one of these cities 
       of safety. There he would not be killed, before he was judged, by the 
       relative who had the duty of punishing a murderer.

       (Josh 21:1 NCV)  The heads of the Levite families went to talk to 
       Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the heads of the 
       families of all the tribes of Israel.

       (Josh 21:2 NCV)  At Shiloh in the land of Canaan, the heads of the 
       Levite families said to them, "The LORD commanded Moses that you give 
       us towns where we may live and pastures for our animals."






       (Josh 21:3 NCV)  So the Israelites obeyed this command of the LORD and 
       gave the Levite people these towns and pastures for their own land:

       (Josh 21:4 NCV)  The Kohath family groups were part of the tribe of 
       Levi. Some of the Levites in the Kohath family groups were from the 
       family of Aaron the priest. To these Levites were given thirteen towns 
       in the areas of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.

       (Josh 21:5 NCV)  The other family groups of Kohath were given ten 
       towns in the areas of Ephraim, Dan, and West Manasseh.

       (Josh 21:6 NCV)  The people from the Gershon family groups were given 
       thirteen towns in the land of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the East 
       Manasseh in Bashan.

       (Josh 21:7 NCV)  The family groups of Merari were given twelve towns 
       in the areas of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.

       (Josh 21:8 NCV)  So the Israelites gave the Levites these towns and 
       the pastures around them, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

       (Josh 21:9 NCV)  These are the names of the towns that came from the 
       lands of Judah and Simeon.

       (Josh 21:10 NCV)  The first choice of towns was given to the Kohath 
       family groups of the Levites.

       (Josh 21:11 NCV)  They gave them Kiriath Arba, also called Hebron, and 
       all its pastures in the mountains of Judah. (Arba was the father of 
       Anak.)

       (Josh 21:12 NCV)  But the fields and the villages around Kiriath Arba 
       had been given to Caleb son of Jephunneh.

       (Josh 21:13 NCV)  So they gave the city of Hebron to the descendants 
       of Aaron (Hebron was a city of safety). They also gave them the towns 
       of Libnah,

       (Josh 21:14 NCV)  Jattir, Eshtemoa,

       (Josh 21:15 NCV)  Holon, Debir,

       (Josh 21:16 NCV)  Ain, Juttah, and Beth Shemesh, and all the pastures 
       around them. Nine towns were given from these two tribes.

       (Josh 21:17 NCV)  They also gave the people of Aaron these cities that 
       belonged to the tribe of Benjamin: Gibeon, Geba,

       (Josh 21:18 NCV)  Anathoth, and Almon. They gave them these four towns 
       and the pastures around them.

       (Josh 21:19 NCV)  So these thirteen towns with their pastures were 
       given to the priests, who were from the family of Aaron.

       (Josh 21:20 NCV)  The other Kohathite family groups of the Levites 





       were given these towns from the tribe of Ephraim:

       (Josh 21:21 NCV)  Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim (which was a 
       city of safety), Gezer,

       (Josh 21:22 NCV)  Kibzaim, and Beth Horon. There were four towns and 
       their pastures.

       (Josh 21:23 NCV)  The tribe of Dan gave them Eltekeh, Gibbethon,

       (Josh 21:24 NCV)  Aijalon, and Gath Rimmon. There were four towns and 
       their pastures.

       (Josh 21:25 NCV)  West Manasseh gave them Taanach and Gath Rimmon and 
       the pastures around these two towns.

       (Josh 21:26 NCV)  So these ten towns and the pastures around them were 
       given to the rest of the Kohathite family groups.

       (Josh 21:27 NCV)  The Gershonite family groups of the Levite tribe 
       were given these towns: East Manasseh gave them Golan in Bashan, which 
       was a city of safety, and Be Eshtarah, and the pastures around these 
       two towns.

       (Josh 21:28 NCV)  The tribe of Issachar gave them Kishion, Daberath,

       (Josh 21:29 NCV)  Jarmuth, and En Gannim, and the pastures around 
       these four towns.

       (Josh 21:30 NCV)  The tribe of Asher gave them Mishal, Abdon,

       (Josh 21:31 NCV)  Helkath, and Rehob, and the pastures around these 
       four towns.

       (Josh 21:32 NCV)  The tribe of Naphtali gave them Kedesh in Galilee (a 
       city of safety), Hammoth Dor, and Kartan, and the pastures around 
       these three towns.

       (Josh 21:33 NCV)  So the Gershonite family groups received thirteen 
       towns and the pastures around them.

       (Josh 21:34 NCV)  The Merarite family groups (the rest of the Levites) 
       were given these towns: The tribe of Zebulun gave them Jokneam, 
       Kartah,

       (Josh 21:35 NCV)  Dimnah, and Nahalal, and the pastures around these 
       four towns.

       (Josh 21:36 NCV)  The tribe of Reuben gave them Bezer, Jahaz,

       (Josh 21:37 NCV)  Kedemoth, and Mephaath, along with the pastures 
       around these four towns.

       (Josh 21:38 NCV)  The tribe of Gad gave them Ramoth in Gilead (a city 
       of safety), Mahanaim,





       (Josh 21:39 NCV)  Heshbon, and Jazer, and the pastures around these 
       four towns.

       (Josh 21:40 NCV)  So the total number of towns given to the Merarite 
       family groups was twelve.

       (Josh 21:41 NCV)  A total of forty-eight towns with their pastures in 
       the land of Israel were given to the Levites.

       (Josh 21:42 NCV)  Each town had pastures around it.

       (Josh 21:43 NCV)  So the LORD gave the people all the land he had 
       promised their ancestors. The people took the land and lived there.

       (Josh 21:44 NCV)  The LORD gave them peace on all sides, as he had 
       promised their ancestors. None of their enemies defeated them; the 
       LORD handed all their enemies over to them.

       (Josh 21:45 NCV)  He kept every promise he had made to the Israelites; 
       each one came true.

       (Josh 22:1 NCV)  Then Joshua called a meeting of all the people from 
       the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh.

       (Josh 22:2 NCV)  He said to them, "You have done everything Moses, the 
       Lord's servant, told you to do. You have also obeyed all my commands.

       (Josh 22:3 NCV)  For a long time you have supported the other 
       Israelites. You have been careful to obey the commands the LORD your 
       God gave you.

       (Josh 22:4 NCV)  The LORD your God promised to give the Israelites 
       peace, and he has kept his promise. Now you may go back to your homes, 
       to the land that Moses, the Lord's servant, gave you, on the east side 
       of the Jordan River.

       (Josh 22:5 NCV)  But be careful to obey the teachings and laws Moses, 
       the Lord's servant, gave you: to love the LORD your God and obey his 
       commands, to continue to follow him and serve him the very best you 
       can."

       (Josh 22:6 NCV)  Then Joshua said good-bye to them, and they left and 
       went away to their homes.

       (Josh 22:7 NCV)  Moses had given the land of Bashan to East Manasseh. 
       Joshua gave land on the west side of the Jordan River to West 
       Manasseh. And he sent them to their homes and he blessed them.

       (Josh 22:8 NCV)  He said, "Go back to your homes and your riches. You 
       have many animals, silver, gold, bronze, and iron, and many beautiful 
       clothes. Also, you have taken many things from your enemies that you 
       should divide among yourselves."

       (Josh 22:9 NCV)  So the people from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and 
       East Manasseh left the other Israelites at Shiloh in Canaan and went 
       back to Gilead. It was their own land, given to them by Moses as the 





       LORD had commanded.

       (Josh 22:10 NCV)  The people of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh went to 
       Geliloth, near the Jordan River in the land of Canaan. There they 
       built a beautiful altar.

       (Josh 22:11 NCV)  The other Israelites still at Shiloh heard about the 
       altar these three tribes built at the border of Canaan at Geliloth, 
       near the Jordan River on Israel's side.

       (Josh 22:12 NCV)  All the Israelites became very angry at these three 
       tribes, so they met together and decided to fight them.

       (Josh 22:13 NCV)  The Israelites sent Phinehas son of Eleazar the 
       priest to Gilead to talk to the people of Reuben, Gad, and East 
       Manasseh.

       (Josh 22:14 NCV)  They also sent one leader from each of the ten 
       tribes at Shiloh. Each of them was a leader of his family group of 
       Israelites.

       (Josh 22:15 NCV)  These leaders went to Gilead to talk to the people 
       of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh. They said:

       (Josh 22:16 NCV)  "All the Israelites ask you: 'Why did you turn 
       against the God of Israel by building an altar for yourselves? You 
       know that this is against God's law.

       (Josh 22:17 NCV)  Remember what happened at Peor? We still suffer 
       today because of that sin, for which God made many Israelites very 
       sick.

       (Josh 22:18 NCV)  And now are you turning against the LORD and 
       refusing to follow him? "'If you don't stop what you're doing today, 
       the LORD will be angry with everyone in Israel tomorrow.

       (Josh 22:19 NCV)  If your land is unclean, come over into our land 
       where the Lord's Tent is. Share it with us. But don't turn against the 
       LORD and us by building another altar for the LORD our God.

       (Josh 22:20 NCV)  Remember how Achan son of Zerah refused to obey the 
       command about what must be completely destroyed. That one man broke 
       God's law, but all the Israelites were punished. Achan died because of 
       his sin, but others also died.'"

       (Josh 22:21 NCV)  The people from Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh 
       answered,

       (Josh 22:22 NCV)  "The LORD is God of gods! The LORD is God of gods! 
       God knows, and we want you to know also. If we have done something 
       wrong, you may kill us.

       (Josh 22:23 NCV)  If we broke God's law, we ask the LORD himself to 
       punish us. We did not build this altar to offer burnt offerings or 
       grain and fellowship offerings.





       (Josh 22:24 NCV)  "We did not build it for that reason. We feared that 
       some day your people would not accept us as part of your nation. Then 
       they might say, 'You cannot worship the LORD, the God of Israel.

       (Josh 22:25 NCV)  The LORD made the Jordan River a border between us 
       and you people of Reuben and Gad. You cannot worship the LORD.' So we 
       feared that your children might make our children stop worshiping the 
       LORD.

       (Josh 22:26 NCV)  "That is why we decided to build this altar. But it 
       is not for burnt offerings and sacrifices.

       (Josh 22:27 NCV)  This altar is proof to you and us and to all our 
       children who will come after us that we worship the LORD with our 
       whole burnt offerings, grain, and fellowship offerings. This was so 
       your children would not say to our children, 'You are not the Lord's.'

       (Josh 22:28 NCV)  "In the future if your children say that, our 
       children can say, 'See the altar made by our ancestors. It is exactly 
       like the Lord's altar, but we do not use it for sacrifices. It shows 
       that we are part of Israel.'

       (Josh 22:29 NCV)  "Truly, we don't want to be against the LORD or to 
       stop following him by building an altar for burnt offerings, grain 
       offerings, or sacrifices. We know the only true altar to the LORD our 
       God is in front of the Holy Tent."

       (Josh 22:30 NCV)  When Phinehas the priest and the ten leaders heard 
       the people of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh, they were pleased.

       (Josh 22:31 NCV)  So Phinehas, son of Eleazar the priest, said, "Now 
       we know the LORD is with us and that you didn't turn against him. Now 
       the Israelites will not be punished by the LORD."

       (Josh 22:32 NCV)  Then Phinehas and the leaders left the people of 
       Reuben and Gad in Gilead and went back to Canaan where they told the 
       Israelites what had happened.

       (Josh 22:33 NCV)  They were pleased and thanked God. So they decided 
       not to fight the people of Reuben and Gad and destroy those lands.

       (Josh 22:34 NCV)  And the people of Reuben and Gad named the altar 
       Proof That We Believe the LORD Is God.

       (Josh 23:1 NCV)  The LORD gave Israel peace from their enemies around 
       them. Many years passed, and Joshua grew very old.

       (Josh 23:2 NCV)  He called a meeting of all the older leaders, heads 
       of families, judges, and officers of Israel. He said, "I am now very 
       old.

       (Josh 23:3 NCV)  You have seen what the LORD has done to our enemies 
       to help us. The LORD your God fought for you.

       (Josh 23:4 NCV)  Remember that your people have been given their land 
       between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea in the west, the 





       land I promised to give you.

       (Josh 23:5 NCV)  The LORD your God will force out the people living 
       there. The LORD will push them out ahead of you. And you will own the 
       land, as he has promised you.

       (Josh 23:6 NCV)  "Be strong. You must be careful to obey everything 
       commanded in the Book of the Teachings of Moses. Do exactly as it 
       says.

       (Josh 23:7 NCV)  Don't become friends with the people living among us 
       who are not Israelites. Don't say the names of their gods or make 
       anyone swear by them. Don't serve or worship them.

       (Josh 23:8 NCV)  You must continue to follow the LORD your God, as you 
       have done in the past.

       (Josh 23:9 NCV)  "The LORD has forced many great and powerful nations 
       to leave ahead of you. No nation has been able to defeat you.

       (Josh 23:10 NCV)  With his help, one Israelite could defeat a 
       thousand, because the LORD your God fights for you, as he promised to 
       do.

       (Josh 23:11 NCV)  So you must be careful to love the LORD your God.

       (Josh 23:12 NCV)  "If you turn away from the way of the LORD and 
       become friends with these people who are not part of Israel and marry 
       them,

       (Josh 23:13 NCV)  the LORD your God will not help you defeat your 
       enemies. They will be like traps for you, like whips on your back and 
       thorns in your eyes, and none of you will be left in this good land 
       the LORD your God has given you.

       (Josh 23:14 NCV)  "It's almost time for me to die. You know and fully 
       believe that the LORD has done great things for you. You know that he 
       has not failed to keep any of his promises.

       (Josh 23:15 NCV)  Every good promise that the LORD your God made has 
       come true, and in the same way, his other promises will come true. He 
       promised that evil will come to you and that he will destroy you from 
       this good land that he gave you.

       (Josh 23:16 NCV)  This will happen if you don't keep your agreement 
       with the LORD your God. If you go and serve other gods and worship 
       them, the LORD will become very angry with you. Then none of you will 
       be left in this good land he has given you."

       (Josh 24:1 NCV)  Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel together at 
       Shechem. He called the older leaders, heads of families, judges, and 
       officers of Israel to stand before God.

       (Josh 24:2 NCV)  Then Joshua said to all the people, "Here's what the 
       LORD, the God of Israel, says to you: 'A long time ago your ancestors 
       lived on the other side of the Euphrates River. Terah, the father of 





       Abraham and Nahor, worshiped other gods.

       (Josh 24:3 NCV)  But I, the LORD, took your ancestor Abraham from the 
       other side of the river and led him through the land of Canaan. And I 
       gave him many children, including his son Isaac.

       (Josh 24:4 NCV)  I gave Isaac two sons named Jacob and Esau. I gave 
       the land around the mountains of Edom to Esau, but Jacob and his sons 
       went down to Egypt.

       (Josh 24:5 NCV)  Then I sent Moses and Aaron to Egypt, where I brought 
       many disasters on the Egyptians. Afterwards I brought you out.

       (Josh 24:6 NCV)  When I brought your ancestors out of Egypt, they came 
       to the Red Sea, and the Egyptians chased them with chariots and men on 
       horses.

       (Josh 24:7 NCV)  So the people called out to the LORD. And I brought 
       darkness between you and the Egyptians and made the sea to cover them. 
       You yourselves saw what I did to the army of Egypt. After that, you 
       lived in the desert for a long time.

       (Josh 24:8 NCV)  "'Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites, 
       east of the Jordan River. They fought against you, but I handed them 
       over to you. I destroyed them before you, and you took control of that 
       land.

       (Josh 24:9 NCV)  But the king of Moab, Balak son of Zippor, prepared 
       to fight against the Israelites. The king sent for Balaam son of Beor 
       to curse you,

       (Josh 24:10 NCV)  but I refused to listen to Balaam. So he asked for 
       good things to happen to you! I saved you and brought you out of his 
       power.

       (Josh 24:11 NCV)  "'Then you crossed the Jordan River and came to 
       Jericho, where the people of Jericho fought against you. Also, the 
       Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and 
       Jebusites fought against you. But I handed them over to you.

       (Josh 24:12 NCV)  I sent terror ahead of you to force out two Amorite 
       kings. You took the land without using swords and bows.

       (Josh 24:13 NCV)  I gave you that land where you did not have to work. 
       I gave you cities that you did not have to build. And now you live in 
       that land and in those cities, and you eat from vineyards and olive 
       trees that you did not plant.'"

       (Josh 24:14 NCV)  Then Joshua said to the people, "Now respect the 
       LORD and serve him fully and sincerely. Throw away the gods that your 
       ancestors worshiped on the other side of the Euphrates River and in 
       Egypt. Serve the LORD.

       (Josh 24:15 NCV)  But if you don't want to serve the LORD, you must 
       choose for yourselves today whom you will serve. You may serve the 
       gods that your ancestors worshiped when they lived on the other side 





       of the Euphrates River, or you may serve the gods of the Amorites who 
       lived in this land. As for me and my family, we will serve the LORD."

       (Josh 24:16 NCV)  Then the people answered, "We will never stop 
       following the LORD to serve other gods!

       (Josh 24:17 NCV)  It was the LORD our God who brought our ancestors 
       out of Egypt. We were slaves in that land, but the LORD did great 
       things for us there. He brought us out and protected us while we 
       traveled through other lands.

       (Josh 24:18 NCV)  Then he forced out all the people living in these 
       lands, even the Amorites. So we will serve the LORD, because he is our 
       God."

       (Josh 24:19 NCV)  Then Joshua said, "You are not able to serve the 
       LORD, because he is a holy God and a jealous God. If you turn against 
       him and sin, he will not forgive you.

       (Josh 24:20 NCV)  If you leave the LORD and serve other gods, he will 
       send you great trouble. The LORD may have been good to you, but if you 
       turn against him, he will destroy you."

       (Josh 24:21 NCV)  But the people said to Joshua, "No! We will serve 
       the LORD."

       (Josh 24:22 NCV)  Then Joshua said, "You are your own witnesses that 
       you have chosen to serve the LORD." The people said, "Yes, we are."

       (Josh 24:23 NCV)  Then Joshua said, "Now throw away the gods that you 
       have. Love the LORD, the God of Israel, with all your heart."

       (Josh 24:24 NCV)  Then the people said to Joshua, "We will serve the 
       LORD our God, and we will obey him."

       (Josh 24:25 NCV)  On that day at Shechem Joshua made an agreement for 
       the people. He made rules and laws for them to follow.

       (Josh 24:26 NCV)  Joshua wrote these things in the Book of the 
       Teachings of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up under the 
       oak tree near the Lord's Holy Tent.

       (Josh 24:27 NCV)  Joshua said to all the people, "See this stone! It 
       will remind you of what we did today. It was here the LORD spoke to us 
       today. It will remind you of what happened so you will not turn 
       against your God."

       (Josh 24:28 NCV)  Then Joshua sent the people back to their land.

       (Josh 24:29 NCV)  After that, Joshua son of Nun died at the age of one 
       hundred ten.

       (Josh 24:30 NCV)  They buried him in his own land at Timnath Serah, in 
       the mountains of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

       (Josh 24:31 NCV)  The Israelites served the LORD during the lifetime 





       of Joshua and during the lifetimes of the older leaders who lived 
       after Joshua who had seen what the LORD had done for Israel.

       (Josh 24:32 NCV)  When the Israelites left Egypt, they carried the 
       bones of Joseph with them. They buried them at Shechem, in the land 
       Jacob had bought for a hundred pieces of silver from the sons of Hamor 
       (Hamor was the father of Shechem). This land now belonged to Joseph's 
       children.

       (Josh 24:33 NCV)  And Eleazar son of Aaron died and was buried at 
       Gibeah in the mountains of Ephraim, which had been given to Eleazar's 
       son Phinehas.

       (Judg 1:1 NCV)  After Joshua died, the Israelites asked the LORD, "Who 
       will be first to go and fight for us against the Canaanites?"

       (Judg 1:2 NCV)  The LORD said to them, "The tribe of Judah will go. I 
       have handed the land over to them."

       (Judg 1:3 NCV)  The men of Judah said to the men of Simeon, their 
       relatives, "Come and help us fight the Canaanites for our land. If you 
       do, we will go and help you fight for your land." So the men of Simeon 
       went with them.

       (Judg 1:4 NCV)  When Judah attacked, the LORD handed over the 
       Canaanites and the Perizzites to them, and they defeated ten thousand 
       men at the city of Bezek.

       (Judg 1:5 NCV)  There they found Adoni-Bezek, the ruler of the city, 
       and fought him. The men of Judah defeated the Canaanites and the 
       Perizzites,

       (Judg 1:6 NCV)  but Adoni-Bezek ran away. The men of Judah chased him, 
       and when they caught him, they cut off his thumbs and big toes.

       (Judg 1:7 NCV)  Adoni-Bezek said, "Seventy kings whose thumbs and big 
       toes had been cut off used to eat scraps that fell from my table. Now 
       God has paid me back for what I did to them." The men of Judah took 
       Adoni-Bezek to Jerusalem, and he died there.

       (Judg 1:8 NCV)  Then the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem and 
       captured it. They attacked with their swords and burned the city.

       (Judg 1:9 NCV)  Later, they went down to fight the Canaanites who 
       lived in the mountains, in the dry country to the south, and in the 
       western hills.

       (Judg 1:10 NCV)  The men of Judah went to fight against the Canaanites 
       in the city of Hebron (which used to be called Kiriath Arba). And they 
       defeated Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.

       (Judg 1:11 NCV)  Then they left there and went to fight against the 
       people living in Debir. (In the past Debir had been called Kiriath 
       Sepher.)

       (Judg 1:12 NCV)  Before attacking the city, Caleb said, "I will give 





       Acsah, my daughter, as a wife to the man who attacks and captures the 
       city of Kiriath Sepher."

       (Judg 1:13 NCV)  Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, 
       captured the city, so Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to Othniel to be 
       his wife.

       (Judg 1:14 NCV)  When Acsah came to Othniel, she told him to ask her 
       father for a field. When she got down from her donkey, Caleb asked 
       her, "What do you want?"

       (Judg 1:15 NCV)  Acsah answered him, "Do me a special favor. Since you 
       have given me land in southern Canaan, also give me springs of water." 
       So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.

       (Judg 1:16 NCV)  The Kenite people, who were from the family of Moses' 
       father-in-law, left Jericho, the city of palm trees. They went with 
       the men of Judah to the Desert of Judah to live with them there in 
       southern Judah near the city of Arad.

       (Judg 1:17 NCV)  The men of Judah and the men of Simeon, their 
       relatives, defeated the Canaanites who lived in Zephath. They 
       completely destroyed the city, so they called it Hormah.

       (Judg 1:18 NCV)  The men of Judah captured Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron, and 
       the lands around them.

       (Judg 1:19 NCV)  The LORD was with the men of Judah. They took the 
       land in the mountains, but they could not force out the people living 
       on the plain, because they had iron chariots.

       (Judg 1:20 NCV)  As Moses had promised, Hebron was given to Caleb, and 
       Caleb forced out the three sons of Anak.

       (Judg 1:21 NCV)  But the people of Benjamin could not make the 
       Jebusite people leave Jerusalem. Since that time the Jebusites have 
       lived with the Benjaminites in Jerusalem.

       (Judg 1:22 NCV)  The men of Joseph went to fight against the city of 
       Bethel, and the LORD was with them.

       (Judg 1:23 NCV)  They sent some spies to Bethel (which used to be 
       called Luz).

       (Judg 1:24 NCV)  The spies saw a man coming out of the city and said 
       to him, "Show us a way into the city, and we will be kind to you."

       (Judg 1:25 NCV)  So the man showed them the way into the city. The men 
       of Joseph attacked with swords the people in Bethel, but they let the 
       man and his family go free.

       (Judg 1:26 NCV)  He went to the land where the Hittites lived and 
       built a city. He named it Luz, which it is called even today.

       (Judg 1:27 NCV)  There were Canaanites living in the cities of Beth 
       Shan, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo, and the small towns around them. 





       The people of Manasseh did not force those people out of their towns, 
       because the Canaanites were determined to stay there.

       (Judg 1:28 NCV)  Later, the Israelites grew strong and forced the 
       Canaanites to work as slaves, but they did not make all the Canaanites 
       leave their land.

       (Judg 1:29 NCV)  The people of Ephraim did not force out all of the 
       Canaanites living in Gezer. So the Canaanites continued to live in 
       Gezer with the people of Ephraim.

       (Judg 1:30 NCV)  The people of Zebulun did not force out the 
       Canaanites living in the cities of Kitron and Nahalol. They stayed and 
       lived with the people of Zebulun, but Zebulun made them work as 
       slaves.

       (Judg 1:31 NCV)  The people of Asher did not force the Canaanites from 
       the cities of Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Aczib, Helbah, Aphek, and Rehob.

       (Judg 1:32 NCV)  Since the people of Asher did not force them out, the 
       Canaanites continued to live with them.

       (Judg 1:33 NCV)  The people of Naphtali did not force out the people 
       of the cities of Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath. So they continued to 
       live with the Canaanites in those cities, and the Canaanites worked as 
       slaves.

       (Judg 1:34 NCV)  The Amorites forced the Danites back into the 
       mountains and would not let them come down to live in the plain.

       (Judg 1:35 NCV)  The Amorites were determined to stay in Mount Heres, 
       Aijalon, and Shaalbim. But when the Israelites grew stronger, they 
       made the Amorites work as slaves.

       (Judg 1:36 NCV)  The land of the Amorites was from Scorpion Pass to 
       Sela and beyond.

       (Judg 2:1 NCV)  The angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bokim and 
       said, "I brought you up from Egypt and led you to the land I promised 
       to give your ancestors. I said, 'I will never break my agreement with 
       you.

       (Judg 2:2 NCV)  But you must not make an agreement with the people who 
       live in this land. You must destroy their altars.' But you did not 
       obey me. How could you do this?

       (Judg 2:3 NCV)  Now I tell you, 'I will not force out the people in 
       this land. They will be your enemies, and their gods will be a trap 
       for you.'"

       (Judg 2:4 NCV)  After the angel gave Israel this message from the 
       LORD, they cried loudly.

       (Judg 2:5 NCV)  So they named the place Bokim. There they offered 
       sacrifices to the LORD.





       (Judg 2:6 NCV)  Then Joshua sent the people back to their land.

       (Judg 2:7 NCV)  The people served the LORD during the lifetime of 
       Joshua and during the lifetimes of the older leaders who lived after 
       Joshua and who had seen what great things the LORD had done for 
       Israel.

       (Judg 2:8 NCV)  Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at 
       the age of one hundred ten.

       (Judg 2:9 NCV)  They buried him in his own land at Timnath Serah in 
       the mountains of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

       (Judg 2:10 NCV)  After those people had died, their children grew up 
       and did not know the LORD or what he had done for Israel.

       (Judg 2:11 NCV)  So they did what the LORD said was wrong, and they 
       worshiped the Baal idols.

       (Judg 2:12 NCV)  They quit following the LORD, the God of their 
       ancestors who had brought them out of Egypt. They began to worship the 
       gods of the people who lived around them, and that made the LORD 
       angry.

       (Judg 2:13 NCV)  The Israelites quit following the LORD and worshiped 
       Baal and Ashtoreth.

       (Judg 2:14 NCV)  The LORD was angry with the people of Israel, so he 
       handed them over to robbers who took their possessions. He let their 
       enemies who lived around them defeat them; they could not protect 
       themselves.

       (Judg 2:15 NCV)  When the Israelites went out to fight, they always 
       lost, because the LORD was not with them. The LORD had sworn to them 
       this would happen. So the Israelites suffered very much.

       (Judg 2:16 NCV)  Then the LORD chose leaders called judges, who saved 
       the Israelites from the robbers.

       (Judg 2:17 NCV)  But the Israelites did not listen to their judges. 
       They were not faithful to God but worshiped other gods instead. Their 
       ancestors had obeyed the Lord's commands, but they quickly turned away 
       and did not obey.

       (Judg 2:18 NCV)  When their enemies hurt them, the Israelites cried 
       for help. So the LORD felt sorry for them and sent judges to save them 
       from their enemies. The LORD was with those judges all their lives.

       (Judg 2:19 NCV)  But when the judges died, the Israelites again sinned 
       and worshiped other gods. They became worse than their ancestors. The 
       Israelites were very stubborn and refused to change their evil ways.

       (Judg 2:20 NCV)  So the LORD became angry with the Israelites. He 
       said, "These people have broken the agreement I made with their 
       ancestors. They have not listened to me.





       (Judg 2:21 NCV)  I will no longer defeat the nations who were left 
       when Joshua died.

       (Judg 2:22 NCV)  I will use them to test Israel, to see if Israel will 
       keep the Lord's commands as their ancestors did."

       (Judg 2:23 NCV)  In the past the LORD had permitted those nations to 
       stay in the land. He did not quickly force them out or help Joshua's 
       army defeat them.

       (Judg 3:1 NCV)  These are the nations the LORD did not force to leave. 
       He wanted to test the Israelites who had not fought in the wars of 
       Canaan.

       (Judg 3:2 NCV)  (The only reason the LORD left those nations in the 
       land was to teach the descendants of the Israelites who had not fought 
       in those wars how to fight.)

       (Judg 3:3 NCV)  These are the nations: the five rulers of the 
       Philistines, all the Canaanites, the people of Sidon, and the Hivites 
       who lived in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo 
       Hamath.

       (Judg 3:4 NCV)  Those nations were in the land to test the 
       Israelites--to see if they would obey the commands the LORD had given 
       to their ancestors by Moses.

       (Judg 3:5 NCV)  The people of Israel lived with the Canaanites, 
       Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

       (Judg 3:6 NCV)  The Israelites began to marry the daughters of those 
       people, and they allowed their daughters to marry the sons of those 
       people. Israel also served their gods.

       (Judg 3:7 NCV)  The Israelites did what the LORD said was wrong. They 
       forgot about the LORD their God and served the idols of Baal and 
       Asherah.

       (Judg 3:8 NCV)  So the LORD was angry with Israel and allowed 
       Cushan-Rishathaim king of Northwest Mesopotamia to rule over the 
       Israelites for eight years.

       (Judg 3:9 NCV)  When Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD sent someone 
       to save them. Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, saved the 
       Israelites.

       (Judg 3:10 NCV)  The Spirit of the LORD entered Othniel, and he became 
       Israel's judge. When he went to war, the LORD handed over to him 
       Cushan-Rishathaim king of Northwest Mesopotamia.

       (Judg 3:11 NCV)  So the land was at peace for forty years. Then 
       Othniel son of Kenaz died.

       (Judg 3:12 NCV)  Again the people of Israel did what the LORD said was 
       wrong. So the LORD gave Eglon king of Moab power to defeat Israel 
       because of the evil Israel did.






       (Judg 3:13 NCV)  Eglon got the Ammonites and the Amalekites to join 
       him. Then he attacked Israel and took Jericho, the city of palm trees.

       (Judg 3:14 NCV)  So the people of Israel were ruled by Eglon king of 
       Moab for eighteen years.

       (Judg 3:15 NCV)  When the people cried to the LORD, he sent someone to 
       save them. He was Ehud, son of Gera from the people of Benjamin, who 
       was left-handed. Israel sent Ehud to give Eglon king of Moab the 
       payment he demanded.

       (Judg 3:16 NCV)  Ehud made himself a sword with two edges, about 
       eighteen inches long, and he tied it to his right hip under his 
       clothes.

       (Judg 3:17 NCV)  Ehud gave Eglon king of Moab the payment he demanded. 
       Now Eglon was a very fat man.

       (Judg 3:18 NCV)  After he had given Eglon the payment, Ehud sent away 
       the people who had carried it.

       (Judg 3:19 NCV)  When he passed the statues near Gilgal, he turned 
       around and said to Eglon, "I have a secret message for you, King 
       Eglon." The king said, "Be quiet!" Then he sent all of his servants 
       out of the room.

       (Judg 3:20 NCV)  Ehud went to King Eglon, as he was sitting alone in 
       the room above his summer palace. Ehud said, "I have a message from 
       God for you." As the king stood up from his chair,

       (Judg 3:21 NCV)  Ehud reached with his left hand and took out the 
       sword that was tied to his right hip. Then he stabbed the sword deep 
       into the king's belly!

       (Judg 3:22 NCV)  Even the handle sank in, and the blade came out his 
       back. The king's fat covered the whole sword, so Ehud left the sword 
       in Eglon.

       (Judg 3:23 NCV)  Then he went out of the room and closed and locked 
       the doors behind him.

       (Judg 3:24 NCV)  When the servants returned just after Ehud left, they 
       found the doors to the room locked. So they thought the king was 
       relieving himself.

       (Judg 3:25 NCV)  They waited for a long time. Finally they became 
       worried because he still had not opened the doors. So they got the key 
       and unlocked them and saw their king lying dead on the floor!

       (Judg 3:26 NCV)  While the servants were waiting, Ehud had escaped. He 
       passed by the statues and went to Seirah.

       (Judg 3:27 NCV)  When he reached the mountains of Ephraim he blew the 
       trumpet. The people of Israel heard it and went down from the hills 
       with Ehud leading them.






       (Judg 3:28 NCV)  He said to them, "Follow me! The LORD has helped you 
       to defeat your enemies, the Moabites." So Israel followed Ehud and 
       captured the crossings of the Jordan River. They did not allow the 
       Moabites to cross the Jordan River.

       (Judg 3:29 NCV)  Israel killed about ten thousand strong and able men 
       from Moab; not one escaped.

       (Judg 3:30 NCV)  So that day Moab was forced to be under the rule of 
       Israel, and there was peace in the land for eighty years.

       (Judg 3:31 NCV)  After Ehud, Shamgar son of Anath saved Israel. 
       Shamgar killed six hundred Philistines with a sharp stick used to 
       guide oxen.

       (Judg 4:1 NCV)  After Ehud died, the Israelites again did what the 
       LORD said was wrong.

       (Judg 4:2 NCV)  So he let Jabin, a king of Canaan who ruled in the 
       city of Hazor, defeat Israel. Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim, 
       was the commander of Jabin's army.

       (Judg 4:3 NCV)  Because he had nine hundred iron chariots and was very 
       cruel to the people of Israel for twenty years, they cried to the LORD 
       for help.

       (Judg 4:4 NCV)  A prophetess named Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth, was 
       judge of Israel at that time.

       (Judg 4:5 NCV)  Deborah would sit under the Palm Tree of Deborah, 
       which was between the cities of Ramah and Bethel, in the mountains of 
       Ephraim. And the people of Israel would come to her to settle their 
       arguments.

       (Judg 4:6 NCV)  Deborah sent a message to Barak son of Abinoam. Barak 
       lived in the city of Kedesh, which is in the area of Naphtali. Deborah 
       said to Barak, "The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you: 'Go and 
       gather ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them to Mount 
       Tabor.

       (Judg 4:7 NCV)  I will make Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, and 
       his chariots, and his army meet you at the Kishon River. I will hand 
       Sisera over to you.'"

       (Judg 4:8 NCV)  Then Barak said to Deborah, "I will go if you will go 
       with me, but if you won't go with me, I won't go."

       (Judg 4:9 NCV)  "Of course I will go with you," Deborah answered, "but 
       you will not get credit for the victory. The LORD will let a woman 
       defeat Sisera." So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh.

       (Judg 4:10 NCV)  At Kedesh, Barak called the people of Zebulun and 
       Naphtali together. From them, he gathered ten thousand men to follow 
       him, and Deborah went with him also.





       (Judg 4:11 NCV)  Now Heber the Kenite had left the other Kenites, the 
       descendants of Hobab, Moses' brother-in-law. Heber had put up his tent 
       by the great tree in Zaanannim, near Kedesh.

       (Judg 4:12 NCV)  When Sisera was told that Barak son of Abinoam had 
       gone to Mount Tabor,

       (Judg 4:13 NCV)  Sisera gathered his nine hundred iron chariots and 
       all the men with him, from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River.

       (Judg 4:14 NCV)  Then Deborah said to Barak, "Get up! Today is the day 
       the LORD will hand over Sisera. The LORD has already cleared the way 
       for you." So Barak led ten thousand men down Mount Tabor.

       (Judg 4:15 NCV)  As Barak approached, the LORD confused Sisera and his 
       army and chariots. The LORD defeated them with the sword, but Sisera 
       left his chariot and ran away on foot.

       (Judg 4:16 NCV)  Barak and his men chased Sisera's chariots and army 
       to Harosheth Haggoyim. With their swords they killed all of Sisera's 
       men; not one of them was left alive.

       (Judg 4:17 NCV)  But Sisera himself ran away to the tent where Jael 
       lived. She was the wife of Heber, one of the Kenite family groups. 
       Heber's family was at peace with Jabin king of Hazor.

       (Judg 4:18 NCV)  Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, "Come 
       into my tent, master! Come in. Don't be afraid." So Sisera went into 
       Jael's tent, and she covered him with a rug.

       (Judg 4:19 NCV)  Sisera said to Jael, "I am thirsty. Please give me 
       some water to drink." So she opened a leather bag of milk and gave him 
       a drink. Then she covered him up.

       (Judg 4:20 NCV)  He said to her, "Go stand at the entrance to the 
       tent. If anyone comes and asks you, 'Is anyone here?' say, 'No.'"

       (Judg 4:21 NCV)  But Jael, the wife of Heber, took a tent peg and a 
       hammer and quietly went to Sisera. Since he was very tired, he was in 
       a deep sleep. She hammered the tent peg through the side of Sisera's 
       head and into the ground. And so Sisera died.

       (Judg 4:22 NCV)  At that very moment Barak came by Jael's tent, 
       chasing Sisera. Jael went out to meet him and said, "Come. I will show 
       you the man you are looking for." So Barak entered her tent, and there 
       Sisera lay dead, with the tent peg in his head.

       (Judg 4:23 NCV)  On that day God defeated Jabin king of Canaan in the 
       sight of Israel.

       (Judg 4:24 NCV)  Israel became stronger and stronger against Jabin 
       king of Canaan until finally they destroyed him.

       (Judg 5:1 NCV)  On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this 
       song:





       (Judg 5:2 NCV)  "The leaders led Israel. The people volunteered to go 
       to battle. Praise the LORD!

       (Judg 5:3 NCV)  Listen, kings. Pay attention, rulers! I myself will 
       sing to the LORD. I will make music to the LORD, the God of Israel.

       (Judg 5:4 NCV)  "LORD, when you came from Edom, when you marched from 
       the land of Edom, the earth shook, the skies rained, and the clouds 
       dropped water.

       (Judg 5:5 NCV)  The mountains shook before the LORD, the God of Mount 
       Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel!

       (Judg 5:6 NCV)  "In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of 
       Jael, the main roads were empty. Travelers went on the back roads.

       (Judg 5:7 NCV)  There were no warriors in Israel until I, Deborah, 
       arose, until I arose to be a mother to Israel.

       (Judg 5:8 NCV)  At that time they chose to follow new gods. Because of 
       this, enemies fought us at our city gates. No one could find a shield 
       or a spear among the forty thousand people of Israel.

       (Judg 5:9 NCV)  My heart is with the commanders of Israel. They 
       volunteered freely from among the people. Praise the LORD!

       (Judg 5:10 NCV)  "You who ride on white donkeys and sit on saddle 
       blankets, and you who walk along the road, listen!

       (Judg 5:11 NCV)  Listen to the sound of the singers at the watering 
       holes. There they tell about the victories of the LORD, the victories 
       of the Lord's warriors in Israel. Then the Lord's people went down to 
       the city gates.

       (Judg 5:12 NCV)  "Wake up, wake up, Deborah! Wake up, wake up, sing a 
       song! Get up, Barak! Go capture your enemies, son of Abinoam!

       (Judg 5:13 NCV)  "Then those who were left came down to the important 
       leaders. The Lord's people came down to me with strong men.

       (Judg 5:14 NCV)  They came from Ephraim in the mountains of Amalek. 
       Benjamin was among the people who followed you. From the family group 
       of Makir, the commanders came down. And from Zebulun came those who 
       lead.

       (Judg 5:15 NCV)  The princes of Issachar were with Deborah. The people 
       of Issachar were loyal to Barak and followed him into the valley. The 
       Reubenites thought hard about what they would do.

       (Judg 5:16 NCV)  Why did you stay by the sheepfold? Was it to hear the 
       music played for your sheep? The Reubenites thought hard about what 
       they would do.

       (Judg 5:17 NCV)  The people of Gilead stayed east of the Jordan River. 
       People of Dan, why did you stay by the ships? The people of Asher 
       stayed at the seashore, at their safe harbors.






       (Judg 5:18 NCV)  But the people of Zebulun risked their lives, as did 
       the people of Naphtali on the battlefield.

       (Judg 5:19 NCV)  "The kings came, and they fought. At that time the 
       kings of Canaan fought at Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo. But they 
       took away no silver or possessions of Israel.

       (Judg 5:20 NCV)  The stars fought from heaven; from their paths, they 
       fought Sisera.

       (Judg 5:21 NCV)  The Kishon River swept Sisera's men away, that old 
       river, the Kishon River. March on, my soul, with strength!

       (Judg 5:22 NCV)  Then the horses' hoofs beat the ground. Galloping, 
       galloping go Sisera's mighty horses.

       (Judg 5:23 NCV)  'May the town of Meroz be cursed,' said the angel of 
       the LORD. 'Bitterly curse its people, because they did not come to 
       help the LORD. They did not fight the strong enemy.'

       (Judg 5:24 NCV)  "May Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, be blessed 
       above all women who live in tents.

       (Judg 5:25 NCV)  Sisera asked for water, but Jael gave him milk. In a 
       bowl fit for a ruler, she brought him cream.

       (Judg 5:26 NCV)  Jael reached out and took the tent peg. Her right 
       hand reached for the workman's hammer. She hit Sisera! She smashed his 
       head! She crushed and pierced the side of his head!

       (Judg 5:27 NCV)  At Jael's feet he sank. He fell, and he lay there. At 
       her feet he sank. He fell. Where Sisera sank, there he fell, dead!

       (Judg 5:28 NCV)  "Sisera's mother looked out through the window. She 
       looked through the curtains and cried out, 'Why is Sisera's chariot so 
       late in coming? Why are sounds of his chariots' horses delayed?'

       (Judg 5:29 NCV)  The wisest of her servant ladies answer her, and 
       Sisera's mother says to herself,

       (Judg 5:30 NCV)  'Surely they are robbing the people they defeated! 
       Surely they are dividing those things among themselves! Each soldier 
       is given a girl or two. Maybe Sisera is taking pieces of dyed cloth. 
       Maybe they are even taking pieces of dyed, embroidered cloth for the 
       necks of the victors!'

       (Judg 5:31 NCV)  "Let all your enemies die this way, LORD! But let all 
       the people who love you be as strong as the rising sun!" Then there 
       was peace in the land for forty years.

       (Judg 6:1 NCV)  Again the Israelites did what the LORD said was wrong. 
       So for seven years the LORD handed them over to Midian.

       (Judg 6:2 NCV)  Because the Midianites were very powerful and were 
       cruel to Israel, the Israelites made hiding places in the mountains, 





       in caves, and in safe places.

       (Judg 6:3 NCV)  Whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites, 
       Amalekites, and other peoples from the east would come and attack 
       them.

       (Judg 6:4 NCV)  They camped in the land and destroyed the crops that 
       the Israelites had planted as far away as Gaza. They left nothing for 
       Israel to eat, and no sheep, cattle, or donkeys.

       (Judg 6:5 NCV)  The Midianites came with their tents and their animals 
       like swarms of locusts to ruin the land. There were so many people and 
       camels they could not be counted.

       (Judg 6:6 NCV)  Israel became very poor because of the Midianites, so 
       they cried out to the LORD.

       (Judg 6:7 NCV)  When the Israelites cried out to the LORD against the 
       Midianites,

       (Judg 6:8 NCV)  the LORD sent a prophet to them. He said, "This is 
       what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I brought you out of Egypt, 
       the land of slavery.

       (Judg 6:9 NCV)  I saved you from the Egyptians and from all those who 
       were against you. I forced the Canaanites out of their land and gave 
       it to you.

       (Judg 6:10 NCV)  Then I said to you, 'I am the LORD your God. Live in 
       the land of the Amorites, but do not worship their gods.' But you did 
       not obey me."

       (Judg 6:11 NCV)  The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak 
       tree at Ophrah that belonged to Joash, one of the Abiezrite people. 
       Gideon, Joash's son, was separating some wheat from the chaff in a 
       winepress to keep the wheat from the Midianites.

       (Judg 6:12 NCV)  The angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon and said, 
       "The LORD is with you, mighty warrior!"

       (Judg 6:13 NCV)  Then Gideon said, "Sir, if the LORD is with us, why 
       are we having so much trouble? Where are the miracles our ancestors 
       told us he did when the LORD brought them out of Egypt? But now he has 
       left us and has handed us over to the Midianites."

       (Judg 6:14 NCV)  The LORD turned to Gideon and said, "Go with your 
       strength and save Israel from the Midianites. I am the one who is 
       sending you."

       (Judg 6:15 NCV)  But Gideon answered, "Lord, how can I save Israel? My 
       family group is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least important 
       member of my family."

       (Judg 6:16 NCV)  The LORD answered him, "I will be with you. It will 
       seem as if the Midianites you are fighting are only one man."





       (Judg 6:17 NCV)  Then Gideon said to the LORD, "If you are pleased 
       with me, give me proof that it is really you talking with me.

       (Judg 6:18 NCV)  Please wait here until I come back to you. Let me 
       bring my offering and set it in front of you." And the LORD said, "I 
       will wait until you return."

       (Judg 6:19 NCV)  So Gideon went in and cooked a young goat, and with 
       twenty quarts of flour, made bread without yeast. Then he put the meat 
       into a basket and the broth into a pot. He brought them out and gave 
       them to the angel under the oak tree.

       (Judg 6:20 NCV)  The angel of God said to Gideon, "Put the meat and 
       the bread without yeast on that rock over there. Then pour the broth 
       on them." And Gideon did as he was told.

       (Judg 6:21 NCV)  The angel of the LORD touched the meat and the bread 
       with the end of the stick that was in his hand. Then fire jumped up 
       from the rock and completely burned up the meat and the bread! And the 
       angel of the LORD disappeared!

       (Judg 6:22 NCV)  Then Gideon understood he had been talking to the 
       angel of the LORD. So Gideon cried out, "Lord GOD! I have seen the 
       angel of the LORD face to face!"

       (Judg 6:23 NCV)  But the LORD said to Gideon, "Calm down! Don't be 
       afraid! You will not die!"

       (Judg 6:24 NCV)  So Gideon built an altar there to worship the LORD 
       and named it The LORD Is Peace. It still stands at Ophrah, where the 
       Abiezrites live.

       (Judg 6:25 NCV)  That same night the LORD said to Gideon, "Take the 
       bull that belongs to your father and a second bull seven years old. 
       Pull down your father's altar to Baal, and cut down the Asherah idol 
       beside it.

       (Judg 6:26 NCV)  Then build an altar to the LORD your God with its 
       stones in the right order on this high ground. Kill and burn a second 
       bull on this altar, using the wood from the Asherah idol."

       (Judg 6:27 NCV)  So Gideon got ten of his servants and did what the 
       LORD had told him to do. But Gideon was afraid that his family and the 
       men of the city might see him, so he did it at night, not in the 
       daytime.

       (Judg 6:28 NCV)  When the men of the city got up the next morning, 
       they saw that the altar for Baal had been destroyed and that the 
       Asherah idol beside it had been cut down! They also saw the altar 
       Gideon had built and the second bull that had been sacrificed on it.

       (Judg 6:29 NCV)  The men of the city asked each other, "Who did this?" 
       After they asked many questions, someone told them, "Gideon son of 
       Joash did this."

       (Judg 6:30 NCV)  So they said to Joash, "Bring your son out. He has 





       pulled down the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah idol beside it. 
       He must die!"

       (Judg 6:31 NCV)  But Joash said to the angry crowd around him, "Are 
       you going to take Baal's side? Are you going to defend him? Anyone who 
       takes Baal's side will be killed by morning! If Baal is a god, let him 
       fight for himself. It's his altar that has been pulled down."

       (Judg 6:32 NCV)  So on that day Gideon got the name Jerub-Baal, which 
       means "let Baal fight against him," because Gideon pulled down Baal's 
       altar.

       (Judg 6:33 NCV)  All the Midianites, the Amalekites, and other peoples 
       from the east joined together and came across the Jordan River and 
       camped in the Valley of Jezreel.

       (Judg 6:34 NCV)  But the Spirit of the LORD entered Gideon, and he 
       blew a trumpet to call the Abiezrites to follow him.

       (Judg 6:35 NCV)  He sent messengers to all of Manasseh, calling them 
       to follow him. He also sent messengers to the people of Asher, 
       Zebulun, and Naphtali. So they also went up to meet Gideon and his 
       men.

       (Judg 6:36 NCV)  Then Gideon said to God, "You said you would help me 
       save Israel.

       (Judg 6:37 NCV)  I will put some wool on the threshing floor. If there 
       is dew only on the wool but all of the ground is dry, then I will know 
       that you will use me to save Israel, as you said."

       (Judg 6:38 NCV)  And that is just what happened. When Gideon got up 
       early the next morning and squeezed the wool, he got a full bowl of 
       water from it.

       (Judg 6:39 NCV)  Then Gideon said to God, "Don't be angry with me if I 
       ask just one more thing. Please let me make one more test. Let only 
       the wool be dry while the ground around it gets wet with dew."

       (Judg 6:40 NCV)  That night God did that very thing. Just the wool was 
       dry, but the ground around it was wet with dew.

       (Judg 7:1 NCV)  Early in the morning Jerub-Baal (also called Gideon) 
       and all his men set up their camp at the spring of Harod. The 
       Midianites were camped north of them in the valley at the bottom of 
       the hill called Moreh.

       (Judg 7:2 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Gideon, "You have too many men 
       to defeat the Midianites. I don't want the Israelites to brag that 
       they saved themselves.

       (Judg 7:3 NCV)  So now, announce to the people, 'Anyone who is afraid 
       may leave Mount Gilead and go back home.'" So twenty-two thousand men 
       returned home, but ten thousand remained.

       (Judg 7:4 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Gideon, "There are still too 





       many men. Take the men down to the water, and I will test them for you 
       there. If I say, 'This man will go with you, he will go. But if I say, 
       'That one will not go with you,' he will not go."

       (Judg 7:5 NCV)  So Gideon led the men down to the water. There the 
       LORD said to him, "Separate them into those who drink water by lapping 
       it up like a dog and those who bend down to drink."

       (Judg 7:6 NCV)  There were three hundred men who used their hands to 
       bring water to their mouths, lapping it as a dog does. All the rest 
       got down on their knees to drink.

       (Judg 7:7 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Gideon, "Using the three hundred 
       men who lapped the water, I will save you and hand Midian over to you. 
       Let all the others go home."

       (Judg 7:8 NCV)  So Gideon sent the rest of Israel to their homes. But 
       he kept three hundred men and took the jars and the trumpets of those 
       who left. Now the camp of Midian was in the valley below Gideon.

       (Judg 7:9 NCV)  That night the LORD said to Gideon, "Get up. Go down 
       and attack the camp of the Midianites, because I will give them to 
       you.

       (Judg 7:10 NCV)  But if you are afraid to go down, take your servant 
       Purah with you.

       (Judg 7:11 NCV)  When you come to the camp of Midian, you will hear 
       what they are saying. Then you will not be afraid to attack the camp." 
       So Gideon and his servant Purah went down to the edge of the enemy 
       camp.

       (Judg 7:12 NCV)  The Midianites, the Amalekites, and all the peoples 
       from the east were camped in that valley. There were so many of them 
       they seemed like locusts. Their camels could not be counted because 
       they were as many as the grains of sand on the seashore!

       (Judg 7:13 NCV)  When Gideon came to the enemy camp, he heard a man 
       telling his friend about a dream. He was saying, "I dreamed that a 
       loaf of barley bread rolled into the camp of Midian. It hit the tent 
       so hard that the tent turned over and fell flat!"

       (Judg 7:14 NCV)  The man's friend said, "Your dream is about the sword 
       of Gideon son of Joash, a man of Israel. God will hand Midian and the 
       whole army over to him!"

       (Judg 7:15 NCV)  When Gideon heard about the dream and what it meant, 
       he worshiped God. Then Gideon went back to the camp of Israel and 
       called out to them, "Get up! The LORD has handed the army of Midian 
       over to you!"

       (Judg 7:16 NCV)  Gideon divided the three hundred men into three 
       groups. He gave each man a trumpet and an empty jar with a burning 
       torch inside.

       (Judg 7:17 NCV)  Gideon told the men, "Watch me and do what I do. When 





       I get to the edge of the camp, do what I do.

       (Judg 7:18 NCV)  Surround the enemy camp. When I and everyone with me 
       blow our trumpets, you blow your trumpets, too. Then shout, 'For the 
       LORD and for Gideon!'"

       (Judg 7:19 NCV)  So Gideon and the one hundred men with him came to 
       the edge of the enemy camp just after they had changed guards. It was 
       during the middle watch of the night. Then Gideon and his men blew 
       their trumpets and smashed their jars.

       (Judg 7:20 NCV)  All three groups of Gideon's men blew their trumpets 
       and smashed their jars. They held the torches in their left hands and 
       the trumpets in their right hands. Then they shouted, "A sword for the 
       LORD and for Gideon!"

       (Judg 7:21 NCV)  Each of Gideon's men stayed in his place around the 
       camp, but the Midianites began shouting and running to escape.

       (Judg 7:22 NCV)  When Gideon's three hundred men blew their trumpets, 
       the LORD made all the Midianites fight each other with their swords! 
       The enemy army ran away to the city of Beth Shittah toward Zererah. 
       They ran as far as the border of Abel Meholah, near the city of 
       Tabbath.

       (Judg 7:23 NCV)  Then men of Israel from Naphtali, Asher, and all of 
       Manasseh were called out to chase the Midianites.

       (Judg 7:24 NCV)  Gideon sent messengers through all the mountains of 
       Ephraim, saying, "Come down and attack the Midianites. Take control of 
       the Jordan River as far as Beth Barah before the Midianites can get to 
       it." So they called out all the men of Ephraim, who took control of 
       the Jordan River as far as Beth Barah.

       (Judg 7:25 NCV)  The men of Ephraim captured two princes of Midian 
       named Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb and Zeeb at 
       the winepress of Zeeb, and they continued chasing the Midianites. They 
       brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was east of the 
       Jordan River.

       (Judg 8:1 NCV)  The men of Ephraim asked Gideon, "Why did you treat us 
       this way? Why didn't you call us when you went to fight against 
       Midian?" They argued angrily with Gideon.

       (Judg 8:2 NCV)  But he answered them, "I have not done as well as you! 
       The small part you did was better than all that my people of Abiezer 
       did.

       (Judg 8:3 NCV)  God let you capture Oreb and Zeeb, the princes of 
       Midian. How can I compare what I did with what you did?" When the men 
       of Ephraim heard Gideon's answer, they were not as angry anymore.

       (Judg 8:4 NCV)  When Gideon and his three hundred men came to the 
       Jordan River, they were tired, but they chased the enemy across to the 
       other side.





       (Judg 8:5 NCV)  Gideon said to the men of Succoth, "Please give my 
       soldiers some bread because they are very tired. I am chasing Zebah 
       and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian."

       (Judg 8:6 NCV)  But the leaders of Succoth said, "Why should we give 
       your soldiers bread? You haven't caught Zebah and Zalmunna yet."

       (Judg 8:7 NCV)  Then Gideon said, "The LORD will surrender Zebah and 
       Zalmunna to me. After that, I will whip your skin with thorns and 
       briers from the desert."

       (Judg 8:8 NCV)  Gideon left Succoth and went to the city of Peniel and 
       asked them for food. But the people of Peniel gave him the same answer 
       as the people of Succoth.

       (Judg 8:9 NCV)  So Gideon said to the men of Peniel, "After I win the 
       victory, I will return and pull down this tower."

       (Judg 8:10 NCV)  Zebah and Zalmunna and their army were in the city of 
       Karkor. About fifteen thousand men were left of the armies of the 
       peoples of the east. Already one hundred twenty thousand soldiers had 
       been killed.

       (Judg 8:11 NCV)  Gideon went up the road of those who live in tents 
       east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and he attacked the enemy army when they 
       did not expect it.

       (Judg 8:12 NCV)  Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian, ran away, 
       but Gideon chased and captured them and frightened away their army.

       (Judg 8:13 NCV)  Then Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle by 
       the Pass of Heres.

       (Judg 8:14 NCV)  Gideon captured a young man from Succoth and asked 
       him some questions. So the young man wrote down for Gideon the names 
       of seventy-seven officers and older leaders of Succoth.

       (Judg 8:15 NCV)  When Gideon came to Succoth, he said to the people of 
       that city, "Here are Zebah and Zalmunna. You made fun of me by saying, 
       'Why should we give bread to your tired men? You have not caught Zebah 
       and Zalmunna yet.'"

       (Judg 8:16 NCV)  So Gideon took the older leaders of the city and 
       punished them with thorns and briers from the desert.

       (Judg 8:17 NCV)  He also pulled down the tower of Peniel and killed 
       the people in that city.

       (Judg 8:18 NCV)  Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, "What were the men 
       like that you killed on Mount Tabor?" They answered, "They were like 
       you. Each one of them looked like a prince."

       (Judg 8:19 NCV)  Gideon said, "Those were my brothers, my mother's 
       sons. As surely as the LORD lives, I would not kill you if you had 
       spared them."





       (Judg 8:20 NCV)  Then Gideon said to Jether, his oldest son, "Kill 
       them." But Jether was only a boy and was afraid, so he did not take 
       out his sword.

       (Judg 8:21 NCV)  Then Zebah and Zalmunna said to Gideon, "Come on. 
       Kill us yourself. As the saying goes, 'It takes a man to do a man's 
       job.'" So Gideon got up and killed Zebah and Zalmunna and took the 
       decorations off their camels' necks.

       (Judg 8:22 NCV)  The people of Israel said to Gideon, "You saved us 
       from the Midianites. Now, we want you and your son and your grandson 
       to rule over us."

       (Judg 8:23 NCV)  But Gideon told them, "The LORD will be your ruler. I 
       will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you."

       (Judg 8:24 NCV)  He said, "I want you to do this one thing for me. I 
       want each of you to give me a gold earring from the things you took in 
       the fighting." (The Ishmaelites wore gold earrings.)

       (Judg 8:25 NCV)  They said, "We will gladly give you what you want." 
       So they spread out a coat, and everyone threw down an earring from 
       what he had taken.

       (Judg 8:26 NCV)  The gold earrings weighed about forty-three pounds. 
       This did not count the decorations, necklaces, and purple robes worn 
       by the kings of Midian, nor the chains from the camels' necks.

       (Judg 8:27 NCV)  Gideon used the gold to make a holy vest, which he 
       put in his hometown of Ophrah. But all the Israelites were unfaithful 
       to God and worshiped it, so it became a trap for Gideon and his 
       family.

       (Judg 8:28 NCV)  So Midian was under the rule of Israel; they did not 
       cause trouble anymore. And the land had peace for forty years, as long 
       as Gideon was alive.

       (Judg 8:29 NCV)  Gideon son of Joash went to his home to live.

       (Judg 8:30 NCV)  He had seventy sons of his own, because he had many 
       wives.

       (Judg 8:31 NCV)  He had a slave woman who lived in Shechem, and he had 
       a son by her, whom he named Abimelech.

       (Judg 8:32 NCV)  So Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age. He was 
       buried in the tomb of Joash, his father, in Ophrah, where the 
       Abiezrites live.

       (Judg 8:33 NCV)  As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel were 
       again unfaithful to God and followed the Baals. They made Baal-Berith 
       their god.

       (Judg 8:34 NCV)  The Israelites did not remember the LORD their God, 
       who had saved them from all their enemies living all around them.





       (Judg 8:35 NCV)  And they were not kind to the family of Jerub-Baal, 
       also called Gideon, for all the good he had done for Israel.

       (Judg 9:1 NCV)  Abimelech son of Gideon went to his uncles in the city 
       of Shechem. He said to his uncles and all of his mother's family 
       group,

       (Judg 9:2 NCV)  "Ask the leaders of Shechem, 'Is it better for the 
       seventy sons of Gideon to rule over you or for one man to rule?' 
       Remember, I am your relative."

       (Judg 9:3 NCV)  Abimelech's uncles spoke to all the leaders of Shechem 
       about this. And they decided to follow Abimelech, because they said, 
       "He is our relative."

       (Judg 9:4 NCV)  So the leaders of Shechem gave Abimelech about one and 
       three-quarter pounds of silver from the temple of the god Baal-Berith. 
       Abimelech used the silver to hire some worthless, reckless men, who 
       followed him wherever he went.

       (Judg 9:5 NCV)  He went to Ophrah, the hometown of his father, and 
       murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of Gideon. He killed them all 
       on one stone. But Gideon's youngest son, Jotham, hid from Abimelech 
       and escaped.

       (Judg 9:6 NCV)  Then all of the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo 
       gathered beside the great tree standing in Shechem. There they made 
       Abimelech their king.

       (Judg 9:7 NCV)  When Jotham heard this, he went and stood on the top 
       of Mount Gerizim. He shouted to the people: "Listen to me, you leaders 
       of Shechem, so that God will listen to you!

       (Judg 9:8 NCV)  One day the trees decided to appoint a king to rule 
       over them. They said to the olive tree, 'You be king over us!'

       (Judg 9:9 NCV)  "But the olive tree said, 'Men and gods are honored by 
       my oil. Should I stop making it and go and sway over the other trees?'

       (Judg 9:10 NCV)  "Then the trees said to the fig tree, 'Come and be 
       king over us!'

       (Judg 9:11 NCV)  "But the fig tree answered, 'Should I stop making my 
       sweet and good fruit and go and sway over the other trees?'

       (Judg 9:12 NCV)  "Then the trees said to the vine, 'Come and be king 
       over us!"

       (Judg 9:13 NCV)  "But the vine answered, 'My new wine makes men and 
       gods happy. Should I stop making it and go and sway over the trees?'

       (Judg 9:14 NCV)  "Then all the trees said to the thornbush, 'Come and 
       be king over us.'

       (Judg 9:15 NCV)  "But the thornbush said to the trees, 'If you really 
       want to appoint me king over you, come and find shelter in my shade! 





       But if not, let fire come out of the thornbush and burn up the cedars 
       of Lebanon!'

       (Judg 9:16 NCV)  "Now, were you completely honest and sincere when you 
       made Abimelech king? Have you been fair to Gideon and his family? Have 
       you treated Gideon as you should?

       (Judg 9:17 NCV)  Remember, my father fought for you and risked his 
       life to save you from the power of the Midianites.

       (Judg 9:18 NCV)  But now you have turned against my father's family 
       and have killed his seventy sons on one stone. You have made 
       Abimelech, the son of my father's slave girl, king over the leaders of 
       Shechem just because he is your relative!

       (Judg 9:19 NCV)  So then, if you have been honest and sincere to 
       Gideon and his family today, be happy with Abimelech as your king. And 
       may he be happy with you!

       (Judg 9:20 NCV)  But if not, may fire come out of Abimelech and 
       completely burn you leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo! Also may fire 
       come out of the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo and burn up 
       Abimelech!"

       (Judg 9:21 NCV)  Then Jotham ran away and escaped to the city of Beer. 
       He lived there because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech.

       (Judg 9:22 NCV)  Abimelech ruled Israel for three years.

       (Judg 9:23 NCV)  Then God sent an evil spirit to make trouble between 
       Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem so that the leaders of Shechem 
       turned against him.

       (Judg 9:24 NCV)  Abimelech had killed Gideon's seventy sons, his own 
       brothers, and the leaders of Shechem had helped him. So God sent the 
       evil spirit to punish them.

       (Judg 9:25 NCV)  The leaders of Shechem were against Abimelech then. 
       They put men on the hilltops in ambush who robbed everyone going by. 
       And Abimelech was told.

       (Judg 9:26 NCV)  A man named Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers moved 
       into Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem trusted him.

       (Judg 9:27 NCV)  They went out to the vineyards to pick grapes, and 
       they squeezed the grapes. Then they had a feast in the temple of their 
       god, where they ate and drank and cursed Abimelech.

       (Judg 9:28 NCV)  Gaal son of Ebed said, "We are the men of Shechem. 
       Who is Abimelech that we should serve him? Isn't he one of Gideon's 
       sons, and isn't Zebul his officer? We should serve the men of Hamor, 
       Shechem's father. Why should we serve Abimelech?

       (Judg 9:29 NCV)  If you made me commander of these people, I would get 
       rid of Abimelech. I would say to him, 'Get your army ready and come 
       out to battle.'"






       (Judg 9:30 NCV)  Now when Zebul, the ruler of Shechem, heard what Gaal 
       son of Ebed said, he was very angry.

       (Judg 9:31 NCV)  He sent secret messengers to Abimelech, saying, "Gaal 
       son of Ebed and Gaal's brothers have come to Shechem, and they are 
       turning the city against you!

       (Judg 9:32 NCV)  You and your men should get up during the night and 
       hide in the fields outside the city.

       (Judg 9:33 NCV)  As soon as the sun comes up in the morning, attack 
       the city. When Gaal and his men come out to fight you, do what you can 
       to them."

       (Judg 9:34 NCV)  So Abimelech and all his soldiers got up during the 
       night and hid near Shechem in four groups.

       (Judg 9:35 NCV)  Gaal son of Ebed went out and was standing at the 
       entrance to the city gate. As he was standing there, Abimelech and his 
       soldiers came out of their hiding places.

       (Judg 9:36 NCV)  When Gaal saw the soldiers, he said to Zebul, "Look! 
       There are people coming down from the mountains!" But Zebul said, "You 
       are seeing the shadows of the mountains. The shadows just look like 
       people."

       (Judg 9:37 NCV)  But again Gaal said, "Look, there are people coming 
       down from the center of the land, and there is a group coming from the 
       fortune-tellers' tree!"

       (Judg 9:38 NCV)  Zebul said to Gaal, "Where is your bragging now? You 
       said, 'Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?' You made fun of 
       these men. Now go out and fight them."

       (Judg 9:39 NCV)  So Gaal led the men of Shechem out to fight 
       Abimelech.

       (Judg 9:40 NCV)  Abimelech and his men chased them, and many of Gaal's 
       men were killed before they could get back to the city gate.

       (Judg 9:41 NCV)  While Abimelech stayed at Arumah, Zebul forced Gaal 
       and his brothers to leave Shechem.

       (Judg 9:42 NCV)  The next day the people of Shechem went out to the 
       fields. When Abimelech was told about it,

       (Judg 9:43 NCV)  he separated his men into three groups and hid them 
       in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he 
       jumped up and attacked them.

       (Judg 9:44 NCV)  Abimelech and his group ran to the entrance gate to 
       the city. The other two groups ran out to the people in the fields and 
       struck them down.

       (Judg 9:45 NCV)  Abimelech and his men fought the city of Shechem all 





       day until they captured it and killed its people. Then he tore it down 
       and threw salt over the ruins.

       (Judg 9:46 NCV)  When the leaders who were in the Tower of Shechem 
       heard what had happened to Shechem, they gathered in the safest room 
       of the temple of El Berith.

       (Judg 9:47 NCV)  Abimelech heard that all the leaders of the Tower of 
       Shechem had gathered there.

       (Judg 9:48 NCV)  So he and all his men went up Mount Zalmon, near 
       Shechem. Abimelech took an ax and cut some branches and put them on 
       his shoulders. He said to all those with him, "Hurry! Do what I have 
       done!"

       (Judg 9:49 NCV)  So all those men cut branches and followed Abimelech 
       and piled them against the safest room of the temple. Then they set 
       them on fire and burned the people inside. So all the people who were 
       at the Tower of Shechem also died--about a thousand men and women.

       (Judg 9:50 NCV)  Then Abimelech went to the city of Thebez. He 
       surrounded the city, attacked it, and captured it.

       (Judg 9:51 NCV)  But inside the city was a strong tower, so all the 
       men, women, and leaders of that city ran to the tower. When they got 
       inside, they locked the door behind them. Then they climbed up to the 
       roof of the tower.

       (Judg 9:52 NCV)  Abimelech came to the tower to attack it. He 
       approached the door of the tower to set it on fire,

       (Judg 9:53 NCV)  but as he came near, a woman dropped a grinding stone 
       on his head, crushing his skull.

       (Judg 9:54 NCV)  He quickly called to the officer who carried his 
       armor and said, "Take out your sword and kill me. I don't want people 
       to say, 'A woman killed Abimelech.'" So the officer stabbed Abimelech, 
       and he died.

       (Judg 9:55 NCV)  When the people of Israel saw Abimelech was dead, 
       they all returned home.

       (Judg 9:56 NCV)  In that way God punished Abimelech for all the evil 
       he had done to his father by killing his seventy brothers.

       (Judg 9:57 NCV)  God also punished the men of Shechem for the evil 
       they had done. So the curse spoken by Jotham, the youngest son of 
       Gideon, came true.

       (Judg 10:1 NCV)  After Abimelech died, another judge came to save 
       Israel. He was Tola son of Puah, the son of Dodo. Tola was from the 
       people of Issachar and lived in the city of Shamir in the mountains of 
       Ephraim.

       (Judg 10:2 NCV)  Tola was a judge for Israel for twenty-three years. 
       Then he died and was buried in Shamir.






       (Judg 10:3 NCV)  After Tola died, Jair from the region of Gilead 
       became judge. He was a judge for Israel for twenty-two years.

       (Judg 10:4 NCV)  Jair had thirty sons, who rode thirty donkeys. These 
       thirty sons controlled thirty towns in Gilead, which are called the 
       Towns of Jair to this day.

       (Judg 10:5 NCV)  Jair died and was buried in the city of Kamon.

       (Judg 10:6 NCV)  Again the Israelites did what the LORD said was 
       wrong. They worshiped Baal and Ashtoreth, the gods of Aram, Sidon, 
       Moab, and Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines. The Israelites left 
       the LORD and stopped serving him.

       (Judg 10:7 NCV)  So the LORD was angry with them and handed them over 
       to the Philistines and the Ammonites.

       (Judg 10:8 NCV)  In the same year those people destroyed the 
       Israelites who lived east of the Jordan River in the region of Gilead, 
       where the Amorites lived. So the Israelites suffered for eighteen 
       years.

       (Judg 10:9 NCV)  The Ammonites then crossed the Jordan River to fight 
       the people of Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim, causing much trouble to 
       the people of Israel.

       (Judg 10:10 NCV)  So the Israelites cried out to the LORD, "We have 
       sinned against you. We left our God and worshiped the Baal idols."

       (Judg 10:11 NCV)  The LORD answered the Israelites, "When the 
       Egyptians, Amorites, Ammonites, Philistines,

       (Judg 10:12 NCV)  Sidonians, Amalekites, and Maonites were cruel to 
       you, you cried out to me, and I saved you.

       (Judg 10:13 NCV)  But now you have left me again and have worshiped 
       other gods. So I refuse to save you again.

       (Judg 10:14 NCV)  You have chosen those gods. So go call to them for 
       help. Let them save you when you are in trouble."

       (Judg 10:15 NCV)  But the people of Israel said to the LORD, "We have 
       sinned. Do to us whatever you want, but please save us today!"

       (Judg 10:16 NCV)  Then the Israelites threw away the foreign gods 
       among them, and they worshiped the LORD again. So he felt sorry for 
       them when he saw their suffering.

       (Judg 10:17 NCV)  The Ammonites gathered for war and camped in Gilead. 
       The Israelites gathered and camped at Mizpah.

       (Judg 10:18 NCV)  The leaders of the people of Gilead said, "Who will 
       lead us to attack the Ammonites? He will become the head of all those 
       who live in Gilead."





       (Judg 11:1 NCV)  Jephthah was a strong soldier from Gilead. His father 
       was named Gilead, and his mother was a prostitute.

       (Judg 11:2 NCV)  Gilead's wife had several sons. When they grew up, 
       they forced Jephthah to leave his home, saying to him, "You will not 
       get any of our father's property, because you are the son of another 
       woman."

       (Judg 11:3 NCV)  So Jephthah ran away from his brothers and lived in 
       the land of Tob. There some worthless men began to follow him.

       (Judg 11:4 NCV)  After a time the Ammonites fought against Israel.

       (Judg 11:5 NCV)  When the Ammonites made war against Israel, the older 
       leaders of Gilead went to Jephthah to bring him back from Tob.

       (Judg 11:6 NCV)  They said to him, "Come and lead our army so we can 
       fight the Ammonites."

       (Judg 11:7 NCV)  But Jephthah said to them, "Didn't you hate me? You 
       forced me to leave my father's house. Why are you coming to me now 
       that you are in trouble?"

       (Judg 11:8 NCV)  The older leaders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "It is 
       because of those troubles that we come to you now. Please come with us 
       and fight against the Ammonites. You will be the ruler over everyone 
       who lives in Gilead."

       (Judg 11:9 NCV)  Then Jephthah answered, "If you take me back to 
       Gilead to fight the Ammonites and the LORD helps me win, I will be 
       your ruler."

       (Judg 11:10 NCV)  The older leaders of Gilead said to him, "The LORD 
       is listening to everything we are saying. We promise to do all that 
       you tell us to do."

       (Judg 11:11 NCV)  So Jephthah went with the older leaders of Gilead, 
       and the people made him their leader and commander of their army. 
       Jephthah repeated all of his words in front of the LORD at Mizpah.

       (Judg 11:12 NCV)  Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the 
       Ammonites, asking, "What have you got against Israel? Why have you 
       come to attack our land?"

       (Judg 11:13 NCV)  The king of the Ammonites answered the messengers of 
       Jephthah, "We are fighting Israel because you took our land when you 
       came up from Egypt. You took our land from the Arnon River to the 
       Jabbok River to the Jordan River. Now give our land back to us 
       peacefully."

       (Judg 11:14 NCV)  Jephthah sent the messengers to the Ammonite king 
       again.

       (Judg 11:15 NCV)  They said: "This is what Jephthah says: Israel did 
       not take the land of the people of Moab or Ammon.





       (Judg 11:16 NCV)  When the Israelites came out of Egypt, they went 
       into the desert to the Red Sea and then to Kadesh.

       (Judg 11:17 NCV)  Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, 
       'Let the people of Israel go across your land.' But the king of Edom 
       refused. We sent the same message to the king of Moab, but he also 
       refused. So the Israelites stayed at Kadesh.

       (Judg 11:18 NCV)  "Then the Israelites went into the desert around the 
       borders of the lands of Edom and Moab. Israel went east of the land of 
       Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon River, the border of 
       Moab. They did not cross it to go into the land of Moab.

       (Judg 11:19 NCV)  "Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the 
       Amorites, king of the city of Heshbon, asking, 'Let the people of 
       Israel pass through your land to go to our land."

       (Judg 11:20 NCV)  But Sihon did not trust the Israelites to cross his 
       land. So he gathered all of his people and camped at Jahaz and fought 
       with Israel.

       (Judg 11:21 NCV)  "But the LORD, the God of Israel, handed Sihon and 
       his army over to Israel. All the land of the Amorites became the 
       property of Israel.

       (Judg 11:22 NCV)  So Israel took all the land of the Amorites from the 
       Arnon River to the Jabbok River, from the desert to the Jordan River.

       (Judg 11:23 NCV)  "It was the LORD, the God of Israel, who forced out 
       the Amorites ahead of the people of Israel. So do you think you can 
       make them leave?

       (Judg 11:24 NCV)  Take the land that your god Chemosh has given you. 
       We will live in the land the LORD our God has given us!

       (Judg 11:25 NCV)  "Are you any better than Balak son of Zippor, king 
       of Moab? Did he ever quarrel or fight with the people of Israel?

       (Judg 11:26 NCV)  For three hundred years the Israelites have lived in 
       Heshbon and Aroer and the towns around them and in all the cities 
       along the Arnon River. Why have you not taken these cities back in all 
       that time?

       (Judg 11:27 NCV)  I have not sinned against you, but you are sinning 
       against me by making war on me. May the LORD, the Judge, decide 
       whether the Israelites or the Ammonites are right."

       (Judg 11:28 NCV)  But the king of the Ammonites ignored this message 
       from Jephthah.

       (Judg 11:29 NCV)  Then the Spirit of the LORD entered Jephthah. 
       Jephthah passed through Gilead and Manasseh and the city of Mizpah in 
       Gilead to the land of the Ammonites.

       (Judg 11:30 NCV)  Jephthah made a promise to the LORD, saying, "If you 
       will hand over the Ammonites to me,






       (Judg 11:31 NCV)  I will give you as a burnt offering the first thing 
       that comes out of my house to meet me when I return from the victory. 
       It will be the Lord's."

       (Judg 11:32 NCV)  Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and 
       the LORD handed them over to him.

       (Judg 11:33 NCV)  In a great defeat Jephthah struck them down from the 
       city of Aroer to the area of Minnith, and twenty cities as far as the 
       city of Abel Keramim. So the Ammonites were defeated by the 
       Israelites.

       (Judg 11:34 NCV)  When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, his 
       daughter was the first one to come out to meet him, playing a 
       tambourine and dancing. She was his only child; he had no other sons 
       or daughters.

       (Judg 11:35 NCV)  When Jephthah saw his daughter, he tore his clothes 
       to show his sorrow. He said, "My daughter! You have made me so sad 
       because I made a promise to the LORD, and I cannot break it!"

       (Judg 11:36 NCV)  Then his daughter said, "Father, you made a promise 
       to the LORD. So do to me just what you promised, because the LORD 
       helped you defeat your enemies, the Ammonites."

       (Judg 11:37 NCV)  She also said, "But let me do one thing. Let me be 
       alone for two months to go to the mountains. Since I will never marry, 
       let me and my friends go and cry together."

       (Judg 11:38 NCV)  Jephthah said, "Go." So he sent her away for two 
       months. She and her friends stayed in the mountains and cried for her 
       because she would never marry.

       (Judg 11:39 NCV)  After two months she returned to her father, and 
       Jephthah did to her what he had promised. Jephthah's daughter never 
       had a husband. From this came a custom in Israel that

       (Judg 11:40 NCV)  every year the young women of Israel would go out 
       for four days to remember the daughter of Jephthah from Gilead.

       (Judg 12:1 NCV)  The men of Ephraim called all their soldiers together 
       and crossed the river to the town of Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, 
       "Why didn't you call us to help you fight the Ammonites? We will burn 
       your house down with you in it."

       (Judg 12:2 NCV)  Jephthah answered them, "My people and I fought a 
       great battle against the Ammonites. I called you, but you didn't come 
       to help me.

       (Judg 12:3 NCV)  When I saw that you would not help me, I risked my 
       own life and went against the Ammonites. The LORD handed them over to 
       me. So why have you come to fight against me today?"

       (Judg 12:4 NCV)  Then Jephthah called the men of Gilead together and 
       fought the men of Ephraim. The men of Gilead struck them down because 





       the Ephraimites had said, "You men of Gilead are nothing but deserters 
       from Ephraim--living between Ephraim and Manasseh."

       (Judg 12:5 NCV)  The men of Gilead captured the crossings of the 
       Jordan River that led to the country of Ephraim. A person from Ephraim 
       trying to escape would say, "Let me cross the river." Then the men of 
       Gilead would ask him, "Are you from Ephraim?" If he replied no,

       (Judg 12:6 NCV)  they would say to him, "Say the word 'Shibboleth.'" 
       The men of Ephraim could not say that word correctly. So if the person 
       from Ephraim said, "Sibboleth," the men of Gilead would kill him at 
       the crossing. So forty-two thousand people from Ephraim were killed at 
       that time.

       (Judg 12:7 NCV)  Jephthah was a judge for Israel for six years. Then 
       Jephthah, the man from Gilead, died and was buried in a town in 
       Gilead.

       (Judg 12:8 NCV)  After Jephthah died, Ibzan from Bethlehem was a judge 
       for Israel.

       (Judg 12:9 NCV)  He had thirty sons and thirty daughters. He let his 
       daughters marry men who were not in his family group, and he brought 
       thirty women who were not in his tribe to be wives for his sons. Ibzan 
       judged Israel for seven years.

       (Judg 12:10 NCV)  Then he died and was buried in Bethlehem.

       (Judg 12:11 NCV)  After Ibzan died, Elon from the tribe of Zebulun was 
       a judge for Israel. He judged Israel for ten years.

       (Judg 12:12 NCV)  Then Elon, the man of Zebulun, died and was buried 
       in the city of Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.

       (Judg 12:13 NCV)  After Elon died, Abdon son of Hillel from the city 
       of Pirathon was a judge for Israel.

       (Judg 12:14 NCV)  He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on 
       seventy donkeys. He judged Israel for eight years.

       (Judg 12:15 NCV)  Then Abdon son of Hillel died and was buried in 
       Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mountains where the Amalekites 
       lived.

       (Judg 13:1 NCV)  Again the people of Israel did what the LORD said was 
       wrong. So he handed them over to the Philistines for forty years.

       (Judg 13:2 NCV)  There was a man named Manoah from the tribe of Dan, 
       who lived in the city of Zorah. He had a wife, but she could not have 
       children.

       (Judg 13:3 NCV)  The angel of the LORD appeared to Manoah's wife and 
       said, "You have not been able to have children, but you will become 
       pregnant and give birth to a son.

       (Judg 13:4 NCV)  Be careful not to drink wine or beer or eat anything 





       that is unclean,

       (Judg 13:5 NCV)  because you will become pregnant and have a son. You 
       must never cut his hair, because he will be a Nazirite, given to God 
       from birth. He will begin to save Israel from the power of the 
       Philistines."

       (Judg 13:6 NCV)  Then Manoah's wife went to him and told him what had 
       happened. She said, "A man from God came to me. He looked like an 
       angel from God; his appearance was frightening. I didn't ask him where 
       he was from, and he didn't tell me his name.

       (Judg 13:7 NCV)  But he said to me, 'You will become pregnant and will 
       have a son. Don't drink wine or beer or eat anything that is unclean, 
       because the boy will be a Nazirite to God from his birth until the day 
       of his death.'"

       (Judg 13:8 NCV)  Then Manoah prayed to the LORD: "Lord, I beg you to 
       let the man of God come to us again. Let him teach us what we should 
       do for the boy who will be born to us."

       (Judg 13:9 NCV)  God heard Manoah's prayer, and the angel of God came 
       to Manoah's wife again while she was sitting in the field. But her 
       husband Manoah was not with her.

       (Judg 13:10 NCV)  So she ran to tell him, "He is here! The man who 
       appeared to me the other day is here!"

       (Judg 13:11 NCV)  Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he came to 
       the man, he said, "Are you the man who spoke to my wife?" The man 
       said, "I am."

       (Judg 13:12 NCV)  So Manoah asked, "When what you say happens, what 
       kind of life should the boy live? What should he do?"

       (Judg 13:13 NCV)  The angel of the LORD said, "Your wife must be 
       careful to do everything I told her to do.

       (Judg 13:14 NCV)  She must not eat anything that grows on a grapevine, 
       or drink any wine or beer, or eat anything that is unclean. She must 
       do everything I have commanded her."

       (Judg 13:15 NCV)  Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, "We would like 
       you to stay awhile so we can cook a young goat for you."

       (Judg 13:16 NCV)  The angel of the LORD answered, "Even if I stay 
       awhile, I would not eat your food. But if you want to prepare 
       something, offer a burnt offering to the LORD." (Manoah did not 
       understand that the man was really the angel of the LORD.)

       (Judg 13:17 NCV)  Then Manoah asked the angel of the LORD, "What is 
       your name? Then we will honor you when what you have said really 
       happens."

       (Judg 13:18 NCV)  The angel of the LORD said, "Why do you ask my name? 
       It is too amazing for you to understand."






       (Judg 13:19 NCV)  So Manoah sacrificed a young goat on a rock and 
       offered some grain as a gift to the LORD. Then an amazing thing 
       happened as Manoah and his wife watched.

       (Judg 13:20 NCV)  The flames went up to the sky from the altar. As the 
       fire burned, the angel of the LORD went up to heaven in the flame. 
       When Manoah and his wife saw that, they bowed facedown on the ground.

       (Judg 13:21 NCV)  The angel of the LORD did not appear to them again. 
       Then Manoah understood that the man was really the angel of the LORD.

       (Judg 13:22 NCV)  Manoah said, "We have seen God, so we will surely 
       die."

       (Judg 13:23 NCV)  But his wife said to him, "If the LORD wanted to 
       kill us, he would not have accepted our burnt offering or grain 
       offering. He would not have shown us all these things or told us all 
       this."

       (Judg 13:24 NCV)  So the woman gave birth to a boy and named him 
       Samson. He grew, and the LORD blessed him.

       (Judg 13:25 NCV)  The Spirit of the LORD began to work in Samson while 
       he was in the city of Mahaneh Dan, between the cities of Zorah and 
       Eshtaol.

       (Judg 14:1 NCV)  Samson went down to the city of Timnah where he saw a 
       Philistine woman.

       (Judg 14:2 NCV)  When he returned home, he said to his father and 
       mother, "I saw a Philistine woman in Timnah. I want you to get her for 
       me so I can marry her."

       (Judg 14:3 NCV)  His father and mother answered, "Surely there is a 
       woman from Israel you can marry. Do you have to marry a woman from the 
       Philistines, who are not circumcised?" But Samson said, "Get that 
       woman for me! She is the one I want!"

       (Judg 14:4 NCV)  (Samson's parents did not know that the LORD wanted 
       this to happen because he was looking for a way to challenge the 
       Philistines, who were ruling over Israel at this time.)

       (Judg 14:5 NCV)  Samson went down with his father and mother to 
       Timnah, as far as the vineyard near there. Suddenly, a young lion came 
       roaring toward Samson!

       (Judg 14:6 NCV)  The Spirit of the LORD entered Samson with great 
       power, and he tore the lion apart with his bare hands. For him it was 
       as easy as tearing apart a young goat. But Samson did not tell his 
       father or mother what he had done.

       (Judg 14:7 NCV)  Then he went down to the city and talked to the 
       Philistine woman, and he liked her.

       (Judg 14:8 NCV)  Several days later Samson went back to marry her. On 





       his way he went over to look at the body of the dead lion and found a 
       swarm of bees and honey in it.

       (Judg 14:9 NCV)  Samson got some of the honey with his hands and 
       walked along eating it. When he came to his parents, he gave some to 
       them. They ate it, too, but Samson did not tell them he had taken the 
       honey from the body of the dead lion.

       (Judg 14:10 NCV)  Samson's father went down to see the Philistine 
       woman. And Samson gave a feast, as was the custom for the bridegroom.

       (Judg 14:11 NCV)  When the people saw him, they sent thirty friends to 
       be with him.

       (Judg 14:12 NCV)  Samson said to them, "Let me tell you a riddle. Try 
       to find the answer during the seven days of the feast. If you can, I 
       will give you thirty linen shirts and thirty changes of clothes.

       (Judg 14:13 NCV)  But if you can't, you must give me thirty linen 
       shirts and thirty changes of clothes." So they said, "Tell us your 
       riddle so we can hear it."

       (Judg 14:14 NCV)  Samson said, "Out of the eater comes something to 
       eat. Out of the strong comes something sweet." After three days, they 
       had not found the answer.

       (Judg 14:15 NCV)  On the fourth day they said to Samson's wife, "Did 
       you invite us here to make us poor? Trick your husband into telling us 
       the answer to the riddle. If you don't, we will burn you and everyone 
       in your father's house."

       (Judg 14:16 NCV)  So Samson's wife went to him, crying, and said, "You 
       hate me! You don't really love me! You told my people a riddle, but 
       you won't tell me the answer." Samson said, "I haven't even told my 
       father or mother. Why should I tell you?"

       (Judg 14:17 NCV)  Samson's wife cried for the rest of the seven days 
       of the feast. So he finally gave her the answer on the seventh day, 
       because she kept bothering him. Then she told her people the answer to 
       the riddle.

       (Judg 14:18 NCV)  Before sunset on the seventh day of the feast, the 
       Philistine men had the answer. They came to Samson and said, "What is 
       sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?" Then Samson said to 
       them, "If you had not plowed with my young cow, you would not have 
       solved my riddle!"

       (Judg 14:19 NCV)  Then the Spirit of the LORD entered Samson and gave 
       him great power. Samson went down to the city of Ashkelon and killed 
       thirty of its men and took all that they had and gave the clothes to 
       the men who had answered his riddle. Then he went to his father's 
       house very angry.

       (Judg 14:20 NCV)  And Samson's wife was given to his best man.

       (Judg 15:1 NCV)  At the time of the wheat harvest, Samson went to 





       visit his wife, taking a young goat with him. He said, "I'm going to 
       my wife's room," but her father would not let him go in.

       (Judg 15:2 NCV)  He said to Samson, "I thought you really hated your 
       wife, so I gave her to your best man. Her younger sister is more 
       beautiful. Take her instead."

       (Judg 15:3 NCV)  But Samson said to them, "This time no one will blame 
       me for hurting you Philistines!"

       (Judg 15:4 NCV)  So Samson went out and caught three hundred foxes. He 
       took two foxes at a time, tied their tails together, and then tied a 
       torch to the tails of each pair of foxes.

       (Judg 15:5 NCV)  After he lit the torches, he let the foxes loose in 
       the grainfields of the Philistines so that he burned up their standing 
       grain, the piles of grain, their vineyards, and their olive trees.

       (Judg 15:6 NCV)  The Philistines asked, "Who did this?" Someone told 
       them, "Samson, the son-in-law of the man from Timnah, did because his 
       father-in-law gave his wife to his best man." So the Philistines 
       burned Samson's wife and her father to death.

       (Judg 15:7 NCV)  Then Samson said to the Philistines, "Since you did 
       this, I won't stop until I pay you back!"

       (Judg 15:8 NCV)  Samson attacked the Philistines and killed many of 
       them. Then he went down and stayed in a cave in the rock of Etam.

       (Judg 15:9 NCV)  The Philistines went up and camped in the land of 
       Judah, near a place named Lehi.

       (Judg 15:10 NCV)  The men of Judah asked them, "Why have you come here 
       to fight us?" They answered, "We have come to make Samson our 
       prisoner, to pay him back for what he did to our people."

       (Judg 15:11 NCV)  Then three thousand men of Judah went to the cave in 
       the rock of Etam and said to Samson, "What have you done to us? Don't 
       you know that the Philistines rule over us?" Samson answered, "I only 
       paid them back for what they did to me."

       (Judg 15:12 NCV)  Then they said to him, "We have come to tie you up 
       and to hand you over to the Philistines." Samson said to them, 
       "Promise me you will not hurt me yourselves."

       (Judg 15:13 NCV)  The men from Judah said, "We agree. We will just tie 
       you up and give you to the Philistines. We will not kill you." So they 
       tied Samson with two new ropes and led him up from the cave in the 
       rock.

       (Judg 15:14 NCV)  When Samson came to the place named Lehi, the 
       Philistines came to meet him, shouting for joy. Then the Spirit of the 
       LORD entered Samson and gave him great power. The ropes on him 
       weakened like burned strings and fell off his hands!

       (Judg 15:15 NCV)  Samson found the jawbone of a dead donkey, took it, 





       and killed a thousand men with it!

       (Judg 15:16 NCV)  Then Samson said, "With a donkey's jawbone I made 
       donkeys out of them. With a donkey's jawbone I killed a thousand men!"

       (Judg 15:17 NCV)  When he finished speaking, he threw away the 
       jawbone. So that place was named Ramath Lehi.

       (Judg 15:18 NCV)  Samson was very thirsty, so he cried out to the 
       LORD, "You gave me, your servant, this great victory. Do I have to die 
       of thirst now? Do I have to be captured by people who are not 
       circumcised?"

       (Judg 15:19 NCV)  Then God opened up a hole in the ground at Lehi, and 
       water came out. When Samson drank, he felt better; he felt strong 
       again. So he named that spring Caller's Spring, which is still in 
       Lehi.

       (Judg 15:20 NCV)  Samson judged Israel for twenty years in the days of 
       the Philistines.

       (Judg 16:1 NCV)  One day Samson went to Gaza and saw a prostitute 
       there. He went in to spend the night with her.

       (Judg 16:2 NCV)  When the people of Gaza heard, "Samson has come 
       here!" they surrounded the place and waited for him near the city gate 
       all night. They whispered to each other, "When dawn comes, we will 
       kill Samson!"

       (Judg 16:3 NCV)  But Samson only stayed with the prostitute until 
       midnight. Then he got up and took hold of the doors and the two posts 
       of the city gate and tore them loose, along with the bar. He put them 
       on his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that faces 
       the city of Hebron.

       (Judg 16:4 NCV)  After this, Samson fell in love with a woman named 
       Delilah, who lived in the Valley of Sorek.

       (Judg 16:5 NCV)  The Philistine rulers went to Delilah and said, "Find 
       out what makes Samson so strong. Trick him into telling you how we can 
       overpower him and capture him and tie him up. If you do this, each one 
       of us will give you twenty-eight pounds of silver."

       (Judg 16:6 NCV)  So Delilah said to Samson, "Tell me why you are so 
       strong. How can someone tie you up and capture you?"

       (Judg 16:7 NCV)  Samson answered, "Someone would have to tie me up 
       with seven new bowstrings that have not been dried. Then I would be as 
       weak as any other man."

       (Judg 16:8 NCV)  The Philistine rulers brought Delilah seven new 
       bowstrings that had not been dried, and she tied Samson with them.

       (Judg 16:9 NCV)  Some men were hiding in another room. Delilah said to 
       him, "Samson, the Philistines are here!" But Samson broke the 
       bowstrings like pieces of burned string. So the Philistines did not 





       find out the secret of Samson's strength.

       (Judg 16:10 NCV)  Then Delilah said to Samson, "You made a fool of me. 
       You lied to me. Now tell me how someone can tie you up."

       (Judg 16:11 NCV)  Samson said, "They would have to tie me with new 
       ropes that have not been used before. Then I would become as weak as 
       any other man."

       (Judg 16:12 NCV)  So Delilah took new ropes and tied Samson. Some men 
       were hiding in another room. She called out to him, "Samson, the 
       Philistines are here!" But he broke the ropes as easily as if they 
       were threads.

       (Judg 16:13 NCV)  Then Delilah said to Samson, "Again you have made a 
       fool of me. You lied to me. Tell me how someone can tie you up." He 
       said, "Using the loom, weave the seven braids of my hair into the 
       cloth, and tighten it with a pin. Then I will be as weak as any other 
       man." While Samson slept, Delilah wove the seven braids of his hair 
       into the cloth.

       (Judg 16:14 NCV)  Then she fastened it with a pin. Again she said to 
       him, "Samson, the Philistines are here!" Samson woke up and pulled out 
       the pin and the loom with the cloth.

       (Judg 16:15 NCV)  Then Delilah said to him, "How can you say, 'I love 
       you,' when you don't even trust me? This is the third time you have 
       made a fool of me. You haven't told me the secret of your great 
       strength."

       (Judg 16:16 NCV)  She kept bothering Samson about his secret day after 
       day until he felt he was going to die!

       (Judg 16:17 NCV)  So he told her everything. He said, "I have never 
       had my hair cut, because I have been set apart to God as a Nazirite 
       since I was born. If someone shaved my head, I would lose my strength 
       and be as weak as any other man."

       (Judg 16:18 NCV)  When Delilah saw that he had told her everything 
       sincerely, she sent a message to the Philistine rulers. She said, 
       "Come back one more time, because he has told me everything." So the 
       Philistine rulers came back to Delilah and brought the silver with 
       them.

       (Judg 16:19 NCV)  Delilah got Samson to sleep, lying in her lap. Then 
       she called in a man to shave off the seven braids of Samson's hair. In 
       this way she began to make him weak, and his strength left him.

       (Judg 16:20 NCV)  Then she said, "Samson, the Philistines are here!" 
       He woke up and thought, "I'll leave as I did before and shake myself 
       free." But he did not know that the LORD had left him.

       (Judg 16:21 NCV)  Then the Philistines captured Samson and tore out 
       his eyes. They took him down to Gaza, where they put bronze chains on 
       him and made him grind grain in the prison.





       (Judg 16:22 NCV)  But his hair began to grow again.

       (Judg 16:23 NCV)  The Philistine rulers gathered to celebrate and to 
       offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon. They said, "Our god has 
       handed Samson our enemy over to us."

       (Judg 16:24 NCV)  When the people saw him, they praised their god, 
       saying, "This man destroyed our country. He killed many of us! But our 
       god handed over our enemy to us."

       (Judg 16:25 NCV)  While the people were enjoying the celebration, they 
       said, "Bring Samson out to perform for us." So they brought Samson 
       from the prison, and he performed for them. They made him stand 
       between the pillars.

       (Judg 16:26 NCV)  Samson said to the servant holding his hand, "Let me 
       feel the pillars that hold up the temple so I can lean against them."

       (Judg 16:27 NCV)  Now the temple was full of men and women. All the 
       Philistine rulers were there, and about three thousand men and women 
       were on the roof watching Samson perform.

       (Judg 16:28 NCV)  Then Samson prayed to the LORD, "Lord GOD, remember 
       me. God, please give me strength one more time so I can pay these 
       Philistines back for putting out my two eyes!"

       (Judg 16:29 NCV)  Then Samson turned to the two center pillars that 
       supported the whole temple. He braced himself between the two pillars, 
       with his right hand on one and his left hand on the other.

       (Judg 16:30 NCV)  Samson said, "Let me die with these Philistines!" 
       Then he pushed as hard as he could, causing the temple to fall on the 
       rulers and all the people in it. So Samson killed more of the 
       Philistines when he died than when he was alive.

       (Judg 16:31 NCV)  Samson's brothers and his whole family went down to 
       get his body. They brought him back and buried him in the tomb of 
       Manoah, his father, between the cities of Zorah and Eshtaol. Samson 
       was a judge for the people of Israel for twenty years.

       (Judg 17:1 NCV)  There was a man named Micah who lived in the 
       mountains of Ephraim.

       (Judg 17:2 NCV)  He said to his mother, "I heard you speak a curse 
       about the twenty-eight pounds of silver that were taken from you. I 
       have the silver with me; I took it." His mother said, "The LORD bless 
       you, my son!"

       (Judg 17:3 NCV)  Micah gave the twenty-eight pounds of silver to his 
       mother. Then she said, "I will give this silver to the LORD. I will 
       have my son make an idol and a statue. So I will give the silver back 
       to you."

       (Judg 17:4 NCV)  When he gave the silver back to his mother, she took 
       about five pounds and gave it to a silversmith. With it he made an 
       idol and a statue, which stood in Micah's house.






       (Judg 17:5 NCV)  Micah had a special holy place, and he made a holy 
       vest and some household idols. Then Micah chose one of his sons to be 
       his priest.

       (Judg 17:6 NCV)  At that time Israel did not have a king, so everyone 
       did what seemed right.

       (Judg 17:7 NCV)  There was a young man who was a Levite from the city 
       of Bethlehem in Judah who was from the people of Judah.

       (Judg 17:8 NCV)  He left Bethlehem to look for another place to live, 
       and on his way he came to Micah's house in the mountains of Ephraim.

       (Judg 17:9 NCV)  Micah asked him, "Where are you from?" He answered, 
       "I'm a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah. I'm looking for a place to 
       live."

       (Judg 17:10 NCV)  Micah said to him, "Live with me and be my father 
       and my priest. I will give you four ounces of silver each year and 
       clothes and food." So the Levite went in.

       (Judg 17:11 NCV)  He agreed to live with Micah and became like one of 
       Micah's own sons.

       (Judg 17:12 NCV)  Micah made him a priest, and he lived in Micah's 
       house.

       (Judg 17:13 NCV)  Then Micah said, "Now I know the LORD will be good 
       to me, because I have a Levite as my priest."

       (Judg 18:1 NCV)  At that time Israel did not have a king. And at that 
       time the tribe of Dan was still looking for a land where they could 
       live, a land of their own. The Danites had not yet been given their 
       own land among the tribes of Israel.

       (Judg 18:2 NCV)  So, from their family groups, they chose five 
       soldiers from the cities of Zorah and Eshtaol to spy out and explore 
       the land. They were told, "Go, explore the land." They came to the 
       mountains of Ephraim, to Micah's house, where they spent the night.

       (Judg 18:3 NCV)  When they came near Micah's house, they recognized 
       the voice of the young Levite. So they stopped there and asked him, 
       "Who brought you here? What are you doing here? Why are you here?"

       (Judg 18:4 NCV)  He told them what Micah had done for him, saying "He 
       hired me. I am his priest."

       (Judg 18:5 NCV)  They said to him, "Please ask God if our journey will 
       be successful."

       (Judg 18:6 NCV)  The priest said to them, "Go in peace. The LORD is 
       pleased with your journey."

       (Judg 18:7 NCV)  So the five men left. When they came to the city of 
       Laish, they saw that the people there lived in safety, like the people 





       of Sidon. They thought they were safe and had plenty of everything. 
       They lived a long way from the Sidonians and had no dealings with 
       anyone else.

       (Judg 18:8 NCV)  When the five men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, 
       their relatives asked them, "What did you find?"

       (Judg 18:9 NCV)  They answered, "We have seen the land, and it is very 
       good. We should attack them. Aren't you going to do something? Don't 
       wait! Let's go and take that land!

       (Judg 18:10 NCV)  When you go, you will see there is plenty of 
       land--plenty of everything! The people are not expecting an attack. 
       Surely God has handed that land over to us!"

       (Judg 18:11 NCV)  So six hundred Danites left Zorah and Eshtaol ready 
       for war.

       (Judg 18:12 NCV)  On their way they set up camp near the city of 
       Kiriath Jearim in Judah. That is why the place west of Kiriath Jearim 
       is named Mahaneh Dan to this day.

       (Judg 18:13 NCV)  From there they traveled on to the mountains of 
       Ephraim. Then they came to Micah's house.

       (Judg 18:14 NCV)  The five men who had explored the land around Laish 
       said to their relatives, "Do you know in one of these houses there are 
       a holy vest, household gods, an idol, and a statue? You know what to 
       do."

       (Judg 18:15 NCV)  So they stopped at the Levite's house, which was 
       also Micah's house, and greeted the Levite.

       (Judg 18:16 NCV)  The six hundred Danites stood at the entrance gate, 
       wearing their weapons of war.

       (Judg 18:17 NCV)  The five spies went into the house and took the 
       idol, the holy vest, the household idols, and the statue. The priest 
       and the six hundred men armed for war stood by the entrance gate.

       (Judg 18:18 NCV)  When the spies went into Micah's house and took the 
       image, the holy vest, the household idols, and the statue, the priest 
       asked them, "What are you doing?"

       (Judg 18:19 NCV)  They answered, "Be quiet! Don't say a word. Come 
       with us and be our father and priest. Is it better for you to be a 
       priest for one man's house or for a tribe and family group in Israel?"

       (Judg 18:20 NCV)  This made the priest happy. So he took the holy 
       vest, the household idols, and the idol and went with the Danites.

       (Judg 18:21 NCV)  They left Micah's house, putting their little 
       children, their animals, and everything they owned in front of them.

       (Judg 18:22 NCV)  When they had gone a little way from Micah's house, 
       the men who lived near Micah were called out and caught up with them.






       (Judg 18:23 NCV)  The men with Micah shouted at the Danites, who 
       turned around and said to Micah, "What's the matter with you? Why have 
       you been called out to fight?"

       (Judg 18:24 NCV)  Micah answered, "You took my gods that I made and my 
       priest. What do I have left? How can you ask me, 'What's the matter?'"

       (Judg 18:25 NCV)  The Danites answered, "You should not argue with us. 
       Some of our angry men might attack you, killing you and your family."

       (Judg 18:26 NCV)  Then the Danites went on their way. Micah knew they 
       were too strong for him, so he turned and went back home.

       (Judg 18:27 NCV)  Then the Danites took what Micah had made and his 
       priest and went on to Laish. They attacked those peaceful people and 
       killed them with their swords and then burned the city.

       (Judg 18:28 NCV)  There was no one to save the people of Laish. They 
       lived too far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with anyone else. 
       Laish was in a valley near Beth Rehob. The people of Dan rebuilt the 
       city and lived there.

       (Judg 18:29 NCV)  They changed the name of Laish to Dan, naming it for 
       their ancestor Dan, one of the sons of Israel.

       (Judg 18:30 NCV)  The people of Dan set up the idols in the city of 
       Dan. Jonathan son of Gershom, Moses' son, and his sons served as 
       priests for the tribe of Dan until the land was captured.

       (Judg 18:31 NCV)  The people of Dan set up the idols Micah had made as 
       long as the Holy Tent of God was in Shiloh.

       (Judg 19:1 NCV)  At that time Israel did not have a king. There was a 
       Levite who lived in the faraway mountains of Ephraim. He had taken a 
       slave woman from the city of Bethlehem in the land of Judah to live 
       with him,

       (Judg 19:2 NCV)  but she was unfaithful to him. She left him and went 
       back to her father's house in Bethlehem in Judah and stayed there for 
       four months.

       (Judg 19:3 NCV)  Then her husband went to ask her to come back to him, 
       taking with him his servant and two donkeys. When the Levite came to 
       her father's house, she invited him to come in, and her father was 
       happy to see him.

       (Judg 19:4 NCV)  The father-in-law, the young woman's father, asked 
       him to stay. So he stayed for three days and ate, drank, and slept 
       there.

       (Judg 19:5 NCV)  On the fourth day they got up early in the morning. 
       The Levite was getting ready to leave, but the woman's father said to 
       his son-in-law, "Refresh yourself by eating something. Then go."

       (Judg 19:6 NCV)  So the two men sat down to eat and drink together. 





       After that, the father said to him, "Please stay tonight. Relax and 
       enjoy yourself."

       (Judg 19:7 NCV)  When the man got up to go, his father-in-law asked 
       him to stay. So he stayed again that night.

       (Judg 19:8 NCV)  On the fifth day the man got up early in the morning 
       to leave. The woman's father said, "Refresh yourself. Wait until this 
       afternoon." So the two men ate together.

       (Judg 19:9 NCV)  When the Levite, his slave woman, and his servant got 
       up to leave, the father-in-law, the young woman's father, said, "It's 
       almost night. The day is almost gone. Spend the night here and enjoy 
       yourself. Tomorrow morning you can get up early and go home."

       (Judg 19:10 NCV)  But the Levite did not want to stay another night. 
       So he took his two saddled donkeys and his slave woman and traveled 
       toward the city of Jebus (also called Jerusalem).

       (Judg 19:11 NCV)  As the day was almost over, they came near Jebus. So 
       the servant said to his master, "Let's stop at this city of the 
       Jebusites, and spend the night here."

       (Judg 19:12 NCV)  But his master said, "No. We won't go inside a 
       foreign city. Those people are not Israelites. We will go on to the 
       city of Gibeah."

       (Judg 19:13 NCV)  He said, "Come on. Let's try to make it to Gibeah or 
       Ramah so we can spend the night in one of those cities."

       (Judg 19:14 NCV)  So they went on. The sun went down as they came near 
       Gibeah, which belongs to the tribe of Benjamin.

       (Judg 19:15 NCV)  They stopped there to spend the night. They came to 
       the public square of the city and sat down, but no one invited them 
       home to spend the night.

       (Judg 19:16 NCV)  Finally, in the evening an old man came in from his 
       work in the fields. His home was in the mountains of Ephraim, but now 
       he was living in Gibeah. (The people of Gibeah were from the tribe of 
       Benjamin.)

       (Judg 19:17 NCV)  He saw the traveler in the public square and asked, 
       "Where are you going? Where did you come from?"

       (Judg 19:18 NCV)  The Levite answered, "We are traveling from 
       Bethlehem in Judah to my home in the mountains of Ephraim. I have been 
       to Bethlehem in Judah, but now I am going to the Holy Tent of the 
       LORD. No one has invited me to stay in his house.

       (Judg 19:19 NCV)  We already have straw and food for our donkeys and 
       bread and wine for me, the young woman, and my servant. We don't need 
       anything."

       (Judg 19:20 NCV)  The old man said, "You are welcome to stay at my 
       house. Let me give you anything you need, but don't spend the night in 





       the public square."

       (Judg 19:21 NCV)  So the old man took the Levite into his house, and 
       he fed their donkeys. They washed their feet and had something to eat 
       and drink.

       (Judg 19:22 NCV)  While they were enjoying themselves, some wicked men 
       of the city surrounded the house and beat on the door. They shouted to 
       the old man who owned the house, "Bring out the man who came to your 
       house. We want to have sexual relations with him."

       (Judg 19:23 NCV)  The owner of the house went outside and said to 
       them, "No, my friends. Don't be so evil. This man is a guest in my 
       house. Don't do this terrible thing!

       (Judg 19:24 NCV)  Look, here are my daughter, who has never had sexual 
       relations before, and the man's slave woman. I will bring them out to 
       you now. Do anything you want with them, but don't do such a terrible 
       thing to this man."

       (Judg 19:25 NCV)  But the men would not listen to him. So the Levite 
       took his slave woman and sent her outside to them. They forced her to 
       have sexual relations with them, and they abused her all night long. 
       Then, at dawn, they let her go.

       (Judg 19:26 NCV)  She came back to the house where her master was 
       staying and fell down at the door and lay there until daylight.

       (Judg 19:27 NCV)  In the morning when the Levite got up, he opened the 
       door of the house and went outside to go on his way. But his slave 
       woman was lying at the doorway of the house, with her hands on the 
       doorsill.

       (Judg 19:28 NCV)  The Levite said to her, "Get up; let's go." But she 
       did not answer. So he put her on his donkey and went home.

       (Judg 19:29 NCV)  When the Levite got home, he took a knife and cut 
       his slave woman into twelve parts, limb by limb. Then he sent a part 
       to each area of Israel.

       (Judg 19:30 NCV)  Everyone who saw this said, "Nothing like this has 
       ever happened before, not since the people of Israel came out of 
       Egypt. Think about it. Tell us what to do."

       (Judg 20:1 NCV)  So all the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba, 
       including the land of Gilead, joined together before the LORD in the 
       city of Mizpah.

       (Judg 20:2 NCV)  The leaders of all the tribes of Israel took their 
       places in the meeting of the people of God. There were 400,000 
       soldiers with swords.

       (Judg 20:3 NCV)  (The people of Benjamin heard that the Israelites had 
       gone up to Mizpah.) Then the Israelites said to the Levite, "Tell us 
       how this evil thing happened."





       (Judg 20:4 NCV)  So the husband of the murdered woman answered, "My 
       slave woman and I came to Gibeah in Benjamin to spend the night.

       (Judg 20:5 NCV)  During the night the men of Gibeah came after me. 
       They surrounded the house and wanted to kill me. They forced my slave 
       woman to have sexual relations and she died.

       (Judg 20:6 NCV)  I took her and cut her into parts and sent one part 
       to each area of Israel because the people of Benjamin did this wicked 
       and terrible thing in Israel.

       (Judg 20:7 NCV)  Now, all you Israelites, speak up. What is your 
       decision?"

       (Judg 20:8 NCV)  Then all the people stood up at the same time, 
       saying, "None of us will go home. Not one of us will go back to his 
       house!

       (Judg 20:9 NCV)  Now this is what we will do to Gibeah. We will throw 
       lots.

       (Judg 20:10 NCV)  That way we will choose ten men from every hundred 
       men from all the tribes of Israel, and we will choose a hundred men 
       from every thousand, and a thousand men from every ten thousand. These 
       will find supplies for the army. Then the army will go to the city of 
       Gibeah of Benjamin to repay them for the terrible thing they have done 
       in Israel."

       (Judg 20:11 NCV)  So all the men of Israel were united and gathered 
       against the city.

       (Judg 20:12 NCV)  The tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe 
       of Benjamin demanding, "What is this evil thing some of your men have 
       done?

       (Judg 20:13 NCV)  Hand over the wicked men in Gibeah so that we can 
       put them to death. We must remove this evil from Israel." But the 
       Benjaminites would not listen to their fellow Israelites.

       (Judg 20:14 NCV)  The Benjaminites left their own cities and met at 
       Gibeah to fight the Israelites.

       (Judg 20:15 NCV)  In only one day the Benjaminites got 26,000 soldiers 
       together who were trained with swords. They also had 700 chosen men 
       from Gibeah.

       (Judg 20:16 NCV)  Seven hundred of these trained soldiers were 
       left-handed, each of whom could sling a stone at a hair and not miss!

       (Judg 20:17 NCV)  The Israelites, except for the Benjaminites, 
       gathered 400,000 soldiers with swords.

       (Judg 20:18 NCV)  The Israelites went up to the city of Bethel and 
       asked God, "Which tribe shall be first to attack the Benjaminites?" 
       The LORD answered, "Judah shall go first."





       (Judg 20:19 NCV)  The next morning the Israelites got up and made a 
       camp near Gibeah.

       (Judg 20:20 NCV)  The men of Israel went out to fight the Benjaminites 
       and took their battle position at Gibeah.

       (Judg 20:21 NCV)  Then the Benjaminites came out of Gibeah and killed 
       22,000 Israelites during the battle that day.

       (Judg 20:22 NCV)  The Israelites went before the LORD and cried until 
       evening. They asked the LORD, "Shall we go to fight our relatives, the 
       Benjaminites, again?" The LORD answered, "Go up and fight them." The 
       men of Israel encouraged each other. So they took the same battle 
       positions they had taken the first day.

       (Judg 20:23 NCV)  

       (Judg 20:24 NCV)  The Israelites came to fight the Benjaminites the 
       second day.

       (Judg 20:25 NCV)  The Benjaminites came out of Gibeah to attack the 
       Israelites. This time, the Benjaminites killed 18,000 Israelites, all 
       of whom carried swords.

       (Judg 20:26 NCV)  Then the Israelites went up to Bethel. There they 
       sat down and cried to the LORD and went without food all day until 
       evening. They also brought burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to 
       the LORD.

       (Judg 20:27 NCV)  The Israelites asked the LORD a question. (In those 
       days the Ark of the Agreement with God was there at Bethel.

       (Judg 20:28 NCV)  A priest named Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of 
       Aaron, served before the Ark of the Agreement.) They asked, "Shall we 
       go to fight our relatives, the Benjaminites, again, or shall we stop 
       fighting?" The LORD answered, "Go, because tomorrow I will hand them 
       over to you."

       (Judg 20:29 NCV)  Then the Israelites set up ambushes all around 
       Gibeah.

       (Judg 20:30 NCV)  They went to fight against the Benjaminites at 
       Gibeah on the third day, getting into position for battle as they had 
       done before.

       (Judg 20:31 NCV)  When the Benjaminites came out to fight them, the 
       Israelites backed up and led the Benjaminites away from the city. The 
       Benjaminites began to kill some of the Israelites as they had done 
       before. About thirty Israelites were killed--some in the fields and 
       some on the roads leading to Bethel and to Gibeah.

       (Judg 20:32 NCV)  The Benjaminites said, "We are winning as before!" 
       But the Israelites said, "Let's run. Let's trick them into going 
       farther away from their city and onto the roads."

       (Judg 20:33 NCV)  All the Israelites moved from their places and got 





       into battle positions at a place named Baal Tamar. Then the Israelites 
       ran out from their hiding places west of Gibeah.

       (Judg 20:34 NCV)  Ten thousand of the best trained soldiers from all 
       of Israel attacked Gibeah. The battle was very hard. The Benjaminites 
       did not know disaster was about to come to them.

       (Judg 20:35 NCV)  The LORD used the Israelites to defeat the 
       Benjaminites. On that day the Israelites killed 25,100 Benjaminites, 
       all armed with swords.

       (Judg 20:36 NCV)  Then the Benjaminites saw that they were defeated. 
       The Israelites had moved back because they were depending on the 
       surprise attack they had set up near Gibeah.

       (Judg 20:37 NCV)  The men in hiding rushed into Gibeah, spread out, 
       and killed everyone in the city with their swords.

       (Judg 20:38 NCV)  Now the Israelites had set up a signal with the men 
       in hiding. The men in the surprise attack were to send up a cloud of 
       smoke from the city.

       (Judg 20:39 NCV)  Then the army of Israel turned around in the battle. 
       The Benjaminites had killed about thirty Israelites. They were saying, 
       "We are winning, as in the first battle!"

       (Judg 20:40 NCV)  But then a cloud of smoke began to rise from the 
       city. The Benjaminites turned around and saw that the whole city was 
       going up in smoke.

       (Judg 20:41 NCV)  Then the Israelites turned and began to fight. The 
       Benjaminites were terrified because they knew that disaster was coming 
       to them.

       (Judg 20:42 NCV)  So the Benjaminites ran away from the Israelites 
       toward the desert, but they could not escape the battle. And the 
       Israelites who came out of the cities killed them.

       (Judg 20:43 NCV)  They surrounded the Benjaminites and chased them and 
       caught them in the area east of Gibeah.

       (Judg 20:44 NCV)  So 18,000 brave Benjaminite fighters were killed.

       (Judg 20:45 NCV)  The Benjaminites ran toward the desert to the rock 
       of Rimmon, but the Israelites killed 5,000 Benjaminites along the 
       roads. They chased them as far as Gidom and killed 2,000 more 
       Benjaminites there.

       (Judg 20:46 NCV)  On that day 25,000 Benjaminites were killed, all of 
       whom had fought bravely with swords.

       (Judg 20:47 NCV)  But 600 Benjaminites ran to the rock of Rimmon in 
       the desert, where they stayed for four months.

       (Judg 20:48 NCV)  Then the Israelites went back to the land of 
       Benjamin and killed the people in every city and also the animals and 





       everything they could find. And they burned every city they found.

       (Judg 21:1 NCV)  At Mizpah the men of Israel had sworn, "Not one of us 
       will let his daughter marry a man from the tribe of Benjamin."

       (Judg 21:2 NCV)  The people went to the city of Bethel and sat before 
       God until evening, crying loudly.

       (Judg 21:3 NCV)  They said, "LORD, God of Israel, why has this 
       terrible thing happened to us so that one tribe of Israel is missing 
       today?"

       (Judg 21:4 NCV)  Early the next day the people built an altar and put 
       burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to God on it.

       (Judg 21:5 NCV)  Then the Israelites asked, "Did any tribe of Israel 
       not come here to meet with us in the presence of the LORD?" They asked 
       this question because they had sworn that anyone who did not meet with 
       them at Mizpah would be killed.

       (Judg 21:6 NCV)  The Israelites felt sorry for their relatives, the 
       Benjaminites. They said, "Today one tribe has been cut off from 
       Israel.

       (Judg 21:7 NCV)  We swore before the LORD that we would not allow our 
       daughters to marry a Benjaminite. How can we make sure that the 
       remaining men of Benjamin will have wives?"

       (Judg 21:8 NCV)  Then they asked, "Which one of the tribes of Israel 
       did not come here to Mizpah?" They found that no one from the city of 
       Jabesh Gilead had come.

       (Judg 21:9 NCV)  The people of Israel counted everyone, but there was 
       no one from Jabesh Gilead.

       (Judg 21:10 NCV)  So the whole group of Israelites sent twelve 
       thousand soldiers to Jabesh Gilead to kill the people with their 
       swords, even the women and children.

       (Judg 21:11 NCV)  "This is what you must do: Kill every man in Jabesh 
       Gilead and every married woman."

       (Judg 21:12 NCV)  The soldiers found four hundred young unmarried 
       women in Jabesh Gilead, so they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in 
       Canaan.

       (Judg 21:13 NCV)  Then the whole group of Israelites sent a message to 
       the men of Benjamin, who were at the rock of Rimmon, offering to make 
       peace with them.

       (Judg 21:14 NCV)  So the men of Benjamin came back at that time. The 
       Israelites gave them the women from Jabesh Gilead who had not been 
       killed, but there were not enough women.

       (Judg 21:15 NCV)  The people of Israel felt sorry for the Benjaminites 
       because the LORD had separated the tribes of Israel.






       (Judg 21:16 NCV)  The older leaders of the Israelites said, "The women 
       of Benjamin have been killed. Where can we get wives for the men of 
       Benjamin who are still alive?

       (Judg 21:17 NCV)  These men must have children to continue their 
       families so a tribe in Israel will not die out.

       (Judg 21:18 NCV)  But we cannot allow our daughters to marry them, 
       because we swore, 'Anyone who gives a wife to a man of Benjamin is 
       cursed.'

       (Judg 21:19 NCV)  We have an idea! There is a yearly festival of the 
       LORD at Shiloh, which is north of the city of Bethel, east of the road 
       that goes from Bethel to Shechem, and south of the city of Lebonah."

       (Judg 21:20 NCV)  So the older leaders told the men of Benjamin, "Go 
       and hide in the vineyards.

       (Judg 21:21 NCV)  Watch for the young women from Shiloh to come out to 
       join the dancing. Then run out from the vineyards and take one of the 
       young Shiloh women and return to the land of Benjamin.

       (Judg 21:22 NCV)  If their fathers or brothers come to us and 
       complain, we will say: 'Be kind to the men of Benjamin. We did not get 
       wives for Benjamin during the war, and you did not give the women to 
       the men from Benjamin. So you are not guilty.'"

       (Judg 21:23 NCV)  So that is what the Benjaminites did. While the 
       young women were dancing, each man caught one of them, took her away, 
       and married her. Then they went back to the land God had given them 
       and rebuilt their cities and lived there.

       (Judg 21:24 NCV)  Then the Israelites went home to their own tribes 
       and family groups, to their own land that God had given them.

       (Judg 21:25 NCV)  In those days Israel did not have a king. Everyone 
       did what seemed right.

       (Ruth 1:1 NCV)  Long ago when the judges ruled Israel, there was a 
       shortage of food in the land. So a man named Elimelech left the town 
       of Bethlehem in Judah to live in the country of Moab with his wife and 
       his two sons. His wife was named Naomi, and his two sons were named 
       Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathahites from Bethlehem in Judah. 
       When they came to Moab, they settled there.

       (Ruth 1:2 NCV)  

       (Ruth 1:3 NCV)  Then Naomi's husband, Elimelech, died, and she was 
       left with her two sons.

       (Ruth 1:4 NCV)  These sons married women from Moab. One was named 
       Orpah, and the other was named Ruth. Naomi and her sons had lived in 
       Moab about ten years

       (Ruth 1:5 NCV)  when Mahlon and Kilion also died. So Naomi was left 





       alone without her husband or her two sons.

       (Ruth 1:6 NCV)  While Naomi was in Moab, she heard that the LORD had 
       come to help his people and had given them food again. So she and her 
       daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab and return home.

       (Ruth 1:7 NCV)  Naomi and her daughters-in-law left the place where 
       they had lived and started back to the land of Judah.

       (Ruth 1:8 NCV)  But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back 
       home, each of you to your own mother's house. May the LORD be as kind 
       to you as you have been to me and my sons who are now dead.

       (Ruth 1:9 NCV)  May the LORD give you another happy home and a new 
       husband." When Naomi kissed the women good-bye, they began to cry out 
       loud.

       (Ruth 1:10 NCV)  They said to her, "No, we want to go with you to your 
       people."

       (Ruth 1:11 NCV)  But Naomi said, "My daughters, return to your own 
       homes. Why do you want to go with me? I cannot give birth to more sons 
       to give you new husbands;

       (Ruth 1:12 NCV)  go back, my daughters, to your own homes. I am too 
       old to have another husband. Even if I told myself, 'I still have 
       hope' and had another husband tonight, and even if I had more sons,

       (Ruth 1:13 NCV)  should you wait until they were grown into men? 
       Should you live for so many years without husbands? Don't do that, my 
       daughters. My life is much too sad for you to share, because the LORD 
       has been against me!"

       (Ruth 1:14 NCV)  The women cried together out loud again. Then Orpah 
       kissed her mother-in-law Naomi good-bye, but Ruth held on to her 
       tightly.

       (Ruth 1:15 NCV)  Naomi said to Ruth, "Look, your sister-in-law is 
       going back to her own people and her own gods. Go back with her."

       (Ruth 1:16 NCV)  But Ruth said, "Don't beg me to leave you or to stop 
       following you. Where you go, I will go. Where you live, I will live. 
       Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.

       (Ruth 1:17 NCV)  And where you die, I will die, and there I will be 
       buried. I ask the LORD to punish me terribly if I do not keep this 
       promise: Not even death will separate us."

       (Ruth 1:18 NCV)  When Naomi saw that Ruth had firmly made up her mind 
       to go with her, she stopped arguing with her.

       (Ruth 1:19 NCV)  So Naomi and Ruth went on until they came to the town 
       of Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, all the people became very 
       excited. The women of the town said, "Is this really Naomi?"

       (Ruth 1:20 NCV)  Naomi answered the people, "Don't call me Naomi. Call 





       me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very sad.

       (Ruth 1:21 NCV)  When I left, I had all I wanted, but now, the LORD 
       has brought me home with nothing. Why should you call me Naomi when 
       the LORD has spoken against me and the Almighty has given me so much 
       trouble?"

       (Ruth 1:22 NCV)  So Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth, the Moabite, 
       returned from Moab and arrived at Bethlehem at the beginning of the 
       barley harvest.

       (Ruth 2:1 NCV)  Now Naomi had a rich relative named Boaz, from 
       Elimelech's family.

       (Ruth 2:2 NCV)  One day Ruth, the Moabite, said to Naomi, "I am going 
       to the fields. Maybe someone will be kind enough to let me gather the 
       grain he leaves behind." Naomi said, "Go, my daughter."

       (Ruth 2:3 NCV)  So Ruth went to the fields and gathered the grain that 
       the workers cutting the grain had left behind. It just so happened 
       that the field belonged to Boaz, from Elimelech's family.

       (Ruth 2:4 NCV)  Soon Boaz came from Bethlehem and greeted his workers, 
       "The LORD be with you!" And the workers answered, "May the LORD bless 
       you!"

       (Ruth 2:5 NCV)  Then Boaz asked his servant in charge of the workers, 
       "Whose girl is that?"

       (Ruth 2:6 NCV)  The servant answered, "She is the young Moabite woman 
       who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab.

       (Ruth 2:7 NCV)  She said, 'Please let me follow the workers cutting 
       grain and gather what they leave behind.' She came and has remained 
       here, from morning until just now. She has stopped only a few moments 
       to rest in the shelter."

       (Ruth 2:8 NCV)  Then Boaz said to Ruth, "Listen, my daughter. Don't go 
       to gather grain for yourself in another field. Don't even leave this 
       field at all, but continue following closely behind my women workers.

       (Ruth 2:9 NCV)  Watch to see into which fields they go to cut grain 
       and follow them. I have warned the young men not to bother you. When 
       you are thirsty, you may go and drink from the water jugs that the 
       young men have filled."

       (Ruth 2:10 NCV)  Then Ruth bowed low with her face to the ground and 
       said to him, "I am not an Israelite. Why have you been so kind to 
       notice me?"

       (Ruth 2:11 NCV)  Boaz answered her, "I know about all the help you 
       have given your mother-in-law after your husband died. You left your 
       father and mother and your own country to come to a nation where you 
       did not know anyone.

       (Ruth 2:12 NCV)  May the LORD reward you for all you have done. May 





       your wages be paid in full by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose 
       wings you have come for shelter."

       (Ruth 2:13 NCV)  Then Ruth said, "I hope I can continue to please you, 
       sir. You have said kind and encouraging words to me, your servant, 
       though I am not one of your servants."

       (Ruth 2:14 NCV)  At mealtime Boaz told Ruth, "Come here. Eat some of 
       our bread and dip it in our sauce." So Ruth sat down beside the 
       workers. Boaz handed her some roasted grain, and she ate until she was 
       full; she even had some food left over.

       (Ruth 2:15 NCV)  When Ruth rose and went back to work, Boaz commanded 
       his workers, "Let her gather even around the piles of cut grain. Don't 
       tell her to go away.

       (Ruth 2:16 NCV)  In fact, drop some full heads of grain for her from 
       what you have in your hands, and let her gather them. Don't tell her 
       to stop."

       (Ruth 2:17 NCV)  So Ruth gathered grain in the field until evening. 
       Then she separated the grain from the chaff, and there was about 
       one-half bushel of barley.

       (Ruth 2:18 NCV)  Ruth carried the grain into town, and her 
       mother-in-law saw how much she had gathered. Ruth also took out the 
       food that was left over from lunch and gave it to Naomi.

       (Ruth 2:19 NCV)  Naomi asked her, "Where did you gather all this grain 
       today? Where did you work? Blessed be whoever noticed you!" Ruth told 
       her mother-in-law whose field she had worked in. She said, "The man I 
       worked with today is named Boaz."

       (Ruth 2:20 NCV)  Naomi told her daughter-in-law, "The LORD bless him! 
       He continues to be kind to us--both the living and the dead!" Then 
       Naomi told Ruth, "Boaz is one of our close relatives, one who should 
       take care of us."

       (Ruth 2:21 NCV)  Then Ruth, the Moabite, said, "Boaz also told me, 
       'Keep close to my workers until they have finished my whole harvest.'"

       (Ruth 2:22 NCV)  But Naomi said to her daughter-in-law Ruth, "It is 
       better for you to continue working with his women workers. If you work 
       in another field, someone might hurt you."

       (Ruth 2:23 NCV)  So Ruth continued working closely with the workers of 
       Boaz, gathering grain until the barley harvest and the wheat harvest 
       were finished. And she continued to live with Naomi, her 
       mother-in-law.

       (Ruth 3:1 NCV)  Then Naomi, Ruth's mother-in-law, said to her, "My 
       daughter, I must find a suitable home for you, one that will be good 
       for you.

       (Ruth 3:2 NCV)  Now Boaz, whose young women you worked with, is our 
       close relative. Tonight he will be working at the threshing floor.






       (Ruth 3:3 NCV)  Wash yourself, put on perfume, change your clothes, 
       and go down to the threshing floor. But don't let him know you're 
       there until he has finished his dinner.

       (Ruth 3:4 NCV)  Watch him so you will know where he lies down to 
       sleep. When he lies down, go and lift the cover off his feet and lie 
       down. He will tell you what you should do."

       (Ruth 3:5 NCV)  Then Ruth answered, "I will do everything you say."

       (Ruth 3:6 NCV)  So Ruth went down to the threshing floor and did all 
       her mother-in-law told her to do.

       (Ruth 3:7 NCV)  After his evening meal, Boaz felt good and went to 
       sleep lying beside the pile of grain. Ruth went to him quietly and 
       lifted the cover from his feet and lay down.

       (Ruth 3:8 NCV)  About midnight Boaz was startled and rolled over. 
       There was a woman lying near his feet!

       (Ruth 3:9 NCV)  Boaz asked, "Who are you?" She said, "I am Ruth, your 
       servant girl. Spread your cover over me, because you are a relative 
       who is supposed to take care of me."

       (Ruth 3:10 NCV)  Then Boaz said, "The LORD bless you, my daughter. 
       This act of kindness is greater than the kindness you showed to Naomi 
       in the beginning. You didn't look for a young man to marry, either 
       rich or poor.

       (Ruth 3:11 NCV)  Now, my daughter, don't be afraid. I will do 
       everything you ask, because all the people in our town know you are a 
       good woman.

       (Ruth 3:12 NCV)  It is true that I am a relative who is to take care 
       of you, but you have a closer relative than I.

       (Ruth 3:13 NCV)  Stay here tonight, and in the morning we will see if 
       he will take care of you. If he decides to take care of you, that is 
       fine. But if he refuses, I will take care of you myself, as surely as 
       the LORD lives. So stay here until morning."

       (Ruth 3:14 NCV)  So Ruth stayed near his feet until morning but got up 
       while it was still too dark to recognize anyone. Boaz thought, "People 
       in town must not know that the woman came here to the threshing 
       floor."

       (Ruth 3:15 NCV)  So Boaz said to Ruth, "Bring me your shawl and hold 
       it open." So Ruth held her shawl open, and Boaz poured six portions of 
       barley into it. Boaz then put it on her head and went back to the 
       city.

       (Ruth 3:16 NCV)  When Ruth went back to her mother-in-law, Naomi 
       asked, "How did you do, my daughter?" Ruth told Naomi everything that 
       Boaz did for her.





       (Ruth 3:17 NCV)  She said, "Boaz gave me these six portions of barley, 
       saying, 'You must not go home without a gift for your mother-in-law.'"

       (Ruth 3:18 NCV)  Naomi answered, "Ruth, my daughter, wait here until 
       you see what happens. Boaz will not rest until he has finished doing 
       what he should do today."

       (Ruth 4:1 NCV)  Boaz went to the city gate and sat there until the 
       close relative he had mentioned passed by. Boaz called to him, "Come 
       here, friend, and sit down." So the man came over and sat down.

       (Ruth 4:2 NCV)  Boaz gathered ten of the older leaders of the city and 
       told them, "Sit down here!" So they sat down.

       (Ruth 4:3 NCV)  Then Boaz said to the close relative, "Naomi, who has 
       come back from the country of Moab, wants to sell the piece of land 
       that belonged to our relative Elimelech.

       (Ruth 4:4 NCV)  So I decided to tell you about it: If you want to buy 
       back the land, then buy it in front of the people who are sitting here 
       and in front of the older leaders of my people. But if you don't want 
       to buy it, tell me, because you are the only one who can buy it, and I 
       am next after you." The close relative answered, "I will buy back the 
       land."

       (Ruth 4:5 NCV)  Then Boaz explained, "When you buy the land from 
       Naomi, you must also marry Ruth, the Moabite, the dead man's wife. 
       That way, the land will stay in the dead man's name."

       (Ruth 4:6 NCV)  The close relative answered, "I can't buy back the 
       land. If I did, I might harm what I can pass on to my own sons. I 
       cannot buy the land back, so buy it yourself."

       (Ruth 4:7 NCV)  Long ago in Israel when people traded or bought back 
       something, one person took off his sandal and gave it to the other 
       person. This was the proof of ownership in Israel.

       (Ruth 4:8 NCV)  So the close relative said to Boaz, "Buy the land 
       yourself," and he took off his sandal.

       (Ruth 4:9 NCV)  Then Boaz said to the older leaders and to all the 
       people, "You are witnesses today. I am buying from Naomi everything 
       that belonged to Elimelech and Kilion and Mahlon.

       (Ruth 4:10 NCV)  I am also taking Ruth, the Moabite who was the wife 
       of Mahlon, as my wife. I am doing this so her dead husband's property 
       will stay in his name and his name will not be separated from his 
       family and his hometown. You are witnesses today."

       (Ruth 4:11 NCV)  So all the people and older leaders who were at the 
       city gate said, "We are witnesses. May the LORD make this woman, who 
       is coming into your home, like Rachel and Leah, who had many children 
       and built up the people of Israel. May you become powerful in the 
       district of Ephrathah and famous in Bethlehem.

       (Ruth 4:12 NCV)  As Tamar gave birth to Judah's son Perez, may the 





       LORD give you many children through Ruth. May your family be great 
       like his."

       (Ruth 4:13 NCV)  So Boaz took Ruth home as his wife and had sexual 
       relations with her. The LORD let her become pregnant, and she gave 
       birth to a son.

       (Ruth 4:14 NCV)  The women told Naomi, "Praise the LORD who gave you 
       this grandson. May he become famous in Israel.

       (Ruth 4:15 NCV)  He will give you new life and will take care of you 
       in your old age because of your daughter-in-law who loves you. She is 
       better for you than seven sons, because she has given birth to your 
       grandson."

       (Ruth 4:16 NCV)  Naomi took the boy, held him in her arms, and cared 
       for him.

       (Ruth 4:17 NCV)  The neighbors gave the boy his name, saying, "This 
       boy was born for Naomi." They named him Obed. Obed was the father of 
       Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David.

       (Ruth 4:18 NCV)  This is the family history of Perez, the father of 
       Hezron.

       (Ruth 4:19 NCV)  Hezron was the father of Ram, who was the father of 
       Amminadab.

       (Ruth 4:20 NCV)  Amminadab was the father of Nahshon, who was the 
       father of Salmon.

       (Ruth 4:21 NCV)  Salmon was the father of Boaz, who was the father of 
       Obed.

       (Ruth 4:22 NCV)  Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the 
       father of David.

       (1 Sam 1:1 NCV)  There was a man named Elkanah son of Jeroham from 
       Ramathaim in the mountains of Ephraim. Elkanah was from the family of 
       Zuph. (Jeroham was Elihu's son. Elihu was Tohu's son, and Tohu was the 
       son of Zuph from the family group of Ephraim.)

       (1 Sam 1:2 NCV)  Elkanah had two wives named Hannah and Peninnah. 
       Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

       (1 Sam 1:3 NCV)  Every year Elkanah left his town of Ramah and went up 
       to Shiloh to worship the LORD All-Powerful and to offer sacrifices to 
       him. Shiloh was where Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli, served as 
       priests of the LORD.

       (1 Sam 1:4 NCV)  When Elkanah offered sacrifices, he always gave a 
       share of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to her sons and daughters.

       (1 Sam 1:5 NCV)  But Elkanah always gave a special share of the meat 
       to Hannah, because he loved Hannah and because the LORD had kept her 
       from having children.






       (1 Sam 1:6 NCV)  Peninnah would tease Hannah and upset her, because 
       the LORD had made her unable to have children.

       (1 Sam 1:7 NCV)  This happened every year when they went up to the 
       house of the LORD at Shiloh. Peninnah would upset Hannah until Hannah 
       would cry and not eat anything.

       (1 Sam 1:8 NCV)  Her husband Elkanah would say to her, "Hannah, why 
       are you crying and why won't you eat? Why are you sad? Don't I mean 
       more to you than ten sons?"

       (1 Sam 1:9 NCV)  Once, after they had eaten their meal in Shiloh, 
       Hannah got up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair near the 
       entrance to the Lord's house.

       (1 Sam 1:10 NCV)  Hannah was so sad that she cried and prayed to the 
       LORD.

       (1 Sam 1:11 NCV)  She made a promise, saying, "LORD All-Powerful, see 
       how sad I am. Remember me and don't forget me. If you will give me a 
       son, I will give him back to you all his life, and no one will ever 
       cut his hair with a razor."

       (1 Sam 1:12 NCV)  While Hannah kept praying, Eli watched her mouth.

       (1 Sam 1:13 NCV)  She was praying in her heart so her lips moved, but 
       her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk

       (1 Sam 1:14 NCV)  and said to her, "Stop getting drunk! Throw away 
       your wine!"

       (1 Sam 1:15 NCV)  Hannah answered, "No, sir, I have not drunk any wine 
       or beer. I am a deeply troubled woman, and I was telling the LORD 
       about all my problems.

       (1 Sam 1:16 NCV)  Don't think I am an evil woman. I have been praying 
       because I have many troubles and am very sad."

       (1 Sam 1:17 NCV)  Eli answered, "Go! I wish you well. May the God of 
       Israel give you what you asked of him."

       (1 Sam 1:18 NCV)  Hannah said, "May I always please you." When she 
       left and ate something, she was not sad anymore.

       (1 Sam 1:19 NCV)  Early the next morning Elkanah's family got up and 
       worshiped the LORD. Then they went back home to Ramah. Elkanah had 
       sexual relations with his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her.

       (1 Sam 1:20 NCV)  So Hannah became pregnant, and in time she gave 
       birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, "His name is Samuel 
       because I asked the LORD for him."

       (1 Sam 1:21 NCV)  Every year Elkanah went with his whole family to 
       Shiloh to offer sacrifices and to keep the promise he had made to God.





       (1 Sam 1:22 NCV)  But one time Hannah did not go with him. She told 
       him, "When the boy is old enough to eat solid food, I will take him to 
       Shiloh. Then I will give him to the LORD, and he will always live 
       there."

       (1 Sam 1:23 NCV)  Elkanah, Hannah's husband, said to her, "Do what you 
       think is best. You may stay home until the boy is old enough to eat. 
       May the LORD do what you have said." So Hannah stayed at home to nurse 
       her son until he was old enough to eat.

       (1 Sam 1:24 NCV)  When Samuel was old enough to eat, Hannah took him 
       to the house of the LORD at Shiloh, along with a three-year-old bull, 
       one-half bushel of flour, and a leather bag filled with wine.

       (1 Sam 1:25 NCV)  After they had killed the bull for the sacrifice, 
       Hannah brought Samuel to Eli.

       (1 Sam 1:26 NCV)  She said to Eli, "As surely as you live, sir, I am 
       the same woman who stood near you praying to the LORD.

       (1 Sam 1:27 NCV)  I prayed for this child, and the LORD answered my 
       prayer and gave him to me.

       (1 Sam 1:28 NCV)  Now I give him back to the LORD. He will belong to 
       the LORD all his life." And he worshiped the LORD there.

       (1 Sam 2:1 NCV)  Hannah prayed: "The LORD has filled my heart with 
       joy; I feel very strong in the LORD. I can laugh at my enemies; I am 
       glad because you have helped me!

       (1 Sam 2:2 NCV)  "There is no one holy like the LORD. There is no God 
       but you; there is no Rock like our God.

       (1 Sam 2:3 NCV)  "Don't continue bragging, don't speak proud words. 
       The LORD is a God who knows everything, and he judges what people do.

       (1 Sam 2:4 NCV)  "The bows of warriors break, but weak people become 
       strong.

       (1 Sam 2:5 NCV)  Those who once had plenty of food now must work for 
       food, but people who were hungry are hungry no more. The woman who 
       could not have children now has seven, but the woman who had many 
       children now is sad.

       (1 Sam 2:6 NCV)  "The LORD sends death, and he brings to life. He 
       sends people to the grave, and he raises them to life again.

       (1 Sam 2:7 NCV)  The LORD makes some people poor, and others he makes 
       rich. He makes some people humble, and others he makes great.

       (1 Sam 2:8 NCV)  The LORD raises the poor up from the dust, and he 
       lifts the needy from the ashes. He lets the poor sit with princes and 
       receive a throne of honor. "The foundations of the earth belong to the 
       LORD, and the LORD set the world upon them.

       (1 Sam 2:9 NCV)  He protects those who are loyal to him, but evil 





       people will be silenced in darkness. Power is not the key to success.

       (1 Sam 2:10 NCV)  The LORD destroys his enemies; he will thunder in 
       heaven against them. The LORD will judge all the earth. He will give 
       power to his king and make his appointed king strong."

       (1 Sam 2:11 NCV)  Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy 
       continued to serve the LORD under Eli the priest.

       (1 Sam 2:12 NCV)  Now Eli's sons were evil men; they did not care 
       about the LORD.

       (1 Sam 2:13 NCV)  This is what the priests would normally do to the 
       people: Every time someone brought a sacrifice, the meat would be 
       cooked in a pot. The priest's servant would then come carrying a fork 
       that had three prongs.

       (1 Sam 2:14 NCV)  He would plunge the fork into the pot or the kettle. 
       Whatever the fork brought out of the pot belonged to the priest. But 
       this is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh to 
       offer sacrifices.

       (1 Sam 2:15 NCV)  Even before the fat was burned, the priest's servant 
       would come to the person offering sacrifices and say, "Give the priest 
       some meat to roast. He won't accept boiled meat from you, only raw 
       meat."

       (1 Sam 2:16 NCV)  If the one who offered the sacrifice said, "Let the 
       fat be burned up first as usual, and then take anything you want," the 
       priest's servant would answer, "No, give me the meat now. If you 
       don't, I'll take it by force."

       (1 Sam 2:17 NCV)  The LORD saw that the sin of the servants was very 
       great because they did not show respect for the offerings made to the 
       LORD.

       (1 Sam 2:18 NCV)  But Samuel obeyed the LORD. As a boy he wore a linen 
       holy vest.

       (1 Sam 2:19 NCV)  Every year Samuel's mother made a little coat for 
       him and took it to him when she went with her husband to Shiloh for 
       the sacrifice.

       (1 Sam 2:20 NCV)  When Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, he would say, 
       "May the LORD repay you with children through Hannah to take the place 
       of the boy Hannah prayed for and gave back to the LORD." Then Elkanah 
       and Hannah would go home.

       (1 Sam 2:21 NCV)  The LORD was kind to Hannah, so she became the 
       mother of three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew up 
       serving the LORD.

       (1 Sam 2:22 NCV)  Now Eli was very old. He heard about everything his 
       sons were doing to all the Israelites and how his sons had sexual 
       relations with the women who served at the entrance to the Meeting 
       Tent.






       (1 Sam 2:23 NCV)  Eli said to his sons, "Why do you do these evil 
       things that the people tell me about?

       (1 Sam 2:24 NCV)  No, my sons. The Lord's people are spreading a bad 
       report about you.

       (1 Sam 2:25 NCV)  If you sin against someone, God can help you. But if 
       you sin against the LORD himself, no one can help you!" But Eli's sons 
       would not listen to him, because the LORD had decided to put them to 
       death.

       (1 Sam 2:26 NCV)  The boy Samuel grew physically. He pleased the LORD 
       and the people.

       (1 Sam 2:27 NCV)  A man of God came to Eli and said, "This is what the 
       LORD says: 'I clearly showed myself to the family of your ancestor 
       Aaron when they were slaves to the king of Egypt.

       (1 Sam 2:28 NCV)  I chose them from all the tribes of Israel to be my 
       priests. I wanted them to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to 
       wear the holy vest. I also let the family of your ancestor have part 
       of all the offerings sacrificed by the Israelites.

       (1 Sam 2:29 NCV)  So why don't you respect the sacrifices and gifts? 
       You honor your sons more than me. You grow fat on the best parts of 
       the meat the Israelites bring to me.'

       (1 Sam 2:30 NCV)  "So the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I promised 
       that your family and your ancestor's family would serve me always.' 
       But now the LORD says: 'This must stop! I will honor those who honor 
       me, but I will dishonor those who ignore me.

       (1 Sam 2:31 NCV)  The time is coming when I will destroy the 
       descendants of both you and your ancestors. No man will grow old in 
       your family.

       (1 Sam 2:32 NCV)  You will see trouble in my house. No matter what 
       good things happen to Israel, there will never be an old man in your 
       family.

       (1 Sam 2:33 NCV)  I will not totally cut off your family from my 
       altar. But your eyes will cry and your heart be sad, because all your 
       descendants will die.

       (1 Sam 2:34 NCV)  "'I will give you a sign. Both your sons, Hophni and 
       Phinehas, will die on the same day.

       (1 Sam 2:35 NCV)  I will choose a loyal priest for myself who will 
       listen to me and do what I want. I will make his family continue, and 
       he will always serve before my appointed king.

       (1 Sam 2:36 NCV)  Then everyone left in your family will come and bow 
       down before him. They will beg for a little money or a little food and 
       say, "Please give me a job as priest so I can have food to eat."'"





       (1 Sam 3:1 NCV)  The boy Samuel served the LORD under Eli. In those 
       days the LORD did not speak directly to people very often; there were 
       very few visions.

       (1 Sam 3:2 NCV)  Eli's eyes were so weak he was almost blind. One 
       night he was lying in bed.

       (1 Sam 3:3 NCV)  Samuel was also in bed in the Lord's house, where the 
       Ark of the Agreement was. God's lamp was still burning.

       (1 Sam 3:4 NCV)  Then the LORD called Samuel, and Samuel answered, "I 
       am here!"

       (1 Sam 3:5 NCV)  He ran to Eli and said, "I am here. You called me." 
       But Eli said, "I didn't call you. Go back to bed." So Samuel went back 
       to bed.

       (1 Sam 3:6 NCV)  The LORD called again, "Samuel!" Samuel again went to 
       Eli and said, "I am here. You called me." Again Eli said, "I didn't 
       call you. Go back to bed."

       (1 Sam 3:7 NCV)  Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the LORD had 
       not spoken directly to him yet.

       (1 Sam 3:8 NCV)  The LORD called Samuel for the third time. Samuel got 
       up and went to Eli and said, "I am here. You called me." Then Eli 
       realized the LORD was calling the boy.

       (1 Sam 3:9 NCV)  So he told Samuel, "Go to bed. If he calls you again, 
       say, 'Speak, LORD. I am your servant and I am listening.'" So Samuel 
       went and lay down in bed.

       (1 Sam 3:10 NCV)  The LORD came and stood there and called as he had 
       before, "Samuel, Samuel!" Samuel said, "Speak, LORD. I am your servant 
       and I am listening."

       (1 Sam 3:11 NCV)  The LORD said to Samuel, "Watch, I am going to do 
       something in Israel that will shock those who hear about it.

       (1 Sam 3:12 NCV)  At that time I will do to Eli and his family 
       everything I promised, from beginning to end.

       (1 Sam 3:13 NCV)  I told Eli I would punish his family always, because 
       he knew his sons were evil. They acted without honor, but he did not 
       stop them.

       (1 Sam 3:14 NCV)  So I swore to Eli's family, 'Your guilt will never 
       be removed by sacrifice or offering.'"

       (1 Sam 3:15 NCV)  Samuel lay down until morning. Then he opened the 
       doors of the house of the LORD. He was afraid to tell Eli about the 
       vision,

       (1 Sam 3:16 NCV)  but Eli called to him, "Samuel, my son!" Samuel 
       answered, "I am here."





       (1 Sam 3:17 NCV)  Eli asked, "What did the LORD say to you? Don't hide 
       it from me. May God punish you terribly if you hide from me anything 
       he said to you."

       (1 Sam 3:18 NCV)  So Samuel told Eli everything and did not hide 
       anything from him. Then Eli said, "He is the LORD. Let him do what he 
       thinks is best."

       (1 Sam 3:19 NCV)  The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up; he did not 
       let any of Samuel's messages fail to come true.

       (1 Sam 3:20 NCV)  Then all Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, knew Samuel 
       was a true prophet of the LORD.

       (1 Sam 3:21 NCV)  And the LORD continued to show himself at Shiloh, 
       and he showed himself to Samuel through his word.

       (1 Sam 4:1 NCV)  So, news about Samuel spread through all of Israel. 
       At that time the Israelites went out to fight the Philistines. The 
       Israelites camped at Ebenezer and the Philistines at Aphek.

       (1 Sam 4:2 NCV)  The Philistines went to meet the Israelites in 
       battle. And as the battle spread, they defeated the Israelites, 
       killing about four thousand soldiers on the battlefield.

       (1 Sam 4:3 NCV)  When some Israelite soldiers went back to their camp, 
       the older leaders of Israel asked, "Why did the LORD let the 
       Philistines defeat us? Let's bring the Ark of the Agreement with the 
       LORD here from Shiloh and take it with us into battle. Then God will 
       save us from our enemies."

       (1 Sam 4:4 NCV)  So the people sent men to Shiloh. They brought back 
       the Ark of the Agreement with the LORD All-Powerful, who sits between 
       the gold creatures with wings. Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, 
       were there with the Ark.

       (1 Sam 4:5 NCV)  When the Ark of the Agreement with the LORD came into 
       the camp, all the Israelites gave a great shout of joy that made the 
       ground shake.

       (1 Sam 4:6 NCV)  When the Philistines heard Israel's shout, they 
       asked, "What's all this shouting in the Hebrew camp?" Then the 
       Philistines found out that the Ark of the LORD had come into the 
       Hebrew camp.

       (1 Sam 4:7 NCV)  They were afraid and said, "A god has come into the 
       Hebrew camp! We're in trouble! This has never happened before!

       (1 Sam 4:8 NCV)  How terrible it will be for us! Who can save us from 
       these powerful gods? They are the ones who struck the Egyptians with 
       all kinds of disasters in the desert.

       (1 Sam 4:9 NCV)  Be brave, Philistines! Fight like men! In the past 
       they were our slaves. So fight like men, or we will become their 
       slaves."





       (1 Sam 4:10 NCV)  So the Philistines fought hard and defeated the 
       Israelites, and every Israelite soldier ran away to his own home. It 
       was a great defeat for Israel, because thirty thousand Israelite 
       soldiers were killed.

       (1 Sam 4:11 NCV)  The Ark of God was taken by the Philistines, and 
       Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

       (1 Sam 4:12 NCV)  That same day a man from the tribe of Benjamin ran 
       from the battle. He tore his clothes and put dust on his head to show 
       his great sadness.

       (1 Sam 4:13 NCV)  When he arrived in Shiloh, Eli was by the side of 
       the road. He was sitting there in a chair, watching, because he was 
       worried about the Ark of God. When the Benjaminite entered Shiloh, he 
       told the bad news. Then all the people in town cried loudly.

       (1 Sam 4:14 NCV)  Eli heard the crying and asked, "What's all this 
       noise?" The Benjaminite ran to Eli and told him what had happened.

       (1 Sam 4:15 NCV)  Eli was now ninety-eight years old, and he was 
       blind.

       (1 Sam 4:16 NCV)  The Benjaminite told him, "I have come from the 
       battle. I ran all the way here today." Eli asked, "What happened, my 
       son?"

       (1 Sam 4:17 NCV)  The Benjaminite answered, "Israel ran away from the 
       Philistines, and the Israelite army has lost many soldiers. Your two 
       sons are both dead, and the Philistines have taken the Ark of God."

       (1 Sam 4:18 NCV)  When he mentioned the Ark of God, Eli fell backward 
       off his chair. He fell beside the gate, broke his neck, and died, 
       because he was old and fat. He had led Israel for forty years.

       (1 Sam 4:19 NCV)  Eli's daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was 
       pregnant and was about to give birth. When she heard the news that the 
       Ark of God had been taken and that Eli, her father-in-law, and 
       Phinehas, her husband, were both dead, she began to give birth to her 
       child. The child was born, but the mother had much trouble in giving 
       birth.

       (1 Sam 4:20 NCV)  As she was dying, the women who helped her said, 
       "Don't worry! You've given birth to a son!" But she did not answer or 
       pay attention.

       (1 Sam 4:21 NCV)  She named the baby Ichabod, saying, "Israel's glory 
       is gone." She said this because the Ark of God had been taken and her 
       father-in-law and husband were dead.

       (1 Sam 4:22 NCV)  She said, "Israel's glory is gone, because the Ark 
       of God has been taken away."

       (1 Sam 5:1 NCV)  After the Philistines had captured the Ark of God, 
       they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.





       (1 Sam 5:2 NCV)  They carried it into Dagon's temple and put it next 
       to Dagon.

       (1 Sam 5:3 NCV)  When the people of Ashdod rose early the next 
       morning, they found that Dagon had fallen on his face on the ground 
       before the Ark of the LORD. So they put Dagon back in his place.

       (1 Sam 5:4 NCV)  The next morning when they rose, they again found 
       Dagon fallen on the ground before the Ark of the LORD. His head and 
       hands had broken off and were lying in the doorway. Only his body was 
       still in one piece.

       (1 Sam 5:5 NCV)  So, even today, Dagon's priests and others who enter 
       his temple at Ashdod refuse to step on the doorsill.

       (1 Sam 5:6 NCV)  The LORD was hard on the people of Ashdod and their 
       neighbors. He caused them to suffer and gave them growths on their 
       skin.

       (1 Sam 5:7 NCV)  When the people of Ashdod saw what was happening, 
       they said, "The Ark of the God of Israel can't stay with us. God is 
       punishing us and Dagon our god."

       (1 Sam 5:8 NCV)  The people of Ashdod called all five Philistine kings 
       together and asked them, "What should we do with the Ark of the God of 
       Israel?" The rulers answered, "Move the Ark of the God of Israel to 
       Gath." So the Philistines moved it to Gath.

       (1 Sam 5:9 NCV)  But after they moved it to Gath, there was a great 
       panic. The LORD was hard on that city also, and he gave both old and 
       young people in Gath growths on their skin.

       (1 Sam 5:10 NCV)  Then the Philistines sent the Ark of God to Ekron. 
       But when it came into Ekron, the people of Ekron yelled, "Why are you 
       bringing the Ark of the God of Israel to our city? Do you want to kill 
       us and our people?"

       (1 Sam 5:11 NCV)  So they called all the kings of the Philistines 
       together and said, "Send the Ark of the God of Israel back to its 
       place before it kills us and our people!" All the people in the city 
       were struck with terror because God was so hard on them there.

       (1 Sam 5:12 NCV)  The people who did not die were troubled with 
       growths on their skin. So the people of Ekron cried loudly to heaven.

       (1 Sam 6:1 NCV)  The Philistines kept the Ark of God in their land 
       seven months.

       (1 Sam 6:2 NCV)  Then they called for their priests and magicians and 
       said, "What should we do with the Ark of the LORD? Tell us how to send 
       it back home!"

       (1 Sam 6:3 NCV)  The priests and magicians answered, "If you send back 
       the Ark of the God of Israel, don't send it back empty. You must give 
       a penalty offering. If you are then healed, you will know that it was 
       because of the Ark that you had such trouble."






       (1 Sam 6:4 NCV)  The Philistines asked, "What kind of penalty offering 
       should we send to Israel's God?" They answered, "Make five gold models 
       of the growths on your skin and five gold models of rats. The number 
       of models must match the number of Philistine kings, because the same 
       sickness has come on you and your kings.

       (1 Sam 6:5 NCV)  Make models of the growths and the rats that are 
       ruining the country, and give honor to Israel's God. Then maybe he 
       will stop being so hard on you, your gods, and your land.

       (1 Sam 6:6 NCV)  Don't be stubborn like the king of Egypt and the 
       Egyptians. After God punished them terribly, they let the Israelites 
       leave Egypt.

       (1 Sam 6:7 NCV)  "You must build a new cart and get two cows that have 
       just had calves. These must be cows that have never had yokes on their 
       necks. Hitch the cows to the cart, and take the calves home, away from 
       their mothers.

       (1 Sam 6:8 NCV)  Put the Ark of the LORD on the cart and the gold 
       models for the penalty offering in a box beside the Ark. Then send the 
       cart straight on its way.

       (1 Sam 6:9 NCV)  Watch the cart. If it goes toward Beth Shemesh in 
       Israel's own land, the LORD has given us this great sickness. But if 
       it doesn't, we will know that Israel's God has not punished us. Our 
       sickness just happened by chance."

       (1 Sam 6:10 NCV)  The Philistines did what the priests and magicians 
       said. They took two cows that had just had calves and hitched them to 
       the cart, but they kept their calves at home.

       (1 Sam 6:11 NCV)  They put the Ark of the LORD and the box with the 
       gold rats and models of growths on the cart.

       (1 Sam 6:12 NCV)  Then the cows went straight toward Beth Shemesh. 
       They stayed on the road, mooing all the way, and did not turn right or 
       left. The Philistine kings followed the cows as far as the border of 
       Beth Shemesh.

       (1 Sam 6:13 NCV)  Now the people of Beth Shemesh were harvesting their 
       wheat in the valley. When they looked up and saw the Ark of the LORD, 
       they were very happy.

       (1 Sam 6:14 NCV)  The cart came to the field belonging to Joshua of 
       Beth Shemesh and stopped near a large rock. The people of Beth Shemesh 
       chopped up the wood of the cart. Then they sacrificed the cows as 
       burnt offerings to the LORD.

       (1 Sam 6:15 NCV)  The Levites took down the Ark of the LORD and the 
       box that had the gold models, and they put both on the large rock. 
       That day the people of Beth Shemesh offered whole burnt offerings and 
       made sacrifices to the LORD.

       (1 Sam 6:16 NCV)  After the five Philistine kings saw this, they went 





       back to Ekron the same day.

       (1 Sam 6:17 NCV)  The Philistines had sent these gold models of the 
       growths as penalty offerings to the LORD. They sent one model for each 
       Philistine town: Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron.

       (1 Sam 6:18 NCV)  And the Philistines also sent gold models of rats. 
       The number of rats matched the number of towns belonging to the 
       Philistine kings, including both strong, walled cities and country 
       villages. The large rock on which they put the Ark of the LORD is 
       still there in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh.

       (1 Sam 6:19 NCV)  But some of the men of Beth Shemesh looked into the 
       Ark of the LORD. So God killed seventy of them. The people of Beth 
       Shemesh cried because the LORD had struck them down.

       (1 Sam 6:20 NCV)  They said, "Who can stand before the LORD, this holy 
       God? Whom will he strike next?"

       (1 Sam 6:21 NCV)  Then they sent messengers to the people of Kiriath 
       Jearim, saying, "The Philistines have brought back the Ark of the 
       LORD. Come down and take it to your city."

       (1 Sam 7:1 NCV)  The men of Kiriath Jearim came and took the Ark of 
       the LORD to Abinadab's house on a hill. There they made Abinadab's son 
       Eleazar holy for the LORD so he could guard the Ark of the LORD.

       (1 Sam 7:2 NCV)  The Ark stayed at Kiriath Jearim a long time--twenty 
       years in all. And the people of Israel began to follow the LORD again.

       (1 Sam 7:3 NCV)  Samuel spoke to the whole group of Israel, saying, 
       "If you're turning back to the LORD with all your hearts, you must 
       remove your foreign gods and your idols of Ashtoreth. You must give 
       yourselves fully to the LORD and serve only him. Then he will save you 
       from the Philistines."

       (1 Sam 7:4 NCV)  So the Israelites put away their idols of Baal and 
       Ashtoreth, and they served only the LORD.

       (1 Sam 7:5 NCV)  Samuel said, "All Israel must meet at Mizpah, and I 
       will pray to the LORD for you."

       (1 Sam 7:6 NCV)  So the Israelites met together at Mizpah. They drew 
       water from the ground and poured it out before the LORD and did not 
       eat that day. They confessed, "We have sinned against the LORD." And 
       Samuel served as judge of Israel at Mizpah.

       (1 Sam 7:7 NCV)  The Philistines heard the Israelites were meeting at 
       Mizpah, so the Philistine kings came up to attack them. When the 
       Israelites heard they were coming, they were afraid.

       (1 Sam 7:8 NCV)  They said to Samuel, "Don't stop praying to the LORD 
       our God for us! Ask him to save us from the Philistines!"

       (1 Sam 7:9 NCV)  Then Samuel took a baby lamb and offered it to the 
       LORD as a whole burnt offering. He called to the LORD for Israel's 





       sake, and the LORD answered him.

       (1 Sam 7:10 NCV)  While Samuel was burning the offering, the 
       Philistines came near to attack Israel. But the LORD thundered against 
       them with loud thunder. They were so frightened they became confused. 
       So the Israelites defeated the Philistines in battle.

       (1 Sam 7:11 NCV)  The men of Israel ran out of Mizpah and chased the 
       Philistines almost to Beth Car, killing the Philistines along the way.

       (1 Sam 7:12 NCV)  After this happened Samuel took a stone and set it 
       up between Mizpah and Shen. He named the stone Ebenezer, saying, "The 
       LORD has helped us to this point."

       (1 Sam 7:13 NCV)  So the Philistines were defeated and did not enter 
       the Israelites' land again. The LORD was against the Philistines all 
       Samuel's life.

       (1 Sam 7:14 NCV)  Earlier the Philistines had taken towns from the 
       Israelites, but the Israelites won them back, from Ekron to Gath. They 
       also took back from the Philistines the lands near these towns. There 
       was peace also between Israel and the Amorites.

       (1 Sam 7:15 NCV)  Samuel continued as judge of Israel all his life.

       (1 Sam 7:16 NCV)  Every year he went from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah 
       and judged the Israelites in all these towns.

       (1 Sam 7:17 NCV)  But Samuel always went back to Ramah, where his home 
       was. There he judged Israel and built an altar to the LORD.

       (1 Sam 8:1 NCV)  When Samuel was old, he made his sons judges for 
       Israel.

       (1 Sam 8:2 NCV)  His first son was named Joel, and his second son was 
       named Abijah. Joel and Abijah were judges in Beersheba.

       (1 Sam 8:3 NCV)  But Samuel's sons did not live as he did. They tried 
       to get money dishonestly, and they accepted money secretly to make 
       wrong judgments.

       (1 Sam 8:4 NCV)  So all the older leaders came together and met Samuel 
       at Ramah.

       (1 Sam 8:5 NCV)  They said to him, "You're old, and your sons don't 
       live as you do. Give us a king to rule over us like all the other 
       nations."

       (1 Sam 8:6 NCV)  When the older leaders said that, Samuel was not 
       pleased. He prayed to the LORD,

       (1 Sam 8:7 NCV)  and the LORD told Samuel, "Listen to whatever the 
       people say to you. They have not rejected you. They have rejected me 
       from being their king.

       (1 Sam 8:8 NCV)  They are doing as they have always done. When I took 





       them out of Egypt, they left me and served other gods. They are doing 
       the same to you.

       (1 Sam 8:9 NCV)  Now listen to the people, but warn them what the king 
       who rules over them will do."

       (1 Sam 8:10 NCV)  So Samuel told those who had asked him for a king 
       what the LORD had said.

       (1 Sam 8:11 NCV)  Samuel said, "If you have a king ruling over you, 
       this is what he will do: He will take your sons and make them serve 
       with his chariots and his horses, and they will run in front of the 
       king's chariot.

       (1 Sam 8:12 NCV)  The king will make some of your sons commanders over 
       thousands or over fifties. He will make some of your other sons plow 
       his ground and reap his harvest. He will take others to make weapons 
       of war and equipment for his chariots.

       (1 Sam 8:13 NCV)  He will take your daughters to make perfume and cook 
       and bake for him.

       (1 Sam 8:14 NCV)  He will take your best fields, vineyards, and olive 
       groves and give them to his servants.

       (1 Sam 8:15 NCV)  He will take one-tenth of your grain and grapes and 
       give it to his officers and servants.

       (1 Sam 8:16 NCV)  He will take your male and female servants, your 
       best cattle, and your donkeys and use them all for his own work.

       (1 Sam 8:17 NCV)  He will take one-tenth of your flocks, and you 
       yourselves will become his slaves.

       (1 Sam 8:18 NCV)  When that time comes, you will cry out because of 
       the king you chose. But the LORD will not answer you then."

       (1 Sam 8:19 NCV)  But the people would not listen to Samuel. They 
       said, "No! We want a king to rule over us.

       (1 Sam 8:20 NCV)  Then we will be the same as all the other nations. 
       Our king will judge for us and go with us and fight our battles."

       (1 Sam 8:21 NCV)  After Samuel heard all that the people said, he 
       repeated their words to the LORD.

       (1 Sam 8:22 NCV)  The LORD answered, "You must listen to them. Give 
       them a king." Then Samuel told the people of Israel, "Go back to your 
       towns."

       (1 Sam 9:1 NCV)  Kish, son of Abiel from the tribe of Benjamin, was an 
       important man. (Abiel was the son of Zeror, who was the son of 
       Becorath, who was the son of Aphiah of Benjamin.)

       (1 Sam 9:2 NCV)  Kish had a son named Saul, who was a fine young man. 
       There was no Israelite better than he. Saul stood a head taller than 





       any other man in Israel.

       (1 Sam 9:3 NCV)  Now the donkeys of Saul's father, Kish, were lost. So 
       Kish said to Saul, his son, "Take one of the servants, and go and look 
       for the donkeys."

       (1 Sam 9:4 NCV)  Saul went through the mountains of Ephraim and the 
       land of Shalisha, but he and the servant could not find the donkeys. 
       They went into the land of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there. 
       They went through the land of Benjamin, but they still did not find 
       them.

       (1 Sam 9:5 NCV)  When they arrived in the area of Zuph, Saul said to 
       his servant, "Let's go back or my father will stop thinking about the 
       donkeys and will start worrying about us."

       (1 Sam 9:6 NCV)  But the servant answered, "A man of God is in this 
       town. People respect him because everything he says comes true. Let's 
       go into the town now. Maybe he can tell us something about the journey 
       we have taken."

       (1 Sam 9:7 NCV)  Saul said to his servant, "If we go into the town, 
       what can we give him? The food in our bags is gone. We have no gift to 
       give him. Do we have anything?"

       (1 Sam 9:8 NCV)  Again the servant answered Saul. "Look, I have 
       one-tenth of an ounce of silver. Give it to the man of God. Then he 
       will tell us about our journey."

       (1 Sam 9:9 NCV)  (In the past, if someone in Israel wanted to ask 
       something from God, he would say, "Let's go to the seer." We call the 
       person a prophet today, but in the past he was called a seer.)

       (1 Sam 9:10 NCV)  Saul said to his servant, "That's a good idea. Come, 
       let's go." So they went toward the town where the man of God was.

       (1 Sam 9:11 NCV)  As Saul and the servant were going up the hill to 
       the town, they met some young women coming out to get water. Saul and 
       the servant asked them, "Is the seer here?"

       (1 Sam 9:12 NCV)  The young women answered, "Yes, he's here. He's 
       ahead of you. Hurry now. He has just come to our town today, because 
       the people will offer a sacrifice at the place of worship.

       (1 Sam 9:13 NCV)  As soon as you enter the town, you will find him 
       before he goes up to the place of worship to eat. The people will not 
       begin eating until the seer comes, because he must bless the 
       sacrifice. After that, the guests will eat. Go now, and you should 
       find him."

       (1 Sam 9:14 NCV)  Saul and the servant went up to the town. Just as 
       they entered it, they saw Samuel coming toward them on his way up to 
       the place of worship.

       (1 Sam 9:15 NCV)  The day before Saul came, the LORD had told Samuel:





       (1 Sam 9:16 NCV)  "About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from 
       the land of Benjamin. Appoint him to lead my people Israel. He will 
       save my people from the Philistines. I have seen the suffering of my 
       people, and I have listened to their cry."

       (1 Sam 9:17 NCV)  When Samuel first saw Saul, the LORD said to Samuel, 
       "This is the man I told you about. He will organize my people."

       (1 Sam 9:18 NCV)  Saul approached Samuel at the gate and said, "Please 
       tell me where the seer's house is."

       (1 Sam 9:19 NCV)  Samuel answered, "I am the seer. Go with me to the 
       place of worship. Today you and your servant are to eat with me. 
       Tomorrow morning I will answer all your questions and send you home.

       (1 Sam 9:20 NCV)  Don't worry about the donkeys you lost three days 
       ago, because they have been found. Soon all the wealth of Israel will 
       belong to you and your family."

       (1 Sam 9:21 NCV)  Saul answered, "But I am from the tribe of Benjamin, 
       the smallest tribe in Israel. And my family group is the smallest in 
       the tribe of Benjamin. Why are you saying such things?"

       (1 Sam 9:22 NCV)  Then Samuel took Saul and his servant into a large 
       room and gave them a choice place at the table. About thirty guests 
       were there.

       (1 Sam 9:23 NCV)  Samuel said to the cook, "Bring the meat I gave you, 
       the portion I told you to set aside."

       (1 Sam 9:24 NCV)  So the cook took the thigh and put it on the table 
       in front of Saul. Samuel said, "This is the meat saved for you. Eat 
       it, because it was set aside for you for this special time. As I said, 
       'I had invited the people.'" So Saul ate with Samuel that day.

       (1 Sam 9:25 NCV)  After they finished eating, they came down from the 
       place of worship and went to the town. Then Samuel talked with Saul on 
       the roof of his house.

       (1 Sam 9:26 NCV)  At dawn they got up, and Samuel called to Saul on 
       the roof. He said, "Get up, and I will send you on your way." So Saul 
       got up and went out of the house with Samuel.

       (1 Sam 9:27 NCV)  As Saul, his servant, and Samuel were getting near 
       the edge of the city, Samuel said to Saul, "Tell the servant to go on 
       ahead of us, but you stay, because I have a message from God for you."

       (1 Sam 10:1 NCV)  Samuel took a jar of olive oil and poured it on 
       Saul's head. He kissed Saul and said, "The LORD has appointed you to 
       lead his people.

       (1 Sam 10:2 NCV)  After you leave me today, you will meet two men near 
       Rachel's tomb on the border of Benjamin at Zelzah. They will say to 
       you, 'The donkeys you were looking for have been found. But now your 
       father has stopped thinking about his donkeys and is worrying about 
       you. He is asking, "What will I do about my son?"'






       (1 Sam 10:3 NCV)  "Then you will go on until you reach the big tree at 
       Tabor. Three men on their way to worship God at Bethel will meet you 
       there. One man will be carrying three goats. Another will be carrying 
       three loaves of bread. And the third will have a leather bag full of 
       wine.

       (1 Sam 10:4 NCV)  They will greet you and offer you two loaves of 
       bread, which you must accept.

       (1 Sam 10:5 NCV)  Then you will go to Gibeah of God, where a 
       Philistine camp is. When you approach this town, a group of prophets 
       will come down from the place of worship. They will be playing harps, 
       tambourines, flutes, and lyres, and they will be prophesying.

       (1 Sam 10:6 NCV)  Then the Spirit of the LORD will rush upon you with 
       power. You will prophesy with these prophets, and you will be changed 
       into a different man.

       (1 Sam 10:7 NCV)  After these signs happen, do whatever you find to 
       do, because God will help you.

       (1 Sam 10:8 NCV)  "Go ahead of me to Gilgal. I will come down to you 
       to offer whole burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. But you must 
       wait seven days. Then I will come and tell you what to do."

       (1 Sam 10:9 NCV)  When Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul's 
       heart. All these signs came true that day.

       (1 Sam 10:10 NCV)  When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, Saul 
       met a group of prophets. The Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he 
       prophesied with the prophets.

       (1 Sam 10:11 NCV)  When people who had known Saul before saw him 
       prophesying with the prophets, they asked each other, "What has 
       happened to Kish's son? Is even Saul one of the prophets?"

       (1 Sam 10:12 NCV)  A man who lived there said, "Who is the father of 
       these prophets?" So this became a famous saying: "Is even Saul one of 
       the prophets?"

       (1 Sam 10:13 NCV)  When Saul finished prophesying, he entered the 
       place of worship.

       (1 Sam 10:14 NCV)  Saul's uncle asked him and his servant, "Where have 
       you been?" Saul said, "We were looking for the donkeys. When we 
       couldn't find them, we went to talk to Samuel."

       (1 Sam 10:15 NCV)  Saul's uncle asked, "Please tell me. What did 
       Samuel say to you?"

       (1 Sam 10:16 NCV)  Saul answered, "He told us the donkeys had already 
       been found." But Saul did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said 
       about his becoming king.

       (1 Sam 10:17 NCV)  Samuel called all the people of Israel to meet with 





       the LORD at Mizpah.

       (1 Sam 10:18 NCV)  He said, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, 
       says: 'I led Israel out of Egypt. I saved you from Egypt's control and 
       from other kingdoms that were troubling you.'

       (1 Sam 10:19 NCV)  But now you have rejected your God. He saves you 
       from all your troubles and problems, but you said, 'No! We want a king 
       to rule over us.' Now come, stand before the LORD in your tribes and 
       family groups."

       (1 Sam 10:20 NCV)  When Samuel gathered all the tribes of Israel, the 
       tribe of Benjamin was picked.

       (1 Sam 10:21 NCV)  Samuel had them pass by in family groups, and 
       Matri's family was picked. Then he had each man of Matri's family pass 
       by, and Saul son of Kish was picked. But when they looked for Saul, 
       they could not find him.

       (1 Sam 10:22 NCV)  They asked the LORD, "Has Saul come here yet?" The 
       LORD said, "Yes. He's hiding behind the baggage."

       (1 Sam 10:23 NCV)  So they ran and brought him out. When Saul stood 
       among the people, he was a head taller than anyone else.

       (1 Sam 10:24 NCV)  Then Samuel said to the people, "See the man the 
       LORD has chosen. There is no one like him among all the people." Then 
       the people shouted, "Long live the king!"

       (1 Sam 10:25 NCV)  Samuel explained the rights and duties of the king 
       and then wrote them in a book and put it before the LORD. Then he told 
       the people to go to their homes.

       (1 Sam 10:26 NCV)  Saul also went to his home in Gibeah. God touched 
       the hearts of certain brave men who went along with him.

       (1 Sam 10:27 NCV)  But some troublemakers said, "How can this man save 
       us?" They disapproved of Saul and refused to bring gifts to him. But 
       Saul kept quiet.

       (1 Sam 11:1 NCV)  About a month later Nahash the Ammonite and his army 
       surrounded the city of Jabesh in Gilead. All the people of Jabesh said 
       to Nahash, "Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you."

       (1 Sam 11:2 NCV)  But he answered, "I will make a treaty with you only 
       if I'm allowed to poke out the right eye of each of you. Then all 
       Israel will be ashamed!"

       (1 Sam 11:3 NCV)  The older leaders of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Give us 
       seven days to send messengers through all Israel. If no one comes to 
       help us, we will give ourselves up to you."

       (1 Sam 11:4 NCV)  When the messengers came to Gibeah where Saul lived 
       and told the people the news, they cried loudly.

       (1 Sam 11:5 NCV)  Saul was coming home from plowing the fields with 





       his oxen when he heard the people crying. He asked, "What's wrong with 
       the people that they are crying?" Then they told Saul what the 
       messengers from Jabesh had said.

       (1 Sam 11:6 NCV)  When Saul heard their words, God's Spirit rushed 
       upon him with power, and he became very angry.

       (1 Sam 11:7 NCV)  So he took a pair of oxen and cut them into pieces. 
       Then he gave the pieces of the oxen to messengers and ordered them to 
       carry them through all the land of Israel. The messengers said, "This 
       is what will happen to the oxen of anyone who does not follow Saul and 
       Samuel." So the people became very afraid of the LORD. They all came 
       together as if they were one person.

       (1 Sam 11:8 NCV)  Saul gathered the people together at Bezek. There 
       were three hundred thousand men from Israel and thirty thousand men 
       from Judah.

       (1 Sam 11:9 NCV)  They said to the messengers who had come, "Tell the 
       people at Jabesh Gilead this: 'Before the day warms up tomorrow, you 
       will be saved.'" So the messengers went and reported this to the 
       people at Jabesh, and they were very happy.

       (1 Sam 11:10 NCV)  The people said to Nahash the Ammonite, "Tomorrow 
       we will come out to meet you. Then you can do anything you want to 
       us."

       (1 Sam 11:11 NCV)  The next morning Saul divided his soldiers into 
       three groups. At dawn they entered the Ammonite camp and defeated them 
       before the heat of the day. The Ammonites who escaped were scattered; 
       no two of them were still together.

       (1 Sam 11:12 NCV)  Then the people said to Samuel, "Who didn't want 
       Saul as king? Bring them here and we will kill them!"

       (1 Sam 11:13 NCV)  But Saul said, "No! No one will be put to death 
       today. Today the LORD has saved Israel!"

       (1 Sam 11:14 NCV)  Then Samuel said to the people, "Come, let's go to 
       Gilgal. There we will again promise to obey the king."

       (1 Sam 11:15 NCV)  So all the people went to Gilgal, and there, before 
       the LORD, the people made Saul king. They offered fellowship offerings 
       to the LORD, and Saul and all the Israelites had a great celebration.

       (1 Sam 12:1 NCV)  Samuel said to all Israel, "I have done everything 
       you wanted me to do and have put a king over you.

       (1 Sam 12:2 NCV)  Now you have a king to lead you. I am old and gray, 
       and my sons are here with you. I have been your leader since I was 
       young.

       (1 Sam 12:3 NCV)  Here I am. If I have done anything wrong, you must 
       testify against me before the LORD and his appointed king. Did I steal 
       anyone's ox or donkey? Did I hurt or cheat anyone? Did I ever secretly 
       accept money to pretend not to see something wrong? If I did any of 





       these things, I will make it right."

       (1 Sam 12:4 NCV)  The Israelites answered, "You have not cheated us, 
       or hurt us, or taken anything unfairly from anyone."

       (1 Sam 12:5 NCV)  Samuel said to them, "The LORD is a witness to what 
       you have said. His appointed king is also a witness today that you did 
       not find anything wrong in me." "He is our witness," they said.

       (1 Sam 12:6 NCV)  Then Samuel said to the people, "It is the LORD who 
       chose Moses and Aaron and brought your ancestors out of Egypt.

       (1 Sam 12:7 NCV)  Now, stand there, and I will remind you of all the 
       good things the LORD did for you and your ancestors.

       (1 Sam 12:8 NCV)  "After Jacob entered Egypt, his descendants cried to 
       the LORD for help. So the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who took your 
       ancestors out of Egypt and brought them to live in this place.

       (1 Sam 12:9 NCV)  "But they forgot the LORD their God. So he handed 
       them over as slaves to Sisera, the commander of the army of Hazor, and 
       as slaves to the Philistines and the king of Moab. They all fought 
       against your ancestors.

       (1 Sam 12:10 NCV)  Then your ancestors cried to the LORD and said, 'We 
       have sinned. We have left the LORD and served the Baals and the 
       Ashtoreths. But now save us from our enemies, and we will serve you.'

       (1 Sam 12:11 NCV)  So the LORD sent Gideon, Barak, Jephthah, and 
       Samuel. He saved you from your enemies around you, and you lived in 
       safety.

       (1 Sam 12:12 NCV)  But when you saw Nahash king of the Ammonites 
       coming against you, you said, 'No! We want a king to rule over 
       us!'--even though the LORD your God was your king.

       (1 Sam 12:13 NCV)  Now here is the king you chose, the one you asked 
       for. The LORD has put him over you.

       (1 Sam 12:14 NCV)  You must honor the LORD and serve him. You must 
       obey his word and not turn against his commands. Both you and the king 
       ruling over you must follow the LORD your God. If you do, it will be 
       well with you.

       (1 Sam 12:15 NCV)  But if you don't obey the LORD, and if you turn 
       against his commands, he will be against you. He will do to you what 
       he did to your ancestors.

       (1 Sam 12:16 NCV)  "Now stand still and see the great thing the LORD 
       will do before your eyes.

       (1 Sam 12:17 NCV)  It is now the time of the wheat harvest. I will 
       pray for the LORD to send thunder and rain. Then you will know what an 
       evil thing you did against the LORD when you asked for a king."

       (1 Sam 12:18 NCV)  Then Samuel prayed to the LORD, and that same day 





       the LORD sent thunder and rain. So the people were very afraid of the 
       LORD and Samuel.

       (1 Sam 12:19 NCV)  They said to Samuel, "Pray to the LORD your God for 
       us, your servants! Don't let us die! We've added to all our sins the 
       evil of asking for a king."

       (1 Sam 12:20 NCV)  Samuel answered, "Don't be afraid. It's true that 
       you did wrong, but don't turn away from the LORD. Serve the LORD with 
       all your heart.

       (1 Sam 12:21 NCV)  Idols are of no use, so don't worship them. They 
       can't help you or save you. They are useless!

       (1 Sam 12:22 NCV)  For his own sake, the LORD won't leave his people. 
       Instead, he was pleased to make you his own people.

       (1 Sam 12:23 NCV)  I will surely not stop praying for you, because 
       that would be sinning against the LORD. I will teach you what is good 
       and right.

       (1 Sam 12:24 NCV)  You must honor the LORD and truly serve him with 
       all your heart. Remember the wonderful things he did for you!

       (1 Sam 12:25 NCV)  But if you are stubborn and do evil, he will sweep 
       you and your king away."

       (1 Sam 13:1 NCV)  Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and 
       he was king over Israel forty-two years.

       (1 Sam 13:2 NCV)  Saul chose three thousand men from Israel. Two 
       thousand men stayed with him at Micmash in the mountains of Bethel, 
       and one thousand men stayed with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul 
       sent the other men in the army back home.

       (1 Sam 13:3 NCV)  Jonathan attacked the Philistine camp in Geba, and 
       the other Philistines heard about it. Saul said, "Let the Hebrews hear 
       what happened." So he told the men to blow trumpets through all the 
       land of Israel.

       (1 Sam 13:4 NCV)  All the Israelites heard the news. The men said, 
       "Saul has defeated the Philistine camp. Now the Philistines will 
       really hate us!" Then the Israelites were called to join Saul at 
       Gilgal.

       (1 Sam 13:5 NCV)  The Philistines gathered to fight Israel with three 
       thousand chariots and six thousand men to ride in them. Their soldiers 
       were as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. The Philistines 
       went and camped at Micmash, which is east of Beth Aven.

       (1 Sam 13:6 NCV)  When the Israelites saw that they were in trouble, 
       they went to hide in caves and bushes, among the rocks, and in pits 
       and wells.

       (1 Sam 13:7 NCV)  Some Hebrews even went across the Jordan River to 
       the land of Gad and Gilead. But Saul stayed at Gilgal, and all the men 





       in his army were shaking with fear.

       (1 Sam 13:8 NCV)  Saul waited seven days, because Samuel had said he 
       would meet him then. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the 
       soldiers began to leave.

       (1 Sam 13:9 NCV)  So Saul said, "Bring me the whole burnt offering and 
       the fellowship offerings." Then Saul offered the whole burnt offering.

       (1 Sam 13:10 NCV)  Just as he finished, Samuel arrived, and Saul went 
       to greet him.

       (1 Sam 13:11 NCV)  Samuel asked, "What have you done?" Saul answered, 
       "I saw the soldiers leaving me, and you were not here when you said 
       you would be. The Philistines were gathering at Micmash.

       (1 Sam 13:12 NCV)  Then I thought, 'The Philistines will come against 
       me at Gilgal, and I haven't asked for the Lord's approval.' So I 
       forced myself to offer the whole burnt offering."

       (1 Sam 13:13 NCV)  Samuel said, "You acted foolishly! You haven't 
       obeyed the command of the LORD your God. If you had obeyed him, the 
       LORD would have made your kingdom continue in Israel always,

       (1 Sam 13:14 NCV)  but now your kingdom will not continue. The LORD 
       has looked for the kind of man he wants. He has appointed him to rule 
       his people, because you haven't obeyed his command."

       (1 Sam 13:15 NCV)  Then Samuel left Gilgal and went to Gibeah in 
       Benjamin. Saul counted the men who were still with him, and there were 
       about six hundred.

       (1 Sam 13:16 NCV)  Saul and his son Jonathan and the soldiers with him 
       stayed in Gibeah in the land of Benjamin. The Philistines made their 
       camp at Micmash.

       (1 Sam 13:17 NCV)  Three groups went out from the Philistine camp to 
       make raids. One group went on the Ophrah road in the land of Shual.

       (1 Sam 13:18 NCV)  The second group went on the Beth Horon road. The 
       third group went on the border road that overlooks the Valley of 
       Zeboim toward the desert.

       (1 Sam 13:19 NCV)  The whole land of Israel had no blacksmith because 
       the Philistines had said, "The Hebrews might make swords and spears."

       (1 Sam 13:20 NCV)  So all the Israelites had to go down to the 
       Philistines to have their plows, hoes, axes, and sickles sharpened.

       (1 Sam 13:21 NCV)  The Philistine blacksmiths charged about one-fourth 
       of an ounce of silver for sharpening plows and hoes. And they charged 
       one-eighth of an ounce of silver for sharpening picks, axes, and the 
       sticks used to guide oxen.

       (1 Sam 13:22 NCV)  So when the battle came, the soldiers with Saul and 
       Jonathan had no swords or spears. Only Saul and his son Jonathan had 





       them.

       (1 Sam 13:23 NCV)  A group from the Philistine army had gone out to 
       the pass at Micmash.

       (1 Sam 14:1 NCV)  One day Jonathan, Saul's son, said to the officer 
       who carried his armor, "Come, let's go over to the Philistine camp on 
       the other side." But Jonathan did not tell his father.

       (1 Sam 14:2 NCV)  Saul was sitting under a pomegranate tree at the 
       threshing floor near Gibeah. He had about six hundred men with him.

       (1 Sam 14:3 NCV)  One man was Ahijah who was wearing the holy vest. 
       (Ahijah was a son of Ichabod's brother Ahitub. Ichabod was the son of 
       Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord's priest in Shiloh.) No one knew 
       Jonathan had left.

       (1 Sam 14:4 NCV)  There was a steep slope on each side of the pass 
       that Jonathan planned to go through to reach the Philistine camp. The 
       cliff on one side was named Bozez, and the cliff on the other side was 
       named Seneh.

       (1 Sam 14:5 NCV)  One cliff faced north toward Micmash. The other 
       faced south toward Geba.

       (1 Sam 14:6 NCV)  Jonathan said to his officer who carried his armor, 
       "Come. Let's go to the camp of those men who are not circumcised. 
       Maybe the LORD will help us. The LORD can give us victory if we have 
       many people, or just a few."

       (1 Sam 14:7 NCV)  The officer who carried Jonathan's armor said to 
       him, "Do whatever you think is best. Go ahead. I'm with you."

       (1 Sam 14:8 NCV)  Jonathan said, "Then come. We will cross over to the 
       Philistines and let them see us.

       (1 Sam 14:9 NCV)  If they say to us, 'Stay there until we come to 
       you,' we will stay where we are. We won't go up to them.

       (1 Sam 14:10 NCV)  But if they say, 'Come up to us,' we will climb up, 
       and the LORD will let us defeat them. This will be the sign for us."

       (1 Sam 14:11 NCV)  When both Jonathan and his officer let the 
       Philistines see them, the Philistines said, "Look! The Hebrews are 
       crawling out of the holes they were hiding in!"

       (1 Sam 14:12 NCV)  The Philistines in the camp shouted to Jonathan and 
       his officer, "Come up to us. We'll teach you a lesson!" Jonathan said 
       to his officer, "Climb up behind me, because the LORD has given the 
       Philistines to Israel!"

       (1 Sam 14:13 NCV)  So Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, 
       and his officer climbed just behind him. Jonathan struck down the 
       Philistines as he went, and his officer killed them as he followed 
       behind him.





       (1 Sam 14:14 NCV)  In that first fight Jonathan and his officer killed 
       about twenty Philistines over a half acre of ground.

       (1 Sam 14:15 NCV)  All the Philistine soldiers panicked--those in the 
       camp and those in the raiding party. The ground itself shook! God had 
       caused the panic.

       (1 Sam 14:16 NCV)  Saul's guards were at Gibeah in the land of 
       Benjamin when they saw the Philistine soldiers running in every 
       direction.

       (1 Sam 14:17 NCV)  Saul said to his army, "Check to see who has left 
       our camp." When they checked, they learned that Jonathan and his 
       officer were gone.

       (1 Sam 14:18 NCV)  So Saul said to Ahijah the priest, "Bring the Ark 
       of God." (At that time it was with the Israelites.)

       (1 Sam 14:19 NCV)  While Saul was talking to the priest, the confusion 
       in the Philistine camp was growing. Then Saul said to Ahijah, "Put 
       your hand down!"

       (1 Sam 14:20 NCV)  Then Saul gathered his army and entered the battle. 
       They found the Philistines confused, striking each other with their 
       swords!

       (1 Sam 14:21 NCV)  Earlier, there were Hebrews who had served the 
       Philistines and had stayed in their camp, but now they joined the 
       Israelites with Saul and Jonathan.

       (1 Sam 14:22 NCV)  When all the Israelites hidden in the mountains of 
       Ephraim heard that the Philistine soldiers were running away, they 
       also joined the battle and chased the Philistines.

       (1 Sam 14:23 NCV)  So the LORD saved the Israelites that day, and the 
       battle moved on past Beth Aven.

       (1 Sam 14:24 NCV)  The men of Israel were miserable that day because 
       Saul had made an oath for all of them. He had said, "No one should eat 
       food before evening and before I finish defeating my enemies. If he 
       does, he will be cursed!" So no Israelite soldier ate food.

       (1 Sam 14:25 NCV)  Now the army went into the woods, where there was 
       some honey on the ground.

       (1 Sam 14:26 NCV)  They came upon some honey, but no one took any 
       because they were afraid of the oath.

       (1 Sam 14:27 NCV)  Jonathan had not heard the oath Saul had put on the 
       army, so he dipped the end of his stick into the honey and lifted some 
       out and ate it. Then he felt better.

       (1 Sam 14:28 NCV)  Then one of the soldiers told Jonathan, "Your 
       father made an oath for all the soldiers. He said any man who eats 
       today will be cursed! That's why they are so weak."





       (1 Sam 14:29 NCV)  Jonathan said, "My father has made trouble for the 
       land! See how much better I feel after just tasting a little of this 
       honey!

       (1 Sam 14:30 NCV)  It would have been much better for the men to eat 
       the food they took from their enemies today. We could have killed many 
       more Philistines!"

       (1 Sam 14:31 NCV)  That day the Israelites defeated the Philistines 
       from Micmash to Aijalon. After that, they were very tired.

       (1 Sam 14:32 NCV)  They had taken sheep, cattle, and calves from the 
       Philistines. Now they were so hungry they killed the animals on the 
       ground and ate them, without draining the blood from them!

       (1 Sam 14:33 NCV)  Someone said to Saul, "Look! The men are sinning 
       against the LORD. They're eating meat without draining the blood from 
       it!" Saul said, "You have sinned! Roll a large stone over here now!"

       (1 Sam 14:34 NCV)  Then he said, "Go to the men and tell them that 
       each person must bring his ox and sheep to me and kill it here and eat 
       it. Don't sin against the LORD by eating meat without draining the 
       blood from it." That night everyone brought his animals and killed 
       them there.

       (1 Sam 14:35 NCV)  Then Saul built an altar to the LORD. It was the 
       first altar he had built to the LORD.

       (1 Sam 14:36 NCV)  Saul said, "Let's go after the Philistines tonight 
       and rob them. We won't let any of them live!" The men answered, "Do 
       whatever you think is best." But the priest said, "Let's ask God."

       (1 Sam 14:37 NCV)  So Saul asked God, "Should I chase the Philistines? 
       Will you let us defeat them?" But God did not answer Saul at that 
       time.

       (1 Sam 14:38 NCV)  Then Saul said to all the leaders of his army, 
       "Come here. Let's find out what sin has been done today.

       (1 Sam 14:39 NCV)  As surely as the LORD lives who has saved Israel, 
       even if my son Jonathan did the sin, he must die." But no one in the 
       army spoke.

       (1 Sam 14:40 NCV)  Then Saul said to all the Israelites, "You stand on 
       this side. I and my son Jonathan will stand on the other side." The 
       men answered, "Do whatever you think is best."

       (1 Sam 14:41 NCV)  Then Saul prayed to the LORD, the God of Israel, 
       "Give me the right answer." And Saul and Jonathan were picked; the 
       other men went free.

       (1 Sam 14:42 NCV)  Saul said, "Now let us discover if it is I or 
       Jonathan my son who is guilty." And Jonathan was picked.

       (1 Sam 14:43 NCV)  Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have 
       done." So Jonathan told Saul, "I only tasted a little honey from the 





       end of my stick. And must I die now?"

       (1 Sam 14:44 NCV)  Saul said, "Jonathan, if you don't die, may God 
       punish me terribly."

       (1 Sam 14:45 NCV)  But the soldiers said to Saul, "Must Jonathan die? 
       Never! He is responsible for saving Israel today! As surely as the 
       LORD lives, not even a hair of his head will fall to the ground! Today 
       Jonathan fought against the Philistines with God's help!" So the army 
       saved Jonathan, and he did not die.

       (1 Sam 14:46 NCV)  Then Saul stopped chasing the Philistines, and they 
       went back to their own land.

       (1 Sam 14:47 NCV)  When Saul became king over Israel, he fought 
       against Israel's enemies all around. He fought Moab, the Ammonites, 
       Edom, the king of Zobah, and the Philistines. Everywhere Saul went he 
       defeated Israel's enemies.

       (1 Sam 14:48 NCV)  He fought bravely and defeated the Amalekites. He 
       saved the Israelites from their enemies who had robbed them.

       (1 Sam 14:49 NCV)  Saul's sons were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malki-Shua. 
       His older daughter was named Merab, and his younger daughter was named 
       Michal.

       (1 Sam 14:50 NCV)  Saul's wife was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. The 
       commander of his army was Abner son of Ner, Saul's uncle.

       (1 Sam 14:51 NCV)  Saul's father Kish and Abner's father Ner were sons 
       of Abiel.

       (1 Sam 14:52 NCV)  All Saul's life he fought hard against the 
       Philistines. When he saw strong or brave men, he took them into his 
       army.

       (1 Sam 15:1 NCV)  Samuel said to Saul, "The LORD sent me to appoint 
       you king over Israel. Now listen to his message.

       (1 Sam 15:2 NCV)  This is what the LORD All-Powerful says: 'When the 
       Israelites came out of Egypt, the Amalekites tried to stop them from 
       going to Canaan. So I will punish them.

       (1 Sam 15:3 NCV)  Now go, attack the Amalekites and destroy everything 
       they own as an offering to the LORD. Don't let anything live. Put to 
       death men and women, children and small babies, cattle and sheep, 
       camels and donkeys.'"

       (1 Sam 15:4 NCV)  So Saul called the army together at Telaim. There 
       were two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men from 
       Judah.

       (1 Sam 15:5 NCV)  Then Saul went to the city of Amalek and set up an 
       ambush in the ravine.

       (1 Sam 15:6 NCV)  He said to the Kenites, "Go away. Leave the 





       Amalekites so that I won't destroy you with them, because you showed 
       kindness to the Israelites when they came out of Egypt." So the 
       Kenites moved away from the Amalekites.

       (1 Sam 15:7 NCV)  Then Saul defeated the Amalekites. He fought them 
       all the way from Havilah to Shur, at the border of Egypt.

       (1 Sam 15:8 NCV)  He took King Agag of the Amalekites alive, but he 
       killed all of Agag's army with the sword.

       (1 Sam 15:9 NCV)  Saul and the army let Agag live, along with the best 
       sheep, fat cattle, and lambs. They let every good animal live, because 
       they did not want to destroy them. But when they found an animal that 
       was weak or useless, they killed it.

       (1 Sam 15:10 NCV)  Then the LORD spoke his word to Samuel:

       (1 Sam 15:11 NCV)  "I am sorry I made Saul king, because he has 
       stopped following me and has not obeyed my commands." Samuel was 
       upset, and he cried out to the LORD all night long.

       (1 Sam 15:12 NCV)  Early the next morning Samuel got up and went to 
       meet Saul. But the people told Samuel, "Saul has gone to Carmel, where 
       he has put up a monument in his own honor. Now he has gone down to 
       Gilgal."

       (1 Sam 15:13 NCV)  When Samuel came to Saul, Saul said, "May the LORD 
       bless you! I have obeyed the Lord's commands."

       (1 Sam 15:14 NCV)  But Samuel said, "Then why do I hear cattle mooing 
       and sheep bleating?"

       (1 Sam 15:15 NCV)  Saul answered, "The soldiers took them from the 
       Amalekites. They saved the best sheep and cattle to offer as 
       sacrifices to the LORD your God, but we destroyed all the other 
       animals."

       (1 Sam 15:16 NCV)  Samuel said to Saul, "Stop! Let me tell you what 
       the LORD said to me last night." Saul answered, "Tell me."

       (1 Sam 15:17 NCV)  Samuel said, "Once you didn't think much of 
       yourself, but now you have become the leader of the tribes of Israel. 
       The LORD appointed you to be king over Israel.

       (1 Sam 15:18 NCV)  And he sent you on a mission. He said, 'Go and 
       destroy those evil people, the Amalekites. Make war on them until all 
       of them are dead.'

       (1 Sam 15:19 NCV)  Why didn't you obey the LORD? Why did you take the 
       best things? Why did you do what the LORD said was wrong?"

       (1 Sam 15:20 NCV)  Saul said, "But I did obey the LORD. I did what the 
       LORD told me to do. I destroyed all the Amalekites, and I brought back 
       Agag their king.

       (1 Sam 15:21 NCV)  The soldiers took the best sheep and cattle to 





       sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal."

       (1 Sam 15:22 NCV)  But Samuel answered, "What pleases the LORD more: 
       burnt offerings and sacrifices or obedience to his voice? It is better 
       to obey than to sacrifice. It is better to listen to God than to offer 
       the fat of sheep.

       (1 Sam 15:23 NCV)  Disobedience is as bad as the sin of sorcery. Pride 
       is as bad as the sin of worshiping idols. You have rejected the Lord's 
       command. Now he rejects you as king."

       (1 Sam 15:24 NCV)  Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned. I didn't 
       obey the Lord's commands and your words. I was afraid of the people, 
       and I did what they said.

       (1 Sam 15:25 NCV)  Now, I beg you, forgive my sin. Come back with me 
       so I may worship the LORD."

       (1 Sam 15:26 NCV)  But Samuel said to Saul, "I won't go back with you. 
       You rejected the Lord's command, and now he rejects you as king of 
       Israel."

       (1 Sam 15:27 NCV)  As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught his robe, 
       and it tore.

       (1 Sam 15:28 NCV)  Samuel said to him, "The LORD has torn the kingdom 
       of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors who 
       is better than you.

       (1 Sam 15:29 NCV)  The LORD is the Eternal One of Israel. He does not 
       lie or change his mind. He is not a human being, so he does not change 
       his mind.

       (1 Sam 15:30 NCV)  Saul answered, "I have sinned. But please honor me 
       in front of the older leaders of my people and in front of the 
       Israelites. Come back with me so that I can worship the LORD your 
       God."

       (1 Sam 15:31 NCV)  So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped 
       the LORD.

       (1 Sam 15:32 NCV)  Then Samuel said, "Bring me King Agag of the 
       Amalekites." Agag came to Samuel in chains, but Agag thought, "Surely 
       the threat of death has passed."

       (1 Sam 15:33 NCV)  Samuel said to him, "Your sword made other mothers 
       lose their children. Now your mother will have no children." And 
       Samuel cut Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.

       (1 Sam 15:34 NCV)  Then Samuel left and went to Ramah, but Saul went 
       up to his home in Gibeah.

       (1 Sam 15:35 NCV)  And Samuel never saw Saul again the rest of his 
       life, but he was sad for Saul. And the LORD was very sorry he had made 
       Saul king of Israel.





       (1 Sam 16:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you continue 
       to feel sorry for Saul? I have rejected him as king of Israel. Fill 
       your container with olive oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse who 
       lives in Bethlehem, because I have chosen one of his sons to be king."

       (1 Sam 16:2 NCV)  But Samuel said, "If I go, Saul will hear the news 
       and will try to kill me." The LORD said, "Take a young calf with you. 
       Say, 'I have come to offer a sacrifice to the LORD.'

       (1 Sam 16:3 NCV)  Invite Jesse to the sacrifice. Then I will tell you 
       what to do. You must appoint the one I show you."

       (1 Sam 16:4 NCV)  Samuel did what the LORD told him to do. When he 
       arrived at Bethlehem, the older leaders of Bethlehem shook with fear. 
       They met him and asked, "Are you coming in peace?"

       (1 Sam 16:5 NCV)  Samuel answered, "Yes, I come in peace. I have come 
       to make a sacrifice to the LORD. Set yourselves apart to the LORD and 
       come to the sacrifice with me." Then he set Jesse and his sons apart 
       to the LORD, and he invited them to come to the sacrifice.

       (1 Sam 16:6 NCV)  When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab, and he thought, 
       "Surely the LORD has appointed this person standing here before him."

       (1 Sam 16:7 NCV)  But the LORD said to Samuel, "Don't look at how 
       handsome Eliab is or how tall he is, because I have not chosen him. 
       God does not see the same way people see. People look at the outside 
       of a person, but the LORD looks at the heart."

       (1 Sam 16:8 NCV)  Then Jesse called Abinadab and told him to pass by 
       Samuel. But Samuel said, "The LORD has not chosen this man either."

       (1 Sam 16:9 NCV)  Then Jesse had Shammah pass by. But Samuel said, 
       "No, the LORD has not chosen this one."

       (1 Sam 16:10 NCV)  Jesse had seven of his sons pass by Samuel. But 
       Samuel said to him, "The LORD has not chosen any of these."

       (1 Sam 16:11 NCV)  Then he asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you 
       have?" Jesse answered, "I still have the youngest son. He is out 
       taking care of the sheep." Samuel said, "Send for him. We will not sit 
       down to eat until he arrives."

       (1 Sam 16:12 NCV)  So Jesse sent and had his youngest son brought in. 
       He was a fine boy, tanned, and handsome. The LORD said to Samuel, "Go, 
       appoint him, because he is the one."

       (1 Sam 16:13 NCV)  So Samuel took the container of olive oil and 
       poured it on Jesse's youngest son to appoint him in front of his 
       brothers. From that day on, the Lord's Spirit worked in David. Samuel 
       then went back to Ramah.

       (1 Sam 16:14 NCV)  But the Lord's Spirit had left Saul, and an evil 
       spirit from the LORD troubled him.

       (1 Sam 16:15 NCV)  Saul's servants said to him, "See, an evil spirit 





       from God is troubling you.

       (1 Sam 16:16 NCV)  Give us the command to look for someone who can 
       play the harp. When the evil spirit from God troubles you, he will 
       play, and you will feel better."

       (1 Sam 16:17 NCV)  So Saul said to his servants, "Find someone who can 
       play well and bring him to me."

       (1 Sam 16:18 NCV)  One of the servants said, "I have seen a son of 
       Jesse of Bethlehem play the harp. He is brave and courageous. He is a 
       good speaker and handsome, and the LORD is with him."

       (1 Sam 16:19 NCV)  Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse, saying, "Send 
       me your son David, who is with the sheep."

       (1 Sam 16:20 NCV)  So Jesse loaded a donkey with bread, a leather bag 
       full of wine, and a young goat, and he sent them with his son David to 
       Saul.

       (1 Sam 16:21 NCV)  When David came to Saul, he began to serve him. 
       Saul liked David and made him the officer who carried his armor.

       (1 Sam 16:22 NCV)  Saul sent a message to Jesse, saying, "Let David 
       stay and serve me because I like him."

       (1 Sam 16:23 NCV)  When the evil spirit from God troubled Saul, David 
       would take his harp and play. Then the evil spirit would leave him, 
       and Saul would feel better.

       (1 Sam 17:1 NCV)  The Philistines gathered their armies for war. They 
       met at Socoh in Judah and camped at Ephes Dammim between Socoh and 
       Azekah.

       (1 Sam 17:2 NCV)  Saul and the Israelites gathered in the Valley of 
       Elah and camped there and took their positions to fight the 
       Philistines.

       (1 Sam 17:3 NCV)  The Philistines controlled one hill while the 
       Israelites controlled another. The valley was between them.

       (1 Sam 17:4 NCV)  The Philistines had a champion fighter from Gath 
       named Goliath. He was about nine feet, four inches tall. He came out 
       of the Philistine camp

       (1 Sam 17:5 NCV)  with a bronze helmet on his head and a coat of 
       bronze armor that weighed about one hundred twenty-five pounds.

       (1 Sam 17:6 NCV)  He wore bronze protectors on his legs, and he had a 
       bronze spear on his back.

       (1 Sam 17:7 NCV)  The wooden part of his larger spear was like a 
       weaver's rod, and its blade weighed about fifteen pounds. The officer 
       who carried his shield walked in front of him.

       (1 Sam 17:8 NCV)  Goliath stood and shouted to the Israelite soldiers, 





       "Why have you taken positions for battle? I am a Philistine, and you 
       are Saul's servants! Choose a man and send him to fight me.

       (1 Sam 17:9 NCV)  If he can fight and kill me, we will be your 
       servants. But if I can kill him, you will be our servants."

       (1 Sam 17:10 NCV)  Then he said, "Today I stand and dare the army of 
       Israel! Send one of your men to fight me!"

       (1 Sam 17:11 NCV)  When Saul and the Israelites heard the Philistine's 
       words, they were very scared.

       (1 Sam 17:12 NCV)  Now David was the son of Jesse, an Ephrathite from 
       Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons. In Saul's time Jesse was an 
       old man.

       (1 Sam 17:13 NCV)  His three oldest sons followed Saul to the war. The 
       first son was Eliab, the second was Abinadab, and the third was 
       Shammah.

       (1 Sam 17:14 NCV)  David was the youngest. Jesse's three oldest sons 
       followed Saul,

       (1 Sam 17:15 NCV)  but David went back and forth from Saul to 
       Bethlehem, where he took care of his father's sheep.

       (1 Sam 17:16 NCV)  For forty days the Philistine came out every 
       morning and evening and stood before the Israelite army.

       (1 Sam 17:17 NCV)  Jesse said to his son David, "Take this half bushel 
       of cooked grain and ten loaves of bread to your brothers in the camp.

       (1 Sam 17:18 NCV)  Also take ten pieces of cheese to the commander and 
       to your brothers. See how your brothers are and bring back some proof 
       to show me that they are all right.

       (1 Sam 17:19 NCV)  Your brothers are with Saul and the army in the 
       Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines."

       (1 Sam 17:20 NCV)  Early in the morning David left the sheep with 
       another shepherd. He took the food and left as Jesse had told him. 
       When David arrived at the camp, the army was going out to their battle 
       positions, shouting their war cry.

       (1 Sam 17:21 NCV)  The Israelites and Philistines were lining up their 
       men to face each other in battle.

       (1 Sam 17:22 NCV)  David left the food with the man who kept the 
       supplies and ran to the battle line to talk to his brothers.

       (1 Sam 17:23 NCV)  While he was talking with them, Goliath, the 
       Philistine champion from Gath, came out. He shouted things against 
       Israel as usual, and David heard him.

       (1 Sam 17:24 NCV)  When the Israelites saw Goliath, they were very 
       much afraid and ran away.






       (1 Sam 17:25 NCV)  They said, "Look at this man! He keeps coming out 
       to challenge Israel. The king will give much money to whoever kills 
       him. He will also let whoever kills him marry his daughter. And his 
       father's family will not have to pay taxes in Israel."

       (1 Sam 17:26 NCV)  David asked the men who stood near him, "What will 
       be done to reward the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the 
       shame from Israel? Who does this uncircumcised Philistine think he is? 
       Does he think he can speak against the armies of the living God?"

       (1 Sam 17:27 NCV)  The Israelites told David what would be done for 
       the man who would kill Goliath.

       (1 Sam 17:28 NCV)  When David's oldest brother Eliab heard David 
       talking with the soldiers, he was angry with David. He asked David, 
       "Why did you come here? Who's taking care of those few sheep of yours 
       in the desert? I know you are proud and wicked at heart. You came down 
       here just to watch the battle."

       (1 Sam 17:29 NCV)  David asked, "Now what have I done wrong? Can't I 
       even talk?"

       (1 Sam 17:30 NCV)  When he turned to other people and asked the same 
       questions, they gave him the same answer as before.

       (1 Sam 17:31 NCV)  Yet what David said was told to Saul, and he sent 
       for David.

       (1 Sam 17:32 NCV)  David said to Saul, "Don't let anyone be 
       discouraged. I, your servant, will go and fight this Philistine!"

       (1 Sam 17:33 NCV)  Saul answered, "You can't go out against this 
       Philistine and fight him. You're only a boy. Goliath has been a 
       warrior since he was a young man."

       (1 Sam 17:34 NCV)  But David said to Saul, "I, your servant, have been 
       keeping my father's sheep. When a lion or bear came and took a sheep 
       from the flock,

       (1 Sam 17:35 NCV)  I would chase it. I would attack it and save the 
       sheep from its mouth. When it attacked me, I caught it by its fur and 
       hit it and killed it.

       (1 Sam 17:36 NCV)  I, your servant, have killed both a lion and a 
       bear! This uncircumcised Philistine will be like them, because he has 
       spoken against the armies of the living God.

       (1 Sam 17:37 NCV)  The LORD who saved me from a lion and a bear will 
       save me from this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go, and may the 
       LORD be with you."

       (1 Sam 17:38 NCV)  Saul put his own clothes on David. He put a bronze 
       helmet on his head and dressed him in armor.

       (1 Sam 17:39 NCV)  David put on Saul's sword and tried to walk around, 





       but he was not used to all the armor Saul had put on him. He said to 
       Saul, "I can't go in this, because I'm not used to it." Then David 
       took it all off.

       (1 Sam 17:40 NCV)  He took his stick in his hand and chose five smooth 
       stones from a stream. He put them in his shepherd's bag and grabbed 
       his sling. Then he went to meet the Philistine.

       (1 Sam 17:41 NCV)  At the same time, the Philistine was coming closer 
       to David. The man who held his shield walked in front of him.

       (1 Sam 17:42 NCV)  When Goliath looked at David and saw that he was 
       only a boy, tanned and handsome, he looked down on David with disgust.

       (1 Sam 17:43 NCV)  He said, "Do you think I am a dog, that you come at 
       me with a stick?" He used his gods' names to curse David.

       (1 Sam 17:44 NCV)  He said to David, "Come here. I'll feed your body 
       to the birds of the air and the wild animals!"

       (1 Sam 17:45 NCV)  But David said to him, "You come to me using a 
       sword and two spears. But I come to you in the name of the LORD 
       All-Powerful, the God of the armies of Israel! You have spoken against 
       him.

       (1 Sam 17:46 NCV)  Today the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll 
       kill you and cut off your head. Today I'll feed the bodies of the 
       Philistine soldiers to the birds of the air and the wild animals. Then 
       all the world will know there is a God in Israel!

       (1 Sam 17:47 NCV)  Everyone gathered here will know the LORD does not 
       need swords or spears to save people. The battle belongs to him, and 
       he will hand you over to us."

       (1 Sam 17:48 NCV)  As Goliath came near to attack him, David ran 
       quickly to meet him.

       (1 Sam 17:49 NCV)  He took a stone from his bag, put it into his 
       sling, and slung it. The stone hit the Philistine and went deep into 
       his forehead, and Goliath fell facedown on the ground.

       (1 Sam 17:50 NCV)  So David defeated the Philistine with only a sling 
       and a stone. He hit him and killed him. He did not even have a sword 
       in his hand.

       (1 Sam 17:51 NCV)  Then David ran and stood beside him. He took 
       Goliath's sword out of its holder and killed him by cutting off his 
       head. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they 
       turned and ran.

       (1 Sam 17:52 NCV)  The men of Israel and Judah shouted and chased the 
       Philistines all the way to the entrance of the city of Gath and to the 
       gates of Ekron. The Philistines' bodies lay on the Shaaraim road as 
       far as Gath and Ekron.

       (1 Sam 17:53 NCV)  The Israelites returned after chasing the 





       Philistines and robbed their camp.

       (1 Sam 17:54 NCV)  David took Goliath's head to Jerusalem and put 
       Goliath's weapons in his own tent.

       (1 Sam 17:55 NCV)  When Saul saw David go out to meet Goliath, Saul 
       asked Abner, commander of the army, "Abner, who is that young man's 
       father?" Abner answered, "As surely as you live, my king, I don't 
       know."

       (1 Sam 17:56 NCV)  The king said, "Find out whose son he is."

       (1 Sam 17:57 NCV)  When David came back from killing Goliath, Abner 
       brought him to Saul. David was still holding Goliath's head.

       (1 Sam 17:58 NCV)  Saul asked him, "Young man, who is your father?" 
       David answered, "I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem."

       (1 Sam 18:1 NCV)  When David finished talking with Saul, Jonathan felt 
       very close to David. He loved David as much as he loved himself.

       (1 Sam 18:2 NCV)  Saul kept David with him from that day on and did 
       not let him go home to his father's house.

       (1 Sam 18:3 NCV)  Jonathan made an agreement with David, because he 
       loved David as much as himself.

       (1 Sam 18:4 NCV)  He took off his coat and gave it to David, along 
       with his armor, including his sword, bow, and belt.

       (1 Sam 18:5 NCV)  Saul sent David to fight in different battles, and 
       David was very successful. Then Saul put David over the soldiers, 
       which pleased Saul's officers and all the other people.

       (1 Sam 18:6 NCV)  After David had killed the Philistine, he and the 
       men returned home. Women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet 
       King Saul. They sang songs of joy, danced, and played tambourines and 
       stringed instruments.

       (1 Sam 18:7 NCV)  As they played, they sang, "Saul has killed 
       thousands of his enemies, but David has killed tens of thousands."

       (1 Sam 18:8 NCV)  The women's song upset Saul, and he became very 
       angry. He thought, "The women say David has killed tens of thousands, 
       but they say I have killed only thousands. The only thing left for him 
       to have is the kingdom!"

       (1 Sam 18:9 NCV)  So Saul watched David closely from then on, because 
       he was jealous.

       (1 Sam 18:10 NCV)  The next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon 
       Saul, and he prophesied in his house. David was playing the harp as he 
       usually did, but Saul had a spear in his hand.

       (1 Sam 18:11 NCV)  He threw the spear, thinking, "I'll pin David to 
       the wall." But David escaped from him twice.






       (1 Sam 18:12 NCV)  The LORD was with David but had left Saul. So Saul 
       was afraid of David.

       (1 Sam 18:13 NCV)  He sent David away and made him commander of a 
       thousand soldiers. So David led them in battle.

       (1 Sam 18:14 NCV)  He had great success in everything he did because 
       the LORD was with him.

       (1 Sam 18:15 NCV)  When Saul saw that David was very successful, he 
       feared David even more.

       (1 Sam 18:16 NCV)  But all the people of Israel and Judah loved David 
       because he led them well in battle.

       (1 Sam 18:17 NCV)  Saul said to David, "Here is my older daughter 
       Merab. I will let you marry her. All I ask is that you remain brave 
       and fight the Lord's battles." Saul thought, "I won't have to kill 
       David. The Philistines will do that."

       (1 Sam 18:18 NCV)  But David answered Saul, saying, "Who am I? My 
       family is not important enough for me to become the king's 
       son-in-law."

       (1 Sam 18:19 NCV)  So, when the time came for Saul's daughter Merab to 
       marry David, Saul gave her instead to Adriel of Meholah.

       (1 Sam 18:20 NCV)  Now Saul's other daughter, Michal, loved David. 
       When they told Saul, he was pleased.

       (1 Sam 18:21 NCV)  He thought, "I will let her marry David. Then she 
       will be a trap for him, and the Philistines will defeat him." So Saul 
       said to David a second time, "You may become my son-in-law."

       (1 Sam 18:22 NCV)  And Saul ordered his servants to talk with David in 
       private and say, "Look, the king likes you. His servants love you. You 
       should be his son-in-law."

       (1 Sam 18:23 NCV)  Saul's servants said these words to David, but 
       David answered, "Do you think it is easy to become the king's 
       son-in-law? I am poor and unimportant."

       (1 Sam 18:24 NCV)  When Saul's servants told him what David had said,

       (1 Sam 18:25 NCV)  Saul said, "Tell David, 'The king doesn't want 
       money for the bride. All he wants is a hundred Philistine foreskins to 
       get even with his enemies.'" Saul planned to let the Philistines kill 
       David.

       (1 Sam 18:26 NCV)  When Saul's servants told this to David, he was 
       pleased to become the king's son-in-law.

       (1 Sam 18:27 NCV)  So he and his men went out and killed two hundred 
       Philistines. David brought all their foreskins to Saul so he could be 
       the king's son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal for his 





       wife.

       (1 Sam 18:28 NCV)  Saul saw that the LORD was with David and that his 
       daughter Michal loved David.

       (1 Sam 18:29 NCV)  So he grew even more afraid of David, and he was 
       David's enemy all his life.

       (1 Sam 18:30 NCV)  The Philistine commanders continued to go out to 
       fight the Israelites, but every time, David was more skillful than 
       Saul's officers. So he became famous.

       (1 Sam 19:1 NCV)  Saul told his son Jonathan and all his servants to 
       kill David, but Jonathan liked David very much.

       (1 Sam 19:2 NCV)  So he warned David, "My father Saul is looking for a 
       chance to kill you. Watch out in the morning. Hide in a secret place.

       (1 Sam 19:3 NCV)  I will go out and stand with my father in the field 
       where you are hiding, and I'll talk to him about you. Then I'll let 
       you know what I find out."

       (1 Sam 19:4 NCV)  When Jonathan talked to Saul his father, he said 
       good things about David. Jonathan said, "The king should do no wrong 
       to your servant David since he has done nothing wrong to you. What he 
       has done has helped you greatly.

       (1 Sam 19:5 NCV)  David risked his life when he killed Goliath the 
       Philistine, and the LORD won a great victory for all Israel. You saw 
       it and were happy. Why would you do wrong against David? He's 
       innocent. There's no reason to kill him!"

       (1 Sam 19:6 NCV)  Saul listened to Jonathan and then made this 
       promise: "As surely as the LORD lives, David won't be put to death."

       (1 Sam 19:7 NCV)  So Jonathan called to David and told him everything 
       that had been said. He brought David to Saul, and David was with Saul 
       as before.

       (1 Sam 19:8 NCV)  When war broke out again, David went out to fight 
       the Philistines. He defeated them, and they ran away from him.

       (1 Sam 19:9 NCV)  But once again an evil spirit from the LORD rushed 
       upon Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. 
       David was playing the harp.

       (1 Sam 19:10 NCV)  Saul tried to pin David to the wall with his spear, 
       but David jumped out of the way. So Saul's spear went into the wall, 
       and David ran away that night.

       (1 Sam 19:11 NCV)  Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch it 
       and to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, warned him, 
       saying, "Tonight you must run for your life. If you don't, you will be 
       dead in the morning."

       (1 Sam 19:12 NCV)  So she let David down out of a window, and he ran 





       away and escaped.

       (1 Sam 19:13 NCV)  Then Michal took an idol, laid it on the bed, 
       covered it with clothes, and put goats' hair at its head.

       (1 Sam 19:14 NCV)  Saul sent messengers to take David prisoner, but 
       Michal said, "He is sick."

       (1 Sam 19:15 NCV)  Saul sent them back to see David, saying, "Bring 
       him to me on his bed so I can kill him."

       (1 Sam 19:16 NCV)  When the messengers entered David's house, they 
       found just an idol on the bed with goats' hair on its head.

       (1 Sam 19:17 NCV)  Saul said to Michal, "Why did you trick me this 
       way? You let my enemy go so he could run away!" Michal answered Saul, 
       "David told me if I did not help him escape, he would kill me."

       (1 Sam 19:18 NCV)  After David had escaped from Saul, he went to 
       Samuel at Ramah and told him everything Saul had done to him. Then 
       David and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there.

       (1 Sam 19:19 NCV)  Saul heard that David was in Naioth at Ramah.

       (1 Sam 19:20 NCV)  So he sent messengers to capture him. But they met 
       a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing there leading 
       them. So the Spirit of God entered Saul's men, and they also 
       prophesied.

       (1 Sam 19:21 NCV)  When Saul heard the news, he sent more messengers, 
       but they also prophesied. Then he sent messengers a third time, but 
       they also prophesied.

       (1 Sam 19:22 NCV)  Finally, Saul himself went to Ramah, to the well at 
       Secu. He asked, "Where are Samuel and David?" The people answered, "In 
       Naioth at Ramah."

       (1 Sam 19:23 NCV)  When Saul went to Naioth at Ramah, the Spirit of 
       God also rushed upon him. And he walked on, prophesying until he came 
       to Naioth at Ramah.

       (1 Sam 19:24 NCV)  He took off his robes and prophesied in front of 
       Samuel. He lay that way all day and all night. That is why people ask, 
       "Is even Saul one of the prophets?"

       (1 Sam 20:1 NCV)  Then David ran away from Naioth in Ramah. He went to 
       Jonathan and asked, "What have I done? What is my crime? How did I sin 
       against your father? Why is he trying to kill me?"

       (1 Sam 20:2 NCV)  Jonathan answered, "No! You won't die! See, my 
       father doesn't do anything great or small without first telling me. 
       Why would he keep this from me? It's not true!"

       (1 Sam 20:3 NCV)  But David took an oath, saying, "Your father knows 
       very well that you like me. He says to himself, 'Jonathan must not 
       know about it, or he will tell David.' As surely as the LORD lives and 





       as you live, I am only a step away from death!"

       (1 Sam 20:4 NCV)  Jonathan said to David, "I'll do anything you want 
       me to do."

       (1 Sam 20:5 NCV)  So David said, "Look, tomorrow is the New Moon 
       festival. I am supposed to eat with the king, but let me hide in the 
       field until the third evening.

       (1 Sam 20:6 NCV)  If your father notices I am gone, tell him, 'David 
       begged me to let him go to his hometown of Bethlehem. Every year at 
       this time his family group offers a sacrifice.'

       (1 Sam 20:7 NCV)  If your father says, 'Fine,' I am safe. But if he 
       becomes angry, you will know that he wants to hurt me.

       (1 Sam 20:8 NCV)  Jonathan, be loyal to me, your servant. You have 
       made an agreement with me before the LORD. If I am guilty, you may 
       kill me yourself! Why hand me over to your father?"

       (1 Sam 20:9 NCV)  Jonathan answered, "No, never! If I learn that my 
       father plans to hurt you, I will warn you!"

       (1 Sam 20:10 NCV)  David asked, "Who will let me know if your father 
       answers you unkindly?"

       (1 Sam 20:11 NCV)  Then Jonathan said, "Come, let's go out into the 
       field." So the two of them went out into the field.

       (1 Sam 20:12 NCV)  Jonathan said to David, "I promise this before the 
       LORD, the God of Israel: At this same time the day after tomorrow, I 
       will find out how my father feels. If he feels good toward you, I will 
       send word to you and let you know.

       (1 Sam 20:13 NCV)  But if my father plans to hurt you, I will let you 
       know and send you away safely. May the LORD punish me terribly if I 
       don't do this. And may the LORD be with you as he has been with my 
       father.

       (1 Sam 20:14 NCV)  But show me the kindness of the LORD as long as I 
       live so that I may not die.

       (1 Sam 20:15 NCV)  You must never stop showing your kindness to my 
       family, even when the LORD has destroyed all your enemies from the 
       earth."

       (1 Sam 20:16 NCV)  So Jonathan made an agreement with David. He said, 
       "May the LORD hold David's enemies responsible."

       (1 Sam 20:17 NCV)  And Jonathan asked David to repeat his promise of 
       love for him, because he loved David as much as he loved himself.

       (1 Sam 20:18 NCV)  Jonathan said to David, "Tomorrow is the New Moon 
       festival. Your seat will be empty, so my father will miss you.

       (1 Sam 20:19 NCV)  On the third day go to the place where you hid when 





       this trouble began. Wait by the rock Ezel.

       (1 Sam 20:20 NCV)  On the third day I will shoot three arrows to the 
       side of the rock as if I am shooting at a target.

       (1 Sam 20:21 NCV)  Then I will send a boy to find the arrows. If I say 
       to him, 'The arrows are near you; bring them here,' you may come out 
       of hiding. You are safe. As the LORD lives, there is no danger.

       (1 Sam 20:22 NCV)  But if I say to the boy, 'Look, the arrows are 
       beyond you,' you must go, because the LORD is sending you away.

       (1 Sam 20:23 NCV)  Remember what we talked about. The LORD is a 
       witness between you and me forever."

       (1 Sam 20:24 NCV)  So David hid in the field. When the New Moon 
       festival came, the king sat down to eat.

       (1 Sam 20:25 NCV)  He sat where he always sat, near the wall. Jonathan 
       sat across from him, and Abner sat next to Saul, but David's place was 
       empty.

       (1 Sam 20:26 NCV)  That day Saul said nothing. He thought, "Maybe 
       something has happened to David so that he is unclean."

       (1 Sam 20:27 NCV)  But the next day was the second day of the month, 
       and David's place was still empty. So Saul said to Jonathan, "Why 
       hasn't the son of Jesse come to the feast yesterday or today?"

       (1 Sam 20:28 NCV)  Jonathan answered, "David begged me to let him go 
       to Bethlehem.

       (1 Sam 20:29 NCV)  He said, 'Let me go, because our family has a 
       sacrifice in the town, and my brother has ordered me to be there. Now 
       if I am your friend, please let me go to see my brothers.' That is why 
       he has not come to the king's table."

       (1 Sam 20:30 NCV)  Then Saul became very angry with Jonathan. He said, 
       "You son of a wicked, worthless woman! I know you are on the side of 
       David son of Jesse! You bring shame on yourself and on your mother who 
       gave birth to you.

       (1 Sam 20:31 NCV)  As long as Jesse's son lives, you will never be 
       king or have a kingdom. Now send for David and bring him to me. He 
       must die!"

       (1 Sam 20:32 NCV)  Jonathan asked his father, "Why should David be 
       killed? What wrong has he done?"

       (1 Sam 20:33 NCV)  Then Saul threw his spear at Jonathan, trying to 
       kill him. So Jonathan knew that his father really wanted to kill 
       David.

       (1 Sam 20:34 NCV)  Jonathan was very angry and left the table. That 
       second day of the month he refused to eat. He was ashamed of his 
       father and upset over David.






       (1 Sam 20:35 NCV)  The next morning Jonathan went out to the field to 
       meet David as they had agreed. He had a young boy with him.

       (1 Sam 20:36 NCV)  Jonathan said to the boy, "Run and find the arrows 
       I shoot." When he ran, Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him.

       (1 Sam 20:37 NCV)  The boy ran to the place where Jonathan's arrow 
       fell, but Jonathan called, "The arrow is beyond you!"

       (1 Sam 20:38 NCV)  Then he shouted, "Hurry! Go quickly! Don't stop!" 
       The boy picked up the arrow and brought it back to his master.

       (1 Sam 20:39 NCV)  (The boy knew nothing about what this meant; only 
       Jonathan and David knew.)

       (1 Sam 20:40 NCV)  Then Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and told 
       him, "Go back to town."

       (1 Sam 20:41 NCV)  When the boy left, David came out from the south 
       side of the rock. He bowed facedown on the ground before Jonathan 
       three times. Then David and Jonathan kissed each other and cried 
       together, but David cried the most.

       (1 Sam 20:42 NCV)  Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace. We have 
       promised by the LORD that we will be friends. We said, 'The LORD will 
       be a witness between you and me, and between our descendants always.'" 
       Then David left, and Jonathan went back to town.

       (1 Sam 21:1 NCV)  David went to Nob to see Ahimelech the priest. 
       Ahimelech shook with fear when he saw David, and he asked, "Why are 
       you alone? Why is no one with you?"

       (1 Sam 21:2 NCV)  David answered him, "The king gave me a special 
       order. He told me, 'No one must know what I am sending you to do or 
       what I told you to do.' I told my men where to meet me.

       (1 Sam 21:3 NCV)  Now, what food do you have with you? Give me five 
       loaves of bread or anything you find."

       (1 Sam 21:4 NCV)  The priest said to David, "I don't have any plain 
       bread here, but I do have some holy bread. You may eat it if your men 
       have kept themselves from women."

       (1 Sam 21:5 NCV)  David answered, "No women have been near us for 
       days. My men always keep themselves holy, even when we do ordinary 
       work. And this is especially true when the work is holy."

       (1 Sam 21:6 NCV)  So the priest gave David the holy bread from the 
       presence of God because there was no other. Each day the holy bread 
       was replaced with hot bread.

       (1 Sam 21:7 NCV)  One of Saul's servants happened to be there that 
       day. He had been held there before the LORD. He was Doeg the Edomite, 
       the chief of Saul's shepherds.





       (1 Sam 21:8 NCV)  David asked Ahimelech, "Do you have a spear or sword 
       here? The king's business was very important, so I left without my 
       sword or any other weapon."

       (1 Sam 21:9 NCV)  The priest answered, "The sword of Goliath the 
       Philistine, the one you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here. It is 
       wrapped in a cloth behind the holy vest. If you want it, you may take 
       it. There's no other sword here but that one." David said, "There is 
       no other sword like it. Give it to me."

       (1 Sam 21:10 NCV)  That day David ran away from Saul and went to 
       Achish king of Gath.

       (1 Sam 21:11 NCV)  But the servants of Achish said to him, "This is 
       David, the king of the Israelites. He's the man they dance and sing 
       about, saying: 'Saul has killed thousands of his enemies, but David 
       has killed tens of thousands.'"

       (1 Sam 21:12 NCV)  David paid attention to these words and was very 
       much afraid of Achish king of Gath.

       (1 Sam 21:13 NCV)  So he pretended to be crazy in front of Achish and 
       his servants. While he was with them, he acted like a madman and 
       clawed on the doors of the gate and let spit run down his beard.

       (1 Sam 21:14 NCV)  Achish said to his servants, "Look at the man! He's 
       crazy! Why do you bring him to me?

       (1 Sam 21:15 NCV)  I have enough madmen. I don't need you to bring him 
       here to act like this in front of me! Don't let him in my house!"

       (1 Sam 22:1 NCV)  David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. 
       When his brothers and other relatives heard that he was there, they 
       went to see him.

       (1 Sam 22:2 NCV)  Everyone who was in trouble, or who owed money, or 
       who was unsatisfied gathered around David, and he became their leader. 
       About four hundred men were with him.

       (1 Sam 22:3 NCV)  From there David went to Mizpah in Moab and spoke to 
       the king of Moab. He said, "Please let my father and mother come and 
       stay with you until I learn what God is going to do for me."

       (1 Sam 22:4 NCV)  So he left them with the king of Moab, and they 
       stayed with him as long as David was hiding in the stronghold.

       (1 Sam 22:5 NCV)  But the prophet Gad said to David, "Don't stay in 
       the stronghold. Go to the land of Judah." So David left and went to 
       the forest of Hereth.

       (1 Sam 22:6 NCV)  Saul heard that David and his men had been seen. 
       Saul was sitting under the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, and 
       all his officers were standing around him. He had a spear in his hand.

       (1 Sam 22:7 NCV)  Saul said to them, "Listen, men of Benjamin! Do you 
       think the son of Jesse will give all of you fields and vineyards? Will 





       David make you commanders over thousands of men or hundreds of men?

       (1 Sam 22:8 NCV)  You have all made plans against me! No one tells me 
       when my son makes an agreement with the son of Jesse! No one cares 
       about me! No one tells me when my son has encouraged my servant to 
       ambush me this very day!"

       (1 Sam 22:9 NCV)  Doeg the Edomite, who was standing there with Saul's 
       officers, said, "I saw the son of Jesse. He came to see Ahimelech son 
       of Ahitub at Nob.

       (1 Sam 22:10 NCV)  Ahimelech prayed to the LORD for David and gave him 
       food and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine."

       (1 Sam 22:11 NCV)  Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelech son of 
       Ahitub and for all of Ahimelech's relatives who were priests at Nob. 
       And they all came to the king.

       (1 Sam 22:12 NCV)  Saul said to Ahimelech, "Listen now, son of 
       Ahitub." Ahimelech answered, "Yes, master."

       (1 Sam 22:13 NCV)  Saul said, "Why are you and Jesse's son against me? 
       You gave him bread and a sword! You prayed to God for him. David has 
       turned against me and is waiting to attack me even now!"

       (1 Sam 22:14 NCV)  Ahimelech answered, "You have no other servant who 
       is as loyal as David, your own son-in-law and captain of your 
       bodyguards. Everyone in your house respects him.

       (1 Sam 22:15 NCV)  That was not the first time I prayed to God for 
       David. Don't blame me or any of my relatives. I, your servant, know 
       nothing about what is going on."

       (1 Sam 22:16 NCV)  But the king said, "Ahimelech, you and all your 
       relatives must die!"

       (1 Sam 22:17 NCV)  Then he told the guards at his side, "Go and kill 
       the priests of the LORD, because they are on David's side. They knew 
       he was running away, but they didn't tell me." But the king's officers 
       refused to kill the priests of the LORD.

       (1 Sam 22:18 NCV)  Then the king ordered Doeg, "Go and kill the 
       priests." So Doeg the Edomite went and killed the priests. That day he 
       killed eighty-five men who wore the linen holy vest.

       (1 Sam 22:19 NCV)  He also killed the people of Nob, the city of the 
       priests. With the sword he killed men, women, children, babies, 
       cattle, donkeys, and sheep.

       (1 Sam 22:20 NCV)  But Abiathar, a son of Ahimelech, who was the son 
       of Ahitub, escaped. He ran away and joined David.

       (1 Sam 22:21 NCV)  He told David that Saul had killed the Lord's 
       priests.

       (1 Sam 22:22 NCV)  Then David told him, "Doeg the Edomite was there at 





       Nob that day. I knew he would surely tell Saul. So I am responsible 
       for the death of all your father's family.

       (1 Sam 22:23 NCV)  Stay with me. Don't be afraid. The man who wants to 
       kill you also wants to kill me. You will be safe with me."

       (1 Sam 23:1 NCV)  Someone told David, "Look, the Philistines are 
       fighting against Keilah and stealing grain from the threshing floors."

       (1 Sam 23:2 NCV)  David asked the LORD, "Should I go and fight these 
       Philistines?" The LORD answered him, "Go. Attack them, and save 
       Keilah."

       (1 Sam 23:3 NCV)  But David's men said to him, "We're afraid here in 
       Judah. We will be more afraid if we go to Keilah where the Philistine 
       army is."

       (1 Sam 23:4 NCV)  David again asked the LORD, and the LORD answered, 
       "Go down to Keilah. I will help you defeat the Philistines."

       (1 Sam 23:5 NCV)  So David and his men went to Keilah and fought the 
       Philistines and took their cattle. David killed many Philistines and 
       saved the people of Keilah.

       (1 Sam 23:6 NCV)  (Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the holy 
       vest with him when he came to David at Keilah.)

       (1 Sam 23:7 NCV)  Someone told Saul that David was now at Keilah. Saul 
       said, "God has handed David over to me! He has trapped himself, 
       because he has entered a town with gates and bars."

       (1 Sam 23:8 NCV)  Saul called all his army together for battle, and 
       they prepared to go down to Keilah to attack David and his men.

       (1 Sam 23:9 NCV)  David learned Saul was making evil plans against 
       him. So he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the holy vest."

       (1 Sam 23:10 NCV)  David prayed, "LORD, God of Israel, I have heard 
       that Saul plans to come to Keilah to destroy the town because of me.

       (1 Sam 23:11 NCV)  Will the leaders of Keilah hand me over to Saul? 
       Will Saul come down to Keilah, as I heard? LORD, God of Israel, tell 
       me, your servant!" The LORD answered, "Saul will come down."

       (1 Sam 23:12 NCV)  Again David asked, "Will the leaders of Keilah hand 
       me and my men over to Saul?" The LORD answered, "They will."

       (1 Sam 23:13 NCV)  So David and his six hundred men left Keilah and 
       kept moving from place to place. When Saul found out that David had 
       escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.

       (1 Sam 23:14 NCV)  David stayed in the desert hideouts and in the 
       hills of the Desert of Ziph. Every day Saul looked for David, but the 
       LORD did not surrender David to him.

       (1 Sam 23:15 NCV)  While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he 





       learned that Saul was coming to kill him.

       (1 Sam 23:16 NCV)  But Saul's son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and 
       strengthened his faith in God.

       (1 Sam 23:17 NCV)  Jonathan told him, "Don't be afraid, because my 
       father won't touch you. You will be king of Israel, and I will be 
       second to you. Even my father Saul knows this."

       (1 Sam 23:18 NCV)  The two of them made an agreement before the LORD. 
       Then Jonathan went home, but David stayed at Horesh.

       (1 Sam 23:19 NCV)  The people from Ziph went to Saul at Gibeah and 
       told him, "David is hiding in our land. He's at the hideouts of 
       Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah, south of Jeshimon.

       (1 Sam 23:20 NCV)  Now, our king, come down anytime you want. It's our 
       duty to hand David over to you."

       (1 Sam 23:21 NCV)  Saul answered, "The LORD bless you for helping me.

       (1 Sam 23:22 NCV)  Go and learn more about him. Find out where he is 
       staying and who has seen him there. I have heard that he is clever.

       (1 Sam 23:23 NCV)  Find all the hiding places he uses, and come back 
       and tell me everything. Then I'll go with you. If David is in the 
       area, I will track him down among all the families in Judah."

       (1 Sam 23:24 NCV)  So they went back to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David 
       and his men were in the Desert of Maon in the desert area south of 
       Jeshimon.

       (1 Sam 23:25 NCV)  Saul and his men went to look for David, but David 
       heard about it and went down to a rock and stayed in the Desert of 
       Maon. When Saul heard that, he followed David into the Desert of Maon.

       (1 Sam 23:26 NCV)  Saul was going along one side of the mountain, and 
       David and his men were on the other side. They were hurrying to get 
       away from Saul, because Saul and his men were closing in on them.

       (1 Sam 23:27 NCV)  But a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Come 
       quickly! The Philistines are attacking our land!"

       (1 Sam 23:28 NCV)  So Saul stopped chasing David and went to challenge 
       the Philistines. That is why people call this place Rock of Parting.

       (1 Sam 23:29 NCV)  David also left the Desert of Maon and stayed in 
       the hideouts of En Gedi.

       (1 Sam 24:1 NCV)  After Saul returned from chasing the Philistines, he 
       was told, "David is in the Desert of En Gedi."

       (1 Sam 24:2 NCV)  So he took three thousand chosen men from all Israel 
       and began looking for David and his men near the Rocks of the Wild 
       Goats.





       (1 Sam 24:3 NCV)  Saul came to the sheep pens beside the road. A cave 
       was there, and he went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men 
       were hiding far back in the cave.

       (1 Sam 24:4 NCV)  The men said to David, "Today is the day the LORD 
       spoke of when he said, 'I will give your enemy over to you. Do 
       anything you want with him.'" Then David crept up to Saul and quietly 
       cut off a corner of Saul's robe.

       (1 Sam 24:5 NCV)  Later David felt guilty because he had cut off a 
       corner of Saul's robe.

       (1 Sam 24:6 NCV)  He said to his men, "May the LORD keep me from doing 
       such a thing to my master! Saul is the Lord's appointed king. I should 
       not do anything against him, because he is the Lord's appointed king!"

       (1 Sam 24:7 NCV)  David used these words to stop his men; he did not 
       let them attack Saul. Then Saul left the cave and went his way.

       (1 Sam 24:8 NCV)  When David came out of the cave, he shouted to Saul, 
       "My master and king!" Saul looked back, and David bowed facedown on 
       the ground.

       (1 Sam 24:9 NCV)  He said to Saul, "Why do you listen when people say, 
       'David wants to harm you'?

       (1 Sam 24:10 NCV)  You have seen something with your own eyes today. 
       The LORD put you in my power in the cave. They said I should kill you, 
       but I was merciful. I said, 'I won't harm my master, because he is the 
       Lord's appointed king.'

       (1 Sam 24:11 NCV)  My father, look at this piece of your robe in my 
       hand! I cut off the corner of your robe, but I didn't kill you. Now 
       understand and know I am not planning any evil against you. I did 
       nothing wrong to you, but you are hunting me to kill me.

       (1 Sam 24:12 NCV)  May the LORD judge between us, and may he punish 
       you for the wrong you have done to me! But I am not against you.

       (1 Sam 24:13 NCV)  There is an old saying: 'Evil things come from evil 
       people.' But I am not against you.

       (1 Sam 24:14 NCV)  Whom is the king of Israel coming out against? Whom 
       are you chasing? It's as if you are chasing a dead dog or a flea.

       (1 Sam 24:15 NCV)  May the LORD be our judge and decide between you 
       and me. May he support me and show that I am right. May he save me 
       from you!"

       (1 Sam 24:16 NCV)  When David finished saying these words, Saul asked, 
       "Is that your voice, David my son?" And he cried loudly.

       (1 Sam 24:17 NCV)  He said, "You are a better man than I am. You have 
       been good to me, but I have done wrong to you.

       (1 Sam 24:18 NCV)  You told me what good things you did. The LORD 





       handed me over to you, but you did not kill me.

       (1 Sam 24:19 NCV)  If a person finds his enemy, he doesn't just send 
       him on his way, does he? May the LORD reward you because you were good 
       to me today.

       (1 Sam 24:20 NCV)  I know you will surely be king, and you will rule 
       the kingdom of Israel.

       (1 Sam 24:21 NCV)  Now swear to me by the LORD that you will not kill 
       my descendants and that you won't wipe out my name from my father's 
       family."

       (1 Sam 24:22 NCV)  So David made the promise to Saul. Then Saul went 
       back home, and David and his men went up to their hideout.

       (1 Sam 25:1 NCV)  Now Samuel died, and all the Israelites met and had 
       a time of sadness for him. Then they buried him at his home in Ramah. 
       David moved to the Desert of Maon.

       (1 Sam 25:2 NCV)  A man in Maon who had land at Carmel was very rich. 
       He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. He was cutting the 
       wool off his sheep at Carmel.

       (1 Sam 25:3 NCV)  His name was Nabal, and he was a descendant of 
       Caleb. His wife was named Abigail. She was wise and beautiful, but 
       Nabal was cruel and mean.

       (1 Sam 25:4 NCV)  While David was in the desert, he heard that Nabal 
       was cutting the wool from his sheep.

       (1 Sam 25:5 NCV)  So he sent ten young men and told them, "Go to Nabal 
       at Carmel, and greet him for me.

       (1 Sam 25:6 NCV)  Say to Nabal, 'May you and your family and all who 
       belong to you have good health!

       (1 Sam 25:7 NCV)  I have heard that you are cutting the wool from your 
       sheep. When your shepherds were with us, we did not harm them. All the 
       time your shepherds were at Carmel, we stole nothing from them.

       (1 Sam 25:8 NCV)  Ask your servants, and they will tell you. We come 
       at a happy time, so be kind to my young men. Please give anything you 
       can find for them and for your son David.'"

       (1 Sam 25:9 NCV)  When David's men arrived, they gave the message to 
       Nabal, but Nabal insulted them.

       (1 Sam 25:10 NCV)  He answered them, "Who is David? Who is this son of 
       Jesse? Many slaves are running away from their masters today!

       (1 Sam 25:11 NCV)  I have bread and water, and I have meat that I 
       killed for my servants who cut the wool. But I won't give it to men I 
       don't know."

       (1 Sam 25:12 NCV)  David's men went back and told him all Nabal had 





       said.

       (1 Sam 25:13 NCV)  Then David said to them, "Put on your swords!" So 
       they put on their swords, and David put on his also. About four 
       hundred men went with David, but two hundred men stayed with the 
       supplies.

       (1 Sam 25:14 NCV)  One of Nabal's servants said to Abigail, Nabal's 
       wife, "David sent messengers from the desert to greet our master, but 
       Nabal insulted them.

       (1 Sam 25:15 NCV)  These men were very good to us. They did not harm 
       us. They stole nothing from us during all the time we were out in the 
       field with them.

       (1 Sam 25:16 NCV)  Night and day they protected us. They were like a 
       wall around us while we were with them caring for the sheep.

       (1 Sam 25:17 NCV)  Now think about it, and decide what you can do. 
       Terrible trouble is coming to our master and all his family. Nabal is 
       such a wicked man that no one can even talk to him."

       (1 Sam 25:18 NCV)  Abigail hurried. She took two hundred loaves of 
       bread, two leather bags full of wine, five cooked sheep, a bushel of 
       cooked grain, a hundred cakes of raisins, and two hundred cakes of 
       pressed figs and put all these on donkeys.

       (1 Sam 25:19 NCV)  Then she told her servants, "Go on. I'll follow 
       you." But she did not tell her husband.

       (1 Sam 25:20 NCV)  Abigail rode her donkey and came down toward the 
       mountain hideout. There she met David and his men coming down toward 
       her.

       (1 Sam 25:21 NCV)  David had just said, "It's been useless! I watched 
       over Nabal's property in the desert. I made sure none of his sheep was 
       missing. I did good to him, but he has paid me back with evil.

       (1 Sam 25:22 NCV)  May God punish my enemies even more. I will not 
       leave one of Nabal's men alive until morning."

       (1 Sam 25:23 NCV)  When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her 
       donkey and bowed facedown on the ground before him.

       (1 Sam 25:24 NCV)  She fell at David's feet and said, "My master, let 
       the blame be on me! Please let me talk to you. Listen to what I say.

       (1 Sam 25:25 NCV)  My master, don't pay attention to this worthless 
       man Nabal. He is like his name. His name means 'fool,' and he is truly 
       a fool. But I, your servant, didn't see the men you sent.

       (1 Sam 25:26 NCV)  The LORD has kept you from killing and punishing 
       anyone. As surely as the LORD lives and as surely as you live, may 
       your enemies become like Nabal!

       (1 Sam 25:27 NCV)  I have brought a gift to you for the men who follow 





       you.

       (1 Sam 25:28 NCV)  Please forgive my wrong. The LORD will certainly 
       let your family have many kings, because you fight his battles. As 
       long as you live, may you do nothing bad.

       (1 Sam 25:29 NCV)  Someone might chase you to kill you, but the LORD 
       your God will keep you alive. He will throw away your enemies' lives 
       as he would throw a stone from a sling.

       (1 Sam 25:30 NCV)  The LORD will keep all his promises of good things 
       for you. He will make you leader over Israel.

       (1 Sam 25:31 NCV)  Then you won't feel guilty or troubled because you 
       killed innocent people and punished them. Please remember me when the 
       LORD brings you success."

       (1 Sam 25:32 NCV)  David answered Abigail, "Praise the LORD, the God 
       of Israel, who sent you to meet me.

       (1 Sam 25:33 NCV)  May you be blessed for your wisdom. You have kept 
       me from killing or punishing people today.

       (1 Sam 25:34 NCV)  As surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, he 
       has kept me from hurting you. If you hadn't come quickly to meet me, 
       not one of Nabal's men would have lived until morning."

       (1 Sam 25:35 NCV)  Then David accepted Abigail's gifts. He told her, 
       "Go home in peace. I have heard your words, and I will do what you 
       have asked."

       (1 Sam 25:36 NCV)  When Abigail went back to Nabal, he was in the 
       house, eating like a king. He was very drunk and in a good mood. So 
       she told him nothing until the next morning.

       (1 Sam 25:37 NCV)  In the morning when he was not drunk, his wife told 
       him everything. His heart stopped, and he became like stone.

       (1 Sam 25:38 NCV)  About ten days later the LORD struck Nabal and he 
       died.

       (1 Sam 25:39 NCV)  When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, 
       "Praise the LORD! Nabal insulted me, but the LORD has supported me! He 
       has kept me from doing wrong. The LORD has punished Nabal for his 
       wrong." Then David sent a message to Abigail, asking her to be his 
       wife.

       (1 Sam 25:40 NCV)  His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, 
       "David sent us to take you so you can become his wife."

       (1 Sam 25:41 NCV)  Abigail bowed facedown on the ground and said, "I 
       am your servant. I'm ready to serve you and to wash the feet of my 
       master's servants."

       (1 Sam 25:42 NCV)  Abigail quickly got on a donkey and went with 
       David's messengers, with her five maids following her. And she became 





       David's wife.

       (1 Sam 25:43 NCV)  David also had married Ahinoam of Jezreel. So they 
       were both David's wives.

       (1 Sam 25:44 NCV)  Saul's daughter Michal was also David's wife, but 
       Saul had given her to Paltiel son of Laish, who was from Gallim.

       (1 Sam 26:1 NCV)  The people of Ziph went to Saul at Gibeah and said 
       to him, "David is hiding on the hill of Hakilah opposite Jeshimon."

       (1 Sam 26:2 NCV)  So Saul went down to the Desert of Ziph with three 
       thousand chosen men of Israel to look for David there.

       (1 Sam 26:3 NCV)  Saul made his camp beside the road on the hill of 
       Hakilah opposite Jeshimon, but David stayed in the desert. When he 
       heard Saul had followed him,

       (1 Sam 26:4 NCV)  he sent out spies and learned for certain that Saul 
       had come to Hakilah.

       (1 Sam 26:5 NCV)  Then David went to the place where Saul had camped. 
       He saw where Saul and Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul's army, 
       were sleeping. Saul was sleeping in the middle of the camp with all 
       the army around him.

       (1 Sam 26:6 NCV)  David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of 
       Zeruiah, Joab's brother, "Who will go down into Saul's camp with me?" 
       Abishai answered, "I'll go with you."

       (1 Sam 26:7 NCV)  So that night David and Abishai went into Saul's 
       camp. Saul was asleep in the middle of the camp with his spear stuck 
       in the ground near his head. Abner and the army were sleeping around 
       Saul.

       (1 Sam 26:8 NCV)  Abishai said to David, "Today God has handed your 
       enemy over to you. Let me pin Saul to the ground with my spear. I'll 
       only have to do it once. I won't need to hit him twice."

       (1 Sam 26:9 NCV)  But David said to Abishai, "Don't kill Saul! No one 
       can harm the Lord's appointed king and still be innocent!

       (1 Sam 26:10 NCV)  As surely as the LORD lives, the LORD himself will 
       punish Saul. Maybe Saul will die naturally, or maybe he will go into 
       battle and be killed.

       (1 Sam 26:11 NCV)  But may the LORD keep me from harming his appointed 
       king! Take the spear and water jug that are near Saul's head. Then 
       let's go."

       (1 Sam 26:12 NCV)  So David took the spear and water jug that were 
       near Saul's head, and they left. No one saw them or knew about it or 
       woke up, because the LORD had put them sound asleep.

       (1 Sam 26:13 NCV)  David crossed over to the other side of the hill 
       and stood on top of the mountain far from Saul's camp. They were a 





       long way away from each other.

       (1 Sam 26:14 NCV)  David shouted to the army and to Abner son of Ner, 
       "Won't you answer me, Abner?" Abner answered, "Who is calling for the 
       king? Who are you?"

       (1 Sam 26:15 NCV)  David said, "You're the greatest man in Israel. 
       Isn't that true? Why didn't you guard your master the king? Someone 
       came into your camp to kill your master the king!

       (1 Sam 26:16 NCV)  You have not done well. As surely as the LORD 
       lives, you and your men should die. You haven't guarded your master, 
       the Lord's appointed king. Look! Where are the king's spear and water 
       jug that were near his head?"

       (1 Sam 26:17 NCV)  Saul knew David's voice. He said, "Is that your 
       voice, David my son?" David answered, "Yes, it is, my master and 
       king."

       (1 Sam 26:18 NCV)  David also said, "Why are you chasing me, my 
       master? What wrong have I done? What evil am I guilty of?

       (1 Sam 26:19 NCV)  My master and king, listen to me. If the LORD made 
       you angry with me, let him accept an offering. But if people did it, 
       may the LORD curse them! They have made me leave the land the LORD 
       gave me. They have told me, 'Go and serve other gods.'

       (1 Sam 26:20 NCV)  Now don't let me die far away from the Lord's 
       presence. The king of Israel has come out looking for a flea! You're 
       just hunting a bird in the mountains!"

       (1 Sam 26:21 NCV)  Then Saul said, "I have sinned. Come back, David my 
       son. Today you respected my life, so I will not try to hurt you. I 
       have been very stupid and foolish."

       (1 Sam 26:22 NCV)  David answered, "Here is your spear. Let one of 
       your young men come here and get it.

       (1 Sam 26:23 NCV)  The LORD rewards us for the things we do right and 
       for our loyalty to him. The LORD handed you over to me today, but I 
       wouldn't harm the Lord's appointed king.

       (1 Sam 26:24 NCV)  As I respected your life today, may the LORD also 
       respect my life and save me from all trouble."

       (1 Sam 26:25 NCV)  Then Saul said to David, "You are blessed, my son 
       David. You will do great things and succeed." So David went on his 
       way, and Saul went back home.

       (1 Sam 27:1 NCV)  But David thought to himself, "Saul will catch me 
       someday. The best thing I can do is escape to the land of the 
       Philistines. Then he will give up looking for me in Israel, and I can 
       get away from him."

       (1 Sam 27:2 NCV)  So David and his six hundred men left Israel and 
       went to Achish son of Maoch, king of Gath.






       (1 Sam 27:3 NCV)  David, his men, and their families made their home 
       in Gath with Achish. David had his two wives with him--Ahinoam of 
       Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal.

       (1 Sam 27:4 NCV)  When Saul heard that David had run away to Gath, he 
       stopped looking for him.

       (1 Sam 27:5 NCV)  Then David said to Achish, "If you are pleased with 
       me, give me a place in one of the country towns where I can live. I 
       don't need to live in the royal city with you."

       (1 Sam 27:6 NCV)  That day Achish gave David the town of Ziklag, and 
       Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since.

       (1 Sam 27:7 NCV)  David lived in the Philistine land a year and four 
       months.

       (1 Sam 27:8 NCV)  David and his men raided the people of Geshur, 
       Girzi, and Amalek. (These people had lived for a long time in the land 
       that reached to Shur and Egypt.)

       (1 Sam 27:9 NCV)  When David fought them, he killed all the men and 
       women and took their sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels, and clothes. Then 
       he returned to Achish.

       (1 Sam 27:10 NCV)  Achish would ask David, "Where did you go raiding 
       today?" And David would tell him that he had gone to the southern part 
       of Judah, or Jerahmeel, or to the land of the Kenites.

       (1 Sam 27:11 NCV)  David never brought a man or woman alive to Gath. 
       He thought, "If we bring people alive, they may tell Achish, 'This is 
       what David really did.'" David did this all the time he lived in the 
       Philistine land.

       (1 Sam 27:12 NCV)  So Achish trusted David and said to himself, 
       "David's own people, the Israelites, now hate him very much. He will 
       serve me forever."

       (1 Sam 28:1 NCV)  Later, the Philistines gathered their armies to 
       fight against Israel. Achish said to David, "You understand that you 
       and your men must join my army."

       (1 Sam 28:2 NCV)  David answered, "You will see for yourself what I, 
       your servant, can do!" Achish said, "Fine, I'll make you my permanent 
       bodyguard."

       (1 Sam 28:3 NCV)  Now Samuel was dead, and all the Israelites had 
       shown their sadness for him. They had buried Samuel in his hometown of 
       Ramah. And Saul had forced out the mediums and fortune-tellers from 
       the land.

       (1 Sam 28:4 NCV)  The Philistines came together and made camp at 
       Shunem. Saul gathered all the Israelites and made camp at Gilboa.

       (1 Sam 28:5 NCV)  When he saw the Philistine army, he was afraid, and 





       his heart pounded with fear.

       (1 Sam 28:6 NCV)  He prayed to the LORD, but the LORD did not answer 
       him through dreams, Urim, or prophets.

       (1 Sam 28:7 NCV)  Then Saul said to his servants, "Find me a woman who 
       is a medium so I may go and ask her what will happen." His servants 
       answered, "There is a medium in Endor."

       (1 Sam 28:8 NCV)  Then Saul put on other clothes to disguise himself, 
       and at night he and two of his men went to see the woman. Saul said to 
       her, "Talk to a spirit for me. Bring up the person I name."

       (1 Sam 28:9 NCV)  But the woman said to him, "Surely you know what 
       Saul has done. He has forced the mediums and fortune-tellers from the 
       land. You are trying to trap me and get me killed."

       (1 Sam 28:10 NCV)  Saul made a promise to the woman in the name of the 
       LORD. He said, "As surely as the LORD lives, you won't be punished for 
       this."

       (1 Sam 28:11 NCV)  The woman asked, "Whom do you want me to bring up?" 
       He answered, "Bring up Samuel."

       (1 Sam 28:12 NCV)  When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed. She said, 
       "Why have you tricked me? You are Saul!"

       (1 Sam 28:13 NCV)  The king said to the woman, "Don't be afraid! What 
       do you see?" The woman said, "I see a spirit coming up out of the 
       ground."

       (1 Sam 28:14 NCV)  Saul asked, "What does he look like?" The woman 
       answered, "An old man wearing a coat is coming up." Then Saul knew it 
       was Samuel, and he bowed facedown on the ground.

       (1 Sam 28:15 NCV)  Samuel asked Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by 
       bringing me up?" Saul said, "I am greatly troubled. The Philistines 
       are fighting against me, and God has left me. He won't answer me 
       anymore, either by prophets or in dreams. That's why I called for you. 
       Tell me what to do."

       (1 Sam 28:16 NCV)  Samuel said, "The LORD has left you and has become 
       your enemy. So why do you call on me?

       (1 Sam 28:17 NCV)  He has done what he said he would do--the things he 
       said through me. He has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given 
       it to one of your neighbors, David.

       (1 Sam 28:18 NCV)  You did not obey the LORD; you did not show the 
       Amalekites how angry he was with them. That's why he has done this to 
       you today.

       (1 Sam 28:19 NCV)  The LORD will hand over both Israel and you to the 
       Philistines. Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The LORD will 
       hand over the army of Israel to the Philistines."





       (1 Sam 28:20 NCV)  Saul quickly fell flat on the ground and was afraid 
       of what Samuel had said. He was also very weak because he had eaten 
       nothing all that day and night.

       (1 Sam 28:21 NCV)  Then the woman came to Saul and saw that he was 
       really frightened. She said, "Look, I, your servant, have obeyed you. 
       I have risked my life and done what you told me to do.

       (1 Sam 28:22 NCV)  Now please listen to me. Let me give you some food 
       so you may eat and have enough strength to go on your way."

       (1 Sam 28:23 NCV)  But Saul refused, saying, "I won't eat." His 
       servants joined the woman in asking him to eat, and he listened to 
       them. So he got up from the ground and sat on the bed.

       (1 Sam 28:24 NCV)  At the house the woman had a fat calf, which she 
       quickly killed. She took some flour and mixed dough with her hands. 
       Then she baked some bread without yeast.

       (1 Sam 28:25 NCV)  She put the food before them, and they ate. That 
       same night they got up and left.

       (1 Sam 29:1 NCV)  The Philistines gathered all their soldiers at 
       Aphek. Israel camped by the spring at Jezreel.

       (1 Sam 29:2 NCV)  The Philistine kings were marching with their groups 
       of a hundred and a thousand men. David and his men were marching 
       behind Achish.

       (1 Sam 29:3 NCV)  The Philistine commanders asked, "What are these 
       Hebrews doing here?" Achish told them, "This is David. He served Saul 
       king of Israel, but he has been with me for over a year now. I have 
       found nothing wrong in David since the time he left Saul."

       (1 Sam 29:4 NCV)  But the Philistine commanders were angry with Achish 
       and said, "Send David back to the city you gave him. He cannot go with 
       us into battle. If he does, we'll have an enemy in our own camp. He 
       could please his king by killing our own men.

       (1 Sam 29:5 NCV)  David is the one the Israelites dance and sing 
       about, saying: 'Saul has killed thousands of his enemies, but David 
       has killed tens of thousands.'"

       (1 Sam 29:6 NCV)  So Achish called David and said to him, "As surely 
       as the LORD lives, you are loyal. I would be pleased to have you serve 
       in my army. Since the day you came to me, I have found no wrong in 
       you. But the other kings don't trust you.

       (1 Sam 29:7 NCV)  Go back in peace. Don't do anything to displease the 
       Philistine kings."

       (1 Sam 29:8 NCV)  David asked, "What wrong have I done? What evil have 
       you found in me from the day I came to you until now? Why can't I go 
       fight your enemies, my lord and king?"

       (1 Sam 29:9 NCV)  Achish answered, "I know you are as good as an angel 





       from God. But the Philistine commanders have said, 'David must not go 
       with us into battle.'

       (1 Sam 29:10 NCV)  Early in the morning you and your master's servants 
       should leave. Get up as soon as it is light and go."

       (1 Sam 29:11 NCV)  So David and his men got up early in the morning 
       and went back to the country of the Philistines. And the Philistines 
       went up to Jezreel.

       (1 Sam 30:1 NCV)  On the third day, when David and his men arrived at 
       Ziklag, he found that the Amalekites had raided southern Judah and 
       Ziklag, attacking Ziklag and burning it.

       (1 Sam 30:2 NCV)  They captured the women and everyone, young and old, 
       but they had not killed anyone. They had only taken them away.

       (1 Sam 30:3 NCV)  When David and his men came to Ziklag, they found 
       the town had been burned and their wives, sons, and daughters had been 
       taken as prisoners.

       (1 Sam 30:4 NCV)  Then David and his army cried loudly until they were 
       too weak to cry anymore.

       (1 Sam 30:5 NCV)  David's two wives had also been taken--Ahinoam of 
       Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal from Carmel.

       (1 Sam 30:6 NCV)  The men in the army were threatening to kill David 
       with stones, which greatly upset David. Each man was sad and angry 
       because his sons and daughters had been captured, but David found 
       strength in the LORD his God.

       (1 Sam 30:7 NCV)  David said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring me the 
       holy vest."

       (1 Sam 30:8 NCV)  Then David asked the LORD, "Should I chase the 
       people who took our families? Will I catch them?" The LORD answered, 
       "Chase them. You will catch them, and you will succeed in saving your 
       families."

       (1 Sam 30:9 NCV)  David and the six hundred men with him came to the 
       Besor Ravine, where some of the men stayed.

       (1 Sam 30:10 NCV)  David and four hundred men kept up the chase. The 
       other two hundred men stayed behind because they were too tired to 
       cross the ravine.

       (1 Sam 30:11 NCV)  They found an Egyptian in a field and brought him 
       to David. They gave the Egyptian some water to drink and some food to 
       eat.

       (1 Sam 30:12 NCV)  And they gave him a piece of a fig cake and two 
       clusters of raisins. Then he felt better, because he had not eaten any 
       food or drunk any water for three days and nights.

       (1 Sam 30:13 NCV)  David asked him, "Who is your master? Where do you 





       come from?" He answered, "I'm an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite. 
       Three days ago my master left me, because I was sick.

       (1 Sam 30:14 NCV)  We had raided the southern area of the Kerethites, 
       the land of Judah, and the southern area of Caleb. We burned Ziklag, 
       as well.

       (1 Sam 30:15 NCV)  David asked him, "Can you lead me to the people who 
       took our families?" He answered, "Yes, if you promise me before God 
       that you won't kill me or give me back to my master. Then I will take 
       you to them."

       (1 Sam 30:16 NCV)  So the Egyptian led David to the Amalekites. They 
       were lying around on the ground, eating and drinking and celebrating 
       with the things they had taken from the land of the Philistines and 
       from Judah.

       (1 Sam 30:17 NCV)  David fought them from sunset until the evening of 
       the next day. None of them escaped, except four hundred young men who 
       rode off on their camels.

       (1 Sam 30:18 NCV)  David got his two wives back and everything the 
       Amalekites had taken.

       (1 Sam 30:19 NCV)  Nothing was missing. David brought back everyone, 
       young and old, sons and daughters. He recovered the valuable things 
       and everything the Amalekites had taken.

       (1 Sam 30:20 NCV)  David took all the sheep and cattle, and his men 
       made these animals go in front, saying, "They are David's prize."

       (1 Sam 30:21 NCV)  Then David came to the two hundred men who had been 
       too tired to follow him, who had stayed at the Besor Ravine. They came 
       out to meet David and the people with him. When he came near, David 
       greeted the men at the ravine.

       (1 Sam 30:22 NCV)  But the evil men and troublemakers among those who 
       followed David said, "Since these two hundred men didn't go with us, 
       we shouldn't give them any of the things we recovered. Just let each 
       man take his wife and children and go."

       (1 Sam 30:23 NCV)  David answered, "No, my brothers. Don't do that 
       after what the LORD has given us. He has protected us and given us the 
       enemy who attacked us.

       (1 Sam 30:24 NCV)  Who will listen to what you say? The share will be 
       the same for the one who stayed with the supplies as for the one who 
       went into battle. All will share alike."

       (1 Sam 30:25 NCV)  David made this an order and rule for Israel, which 
       continues even today.

       (1 Sam 30:26 NCV)  When David arrived in Ziklag, he sent some of the 
       things he had taken from the Amalekites to his friends, the leaders of 
       Judah. He said, "Here is a present for you from the things we took 
       from the Lord's enemies."






       (1 Sam 30:27 NCV)  David also sent some things to the leaders in 
       Bethel, Ramoth in the southern part of Judah, Jattir,

       (1 Sam 30:28 NCV)  Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa,

       (1 Sam 30:29 NCV)  Racal, the cities of the Jerahmeelites and the 
       Kenites,

       (1 Sam 30:30 NCV)  Hormah, Bor Ashan, Athach,

       (1 Sam 30:31 NCV)  Hebron, and to the people in all the other places 
       where he and his men had been.

       (1 Sam 31:1 NCV)  The Philistines fought against Israel, and the 
       Israelites ran away from them. Many Israelites were killed on Mount 
       Gilboa.

       (1 Sam 31:2 NCV)  The Philistines fought hard against Saul and his 
       sons, killing his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua.

       (1 Sam 31:3 NCV)  The fighting was heavy around Saul. The archers shot 
       him, and he was badly wounded.

       (1 Sam 31:4 NCV)  He said to the officer who carried his armor, "Pull 
       out your sword and kill me. Then those uncircumcised men won't make 
       fun of me and kill me." But Saul's officer refused, because he was 
       afraid. So Saul took his own sword and threw himself on it.

       (1 Sam 31:5 NCV)  When the officer saw that Saul was dead, he threw 
       himself on his own sword, and he died with Saul.

       (1 Sam 31:6 NCV)  So Saul, his three sons, and the officer who carried 
       his armor died together that day.

       (1 Sam 31:7 NCV)  When the Israelites who lived across the Jezreel 
       Valley and those who lived across the Jordan River saw how the 
       Israelite army had run away, and that Saul and his sons were dead, 
       they left their cities and ran away. Then the Philistines came and 
       lived there.

       (1 Sam 31:8 NCV)  The next day when the Philistines came to take all 
       the valuable things from the dead soldiers, they found Saul and his 
       three sons dead on Mount Gilboa.

       (1 Sam 31:9 NCV)  They cut off Saul's head and took off his armor. 
       Then they sent messengers through all the land of the Philistines to 
       tell the news in the temple of their idols and to their people.

       (1 Sam 31:10 NCV)  They put Saul's armor in the temple of the 
       Ashtoreths and hung his body on the wall of Beth Shan.

       (1 Sam 31:11 NCV)  When the people living in Jabesh Gilead heard what 
       the Philistines had done to Saul,

       (1 Sam 31:12 NCV)  the brave men of Jabesh marched all night and came 





       to Beth Shan. They removed the bodies of Saul and his sons from the 
       wall of Beth Shan and brought them to Jabesh. There they burned the 
       bodies.

       (1 Sam 31:13 NCV)  They took their bones and buried them under the 
       tamarisk tree in Jabesh. Then the people of Jabesh gave up eating for 
       seven days.

       (2 Sam 1:1 NCV)  Now Saul was dead. After David had defeated the 
       Amalekites, he returned to Ziklag and stayed there two days.

       (2 Sam 1:2 NCV)  On the third day a young man from Saul's camp came to 
       Ziklag. To show his sadness, his clothes were torn and he had dirt on 
       his head. He came and bowed facedown on the ground before David.

       (2 Sam 1:3 NCV)  David asked him, "Where did you come from?" The man 
       answered, "I escaped from the Israelite camp."

       (2 Sam 1:4 NCV)  David asked him, "What happened? Please tell me!" The 
       man answered, "The people have run away from the battle, and many of 
       them have fallen and are dead. Saul and his son Jonathan are dead 
       also."

       (2 Sam 1:5 NCV)  David asked him, "How do you know Saul and his son 
       Jonathan are dead?"

       (2 Sam 1:6 NCV)  The young man answered, "I happened to be on Mount 
       Gilboa. There I saw Saul leaning on his spear. The Philistine chariots 
       and the men riding in them were coming closer to Saul.

       (2 Sam 1:7 NCV)  When he looked back and saw me, he called to me. I 
       answered him, 'Here I am!'

       (2 Sam 1:8 NCV)  "Then Saul asked me, 'Who are you?" "I told him, 'I 
       am an Amalekite."

       (2 Sam 1:9 NCV)  "Then Saul said to me, 'Please come here and kill me. 
       I am badly hurt and am almost dead already.'

       (2 Sam 1:10 NCV)  "So I went over and killed him. He had been hurt so 
       badly I knew he couldn't live. Then I took the crown from his head and 
       the bracelet from his arm, and I have brought them here to you, my 
       master."

       (2 Sam 1:11 NCV)  Then David tore his clothes to show his sorrow, and 
       all the men with him did also.

       (2 Sam 1:12 NCV)  They were very sad and cried and did not eat until 
       evening. They cried for Saul and his son Jonathan and for all the 
       people of the LORD and for all the Israelites who had died in the 
       battle.

       (2 Sam 1:13 NCV)  David asked the young man who brought the report, 
       "Where are you from?" The young man answered, "I am the son of a 
       foreigner, an Amalekite."





       (2 Sam 1:14 NCV)  David asked him, "Why were you not afraid to kill 
       the Lord's appointed king?"

       (2 Sam 1:15 NCV)  Then David called one of his men and told him, "Go! 
       Kill the Amalekite!" So the Israelite killed him.

       (2 Sam 1:16 NCV)  David had said to the Amalekite, "You are 
       responsible for your own death. You confessed by saying, 'I have 
       killed the Lord's appointed king.'"

       (2 Sam 1:17 NCV)  David sang a funeral song about Saul and his son 
       Jonathan,

       (2 Sam 1:18 NCV)  and he ordered that the people of Judah be taught 
       this song. It is called "The Bow," and it is written in the Book of 
       Jashar:

       (2 Sam 1:19 NCV)  "Israel, your leaders have been killed on the hills. 
       How the mighty have fallen in battle!

       (2 Sam 1:20 NCV)  Don't tell it in Gath. Don't announce it in the 
       streets of Ashkelon. If you do, the Philistine women will be happy. 
       The daughters of the Philistines will rejoice.

       (2 Sam 1:21 NCV)  "May there be no dew or rain on the mountains of 
       Gilboa, and may their fields produce no grain, because there the 
       mighty warrior's shield was dishonored. Saul's shield will no longer 
       be rubbed with oil.

       (2 Sam 1:22 NCV)  Jonathan's bow did not fail to kill many soldiers. 
       Saul's sword did not fail to wound many strong men.

       (2 Sam 1:23 NCV)  "We loved Saul and Jonathan and enjoyed them while 
       they lived. They are together even in death. They were faster than 
       eagles. They were stronger than lions.

       (2 Sam 1:24 NCV)  "You daughters of Israel, cry for Saul. Saul clothed 
       you with red dresses and put gold decorations on them.

       (2 Sam 1:25 NCV)  "How the mighty have fallen in battle! Jonathan is 
       dead on Gilboa's hills.

       (2 Sam 1:26 NCV)  I cry for you, my brother Jonathan. I enjoyed your 
       friendship so much. Your love to me was wonderful, better than the 
       love of women.

       (2 Sam 1:27 NCV)  "How the mighty have fallen! The weapons of war are 
       gone."

       (2 Sam 2:1 NCV)  Later, David prayed to the LORD, saying, "Should I go 
       up to any of the cities of Judah?" The LORD said to David, "Go." David 
       asked, "Where should I go?" The LORD answered, "To Hebron."

       (2 Sam 2:2 NCV)  So David went up to Hebron with his two wives: 
       Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel.





       (2 Sam 2:3 NCV)  David also brought his men and their families, and 
       they all made their homes in the cities of Hebron.

       (2 Sam 2:4 NCV)  Then the men of Judah came to Hebron and appointed 
       David king over Judah. They told David that the men of Jabesh Gilead 
       had buried Saul.

       (2 Sam 2:5 NCV)  So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead 
       and said to them, "The LORD bless you. You have shown loyalty to your 
       master Saul by burying him.

       (2 Sam 2:6 NCV)  May the LORD now be loyal and true to you. I will 
       also treat you well because you have done this.

       (2 Sam 2:7 NCV)  Now be strong and brave. Saul your master is dead, 
       and the people of Judah have appointed me their king."

       (2 Sam 2:8 NCV)  Abner son of Ner was the commander of Saul's army. 
       Abner took Saul's son Ish-Bosheth to Mahanaim

       (2 Sam 2:9 NCV)  and made him king of Gilead, Ashuri, Jezreel, 
       Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel.

       (2 Sam 2:10 NCV)  Saul's son Ish-Bosheth was forty years old when he 
       became king over Israel, and he ruled two years. But the people of 
       Judah followed David.

       (2 Sam 2:11 NCV)  David was king in Hebron for seven years and six 
       months.

       (2 Sam 2:12 NCV)  Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish-Bosheth son 
       of Saul left Mahanaim and went to Gibeon.

       (2 Sam 2:13 NCV)  Joab son of Zeruiah and David's men also went there 
       and met Abner and Ish-Bosheth's men at the pool of Gibeon. Abner's 
       group sat on one side of the pool; Joab's group sat on the other.

       (2 Sam 2:14 NCV)  Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men have a 
       contest here." Joab said, "Yes, let them have a contest."

       (2 Sam 2:15 NCV)  Then the men got up and were counted--twelve from 
       the people of Benjamin for Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve from 
       David's men.

       (2 Sam 2:16 NCV)  Each man grabbed the one opposite him by the head 
       and stabbed him in the side with a knife. So the men fell down 
       together. For that reason, that place in Gibeon is called the Field of 
       Knives.

       (2 Sam 2:17 NCV)  That day there was a terrible battle, and David's 
       men defeated Abner and the Israelites.

       (2 Sam 2:18 NCV)  Zeruiah's three sons, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel, 
       were there. Now Asahel was a fast runner, as fast as a deer in the 
       field.





       (2 Sam 2:19 NCV)  Asahel chased Abner, going straight toward him.

       (2 Sam 2:20 NCV)  Abner looked back and asked, "Is that you, Asahel?" 
       Asahel said, "Yes, it is."

       (2 Sam 2:21 NCV)  Then Abner said to Asahel, "Turn to your right or 
       left and catch one of the young men and take his armor." But Asahel 
       refused to stop chasing him.

       (2 Sam 2:22 NCV)  Abner again said to Asahel, "Stop chasing me! If you 
       don't stop, I'll have to kill you! Then I won't be able to face your 
       brother Joab again!"

       (2 Sam 2:23 NCV)  But Asahel refused to stop chasing Abner. So using 
       the back end of his spear, Abner stabbed Asahel in the stomach, and 
       the spear came out of his back. Asahel died right there, and everyone 
       stopped when they came to the place where Asahel's body lay.

       (2 Sam 2:24 NCV)  But Joab and Abishai continued chasing Abner. As the 
       sun was going down, they arrived at the hill of Ammah, near Giah on 
       the way to the desert near Gibeon.

       (2 Sam 2:25 NCV)  The men of Benjamin came to Abner, and all stood 
       together at the top of the hill.

       (2 Sam 2:26 NCV)  Abner shouted to Joab, "Must the sword kill forever? 
       Surely you must know this will only end in sadness! Tell the people to 
       stop chasing their own brothers!"

       (2 Sam 2:27 NCV)  Then Joab said, "As surely as God lives, if you had 
       not said anything, the people would have chased their brothers until 
       morning."

       (2 Sam 2:28 NCV)  Then Joab blew a trumpet, and his people stopped 
       chasing the Israelites. They did not fight them anymore.

       (2 Sam 2:29 NCV)  Abner and his men marched all night through the 
       Jordan Valley. They crossed the Jordan River, and after marching all 
       day, arrived at Mahanaim.

       (2 Sam 2:30 NCV)  After he had stopped chasing Abner, Joab came back 
       and gathered the people together. Asahel and nineteen of David's men 
       were missing.

       (2 Sam 2:31 NCV)  But David's men had killed three hundred sixty 
       Benjaminites who had followed Abner.

       (2 Sam 2:32 NCV)  David's men took Asahel and buried him in the tomb 
       of his father at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night. 
       The sun came up as they reached Hebron.

       (2 Sam 3:1 NCV)  There was a long war between the people who supported 
       Saul's family and those who supported David's family. The supporters 
       of David's family became stronger and stronger, but the supporters of 
       Saul's family became weaker and weaker.





       (2 Sam 3:2 NCV)  Sons were born to David at Hebron. The first was 
       Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam from Jezreel.

       (2 Sam 3:3 NCV)  The second son was Kileab, whose mother was Abigail, 
       the widow of Nabal from Carmel. The third son was Absalom, whose 
       mother was Maacah daughter of Talmai, the king of Geshur.

       (2 Sam 3:4 NCV)  The fourth son was Adonijah, whose mother was 
       Haggith. The fifth son was Shephatiah, whose mother was Abital.

       (2 Sam 3:5 NCV)  The sixth son was Ithream, whose mother was Eglah, 
       David's wife. These sons were born to David at Hebron.

       (2 Sam 3:6 NCV)  During the war between the supporters of Saul's 
       family and the supporters of David's family, Abner made himself a main 
       leader among the supporters of Saul.

       (2 Sam 3:7 NCV)  Saul once had a slave woman named Rizpah, who was the 
       daughter of Aiah. Ish-Bosheth said to Abner, "Why did you have sexual 
       relations with my father's slave woman?"

       (2 Sam 3:8 NCV)  Abner was very angry because of what Ish-Bosheth 
       said, and he replied, "I have been loyal to Saul and his family and 
       friends! I didn't hand you over to David. I am not a traitor working 
       for Judah! But now you are saying I did something wrong with this 
       woman!

       (2 Sam 3:9 NCV)  May God help me if I don't join David! I will make 
       sure that what the LORD promised does happen!

       (2 Sam 3:10 NCV)  I will take the kingdom from the family of Saul and 
       make David king of Israel and Judah, from Dan to Beersheba!"

       (2 Sam 3:11 NCV)  Ish-Bosheth couldn't say anything to Abner, because 
       he was afraid of him.

       (2 Sam 3:12 NCV)  Then Abner sent messengers to ask David, "Who is 
       going to rule the land? Make an agreement with me, and I will help you 
       unite all Israel."

       (2 Sam 3:13 NCV)  David answered, "Good! I will make an agreement with 
       you, but I ask you one thing. I will not meet with you unless you 
       bring Saul's daughter Michal to me."

       (2 Sam 3:14 NCV)  Then David sent messengers to Saul's son 
       Ish-Bosheth, saying, "Give me my wife Michal. She was promised to me, 
       and I killed a hundred Philistines to get her."

       (2 Sam 3:15 NCV)  So Ish-Bosheth sent men to take Michal from her 
       husband Paltiel son of Laish.

       (2 Sam 3:16 NCV)  Michal's husband went with her, crying as he 
       followed her to Bahurim. But Abner said to Paltiel, "Go back home." So 
       he went home.

       (2 Sam 3:17 NCV)  Abner sent this message to the older leaders of 





       Israel: "You have been wanting to make David your king.

       (2 Sam 3:18 NCV)  Now do it! The LORD said of David, 'Through my 
       servant David, I will save my people Israel from the Philistines and 
       all their enemies.'"

       (2 Sam 3:19 NCV)  Abner also said these things to the people of 
       Benjamin. He then went to Hebron to tell David what the Benjaminites 
       and Israel wanted to do.

       (2 Sam 3:20 NCV)  Abner came with twenty men to David at Hebron. There 
       David prepared a feast for them.

       (2 Sam 3:21 NCV)  Abner said to David, "My master and king, I will go 
       and bring all the Israelites to you. Then they will make an agreement 
       with you so you will rule over all Israel as you wanted." So David let 
       Abner go, and he left in peace.

       (2 Sam 3:22 NCV)  Just then Joab and David's men came from a battle, 
       bringing many valuable things they had taken from the enemy. David had 
       let Abner leave in peace, so he was not with David at Hebron.

       (2 Sam 3:23 NCV)  When Joab and all his army arrived at Hebron, the 
       army said to Joab, "Abner son of Ner came to King David, and David let 
       him leave in peace."

       (2 Sam 3:24 NCV)  Joab came to the king and said, "What have you done? 
       Abner came to you. Why did you let him go? Now he's gone.

       (2 Sam 3:25 NCV)  You know Abner son of Ner! He came to trick you! He 
       came to learn about everything you are doing!"

       (2 Sam 3:26 NCV)  After Joab left David, he sent messengers after 
       Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah. But David did 
       not know this.

       (2 Sam 3:27 NCV)  When Abner arrived at Hebron, Joab took him aside 
       into the gateway. He acted as though he wanted to talk with Abner in 
       private, but Joab stabbed him in the stomach, and Abner died. Abner 
       had killed Joab's brother Asahel, so Joab killed Abner to pay him 
       back.

       (2 Sam 3:28 NCV)  Later when David heard the news, he said, "My 
       kingdom and I are innocent forever of the death of Abner son of Ner. 
       The LORD knows this.

       (2 Sam 3:29 NCV)  Joab and his family are responsible for this. May 
       his family always have someone with sores or with a skin disease. May 
       they always have someone who must lean on a crutch. May some of his 
       family be killed in war. May they always have someone without food to 
       eat."

       (2 Sam 3:30 NCV)  (Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner, because 
       he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.)

       (2 Sam 3:31 NCV)  Then David said to Joab and to all the people with 





       Joab, "Tear your clothes and put on rough cloth to show how sad you 
       are. Cry for Abner." King David himself followed the body of Abner.

       (2 Sam 3:32 NCV)  They buried Abner in Hebron, and David and all the 
       people cried at Abner's grave.

       (2 Sam 3:33 NCV)  King David sang this funeral song for Abner. "Did 
       Abner die like a fool?

       (2 Sam 3:34 NCV)  His hands were not tied. His feet were not in 
       chains. He fell at the hands of evil men." Then all the people cried 
       again for Abner.

       (2 Sam 3:35 NCV)  They came to encourage David to eat while it was 
       still day. But he made a promise, saying, "May God punish me terribly 
       if I eat bread or anything else before the sun sets!"

       (2 Sam 3:36 NCV)  All the people saw what happened, and they agreed 
       with what the king was doing, just as they agreed with everything he 
       did.

       (2 Sam 3:37 NCV)  That day all the people of Judah and Israel 
       understood that David did not order the killing of Abner son of Ner.

       (2 Sam 3:38 NCV)  David said to his officers, "You know that a great 
       man died today in Israel.

       (2 Sam 3:39 NCV)  Even though I am the appointed king, I feel empty. 
       These sons of Zeruiah are too much for me. May the LORD give them the 
       punishment they should have."

       (2 Sam 4:1 NCV)  When Ish-Bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had 
       died at Hebron, he was shocked and all Israel became frightened.

       (2 Sam 4:2 NCV)  Two men who were captains in Saul's army came to 
       Ish-Bosheth. One was named Baanah, and the other was named Recab. They 
       were the sons of Rimmon of Beeroth, who was a Benjaminite. (The town 
       Beeroth belonged to the tribe of Benjamin.

       (2 Sam 4:3 NCV)  The people of Beeroth ran away to Gittaim, and they 
       still live there as foreigners today.)

       (2 Sam 4:4 NCV)  (Saul's son Jonathan had a son named Mephibosheth, 
       who was crippled in both feet. He was five years old when the news 
       came from Jezreel that Saul and Jonathan were dead. Mephibosheth's 
       nurse had picked him up and run away. But as she hurried to leave, she 
       dropped him, and now he was lame.)

       (2 Sam 4:5 NCV)  Recab and Baanah, sons of Rimmon from Beeroth, went 
       to Ish-Bosheth's house in the afternoon while he was taking a nap.

       (2 Sam 4:6 NCV)  They went into the middle of the house as if to get 
       some wheat. Ish-Bosheth was lying on his bed in his bedroom. Then 
       Recab and Baanah stabbed him in the stomach, killed him, cut off his 
       head, and took it with them. They escaped and traveled all night 
       through the Jordan Valley.






       (2 Sam 4:7 NCV)  

       (2 Sam 4:8 NCV)  When they arrived at Hebron, they gave his head to 
       David and said to the king, "Here is the head of Ish-Bosheth son of 
       Saul, your enemy. He tried to kill you! Today the LORD has paid back 
       Saul and his family for what they did to you!"

       (2 Sam 4:9 NCV)  David answered Recab and his brother Baanah, the sons 
       of Rimmon of Beeroth, "As surely as the LORD lives, he has saved me 
       from all trouble!

       (2 Sam 4:10 NCV)  Once a man thought he was bringing me good news. 
       When he told me, 'Saul is dead!' I seized him and killed him at 
       Ziklag. That was the reward I gave him for his news!

       (2 Sam 4:11 NCV)  So even more I must put you evil men to death 
       because you have killed an innocent man on his own bed in his own 
       house!"

       (2 Sam 4:12 NCV)  So David commanded his men to kill Recab and Baanah. 
       They cut off the hands and feet of Recab and Baanah and hung them over 
       the pool of Hebron. Then they took Ish-Bosheth's head and buried it in 
       Abner's tomb at Hebron.

       (2 Sam 5:1 NCV)  Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron 
       and said to him, "Look, we are your own family.

       (2 Sam 5:2 NCV)  Even when Saul was king, you were the one who led 
       Israel in battle. The LORD said to you, 'You will be a shepherd for my 
       people Israel. You will be their leader.'"

       (2 Sam 5:3 NCV)  So all the older leaders of Israel came to King David 
       at Hebron, and he made an agreement with them in Hebron in the 
       presence of the LORD. Then they poured oil on David to make him king 
       over Israel.

       (2 Sam 5:4 NCV)  David was thirty years old when he became king, and 
       he ruled forty years.

       (2 Sam 5:5 NCV)  He was king over Judah in Hebron for seven years and 
       six months, and he was king over all Israel and Judah in Jerusalem for 
       thirty-three years.

       (2 Sam 5:6 NCV)  When the king and his men went to Jerusalem to attack 
       the Jebusites who lived there, the Jebusites said to David, "You can't 
       get inside our city. Even the blind and the crippled can stop you." 
       They thought David could not enter their city.

       (2 Sam 5:7 NCV)  But David did take the city of Jerusalem with its 
       strong walls, and it became the City of David.

       (2 Sam 5:8 NCV)  That day David said to his men, "To defeat the 
       Jebusites you must go through the water tunnel. Then you can reach 
       those 'crippled' and 'blind' enemies. This is why people say, 'The 
       blind and the crippled may not enter the palace.'"






       (2 Sam 5:9 NCV)  So David lived in the strong, walled city and called 
       it the City of David. David built more buildings around it, beginning 
       where the land was filled in. He also built more buildings inside the 
       city.

       (2 Sam 5:10 NCV)  He became stronger and stronger, because the LORD 
       God All-Powerful was with him.

       (2 Sam 5:11 NCV)  Hiram king of the city of Tyre sent messengers to 
       David, along with cedar logs, carpenters, and stonecutters. They built 
       a palace for David.

       (2 Sam 5:12 NCV)  Then David knew that the LORD really had made him 
       king of Israel and that the LORD had made his kingdom great because 
       the LORD loved his people Israel.

       (2 Sam 5:13 NCV)  After he came from Hebron, David took for himself 
       more slave women and wives in Jerusalem. More sons and daughters were 
       born to David.

       (2 Sam 5:14 NCV)  These are the names of the sons born to David in 
       Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,

       (2 Sam 5:15 NCV)  Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia,

       (2 Sam 5:16 NCV)  Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

       (2 Sam 5:17 NCV)  When the Philistines heard that David had been made 
       king over Israel, all the Philistines went to look for him. But when 
       David heard the news, he went down to the stronghold.

       (2 Sam 5:18 NCV)  The Philistines came and camped in the Valley of 
       Rephaim.

       (2 Sam 5:19 NCV)  David asked the LORD, "Should I attack the 
       Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?" The LORD said to David, 
       "Go! I will certainly hand them over to you."

       (2 Sam 5:20 NCV)  So David went to Baal Perazim and defeated the 
       Philistines there. David said, "Like a flood of water, the LORD has 
       broken through my enemies in front of me." So David named the place 
       Baal Perazim.

       (2 Sam 5:21 NCV)  The Philistines left their idols behind at Baal 
       Perazim, so David and his men carried them away.

       (2 Sam 5:22 NCV)  Once again the Philistines came and camped at the 
       Valley of Rephaim.

       (2 Sam 5:23 NCV)  When David prayed to the LORD, he answered, "Don't 
       attack the Philistines from the front. Instead, go around and attack 
       them in front of the balsam trees.

       (2 Sam 5:24 NCV)  When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of 
       the balsam trees, act quickly. I, the LORD, will have gone ahead of 





       you to defeat the Philistine army."

       (2 Sam 5:25 NCV)  So David did what the LORD commanded. He defeated 
       the Philistines and chased them all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.

       (2 Sam 6:1 NCV)  David again gathered all the chosen men of 
       Israel--thirty thousand of them.

       (2 Sam 6:2 NCV)  Then he and all his people went to Baalah in Judah to 
       bring back the Ark of God. The Ark is called by the Name, the name of 
       the LORD All-Powerful, whose throne is between the gold creatures with 
       wings.

       (2 Sam 6:3 NCV)  They put the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it 
       out of Abinadab's house on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, 
       led the new cart

       (2 Sam 6:4 NCV)  which had the Ark of God on it. Ahio was walking in 
       front of it.

       (2 Sam 6:5 NCV)  David and all the Israelites were celebrating in the 
       presence of the LORD. They were playing wooden instruments: lyres, 
       harps, tambourines, rattles, and cymbals.

       (2 Sam 6:6 NCV)  When David's men came to the threshing floor of 
       Nacon, the oxen stumbled. So Uzzah reached out to steady the Ark of 
       God.

       (2 Sam 6:7 NCV)  The LORD was angry with Uzzah and killed him because 
       of what he did. So Uzzah died there beside the Ark of God.

       (2 Sam 6:8 NCV)  David was angry because the LORD had killed Uzzah. 
       Now that place is called the Punishment of Uzzah.

       (2 Sam 6:9 NCV)  David was afraid of the LORD that day, and he said, 
       "How can the Ark of the LORD come to me now?"

       (2 Sam 6:10 NCV)  So David would not move the Ark of the LORD to be 
       with him in Jerusalem. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom, 
       a man from Gath.

       (2 Sam 6:11 NCV)  The Ark of the LORD stayed in Obed-Edom's house for 
       three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-Edom and all his family.

       (2 Sam 6:12 NCV)  The people told David, "The LORD has blessed the 
       family of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him, because the Ark of 
       God is there." So David went and brought it up from Obed-Edom's house 
       to Jerusalem with joy.

       (2 Sam 6:13 NCV)  When the men carrying the Ark of the LORD had walked 
       six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a fat calf.

       (2 Sam 6:14 NCV)  Then David danced with all his might before the 
       LORD. He had on a holy linen vest.

       (2 Sam 6:15 NCV)  David and all the Israelites shouted with joy and 





       blew the trumpets as they brought the Ark of the LORD to the city.

       (2 Sam 6:16 NCV)  As the Ark of the LORD came into the city, Saul's 
       daughter Michal looked out the window. When she saw David jumping and 
       dancing in the presence of the LORD, she hated him.

       (2 Sam 6:17 NCV)  David put up a tent for the Ark of the LORD, and 
       then the Israelites put it in its place inside the tent. David offered 
       whole burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the LORD.

       (2 Sam 6:18 NCV)  When David finished offering the whole burnt 
       offerings and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the 
       name of the LORD All-Powerful.

       (2 Sam 6:19 NCV)  David gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates, and a 
       cake of raisins to every Israelite, both men and women. Then all the 
       people went home.

       (2 Sam 6:20 NCV)  David went back to bless the people in his home, but 
       Saul's daughter Michal came out to meet him. She said, "With what 
       honor the king of Israel acted today! You took off your clothes in 
       front of the servant girls of your officers like one who takes off his 
       clothes without shame!"

       (2 Sam 6:21 NCV)  Then David said to Michal, "I did it in the presence 
       of the LORD. The LORD chose me, not your father or anyone from Saul's 
       family. The LORD appointed me to be over Israel. So I will celebrate 
       in the presence of the LORD.

       (2 Sam 6:22 NCV)  Maybe I will lose even more honor, and maybe I will 
       be brought down in my own opinion, but the girls you talk about will 
       honor me!"

       (2 Sam 6:23 NCV)  And Saul's daughter Michal had no children to the 
       day she died.

       (2 Sam 7:1 NCV)  King David was living in his palace, and the LORD had 
       given him peace from all his enemies around him.

       (2 Sam 7:2 NCV)  Then David said to Nathan the prophet, "Look, I am 
       living in a palace made of cedar wood, but the Ark of God is in a 
       tent!"

       (2 Sam 7:3 NCV)  Nathan said to the king, "Go and do what you really 
       want to do, because the LORD is with you."

       (2 Sam 7:4 NCV)  But that night the LORD spoke his word to Nathan,

       (2 Sam 7:5 NCV)  "Go and tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD 
       says: Will you build a house for me to live in?

       (2 Sam 7:6 NCV)  From the time I brought the Israelites out of Egypt 
       until now I have not lived in a house. I have been moving around all 
       this time with a tent as my home.

       (2 Sam 7:7 NCV)  As I have moved with the Israelites, I have never 





       said to the tribes, whom I commanded to take care of my people Israel, 
       "Why haven't you built me a house of cedar?"'

       (2 Sam 7:8 NCV)  "You must tell my servant David, 'This is what the 
       LORD All-Powerful says: I took you from the pasture and from tending 
       the sheep and made you leader of my people Israel.

       (2 Sam 7:9 NCV)  I have been with you everywhere you have gone and 
       have defeated your enemies for you. I will make you as famous as any 
       of the great people on the earth.

       (2 Sam 7:10 NCV)  Also I will choose a place for my people Israel, and 
       I will plant them so they can live in their own homes. They will not 
       be bothered anymore. Wicked people will no longer bother them as they 
       have in the past

       (2 Sam 7:11 NCV)  when I chose judges for my people Israel. But I will 
       give you peace from all your enemies. I also tell you that I will make 
       your descendants kings of Israel after you.

       (2 Sam 7:12 NCV)  "'When you die and join your ancestors, I will make 
       one of your sons the next king, and I will set up his kingdom.

       (2 Sam 7:13 NCV)  He will build a house for me, and I will let his 
       kingdom rule always.

       (2 Sam 7:14 NCV)  I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he 
       sins, I will use other people to punish him. They will be my whips.

       (2 Sam 7:15 NCV)  I took away my love from Saul, whom I removed before 
       you, but I will never stop loving your son.

       (2 Sam 7:16 NCV)  But your family and your kingdom will continue 
       always before me. Your throne will last forever.'"

       (2 Sam 7:17 NCV)  Nathan told David everything God had said in this 
       vision.

       (2 Sam 7:18 NCV)  Then King David went in and sat in front of the 
       LORD. David said, "Lord GOD, who am I? What is my family? Why did you 
       bring me to this point?

       (2 Sam 7:19 NCV)  But even this is not enough for you, Lord GOD. You 
       have also made promises about my future family. This is not normal, 
       Lord GOD.

       (2 Sam 7:20 NCV)  "What more can I say to you, Lord GOD, since you 
       know me, your servant, so well!

       (2 Sam 7:21 NCV)  You have done this great thing because you said you 
       would and because you wanted to, and you have let me know about it.

       (2 Sam 7:22 NCV)  This is why you are great, Lord GOD! There is no one 
       like you. There is no God except you. We have heard all this 
       ourselves!





       (2 Sam 7:23 NCV)  There is no nation like your people Israel. They are 
       the only people on earth that God chose to be his own. You made your 
       name well known. You did great and wonderful miracles for them. You 
       went ahead of them and forced other nations and their gods out of the 
       land. You freed your people from slavery in Egypt.

       (2 Sam 7:24 NCV)  You made the people of Israel your very own people 
       forever, and, LORD, you are their God.

       (2 Sam 7:25 NCV)  "Now, LORD God, keep the promise forever that you 
       made about my family and me, your servant. Do what you have said.

       (2 Sam 7:26 NCV)  Then you will be honored always, and people will 
       say, 'The LORD All-Powerful is God over Israel!' And the family of 
       your servant David will continue before you.

       (2 Sam 7:27 NCV)  "LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel, you have said 
       to me, 'I will make your family great.' So I, your servant, am brave 
       enough to pray to you.

       (2 Sam 7:28 NCV)  Lord GOD, you are God, and your words are true. And 
       you have promised these good things to me, your servant.

       (2 Sam 7:29 NCV)  Please, bless my family. Let it continue before you 
       always. Lord GOD, you have said so. With your blessing let my family 
       always be blessed."

       (2 Sam 8:1 NCV)  Later, David defeated the Philistines, conquered 
       them, and took the city of Metheg Ammah.

       (2 Sam 8:2 NCV)  He also defeated the people of Moab. He made them lie 
       on the ground, and then he used a rope to measure them. Those who were 
       measured within two rope lengths were killed, but those who were 
       within the next rope length were allowed to live. So the people of 
       Moab became servants of David and gave him the payment he demanded.

       (2 Sam 8:3 NCV)  David also defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of 
       Zobah, as he went to take control again at the Euphrates River.

       (2 Sam 8:4 NCV)  David captured one thousand chariots, seven thousand 
       men who rode in chariots, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He 
       crippled all but a hundred of the chariot horses.

       (2 Sam 8:5 NCV)  Arameans from Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of 
       Zobah, but David killed twenty-two thousand of them.

       (2 Sam 8:6 NCV)  Then David put groups of soldiers in Damascus in 
       Aram. The Arameans became David's servants and gave him the payment he 
       demanded. The LORD gave David victory everywhere he went.

       (2 Sam 8:7 NCV)  David took the shields of gold that had belonged to 
       Hadadezer's officers and brought them to Jerusalem.

       (2 Sam 8:8 NCV)  David also took many things made of bronze from Tebah 
       and Berothai, which had been cities under Hadadezer's control.





       (2 Sam 8:9 NCV)  Toi king of Hamath heard that David had defeated all 
       the army of Hadadezer.

       (2 Sam 8:10 NCV)  So Toi sent his son Joram to greet and congratulate 
       King David for defeating Hadadezer. (Hadadezer had been at war with 
       Toi.) Joram brought items made of silver, gold, and bronze.

       (2 Sam 8:11 NCV)  King David gave them to the LORD, along with the 
       silver and gold he had taken from the other nations he had defeated.

       (2 Sam 8:12 NCV)  These nations were Edom, Moab, Ammon, Philistia, and 
       Amalek. David also gave the LORD what he had taken from Hadadezer son 
       of Rehob, king of Zobah.

       (2 Sam 8:13 NCV)  David was famous after he returned from defeating 
       eighteen thousand Arameans in the Valley of Salt.

       (2 Sam 8:14 NCV)  He put groups of soldiers all over Edom, and all the 
       Edomites became his servants. The LORD gave David victory everywhere 
       he went.

       (2 Sam 8:15 NCV)  David was king over all Israel, and he did what was 
       fair and right for all his people.

       (2 Sam 8:16 NCV)  Joab son of Zeruiah was commander over the army. 
       Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder.

       (2 Sam 8:17 NCV)  Zadok son of Ahitub and Abiathar son of Ahimelech 
       were priests. Seraiah was the royal secretary.

       (2 Sam 8:18 NCV)  Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and 
       Pelethites. And David's sons were priests.

       (2 Sam 9:1 NCV)  David asked, "Is anyone still left in Saul's family? 
       I want to show kindness to that person for Jonathan's sake!"

       (2 Sam 9:2 NCV)  Now there was a servant named Ziba from Saul's 
       family. So David's servants called Ziba to him. King David said to 
       him, "Are you Ziba?" He answered, "Yes, I am your servant."

       (2 Sam 9:3 NCV)  The king asked, "Is anyone left in Saul's family? I 
       want to show God's kindness to that person." Ziba answered the king, 
       "Jonathan has a son still living who is crippled in both feet."

       (2 Sam 9:4 NCV)  The king asked Ziba, "Where is this son?" Ziba 
       answered, "He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar."

       (2 Sam 9:5 NCV)  Then King David had servants bring Jonathan's son 
       from the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.

       (2 Sam 9:6 NCV)  Mephibosheth, Jonathan's son, came before David and 
       bowed facedown on the floor. David said, "Mephibosheth!" Mephibosheth 
       said, "I am your servant."

       (2 Sam 9:7 NCV)  David said to him, "Don't be afraid. I will be kind 
       to you for your father Jonathan's sake. I will give you back all the 





       land of your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table."

       (2 Sam 9:8 NCV)  Mephibosheth bowed to David again and said, "You are 
       being very kind to me, your servant! And I am no better than a dead 
       dog!"

       (2 Sam 9:9 NCV)  Then King David called Saul's servant Ziba. David 
       said to him, "I have given your master's grandson everything that 
       belonged to Saul and his family.

       (2 Sam 9:10 NCV)  You, your sons, and your servants will farm the land 
       and harvest the crops. Then your family will have food to eat. But 
       Mephibosheth, your master's grandson, will always eat at my table." 
       (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)

       (2 Sam 9:11 NCV)  Ziba said to King David, "I, your servant, will do 
       everything my master, the king, commands me." So Mephibosheth ate at 
       David's table as if he were one of the king's sons.

       (2 Sam 9:12 NCV)  Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica. Everyone in 
       Ziba's family became Mephibosheth's servants.

       (2 Sam 9:13 NCV)  Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always 
       ate at the king's table. And he was crippled in both feet.

       (2 Sam 10:1 NCV)  When Nahash king of the Ammonites died, his son 
       Hanun became king after him.

       (2 Sam 10:2 NCV)  David said, "Nahash was loyal to me, so I will be 
       loyal to his son Hanun." So David sent his messengers to comfort Hanun 
       about his father's death. David's officers went to the land of the 
       Ammonites.

       (2 Sam 10:3 NCV)  But the Ammonite leaders said to Hanun, their 
       master, "Do you think David wants to honor your father by sending men 
       to comfort you? No! David sent them to study the city and spy it out 
       and capture it!"

       (2 Sam 10:4 NCV)  So Hanun arrested David's officers. To shame them he 
       shaved off half their beards and cut off their clothes at the hips. 
       Then he sent them away.

       (2 Sam 10:5 NCV)  When the people told David, he sent messengers to 
       meet his officers because they were very ashamed. King David said, 
       "Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back. Then come home."

       (2 Sam 10:6 NCV)  The Ammonites knew that they had insulted David. So 
       they hired twenty thousand Aramean foot soldiers from Beth Rehob and 
       Zobah. They also hired the king of Maacah with a thousand men and 
       twelve thousand men from Tob.

       (2 Sam 10:7 NCV)  When David heard about this, he sent Joab with the 
       whole army.

       (2 Sam 10:8 NCV)  The Ammonites came out and prepared for battle at 
       the city gate. The Arameans from Zobah and Rehob and the men from Tob 





       and Maacah were out in the field by themselves.

       (2 Sam 10:9 NCV)  Joab saw that there were enemies both in front of 
       him and behind him. So he chose some of the best soldiers of Israel 
       and sent them out to fight the Arameans.

       (2 Sam 10:10 NCV)  Joab put the rest of the army under the command of 
       Abishai, his brother. Then he sent them out to fight the Ammonites.

       (2 Sam 10:11 NCV)  Joab said to Abishai, "If the Arameans are too 
       strong for me, you must help me. Or, if the Ammonites are too strong 
       for you, I will help you.

       (2 Sam 10:12 NCV)  Be strong. We must fight bravely for our people and 
       the cities of our God. The LORD will do what he thinks is right."

       (2 Sam 10:13 NCV)  Then Joab and the army with him went to attack the 
       Arameans, and the Arameans ran away.

       (2 Sam 10:14 NCV)  When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans were 
       running away, they also ran away from Abishai and went back to their 
       city. So Joab returned from the battle with the Ammonites and came to 
       Jerusalem.

       (2 Sam 10:15 NCV)  When the Arameans saw that Israel had defeated 
       them, they came together into one big army.

       (2 Sam 10:16 NCV)  Hadadezer sent messengers to bring the Arameans 
       from east of the Euphrates River, and they went to Helam. Their leader 
       was Shobach, the commander of Hadadezer's army.

       (2 Sam 10:17 NCV)  When David heard about this, he gathered all the 
       Israelites together. They crossed over the Jordan River and went to 
       Helam. There the Arameans prepared for battle and attacked him.

       (2 Sam 10:18 NCV)  But the Arameans ran away from the Israelites. 
       David killed seven hundred Aramean chariot drivers and forty thousand 
       Aramean horsemen. He also killed Shobach, the commander of the Aramean 
       army.

       (2 Sam 10:19 NCV)  When the kings who served Hadadezer saw that the 
       Israelites had defeated them, they made peace with the Israelites and 
       served them. And the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites again.

       (2 Sam 11:1 NCV)  In the spring, when the kings normally went out to 
       war, David sent out Joab, his servants, and all the Israelites. They 
       destroyed the Ammonites and attacked the city of Rabbah. But David 
       stayed in Jerusalem.

       (2 Sam 11:2 NCV)  One evening David got up from his bed and walked 
       around on the roof of his palace. While he was on the roof, he saw a 
       woman bathing. She was very beautiful.

       (2 Sam 11:3 NCV)  So David sent his servants to find out who she was. 
       A servant answered, "That woman is Bathsheba daughter of Eliam. She is 
       the wife of Uriah the Hittite."






       (2 Sam 11:4 NCV)  So David sent messengers to bring Bathsheba to him. 
       When she came to him, he had sexual relations with her. (Now Bathsheba 
       had purified herself from her monthly period.) Then she went back to 
       her house.

       (2 Sam 11:5 NCV)  But Bathsheba became pregnant and sent word to 
       David, saying, "I am pregnant."

       (2 Sam 11:6 NCV)  So David sent a message to Joab: "Send Uriah the 
       Hittite to me." And Joab sent Uriah to David.

       (2 Sam 11:7 NCV)  When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab 
       was, how the soldiers were, and how the war was going.

       (2 Sam 11:8 NCV)  Then David said to Uriah, "Go home and rest." So 
       Uriah left the palace, and the king sent a gift to him.

       (2 Sam 11:9 NCV)  But Uriah did not go home. Instead, he slept outside 
       the door of the palace as all the king's officers did.

       (2 Sam 11:10 NCV)  The officers told David, "Uriah did not go home." 
       Then David said to Uriah, "You came from a long trip. Why didn't you 
       go home?"

       (2 Sam 11:11 NCV)  Uriah said to him, "The Ark and the soldiers of 
       Israel and Judah are staying in tents. My master Joab and his officers 
       are camping out in the fields. It isn't right for me to go home to eat 
       and drink and have sexual relations with my wife!"

       (2 Sam 11:12 NCV)  David said to Uriah, "Stay here today. Tomorrow 
       I'll send you back to the battle." So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that 
       day and the next.

       (2 Sam 11:13 NCV)  Then David called Uriah to come to see him, so 
       Uriah ate and drank with David. David made Uriah drunk, but he still 
       did not go home. That evening Uriah again slept with the king's 
       officers.

       (2 Sam 11:14 NCV)  The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and 
       sent it by Uriah.

       (2 Sam 11:15 NCV)  In the letter David wrote, "Put Uriah on the front 
       lines where the fighting is worst and leave him there alone. Let him 
       be killed in battle."

       (2 Sam 11:16 NCV)  Joab watched the city and saw where its strongest 
       defenders were and put Uriah there.

       (2 Sam 11:17 NCV)  When the men of the city came out to fight against 
       Joab, some of David's men were killed. And Uriah the Hittite was one 
       of them.

       (2 Sam 11:18 NCV)  Then Joab sent David a complete account of the war.

       (2 Sam 11:19 NCV)  Joab told the messenger, "Tell King David what 





       happened in the war.

       (2 Sam 11:20 NCV)  After you finish, the king may be angry and ask, 
       'Why did you go so near the city to fight? Didn't you know they would 
       shoot arrows from the city wall?

       (2 Sam 11:21 NCV)  Do you remember who killed Abimelech son of 
       Jerub-Besheth? It was a woman on the city wall. She threw a large 
       stone for grinding grain on Abimelech and killed him there in Thebez. 
       Why did you go so near the wall?' If King David asks that, tell him, 
       'Your servant Uriah the Hittite also died.'"

       (2 Sam 11:22 NCV)  The messenger left and went to David and told him 
       everything Joab had told him to say.

       (2 Sam 11:23 NCV)  The messenger told David, "The men of Ammon were 
       winning. They came out and attacked us in the field, but we fought 
       them back to the city gate.

       (2 Sam 11:24 NCV)  The archers on the city wall shot at your servants, 
       and some of your men were killed. Your servant Uriah the Hittite also 
       died."

       (2 Sam 11:25 NCV)  David said to the messenger, "Say this to Joab: 
       'Don't be upset about this. The sword kills everyone the same. Make a 
       stronger attack against the city and capture it.' Encourage Joab with 
       these words."

       (2 Sam 11:26 NCV)  When Bathsheba heard that her husband was dead, she 
       cried for him.

       (2 Sam 11:27 NCV)  After she finished her time of sadness, David sent 
       servants to bring her to his house. She became David's wife and gave 
       birth to his son, but the LORD did not like what David had done.

       (2 Sam 12:1 NCV)  The LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to 
       David, he said, "There were two men in a city. One was rich, but the 
       other was poor.

       (2 Sam 12:2 NCV)  The rich man had many sheep and cattle.

       (2 Sam 12:3 NCV)  But the poor man had nothing except one little 
       female lamb he had bought. The poor man fed the lamb, and it grew up 
       with him and his children. It shared his food and drank from his cup 
       and slept in his arms. The lamb was like a daughter to him.

       (2 Sam 12:4 NCV)  "Then a traveler stopped to visit the rich man. The 
       rich man wanted to feed the traveler, but he didn't want to take one 
       of his own sheep or cattle. Instead, he took the lamb from the poor 
       man and cooked it for his visitor."

       (2 Sam 12:5 NCV)  David became very angry at the rich man. He said to 
       Nathan, "As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this should die!

       (2 Sam 12:6 NCV)  He must pay for the lamb four times for doing such a 
       thing. He had no mercy!"






       (2 Sam 12:7 NCV)  Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man! This is 
       what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I appointed you king of 
       Israel and saved you from Saul.

       (2 Sam 12:8 NCV)  I gave you his kingdom and his wives. And I made you 
       king of Israel and Judah. And if that had not been enough, I would 
       have given you even more.

       (2 Sam 12:9 NCV)  So why did you ignore the Lord's command? Why did 
       you do what he says is wrong? You killed Uriah the Hittite with the 
       sword of the Ammonites and took his wife to be your wife!

       (2 Sam 12:10 NCV)  Now there will always be people in your family who 
       will die by a sword, because you did not respect me; you took the wife 
       of Uriah the Hittite for yourself!'

       (2 Sam 12:11 NCV)  "This is what the LORD says: 'I am bringing trouble 
       to you from your own family. While you watch, I will take your wives 
       from you and give them to someone who is very close to you. He will 
       have sexual relations with your wives, and everyone will know it.

       (2 Sam 12:12 NCV)  You had sexual relations with Bathsheba in secret, 
       but I will do this so all the people of Israel can see it.'"

       (2 Sam 12:13 NCV)  Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against 
       the LORD." Nathan answered, "The LORD has taken away your sin. You 
       will not die.

       (2 Sam 12:14 NCV)  But what you did caused the Lord's enemies to lose 
       all respect for him. For this reason the son who was born to you will 
       die."

       (2 Sam 12:15 NCV)  Then Nathan went home. And the LORD caused the son 
       of David and Bathsheba, Uriah's widow, to be very sick.

       (2 Sam 12:16 NCV)  David prayed to God for the baby. David refused to 
       eat or drink. He went into his house and stayed there, lying on the 
       ground all night.

       (2 Sam 12:17 NCV)  The older leaders of David's family came to him and 
       tried to pull him up from the ground, but he refused to get up or to 
       eat food with them.

       (2 Sam 12:18 NCV)  On the seventh day the baby died. David's servants 
       were afraid to tell him that the baby was dead. They said, "Look, we 
       tried to talk to David while the baby was alive, but he refused to 
       listen to us. If we tell him the baby is dead, he may do something 
       awful."

       (2 Sam 12:19 NCV)  When David saw his servants whispering, he knew 
       that the baby was dead. So he asked them, "Is the baby dead?" They 
       answered, "Yes, he is dead."

       (2 Sam 12:20 NCV)  Then David got up from the floor, washed himself, 
       put lotions on, and changed his clothes. Then he went into the Lord's 





       house to worship. After that, he went home and asked for something to 
       eat. His servants gave him some food, and he ate.

       (2 Sam 12:21 NCV)  David's servants said to him, "Why are you doing 
       this? When the baby was still alive, you refused to eat and you cried. 
       Now that the baby is dead, you get up and eat food."

       (2 Sam 12:22 NCV)  David said, "While the baby was still alive, I 
       refused to eat, and I cried. I thought, 'Who knows? Maybe the LORD 
       will feel sorry for me and let the baby live.'

       (2 Sam 12:23 NCV)  But now that the baby is dead, why should I go 
       without food? I can't bring him back to life. Some day I will go to 
       him, but he cannot come back to me."

       (2 Sam 12:24 NCV)  Then David comforted Bathsheba his wife. He slept 
       with her and had sexual relations with her. She became pregnant again 
       and had another son, whom David named Solomon. The LORD loved Solomon.

       (2 Sam 12:25 NCV)  The LORD sent word through Nathan the prophet to 
       name the baby Jedidiah, because the LORD loved the child.

       (2 Sam 12:26 NCV)  Joab fought against Rabbah, a royal city of the 
       Ammonites, and he was about to capture it.

       (2 Sam 12:27 NCV)  Joab sent messengers to David and said, "I have 
       fought against Rabbah and have captured its water supply.

       (2 Sam 12:28 NCV)  Now bring the other soldiers together and attack 
       this city. Capture it before I capture it myself and it is called by 
       my name!"

       (2 Sam 12:29 NCV)  So David gathered all the army and went to Rabbah 
       and fought against it and captured it.

       (2 Sam 12:30 NCV)  David took the crown off their king's head and had 
       it placed on his own head. That gold crown weighed about seventy-five 
       pounds, and it had valuable gems in it. And David took many valuable 
       things from the city.

       (2 Sam 12:31 NCV)  He also brought out the people of the city and 
       forced them to work with saws, iron picks, and axes. He also made them 
       build with bricks. David did this to all the Ammonite cities. Then 
       David and all his army returned to Jerusalem.

       (2 Sam 13:1 NCV)  David had a son named Absalom and a son named Amnon. 
       Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar, and Amnon loved her.

       (2 Sam 13:2 NCV)  Tamar was a virgin. Amnon made himself sick just 
       thinking about her, because he could not find any chance to be alone 
       with her.

       (2 Sam 13:3 NCV)  Amnon had a friend named Jonadab son of Shimeah, 
       David's brother. Jonadab was a very clever man.

       (2 Sam 13:4 NCV)  He asked Amnon, "Son of the king, why do you look so 





       sad day after day? Tell me what's wrong!" Amnon told him, "I love 
       Tamar, the sister of my half-brother Absalom."

       (2 Sam 13:5 NCV)  Jonadab said to Amnon, "Go to bed and act as if you 
       are sick. Then your father will come to see you. Tell him, 'Please let 
       my sister Tamar come in and give me food to eat. Let her make the food 
       in front of me so I can watch and eat it from her hand.'"

       (2 Sam 13:6 NCV)  So Amnon went to bed and acted sick. When King David 
       came in to see him, Amnon said to him, "Please let my sister Tamar 
       come in. Let her make two of her special cakes for me while I watch. 
       Then I will eat them from her hands."

       (2 Sam 13:7 NCV)  David sent for Tamar in the palace, saying, "Go to 
       your brother Amnon's house and make some food for him."

       (2 Sam 13:8 NCV)  So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house, and he 
       was in bed. Tamar took some dough and pressed it together with her 
       hands. She made some special cakes while Amnon watched. Then she baked 
       them.

       (2 Sam 13:9 NCV)  Next she took the pan and served him, but he refused 
       to eat. He said to his servants, "All of you, leave me alone!" So they 
       all left him alone.

       (2 Sam 13:10 NCV)  Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the food into the 
       bedroom so I may eat from your hand." Tamar took the cakes she had 
       made and brought them to her brother Amnon in the bedroom.

       (2 Sam 13:11 NCV)  She went to him so he could eat from her hands, but 
       Amnon grabbed her. He said, "Sister, come and have sexual relations 
       with me."

       (2 Sam 13:12 NCV)  Tamar said to him, "No, brother! Don't force me! 
       This should never be done in Israel! Don't do this shameful thing!

       (2 Sam 13:13 NCV)  I could never get rid of my shame! And you will be 
       like the shameful fools in Israel! Please talk with the king, and he 
       will let you marry me."

       (2 Sam 13:14 NCV)  But Amnon refused to listen to her. He was stronger 
       than she was, so he forced her to have sexual relations with him.

       (2 Sam 13:15 NCV)  After that, Amnon hated Tamar. He hated her more 
       than he had loved her before. Amnon said to her, "Get up and leave!"

       (2 Sam 13:16 NCV)  Tamar said to him, "No! Sending me away would be 
       worse than what you've already done!" But he refused to listen to her.

       (2 Sam 13:17 NCV)  He called his young servant back in and said, "Get 
       this woman out of here and away from me! Lock the door after her."

       (2 Sam 13:18 NCV)  So his servant led her out of the room and bolted 
       the door after her. Tamar was wearing a special robe with long 
       sleeves, because the king's virgin daughters wore this kind of robe.





       (2 Sam 13:19 NCV)  To show how upset she was, Tamar put ashes on her 
       head and tore her special robe and put her hand on her head. Then she 
       went away, crying loudly.

       (2 Sam 13:20 NCV)  Absalom, Tamar's brother, said to her, "Has Amnon, 
       your brother, forced you to have sexual relations with him? For now, 
       sister, be quiet. He is your half-brother. Don't let this upset you so 
       much!" So Tamar lived in her brother Absalom's house and was sad and 
       lonely.

       (2 Sam 13:21 NCV)  When King David heard the news, he was very angry.

       (2 Sam 13:22 NCV)  Absalom did not say a word, good or bad, to Amnon. 
       But he hated Amnon for disgracing his sister Tamar.

       (2 Sam 13:23 NCV)  Two years later Absalom had some men come to Baal 
       Hazor, near Ephraim, to cut the wool from his sheep. Absalom invited 
       all the king's sons to come also.

       (2 Sam 13:24 NCV)  Absalom went to the king and said, "I have men 
       coming to cut the wool. Please come with your officers and join me."

       (2 Sam 13:25 NCV)  King David said to Absalom, "No, my son. We won't 
       all go, because it would be too much trouble for you." Although 
       Absalom begged David, he would not go, but he did give his blessing.

       (2 Sam 13:26 NCV)  Absalom said, "If you don't want to come, then 
       please let my brother Amnon come with us." King David asked, "Why 
       should he go with you?"

       (2 Sam 13:27 NCV)  Absalom kept begging David until he let Amnon and 
       all the king's sons go with Absalom.

       (2 Sam 13:28 NCV)  Then Absalom instructed his servants, "Watch Amnon. 
       When he is drunk, I will tell you, 'Kill Amnon.' Right then, kill him! 
       Don't be afraid, because I have commanded you! Be strong and brave!"

       (2 Sam 13:29 NCV)  So Absalom's young men killed Amnon as Absalom 
       commanded, but all of David's other sons got on their mules and 
       escaped.

       (2 Sam 13:30 NCV)  While the king's sons were on their way, the news 
       came to David, "Absalom has killed all of the king's sons! Not one of 
       them is left alive!"

       (2 Sam 13:31 NCV)  King David tore his clothes and lay on the ground 
       to show his sadness. All his servants standing nearby tore their 
       clothes also.

       (2 Sam 13:32 NCV)  Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother, said to 
       David, "Don't think all the young men, your sons, are killed. No, only 
       Amnon is dead! Absalom has planned this ever since Amnon forced his 
       sister Tamar to have sexual relations with him.

       (2 Sam 13:33 NCV)  My master and king, don't think that all of the 
       king's sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead!"






       (2 Sam 13:34 NCV)  In the meantime Absalom had run away. A guard 
       standing on the city wall saw many people coming from the other side 
       of the hill.

       (2 Sam 13:35 NCV)  So Jonadab said to King David, "Look, I was right! 
       The king's sons are coming!"

       (2 Sam 13:36 NCV)  As soon as Jonadab had said this, the king's sons 
       arrived, crying loudly. David and all his servants began crying also.

       (2 Sam 13:37 NCV)  David cried for his son every day. But Absalom ran 
       away to Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur.

       (2 Sam 13:38 NCV)  After Absalom ran away to Geshur, he stayed there 
       for three years.

       (2 Sam 13:39 NCV)  When King David got over Amnon's death, he missed 
       Absalom greatly.

       (2 Sam 14:1 NCV)  Joab son of Zeruiah knew that King David missed 
       Absalom very much.

       (2 Sam 14:2 NCV)  So Joab sent messengers to Tekoa to bring a wise 
       woman from there. He said to her, "Pretend to be very sad. Put on 
       funeral clothes and don't put lotion on yourself. Act like a woman who 
       has been crying many days for someone who died.

       (2 Sam 14:3 NCV)  Then go to the king and say these words." Then Joab 
       told her what to say.

       (2 Sam 14:4 NCV)  So the woman from Tekoa spoke to the king. She bowed 
       facedown on the ground to show respect and said, "My king, help me!"

       (2 Sam 14:5 NCV)  King David asked her, "What is the matter?" The 
       woman said, "I am a widow; my husband is dead.

       (2 Sam 14:6 NCV)  I had two sons. They were out in the field fighting, 
       and no one was there to stop them. So one son killed the other son.

       (2 Sam 14:7 NCV)  Now all the family group is against me. They said to 
       me, 'Bring the son who killed his brother so we may kill him for 
       killing his brother. That way we will also get rid of the one who 
       would receive what belonged to his father.' My son is like the last 
       spark of a fire. He is all I have left. If they kill him, my husband's 
       name and property will be gone from the earth."

       (2 Sam 14:8 NCV)  Then the king said to the woman, "Go home. I will 
       take care of this for you."

       (2 Sam 14:9 NCV)  The woman of Tekoa said to him, "Let the blame be on 
       me and my father's family. My master and king, you and your throne are 
       innocent."

       (2 Sam 14:10 NCV)  King David said, "Bring me anyone who says anything 
       bad to you. Then he won't bother you again."






       (2 Sam 14:11 NCV)  The woman said, "Please promise in the name of the 
       LORD your God. Then my relative who has the duty of punishing a 
       murderer won't add to the destruction by killing my son." David said, 
       "As surely as the LORD lives, no one will hurt your son. Not one hair 
       from his head will fall to the ground."

       (2 Sam 14:12 NCV)  The woman said, "Let me say something to you, my 
       master and king." The king said, "Speak."

       (2 Sam 14:13 NCV)  Then the woman said, "Why have you decided this way 
       against the people of God? When you judge this way, you show that you 
       are guilty for not bringing back your son who was forced to leave 
       home.

       (2 Sam 14:14 NCV)  We will all die some day. We're like water spilled 
       on the ground; no one can gather it back. But God doesn't take away 
       life. Instead, he plans ways that those who have been sent away will 
       not have to stay away from him!

       (2 Sam 14:15 NCV)  My master and king, I came to say this to you 
       because the people have made me afraid! I thought, 'Let me talk to the 
       king. Maybe he will do what I ask.

       (2 Sam 14:16 NCV)  Maybe he will listen. Perhaps he will save me from 
       those who want to keep both me and my son from getting what God gave 
       us.'

       (2 Sam 14:17 NCV)  "Now I say, 'May the words of my master the king 
       give me rest. Like an angel of God, you know what is good and what is 
       bad. May the LORD your God be with you!'"

       (2 Sam 14:18 NCV)  Then King David said, "Do not hide the truth. 
       Answer me one question." The woman said, "My master the king, please 
       ask your question."

       (2 Sam 14:19 NCV)  The king said, "Did Joab tell you to say all these 
       things?" The woman answered, "As you live, my master the king, no one 
       could avoid that question. You are right. Your servant Joab did tell 
       me to say these things.

       (2 Sam 14:20 NCV)  Joab did it so you would see things differently. My 
       master, you are wise like an angel of God who knows everything that 
       happens on earth."

       (2 Sam 14:21 NCV)  The king said to Joab, "Look, I will do what I 
       promised. Bring back the young man Absalom."

       (2 Sam 14:22 NCV)  Joab bowed facedown on the ground and blessed the 
       king. Then he said, "Today I know you are pleased with me, because you 
       have done what I asked."

       (2 Sam 14:23 NCV)  Then Joab got up and went to Geshur and brought 
       Absalom back to Jerusalem.

       (2 Sam 14:24 NCV)  But King David said, "Absalom must go to his own 





       house. He may not come to see me." So Absalom went to his own house 
       and did not go to see the king.

       (2 Sam 14:25 NCV)  Absalom was greatly praised for his handsome 
       appearance. No man in Israel was as handsome as he. No blemish was on 
       him from his head to his foot.

       (2 Sam 14:26 NCV)  At the end of every year, Absalom would cut his 
       hair, because it became too heavy. When he weighed it, it would weigh 
       about five pounds by the royal measure.

       (2 Sam 14:27 NCV)  Absalom had three sons and one daughter. His 
       daughter's name was also Tamar, and she was a beautiful woman.

       (2 Sam 14:28 NCV)  Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two full years 
       without seeing King David.

       (2 Sam 14:29 NCV)  Then Absalom sent for Joab so he could send him to 
       the king, but Joab would not come. Absalom sent a message a second 
       time, but Joab still refused to come.

       (2 Sam 14:30 NCV)  Then Absalom said to his servants, "Look, Joab's 
       field is next to mine, and he has barley growing there. Go burn it." 
       So Absalom's servants set fire to Joab's field.

       (2 Sam 14:31 NCV)  Then Joab went to Absalom's house and said to him, 
       "Why did your servants burn my field?"

       (2 Sam 14:32 NCV)  Absalom said to Joab, "I sent a message to you, 
       asking you to come here. I wanted to send you to the king to ask him 
       why he brought me home from Geshur. It would have been better for me 
       to stay there! Now let me see the king. If I have sinned, he can put 
       me to death!"

       (2 Sam 14:33 NCV)  So Joab went to the king and told him Absalom's 
       words. Then the king called for Absalom. Absalom came and bowed 
       facedown on the ground before the king, and the king kissed him.

       (2 Sam 15:1 NCV)  After this, Absalom got a chariot and horses for 
       himself and fifty men to run before him.

       (2 Sam 15:2 NCV)  Absalom would get up early and stand near the city 
       gate. Anyone who had a problem for the king to settle would come here. 
       When someone came, Absalom would call out and say, "What city are you 
       from?" The person would answer, "I'm from one of the tribes of 
       Israel."

       (2 Sam 15:3 NCV)  Then Absalom would say, "Look, your claims are 
       right, but the king has no one to listen to you."

       (2 Sam 15:4 NCV)  Absalom would also say, "I wish someone would make 
       me judge in this land! Then people with problems could come to me, and 
       I could help them get justice."

       (2 Sam 15:5 NCV)  People would come near Absalom to bow to him. When 
       they did, Absalom would reach out his hand and take hold of them and 





       kiss them.

       (2 Sam 15:6 NCV)  Absalom did that to all the Israelites who came to 
       King David for decisions. In this way, Absalom stole the hearts of all 
       Israel.

       (2 Sam 15:7 NCV)  After four years Absalom said to King David, "Please 
       let me go to Hebron. I want to carry out my promise that I made to the 
       LORD

       (2 Sam 15:8 NCV)  while I was living in Geshur in Aram. I said, 'If 
       the LORD takes me back to Jerusalem, I will worship him in Hebron.'"

       (2 Sam 15:9 NCV)  The king said, "Go in peace." So Absalom went to 
       Hebron.

       (2 Sam 15:10 NCV)  But he sent secret messengers through all the 
       tribes of Israel. They told the people, "When you hear the trumpets, 
       say this: 'Absalom is the king at Hebron!'"

       (2 Sam 15:11 NCV)  Absalom had invited two hundred men to go with him. 
       So they went from Jerusalem with him, but they didn't know what he was 
       planning.

       (2 Sam 15:12 NCV)  While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he sent for 
       Ahithophel, one of the people who advised David, to come from his 
       hometown of Giloh. So Absalom's plans were working very well. More and 
       more people began to support him.

       (2 Sam 15:13 NCV)  A messenger came to David, saying, "The Israelites 
       are giving their loyalty to Absalom."

       (2 Sam 15:14 NCV)  Then David said to all his officers who were with 
       him in Jerusalem, "We must leave quickly! If we don't, we won't be 
       able to get away from Absalom. We must hurry before he catches us and 
       destroys us and kills the people of Jerusalem."

       (2 Sam 15:15 NCV)  The king's officers said to him, "We will do 
       anything you say."

       (2 Sam 15:16 NCV)  The king set out with everyone in his house, but he 
       left ten slave women to take care of the palace.

       (2 Sam 15:17 NCV)  The king left with all his people following him, 
       and they stopped at a house far away.

       (2 Sam 15:18 NCV)  All the king's servants passed by him--the 
       Kerethites and Pelethites, all those from Gath, and the six hundred 
       men who had followed him.

       (2 Sam 15:19 NCV)  The king said to Ittai, a man from Gath, "Why are 
       you also going with us? Turn back and stay with King Absalom because 
       you are a foreigner. This is not your homeland.

       (2 Sam 15:20 NCV)  You joined me only a short time ago. Should I make 
       you wander with us when I don't even know where I'm going? Turn back 





       and take your brothers with you. May kindness and loyalty be shown to 
       you."

       (2 Sam 15:21 NCV)  But Ittai said to the king, "As surely as the LORD 
       lives and as you live, I will stay with you, whether it means life or 
       death."

       (2 Sam 15:22 NCV)  David said to Ittai, "Go, march on." So Ittai from 
       Gath and all his people with their children marched on.

       (2 Sam 15:23 NCV)  All the people cried loudly as everyone passed by. 
       King David crossed the Kidron Valley, and then all the people went on 
       to the desert.

       (2 Sam 15:24 NCV)  Zadok and all the Levites with him carried the Ark 
       of the Agreement with God. They set it down, and Abiathar offered 
       sacrifices until all the people had left the city.

       (2 Sam 15:25 NCV)  The king said to Zadok, "Take the Ark of God back 
       into the city. If the LORD is pleased with me, he will bring me back 
       and will let me see both it and Jerusalem again.

       (2 Sam 15:26 NCV)  But if the LORD says he is not pleased with me, I 
       am ready. He can do what he wants with me."

       (2 Sam 15:27 NCV)  The king also said to Zadok the priest, "Aren't you 
       a seer? Go back to the city in peace and take your son Ahimaaz and 
       Abiathar's son Jonathan with you.

       (2 Sam 15:28 NCV)  I will wait near the crossings into the desert 
       until I hear from you."

       (2 Sam 15:29 NCV)  So Zadok and Abiathar took the Ark of God back to 
       Jerusalem and stayed there.

       (2 Sam 15:30 NCV)  David went up the Mount of Olives, crying as he 
       went. He covered his head and went barefoot. All the people with David 
       covered their heads also and cried as they went.

       (2 Sam 15:31 NCV)  Someone told David, "Ahithophel is one of the 
       people with Absalom who made secret plans against you." So David 
       prayed, "LORD, please make Ahithophel's advice foolish."

       (2 Sam 15:32 NCV)  When David reached the top of the mountain where 
       people used to worship God, Hushai the Arkite came to meet him. 
       Hushai's coat was torn, and there was dirt on his head to show how sad 
       he was.

       (2 Sam 15:33 NCV)  David said to Hushai, "If you go with me, you will 
       be just one more person for me to take care of.

       (2 Sam 15:34 NCV)  But if you return to the city, you can make 
       Ahithophel's advice useless. Tell Absalom, 'I am your servant, my 
       king. In the past I served your father, but now I will serve you.'

       (2 Sam 15:35 NCV)  The priests Zadok and Abiathar will be with you. 





       Tell them everything you hear in the royal palace.

       (2 Sam 15:36 NCV)  Zadok's son Ahimaaz and Abiathar's son Jonathan are 
       with them. Send them to tell me everything you hear."

       (2 Sam 15:37 NCV)  So David's friend Hushai entered Jerusalem just as 
       Absalom arrived.

       (2 Sam 16:1 NCV)  When David had passed a short way over the top of 
       the Mount of Olives, Ziba, Mephibosheth's servant, met him. Ziba had a 
       row of donkeys loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred 
       cakes of raisins, one hundred cakes of figs, and leather bags full of 
       wine.

       (2 Sam 16:2 NCV)  The king asked Ziba, "What are these things for?" 
       Ziba answered, "The donkeys are for your family to ride. The bread and 
       cakes of figs are for the servants to eat. And the wine is for anyone 
       to drink who might become weak in the desert."

       (2 Sam 16:3 NCV)  The king asked, "Where is Mephibosheth?" Ziba 
       answered him, "Mephibosheth is staying in Jerusalem because he thinks, 
       'Today the Israelites will give my father's kingdom back to me!'"

       (2 Sam 16:4 NCV)  Then the king said to Ziba, "All right. Everything 
       that belonged to Mephibosheth, I now give to you!" Ziba said, "I bow 
       to you. I hope I will always be able to please you."

       (2 Sam 16:5 NCV)  As King David came to Bahurim, a man came out and 
       cursed him. He was from Saul's family group, and his name was Shimei 
       son of Gera.

       (2 Sam 16:6 NCV)  He threw stones at David and his officers, but the 
       people and soldiers gathered all around David.

       (2 Sam 16:7 NCV)  Shimei cursed David, saying, "Get out, get out, you 
       murderer, you troublemaker.

       (2 Sam 16:8 NCV)  The LORD is punishing you for the people in Saul's 
       family you killed! You took Saul's place as king, but now the LORD has 
       given the kingdom to your son Absalom! Now you are ruined because you 
       are a murderer!"

       (2 Sam 16:9 NCV)  Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, "Why should 
       this dead dog curse you, the king? Let me go over and cut off his 
       head!"

       (2 Sam 16:10 NCV)  But the king answered, "This does not concern you, 
       sons of Zeruiah! If he is cursing me because the LORD told him to, who 
       can question him?"

       (2 Sam 16:11 NCV)  David also said to Abishai and all his officers, 
       "My own son is trying to kill me! This man is a Benjaminite and has 
       more right to kill me! Leave him alone, and let him curse me because 
       the LORD told him to do this.

       (2 Sam 16:12 NCV)  Maybe the LORD will see my misery and repay me with 





       something good for Shimei's curses today!"

       (2 Sam 16:13 NCV)  So David and his men went on down the road, but 
       Shimei followed on the nearby hillside. He kept cursing David and 
       throwing stones and dirt at him.

       (2 Sam 16:14 NCV)  When the king and all his people arrived at the 
       Jordan, they were very tired, so they rested there.

       (2 Sam 16:15 NCV)  Meanwhile, Absalom, Ahithophel, and all the 
       Israelites arrived at Jerusalem.

       (2 Sam 16:16 NCV)  David's friend Hushai the Arkite came to Absalom 
       and said to him, "Long live the king! Long live the king!"

       (2 Sam 16:17 NCV)  Absalom asked, "Why are you not loyal to your 
       friend David? Why didn't you leave Jerusalem with your friend?"

       (2 Sam 16:18 NCV)  Hushai said, "I belong to the one chosen by the 
       LORD and by these people and everyone in Israel. I will stay with you.

       (2 Sam 16:19 NCV)  In the past I served your father. So whom should I 
       serve now? David's son! I will serve you as I served him."

       (2 Sam 16:20 NCV)  Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Tell us what we should 
       do."

       (2 Sam 16:21 NCV)  Ahithophel said, "Your father left behind some of 
       his slave women to take care of the palace. Have sexual relations with 
       them. Then all Israel will hear that your father is your enemy, and 
       all your people will be encouraged to give you more support."

       (2 Sam 16:22 NCV)  So they put up a tent for Absalom on the roof of 
       the palace where everyone in Israel could see it. And Absalom had 
       sexual relations with his father's slave women.

       (2 Sam 16:23 NCV)  At that time people thought Ahithophel's advice was 
       as reliable as God's own word. Both David and Absalom thought it was 
       that reliable.

       (2 Sam 17:1 NCV)  Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Let me choose twelve 
       thousand men and chase David tonight.

       (2 Sam 17:2 NCV)  I'll catch him while he is tired and weak, and I'll 
       frighten him so all his people will run away. But I'll kill only King 
       David.

       (2 Sam 17:3 NCV)  Then I'll bring everyone back to you. If the man you 
       are looking for is dead, everyone else will return safely."

       (2 Sam 17:4 NCV)  This plan seemed good to Absalom and to all the 
       leaders of Israel.

       (2 Sam 17:5 NCV)  But Absalom said, "Now call Hushai the Arkite, so I 
       can hear what he says."





       (2 Sam 17:6 NCV)  When Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom said to him, 
       "This is the plan Ahithophel gave. Should we follow it? If not, tell 
       us."

       (2 Sam 17:7 NCV)  Hushai said to Absalom, "Ahithophel's advice is not 
       good this time."

       (2 Sam 17:8 NCV)  Hushai added, "You know your father and his men are 
       strong. They are as angry as a bear that is robbed of its cubs. Your 
       father is a skilled fighter. He won't stay all night with the army.

       (2 Sam 17:9 NCV)  He is probably already hiding in a cave or some 
       other place. If the first attack fails, people will hear the news and 
       think, 'Absalom's followers are losing!'

       (2 Sam 17:10 NCV)  Then even the men who are as brave as lions will be 
       frightened, because all the Israelites know your father is a fighter. 
       They know his men are brave!

       (2 Sam 17:11 NCV)  "This is what I suggest: Gather all the Israelites 
       from Dan to Beersheba. There will be as many people as grains of sand 
       by the sea. Then you yourself must go into the battle.

       (2 Sam 17:12 NCV)  We will go to David wherever he is hiding. We will 
       fall on him as dew falls on the ground. We will kill him and all of 
       his men so that no one will be left alive.

       (2 Sam 17:13 NCV)  If David escapes into a city, all the Israelites 
       will bring ropes to that city and pull it into the valley. Not a stone 
       will be left!"

       (2 Sam 17:14 NCV)  Absalom and all the Israelites said, "The advice of 
       Hushai the Arkite is better than that of Ahithophel." (The LORD had 
       planned to destroy the good advice of Ahithophel so the LORD could 
       bring disaster on Absalom.)

       (2 Sam 17:15 NCV)  Hushai told Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, what 
       Ahithophel had suggested to Absalom and the older leaders of Israel. 
       He also reported to them what he himself had suggested. Hushai said,

       (2 Sam 17:16 NCV)  "Quickly! Send a message to David. Tell him not to 
       stay tonight at the crossings into the desert but to cross over the 
       Jordan River at once. If he crosses the river, he and all his people 
       won't be destroyed."

       (2 Sam 17:17 NCV)  Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting at En Rogel. They 
       did not want to be seen going into the city, so a servant girl would 
       go out to them and give them messages. Then Jonathan and Ahimaaz would 
       go and tell King David.

       (2 Sam 17:18 NCV)  But a boy saw Jonathan and Ahimaaz and told 
       Absalom. So Jonathan and Ahimaaz left quickly and went to a man's 
       house in Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed 
       down into it.

       (2 Sam 17:19 NCV)  The man's wife spread a sheet over the opening of 





       the well and covered it with grain. No one could tell that anyone was 
       hiding there.

       (2 Sam 17:20 NCV)  Absalom's servants came to the woman at the house 
       and asked, "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" She said to them, "They 
       have already crossed the brook." Absalom's servants then went to look 
       for Jonathan and Ahimaaz, but they could not find them. So they went 
       back to Jerusalem.

       (2 Sam 17:21 NCV)  After Absalom's servants left, Jonathan and Ahimaaz 
       climbed out of the well and went to tell King David. They said, 
       "Hurry, cross over the river! Ahithophel has said these things against 
       you!"

       (2 Sam 17:22 NCV)  So David and all his people crossed the Jordan 
       River. By dawn, everyone had crossed the Jordan.

       (2 Sam 17:23 NCV)  When Ahithophel saw that the Israelites did not 
       accept his advice, he saddled his donkey and went to his hometown. He 
       left orders for his family and property, and then he hanged himself. 
       He died and was buried in his father's tomb.

       (2 Sam 17:24 NCV)  David arrived at Mahanaim. And Absalom and all his 
       Israelites crossed over the Jordan River.

       (2 Sam 17:25 NCV)  Absalom had made Amasa captain of the army instead 
       of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Jether the Ishmaelite. 
       Amasa's mother was Abigail daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah, 
       Joab's mother.

       (2 Sam 17:26 NCV)  Absalom and the Israelites camped in the land of 
       Gilead.

       (2 Sam 17:27 NCV)  Shobi, Makir, and Barzillai were at Mahanaim when 
       David arrived. Shobi son of Nahash was from the Ammonite town of 
       Rabbah. Makir son of Ammiel was from Lo Debar, and Barzillai was from 
       Rogelim in Gilead.

       (2 Sam 17:28 NCV)  They brought beds, bowls, clay pots, wheat, barley, 
       flour, roasted grain, beans, small peas,

       (2 Sam 17:29 NCV)  honey, milk curds, sheep, and cheese made from 
       cows' milk for David and his people. They said, "The people are hungry 
       and tired and thirsty in the desert."

       (2 Sam 18:1 NCV)  David counted his men and placed over them 
       commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.

       (2 Sam 18:2 NCV)  He sent the troops out in three groups. Joab 
       commanded one-third of the men. Joab's brother Abishai son of Zeruiah 
       commanded another third. And Ittai from Gath commanded the last third. 
       King David said to them, "I will also go with you."

       (2 Sam 18:3 NCV)  But the men said, "You must not go with us! If we 
       run away in the battle, Absalom's men won't care. Even if half of us 
       are killed, Absalom's men won't care. But you're worth ten thousand of 





       us! You can help us most by staying in the city."

       (2 Sam 18:4 NCV)  The king said to his people, "I will do what you 
       think is best." So the king stood at the side of the gate as the army 
       went out in groups of a hundred and a thousand.

       (2 Sam 18:5 NCV)  The king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, "Be 
       gentle with young Absalom for my sake." Everyone heard the king's 
       orders to the commanders about Absalom.

       (2 Sam 18:6 NCV)  David's army went out into the field against 
       Absalom's Israelites, and they fought in the forest of Ephraim.

       (2 Sam 18:7 NCV)  There David's army defeated the Israelites. Many 
       died that day--twenty thousand men.

       (2 Sam 18:8 NCV)  The battle spread through all the country, but that 
       day more men died in the forest than in the fighting.

       (2 Sam 18:9 NCV)  Then Absalom happened to meet David's troops. As 
       Absalom was riding his mule, it went under the thick branches of a 
       large oak tree. Absalom's head got caught in the tree, and his mule 
       ran out from under him. So Absalom was left hanging above the ground.

       (2 Sam 18:10 NCV)  When one of the men saw it happen, he told Joab, "I 
       saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!"

       (2 Sam 18:11 NCV)  Joab said to him, "You saw him? Why didn't you kill 
       him and let him fall to the ground? I would have given you a belt and 
       four ounces of silver!"

       (2 Sam 18:12 NCV)  The man answered, "I wouldn't touch the king's son 
       even if you gave me twenty-five pounds of silver. We heard the king 
       command you, Abishai, and Ittai, 'Be careful not to hurt young 
       Absalom.'

       (2 Sam 18:13 NCV)  If I had killed him, the king would have found out, 
       and you would not have protected me!"

       (2 Sam 18:14 NCV)  Joab said, "I won't waste time here with you!" 
       Absalom was still alive in the oak tree, so Joab took three spears and 
       stabbed him in the heart.

       (2 Sam 18:15 NCV)  Ten young men who carried Joab's armor also 
       gathered around Absalom and struck him and killed him.

       (2 Sam 18:16 NCV)  Then Joab blew the trumpet, so the troops stopped 
       chasing the Israelites.

       (2 Sam 18:17 NCV)  Then Joab's men took Absalom's body and threw it 
       into a large pit in the forest and filled the pit with many stones. 
       All the Israelites ran away to their homes.

       (2 Sam 18:18 NCV)  When Absalom was alive, he had set up a pillar for 
       himself in the King's Valley. He said, "I have no son to keep my name 
       alive." So he named the pillar after himself, and it is called 





       Absalom's Monument even today.

       (2 Sam 18:19 NCV)  Ahimaaz son of Zadok said to Joab, "Let me run and 
       take the news to King David. I'll tell him the LORD has saved him from 
       his enemies."

       (2 Sam 18:20 NCV)  Joab answered Ahimaaz, "No, you are not the one to 
       take the news today. You may do it another time, but do not take it 
       today, because the king's son is dead."

       (2 Sam 18:21 NCV)  Then Joab said to a man from Cush, "Go, tell the 
       king what you have seen." The Cushite bowed to Joab and ran to tell 
       David.

       (2 Sam 18:22 NCV)  But Ahimaaz son of Zadok begged Joab again, "No 
       matter what happens, please let me go along with the Cushite!" Joab 
       said, "Son, why do you want to carry the news? You won't get any 
       reward."

       (2 Sam 18:23 NCV)  Ahimaaz answered, "No matter what happens, I will 
       run." So Joab said to Ahimaaz, "Run!" Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the 
       Jordan Valley and passed the Cushite.

       (2 Sam 18:24 NCV)  David was sitting between the inner and outer gates 
       of the city. The watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the 
       walls, and as he looked up, he saw a man running alone.

       (2 Sam 18:25 NCV)  He shouted the news to the king. The king said, "If 
       he is alone, he is bringing good news!" The man came nearer and nearer 
       to the city.

       (2 Sam 18:26 NCV)  Then the watchman saw another man running, and he 
       called to the gatekeeper, "Look! Another man is running alone!" The 
       king said, "He is also bringing good news!"

       (2 Sam 18:27 NCV)  The watchman said, "I think the first man runs like 
       Ahimaaz son of Zadok." The king said, "Ahimaaz is a good man. He must 
       be bringing good news!"

       (2 Sam 18:28 NCV)  Then Ahimaaz called a greeting to the king. He 
       bowed facedown on the ground before the king and said, "Praise the 
       LORD your God! The LORD has defeated those who were against you, my 
       king."

       (2 Sam 18:29 NCV)  The king asked, "Is young Absalom all right?" 
       Ahimaaz answered, "When Joab sent me, I saw some great excitement, but 
       I don't know what it was."

       (2 Sam 18:30 NCV)  The king said, "Step over here and wait." So 
       Ahimaaz stepped aside and stood there.

       (2 Sam 18:31 NCV)  Then the Cushite arrived. He said, "Master and 
       king, hear the good news! Today the LORD has punished those who were 
       against you!"

       (2 Sam 18:32 NCV)  The king asked the Cushite, "Is young Absalom all 





       right?" The Cushite answered, "May your enemies and all who come to 
       hurt you be like that young man!"

       (2 Sam 18:33 NCV)  Then the king was very upset, and he went to the 
       room over the city gate and cried. As he went, he cried out, "My son 
       Absalom, my son Absalom! I wish I had died and not you. Absalom, my 
       son, my son!"

       (2 Sam 19:1 NCV)  People told Joab, "Look, the king is sad and crying 
       because of Absalom."

       (2 Sam 19:2 NCV)  David's army had won the battle that day. But it 
       became a very sad day for all the people, because they heard that the 
       king was very sad for his son.

       (2 Sam 19:3 NCV)  The people came into the city quietly that day. They 
       were like an army that had been defeated in battle and had run away.

       (2 Sam 19:4 NCV)  The king covered his face and cried loudly, "My son 
       Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!"

       (2 Sam 19:5 NCV)  Joab went into the king's house and said, "Today you 
       have shamed all your men. They saved your life and the lives of your 
       sons, daughters, wives, and slave women.

       (2 Sam 19:6 NCV)  You have shamed them because you love those who hate 
       you, and you hate those who love you. Today you have made it clear 
       that your commanders and men mean nothing to you. What if Absalom had 
       lived and all of us were dead? I can see you would be pleased.

       (2 Sam 19:7 NCV)  Now go out and encourage your servants. I swear by 
       the LORD that if you don't go out, no man will be left with you by 
       tonight! That will be worse than all the troubles you have had from 
       your youth until today."

       (2 Sam 19:8 NCV)  So the king went to the city gate. When the news 
       spread that the king was at the gate, everyone came to see him. All 
       the Israelites who had followed Absalom had run away to their homes.

       (2 Sam 19:9 NCV)  People in all the tribes of Israel began to argue, 
       saying, "The king saved us from the Philistines and our other enemies, 
       but he left the country because of Absalom.

       (2 Sam 19:10 NCV)  We appointed Absalom to rule us, but now he has 
       died in battle. We should make David the king again."

       (2 Sam 19:11 NCV)  King David sent a message to Zadok and Abiathar, 
       the priests, that said, "Speak to the older leaders of Judah. Say, 
       'Even in my house I have heard what all the Israelites are saying. So 
       why are you the last tribe to bring the king back to his palace?

       (2 Sam 19:12 NCV)  You are my brothers, my own family. Why are you the 
       last tribe to bring back the king?'

       (2 Sam 19:13 NCV)  And say to Amasa, 'You are part of my own family. 
       May God punish me terribly if I don't make you commander of the army 





       in Joab's place!'"

       (2 Sam 19:14 NCV)  David touched the hearts of all the people of Judah 
       at once. They sent a message to the king that said, "Return with all 
       your men."

       (2 Sam 19:15 NCV)  Then the king returned as far as the Jordan River. 
       The men of Judah came to Gilgal to meet him and to bring him across 
       the Jordan.

       (2 Sam 19:16 NCV)  Shimei son of Gera, a Benjaminite who lived in 
       Bahurim, hurried down with the men of Judah to meet King David.

       (2 Sam 19:17 NCV)  With Shimei came a thousand Benjaminites. Ziba, the 
       servant from Saul's family, also came, bringing his fifteen sons and 
       twenty servants with him. They all hurried to the Jordan River to meet 
       the king.

       (2 Sam 19:18 NCV)  The people went across the Jordan to help bring the 
       king's family back to Judah and to do whatever the king wanted. As the 
       king was crossing the river, Shimei son of Gera came to him and bowed 
       facedown on the ground in front of the king.

       (2 Sam 19:19 NCV)  He said to the king, "My master, don't hold me 
       guilty. Don't remember the wrong I did when you left Jerusalem! Don't 
       hold it against me.

       (2 Sam 19:20 NCV)  I know I have sinned. That is why I am the first 
       person from Joseph's family to come down and meet you today, my master 
       and king!"

       (2 Sam 19:21 NCV)  But Abishai son of Zeruiah said, "Shimei should die 
       because he cursed you, the Lord's appointed king!"

       (2 Sam 19:22 NCV)  David said, "This does not concern you, sons of 
       Zeruiah! Today you're against me! No one will be put to death in 
       Israel today. Today I know I am king over Israel!"

       (2 Sam 19:23 NCV)  Then the king promised Shimei, "You won't die."

       (2 Sam 19:24 NCV)  Mephibosheth, Saul's grandson, also went down to 
       meet King David. Mephibosheth had not cared for his feet, cut his 
       beard, or washed his clothes from the time the king had left Jerusalem 
       until he returned safely.

       (2 Sam 19:25 NCV)  When Mephibosheth came from Jerusalem to meet the 
       king, the king asked him, "Mephibosheth, why didn't you go with me?"

       (2 Sam 19:26 NCV)  He answered, "My master, my servant Ziba tricked 
       me! I said to Ziba, 'I am crippled, so saddle a donkey. Then I will 
       ride it so I can go with the king.'

       (2 Sam 19:27 NCV)  But he lied about me to you. You, my master and 
       king, are like an angel from God. Do what you think is good.

       (2 Sam 19:28 NCV)  You could have killed all my grandfather's family. 





       Instead, you put me with those people who eat at your own table. So I 
       don't have a right to ask anything more from the king!"

       (2 Sam 19:29 NCV)  The king said to him, "Don't say anything more. I 
       have decided that you and Ziba will divide the land."

       (2 Sam 19:30 NCV)  Mephibosheth said to the king, "Let Ziba take all 
       the land now that my master the king has arrived safely home."

       (2 Sam 19:31 NCV)  Barzillai of Gilead came down from Rogelim to cross 
       the Jordan River with the king.

       (2 Sam 19:32 NCV)  Barzillai was a very old man, eighty years old. He 
       had taken care of the king when David was staying at Mahanaim, because 
       Barzillai was a very rich man.

       (2 Sam 19:33 NCV)  David said to Barzillai, "Cross the river with me. 
       Come with me to Jerusalem, and I will take care of you."

       (2 Sam 19:34 NCV)  But Barzillai answered the king, "Do you know how 
       old I am? Do you think I can go with you to Jerusalem?

       (2 Sam 19:35 NCV)  I am eighty years old! I am too old to taste what I 
       eat or drink. I am too old to hear the voices of men and women 
       singers. Why should you be bothered with me?

       (2 Sam 19:36 NCV)  I am not worthy of a reward from you, but I will 
       cross the Jordan River with you.

       (2 Sam 19:37 NCV)  Then let me go back so I may die in my own city 
       near the grave of my father and mother. But here is Kimham, your 
       servant. Let him go with you, my master and king. Do with him whatever 
       you want."

       (2 Sam 19:38 NCV)  The king answered, "Kimham will go with me. I will 
       do for him anything you wish, and I will do anything for you that you 
       wish."

       (2 Sam 19:39 NCV)  The king kissed Barzillai and blessed him. Then 
       Barzillai returned home, and the king and all the people crossed the 
       Jordan.

       (2 Sam 19:40 NCV)  When the king crossed over to Gilgal, Kimham went 
       with him. All the troops of Judah and half the troops of Israel led 
       David across the river.

       (2 Sam 19:41 NCV)  Soon all the Israelites came to the king and said 
       to him, "Why did our relatives, the people of Judah, steal you away? 
       Why did they bring you and your family across the Jordan River with 
       your men?"

       (2 Sam 19:42 NCV)  All the people of Judah answered the Israelites, 
       "We did this because the king is our close relative. Why are you angry 
       about it? We have not eaten food at the king's expense or taken 
       anything for ourselves!"





       (2 Sam 19:43 NCV)  The Israelites answered the people of Judah, "We 
       have ten tribes in the kingdom, so we have more right to David than 
       you do! But you ignored us! We were the first ones to talk about 
       bringing our king back!" But the people of Judah spoke even more 
       unkindly than the people of Israel.

       (2 Sam 20:1 NCV)  It happened that a troublemaker named Sheba son of 
       Bicri from the tribe of Benjamin was there. He blew the trumpet and 
       said: "We have no share in David! We have no part in the son of Jesse! 
       People of Israel, let's go home!"

       (2 Sam 20:2 NCV)  So all the Israelites left David and followed Sheba 
       son of Bicri. But the people of Judah stayed with their king all the 
       way from the Jordan River to Jerusalem.

       (2 Sam 20:3 NCV)  David came back to his palace in Jerusalem. He had 
       left ten of his slave women there to take care of the palace. Now he 
       put them in a locked house. He gave them food, but he did not have 
       sexual relations with them. So they lived like widows until they died.

       (2 Sam 20:4 NCV)  The king said to Amasa, "Tell the men of Judah to 
       meet with me in three days, and you must also be here."

       (2 Sam 20:5 NCV)  So Amasa went to call the men of Judah together, but 
       he took more time than the king had said.

       (2 Sam 20:6 NCV)  David said to Abishai, "Sheba son of Bicri is more 
       dangerous to us than Absalom was. Take my men and chase him before he 
       finds walled cities and escapes from us."

       (2 Sam 20:7 NCV)  So Joab's men, the Kerethites and the Pelethites, 
       and all the soldiers went with Abishai. They went out from Jerusalem 
       to chase Sheba son of Bicri.

       (2 Sam 20:8 NCV)  When Joab and the army came to the great rock at 
       Gibeon, Amasa came out to meet them. Joab was wearing his uniform, and 
       at his waist he wore a belt that held his sword in its case. As Joab 
       stepped forward, his sword fell out of its case.

       (2 Sam 20:9 NCV)  Joab asked Amasa, "Brother, is everything all right 
       with you?" Then with his right hand he took Amasa by the beard to kiss 
       him.

       (2 Sam 20:10 NCV)  Amasa was not watching the sword in Joab's hand. So 
       Joab pushed the sword into Amasa's stomach, causing Amasa's insides to 
       spill onto the ground. Joab did not have to stab Amasa again; he was 
       already dead. Then Joab and his brother Abishai continued to chase 
       Sheba son of Bicri.

       (2 Sam 20:11 NCV)  One of Joab's young men stood by Amasa's body and 
       said, "Everyone who is for Joab and David should follow Joab!"

       (2 Sam 20:12 NCV)  Amasa lay in the middle of the road, covered with 
       his own blood. When the young man saw that everyone was stopping to 
       look at the body, he dragged it from the road, laid it in a field, and 
       put a cloth over it.






       (2 Sam 20:13 NCV)  After Amasa's body was taken off the road, all the 
       men followed Joab to chase Sheba son of Bicri.

       (2 Sam 20:14 NCV)  Sheba went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel 
       Beth Maacah. All the Berites also came together and followed him.

       (2 Sam 20:15 NCV)  So Joab and his men came to Abel Beth Maacah and 
       surrounded it. They piled dirt up against the city wall, and they 
       began hacking at the walls to bring them down.

       (2 Sam 20:16 NCV)  But a wise woman shouted out from the city, 
       "Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here. I want to talk to him!"

       (2 Sam 20:17 NCV)  So Joab came near her. She asked him, "Are you 
       Joab?" He answered, "Yes, I am." Then she said, "Listen to what I 
       say." Joab said, "I'm listening."

       (2 Sam 20:18 NCV)  Then the woman said, "In the past people would say, 
       'Ask for advice at Abel,' and the problem would be solved.

       (2 Sam 20:19 NCV)  I am one of the peaceful, loyal people of Israel. 
       You are trying to destroy an important city of Israel. Why must you 
       destroy what belongs to the LORD?"

       (2 Sam 20:20 NCV)  Joab answered, "I would prefer not to destroy or 
       ruin anything!

       (2 Sam 20:21 NCV)  That is not what I want. But there is a man here 
       from the mountains of Ephraim, who is named Sheba son of Bicri. He has 
       turned against King David. If you bring him to me, I will leave the 
       city alone." The woman said to Joab, "His head will be thrown over the 
       wall to you."

       (2 Sam 20:22 NCV)  Then the woman spoke very wisely to all the people 
       of the city. They cut off the head of Sheba son of Bicri and threw it 
       over the wall to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and the army left the 
       city. Every man returned home, and Joab went back to the king in 
       Jerusalem.

       (2 Sam 20:23 NCV)  Joab was commander of all the army of Israel. 
       Benaiah son of Jehoiada led the Kerethites and Pelethites.

       (2 Sam 20:24 NCV)  Adoniram was in charge of the men who were forced 
       to do hard work. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder.

       (2 Sam 20:25 NCV)  Sheba was the royal secretary. Zadok and Abiathar 
       were the priests,

       (2 Sam 20:26 NCV)  and Ira the Jairite was David's priest.

       (2 Sam 21:1 NCV)  During the time David was king, there was a shortage 
       of food that lasted for three years. So David prayed to the LORD. The 
       LORD answered, "Saul and his family of murderers are the reason for 
       this shortage, because he killed the Gibeonites."





       (2 Sam 21:2 NCV)  (Now the Gibeonites were not Israelites; they were a 
       group of Amorites who were left alive. The Israelites had promised not 
       to hurt the Gibeonites, but Saul had tried to kill them, because he 
       was eager to help the people of Israel and Judah.) King David called 
       the Gibeonites together and spoke to them.

       (2 Sam 21:3 NCV)  He asked, "What can I do for you? How can I make up 
       for the harm done so you can bless the Lord's people?"

       (2 Sam 21:4 NCV)  The Gibeonites said to David, "We cannot demand 
       silver or gold from Saul or his family. And we don't have the right to 
       kill anyone in Israel." Then David asked, "What do you want me to do 
       for you?"

       (2 Sam 21:5 NCV)  The Gibeonites said, "Saul made plans against us and 
       tried to destroy all our people who are left in the land of Israel.

       (2 Sam 21:6 NCV)  So bring seven of his sons to us. Then we will kill 
       them and hang them on stakes in the presence of the LORD at Gibeah, 
       the hometown of Saul, the Lord's chosen king." The king said, "I will 
       give them to you."

       (2 Sam 21:7 NCV)  But the king protected Mephibosheth, the son of 
       Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the promise he had made to 
       Jonathan in the Lord's name.

       (2 Sam 21:8 NCV)  The king did take Armoni and Mephibosheth, sons of 
       Rizpah and Saul. (Rizpah was the daughter of Aiah.) And the king took 
       the five sons of Saul's daughter Merab. (Adriel son of Barzillai the 
       Meholathite was the father of Merab's five sons.)

       (2 Sam 21:9 NCV)  David gave these seven sons to the Gibeonites. Then 
       the Gibeonites killed them and hung them on stakes on a hill in the 
       presence of the LORD. All seven sons died together. They were put to 
       death during the first days of the harvest season at the beginning of 
       barley harvest.

       (2 Sam 21:10 NCV)  Aiah's daughter Rizpah took the rough cloth that 
       was worn to show sadness and put it on a rock for herself. She stayed 
       there from the beginning of the harvest until the rain fell on her 
       sons' bodies. During the day she did not let the birds of the sky 
       touch her sons' bodies, and during the night she did not let the wild 
       animals touch them.

       (2 Sam 21:11 NCV)  People told David what Aiah's daughter Rizpah, 
       Saul's slave woman, was doing.

       (2 Sam 21:12 NCV)  Then David took the bones of Saul and Jonathan from 
       the men of Jabesh Gilead. (The Philistines had hung the bodies of Saul 
       and Jonathan in the public square of Beth Shan after they had killed 
       Saul at Gilboa. Later the men of Jabesh Gilead had secretly taken them 
       from there.)

       (2 Sam 21:13 NCV)  David brought the bones of Saul and his son 
       Jonathan from Gilead. Then the people gathered the bodies of Saul's 
       seven sons who were hanged on stakes.






       (2 Sam 21:14 NCV)  The people buried the bones of Saul and his son 
       Jonathan at Zela in Benjamin in the tomb of Saul's father Kish. The 
       people did everything the king commanded. Then God answered the 
       prayers for the land.

       (2 Sam 21:15 NCV)  Again there was war between the Philistines and 
       Israel. David and his men went out to fight the Philistines, but David 
       became tired.

       (2 Sam 21:16 NCV)  Ishbi-Benob, one of the sons of Rapha, had a bronze 
       spearhead weighing about seven and one-half pounds and a new sword. He 
       planned to kill David,

       (2 Sam 21:17 NCV)  but Abishai son of Zeruiah killed the Philistine 
       and saved David's life. Then David's men made a promise to him, 
       saying, "Never again will you go out with us to battle. If you were 
       killed, Israel would lose its greatest leader."

       (2 Sam 21:18 NCV)  Later, at Gob, there was another battle with the 
       Philistines. Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, another one of the 
       sons of Rapha.

       (2 Sam 21:19 NCV)  Later, there was another battle at Gob with the 
       Philistines. Elhanan son of Jaare-Oregim from Bethlehem killed Goliath 
       from Gath. His spear was as large as a weaver's rod.

       (2 Sam 21:20 NCV)  At Gath another battle took place. A huge man was 
       there; he had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each 
       foot--twenty-four fingers and toes in all. This man also was one of 
       the sons of Rapha.

       (2 Sam 21:21 NCV)  When he challenged Israel, Jonathan son of Shimeah, 
       David's brother, killed him.

       (2 Sam 21:22 NCV)  These four sons of Rapha from Gath were killed by 
       David and his men.

       (2 Sam 22:1 NCV)  David sang this song to the LORD when the LORD saved 
       him from Saul and all his other enemies.

       (2 Sam 22:2 NCV)  He said: "The LORD is my rock, my protection, my 
       Savior.

       (2 Sam 22:3 NCV)  My God is my rock. I can run to him for safety. He 
       is my shield and my saving strength, my defender and my place of 
       safety. The LORD saves me from those who want to harm me.

       (2 Sam 22:4 NCV)  I will call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, 
       and I will be saved from my enemies.

       (2 Sam 22:5 NCV)  "The waves of death came around me; the deadly 
       rivers overwhelmed me.

       (2 Sam 22:6 NCV)  The ropes of death wrapped around me. The traps of 
       death were before me.






       (2 Sam 22:7 NCV)  In my trouble I called to the LORD; I cried out to 
       my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my call for help reached 
       his ears.

       (2 Sam 22:8 NCV)  "The earth trembled and shook. The foundations of 
       heaven began to shake. They trembled because the LORD was angry.

       (2 Sam 22:9 NCV)  Smoke came out of his nose, and burning fire came 
       out of his mouth. Burning coals went before him.

       (2 Sam 22:10 NCV)  He tore open the sky and came down with dark clouds 
       under his feet.

       (2 Sam 22:11 NCV)  He rode a creature with wings and flew. He raced on 
       the wings of the wind.

       (2 Sam 22:12 NCV)  He made darkness his shelter, surrounded by fog and 
       clouds.

       (2 Sam 22:13 NCV)  Out of the brightness of his presence came flashes 
       of lightning.

       (2 Sam 22:14 NCV)  The LORD thundered from heaven; the Most High 
       raised his voice.

       (2 Sam 22:15 NCV)  He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies. His 
       bolts of lightning confused them with fear.

       (2 Sam 22:16 NCV)  The LORD spoke strongly. The wind blew from his 
       nose. Then the valleys of the sea appeared, and the foundations of the 
       earth were seen.

       (2 Sam 22:17 NCV)  "The LORD reached down from above and took me; he 
       pulled me from the deep water.

       (2 Sam 22:18 NCV)  He saved me from my powerful enemies, from those 
       who hated me, because they were too strong for me.

       (2 Sam 22:19 NCV)  They attacked me at my time of trouble, but the 
       LORD supported me.

       (2 Sam 22:20 NCV)  He took me to a safe place. Because he delights in 
       me, he saved me.

       (2 Sam 22:21 NCV)  "The LORD spared me because I did what was right. 
       Because I have not done evil, he has rewarded me.

       (2 Sam 22:22 NCV)  I have followed the ways of the LORD; I have not 
       done evil by turning from my God.

       (2 Sam 22:23 NCV)  I remember all his laws and have not broken his 
       rules.

       (2 Sam 22:24 NCV)  I am innocent before him; I have kept myself from 
       doing evil.






       (2 Sam 22:25 NCV)  The LORD rewarded me because I did what was right, 
       because I did what the LORD said was right.

       (2 Sam 22:26 NCV)  "LORD, you are loyal to those who are loyal, and 
       you are good to those who are good.

       (2 Sam 22:27 NCV)  You are pure to those who are pure, but you are 
       against those who are evil.

       (2 Sam 22:28 NCV)  You save the humble, but you bring down those who 
       are proud.

       (2 Sam 22:29 NCV)  LORD, you give light to my lamp. The LORD brightens 
       the darkness around me.

       (2 Sam 22:30 NCV)  With your help I can attack an army. With God's 
       help I can jump over a wall.

       (2 Sam 22:31 NCV)  "The ways of God are without fault; the Lord's 
       words are pure. He is a shield to those who trust him.

       (2 Sam 22:32 NCV)  Who is God? Only the LORD. Who is the Rock? Only 
       our God.

       (2 Sam 22:33 NCV)  God is my protection. He makes my way free from 
       fault.

       (2 Sam 22:34 NCV)  He makes me like a deer that does not stumble; he 
       helps me stand on the steep mountains.

       (2 Sam 22:35 NCV)  He trains my hands for battle so my arms can bend a 
       bronze bow.

       (2 Sam 22:36 NCV)  You protect me with your saving shield. You have 
       stooped to make me great.

       (2 Sam 22:37 NCV)  You give me a better way to live, so I live as you 
       want me to.

       (2 Sam 22:38 NCV)  I chased my enemies and destroyed them. I did not 
       quit till they were destroyed.

       (2 Sam 22:39 NCV)  I destroyed and crushed them so they couldn't rise 
       up again. They fell beneath my feet.

       (2 Sam 22:40 NCV)  You gave me strength in battle. You made my enemies 
       bow before me.

       (2 Sam 22:41 NCV)  You made my enemies turn back, and I destroyed 
       those who hated me.

       (2 Sam 22:42 NCV)  They called for help, but no one came to save them. 
       They called to the LORD, but he did not answer them.

       (2 Sam 22:43 NCV)  I beat my enemies into pieces, like dust on the 





       ground. I poured them out and walked on them like mud in the streets.

       (2 Sam 22:44 NCV)  "You saved me when my people attacked me. You kept 
       me as the leader of nations. People I never knew serve me.

       (2 Sam 22:45 NCV)  Foreigners obey me. As soon as they hear me, they 
       obey me.

       (2 Sam 22:46 NCV)  They all become afraid and tremble in their hiding 
       places.

       (2 Sam 22:47 NCV)  "The LORD lives! May my Rock be praised! Praise 
       God, the Rock, who saves me!

       (2 Sam 22:48 NCV)  God gives me victory over my enemies and brings 
       people under my rule.

       (2 Sam 22:49 NCV)  He frees me from my enemies. "You set me over those 
       who hate me. You saved me from cruel men.

       (2 Sam 22:50 NCV)  So I will praise you, LORD, among the nations. I 
       will sing praises to your name.

       (2 Sam 22:51 NCV)  The LORD gives great victories to his king. He is 
       loyal to his appointed king, to David and his descendants forever."

       (2 Sam 23:1 NCV)  These are the last words of David. This is the 
       message of David son of Jesse. The man made great by the Most High God 
       speaks. He is the appointed king of the God of Jacob; he is the sweet 
       singer of Israel:

       (2 Sam 23:2 NCV)  "The Lord's Spirit spoke through me, and his word 
       was on my tongue.

       (2 Sam 23:3 NCV)  The God of Israel spoke; the Rock of Israel said to 
       me: 'Whoever rules fairly over people, who rules with respect for God,

       (2 Sam 23:4 NCV)  is like the morning light at dawn, like a morning 
       without clouds. He is like sunshine after a rain that makes the grass 
       sprout from the ground.'

       (2 Sam 23:5 NCV)  "This is how God has cared for my family. God made a 
       lasting agreement with me, right and sure in every way. He will 
       accomplish my salvation and satisfy all my desires.

       (2 Sam 23:6 NCV)  "But all evil people will be thrown away like thorns 
       that cannot be held in a hand.

       (2 Sam 23:7 NCV)  No one can touch them except with a tool of iron or 
       wood. They will be thrown in the fire and burned where they lie."

       (2 Sam 23:8 NCV)  These are the names of David's warriors: 
       Josheb-Basshebeth, the Tahkemonite, was head of the Three. He killed 
       eight hundred men at one time.

       (2 Sam 23:9 NCV)  Next was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. Eleazar 





       was one of the three soldiers who were with David when they challenged 
       the Philistines. The Philistines were gathered for battle, and the 
       Israelites drew back.

       (2 Sam 23:10 NCV)  But Eleazar stayed where he was and fought the 
       Philistines until he was so tired his hand stuck to his sword. The 
       LORD gave a great victory for the Israelites that day. The troops came 
       back after Eleazar had won the battle, but only to take weapons and 
       armor from the enemy.

       (2 Sam 23:11 NCV)  Next there was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. 
       The Philistines came together to fight in a vegetable field. Israel's 
       troops ran away from the Philistines,

       (2 Sam 23:12 NCV)  but Shammah stood in the middle of the field and 
       fought for it and killed the Philistines. And the LORD gave a great 
       victory.

       (2 Sam 23:13 NCV)  Once, three of the Thirty, David's chief soldiers, 
       came down to him at the cave of Adullam during harvest. The Philistine 
       army had camped in the Valley of Rephaim.

       (2 Sam 23:14 NCV)  At that time David was in the stronghold, and some 
       of the Philistines were in Bethlehem.

       (2 Sam 23:15 NCV)  David had a strong desire for some water. He said, 
       "Oh, I wish someone would get me water from the well near the city 
       gate of Bethlehem!"

       (2 Sam 23:16 NCV)  So the three warriors broke through the Philistine 
       army and took water from the well near the city gate of Bethlehem. 
       Then they brought it to David, but he refused to drink it. He poured 
       it out before the LORD,

       (2 Sam 23:17 NCV)  saying, "May the LORD keep me from drinking this 
       water! It would be like drinking the blood of the men who risked their 
       lives!" So David refused to drink it. These were the brave things that 
       the three warriors did.

       (2 Sam 23:18 NCV)  Abishai, brother of Joab son of Zeruiah, was 
       captain of the Three. Abishai fought three hundred soldiers with his 
       spear and killed them. He became as famous as the Three

       (2 Sam 23:19 NCV)  and was more honored than the Three. He became 
       their commander even though he was not one of them.

       (2 Sam 23:20 NCV)  Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a brave fighter from 
       Kabzeel who did mighty things. He killed two of the best warriors from 
       Moab. He also went down into a pit and killed a lion on a snowy day.

       (2 Sam 23:21 NCV)  Benaiah killed a large Egyptian who had a spear in 
       his hand. Benaiah had a club, but he grabbed the spear from the 
       Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear.

       (2 Sam 23:22 NCV)  These were the things Benaiah son of Jehoiada did. 
       He was as famous as the Three.






       (2 Sam 23:23 NCV)  He received more honor than the Thirty, but he did 
       not become a member of the Three. David made him leader of his 
       bodyguards.

       (2 Sam 23:24 NCV)  The following men were among the Thirty: Asahel 
       brother of Joab; Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem;

       (2 Sam 23:25 NCV)  Shammah the Harodite; Elika the Harodite;

       (2 Sam 23:26 NCV)  Helez the Paltite; Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa;

       (2 Sam 23:27 NCV)  Abiezer the Anathothite; Mebunnai the Hushathite;

       (2 Sam 23:28 NCV)  Zalmon the Ahohite; Maharai the Netophathite;

       (2 Sam 23:29 NCV)  Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite; Ithai son of 
       Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin;

       (2 Sam 23:30 NCV)  Benaiah the Pirathonite; Hiddai from the ravines of 
       Gaash;

       (2 Sam 23:31 NCV)  Abi-Albon the Arbathite; Azmaveth the Barhumite;

       (2 Sam 23:32 NCV)  Eliahba the Shaalbonite; the sons of Jashen; 
       Jonathan

       (2 Sam 23:33 NCV)  son of Shammah the Hararite; Ahiam son of Sharar 
       the Hararite;

       (2 Sam 23:34 NCV)  Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maacathite; Eliam son 
       of Ahithophel the Gilonite;

       (2 Sam 23:35 NCV)  Hezro the Carmelite; Paarai the Arbite;

       (2 Sam 23:36 NCV)  Igal son of Nathan of Zobah; the son of Hagri;

       (2 Sam 23:37 NCV)  Zelek the Ammonite; Naharai the Beerothite, who 
       carried the armor of Joab son of Zeruiah;

       (2 Sam 23:38 NCV)  Ira the Ithrite; Gareb the Ithrite,

       (2 Sam 23:39 NCV)  and Uriah the Hittite. There were thirty-seven in 
       all.

       (2 Sam 24:1 NCV)  The LORD was angry with Israel again, and he caused 
       David to turn against the Israelites. He said, "Go, count the people 
       of Israel and Judah."

       (2 Sam 24:2 NCV)  So King David said to Joab, the commander of the 
       army, "Go through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and 
       count the people. Then I will know how many there are."

       (2 Sam 24:3 NCV)  But Joab said to the king, "May the LORD your God 
       give you a hundred times more people, and may my master the king live 
       to see this happen. Why do you want to do this?"






       (2 Sam 24:4 NCV)  But the king commanded Joab and the commanders of 
       the army, so they left the king to count the Israelites.

       (2 Sam 24:5 NCV)  After crossing the Jordan River, they camped near 
       Aroer on the south side of the city in the ravine. They went through 
       Gad and on to Jazer.

       (2 Sam 24:6 NCV)  Then they went to Gilead and the land of Tahtim 
       Hodshi and to Dan Jaan and around to Sidon.

       (2 Sam 24:7 NCV)  They went to the strong, walled city of Tyre and to 
       all the cities of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went to 
       southern Judah, to Beersheba.

       (2 Sam 24:8 NCV)  After nine months and twenty days, they had gone 
       through all the land. Then they came back to Jerusalem.

       (2 Sam 24:9 NCV)  Joab gave the list of the people to the king. There 
       were eight hundred thousand men in Israel who could use the sword and 
       five hundred thousand men in Judah.

       (2 Sam 24:10 NCV)  David felt ashamed after he had counted the people. 
       He said to the LORD, "I have sinned greatly by what I have done. LORD, 
       I beg you to forgive me, your servant, because I have been very 
       foolish."

       (2 Sam 24:11 NCV)  When David got up in the morning, the LORD spoke 
       his word to Gad, who was a prophet and David's seer.

       (2 Sam 24:12 NCV)  The LORD told Gad, "Go and tell David, 'This is 
       what the LORD says: I offer you three choices. Choose one of them and 
       I will do it to you.'"

       (2 Sam 24:13 NCV)  So Gad went to David and said to him, "Should three 
       years of hunger come to you and your land? Or should your enemies 
       chase you for three months? Or should there be three days of disease 
       in your land? Think about it. Then decide which of these things I 
       should tell the LORD who sent me."

       (2 Sam 24:14 NCV)  David said to Gad, "I am in great trouble. Let the 
       LORD punish us, because the LORD is very merciful. Don't let my 
       punishment come from human beings!"

       (2 Sam 24:15 NCV)  So the LORD sent a terrible disease on Israel. It 
       began in the morning and continued until the chosen time to stop. From 
       Dan to Beersheba seventy thousand people died.

       (2 Sam 24:16 NCV)  When the angel raised his arm toward Jerusalem to 
       destroy it, the LORD felt very sorry about the terrible things that 
       had happened. He said to the angel who was destroying the people, 
       "That is enough! Put down your arm!" The angel of the LORD was then by 
       the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

       (2 Sam 24:17 NCV)  When David saw the angel that killed the people, he 
       said to the LORD, "I am the one who sinned and did wrong. These people 





       only followed me like sheep. They did nothing wrong. Please punish me 
       and my family."

       (2 Sam 24:18 NCV)  That day Gad came to David and said, "Go and build 
       an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite."

       (2 Sam 24:19 NCV)  So David did what Gad told him to do, just as the 
       LORD commanded.

       (2 Sam 24:20 NCV)  Araunah looked and saw the king and his servants 
       coming to him. So he went out and bowed facedown on the ground before 
       the king.

       (2 Sam 24:21 NCV)  He said, "Why has my master the king come to me?" 
       David answered, "To buy the threshing floor from you so I can build an 
       altar to the LORD. Then the terrible disease will stop."

       (2 Sam 24:22 NCV)  Araunah said to David, "My master and king, you may 
       take anything you want for a sacrifice. Here are some oxen for the 
       whole burnt offering and the threshing boards and the yokes for the 
       wood.

       (2 Sam 24:23 NCV)  My king, I give everything to you." Araunah also 
       said to the king, "May the LORD your God be pleased with you."

       (2 Sam 24:24 NCV)  But the king answered Araunah, "No, I will pay you 
       for the land. I won't offer to the LORD my God burnt offerings that 
       cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for 
       one and one-fourth pounds of silver.

       (2 Sam 24:25 NCV)  He built an altar to the LORD there and offered 
       whole burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the LORD answered 
       his prayer for the country, and the disease in Israel stopped.

       (1 Ki 1:1 NCV)  At this time King David was very old, and although his 
       servants covered him with blankets, he could not keep warm.

       (1 Ki 1:2 NCV)  They said to him, "We will look for a young woman to 
       care for you. She will lie close to you and keep you warm."

       (1 Ki 1:3 NCV)  After searching everywhere in Israel for a beautiful 
       young woman, they found a girl named Abishag from Shunam and brought 
       her to the king.

       (1 Ki 1:4 NCV)  The girl was very beautiful, and she cared for the 
       king and served him. But the king did not have sexual relations with 
       her.

       (1 Ki 1:5 NCV)  Adonijah was the son of King David and Haggith, and he 
       was very proud. "I will be the king," he said. So he got chariots and 
       horses for himself and fifty men for his personal bodyguard.

       (1 Ki 1:6 NCV)  Now David had never interfered with Adonijah by 
       questioning what he did. Born next after Absalom, Adonijah was a very 
       handsome man.





       (1 Ki 1:7 NCV)  Adonijah spoke with Joab son of Zeruiah and Abiathar 
       the priest, and they agreed to help him.

       (1 Ki 1:8 NCV)  But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan 
       the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and King David's special guard did not join 
       Adonijah.

       (1 Ki 1:9 NCV)  Then Adonijah killed some sheep, cows, and fat calves 
       for sacrifices at the Stone of Zoheleth near the spring of Rogel. He 
       invited all his brothers, the other sons of King David, to come, as 
       well as all the men of Judah.

       (1 Ki 1:10 NCV)  But Adonijah did not invite Nathan the prophet, 
       Benaiah, his father's special guard, or his brother Solomon.

       (1 Ki 1:11 NCV)  When Nathan heard about this, he went to Bathsheba, 
       Solomon's mother. "Have you heard that Adonijah, Haggith's son, has 
       made himself king?" Nathan asked. "Our real king, David, does not know 
       it.

       (1 Ki 1:12 NCV)  I strongly advise you to save yourself and your sons.

       (1 Ki 1:13 NCV)  Go to King David and tell him, 'My master and king, 
       you promised that my son Solomon would be king and would rule on your 
       throne after you. Why then has Adonijah become king?'

       (1 Ki 1:14 NCV)  While you are still talking to the king, I will come 
       in and tell him that what you have said about Adonijah is true."

       (1 Ki 1:15 NCV)  So Bathsheba went in to see the aged king in his 
       bedroom, where Abishag, the girl from Shunam, was caring for him.

       (1 Ki 1:16 NCV)  Bathsheba bowed and knelt before the king. He asked, 
       "What do you want?"

       (1 Ki 1:17 NCV)  She answered, "My master, you made a promise to me in 
       the name of the LORD your God. You said, 'Your son Solomon will become 
       king after me, and he will rule on my throne.'

       (1 Ki 1:18 NCV)  But now, unknown to you, Adonijah has become king.

       (1 Ki 1:19 NCV)  He has killed many cows, fat calves, and sheep for 
       sacrifices. And he has invited all your sons, as well as Abiathar the 
       priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he did not invite 
       Solomon, who serves you.

       (1 Ki 1:20 NCV)  My master and king, all the Israelites are watching 
       you, waiting for you to decide who will be king after you.

       (1 Ki 1:21 NCV)  As soon as you die, Solomon and I will be treated as 
       criminals."

       (1 Ki 1:22 NCV)  While Bathsheba was still talking with the king, 
       Nathan the prophet arrived.

       (1 Ki 1:23 NCV)  The servants told the king, "Nathan the prophet is 





       here." So Nathan went to the king and bowed facedown on the ground 
       before him.

       (1 Ki 1:24 NCV)  Nathan said, "My master and king, have you said that 
       Adonijah will be the king after you and that he will rule on your 
       throne?

       (1 Ki 1:25 NCV)  Today he has sacrificed many cows, fat calves, and 
       sheep, and he has invited all your other sons, the commanders of the 
       army, and Abiathar the priest. Right now they are eating and drinking 
       with him. They are saying, 'Long live King Adonijah!'

       (1 Ki 1:26 NCV)  But he did not invite me, your own servant, or Zadok 
       the priest, or Benaiah son of Jehoiada, or your son Solomon.

       (1 Ki 1:27 NCV)  Did you do this? Since we are your servants, why 
       didn't you tell us who should be king after you?"

       (1 Ki 1:28 NCV)  Then the king said, "Tell Bathsheba to come in!" So 
       she came in and stood before the king.

       (1 Ki 1:29 NCV)  Then the king made this promise, "The LORD has saved 
       me from all trouble. As surely as he lives,

       (1 Ki 1:30 NCV)  I will do today what I have promised you in the name 
       of the LORD, the God of Israel. I promised that your son Solomon would 
       be king after me and rule on my throne in my place."

       (1 Ki 1:31 NCV)  Then Bathsheba bowed facedown on the ground and knelt 
       before the king and said, "Long live my master King David!"

       (1 Ki 1:32 NCV)  Then King David said, "Tell Zadok the priest, Nathan 
       the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada to come in." When they came 
       before the king,

       (1 Ki 1:33 NCV)  he said to them, "Take my servants with you and put 
       my son Solomon on my own mule. Take him down to the spring called 
       Gihon.

       (1 Ki 1:34 NCV)  There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet should 
       pour olive oil on him and make him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet 
       and shout, 'Long live King Solomon!'

       (1 Ki 1:35 NCV)  Then come back up here with him. He will sit on my 
       throne and rule in my place, because he is the one I have chosen to be 
       the ruler over Israel and Judah."

       (1 Ki 1:36 NCV)  Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, "Amen! 
       This is what the LORD, the God of my master, has declared!

       (1 Ki 1:37 NCV)  The LORD has always helped you, our king. May he also 
       help Solomon and make King Solomon's throne an even greater throne 
       than yours."

       (1 Ki 1:38 NCV)  So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah 
       son of Jehoiada left with the Kerethites and Pelethites. They put 





       Solomon on King David's mule and took him to the spring called Gihon.

       (1 Ki 1:39 NCV)  Zadok the priest took the container of olive oil from 
       the Holy Tent and poured the oil on Solomon's head to show he was the 
       king. Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people shouted, "Long 
       live King Solomon!"

       (1 Ki 1:40 NCV)  All the people followed Solomon into the city. 
       Playing flutes and shouting for joy, they made so much noise the 
       ground shook.

       (1 Ki 1:41 NCV)  At this time Adonijah and all the guests with him 
       were finishing their meal. When he heard the sound from the trumpet, 
       Joab asked, "What does all that noise from the city mean?"

       (1 Ki 1:42 NCV)  While Joab was speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the 
       priest arrived. Adonijah said, "Come in! You are an important man, so 
       you must be bringing good news."

       (1 Ki 1:43 NCV)  But Jonathan answered, "No! Our master King David has 
       made Solomon the new king.

       (1 Ki 1:44 NCV)  King David sent Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, 
       Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and all the king's bodyguards with him, and 
       they have put Solomon on the king's own mule.

       (1 Ki 1:45 NCV)  Then Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet poured 
       olive oil on Solomon at Gihon to make him king. After that they went 
       into the city, shouting with joy. Now the whole city is excited, and 
       that is the noise you hear.

       (1 Ki 1:46 NCV)  Solomon has now become the king.

       (1 Ki 1:47 NCV)  All the king's officers have come to tell King David 
       that he has done a good thing. They are saying, 'May your God make 
       Solomon even more famous than you and an even greater king than you.'" 
       Jonathan continued, "And King David bowed down on his bed to worship 
       God,

       (1 Ki 1:48 NCV)  saying, 'Bless the LORD, the God of Israel. Today he 
       has made one of my sons the king and allowed me to see it.'"

       (1 Ki 1:49 NCV)  Then all of Adonijah's guests were afraid, and they 
       left quickly and scattered.

       (1 Ki 1:50 NCV)  Adonijah was also afraid of Solomon, so he went and 
       took hold of the corners of the altar.

       (1 Ki 1:51 NCV)  Then someone told Solomon, "Adonijah is afraid of 
       you, so he is at the altar, holding on to its corners. He says, 'Tell 
       King Solomon to promise me today that he will not kill me.'"

       (1 Ki 1:52 NCV)  So Solomon answered, "Adonijah must show that he is a 
       man of honor. If he does that, I promise he will not lose even a 
       single hair from his head. But if he does anything wrong, he will 
       die."






       (1 Ki 1:53 NCV)  Then King Solomon sent some men to get Adonijah. When 
       he was brought from the altar, he came before King Solomon and bowed 
       down. Solomon told him, "Go home."

       (1 Ki 2:1 NCV)  Since it was almost time for David to die, he gave his 
       son Solomon his last commands.

       (1 Ki 2:2 NCV)  David said, "My time to die is near. Be a good and 
       strong leader.

       (1 Ki 2:3 NCV)  Obey the LORD your God. Follow him by obeying his 
       demands, his commands, his laws, and his rules that are written in the 
       teachings of Moses. If you do these things, you will be successful in 
       all you do and wherever you go.

       (1 Ki 2:4 NCV)  And if you obey the LORD, he will keep the promise he 
       made to me. He said: 'If your descendants live as I tell them and have 
       complete faith in me, a man from your family will always be king over 
       the people of Israel.'

       (1 Ki 2:5 NCV)  "Also, you remember what Joab son of Zeruiah did to 
       me. He killed the two commanders of Israel's armies: Abner son of Ner 
       and Amasa son of Jether. He did this as if he and they were at war, 
       although it was a time of peace. He put their blood on the belt around 
       his waist and on his sandals on his feet.

       (1 Ki 2:6 NCV)  Punish him in the way you think is wisest, but do not 
       let him die peacefully of old age.

       (1 Ki 2:7 NCV)  "Be kind to the children of Barzillai of Gilead, and 
       allow them to eat at your table. They welcomed me when I ran away from 
       your brother Absalom.

       (1 Ki 2:8 NCV)  "And remember, Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite, is 
       here with you. He cursed me the day I went to Mahanaim. But when he 
       came down to meet me at the Jordan River, I promised him before the 
       LORD, 'Shimei, I will not kill you.'

       (1 Ki 2:9 NCV)  But you should not leave him unpunished. You are a 
       wise man, and you will know what to do to him, but you must be sure he 
       is killed."

       (1 Ki 2:10 NCV)  Then David died and was buried with his ancestors in 
       Jerusalem.

       (1 Ki 2:11 NCV)  He had ruled over Israel forty years--seven years in 
       Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

       (1 Ki 2:12 NCV)  Solomon became king after David, his father, and he 
       was in firm control of his kingdom.

       (1 Ki 2:13 NCV)  At this time Adonijah son of Haggith went to 
       Bathsheba, Solomon's mother. "Do you come in peace?" Bathsheba asked. 
       "Yes. This is a peaceful visit," Adonijah answered.





       (1 Ki 2:14 NCV)  "I have something to say to you." "You may speak," 
       she said.

       (1 Ki 2:15 NCV)  "You remember that at one time the kingdom was mine," 
       Adonijah said. "All the people of Israel recognized me as their king, 
       but things have changed. Now my brother is the king, because the LORD 
       chose him.

       (1 Ki 2:16 NCV)  Now I have one thing to ask you; please do not refuse 
       me." Bathsheba answered, "What do you want?"

       (1 Ki 2:17 NCV)  "I know King Solomon will do anything you ask him," 
       Adonijah continued. "Please ask him to give me Abishag the Shunammite 
       to be my wife."

       (1 Ki 2:18 NCV)  "Very well," she answered. "I will speak to the king 
       for you."

       (1 Ki 2:19 NCV)  So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for 
       Adonijah. When Solomon saw her, he stood up to meet her, then bowed 
       down, and sat on the throne. He told some servants to bring another 
       throne for his mother. Then she sat down at his right side.

       (1 Ki 2:20 NCV)  Bathsheba said, "I have one small thing to ask you. 
       Please do not refuse me." "Ask, mother," the king answered. "I will 
       not refuse you."

       (1 Ki 2:21 NCV)  So she said, "Allow Abishag the Shunammite to marry 
       your brother Adonijah."

       (1 Ki 2:22 NCV)  King Solomon answered his mother, "Why do you ask me 
       to give him Abishag? Why don't you also ask for him to become the king 
       since he is my older brother? Abiathar the priest and Joab son of 
       Zeruiah would support him!"

       (1 Ki 2:23 NCV)  Then King Solomon swore by the name of the LORD, 
       saying, "May God punish me terribly if this doesn't cost Adonijah his 
       life!

       (1 Ki 2:24 NCV)  By the LORD who has given me the throne that belonged 
       to my father David and who has kept his promise and given the kingdom 
       to me and my people, Adonijah will die today!"

       (1 Ki 2:25 NCV)  Then King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah son of 
       Jehoiada, and he went and killed Adonijah.

       (1 Ki 2:26 NCV)  King Solomon said to Abiathar the priest, "I should 
       kill you too, but I will allow you to go back to your fields in 
       Anathoth. I will not kill you at this time, because you helped carry 
       the Ark of the Lord GOD while marching with my father David. And I 
       know you shared in all the hard times with him."

       (1 Ki 2:27 NCV)  Then Solomon removed Abiathar from being the Lord's 
       priest. This happened as the LORD had said it would, when he was 
       speaking in Shiloh about the priest Eli and his descendants.





       (1 Ki 2:28 NCV)  When Joab heard about what had happened, he was 
       afraid. He had supported Adonijah but not Absalom. So Joab ran to the 
       Tent of the LORD and took hold of the corners of the altar.

       (1 Ki 2:29 NCV)  Someone told King Solomon that Joab had run to the 
       Tent of the LORD and was beside the altar. Then Solomon ordered 
       Benaiah to go and kill him.

       (1 Ki 2:30 NCV)  Benaiah went into the Tent of the LORD and said to 
       Joab, "The king says, 'Come out!'" But Joab answered, "No, I will die 
       here." So Benaiah went back to the king and told him what Joab had 
       said.

       (1 Ki 2:31 NCV)  Then the king ordered Benaiah, "Do as he says! Kill 
       him there and bury him. Then my family and I will be free of the guilt 
       of Joab, who has killed innocent people.

       (1 Ki 2:32 NCV)  Without my father knowing it, he killed two men who 
       were much better than he was--Abner son of Ner, the commander of 
       Israel's army, and Amasa son of Jether, the commander of Judah's army. 
       So the LORD will pay him back for those deaths.

       (1 Ki 2:33 NCV)  Joab and his family will be forever guilty for their 
       deaths, but there will be peace from the LORD for David, his 
       descendants, his family, and his throne forever."

       (1 Ki 2:34 NCV)  So Benaiah son of Jehoiada killed Joab, and he was 
       buried near his home in the desert.

       (1 Ki 2:35 NCV)  The king then made Benaiah son of Jehoiada commander 
       of the army in Joab's place. He also made Zadok the new high priest in 
       Abiathar's place.

       (1 Ki 2:36 NCV)  Next the king sent for Shimei. Solomon said to him, 
       "Build a house for yourself in Jerusalem and live there. Don't leave 
       the city.

       (1 Ki 2:37 NCV)  The very day you leave and cross the Kidron Valley, 
       someone will kill you, and it will be your own fault."

       (1 Ki 2:38 NCV)  So Shimei answered the king, "I agree with what you 
       say. I will do what you say, my master and king." So Shimei lived in 
       Jerusalem for a long time.

       (1 Ki 2:39 NCV)  But three years later two of Shimei's slaves ran away 
       to Achish king of Gath, who was the son of Maacah. Shimei heard that 
       his slaves were in Gath,

       (1 Ki 2:40 NCV)  so he put his saddle on his donkey and went to Achish 
       at Gath to find them. Then he brought them back from Gath.

       (1 Ki 2:41 NCV)  Someone told Solomon that Shimei had gone from 
       Jerusalem to Gath and had returned.

       (1 Ki 2:42 NCV)  So Solomon sent for Shimei and said, "I made you 
       promise in the name of the LORD not to leave Jerusalem. I warned you 





       if you went out anywhere you would die, and you agreed to what I said.

       (1 Ki 2:43 NCV)  Why did you break your promise to the LORD and 
       disobey my command?"

       (1 Ki 2:44 NCV)  The king also said, "You know the many wrong things 
       you did to my father David, so now the LORD will punish you for those 
       wrongs.

       (1 Ki 2:45 NCV)  But the LORD will bless me and make the rule of David 
       safe before the LORD forever."

       (1 Ki 2:46 NCV)  Then the king ordered Benaiah to kill Shimei, and he 
       did. Now Solomon was in full control of his kingdom.

       (1 Ki 3:1 NCV)  Solomon made an agreement with the king of Egypt by 
       marrying his daughter and bringing her to Jerusalem. At this time 
       Solomon was still building his palace and the Temple of the LORD, as 
       well as a wall around Jerusalem.

       (1 Ki 3:2 NCV)  The Temple for the worship of the LORD had not yet 
       been finished, so people were still sacrificing at altars in many 
       places of worship.

       (1 Ki 3:3 NCV)  Solomon showed he loved the LORD by following the 
       commands his father David had given him, except many other places of 
       worship were still used to offer sacrifices and to burn incense.

       (1 Ki 3:4 NCV)  King Solomon went to Gibeon to offer a sacrifice, 
       because it was the most important place of worship. He offered a 
       thousand burnt offerings on that altar.

       (1 Ki 3:5 NCV)  While he was at Gibeon, the LORD appeared to him in a 
       dream during the night. God said, "Ask for whatever you want me to 
       give you."

       (1 Ki 3:6 NCV)  Solomon answered, "You were very kind to your servant, 
       my father David. He obeyed you, and he was honest and lived right. You 
       showed great kindness to him when you allowed his son to be king after 
       him.

       (1 Ki 3:7 NCV)  LORD my God, now you have made me, your servant, king 
       in my father's place. But I am like a little child; I don't know how 
       to do what must be done.

       (1 Ki 3:8 NCV)  I, your servant, am here among your chosen people, and 
       there are too many of them to count.

       (1 Ki 3:9 NCV)  I ask that you give me an obedient heart so I can rule 
       the people in the right way and will know the difference between right 
       and wrong. Otherwise, it is impossible to rule this great people of 
       yours."

       (1 Ki 3:10 NCV)  The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked this.

       (1 Ki 3:11 NCV)  So God said to him, "You did not ask for a long life, 





       or riches for yourself, or the death of your enemies. Since you asked 
       for wisdom to make the right decisions,

       (1 Ki 3:12 NCV)  I will do what you asked. I will give you wisdom and 
       understanding that is greater than anyone has had in the past or will 
       have in the future.

       (1 Ki 3:13 NCV)  I will also give you what you did not ask for: riches 
       and honor. During your life no other king will be as great as you.

       (1 Ki 3:14 NCV)  If you follow me and obey my laws and commands, as 
       your father David did, I will also give you a long life."

       (1 Ki 3:15 NCV)  After Solomon woke up from the dream, he went to 
       Jerusalem. He stood before the Ark of the Agreement with the Lord, 
       where he made burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. After that, he 
       gave a feast for all his leaders and officers.

       (1 Ki 3:16 NCV)  One day two women who were prostitutes came to 
       Solomon. As they stood before him,

       (1 Ki 3:17 NCV)  one of the women said, "My master, this woman and I 
       live in the same house. I gave birth to a baby while she was there 
       with me.

       (1 Ki 3:18 NCV)  Three days later this woman also gave birth to a 
       baby. No one else was in the house with us; it was just the two of us.

       (1 Ki 3:19 NCV)  One night this woman rolled over on her baby, and he 
       died.

       (1 Ki 3:20 NCV)  So she took my son from my bed during the night while 
       I was asleep, and she carried him to her bed. Then she put the dead 
       baby in my bed.

       (1 Ki 3:21 NCV)  The next morning when I got up to feed my baby, I saw 
       that he was dead! When I looked at him more closely, I realized he was 
       not my son."

       (1 Ki 3:22 NCV)  "No!" the other woman cried. "The living baby is my 
       son, and the dead baby is yours!" But the first woman said, "No! The 
       dead baby is yours, and the living one is mine!" So the two women 
       argued before the king.

       (1 Ki 3:23 NCV)  Then King Solomon said, "One of you says, 'My son is 
       alive and your son is dead.' Then the other one says, 'No! Your son is 
       dead and my son is alive.'"

       (1 Ki 3:24 NCV)  The king sent his servants to get a sword. When they 
       brought it to him,

       (1 Ki 3:25 NCV)  he said, "Cut the living baby into two pieces, and 
       give each woman half."

       (1 Ki 3:26 NCV)  The real mother of the living child was full of love 
       for her son. So she said to the king, "Please, my master, don't kill 





       him! Give the baby to her!" But the other woman said, "Neither of us 
       will have him. Cut him into two pieces!"

       (1 Ki 3:27 NCV)  Then King Solomon said, "Don't kill him. Give the 
       baby to the first woman, because she is the real mother."

       (1 Ki 3:28 NCV)  When the people of Israel heard about King Solomon's 
       decision, they respected him very much. They saw he had wisdom from 
       God to make the right decisions.

       (1 Ki 4:1 NCV)  King Solomon ruled over all Israel.

       (1 Ki 4:2 NCV)  These are the names of his leading officers: Azariah 
       son of Zadok was the priest;

       (1 Ki 4:3 NCV)  Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha, recorded what 
       happened in the courts; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud recorded the history 
       of the people;

       (1 Ki 4:4 NCV)  Benaiah son of Jehoiada was commander of the army; 
       Zadok and Abiathar were priests;

       (1 Ki 4:5 NCV)  Azariah son of Nathan was in charge of the district 
       governors; Zabud son of Nathan was a priest and adviser to the king;

       (1 Ki 4:6 NCV)  Ahishar was responsible for everything in the palace; 
       Adoniram son of Abda was in charge of the labor force.

       (1 Ki 4:7 NCV)  Solomon placed twelve governors over the districts of 
       Israel, who gathered food from their districts for the king and his 
       family. Each governor was responsible for bringing food to the king 
       one month of each year.

       (1 Ki 4:8 NCV)  These are the names of the twelve governors: Ben-Hur 
       was governor of the mountain country of Ephraim.

       (1 Ki 4:9 NCV)  Ben-Deker was governor of Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth 
       Shemesh, and Elon Bethhanan.

       (1 Ki 4:10 NCV)  Ben-Hesed was governor of Arubboth, Socoh, and all 
       the land of Hepher.

       (1 Ki 4:11 NCV)  Ben-Abinadab was governor of Naphoth Dor. (He was 
       married to Taphath, Solomon's daughter.)

       (1 Ki 4:12 NCV)  Baana son of Ahilud was governor of Taanach, Megiddo, 
       and all of Beth Shan next to Zarethan. This was below Jezreel from 
       Beth Shan to Abel Meholah across from Jokmeam.

       (1 Ki 4:13 NCV)  Ben-Geber was governor of Ramoth in Gilead. (He was 
       governor of all the towns of Jair in Gilead. Jair was the son of 
       Manasseh. Ben-Geber was also over the district of Argob in Bashan, 
       which had sixty large, walled cities with bronze bars on their gates.)

       (1 Ki 4:14 NCV)  Ahinadab son of Iddo was governor of Mahanaim.





       (1 Ki 4:15 NCV)  Ahimaaz was governor of Naphtali. (He was married to 
       Basemath, Solomon's daughter.)

       (1 Ki 4:16 NCV)  Baana son of Hushai was governor of Asher and Aloth.

       (1 Ki 4:17 NCV)  Jehoshaphat son of Paruah was governor of Issachar.

       (1 Ki 4:18 NCV)  Shimei son of Ela was governor of Benjamin.

       (1 Ki 4:19 NCV)  Geber son of Uri was governor of Gilead. Gilead had 
       been the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan. 
       But Geber was the only governor over this district.

       (1 Ki 4:20 NCV)  There were as many people in Judah and Israel as 
       grains of sand on the seashore. The people ate, drank, and were happy.

       (1 Ki 4:21 NCV)  Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the 
       Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border 
       of Egypt. These countries brought Solomon the payments he demanded, 
       and they were under his control all his life.

       (1 Ki 4:22 NCV)  Solomon needed much food each day to feed himself and 
       all the people who ate at his table: one hundred ninety-five bushels 
       of fine flour, three hundred ninety bushels of grain,

       (1 Ki 4:23 NCV)  ten cows that were fed on good grain, twenty cows 
       that were raised in the fields, one hundred sheep, three kinds of 
       deer, and fattened birds.

       (1 Ki 4:24 NCV)  Solomon controlled all the countries west of the 
       Euphrates River--the land from Tiphsah to Gaza. And he had peace on 
       all sides of his kingdom.

       (1 Ki 4:25 NCV)  During Solomon's life Judah and Israel, from Dan to 
       Beersheba, also lived in peace; all of his people were able to sit 
       under their own fig trees and grapevines.

       (1 Ki 4:26 NCV)  Solomon had four thousand stalls for his chariot 
       horses and twelve thousand horses.

       (1 Ki 4:27 NCV)  Each month one of the district governors gave King 
       Solomon all the food he needed--enough for every person who ate at the 
       king's table. The governors made sure he had everything he needed.

       (1 Ki 4:28 NCV)  They also brought enough barley and straw for 
       Solomon's chariot and work horses; each person brought this grain to 
       the right place.

       (1 Ki 4:29 NCV)  God gave Solomon great wisdom so he could understand 
       many things. His wisdom was as hard to measure as the grains of sand 
       on the seashore.

       (1 Ki 4:30 NCV)  His wisdom was greater than any wisdom of the East, 
       or any wisdom in Egypt.

       (1 Ki 4:31 NCV)  He was wiser than anyone on earth. He was even wiser 





       than Ethan the Ezrahite, as well as Heman, Calcol, and Darda--the 
       three sons of Mahol. King Solomon became famous in all the surrounding 
       countries.

       (1 Ki 4:32 NCV)  During his life he spoke three thousand wise sayings 
       and also wrote one thousand five songs.

       (1 Ki 4:33 NCV)  He taught about many kinds of plants--everything from 
       the great cedar trees of Lebanon to the weeds that grow out of the 
       walls. He also taught about animals, birds, crawling things, and fish.

       (1 Ki 4:34 NCV)  People from all nations came to listen to King 
       Solomon's wisdom. The kings of all nations sent them to him, because 
       they had heard of Solomon's wisdom.

       (1 Ki 5:1 NCV)  Hiram, the king of Tyre, had always been David's 
       friend. When Hiram heard that Solomon had been made king in David's 
       place, he sent his messengers to Solomon.

       (1 Ki 5:2 NCV)  Solomon sent this message back to King Hiram:

       (1 Ki 5:3 NCV)  "You remember my father David had to fight many wars 
       with the countries around him, so he was never able to build a temple 
       for worshiping the LORD his God. David was waiting until the LORD 
       allowed him to defeat all his enemies.

       (1 Ki 5:4 NCV)  But now the LORD my God has given me peace on all 
       sides of my country. I have no enemies now, and no danger threatens my 
       people.

       (1 Ki 5:5 NCV)  "The LORD promised my father David, 'I will make your 
       son king after you, and he will build a temple for worshiping me.' 
       Now, I plan to build that temple for worshiping the LORD my God.

       (1 Ki 5:6 NCV)  So send your men to cut down cedar trees for me from 
       Lebanon. My servants will work with yours, and I will pay them 
       whatever wages you decide. We don't have anyone who can cut down trees 
       as well as the people of Sidon."

       (1 Ki 5:7 NCV)  When Hiram heard what Solomon asked, he was very 
       happy. He said, "Praise the LORD today! He has given David a wise son 
       to rule over this great nation!"

       (1 Ki 5:8 NCV)  Then Hiram sent back this message to Solomon: "I 
       received the message you sent, and I will give you all the cedar and 
       pine trees you want.

       (1 Ki 5:9 NCV)  My servants will bring them down from Lebanon to the 
       sea. There I will tie them together and float them along the shore to 
       the place you choose. Then I will separate the logs there, and you can 
       take them away. In return it is my wish that you give food to all 
       those who live with me."

       (1 Ki 5:10 NCV)  So Hiram gave Solomon as much cedar and pine as he 
       wanted.





       (1 Ki 5:11 NCV)  And Solomon gave Hiram about one hundred twenty-five 
       thousand bushels of wheat each year to feed the people who lived with 
       him. Solomon also gave him about one hundred fifteen thousand gallons 
       of pure olive oil every year.

       (1 Ki 5:12 NCV)  The LORD gave Solomon wisdom as he had promised. And 
       there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; these two kings made a 
       treaty between themselves.

       (1 Ki 5:13 NCV)  King Solomon forced thirty thousand men of Israel to 
       help in this work.

       (1 Ki 5:14 NCV)  He sent a group of ten thousand men each month to 
       Lebanon. Each group worked in Lebanon one month, then went home for 
       two months. A man named Adoniram was in charge.

       (1 Ki 5:15 NCV)  Solomon forced eighty thousand men to work in the 
       hill country, cutting stone, and he had seventy thousand men to carry 
       the stones.

       (1 Ki 5:16 NCV)  There were also thirty-three hundred men who directed 
       the workers.

       (1 Ki 5:17 NCV)  King Solomon commanded them to cut large blocks of 
       fine stone to be used for the foundation of the Temple.

       (1 Ki 5:18 NCV)  Solomon's and Hiram's builders and the men from 
       Byblos carved the stones and prepared the stones and the logs for 
       building the Temple.

       (1 Ki 6:1 NCV)  Solomon began to build the Temple four hundred eighty 
       years after the people of Israel had left Egypt. This was during the 
       fourth year of King Solomon's rule over Israel. It was the second 
       month, the month of Ziv.

       (1 Ki 6:2 NCV)  The Temple was ninety feet long, thirty feet wide, and 
       forty-five feet high.

       (1 Ki 6:3 NCV)  The porch in front of the main room of the Temple was 
       fifteen feet deep and thirty feet wide. This room ran along the front 
       of the Temple itself. Its width was equal to that of the Temple.

       (1 Ki 6:4 NCV)  The Temple also had windows that opened and closed.

       (1 Ki 6:5 NCV)  Solomon also built some side rooms against the walls 
       of the main room and the inner room of the Temple. He built rooms all 
       around.

       (1 Ki 6:6 NCV)  The rooms on the bottom floor were seven and one-half 
       feet wide. Those on the middle floor were nine feet wide, and the 
       rooms above them were ten and one-half feet wide. The Temple wall that 
       formed the side of each room was thinner than the wall in the room 
       below. These rooms were pushed against the Temple wall, but they did 
       not have their main beams built into this wall.

       (1 Ki 6:7 NCV)  The stones were prepared at the same place where they 





       were cut from the ground. Since these stones were the only ones used 
       to build the Temple, there was no noise of hammers, axes, or any other 
       iron tools at the Temple.

       (1 Ki 6:8 NCV)  The entrance to the lower rooms beside the Temple was 
       on the south side. From there, stairs went up to the second-floor 
       rooms. And from there, stairs went on to the third-floor rooms.

       (1 Ki 6:9 NCV)  Solomon put a roof made from beams and cedar boards on 
       the Temple. So he finished building the Temple

       (1 Ki 6:10 NCV)  as well as the bottom floor that was beside the 
       Temple. This bottom floor was seven and one-half feet high and was 
       attached to the Temple by cedar beams.

       (1 Ki 6:11 NCV)  The LORD said to Solomon:

       (1 Ki 6:12 NCV)  "If you obey all my laws and commands, I will do for 
       you what I promised your father David.

       (1 Ki 6:13 NCV)  I will live among the Israelites in this Temple, and 
       I will never leave my people Israel."

       (1 Ki 6:14 NCV)  So Solomon finished building the Temple.

       (1 Ki 6:15 NCV)  The inside walls were covered from floor to ceiling 
       with cedar boards. The floor was made from pine boards.

       (1 Ki 6:16 NCV)  A room thirty feet long was built in the back part of 
       the Temple. This room, called the Most Holy Place, was separated from 
       the rest of the Temple by cedar boards which reached from floor to 
       ceiling.

       (1 Ki 6:17 NCV)  The main room, the one in front of the Most Holy 
       Place, was sixty feet long.

       (1 Ki 6:18 NCV)  Everything inside the Temple was covered with cedar, 
       which was carved with pictures of flowers and plants. A person could 
       not see the stones of the wall, only the cedar.

       (1 Ki 6:19 NCV)  Solomon prepared the inner room at the back of the 
       Temple to keep the Ark of the Agreement with the LORD.

       (1 Ki 6:20 NCV)  This inner room was thirty feet long, thirty feet 
       wide, and thirty feet high. He covered this room with pure gold, and 
       he also covered the altar of cedar.

       (1 Ki 6:21 NCV)  He covered the inside of the Temple with pure gold, 
       placing gold chains across the front of the inner room, which was also 
       covered with gold.

       (1 Ki 6:22 NCV)  So all the inside of the Temple, as well as the altar 
       of the Most Holy Place, was covered with gold.

       (1 Ki 6:23 NCV)  Solomon made two creatures from olive wood and placed 
       them in the Most Holy Place. Each creature was fifteen feet tall






       (1 Ki 6:24 NCV)  and had two wings. Each wing was seven and one-half 
       feet long, so it was fifteen feet from the end of one wing to the end 
       of the other.

       (1 Ki 6:25 NCV)  The creatures were the same size and shape;

       (1 Ki 6:26 NCV)  each was fifteen feet tall.

       (1 Ki 6:27 NCV)  These creatures were put beside each other in the 
       Most Holy Place with their wings spread out. One creature's wing 
       touched one wall, and the other creature's wing touched the other wall 
       with their wings touching each other in the middle of the room.

       (1 Ki 6:28 NCV)  These two creatures were covered with gold.

       (1 Ki 6:29 NCV)  All the walls around the Temple were carved with 
       pictures of creatures with wings, as well as palm trees and flowers. 
       This was true for both the main room and the inner room.

       (1 Ki 6:30 NCV)  The floors of both rooms were covered with gold.

       (1 Ki 6:31 NCV)  Doors made from olive wood were placed at the 
       entrance to the Most Holy Place. These doors had five-sided frames.

       (1 Ki 6:32 NCV)  Creatures with wings, as well as palm trees and 
       flowers, were also carved on the two olive wood doors that were 
       covered with gold. The creatures and the palm trees on the doors were 
       covered with gold as well.

       (1 Ki 6:33 NCV)  At the entrance to the main room there was a square 
       door frame made of olive wood.

       (1 Ki 6:34 NCV)  Two doors were made from pine. Each door had two 
       parts so the doors folded.

       (1 Ki 6:35 NCV)  The doors were covered with pictures of creatures 
       with wings, as well as palm trees and flowers. All of the carvings 
       were covered with gold, which was evenly spread over them.

       (1 Ki 6:36 NCV)  The inner courtyard was enclosed by walls, which were 
       made of three rows of cut stones and one row of cedar boards.

       (1 Ki 6:37 NCV)  Work began on the Temple in Ziv, the second month, 
       during the fourth year Solomon was king over Israel.

       (1 Ki 6:38 NCV)  The Temple was finished during the eleventh year he 
       was king, in the eighth month, the month of Bul. It was built exactly 
       as it was planned. Solomon had spent seven years building it.

       (1 Ki 7:1 NCV)  King Solomon also built a palace for himself; it took 
       him thirteen years to finish it.

       (1 Ki 7:2 NCV)  Built of cedars from the Forest of Lebanon, it was one 
       hundred fifty feet long, seventy-five feet wide, and forty-five feet 
       high. It had four rows of cedar columns which supported the cedar 





       beams.

       (1 Ki 7:3 NCV)  There were forty-five beams on the roof, with fifteen 
       beams in each row, and the ceiling was covered with cedar above the 
       beams.

       (1 Ki 7:4 NCV)  Windows were placed in three rows facing each other.

       (1 Ki 7:5 NCV)  All the doors were square, and the three doors at each 
       end faced each other.

       (1 Ki 7:6 NCV)  Solomon also built the porch that had pillars. This 
       porch was seventy-five feet long and forty-five feet wide. Along the 
       front of the porch was a roof supported by pillars.

       (1 Ki 7:7 NCV)  Solomon also built a throne room where he judged 
       people, called the Hall of Justice. This room was covered with cedar 
       from the floor to the ceiling.

       (1 Ki 7:8 NCV)  The palace where Solomon lived was built like the Hall 
       of Justice, and it was behind this hall. Solomon also built the same 
       kind of palace for his wife, who was the daughter of the king of 
       Egypt.

       (1 Ki 7:9 NCV)  All these buildings were made with blocks of fine 
       stone. First they were carefully cut. Then they were trimmed with a 
       saw in the front and back. These fine stones went from the foundations 
       of the buildings to the top of the walls. Even the courtyard was made 
       with blocks of stone.

       (1 Ki 7:10 NCV)  The foundations were made with large blocks of fine 
       stone, some as long as fifteen feet. Others were twelve feet long.

       (1 Ki 7:11 NCV)  On top of these foundation stones were other blocks 
       of fine stone and cedar beams.

       (1 Ki 7:12 NCV)  The palace courtyard, the courtyard inside the 
       Temple, and the porch of the Temple were surrounded by walls. All of 
       these walls had three rows of stone blocks and one row of cedar beams.

       (1 Ki 7:13 NCV)  King Solomon sent to Tyre and had Huram brought to 
       him.

       (1 Ki 7:14 NCV)  Huram's mother was a widow from the tribe of 
       Naphtali. His father was from Tyre and had been skilled in making 
       things from bronze. Huram was also very skilled and experienced in 
       bronze work. So he came to King Solomon and did all the bronze work.

       (1 Ki 7:15 NCV)  He made two bronze pillars, each one twenty-seven 
       feet tall and eighteen feet around.

       (1 Ki 7:16 NCV)  He also made two bronze capitals that were seven and 
       one-half feet tall, and he put them on top of the pillars.

       (1 Ki 7:17 NCV)  Then he made a net of seven chains for each capital, 
       which covered the capitals on top of the two pillars.






       (1 Ki 7:18 NCV)  He made two rows of bronze pomegranates to go on the 
       nets. These covered the capitals at the top of the pillars.

       (1 Ki 7:19 NCV)  The capitals on top of the pillars in the porch were 
       shaped like lilies, and they were six feet tall.

       (1 Ki 7:20 NCV)  The capitals were on top of both pillars, above the 
       bowl-shaped section and next to the nets. At that place there were two 
       hundred pomegranates in rows all around the capitals.

       (1 Ki 7:21 NCV)  Huram put these two bronze pillars at the porch of 
       the Temple. He named the south pillar He Establishes and the north 
       pillar In Him Is Strength.

       (1 Ki 7:22 NCV)  The capitals on top of the pillars were shaped like 
       lilies. So the work on the pillars was finished.

       (1 Ki 7:23 NCV)  Then Huram made from bronze a large round bowl, which 
       was called the Sea. It was forty-five feet around, fifteen feet 
       across, and seven and one-half feet deep.

       (1 Ki 7:24 NCV)  Around the outer edge of the bowl was a rim. Under 
       this rim were two rows of bronze plants which surrounded the bowl. 
       There were ten plants every eighteen inches, and these plants were 
       made in one piece with the bowl.

       (1 Ki 7:25 NCV)  The bowl rested on the backs of twelve bronze bulls 
       that faced outward from the center of the bowl. Three bulls faced 
       north, three faced west, three faced south, and three faced east.

       (1 Ki 7:26 NCV)  The sides of the bowl were four inches thick, and it 
       held about eleven thousand gallons. The rim of the bowl was like the 
       rim of a cup or like a lily blossom.

       (1 Ki 7:27 NCV)  Then Huram made ten bronze stands, each one six feet 
       long, six feet wide, and four and one-half feet high.

       (1 Ki 7:28 NCV)  The stands were made from square sides, which were 
       put on frames.

       (1 Ki 7:29 NCV)  On the sides were bronze lions, bulls, and creatures 
       with wings. On the frames above and below the lions and bulls were 
       designs of flowers hammered into the bronze.

       (1 Ki 7:30 NCV)  Each stand had four bronze wheels with bronze axles. 
       At the corners there were bronze supports for a large bowl, and the 
       supports had designs of flowers.

       (1 Ki 7:31 NCV)  There was a frame on top of the bowls, eighteen 
       inches high above the bowls. The opening of the bowl was round, 
       twenty-seven inches deep. Designs were carved into the bronze on the 
       frame, which was square, not round.

       (1 Ki 7:32 NCV)  The four wheels, placed under the frame, were 
       twenty-seven inches high. The axles between the wheels were made as 





       one piece with the stand.

       (1 Ki 7:33 NCV)  The wheels were like a chariot's wheels. Everything 
       on the wheels--the axles, rims, spokes, and hubs--were made of bronze.

       (1 Ki 7:34 NCV)  The four supports were on the four corners of each 
       stand. They were made as one piece with the stand.

       (1 Ki 7:35 NCV)  A strip of bronze around the top of each stand was 
       nine inches deep. It was also made as one piece with the stand.

       (1 Ki 7:36 NCV)  The sides of the stand and the frames were covered 
       with carvings of creatures with wings, as well as lions, palm trees, 
       and flowers.

       (1 Ki 7:37 NCV)  This is the way Huram made the ten stands. The bronze 
       for each stand was melted and poured into a mold, so all the stands 
       were the same size and shape.

       (1 Ki 7:38 NCV)  Huram also made ten bronze bowls, one bowl for each 
       of the ten stands. Each bowl was six feet across and could hold about 
       two hundred thirty gallons.

       (1 Ki 7:39 NCV)  Huram put five stands on the south side of the Temple 
       and five on the north side. He put the large bowl in the southeast 
       corner of the Temple.

       (1 Ki 7:40 NCV)  Huram also made bowls, shovels, and small bowls. So 
       Huram finished all his work for King Solomon on the Temple of the 
       LORD:

       (1 Ki 7:41 NCV)  two pillars; two large bowls for the capitals on top 
       of the pillars; two nets to cover the two large bowls for the capitals 
       on top of the pillars;

       (1 Ki 7:42 NCV)  four hundred pomegranates for the two nets (there 
       were two rows of pomegranates for each net covering the bowls for the 
       capitals on top of the pillars);

       (1 Ki 7:43 NCV)  ten stands with a bowl on each stand;

       (1 Ki 7:44 NCV)  the large bowl with twelve bulls under it;

       (1 Ki 7:45 NCV)  the pots, shovels, small bowls, and all the utensils 
       for the Temple of the LORD. Huram made everything King Solomon wanted 
       from polished bronze.

       (1 Ki 7:46 NCV)  The king had these things poured into clay molds that 
       were made in the plain of the Jordan River between Succoth and 
       Zarethan.

       (1 Ki 7:47 NCV)  Solomon never weighed the bronze used to make these 
       things, because there was too much to weigh. So the total weight of 
       all the bronze was never known.

       (1 Ki 7:48 NCV)  Solomon also made all the items for the Temple of the 





       LORD: the golden altar; the golden table which held the bread that 
       shows God's people are in his presence;

       (1 Ki 7:49 NCV)  the lampstands of pure gold (five on the right side 
       and five on the left side in front of the Most Holy Place); the 
       flowers, lamps, and tongs of gold;

       (1 Ki 7:50 NCV)  the pure gold bowls, wick trimmers, small bowls, 
       pans, and dishes used to carry coals; the gold hinges for the doors of 
       the Most Holy Place and the main room of the Temple.

       (1 Ki 7:51 NCV)  Finally the work King Solomon did for the Temple of 
       the LORD was finished. Solomon brought in everything his father David 
       had set apart for the Temple--silver, gold, and other articles. He put 
       everything in the treasuries of the Temple of the LORD.

       (1 Ki 8:1 NCV)  King Solomon called for the older leaders of Israel, 
       the heads of the tribes, and the leaders of the families to come to 
       him in Jerusalem. He wanted them to bring the Ark of the Agreement 
       with the LORD from the older part of the city.

       (1 Ki 8:2 NCV)  So all the Israelites came together with King Solomon 
       during the festival in the month of Ethanim, the seventh month.

       (1 Ki 8:3 NCV)  When all the older leaders of Israel arrived, the 
       priests lifted up the Ark.

       (1 Ki 8:4 NCV)  They carried the Ark of the LORD, the Meeting Tent, 
       and the holy utensils; the priests and the Levites brought them up.

       (1 Ki 8:5 NCV)  King Solomon and all the Israelites gathered before 
       the Ark and sacrificed so many sheep and cattle no one could count 
       them all.

       (1 Ki 8:6 NCV)  Then the priests put the Ark of the Agreement with the 
       LORD in its place inside the Most Holy Place in the Temple, under the 
       wings of the golden creatures.

       (1 Ki 8:7 NCV)  The wings of these creatures were spread out over the 
       place for the Ark, covering it and its carrying poles.

       (1 Ki 8:8 NCV)  The carrying poles were so long that anyone standing 
       in the Holy Place in front of the Most Holy Place could see the ends 
       of the poles, but no one could see them from outside the Holy Place. 
       The poles are still there today.

       (1 Ki 8:9 NCV)  The only things inside the Ark were two stone tablets 
       that Moses had put in the Ark at Mount Sinai. That was where the LORD 
       made his agreement with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.

       (1 Ki 8:10 NCV)  When the priests left the Holy Place, a cloud filled 
       the Temple of the LORD.

       (1 Ki 8:11 NCV)  The priests could not continue their work, because 
       the Temple was filled with the glory of the LORD.





       (1 Ki 8:12 NCV)  Then Solomon said, "The LORD said he would live in a 
       dark cloud.

       (1 Ki 8:13 NCV)  LORD, I have truly built a wonderful Temple for 
       you--a place for you to live forever."

       (1 Ki 8:14 NCV)  While all the Israelites were standing there, King 
       Solomon turned to them and blessed them.

       (1 Ki 8:15 NCV)  Then he said, "Praise the LORD, the God of Israel. He 
       has done what he promised to my father David. The LORD said,

       (1 Ki 8:16 NCV)  'Since the time I brought my people Israel out of 
       Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel where a temple 
       will be built for me. But I have chosen David to lead my people 
       Israel.'

       (1 Ki 8:17 NCV)  "My father David wanted to build a temple for the 
       LORD, the God of Israel.

       (1 Ki 8:18 NCV)  But the LORD said to my father David, 'It was good 
       that you wanted to build a temple for me.

       (1 Ki 8:19 NCV)  But you are not the one to build it. Your son, who 
       comes from your own body, is the one who will build my temple.'

       (1 Ki 8:20 NCV)  "Now the LORD has kept his promise. I am the king now 
       in place of David my father. Now I rule Israel as the LORD promised, 
       and I have built the Temple for the LORD, the God of Israel.

       (1 Ki 8:21 NCV)  I have made a place there for the Ark, in which is 
       the Agreement the LORD made with our ancestors when he brought them 
       out of Egypt."

       (1 Ki 8:22 NCV)  Then Solomon stood facing the Lord's altar, and all 
       the Israelites were standing behind him. He spread out his hands 
       toward the sky

       (1 Ki 8:23 NCV)  and said: "LORD, God of Israel, there is no god like 
       you in heaven above or on earth below. You keep your agreement of love 
       with your servants who truly follow you.

       (1 Ki 8:24 NCV)  You have kept the promise you made to your servant 
       David, my father. You spoke it with your own mouth and finished it 
       with your hands today.

       (1 Ki 8:25 NCV)  Now LORD, God of Israel, keep the promise you made to 
       your servant David, my father. You said, 'If your sons are careful to 
       obey me as you have obeyed me, there will always be someone from your 
       family ruling Israel.'

       (1 Ki 8:26 NCV)  Now, God of Israel, please continue to keep that 
       promise you made to your servant David, my father.

       (1 Ki 8:27 NCV)  "But, God, can you really live here on the earth? The 
       sky and the highest place in heaven cannot contain you. Surely this 





       house which I have built cannot contain you.

       (1 Ki 8:28 NCV)  But please listen to my prayer and my request, 
       because I am your servant. LORD my God, hear this prayer your servant 
       prays to you today.

       (1 Ki 8:29 NCV)  Night and day please watch over this Temple where you 
       have said, 'I will be worshiped there.' Hear the prayer I pray facing 
       this Temple.

       (1 Ki 8:30 NCV)  Hear my prayers and the prayers of your people Israel 
       when we pray facing this place. Hear from your home in heaven, and 
       when you hear, forgive us.

       (1 Ki 8:31 NCV)  "If someone wrongs another person, he will be brought 
       to the altar in this Temple. If he swears an oath that he is not 
       guilty,

       (1 Ki 8:32 NCV)  then hear in heaven. Judge the case, punish the 
       guilty, but declare that the innocent person is not guilty.

       (1 Ki 8:33 NCV)  "When your people, the Israelites, sin against you, 
       their enemies will defeat them. But if they come back to you and 
       praise you and pray to you in this Temple,

       (1 Ki 8:34 NCV)  then hear them in heaven. Forgive the sins of your 
       people Israel, and bring them back to the land you gave to their 
       ancestors.

       (1 Ki 8:35 NCV)  "When they sin against you, you will stop the rain 
       from falling on their land. Then they will pray, facing this place and 
       praising you; they will stop sinning when you make them suffer.

       (1 Ki 8:36 NCV)  When this happens, please hear their prayer in 
       heaven, and forgive the sins of your servants, the Israelites. Teach 
       them to do what is right. Then please send rain to this land you have 
       given particularly to them.

       (1 Ki 8:37 NCV)  "At times the land will become so dry that no food 
       will grow, or a great sickness will spread among the people. Sometimes 
       all the crops will be destroyed by locusts or grasshoppers. Your 
       people will be attacked in their cities by their enemy or will become 
       sick.

       (1 Ki 8:38 NCV)  When any of these things happen, the people will 
       become truly sorry. If your people spread their hands in prayer toward 
       this Temple,

       (1 Ki 8:39 NCV)  then hear their prayers from your home in heaven. 
       Forgive and treat each person as he should be treated because you know 
       what is in a person's heart. Only you know what is in everyone's 
       heart.

       (1 Ki 8:40 NCV)  Then your people will respect you as long as they 
       live in this land you gave to our ancestors.





       (1 Ki 8:41 NCV)  "People who are not Israelites, foreigners from other 
       lands, will hear about your greatness and power. They will come from 
       far away to pray at this Temple.

       (1 Ki 8:42 NCV)  

       (1 Ki 8:43 NCV)  Then hear from your home in heaven, and do whatever 
       they ask you. Then people everywhere will know you and respect you, 
       just as your people in Israel do. Then everyone will know I built this 
       Temple as a place to worship you.

       (1 Ki 8:44 NCV)  "When your people go out to fight their enemies along 
       some road on which you send them, your people will pray to you, facing 
       the city which you have chosen and the Temple I have built for you.

       (1 Ki 8:45 NCV)  Then hear in heaven their prayers, and do what is 
       right.

       (1 Ki 8:46 NCV)  "Everyone sins, so your people will also sin against 
       you. You will become angry with them and hand them over to their 
       enemies. Their enemies will capture them and take them away to their 
       countries far or near.

       (1 Ki 8:47 NCV)  Your people will be sorry for their sins when they 
       are held as prisoners in another country. They will be sorry and pray 
       to you in the land where they are held as prisoners, saying, 'We have 
       sinned. We have done wrong and acted wickedly.'

       (1 Ki 8:48 NCV)  They will truly turn back to you in the land of their 
       enemies. They will pray to you, facing this land you gave their 
       ancestors, this city you have chosen, and the Temple I have built for 
       you.

       (1 Ki 8:49 NCV)  Then hear their prayers from your home in heaven, and 
       do what is right.

       (1 Ki 8:50 NCV)  Forgive your people of all their sins and for turning 
       against you. Make those who have captured them show them mercy.

       (1 Ki 8:51 NCV)  Remember, they are your special people. You brought 
       them out of Egypt, as if you were pulling them out of a blazing 
       furnace.

       (1 Ki 8:52 NCV)  "Give your attention to my prayers and the prayers of 
       your people Israel. Listen to them anytime they ask you for help.

       (1 Ki 8:53 NCV)  You chose them from all the nations on earth to be 
       your very own people. This is what you promised through Moses your 
       servant when you brought our ancestors out of Egypt, Lord GOD."

       (1 Ki 8:54 NCV)  Solomon prayed this prayer to the LORD, kneeling in 
       front of the altar with his arms raised toward heaven. When he 
       finished praying, he got up.

       (1 Ki 8:55 NCV)  Then, in a loud voice, he stood and blessed all the 
       people of Israel, saying:






       (1 Ki 8:56 NCV)  "Praise the LORD! He promised he would give rest to 
       his people Israel, and he has given us rest. The LORD has kept all the 
       good promises he gave through his servant Moses.

       (1 Ki 8:57 NCV)  May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our 
       ancestors. May he never leave us,

       (1 Ki 8:58 NCV)  and may he turn us to himself so we will follow him. 
       Let us obey all the laws and commands he gave our ancestors.

       (1 Ki 8:59 NCV)  May the LORD our God remember this prayer day and 
       night and do what is right for his servant and his people Israel day 
       by day.

       (1 Ki 8:60 NCV)  Then all the people of the world will know the LORD 
       is the only true God.

       (1 Ki 8:61 NCV)  You must fully obey the LORD our God and follow all 
       his laws and commands. Continue to obey in the future as you do now."

       (1 Ki 8:62 NCV)  Then King Solomon and all Israel with him offered 
       sacrifices to the LORD.

       (1 Ki 8:63 NCV)  Solomon killed twenty-two thousand cattle and one 
       hundred twenty thousand sheep as fellowship offerings. So the king and 
       all the people gave the Temple to the LORD.

       (1 Ki 8:64 NCV)  On that day King Solomon made holy the middle part of 
       the courtyard which is in front of the Temple of the LORD. There he 
       offered whole burnt offerings, grain offerings, and the fat of the 
       fellowship offerings. He offered them in the courtyard, because the 
       bronze altar before the LORD was too small to hold all the burnt 
       offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat of the fellowship 
       offerings.

       (1 Ki 8:65 NCV)  Solomon and all the Israelites celebrated the other 
       festival that came at that time. People came from as far away as Lebo 
       Hamath and the brook of Egypt. A great many people celebrated before 
       the LORD for seven days, then seven more days, for a total of fourteen 
       days.

       (1 Ki 8:66 NCV)  On the following day Solomon sent the people home. 
       They blessed the king as they went, happy because of all the good 
       things the LORD had done for his servant David and his people Israel.

       (1 Ki 9:1 NCV)  Solomon finished building the Temple of the LORD and 
       his royal palace and everything he wanted to build.

       (1 Ki 9:2 NCV)  Then the LORD appeared to him again just as he had 
       done before, in Gibeon.

       (1 Ki 9:3 NCV)  The LORD said to him: "I have heard your prayer and 
       what you have asked me to do. You built this Temple, and I have made 
       it a holy place. I will be worshiped there forever and will watch over 
       it and protect it always.






       (1 Ki 9:4 NCV)  "But you must serve me as your father David did; he 
       was fair and sincere. You must obey all I have commanded and keep my 
       laws and rules.

       (1 Ki 9:5 NCV)  If you do, I will make your kingdom strong. This is 
       the promise I made to your father David--that someone from his family 
       would always rule Israel.

       (1 Ki 9:6 NCV)  "But you and your children must follow me and obey the 
       laws and commands I have given you. You must not serve or worship 
       other gods.

       (1 Ki 9:7 NCV)  If you do, I will force Israel to leave the land I 
       have given them, and I will leave this Temple that I have made holy. 
       All the nations will make fun of Israel and speak evil about them.

       (1 Ki 9:8 NCV)  If the Temple is destroyed, everyone who passes by 
       will be shocked. They will make fun of you and ask, 'Why did the LORD 
       do this terrible thing to this land and this Temple?'

       (1 Ki 9:9 NCV)  People will answer, 'This happened because they left 
       the LORD their God. This was the God who brought their ancestors out 
       of Egypt, but they decided to follow other gods. They worshiped and 
       served those gods, so the LORD brought all this disaster on them.'"

       (1 Ki 9:10 NCV)  By the end of twenty years, King Solomon had built 
       two buildings--the Temple of the LORD and the royal palace.

       (1 Ki 9:11 NCV)  At that time King Solomon gave twenty towns in 
       Galilee to Hiram king of Tyre, because Hiram had helped with the 
       buildings. Hiram had given Solomon all the cedar, pine, and gold he 
       wanted.

       (1 Ki 9:12 NCV)  So Hiram traveled from Tyre to see the towns Solomon 
       had given him, but when he saw them, he was not pleased.

       (1 Ki 9:13 NCV)  He asked, "What good are these towns you have given 
       me, my brother?" So he named them the Land of Cabul, and they are 
       still called that today.

       (1 Ki 9:14 NCV)  Hiram had sent Solomon about nine thousand pounds of 
       gold.

       (1 Ki 9:15 NCV)  This is the account of the forced labor Solomon used 
       to build the Temple and the palace. He had them fill in the land and 
       build the wall around Jerusalem. He also had them rebuild the cities 
       of Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.

       (1 Ki 9:16 NCV)  (In the past the king of Egypt had attacked and 
       captured Gezer. After burning it, he killed the Canaanites who lived 
       there. Then he gave it as a wedding present to his daughter, who 
       married Solomon.

       (1 Ki 9:17 NCV)  So Solomon rebuilt it.) He also built the cities of 
       Lower Beth Horon






       (1 Ki 9:18 NCV)  and Baalath, as well as Tadmor, which is in the 
       desert.

       (1 Ki 9:19 NCV)  King Solomon also built cities for storing grain and 
       supplies and cities for his chariots and horses. He built whatever he 
       wanted in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and everywhere he ruled.

       (1 Ki 9:20 NCV)  There were other people in the land who were not 
       Israelites--Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

       (1 Ki 9:21 NCV)  They were descendants of people that the Israelites 
       had not destroyed. Solomon forced them to work for him as slaves, as 
       is still true today.

       (1 Ki 9:22 NCV)  But Solomon did not make slaves of the Israelites. 
       They were his soldiers, government leaders, officers, captains, 
       chariot commanders, and drivers.

       (1 Ki 9:23 NCV)  These were his most important officers over the work. 
       There were five hundred fifty supervisors over the people who did the 
       work on Solomon's projects.

       (1 Ki 9:24 NCV)  The daughter of the king of Egypt moved from the old 
       part of Jerusalem to the palace that Solomon had built for her. Then 
       Solomon filled in the surrounding land.

       (1 Ki 9:25 NCV)  Three times each year Solomon offered whole burnt 
       offerings and fellowship offerings on the altar he had built for the 
       LORD. He also burned incense before the LORD. So he finished the work 
       on the Temple.

       (1 Ki 9:26 NCV)  King Solomon also built ships at Ezion Geber, a town 
       near Elath on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom.

       (1 Ki 9:27 NCV)  Hiram had skilled sailors, so he sent them to serve 
       in these ships with Solomon's men.

       (1 Ki 9:28 NCV)  The ships sailed to Ophir and brought back about 
       thirty-two thousand pounds of gold to King Solomon.

       (1 Ki 10:1 NCV)  When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon, she came 
       to test him with hard questions.

       (1 Ki 10:2 NCV)  She traveled to Jerusalem with a large group of 
       servants and camels carrying spices, jewels, and much gold. When she 
       came to Solomon, she talked with him about all she had in mind,

       (1 Ki 10:3 NCV)  and Solomon answered all her questions. Nothing was 
       too hard for him to explain to her.

       (1 Ki 10:4 NCV)  The queen of Sheba learned that Solomon was very 
       wise. She saw the palace he had built,

       (1 Ki 10:5 NCV)  the food on his table, his many officers, the palace 
       servants, and their good clothes. She saw the servants who served him 





       at feasts and the whole burnt offerings he made in the Temple of the 
       LORD. All these things amazed her.

       (1 Ki 10:6 NCV)  So she said to King Solomon, "What I heard in my own 
       country about your achievements and wisdom is true.

       (1 Ki 10:7 NCV)  I could not believe it then, but now I have come and 
       seen it with my own eyes. I was not told even half of it! Your wisdom 
       and wealth are much greater than I had heard.

       (1 Ki 10:8 NCV)  Your men and officers are very lucky, because in 
       always serving you, they are able to hear your wisdom.

       (1 Ki 10:9 NCV)  Praise the LORD your God, who was pleased to make you 
       king of Israel. The LORD has constant love for Israel, so he made you 
       king to keep justice and to rule fairly."

       (1 Ki 10:10 NCV)  Then she gave the king about nine thousand pounds of 
       gold and many spices and jewels. No one since that time has brought 
       more spices than the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

       (1 Ki 10:11 NCV)  (Hiram's ships brought gold from Ophir, as well as 
       much juniper wood and jewels.

       (1 Ki 10:12 NCV)  Solomon used the juniper wood to build supports for 
       the Temple of the LORD and the palace, and to make harps and lyres for 
       the musicians. Such fine juniper wood has not been brought in or been 
       seen since that time.)

       (1 Ki 10:13 NCV)  King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she 
       wanted and asked for, in addition to what he had already given her of 
       his wealth. Then she and her servants returned to her own country.

       (1 Ki 10:14 NCV)  Every year King Solomon received about fifty 
       thousand pounds of gold.

       (1 Ki 10:15 NCV)  Besides that, he also received gold from the traders 
       and merchants, as well as from the kings of Arabia and governors of 
       the land.

       (1 Ki 10:16 NCV)  King Solomon made two hundred large shields of 
       hammered gold, each of which contained about seven and one-half pounds 
       of gold.

       (1 Ki 10:17 NCV)  He also made three hundred smaller shields of 
       hammered gold, each of which contained about four pounds of gold. The 
       king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.

       (1 Ki 10:18 NCV)  The king built a large throne of ivory and covered 
       it with fine gold.

       (1 Ki 10:19 NCV)  The throne had six steps on it, and its back was 
       round at the top. There were armrests on both sides of the chair, and 
       each armrest had a lion beside it.

       (1 Ki 10:20 NCV)  Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one lion at 





       each end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any 
       other kingdom.

       (1 Ki 10:21 NCV)  All of Solomon's drinking cups, as well as the 
       dishes in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon, were made of pure gold. 
       Nothing was made from silver, because silver was not valuable in 
       Solomon's time.

       (1 Ki 10:22 NCV)  King Solomon also had many trading ships at sea, 
       along with Hiram's ships. Every three years the ships returned, 
       bringing back gold, silver, ivory, apes, and baboons.

       (1 Ki 10:23 NCV)  So Solomon had more riches and wisdom than all the 
       other kings on earth.

       (1 Ki 10:24 NCV)  People everywhere wanted to see King Solomon and 
       listen to the wisdom God had given him.

       (1 Ki 10:25 NCV)  Every year those who came brought gifts of silver 
       and gold, clothes, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.

       (1 Ki 10:26 NCV)  Solomon had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve 
       thousand horses. He kept some in special cities for the chariots, and 
       others he kept with him in Jerusalem.

       (1 Ki 10:27 NCV)  In Jerusalem Solomon made silver as common as stones 
       and cedar trees as common as the fig trees on the western hills.

       (1 Ki 10:28 NCV)  He imported horses from Egypt and Kue. His traders 
       bought them in Kue.

       (1 Ki 10:29 NCV)  A chariot from Egypt cost about fifteen pounds of 
       silver, and a horse cost nearly four pounds of silver. Solomon's 
       traders also sold horses and chariots to all the kings of the Hittites 
       and the Arameans.

       (1 Ki 11:1 NCV)  King Solomon loved many women who were not from 
       Israel. He loved the daughter of the king of Egypt, as well as women 
       of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites.

       (1 Ki 11:2 NCV)  The LORD had told the Israelites, "You must not marry 
       people of other nations. If you do, they will cause you to follow 
       their gods." But Solomon fell in love with these women.

       (1 Ki 11:3 NCV)  He had seven hundred wives who were from royal 
       families and three hundred slave women who gave birth to his children. 
       His wives caused him to turn away from God.

       (1 Ki 11:4 NCV)  As Solomon grew old, his wives caused him to follow 
       other gods. He did not follow the LORD completely as his father David 
       had done.

       (1 Ki 11:5 NCV)  Solomon worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the 
       people of Sidon, and Molech, the hated god of the Ammonites.

       (1 Ki 11:6 NCV)  So Solomon did what the LORD said was wrong and did 





       not follow the LORD completely as his father David had done.

       (1 Ki 11:7 NCV)  On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built two places 
       for worship. One was a place to worship Chemosh, the hated god of the 
       Moabites, and the other was a place to worship Molech, the hated god 
       of the Ammonites.

       (1 Ki 11:8 NCV)  Solomon did the same thing for all his foreign wives 
       so they could burn incense and offer sacrifices to their gods.

       (1 Ki 11:9 NCV)  The LORD had appeared to Solomon twice, but the king 
       turned away from following the LORD, the God of Israel. The LORD was 
       angry with Solomon,

       (1 Ki 11:10 NCV)  because he had commanded Solomon not to follow other 
       gods. But Solomon did not obey the Lord's command.

       (1 Ki 11:11 NCV)  So the LORD said to Solomon, "Because you have 
       chosen to break your agreement with me and have not obeyed my 
       commands, I will tear your kingdom away from you and give it to one of 
       your officers.

       (1 Ki 11:12 NCV)  But I will not take it away while you are alive 
       because of my love for your father David. I will tear it away from 
       your son when he becomes king.

       (1 Ki 11:13 NCV)  I will not tear away all the kingdom from him, but I 
       will leave him one tribe to rule. I will do this because of David, my 
       servant, and because of Jerusalem, the city I have chosen."

       (1 Ki 11:14 NCV)  The LORD caused Hadad the Edomite, a member of the 
       family of the king of Edom, to become Solomon's enemy.

       (1 Ki 11:15 NCV)  Earlier, David had defeated Edom. When Joab, the 
       commander of David's army, went into Edom to bury the dead, he killed 
       all the males.

       (1 Ki 11:16 NCV)  Joab and all the Israelites stayed in Edom for six 
       months and killed every male in Edom.

       (1 Ki 11:17 NCV)  At that time Hadad was only a young boy, so he ran 
       away to Egypt with some of his father's officers.

       (1 Ki 11:18 NCV)  They left Midian and went to Paran, where they were 
       joined by other men. Then they all went to Egypt to see the king, who 
       gave Hadad a house, some food, and some land.

       (1 Ki 11:19 NCV)  The king liked Hadad so much he gave Hadad a 
       wife--the sister of Tahpenes, the king's wife.

       (1 Ki 11:20 NCV)  They had a son named Genubath. Queen Tahpenes 
       brought him up in the royal palace with the king's own children.

       (1 Ki 11:21 NCV)  While he was in Egypt, Hadad heard that David had 
       died and that Joab, the commander of the army, was dead also. So Hadad 
       said to the king, "Let me go; I will return to my own country."






       (1 Ki 11:22 NCV)  "Why do you want to go back to your own country?" 
       the king asked. "What haven't I given you here?" "Nothing," Hadad 
       answered, "but please, let me go."

       (1 Ki 11:23 NCV)  God also caused another man to be Solomon's 
       enemy--Rezon son of Eliada. Rezon had run away from his master, 
       Hadadezer king of Zobah.

       (1 Ki 11:24 NCV)  After David defeated the army of Zobah, Rezon 
       gathered some men and became the leader of a small army. They went to 
       Damascus and settled there, and Rezon became king of Damascus.

       (1 Ki 11:25 NCV)  Rezon ruled Aram, and he hated Israel. So he was an 
       enemy of Israel all the time Solomon was alive. Both Rezon and Hadad 
       made trouble for Israel.

       (1 Ki 11:26 NCV)  Jeroboam son of Nebat was one of Solomon's officers. 
       He was an Ephraimite from the town of Zeredah, and he was the son of a 
       widow named Zeruah. Jeroboam turned against the king.

       (1 Ki 11:27 NCV)  This is the story of how Jeroboam turned against the 
       king. Solomon was filling in the land and repairing the wall of 
       Jerusalem, the city of David, his father.

       (1 Ki 11:28 NCV)  Jeroboam was a capable man, and Solomon saw that 
       this young man was a good worker. So Solomon put him over all the 
       workers from the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh.

       (1 Ki 11:29 NCV)  One day as Jeroboam was leaving Jerusalem, Ahijah, 
       the prophet from Shiloh, who was wearing a new coat, met him on the 
       road. The two men were alone out in the country.

       (1 Ki 11:30 NCV)  Ahijah took his new coat and tore it into twelve 
       pieces.

       (1 Ki 11:31 NCV)  Then he said to Jeroboam, "Take ten pieces of this 
       coat for yourself. The LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I will tear the 
       kingdom away from Solomon and give you ten tribes.

       (1 Ki 11:32 NCV)  But I will allow him to control one tribe. I will do 
       this for the sake of my servant David and for Jerusalem, the city I 
       have chosen from all the tribes of Israel.

       (1 Ki 11:33 NCV)  I will do this because Solomon has stopped following 
       me and has worshiped the Sidonian god Ashtoreth, the Moabite god 
       Chemosh, and the Ammonite god Molech. Solomon has not obeyed me by 
       doing what I said is right and obeying my laws and commands, as his 
       father David did.

       (1 Ki 11:34 NCV)  "'But I will not take all the kingdom away from 
       Solomon. I will let him rule all his life because of my servant David, 
       whom I chose, who obeyed all my commands and laws.

       (1 Ki 11:35 NCV)  But I will take the kingdom away from his son, and I 
       will allow you to rule over the ten tribes.






       (1 Ki 11:36 NCV)  I will allow Solomon's son to continue to rule over 
       one tribe so that there will always be a descendant of David, my 
       servant, in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to be worshiped.

       (1 Ki 11:37 NCV)  But I will make you rule over everything you want. 
       You will rule over all of Israel,

       (1 Ki 11:38 NCV)  and I will always be with you if you do what I say 
       is right. You must obey all my commands. If you obey my laws and 
       commands as David did, I will be with you. I will make your family a 
       lasting family of kings, as I did for David, and give Israel to you.

       (1 Ki 11:39 NCV)  I will punish David's children because of this, but 
       I will not punish them forever.'"

       (1 Ki 11:40 NCV)  Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but he ran away to 
       Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, where he stayed until Solomon died.

       (1 Ki 11:41 NCV)  Everything else King Solomon did, and the wisdom he 
       showed, is written in the book of the history of Solomon.

       (1 Ki 11:42 NCV)  Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty 
       years.

       (1 Ki 11:43 NCV)  Then he died and was buried in Jerusalem, the city 
       of David, his father. And his son Rehoboam became king in his place.

       (1 Ki 12:1 NCV)  Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all the Israelites 
       had gone to make him king.

       (1 Ki 12:2 NCV)  Jeroboam son of Nebat was still in Egypt, where he 
       had gone to escape from Solomon. When Jeroboam heard about Rehoboam 
       being made king, he was living in Egypt.

       (1 Ki 12:3 NCV)  After the people sent for him, he and the people went 
       to Rehoboam and said to him,

       (1 Ki 12:4 NCV)  "Your father forced us to work very hard. Now, make 
       it easier for us, and don't make us work as hard as he did. Then we 
       will serve you."

       (1 Ki 12:5 NCV)  Rehoboam answered, "Go away for three days, and then 
       come back to me." So the people left.

       (1 Ki 12:6 NCV)  King Rehoboam asked the older leaders who had advised 
       Solomon during his lifetime, "How do you think I should answer these 
       people?"

       (1 Ki 12:7 NCV)  They said, "You should be like a servant to them 
       today. If you serve them and give them a kind answer, they will serve 
       you always."

       (1 Ki 12:8 NCV)  But Rehoboam rejected this advice. Instead, he asked 
       the young men who had grown up with him and who served as his 
       advisers.






       (1 Ki 12:9 NCV)  Rehoboam asked them, "What is your advice? How should 
       we answer these people who said, 'Don't make us work as hard as your 
       father did'?"

       (1 Ki 12:10 NCV)  The young men who had grown up with him answered, 
       "Those people said to you, 'Your father forced us to work very hard. 
       Now make our work easier.' You should tell them, 'My little finger is 
       bigger than my father's legs.

       (1 Ki 12:11 NCV)  He forced you to work hard, but I will make you work 
       even harder. My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with 
       whips that have sharp points.'"

       (1 Ki 12:12 NCV)  Rehoboam had told the people, "Come back to me in 
       three days." So after three days Jeroboam and all the people returned 
       to Rehoboam.

       (1 Ki 12:13 NCV)  King Rehoboam spoke cruel words to them, because he 
       had rejected the advice the older leaders had given him.

       (1 Ki 12:14 NCV)  He followed the advice of the young men and said to 
       the people, "My father forced you to work hard, but I will make you 
       work even harder. My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you 
       with whips that have sharp points."

       (1 Ki 12:15 NCV)  So the king did not listen to the people. The LORD 
       caused this to happen to keep the promise he had made to Jeroboam son 
       of Nebat through Ahijah, a prophet from Shiloh.

       (1 Ki 12:16 NCV)  When all the Israelites saw that the new king 
       refused to listen to them, they said to the king, "We have no share in 
       David! We have no part in the son of Jesse! People of Israel, let's go 
       to our own homes! Let David's son rule his own people!" So the 
       Israelites went home.

       (1 Ki 12:17 NCV)  But Rehoboam still ruled over the Israelites who 
       lived in the towns of Judah.

       (1 Ki 12:18 NCV)  Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor. When 
       Rehoboam sent him to the people of Israel, they threw stones at him 
       until he died. But King Rehoboam ran to his chariot and escaped to 
       Jerusalem.

       (1 Ki 12:19 NCV)  Since then, Israel has been against the family of 
       David.

       (1 Ki 12:20 NCV)  When all the Israelites heard that Jeroboam had 
       returned, they called him to a meeting and made him king over all 
       Israel. Only the tribe of Judah continued to follow the family of 
       David.

       (1 Ki 12:21 NCV)  When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he gathered one 
       hundred eighty thousand of the best soldiers from the tribes of Judah 
       and Benjamin. As son of Solomon, Rehoboam wanted to fight the people 
       of Israel to take back his kingdom.






       (1 Ki 12:22 NCV)  But God spoke his word to Shemaiah, a man of God, 
       saying,

       (1 Ki 12:23 NCV)  "Speak to Solomon's son Rehoboam, the king of Judah, 
       and to all the people of Judah and Benjamin and the rest of the 
       people. Say to them,

       (1 Ki 12:24 NCV)  'The LORD says you must not go to war against your 
       brothers, the Israelites. Every one of you should go home, because I 
       made all these things happen.'" So they obeyed the Lord's command and 
       went home as the LORD had commanded.

       (1 Ki 12:25 NCV)  Then Jeroboam made Shechem in the mountains of 
       Ephraim a very strong city, and he lived there. He also went to the 
       city of Peniel and made it stronger.

       (1 Ki 12:26 NCV)  Jeroboam said to himself, "The kingdom will probably 
       go back to David's family.

       (1 Ki 12:27 NCV)  If the people continue going to the Temple of the 
       LORD in Jerusalem to offer sacrifices, they will want to be ruled 
       again by Rehoboam. Then they will kill me and follow Rehoboam king of 
       Judah."

       (1 Ki 12:28 NCV)  King Jeroboam asked for advice. Then he made two 
       golden calves. "It is too long a journey for you to go to Jerusalem to 
       worship," he said to the people. "Israel, here are your gods who 
       brought you out of Egypt."

       (1 Ki 12:29 NCV)  Jeroboam put one golden calf in the city of Bethel 
       and the other in the city of Dan.

       (1 Ki 12:30 NCV)  This became a very great sin, because the people 
       traveled as far as Dan to worship the calf there.

       (1 Ki 12:31 NCV)  Jeroboam built temples on the places of worship. He 
       also chose priests from all the people, not just from the tribe of 
       Levi.

       (1 Ki 12:32 NCV)  And he started a new festival on the fifteenth day 
       of the eighth month, just like the festival in Judah. During that time 
       the king offered sacrifices on the altar, along with sacrifices to the 
       calves in Bethel he had made. He also chose priests in Bethel to serve 
       at the places of worship he had made.

       (1 Ki 12:33 NCV)  So Jeroboam chose his own time for a festival for 
       the Israelites--the fifteenth day of the eighth month. During that 
       time he offered sacrifices on the altar he had built in Bethel. He set 
       up a festival for the Israelites and offered sacrifices on the altar.

       (1 Ki 13:1 NCV)  The LORD commanded a man of God from Judah to go to 
       Bethel. When he arrived, Jeroboam was standing by the altar to offer a 
       sacrifice.

       (1 Ki 13:2 NCV)  The LORD had commanded the man of God to speak 





       against the altar. The man said, "Altar, altar, the LORD says to you: 
       'David's family will have a son named Josiah. The priests for the 
       places of worship now make their sacrifices on you, but Josiah will 
       sacrifice those priests on you. Human bones will be burned on you.'"

       (1 Ki 13:3 NCV)  That same day the man of God gave proof that these 
       things would happen. "This is the Lord's sign that this will happen," 
       he said. "This altar will break apart, and the ashes on it will fall 
       to the ground."

       (1 Ki 13:4 NCV)  When King Jeroboam heard what the man of God said 
       about the altar in Bethel, the king raised his hand from the altar and 
       pointed at the man. "Take him!" he said. But when the king said this, 
       his arm was paralyzed, and he could not move it.

       (1 Ki 13:5 NCV)  The altar also broke into pieces, and its ashes fell 
       to the ground. This was the sign the LORD had told the man of God to 
       give.

       (1 Ki 13:6 NCV)  Then the king said to the man of God, "Please pray to 
       the LORD your God for me, and ask him to heal my arm." So the man of 
       God prayed to the LORD, and the king's arm was healed, becoming as it 
       was before.

       (1 Ki 13:7 NCV)  Then the king said to the man of God, "Please come 
       home and eat with me, and I will give you a gift."

       (1 Ki 13:8 NCV)  But the man of God answered the king, "Even if you 
       gave me half of your kingdom, I would not go with you. I will not eat 
       or drink anything in this place.

       (1 Ki 13:9 NCV)  The LORD commanded me not to eat or drink anything 
       nor to return on the same road by which I came."

       (1 Ki 13:10 NCV)  So he took a different road and did not return on 
       the same road by which he had come to Bethel.

       (1 Ki 13:11 NCV)  Now an old prophet was living in Bethel. His sons 
       came and told him what the man of God had done there that day. They 
       also told their father what he had said to King Jeroboam.

       (1 Ki 13:12 NCV)  The father asked, "Which road did he use when he 
       left?" So his sons showed him the road the man of God from Judah had 
       taken.

       (1 Ki 13:13 NCV)  Then the prophet told his sons to put a saddle on 
       his donkey. So they saddled the donkey, and he left.

       (1 Ki 13:14 NCV)  He went after the man of God and found him sitting 
       under an oak tree. The prophet asked, "Are you the man of God who came 
       from Judah?" The man answered, "Yes, I am."

       (1 Ki 13:15 NCV)  The prophet said, "Please come home and eat with 
       me."

       (1 Ki 13:16 NCV)  "I can't go home with you," the man of God answered. 





       "I can't eat or drink with you in this place.

       (1 Ki 13:17 NCV)  The LORD said to me, 'Don't eat or drink anything 
       there or return on the same road by which you came.'"

       (1 Ki 13:18 NCV)  Then the old prophet said, "But I also am a prophet 
       like you." Then he told a lie. He said, "An angel from the LORD came 
       to me and told me to bring you to my home. He said you should eat and 
       drink with me."

       (1 Ki 13:19 NCV)  So the man of God went to the old prophet's house, 
       and he ate and drank with him there.

       (1 Ki 13:20 NCV)  While they were sitting at the table, the LORD spoke 
       his word to the old prophet.

       (1 Ki 13:21 NCV)  The old prophet cried out to the man of God from 
       Judah, "The LORD said you did not obey him! He said you did not do 
       what the LORD your God commanded you.

       (1 Ki 13:22 NCV)  The LORD commanded you not to eat or drink anything 
       in this place, but you came back and ate and drank. So your body will 
       not be buried in your family grave."

       (1 Ki 13:23 NCV)  After the man of God finished eating and drinking, 
       the prophet put a saddle on his donkey for him, and the man left.

       (1 Ki 13:24 NCV)  As he was traveling home, a lion attacked and killed 
       him. His body lay on the road, with the donkey and the lion standing 
       nearby.

       (1 Ki 13:25 NCV)  Some men who were traveling on that road saw the 
       body and the lion standing nearby. So they went to the city where the 
       old prophet lived and told what they had seen.

       (1 Ki 13:26 NCV)  The old prophet who had brought back the man of God 
       heard what had happened. "It is the man of God who did not obey the 
       Lord's command," he said. "So the LORD sent a lion to kill him, just 
       as he said he would."

       (1 Ki 13:27 NCV)  Then the prophet said to his sons, "Put a saddle on 
       my donkey," which they did.

       (1 Ki 13:28 NCV)  The old prophet went out and found the body lying on 
       the road, with the donkey and the lion still standing nearby. The lion 
       had not eaten the body or hurt the donkey.

       (1 Ki 13:29 NCV)  The prophet put the body on his donkey and carried 
       it back to the city to have a time of sadness for him and to bury him.

       (1 Ki 13:30 NCV)  The prophet buried the body in his own family grave, 
       and they were sad for the man of God and said, "Oh, my brother."

       (1 Ki 13:31 NCV)  After the prophet buried the body, he said to his 
       sons, "When I die, bury me in this same grave. Put my bones next to 
       his.






       (1 Ki 13:32 NCV)  Through him the LORD spoke against the altar at 
       Bethel and against the places of worship in the towns of Samaria. What 
       the LORD spoke through him will certainly come true."

       (1 Ki 13:33 NCV)  After this incident King Jeroboam did not stop doing 
       evil. He continued to choose priests for the places of worship from 
       among all the people. Anyone who wanted to be a priest for the places 
       of worship was allowed to be one.

       (1 Ki 13:34 NCV)  In this way the family of Jeroboam sinned, and this 
       sin caused its ruin and destruction from the earth.

       (1 Ki 14:1 NCV)  At that time Jeroboam's son Abijah became very sick.

       (1 Ki 14:2 NCV)  So Jeroboam said to his wife, "Go to Shiloh to see 
       the prophet Ahijah. He is the one who said I would become king of 
       Israel. But dress yourself so people won't know you are my wife.

       (1 Ki 14:3 NCV)  Take the prophet ten loaves of bread, some cakes, and 
       a jar of honey. Then ask him what will happen to our son, and he will 
       tell you."

       (1 Ki 14:4 NCV)  So the king's wife did as he said and went to 
       Ahijah's home in Shiloh. Now Ahijah was very old and blind.

       (1 Ki 14:5 NCV)  The LORD said to him, "Jeroboam's son is sick, and 
       Jeroboam's wife is coming to ask you about him. When she arrives, she 
       will pretend to be someone else." Then the LORD told Ahijah what to 
       say.

       (1 Ki 14:6 NCV)  When Ahijah heard her walking to the door, he said, 
       "Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why are you pretending to be someone else? 
       I have bad news for you.

       (1 Ki 14:7 NCV)  Go back and tell Jeroboam that this is what the LORD, 
       the God of Israel, says: 'Jeroboam, I chose you from among all the 
       people and made you the leader of my people Israel.

       (1 Ki 14:8 NCV)  I tore the kingdom away from David's family, and I 
       gave it to you. But you are not like my servant David, who always 
       obeyed my commands and followed me with all his heart. He did only 
       what I said was right.

       (1 Ki 14:9 NCV)  But you have done more evil than anyone who ruled 
       before you. You have quit following me and have made other gods and 
       idols of metal. This has made me very angry,

       (1 Ki 14:10 NCV)  so I will soon bring disaster to your family. I will 
       kill all the men in your family, both slaves and free men. I will 
       destroy your family as completely as fire burns up manure.

       (1 Ki 14:11 NCV)  Anyone from your family who dies in the city will be 
       eaten by dogs, and those who die in the fields will be eaten by the 
       birds. The LORD has spoken.'"





       (1 Ki 14:12 NCV)  Then Ahijah said to Jeroboam's wife, "Go home now. 
       As soon as you enter your city, your son will die,

       (1 Ki 14:13 NCV)  and all Israel will be sad for him and bury him. He 
       is the only one of Jeroboam's family who will be buried, because he is 
       the only one in the king's family who pleased the LORD, the God of 
       Israel.

       (1 Ki 14:14 NCV)  "The LORD will put a new king over Israel, who will 
       destroy Jeroboam's family, and this will happen soon.

       (1 Ki 14:15 NCV)  Then the LORD will punish Israel, which will be like 
       grass moving in the water. The LORD will pull up Israel from this good 
       land, the land he gave their ancestors. He will scatter Israel beyond 
       the Euphrates River, because he is angry with the people. They made 
       the LORD angry when they set up idols to worship Asherah.

       (1 Ki 14:16 NCV)  Jeroboam sinned, and then he made the people of 
       Israel sin. So the LORD will let the people of Israel be defeated."

       (1 Ki 14:17 NCV)  Then Jeroboam's wife left and returned to Tirzah. As 
       soon as she entered her home, the boy died.

       (1 Ki 14:18 NCV)  After they buried him, all Israel had a time of 
       sadness for him, just as the LORD had said through his servant, the 
       prophet Ahijah.

       (1 Ki 14:19 NCV)  Everything else Jeroboam did is written in the book 
       of the history of the kings of Israel. He fought wars and continued to 
       rule the people,

       (1 Ki 14:20 NCV)  serving as king for twenty-two years. Then he died, 
       and his son Nadab became king in his place.

       (1 Ki 14:21 NCV)  Solomon's son Rehoboam was forty-one years old when 
       he became king of Judah. His mother was Naamah from Ammon. Rehoboam 
       ruled in Jerusalem for seventeen years. (The LORD had chosen that city 
       from all the land of Israel as the place where he would be worshiped.)

       (1 Ki 14:22 NCV)  The people of Judah did what the LORD said was 
       wrong. Their sins made the LORD very angry, even more angry than he 
       had been at their ancestors.

       (1 Ki 14:23 NCV)  The people built stone pillars and places to worship 
       gods and Asherah idols on every high hill and under every green tree.

       (1 Ki 14:24 NCV)  There were even male prostitutes in the land. They 
       acted like the people who had lived in the land before the Israelites. 
       They had done many evil things, and God had taken the land away from 
       them.

       (1 Ki 14:25 NCV)  During the fifth year Rehoboam was king, Shishak 
       king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem.

       (1 Ki 14:26 NCV)  He took the treasures from the Temple of the LORD 
       and the king's palace. He took everything, even the gold shields 





       Solomon had made.

       (1 Ki 14:27 NCV)  So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to put in their 
       place and gave them to the commanders of the guards for the palace 
       gates.

       (1 Ki 14:28 NCV)  Whenever the king went to the Temple of the LORD, 
       the guards carried the shields. Later, they would put them back in the 
       guardroom.

       (1 Ki 14:29 NCV)  Everything else King Rehoboam did is written in the 
       book of the history of the kings of Judah.

       (1 Ki 14:30 NCV)  There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam the 
       whole time.

       (1 Ki 14:31 NCV)  Rehoboam, son of Naamah from Ammon, died and was 
       buried with his ancestors in Jerusalem, and his son Abijah became king 
       in his place.

       (1 Ki 15:1 NCV)  Abijah became king of Judah during the eighteenth 
       year Jeroboam son of Nebat was king of Israel.

       (1 Ki 15:2 NCV)  Abijah ruled in Jerusalem for three years. His mother 
       was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.

       (1 Ki 15:3 NCV)  He did all the same sins his father before him had 
       done. Abijah was not faithful to the LORD his God as David, his 
       great-grandfather, had been.

       (1 Ki 15:4 NCV)  Because the LORD loved David, the LORD gave him a 
       kingdom in Jerusalem and allowed him to have a son to be king after 
       him. The LORD also kept Jerusalem safe.

       (1 Ki 15:5 NCV)  David always did what the LORD said was right and 
       obeyed his commands all his life, except the one time when David 
       sinned against Uriah the Hittite.

       (1 Ki 15:6 NCV)  There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam during 
       Abijah's lifetime.

       (1 Ki 15:7 NCV)  Everything else Abijah did is written in the book of 
       the history of the kings of Judah. During the time Abijah ruled, there 
       was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

       (1 Ki 15:8 NCV)  Abijah died and was buried in Jerusalem, and his son 
       Asa became king in his place.

       (1 Ki 15:9 NCV)  During the twentieth year Jeroboam was king of 
       Israel, Asa became king of Judah.

       (1 Ki 15:10 NCV)  His grandmother's name was Maacah, the daughter of 
       Abishalom. Asa ruled in Jerusalem for forty-one years.

       (1 Ki 15:11 NCV)  Asa did what the LORD said was right, as his 
       ancestor David had done.






       (1 Ki 15:12 NCV)  He forced the male prostitutes at the worship places 
       to leave the country. He also took away the idols that his ancestors 
       had made.

       (1 Ki 15:13 NCV)  His grandmother Maacah had made a terrible Asherah 
       idol, so Asa removed her from being queen mother. He cut down that 
       idol and burned it in the Kidron Valley.

       (1 Ki 15:14 NCV)  The places of worship to gods were not removed. Even 
       so, Asa was faithful to the LORD all his life.

       (1 Ki 15:15 NCV)  Asa brought into the Temple of the LORD the gifts he 
       and his father had given: gold, silver, and utensils.

       (1 Ki 15:16 NCV)  There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel 
       all the time they were kings.

       (1 Ki 15:17 NCV)  Baasha attacked Judah, and he made the town of Ramah 
       strong so he could keep people from leaving or entering Judah, Asa's 
       country.

       (1 Ki 15:18 NCV)  Asa took the rest of the silver and gold from the 
       treasuries of the Temple of the LORD and his own palace and gave it to 
       his officers. Then he sent them to Ben-Hadad son of Tabrimmon, who was 
       the son of Hezion. Ben-Hadad was the king of Aram and ruled in the 
       city of Damascus. Asa said,

       (1 Ki 15:19 NCV)  "Let there be a treaty between you and me as there 
       was between my father and your father. I am sending you a gift of 
       silver and gold. Break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he 
       will leave my land."

       (1 Ki 15:20 NCV)  Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa, so he sent the 
       commanders of his armies to attack the towns of Israel. They defeated 
       the towns of Ijon, Dan, and Abel Beth Maacah, as well as all Galilee 
       and the area of Naphtali.

       (1 Ki 15:21 NCV)  When Baasha heard about these attacks, he stopped 
       building up Ramah and returned to Tirzah.

       (1 Ki 15:22 NCV)  Then King Asa gave an order to all the people of 
       Judah; everyone had to help. They carried away all the stones and wood 
       Baasha had been using in Ramah, and they used them to build up Geba 
       and Mizpah in the land of Benjamin.

       (1 Ki 15:23 NCV)  Everything else Asa did--his victories and the 
       cities he built--is written in the book of the history of the kings of 
       Judah. When he became old, he got a disease in his feet.

       (1 Ki 15:24 NCV)  After Asa died, he was buried with his ancestors in 
       Jerusalem, the city of David, his ancestor. Then Jehoshaphat, Asa's 
       son, became king in his place.

       (1 Ki 15:25 NCV)  Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel during 
       the second year Asa was king of Judah. Nadab was king of Israel for 





       two years,

       (1 Ki 15:26 NCV)  and he did what the LORD said was wrong. Jeroboam 
       had led the people of Israel to sin, and Nadab sinned in the same way 
       as his father Jeroboam.

       (1 Ki 15:27 NCV)  Baasha son of Ahijah, from the tribe of Issachar, 
       made plans to kill Nadab. Nadab and all Israel were attacking the 
       Philistine town of Gibbethon, so Baasha killed Nadab there.

       (1 Ki 15:28 NCV)  This happened during Asa's third year as king of 
       Judah, and Baasha became the next king of Israel.

       (1 Ki 15:29 NCV)  As soon as Baasha became king, he killed all of 
       Jeroboam's family, leaving no one in Jeroboam's family alive. He 
       destroyed them all as the LORD had said would happen through his 
       servant Ahijah from Shiloh.

       (1 Ki 15:30 NCV)  King Jeroboam had sinned very much and had led the 
       people of Israel to sin, so he made the LORD, the God of Israel, very 
       angry.

       (1 Ki 15:31 NCV)  Everything else Nadab did is written in the book of 
       the history of the kings of Israel.

       (1 Ki 15:32 NCV)  There was war between Asa king of Judah and Baasha 
       king of Israel all the time they ruled.

       (1 Ki 15:33 NCV)  Baasha son of Ahijah became king of Israel during 
       Asa's third year as king of Judah. Baasha ruled in Tirzah for 
       twenty-four years,

       (1 Ki 15:34 NCV)  and he did what the LORD said was wrong. Jeroboam 
       had led the people of Israel to sin, and Baasha sinned in the same way 
       as Jeroboam.

       (1 Ki 16:1 NCV)  Jehu son of Hanani spoke the word of the LORD against 
       King Baasha.

       (1 Ki 16:2 NCV)  The LORD said, "You were nothing, but I took you and 
       made you a leader over my people Israel. But you have followed the 
       ways of Jeroboam and have led my people Israel to sin. Their sins have 
       made me angry,

       (1 Ki 16:3 NCV)  so, Baasha, I will soon destroy you and your family. 
       I will do to you what I did to the family of Jeroboam son of Nebat.

       (1 Ki 16:4 NCV)  Anyone from your family who dies in the city will be 
       eaten by dogs, and anyone from your family who dies in the fields will 
       be eaten by birds."

       (1 Ki 16:5 NCV)  Everything else Baasha did and all his victories are 
       written down in the book of the history of the kings of Israel.

       (1 Ki 16:6 NCV)  So Baasha died and was buried in Tirzah, and his son 
       Elah became king in his place.






       (1 Ki 16:7 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word against Baasha and his family 
       through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani. Baasha had done many things 
       the LORD said were wrong, which made the LORD very angry. He did the 
       same evil deeds that Jeroboam's family had done before him. The LORD 
       also spoke against Baasha because he killed all of Jeroboam's family.

       (1 Ki 16:8 NCV)  Elah son of Baasha became king of Israel during Asa's 
       twenty-sixth year as king of Judah, and Elah ruled in Tirzah for two 
       years.

       (1 Ki 16:9 NCV)  Zimri, one of Elah's officers, commanded half of 
       Elah's chariots. Zimri made plans against Elah while the king was in 
       Tirzah, getting drunk at Arza's home. (Arza was in charge of the 
       palace at Tirzah.)

       (1 Ki 16:10 NCV)  Zimri went into Arza's house and killed Elah during 
       Asa's twenty-seventh year as king of Judah. Then Zimri became king of 
       Israel in Elah's place.

       (1 Ki 16:11 NCV)  As soon as Zimri became king, he killed all of 
       Baasha's family, not allowing any of Baasha's family or friends to 
       live.

       (1 Ki 16:12 NCV)  So Zimri destroyed all of Baasha's family just as 
       the LORD had said it would happen through the prophet Jehu.

       (1 Ki 16:13 NCV)  Baasha and his son Elah sinned and led the people of 
       Israel to sin, and they made the LORD, the God of Israel, angry 
       because of their worthless idols.

       (1 Ki 16:14 NCV)  Everything else Elah did is written in the book of 
       the history of the kings of Israel.

       (1 Ki 16:15 NCV)  So during Asa's twenty-seventh year as king of 
       Judah, Zimri became king of Israel and ruled in Tirzah seven days. The 
       army of Israel was camped near Gibbethon, a Philistine town.

       (1 Ki 16:16 NCV)  The men in the camp heard that Zimri had made secret 
       plans against King Elah and had killed him. So that day in the camp 
       they made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel.

       (1 Ki 16:17 NCV)  So Omri and all the Israelite army left Gibbethon 
       and attacked Tirzah.

       (1 Ki 16:18 NCV)  When Zimri saw that the city had been captured, he 
       went into the palace and set it on fire, burning the palace and 
       himself with it.

       (1 Ki 16:19 NCV)  So Zimri died because he had sinned by doing what 
       the LORD said was wrong. Jeroboam had led the people of Israel to sin, 
       and Zimri sinned in the same way as Jeroboam.

       (1 Ki 16:20 NCV)  Everything else Zimri did and the story of how he 
       turned against King Elah are written down in the book of the history 
       of the kings of Israel.






       (1 Ki 16:21 NCV)  The people of Israel were divided into two groups. 
       Half of the people wanted Tibni son of Ginath to be king, while the 
       other half wanted Omri.

       (1 Ki 16:22 NCV)  Omri's followers were stronger than the followers of 
       Tibni son of Ginath, so Tibni died, and Omri became king.

       (1 Ki 16:23 NCV)  Omri became king of Israel during the thirty-first 
       year Asa was king of Judah. Omri ruled Israel for twelve years, six of 
       those years in the city of Tirzah.

       (1 Ki 16:24 NCV)  He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for about 
       one hundred fifty pounds of silver. Omri built a city on that hill and 
       called it Samaria after the name of its earlier owner, Shemer.

       (1 Ki 16:25 NCV)  But Omri did what the LORD said was wrong; he did 
       more evil than all the kings who came before him.

       (1 Ki 16:26 NCV)  Jeroboam son of Nebat had led the people of Israel 
       to sin, and Omri sinned in the same way as Jeroboam. The Israelites 
       made the LORD, the God of Israel, very angry because they worshiped 
       worthless idols.

       (1 Ki 16:27 NCV)  Everything else Omri did and all his successes are 
       written in the book of the history of the kings of Israel.

       (1 Ki 16:28 NCV)  So Omri died and was buried in Samaria, and his son 
       Ahab became king in his place.

       (1 Ki 16:29 NCV)  Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel during Asa's 
       thirty-eighth year as king of Judah, and Ahab ruled Israel in the city 
       of Samaria for twenty-two years.

       (1 Ki 16:30 NCV)  More than any king before him, Ahab son of Omri did 
       many things the LORD said were wrong.

       (1 Ki 16:31 NCV)  He sinned in the same ways as Jeroboam son of Nebat, 
       but he did even worse things. He married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal, 
       the king of Sidon. Then Ahab began to serve Baal and worship him.

       (1 Ki 16:32 NCV)  He built a temple in Samaria for worshiping Baal and 
       put an altar there for Baal.

       (1 Ki 16:33 NCV)  Ahab also made an idol for worshiping Asherah. He 
       did more things to make the LORD, the God of Israel, angry than all 
       the other kings before him.

       (1 Ki 16:34 NCV)  During the time of Ahab, Hiel from Bethel rebuilt 
       the city of Jericho. It cost Hiel the life of Abiram, his oldest son, 
       to begin work on the city, and it cost the life of Segub, his youngest 
       son, to build the city gates. This happened just as the LORD, speaking 
       through Joshua son of Nun, said it would happen.

       (1 Ki 17:1 NCV)  Now Elijah the Tishbite was a prophet from the 
       settlers in Gilead. "I serve the LORD, the God of Israel," Elijah said 





       to Ahab. "As surely as the LORD lives, no rain or dew will fall during 
       the next few years unless I command it."

       (1 Ki 17:2 NCV)  Then the LORD spoke his word to Elijah:

       (1 Ki 17:3 NCV)  "Leave this place and go east and hide near Kerith 
       Ravine east of the Jordan River.

       (1 Ki 17:4 NCV)  You may drink from the stream, and I have commanded 
       ravens to bring you food there."

       (1 Ki 17:5 NCV)  So Elijah did what the LORD said; he went to Kerith 
       Ravine, east of the Jordan, and lived there.

       (1 Ki 17:6 NCV)  The birds brought Elijah bread and meat every morning 
       and evening, and he drank water from the stream.

       (1 Ki 17:7 NCV)  After a while the stream dried up because there was 
       no rain.

       (1 Ki 17:8 NCV)  Then the LORD spoke his word to Elijah,

       (1 Ki 17:9 NCV)  "Go to Zarephath in Sidon and live there. I have 
       commanded a widow there to take care of you."

       (1 Ki 17:10 NCV)  So Elijah went to Zarephath. When he reached the 
       town gate, he saw a widow gathering wood for a fire. Elijah asked her, 
       "Would you bring me a little water in a cup so I may have a drink."

       (1 Ki 17:11 NCV)  As she was going to get his water, Elijah said, 
       "Please bring me a piece of bread, too."

       (1 Ki 17:12 NCV)  The woman answered, "As surely as the LORD your God 
       lives, I have no bread. I have only a handful of flour in a jar and 
       only a little olive oil in a jug. I came here to gather some wood so I 
       could go home and cook our last meal. My son and I will eat it and 
       then die from hunger."

       (1 Ki 17:13 NCV)  "Don't worry," Elijah said to her. "Go home and cook 
       your food as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread from 
       the flour you have, and bring it to me. Then cook something for 
       yourself and your son.

       (1 Ki 17:14 NCV)  The LORD, the God of Israel, says, 'That jar of 
       flour will never be empty, and the jug will always have oil in it, 
       until the day the LORD sends rain to the land.'"

       (1 Ki 17:15 NCV)  So the woman went home and did what Elijah told her 
       to do. And the woman and her son and Elijah had enough food every day.

       (1 Ki 17:16 NCV)  The jar of flour and the jug of oil were never 
       empty, just as the LORD, through Elijah, had promised.

       (1 Ki 17:17 NCV)  Some time later the son of the woman who owned the 
       house became sick. He grew worse and worse and finally stopped 
       breathing.






       (1 Ki 17:18 NCV)  The woman said to Elijah, "Man of God, what have you 
       done to me? Did you come here to remind me of my sin and to kill my 
       son?"

       (1 Ki 17:19 NCV)  Elijah said to her, "Give me your son." Elijah took 
       the boy from her, carried him upstairs, and laid him on the bed in the 
       room where he was staying.

       (1 Ki 17:20 NCV)  Then he prayed to the LORD: "LORD my God, this widow 
       is letting me stay in her house. Why have you done this terrible thing 
       to her and caused her son to die?"

       (1 Ki 17:21 NCV)  Then Elijah lay on top of the boy three times. He 
       prayed to the LORD, "LORD my God, let this boy live again!"

       (1 Ki 17:22 NCV)  The LORD answered Elijah's prayer; the boy began 
       breathing again and was alive.

       (1 Ki 17:23 NCV)  Elijah carried the boy downstairs and gave him to 
       his mother and said, "See! Your son is alive!"

       (1 Ki 17:24 NCV)  "Now I know you really are a man from God," the 
       woman said to Elijah. "I know that the LORD truly speaks through you!"

       (1 Ki 18:1 NCV)  During the third year without rain, the LORD spoke 
       his word to Elijah: "Go and meet King Ahab, and I will soon send 
       rain."

       (1 Ki 18:2 NCV)  So Elijah went to meet Ahab. By this time there was 
       no food in Samaria.

       (1 Ki 18:3 NCV)  King Ahab sent for Obadiah, who was in charge of the 
       king's palace. (Obadiah was a true follower of the LORD.

       (1 Ki 18:4 NCV)  When Jezebel was killing all the Lord's prophets, 
       Obadiah hid a hundred of them in two caves, fifty in one cave and 
       fifty in another. He also brought them food and water.)

       (1 Ki 18:5 NCV)  Ahab said to Obadiah, "Let's check every spring and 
       valley in the land. Maybe we can find enough grass to keep our horses 
       and mules alive and not have to kill our animals."

       (1 Ki 18:6 NCV)  So each one chose a part of the country to search; 
       Ahab went in one direction and Obadiah in another.

       (1 Ki 18:7 NCV)  While Obadiah was on his way, Elijah met him. Obadiah 
       recognized Elijah, so he bowed down to the ground and said, "Elijah? 
       Is it really you, master?"

       (1 Ki 18:8 NCV)  "Yes," Elijah answered. "Go tell your master that I 
       am here."

       (1 Ki 18:9 NCV)  Then Obadiah said, "What wrong have I done for you to 
       hand me over to Ahab like this? He will put me to death.





       (1 Ki 18:10 NCV)  As surely as the LORD your God lives, the king has 
       sent people to every country to search for you. If the ruler said you 
       were not there, Ahab forced the ruler to swear you could not be found 
       in his country.

       (1 Ki 18:11 NCV)  Now you want me to go to my master and tell him, 
       'Elijah is here'?

       (1 Ki 18:12 NCV)  The Spirit of the LORD may carry you to some other 
       place after I leave. If I go tell King Ahab you are here, and he comes 
       and doesn't find you, he will kill me! I have followed the LORD since 
       I was a boy.

       (1 Ki 18:13 NCV)  Haven't you been told what I did? When Jezebel was 
       killing the Lord's prophets, I hid a hundred of them, fifty in one 
       cave and fifty in another. I brought them food and water.

       (1 Ki 18:14 NCV)  Now you want me to go and tell my master you are 
       here? He will kill me!"

       (1 Ki 18:15 NCV)  Elijah answered, "As surely as the LORD All-Powerful 
       lives, whom I serve, I will be seen by Ahab today."

       (1 Ki 18:16 NCV)  So Obadiah went to Ahab and told him where Elijah 
       was. Then Ahab went to meet Elijah.

       (1 Ki 18:17 NCV)  When he saw Elijah, he asked, "Is it you--the 
       biggest troublemaker in Israel?"

       (1 Ki 18:18 NCV)  Elijah answered, "I have not made trouble in Israel. 
       You and your father's family have made all this trouble by not obeying 
       the Lord's commands. You have gone after the Baals.

       (1 Ki 18:19 NCV)  Now tell all Israel to meet me at Mount Carmel. Also 
       bring the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred 
       prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table."

       (1 Ki 18:20 NCV)  So Ahab called all the Israelites and those prophets 
       to Mount Carmel.

       (1 Ki 18:21 NCV)  Elijah approached the people and said, "How long 
       will you not decide between two choices? If the LORD is the true God, 
       follow him, but if Baal is the true God, follow him!" But the people 
       said nothing.

       (1 Ki 18:22 NCV)  Elijah said, "I am the only prophet of the LORD 
       here, but there are four hundred fifty prophets of Baal.

       (1 Ki 18:23 NCV)  Bring two bulls. Let the prophets of Baal choose one 
       bull and kill it and cut it into pieces. Then let them put the meat on 
       the wood, but they are not to set fire to it. I will prepare the other 
       bull, putting the meat on the wood but not setting fire to it.

       (1 Ki 18:24 NCV)  You prophets of Baal, pray to your god, and I will 
       pray to the LORD. The god who answers by setting fire to his wood is 
       the true God." All the people agreed that this was a good idea.






       (1 Ki 18:25 NCV)  Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "There are 
       many of you, so you go first. Choose a bull and prepare it. Pray to 
       your god, but don't start the fire."

       (1 Ki 18:26 NCV)  So they took the bull that was given to them and 
       prepared it. They prayed to Baal from morning until noon, shouting 
       "Baal, answer us!" But there was no sound, and no one answered. They 
       danced around the altar they had built.

       (1 Ki 18:27 NCV)  At noon Elijah began to make fun of them. "Pray 
       louder!" he said. "If Baal really is a god, maybe he is thinking, or 
       busy, or traveling! Maybe he is sleeping so you will have to wake 
       him!"

       (1 Ki 18:28 NCV)  The prophets prayed louder, cutting themselves with 
       swords and spears until their blood flowed, which was the way they 
       worshiped.

       (1 Ki 18:29 NCV)  The afternoon passed, and the prophets continued to 
       act like this until it was time for the evening sacrifice. But no 
       voice was heard; Baal did not answer, and no one paid attention.

       (1 Ki 18:30 NCV)  Then Elijah said to all the people, "Now come to 
       me." So they gathered around him, and Elijah rebuilt the altar of the 
       LORD, which had been torn down.

       (1 Ki 18:31 NCV)  He took twelve stones, one stone for each of the 
       twelve tribes, the number of Jacob's sons. (The LORD changed Jacob's 
       name to Israel.)

       (1 Ki 18:32 NCV)  Elijah used these stones to rebuild the altar in 
       honor of the LORD. Then he dug a ditch around the altar that was big 
       enough to hold about thirteen quarts of seed.

       (1 Ki 18:33 NCV)  Elijah put the wood on the altar, cut the bull into 
       pieces, and laid the pieces on the wood.

       (1 Ki 18:34 NCV)  Then he said, "Fill four jars with water, and pour 
       it on the meat and on the wood." Then Elijah said, "Do it again," and 
       they did it again. Then he said, "Do it a third time," and they did it 
       the third time.

       (1 Ki 18:35 NCV)  So the water ran off the altar and filled the ditch.

       (1 Ki 18:36 NCV)  At the time for the evening sacrifice, the prophet 
       Elijah went near the altar. "LORD, you are the God of Abraham, Isaac, 
       and Israel," he prayed. "Prove that you are the God of Israel and that 
       I am your servant. Show these people that you commanded me to do all 
       these things.

       (1 Ki 18:37 NCV)  LORD, answer my prayer so these people will know 
       that you, LORD, are God and that you will change their minds."

       (1 Ki 18:38 NCV)  Then fire from the LORD came down and burned the 
       sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the ground around the altar. It 





       also dried up the water in the ditch.

       (1 Ki 18:39 NCV)  When all the people saw this, they fell down to the 
       ground, crying, "The LORD is God! The LORD is God!"

       (1 Ki 18:40 NCV)  Then Elijah said, "Capture the prophets of Baal! 
       Don't let any of them run away!" The people captured all the prophets. 
       Then Elijah led them down to the Kishon Valley, where he killed them.

       (1 Ki 18:41 NCV)  Then Elijah said to Ahab, "Now, go, eat, and drink, 
       because a heavy rain is coming."

       (1 Ki 18:42 NCV)  So King Ahab went to eat and drink. At the same time 
       Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel, where he bent down to the 
       ground with his head between his knees.

       (1 Ki 18:43 NCV)  Then Elijah said to his servant, "Go and look toward 
       the sea." The servant went and looked. "I see nothing," he said. 
       Elijah told him to go and look again. This happened seven times.

       (1 Ki 18:44 NCV)  The seventh time, the servant said, "I see a small 
       cloud, the size of a human fist, coming from the sea." Elijah told the 
       servant, "Go to Ahab and tell him to get his chariot ready and go home 
       now. Otherwise, the rain will stop him."

       (1 Ki 18:45 NCV)  After a short time the sky was covered with dark 
       clouds. The wind began to blow, and soon a heavy rain began to fall. 
       Ahab got in his chariot and started back to Jezreel.

       (1 Ki 18:46 NCV)  The LORD gave his power to Elijah, who tightened his 
       clothes around him and ran ahead of King Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

       (1 Ki 19:1 NCV)  King Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and 
       how Elijah had killed all the prophets with a sword.

       (1 Ki 19:2 NCV)  So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "May 
       the gods punish me terribly if by this time tomorrow I don't kill you 
       just as you killed those prophets."

       (1 Ki 19:3 NCV)  When Elijah heard this, he was afraid and ran for his 
       life, taking his servant with him. When they came to Beersheba in 
       Judah, Elijah left his servant there.

       (1 Ki 19:4 NCV)  Then Elijah walked for a whole day into the desert. 
       He sat down under a bush and asked to die. "I have had enough, LORD," 
       he prayed. "Let me die. I am no better than my ancestors."

       (1 Ki 19:5 NCV)  Then he lay down under the tree and slept. Suddenly 
       an angel came to him and touched him. "Get up and eat," the angel 
       said.

       (1 Ki 19:6 NCV)  Elijah saw near his head a loaf baked over coals and 
       a jar of water, so he ate and drank. Then he went back to sleep.

       (1 Ki 19:7 NCV)  Later the Lord's angel came to him a second time. The 
       angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat. If you don't, the journey 





       will be too hard for you."

       (1 Ki 19:8 NCV)  So Elijah got up and ate and drank. The food made him 
       strong enough to walk for forty days and nights to Mount Sinai, the 
       mountain of God.

       (1 Ki 19:9 NCV)  There Elijah went into a cave and stayed all night. 
       Then the LORD spoke his word to him: "Elijah! Why are you here?"

       (1 Ki 19:10 NCV)  He answered, "LORD God All-Powerful, I have always 
       served you as well as I could. But the people of Israel have broken 
       their agreement with you, destroyed your altars, and killed your 
       prophets with swords. I am the only prophet left, and now they are 
       trying to kill me, too."

       (1 Ki 19:11 NCV)  The LORD said to Elijah, "Go, stand in front of me 
       on the mountain, and I will pass by you." Then a very strong wind blew 
       until it caused the mountains to fall apart and large rocks to break 
       in front of the LORD. But the LORD was not in the wind. After the 
       wind, there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.

       (1 Ki 19:12 NCV)  After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the LORD 
       was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a quiet, gentle sound.

       (1 Ki 19:13 NCV)  When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his 
       coat and went out and stood at the entrance to the cave. Then a voice 
       said to him, "Elijah! Why are you here?"

       (1 Ki 19:14 NCV)  He answered, "LORD God All-Powerful, I have always 
       served you as well as I could. But the people of Israel have broken 
       their agreement with you, destroyed your altars, and killed your 
       prophets with swords. I am the only prophet left, and now they are 
       trying to kill me, too."

       (1 Ki 19:15 NCV)  The LORD said to him, "Go back on the road that 
       leads to the desert around Damascus. Enter that city, and pour olive 
       oil on Hazael to make him king over Aram.

       (1 Ki 19:16 NCV)  Then pour oil on Jehu son of Nimshi to make him king 
       over Israel. Next, pour oil on Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah 
       to make him a prophet in your place.

       (1 Ki 19:17 NCV)  Jehu will kill anyone who escapes from Hazael's 
       sword, and Elisha will kill anyone who escapes from Jehu's sword.

       (1 Ki 19:18 NCV)  I have seven thousand people left in Israel who have 
       never bowed down before Baal and whose mouths have never kissed his 
       idol."

       (1 Ki 19:19 NCV)  So Elijah left that place and found Elisha son of 
       Shaphat plowing a field with a team of oxen. He owned twelve teams of 
       oxen and was plowing with the twelfth team. Elijah came up to Elisha, 
       took off his coat, and put it on Elisha.

       (1 Ki 19:20 NCV)  Then Elisha left his oxen and ran to follow Elijah. 
       "Let me kiss my father and my mother good-bye," Elisha said. "Then I 





       will go with you." Elijah answered, "Go back. It does not matter to 
       me."

       (1 Ki 19:21 NCV)  So Elisha went back and took his pair of oxen and 
       killed them. He used their wooden yoke for a fire. Then he cooked the 
       meat and gave it to the people. After they ate it, Elisha left and 
       followed Elijah and became his helper.

       (1 Ki 20:1 NCV)  Ben-Hadad king of Aram gathered together all his 
       army. There were thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots who 
       went with him and surrounded Samaria and attacked it.

       (1 Ki 20:2 NCV)  The king sent messengers into the city to Ahab king 
       of Israel. This was his message: "Ben-Hadad says,

       (1 Ki 20:3 NCV)  'Your silver and gold belong to me, as well as the 
       best of your wives and children.'"

       (1 Ki 20:4 NCV)  Ahab king of Israel answered, "My master and king, I 
       agree to what you say. I and everything I have belong to you."

       (1 Ki 20:5 NCV)  Then the messengers came to Ahab again. They said, 
       "Ben-Hadad says, 'I told you before that you must give me your silver 
       and gold, your wives and your children.

       (1 Ki 20:6 NCV)  About this time tomorrow I will send my men, who will 
       search everywhere in your palace and in the homes of your officers. 
       Whatever they want they will take and carry off.'"

       (1 Ki 20:7 NCV)  Then Ahab called a meeting of all the older leaders 
       of his country. He said, "Ben-Hadad is looking for trouble. First he 
       said I had to give him my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, 
       and I have not refused him."

       (1 Ki 20:8 NCV)  The older leaders and all the people said, "Don't 
       listen to him or agree to this."

       (1 Ki 20:9 NCV)  So Ahab said to Ben-Hadad's messengers, "Tell my 
       master the king: 'I will do what you said at first, but I cannot allow 
       this second command.'" And King Ben-Hadad's men carried the message 
       back to him.

       (1 Ki 20:10 NCV)  Then Ben-Hadad sent another message to Ahab: "May 
       the gods punish me terribly if I don't completely destroy Samaria. 
       There won't be enough left for each of my men to get a handful of 
       dust!"

       (1 Ki 20:11 NCV)  Ahab answered, "Tell Ben-Hadad, 'The man who puts on 
       his armor should not brag. It's the man who lives to take it off who 
       has the right to brag.'"

       (1 Ki 20:12 NCV)  Ben-Hadad was drinking in his tent with the other 
       rulers when the message came from Ahab. Ben-Hadad commanded his men to 
       prepare to attack the city, and they moved into place for battle.

       (1 Ki 20:13 NCV)  At the same time a prophet came to Ahab king of 





       Israel. The prophet said, "Ahab, the LORD says to you, 'Do you see 
       that big army? I will hand it over to you today so you will know I am 
       the LORD.'"

       (1 Ki 20:14 NCV)  Ahab asked, "Who will you use to defeat them?" The 
       prophet answered, "The LORD says, 'The young officers of the district 
       governors will defeat them.'" Then the king asked, "Who will command 
       the main army?" The prophet answered, "You will."

       (1 Ki 20:15 NCV)  So Ahab gathered the young officers of the district 
       governors, two hundred thirty-two of them. Then he called together the 
       army of Israel, about seven thousand people in all.

       (1 Ki 20:16 NCV)  They marched out at noon, while Ben-Hadad and the 
       thirty-two rulers helping him were getting drunk in their tents.

       (1 Ki 20:17 NCV)  The young officers of the district governors 
       attacked first. Ben-Hadad sent out scouts who told him that soldiers 
       were coming from Samaria.

       (1 Ki 20:18 NCV)  Ben-Hadad said, "They may be coming to fight, or 
       they may be coming to ask for peace. In either case capture them 
       alive."

       (1 Ki 20:19 NCV)  The young officers of the district governors led the 
       attack, followed by the army of Israel.

       (1 Ki 20:20 NCV)  Each officer of Israel killed the man who came 
       against him. The men from Aram ran away as Israel chased them, but 
       Ben-Hadad king of Aram escaped on a horse with some of his horsemen.

       (1 Ki 20:21 NCV)  Ahab king of Israel led the army and destroyed the 
       Arameans' horses and chariots. King Ahab thoroughly defeated the 
       Aramean army.

       (1 Ki 20:22 NCV)  Then the prophet went to Ahab king of Israel and 
       said, "The king of Aram will attack you again next spring. So go home 
       now and strengthen your army and see what you need to do."

       (1 Ki 20:23 NCV)  Meanwhile the officers of Ben-Hadad king of Aram 
       said to him, "The gods of Israel are mountain gods. Since we fought in 
       a mountain area, Israel won. Let's fight them on the flat land, and 
       then we will win.

       (1 Ki 20:24 NCV)  This is what you should do. Don't allow the 
       thirty-two rulers to command the armies, but put other commanders in 
       their places.

       (1 Ki 20:25 NCV)  Gather an army like the one that was destroyed and 
       as many horses and chariots as before. We will fight the Israelites on 
       flat land, and then we will win." Ben-Hadad agreed with their advice 
       and did what they said.

       (1 Ki 20:26 NCV)  The next spring Ben-Hadad gathered the army of Aram 
       and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.





       (1 Ki 20:27 NCV)  The Israelites also had prepared for war. They 
       marched out to meet the Arameans and camped opposite them. The 
       Israelites looked like two small flocks of goats, but the Arameans 
       covered the area.

       (1 Ki 20:28 NCV)  A man of God came to the king of Israel with this 
       message: "The LORD says, 'The people of Aram say that I, the LORD, am 
       a god of the mountains, not a god of the valleys. So I will allow you 
       to defeat this huge army, and then you will know I am the LORD.'"

       (1 Ki 20:29 NCV)  The armies were camped across from each other for 
       seven days. On the seventh day the battle began. The Israelites killed 
       one hundred thousand Aramean soldiers in one day.

       (1 Ki 20:30 NCV)  The rest of them ran away to the city of Aphek, 
       where a city wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of them. Ben-Hadad 
       also ran away to the city and hid in a room.

       (1 Ki 20:31 NCV)  His officers said to him, "We have heard that the 
       kings of Israel are trustworthy. Let's dress in rough cloth to show 
       our sadness, and wear ropes on our heads. Then we will go to the king 
       of Israel, and perhaps he will let you live."

       (1 Ki 20:32 NCV)  So they dressed in rough cloth and wore ropes on 
       their heads and went to the king of Israel. They said, "Your servant 
       Ben-Hadad says, 'Please let me live.'" Ahab answered, "Is he still 
       alive? He is my brother."

       (1 Ki 20:33 NCV)  Ben-Hadad's men had wanted a sign from Ahab. So when 
       Ahab called Ben-Hadad his brother, they quickly said, "Yes! Ben-Hadad 
       is your brother." Ahab said, "Bring him to me." When Ben-Hadad came, 
       Ahab asked him to join him in the chariot.

       (1 Ki 20:34 NCV)  Ben-Hadad said to him, "Ahab, I will give you back 
       the cities my father took from your father. And you may put shops in 
       Damascus, as my father did in Samaria." Ahab said, "If you agree to 
       this, I will allow you to go free." So the two kings made a peace 
       agreement. Then Ahab let Ben-Hadad go free.

       (1 Ki 20:35 NCV)  One prophet from one of the groups of prophets told 
       another, "Hit me!" He said this because the LORD had commanded it, but 
       the other man refused.

       (1 Ki 20:36 NCV)  The prophet said, "You did not obey the Lord's 
       command, so a lion will kill you as soon as you leave me." When the 
       man left, a lion found him and killed him.

       (1 Ki 20:37 NCV)  The prophet went to another man and said, "Hit me, 
       please!" So the man hit him and hurt him.

       (1 Ki 20:38 NCV)  The prophet wrapped his face in a cloth so no one 
       could tell who he was. Then he went and waited by the road for the 
       king.

       (1 Ki 20:39 NCV)  As Ahab king of Israel passed by, the prophet called 
       out to him. "I went to fight in the battle," the prophet said. "One of 





       our men brought an enemy soldier to me. Our man said, 'Guard this man. 
       If he runs away, you will have to give your life in his place. Or, you 
       will have to pay a fine of seventy-five pounds of silver.'

       (1 Ki 20:40 NCV)  But I was busy doing other things, so the man ran 
       away." The king of Israel answered, "You have already said what the 
       punishment is. You must do what the man said."

       (1 Ki 20:41 NCV)  Then the prophet quickly took the cloth from his 
       face. When the king of Israel saw him, he knew he was one of the 
       prophets.

       (1 Ki 20:42 NCV)  The prophet said to the king, "This is what the LORD 
       says: 'You freed the man I said should die, so your life will be taken 
       instead of his. The lives of your people will also be taken instead of 
       the lives of his people.'"

       (1 Ki 20:43 NCV)  Then King Ahab went back to his palace in Samaria, 
       angry and upset.

       (1 Ki 21:1 NCV)  After these things had happened, this is what 
       followed. A man named Naboth owned a vineyard in Jezreel, near the 
       palace of Ahab king of Israel.

       (1 Ki 21:2 NCV)  One day Ahab said to Naboth, "Give me your vineyard. 
       It is near my palace, and I want to make it into a vegetable garden. I 
       will give you a better vineyard in its place, or, if you prefer, I 
       will pay you what it is worth."

       (1 Ki 21:3 NCV)  Naboth answered, "May the LORD keep me from ever 
       giving my land to you. It belongs to my family."

       (1 Ki 21:4 NCV)  Ahab went home angry and upset, because he did not 
       like what Naboth from Jezreel had said. (Naboth had said, "I will not 
       give you my family's land.") Ahab lay down on his bed, turned his face 
       to the wall, and refused to eat.

       (1 Ki 21:5 NCV)  His wife, Jezebel, came in and asked him, "Why are 
       you so upset that you refuse to eat?"

       (1 Ki 21:6 NCV)  Ahab answered, "I talked to Naboth, the man from 
       Jezreel. I said, 'Sell me your vineyard, or, if you prefer, I will 
       give you another vineyard for it.' But Naboth refused."

       (1 Ki 21:7 NCV)  Jezebel answered, "Is this how you rule as king over 
       Israel? Get up, eat something, and cheer up. I will get Naboth's 
       vineyard for you."

       (1 Ki 21:8 NCV)  So Jezebel wrote some letters, signed Ahab's name to 
       them, and used his own seal to seal them. Then she sent them to the 
       older leaders and important men who lived in Naboth's town.

       (1 Ki 21:9 NCV)  The letter she wrote said: "Declare a day during 
       which the people are to give up eating. Call the people together, and 
       give Naboth a place of honor among them.





       (1 Ki 21:10 NCV)  Seat two troublemakers across from him, and have 
       them say they heard Naboth speak against God and the king. Then take 
       Naboth out of the city and kill him with stones."

       (1 Ki 21:11 NCV)  The older leaders and important men of Jezreel 
       obeyed Jezebel's command, just as she wrote in the letters.

       (1 Ki 21:12 NCV)  They declared a special day on which the people were 
       to give up eating. And they put Naboth in a place of honor before the 
       people.

       (1 Ki 21:13 NCV)  Two troublemakers sat across from Naboth and said in 
       front of everybody that they had heard him speak against God and the 
       king. So the people carried Naboth out of the city and killed him with 
       stones.

       (1 Ki 21:14 NCV)  Then the leaders sent a message to Jezebel, saying, 
       "Naboth has been killed."

       (1 Ki 21:15 NCV)  When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been killed, she 
       told Ahab, "Naboth of Jezreel is dead. Now you may go and take for 
       yourself the vineyard he would not sell to you."

       (1 Ki 21:16 NCV)  When Ahab heard that Naboth of Jezreel was dead, he 
       got up and went to the vineyard to take it for his own.

       (1 Ki 21:17 NCV)  At this time the LORD spoke his word to the prophet 
       Elijah the Tishbite. The LORD said,

       (1 Ki 21:18 NCV)  "Go to Ahab king of Israel in Samaria. He is at 
       Naboth's vineyard, where he has gone to take it as his own.

       (1 Ki 21:19 NCV)  Tell Ahab that I, the LORD, say to him, 'You have 
       murdered Naboth and taken his land. So I tell you this: In the same 
       place the dogs licked up Naboth's blood, they will also lick up your 
       blood!'"

       (1 Ki 21:20 NCV)  When Ahab saw Elijah, he said, "So you have found 
       me, my enemy!" Elijah answered, "Yes, I have found you. You have 
       always chosen to do what the LORD says is wrong.

       (1 Ki 21:21 NCV)  So the LORD says to you, 'I will soon destroy you. I 
       will kill you and every male in your family, both slave and free.

       (1 Ki 21:22 NCV)  Your family will be like the family of King Jeroboam 
       son of Nebat and like the family of King Baasha son of Ahijah. I will 
       destroy you, because you have made me angry and have led the people of 
       Israel to sin.'

       (1 Ki 21:23 NCV)  "And the LORD also says, 'Dogs will eat the body of 
       Jezebel in the city of Jezreel.'

       (1 Ki 21:24 NCV)  "Anyone in your family who dies in the city will be 
       eaten by dogs, and anyone who dies in the fields will be eaten by 
       birds."





       (1 Ki 21:25 NCV)  There was no one like Ahab who had chosen so often 
       to do what the LORD said was wrong, because his wife Jezebel 
       influenced him to do evil.

       (1 Ki 21:26 NCV)  Ahab sinned terribly by worshiping idols, just as 
       the Amorite people did. And the LORD had taken away their land and 
       given it to the people of Israel.

       (1 Ki 21:27 NCV)  After Elijah finished speaking, Ahab tore his 
       clothes. He put on rough cloth, refused to eat, and even slept in the 
       rough cloth to show how sad and upset he was.

       (1 Ki 21:28 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to Elijah the Tishbite:

       (1 Ki 21:29 NCV)  "I see that Ahab is now sorry for what he has done. 
       So I will not cause the trouble to come to him during his life, but I 
       will wait until his son is king. Then I will bring this trouble to 
       Ahab's family."

       (1 Ki 22:1 NCV)  For three years there was peace between Israel and 
       Aram.

       (1 Ki 22:2 NCV)  During the third year Jehoshaphat king of Judah went 
       to visit Ahab king of Israel.

       (1 Ki 22:3 NCV)  At that time Ahab asked his officers, "Do you 
       remember that the king of Aram took Ramoth in Gilead from us? Why have 
       we done nothing to get it back?"

       (1 Ki 22:4 NCV)  So Ahab asked King Jehoshaphat, "Will you go with me 
       to fight at Ramoth in Gilead?" "I will go with you," Jehoshaphat 
       answered. "My soldiers are yours, and my horses are yours."

       (1 Ki 22:5 NCV)  Jehoshaphat also said to Ahab, "But first we should 
       ask if this is the Lord's will."

       (1 Ki 22:6 NCV)  Ahab called about four hundred prophets together and 
       asked them, "Should I go to war against Ramoth in Gilead or not?" They 
       answered, "Go, because the Lord will hand them over to you."

       (1 Ki 22:7 NCV)  But Jehoshaphat asked, "Isn't there a prophet of the 
       LORD here? Let's ask him what we should do."

       (1 Ki 22:8 NCV)  Then King Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "There is one 
       other prophet. We could ask the LORD through him, but I hate him. He 
       never prophesies anything good about me, but something bad. He is 
       Micaiah son of Imlah." Jehoshaphat said, "King Ahab, you shouldn't say 
       that!"

       (1 Ki 22:9 NCV)  So Ahab king of Israel told one of his officers to 
       bring Micaiah to him at once.

       (1 Ki 22:10 NCV)  Ahab king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah 
       had on their royal robes and were sitting on their thrones at the 
       threshing floor, near the entrance to the gate of Samaria. All the 
       prophets were standing before them, speaking their messages.






       (1 Ki 22:11 NCV)  Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made some iron horns. 
       He said to Ahab, "This is what the LORD says, 'You will use these 
       horns to fight the Arameans until they are destroyed.'"

       (1 Ki 22:12 NCV)  All the other prophets said the same thing. "Attack 
       Ramoth in Gilead and win, because the LORD will hand the Arameans over 
       to you."

       (1 Ki 22:13 NCV)  The messenger who had gone to get Micaiah said to 
       him, "All the other prophets are saying King Ahab will succeed. You 
       should agree with them and give the king a good answer."

       (1 Ki 22:14 NCV)  But Micaiah answered, "As surely as the LORD lives, 
       I can tell him only what the LORD tells me."

       (1 Ki 22:15 NCV)  When Micaiah came to Ahab, the king asked him, 
       "Micaiah, should we attack Ramoth in Gilead or not?" Micaiah answered, 
       "Attack and win! The LORD will hand them over to you."

       (1 Ki 22:16 NCV)  But Ahab said to Micaiah, "How many times do I have 
       to tell you to speak only the truth to me in the name of the LORD?"

       (1 Ki 22:17 NCV)  So Micaiah answered, "I saw the army of Israel 
       scattered over the hills like sheep without a shepherd. The LORD said, 
       'They have no leaders. They should go home and not fight.'"

       (1 Ki 22:18 NCV)  Then Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I 
       told you! He never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad."

       (1 Ki 22:19 NCV)  But Micaiah said, "Hear the message from the LORD: I 
       saw the LORD sitting on his throne with his heavenly army standing 
       near him on his right and on his left.

       (1 Ki 22:20 NCV)  The LORD said, 'Who will trick Ahab into attacking 
       Ramoth in Gilead where he will be killed?' "Some said one thing; some 
       said another.

       (1 Ki 22:21 NCV)  Then one spirit came and stood before the LORD and 
       said, 'I will trick him.'

       (1 Ki 22:22 NCV)  "The LORD asked, 'How will you do it?' "The spirit 
       answered, 'I will go to Ahab's prophets and make them tell lies.' "So 
       the LORD said, 'You will succeed in tricking him. Go and do it.'"

       (1 Ki 22:23 NCV)  Micaiah said, "Ahab, the LORD has made your prophets 
       lie to you, and the LORD has decided that disaster should come to 
       you."

       (1 Ki 22:24 NCV)  Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up to Micaiah and 
       slapped him in the face. Zedekiah said, "Has the Lord's spirit left me 
       to speak through you?"

       (1 Ki 22:25 NCV)  Micaiah answered, "You will find out on the day you 
       go to hide in an inside room."





       (1 Ki 22:26 NCV)  Then Ahab king of Israel ordered, "Take Micaiah and 
       send him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the king's 
       son.

       (1 Ki 22:27 NCV)  Tell them I said to put this man in prison and give 
       him only bread and water until I return safely from the battle."

       (1 Ki 22:28 NCV)  Micaiah said, "Ahab, if you come back safely from 
       battle, the LORD has not spoken through me. Remember my words, all you 
       people!"

       (1 Ki 22:29 NCV)  So Ahab king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah 
       went to Ramoth in Gilead.

       (1 Ki 22:30 NCV)  King Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "I will go into 
       battle, but I will wear other clothes so no one will recognize me. But 
       you wear your royal clothes." So Ahab wore other clothes and went into 
       battle.

       (1 Ki 22:31 NCV)  The king of Aram had ordered his thirty-two chariot 
       commanders, "Don't fight with anyone--important or unimportant--except 
       the king of Israel."

       (1 Ki 22:32 NCV)  When these commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought 
       he was certainly the king of Israel, so they turned to attack him. But 
       Jehoshaphat began shouting.

       (1 Ki 22:33 NCV)  When they saw he was not King Ahab, they stopped 
       chasing him.

       (1 Ki 22:34 NCV)  By chance, a soldier shot an arrow, but he hit Ahab 
       king of Israel between the pieces of his armor. King Ahab said to his 
       chariot driver, "Turn around and get me out of the battle, because I 
       am hurt!"

       (1 Ki 22:35 NCV)  The battle continued all day. King Ahab was held up 
       in his chariot and faced the Arameans. His blood flowed down to the 
       bottom of the chariot. That evening he died.

       (1 Ki 22:36 NCV)  Near sunset a cry went out through the army of 
       Israel: "Each man go back to his own city and land."

       (1 Ki 22:37 NCV)  In that way King Ahab died. His body was carried to 
       Samaria and buried there.

       (1 Ki 22:38 NCV)  The men cleaned Ahab's chariot at a pool in Samaria 
       where prostitutes bathed, and the dogs licked his blood from the 
       chariot. These things happened as the LORD had said they would.

       (1 Ki 22:39 NCV)  Everything else Ahab did is written in the book of 
       the history of the kings of Israel. It tells about the palace Ahab 
       built and decorated with ivory and the cities he built.

       (1 Ki 22:40 NCV)  So Ahab died, and his son Ahaziah became king in his 
       place.





       (1 Ki 22:41 NCV)  Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah during 
       Ahab's fourth year as king of Israel.

       (1 Ki 22:42 NCV)  Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became 
       king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for twenty-five years. His mother's 
       name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.

       (1 Ki 22:43 NCV)  Jehoshaphat was good, like his father Asa, and he 
       did what the LORD said was right. But Jehoshaphat did not destroy the 
       places where gods were worshiped, so the people continued offering 
       sacrifices and burning incense there.

       (1 Ki 22:44 NCV)  Jehoshaphat was at peace with the king of Israel.

       (1 Ki 22:45 NCV)  Jehoshaphat fought many wars, and these wars and his 
       successes are written in the book of the history of the kings of 
       Judah.

       (1 Ki 22:46 NCV)  There were male prostitutes still in the places of 
       worship from the days of his father, Asa. So Jehoshaphat forced them 
       to leave.

       (1 Ki 22:47 NCV)  During this time the land of Edom had no king; it 
       was ruled by a governor.

       (1 Ki 22:48 NCV)  King Jehoshaphat built trading ships to sail to 
       Ophir for gold. But the ships were wrecked at Ezion Geber, so they 
       never set sail.

       (1 Ki 22:49 NCV)  Ahaziah son of Ahab went to help Jehoshaphat, 
       offering to give Jehoshaphat some men to sail with his men, but 
       Jehoshaphat refused.

       (1 Ki 22:50 NCV)  Jehoshaphat died and was buried with his ancestors 
       in Jerusalem, the city of David, his ancestor. Then his son Jehoram 
       became king in his place.

       (1 Ki 22:51 NCV)  Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria 
       during Jehoshaphat's seventeenth year as king over Judah. Ahaziah 
       ruled Israel for two years,

       (1 Ki 22:52 NCV)  and he did what the LORD said was wrong. He did the 
       same evil his father Ahab, his mother Jezebel, and Jeroboam son of 
       Nebat had done. All these rulers led the people of Israel into more 
       sin.

       (1 Ki 22:53 NCV)  Ahaziah worshiped and served the god Baal, and this 
       made the LORD, the God of Israel, very angry. In these ways Ahaziah 
       did what his father had done.

       (2 Ki 1:1 NCV)  After Ahab died, Moab broke away from Israel's rule.

       (2 Ki 1:2 NCV)  Ahaziah fell down through the wooden bars in his 
       upstairs room in Samaria and was badly hurt. He sent messengers and 
       told them, "Go, ask Baal-Zebub, god of Ekron, if I will recover from 
       my injuries."






       (2 Ki 1:3 NCV)  But the Lord's angel said to Elijah the Tishbite, "Go 
       up and meet the messengers sent by the king of Samaria. Ask them, 'Why 
       are you going to ask questions of Baal-Zebub, god of Ekron? Is it 
       because you think there is no God in Israel?'

       (2 Ki 1:4 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: 'You will never get up 
       from the bed you are lying on; you will die.'" Then Elijah left.

       (2 Ki 1:5 NCV)  When the messengers returned to Ahaziah, he asked 
       them, "Why have you returned?"

       (2 Ki 1:6 NCV)  They said, "A man came to meet us. He said, 'Go back 
       to the king who sent you and tell him what the LORD says: "Why do you 
       send messengers to ask questions of Baal-Zebub, god of Ekron? Is it 
       because you think there is no God in Israel? You will never get up 
       from the bed you are lying on; you will die."'"

       (2 Ki 1:7 NCV)  Ahaziah asked them, "What did the man look like who 
       met you and told you this?"

       (2 Ki 1:8 NCV)  They answered, "He was a hairy man and wore a leather 
       belt around his waist." Ahaziah said, "It was Elijah the Tishbite."

       (2 Ki 1:9 NCV)  Then he sent a captain with his fifty men to Elijah. 
       The captain went to Elijah, who was sitting on top of the hill, and 
       said to him, "Man of God, the king says, 'Come down!'"

       (2 Ki 1:10 NCV)  Elijah answered the captain, "If I am a man of God, 
       let fire come down from heaven and burn up you and your fifty men." 
       Then fire came down from heaven and burned up the captain and his 
       fifty men.

       (2 Ki 1:11 NCV)  Ahaziah sent another captain and fifty men to Elijah. 
       The captain said to him, "Man of God, this is what the king says: 
       'Come down quickly!'"

       (2 Ki 1:12 NCV)  Elijah answered, "If I am a man of God, let fire come 
       down from heaven and burn up you and your fifty men!" Then fire came 
       down from heaven and burned up the captain and his fifty men.

       (2 Ki 1:13 NCV)  Ahaziah then sent a third captain with his fifty men. 
       The third captain came and fell down on his knees before Elijah and 
       begged, "Man of God, please respect my life and the lives of your 
       fifty servants.

       (2 Ki 1:14 NCV)  See, fire came down from heaven and burned up the 
       first two captains of fifty with all their men. But now, respect my 
       life."

       (2 Ki 1:15 NCV)  The Lord's angel said to Elijah, "Go down with him 
       and don't be afraid of him." So Elijah got up and went down with him 
       to see the king.

       (2 Ki 1:16 NCV)  Elijah told Ahaziah, "This is what the LORD says: 
       'You have sent messengers to ask questions of Baal-Zebub, god of 





       Ekron. Is it because you think there is no God in Israel to ask? 
       Because of this, you will never get up from your bed; you will die.'"

       (2 Ki 1:17 NCV)  So Ahaziah died, just as the LORD, through Elijah, 
       had said he would. Joram became king in Ahaziah's place during the 
       second year Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat was king of Judah. Joram ruled 
       because Ahaziah had no son to take his place.

       (2 Ki 1:18 NCV)  The other things Ahaziah did are written in the book 
       of the history of the kings of Israel.

       (2 Ki 2:1 NCV)  It was almost time for the LORD to take Elijah by a 
       whirlwind up into heaven. While Elijah and Elisha were leaving Gilgal,

       (2 Ki 2:2 NCV)  Elijah said to Elisha, "Please stay here. The LORD has 
       told me to go to Bethel." But Elisha said, "As the LORD lives, and as 
       you live, I won't leave you." So they went down to Bethel.

       (2 Ki 2:3 NCV)  The groups of prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha 
       and said to him, "Do you know the LORD will take your master away from 
       you today?" Elisha said, "Yes, I know, but don't talk about it."

       (2 Ki 2:4 NCV)  Elijah said to him, "Stay here, Elisha, because the 
       LORD has sent me to Jericho." But Elisha said, "As the LORD lives, and 
       as you live, I won't leave you." So they went to Jericho.

       (2 Ki 2:5 NCV)  The groups of prophets at Jericho came to Elisha and 
       said, "Do you know that the LORD will take your master away from you 
       today?" Elisha answered, "Yes, I know, but don't talk about it."

       (2 Ki 2:6 NCV)  Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here. The LORD has sent 
       me to the Jordan River." Elisha answered, "As the LORD lives, and as 
       you live, I won't leave you." So the two of them went on.

       (2 Ki 2:7 NCV)  Fifty men of the groups of prophets came and stood far 
       from where Elijah and Elisha were by the Jordan.

       (2 Ki 2:8 NCV)  Elijah took off his coat, rolled it up, and hit the 
       water. The water divided to the right and to the left, and Elijah and 
       Elisha crossed over on dry ground.

       (2 Ki 2:9 NCV)  After they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, 
       "What can I do for you before I am taken from you?" Elisha said, 
       "Leave me a double share of your spirit."

       (2 Ki 2:10 NCV)  Elijah said, "You have asked a hard thing. But if you 
       see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours. If you don't, it 
       won't happen."

       (2 Ki 2:11 NCV)  As they were walking and talking, a chariot and 
       horses of fire appeared and separated Elijah from Elisha. Then Elijah 
       went up to heaven in a whirlwind.

       (2 Ki 2:12 NCV)  Elisha saw it and shouted, "My father! My father! The 
       chariots of Israel and their horsemen!" And Elisha did not see him 
       anymore. Then Elisha grabbed his own clothes and tore them to show how 





       sad he was.

       (2 Ki 2:13 NCV)  He picked up Elijah's coat that had fallen from him. 
       Then he returned and stood on the bank of the Jordan.

       (2 Ki 2:14 NCV)  Elisha hit the water with Elijah's coat and said, 
       "Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" When he hit the water, it 
       divided to the right and to the left, and Elisha crossed over.

       (2 Ki 2:15 NCV)  The groups of prophets at Jericho were watching and 
       said, "Elisha now has the spirit Elijah had." And they came to meet 
       him, bowing down to the ground before him.

       (2 Ki 2:16 NCV)  They said to him, "There are fifty strong men with 
       us. Please let them go and look for your master. Maybe the Spirit of 
       the LORD has taken Elijah up and set him down on some mountain or in 
       some valley." But Elisha answered, "No, don't send them."

       (2 Ki 2:17 NCV)  When the groups of prophets had begged Elisha until 
       he couldn't refuse them anymore, he said, "Send them." So they sent 
       fifty men who looked for three days, but they could not find him.

       (2 Ki 2:18 NCV)  Then they came back to Elisha at Jericho where he was 
       staying. He said to them, "I told you not to go, didn't I?"

       (2 Ki 2:19 NCV)  The people of the city said to Elisha, "Look, master, 
       this city is a nice place to live as you can see. But the water is so 
       bad the land cannot grow crops."

       (2 Ki 2:20 NCV)  Elisha said, "Bring me a new bowl and put salt in 
       it." So they brought it to him.

       (2 Ki 2:21 NCV)  Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt in 
       it. He said, "This is what the LORD says: 'I have healed this water. 
       From now on it won't cause death, and it won't keep the land from 
       growing crops.'"

       (2 Ki 2:22 NCV)  So the water has been healed to this day just as 
       Elisha had said.

       (2 Ki 2:23 NCV)  From there Elisha went up to Bethel. On the way some 
       boys came out of the city and made fun of him. They said to him, "Go 
       up too, you baldhead! Go up too, you baldhead!"

       (2 Ki 2:24 NCV)  Elisha turned around, looked at them, and put a curse 
       on them in the name of the LORD. Then two mother bears came out of the 
       woods and tore forty-two of the boys to pieces.

       (2 Ki 2:25 NCV)  Elisha went to Mount Carmel and from there he 
       returned to Samaria.

       (2 Ki 3:1 NCV)  Joram son of Ahab became king over Israel at Samaria 
       in Jehoshaphat's eighteenth year as king of Judah. And Joram ruled 
       twelve years.

       (2 Ki 3:2 NCV)  He did what the LORD said was wrong, but he was not 





       like his father and mother; he removed the stone pillars his father 
       had made for Baal.

       (2 Ki 3:3 NCV)  But he continued to sin like Jeroboam son of Nebat who 
       had led Israel to sin. Joram did not stop doing these same sins.

       (2 Ki 3:4 NCV)  Mesha king of Moab raised sheep. He paid the king of 
       Israel one hundred thousand lambs and the wool of one hundred thousand 
       sheep.

       (2 Ki 3:5 NCV)  But when Ahab died, the king of Moab turned against 
       the king of Israel.

       (2 Ki 3:6 NCV)  So King Joram went out from Samaria and gathered 
       Israel's army.

       (2 Ki 3:7 NCV)  He also sent messengers to Jehoshaphat king of Judah. 
       "The king of Moab has turned against me," he said. "Will you go with 
       me to fight Moab?" Jehoshaphat replied, "I will go with you. My 
       soldiers and my horses are yours."

       (2 Ki 3:8 NCV)  Jehoshaphat asked, "Which way should we attack?" Joram 
       answered, "Through the Desert of Edom."

       (2 Ki 3:9 NCV)  So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and 
       the king of Edom. After they had marched seven days, there was no more 
       water for the army or for their animals that were with them.

       (2 Ki 3:10 NCV)  The king of Israel said, "This is terrible! The LORD 
       has called us three kings together to hand us over to the Moabites!"

       (2 Ki 3:11 NCV)  But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there a prophet of the 
       LORD here? We can ask the LORD through him." An officer of the king of 
       Israel answered, "Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He was Elijah's 
       servant."

       (2 Ki 3:12 NCV)  Jehoshaphat said, "He speaks the Lord's truth." So 
       the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to 
       see Elisha.

       (2 Ki 3:13 NCV)  Elisha said to the king of Israel, "I have nothing to 
       do with you. Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of 
       your mother!" The king of Israel said to Elisha, "No, the LORD has 
       called us three kings together to hand us over to the Moabites."

       (2 Ki 3:14 NCV)  Elisha said, "As surely as the LORD All-Powerful 
       lives, whom I serve, I tell you the truth. I wouldn't even look at you 
       or notice you if Jehoshaphat king of Judah were not here. I respect 
       him.

       (2 Ki 3:15 NCV)  Now bring me someone who plays the harp." While the 
       harp was being played, the LORD gave Elisha power.

       (2 Ki 3:16 NCV)  Then Elisha said, "The LORD says to dig holes in the 
       valley.





       (2 Ki 3:17 NCV)  The LORD says you won't see wind or rain, but the 
       valley will be filled with water. Then you, your cattle, and your 
       other animals can drink.

       (2 Ki 3:18 NCV)  This is easy for the LORD to do; he will also hand 
       Moab over to you.

       (2 Ki 3:19 NCV)  You will destroy every strong, walled city and every 
       important town. You will cut down every good tree and stop up all 
       springs. You will ruin every good field with rocks."

       (2 Ki 3:20 NCV)  The next morning, about the time the sacrifice was 
       offered, water came from the direction of Edom and filled the valley.

       (2 Ki 3:21 NCV)  All the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to 
       fight against them. So they gathered everyone old enough to put on 
       armor and waited at the border.

       (2 Ki 3:22 NCV)  But when the Moabites got up early in the morning, 
       the sun was shining on the water. They saw the water across from them, 
       and it looked as red as blood.

       (2 Ki 3:23 NCV)  Then they said, "This is blood! The kings must have 
       fought and killed each other! Come, Moabites, let's take the valuables 
       from the dead bodies!"

       (2 Ki 3:24 NCV)  When the Moabites came to the camp of Israel, the 
       Israelites came out and fought them until they ran away. Then the 
       Israelites went on into the land, killing the Moabites.

       (2 Ki 3:25 NCV)  They tore down the cities and threw rocks all over 
       every good field. They stopped up all the springs and cut down all the 
       good trees. Kir Hareseth was the only city with its stones still in 
       place, but the men with slingshots surrounded it and conquered it, 
       too.

       (2 Ki 3:26 NCV)  When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too 
       much for him, he took seven hundred men with swords to try to break 
       through to the king of Edom. But they could not break through.

       (2 Ki 3:27 NCV)  Then the king of Moab took his oldest son, who would 
       have been king after him, and offered him as a burnt offering on the 
       wall. So there was great anger against the Israelites, who left and 
       went back to their own land.

       (2 Ki 4:1 NCV)  The wife of a man from the groups of prophets said to 
       Elisha, "Your servant, my husband, is dead. You know he honored the 
       LORD. But now the man he owes money to is coming to take my two boys 
       as his slaves!"

       (2 Ki 4:2 NCV)  Elisha answered, "How can I help you? Tell me, what do 
       you have in your house?" The woman said, "I don't have anything there 
       except a pot of oil."

       (2 Ki 4:3 NCV)  Then Elisha said, "Go and get empty jars from all your 
       neighbors. Don't ask for just a few.






       (2 Ki 4:4 NCV)  Then go into your house and shut the door behind you 
       and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and set the full ones 
       aside."

       (2 Ki 4:5 NCV)  So she left Elisha and shut the door behind her and 
       her sons. As they brought the jars to her, she poured out the oil.

       (2 Ki 4:6 NCV)  When the jars were all full, she said to her son, 
       "Bring me another jar." But he said, "There are no more jars." Then 
       the oil stopped flowing.

       (2 Ki 4:7 NCV)  She went and told Elisha. And the prophet said to her, 
       "Go, sell the oil and pay what you owe. You and your sons can live on 
       what is left."

       (2 Ki 4:8 NCV)  One day Elisha went to Shunem, where an important 
       woman lived. She begged Elisha to stay and eat. So every time Elisha 
       passed by, he stopped there to eat.

       (2 Ki 4:9 NCV)  The woman said to her husband, "I know that this is a 
       holy man of God who passes by our house all the time.

       (2 Ki 4:10 NCV)  Let's make a small room on the roof and put a bed in 
       the room for him. We can put a table, a chair, and a lampstand there. 
       Then when he comes by, he can stay there."

       (2 Ki 4:11 NCV)  One day Elisha came to the woman's house. After he 
       went to his room and rested,

       (2 Ki 4:12 NCV)  he said to his servant Gehazi, "Call the Shunammite 
       woman." When the servant had called her, she stood in front of him.

       (2 Ki 4:13 NCV)  Elisha had told his servant, "Now say to her, 'You 
       have gone to all this trouble for us. What can I do for you? Do you 
       want me to speak to the king or the commander of the army for you?'" 
       She answered, "I live among my own people."

       (2 Ki 4:14 NCV)  Elisha said to Gehazi, "But what can we do for her?" 
       He answered, "She has no son, and her husband is old."

       (2 Ki 4:15 NCV)  Then Elisha said to Gehazi, "Call her." When he 
       called her, she stood in the doorway.

       (2 Ki 4:16 NCV)  Then Elisha said, "About this time next year, you 
       will hold a son in your arms." The woman said, "No, master, man of 
       God, don't lie to me, your servant!"

       (2 Ki 4:17 NCV)  But the woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son 
       at that time the next year, just as Elisha had told her.

       (2 Ki 4:18 NCV)  The boy grew up and one day went out to his father, 
       who was with the grain harvesters.

       (2 Ki 4:19 NCV)  The boy said to his father, "My head! My head!" The 
       father said to his servant, "Take him to his mother!"






       (2 Ki 4:20 NCV)  The servant took him to his mother, and he lay on his 
       mother's lap until noon. Then he died.

       (2 Ki 4:21 NCV)  So she took him up and laid him on Elisha's bed. Then 
       she shut the door and left.

       (2 Ki 4:22 NCV)  She called to her husband, "Send me one of the 
       servants and one of the donkeys. Then I can go quickly to the man of 
       God and return."

       (2 Ki 4:23 NCV)  The husband said, "Why do you want to go to him 
       today? It isn't the New Moon or the Sabbath day." She said, "It will 
       be all right."

       (2 Ki 4:24 NCV)  Then she saddled the donkey and said to her servant, 
       "Lead on. Don't slow down for me unless I tell you."

       (2 Ki 4:25 NCV)  So she went to Elisha, the man of God, at Mount 
       Carmel. When he saw her coming from far away, he said to his servant 
       Gehazi, "Look, there's the Shunammite woman!

       (2 Ki 4:26 NCV)  Run to meet her and ask, 'Are you all right? Is your 
       husband all right? Is the boy all right?'" She answered, "Everything 
       is all right."

       (2 Ki 4:27 NCV)  Then she came to Elisha at the hill and grabbed his 
       feet. Gehazi came near to pull her away, but Elisha said to him, 
       "Leave her alone. She's very upset, and the LORD has not told me about 
       it. He has hidden it from me."

       (2 Ki 4:28 NCV)  She said, "Master, did I ask you for a son? Didn't I 
       tell you not to lie to me?"

       (2 Ki 4:29 NCV)  Then Elisha said to Gehazi, "Get ready. Take my 
       walking stick in your hand and go quickly. If you meet anyone, don't 
       say hello. If anyone greets you, don't respond. Lay my walking stick 
       on the boy's face."

       (2 Ki 4:30 NCV)  The boy's mother said, "As surely as the LORD lives 
       and as you live, I won't leave you!" So Elisha got up and followed 
       her.

       (2 Ki 4:31 NCV)  Gehazi went on ahead and laid the walking stick on 
       the boy's face, but the boy did not talk or move. Then Gehazi went 
       back to meet Elisha. "The boy has not awakened," he said.

       (2 Ki 4:32 NCV)  When Elisha came into the house, the boy was lying 
       dead on his bed.

       (2 Ki 4:33 NCV)  Elisha entered the room and shut the door, so only he 
       and the boy were in the room. Then he prayed to the LORD.

       (2 Ki 4:34 NCV)  He went to the bed and lay on the boy, putting his 
       mouth on the boy's mouth, his eyes on the boy's eyes, and his hands on 
       the boy's hands. He stretched himself out on top of the boy. Soon the 





       boy's skin became warm.

       (2 Ki 4:35 NCV)  Elisha turned away and walked around the room. Then 
       he went back and put himself on the boy again. The boy sneezed seven 
       times and opened his eyes.

       (2 Ki 4:36 NCV)  Elisha called Gehazi and said, "Call the Shunammite!" 
       So he did. When she came, Elisha said, "Pick up your son."

       (2 Ki 4:37 NCV)  She came in and fell at Elisha's feet, bowing 
       facedown to the floor. Then she picked up her son and went out.

       (2 Ki 4:38 NCV)  When Elisha returned to Gilgal, there was a shortage 
       of food in the land. While the groups of prophets were sitting in 
       front of him, he said to his servant, "Put the large pot on the fire, 
       and boil some stew for these men."

       (2 Ki 4:39 NCV)  One of them went out into the field to gather plants. 
       Finding a wild vine, he picked fruit from the vine and filled his robe 
       with it. Then he came and cut up the fruit into the pot. But they 
       didn't know what kind of fruit it was.

       (2 Ki 4:40 NCV)  They poured out the stew for the others to eat. When 
       they began to eat it, they shouted, "Man of God, there's death in the 
       pot!" And they could not eat it.

       (2 Ki 4:41 NCV)  Elisha told them to bring some flour. He threw it 
       into the pot and said, "Pour it out for the people to eat." Then there 
       was nothing harmful in the pot.

       (2 Ki 4:42 NCV)  A man from Baal Shalishah came to Elisha, bringing 
       him twenty loaves of barley bread from the first harvest. He also 
       brought fresh grain in his sack. Elisha said, "Give it to the people 
       to eat."

       (2 Ki 4:43 NCV)  Elisha's servant asked, "How can I feed a hundred 
       people with so little?" "Give the bread to the people to eat," Elisha 
       said. "This is what the LORD says: 'They will eat and will have food 
       left over.'"

       (2 Ki 4:44 NCV)  After he gave it to them, the people ate and had food 
       left over, as the LORD had said.

       (2 Ki 5:1 NCV)  Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. 
       He was honored by his master, and he had much respect because the LORD 
       used him to give victory to Aram. He was a mighty and brave man, but 
       he had a skin disease.

       (2 Ki 5:2 NCV)  The Arameans had gone out to raid the Israelites and 
       had taken a little girl as a captive. This little girl served Naaman's 
       wife.

       (2 Ki 5:3 NCV)  She said to her mistress, "I wish my master would meet 
       the prophet who lives in Samaria. He would cure him of his disease."

       (2 Ki 5:4 NCV)  Naaman went to the king and told him what the girl 





       from Israel had said.

       (2 Ki 5:5 NCV)  The king of Aram said, "Go ahead, and I will send a 
       letter to the king of Israel." So Naaman left and took with him about 
       seven hundred fifty pounds of silver, as well as one hundred fifty 
       pounds of gold and ten changes of clothes.

       (2 Ki 5:6 NCV)  He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which 
       read, "I am sending my servant Naaman to you so you can heal him of 
       his skin disease."

       (2 Ki 5:7 NCV)  When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his 
       clothes to show how upset he was. He said, "I'm not God! I can't kill 
       and make alive again! Why does this man send someone with a skin 
       disease for me to heal? You can see that the king of Aram is trying to 
       start trouble with me."

       (2 Ki 5:8 NCV)  When Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of 
       Israel had torn his clothes, he sent the king this message: "Why have 
       you torn your clothes? Let Naaman come to me. Then he will know there 
       is a prophet in Israel."

       (2 Ki 5:9 NCV)  So Naaman went with his horses and chariots to 
       Elisha's house and stood outside the door.

       (2 Ki 5:10 NCV)  Elisha sent Naaman a messenger who said, "Go and wash 
       in the Jordan River seven times. Then your skin will be healed, and 
       you will be clean."

       (2 Ki 5:11 NCV)  Naaman became angry and left. He said, "I thought 
       Elisha would surely come out and stand before me and call on the name 
       of the LORD his God. I thought he would wave his hand over the place 
       and heal the disease.

       (2 Ki 5:12 NCV)  The Abana and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, 
       are better than all the waters of Israel. Why can't I wash in them and 
       become clean?" So Naaman went away very angry.

       (2 Ki 5:13 NCV)  Naaman's servants came near and said to him, "My 
       father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, wouldn't 
       you have done it? Doesn't it make more sense just to do it? After all, 
       he only told you, 'Wash, and you will be clean.'"

       (2 Ki 5:14 NCV)  So Naaman went down and dipped in the Jordan seven 
       times, just as Elisha had said. Then his skin became new again, like 
       the skin of a child. And he was clean.

       (2 Ki 5:15 NCV)  Naaman and all his group returned to Elisha. He stood 
       before Elisha and said, "Look, I now know there is no God in all the 
       earth except in Israel. Now please accept a gift from me."

       (2 Ki 5:16 NCV)  But Elisha said, "As surely as the LORD lives whom I 
       serve, I won't accept anything." Naaman urged him to take the gift, 
       but he refused.

       (2 Ki 5:17 NCV)  Then Naaman said, "If you won't take the gift, then 





       please give me some soil--as much as two of my mules can carry. From 
       now on I'll not offer any burnt offering or sacrifice to any other 
       gods but the LORD.

       (2 Ki 5:18 NCV)  But let the LORD pardon me for this: When my master 
       goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship, he leans on my arm. Then I 
       must bow in that temple. May the LORD pardon me when I do that."

       (2 Ki 5:19 NCV)  Elisha said to him, "Go in peace." Naaman left Elisha 
       and went a short way.

       (2 Ki 5:20 NCV)  Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, 
       thought, "My master has not accepted what Naaman the Aramean brought. 
       As surely as the LORD lives, I'll run after him and get something from 
       him."

       (2 Ki 5:21 NCV)  So Gehazi went after Naaman. When Naaman saw someone 
       running after him, he got off the chariot to meet Gehazi. He asked, 
       "Is everything all right?"

       (2 Ki 5:22 NCV)  Gehazi said, "Everything is all right. My master has 
       sent me. He said, 'Two young men from the groups of prophets in the 
       mountains of Ephraim just came to me. Please give them seventy-five 
       pounds of silver and two changes of clothes.'"

       (2 Ki 5:23 NCV)  Naaman said, "Please take one hundred fifty pounds," 
       and he urged Gehazi to take it. He tied one hundred fifty pounds of 
       silver in two bags with two changes of clothes. Then he gave them to 
       two of his servants to carry for Gehazi.

       (2 Ki 5:24 NCV)  When they came to the hill, Gehazi took these things 
       from Naaman's servants and put them in the house. Then he let Naaman's 
       servants go, and they left.

       (2 Ki 5:25 NCV)  When he came in and stood before his master, Elisha 
       said to him, "Where have you been, Gehazi?" "I didn't go anywhere," he 
       answered.

       (2 Ki 5:26 NCV)  But Elisha said to him, "My spirit was with you. I 
       knew when the man turned from his chariot to meet you. This isn't a 
       time to take money, clothes, olives, grapes, sheep, oxen, male 
       servants, or female servants.

       (2 Ki 5:27 NCV)  So Naaman's skin disease will come on you and your 
       children forever." When Gehazi left Elisha, he had the disease and was 
       as white as snow.

       (2 Ki 6:1 NCV)  The groups of prophets said to Elisha, "The place 
       where we meet with you is too small for us.

       (2 Ki 6:2 NCV)  Let's go to the Jordan River. There everyone can get a 
       log, and let's build a place there to live." Elisha said, "Go."

       (2 Ki 6:3 NCV)  One of them said, "Please go with us." Elisha 
       answered, "I will go,"





       (2 Ki 6:4 NCV)  so he went with them. When they arrived at the Jordan, 
       they cut down some trees.

       (2 Ki 6:5 NCV)  As one man was cutting down a tree, the head of his ax 
       fell into the water. He yelled, "Oh, my master! I borrowed that ax!"

       (2 Ki 6:6 NCV)  Elisha asked, "Where did it fall?" The man showed him 
       the place. Then Elisha cut down a stick and threw it into the water, 
       and it made the iron head float.

       (2 Ki 6:7 NCV)  Elisha said, "Pick up the axhead." Then the man 
       reached out and took it.

       (2 Ki 6:8 NCV)  The king of Aram was at war with Israel. He had a 
       council meeting with his officers and said, "I will set up my camp in 
       this place."

       (2 Ki 6:9 NCV)  Elisha, the man of God, sent a message to the king of 
       Israel, saying, "Be careful! Don't pass that place, because the 
       Arameans are going down there!"

       (2 Ki 6:10 NCV)  The king of Israel checked the place about which 
       Elisha had warned him. Elisha warned him several times, so the king 
       protected himself there.

       (2 Ki 6:11 NCV)  The king of Aram was angry about this. He called his 
       officers together and demanded, "Tell me who of us is working for the 
       king of Israel."

       (2 Ki 6:12 NCV)  One of the officers said, "None, my master and king. 
       It's Elisha, the prophet from Israel. He can tell you what you speak 
       in your bedroom."

       (2 Ki 6:13 NCV)  The king said, "Go and find him so I can send men and 
       catch him." The servants came back and reported, "He is in Dothan."

       (2 Ki 6:14 NCV)  Then the king sent horses, chariots, and many troops 
       to Dothan. They arrived at night and surrounded the city.

       (2 Ki 6:15 NCV)  Elisha's servant got up early, and when he went out, 
       he saw an army with horses and chariots all around the city. The 
       servant said to Elisha, "Oh, my master, what can we do?"

       (2 Ki 6:16 NCV)  Elisha said, "Don't be afraid. The army that fights 
       for us is larger than the one against us."

       (2 Ki 6:17 NCV)  Then Elisha prayed, "LORD, open my servant's eyes, 
       and let him see." The LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he 
       saw that the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all 
       around Elisha.

       (2 Ki 6:18 NCV)  As the enemy came down toward Elisha, he prayed to 
       the LORD, "Make these people blind." So he made the Aramean army 
       blind, as Elisha had asked.

       (2 Ki 6:19 NCV)  Elisha said to them, "This is not the right road or 





       the right city. Follow me and I'll take you to the man you are looking 
       for." Then Elisha led them to Samaria.

       (2 Ki 6:20 NCV)  After they entered Samaria, Elisha said, "LORD, open 
       these men's eyes so they can see." So the LORD opened their eyes, and 
       the Aramean army saw that they were inside the city of Samaria!

       (2 Ki 6:21 NCV)  When the king of Israel saw the Aramean army, he said 
       to Elisha, "My father, should I kill them? Should I kill them?"

       (2 Ki 6:22 NCV)  Elisha answered, "Don't kill them. You wouldn't kill 
       people whom you captured with your sword and bow. Give them food and 
       water, and let them eat and drink and then go home to their master."

       (2 Ki 6:23 NCV)  So he prepared a great feast for the Aramean army. 
       After they ate and drank, the king sent them away, and they went home 
       to their master. The soldiers of Aram did not come anymore into the 
       land of Israel.

       (2 Ki 6:24 NCV)  Later, Ben-Hadad king of Aram gathered his whole army 
       and surrounded and attacked Samaria.

       (2 Ki 6:25 NCV)  There was a shortage of food in Samaria. It was so 
       bad that a donkey's head sold for about two pounds of silver, and half 
       of a pint of dove's dung sold for about two ounces of silver.

       (2 Ki 6:26 NCV)  As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a 
       woman yelled out to him, "Help me, my master and king!"

       (2 Ki 6:27 NCV)  The king said, "If the LORD doesn't help you, how can 
       I? Can I get help from the threshing floor or from the winepress?"

       (2 Ki 6:28 NCV)  Then the king said to her, "What is your trouble?" 
       She answered, "This woman said to me, 'Give up your son so we can eat 
       him today. Then we will eat my son tomorrow.'

       (2 Ki 6:29 NCV)  So we boiled my son and ate him. Then the next day I 
       said to her, 'Give up your son so we can eat him.' But she had hidden 
       him."

       (2 Ki 6:30 NCV)  When the king heard the woman's words, he tore his 
       clothes in grief. As he walked along the wall, the people looked and 
       saw he had on rough cloth under his clothes to show his sadness.

       (2 Ki 6:31 NCV)  He said, "May God punish me terribly if the head of 
       Elisha son of Shaphat isn't cut off from his body today!"

       (2 Ki 6:32 NCV)  The king sent a messenger to Elisha, who was sitting 
       in his house with the older leaders. But before the messenger arrived, 
       Elisha said to them, "See, this murderer is sending men to cut off my 
       head. When the messenger arrives, shut the door and hold it; don't let 
       him in. The sound of his master's feet is behind him."

       (2 Ki 6:33 NCV)  Elisha was still talking with the leaders when the 
       messenger arrived. The king said, "This trouble has come from the 
       LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?"






       (2 Ki 7:1 NCV)  Elisha said, "Listen to the Lord's word. This is what 
       the LORD says: 'About this time tomorrow seven quarts of fine flour 
       will be sold for two-fifths of an ounce of silver, and thirteen quarts 
       of barley will be sold for two-fifths of an ounce of silver. This will 
       happen at the gate of Samaria.'"

       (2 Ki 7:2 NCV)  Then the officer who was close to the king answered 
       Elisha, "Even if the LORD opened windows in the sky, that couldn't 
       happen." Elisha said, "You will see it with your eyes, but you will 
       not eat any of it."

       (2 Ki 7:3 NCV)  There were four men with a skin disease at the 
       entrance to the city gate. They said to each other, "Why do we sit 
       here until we die?

       (2 Ki 7:4 NCV)  There is no food in the city. So if we go into the 
       city, we will die there. If we stay here, we will die. So let's go to 
       the Aramean camp. If they let us live, we will live. If they kill us, 
       we die."

       (2 Ki 7:5 NCV)  So they got up at twilight and went to the Aramean 
       camp, but when they arrived, no one was there.

       (2 Ki 7:6 NCV)  The Lord had caused the Aramean army to hear the sound 
       of chariots, horses, and a large army. They had said to each other, 
       "The king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack 
       us!"

       (2 Ki 7:7 NCV)  So they got up and ran away in the twilight, leaving 
       their tents, horses, and donkeys. They left the camp standing and ran 
       for their lives.

       (2 Ki 7:8 NCV)  When the men with the skin disease came to the edge of 
       the camp, they went into one of the tents and ate and drank. They 
       carried silver, gold, and clothes out of the camp and hid them. Then 
       they came back and entered another tent. They carried things from this 
       tent and hid them, also.

       (2 Ki 7:9 NCV)  Then they said to each other, "We're doing wrong. 
       Today we have good news, but we are silent. If we wait until the sun 
       comes up, we'll be discovered. Let's go right now and tell the people 
       in the king's palace."

       (2 Ki 7:10 NCV)  So they went and called to the gatekeepers of the 
       city. They said, "We went to the Aramean camp, but no one is there; we 
       didn't hear anyone. The horses and donkeys were still tied up, and the 
       tents were still standing."

       (2 Ki 7:11 NCV)  Then the gatekeepers shouted out and told the people 
       in the palace.

       (2 Ki 7:12 NCV)  The king got up in the night and said to his 
       officers, "I'll tell you what the Arameans are doing to us. They know 
       we are starving. They have gone out of the camp to hide in the field. 
       They're saying, 'When the Israelites come out of the city, we'll 





       capture them alive. Then we'll enter the city.'"

       (2 Ki 7:13 NCV)  One of his officers answered, "Let some men take five 
       of the horses that are still left in the city. These men are like all 
       the Israelites who are left; they are also about to die. Let's send 
       them to see what has happened."

       (2 Ki 7:14 NCV)  So the men took two chariots with horses. The king 
       sent them after the Aramean army, saying, "Go and see what has 
       happened."

       (2 Ki 7:15 NCV)  The men followed the Aramean army as far as the 
       Jordan River. The road was full of clothes and equipment that the 
       Arameans had thrown away as they had hurriedly left. So the messengers 
       returned and told the king.

       (2 Ki 7:16 NCV)  Then the people went out and took valuables from the 
       Aramean camp. So seven quarts of fine flour were sold for two-fifths 
       of an ounce of silver, and thirteen quarts of barley were sold for 
       two-fifths of an ounce of silver, just as the LORD had said.

       (2 Ki 7:17 NCV)  The king chose the officer who was close to him to 
       guard the gate, but the people trampled the officer to death. This 
       happened just as Elisha had told the king when the king came to his 
       house.

       (2 Ki 7:18 NCV)  He had said, "Thirteen quarts of barley and seven 
       quarts of fine flour will each sell for two-fifths of an ounce of 
       silver about this time tomorrow at the gate of Samaria."

       (2 Ki 7:19 NCV)  But the officer had answered, "Even if the LORD 
       opened windows in the sky, that couldn't happen." And Elisha had told 
       him, "You will see it with your eyes, but you won't eat any of it."

       (2 Ki 7:20 NCV)  It happened to the officer just that way. The people 
       trampled him in the gateway, and he died.

       (2 Ki 8:1 NCV)  Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had brought 
       back to life. He said, "Get up and go with your family. Stay any place 
       you can, because the LORD has called for a time without food that will 
       last seven years."

       (2 Ki 8:2 NCV)  So the woman got up and did as the man of God had 
       said. She left with her family, and they stayed in the land of the 
       Philistines for seven years.

       (2 Ki 8:3 NCV)  After seven years she returned from the land of the 
       Philistines and went to beg the king for her house and land.

       (2 Ki 8:4 NCV)  The king was talking with Gehazi, the servant of the 
       man of God. The king had said, "Please tell me all the great things 
       Elisha has done."

       (2 Ki 8:5 NCV)  Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had brought a 
       dead boy back to life. Just then the woman whose son Elisha had 
       brought back to life came and begged the king for her house and land. 





       Gehazi said, "My master and king, this is the woman, and this is the 
       son Elisha brought back to life."

       (2 Ki 8:6 NCV)  The king asked the woman, and she told him about it. 
       Then the king chose an officer to help her. "Give the woman everything 
       that is hers," the king said. "Give her all the money made from her 
       land from the day she left until now."

       (2 Ki 8:7 NCV)  Then Elisha went to Damascus, where Ben-Hadad king of 
       Aram was sick. Someone told him, "The man of God has arrived."

       (2 Ki 8:8 NCV)  The king said to Hazael, "Take a gift in your hand and 
       go meet him. Ask the LORD through him if I will recover from my 
       sickness."

       (2 Ki 8:9 NCV)  So Hazael went to meet Elisha, taking with him a gift 
       of forty camels loaded with every good thing in Damascus. He came and 
       stood before Elisha and said, "Your son Ben-Hadad king of Aram sent me 
       to you. He asks if he will recover from his sickness."

       (2 Ki 8:10 NCV)  Elisha said to Hazael, "Go and tell Ben-Hadad, 'You 
       will surely recover,' but the LORD has told me he will really die."

       (2 Ki 8:11 NCV)  Hazael stared at Elisha until he felt ashamed. Then 
       Elisha cried.

       (2 Ki 8:12 NCV)  Hazael asked, "Why are you crying, master?" Elisha 
       answered, "Because I know what evil you will do to the Israelites. You 
       will burn their strong, walled cities with fire and kill their young 
       men with swords. You will throw their babies to the ground and split 
       open their pregnant women."

       (2 Ki 8:13 NCV)  Hazael said, "Am I a dog? How could I do such 
       things?" Elisha answered, "The LORD has shown me that you will be king 
       over Aram."

       (2 Ki 8:14 NCV)  Then Hazael left Elisha and came to his master. 
       Ben-Hadad said to him, "What did Elisha say to you?" Hazael answered, 
       "He told me that you will surely recover."

       (2 Ki 8:15 NCV)  But the next day Hazael took a blanket and dipped it 
       in water. Then he put it over Ben-Hadad's face, and he died. So Hazael 
       became king in Ben-Hadad's place.

       (2 Ki 8:16 NCV)  While Jehoshaphat was king in Judah, Jehoram son of 
       Jehoshaphat became king of Judah. This was during the fifth year Joram 
       son of Ahab was king of Israel.

       (2 Ki 8:17 NCV)  Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he began to 
       rule, and he ruled eight years in Jerusalem.

       (2 Ki 8:18 NCV)  He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, just as 
       the family of Ahab had done, because he married Ahab's daughter. 
       Jehoram did what the LORD said was wrong.

       (2 Ki 8:19 NCV)  But the LORD would not destroy Judah because of his 





       servant David. The LORD had promised that one of David's descendants 
       would always rule.

       (2 Ki 8:20 NCV)  In Jehoram's time Edom broke away from Judah's rule 
       and chose their own king.

       (2 Ki 8:21 NCV)  So Jehoram and all his chariots went to Zair. The 
       Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders. Jehoram got up and 
       attacked the Edomites at night, but his army ran away to their tents.

       (2 Ki 8:22 NCV)  From then until now the country of Edom has fought 
       against the rule of Judah. At the same time Libnah also broke away 
       from Judah's rule.

       (2 Ki 8:23 NCV)  The other acts of Jehoram and all the things he did 
       are written in the book of the history of the kings of Judah.

       (2 Ki 8:24 NCV)  Jehoram died and was buried with his ancestors in 
       Jerusalem, and Jehoram's son Ahaziah ruled in his place.

       (2 Ki 8:25 NCV)  Ahaziah son of Jehoram became king of Judah during 
       the twelfth year Joram son of Ahab was king of Israel.

       (2 Ki 8:26 NCV)  Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, 
       and he ruled one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athaliah, a 
       granddaughter of Omri king of Israel.

       (2 Ki 8:27 NCV)  Ahaziah followed the ways of Ahab's family. He did 
       what the LORD said was wrong, as Ahab's family had done, because he 
       was a son-in-law to Ahab.

       (2 Ki 8:28 NCV)  Ahaziah went with Joram son of Ahab to Ramoth in 
       Gilead, where they fought against Hazael king of Aram. The Arameans 
       wounded Joram.

       (2 Ki 8:29 NCV)  So King Joram returned to Jezreel to heal from the 
       wound he had received from the Arameans at Ramoth when he fought 
       Hazael king of Aram. Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to 
       visit Joram son of Ahab at Jezreel, because he had been wounded.

       (2 Ki 9:1 NCV)  At the same time, Elisha the prophet called a man from 
       the groups of prophets. Elisha said, "Get ready, and take this small 
       bottle of olive oil in your hand. Go to Ramoth in Gilead.

       (2 Ki 9:2 NCV)  When you arrive, find Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son 
       of Nimshi. Go in and make Jehu get up from among his brothers, and 
       take him to an inner room.

       (2 Ki 9:3 NCV)  Then take the bottle and pour the oil on Jehu's head 
       and say, 'This is what the LORD says: I have appointed you king over 
       Israel.' Then open the door and run away. Don't wait!"

       (2 Ki 9:4 NCV)  So the young man, the prophet, went to Ramoth in 
       Gilead.

       (2 Ki 9:5 NCV)  When he arrived, he saw the officers of the army 





       sitting together. He said, "Commander, I have a message for you." Jehu 
       asked, "For which one of us?" The young man said, "For you, 
       commander."

       (2 Ki 9:6 NCV)  Jehu got up and went into the house. Then the young 
       prophet poured the olive oil on Jehu's head and said to him, "This is 
       what the LORD, the God of Israel says: 'I have appointed you king over 
       the Lord's people Israel.

       (2 Ki 9:7 NCV)  You must destroy the family of Ahab your master. I 
       will punish Jezebel for the deaths of my servants the prophets and for 
       all the Lord's servants who were murdered.

       (2 Ki 9:8 NCV)  All of Ahab's family must die. I will not let any male 
       child in Ahab's family live in Israel, whether slave or free.

       (2 Ki 9:9 NCV)  I will make Ahab's family like the family of Jeroboam 
       son of Nebat and like the family of Baasha son of Ahijah.

       (2 Ki 9:10 NCV)  The dogs will eat Jezebel at Jezreel, and no one will 
       bury her.'" Then the young prophet opened the door and ran away.

       (2 Ki 9:11 NCV)  When Jehu went back to his master's officers, one of 
       them said to Jehu, "Is everything all right? Why did this crazy man 
       come to you?" Jehu answered, "You know the man and how he talks."

       (2 Ki 9:12 NCV)  They answered, "That's not true. Tell us." Jehu said, 
       "He said to me, 'This is what the LORD says: I have appointed you to 
       be king over Israel.'"

       (2 Ki 9:13 NCV)  Then the officers hurried, and each man took off his 
       own coat and put it on the stairs for Jehu. They blew the trumpet and 
       shouted, "Jehu is king!"

       (2 Ki 9:14 NCV)  So Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, made 
       plans against Joram. Now Joram and all Israel had been defending 
       Ramoth in Gilead from Hazael king of Aram.

       (2 Ki 9:15 NCV)  But King Joram had to return to Jezreel to heal from 
       the injuries the Arameans had given him when he fought against Hazael 
       king of Aram. Jehu said, "If you agree with this, don't let anyone 
       leave the city. They might tell the news in Jezreel."

       (2 Ki 9:16 NCV)  Then he got into his chariot and set out for Jezreel, 
       where Joram was resting. Ahaziah king of Judah had gone down to see 
       him.

       (2 Ki 9:17 NCV)  The lookout was standing on the watchtower in Jezreel 
       when he saw Jehu's troops coming. He said, "I see some soldiers!" 
       Joram said, "Take a horseman and send him to meet them. Tell him to 
       ask, 'Is all in order?'"

       (2 Ki 9:18 NCV)  The horseman rode out to meet Jehu, and he said, 
       "This is what the king says: 'Is all in order?'" Jehu said, "Why 
       bother yourself with order? Come along behind me." The lookout 
       reported, "The messenger reached them, but he is not coming back."






       (2 Ki 9:19 NCV)  Then Joram sent out a second horseman. This rider 
       came to Jehu's group and said, "This is what the king says: 'Is all in 
       order?'" Jehu answered, "Why bother yourself with order? Come along 
       behind me."

       (2 Ki 9:20 NCV)  The lookout reported, "The second man reached them, 
       but he is not coming back. The man in the chariot is driving like Jehu 
       son of Nimshi. He drives as if he were crazy!"

       (2 Ki 9:21 NCV)  Joram said, "Get my chariot ready." Then the servant 
       got Joram's chariot ready. Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of 
       Judah went out, each in his own chariot, to meet Jehu at the property 
       of Naboth the Jezreelite.

       (2 Ki 9:22 NCV)  When Joram saw Jehu, he said, "Is all in order, 
       Jehu?" Jehu answered, "There will never be any order as long as your 
       mother Jezebel worships idols and uses witchcraft."

       (2 Ki 9:23 NCV)  Joram turned the horses to run away and yelled to 
       Ahaziah, "It's a trick, Ahaziah!"

       (2 Ki 9:24 NCV)  Then Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between his 
       shoulders. The arrow went through Joram's heart, and he fell down in 
       his chariot.

       (2 Ki 9:25 NCV)  Jehu ordered Bidkar, his chariot officer, "Pick up 
       Joram's body, and throw it into the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. 
       Remember when you and I rode together with Joram's father Ahab. The 
       LORD made this prophecy against him:

       (2 Ki 9:26 NCV)  'Yesterday I saw the blood of Naboth and his sons, 
       says the LORD, so I will punish Ahab in his field, says the LORD.' 
       Take Joram's body and throw it into the field, as the LORD has said."

       (2 Ki 9:27 NCV)  When Ahaziah king of Judah saw this, he ran away 
       toward Beth Haggan. Jehu chased him, saying, "Shoot Ahaziah, too!" 
       Ahaziah was wounded in his chariot on the way up to Gur near Ibleam. 
       He got as far as Megiddo but died there.

       (2 Ki 9:28 NCV)  Ahaziah's servants carried his body in a chariot to 
       Jerusalem and buried him with his ancestors in his tomb in Jerusalem.

       (2 Ki 9:29 NCV)  (Ahaziah had become king over Judah in the eleventh 
       year Joram son of Ahab was king.)

       (2 Ki 9:30 NCV)  When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard about it. 
       She put on her eye makeup and fixed her hair. Then she looked out the 
       window.

       (2 Ki 9:31 NCV)  When Jehu entered the city gate, Jezebel said, "Have 
       you come in peace, you Zimri, you who killed your master?"

       (2 Ki 9:32 NCV)  Jehu looked up at the window and said, "Who is on my 
       side? Who?" Two or three servants looked out the window at Jehu.





       (2 Ki 9:33 NCV)  He said to them, "Throw her down." So they threw 
       Jezebel down, and the horses ran over her. Some of her blood splashed 
       on the wall and on the horses.

       (2 Ki 9:34 NCV)  Jehu went into the house and ate and drank. Then he 
       said, "Now see about this cursed woman. Bury her, because she is a 
       king's daughter."

       (2 Ki 9:35 NCV)  The men went to bury Jezebel, but they could not find 
       her. They found only her skull, feet, and the palms of her hands.

       (2 Ki 9:36 NCV)  When they came back and told Jehu, he said, "The LORD 
       said this through his servant Elijah the Tishbite: 'The dogs will eat 
       Jezebel at Jezreel.

       (2 Ki 9:37 NCV)  Her body will be like manure on the field in the land 
       at Jezreel. No one will be able to say that this is Jezebel.'"

       (2 Ki 10:1 NCV)  Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. Jehu wrote letters 
       and sent them to Samaria to the officers and older leaders of Jezreel 
       and to the guardians of the sons of Ahab. Jehu said,

       (2 Ki 10:2 NCV)  "You have your master's sons with you, and you have 
       chariots, horses, a city with strong walls, and weapons. When you get 
       this letter,

       (2 Ki 10:3 NCV)  choose the best and most worthy person among your 
       master's sons, and make him king. Then fight for your master's 
       family."

       (2 Ki 10:4 NCV)  But the officers and leaders of Jezreel were 
       frightened. They said, "Two kings could not stand up to Jehu, so how 
       can we?"

       (2 Ki 10:5 NCV)  The palace manager, the city governor, the leaders, 
       and the guardians sent a message to Jehu. "We are your servants," they 
       said. "We will do everything you tell us to do. We won't make any man 
       king, so do whatever you think is best."

       (2 Ki 10:6 NCV)  Then Jehu wrote a second letter, saying, "If you are 
       on my side and will obey me, cut off the heads of your master's sons 
       and come to me at Jezreel tomorrow about this time." Now the seventy 
       sons of the king's family were with the leading men of the city who 
       were their guardians.

       (2 Ki 10:7 NCV)  When the leaders received the letter, they took the 
       king's sons and killed all seventy of them. They put their heads in 
       baskets and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel.

       (2 Ki 10:8 NCV)  The messenger came to Jehu and told him, "They have 
       brought the heads of the king's sons." Then Jehu said, "Lay the heads 
       in two piles at the city gate until morning."

       (2 Ki 10:9 NCV)  In the morning, Jehu went out and stood before the 
       people and said to them, "You are innocent. Look, I made plans against 
       my master and killed him. But who killed all these?






       (2 Ki 10:10 NCV)  You should know that everything the LORD said about 
       Ahab's family will come true. The LORD has spoken through his servant 
       Elijah, and the LORD has done what he said."

       (2 Ki 10:11 NCV)  So Jehu killed everyone of Ahab's family in Jezreel 
       who was still alive. He also killed all Ahab's leading men, close 
       friends, and priests. No one who had helped Ahab was left alive.

       (2 Ki 10:12 NCV)  Then Jehu left and went to Samaria by way of the 
       road to Beth Eked of the Shepherds.

       (2 Ki 10:13 NCV)  There Jehu met some relatives of Ahaziah king of 
       Judah. Jehu asked, "Who are you?" They answered, "We are relatives of 
       Ahaziah. We have come down to get revenge for the families of the king 
       and the king's mother."

       (2 Ki 10:14 NCV)  Then Jehu said, "Take them alive!" So they captured 
       Ahaziah's relatives alive and killed them at the well near Beth 
       Eked--forty-two of them. Jehu did not leave anyone alive.

       (2 Ki 10:15 NCV)  After Jehu left there, he met Jehonadab son of 
       Recab, who was also on his way to meet Jehu. Jehu greeted him and 
       said, "Are you as good a friend to me as I am to you?" Jehonadab 
       answered, "Yes, I am." Jehu said, "If you are, then give me your 
       hand." So Jehonadab gave him his hand, and Jehu pulled him into the 
       chariot.

       (2 Ki 10:16 NCV)  "Come with me," Jehu said. "You can see how strong 
       my feelings are for the LORD." So Jehu had Jehonadab ride in his 
       chariot.

       (2 Ki 10:17 NCV)  When Jehu came to Samaria, he killed all of Ahab's 
       family in Samaria. He destroyed all those who were left, just as the 
       LORD had told Elijah it would happen.

       (2 Ki 10:18 NCV)  Then Jehu gathered all the people together and said 
       to them, "Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve Baal much.

       (2 Ki 10:19 NCV)  Now call for me all Baal's prophets and priests and 
       all the people who worship Baal. Don't let anyone miss this meeting, 
       because I have a great sacrifice for Baal. Anyone who is not there 
       will not live." But Jehu was tricking them so he could destroy the 
       worshipers of Baal.

       (2 Ki 10:20 NCV)  He said, "Prepare a holy meeting for Baal." So they 
       announced the meeting.

       (2 Ki 10:21 NCV)  Then Jehu sent word through all Israel, and all the 
       worshipers of Baal came; not one stayed home. They came into the 
       temple of Baal, and the temple was filled from one side to the other.

       (2 Ki 10:22 NCV)  Jehu said to the man who kept the robes, "Bring out 
       robes for all the worshipers of Baal." After he brought out robes for 
       them,





       (2 Ki 10:23 NCV)  Jehu and Jehonadab son of Recab went into the temple 
       of Baal. Jehu said to the worshipers of Baal, "Look around, and make 
       sure there are no servants of the LORD with you. Be sure there are 
       only worshipers of Baal."

       (2 Ki 10:24 NCV)  Then the worshipers of Baal went in to offer 
       sacrifices and burnt offerings. Jehu had eighty men waiting outside. 
       He had told them, "Don't let anyone escape. If you do, you must pay 
       with your own life."

       (2 Ki 10:25 NCV)  As soon as Jehu finished offering the burnt 
       offering, he ordered the guards and the captains, "Go in and kill the 
       worshipers of Baal. Don't let anyone come out." So the guards and 
       captains killed the worshipers of Baal with the sword and threw their 
       bodies out. Then they went to the inner rooms of the temple

       (2 Ki 10:26 NCV)  and brought out the pillars of the temple of Baal 
       and burned them.

       (2 Ki 10:27 NCV)  They tore down the stone pillar of Baal, as well as 
       the temple of Baal. And they made it into a sewage pit, as it is 
       today.

       (2 Ki 10:28 NCV)  So Jehu destroyed Baal worship in Israel,

       (2 Ki 10:29 NCV)  but he did not stop doing the sins Jeroboam son of 
       Nebat had done. Jeroboam had led Israel to sin by worshiping the 
       golden calves in Bethel and Dan.

       (2 Ki 10:30 NCV)  The LORD said to Jehu, "You have done well in 
       obeying what I said was right. You have done to the family of Ahab as 
       I wanted. Because of this, your descendants as far as your 
       great-great-grandchildren will be kings of Israel."

       (2 Ki 10:31 NCV)  But Jehu was not careful to follow the teachings of 
       the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not stop doing 
       the same sins Jeroboam had done, by which he had led Israel to sin.

       (2 Ki 10:32 NCV)  At that time the LORD began to make Israel smaller. 
       Hazael defeated the Israelites in all the land of Israel,

       (2 Ki 10:33 NCV)  taking all the land of the Jordan known as the land 
       of Gilead. (It was the region of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh.) He took 
       land from Aroer by the Arnon Ravine through Gilead to Bashan.

       (2 Ki 10:34 NCV)  The other things Jehu did--everything he did and all 
       his victories--are recorded in the book of the history of the kings of 
       Israel.

       (2 Ki 10:35 NCV)  Jehu died and was buried in Samaria, and his son 
       Jehoahaz became king in his place.

       (2 Ki 10:36 NCV)  Jehu was king over Israel in Samaria for 
       twenty-eight years.

       (2 Ki 11:1 NCV)  When Ahaziah's mother, Athaliah, saw that her son was 





       dead, she killed all the royal family.

       (2 Ki 11:2 NCV)  But Jehosheba, King Jehoram's daughter and Ahaziah's 
       sister, took Joash, Ahaziah's son. She stole him from among the other 
       sons of the king who were about to be murdered. She put Joash and his 
       nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah, so he was not killed.

       (2 Ki 11:3 NCV)  He hid with her in the Temple of the LORD for six 
       years. During that time Athaliah ruled the land.

       (2 Ki 11:4 NCV)  In the seventh year Jehoiada sent for the commanders 
       of groups of a hundred men, as well as the Carites. He brought them 
       together in the Temple of the LORD and made an agreement with them. 
       There, in the Temple of the LORD, he made them promise loyalty, and 
       then he showed them the king's son.

       (2 Ki 11:5 NCV)  He commanded them, "This is what you must do. A third 
       of you who go on duty on the Sabbath will guard the king's palace.

       (2 Ki 11:6 NCV)  A third of you will be at the Sur Gate, and another 
       third will be at the gate behind the guard. This way you will guard 
       the Temple.

       (2 Ki 11:7 NCV)  The two groups who go off duty on the Sabbath must 
       protect the Temple of the LORD for the king.

       (2 Ki 11:8 NCV)  All of you must stand around the king, each man with 
       his weapons in his hand. If anyone comes near, kill him. Stay close to 
       the king when he goes out and when he comes in."

       (2 Ki 11:9 NCV)  The commanders over a hundred men obeyed everything 
       Jehoiada the priest had commanded. Each one took his men who came on 
       duty on the Sabbath and those who went off duty on the Sabbath, and 
       they came to Jehoiada the priest.

       (2 Ki 11:10 NCV)  He gave the commanders the spears and shields that 
       had belonged to King David and that were kept in the Temple of the 
       LORD.

       (2 Ki 11:11 NCV)  Then each guard took his place with his weapons in 
       his hand. There were guards from the south side of the Temple to the 
       north side. They stood by the altar and the Temple and around the 
       king.

       (2 Ki 11:12 NCV)  Jehoiada brought out the king's son and put the 
       crown on him and gave him a copy of the agreement. They appointed him 
       king and poured olive oil on him. Then they clapped their hands and 
       said, "Long live the king!"

       (2 Ki 11:13 NCV)  When Athaliah heard the noise of the guards and the 
       people, she went to them at the Temple of the LORD.

       (2 Ki 11:14 NCV)  She looked, and there was the king, standing by the 
       pillar, as the custom was. The officers and trumpeters were standing 
       beside him, and all the people of the land were very happy and were 
       blowing trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, 





       "Traitors! Traitors!"

       (2 Ki 11:15 NCV)  Jehoiada the priest gave orders to the commanders of 
       a hundred men, who led the army. He said, "Surround her with soldiers 
       and kill with a sword anyone who follows her." He commanded this 
       because he had said, "Don't put Athaliah to death in the Temple of the 
       LORD."

       (2 Ki 11:16 NCV)  So they caught her when she came to the horses' 
       entrance near the palace. There she was put to death.

       (2 Ki 11:17 NCV)  Then Jehoiada made an agreement between the LORD and 
       the king and the people that they would be the Lord's special people. 
       He also made an agreement between the king and the people.

       (2 Ki 11:18 NCV)  All the people of the land went to the temple of 
       Baal and tore it down, smashing the altars and idols. They also killed 
       Mattan, the priest of Baal, in front of the altars. Then Jehoiada the 
       priest placed guards at the Temple of the LORD.

       (2 Ki 11:19 NCV)  He took with him the commanders of a hundred men and 
       the Carites, the royal bodyguards, as well as the guards and all the 
       people of the land. Together they took the king out of the Temple of 
       the LORD and went into the palace through the gate of the guards. Then 
       the king sat on the royal throne.

       (2 Ki 11:20 NCV)  So all the people of the land were very happy, and 
       Jerusalem had peace, because Athaliah had been put to death with the 
       sword at the palace.

       (2 Ki 11:21 NCV)  Joash was seven years old when he became king.

       (2 Ki 12:1 NCV)  Joash became king of Judah in Jehu's seventh year as 
       king of Israel, and he ruled for forty years in Jerusalem. His 
       mother's name was Zibiah, and she was from Beersheba.

       (2 Ki 12:2 NCV)  Joash did what the LORD said was right as long as 
       Jehoiada the priest taught him.

       (2 Ki 12:3 NCV)  But the places where gods were worshiped were not 
       removed; the people still made sacrifices and burned incense there.

       (2 Ki 12:4 NCV)  Joash said to the priests, "Take all the money 
       brought as offerings to the Temple of the LORD. This includes the 
       money each person owes in taxes and the money each person promises or 
       brings freely to the LORD.

       (2 Ki 12:5 NCV)  Each priest will take the money from the people he 
       serves. Then the priests must repair any damage they find in the 
       Temple."

       (2 Ki 12:6 NCV)  But by the twenty-third year Joash was king, the 
       priests still had not repaired the Temple.

       (2 Ki 12:7 NCV)  So King Joash called for Jehoiada the priest and the 
       other priests and said to them, "Why aren't you repairing the damage 





       of the Temple? Don't take any more money from the people you serve, 
       but hand over the money for the repair of the Temple."

       (2 Ki 12:8 NCV)  The priests agreed not to take any more money from 
       the people and not to repair the Temple themselves.

       (2 Ki 12:9 NCV)  Jehoiada the priest took a box and made a hole in the 
       top of it. Then he put it by the altar, on the right side as the 
       people came into the Temple of the LORD. The priests guarding the 
       doorway put all the money brought to the Temple of the LORD into the 
       box.

       (2 Ki 12:10 NCV)  Each time the priests saw that the box was full of 
       money, the king's royal secretary and the high priest came. They 
       counted the money that had been brought to the Temple of the LORD, and 
       they put it into bags.

       (2 Ki 12:11 NCV)  Next they weighed the money and gave it to the 
       people in charge of the work on the Temple. With it they paid the 
       carpenters and the builders who worked on the Temple of the LORD,

       (2 Ki 12:12 NCV)  as well as the bricklayers and stonecutters. They 
       also used the money to buy timber and cut stone to repair the damage 
       of the Temple of the LORD. It paid for everything.

       (2 Ki 12:13 NCV)  The money brought into the Temple of the LORD was 
       not used to make silver cups, wick trimmers, bowls, trumpets, or gold 
       or silver vessels.

       (2 Ki 12:14 NCV)  They paid the money to the workers, who used it to 
       repair the Temple of the LORD.

       (2 Ki 12:15 NCV)  They did not demand to know how the money was spent, 
       because the workers were honest.

       (2 Ki 12:16 NCV)  The money from the penalty offerings and sin 
       offerings was not brought into the Temple of the LORD, because it 
       belonged to the priests.

       (2 Ki 12:17 NCV)  About this time Hazael king of Aram attacked Gath 
       and captured it. Then he went to attack Jerusalem.

       (2 Ki 12:18 NCV)  Joash king of Judah took all the holy things given 
       by his ancestors, the kings of Judah--Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and 
       Ahaziah. He also took his own holy things as well as the gold that was 
       found in the treasuries of the Temple of the LORD and the gold from 
       the palace. Joash sent all this treasure to Hazael king of Aram, who 
       turned away from Jerusalem.

       (2 Ki 12:19 NCV)  Everything else Joash did is written in the book of 
       the history of the kings of Judah.

       (2 Ki 12:20 NCV)  His officers made plans against him and killed him 
       at Beth Millo on the road down to Silla.

       (2 Ki 12:21 NCV)  The officers who killed him were Jozabad son of 





       Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer. Joash was buried with his 
       ancestors in Jerusalem, and Amaziah, his son, became king in his 
       place.

       (2 Ki 13:1 NCV)  Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king over Israel in 
       Samaria during the twenty-third year Joash son of Ahaziah was king of 
       Judah. Jehoahaz ruled seventeen years,

       (2 Ki 13:2 NCV)  and he did what the LORD said was wrong. Jehoahaz did 
       the same sins Jeroboam son of Nebat had done. Jeroboam had led Israel 
       to sin, and Jehoahaz did not stop doing these same sins.

       (2 Ki 13:3 NCV)  So the LORD was angry with Israel and handed them 
       over to Hazael king of Aram and his son Ben-Hadad for a long time.

       (2 Ki 13:4 NCV)  Then Jehoahaz begged the LORD, and the LORD listened 
       to him. The LORD had seen the troubles of Israel; he saw how terribly 
       the king of Aram was treating them.

       (2 Ki 13:5 NCV)  He gave Israel a man to save them, and they escaped 
       from the Arameans. The Israelites then lived in their own homes as 
       they had before,

       (2 Ki 13:6 NCV)  but they still did not stop doing the same sins that 
       the family of Jeroboam had done. He had led Israel to sin, and they 
       continued doing those sins. The Asherah idol also was left standing in 
       Samaria.

       (2 Ki 13:7 NCV)  Nothing was left of Jehoahaz's army except fifty 
       horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand foot soldiers. The king of 
       Aram had destroyed them and made them like chaff.

       (2 Ki 13:8 NCV)  Everything else Jehoahaz did and all his victories 
       are written in the book of the history of the kings of Israel.

       (2 Ki 13:9 NCV)  Jehoahaz died and was buried in Samaria, and his son 
       Jehoash became king in his place.

       (2 Ki 13:10 NCV)  Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king of Israel in 
       Samaria during Joash's thirty-seventh year as king of Judah. Jehoash 
       ruled sixteen years,

       (2 Ki 13:11 NCV)  and he did what the LORD said was wrong. He did not 
       stop doing the same sins Jeroboam son of Nebat had done. Jeroboam had 
       led Israel to sin, and Jehoash continued to do the same thing.

       (2 Ki 13:12 NCV)  Everything else he did and all his victories, 
       including his war against Amaziah king of Judah, are written in the 
       book of the history of the kings of Israel.

       (2 Ki 13:13 NCV)  Jehoash died, and Jeroboam took his place on the 
       throne. Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

       (2 Ki 13:14 NCV)  At this time Elisha became sick. Before he died, 
       Jehoash king of Israel went to Elisha and cried for him. Jehoash said, 
       "My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and their horsemen!"






       (2 Ki 13:15 NCV)  Elisha said to Jehoash, "Take a bow and arrows." So 
       he took a bow and arrows.

       (2 Ki 13:16 NCV)  Then Elisha said to him, "Put your hand on the bow." 
       So Jehoash put his hand on the bow. Then Elisha put his hands on the 
       king's hands.

       (2 Ki 13:17 NCV)  Elisha said, "Open the east window." So Jehoash 
       opened the window. Then Elisha said, "Shoot," and Jehoash shot. Elisha 
       said, "The Lord's arrow of victory over Aram! You will defeat the 
       Arameans at Aphek until you destroy them."

       (2 Ki 13:18 NCV)  Elisha said, "Take the arrows." So Jehoash took 
       them. Then Elisha said to him, "Strike the ground." So Jehoash struck 
       the ground three times and stopped.

       (2 Ki 13:19 NCV)  The man of God was angry with him. "You should have 
       struck five or six times!" Elisha said. "Then you would have struck 
       Aram until you had completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it 
       only three times."

       (2 Ki 13:20 NCV)  Then Elisha died and was buried. At that time groups 
       of Moabites would rob the land in the springtime.

       (2 Ki 13:21 NCV)  Once as some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly 
       they saw a group of Moabites coming. The Israelites threw the dead man 
       into Elisha's grave. When the man touched Elisha's bones, the man came 
       back to life and stood on his feet.

       (2 Ki 13:22 NCV)  During all the days Jehoahaz was king, Hazael king 
       of Aram troubled Israel.

       (2 Ki 13:23 NCV)  But the LORD was kind to the Israelites; he had 
       mercy on them and helped them because of his agreement with Abraham, 
       Isaac, and Jacob. To this day he has never wanted to destroy them or 
       reject them.

       (2 Ki 13:24 NCV)  When Hazael king of Aram died, his son Ben-Hadad 
       became king in his place.

       (2 Ki 13:25 NCV)  During a war Hazael had taken some cities from 
       Jehoahaz, Jehoash's father. Now Jehoash took back those cities from 
       Hazael's son Ben-Hadad. He defeated Ben-Hadad three times and took 
       back the cities of Israel.

       (2 Ki 14:1 NCV)  Amaziah son of Joash became king of Judah during the 
       second year Jehoash son of Jehoahaz was king of Israel.

       (2 Ki 14:2 NCV)  Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became 
       king, and he ruled twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother was 
       named Jehoaddin, and she was from Jerusalem.

       (2 Ki 14:3 NCV)  Amaziah did what the LORD said was right. He did 
       everything his father Joash had done, but he did not do as his 
       ancestor David had done.






       (2 Ki 14:4 NCV)  The places where gods were worshiped were not 
       removed, so the people still sacrificed and burned incense there.

       (2 Ki 14:5 NCV)  As soon as Amaziah took control of the kingdom, he 
       executed the officers who had murdered his father the king.

       (2 Ki 14:6 NCV)  But he did not put to death the children of the 
       murderers because of the rule written in the Book of the Teachings of 
       Moses. The LORD had commanded: "Parents must not be put to death when 
       their children do wrong, and children must not be put to death when 
       their parents do wrong. Each must die for his own sins."

       (2 Ki 14:7 NCV)  In battle Amaziah killed ten thousand Edomites in the 
       Valley of Salt. He also took the city of Sela. He called it Joktheel, 
       as it is still called today.

       (2 Ki 14:8 NCV)  Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, 
       the son of Jehu, king of Israel. They said, "Come, let's meet face to 
       face."

       (2 Ki 14:9 NCV)  Then Jehoash king of Israel answered Amaziah king of 
       Judah, "A thornbush in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar tree in 
       Lebanon. It said, 'Let your daughter marry my son.' But then a wild 
       animal from Lebanon came by, walking on and crushing the thornbush.

       (2 Ki 14:10 NCV)  You have defeated Edom, but you have become proud. 
       Stay at home and brag. Don't ask for trouble, or you and Judah will be 
       defeated."

       (2 Ki 14:11 NCV)  But Amaziah would not listen, so Jehoash king of 
       Israel went to attack. He and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other 
       in battle at Beth Shemesh in Judah.

       (2 Ki 14:12 NCV)  Israel defeated Judah, and every man of Judah ran 
       away to his home.

       (2 Ki 14:13 NCV)  At Beth Shemesh Jehoash king of Israel captured 
       Amaziah king of Judah. (Amaziah was the son of Joash, who was the son 
       of Ahaziah.) Jehoash went up to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of 
       Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, which was about 
       six hundred feet.

       (2 Ki 14:14 NCV)  He took all the gold and silver and all the utensils 
       in the Temple of the LORD, and he took the treasuries of the palace 
       and some hostages. Then he returned to Samaria.

       (2 Ki 14:15 NCV)  The other acts of Jehoash and his victories, 
       including his war against Amaziah king of Judah, are written in the 
       book of the history of the kings of Israel.

       (2 Ki 14:16 NCV)  Jehoash died and was buried in Samaria with the 
       kings of Israel, and his son Jeroboam became king in his place.

       (2 Ki 14:17 NCV)  Amaziah son of Joash, the king of Judah, lived 
       fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the king of 





       Israel.

       (2 Ki 14:18 NCV)  The other things Amaziah did are written in the book 
       of the history of the kings of Judah.

       (2 Ki 14:19 NCV)  The people in Jerusalem made plans against him. So 
       he ran away to the town of Lachish, but they sent men after him to 
       Lachish and killed him.

       (2 Ki 14:20 NCV)  They brought his body back on horses, and he was 
       buried with his ancestors in Jerusalem, in the city of David.

       (2 Ki 14:21 NCV)  Then all the people of Judah made Uzziah king in 
       place of his father Amaziah. Uzziah was sixteen years old.

       (2 Ki 14:22 NCV)  He rebuilt the town of Elath and made it part of 
       Judah again after Amaziah died.

       (2 Ki 14:23 NCV)  Jeroboam son of Jehoash became king of Israel in 
       Samaria during the fifteenth year Amaziah was king of Judah. (Amaziah 
       was the son of Joash.) Jeroboam ruled forty-one years,

       (2 Ki 14:24 NCV)  and he did what the LORD said was wrong. Jeroboam 
       son of Nebat had led Israel to sin, and Jeroboam son of Jehoash did 
       not stop doing the same sins.

       (2 Ki 14:25 NCV)  Jeroboam won back Israel's border from Lebo Hamath 
       to the Dead Sea. This happened as the LORD, the God of Israel, had 
       said through his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath 
       Hepher.

       (2 Ki 14:26 NCV)  The LORD had seen how the Israelites, both slave and 
       free, were suffering terribly. No one was left who could help Israel.

       (2 Ki 14:27 NCV)  The LORD had not said he would completely destroy 
       Israel from the world, so he saved the Israelites through Jeroboam son 
       of Jehoash.

       (2 Ki 14:28 NCV)  Everything else Jeroboam did is written down--all 
       his victories and how he won back from Judah the towns of Damascus and 
       Hamath for Israel. All this is written in the book of the history of 
       the kings of Israel.

       (2 Ki 14:29 NCV)  Jeroboam died and was buried with his ancestors, the 
       kings of Israel. Jeroboam's son Zechariah became king in his place.

       (2 Ki 15:1 NCV)  Uzziah son of Amaziah became king of Judah during 
       Jeroboam's twenty-seventh year as king of Israel.

       (2 Ki 15:2 NCV)  Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and 
       he ruled fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother was named Jecoliah, 
       and she was from Jerusalem.

       (2 Ki 15:3 NCV)  He did what the LORD said was right, just as his 
       father Amaziah had done.





       (2 Ki 15:4 NCV)  But the places where gods were worshiped were not 
       removed, so the people still made sacrifices and burned incense there.

       (2 Ki 15:5 NCV)  The LORD struck Uzziah with a skin disease, which he 
       had until the day he died. So he had to live in a separate house. 
       Jotham, the king's son, was in charge of the palace, and he governed 
       the people of the land.

       (2 Ki 15:6 NCV)  All the other things Uzziah did are written in the 
       book of the history of the kings of Judah.

       (2 Ki 15:7 NCV)  Uzziah died and was buried near his ancestors in 
       Jerusalem, and his son Jotham became king in his place.

       (2 Ki 15:8 NCV)  Zechariah son of Jeroboam was king over Israel in 
       Samaria. He ruled for six months during Uzziah's thirty-eighth year as 
       king of Judah.

       (2 Ki 15:9 NCV)  Zechariah did what the LORD said was wrong, just as 
       his ancestors had done. Jeroboam son of Nebat had led the people of 
       Israel to sin, and Zechariah did not stop doing the same sins.

       (2 Ki 15:10 NCV)  Shallum son of Jabesh made plans against Zechariah 
       and killed him in front of the people. Then Shallum became king in his 
       place.

       (2 Ki 15:11 NCV)  The other acts of Zechariah are written in the book 
       of the history of the kings of Israel.

       (2 Ki 15:12 NCV)  The LORD had told Jehu: "Your sons down to your 
       great-great-grandchildren will be kings of Israel," and the Lord's 
       word came true.

       (2 Ki 15:13 NCV)  Shallum son of Jabesh became king during Uzziah's 
       thirty-ninth year as king of Judah. Shallum ruled for a month in 
       Samaria.

       (2 Ki 15:14 NCV)  Then Menahem son of Gadi came up from Tirzah to 
       Samaria and attacked Shallum son of Jabesh in Samaria. He killed him 
       and became king in Shallum's place.

       (2 Ki 15:15 NCV)  The other acts of Shallum and his secret plans are 
       written in the book of the history of the kings of Israel.

       (2 Ki 15:16 NCV)  Menahem started out from Tirzah and attacked 
       Tiphsah, destroying the city and the area nearby. This was because the 
       people had refused to open the city gate for him. He defeated them and 
       ripped open all their pregnant women.

       (2 Ki 15:17 NCV)  Menahem son of Gadi became king over Israel during 
       Uzziah's thirty-ninth year as king of Judah. Menahem ruled ten years 
       in Samaria,

       (2 Ki 15:18 NCV)  and he did what the LORD said was wrong. Jeroboam 
       son of Nebat had led Israel to sin, and all the time Menahem was king, 
       he did not stop doing the same sins.






       (2 Ki 15:19 NCV)  Pul king of Assyria came to attack the land. Menahem 
       gave him about seventy-four thousand pounds of silver so Pul would 
       support him and make his hold on the kingdom stronger.

       (2 Ki 15:20 NCV)  Menahem taxed Israel to pay about one and one-fourth 
       pounds of silver to each soldier of the king of Assyria. So the king 
       left and did not stay in the land.

       (2 Ki 15:21 NCV)  Everything else Menahem did is written in the book 
       of the history of the kings of Israel.

       (2 Ki 15:22 NCV)  Then Menahem died, and his son Pekahiah became king 
       in his place.

       (2 Ki 15:23 NCV)  Pekahiah son of Menahem became king over Israel in 
       Samaria during Uzziah's fiftieth year as king of Judah. Pekahiah ruled 
       two years,

       (2 Ki 15:24 NCV)  and he did what the LORD said was wrong. Jeroboam 
       son of Nebat had led Israel to sin, and Pekahiah did not stop doing 
       the same sins.

       (2 Ki 15:25 NCV)  Pekah son of Remaliah was one of Pekahiah's 
       captains, and he made plans against Pekahiah. He took fifty men of 
       Gilead with him and killed Pekahiah, as well as Argob and Arieh, in 
       the palace at Samaria. Then Pekah became king in Pekahiah's place.

       (2 Ki 15:26 NCV)  Everything else Pekahiah did is written in the book 
       of the history of the kings of Israel.

       (2 Ki 15:27 NCV)  Pekah son of Remaliah became king over Israel in 
       Samaria during Uzziah's fifty-second year as king of Judah. Pekah 
       ruled twenty years,

       (2 Ki 15:28 NCV)  and he did what the LORD said was wrong. Jeroboam 
       son of Nebat had led Israel to sin, and Pekah did not stop doing the 
       same sins.

       (2 Ki 15:29 NCV)  Tiglath-Pileser was king of Assyria. He attacked 
       while Pekah was king of Israel, capturing the cities of Ijon, Abel 
       Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, and Hazor. He also captured Gilead and 
       Galilee and all the land of Naphtali and carried the people away to 
       Assyria.

       (2 Ki 15:30 NCV)  Then Hoshea son of Elah made plans against Pekah son 
       of Remaliah and attacked and killed him. Then Hoseah became king in 
       Pekah's place during the twentieth year Jotham son of Uzziah was king.

       (2 Ki 15:31 NCV)  Everything else Pekah did is written in the book of 
       the history of the kings of Israel.

       (2 Ki 15:32 NCV)  Jotham son of Uzziah became king of Judah during the 
       second year Pekah son of Remaliah was king of Israel.

       (2 Ki 15:33 NCV)  Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became 





       king, and he ruled sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was 
       Jerusha daughter of Zadok.

       (2 Ki 15:34 NCV)  Jotham did what the LORD said was right, just as his 
       father Uzziah had done.

       (2 Ki 15:35 NCV)  But the places where gods were worshiped were not 
       removed, and the people still made sacrifices and burned incense 
       there. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the Temple of the LORD.

       (2 Ki 15:36 NCV)  The other things Jotham did while he was king are 
       written in the book of the history of the kings of Judah.

       (2 Ki 15:37 NCV)  At that time the LORD began to send Rezin king of 
       Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah.

       (2 Ki 15:38 NCV)  Jotham died and was buried with his ancestors in 
       Jerusalem, the city of David, his ancestor. Then Jotham's son Ahaz 
       became king in his place.

       (2 Ki 16:1 NCV)  Ahaz was the son of Jotham king of Judah. Ahaz became 
       king of Judah in the seventeenth year Pekah son of Remaliah was king 
       of Israel.

       (2 Ki 16:2 NCV)  Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he 
       ruled sixteen years in Jerusalem. Unlike his ancestor David, he did 
       not do what the LORD his God said was right.

       (2 Ki 16:3 NCV)  Ahaz did the same things the kings of Israel had 
       done. He even made his son pass through fire. He did the same hateful 
       sins as the nations had done whom the LORD had forced out of the land 
       ahead of the Israelites.

       (2 Ki 16:4 NCV)  Ahaz offered sacrifices and burned incense at the 
       places where gods were worshiped, on the hills, and under every green 
       tree.

       (2 Ki 16:5 NCV)  Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah, the 
       king of Israel, came up to attack Jerusalem. They surrounded Ahaz but 
       could not defeat him.

       (2 Ki 16:6 NCV)  At that time Rezin king of Aram took back the city of 
       Elath for Aram, and he forced out all the people of Judah. Then 
       Edomites moved into Elath, and they still live there today.

       (2 Ki 16:7 NCV)  Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-Pileser king of 
       Assyria, saying, "I am your servant and your friend. Come and save me 
       from the king of Aram and the king of Israel, who are attacking me."

       (2 Ki 16:8 NCV)  Ahaz took the silver and gold that was in the Temple 
       of the LORD and in the treasuries of the palace, and he sent these as 
       a gift to the king of Assyria.

       (2 Ki 16:9 NCV)  So the king of Assyria listened to Ahaz. He attacked 
       Damascus and captured it and sent all its people away to Kir. And he 
       killed Rezin.






       (2 Ki 16:10 NCV)  Then King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet 
       Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria. Ahaz saw an altar at Damascus, and he 
       sent plans and a pattern of this altar to Uriah the priest.

       (2 Ki 16:11 NCV)  So Uriah the priest built an altar, just like the 
       plans King Ahaz had sent him from Damascus. Uriah finished the altar 
       before King Ahaz came back from Damascus.

       (2 Ki 16:12 NCV)  When the king arrived from Damascus, he saw the 
       altar and went near and offered sacrifices on it.

       (2 Ki 16:13 NCV)  He burned his burnt offerings and grain offerings 
       and poured out his drink offering. He also sprinkled the blood of his 
       fellowship offerings on the altar.

       (2 Ki 16:14 NCV)  Ahaz moved the bronze altar that was before the LORD 
       at the front of the Temple. It was between Ahaz's altar and the Temple 
       of the LORD, but he put it on the north side of his altar.

       (2 Ki 16:15 NCV)  King Ahaz commanded Uriah the priest, "On the large 
       altar burn the morning burnt offering, the evening grain offering, the 
       king's burnt offering and grain offering, and the whole burnt 
       offering, the grain offering, and the drink offering for all the 
       people of the land. Sprinkle on the altar all the blood of the burnt 
       offering and of the sacrifice. But I will use the bronze altar to ask 
       questions of God."

       (2 Ki 16:16 NCV)  So Uriah the priest did everything as King Ahaz 
       commanded him.

       (2 Ki 16:17 NCV)  Then King Ahaz took off the side panels from the 
       bases and removed the washing bowls from the top of the bases. He also 
       took the large bowl, which was called the Sea, off the bronze bulls 
       that held it up, and he put it on a stone base.

       (2 Ki 16:18 NCV)  Ahaz took away the platform for the royal throne, 
       which had been built at the Temple of the LORD. He also took away the 
       outside entrance for the king. He did these things because of the king 
       of Assyria.

       (2 Ki 16:19 NCV)  The other things Ahaz did as king are written in the 
       book of the history of the kings of Judah.

       (2 Ki 16:20 NCV)  Ahaz died and was buried with his ancestors in 
       Jerusalem, and Ahaz's son Hezekiah became king in his place.

       (2 Ki 17:1 NCV)  Hoshea son of Elah became king over Israel during 
       Ahaz's twelfth year as king of Judah. Hoshea ruled in Samaria nine 
       years.

       (2 Ki 17:2 NCV)  He did what the LORD said was wrong, but he was not 
       as bad as the kings of Israel who had ruled before him.

       (2 Ki 17:3 NCV)  Shalmaneser king of Assyria came to attack Hoshea. 
       Hoshea had been Shalmaneser's servant and had made the payments to 





       Shalmaneser that he had demanded.

       (2 Ki 17:4 NCV)  But the king of Assyria found out that Hoshea had 
       made plans against him by sending messengers to So, the king of Egypt. 
       Hoshea had also stopped giving Shalmaneser the payments, which he had 
       paid every year in the past. For that, the king put Hoshea in prison.

       (2 Ki 17:5 NCV)  Then the king of Assyria came and attacked all the 
       land of Israel. He surrounded Samaria and attacked it for three years.

       (2 Ki 17:6 NCV)  He defeated Samaria in the ninth year Hoshea was 
       king, and he took the Israelites away to Assyria. He settled them in 
       Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River, and in the cities of the Medes.

       (2 Ki 17:7 NCV)  All these things happened because the Israelites had 
       sinned against the LORD their God. He had brought them out of Egypt 
       and had rescued them from the power of the king of Egypt, but the 
       Israelites had honored other gods.

       (2 Ki 17:8 NCV)  They lived like the nations the LORD had forced out 
       of the land ahead of them. They lived as their evil kings had shown 
       them,

       (2 Ki 17:9 NCV)  secretly sinning against the LORD their God. They 
       built places to worship gods in all their cities, from the watchtower 
       to the strong, walled city.

       (2 Ki 17:10 NCV)  They put up stone pillars to gods and Asherah idols 
       on every high hill and under every green tree.

       (2 Ki 17:11 NCV)  The Israelites burned incense everywhere gods were 
       worshiped, just as the nations who lived there before them had done, 
       whom the LORD had forced out of the land. The Israelites did wicked 
       things that made the LORD angry.

       (2 Ki 17:12 NCV)  They served idols when the LORD had said, "You must 
       not do this."

       (2 Ki 17:13 NCV)  The LORD used every prophet and seer to warn Israel 
       and Judah. He said, "Stop your evil ways and obey my commands and 
       laws. Follow all the teachings that I commanded your ancestors, the 
       teachings that I gave you through my servants the prophets."

       (2 Ki 17:14 NCV)  But the people would not listen. They were stubborn, 
       just as their ancestors had been who did not believe in the LORD their 
       God.

       (2 Ki 17:15 NCV)  They rejected the Lord's laws and the agreement he 
       had made with their ancestors. And they refused to listen to his 
       warnings. They worshiped useless idols and became useless themselves. 
       They did what the nations around them did, which the LORD had warned 
       them not to do.

       (2 Ki 17:16 NCV)  The people rejected all the commands of the LORD 
       their God. They molded statues of two calves, and they made an Asherah 
       idol. They worshiped all the stars of the sky and served Baal.






       (2 Ki 17:17 NCV)  They made their sons and daughters pass through fire 
       and tried to find out the future by magic and witchcraft. They always 
       chose to do what the LORD said was wrong, which made him angry.

       (2 Ki 17:18 NCV)  Because he was very angry with the people of Israel, 
       he removed them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left.

       (2 Ki 17:19 NCV)  But even Judah did not obey the commands of the LORD 
       their God. They did what the Israelites had done,

       (2 Ki 17:20 NCV)  so the LORD rejected all the people of Israel. He 
       punished them and let others destroy them; he threw them out of his 
       presence.

       (2 Ki 17:21 NCV)  When the LORD separated them from the family of 
       David, the Israelites made Jeroboam son of Nebat their king. Jeroboam 
       led the Israelites away from the LORD and led them to sin greatly.

       (2 Ki 17:22 NCV)  So they continued to do all the sins Jeroboam did. 
       They did not stop doing these sins

       (2 Ki 17:23 NCV)  until the LORD removed the Israelites from his 
       presence, just as he had said through all his servants the prophets. 
       So the Israelites were taken out of their land to Assyria, and they 
       have been there to this day.

       (2 Ki 17:24 NCV)  The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, 
       Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and put them in the cities of 
       Samaria to replace the Israelites. These people took over Samaria and 
       lived in the cities.

       (2 Ki 17:25 NCV)  At first they did not worship the LORD, so he sent 
       lions among them which killed some of them.

       (2 Ki 17:26 NCV)  The king of Assyria was told, "You sent foreigners 
       into the cities of Samaria who do not know the law of the god of the 
       land. This is why he has sent lions among them. The lions are killing 
       them because they don't know what the god wants."

       (2 Ki 17:27 NCV)  Then the king of Assyria commanded, "Send back one 
       of the priests you took away. Let him live there and teach the people 
       what the god wants."

       (2 Ki 17:28 NCV)  So one of the priests who had been carried away from 
       Samaria returned to live in Bethel. And he taught the people how to 
       honor the LORD.

       (2 Ki 17:29 NCV)  But each nation made gods of its own and put them in 
       the cities where they lived and in the temples where gods were 
       worshiped. These temples had been built by the Samaritans.

       (2 Ki 17:30 NCV)  The people from Babylon made Succoth Benoth their 
       god. The people from Cuthah worshiped Nergal. The people of Hamath 
       worshiped Ashima.





       (2 Ki 17:31 NCV)  The Avvites worshiped Nibhaz and Tartak. The 
       Sepharvites burned their children in the fire, sacrificing them to 
       Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.

       (2 Ki 17:32 NCV)  They also honored the LORD, but they chose priests 
       for the places where gods were worshiped. The priests were chosen from 
       among themselves, and they made sacrifices for the people.

       (2 Ki 17:33 NCV)  The people honored the LORD but also served their 
       own gods, just as the nations did from which they had been brought.

       (2 Ki 17:34 NCV)  Even today they do as they did in the past. They do 
       not worship the LORD nor obey his rules and commands. They do not obey 
       the teachings or the commands of the LORD, which he gave to the 
       children of Jacob, whom he had named Israel.

       (2 Ki 17:35 NCV)  The LORD had made an agreement with them and had 
       commanded them, "Do not honor other gods. Do not bow down to them or 
       worship them or offer sacrifices to them.

       (2 Ki 17:36 NCV)  Worship the LORD who brought you up out of the land 
       of Egypt with great power and strength. Bow down to him and offer 
       sacrifices to him.

       (2 Ki 17:37 NCV)  Always obey the rules, orders, teachings, and 
       commands he wrote for you. Do not honor other gods.

       (2 Ki 17:38 NCV)  Do not forget the agreement I made with you, and do 
       not honor other gods.

       (2 Ki 17:39 NCV)  Instead worship the LORD your God, who will save you 
       from all your enemies."

       (2 Ki 17:40 NCV)  But the Israelites did not listen. They kept on 
       doing the same things they had done before.

       (2 Ki 17:41 NCV)  So these nations honored the LORD but also worshiped 
       their idols, and their children and grandchildren still do as their 
       ancestors did.

       (2 Ki 18:1 NCV)  Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah became king during 
       the third year Hoshea son of Elah was king of Israel.

       (2 Ki 18:2 NCV)  Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became 
       king, and he ruled twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name 
       was Abijah daughter of Zechariah.

       (2 Ki 18:3 NCV)  Hezekiah did what the LORD said was right, just as 
       his ancestor David had done.

       (2 Ki 18:4 NCV)  He removed the places where gods were worshiped. He 
       smashed the stone pillars and cut down the Asherah idols. Also the 
       Israelites had been burning incense to Nehushtan, the bronze snake 
       Moses had made. But Hezekiah broke it into pieces.

       (2 Ki 18:5 NCV)  Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. 





       There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before 
       him or after him.

       (2 Ki 18:6 NCV)  Hezekiah was loyal to the LORD and did not stop 
       following him; he obeyed the commands the LORD had given Moses.

       (2 Ki 18:7 NCV)  And the LORD was with Hezekiah, so he had success in 
       everything he did. He turned against the king of Assyria and stopped 
       serving him.

       (2 Ki 18:8 NCV)  Hezekiah defeated the Philistines all the way to Gaza 
       and its borders, including the watchtowers and the strong, walled 
       cities.

       (2 Ki 18:9 NCV)  Shalmaneser king of Assyria surrounded Samaria and 
       attacked it in the fourth year Hezekiah was king. This was the seventh 
       year Hoshea son of Elah was king of Israel.

       (2 Ki 18:10 NCV)  After three years the Assyrians captured Samaria. 
       This was in the sixth year Hezekiah was king, which was Hoshea's ninth 
       year as king of Israel.

       (2 Ki 18:11 NCV)  The king of Assyria took the Israelites away to 
       Assyria and settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River, and in 
       the cities of the Medes.

       (2 Ki 18:12 NCV)  This happened because they did not obey the LORD 
       their God. They broke his agreement and did not obey all that Moses, 
       the Lord's servant, had commanded. They would not listen to the 
       commands or do them.

       (2 Ki 18:13 NCV)  During Hezekiah's fourteenth year as king, 
       Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the strong, walled cities of 
       Judah and captured them.

       (2 Ki 18:14 NCV)  Then Hezekiah king of Judah sent a message to the 
       king of Assyria at Lachish. He said, "I have done wrong. Leave me 
       alone, and I will pay anything you ask." So the king of Assyria made 
       Hezekiah pay about twenty-two thousand pounds of silver and two 
       thousand pounds of gold.

       (2 Ki 18:15 NCV)  Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was in the 
       Temple of the LORD and in the palace treasuries.

       (2 Ki 18:16 NCV)  Hezekiah stripped all the gold that covered the 
       doors and doorposts of the Temple of the LORD. Hezekiah had put gold 
       on these doors himself, but he gave it all to the king of Assyria.

       (2 Ki 18:17 NCV)  The king of Assyria sent out his supreme commander, 
       his chief officer, and his field commander. They went with a large 
       army from Lachish to King Hezekiah in Jerusalem. When they came near 
       the waterway from the upper pool on the road where people do their 
       laundry, they stopped.

       (2 Ki 18:18 NCV)  They called for the king, so the king sent Eliakim, 
       Shebna, and Joah out to meet them. Eliakim son of Hilkiah was the 





       palace manager, Shebna was the royal secretary, and Joah son of Asaph 
       was the recorder.

       (2 Ki 18:19 NCV)  The field commander said to them, "Tell Hezekiah 
       this: "'The great king, the king of Assyria, says: What can you trust 
       in now?

       (2 Ki 18:20 NCV)  You say you have battle plans and power for war, but 
       your words mean nothing. Whom are you trusting for help so that you 
       turn against me?

       (2 Ki 18:21 NCV)  Look, you are depending on Egypt to help you, but 
       Egypt is like a splintered walking stick. If you lean on it for help, 
       it will stab your hand and hurt you. The king of Egypt will hurt all 
       those who depend on him.

       (2 Ki 18:22 NCV)  You might say, "We are depending on the LORD our 
       God," but Hezekiah destroyed the Lord's altars and the places of 
       worship. Hezekiah told Judah and Jerusalem, "You must worship only at 
       this one altar in Jerusalem."

       (2 Ki 18:23 NCV)  "'Now make an agreement with my master, the king of 
       Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses if you can find enough 
       men to ride them.

       (2 Ki 18:24 NCV)  You cannot defeat one of my master's least important 
       officers, so why do you depend on Egypt to give you chariots and 
       horsemen?

       (2 Ki 18:25 NCV)  I have not come to attack and destroy this place 
       without an order from the LORD. The LORD himself told me to come to 
       this country and destroy it.'"

       (2 Ki 18:26 NCV)  Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, Shebna, and Joah said 
       to the field commander, "Please speak to us in the Aramaic language. 
       We understand it. Don't speak to us in Hebrew, because the people on 
       the city wall can hear you."

       (2 Ki 18:27 NCV)  "No," the commander said, "my master did not send me 
       to tell these things only to you and your king. He sent me to speak 
       also to those people sitting on the wall who will have to eat their 
       own dung and drink their own urine like you."

       (2 Ki 18:28 NCV)  Then the commander stood and shouted loudly in the 
       Hebrew language, "Listen to what the great king, the king of Assyria, 
       says!

       (2 Ki 18:29 NCV)  The king says you should not let Hezekiah fool you, 
       because he can't save you from my power.

       (2 Ki 18:30 NCV)  Don't let Hezekiah talk you into trusting the LORD 
       by saying, 'The LORD will surely save us. This city won't be handed 
       over to the king of Assyria.'

       (2 Ki 18:31 NCV)  "Don't listen to Hezekiah. The king of Assyria says, 
       'Make peace with me, and come out of the city to me. Then everyone 





       will be free to eat the fruit from his own grapevine and fig tree and 
       to drink water from his own well.

       (2 Ki 18:32 NCV)  After that I will come and take you to a land like 
       your own--a land with grain and new wine, bread and vineyards, olives, 
       and honey. Choose to live and not to die!' "Don't listen to Hezekiah. 
       He is fooling you when he says, 'The LORD will save us.'

       (2 Ki 18:33 NCV)  Has a god of any other nation saved his people from 
       the power of the king of Assyria?

       (2 Ki 18:34 NCV)  Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are 
       the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? They did not save Samaria 
       from my power.

       (2 Ki 18:35 NCV)  Not one of all the gods of these countries has saved 
       his people from me. Neither can the LORD save Jerusalem from my 
       power."

       (2 Ki 18:36 NCV)  The people were silent. They didn't answer the 
       commander at all, because King Hezekiah had ordered, "Don't answer 
       him."

       (2 Ki 18:37 NCV)  Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah tore their clothes to 
       show how upset they were. (Eliakim son of Hilkiah was the palace 
       manager, Shebna was the royal secretary, and Joah son of Asaph was the 
       recorder.) The three men went to Hezekiah and told him what the field 
       commander had said.

       (2 Ki 19:1 NCV)  When King Hezekiah heard the message, he tore his 
       clothes and put on rough cloth to show how sad he was. Then he went 
       into the Temple of the LORD.

       (2 Ki 19:2 NCV)  Hezekiah sent Eliakim, the palace manager, and 
       Shebna, the royal secretary, and the older priests to Isaiah. They 
       were all wearing rough cloth when they came to Isaiah the prophet, the 
       son of Amoz.

       (2 Ki 19:3 NCV)  They told Isaiah, "This is what Hezekiah says: Today 
       is a day of sorrow and punishment and disgrace, as when a child should 
       be born, but the mother is not strong enough to give birth to it.

       (2 Ki 19:4 NCV)  The king of Assyria sent his field commander to make 
       fun of the living God. Maybe the LORD your God will hear what the 
       commander said and will punish him for it. So pray for the few of us 
       who are left alive."

       (2 Ki 19:5 NCV)  When Hezekiah's officers came to Isaiah,

       (2 Ki 19:6 NCV)  he said to them, "Tell your master this: The LORD 
       says, 'Don't be afraid of what you have heard. Don't be frightened by 
       the words the servants of the king of Assyria have spoken against me.

       (2 Ki 19:7 NCV)  Listen! I am going to put a spirit in the king of 
       Assyria. He will hear a report that will make him return to his own 
       country, and I will cause him to die by the sword there.'"






       (2 Ki 19:8 NCV)  The field commander heard that the king of Assyria 
       had left Lachish. When he went back, he found the king fighting 
       against the city of Libnah.

       (2 Ki 19:9 NCV)  The king received a report that Tirhakah, the Cushite 
       king of Egypt, was coming to attack him. When the king of Assyria 
       heard this, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,

       (2 Ki 19:10 NCV)  "Tell Hezekiah king of Judah: Don't be fooled by the 
       god you trust. Don't believe him when he says Jerusalem will not be 
       handed over to the king of Assyria.

       (2 Ki 19:11 NCV)  You have heard what the kings of Assyria have done. 
       They have completely defeated every country, so do not think you will 
       be saved.

       (2 Ki 19:12 NCV)  Did the gods of those people save them? My ancestors 
       destroyed them, defeating the cities of Gozan, Haran, and Rezeph, and 
       the people of Eden living in Tel Assar.

       (2 Ki 19:13 NCV)  Where are the kings of Hamath and Arpad? Where are 
       the kings of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?"

       (2 Ki 19:14 NCV)  When Hezekiah received the letter from the 
       messengers and read it, he went up to the Temple of the LORD. He 
       spread the letter out before the LORD

       (2 Ki 19:15 NCV)  and prayed to the LORD: "LORD, God of Israel, whose 
       throne is between the gold creatures with wings, only you are God of 
       all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth.

       (2 Ki 19:16 NCV)  Hear, LORD, and listen. Open your eyes, LORD, and 
       see. Listen to the words Sennacherib has said to insult the living 
       God.

       (2 Ki 19:17 NCV)  It is true, LORD, that the kings of Assyria have 
       destroyed these countries and their lands.

       (2 Ki 19:18 NCV)  They have thrown the gods of these nations into the 
       fire, but they were only wood and rock statues that people made. So 
       the kings have destroyed them.

       (2 Ki 19:19 NCV)  Now, LORD our God, save us from the king's power so 
       that all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you, LORD, are the 
       only God."

       (2 Ki 19:20 NCV)  Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah 
       that said, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I have 
       heard your prayer to me about Sennacherib king of Assyria.

       (2 Ki 19:21 NCV)  This is what the LORD has said against Sennacherib: 
       'The people of Jerusalem hate you and make fun of you. The people of 
       Jerusalem laugh at you as you run away.

       (2 Ki 19:22 NCV)  You have insulted me and spoken against me; you have 





       raised your voice against me. You have a proud look on your face, 
       which is against me, the Holy One of Israel.

       (2 Ki 19:23 NCV)  You have sent your messengers to insult the Lord. 
       You have said, "With my many chariots I have gone to the tops of the 
       mountains, to the highest mountains of Lebanon. I have cut down its 
       tallest cedars and its best pine trees. I have gone to its farthest 
       places and to its best forests.

       (2 Ki 19:24 NCV)  I have dug wells in foreign countries and drunk 
       water there. By the soles of my feet, I have dried up all the rivers 
       of Egypt."

       (2 Ki 19:25 NCV)  "'King of Assyria, surely you have heard. Long ago 
       I, the LORD, planned these things. Long ago I designed them, and now I 
       have made them happen. I allowed you to turn those strong, walled 
       cities into piles of rocks.

       (2 Ki 19:26 NCV)  The people in those cities were weak; they were 
       frightened and put to shame. They were like grass in the field, like 
       tender, young grass, like grass on the housetop that is burned by the 
       wind before it can grow.

       (2 Ki 19:27 NCV)  "'I know when you rest, when you come and go, and 
       how you rage against me.

       (2 Ki 19:28 NCV)  Because you rage against me, and because I have 
       heard your proud words, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in 
       your mouth. Then I will force you to leave my country the same way you 
       came.'

       (2 Ki 19:29 NCV)  "Then the LORD said, 'Hezekiah, I will give you this 
       sign: This year you will eat the grain that grows wild, and the second 
       year you will eat what grows wild from that. But in the third year, 
       plant grain and harvest it. Plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

       (2 Ki 19:30 NCV)  Some of the people in the family of Judah will 
       escape. Like plants that take root, they will grow strong and have 
       many children.

       (2 Ki 19:31 NCV)  A few people will come out of Jerusalem alive; a few 
       from Mount Zion will live. The strong love of the LORD All-Powerful 
       will make this happen.'

       (2 Ki 19:32 NCV)  "So this is what the LORD says about the king of 
       Assyria: 'He will not enter this city or even shoot an arrow here. He 
       will not fight against it with shields or build a ramp to attack the 
       city walls.

       (2 Ki 19:33 NCV)  He will return to his country the same way he came, 
       and he will not enter this city,' says the LORD.

       (2 Ki 19:34 NCV)  'I will defend and save this city for my sake and 
       for the sake of David, my servant.'"

       (2 Ki 19:35 NCV)  That night the angel of the LORD went out and killed 





       one hundred eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the 
       people got up early the next morning, they saw all the dead bodies.

       (2 Ki 19:36 NCV)  So Sennacherib king of Assyria left and went back to 
       Nineveh and stayed there.

       (2 Ki 19:37 NCV)  One day as Sennacherib was worshiping in the temple 
       of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with 
       a sword. Then they escaped to the land of Ararat. So Sennacherib's son 
       Esarhaddon became king of Assyria.

       (2 Ki 20:1 NCV)  At that time Hezekiah became so sick he almost died. 
       The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to see him and told him, "This is 
       what the LORD says: Make arrangements because you are not going to 
       live, but die."

       (2 Ki 20:2 NCV)  Hezekiah turned toward the wall and prayed to the 
       LORD,

       (2 Ki 20:3 NCV)  "LORD, please remember that I have always obeyed you. 
       I have given myself completely to you and have done what you said was 
       right." Then Hezekiah cried loudly.

       (2 Ki 20:4 NCV)  Before Isaiah had left the middle courtyard, the LORD 
       spoke his word to Isaiah:

       (2 Ki 20:5 NCV)  "Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people: 
       'This is what the LORD, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have 
       heard your prayer and seen your tears, so I will heal you. Three days 
       from now you will go up to the Temple of the LORD.

       (2 Ki 20:6 NCV)  I will add fifteen years to your life. I will save 
       you and this city from the king of Assyria; I will protect the city 
       for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.'"

       (2 Ki 20:7 NCV)  Then Isaiah said, "Make a paste from figs." So they 
       made it and put it on Hezekiah's boil, and he got well.

       (2 Ki 20:8 NCV)  Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, "What will be the sign 
       that the LORD will heal me and that I will go up to the Temple of the 
       LORD on the third day?"

       (2 Ki 20:9 NCV)  Isaiah said, "The LORD will do what he says. This is 
       the sign from the LORD to show you: Do you want the shadow to go 
       forward ten steps or back ten steps?"

       (2 Ki 20:10 NCV)  Hezekiah answered, "It's easy for the shadow to go 
       forward ten steps. Instead, let it go back ten steps."

       (2 Ki 20:11 NCV)  Then Isaiah the prophet called to the LORD, and the 
       LORD brought the shadow ten steps back up the stairway of Ahaz that it 
       had gone down.

       (2 Ki 20:12 NCV)  At that time Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan was 
       king of Babylon. He sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, because he 
       had heard that Hezekiah was sick.






       (2 Ki 20:13 NCV)  Hezekiah listened to the messengers, so he showed 
       them what was in his storehouses: the silver, gold, spices, expensive 
       perfumes, his swords and shields, and all his wealth. He showed them 
       everything in his palace and his kingdom.

       (2 Ki 20:14 NCV)  Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and 
       asked him, "What did these men say? Where did they come from?" 
       Hezekiah said, "They came from a faraway country--from Babylon."

       (2 Ki 20:15 NCV)  So Isaiah asked him, "What did they see in your 
       palace?" Hezekiah said, "They saw everything in my palace. I showed 
       them all my wealth."

       (2 Ki 20:16 NCV)  Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Listen to the words 
       of the LORD:

       (2 Ki 20:17 NCV)  'In the future everything in your palace and 
       everything your ancestors have stored up until this day will be taken 
       away to Babylon. Nothing will be left,' says the LORD.

       (2 Ki 20:18 NCV)  'Some of your own children, those who will be born 
       to you, will be taken away. And they will become servants in the 
       palace of the king of Babylon.'"

       (2 Ki 20:19 NCV)  Hezekiah told Isaiah, "These words from the LORD are 
       good." He said this because he thought, "There will be peace and 
       security in my lifetime."

       (2 Ki 20:20 NCV)  Everything else Hezekiah did--all his victories, his 
       work on the pool, his work on the tunnel to bring water into the 
       city--is written in the book of the history of the kings of Judah.

       (2 Ki 20:21 NCV)  Then Hezekiah died, and his son Manasseh became king 
       in his place.

       (2 Ki 21:1 NCV)  Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, 
       and he was king fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was 
       Hephzibah.

       (2 Ki 21:2 NCV)  He did what the LORD said was wrong. He did the 
       hateful things the other nations had done--the nations that the LORD 
       had forced out of the land ahead of the Israelites.

       (2 Ki 21:3 NCV)  Manasseh's father, Hezekiah, had destroyed the places 
       where gods were worshiped, but Manasseh rebuilt them. He built altars 
       for Baal, and he made an Asherah idol as Ahab king of Israel had done. 
       Manasseh also worshiped all the stars of the sky and served them.

       (2 Ki 21:4 NCV)  The LORD had said about the Temple, "I will be 
       worshiped in Jerusalem," but Manasseh built altars in the Temple of 
       the LORD.

       (2 Ki 21:5 NCV)  He built altars to worship the stars in the two 
       courtyards of the Temple of the LORD.





       (2 Ki 21:6 NCV)  He made his own son pass through fire. He practiced 
       magic and told the future by explaining signs and dreams, and he got 
       advice from mediums and fortune-tellers. He did many things the LORD 
       said were wrong, which made the LORD angry.

       (2 Ki 21:7 NCV)  Manasseh carved an Asherah idol and put it in the 
       Temple. The LORD had said to David and his son Solomon about the 
       Temple, "I will be worshiped forever in this Temple and in Jerusalem, 
       which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel.

       (2 Ki 21:8 NCV)  I will never again make the Israelites wander out of 
       the land I gave their ancestors. But they must obey everything I have 
       commanded them and all the teachings my servant Moses gave them."

       (2 Ki 21:9 NCV)  But the people did not listen. Manasseh led them to 
       do more evil than the nations the LORD had destroyed ahead of the 
       Israelites.

       (2 Ki 21:10 NCV)  The LORD said through his servants the prophets,

       (2 Ki 21:11 NCV)  "Manasseh king of Judah has done these hateful 
       things. He has done more evil than the Amorites before him. He also 
       has led Judah to sin with his idols.

       (2 Ki 21:12 NCV)  So this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 
       'I will bring so much trouble on Jerusalem and Judah that anyone who 
       hears about it will be shocked.

       (2 Ki 21:13 NCV)  I will stretch the measuring line of Samaria over 
       Jerusalem, and the plumb line used against Ahab's family will be used 
       on Jerusalem. I will wipe out Jerusalem as a person wipes a dish and 
       turns it upside down.

       (2 Ki 21:14 NCV)  I will throw away the rest of my people who are 
       left. I will give them to their enemies, and they will be robbed by 
       all their enemies,

       (2 Ki 21:15 NCV)  because my people did what I said was wrong. They 
       have made me angry from the day their ancestors left Egypt until 
       now.'"

       (2 Ki 21:16 NCV)  Manasseh also killed many innocent people, filling 
       Jerusalem from one end to the other with their blood. This was besides 
       the sin he led Judah to do; he led Judah to do what the LORD said was 
       wrong.

       (2 Ki 21:17 NCV)  The other things Manasseh did as king, even the sin 
       he did, are written in the book of the history of the kings of Judah.

       (2 Ki 21:18 NCV)  Manasseh died and was buried in the garden of his 
       own palace, the garden of Uzza. Then Manasseh's son Amon became king 
       in his place.

       (2 Ki 21:19 NCV)  Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, 
       and he was king for two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was 
       Meshullemeth daughter of Haruz, who was from Jotbah.






       (2 Ki 21:20 NCV)  Amon did what the LORD said was wrong, as his father 
       Manasseh had done.

       (2 Ki 21:21 NCV)  He lived in the same way his father had lived: he 
       worshiped the idols his father had worshiped, and he bowed down before 
       them.

       (2 Ki 21:22 NCV)  Amon rejected the LORD, the God of his ancestors, 
       and did not follow the ways of the LORD.

       (2 Ki 21:23 NCV)  Amon's officers made plans against him and killed 
       him in his palace.

       (2 Ki 21:24 NCV)  Then the people of the land killed all those who had 
       made plans to kill King Amon, and they made his son Josiah king in his 
       place.

       (2 Ki 21:25 NCV)  Everything else Amon did is written in the book of 
       the history of the kings of Judah.

       (2 Ki 21:26 NCV)  He was buried in his grave in the garden of Uzza, 
       and his son Josiah became king in his place.

       (2 Ki 22:1 NCV)  Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and 
       he ruled thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jedidah 
       daughter of Adaiah, who was from Bozkath.

       (2 Ki 22:2 NCV)  Josiah did what the LORD said was right. He lived as 
       his ancestor David had lived, and he did not stop doing what was 
       right.

       (2 Ki 22:3 NCV)  In Josiah's eighteenth year as king, he sent Shaphan 
       to the Temple of the LORD. Shaphan son of Azaliah, the son of 
       Meshullam, was the royal secretary. Josiah said,

       (2 Ki 22:4 NCV)  "Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, and have him empty 
       out the money the gatekeepers have gathered from the people. This is 
       the money they have brought into the Temple of the LORD.

       (2 Ki 22:5 NCV)  Have him give the money to the supervisors of the 
       work on the Temple of the LORD. They must pay the workers who repair 
       the Temple of the LORD--

       (2 Ki 22:6 NCV)  the carpenters, builders, and bricklayers. Also use 
       the money to buy timber and cut stone to repair the Temple.

       (2 Ki 22:7 NCV)  They do not need to report how they use the money 
       given to them, because they are working honestly."

       (2 Ki 22:8 NCV)  Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the royal 
       secretary, "I've found the Book of the Teachings in the Temple of the 
       LORD." He gave it to Shaphan, who read it.

       (2 Ki 22:9 NCV)  Then Shaphan the royal secretary went to the king and 
       reported to Josiah, "Your officers have paid out the money that was in 





       the Temple of the LORD. They have given it to the workers and 
       supervisors at the Temple."

       (2 Ki 22:10 NCV)  Then Shaphan the royal secretary told the king, 
       "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read from the 
       book to the king.

       (2 Ki 22:11 NCV)  When the king heard the words of the Book of the 
       Teachings, he tore his clothes to show how upset he was.

       (2 Ki 22:12 NCV)  He gave orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of 
       Shaphan, Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the royal secretary, and Asaiah 
       the king's servant. These were the orders:

       (2 Ki 22:13 NCV)  "Go and ask the LORD about the words in the book 
       that was found. Ask for me, for all the people, and for all Judah. The 
       Lord's anger is burning against us, because our ancestors did not obey 
       the words of this book; they did not do all the things written for us 
       to do."

       (2 Ki 22:14 NCV)  So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan, and 
       Asaiah went to talk to Huldah the prophetess. She was the wife of 
       Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, who took care of the king's 
       clothes. Huldah lived in Jerusalem, in the new area of the city.

       (2 Ki 22:15 NCV)  She said to them, "This is what the LORD, the God of 
       Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me,

       (2 Ki 22:16 NCV)  'This is what the LORD says: I will bring trouble to 
       this place and to the people living here, as it is written in the book 
       which the king of Judah has read.

       (2 Ki 22:17 NCV)  The people of Judah have left me and have burned 
       incense to other gods. They have made me angry by all that they have 
       done. My anger burns against this place like a fire, and it will not 
       be put out.'

       (2 Ki 22:18 NCV)  Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to ask the 
       LORD, 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says about the words 
       you heard:

       (2 Ki 22:19 NCV)  When you heard my words against this place and its 
       people, you became sorry for what you had done and humbled yourself 
       before me. I said they would be cursed and would be destroyed. You 
       tore your clothes to show how upset you were, and you cried in my 
       presence. This is why I have heard you, says the LORD.

       (2 Ki 22:20 NCV)  So I will let you die, and you will be buried in 
       peace. You won't see all the trouble I will bring to this place.'" So 
       they took her message back to the king.

       (2 Ki 23:1 NCV)  Then the king gathered all the older leaders of Judah 
       and Jerusalem together.

       (2 Ki 23:2 NCV)  He went up to the Temple of the LORD, and all the 
       people from Judah and Jerusalem went with him. The priests, prophets, 





       and all the people--from the least important to the most 
       important--went with him. He read to them all the words of the Book of 
       the Agreement that was found in the Temple of the LORD.

       (2 Ki 23:3 NCV)  The king stood by the pillar and made an agreement in 
       the presence of the LORD to follow the LORD and obey his commands, 
       rules, and laws with his whole being, and to obey the words of the 
       agreement written in this book. Then all the people promised to obey 
       the agreement.

       (2 Ki 23:4 NCV)  The king commanded Hilkiah the high priest and the 
       priests of the next rank and the gatekeepers to bring out of the 
       Temple of the LORD everything made for Baal, Asherah, and all the 
       stars of the sky. Then Josiah burned them outside Jerusalem in the 
       open country of the Kidron Valley and carried their ashes to Bethel.

       (2 Ki 23:5 NCV)  The kings of Judah had chosen priests for these gods. 
       These priests burned incense in the places where gods were worshiped 
       in the cities of Judah and the towns around Jerusalem. They burned 
       incense to Baal, the sun, the moon, the planets, and all the stars of 
       the sky. But Josiah took those priests away.

       (2 Ki 23:6 NCV)  He removed the Asherah idol from the Temple of the 
       LORD and took it outside Jerusalem to the Kidron Valley, where he 
       burned it and beat it into dust. Then he threw the dust on the graves 
       of the common people.

       (2 Ki 23:7 NCV)  He also tore down the houses of the male prostitutes 
       who were in the Temple of the LORD, where the women did weaving for 
       Asherah.

       (2 Ki 23:8 NCV)  King Josiah brought all the false priests from the 
       cities of Judah. He ruined the places where gods were worshiped, where 
       the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba. He destroyed 
       the places of worship at the entrance to the Gate of Joshua, the ruler 
       of the city, on the left side of the city gate.

       (2 Ki 23:9 NCV)  The priests at the places where gods were worshiped 
       were not allowed to serve at the Lord's altar in Jerusalem. But they 
       could eat bread made without yeast with their brothers.

       (2 Ki 23:10 NCV)  Josiah ruined Topheth, in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, 
       so no one could sacrifice his son or daughter to Molech.

       (2 Ki 23:11 NCV)  Judah's kings had placed horses at the front door of 
       the Temple of the LORD in the courtyard near the room of 
       Nathan-Melech, an officer. These horses were for the worship of the 
       sun. So Josiah removed them and burned the chariots that were for sun 
       worship also.

       (2 Ki 23:12 NCV)  The kings of Judah had built altars on the roof of 
       the upstairs room of Ahaz. Josiah broke down these altars and the 
       altars Manasseh had made in the two courtyards of the Temple of the 
       LORD. Josiah smashed them to pieces and threw their dust into the 
       Kidron Valley.





       (2 Ki 23:13 NCV)  King Josiah ruined the places where gods were 
       worshiped east of Jerusalem, south of the Mount of Olives. Solomon 
       king of Israel had built these places. One was for Ashtoreth, the 
       hated goddess of the Sidonians. One was for Chemosh, the hated god of 
       Moab. And one was for Molech, the hated god of the Ammonites.

       (2 Ki 23:14 NCV)  Josiah smashed to pieces the stone pillars they 
       worshiped, and he cut down the Asherah idols. Then he covered the 
       places with human bones.

       (2 Ki 23:15 NCV)  Josiah also broke down the altar at Bethel--the 
       place of worship made by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had led Israel to 
       sin. Josiah burned that place, broke the stones of the altar into 
       pieces, then beat them into dust. He also burned the Asherah idol.

       (2 Ki 23:16 NCV)  When he turned around, he saw the graves on the 
       mountain. He had the bones taken from the graves, and he burned them 
       on the altar to ruin it. This happened as the LORD had said it would 
       through the man of God.

       (2 Ki 23:17 NCV)  Josiah asked, "What is that monument I see?" The 
       people of the city answered, "It's the grave of the man of God who 
       came from Judah. This prophet announced the things you have done 
       against the altar of Bethel."

       (2 Ki 23:18 NCV)  Josiah said, "Leave the grave alone. No one may move 
       this man's bones." So they left his bones and the bones of the prophet 
       who had come from Samaria.

       (2 Ki 23:19 NCV)  The kings of Israel had built temples for worshiping 
       gods in the cities of Samaria, which had caused the LORD to be angry. 
       Josiah removed all those temples and did the same things as he had 
       done at Bethel.

       (2 Ki 23:20 NCV)  He killed all the priests of those places of 
       worship; he killed them on the altars and burned human bones on the 
       altars. Then he went back to Jerusalem.

       (2 Ki 23:21 NCV)  The king commanded all the people, "Celebrate the 
       Passover to the LORD your God as it is written in this Book of the 
       Agreement."

       (2 Ki 23:22 NCV)  The Passover had not been celebrated like this since 
       the judges led Israel. Nor had one like it happened while there were 
       kings of Israel and kings of Judah.

       (2 Ki 23:23 NCV)  This Passover was celebrated to the LORD in 
       Jerusalem in the eighteenth year of King Josiah's rule.

       (2 Ki 23:24 NCV)  Josiah destroyed the mediums, fortune-tellers, house 
       gods, and idols. He also destroyed all the hated gods seen in the land 
       of Judah and Jerusalem. This was to obey the words of the teachings 
       written in the book Hilkiah the priest had found in the Temple of the 
       LORD.

       (2 Ki 23:25 NCV)  There was no king like Josiah before or after him. 





       He obeyed the LORD with all his heart, soul, and strength, following 
       all the Teachings of Moses.

       (2 Ki 23:26 NCV)  Even so, the LORD did not stop his strong and 
       terrible anger. His anger burned against Judah because of all Manasseh 
       had done to make him angry.

       (2 Ki 23:27 NCV)  The LORD said, "I will send Judah out of my sight, 
       as I have sent Israel away. I will reject Jerusalem, which I chose. 
       And I will take away the Temple about which I said, 'I will be 
       worshiped there.'"

       (2 Ki 23:28 NCV)  Everything else Josiah did is written in the book of 
       the history of the kings of Judah.

       (2 Ki 23:29 NCV)  While Josiah was king, Neco king of Egypt went to 
       help the king of Assyria at the Euphrates River. King Josiah marched 
       out to fight against Neco, but at Megiddo, Neco faced him and killed 
       him.

       (2 Ki 23:30 NCV)  Josiah's servants carried his body in a chariot from 
       Megiddo to Jerusalem and buried him in his own grave. Then the people 
       of Judah chose Josiah's son Jehoahaz and poured olive oil on him to 
       make him king in his father's place.

       (2 Ki 23:31 NCV)  Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became 
       king, and he was king in Jerusalem for three months. His mother's name 
       was Hamutal, who was the daughter of Jeremiah from Libnah.

       (2 Ki 23:32 NCV)  Jehoahaz did what the LORD said was wrong, just as 
       his ancestors had done.

       (2 Ki 23:33 NCV)  King Neco took Jehoahaz prisoner at Riblah in the 
       land of Hamath so that Jehoahaz could not rule in Jerusalem. Neco made 
       the people of Judah pay about seventy-five hundred pounds of silver 
       and about seventy-five pounds of gold.

       (2 Ki 23:34 NCV)  King Neco made Josiah's son Eliakim the king in 
       place of Josiah his father. Then Neco changed Eliakim's name to 
       Jehoiakim. But Neco took Jehoahaz to Egypt, where he died.

       (2 Ki 23:35 NCV)  Jehoiakim gave King Neco the silver and gold he 
       demanded. Jehoiakim taxed the land and took silver and gold from the 
       people of the land to give to King Neco. Each person had to pay his 
       share.

       (2 Ki 23:36 NCV)  Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became 
       king, and he was king in Jerusalem for eleven years. His mother's name 
       was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah, who was from Rumah.

       (2 Ki 23:37 NCV)  Jehoiakim did what the LORD said was wrong, just as 
       his ancestors had done.

       (2 Ki 24:1 NCV)  While Jehoiakim was king, Nebuchadnezzar king of 
       Babylon attacked the land of Judah. So Jehoiakim became 
       Nebuchadnezzar's servant for three years. Then he turned against 





       Nebuchadnezzar and broke away from his rule.

       (2 Ki 24:2 NCV)  The LORD sent raiding parties from Babylon, Aram, 
       Moab, and Ammon against Jehoiakim to destroy Judah. This happened as 
       the LORD had said it would through his servants the prophets.

       (2 Ki 24:3 NCV)  The LORD commanded this to happen to the people of 
       Judah, to remove them from his presence, because of all the sins of 
       Manasseh.

       (2 Ki 24:4 NCV)  He had killed many innocent people and had filled 
       Jerusalem with their blood. And the LORD would not forgive these sins.

       (2 Ki 24:5 NCV)  The other things that happened while Jehoiakim was 
       king and all he did are written in the book of the history of the 
       kings of Judah.

       (2 Ki 24:6 NCV)  Jehoiakim died, and his son Jehoiachin became king in 
       his place.

       (2 Ki 24:7 NCV)  The king of Egypt did not leave his land again, 
       because the king of Babylon had captured all that belonged to the king 
       of Egypt, from the brook of Egypt to the Euphrates River.

       (2 Ki 24:8 NCV)  Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became 
       king, and he was king three months in Jerusalem. His mother's name was 
       Nehushta daughter of Elnathan from Jerusalem.

       (2 Ki 24:9 NCV)  Jehoiachin did what the LORD said was wrong, just as 
       his father had done.

       (2 Ki 24:10 NCV)  At that time the officers of Nebuchadnezzar king of 
       Babylon came up to Jerusalem. When they reached the city, they 
       attacked it.

       (2 Ki 24:11 NCV)  Nebuchadnezzar himself came to the city while his 
       officers were attacking it.

       (2 Ki 24:12 NCV)  Jehoiachin king of Judah surrendered to the king of 
       Babylon, along with Jehoiachin's mother, servants, older leaders, and 
       officers. So Nebuchadnezzar made Jehoiachin a prisoner in the eighth 
       year he was king of Babylon.

       (2 Ki 24:13 NCV)  Nebuchadnezzar took all the treasures from the 
       Temple of the LORD and from the palace. He cut up all the gold objects 
       Solomon king of Israel had made for the Temple of the LORD. This 
       happened as the LORD had said it would.

       (2 Ki 24:14 NCV)  Nebuchadnezzar took away all the people of 
       Jerusalem, including all the leaders, all the wealthy people, and all 
       the craftsmen and metal workers. There were ten thousand prisoners in 
       all. Only the poorest people in the land were left.

       (2 Ki 24:15 NCV)  Nebuchadnezzar carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, 
       as well as the king's mother and his wives, the officers, and the 
       leading men of the land. They were taken captive from Jerusalem to 





       Babylon.

       (2 Ki 24:16 NCV)  The king of Babylon also took all seven thousand 
       soldiers, who were strong and able to fight in war, and about a 
       thousand craftsmen and metal workers. Nebuchadnezzar took them as 
       prisoners to Babylon.

       (2 Ki 24:17 NCV)  Then he made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin's uncle, king in 
       Jehoiachin's place. He also changed Mattaniah's name to Zedekiah.

       (2 Ki 24:18 NCV)  Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became 
       king, and he was king in Jerusalem for eleven years. His mother's name 
       was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah from Libnah.

       (2 Ki 24:19 NCV)  Zedekiah did what the LORD said was wrong, just as 
       Jehoiakim had done.

       (2 Ki 24:20 NCV)  All this happened in Jerusalem and Judah because the 
       LORD was angry with them. Finally, he threw them out of his presence. 
       Zedekiah turned against the king of Babylon.

       (2 Ki 25:1 NCV)  Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against 
       Jerusalem with his whole army during Zedekiah's ninth year as king, on 
       the tenth day of the tenth month. He made a camp around the city and 
       piled dirt against the city walls to attack it.

       (2 Ki 25:2 NCV)  The city was under attack until Zedekiah's eleventh 
       year as king.

       (2 Ki 25:3 NCV)  By the ninth day of the fourth month, the hunger was 
       terrible in the city. There was no food for the people to eat.

       (2 Ki 25:4 NCV)  Then the city was broken into, and the whole army ran 
       away at night through the gate between the two walls by the king's 
       garden. While the Babylonians were still surrounding the city, 
       Zedekiah and his men ran away toward the Jordan Valley.

       (2 Ki 25:5 NCV)  But the Babylonian army chased King Zedekiah and 
       caught up with him in the plains of Jericho. All of his army was 
       scattered from him,

       (2 Ki 25:6 NCV)  so they captured Zedekiah and took him to the king of 
       Babylon at Riblah. There he passed sentence on Zedekiah.

       (2 Ki 25:7 NCV)  They killed Zedekiah's sons as he watched. Then they 
       put out his eyes and put bronze chains on him and took him to Babylon.

       (2 Ki 25:8 NCV)  Nebuzaradan was the commander of the king's special 
       guards. This officer of the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem on the 
       seventh day of the fifth month, in Nebuchadnezzar's nineteenth year as 
       king of Babylon.

       (2 Ki 25:9 NCV)  Nebuzaradan set fire to the Temple of the LORD and 
       the palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building 
       was burned.





       (2 Ki 25:10 NCV)  The whole Babylonian army, led by the commander of 
       the king's special guards, broke down the walls around Jerusalem.

       (2 Ki 25:11 NCV)  Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guards, captured 
       the people left in Jerusalem, those who had surrendered to the king of 
       Babylon, and the rest of the people.

       (2 Ki 25:12 NCV)  But the commander left behind some of the poorest 
       people of the land to take care of the vineyards and fields.

       (2 Ki 25:13 NCV)  The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars, the 
       bronze stands, and the large bronze bowl, which was called the Sea, in 
       the Temple of the LORD. Then they carried the bronze to Babylon.

       (2 Ki 25:14 NCV)  They also took the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, 
       dishes, and all the bronze objects used to serve in the Temple.

       (2 Ki 25:15 NCV)  The commander of the king's special guards took away 
       the pans for carrying hot coals, the bowls, and everything made of 
       pure gold or silver.

       (2 Ki 25:16 NCV)  There were two pillars and the large bronze bowl and 
       the movable stands which Solomon had made for the Temple of the LORD. 
       There was so much bronze that it could not be weighed.

       (2 Ki 25:17 NCV)  Each pillar was about twenty-seven feet high. The 
       bronze capital on top of the pillar was about four and one-half feet 
       high. It was decorated with a net design and bronze pomegranates all 
       around it. The other pillar also had a net design and was like the 
       first pillar.

       (2 Ki 25:18 NCV)  The commander of the guards took some 
       prisoners--Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest next in 
       rank, and the three doorkeepers.

       (2 Ki 25:19 NCV)  Of the people who were still in the city, he took 
       the officer in charge of the fighting men, as well as five people who 
       advised the king. He took the royal secretary who selected people for 
       the army and sixty other men who were in the city.

       (2 Ki 25:20 NCV)  Nebuzaradan, the commander, took all these people 
       and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.

       (2 Ki 25:21 NCV)  There at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king had 
       them killed. So the people of Judah were led away from their country 
       as captives.

       (2 Ki 25:22 NCV)  Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon left some people in 
       the land of Judah. He appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of 
       Shaphan, as governor.

       (2 Ki 25:23 NCV)  The army captains and their men heard that the king 
       of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, so they came to Gedaliah at 
       Mizpah. They were Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, 
       Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, Jaazaniah son of the 
       Maacathite, and their men.






       (2 Ki 25:24 NCV)  Then Gedaliah promised these army captains and their 
       men, "Don't be afraid of the Babylonian officers. Live in the land and 
       serve the king of Babylon, and everything will go well for you."

       (2 Ki 25:25 NCV)  In the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah, son 
       of Elishama from the king's family, came with ten men and killed 
       Gedaliah. They also killed the men of Judah and Babylon who were with 
       Gedaliah at Mizpah.

       (2 Ki 25:26 NCV)  Then all the people, from the least important to the 
       most important, along with the army leaders, ran away to Egypt, 
       because they were afraid of the Babylonians.

       (2 Ki 25:27 NCV)  Jehoiachin king of Judah was held in Babylon for 
       thirty-seven years. In the thirty-seventh year Evil-Merodach became 
       king of Babylon, and he let Jehoiachin out of prison on the 
       twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month.

       (2 Ki 25:28 NCV)  Evil-Merodach spoke kindly to Jehoiachin and gave 
       him a seat of honor above the seats of the other kings who were with 
       him in Babylon.

       (2 Ki 25:29 NCV)  So Jehoiachin put away his prison clothes. For the 
       rest of his life, he ate at the king's table.

       (2 Ki 25:30 NCV)  Every day, for as long as Jehoiachin lived, the king 
       gave him an allowance.

       (1 Chr 1:1 NCV)  Adam was the father of Seth. Seth was the father of 
       Enosh. Enosh was the father of Kenan.

       (1 Chr 1:2 NCV)  Kenan was the father of Mahalalel. Mahalalel was the 
       father of Jared. Jared was the father of Enoch.

       (1 Chr 1:3 NCV)  Enoch was the father of Methuselah. Methuselah was 
       the father of Lamech, and Lamech was the father of Noah.

       (1 Chr 1:4 NCV)  The sons of Noah were Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

       (1 Chr 1:5 NCV)  Japheth's sons were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, 
       Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.

       (1 Chr 1:6 NCV)  Gomer's sons were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.

       (1 Chr 1:7 NCV)  Javan's sons were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and 
       Rodanim.

       (1 Chr 1:8 NCV)  Ham's sons were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

       (1 Chr 1:9 NCV)  Cush's sons were Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raamah, and 
       Sabteca. Raamah's sons were Sheba and Dedan.

       (1 Chr 1:10 NCV)  Cush was the father of Nimrod, who grew up to become 
       a mighty warrior on the earth.





       (1 Chr 1:11 NCV)  Mizraim was the father of the Ludites, Anamites, 
       Lehabites, and Naphtuhites,

       (1 Chr 1:12 NCV)  Pathrusites, Casluhites, and Caphtorites. (The 
       Philistines came from the Casluhites.)

       (1 Chr 1:13 NCV)  Canaan's first child was Sidon. He was also the 
       father of the Hittites,

       (1 Chr 1:14 NCV)  Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites,

       (1 Chr 1:15 NCV)  Hivites, Arkites, Sinites,

       (1 Chr 1:16 NCV)  Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites.

       (1 Chr 1:17 NCV)  Shem's sons were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and 
       Aram. Aram's sons were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech.

       (1 Chr 1:18 NCV)  Arphaxad was the father of Shelah, who was the 
       father of Eber.

       (1 Chr 1:19 NCV)  Eber had two sons. One son was named Peleg, because 
       the people on the earth were divided into different languages during 
       his life. Peleg's brother was named Joktan.

       (1 Chr 1:20 NCV)  Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, 
       Hazarmaveth, Jerah,

       (1 Chr 1:21 NCV)  Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah,

       (1 Chr 1:22 NCV)  Obal, Abimael, Sheba,

       (1 Chr 1:23 NCV)  Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were Joktan's 
       sons.

       (1 Chr 1:24 NCV)  The family line included Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah,

       (1 Chr 1:25 NCV)  Eber, Peleg, Reu,

       (1 Chr 1:26 NCV)  Serug, Nahor, Terah,

       (1 Chr 1:27 NCV)  and Abram, who was called Abraham.

       (1 Chr 1:28 NCV)  Abraham's sons were Isaac and Ishmael.

       (1 Chr 1:29 NCV)  These were the sons of Isaac and Ishmael. Ishmael's 
       first son was Nebaioth. His other sons were Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,

       (1 Chr 1:30 NCV)  Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema,

       (1 Chr 1:31 NCV)  Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These were Ishmael's 
       sons.

       (1 Chr 1:32 NCV)  Keturah, Abraham's slave woman, gave birth to 
       Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. Jokshan's sons were 
       Sheba and Dedan.






       (1 Chr 1:33 NCV)  Midian's sons were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and 
       Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah.

       (1 Chr 1:34 NCV)  Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac's sons 
       were Esau and Israel.

       (1 Chr 1:35 NCV)  Esau's sons were Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam, and 
       Korah.

       (1 Chr 1:36 NCV)  Eliphaz's sons were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, 
       Kenaz, Timna, and Amalek.

       (1 Chr 1:37 NCV)  Reuel's sons were Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and 
       Mizzah.

       (1 Chr 1:38 NCV)  Seir's sons were Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 
       Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan.

       (1 Chr 1:39 NCV)  Lotan's sons were Hori and Homam, and his sister was 
       Timna.

       (1 Chr 1:40 NCV)  Shobal's sons were Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, 
       and Onam. Zibeon's sons were Aiah and Anah.

       (1 Chr 1:41 NCV)  Anah's son was Dishon. Dishon's sons were Hemdan, 
       Eshban, Ithran, and Keran.

       (1 Chr 1:42 NCV)  Ezer's sons were Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan. Dishan's 
       sons were Uz and Aran.

       (1 Chr 1:43 NCV)  These kings ruled in Edom before there were kings in 
       Israel. Bela son of Beor was king of Edom, and his city was named 
       Dinhabah.

       (1 Chr 1:44 NCV)  When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah became king. He 
       was from Bozrah.

       (1 Chr 1:45 NCV)  When Jobab died, Husham became king. He was from the 
       land of the Temanites.

       (1 Chr 1:46 NCV)  When Husham died, Hadad son of Bedad became king, 
       and his city was named Avith. Hadad defeated Midian in the country of 
       Moab.

       (1 Chr 1:47 NCV)  When Hadad died, Samlah became king. He was from 
       Masrekah.

       (1 Chr 1:48 NCV)  When Samlah died, Shaul became king. He was from 
       Rehoboth by the river.

       (1 Chr 1:49 NCV)  When Shaul died, Baal-Hanan son of Acbor became 
       king.

       (1 Chr 1:50 NCV)  When Baal-Hanan died, Hadad became king, and his 
       city was named Pau. Hadad's wife was named Mehetabel, and she was the 





       daughter of Matred, who was the daughter of Me-Zahab.

       (1 Chr 1:51 NCV)  Then Hadad died. The leaders of the family groups of 
       Edom were Timna, Alvah, Jetheth,

       (1 Chr 1:52 NCV)  Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon,

       (1 Chr 1:53 NCV)  Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar,

       (1 Chr 1:54 NCV)  Magdiel, and Iram. These were the leaders of Edom.

       (1 Chr 2:1 NCV)  The sons of Israel were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, 
       Issachar, Zebulun,

       (1 Chr 2:2 NCV)  Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

       (1 Chr 2:3 NCV)  Judah's sons were Er, Onan, and Shelah. A Canaanite 
       woman, the daughter of Shua, was their mother. Judah's first son, Er, 
       did what the LORD said was wicked, so the LORD put him to death.

       (1 Chr 2:4 NCV)  Judah's daughter-in-law Tamar gave birth to Perez and 
       Zerah. Judah was the father, so Judah had five sons.

       (1 Chr 2:5 NCV)  Perez's sons were Hezron and Hamul.

       (1 Chr 2:6 NCV)  Zerah had five sons: Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and 
       Darda.

       (1 Chr 2:7 NCV)  Carmi's son was Achan, who caused trouble for Israel 
       because he took things that had been given to the LORD to be 
       destroyed.

       (1 Chr 2:8 NCV)  Ethan's son was Azariah.

       (1 Chr 2:9 NCV)  Hezron's sons were Jerahmeel, Ram, and Caleb.

       (1 Chr 2:10 NCV)  Ram was Amminadab's father, and Amminadab was 
       Nashon's father. Nahshon was the leader of the people of Judah.

       (1 Chr 2:11 NCV)  Nahshon was the father of Salmon, who was the father 
       of Boaz.

       (1 Chr 2:12 NCV)  Boaz was the father of Obed, and Obed was the father 
       of Jesse.

       (1 Chr 2:13 NCV)  Jesse's first son was Eliab. His second son was 
       Abinadab, his third was Shimea,

       (1 Chr 2:14 NCV)  his fourth was Nethanel, his fifth was Raddai,

       (1 Chr 2:15 NCV)  his sixth was Ozem, and his seventh son was David.

       (1 Chr 2:16 NCV)  Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah's 
       three sons were Abishai, Joab, and Asahel.

       (1 Chr 2:17 NCV)  Abigail was the mother of Amasa, and his father was 





       Jether, an Ishmaelite.

       (1 Chr 2:18 NCV)  Caleb son of Hezron had children by his wife Azubah 
       and by Jerioth. Caleb and Azubah's sons were Jesher, Shobab, and 
       Ardon.

       (1 Chr 2:19 NCV)  When Azubah died, Caleb married Ephrath. They had a 
       son named Hur,

       (1 Chr 2:20 NCV)  who was the father of Uri, who was the father of 
       Bezalel.

       (1 Chr 2:21 NCV)  Later, when Hezron was sixty years old, he married 
       the daughter of Makir, Gilead's father. Hezron had sexual relations 
       with Makir's daughter, and she had a son named Segub.

       (1 Chr 2:22 NCV)  Segub was the father of Jair. Jair controlled 
       twenty-three cities in the country of Gilead.

       (1 Chr 2:23 NCV)  (But Geshur and Aram captured the Towns of Jair, as 
       well as Kenath and the small towns around it--sixty towns in all.) All 
       these were descendants of Makir, the father of Gilead.

       (1 Chr 2:24 NCV)  After Hezron died in Caleb Ephrathah, his wife 
       Abijah had his son, named Ashhur. Ashhur became the father of Tekoa.

       (1 Chr 2:25 NCV)  Hezron's first son was Jerahmeel. Jerahmeel's sons 
       were Ram, Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah. Ram was Jerahmeel's first 
       son.

       (1 Chr 2:26 NCV)  Jerahmeel had another wife, named Atarah. She was 
       the mother of Onam.

       (1 Chr 2:27 NCV)  Jerahmeel's first son, Ram, had sons. They were 
       Maaz, Jamin, and Eker.

       (1 Chr 2:28 NCV)  Onam's sons were Shammai and Jada. Shammai's sons 
       were Nadab and Abishur.

       (1 Chr 2:29 NCV)  Abishur's wife was named Abihail, and their sons 
       were Ahban and Molid.

       (1 Chr 2:30 NCV)  Nadab's sons were Seled and Appaim. Seled died 
       without having children.

       (1 Chr 2:31 NCV)  Appaim's son was Ishi, who became the father of 
       Sheshan. Sheshan was the father of Ahlai.

       (1 Chr 2:32 NCV)  Jada was Shammai's brother, and Jada's sons were 
       Jether and Jonathan. Jether died without having children.

       (1 Chr 2:33 NCV)  Jonathan's sons were Peleth and Zaza. These were 
       Jerahmeel's descendants.

       (1 Chr 2:34 NCV)  Sheshan did not have any sons, only daughters. He 
       had a servant from Egypt named Jarha.






       (1 Chr 2:35 NCV)  Sheshan let his daughter marry his servant Jarha, 
       and she had a son named Attai.

       (1 Chr 2:36 NCV)  Attai was the father of Nathan. Nathan was the 
       father of Zabad.

       (1 Chr 2:37 NCV)  Zabad was the father of Ephlal. Ephlal was the 
       father of Obed.

       (1 Chr 2:38 NCV)  Obed was the father of Jehu. Jehu was the father of 
       Azariah.

       (1 Chr 2:39 NCV)  Azariah was the father of Helez. Helez was the 
       father of Eleasah.

       (1 Chr 2:40 NCV)  Eleasah was the father of Sismai. Sismai was the 
       father of Shallum.

       (1 Chr 2:41 NCV)  Shallum was the father of Jekamiah, and Jekamiah was 
       the father of Elishama.

       (1 Chr 2:42 NCV)  Caleb was Jerahmeel's brother. Caleb's first son was 
       Mesha. Mesha was the father of Ziph, and his son Mareshah was the 
       father of Hebron.

       (1 Chr 2:43 NCV)  Hebron's sons were Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema.

       (1 Chr 2:44 NCV)  Shema was the father of Raham, who was the father of 
       Jorkeam. Rekem was the father of Shammai.

       (1 Chr 2:45 NCV)  Shammai was the father of Maon, and Maon was the 
       father of Beth Zur.

       (1 Chr 2:46 NCV)  Caleb's slave woman was named Ephah, and she was the 
       mother of Haran, Moza, and Gazez. Haran was the father of Gazez.

       (1 Chr 2:47 NCV)  Jahdai's sons were Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, 
       Ephah, and Shaaph.

       (1 Chr 2:48 NCV)  Caleb had another slave woman named Maacah. She was 
       the mother of Sheber, Tirhanah,

       (1 Chr 2:49 NCV)  Shaaph, and Sheva. Shaaph was the father of 
       Madmannah. Sheva was the father of Macbenah and Gibea. Caleb's 
       daughter was Acsah.

       (1 Chr 2:50 NCV)  These were Caleb's descendants: Caleb's son Hur was 
       the first son of his mother Ephrathah. Hur's sons were Shobal, Salma, 
       and Hareph. Shobal was the father of Kiriath Jearim. Salma was the 
       father of Bethlehem. And Hareph was the father of Beth Gader.

       (1 Chr 2:51 NCV)  

       (1 Chr 2:52 NCV)  Shobal was the father of Kiriath Jearim. Shobal's 
       descendants were Haroeh, half the Manahathites,






       (1 Chr 2:53 NCV)  and the family groups of Kiriath Jearim: the 
       Ithrites, Puthites, Shumathites, and Mishraites. The Zorathites and 
       the Eshtaolites came from the Mishraite people.

       (1 Chr 2:54 NCV)  Salma's descendants were Bethlehem, the 
       Netophathites, Atroth Beth Joab, half the Manahathites, and the 
       Zorites.

       (1 Chr 2:55 NCV)  His descendants included the families who lived at 
       Jabez, who wrote and copied important papers. They were called the 
       Tirathites, Shimeathites, and Sucathites and were from the Kenite 
       family group who came from Hammath. He was the father of the people 
       living in Recab.

       (1 Chr 3:1 NCV)  These are David's sons who were born in Hebron. The 
       first was Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam from Jezreel. The second son 
       was Daniel, whose mother was Abigail from Carmel.

       (1 Chr 3:2 NCV)  The third son was Absalom, whose mother was Maacah 
       daughter of Talmai, the king of Geshur. The fourth son was Adonijah, 
       whose mother was Haggith.

       (1 Chr 3:3 NCV)  The fifth son was Shephatiah, whose mother was 
       Abital. The sixth son was Ithream, whose mother was Eglah.

       (1 Chr 3:4 NCV)  These six sons of David were born to him in Hebron, 
       where David ruled for seven and one-half years. David ruled in 
       Jerusalem thirty-three years.

       (1 Chr 3:5 NCV)  These were his children who were born in Jerusalem: 
       Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon--the four children of David and 
       Bathsheba, Ammiel's daughter.

       (1 Chr 3:6 NCV)  David's other nine children were Ibhar, Elishua, 
       Eliphelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

       (1 Chr 3:7 NCV)  

       (1 Chr 3:8 NCV)  

       (1 Chr 3:9 NCV)  These were all of David's sons, except for those born 
       to his slave women. David also had a daughter named Tamar.

       (1 Chr 3:10 NCV)  Solomon's son was Rehoboam. Rehoboam's son was 
       Abijah. Abijah's son was Asa. Asa's son was Jehoshaphat.

       (1 Chr 3:11 NCV)  Jehoshaphat's son was Jehoram. Jehoram's son was 
       Ahaziah. Ahaziah's son was Joash.

       (1 Chr 3:12 NCV)  Joash's son was Amaziah. Amaziah's son was Azariah. 
       Azariah's son was Jotham.

       (1 Chr 3:13 NCV)  Jotham's son was Ahaz. Ahaz's son was Hezekiah. 
       Hezekiah's son was Manasseh.





       (1 Chr 3:14 NCV)  Manasseh's son was Amon, and Amon's son was Josiah.

       (1 Chr 3:15 NCV)  These were Josiah's sons: His first son was Johanan, 
       his second was Jehoiakim, his third was Zedekiah, and his fourth was 
       Shallum.

       (1 Chr 3:16 NCV)  Jehoiakim was followed by Jehoiachin, and he was 
       followed by Zedekiah.

       (1 Chr 3:17 NCV)  Jehoiachin was taken as a prisoner. His sons were 
       Shealtiel,

       (1 Chr 3:18 NCV)  Malkiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and 
       Nedabiah.

       (1 Chr 3:19 NCV)  Pedaiah's sons were Zerubbabel and Shimei. 
       Zerubbabel's sons were Meshullam and Hananiah, and their sister was 
       Shelomith.

       (1 Chr 3:20 NCV)  Zerubbabel also had five other sons: Hashubah, Ohel, 
       Berekiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-Hesed.

       (1 Chr 3:21 NCV)  Hananiah's descendants were Pelatiah and Jeshaiah, 
       and the sons of Rephaiah, Arnan, Obadiah, and Shecaniah.

       (1 Chr 3:22 NCV)  Shecaniah's son was Shemaiah. Shemaiah's sons were 
       Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat. There were six in all.

       (1 Chr 3:23 NCV)  Neariah had three sons: Elioenai, Hizkiah, and 
       Azrikam.

       (1 Chr 3:24 NCV)  Elioenai had seven sons: Hodaviah, Eliashib, 
       Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani.

       (1 Chr 4:1 NCV)  Judah's descendants were Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, 
       and Shobal.

       (1 Chr 4:2 NCV)  Reaiah was Shobal's son. Reaiah was the father of 
       Jahath, and Jahath was the father of Ahumai and Lahad. They were the 
       family groups of the Zorathite people.

       (1 Chr 4:3 NCV)  Hur was the oldest son of Caleb and his wife 
       Ephrathah. Hur was the leader of Bethlehem. His three sons were Etam, 
       Penuel, and Ezer. Etam's sons were Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash. They 
       had a sister named Hazzelelponi. Penuel was the father of Gedor, and 
       Ezer was the father of Hushah.

       (1 Chr 4:4 NCV)  

       (1 Chr 4:5 NCV)  Tekoa's father was Ashhur. Ashhur had two wives named 
       Helah and Naarah.

       (1 Chr 4:6 NCV)  The sons of Ashhur and Naarah were Ahuzzam, Hepher, 
       Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the descendants of Naarah.

       (1 Chr 4:7 NCV)  Helah's sons were Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan,






       (1 Chr 4:8 NCV)  and Koz. Koz was the father of Anub, Hazzobebah, and 
       the Aharhel family group. Aharhel was the son of Harum.

       (1 Chr 4:9 NCV)  There was a man named Jabez, who was respected more 
       than his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because she said, "I was 
       in much pain when I gave birth to him."

       (1 Chr 4:10 NCV)  Jabez prayed to the God of Israel, "Please do good 
       things for me and give me more land. Stay with me, and don't let 
       anyone hurt me. Then I won't have any pain." And God did what Jabez 
       had asked.

       (1 Chr 4:11 NCV)  Kelub, Shuhah's brother, was the father of Mehir. 
       Mehir was the father of Eshton.

       (1 Chr 4:12 NCV)  Eshton was the father of Beth Rapha, Paseah, and 
       Tehinnah. Tehinnah was the father of the people from the town of 
       Nahash. These people were from Recah.

       (1 Chr 4:13 NCV)  The sons of Kenaz were Othniel and Seraiah. 
       Othniel's sons were Hathath and Meonothai.

       (1 Chr 4:14 NCV)  Meonothai was the father of Ophrah. Seraiah was the 
       father of Joab. Joab was the ancestor of the people from Craftsmen's 
       Valley, named that because the people living there were craftsmen.

       (1 Chr 4:15 NCV)  Caleb was Jephunneh's son. Caleb's sons were Iru, 
       Elah, and Naam. Elah's son was Kenaz.

       (1 Chr 4:16 NCV)  Jehallelel's sons were Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and 
       Asarel.

       (1 Chr 4:17 NCV)  Ezrah's sons were Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. 
       Mered married Bithiah, the daughter of the king of Egypt. The children 
       of Mered and Bithiah were Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah. Ishbah was the 
       father of Eshtemoa. Mered also had a wife from Judah, who gave birth 
       to Jered, Heber, and Jekuthiel. Jered became the father of Gedor. 
       Heber became the father of Soco. And Jekuthiel became the father of 
       Zanoah.

       (1 Chr 4:18 NCV)  

       (1 Chr 4:19 NCV)  Hodiah's wife was Naham's sister. The sons of 
       Hodiah's wife were Eshtemoa and the father of Keilah. Keilah was from 
       the Garmite people, and Eshtemoa was from the Maacathite people.

       (1 Chr 4:20 NCV)  Shimon's sons were Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-Hanan, and 
       Tilon. Ishi's sons were Zoheth and Ben-Zoheth.

       (1 Chr 4:21 NCV)  Shelah was Judah's son. Shelah's sons were Er, 
       Laadah, Jokim, the men from Cozeba, Joash, and Saraph. Er was the 
       father of Lecah. Laadah was the father of Mareshah and the family 
       groups of linen workers at Beth Ashbea. Joash and Saraph ruled in Moab 
       and Jashubi Lehem. The writings about this family are very old.





       (1 Chr 4:22 NCV)  

       (1 Chr 4:23 NCV)  These sons of Shelah were potters. They lived in 
       Netaim and Gederah and worked for the king.

       (1 Chr 4:24 NCV)  Simeon's sons were Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and 
       Shaul.

       (1 Chr 4:25 NCV)  Shaul's son was Shallum. Shallum's son was Mibsam. 
       Mibsam's son was Mishma.

       (1 Chr 4:26 NCV)  Mishma's son was Hammuel. Hammuel's son was Zaccur. 
       Zaccur's son was Shimei.

       (1 Chr 4:27 NCV)  Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his 
       brothers did not have many children, so there were not as many people 
       in their family group as there were in Judah.

       (1 Chr 4:28 NCV)  Shimei's children lived in Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar 
       Shual,

       (1 Chr 4:29 NCV)  Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad,

       (1 Chr 4:30 NCV)  Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag,

       (1 Chr 4:31 NCV)  Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susim, Beth Biri, and 
       Shaaraim. They lived in these cities until David became king.

       (1 Chr 4:32 NCV)  The five villages near these cities were Etam, Ain, 
       Rimmon, Token, and Ashan.

       (1 Chr 4:33 NCV)  There were also other villages as far away as 
       Baalath. This is where they lived. And they wrote the history of their 
       family.

       (1 Chr 4:34 NCV)  The men in this list were leaders of their family 
       groups: Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah son of Amaziah, Joel, Jehu son of 
       Joshibiah (Joshibiah was the son of Seraiah, who was the son of 
       Asiel), Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, 
       Benaiah, and Ziza. (Ziza was the son of Shiphi, who was the son of 
       Allon. Allon was the son of Jedaiah, who was the son of Shimri. And 
       Shimri was the son of Shemaiah.) These families grew very large.

       (1 Chr 4:35 NCV)  

       (1 Chr 4:36 NCV)  

       (1 Chr 4:37 NCV)  

       (1 Chr 4:38 NCV)  

       (1 Chr 4:39 NCV)  They went outside the city of Gedor to the east side 
       of the valley to look for pasture for their flocks.

       (1 Chr 4:40 NCV)  They found good pastures with plenty of grass, and 
       the land was open country and peaceful and quiet. Ham's descendants 





       had lived there in the past.

       (1 Chr 4:41 NCV)  These men who were listed came to Gedor while 
       Hezekiah was king of Judah. They fought against the Hamites, 
       destroying their tents, and also against the Meunites who lived there, 
       and completely destroyed them. So there are no Meunites there even 
       today. Then these men began to live there, because there was pasture 
       for their flocks.

       (1 Chr 4:42 NCV)  Ishi's sons, Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and 
       Uzziel, led five hundred of the Simeonites and attacked the people 
       living in the mountains of Edom.

       (1 Chr 4:43 NCV)  They killed the few Amalekites who were still alive. 
       From that time until now these Simeonites have lived in Edom.

       (1 Chr 5:1 NCV)  Reuben was Israel's first son. Reuben should have 
       received the special privileges of the oldest son, but he had sexual 
       relations with his father's slave woman. So those special privileges 
       were given to Joseph's sons. (Joseph was a son of Israel.) In the 
       family history Reuben's name is not listed as the first son.

       (1 Chr 5:2 NCV)  Judah became stronger than his brothers, and a leader 
       came from his family. But Joseph's family received the privileges that 
       belonged to the oldest son.

       (1 Chr 5:3 NCV)  Reuben was Israel's first son. Reuben's sons were 
       Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

       (1 Chr 5:4 NCV)  These were the children of Joel: Shemaiah was Joel's 
       son. Gog was Shemaiah's son. Shimei was Gog's son.

       (1 Chr 5:5 NCV)  Micah was Shimei's son. Reaiah was Micah's son. Baal 
       was Reaiah's son.

       (1 Chr 5:6 NCV)  Beerah was Baal's son. Beerah was a leader of the 
       tribe of Reuben. Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria captured him and took 
       him away.

       (1 Chr 5:7 NCV)  Joel's brothers and all his family groups are listed 
       just as they are written in their family histories: Jeiel was the 
       first, then Zechariah,

       (1 Chr 5:8 NCV)  and Bela. (Bela was the son of Azaz. Azaz was the son 
       of Shema, and Shema was the son of Joel.) They lived in the area of 
       Aroer all the way to Nebo and Baal Meon.

       (1 Chr 5:9 NCV)  Bela's people lived to the east--as far as the edge 
       of the desert, which is beside the Euphrates River--because they had 
       too many cattle for the land of Gilead.

       (1 Chr 5:10 NCV)  When Saul was king, Bela's people fought a war 
       against the Hagrite people and defeated them. Then Bela's people lived 
       in the tents that had belonged to the Hagrites in all the area east of 
       Gilead.





       (1 Chr 5:11 NCV)  The people from the tribe of Gad lived near the 
       Reubenites. The Gadites lived in the area of Bashan all the way to 
       Salecah.

       (1 Chr 5:12 NCV)  Joel was the main leader, Shapham was second, and 
       then Janai and Shaphat were leaders in Bashan.

       (1 Chr 5:13 NCV)  The seven relatives in their families were Michael, 
       Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber.

       (1 Chr 5:14 NCV)  They were the descendants of Abihail. Abihail was 
       Huri's son. Huri was Jaroah's son. Jaroah was Gilead's son. Gilead was 
       Michael's son. Michael was Jeshishai's son. Jeshishai was Jahdo's son, 
       and Jahdo was the son of Buz.

       (1 Chr 5:15 NCV)  Ahi was Abdiel's son, and Abdiel was Guni's son. Ahi 
       was the leader of their family.

       (1 Chr 5:16 NCV)  The Gadites lived in Gilead, Bashan and the small 
       towns around it, and on all the pasturelands in the Plain of Sharon 
       all the way to the borders.

       (1 Chr 5:17 NCV)  All these names were written in the family history 
       of Gad during the time Jotham was king of Judah and Jeroboam was king 
       of Israel.

       (1 Chr 5:18 NCV)  There were forty-four thousand seven hundred sixty 
       soldiers from the tribes of Reuben and Gad and East Manasseh who 
       carried shields and swords and bows. They were skilled in war.

       (1 Chr 5:19 NCV)  They started a war against the Hagrites and the 
       people of Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab.

       (1 Chr 5:20 NCV)  The men from the tribes of Manasseh, Reuben, and Gad 
       prayed to God during the war, asking him to help them. So he helped 
       them because they trusted him. He handed over to them the Hagrites and 
       all those who were with them.

       (1 Chr 5:21 NCV)  They took the animals that belonged to the Hagrites: 
       fifty thousand camels, two hundred fifty thousand sheep, and two 
       thousand donkeys. They also captured one hundred thousand people.

       (1 Chr 5:22 NCV)  Many Hagrites were killed because God helped the 
       people of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh. Then they lived there until 
       Babylon captured them and took them away.

       (1 Chr 5:23 NCV)  There were many people in East Manasseh, and they 
       lived in the area of Bashan all the way to Baal Hermon, Senir, and 
       Mount Hermon.

       (1 Chr 5:24 NCV)  These were the family leaders: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, 
       Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel. They were all strong, brave, 
       and famous men, and leaders in their families.

       (1 Chr 5:25 NCV)  But they sinned against the God that their ancestors 
       had worshiped. They began worshiping the gods of the people in that 





       land, and those were the people God was destroying.

       (1 Chr 5:26 NCV)  So the God of Israel made Pul king of Assyria want 
       to go to war. (Pul was also called Tiglath-Pileser.) He captured the 
       people of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh, and he took them away to 
       Halah, Habor, Hara, and near the Gozan River. They have lived there 
       from that time until this day.

       (1 Chr 6:1 NCV)  Levi's sons were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

       (1 Chr 6:2 NCV)  Kohath's sons were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

       (1 Chr 6:3 NCV)  Amram's children were Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. 
       Aaron's sons were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

       (1 Chr 6:4 NCV)  Eleazar was the father of Phinehas. Phinehas was the 
       father of Abishua.

       (1 Chr 6:5 NCV)  Abishua was the father of Bukki. Bukki was the father 
       of Uzzi.

       (1 Chr 6:6 NCV)  Uzzi was the father of Zerahiah. Zerahiah was the 
       father of Meraioth.

       (1 Chr 6:7 NCV)  Meraioth was the father of Amariah. Amariah was the 
       father of Ahitub.

       (1 Chr 6:8 NCV)  Ahitub was the father of Zadok. Zadok was the father 
       of Ahimaaz.

       (1 Chr 6:9 NCV)  Ahimaaz was the father of Azariah. Azariah was the 
       father of Johanan.

       (1 Chr 6:10 NCV)  Johanan was the father of Azariah. (Azariah was a 
       priest in the Temple Solomon built in Jerusalem.)

       (1 Chr 6:11 NCV)  Azariah was the father of Amariah. Amariah was the 
       father of Ahitub.

       (1 Chr 6:12 NCV)  Ahitub was the father of Zadok. Zadok was the father 
       of Shallum.

       (1 Chr 6:13 NCV)  Shallum was the father of Hilkiah. Hilkiah was the 
       father of Azariah.

       (1 Chr 6:14 NCV)  Azariah was the father of Seraiah, and Seraiah was 
       the father of Jehozadak.

       (1 Chr 6:15 NCV)  Jehozadak was forced to leave his home when the LORD 
       sent Judah and Jerusalem into captivity under the control of 
       Nebuchadnezzar.

       (1 Chr 6:16 NCV)  Levi's sons were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

       (1 Chr 6:17 NCV)  The names of Gershon's sons were Libni and Shimei.





       (1 Chr 6:18 NCV)  Kohath's sons were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

       (1 Chr 6:19 NCV)  Merari's sons were Mahli and Mushi. This is a list 
       of the family groups of Levi, listed by the name of the father of each 
       group.

       (1 Chr 6:20 NCV)  Gershon's son was Libni. Libni's son was Jehath. 
       Jehath's son was Zimmah.

       (1 Chr 6:21 NCV)  Zimmah's son was Joah. Joah's son was Iddo. Iddo's 
       son was Zerah. And Zerah's son was Jeatherai.

       (1 Chr 6:22 NCV)  Kohath's son was Amminadab. Amminadab's son was 
       Korah. Korah's son was Assir.

       (1 Chr 6:23 NCV)  Assir's son was Elkanah. Elkanah's son was Ebiasaph. 
       Ebiasaph's son was Assir.

       (1 Chr 6:24 NCV)  Assir's son was Tahath. Tahath's son was Uriel. 
       Uriel's son was Uzziah, and Uzziah's son was Shaul.

       (1 Chr 6:25 NCV)  Elkanah's sons were Amasai and Ahimoth.

       (1 Chr 6:26 NCV)  Ahimoth's son was Elkanah. Elkanah's son was Zophai. 
       Zophai's son was Nahath.

       (1 Chr 6:27 NCV)  Nahath's son was Eliab. Eliab's son was Jeroham. 
       Jeroham's son was Elkanah, and Elkanah's son was Samuel.

       (1 Chr 6:28 NCV)  Samuel's sons were Joel, the first son, and Abijah, 
       the second son.

       (1 Chr 6:29 NCV)  Merari's son was Mahli. Mahli's son was Libni. 
       Libni's son was Shimei. Shimei's son was Uzzah.

       (1 Chr 6:30 NCV)  Uzzah's son was Shimea. Shimea's son was Haggiah, 
       and Haggiah's son was Asaiah.

       (1 Chr 6:31 NCV)  David chose some people to be in charge of the music 
       in the house of the LORD. They began their work after the Ark of the 
       Agreement was put there.

       (1 Chr 6:32 NCV)  They served by making music at the Holy Tent (also 
       called the Meeting Tent), and they served until Solomon built the 
       Temple of the LORD in Jerusalem. They followed the rules for their 
       work.

       (1 Chr 6:33 NCV)  These are the musicians and their sons: From 
       Kohath's family there was Heman the singer. Heman was Joel's son. Joel 
       was Samuel's son.

       (1 Chr 6:34 NCV)  Samuel was Elkanah's son. Elkanah was Jeroham's son. 
       Jeroham was Eliel's son. Eliel was Toah's son.

       (1 Chr 6:35 NCV)  Toah was Zuph's son. Zuph was Elkanah's son. Elkanah 
       was Mahath's son. Mahath was Amasai's son.






       (1 Chr 6:36 NCV)  Amasai was Elkanah's son. Elkanah was Joel's son. 
       Joel was Azariah's son. Azariah was Zephaniah's son.

       (1 Chr 6:37 NCV)  Zephaniah was Tahath's son. Tahath was Assir's son. 
       Assir was Ebiasaph's son. Ebiasaph was Korah's son.

       (1 Chr 6:38 NCV)  Korah was Izhar's son. Izhar was Kohath's son. 
       Kohath was Levi's son. Levi was Israel's son.

       (1 Chr 6:39 NCV)  There was Heman's helper Asaph, whose group stood by 
       Heman's right side. Asaph was Berekiah's son. Berekiah was Shimea's 
       son.

       (1 Chr 6:40 NCV)  Shimea was Michael's son. Michael was Baaseiah's 
       son. Baaseiah was Malkijah's son.

       (1 Chr 6:41 NCV)  Malkijah was Ethni's son. Ethni was Zerah's son. 
       Zerah was Adaiah's son.

       (1 Chr 6:42 NCV)  Adaiah was Ethan's son. Ethan was Zimmah's son. 
       Zimmah was Shimei's son.

       (1 Chr 6:43 NCV)  Shimei was Jahath's son. Jahath was Gershon's son, 
       and Gershon was Levi's son.

       (1 Chr 6:44 NCV)  Merari's family were the helpers of Heman and Asaph, 
       and they stood by Heman's left side. In this group was Ethan son of 
       Kishi. Kishi was Abdi's son. Abdi was Malluch's son.

       (1 Chr 6:45 NCV)  Malluch was Hashabiah's son. Hashabiah was Amaziah's 
       son. Amaziah was Hilkiah's son.

       (1 Chr 6:46 NCV)  Hilkiah was Amzi's son. Amzi was Bani's son. Bani 
       was Shemer's son.

       (1 Chr 6:47 NCV)  Shemer was Mahli's son. Mahli was Mushi's son. Mushi 
       was Merari's son, and Merari was Levi's son.

       (1 Chr 6:48 NCV)  The other Levites served by doing their own special 
       work in the Holy Tent, the house of God.

       (1 Chr 6:49 NCV)  Aaron and his descendants offered the sacrifices on 
       the altar of burnt offering and burned the incense on the altar of 
       incense. They offered the sacrifices that removed the Israelites' sins 
       so they could belong to God. They did all the work in the Most Holy 
       Place and followed all the laws that Moses, God's servant, had 
       commanded.

       (1 Chr 6:50 NCV)  These were Aaron's sons: Eleazar was Aaron's son. 
       Phinehas was Eleazar's son. Abishua was Phinehas' son.

       (1 Chr 6:51 NCV)  Bukki was Abishua's son. Uzzi was Bukki's son. 
       Zerahiah was Uzzi's son.

       (1 Chr 6:52 NCV)  Meraioth was Zerahiah's son. Amariah was Meraioth's 





       son. Ahitub was Amariah's son.

       (1 Chr 6:53 NCV)  Zadok was Ahitub's son, and Ahimaaz was Zadok's son.

       (1 Chr 6:54 NCV)  These are the places where Aaron's descendants 
       lived. His descendants from the Kohath family group received the first 
       share of the land.

       (1 Chr 6:55 NCV)  They were given the city of Hebron in Judah and the 
       pastures around it,

       (1 Chr 6:56 NCV)  but the fields farther from the city and the 
       villages near Hebron were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh.

       (1 Chr 6:57 NCV)  So the descendants of Aaron were given Hebron, one 
       of the cities of safety. They also received the towns and pastures of 
       Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa,

       (1 Chr 6:58 NCV)  Hilen, Debir,

       (1 Chr 6:59 NCV)  Ashan, Juttah, and Beth Shemesh.

       (1 Chr 6:60 NCV)  They also received these towns and pastures from the 
       tribe of Benjamin: Gibeon, Geba, Alemeth, and Anathoth. The Kohath 
       family groups received a total of thirteen towns.

       (1 Chr 6:61 NCV)  The rest of the Kohath family group was given ten 
       towns from the family groups of West Manasseh. The towns were chosen 
       by throwing lots.

       (1 Chr 6:62 NCV)  The Gershon family group received thirteen towns 
       from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the part of Manasseh 
       living in Bashan.

       (1 Chr 6:63 NCV)  The Merari family group received twelve towns from 
       the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. Those towns were chosen by 
       throwing lots.

       (1 Chr 6:64 NCV)  So the Israelites gave these towns and their 
       pastures to the Levites.

       (1 Chr 6:65 NCV)  The towns from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and 
       Benjamin, which were named, were chosen by throwing lots.

       (1 Chr 6:66 NCV)  Some of the Kohath family groups received towns and 
       pastures from the tribe of Ephraim.

       (1 Chr 6:67 NCV)  They received Shechem, one of the cities of safety, 
       with its pastures in the mountains of Ephraim. They also received the 
       towns and pastures of Gezer,

       (1 Chr 6:68 NCV)  Jokmeam, Beth Horon,

       (1 Chr 6:69 NCV)  Aijalon, and Gath Rimmon.

       (1 Chr 6:70 NCV)  The rest of the people in the Kohath family group 





       received the towns of Aner and Bileam and their pastures from West 
       Manasseh.

       (1 Chr 6:71 NCV)  From East Manasseh, the Gershon family received the 
       towns and pastures of Golan in Bashan and Ashtaroth.

       (1 Chr 6:72 NCV)  From the tribe of Issachar, the Gershon family 
       received the towns and pastures of Kedesh, Daberath, Ramoth, and Anem.

       (1 Chr 6:73 NCV)  

       (1 Chr 6:74 NCV)  From the tribe of Asher, the Gershon family received 
       the towns and pastures of Mashal, Abdon, Hukok, and Rehob.

       (1 Chr 6:75 NCV)  

       (1 Chr 6:76 NCV)  From the tribe of Naphtali, the Gershon family 
       received the towns and pastures of Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon, and 
       Kiriathaim.

       (1 Chr 6:77 NCV)  The rest of the Levites, the people from the Merari 
       family, received from the tribe of Zebulun the towns and pastures of 
       Jokneam, Kartah, Rimmono, and Tabor.

       (1 Chr 6:78 NCV)  From the tribe of Reuben, the Merari family received 
       the towns and pastures of Bezer in the desert, Jahzah, Kedemoth, and 
       Mephaath. (The tribe of Reuben lived east of the Jordan River, across 
       from Jericho.)

       (1 Chr 6:79 NCV)  

       (1 Chr 6:80 NCV)  From the tribe of Gad, the Merari family received 
       the towns and pastures of Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim, Heshbon, and 
       Jazer.

       (1 Chr 6:81 NCV)  

       (1 Chr 7:1 NCV)  Issachar had four sons: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and 
       Shimron.

       (1 Chr 7:2 NCV)  Tola's sons were Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, 
       Ibsam, and Samuel, and they were leaders of their families. In the 
       family history of Tola's descendants, twenty-two thousand six hundred 
       men were listed as fighting men during the time David was king.

       (1 Chr 7:3 NCV)  Uzzi's son was Izrahiah. Izrahiah's sons were 
       Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Isshiah. All five of them were leaders.

       (1 Chr 7:4 NCV)  Their family history shows they had thirty-six 
       thousand men ready to serve in the army, because they had many wives 
       and children.

       (1 Chr 7:5 NCV)  The records of the family groups of Issachar show 
       there were eighty-seven thousand fighting men.

       (1 Chr 7:6 NCV)  Benjamin had three sons: Bela, Beker, and Jediael.






       (1 Chr 7:7 NCV)  Bela had five sons: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, 
       and Iri, and they were leaders of their families. Their family history 
       shows they had twenty-two thousand thirty-four fighting men.

       (1 Chr 7:8 NCV)  Beker's sons were Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, 
       Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alemeth. They all were Beker's 
       sons.

       (1 Chr 7:9 NCV)  Their family history listed the family leaders and 
       twenty thousand two hundred fighting men.

       (1 Chr 7:10 NCV)  Jediael's son was Bilhan. Bilhan's sons were Jeush, 
       Benjamin, Ehud, Kenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish, and Ahishahar.

       (1 Chr 7:11 NCV)  All these sons of Jediael were leaders of their 
       families. They had seventeen thousand two hundred fighting men ready 
       to serve in the army.

       (1 Chr 7:12 NCV)  The Shuppites and Huppites were descendants of Ir, 
       and the Hushites were descendants of Aher.

       (1 Chr 7:13 NCV)  Naphtali's sons were Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and 
       Shillem. They were Bilhah's grandsons.

       (1 Chr 7:14 NCV)  These are Manasseh's descendants. Manasseh had an 
       Aramean slave woman, who was the mother of Asriel and Makir. Makir was 
       Gilead's father.

       (1 Chr 7:15 NCV)  Makir took a wife from the Huppites and Shuppites. 
       His sister was named Maacah. His second son was named Zelophehad, and 
       he had only daughters.

       (1 Chr 7:16 NCV)  Makir's wife Maacah had a son whom she named Peresh. 
       Peresh's brother was named Sheresh. Sheresh's sons were Ulam and 
       Rakem.

       (1 Chr 7:17 NCV)  Ulam's son was Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead, 
       who was the son of Makir. Makir was Manasseh's son.

       (1 Chr 7:18 NCV)  Makir's sister Hammoleketh gave birth to Ishhod, 
       Abiezer, and Mahlah.

       (1 Chr 7:19 NCV)  The sons of Shemida were Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and 
       Aniam.

       (1 Chr 7:20 NCV)  These are the names of Ephraim's descendants. 
       Ephraim's son was Shuthelah. Shuthelah's son was Bered. Bered's son 
       was Tahath. Tahath's son was Eleadah. Eleadah's son was Tahath.

       (1 Chr 7:21 NCV)  Tahath's son was Zabad. Zabad's son was Shuthelah. 
       Ezer and Elead went to Gath to steal cows and sheep and were killed by 
       some men who grew up in that city.

       (1 Chr 7:22 NCV)  Their father Ephraim cried for them many days, and 
       his family came to comfort him.






       (1 Chr 7:23 NCV)  Then he had sexual relations with his wife again. 
       She became pregnant and gave birth to a son whom Ephraim named Beriah 
       because of the trouble that had happened to his family.

       (1 Chr 7:24 NCV)  Ephraim's daughter was Sheerah. She built Lower Beth 
       Horon, Upper Beth Horon, and Uzzen Sheerah.

       (1 Chr 7:25 NCV)  Rephah was Ephraim's son. Resheph was Rephah's son. 
       Telah was Resheph's son. Tahan was Telah's son.

       (1 Chr 7:26 NCV)  Ladan was Tahan's son. Ammihud was Ladan's son. 
       Elishama was Ammihud's son.

       (1 Chr 7:27 NCV)  Nun was Elishama's son, and Joshua was the son of 
       Nun.

       (1 Chr 7:28 NCV)  Ephraim's descendants lived in these lands and 
       towns: Bethel and the villages near it, Naaran on the east, Gezer and 
       the villages near it on the west, and Shechem and the villages near 
       it. These villages went all the way to Ayyah and its villages.

       (1 Chr 7:29 NCV)  Along the borders of Manasseh's land were the towns 
       of Beth Shan, Taanach, Megiddo, and Dor, and the villages near them. 
       The descendants of Joseph son of Israel lived in these towns.

       (1 Chr 7:30 NCV)  Asher's sons were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah. 
       Their sister was Serah.

       (1 Chr 7:31 NCV)  Beriah's sons were Heber and Malkiel. Malkiel was 
       Birzaith's father.

       (1 Chr 7:32 NCV)  Heber was the father of Japhlet, Shomer, Hotham, and 
       their sister Shua.

       (1 Chr 7:33 NCV)  Japhlet's sons were Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath. 
       They were Japhlet's children.

       (1 Chr 7:34 NCV)  Japhlet's brother was Shomer. Shomer's sons were 
       Rohgah, Hubbah, and Aram.

       (1 Chr 7:35 NCV)  Shomer's brother was Hotham. Hotham's sons were 
       Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal.

       (1 Chr 7:36 NCV)  Zophah's sons were Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, 
       Imrah,

       (1 Chr 7:37 NCV)  Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran, and Beera.

       (1 Chr 7:38 NCV)  Jether's sons were Jephunneh, Pispah, and Ara.

       (1 Chr 7:39 NCV)  Ulla's sons were Arah, Hanniel, and Rizia.

       (1 Chr 7:40 NCV)  All these men were descendants of Asher and leaders 
       of their families. They were powerful warriors and outstanding 
       leaders. Their family history lists that they had twenty-six thousand 





       soldiers ready to serve in the army.

       (1 Chr 8:1 NCV)  Benjamin was the father of Bela, his first son. 
       Ashbel was his second son, Aharah was his third,

       (1 Chr 8:2 NCV)  Nohah was his fourth, and Rapha was his fifth son.

       (1 Chr 8:3 NCV)  Bela's sons were Addar, Gera, Abihud,

       (1 Chr 8:4 NCV)  Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah,

       (1 Chr 8:5 NCV)  Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram.

       (1 Chr 8:6 NCV)  These were the descendants of Ehud and leaders of 
       their families in Geba. They were forced to move to Manahath.

       (1 Chr 8:7 NCV)  Ehud's descendants were Naaman, Ahijah, and Gera. 
       Gera forced them to leave. He was the father of Uzza and Ahihud.

       (1 Chr 8:8 NCV)  Shaharaim and his wife Hushim had sons named Abitub 
       and Elpaal. In Moab, Shaharaim divorced his wives Hushim and Baara. 
       Shaharaim and his wife Hodesh had these sons: Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, 
       Malcam, Jeuz, Sakia, and Mirmah. They were leaders of their families.

       (1 Chr 8:9 NCV)  

       (1 Chr 8:10 NCV)  

       (1 Chr 8:11 NCV)  

       (1 Chr 8:12 NCV)  Elpaal's sons were Eber, Misham, Shemed, Beriah, and 
       Shema. Shemed built the towns of Ono and Lod and the villages around 
       them. Beriah and Shema were leaders of the families living in Aijalon, 
       and they forced out the people who lived in Gath.

       (1 Chr 8:13 NCV)  

       (1 Chr 8:14 NCV)  Beriah's sons were Ahio, Shashak, Jeremoth,

       (1 Chr 8:15 NCV)  Zebadiah, Arad, Eder,

       (1 Chr 8:16 NCV)  Michael, Ishpah, and Joha.

       (1 Chr 8:17 NCV)  Elpaal's sons were Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, 
       Heber,

       (1 Chr 8:18 NCV)  Ishmerai, Izliah, and Jobab.

       (1 Chr 8:19 NCV)  Shimei's sons were Jakim, Zicri, Zabdi,

       (1 Chr 8:20 NCV)  Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel,

       (1 Chr 8:21 NCV)  Adaiah, Beraiah, and Shimrath.

       (1 Chr 8:22 NCV)  Shashak's sons were Ishpan, Eber, Eliel,





       (1 Chr 8:23 NCV)  Abdon, Zicri, Hanan,

       (1 Chr 8:24 NCV)  Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah,

       (1 Chr 8:25 NCV)  Iphdeiah, and Penuel.

       (1 Chr 8:26 NCV)  Jeroham's sons were Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah,

       (1 Chr 8:27 NCV)  Jaareshiah, Elijah, and Zicri.

       (1 Chr 8:28 NCV)  The family histories show that all these men were 
       leaders of their families and lived in Jerusalem.

       (1 Chr 8:29 NCV)  Jeiel lived in the town of Gibeon, where he was the 
       leader. His wife was named Maacah.

       (1 Chr 8:30 NCV)  Jeiel's first son was Abdon. His other sons were 
       Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab,

       (1 Chr 8:31 NCV)  Gedor, Ahio, Zeker,

       (1 Chr 8:32 NCV)  and Mikloth. Mikloth was the father of Shimeah. 
       These sons also lived near their relatives in Jerusalem.

       (1 Chr 8:33 NCV)  Ner was the father of Kish. Kish was the father of 
       Saul, and Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malki-Shua, Abinadab, and 
       Esh-Baal.

       (1 Chr 8:34 NCV)  Jonathan's son was Merib-Baal, who was the father of 
       Micah.

       (1 Chr 8:35 NCV)  Micah's sons were Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz.

       (1 Chr 8:36 NCV)  Ahaz was the father of Jehoaddah. Jehoaddah was the 
       father of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri. Zimri was the father of Moza.

       (1 Chr 8:37 NCV)  Moza was the father of Binea. Raphah was Binea's 
       son. Eleasah was Raphah's son, and Azel was Eleasah's son.

       (1 Chr 8:38 NCV)  Azel had six sons: Azrikam, Bokeru, Ishmael, 
       Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. All these were Azel's sons.

       (1 Chr 8:39 NCV)  Azel's brother was Eshek. Eshek's first son was 
       Ulam, his second was Jeush, and Eliphelet was his third.

       (1 Chr 8:40 NCV)  Ulam's sons were mighty warriors and good archers. 
       They had many sons and grandsons--one hundred fifty of them in all. 
       All these men were Benjamin's descendants.

       (1 Chr 9:1 NCV)  The names of all the people of Israel were listed in 
       their family histories, and those family histories were put in the 
       book of the kings of Israel. The people of Judah were captured and 
       forced to go to Babylon, because they were not faithful to God.

       (1 Chr 9:2 NCV)  The first people to come back and live in their own 
       lands and towns were some Israelites, priests, Levites, and Temple 





       servants.

       (1 Chr 9:3 NCV)  People from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, 
       and Manasseh lived in Jerusalem. This is a list of those people.

       (1 Chr 9:4 NCV)  There was Uthai son of Ammihud. (Ammihud was Omri's 
       son. Omri was Imri's son. Imri was Bani's son. Bani was a descendant 
       of Perez, and Perez was Judah's son.)

       (1 Chr 9:5 NCV)  Of the Shilonite people there were Asaiah and his 
       sons. Asaiah was the oldest son in his family.

       (1 Chr 9:6 NCV)  Of the Zerahite people there were Jeuel and other 
       relatives of Zerah. There were six hundred ninety of them in all.

       (1 Chr 9:7 NCV)  From the tribe of Benjamin there was Sallu son of 
       Meshullam. (Meshullam was Hodaviah's son, and Hodaviah was Hassenuah's 
       son.)

       (1 Chr 9:8 NCV)  There was also Ibneiah son of Jeroham and Elah son of 
       Uzzi. (Uzzi was Micri's son.) And there was Meshullam son of 
       Shephatiah. (Shephatiah was Reuel's son, and Reuel was Ibnijah's son.)

       (1 Chr 9:9 NCV)  The family history of Benjamin lists nine hundred 
       fifty-six people living in Jerusalem, and all these were leaders of 
       their families.

       (1 Chr 9:10 NCV)  Of the priests there were Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, Jakin, 
       and

       (1 Chr 9:11 NCV)  Azariah son of Hilkiah. (Hilkiah was Meshullam's 
       son. Meshullam was Zadok's son. Zadok was Meraioth's son. Meraioth was 
       Ahitub's son. Ahitub was the officer responsible for the Temple of 
       God.)

       (1 Chr 9:12 NCV)  Also there was Adaiah son of Jeroham. (Jeroham was 
       Pashhur's son, and Pashhur was Malkijah's son.) And there was Maasai 
       son of Adiel. (Adiel was Jahzerah's son. Jahzerah was Meshullam's son. 
       Meshullam was Meshillemith's son, and Meshillemith was Immer's son.)

       (1 Chr 9:13 NCV)  There were one thousand seven hundred sixty priests. 
       They were leaders of their families, and they were responsible for 
       serving in the Temple of God.

       (1 Chr 9:14 NCV)  Of the Levites there was Semaiah son of Hasshub. 
       (Hasshub was Azrikam's son, and Azrikam was Hashabiah's son. Hashabiah 
       was from the family of Merari.)

       (1 Chr 9:15 NCV)  There were also Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, and 
       Mattaniah son of Mica. (Mica was Zicri's son, and Zicri was Asaph's 
       son.)

       (1 Chr 9:16 NCV)  There was also Obadiah son of Shemaiah. (Shemaiah 
       was Galal's son, and Galal was Jeduthun's son.) And there was Berekiah 
       son of Asa. (Asa was the son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of 
       the Netophathites.)






       (1 Chr 9:17 NCV)  Of the gatekeepers there were Shallum, Akkub, 
       Talmon, Ahiman, and their relatives. Shallum was their leader.

       (1 Chr 9:18 NCV)  These gatekeepers from the tribe of Levi still stand 
       next to the King's Gate on the east side of the city.

       (1 Chr 9:19 NCV)  Shallum was Kore's son. Kore was Ebiasaph's son, and 
       Ebiasaph was Korah's son. Shallum and his relatives from the family of 
       Korah were gatekeepers and were responsible for guarding the gates of 
       the Temple. Their ancestors had also been responsible for guarding the 
       entrance to the Temple of the LORD.

       (1 Chr 9:20 NCV)  In the past Phinehas, Eleazar's son, was in charge 
       of the gatekeepers, and the LORD was with Phinehas.

       (1 Chr 9:21 NCV)  Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was the gatekeeper at 
       the entrance to the Temple.

       (1 Chr 9:22 NCV)  In all, two hundred twelve men were chosen to guard 
       the gates, and their names were written in their family histories in 
       their villages. David and Samuel the seer chose these men because they 
       were dependable.

       (1 Chr 9:23 NCV)  The gatekeepers and their descendants had to guard 
       the gates of the Temple of the LORD. (The Temple took the place of the 
       Holy Tent.)

       (1 Chr 9:24 NCV)  There were gatekeepers on all four sides of the 
       Temple: east, west, north, and south.

       (1 Chr 9:25 NCV)  The gatekeepers' relatives who lived in the villages 
       had to come and help them at times. Each time they came they helped 
       the gatekeepers for seven days.

       (1 Chr 9:26 NCV)  Because they were dependable, four gatekeepers were 
       made the leaders of all the gatekeepers. They were Levites, and they 
       were responsible for the rooms and treasures in the Temple of God.

       (1 Chr 9:27 NCV)  They stayed up all night guarding the Temple of God, 
       and they opened it every morning.

       (1 Chr 9:28 NCV)  Some of the gatekeepers were responsible for the 
       utensils used in the Temple services. They counted these utensils when 
       people took them out and when they brought them back.

       (1 Chr 9:29 NCV)  Other gatekeepers were chosen to take care of the 
       furniture and utensils in the Holy Place. They also took care of the 
       flour, wine, oil, incense, and spices,

       (1 Chr 9:30 NCV)  but some of the priests took care of mixing the 
       spices.

       (1 Chr 9:31 NCV)  There was a Levite named Mattithiah who was 
       dependable and had the job of baking the bread used for the offerings. 
       He was the first son of Shallum, who was from the family of Korah.






       (1 Chr 9:32 NCV)  Some of the gatekeepers from the Kohath family had 
       the job of preparing the special bread that was put on the table every 
       Sabbath day.

       (1 Chr 9:33 NCV)  Some of the Levites were musicians in the Temple. 
       The leaders of these families stayed in the rooms of the Temple. Since 
       they were on duty day and night, they did not do other work in the 
       Temple.

       (1 Chr 9:34 NCV)  These are the leaders of the Levite families. Their 
       names were listed in their family histories, and they lived in 
       Jerusalem.

       (1 Chr 9:35 NCV)  Jeiel lived in the town of Gibeon, where he was the 
       leader. His wife was named Maacah.

       (1 Chr 9:36 NCV)  Jeiel's first son was Abdon. His other sons were 
       Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab,

       (1 Chr 9:37 NCV)  Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth.

       (1 Chr 9:38 NCV)  Mikloth was Shimeam's father. Jeiel's family lived 
       near their relatives in Jerusalem.

       (1 Chr 9:39 NCV)  Ner was Kish's father. Kish was Saul's father. Saul 
       was the father of Jonathan, Malki-Shua, Abinadab, and Esh-Baal.

       (1 Chr 9:40 NCV)  Jonathan's son was Merib-Baal, who was the father of 
       Micah.

       (1 Chr 9:41 NCV)  Micah's sons were Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, and Ahaz.

       (1 Chr 9:42 NCV)  Ahaz was Jadah's father. Jadah was the father of 
       Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri. Zimri was Moza's father.

       (1 Chr 9:43 NCV)  Moza was Binea's father. Rephaiah was Binea's son. 
       Eleasah was Rephaiah's son, and Azel was Eleasah's son.

       (1 Chr 9:44 NCV)  Azel had six sons: Azrikam, Bokeru, Ishmael, 
       Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. They were Azel's sons.

       (1 Chr 10:1 NCV)  The Philistines fought against Israel, and the 
       Israelites ran away from them. Many Israelites were killed on Mount 
       Gilboa.

       (1 Chr 10:2 NCV)  The Philistines fought hard against Saul and his 
       sons, killing his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua.

       (1 Chr 10:3 NCV)  The fighting was heavy around Saul, and the archers 
       shot him with their arrows and wounded him.

       (1 Chr 10:4 NCV)  Then Saul said to the officer who carried his armor, 
       "Pull out your sword and stab me. If you don't, these Philistines who 
       are not circumcised will come and hurt me." But Saul's officer 
       refused, because he was afraid. So Saul took his own sword and threw 





       himself on it.

       (1 Chr 10:5 NCV)  When the officer saw that Saul was dead, he threw 
       himself on his own sword and died.

       (1 Chr 10:6 NCV)  So Saul and three of his sons died; all his family 
       died together.

       (1 Chr 10:7 NCV)  When the Israelites living in the valley saw that 
       their army had run away and that Saul and his sons were dead, they 
       left their towns and ran away. Then the Philistines came and settled 
       in them.

       (1 Chr 10:8 NCV)  The next day when the Philistines came to strip the 
       dead soldiers, they found Saul and his sons dead on Mount Gilboa.

       (1 Chr 10:9 NCV)  The Philistines stripped Saul's body and took his 
       head and his armor. Then they sent messengers through all their 
       country to tell the news to their idols and to their people.

       (1 Chr 10:10 NCV)  The Philistines put Saul's armor in the temple of 
       their idols and hung his head in the temple of Dagon.

       (1 Chr 10:11 NCV)  All the people in Jabesh Gilead heard what the 
       Philistines had done to Saul.

       (1 Chr 10:12 NCV)  So the brave men of Jabesh went and got the bodies 
       of Saul and his sons and brought them to Jabesh. They buried their 
       bones under the large tree in Jabesh. Then the people of Jabesh gave 
       up eating for seven days.

       (1 Chr 10:13 NCV)  Saul died because he was not faithful to the LORD 
       and did not obey the LORD. He even went to a medium and asked her for 
       advice

       (1 Chr 10:14 NCV)  instead of asking the LORD. This is why the LORD 
       put Saul to death and gave the kingdom to Jesse's son David.

       (1 Chr 11:1 NCV)  Then the people of Israel came to David at the town 
       of Hebron and said, "Look, we are your own family.

       (1 Chr 11:2 NCV)  Even when Saul was king, you were the one who led 
       Israel in battle. The LORD your God said to you, 'You will be the 
       shepherd for my people Israel. You will be their leader.'"

       (1 Chr 11:3 NCV)  So all the older leaders of Israel came to King 
       David at Hebron. He made an agreement with them in Hebron in the 
       presence of the LORD. Then they poured oil on David to make him king 
       over Israel. The LORD had promised through Samuel that this would 
       happen.

       (1 Chr 11:4 NCV)  David and all the Israelites went to the city of 
       Jerusalem. At that time Jerusalem was called Jebus, and the people 
       living there were named Jebusites.

       (1 Chr 11:5 NCV)  They said to David, "You can't get inside our city." 





       But David did take the city of Jerusalem with its strong walls, and it 
       became the City of David.

       (1 Chr 11:6 NCV)  David had said, "The person who leads the attack 
       against the Jebusites will become the commander over all my army." 
       Joab son of Zeruiah led the attack, so he became the commander of the 
       army.

       (1 Chr 11:7 NCV)  Then David made his home in the strong, walled city, 
       which is why it was named the City of David.

       (1 Chr 11:8 NCV)  David rebuilt the city, beginning where the land was 
       filled in and going to the wall that was around the city. Joab 
       repaired the other parts of the city.

       (1 Chr 11:9 NCV)  David became stronger and stronger, and the LORD 
       All-Powerful was with him.

       (1 Chr 11:10 NCV)  This is a list of the leaders over David's warriors 
       who helped make David's kingdom strong. All the people of Israel also 
       supported David's kingdom. These heroes and all the people of Israel 
       made David king, just as the LORD had promised.

       (1 Chr 11:11 NCV)  This is a list of David's warriors: Jashobeam was 
       from the Hacmonite people. He was the head of the Three, David's most 
       powerful soldiers. He used his spear to fight three hundred men at one 
       time, and he killed them all.

       (1 Chr 11:12 NCV)  Next was Eleazar, one of the Three. Eleazar was 
       Dodai's son from the Ahohite people.

       (1 Chr 11:13 NCV)  Eleazar was with David at Pas-Dammim when the 
       Philistines came there to fight. There was a field of barley at that 
       place. The Israelites ran away from the Philistines,

       (1 Chr 11:14 NCV)  but they stopped in the middle of that field and 
       fought for it and killed the Philistines. The LORD gave them a great 
       victory.

       (1 Chr 11:15 NCV)  Once, three of the Thirty, David's chief soldiers, 
       came down to him at the rock by the cave near Adullam. At the same 
       time the Philistine army had camped in the Valley of Rephaim.

       (1 Chr 11:16 NCV)  At that time David was in a stronghold, and some of 
       the Philistines were in Bethlehem.

       (1 Chr 11:17 NCV)  David had a strong desire for some water. He said, 
       "Oh, I wish someone would get me water from the well near the city 
       gate of Bethlehem!"

       (1 Chr 11:18 NCV)  So the Three broke through the Philistine army and 
       took water from the well near the city gate in Bethlehem. Then they 
       brought it to David, but he refused to drink it. He poured it out 
       before the LORD,

       (1 Chr 11:19 NCV)  saying, "May God keep me from drinking this water! 





       It would be like drinking the blood of the men who risked their lives 
       to bring it to me!" So David refused to drink it. These were the brave 
       things that the three warriors did.

       (1 Chr 11:20 NCV)  Abishai brother of Joab was the captain of the 
       Three. Abishai fought three hundred soldiers with his spear and killed 
       them. He became as famous as the Three

       (1 Chr 11:21 NCV)  and was more honored than the Three. He became 
       their commander even though he was not one of them.

       (1 Chr 11:22 NCV)  Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a brave fighter from 
       Kabzeel who did mighty things. He killed two of the best warriors from 
       Moab. He also went down into a pit and killed a lion on a snowy day.

       (1 Chr 11:23 NCV)  Benaiah killed an Egyptian who was about seven and 
       one-half feet tall and had a spear as large as a weaver's rod. Benaiah 
       had a club, but he grabbed the spear from the Egyptian's hand and 
       killed him with his own spear.

       (1 Chr 11:24 NCV)  These were the things Benaiah son of Jehoiada did. 
       He was as famous as the Three.

       (1 Chr 11:25 NCV)  He received more honor than the Thirty, but he did 
       not become a member of the Three. David made him leader of his 
       bodyguards.

       (1 Chr 11:26 NCV)  These were also mighty warriors: Asahel brother of 
       Joab; Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem;

       (1 Chr 11:27 NCV)  Shammoth the Harorite; Helez the Pelonite;

       (1 Chr 11:28 NCV)  Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa; Abiezer the 
       Anathothite;

       (1 Chr 11:29 NCV)  Sibbecai the Hushathite; Ilai the Ahohite;

       (1 Chr 11:30 NCV)  Maharai the Netophathite; Heled son of Baanah the 
       Netophathite;

       (1 Chr 11:31 NCV)  Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin; Benaiah 
       the Pirathonite;

       (1 Chr 11:32 NCV)  Hurai from the ravines of Gaash; Abiel the 
       Arbathite;

       (1 Chr 11:33 NCV)  Azmaveth the Baharumite; Eliahba the Shaalbonite;

       (1 Chr 11:34 NCV)  the sons of Hashem the Gizonite; Jonathan son of 
       Shagee the Hararite;

       (1 Chr 11:35 NCV)  Ahiam son of Sacar the Hararite; Eliphal son of Ur;

       (1 Chr 11:36 NCV)  Hepher the Mekerathite; Ahijah the Pelonite;

       (1 Chr 11:37 NCV)  Hezro the Carmelite; Naarai son of Ezbai;






       (1 Chr 11:38 NCV)  Joel brother of Nathan; Mibhar son of Hagri;

       (1 Chr 11:39 NCV)  Zelek the Ammonite; Naharai the Berothite, the 
       officer who carried the armor for Joab son of Zeruiah;

       (1 Chr 11:40 NCV)  Ira the Ithrite; Gareb the Ithrite;

       (1 Chr 11:41 NCV)  Uriah the Hittite; Zabad son of Ahlai;

       (1 Chr 11:42 NCV)  Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, who was the 
       leader of the Reubenites, and his thirty soldiers;

       (1 Chr 11:43 NCV)  Hanan son of Maacah; Joshaphat the Mithnite;

       (1 Chr 11:44 NCV)  Uzzia the Ashterathite; Shama and Jeiel sons of 
       Hotham the Aroerite;

       (1 Chr 11:45 NCV)  Jediael son of Shimri; Joha, Jediael's brother, the 
       Tizite;

       (1 Chr 11:46 NCV)  Eliel the Mahavite; Jeribai and Joshaviah, Elnaam's 
       sons; Ithmah the Moabite;

       (1 Chr 11:47 NCV)  Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaites.

       (1 Chr 12:1 NCV)  These were the men who came to David at Ziklag when 
       David was hiding from Saul son of Kish. They were among the warriors 
       who helped David in battle.

       (1 Chr 12:2 NCV)  They came with bows for weapons and could use either 
       their right or left hands to shoot arrows or to sling rocks. They were 
       Saul's relatives from the tribe of Benjamin.

       (1 Chr 12:3 NCV)  Ahiezer was their leader, and there was Joash. 
       (Ahiezer and Joash were sons of Shemaah, who was from the town of 
       Gibeah.) There were also Jeziel and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth. There 
       were Beracah and Jehu from the town of Anathoth.

       (1 Chr 12:4 NCV)  And there was Ishmaiah from the town of Gibeon; he 
       was one of the Thirty. In fact, he was the leader of the Thirty. There 
       were Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, and Jozabad from Gederah.

       (1 Chr 12:5 NCV)  There were Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, and Shemariah. 
       There was Shephatiah from Haruph.

       (1 Chr 12:6 NCV)  There were Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and 
       Jashobeam from the family group of Korah.

       (1 Chr 12:7 NCV)  And there were Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of 
       Jeroham, from the town of Gedor.

       (1 Chr 12:8 NCV)  Part of the people of Gad joined David at his 
       stronghold in the desert. They were brave warriors trained for war and 
       skilled with shields and spears. They were as fierce as lions and as 
       fast as gazelles over the hills.






       (1 Chr 12:9 NCV)  Ezer was the leader of Gad's army, and Obadiah was 
       second in command. Eliab was third,

       (1 Chr 12:10 NCV)  Mishmannah was fourth, Jeremiah was fifth,

       (1 Chr 12:11 NCV)  Attai was sixth, Eliel was seventh,

       (1 Chr 12:12 NCV)  Johanan was eighth, Elzabad was ninth,

       (1 Chr 12:13 NCV)  Jeremiah was tenth, and Macbannai was eleventh in 
       command.

       (1 Chr 12:14 NCV)  They were the commanders of the army from Gad. The 
       least of these leaders was in charge of a hundred soldiers, and the 
       greatest was in charge of a thousand.

       (1 Chr 12:15 NCV)  They crossed the Jordan River and chased away the 
       people living in the valleys, to the east and to the west. This 
       happened in the first month of the year when the Jordan floods the 
       valley.

       (1 Chr 12:16 NCV)  Other people from the tribes of Benjamin and Judah 
       also came to David at his stronghold.

       (1 Chr 12:17 NCV)  David went out to meet them and said to them, "If 
       you have come peacefully to help me, I welcome you. Join me. But if 
       you have come to turn me over to my enemies, even though I have done 
       nothing wrong, the God of our fathers will see this and punish you."

       (1 Chr 12:18 NCV)  Then the Spirit entered Amasai, the leader of the 
       Thirty, and he said: "We belong to you, David. We are with you, son of 
       Jesse. Success, success to you. Success to those who help you, because 
       your God helps you." So David welcomed these men and made them leaders 
       of his army.

       (1 Chr 12:19 NCV)  Some of the men from Manasseh also joined David 
       when he went with the Philistines to fight Saul. But David and his men 
       did not really help the Philistines. After talking about it, the 
       Philistine leaders decided to send David away. They said, "If David 
       goes back to his master Saul, we will be killed."

       (1 Chr 12:20 NCV)  These are the men from Manasseh who joined David 
       when he went to Ziklag: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, 
       Elihu, and Zillethai. Each of them was a leader of a thousand men from 
       Manasseh.

       (1 Chr 12:21 NCV)  All these men of Manasseh were brave soldiers, and 
       they helped David fight against groups of men who went around the 
       country robbing people. These soldiers became commanders in David's 
       army.

       (1 Chr 12:22 NCV)  Every day more men joined David, and his army 
       became large, like the army of God.

       (1 Chr 12:23 NCV)  These are the numbers of the soldiers ready for 





       battle who joined David at Hebron. They came to help turn the kingdom 
       of Saul over to David, just as the LORD had said.

       (1 Chr 12:24 NCV)  There were sixty-eight hundred men with their 
       weapons from Judah. They carried shields and spears.

       (1 Chr 12:25 NCV)  There were seventy-one hundred men from Simeon. 
       They were warriors ready for war.

       (1 Chr 12:26 NCV)  There were forty-six hundred men from Levi.

       (1 Chr 12:27 NCV)  Jehoiada, a leader from Aaron's family, was in that 
       group. There were thirty-seven hundred with him.

       (1 Chr 12:28 NCV)  Zadok was also in that group. He was a strong young 
       warrior, and with him came twenty-two leaders from his family.

       (1 Chr 12:29 NCV)  There were three thousand men from Benjamin, who 
       were Saul's relatives. Most of them had remained loyal to Saul's 
       family until then.

       (1 Chr 12:30 NCV)  There were twenty thousand eight hundred men from 
       Ephraim. They were brave warriors and were famous men in their own 
       family groups.

       (1 Chr 12:31 NCV)  There were eighteen thousand men from West 
       Manasseh. Each one was especially chosen to make David king.

       (1 Chr 12:32 NCV)  There were two hundred leaders from Issachar. They 
       knew what Israel should do, and they knew the right time to do it. 
       Their relatives were with them and under their command.

       (1 Chr 12:33 NCV)  There were fifty thousand men from Zebulun. They 
       were trained soldiers and knew how to use every kind of weapon of war. 
       They followed David completely.

       (1 Chr 12:34 NCV)  There were one thousand officers from Naphtali. 
       They had thirty-seven thousand soldiers with them who carried shields 
       and spears.

       (1 Chr 12:35 NCV)  There were twenty-eight thousand six hundred men 
       from Dan, who were ready for war.

       (1 Chr 12:36 NCV)  There were forty thousand trained soldiers from 
       Asher, who were ready for war.

       (1 Chr 12:37 NCV)  There were one hundred twenty thousand soldiers 
       from the east side of the Jordan River from the people of Reuben, Gad, 
       and East Manasseh. They had every kind of weapon.

       (1 Chr 12:38 NCV)  All these fighting men were ready to go to war. 
       They came to Hebron fully agreed to make David king of all Israel. All 
       the other Israelites also agreed to make David king.

       (1 Chr 12:39 NCV)  They spent three days there with David, eating and 
       drinking, because their relatives had prepared food for them.






       (1 Chr 12:40 NCV)  Also, their neighbors came from as far away as 
       Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali, bringing food on donkeys, camels, 
       mules, and oxen. They brought much flour, fig cakes, raisins, wine, 
       oil, cows, and sheep, because the people of Israel were very happy.

       (1 Chr 13:1 NCV)  David talked with all the officers of his army, the 
       commanders of a hundred men and the commanders of a thousand men.

       (1 Chr 13:2 NCV)  Then David called the people of Israel together and 
       said, "If you think it is a good idea, and if it is what the LORD our 
       God wants, let's send a message. Let's tell our fellow Israelites in 
       all the areas of Israel and the priests and Levites living with them 
       in their towns and pastures to come and join us.

       (1 Chr 13:3 NCV)  Let's bring the Ark of our God back to us. We did 
       not use it to ask God for help while Saul was king."

       (1 Chr 13:4 NCV)  All the people agreed with David, because they all 
       thought it was the right thing to do.

       (1 Chr 13:5 NCV)  So David gathered all the Israelites, from the 
       Shihor River in Egypt to Lebo Hamath, to bring the Ark of God back 
       from the town of Kiriath Jearim.

       (1 Chr 13:6 NCV)  David and all the Israelites with him went to Baalah 
       of Judah, which is Kiriath Jearim, to get the Ark of God the LORD. 
       God's throne is between the golden, winged creatures on the Ark, and 
       the Ark is called by his name.

       (1 Chr 13:7 NCV)  The people carried the Ark of God from Abinadab's 
       house on a new cart, and Uzzah and Ahio guided it.

       (1 Chr 13:8 NCV)  David and all the Israelites were celebrating in the 
       presence of God. With all their strength they were singing and playing 
       lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.

       (1 Chr 13:9 NCV)  When David's men came to the threshing floor of 
       Kidon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the 
       Ark.

       (1 Chr 13:10 NCV)  The LORD was angry with Uzzah and killed him, 
       because he had touched the Ark. So Uzzah died there in the presence of 
       God.

       (1 Chr 13:11 NCV)  David was angry because the LORD had punished Uzzah 
       in his anger. Now that place is called The Punishment of Uzzah.

       (1 Chr 13:12 NCV)  David was afraid of God that day and asked, "How 
       can I bring the Ark of God home to me?"

       (1 Chr 13:13 NCV)  So David did not take the Ark with him to 
       Jerusalem. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom who was from 
       Gath.

       (1 Chr 13:14 NCV)  The Ark of God stayed with Obed-Edom's family in 





       his house for three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-Edom's family 
       and everything he owned.

       (1 Chr 14:1 NCV)  Hiram king of the city of Tyre sent messengers to 
       David. He also sent cedar logs, bricklayers, and carpenters to build a 
       palace for David.

       (1 Chr 14:2 NCV)  Then David knew that the LORD really had made him 
       king of Israel and that he had made his kingdom great. The LORD did 
       this because he loved his people Israel.

       (1 Chr 14:3 NCV)  David married more women in Jerusalem and had more 
       sons and daughters.

       (1 Chr 14:4 NCV)  These are the names of David's children born in 
       Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,

       (1 Chr 14:5 NCV)  Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet,

       (1 Chr 14:6 NCV)  Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia,

       (1 Chr 14:7 NCV)  Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.

       (1 Chr 14:8 NCV)  When the Philistines heard that David had been made 
       king of all Israel, they went to look for him. But David heard about 
       it and went out to fight them.

       (1 Chr 14:9 NCV)  The Philistines had attacked and robbed the people 
       in the Valley of Rephaim.

       (1 Chr 14:10 NCV)  David asked God, "Should I go and attack the 
       Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?" The LORD answered him, 
       "Go, I will hand them over to you."

       (1 Chr 14:11 NCV)  So David and his men went up to the town of Baal 
       Perazim and defeated the Philistines. David said, "Like a flood of 
       water, God has broken through my enemies by using me." So that place 
       was named Baal Perazim.

       (1 Chr 14:12 NCV)  The Philistines had left their idols there, so 
       David ordered his men to burn them.

       (1 Chr 14:13 NCV)  Soon the Philistines attacked the people in the 
       valley again.

       (1 Chr 14:14 NCV)  David prayed to God again, and God answered him, 
       saying, "Don't attack the Philistines from the front. Instead, go 
       around them and attack them in front of the balsam trees.

       (1 Chr 14:15 NCV)  When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of 
       the balsam trees, then attack. I, God, will have gone out before you 
       to defeat the Philistine army."

       (1 Chr 14:16 NCV)  David did as God commanded, and he and his men 
       defeated the Philistine army all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.





       (1 Chr 14:17 NCV)  So David became famous in all the countries, and 
       the LORD made all nations afraid of him.

       (1 Chr 15:1 NCV)  David built houses for himself in Jerusalem. Then he 
       prepared a place for the Ark of God, and he set up a tent for it.

       (1 Chr 15:2 NCV)  David said, "Only the Levites may carry the Ark of 
       God. The LORD chose them to carry the Ark of the LORD and to serve him 
       forever."

       (1 Chr 15:3 NCV)  David called all the people of Israel to come to 
       Jerusalem. He wanted to bring the Ark of the LORD to the place he had 
       made for it.

       (1 Chr 15:4 NCV)  David called together the descendants of Aaron and 
       the Levites.

       (1 Chr 15:5 NCV)  There were one hundred twenty people from Kohath's 
       family group, with Uriel as their leader.

       (1 Chr 15:6 NCV)  There were two hundred twenty people from Merari's 
       family group, with Asaiah as their leader.

       (1 Chr 15:7 NCV)  There were one hundred thirty people from Gershon's 
       family group, with Joel as their leader.

       (1 Chr 15:8 NCV)  There were two hundred people from Elizaphan's 
       family group, with Shemaiah as their leader.

       (1 Chr 15:9 NCV)  There were eighty people from Hebron's family group, 
       with Eliel as their leader.

       (1 Chr 15:10 NCV)  And there were one hundred twelve people from 
       Uzziel's family group, with Amminadab as their leader.

       (1 Chr 15:11 NCV)  Then David asked the priests Zadok and Abiathar and 
       these Levites to come to him: Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, 
       and Amminadab.

       (1 Chr 15:12 NCV)  David said to them, "You are the leaders of the 
       families of Levi. You and the other Levites must give yourselves for 
       service to the LORD. Bring up the Ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, 
       to the place I have made for it.

       (1 Chr 15:13 NCV)  The last time we did not ask the LORD how to carry 
       it. You Levites didn't carry it, so the LORD our God punished us."

       (1 Chr 15:14 NCV)  Then the priests and Levites prepared themselves 
       for service to the LORD so they could carry the Ark of the LORD, the 
       God of Israel.

       (1 Chr 15:15 NCV)  The Levites used special poles to carry the Ark of 
       God on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded, just as the LORD had 
       said they should.

       (1 Chr 15:16 NCV)  David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint 





       their brothers as singers to play their lyres, harps, and cymbals and 
       to sing happy songs.

       (1 Chr 15:17 NCV)  So the Levites appointed Heman and his relatives 
       Asaph and Ethan. Heman was Joel's son. Asaph was Berekiah's son. And 
       Ethan, from the Merari family group, was Kushaiah's son.

       (1 Chr 15:18 NCV)  There was also a second group of Levites: 
       Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, 
       Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel. They 
       were the Levite guards.

       (1 Chr 15:19 NCV)  The singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan played bronze 
       cymbals.

       (1 Chr 15:20 NCV)  Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, 
       Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah played the lyres.

       (1 Chr 15:21 NCV)  Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, 
       and Azaziah played the harps.

       (1 Chr 15:22 NCV)  The Levite leader Kenaniah was in charge of the 
       singing, because he was very good at it.

       (1 Chr 15:23 NCV)  Berekiah and Elkanah were two of the guards for the 
       Ark of the Agreement.

       (1 Chr 15:24 NCV)  The priests Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, 
       Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer had the job of blowing trumpets in 
       front of the Ark of God. Obed-Edom and Jehiah were also guards for the 
       Ark.

       (1 Chr 15:25 NCV)  David, the leaders of Israel, and the commanders of 
       a thousand soldiers went to get the Ark of the Agreement with the 
       LORD. They all went to bring the Ark from Obed-Edom's house with great 
       joy.

       (1 Chr 15:26 NCV)  Because God helped the Levites who carried the Ark 
       of the Agreement with the LORD, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven 
       male sheep.

       (1 Chr 15:27 NCV)  All the Levites who carried the Ark, and Kenaniah, 
       the man in charge of the singing, and all the singers wore robes of 
       fine linen. David also wore a robe of fine linen and a holy vest of 
       fine linen.

       (1 Chr 15:28 NCV)  So all the people of Israel brought up the Ark of 
       the Agreement with the LORD. They shouted, blew horns and trumpets, 
       and played cymbals, lyres, and harps.

       (1 Chr 15:29 NCV)  As the Ark of the Agreement with the LORD entered 
       Jerusalem, Saul's daughter Michal watched from a window. When she saw 
       King David dancing and celebrating, she hated him.

       (1 Chr 16:1 NCV)  They brought the Ark of God and put it inside the 
       tent that David had set up for it. Then they offered burnt offerings 





       and fellowship offerings to God.

       (1 Chr 16:2 NCV)  When David had finished giving the burnt offerings 
       and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the 
       LORD.

       (1 Chr 16:3 NCV)  He gave a loaf of bread, some dates, and raisins to 
       every Israelite man and woman.

       (1 Chr 16:4 NCV)  Then David appointed some of the Levites to serve 
       before the Ark of the LORD. They had the job of leading the worship 
       and giving thanks and praising the LORD, the God of Israel.

       (1 Chr 16:5 NCV)  Asaph, who played the cymbals, was the leader. 
       Zechariah was second to him. The other Levites were Jaaziel, 
       Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel. 
       They played the lyres and harps.

       (1 Chr 16:6 NCV)  Benaiah and Jahaziel were priests who blew the 
       trumpets regularly before the Ark of the Agreement with God.

       (1 Chr 16:7 NCV)  That day David first gave Asaph and his relatives 
       the job of singing praises to the LORD.

       (1 Chr 16:8 NCV)  Give thanks to the LORD and pray to him. Tell the 
       nations what he has done.

       (1 Chr 16:9 NCV)  Sing to him; sing praises to him. Tell about all his 
       miracles.

       (1 Chr 16:10 NCV)  Be glad that you are his; let those who seek the 
       LORD be happy.

       (1 Chr 16:11 NCV)  Depend on the LORD and his strength; always go to 
       him for help.

       (1 Chr 16:12 NCV)  Remember the miracles he has done, his wonders, and 
       his decisions.

       (1 Chr 16:13 NCV)  You are the descendants of his servant, Israel; you 
       are the children of Jacob, his chosen people.

       (1 Chr 16:14 NCV)  He is the LORD our God. His laws are for all the 
       world.

       (1 Chr 16:15 NCV)  He will keep his agreement forever; he will keep 
       his promises always.

       (1 Chr 16:16 NCV)  He will keep the agreement he made with Abraham and 
       the promise he made to Isaac.

       (1 Chr 16:17 NCV)  He made it a law for the people of Jacob; he made 
       it an agreement with Israel to last forever.

       (1 Chr 16:18 NCV)  He said, "I will give the land of Canaan to you, to 
       belong to you."






       (1 Chr 16:19 NCV)  Then God's people were few in number, and they were 
       strangers in the land.

       (1 Chr 16:20 NCV)  They went from one nation to another, from one 
       kingdom to another.

       (1 Chr 16:21 NCV)  But he did not let anyone hurt them; he warned 
       kings not to harm them.

       (1 Chr 16:22 NCV)  He said, "Don't touch my chosen people, and don't 
       harm my prophets."

       (1 Chr 16:23 NCV)  Sing to the LORD, all the earth. Every day tell how 
       he saves us.

       (1 Chr 16:24 NCV)  Tell the nations about his glory; tell all peoples 
       the miracles he does.

       (1 Chr 16:25 NCV)  The LORD is great; he should be praised. He should 
       be respected more than all the gods.

       (1 Chr 16:26 NCV)  All the gods of the nations are only idols, but the 
       LORD made the skies.

       (1 Chr 16:27 NCV)  He has glory and majesty; he has power and joy in 
       his Temple.

       (1 Chr 16:28 NCV)  Praise the LORD, all nations on earth. Praise the 
       Lord's glory and power;

       (1 Chr 16:29 NCV)  praise the glory of the Lord's name. Bring an 
       offering and come to him. Worship the LORD because he is holy.

       (1 Chr 16:30 NCV)  Tremble before him, everyone on earth. The earth is 
       set, and it cannot be moved.

       (1 Chr 16:31 NCV)  Let the skies rejoice and the earth be glad. Let 
       people everywhere say, "The LORD is king!"

       (1 Chr 16:32 NCV)  Let the sea and everything in it shout; let the 
       fields and everything in them rejoice.

       (1 Chr 16:33 NCV)  Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy 
       before the LORD. They will sing because he is coming to judge the 
       world.

       (1 Chr 16:34 NCV)  Thank the LORD because he is good. His love 
       continues forever.

       (1 Chr 16:35 NCV)  Say to him, "Save us, God our Savior, and bring us 
       back and save us from other nations. Then we will thank you and will 
       gladly praise you."

       (1 Chr 16:36 NCV)  Praise the LORD, the God of Israel. He always was 
       and always will be. All the people said "Amen" and praised the LORD.






       (1 Chr 16:37 NCV)  Then David left Asaph and the other Levites there 
       in front of the Ark of the Agreement with the LORD. They were to serve 
       there every day.

       (1 Chr 16:38 NCV)  David also left Obed-Edom and sixty-eight other 
       Levites to serve with them. Hosah and Obed-Edom son of Jeduthun were 
       guards.

       (1 Chr 16:39 NCV)  David left Zadok the priest and the other priests 
       who served with him in front of the Tent of the LORD at the place of 
       worship in Gibeon.

       (1 Chr 16:40 NCV)  Every morning and evening they offered burnt 
       offerings on the altar of burnt offerings, following the rules written 
       in the Teachings of the LORD, which he had given Israel.

       (1 Chr 16:41 NCV)  With them were Heman and Jeduthun and other 
       Levites. They were chosen by name to sing praises to the LORD because 
       his love continues forever.

       (1 Chr 16:42 NCV)  Heman and Jeduthun also had the job of playing the 
       trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments when songs were 
       sung to God. Jeduthun's sons guarded the gates.

       (1 Chr 16:43 NCV)  Then all the people left. Each person went home, 
       and David also went home to bless the people in his home.

       (1 Chr 17:1 NCV)  When David moved into his palace, he said to Nathan 
       the prophet, "Look, I am living in a palace made of cedar, but the Ark 
       of the Agreement with the LORD sits in a tent."

       (1 Chr 17:2 NCV)  Nathan said to David, "Do what you want to do, 
       because God is with you."

       (1 Chr 17:3 NCV)  But that night God spoke his word to Nathan, saying,

       (1 Chr 17:4 NCV)  "Go and tell David my servant, 'This is what the 
       LORD says: You are not the person to build a house for me to live in.

       (1 Chr 17:5 NCV)  From the time I brought Israel out of Egypt until 
       now I have not lived in a house. I have moved from one tent site to 
       another and from one place to another.

       (1 Chr 17:6 NCV)  As I have moved with the Israelites to different 
       places, I have never said to the leaders, whom I commanded to take 
       care of my people, "Why haven't you built me a house of cedar?"'

       (1 Chr 17:7 NCV)  "Now, tell my servant David: 'This is what the LORD 
       All-Powerful says: I took you from the pasture and from tending the 
       sheep and made you king of my people Israel.

       (1 Chr 17:8 NCV)  I have been with you everywhere you have gone. I 
       have defeated your enemies for you. I will make you as famous as any 
       of the great people on the earth.





       (1 Chr 17:9 NCV)  I will choose a place for my people Israel, and I 
       will plant them so they can live in their own homes. They will not be 
       bothered anymore. Wicked people will no longer hurt them as they have 
       in the past

       (1 Chr 17:10 NCV)  when I chose judges for my people Israel. I will 
       defeat all your enemies. "'I tell you that the LORD will make your 
       descendants kings of Israel after you.

       (1 Chr 17:11 NCV)  When you die and join your ancestors, I will make 
       one of your sons the new king, and I will set up his kingdom.

       (1 Chr 17:12 NCV)  He will build a house for me, and I will let his 
       kingdom rule always.

       (1 Chr 17:13 NCV)  I will be his father, and he will be my son. I took 
       away my love from Saul, who ruled before you, but I will never stop 
       loving your son.

       (1 Chr 17:14 NCV)  I will put him in charge of my house and kingdom 
       forever. His family will rule forever.'"

       (1 Chr 17:15 NCV)  Nathan told David everything God had said in this 
       vision.

       (1 Chr 17:16 NCV)  Then King David went in and sat in front of the 
       LORD. David said, "LORD God, who am I? What is my family? Why did you 
       bring me to this point?

       (1 Chr 17:17 NCV)  But that was not enough for you, God. You have also 
       made promises about my future family. LORD God, you have treated me 
       like a very important person.

       (1 Chr 17:18 NCV)  "What more can I say to you for honoring me, your 
       servant? You know me so well.

       (1 Chr 17:19 NCV)  LORD, you have done this wonderful thing for my 
       sake and because you wanted to. You have made known all these great 
       things.

       (1 Chr 17:20 NCV)  "There is no one like you, LORD. There is no God 
       except you. We have heard all this ourselves!

       (1 Chr 17:21 NCV)  There is no nation like your people Israel. They 
       are the only people on earth that God chose to be his own. You made 
       your name well known by the great and wonderful things you did for 
       them. You went ahead of them and forced other nations out of the land. 
       You freed your people from slavery in Egypt.

       (1 Chr 17:22 NCV)  You made the people of Israel your very own people 
       forever, and, LORD, you are their God.

       (1 Chr 17:23 NCV)  "LORD, keep the promise forever that you made about 
       my family and me, your servant. Do what you have said.

       (1 Chr 17:24 NCV)  Then you will be honored always, and people will 





       say, 'The LORD All-Powerful, the God over Israel, is Israel's God!' 
       And the family of your servant David will continue before you.

       (1 Chr 17:25 NCV)  "My God, you have told me that you would make my 
       family great. So I, your servant, am brave enough to pray to you.

       (1 Chr 17:26 NCV)  LORD, you are God, and you have promised these good 
       things to me, your servant.

       (1 Chr 17:27 NCV)  You have chosen to bless my family. Let it continue 
       before you always. LORD, you have blessed my family, so it will always 
       be blessed."

       (1 Chr 18:1 NCV)  Later, David defeated the Philistines, conquered 
       them, and took the city of Gath and the small towns around it.

       (1 Chr 18:2 NCV)  He also defeated the people of Moab. So the people 
       of Moab became servants of David and gave him the payment he demanded.

       (1 Chr 18:3 NCV)  David also defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah all the 
       way to the town of Hamath as he tried to spread his kingdom to the 
       Euphrates River.

       (1 Chr 18:4 NCV)  David captured one thousand of his chariots, seven 
       thousand men who rode in chariots, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. 
       He crippled all but a hundred of the chariot horses.

       (1 Chr 18:5 NCV)  Arameans from Damascus came to help Hadadezer king 
       of Zobah, but David killed twenty-two thousand of them.

       (1 Chr 18:6 NCV)  Then David put groups of soldiers in Damascus in 
       Aram. The Arameans became David's servants and gave him the payments 
       he demanded. So the LORD gave David victory everywhere he went.

       (1 Chr 18:7 NCV)  David took the shields of gold that had belonged to 
       Hadadezer's officers and brought them to Jerusalem.

       (1 Chr 18:8 NCV)  David also took many things made of bronze from 
       Tebah and Cun, which had been cities under Hadadezer's control. Later, 
       Solomon used this bronze to make things for the Temple: the large 
       bronze bowl, which was called the Sea, the pillars, and other bronze 
       utensils.

       (1 Chr 18:9 NCV)  Toi king of Hamath heard that David had defeated all 
       the army of Hadadezer king of Zobah.

       (1 Chr 18:10 NCV)  So Toi sent his son Hadoram to greet and 
       congratulate King David for defeating Hadadezer. (Hadadezer had been 
       at war with Toi.) Hadoram brought items made of gold, silver, and 
       bronze.

       (1 Chr 18:11 NCV)  King David gave them to the LORD, along with the 
       silver and gold he had taken from these nations: Edom, Moab, the 
       Ammonites, the Philistines, and Amalek.

       (1 Chr 18:12 NCV)  Abishai son of Zeruiah killed eighteen thousand 





       Edomites in the Valley of Salt.

       (1 Chr 18:13 NCV)  David put groups of soldiers in Edom, and all the 
       Edomites became his servants. The LORD gave David victory everywhere 
       he went.

       (1 Chr 18:14 NCV)  David was king over all of Israel, and he did what 
       was fair and right for all his people.

       (1 Chr 18:15 NCV)  Joab son of Zeruiah was commander over the army. 
       Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder.

       (1 Chr 18:16 NCV)  Zadok son of Ahitub and Abiathar son of Ahimelech 
       were priests. Shavsha was the royal secretary.

       (1 Chr 18:17 NCV)  Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and 
       Pelethites. And David's sons were important officers who served at his 
       side.

       (1 Chr 19:1 NCV)  When Nahash king of the Ammonites died, his son 
       became king after him.

       (1 Chr 19:2 NCV)  David said, "Nahash was loyal to me, so I will be 
       loyal to his son Hanun." So David sent messengers to comfort Hanun 
       about his father's death. David's officers went to the land of the 
       Ammonites to comfort Hanun.

       (1 Chr 19:3 NCV)  But the Ammonite leaders said to Hanun, "Do you 
       think David wants to honor your father by sending men to comfort you? 
       No! David sent them to study the land and capture it and spy it out."

       (1 Chr 19:4 NCV)  So Hanun arrested David's officers. To shame them he 
       shaved their beards and cut off their clothes at the hips. Then he 
       sent them away.

       (1 Chr 19:5 NCV)  When the people told David what had happened to his 
       officers, he sent messengers to meet them, because they were very 
       ashamed. King David said, "Stay in Jericho until your beards have 
       grown back. Then come home."

       (1 Chr 19:6 NCV)  The Ammonites knew that they had insulted David. So 
       Hanun and the Ammonites sent about seventy-four thousand pounds of 
       silver to hire chariots and chariot drivers from Northwest 
       Mesopotamia, Aram Maacah, and Zobah.

       (1 Chr 19:7 NCV)  The Ammonites hired thirty-two thousand chariots and 
       the king of Maacah and his army. So they came and set up camp near the 
       town of Medeba. The Ammonites themselves came out of their towns and 
       got ready for battle.

       (1 Chr 19:8 NCV)  When David heard about this, he sent Joab with the 
       whole army.

       (1 Chr 19:9 NCV)  The Ammonites came out and prepared for battle at 
       the city gate. The kings who had come to help were out in the field by 
       themselves.






       (1 Chr 19:10 NCV)  Joab saw that there were enemies both in front of 
       him and behind him. So he chose some of the best soldiers of Israel 
       and sent them out to fight the Arameans.

       (1 Chr 19:11 NCV)  Joab put the rest of the army under the command of 
       Abishai, his brother. Then they went out to fight the Ammonites.

       (1 Chr 19:12 NCV)  Joab said to Abishai, "If the Arameans are too 
       strong for me, you must help me. Or, if the Ammonites are too strong 
       for you, I will help you.

       (1 Chr 19:13 NCV)  Be strong. We must fight bravely for our people and 
       the cities of our God. The LORD will do what he thinks is right."

       (1 Chr 19:14 NCV)  Then Joab and the army with him went to attack the 
       Arameans, and the Arameans ran away.

       (1 Chr 19:15 NCV)  When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans were 
       running away, they also ran away from Joab's brother Abishai and went 
       back to their city. So Joab went back to Jerusalem.

       (1 Chr 19:16 NCV)  When the Arameans saw that Israel had defeated 
       them, they sent messengers to bring other Arameans from east of the 
       Euphrates River. Their leader was Shophach, the commander of 
       Hadadezer's army.

       (1 Chr 19:17 NCV)  When David heard about this, he gathered all the 
       Israelites, and they crossed over the Jordan River. He prepared them 
       for battle, facing the Arameans. The Arameans fought with him,

       (1 Chr 19:18 NCV)  but they ran away from the Israelites. David killed 
       seven thousand Aramean chariot drivers and forty thousand Aramean foot 
       soldiers. He also killed Shophach, the commander of the Aramean army.

       (1 Chr 19:19 NCV)  When those who served Hadadezer saw that the 
       Israelites had defeated them, they made peace with David and served 
       him. So the Arameans refused to help the Ammonites again.

       (1 Chr 20:1 NCV)  In the spring, the time of year when kings normally 
       went out to battle, Joab led out the army of Israel. But David stayed 
       in Jerusalem. The army of Israel destroyed the land of Ammon and went 
       to the city of Rabbah and attacked it.

       (1 Chr 20:2 NCV)  David took the crown off the head of their king, and 
       had it placed on his own head. That gold crown weighed about 
       seventy-five pounds, and it had valuable gems in it. And David took 
       many valuable things from the city.

       (1 Chr 20:3 NCV)  He also brought out the people of the city and 
       forced them to work with saws, iron picks, and axes. David did this to 
       all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all his army returned to 
       Jerusalem.

       (1 Chr 20:4 NCV)  Later, at Gezer, war broke out with the Philistines. 
       Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai, who was one of the descendants 





       of the Rephaites. So those Philistines were defeated.

       (1 Chr 20:5 NCV)  Later, there was another battle with the 
       Philistines. Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath, 
       who was from the town of Gath. His spear was as large as a weaver's 
       rod.

       (1 Chr 20:6 NCV)  At Gath another battle took place. A huge man was 
       there; he had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each 
       foot--twenty-four fingers and toes in all. This man also was one of 
       the sons of Rapha.

       (1 Chr 20:7 NCV)  When he spoke against Israel, Jonathan son of 
       Shimea, David's brother, killed him.

       (1 Chr 20:8 NCV)  These descendants of Rapha from Gath were killed by 
       David and his men.

       (1 Chr 21:1 NCV)  Satan was against Israel, and he caused David to 
       count the people of Israel.

       (1 Chr 21:2 NCV)  So David said to Joab and the commanders of the 
       troops, "Go and count all the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then 
       tell me so I will know how many there are."

       (1 Chr 21:3 NCV)  But Joab said, "May the LORD give the nation a 
       hundred times more people. My master the king, all the Israelites are 
       your servants. Why do you want to do this, my master? You will make 
       Israel guilty of sin."

       (1 Chr 21:4 NCV)  But the king commanded Joab, so Joab left and went 
       through all Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

       (1 Chr 21:5 NCV)  Joab gave the list of the people to David. There 
       were one million one hundred thousand men in all of Israel who could 
       use the sword, and there were four hundred seventy thousand men in 
       Judah who could use the sword.

       (1 Chr 21:6 NCV)  But Joab did not count the tribes of Levi and 
       Benjamin, because he didn't like King David's order.

       (1 Chr 21:7 NCV)  David had done something God had said was wrong, so 
       God punished Israel.

       (1 Chr 21:8 NCV)  Then David said to God, "I have sinned greatly by 
       what I have done! Now, I beg you to forgive me, your servant, because 
       I have been very foolish."

       (1 Chr 21:9 NCV)  The LORD said to Gad, who was David's seer,

       (1 Chr 21:10 NCV)  "Go and tell David, 'This is what the LORD says: I 
       offer you three choices. Choose one of them and I will do it.'"

       (1 Chr 21:11 NCV)  So Gad went to David and said to him, "This is what 
       the LORD says: 'Choose for yourself





       (1 Chr 21:12 NCV)  three years of hunger. Or choose three months of 
       running from your enemies as they chase you with their swords. Or 
       choose three days of punishment from the LORD, in which a terrible 
       disease will spread through the country. The angel of the LORD will go 
       through Israel destroying the people.' Now, David, decide which of 
       these things I should tell the LORD who sent me."

       (1 Chr 21:13 NCV)  David said to Gad, "I am in great trouble. Let the 
       LORD punish me, because the LORD is very merciful. Don't let my 
       punishment come from human beings."

       (1 Chr 21:14 NCV)  So the LORD sent a terrible disease on Israel, and 
       seventy thousand people died.

       (1 Chr 21:15 NCV)  God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem, but when 
       the angel started to destroy it, the LORD saw it and felt very sorry 
       about the terrible things that had happened. So he said to the angel 
       who was destroying, "That is enough! Put down your arm!" The angel of 
       the LORD was then standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the 
       Jebusite.

       (1 Chr 21:16 NCV)  David looked up and saw the angel of the LORD in 
       the sky, holding his sword drawn and pointed at Jerusalem. Then David 
       and the older leaders bowed facedown on the ground. They were wearing 
       rough cloth to show their grief.

       (1 Chr 21:17 NCV)  David said to God, "I am the one who sinned and did 
       wrong. I gave the order for the people to be counted. These people 
       only followed me like sheep. They did nothing wrong. LORD my God, 
       please punish me and my family, but stop the terrible disease that is 
       killing your people."

       (1 Chr 21:18 NCV)  Then the angel of the LORD told Gad to tell David 
       that he should build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of 
       Araunah the Jebusite.

       (1 Chr 21:19 NCV)  So David did what Gad told him to do, in the name 
       of the LORD.

       (1 Chr 21:20 NCV)  Araunah was separating the wheat from the straw. 
       When he turned around, he saw the angel. Araunah's four sons who were 
       with him hid.

       (1 Chr 21:21 NCV)  David came to Araunah, and when Araunah saw him, he 
       left the threshing floor and bowed facedown on the ground before 
       David.

       (1 Chr 21:22 NCV)  David said to him, "Sell me your threshing floor so 
       I can build an altar to the LORD here. Then the terrible disease will 
       stop. Sell it to me for the full price."

       (1 Chr 21:23 NCV)  Araunah said to David, "Take this threshing floor. 
       My master the king, do anything you want. Look, I will also give you 
       oxen for the whole burnt offerings, the threshing boards for the wood, 
       and wheat for the grain offering. I give everything to you."





       (1 Chr 21:24 NCV)  But King David answered Araunah, "No, I will pay 
       the full price for the land. I won't take anything that is yours and 
       give it to the LORD. I won't offer a burnt offering that costs me 
       nothing."

       (1 Chr 21:25 NCV)  So David paid Araunah about fifteen pounds of gold 
       for the place.

       (1 Chr 21:26 NCV)  David built an altar to the LORD there and offered 
       whole burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. David prayed to the 
       LORD, and he answered him by sending down fire from heaven on the 
       altar of burnt offering.

       (1 Chr 21:27 NCV)  Then the LORD commanded the angel to put his sword 
       back into its holder.

       (1 Chr 21:28 NCV)  When David saw that the LORD had answered him on 
       the threshing floor of Araunah, he offered sacrifices there.

       (1 Chr 21:29 NCV)  The Holy Tent that Moses made while the Israelites 
       were in the desert and the altar of burnt offerings were in Gibeon at 
       the place of worship.

       (1 Chr 21:30 NCV)  But David could not go to the Holy Tent to speak 
       with God, because he was afraid of the angel of the LORD and his 
       sword.

       (1 Chr 22:1 NCV)  David said, "The Temple of the LORD God and the 
       altar for Israel's burnt offerings will be built here."

       (1 Chr 22:2 NCV)  So David ordered all foreigners living in Israel to 
       gather together. From that group David chose stonecutters to cut 
       stones to be used in building the Temple of God.

       (1 Chr 22:3 NCV)  David supplied a large amount of iron to be used for 
       making nails and hinges for the gate doors. He also supplied more 
       bronze than could be weighed,

       (1 Chr 22:4 NCV)  and he supplied more cedar logs than could be 
       counted. Much of the cedar had been brought to David by the people 
       from Sidon and Tyre.

       (1 Chr 22:5 NCV)  David said, "We should build a great Temple for the 
       LORD, which will be famous everywhere for its greatness and beauty. 
       But my son Solomon is young. He hasn't yet learned what he needs to 
       know, so I will prepare for the building of it." So David got many of 
       the materials ready before he died.

       (1 Chr 22:6 NCV)  Then David called for his son Solomon and told him 
       to build the Temple for the LORD, the God of Israel.

       (1 Chr 22:7 NCV)  David said to him, "My son, I wanted to build a 
       temple for worshiping the LORD my God.

       (1 Chr 22:8 NCV)  But the LORD spoke his word to me, 'David, you have 
       killed many people. You have fought many wars. You cannot build a 





       temple for worship to me, because you have killed many people.

       (1 Chr 22:9 NCV)  But, you will have a son, a man of peace and rest. I 
       will give him rest from all his enemies around him. His name will be 
       Solomon, and I will give Israel peace and quiet while he is king.

       (1 Chr 22:10 NCV)  Solomon will build a temple for worship to me. He 
       will be my son, and I will be his father. I will make his kingdom 
       strong; someone from his family will rule Israel forever.'"

       (1 Chr 22:11 NCV)  David said, "Now, my son, may the LORD be with you. 
       May you build a temple for the LORD your God, as he said you would.

       (1 Chr 22:12 NCV)  He will make you the king of Israel. May the LORD 
       give you wisdom and understanding so you will be able to obey the 
       teachings of the LORD your God.

       (1 Chr 22:13 NCV)  Be careful to obey the rules and laws the LORD gave 
       Moses for Israel. If you obey them, you will have success. Be strong 
       and brave. Don't be afraid or discouraged.

       (1 Chr 22:14 NCV)  "Solomon, I have worked hard getting many of the 
       materials for building the Temple of the LORD. I have supplied about 
       seven and one-half million pounds of gold, about seventy-five million 
       pounds of silver, so much bronze and iron it cannot be weighed, and 
       wood and stone. You may add to them.

       (1 Chr 22:15 NCV)  You have many workmen--stonecutters, bricklayers, 
       carpenters, and people skilled in every kind of work.

       (1 Chr 22:16 NCV)  They are skilled in working with gold, silver, 
       bronze, and iron. You have more craftsmen than can be counted. Now 
       begin the work, and may the LORD be with you."

       (1 Chr 22:17 NCV)  Then David ordered all the leaders of Israel to 
       help his son Solomon.

       (1 Chr 22:18 NCV)  David said to them, "The LORD your God is with you. 
       He has given you rest from our enemies. He has handed over to me the 
       people living around us. The LORD and his people are in control of 
       this land.

       (1 Chr 22:19 NCV)  Now give yourselves completely to obeying the LORD 
       your God. Build the holy place of the LORD God; build the Temple for 
       worship to the LORD. Then bring the Ark of the Agreement with the LORD 
       and the holy items that belong to God into the Temple."

       (1 Chr 23:1 NCV)  After David had lived long and was old, he made his 
       son Solomon the new king of Israel.

       (1 Chr 23:2 NCV)  David gathered all the leaders of Israel, along with 
       the priests and Levites.

       (1 Chr 23:3 NCV)  He counted the Levites who were thirty years old and 
       older. In all, there were thirty-eight thousand Levites.





       (1 Chr 23:4 NCV)  David said, "Of these, twenty-four thousand Levites 
       will direct the work of the Temple of the LORD, six thousand Levites 
       will be officers and judges,

       (1 Chr 23:5 NCV)  four thousand Levites will be gatekeepers, and four 
       thousand Levites will praise the LORD with musical instruments I made 
       for giving praise."

       (1 Chr 23:6 NCV)  David separated the Levites into three groups that 
       were led by Levi's three sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

       (1 Chr 23:7 NCV)  From the people of Gershon, there were Ladan and 
       Shimei.

       (1 Chr 23:8 NCV)  Ladan had three sons. His first son was Jehiel, and 
       his other sons were Zetham and Joel.

       (1 Chr 23:9 NCV)  Shimei's sons were Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran. 
       These three sons were leaders of Ladan's families.

       (1 Chr 23:10 NCV)  Shimei had four sons: Jahath, Ziza, Jeush, and 
       Beriah.

       (1 Chr 23:11 NCV)  Jahath was the first son, and Ziza was the second 
       son. But Jeush and Beriah did not have many children, so they were 
       counted as if they were one family.

       (1 Chr 23:12 NCV)  Kohath had four sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and 
       Uzziel.

       (1 Chr 23:13 NCV)  Amram's sons were Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his 
       descendants were chosen to be special forever. They were chosen to 
       prepare the holy things for the Lord's service, to offer sacrifices 
       before the LORD, and to serve him as priests. They were to give 
       blessings in his name forever.

       (1 Chr 23:14 NCV)  Moses was the man of God, and his sons were counted 
       as part of the tribe of Levi.

       (1 Chr 23:15 NCV)  Moses' sons were Gershom and Eliezer.

       (1 Chr 23:16 NCV)  Gershom's first son was Shubael.

       (1 Chr 23:17 NCV)  Eliezer's first son was Rehabiah. Eliezer had no 
       other sons, but Rehabiah had many sons.

       (1 Chr 23:18 NCV)  Izhar's first son was Shelomith.

       (1 Chr 23:19 NCV)  Hebron's first son was Jeriah, his second was 
       Amariah, his third was Jahaziel, and his fourth was Jekameam.

       (1 Chr 23:20 NCV)  Uzziel's first son was Micah and his second was 
       Isshiah.

       (1 Chr 23:21 NCV)  Merari's sons were Mahli and Mushi. Mahli's sons 
       were Eleazar and Kish.






       (1 Chr 23:22 NCV)  Eleazar died without sons; he had only daughters. 
       Eleazar's daughters married their cousins, the sons of Kish.

       (1 Chr 23:23 NCV)  Mushi's three sons were Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth.

       (1 Chr 23:24 NCV)  These were Levi's descendants listed by their 
       families. They were the leaders of families. Each person who was 
       twenty years old or older was listed. They served in the Lord's 
       Temple.

       (1 Chr 23:25 NCV)  David had said, "The LORD, the God of Israel, has 
       given rest to his people. He has come to live in Jerusalem forever.

       (1 Chr 23:26 NCV)  So the Levites don't need to carry the Holy Tent or 
       any of the things used in its services anymore."

       (1 Chr 23:27 NCV)  David's last instructions were to count the Levites 
       who were twenty years old and older.

       (1 Chr 23:28 NCV)  The Levites had the job of helping Aaron's 
       descendants in the service of the Temple of the LORD. They cared for 
       the Temple courtyard and side rooms, and they made all the holy things 
       pure. Their job was to serve in the Temple of God.

       (1 Chr 23:29 NCV)  They were responsible for putting the holy bread on 
       the table, for the flour in the grain offerings, for the bread made 
       without yeast, for the baking and mixing, and for the measuring.

       (1 Chr 23:30 NCV)  The Levites also stood every morning and gave 
       thanks and praise to the LORD. They also did this every evening.

       (1 Chr 23:31 NCV)  The Levites offered all the burnt offerings to the 
       LORD on the special days of rest, at the New Moon festivals, and at 
       all appointed feasts. They served before the LORD every day. They were 
       to follow the rules for how many Levites should serve each time.

       (1 Chr 23:32 NCV)  So the Levites took care of the Meeting Tent and 
       the Holy Place. And they helped their relatives, Aaron's descendants, 
       with the services at the Temple of the LORD.

       (1 Chr 24:1 NCV)  These were the groups of Aaron's sons: Aaron's sons 
       were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

       (1 Chr 24:2 NCV)  But Nadab and Abihu died before their father did, 
       and they had no sons. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as the priests.

       (1 Chr 24:3 NCV)  David, with the help of Zadok, a descendant of 
       Eleazar, and Ahimelech, a descendant of Ithamar, separated their 
       family groups into two different groups. Each group had certain 
       duties.

       (1 Chr 24:4 NCV)  There were more leaders from Eleazar's family than 
       from Ithamar's--sixteen leaders from Eleazar's family and eight 
       leaders from Ithamar's family.





       (1 Chr 24:5 NCV)  Men were chosen from Eleazar's and Ithamar's 
       families by throwing lots. Some men from each family were chosen to be 
       in charge of the Holy Place, and some were chosen to serve as priests.

       (1 Chr 24:6 NCV)  Shemaiah son of Nethanel, from the tribe of Levi, 
       was the secretary. He recorded the names of those descendants in front 
       of King David, the officers, Zadok the priest, Ahimelech son of 
       Abiathar, and the leaders of the families of the priests and Levites. 
       The work was divided by lots among the families of Eleazar and 
       Ithamar. The following men with their groups were chosen.

       (1 Chr 24:7 NCV)  The first one chosen was Jehoiarib. The second was 
       Jedaiah.

       (1 Chr 24:8 NCV)  The third was Harim. The fourth was Seorim.

       (1 Chr 24:9 NCV)  The fifth was Malkijah. The sixth was Mijamin.

       (1 Chr 24:10 NCV)  The seventh was Hakkoz. The eighth was Abijah.

       (1 Chr 24:11 NCV)  The ninth was Jeshua. The tenth was Shecaniah.

       (1 Chr 24:12 NCV)  The eleventh was Eliashib. The twelfth was Jakim.

       (1 Chr 24:13 NCV)  The thirteenth was Huppah. The fourteenth was 
       Jeshebeab.

       (1 Chr 24:14 NCV)  The fifteenth was Bilgah. The sixteenth was Immer.

       (1 Chr 24:15 NCV)  The seventeenth was Hezir. The eighteenth was 
       Happizzez.

       (1 Chr 24:16 NCV)  The nineteenth was Pethahiah. The twentieth was 
       Jehezkel.

       (1 Chr 24:17 NCV)  The twenty-first was Jakin. The twenty-second was 
       Gamul.

       (1 Chr 24:18 NCV)  The twenty-third was Delaiah. The twenty-fourth was 
       Maaziah.

       (1 Chr 24:19 NCV)  These were the groups chosen to serve in the Temple 
       of the LORD. They obeyed the rules given them by Aaron, just as the 
       LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded him.

       (1 Chr 24:20 NCV)  These are the names of the rest of Levi's 
       descendants: Shubael was a descendant of Amram, and Jehdeiah was a 
       descendant of Shubael.

       (1 Chr 24:21 NCV)  Isshiah was the first son of Rehabiah.

       (1 Chr 24:22 NCV)  From the Izhar family group, there was Shelomoth, 
       and Jahath was a descendant of Shelomoth.

       (1 Chr 24:23 NCV)  Hebron's first son was Jeriah, Amariah was his 
       second, Jahaziel was his third, and Jekameam was his fourth.






       (1 Chr 24:24 NCV)  Uzziel's son was Micah. Micah's son was Shamir.

       (1 Chr 24:25 NCV)  Micah's brother was Isshiah, and Isshiah's son was 
       Zechariah.

       (1 Chr 24:26 NCV)  Merari's descendants were Mahli and Mushi. Merari's 
       son was Jaaziah.

       (1 Chr 24:27 NCV)  Jaaziah son of Merari had sons named Shoham, 
       Zaccur, and Ibri.

       (1 Chr 24:28 NCV)  Mahli's son was Eleazar, but Eleazar did not have 
       any sons.

       (1 Chr 24:29 NCV)  Kish's son was Jerahmeel.

       (1 Chr 24:30 NCV)  Mushi's sons were Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth. These 
       are the Levites, listed by their families.

       (1 Chr 24:31 NCV)  They were chosen for special jobs by throwing lots 
       in front of King David, Zadok, Ahimelech, the leaders of the families 
       of the priests, and the Levites. They did this just as their 
       relatives, the priests, Aaron's descendants, had done. The families of 
       the oldest brother and the youngest brother were treated the same.

       (1 Chr 25:1 NCV)  David and the commanders of the army chose some of 
       the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to preach and play harps, 
       lyres, and cymbals. Here is a list of the men who served in this way:

       (1 Chr 25:2 NCV)  Asaph's sons who served were Zaccur, Joseph, 
       Nethaniah, and Asarelah. King David chose Asaph to preach, and Asaph 
       directed his sons.

       (1 Chr 25:3 NCV)  Jeduthun's sons who served were Gedaliah, Zeri, 
       Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah. There were six of them, 
       and Jeduthun directed them. He preached and used a harp to give thanks 
       and praise to the LORD.

       (1 Chr 25:4 NCV)  Heman's sons who served were Bukkiah, Mattaniah, 
       Uzziel, Shubael, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, 
       Romamti-Ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth.

       (1 Chr 25:5 NCV)  All these were sons of Heman, David's seer. God 
       promised to make Heman strong, so Heman had many sons. God gave him 
       fourteen sons and three daughters.

       (1 Chr 25:6 NCV)  Heman directed all his sons in making music for the 
       Temple of the LORD with cymbals, lyres, and harps; that was their way 
       of serving in the Temple of God. King David was in charge of Asaph, 
       Jeduthun, and Heman.

       (1 Chr 25:7 NCV)  These men and their relatives were trained and 
       skilled in making music for the LORD. There were two hundred 
       eighty-eight of them.





       (1 Chr 25:8 NCV)  Everyone threw lots to choose the time his family 
       was to serve at the Temple. The young and the old, the teacher and the 
       student, had to throw lots.

       (1 Chr 25:9 NCV)  First, the lot fell to Joseph, from the family of 
       Asaph. Second, twelve men were chosen from Gedaliah, his sons and 
       relatives.

       (1 Chr 25:10 NCV)  Third, twelve men were chosen from Zaccur, his sons 
       and relatives.

       (1 Chr 25:11 NCV)  Fourth, twelve men were chosen from Izri, his sons 
       and relatives.

       (1 Chr 25:12 NCV)  Fifth, twelve men were chosen from Nethaniah, his 
       sons and relatives.

       (1 Chr 25:13 NCV)  Sixth, twelve men were chosen from Bukkiah, his 
       sons and relatives.

       (1 Chr 25:14 NCV)  Seventh, twelve men were chosen from Jesarelah, his 
       sons and relatives.

       (1 Chr 25:15 NCV)  Eighth, twelve men were chosen from Jeshaiah, his 
       sons and relatives.

       (1 Chr 25:16 NCV)  Ninth, twelve men were chosen from Mattaniah, his 
       sons and relatives.

       (1 Chr 25:17 NCV)  Tenth, twelve men were chosen from Shimei, his sons 
       and relatives.

       (1 Chr 25:18 NCV)  Eleventh, twelve men were chosen from Azarel, his 
       sons and relatives.

       (1 Chr 25:19 NCV)  Twelfth, twelve men were chosen from Hashabiah, his 
       sons and relatives.

       (1 Chr 25:20 NCV)  Thirteenth, twelve men were chosen from Shubael, 
       his sons and relatives.

       (1 Chr 25:21 NCV)  Fourteenth, twelve men were chosen from Mattithiah, 
       his sons and relatives.

       (1 Chr 25:22 NCV)  Fifteenth, twelve men were chosen from Jerimoth, 
       his sons and relatives.

       (1 Chr 25:23 NCV)  Sixteenth, twelve men were chosen from Hananiah, 
       his sons and relatives.

       (1 Chr 25:24 NCV)  Seventeenth, twelve men were chosen from 
       Joshbekashah, his sons and relatives.

       (1 Chr 25:25 NCV)  Eighteenth, twelve men were chosen from Hanani, his 
       sons and relatives.





       (1 Chr 25:26 NCV)  Nineteenth, twelve men were chosen from Mallothi, 
       his sons and relatives.

       (1 Chr 25:27 NCV)  Twentieth, twelve men were chosen from Eliathah, 
       his sons and relatives.

       (1 Chr 25:28 NCV)  Twenty-first, twelve men were chosen from Hothir, 
       his sons and relatives.

       (1 Chr 25:29 NCV)  Twenty-second, twelve men were chosen from 
       Giddalti, his sons and relatives.

       (1 Chr 25:30 NCV)  Twenty-third, twelve men were chosen from 
       Mahazioth, his sons and relatives.

       (1 Chr 25:31 NCV)  Twenty-fourth, twelve men were chosen from 
       Romamti-Ezer, his sons and relatives.

       (1 Chr 26:1 NCV)  These are the groups of the gatekeepers. From the 
       family of Korah, there was Meshelemiah son of Kore, who was from 
       Asaph's family.

       (1 Chr 26:2 NCV)  Meshelemiah had sons. Zechariah was his first son, 
       Jediael was second, Zebadiah was third, Jathniel was fourth,

       (1 Chr 26:3 NCV)  Elam was fifth, Jehohanan was sixth, and Eliehoenai 
       was seventh.

       (1 Chr 26:4 NCV)  Obed-Edom had sons. Shemaiah was his first son, 
       Jehozabad was second, Joah was third, Sacar was fourth, Nethanel was 
       fifth,

       (1 Chr 26:5 NCV)  Ammiel was sixth, Issachar was seventh, and 
       Peullethai was eighth. God blessed Obed-Edom with children.

       (1 Chr 26:6 NCV)  Obed-Edom's son Shemaiah also had sons. They were 
       leaders in their father's family because they were capable men.

       (1 Chr 26:7 NCV)  Shemaiah's sons were Othni, Rephael, Obed, Elzabad, 
       Elihu, and Semakiah. Elihu, and Semakiah were skilled workers.

       (1 Chr 26:8 NCV)  All these were Obed-Edom's descendants. They and 
       their sons and relatives were capable men and strong workers. 
       Obed-Edom had sixty-two descendants in all.

       (1 Chr 26:9 NCV)  Meshelemiah had sons and relatives who were skilled 
       workers. In all, there were eighteen.

       (1 Chr 26:10 NCV)  From the Merari family, Hosah had sons. Shimri was 
       chosen to be in charge. Although he was not the oldest son, his father 
       chose him to be in charge.

       (1 Chr 26:11 NCV)  Hilkiah was his second son, Tabaliah was third, and 
       Zechariah was fourth. In all, Hosah had thirteen sons and relatives.

       (1 Chr 26:12 NCV)  These were the leaders of the groups of 





       gatekeepers, and they served in the Temple of the LORD. Their 
       relatives also worked in the Temple.

       (1 Chr 26:13 NCV)  By throwing lots, each family chose a gate to 
       guard. Young and old threw lots.

       (1 Chr 26:14 NCV)  Meshelemiah was chosen by lot to guard the East 
       Gate. Then lots were thrown for Meshelemiah's son Zechariah. He was a 
       wise counselor and was chosen for the North Gate.

       (1 Chr 26:15 NCV)  Obed-Edom was chosen for the South Gate, and 
       Obed-Edom's sons were chosen to guard the storehouse.

       (1 Chr 26:16 NCV)  Shuppim and Hosah were chosen for the West Gate and 
       the Shalleketh Gate on the upper road. Guards stood side by side with 
       guards.

       (1 Chr 26:17 NCV)  Six Levites stood guard every day at the East Gate; 
       four Levites stood guard every day at the North Gate; four Levites 
       stood guard every day at the South Gate; and two Levites at a time 
       guarded the storehouse.

       (1 Chr 26:18 NCV)  There were two guards at the western court and four 
       guards on the road to the court.

       (1 Chr 26:19 NCV)  These were the groups of the gatekeepers from the 
       families of Korah and Merari.

       (1 Chr 26:20 NCV)  Other Levites were responsible for guarding the 
       treasuries of the Temple of God and for the places where the holy 
       items were kept.

       (1 Chr 26:21 NCV)  Ladan was Gershon's son and the ancestor of several 
       family groups. Jehiel was a leader of one of the family groups.

       (1 Chr 26:22 NCV)  His sons were Zetham and Joel his brother, and they 
       were responsible for the treasuries of the Temple of the LORD.

       (1 Chr 26:23 NCV)  Other leaders were chosen from the family groups of 
       Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

       (1 Chr 26:24 NCV)  Shubael, the descendant of Gershom, who was Moses' 
       son, was the leader responsible for the treasuries.

       (1 Chr 26:25 NCV)  These were Shubael's relatives from Eliezer: 
       Eliezer's son Rehabiah, Rehabiah's son Jeshaiah, Jeshaiah's son Joram, 
       Joram's son Zicri, and Zicri's son Shelomith.

       (1 Chr 26:26 NCV)  Shelomith and his relatives were responsible for 
       everything that had been collected for the Temple by King David, by 
       the heads of families, by the commanders of a thousand men and of a 
       hundred men, and by other army commanders.

       (1 Chr 26:27 NCV)  They also gave some of the things they had taken in 
       wars to be used in repairing the Temple of the LORD.





       (1 Chr 26:28 NCV)  Shelomith and his relatives took care of all the 
       holy items. Some had been given by Samuel the seer, Saul son of Kish, 
       Abner son of Ner, and Joab son of Zeruiah.

       (1 Chr 26:29 NCV)  Kenaniah was from the Izhar family. He and his sons 
       worked outside the Temple as officers and judges in different places 
       in Israel.

       (1 Chr 26:30 NCV)  Hashabiah was from the Hebron family. He and his 
       relatives were responsible for the Lord's work and the king's business 
       in Israel west of the Jordan River. There were seventeen hundred 
       skilled men in Hashabiah's group.

       (1 Chr 26:31 NCV)  The history of the Hebron family shows that Jeriah 
       was their leader. In David's fortieth year as king, the records were 
       searched, and some capable men of the Hebron family were found living 
       at Jazer in Gilead.

       (1 Chr 26:32 NCV)  Jeriah had twenty-seven hundred relatives who were 
       skilled men and leaders of families. King David gave them the 
       responsibility of directing the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East 
       Manasseh in God's work and the king's business.

       (1 Chr 27:1 NCV)  This is the list of the Israelites who served the 
       king in the army. Each division was on duty one month each year. There 
       were leaders of families, commanders of a hundred men, commanders of a 
       thousand men, and other officers. Each division had twenty-four 
       thousand men.

       (1 Chr 27:2 NCV)  Jashobeam son of Zabdiel was in charge of the first 
       division for the first month. There were twenty-four thousand men in 
       his division.

       (1 Chr 27:3 NCV)  Jashobeam, one of the descendants of Perez, was 
       leader of all the army officers for the first month.

       (1 Chr 27:4 NCV)  Dodai, from the Ahohites, was in charge of the 
       division for the second month. Mikloth was a leader in the division. 
       There were twenty-four thousand men in Dodai's division.

       (1 Chr 27:5 NCV)  The third commander, for the third month, was 
       Benaiah son of Jehoiada the priest. There were twenty-four thousand 
       men in his division.

       (1 Chr 27:6 NCV)  He was the Benaiah who was one of the Thirty 
       soldiers. Benaiah was a brave warrior who led those men. Benaiah's son 
       Ammizabad was in charge of Benaiah's division.

       (1 Chr 27:7 NCV)  The fourth commander, for the fourth month, was 
       Asahel, the brother of Joab. Later, Asahel's son Zebadiah took his 
       place as commander. There were twenty-four thousand men in his 
       division.

       (1 Chr 27:8 NCV)  The fifth commander, for the fifth month, was 
       Shamhuth, from Izrah's family. There were twenty-four thousand men in 
       his division.






       (1 Chr 27:9 NCV)  The sixth commander, for the sixth month, was Ira 
       son of Ikkesh from the town of Tekoa. There were twenty-four thousand 
       men in his division.

       (1 Chr 27:10 NCV)  The seventh commander, for the seventh month, was 
       Helez. He was from the Pelonites and a descendant of Ephraim. There 
       were twenty-four thousand men in his division.

       (1 Chr 27:11 NCV)  The eighth commander, for the eighth month, was 
       Sibbecai. He was from Hushah and was from Zerah's family. There were 
       twenty-four thousand men in his division.

       (1 Chr 27:12 NCV)  The ninth commander, for the ninth month, was 
       Abiezer. He was from Anathoth in Benjamin. There were twenty-four 
       thousand men in his division.

       (1 Chr 27:13 NCV)  The tenth commander, for the tenth month, was 
       Maharai. He was from Netophah and was from Zerah's family. There were 
       twenty-four thousand men in his division.

       (1 Chr 27:14 NCV)  The eleventh commander, for the eleventh month, was 
       Benaiah. He was from Pirathon in Ephraim. There were twenty-four 
       thousand men in his division.

       (1 Chr 27:15 NCV)  The twelfth commander, for the twelfth month, was 
       Heldai. He was from Netophah and was from Othniel's family. There were 
       twenty-four thousand men in his division.

       (1 Chr 27:16 NCV)  These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel. 
       Eliezer son of Zicri was over the tribe of Reuben. Shephatiah son of 
       Maacah was over the tribe of Simeon.

       (1 Chr 27:17 NCV)  Hashabiah son of Kemuel was over the tribe of Levi. 
       Zadok was over the people of Aaron.

       (1 Chr 27:18 NCV)  Elihu, one of David's brothers, was over the tribe 
       of Judah. Omri son of Michael was over the tribe of Issachar.

       (1 Chr 27:19 NCV)  Ishmaiah son of Obadiah was over the tribe of 
       Zebulun. Jerimoth son of Azriel was over the tribe of Naphtali.

       (1 Chr 27:20 NCV)  Hoshea son of Azaziah was over the tribe of 
       Ephraim. Joel son of Pedaiah was over West Manasseh.

       (1 Chr 27:21 NCV)  Iddo son of Zechariah was over East Manasseh. 
       Jaasiel son of Abner was over the tribe of Benjamin.

       (1 Chr 27:22 NCV)  Azarel son of Jeroham was over the tribe of Dan. 
       These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel.

       (1 Chr 27:23 NCV)  The LORD had promised to make the Israelites as 
       many as the stars in the sky. So David only counted the men who were 
       twenty years old and older.

       (1 Chr 27:24 NCV)  Joab son of Zeruiah began to count the people, but 





       he did not finish. God became angry with Israel for counting the 
       people, so the number of the people was not put in the history book 
       about King David's rule.

       (1 Chr 27:25 NCV)  Azmaveth son of Adiel was in charge of the royal 
       storehouses. Jonathan son of Uzziah was in charge of the storehouses 
       in the country, towns, villages, and towers.

       (1 Chr 27:26 NCV)  Ezri son of Kelub was in charge of the field 
       workers who farmed the land.

       (1 Chr 27:27 NCV)  Shimei, from the town of Ramah, was in charge of 
       the vineyards. Zabdi, from Shapham, was in charge of storing the wine 
       that came from the vineyards.

       (1 Chr 27:28 NCV)  Baal-Hanan, from Geder, was in charge of the olive 
       trees and sycamore trees in the western hills. Joash was in charge of 
       storing the olive oil.

       (1 Chr 27:29 NCV)  Shitrai, from Sharon, was in charge of the herds 
       that fed in the Plain of Sharon. Shaphat son of Adlai was in charge of 
       the herds in the valleys.

       (1 Chr 27:30 NCV)  Obil, an Ishmaelite, was in charge of the camels. 
       Jehdeiah, from Meronoth, was in charge of the donkeys.

       (1 Chr 27:31 NCV)  Jaziz, from the Hagrites, was in charge of the 
       flocks. All these men were the officers who took care of King David's 
       property.

       (1 Chr 27:32 NCV)  Jonathan was David's uncle, and he advised David. 
       Jonathan was a wise man and a teacher of the law. Jehiel son of 
       Hacmoni took care of the king's sons.

       (1 Chr 27:33 NCV)  Ahithophel advised the king. Hushai, from the 
       Arkite people, was the king's friend.

       (1 Chr 27:34 NCV)  Jehoiada and Abiathar later took Ahithophel's place 
       in advising the king. Jehoiada was Benaiah's son. Joab was the 
       commander of the king's army.

       (1 Chr 28:1 NCV)  David commanded all the leaders of Israel to come to 
       Jerusalem. There were the leaders of the tribes, commanders of the 
       divisions serving the king, commanders of a thousand men and of a 
       hundred men, leaders who took care of the property and animals that 
       belonged to the king and his sons, men over the palace, the powerful 
       men, and all the brave warriors.

       (1 Chr 28:2 NCV)  King David stood up and said, "Listen to me, my 
       relatives and my people. I wanted to build a place to keep the Ark of 
       the Agreement with the LORD. I wanted it to be God's footstool. So I 
       made plans to build a temple.

       (1 Chr 28:3 NCV)  But God said to me, 'You must not build a temple for 
       worshiping me, because you are a soldier and have killed many people.'





       (1 Chr 28:4 NCV)  "But the LORD, the God of Israel, chose me from my 
       whole family to be king of Israel forever. He chose the tribe of Judah 
       to lead, and from the people of Judah, he chose my father's family. 
       From that family God was pleased to make me king of Israel.

       (1 Chr 28:5 NCV)  The LORD has given me many sons, and from those sons 
       he has chosen Solomon to be the new king of Israel. Israel is the 
       Lord's kingdom.

       (1 Chr 28:6 NCV)  The LORD said to me, 'Your son Solomon will build my 
       Temple and its courtyards. I have chosen Solomon to be my son, and I 
       will be his father.

       (1 Chr 28:7 NCV)  He is obeying my laws and commands now. If he 
       continues to obey them, I will make his kingdom strong forever.'"

       (1 Chr 28:8 NCV)  David said, "Now, in front of all Israel, the 
       assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of God, I tell you these 
       things: Be careful to obey all the commands of the LORD your God. Then 
       you will keep this good land and pass it on to your descendants 
       forever.

       (1 Chr 28:9 NCV)  "And you, my son Solomon, accept the God of your 
       father. Serve him completely and willingly, because the LORD knows 
       what is in everyone's mind. He understands everything you think. If 
       you go to him for help, you will get an answer. But if you turn away 
       from him, he will leave you forever.

       (1 Chr 28:10 NCV)  Solomon, you must understand this. The LORD has 
       chosen you to build the Temple as his holy place. Be strong and finish 
       the job."

       (1 Chr 28:11 NCV)  Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for 
       building the Temple and the courtyard around the Temple. They included 
       its buildings, its storerooms, its upper rooms, its inside rooms, and 
       the place where the people's sins were removed.

       (1 Chr 28:12 NCV)  David gave him plans for everything he had in mind: 
       the courtyards around the Lord's Temple and all the rooms around it, 
       the Temple treasuries, and the treasuries of the holy items used in 
       the Temple.

       (1 Chr 28:13 NCV)  David gave Solomon directions for the groups of the 
       priests and Levites. David told him about all the work of serving in 
       the Temple of the LORD and about the items to be used in the Temple 
       service

       (1 Chr 28:14 NCV)  that were made of gold or silver. David told 
       Solomon how much gold or silver should be used to make each thing.

       (1 Chr 28:15 NCV)  David told him how much gold to use for each gold 
       lampstand and its lamps and how much silver to use for each silver 
       lampstand and its lamps. The different lampstands were to be used 
       where needed.

       (1 Chr 28:16 NCV)  David told how much gold should be used for each 





       table that held the holy bread and how much silver should be used for 
       the silver tables.

       (1 Chr 28:17 NCV)  He told how much pure gold should be used to make 
       the forks, bowls, and pitchers and how much gold should be used to 
       make each gold dish. He told how much silver should be used to make 
       each silver dish

       (1 Chr 28:18 NCV)  and how much pure gold should be used for the altar 
       of incense. He also gave Solomon the plans for the chariot of the 
       golden creatures that spread their wings over the Ark of the Agreement 
       with the LORD.

       (1 Chr 28:19 NCV)  David said, "All these plans were written with the 
       LORD guiding me. He helped me understand everything in the plans."

       (1 Chr 28:20 NCV)  David also said to his son Solomon, "Be strong and 
       brave, and do the work. Don't be afraid or discouraged, because the 
       LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or leave you until 
       all the work for the Temple of the LORD is finished.

       (1 Chr 28:21 NCV)  The groups of the priests and Levites are ready for 
       all the work on the Temple of God. Every skilled worker is ready to 
       help you with all the work. The leaders and all the people will obey 
       every command you give."

       (1 Chr 29:1 NCV)  King David said to all the Israelites who were 
       gathered, "God chose my son Solomon, who is young and hasn't yet 
       learned what he needs to know, but the work is important. This palace 
       is not for people; it is for the LORD God.

       (1 Chr 29:2 NCV)  I have done my best to prepare for building the 
       Temple of God. I have given gold for the things made of gold and 
       silver for the things made of silver. I have given bronze for the 
       things made of bronze and iron for the things made of iron. I have 
       given wood for the things made of wood and onyx for the settings. I 
       have given turquoise gems of many different colors, valuable stones, 
       and white marble. I have given much of all these things.

       (1 Chr 29:3 NCV)  I have already given this for the Temple, but now I 
       am also giving my own treasures of gold and silver, because I really 
       want the Temple of my God to be built.

       (1 Chr 29:4 NCV)  I have given about two hundred twenty thousand 
       pounds of pure gold from Ophir and about five hundred twenty thousand 
       pounds of pure silver. They will be used to cover the walls of the 
       buildings

       (1 Chr 29:5 NCV)  and for all the gold and silver work. Skilled men 
       may use the gold and silver to make things for the Temple. Now, who is 
       ready to give himself to the service of the LORD today?"

       (1 Chr 29:6 NCV)  The family leaders and the leaders of the tribes of 
       Israel, the commanders of a thousand men and of a hundred men, and the 
       leaders responsible for the king's work gave their valuable things.





       (1 Chr 29:7 NCV)  They donated about three hundred eighty thousand 
       pounds of gold, about seven hundred fifty thousand pounds of silver, 
       about one million three hundred fifty thousand pounds of bronze, and 
       about seven million five hundred thousand pounds of iron to the Temple 
       of God.

       (1 Chr 29:8 NCV)  People who had valuable gems gave them to the 
       treasury of the Temple of the LORD, and Jehiel, from the Gershon 
       family, took care of the valuable gems.

       (1 Chr 29:9 NCV)  The leaders gave willingly and completely to the 
       LORD. The people rejoiced to see their leaders give so gladly, and 
       King David was also very happy.

       (1 Chr 29:10 NCV)  David praised the LORD in front of all the people 
       who were gathered. He said: "We praise you, LORD, God of our father 
       Israel. We praise you forever and ever.

       (1 Chr 29:11 NCV)  LORD, you are great and powerful. You have glory, 
       victory, and honor. Everything in heaven and on earth belongs to you. 
       The kingdom belongs to you, LORD; you are the ruler over everything.

       (1 Chr 29:12 NCV)  Riches and honor come from you. You rule 
       everything. You have the power and strength to make anyone great and 
       strong.

       (1 Chr 29:13 NCV)  Now, our God, we thank you and praise your glorious 
       name.

       (1 Chr 29:14 NCV)  "These things did not really come from me and my 
       people. Everything comes from you; we have given you back what you 
       gave us.

       (1 Chr 29:15 NCV)  We are like foreigners and strangers, as our 
       ancestors were. Our time on earth is like a shadow. There is no hope.

       (1 Chr 29:16 NCV)  LORD our God, we have gathered all this to build 
       your Temple for worship to you. But everything has come from you; 
       everything belongs to you.

       (1 Chr 29:17 NCV)  I know, my God, that you test people's hearts. You 
       are happy when people do what is right. I was happy to give all these 
       things, and I gave with an honest heart. Your people gathered here are 
       happy to give to you, and I rejoice to see their giving.

       (1 Chr 29:18 NCV)  LORD, you are the God of our ancestors, the God of 
       Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Make your people want to serve you always, 
       and make them want to obey you.

       (1 Chr 29:19 NCV)  Give my son Solomon a desire to serve you. Help him 
       always obey your commands, laws, and rules. Help him build the Temple 
       for which I have prepared."

       (1 Chr 29:20 NCV)  Then David said to all the people who were 
       gathered, "Praise the LORD your God." So they all praised the LORD, 
       the God of their ancestors, and they bowed to the ground to give honor 





       to the LORD and the king.

       (1 Chr 29:21 NCV)  The next day the people sacrificed to the LORD. 
       They offered burnt offerings to him of a thousand bulls, a thousand 
       male sheep, and a thousand male lambs. They also brought drink 
       offerings. Many sacrifices were made for all the people of Israel.

       (1 Chr 29:22 NCV)  That day the people ate and drank with much joy, 
       and the LORD was with them. And they made David's son Solomon king for 
       the second time. They poured olive oil on Solomon to appoint him king 
       in the presence of the LORD. And they poured oil on Zadok to appoint 
       him as priest.

       (1 Chr 29:23 NCV)  Then Solomon sat on the Lord's throne as king and 
       took his father David's place. Solomon was very successful, and all 
       the people of Israel obeyed him.

       (1 Chr 29:24 NCV)  All the leaders and soldiers and King David's sons 
       accepted Solomon as king and promised to obey him.

       (1 Chr 29:25 NCV)  The LORD made Solomon great before all the 
       Israelites and gave Solomon much honor. No king of Israel before 
       Solomon had such honor.

       (1 Chr 29:26 NCV)  David son of Jesse was king over all Israel.

       (1 Chr 29:27 NCV)  He had ruled over Israel forty years--seven years 
       in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

       (1 Chr 29:28 NCV)  David died when he was old. He had lived a good, 
       long life and had received many riches and honors. His son Solomon 
       became king after him.

       (1 Chr 29:29 NCV)  Everything David did as king, from beginning to 
       end, is recorded in the records of Samuel the seer, the records of 
       Nathan the prophet, and the records of Gad the seer.

       (1 Chr 29:30 NCV)  Those writings tell what David did as king of 
       Israel. They tell about his power and what happened to him and to 
       Israel and to all the kingdoms around them.

       (2 Chr 1:1 NCV)  Solomon, David's son, became a powerful king, because 
       the LORD his God was with him and made him very great.

       (2 Chr 1:2 NCV)  Solomon spoke to all the people of Israel--the 
       commanders of a hundred men and of a thousand men, the judges, every 
       leader in all Israel, and the leaders of the families.

       (2 Chr 1:3 NCV)  Then Solomon and all the people with him went to the 
       place of worship at the town of Gibeon. God's Meeting Tent, which 
       Moses the Lord's servant had made in the desert, was there.

       (2 Chr 1:4 NCV)  David had brought the Ark of God from Kiriath Jearim 
       to Jerusalem, where he had made a place for it and had set up a tent 
       for it.





       (2 Chr 1:5 NCV)  The bronze altar that Bezalel son of Uri, who was the 
       son of Hur, had made was in Gibeon in front of the Holy Tent. So 
       Solomon and the people worshiped there.

       (2 Chr 1:6 NCV)  Solomon went up to the bronze altar in the presence 
       of the LORD at the Meeting Tent and offered a thousand burnt offerings 
       on it.

       (2 Chr 1:7 NCV)  That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, 
       "Ask for whatever you want me to give you."

       (2 Chr 1:8 NCV)  Solomon answered, "You have been very kind to my 
       father David, and you have made me king in his place.

       (2 Chr 1:9 NCV)  Now, LORD God, may your promise to my father David 
       come true. You have made me king of a people who are as many as the 
       dust of the earth.

       (2 Chr 1:10 NCV)  Now give me wisdom and knowledge so I can lead these 
       people in the right way, because no one can rule them without your 
       help."

       (2 Chr 1:11 NCV)  God said to Solomon, "You have not asked for wealth 
       or riches or honor, or for the death of your enemies, or for a long 
       life. But since you have asked for wisdom and knowledge to lead my 
       people, over whom I have made you king,

       (2 Chr 1:12 NCV)  I will give you wisdom and knowledge. I will also 
       give you more wealth, riches, and honor than any king who has lived 
       before you or any who will live after you."

       (2 Chr 1:13 NCV)  Then Solomon left the place of worship, the Meeting 
       Tent, at Gibeon and went back to Jerusalem. There King Solomon ruled 
       over Israel.

       (2 Chr 1:14 NCV)  Solomon had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve 
       thousand horses. He kept some in special cities for the chariots, and 
       others he kept with him in Jerusalem.

       (2 Chr 1:15 NCV)  In Jerusalem Solomon made silver and gold as 
       plentiful as stones and cedar trees as plentiful as the fig trees on 
       the western hills.

       (2 Chr 1:16 NCV)  He imported horses from Egypt and Kue; his traders 
       bought them in Kue.

       (2 Chr 1:17 NCV)  They imported chariots from Egypt for about fifteen 
       pounds of silver apiece, and horses cost nearly four pounds of silver 
       apiece. Then they sold the horses and chariots to all the kings of the 
       Hittites and the Arameans.

       (2 Chr 2:1 NCV)  Solomon decided to build a temple as a place to 
       worship the LORD and also a palace for himself.

       (2 Chr 2:2 NCV)  He chose seventy thousand men to carry loads, eighty 
       thousand men to cut stone in the hill country, and thirty-six hundred 





       men to direct the workers.

       (2 Chr 2:3 NCV)  Solomon sent this message to Hiram king of the city 
       of Tyre: "Help me as you helped my father David by sending him cedar 
       logs so he could build himself a palace to live in.

       (2 Chr 2:4 NCV)  I will build a temple for worshiping the LORD my God, 
       and I will give this temple to him. There we will burn sweet-smelling 
       spices in his presence. We will continually set out the holy bread in 
       God's presence. And we will burn sacrifices every morning and evening, 
       on Sabbath days and New Moons, and on the other feast days commanded 
       by the LORD our God. This is a rule for Israel to obey forever.

       (2 Chr 2:5 NCV)  "The temple I build will be great, because our God is 
       greater than all gods.

       (2 Chr 2:6 NCV)  But no one can really build a house for our God. Not 
       even the highest of heavens can hold him. How then can I build a 
       temple for him except as a place to burn sacrifices to him?

       (2 Chr 2:7 NCV)  "Now send me a man skilled in working with gold, 
       silver, bronze, and iron, and with purple, red, and blue thread. He 
       must also know how to make engravings. He will work with my skilled 
       craftsmen in Judah and Jerusalem, whom my father David chose.

       (2 Chr 2:8 NCV)  "Also send me cedar, pine, and juniper logs from 
       Lebanon. I know your servants are experienced at cutting down the 
       trees in Lebanon, and my servants will help them.

       (2 Chr 2:9 NCV)  Send me a lot of wood, because the temple I am going 
       to build will be large and wonderful.

       (2 Chr 2:10 NCV)  I will give your servants who cut the wood one 
       hundred twenty-five thousand bushels of wheat, one hundred twenty-five 
       thousand bushels of barley, one hundred fifteen thousand gallons of 
       wine, and one hundred fifteen thousand gallons of oil."

       (2 Chr 2:11 NCV)  Then Hiram king of Tyre answered Solomon with this 
       letter: "Solomon, because the LORD loves his people, he chose you to 
       be their king."

       (2 Chr 2:12 NCV)  Hiram also said: "Praise the LORD, the God of 
       Israel, who made heaven and earth! He has given King David a wise son, 
       one with wisdom and understanding, who will build a temple for the 
       LORD and a palace for himself.

       (2 Chr 2:13 NCV)  "I will send you a skilled and wise man named 
       Huram-Abi.

       (2 Chr 2:14 NCV)  His mother was from the people of Dan, and his 
       father was from Tyre. Huram-Abi is skilled in working with gold, 
       silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, and with purple, blue, and red 
       thread, and expensive linen. He is skilled in making engravings and 
       can make any design you show him. He will help your craftsmen and the 
       craftsmen of your father David.





       (2 Chr 2:15 NCV)  "Now send my servants the wheat, barley, oil, and 
       wine you promised.

       (2 Chr 2:16 NCV)  We will cut as much wood from Lebanon as you need 
       and will bring it on rafts by sea to Joppa. Then you may carry it to 
       Jerusalem."

       (2 Chr 2:17 NCV)  Solomon counted all the foreigners living in Israel. 
       (This was after the time his father David had counted the people.) 
       There were one hundred fifty-three thousand six hundred foreigners in 
       the country.

       (2 Chr 2:18 NCV)  Solomon chose seventy thousand of them to carry 
       loads, eighty thousand of them to cut stone in the mountains, and 
       thirty-six hundred of them to direct the workers and to keep the 
       people working.

       (2 Chr 3:1 NCV)  Then Solomon began to build the Temple of the LORD in 
       Jerusalem on Mount Moriah. This was where the LORD had appeared to 
       David, Solomon's father. Solomon built the Temple on the place David 
       had prepared on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

       (2 Chr 3:2 NCV)  Solomon began building in the second month of the 
       fourth year he ruled Israel.

       (2 Chr 3:3 NCV)  Solomon used these measurements for building the 
       Temple of God. It was ninety feet long and thirty feet wide, using the 
       old measurement.

       (2 Chr 3:4 NCV)  The porch in front of the main room of the Temple was 
       thirty feet long and thirty feet high. He covered the inside of the 
       porch with pure gold.

       (2 Chr 3:5 NCV)  He put panels of pine on the walls of the main room 
       and covered them with pure gold. Then he put designs of palm trees and 
       chains in the gold.

       (2 Chr 3:6 NCV)  He decorated the Temple with gems and gold from 
       Parvaim.

       (2 Chr 3:7 NCV)  He put gold on the Temple's ceiling beams, doorposts, 
       walls, and doors, and he carved creatures with wings on the walls.

       (2 Chr 3:8 NCV)  Then he made the Most Holy Place. It was thirty feet 
       long and thirty feet wide, as wide as the Temple. He covered its walls 
       with about forty-six thousand pounds of pure gold.

       (2 Chr 3:9 NCV)  The gold nails weighed over a pound. He also covered 
       the upper rooms with gold.

       (2 Chr 3:10 NCV)  He made two creatures with wings for the Most Holy 
       Place and covered them with gold.

       (2 Chr 3:11 NCV)  The wings of the gold creatures were thirty feet 
       across. One wing of one creature was seven and one-half feet long and 
       touched the Temple wall. The creature's other wing was also seven and 





       one-half feet long, and it touched a wing of the second creature.

       (2 Chr 3:12 NCV)  One wing of the second creature touched the other 
       side of the room and was also seven and one-half feet long. The second 
       creature's other wing touched the first creature's wing, and it was 
       also seven and one-half feet long.

       (2 Chr 3:13 NCV)  Together, the creatures' wings were thirty feet 
       across. The creatures stood on their feet, facing the main room.

       (2 Chr 3:14 NCV)  He made the curtain of blue, purple, and red thread, 
       and expensive linen, and he put designs of creatures with wings in it.

       (2 Chr 3:15 NCV)  He made two pillars to stand in front of the Temple. 
       They were about fifty-two feet tall, and the capital of each pillar 
       was over seven feet tall.

       (2 Chr 3:16 NCV)  He made a net of chains and put them on the tops of 
       the pillars. He made a hundred pomegranates and put them on the 
       chains.

       (2 Chr 3:17 NCV)  Then he put the pillars up in front of the Temple. 
       One pillar stood on the south side, the other on the north. He named 
       the south pillar He Establishes and the north pillar In Him Is 
       Strength.

       (2 Chr 4:1 NCV)  He made a bronze altar thirty feet long, thirty feet 
       wide, and fifteen feet tall.

       (2 Chr 4:2 NCV)  Then he made from bronze a large round bowl, which 
       was called the Sea. It was forty-five feet around, fifteen feet 
       across, and seven and one-half feet deep.

       (2 Chr 4:3 NCV)  There were carvings of bulls under the rim of the 
       bowl--ten bulls every eighteen inches. They were in two rows and were 
       made in one piece with the bowl.

       (2 Chr 4:4 NCV)  The bowl rested on the backs of twelve bronze bulls 
       that faced outward from the center of the bowl. Three bulls faced 
       north, three faced west, three faced south, and three faced east.

       (2 Chr 4:5 NCV)  The sides of the bowl were four inches thick, and it 
       held about seventeen thousand five hundred gallons. The rim of the 
       bowl was like the rim of a cup or like a lily blossom.

       (2 Chr 4:6 NCV)  He made ten smaller bowls and put five on the south 
       side and five on the north. They were for washing the animals for the 
       burnt offerings, but the large bowl was for the priests to wash in.

       (2 Chr 4:7 NCV)  He made ten lampstands of gold, following the plans. 
       He put them in the Temple, five on the south side and five on the 
       north.

       (2 Chr 4:8 NCV)  He made ten tables and put them in the Temple, five 
       on the south side and five on the north. And he used gold to make a 
       hundred other bowls.






       (2 Chr 4:9 NCV)  He also made the priests' courtyard and the large 
       courtyard. He made the doors that opened to the courtyard and covered 
       them with bronze.

       (2 Chr 4:10 NCV)  Then he put the large bowl in the southeast corner 
       of the Temple.

       (2 Chr 4:11 NCV)  Huram also made bowls, shovels, and small bowls. So 
       he finished his work for King Solomon on the Temple of God:

       (2 Chr 4:12 NCV)  two pillars; two large bowls for the capitals on top 
       of the pillars; two nets to cover the two large bowls for the capitals 
       on top of the pillars;

       (2 Chr 4:13 NCV)  four hundred pomegranates for the two nets (there 
       were two rows of pomegranates for each net covering the bowls for the 
       capitals on top of the pillars);

       (2 Chr 4:14 NCV)  the stands with a bowl on each stand;

       (2 Chr 4:15 NCV)  the large bowl with twelve bulls under it;

       (2 Chr 4:16 NCV)  the pots, shovels, forks, and all the things to go 
       with them. All the things that Huram-Abi made for King Solomon for the 
       Temple of the LORD were made of polished bronze.

       (2 Chr 4:17 NCV)  The king had these things poured into clay molds 
       that were made in the plain of the Jordan River between Succoth and 
       Zarethan.

       (2 Chr 4:18 NCV)  Solomon had so many things made that the total 
       weight of all the bronze was never known.

       (2 Chr 4:19 NCV)  Solomon also made all the things for God's Temple: 
       the golden altar; tables which held the bread that shows God's people 
       are in his presence;

       (2 Chr 4:20 NCV)  the lampstands and their lamps of pure gold, to burn 
       in front of the Most Holy Place as planned;

       (2 Chr 4:21 NCV)  the flowers, lamps, and tongs of pure gold;

       (2 Chr 4:22 NCV)  the pure gold wick trimmers, small bowls, pans, and 
       dishes used to carry coals, the gold doors for the Temple, and the 
       inside doors of the Most Holy Place and of the main room.

       (2 Chr 5:1 NCV)  Finally all the work Solomon did for the Temple of 
       the LORD was finished. He brought in everything his father David had 
       set apart for the Temple--all the silver and gold and other articles. 
       And he put everything in the treasuries of God's Temple.

       (2 Chr 5:2 NCV)  Solomon called for the older leaders of Israel, the 
       heads of the tribes, and the leaders of the families to come to him in 
       Jerusalem. He wanted them to bring the Ark of the Agreement with the 
       LORD from the older part of the city.






       (2 Chr 5:3 NCV)  So all the Israelites came together with the king 
       during the festival in the seventh month.

       (2 Chr 5:4 NCV)  When all the older leaders of Israel arrived, the 
       Levites lifted up the Ark.

       (2 Chr 5:5 NCV)  They carried the Ark of the Agreement, the Meeting 
       Tent, and the holy utensils in it; the priests and the Levites brought 
       them up.

       (2 Chr 5:6 NCV)  King Solomon and all the Israelites gathered before 
       the Ark of the Agreement and sacrificed so many sheep and bulls no one 
       could count them.

       (2 Chr 5:7 NCV)  Then the priests put the Ark of the Agreement with 
       the LORD in its place inside the Most Holy Place in the Temple, under 
       the wings of the golden creatures.

       (2 Chr 5:8 NCV)  The wings of these creatures were spread out over the 
       place for the Ark, covering it and its carrying poles.

       (2 Chr 5:9 NCV)  The carrying poles were so long that anyone standing 
       in the Holy Place in front of the Most Holy Place could see the ends 
       of the poles. But no one could see them from outside the Holy Place. 
       The poles are still there today.

       (2 Chr 5:10 NCV)  The only things inside the Ark were two stone 
       tablets that Moses had put in the Ark at Mount Sinai. That was where 
       the LORD made his agreement with the Israelites after they came out of 
       Egypt.

       (2 Chr 5:11 NCV)  Then all the priests left the Holy Place. (All the 
       priests from each group had made themselves ready to serve the LORD.)

       (2 Chr 5:12 NCV)  All the Levite musicians--Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, 
       and all their sons and relatives--stood on the east side of the altar. 
       They were dressed in white linen and played cymbals, harps, and lyres. 
       With them were one hundred twenty priests who blew trumpets.

       (2 Chr 5:13 NCV)  Those who blew the trumpets and those who sang 
       together sounded like one person as they praised and thanked the LORD. 
       They sang as others played their trumpets, cymbals, and other 
       instruments. They praised the LORD with this song: "He is good; his 
       love continues forever." Then the Temple of the LORD was filled with a 
       cloud.

       (2 Chr 5:14 NCV)  The priests could not continue their work because of 
       the cloud, because the Lord's glory filled the Temple of God.

       (2 Chr 6:1 NCV)  Then Solomon said, "The LORD said he would live in 
       the dark cloud.

       (2 Chr 6:2 NCV)  LORD, I have built a wonderful Temple for you--a 
       place for you to live forever."





       (2 Chr 6:3 NCV)  While all the Israelites were standing there, King 
       Solomon turned to them and blessed them.

       (2 Chr 6:4 NCV)  Then he said, "Praise the LORD, the God of Israel. He 
       has done what he promised to my father David. The LORD said,

       (2 Chr 6:5 NCV)  'Since the time I brought my people out of Egypt, I 
       have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel where a temple will be 
       built for me. I did not choose a man to lead my people Israel.

       (2 Chr 6:6 NCV)  But now I have chosen Jerusalem as the place I am to 
       be worshiped, and I have chosen David to lead my people Israel.'

       (2 Chr 6:7 NCV)  "My father David wanted to build a temple for the 
       LORD, the God of Israel.

       (2 Chr 6:8 NCV)  But the LORD said to my father David, 'It was good 
       that you wanted to build a temple for me.

       (2 Chr 6:9 NCV)  But you are not the one to build it. Your son, who 
       comes from your own body, is the one who will build my temple.'

       (2 Chr 6:10 NCV)  "Now the LORD has kept his promise. I am the king 
       now in place of David my father. Now I rule Israel as the LORD 
       promised, and I have built the Temple for the LORD, the God of Israel.

       (2 Chr 6:11 NCV)  There I have put the Ark, in which is the Agreement 
       the LORD made with the Israelites."

       (2 Chr 6:12 NCV)  Then Solomon stood facing the Lord's altar, and all 
       the Israelites were standing behind him. He spread out his hands.

       (2 Chr 6:13 NCV)  He had made a bronze platform seven and one-half 
       feet long, seven and one-half feet wide, and seven and one-half feet 
       high, and he had placed it in the middle of the outer courtyard. 
       Solomon stood on the platform. Then he kneeled in front of all the 
       people of Israel gathered there, and he spread out his hands toward 
       the sky.

       (2 Chr 6:14 NCV)  He said, "LORD, God of Israel, there is no god like 
       you in heaven or on earth. You keep your agreement of love with your 
       servants who truly follow you.

       (2 Chr 6:15 NCV)  You have kept the promise you made to your servant 
       David, my father. You spoke it with your own mouth and finished it 
       with your hands today.

       (2 Chr 6:16 NCV)  "Now, LORD, God of Israel, keep the promise you made 
       to your servant David, my father. You said, 'If your sons are careful 
       to obey my teachings as you have obeyed, there will always be someone 
       from your family ruling Israel.'

       (2 Chr 6:17 NCV)  Now, LORD, God of Israel, please continue to keep 
       that promise you made to your servant.

       (2 Chr 6:18 NCV)  "But, God, can you really live here on the earth 





       with people? The sky and the highest place in heaven cannot contain 
       you. Surely this house which I have built cannot contain you.

       (2 Chr 6:19 NCV)  But please listen to my prayer and my request, 
       because I am your servant. LORD my God, hear this prayer your servant 
       prays to you.

       (2 Chr 6:20 NCV)  Day and night please watch over this Temple where 
       you have said you would be worshiped. Hear the prayer I pray facing 
       this Temple.

       (2 Chr 6:21 NCV)  Hear my prayers and the prayers of your people 
       Israel when we pray facing this place. Hear from your home in heaven, 
       and when you hear, forgive us.

       (2 Chr 6:22 NCV)  "If someone wrongs another person, he will be 
       brought to the altar in this Temple. If he swears an oath that he is 
       not guilty,

       (2 Chr 6:23 NCV)  then hear in heaven. Judge the case, punish the 
       guilty, but declare that the innocent person is not guilty.

       (2 Chr 6:24 NCV)  "When your people, the Israelites, sin against you, 
       their enemies will defeat them. But if they come back to you and 
       praise you and pray to you in this Temple,

       (2 Chr 6:25 NCV)  then listen from heaven. Forgive the sin of your 
       people Israel, and bring them back to the land you gave to them and 
       their ancestors.

       (2 Chr 6:26 NCV)  "When they sin against you, you will stop the rain 
       from falling on their land. Then they will pray, facing this place and 
       praising you; they will stop sinning when you make them suffer.

       (2 Chr 6:27 NCV)  When this happens, hear their prayer in heaven, and 
       forgive the sins of your servants, the Israelites. Teach them to do 
       what is right. Then please send rain to this land you have given 
       particularly to them.

       (2 Chr 6:28 NCV)  "At times the land will get so dry that no food will 
       grow, or a great sickness will spread among the people. Sometimes the 
       crops will be destroyed by locusts or grasshoppers. Your people will 
       be attacked in their cities by their enemies, or will become sick.

       (2 Chr 6:29 NCV)  When any of these things happens, the people will 
       become truly sorry. If your people spread their hands in prayer toward 
       this Temple,

       (2 Chr 6:30 NCV)  then hear their prayers from your home in heaven. 
       Forgive and treat each person as he should be treated because you know 
       what is in a person's heart. Only you know what is in people's hearts.

       (2 Chr 6:31 NCV)  Then the people will respect and obey you as long as 
       they live in this land you gave our ancestors.

       (2 Chr 6:32 NCV)  "People who are not Israelites, foreigners from 





       other lands, will hear about your greatness and power. They will come 
       from far away to pray at this Temple.

       (2 Chr 6:33 NCV)  Then hear from your home in heaven, and do whatever 
       they ask you. Then people everywhere will know you and respect you, 
       just as your people Israel do. Then everyone will know that I built 
       this Temple as a place to worship you.

       (2 Chr 6:34 NCV)  "When your people go out to fight their enemies 
       along some road on which you send them, your people will pray to you, 
       facing this city which you have chosen and the Temple I have built for 
       you.

       (2 Chr 6:35 NCV)  Then hear in heaven their prayers, and do what is 
       right.

       (2 Chr 6:36 NCV)  "Everyone sins, so your people will also sin against 
       you. You will become angry with them and will hand them over to their 
       enemies. Their enemies will capture them and take them away to a 
       country far or near.

       (2 Chr 6:37 NCV)  Your people will be sorry for their sins when they 
       are held as prisoners in another country. They will be sorry and pray 
       to you in the land where they are held as prisoners, saying, 'We have 
       sinned. We have done wrong and acted wickedly.'

       (2 Chr 6:38 NCV)  They will truly turn back to you in the land where 
       they are captives. They will pray, facing this land you gave their 
       ancestors, this city you have chosen, and the Temple I have built for 
       you.

       (2 Chr 6:39 NCV)  Then hear their prayers from your home in heaven and 
       do what is right. Forgive your people who have sinned against you.

       (2 Chr 6:40 NCV)  "Now, my God, look at us. Listen to the prayers we 
       pray in this place.

       (2 Chr 6:41 NCV)  Now, rise, LORD God, and come to your resting place. 
       Come with the Ark of the Agreement that shows your strength. Let your 
       priests receive your salvation, LORD God, and may your holy people be 
       happy because of your goodness.

       (2 Chr 6:42 NCV)  LORD God, do not reject your appointed one. Remember 
       your love for your servant David."

       (2 Chr 7:1 NCV)  When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from 
       the sky and burned up the burnt offering and the sacrifices. The 
       Lord's glory filled the Temple.

       (2 Chr 7:2 NCV)  The priests could not enter the Temple of the LORD, 
       because the Lord's glory filled it.

       (2 Chr 7:3 NCV)  When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down 
       from heaven and the Lord's glory on the Temple, they bowed down on the 
       pavement with their faces to the ground. They worshiped and thanked 
       the LORD, saying, "He is good; his love continues forever."






       (2 Chr 7:4 NCV)  Then King Solomon and all the people offered 
       sacrifices to the LORD.

       (2 Chr 7:5 NCV)  King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two 
       thousand cattle and one hundred twenty thousand sheep. So the king and 
       all the people gave the Temple to God.

       (2 Chr 7:6 NCV)  The priests stood ready to do their work. The Levites 
       also stood with the instruments of the Lord's music that King David 
       had made for praising the LORD. The priests and Levites were saying, 
       "His love continues forever." The priests, who stood across from the 
       Levites, blew their trumpets, and all the Israelites were standing.

       (2 Chr 7:7 NCV)  Solomon made holy the middle part of the courtyard, 
       which is in front of the Temple of the LORD. There he offered whole 
       burnt offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings. He offered 
       them in the courtyard, because the bronze altar he had made could not 
       hold the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and fat.

       (2 Chr 7:8 NCV)  Solomon and all the Israelites celebrated the 
       festival for seven days. There were many people, and they came from as 
       far away as Lebo Hamath and the brook of Egypt.

       (2 Chr 7:9 NCV)  For seven days they celebrated giving the altar for 
       the worship of God. Then they celebrated the festival for seven days. 
       On the eighth day they had a meeting.

       (2 Chr 7:10 NCV)  On the twenty-third day of the seventh month Solomon 
       sent the people home, full of joy. They were happy because the LORD 
       had been so good to David, Solomon, and his people Israel.

       (2 Chr 7:11 NCV)  Solomon finished the Temple of the LORD and his 
       royal palace. He had success in doing everything he planned in the 
       Temple of the LORD and his own palace.

       (2 Chr 7:12 NCV)  Then the LORD appeared to Solomon at night and said 
       to him, "I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for 
       myself to be a Temple for sacrifices.

       (2 Chr 7:13 NCV)  "I may stop the sky from sending rain. I may command 
       the locusts to destroy the land. I may send sicknesses to my people.

       (2 Chr 7:14 NCV)  Then if my people, who are called by my name, are 
       sorry for what they have done, if they pray and obey me and stop their 
       evil ways, I will hear them from heaven. I will forgive their sin, and 
       I will heal their land.

       (2 Chr 7:15 NCV)  Now I will see them, and I will listen to the 
       prayers prayed in this place.

       (2 Chr 7:16 NCV)  I have chosen this Temple and made it holy. So I 
       will be worshiped there forever. Yes, I will always watch over it and 
       love it.

       (2 Chr 7:17 NCV)  "But you must serve me as your father David did. You 





       must obey all I have commanded and keep my laws and rules.

       (2 Chr 7:18 NCV)  If you do, I will make your kingdom strong. This is 
       the agreement I made with your father David, saying, 'Someone from 
       your family will always rule in Israel.'

       (2 Chr 7:19 NCV)  "But you must follow me and obey the laws and 
       commands I have given you. You must not serve or worship other gods.

       (2 Chr 7:20 NCV)  If you do, I will take the Israelites out of my 
       land, the land I have given them, and I will leave this Temple that I 
       have made holy. All the nations will make fun of it and speak evil 
       about it.

       (2 Chr 7:21 NCV)  This Temple is honored now, but then, everyone who 
       passes by will be shocked. They will ask, 'Why did the LORD do this 
       terrible thing to this land and this Temple?'

       (2 Chr 7:22 NCV)  People will answer, 'This happened because they left 
       the LORD, the God of their ancestors, the God who brought them out of 
       Egypt. They decided to follow other gods and worshiped and served 
       them, so he brought all this disaster on them.'"

       (2 Chr 8:1 NCV)  By the end of twenty years, Solomon had built the 
       Temple of the LORD and the royal palace.

       (2 Chr 8:2 NCV)  Solomon rebuilt the towns that Hiram had given him, 
       and Solomon sent Israelites to live in them.

       (2 Chr 8:3 NCV)  Then he went to Hamath Zobah and captured it.

       (2 Chr 8:4 NCV)  Solomon also built the town of Tadmor in the desert, 
       and he built all the towns in Hamath as towns for storing grain and 
       supplies.

       (2 Chr 8:5 NCV)  He rebuilt the towns of Upper Beth Horon and Lower 
       Beth Horon, protecting them with strong walls, gates, and bars in the 
       gates.

       (2 Chr 8:6 NCV)  He also rebuilt the town of Baalath. And he built all 
       the other towns for storage and all the cities for his chariots and 
       horses. He built all he wanted in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and everywhere 
       he ruled.

       (2 Chr 8:7 NCV)  There were other people in the land who were not 
       Israelites--the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and 
       Jebusites.

       (2 Chr 8:8 NCV)  They were descendants of the people that the 
       Israelites had not destroyed. Solomon forced them to be slave workers, 
       as is still true today.

       (2 Chr 8:9 NCV)  But Solomon did not make slaves of the Israelites. 
       They were his soldiers, chief captains, commanders of his chariots, 
       and his chariot drivers.





       (2 Chr 8:10 NCV)  These were his most important officers. There were 
       two hundred fifty of them to direct the people.

       (2 Chr 8:11 NCV)  Solomon brought the daughter of the king of Egypt 
       from the older part of Jerusalem to the palace he had built for her. 
       Solomon said, "My wife must not live in King David's palace, because 
       the places where the Ark of the Agreement has been are holy."

       (2 Chr 8:12 NCV)  Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the LORD on 
       the altar he had built for the LORD in front of the Temple porch.

       (2 Chr 8:13 NCV)  He offered sacrifices every day as Moses had 
       commanded. They were offered on the Sabbath days, New Moons, and the 
       three yearly feasts--the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of 
       Weeks, and the Feast of Shelters.

       (2 Chr 8:14 NCV)  Solomon followed his father David's instructions and 
       chose the groups of priests for their service and the Levites to lead 
       the praise and to help the priests do their daily work. And he chose 
       the gatekeepers by their groups to serve at each gate, as David, the 
       man of God, had commanded.

       (2 Chr 8:15 NCV)  They obeyed all of Solomon's commands to the priests 
       and Levites, as well as his commands about the treasuries.

       (2 Chr 8:16 NCV)  All Solomon's work was done as he had said from the 
       day the foundation of the Temple of the LORD was begun, until it was 
       finished. So the Temple was finished.

       (2 Chr 8:17 NCV)  Then Solomon went to the towns of Ezion Geber and 
       Elath near the Red Sea in the land of Edom.

       (2 Chr 8:18 NCV)  Hiram sent ships to Solomon that were commanded by 
       his own men, who were skilled sailors. Hiram's men went with Solomon's 
       men to Ophir and brought back about thirty-four thousand pounds of 
       gold to King Solomon.

       (2 Chr 9:1 NCV)  When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon's fame, 
       she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions. She had a large 
       group of servants with her and camels carrying spices, jewels, and 
       much gold. When she came to Solomon, she talked with him about all she 
       had in mind,

       (2 Chr 9:2 NCV)  and Solomon answered all her questions. Nothing was 
       too hard for him to explain to her.

       (2 Chr 9:3 NCV)  The queen of Sheba saw that Solomon was very wise. 
       She saw the palace he had built,

       (2 Chr 9:4 NCV)  the food on his table, his many officers, the palace 
       servants and their good clothes, the servants who served Solomon his 
       wine and their good clothes. She saw the whole burnt offerings he made 
       in the Temple of the LORD. All these things amazed her.

       (2 Chr 9:5 NCV)  So she said to King Solomon, "What I heard in my own 
       country about your achievements and wisdom is true.






       (2 Chr 9:6 NCV)  I did not believe it then, but now I have come and 
       seen it with my own eyes. I was not told even half of your great 
       wisdom! You are much greater than I had heard.

       (2 Chr 9:7 NCV)  Your men and officers are very lucky, because in 
       always serving you, they are able to hear your wisdom.

       (2 Chr 9:8 NCV)  Praise the LORD your God who was pleased to make you 
       king. He has put you on his throne to rule for the LORD your God, 
       because your God loves the people of Israel and supports them forever. 
       He has made you king over them to keep justice and to rule fairly."

       (2 Chr 9:9 NCV)  Then she gave the king about nine thousand pounds of 
       gold and many spices and jewels. No one had ever given such spices as 
       the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

       (2 Chr 9:10 NCV)  Hiram's men and Solomon's men brought gold from 
       Ophir, juniper wood, and jewels.

       (2 Chr 9:11 NCV)  King Solomon used the juniper wood to build steps 
       for the Temple of the LORD and the palace and to make lyres and harps 
       for the musicians. No one in Judah had ever seen such beautiful things 
       as these.

       (2 Chr 9:12 NCV)  King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she 
       wanted and asked for, even more than she had brought to him. Then she 
       and her servants returned to her own country.

       (2 Chr 9:13 NCV)  Every year King Solomon received about fifty 
       thousand pounds of gold.

       (2 Chr 9:14 NCV)  Besides that, he also received gold from traders and 
       merchants. All the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land also 
       brought gold and silver.

       (2 Chr 9:15 NCV)  King Solomon made two hundred large shields of 
       hammered gold, each of which contained about seven and one-half pounds 
       of hammered gold.

       (2 Chr 9:16 NCV)  He also made three hundred smaller shields of 
       hammered gold, each of which contained about four pounds of gold. The 
       king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.

       (2 Chr 9:17 NCV)  The king built a large throne of ivory and covered 
       it with pure gold.

       (2 Chr 9:18 NCV)  The throne had six steps on it and a gold footstool. 
       There were armrests on both sides of the chair, and each armrest had a 
       lion beside it.

       (2 Chr 9:19 NCV)  Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one lion at 
       each end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any 
       other kingdom.

       (2 Chr 9:20 NCV)  All of Solomon's drinking cups, as well as the 





       dishes in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon, were made of pure gold. 
       In Solomon's time people did not think silver was valuable.

       (2 Chr 9:21 NCV)  King Solomon had many ships that he sent out to 
       trade, with Hiram's men as the crews. Every three years the ships 
       returned, bringing back gold, silver, ivory, apes, and baboons.

       (2 Chr 9:22 NCV)  King Solomon had more riches and wisdom than all the 
       other kings on earth.

       (2 Chr 9:23 NCV)  All the kings of the earth wanted to see Solomon and 
       listen to the wisdom God had given him.

       (2 Chr 9:24 NCV)  Year after year everyone who came brought gifts of 
       silver and gold, clothes, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.

       (2 Chr 9:25 NCV)  Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and 
       chariots, and he had twelve thousand horses. He kept some in special 
       cities for the chariots, and others he kept with him in Jerusalem.

       (2 Chr 9:26 NCV)  Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the 
       Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border 
       of Egypt.

       (2 Chr 9:27 NCV)  In Jerusalem the king made silver as common as 
       stones and cedar trees as plentiful as the fig trees on the western 
       hills.

       (2 Chr 9:28 NCV)  Solomon imported horses from Egypt and all other 
       countries.

       (2 Chr 9:29 NCV)  Everything else Solomon did, from the beginning to 
       the end, is written in the records of Nathan the prophet, and in the 
       prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer, 
       who wrote about Jeroboam, Nebat's son.

       (2 Chr 9:30 NCV)  Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty 
       years.

       (2 Chr 9:31 NCV)  Then Solomon died and was buried in Jerusalem, the 
       city of David, his father. And Solomon's son Rehoboam became king in 
       his place.

       (2 Chr 10:1 NCV)  Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all the Israelites 
       had gone to make him king.

       (2 Chr 10:2 NCV)  Jeroboam son of Nebat was in Egypt, where he had 
       gone to escape from King Solomon. When Jeroboam heard about Rehoboam 
       being made king, he returned from Egypt.

       (2 Chr 10:3 NCV)  After the people sent for him, he and the people 
       went to Rehoboam and said to him,

       (2 Chr 10:4 NCV)  "Your father forced us to work very hard. Now, make 
       it easier for us, and don't make us work as he did. Then we will serve 
       you."






       (2 Chr 10:5 NCV)  Rehoboam answered, "Come back to me in three days." 
       So the people left.

       (2 Chr 10:6 NCV)  King Rehoboam asked the older leaders who had 
       advised Solomon during his lifetime, "How do you think I should answer 
       these people?"

       (2 Chr 10:7 NCV)  They answered, "Be kind to these people. If you 
       please them and give them a kind answer, they will serve you always."

       (2 Chr 10:8 NCV)  But Rehoboam rejected this advice. Instead, he asked 
       the young men who had grown up with him and who served as his 
       advisers.

       (2 Chr 10:9 NCV)  Rehoboam asked them, "What is your advice? How 
       should we answer these people who said, 'Don't make us work as hard as 
       your father did'?"

       (2 Chr 10:10 NCV)  The young men who had grown up with him answered, 
       "The people said to you, 'Your father forced us to work very hard. Now 
       make our work easier.' You should tell them, 'My little finger is 
       bigger than my father's legs.

       (2 Chr 10:11 NCV)  He forced you to work hard, but I will make you 
       work even harder. My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you 
       with whips that have sharp points.'"

       (2 Chr 10:12 NCV)  Rehoboam had told the people, "Come back to me in 
       three days." So after three days Jeroboam and all the people returned 
       to Rehoboam.

       (2 Chr 10:13 NCV)  King Rehoboam spoke cruel words to them, because he 
       had rejected the advice of the older leaders.

       (2 Chr 10:14 NCV)  He followed the advice of the young men and said, 
       "My father forced you to work hard, but I will make you work even 
       harder. My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with whips 
       that have sharp points."

       (2 Chr 10:15 NCV)  So the king did not listen to the people. God 
       caused this to happen so that the LORD could keep the promise he had 
       made to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah, a prophet from Shiloh.

       (2 Chr 10:16 NCV)  When all the Israelites saw that the king refused 
       to listen to them, they said to the king, "We have no share in David! 
       We have no part in the son of Jesse! People of Israel, let's go to our 
       own homes! Let David's son rule his own people." So all the Israelites 
       went home.

       (2 Chr 10:17 NCV)  But Rehoboam still ruled over the Israelites who 
       lived in the towns of Judah.

       (2 Chr 10:18 NCV)  Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor. When 
       Rehoboam sent him to the people, they threw stones at him until he 
       died. But King Rehoboam ran to his chariot and escaped to Jerusalem.






       (2 Chr 10:19 NCV)  Since then, Israel has been against the family of 
       David.

       (2 Chr 11:1 NCV)  When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he gathered one 
       hundred eighty thousand of the best soldiers from Judah and Benjamin. 
       He wanted to fight Israel to take back his kingdom.

       (2 Chr 11:2 NCV)  But the LORD spoke his word to Shemaiah, a man of 
       God, saying,

       (2 Chr 11:3 NCV)  "Speak to Solomon's son Rehoboam, the king of Judah, 
       and to all the Israelites living in Judah and Benjamin. Say to them,

       (2 Chr 11:4 NCV)  'The LORD says you must not go to war against your 
       brothers. Every one of you should go home, because I made all these 
       things happen.'" So they obeyed the Lord's command and turned back and 
       did not attack Jeroboam.

       (2 Chr 11:5 NCV)  Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built strong cities 
       in Judah to defend it.

       (2 Chr 11:6 NCV)  He built up the cities of Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,

       (2 Chr 11:7 NCV)  Beth Zur, Soco, Adullam,

       (2 Chr 11:8 NCV)  Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,

       (2 Chr 11:9 NCV)  Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,

       (2 Chr 11:10 NCV)  Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron. These were strong, 
       walled cities in Judah and Benjamin.

       (2 Chr 11:11 NCV)  When Rehoboam made those cities strong, he put 
       commanders and supplies of food, oil, and wine in them.

       (2 Chr 11:12 NCV)  Also, Rehoboam put shields and spears in all the 
       cities and made them very strong. Rehoboam kept the people of Judah 
       and Benjamin under his control.

       (2 Chr 11:13 NCV)  The priests and the Levites from all over Israel 
       joined Rehoboam.

       (2 Chr 11:14 NCV)  The Levites even left their pasturelands and 
       property and came to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his 
       sons refused to let them serve as priests to the LORD.

       (2 Chr 11:15 NCV)  Jeroboam chose his own priests for the places of 
       worship and for the goat and calf idols he had made.

       (2 Chr 11:16 NCV)  There were people from all the tribes of Israel who 
       wanted to obey the LORD, the God of Israel. So they went to Jerusalem 
       with the Levites to sacrifice to the LORD, the God of their fathers.

       (2 Chr 11:17 NCV)  These people made the kingdom of Judah strong, and 
       they supported Solomon's son Rehoboam for three years. During this 





       time they lived the way David and Solomon had lived.

       (2 Chr 11:18 NCV)  Rehoboam married Mahalath, the daughter of Jerimoth 
       and Abihail. Jerimoth was David's son, and Abihail was the daughter of 
       Eliab, Jesse's son.

       (2 Chr 11:19 NCV)  Mahalath gave Rehoboam these sons: Jeush, 
       Shemariah, and Zaham.

       (2 Chr 11:20 NCV)  Then Rehoboam married Absalom's daughter Maacah, 
       and she gave Rehoboam these children: Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and 
       Shelomith.

       (2 Chr 11:21 NCV)  Rehoboam loved Maacah more than his other wives and 
       slave women. Rehoboam had eighteen wives and sixty slave women and was 
       the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

       (2 Chr 11:22 NCV)  Rehoboam chose Abijah son of Maacah to be the 
       leader of his own brothers, because he planned to make Abijah king.

       (2 Chr 11:23 NCV)  Rehoboam acted wisely. He spread his sons through 
       all the areas of Judah and Benjamin, sending them to every strong, 
       walled city. He gave plenty of supplies to his sons, and he also found 
       wives for them.

       (2 Chr 12:1 NCV)  After Rehoboam's kingdom was set up and he became 
       strong, he and the people of Judah stopped obeying the teachings of 
       the LORD.

       (2 Chr 12:2 NCV)  During the fifth year Rehoboam was king, Shishak 
       king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem, because Rehoboam and the people were 
       unfaithful to the LORD.

       (2 Chr 12:3 NCV)  Shishak had twelve hundred chariots and sixty 
       thousand horsemen. He brought troops of Libyans, Sukkites, and 
       Cushites from Egypt with him, so many they couldn't be counted.

       (2 Chr 12:4 NCV)  Shishak captured the strong, walled cities of Judah 
       and came as far as Jerusalem.

       (2 Chr 12:5 NCV)  Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the 
       leaders of Judah who had gathered in Jerusalem because they were 
       afraid of Shishak. Shemaiah said to them, "This is what the LORD says: 
       'You have left me, so now I will leave you to face Shishak alone.'"

       (2 Chr 12:6 NCV)  Then the leaders of Judah and King Rehoboam were 
       sorry for what they had done. They said, "The LORD does what is 
       right."

       (2 Chr 12:7 NCV)  When the LORD saw they were sorry for what they had 
       done, the LORD spoke his word to Shemaiah, saying, "The king and the 
       leaders are sorry. So I will not destroy them but will save them soon. 
       I will not use Shishak to punish Jerusalem in my anger.

       (2 Chr 12:8 NCV)  But the people of Jerusalem will become Shishak's 
       servants so they may learn that serving me is different than serving 





       the kings of other nations."

       (2 Chr 12:9 NCV)  Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem and took 
       the treasures from the Temple of the LORD and the king's palace. He 
       took everything, even the gold shields Solomon had made.

       (2 Chr 12:10 NCV)  So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to take their 
       place and gave them to the commanders of the guards for the palace 
       gates.

       (2 Chr 12:11 NCV)  Whenever the king went to the Temple of the LORD, 
       the guards went with him, carrying the shields. Later, they would put 
       them back in the guardroom.

       (2 Chr 12:12 NCV)  When Rehoboam was sorry for what he had done, the 
       LORD held his anger back and did not fully destroy Rehoboam. There was 
       some good in Judah.

       (2 Chr 12:13 NCV)  King Rehoboam made himself a strong king in 
       Jerusalem. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he was 
       king in Jerusalem for seventeen years. Jerusalem is the city that the 
       LORD chose from all the tribes of Israel in which he was to be 
       worshiped. Rehoboam's mother was Naamah from the country of Ammon.

       (2 Chr 12:14 NCV)  Rehoboam did evil because he did not want to obey 
       the LORD.

       (2 Chr 12:15 NCV)  The things Rehoboam did as king, from the beginning 
       to the end, are written in the records of Shemaiah the prophet and 
       Iddo the seer, in the family histories. There were wars between 
       Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the time they ruled.

       (2 Chr 12:16 NCV)  Rehoboam died and was buried in Jerusalem, and his 
       son Abijah became king in his place.

       (2 Chr 13:1 NCV)  Abijah became the king of Judah during the 
       eighteenth year Jeroboam was king of Israel.

       (2 Chr 13:2 NCV)  Abijah ruled in Jerusalem for three years. His 
       mother was Maacah daughter of Uriel from the town of Gibeah. And there 
       was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

       (2 Chr 13:3 NCV)  Abijah led an army of four hundred thousand capable 
       soldiers into battle, and Jeroboam prepared to fight him with eight 
       hundred thousand capable soldiers.

       (2 Chr 13:4 NCV)  Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim in the mountains of 
       Ephraim and said, "Jeroboam and all Israel, listen to me!

       (2 Chr 13:5 NCV)  You should know that the LORD, the God of Israel, 
       gave David and his sons the right to rule Israel forever by an 
       agreement of salt.

       (2 Chr 13:6 NCV)  But Jeroboam son of Nebat, one of the officers of 
       Solomon, David's son, turned against his master.





       (2 Chr 13:7 NCV)  Then worthless, evil men joined Jeroboam against 
       Rehoboam, Solomon's son. He was young and didn't know what to do, so 
       he could not stop them.

       (2 Chr 13:8 NCV)  "Now you people are making plans against the Lord's 
       kingdom, which belongs to David's sons. There are many of you, and you 
       have the gold calves Jeroboam made for you as gods.

       (2 Chr 13:9 NCV)  You have thrown out the Levites and the Lord's 
       priests, Aaron's sons. You have chosen your own priests as people in 
       other countries do. Anyone who comes with a young bull and seven male 
       sheep can become a priest of idols that are not gods.

       (2 Chr 13:10 NCV)  "But as for us, the LORD is our God; we have not 
       left him. The priests who serve the LORD are Aaron's sons, and the 
       Levites help them.

       (2 Chr 13:11 NCV)  They offer burnt offerings and sweet-smelling 
       incense to the LORD every morning and evening. They put the bread on 
       the special table in the Temple. And they light the lamps on the gold 
       lampstand every evening. We obey the command of the LORD our God, but 
       you have left him.

       (2 Chr 13:12 NCV)  God himself is with us as our ruler. His priests 
       blow the trumpet to call us to war against you. Men of Israel, don't 
       fight against the LORD, the God of your ancestors, because you won't 
       succeed."

       (2 Chr 13:13 NCV)  But Jeroboam had sent some troops to sneak behind 
       Judah's army. So while Jeroboam was in front of Judah's army, 
       Jeroboam's soldiers were behind them.

       (2 Chr 13:14 NCV)  When the soldiers of Judah turned around, they saw 
       Jeroboam's army attacking both in front and back. So they cried out to 
       the LORD, and the priests blew the trumpets.

       (2 Chr 13:15 NCV)  Then the men of Judah gave a battle cry. When they 
       shouted, God caused Jeroboam and the army of Israel to run away from 
       Abijah and the army of Judah.

       (2 Chr 13:16 NCV)  When the army of Israel ran away from the men of 
       Judah, God handed them over to Judah.

       (2 Chr 13:17 NCV)  Abijah's army struck Israel so that five hundred 
       thousand of Israel's best men were killed.

       (2 Chr 13:18 NCV)  So at that time the people of Israel were defeated. 
       And the people of Judah won, because they depended on the LORD, the 
       God of their ancestors.

       (2 Chr 13:19 NCV)  Abijah's army chased Jeroboam's army and captured 
       from him the towns of Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron, and the small 
       villages near them.

       (2 Chr 13:20 NCV)  Jeroboam never became strong again while Abijah was 
       alive. The LORD struck Jeroboam, and he died.






       (2 Chr 13:21 NCV)  But Abijah became strong. He married fourteen women 
       and was the father of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.

       (2 Chr 13:22 NCV)  Everything else Abijah did--what he said and what 
       he did--is recorded in the writings of the prophet Iddo.

       (2 Chr 14:1 NCV)  Abijah died and was buried in Jerusalem. His son Asa 
       became king in his place, and there was peace in the country for ten 
       years during Asa's time.

       (2 Chr 14:2 NCV)  Asa did what the LORD his God said was good and 
       right.

       (2 Chr 14:3 NCV)  He removed the foreign altars and the places where 
       gods were worshiped. He smashed the stone pillars that honored other 
       gods, and he tore down the Asherah idols.

       (2 Chr 14:4 NCV)  Asa commanded the people of Judah to follow the 
       LORD, the God of their ancestors, and to obey his teachings and 
       commandments.

       (2 Chr 14:5 NCV)  He also removed the places where gods were worshiped 
       and the incense altars from every town in Judah. So the kingdom had 
       peace while Asa was king.

       (2 Chr 14:6 NCV)  Asa built strong, walled cities in Judah during the 
       time of peace. He had no war in these years, because the LORD gave him 
       peace.

       (2 Chr 14:7 NCV)  Asa said to the people of Judah, "Let's build up 
       these towns and put walls around them. Let's make towers, gates, and 
       bars in the gates. This country is ours, because we have obeyed the 
       LORD our God. We have followed him, and he has given us peace all 
       around." So they built and had success.

       (2 Chr 14:8 NCV)  Asa had an army of three hundred thousand men from 
       Judah and two hundred eighty thousand men from Benjamin. The men from 
       Judah carried large shields and spears. The men from Benjamin carried 
       small shields and bows and arrows. All of them were brave fighting 
       men.

       (2 Chr 14:9 NCV)  Then Zerah from Cush came out to fight them with an 
       enormous army and three hundred chariots. They came as far as the town 
       of Mareshah.

       (2 Chr 14:10 NCV)  So Asa went out to fight Zerah and prepared for 
       battle in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.

       (2 Chr 14:11 NCV)  Asa called out to the LORD his God, saying, "LORD, 
       only you can help weak people against the strong. Help us, LORD our 
       God, because we depend on you. We fight against this enormous army in 
       your name. LORD, you are our God. Don't let anyone win against you."

       (2 Chr 14:12 NCV)  So the LORD defeated the Cushites when Asa's army 
       from Judah attacked them, and the Cushites ran away.






       (2 Chr 14:13 NCV)  Asa's army chased them as far as the town of Gerar. 
       So many Cushites were killed that the army could not fight again; they 
       were crushed by the LORD and his army. Asa and his army carried many 
       valuable things away from the enemy.

       (2 Chr 14:14 NCV)  They destroyed all the towns near Gerar, because 
       the people living in these towns were afraid of the LORD. Since these 
       towns had many valuable things, Asa's army took them away.

       (2 Chr 14:15 NCV)  Asa's army also attacked the camps where the 
       shepherds lived and took many sheep and camels. Then they returned to 
       Jerusalem.

       (2 Chr 15:1 NCV)  The Spirit of God entered Azariah son of Oded.

       (2 Chr 15:2 NCV)  Azariah went to meet Asa and said, "Listen to me, 
       Asa and all you people of Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you 
       when you are with him. If you obey him, you will find him, but if you 
       leave him, he will leave you.

       (2 Chr 15:3 NCV)  For a long time Israel was without the true God and 
       without a priest to teach them and without the teachings.

       (2 Chr 15:4 NCV)  But when they were in trouble, they turned to the 
       LORD, the God of Israel. They looked for him and found him.

       (2 Chr 15:5 NCV)  In those days no one could travel safely. There was 
       much trouble in all the nations.

       (2 Chr 15:6 NCV)  One nation would destroy another nation, and one 
       city would destroy another city, because God troubled them with all 
       kinds of distress.

       (2 Chr 15:7 NCV)  But you should be strong. Don't give up, because you 
       will get a reward for your good work."

       (2 Chr 15:8 NCV)  Asa felt brave when he heard these words and the 
       message from Azariah son of Oded the prophet. So he removed the 
       hateful idols from all of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns he had 
       captured in the hills of Ephraim. He repaired the Lord's altar that 
       was in front of the porch of the Temple of the LORD.

       (2 Chr 15:9 NCV)  Then Asa gathered all the people from Judah and 
       Benjamin and from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who were 
       living in Judah. Many people came to Asa even from Israel, because 
       they saw that the LORD, Asa's God, was with him.

       (2 Chr 15:10 NCV)  Asa and these people gathered in Jerusalem in the 
       third month of the fifteenth year of Asa's rule.

       (2 Chr 15:11 NCV)  At that time they sacrificed to the LORD seven 
       hundred bulls and seven thousand sheep and goats from the valuable 
       things Asa's army had taken from their enemies.

       (2 Chr 15:12 NCV)  Then they made an agreement to obey the LORD, the 





       God of their ancestors, with their whole being.

       (2 Chr 15:13 NCV)  Anyone who refused to obey the LORD, the God of 
       Israel, was to be killed. It did not matter if that person was 
       important or unimportant, a man or woman.

       (2 Chr 15:14 NCV)  Then Asa and the people made a promise before the 
       LORD, shouting with a loud voice and blowing trumpets and sheep's 
       horns.

       (2 Chr 15:15 NCV)  All the people of Judah were happy about the 
       promise, because they had promised with all their heart. They looked 
       for God and found him. So the LORD gave them peace in all the country.

       (2 Chr 15:16 NCV)  King Asa also removed Maacah, his grandmother, from 
       being queen mother, because she had made a terrible Asherah idol. Asa 
       cut down that idol, smashed it into pieces, and burned it in the 
       Kidron Valley.

       (2 Chr 15:17 NCV)  But the places of worship to gods were not removed 
       from Judah. Even so, Asa was faithful all his life.

       (2 Chr 15:18 NCV)  Asa brought into the Temple of God the gifts he and 
       his father had given: silver, gold, and utensils.

       (2 Chr 15:19 NCV)  There was no more war until the thirty-fifth year 
       of Asa's rule.

       (2 Chr 16:1 NCV)  In the thirty-sixth year of Asa's rule, Baasha king 
       of Israel attacked Judah. He made the town of Ramah strong so he could 
       keep people from leaving or entering Judah, Asa's country.

       (2 Chr 16:2 NCV)  Asa took silver and gold from the treasuries of the 
       Temple of the LORD and out of his own palace. Then he sent it with 
       messengers to Ben-Hadad king of Aram, who lived in Damascus. Asa said,

       (2 Chr 16:3 NCV)  "Let there be a treaty between you and me as there 
       was between my father and your father. I am sending you silver and 
       gold. Break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will leave my 
       land."

       (2 Chr 16:4 NCV)  Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the 
       commanders of his armies to attack the towns of Israel. They defeated 
       the towns of Ijon, Dan, and Abel Beth Maacah, and all the towns in 
       Naphtali where treasures were stored.

       (2 Chr 16:5 NCV)  When Baasha heard about this, he stopped building up 
       Ramah and left his work.

       (2 Chr 16:6 NCV)  Then King Asa brought all the people of Judah to 
       Ramah, and they carried away the rocks and wood that Baasha had used. 
       And they used them to build up Geba and Mizpah.

       (2 Chr 16:7 NCV)  At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of 
       Judah and said to him, "You depended on the king of Aram to help you 
       and not on the LORD your God. So the king of Aram's army escaped from 





       you.

       (2 Chr 16:8 NCV)  The Cushites and Libyans had a large and powerful 
       army and many chariots and horsemen. But you depended on the LORD to 
       help you, so he handed them over to you.

       (2 Chr 16:9 NCV)  The LORD searches all the earth for people who have 
       given themselves completely to him. He wants to make them strong. Asa, 
       you did a foolish thing, so from now on you will have wars."

       (2 Chr 16:10 NCV)  Asa was angry with Hanani the seer because of what 
       he had said; he was so angry that he put Hanani in prison. And Asa was 
       cruel to some of the people at the same time.

       (2 Chr 16:11 NCV)  Everything Asa did as king, from the beginning to 
       the end, is written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

       (2 Chr 16:12 NCV)  In the thirty-ninth year of his rule, Asa got a 
       disease in his feet. Though his disease was very bad, he did not ask 
       for help from the LORD, but only from the doctors.

       (2 Chr 16:13 NCV)  Then Asa died in the forty-first year of his rule.

       (2 Chr 16:14 NCV)  The people buried Asa in the tomb he had made for 
       himself in Jerusalem. They laid him on a bed filled with spices and 
       different kinds of mixed perfumes, and they made a large fire to honor 
       him.

       (2 Chr 17:1 NCV)  Jehoshaphat, Asa's son, became king of Judah in his 
       place. Jehoshaphat made Judah strong so they could fight against 
       Israel.

       (2 Chr 17:2 NCV)  He put troops in all the strong, walled cities of 
       Judah, in the land of Judah, and in the towns of Ephraim that his 
       father Asa had captured.

       (2 Chr 17:3 NCV)  The LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he lived as 
       his ancestor David had lived when he first became king. Jehoshaphat 
       did not ask for help from the Baal idols,

       (2 Chr 17:4 NCV)  but from the God of his father. He obeyed God's 
       commands and did not live as the people of Israel lived.

       (2 Chr 17:5 NCV)  The LORD made Jehoshaphat a strong king over Judah. 
       All the people of Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, so he had much 
       wealth and honor.

       (2 Chr 17:6 NCV)  He wanted very much to obey the LORD. He also 
       removed the places for worshiping gods and the Asherah idols from 
       Judah.

       (2 Chr 17:7 NCV)  During the third year of his rule, Jehoshaphat sent 
       his officers to teach in the towns of Judah. These officers were 
       Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah.

       (2 Chr 17:8 NCV)  Jehoshaphat sent with them these Levites: Shemaiah, 





       Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, 
       Tobijah, and Tob-Adonijah. He also sent the priests Elishama and 
       Jehoram.

       (2 Chr 17:9 NCV)  These leaders, Levites, and priests taught the 
       people in Judah. They took the Book of the Teachings of the LORD and 
       went through all the towns of Judah and taught the people.

       (2 Chr 17:10 NCV)  The nations near Judah were afraid of the LORD, so 
       they did not start a war against Jehoshaphat.

       (2 Chr 17:11 NCV)  Some of the Philistines brought gifts and silver to 
       Jehoshaphat as he demanded. Some Arabs brought him flocks: 
       seventy-seven hundred sheep and seventy-seven hundred goats.

       (2 Chr 17:12 NCV)  Jehoshaphat grew more and more powerful. He built 
       strong, walled cities and towns for storing supplies in Judah.

       (2 Chr 17:13 NCV)  He kept many supplies in the towns of Judah, and he 
       kept trained soldiers in Jerusalem.

       (2 Chr 17:14 NCV)  These soldiers were listed by families. From the 
       families of Judah, these were the commanders of groups of a thousand 
       men: Adnah was the commander of three hundred thousand soldiers;

       (2 Chr 17:15 NCV)  Jehohanan was the commander of two hundred eighty 
       thousand soldiers;

       (2 Chr 17:16 NCV)  Amasiah was the commander of two hundred thousand 
       soldiers. Amasiah son of Zicri had volunteered to serve the LORD.

       (2 Chr 17:17 NCV)  These were the commanders from the families of 
       Benjamin: Eliada, a brave soldier, had two hundred thousand soldiers 
       who used bows and shields.

       (2 Chr 17:18 NCV)  And Jehozabad had one hundred eighty thousand men 
       armed for war.

       (2 Chr 17:19 NCV)  All these soldiers served King Jehoshaphat. The 
       king also put other men in the strong, walled cities through all of 
       Judah.

       (2 Chr 18:1 NCV)  Jehoshaphat had much wealth and honor, and he made 
       an agreement with King Ahab through marriage.

       (2 Chr 18:2 NCV)  A few years later Jehoshaphat went to visit Ahab in 
       Samaria. Ahab sacrificed many sheep and cattle as a great feast to 
       honor Jehoshaphat and the people with him. He encouraged Jehoshaphat 
       to attack Ramoth in Gilead.

       (2 Chr 18:3 NCV)  Ahab king of Israel asked Jehoshaphat king of Judah, 
       "Will you go with me to attack Ramoth in Gilead?" Jehoshaphat 
       answered, "I will go with you, and my soldiers are yours. We will join 
       you in the battle."

       (2 Chr 18:4 NCV)  Jehoshaphat also said to Ahab, "But first we should 





       ask if this is the Lord's will."

       (2 Chr 18:5 NCV)  So King Ahab called four hundred prophets together 
       and asked them, "Should we go to war against Ramoth in Gilead or not?" 
       They answered, "Go, because God will hand them over to you."

       (2 Chr 18:6 NCV)  But Jehoshaphat asked, "Isn't there a prophet of the 
       LORD here? Let's ask him what we should do."

       (2 Chr 18:7 NCV)  Then King Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "There is one 
       other prophet. We could ask the LORD through him, but I hate him. He 
       never prophesies anything good about me, but always something bad. He 
       is Micaiah son of Imlah." Jehoshaphat said, "King Ahab, you shouldn't 
       say that!"

       (2 Chr 18:8 NCV)  So Ahab king of Israel told one of his officers to 
       bring Micaiah to him at once.

       (2 Chr 18:9 NCV)  Ahab king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah 
       had on their royal robes and were sitting on their thrones at the 
       threshing floor, near the entrance to the gate of Samaria. All the 
       prophets were standing before them speaking their messages.

       (2 Chr 18:10 NCV)  Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made some iron horns. 
       He said to Ahab, "This is what the LORD says: 'You will use these 
       horns to fight the Arameans until they are destroyed.'"

       (2 Chr 18:11 NCV)  All the other prophets said the same thing, "Attack 
       Ramoth in Gilead and win, because the LORD will hand the Arameans over 
       to you."

       (2 Chr 18:12 NCV)  The messenger who had gone to get Micaiah said to 
       him, "All the other prophets are saying King Ahab will win. You should 
       agree with them and give the king a good answer."

       (2 Chr 18:13 NCV)  But Micaiah answered, "As surely as the LORD lives, 
       I can tell him only what my God says."

       (2 Chr 18:14 NCV)  When Micaiah came to Ahab, the king asked him, 
       "Micaiah, should we attack Ramoth in Gilead or not?" Micaiah answered, 
       "Attack and win! They will be handed over to you."

       (2 Chr 18:15 NCV)  But Ahab said to Micaiah, "How many times do I have 
       to tell you to speak only the truth to me in the name of the LORD?"

       (2 Chr 18:16 NCV)  So Micaiah answered, "I saw the army of Israel 
       scattered over the hills like sheep without a shepherd. The LORD said, 
       'They have no leaders. They should go home and not fight.'"

       (2 Chr 18:17 NCV)  Then Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I 
       told you! He never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad."

       (2 Chr 18:18 NCV)  But Micaiah said, "Hear the message from the LORD: 
       I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with his heavenly army standing 
       on his right and on his left.





       (2 Chr 18:19 NCV)  The LORD said, 'Who will trick King Ahab of Israel 
       into attacking Ramoth in Gilead where he will be killed?' "Some said 
       one thing; some said another.

       (2 Chr 18:20 NCV)  Then one spirit came and stood before the LORD and 
       said, 'I will trick him.' "The LORD asked, 'How will you do it?'

       (2 Chr 18:21 NCV)  "The spirit answered, 'I will go to Ahab's prophets 
       and make them tell lies.' "So the LORD said, 'You will succeed in 
       tricking him. Go and do it.'"

       (2 Chr 18:22 NCV)  Micaiah said, "Ahab, the LORD has made your 
       prophets lie to you, and the LORD has decided that disaster should 
       come to you."

       (2 Chr 18:23 NCV)  Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up to Micaiah 
       and slapped him in the face. Zedekiah said, "Has the Lord's Spirit 
       left me to speak through you?"

       (2 Chr 18:24 NCV)  Micaiah answered, "You will find out on the day you 
       go to hide in an inside room."

       (2 Chr 18:25 NCV)  Then Ahab king of Israel ordered, "Take Micaiah and 
       send him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the king's 
       son.

       (2 Chr 18:26 NCV)  Tell them I said to put this man in prison and give 
       him only bread and water until I return safely from the battle."

       (2 Chr 18:27 NCV)  Micaiah said, "Ahab, if you come back safely from 
       the battle, the LORD has not spoken through me. Remember my words, all 
       you people!"

       (2 Chr 18:28 NCV)  So Ahab king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of 
       Judah went to Ramoth in Gilead.

       (2 Chr 18:29 NCV)  King Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "I will go into 
       battle, but I will wear other clothes so no one will recognize me. But 
       you wear your royal clothes." So Ahab wore other clothes, and they 
       went into battle.

       (2 Chr 18:30 NCV)  The king of Aram ordered his chariot commanders, 
       "Don't fight with anyone--important or unimportant--except the king of 
       Israel."

       (2 Chr 18:31 NCV)  When these commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought 
       he was the king of Israel, so they turned to attack him. But 
       Jehoshaphat began shouting, and the LORD helped him. God made the 
       chariot commanders turn away from Jehoshaphat.

       (2 Chr 18:32 NCV)  When they saw he was not King Ahab, they stopped 
       chasing him.

       (2 Chr 18:33 NCV)  By chance, a soldier shot an arrow which hit Ahab 
       king of Israel between the pieces of his armor. King Ahab said to his 
       chariot driver, "Turn around and get me out of the battle, because I 





       am hurt!"

       (2 Chr 18:34 NCV)  The battle continued all day. King Ahab held 
       himself up in his chariot and faced the Arameans until evening. Then 
       he died at sunset.

       (2 Chr 19:1 NCV)  Jehoshaphat king of Judah came back safely to his 
       palace in Jerusalem.

       (2 Chr 19:2 NCV)  Jehu son of Hanani, a seer, went out to meet him and 
       said to the king, "Why did you help evil people? Why do you love those 
       who hate the LORD? That is the reason the LORD is angry with you.

       (2 Chr 19:3 NCV)  But there is some good in you. You took the Asherah 
       idols out of this country, and you have tried to obey God."

       (2 Chr 19:4 NCV)  Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem. He went out again to 
       be with the people, from Beersheba to the mountains of Ephraim, and he 
       turned them back to the LORD, the God of their ancestors.

       (2 Chr 19:5 NCV)  Jehoshaphat appointed judges in all the land, in 
       each of the strong, walled cities of Judah.

       (2 Chr 19:6 NCV)  Jehoshaphat said to them, "Watch what you do, 
       because you are not judging for people but for the LORD. He will be 
       with you when you make a decision.

       (2 Chr 19:7 NCV)  Now let each of you fear the LORD. Watch what you 
       do, because the LORD our God wants people to be fair. He wants all 
       people to be treated the same, and he doesn't want decisions 
       influenced by money."

       (2 Chr 19:8 NCV)  And in Jerusalem Jehoshaphat appointed some of the 
       Levites, priests, and leaders of Israelite families to be judges. They 
       were to decide cases about the law of the LORD and settle problems 
       between the people who lived in Jerusalem.

       (2 Chr 19:9 NCV)  Jehoshaphat commanded them, "You must always serve 
       the LORD completely, and you must fear him.

       (2 Chr 19:10 NCV)  Your people living in the cities will bring you 
       cases about killing, about the teachings, commands, rules, or some 
       other law. In all these cases you must warn the people not to sin 
       against the LORD. If you don't, he will be angry with you and your 
       people. But if you warn them, you won't be guilty.

       (2 Chr 19:11 NCV)  "Amariah, the leading priest, will be over you in 
       all cases about the LORD. Zebadiah son of Ishmael, a leader in the 
       tribe of Judah, will be over you in all cases about the king. Also, 
       the Levites will serve as officers for you. Have courage. May the LORD 
       be with those who do what is right."

       (2 Chr 20:1 NCV)  Later the Moabites, Ammonites, and some Meunites 
       came to start a war with Jehoshaphat.

       (2 Chr 20:2 NCV)  Messengers came and told Jehoshaphat, "A large army 





       is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Dead Sea. 
       They are already in Hazazon Tamar!" (Hazazon Tamar is also called En 
       Gedi.)

       (2 Chr 20:3 NCV)  Jehoshaphat was afraid, so he decided to ask the 
       LORD what to do. He announced that no one in Judah should eat during 
       this special time of prayer to God.

       (2 Chr 20:4 NCV)  The people of Judah came together to ask the LORD 
       for help; they came from every town in Judah.

       (2 Chr 20:5 NCV)  The people of Judah and Jerusalem met in front of 
       the new courtyard in the Temple of the LORD. Then Jehoshaphat stood 
       up,

       (2 Chr 20:6 NCV)  and he said, "LORD, God of our ancestors, you are 
       the God in heaven. You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. You 
       have power and strength, so no one can stand against you.

       (2 Chr 20:7 NCV)  Our God, you forced out the people who lived in this 
       land as your people Israel moved in. And you gave this land forever to 
       the descendants of your friend Abraham.

       (2 Chr 20:8 NCV)  They lived in this land and built a Temple for you. 
       They said,

       (2 Chr 20:9 NCV)  'If trouble comes upon us, or war, punishment, 
       sickness, or hunger, we will stand before you and before this Temple 
       where you have chosen to be worshiped. We will cry out to you when we 
       are in trouble. Then you will hear and save us.'

       (2 Chr 20:10 NCV)  "But now here are men from Ammon, Moab, and Edom. 
       You wouldn't let the Israelites enter their lands when the Israelites 
       came from Egypt. So the Israelites turned away and did not destroy 
       them.

       (2 Chr 20:11 NCV)  But see how they repay us for not destroying them! 
       They have come to force us out of your land, which you gave us as our 
       own.

       (2 Chr 20:12 NCV)  Our God, punish those people. We have no power 
       against this large army that is attacking us. We don't know what to 
       do, so we look to you for help."

       (2 Chr 20:13 NCV)  All the men of Judah stood before the LORD with 
       their babies, wives, and children.

       (2 Chr 20:14 NCV)  Then the Spirit of the LORD entered Jahaziel. 
       (Jahaziel was Zechariah's son. Zechariah was Benaiah's son. Benaiah 
       was Jeiel's son, and Jeiel was Mattaniah's son.) Jahaziel, a Levite 
       and a descendant of Asaph, stood up in the meeting.

       (2 Chr 20:15 NCV)  He said, "Listen to me, King Jehoshaphat and all 
       you people living in Judah and Jerusalem. The LORD says this to you: 
       'Don't be afraid or discouraged because of this large army. The battle 
       is not your battle, it is God's.






       (2 Chr 20:16 NCV)  Tomorrow go down there and fight those people. They 
       will come up through the Pass of Ziz. You will find them at the end of 
       the ravine that leads to the Desert of Jeruel.

       (2 Chr 20:17 NCV)  You won't need to fight in this battle. Just stand 
       strong in your places, and you will see the LORD save you. Judah and 
       Jerusalem, don't be afraid or discouraged, because the LORD is with 
       you. So go out against those people tomorrow.'"

       (2 Chr 20:18 NCV)  Jehoshaphat bowed facedown on the ground. All the 
       people of Judah and Jerusalem bowed down before the LORD and worshiped 
       him.

       (2 Chr 20:19 NCV)  Then some Levites from the Kohathite and Korahite 
       people stood up and praised the LORD, the God of Israel, with very 
       loud voices.

       (2 Chr 20:20 NCV)  Jehoshaphat's army went out into the Desert of 
       Tekoa early in the morning. As they were starting out, Jehoshaphat 
       stood and said, "Listen to me, people of Judah and Jerusalem. Have 
       faith in the LORD your God, and you will stand strong. Have faith in 
       his prophets, and you will succeed."

       (2 Chr 20:21 NCV)  Jehoshaphat listened to the people's advice. Then 
       he chose men to be singers to the LORD, to praise him because he is 
       holy and wonderful. As they marched in front of the army, they said, 
       "Thank the LORD, because his love continues forever."

       (2 Chr 20:22 NCV)  As they began to sing and praise God, the LORD set 
       ambushes for the people of Ammon, Moab, and Edom who had come to 
       attack Judah. And they were defeated.

       (2 Chr 20:23 NCV)  The Ammonites and Moabites attacked the Edomites, 
       destroying them completely. After they had killed the Edomites, they 
       killed each other.

       (2 Chr 20:24 NCV)  When the men from Judah came to a place where they 
       could see the desert, they looked at the enemy's large army. But they 
       only saw dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped.

       (2 Chr 20:25 NCV)  When Jehoshaphat and his army came to take their 
       valuables, they found many supplies, much clothing, and other valuable 
       things. There was more than they could carry away; there was so much 
       it took three days to gather it all.

       (2 Chr 20:26 NCV)  On the fourth day Jehoshaphat and his army met in 
       the Valley of Beracah and praised the LORD. That is why that place has 
       been called the Valley of Beracah to this day.

       (2 Chr 20:27 NCV)  Then Jehoshaphat led all the men from Judah and 
       Jerusalem back to Jerusalem. The LORD had made them happy because 
       their enemies were defeated.

       (2 Chr 20:28 NCV)  They entered Jerusalem with harps, lyres, and 
       trumpets and went to the Temple of the LORD.






       (2 Chr 20:29 NCV)  When all the kingdoms of the lands around them 
       heard how the LORD had fought Israel's enemies, they feared God.

       (2 Chr 20:30 NCV)  So Jehoshaphat's kingdom was not at war. His God 
       gave him peace from all the countries around him.

       (2 Chr 20:31 NCV)  Jehoshaphat ruled over the country of Judah. He was 
       thirty-five years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalem 
       for twenty-five years. His mother's name was Azubah daughter of 
       Shilhi.

       (2 Chr 20:32 NCV)  Jehoshaphat was good like his father Asa, and he 
       did what the LORD said was right.

       (2 Chr 20:33 NCV)  But the places where gods were worshiped were not 
       removed, and the people did not really want to follow the God of their 
       ancestors.

       (2 Chr 20:34 NCV)  The other things Jehoshaphat did as king, from the 
       beginning to the end, are written in the records of Jehu son of 
       Hanani, which are in the book of the kings of Israel.

       (2 Chr 20:35 NCV)  Later, Jehoshaphat king of Judah made a treaty with 
       Ahaziah king of Israel, which was a wrong thing to do.

       (2 Chr 20:36 NCV)  Jehoshaphat agreed with Ahaziah to build trading 
       ships, which they built in the town of Ezion Geber.

       (2 Chr 20:37 NCV)  Then Eliezer son of Dodavahu from the town of 
       Mareshah spoke against Jehoshaphat. He said, "Jehoshaphat, because you 
       joined with Ahaziah, the LORD will destroy what you have made." The 
       ships were wrecked so they could not sail out to trade.

       (2 Chr 21:1 NCV)  Jehoshaphat died and was buried with his ancestors 
       in Jerusalem, the city of David. Then his son Jehoram became king in 
       his place.

       (2 Chr 21:2 NCV)  Jehoram's brothers were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, 
       Azariahu, Michael, and Shephatiah. They were the sons of Jehoshaphat 
       king of Judah.

       (2 Chr 21:3 NCV)  Jehoshaphat gave his sons many gifts of silver, 
       gold, and valuable things, and he gave them strong, walled cities in 
       Judah. But Jehoshaphat gave the kingdom to Jehoram, because he was the 
       first son.

       (2 Chr 21:4 NCV)  When Jehoram took control of his father's kingdom, 
       he killed all his brothers with a sword and also killed some of the 
       leaders of Judah.

       (2 Chr 21:5 NCV)  He was thirty-two years old when he began to rule, 
       and he ruled eight years in Jerusalem.

       (2 Chr 21:6 NCV)  He followed in the ways of the kings of Israel, just 
       as the family of Ahab had done, because he married Ahab's daughter. 





       Jehoram did what the LORD said was wrong.

       (2 Chr 21:7 NCV)  But the LORD would not destroy David's family 
       because of the agreement he had made with David. He had promised that 
       one of David's descendants would always rule.

       (2 Chr 21:8 NCV)  In Jehoram's time, Edom broke away from Judah's rule 
       and chose their own king.

       (2 Chr 21:9 NCV)  So Jehoram went to Edom with all his commanders and 
       chariots. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, but 
       Jehoram got up and attacked the Edomites at night.

       (2 Chr 21:10 NCV)  From then until now the country of Edom has fought 
       against the rule of Judah. At the same time the people of Libnah also 
       broke away from Jehoram because Jehoram left the LORD, the God of his 
       ancestors.

       (2 Chr 21:11 NCV)  Jehoram also built places to worship gods on the 
       hills in Judah. He led the people of Jerusalem to sin, and he led the 
       people of Judah away from the LORD.

       (2 Chr 21:12 NCV)  Then Jehoram received this letter from Elijah the 
       prophet: This is what the LORD, the God of your ancestor David, says, 
       "Jehoram, you have not lived as your father Jehoshaphat lived and as 
       Asa king of Judah lived.

       (2 Chr 21:13 NCV)  But you have lived as the kings of Israel lived, 
       leading the people of Judah and Jerusalem to sin against God, as Ahab 
       and his family did. You have killed your brothers, and they were 
       better than you.

       (2 Chr 21:14 NCV)  So now the LORD is about to punish your people, 
       your children, wives, and everything you own.

       (2 Chr 21:15 NCV)  You will have a terrible disease in your intestines 
       that will become worse every day. Finally it will cause your 
       intestines to come out."

       (2 Chr 21:16 NCV)  The LORD caused the Philistines and the Arabs who 
       lived near the Cushites to be angry with Jehoram.

       (2 Chr 21:17 NCV)  So the Philistines and Arabs attacked Judah and 
       carried away all the wealth of Jehoram's palace, as well as his sons 
       and wives. Only Jehoram's youngest son, Ahaziah, was left.

       (2 Chr 21:18 NCV)  After these things happened, the LORD gave Jehoram 
       a disease in his intestines that could not be cured.

       (2 Chr 21:19 NCV)  After he was sick for two years, Jehoram's 
       intestines came out because of the disease, and he died in terrible 
       pain. The people did not make a fire to honor Jehoram as they had done 
       for his ancestors.

       (2 Chr 21:20 NCV)  Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became 
       king, and he ruled eight years in Jerusalem. No one was sad when he 





       died. He was buried in Jerusalem, but not in the graves for the kings.

       (2 Chr 22:1 NCV)  The people of Jerusalem chose Ahaziah, Jehoram's 
       youngest son, to be king in his place. The robbers who had come with 
       the Arabs to attack Jehoram's camp had killed all of Jehoram's older 
       sons. So Ahaziah began to rule Judah.

       (2 Chr 22:2 NCV)  Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became 
       king, and he ruled one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name was 
       Athaliah, a granddaughter of Omri.

       (2 Chr 22:3 NCV)  Ahaziah followed the ways of Ahab's family, because 
       his mother encouraged him to do wrong.

       (2 Chr 22:4 NCV)  Ahaziah did what the LORD said was wrong, as Ahab's 
       family had done. They gave advice to Ahaziah after his father died, 
       and their bad advice led to his death.

       (2 Chr 22:5 NCV)  Following their advice, Ahaziah went with Joram son 
       of Ahab to Ramoth in Gilead, where they fought against Hazael king of 
       Aram. The Arameans wounded Joram.

       (2 Chr 22:6 NCV)  So Joram returned to Jezreel to heal from the wounds 
       he received at Ramoth when he fought Hazael king of Aram. Ahaziah son 
       of Jehoram and king of Judah went down to visit Joram son of Ahab at 
       Jezreel because he had been wounded.

       (2 Chr 22:7 NCV)  God caused Ahaziah's death when he went to visit 
       Joram. Ahaziah arrived and went out with Joram to meet Jehu son of 
       Nimshi, whom the LORD had appointed to destroy Ahab's family.

       (2 Chr 22:8 NCV)  While Jehu was punishing Ahab's family, he found the 
       leaders of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah's relatives who served 
       Ahaziah, and Jehu killed them all.

       (2 Chr 22:9 NCV)  Then Jehu looked for Ahaziah. Jehu's men caught him 
       hiding in Samaria, so they brought him to Jehu. Then they killed and 
       buried him. They said, "Ahaziah is a descendant of Jehoshaphat, and 
       Jehoshaphat obeyed the LORD with all his heart." No one in Ahaziah's 
       family had the power to take control of the kingdom of Judah.

       (2 Chr 22:10 NCV)  When Ahaziah's mother, Athaliah, saw that her son 
       was dead, she killed all the royal family in Judah.

       (2 Chr 22:11 NCV)  But Jehosheba, King Jehoram's daughter, took Joash, 
       Ahaziah's son. She stole him from among the other sons of the king who 
       were going to be murdered and put him and his nurse in a bedroom. So 
       Jehosheba, who was King Jehoram's daughter and Ahaziah's sister and 
       the wife of Jehoiada the priest, hid Joash so Athaliah could not kill 
       him.

       (2 Chr 22:12 NCV)  He hid with them in the Temple of God for six 
       years. During that time Athaliah ruled the land.

       (2 Chr 23:1 NCV)  In the seventh year Jehoiada decided to do 
       something. He made an agreement with the commanders of the groups of a 





       hundred men: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah 
       son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zicri.

       (2 Chr 23:2 NCV)  They went around in Judah and gathered the Levites 
       from all the towns, and they gathered the leaders of the families of 
       Judah. Then they went to Jerusalem.

       (2 Chr 23:3 NCV)  All the people together made an agreement with the 
       king in the Temple of God. Jehoiada said to them, "The king's son will 
       rule, as the LORD promised about David's descendants.

       (2 Chr 23:4 NCV)  Now this is what you must do: You priests and 
       Levites go on duty on the Sabbath. A third of you will guard the 
       doors.

       (2 Chr 23:5 NCV)  A third of you will be at the king's palace, and a 
       third of you will be at the Foundation Gate. All the other people will 
       stay in the courtyards of the Temple of the LORD.

       (2 Chr 23:6 NCV)  Don't let anyone come into the Temple of the LORD 
       except the priests and Levites who serve. They may come because they 
       have been made ready to serve the LORD, but all the others must do the 
       job the LORD has given them.

       (2 Chr 23:7 NCV)  The Levites must stay near the king, each man with 
       his weapon in his hand. If anyone tries to enter the Temple, kill him. 
       Stay close to the king when he goes in and when he goes out."

       (2 Chr 23:8 NCV)  The Levites and all the people of Judah obeyed 
       everything Jehoiada the priest had commanded. He did not excuse anyone 
       from the groups of the priests. So each commander took his men who 
       came on duty on the Sabbath with those who went off duty on the 
       Sabbath.

       (2 Chr 23:9 NCV)  Jehoiada gave the commanders of a hundred men the 
       spears and the large and small shields that had belonged to King David 
       and that were kept in the Temple of God.

       (2 Chr 23:10 NCV)  Then Jehoiada told the men where to stand, each man 
       with his weapon in his hand. There were guards from the south side of 
       the Temple to the north side. They stood by the altar and the Temple 
       and around the king.

       (2 Chr 23:11 NCV)  Jehoiada and his sons brought out the king's son 
       and put the crown on him and gave him a copy of the agreement. Then 
       they appointed him king and poured olive oil on him and shouted, "Long 
       live the king!"

       (2 Chr 23:12 NCV)  When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running 
       and praising the king, she went to them at the Temple of the LORD.

       (2 Chr 23:13 NCV)  She looked, and there was the king standing by his 
       pillar at the entrance. The officers and the trumpeters were standing 
       beside him, and all the people of the land were happy and blowing 
       trumpets. The singers were playing musical instruments and leading 
       praises. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, "Traitors! 





       Traitors!"

       (2 Chr 23:14 NCV)  Jehoiada the priest sent out the commanders of a 
       hundred men, who led the army. He said, "Surround her with soldiers 
       and take her out of the Temple area. Kill with a sword anyone who 
       follows her." He had said, "Don't put Athaliah to death in the Temple 
       of the LORD."

       (2 Chr 23:15 NCV)  So they caught her when she came to the entrance of 
       the Horse Gate near the palace. There they put her to death.

       (2 Chr 23:16 NCV)  Then Jehoiada made an agreement with the people and 
       the king that they would be the Lord's special people.

       (2 Chr 23:17 NCV)  All the people went to the temple of Baal and tore 
       it down, smashing the altars and idols. They killed Mattan, the priest 
       of Baal, in front of the altars.

       (2 Chr 23:18 NCV)  Then Jehoiada chose the priests, who were Levites, 
       to be responsible for the Temple of the LORD. David had given them 
       duties in the Temple of the LORD. They were to offer the burnt 
       offerings to the LORD as the Teachings of Moses commanded, and they 
       were to offer them with much joy and singing as David had commanded.

       (2 Chr 23:19 NCV)  Jehoiada put guards at the gates of the Temple of 
       the LORD so that anyone who was unclean in any way could not enter.

       (2 Chr 23:20 NCV)  Jehoiada took with him the commanders of a hundred 
       men, the important men, the rulers of the people, and all the people 
       of the land to take the king out of the Temple of the LORD. They went 
       through the Upper Gate into the palace, and then they seated the king 
       on the throne.

       (2 Chr 23:21 NCV)  So all the people of the land were very happy, and 
       Jerusalem had peace, because Athaliah had been put to death with the 
       sword.

       (2 Chr 24:1 NCV)  Joash was seven years old when he became king, and 
       he ruled forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zibiah, and 
       she was from Beersheba.

       (2 Chr 24:2 NCV)  Joash did what the LORD said was right as long as 
       Jehoiada the priest was alive.

       (2 Chr 24:3 NCV)  Jehoiada chose two wives for Joash, and Joash had 
       sons and daughters.

       (2 Chr 24:4 NCV)  Later, Joash decided to repair the Temple of the 
       LORD.

       (2 Chr 24:5 NCV)  He called the priests and the Levites together and 
       said to them, "Go to the towns of Judah and gather the money all the 
       Israelites have to pay every year. Use it to repair the Temple of your 
       God. Do this now." But the Levites did not hurry.

       (2 Chr 24:6 NCV)  So King Joash called for Jehoiada the leading priest 





       and said to him, "Why haven't you made the Levites bring in from Judah 
       and Jerusalem the tax money that Moses, the Lord's servant, and the 
       people of Israel used for the Holy Tent?"

       (2 Chr 24:7 NCV)  In the past the sons of wicked Athaliah had broken 
       into the Temple of God and used its holy things for worshiping the 
       Baal idols.

       (2 Chr 24:8 NCV)  King Joash commanded that a box for contributions be 
       made. They put it outside, at the gate of the Temple of the LORD.

       (2 Chr 24:9 NCV)  Then the Levites made an announcement in Judah and 
       Jerusalem, telling people to bring to the LORD the tax money Moses, 
       the servant of God, had made the Israelites give while they were in 
       the desert.

       (2 Chr 24:10 NCV)  All the officers and people were happy to bring 
       their money, and they put it in the box until the box was full.

       (2 Chr 24:11 NCV)  When the Levites would take the box to the king's 
       officers, they would see that it was full of money. Then the king's 
       royal secretary and the leading priest's officer would come and take 
       out the money and return the box to its place. They did this often and 
       gathered much money.

       (2 Chr 24:12 NCV)  King Joash and Jehoiada gave the money to the 
       people who worked on the Temple of the LORD. And they hired 
       stoneworkers and carpenters to repair the Temple of the LORD. They 
       also hired people to work with iron and bronze to repair the Temple.

       (2 Chr 24:13 NCV)  The people worked hard, and the work to repair the 
       Temple went well. They rebuilt the Temple of God to be as it was 
       before, but even stronger.

       (2 Chr 24:14 NCV)  When the workers finished, they brought the money 
       that was left to King Joash and Jehoiada. They used that money to make 
       utensils for the Temple of the LORD, utensils for the service in the 
       Temple and for the burnt offerings, and bowls and other utensils from 
       gold and silver. Burnt offerings were given every day in the Temple of 
       the LORD while Jehoiada was alive.

       (2 Chr 24:15 NCV)  Jehoiada grew old and lived many years. Then he 
       died when he was one hundred thirty years old.

       (2 Chr 24:16 NCV)  Jehoiada was buried in Jerusalem with the kings, 
       because he had done much good in Judah for God and his Temple.

       (2 Chr 24:17 NCV)  After Jehoiada died, the officers of Judah came and 
       bowed down to King Joash, and he listened to them.

       (2 Chr 24:18 NCV)  The king and these leaders stopped worshiping in 
       the Temple of the LORD, the God of their ancestors. Instead, they 
       began to worship the Asherah idols and other idols. Because they did 
       wrong, God was angry with the people of Judah and Jerusalem.

       (2 Chr 24:19 NCV)  Even though the LORD sent prophets to the people to 





       turn them back to him and even though the prophets warned them, they 
       refused to listen.

       (2 Chr 24:20 NCV)  Then the Spirit of God entered Zechariah son of 
       Jehoiada the priest. Zechariah stood before the people and said, "This 
       is what God says: 'Why do you disobey the Lord's commands? You will 
       not be successful. Because you have left the LORD, he has also left 
       you.'"

       (2 Chr 24:21 NCV)  But the king and his officers made plans against 
       Zechariah. At the king's command they threw stones at him in the 
       courtyard of the Temple of the LORD until he died.

       (2 Chr 24:22 NCV)  King Joash did not remember Jehoiada's kindness to 
       him, so Joash killed Zechariah, Jehoiada's son. Before Zechariah died, 
       he said, "May the LORD see what you are doing and punish you."

       (2 Chr 24:23 NCV)  At the end of the year, the Aramean army came 
       against Joash. They attacked Judah and Jerusalem, killed all the 
       leaders of the people, and sent all the valuable things to their king 
       in Damascus.

       (2 Chr 24:24 NCV)  The Aramean army came with only a small group of 
       men, but the LORD handed over to them a very large army from Judah, 
       because the people of Judah had left the LORD, the God of their 
       ancestors. So Joash was punished.

       (2 Chr 24:25 NCV)  When the Arameans left, Joash was badly wounded. 
       His own officers made plans against him because he had killed 
       Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. So they killed Joash in his own 
       bed. He died and was buried in Jerusalem but not in the graves of the 
       kings.

       (2 Chr 24:26 NCV)  The officers who made plans against Joash were 
       Jozabad and Jehozabad. Jozabad was the son of Shimeath, a woman from 
       Ammon. And Jehozabad was the son of Shimrith, a woman from Moab.

       (2 Chr 24:27 NCV)  The story of Joash's sons, the great prophecies 
       against him, and how he repaired the Temple of God are written in the 
       book of the kings. Joash's son Amaziah became king in his place.

       (2 Chr 25:1 NCV)  Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became 
       king, and he ruled for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's 
       name was Jehoaddin, and she was from Jerusalem.

       (2 Chr 25:2 NCV)  Amaziah did what the LORD said was right, but he did 
       not really want to obey him.

       (2 Chr 25:3 NCV)  As soon as Amaziah took strong control of the 
       kingdom, he executed the officers who had murdered his father the 
       king.

       (2 Chr 25:4 NCV)  But Amaziah did not put to death their children. He 
       obeyed what was written in the Book of Moses, where the LORD 
       commanded, "Parents must not be put to death when their children do 
       wrong, and children must not be put to death when their parents do 





       wrong. Each must die for his own sins."

       (2 Chr 25:5 NCV)  Amaziah gathered the people of Judah together. He 
       grouped all the people of Judah and Benjamin by families, and he put 
       commanders over groups of a thousand and over groups of a hundred. He 
       counted the men who were twenty years old and older. In all there were 
       three hundred thousand soldiers ready to fight and skilled with spears 
       and shields.

       (2 Chr 25:6 NCV)  Amaziah also hired one hundred thousand soldiers 
       from Israel for about seventy-five hundred pounds of silver.

       (2 Chr 25:7 NCV)  But a man of God came to Amaziah and said, "My king, 
       don't let the army of Israel go with you. The LORD is not with Israel 
       or the people from the tribe of Ephraim.

       (2 Chr 25:8 NCV)  You can make yourself strong for war, but God will 
       defeat you. He has the power to help you or to defeat you."

       (2 Chr 25:9 NCV)  Amaziah said to the man of God, "But what about the 
       seventy-five hundred pounds of silver I paid to the Israelite army?" 
       The man of God answered, "The LORD can give you much more than that."

       (2 Chr 25:10 NCV)  So Amaziah sent the Israelite army back home to 
       Ephraim. They were very angry with the people of Judah and went home 
       angry.

       (2 Chr 25:11 NCV)  Then Amaziah became very brave and led his army to 
       the Valley of Salt in the country of Edom. There Amaziah's army killed 
       ten thousand Edomites.

       (2 Chr 25:12 NCV)  The army of Judah also captured ten thousand and 
       took them to the top of a cliff and threw them off so that they split 
       open.

       (2 Chr 25:13 NCV)  At the same time the Israelite troops that Amaziah 
       had not let fight in the war were robbing towns in Judah. From Samaria 
       to Beth Horon they killed three thousand people and took many valuable 
       things.

       (2 Chr 25:14 NCV)  When Amaziah came home after defeating the 
       Edomites, he brought back the idols they worshiped and started to 
       worship them himself. He bowed down to them and offered sacrifices to 
       them.

       (2 Chr 25:15 NCV)  The LORD was very angry with Amaziah, so he sent a 
       prophet to him who said, "Why have you asked their gods for help? They 
       could not even save their own people from you!"

       (2 Chr 25:16 NCV)  As the prophet spoke, Amaziah said to him, "We 
       never gave you the job of advising the king. Stop, or you will be 
       killed." The prophet stopped speaking except to say, "I know that God 
       has decided to destroy you because you have done this. You did not 
       listen to my advice."

       (2 Chr 25:17 NCV)  Amaziah king of Judah talked with those who advised 





       him. Then he sent a message to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, who was the 
       son of Jehu king of Israel. Amaziah said to Jehoash, "Come, let's meet 
       face to face."

       (2 Chr 25:18 NCV)  Then Jehoash king of Israel answered Amaziah king 
       of Judah, "A thornbush in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar tree in 
       Lebanon. It said, 'Let your daughter marry my son.' But then a wild 
       animal from Lebanon came by, walking on and crushing the thornbush.

       (2 Chr 25:19 NCV)  You say to yourself that you have defeated Edom, 
       but you have become proud, and you brag. But you stay at home! Don't 
       ask for trouble, or you and Judah will be defeated."

       (2 Chr 25:20 NCV)  But Amaziah would not listen. God caused this to 
       happen so that Jehoash would defeat Judah, because Judah asked for 
       help from the gods of Edom.

       (2 Chr 25:21 NCV)  So Jehoash king of Israel went to attack. He and 
       Amaziah king of Judah faced each other in battle at Beth Shemesh in 
       Judah.

       (2 Chr 25:22 NCV)  Israel defeated Judah, and every man of Judah ran 
       away to his home.

       (2 Chr 25:23 NCV)  At Beth Shemesh Jehoash king of Israel captured 
       Amaziah king of Judah. (Amaziah was the son of Joash, who was the son 
       of Ahaziah.) Then Jehoash brought him to Jerusalem. Jehoash broke down 
       the wall of Jerusalem, from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, 
       about six hundred feet.

       (2 Chr 25:24 NCV)  He took all the gold and silver and all the 
       utensils from the Temple of God that Obed-Edom had taken care of. He 
       also took the treasures from the palace and some hostages. Then he 
       returned to Samaria.

       (2 Chr 25:25 NCV)  Amaziah son of Joash, the king of Judah, lived 
       fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the king of 
       Israel.

       (2 Chr 25:26 NCV)  The other things Amaziah did as king, from the 
       beginning to the end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah 
       and Israel.

       (2 Chr 25:27 NCV)  When Amaziah stopped obeying the LORD, the people 
       in Jerusalem made plans against him. So he ran away to the town of 
       Lachish, but they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him.

       (2 Chr 25:28 NCV)  They brought his body back on horses, and he was 
       buried with his ancestors in Jerusalem, the city of David.

       (2 Chr 26:1 NCV)  Then all the people of Judah made Uzziah king in 
       place of his father Amaziah. Uzziah was sixteen years old.

       (2 Chr 26:2 NCV)  He rebuilt the town of Elath and made it part of 
       Judah again after Amaziah died.





       (2 Chr 26:3 NCV)  Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, 
       and he ruled fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was 
       Jecoliah, and she was from Jerusalem.

       (2 Chr 26:4 NCV)  He did what the LORD said was right, just as his 
       father Amaziah had done.

       (2 Chr 26:5 NCV)  Uzziah obeyed God while Zechariah was alive, because 
       he taught Uzziah how to respect and obey God. And as long as Uzziah 
       obeyed the LORD, God gave him success.

       (2 Chr 26:6 NCV)  Uzziah fought a war against the Philistines. He tore 
       down the walls around their towns of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod and 
       built new towns near Ashdod and in other places among the Philistines.

       (2 Chr 26:7 NCV)  God helped Uzziah fight the Philistines, the Arabs 
       living in Gur Baal, and the Meunites.

       (2 Chr 26:8 NCV)  Also, the Ammonites made the payments Uzziah 
       demanded. He was very powerful, so his name became famous all the way 
       to the border of Egypt.

       (2 Chr 26:9 NCV)  Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, 
       the Valley Gate, and where the wall turned, and he made them strong.

       (2 Chr 26:10 NCV)  He also built towers in the desert and dug many 
       wells, because he had many cattle on the western hills and in the 
       plains. He had people who worked his fields and vineyards in the hills 
       and in the fertile lands, because he loved the land.

       (2 Chr 26:11 NCV)  Uzziah had an army of trained soldiers. They were 
       counted and put in groups by Jeiel the royal secretary and Maaseiah 
       the officer. Hananiah, one of the king's commanders, was their leader.

       (2 Chr 26:12 NCV)  There were twenty-six hundred leaders over the 
       soldiers.

       (2 Chr 26:13 NCV)  They were in charge of an army of three hundred 
       seven thousand five hundred men who fought with great power to help 
       the king against the enemy.

       (2 Chr 26:14 NCV)  Uzziah gave his army shields, spears, helmets, 
       armor, bows, and stones for their slings.

       (2 Chr 26:15 NCV)  In Jerusalem Uzziah made devices that were invented 
       by clever men. These devices on the towers and corners of the city 
       walls were used to shoot arrows and large rocks. So Uzziah became 
       famous in faraway places, because he had much help until he became 
       powerful.

       (2 Chr 26:16 NCV)  But when Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to 
       his ruin. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God; he went into the 
       Temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar for incense.

       (2 Chr 26:17 NCV)  Azariah and eighty other brave priests who served 
       the LORD followed Uzziah into the Temple.






       (2 Chr 26:18 NCV)  They told him he was wrong and said to him, "You 
       don't have the right to burn incense to the LORD. Only the priests, 
       Aaron's descendants, should burn the incense, because they have been 
       made holy. Leave this holy place. You have been unfaithful, and the 
       LORD God will not honor you for this."

       (2 Chr 26:19 NCV)  Uzziah was standing beside the altar for incense in 
       the Temple of the LORD, and in his hand was a pan for burning incense. 
       He was very angry with the priests. As he was standing in front of the 
       priests, a skin disease broke out on his forehead.

       (2 Chr 26:20 NCV)  Azariah, the leading priest, and all the other 
       priests looked at him and saw the skin disease on his forehead. So 
       they hurried him out of the Temple. Uzziah also rushed out, because 
       the LORD was punishing him.

       (2 Chr 26:21 NCV)  So King Uzziah had the skin disease until the day 
       he died. He had to live in a separate house and could not enter the 
       Temple of the LORD. His son Jotham was in charge of the palace, and he 
       governed the people of the land.

       (2 Chr 26:22 NCV)  The other things Uzziah did as king, from beginning 
       to end, were written down by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.

       (2 Chr 26:23 NCV)  Uzziah died and was buried near his ancestors in a 
       graveyard that belonged to the kings. This was because people said, 
       "He had a skin disease." And his son Jotham became king in his place.

       (2 Chr 27:1 NCV)  Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became 
       king, and he ruled sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was 
       Jerusha daughter of Zadok.

       (2 Chr 27:2 NCV)  Jotham did what the LORD said was right, just as his 
       father Uzziah had done. But Jotham did not enter the Temple of the 
       LORD to burn incense as his father had. But the people continued doing 
       wrong.

       (2 Chr 27:3 NCV)  Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the Temple of the 
       LORD, and he added greatly to the wall at Ophel.

       (2 Chr 27:4 NCV)  He also built towns in the hill country of Judah, as 
       well as walled cities and towers in the forests.

       (2 Chr 27:5 NCV)  Jotham also fought the king of the Ammonites and 
       defeated them. So each year for three years they gave Jotham about 
       seventy-five hundred pounds of silver, about sixty-two thousand 
       bushels of wheat, and about sixty-two thousand bushels of barley.

       (2 Chr 27:6 NCV)  Jotham became powerful, because he always obeyed the 
       LORD his God.

       (2 Chr 27:7 NCV)  The other things Jotham did while he was king and 
       all his wars are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.

       (2 Chr 27:8 NCV)  Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became 





       king, and he ruled sixteen years in Jerusalem.

       (2 Chr 27:9 NCV)  Jotham died and was buried in Jerusalem, the city of 
       David. Then Jotham's son Ahaz became king in his place.

       (2 Chr 28:1 NCV)  Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and 
       he ruled sixteen years in Jerusalem. Unlike his ancestor David, he did 
       not do what the LORD said was right.

       (2 Chr 28:2 NCV)  Ahaz did the same things the kings of Israel had 
       done. He made metal idols to worship Baal.

       (2 Chr 28:3 NCV)  He burned incense in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and 
       made his children pass through the fire. He did the same hateful sins 
       as the nations had done whom the LORD had forced out of the land ahead 
       of the Israelites.

       (2 Chr 28:4 NCV)  Ahaz offered sacrifices and burned incense at the 
       places where gods were worshiped, and on the hills, and under every 
       green tree.

       (2 Chr 28:5 NCV)  So the LORD his God handed over Ahaz to the king of 
       Aram. The Arameans defeated Ahaz and took many people of Judah as 
       prisoners to Damascus. He also handed over Ahaz to Pekah king of 
       Israel, and Pekah's army killed many soldiers of Ahaz.

       (2 Chr 28:6 NCV)  The army of Pekah son of Remaliah killed one hundred 
       twenty thousand brave soldiers from Judah in one day. Pekah defeated 
       them because they had left the LORD, the God of their ancestors.

       (2 Chr 28:7 NCV)  Zicri, a warrior from Ephraim, killed King Ahaz's 
       son Maaseiah. He also killed Azrikam, the officer in charge of the 
       palace, and Elkanah, who was second in command to the king.

       (2 Chr 28:8 NCV)  The Israelite army captured two hundred thousand of 
       their own relatives. They took women, sons and daughters, and many 
       valuable things from Judah and carried them back to Samaria.

       (2 Chr 28:9 NCV)  But a prophet of the LORD named Oded was there. He 
       met the Israelite army when it returned to Samaria and said to them, 
       "The LORD, the God of your ancestors, handed Judah over to you, 
       because he was angry with those people. But God has seen the cruel way 
       you killed them.

       (2 Chr 28:10 NCV)  Now you plan to make the people of Judah and 
       Jerusalem your slaves, but you also have sinned against the LORD your 
       God.

       (2 Chr 28:11 NCV)  Now listen to me. Send back your brothers and 
       sisters whom you captured, because the LORD is very angry with you."

       (2 Chr 28:12 NCV)  Then some of the leaders in Ephraim--Azariah son of 
       Jehohanan, Berekiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and 
       Amasa son of Hadlai--met the Israelite soldiers coming home from war.

       (2 Chr 28:13 NCV)  They warned the soldiers, "Don't bring the 





       prisoners from Judah here. If you do, we will be guilty of sin against 
       the LORD, and that will make our sin and guilt even worse. Our guilt 
       is already so great that he is angry with Israel."

       (2 Chr 28:14 NCV)  So the soldiers left the prisoners and valuable 
       things in front of the officers and people there.

       (2 Chr 28:15 NCV)  The leaders who were named took the prisoners and 
       gave those who were naked the clothes that the Israelite army had 
       taken. They gave the prisoners clothes, sandals, food, drink, and 
       medicine. They put the weak prisoners on donkeys and took them back to 
       their families in Jericho, the city of palm trees. Then they returned 
       home to Samaria.

       (2 Chr 28:16 NCV)  At that time the Edomites came again and attacked 
       Judah and carried away prisoners. So King Ahaz sent to the king of 
       Assyria for help.

       (2 Chr 28:17 NCV)  

       (2 Chr 28:18 NCV)  The Philistines also robbed the towns in the 
       western hills and in southern Judah. They captured the towns of Beth 
       Shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco, Timnah, and Gimzo, and the villages 
       around them. Then the Philistines lived in those towns.

       (2 Chr 28:19 NCV)  The LORD brought trouble on Judah because Ahaz 
       their king led the people of Judah to sin, and he was unfaithful to 
       the LORD.

       (2 Chr 28:20 NCV)  Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came to Ahaz, but 
       he gave Ahaz trouble instead of help.

       (2 Chr 28:21 NCV)  Ahaz took some valuable things from the Temple of 
       the LORD, from the palace, and from the princes, and he gave them to 
       the king of Assyria, but it did not help.

       (2 Chr 28:22 NCV)  During Ahaz's troubles he was even more unfaithful 
       to the LORD.

       (2 Chr 28:23 NCV)  He offered sacrifices to the gods of the people of 
       Damascus, who had defeated him. He thought, "The gods of the kings of 
       Aram helped them. If I offer sacrifices to them, they will help me 
       also." But this brought ruin to Ahaz and all Israel.

       (2 Chr 28:24 NCV)  Ahaz gathered the things from the Temple of God and 
       broke them into pieces. Then he closed the doors of the Temple of the 
       LORD. He made altars and put them on every street corner in Jerusalem.

       (2 Chr 28:25 NCV)  In every town in Judah, Ahaz made places for 
       burning sacrifices to worship other gods. So he made the LORD, the God 
       of his ancestors, very angry.

       (2 Chr 28:26 NCV)  The other things Ahaz did as king, from beginning 
       to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

       (2 Chr 28:27 NCV)  Ahaz died and was buried in the city of Jerusalem, 





       but not in the graves of the kings of Israel. Ahaz's son Hezekiah 
       became king in his place.

       (2 Chr 29:1 NCV)  Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became 
       king, and he ruled twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name 
       was Abijah daughter of Zechariah.

       (2 Chr 29:2 NCV)  Hezekiah did what the LORD said was right, just as 
       his ancestor David had done.

       (2 Chr 29:3 NCV)  Hezekiah opened the doors of the Temple of the LORD 
       and repaired them in the first month of the first year he was king.

       (2 Chr 29:4 NCV)  Hezekiah brought in the priests and Levites and 
       gathered them in the courtyard on the east side of the Temple.

       (2 Chr 29:5 NCV)  Hezekiah said, "Listen to me, Levites. Make 
       yourselves ready for the Lord's service, and make holy the Temple of 
       the LORD, the God of your ancestors. Remove from the Temple everything 
       that makes it impure.

       (2 Chr 29:6 NCV)  Our ancestors were unfaithful to God and did what 
       the LORD said was wrong. They left the LORD and stopped worshiping at 
       the Temple where he lives. They rejected him.

       (2 Chr 29:7 NCV)  They shut the doors of the porch of the Temple, and 
       they let the fire go out in the lamps. They stopped burning incense 
       and offering burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel.

       (2 Chr 29:8 NCV)  So the LORD became very angry with the people of 
       Judah and Jerusalem, and he punished them. Other people are frightened 
       and shocked by what he did to them. So they insult the people of 
       Judah. You know these things are true.

       (2 Chr 29:9 NCV)  That is why our ancestors were killed in battle and 
       our sons, daughters, and wives were taken captive.

       (2 Chr 29:10 NCV)  Now I, Hezekiah, have decided to make an agreement 
       with the LORD, the God of Israel, so he will not be angry with us 
       anymore.

       (2 Chr 29:11 NCV)  My sons, don't waste any more time. The LORD chose 
       you to stand before him, to serve him, to be his servants, and to burn 
       incense to him."

       (2 Chr 29:12 NCV)  These are the Levites who started to work. From the 
       Kohathite family there were Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of 
       Azariah. From the Merarite family there were Kish son of Abdi and 
       Azariah son of Jehallelel. From the Gershonite family there were Joah 
       son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah.

       (2 Chr 29:13 NCV)  From Elizaphan's family there were Shimri and 
       Jeiel. From Asaph's family there were Zechariah and Mattaniah.

       (2 Chr 29:14 NCV)  From Heman's family there were Jehiel and Shimei. 
       From Jeduthun's family there were Shemaiah and Uzziel.






       (2 Chr 29:15 NCV)  These Levites gathered their brothers together and 
       made themselves holy for service in the Temple. Then they went into 
       the Temple of the LORD to purify it. They obeyed the king's command 
       that had come from the LORD.

       (2 Chr 29:16 NCV)  When the priests went into the Temple of the LORD 
       to purify it, they took out all the unclean things they found in the 
       Temple of the LORD and put them in the Temple courtyard. Then the 
       Levites took these things out to the Kidron Valley.

       (2 Chr 29:17 NCV)  Beginning on the first day of the first month, they 
       made the Temple holy for the Lord's service. On the eighth day of the 
       month, they came to the porch of the Temple, and for eight more days 
       they made the Temple of the LORD holy. So they finished on the 
       sixteenth day of the first month.

       (2 Chr 29:18 NCV)  Then they went to King Hezekiah and said, "We have 
       purified the entire Temple of the LORD, the altar for burnt offerings 
       and its utensils, and the table for the holy bread and all its 
       utensils.

       (2 Chr 29:19 NCV)  When Ahaz was king, he was unfaithful to God and 
       removed some things from the Temple. But we have put them back and 
       made them holy for the LORD. They are now in front of the Lord's 
       altar."

       (2 Chr 29:20 NCV)  Early the next morning King Hezekiah gathered the 
       leaders of the city and went up to the Temple of the LORD.

       (2 Chr 29:21 NCV)  They brought seven bulls, seven male sheep, seven 
       lambs, and seven male goats. These animals were an offering to remove 
       the sin of the people and the kingdom of Judah and to make the Temple 
       ready for service to God. King Hezekiah commanded the priests, the 
       descendants of Aaron, to offer these animals on the Lord's altar.

       (2 Chr 29:22 NCV)  So the priests killed the bulls and sprinkled their 
       blood on the altar. They killed the sheep and sprinkled their blood on 
       the altar. Then they killed the lambs and sprinkled their blood on the 
       altar.

       (2 Chr 29:23 NCV)  Then the priests brought the male goats for the sin 
       offering before the king and the people there. After the king and the 
       people put their hands on the goats,

       (2 Chr 29:24 NCV)  the priests killed them. With the goats' blood they 
       made an offering on the altar to remove the sins of the Israelites so 
       they would belong to God. The king had said that the burnt offering 
       and sin offering should be made for all Israel.

       (2 Chr 29:25 NCV)  King Hezekiah put the Levites in the Temple of the 
       LORD with cymbals, harps, and lyres, as David, Gad, and Nathan had 
       commanded. (Gad was the king's seer, and Nathan was a prophet.) This 
       command came from the LORD through his prophets.

       (2 Chr 29:26 NCV)  So the Levites stood ready with David's instruments 





       of music, and the priests stood ready with their trumpets.

       (2 Chr 29:27 NCV)  Then Hezekiah gave the order to sacrifice the burnt 
       offering on the altar. When the burnt offering began, the singing to 
       the LORD also began. The trumpets were blown, and the musical 
       instruments of David king of Israel were played.

       (2 Chr 29:28 NCV)  All the people worshiped, the singers sang, and the 
       trumpeters blew their trumpets until the burnt offering was finished.

       (2 Chr 29:29 NCV)  When the sacrifices were completed, King Hezekiah 
       and everyone with him bowed down and worshiped.

       (2 Chr 29:30 NCV)  King Hezekiah and his officers ordered the Levites 
       to praise the LORD, using the words David and Asaph the seer had used. 
       So they praised God with joy and bowed down and worshiped.

       (2 Chr 29:31 NCV)  Then Hezekiah said, "Now that you people of Judah 
       have given yourselves to the LORD, come near to the Temple of the 
       LORD. Bring sacrifices and offerings, to show thanks to him." So the 
       people brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and anyone who was 
       willing also brought burnt offerings.

       (2 Chr 29:32 NCV)  For burnt offerings they brought a total of seventy 
       bulls, one hundred male sheep, and two hundred lambs; all these 
       animals were sacrificed as burnt offerings to the LORD.

       (2 Chr 29:33 NCV)  The holy offerings totaled six hundred bulls and 
       three thousand sheep and goats.

       (2 Chr 29:34 NCV)  There were not enough priests to skin all the 
       animals for the burnt offerings. So their relatives the Levites helped 
       them until the work was finished and other priests could be made holy. 
       The Levites had been more careful to make themselves holy for the 
       Lord's service than the priests.

       (2 Chr 29:35 NCV)  There were many burnt offerings along with the fat 
       of fellowship offerings and drink offerings. So the service in the 
       Temple of the LORD began again.

       (2 Chr 29:36 NCV)  And Hezekiah and the people were very happy that 
       God had made it happen so quickly for his people.

       (2 Chr 30:1 NCV)  King Hezekiah sent messages to all the people of 
       Israel and Judah, and he wrote letters to the people of Ephraim and 
       Manasseh. Hezekiah invited all these people to come to the Temple of 
       the LORD in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover for the LORD, the God 
       of Israel.

       (2 Chr 30:2 NCV)  King Hezekiah, his officers, and all the people in 
       Jerusalem agreed to celebrate the Passover in the second month.

       (2 Chr 30:3 NCV)  They could not celebrate it at the normal time, 
       because not enough priests had made themselves ready to serve the 
       LORD, and the people had not yet gathered in Jerusalem.





       (2 Chr 30:4 NCV)  This plan satisfied King Hezekiah and all the 
       people.

       (2 Chr 30:5 NCV)  So they made an announcement everywhere in Israel, 
       from Beersheba to Dan, telling the people to come to Jerusalem to 
       celebrate the Passover for the LORD, the God of Israel. For a long 
       time most of the people had not celebrated the Passover as the law 
       commanded.

       (2 Chr 30:6 NCV)  At the king's command, the messengers took letters 
       from him and his officers all through Israel and Judah. This is what 
       the letters said: People of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of 
       Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. Then God will return to you who are still 
       alive, who have escaped from the kings of Assyria.

       (2 Chr 30:7 NCV)  Don't be like your ancestors or your relatives. They 
       turned against the LORD, the God of their ancestors, so he caused 
       other people to be disgusted with them. You know this is true.

       (2 Chr 30:8 NCV)  Don't be stubborn as your ancestors were, but obey 
       the LORD willingly. Come to the Temple, which he has made holy 
       forever. Serve the LORD your God so he will not be angry with you.

       (2 Chr 30:9 NCV)  Come back to the LORD. Then the people who captured 
       your relatives and children will be kind to them and will let them 
       return to this land. The LORD your God is kind and merciful. He will 
       not turn away from you if you return to him.

       (2 Chr 30:10 NCV)  The messengers went to every town in Ephraim and 
       Manasseh, and all the way to Zebulun, but the people laughed at them 
       and made fun of them.

       (2 Chr 30:11 NCV)  But some men from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun were 
       sorry for what they had done and went to Jerusalem.

       (2 Chr 30:12 NCV)  And God united all the people of Judah in obeying 
       King Hezekiah and his officers, because their command had come from 
       the LORD.

       (2 Chr 30:13 NCV)  In the second month a large crowd came together in 
       Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

       (2 Chr 30:14 NCV)  The people removed the altars and incense altars to 
       gods in Jerusalem and threw them into the Kidron Valley.

       (2 Chr 30:15 NCV)  They killed the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day 
       of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed, so they 
       made themselves holy and brought burnt offerings into the Temple of 
       the LORD.

       (2 Chr 30:16 NCV)  They took their regular places in the Temple as the 
       Teachings of Moses, the man of God, commanded. The Levites gave the 
       blood of the sacrifices to the priests, who sprinkled it on the altar.

       (2 Chr 30:17 NCV)  Since many people in the crowd had not made 
       themselves holy, the Levites killed the Passover lambs for everyone 





       who was not clean. The Levites made each lamb holy for the LORD.

       (2 Chr 30:18 NCV)  Although many people from Ephraim, Manasseh, 
       Issachar, and Zebulun had not purified themselves for the feast, they 
       ate the Passover even though it was against the law. So Hezekiah 
       prayed for them, saying, "LORD, you are good. You are the LORD, the 
       God of our ancestors. Please forgive all those who try to obey you 
       even if they did not make themselves clean as the rules of the Temple 
       command."

       (2 Chr 30:19 NCV)  

       (2 Chr 30:20 NCV)  The LORD listened to Hezekiah's prayer, and he 
       healed the people.

       (2 Chr 30:21 NCV)  The Israelites in Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of 
       Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy to the LORD. The 
       Levites and priests praised the LORD every day with loud music.

       (2 Chr 30:22 NCV)  Hezekiah encouraged all the Levites who showed they 
       understood well how to do their service for the LORD. The people ate 
       the feast for seven days, offered fellowship offerings, and praised 
       the LORD, the God of their ancestors.

       (2 Chr 30:23 NCV)  Then all the people agreed to stay seven more days, 
       so they celebrated with joy for seven more days.

       (2 Chr 30:24 NCV)  Hezekiah king of Judah gave one thousand bulls and 
       seven thousand sheep to the people. The officers gave one thousand 
       bulls and ten thousand sheep to the people. Many priests made 
       themselves holy.

       (2 Chr 30:25 NCV)  All the people of Judah, the priests, the Levites, 
       those who came from Israel, the foreigners from Israel, and the 
       foreigners living in Judah were very happy.

       (2 Chr 30:26 NCV)  There was much joy in Jerusalem, because there had 
       not been a celebration like this since the time of Solomon son of 
       David and king of Israel.

       (2 Chr 30:27 NCV)  The priests and Levites stood up and blessed the 
       people, and God heard them because their prayer reached heaven, his 
       holy home.

       (2 Chr 31:1 NCV)  When the Passover celebration was finished, all the 
       Israelites in Jerusalem went out to the towns of Judah. There they 
       smashed the stone pillars used to worship gods. They cut down the 
       Asherah idols and destroyed the altars and places for worshiping gods 
       in all of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh. After they had 
       destroyed all of them, the Israelites returned to their own towns and 
       homes.

       (2 Chr 31:2 NCV)  King Hezekiah appointed groups of priests and 
       Levites for their special duties. They were to offer burnt offerings 
       and fellowship offerings, to worship, and to give thanks and praise at 
       the gates of the Lord's house.






       (2 Chr 31:3 NCV)  Hezekiah gave some of his own animals for the burnt 
       offerings, which were given every morning and evening, on Sabbath 
       days, during New Moons, and at other feasts commanded in the Lord's 
       Teachings.

       (2 Chr 31:4 NCV)  Hezekiah commanded the people living in Jerusalem to 
       give the priests and Levites the portion that belonged to them. Then 
       the priests and Levites could give all their time to the Lord's 
       Teachings.

       (2 Chr 31:5 NCV)  As soon as the king's command went out to the 
       Israelites, they gave freely of the first portion of their grain, new 
       wine, oil, honey, and everything they grew in their fields. They 
       brought a large amount, one-tenth of everything.

       (2 Chr 31:6 NCV)  The people of Israel and Judah who lived in Judah 
       also brought one-tenth of their cattle and sheep and one-tenth of the 
       holy things that were given to the LORD their God, and they put all of 
       them in piles.

       (2 Chr 31:7 NCV)  The people began the piles in the third month and 
       finished in the seventh month.

       (2 Chr 31:8 NCV)  When Hezekiah and his officers came and saw the 
       piles, they praised the LORD and his people, the people of Israel.

       (2 Chr 31:9 NCV)  Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the 
       piles.

       (2 Chr 31:10 NCV)  Azariah, the leading priest from Zadok's family, 
       answered Hezekiah, "Since the people began to bring their offerings to 
       the Temple of the LORD, we have had plenty to eat and plenty left 
       over, because the LORD has blessed his people. So we have all this 
       left over."

       (2 Chr 31:11 NCV)  Then Hezekiah commanded the priests to prepare the 
       storerooms in the Temple of the LORD. So this was done.

       (2 Chr 31:12 NCV)  Then the priests brought in the offerings and the 
       things given to the LORD and one-tenth of everything the people had 
       given. Conaniah the Levite was in charge of these things, and his 
       brother Shimei was second to him.

       (2 Chr 31:13 NCV)  Conaniah and his brother Shimei were over these 
       supervisors: Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, 
       Eliel, Ismakiah, Mahath, and Benaiah. King Hezekiah and Azariah the 
       officer in charge of the Temple of God had chosen them.

       (2 Chr 31:14 NCV)  Kore son of Imnah the Levite was in charge of the 
       special gifts the people wanted to give to God. He was responsible for 
       giving out the contributions made to the LORD and the holy gifts. Kore 
       was the guard at the East Gate.

       (2 Chr 31:15 NCV)  Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and 
       Shecaniah helped Kore in the towns where the priests lived. They gave 





       from what was collected to the other groups of priests, both young and 
       old.

       (2 Chr 31:16 NCV)  From what was collected, these men also gave to the 
       males three years old and older who had their names in the Levite 
       family histories. They were to enter the Temple of the LORD for their 
       daily service, each group having its own responsibilities.

       (2 Chr 31:17 NCV)  The priests were given their part of the 
       collection, by families, as listed in the family histories. The 
       Levites twenty years old and older were given their part of the 
       collection, based on their responsibilities and their groups.

       (2 Chr 31:18 NCV)  The Levites' babies, wives, sons, and daughters 
       also got part of the collection. This was done for all the Levites who 
       were listed in the family histories, because they always kept 
       themselves ready to serve the LORD.

       (2 Chr 31:19 NCV)  Some of Aaron's descendants, the priests, lived on 
       the farmlands near the towns or in the towns. Men were chosen by name 
       to give part of the collection to these priests. All the males and 
       those named in the family histories of the Levites received part of 
       the collection.

       (2 Chr 31:20 NCV)  This is what King Hezekiah did in Judah. He did 
       what was good and right and obedient before the LORD his God.

       (2 Chr 31:21 NCV)  Hezekiah tried to obey God in his service of the 
       Temple of God, and he tried to obey God's teachings and commands. He 
       gave himself fully to his work for God. So he had success.

       (2 Chr 32:1 NCV)  After Hezekiah did all these things to serve the 
       LORD, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and attacked Judah. He and his 
       army surrounded and attacked the strong, walled cities, hoping to take 
       them for himself.

       (2 Chr 32:2 NCV)  Hezekiah knew that Sennacherib had come to Jerusalem 
       to attack it.

       (2 Chr 32:3 NCV)  So Hezekiah and his officers and army commanders 
       decided to cut off the water from the springs outside the city. So the 
       officers and commanders helped Hezekiah.

       (2 Chr 32:4 NCV)  Many people came and cut off all the springs and the 
       stream that flowed through the land. They said, "The king of Assyria 
       will not find much water when he comes here."

       (2 Chr 32:5 NCV)  Then Hezekiah made Jerusalem stronger. He rebuilt 
       all the broken parts of the wall and put towers on it. He also built 
       another wall outside the first one and strengthened the area that was 
       filled in on the east side of the old part of Jerusalem. He also made 
       many weapons and shields.

       (2 Chr 32:6 NCV)  Hezekiah put army commanders over the people and met 
       with them at the open place near the city gate. Hezekiah encouraged 
       them, saying,






       (2 Chr 32:7 NCV)  "Be strong and brave. Don't be afraid or worried 
       because of the king of Assyria or his large army. There is a greater 
       power with us than with him.

       (2 Chr 32:8 NCV)  He only has men, but we have the LORD our God to 
       help us and to fight our battles." The people were encouraged by the 
       words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

       (2 Chr 32:9 NCV)  After this King Sennacherib of Assyria and all his 
       army surrounded and attacked Lachish. Then he sent his officers to 
       Jerusalem with this message for King Hezekiah of Judah and all the 
       people of Judah in Jerusalem:

       (2 Chr 32:10 NCV)  Sennacherib king of Assyria says this: "You have 
       nothing to trust in to help you. It is no use for you to stay in 
       Jerusalem under attack.

       (2 Chr 32:11 NCV)  Hezekiah says to you, 'The LORD our God will save 
       us from the king of Assyria,' but he is fooling you. If you stay in 
       Jerusalem, you will die from hunger and thirst.

       (2 Chr 32:12 NCV)  Hezekiah himself removed your Lord's places of 
       worship and altars. He told you people of Judah and Jerusalem that you 
       must worship and burn incense on only one altar.

       (2 Chr 32:13 NCV)  "You know what my ancestors and I have done to all 
       the people in other nations. The gods of those nations could not save 
       their people from my power.

       (2 Chr 32:14 NCV)  My ancestors destroyed those nations; none of their 
       gods could save them from me. So your god cannot save you from my 
       power.

       (2 Chr 32:15 NCV)  Do not let Hezekiah fool you or trick you, and do 
       not believe him. No god of any nation or kingdom has been able to save 
       his people from me or my ancestors. Your god is even less able to save 
       you from me."

       (2 Chr 32:16 NCV)  Sennacherib's officers said worse things against 
       the LORD God and his servant Hezekiah.

       (2 Chr 32:17 NCV)  King Sennacherib also wrote letters insulting the 
       LORD, the God of Israel. They spoke against him, saying, "The gods of 
       the other nations could not save their people from me. In the same way 
       Hezekiah's god won't be able to save his people from me."

       (2 Chr 32:18 NCV)  Then the king's officers shouted in Hebrew, calling 
       out to the people of Jerusalem who were on the city wall. The officers 
       wanted to scare the people away so they could capture Jerusalem.

       (2 Chr 32:19 NCV)  They spoke about the God of Jerusalem as though he 
       were like the gods the people of the world worshiped, which are made 
       by human hands.

       (2 Chr 32:20 NCV)  King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz 





       prayed to heaven about this.

       (2 Chr 32:21 NCV)  Then the LORD sent an angel who killed all the 
       soldiers, leaders, and officers in the camp of the king of Assyria. So 
       the king went back to his own country in disgrace. When he went into 
       the temple of his god, some of his own sons killed him with a sword.

       (2 Chr 32:22 NCV)  So the LORD saved Hezekiah and the people in 
       Jerusalem from Sennacherib king of Assyria and from all other people. 
       He took care of them on every side.

       (2 Chr 32:23 NCV)  Many people brought gifts for the LORD to 
       Jerusalem, and they also brought valuable gifts to King Hezekiah of 
       Judah. From then on all the nations respected Hezekiah.

       (2 Chr 32:24 NCV)  At that time Hezekiah became so sick he almost 
       died. When he prayed to the LORD, the LORD spoke to him and gave him a 
       sign.

       (2 Chr 32:25 NCV)  But Hezekiah did not thank God for his kindness, 
       because he was so proud. So the LORD was angry with him and the people 
       of Judah and Jerusalem.

       (2 Chr 32:26 NCV)  But later Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem were 
       sorry and stopped being proud, so the LORD did not punish them while 
       Hezekiah was alive.

       (2 Chr 32:27 NCV)  Hezekiah had many riches and much honor. He made 
       treasuries for his silver, gold, gems, spices, shields, and other 
       valuable things.

       (2 Chr 32:28 NCV)  He built storage buildings for grain, new wine, and 
       oil and stalls for all the cattle and pens for the sheep.

       (2 Chr 32:29 NCV)  He also built many towns. He had many flocks and 
       herds, because God had given Hezekiah much wealth.

       (2 Chr 32:30 NCV)  It was Hezekiah who cut off the upper pool of the 
       Gihon spring and made those waters flow straight down to the west side 
       of the older part of Jerusalem. And Hezekiah was successful in 
       everything he did.

       (2 Chr 32:31 NCV)  But one time the leaders of Babylon sent messengers 
       to Hezekiah, asking him about a strange sign that had happened in the 
       land. When they came, God left Hezekiah alone to test him so he could 
       know everything that was in Hezekiah's heart.

       (2 Chr 32:32 NCV)  Hezekiah's love for God and the other things he did 
       as king are written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. 
       This is in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

       (2 Chr 32:33 NCV)  Hezekiah died and was buried on a hill, where the 
       graves of David's ancestors are. All the people of Judah and Jerusalem 
       honored Hezekiah when he died, and his son Manasseh became king in his 
       place.





       (2 Chr 33:1 NCV)  Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, 
       and he was king for fifty-five years in Jerusalem.

       (2 Chr 33:2 NCV)  He did what the LORD said was wrong. He did the 
       hateful things the nations had done--the nations that the LORD had 
       forced out of the land ahead of the Israelites.

       (2 Chr 33:3 NCV)  Manasseh's father, Hezekiah, had torn down the 
       places where gods were worshiped, but Manasseh rebuilt them. He also 
       built altars for the Baal gods, and he made Asherah idols and 
       worshiped all the stars of the sky and served them.

       (2 Chr 33:4 NCV)  The LORD had said about the Temple, "I will be 
       worshiped in Jerusalem forever," but Manasseh built altars in the 
       Temple of the LORD.

       (2 Chr 33:5 NCV)  He built altars to worship the stars in the two 
       courtyards of the Temple of the LORD.

       (2 Chr 33:6 NCV)  He made his children pass through fire in the Valley 
       of Ben Hinnom. He practiced magic and witchcraft and told the future 
       by explaining signs and dreams. He got advice from mediums and 
       fortune-tellers. He did many things the LORD said were wrong, which 
       made the LORD angry.

       (2 Chr 33:7 NCV)  Manasseh carved an idol and put it in the Temple of 
       God. God had said to David and his son Solomon about the Temple, "I 
       will be worshiped forever in this Temple and in Jerusalem, which I 
       have chosen from all the tribes of Israel.

       (2 Chr 33:8 NCV)  I will never again make the Israelites leave the 
       land I gave to their ancestors. But they must obey everything I have 
       commanded them in all the teachings, rules, and commands I gave them 
       through Moses."

       (2 Chr 33:9 NCV)  But Manasseh led the people of Judah and Jerusalem 
       to do wrong. They did more evil than the nations the LORD had 
       destroyed ahead of the Israelites.

       (2 Chr 33:10 NCV)  The LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they 
       did not listen.

       (2 Chr 33:11 NCV)  So the LORD brought the king of Assyria's army 
       commanders to attack Judah. They captured Manasseh, put hooks in him, 
       placed bronze chains on his hands, and took him to Babylon.

       (2 Chr 33:12 NCV)  As Manasseh suffered, he begged the LORD his God 
       for help and humbled himself before the God of his ancestors.

       (2 Chr 33:13 NCV)  When Manasseh prayed, the LORD heard him and had 
       pity on him. So the LORD let him return to Jerusalem and to his 
       kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD is the true God.

       (2 Chr 33:14 NCV)  After that happened, Manasseh rebuilt the outer 
       wall of Jerusalem and made it higher. It was in the valley on the west 
       side of the Gihon spring and went to the entrance of the Fish Gate and 





       around the hill of Ophel. Then he put commanders in all the strong, 
       walled cities in Judah.

       (2 Chr 33:15 NCV)  Manasseh removed the idols of other nations, 
       including the idol in the Temple of the LORD. He removed all the 
       altars he had built on the Temple hill and in Jerusalem and threw them 
       out of the city.

       (2 Chr 33:16 NCV)  Then he set up the Lord's altar and sacrificed on 
       it fellowship offerings and offerings to show thanks to God. Manasseh 
       commanded all the people of Judah to serve the LORD, the God of 
       Israel.

       (2 Chr 33:17 NCV)  The people continued to offer sacrifices at the 
       places of worship, but their sacrifices were only to the LORD their 
       God.

       (2 Chr 33:18 NCV)  The other things Manasseh did as king, his prayer 
       to his God, and what the seers said to him in the name of the LORD, 
       the God of Israel--all are recorded in the book of the history of the 
       kings of Israel.

       (2 Chr 33:19 NCV)  Manasseh's prayer and God's pity for him, his sins, 
       his unfaithfulness, the places he built for worshiping gods and the 
       Asherah idols before he humbled himself--all are written in the book 
       of the seers.

       (2 Chr 33:20 NCV)  Manasseh died and was buried in his palace. Then 
       Manasseh's son Amon became king in his place.

       (2 Chr 33:21 NCV)  Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, 
       and he was king for two years in Jerusalem.

       (2 Chr 33:22 NCV)  He did what the LORD said was wrong, as his father 
       Manasseh had done. Amon worshiped and offered sacrifices to all the 
       carved idols Manasseh had made.

       (2 Chr 33:23 NCV)  Amon did not humble himself before the LORD as his 
       father Manasseh had done. Instead, Amon sinned even more.

       (2 Chr 33:24 NCV)  King Amon's officers made plans against him and 
       killed him in his palace.

       (2 Chr 33:25 NCV)  Then the people of the land killed all those who 
       had made plans to kill King Amon, and they made his son Josiah king in 
       his place.

       (2 Chr 34:1 NCV)  Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and 
       he ruled thirty-one years in Jerusalem.

       (2 Chr 34:2 NCV)  He did what the LORD said was right. He lived as his 
       ancestor David had lived, and he did not stop doing what was right.

       (2 Chr 34:3 NCV)  In his eighth year as king while he was still young, 
       Josiah began to obey the God of his ancestor David. In his twelfth 
       year as king, Josiah began to remove from Judah and Jerusalem the 





       gods, the places for worshiping gods, the Asherah idols, and the 
       wooden and metal idols.

       (2 Chr 34:4 NCV)  The people tore down the altars for the Baal gods as 
       Josiah directed. Then Josiah cut down the incense altars that were 
       above them. He broke up the Asherah idols and the wooden and metal 
       idols and beat them into powder. Then he sprinkled the powder on the 
       graves of the people who had offered sacrifices to these gods.

       (2 Chr 34:5 NCV)  He burned the bones of their priests on their own 
       altars. So Josiah removed idol worship from Judah and Jerusalem,

       (2 Chr 34:6 NCV)  and from the towns in the areas of Manasseh, 
       Ephraim, and Simeon all the way to Naphtali, and in the ruins near 
       these towns.

       (2 Chr 34:7 NCV)  Josiah broke down the altars and Asherah idols and 
       beat the idols into powder. He cut down all the incense altars in all 
       of Israel. Then he went back to Jerusalem.

       (2 Chr 34:8 NCV)  In Josiah's eighteenth year as king, he made Judah 
       and the Temple pure again. He sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah 
       the city leader, and Joah son of Joahaz the recorder to repair the 
       Temple of the LORD, the God of Josiah.

       (2 Chr 34:9 NCV)  These men went to Hilkiah the high priest and gave 
       him the money the Levite gatekeepers had gathered from the people of 
       Manasseh, Ephraim, and all the Israelites who were left alive, and 
       also from all the people of Judah, Benjamin, and Jerusalem. This is 
       the money they had brought into the Temple of God.

       (2 Chr 34:10 NCV)  Then the Levites gave it to the supervisors of the 
       work on the Temple of the LORD, and they paid the workers who rebuilt 
       and repaired the Temple.

       (2 Chr 34:11 NCV)  They gave money to carpenters and builders to buy 
       cut stone and wood. The wood was used to rebuild the buildings and to 
       make beams for them, because the kings of Judah had let the buildings 
       fall into ruin.

       (2 Chr 34:12 NCV)  The men did their work well. Their supervisors were 
       Jahath and Obadiah, who were Levites from the family of Merari, and 
       Zechariah and Meshullam, who were from the family of Kohath. These 
       Levites were all skilled musicians.

       (2 Chr 34:13 NCV)  They were also in charge of the workers who carried 
       loads and all the other workers. Some Levites worked as secretaries, 
       officers, and gatekeepers.

       (2 Chr 34:14 NCV)  The Levites brought out the money that was in the 
       Temple of the LORD. As they were doing this, Hilkiah the priest found 
       the Book of the Lord's Teachings that had been given through Moses.

       (2 Chr 34:15 NCV)  Hilkiah said to Shaphan the royal secretary, "I've 
       found the Book of the Teachings in the Temple of the LORD!" Then he 
       gave it to Shaphan.






       (2 Chr 34:16 NCV)  Shaphan took the book to the king and reported to 
       Josiah, "Your officers are doing everything you told them to do.

       (2 Chr 34:17 NCV)  They have paid out the money that was in the Temple 
       of the LORD and have given it to the supervisors and the workers."

       (2 Chr 34:18 NCV)  Then Shaphan the royal secretary told the king, 
       "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read from the 
       book to the king.

       (2 Chr 34:19 NCV)  When the king heard the words of the Teachings, he 
       tore his clothes to show how upset he was.

       (2 Chr 34:20 NCV)  He gave orders to Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, 
       Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the royal secretary, and Asaiah, the 
       king's servant. These were the orders:

       (2 Chr 34:21 NCV)  "Go and ask the LORD about the words in the book 
       that was found. Ask for me and for the people who are left alive in 
       Israel and Judah. The LORD is very angry with us, because our 
       ancestors did not obey the Lord's word; they did not do everything 
       this book says to do."

       (2 Chr 34:22 NCV)  So Hilkiah and those the king sent with him went to 
       talk to Huldah the prophetess. She was the wife of Shallum son of 
       Tikvah, the son of Harhas, who took care of the king's clothes. Huldah 
       lived in Jerusalem, in the new area of the city.

       (2 Chr 34:23 NCV)  She said to them, "This is what the LORD, the God 
       of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me,

       (2 Chr 34:24 NCV)  'This is what the LORD says: I will bring trouble 
       to this place and to the people living here. I will bring all the 
       curses that are written in the book that was read to the king of 
       Judah.

       (2 Chr 34:25 NCV)  The people of Judah have left me and have burned 
       incense to other gods. They have made me angry by all the evil things 
       they have made. So I will punish them in my anger, which will not be 
       put out.'

       (2 Chr 34:26 NCV)  Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to ask the 
       LORD, 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says about the words 
       you heard:

       (2 Chr 34:27 NCV)  When you heard my words against this place and its 
       people, you became sorry for what you had done and you humbled 
       yourself before me. You tore your clothes to show how upset you were, 
       and you cried in my presence. This is why I have heard you, says the 
       LORD.

       (2 Chr 34:28 NCV)  So I will let you die and be buried in peace. You 
       won't see all the trouble I will bring to this place and the people 
       living here.'" So they took her message back to the king.





       (2 Chr 34:29 NCV)  Then the king gathered all the older leaders of 
       Judah and Jerusalem together.

       (2 Chr 34:30 NCV)  He went up to the Temple of the LORD, and all the 
       people from Judah and from Jerusalem went with him. The priests, the 
       Levites, and all the people--from the most important to the least 
       important--went with him. He read to them all the words in the Book of 
       the Agreement that was found in the Temple of the LORD.

       (2 Chr 34:31 NCV)  The king stood by his pillar and made an agreement 
       in the presence of the LORD to follow the LORD and obey his commands, 
       rules, and laws with his whole being and to obey the words of the 
       agreement written in this book.

       (2 Chr 34:32 NCV)  Then Josiah made all the people in Jerusalem and 
       Benjamin promise to accept the agreement. So the people of Jerusalem 
       obeyed the agreement of God, the God of their ancestors.

       (2 Chr 34:33 NCV)  And Josiah threw out the hateful idols from all the 
       land that belonged to the Israelites. He led everyone in Israel to 
       serve the LORD their God. While Josiah lived, the people obeyed the 
       LORD, the God of their ancestors.

       (2 Chr 35:1 NCV)  King Josiah celebrated the Passover to the LORD in 
       Jerusalem. The Passover lamb was killed on the fourteenth day of the 
       first month.

       (2 Chr 35:2 NCV)  Josiah chose the priests to do their duties, and he 
       encouraged them as they served in the Temple of the LORD.

       (2 Chr 35:3 NCV)  The Levites taught the Israelites and were made holy 
       for service to the LORD. Josiah said to them, "Put the Holy Ark in the 
       Temple that David's son Solomon, the king of Israel, built. Do not 
       carry it from place to place on your shoulders anymore. Now serve the 
       LORD your God and his people Israel.

       (2 Chr 35:4 NCV)  Prepare yourselves by your family groups for 
       service, and do the jobs that King David and his son Solomon gave you 
       to do.

       (2 Chr 35:5 NCV)  "Stand in the holy place with a group of the Levites 
       for each family group of the people.

       (2 Chr 35:6 NCV)  Kill the Passover lambs, and make yourselves holy to 
       the LORD. Prepare the lambs for your relatives, the people of Israel, 
       as the LORD through Moses commanded us to do."

       (2 Chr 35:7 NCV)  Josiah gave the Israelites thirty thousand sheep and 
       goats to kill for the Passover sacrifices, and he gave them three 
       thousand cattle. They were all his own animals.

       (2 Chr 35:8 NCV)  Josiah's officers also gave willingly to the people, 
       the priests, and the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the 
       officers in charge of the Temple, gave the priests twenty-six hundred 
       lambs and goats and three hundred cattle for Passover sacrifices.





       (2 Chr 35:9 NCV)  Conaniah, his brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel, and 
       Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad gave the Levites five thousand sheep and 
       goats and five hundred cattle for Passover sacrifices. These men were 
       leaders of the Levites.

       (2 Chr 35:10 NCV)  When everything was ready for the Passover service, 
       the priests and Levites went to their places, as the king had 
       commanded.

       (2 Chr 35:11 NCV)  The Passover lambs were killed. Then the Levites 
       skinned the animals and gave the blood to the priests, who sprinkled 
       it on the altar.

       (2 Chr 35:12 NCV)  Then they gave the animals for the burnt offerings 
       to the different family groups so the burnt offerings could be offered 
       to the LORD as was written in the book of Moses. They also did this 
       with the cattle.

       (2 Chr 35:13 NCV)  The Levites roasted the Passover sacrifices over 
       the fire as they were commanded, and they boiled the holy offerings in 
       pots, kettles, and pans. Then they quickly gave the meat to the 
       people.

       (2 Chr 35:14 NCV)  After this was finished, the Levites prepared meat 
       for themselves and for the priests, the descendants of Aaron. The 
       priests worked until night, offering the burnt offerings and burning 
       the fat of the sacrifices.

       (2 Chr 35:15 NCV)  The Levite singers from Asaph's family stood in the 
       places chosen for them by King David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, the 
       king's seer. The gatekeepers at each gate did not have to leave their 
       places, because their fellow Levites had prepared everything for them 
       for the Passover.

       (2 Chr 35:16 NCV)  So everything was done that day for the worship of 
       the LORD, as King Josiah commanded. The Passover was celebrated, and 
       the burnt offerings were offered on the Lord's altar.

       (2 Chr 35:17 NCV)  The Israelites who were there celebrated the 
       Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days.

       (2 Chr 35:18 NCV)  The Passover had not been celebrated like this in 
       Israel since the prophet Samuel was alive. None of the kings of Israel 
       had ever celebrated a Passover like it was celebrated by King Josiah, 
       the priests, the Levites, the people of Judah and Israel who were 
       there, and the people of Jerusalem.

       (2 Chr 35:19 NCV)  This Passover was celebrated in the eighteenth year 
       Josiah was king.

       (2 Chr 35:20 NCV)  After Josiah did all this for the Temple, Neco king 
       of Egypt led an army to attack Carchemish, a town on the Euphrates 
       River. And Josiah marched out to fight against Neco.

       (2 Chr 35:21 NCV)  But Neco sent messengers to Josiah, saying, "King 
       Josiah, there should not be war between us. I did not come to fight 





       you, but my enemies. God told me to hurry, and he is on my side. So 
       don't fight God, or he will destroy you."

       (2 Chr 35:22 NCV)  But Josiah did not go away. He wore different 
       clothes so no one would know who he was. Refusing to listen to what 
       Neco said at God's command, Josiah went to fight on the plain of 
       Megiddo.

       (2 Chr 35:23 NCV)  In the battle King Josiah was shot by archers. He 
       told his servants, "Take me away because I am badly wounded."

       (2 Chr 35:24 NCV)  So they took him out of his chariot and put him in 
       another chariot and carried him to Jerusalem. There he died and was 
       buried in the graves where his ancestors were buried. All the people 
       of Judah and Jerusalem were very sad because he was dead.

       (2 Chr 35:25 NCV)  Jeremiah wrote some sad songs about Josiah. Even to 
       this day all the men and women singers remember and honor Josiah with 
       these songs. It became a custom in Israel to sing these songs that are 
       written in the collection of sad songs.

       (2 Chr 35:26 NCV)  The other things Josiah did as king, from beginning 
       to end, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. It 
       tells how he loved what was written in the Lord's teachings.

       (2 Chr 35:27 NCV)  

       (2 Chr 36:1 NCV)  The people of Judah chose Josiah's son Jehoahaz and 
       made him king in Jerusalem in his father's place.

       (2 Chr 36:2 NCV)  Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became 
       king, and he was king in Jerusalem for three months.

       (2 Chr 36:3 NCV)  Then King Neco of Egypt removed Jehoahaz from being 
       king in Jerusalem. Neco made the people of Judah pay about 
       seventy-five hundred pounds of silver and about seventy-five pounds of 
       gold.

       (2 Chr 36:4 NCV)  The king of Egypt made Jehoahaz's brother Eliakim 
       the king of Judah and Jerusalem and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But 
       Neco took his brother Jehoahaz to Egypt.

       (2 Chr 36:5 NCV)  Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became 
       king, and he was king in Jerusalem for eleven years. He did what the 
       LORD his God said was wrong.

       (2 Chr 36:6 NCV)  King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked Judah, 
       captured Jehoiakim, put bronze chains on him, and took him to Babylon.

       (2 Chr 36:7 NCV)  Nebuchadnezzar removed some of the things from the 
       Temple of the LORD, took them to Babylon, and put them in his own 
       palace.

       (2 Chr 36:8 NCV)  The other things Jehoiakim did as king, the hateful 
       things he did, and everything he was guilty of doing, are written in 
       the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiakim's son 





       Jehoiachin became king in his place.

       (2 Chr 36:9 NCV)  Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became 
       king of Judah, and he was king in Jerusalem for three months and ten 
       days. He did what the LORD said was wrong.

       (2 Chr 36:10 NCV)  In the spring King Nebuchadnezzar sent for 
       Jehoiachin and brought him and some valuable treasures from the Temple 
       of the LORD to Babylon. Then Nebuchadnezzar made Jehoiachin's uncle 
       Zedekiah the king of Judah and Jerusalem.

       (2 Chr 36:11 NCV)  Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became 
       king of Judah, and he was king in Jerusalem for eleven years.

       (2 Chr 36:12 NCV)  Zedekiah did what the LORD his God said was wrong. 
       The prophet Jeremiah spoke messages from the LORD, but Zedekiah did 
       not obey.

       (2 Chr 36:13 NCV)  Zedekiah turned against King Nebuchadnezzar, who 
       had forced him to swear in God's name to be loyal to him. But Zedekiah 
       became stubborn and refused to obey the LORD, the God of Israel.

       (2 Chr 36:14 NCV)  Also, all the leaders of the priests and the people 
       of Judah became more wicked, following the evil example of the other 
       nations. The LORD had made the Temple in Jerusalem holy, but the 
       leaders made it unholy.

       (2 Chr 36:15 NCV)  The LORD, the God of their ancestors, sent prophets 
       again and again to warn his people, because he had pity on them and on 
       his Temple.

       (2 Chr 36:16 NCV)  But they made fun of God's prophets and hated God's 
       messages. They refused to listen to the prophets until, finally, the 
       LORD became so angry with his people that he could not be stopped.

       (2 Chr 36:17 NCV)  So God brought the king of Babylon to attack them. 
       The king killed the young men even when they were in the Temple. He 
       had no mercy on the young men or women, the old men or those who were 
       sick. God handed all of them over to Nebuchadnezzar.

       (2 Chr 36:18 NCV)  Nebuchadnezzar carried away to Babylon all the 
       things from the Temple of God, both large and small, and all the 
       treasures from the Temple of the LORD and from the king and his 
       officers.

       (2 Chr 36:19 NCV)  Nebuchadnezzar and his army set fire to God's 
       Temple and broke down Jerusalem's wall and burned all the palaces. 
       They took or destroyed every valuable thing in Jerusalem.

       (2 Chr 36:20 NCV)  Nebuchadnezzar took captive to Babylon the people 
       who were left alive, and he forced them to be slaves for him and his 
       descendants. They remained there as slaves until the Persian kingdom 
       defeated Babylon.

       (2 Chr 36:21 NCV)  And so what the LORD had told Israel through the 
       prophet Jeremiah happened: The country was an empty wasteland for 





       seventy years to make up for the years of Sabbath rest that the people 
       had not kept.

       (2 Chr 36:22 NCV)  In the first year Cyrus was king of Persia, the 
       LORD had Cyrus send an announcement to his whole kingdom. This 
       happened so the Lord's message spoken by Jeremiah would come true. He 
       wrote:

       (2 Chr 36:23 NCV)  This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: The LORD, 
       the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he 
       has appointed me to build a Temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Now 
       may the LORD your God be with all of you who are his people. You are 
       free to go to Jerusalem.

       (Ezra 1:1 NCV)  In the first year Cyrus was king of Persia, the LORD 
       caused Cyrus to send an announcement to his whole kingdom and to put 
       it in writing. This happened so the Lord's message spoken by Jeremiah 
       would come true. He wrote:

       (Ezra 1:2 NCV)  This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: The LORD, the 
       God of heaven, has given all the kingdoms of the earth to me, and he 
       has appointed me to build a Temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah.

       (Ezra 1:3 NCV)  May God be with all of you who are his people. You are 
       free to go to Jerusalem in Judah and build the Temple of the LORD, the 
       God of Israel, who is in Jerusalem.

       (Ezra 1:4 NCV)  Those who stay behind, wherever they live, should 
       support those who want to go. Give them silver and gold, supplies and 
       cattle, and special gifts for the Temple of God in Jerusalem.

       (Ezra 1:5 NCV)  Then the family leaders of Judah and Benjamin and the 
       priests and Levites got ready to go to Jerusalem--everyone God had 
       caused to want to go to Jerusalem to build the Temple of the LORD.

       (Ezra 1:6 NCV)  All their neighbors helped them, giving them things 
       made of silver and gold, along with supplies, cattle, valuable gifts, 
       and special gifts for the Temple.

       (Ezra 1:7 NCV)  Also, King Cyrus brought out the bowls and pans that 
       belonged in the Temple of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken 
       from Jerusalem and put in the temple of his own god.

       (Ezra 1:8 NCV)  Cyrus king of Persia had Mithredath the treasurer 
       bring them and count them out for Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.

       (Ezra 1:9 NCV)  He listed thirty gold dishes, one thousand silver 
       dishes, twenty-nine pans,

       (Ezra 1:10 NCV)  thirty gold bowls, four hundred ten matching silver 
       bowls, and one thousand other pieces.

       (Ezra 1:11 NCV)  There was a total of fifty-four hundred pieces of 
       gold and silver. Sheshbazzar brought all these things along when the 
       captives went from Babylon to Jerusalem.





       (Ezra 2:1 NCV)  These are the people of the area who returned from 
       captivity, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken away to 
       Babylon. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each going back to his 
       own town.

       (Ezra 2:2 NCV)  These people returned with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, 
       Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, 
       and Baanah. These are the people from Israel:

       (Ezra 2:3 NCV)  the descendants of Parosh--2,172;

       (Ezra 2:4 NCV)  the descendants of Shephatiah--372;

       (Ezra 2:5 NCV)  the descendants of Arah--775;

       (Ezra 2:6 NCV)  the descendants of Pahath-Moab (through the family of 
       Jeshua and Joab)--2,812;

       (Ezra 2:7 NCV)  the descendants of Elam--1,254;

       (Ezra 2:8 NCV)  the descendants of Zattu--945;

       (Ezra 2:9 NCV)  the descendants of Zaccai--760;

       (Ezra 2:10 NCV)  the descendants of Bani--642;

       (Ezra 2:11 NCV)  the descendants of Bebai--623;

       (Ezra 2:12 NCV)  the descendants of Azgad--1,222;

       (Ezra 2:13 NCV)  the descendants of Adonikam--666;

       (Ezra 2:14 NCV)  the descendants of Bigvai--2,056;

       (Ezra 2:15 NCV)  the descendants of Adin--454;

       (Ezra 2:16 NCV)  the descendants of Ater (through the family of 
       Hezekiah)--98;

       (Ezra 2:17 NCV)  the descendants of Bezai--323;

       (Ezra 2:18 NCV)  the descendants of Jorah--112;

       (Ezra 2:19 NCV)  the descendants of Hashum--223;

       (Ezra 2:20 NCV)  the descendants of Gibbar--95.

       (Ezra 2:21 NCV)  These are the people from the towns: of 
       Bethlehem--123;

       (Ezra 2:22 NCV)  of Netophah--56;

       (Ezra 2:23 NCV)  of Anathoth--128;

       (Ezra 2:24 NCV)  of Azmaveth--42;





       (Ezra 2:25 NCV)  of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah, and Beeroth--743;

       (Ezra 2:26 NCV)  of Ramah and Geba--621;

       (Ezra 2:27 NCV)  of Micmash--122;

       (Ezra 2:28 NCV)  of Bethel and Ai--223;

       (Ezra 2:29 NCV)  of Nebo--52;

       (Ezra 2:30 NCV)  of Magbish--156;

       (Ezra 2:31 NCV)  of the other town of Elam--1,254;

       (Ezra 2:32 NCV)  of Harim--320;

       (Ezra 2:33 NCV)  of Lod, Hadid and Ono--725;

       (Ezra 2:34 NCV)  of Jericho--345;

       (Ezra 2:35 NCV)  of Senaah--3,630.

       (Ezra 2:36 NCV)  These are the priests: the descendants of Jedaiah 
       (through the family of Jeshua)--973;

       (Ezra 2:37 NCV)  the descendants of Immer--1,052;

       (Ezra 2:38 NCV)  the descendants of Pashhur--1,247;

       (Ezra 2:39 NCV)  the descendants of Harim--1,017.

       (Ezra 2:40 NCV)  These are the Levites: the descendants of Jeshua and 
       Kadmiel (through the family of Hodaviah)--74.

       (Ezra 2:41 NCV)  These are the singers: the descendants of Asaph--128.

       (Ezra 2:42 NCV)  These are the gatekeepers of the Temple: the 
       descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai--139.

       (Ezra 2:43 NCV)  These are the Temple servants: the descendants of 
       Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,

       (Ezra 2:44 NCV)  Keros, Siaha, Padon,

       (Ezra 2:45 NCV)  Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub,

       (Ezra 2:46 NCV)  Hagab, Shalmai, Hanan,

       (Ezra 2:47 NCV)  Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah,

       (Ezra 2:48 NCV)  Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam,

       (Ezra 2:49 NCV)  Uzza, Paseah, Besai,

       (Ezra 2:50 NCV)  Asnah, Meunim, Nephussim,





       (Ezra 2:51 NCV)  Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,

       (Ezra 2:52 NCV)  Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha,

       (Ezra 2:53 NCV)  Barkos, Sisera, Temah,

       (Ezra 2:54 NCV)  Neziah, and Hatipha.

       (Ezra 2:55 NCV)  These are the descendants of the servants of Solomon: 
       the descendants of Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda,

       (Ezra 2:56 NCV)  Jaala, Darkon, Giddel,

       (Ezra 2:57 NCV)  Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-Hazzebaim, and Ami.

       (Ezra 2:58 NCV)  The Temple servants and the descendants of the 
       servants of Solomon numbered 392.

       (Ezra 2:59 NCV)  Some people came to Jerusalem from the towns of Tel 
       Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon, and Immer, but they could not prove 
       that their ancestors came from Israel.

       (Ezra 2:60 NCV)  They were the descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah, and 
       Nekoda--652.

       (Ezra 2:61 NCV)  Also these priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, 
       Hakkoz, and Barzillai, who had married a daughter of Barzillai from 
       Gilead and was called by her family name.

       (Ezra 2:62 NCV)  These people searched for their family records but 
       could not find them. So they could not be priests, because they were 
       thought to be unclean.

       (Ezra 2:63 NCV)  The governor ordered them not to eat any of the food 
       offered to God until a priest had settled this matter by using the 
       Urim and Thummim.

       (Ezra 2:64 NCV)  The total number of those who returned was 42,360.

       (Ezra 2:65 NCV)  This is not counting their 7,337 male and female 
       servants and the 200 male and female singers they had with them.

       (Ezra 2:66 NCV)  They had 736 horses, 245 mules,

       (Ezra 2:67 NCV)  435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

       (Ezra 2:68 NCV)  When they arrived at the Temple of the LORD in 
       Jerusalem, some of the leaders of families gave offerings to rebuild 
       the Temple of God on the same site as before.

       (Ezra 2:69 NCV)  They gave as much as they could to the treasury to 
       rebuild the Temple--about 1,100 pounds of gold, about 6,000 pounds of 
       silver, and 100 pieces of clothing for the priests.

       (Ezra 2:70 NCV)  All the Israelites settled in their hometowns. The 
       priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and Temple servants, along 





       with some of the other people, settled in their own towns as well.

       (Ezra 3:1 NCV)  In the seventh month, after the Israelites were 
       settled in their hometowns, they met together in Jerusalem.

       (Ezra 3:2 NCV)  Then Jeshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests 
       joined Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and began to build the altar of the 
       God of Israel where they could offer burnt offerings, just as it is 
       written in the Teachings of Moses, the man of God.

       (Ezra 3:3 NCV)  Even though they were afraid of the people living 
       around them, they built the altar where it had been before. And they 
       offered burnt offerings on it to the LORD morning and evening.

       (Ezra 3:4 NCV)  Then, to obey what was written, they celebrated the 
       Feast of Shelters. They offered the right number of sacrifices for 
       each day of the festival.

       (Ezra 3:5 NCV)  After the Feast of Shelters, they had regular 
       sacrifices every day, as well as sacrifices for the New Moon and all 
       the festivals commanded by the LORD. Also there were special offerings 
       brought as gifts to the LORD.

       (Ezra 3:6 NCV)  On the first day of the seventh month they began to 
       bring burnt offerings to the LORD, but the foundation of the Lord's 
       Temple had not yet been laid.

       (Ezra 3:7 NCV)  Then they gave money to the bricklayers and 
       carpenters. They also gave food, wine, and oil to the cities of Sidon 
       and Tyre so they would float cedar logs from Lebanon to the seacoast 
       town of Joppa. Cyrus king of Persia had given permission for this.

       (Ezra 3:8 NCV)  In the second month of the second year after their 
       arrival at the Temple of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of 
       Shealtiel, Jeshua son of Jozadak, their fellow priests and Levites, 
       and all who had returned from captivity to Jerusalem began to work. 
       They chose Levites twenty years old and older to be in charge of the 
       building of the Temple of the LORD.

       (Ezra 3:9 NCV)  These men were in charge of the work of building the 
       Temple of God: Jeshua and his sons and brothers; Kadmiel and his sons 
       who were the descendants of Hodaviah; and the sons of Henadad and 
       their sons and brothers. They were all Levites.

       (Ezra 3:10 NCV)  The builders finished laying the foundation of the 
       Temple of the LORD. Then the priests, dressed in their robes, stood 
       with their trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, stood with 
       their cymbals. They all took their places and praised the LORD just as 
       David king of Israel had said to do.

       (Ezra 3:11 NCV)  With praise and thanksgiving, they sang to the LORD: 
       "He is good; his love for Israel continues forever." And then all the 
       people shouted loudly, "Praise the LORD! The foundation of his Temple 
       has been laid."

       (Ezra 3:12 NCV)  But many of the older priests, Levites, and family 





       leaders who had seen the first Temple cried when they saw the 
       foundation of this Temple. Most of the other people were shouting with 
       joy.

       (Ezra 3:13 NCV)  The people made so much noise it could be heard far 
       away, and no one could tell the difference between the joyful shouting 
       and the sad crying.

       (Ezra 4:1 NCV)  When the enemies of the people of Judah and Benjamin 
       heard that the returned captives were building a Temple for the LORD, 
       the God of Israel,

       (Ezra 4:2 NCV)  they came to Zerubbabel and the leaders of the 
       families. The enemies said, "Let us help you build, because we are 
       like you and want to worship your God. We have been offering 
       sacrifices to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who 
       brought us here."

       (Ezra 4:3 NCV)  But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the leaders of Israel 
       answered, "You will not help us build a Temple to our God. We will 
       build it ourselves for the LORD, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the 
       king of Persia, commanded us to do."

       (Ezra 4:4 NCV)  Then the people around them tried to discourage the 
       people of Judah by making them afraid to build.

       (Ezra 4:5 NCV)  Their enemies hired others to delay the building plans 
       during the time Cyrus was king of Persia. And it continued to the time 
       Darius was king of Persia.

       (Ezra 4:6 NCV)  When Xerxes first became king, those enemies wrote a 
       letter against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.

       (Ezra 4:7 NCV)  When Artaxerxes became king of Persia, Bishlam, 
       Mithredath, Tabeel, and those with them wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. 
       It was written in the Aramaic language and translated.

       (Ezra 4:8 NCV)  Rehum the governor and Shimshai the governor's 
       secretary wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king. It 
       said:

       (Ezra 4:9 NCV)  This letter is from Rehum the governor, Shimshai the 
       secretary, and their fellow workers--the judges and important officers 
       over the men who came from Tripolis, Persia, Erech, and Babylon, the 
       Elamite people of Susa,

       (Ezra 4:10 NCV)  and those whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal 
       forced out of their countries and settled in the city of Samaria and 
       in other places of the Trans-Euphrates.

       (Ezra 4:11 NCV)  (This is a copy of the letter they sent to 
       Artaxerxes.) To King Artaxerxes. From your servants who live in 
       Trans-Euphrates.

       (Ezra 4:12 NCV)  King Artaxerxes, you should know that the Jewish 
       people who came to us from you have gone to Jerusalem to rebuild that 





       evil city that refuses to obey. They are fixing the walls and 
       repairing the foundations of the buildings.

       (Ezra 4:13 NCV)  Now, King Artaxerxes, you should know that if 
       Jerusalem is built and its walls are fixed, Jerusalem will not pay 
       taxes of any kind. Then the amount of money your government collects 
       will be less.

       (Ezra 4:14 NCV)  Since we must be loyal to the government, we don't 
       want to see the king dishonored. So we are writing to let the king 
       know.

       (Ezra 4:15 NCV)  We suggest you search the records of the kings who 
       ruled before you. You will find out that the city of Jerusalem refuses 
       to obey and makes trouble for kings and areas controlled by Persia. 
       Since long ago it has been a place where disobedience has started. 
       That is why it was destroyed.

       (Ezra 4:16 NCV)  We want you to know, King Artaxerxes, that if this 
       city is rebuilt and its walls fixed, you will be left with nothing in 
       Trans-Euphrates.

       (Ezra 4:17 NCV)  King Artaxerxes sent this answer: To Rehum the 
       governor and Shimshai the secretary, to all their fellow workers 
       living in Samaria, and to those in other places in Trans-Euphrates. 
       Greetings.

       (Ezra 4:18 NCV)  The letter you sent to us has been translated and 
       read to me.

       (Ezra 4:19 NCV)  I ordered the records to be searched, and it was 
       done. We found that Jerusalem has a history of disobedience to kings 
       and has been a place of problems and trouble.

       (Ezra 4:20 NCV)  Jerusalem has had powerful kings who have ruled over 
       the whole area of Trans-Euphrates, and taxes of all kinds have been 
       paid to them.

       (Ezra 4:21 NCV)  Now, give an order for those men to stop work. The 
       city of Jerusalem will not be rebuilt until I say so.

       (Ezra 4:22 NCV)  Make sure you do this, because if they continue, it 
       will hurt the government.

       (Ezra 4:23 NCV)  A copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes sent was 
       read to Rehum and Shimshai the secretary and the others. Then they 
       quickly went to the Jewish people in Jerusalem and forced them to stop 
       building.

       (Ezra 4:24 NCV)  So the work on the Temple of God in Jerusalem stopped 
       until the second year Darius was king of Persia.

       (Ezra 5:1 NCV)  The prophets Haggai and Zechariah, a descendant of 
       Iddo, prophesied to the Jewish people in Judah and Jerusalem in the 
       name of the God of Israel, who was over them.





       (Ezra 5:2 NCV)  Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of 
       Jozadak started working again to rebuild the Temple of God in 
       Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were there, helping them.

       (Ezra 5:3 NCV)  At that time Tattenai, the governor of 
       Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai, and their fellow workers went to 
       the Jewish people and asked, "Who gave you permission to rebuild this 
       Temple and fix these walls?"

       (Ezra 5:4 NCV)  They also asked, "What are the names of the men 
       working on this building?"

       (Ezra 5:5 NCV)  But their God was watching over the older leaders of 
       the Jewish people. The builders were not stopped until a report could 
       go to King Darius and his written answer could be received.

       (Ezra 5:6 NCV)  This is a copy of the letter that was sent to King 
       Darius by Tattenai, the governor of Trans-Euphrates, Shethar-Bozenai, 
       and the other important officers of Trans-Euphrates.

       (Ezra 5:7 NCV)  This is what was said in the report they sent to him: 
       To King Darius. Greetings. May you have peace.

       (Ezra 5:8 NCV)  King Darius, you should know that we went to the 
       district of Judah where the Temple of the great God is. The people are 
       building that Temple with large stones, and they are putting timbers 
       in the walls. They are working very hard and are building very fast.

       (Ezra 5:9 NCV)  We asked their older leaders, "Who gave you permission 
       to rebuild this Temple and these walls?"

       (Ezra 5:10 NCV)  We also asked for their names, and we wrote down the 
       names of their leaders so you would know who they are.

       (Ezra 5:11 NCV)  This is the answer they gave to us: "We are the 
       servants of the God of heaven and earth. We are rebuilding the Temple 
       that a great king of Israel built and finished many years ago.

       (Ezra 5:12 NCV)  But our ancestors made the God of heaven angry, so he 
       handed them over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who destroyed this 
       Temple and took the people to Babylon as captives.

       (Ezra 5:13 NCV)  "Later, in the first year Cyrus was king of Babylon, 
       he gave a special order for this Temple to be rebuilt.

       (Ezra 5:14 NCV)  Cyrus brought out from the temple in Babylon the gold 
       and silver bowls and pans that came from the Temple of God. 
       Nebuchadnezzar had taken them from the Temple in Jerusalem and had put 
       them in the temple in Babylon. "Then King Cyrus gave them to 
       Sheshbazzar, his appointed governor.

       (Ezra 5:15 NCV)  Cyrus said to him, 'Take these gold and silver bowls 
       and pans, and put them back in the Temple in Jerusalem and rebuild the 
       Temple of God where it was.'

       (Ezra 5:16 NCV)  So Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the 





       Temple of God in Jerusalem. From that day until now the work has been 
       going on, but it is not yet finished."

       (Ezra 5:17 NCV)  Now, if the king wishes, let a search be made in the 
       royal records of Babylon. See if King Cyrus gave an order to rebuild 
       this Temple in Jerusalem. Then let the king write us and tell us what 
       he has decided.

       (Ezra 6:1 NCV)  So King Darius gave an order to search the records 
       kept in the treasury in Babylon.

       (Ezra 6:2 NCV)  A scroll was found in Ecbatana, the capital city of 
       Media. This is what was written on it: Note:

       (Ezra 6:3 NCV)  King Cyrus gave an order about the Temple of God in 
       Jerusalem in the first year he was king. This was the order: "Let the 
       Temple be rebuilt as a place to present sacrifices. Let its 
       foundations be laid; it should be ninety feet high and ninety feet 
       wide.

       (Ezra 6:4 NCV)  It must have three layers of large stones and then one 
       layer of timbers. The costs should be paid from the king's treasury.

       (Ezra 6:5 NCV)  The gold and silver utensils from the Temple of God 
       should be put back in their places. Nebuchadnezzar took them from the 
       Temple in Jerusalem and brought them to Babylon, but they are to be 
       put back in the Temple of God in Jerusalem."

       (Ezra 6:6 NCV)  Now then, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, 
       Shethar-Bozenai, and all the officers of that area, stay away from 
       there.

       (Ezra 6:7 NCV)  Do not bother the work on that Temple of God. Let the 
       governor of the Jewish people and the older Jewish leaders rebuild 
       this Temple where it was before.

       (Ezra 6:8 NCV)  Also, I order you to do this for those older leaders 
       of the Jewish people who are building this Temple: The cost of the 
       building is to be fully paid from the royal treasury, from taxes 
       collected from Trans-Euphrates. Do this so the work will not stop.

       (Ezra 6:9 NCV)  Give those people anything they need--young bulls, 
       male sheep, or lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, or 
       wheat, salt, wine, or olive oil. Give the priests in Jerusalem 
       anything they ask for every day without fail.

       (Ezra 6:10 NCV)  Then they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of 
       heaven, and they may pray for the life of the king and his sons.

       (Ezra 6:11 NCV)  Also, I give this order: If anyone changes this 
       order, a wood beam is to be pulled from his house and driven through 
       his body. Because of his crime, make his house a pile of ruins.

       (Ezra 6:12 NCV)  God has chosen Jerusalem as the place he is to be 
       worshiped. May he punish any king or person who tries to change this 
       order and destroy this Temple. I, Darius, have given this order. Let 





       it be obeyed quickly and carefully.

       (Ezra 6:13 NCV)  So, Tattenai, the governor of Trans-Euphrates, 
       Shethar-Bozenai, and their fellow workers carried out King Darius' 
       order quickly and carefully.

       (Ezra 6:14 NCV)  The older Jewish leaders continued to build and were 
       successful because of the preaching of Haggai the prophet and 
       Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo. They finished building the Temple as 
       the God of Israel had commanded and as kings Cyrus, Darius, and 
       Artaxerxes of Persia had ordered.

       (Ezra 6:15 NCV)  The Temple was finished on the third day of the month 
       of Adar in the sixth year Darius was king.

       (Ezra 6:16 NCV)  Then the people of Israel celebrated and gave the 
       Temple to God to honor him. Everybody was happy: the priests, the 
       Levites, and the rest of the Jewish people who had returned from 
       captivity.

       (Ezra 6:17 NCV)  They gave the Temple to God by offering a hundred 
       bulls, two hundred male sheep, and four hundred lambs as sacrifices. 
       And as an offering to forgive the sins of all Israel, they offered 
       twelve male goats, one goat for each tribe in Israel.

       (Ezra 6:18 NCV)  Then they put the priests and the Levites into their 
       separate groups. Each group had a certain time to serve God in the 
       Temple at Jerusalem as it is written in the Book of Moses.

       (Ezra 6:19 NCV)  The Jewish people who returned from captivity 
       celebrated the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.

       (Ezra 6:20 NCV)  The priests and Levites had made themselves clean. 
       Then the Levites killed the Passover lambs for all the people who had 
       returned from captivity, for their relatives the priests, and for 
       themselves.

       (Ezra 6:21 NCV)  So all the people of Israel who returned from 
       captivity ate the Passover lamb. So did the people who had given up 
       the unclean ways of their non-Jewish neighbors in order to worship the 
       LORD, the God of Israel.

       (Ezra 6:22 NCV)  For seven days they celebrated the Feast of 
       Unleavened Bread in a very joyful way. The LORD had made them happy by 
       changing the mind of the king of Assyria so that he helped them in the 
       work on the Temple of the God of Israel.

       (Ezra 7:1 NCV)  After these things during the rule of Artaxerxes king 
       of Persia, Ezra came up from Babylon. Ezra was the son of Seraiah, the 
       son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,

       (Ezra 7:2 NCV)  the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of 
       Ahitub,

       (Ezra 7:3 NCV)  the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of 
       Meraioth,






       (Ezra 7:4 NCV)  the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of 
       Bukki,

       (Ezra 7:5 NCV)  the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of 
       Eleazar, the son of Aaron the high priest.

       (Ezra 7:6 NCV)  This Ezra came to Jerusalem from Babylon. He was a 
       teacher and knew well the Teachings of Moses that had been given by 
       the LORD, the God of Israel. Ezra received everything he asked for 
       from the king, because the LORD his God was helping him.

       (Ezra 7:7 NCV)  In the seventh year of King Artaxerxes more Israelites 
       came to Jerusalem. Among them were priests, Levites, singers, 
       gatekeepers, and Temple servants.

       (Ezra 7:8 NCV)  Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of 
       Artaxerxes' seventh year as king.

       (Ezra 7:9 NCV)  Ezra had left Babylon on the first day of the first 
       month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth 
       month, because God was helping him.

       (Ezra 7:10 NCV)  Ezra had worked hard to know and obey the Teachings 
       of the LORD and to teach his rules and commands to the Israelites.

       (Ezra 7:11 NCV)  King Artaxerxes had given a letter to Ezra, a priest 
       and teacher who taught about the commands and laws the LORD gave 
       Israel. This is a copy of the letter:

       (Ezra 7:12 NCV)  From Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, a 
       teacher of the Law of the God of heaven. Greetings.

       (Ezra 7:13 NCV)  Now I give this order: Any Israelite in my kingdom 
       who wishes may go with you to Jerusalem, including priests and 
       Levites.

       (Ezra 7:14 NCV)  Ezra, you are sent by the king and the seven people 
       who advise him to ask how Judah and Jerusalem are obeying the Law of 
       your God, which you are carrying with you.

       (Ezra 7:15 NCV)  Also take with you the silver and gold that the king 
       and those who advise him have given freely to the God of Israel, whose 
       Temple is in Jerusalem.

       (Ezra 7:16 NCV)  Also take the silver and gold you receive from the 
       area of Babylon. Take the offerings the Israelites and their priests 
       have given as gifts for the Temple of your God in Jerusalem.

       (Ezra 7:17 NCV)  With this money buy bulls, male sheep, and lambs, and 
       the grain offerings and drink offerings that go with those sacrifices. 
       Then sacrifice them on the altar in the Temple of your God in 
       Jerusalem.

       (Ezra 7:18 NCV)  You and your fellow Jews may spend the silver and 
       gold left over as you want and as God wishes.






       (Ezra 7:19 NCV)  Take to the God of Jerusalem all the utensils for 
       worship in the Temple of your God,

       (Ezra 7:20 NCV)  which we have given you. Use the royal treasury to 
       pay for anything else you need for the Temple of your God.

       (Ezra 7:21 NCV)  Now I, King Artaxerxes, give this order to all the 
       men in charge of the treasury of Trans-Euphrates: Give Ezra, a priest 
       and a teacher of the Law of the God of heaven, whatever he asks for.

       (Ezra 7:22 NCV)  Give him up to seventy-five hundred pounds of silver, 
       six hundred bushels of wheat, six hundred gallons of wine, and six 
       hundred gallons of olive oil. And give him as much salt as he wants.

       (Ezra 7:23 NCV)  Carefully give him whatever the God of heaven wants 
       for the Temple of the God of heaven. We do not want God to be angry 
       with the king and his sons.

       (Ezra 7:24 NCV)  Remember, you must not make these people pay taxes of 
       any kind: priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, Temple servants, and 
       other workers in this Temple of God.

       (Ezra 7:25 NCV)  And you, Ezra, use the wisdom you have from your God 
       to choose judges and lawmakers to rule the Jewish people of 
       Trans-Euphrates. They know the laws of your God, and you may teach 
       anyone who does not know them.

       (Ezra 7:26 NCV)  Whoever does not obey the law of your God or of the 
       king must be punished. He will be killed, or sent away, or have his 
       property taken away, or be put in jail.

       (Ezra 7:27 NCV)  Praise the LORD, the God of our ancestors. He caused 
       the king to want to honor the Temple of the LORD in Jerusalem.

       (Ezra 7:28 NCV)  The LORD has shown me, Ezra, his love in the presence 
       of the king, those who advise the king, and the royal officers. 
       Because the LORD my God was helping me, I had courage, and I gathered 
       the leaders of Israel to return with me.

       (Ezra 8:1 NCV)  These are the leaders of the family groups and those 
       who were listed with them who came back with me from Babylon during 
       the rule of King Artaxerxes.

       (Ezra 8:2 NCV)  From the descendants of Phinehas: Gershom. From the 
       descendants of Ithamar: Daniel. From the descendants of David: Hattush

       (Ezra 8:3 NCV)  of the descendants of Shecaniah. From the descendants 
       of Parosh: Zechariah, with one hundred fifty men.

       (Ezra 8:4 NCV)  From the descendants of Pahath-Moab: Eliehoenai son of 
       Zerahiah, with two hundred men.

       (Ezra 8:5 NCV)  From the descendants of Zattu: Shecaniah son of 
       Jahaziel, with three hundred men.





       (Ezra 8:6 NCV)  From the descendants of Adin: Ebed son of Jonathan, 
       with fifty men.

       (Ezra 8:7 NCV)  From the descendants of Elam: Jeshaiah son of 
       Athaliah, with seventy men.

       (Ezra 8:8 NCV)  From the descendants of Shephatiah: Zebadiah son of 
       Michael, with eighty men.

       (Ezra 8:9 NCV)  From the descendants of Joab: Obadiah son of Jehiel, 
       with two hundred eighteen men.

       (Ezra 8:10 NCV)  From the descendants of Bani: Shelomith son of 
       Josiphiah, with one hundred sixty men.

       (Ezra 8:11 NCV)  From the descendants of Bebai: Zechariah son of 
       Bebai, with twenty-eight men.

       (Ezra 8:12 NCV)  From the descendants of Azgad: Johanan son of 
       Hakkatan, with one hundred ten men.

       (Ezra 8:13 NCV)  From the descendants of Adonikam, these were the last 
       ones: Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, with sixty men.

       (Ezra 8:14 NCV)  From the descendants of Bigvai: Uthai and Zaccur, 
       with seventy men.

       (Ezra 8:15 NCV)  I called all those people together at the canal that 
       flows toward Ahava, where we camped for three days. I checked all the 
       people and the priests, but I did not find any Levites.

       (Ezra 8:16 NCV)  So I called these leaders: Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, 
       Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam. And I 
       called Joiarib and Elnathan, who were teachers.

       (Ezra 8:17 NCV)  I sent these men to Iddo, the leader at Casiphia, and 
       told them what to say to Iddo and his relatives, who are the Temple 
       servants in Casiphia. I sent them to bring servants to us for the 
       Temple of our God.

       (Ezra 8:18 NCV)  Our God was helping us, so Iddo's relatives gave us 
       Sherebiah, a wise man from the descendants of Mahli son of Levi, who 
       was the son of Israel. And they brought Sherebiah's sons and brothers, 
       for a total of eighteen men.

       (Ezra 8:19 NCV)  And they brought to us Hashabiah and Jeshaiah from 
       the descendants of Merari, and his brothers and nephews. In all there 
       were twenty men.

       (Ezra 8:20 NCV)  They also brought two hundred twenty of the Temple 
       servants, a group David and the officers had set up to help the 
       Levites. All of those men were listed by name.

       (Ezra 8:21 NCV)  There by the Ahava Canal, I announced we would all 
       give up eating and humble ourselves before our God. We would ask God 
       for a safe trip for ourselves, our children, and all our possessions.






       (Ezra 8:22 NCV)  I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and 
       horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road. We had said to the 
       king, "Our God helps everyone who obeys him, but he is very angry with 
       all who reject him."

       (Ezra 8:23 NCV)  So we gave up eating and prayed to our God about our 
       trip, and he answered our prayers.

       (Ezra 8:24 NCV)  Then I chose twelve of the priests who were leaders, 
       Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their relatives.

       (Ezra 8:25 NCV)  I weighed the offering of silver and gold and the 
       utensils given for the Temple of our God, and I gave them to the 
       twelve priests I had chosen. The king, the people who advised him, his 
       officers, and all the Israelites there with us had given these things 
       for the Temple.

       (Ezra 8:26 NCV)  I weighed out and gave them about fifty thousand 
       pounds of silver, about seventy-five hundred pounds of silver objects, 
       and about seventy-five hundred pounds of gold.

       (Ezra 8:27 NCV)  I gave them twenty gold bowls that weighed about 
       nineteen pounds and two fine pieces of polished bronze that were as 
       valuable as gold.

       (Ezra 8:28 NCV)  Then I said to the priests, "You and these utensils 
       belong to the LORD for his service. The silver and gold are gifts to 
       the LORD, the God of your ancestors.

       (Ezra 8:29 NCV)  Guard these things carefully. In Jerusalem, weigh 
       them in front of the leading priests, Levites, and the leaders of the 
       family groups of Israel in the rooms of the Temple of the LORD."

       (Ezra 8:30 NCV)  So the priests and Levites accepted the silver, the 
       gold, and the utensils that had been weighed to take them to the 
       Temple of our God in Jerusalem.

       (Ezra 8:31 NCV)  On the twelfth day of the first month we left the 
       Ahava Canal and started toward Jerusalem. Our God helped us and 
       protected us from enemies and robbers along the way.

       (Ezra 8:32 NCV)  Finally we arrived in Jerusalem where we rested three 
       days.

       (Ezra 8:33 NCV)  On the fourth day we weighed out the silver, the 
       gold, and the utensils in the Temple of our God. We handed them to the 
       priest Meremoth son of Uriah. Eleazar son of Phinehas was with him, as 
       were the Levites Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui.

       (Ezra 8:34 NCV)  We checked everything by number and by weight, and 
       the total weight was written down.

       (Ezra 8:35 NCV)  Then the captives who returned made burnt offerings 
       to the God of Israel. They sacrificed twelve bulls for all Israel, 
       ninety-six male sheep, and seventy-seven lambs. For a sin offering 





       there were twelve male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the 
       LORD.

       (Ezra 8:36 NCV)  They took King Artaxerxes' orders to the royal 
       officers and to the governors of Trans-Euphrates. Then these men gave 
       help to the people and the Temple of God.

       (Ezra 9:1 NCV)  After these things had been done, the leaders came to 
       me and said, "Ezra, the Israelites, including the priests and Levites, 
       have not kept themselves separate from the people around us. Those 
       neighbors do evil things, as the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, 
       Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites did.

       (Ezra 9:2 NCV)  The Israelite men and their sons have married these 
       women. They have mixed the people who belong to God with the people 
       around them. The leaders and officers of Israel have led the rest of 
       the Israelites to do this unfaithful thing."

       (Ezra 9:3 NCV)  When I heard this, I angrily tore my robe and coat, 
       pulled hair from my head and beard, and sat down in shock.

       (Ezra 9:4 NCV)  Everyone who trembled in fear at the word of the God 
       of Israel gathered around me because of the unfaithfulness of the 
       captives who had returned. I sat there in shock until the evening 
       sacrifice.

       (Ezra 9:5 NCV)  At the evening sacrifice I got up from where I had 
       shown my shame. My robe and coat were torn, and I fell on my knees 
       with my hands spread out to the LORD my God.

       (Ezra 9:6 NCV)  I prayed, "My God, I am too ashamed and embarrassed to 
       lift up my face to you, my God, because our sins are so many. They are 
       higher than our heads. Our guilt even reaches up to the sky.

       (Ezra 9:7 NCV)  From the days of our ancestors until now, our guilt 
       has been great. Because of our sins, we, our kings, and our priests 
       have been punished by the sword and captivity. Foreign kings have 
       taken away our things and shamed us, even as it is today.

       (Ezra 9:8 NCV)  "But now, for a short time, the LORD our God has been 
       kind to us. He has let some of us come back from captivity and has let 
       us live in safety in his holy place. And so our God gives us hope and 
       a little relief from our slavery.

       (Ezra 9:9 NCV)  Even though we are slaves, our God has not left us. He 
       caused the kings of Persia to be kind to us and has given us new life. 
       We can rebuild the Temple and repair its ruins. And he has given us a 
       wall to protect us in Judah and Jerusalem.

       (Ezra 9:10 NCV)  "But now, our God, what can we say after you have 
       done all this? We have disobeyed your commands

       (Ezra 9:11 NCV)  that you gave through your servants the prophets. You 
       said, 'The land you are entering to own is ruined; the people living 
       there have spoiled it by the evil they do. Their evil filled the land 
       with uncleanness from one end to the other.






       (Ezra 9:12 NCV)  So do not let your daughters marry their sons, and do 
       not let their daughters marry your sons. Do not wish for their peace 
       or success. Then you will be strong and eat the good things of the 
       land. Then you can leave this land to your descendants forever.'

       (Ezra 9:13 NCV)  "What has happened to us is our own fault. We have 
       done evil things, and our guilt is great. But you, our God, have 
       punished us less than we deserve; you have left a few of us alive.

       (Ezra 9:14 NCV)  We should not again break your commands by allowing 
       marriages with these wicked people. If we did, you would get angry 
       enough to destroy us, and none of us would be left alive.

       (Ezra 9:15 NCV)  LORD, God of Israel, by your goodness a few of us are 
       left alive today. We admit that we are guilty and none of us should be 
       allowed to stand before you."

       (Ezra 10:1 NCV)  As Ezra was praying and confessing and crying and 
       throwing himself down in front of the Temple, a large group of 
       Israelite men, women, and children gathered around him who were also 
       crying loudly.

       (Ezra 10:2 NCV)  Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel the Elamite said to 
       Ezra, "We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying women from the 
       peoples around us. But even so, there is still hope for Israel.

       (Ezra 10:3 NCV)  Now let us make an agreement before our God. We will 
       send away all these women and their children as you and those who 
       respect the commands of our God advise. Let it be done to obey God's 
       Teachings.

       (Ezra 10:4 NCV)  Get up, Ezra. You are in charge, and we will support 
       you. Have courage and do it."

       (Ezra 10:5 NCV)  So Ezra got up and made the priests, Levites, and all 
       the people of Israel promise to do what was suggested; and they 
       promised.

       (Ezra 10:6 NCV)  Then Ezra left the Temple and went to the room of 
       Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While Ezra was there, he did not eat or 
       drink, because he was still sad about the unfaithfulness of the 
       captives who had returned.

       (Ezra 10:7 NCV)  They sent an order in Judah and Jerusalem for all the 
       captives who had returned to meet together in Jerusalem.

       (Ezra 10:8 NCV)  Whoever did not come to Jerusalem within three days 
       would lose his property and would no longer be a member of the 
       community of the returned captives. That was the decision of the 
       officers and older leaders.

       (Ezra 10:9 NCV)  So within three days all the people of Judah and 
       Benjamin gathered in Jerusalem. It was the twentieth day of the ninth 
       month. All the people were sitting in the open place in front of the 
       Temple and were upset because of the meeting and because it was 





       raining.

       (Ezra 10:10 NCV)  Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, "You have 
       been unfaithful and have married non-Jewish women. You have made 
       Israel more guilty.

       (Ezra 10:11 NCV)  Now, confess it to the LORD, the God of your 
       ancestors. Do his will and separate yourselves from the people living 
       around you and from your non-Jewish wives."

       (Ezra 10:12 NCV)  Then the whole group answered Ezra with a loud 
       voice, "Ezra, you're right! We must do what you say.

       (Ezra 10:13 NCV)  But there are many people here, and it's the rainy 
       season. We can't stand outside, and this problem can't be solved in a 
       day or two, because we have sinned badly.

       (Ezra 10:14 NCV)  Let our officers make a decision for the whole 
       group. Then let everyone in our towns who has married a non-Jewish 
       woman meet with the older leaders and judges of each town at a planned 
       time, until the hot anger of our God turns away from us."

       (Ezra 10:15 NCV)  Only Jonathan son of Asahel, Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, 
       Meshullam, and Shabbethai the Levite were against the plan.

       (Ezra 10:16 NCV)  So the returned captives did what was suggested. 
       Ezra the priest chose men who were leaders of the family groups and 
       named one from each family division. On the first day of the tenth 
       month they sat down to study each case.

       (Ezra 10:17 NCV)  By the first day of the first month, they had 
       finished with all the men who had married non-Jewish women.

       (Ezra 10:18 NCV)  These are the descendants of the priests who had 
       married foreign women: From the descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak 
       and Jeshua's brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.

       (Ezra 10:19 NCV)  (They all promised to divorce their wives, and each 
       one brought a male sheep from the flock as a penalty offering.)

       (Ezra 10:20 NCV)  From the descendants of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.

       (Ezra 10:21 NCV)  From the descendants of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, 
       Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.

       (Ezra 10:22 NCV)  From the descendants of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, 
       Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

       (Ezra 10:23 NCV)  Among the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (also 
       called Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

       (Ezra 10:24 NCV)  Among the singers: Eliashib. Among the gatekeepers: 
       Shallum, Telem, and Uri.

       (Ezra 10:25 NCV)  And among the other Israelites, these married 
       non-Jewish women: From the descendants of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, 





       Malkijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malkijah, and Benaiah.

       (Ezra 10:26 NCV)  From the descendants of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, 
       Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah.

       (Ezra 10:27 NCV)  From the descendants of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, 
       Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza.

       (Ezra 10:28 NCV)  From the descendants of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, 
       Zabbai, and Athlai.

       (Ezra 10:29 NCV)  From the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, 
       Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth.

       (Ezra 10:30 NCV)  From the descendants of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Kelal, 
       Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh.

       (Ezra 10:31 NCV)  From the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, 
       Malkijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

       (Ezra 10:32 NCV)  Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.

       (Ezra 10:33 NCV)  From the descendants of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, 
       Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.

       (Ezra 10:34 NCV)  From the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,

       (Ezra 10:35 NCV)  Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi,

       (Ezra 10:36 NCV)  Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

       (Ezra 10:37 NCV)  Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu.

       (Ezra 10:38 NCV)  From the descendants of Binnui: Shimei,

       (Ezra 10:39 NCV)  Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah,

       (Ezra 10:40 NCV)  Macnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,

       (Ezra 10:41 NCV)  Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,

       (Ezra 10:42 NCV)  Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.

       (Ezra 10:43 NCV)  From the descendants of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, 
       Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah.

       (Ezra 10:44 NCV)  All these men had married non-Jewish women, and some 
       of them had children by these wives.

       (Neh 1:1 NCV)  These are the words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah. In the 
       month of Kislev in the twentieth year, I, Nehemiah, was in the capital 
       city of Susa.

       (Neh 1:2 NCV)  One of my brothers named Hanani came with some other 
       men from Judah. I asked them about Jerusalem and the Jewish people who 
       lived through the captivity.






       (Neh 1:3 NCV)  They answered me, "Those who are left from the 
       captivity are back in Judah, but they are in much trouble and are full 
       of shame. The wall around Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have 
       been burned."

       (Neh 1:4 NCV)  When I heard these things, I sat down and cried for 
       several days. I was sad and ate nothing. I prayed to the God of 
       heaven,

       (Neh 1:5 NCV)  "LORD, God of heaven, you are the great God who is to 
       be respected. You are loyal, and you keep your agreement with those 
       who love you and obey your commands.

       (Neh 1:6 NCV)  Look and listen carefully. Hear the prayer that I, your 
       servant, am praying to you day and night for your servants, the 
       Israelites. I confess the sins we Israelites have done against you. My 
       father's family and I have sinned against you.

       (Neh 1:7 NCV)  We have been wicked toward you and have not obeyed the 
       commands, rules, and laws you gave your servant Moses.

       (Neh 1:8 NCV)  "Remember what you taught your servant Moses, saying, 
       'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations.

       (Neh 1:9 NCV)  But if you return to me and obey my commands, I will 
       gather your people from the far ends of the earth. And I will bring 
       them from captivity to where I have chosen to be worshiped.'

       (Neh 1:10 NCV)  "They are your servants and your people, whom you have 
       saved with your great strength and power.

       (Neh 1:11 NCV)  Lord, listen carefully to the prayer of your servant 
       and the prayers of your servants who love to honor you. Give me, your 
       servant, success today; allow this king to show kindness to me." I was 
       the one who served wine to the king.

       (Neh 2:1 NCV)  It was the month of Nisan in the twentieth year 
       Artaxerxes was king. He wanted some wine, so I took some and gave it 
       to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before.

       (Neh 2:2 NCV)  So the king said, "Why does your face look sad even 
       though you are not sick? Your heart must be sad." Then I was very 
       afraid.

       (Neh 2:3 NCV)  I said to the king, "May the king live forever! My face 
       is sad because the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, 
       and its gates have been destroyed by fire."

       (Neh 2:4 NCV)  Then the king said to me, "What do you want?" First I 
       prayed to the God of heaven.

       (Neh 2:5 NCV)  Then I answered the king, "If you are willing and if I 
       have pleased you, send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are 
       buried so I can rebuild it."





       (Neh 2:6 NCV)  The queen was sitting next to the king. He asked me, 
       "How long will your trip take, and when will you get back?" It pleased 
       the king to send me, so I set a time.

       (Neh 2:7 NCV)  I also said to him, "If you are willing, give me 
       letters for the governors of Trans-Euphrates. Tell them to let me pass 
       safely through their lands on my way to Judah.

       (Neh 2:8 NCV)  And may I have a letter for Asaph, the keeper of the 
       king's forest, telling him to give me timber? I will need it to make 
       boards for the gates of the palace, which is by the Temple, and for 
       the city wall, and for the house in which I will live." So the king 
       gave me the letters, because God was showing kindness to me.

       (Neh 2:9 NCV)  Then I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and 
       gave them the king's letters. The king had also sent army officers and 
       soldiers on horses with me.

       (Neh 2:10 NCV)  When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite 
       officer heard about this, they were upset that someone had come to 
       help the Israelites.

       (Neh 2:11 NCV)  I went to Jerusalem and stayed there three days.

       (Neh 2:12 NCV)  Then at night I started out with a few men. I had not 
       told anyone what God had caused me to do for Jerusalem. There were no 
       animals with me except the one I was riding.

       (Neh 2:13 NCV)  I went out at night through the Valley Gate. I rode 
       toward the Dragon Well and the Trash Gate, inspecting the walls of 
       Jerusalem that had been broken down and the gates that had been 
       destroyed by fire.

       (Neh 2:14 NCV)  Then I rode on toward the Fountain Gate and the King's 
       Pool, but there was not enough room for the animal I was riding to 
       pass through.

       (Neh 2:15 NCV)  So I went up the valley at night, inspecting the wall. 
       Finally, I turned and went back in through the Valley Gate.

       (Neh 2:16 NCV)  The guards did not know where I had gone or what I was 
       doing. I had not yet said anything to the Jewish people, the priests, 
       the important men, the officers, or any of the others who would do the 
       work.

       (Neh 2:17 NCV)  Then I said to them, "You can see the trouble we have 
       here. Jerusalem is a pile of ruins, and its gates have been burned. 
       Come, let's rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so we won't be full of shame 
       any longer."

       (Neh 2:18 NCV)  I also told them how God had been kind to me and what 
       the king had said to me. Then they answered, "Let's start rebuilding." 
       So they began to work hard.

       (Neh 2:19 NCV)  But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite 
       officer, and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they made fun of us and 





       laughed at us. They said, "What are you doing? Are you turning against 
       the king?"

       (Neh 2:20 NCV)  But I answered them, "The God of heaven will give us 
       success. We, his servants, will start rebuilding, but you have no 
       share, claim, or memorial in Jerusalem."

       (Neh 3:1 NCV)  Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to 
       work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They gave it to the Lord's service 
       and set its doors in place. They worked as far as the Tower of the 
       Hundred and gave it to the Lord's service. Then they went on to the 
       Tower of Hananel.

       (Neh 3:2 NCV)  Next to them, the men of Jericho built part of the 
       wall, and Zaccur son of Imri built next to them.

       (Neh 3:3 NCV)  The sons of Hassenaah rebuilt the Fish Gate, laying its 
       boards and setting its doors, bolts, and bars in place.

       (Neh 3:4 NCV)  Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, made repairs 
       next to them. Meshullam son of Berekiah, the son of Meshezabel, made 
       repairs next to Meremoth. And Zadok son of Baana made repairs next to 
       Meshullam.

       (Neh 3:5 NCV)  The men from Tekoa made repairs next to them, but the 
       leading men of Tekoa would not work under their supervisors.

       (Neh 3:6 NCV)  Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah 
       repaired the Old Gate. They laid its boards and set its doors, bolts, 
       and bars in place.

       (Neh 3:7 NCV)  Next to them, Melatiah from Gibeon, other men from 
       Gibeon and Mizpah, and Jadon from Meronoth made repairs. These places 
       were ruled by the governor of Trans-Euphrates.

       (Neh 3:8 NCV)  Next to them, Uzziel son of Harhaiah, a goldsmith, made 
       repairs. And next to him, Hananiah, a perfume maker, made repairs. 
       These men rebuilt Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall.

       (Neh 3:9 NCV)  The next part of the wall was repaired by Rephaiah son 
       of Hur, the ruler of half of the district of Jerusalem.

       (Neh 3:10 NCV)  Next to him, Jedaiah son of Harumaph made repairs 
       opposite his own house. And next to him, Hattush son of Hashabneiah 
       made repairs.

       (Neh 3:11 NCV)  Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-Moab 
       repaired another part of the wall and the Tower of the Ovens.

       (Neh 3:12 NCV)  Next to them Shallum son of Hallohesh, the ruler of 
       half of the district of Jerusalem, and his daughters made repairs.

       (Neh 3:13 NCV)  Hanun and the people of Zanoah repaired the Valley 
       Gate, rebuilding it and setting its doors, bolts, and bars in place. 
       They also repaired the five hundred yards of the wall to the Trash 
       Gate.






       (Neh 3:14 NCV)  Malkijah son of Recab, the ruler of the district of 
       Beth Hakkerem, repaired the Trash Gate. He rebuilt that gate and set 
       its doors, bolts, and bars in place.

       (Neh 3:15 NCV)  Shallun son of Col-Hozeh, the ruler of the district of 
       Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate. He rebuilt it, put a roof over it, 
       and set its doors, bolts, and bars in place. He also repaired the wall 
       of the Pool of Siloam next to the King's Garden all the way to the 
       steps that went down from the older part of the city.

       (Neh 3:16 NCV)  Next to Shallun was Nehemiah son of Azbuk, the ruler 
       of half of the district of Beth Zur. He made repairs opposite the 
       tombs of David and as far as the man-made pool and the House of the 
       Heroes.

       (Neh 3:17 NCV)  Next to him, the Levites made repairs, working under 
       Rehum son of Bani. Next to him, Hashabiah, the ruler of half of the 
       district of Keilah, for his district.

       (Neh 3:18 NCV)  Next to him, Binnui son of Henadad and his Levites 
       made repairs. Binnui was the ruler of the other half of the district 
       of Keilah.

       (Neh 3:19 NCV)  Next to them, Ezer son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, 
       repaired another part of the wall. He worked across from the way up to 
       the armory, as far as the bend.

       (Neh 3:20 NCV)  Next to him, Baruch son of Zabbai worked hard on the 
       wall that went from the bend to the entrance to the house of Eliashib, 
       the high priest.

       (Neh 3:21 NCV)  Next to him, Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, 
       repaired the wall that went from the entrance to Eliashib's house to 
       the far end of it.

       (Neh 3:22 NCV)  Next to him worked the priests from the surrounding 
       area.

       (Neh 3:23 NCV)  Next to them, Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs in 
       front of their own house. Next to them, Azariah son of Maaseiah, the 
       son of Ananiah, made repairs beside his own house.

       (Neh 3:24 NCV)  Next to him, Binnui son of Henadad repaired the wall 
       that went from Azariah's house to the bend and on to the corner.

       (Neh 3:25 NCV)  Palal son of Uzai worked across from the bend and by 
       the tower on the upper palace, which is near the courtyard of the 
       king's guard. Next to Palal, Pedaiah son of Parosh made repairs.

       (Neh 3:26 NCV)  The Temple servants who lived on the hill of Ophel 
       made repairs as far as a point opposite the Water Gate. They worked 
       toward the east and the tower that extends from the palace.

       (Neh 3:27 NCV)  Next to them, the people of Tekoa repaired the wall 
       from the great tower that extends from the palace to the wall of 





       Ophel.

       (Neh 3:28 NCV)  The priests made repairs above the Horse Gate, each 
       working in front of his own house.

       (Neh 3:29 NCV)  Next to them, Zadok son of Immer made repairs across 
       from his own house. Next to him, Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, the guard 
       of the East Gate, made repairs.

       (Neh 3:30 NCV)  Next to him, Hananiah son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the 
       sixth son of Zalaph, made repairs on another part of the wall. Next to 
       them, Meshullam son of Berekiah made repairs across from where he 
       lived.

       (Neh 3:31 NCV)  Next to him, Malkijah, one of the goldsmiths, made 
       repairs. He worked as far as the house of the Temple servants and the 
       traders, which is across from the Inspection Gate, and as far as the 
       room above the corner of the wall.

       (Neh 3:32 NCV)  The goldsmiths and the traders made repairs between 
       the room above the corner of the wall and the Sheep Gate.

       (Neh 4:1 NCV)  When Sanballat heard we were rebuilding the wall, he 
       was very angry, even furious. He made fun of the Jewish people.

       (Neh 4:2 NCV)  He said to his friends and those with power in Samaria, 
       "What are these weak Jews doing? Will they rebuild the wall? Will they 
       offer sacrifices? Can they finish it in one day? Can they bring stones 
       back to life from piles of trash and ashes?"

       (Neh 4:3 NCV)  Tobiah the Ammonite, who was next to Sanballat, said, 
       "If a fox climbed up on the stone wall they are building, it would 
       break it down."

       (Neh 4:4 NCV)  I prayed, "Hear us, our God. We are hated. Turn the 
       insults of Sanballat and Tobiah back on their own heads. Let them be 
       captured and stolen like valuables.

       (Neh 4:5 NCV)  Do not hide their guilt or take away their sins so that 
       you can't see them, because they have insulted the builders."

       (Neh 4:6 NCV)  So we rebuilt the wall to half its height, because the 
       people were willing to work.

       (Neh 4:7 NCV)  But Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and 
       the people from Ashdod were very angry when they heard that the 
       repairs to Jerusalem's walls were continuing and that the holes in the 
       wall were being closed.

       (Neh 4:8 NCV)  So they all made plans to come to Jerusalem and fight 
       and stir up trouble.

       (Neh 4:9 NCV)  But we prayed to our God and appointed guards to watch 
       for them day and night.

       (Neh 4:10 NCV)  The people of Judah said, "The workers are getting 





       tired. There is so much trash we cannot rebuild the wall."

       (Neh 4:11 NCV)  And our enemies said, "The Jews won't know or see 
       anything until we come among them and kill them and stop the work."

       (Neh 4:12 NCV)  Then the Jewish people who lived near our enemies came 
       and told us ten times, "Everywhere you turn, the enemy will attack 
       us."

       (Neh 4:13 NCV)  So I put people behind the lowest places along the 
       wall--the open places--and I put families together with their swords, 
       spears, and bows.

       (Neh 4:14 NCV)  Then I looked around and stood up and said to the 
       important men, the leaders, and the rest of the people: "Don't be 
       afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and powerful. Fight 
       for your brothers, your sons and daughters, your wives, and your 
       homes."

       (Neh 4:15 NCV)  Then our enemies heard that we knew about their plans 
       and that God had ruined their plans. So we all went back to the wall, 
       each to his own work.

       (Neh 4:16 NCV)  From that day on, half my people worked on the wall. 
       The other half was ready with spears, shields, bows, and armor. The 
       officers stood in back of the people of Judah

       (Neh 4:17 NCV)  who were building the wall. Those who carried 
       materials did their work with one hand and carried a weapon with the 
       other.

       (Neh 4:18 NCV)  Each builder wore his sword at his side as he worked. 
       The man who blew the trumpet to warn the people stayed next to me.

       (Neh 4:19 NCV)  Then I said to the important men, the leaders, and the 
       rest of the people, "This is a very big job. We are spreading out 
       along the wall so that we are far apart.

       (Neh 4:20 NCV)  Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, assemble 
       there. Our God will fight for us."

       (Neh 4:21 NCV)  So we continued to work with half the men holding 
       spears from sunrise till the stars came out.

       (Neh 4:22 NCV)  At that time I also said to the people, "Let every man 
       and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night. They can be our guards 
       at night and workmen during the day."

       (Neh 4:23 NCV)  Neither I, my brothers, my workers, nor the guards 
       with me ever took off our clothes. Each person carried his weapon even 
       when he went for water.

       (Neh 5:1 NCV)  The men and their wives complained loudly against their 
       fellow Jews.

       (Neh 5:2 NCV)  Some of them were saying, "We have many sons and 





       daughters in our families. To eat and stay alive, we need grain."

       (Neh 5:3 NCV)  Others were saying, "We are borrowing money against our 
       fields, vineyards, and homes to get grain because there is not much 
       food."

       (Neh 5:4 NCV)  And still others were saying, "We are borrowing money 
       to pay the king's tax on our fields and vineyards.

       (Neh 5:5 NCV)  We are just like our fellow Jews, and our sons are like 
       their sons. But we have to sell our sons and daughters as slaves. Some 
       of our daughters have already been sold. But there is nothing we can 
       do, because our fields and vineyards already belong to other people."

       (Neh 5:6 NCV)  When I heard their complaints about these things, I was 
       very angry.

       (Neh 5:7 NCV)  After I thought about it, I accused the important 
       people and the leaders, "You are charging your own brothers too much 
       interest." So I called a large meeting to deal with them.

       (Neh 5:8 NCV)  I said to them, "As much as possible, we have bought 
       freedom for our fellow Jews who had been sold to foreigners. Now you 
       are selling your fellow Jews to us!" The leaders were quiet and had 
       nothing to say.

       (Neh 5:9 NCV)  Then I said, "What you are doing is not right. Don't 
       you fear God? Don't let our foreign enemies shame us.

       (Neh 5:10 NCV)  I, my brothers, and my men are also lending money and 
       grain to the people. But stop charging them so much for this.

       (Neh 5:11 NCV)  Give back their fields, vineyards, olive trees, and 
       houses right now. Also give back the extra amount you charged--the 
       hundredth part of the money, grain, new wine, and oil."

       (Neh 5:12 NCV)  They said, "We will give it back and not demand 
       anything more from them. We will do as you say." Then I called for the 
       priests, and I made the important men and leaders take an oath to do 
       what they had said.

       (Neh 5:13 NCV)  Also I shook out the folds of my robe and said, "In 
       this way may God shake out everyone who does not keep his promise. May 
       God shake him out of his house and out of the things that are his. Let 
       that person be shaken out and emptied!" Then the whole group said, 
       "Amen," and they praised the LORD. So the people did what they had 
       promised.

       (Neh 5:14 NCV)  I was appointed governor in the land of Judah in the 
       twentieth year of King Artaxerxes' rule. I was governor of Judah for 
       twelve years, until his thirty-second year. During that time neither 
       my brothers nor I ate the food that was allowed for a governor.

       (Neh 5:15 NCV)  But the governors before me had placed a heavy load on 
       the people. They took about one pound of silver from each person, 
       along with food and wine. The governors' helpers before me also 





       controlled the people, but I did not do that, because I feared God.

       (Neh 5:16 NCV)  I worked on the wall, as did all my men who were 
       gathered there. We did not buy any fields.

       (Neh 5:17 NCV)  Also, I fed one hundred fifty Jewish people and 
       officers at my table, as well as those who came from the nations 
       around us.

       (Neh 5:18 NCV)  This is what was prepared every day: one ox, six good 
       sheep, and birds. And every ten days there were all kinds of wine. But 
       I never demanded the food that was due a governor, because the people 
       were already working very hard.

       (Neh 5:19 NCV)  Remember to be kind to me, my God, for all the good I 
       have done for these people.

       (Neh 6:1 NCV)  Then Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and our other 
       enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and that there was not one 
       gap in it. But I had not yet set the doors in the gates.

       (Neh 6:2 NCV)  So Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: "Come, 
       Nehemiah, let's meet together in Kephirim on the plain of Ono." But 
       they were planning to harm me.

       (Neh 6:3 NCV)  So I sent messengers to them with this answer: "I am 
       doing a great work, and I can't come down. I don't want the work to 
       stop while I leave to meet you."

       (Neh 6:4 NCV)  Sanballat and Geshem sent the same message to me four 
       times, and each time I sent back the same answer.

       (Neh 6:5 NCV)  The fifth time Sanballat sent his helper to me with the 
       message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter.

       (Neh 6:6 NCV)  This is what was written: A report is going around to 
       all the nations, and Geshem says it is true, that you and the Jewish 
       people are planning to turn against the king and that you are 
       rebuilding the wall. They say you are going to be their king

       (Neh 6:7 NCV)  and that you have appointed prophets to announce in 
       Jerusalem: "There is a king of Judah!" The king will hear about this. 
       So come, let's discuss this together.

       (Neh 6:8 NCV)  So I sent him back this answer: "Nothing you are saying 
       is really happening. You are just making it up in your own mind."

       (Neh 6:9 NCV)  Our enemies were trying to scare us, thinking, "They 
       will get too weak to work. Then the wall will not be finished." But I 
       prayed, "God, make me strong."

       (Neh 6:10 NCV)  One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of 
       Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel. Shemaiah had to stay at home. He said, 
       "Nehemiah, let's meet in the Temple of God. Let's go inside the Temple 
       and close the doors, because men are coming at night to kill you."





       (Neh 6:11 NCV)  But I said, "Should a man like me run away? Should I 
       run for my life into the Temple? I will not go."

       (Neh 6:12 NCV)  I knew that God had not sent him but that Tobiah and 
       Sanballat had paid him to prophesy against me.

       (Neh 6:13 NCV)  They paid him to frighten me so I would do this and 
       sin. Then they could give me a bad name to shame me.

       (Neh 6:14 NCV)  I prayed, "My God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat and 
       what they have done. Also remember the prophetess Noadiah and the 
       other prophets who have been trying to frighten me."

       (Neh 6:15 NCV)  The wall of Jerusalem was completed on the 
       twenty-fifth day of the month of Elul. It took fifty-two days to 
       rebuild.

       (Neh 6:16 NCV)  When all our enemies heard about it and all the 
       nations around us saw it, they were shamed. They then understood that 
       the work had been done with the help of our God.

       (Neh 6:17 NCV)  Also in those days the important men of Judah sent 
       many letters to Tobiah, and he answered them.

       (Neh 6:18 NCV)  Many Jewish people had promised to be faithful to 
       Tobiah, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah. And 
       Tobiah's son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of 
       Berekiah.

       (Neh 6:19 NCV)  These important men kept telling me about the good 
       things Tobiah was doing, and then they would tell Tobiah what I said 
       about him. So Tobiah sent letters to frighten me.

       (Neh 7:1 NCV)  After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors 
       in place, the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites were chosen.

       (Neh 7:2 NCV)  I put my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah, the 
       commander of the palace, in charge of Jerusalem. Hananiah was honest 
       and feared God more than most people.

       (Neh 7:3 NCV)  I said to them, "The gates of Jerusalem should not be 
       opened until the sun is hot. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, 
       have them shut and bolt the doors. Appoint people who live in 
       Jerusalem as guards, and put some at guard posts and some near their 
       own houses."

       (Neh 7:4 NCV)  The city was large and roomy, but there were few people 
       in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt.

       (Neh 7:5 NCV)  Then my God caused me to gather the important men, the 
       leaders, and the common people so I could register them by families. I 
       found the family history of those who had returned first. This is what 
       I found written there:

       (Neh 7:6 NCV)  These are the people of the area who returned from 
       captivity, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken away. They 





       returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each going back to his own town.

       (Neh 7:7 NCV)  These people returned with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, 
       Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, 
       Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah. These are the people from Israel:

       (Neh 7:8 NCV)  the descendants of Parosh--2,172;

       (Neh 7:9 NCV)  the descendants of Shephatiah--372;

       (Neh 7:10 NCV)  the descendants of Arah--652;

       (Neh 7:11 NCV)  the descendants of Pahath-Moab (through the family of 
       Jeshua and Joab)--2,818;

       (Neh 7:12 NCV)  the descendants of Elam--1,254;

       (Neh 7:13 NCV)  the descendants of Zattu--845;

       (Neh 7:14 NCV)  the descendants of Zaccai--760;

       (Neh 7:15 NCV)  the descendants of Binnui--648;

       (Neh 7:16 NCV)  the descendants of Bebai--628;

       (Neh 7:17 NCV)  the descendants of Azgad--2,322;

       (Neh 7:18 NCV)  the descendants of Adonikam--667;

       (Neh 7:19 NCV)  the descendants of Bigvai--2,067;

       (Neh 7:20 NCV)  the descendants of Adin--655;

       (Neh 7:21 NCV)  the descendants of Ater (through Hezekiah)--98;

       (Neh 7:22 NCV)  the descendants of Hashum--328;

       (Neh 7:23 NCV)  the descendants of Bezai--324;

       (Neh 7:24 NCV)  the descendants of Hariph--112;

       (Neh 7:25 NCV)  the descendants of Gibeon--95.

       (Neh 7:26 NCV)  These are the people from the towns of Bethlehem and 
       Netophah--188;

       (Neh 7:27 NCV)  of Anathoth--128;

       (Neh 7:28 NCV)  of Beth Azmaveth--42;

       (Neh 7:29 NCV)  of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah, and Beeroth--743;

       (Neh 7:30 NCV)  of Ramah and Geba--621;

       (Neh 7:31 NCV)  of Micmash--122;





       (Neh 7:32 NCV)  of Bethel and Ai--123;

       (Neh 7:33 NCV)  of the other Nebo--52;

       (Neh 7:34 NCV)  of the other Elam--1,254;

       (Neh 7:35 NCV)  of Harim--320;

       (Neh 7:36 NCV)  of Jericho--345;

       (Neh 7:37 NCV)  of Lod, Hadid, and Ono--721;

       (Neh 7:38 NCV)  of Senaah--3,930.

       (Neh 7:39 NCV)  These are the priests: the descendants of Jedaiah 
       (through the family of Jeshua)--973;

       (Neh 7:40 NCV)  the descendants of Immer--1,052;

       (Neh 7:41 NCV)  the descendants of Pashhur--1,247;

       (Neh 7:42 NCV)  the descendants of Harim--1,017.

       (Neh 7:43 NCV)  These are the Levites: the descendants of Jeshua 
       (through Kadmiel through the family of Hodaviah)--74.

       (Neh 7:44 NCV)  These are the singers: the descendants of Asaph--148.

       (Neh 7:45 NCV)  These are the gatekeepers: the descendants of Shallum, 
       Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai--138.

       (Neh 7:46 NCV)  These are the Temple servants: the descendants of 
       Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,

       (Neh 7:47 NCV)  Keros, Sia, Padon,

       (Neh 7:48 NCV)  Lebana, Hagaba, Shalmai,

       (Neh 7:49 NCV)  Hanan, Giddel, Gahar,

       (Neh 7:50 NCV)  Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda,

       (Neh 7:51 NCV)  Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah,

       (Neh 7:52 NCV)  Besai, Meunim, Nephussim,

       (Neh 7:53 NCV)  Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,

       (Neh 7:54 NCV)  Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha,

       (Neh 7:55 NCV)  Barkos, Sisera, Temah,

       (Neh 7:56 NCV)  Neziah, and Hatipha.

       (Neh 7:57 NCV)  These are the descendants of the servants of Solomon: 
       the descendants of Sotai, Sophereth, Perida,






       (Neh 7:58 NCV)  Jaala, Darkon, Giddel,

       (Neh 7:59 NCV)  Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-Hazzebaim, and Amon.

       (Neh 7:60 NCV)  The Temple servants and the descendants of the 
       servants of Solomon totaled 392 people.

       (Neh 7:61 NCV)  Some people came to Jerusalem from the towns of Tel 
       Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon, and Immer, but they could not prove 
       that their ancestors came from Israel. Here are their names and their 
       number:

       (Neh 7:62 NCV)  the descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda--642.

       (Neh 7:63 NCV)  And these priests could not prove that their ancestors 
       came from Israel: the descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai. 
       (He had married a daughter of Barzillai from Gilead and was called by 
       her family name.)

       (Neh 7:64 NCV)  These people searched for their family records, but 
       they could not find them. So they could not be priests, because they 
       were thought to be unclean.

       (Neh 7:65 NCV)  The governor ordered them not to eat any of the holy 
       food until a priest settled this matter by using the Urim and Thummim.

       (Neh 7:66 NCV)  The total number of those who returned was 42,360.

       (Neh 7:67 NCV)  This is not counting their 7,337 male and female 
       servants and the 245 male and female singers with them.

       (Neh 7:68 NCV)  They had 736 horses, 245 mules,

       (Neh 7:69 NCV)  435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

       (Neh 7:70 NCV)  Some of the family leaders gave to the work. The 
       governor gave to the treasury about 19 pounds of gold, 50 bowls, and 
       530 pieces of clothing for the priests.

       (Neh 7:71 NCV)  Some of the family leaders gave about 375 pounds of 
       gold and about 2,660 pounds of silver to the treasury for the work.

       (Neh 7:72 NCV)  The total of what the other people gave was about 375 
       pounds of gold, about 2,250 pounds of silver, and 67 pieces of 
       clothing for the priests.

       (Neh 7:73 NCV)  So these people all settled in their own towns: the 
       priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Temple 
       servants, and all the other people of Israel. By the seventh month the 
       Israelites were settled in their own towns.

       (Neh 8:1 NCV)  All the people of Israel gathered together in the 
       square by the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the teacher to bring out the 
       Book of the Teachings of Moses, which the LORD had given to Israel.





       (Neh 8:2 NCV)  So on the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the 
       priest brought out the Teachings for the crowd. Men, women, and all 
       who could listen and understand had gathered.

       (Neh 8:3 NCV)  At the square by the Water Gate Ezra read the Teachings 
       out loud from early morning until noon to the men, women, and everyone 
       who could listen and understand. All the people listened carefully to 
       the Book of the Teachings.

       (Neh 8:4 NCV)  Ezra the teacher stood on a high wooden platform that 
       had been built just for this time. On his right were Mattithiah, 
       Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah. And on his left were 
       Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and 
       Meshullam.

       (Neh 8:5 NCV)  Ezra opened the book in full view of everyone, because 
       he was above them. As he opened it, all the people stood up.

       (Neh 8:6 NCV)  Ezra praised the LORD, the great God, and all the 
       people held up their hands and said, "Amen! Amen!" Then they bowed 
       down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

       (Neh 8:7 NCV)  These Levites explained the Teachings to the people as 
       they stood there: Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, 
       Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah.

       (Neh 8:8 NCV)  They read from the Book of the Teachings of God and 
       explained what it meant so the people understood what was being read.

       (Neh 8:9 NCV)  Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and 
       teacher, and the Levites who were teaching said to all the people, 
       "This is a holy day to the LORD your God. Don't be sad or cry." All 
       the people had been crying as they listened to the words of the 
       Teachings.

       (Neh 8:10 NCV)  Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy good food and sweet 
       drinks. Send some to people who have none, because today is a holy day 
       to the Lord. Don't be sad, because the joy of the LORD will make you 
       strong."

       (Neh 8:11 NCV)  The Levites helped calm the people, saying, "Be quiet, 
       because this is a holy day. Don't be sad."

       (Neh 8:12 NCV)  Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to 
       send some of their food to others, and to celebrate with great joy. 
       They finally understood what they had been taught.

       (Neh 8:13 NCV)  On the second day of the month, the leaders of all the 
       families, the priests, and the Levites met with Ezra the teacher. They 
       gathered to study the words of the Teachings.

       (Neh 8:14 NCV)  This is what they found written in the Teachings: The 
       LORD commanded through Moses that the people of Israel were to live in 
       shelters during the feast of the seventh month.

       (Neh 8:15 NCV)  The people were supposed to preach this message and 





       spread it through all their towns and in Jerusalem: "Go out into the 
       mountains, and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, 
       myrtle trees, palms, and shade trees. Make shelters with them, as it 
       is written."

       (Neh 8:16 NCV)  So the people went out and got tree branches. They 
       built shelters on their roofs, in their courtyards, in the courtyards 
       of the Temple, in the square by the Water Gate, and in the square next 
       to the Gate of Ephraim.

       (Neh 8:17 NCV)  The whole group that had come back from captivity 
       built shelters and lived in them. The Israelites had not done this 
       since the time of Joshua son of Nun. And they were very happy.

       (Neh 8:18 NCV)  Ezra read to them every day from the Book of the 
       Teachings, from the first day to the last. The people of Israel 
       celebrated the feast for seven days, and then on the eighth day the 
       people gathered as the law said.

       (Neh 9:1 NCV)  On the twenty-fourth day of that same month, the people 
       of Israel gathered. They did not eat, and they wore rough cloth and 
       put dust on their heads to show their sadness.

       (Neh 9:2 NCV)  Those people whose ancestors were from Israel had 
       separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood and confessed 
       their sins and their ancestors' sins.

       (Neh 9:3 NCV)  For a fourth of the day they stood where they were and 
       read from the Book of the Teachings of the LORD their God. For another 
       fourth of the day they confessed their sins and worshiped the LORD 
       their God.

       (Neh 9:4 NCV)  These Levites were standing on the stairs: Jeshua, 
       Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Kanani. They 
       called out to the LORD their God with loud voices.

       (Neh 9:5 NCV)  Then these Levites spoke: Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, 
       Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah. They said, 
       "Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who lives forever and ever." 
       "Blessed be your wonderful name. It is more wonderful than all 
       blessing and praise.

       (Neh 9:6 NCV)  You are the only LORD. You made the heavens, even the 
       highest heavens, with all the stars. You made the earth and everything 
       on it, the seas and everything in them; you give life to everything. 
       The heavenly army worships you.

       (Neh 9:7 NCV)  "You are the LORD, the God who chose Abram and brought 
       him out of Ur in Babylonia and named him Abraham.

       (Neh 9:8 NCV)  You found him faithful to you, so you made an agreement 
       with him to give his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, 
       Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and Girgashites. You have kept your 
       promise, because you do what is right.

       (Neh 9:9 NCV)  "You saw our ancestors suffering in Egypt and heard 





       them cry out at the Red Sea.

       (Neh 9:10 NCV)  You did signs and miracles against the king of Egypt, 
       and against all his officers and all his people, because you knew how 
       proud they were. You became as famous as you are today.

       (Neh 9:11 NCV)  You divided the sea in front of our ancestors; they 
       walked through on dry ground. But you threw the people chasing them 
       into the deep water, like a stone thrown into mighty waters.

       (Neh 9:12 NCV)  You led our ancestors with a pillar of cloud by day 
       and with a pillar of fire at night. It lit the way they were supposed 
       to go.

       (Neh 9:13 NCV)  You came down to Mount Sinai and spoke from heaven to 
       our ancestors. You gave them fair rules and true teachings, good 
       orders and commands.

       (Neh 9:14 NCV)  You told them about your holy Sabbath and gave them 
       commands, orders, and teachings through your servant Moses.

       (Neh 9:15 NCV)  When they were hungry, you gave them bread from 
       heaven. When they were thirsty, you brought them water from the rock. 
       You told them to enter and take over the land you had promised to give 
       them.

       (Neh 9:16 NCV)  "But our ancestors were proud and stubborn and did not 
       obey your commands.

       (Neh 9:17 NCV)  They refused to listen; they forgot the miracles you 
       did for them. So they became stubborn and turned against you, choosing 
       a leader to take them back to slavery. But you are a forgiving God. 
       You are kind and full of mercy. You do not become angry quickly, and 
       you have great love. So you did not leave them.

       (Neh 9:18 NCV)  Our ancestors even made an idol of a calf for 
       themselves. They said, 'This is your god, Israel, who brought you up 
       out of Egypt.' They spoke against you.

       (Neh 9:19 NCV)  "You have great mercy, so you did not leave them in 
       the desert. The pillar of cloud guided them by day, and the pillar of 
       fire led them at night, lighting the way they were to go.

       (Neh 9:20 NCV)  You gave your good Spirit to teach them. You gave them 
       manna to eat and water when they were thirsty.

       (Neh 9:21 NCV)  You took care of them for forty years in the desert; 
       they needed nothing. Their clothes did not wear out, and their feet 
       did not swell.

       (Neh 9:22 NCV)  "You gave them kingdoms and nations; you gave them 
       more land. They took over the country of Sihon king of Heshbon and the 
       country of Og king of Bashan.

       (Neh 9:23 NCV)  You made their children as many as the stars in the 
       sky, and you brought them into the land that you told their fathers to 





       enter and take over.

       (Neh 9:24 NCV)  So their children went into the land and took over. 
       The Canaanites lived there, but you defeated them for our ancestors. 
       You handed over to them the Canaanites, their kings, and the people of 
       the land. Our ancestors could do what they wanted with them.

       (Neh 9:25 NCV)  They captured strong, walled cities and fertile land. 
       They took over houses full of good things, wells that were already 
       dug, vineyards, olive trees, and many fruit trees. They ate until they 
       were full and grew fat; they enjoyed your great goodness.

       (Neh 9:26 NCV)  "But they were disobedient and turned against you and 
       ignored your teachings. Your prophets warned them to come back to you, 
       but they killed those prophets and spoke against you.

       (Neh 9:27 NCV)  So you handed them over to their enemies, and their 
       enemies treated them badly. But in this time of trouble our ancestors 
       cried out to you, and you heard from heaven. You had great mercy and 
       gave them saviors who saved them from the power of their enemies.

       (Neh 9:28 NCV)  But as soon as they had rest, they again did what was 
       evil. So you left them to their enemies who ruled over them. When they 
       cried out to you again, you heard from heaven. Because of your mercy, 
       you saved them again and again.

       (Neh 9:29 NCV)  You warned them to return to your teachings, but they 
       were proud and did not obey your commands. If someone obeys your laws, 
       he will live, but they sinned against your laws. They were stubborn, 
       unwilling, and disobedient.

       (Neh 9:30 NCV)  You were patient with them for many years and warned 
       them by your Spirit through the prophets, but they did not pay 
       attention. So you handed them over to other countries.

       (Neh 9:31 NCV)  But because your mercy is great, you did not kill them 
       all or leave them. You are a kind and merciful God.

       (Neh 9:32 NCV)  "And so, our God, you are the great and mighty and 
       wonderful God. You keep your agreement of love. Do not let all our 
       trouble seem unimportant to you. This trouble has come to us, to our 
       kings and our leaders, to our priests and prophets, to our ancestors 
       and all your people from the days of the kings of Assyria until today.

       (Neh 9:33 NCV)  You have been fair in everything that has happened to 
       us; you have been loyal, but we have been wicked.

       (Neh 9:34 NCV)  Our kings, leaders, priests, and ancestors did not 
       obey your teachings; they did not pay attention to the commands and 
       warnings you gave them.

       (Neh 9:35 NCV)  Even when our ancestors were living in their kingdom, 
       enjoying all the good things you had given them, enjoying the land 
       that was fertile and full of room, they did not stop their evil ways.

       (Neh 9:36 NCV)  "Look, we are slaves today in the land you gave our 





       ancestors. They were to enjoy its fruit and its good things, but look, 
       we are slaves here.

       (Neh 9:37 NCV)  The land's great harvest belongs to the kings you have 
       put over us because of our sins. Those kings rule over us and our 
       cattle as they please, so we are in much trouble.

       (Neh 9:38 NCV)  "Because of all this, we are making an agreement in 
       writing, and our leaders, Levites, and priests are putting their seals 
       on it."

       (Neh 10:1 NCV)  These are the men who sealed the agreement: Nehemiah 
       the governor, son of Hacaliah.

       (Neh 10:2 NCV)  Zedekiah, Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,

       (Neh 10:3 NCV)  Pashhur, Amariah, Malkijah,

       (Neh 10:4 NCV)  Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,

       (Neh 10:5 NCV)  Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,

       (Neh 10:6 NCV)  Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,

       (Neh 10:7 NCV)  Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,

       (Neh 10:8 NCV)  Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah. These are the priests.

       (Neh 10:9 NCV)  These are the Levites who sealed it: Jeshua son of 
       Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel,

       (Neh 10:10 NCV)  and their fellow Levites: Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, 
       Pelaiah, Hanan,

       (Neh 10:11 NCV)  Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah,

       (Neh 10:12 NCV)  Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,

       (Neh 10:13 NCV)  Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu.

       (Neh 10:14 NCV)  These are the leaders of the people who sealed the 
       agreement: Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,

       (Neh 10:15 NCV)  Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,

       (Neh 10:16 NCV)  Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,

       (Neh 10:17 NCV)  Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,

       (Neh 10:18 NCV)  Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,

       (Neh 10:19 NCV)  Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,

       (Neh 10:20 NCV)  Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,

       (Neh 10:21 NCV)  Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,






       (Neh 10:22 NCV)  Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,

       (Neh 10:23 NCV)  Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,

       (Neh 10:24 NCV)  Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,

       (Neh 10:25 NCV)  Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,

       (Neh 10:26 NCV)  Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,

       (Neh 10:27 NCV)  Malluch, Harim, and Baanah.

       (Neh 10:28 NCV)  The rest of the people took an oath. They were the 
       priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, Temple servants, all those who 
       separated themselves from foreigners to keep the Teachings of God, and 
       also their wives and their sons and daughters who could understand.

       (Neh 10:29 NCV)  They joined their fellow Israelites and their leading 
       men in taking an oath, which was tied to a curse in case they broke 
       the oath. They promised to follow the Teachings of God, which they had 
       been given through Moses the servant of God, and to obey all the 
       commands, rules, and laws of the LORD our God.

       (Neh 10:30 NCV)  They said: We promise not to let our daughters marry 
       foreigners nor to let our sons marry their daughters.

       (Neh 10:31 NCV)  Foreigners may bring goods or grain to sell on the 
       Sabbath, but we will not buy on the Sabbath or any holy day. Every 
       seventh year we will not plant, and that year we will forget all that 
       people owe us.

       (Neh 10:32 NCV)  We will be responsible for the commands to pay for 
       the service of the Temple of our God. We will give an eighth of an 
       ounce of silver each year.

       (Neh 10:33 NCV)  It is for the bread that is set out on the table; the 
       regular grain offerings and burnt offerings; the offerings on the 
       Sabbaths, New Moon festivals, and special feasts; the holy offerings; 
       the offerings to remove the sins of the Israelites so they will belong 
       to God; and for the work of the Temple of our God.

       (Neh 10:34 NCV)  We, the priests, the Levites, and the people, have 
       thrown lots to decide at what time of year each family must bring wood 
       to the Temple. The wood is for burning on the altar of the LORD our 
       God, and we will do this as it is written in the Teachings.

       (Neh 10:35 NCV)  We also will bring the first fruits from our crops 
       and the first fruits of every tree to the Temple each year.

       (Neh 10:36 NCV)  We will bring to the Temple our firstborn sons and 
       cattle and the firstborn of our herds and flocks, as it is written in 
       the Teachings. We will bring them to the priests who are serving in 
       the Temple.

       (Neh 10:37 NCV)  We will bring to the priests at the storerooms of the 





       Temple the first of our ground meal, our offerings, the fruit from all 
       our trees, and our new wine and oil. And we will bring a tenth of our 
       crops to the Levites, who will collect these things in all the towns 
       where we work.

       (Neh 10:38 NCV)  A priest of Aaron's family must be with the Levites 
       when they receive the tenth of the people's crops. The Levites must 
       bring a tenth of all they receive to the Temple of our God to put in 
       the storerooms of the treasury.

       (Neh 10:39 NCV)  The people of Israel and the Levites are to bring to 
       the storerooms the gifts of grain, new wine, and oil. That is where 
       the utensils for the Temple are kept and where the priests who are 
       serving, the gatekeepers, and singers stay. We will not ignore the 
       Temple of our God.

       (Neh 11:1 NCV)  The leaders of Israel lived in Jerusalem. But the rest 
       of the people threw lots to choose one person out of every ten to come 
       and live in Jerusalem, the holy city. The other nine could stay in 
       their own cities.

       (Neh 11:2 NCV)  The people blessed those who volunteered to live in 
       Jerusalem.

       (Neh 11:3 NCV)  These are the area leaders who lived in Jerusalem. 
       (Some people lived on their own land in the cities of Judah. These 
       included Israelites, priests, Levites, Temple servants, and 
       descendants of Solomon's servants.

       (Neh 11:4 NCV)  Others from the families of Judah and Benjamin lived 
       in Jerusalem.) These are the descendants of Judah who moved into 
       Jerusalem. There was Athaiah son of Uzziah. (Uzziah was the son of 
       Zechariah, the son of Amariah. Amariah was the son of Shephatiah, the 
       son of Mahalalel. Mahalalel was a descendant of Perez.)

       (Neh 11:5 NCV)  There was also Masseiah son of Baruch. (Baruch was the 
       son of Col-Hozeh, the son of Hazaiah. Hazaiah was the son of Adaiah, 
       the son of Joiarib. Joiarib was the son of Zechariah, a descendant of 
       Shelah.)

       (Neh 11:6 NCV)  All the descendants of Perez who lived in Jerusalem 
       totaled 468 men. They were soldiers.

       (Neh 11:7 NCV)  These are descendants of Benjamin who moved into 
       Jerusalem. There was Sallu son of Meshullam. (Meshullam was the son of 
       Joed, the son of Pedaiah. Pedaiah was the son of Kolaiah, the son of 
       Maaseiah. Maaseiah was the son of Ithiel, the son of Jeshaiah.)

       (Neh 11:8 NCV)  Following him were Gabbai and Sallai, for a total of 
       928 men.

       (Neh 11:9 NCV)  Joel son of Zicri was appointed over them, and Judah 
       son of Hassenuah was second in charge of the new area of the city.

       (Neh 11:10 NCV)  These are the priests who moved into Jerusalem. There 
       was Jedaiah son of Joiarib, Jakin,






       (Neh 11:11 NCV)  and Seraiah son of Hilkiah, the supervisor in the 
       Temple. (Hilkiah was the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok. Zadok was 
       the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub.)

       (Neh 11:12 NCV)  And there were others with them who did the work for 
       the Temple. All together there were 822 men. Also there was Adaiah son 
       of Jeroham. (Jeroham was the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi. Amzi 
       was the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur. Pashhur was the son of 
       Malkijah.)

       (Neh 11:13 NCV)  And there were family heads with him. All together 
       there were 242 men. Also there was Amashsai son of Azarel. (Azarel was 
       the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth. Meshillemoth was the son of 
       Immer.)

       (Neh 11:14 NCV)  And there were brave men with Amashsai. All together 
       there were 128 men. Zabdiel son of Haggedolim was appointed over them.

       (Neh 11:15 NCV)  These are the Levites who moved into Jerusalem. There 
       was Shemaiah son of Hasshub. (Hasshub was the son of Azrikam, the son 
       of Hashabiah. Hashabiah was the son of Bunni.)

       (Neh 11:16 NCV)  And there were Shabbethai and Jozabad, two of the 
       leaders of the Levites who were in charge of the work outside the 
       Temple.

       (Neh 11:17 NCV)  There was Mattaniah son of Mica. (Mica was the son of 
       Zabdi, the son of Asaph.) Mattaniah was the director who led the 
       people in thanksgiving and prayer. There was Bakbukiah, who was second 
       in charge over his fellow Levites. And there was Abda son of Shammua. 
       (Shammua was the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.)

       (Neh 11:18 NCV)  All together 284 Levites lived in the holy city of 
       Jerusalem.

       (Neh 11:19 NCV)  The gatekeepers who moved into Jerusalem were Akkub, 
       Talmon, and others with them. There was a total of 172 men who guarded 
       the city gates.

       (Neh 11:20 NCV)  The other Israelites, priests, and Levites lived on 
       their own land in all the cities of Judah.

       (Neh 11:21 NCV)  The Temple servants lived on the hill of Ophel, and 
       Ziha and Gishpa were in charge of them.

       (Neh 11:22 NCV)  Uzzi son of Bani was appointed over the Levites in 
       Jerusalem. (Bani was the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah. 
       Mattaniah was the son of Mica.) Uzzi was one of Asaph's descendants, 
       who were the singers responsible for the service of the Temple.

       (Neh 11:23 NCV)  The singers were under the king's orders, which 
       regulated them day by day.

       (Neh 11:24 NCV)  Pethahiah son of Meshezabel was the king's spokesman. 
       (Meshezabel was a descendant of Zerah, the son of Judah.)






       (Neh 11:25 NCV)  Some of the people of Judah lived in villages with 
       their surrounding fields. They lived in Kiriath Arba and its 
       surroundings, in Dibon and its surroundings, in Jekabzeel and its 
       surroundings,

       (Neh 11:26 NCV)  in Jeshua, Moladah, Beth Pelet,

       (Neh 11:27 NCV)  Hazar Shual, Beersheba and its surroundings,

       (Neh 11:28 NCV)  in Ziklag and Meconah and its surroundings,

       (Neh 11:29 NCV)  in En Rimmon, Zorah, Jarmuth,

       (Neh 11:30 NCV)  Zanoah, Adullam and their villages, in Lachish and 
       the fields around it, and in Azekah and its surroundings. So they 
       settled from Beersheba all the way to the Valley of Hinnom.

       (Neh 11:31 NCV)  The descendants of the Benjaminites from Geba lived 
       in Micmash, Aija, Bethel and its surroundings,

       (Neh 11:32 NCV)  in Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,

       (Neh 11:33 NCV)  Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,

       (Neh 11:34 NCV)  Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,

       (Neh 11:35 NCV)  Lod, Ono, and in the Valley of the Craftsmen.

       (Neh 11:36 NCV)  Some groups of the Levites from Judah settled in the 
       land of Benjamin.

       (Neh 12:1 NCV)  These are the priests and Levites who returned with 
       Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and with Jeshua. There were Seraiah, 
       Jeremiah, Ezra,

       (Neh 12:2 NCV)  Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

       (Neh 12:3 NCV)  Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

       (Neh 12:4 NCV)  Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah,

       (Neh 12:5 NCV)  Mijamin, Moadiah, Bilgah,

       (Neh 12:6 NCV)  Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,

       (Neh 12:7 NCV)  Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. They were the 
       leaders of the priests and their relatives in the days of Jeshua.

       (Neh 12:8 NCV)  The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, 
       Judah, and Mattaniah. Mattaniah and his relatives were in charge of 
       the songs of thanksgiving.

       (Neh 12:9 NCV)  Bakbukiah and Unni, their relatives, stood across from 
       them in the services.





       (Neh 12:10 NCV)  Jeshua was the father of Joiakim. Joiakim was the 
       father of Eliashib. Eliashib was the father of Joiada.

       (Neh 12:11 NCV)  Joiada was the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan was 
       the father of Jaddua.

       (Neh 12:12 NCV)  In the days of Joiakim, these priests were the 
       leaders of the families of priests: Meraiah, from Seraiah's family; 
       Hananiah, from Jeremiah's family;

       (Neh 12:13 NCV)  Meshullam, from Ezra's family; Jehohanan, from 
       Amariah's family;

       (Neh 12:14 NCV)  Jonathan, from Malluch's family; Joseph, from 
       Shecaniah's family;

       (Neh 12:15 NCV)  Adna, from Harim's family; Helkai, from Meremoth's 
       family;

       (Neh 12:16 NCV)  Zechariah, from Iddo's family; Meshullam, from 
       Ginnethon's family;

       (Neh 12:17 NCV)  Zicri, from Abijah's family; Piltai, from Miniamin's 
       and Moadiah's families;

       (Neh 12:18 NCV)  Shammua, from Bilgah's family; Jehonathan, from 
       Shemaiah's family;

       (Neh 12:19 NCV)  Mattenai, from Joiarib's family; Uzzi, from Jedaiah's 
       family;

       (Neh 12:20 NCV)  Kallai, from Sallu's family; Eber, from Amok's 
       family;

       (Neh 12:21 NCV)  Hashabiah, from Hilkiah's family; and Nethanel, from 
       Jedaiah's family.

       (Neh 12:22 NCV)  The leaders of the families of the Levites and the 
       priests were written down in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, 
       and Jaddua, while Darius the Persian was king.

       (Neh 12:23 NCV)  The family leaders among the Levites were written 
       down in the history book, but only up to the time of Johanan son of 
       Eliashib.

       (Neh 12:24 NCV)  The leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, 
       Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their relatives. Their relatives stood 
       across from them and gave praise and thanksgiving to God. One group 
       answered the other group, as David, the man of God, had commanded.

       (Neh 12:25 NCV)  These were the gatekeepers who guarded the storerooms 
       next to the gates: Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, 
       and Akkub.

       (Neh 12:26 NCV)  They served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, the 
       son of Jozadak. They also served in the days of Nehemiah the governor 





       and Ezra the priest and teacher.

       (Neh 12:27 NCV)  When the wall of Jerusalem was offered as a gift to 
       God, they asked the Levites to come from wherever they lived to 
       Jerusalem to celebrate with joy the gift of the wall. They were to 
       celebrate with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, 
       harps, and lyres.

       (Neh 12:28 NCV)  They also brought together singers from all around 
       Jerusalem, from the Netophathite villages,

       (Neh 12:29 NCV)  from Beth Gilgal, and from the areas of Geba and 
       Azmaveth. The singers had built villages for themselves around 
       Jerusalem.

       (Neh 12:30 NCV)  The priests and Levites made themselves pure, and 
       they also made the people, the gates, and the wall of Jerusalem pure.

       (Neh 12:31 NCV)  I had the leaders of Judah go up on top of the wall, 
       and I appointed two large choruses to give thanks. One chorus went to 
       the right on top of the wall, toward the Trash Gate.

       (Neh 12:32 NCV)  Behind them went Hoshaiah and half the leaders of 
       Judah.

       (Neh 12:33 NCV)  Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,

       (Neh 12:34 NCV)  Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah also went.

       (Neh 12:35 NCV)  Some priests with trumpets also went, along with 
       Zechariah son of Jonathan. (Jonathan was the son of Shemaiah, the son 
       of Mattaniah. Mattaniah was the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur. 
       Zaccur was the son of Asaph.)

       (Neh 12:36 NCV)  Zechariah's relatives also went. They were Shemaiah, 
       Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani. These men 
       played the musical instruments of David, the man of God, and Ezra the 
       teacher walked in front of them.

       (Neh 12:37 NCV)  They went from the Fountain Gate straight up the 
       steps to the highest part of the wall by the older part of the city. 
       They went on above the house of David to the Water Gate on the east.

       (Neh 12:38 NCV)  The second chorus went to the left, while I followed 
       them on top of the wall with half the people. We went from the Tower 
       of the Ovens to the Broad Wall,

       (Neh 12:39 NCV)  over the Gate of Ephraim to the Old Gate and the Fish 
       Gate, to the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred. We went as 
       far as the Sheep Gate and stopped at the Gate of the Guard.

       (Neh 12:40 NCV)  The two choruses took their places at the Temple. 
       Half of the leaders and I did also.

       (Neh 12:41 NCV)  These priests were there with their trumpets: 
       Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and 





       Hananiah.

       (Neh 12:42 NCV)  These people were also there: Maaseiah, Shemaiah, 
       Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam, and Ezer. The choruses sang, 
       led by Jezrahiah.

       (Neh 12:43 NCV)  The people offered many sacrifices that day and were 
       happy because God had given them great joy. The women and children 
       were happy. The sound of happiness in Jerusalem could be heard far 
       away.

       (Neh 12:44 NCV)  At that time the leaders appointed men to be in 
       charge of the storerooms. These rooms were for the gifts, the first 
       fruits, and the ten percent that the people brought. The Teachings 
       said they should bring a share for the priests and Levites from the 
       fields around the towns. The people of Judah were happy to do this for 
       the priests and Levites who served.

       (Neh 12:45 NCV)  They performed the service of their God in making 
       things pure. The singers and gatekeepers also did their jobs, as David 
       had commanded his son Solomon.

       (Neh 12:46 NCV)  Earlier, in the time of David and Asaph, there was a 
       leader of the singers and of the songs of praise and thanksgiving to 
       God.

       (Neh 12:47 NCV)  So it was in the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah. All 
       the people of Israel gave something to the singers and gatekeepers, 
       and they also set aside part for the Levites. Then the Levites set 
       aside part for the descendants of Aaron.

       (Neh 13:1 NCV)  On that day they read the Book of Moses to the people, 
       and they found that it said no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be 
       allowed in the meeting to worship.

       (Neh 13:2 NCV)  The Ammonites and Moabites had not welcomed the 
       Israelites with food and water. Instead, they had hired Balaam to put 
       a curse on Israel. (But our God turned the curse into a blessing.)

       (Neh 13:3 NCV)  When the people heard this teaching, they separated 
       all foreigners from Israel.

       (Neh 13:4 NCV)  Before that happened, Eliashib the priest, who was in 
       charge of the Temple storerooms, was friendly with Tobiah.

       (Neh 13:5 NCV)  Eliashib let Tobiah use one of the large storerooms. 
       Earlier it had been used for grain offerings, incense, the utensils, 
       and the tenth offerings of grain, new wine, and olive oil that 
       belonged to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers. It had also been 
       used for gifts for the priests.

       (Neh 13:6 NCV)  I was not in Jerusalem when this happened. I had gone 
       back to Artaxerxes king of Babylon in the thirty-second year he was 
       king. Finally I asked the king to let me leave.

       (Neh 13:7 NCV)  When I returned to Jerusalem, I found out the evil 





       Eliashib had done by letting Tobiah have a room in the Temple 
       courtyard.

       (Neh 13:8 NCV)  I was very upset at this, so I threw all of Tobiah's 
       goods out of the room.

       (Neh 13:9 NCV)  I ordered the rooms to be purified, and I brought back 
       the utensils for God's Temple, the grain offerings, and the incense.

       (Neh 13:10 NCV)  Then I found out the people were not giving the 
       Levites their shares. So the Levites and singers who served had gone 
       back to their own farms.

       (Neh 13:11 NCV)  I argued with the officers, saying, "Why haven't you 
       taken care of the Temple?" Then I gathered the Levites and singers and 
       put them back at their places.

       (Neh 13:12 NCV)  All the people of Judah then brought to the 
       storerooms a tenth of their crops, new wine, and olive oil.

       (Neh 13:13 NCV)  I put these men in charge of the storerooms: 
       Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the teacher, and Pedaiah a Levite. I made 
       Hanan son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, their helper. Everyone knew 
       they were honest men. They gave out the portions that went to their 
       relatives.

       (Neh 13:14 NCV)  Remember me, my God, for this. Do not ignore my love 
       for the Temple and its service.

       (Neh 13:15 NCV)  In those days I saw people in Judah working in the 
       winepresses on the Sabbath day. They were bringing in grain and 
       loading it on donkeys. And they were bringing loads of wine, grapes, 
       and figs into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I warned them about 
       selling food on that day.

       (Neh 13:16 NCV)  People from the city of Tyre who were living in 
       Jerusalem brought in fish and other things and sold them there on the 
       Sabbath day to the people of Judah.

       (Neh 13:17 NCV)  I argued with the important men of Judah and said to 
       them, "What is this evil thing you are doing? You are ruining the 
       Sabbath day.

       (Neh 13:18 NCV)  This is just what your ancestors did. So our God did 
       terrible things to us and this city. Now you are making him even more 
       angry at Israel by ruining the Sabbath day."

       (Neh 13:19 NCV)  So I ordered that the doors be shut at sunset before 
       the Sabbath and not be opened until the Sabbath was over. I put my 
       servants at the gates so no load could come in on the Sabbath.

       (Neh 13:20 NCV)  Once or twice traders and sellers of all kinds of 
       goods spent the night outside Jerusalem.

       (Neh 13:21 NCV)  So I warned them, "Why are you spending the night by 
       the wall? If you do it again, I will force you away." After that, they 





       did not come back on the Sabbath.

       (Neh 13:22 NCV)  Then I ordered the Levites to purify themselves and 
       to guard the city gates to make sure the Sabbath remained holy. 
       Remember me, my God, for this. Have mercy on me because of your great 
       love.

       (Neh 13:23 NCV)  In those days I saw men of Judah who had married 
       women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.

       (Neh 13:24 NCV)  Half their children were speaking the language of 
       Ashdod or some other place, and they couldn't speak the language of 
       Judah.

       (Neh 13:25 NCV)  I argued with those people, put curses on them, hit 
       some of them, and pulled out their hair. I forced them to make a 
       promise to God, saying, "Do not let your daughters marry the sons of 
       foreigners, and do not take the daughters of foreigners as wives for 
       your sons or yourselves.

       (Neh 13:26 NCV)  Foreign women made King Solomon of Israel sin. There 
       was never a king like him in any of the nations. God loved Solomon and 
       made him king over all Israel, but foreign women made him sin.

       (Neh 13:27 NCV)  And now you are not obedient when you do this evil 
       thing. You are unfaithful to our God when you marry foreign wives."

       (Neh 13:28 NCV)  Joiada was the son of Eliashib the high priest. One 
       of Joiada's sons married a daughter of Sanballat the Horonite, so I 
       sent him away from me.

       (Neh 13:29 NCV)  Remember them, my God, because they made the 
       priesthood unclean and the agreement of the priests and Levites 
       unclean.

       (Neh 13:30 NCV)  So I purified them of everything that was foreign. I 
       appointed duties for the priests and Levites, giving each man his own 
       job.

       (Neh 13:31 NCV)  I also made sure wood was brought for the altar at 
       regular times and that the first fruits were brought. Remember me, my 
       God; be kind to me.

       (Est 1:1 NCV)  This is what happened during the time of King Xerxes, 
       the king who ruled the one hundred twenty-seven states from India to 
       Cush.

       (Est 1:2 NCV)  In those days King Xerxes ruled from his capital city 
       of Susa.

       (Est 1:3 NCV)  In the third year of his rule, he gave a banquet for 
       all his important men and royal officers. The army leaders from the 
       countries of Persia and Media and the important men from all Xerxes' 
       empire were there.

       (Est 1:4 NCV)  The banquet lasted one hundred eighty days. All during 





       that time King Xerxes was showing off the great wealth of his kingdom 
       and his own great riches and glory.

       (Est 1:5 NCV)  When the one hundred eighty days were over, the king 
       gave another banquet. It was held in the courtyard of the palace 
       garden for seven days, and it was for everybody in the palace at Susa, 
       from the greatest to the least.

       (Est 1:6 NCV)  The courtyard had fine white curtains and purple drapes 
       that were tied to silver rings on marble pillars by white and purple 
       cords. And there were gold and silver couches on a floor set with 
       tiles of white marble, shells, and gems.

       (Est 1:7 NCV)  Wine was served in gold cups of various kinds. And 
       there was plenty of the king's wine, because he was very generous.

       (Est 1:8 NCV)  The king commanded that the guests be permitted to 
       drink as much as they wished. He told the wine servers to serve each 
       person what he wanted.

       (Est 1:9 NCV)  Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the 
       royal palace of King Xerxes.

       (Est 1:10 NCV)  On the seventh day of the banquet, King Xerxes was 
       very happy, because he had been drinking much wine. He gave a command 
       to the seven eunuchs who served him--Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, 
       Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas.

       (Est 1:11 NCV)  He commanded them to bring him Queen Vashti, wearing 
       her royal crown. She was to come to show her beauty to the people and 
       important men, because she was very beautiful.

       (Est 1:12 NCV)  The eunuchs told Queen Vashti about the king's 
       command, but she refused to come. Then the king became very angry; his 
       anger was like a burning fire.

       (Est 1:13 NCV)  It was a custom for the king to ask advice from 
       experts about law and order. So King Xerxes spoke with the wise men 
       who would know the right thing to do.

       (Est 1:14 NCV)  The wise men the king usually talked to were Carshena, 
       Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, seven of the 
       important men of Persia and Media. These seven had special privileges 
       to see the king and had the highest rank in the kingdom.

       (Est 1:15 NCV)  The king asked them, "What does the law say must be 
       done to Queen Vashti? She has not obeyed the command of King Xerxes, 
       which the eunuchs took to her."

       (Est 1:16 NCV)  Then Memucan said to the king and the other important 
       men, "Queen Vashti has not done wrong to the king alone. She has also 
       done wrong to all the important men and all the people in all the 
       empire of King Xerxes.

       (Est 1:17 NCV)  All the wives of the important men of Persia and Media 
       will hear about the queen's actions. Then they will no longer honor 





       their husbands. They will say, 'King Xerxes commanded Queen Vashti to 
       be brought to him, but she refused to come.'

       (Est 1:18 NCV)  Today the wives of the important men of Persia and 
       Media have heard about the queen's actions. So they will speak in the 
       same way to their husbands, and there will be no end to disrespect and 
       anger.

       (Est 1:19 NCV)  "So, our king, if it pleases you, give a royal order, 
       and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be 
       changed. The law should say Vashti is never again to enter the 
       presence of King Xerxes. Also let the king give her place as queen to 
       someone who is better than she is.

       (Est 1:20 NCV)  And let the king's order be announced everywhere in 
       his enormous kingdom. Then all the women will respect their husbands, 
       from the greatest to the least."

       (Est 1:21 NCV)  The king and his important men were happy with this 
       advice, so King Xerxes did as Memucan suggested.

       (Est 1:22 NCV)  He sent letters to all the states of the kingdom in 
       the writing of each state and in the language of each group of people. 
       These letters announced that each man was to be the ruler of his own 
       family.

       (Est 2:1 NCV)  Later, when King Xerxes was not so angry, he remembered 
       Vashti and what she had done and his order about her.

       (Est 2:2 NCV)  Then the king's personal servants suggested, "Let a 
       search be made for beautiful young girls for the king.

       (Est 2:3 NCV)  Let the king choose supervisors in every state of his 
       kingdom to bring every beautiful young girl to the palace at Susa. 
       They should be taken to the women's quarters and put under the care of 
       Hegai, the king's eunuch in charge of the women. And let beauty 
       treatments be given to them.

       (Est 2:4 NCV)  Then let the girl who most pleases the king become 
       queen in place of Vashti." The king liked this idea, so he did as they 
       said.

       (Est 2:5 NCV)  Now there was a Jewish man in the palace of Susa whose 
       name was Mordecai son of Jair. Jair was the son of Shimei, the son of 
       Kish. Mordecai was from the tribe of Benjamin,

       (Est 2:6 NCV)  which had been taken captive from Jerusalem by 
       Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. They were part of the group taken into 
       captivity with Jehoiachin king of Judah.

       (Est 2:7 NCV)  Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, who had no father 
       or mother, so Mordecai took care of her. Hadassah was also called 
       Esther, and she had a very pretty figure and face. Mordecai had 
       adopted her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.

       (Est 2:8 NCV)  When the king's command and order had been heard, many 





       girls had been brought to the palace in Susa and put under the care of 
       Hegai. Esther was also taken to the king's palace and put under the 
       care of Hegai, who was in charge of the women.

       (Est 2:9 NCV)  Esther pleased Hegai, and he liked her. So Hegai 
       quickly began giving Esther her beauty treatments and special food. He 
       gave her seven servant girls chosen from the king's palace. Then he 
       moved her and her seven servant girls to the best part of the women's 
       quarters.

       (Est 2:10 NCV)  Esther did not tell anyone about her family or who her 
       people were, because Mordecai had told her not to.

       (Est 2:11 NCV)  Every day Mordecai walked back and forth near the 
       courtyard where the king's women lived to find out how Esther was and 
       what was happening to her.

       (Est 2:12 NCV)  Before a girl could take her turn with King Xerxes, 
       she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments that were 
       ordered for the women. For six months she was treated with oil and 
       myrrh and for six months with perfumes and cosmetics.

       (Est 2:13 NCV)  Then she was ready to go to the king. Anything she 
       asked for was given to her to take with her from the women's quarters 
       to the king's palace.

       (Est 2:14 NCV)  In the evening she would go to the king's palace, and 
       in the morning she would return to another part of the women's 
       quarters. There she would be placed under the care of Shaashgaz, the 
       king's eunuch in charge of the slave women. The girl would not go back 
       to the king again unless he was pleased with her and asked for her by 
       name.

       (Est 2:15 NCV)  The time came for Esther daughter of Abihail, 
       Mordecai's uncle, who had been adopted by Mordecai, to go to the king. 
       She asked for only what Hegai suggested she should take. (Hegai was 
       the king's eunuch who was in charge of the women.) Everyone who saw 
       Esther liked her.

       (Est 2:16 NCV)  So Esther was taken to King Xerxes in the royal palace 
       in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, during Xerxes' seventh year 
       as king.

       (Est 2:17 NCV)  And the king was pleased with Esther more than with 
       any of the other girls. He liked her more than any of the other girls, 
       so he put a royal crown on her head and made her queen in place of 
       Vashti.

       (Est 2:18 NCV)  Then the king gave a great banquet for Esther and 
       invited all his important men and royal officers. He announced a 
       holiday for all the empire and had the government give away gifts.

       (Est 2:19 NCV)  Now Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate when the 
       girls were gathered the second time.

       (Est 2:20 NCV)  Esther still had not told anyone about her family or 





       who her people were, just as Mordecai had commanded her. She obeyed 
       Mordecai just as she had done when she was under his care.

       (Est 2:21 NCV)  Now Bigthana and Teresh were two of the king's 
       officers who guarded the doorway. While Mordecai was sitting at the 
       king's gate, they became angry and began to make plans to kill King 
       Xerxes.

       (Est 2:22 NCV)  But Mordecai found out about their plans and told 
       Queen Esther. Then Esther told the king how Mordecai had discovered 
       the evil plan.

       (Est 2:23 NCV)  When the report was investigated, it was found to be 
       true, and the two officers who had planned to kill the king were 
       hanged. All this was written down in the daily court record in the 
       king's presence.

       (Est 3:1 NCV)  After these things happened, King Xerxes honored Haman 
       son of Hammedatha the Agagite. He gave him a new rank that was higher 
       than all the important men.

       (Est 3:2 NCV)  All the royal officers at the king's gate would bow 
       down and kneel before Haman, as the king had ordered. But Mordecai 
       would not bow down or show him honor.

       (Est 3:3 NCV)  Then the royal officers at the king's gate asked 
       Mordecai, "Why don't you obey the king's command?"

       (Est 3:4 NCV)  And they said this to him every day. When he did not 
       listen to them, they told Haman about it. They wanted to see if Haman 
       would accept Mordecai's behavior because Mordecai had told them he was 
       Jewish.

       (Est 3:5 NCV)  When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down to him 
       or honor him, he became very angry.

       (Est 3:6 NCV)  He thought of himself as too important to try to kill 
       only Mordecai. He had been told who the people of Mordecai were, so he 
       looked for a way to destroy all of Mordecai's people, the Jews, in all 
       of Xerxes' kingdom.

       (Est 3:7 NCV)  It was in the first month of the twelfth year of King 
       Xerxes' rule--the month of Nisan. Pur (that is, the lot) was thrown 
       before Haman to choose a day and a month. So the twelfth month, the 
       month of Adar, was chosen.

       (Est 3:8 NCV)  Then Haman said to King Xerxes, "There is a certain 
       group of people scattered among the other people in all the states of 
       your kingdom. Their customs are different from those of all the other 
       people, and they do not obey the king's laws. It is not right for you 
       to allow them to continue living in your kingdom.

       (Est 3:9 NCV)  If it pleases the king, let an order be given to 
       destroy those people. Then I will pay seven hundred fifty thousand 
       pounds of silver to those who do the king's business, and they will 
       put it into the royal treasury."






       (Est 3:10 NCV)  So the king took his signet ring off and gave it to 
       Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jewish people.

       (Est 3:11 NCV)  Then the king said to Haman, "The money and the people 
       are yours. Do with them as you please."

       (Est 3:12 NCV)  On the thirteenth day of the first month, the royal 
       secretaries were called, and they wrote out all of Haman's orders. 
       They wrote to the king's governors and to the captains of the soldiers 
       in each state and to the important men of each group of people. The 
       orders were written in the writing of each state and in the language 
       of each people. They were written in the name of King Xerxes and 
       sealed with his signet ring.

       (Est 3:13 NCV)  Letters were sent by messengers to all the king's 
       empire ordering them to destroy, kill, and completely wipe out all the 
       Jewish people. That meant young and old, women and little children, 
       too. It was to happen on a single day--the thirteenth day of the 
       twelfth month, which was Adar. And they could take everything the 
       Jewish people owned.

       (Est 3:14 NCV)  A copy of the order was given out as a law in every 
       state so all the people would be ready for that day.

       (Est 3:15 NCV)  The messengers set out, hurried by the king's command, 
       as soon as the order was given in the palace at Susa. The king and 
       Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was in confusion.

       (Est 4:1 NCV)  When Mordecai heard about all that had been done, he 
       tore his clothes, put on rough cloth and ashes, and went out into the 
       city crying loudly and painfully.

       (Est 4:2 NCV)  But Mordecai went only as far as the king's gate, 
       because no one was allowed to enter that gate dressed in rough cloth.

       (Est 4:3 NCV)  As the king's order reached every area, there was great 
       sadness and loud crying among the Jewish people. They gave up eating 
       and cried out loud, and many of them lay down on rough cloth and ashes 
       to show how sad they were.

       (Est 4:4 NCV)  When Esther's servant girls and eunuchs came to her and 
       told her about Mordecai, she was very upset and afraid. She sent 
       clothes for Mordecai to put on instead of the rough cloth, but he 
       would not wear them.

       (Est 4:5 NCV)  Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king's 
       eunuchs chosen by the king to serve her. Esther ordered him to find 
       out what was bothering Mordecai and why.

       (Est 4:6 NCV)  So Hathach went to Mordecai, who was in the city square 
       in front of the king's gate.

       (Est 4:7 NCV)  Mordecai told Hathach everything that had happened to 
       him, and he told Hathach about the amount of money Haman had promised 
       to pay into the king's treasury for the killing of the Jewish people.






       (Est 4:8 NCV)  Mordecai also gave him a copy of the order to kill the 
       Jewish people, which had been given in Susa. He wanted Hathach to show 
       it to Esther and to tell her about it. And Mordecai told him to order 
       Esther to go into the king's presence to beg for mercy and to plead 
       with him for her people.

       (Est 4:9 NCV)  Hathach went back and reported to Esther everything 
       Mordecai had said.

       (Est 4:10 NCV)  Then Esther told Hathach to tell Mordecai,

       (Est 4:11 NCV)  "All the royal officers and people of the royal states 
       know that no man or woman may go to the king in the inner courtyard 
       without being called. There is only one law about this: Anyone who 
       enters must be put to death unless the king holds out his gold 
       scepter. Then that person may live. And I have not been called to go 
       to the king for thirty days."

       (Est 4:12 NCV)  Esther's message was given to Mordecai.

       (Est 4:13 NCV)  Then Mordecai sent back word to Esther: "Just because 
       you live in the king's palace, don't think that out of all the Jewish 
       people you alone will escape.

       (Est 4:14 NCV)  If you keep quiet at this time, someone else will help 
       and save the Jewish people, but you and your father's family will all 
       die. And who knows, you may have been chosen queen for just such a 
       time as this."

       (Est 4:15 NCV)  Then Esther sent this answer to Mordecai:

       (Est 4:16 NCV)  "Go and get all the Jewish people in Susa together. 
       For my sake, give up eating; do not eat or drink for three days, night 
       and day. I and my servant girls will also give up eating. Then I will 
       go to the king, even though it is against the law, and if I die, I 
       die."

       (Est 4:17 NCV)  So Mordecai went away and did everything Esther had 
       told him to do.

       (Est 5:1 NCV)  On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and 
       stood in the inner courtyard of the king's palace, facing the king's 
       hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the 
       doorway.

       (Est 5:2 NCV)  When the king saw Queen Esther standing in the 
       courtyard, he was pleased. He held out to her the gold scepter that 
       was in his hand, so Esther went forward and touched the end of it.

       (Est 5:3 NCV)  The king asked, "What is it, Queen Esther? What do you 
       want to ask me? I will give you as much as half of my kingdom."

       (Est 5:4 NCV)  Esther answered, "My king, if it pleases you, come 
       today with Haman to a banquet that I have prepared for him."





       (Est 5:5 NCV)  Then the king said, "Bring Haman quickly so we may do 
       what Esther asks." So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther 
       had prepared for them.

       (Est 5:6 NCV)  As they were drinking wine, the king said to Esther, 
       "Now, what are you asking for? I will give it to you. What is it you 
       want? I will give you as much as half of my kingdom."

       (Est 5:7 NCV)  Esther answered, "This is what I want and what I ask 
       for.

       (Est 5:8 NCV)  My king, if you are pleased with me and if it pleases 
       you, give me what I ask for and do what I want. Come with Haman 
       tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for you. Then I will answer 
       your question about what I want."

       (Est 5:9 NCV)  Haman left the king's palace that day happy and 
       content. But when he saw Mordecai at the king's gate and saw that 
       Mordecai did not stand up or tremble with fear before him, Haman 
       became very angry with Mordecai.

       (Est 5:10 NCV)  But he controlled his anger and went home. Then Haman 
       called together his friends and his wife, Zeresh.

       (Est 5:11 NCV)  He told them how wealthy he was and how many sons he 
       had. He also told them all the ways the king had honored him and how 
       the king had placed him higher than his important men and his royal 
       officers.

       (Est 5:12 NCV)  He also said, "I'm the only person Queen Esther 
       invited to come with the king to the banquet she gave. And tomorrow 
       also the queen has asked me to be her guest with the king.

       (Est 5:13 NCV)  But all this does not really make me happy when I see 
       that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king's gate."

       (Est 5:14 NCV)  Then Haman's wife, Zeresh, and all his friends said, 
       "Have a seventy-five foot platform built, and in the morning ask the 
       king to have Mordecai hanged on it. Then go to the banquet with the 
       king and be happy." Haman liked this suggestion, so he ordered the 
       platform to be built.

       (Est 6:1 NCV)  That same night the king could not sleep. So he gave an 
       order for the daily court record to be brought in and read to him.

       (Est 6:2 NCV)  It was found recorded that Mordecai had warned the king 
       about Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's officers who guarded the 
       doorway and who had planned to kill the king.

       (Est 6:3 NCV)  The king asked, "What honor and reward have been given 
       to Mordecai for this?" The king's personal servants answered, "Nothing 
       has been done for Mordecai."

       (Est 6:4 NCV)  The king said, "Who is in the courtyard?" Now Haman had 
       just entered the outer court of the king's palace. He had come to ask 
       the king about hanging Mordecai on the platform he had prepared.






       (Est 6:5 NCV)  The king's personal servants said, "Haman is standing 
       in the courtyard." The king said, "Bring him in."

       (Est 6:6 NCV)  So Haman came in. And the king asked him, "What should 
       be done for a man whom the king wants very much to honor?" And Haman 
       thought to himself, "Whom would the king want to honor more than me?"

       (Est 6:7 NCV)  So he answered the king, "This is what you could do for 
       the man you want very much to honor.

       (Est 6:8 NCV)  Have the servants bring a royal robe that the king 
       himself has worn. And also bring a horse with a royal crown on its 
       head, a horse that the king himself has ridden.

       (Est 6:9 NCV)  Let the robe and the horse be given to one of the 
       king's most important men. Let the servants put the robe on the man 
       the king wants to honor, and let them lead him on the horse through 
       the city streets. As they are leading him, let them announce: 'This is 
       what is done for the man whom the king wants to honor!'"

       (Est 6:10 NCV)  The king commanded Haman, "Go quickly. Take the robe 
       and the horse just as you have said, and do all this for Mordecai the 
       Jew who sits at the king's gate. Do not leave out anything you have 
       suggested."

       (Est 6:11 NCV)  So Haman took the robe and the horse, and he put the 
       robe on Mordecai. Then he led him on horseback through the city 
       streets, announcing before Mordecai: "This is what is done for the man 
       whom the king wants to honor!"

       (Est 6:12 NCV)  Then Mordecai returned to the king's gate, but Haman 
       hurried home with his head covered, because he was embarrassed and 
       ashamed.

       (Est 6:13 NCV)  He told his wife, Zeresh, and all his friends 
       everything that had happened to him. Haman's wife and the men who gave 
       him advice said, "You are starting to lose power to Mordecai. Since he 
       is a Jew, you cannot win against him. You will surely be ruined."

       (Est 6:14 NCV)  While they were still talking, the king's eunuchs came 
       to Haman's house and made him hurry to the banquet Esther had 
       prepared.

       (Est 7:1 NCV)  So the king and Haman went in to eat with Queen Esther.

       (Est 7:2 NCV)  As they were drinking wine on the second day, the king 
       asked Esther again, "What are you asking for? I will give it to you. 
       What is it you want? I will give you as much as half of my kingdom."

       (Est 7:3 NCV)  Then Queen Esther answered, "My king, if you are 
       pleased with me, and if it pleases you, let me live. This is what I 
       ask. And let my people live, too. This is what I want.

       (Est 7:4 NCV)  My people and I have been sold to be destroyed, to be 
       killed and completely wiped out. If we had been sold as male and 





       female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because that would not be 
       enough of a problem to bother the king."

       (Est 7:5 NCV)  Then King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, "Who is he, and 
       where is he? Who has done such a thing?"

       (Est 7:6 NCV)  Esther said, "Our enemy and foe is this wicked Haman!" 
       Then Haman was filled with terror before the king and queen.

       (Est 7:7 NCV)  The king was very angry, so he got up, left his wine, 
       and went out into the palace garden. But Haman stayed inside to beg 
       Queen Esther to save his life. He could see that the king had already 
       decided to kill him.

       (Est 7:8 NCV)  When the king returned from the palace garden to the 
       banquet hall, he saw Haman falling on the couch where Esther was 
       lying. The king said, "Will he even attack the queen while I am in the 
       house?" As soon as the king said that, servants came in and covered 
       Haman's face.

       (Est 7:9 NCV)  Harbona, one of the eunuchs there serving the king, 
       said, "Look, a seventy-five foot platform stands near Haman's house. 
       This is the one Haman had prepared for Mordecai, who gave the warning 
       that saved the king." The king said, "Hang Haman on it!"

       (Est 7:10 NCV)  So they hanged Haman on the platform he had prepared 
       for Mordecai. Then the king was not so angry anymore.

       (Est 8:1 NCV)  That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther everything 
       Haman, the enemy of the Jewish people, had left when he died. And 
       Mordecai came in to see the king, because Esther had told the king how 
       he was related to her.

       (Est 8:2 NCV)  Then the king took off his signet ring that he had 
       taken back from Haman, and he gave it to Mordecai. Esther put Mordecai 
       in charge of everything Haman left when he died.

       (Est 8:3 NCV)  Once again Esther spoke to the king. She fell at the 
       king's feet and cried and begged him to stop the evil plan that Haman 
       the Agagite had planned against the Jews.

       (Est 8:4 NCV)  The king held out the gold scepter to Esther. So Esther 
       got up and stood in front of him.

       (Est 8:5 NCV)  She said, "My king, if you are pleased with me, and if 
       it pleases you to do this, if you think it is the right thing to do, 
       and if you are happy with me, let an order be written to cancel the 
       letters Haman wrote. Haman the Agagite sent messages to destroy all 
       the Jewish people in all of your kingdom.

       (Est 8:6 NCV)  I could not stand to see that terrible thing happen to 
       my people. I could not stand to see my family killed."

       (Est 8:7 NCV)  King Xerxes answered Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, 
       "Because Haman was against the Jewish people, I have given his things 
       to Esther, and my soldiers have hanged him.






       (Est 8:8 NCV)  Now, in the king's name, write another order to the 
       Jewish people as it seems best to you. Then seal the order with the 
       king's signet ring, because no letter written in the king's name and 
       sealed with his signet ring can be canceled."

       (Est 8:9 NCV)  At that time the king's secretaries were called. This 
       was the twenty-third day of the third month, which is Sivan. The 
       secretaries wrote out all of Mordecai's orders to the Jews, to the 
       governors, to the captains of the soldiers in each state, and to the 
       important men of the one hundred twenty-seven states that reached from 
       India to Cush. They wrote in the writing of each state and in the 
       language of each people. They also wrote to the Jewish people in their 
       own writing and language.

       (Est 8:10 NCV)  Mordecai wrote orders in the name of King Xerxes and 
       sealed the letters with the king's signet ring. Then he sent the 
       king's orders by messengers on fast horses, horses that were raised 
       just for the king.

       (Est 8:11 NCV)  These were the king's orders: The Jewish people in 
       every city have the right to gather together to protect themselves. 
       They may destroy, kill, and completely wipe out the army of any state 
       or people who attack them. And they are to do the same to the women 
       and children of that army. They may also take by force the property of 
       their enemies.

       (Est 8:12 NCV)  The one day set for the Jewish people to do this in 
       all the empire of King Xerxes was the thirteenth day of the twelfth 
       month, the month of Adar.

       (Est 8:13 NCV)  A copy of the king's order was to be sent out as a law 
       in every state. It was to be made known to the people of every nation 
       living in the kingdom so the Jewish people would be ready on that set 
       day to strike back at their enemies.

       (Est 8:14 NCV)  The messengers hurried out, riding on the royal 
       horses, because the king commanded those messengers to hurry. And the 
       order was also given in the palace at Susa.

       (Est 8:15 NCV)  Mordecai left the king's presence wearing royal 
       clothes of blue and white and a large gold crown. He also had a purple 
       robe made of the best linen. And the people of Susa shouted for joy.

       (Est 8:16 NCV)  It was a time of happiness, joy, gladness, and honor 
       for the Jewish people.

       (Est 8:17 NCV)  As the king's order went to every state and city, 
       there was joy and gladness among the Jewish people. In every state and 
       city to which the king's order went, they were having feasts and 
       celebrating. And many people through all the empire became Jews, 
       because they were afraid of the Jewish people.

       (Est 9:1 NCV)  The order the king had commanded was to be done on the 
       thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar. That was the 
       day the enemies of the Jewish people had hoped to defeat them, but 





       that was changed. So the Jewish people themselves defeated those who 
       hated them.

       (Est 9:2 NCV)  The Jews met in their cities in all the empire of King 
       Xerxes in order to attack those who wanted to harm them. No one was 
       strong enough to fight against them, because all the other people 
       living in the empire were afraid of them.

       (Est 9:3 NCV)  All the important men of the states, the governors, 
       captains of the soldiers, and the king's officers helped the Jewish 
       people, because they were afraid of Mordecai.

       (Est 9:4 NCV)  Mordecai was very important in the king's palace. He 
       was famous in all the empire, because he was becoming a leader of more 
       and more people.

       (Est 9:5 NCV)  And, with their swords, the Jewish people defeated all 
       their enemies, killing and destroying them. And they did what they 
       wanted with those people who hated them.

       (Est 9:6 NCV)  In the palace at Susa, they killed and destroyed five 
       hundred men.

       (Est 9:7 NCV)  They also killed: Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha,

       (Est 9:8 NCV)  Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha,

       (Est 9:9 NCV)  Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha,

       (Est 9:10 NCV)  the ten sons of Haman, son of Hammedatha, the enemy of 
       the Jewish people. But the Jewish people did not take their 
       belongings.

       (Est 9:11 NCV)  On that day the number killed in the palace at Susa 
       was reported to the king.

       (Est 9:12 NCV)  The king said to Queen Esther, "The Jewish people have 
       killed and destroyed five hundred people in the palace at Susa, and 
       they have also killed Haman's ten sons. What have they done in the 
       rest of the king's empire! Now what else are you asking? I will do it! 
       What else do you want? It will be done!"

       (Est 9:13 NCV)  Esther answered, "If it pleases the king, give the 
       Jewish people who are in Susa permission to do again tomorrow what the 
       king ordered for today. And let the bodies of Haman's ten sons be 
       hanged on the platform."

       (Est 9:14 NCV)  So the king ordered that it be done. A law was given 
       in Susa, and the bodies of the ten sons of Haman were hanged.

       (Est 9:15 NCV)  The Jewish people in Susa came together on the 
       fourteenth day of the month of Adar. They killed three hundred people 
       in Susa, but they did not take their belongings.

       (Est 9:16 NCV)  At that same time, all the Jewish people in the king's 
       empire also met to protect themselves and get rid of their enemies. 





       They killed seventy-five thousand of those who hated them, but they 
       did not take their belongings.

       (Est 9:17 NCV)  This happened on the thirteenth day of the month of 
       Adar. On the fourteenth day they rested and made it a day of joyful 
       feasting.

       (Est 9:18 NCV)  But the Jewish people in Susa met on the thirteenth 
       and fourteenth days of the month of Adar. Then they rested on the 
       fifteenth day and made it a day of joyful feasting.

       (Est 9:19 NCV)  This is why the Jewish people who live in the country 
       and small villages celebrate on the fourteenth day of the month of 
       Adar. It is a day of joyful feasting and a day for exchanging gifts.

       (Est 9:20 NCV)  Mordecai wrote down everything that had happened. Then 
       he sent letters to all the Jewish people in all the empire of King 
       Xerxes, far and near.

       (Est 9:21 NCV)  He told them to celebrate every year on the fourteenth 
       and fifteenth days of the month of Adar,

       (Est 9:22 NCV)  because that was when the Jewish people got rid of 
       their enemies. They were also to celebrate it as the month their 
       sadness was turned to joy and their crying for the dead was turned 
       into celebration. He told them to celebrate those days as days of 
       joyful feasting and as a time for giving food to each other and 
       presents to the poor.

       (Est 9:23 NCV)  So the Jewish people agreed to do what Mordecai had 
       written to them, and they agreed to hold the celebration every year.

       (Est 9:24 NCV)  Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, was the enemy of 
       all the Jewish people. He had made an evil plan against the Jewish 
       people to destroy them, and he had thrown the Pur (that is, the lot) 
       to choose a day to ruin and destroy them.

       (Est 9:25 NCV)  But when the king learned of the evil plan, he sent 
       out written orders that the evil plans Haman had made against the 
       Jewish people would be used against him. And those orders said that 
       Haman and his sons should be hanged on the platform.

       (Est 9:26 NCV)  So these days were called Purim, which comes from the 
       word "Pur" (the lot). Because of everything written in this letter and 
       what they had seen and what happened to them,

       (Est 9:27 NCV)  the Jewish people set up this custom. They and their 
       descendants and all those who join them are always to celebrate these 
       two days every year. They should do it in the right way and at the 
       time Mordecai had ordered them in the letter.

       (Est 9:28 NCV)  These two days should be remembered and celebrated 
       from now on in every family, in every state, and in every city. These 
       days of Purim should always be celebrated by the Jewish people, and 
       their descendants should always remember to celebrate them, too.





       (Est 9:29 NCV)  So Queen Esther daughter of Abihail, along with 
       Mordecai the Jew, wrote this second letter about Purim. Using the 
       power they had, they wrote to prove the first letter was true.

       (Est 9:30 NCV)  And Mordecai sent letters to all the Jewish people in 
       the one hundred twenty-seven states of the kingdom of Xerxes, writing 
       them a message of peace and truth.

       (Est 9:31 NCV)  He wrote to set up these days of Purim at the chosen 
       times. Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had sent out the order for 
       the Jewish people, just as they had set up things for themselves and 
       their descendants: On these two days the people should give up eating 
       and cry loudly.

       (Est 9:32 NCV)  Esther's letter set up the rules for Purim, and they 
       were written down in the records.

       (Est 10:1 NCV)  King Xerxes demanded taxes everywhere, even from the 
       cities on the seacoast.

       (Est 10:2 NCV)  And all the great things Xerxes did by his power and 
       strength are written in the record books of the kings of Media and 
       Persia. Also written in those record books are all the things done by 
       Mordecai, whom the king made great.

       (Est 10:3 NCV)  Mordecai the Jew was second in importance to King 
       Xerxes, and he was the most important man among the Jewish people. His 
       fellow Jews respected him very much, because he worked for the good of 
       his people and spoke up for the safety of all the Jewish people.

       (Job 1:1 NCV)  A man named Job lived in the land of Uz. He was an 
       honest and innocent man; he honored God and stayed away from evil.

       (Job 1:2 NCV)  Job had seven sons and three daughters.

       (Job 1:3 NCV)  He owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, 
       five hundred teams of oxen, and five hundred female donkeys. He also 
       had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the 
       people of the East.

       (Job 1:4 NCV)  Job's sons took turns holding feasts in their homes and 
       invited their sisters to eat and drink with them.

       (Job 1:5 NCV)  After a feast was over, Job would send and have them 
       made clean. Early in the morning Job would offer a burnt offering for 
       each of them, because he thought, "My children may have sinned and 
       cursed God in their hearts." Job did this every time.

       (Job 1:6 NCV)  One day the angels came to show themselves before the 
       LORD, and Satan was with them.

       (Job 1:7 NCV)  The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" 
       Satan answered the LORD, "I have been wandering around the earth, 
       going back and forth in it."

       (Job 1:8 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you noticed my 





       servant Job? No one else on earth is like him. He is an honest and 
       innocent man, honoring God and staying away from evil."

       (Job 1:9 NCV)  But Satan answered the LORD, "Job honors God for a good 
       reason.

       (Job 1:10 NCV)  You have put a wall around him, his family, and 
       everything he owns. You have blessed the things he has done. His 
       flocks and herds are so large they almost cover the land.

       (Job 1:11 NCV)  But reach out your hand and destroy everything he has, 
       and he will curse you to your face."

       (Job 1:12 NCV)  The LORD said to Satan, "All right, then. Everything 
       Job has is in your power, but you must not touch Job himself." Then 
       Satan left the Lord's presence.

       (Job 1:13 NCV)  One day Job's sons and daughters were eating and 
       drinking wine together at the oldest brother's house.

       (Job 1:14 NCV)  A messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were 
       plowing and the donkeys were eating grass nearby,

       (Job 1:15 NCV)  when the Sabeans attacked and carried them away. They 
       killed the servants with swords, and I am the only one who escaped to 
       tell you!"

       (Job 1:16 NCV)  The messenger was still speaking when another 
       messenger arrived and said, "Lightning from God fell from the sky. It 
       burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who 
       escaped to tell you!"

       (Job 1:17 NCV)  The second messenger was still speaking when another 
       messenger arrived and said, "The Babylonians sent three groups of 
       attackers that swept down and stole your camels and killed the 
       servants. I am the only one who escaped to tell you!"

       (Job 1:18 NCV)  The third messenger was still speaking when another 
       messenger arrived and said, "Your sons and daughters were eating and 
       drinking wine together at the oldest brother's house.

       (Job 1:19 NCV)  Suddenly a great wind came from the desert, hitting 
       all four corners of the house at once. The house fell in on the young 
       people, and they are all dead. I am the only one who escaped to tell 
       you!"

       (Job 1:20 NCV)  When Job heard this, he got up and tore his robe and 
       shaved his head to show how sad he was. Then he bowed down to the 
       ground to worship God.

       (Job 1:21 NCV)  He said: "I was naked when I was born, and I will be 
       naked when I die. The LORD gave these things to me, and he has taken 
       them away. Praise the name of the LORD."

       (Job 1:22 NCV)  In all this Job did not sin or blame God.





       (Job 2:1 NCV)  On another day the angels came to show themselves 
       before the LORD, and Satan was with them again.

       (Job 2:2 NCV)  The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" 
       Satan answered the LORD, "I have been wandering around the earth, 
       going back and forth in it."

       (Job 2:3 NCV)  Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you noticed my 
       servant Job? No one else on earth is like him. He is an honest and 
       innocent man, honoring God and staying away from evil. You caused me 
       to ruin him for no good reason, but he continues to be without blame."

       (Job 2:4 NCV)  "One skin for another!" Satan answered. "A man will 
       give all he has to save his own life.

       (Job 2:5 NCV)  But reach out your hand and destroy his flesh and 
       bones, and he will curse you to your face."

       (Job 2:6 NCV)  The LORD said to Satan, "All right, then. Job is in 
       your power, but you may not take his life."

       (Job 2:7 NCV)  So Satan left the Lord's presence. He put painful sores 
       on Job's body, from the top of his head to the soles of his feet.

       (Job 2:8 NCV)  Job took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself, 
       and he sat in ashes in misery.

       (Job 2:9 NCV)  Job's wife said to him, "Why are you trying to stay 
       innocent? Curse God and die!"

       (Job 2:10 NCV)  Job answered, "You are talking like a foolish woman. 
       Should we take only good things from God and not trouble?" In spite of 
       all this Job did not sin in what he said.

       (Job 2:11 NCV)  Now Job had three friends: Eliphaz the Temanite, 
       Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. When these friends 
       heard about Job's troubles, they agreed to meet and visit him. They 
       wanted to show their concern and to comfort him.

       (Job 2:12 NCV)  They saw Job from far away, but he looked so different 
       they almost didn't recognize him. They began to cry loudly and tore 
       their robes and put dirt on their heads to show how sad they were.

       (Job 2:13 NCV)  Then they sat on the ground with Job seven days and 
       seven nights. No one said a word to him because they saw how much he 
       was suffering.

       (Job 3:1 NCV)  After seven days Job cried out and cursed the day he 
       had been born,

       (Job 3:2 NCV)  saying:

       (Job 3:3 NCV)  "Let the day I was born be destroyed, and the night it 
       was said, 'A boy is born!'

       (Job 3:4 NCV)  Let that day turn to darkness. Don't let God care about 





       it. Don't let light shine on it.

       (Job 3:5 NCV)  Let darkness and gloom have that day. Let a cloud hide 
       it. Let thick darkness cover its light.

       (Job 3:6 NCV)  Let thick darkness capture that night. Don't count it 
       among the days of the year or put it in any of the months.

       (Job 3:7 NCV)  Let that night be empty, with no shout of joy to be 
       heard.

       (Job 3:8 NCV)  Let those who curse days curse that day. Let them 
       prepare to wake up the sea monster Leviathan.

       (Job 3:9 NCV)  Let that day's morning stars never appear; let it wait 
       for daylight that never comes. Don't let it see the first light of 
       dawn,

       (Job 3:10 NCV)  because it allowed me to be born and did not hide 
       trouble from my eyes.

       (Job 3:11 NCV)  "Why didn't I die as soon as I was born? Why didn't I 
       die when I came out of the womb?

       (Job 3:12 NCV)  Why did my mother's knees receive me, and my mother's 
       breasts feed me?

       (Job 3:13 NCV)  If they had not been there, I would be lying dead in 
       peace; I would be asleep and at rest

       (Job 3:14 NCV)  with kings and wise men of the earth who built places 
       for themselves that are now ruined.

       (Job 3:15 NCV)  I would be asleep with rulers who filled their houses 
       with gold and silver.

       (Job 3:16 NCV)  Why was I not buried like a child born dead, like a 
       baby who never saw the light of day?

       (Job 3:17 NCV)  In the grave the wicked stop making trouble, and the 
       weary workers are at rest.

       (Job 3:18 NCV)  In the grave there is rest for the captives who no 
       longer hear the shout of the slave driver.

       (Job 3:19 NCV)  People great and small are in the grave, and the slave 
       is freed from his master.

       (Job 3:20 NCV)  "Why is light given to those in misery? Why is life 
       given to those who are so unhappy?

       (Job 3:21 NCV)  They want to die, but death does not come. They search 
       for death more than for hidden treasure.

       (Job 3:22 NCV)  They are very happy when they get to the grave.





       (Job 3:23 NCV)  They cannot see where they are going. God has hidden 
       the road ahead.

       (Job 3:24 NCV)  I make sad sounds as I eat; my groans pour out like 
       water.

       (Job 3:25 NCV)  Everything I feared and dreaded has happened to me.

       (Job 3:26 NCV)  I have no peace or quietness. I have no rest, only 
       trouble."

       (Job 4:1 NCV)  Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:

       (Job 4:2 NCV)  "If someone tried to speak with you, would you be 
       upset? I cannot keep from speaking.

       (Job 4:3 NCV)  Think about the many people you have taught and the 
       weak hands you have made strong.

       (Job 4:4 NCV)  Your words have comforted those who fell, and you have 
       strengthened those who could not stand.

       (Job 4:5 NCV)  But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged; 
       trouble hits you, and you are terrified.

       (Job 4:6 NCV)  You should have confidence because you respect God; you 
       should have hope because you are innocent.

       (Job 4:7 NCV)  "Remember that the innocent will not die; honest people 
       will never be destroyed.

       (Job 4:8 NCV)  I have noticed that people who plow evil and plant 
       trouble, harvest it.

       (Job 4:9 NCV)  God's breath destroys them, and a blast of his anger 
       kills them.

       (Job 4:10 NCV)  Lions may roar and growl, but when the teeth of a 
       strong lion are broken,

       (Job 4:11 NCV)  that lion dies of hunger. The cubs of the mother lion 
       are scattered.

       (Job 4:12 NCV)  "A word was brought to me in secret, and my ears heard 
       a whisper of it.

       (Job 4:13 NCV)  It was during a nightmare when people are in deep 
       sleep.

       (Job 4:14 NCV)  I was trembling with fear; all my bones were shaking.

       (Job 4:15 NCV)  A spirit glided past my face, and the hair on my body 
       stood on end.

       (Job 4:16 NCV)  The spirit stopped, but I could not see what it was. A 
       shape stood before my eyes, and I heard a quiet voice.






       (Job 4:17 NCV)  It said, 'Can a human be more right than God? Can a 
       person be pure before his maker?

       (Job 4:18 NCV)  God does not trust his angels; he blames them for 
       mistakes.

       (Job 4:19 NCV)  So he puts even more blame on people who live in clay 
       houses, whose foundations are made of dust, who can be crushed like a 
       moth.

       (Job 4:20 NCV)  Between dawn and sunset many people are broken to 
       pieces; without being noticed, they die and are gone forever.

       (Job 4:21 NCV)  The ropes of their tents are pulled up, and they die 
       without wisdom.'

       (Job 5:1 NCV)  "Call if you want to, Job, but no one will answer you. 
       You can't turn to any of the holy ones.

       (Job 5:2 NCV)  Anger kills the fool, and jealousy slays the stupid.

       (Job 5:3 NCV)  I have seen a fool succeed, but I cursed his home 
       immediately.

       (Job 5:4 NCV)  His children are far from safety and are crushed in 
       court with no defense.

       (Job 5:5 NCV)  The hungry eat his harvest, even taking what grew among 
       the thorns, and thirsty people want his wealth.

       (Job 5:6 NCV)  Hard times do not come up from the ground, and trouble 
       does not grow from the earth.

       (Job 5:7 NCV)  People produce trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.

       (Job 5:8 NCV)  "But if I were you, I would call on God and bring my 
       problem before him.

       (Job 5:9 NCV)  God does wonders that cannot be understood; he does so 
       many miracles they cannot be counted.

       (Job 5:10 NCV)  He gives rain to the earth and sends water on the 
       fields.

       (Job 5:11 NCV)  He makes the humble person important and lifts the sad 
       to places of safety.

       (Job 5:12 NCV)  He ruins the plans of those who trick others so they 
       have no success.

       (Job 5:13 NCV)  He catches the wise in their own clever traps and 
       sweeps away the plans of those who try to trick others.

       (Job 5:14 NCV)  Darkness covers them up in the daytime; even at noon 
       they feel around in the dark.






       (Job 5:15 NCV)  God saves the needy from their lies and from the harm 
       done by powerful people.

       (Job 5:16 NCV)  So the poor have hope, while those who are unfair are 
       silenced.

       (Job 5:17 NCV)  "The one whom God corrects is happy, so do not hate 
       being corrected by the Almighty.

       (Job 5:18 NCV)  God hurts, but he also bandages up; he injures, but 
       his hands also heal.

       (Job 5:19 NCV)  He will save you from six troubles; even seven 
       troubles will not harm you.

       (Job 5:20 NCV)  God will buy you back from death in times of hunger, 
       and in battle he will save you from the sword.

       (Job 5:21 NCV)  You will be protected from the tongue that strikes 
       like a whip, and you will not be afraid when destruction comes.

       (Job 5:22 NCV)  You will laugh at destruction and hunger, and you will 
       not fear the wild animals,

       (Job 5:23 NCV)  because you will have an agreement with the stones in 
       the field, and the wild animals will be at peace with you.

       (Job 5:24 NCV)  You will know that your tent is safe, because you will 
       check the things you own and find nothing missing.

       (Job 5:25 NCV)  You will know that you will have many children, and 
       your descendants will be like the grass on the earth.

       (Job 5:26 NCV)  You will come to the grave with all your strength, 
       like bundles of grain gathered at the right time.

       (Job 5:27 NCV)  "We have checked this, and it is true, so hear it and 
       decide what it means to you."

       (Job 6:1 NCV)  Then Job answered:

       (Job 6:2 NCV)  "I wish my suffering could be weighed and my misery put 
       on scales.

       (Job 6:3 NCV)  My sadness would be heavier than the sand of the seas. 
       No wonder my words seem careless.

       (Job 6:4 NCV)  The arrows of the Almighty are in me; my spirit drinks 
       in their poison; God's terrors are gathered against me.

       (Job 6:5 NCV)  A wild donkey does not bray when it has grass to eat, 
       and an ox is quiet when it has feed.

       (Job 6:6 NCV)  Tasteless food is not eaten without salt, and there is 
       no flavor in the white of an egg.






       (Job 6:7 NCV)  I refuse to touch it; such food makes me sick.

       (Job 6:8 NCV)  "How I wish that I might have what I ask for and that 
       God would give me what I hope for.

       (Job 6:9 NCV)  How I wish God would crush me and reach out his hand to 
       destroy me.

       (Job 6:10 NCV)  Then I would have this comfort and be glad even in 
       this unending pain, because I would know I did not reject the words of 
       the Holy One.

       (Job 6:11 NCV)  "I do not have the strength to wait. There is nothing 
       to hope for, so why should I be patient?

       (Job 6:12 NCV)  I do not have the strength of stone; my flesh is not 
       bronze.

       (Job 6:13 NCV)  I have no power to help myself, because success has 
       been taken away from me.

       (Job 6:14 NCV)  "They say, 'A man's friends should be kind to him when 
       he is in trouble, even if he stops fearing the Almighty.'

       (Job 6:15 NCV)  But my brothers cannot be counted on. They are like 
       streams that do not always flow, streams that sometimes run over.

       (Job 6:16 NCV)  They are made dark by melting ice and rise with 
       melting snow.

       (Job 6:17 NCV)  But they stop flowing in the dry season; they 
       disappear when it is hot.

       (Job 6:18 NCV)  Travelers turn away from their paths and go into the 
       desert and die.

       (Job 6:19 NCV)  The groups of travelers from Tema look for water, and 
       the traders of Sheba look hopefully.

       (Job 6:20 NCV)  They are upset because they had been sure; when they 
       arrive, they are disappointed.

       (Job 6:21 NCV)  You also have been no help. You see something 
       terrible, and you are afraid.

       (Job 6:22 NCV)  I have never said, 'Give me a gift. Use your wealth to 
       pay my debt.

       (Job 6:23 NCV)  Save me from the enemy's power. Buy me back from the 
       clutches of cruel people.'

       (Job 6:24 NCV)  "Teach me, and I will be quiet. Show me where I have 
       been wrong.

       (Job 6:25 NCV)  Honest words are painful, but your arguments prove 





       nothing.

       (Job 6:26 NCV)  Do you mean to correct what I say? Will you treat the 
       words of a troubled man as if they were only wind?

       (Job 6:27 NCV)  You would even gamble for orphans and would trade away 
       your friend.

       (Job 6:28 NCV)  "But now please look at me. I would not lie to your 
       face.

       (Job 6:29 NCV)  Change your mind; do not be unfair; think again, 
       because my innocence is being questioned.

       (Job 6:30 NCV)  What I am saying is not wicked; I can tell the 
       difference between right and wrong.

       (Job 7:1 NCV)  "People have a hard task on earth, and their days are 
       like those of a laborer.

       (Job 7:2 NCV)  They are like a slave wishing for the evening shadows, 
       like a laborer waiting to be paid.

       (Job 7:3 NCV)  But I am given months that are empty, and nights of 
       misery have been given to me.

       (Job 7:4 NCV)  When I lie down, I think, 'How long until I get up?' 
       The night is long, and I toss until dawn.

       (Job 7:5 NCV)  My body is covered with worms and scabs, and my skin is 
       broken and full of sores.

       (Job 7:6 NCV)  "My days go by faster than a weaver's tool, and they 
       come to an end without hope.

       (Job 7:7 NCV)  Remember, God, that my life is only a breath. My eyes 
       will never see happy times again.

       (Job 7:8 NCV)  Those who see me now will see me no more; you will look 
       for me, but I will be gone.

       (Job 7:9 NCV)  As a cloud disappears and is gone, people go to the 
       grave and never return.

       (Job 7:10 NCV)  They will never come back to their houses again, and 
       their places will not know them anymore.

       (Job 7:11 NCV)  "So I will not stay quiet; I will speak out in the 
       suffering of my spirit. I will complain because I am so unhappy.

       (Job 7:12 NCV)  I am not the sea or the sea monster. So why have you 
       set a guard over me?

       (Job 7:13 NCV)  Sometimes I think my bed will comfort me or that my 
       couch will stop my complaint.





       (Job 7:14 NCV)  Then you frighten me with dreams and terrify me with 
       visions.

       (Job 7:15 NCV)  My throat prefers to be choked; my bones welcome 
       death.

       (Job 7:16 NCV)  I hate my life; I don't want to live forever. Leave me 
       alone, because my days have no meaning.

       (Job 7:17 NCV)  "Why do you make people so important and give them so 
       much attention?

       (Job 7:18 NCV)  You examine them every morning and test them every 
       moment.

       (Job 7:19 NCV)  Will you never look away from me or leave me alone 
       even long enough to swallow?

       (Job 7:20 NCV)  If I have sinned, what have I done to you, you watcher 
       of humans? Why have you made me your target? Have I become a heavy 
       load for you?

       (Job 7:21 NCV)  Why don't you pardon my wrongs and forgive my sins? I 
       will soon lie down in the dust of death. Then you will search for me, 
       but I will be no more."

       (Job 8:1 NCV)  Then Bildad the Shuhite answered:

       (Job 8:2 NCV)  "How long will you say such things? Your words are no 
       more than wind.

       (Job 8:3 NCV)  God does not twist justice; the Almighty does not make 
       wrong what is right.

       (Job 8:4 NCV)  Your children sinned against God, and he punished them 
       for their sins.

       (Job 8:5 NCV)  But you should ask God for help and pray to the 
       Almighty for mercy.

       (Job 8:6 NCV)  If you are good and honest, he will stand up for you 
       and bring you back where you belong.

       (Job 8:7 NCV)  Where you began will seem unimportant, because your 
       future will be so successful.

       (Job 8:8 NCV)  "Ask old people; find out what their ancestors learned,

       (Job 8:9 NCV)  because we were only born yesterday and know nothing. 
       Our days on earth are only a shadow.

       (Job 8:10 NCV)  Those people will teach you and tell you and speak 
       about what they know.

       (Job 8:11 NCV)  Papyrus plants cannot grow where there is no swamp, 
       and reeds cannot grow tall without water.






       (Job 8:12 NCV)  While they are still growing and not yet cut, they 
       will dry up quicker than grass.

       (Job 8:13 NCV)  That is what will happen to those who forget God; the 
       hope of the wicked will be gone.

       (Job 8:14 NCV)  What they hope in is easily broken; what they trust is 
       like a spider's web.

       (Job 8:15 NCV)  They lean on the spider's web, but it breaks. They 
       grab it, but it does not hold up.

       (Job 8:16 NCV)  They are like well-watered plants in the sunshine that 
       spread their roots all through the garden.

       (Job 8:17 NCV)  They wrap their roots around a pile of rocks and look 
       for a place among the stones.

       (Job 8:18 NCV)  But if a plant is torn from its place, then that place 
       rejects it and says, 'I never saw you.'

       (Job 8:19 NCV)  Now joy has gone away; other plants grow up from the 
       same dirt.

       (Job 8:20 NCV)  "Surely God does not reject the innocent or give 
       strength to those who do evil.

       (Job 8:21 NCV)  God will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your 
       lips with shouts of joy.

       (Job 8:22 NCV)  Your enemies will be covered with shame, and the tents 
       of the wicked will be gone."

       (Job 9:1 NCV)  Then Job answered:

       (Job 9:2 NCV)  "Yes, I know that this is true, but how can anyone be 
       right in the presence of God?

       (Job 9:3 NCV)  Someone might want to argue with God, but no one could 
       answer God, not one time out of a thousand.

       (Job 9:4 NCV)  God's wisdom is deep, and his power is great; no one 
       can fight him without getting hurt.

       (Job 9:5 NCV)  God moves mountains without anyone knowing it and turns 
       them over when he is angry.

       (Job 9:6 NCV)  He shakes the earth out of its place and makes its 
       foundations tremble.

       (Job 9:7 NCV)  He commands the sun not to shine and shuts off the 
       light of the stars.

       (Job 9:8 NCV)  He alone stretches out the skies and walks on the waves 
       of the sea.






       (Job 9:9 NCV)  It is God who made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades 
       and the groups of stars in the southern sky.

       (Job 9:10 NCV)  He does wonders that cannot be understood; he does so 
       many miracles they cannot be counted.

       (Job 9:11 NCV)  When he passes me, I cannot see him; when he goes by 
       me, I do not recognize him.

       (Job 9:12 NCV)  If he snatches something away, no one can stop him or 
       say to him, 'What are you doing?'

       (Job 9:13 NCV)  God will not hold back his anger. Even the helpers of 
       the monster Rahab lie at his feet in fear.

       (Job 9:14 NCV)  So how can I argue with God, or even find words to 
       argue with him?

       (Job 9:15 NCV)  Even if I were right, I could not answer him; I could 
       only beg God, my Judge, for mercy.

       (Job 9:16 NCV)  If I called to him and he answered, I still don't 
       believe he would listen to me.

       (Job 9:17 NCV)  He would crush me with a storm and multiply my wounds 
       for no reason.

       (Job 9:18 NCV)  He would not let me catch my breath but would 
       overwhelm me with misery.

       (Job 9:19 NCV)  When it comes to strength, God is stronger than I; 
       when it comes to justice, no one can accuse him.

       (Job 9:20 NCV)  Even if I were right, my own mouth would say I was 
       wrong; if I were innocent, my mouth would say I was guilty.

       (Job 9:21 NCV)  "I am innocent, but I don't care about myself. I hate 
       my own life.

       (Job 9:22 NCV)  It is all the same. That is why I say, 'God destroys 
       both the innocent and the guilty.'

       (Job 9:23 NCV)  If the whip brings sudden death, God will laugh at the 
       suffering of the innocent.

       (Job 9:24 NCV)  When the land falls into the hands of evil people, he 
       covers the judges' faces so they can't see it. If it is not God who 
       does this, then who is it?

       (Job 9:25 NCV)  "My days go by faster than a runner; they fly away 
       without my seeing any joy.

       (Job 9:26 NCV)  They glide past like paper boats. They attack like 
       eagles swooping down to feed.





       (Job 9:27 NCV)  Even though I say, 'I will forget my complaint; I will 
       change the look on my face and smile,'

       (Job 9:28 NCV)  I still dread all my suffering. I know you will hold 
       me guilty.

       (Job 9:29 NCV)  I have already been found guilty, so why should I 
       struggle for no reason?

       (Job 9:30 NCV)  I might wash myself with soap and scrub my hands with 
       strong soap,

       (Job 9:31 NCV)  but you would push me into a dirty pit, and even my 
       clothes would hate me.

       (Job 9:32 NCV)  "God is not a man like me, so I cannot answer him. We 
       cannot meet each other in court.

       (Job 9:33 NCV)  I wish there were someone to make peace between us, 
       someone to decide our case.

       (Job 9:34 NCV)  Maybe he could remove God's punishment so his terror 
       would no longer frighten me.

       (Job 9:35 NCV)  Then I could speak without being afraid, but I am not 
       able to do that.

       (Job 10:1 NCV)  "I hate my life, so I will complain without holding 
       back; I will speak because I am so unhappy.

       (Job 10:2 NCV)  I will say to God: Do not hold me guilty, but tell me 
       what you have against me.

       (Job 10:3 NCV)  Does it make you happy to trouble me? Don't you care 
       about me, the work of your hands? Are you happy with the plans of evil 
       people?

       (Job 10:4 NCV)  Do you have human eyes that see as we see?

       (Job 10:5 NCV)  Are your days like the days of humans, and your years 
       like our years?

       (Job 10:6 NCV)  You look for the evil I have done and search for my 
       sin.

       (Job 10:7 NCV)  You know I am not guilty, but no one can save me from 
       your power.

       (Job 10:8 NCV)  "Your hands shaped and made me. Do you now turn around 
       and destroy me?

       (Job 10:9 NCV)  Remember that you molded me like a piece of clay. Will 
       you now turn me back into dust?

       (Job 10:10 NCV)  You formed me inside my mother like cheese formed 
       from milk.






       (Job 10:11 NCV)  You dressed me with skin and flesh; you sewed me 
       together with bones and muscles.

       (Job 10:12 NCV)  You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your 
       care you watched over my life.

       (Job 10:13 NCV)  "But in your heart you hid other plans. I know this 
       was in your mind.

       (Job 10:14 NCV)  If I sinned, you would watch me and would not let my 
       sin go unpunished.

       (Job 10:15 NCV)  How terrible it will be for me if I am guilty! Even 
       if I am right, I cannot lift my head. I am full of shame and 
       experience only pain.

       (Job 10:16 NCV)  If I hold up my head, you hunt me like a lion and 
       again show your terrible power against me.

       (Job 10:17 NCV)  You bring new witnesses against me and increase your 
       anger against me. Your armies come against me.

       (Job 10:18 NCV)  "So why did you allow me to be born? I wish I had 
       died before anyone saw me.

       (Job 10:19 NCV)  I wish I had never lived, but had been carried 
       straight from birth to the grave.

       (Job 10:20 NCV)  The few days of my life are almost over. Leave me 
       alone so I can have a moment of joy.

       (Job 10:21 NCV)  Soon I will leave; I will not return from the land of 
       darkness and gloom,

       (Job 10:22 NCV)  the land of darkest night, from the land of gloom and 
       confusion, where even the light is darkness."

       (Job 11:1 NCV)  Then Zophar the Naamathite answered:

       (Job 11:2 NCV)  "Should these words go unanswered? Is this talker in 
       the right?

       (Job 11:3 NCV)  Your lies do not make people quiet; people should 
       correct you when you make fun of God.

       (Job 11:4 NCV)  You say, 'My teachings are right, and I am clean in 
       God's sight.'

       (Job 11:5 NCV)  I wish God would speak and open his lips against you

       (Job 11:6 NCV)  and tell you the secrets of wisdom, because wisdom has 
       two sides. Know this: God has even forgotten some of your sin.

       (Job 11:7 NCV)  "Can you understand the secrets of God? Can you search 
       the limits of the Almighty?






       (Job 11:8 NCV)  His limits are higher than the heavens; you cannot 
       reach them! They are deeper than the grave; you cannot understand 
       them!

       (Job 11:9 NCV)  His limits are longer than the earth and wider than 
       the sea.

       (Job 11:10 NCV)  "If God comes along and puts you in prison or calls 
       you into court, no one can stop him.

       (Job 11:11 NCV)  God knows who is evil, and when he sees evil, he 
       takes note of it.

       (Job 11:12 NCV)  A fool cannot become wise any more than a wild donkey 
       can be born tame.

       (Job 11:13 NCV)  "You must give your whole heart to him and hold out 
       your hands to him for help.

       (Job 11:14 NCV)  Put away the sin that is in your hand; let no evil 
       remain in your tent.

       (Job 11:15 NCV)  Then you can lift up your face without shame, and you 
       can stand strong without fear.

       (Job 11:16 NCV)  You will forget your trouble and remember it only as 
       water gone by.

       (Job 11:17 NCV)  Your life will be as bright as the noonday sun, and 
       darkness will seem like morning.

       (Job 11:18 NCV)  You will feel safe because there is hope; you will 
       look around and rest in safety.

       (Job 11:19 NCV)  You will lie down, and no one will scare you. Many 
       people will want favors from you.

       (Job 11:20 NCV)  But the wicked will not be able to see, so they will 
       not escape. Their only hope will be to die."

       (Job 12:1 NCV)  Then Job answered:

       (Job 12:2 NCV)  "You really think you are the only wise people and 
       that when you die, wisdom will die with you!

       (Job 12:3 NCV)  But my mind is as good as yours; you are not better 
       than I am. Everyone knows all these things.

       (Job 12:4 NCV)  My friends all laugh at me when I call on God and 
       expect him to answer me; they laugh at me even though I am right and 
       innocent!

       (Job 12:5 NCV)  Those who are comfortable don't care that others have 
       trouble; they think it right that those people should have troubles.





       (Job 12:6 NCV)  The tents of robbers are not bothered, and those who 
       make God angry are safe. They have their god in their pocket.

       (Job 12:7 NCV)  "But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or ask 
       the birds of the air, and they will tell you.

       (Job 12:8 NCV)  Speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the 
       fish of the sea tell you.

       (Job 12:9 NCV)  Every one of these knows that the hand of the LORD has 
       done this.

       (Job 12:10 NCV)  The life of every creature and the breath of all 
       people are in God's hand.

       (Job 12:11 NCV)  The ear tests words as the tongue tastes food.

       (Job 12:12 NCV)  Older people are wise, and long life brings 
       understanding.

       (Job 12:13 NCV)  "But only God has wisdom and power, good advice and 
       understanding.

       (Job 12:14 NCV)  What he tears down cannot be rebuilt; anyone he puts 
       in prison cannot be let out.

       (Job 12:15 NCV)  If God holds back the waters, there is no rain; if he 
       lets the waters go, they flood the land.

       (Job 12:16 NCV)  He is strong and victorious; both the one who fools 
       others and the one who is fooled belong to him.

       (Job 12:17 NCV)  God leads the wise away as captives and turns judges 
       into fools.

       (Job 12:18 NCV)  He takes off chains that kings put on and puts a 
       garment on their bodies.

       (Job 12:19 NCV)  He leads priests away naked and destroys the 
       powerful.

       (Job 12:20 NCV)  He makes trusted people be silent and takes away the 
       wisdom of older leaders.

       (Job 12:21 NCV)  He brings disgrace on important people and takes away 
       the weapons of the strong.

       (Job 12:22 NCV)  He uncovers the deep things of darkness and brings 
       dark shadows into the light.

       (Job 12:23 NCV)  He makes nations great and then destroys them; he 
       makes nations large and then scatters them.

       (Job 12:24 NCV)  He takes understanding away from the leaders of the 
       earth and makes them wander through a pathless desert.





       (Job 12:25 NCV)  They feel around in darkness with no light; he makes 
       them stumble like drunks.

       (Job 13:1 NCV)  "Now my eyes have seen all this; my ears have heard 
       and understood it.

       (Job 13:2 NCV)  What you know, I also know. You are not better than I 
       am.

       (Job 13:3 NCV)  But I want to speak to the Almighty and to argue my 
       case with God.

       (Job 13:4 NCV)  But you smear me with lies. You are worthless doctors, 
       all of you!

       (Job 13:5 NCV)  I wish you would just stop talking; then you would 
       really be wise!

       (Job 13:6 NCV)  Listen to my argument, and hear the pleading of my 
       lips.

       (Job 13:7 NCV)  You should not speak evil in the name of God; you 
       cannot speak God's truth by telling lies.

       (Job 13:8 NCV)  You should not unfairly choose his side against mine; 
       you should not argue the case for God.

       (Job 13:9 NCV)  You will not do well if he examines you; you cannot 
       fool God as you might fool humans.

       (Job 13:10 NCV)  God would surely scold you if you unfairly took one 
       person's side.

       (Job 13:11 NCV)  His bright glory would scare you, and you would be 
       very much afraid of him.

       (Job 13:12 NCV)  Your wise sayings are worth no more than ashes, and 
       your arguments are as weak as clay.

       (Job 13:13 NCV)  "Be quiet and let me speak. Let things happen to me 
       as they will.

       (Job 13:14 NCV)  Why should I put myself in danger and take my life in 
       my own hands?

       (Job 13:15 NCV)  Even if God kills me, I have hope in him; I will 
       still defend my ways to his face.

       (Job 13:16 NCV)  This is my salvation. The wicked cannot come before 
       him.

       (Job 13:17 NCV)  Listen carefully to my words; let your ears hear what 
       I say.

       (Job 13:18 NCV)  See, I have prepared my case, and I know I will be 
       proved right.






       (Job 13:19 NCV)  No one can accuse me of doing wrong. If someone can, 
       I will be quiet and die.

       (Job 13:20 NCV)  "God, please just give me these two things, and then 
       I will not hide from you:

       (Job 13:21 NCV)  Take your punishment away from me, and stop 
       frightening me with your terrors.

       (Job 13:22 NCV)  Then call me, and I will answer, or let me speak, and 
       you answer.

       (Job 13:23 NCV)  How many evil things and sins have I done? Show me my 
       wrong and my sin.

       (Job 13:24 NCV)  Don't hide your face from me; don't think of me as 
       your enemy.

       (Job 13:25 NCV)  Don't punish a leaf that is blown by the wind; don't 
       chase after straw.

       (Job 13:26 NCV)  You write down cruel things against me and make me 
       suffer for my boyhood sins.

       (Job 13:27 NCV)  You put my feet in chains and keep close watch 
       wherever I go. You even mark the soles of my feet.

       (Job 13:28 NCV)  "Everyone wears out like something rotten, like 
       clothing eaten by moths.

       (Job 14:1 NCV)  "All of us born to women live only a few days and have 
       lots of trouble.

       (Job 14:2 NCV)  We grow up like flowers and then dry up and die. We 
       are like a passing shadow that does not last.

       (Job 14:3 NCV)  Lord, do you need to watch me like this? Must you 
       bring me before you to be judged?

       (Job 14:4 NCV)  No one can bring something clean from something dirty.

       (Job 14:5 NCV)  Our time is limited. You have given us only so many 
       months to live and have set limits we cannot go beyond.

       (Job 14:6 NCV)  So look away from us and leave us alone until we put 
       in our time like a laborer.

       (Job 14:7 NCV)  "If a tree is cut down, there is hope that it will 
       grow again and will send out new branches.

       (Job 14:8 NCV)  Even if its roots grow old in the ground, and its 
       stump dies in the dirt,

       (Job 14:9 NCV)  at the smell of water it will bud and put out new 
       shoots like a plant.






       (Job 14:10 NCV)  But we die, and our bodies are laid in the ground; we 
       take our last breath and are gone.

       (Job 14:11 NCV)  Water disappears from a lake, and a river loses its 
       water and dries up.

       (Job 14:12 NCV)  In the same way, we lie down and do not rise again; 
       we will not get up or be awakened until the heavens disappear.

       (Job 14:13 NCV)  "I wish you would hide me in the grave; hide me until 
       your anger is gone. I wish you would set a time and then remember me!

       (Job 14:14 NCV)  If a person dies, will he live again? All my days are 
       a struggle; I will wait until my change comes.

       (Job 14:15 NCV)  You will call, and I will answer you; you will desire 
       the creature your hands have made.

       (Job 14:16 NCV)  Then you will count my steps, but you will not keep 
       track of my sin.

       (Job 14:17 NCV)  My wrongs will be closed up in a bag, and you will 
       cover up my sin.

       (Job 14:18 NCV)  "A mountain washes away and crumbles; and a rock can 
       be moved from its place.

       (Job 14:19 NCV)  Water washes over stones and wears them down, and 
       rushing waters wash away the dirt. In the same way, you destroy my 
       hope.

       (Job 14:20 NCV)  You defeat a person forever, and he is gone; you 
       change his appearance and send him away.

       (Job 14:21 NCV)  His sons are honored, but he does not know it; his 
       sons are disgraced, but he does not see it.

       (Job 14:22 NCV)  He only feels the pain of his body and feels sorry 
       for himself."

       (Job 15:1 NCV)  Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:

       (Job 15:2 NCV)  "A wise person would not answer with empty words or 
       fill his stomach with the hot east wind.

       (Job 15:3 NCV)  He would not argue with useless words or make speeches 
       that have no value.

       (Job 15:4 NCV)  But you even destroy respect for God and limit the 
       worship of him.

       (Job 15:5 NCV)  Your sin teaches your mouth what to say; you use words 
       to trick others.

       (Job 15:6 NCV)  It is your own mouth, not mine, that shows you are 





       wicked; your own lips testify against you.

       (Job 15:7 NCV)  "You are not the first man ever born; you are not 
       older than the hills.

       (Job 15:8 NCV)  You did not listen in on God's secret council. But you 
       limit wisdom to yourself.

       (Job 15:9 NCV)  You don't know any more than we know. You don't 
       understand any more than we understand.

       (Job 15:10 NCV)  Old people with gray hair are on our side; they are 
       even older than your father.

       (Job 15:11 NCV)  Is the comfort God gives you not enough for you, even 
       when words are spoken gently to you?

       (Job 15:12 NCV)  Has your heart carried you away from God? Why do your 
       eyes flash with anger?

       (Job 15:13 NCV)  Why do you speak out your anger against God? Why do 
       these words pour out of your mouth?

       (Job 15:14 NCV)  "How can anyone be pure? How can someone born to a 
       woman be good?

       (Job 15:15 NCV)  God places no trust in his holy ones, and even the 
       heavens are not pure in his eyes.

       (Job 15:16 NCV)  How much less pure is one who is terrible and rotten 
       and drinks up evil as if it were water!

       (Job 15:17 NCV)  "Listen to me, and I will tell you about it; I will 
       tell you what I have seen.

       (Job 15:18 NCV)  These are things wise men have told; their fathers 
       told them, and they have hidden nothing.

       (Job 15:19 NCV)  (The land was given to their fathers only, and no 
       foreigner lived among them.)

       (Job 15:20 NCV)  The wicked suffer pain all their lives; the cruel 
       suffer during all the years saved up for them.

       (Job 15:21 NCV)  Terrible sounds fill their ears, and when things seem 
       to be going well, robbers attack them.

       (Job 15:22 NCV)  Evil people give up trying to escape from the 
       darkness; it has been decided that they will die by the sword.

       (Job 15:23 NCV)  They wander around and will become food for vultures. 
       They know darkness will soon come.

       (Job 15:24 NCV)  Worry and suffering terrify them; they overwhelm 
       them, like a king ready to attack,





       (Job 15:25 NCV)  because they shake their fists at God and try to get 
       their own way against the Almighty.

       (Job 15:26 NCV)  They stubbornly charge at God with thick, strong 
       shields.

       (Job 15:27 NCV)  "Although the faces of the wicked are thick with fat, 
       and their bellies are fat with flesh,

       (Job 15:28 NCV)  they will live in towns that are ruined, in houses 
       where no one lives, which are crumbling into ruins.

       (Job 15:29 NCV)  The wicked will no longer get rich, and the riches 
       they have will not last; the things they own will no longer spread 
       over the land.

       (Job 15:30 NCV)  They will not escape the darkness. A flame will dry 
       up their branches; God's breath will carry the wicked away.

       (Job 15:31 NCV)  The wicked should not fool themselves by trusting 
       what is useless. If they do, they will get nothing in return.

       (Job 15:32 NCV)  Their branches will dry up before they finish growing 
       and will never turn green.

       (Job 15:33 NCV)  They will be like a vine whose grapes are pulled off 
       before they are ripe, like an olive tree that loses its blossoms.

       (Job 15:34 NCV)  People without God can produce nothing. Fire will 
       destroy the tents of those who take money to do evil,

       (Job 15:35 NCV)  who plan trouble and give birth to evil, whose hearts 
       plan ways to trick others."

       (Job 16:1 NCV)  Then Job answered:

       (Job 16:2 NCV)  "I have heard many things like these. You are all 
       painful comforters!

       (Job 16:3 NCV)  Will your long-winded speeches never end? What makes 
       you keep on arguing?

       (Job 16:4 NCV)  I also could speak as you do if you were in my place. 
       I could make great speeches against you and shake my head at you.

       (Job 16:5 NCV)  But, instead, I would encourage you, and my words 
       would bring you relief.

       (Job 16:6 NCV)  "Even if I speak, my pain is not less, and if I don't 
       speak, it still does not go away.

       (Job 16:7 NCV)  God, you have surely taken away my strength and 
       destroyed my whole family.

       (Job 16:8 NCV)  You have made me thin and weak, and this shows I have 
       done wrong.






       (Job 16:9 NCV)  God attacks me and tears me with anger; he grinds his 
       teeth at me; my enemy stares at me with his angry eyes.

       (Job 16:10 NCV)  People open their mouths to make fun of me and hit my 
       cheeks to insult me. They join together against me.

       (Job 16:11 NCV)  God has turned me over to evil people and has handed 
       me over to the wicked.

       (Job 16:12 NCV)  Everything was fine with me, but God broke me into 
       pieces; he held me by the neck and crushed me. He has made me his 
       target;

       (Job 16:13 NCV)  his archers surround me. He stabs my kidneys without 
       mercy; he spills my blood on the ground.

       (Job 16:14 NCV)  Again and again God attacks me; he runs at me like a 
       soldier.

       (Job 16:15 NCV)  "I have sewed rough cloth over my skin to show my 
       sadness and have buried my face in the dust.

       (Job 16:16 NCV)  My face is red from crying; I have dark circles 
       around my eyes.

       (Job 16:17 NCV)  Yet my hands have never done anything cruel, and my 
       prayer is pure.

       (Job 16:18 NCV)  "Earth, please do not cover up my blood. Don't let my 
       cry ever stop being heard!

       (Job 16:19 NCV)  Even now I have one who speaks for me in heaven; the 
       one who is on my side is high above.

       (Job 16:20 NCV)  The one who speaks for me is my friend. My eyes pour 
       out tears to God.

       (Job 16:21 NCV)  He begs God on behalf of a human as a person begs for 
       his friend.

       (Job 16:22 NCV)  "Only a few years will pass before I go on the 
       journey of no return.

       (Job 17:1 NCV)  My spirit is broken; the days of my life are almost 
       gone. The grave is waiting for me.

       (Job 17:2 NCV)  Those who laugh at me surround me; I watch them insult 
       me.

       (Job 17:3 NCV)  "God, make me a promise. No one will make a pledge for 
       me.

       (Job 17:4 NCV)  You have closed their minds to understanding. Do not 
       let them win over me.





       (Job 17:5 NCV)  A person might speak against his friends for money, 
       but if he does, the eyes of his children go blind.

       (Job 17:6 NCV)  "God has made my name a curse word; people spit in my 
       face.

       (Job 17:7 NCV)  My sight has grown weak because of my sadness, and my 
       body is as thin as a shadow.

       (Job 17:8 NCV)  Honest people are upset about this; innocent people 
       are upset with those who do wrong.

       (Job 17:9 NCV)  But those who do right will continue to do right, and 
       those whose hands are not dirty with sin will grow stronger.

       (Job 17:10 NCV)  "But, all of you, come and try again! I do not find a 
       wise person among you.

       (Job 17:11 NCV)  My days are gone, and my plans have been destroyed, 
       along with the desires of my heart.

       (Job 17:12 NCV)  These men think night is day; when it is dark, they 
       say, 'Light is near.'

       (Job 17:13 NCV)  If the only home I hope for is the grave, if I spread 
       out my bed in darkness,

       (Job 17:14 NCV)  if I say to the grave, 'You are my father,' and to 
       the worm, 'You are my mother' or 'You are my sister,'

       (Job 17:15 NCV)  where, then, is my hope? Who can see any hope for me?

       (Job 17:16 NCV)  Will hope go down to the gates of death? Will we go 
       down together into the dust?"

       (Job 18:1 NCV)  Then Bildad the Shuhite answered:

       (Job 18:2 NCV)  "When will you stop these speeches? Be sensible, and 
       then we can talk.

       (Job 18:3 NCV)  You think of us as cattle, as if we are stupid.

       (Job 18:4 NCV)  You tear yourself to pieces in your anger. Should the 
       earth be vacant just for you? Should the rocks move from their places?

       (Job 18:5 NCV)  "The lamp of the wicked will be put out, and the flame 
       in their lamps will stop burning.

       (Job 18:6 NCV)  The light in their tents will grow dark, and the lamps 
       by their sides will go out.

       (Job 18:7 NCV)  Their strong steps will grow weak; they will fall into 
       their own evil traps.

       (Job 18:8 NCV)  Their feet will be caught in a net when they walk into 
       its web.






       (Job 18:9 NCV)  A trap will catch them by the heel and hold them 
       tight.

       (Job 18:10 NCV)  A trap for them is hidden on the ground, right in 
       their path.

       (Job 18:11 NCV)  Terrible things startle them from every side and 
       chase them at every step.

       (Job 18:12 NCV)  Hunger takes away their strength, and disaster is at 
       their side.

       (Job 18:13 NCV)  Disease eats away parts of their skin; death gnaws at 
       their arms and legs.

       (Job 18:14 NCV)  They are torn from the safety of their tents and 
       dragged off to Death, the King of Terrors.

       (Job 18:15 NCV)  Their tents are set on fire, and sulfur is scattered 
       over their homes.

       (Job 18:16 NCV)  Their roots dry up below ground, and their branches 
       die above ground.

       (Job 18:17 NCV)  People on earth will not remember them; their names 
       will be forgotten in the land.

       (Job 18:18 NCV)  They will be driven from light into darkness and 
       chased out of the world.

       (Job 18:19 NCV)  They have no children or descendants among their 
       people, and no one will be left alive where they once lived.

       (Job 18:20 NCV)  People of the west will be shocked at what has 
       happened to them, and people of the east will be very frightened.

       (Job 18:21 NCV)  Surely this is what will happen to the wicked; such 
       is the place of one who does not know God."

       (Job 19:1 NCV)  Then Job answered:

       (Job 19:2 NCV)  "How long will you hurt me and crush me with your 
       words?

       (Job 19:3 NCV)  You have insulted me ten times now and attacked me 
       without shame.

       (Job 19:4 NCV)  Even if I have sinned, it is my worry alone.

       (Job 19:5 NCV)  If you want to make yourselves look better than I, you 
       can blame me for my suffering.

       (Job 19:6 NCV)  Then know that God has wronged me and pulled his net 
       around me.





       (Job 19:7 NCV)  "I shout, 'I have been wronged!" But I get no answer. 
       I scream for help but I get no justice.

       (Job 19:8 NCV)  God has blocked my way so I cannot pass; he has 
       covered my paths with darkness.

       (Job 19:9 NCV)  He has taken away my honor and removed the crown from 
       my head.

       (Job 19:10 NCV)  He beats me down on every side until I am gone; he 
       destroys my hope like a fallen tree.

       (Job 19:11 NCV)  His anger burns against me, and he treats me like an 
       enemy.

       (Job 19:12 NCV)  His armies gather; they prepare to attack me. They 
       camp around my tent.

       (Job 19:13 NCV)  "God has made my brothers my enemies, and my friends 
       have become strangers.

       (Job 19:14 NCV)  My relatives have gone away, and my friends have 
       forgotten me.

       (Job 19:15 NCV)  My guests and my female servants treat me like a 
       stranger; they look at me as if I were a foreigner.

       (Job 19:16 NCV)  I call for my servant, but he does not answer, even 
       when I beg him with my own mouth.

       (Job 19:17 NCV)  My wife can't stand my breath, and my own family 
       dislikes me.

       (Job 19:18 NCV)  Even the little boys hate me and talk about me when I 
       leave.

       (Job 19:19 NCV)  All my close friends hate me; even those I love have 
       turned against me.

       (Job 19:20 NCV)  I am nothing but skin and bones; I have escaped by 
       the skin of my teeth.

       (Job 19:21 NCV)  Pity me, my friends, pity me, because the hand of God 
       has hit me.

       (Job 19:22 NCV)  Why do you chase me as God does? Haven't you hurt me 
       enough?

       (Job 19:23 NCV)  "How I wish my words were written down, written on a 
       scroll.

       (Job 19:24 NCV)  I wish they were carved with an iron pen into lead, 
       or carved into stone forever.

       (Job 19:25 NCV)  I know that my Defender lives, and in the end he will 
       stand upon the earth.






       (Job 19:26 NCV)  Even after my skin has been destroyed, in my flesh I 
       will see God.

       (Job 19:27 NCV)  I will see him myself; I will see him with my very 
       own eyes. How my heart wants that to happen!

       (Job 19:28 NCV)  "If you say, 'We will continue to trouble Job, 
       because the problem lies with him,'

       (Job 19:29 NCV)  you should be afraid of the sword yourselves. God's 
       anger will bring punishment by the sword. Then you will know there is 
       judgment."

       (Job 20:1 NCV)  Then Zophar the Naamathite answered:

       (Job 20:2 NCV)  "My troubled thoughts cause me to answer, because I am 
       very upset.

       (Job 20:3 NCV)  You correct me and I am insulted, but I understand how 
       to answer you.

       (Job 20:4 NCV)  "You know how it has been for a long time, ever since 
       people were first put on the earth.

       (Job 20:5 NCV)  The happiness of evil people is brief, and the joy of 
       the wicked lasts only a moment.

       (Job 20:6 NCV)  Their pride may be as high as the heavens, and their 
       heads may touch the clouds,

       (Job 20:7 NCV)  but they will be gone forever, like their own dung. 
       People who knew them will say, 'Where are they?'

       (Job 20:8 NCV)  They will fly away like a dream and not be found 
       again; they will be chased away like a vision in the night.

       (Job 20:9 NCV)  Those who saw them will not see them again; the places 
       where they lived will see them no more.

       (Job 20:10 NCV)  Their children will have to pay back the poor, and 
       they will have to give up their wealth.

       (Job 20:11 NCV)  They had the strength of their youth in their bones, 
       but it will lie with them in the dust of death.

       (Job 20:12 NCV)  "Evil may taste sweet in their mouths, and they may 
       hide it under their tongues.

       (Job 20:13 NCV)  They cannot stand to let go of it; they keep it in 
       their mouths.

       (Job 20:14 NCV)  But their food will turn sour in their stomachs, like 
       the poison of a snake inside them.

       (Job 20:15 NCV)  They have swallowed riches, but they will spit them 





       out; God will make them vomit their riches up.

       (Job 20:16 NCV)  They will suck the poison of snakes, and the snake's 
       fangs will kill them.

       (Job 20:17 NCV)  They will not admire the sparkling streams or the 
       rivers flowing with honey and cream.

       (Job 20:18 NCV)  They must give back what they worked for without 
       eating it; they will not enjoy the money they made from their trading,

       (Job 20:19 NCV)  because they troubled the poor and left them with 
       nothing. They have taken houses they did not build.

       (Job 20:20 NCV)  "Evil people never lack an appetite, and nothing 
       escapes their selfishness.

       (Job 20:21 NCV)  But nothing will be left for them to eat; their 
       riches will not continue.

       (Job 20:22 NCV)  When they still have plenty, trouble will catch up to 
       them, and great misery will come down on them.

       (Job 20:23 NCV)  When the wicked fill their stomachs, God will send 
       his burning anger against them, and blows of punishment will fall on 
       them like rain.

       (Job 20:24 NCV)  The wicked may run away from an iron weapon, but a 
       bronze arrow will stab them.

       (Job 20:25 NCV)  They will pull the arrows out of their backs and pull 
       the points out of their livers. Terrors will come over them;

       (Job 20:26 NCV)  total darkness waits for their treasure. A fire not 
       fanned by people will destroy them and burn up what is left of their 
       tents.

       (Job 20:27 NCV)  The heavens will show their guilt, and the earth will 
       rise up against them.

       (Job 20:28 NCV)  A flood will carry their houses away, swept away on 
       the day of God's anger.

       (Job 20:29 NCV)  This is what God plans for evil people; this is what 
       he has decided they will receive."

       (Job 21:1 NCV)  Then Job answered:

       (Job 21:2 NCV)  "Listen carefully to my words, and let this be the way 
       you comfort me.

       (Job 21:3 NCV)  Be patient while I speak. After I have finished, you 
       may continue to make fun of me.

       (Job 21:4 NCV)  "My complaint is not just against people; I have 
       reason to be impatient.






       (Job 21:5 NCV)  Look at me and be shocked; put your hand over your 
       mouth in shock.

       (Job 21:6 NCV)  When I think about this, I am terribly afraid and my 
       body shakes.

       (Job 21:7 NCV)  Why do evil people live a long time? They grow old and 
       become more powerful.

       (Job 21:8 NCV)  They see their children around them; they watch them 
       grow up.

       (Job 21:9 NCV)  Their homes are safe and without fear; God does not 
       punish them.

       (Job 21:10 NCV)  Their bulls never fail to mate; their cows have 
       healthy calves.

       (Job 21:11 NCV)  They send out their children like a flock; their 
       little ones dance about.

       (Job 21:12 NCV)  They sing to the music of tambourines and harps, and 
       the sound of the flute makes them happy.

       (Job 21:13 NCV)  Evil people enjoy successful lives and then go 
       peacefully to the grave.

       (Job 21:14 NCV)  They say to God, 'Leave us alone! We don't want to 
       know your ways.

       (Job 21:15 NCV)  Who is the Almighty that we should serve him? What 
       would we gain by praying to him?'

       (Job 21:16 NCV)  The success of the wicked is not their own doing. 
       Their way of thinking is different from mine.

       (Job 21:17 NCV)  Yet how often are the lamps of evil people turned 
       off? How often does trouble come to them? How often do they suffer 
       God's angry punishment?

       (Job 21:18 NCV)  How often are they like straw in the wind or like 
       chaff that is blown away by a storm?

       (Job 21:19 NCV)  It is said, 'God saves up a person's punishment for 
       his children.' But God should punish the wicked themselves so they 
       will know it.

       (Job 21:20 NCV)  Their eyes should see their own destruction, and they 
       should suffer the anger of the Almighty.

       (Job 21:21 NCV)  They do not care about the families they leave behind 
       when their lives have come to an end.

       (Job 21:22 NCV)  "No one can teach knowledge to God; he is the one who 
       judges even the most important people.






       (Job 21:23 NCV)  One person dies while he still has all his strength, 
       feeling completely safe and comfortable.

       (Job 21:24 NCV)  His body was well fed, and his bones were strong and 
       healthy.

       (Job 21:25 NCV)  But another person dies with an unhappy heart, never 
       enjoying any happiness.

       (Job 21:26 NCV)  They are buried next to each other, and worms cover 
       them both.

       (Job 21:27 NCV)  "I know very well your thoughts and your plans to 
       wrong me.

       (Job 21:28 NCV)  You ask about me, 'Where is this great man's house? 
       Where are the tents where the wicked live?'

       (Job 21:29 NCV)  Have you never asked those who travel? Have you never 
       listened to their stories?

       (Job 21:30 NCV)  On the day of God's anger and punishment, it is the 
       wicked who are spared.

       (Job 21:31 NCV)  Who will accuse them to their faces? Who will pay 
       them back for the evil they have done?

       (Job 21:32 NCV)  They are carried to their graves, and someone keeps 
       watch over their tombs.

       (Job 21:33 NCV)  The dirt in the valley seems sweet to them. Everybody 
       follows after them, and many people go before them.

       (Job 21:34 NCV)  "So how can you comfort me with this nonsense? Your 
       answers are only lies!"

       (Job 22:1 NCV)  Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:

       (Job 22:2 NCV)  "Can anyone be of real use to God? Can even a wise 
       person do him good?

       (Job 22:3 NCV)  Does it help the Almighty for you to be good? Does he 
       gain anything if you are innocent?

       (Job 22:4 NCV)  Does God punish you for respecting him? Does he bring 
       you into court for this?

       (Job 22:5 NCV)  No! It is because your evil is without limits and your 
       sins have no end.

       (Job 22:6 NCV)  You took your brothers' things for a debt they didn't 
       owe; you took clothes from people and left them naked.

       (Job 22:7 NCV)  You did not give water to tired people, and you kept 
       food from the hungry.






       (Job 22:8 NCV)  You were a powerful man who owned land; you were 
       honored and lived in the land.

       (Job 22:9 NCV)  But you sent widows away empty-handed, and you 
       mistreated orphans.

       (Job 22:10 NCV)  That is why traps are all around you and sudden 
       danger frightens you.

       (Job 22:11 NCV)  That is why it is so dark you cannot see and a flood 
       of water covers you.

       (Job 22:12 NCV)  "God is in the highest part of heaven. See how high 
       the highest stars are!

       (Job 22:13 NCV)  But you ask, 'What does God know? Can he judge us 
       through the dark clouds?

       (Job 22:14 NCV)  Thick clouds cover him so he cannot see us as he 
       walks around high up in the sky.'

       (Job 22:15 NCV)  Are you going to stay on the old path where evil 
       people walk?

       (Job 22:16 NCV)  They were carried away before their time was up, and 
       their foundations were washed away by a flood.

       (Job 22:17 NCV)  They said to God, 'Leave us alone! The Almighty can 
       do nothing to us.'

       (Job 22:18 NCV)  But it was God who filled their houses with good 
       things. Their way of thinking is different from mine.

       (Job 22:19 NCV)  "Good people can watch and be glad; the innocent can 
       laugh at them and say,

       (Job 22:20 NCV)  'Surely our enemies are destroyed, and fire burns up 
       their wealth.'

       (Job 22:21 NCV)  "Obey God and be at peace with him; this is the way 
       to happiness.

       (Job 22:22 NCV)  Accept teaching from his mouth, and keep his words in 
       your heart.

       (Job 22:23 NCV)  If you return to the Almighty, you will be blessed 
       again. So remove evil from your house.

       (Job 22:24 NCV)  Throw your gold nuggets into the dust and your fine 
       gold among the rocks in the ravines.

       (Job 22:25 NCV)  Then the Almighty will be your gold and the best 
       silver for you.

       (Job 22:26 NCV)  You will find pleasure in the Almighty, and you will 





       look up to him.

       (Job 22:27 NCV)  You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you 
       will keep your promises to him.

       (Job 22:28 NCV)  Anything you decide will be done, and light will 
       shine on your ways.

       (Job 22:29 NCV)  When people are made humble and you say, 'Have 
       courage,' then the humble will be saved.

       (Job 22:30 NCV)  Even a guilty person will escape and be saved because 
       your hands are clean."

       (Job 23:1 NCV)  Then Job answered:

       (Job 23:2 NCV)  "My complaint is still bitter today. I groan because 
       God's heavy hand is on me.

       (Job 23:3 NCV)  I wish I knew where to find God so I could go to where 
       he lives.

       (Job 23:4 NCV)  I would present my case before him and fill my mouth 
       with arguments.

       (Job 23:5 NCV)  I would learn how he would answer me and would think 
       about what he would say.

       (Job 23:6 NCV)  Would he not argue strongly against me? No, he would 
       really listen to me.

       (Job 23:7 NCV)  Then an honest person could present his case to God, 
       and I would be saved forever by my judge.

       (Job 23:8 NCV)  "If I go to the east, God is not there; if I go to the 
       west, I do not see him.

       (Job 23:9 NCV)  When he is at work in the north, I catch no sight of 
       him; when he turns to the south, I cannot see him.

       (Job 23:10 NCV)  But God knows the way that I take, and when he has 
       tested me, I will come out like gold.

       (Job 23:11 NCV)  My feet have closely followed his steps; I have 
       stayed in his way; I did not turn aside.

       (Job 23:12 NCV)  I have never left the commands he has spoken; I have 
       treasured his words more than my own.

       (Job 23:13 NCV)  "But he is the only God. Who can come against him? He 
       does anything he wants.

       (Job 23:14 NCV)  He will do to me what he said he would do, and he has 
       many plans like this.

       (Job 23:15 NCV)  That is why I am frightened of him; when I think of 





       this, I am afraid of him.

       (Job 23:16 NCV)  God has made me afraid; the Almighty terrifies me.

       (Job 23:17 NCV)  But I am not hidden by the darkness, by the thick 
       darkness that covers my face.

       (Job 24:1 NCV)  "I wish the Almighty would set a time for judging. 
       Those who know God do not see such a day.

       (Job 24:2 NCV)  Wicked people take other people's land; they steal 
       flocks and take them to new pastures.

       (Job 24:3 NCV)  They chase away the orphan's donkey and take the 
       widow's ox when she has no money.

       (Job 24:4 NCV)  They push needy people off the path; all the poor of 
       the land hide from them.

       (Job 24:5 NCV)  The poor become like wild donkeys in the desert who go 
       about their job of finding food. The desert gives them food for their 
       children.

       (Job 24:6 NCV)  They gather hay and straw in the fields and pick up 
       leftover grapes from the vineyard of the wicked.

       (Job 24:7 NCV)  They spend the night naked, because they have no 
       clothes, nothing to cover themselves in the cold.

       (Job 24:8 NCV)  They are soaked from mountain rains and stay near the 
       large rocks because they have no shelter.

       (Job 24:9 NCV)  The fatherless child is grabbed from its mother's 
       breast; they take a poor mother's baby to pay for what she owes.

       (Job 24:10 NCV)  So the poor go around naked without any clothes; they 
       carry bundles of grain but still go hungry;

       (Job 24:11 NCV)  they crush olives to get oil and grapes to get wine, 
       but they still go thirsty.

       (Job 24:12 NCV)  Dying people groan in the city, and the injured cry 
       out for help, but God accuses no one of doing wrong.

       (Job 24:13 NCV)  "Those who fight against the light do not know God's 
       ways or stay in his paths.

       (Job 24:14 NCV)  When the day is over, the murderers get up to kill 
       the poor and needy. At night they go about like thieves.

       (Job 24:15 NCV)  Those who are guilty of adultery watch for the night, 
       thinking, 'No one will see us,' and they keep their faces covered.

       (Job 24:16 NCV)  In the dark, evil people break into houses. In the 
       daytime they shut themselves up in their own houses, because they want 
       nothing to do with the light.






       (Job 24:17 NCV)  Darkness is like morning to all these evil people who 
       make friends with the terrors of darkness.

       (Job 24:18 NCV)  "They are like foam floating on the water. Their part 
       of the land is cursed; no one uses the road that goes by their 
       vineyards.

       (Job 24:19 NCV)  As heat and dryness quickly melt the snow, so the 
       grave quickly takes away the sinners.

       (Job 24:20 NCV)  Their mothers forget them, and worms will eat their 
       bodies. They will not be remembered, so wickedness is broken in pieces 
       like a stick.

       (Job 24:21 NCV)  These evil people abuse women who cannot have 
       children and show no kindness to widows.

       (Job 24:22 NCV)  But God drags away the strong by his power. Even 
       though they seem strong, they do not know how long they will live.

       (Job 24:23 NCV)  God may let these evil people feel safe, but he is 
       watching their ways.

       (Job 24:24 NCV)  For a little while they are important, and then they 
       die; they are laid low and buried like everyone else; they are cut off 
       like the heads of grain.

       (Job 24:25 NCV)  If this is not true, who can prove I am wrong? Who 
       can show that my words are worth nothing?"

       (Job 25:1 NCV)  Then Bildad the Shuhite answered:

       (Job 25:2 NCV)  "God rules and he must be honored; he set up order in 
       his high heaven.

       (Job 25:3 NCV)  No one can count God's armies. His light shines on all 
       people.

       (Job 25:4 NCV)  So no one can be good in the presence of God, and no 
       one born to a woman can be pure.

       (Job 25:5 NCV)  Even the moon is not bright and the stars are not pure 
       in his eyes.

       (Job 25:6 NCV)  People are much less! They are like insects. They are 
       only worms!"

       (Job 26:1 NCV)  Then Job answered:

       (Job 26:2 NCV)  "You are no help to the helpless! You have not aided 
       the weak!

       (Job 26:3 NCV)  Your advice lacks wisdom! You have shown little 
       understanding!





       (Job 26:4 NCV)  Who has helped you say these words? And where did you 
       get these ideas?

       (Job 26:5 NCV)  "The spirits of the dead tremble, those who are 
       beneath and in the waters.

       (Job 26:6 NCV)  Death is naked before God; destruction is uncovered 
       before him.

       (Job 26:7 NCV)  God stretches the northern sky out over empty space 
       and hangs the earth on nothing.

       (Job 26:8 NCV)  He wraps up the waters in his thick clouds, but the 
       clouds do not break under their weight.

       (Job 26:9 NCV)  He covers the face of the moon, spreading his clouds 
       over it.

       (Job 26:10 NCV)  He draws the horizon like a circle on the water at 
       the place where light and darkness meet.

       (Job 26:11 NCV)  Heaven's foundations shake when he thunders at them.

       (Job 26:12 NCV)  With his power he quiets the sea; by his wisdom he 
       destroys Rahab, the sea monster.

       (Job 26:13 NCV)  He breathes, and the sky clears. His hand stabs the 
       fleeing snake.

       (Job 26:14 NCV)  And these are only a small part of God's works. We 
       only hear a small whisper of him. Who could understand God's 
       thundering power?"

       (Job 27:1 NCV)  And Job continued speaking:

       (Job 27:2 NCV)  "As surely as God lives, who has taken away my rights, 
       the Almighty, who has made me unhappy,

       (Job 27:3 NCV)  as long as I am alive and God's breath of life is in 
       my nose,

       (Job 27:4 NCV)  my lips will not speak evil, and my tongue will not 
       tell a lie.

       (Job 27:5 NCV)  I will never agree you are right; until I die, I will 
       never stop saying I am innocent.

       (Job 27:6 NCV)  I will insist that I am right; I will not back down. 
       My conscience will never bother me.

       (Job 27:7 NCV)  "Let my enemies be like evil people, my foes like 
       those who are wrong.

       (Job 27:8 NCV)  What hope do the wicked have when they die, when God 
       takes their life away?





       (Job 27:9 NCV)  God will not listen to their cries when trouble comes 
       to them.

       (Job 27:10 NCV)  They will not find joy in the Almighty, even though 
       they call out to God all the time.

       (Job 27:11 NCV)  "I will teach you about the power of God and will not 
       hide the ways of the Almighty.

       (Job 27:12 NCV)  You have all seen this yourselves. So why are we 
       having all this talk that means nothing?

       (Job 27:13 NCV)  "Here is what God has planned for evil people, and 
       what the Almighty will give to cruel people:

       (Job 27:14 NCV)  They may have many children, but the sword will kill 
       them. Their children who are left will never have enough to eat.

       (Job 27:15 NCV)  Then they will die of disease and be buried, and the 
       widows will not even cry for them.

       (Job 27:16 NCV)  The wicked may heap up silver like piles of dirt and 
       have so many clothes they are like piles of clay.

       (Job 27:17 NCV)  But good people will wear what evil people have 
       gathered, and the innocent will divide up their silver.

       (Job 27:18 NCV)  The houses the wicked build are like a spider's web, 
       like a hut that a guard builds.

       (Job 27:19 NCV)  The wicked are rich when they go to bed, but they are 
       rich for the last time; when they open their eyes, everything is gone.

       (Job 27:20 NCV)  Fears come over them like a flood, and a storm 
       snatches them away in the night.

       (Job 27:21 NCV)  The east wind will carry them away, and then they are 
       gone, because it sweeps them out of their place.

       (Job 27:22 NCV)  The wind will hit them without mercy as they try to 
       run away from its power.

       (Job 27:23 NCV)  It will be as if the wind is clapping its hands; it 
       will whistle at them as they run from their place.

       (Job 28:1 NCV)  "There are mines where people dig silver and places 
       where gold is made pure.

       (Job 28:2 NCV)  Iron is taken from the ground, and copper is melted 
       out of rocks.

       (Job 28:3 NCV)  Miners bring lights and search deep into the mines for 
       ore in thick darkness.

       (Job 28:4 NCV)  Miners dig a tunnel far from where people live, where 
       no one has ever walked; they work far from people, swinging and 





       swaying from ropes.

       (Job 28:5 NCV)  Food grows on top of the earth, but below ground 
       things are changed as if by fire.

       (Job 28:6 NCV)  Sapphires are found in rocks, and gold dust is also 
       found there.

       (Job 28:7 NCV)  No hawk knows that path; the falcon has not seen it.

       (Job 28:8 NCV)  Proud animals have not walked there, and no lions 
       cross over it.

       (Job 28:9 NCV)  Miners hit the rocks of flint and dig away at the 
       bottom of the mountains.

       (Job 28:10 NCV)  They cut tunnels through the rock and see all the 
       treasures there.

       (Job 28:11 NCV)  They search for places where rivers begin and bring 
       things hidden out into the light.

       (Job 28:12 NCV)  "But where can wisdom be found, and where does 
       understanding live?

       (Job 28:13 NCV)  People do not understand the value of wisdom; it 
       cannot be found among those who are alive.

       (Job 28:14 NCV)  The deep ocean says, 'It's not in me;' the sea says, 
       'It's not in me.'

       (Job 28:15 NCV)  Wisdom cannot be bought with gold, and its cost 
       cannot be weighed in silver.

       (Job 28:16 NCV)  Wisdom cannot be bought with fine gold or with 
       valuable onyx or sapphire gems.

       (Job 28:17 NCV)  Gold and crystal are not as valuable as wisdom, and 
       you cannot buy it with jewels of gold.

       (Job 28:18 NCV)  Coral and jasper are not worth talking about, and the 
       price of wisdom is much greater than rubies.

       (Job 28:19 NCV)  The topaz from Cush cannot compare to wisdom; it 
       cannot be bought with the purest gold.

       (Job 28:20 NCV)  "So where does wisdom come from, and where does 
       understanding live?

       (Job 28:21 NCV)  It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing, 
       even from the birds of the air.

       (Job 28:22 NCV)  The places of destruction and death say, 'We have 
       heard reports about it.'

       (Job 28:23 NCV)  Only God understands the way to wisdom, and he alone 





       knows where it lives,

       (Job 28:24 NCV)  because he looks to the farthest parts of the earth 
       and sees everything under the sky.

       (Job 28:25 NCV)  When God gave power to the wind and measured the 
       water,

       (Job 28:26 NCV)  when he made rules for the rain and set a path for a 
       thunderstorm to follow,

       (Job 28:27 NCV)  then he looked at wisdom and decided its worth; he 
       set wisdom up and tested it.

       (Job 28:28 NCV)  Then he said to humans, 'The fear of the Lord is 
       wisdom; to stay away from evil is understanding.'"

       (Job 29:1 NCV)  Job continued to speak:

       (Job 29:2 NCV)  "How I wish for the months that have passed and the 
       days when God watched over me.

       (Job 29:3 NCV)  God's lamp shined on my head, and I walked through 
       darkness by his light.

       (Job 29:4 NCV)  I wish for the days when I was strong, when God's 
       close friendship blessed my house.

       (Job 29:5 NCV)  The Almighty was still with me, and my children were 
       all around me.

       (Job 29:6 NCV)  It was as if my path were covered with cream and the 
       rocks poured out olive oil for me.

       (Job 29:7 NCV)  I would go to the city gate and sit in the public 
       square.

       (Job 29:8 NCV)  When the young men saw me, they would step aside, and 
       the old men would stand up in respect.

       (Job 29:9 NCV)  The leading men stopped speaking and covered their 
       mouths with their hands.

       (Job 29:10 NCV)  The voices of the important men were quiet, as if 
       their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.

       (Job 29:11 NCV)  Anyone who heard me spoke well of me, and those who 
       saw me praised me,

       (Job 29:12 NCV)  because I saved the poor who called out and the 
       orphan who had no one to help.

       (Job 29:13 NCV)  The dying person blessed me, and I made the widow's 
       heart sing.

       (Job 29:14 NCV)  I put on right living as if it were clothing; I wore 





       fairness like a robe and a turban.

       (Job 29:15 NCV)  I was eyes for the blind and feet for the lame.

       (Job 29:16 NCV)  I was like a father to needy people, and I took the 
       side of strangers who were in trouble.

       (Job 29:17 NCV)  I broke the fangs of evil people and snatched the 
       captives from their teeth.

       (Job 29:18 NCV)  "I thought, 'I will live for as many days as there 
       are grains of sand, and I will die in my own house.

       (Job 29:19 NCV)  My roots will reach down to the water. The dew will 
       lie on the branches all night.

       (Job 29:20 NCV)  New honors will come to me continually, and I will 
       always have great strength.'

       (Job 29:21 NCV)  "People listened to me carefully and waited quietly 
       for my advice.

       (Job 29:22 NCV)  After I finished speaking, they spoke no more. My 
       words fell very gently on their ears.

       (Job 29:23 NCV)  They waited for me as they would for rain and drank 
       in my words like spring rain.

       (Job 29:24 NCV)  I smiled at them when they doubted, and my approval 
       was important to them.

       (Job 29:25 NCV)  I chose the way for them and was their leader. I 
       lived like a king among his army, like a person who comforts sad 
       people.

       (Job 30:1 NCV)  "But now men who are younger than I make fun of me. I 
       would not have even let their fathers sit with my sheep dogs.

       (Job 30:2 NCV)  What use did I have for their strength since they had 
       lost their strength to work?

       (Job 30:3 NCV)  They were thin from hunger and wandered the dry and 
       ruined land at night.

       (Job 30:4 NCV)  They gathered desert plants among the brush and ate 
       the root of the broom tree.

       (Job 30:5 NCV)  They were forced to live away from people; people 
       shouted at them as if they were thieves.

       (Job 30:6 NCV)  They lived in dried up streambeds, in caves, and among 
       the rocks.

       (Job 30:7 NCV)  They howled like animals among the bushes and huddled 
       together in the brush.





       (Job 30:8 NCV)  They are worthless people without names and were 
       forced to leave the land.

       (Job 30:9 NCV)  "Now they make fun of me with songs; my name is a joke 
       among them.

       (Job 30:10 NCV)  They hate me and stay far away from me, but they do 
       not mind spitting in my face.

       (Job 30:11 NCV)  God has taken away my strength and made me suffer, so 
       they attack me with all their anger.

       (Job 30:12 NCV)  On my right side they rise up like a mob. They lay 
       traps for my feet and prepare to attack me.

       (Job 30:13 NCV)  They break up my road and work to destroy me, and no 
       one helps me.

       (Job 30:14 NCV)  They come at me as if through a hole in the wall, and 
       they roll in among the ruins.

       (Job 30:15 NCV)  Great fears overwhelm me. They blow my honor away as 
       if by a great wind, and my safety disappears like a cloud.

       (Job 30:16 NCV)  "Now my life is almost over; my days are full of 
       suffering.

       (Job 30:17 NCV)  At night my bones ache; gnawing pains never stop.

       (Job 30:18 NCV)  In his great power God grabs hold of my clothing and 
       chokes me with the collar of my coat.

       (Job 30:19 NCV)  He throws me into the mud, and I become like dirt and 
       ashes.

       (Job 30:20 NCV)  "I cry out to you, God, but you do not answer; I 
       stand up, but you just look at me.

       (Job 30:21 NCV)  You have turned on me without mercy; with your 
       powerful hand you attacked me.

       (Job 30:22 NCV)  You snatched me up and threw me into the wind and 
       tossed me about in the storm.

       (Job 30:23 NCV)  I know you will bring me down to death, to the place 
       where all living people must go.

       (Job 30:24 NCV)  "Surely no one would hurt a ruined man when he cries 
       for help in his time of trouble.

       (Job 30:25 NCV)  I cried for those who were in trouble; I have been 
       very sad for poor people.

       (Job 30:26 NCV)  But when I hoped for good, only evil came to me; when 
       I looked for light, darkness came.





       (Job 30:27 NCV)  I never stop being upset; days of suffering are ahead 
       of me.

       (Job 30:28 NCV)  I have turned black, but not by the sun. I stand up 
       in public and cry for help.

       (Job 30:29 NCV)  I have become a brother to wild dogs and a friend to 
       ostriches.

       (Job 30:30 NCV)  My skin has become black and peels off, as my body 
       burns with fever.

       (Job 30:31 NCV)  My harp is tuned to sing a sad song, and my flute is 
       tuned to moaning.

       (Job 31:1 NCV)  "But I made an agreement with my eyes not to look with 
       desire at a girl.

       (Job 31:2 NCV)  What has God above promised for people? What has the 
       Almighty planned from on high?

       (Job 31:3 NCV)  It is ruin for evil people and disaster for those who 
       do wrong.

       (Job 31:4 NCV)  God sees my ways and counts every step I take.

       (Job 31:5 NCV)  "If I have been dishonest or lied to others,

       (Job 31:6 NCV)  then let God weigh me on honest scales. Then he will 
       know I have done nothing wrong.

       (Job 31:7 NCV)  If I have turned away from doing what is right, or my 
       heart has been led by my eyes to do wrong, or my hands have been made 
       unclean,

       (Job 31:8 NCV)  then let other people eat what I have planted, and let 
       my crops be plowed up.

       (Job 31:9 NCV)  "If I have desired another woman or have waited at my 
       neighbor's door for his wife,

       (Job 31:10 NCV)  then let my wife grind another man's grain, and let 
       other men have sexual relations with her.

       (Job 31:11 NCV)  That would be shameful, a sin to be punished.

       (Job 31:12 NCV)  It is like a fire that burns and destroys; all I have 
       done would be plowed up.

       (Job 31:13 NCV)  "If I have been unfair to my male and female slaves 
       when they had a complaint against me,

       (Job 31:14 NCV)  how could I tell God what I did? What will I answer 
       when he asks me to explain what I've done?

       (Job 31:15 NCV)  God made me in my mother's womb, and he also made 





       them; the same God formed both of us in our mothers' wombs.

       (Job 31:16 NCV)  "I have never refused the appeals of the poor or let 
       widows give up hope while looking for help.

       (Job 31:17 NCV)  I have not kept my food to myself but have given it 
       to the orphans.

       (Job 31:18 NCV)  Since I was young, I have been like a father to the 
       orphans. From my birth I guided the widows.

       (Job 31:19 NCV)  I have not let anyone die for lack of clothes or let 
       a needy person go without a coat.

       (Job 31:20 NCV)  That person's heart blessed me, because I warmed him 
       with the wool of my sheep.

       (Job 31:21 NCV)  I have never hurt an orphan even when I knew I could 
       win in court.

       (Job 31:22 NCV)  If I have, then let my arm fall off my shoulder and 
       be broken at the joint.

       (Job 31:23 NCV)  I fear destruction from God, and I fear his majesty, 
       so I could not do such things.

       (Job 31:24 NCV)  "I have not put my trust in gold or said to pure 
       gold, 'You are my security.'

       (Job 31:25 NCV)  I have not celebrated my great wealth or the riches 
       my hands had gained.

       (Job 31:26 NCV)  I have not thought about worshiping the sun in its 
       brightness nor admired the moon moving in glory

       (Job 31:27 NCV)  so that my heart was pulled away from God. My hand 
       has never offered the sun and moon a kiss of worship.

       (Job 31:28 NCV)  If I had, these also would have been sins to be 
       punished, because I would have been unfaithful to God.

       (Job 31:29 NCV)  "I have not been happy when my enemy fell or laughed 
       when he had trouble.

       (Job 31:30 NCV)  I have not let my mouth sin by cursing my enemy's 
       life.

       (Job 31:31 NCV)  The men of my house have always said, 'Everyone has 
       eaten all he wants of Job's food.'

       (Job 31:32 NCV)  No stranger ever had to spend the night in the 
       street, because I always let travelers stay in my home.

       (Job 31:33 NCV)  I have not hidden my sin as others do, secretly 
       keeping my guilt to myself.





       (Job 31:34 NCV)  I was not so afraid of the crowd that I kept quiet 
       and stayed inside because I feared being hated by other families.

       (Job 31:35 NCV)  ("How I wish a court would hear my case! Here I sign 
       my name to show I have told the truth. Now let the Almighty answer me; 
       let the one who accuses me write it down.

       (Job 31:36 NCV)  I would wear the writing on my shoulder; I would put 
       it on like a crown.

       (Job 31:37 NCV)  I would explain to God every step I took, and I would 
       come near to him like a prince.)

       (Job 31:38 NCV)  "If my land cries out against me and its plowed rows 
       are not wet with tears,

       (Job 31:39 NCV)  if I have taken the land's harvest without paying or 
       have broken the spirit of those who worked the land,

       (Job 31:40 NCV)  then let thorns come up instead of wheat, and let 
       weeds come up instead of barley." The words of Job are finished.

       (Job 32:1 NCV)  These three men stopped trying to answer Job, because 
       he was so sure he was right.

       (Job 32:2 NCV)  But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, from the family 
       of Ram, became very angry with Job, because Job claimed he was right 
       instead of God.

       (Job 32:3 NCV)  Elihu was also angry with Job's three friends who had 
       no answer to show that Job was wrong, yet continued to blame him.

       (Job 32:4 NCV)  Elihu had waited before speaking to Job, because the 
       three friends were older than he was.

       (Job 32:5 NCV)  But when Elihu saw that the three men had nothing more 
       to say, he became very angry.

       (Job 32:6 NCV)  So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite said this: "I am 
       young, and you are old. That is why I was afraid to tell you what I 
       know.

       (Job 32:7 NCV)  I thought, 'Older people should speak, and those who 
       have lived many years should teach wisdom.'

       (Job 32:8 NCV)  But it is the spirit in a person, the breath of the 
       Almighty, that gives understanding.

       (Job 32:9 NCV)  It is not just older people who are wise; they are not 
       the only ones who understand what is right.

       (Job 32:10 NCV)  So I say, listen to me. I too will tell you what I 
       know.

       (Job 32:11 NCV)  I waited while you three spoke, and listened to your 
       explanations. While you looked for words to use,






       (Job 32:12 NCV)  I paid close attention to you. But not one of you has 
       proved Job wrong; none of you has answered his arguments.

       (Job 32:13 NCV)  Don't say, 'We have found wisdom; only God will show 
       Job to be wrong, not people.'

       (Job 32:14 NCV)  Job has not spoken his words against me, so I will 
       not use your arguments to answer Job.

       (Job 32:15 NCV)  "These three friends are defeated and have no more to 
       say; words have failed them.

       (Job 32:16 NCV)  Now they are standing there with no answers for Job. 
       Now that they are quiet, must I wait to speak?

       (Job 32:17 NCV)  No, I too will speak and tell what I know.

       (Job 32:18 NCV)  I am full of words, and the spirit in me causes me to 
       speak.

       (Job 32:19 NCV)  I am like wine that has been bottled up; I am ready 
       to burst like a new leather wine bag.

       (Job 32:20 NCV)  I must speak so I will feel relief; I must open my 
       mouth and answer.

       (Job 32:21 NCV)  I will be fair to everyone and not flatter anyone.

       (Job 32:22 NCV)  I don't know how to flatter, and if I did, my Maker 
       would quickly take me away.

       (Job 33:1 NCV)  "Now, Job, listen to my words. Pay attention to 
       everything I say.

       (Job 33:2 NCV)  I open my mouth and am ready to speak.

       (Job 33:3 NCV)  My words come from an honest heart, and I am sincere 
       in saying what I know.

       (Job 33:4 NCV)  The Spirit of God created me, and the breath of the 
       Almighty gave me life.

       (Job 33:5 NCV)  Answer me if you can; get yourself ready and stand 
       before me.

       (Job 33:6 NCV)  I am just like you before God; I too am made out of 
       clay.

       (Job 33:7 NCV)  Don't be afraid of me; I will not be hard on you.

       (Job 33:8 NCV)  "But I heard what you have said; I heard every word.

       (Job 33:9 NCV)  You said, 'I am pure and without sin; I am innocent 
       and free from guilt.





       (Job 33:10 NCV)  But God has found fault with me; he considers me his 
       enemy.

       (Job 33:11 NCV)  He locks my feet in chains and closely watches 
       everywhere I go.'

       (Job 33:12 NCV)  "But I tell you, you are not right in saying this, 
       because God is greater than we are.

       (Job 33:13 NCV)  Why do you accuse God of not answering anyone?

       (Job 33:14 NCV)  God does speak--sometimes one way and sometimes 
       another-- even though people may not understand it.

       (Job 33:15 NCV)  He speaks in a dream or a vision of the night when 
       people are in a deep sleep, lying on their beds.

       (Job 33:16 NCV)  He speaks in their ears and frightens them with 
       warnings

       (Job 33:17 NCV)  to turn them away from doing wrong and to keep them 
       from being proud.

       (Job 33:18 NCV)  God does this to save a person from death, to keep 
       him from dying.

       (Job 33:19 NCV)  A person may be corrected while in bed in great pain; 
       he may have continual pain in his very bones.

       (Job 33:20 NCV)  He may be in such pain that he even hates food, even 
       the very best meal.

       (Job 33:21 NCV)  His body becomes so thin there is almost nothing left 
       of it, and his bones that were hidden now stick out.

       (Job 33:22 NCV)  He is near death, and his life is almost over.

       (Job 33:23 NCV)  "But there may be an angel to speak for him, one out 
       of a thousand, who will tell him what to do.

       (Job 33:24 NCV)  The angel will beg for mercy and say: 'Save him from 
       death. I have found a way to pay for his life.'

       (Job 33:25 NCV)  Then his body is made new like a child's. It will 
       return to the way it was when he was young.

       (Job 33:26 NCV)  That person will pray to God, and God will listen to 
       him. He will see God's face and will shout with happiness. And God 
       will set things right for him again.

       (Job 33:27 NCV)  Then he will say to others, 'I sinned and twisted 
       what was right, but I did not receive the punishment I should have 
       received.

       (Job 33:28 NCV)  God bought my life back from death, and I will 
       continue to enjoy life.'






       (Job 33:29 NCV)  "God does all these things to a person two or even 
       three times

       (Job 33:30 NCV)  so he won't die as punishment for his sins and so he 
       may still enjoy life.

       (Job 33:31 NCV)  "Job, pay attention and listen to me; be quiet, and I 
       will speak.

       (Job 33:32 NCV)  If you have anything to say, answer me; speak up, 
       because I want to prove you right.

       (Job 33:33 NCV)  But if you have nothing to say, then listen to me; be 
       quiet, and I will teach you wisdom."

       (Job 34:1 NCV)  Then Elihu said:

       (Job 34:2 NCV)  "Hear my words, you wise men; listen to me, you who 
       know a lot.

       (Job 34:3 NCV)  The ear tests words as the tongue tastes food.

       (Job 34:4 NCV)  Let's decide for ourselves what is right, and let's 
       learn together what is good.

       (Job 34:5 NCV)  "Job says, 'I am not guilty, and God has refused me a 
       fair trial.

       (Job 34:6 NCV)  Instead of getting a fair trial, I am called a liar. I 
       have been seriously hurt, even though I have not sinned.'

       (Job 34:7 NCV)  There is no other man like Job; he takes insults as if 
       he were drinking water.

       (Job 34:8 NCV)  He keeps company with those who do evil and spends 
       time with wicked men,

       (Job 34:9 NCV)  because he says, 'It is no use to try to please God.'

       (Job 34:10 NCV)  "So listen to me, you who can understand. God can 
       never do wrong! It is impossible for the Almighty to do evil.

       (Job 34:11 NCV)  God pays a person back for what he has done and gives 
       him what his actions deserve.

       (Job 34:12 NCV)  Truly God will never do wrong; the Almighty will 
       never twist what is right.

       (Job 34:13 NCV)  No one chose God to rule over the earth or put him in 
       charge of the whole world.

       (Job 34:14 NCV)  If God should decide to take away life and breath,

       (Job 34:15 NCV)  then everyone would die together and turn back into 
       dust.






       (Job 34:16 NCV)  "If you can understand, hear this; listen to what I 
       have to say.

       (Job 34:17 NCV)  Can anyone govern who hates what is right? How can 
       you blame God who is both fair and powerful?

       (Job 34:18 NCV)  God is the one who says to kings, 'You are 
       worthless,' or to important people, 'You are evil.'

       (Job 34:19 NCV)  He is not nicer to princes than other people, nor 
       kinder to rich people than poor people, because he made them all with 
       his own hands.

       (Job 34:20 NCV)  They can die in a moment, in the middle of the night. 
       They are struck down, and then they pass away; powerful people die 
       without help.

       (Job 34:21 NCV)  "God watches where people go; he sees every step they 
       take.

       (Job 34:22 NCV)  There is no dark place or deep shadow where those who 
       do evil can hide from him.

       (Job 34:23 NCV)  He does not set a time for people to come before him 
       for judging.

       (Job 34:24 NCV)  Without asking questions, God breaks powerful people 
       into pieces and puts others in their place.

       (Job 34:25 NCV)  Because God knows what people do, he defeats them in 
       the night, and they are crushed.

       (Job 34:26 NCV)  He punishes them for the evil they do so that 
       everyone else can watch,

       (Job 34:27 NCV)  because they stopped following God and did not care 
       about any of his ways.

       (Job 34:28 NCV)  The cry of the poor comes to God; he hears the cry of 
       the needy.

       (Job 34:29 NCV)  But if God keeps quiet, who can blame him? If he 
       hides his face, who can see him? God still rules over both nations and 
       persons alike.

       (Job 34:30 NCV)  He keeps the wicked from ruling and from trapping 
       others.

       (Job 34:31 NCV)  "But suppose someone says to God, 'I am guilty, but I 
       will not sin anymore.

       (Job 34:32 NCV)  Teach me what I cannot see. If I have done wrong, I 
       will not do it again.'

       (Job 34:33 NCV)  So, Job, should God reward you as you want when you 





       refuse to change? You must decide, not I, so tell me what you know.

       (Job 34:34 NCV)  "Those who understand speak, and the wise who hear me 
       say,

       (Job 34:35 NCV)  'Job speaks without knowing what is true; his words 
       show he does not understand.'

       (Job 34:36 NCV)  I wish Job would be tested completely, because he 
       answered like an evil man!

       (Job 34:37 NCV)  Job now adds to his sin by turning against God. He 
       claps his hands in protest, speaking more and more against God."

       (Job 35:1 NCV)  Then Elihu said:

       (Job 35:2 NCV)  "Do you think this is fair? You say, 'God will show 
       that I am right,'

       (Job 35:3 NCV)  but you also ask, 'What's the use? I don't gain 
       anything by not sinning.'

       (Job 35:4 NCV)  "I will answer you and your friends who are with you.

       (Job 35:5 NCV)  Look up at the sky and see the clouds so high above 
       you.

       (Job 35:6 NCV)  If you sin, it does nothing to God; even if your sins 
       are many, they do nothing to him.

       (Job 35:7 NCV)  If you are good, you give nothing to God; he receives 
       nothing from your hand.

       (Job 35:8 NCV)  Your evil ways only hurt a man like yourself, and the 
       good you do only helps other human beings.

       (Job 35:9 NCV)  "People cry out when they are in trouble; they beg for 
       relief from powerful people.

       (Job 35:10 NCV)  But no one asks, 'Where is God, my Maker, who gives 
       us songs in the night,

       (Job 35:11 NCV)  who makes us smarter than the animals of the earth 
       and wiser than the birds of the air?'

       (Job 35:12 NCV)  God does not answer evil people when they cry out, 
       because the wicked are proud.

       (Job 35:13 NCV)  God does not listen to their useless begging; the 
       Almighty pays no attention to them.

       (Job 35:14 NCV)  He will listen to you even less when you say that you 
       do not see him, that your case is before him, that you must wait for 
       him,

       (Job 35:15 NCV)  that his anger never punishes, and that he doesn't 





       notice evil.

       (Job 35:16 NCV)  So Job is only speaking nonsense, saying many words 
       without knowing what is true."

       (Job 36:1 NCV)  Elihu continued:

       (Job 36:2 NCV)  "Listen to me a little longer, and I will show you 
       that there is more to be said for God.

       (Job 36:3 NCV)  What I know comes from far away. I will show that my 
       Maker is right.

       (Job 36:4 NCV)  You can be sure that my words are not false; one who 
       really knows is with you.

       (Job 36:5 NCV)  "God is powerful, but he does not hate people; he is 
       powerful and sure of what he wants to do.

       (Job 36:6 NCV)  He will not keep evil people alive, but he gives the 
       poor their rights.

       (Job 36:7 NCV)  He always watches over those who do right; he sets 
       them on thrones with kings and they are honored forever.

       (Job 36:8 NCV)  If people are bound in chains, or if trouble, like 
       ropes, ties them up,

       (Job 36:9 NCV)  God tells them what they have done, that they have 
       sinned in their pride.

       (Job 36:10 NCV)  God makes them listen to his warning and commands 
       them to change from doing evil.

       (Job 36:11 NCV)  If they obey and serve him, the rest of their lives 
       will be successful, and the rest of their years will be happy.

       (Job 36:12 NCV)  But if they do not listen, they will die by the 
       sword, and they will die without knowing why.

       (Job 36:13 NCV)  "Those who have wicked hearts hold on to anger. Even 
       when God punishes them, they do not cry for help.

       (Job 36:14 NCV)  They die while they are still young, and their lives 
       end in disgrace.

       (Job 36:15 NCV)  But God saves those who suffer through their 
       suffering; he gets them to listen through their pain.

       (Job 36:16 NCV)  "God is gently calling you from the jaws of trouble 
       to an open place of freedom where he has set your table full of the 
       best food.

       (Job 36:17 NCV)  But now you are being punished like the wicked; you 
       are getting justice.





       (Job 36:18 NCV)  Be careful! Don't be led away from God by riches; 
       don't let much money turn you away.

       (Job 36:19 NCV)  Neither your wealth nor all your great strength will 
       keep you out of trouble.

       (Job 36:20 NCV)  Don't wish for the night when people are taken from 
       their homes.

       (Job 36:21 NCV)  Be careful not to turn to evil, which you seem to 
       want more than suffering.

       (Job 36:22 NCV)  "God is great and powerful; no other teacher is like 
       him.

       (Job 36:23 NCV)  No one has planned his ways for him; no one can say 
       to God, 'You have done wrong.'

       (Job 36:24 NCV)  Remember to praise his work, about which people have 
       sung.

       (Job 36:25 NCV)  Everybody has seen it; people look at it from far 
       off.

       (Job 36:26 NCV)  God is so great, greater than we can understand! No 
       one knows how old he is.

       (Job 36:27 NCV)  "He evaporates the drops of water from the earth and 
       turns them into rain.

       (Job 36:28 NCV)  The rain then pours down from the clouds, and showers 
       fall on people.

       (Job 36:29 NCV)  No one understands how God spreads out the clouds or 
       how he sends thunder from where he lives.

       (Job 36:30 NCV)  Watch how God scatters his lightning around him, 
       lighting up the deepest parts of the sea.

       (Job 36:31 NCV)  This is the way God governs the nations; this is how 
       he gives us enough food.

       (Job 36:32 NCV)  God fills his hands with lightning and commands it to 
       strike its target.

       (Job 36:33 NCV)  His thunder announces the coming storm, and even the 
       cattle know it is near.

       (Job 37:1 NCV)  "At the sound of his thunder, my heart pounds as if it 
       will jump out of my chest.

       (Job 37:2 NCV)  Listen! Listen to the thunder of God's voice and to 
       the rumbling that comes from his mouth.

       (Job 37:3 NCV)  He turns his lightning loose under the whole sky and 
       sends it to the farthest parts of the earth.






       (Job 37:4 NCV)  After that you can hear the roar when he thunders with 
       a great sound. He does not hold back the flashing when his voice is 
       heard.

       (Job 37:5 NCV)  God's voice thunders in wonderful ways; he does great 
       things we cannot understand.

       (Job 37:6 NCV)  He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth,' and to the 
       shower, 'Be a heavy rain.'

       (Job 37:7 NCV)  With it, he stops everyone from working so everyone 
       knows it is the work of God.

       (Job 37:8 NCV)  The animals take cover from the rain and stay in their 
       dens.

       (Job 37:9 NCV)  The storm comes from where it was stored; the cold 
       comes with the strong winds.

       (Job 37:10 NCV)  The breath of God makes ice, and the wide waters 
       become frozen.

       (Job 37:11 NCV)  He fills the clouds with water and scatters his 
       lightning through them.

       (Job 37:12 NCV)  At his command they swirl around over the whole 
       earth, doing whatever he commands.

       (Job 37:13 NCV)  He uses the clouds to punish people or to water his 
       earth and show his love.

       (Job 37:14 NCV)  "Job, listen to this: Stop and notice God's miracles.

       (Job 37:15 NCV)  Do you know how God controls the clouds and makes his 
       lightning flash?

       (Job 37:16 NCV)  Do you know how the clouds hang in the sky? Do you 
       know the miracles of God, who knows everything?

       (Job 37:17 NCV)  You suffer in your clothes when the land is silenced 
       by the hot, south wind.

       (Job 37:18 NCV)  You cannot stretch out the sky like God and make it 
       look as hard as polished bronze.

       (Job 37:19 NCV)  Tell us what we should say to him; we cannot get our 
       arguments ready because we do not have enough understanding.

       (Job 37:20 NCV)  Should God be told that I want to speak? Would a 
       person ask to be swallowed up?

       (Job 37:21 NCV)  No one can look at the sun when it is bright in the 
       sky after the wind has blown all the clouds away.

       (Job 37:22 NCV)  God comes out of the north in golden light, in 





       overwhelming greatness.

       (Job 37:23 NCV)  The Almighty is too high for us to reach. He has 
       great strength; he is always right and never punishes unfairly.

       (Job 37:24 NCV)  That is why people honor him; he does not respect 
       those who say they are wise."

       (Job 38:1 NCV)  Then the LORD answered Job from the storm. He said:

       (Job 38:2 NCV)  "Who is this that makes my purpose unclear by saying 
       things that are not true?

       (Job 38:3 NCV)  Be strong like a man! I will ask you questions, and 
       you must answer me.

       (Job 38:4 NCV)  Where were you when I made the earth's foundation? 
       Tell me, if you understand.

       (Job 38:5 NCV)  Who marked off how big it should be? Surely you know! 
       Who stretched a ruler across it?

       (Job 38:6 NCV)  What were the earth's foundations set on, or who put 
       its cornerstone in place

       (Job 38:7 NCV)  while the morning stars sang together and all the 
       angels shouted with joy?

       (Job 38:8 NCV)  "Who shut the doors to keep the sea in when it broke 
       through and was born,

       (Job 38:9 NCV)  when I made the clouds like a coat for the sea and 
       wrapped it in dark clouds,

       (Job 38:10 NCV)  when I put limits on the sea and put its doors and 
       bars in place,

       (Job 38:11 NCV)  when I said to the sea, 'You may come this far, but 
       no farther; this is where your proud waves must stop'?

       (Job 38:12 NCV)  "Have you ever ordered the morning to begin, or shown 
       the dawn where its place was

       (Job 38:13 NCV)  in order to take hold of the earth by its edges and 
       shake evil people out of it?

       (Job 38:14 NCV)  At dawn the earth changes like clay being pressed by 
       a seal; the hills and valleys stand out like folds in a coat.

       (Job 38:15 NCV)  Light is not given to evil people; their arm is 
       raised to do harm, but it is broken.

       (Job 38:16 NCV)  "Have you ever gone to where the sea begins or walked 
       in the valleys under the sea?

       (Job 38:17 NCV)  Have the gates of death been opened to you? Have you 





       seen the gates of the deep darkness?

       (Job 38:18 NCV)  Do you understand how wide the earth is? Tell me, if 
       you know all these things.

       (Job 38:19 NCV)  "What is the path to light's home, and where does 
       darkness live?

       (Job 38:20 NCV)  Can you take them to their places? Do you know the 
       way to their homes?

       (Job 38:21 NCV)  Surely you know, if you were already born when all 
       this happened! Have you lived that many years?

       (Job 38:22 NCV)  "Have you ever gone into the storehouse of the snow 
       or seen the storehouses for hail,

       (Job 38:23 NCV)  which I save for times of trouble, for days of war 
       and battle?

       (Job 38:24 NCV)  Where is the place from which light comes? Where is 
       the place from which the east winds blow over the earth?

       (Job 38:25 NCV)  Who cuts a waterway for the heavy rains and sets a 
       path for the thunderstorm?

       (Job 38:26 NCV)  Who waters the land where no one lives, the desert 
       that has no one in it?

       (Job 38:27 NCV)  Who sends rain to satisfy the empty land so the grass 
       begins to grow?

       (Job 38:28 NCV)  Does the rain have a father? Who is father to the 
       drops of dew?

       (Job 38:29 NCV)  Who is the mother of the ice? Who gives birth to the 
       frost from the sky

       (Job 38:30 NCV)  when the water becomes hard as stone, and even the 
       surface of the ocean is frozen?

       (Job 38:31 NCV)  "Can you tie up the stars of the Pleiades or loosen 
       the ropes of the stars in Orion?

       (Job 38:32 NCV)  Can you bring out the stars on time or lead out the 
       stars of the Bear with its cubs?

       (Job 38:33 NCV)  Do you know the laws of the sky and understand their 
       rule over the earth?

       (Job 38:34 NCV)  "Can you shout an order to the clouds and cover 
       yourself with a flood of water?

       (Job 38:35 NCV)  Can you send lightning bolts on their way? Do they 
       come to you and say, 'Here we are'?





       (Job 38:36 NCV)  Who put wisdom inside the mind or understanding in 
       the heart?

       (Job 38:37 NCV)  Who has the wisdom to count the clouds? Who can pour 
       water from the jars of the sky

       (Job 38:38 NCV)  when the dust becomes hard and the clumps of dirt 
       stick together?

       (Job 38:39 NCV)  "Do you hunt food for the female lion to satisfy the 
       hunger of the young lions

       (Job 38:40 NCV)  while they lie in their dens or hide in the bushes 
       waiting to attack?

       (Job 38:41 NCV)  Who gives food to the birds when their young cry out 
       to God and wander about without food?

       (Job 39:1 NCV)  "Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do 
       you watch when the deer gives birth to her fawn?

       (Job 39:2 NCV)  Do you count the months until they give birth and know 
       the right time for them to give birth?

       (Job 39:3 NCV)  They lie down, their young are born, and then the pain 
       of giving birth is over.

       (Job 39:4 NCV)  Their young ones grow big and strong in the wild 
       country. Then they leave their homes and do not return.

       (Job 39:5 NCV)  "Who let the wild donkey go free? Who untied its 
       ropes?

       (Job 39:6 NCV)  I am the one who gave the donkey the desert as its 
       home; I gave it the desert lands as a place to live.

       (Job 39:7 NCV)  The wild donkey laughs at the confusion in the city, 
       and it does not hear the drivers shout.

       (Job 39:8 NCV)  It roams the hills looking for pasture, looking for 
       anything green to eat.

       (Job 39:9 NCV)  "Will the wild ox agree to serve you and stay by your 
       feeding box at night?

       (Job 39:10 NCV)  Can you hold it to the plowed row with a harness so 
       it will plow the valleys for you?

       (Job 39:11 NCV)  Will you depend on the wild ox for its great strength 
       and leave your heavy work for it to do?

       (Job 39:12 NCV)  Can you trust the ox to bring in your grain and 
       gather it to your threshing floor?

       (Job 39:13 NCV)  "The wings of the ostrich flap happily, but they are 
       not like the feathers of the stork.






       (Job 39:14 NCV)  The ostrich lays its eggs on the ground and lets them 
       warm in the sand.

       (Job 39:15 NCV)  It does not stop to think that a foot might step on 
       them and crush them; it does not care that some animal might walk on 
       them.

       (Job 39:16 NCV)  The ostrich is cruel to its young, as if they were 
       not even its own. It does not care that its work is for nothing,

       (Job 39:17 NCV)  because God did not give the ostrich wisdom; God did 
       not give it a share of good sense.

       (Job 39:18 NCV)  But when the ostrich gets up to run, it is so fast 
       that it laughs at the horse and its rider.

       (Job 39:19 NCV)  "Job, are you the one who gives the horse its 
       strength or puts a flowing mane on its neck?

       (Job 39:20 NCV)  Do you make the horse jump like a locust? It scares 
       people with its proud snorting.

       (Job 39:21 NCV)  It paws wildly, enjoying its strength, and charges 
       into battle.

       (Job 39:22 NCV)  It laughs at fear and is afraid of nothing; it does 
       not run away from the sword.

       (Job 39:23 NCV)  The bag of arrows rattles against the horse's side, 
       along with the flashing spears and swords.

       (Job 39:24 NCV)  With great excitement, the horse races over the 
       ground; and it cannot stand still when it hears the trumpet.

       (Job 39:25 NCV)  When the trumpet blows, the horse snorts, 'Aha!' It 
       smells the battle from far away; it hears the shouts of commanders and 
       the battle cry.

       (Job 39:26 NCV)  "Is it through your wisdom that the hawk flies and 
       spreads its wings toward the south?

       (Job 39:27 NCV)  Are you the one that commands the eagle to fly and 
       build its nest so high?

       (Job 39:28 NCV)  It lives on a high cliff and stays there at night; 
       the rocky peak is its protected place.

       (Job 39:29 NCV)  From there it looks for its food; its eyes can see it 
       from far away.

       (Job 39:30 NCV)  Its young eat blood, and where there is something 
       dead, the eagle is there."

       (Job 40:1 NCV)  The LORD said to Job:





       (Job 40:2 NCV)  "Will the person who argues with the Almighty correct 
       him? Let the person who accuses God answer him."

       (Job 40:3 NCV)  Then Job answered the LORD:

       (Job 40:4 NCV)  "I am not worthy; I cannot answer you anything, so I 
       will put my hand over my mouth.

       (Job 40:5 NCV)  I spoke one time, but I will not answer again; I even 
       spoke two times, but I will say nothing more."

       (Job 40:6 NCV)  Then the LORD spoke to Job from the storm:

       (Job 40:7 NCV)  "Be strong, like a man! I will ask you questions, and 
       you must answer me.

       (Job 40:8 NCV)  Would you say that I am unfair? Would you blame me to 
       make yourself look right?

       (Job 40:9 NCV)  Are you as strong as God? Can your voice thunder like 
       his?

       (Job 40:10 NCV)  If so, then decorate yourself with glory and beauty; 
       dress in honor and greatness as if they were clothing.

       (Job 40:11 NCV)  Let your great anger punish; look at the proud and 
       bring them down.

       (Job 40:12 NCV)  Look at the proud and make them humble. Crush the 
       wicked wherever they are.

       (Job 40:13 NCV)  Bury them all in the dirt together; cover their faces 
       in the grave.

       (Job 40:14 NCV)  If you can do that, then I myself will praise you, 
       because you are strong enough to save yourself.

       (Job 40:15 NCV)  "Look at the behemoth, which I made just as I made 
       you. It eats grass like an ox.

       (Job 40:16 NCV)  Look at the strength it has in its body; the muscles 
       of its stomach are powerful.

       (Job 40:17 NCV)  Its tail is like a cedar tree; the muscles of its 
       thighs are woven together.

       (Job 40:18 NCV)  Its bones are like tubes of bronze; its legs are like 
       bars of iron.

       (Job 40:19 NCV)  It is one of the first of God's works, but its Maker 
       can destroy it.

       (Job 40:20 NCV)  The hills, where the wild animals play, provide food 
       for it.

       (Job 40:21 NCV)  It lies under the lotus plants, hidden by the tall 





       grass in the swamp.

       (Job 40:22 NCV)  The lotus plants hide it in their shadow; the poplar 
       trees by the streams surround it.

       (Job 40:23 NCV)  If the river floods, it will not be afraid; it is 
       safe even if the Jordan River rushes to its mouth.

       (Job 40:24 NCV)  Can anyone blind its eyes and capture it? Can anyone 
       put hooks in its nose?

       (Job 41:1 NCV)  "Can you catch the leviathan on a fishhook or tie its 
       tongue down with a rope?

       (Job 41:2 NCV)  Can you put a cord through its nose or a hook in its 
       jaw?

       (Job 41:3 NCV)  Will it keep begging you for mercy and speak to you 
       with gentle words?

       (Job 41:4 NCV)  Will it make an agreement with you and let you take it 
       as your slave for life?

       (Job 41:5 NCV)  Can you make a pet of the leviathan as you would a 
       bird or put it on a leash for your girls?

       (Job 41:6 NCV)  Will traders try to bargain with you for it? Will they 
       divide it up among the merchants?

       (Job 41:7 NCV)  Can you stick darts all over its skin or fill its head 
       with fishing spears?

       (Job 41:8 NCV)  If you put one hand on it, you will never forget the 
       battle, and you will never do it again!

       (Job 41:9 NCV)  There is no hope of defeating it; just seeing it 
       overwhelms people.

       (Job 41:10 NCV)  No one is brave enough to make it angry, so who would 
       be able to stand up against me?

       (Job 41:11 NCV)  No one has ever given me anything that I must pay 
       back, because everything under the sky belongs to me.

       (Job 41:12 NCV)  "I will speak about Leviathan's arms and legs, its 
       great strength and well-formed body.

       (Job 41:13 NCV)  No one can tear off its outer hide or poke through 
       its double armor.

       (Job 41:14 NCV)  No one can force open its great jaws; they are filled 
       with frightening teeth.

       (Job 41:15 NCV)  It has rows of shields on its back that are tightly 
       sealed together.





       (Job 41:16 NCV)  Each shield is so close to the next one that no air 
       can go between them.

       (Job 41:17 NCV)  They are joined strongly to one another; they hold on 
       to each other and cannot be separated.

       (Job 41:18 NCV)  When it snorts, flashes of light are thrown out, and 
       its eyes look like the light at dawn.

       (Job 41:19 NCV)  Flames blaze from its mouth; sparks of fire shoot 
       out.

       (Job 41:20 NCV)  Smoke pours out of its nose, as if coming from a 
       large pot over a hot fire.

       (Job 41:21 NCV)  Its breath sets coals on fire, and flames come out of 
       its mouth.

       (Job 41:22 NCV)  There is great strength in its neck. People are 
       afraid and run away.

       (Job 41:23 NCV)  The folds of its skin are tightly joined; they are 
       set and cannot be moved.

       (Job 41:24 NCV)  Its chest is as hard as a rock, even as hard as a 
       grinding stone.

       (Job 41:25 NCV)  The powerful fear its terrible looks and draw back in 
       fear as it moves.

       (Job 41:26 NCV)  The sword that hits it does not hurt it, nor the 
       arrows, darts, and spears.

       (Job 41:27 NCV)  It treats iron as if it were straw and bronze metal 
       as if it were rotten wood.

       (Job 41:28 NCV)  It does not run away from arrows; stones from slings 
       are like chaff to it.

       (Job 41:29 NCV)  Clubs feel like pieces of straw to it, and it laughs 
       when they shake a spear at it.

       (Job 41:30 NCV)  The underside of its body is like broken pieces of 
       pottery. It leaves a trail in the mud like a threshing board.

       (Job 41:31 NCV)  It makes the deep sea bubble like a boiling pot; it 
       stirs up the sea like a pot of oil.

       (Job 41:32 NCV)  When it swims, it leaves a shining path in the water 
       that makes the sea look as if it had white hair.

       (Job 41:33 NCV)  Nothing else on earth is equal to it; it is a 
       creature without fear.

       (Job 41:34 NCV)  It looks down on all those who are too proud; it is 
       king over all proud creatures."






       (Job 42:1 NCV)  Then Job answered the LORD:

       (Job 42:2 NCV)  "I know that you can do all things and that no plan of 
       yours can be ruined.

       (Job 42:3 NCV)  You asked, 'Who is this that made my purpose unclear 
       by saying things that are not true?' Surely I spoke of things I did 
       not understand; I talked of things too wonderful for me to know.

       (Job 42:4 NCV)  You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak. I will ask 
       you questions, and you must answer me.'

       (Job 42:5 NCV)  My ears had heard of you before, but now my eyes have 
       seen you.

       (Job 42:6 NCV)  So now I hate myself; I will change my heart and life. 
       I will sit in the dust and ashes."

       (Job 42:7 NCV)  After the LORD had said these things to Job, he said 
       to Eliphaz the Temanite, "I am angry with you and your two friends, 
       because you have not said what is right about me, as my servant Job 
       did.

       (Job 42:8 NCV)  Now take seven bulls and seven male sheep, and go to 
       my servant Job, and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant 
       Job will pray for you, and I will listen to his prayer. Then I will 
       not punish you for being foolish. You have not said what is right 
       about me, as my servant Job did."

       (Job 42:9 NCV)  So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and 
       Zophar the Naamathite did as the LORD said, and the LORD listened to 
       Job's prayer.

       (Job 42:10 NCV)  After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD gave 
       him success again. The LORD gave Job twice as much as he had owned 
       before.

       (Job 42:11 NCV)  Job's brothers and sisters came to his house, along 
       with everyone who had known him before, and they all ate with him 
       there. They comforted him and made him feel better about the trouble 
       the LORD had brought on him, and each one gave Job a piece of silver 
       and a gold ring.

       (Job 42:12 NCV)  The LORD blessed the last part of Job's life even 
       more than the first part. Job had fourteen thousand sheep, six 
       thousand camels, a thousand teams of oxen, and a thousand female 
       donkeys.

       (Job 42:13 NCV)  Job also had seven sons and three daughters.

       (Job 42:14 NCV)  He named the first daughter Jemimah, the second 
       daughter Keziah, and the third daughter Keren-Happuch.

       (Job 42:15 NCV)  There were no other women in all the land as 
       beautiful as Job's daughters. And their father Job gave them land to 





       own along with their brothers.

       (Job 42:16 NCV)  After this, Job lived one hundred forty years. He 
       lived to see his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and 
       great-great-grandchildren.

       (Job 42:17 NCV)  Then Job died; he was old and had lived many years.

       (Psa 1:1 NCV)  Happy are those who don't listen to the wicked, who 
       don't go where sinners go, who don't do what evil people do.

       (Psa 1:2 NCV)  They love the Lord's teachings, and they think about 
       those teachings day and night.

       (Psa 1:3 NCV)  They are strong, like a tree planted by a river. The 
       tree produces fruit in season, and its leaves don't die. Everything 
       they do will succeed.

       (Psa 1:4 NCV)  But wicked people are not like that. They are like 
       chaff that the wind blows away.

       (Psa 1:5 NCV)  So the wicked will not escape God's punishment. Sinners 
       will not worship with God's people.

       (Psa 1:6 NCV)  This is because the LORD takes care of his people, but 
       the wicked will be destroyed.

       (Psa 2:1 NCV)  Why are the nations so angry? Why are the people making 
       useless plans?

       (Psa 2:2 NCV)  The kings of the earth prepare to fight, and their 
       leaders make plans together against the LORD and his appointed one.

       (Psa 2:3 NCV)  They say, "Let's break the chains that hold us back and 
       throw off the ropes that tie us down."

       (Psa 2:4 NCV)  But the one who sits in heaven laughs; the Lord makes 
       fun of them.

       (Psa 2:5 NCV)  Then the LORD warns them and frightens them with his 
       anger.

       (Psa 2:6 NCV)  He says, "I have appointed my own king to rule in 
       Jerusalem on my holy mountain, Zion."

       (Psa 2:7 NCV)  Now I will tell you what the LORD has declared: He said 
       to me, "You are my son. Today I have become your father.

       (Psa 2:8 NCV)  If you ask me, I will give you the nations; all the 
       people on earth will be yours.

       (Psa 2:9 NCV)  You will rule over them with an iron rod. You will 
       break them into pieces like pottery."

       (Psa 2:10 NCV)  So, kings, be wise; rulers, learn this lesson.





       (Psa 2:11 NCV)  Obey the LORD with great fear. Be happy, but tremble.

       (Psa 2:12 NCV)  Show that you are loyal to his son, or you will be 
       destroyed by his anger, because he can quickly become angry. But happy 
       are those who trust him for protection.

       (Psa 3:1 NCV)  LORD, I have many enemies! Many people have turned 
       against me.

       (Psa 3:2 NCV)  Many are saying about me, "God won't rescue him." Selah

       (Psa 3:3 NCV)  But, LORD, you are my shield, my wonderful God who 
       gives me courage.

       (Psa 3:4 NCV)  I will pray to the LORD, and he will answer me from his 
       holy mountain. Selah

       (Psa 3:5 NCV)  I can lie down and go to sleep, and I will wake up 
       again, because the LORD gives me strength.

       (Psa 3:6 NCV)  Thousands of troops may surround me, but I am not 
       afraid.

       (Psa 3:7 NCV)  LORD, rise up! My God, come save me! You have struck my 
       enemies on the cheek; you have broken the teeth of the wicked.

       (Psa 3:8 NCV)  The LORD can save his people. LORD, bless your people. 
       Selah

       (Psa 4:1 NCV)  Answer me when I pray to you, my God who does what is 
       right. Make things easier for me when I am in trouble. Have mercy on 
       me and hear my prayer.

       (Psa 4:2 NCV)  People, how long will you turn my honor into shame? How 
       long will you love what is false and look for new lies? Selah

       (Psa 4:3 NCV)  You know that the LORD has chosen for himself those who 
       are loyal to him. The LORD listens when I pray to him.

       (Psa 4:4 NCV)  When you are angry, do not sin. Think about these 
       things quietly as you go to bed. Selah

       (Psa 4:5 NCV)  Do what is right as a sacrifice to the LORD and trust 
       the LORD.

       (Psa 4:6 NCV)  Many people ask, "Who will give us anything good?" 
       LORD, be kind to us.

       (Psa 4:7 NCV)  But you have made me very happy, happier than they are, 
       even with all their grain and new wine.

       (Psa 4:8 NCV)  I go to bed and sleep in peace, because, LORD, only you 
       keep me safe.

       (Psa 5:1 NCV)  LORD, listen to my words. Understand my sadness.





       (Psa 5:2 NCV)  Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, because 
       I pray to you.

       (Psa 5:3 NCV)  LORD, every morning you hear my voice. Every morning, I 
       tell you what I need, and I wait for your answer.

       (Psa 5:4 NCV)  You are not a God who is pleased with the wicked; you 
       do not live with those who do evil.

       (Psa 5:5 NCV)  Those people who make fun of you cannot stand before 
       you. You hate all those who do evil.

       (Psa 5:6 NCV)  You destroy liars; the LORD hates those who kill and 
       trick others.

       (Psa 5:7 NCV)  Because of your great love, I can come into your 
       Temple. Because I fear and respect you, I can worship in your holy 
       Temple.

       (Psa 5:8 NCV)  LORD, since I have many enemies, show me the right 
       thing to do. Show me clearly how you want me to live.

       (Psa 5:9 NCV)  My enemies' mouths do not tell the truth; in their 
       hearts they want to destroy others. Their throats are like open 
       graves; they use their tongues for telling lies.

       (Psa 5:10 NCV)  God, declare them guilty! Let them fall into their own 
       traps. Send them away because their sins are many; they have turned 
       against you.

       (Psa 5:11 NCV)  But let everyone who trusts you be happy; let them 
       sing glad songs forever. Protect those who love you and who are happy 
       because of you.

       (Psa 5:12 NCV)  LORD, you bless those who do what is right; you 
       protect them like a soldier's shield.

       (Psa 6:1 NCV)  LORD, don't correct me when you are angry; don't punish 
       me when you are very angry.

       (Psa 6:2 NCV)  LORD, have mercy on me because I am weak. Heal me, 
       LORD, because my bones ache.

       (Psa 6:3 NCV)  I am very upset. LORD, how long will it be?

       (Psa 6:4 NCV)  LORD, return and save me; save me because of your 
       kindness.

       (Psa 6:5 NCV)  Dead people don't remember you; those in the grave 
       don't praise you.

       (Psa 6:6 NCV)  I am tired of crying to you. Every night my bed is wet 
       with tears; my bed is soaked from my crying.

       (Psa 6:7 NCV)  My eyes are weak from so much crying; they are weak 
       from crying about my enemies.






       (Psa 6:8 NCV)  Get away from me, all you who do evil, because the LORD 
       has heard my crying.

       (Psa 6:9 NCV)  The LORD has heard my cry for help; the LORD will 
       answer my prayer.

       (Psa 6:10 NCV)  All my enemies will be ashamed and troubled. They will 
       turn and suddenly leave in shame.

       (Psa 7:1 NCV)  LORD my God, I trust in you for protection. Save me and 
       rescue me from those who are chasing me.

       (Psa 7:2 NCV)  Otherwise, like a lion they will tear me apart. They 
       will rip me to pieces, and no one can save me.

       (Psa 7:3 NCV)  LORD my God, what have I done? Have my hands done 
       something wrong?

       (Psa 7:4 NCV)  Have I done wrong to my friend or stolen without reason 
       from my enemy?

       (Psa 7:5 NCV)  If I have, let my enemy chase me and capture me. Let 
       him trample me into the dust and bury me in the ground. Selah

       (Psa 7:6 NCV)  LORD, rise up in your anger; stand up against my 
       enemies' anger. Get up and demand fairness.

       (Psa 7:7 NCV)  Gather the nations around you and rule them from above.

       (Psa 7:8 NCV)  LORD, judge the people. LORD, defend me because I am 
       right, because I have done no wrong, God Most High.

       (Psa 7:9 NCV)  God, you do what is right. You know our thoughts and 
       feelings. Stop those wicked actions done by evil people, and help 
       those who do what is right.

       (Psa 7:10 NCV)  God protects me like a shield; he saves those whose 
       hearts are right.

       (Psa 7:11 NCV)  God judges by what is right, and God is always ready 
       to punish the wicked.

       (Psa 7:12 NCV)  If they do not change their lives, God will sharpen 
       his sword; he will string his bow and take aim.

       (Psa 7:13 NCV)  He has prepared his deadly weapons; he has made his 
       flaming arrows.

       (Psa 7:14 NCV)  There are people who think up evil and plan trouble 
       and tell lies.

       (Psa 7:15 NCV)  They dig a hole to trap others, but they will fall 
       into it themselves.

       (Psa 7:16 NCV)  They will get themselves into trouble; the violence 





       they cause will hurt only themselves.

       (Psa 7:17 NCV)  I praise the LORD because he does what is right. I 
       sing praises to the LORD Most High.

       (Psa 8:1 NCV)  LORD our Lord, your name is the most wonderful name in 
       all the earth! It brings you praise in heaven above.

       (Psa 8:2 NCV)  You have taught children and babies to sing praises to 
       you because of your enemies. And so you silence your enemies and 
       destroy those who try to get even.

       (Psa 8:3 NCV)  I look at your heavens, which you made with your 
       fingers. I see the moon and stars, which you created.

       (Psa 8:4 NCV)  But why are people important to you? Why do you take 
       care of human beings?

       (Psa 8:5 NCV)  You made them a little lower than the angels and 
       crowned them with glory and honor.

       (Psa 8:6 NCV)  You put them in charge of everything you made. You put 
       all things under their control:

       (Psa 8:7 NCV)  all the sheep, the cattle, and the wild animals,

       (Psa 8:8 NCV)  the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and 
       everything that lives under water.

       (Psa 8:9 NCV)  LORD our Lord, your name is the most wonderful name in 
       all the earth!

       (Psa 9:1 NCV)  I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart. I will tell 
       all the miracles you have done.

       (Psa 9:2 NCV)  I will be happy because of you; God Most High, I will 
       sing praises to your name.

       (Psa 9:3 NCV)  My enemies turn back; they are overwhelmed and die 
       because of you.

       (Psa 9:4 NCV)  You have heard my complaint; you sat on your throne and 
       judged by what was right.

       (Psa 9:5 NCV)  You spoke strongly against the foreign nations and 
       destroyed the wicked; you wiped out their names forever and ever.

       (Psa 9:6 NCV)  The enemy is gone forever. You destroyed their cities; 
       no one even remembers them.

       (Psa 9:7 NCV)  But the LORD rules forever. He sits on his throne to 
       judge,

       (Psa 9:8 NCV)  and he will judge the world in fairness; he will decide 
       what is fair for the nations.





       (Psa 9:9 NCV)  The LORD defends those who suffer; he defends them in 
       times of trouble.

       (Psa 9:10 NCV)  Those who know the LORD trust him, because he will not 
       leave those who come to him.

       (Psa 9:11 NCV)  Sing praises to the LORD who is king on Mount Zion. 
       Tell the nations what he has done.

       (Psa 9:12 NCV)  He remembers who the murderers are; he will not forget 
       the cries of those who suffer.

       (Psa 9:13 NCV)  LORD, have mercy on me. See how my enemies hurt me. Do 
       not let me go through the gates of death.

       (Psa 9:14 NCV)  Then, at the gates of Jerusalem, I will praise you; I 
       will rejoice because you saved me.

       (Psa 9:15 NCV)  The nations have fallen into the pit they dug. Their 
       feet are caught in the nets they laid.

       (Psa 9:16 NCV)  The LORD has made himself known by his fair decisions; 
       the wicked get trapped by what they do.

       (Psa 9:17 NCV)  Wicked people will go to the grave, and so will all 
       those who forget God.

       (Psa 9:18 NCV)  But those who have troubles will not be forgotten. The 
       hopes of the poor will never die.

       (Psa 9:19 NCV)  LORD, rise up and judge the nations. Don't let people 
       think they are strong.

       (Psa 9:20 NCV)  Teach them to fear you, LORD. The nations must learn 
       that they are only human. Selah

       (Psa 10:1 NCV)  LORD, why are you so far away? Why do you hide when 
       there is trouble?

       (Psa 10:2 NCV)  Proudly the wicked chase down those who suffer. Let 
       them be caught in their own traps.

       (Psa 10:3 NCV)  They brag about the things they want. They bless the 
       greedy but hate the LORD.

       (Psa 10:4 NCV)  The wicked people are too proud. They do not look for 
       God; there is no room for God in their thoughts.

       (Psa 10:5 NCV)  They always succeed. They are far from keeping your 
       laws; they make fun of their enemies.

       (Psa 10:6 NCV)  They say to themselves, "Nothing bad will ever happen 
       to me; I will never be ruined."

       (Psa 10:7 NCV)  Their mouths are full of curses, lies, and threats; 
       they use their tongues for sin and evil.






       (Psa 10:8 NCV)  They hide near the villages. They look for innocent 
       people to kill; they watch in secret for the helpless.

       (Psa 10:9 NCV)  They wait in hiding like a lion. They wait to catch 
       poor people; they catch the poor in nets.

       (Psa 10:10 NCV)  The poor are thrown down and crushed; they are 
       defeated because the others are stronger.

       (Psa 10:11 NCV)  The wicked think, "God has forgotten us. He doesn't 
       see what is happening."

       (Psa 10:12 NCV)  LORD, rise up and punish the wicked. Don't forget 
       those who need help.

       (Psa 10:13 NCV)  Why do wicked people hate God? They say to 
       themselves, "God won't punish us."

       (Psa 10:14 NCV)  LORD, surely you see these cruel and evil things; 
       look at them and do something. People in trouble look to you for help. 
       You are the one who helps the orphans.

       (Psa 10:15 NCV)  Break the power of wicked people. Punish them for the 
       evil they have done.

       (Psa 10:16 NCV)  The LORD is King forever and ever. Destroy from your 
       land those nations that do not worship you.

       (Psa 10:17 NCV)  LORD, you have heard what the poor people want. Do 
       what they ask, and listen to them.

       (Psa 10:18 NCV)  Protect the orphans and put an end to suffering so 
       they will no longer be afraid of evil people.

       (Psa 11:1 NCV)  I trust in the LORD for protection. So why do you say 
       to me, "Fly like a bird to your mountain.

       (Psa 11:2 NCV)  Like hunters, the wicked string their bows; they set 
       their arrows on the bowstrings. They shoot from dark places at those 
       who are honest.

       (Psa 11:3 NCV)  When all that is good falls apart, what can good 
       people do?"

       (Psa 11:4 NCV)  The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD sits on his 
       throne in heaven. He sees what people do; he keeps his eye on them.

       (Psa 11:5 NCV)  The LORD tests those who do right, but he hates the 
       wicked and those who love to hurt others.

       (Psa 11:6 NCV)  He will send hot coals and burning sulfur on the 
       wicked. A whirlwind is what they will get.

       (Psa 11:7 NCV)  The LORD does what is right, and he loves justice, so 
       honest people will see his face.






       (Psa 12:1 NCV)  Save me, LORD, because the good people are all gone; 
       no true believers are left on earth.

       (Psa 12:2 NCV)  Everyone lies to his neighbors; they say one thing and 
       mean another.

       (Psa 12:3 NCV)  The LORD will stop those flattering lips and cut off 
       those bragging tongues.

       (Psa 12:4 NCV)  They say, "Our tongues will help us win. We can say 
       what we wish; no one is our master."

       (Psa 12:5 NCV)  But the LORD says, "I will now rise up, because the 
       poor are being hurt. Because of the moans of the helpless, I will give 
       them the help they want."

       (Psa 12:6 NCV)  The Lord's words are pure, like silver purified by 
       fire, like silver purified seven times over.

       (Psa 12:7 NCV)  LORD, you will keep us safe; you will always protect 
       us from such people.

       (Psa 12:8 NCV)  But the wicked are all around us; everyone loves what 
       is wrong.

       (Psa 13:1 NCV)  How long will you forget me, LORD? Forever? How long 
       will you hide from me?

       (Psa 13:2 NCV)  How long must I worry and feel sad in my heart all 
       day? How long will my enemy win over me?

       (Psa 13:3 NCV)  LORD, look at me. Answer me, my God; tell me, or I 
       will die.

       (Psa 13:4 NCV)  Otherwise my enemy will say, "I have won!" Those 
       against me will rejoice that I've been defeated.

       (Psa 13:5 NCV)  I trust in your love. My heart is happy because you 
       saved me.

       (Psa 13:6 NCV)  I sing to the LORD because he has taken care of me.

       (Psa 14:1 NCV)  Fools say to themselves, "There is no God." Fools are 
       evil and do terrible things; there is no one who does anything good.

       (Psa 14:2 NCV)  The LORD looked down from heaven on all people to see 
       if anyone understood, if anyone was looking to God for help.

       (Psa 14:3 NCV)  But all have turned away. Together, everyone has 
       become evil. There is no one who does anything good, not even one.

       (Psa 14:4 NCV)  Don't the wicked understand? They destroy my people as 
       if they were eating bread. They do not ask the LORD for help.

       (Psa 14:5 NCV)  But the wicked are filled with terror, because God is 





       with those who do what is right.

       (Psa 14:6 NCV)  The wicked upset the plans of the poor, but the LORD 
       will protect them.

       (Psa 14:7 NCV)  I pray that victory will come to Israel from Mount 
       Zion! May the LORD bring them back. Then the people of Jacob will 
       rejoice, and the people of Israel will be glad.

       (Psa 15:1 NCV)  LORD, who may enter your Holy Tent? Who may live on 
       your holy mountain?

       (Psa 15:2 NCV)  Only those who are innocent and who do what is right. 
       Such people speak the truth from their hearts

       (Psa 15:3 NCV)  and do not tell lies about others. They do no wrong to 
       their neighbors and do not gossip.

       (Psa 15:4 NCV)  They do not respect hateful people but honor those who 
       honor the LORD. They keep their promises to their neighbors, even when 
       it hurts.

       (Psa 15:5 NCV)  They do not charge interest on money they lend and do 
       not take money to hurt innocent people. Whoever does all these things 
       will never be destroyed.

       (Psa 16:1 NCV)  Protect me, God, because I trust in you.

       (Psa 16:2 NCV)  I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord. Every good thing 
       I have comes from you."

       (Psa 16:3 NCV)  As for the godly people in the world, they are the 
       wonderful ones I enjoy.

       (Psa 16:4 NCV)  But those who turn to idols will have much pain. I 
       will not offer blood to those idols or even speak their names.

       (Psa 16:5 NCV)  No, the LORD is all I need. He takes care of me.

       (Psa 16:6 NCV)  My share in life has been pleasant; my part has been 
       beautiful.

       (Psa 16:7 NCV)  I praise the LORD because he advises me. Even at 
       night, I feel his leading.

       (Psa 16:8 NCV)  I keep the LORD before me always. Because he is close 
       by my side, I will not be hurt.

       (Psa 16:9 NCV)  So I rejoice and am glad. Even my body has hope,

       (Psa 16:10 NCV)  because you will not leave me in the grave. You will 
       not let your holy one rot.

       (Psa 16:11 NCV)  You will teach me how to live a holy life. Being with 
       you will fill me with joy; at your right hand I will find pleasure 
       forever.






       (Psa 17:1 NCV)  LORD, hear me begging for fairness; listen to my cry 
       for help. Pay attention to my prayer, because I speak the truth.

       (Psa 17:2 NCV)  You will judge that I am right; your eyes can see what 
       is true.

       (Psa 17:3 NCV)  You have examined my heart; you have tested me all 
       night. You questioned me without finding anything wrong; I have not 
       sinned with my mouth.

       (Psa 17:4 NCV)  I have obeyed your commands, so I have not done what 
       evil people do.

       (Psa 17:5 NCV)  I have done what you told me; I have not failed.

       (Psa 17:6 NCV)  I call to you, God, and you answer me. Listen to me 
       now, and hear what I say.

       (Psa 17:7 NCV)  Your love is wonderful. By your power you save those 
       who trust you from their enemies.

       (Psa 17:8 NCV)  Protect me as you would protect your own eye. Hide me 
       under the shadow of your wings.

       (Psa 17:9 NCV)  Keep me from the wicked who attack me, from my enemies 
       who surround me.

       (Psa 17:10 NCV)  They are selfish and brag about themselves.

       (Psa 17:11 NCV)  They have chased me until they have surrounded me. 
       They plan to throw me to the ground.

       (Psa 17:12 NCV)  They are like lions ready to kill; like lions, they 
       sit in hiding.

       (Psa 17:13 NCV)  LORD, rise up, face the enemy, and throw them down. 
       Save me from the wicked with your sword.

       (Psa 17:14 NCV)  LORD, save me by your power from those whose reward 
       is in this life. They have plenty of food. They have many sons and 
       leave much money to their children.

       (Psa 17:15 NCV)  Because I have lived right, I will see your face. 
       When I wake up, I will see your likeness and be satisfied.

       (Psa 18:1 NCV)  I love you, LORD. You are my strength.

       (Psa 18:2 NCV)  The LORD is my rock, my protection, my Savior. My God 
       is my rock. I can run to him for safety. He is my shield and my saving 
       strength, my defender.

       (Psa 18:3 NCV)  I will call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and 
       I will be saved from my enemies.

       (Psa 18:4 NCV)  The ropes of death came around me; the deadly rivers 





       overwhelmed me.

       (Psa 18:5 NCV)  The ropes of death wrapped around me. The traps of 
       death were before me.

       (Psa 18:6 NCV)  In my trouble I called to the LORD. I cried out to my 
       God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my call for help 
       reached his ears.

       (Psa 18:7 NCV)  The earth trembled and shook. The foundations of the 
       mountains began to shake. They trembled because the LORD was angry.

       (Psa 18:8 NCV)  Smoke came out of his nose, and burning fire came out 
       of his mouth. Burning coals went before him.

       (Psa 18:9 NCV)  He tore open the sky and came down with dark clouds 
       under his feet.

       (Psa 18:10 NCV)  He rode a creature with wings and flew. He raced on 
       the wings of the wind.

       (Psa 18:11 NCV)  He made darkness his covering, his shelter around 
       him, surrounded by fog and clouds.

       (Psa 18:12 NCV)  Out of the brightness of his presence came clouds 
       with hail and lightning.

       (Psa 18:13 NCV)  The LORD thundered from heaven; the Most High raised 
       his voice, and there was hail and lightning.

       (Psa 18:14 NCV)  He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies. His 
       many bolts of lightning confused them with fear.

       (Psa 18:15 NCV)  LORD, you spoke strongly. The wind blew from your 
       nose. Then the valleys of the sea appeared, and the foundations of the 
       earth were seen.

       (Psa 18:16 NCV)  The LORD reached down from above and took me; he 
       pulled me from the deep water.

       (Psa 18:17 NCV)  He saved me from my powerful enemies, from those who 
       hated me, because they were too strong for me.

       (Psa 18:18 NCV)  They attacked me at my time of trouble, but the LORD 
       supported me.

       (Psa 18:19 NCV)  He took me to a safe place. Because he delights in 
       me, he saved me.

       (Psa 18:20 NCV)  The LORD spared me because I did what was right. 
       Because I have not done evil, he has rewarded me.

       (Psa 18:21 NCV)  I have followed the ways of the LORD; I have not done 
       evil by turning away from my God.

       (Psa 18:22 NCV)  I remember all his laws and have not broken his 





       rules.

       (Psa 18:23 NCV)  I am innocent before him; I have kept myself from 
       doing evil.

       (Psa 18:24 NCV)  The LORD rewarded me because I did what was right, 
       because I did what the LORD said was right.

       (Psa 18:25 NCV)  LORD, you are loyal to those who are loyal, and you 
       are good to those who are good.

       (Psa 18:26 NCV)  You are pure to those who are pure, but you are 
       against those who are bad.

       (Psa 18:27 NCV)  You save the humble, but you bring down those who are 
       proud.

       (Psa 18:28 NCV)  LORD, you give light to my lamp. My God brightens the 
       darkness around me.

       (Psa 18:29 NCV)  With your help I can attack an army. With God's help 
       I can jump over a wall.

       (Psa 18:30 NCV)  The ways of God are without fault. The Lord's words 
       are pure. He is a shield to those who trust him.

       (Psa 18:31 NCV)  Who is God? Only the LORD. Who is the Rock? Only our 
       God.

       (Psa 18:32 NCV)  God is my protection. He makes my way free from 
       fault.

       (Psa 18:33 NCV)  He makes me like a deer that does not stumble; he 
       helps me stand on the steep mountains.

       (Psa 18:34 NCV)  He trains my hands for battle so my arms can bend a 
       bronze bow.

       (Psa 18:35 NCV)  You protect me with your saving shield. You support 
       me with your right hand. You have stooped to make me great.

       (Psa 18:36 NCV)  You give me a better way to live, so I live as you 
       want me to.

       (Psa 18:37 NCV)  I chased my enemies and caught them. I did not quit 
       until they were destroyed.

       (Psa 18:38 NCV)  I crushed them so they couldn't rise up again. They 
       fell beneath my feet.

       (Psa 18:39 NCV)  You gave me strength in battle. You made my enemies 
       bow before me.

       (Psa 18:40 NCV)  You made my enemies turn back, and I destroyed those 
       who hated me.





       (Psa 18:41 NCV)  They called for help, but no one came to save them. 
       They called to the LORD, but he did not answer them.

       (Psa 18:42 NCV)  I beat my enemies into pieces, like dust in the wind. 
       I poured them out like mud in the streets.

       (Psa 18:43 NCV)  You saved me when the people attacked me. You made me 
       the leader of nations. People I never knew serve me.

       (Psa 18:44 NCV)  As soon as they hear me, they obey me. Foreigners 
       obey me.

       (Psa 18:45 NCV)  They all become afraid and tremble in their hiding 
       places.

       (Psa 18:46 NCV)  The LORD lives! May my Rock be praised. Praise the 
       God who saves me!

       (Psa 18:47 NCV)  God gives me victory over my enemies and brings 
       people under my rule.

       (Psa 18:48 NCV)  He saves me from my enemies. You set me over those 
       who hate me. You saved me from cruel men.

       (Psa 18:49 NCV)  So I will praise you, LORD, among the nations. I will 
       sing praises to your name.

       (Psa 18:50 NCV)  The LORD gives great victories to his king. He is 
       loyal to his appointed king, to David and his descendants forever.

       (Psa 19:1 NCV)  The heavens tell the glory of God, and the skies 
       announce what his hands have made.

       (Psa 19:2 NCV)  Day after day they tell the story; night after night 
       they tell it again.

       (Psa 19:3 NCV)  They have no speech or words; they have no voice to be 
       heard.

       (Psa 19:4 NCV)  But their message goes out through all the world; 
       their words go everywhere on earth. The sky is like a home for the 
       sun.

       (Psa 19:5 NCV)  The sun comes out like a bridegroom from his bedroom. 
       It rejoices like an athlete eager to run a race.

       (Psa 19:6 NCV)  The sun rises at one end of the sky and follows its 
       path to the other end. Nothing hides from its heat.

       (Psa 19:7 NCV)  The teachings of the LORD are perfect; they give new 
       strength. The rules of the LORD can be trusted; they make plain people 
       wise.

       (Psa 19:8 NCV)  The orders of the LORD are right; they make people 
       happy. The commands of the LORD are pure; they light up the way.





       (Psa 19:9 NCV)  Respect for the LORD is good; it will last forever. 
       The judgments of the LORD are true; they are completely right.

       (Psa 19:10 NCV)  They are worth more than gold, even the purest gold. 
       They are sweeter than honey, even the finest honey.

       (Psa 19:11 NCV)  By them your servant is warned. Keeping them brings 
       great reward.

       (Psa 19:12 NCV)  People cannot see their own mistakes. Forgive me for 
       my secret sins.

       (Psa 19:13 NCV)  Keep me from the sins of pride; don't let them rule 
       me. Then I can be pure and innocent of the greatest of sins.

       (Psa 19:14 NCV)  I hope my words and thoughts please you. LORD, you 
       are my Rock, the one who saves me.

       (Psa 20:1 NCV)  May the LORD answer you in times of trouble. May the 
       God of Jacob protect you.

       (Psa 20:2 NCV)  May he send you help from his Temple and support you 
       from Mount Zion.

       (Psa 20:3 NCV)  May he remember all your offerings and accept all your 
       sacrifices. Selah

       (Psa 20:4 NCV)  May he give you what you want and make all your plans 
       succeed,

       (Psa 20:5 NCV)  and we will shout for joy when you succeed, and we 
       will raise a flag in the name of our God. May the LORD give you all 
       that you ask for.

       (Psa 20:6 NCV)  Now I know the LORD helps his appointed king. He 
       answers him from his holy heaven and saves him with his strong right 
       hand.

       (Psa 20:7 NCV)  Some trust in chariots, others in horses, but we trust 
       the LORD our God.

       (Psa 20:8 NCV)  They are overwhelmed and defeated, but we march 
       forward and win.

       (Psa 20:9 NCV)  LORD, save the king! Answer us when we call for help.

       (Psa 21:1 NCV)  LORD, the king rejoices because of your strength; he 
       is so happy when you save him!

       (Psa 21:2 NCV)  You gave the king what he wanted and did not refuse 
       what he asked for. Selah

       (Psa 21:3 NCV)  You put good things before him and placed a gold crown 
       on his head.

       (Psa 21:4 NCV)  He asked you for life, and you gave it to him, so his 





       years go on and on.

       (Psa 21:5 NCV)  He has great glory because you gave him victories; you 
       gave him honor and praise.

       (Psa 21:6 NCV)  You always gave him blessings; you made him glad 
       because you were with him.

       (Psa 21:7 NCV)  The king truly trusts the LORD. Because God Most High 
       always loves him, he will not be overwhelmed.

       (Psa 21:8 NCV)  Your hand is against all your enemies; those who hate 
       you will feel your power.

       (Psa 21:9 NCV)  When you appear, you will burn them as in a furnace. 
       In your anger you will swallow them up, and fire will burn them up.

       (Psa 21:10 NCV)  You will destroy their families from the earth; their 
       children will not live.

       (Psa 21:11 NCV)  They made evil plans against you, but their traps 
       won't work.

       (Psa 21:12 NCV)  You will make them turn their backs when you aim your 
       arrows at them.

       (Psa 21:13 NCV)  Be supreme, LORD, in your power. We sing and praise 
       your greatness.

       (Psa 22:1 NCV)  My God, my God, why have you rejected me? You seem far 
       from saving me, far from the words of my groaning.

       (Psa 22:2 NCV)  My God, I call to you during the day, but you do not 
       answer. I call at night; I am not silent.

       (Psa 22:3 NCV)  You sit as the Holy One. The praises of Israel are 
       your throne.

       (Psa 22:4 NCV)  Our ancestors trusted you; they trusted, and you saved 
       them.

       (Psa 22:5 NCV)  They called to you for help and were rescued. They 
       trusted you and were not disappointed.

       (Psa 22:6 NCV)  But I am like a worm instead of a man. People make fun 
       of me and hate me.

       (Psa 22:7 NCV)  Those who look at me laugh. They stick out their 
       tongues and shake their heads.

       (Psa 22:8 NCV)  They say, "Turn to the LORD for help. Maybe he will 
       save you. If he likes you, maybe he will rescue you."

       (Psa 22:9 NCV)  You had my mother give birth to me. You made me trust 
       you while I was just a baby.





       (Psa 22:10 NCV)  I have leaned on you since the day I was born; you 
       have been my God since my mother gave me birth.

       (Psa 22:11 NCV)  So don't be far away from me. Now trouble is near, 
       and there is no one to help.

       (Psa 22:12 NCV)  People have surrounded me like angry bulls. Like the 
       strong bulls of Bashan, they are on every side.

       (Psa 22:13 NCV)  Like hungry, roaring lions they open their mouths at 
       me.

       (Psa 22:14 NCV)  My strength is gone, like water poured out onto the 
       ground, and my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax; it has 
       melted inside me.

       (Psa 22:15 NCV)  My strength has dried up like a clay pot, and my 
       tongue sticks to the top of my mouth. You laid me in the dust of 
       death.

       (Psa 22:16 NCV)  Evil people have surrounded me; like dogs they have 
       trapped me. They have bitten my arms and legs.

       (Psa 22:17 NCV)  I can count all my bones; people look and stare at 
       me.

       (Psa 22:18 NCV)  They divided my clothes among them, and they threw 
       lots for my clothing.

       (Psa 22:19 NCV)  But, LORD, don't be far away. You are my strength; 
       hurry to help me.

       (Psa 22:20 NCV)  Save me from the sword; save my life from the dogs.

       (Psa 22:21 NCV)  Rescue me from the lion's mouth; save me from the 
       horns of the bulls.

       (Psa 22:22 NCV)  Then I will tell my fellow Israelites about you; I 
       will praise you in the public meeting.

       (Psa 22:23 NCV)  Praise the LORD, all you who respect him. All you 
       descendants of Jacob, honor him; fear him, all you Israelites.

       (Psa 22:24 NCV)  He does not ignore those in trouble. He doesn't hide 
       from them but listens when they call out to him.

       (Psa 22:25 NCV)  LORD, I praise you in the great meeting of your 
       people; these worshipers will see me do what I promised.

       (Psa 22:26 NCV)  Poor people will eat until they are full; those who 
       look to the LORD will praise him. May your hearts live forever!

       (Psa 22:27 NCV)  People everywhere will remember and will turn to the 
       LORD. All the families of the nations will worship him

       (Psa 22:28 NCV)  because the LORD is King, and he rules the nations.






       (Psa 22:29 NCV)  All the powerful people on earth will eat and 
       worship. Everyone will bow down to him, all who will one day die.

       (Psa 22:30 NCV)  The people in the future will serve him; they will 
       always be told about the Lord.

       (Psa 22:31 NCV)  They will tell that he does what is right. People who 
       are not yet born will hear what God has done.

       (Psa 23:1 NCV)  The LORD is my shepherd; I have everything I need.

       (Psa 23:2 NCV)  He lets me rest in green pastures. He leads me to calm 
       water.

       (Psa 23:3 NCV)  He gives me new strength. He leads me on paths that 
       are right for the good of his name.

       (Psa 23:4 NCV)  Even if I walk through a very dark valley, I will not 
       be afraid, because you are with me. Your rod and your walking stick 
       comfort me.

       (Psa 23:5 NCV)  You prepare a meal for me in front of my enemies. You 
       pour oil on my head; you fill my cup to overflowing.

       (Psa 23:6 NCV)  Surely your goodness and love will be with me all my 
       life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever.

       (Psa 24:1 NCV)  The earth belongs to the LORD, and everything in it-- 
       the world and all its people.

       (Psa 24:2 NCV)  He built it on the waters and set it on the rivers.

       (Psa 24:3 NCV)  Who may go up on the mountain of the LORD? Who may 
       stand in his holy Temple?

       (Psa 24:4 NCV)  Only those with clean hands and pure hearts, who have 
       not worshiped idols, who have not made promises in the name of a false 
       god.

       (Psa 24:5 NCV)  They will receive a blessing from the LORD; the God 
       who saves them will declare them right.

       (Psa 24:6 NCV)  They try to follow God; they look to the God of Jacob 
       for help. Selah

       (Psa 24:7 NCV)  Gates, open all the way. Open wide, aged doors so the 
       glorious King will come in.

       (Psa 24:8 NCV)  Who is this glorious King? The LORD, strong and 
       mighty. The LORD, the powerful warrior.

       (Psa 24:9 NCV)  Gates, open all the way. Open wide, aged doors so the 
       glorious King will come in.

       (Psa 24:10 NCV)  Who is this glorious King? The LORD All-Powerful-- he 





       is the glorious King. Selah

       (Psa 25:1 NCV)  LORD, I give myself to you;

       (Psa 25:2 NCV)  my God, I trust you. Do not let me be disgraced; do 
       not let my enemies laugh at me.

       (Psa 25:3 NCV)  No one who trusts you will be disgraced, but those who 
       sin without excuse will be disgraced.

       (Psa 25:4 NCV)  LORD, tell me your ways. Show me how to live.

       (Psa 25:5 NCV)  Guide me in your truth, and teach me, my God, my 
       Savior. I trust you all day long.

       (Psa 25:6 NCV)  LORD, remember your mercy and love that you have shown 
       since long ago.

       (Psa 25:7 NCV)  Do not remember the sins and wrong things I did when I 
       was young. But remember to love me always because you are good, LORD.

       (Psa 25:8 NCV)  The LORD is good and right; he points sinners to the 
       right way.

       (Psa 25:9 NCV)  He shows those who are humble how to do right, and he 
       teaches them his ways.

       (Psa 25:10 NCV)  All the Lord's ways are loving and true for those who 
       follow the demands of his agreement.

       (Psa 25:11 NCV)  For the sake of your name, LORD, forgive my many 
       sins.

       (Psa 25:12 NCV)  Are there those who respect the LORD? He will point 
       them to the best way.

       (Psa 25:13 NCV)  They will enjoy a good life, and their children will 
       inherit the land.

       (Psa 25:14 NCV)  The LORD tells his secrets to those who respect him; 
       he tells them about his agreement.

       (Psa 25:15 NCV)  My eyes are always looking to the LORD for help. He 
       will keep me from any traps.

       (Psa 25:16 NCV)  Turn to me and have mercy on me, because I am lonely 
       and hurting.

       (Psa 25:17 NCV)  My troubles have grown larger; free me from my 
       problems.

       (Psa 25:18 NCV)  Look at my suffering and troubles, and take away all 
       my sins.

       (Psa 25:19 NCV)  Look at how many enemies I have! See how much they 
       hate me!






       (Psa 25:20 NCV)  Protect me and save me. I trust you, so do not let me 
       be disgraced.

       (Psa 25:21 NCV)  My hope is in you, so may goodness and honesty guard 
       me.

       (Psa 25:22 NCV)  God, save Israel from all their troubles!

       (Psa 26:1 NCV)  LORD, defend me because I have lived an innocent life. 
       I have trusted the LORD and never doubted.

       (Psa 26:2 NCV)  LORD, try me and test me; look closely into my heart 
       and mind.

       (Psa 26:3 NCV)  I see your love, and I live by your truth.

       (Psa 26:4 NCV)  I do not spend time with liars, nor do I make friends 
       with those who hide their sin.

       (Psa 26:5 NCV)  I hate the company of evil people, and I won't sit 
       with the wicked.

       (Psa 26:6 NCV)  I wash my hands to show I am innocent, and I come to 
       your altar, LORD.

       (Psa 26:7 NCV)  I raise my voice in praise and tell of all the 
       miracles you have done.

       (Psa 26:8 NCV)  LORD, I love the Temple where you live, where your 
       glory is.

       (Psa 26:9 NCV)  Do not kill me with those sinners or take my life with 
       those murderers.

       (Psa 26:10 NCV)  Evil is in their hands, and they do wrong for money.

       (Psa 26:11 NCV)  But I have lived an innocent life, so save me and 
       have mercy on me.

       (Psa 26:12 NCV)  I stand in a safe place. LORD, I praise you in the 
       great meeting.

       (Psa 27:1 NCV)  The LORD is my light and the one who saves me. I fear 
       no one. The LORD protects my life; I am afraid of no one.

       (Psa 27:2 NCV)  Evil people may try to destroy my body. My enemies and 
       those who hate me attack me, but they are overwhelmed and defeated.

       (Psa 27:3 NCV)  If an army surrounds me, I will not be afraid. If war 
       breaks out, I will trust the LORD.

       (Psa 27:4 NCV)  I ask only one thing from the LORD. This is what I 
       want: Let me live in the Lord's house all my life. Let me see the 
       Lord's beauty and look with my own eyes at his Temple.





       (Psa 27:5 NCV)  During danger he will keep me safe in his shelter. He 
       will hide me in his Holy Tent, or he will keep me safe on a high 
       mountain.

       (Psa 27:6 NCV)  My head is higher than my enemies around me. I will 
       offer joyful sacrifices in his Holy Tent. I will sing and praise the 
       LORD.

       (Psa 27:7 NCV)  LORD, hear me when I call; have mercy and answer me.

       (Psa 27:8 NCV)  My heart said of you, "Go, worship him." So I come to 
       worship you, LORD.

       (Psa 27:9 NCV)  Do not turn away from me. Do not turn your servant 
       away in anger; you have helped me. Do not push me away or leave me 
       alone, God, my Savior.

       (Psa 27:10 NCV)  If my father and mother leave me, the LORD will take 
       me in.

       (Psa 27:11 NCV)  LORD, teach me your ways, and guide me to do what is 
       right because I have enemies.

       (Psa 27:12 NCV)  Do not hand me over to my enemies, because they tell 
       lies about me and say they will hurt me.

       (Psa 27:13 NCV)  I truly believe I will live to see the Lord's 
       goodness.

       (Psa 27:14 NCV)  Wait for the Lord's help. Be strong and brave, and 
       wait for the Lord's help.

       (Psa 28:1 NCV)  LORD, my Rock, I call out to you for help. Do not be 
       deaf to me. If you are silent, I will be like those in the grave.

       (Psa 28:2 NCV)  Hear the sound of my prayer, when I cry out to you for 
       help. I raise my hands toward your Most Holy Place.

       (Psa 28:3 NCV)  Don't drag me away with the wicked, with those who do 
       evil. They say "Peace" to their neighbors, but evil is in their 
       hearts.

       (Psa 28:4 NCV)  Pay them back for what they have done, for their evil 
       deeds. Pay them back for what they have done; give them their reward.

       (Psa 28:5 NCV)  They don't understand what the LORD has done or what 
       he has made. So he will knock them down and not lift them up.

       (Psa 28:6 NCV)  Praise the LORD, because he heard my prayer for help.

       (Psa 28:7 NCV)  The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him, and 
       he helps me. I am very happy, and I praise him with my song.

       (Psa 28:8 NCV)  The LORD is powerful; he gives victory to his chosen 
       one.





       (Psa 28:9 NCV)  Save your people and bless those who are your own. Be 
       their shepherd and carry them forever.

       (Psa 29:1 NCV)  Praise the LORD, you angels; praise the Lord's glory 
       and power.

       (Psa 29:2 NCV)  Praise the LORD for the glory of his name; worship the 
       LORD because he is holy.

       (Psa 29:3 NCV)  The Lord's voice is heard over the sea. The glorious 
       God thunders; the LORD thunders over the ocean.

       (Psa 29:4 NCV)  The Lord's voice is powerful; the Lord's voice is 
       majestic.

       (Psa 29:5 NCV)  The Lord's voice breaks the trees; the LORD breaks the 
       cedars of Lebanon.

       (Psa 29:6 NCV)  He makes the land of Lebanon dance like a calf and 
       Mount Hermon jump like a baby bull.

       (Psa 29:7 NCV)  The Lord's voice makes the lightning flash.

       (Psa 29:8 NCV)  The Lord's voice shakes the desert; the LORD shakes 
       the Desert of Kadesh.

       (Psa 29:9 NCV)  The Lord's voice shakes the oaks and strips the leaves 
       off the trees. In his Temple everyone says, "Glory to God!"

       (Psa 29:10 NCV)  The LORD controls the flood. The LORD will be King 
       forever.

       (Psa 29:11 NCV)  The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD 
       blesses his people with peace.

       (Psa 30:1 NCV)  I will praise you, LORD, because you rescued me. You 
       did not let my enemies laugh at me.

       (Psa 30:2 NCV)  LORD, my God, I prayed to you, and you healed me.

       (Psa 30:3 NCV)  You lifted me out of the grave; you spared me from 
       going down to the place of the dead.

       (Psa 30:4 NCV)  Sing praises to the LORD, you who belong to him; 
       praise his holy name.

       (Psa 30:5 NCV)  His anger lasts only a moment, but his kindness lasts 
       for a lifetime. Crying may last for a night, but joy comes in the 
       morning.

       (Psa 30:6 NCV)  When I felt safe, I said, "I will never fear."

       (Psa 30:7 NCV)  LORD, in your kindness you made my mountain safe. But 
       when you turned away, I was frightened.

       (Psa 30:8 NCV)  I called to you, LORD, and asked you to have mercy on 





       me.

       (Psa 30:9 NCV)  I said, "What good will it do if I die or if I go down 
       to the grave? Dust cannot praise you; it cannot speak about your 
       truth.

       (Psa 30:10 NCV)  LORD, hear me and have mercy on me. LORD, help me."

       (Psa 30:11 NCV)  You changed my sorrow into dancing. You took away my 
       clothes of sadness, and clothed me in happiness.

       (Psa 30:12 NCV)  I will sing to you and not be silent. LORD, my God, I 
       will praise you forever.

       (Psa 31:1 NCV)  LORD, I trust in you; let me never be disgraced. Save 
       me because you do what is right.

       (Psa 31:2 NCV)  Listen to me and save me quickly. Be my rock of 
       protection, a strong city to save me.

       (Psa 31:3 NCV)  You are my rock and my protection. For the good of 
       your name, lead me and guide me.

       (Psa 31:4 NCV)  Set me free from the trap they set for me, because you 
       are my protection.

       (Psa 31:5 NCV)  I give you my life. Save me, LORD, God of truth.

       (Psa 31:6 NCV)  I hate those who worship false gods. I trust only in 
       the LORD.

       (Psa 31:7 NCV)  I will be glad and rejoice in your love, because you 
       saw my suffering; you knew my troubles.

       (Psa 31:8 NCV)  You have not handed me over to my enemies but have set 
       me in a safe place.

       (Psa 31:9 NCV)  LORD, have mercy, because I am in misery. My eyes are 
       weak from so much crying, and my whole being is tired from grief.

       (Psa 31:10 NCV)  My life is ending in sadness, and my years are spent 
       in crying. My troubles are using up my strength, and my bones are 
       getting weaker.

       (Psa 31:11 NCV)  Because of all my troubles, my enemies hate me, and 
       even my neighbors look down on me. When my friends see me, they are 
       afraid and run.

       (Psa 31:12 NCV)  I am like a piece of a broken pot. I am forgotten as 
       if I were dead.

       (Psa 31:13 NCV)  I have heard many insults. Terror is all around me. 
       They make plans against me and want to kill me.

       (Psa 31:14 NCV)  LORD, I trust you. I have said, "You are my God."





       (Psa 31:15 NCV)  My life is in your hands. Save me from my enemies and 
       from those who are chasing me.

       (Psa 31:16 NCV)  Show your kindness to me, your servant. Save me 
       because of your love.

       (Psa 31:17 NCV)  LORD, I called to you, so do not let me be disgraced. 
       Let the wicked be disgraced and lie silent in the grave.

       (Psa 31:18 NCV)  With pride and hatred they speak against those who do 
       right. So silence their lying lips.

       (Psa 31:19 NCV)  How great is your goodness that you have stored up 
       for those who fear you, that you have given to those who trust you. 
       You do this for all to see.

       (Psa 31:20 NCV)  You protect them by your presence from what people 
       plan against them. You shelter them from evil words.

       (Psa 31:21 NCV)  Praise the LORD. His love to me was wonderful when my 
       city was attacked.

       (Psa 31:22 NCV)  In my distress, I said, "God cannot see me!" But you 
       heard my prayer when I cried out to you for help.

       (Psa 31:23 NCV)  Love the LORD, all you who belong to him. The LORD 
       protects those who truly believe, but he punishes the proud as much as 
       they have sinned.

       (Psa 31:24 NCV)  All you who put your hope in the LORD be strong and 
       brave.

       (Psa 32:1 NCV)  Happy is the person whose sins are forgiven, whose 
       wrongs are pardoned.

       (Psa 32:2 NCV)  Happy is the person whom the LORD does not consider 
       guilty and in whom there is nothing false.

       (Psa 32:3 NCV)  When I kept things to myself, I felt weak deep inside 
       me. I moaned all day long.

       (Psa 32:4 NCV)  Day and night you punished me. My strength was gone as 
       in the summer heat. Selah

       (Psa 32:5 NCV)  Then I confessed my sins to you and didn't hide my 
       guilt. I said, "I will confess my sins to the LORD," and you forgave 
       my guilt. Selah

       (Psa 32:6 NCV)  For this reason, all who obey you should pray to you 
       while they still can. When troubles rise like a flood, they will not 
       reach them.

       (Psa 32:7 NCV)  You are my hiding place. You protect me from my 
       troubles and fill me with songs of salvation. Selah

       (Psa 32:8 NCV)  The LORD says, "I will make you wise and show you 





       where to go. I will guide you and watch over you.

       (Psa 32:9 NCV)  So don't be like a horse or donkey, that doesn't 
       understand. They must be led with bits and reins, or they will not 
       come near you."

       (Psa 32:10 NCV)  Wicked people have many troubles, but the Lord's love 
       surrounds those who trust him.

       (Psa 32:11 NCV)  Good people, rejoice and be happy in the LORD. Sing 
       all you whose hearts are right.

       (Psa 33:1 NCV)  Sing to the LORD, you who do what is right; honest 
       people should praise him.

       (Psa 33:2 NCV)  Praise the LORD on the harp; make music for him on a 
       ten-stringed lyre.

       (Psa 33:3 NCV)  Sing a new song to him; play well and joyfully.

       (Psa 33:4 NCV)  God's word is true, and everything he does is right.

       (Psa 33:5 NCV)  He loves what is right and fair; the Lord's love fills 
       the earth.

       (Psa 33:6 NCV)  The sky was made at the Lord's command. By the breath 
       from his mouth, he made all the stars.

       (Psa 33:7 NCV)  He gathered the water of the sea into a heap. He made 
       the great ocean stay in its place.

       (Psa 33:8 NCV)  All the earth should worship the LORD; the whole world 
       should fear him.

       (Psa 33:9 NCV)  He spoke, and it happened. He commanded, and it 
       appeared.

       (Psa 33:10 NCV)  The LORD upsets the plans of nations; he ruins all 
       their plans.

       (Psa 33:11 NCV)  But the Lord's plans will stand forever; his ideas 
       will last from now on.

       (Psa 33:12 NCV)  Happy is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people 
       he chose for his very own.

       (Psa 33:13 NCV)  The LORD looks down from heaven and sees every 
       person.

       (Psa 33:14 NCV)  From his throne he watches all who live on earth.

       (Psa 33:15 NCV)  He made their hearts and understands everything they 
       do.

       (Psa 33:16 NCV)  No king is saved by his great army. No warrior 
       escapes by his great strength.






       (Psa 33:17 NCV)  Horses can't bring victory; they can't save by their 
       strength.

       (Psa 33:18 NCV)  But the LORD looks after those who fear him, those 
       who put their hope in his love.

       (Psa 33:19 NCV)  He saves them from death and spares their lives in 
       times of hunger.

       (Psa 33:20 NCV)  So our hope is in the LORD. He is our help, our 
       shield to protect us.

       (Psa 33:21 NCV)  We rejoice in him, because we trust his holy name.

       (Psa 33:22 NCV)  LORD, show your love to us as we put our hope in you.

       (Psa 34:1 NCV)  I will praise the LORD at all times; his praise is 
       always on my lips.

       (Psa 34:2 NCV)  My whole being praises the LORD. The poor will hear 
       and be glad.

       (Psa 34:3 NCV)  Glorify the LORD with me, and let us praise his name 
       together.

       (Psa 34:4 NCV)  I asked the LORD for help, and he answered me. He 
       saved me from all that I feared.

       (Psa 34:5 NCV)  Those who go to him for help are happy, and they are 
       never disgraced.

       (Psa 34:6 NCV)  This poor man called, and the LORD heard him and saved 
       him from all his troubles.

       (Psa 34:7 NCV)  The angel of the LORD camps around those who fear God, 
       and he saves them.

       (Psa 34:8 NCV)  Examine and see how good the LORD is. Happy is the 
       person who trusts him.

       (Psa 34:9 NCV)  You who belong to the LORD, fear him! Those who fear 
       him will have everything they need.

       (Psa 34:10 NCV)  Even lions may get weak and hungry, but those who 
       look to the LORD will have every good thing.

       (Psa 34:11 NCV)  Children, come and listen to me. I will teach you to 
       worship the LORD.

       (Psa 34:12 NCV)  You must do these things to enjoy life and have many 
       happy days.

       (Psa 34:13 NCV)  You must not say evil things, and you must not tell 
       lies.





       (Psa 34:14 NCV)  Stop doing evil and do good. Look for peace and work 
       for it.

       (Psa 34:15 NCV)  The LORD sees the good people and listens to their 
       prayers.

       (Psa 34:16 NCV)  But the LORD is against those who do evil; he makes 
       the world forget them.

       (Psa 34:17 NCV)  The LORD hears good people when they cry out to him, 
       and he saves them from all their troubles.

       (Psa 34:18 NCV)  The LORD is close to the brokenhearted, and he saves 
       those whose spirits have been crushed.

       (Psa 34:19 NCV)  People who do what is right may have many problems, 
       but the LORD will solve them all.

       (Psa 34:20 NCV)  He will protect their very bones; not one of them 
       will be broken.

       (Psa 34:21 NCV)  Evil will kill the wicked; those who hate good people 
       will be judged guilty.

       (Psa 34:22 NCV)  But the LORD saves his servants' lives; no one who 
       trusts him will be judged guilty.

       (Psa 35:1 NCV)  LORD, battle with those who battle with me. Fight 
       against those who fight against me.

       (Psa 35:2 NCV)  Pick up the shield and armor. Rise up and help me.

       (Psa 35:3 NCV)  Lift up your spears, both large and small, against 
       those who chase me. Tell me, "I will save you."

       (Psa 35:4 NCV)  Make those who want to kill me be ashamed and 
       disgraced. Make those who plan to harm me turn back and run away.

       (Psa 35:5 NCV)  Make them like chaff blown by the wind as the angel of 
       the LORD forces them away.

       (Psa 35:6 NCV)  Let their road be dark and slippery as the angel of 
       the LORD chases them.

       (Psa 35:7 NCV)  For no reason they spread out their net to trap me; 
       for no reason they dug a pit for me.

       (Psa 35:8 NCV)  So let ruin strike them suddenly. Let them be caught 
       in their own nets; let them fall into the pit and die.

       (Psa 35:9 NCV)  Then I will rejoice in the LORD; I will be happy when 
       he saves me.

       (Psa 35:10 NCV)  Even my bones will say, "LORD, who is like you? You 
       save the weak from the strong, the weak and poor from robbers."





       (Psa 35:11 NCV)  Men without mercy stand up to testify. They ask me 
       things I do not know.

       (Psa 35:12 NCV)  They repay me with evil for the good I have done, and 
       they make me very sad.

       (Psa 35:13 NCV)  Yet when they were sick, I put on clothes of sadness 
       and showed my sorrow by going without food. But my prayers were not 
       answered.

       (Psa 35:14 NCV)  I acted as if they were my friends or brothers. I 
       bowed in sadness as if I were crying for my mother.

       (Psa 35:15 NCV)  But when I was in trouble, they gathered and laughed; 
       they gathered to attack before I knew it. They insulted me without 
       stopping.

       (Psa 35:16 NCV)  They made fun of me and were cruel to me and ground 
       their teeth at me in anger.

       (Psa 35:17 NCV)  Lord, how long will you watch this happen? Save my 
       life from their attacks; save me from these people who are like lions.

       (Psa 35:18 NCV)  I will praise you in the great meeting. I will praise 
       you among crowds of people.

       (Psa 35:19 NCV)  Do not let my enemies laugh at me; they hate me for 
       no reason. Do not let them make fun of me; they have no cause to hate 
       me.

       (Psa 35:20 NCV)  Their words are not friendly but are lies about 
       peace-loving people.

       (Psa 35:21 NCV)  They speak against me and say, "Aha! We saw what you 
       did!"

       (Psa 35:22 NCV)  LORD, you have been watching. Do not keep quiet. 
       Lord, do not leave me alone.

       (Psa 35:23 NCV)  Wake up! Come and defend me! My God and Lord, fight 
       for me!

       (Psa 35:24 NCV)  LORD my God, defend me with your justice. Don't let 
       them laugh at me.

       (Psa 35:25 NCV)  Don't let them think, "Aha! We got what we wanted!" 
       Don't let them say, "We destroyed him."

       (Psa 35:26 NCV)  Let them be ashamed and embarrassed, because they 
       were happy when I hurt. Cover them with shame and disgrace, because 
       they thought they were better than I was.

       (Psa 35:27 NCV)  May my friends sing and shout for joy. May they 
       always say, "Praise the greatness of the LORD, who loves to see his 
       servants do well."





       (Psa 35:28 NCV)  I will tell of your goodness and will praise you 
       every day.

       (Psa 36:1 NCV)  Sin speaks to the wicked in their hearts. They have no 
       fear of God.

       (Psa 36:2 NCV)  They think too much of themselves so they don't see 
       their sin and hate it.

       (Psa 36:3 NCV)  Their words are wicked lies; they are no longer wise 
       or good.

       (Psa 36:4 NCV)  At night they make evil plans; what they do leads to 
       nothing good. They don't refuse things that are evil.

       (Psa 36:5 NCV)  LORD, your love reaches to the heavens, your loyalty 
       to the skies.

       (Psa 36:6 NCV)  Your goodness is as high as the mountains. Your 
       justice is as deep as the great ocean. LORD, you protect both people 
       and animals.

       (Psa 36:7 NCV)  God, your love is so precious! You protect people in 
       the shadow of your wings.

       (Psa 36:8 NCV)  They eat the rich food in your house, and you let them 
       drink from your river of pleasure.

       (Psa 36:9 NCV)  You are the giver of life. Your light lets us enjoy 
       life.

       (Psa 36:10 NCV)  Continue to love those who know you and to do good to 
       those who are good.

       (Psa 36:11 NCV)  Don't let proud people attack me and the wicked force 
       me away.

       (Psa 36:12 NCV)  Those who do evil have been defeated. They are 
       overwhelmed; they cannot do evil any longer.

       (Psa 37:1 NCV)  Don't be upset because of evil people. Don't be 
       jealous of those who do wrong,

       (Psa 37:2 NCV)  because like the grass, they will soon dry up. Like 
       green plants, they will soon die away.

       (Psa 37:3 NCV)  Trust the LORD and do good. Live in the land and feed 
       on truth.

       (Psa 37:4 NCV)  Enjoy serving the LORD, and he will give you what you 
       want.

       (Psa 37:5 NCV)  Depend on the LORD; trust him, and he will take care 
       of you.

       (Psa 37:6 NCV)  Then your goodness will shine like the sun, and your 





       fairness like the noonday sun.

       (Psa 37:7 NCV)  Wait and trust the LORD. Don't be upset when others 
       get rich or when someone else's plans succeed.

       (Psa 37:8 NCV)  Don't get angry. Don't be upset; it only leads to 
       trouble.

       (Psa 37:9 NCV)  Evil people will be sent away, but those who trust the 
       LORD will inherit the land.

       (Psa 37:10 NCV)  In a little while the wicked will be no more. You may 
       look for them, but they will be gone.

       (Psa 37:11 NCV)  People who are not proud will inherit the land and 
       will enjoy complete peace.

       (Psa 37:12 NCV)  The wicked make evil plans against good people. They 
       grind their teeth at them in anger.

       (Psa 37:13 NCV)  But the Lord laughs at the wicked, because he sees 
       that their day is coming.

       (Psa 37:14 NCV)  The wicked draw their swords and bend their bows to 
       kill the poor and helpless, to kill those who are honest.

       (Psa 37:15 NCV)  But their swords will stab their own hearts, and 
       their bows will break.

       (Psa 37:16 NCV)  It is better to have little and be right than to have 
       much and be wrong.

       (Psa 37:17 NCV)  The power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD 
       supports those who do right.

       (Psa 37:18 NCV)  The LORD watches over the lives of the innocent, and 
       their reward will last forever.

       (Psa 37:19 NCV)  They will not be ashamed when trouble comes. They 
       will be full in times of hunger.

       (Psa 37:20 NCV)  But the wicked will die. The Lord's enemies will be 
       like the flowers of the fields; they will disappear like smoke.

       (Psa 37:21 NCV)  The wicked borrow and don't pay back, but those who 
       do right give freely to others.

       (Psa 37:22 NCV)  Those whom the LORD blesses will inherit the land, 
       but those he curses will be sent away.

       (Psa 37:23 NCV)  When a person's steps follow the LORD, God is pleased 
       with his ways.

       (Psa 37:24 NCV)  If he stumbles, he will not fall, because the LORD 
       holds his hand.





       (Psa 37:25 NCV)  I was young, and now I am old, but I have never seen 
       good people left helpless or their children begging for food.

       (Psa 37:26 NCV)  Good people always lend freely to others, and their 
       children are a blessing.

       (Psa 37:27 NCV)  Stop doing evil and do good, so you will live 
       forever.

       (Psa 37:28 NCV)  The LORD loves justice and will not leave those who 
       worship him. He will always protect them, but the children of the 
       wicked will die.

       (Psa 37:29 NCV)  Good people will inherit the land and will live in it 
       forever.

       (Psa 37:30 NCV)  A good person speaks with wisdom, and he says what is 
       fair.

       (Psa 37:31 NCV)  The teachings of his God are in his heart, so he does 
       not fail to keep them.

       (Psa 37:32 NCV)  The wicked watch for good people so that they may 
       kill them.

       (Psa 37:33 NCV)  But the LORD will not take away his protection or let 
       good people be judged guilty.

       (Psa 37:34 NCV)  Wait for the Lord's help and follow him. He will 
       honor you and give you the land, and you will see the wicked sent 
       away.

       (Psa 37:35 NCV)  I saw a wicked and cruel man who looked strong like a 
       healthy tree in good soil.

       (Psa 37:36 NCV)  But he died and was gone; I looked for him, but he 
       couldn't be found.

       (Psa 37:37 NCV)  Think of the innocent person, and watch the honest 
       one. The man who has peace will have children to live after him.

       (Psa 37:38 NCV)  But sinners will be destroyed; in the end the wicked 
       will die.

       (Psa 37:39 NCV)  The LORD saves good people; he is their strength in 
       times of trouble.

       (Psa 37:40 NCV)  The LORD helps them and saves them; he saves them 
       from the wicked, because they trust in him for protection.

       (Psa 38:1 NCV)  LORD, don't correct me when you are angry. Don't 
       punish me when you are furious.

       (Psa 38:2 NCV)  Your arrows have wounded me, and your hand has come 
       down on me.





       (Psa 38:3 NCV)  My body is sick from your punishment. Even my bones 
       are not healthy because of my sin.

       (Psa 38:4 NCV)  My guilt has overwhelmed me; like a load it weighs me 
       down.

       (Psa 38:5 NCV)  My sores stink and become infected because I was 
       foolish.

       (Psa 38:6 NCV)  I am bent over and bowed down; I am sad all day long.

       (Psa 38:7 NCV)  I am burning with fever, and my whole body is sore.

       (Psa 38:8 NCV)  I am weak and faint. I moan from the pain I feel.

       (Psa 38:9 NCV)  Lord, you know everything I want; my cries are not 
       hidden from you.

       (Psa 38:10 NCV)  My heart pounds, and my strength is gone. I am losing 
       my sight.

       (Psa 38:11 NCV)  Because of my wounds, my friends and neighbors avoid 
       me, and my relatives stay far away.

       (Psa 38:12 NCV)  Some people set traps to kill me. Those who want to 
       hurt me plan trouble; all day long they think up lies.

       (Psa 38:13 NCV)  I am like a deaf man; I cannot hear. Like a mute, I 
       cannot speak.

       (Psa 38:14 NCV)  I am like a person who does not hear, who has no 
       answer to give.

       (Psa 38:15 NCV)  I trust you, LORD. You will answer, my Lord and God.

       (Psa 38:16 NCV)  I said, "Don't let them laugh at me or brag when I am 
       defeated."

       (Psa 38:17 NCV)  I am about to die, and I cannot forget my pain.

       (Psa 38:18 NCV)  I confess my guilt; I am troubled by my sin.

       (Psa 38:19 NCV)  My enemies are strong and healthy, and many hate me 
       for no reason.

       (Psa 38:20 NCV)  They repay me with evil for the good I did. They lie 
       about me because I try to do good.

       (Psa 38:21 NCV)  LORD, don't leave me; my God, don't go away.

       (Psa 38:22 NCV)  Quickly come and help me, my Lord and Savior.

       (Psa 39:1 NCV)  I said, "I will be careful how I act and will not sin 
       by what I say. I will be careful what I say around wicked people."

       (Psa 39:2 NCV)  So I kept very quiet. I didn't even say anything good, 





       but I became even more upset.

       (Psa 39:3 NCV)  I became very angry inside, and as I thought about it, 
       my anger burned. So I spoke:

       (Psa 39:4 NCV)  "LORD, tell me when the end will come and how long I 
       will live. Let me know how long I have.

       (Psa 39:5 NCV)  You have given me only a short life; my lifetime is 
       like nothing to you. Everyone's life is only a breath. Selah

       (Psa 39:6 NCV)  People are like shadows moving about. All their work 
       is for nothing; they collect things but don't know who will get them.

       (Psa 39:7 NCV)  "So, Lord, what hope do I have? You are my hope.

       (Psa 39:8 NCV)  Save me from all my sins. Don't let wicked fools make 
       fun of me.

       (Psa 39:9 NCV)  I am quiet; I do not open my mouth, because you are 
       the one who has done this.

       (Psa 39:10 NCV)  Quit punishing me; your beating is about to kill me.

       (Psa 39:11 NCV)  You correct and punish people for their sins; like a 
       moth, you destroy what they love. Everyone's life is only a breath. 
       Selah

       (Psa 39:12 NCV)  "LORD, hear my prayer, and listen to my cry. Do not 
       ignore my tears. I am like a visitor with you. Like my ancestors, I'm 
       only here a short time.

       (Psa 39:13 NCV)  Leave me alone so I can be happy before I leave and 
       am no more."

       (Psa 40:1 NCV)  I waited patiently for the LORD. He turned to me and 
       heard my cry.

       (Psa 40:2 NCV)  He lifted me out of the pit of destruction, out of the 
       sticky mud. He stood me on a rock and made my feet steady.

       (Psa 40:3 NCV)  He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our 
       God. Many people will see this and worship him. Then they will trust 
       the LORD.

       (Psa 40:4 NCV)  Happy is the person who trusts the LORD, who doesn't 
       turn to those who are proud or to those who worship false gods.

       (Psa 40:5 NCV)  LORD my God, you have done many miracles. Your plans 
       for us are many. If I tried to tell them all, there would be too many 
       to count.

       (Psa 40:6 NCV)  You do not want sacrifices and offerings. But you have 
       made a hole in my ear to show that my body and life are yours. You do 
       not ask for burnt offerings and sacrifices to take away sins.





       (Psa 40:7 NCV)  Then I said, "Look, I have come. It is written about 
       me in the book.

       (Psa 40:8 NCV)  My God, I want to do what you want. Your teachings are 
       in my heart."

       (Psa 40:9 NCV)  I will tell about your goodness in the great meeting 
       of your people. LORD, you know my lips are not silent.

       (Psa 40:10 NCV)  I do not hide your goodness in my heart; I speak 
       about your loyalty and salvation. I do not hide your love and truth 
       from the people in the great meeting.

       (Psa 40:11 NCV)  LORD, do not hold back your mercy from me; let your 
       love and truth always protect me.

       (Psa 40:12 NCV)  Troubles have surrounded me; there are too many to 
       count. My sins have caught me so that I cannot see a way to escape. I 
       have more sins than hairs on my head, and I have lost my courage.

       (Psa 40:13 NCV)  Please, LORD, save me. Hurry, LORD, to help me.

       (Psa 40:14 NCV)  People are trying to kill me. Shame them and disgrace 
       them. People want to hurt me. Let them run away in disgrace.

       (Psa 40:15 NCV)  People are making fun of me. Let them be shamed into 
       silence.

       (Psa 40:16 NCV)  But let those who follow you be happy and glad. They 
       love you for saving them. May they always say, "Praise the LORD!"

       (Psa 40:17 NCV)  Lord, because I am poor and helpless, please remember 
       me. You are my helper and savior. My God, do not wait.

       (Psa 41:1 NCV)  Happy is the person who thinks about the poor. When 
       trouble comes, the LORD will save him.

       (Psa 41:2 NCV)  The LORD will protect him and spare his life and will 
       bless him in the land. He will not let his enemies take him.

       (Psa 41:3 NCV)  The LORD will give him strength when he is sick, and 
       he will make him well again.

       (Psa 41:4 NCV)  I said, "LORD, have mercy on me. Heal me, because I 
       have sinned against you."

       (Psa 41:5 NCV)  My enemies are saying evil things about me. They say, 
       "When will he die and be forgotten?"

       (Psa 41:6 NCV)  Some people come to see me, but they lie. They just 
       come to get bad news. Then they go and gossip.

       (Psa 41:7 NCV)  All my enemies whisper about me and think the worst 
       about me.

       (Psa 41:8 NCV)  They say, "He has a terrible disease. He will never 





       get out of bed again."

       (Psa 41:9 NCV)  My best and truest friend, who ate at my table, has 
       even turned against me.

       (Psa 41:10 NCV)  LORD, have mercy on me. Give me strength so I can pay 
       them back.

       (Psa 41:11 NCV)  Because my enemies do not defeat me, I know you are 
       pleased with me.

       (Psa 41:12 NCV)  Because I am innocent, you support me and will let me 
       be with you forever.

       (Psa 41:13 NCV)  Praise the LORD, the God of Israel. He has always 
       been, and he will always be. Amen and amen.

       (Psa 42:1 NCV)  As a deer thirsts for streams of water, so I thirst 
       for you, God.

       (Psa 42:2 NCV)  I thirst for the living God. When can I go to meet 
       with him?

       (Psa 42:3 NCV)  Day and night, my tears have been my food. People are 
       always saying, "Where is your God?"

       (Psa 42:4 NCV)  When I remember these things, I speak with a broken 
       heart. I used to walk with the crowd and lead them to God's Temple 
       with songs of praise.

       (Psa 42:5 NCV)  Why am I so sad? Why am I so upset? I should put my 
       hope in God and keep praising him, my Savior and

       (Psa 42:6 NCV)  my God. I am very sad. So I remember you where the 
       Jordan River begins, near the peaks of Hermon and Mount Mizar.

       (Psa 42:7 NCV)  Troubles have come again and again, sounding like 
       waterfalls. Your waves are crashing all around me.

       (Psa 42:8 NCV)  The LORD shows his true love every day. At night I 
       have a song, and I pray to my living God.

       (Psa 42:9 NCV)  I say to God, my Rock, "Why have you forgotten me? Why 
       am I sad and troubled by my enemies?"

       (Psa 42:10 NCV)  My enemies' insults make me feel as if my bones were 
       broken. They are always saying, "Where is your God?"

       (Psa 42:11 NCV)  Why am I so sad? Why am I so upset? I should put my 
       hope in God and keep praising him, my Savior and my God.

       (Psa 43:1 NCV)  God, defend me. Argue my case against those who don't 
       follow you. Save me from liars and those who do evil.

       (Psa 43:2 NCV)  God, you are my strength. Why have you rejected me? 
       Why am I sad and troubled by my enemies?






       (Psa 43:3 NCV)  Send me your light and truth to guide me. Let them 
       lead me to your holy mountain, to where you live.

       (Psa 43:4 NCV)  Then I will go to the altar of God, to God who is my 
       joy and happiness. I will praise you with a harp, God, my God.

       (Psa 43:5 NCV)  Why am I so sad? Why am I so upset? I should put my 
       hope in God and keep praising him, my Savior and my God.

       (Psa 44:1 NCV)  God, we have heard about you. Our ancestors told us 
       what you did in their days, in days long ago.

       (Psa 44:2 NCV)  With your power you forced the nations out of the land 
       and placed our ancestors here. You destroyed those other nations, but 
       you made our ancestors grow strong.

       (Psa 44:3 NCV)  It wasn't their swords that took the land. It wasn't 
       their power that gave them victory. But it was your great power and 
       strength. You were with them because you loved them.

       (Psa 44:4 NCV)  My God, you are my King. Your commands led Jacob's 
       people to victory.

       (Psa 44:5 NCV)  With your help we pushed back our enemies. In your 
       name we trampled those who came against us.

       (Psa 44:6 NCV)  I don't trust my bow to help me, and my sword can't 
       save me.

       (Psa 44:7 NCV)  You saved us from our foes, and you made our enemies 
       ashamed.

       (Psa 44:8 NCV)  We will praise God every day; we will praise your name 
       forever. Selah

       (Psa 44:9 NCV)  But you have rejected us and shamed us. You don't 
       march with our armies anymore.

       (Psa 44:10 NCV)  You let our enemies push us back, and those who hate 
       us have taken our wealth.

       (Psa 44:11 NCV)  You gave us away like sheep to be eaten and have 
       scattered us among the nations.

       (Psa 44:12 NCV)  You sold your people for nothing and made no profit 
       on the sale.

       (Psa 44:13 NCV)  You made us a joke to our neighbors; those around us 
       laugh and make fun of us.

       (Psa 44:14 NCV)  You made us a joke to the other nations; people shake 
       their heads.

       (Psa 44:15 NCV)  I am always in disgrace, and I am covered with shame.





       (Psa 44:16 NCV)  My enemy is getting even with insults and curses.

       (Psa 44:17 NCV)  All these things have happened to us, but we have not 
       forgotten you or failed to keep our agreement with you.

       (Psa 44:18 NCV)  Our hearts haven't turned away from you, and we 
       haven't stopped following you.

       (Psa 44:19 NCV)  But you crushed us in this place where wild dogs 
       live, and you covered us with deep darkness.

       (Psa 44:20 NCV)  If we had forgotten our God or lifted our hands in 
       prayer to foreign gods,

       (Psa 44:21 NCV)  God would have known, because he knows what is in our 
       hearts.

       (Psa 44:22 NCV)  But for you we are in danger of death all the time. 
       People think we are worth no more than sheep to be killed.

       (Psa 44:23 NCV)  Wake up, Lord! Why are you sleeping? Get up! Don't 
       reject us forever.

       (Psa 44:24 NCV)  Why do you hide from us? Have you forgotten our pain 
       and troubles?

       (Psa 44:25 NCV)  We have been pushed down into the dirt; we are flat 
       on the ground.

       (Psa 44:26 NCV)  Get up and help us. Because of your love, save us.

       (Psa 45:1 NCV)  Beautiful words fill my mind. I am speaking of royal 
       things. My tongue is like the pen of a skilled writer.

       (Psa 45:2 NCV)  You are more handsome than anyone, and you are an 
       excellent speaker, so God has blessed you forever.

       (Psa 45:3 NCV)  Put on your sword, powerful warrior. Show your glory 
       and majesty.

       (Psa 45:4 NCV)  In your majesty win the victory for what is true and 
       right. Your power will do amazing things.

       (Psa 45:5 NCV)  Your sharp arrows will enter the hearts of the king's 
       enemies. Nations will be defeated before you.

       (Psa 45:6 NCV)  God, your throne will last forever and ever. You will 
       rule your kingdom with fairness.

       (Psa 45:7 NCV)  You love right and hate evil, so God has chosen you 
       from among your friends; he has set you apart with much joy.

       (Psa 45:8 NCV)  Your clothes smell like myrrh, aloes, and cassia. From 
       palaces of ivory music comes to make you happy.

       (Psa 45:9 NCV)  Kings' daughters are among your honored women. Your 





       bride stands at your right side wearing gold from Ophir.

       (Psa 45:10 NCV)  Listen to me, daughter; look and pay attention. 
       Forget your people and your father's family.

       (Psa 45:11 NCV)  The king loves your beauty. Because he is your 
       master, you should obey him.

       (Psa 45:12 NCV)  People from the city of Tyre have brought a gift. 
       Wealthy people will want to meet you.

       (Psa 45:13 NCV)  The princess is very beautiful. Her gown is woven 
       with gold.

       (Psa 45:14 NCV)  In her beautiful clothes she is brought to the king. 
       Her bridesmaids follow behind her, and they are also brought to him.

       (Psa 45:15 NCV)  They come with happiness and joy; they enter the 
       king's palace.

       (Psa 45:16 NCV)  You will have sons to replace your fathers. You will 
       make them rulers through all the land.

       (Psa 45:17 NCV)  I will make your name famous from now on, so people 
       will praise you forever and ever.

       (Psa 46:1 NCV)  God is our protection and our strength. He always 
       helps in times of trouble.

       (Psa 46:2 NCV)  So we will not be afraid even if the earth shakes, or 
       the mountains fall into the sea,

       (Psa 46:3 NCV)  even if the oceans roar and foam, or the mountains 
       shake at the raging sea. Selah

       (Psa 46:4 NCV)  There is a river that brings joy to the city of God, 
       the holy place where God Most High lives.

       (Psa 46:5 NCV)  God is in that city, and so it will not be shaken. God 
       will help her at dawn.

       (Psa 46:6 NCV)  Nations tremble and kingdoms shake. God shouts and the 
       earth crumbles.

       (Psa 46:7 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful is with us; the God of Jacob is 
       our defender. Selah

       (Psa 46:8 NCV)  Come and see what the LORD has done, the amazing 
       things he has done on the earth.

       (Psa 46:9 NCV)  He stops wars everywhere on the earth. He breaks all 
       bows and spears and burns up the chariots with fire.

       (Psa 46:10 NCV)  God says, "Be quiet and know that I am God. I will be 
       supreme over all the nations; I will be supreme in the earth."





       (Psa 46:11 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful is with us; the God of Jacob is 
       our defender. Selah

       (Psa 47:1 NCV)  Clap your hands, all you people. Shout to God with 
       joy.

       (Psa 47:2 NCV)  The LORD Most High is wonderful. He is the great King 
       over all the earth!

       (Psa 47:3 NCV)  He defeated nations for us and put them under our 
       control.

       (Psa 47:4 NCV)  He chose the land we would inherit. We are the 
       children of Jacob, whom he loved. Selah

       (Psa 47:5 NCV)  God has risen with a shout of joy; the LORD has risen 
       as the trumpets sounded.

       (Psa 47:6 NCV)  Sing praises to God. Sing praises. Sing praises to our 
       King. Sing praises.

       (Psa 47:7 NCV)  God is King of all the earth, so sing a song of praise 
       to him.

       (Psa 47:8 NCV)  God is King over the nations. God sits on his holy 
       throne.

       (Psa 47:9 NCV)  The leaders of the nations meet with the people of the 
       God of Abraham, because the leaders of the earth belong to God. He is 
       supreme.

       (Psa 48:1 NCV)  The LORD is great; he should be praised in the city of 
       our God, on his holy mountain.

       (Psa 48:2 NCV)  It is high and beautiful and brings joy to the whole 
       world. Mount Zion is like the high mountains of the north; it is the 
       city of the Great King.

       (Psa 48:3 NCV)  God is within its palaces; he is known as its 
       defender.

       (Psa 48:4 NCV)  Kings joined together and came to attack the city.

       (Psa 48:5 NCV)  But when they saw it, they were amazed. They ran away 
       in fear.

       (Psa 48:6 NCV)  Fear took hold of them; they hurt like a woman having 
       a baby.

       (Psa 48:7 NCV)  You destroyed the large trading ships with an east 
       wind.

       (Psa 48:8 NCV)  First we heard and now we have seen that God will 
       always keep his city safe. It is the city of the LORD All-Powerful, 
       the city of our God. Selah





       (Psa 48:9 NCV)  God, we come into your Temple to think about your 
       love.

       (Psa 48:10 NCV)  God, your name is known everywhere; all over the 
       earth people praise you. Your right hand is full of goodness.

       (Psa 48:11 NCV)  Mount Zion is happy and all the towns of Judah 
       rejoice, because your decisions are fair.

       (Psa 48:12 NCV)  Walk around Jerusalem and count its towers.

       (Psa 48:13 NCV)  Notice how strong they are. Look at the palaces. Then 
       you can tell your children about them.

       (Psa 48:14 NCV)  This God is our God forever and ever. He will guide 
       us from now on.

       (Psa 49:1 NCV)  Listen to this, all you nations; listen, all you who 
       live on earth.

       (Psa 49:2 NCV)  Listen, both great and small, rich and poor together.

       (Psa 49:3 NCV)  What I say is wise, and my heart speaks with 
       understanding.

       (Psa 49:4 NCV)  I will pay attention to a wise saying; I will explain 
       my riddle on the harp.

       (Psa 49:5 NCV)  Why should I be afraid of bad days? Why should I fear 
       when evil men surround me?

       (Psa 49:6 NCV)  They trust in their money and brag about their riches.

       (Psa 49:7 NCV)  No one can buy back the life of another. No one can 
       pay God for his own life,

       (Psa 49:8 NCV)  because the price of a life is high. No payment is 
       ever enough.

       (Psa 49:9 NCV)  Do people live forever? Don't they all face death?

       (Psa 49:10 NCV)  See, even wise people die. Fools and stupid people 
       also die and leave their wealth to others.

       (Psa 49:11 NCV)  Their graves will always be their homes. They will 
       live there from now on, even though they named places after 
       themselves.

       (Psa 49:12 NCV)  Even rich people do not live forever; like the 
       animals, people die.

       (Psa 49:13 NCV)  This is what will happen to those who trust in 
       themselves and to their followers who believe them. Selah

       (Psa 49:14 NCV)  Like sheep, they must die, and death will be their 
       shepherd. Honest people will rule over them in the morning, and their 





       bodies will rot in a grave far from home.

       (Psa 49:15 NCV)  But God will save my life and will take me from the 
       grave. Selah

       (Psa 49:16 NCV)  Don't be afraid of rich people because their houses 
       are more beautiful.

       (Psa 49:17 NCV)  They don't take anything to the grave; their wealth 
       won't go down with them.

       (Psa 49:18 NCV)  Even though they were praised when they were alive-- 
       and people may praise you when you succeed--

       (Psa 49:19 NCV)  they will go to where their ancestors are. They will 
       never see light again.

       (Psa 49:20 NCV)  Rich people with no understanding are just like 
       animals that die.

       (Psa 50:1 NCV)  The God of gods, the LORD, speaks. He calls the earth 
       from the rising to the setting sun.

       (Psa 50:2 NCV)  God shines from Jerusalem, whose beauty is perfect.

       (Psa 50:3 NCV)  Our God comes, and he will not be silent. A fire burns 
       in front of him, and a powerful storm surrounds him.

       (Psa 50:4 NCV)  He calls to the sky above and to the earth that he 
       might judge his people.

       (Psa 50:5 NCV)  He says, "Gather around, you who worship me, who have 
       made an agreement with me, using a sacrifice."

       (Psa 50:6 NCV)  God is the judge, and even the skies say he is right. 
       Selah

       (Psa 50:7 NCV)  God says, "My people, listen to me; Israel, I will 
       testify against you. I am God, your God.

       (Psa 50:8 NCV)  I do not scold you for your sacrifices. You always 
       bring me your burnt offerings.

       (Psa 50:9 NCV)  But I do not need bulls from your stalls or goats from 
       your pens,

       (Psa 50:10 NCV)  because every animal of the forest is already mine. 
       The cattle on a thousand hills are mine.

       (Psa 50:11 NCV)  I know every bird on the mountains, and every living 
       thing in the fields is mine.

       (Psa 50:12 NCV)  If I were hungry, I would not tell you, because the 
       earth and everything in it are mine.

       (Psa 50:13 NCV)  I don't eat the meat of bulls or drink the blood of 





       goats.

       (Psa 50:14 NCV)  Give an offering to show thanks to God. Give God Most 
       High what you have promised.

       (Psa 50:15 NCV)  Call to me in times of trouble. I will save you, and 
       you will honor me."

       (Psa 50:16 NCV)  But God says to the wicked, "Why do you talk about my 
       laws? Why do you mention my agreement?

       (Psa 50:17 NCV)  You hate my teachings and turn your back on what I 
       say.

       (Psa 50:18 NCV)  When you see a thief, you join him. You take part in 
       adultery.

       (Psa 50:19 NCV)  You don't stop your mouth from speaking evil, and 
       your tongue makes up lies.

       (Psa 50:20 NCV)  You speak against your brother and lie about your 
       mother's son.

       (Psa 50:21 NCV)  I have kept quiet while you did these things, so you 
       thought I was just like you. But I will scold you and accuse you to 
       your face.

       (Psa 50:22 NCV)  "Think about this, you who forget God. Otherwise, I 
       will tear you apart, and no one will save you.

       (Psa 50:23 NCV)  Those people honor me who bring me offerings to show 
       thanks. And I, God, will save those who do that."

       (Psa 51:1 NCV)  God, be merciful to me because you are loving. Because 
       you are always ready to be merciful, wipe out all my wrongs.

       (Psa 51:2 NCV)  Wash away all my guilt and make me clean again.

       (Psa 51:3 NCV)  I know about my wrongs, and I can't forget my sin.

       (Psa 51:4 NCV)  You are the only one I have sinned against; I have 
       done what you say is wrong. You are right when you speak and fair when 
       you judge.

       (Psa 51:5 NCV)  I was brought into this world in sin. In sin my mother 
       gave birth to me.

       (Psa 51:6 NCV)  You want me to be completely truthful, so teach me 
       wisdom.

       (Psa 51:7 NCV)  Take away my sin, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I 
       will be whiter than snow.

       (Psa 51:8 NCV)  Make me hear sounds of joy and gladness; let the bones 
       you crushed be happy again.





       (Psa 51:9 NCV)  Turn your face from my sins and wipe out all my guilt.

       (Psa 51:10 NCV)  Create in me a pure heart, God, and make my spirit 
       right again.

       (Psa 51:11 NCV)  Do not send me away from you or take your Holy Spirit 
       away from me.

       (Psa 51:12 NCV)  Give me back the joy of your salvation. Keep me 
       strong by giving me a willing spirit.

       (Psa 51:13 NCV)  Then I will teach your ways to those who do wrong, 
       and sinners will turn back to you.

       (Psa 51:14 NCV)  God, save me from the guilt of murder, God of my 
       salvation, and I will sing about your goodness.

       (Psa 51:15 NCV)  Lord, let me speak so I may praise you.

       (Psa 51:16 NCV)  You are not pleased by sacrifices, or I would give 
       them. You don't want burnt offerings.

       (Psa 51:17 NCV)  The sacrifice God wants is a broken spirit. God, you 
       will not reject a heart that is broken and sorry for sin.

       (Psa 51:18 NCV)  Do whatever good you wish for Jerusalem. Rebuild the 
       walls of Jerusalem.

       (Psa 51:19 NCV)  Then you will be pleased with right sacrifices and 
       whole burnt offerings, and bulls will be offered on your altar.

       (Psa 52:1 NCV)  Mighty warrior, why do you brag about the evil you do? 
       God's love will continue forever.

       (Psa 52:2 NCV)  You think up evil plans. Your tongue is like a sharp 
       razor, making up lies.

       (Psa 52:3 NCV)  You love wrong more than right and lies more than 
       truth. Selah

       (Psa 52:4 NCV)  You love words that bite and tongues that lie.

       (Psa 52:5 NCV)  But God will ruin you forever. He will grab you and 
       throw you out of your tent; he will tear you away from the land of the 
       living. Selah

       (Psa 52:6 NCV)  Those who do right will see this and fear God. They 
       will laugh at you and say,

       (Psa 52:7 NCV)  "Look what happened to the man who did not depend on 
       God but depended on his money. He grew strong by his evil plans."

       (Psa 52:8 NCV)  But I am like an olive tree growing in God's Temple. I 
       trust God's love forever and ever.

       (Psa 52:9 NCV)  God, I will thank you forever for what you have done. 





       With those who worship you, I will trust you because you are good.

       (Psa 53:1 NCV)  Fools say to themselves, "There is no God." Fools are 
       evil and do terrible things; none of them does anything good.

       (Psa 53:2 NCV)  God looked down from heaven on all people to see if 
       anyone was wise, if anyone was looking to God for help.

       (Psa 53:3 NCV)  But all have turned away. Together, everyone has 
       become evil; none of them does anything good. Not a single person.

       (Psa 53:4 NCV)  Don't the wicked understand? They destroy my people as 
       if they were eating bread. They do not ask God for help.

       (Psa 53:5 NCV)  The wicked are filled with terror where there had been 
       nothing to fear. God will scatter the bones of your enemies. You will 
       defeat them, because God has rejected them.

       (Psa 53:6 NCV)  I pray that victory will come to Israel from Mount 
       Zion! May God bring them back. Then the people of Jacob will rejoice, 
       and the people of Israel will be glad.

       (Psa 54:1 NCV)  God, save me because of who you are. By your strength 
       show that I am innocent.

       (Psa 54:2 NCV)  Hear my prayer, God; listen to what I say.

       (Psa 54:3 NCV)  Strangers turn against me, and cruel men want to kill 
       me. They do not care about God. Selah

       (Psa 54:4 NCV)  See, God will help me; the Lord will support me.

       (Psa 54:5 NCV)  Let my enemies be punished with their own evil. 
       Destroy them because you are loyal to me.

       (Psa 54:6 NCV)  I will offer a sacrifice as a special gift to you. I 
       will thank you, LORD, because you are good.

       (Psa 54:7 NCV)  You have saved me from all my troubles, and I have 
       seen my enemies defeated.

       (Psa 55:1 NCV)  God, listen to my prayer and do not ignore my cry for 
       help.

       (Psa 55:2 NCV)  Pay attention to me and answer me. I am troubled and 
       upset

       (Psa 55:3 NCV)  by what the enemy says and how the wicked look at me. 
       They bring troubles down on me, and in anger they attack me.

       (Psa 55:4 NCV)  I am frightened inside; the terror of death has 
       attacked me.

       (Psa 55:5 NCV)  I am scared and shaking, and terror grips me.

       (Psa 55:6 NCV)  I said, "I wish I had wings like a dove. Then I would 





       fly away and rest.

       (Psa 55:7 NCV)  I would wander far away and stay in the desert. Selah

       (Psa 55:8 NCV)  I would hurry to my place of escape, far away from the 
       wind and storm."

       (Psa 55:9 NCV)  Lord, destroy and confuse their words, because I see 
       violence and fighting in the city.

       (Psa 55:10 NCV)  Day and night they are all around its walls, and evil 
       and trouble are everywhere inside.

       (Psa 55:11 NCV)  Destruction is everywhere in the city; trouble and 
       lying never leave its streets.

       (Psa 55:12 NCV)  It was not an enemy insulting me. I could stand that. 
       It was not someone who hated me. I could hide from him.

       (Psa 55:13 NCV)  But it is you, a person like me, my companion and 
       good friend.

       (Psa 55:14 NCV)  We had a good friendship and walked together to God's 
       Temple.

       (Psa 55:15 NCV)  Let death take away my enemies. Let them die while 
       they are still young because evil lives with them.

       (Psa 55:16 NCV)  But I will call to God for help, and the LORD will 
       save me.

       (Psa 55:17 NCV)  Morning, noon, and night I am troubled and upset, but 
       he will listen to me.

       (Psa 55:18 NCV)  Many are against me, but he keeps me safe in battle.

       (Psa 55:19 NCV)  God who lives forever will hear me and punish them. 
       Selah But they will not change; they do not fear God.

       (Psa 55:20 NCV)  The one who was my friend attacks his friends and 
       breaks his promises.

       (Psa 55:21 NCV)  His words are slippery like butter, but war is in his 
       heart. His words are smoother than oil, but they cut like knives.

       (Psa 55:22 NCV)  Give your worries to the LORD, and he will take care 
       of you. He will never let good people down.

       (Psa 55:23 NCV)  But, God, you will bring down the wicked to the 
       grave. Murderers and liars will live only half a lifetime. But I will 
       trust in you.

       (Psa 56:1 NCV)  God, be merciful to me because people are chasing me; 
       the battle has pressed me all day long.

       (Psa 56:2 NCV)  My enemies have chased me all day; there are many 





       proud people fighting me.

       (Psa 56:3 NCV)  When I am afraid, I will trust you.

       (Psa 56:4 NCV)  I praise God for his word. I trust God, so I am not 
       afraid. What can human beings do to me?

       (Psa 56:5 NCV)  All day long they twist my words; all their evil plans 
       are against me.

       (Psa 56:6 NCV)  They wait. They hide. They watch my steps, hoping to 
       kill me.

       (Psa 56:7 NCV)  God, do not let them escape; punish the foreign 
       nations in your anger.

       (Psa 56:8 NCV)  You have recorded my troubles. You have kept a list of 
       my tears. Aren't they in your records?

       (Psa 56:9 NCV)  On the day I call for help, my enemies will be 
       defeated. I know that God is on my side.

       (Psa 56:10 NCV)  I praise God for his word to me; I praise the LORD 
       for his word.

       (Psa 56:11 NCV)  I trust in God. I will not be afraid. What can people 
       do to me?

       (Psa 56:12 NCV)  God, I must keep my promises to you. I will give you 
       my offerings to thank you,

       (Psa 56:13 NCV)  because you have saved me from death. You have kept 
       me from being defeated. So I will walk with God in light among the 
       living.

       (Psa 57:1 NCV)  Be merciful to me, God; be merciful to me because I 
       come to you for protection. Let me hide under the shadow of your wings 
       until the trouble has passed.

       (Psa 57:2 NCV)  I cry out to God Most High, to the God who does 
       everything for me.

       (Psa 57:3 NCV)  He sends help from heaven and saves me. He punishes 
       those who chase me. Selah God sends me his love and truth.

       (Psa 57:4 NCV)  Enemies, like lions, are all around me; I must lie 
       down among them. Their teeth are like spears and arrows, their tongues 
       as sharp as swords.

       (Psa 57:5 NCV)  God is supreme over the skies; his majesty covers the 
       earth.

       (Psa 57:6 NCV)  They set a trap for me. I am very worried. They dug a 
       pit in my path, but they fell into it themselves. Selah

       (Psa 57:7 NCV)  My heart is steady, God; my heart is steady. I will 





       sing and praise you.

       (Psa 57:8 NCV)  Wake up, my soul. Wake up, harp and lyre! I will wake 
       up the dawn.

       (Psa 57:9 NCV)  Lord, I will praise you among the nations; I will sing 
       songs of praise about you to all the nations.

       (Psa 57:10 NCV)  Your great love reaches to the skies, your truth to 
       the clouds.

       (Psa 57:11 NCV)  God, you are supreme above the skies. Let your glory 
       be over all the earth.

       (Psa 58:1 NCV)  Do you rulers really say what is right? Do you judge 
       people fairly?

       (Psa 58:2 NCV)  No, in your heart you plan evil; you think up violent 
       crimes in the land.

       (Psa 58:3 NCV)  From birth, evil people turn away from God; they 
       wander off and tell lies as soon as they are born.

       (Psa 58:4 NCV)  They are like poisonous snakes, like deaf cobras that 
       stop up their ears

       (Psa 58:5 NCV)  so they cannot hear the music of the snake charmer no 
       matter how well he plays.

       (Psa 58:6 NCV)  God, break the teeth in their mouths! Tear out the 
       fangs of those lions, LORD!

       (Psa 58:7 NCV)  Let them disappear like water that flows away. Let 
       them be cut short like a broken arrow.

       (Psa 58:8 NCV)  Let them be like snails that melt as they move. Let 
       them be like a child born dead who never saw the sun.

       (Psa 58:9 NCV)  His anger will blow them away alive faster than 
       burning thorns can heat a pot.

       (Psa 58:10 NCV)  Good people will be glad when they see him get even. 
       They will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked.

       (Psa 58:11 NCV)  Then people will say, "There really are rewards for 
       doing what is right. There really is a God who judges the world."

       (Psa 59:1 NCV)  God, save me from my enemies. Protect me from those 
       who come against me.

       (Psa 59:2 NCV)  Save me from those who do evil and from murderers.

       (Psa 59:3 NCV)  Look, men are waiting to ambush me. Cruel men attack 
       me, but I have not sinned or done wrong, LORD.

       (Psa 59:4 NCV)  I have done nothing wrong, but they are ready to 





       attack me. Wake up to help me, and look.

       (Psa 59:5 NCV)  You are the LORD God All-Powerful, the God of Israel. 
       Arise and punish those people. Do not give those traitors any mercy. 
       Selah

       (Psa 59:6 NCV)  They come back at night. Like dogs they growl and roam 
       around the city.

       (Psa 59:7 NCV)  Notice what comes from their mouths. Insults come from 
       their lips, because they say, "Who's listening?"

       (Psa 59:8 NCV)  But, LORD, you laugh at them; you make fun of all of 
       them.

       (Psa 59:9 NCV)  God, my strength, I am looking to you, because God is 
       my defender.

       (Psa 59:10 NCV)  My God loves me, and he goes in front of me. He will 
       help me defeat my enemies.

       (Psa 59:11 NCV)  Lord, our protector, do not kill them, or my people 
       will forget. With your power scatter them and defeat them.

       (Psa 59:12 NCV)  They sin by what they say; they sin with their words. 
       They curse and tell lies, so let their pride trap them.

       (Psa 59:13 NCV)  Destroy them in your anger; destroy them completely! 
       Then they will know that God rules over Israel and to the ends of the 
       earth. Selah

       (Psa 59:14 NCV)  They come back at night. Like dogs they growl and 
       roam around the city.

       (Psa 59:15 NCV)  They wander about looking for food, and they howl if 
       they do not find enough.

       (Psa 59:16 NCV)  But I will sing about your strength. In the morning I 
       will sing about your love. You are my defender, my place of safety in 
       times of trouble.

       (Psa 59:17 NCV)  God, my strength, I will sing praises to you. God, my 
       defender, you are the God who loves me.

       (Psa 60:1 NCV)  God, you have rejected us and scattered us. You have 
       been angry, but please come back to us.

       (Psa 60:2 NCV)  You made the earth shake and crack. Heal its breaks 
       because it is shaking.

       (Psa 60:3 NCV)  You have given your people trouble. You made us unable 
       to walk straight, like people drunk with wine.

       (Psa 60:4 NCV)  You have raised a banner to gather those who fear you. 
       Now they can stand up against the enemy. Selah





       (Psa 60:5 NCV)  Answer us and save us by your power so the people you 
       love will be rescued.

       (Psa 60:6 NCV)  God has said from his Temple, "When I win, I will 
       divide Shechem and measure off the Valley of Succoth.

       (Psa 60:7 NCV)  Gilead and Manasseh are mine. Ephraim is like my 
       helmet. Judah holds my royal scepter.

       (Psa 60:8 NCV)  Moab is like my washbowl. I throw my sandals at Edom. 
       I shout at Philistia."

       (Psa 60:9 NCV)  Who will bring me to the strong, walled city? Who will 
       lead me to Edom?

       (Psa 60:10 NCV)  God, surely you have rejected us; you do not go out 
       with our armies.

       (Psa 60:11 NCV)  Help us fight the enemy. Human help is useless,

       (Psa 60:12 NCV)  but we can win with God's help. He will defeat our 
       enemies.

       (Psa 61:1 NCV)  God, hear my cry; listen to my prayer.

       (Psa 61:2 NCV)  I call to you from the ends of the earth when I am 
       afraid. Carry me away to a high mountain.

       (Psa 61:3 NCV)  You have been my protection, like a strong tower 
       against my enemies.

       (Psa 61:4 NCV)  Let me live in your Holy Tent forever. Let me find 
       safety in the shelter of your wings. Selah

       (Psa 61:5 NCV)  God, you have heard my promises. You have given me 
       what belongs to those who fear you.

       (Psa 61:6 NCV)  Give the king a long life; let him live many years.

       (Psa 61:7 NCV)  Let him rule in the presence of God forever. Protect 
       him with your love and truth.

       (Psa 61:8 NCV)  Then I will praise your name forever, and every day I 
       will keep my promises.

       (Psa 62:1 NCV)  I find rest in God; only he can save me.

       (Psa 62:2 NCV)  He is my rock and my salvation. He is my defender; I 
       will not be defeated.

       (Psa 62:3 NCV)  How long will you attack someone? Will all of you kill 
       that person? Who is like a leaning wall, like a fence ready to fall?

       (Psa 62:4 NCV)  They are planning to make that person fall. They enjoy 
       telling lies. With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they 
       curse. Selah






       (Psa 62:5 NCV)  I find rest in God; only he gives me hope.

       (Psa 62:6 NCV)  He is my rock and my salvation. He is my defender; I 
       will not be defeated.

       (Psa 62:7 NCV)  My honor and salvation come from God. He is my mighty 
       rock and my protection.

       (Psa 62:8 NCV)  People, trust God all the time. Tell him all your 
       problems, because God is our protection. Selah

       (Psa 62:9 NCV)  The least of people are only a breath, and even the 
       greatest are just a lie. On the scales, they weigh nothing; together 
       they are only a breath.

       (Psa 62:10 NCV)  Do not trust in force. Stealing is of no use. Even if 
       you gain more riches, don't put your trust in them.

       (Psa 62:11 NCV)  God has said this, and I have heard it over and over: 
       God is strong.

       (Psa 62:12 NCV)  The Lord is loving. You reward people for what they 
       have done.

       (Psa 63:1 NCV)  God, you are my God. I search for you. I thirst for 
       you like someone in a dry, empty land where there is no water.

       (Psa 63:2 NCV)  I have seen you in the Temple and have seen your 
       strength and glory.

       (Psa 63:3 NCV)  Because your love is better than life, I will praise 
       you.

       (Psa 63:4 NCV)  I will praise you as long as I live. I will lift up my 
       hands in prayer to your name.

       (Psa 63:5 NCV)  I will be content as if I had eaten the best foods. My 
       lips will sing, and my mouth will praise you.

       (Psa 63:6 NCV)  I remember you while I'm lying in bed; I think about 
       you through the night.

       (Psa 63:7 NCV)  You are my help. Because of your protection, I sing.

       (Psa 63:8 NCV)  I stay close to you; you support me with your right 
       hand.

       (Psa 63:9 NCV)  Some people are trying to kill me, but they will go 
       down to the grave.

       (Psa 63:10 NCV)  They will be killed with swords and eaten by wild 
       dogs.

       (Psa 63:11 NCV)  But the king will rejoice in his God. All who make 
       promises in his name will praise him, but the mouths of liars will be 





       shut.

       (Psa 64:1 NCV)  God, listen to my complaint. I am afraid of my 
       enemies; protect my life from them.

       (Psa 64:2 NCV)  Hide me from those who plan wicked things, from that 
       gang who does evil.

       (Psa 64:3 NCV)  They sharpen their tongues like swords and shoot 
       bitter words like arrows.

       (Psa 64:4 NCV)  From their hiding places they shoot at innocent 
       people; they shoot suddenly and are not afraid.

       (Psa 64:5 NCV)  They encourage each other to do wrong. They talk about 
       setting traps, thinking no one will see them.

       (Psa 64:6 NCV)  They plan wicked things and say, "We have a perfect 
       plan." The mind of human beings is hard to understand.

       (Psa 64:7 NCV)  But God will shoot them with arrows; they will 
       suddenly be struck down.

       (Psa 64:8 NCV)  Their own words will be used against them. All who see 
       them will shake their heads.

       (Psa 64:9 NCV)  Then everyone will fear God. They will tell what God 
       has done, and they will learn from what he has done.

       (Psa 64:10 NCV)  Good people will be happy in the LORD and will find 
       protection in him. Let everyone who is honest praise the LORD.

       (Psa 65:1 NCV)  God, you will be praised in Jerusalem. We will keep 
       our promises to you.

       (Psa 65:2 NCV)  You hear our prayers. All people will come to you.

       (Psa 65:3 NCV)  Our guilt overwhelms us, but you forgive our sins.

       (Psa 65:4 NCV)  Happy are the people you choose and invite to stay in 
       your court. We are filled with good things in your house, your holy 
       Temple.

       (Psa 65:5 NCV)  You answer us in amazing ways, God our Savior. People 
       everywhere on the earth and beyond the sea trust you.

       (Psa 65:6 NCV)  You made the mountains by your strength; you are 
       dressed in power.

       (Psa 65:7 NCV)  You stopped the roaring seas, the roaring waves, and 
       the uproar of the nations.

       (Psa 65:8 NCV)  Even those people at the ends of the earth fear your 
       miracles. You are praised from where the sun rises to where it sets.

       (Psa 65:9 NCV)  You take care of the land and water it; you make it 





       very fertile. The rivers of God are full of water. Grain grows because 
       you make it grow.

       (Psa 65:10 NCV)  You send rain to the plowed fields; you fill the rows 
       with water. You soften the ground with rain, and then you bless it 
       with crops.

       (Psa 65:11 NCV)  You give the year a good harvest, and you load the 
       wagons with many crops.

       (Psa 65:12 NCV)  The desert is covered with grass and the hills with 
       happiness.

       (Psa 65:13 NCV)  The pastures are full of flocks, and the valleys are 
       covered with grain. Everything shouts and sings for joy.

       (Psa 66:1 NCV)  Everything on earth, shout with joy to God!

       (Psa 66:2 NCV)  Sing about his glory! Make his praise glorious!

       (Psa 66:3 NCV)  Say to God, "Your works are amazing! Because your 
       power is great, your enemies fall before you.

       (Psa 66:4 NCV)  All the earth worships you and sings praises to you. 
       They sing praises to your name." Selah

       (Psa 66:5 NCV)  Come and see what God has done, the amazing things he 
       has done for people.

       (Psa 66:6 NCV)  He turned the sea into dry land. The people crossed 
       the river on foot. So let us rejoice because of what he did.

       (Psa 66:7 NCV)  He rules forever with his power. He keeps his eye on 
       the nations, so people should not turn against him. Selah

       (Psa 66:8 NCV)  You people, praise our God; loudly sing his praise.

       (Psa 66:9 NCV)  He protects our lives and does not let us be defeated.

       (Psa 66:10 NCV)  God, you have tested us; you have purified us like 
       silver.

       (Psa 66:11 NCV)  You let us be trapped and put a heavy load on us.

       (Psa 66:12 NCV)  You let our enemies walk on our heads. We went 
       through fire and flood, but you brought us to a place with good 
       things.

       (Psa 66:13 NCV)  I will come to your Temple with burnt offerings. I 
       will give you what I promised,

       (Psa 66:14 NCV)  things I promised when I was in trouble.

       (Psa 66:15 NCV)  I will bring you offerings of fat animals, and I will 
       offer sheep, bulls, and goats. Selah





       (Psa 66:16 NCV)  All of you who fear God, come and listen, and I will 
       tell you what he has done for me.

       (Psa 66:17 NCV)  I cried out to him with my mouth and praised him with 
       my tongue.

       (Psa 66:18 NCV)  If I had known of any sin in my heart, the Lord would 
       not have listened to me.

       (Psa 66:19 NCV)  But God has listened; he has heard my prayer.

       (Psa 66:20 NCV)  Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or hold back 
       his love from me.

       (Psa 67:1 NCV)  God, have mercy on us and bless us and show us your 
       kindness Selah

       (Psa 67:2 NCV)  so the world will learn your ways, and all nations 
       will learn that you can save.

       (Psa 67:3 NCV)  God, the people should praise you; all people should 
       praise you.

       (Psa 67:4 NCV)  The nations should be glad and sing because you judge 
       people fairly. You guide all the nations on earth. Selah

       (Psa 67:5 NCV)  God, the people should praise you; all people should 
       praise you.

       (Psa 67:6 NCV)  The land has given its crops. God, our God, blesses 
       us.

       (Psa 67:7 NCV)  God blesses us so people all over the earth will fear 
       him.

       (Psa 68:1 NCV)  Let God rise up and scatter his enemies; let those who 
       hate him run away from him.

       (Psa 68:2 NCV)  Blow them away as smoke is driven away by the wind. As 
       wax melts before a fire, let the wicked be destroyed before God.

       (Psa 68:3 NCV)  But those who do right should be glad and should 
       rejoice before God; they should be happy and glad.

       (Psa 68:4 NCV)  Sing to God; sing praises to his name. Prepare the way 
       for him who rides through the desert, whose name is the LORD. Rejoice 
       before him.

       (Psa 68:5 NCV)  God is in his holy Temple. He is a father to orphans, 
       and he defends the widows.

       (Psa 68:6 NCV)  God gives the lonely a home. He leads prisoners out 
       with joy, but those who turn against God will live in a dry land.

       (Psa 68:7 NCV)  God, you led your people out when you marched through 
       the desert. Selah






       (Psa 68:8 NCV)  The ground shook and the sky poured down rain before 
       God, the God of Mount Sinai, before God, the God of Israel.

       (Psa 68:9 NCV)  God, you sent much rain; you refreshed your tired 
       land.

       (Psa 68:10 NCV)  Your people settled there. God, in your goodness you 
       took care of the poor.

       (Psa 68:11 NCV)  The Lord gave the command, and a great army told the 
       news:

       (Psa 68:12 NCV)  "Kings and their armies run away. In camp they divide 
       the wealth taken in war.

       (Psa 68:13 NCV)  Those who stayed by the campfires will share the 
       riches taken in battle."

       (Psa 68:14 NCV)  The Almighty scattered kings like snow on Mount 
       Zalmon.

       (Psa 68:15 NCV)  The mountains of Bashan are high; the mountains of 
       Bashan have many peaks.

       (Psa 68:16 NCV)  Why do you mountains with many peaks look with envy 
       on the mountain that God chose for his home? The LORD will live there 
       forever.

       (Psa 68:17 NCV)  God comes with millions of chariots; the Lord comes 
       from Mount Sinai to his holy place.

       (Psa 68:18 NCV)  When you went up to the heights, you led a parade of 
       captives. You received gifts from the people, even from those who 
       turned against you. And the LORD God will live there.

       (Psa 68:19 NCV)  Praise the Lord, God our Savior, who helps us every 
       day. Selah

       (Psa 68:20 NCV)  Our God is a God who saves us; the LORD God saves us 
       from death.

       (Psa 68:21 NCV)  God will crush his enemies' heads, the hairy skulls 
       of those who continue to sin.

       (Psa 68:22 NCV)  The Lord said, "I will bring the enemy back from 
       Bashan; I will bring them back from the depths of the sea.

       (Psa 68:23 NCV)  Then you can stick your feet in their blood, and your 
       dogs can lick their share."

       (Psa 68:24 NCV)  God, people have seen your victory march; God my King 
       marched into the holy place.

       (Psa 68:25 NCV)  The singers are in front and the instruments are 
       behind. In the middle are the girls with the tambourines.






       (Psa 68:26 NCV)  Praise God in the meeting place; praise the LORD in 
       the gathering of Israel.

       (Psa 68:27 NCV)  There is the smallest tribe, Benjamin, leading them. 
       And there are the leaders of Judah with their group. There also are 
       the leaders of Zebulun and of Naphtali.

       (Psa 68:28 NCV)  God, order up your power; show the mighty power you 
       have used for us before.

       (Psa 68:29 NCV)  Kings will bring their wealth to you, to your Temple 
       in Jerusalem.

       (Psa 68:30 NCV)  Punish Egypt, the beast in the tall grass along the 
       river. Punish the leaders of nations, those bulls among the cows. 
       Defeated, they will bring you their silver. Scatter those nations that 
       love war.

       (Psa 68:31 NCV)  Messengers will come from Egypt; the people of Cush 
       will pray to God.

       (Psa 68:32 NCV)  Kingdoms of the earth, sing to God; sing praises to 
       the Lord. Selah

       (Psa 68:33 NCV)  Sing to the one who rides through the skies, which 
       are from long ago. He speaks with a thundering voice.

       (Psa 68:34 NCV)  Announce that God is powerful. He rules over Israel, 
       and his power is in the skies.

       (Psa 68:35 NCV)  God, you are wonderful in your Temple. The God of 
       Israel gives his people strength and power. Praise God!

       (Psa 69:1 NCV)  God, save me, because the water has risen to my neck.

       (Psa 69:2 NCV)  I'm sinking down into the mud, and there is nothing to 
       stand on. I am in deep water, and the flood covers me.

       (Psa 69:3 NCV)  I am tired from calling for help; my throat is sore. 
       My eyes are tired from waiting for God to help me.

       (Psa 69:4 NCV)  There are more people who hate me for no reason than 
       hairs on my head; powerful enemies want to destroy me for no reason. 
       They make me pay back what I did not steal.

       (Psa 69:5 NCV)  God, you know what I have done wrong; I cannot hide my 
       guilt from you.

       (Psa 69:6 NCV)  Lord GOD All-Powerful, do not let those who hope in 
       you be ashamed because of me. God of Israel, do not let your 
       worshipers be disgraced because of me.

       (Psa 69:7 NCV)  For you, I carry this shame, and my face is covered 
       with disgrace.





       (Psa 69:8 NCV)  I am like a stranger to my closest relatives and a 
       foreigner to my mother's children.

       (Psa 69:9 NCV)  My strong love for your Temple completely controls me. 
       When people insult you, it hurts me.

       (Psa 69:10 NCV)  When I cry and go without food, they make fun of me.

       (Psa 69:11 NCV)  When I wear clothes of sadness, they joke about me.

       (Psa 69:12 NCV)  They make fun of me in public places, and the 
       drunkards make up songs about me.

       (Psa 69:13 NCV)  But I pray to you, LORD, for favor. God, because of 
       your great love, answer me. You are truly able to save.

       (Psa 69:14 NCV)  Pull me from the mud, and do not let me sink. Save me 
       from those who hate me and from the deep water.

       (Psa 69:15 NCV)  Do not let the flood drown me or the deep water 
       swallow me or the grave close its mouth over me.

       (Psa 69:16 NCV)  LORD, answer me because your love is so good. Because 
       of your great kindness, turn to me.

       (Psa 69:17 NCV)  Do not hide from me, your servant. I am in trouble. 
       Hurry to help me!

       (Psa 69:18 NCV)  Come near and save me; rescue me from my enemies.

       (Psa 69:19 NCV)  You see my shame and disgrace. You know all my 
       enemies and what they have said.

       (Psa 69:20 NCV)  Insults have broken my heart and left me weak. I 
       looked for sympathy, but there was none; I found no one to comfort me.

       (Psa 69:21 NCV)  They put poison in my food and gave me vinegar to 
       drink.

       (Psa 69:22 NCV)  Let their own feasts cause their ruin; let their 
       feasts trap them and pay them back.

       (Psa 69:23 NCV)  Let their eyes be closed so they cannot see and their 
       backs be forever weak from troubles.

       (Psa 69:24 NCV)  Pour your anger out on them; let your anger catch up 
       with them.

       (Psa 69:25 NCV)  May their place be empty; leave no one to live in 
       their tents.

       (Psa 69:26 NCV)  They chase after those you have hurt, and they talk 
       about the pain of those you have wounded.

       (Psa 69:27 NCV)  Charge them with crime after crime, and do not let 
       them have anything good.






       (Psa 69:28 NCV)  Wipe their names from the book of life, and do not 
       list them with those who do what is right.

       (Psa 69:29 NCV)  I am sad and hurting. God, save me and protect me.

       (Psa 69:30 NCV)  I will praise God in a song and will honor him by 
       giving thanks.

       (Psa 69:31 NCV)  That will please the LORD more than offering him 
       cattle, more than sacrificing a bull with horns and hoofs.

       (Psa 69:32 NCV)  Poor people will see this and be glad. Be encouraged, 
       you who worship God.

       (Psa 69:33 NCV)  The LORD listens to those in need and does not look 
       down on captives.

       (Psa 69:34 NCV)  Heaven and earth should praise him, the seas and 
       everything in them.

       (Psa 69:35 NCV)  God will save Jerusalem and rebuild the cities of 
       Judah. Then people will live there and own the land.

       (Psa 69:36 NCV)  The descendants of his servants will inherit that 
       land, and those who love him will live there.

       (Psa 70:1 NCV)  God, come quickly and save me. LORD, hurry to help me.

       (Psa 70:2 NCV)  Let those who are trying to kill me be ashamed and 
       disgraced. Let those who want to hurt me run away in disgrace.

       (Psa 70:3 NCV)  Let those who make fun of me stop because of their 
       shame.

       (Psa 70:4 NCV)  But let all those who worship you rejoice and be glad. 
       Let those who love your salvation always say, "Praise the greatness of 
       God."

       (Psa 70:5 NCV)  I am poor and helpless; God, hurry to me. You help me 
       and save me. LORD, do not wait.

       (Psa 71:1 NCV)  In you, LORD, is my protection. Never let me be 
       ashamed.

       (Psa 71:2 NCV)  Because you do what is right, save and rescue me; 
       listen to me and save me.

       (Psa 71:3 NCV)  Be my place of safety where I can always come. Give 
       the command to save me, because you are my rock and my strong, walled 
       city.

       (Psa 71:4 NCV)  My God, save me from the power of the wicked and from 
       the hold of evil and cruel people.

       (Psa 71:5 NCV)  LORD, you are my hope. LORD, I have trusted you since 





       I was young.

       (Psa 71:6 NCV)  I have depended on you since I was born; you helped me 
       even on the day of my birth. I will always praise you.

       (Psa 71:7 NCV)  I am an example to many people, because you are my 
       strong protection.

       (Psa 71:8 NCV)  I am always praising you; all day long I honor you.

       (Psa 71:9 NCV)  Do not reject me when I am old; do not leave me when 
       my strength is gone.

       (Psa 71:10 NCV)  My enemies make plans against me, and they meet 
       together to kill me.

       (Psa 71:11 NCV)  They say, "God has left him. Go after him and take 
       him, because no one will save him."

       (Psa 71:12 NCV)  God, don't be far off. My God, hurry to help me.

       (Psa 71:13 NCV)  Let those who accuse me be ashamed and destroyed. Let 
       those who are trying to hurt me be covered with shame and disgrace.

       (Psa 71:14 NCV)  But I will always have hope and will praise you more 
       and more.

       (Psa 71:15 NCV)  I will tell how you do what is right. I will tell 
       about your salvation all day long, even though it is more than I can 
       tell.

       (Psa 71:16 NCV)  I will come and tell about your powerful works, Lord 
       GOD. I will remind people that only you do what is right.

       (Psa 71:17 NCV)  God, you have taught me since I was young. To this 
       day I tell about the miracles you do.

       (Psa 71:18 NCV)  Even though I am old and gray, do not leave me, God. 
       I will tell the children about your power; I will tell those who live 
       after me about your might.

       (Psa 71:19 NCV)  God, your justice reaches to the skies. You have done 
       great things; God, there is no one like you.

       (Psa 71:20 NCV)  You have given me many troubles and bad times, but 
       you will give me life again. When I am almost dead, you will keep me 
       alive.

       (Psa 71:21 NCV)  You will make me greater than ever, and you will 
       comfort me again.

       (Psa 71:22 NCV)  I will praise you with the harp. I trust you, my God. 
       I will sing to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel.

       (Psa 71:23 NCV)  I will shout for joy when I sing praises to you. You 
       have saved me.






       (Psa 71:24 NCV)  I will tell about your justice all day long. And 
       those who want to hurt me will be ashamed and disgraced.

       (Psa 72:1 NCV)  God, give the king your good judgment and the king's 
       son your goodness.

       (Psa 72:2 NCV)  Help him judge your people fairly and decide what is 
       right for the poor.

       (Psa 72:3 NCV)  Let there be peace on the mountains and goodness on 
       the hills for the people.

       (Psa 72:4 NCV)  Help him be fair to the poor and save the needy and 
       punish those who hurt them.

       (Psa 72:5 NCV)  May they respect you as long as the sun shines and as 
       long as the moon glows.

       (Psa 72:6 NCV)  Let him be like rain on the grass, like showers that 
       water the earth.

       (Psa 72:7 NCV)  Let goodness be plentiful while he lives. Let peace 
       continue as long as there is a moon.

       (Psa 72:8 NCV)  Let his kingdom go from sea to sea, and from the 
       Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.

       (Psa 72:9 NCV)  Let the people of the desert bow down to him, and make 
       his enemies lick the dust.

       (Psa 72:10 NCV)  Let the kings of Tarshish and the faraway lands bring 
       him gifts. Let the kings of Sheba and Seba bring their presents to 
       him.

       (Psa 72:11 NCV)  Let all kings bow down to him and all nations serve 
       him.

       (Psa 72:12 NCV)  He will help the poor when they cry out and will save 
       the needy when no one else will help.

       (Psa 72:13 NCV)  He will be kind to the weak and poor, and he will 
       save their lives.

       (Psa 72:14 NCV)  He will save them from cruel people who try to hurt 
       them, because their lives are precious to him.

       (Psa 72:15 NCV)  Long live the king! Let him receive gold from Sheba. 
       Let people always pray for him and bless him all day long.

       (Psa 72:16 NCV)  Let the fields grow plenty of grain and the hills be 
       covered with crops. Let the land be as fertile as Lebanon, and let the 
       cities grow like the grass in a field.

       (Psa 72:17 NCV)  Let the king be famous forever; let him be remembered 
       as long as the sun shines. Let the nations be blessed because of him, 





       and may they all bless him.

       (Psa 72:18 NCV)  Praise the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone 
       does such miracles.

       (Psa 72:19 NCV)  Praise his glorious name forever. Let his glory fill 
       the whole world. Amen and amen.

       (Psa 72:20 NCV)  This ends the prayers of David son of Jesse.

       (Psa 73:1 NCV)  God is truly good to Israel, to those who have pure 
       hearts.

       (Psa 73:2 NCV)  But I had almost stopped believing; I had almost lost 
       my faith

       (Psa 73:3 NCV)  because I was jealous of proud people. I saw wicked 
       people doing well.

       (Psa 73:4 NCV)  They are not suffering; they are healthy and strong.

       (Psa 73:5 NCV)  They don't have troubles like the rest of us; they 
       don't have problems like other people.

       (Psa 73:6 NCV)  They wear pride like a necklace and put on violence as 
       their clothing.

       (Psa 73:7 NCV)  They are looking for profits and do not control their 
       selfish desires.

       (Psa 73:8 NCV)  They make fun of others and speak evil; proudly they 
       speak of hurting others.

       (Psa 73:9 NCV)  They brag to the sky. They say that they own the 
       earth.

       (Psa 73:10 NCV)  So their people turn to them and give them whatever 
       they want.

       (Psa 73:11 NCV)  They say, "How can God know? What does God Most High 
       know?"

       (Psa 73:12 NCV)  These people are wicked, always at ease, and getting 
       richer.

       (Psa 73:13 NCV)  So why have I kept my heart pure? Why have I kept my 
       hands from doing wrong?

       (Psa 73:14 NCV)  I have suffered all day long; I have been punished 
       every morning.

       (Psa 73:15 NCV)  God, if I had decided to talk like this, I would have 
       let your people down.

       (Psa 73:16 NCV)  I tried to understand all this, but it was too hard 
       for me to see






       (Psa 73:17 NCV)  until I went to the Temple of God. Then I understood 
       what will happen to them.

       (Psa 73:18 NCV)  You have put them in danger; you cause them to be 
       destroyed.

       (Psa 73:19 NCV)  They are destroyed in a moment; they are swept away 
       by terrors.

       (Psa 73:20 NCV)  It will be like waking from a dream. Lord, when you 
       rise up, they will disappear.

       (Psa 73:21 NCV)  When my heart was sad and I was angry,

       (Psa 73:22 NCV)  I was senseless and stupid. I acted like an animal 
       toward you.

       (Psa 73:23 NCV)  But I am always with you; you have held my hand.

       (Psa 73:24 NCV)  You guide me with your advice, and later you will 
       receive me in honor.

       (Psa 73:25 NCV)  I have no one in heaven but you; I want nothing on 
       earth besides you.

       (Psa 73:26 NCV)  My body and my mind may become weak, but God is my 
       strength. He is mine forever.

       (Psa 73:27 NCV)  Those who are far from God will die; you destroy 
       those who are unfaithful.

       (Psa 73:28 NCV)  But I am close to God, and that is good. The Lord GOD 
       is my protection. I will tell all that you have done.

       (Psa 74:1 NCV)  God, why have you rejected us for so long? Why are you 
       angry with us, the sheep of your pasture?

       (Psa 74:2 NCV)  Remember the people you bought long ago. You saved us, 
       and we are your very own. After all, you live on Mount Zion.

       (Psa 74:3 NCV)  Make your way through these old ruins; the enemy 
       wrecked everything in the Temple.

       (Psa 74:4 NCV)  Those who were against you shouted in your meeting 
       place and raised their flags there.

       (Psa 74:5 NCV)  They came with axes raised as if to cut down a forest 
       of trees.

       (Psa 74:6 NCV)  They smashed the carved panels with their axes and 
       hatchets.

       (Psa 74:7 NCV)  They burned your Temple to the ground; they have made 
       the place where you live unclean.





       (Psa 74:8 NCV)  They thought, "We will completely crush them!" They 
       burned every place where God was worshiped in the land.

       (Psa 74:9 NCV)  We do not see any signs. There are no more prophets, 
       and no one knows how long this will last.

       (Psa 74:10 NCV)  God, how much longer will the enemy make fun of you? 
       Will they insult you forever?

       (Psa 74:11 NCV)  Why do you hold back your power? Bring your power out 
       in the open and destroy them!

       (Psa 74:12 NCV)  God, you have been our king for a long time. You 
       bring salvation to the earth.

       (Psa 74:13 NCV)  You split open the sea by your power and broke the 
       heads of the sea monster.

       (Psa 74:14 NCV)  You smashed the heads of the monster Leviathan and 
       gave him to the desert creatures as food.

       (Psa 74:15 NCV)  You opened up the springs and streams and made the 
       flowing rivers run dry.

       (Psa 74:16 NCV)  Both the day and the night are yours; you made the 
       sun and the moon.

       (Psa 74:17 NCV)  You set all the limits on the earth; you created 
       summer and winter.

       (Psa 74:18 NCV)  LORD, remember how the enemy insulted you. Remember 
       how those foolish people made fun of you.

       (Psa 74:19 NCV)  Do not give us, your doves, to those wild animals. 
       Never forget your poor people.

       (Psa 74:20 NCV)  Remember the agreement you made with us, because 
       violence fills every dark corner of this land.

       (Psa 74:21 NCV)  Do not let your suffering people be disgraced. Let 
       the poor and helpless praise you.

       (Psa 74:22 NCV)  God, arise and defend yourself. Remember the insults 
       that come from those foolish people all day long.

       (Psa 74:23 NCV)  Don't forget what your enemies said; don't forget 
       their roar as they rise against you always.

       (Psa 75:1 NCV)  God, we thank you; we thank you because you are near. 
       We tell about the miracles you do.

       (Psa 75:2 NCV)  You say, "I set the time for trial, and I will judge 
       fairly.

       (Psa 75:3 NCV)  The earth with all its people may shake, but I am the 
       one who holds it steady. Selah






       (Psa 75:4 NCV)  I say to those who are proud, 'Don't brag,' and to the 
       wicked, 'Don't show your power.

       (Psa 75:5 NCV)  Don't try to use your power against heaven. Don't be 
       stubborn.'"

       (Psa 75:6 NCV)  No one from the east or the west or the desert can 
       judge you.

       (Psa 75:7 NCV)  God is the judge; he judges one person as guilty and 
       another as innocent.

       (Psa 75:8 NCV)  The LORD holds a cup of anger in his hand; it is full 
       of wine mixed with spices. He pours it out even to the last drop, and 
       the wicked drink it all.

       (Psa 75:9 NCV)  I will tell about this forever; I will sing praise to 
       the God of Jacob.

       (Psa 75:10 NCV)  He will take all power away from the wicked, but the 
       power of good people will grow.

       (Psa 76:1 NCV)  People in Judah know God; his fame is great in Israel.

       (Psa 76:2 NCV)  His Tent is in Jerusalem; his home is on Mount Zion.

       (Psa 76:3 NCV)  There God broke the flaming arrows, the shields, the 
       swords, and the weapons of war. Selah

       (Psa 76:4 NCV)  God, how wonderful you are! You are more splendid than 
       the hills full of animals.

       (Psa 76:5 NCV)  The brave soldiers were stripped as they lay asleep in 
       death. Not one warrior had the strength to stop it.

       (Psa 76:6 NCV)  God of Jacob, when you spoke strongly, horses and 
       riders fell dead.

       (Psa 76:7 NCV)  You are feared; no one can stand against you when you 
       are angry.

       (Psa 76:8 NCV)  From heaven you gave the decision, and the earth was 
       afraid and silent.

       (Psa 76:9 NCV)  God, you stood up to judge and to save the needy 
       people of the earth. Selah

       (Psa 76:10 NCV)  People praise you for your anger against evil. Those 
       who live through your anger are stopped from doing more evil.

       (Psa 76:11 NCV)  Make and keep your promises to the LORD your God. 
       From all around, gifts should come to the God we worship.

       (Psa 76:12 NCV)  God breaks the spirits of great leaders; the kings on 
       earth fear him.






       (Psa 77:1 NCV)  I cry out to God; I call to God, and he will hear me.

       (Psa 77:2 NCV)  I look for the Lord on the day of trouble. All night 
       long I reach out my hands, but I cannot be comforted.

       (Psa 77:3 NCV)  When I remember God, I become upset; when I think, I 
       become afraid. Selah

       (Psa 77:4 NCV)  You keep my eyes from closing. I am too upset to say 
       anything.

       (Psa 77:5 NCV)  I keep thinking about the old days, the years of long 
       ago.

       (Psa 77:6 NCV)  At night I remember my songs. I think and I ask 
       myself:

       (Psa 77:7 NCV)  "Will the Lord reject us forever? Will he never be 
       kind to us again?

       (Psa 77:8 NCV)  Is his love gone forever? Has he stopped speaking for 
       all time?

       (Psa 77:9 NCV)  Has God forgotten mercy? Is he too angry to pity us?" 
       Selah

       (Psa 77:10 NCV)  Then I say "This is what makes me sad: For years the 
       power of God Most High was with us."

       (Psa 77:11 NCV)  I remember what the LORD did; I remember the miracles 
       you did long ago.

       (Psa 77:12 NCV)  I think about all the things you did and consider 
       your deeds.

       (Psa 77:13 NCV)  God, your ways are holy. No god is as great as our 
       God.

       (Psa 77:14 NCV)  You are the God who does miracles; you have shown 
       people your power.

       (Psa 77:15 NCV)  By your power you have saved your people, the 
       descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah

       (Psa 77:16 NCV)  God, the waters saw you; they saw you and became 
       afraid; the deep waters shook with fear.

       (Psa 77:17 NCV)  The clouds poured down their rain. The sky thundered. 
       Your lightning flashed back and forth like arrows.

       (Psa 77:18 NCV)  Your thunder sounded in the whirlwind. Lightning lit 
       up the world. The earth trembled and shook.

       (Psa 77:19 NCV)  You made a way through the sea and paths through the 
       deep waters, but your footprints were not seen.






       (Psa 77:20 NCV)  You led your people like a flock by using Moses and 
       Aaron.

       (Psa 78:1 NCV)  My people, listen to my teaching; listen to what I 
       say.

       (Psa 78:2 NCV)  I will speak using stories; I will tell secret things 
       from long ago.

       (Psa 78:3 NCV)  We have heard them and known them by what our 
       ancestors have told us.

       (Psa 78:4 NCV)  We will not keep them from our children; we will tell 
       those who come later about the praises of the LORD. We will tell about 
       his power and the miracles he has done.

       (Psa 78:5 NCV)  The LORD made an agreement with Jacob and gave the 
       teachings to Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach to 
       their children.

       (Psa 78:6 NCV)  Then their children would know them, even their 
       children not yet born. And they would tell their children.

       (Psa 78:7 NCV)  So they would all trust God and would not forget what 
       he had done but would obey his commands.

       (Psa 78:8 NCV)  They would not be like their ancestors who were 
       stubborn and disobedient. Their hearts were not loyal to God, and they 
       were not true to him.

       (Psa 78:9 NCV)  The men of Ephraim had bows for weapons, but they ran 
       away on the day of battle.

       (Psa 78:10 NCV)  They didn't keep their agreement with God and refused 
       to live by his teachings.

       (Psa 78:11 NCV)  They forgot what he had done and the miracles he had 
       shown them.

       (Psa 78:12 NCV)  He did miracles while their ancestors watched, in the 
       fields of Zoan in Egypt.

       (Psa 78:13 NCV)  He divided the Red Sea and led them through. He made 
       the water stand up like a wall.

       (Psa 78:14 NCV)  He led them with a cloud by day and by the light of a 
       fire by night.

       (Psa 78:15 NCV)  He split the rocks in the desert and gave them more 
       than enough water, as if from the deep ocean.

       (Psa 78:16 NCV)  He brought streams out of the rock and caused water 
       to flow down like rivers.

       (Psa 78:17 NCV)  But the people continued to sin against him; in the 





       desert they turned against God Most High.

       (Psa 78:18 NCV)  They decided to test God by asking for the food they 
       wanted.

       (Psa 78:19 NCV)  Then they spoke against God, saying, "Can God prepare 
       food in the desert?

       (Psa 78:20 NCV)  When he hit the rock, water poured out and rivers 
       flowed down. But can he give us bread also? Will he provide his people 
       with meat?"

       (Psa 78:21 NCV)  When the LORD heard them, he was very angry. His 
       anger was like fire to the people of Jacob; his anger grew against the 
       people of Israel.

       (Psa 78:22 NCV)  They had not believed God and had not trusted him to 
       save them.

       (Psa 78:23 NCV)  But he gave a command to the clouds above and opened 
       the doors of heaven.

       (Psa 78:24 NCV)  He rained manna down on them to eat; he gave them 
       grain from heaven.

       (Psa 78:25 NCV)  So they ate the bread of angels. He sent them all the 
       food they could eat.

       (Psa 78:26 NCV)  He sent the east wind from heaven and led the south 
       wind by his power.

       (Psa 78:27 NCV)  He rained meat on them like dust. The birds were as 
       many as the sand of the sea.

       (Psa 78:28 NCV)  He made the birds fall inside the camp, all around 
       the tents.

       (Psa 78:29 NCV)  So the people ate and became very full. God had given 
       them what they wanted.

       (Psa 78:30 NCV)  While they were still eating, and while the food was 
       still in their mouths,

       (Psa 78:31 NCV)  God became angry with them. He killed some of the 
       healthiest of them; he struck down the best young men of Israel.

       (Psa 78:32 NCV)  But they kept on sinning; they did not believe even 
       with the miracles.

       (Psa 78:33 NCV)  So he ended their days without meaning and their 
       years in terror.

       (Psa 78:34 NCV)  Anytime he killed them, they would look to him for 
       help; they would come back to God and follow him.

       (Psa 78:35 NCV)  They would remember that God was their Rock, that God 





       Most High had saved them.

       (Psa 78:36 NCV)  But their words were false, and their tongues lied to 
       him.

       (Psa 78:37 NCV)  Their hearts were not really loyal to God; they did 
       not keep his agreement.

       (Psa 78:38 NCV)  Still God was merciful. He forgave their sins and did 
       not destroy them. Many times he held back his anger and did not stir 
       up all his anger.

       (Psa 78:39 NCV)  He remembered that they were only human, like a wind 
       that blows and does not come back.

       (Psa 78:40 NCV)  They turned against God so often in the desert and 
       grieved him there.

       (Psa 78:41 NCV)  Again and again they tested God and brought pain to 
       the Holy One of Israel.

       (Psa 78:42 NCV)  They did not remember his power or the time he saved 
       them from the enemy.

       (Psa 78:43 NCV)  They forgot the signs he did in Egypt and his wonders 
       in the fields of Zoan.

       (Psa 78:44 NCV)  He turned their rivers to blood so no one could drink 
       the water.

       (Psa 78:45 NCV)  He sent flies that bit the people. He sent frogs that 
       destroyed them.

       (Psa 78:46 NCV)  He gave their crops to grasshoppers and what they 
       worked for to locusts.

       (Psa 78:47 NCV)  He destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamore 
       trees with sleet.

       (Psa 78:48 NCV)  He killed their animals with hail and their cattle 
       with lightning.

       (Psa 78:49 NCV)  He showed them his hot anger. He sent his strong 
       anger against them, his destroying angels.

       (Psa 78:50 NCV)  He found a way to show his anger. He did not keep 
       them from dying but let them die by a terrible disease.

       (Psa 78:51 NCV)  God killed all the firstborn sons in Egypt, the 
       oldest son of each family of Ham.

       (Psa 78:52 NCV)  But God led his people out like sheep and he guided 
       them like a flock through the desert.

       (Psa 78:53 NCV)  He led them to safety so they had nothing to fear, 
       but their enemies drowned in the sea.






       (Psa 78:54 NCV)  So God brought them to his holy land, to the mountain 
       country he took with his own power.

       (Psa 78:55 NCV)  He forced out the other nations, and he had his 
       people inherit the land. He let the tribes of Israel settle there in 
       tents.

       (Psa 78:56 NCV)  But they tested God and turned against God Most High; 
       they did not keep his rules.

       (Psa 78:57 NCV)  They turned away and were disloyal just like their 
       ancestors. They were like a crooked bow that does not shoot straight.

       (Psa 78:58 NCV)  They made God angry by building places to worship 
       gods; they made him jealous with their idols.

       (Psa 78:59 NCV)  When God heard them, he became very angry and 
       rejected the people of Israel completely.

       (Psa 78:60 NCV)  He left his dwelling at Shiloh, the Tent where he 
       lived among the people.

       (Psa 78:61 NCV)  He let the Ark, his power, be captured; he let the 
       Ark, his glory, be taken by enemies.

       (Psa 78:62 NCV)  He let his people be killed; he was very angry with 
       his children.

       (Psa 78:63 NCV)  The young men died by fire, and the young women had 
       no one to marry.

       (Psa 78:64 NCV)  Their priests fell by the sword, but their widows 
       were not allowed to cry.

       (Psa 78:65 NCV)  Then the Lord got up as if he had been asleep; he 
       awoke like a man who had been drunk with wine.

       (Psa 78:66 NCV)  He struck down his enemies and disgraced them 
       forever.

       (Psa 78:67 NCV)  But God rejected the family of Joseph; he did not 
       choose the tribe of Ephraim.

       (Psa 78:68 NCV)  Instead, he chose the tribe of Judah and Mount Zion, 
       which he loves.

       (Psa 78:69 NCV)  And he built his Temple high like the mountains. Like 
       the earth, he built it to last forever.

       (Psa 78:70 NCV)  He chose David to be his servant and took him from 
       the sheep pens.

       (Psa 78:71 NCV)  He brought him from tending the sheep so he could 
       lead the flock, the people of Jacob, his own people, the people of 
       Israel.






       (Psa 78:72 NCV)  And David led them with an innocent heart and guided 
       them with skillful hands.

       (Psa 79:1 NCV)  God, nations have come against your chosen people. 
       They have ruined your holy Temple. They have turned Jerusalem into 
       ruins.

       (Psa 79:2 NCV)  They have given the bodies of your servants as food to 
       the wild birds. They have given the bodies of those who worship you to 
       the wild animals.

       (Psa 79:3 NCV)  They have spilled blood like water all around 
       Jerusalem. No one was left to bury the dead.

       (Psa 79:4 NCV)  We are a joke to the other nations; they laugh and 
       make fun of us.

       (Psa 79:5 NCV)  LORD, how long will this last? Will you be angry 
       forever? How long will your jealousy burn like a fire?

       (Psa 79:6 NCV)  Be angry with the nations that do not know you and 
       with the kingdoms that do not honor you.

       (Psa 79:7 NCV)  They have gobbled up the people of Jacob and destroyed 
       their land.

       (Psa 79:8 NCV)  Don't punish us for our past sins. Show your mercy to 
       us soon, because we are helpless!

       (Psa 79:9 NCV)  God our Savior, help us so people will praise you. 
       Save us and forgive our sins so people will honor you.

       (Psa 79:10 NCV)  Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" 
       Tell the other nations in our presence that you punish those who kill 
       your servants.

       (Psa 79:11 NCV)  Hear the moans of the prisoners. Use your great power 
       to save those sentenced to die.

       (Psa 79:12 NCV)  Repay those around us seven times over for their 
       insults to you, Lord.

       (Psa 79:13 NCV)  We are your people, the sheep of your flock. We will 
       thank you always; forever and ever we will praise you.

       (Psa 80:1 NCV)  Shepherd of Israel, listen to us. You lead the people 
       of Joseph like a flock. You sit on your throne between the gold 
       creatures with wings. Show your greatness

       (Psa 80:2 NCV)  to the people of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. Use 
       your strength, and come to save us.

       (Psa 80:3 NCV)  God, take us back. Show us your kindness so we can be 
       saved.





       (Psa 80:4 NCV)  LORD God All-Powerful, how long will you be angry at 
       the prayers of your people?

       (Psa 80:5 NCV)  You have fed your people with tears; you have made 
       them drink many tears.

       (Psa 80:6 NCV)  You made those around us fight over us, and our 
       enemies make fun of us.

       (Psa 80:7 NCV)  God All-Powerful, take us back. Show us your kindness 
       so we can be saved.

       (Psa 80:8 NCV)  You brought us out of Egypt as if we were a vine. You 
       forced out other nations and planted us in the land.

       (Psa 80:9 NCV)  You cleared the ground for us. Like a vine, we took 
       root and filled the land.

       (Psa 80:10 NCV)  We covered the mountains with our shade. We had limbs 
       like the mighty cedar tree.

       (Psa 80:11 NCV)  Our branches reached the Mediterranean Sea, and our 
       shoots went to the Euphrates River.

       (Psa 80:12 NCV)  So why did you pull down our walls? Now everyone who 
       passes by steals from us.

       (Psa 80:13 NCV)  Like wild pigs they walk over us; like wild animals 
       they feed on us.

       (Psa 80:14 NCV)  God All-Powerful, come back. Look down from heaven 
       and see. Take care of us, your vine.

       (Psa 80:15 NCV)  You planted this shoot with your own hands and 
       strengthened this child.

       (Psa 80:16 NCV)  Now it is cut down and burned with fire; you 
       destroyed us by your angry looks.

       (Psa 80:17 NCV)  With your hand, strengthen the one you have chosen 
       for yourself.

       (Psa 80:18 NCV)  Then we will not turn away from you. Give us life 
       again, and we will call to you for help.

       (Psa 80:19 NCV)  LORD God All-Powerful, take us back. Show us your 
       kindness so we can be saved.

       (Psa 81:1 NCV)  Sing for joy to God, our strength; shout out loud to 
       the God of Jacob.

       (Psa 81:2 NCV)  Begin the music. Play the tambourines. Play pleasant 
       music on the harps and lyres.

       (Psa 81:3 NCV)  Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon, when the 
       moon is full, when our feast begins.






       (Psa 81:4 NCV)  This is the law for Israel; it is the command of the 
       God of Jacob.

       (Psa 81:5 NCV)  He gave this rule to the people of Joseph when they 
       went out of the land of Egypt. I heard a language I did not know, 
       saying:

       (Psa 81:6 NCV)  "I took the load off their shoulders; I let them put 
       down their baskets.

       (Psa 81:7 NCV)  When you were in trouble, you called, and I saved you. 
       I answered you with thunder. I tested you at the waters of Meribah. 
       Selah

       (Psa 81:8 NCV)  My people, listen. I am warning you. Israel, please 
       listen to me!

       (Psa 81:9 NCV)  You must not have foreign gods; you must not worship 
       any false god.

       (Psa 81:10 NCV)  I, the LORD, am your God, who brought you out of 
       Egypt. Open your mouth and I will feed you.

       (Psa 81:11 NCV)  "But my people did not listen to me; Israel did not 
       want me.

       (Psa 81:12 NCV)  So I let them go their stubborn way and follow their 
       own advice.

       (Psa 81:13 NCV)  I wish my people would listen to me; I wish Israel 
       would live my way.

       (Psa 81:14 NCV)  Then I would quickly defeat their enemies and turn my 
       hand against their foes.

       (Psa 81:15 NCV)  Those who hate the LORD would bow before him. Their 
       punishment would continue forever.

       (Psa 81:16 NCV)  But I would give you the finest wheat and fill you 
       with honey from the rocks."

       (Psa 82:1 NCV)  God is in charge of the great meeting; he judges among 
       the "gods."

       (Psa 82:2 NCV)  He says, "How long will you defend evil people? How 
       long will you show greater kindness to the wicked? Selah

       (Psa 82:3 NCV)  Defend the weak and the orphans; defend the rights of 
       the poor and suffering.

       (Psa 82:4 NCV)  Save the weak and helpless; free them from the power 
       of the wicked.

       (Psa 82:5 NCV)  "You know nothing. You don't understand. You walk in 
       the dark, while the world is falling apart.






       (Psa 82:6 NCV)  I said, 'You are "gods." You are all sons of God Most 
       High.'

       (Psa 82:7 NCV)  But you will die like any other person; you will fall 
       like all the leaders."

       (Psa 82:8 NCV)  God, come and judge the earth, because you own all the 
       nations.

       (Psa 83:1 NCV)  God, do not keep quiet; God, do not be silent or 
       still.

       (Psa 83:2 NCV)  Your enemies are making noises; those who hate you are 
       getting ready to attack.

       (Psa 83:3 NCV)  They are making secret plans against your people; they 
       plot against those you love.

       (Psa 83:4 NCV)  They say, "Come, let's destroy them as a nation. Then 
       no one will ever remember the name 'Israel.'"

       (Psa 83:5 NCV)  They are united in their plan. These have made an 
       agreement against you:

       (Psa 83:6 NCV)  the families of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the 
       Hagrites,

       (Psa 83:7 NCV)  the people of Byblos, Ammon, Amalek, Philistia, and 
       Tyre.

       (Psa 83:8 NCV)  Even Assyria has joined them to help Ammon and Moab, 
       the descendants of Lot. Selah

       (Psa 83:9 NCV)  God, do to them what you did to Midian, what you did 
       to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River.

       (Psa 83:10 NCV)  They died at Endor, and their bodies rotted on the 
       ground.

       (Psa 83:11 NCV)  Do to their important leaders what you did to Oreb 
       and Zeeb. Do to their princes what you did to Zebah and Zalmunna.

       (Psa 83:12 NCV)  They said, "Let's take for ourselves the pasturelands 
       that belong to God."

       (Psa 83:13 NCV)  My God, make them like tumbleweed, like chaff blown 
       away by the wind.

       (Psa 83:14 NCV)  Be like a fire that burns a forest or like flames 
       that blaze through the hills.

       (Psa 83:15 NCV)  Chase them with your storm, and frighten them with 
       your wind.

       (Psa 83:16 NCV)  Cover them with shame. Then people will look for you, 





       LORD.

       (Psa 83:17 NCV)  Make them afraid and ashamed forever. Disgrace them 
       and destroy them.

       (Psa 83:18 NCV)  Then they will know that you are the LORD, that only 
       you are God Most High over all the earth.

       (Psa 84:1 NCV)  LORD All-Powerful, how lovely is your Temple!

       (Psa 84:2 NCV)  I want more than anything to be in the courtyards of 
       the Lord's Temple. My whole being wants to be with the living God.

       (Psa 84:3 NCV)  The sparrows have found a home, and the swallows have 
       nests. They raise their young near your altars, LORD All-Powerful, my 
       King and my God.

       (Psa 84:4 NCV)  Happy are the people who live at your Temple; they are 
       always praising you. Selah

       (Psa 84:5 NCV)  Happy are those whose strength comes from you, who 
       want to travel to Jerusalem.

       (Psa 84:6 NCV)  As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it 
       like a spring. The autumn rains fill it with pools of water.

       (Psa 84:7 NCV)  The people get stronger as they go, and everyone meets 
       with God in Jerusalem.

       (Psa 84:8 NCV)  LORD God All-Powerful, hear my prayer; God of Jacob, 
       listen to me. Selah

       (Psa 84:9 NCV)  God, look at our shield; be kind to your appointed 
       king.

       (Psa 84:10 NCV)  One day in the courtyards of your Temple is better 
       than a thousand days anywhere else. I would rather be a doorkeeper in 
       the Temple of my God than live in the homes of the wicked.

       (Psa 84:11 NCV)  The LORD God is like a sun and shield; the LORD gives 
       us kindness and honor. He does not hold back anything good from those 
       whose lives are innocent.

       (Psa 84:12 NCV)  LORD All-Powerful, happy are the people who trust 
       you!

       (Psa 85:1 NCV)  LORD, you have been kind to your land; you brought 
       back the people of Jacob.

       (Psa 85:2 NCV)  You forgave the guilt of the people and covered all 
       their sins. Selah

       (Psa 85:3 NCV)  You stopped all your anger; you turned back from your 
       strong anger.

       (Psa 85:4 NCV)  God our Savior, bring us back again. Stop being angry 





       with us.

       (Psa 85:5 NCV)  Will you be angry with us forever? Will you stay angry 
       from now on?

       (Psa 85:6 NCV)  Won't you give us life again? Your people would 
       rejoice in you.

       (Psa 85:7 NCV)  LORD, show us your love, and save us.

       (Psa 85:8 NCV)  I will listen to God the LORD. He has ordered peace 
       for those who worship him. Don't let them go back to foolishness.

       (Psa 85:9 NCV)  God will soon save those who respect him, and his 
       glory will be seen in our land.

       (Psa 85:10 NCV)  Love and truth belong to God's people; goodness and 
       peace will be theirs.

       (Psa 85:11 NCV)  On earth people will be loyal to God, and God's 
       goodness will shine down from heaven.

       (Psa 85:12 NCV)  The LORD will give his goodness, and the land will 
       give its crops.

       (Psa 85:13 NCV)  Goodness will go before God and prepare the way for 
       him.

       (Psa 86:1 NCV)  LORD, listen to me and answer me. I am poor and 
       helpless.

       (Psa 86:2 NCV)  Protect me, because I worship you. My God, save me, 
       your servant who trusts in you.

       (Psa 86:3 NCV)  Lord, have mercy on me, because I have called to you 
       all day.

       (Psa 86:4 NCV)  Give happiness to me, your servant, because I give my 
       life to you, Lord.

       (Psa 86:5 NCV)  Lord, you are kind and forgiving and have great love 
       for those who call to you.

       (Psa 86:6 NCV)  LORD, hear my prayer, and listen when I ask for mercy.

       (Psa 86:7 NCV)  I call to you in times of trouble, because you will 
       answer me.

       (Psa 86:8 NCV)  Lord, there is no god like you and no works like 
       yours.

       (Psa 86:9 NCV)  Lord, all the nations you have made will come and 
       worship you. They will honor you.

       (Psa 86:10 NCV)  You are great and you do miracles. Only you are God.





       (Psa 86:11 NCV)  LORD, teach me what you want me to do, and I will 
       live by your truth. Teach me to respect you completely.

       (Psa 86:12 NCV)  Lord, my God, I will praise you with all my heart, 
       and I will honor your name forever.

       (Psa 86:13 NCV)  You have great love for me. You have saved me from 
       death.

       (Psa 86:14 NCV)  God, proud men are attacking me; a gang of cruel men 
       is trying to kill me. They do not respect you.

       (Psa 86:15 NCV)  But Lord, you are a God who shows mercy and is kind. 
       You don't become angry quickly. You have great love and faithfulness.

       (Psa 86:16 NCV)  Turn to me and have mercy. Give me, your servant, 
       strength. Save me, the son of your female servant.

       (Psa 86:17 NCV)  Show me a sign of your goodness. When my enemies 
       look, they will be ashamed. You, LORD, have helped me and comforted 
       me.

       (Psa 87:1 NCV)  The LORD built Jerusalem on the holy mountain.

       (Psa 87:2 NCV)  He loves its gates more than any other place in 
       Israel.

       (Psa 87:3 NCV)  City of God, wonderful things are said about you. 
       Selah

       (Psa 87:4 NCV)  God says, "I will put Egypt and Babylonia on the list 
       of nations that know me. People from Philistia, Tyre, and Cush will be 
       born there."

       (Psa 87:5 NCV)  They will say about Jerusalem, "This one and that one 
       were born there. God Most High will strengthen her."

       (Psa 87:6 NCV)  The LORD will keep a list of the nations. He will 
       note, "This person was born there." Selah

       (Psa 87:7 NCV)  They will dance and sing, "All good things come from 
       Jerusalem."

       (Psa 88:1 NCV)  LORD, you are the God who saves me. I cry out to you 
       day and night.

       (Psa 88:2 NCV)  Receive my prayer, and listen to my cry.

       (Psa 88:3 NCV)  My life is full of troubles, and I am nearly dead.

       (Psa 88:4 NCV)  They think I am on the way to my grave. I am like a 
       man with no strength.

       (Psa 88:5 NCV)  I have been left as dead, like a body lying in a grave 
       whom you don't remember anymore, cut off from your care.





       (Psa 88:6 NCV)  You have brought me close to death; I am almost in the 
       dark place of the dead.

       (Psa 88:7 NCV)  You have been very angry with me; all your waves crush 
       me. Selah

       (Psa 88:8 NCV)  You have taken my friends away from me and have made 
       them hate me. I am trapped and cannot escape.

       (Psa 88:9 NCV)  My eyes are weak from crying. LORD, I have prayed to 
       you every day; I have lifted my hands in prayer to you.

       (Psa 88:10 NCV)  Do you show your miracles for the dead? Do their 
       spirits rise up and praise you? Selah

       (Psa 88:11 NCV)  Will your love be told in the grave? Will your 
       loyalty be told in the place of death?

       (Psa 88:12 NCV)  Will your miracles be known in the dark grave? Will 
       your goodness be known in the land of forgetfulness?

       (Psa 88:13 NCV)  But, LORD, I have called out to you for help; every 
       morning I pray to you.

       (Psa 88:14 NCV)  LORD, why do you reject me? Why do you hide from me?

       (Psa 88:15 NCV)  I have been weak and dying since I was young. I 
       suffer from your terrors, and I am helpless.

       (Psa 88:16 NCV)  You have been angry with me, and your terrors have 
       destroyed me.

       (Psa 88:17 NCV)  They surround me daily like a flood; they are all 
       around me.

       (Psa 88:18 NCV)  You have taken away my loved ones and friends. 
       Darkness is my only friend.

       (Psa 89:1 NCV)  I will always sing about the Lord's love; I will tell 
       of his loyalty from now on.

       (Psa 89:2 NCV)  I will say, "Your love continues forever; your loyalty 
       goes on and on like the sky."

       (Psa 89:3 NCV)  You said, "I made an agreement with the man of my 
       choice; I made a promise to my servant David.

       (Psa 89:4 NCV)  I told him, 'I will make your family continue forever. 
       Your kingdom will go on and on.'" Selah

       (Psa 89:5 NCV)  LORD, the heavens praise you for your miracles and for 
       your loyalty in the meeting of your holy ones.

       (Psa 89:6 NCV)  Who in heaven is equal to the LORD? None of the angels 
       is like the LORD.





       (Psa 89:7 NCV)  When the holy ones meet, it is God they fear. He is 
       more frightening than all who surround him.

       (Psa 89:8 NCV)  Lord GOD All-Powerful, who is like you? LORD, you are 
       powerful and completely trustworthy.

       (Psa 89:9 NCV)  You rule the mighty sea and calm the stormy waves.

       (Psa 89:10 NCV)  You crushed the sea monster Rahab; by your power you 
       scattered your enemies.

       (Psa 89:11 NCV)  The skies and the earth belong to you. You made the 
       world and everything in it.

       (Psa 89:12 NCV)  You created the north and the south. Mount Tabor and 
       Mount Hermon sing for joy at your name.

       (Psa 89:13 NCV)  Your arm has great power. Your hand is strong; your 
       right hand is lifted up.

       (Psa 89:14 NCV)  Your kingdom is built on what is right and fair. Love 
       and truth are in all you do.

       (Psa 89:15 NCV)  Happy are the people who know how to praise you. 
       LORD, let them live in the light of your presence.

       (Psa 89:16 NCV)  In your name they rejoice and continually praise your 
       goodness.

       (Psa 89:17 NCV)  You are their glorious strength, and in your kindness 
       you honor our king.

       (Psa 89:18 NCV)  Our king, our shield, belongs to the LORD, to the 
       Holy One of Israel.

       (Psa 89:19 NCV)  Once, in a vision, you spoke to those who worship 
       you. You said, "I have given strength to a warrior; I have raised up a 
       young man from my people.

       (Psa 89:20 NCV)  I have found my servant David; I appointed him by 
       pouring holy oil on him.

       (Psa 89:21 NCV)  I will steady him with my hand and strengthen him 
       with my arm.

       (Psa 89:22 NCV)  No enemy will make him give forced payments, and 
       wicked people will not defeat him.

       (Psa 89:23 NCV)  I will crush his enemies in front of him; I will 
       defeat those who hate him.

       (Psa 89:24 NCV)  My loyalty and love will be with him. Through me he 
       will be strong.

       (Psa 89:25 NCV)  I will give him power over the sea and control over 
       the rivers.






       (Psa 89:26 NCV)  He will say to me, 'You are my father, my God, the 
       Rock, my Savior.'

       (Psa 89:27 NCV)  I will make him my firstborn son, the greatest king 
       on earth.

       (Psa 89:28 NCV)  My love will watch over him forever, and my agreement 
       with him will never end.

       (Psa 89:29 NCV)  I will make his family continue, and his kingdom will 
       last as long as the skies.

       (Psa 89:30 NCV)  "If his descendants reject my teachings and do not 
       follow my laws,

       (Psa 89:31 NCV)  if they ignore my demands and disobey my commands,

       (Psa 89:32 NCV)  then I will punish their sins with a rod and their 
       wrongs with a whip.

       (Psa 89:33 NCV)  But I will not hold back my love from David, nor will 
       I stop being loyal.

       (Psa 89:34 NCV)  I will not break my agreement nor change what I have 
       said.

       (Psa 89:35 NCV)  I have promised by my holiness, I will not lie to 
       David.

       (Psa 89:36 NCV)  His family will go on forever. His kingdom will last 
       before me like the sun.

       (Psa 89:37 NCV)  It will continue forever, like the moon, like a 
       dependable witness in the sky." Selah

       (Psa 89:38 NCV)  But now you have refused and rejected your appointed 
       king. You have been angry with him.

       (Psa 89:39 NCV)  You have abandoned the agreement with your servant 
       and thrown his crown to the ground.

       (Psa 89:40 NCV)  You have torn down all his city walls; you have 
       turned his strong cities into ruins.

       (Psa 89:41 NCV)  Everyone who passes by steals from him. His neighbors 
       insult him.

       (Psa 89:42 NCV)  You have given strength to his enemies and have made 
       them all happy.

       (Psa 89:43 NCV)  You have made his sword useless; you did not help him 
       stand in battle.

       (Psa 89:44 NCV)  You have kept him from winning and have thrown his 
       throne to the ground.






       (Psa 89:45 NCV)  You have cut his life short and covered him with 
       shame. Selah

       (Psa 89:46 NCV)  LORD, how long will this go on? Will you ignore us 
       forever? How long will your anger burn like a fire?

       (Psa 89:47 NCV)  Remember how short my life is. Why did you create us? 
       For nothing?

       (Psa 89:48 NCV)  What person alive will not die? Who can escape the 
       grave? Selah

       (Psa 89:49 NCV)  Lord, where is your love from times past, which in 
       your loyalty you promised to David?

       (Psa 89:50 NCV)  Lord, remember how they insulted your servant; 
       remember how I have suffered the insults of the nations.

       (Psa 89:51 NCV)  LORD, remember how your enemies insulted you and how 
       they insulted your appointed king wherever he went.

       (Psa 89:52 NCV)  Praise the LORD forever! Amen and amen.

       (Psa 90:1 NCV)  Lord, you have been our home since the beginning.

       (Psa 90:2 NCV)  Before the mountains were born and before you created 
       the earth and the world, you are God. You have always been, and you 
       will always be.

       (Psa 90:3 NCV)  You turn people back into dust. You say, "Go back into 
       dust, human beings."

       (Psa 90:4 NCV)  To you, a thousand years is like the passing of a day, 
       or like a few hours in the night.

       (Psa 90:5 NCV)  While people sleep, you take their lives. They are 
       like grass that grows up in the morning.

       (Psa 90:6 NCV)  In the morning they are fresh and new, but by evening 
       they dry up and die.

       (Psa 90:7 NCV)  We are destroyed by your anger; we are terrified by 
       your hot anger.

       (Psa 90:8 NCV)  You have put the evil we have done right in front of 
       you; you clearly see our secret sins.

       (Psa 90:9 NCV)  All our days pass while you are angry. Our years end 
       with a moan.

       (Psa 90:10 NCV)  Our lifetime is seventy years or, if we are strong, 
       eighty years. But the years are full of hard work and pain. They pass 
       quickly, and then we are gone.

       (Psa 90:11 NCV)  Who knows the full power of your anger? Your anger is 





       as great as our fear of you should be.

       (Psa 90:12 NCV)  Teach us how short our lives really are so that we 
       may be wise.

       (Psa 90:13 NCV)  LORD, how long before you return and show kindness to 
       your servants?

       (Psa 90:14 NCV)  Fill us with your love every morning. Then we will 
       sing and rejoice all our lives.

       (Psa 90:15 NCV)  We have seen years of trouble. Now give us as much 
       joy as you gave us sorrow.

       (Psa 90:16 NCV)  Show your servants the wonderful things you do; show 
       your greatness to their children.

       (Psa 90:17 NCV)  Lord our God, treat us well. Give us success in what 
       we do; yes, give us success in what we do.

       (Psa 91:1 NCV)  Those who go to God Most High for safety will be 
       protected by the Almighty.

       (Psa 91:2 NCV)  I will say to the LORD, "You are my place of safety 
       and protection. You are my God and I trust you."

       (Psa 91:3 NCV)  God will save you from hidden traps and from deadly 
       diseases.

       (Psa 91:4 NCV)  He will cover you with his feathers, and under his 
       wings you can hide. His truth will be your shield and protection.

       (Psa 91:5 NCV)  You will not fear any danger by night or an arrow 
       during the day.

       (Psa 91:6 NCV)  You will not be afraid of diseases that come in the 
       dark or sickness that strikes at noon.

       (Psa 91:7 NCV)  At your side one thousand people may die, or even ten 
       thousand right beside you, but you will not be hurt.

       (Psa 91:8 NCV)  You will only watch and see the wicked punished.

       (Psa 91:9 NCV)  The LORD is your protection; you have made God Most 
       High your place of safety.

       (Psa 91:10 NCV)  Nothing bad will happen to you; no disaster will come 
       to your home.

       (Psa 91:11 NCV)  He has put his angels in charge of you to watch over 
       you wherever you go.

       (Psa 91:12 NCV)  They will catch you in their hands so that you will 
       not hit your foot on a rock.

       (Psa 91:13 NCV)  You will walk on lions and cobras; you will step on 





       strong lions and snakes.

       (Psa 91:14 NCV)  The LORD says, "Whoever loves me, I will save. I will 
       protect those who know me.

       (Psa 91:15 NCV)  They will call to me, and I will answer them. I will 
       be with them in trouble; I will rescue them and honor them.

       (Psa 91:16 NCV)  I will give them a long, full life, and they will see 
       how I can save."

       (Psa 92:1 NCV)  It is good to praise you, LORD, to sing praises to God 
       Most High.

       (Psa 92:2 NCV)  It is good to tell of your love in the morning and of 
       your loyalty at night.

       (Psa 92:3 NCV)  It is good to praise you with the ten-stringed lyre 
       and with the soft-sounding harp.

       (Psa 92:4 NCV)  LORD, you have made me happy by what you have done; I 
       will sing for joy about what your hands have done.

       (Psa 92:5 NCV)  LORD, you have done such great things! How deep are 
       your thoughts!

       (Psa 92:6 NCV)  Stupid people don't know these things, and fools don't 
       understand.

       (Psa 92:7 NCV)  Wicked people grow like the grass. Evil people seem to 
       do well, but they will be destroyed forever.

       (Psa 92:8 NCV)  But, LORD, you will be honored forever.

       (Psa 92:9 NCV)  LORD, surely your enemies, surely your enemies will be 
       destroyed, and all who do evil will be scattered.

       (Psa 92:10 NCV)  But you have made me as strong as an ox. You have 
       poured fine oils on me.

       (Psa 92:11 NCV)  When I looked, I saw my enemies; I heard the cries of 
       those who are against me.

       (Psa 92:12 NCV)  But good people will grow like palm trees; they will 
       be tall like the cedars of Lebanon.

       (Psa 92:13 NCV)  Like trees planted in the Temple of the LORD, they 
       will grow strong in the courtyards of our God.

       (Psa 92:14 NCV)  When they are old, they will still produce fruit; 
       they will be healthy and fresh.

       (Psa 92:15 NCV)  They will say that the LORD is good. He is my Rock, 
       and there is no wrong in him.

       (Psa 93:1 NCV)  The LORD is king. He is clothed in majesty. The LORD 





       is clothed in majesty and armed with strength. The world is set, and 
       it cannot be moved.

       (Psa 93:2 NCV)  LORD, your kingdom was set up long ago; you are 
       everlasting.

       (Psa 93:3 NCV)  LORD, the seas raise, the seas raise their voice. The 
       seas raise up their pounding waves.

       (Psa 93:4 NCV)  The sound of the water is loud; the ocean waves are 
       powerful, but the LORD above is much greater.

       (Psa 93:5 NCV)  LORD, your laws will stand forever. Your Temple will 
       be holy forevermore.

       (Psa 94:1 NCV)  The LORD is a God who punishes. God, show your 
       greatness and punish!

       (Psa 94:2 NCV)  Rise up, Judge of the earth, and give the proud what 
       they deserve.

       (Psa 94:3 NCV)  How long will the wicked be happy? How long, LORD?

       (Psa 94:4 NCV)  They are full of proud words; those who do evil brag 
       about what they have done.

       (Psa 94:5 NCV)  LORD, they crush your people and make your children 
       suffer.

       (Psa 94:6 NCV)  They kill widows and foreigners and murder orphans.

       (Psa 94:7 NCV)  They say, "The LORD doesn't see; the God of Jacob 
       doesn't notice."

       (Psa 94:8 NCV)  You stupid ones among the people, pay attention. You 
       fools, when will you understand?

       (Psa 94:9 NCV)  Can't the creator of ears hear? Can't the maker of 
       eyes see?

       (Psa 94:10 NCV)  Won't the one who corrects nations punish you? 
       Doesn't the teacher of people know everything?

       (Psa 94:11 NCV)  The LORD knows what people think. He knows their 
       thoughts are just a puff of wind.

       (Psa 94:12 NCV)  LORD, those you correct are happy; you teach them 
       from your law.

       (Psa 94:13 NCV)  You give them rest from times of trouble until a pit 
       is dug for the wicked.

       (Psa 94:14 NCV)  The LORD won't leave his people nor give up his 
       children.

       (Psa 94:15 NCV)  Judgment will again be fair, and all who are honest 





       will follow it.

       (Psa 94:16 NCV)  Who will help me fight against the wicked? Who will 
       stand with me against those who do evil?

       (Psa 94:17 NCV)  If the LORD had not helped me, I would have died in a 
       minute.

       (Psa 94:18 NCV)  I said, "I am about to fall," but, LORD, your love 
       kept me safe.

       (Psa 94:19 NCV)  I was very worried, but you comforted me and made me 
       happy.

       (Psa 94:20 NCV)  Crooked leaders cannot be your friends. They use the 
       law to cause suffering.

       (Psa 94:21 NCV)  They join forces against people who do right and 
       sentence to death the innocent.

       (Psa 94:22 NCV)  But the LORD is my defender; my God is the rock of my 
       protection.

       (Psa 94:23 NCV)  God will pay them back for their sins and will 
       destroy them for their evil. The LORD our God will destroy them.

       (Psa 95:1 NCV)  Come, let's sing for joy to the LORD. Let's shout 
       praises to the Rock who saves us.

       (Psa 95:2 NCV)  Let's come to him with thanksgiving. Let's sing songs 
       to him,

       (Psa 95:3 NCV)  because the LORD is the great God, the great King over 
       all gods.

       (Psa 95:4 NCV)  The deepest places on earth are his, and the highest 
       mountains belong to him.

       (Psa 95:5 NCV)  The sea is his because he made it, and he created the 
       land with his own hands.

       (Psa 95:6 NCV)  Come, let's worship him and bow down. Let's kneel 
       before the LORD who made us,

       (Psa 95:7 NCV)  because he is our God and we are the people he takes 
       care of and the sheep that he tends. Today listen to what he says:

       (Psa 95:8 NCV)  "Do not be stubborn, as your ancestors were at 
       Meribah, as they were that day at Massah in the desert.

       (Psa 95:9 NCV)  There your ancestors tested me and tried me even 
       though they saw what I did.

       (Psa 95:10 NCV)  I was angry with those people for forty years. I 
       said, 'They are not loyal to me and have not understood my ways.'





       (Psa 95:11 NCV)  I was angry and made a promise, 'They will never 
       enter my rest.'"

       (Psa 96:1 NCV)  Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the 
       earth.

       (Psa 96:2 NCV)  Sing to the LORD and praise his name; every day tell 
       how he saves us.

       (Psa 96:3 NCV)  Tell the nations of his glory; tell all peoples the 
       miracles he does,

       (Psa 96:4 NCV)  because the LORD is great; he should be praised at all 
       times. He should be honored more than all the gods,

       (Psa 96:5 NCV)  because all the gods of the nations are only idols, 
       but the LORD made the heavens.

       (Psa 96:6 NCV)  The LORD has glory and majesty; he has power and 
       beauty in his Temple.

       (Psa 96:7 NCV)  Praise the LORD, all nations on earth; praise the 
       Lord's glory and power.

       (Psa 96:8 NCV)  Praise the glory of the Lord's name. Bring an offering 
       and come into his Temple courtyards.

       (Psa 96:9 NCV)  Worship the LORD because he is holy. Tremble before 
       him, everyone on earth.

       (Psa 96:10 NCV)  Tell the nations, "The LORD is king." The earth is 
       set, and it cannot be moved. He will judge the people fairly.

       (Psa 96:11 NCV)  Let the skies rejoice and the earth be glad; let the 
       sea and everything in it shout.

       (Psa 96:12 NCV)  Let the fields and everything in them rejoice. Then 
       all the trees of the forest will sing for joy

       (Psa 96:13 NCV)  before the LORD, because he is coming. He is coming 
       to judge the world; he will judge the world with fairness and the 
       peoples with truth.

       (Psa 97:1 NCV)  The LORD is king. Let the earth rejoice; faraway lands 
       should be glad.

       (Psa 97:2 NCV)  Thick, dark clouds surround him. His kingdom is built 
       on what is right and fair.

       (Psa 97:3 NCV)  A fire goes before him and burns up his enemies all 
       around.

       (Psa 97:4 NCV)  His lightning lights up the world; when the people see 
       it, they tremble.

       (Psa 97:5 NCV)  The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before 





       the Lord of all the earth.

       (Psa 97:6 NCV)  The heavens tell about his goodness, and all the 
       people see his glory.

       (Psa 97:7 NCV)  Those who worship idols should be ashamed; they brag 
       about their gods. All the gods should worship the LORD.

       (Psa 97:8 NCV)  When Jerusalem hears this, she is glad, and the towns 
       of Judah rejoice. They are happy because of your judgments, LORD.

       (Psa 97:9 NCV)  You are the LORD Most High over all the earth; you are 
       supreme over all gods.

       (Psa 97:10 NCV)  People who love the LORD hate evil. The LORD watches 
       over those who follow him and frees them from the power of the wicked.

       (Psa 97:11 NCV)  Light shines on those who do right; joy belongs to 
       those who are honest.

       (Psa 97:12 NCV)  Rejoice in the LORD, you who do right. Praise his 
       holy name.

       (Psa 98:1 NCV)  Sing to the LORD a new song, because he has done 
       miracles. By his right hand and holy arm he has won the victory.

       (Psa 98:2 NCV)  The LORD has made known his power to save; he has 
       shown the other nations his victory for his people.

       (Psa 98:3 NCV)  He has remembered his love and his loyalty to the 
       people of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen God's power to 
       save.

       (Psa 98:4 NCV)  Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth; burst into 
       songs and make music.

       (Psa 98:5 NCV)  Make music to the LORD with harps, with harps and the 
       sound of singing.

       (Psa 98:6 NCV)  Blow the trumpets and the sheep's horns; shout for joy 
       to the LORD the King.

       (Psa 98:7 NCV)  Let the sea and everything in it shout; let the world 
       and everyone in it sing.

       (Psa 98:8 NCV)  Let the rivers clap their hands; let the mountains 
       sing together for joy.

       (Psa 98:9 NCV)  Let them sing before the LORD, because he is coming to 
       judge the world. He will judge the world fairly; he will judge the 
       peoples with fairness.

       (Psa 99:1 NCV)  The LORD is king. Let the peoples shake with fear. He 
       sits between the gold creatures with wings. Let the earth shake.

       (Psa 99:2 NCV)  The LORD in Jerusalem is great; he is supreme over all 





       the peoples.

       (Psa 99:3 NCV)  Let them praise your name; it is great, holy and to be 
       feared.

       (Psa 99:4 NCV)  The King is powerful and loves justice. LORD, you made 
       things fair; you have done what is fair and right for the people of 
       Jacob.

       (Psa 99:5 NCV)  Praise the LORD our God, and worship at the Temple, 
       his footstool. He is holy.

       (Psa 99:6 NCV)  Moses and Aaron were among his priests, and Samuel was 
       among his worshipers. They called to the LORD, and he answered them.

       (Psa 99:7 NCV)  He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud. They kept 
       the rules and laws he gave them.

       (Psa 99:8 NCV)  LORD our God, you answered them. You showed them that 
       you are a forgiving God, but you punished them for their wrongs.

       (Psa 99:9 NCV)  Praise the LORD our God, and worship at his holy 
       mountain, because the LORD our God is holy.

       (Psa 100:1 NCV)  Shout to the LORD, all the earth.

       (Psa 100:2 NCV)  Serve the LORD with joy; come before him with 
       singing.

       (Psa 100:3 NCV)  Know that the LORD is God. He made us, and we belong 
       to him; we are his people, the sheep he tends.

       (Psa 100:4 NCV)  Come into his city with songs of thanksgiving and 
       into his courtyards with songs of praise. Thank him and praise his 
       name.

       (Psa 100:5 NCV)  The LORD is good. His love is forever, and his 
       loyalty goes on and on.

       (Psa 101:1 NCV)  I will sing of your love and fairness; LORD, I will 
       sing praises to you.

       (Psa 101:2 NCV)  I will be careful to live an innocent life. When will 
       you come to me? I will live an innocent life in my house.

       (Psa 101:3 NCV)  I will not look at anything wicked. I hate those who 
       turn against you; they will not be found near me.

       (Psa 101:4 NCV)  Let those who want to do wrong stay away from me; I 
       will have nothing to do with evil.

       (Psa 101:5 NCV)  If anyone secretly says things against his neighbor, 
       I will stop him. I will not allow people to be proud and look down on 
       others.

       (Psa 101:6 NCV)  I will look for trustworthy people so I can live with 





       them in the land. Only those who live innocent lives will be my 
       servants.

       (Psa 101:7 NCV)  No one who is dishonest will live in my house; no 
       liars will stay around me.

       (Psa 101:8 NCV)  Every morning I will destroy the wicked in the land. 
       I will rid the Lord's city of people who do evil.

       (Psa 102:1 NCV)  LORD, listen to my prayer; let my cry for help come 
       to you.

       (Psa 102:2 NCV)  Do not hide from me in my time of trouble. Pay 
       attention to me. When I cry for help, answer me quickly.

       (Psa 102:3 NCV)  My life is passing away like smoke, and my bones are 
       burned up with fire.

       (Psa 102:4 NCV)  My heart is like grass that has been cut and dried. I 
       forget to eat.

       (Psa 102:5 NCV)  Because of my grief, my skin hangs on my bones.

       (Psa 102:6 NCV)  I am like a desert owl, like an owl living among the 
       ruins.

       (Psa 102:7 NCV)  I lie awake. I am like a lonely bird on a housetop.

       (Psa 102:8 NCV)  All day long enemies insult me; those who make fun of 
       me use my name as a curse.

       (Psa 102:9 NCV)  I eat ashes for food, and my tears fall into my 
       drinks.

       (Psa 102:10 NCV)  Because of your great anger, you have picked me up 
       and thrown me away.

       (Psa 102:11 NCV)  My days are like a passing shadow; I am like dried 
       grass.

       (Psa 102:12 NCV)  But, LORD, you rule forever, and your fame goes on 
       and on.

       (Psa 102:13 NCV)  You will come and have mercy on Jerusalem, because 
       the time has now come to be kind to her; the right time has come.

       (Psa 102:14 NCV)  Your servants love even her stones; they even care 
       about her dust.

       (Psa 102:15 NCV)  Nations will fear the name of the LORD, and all the 
       kings on earth will honor you.

       (Psa 102:16 NCV)  The LORD will rebuild Jerusalem; there his glory 
       will be seen.

       (Psa 102:17 NCV)  He will answer the prayers of the needy; he will not 





       reject their prayers.

       (Psa 102:18 NCV)  Write these things for the future so that people who 
       are not yet born will praise the LORD.

       (Psa 102:19 NCV)  The LORD looked down from his holy place above; from 
       heaven he looked down at the earth.

       (Psa 102:20 NCV)  He heard the moans of the prisoners, and he freed 
       those sentenced to die.

       (Psa 102:21 NCV)  The name of the LORD will be heard in Jerusalem; his 
       praise will be heard there.

       (Psa 102:22 NCV)  People will come together, and kingdoms will serve 
       the LORD.

       (Psa 102:23 NCV)  God has made me tired of living; he has cut short my 
       life.

       (Psa 102:24 NCV)  So I said, "My God, do not take me in the middle of 
       my life. Your years go on and on.

       (Psa 102:25 NCV)  In the beginning you made the earth, and your hands 
       made the skies.

       (Psa 102:26 NCV)  They will be destroyed, but you will remain. They 
       will all wear out like clothes. And, like clothes, you will change 
       them and throw them away.

       (Psa 102:27 NCV)  But you never change, and your life will never end.

       (Psa 102:28 NCV)  Our children will live in your presence, and their 
       children will remain with you."

       (Psa 103:1 NCV)  My whole being, praise the LORD; all my being, praise 
       his holy name.

       (Psa 103:2 NCV)  My whole being, praise the LORD and do not forget all 
       his kindnesses.

       (Psa 103:3 NCV)  He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.

       (Psa 103:4 NCV)  He saves my life from the grave and loads me with 
       love and mercy.

       (Psa 103:5 NCV)  He satisfies me with good things and makes me young 
       again, like the eagle.

       (Psa 103:6 NCV)  The LORD does what is right and fair for all who are 
       wronged by others.

       (Psa 103:7 NCV)  He showed his ways to Moses and his deeds to the 
       people of Israel.

       (Psa 103:8 NCV)  The LORD shows mercy and is kind. He does not become 





       angry quickly, and he has great love.

       (Psa 103:9 NCV)  He will not always accuse us, and he will not be 
       angry forever.

       (Psa 103:10 NCV)  He has not punished us as our sins should be 
       punished; he has not repaid us for the evil we have done.

       (Psa 103:11 NCV)  As high as the sky is above the earth, so great is 
       his love for those who respect him.

       (Psa 103:12 NCV)  He has taken our sins away from us as far as the 
       east is from west.

       (Psa 103:13 NCV)  The LORD has mercy on those who respect him, as a 
       father has mercy on his children.

       (Psa 103:14 NCV)  He knows how we were made; he remembers that we are 
       dust.

       (Psa 103:15 NCV)  Human life is like grass; we grow like a flower in 
       the field.

       (Psa 103:16 NCV)  After the wind blows, the flower is gone, and there 
       is no sign of where it was.

       (Psa 103:17 NCV)  But the Lord's love for those who respect him 
       continues forever and ever, and his goodness continues to their 
       grandchildren

       (Psa 103:18 NCV)  and to those who keep his agreement and who remember 
       to obey his orders.

       (Psa 103:19 NCV)  The LORD has set his throne in heaven, and his 
       kingdom rules over everything.

       (Psa 103:20 NCV)  You who are his angels, praise the LORD. You are the 
       mighty warriors who do what he says and who obey his voice.

       (Psa 103:21 NCV)  You, his armies, praise the LORD; you are his 
       servants who do what he wants.

       (Psa 103:22 NCV)  Everything the LORD has made should praise him in 
       all the places he rules. My whole being, praise the LORD.

       (Psa 104:1 NCV)  My whole being, praise the LORD. LORD my God, you are 
       very great. You are clothed with glory and majesty;

       (Psa 104:2 NCV)  you wear light like a robe. You stretch out the skies 
       like a tent.

       (Psa 104:3 NCV)  You build your room above the clouds. You make the 
       clouds your chariot, and you ride on the wings of the wind.

       (Psa 104:4 NCV)  You make the winds your messengers, and flames of 
       fire are your servants.






       (Psa 104:5 NCV)  You built the earth on its foundations so it can 
       never be moved.

       (Psa 104:6 NCV)  You covered the earth with oceans; the water was 
       above the mountains.

       (Psa 104:7 NCV)  But at your command, the water rushed away. When you 
       thundered your orders, it hurried away.

       (Psa 104:8 NCV)  The mountains rose; the valleys sank. The water went 
       to the places you made for it.

       (Psa 104:9 NCV)  You set borders for the seas that they cannot cross, 
       so water will never cover the earth again.

       (Psa 104:10 NCV)  You make springs pour into the ravines; they flow 
       between the mountains.

       (Psa 104:11 NCV)  They water all the wild animals; the wild donkeys 
       come there to drink.

       (Psa 104:12 NCV)  Wild birds make nests by the water; they sing among 
       the tree branches.

       (Psa 104:13 NCV)  You water the mountains from above. The earth is 
       full of the things you made.

       (Psa 104:14 NCV)  You make the grass for cattle and vegetables for the 
       people. You make food grow from the earth.

       (Psa 104:15 NCV)  You give us wine that makes happy hearts and olive 
       oil that makes our faces shine. You give us bread that gives us 
       strength.

       (Psa 104:16 NCV)  The Lord's trees have plenty of water; they are the 
       cedars of Lebanon, which he planted.

       (Psa 104:17 NCV)  The birds make their nests there; the stork's home 
       is in the fir trees.

       (Psa 104:18 NCV)  The high mountains belong to the wild goats. The 
       rocks are hiding places for the badgers.

       (Psa 104:19 NCV)  You made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun 
       always knows when to set.

       (Psa 104:20 NCV)  You make it dark, and it becomes night. Then all the 
       wild animals creep around.

       (Psa 104:21 NCV)  The lions roar as they attack. They look to God for 
       food.

       (Psa 104:22 NCV)  When the sun rises, they leave and go back to their 
       dens to lie down.





       (Psa 104:23 NCV)  Then people go to work and work until evening.

       (Psa 104:24 NCV)  LORD, you have made many things; with your wisdom 
       you made them all. The earth is full of your riches.

       (Psa 104:25 NCV)  Look at the sea, so big and wide, with creatures 
       large and small that cannot be counted.

       (Psa 104:26 NCV)  Ships travel over the ocean, and there is the sea 
       monster Leviathan, which you made to play there.

       (Psa 104:27 NCV)  All these things depend on you to give them their 
       food at the right time.

       (Psa 104:28 NCV)  When you give it to them, they gather it up. When 
       you open your hand, they are filled with good food.

       (Psa 104:29 NCV)  When you turn away from them, they become 
       frightened. When you take away their breath, they die and turn to 
       dust.

       (Psa 104:30 NCV)  When you breathe on them, they are created, and you 
       make the land new again.

       (Psa 104:31 NCV)  May the glory of the LORD be forever. May the LORD 
       enjoy what he has made.

       (Psa 104:32 NCV)  He just looks at the earth, and it shakes. He 
       touches the mountains, and they smoke.

       (Psa 104:33 NCV)  I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing 
       praises to my God as long as I live.

       (Psa 104:34 NCV)  May my thoughts please him; I am happy in the LORD.

       (Psa 104:35 NCV)  Let sinners be destroyed from the earth, and let the 
       wicked live no longer. My whole being, praise the LORD. Praise the 
       LORD.

       (Psa 105:1 NCV)  Give thanks to the LORD and pray to him. Tell the 
       nations what he has done.

       (Psa 105:2 NCV)  Sing to him; sing praises to him. Tell about all his 
       miracles.

       (Psa 105:3 NCV)  Be glad that you are his; let those who seek the LORD 
       be happy.

       (Psa 105:4 NCV)  Depend on the LORD and his strength; always go to him 
       for help.

       (Psa 105:5 NCV)  Remember the miracles he has done; remember his 
       wonders and his decisions.

       (Psa 105:6 NCV)  You are descendants of his servant Abraham, the 
       children of Jacob, his chosen people.






       (Psa 105:7 NCV)  He is the LORD our God. His laws are for all the 
       world.

       (Psa 105:8 NCV)  He will keep his agreement forever; he will keep his 
       promises always.

       (Psa 105:9 NCV)  He will keep the agreement he made with Abraham and 
       the promise he made to Isaac.

       (Psa 105:10 NCV)  He made it a law for the people of Jacob; he made it 
       an agreement with Israel to last forever.

       (Psa 105:11 NCV)  The LORD said, "I will give you the land of Canaan, 
       and it will belong to you."

       (Psa 105:12 NCV)  Then God's people were few in number. They were 
       strangers in the land.

       (Psa 105:13 NCV)  They went from one nation to another, from one 
       kingdom to another.

       (Psa 105:14 NCV)  But the LORD did not let anyone hurt them; he warned 
       kings not to harm them.

       (Psa 105:15 NCV)  He said, "Don't touch my chosen people, and don't 
       harm my prophets."

       (Psa 105:16 NCV)  God ordered a time of hunger in the land, and he 
       destroyed all the food.

       (Psa 105:17 NCV)  Then he sent a man ahead of them-- Joseph, who was 
       sold as a slave.

       (Psa 105:18 NCV)  They put chains around his feet and an iron ring 
       around his neck.

       (Psa 105:19 NCV)  Then the time he had spoken of came, and the Lord's 
       words proved that Joseph was right.

       (Psa 105:20 NCV)  The king of Egypt sent for Joseph and freed him; the 
       ruler of the people set him free.

       (Psa 105:21 NCV)  He made him the master of his house; Joseph was in 
       charge of his riches.

       (Psa 105:22 NCV)  He could order the princes as he wished. He taught 
       the older men to be wise.

       (Psa 105:23 NCV)  Then his father Israel came to Egypt; Jacob lived in 
       Egypt.

       (Psa 105:24 NCV)  The LORD made his people grow in number, and he made 
       them stronger than their enemies.

       (Psa 105:25 NCV)  He caused the Egyptians to hate his people and to 





       make plans against his servants.

       (Psa 105:26 NCV)  Then he sent his servant Moses, and Aaron, whom he 
       had chosen.

       (Psa 105:27 NCV)  They did many signs among the Egyptians and worked 
       wonders in Egypt.

       (Psa 105:28 NCV)  The LORD sent darkness and made the land dark, but 
       the Egyptians turned against what he said.

       (Psa 105:29 NCV)  So he changed their water into blood and made their 
       fish die.

       (Psa 105:30 NCV)  Then their country was filled with frogs, even in 
       the bedrooms of their rulers.

       (Psa 105:31 NCV)  The LORD spoke and flies came, and gnats were 
       everywhere in the country.

       (Psa 105:32 NCV)  He made hail fall like rain and sent lightning 
       through their land.

       (Psa 105:33 NCV)  He struck down their grapevines and fig trees, and 
       he destroyed every tree in the country.

       (Psa 105:34 NCV)  He spoke and grasshoppers came; the locusts were too 
       many to count.

       (Psa 105:35 NCV)  They ate all the plants in the land and everything 
       the earth produced.

       (Psa 105:36 NCV)  The LORD also killed all the firstborn sons in the 
       land, the oldest son of each family.

       (Psa 105:37 NCV)  Then he brought his people out, and they carried 
       with them silver and gold. Not one of his people stumbled.

       (Psa 105:38 NCV)  The Egyptians were glad when they left, because the 
       Egyptians were afraid of them.

       (Psa 105:39 NCV)  The LORD covered them with a cloud and lit up the 
       night with fire.

       (Psa 105:40 NCV)  When they asked, he brought them quail and filled 
       them with bread from heaven.

       (Psa 105:41 NCV)  God split the rock, and water flowed out; it ran 
       like a river through the desert.

       (Psa 105:42 NCV)  He remembered his holy promise to his servant 
       Abraham.

       (Psa 105:43 NCV)  So God brought his people out with joy, his chosen 
       ones with singing.





       (Psa 105:44 NCV)  He gave them lands of other nations, so they 
       received what others had worked for.

       (Psa 105:45 NCV)  This was so they would keep his orders and obey his 
       teachings. Praise the LORD!

       (Psa 106:1 NCV)  Praise the LORD! Thank the LORD because he is good. 
       His love continues forever.

       (Psa 106:2 NCV)  No one can tell all the mighty things the LORD has 
       done; no one can speak all his praise.

       (Psa 106:3 NCV)  Happy are those who do right, who do what is fair at 
       all times.

       (Psa 106:4 NCV)  LORD, remember me when you are kind to your people; 
       help me when you save them.

       (Psa 106:5 NCV)  Let me see the good things you do for your chosen 
       people. Let me be happy along with your happy nation; let me join your 
       own people in praising you.

       (Psa 106:6 NCV)  We have sinned just as our ancestors did. We have 
       done wrong; we have done evil.

       (Psa 106:7 NCV)  Our ancestors in Egypt did not learn from your 
       miracles. They did not remember all your kindnesses, so they turned 
       against you at the Red Sea.

       (Psa 106:8 NCV)  But the LORD saved them for his own sake, to show his 
       great power.

       (Psa 106:9 NCV)  He commanded the Red Sea, and it dried up. He led 
       them through the deep sea as if it were a desert.

       (Psa 106:10 NCV)  He saved them from those who hated them. He saved 
       them from their enemies,

       (Psa 106:11 NCV)  and the water covered their foes. Not one of them 
       escaped.

       (Psa 106:12 NCV)  Then the people believed what the LORD said, and 
       they sang praises to him.

       (Psa 106:13 NCV)  But they quickly forgot what he had done; they did 
       not wait for his advice.

       (Psa 106:14 NCV)  They became greedy for food in the desert, and they 
       tested God there.

       (Psa 106:15 NCV)  So he gave them what they wanted, but he also sent a 
       terrible disease among them.

       (Psa 106:16 NCV)  The people in the camp were jealous of Moses and of 
       Aaron, the holy priest of the LORD.





       (Psa 106:17 NCV)  Then the ground opened up and swallowed Dathan and 
       closed over Abiram's group.

       (Psa 106:18 NCV)  A fire burned among their followers, and flames 
       burned up the wicked.

       (Psa 106:19 NCV)  The people made a gold calf at Mount Sinai and 
       worshiped a metal statue.

       (Psa 106:20 NCV)  They exchanged their glorious God for a statue of a 
       bull that eats grass.

       (Psa 106:21 NCV)  They forgot the God who saved them, who had done 
       great things in Egypt,

       (Psa 106:22 NCV)  who had done miracles in Egypt and amazing things by 
       the Red Sea.

       (Psa 106:23 NCV)  So God said he would destroy them. But Moses, his 
       chosen one, stood before him and stopped God's anger from destroying 
       them.

       (Psa 106:24 NCV)  Then they refused to go into the beautiful land of 
       Canaan; they did not believe what God promised.

       (Psa 106:25 NCV)  They grumbled in their tents and did not obey the 
       LORD.

       (Psa 106:26 NCV)  So he swore to them that they would die in the 
       desert.

       (Psa 106:27 NCV)  He said their children would be killed by other 
       nations and that they would be scattered among other countries.

       (Psa 106:28 NCV)  They joined in worshiping Baal at Peor and ate meat 
       that had been sacrificed to lifeless statues.

       (Psa 106:29 NCV)  They made the LORD angry by what they did, so many 
       people became sick with a terrible disease.

       (Psa 106:30 NCV)  But Phinehas prayed to the LORD, and the disease 
       stopped.

       (Psa 106:31 NCV)  Phinehas did what was right, and it will be 
       remembered from now on.

       (Psa 106:32 NCV)  The people also made the LORD angry at Meribah, and 
       Moses was in trouble because of them.

       (Psa 106:33 NCV)  The people turned against the Spirit of God, so 
       Moses spoke without stopping to think.

       (Psa 106:34 NCV)  The people did not destroy the other nations as the 
       LORD had told them to do.

       (Psa 106:35 NCV)  Instead, they mixed with the other nations and 





       learned their customs.

       (Psa 106:36 NCV)  They worshiped other nations' idols and were trapped 
       by them.

       (Psa 106:37 NCV)  They even killed their sons and daughters as 
       sacrifices to demons.

       (Psa 106:38 NCV)  They killed innocent people, their own sons and 
       daughters, as sacrifices to the idols of Canaan. So the land was made 
       unholy by their blood.

       (Psa 106:39 NCV)  The people became unholy by their sins; they were 
       unfaithful to God in what they did.

       (Psa 106:40 NCV)  So the LORD became angry with his people and hated 
       his own children.

       (Psa 106:41 NCV)  He handed them over to other nations and let their 
       enemies rule over them.

       (Psa 106:42 NCV)  Their enemies were cruel to them and kept them under 
       their power.

       (Psa 106:43 NCV)  The LORD saved his people many times, but they 
       continued to turn against him. So they became even more wicked.

       (Psa 106:44 NCV)  But God saw their misery when he heard their cry.

       (Psa 106:45 NCV)  He remembered his agreement with them, and he felt 
       sorry for them because of his great love.

       (Psa 106:46 NCV)  He caused them to be pitied by those who held them 
       captive.

       (Psa 106:47 NCV)  LORD our God, save us and bring us back from other 
       nations. Then we will thank you and will gladly praise you.

       (Psa 106:48 NCV)  Praise the LORD, the God of Israel. He always was 
       and always will be. Let all the people say, "Amen!" Praise the LORD!

       (Psa 107:1 NCV)  Thank the LORD because he is good. His love continues 
       forever.

       (Psa 107:2 NCV)  That is what those whom the LORD has saved should 
       say. He has saved them from the enemy

       (Psa 107:3 NCV)  and has gathered them from other lands, from east and 
       west, north and south.

       (Psa 107:4 NCV)  Some people had wandered in the desert lands. They 
       found no city in which to live.

       (Psa 107:5 NCV)  They were hungry and thirsty, and they were 
       discouraged.





       (Psa 107:6 NCV)  In their misery they cried out to the LORD, and he 
       saved them from their troubles.

       (Psa 107:7 NCV)  He led them on a straight road to a city where they 
       could live.

       (Psa 107:8 NCV)  Let them give thanks to the LORD for his love and for 
       the miracles he does for people.

       (Psa 107:9 NCV)  He satisfies the thirsty and fills up the hungry.

       (Psa 107:10 NCV)  Some sat in gloom and darkness; they were prisoners 
       suffering in chains.

       (Psa 107:11 NCV)  They had turned against the words of God and had 
       refused the advice of God Most High.

       (Psa 107:12 NCV)  So he broke their pride by hard work. They stumbled, 
       and no one helped.

       (Psa 107:13 NCV)  In their misery they cried out to the LORD, and he 
       saved them from their troubles.

       (Psa 107:14 NCV)  He brought them out of their gloom and darkness and 
       broke their chains.

       (Psa 107:15 NCV)  Let them give thanks to the LORD for his love and 
       for the miracles he does for people.

       (Psa 107:16 NCV)  He breaks down bronze gates and cuts apart iron 
       bars.

       (Psa 107:17 NCV)  Some fools turned against God and suffered for the 
       evil they did.

       (Psa 107:18 NCV)  They refused to eat anything, so they almost died.

       (Psa 107:19 NCV)  In their misery they cried out to the LORD, and he 
       saved them from their troubles.

       (Psa 107:20 NCV)  God gave the command and healed them, so they were 
       saved from dying.

       (Psa 107:21 NCV)  Let them give thanks to the LORD for his love and 
       for the miracles he does for people.

       (Psa 107:22 NCV)  Let them offer sacrifices to thank him. With joy 
       they should tell what he has done.

       (Psa 107:23 NCV)  Others went out to sea in ships and did business on 
       the great oceans.

       (Psa 107:24 NCV)  They saw what the LORD could do, the miracles he did 
       in the deep oceans.

       (Psa 107:25 NCV)  He spoke, and a storm came up, which blew up high 





       waves.

       (Psa 107:26 NCV)  The ships were tossed as high as the sky and fell 
       low to the depths. The storm was so bad that they lost their courage.

       (Psa 107:27 NCV)  They stumbled and fell like people who were drunk. 
       They did not know what to do.

       (Psa 107:28 NCV)  In their misery they cried out to the LORD, and he 
       saved them from their troubles.

       (Psa 107:29 NCV)  He stilled the storm and calmed the waves.

       (Psa 107:30 NCV)  They were happy that it was quiet, and God guided 
       them to the port they wanted.

       (Psa 107:31 NCV)  Let them give thanks to the LORD for his love and 
       for the miracles he does for people.

       (Psa 107:32 NCV)  Let them praise his greatness in the meeting of the 
       people; let them praise him in the meeting of the older leaders.

       (Psa 107:33 NCV)  He changed rivers into a desert and springs of water 
       into dry ground.

       (Psa 107:34 NCV)  He made fertile land salty, because the people there 
       did evil.

       (Psa 107:35 NCV)  He changed the desert into pools of water and dry 
       ground into springs of water.

       (Psa 107:36 NCV)  He had the hungry settle there so they could build a 
       city in which to live.

       (Psa 107:37 NCV)  They planted seeds in the fields and vineyards, and 
       they had a good harvest.

       (Psa 107:38 NCV)  God blessed them, and they grew in number. Their 
       cattle did not become fewer.

       (Psa 107:39 NCV)  Because of disaster, troubles, and sadness, their 
       families grew smaller and weaker.

       (Psa 107:40 NCV)  He showed he was displeased with their leaders and 
       made them wander in a pathless desert.

       (Psa 107:41 NCV)  But he lifted the poor out of their suffering and 
       made their families grow like flocks of sheep.

       (Psa 107:42 NCV)  Good people see this and are happy, but the wicked 
       say nothing.

       (Psa 107:43 NCV)  Whoever is wise will remember these things and will 
       think about the love of the LORD.

       (Psa 108:1 NCV)  God, my heart is steady. I will sing and praise you 





       with all my being.

       (Psa 108:2 NCV)  Wake up, harp and lyre! I will wake up the dawn.

       (Psa 108:3 NCV)  LORD, I will praise you among the nations; I will 
       sing songs of praise about you to all the nations.

       (Psa 108:4 NCV)  Your great love reaches to the skies, your truth to 
       the heavens.

       (Psa 108:5 NCV)  God, you are supreme above the skies. Let your glory 
       be over all the earth.

       (Psa 108:6 NCV)  Answer us and save us by your power so the people you 
       love will be rescued.

       (Psa 108:7 NCV)  God has said from his Temple, "When I win, I will 
       divide Shechem and measure off the Valley of Succoth.

       (Psa 108:8 NCV)  Gilead and Manasseh are mine. Ephraim is like my 
       helmet. Judah holds my royal scepter.

       (Psa 108:9 NCV)  Moab is like my washbowl. I throw my sandals at Edom. 
       I shout at Philistia."

       (Psa 108:10 NCV)  Who will bring me to the strong, walled city? Who 
       will lead me to Edom?

       (Psa 108:11 NCV)  God, surely you have rejected us; you do not go out 
       with our armies.

       (Psa 108:12 NCV)  Help us fight the enemy. Human help is useless,

       (Psa 108:13 NCV)  but we can win with God's help. He will defeat our 
       enemies.

       (Psa 109:1 NCV)  God, I praise you. Do not be silent.

       (Psa 109:2 NCV)  Wicked people and liars have spoken against me; they 
       have told lies about me.

       (Psa 109:3 NCV)  They have said hateful things about me and attack me 
       for no reason.

       (Psa 109:4 NCV)  They attacked me, even though I loved them and prayed 
       for them.

       (Psa 109:5 NCV)  I was good to them, but they repay me with evil. I 
       loved them, but they hate me in return.

       (Psa 109:6 NCV)  They say about me, "Have an evil person work against 
       him, and let an accuser stand against him.

       (Psa 109:7 NCV)  When he is judged, let him be found guilty, and let 
       even his prayers show his guilt.





       (Psa 109:8 NCV)  Let his life be cut short, and let another man 
       replace him as leader.

       (Psa 109:9 NCV)  Let his children become orphans and his wife a widow.

       (Psa 109:10 NCV)  Make his children wander around, begging for food. 
       Let them be forced out of the ruins in which they live.

       (Psa 109:11 NCV)  Let the people to whom he owes money take everything 
       he owns, and let strangers steal everything he has worked for.

       (Psa 109:12 NCV)  Let no one show him love or have mercy on his 
       orphaned children.

       (Psa 109:13 NCV)  Let all his descendants die and be forgotten by 
       those who live after him.

       (Psa 109:14 NCV)  LORD, remember how wicked his ancestors were, and 
       don't let the sins of his mother be wiped out.

       (Psa 109:15 NCV)  LORD, always remember their sins. Then make people 
       forget about them completely.

       (Psa 109:16 NCV)  "He did not remember to be loving. He hurt the poor, 
       the needy, and those who were sad until they were nearly dead.

       (Psa 109:17 NCV)  He loved to put curses on others, so let those same 
       curses fall on him. He did not like to bless others, so do not let 
       good things happen to him.

       (Psa 109:18 NCV)  He cursed others as often as he wore clothes. 
       Cursing others filled his body and his life, like drinking water and 
       using olive oil.

       (Psa 109:19 NCV)  So let curses cover him like clothes and wrap around 
       him like a belt."

       (Psa 109:20 NCV)  May the LORD do these things to those who accuse me, 
       to those who speak evil against me.

       (Psa 109:21 NCV)  But you, Lord GOD, be kind to me so others will know 
       you are good. Because your love is good, save me.

       (Psa 109:22 NCV)  I am poor and helpless and very sad.

       (Psa 109:23 NCV)  I am dying like an evening shadow; I am shaken off 
       like a locust.

       (Psa 109:24 NCV)  My knees are weak from hunger, and I have grown 
       thin.

       (Psa 109:25 NCV)  My enemies insult me; they look at me and shake 
       their heads.

       (Psa 109:26 NCV)  LORD my God, help me; because you are loving, save 
       me.






       (Psa 109:27 NCV)  Then they will know that your power has done this; 
       they will know that you have done it, LORD.

       (Psa 109:28 NCV)  They may curse me, but you bless me. They may attack 
       me, but they will be disgraced. Then I, your servant, will be glad.

       (Psa 109:29 NCV)  Let those who accuse me be disgraced and covered 
       with shame like a coat.

       (Psa 109:30 NCV)  I will thank the LORD very much; I will praise him 
       in front of many people.

       (Psa 109:31 NCV)  He defends the helpless and saves them from those 
       who accuse them.

       (Psa 110:1 NCV)  The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit by me at my right side 
       until I put your enemies under your control."

       (Psa 110:2 NCV)  The LORD will enlarge your kingdom beyond Jerusalem, 
       and you will rule over your enemies.

       (Psa 110:3 NCV)  Your people will join you on your day of battle. You 
       have been dressed in holiness from birth; you have the freshness of a 
       child.

       (Psa 110:4 NCV)  The LORD has made a promise and will not change his 
       mind. He said, "You are a priest forever, a priest like Melchizedek."

       (Psa 110:5 NCV)  The Lord is beside you to help you. When he becomes 
       angry, he will crush kings.

       (Psa 110:6 NCV)  He will judge those nations, filling them with dead 
       bodies; he will defeat rulers all over the world.

       (Psa 110:7 NCV)  The king will drink from the brook on the way. Then 
       he will be strengthened.

       (Psa 111:1 NCV)  Praise the LORD! I will thank the LORD with all my 
       heart in the meeting of his good people.

       (Psa 111:2 NCV)  The LORD does great things; those who enjoy them seek 
       them.

       (Psa 111:3 NCV)  What he does is glorious and splendid, and his 
       goodness continues forever.

       (Psa 111:4 NCV)  His miracles are unforgettable. The LORD is kind and 
       merciful.

       (Psa 111:5 NCV)  He gives food to those who fear him. He remembers his 
       agreement forever.

       (Psa 111:6 NCV)  He has shown his people his power when he gave them 
       the lands of other nations.





       (Psa 111:7 NCV)  Everything he does is good and fair; all his orders 
       can be trusted.

       (Psa 111:8 NCV)  They will continue forever. They were made true and 
       right.

       (Psa 111:9 NCV)  He sets his people free. He made his agreement 
       everlasting. He is holy and wonderful.

       (Psa 111:10 NCV)  Wisdom begins with respect for the LORD; those who 
       obey his orders have good understanding. He should be praised forever.

       (Psa 112:1 NCV)  Praise the LORD! Happy are those who respect the 
       LORD, who want what he commands.

       (Psa 112:2 NCV)  Their descendants will be powerful in the land; the 
       children of honest people will be blessed.

       (Psa 112:3 NCV)  Their houses will be full of wealth and riches, and 
       their goodness will continue forever.

       (Psa 112:4 NCV)  A light shines in the dark for honest people, for 
       those who are merciful and kind and good.

       (Psa 112:5 NCV)  It is good to be merciful and generous. Those who are 
       fair in their business

       (Psa 112:6 NCV)  will never be defeated. Good people will always be 
       remembered.

       (Psa 112:7 NCV)  They won't be afraid of bad news; their hearts are 
       steady because they trust the LORD.

       (Psa 112:8 NCV)  They are confident and will not be afraid; they will 
       look down on their enemies.

       (Psa 112:9 NCV)  They give freely to the poor. The things they do are 
       right and will continue forever. They will be given great honor.

       (Psa 112:10 NCV)  The wicked will see this and become angry; they will 
       grind their teeth in anger and then disappear. The wishes of the 
       wicked will come to nothing.

       (Psa 113:1 NCV)  Praise the LORD! Praise him, you servants of the 
       LORD; praise the name of the LORD.

       (Psa 113:2 NCV)  The Lord's name should be praised now and forever.

       (Psa 113:3 NCV)  The Lord's name should be praised from where the sun 
       rises to where it sets.

       (Psa 113:4 NCV)  The LORD is supreme over all the nations; his glory 
       reaches to the skies.

       (Psa 113:5 NCV)  No one is like the LORD our God, who rules from 
       heaven,






       (Psa 113:6 NCV)  who bends down to look at the skies and the earth.

       (Psa 113:7 NCV)  The LORD lifts the poor from the dirt and takes the 
       helpless from the ashes.

       (Psa 113:8 NCV)  He seats them with princes, the princes of his 
       people.

       (Psa 113:9 NCV)  He gives children to the woman who has none and makes 
       her a happy mother. Praise the LORD!

       (Psa 114:1 NCV)  When the Israelites went out of Egypt, the people of 
       Jacob left that foreign country.

       (Psa 114:2 NCV)  Then Judah became God's holy place; Israel became the 
       land he ruled.

       (Psa 114:3 NCV)  The Red Sea looked and ran away; the Jordan River 
       turned back.

       (Psa 114:4 NCV)  The mountains danced like sheep and the hills like 
       little lambs.

       (Psa 114:5 NCV)  Sea, why did you run away? Jordan, why did you turn 
       back?

       (Psa 114:6 NCV)  Mountains, why did you dance like sheep? Hills, why 
       did you dance like little lambs?

       (Psa 114:7 NCV)  Earth, shake with fear before the Lord, before the 
       God of Jacob.

       (Psa 114:8 NCV)  He turned a rock into a pool of water, a hard rock 
       into a spring of water.

       (Psa 115:1 NCV)  It does not belong to us, LORD. The glory belongs to 
       you because of your love and loyalty.

       (Psa 115:2 NCV)  Why do the nations ask, "Where is their God?"

       (Psa 115:3 NCV)  Our God is in heaven. He does what he pleases.

       (Psa 115:4 NCV)  Their idols are made of silver and gold, the work of 
       human hands.

       (Psa 115:5 NCV)  They have mouths, but they cannot speak. They have 
       eyes, but they cannot see.

       (Psa 115:6 NCV)  They have ears, but they cannot hear. They have 
       noses, but they cannot smell.

       (Psa 115:7 NCV)  They have hands, but they cannot feel. They have 
       feet, but they cannot walk. No sounds come from their throats.

       (Psa 115:8 NCV)  People who make idols will be like them, and so will 





       those who trust them.

       (Psa 115:9 NCV)  Family of Israel, trust the LORD; he is your helper 
       and your protection.

       (Psa 115:10 NCV)  Family of Aaron, trust the LORD; he is your helper 
       and your protection.

       (Psa 115:11 NCV)  You who respect the LORD should trust him; he is 
       your helper and your protection.

       (Psa 115:12 NCV)  The LORD remembers us and will bless us. He will 
       bless the family of Israel; he will bless the family of Aaron.

       (Psa 115:13 NCV)  The LORD will bless those who respect him, from the 
       smallest to the greatest.

       (Psa 115:14 NCV)  May the LORD give you success, and may he give you 
       and your children success.

       (Psa 115:15 NCV)  May you be blessed by the LORD, who made heaven and 
       earth.

       (Psa 115:16 NCV)  Heaven belongs to the LORD, but he gave the earth to 
       people.

       (Psa 115:17 NCV)  Dead people do not praise the LORD; those in the 
       grave are silent.

       (Psa 115:18 NCV)  But we will praise the LORD now and forever. Praise 
       the LORD!

       (Psa 116:1 NCV)  I love the LORD, because he listens to my prayers for 
       help.

       (Psa 116:2 NCV)  He paid attention to me, so I will call to him for 
       help as long as I live.

       (Psa 116:3 NCV)  The ropes of death bound me, and the fear of the 
       grave took hold of me. I was troubled and sad.

       (Psa 116:4 NCV)  Then I called out the name of the LORD. I said, 
       "Please, LORD, save me!"

       (Psa 116:5 NCV)  The LORD is kind and does what is right; our God is 
       merciful.

       (Psa 116:6 NCV)  The LORD watches over the foolish; when I was 
       helpless, he saved me.

       (Psa 116:7 NCV)  I said to myself, "Relax, because the LORD takes care 
       of you."

       (Psa 116:8 NCV)  LORD, you saved me from death. You stopped my eyes 
       from crying; you kept me from being defeated.





       (Psa 116:9 NCV)  So I will walk with the LORD in the land of the 
       living.

       (Psa 116:10 NCV)  I believed, so I said, "I am completely ruined."

       (Psa 116:11 NCV)  In my distress I said, "All people are liars."

       (Psa 116:12 NCV)  What can I give the LORD for all the good things he 
       has given to me?

       (Psa 116:13 NCV)  I will lift up the cup of salvation, and I will pray 
       to the LORD.

       (Psa 116:14 NCV)  I will give the LORD what I promised in front of all 
       his people.

       (Psa 116:15 NCV)  The death of one that belongs to the LORD is 
       precious in his sight.

       (Psa 116:16 NCV)  LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant and the 
       son of your female servant. You have freed me from my chains.

       (Psa 116:17 NCV)  I will give you an offering to show thanks to you, 
       and I will pray to the LORD.

       (Psa 116:18 NCV)  I will give the LORD what I promised in front of all 
       his people,

       (Psa 116:19 NCV)  in the Temple courtyards in Jerusalem. Praise the 
       LORD!

       (Psa 117:1 NCV)  All you nations, praise the LORD. All you people, 
       praise him

       (Psa 117:2 NCV)  because the LORD loves us very much, and his truth is 
       everlasting. Praise the LORD!

       (Psa 118:1 NCV)  Thank the LORD because he is good. His love continues 
       forever.

       (Psa 118:2 NCV)  Let the people of Israel say, "His love continues 
       forever."

       (Psa 118:3 NCV)  Let the family of Aaron say, "His love continues 
       forever."

       (Psa 118:4 NCV)  Let those who respect the LORD say, "His love 
       continues forever."

       (Psa 118:5 NCV)  I was in trouble, so I called to the LORD. The LORD 
       answered me and set me free.

       (Psa 118:6 NCV)  I will not be afraid, because the LORD is with me. 
       People can't do anything to me.

       (Psa 118:7 NCV)  The LORD is with me to help me, so I will see my 





       enemies defeated.

       (Psa 118:8 NCV)  It is better to trust the LORD than to trust people.

       (Psa 118:9 NCV)  It is better to trust the LORD than to trust princes.

       (Psa 118:10 NCV)  All the nations surrounded me, but I defeated them 
       in the name of the LORD.

       (Psa 118:11 NCV)  They surrounded me on every side, but with the 
       Lord's power I defeated them.

       (Psa 118:12 NCV)  They surrounded me like a swarm of bees, but they 
       died as quickly as thorns burn. By the Lord's power, I defeated them.

       (Psa 118:13 NCV)  They chased me until I was almost defeated, but the 
       LORD helped me.

       (Psa 118:14 NCV)  The LORD gives me strength and a song. He has saved 
       me.

       (Psa 118:15 NCV)  Shouts of joy and victory come from the tents of 
       those who do right: "The LORD has done powerful things."

       (Psa 118:16 NCV)  The power of the LORD has won the victory; with his 
       power the LORD has done mighty things.

       (Psa 118:17 NCV)  I will not die, but live, and I will tell what the 
       LORD has done.

       (Psa 118:18 NCV)  The LORD has taught me a hard lesson, but he did not 
       let me die.

       (Psa 118:19 NCV)  Open for me the Temple gates. Then I will come in 
       and thank the LORD.

       (Psa 118:20 NCV)  This is the Lord's gate; only those who are good may 
       enter through it.

       (Psa 118:21 NCV)  LORD, I thank you for answering me. You have saved 
       me.

       (Psa 118:22 NCV)  The stone that the builders rejected became the 
       cornerstone.

       (Psa 118:23 NCV)  The LORD did this, and it is wonderful to us.

       (Psa 118:24 NCV)  This is the day that the LORD has made. Let us 
       rejoice and be glad today!

       (Psa 118:25 NCV)  Please, LORD, save us; please, LORD, give us 
       success.

       (Psa 118:26 NCV)  God bless the one who comes in the name of the LORD. 
       We bless all of you from the Temple of the LORD.





       (Psa 118:27 NCV)  The LORD is God, and he has shown kindness to us. 
       With branches in your hands, join the feast. Come to the corners of 
       the altar.

       (Psa 118:28 NCV)  You are my God, and I will thank you; you are my 
       God, and I will praise your greatness.

       (Psa 118:29 NCV)  Thank the LORD because he is good. His love 
       continues forever.

       (Psa 119:1 NCV)  Happy are those who live pure lives, who follow the 
       Lord's teachings.

       (Psa 119:2 NCV)  Happy are those who keep his rules, who try to obey 
       him with their whole heart.

       (Psa 119:3 NCV)  They don't do what is wrong; they follow his ways.

       (Psa 119:4 NCV)  LORD, you gave your orders to be obeyed completely.

       (Psa 119:5 NCV)  I wish I were more loyal in obeying your demands.

       (Psa 119:6 NCV)  Then I would not be ashamed when I study your 
       commands.

       (Psa 119:7 NCV)  When I learned that your laws are fair, I praised you 
       with an honest heart.

       (Psa 119:8 NCV)  I will obey your demands, so please don't ever leave 
       me.

       (Psa 119:9 NCV)  How can a young person live a pure life? By obeying 
       your word.

       (Psa 119:10 NCV)  With all my heart I try to obey you. Don't let me 
       break your commands.

       (Psa 119:11 NCV)  I have taken your words to heart so I would not sin 
       against you.

       (Psa 119:12 NCV)  LORD, you should be praised. Teach me your demands.

       (Psa 119:13 NCV)  My lips will tell about all the laws you have 
       spoken.

       (Psa 119:14 NCV)  I enjoy living by your rules as people enjoy great 
       riches.

       (Psa 119:15 NCV)  I think about your orders and study your ways.

       (Psa 119:16 NCV)  I enjoy obeying your demands, and I will not forget 
       your word.

       (Psa 119:17 NCV)  Do good to me, your servant, so I can live, so I can 
       obey your word.





       (Psa 119:18 NCV)  Open my eyes to see the miracles in your teachings.

       (Psa 119:19 NCV)  I am a stranger on earth. Do not hide your commands 
       from me.

       (Psa 119:20 NCV)  I wear myself out with desire for your laws all the 
       time.

       (Psa 119:21 NCV)  You scold proud people; those who ignore your 
       commands are cursed.

       (Psa 119:22 NCV)  Don't let me be insulted and hated because I keep 
       your rules.

       (Psa 119:23 NCV)  Even if princes speak against me, I, your servant, 
       will think about your demands.

       (Psa 119:24 NCV)  Your rules give me pleasure; they give me good 
       advice.

       (Psa 119:25 NCV)  I am about to die. Give me life, as you have 
       promised.

       (Psa 119:26 NCV)  I told you about my life, and you answered me. Teach 
       me your demands.

       (Psa 119:27 NCV)  Help me understand your orders. Then I will think 
       about your miracles.

       (Psa 119:28 NCV)  I am sad and tired. Make me strong again as you have 
       promised.

       (Psa 119:29 NCV)  Don't let me be dishonest; have mercy on me by 
       helping me obey your teachings.

       (Psa 119:30 NCV)  I have chosen the way of truth; I have obeyed your 
       laws.

       (Psa 119:31 NCV)  I hold on to your rules. LORD, do not let me be 
       disgraced.

       (Psa 119:32 NCV)  I will quickly obey your commands, because you have 
       made me happy.

       (Psa 119:33 NCV)  LORD, teach me your demands, and I will keep them 
       until the end.

       (Psa 119:34 NCV)  Help me understand, so I can keep your teachings, 
       obeying them with all my heart.

       (Psa 119:35 NCV)  Lead me in the path of your commands, because that 
       makes me happy.

       (Psa 119:36 NCV)  Make me want to keep your rules instead of wishing 
       for riches.





       (Psa 119:37 NCV)  Keep me from looking at worthless things. Let me 
       live by your word.

       (Psa 119:38 NCV)  Keep your promise to me, your servant, so you will 
       be respected.

       (Psa 119:39 NCV)  Take away the shame I fear, because your laws are 
       good.

       (Psa 119:40 NCV)  How I want to follow your orders. Give me life 
       because of your goodness.

       (Psa 119:41 NCV)  LORD, show me your love, and save me as you have 
       promised.

       (Psa 119:42 NCV)  I have an answer for people who insult me, because I 
       trust what you say.

       (Psa 119:43 NCV)  Never keep me from speaking your truth, because I 
       depend on your fair laws.

       (Psa 119:44 NCV)  I will obey your teachings forever and ever.

       (Psa 119:45 NCV)  So I will live in freedom, because I want to follow 
       your orders.

       (Psa 119:46 NCV)  I will discuss your rules with kings and will not be 
       ashamed.

       (Psa 119:47 NCV)  I enjoy obeying your commands, which I love.

       (Psa 119:48 NCV)  I praise your commands, which I love, and I think 
       about your demands.

       (Psa 119:49 NCV)  Remember your promise to me, your servant; it gives 
       me hope.

       (Psa 119:50 NCV)  When I suffer, this comforts me: Your promise gives 
       me life.

       (Psa 119:51 NCV)  Proud people always make fun of me, but I do not 
       reject your teachings.

       (Psa 119:52 NCV)  I remember your laws from long ago, and they comfort 
       me, LORD.

       (Psa 119:53 NCV)  I become angry with wicked people who do not keep 
       your teachings.

       (Psa 119:54 NCV)  I sing about your demands wherever I live.

       (Psa 119:55 NCV)  LORD, I remember you at night, and I will obey your 
       teachings.

       (Psa 119:56 NCV)  This is what I do: I follow your orders.





       (Psa 119:57 NCV)  LORD, you are my share in life; I have promised to 
       obey your words.

       (Psa 119:58 NCV)  I prayed to you with all my heart. Have mercy on me 
       as you have promised.

       (Psa 119:59 NCV)  I thought about my life, and I decided to follow 
       your rules.

       (Psa 119:60 NCV)  I hurried and did not wait to obey your commands.

       (Psa 119:61 NCV)  Wicked people have tied me up, but I have not 
       forgotten your teachings.

       (Psa 119:62 NCV)  In the middle of the night, I get up to thank you 
       because your laws are right.

       (Psa 119:63 NCV)  I am a friend to everyone who fears you, to anyone 
       who obeys your orders.

       (Psa 119:64 NCV)  LORD, your love fills the earth. Teach me your 
       demands.

       (Psa 119:65 NCV)  You have done good things for your servant, as you 
       have promised, LORD.

       (Psa 119:66 NCV)  Teach me wisdom and knowledge because I trust your 
       commands.

       (Psa 119:67 NCV)  Before I suffered, I did wrong, but now I obey your 
       word.

       (Psa 119:68 NCV)  You are good, and you do what is good. Teach me your 
       demands.

       (Psa 119:69 NCV)  Proud people have made up lies about me, but I will 
       follow your orders with all my heart.

       (Psa 119:70 NCV)  Those people have no feelings, but I love your 
       teachings.

       (Psa 119:71 NCV)  It was good for me to suffer so I would learn your 
       demands.

       (Psa 119:72 NCV)  Your teachings are worth more to me than thousands 
       of pieces of gold and silver.

       (Psa 119:73 NCV)  You made me and formed me with your hands. Give me 
       understanding so I can learn your commands.

       (Psa 119:74 NCV)  Let those who respect you rejoice when they see me, 
       because I put my hope in your word.

       (Psa 119:75 NCV)  LORD, I know that your laws are right and that it 
       was right for you to punish me.





       (Psa 119:76 NCV)  Comfort me with your love, as you promised me, your 
       servant.

       (Psa 119:77 NCV)  Have mercy on me so that I may live. I love your 
       teachings.

       (Psa 119:78 NCV)  Make proud people ashamed because they lied about 
       me. But I will think about your orders.

       (Psa 119:79 NCV)  Let those who respect you return to me, those who 
       know your rules.

       (Psa 119:80 NCV)  Let me obey your demands perfectly so I will not be 
       ashamed.

       (Psa 119:81 NCV)  I am weak from waiting for you to save me, but I 
       hope in your word.

       (Psa 119:82 NCV)  My eyes are tired from looking for your promise. 
       When will you comfort me?

       (Psa 119:83 NCV)  Even though I am like a wine bag going up in smoke, 
       I do not forget your demands.

       (Psa 119:84 NCV)  How long will I live? When will you judge those who 
       are hurting me?

       (Psa 119:85 NCV)  Proud people have dug pits to trap me. They have 
       nothing to do with your teachings.

       (Psa 119:86 NCV)  All of your commands can be trusted. Liars are 
       hurting me. Help me!

       (Psa 119:87 NCV)  They have almost put me in the grave, but I have not 
       rejected your orders.

       (Psa 119:88 NCV)  Give me life by your love so I can obey your rules.

       (Psa 119:89 NCV)  LORD, your word is everlasting; it continues forever 
       in heaven.

       (Psa 119:90 NCV)  Your loyalty will go on and on; you made the earth, 
       and it still stands.

       (Psa 119:91 NCV)  All things continue to this day because of your 
       laws, because all things serve you.

       (Psa 119:92 NCV)  If I had not loved your teachings, I would have died 
       from my sufferings.

       (Psa 119:93 NCV)  I will never forget your orders, because you have 
       given me life by them.

       (Psa 119:94 NCV)  I am yours. Save me. I want to obey your orders.

       (Psa 119:95 NCV)  Wicked people are waiting to destroy me, but I will 





       think about your rules.

       (Psa 119:96 NCV)  Everything I see has its limits, but your commands 
       have none.

       (Psa 119:97 NCV)  How I love your teachings! I think about them all 
       day long.

       (Psa 119:98 NCV)  Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, because 
       they are mine forever.

       (Psa 119:99 NCV)  I am wiser than all my teachers, because I think 
       about your rules.

       (Psa 119:100 NCV)  I have more understanding than the older leaders, 
       because I follow your orders.

       (Psa 119:101 NCV)  I have avoided every evil way so I could obey your 
       word.

       (Psa 119:102 NCV)  I haven't walked away from your laws, because you 
       yourself are my teacher.

       (Psa 119:103 NCV)  Your promises are sweet to me, sweeter than honey 
       in my mouth!

       (Psa 119:104 NCV)  Your orders give me understanding, so I hate lying 
       ways.

       (Psa 119:105 NCV)  Your word is like a lamp for my feet and a light 
       for my path.

       (Psa 119:106 NCV)  I will do what I have promised and obey your fair 
       laws.

       (Psa 119:107 NCV)  I have suffered for a long time. LORD, give me life 
       by your word.

       (Psa 119:108 NCV)  LORD, accept my willing praise and teach me your 
       laws.

       (Psa 119:109 NCV)  My life is always in danger, but I haven't 
       forgotten your teachings.

       (Psa 119:110 NCV)  Wicked people have set a trap for me, but I haven't 
       strayed from your orders.

       (Psa 119:111 NCV)  I will follow your rules forever, because they make 
       me happy.

       (Psa 119:112 NCV)  I will try to do what you demand forever, until the 
       end.

       (Psa 119:113 NCV)  I hate disloyal people, but I love your teachings.

       (Psa 119:114 NCV)  You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in 





       your word.

       (Psa 119:115 NCV)  Get away from me, you who do evil, so I can keep my 
       God's commands.

       (Psa 119:116 NCV)  Support me as you promised so I can live. Don't let 
       me be embarrassed because of my hopes.

       (Psa 119:117 NCV)  Help me, and I will be saved. I will always respect 
       your demands.

       (Psa 119:118 NCV)  You reject those who ignore your demands, because 
       their lies mislead them.

       (Psa 119:119 NCV)  You throw away the wicked of the world like trash. 
       So I will love your rules.

       (Psa 119:120 NCV)  I shake in fear of you; I respect your laws.

       (Psa 119:121 NCV)  I have done what is fair and right. Don't leave me 
       to those who wrong me.

       (Psa 119:122 NCV)  Promise that you will help me, your servant. Don't 
       let proud people wrong me.

       (Psa 119:123 NCV)  My eyes are tired from looking for your salvation 
       and for your good promise.

       (Psa 119:124 NCV)  Show your love to me, your servant, and teach me 
       your demands.

       (Psa 119:125 NCV)  I am your servant. Give me wisdom so I can 
       understand your rules.

       (Psa 119:126 NCV)  LORD, it is time for you to do something, because 
       people have disobeyed your teachings.

       (Psa 119:127 NCV)  I love your commands more than the purest gold.

       (Psa 119:128 NCV)  I respect all your orders, so I hate lying ways.

       (Psa 119:129 NCV)  Your rules are wonderful. That is why I keep them.

       (Psa 119:130 NCV)  Learning your words gives wisdom and understanding 
       for the foolish.

       (Psa 119:131 NCV)  I am nearly out of breath. I really want to learn 
       your commands.

       (Psa 119:132 NCV)  Look at me and have mercy on me as you do for those 
       who love you.

       (Psa 119:133 NCV)  Guide my steps as you promised; don't let any sin 
       control me.

       (Psa 119:134 NCV)  Save me from harmful people so I can obey your 





       orders.

       (Psa 119:135 NCV)  Show your kindness to me, your servant. Teach me 
       your demands.

       (Psa 119:136 NCV)  Tears stream from my eyes, because people do not 
       obey your teachings.

       (Psa 119:137 NCV)  LORD, you do what is right, and your laws are fair.

       (Psa 119:138 NCV)  The rules you commanded are right and completely 
       trustworthy.

       (Psa 119:139 NCV)  I am so upset I am worn out, because my enemies 
       have forgotten your words.

       (Psa 119:140 NCV)  Your promises are proven, so I, your servant, love 
       them.

       (Psa 119:141 NCV)  I am unimportant and hated, but I have not 
       forgotten your orders.

       (Psa 119:142 NCV)  Your goodness continues forever, and your teachings 
       are true.

       (Psa 119:143 NCV)  I have had troubles and misery, but I love your 
       commands.

       (Psa 119:144 NCV)  Your rules are always good. Help me understand so I 
       can live.

       (Psa 119:145 NCV)  LORD, I call to you with all my heart. Answer me, 
       and I will keep your demands.

       (Psa 119:146 NCV)  I call to you. Save me so I can obey your rules.

       (Psa 119:147 NCV)  I wake up early in the morning and cry out. I hope 
       in your word.

       (Psa 119:148 NCV)  I stay awake all night so I can think about your 
       promises.

       (Psa 119:149 NCV)  Listen to me because of your love; LORD, give me 
       life by your laws.

       (Psa 119:150 NCV)  Those who love evil are near, but they are far from 
       your teachings.

       (Psa 119:151 NCV)  But, LORD, you are also near, and all your commands 
       are true.

       (Psa 119:152 NCV)  Long ago I learned from your rules that you made 
       them to continue forever.

       (Psa 119:153 NCV)  See my suffering and rescue me, because I have not 
       forgotten your teachings.






       (Psa 119:154 NCV)  Argue my case and save me. Let me live by your 
       promises.

       (Psa 119:155 NCV)  Wicked people are far from being saved, because 
       they do not want your demands.

       (Psa 119:156 NCV)  LORD, you are very kind; give me life by your laws.

       (Psa 119:157 NCV)  Many enemies are after me, but I have not rejected 
       your rules.

       (Psa 119:158 NCV)  I see those traitors, and I hate them, because they 
       do not obey what you say.

       (Psa 119:159 NCV)  See how I love your orders. LORD, give me life by 
       your love.

       (Psa 119:160 NCV)  Your words are true from the start, and all your 
       laws will be fair forever.

       (Psa 119:161 NCV)  Leaders attack me for no reason, but I fear your 
       law in my heart.

       (Psa 119:162 NCV)  I am as happy over your promises as if I had found 
       a great treasure.

       (Psa 119:163 NCV)  I hate and despise lies, but I love your teachings.

       (Psa 119:164 NCV)  Seven times a day I praise you for your fair laws.

       (Psa 119:165 NCV)  Those who love your teachings will find true peace, 
       and nothing will defeat them.

       (Psa 119:166 NCV)  I am waiting for you to save me, LORD. I will obey 
       your commands.

       (Psa 119:167 NCV)  I obey your rules, and I love them very much.

       (Psa 119:168 NCV)  I obey your orders and rules, because you know 
       everything I do.

       (Psa 119:169 NCV)  Hear my cry to you, LORD. Let your word help me 
       understand.

       (Psa 119:170 NCV)  Listen to my prayer; save me as you promised.

       (Psa 119:171 NCV)  Let me speak your praise, because you have taught 
       me your demands.

       (Psa 119:172 NCV)  Let me sing about your promises, because all your 
       commands are fair.

       (Psa 119:173 NCV)  Give me your helping hand, because I have chosen 
       your commands.





       (Psa 119:174 NCV)  I want you to save me, LORD. I love your teachings.

       (Psa 119:175 NCV)  Let me live so I can praise you, and let your laws 
       help me.

       (Psa 119:176 NCV)  I have wandered like a lost sheep. Look for your 
       servant, because I have not forgotten your commands.

       (Psa 120:1 NCV)  When I was in trouble, I called to the LORD, and he 
       answered me.

       (Psa 120:2 NCV)  LORD, save me from liars and from those who plan 
       evil.

       (Psa 120:3 NCV)  You who plan evil, what will God do to you? How will 
       he punish you?

       (Psa 120:4 NCV)  He will punish you with the sharp arrows of a warrior 
       and with burning coals of wood.

       (Psa 120:5 NCV)  How terrible it is for me to live in the land of 
       Meshech, to live among the people of Kedar.

       (Psa 120:6 NCV)  I have lived too long with people who hate peace.

       (Psa 120:7 NCV)  When I talk peace, they want war.

       (Psa 121:1 NCV)  I look up to the hills, but where does my help come 
       from?

       (Psa 121:2 NCV)  My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and 
       earth.

       (Psa 121:3 NCV)  He will not let you be defeated. He who guards you 
       never sleeps.

       (Psa 121:4 NCV)  He who guards Israel never rests or sleeps.

       (Psa 121:5 NCV)  The LORD guards you. The LORD is the shade that 
       protects you from the sun.

       (Psa 121:6 NCV)  The sun cannot hurt you during the day, and the moon 
       cannot hurt you at night.

       (Psa 121:7 NCV)  The LORD will protect you from all dangers; he will 
       guard your life.

       (Psa 121:8 NCV)  The LORD will guard you as you come and go, both now 
       and forever.

       (Psa 122:1 NCV)  I was happy when they said to me, "Let's go to the 
       Temple of the LORD."

       (Psa 122:2 NCV)  Jerusalem, we are standing at your gates.

       (Psa 122:3 NCV)  Jerusalem is built as a city with the buildings close 





       together.

       (Psa 122:4 NCV)  The tribes go up there, the tribes who belong to the 
       LORD. It is the rule in Israel to praise the LORD at Jerusalem.

       (Psa 122:5 NCV)  There the descendants of David set their thrones to 
       judge the people.

       (Psa 122:6 NCV)  Pray for peace in Jerusalem: "May those who love her 
       be safe.

       (Psa 122:7 NCV)  May there be peace within her walls and safety within 
       her strong towers."

       (Psa 122:8 NCV)  To help my relatives and friends, I say, "Let 
       Jerusalem have peace."

       (Psa 122:9 NCV)  For the sake of the Temple of the LORD our God, I 
       wish good for her.

       (Psa 123:1 NCV)  LORD, I look upward to you, you who live in heaven.

       (Psa 123:2 NCV)  Slaves depend on their masters, and a female servant 
       depends on her mistress. In the same way, we depend on the LORD our 
       God; we wait for him to show us mercy.

       (Psa 123:3 NCV)  Have mercy on us, LORD. Have mercy on us, because we 
       have been insulted.

       (Psa 123:4 NCV)  We have suffered many insults from lazy people and 
       much cruelty from the proud.

       (Psa 124:1 NCV)  What if the LORD had not been on our side? (Let 
       Israel repeat this.)

       (Psa 124:2 NCV)  What if the LORD had not been on our side when we 
       were attacked?

       (Psa 124:3 NCV)  When they were angry with us, they would have 
       swallowed us alive.

       (Psa 124:4 NCV)  They would have been like a flood drowning us; they 
       would have poured over us like a river.

       (Psa 124:5 NCV)  They would have swept us away like a mighty stream.

       (Psa 124:6 NCV)  Praise the LORD, who did not let them chew us up.

       (Psa 124:7 NCV)  We escaped like a bird from the hunter's trap. The 
       trap broke, and we escaped.

       (Psa 124:8 NCV)  Our help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and 
       earth.

       (Psa 125:1 NCV)  Those who trust the LORD are like Mount Zion, which 
       sits unmoved forever.






       (Psa 125:2 NCV)  As the mountains surround Jerusalem, the LORD 
       surrounds his people now and forever.

       (Psa 125:3 NCV)  The wicked will not rule over those who do right. If 
       they did, the people who do right might use their power to do evil.

       (Psa 125:4 NCV)  LORD, be good to those who are good, whose hearts are 
       honest.

       (Psa 125:5 NCV)  But, LORD, when you remove those who do evil, also 
       remove those who stop following you. Let there be peace in Israel.

       (Psa 126:1 NCV)  When the LORD brought the prisoners back to 
       Jerusalem, it seemed as if we were dreaming.

       (Psa 126:2 NCV)  Then we were filled with laughter, and we sang happy 
       songs. Then the other nations said, "The LORD has done great things 
       for them."

       (Psa 126:3 NCV)  The LORD has done great things for us, and we are 
       very glad.

       (Psa 126:4 NCV)  LORD, return our prisoners again, as you bring 
       streams to the desert.

       (Psa 126:5 NCV)  Those who cry as they plant crops will sing at 
       harvest time.

       (Psa 126:6 NCV)  Those who cry as they carry out the seeds will return 
       singing and carrying bundles of grain.

       (Psa 127:1 NCV)  If the LORD doesn't build the house, the builders are 
       working for nothing. If the LORD doesn't guard the city, the guards 
       are watching for nothing.

       (Psa 127:2 NCV)  It is no use for you to get up early and stay up 
       late, working for a living. The LORD gives sleep to those he loves.

       (Psa 127:3 NCV)  Children are a gift from the LORD; babies are a 
       reward.

       (Psa 127:4 NCV)  Children who are born to a young man are like arrows 
       in the hand of a warrior.

       (Psa 127:5 NCV)  Happy is the man who has his bag full of arrows. They 
       will not be defeated when they fight their enemies at the city gate.

       (Psa 128:1 NCV)  Happy are those who respect the LORD and obey him.

       (Psa 128:2 NCV)  You will enjoy what you work for, and you will be 
       blessed with good things.

       (Psa 128:3 NCV)  Your wife will give you many children, like a vine 
       that produces much fruit. Your children will bring you much good, like 
       olive branches that produce many olives.






       (Psa 128:4 NCV)  This is how the man who respects the LORD will be 
       blessed.

       (Psa 128:5 NCV)  May the LORD bless you from Mount Zion; may you enjoy 
       the good things of Jerusalem all your life.

       (Psa 128:6 NCV)  May you see your grandchildren. Let there be peace in 
       Israel.

       (Psa 129:1 NCV)  They have treated me badly all my life. (Let Israel 
       repeat this.)

       (Psa 129:2 NCV)  They have treated me badly all my life, but they have 
       not defeated me.

       (Psa 129:3 NCV)  Like farmers plowing, they plowed over my back, 
       making long wounds.

       (Psa 129:4 NCV)  But the LORD does what is right; he has set me free 
       from those wicked people.

       (Psa 129:5 NCV)  Let those who hate Jerusalem be turned back in shame.

       (Psa 129:6 NCV)  Let them be like the grass on the roof that dries up 
       before it has grown.

       (Psa 129:7 NCV)  There is not enough of it to fill a hand or to make 
       into a bundle to fill one's arms.

       (Psa 129:8 NCV)  Let those who pass by them not say, "May the LORD 
       bless you. We bless you by the power of the LORD."

       (Psa 130:1 NCV)  LORD, I am in great trouble, so I call out to you.

       (Psa 130:2 NCV)  Lord, hear my voice; listen to my prayer for help.

       (Psa 130:3 NCV)  LORD, if you punished people for all their sins, no 
       one would be left, Lord.

       (Psa 130:4 NCV)  But you forgive us, so you are respected.

       (Psa 130:5 NCV)  I wait for the LORD to help me, and I trust his word.

       (Psa 130:6 NCV)  I wait for the Lord to help me more than night 
       watchmen wait for the dawn, more than night watchmen wait for the 
       dawn.

       (Psa 130:7 NCV)  People of Israel, put your hope in the LORD because 
       he is loving and able to save.

       (Psa 130:8 NCV)  He will save Israel from all their sins.

       (Psa 131:1 NCV)  LORD, my heart is not proud; I don't look down on 
       others. I don't do great things, and I can't do miracles.





       (Psa 131:2 NCV)  But I am calm and quiet, like a baby with its mother. 
       I am at peace, like a baby with its mother.

       (Psa 131:3 NCV)  People of Israel, put your hope in the LORD now and 
       forever.

       (Psa 132:1 NCV)  LORD, remember David and all his suffering.

       (Psa 132:2 NCV)  He made an oath to the LORD, a promise to the Mighty 
       God of Jacob.

       (Psa 132:3 NCV)  He said, "I will not go home to my house, or lie down 
       on my bed,

       (Psa 132:4 NCV)  or close my eyes, or let myself sleep

       (Psa 132:5 NCV)  until I find a place for the LORD. I want to provide 
       a home for the Mighty God of Jacob."

       (Psa 132:6 NCV)  We heard about the Ark in Bethlehem. We found it at 
       Kiriath Jearim.

       (Psa 132:7 NCV)  Let's go to the Lord's house. Let's worship at his 
       footstool.

       (Psa 132:8 NCV)  Rise, LORD, and come to your resting place; come with 
       the Ark that shows your strength.

       (Psa 132:9 NCV)  May your priests do what is right. May your people 
       sing for joy.

       (Psa 132:10 NCV)  For the sake of your servant David, do not reject 
       your appointed king.

       (Psa 132:11 NCV)  The LORD made a promise to David, a sure promise 
       that he will not take back. He promised, "I will make one of your 
       descendants rule as king after you.

       (Psa 132:12 NCV)  If your sons keep my agreement and the rules that I 
       teach them, then their sons after them will rule on your throne 
       forever and ever."

       (Psa 132:13 NCV)  The LORD has chosen Jerusalem; he wants it for his 
       home.

       (Psa 132:14 NCV)  He says, "This is my resting place forever. Here is 
       where I want to stay.

       (Psa 132:15 NCV)  I will bless her with plenty; I will fill her poor 
       with food.

       (Psa 132:16 NCV)  I will cover her priests with salvation, and those 
       who worship me will really sing for joy.

       (Psa 132:17 NCV)  "I will make a king come from the family of David. I 
       will provide my appointed one descendants to rule after him.






       (Psa 132:18 NCV)  I will cover his enemies with shame, but his crown 
       will shine."

       (Psa 133:1 NCV)  It is good and pleasant when God's people live 
       together in peace!

       (Psa 133:2 NCV)  It is like perfumed oil poured on the priest's head 
       and running down his beard. It ran down Aaron's beard and on to the 
       collar of his robes.

       (Psa 133:3 NCV)  It is like the dew of Mount Hermon falling on the 
       hills of Jerusalem. There the LORD gives his blessing of life forever.

       (Psa 134:1 NCV)  Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, you 
       who serve at night in the Temple of the LORD.

       (Psa 134:2 NCV)  Raise your hands in the Temple and praise the LORD.

       (Psa 134:3 NCV)  May the LORD bless you from Mount Zion, he who made 
       heaven and earth.

       (Psa 135:1 NCV)  Praise the LORD! Praise the name of the LORD; praise 
       him, you servants of the LORD,

       (Psa 135:2 NCV)  you who stand in the Lord's Temple and in the Temple 
       courtyards.

       (Psa 135:3 NCV)  Praise the LORD, because he is good; sing praises to 
       him, because it is pleasant.

       (Psa 135:4 NCV)  The LORD has chosen the people of Jacob for himself; 
       he has chosen the people of Israel for his very own.

       (Psa 135:5 NCV)  I know that the LORD is great. Our Lord is greater 
       than all the gods.

       (Psa 135:6 NCV)  The LORD does what he pleases, in heaven and on 
       earth, in the seas and the deep oceans.

       (Psa 135:7 NCV)  He brings the clouds from the ends of the earth. He 
       sends the lightning with the rain. He brings out the wind from his 
       storehouses.

       (Psa 135:8 NCV)  He destroyed the firstborn sons in Egypt the 
       firstborn of both people and animals.

       (Psa 135:9 NCV)  He did many signs and miracles in Egypt against the 
       king and his servants.

       (Psa 135:10 NCV)  He defeated many nations and killed powerful kings:

       (Psa 135:11 NCV)  Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and 
       all the kings of Canaan.

       (Psa 135:12 NCV)  Then he gave their land as a gift, a gift to his 





       people, the Israelites.

       (Psa 135:13 NCV)  LORD, your name is everlasting; LORD, you will be 
       remembered forever.

       (Psa 135:14 NCV)  The LORD defends his people and has mercy on his 
       servants.

       (Psa 135:15 NCV)  The idols of other nations are made of silver and 
       gold, the work of human hands.

       (Psa 135:16 NCV)  They have mouths, but they cannot speak. They have 
       eyes, but they cannot see.

       (Psa 135:17 NCV)  They have ears, but they cannot hear. They have no 
       breath in their mouths.

       (Psa 135:18 NCV)  People who make idols will be like them, and so will 
       those who trust them.

       (Psa 135:19 NCV)  Family of Israel, praise the LORD. Family of Aaron, 
       praise the LORD.

       (Psa 135:20 NCV)  Family of Levi, praise the LORD. You who respect the 
       LORD should praise him.

       (Psa 135:21 NCV)  You people of Jerusalem, praise the LORD on Mount 
       Zion. Praise the LORD!

       (Psa 136:1 NCV)  Give thanks to the LORD because he is good. His love 
       continues forever.

       (Psa 136:2 NCV)  Give thanks to the God of gods. His love continues 
       forever.

       (Psa 136:3 NCV)  Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His love continues 
       forever.

       (Psa 136:4 NCV)  Only he can do great miracles. His love continues 
       forever.

       (Psa 136:5 NCV)  With his wisdom he made the skies. His love continues 
       forever.

       (Psa 136:6 NCV)  He spread out the earth on the seas. His love 
       continues forever.

       (Psa 136:7 NCV)  He made the sun and the moon. His love continues 
       forever.

       (Psa 136:8 NCV)  He made the sun to rule the day. His love continues 
       forever.

       (Psa 136:9 NCV)  He made the moon and stars to rule the night. His 
       love continues forever.





       (Psa 136:10 NCV)  He killed the firstborn sons of the Egyptians. His 
       love continues forever.

       (Psa 136:11 NCV)  He brought the people of Israel out of Egypt. His 
       love continues forever.

       (Psa 136:12 NCV)  He did it with his great power and strength. His 
       love continues forever.

       (Psa 136:13 NCV)  He parted the water of the Red Sea. His love 
       continues forever.

       (Psa 136:14 NCV)  He brought the Israelites through the middle of it. 
       His love continues forever.

       (Psa 136:15 NCV)  But the king of Egypt and his army drowned in the 
       Red Sea. His love continues forever.

       (Psa 136:16 NCV)  He led his people through the desert. His love 
       continues forever.

       (Psa 136:17 NCV)  He defeated great kings. His love continues forever.

       (Psa 136:18 NCV)  He killed powerful kings. His love continues 
       forever.

       (Psa 136:19 NCV)  He defeated Sihon king of the Amorites. His love 
       continues forever.

       (Psa 136:20 NCV)  He defeated Og king of Bashan. His love continues 
       forever.

       (Psa 136:21 NCV)  He gave their land as a gift. His love continues 
       forever.

       (Psa 136:22 NCV)  It was a gift to his servants, the Israelites. His 
       love continues forever.

       (Psa 136:23 NCV)  He remembered us when we were in trouble. His love 
       continues forever.

       (Psa 136:24 NCV)  He freed us from our enemies. His love continues 
       forever.

       (Psa 136:25 NCV)  He gives food to every living creature. His love 
       continues forever.

       (Psa 136:26 NCV)  Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love continues 
       forever.

       (Psa 137:1 NCV)  By the rivers in Babylon we sat and cried when we 
       remembered Jerusalem.

       (Psa 137:2 NCV)  On the poplar trees nearby we hung our harps.

       (Psa 137:3 NCV)  Those who captured us asked us to sing; our enemies 





       wanted happy songs. They said, "Sing us a song about Jerusalem!"

       (Psa 137:4 NCV)  But we cannot sing songs about the LORD while we are 
       in this foreign country!

       (Psa 137:5 NCV)  Jerusalem, if I forget you, let my right hand lose 
       its skill.

       (Psa 137:6 NCV)  Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I do 
       not remember you, if I do not think about Jerusalem as my greatest 
       joy.

       (Psa 137:7 NCV)  LORD, remember what the Edomites did on the day 
       Jerusalem fell. They said, "Tear it down! Tear it down to its 
       foundations!"

       (Psa 137:8 NCV)  People of Babylon, you will be destroyed. The people 
       who pay you back for what you did to us will be happy.

       (Psa 137:9 NCV)  They will grab your babies and throw them against the 
       rocks.

       (Psa 138:1 NCV)  LORD, I will thank you with all my heart; I will sing 
       to you before the gods.

       (Psa 138:2 NCV)  I will bow down facing your holy Temple, and I will 
       thank you for your love and loyalty. You have made your name and your 
       word greater than anything.

       (Psa 138:3 NCV)  On the day I called to you, you answered me. You made 
       me strong and brave.

       (Psa 138:4 NCV)  LORD, let all the kings of the earth praise you when 
       they hear the words you speak.

       (Psa 138:5 NCV)  They will sing about what the LORD has done, because 
       the Lord's glory is great.

       (Psa 138:6 NCV)  Though the LORD is supreme, he takes care of those 
       who are humble, but he stays away from the proud.

       (Psa 138:7 NCV)  LORD, even when I have trouble all around me, you 
       will keep me alive. When my enemies are angry, you will reach down and 
       save me by your power.

       (Psa 138:8 NCV)  LORD, you do everything for me. LORD, your love 
       continues forever. Do not leave us, whom you made.

       (Psa 139:1 NCV)  LORD, you have examined me and know all about me.

       (Psa 139:2 NCV)  You know when I sit down and when I get up. You know 
       my thoughts before I think them.

       (Psa 139:3 NCV)  You know where I go and where I lie down. You know 
       thoroughly everything I do.





       (Psa 139:4 NCV)  LORD, even before I say a word, you already know it.

       (Psa 139:5 NCV)  You are all around me--in front and in back-- and 
       have put your hand on me.

       (Psa 139:6 NCV)  Your knowledge is amazing to me; it is more than I 
       can understand.

       (Psa 139:7 NCV)  Where can I go to get away from your Spirit? Where 
       can I run from you?

       (Psa 139:8 NCV)  If I go up to the heavens, you are there. If I lie 
       down in the grave, you are there.

       (Psa 139:9 NCV)  If I rise with the sun in the east and settle in the 
       west beyond the sea,

       (Psa 139:10 NCV)  even there you would guide me. With your right hand 
       you would hold me.

       (Psa 139:11 NCV)  I could say, "The darkness will hide me. Let the 
       light around me turn into night."

       (Psa 139:12 NCV)  But even the darkness is not dark to you. The night 
       is as light as the day; darkness and light are the same to you.

       (Psa 139:13 NCV)  You made my whole being; you formed me in my 
       mother's body.

       (Psa 139:14 NCV)  I praise you because you made me in an amazing and 
       wonderful way. What you have done is wonderful. I know this very well.

       (Psa 139:15 NCV)  You saw my bones being formed as I took shape in my 
       mother's body. When I was put together there,

       (Psa 139:16 NCV)  you saw my body as it was formed. All the days 
       planned for me were written in your book before I was one day old.

       (Psa 139:17 NCV)  God, your thoughts are precious to me. They are so 
       many!

       (Psa 139:18 NCV)  If I could count them, they would be more than all 
       the grains of sand. When I wake up, I am still with you.

       (Psa 139:19 NCV)  God, I wish you would kill the wicked! Get away from 
       me, you murderers!

       (Psa 139:20 NCV)  They say evil things about you. Your enemies use 
       your name thoughtlessly.

       (Psa 139:21 NCV)  LORD, I hate those who hate you; I hate those who 
       rise up against you.

       (Psa 139:22 NCV)  I feel only hate for them; they are my enemies.

       (Psa 139:23 NCV)  God, examine me and know my heart; test me and know 





       my nervous thoughts.

       (Psa 139:24 NCV)  See if there is any bad thing in me. Lead me on the 
       road to everlasting life.

       (Psa 140:1 NCV)  LORD, rescue me from evil people; protect me from 
       cruel people

       (Psa 140:2 NCV)  who make evil plans, who always start fights.

       (Psa 140:3 NCV)  They make their tongues sharp as a snake's; their 
       words are like snake poison. Selah

       (Psa 140:4 NCV)  LORD, guard me from the power of wicked people; 
       protect me from cruel people who plan to trip me up.

       (Psa 140:5 NCV)  The proud hid a trap for me. They spread out a net 
       beside the road; they set traps for me. Selah

       (Psa 140:6 NCV)  I said to the LORD, "You are my God." LORD, listen to 
       my prayer for help.

       (Psa 140:7 NCV)  LORD God, my mighty savior, you protect me in battle.

       (Psa 140:8 NCV)  LORD, do not give the wicked what they want. Don't 
       let their plans succeed, or they will become proud. Selah

       (Psa 140:9 NCV)  Those around me have planned trouble. Now let it come 
       to them.

       (Psa 140:10 NCV)  Let burning coals fall on them. Throw them into the 
       fire or into pits from which they cannot escape.

       (Psa 140:11 NCV)  Don't let liars settle in the land. Let evil quickly 
       hunt down cruel people.

       (Psa 140:12 NCV)  I know the LORD will get justice for the poor and 
       will defend the needy in court.

       (Psa 140:13 NCV)  Good people will praise his name; honest people will 
       live in his presence.

       (Psa 141:1 NCV)  LORD, I call to you. Come quickly. Listen to me when 
       I call to you.

       (Psa 141:2 NCV)  Let my prayer be like incense placed before you, and 
       my praise like the evening sacrifice.

       (Psa 141:3 NCV)  LORD, help me control my tongue; help me be careful 
       about what I say.

       (Psa 141:4 NCV)  Take away my desire to do evil or to join others in 
       doing wrong. Don't let me eat tasty food with those who do evil.

       (Psa 141:5 NCV)  If a good person punished me, that would be kind. If 
       he corrected me, that would be like perfumed oil on my head. I 





       shouldn't refuse it. But I pray against those who do evil.

       (Psa 141:6 NCV)  Let their leaders be thrown down the cliffs. Then 
       people will know that I have spoken correctly:

       (Psa 141:7 NCV)  "The ground is plowed and broken up. In the same way, 
       our bones have been scattered at the grave."

       (Psa 141:8 NCV)  GOD, I look to you for help. I trust in you, LORD. 
       Don't let me die.

       (Psa 141:9 NCV)  Protect me from the traps they set for me and from 
       the net that evil people have spread.

       (Psa 141:10 NCV)  Let the wicked fall into their own nets, but let me 
       pass by safely.

       (Psa 142:1 NCV)  I cry out to the LORD; I pray to the LORD for mercy.

       (Psa 142:2 NCV)  I pour out my problems to him; I tell him my 
       troubles.

       (Psa 142:3 NCV)  When I am afraid, you, LORD, know the way out. In the 
       path where I walk, a trap is hidden for me.

       (Psa 142:4 NCV)  Look around me and see. No one cares about me. I have 
       no place of safety; no one cares if I live.

       (Psa 142:5 NCV)  LORD, I cry out to you. I say, "You are my 
       protection. You are all I want in this life."

       (Psa 142:6 NCV)  Listen to my cry, because I am helpless. Save me from 
       those who are chasing me, because they are too strong for me.

       (Psa 142:7 NCV)  Free me from my prison, and then I will praise your 
       name. Then good people will surround me, because you have taken care 
       of me.

       (Psa 143:1 NCV)  LORD, hear my prayer; listen to my cry for mercy. 
       Answer me because you are loyal and good.

       (Psa 143:2 NCV)  Don't judge me, your servant, because no one alive is 
       right before you.

       (Psa 143:3 NCV)  My enemies are chasing me; they crushed me to the 
       ground. They made me live in darkness like those long dead.

       (Psa 143:4 NCV)  I am afraid; my courage is gone.

       (Psa 143:5 NCV)  I remember what happened long ago; I consider 
       everything you have done. I think about all you have made.

       (Psa 143:6 NCV)  I lift my hands to you in prayer. As a dry land needs 
       rain, I thirst for you. Selah

       (Psa 143:7 NCV)  LORD, answer me quickly, because I am getting weak. 





       Don't turn away from me, or I will be like those who are dead.

       (Psa 143:8 NCV)  Tell me in the morning about your love, because I 
       trust you. Show me what I should do, because my prayers go up to you.

       (Psa 143:9 NCV)  LORD, save me from my enemies; I hide in you.

       (Psa 143:10 NCV)  Teach me to do what you want, because you are my 
       God. Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

       (Psa 143:11 NCV)  LORD, let me live so people will praise you. In your 
       goodness save me from my troubles.

       (Psa 143:12 NCV)  In your love defeat my enemies. Destroy all those 
       who trouble me, because I am your servant.

       (Psa 144:1 NCV)  Praise the LORD, my Rock, who trains me for war, who 
       trains me for battle.

       (Psa 144:2 NCV)  He protects me like a strong, walled city, and he 
       loves me. He is my defender and my Savior, my shield and my 
       protection. He helps me keep my people under control.

       (Psa 144:3 NCV)  LORD, why are people important to you? Why do you 
       even think about human beings?

       (Psa 144:4 NCV)  People are like a breath; their lives are like 
       passing shadows.

       (Psa 144:5 NCV)  LORD, tear open the sky and come down. Touch the 
       mountains so they will smoke.

       (Psa 144:6 NCV)  Send the lightning and scatter my enemies. Shoot your 
       arrows and force them away.

       (Psa 144:7 NCV)  Reach down from above. Save me and rescue me out of 
       this sea of enemies, from these foreigners.

       (Psa 144:8 NCV)  They are liars; they are dishonest.

       (Psa 144:9 NCV)  God, I will sing a new song to you; I will play to 
       you on the ten-stringed harp.

       (Psa 144:10 NCV)  You give victory to kings. You save your servant 
       David from cruel swords.

       (Psa 144:11 NCV)  Save me, rescue me from these foreigners. They are 
       liars; they are dishonest.

       (Psa 144:12 NCV)  Let our sons in their youth grow like plants. Let 
       our daughters be like the decorated stones in the Temple.

       (Psa 144:13 NCV)  Let our barns be filled with crops of all kinds. Let 
       our sheep in the fields have thousands and tens of thousands of lambs.

       (Psa 144:14 NCV)  Let our cattle be strong. Let no one break in. Let 





       there be no war, no screams in our streets.

       (Psa 144:15 NCV)  Happy are those who are like this; happy are the 
       people whose God is the LORD.

       (Psa 145:1 NCV)  I praise your greatness, my God the King; I will 
       praise you forever and ever.

       (Psa 145:2 NCV)  I will praise you every day; I will praise you 
       forever and ever.

       (Psa 145:3 NCV)  The LORD is great and worthy of our praise; no one 
       can understand how great he is.

       (Psa 145:4 NCV)  Parents will tell their children what you have done. 
       They will retell your mighty acts,

       (Psa 145:5 NCV)  wonderful majesty, and glory. And I will think about 
       your miracles.

       (Psa 145:6 NCV)  They will tell about the amazing things you do, and I 
       will tell how great you are.

       (Psa 145:7 NCV)  They will remember your great goodness and will sing 
       about your fairness.

       (Psa 145:8 NCV)  The LORD is kind and shows mercy. He does not become 
       angry quickly but is full of love.

       (Psa 145:9 NCV)  The LORD is good to everyone; he is merciful to all 
       he has made.

       (Psa 145:10 NCV)  LORD, everything you have made will praise you; 
       those who belong to you will bless you.

       (Psa 145:11 NCV)  They will tell about the glory of your kingdom and 
       will speak about your power.

       (Psa 145:12 NCV)  Then everyone will know the mighty things you do and 
       the glory and majesty of your kingdom.

       (Psa 145:13 NCV)  Your kingdom will go on and on, and you will rule 
       forever. The LORD will keep all his promises; he is loyal to all he 
       has made.

       (Psa 145:14 NCV)  The LORD helps those who have been defeated and 
       takes care of those who are in trouble.

       (Psa 145:15 NCV)  All living things look to you for food, and you give 
       it to them at the right time.

       (Psa 145:16 NCV)  You open your hand, and you satisfy all living 
       things.

       (Psa 145:17 NCV)  Everything the LORD does is right. He is loyal to 
       all he has made.






       (Psa 145:18 NCV)  The LORD is close to everyone who prays to him, to 
       all who truly pray to him.

       (Psa 145:19 NCV)  He gives those who respect him what they want. He 
       listens when they cry, and he saves them.

       (Psa 145:20 NCV)  The LORD protects everyone who loves him, but he 
       will destroy the wicked.

       (Psa 145:21 NCV)  I will praise the LORD. Let everyone praise his holy 
       name forever.

       (Psa 146:1 NCV)  Praise the LORD! My whole being, praise the LORD.

       (Psa 146:2 NCV)  I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing 
       praises to my God as long as I live.

       (Psa 146:3 NCV)  Do not put your trust in princes or other people, who 
       cannot save you.

       (Psa 146:4 NCV)  When people die, they are buried. Then all of their 
       plans come to an end.

       (Psa 146:5 NCV)  Happy are those who are helped by the God of Jacob. 
       Their hope is in the LORD their God.

       (Psa 146:6 NCV)  He made heaven and earth, the sea and everything in 
       it. He remains loyal forever.

       (Psa 146:7 NCV)  He does what is fair for those who have been wronged. 
       He gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free.

       (Psa 146:8 NCV)  The LORD gives sight to the blind. The LORD lifts up 
       people who are in trouble. The LORD loves those who do right.

       (Psa 146:9 NCV)  The LORD protects the foreigners. He defends the 
       orphans and widows, but he blocks the way of the wicked.

       (Psa 146:10 NCV)  The LORD will be King forever. Jerusalem, your God 
       is everlasting. Praise the LORD!

       (Psa 147:1 NCV)  Praise the LORD! It is good to sing praises to our 
       God; it is good and pleasant to praise him.

       (Psa 147:2 NCV)  The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem; he brings back the 
       captured Israelites.

       (Psa 147:3 NCV)  He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.

       (Psa 147:4 NCV)  He counts the stars and names each one.

       (Psa 147:5 NCV)  Our Lord is great and very powerful. There is no 
       limit to what he knows.

       (Psa 147:6 NCV)  The LORD defends the humble, but he throws the wicked 





       to the ground.

       (Psa 147:7 NCV)  Sing praises to the LORD; praise our God with harps.

       (Psa 147:8 NCV)  He fills the sky with clouds and sends rain to the 
       earth and makes grass grow on the hills.

       (Psa 147:9 NCV)  He gives food to cattle and to the little birds that 
       call.

       (Psa 147:10 NCV)  He does not enjoy the strength of a horse or the 
       strength of a man.

       (Psa 147:11 NCV)  The LORD is pleased with those who respect him, with 
       those who trust his love.

       (Psa 147:12 NCV)  Jerusalem, praise the LORD; Jerusalem, praise your 
       God.

       (Psa 147:13 NCV)  He makes your city gates strong and blesses your 
       children inside.

       (Psa 147:14 NCV)  He brings peace to your country and fills you with 
       the finest grain.

       (Psa 147:15 NCV)  He gives a command to the earth, and it quickly 
       obeys him.

       (Psa 147:16 NCV)  He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost 
       like ashes.

       (Psa 147:17 NCV)  He throws down hail like rocks. No one can stand the 
       cold he sends.

       (Psa 147:18 NCV)  Then he gives a command, and it melts. He sends the 
       breezes, and the waters flow.

       (Psa 147:19 NCV)  He gave his word to Jacob, his laws and demands to 
       Israel.

       (Psa 147:20 NCV)  He didn't do this for any other nation. They don't 
       know his laws. Praise the LORD!

       (Psa 148:1 NCV)  Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the skies. 
       Praise him high above the earth.

       (Psa 148:2 NCV)  Praise him, all you angels. Praise him, all you 
       armies of heaven.

       (Psa 148:3 NCV)  Praise him, sun and moon. Praise him, all you shining 
       stars.

       (Psa 148:4 NCV)  Praise him, highest heavens and you waters above the 
       sky.

       (Psa 148:5 NCV)  Let them praise the LORD, because they were created 





       by his command.

       (Psa 148:6 NCV)  He put them in place forever and ever; he made a law 
       that will never change.

       (Psa 148:7 NCV)  Praise the LORD from the earth, you large sea animals 
       and all the oceans,

       (Psa 148:8 NCV)  lightning and hail, snow and mist, and stormy winds 
       that obey him,

       (Psa 148:9 NCV)  mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars,

       (Psa 148:10 NCV)  wild animals and all cattle, crawling animals and 
       birds,

       (Psa 148:11 NCV)  kings of the earth and all nations, princes and all 
       rulers of the earth,

       (Psa 148:12 NCV)  young men and women, old people and children.

       (Psa 148:13 NCV)  Praise the LORD, because he alone is great. He is 
       more wonderful than heaven and earth.

       (Psa 148:14 NCV)  God has given his people a king. He should be 
       praised by all who belong to him; he should be praised by the 
       Israelites, the people closest to his heart. Praise the LORD!

       (Psa 149:1 NCV)  Praise the LORD! Sing a new song to the LORD; sing 
       his praise in the meeting of his people.

       (Psa 149:2 NCV)  Let the Israelites be happy because of God, their 
       Maker. Let the people of Jerusalem rejoice because of their King.

       (Psa 149:3 NCV)  They should praise him with dancing. They should sing 
       praises to him with tambourines and harps.

       (Psa 149:4 NCV)  The LORD is pleased with his people; he saves the 
       humble.

       (Psa 149:5 NCV)  Let those who worship him rejoice in his glory. Let 
       them sing for joy even in bed!

       (Psa 149:6 NCV)  Let them shout his praise with their two-edged swords 
       in their hands.

       (Psa 149:7 NCV)  They will punish the nations and defeat the people.

       (Psa 149:8 NCV)  They will put those kings in chains and those 
       important men in iron bands.

       (Psa 149:9 NCV)  They will punish them as God has written. God is 
       honored by all who worship him. Praise the LORD!

       (Psa 150:1 NCV)  Praise the LORD! Praise God in his Temple; praise him 
       in his mighty heaven.






       (Psa 150:2 NCV)  Praise him for his strength; praise him for his 
       greatness.

       (Psa 150:3 NCV)  Praise him with trumpet blasts; praise him with harps 
       and lyres.

       (Psa 150:4 NCV)  Praise him with tambourines and dancing; praise him 
       with stringed instruments and flutes.

       (Psa 150:5 NCV)  Praise him with loud cymbals; praise him with 
       crashing cymbals.

       (Psa 150:6 NCV)  Let everything that breathes praise the LORD. Praise 
       the LORD!

       (Prov 1:1 NCV)  These are the wise words of Solomon son of David, king 
       of Israel.

       (Prov 1:2 NCV)  They teach wisdom and self-control; they will help you 
       understand wise words.

       (Prov 1:3 NCV)  They will teach you how to be wise and self-controlled 
       and will teach you to do what is honest and fair and right.

       (Prov 1:4 NCV)  They make the uneducated smarter and give knowledge 
       and sense to the young.

       (Prov 1:5 NCV)  Wise people can also listen and learn; even smart 
       people can find good advice in these words.

       (Prov 1:6 NCV)  Then anyone can understand wise words and stories, the 
       words of the wise and their riddles.

       (Prov 1:7 NCV)  Knowledge begins with respect for the LORD, but fools 
       hate wisdom and self-control.

       (Prov 1:8 NCV)  My child, listen to your father's teaching and do not 
       forget your mother's advice.

       (Prov 1:9 NCV)  Their teaching will be like flowers in your hair or a 
       necklace around your neck.

       (Prov 1:10 NCV)  My child, if sinners try to lead you into sin, do not 
       follow them.

       (Prov 1:11 NCV)  They will say, "Come with us. Let's ambush and kill 
       someone; let's attack some innocent people just for fun.

       (Prov 1:12 NCV)  Let's swallow them alive, as death does; let's 
       swallow them whole, as the grave does.

       (Prov 1:13 NCV)  We will take all kinds of valuable things and fill 
       our houses with stolen goods.

       (Prov 1:14 NCV)  Come join us, and we will share with you stolen 





       goods."

       (Prov 1:15 NCV)  My child, do not go along with them; do not do what 
       they do.

       (Prov 1:16 NCV)  They are eager to do evil and are quick to kill.

       (Prov 1:17 NCV)  It is useless to spread out a net right where the 
       birds can see it.

       (Prov 1:18 NCV)  But sinners will fall into their own traps; they will 
       only catch themselves!

       (Prov 1:19 NCV)  All greedy people end up this way; greed kills 
       selfish people.

       (Prov 1:20 NCV)  Wisdom is like a woman shouting in the street; she 
       raises her voice in the city squares.

       (Prov 1:21 NCV)  She cries out in the noisy street and shouts at the 
       city gates:

       (Prov 1:22 NCV)  "You fools, how long will you be foolish? How long 
       will you make fun of wisdom and hate knowledge?

       (Prov 1:23 NCV)  If only you had listened when I corrected you, I 
       would have told you what's in my heart; I would have told you what I 
       am thinking.

       (Prov 1:24 NCV)  I called, but you refused to listen; I held out my 
       hand, but you paid no attention.

       (Prov 1:25 NCV)  You did not follow my advice and did not listen when 
       I corrected you.

       (Prov 1:26 NCV)  So I will laugh when you are in trouble. I will make 
       fun when disaster strikes you,

       (Prov 1:27 NCV)  when disaster comes over you like a storm, when 
       trouble strikes you like a whirlwind, when pain and trouble overwhelm 
       you.

       (Prov 1:28 NCV)  "Then you will call to me, but I will not answer. You 
       will look for me, but you will not find me.

       (Prov 1:29 NCV)  It is because you rejected knowledge and did not 
       choose to respect the LORD.

       (Prov 1:30 NCV)  You did not accept my advice, and you rejected my 
       correction.

       (Prov 1:31 NCV)  So you will get what you deserve; you will get what 
       you planned for others.

       (Prov 1:32 NCV)  Fools will die because they refuse to listen; they 
       will be destroyed because they do not care.






       (Prov 1:33 NCV)  But those who listen to me will live in safety and be 
       at peace, without fear of injury."

       (Prov 2:1 NCV)  My child, listen to what I say and remember what I 
       command you.

       (Prov 2:2 NCV)  Listen carefully to wisdom; set your mind on 
       understanding.

       (Prov 2:3 NCV)  Cry out for wisdom, and beg for understanding.

       (Prov 2:4 NCV)  Search for it like silver, and hunt for it like hidden 
       treasure.

       (Prov 2:5 NCV)  Then you will understand respect for the LORD, and you 
       will find that you know God.

       (Prov 2:6 NCV)  Only the LORD gives wisdom; he gives knowledge and 
       understanding.

       (Prov 2:7 NCV)  He stores up wisdom for those who are honest. Like a 
       shield he protects the innocent.

       (Prov 2:8 NCV)  He makes sure that justice is done, and he protects 
       those who are loyal to him.

       (Prov 2:9 NCV)  Then you will understand what is honest and fair and 
       what is the good and right thing to do.

       (Prov 2:10 NCV)  Wisdom will come into your mind, and knowledge will 
       be pleasing to you.

       (Prov 2:11 NCV)  Good sense will protect you; understanding will guard 
       you.

       (Prov 2:12 NCV)  It will keep you from the wicked, from those whose 
       words are bad,

       (Prov 2:13 NCV)  who don't do what is right but what is evil.

       (Prov 2:14 NCV)  They enjoy doing wrong and are happy to do what is 
       crooked and evil.

       (Prov 2:15 NCV)  What they do is wrong, and their ways are dishonest.

       (Prov 2:16 NCV)  It will save you from the unfaithful wife who tries 
       to lead you into adultery with pleasing words.

       (Prov 2:17 NCV)  She leaves the husband she married when she was 
       young. She ignores the promise she made before God.

       (Prov 2:18 NCV)  Her house is on the way to death; those who took that 
       path are now all dead.

       (Prov 2:19 NCV)  No one who goes to her comes back or walks the path 





       of life again.

       (Prov 2:20 NCV)  But wisdom will help you be good and do what is 
       right.

       (Prov 2:21 NCV)  Those who are honest will live in the land, and those 
       who are innocent will remain in it.

       (Prov 2:22 NCV)  But the wicked will be removed from the land, and the 
       unfaithful will be thrown out of it.

       (Prov 3:1 NCV)  My child, do not forget my teaching, but keep my 
       commands in mind.

       (Prov 3:2 NCV)  Then you will live a long time, and your life will be 
       successful.

       (Prov 3:3 NCV)  Don't ever forget kindness and truth. Wear them like a 
       necklace. Write them on your heart as if on a tablet.

       (Prov 3:4 NCV)  Then you will be respected and will please both God 
       and people.

       (Prov 3:5 NCV)  Trust the LORD with all your heart, and don't depend 
       on your own understanding.

       (Prov 3:6 NCV)  Remember the LORD in all you do, and he will give you 
       success.

       (Prov 3:7 NCV)  Don't depend on your own wisdom. Respect the LORD and 
       refuse to do wrong.

       (Prov 3:8 NCV)  Then your body will be healthy, and your bones will be 
       strong.

       (Prov 3:9 NCV)  Honor the LORD with your wealth and the firstfruits 
       from all your crops.

       (Prov 3:10 NCV)  Then your barns will be full, and your wine barrels 
       will overflow with new wine.

       (Prov 3:11 NCV)  My child, do not reject the Lord's discipline, and 
       don't get angry when he corrects you.

       (Prov 3:12 NCV)  The LORD corrects those he loves, just as parents 
       correct the child they delight in.

       (Prov 3:13 NCV)  Happy is the person who finds wisdom, the one who 
       gets understanding.

       (Prov 3:14 NCV)  Wisdom is worth more than silver; it brings more 
       profit than gold.

       (Prov 3:15 NCV)  Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you 
       could want is equal to it.





       (Prov 3:16 NCV)  With her right hand wisdom offers you a long life, 
       and with her left hand she gives you riches and honor.

       (Prov 3:17 NCV)  Wisdom will make your life pleasant and will bring 
       you peace.

       (Prov 3:18 NCV)  As a tree produces fruit, wisdom gives life to those 
       who use it, and everyone who uses it will be happy.

       (Prov 3:19 NCV)  The LORD made the earth, using his wisdom. He set the 
       sky in place, using his understanding.

       (Prov 3:20 NCV)  With his knowledge, he made springs flow into rivers 
       and the clouds drop rain on the earth.

       (Prov 3:21 NCV)  My child, hold on to wisdom and good sense. Don't let 
       them out of your sight.

       (Prov 3:22 NCV)  They will give you life and beauty like a necklace 
       around your neck.

       (Prov 3:23 NCV)  Then you will go your way in safety, and you will not 
       get hurt.

       (Prov 3:24 NCV)  When you lie down, you won't be afraid; when you lie 
       down, you will sleep in peace.

       (Prov 3:25 NCV)  You won't be afraid of sudden trouble; you won't fear 
       the ruin that comes to the wicked,

       (Prov 3:26 NCV)  because the LORD will keep you safe. He will keep you 
       from being trapped.

       (Prov 3:27 NCV)  Whenever you are able, do good to people who need 
       help.

       (Prov 3:28 NCV)  If you have what your neighbor asks for, don't say, 
       "Come back later. I will give it to you tomorrow."

       (Prov 3:29 NCV)  Don't make plans to hurt your neighbor who lives 
       nearby and trusts you.

       (Prov 3:30 NCV)  Don't accuse a person for no good reason; don't 
       accuse someone who has not harmed you.

       (Prov 3:31 NCV)  Don't be jealous of those who use violence, and don't 
       choose to be like them.

       (Prov 3:32 NCV)  The LORD hates those who do wrong, but he is a friend 
       to those who are honest.

       (Prov 3:33 NCV)  The LORD will curse the evil person's house, but he 
       will bless the home of those who do right.

       (Prov 3:34 NCV)  The LORD laughs at those who laugh at him, but he 
       gives grace to those who are not proud.






       (Prov 3:35 NCV)  Wise people will receive honor, but fools will be 
       disgraced.

       (Prov 4:1 NCV)  My children, listen to your father's teaching; pay 
       attention so you will understand.

       (Prov 4:2 NCV)  What I am telling you is good, so do not forget what I 
       teach you.

       (Prov 4:3 NCV)  When I was a young boy in my father's house and like 
       an only child to my mother,

       (Prov 4:4 NCV)  my father taught me and said, "Hold on to my words 
       with all your heart. Keep my commands and you will live.

       (Prov 4:5 NCV)  Get wisdom and understanding. Don't forget or ignore 
       my words.

       (Prov 4:6 NCV)  Hold on to wisdom, and it will take care of you. Love 
       it, and it will keep you safe.

       (Prov 4:7 NCV)  Wisdom is the most important thing; so get wisdom. If 
       it costs everything you have, get understanding.

       (Prov 4:8 NCV)  Treasure wisdom, and it will make you great; hold on 
       to it, and it will bring you honor.

       (Prov 4:9 NCV)  It will be like flowers in your hair and like a 
       beautiful crown on your head."

       (Prov 4:10 NCV)  My child, listen and accept what I say. Then you will 
       have a long life.

       (Prov 4:11 NCV)  I am guiding you in the way of wisdom, and I am 
       leading you on the right path.

       (Prov 4:12 NCV)  Nothing will hold you back; you will not be 
       overwhelmed.

       (Prov 4:13 NCV)  Always remember what you have been taught, and don't 
       let go of it. Keep all that you have learned; it is the most important 
       thing in life.

       (Prov 4:14 NCV)  Don't follow the ways of the wicked; don't do what 
       evil people do.

       (Prov 4:15 NCV)  Avoid their ways, and don't follow them. Stay away 
       from them and keep on going,

       (Prov 4:16 NCV)  because they cannot sleep until they do evil. They 
       cannot rest until they harm someone.

       (Prov 4:17 NCV)  They feast on wickedness and cruelty as if they were 
       eating bread and drinking wine.





       (Prov 4:18 NCV)  The way of the good person is like the light of dawn, 
       growing brighter and brighter until full daylight.

       (Prov 4:19 NCV)  But the wicked walk around in the dark; they can't 
       even see what makes them stumble.

       (Prov 4:20 NCV)  My child, pay attention to my words; listen closely 
       to what I say.

       (Prov 4:21 NCV)  Don't ever forget my words; keep them always in mind.

       (Prov 4:22 NCV)  They are the key to life for those who find them; 
       they bring health to the whole body.

       (Prov 4:23 NCV)  Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run 
       your life.

       (Prov 4:24 NCV)  Don't use your mouth to tell lies; don't ever say 
       things that are not true.

       (Prov 4:25 NCV)  Keep your eyes focused on what is right, and look 
       straight ahead to what is good.

       (Prov 4:26 NCV)  Be careful what you do, and always do what is right.

       (Prov 4:27 NCV)  Don't turn off the road of goodness; keep away from 
       evil paths.

       (Prov 5:1 NCV)  My son, pay attention to my wisdom; listen to my words 
       of understanding.

       (Prov 5:2 NCV)  Be careful to use good sense, and watch what you say.

       (Prov 5:3 NCV)  The words of another man's wife may seem sweet as 
       honey; they may be as smooth as olive oil.

       (Prov 5:4 NCV)  But in the end she will bring you sorrow, causing you 
       pain like a two-edged sword.

       (Prov 5:5 NCV)  She is on the way to death; her steps are headed 
       straight to the grave.

       (Prov 5:6 NCV)  She gives little thought to life. She doesn't even 
       know that her ways are wrong.

       (Prov 5:7 NCV)  Now, my sons, listen to me, and don't ignore what I 
       say.

       (Prov 5:8 NCV)  Stay away from such a woman. Don't even go near the 
       door of her house,

       (Prov 5:9 NCV)  or you will give your riches to others, and the best 
       years of your life will be given to someone cruel.

       (Prov 5:10 NCV)  Strangers will enjoy your wealth, and what you worked 
       so hard for will go to someone else.






       (Prov 5:11 NCV)  You will groan at the end of your life when your 
       health is gone.

       (Prov 5:12 NCV)  Then you will say, "I hated being told what to do! I 
       would not listen to correction!

       (Prov 5:13 NCV)  I would not listen to my teachers or pay attention to 
       my instructors.

       (Prov 5:14 NCV)  I came close to being completely ruined in front of a 
       whole group of people."

       (Prov 5:15 NCV)  Be faithful to your own wife, just as you drink water 
       from your own well.

       (Prov 5:16 NCV)  Don't pour your water in the streets; don't give your 
       love to just any woman.

       (Prov 5:17 NCV)  These things are yours alone and shouldn't be shared 
       with strangers.

       (Prov 5:18 NCV)  Be happy with the wife you married when you were 
       young. She gives you joy, as your fountain gives you water.

       (Prov 5:19 NCV)  She is as lovely and graceful as a deer. Let her love 
       always make you happy; let her love always hold you captive.

       (Prov 5:20 NCV)  My son, don't be held captive by a woman who takes 
       part in adultery. Don't hug another man's wife.

       (Prov 5:21 NCV)  The LORD sees everything you do, and he watches where 
       you go.

       (Prov 5:22 NCV)  An evil man will be caught in his wicked ways; the 
       ropes of his sins will tie him up.

       (Prov 5:23 NCV)  He will die because he does not control himself, and 
       he will be held captive by his foolishness.

       (Prov 6:1 NCV)  My child, be careful about giving a guarantee for 
       somebody else's loan, about promising to pay what someone else owes.

       (Prov 6:2 NCV)  You might get trapped by what you say; you might be 
       caught by your own words.

       (Prov 6:3 NCV)  My child, if you have done this and are under your 
       neighbor's control, here is how to get free. Don't be proud. Go to 
       your neighbor and beg to be free from your promise.

       (Prov 6:4 NCV)  Don't go to sleep or even rest your eyes,

       (Prov 6:5 NCV)  but free yourself like a deer running from a hunter, 
       like a bird flying away from a trapper.

       (Prov 6:6 NCV)  Go watch the ants, you lazy person. Watch what they do 





       and be wise.

       (Prov 6:7 NCV)  Ants have no commander, no leader or ruler,

       (Prov 6:8 NCV)  but they store up food in the summer and gather their 
       supplies at harvest.

       (Prov 6:9 NCV)  How long will you lie there, you lazy person? When 
       will you get up from sleeping?

       (Prov 6:10 NCV)  You sleep a little; you take a nap. You fold your 
       hands and lie down to rest.

       (Prov 6:11 NCV)  So you will be as poor as if you had been robbed; you 
       will have as little as if you had been held up.

       (Prov 6:12 NCV)  Some people are wicked and no good. They go around 
       telling lies,

       (Prov 6:13 NCV)  winking with their eyes, tapping with their feet, and 
       making signs with their fingers.

       (Prov 6:14 NCV)  They make evil plans in their hearts and are always 
       starting arguments.

       (Prov 6:15 NCV)  So trouble will strike them in an instant; suddenly 
       they will be so hurt no one can help them.

       (Prov 6:16 NCV)  There are six things the LORD hates. There are seven 
       things he cannot stand:

       (Prov 6:17 NCV)  a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that kill 
       innocent people,

       (Prov 6:18 NCV)  a mind that thinks up evil plans, feet that are quick 
       to do evil,

       (Prov 6:19 NCV)  a witness who lies, and someone who starts arguments 
       among families.

       (Prov 6:20 NCV)  My son, keep your father's commands, and don't forget 
       your mother's teaching.

       (Prov 6:21 NCV)  Keep their words in mind forever as though you had 
       them tied around your neck.

       (Prov 6:22 NCV)  They will guide you when you walk. They will guard 
       you when you sleep. They will speak to you when you are awake.

       (Prov 6:23 NCV)  These commands are like a lamp; this teaching is like 
       a light. And the correction that comes from them will help you have 
       life.

       (Prov 6:24 NCV)  They will keep you from sinful women and from the 
       pleasing words of another man's unfaithful wife.





       (Prov 6:25 NCV)  Don't desire her because she is beautiful. Don't let 
       her capture you by the way she looks at you.

       (Prov 6:26 NCV)  A prostitute will treat you like a loaf of bread, and 
       a woman who takes part in adultery may cost you your life.

       (Prov 6:27 NCV)  You cannot carry hot coals against your chest without 
       burning your clothes,

       (Prov 6:28 NCV)  and you cannot walk on hot coals without burning your 
       feet.

       (Prov 6:29 NCV)  The same is true if you have sexual relations with 
       another man's wife. Anyone who does so will be punished.

       (Prov 6:30 NCV)  People don't hate a thief when he steals because he 
       is hungry.

       (Prov 6:31 NCV)  But if he is caught, he must pay back seven times 
       what he stole, and it may cost him everything he owns.

       (Prov 6:32 NCV)  A man who takes part in adultery has no sense; he 
       will destroy himself.

       (Prov 6:33 NCV)  He will be beaten up and disgraced, and his shame 
       will never go away.

       (Prov 6:34 NCV)  Jealousy makes a husband very angry, and he will have 
       no pity when he gets revenge.

       (Prov 6:35 NCV)  He will accept no payment for the wrong; he will take 
       no amount of money.

       (Prov 7:1 NCV)  My son, remember what I say, and treasure my commands.

       (Prov 7:2 NCV)  Obey my commands, and you will live. Guard my 
       teachings as you would your own eyes.

       (Prov 7:3 NCV)  Remind yourself of them; write them on your heart as 
       if on a tablet.

       (Prov 7:4 NCV)  Treat wisdom as a sister, and make understanding your 
       closest friend.

       (Prov 7:5 NCV)  Wisdom and understanding will keep you away from 
       adultery, away from the unfaithful wife and her pleasing words.

       (Prov 7:6 NCV)  Once while I was at the window of my house I looked 
       out through the shutters

       (Prov 7:7 NCV)  and saw some foolish, young men. I noticed one of them 
       had no wisdom.

       (Prov 7:8 NCV)  He was walking down the street near the corner on the 
       road leading to her house.





       (Prov 7:9 NCV)  It was the twilight of the evening; the darkness of 
       the night was just beginning.

       (Prov 7:10 NCV)  Then the woman approached him, dressed like a 
       prostitute and planning to trick him.

       (Prov 7:11 NCV)  She was loud and stubborn and never stayed at home.

       (Prov 7:12 NCV)  She was always out in the streets or in the city 
       squares, waiting around on the corners of the streets.

       (Prov 7:13 NCV)  She grabbed him and kissed him. Without shame she 
       said to him,

       (Prov 7:14 NCV)  "I made my fellowship offering and took some of the 
       meat home. Today I have kept my special promises.

       (Prov 7:15 NCV)  So I have come out to meet you; I have been looking 
       for you and have found you.

       (Prov 7:16 NCV)  I have covered my bed with colored sheets from Egypt.

       (Prov 7:17 NCV)  I have made my bed smell sweet with myrrh, aloes, and 
       cinnamon.

       (Prov 7:18 NCV)  Come, let's make love until morning. Let's enjoy each 
       other's love.

       (Prov 7:19 NCV)  My husband is not home; he has gone on a long trip.

       (Prov 7:20 NCV)  He took a lot of money with him and won't be home for 
       weeks."

       (Prov 7:21 NCV)  By her clever words she made him give in; by her 
       pleasing words she led him into doing wrong.

       (Prov 7:22 NCV)  All at once he followed her, like an ox led to the 
       butcher, like a deer caught in a trap

       (Prov 7:23 NCV)  and shot through the liver with an arrow. Like a bird 
       caught in a trap, he didn't know what he did would kill him.

       (Prov 7:24 NCV)  Now, my sons, listen to me; pay attention to what I 
       say.

       (Prov 7:25 NCV)  Don't let yourself be tricked by such a woman; don't 
       go where she leads you.

       (Prov 7:26 NCV)  She has ruined many good men, and many have died 
       because of her.

       (Prov 7:27 NCV)  Her house is on the road to death, the road that 
       leads down to the grave.

       (Prov 8:1 NCV)  Wisdom calls to you like someone shouting; 
       understanding raises her voice.






       (Prov 8:2 NCV)  On the hilltops along the road and at the crossroads, 
       she stands calling.

       (Prov 8:3 NCV)  Beside the city gates, at the entrances into the city, 
       she calls out:

       (Prov 8:4 NCV)  "Listen, everyone, I'm calling out to you; I am 
       shouting to all people.

       (Prov 8:5 NCV)  You who are uneducated, be smarter. You who are 
       foolish, get understanding.

       (Prov 8:6 NCV)  Listen, because I have important things to say, and 
       what I tell you is right.

       (Prov 8:7 NCV)  What I say is true, I refuse to speak evil.

       (Prov 8:8 NCV)  Everything I say is honest; nothing I say is crooked 
       or false.

       (Prov 8:9 NCV)  People with good sense know what I say is true; and 
       those with knowledge know my words are right.

       (Prov 8:10 NCV)  Choose my teachings instead of silver, and knowledge 
       rather than the finest gold.

       (Prov 8:11 NCV)  Wisdom is more precious than rubies. Nothing you 
       could want is equal to it.

       (Prov 8:12 NCV)  "I am wisdom, and I am smart. I also have knowledge 
       and good sense.

       (Prov 8:13 NCV)  If you respect the LORD, you will also hate evil. I 
       hate pride and bragging, evil ways and lies.

       (Prov 8:14 NCV)  I have good sense and advice, and I have 
       understanding and power.

       (Prov 8:15 NCV)  I help kings to govern and rulers to make fair laws.

       (Prov 8:16 NCV)  Princes use me to lead, and so do all important 
       people who judge fairly.

       (Prov 8:17 NCV)  I love those who love me, and those who seek me find 
       me.

       (Prov 8:18 NCV)  Riches and honor are mine to give. So are wealth and 
       lasting success.

       (Prov 8:19 NCV)  What I give is better than the finest gold, better 
       than the purest silver.

       (Prov 8:20 NCV)  I do what is right and follow the path of justice.

       (Prov 8:21 NCV)  I give wealth to those who love me, filling their 





       houses with treasures.

       (Prov 8:22 NCV)  "I, wisdom, was with the LORD when he began his work, 
       long before he made anything else.

       (Prov 8:23 NCV)  I was created in the very beginning, even before the 
       world began.

       (Prov 8:24 NCV)  I was born before there were oceans, or springs 
       overflowing with water,

       (Prov 8:25 NCV)  before the hills were there, before the mountains 
       were put in place.

       (Prov 8:26 NCV)  God had not made the earth or fields, not even the 
       first dust of the earth.

       (Prov 8:27 NCV)  I was there when God put the skies in place, when he 
       stretched the horizon over the oceans,

       (Prov 8:28 NCV)  when he made the clouds above and put the deep 
       underground springs in place.

       (Prov 8:29 NCV)  I was there when he ordered the sea not to go beyond 
       the borders he had set. I was there when he laid the earth's 
       foundation.

       (Prov 8:30 NCV)  I was like a child by his side. I was delighted every 
       day, enjoying his presence all the time,

       (Prov 8:31 NCV)  enjoying the whole world, and delighted with all its 
       people.

       (Prov 8:32 NCV)  "Now, my children, listen to me, because those who 
       follow my ways are happy.

       (Prov 8:33 NCV)  Listen to my teaching, and you will be wise; do not 
       ignore it.

       (Prov 8:34 NCV)  Happy are those who listen to me, watching at my door 
       every day, waiting at my open doorway.

       (Prov 8:35 NCV)  Those who find me find life, and the LORD will be 
       pleased with them.

       (Prov 8:36 NCV)  Those who do not find me hurt themselves. Those who 
       hate me love death."

       (Prov 9:1 NCV)  Wisdom has built her house; she has made its seven 
       columns.

       (Prov 9:2 NCV)  She has prepared her food and wine; she has set her 
       table.

       (Prov 9:3 NCV)  She has sent out her servant girls, and she calls out 
       from the highest place in the city.






       (Prov 9:4 NCV)  She says to those who are uneducated, "Come in here, 
       you foolish people!

       (Prov 9:5 NCV)  Come and eat my food and drink the wine I have 
       prepared.

       (Prov 9:6 NCV)  Stop your foolish ways, and you will live; take the 
       road of understanding.

       (Prov 9:7 NCV)  "If you correct someone who makes fun of wisdom, you 
       will be insulted. If you correct an evil person, you will get hurt.

       (Prov 9:8 NCV)  Do not correct those who make fun of wisdom, or they 
       will hate you. But correct the wise, and they will love you.

       (Prov 9:9 NCV)  Teach the wise, and they will become even wiser; teach 
       good people, and they will learn even more.

       (Prov 9:10 NCV)  "Wisdom begins with respect for the LORD, and 
       understanding begins with knowing the Holy One.

       (Prov 9:11 NCV)  If you live wisely, you will live a long time; wisdom 
       will add years to your life.

       (Prov 9:12 NCV)  The wise person is rewarded by wisdom, but whoever 
       makes fun of wisdom will suffer for it."

       (Prov 9:13 NCV)  Foolishness is like a loud woman; she does not have 
       wisdom or knowledge.

       (Prov 9:14 NCV)  She sits at the door of her house at the highest 
       place in the city.

       (Prov 9:15 NCV)  She calls out to those who are passing by, who are 
       going along, minding their own business.

       (Prov 9:16 NCV)  She says to those who are uneducated, "Come in here, 
       you foolish people!

       (Prov 9:17 NCV)  Stolen water is sweeter, and food eaten in secret 
       tastes better."

       (Prov 9:18 NCV)  But these people don't know that everyone who goes 
       there dies, that her guests end up deep in the grave.

       (Prov 10:1 NCV)  These are the wise words of Solomon: A wise son makes 
       his father happy, but a foolish son makes his mother sad.

       (Prov 10:2 NCV)  Riches gotten by doing wrong have no value, but right 
       living will save you from death.

       (Prov 10:3 NCV)  The LORD does not let good people go hungry, but he 
       keeps evil people from getting what they want.

       (Prov 10:4 NCV)  A lazy person will end up poor, but a hard worker 





       will become rich.

       (Prov 10:5 NCV)  Those who gather crops on time are wise, but those 
       who sleep through the harvest are a disgrace.

       (Prov 10:6 NCV)  Good people will have rich blessings, but the wicked 
       will be overwhelmed by violence.

       (Prov 10:7 NCV)  Good people will be remembered as a blessing, but 
       evil people will soon be forgotten.

       (Prov 10:8 NCV)  The wise do what they are told, but a talkative fool 
       will be ruined.

       (Prov 10:9 NCV)  The honest person will live in safety, but the 
       dishonest will be caught.

       (Prov 10:10 NCV)  A wink may get you into trouble, and foolish talk 
       will lead to your ruin.

       (Prov 10:11 NCV)  The words of a good person give life, like a 
       fountain of water, but the words of the wicked contain nothing but 
       violence.

       (Prov 10:12 NCV)  Hatred stirs up trouble, but love forgives all 
       wrongs.

       (Prov 10:13 NCV)  Smart people speak wisely, but people without wisdom 
       should be punished.

       (Prov 10:14 NCV)  The wise don't tell everything they know, but the 
       foolish talk too much and are ruined.

       (Prov 10:15 NCV)  Having lots of money protects the rich, but having 
       no money destroys the poor.

       (Prov 10:16 NCV)  Good people are rewarded with life, but evil people 
       are paid with punishment.

       (Prov 10:17 NCV)  Whoever accepts correction is on the way to life, 
       but whoever ignores correction will lead others away from life.

       (Prov 10:18 NCV)  Whoever hides hate is a liar. Whoever tells lies is 
       a fool.

       (Prov 10:19 NCV)  If you talk a lot, you are sure to sin; if you are 
       wise, you will keep quiet.

       (Prov 10:20 NCV)  The words of a good person are like pure silver, but 
       an evil person's thoughts are worth very little.

       (Prov 10:21 NCV)  Good people's words will help many others, but fools 
       will die because they don't have wisdom.

       (Prov 10:22 NCV)  The Lord's blessing brings wealth, and no sorrow 
       comes with it.






       (Prov 10:23 NCV)  A foolish person enjoys doing wrong, but a person 
       with understanding enjoys doing what is wise.

       (Prov 10:24 NCV)  Evil people will get what they fear most, but good 
       people will get what they want most.

       (Prov 10:25 NCV)  A storm will blow the evil person away, but a good 
       person will always be safe.

       (Prov 10:26 NCV)  A lazy person affects the one he works for like 
       vinegar on the teeth or smoke in the eyes.

       (Prov 10:27 NCV)  Whoever respects the LORD will have a long life, but 
       the life of an evil person will be cut short.

       (Prov 10:28 NCV)  A good person can look forward to happiness, but an 
       evil person can expect nothing.

       (Prov 10:29 NCV)  The LORD will protect good people but will ruin 
       those who do evil.

       (Prov 10:30 NCV)  Good people will always be safe, but evil people 
       will not remain in the land.

       (Prov 10:31 NCV)  A good person says wise things, but a liar's tongue 
       will be stopped.

       (Prov 10:32 NCV)  Good people know the right thing to say, but evil 
       people only tell lies.

       (Prov 11:1 NCV)  The LORD hates dishonest scales, but he is pleased 
       with honest weights.

       (Prov 11:2 NCV)  Pride leads only to shame; it is wise to be humble.

       (Prov 11:3 NCV)  Good people will be guided by honesty; dishonesty 
       will destroy those who are not trustworthy.

       (Prov 11:4 NCV)  Riches will not help when it's time to die, but right 
       living will save you from death.

       (Prov 11:5 NCV)  The goodness of the innocent makes life easier, but 
       the wicked will be destroyed by their wickedness.

       (Prov 11:6 NCV)  Doing right brings freedom to honest people, but 
       those who are not trustworthy will be caught by their own desires.

       (Prov 11:7 NCV)  When the wicked die, hope dies with them; their hope 
       in riches will come to nothing.

       (Prov 11:8 NCV)  The good person is saved from trouble; it comes to 
       the wicked instead.

       (Prov 11:9 NCV)  With words an evil person can destroy a neighbor, but 
       a good person will escape by being smart.






       (Prov 11:10 NCV)  When good people succeed, the city is happy. When 
       evil people die, there are shouts of joy.

       (Prov 11:11 NCV)  Good people bless and build up their city, but the 
       wicked can destroy it with their words.

       (Prov 11:12 NCV)  People without good sense find fault with their 
       neighbors, but those with understanding keep quiet.

       (Prov 11:13 NCV)  Gossips can't keep secrets, but a trustworthy person 
       can.

       (Prov 11:14 NCV)  Without leadership a nation falls, but lots of good 
       advice will save it.

       (Prov 11:15 NCV)  Whoever guarantees to pay somebody else's loan will 
       suffer. It is safer to avoid such promises.

       (Prov 11:16 NCV)  A kind woman gets respect, but cruel men get only 
       wealth.

       (Prov 11:17 NCV)  Kind people do themselves a favor, but cruel people 
       bring trouble on themselves.

       (Prov 11:18 NCV)  An evil person really earns nothing, but a good 
       person will surely be rewarded.

       (Prov 11:19 NCV)  Those who are truly good will live, but those who 
       chase after evil will die.

       (Prov 11:20 NCV)  The LORD hates those with evil hearts but is pleased 
       with those who are innocent.

       (Prov 11:21 NCV)  Evil people will certainly be punished, but those 
       who do right will be set free.

       (Prov 11:22 NCV)  A beautiful woman without good sense is like a gold 
       ring in a pig's snout.

       (Prov 11:23 NCV)  Those who do right only wish for good, but the 
       wicked can expect to be defeated by God's anger.

       (Prov 11:24 NCV)  Some people give much but get back even more. Others 
       don't give what they should and end up poor.

       (Prov 11:25 NCV)  Whoever gives to others will get richer; those who 
       help others will themselves be helped.

       (Prov 11:26 NCV)  People curse those who keep all the grain, but they 
       bless the one who is willing to sell it.

       (Prov 11:27 NCV)  Whoever looks for good will find kindness, but 
       whoever looks for evil will find trouble.

       (Prov 11:28 NCV)  Those who trust in riches will be ruined, but a good 





       person will be healthy like a green leaf.

       (Prov 11:29 NCV)  Whoever brings trouble to his family will be left 
       with nothing but the wind. A fool will be a servant to the wise.

       (Prov 11:30 NCV)  A good person gives life to others; the wise person 
       teaches others how to live.

       (Prov 11:31 NCV)  Good people will be rewarded on earth, and the 
       wicked and the sinners will be punished.

       (Prov 12:1 NCV)  Anyone who loves learning accepts correction, but a 
       person who hates being corrected is stupid.

       (Prov 12:2 NCV)  The LORD is pleased with a good person, but he will 
       punish anyone who plans evil.

       (Prov 12:3 NCV)  Doing evil brings no safety at all, but a good person 
       has safety and security.

       (Prov 12:4 NCV)  A good wife is like a crown for her husband, but a 
       disgraceful wife is like a disease in his bones.

       (Prov 12:5 NCV)  The plans that good people make are fair, but the 
       advice of the wicked will trick you.

       (Prov 12:6 NCV)  The wicked talk about killing people, but the words 
       of good people will save them.

       (Prov 12:7 NCV)  Wicked people die and they are no more, but a good 
       person's family continues.

       (Prov 12:8 NCV)  The wisdom of the wise wins praise, but there is no 
       respect for the stupid.

       (Prov 12:9 NCV)  A person who is not important but has a servant is 
       better off than someone who acts important but has no food.

       (Prov 12:10 NCV)  Good people take care of their animals, but even the 
       kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.

       (Prov 12:11 NCV)  Those who work their land will have plenty of food, 
       but the one who chases empty dreams is not wise.

       (Prov 12:12 NCV)  The wicked want what other evil people have stolen, 
       but good people want to give what they have to others.

       (Prov 12:13 NCV)  Evil people are trapped by their evil talk, but good 
       people stay out of trouble.

       (Prov 12:14 NCV)  People will be rewarded for what they say, and they 
       will also be rewarded for what they do.

       (Prov 12:15 NCV)  Fools think they are doing right, but the wise 
       listen to advice.





       (Prov 12:16 NCV)  Fools quickly show that they are upset, but the wise 
       ignore insults.

       (Prov 12:17 NCV)  An honest witness tells the truth, but a dishonest 
       witness tells lies.

       (Prov 12:18 NCV)  Careless words stab like a sword, but wise words 
       bring healing.

       (Prov 12:19 NCV)  Truth will continue forever, but lies are only for a 
       moment.

       (Prov 12:20 NCV)  Those who plan evil are full of lies, but those who 
       plan peace are happy.

       (Prov 12:21 NCV)  No harm comes to a good person, but an evil person's 
       life is full of trouble.

       (Prov 12:22 NCV)  The LORD hates those who tell lies but is pleased 
       with those who keep their promises.

       (Prov 12:23 NCV)  Wise people keep what they know to themselves, but 
       fools can't keep from showing how foolish they are.

       (Prov 12:24 NCV)  Hard workers will become leaders, but those who are 
       lazy will be slaves.

       (Prov 12:25 NCV)  Worry is a heavy load, but a kind word cheers you 
       up.

       (Prov 12:26 NCV)  Good people take advice from their friends, but an 
       evil person is easily led to do wrong.

       (Prov 12:27 NCV)  The lazy catch no food to cook, but a hard worker 
       will have great wealth.

       (Prov 12:28 NCV)  Doing what is right is the way to life, but there is 
       another way that leads to death.

       (Prov 13:1 NCV)  Wise children take their parents' advice, but whoever 
       makes fun of wisdom won't listen to correction.

       (Prov 13:2 NCV)  People will be rewarded for what they say, but those 
       who can't be trusted want only violence.

       (Prov 13:3 NCV)  Those who are careful about what they say protect 
       their lives, but whoever speaks without thinking will be ruined.

       (Prov 13:4 NCV)  The lazy will not get what they want, but those who 
       work hard will.

       (Prov 13:5 NCV)  Good people hate what is false, but the wicked do 
       shameful and disgraceful things.

       (Prov 13:6 NCV)  Doing what is right protects the honest person, but 
       doing evil ruins the sinner.






       (Prov 13:7 NCV)  Some people pretend to be rich but really have 
       nothing. Others pretend to be poor but really are wealthy.

       (Prov 13:8 NCV)  The rich may have to pay a ransom for their lives, 
       but the poor will face no such danger.

       (Prov 13:9 NCV)  Good people can look forward to a bright future, but 
       the future of the wicked is like a flame going out.

       (Prov 13:10 NCV)  Pride only leads to arguments, but those who take 
       advice are wise.

       (Prov 13:11 NCV)  Money that comes easily disappears quickly, but 
       money that is gathered little by little will grow.

       (Prov 13:12 NCV)  It is sad not to get what you hoped for. But wishes 
       that come true are like eating fruit from the tree of life.

       (Prov 13:13 NCV)  Those who reject what they are taught will pay for 
       it, but those who obey what they are told will be rewarded.

       (Prov 13:14 NCV)  The teaching of a wise person gives life. It is like 
       a fountain that can save people from death.

       (Prov 13:15 NCV)  People with good understanding will be well liked, 
       but the lives of those who are not trustworthy are hard.

       (Prov 13:16 NCV)  Every wise person acts with good sense, but fools 
       show how foolish they are.

       (Prov 13:17 NCV)  A wicked messenger brings nothing but trouble, but a 
       trustworthy one makes everything right.

       (Prov 13:18 NCV)  A person who refuses correction will end up poor and 
       disgraced, but the one who accepts correction will be honored.

       (Prov 13:19 NCV)  It is so good when wishes come true, but fools hate 
       to stop doing evil.

       (Prov 13:20 NCV)  Spend time with the wise and you will become wise, 
       but the friends of fools will suffer.

       (Prov 13:21 NCV)  Trouble always comes to sinners, but good people 
       enjoy success.

       (Prov 13:22 NCV)  Good people leave their wealth to their 
       grandchildren, but a sinner's wealth is stored up for good people.

       (Prov 13:23 NCV)  A poor person's field might produce plenty of food, 
       but others often steal it away.

       (Prov 13:24 NCV)  If you do not punish your children, you don't love 
       them, but if you love your children, you will correct them.

       (Prov 13:25 NCV)  Good people have enough to eat, but the wicked will 





       go hungry.

       (Prov 14:1 NCV)  A wise woman strengthens her family, but a foolish 
       woman destroys hers by what she does.

       (Prov 14:2 NCV)  People who live good lives respect the LORD, but 
       those who live evil lives don't.

       (Prov 14:3 NCV)  Fools will be punished for their proud words, but the 
       words of the wise will protect them.

       (Prov 14:4 NCV)  When there are no oxen, no food is in the barn. But 
       with a strong ox, much grain can be grown.

       (Prov 14:5 NCV)  A truthful witness does not lie, but a false witness 
       tells nothing but lies.

       (Prov 14:6 NCV)  Those who make fun of wisdom look for it and do not 
       find it, but knowledge comes easily to those with understanding.

       (Prov 14:7 NCV)  Stay away from fools, because they can't teach you 
       anything.

       (Prov 14:8 NCV)  A wise person will understand what to do, but a 
       foolish person is dishonest.

       (Prov 14:9 NCV)  Fools don't care if they sin, but honest people work 
       at being right.

       (Prov 14:10 NCV)  No one else can know your sadness, and strangers 
       cannot share your joy.

       (Prov 14:11 NCV)  The wicked person's house will be destroyed, but a 
       good person's tent will still be standing.

       (Prov 14:12 NCV)  Some people think they are doing right, but in the 
       end it leads to death.

       (Prov 14:13 NCV)  Someone who is laughing may be sad inside, and joy 
       may end in sadness.

       (Prov 14:14 NCV)  Evil people will be paid back for their evil ways, 
       and good people will be rewarded for their good ones.

       (Prov 14:15 NCV)  Fools will believe anything, but the wise think 
       about what they do.

       (Prov 14:16 NCV)  Wise people are careful and stay out of trouble, but 
       fools are careless and quick to act.

       (Prov 14:17 NCV)  Someone with a quick temper does foolish things, but 
       someone with understanding remains calm.

       (Prov 14:18 NCV)  Fools are rewarded with nothing but more 
       foolishness, but the wise are rewarded with knowledge.





       (Prov 14:19 NCV)  Evil people will bow down to those who are good; the 
       wicked will bow down at the door of those who do right.

       (Prov 14:20 NCV)  The poor are rejected, even by their neighbors, but 
       the rich have many friends.

       (Prov 14:21 NCV)  It is a sin to hate your neighbor, but being kind to 
       the needy brings happiness.

       (Prov 14:22 NCV)  Those who make evil plans will be ruined, but those 
       who plan to do good will be loved and trusted.

       (Prov 14:23 NCV)  Those who work hard make a profit, but those who 
       only talk will be poor.

       (Prov 14:24 NCV)  Wise people are rewarded with wealth, but fools only 
       get more foolishness.

       (Prov 14:25 NCV)  A truthful witness saves lives, but a false witness 
       is a traitor.

       (Prov 14:26 NCV)  Those who respect the LORD will have security, and 
       their children will be protected.

       (Prov 14:27 NCV)  Respect for the LORD gives life. It is like a 
       fountain that can save people from death.

       (Prov 14:28 NCV)  A king is honored when he has many people to rule, 
       but a prince is ruined if he has none.

       (Prov 14:29 NCV)  Patient people have great understanding, but people 
       with quick tempers show their foolishness.

       (Prov 14:30 NCV)  Peace of mind means a healthy body, but jealousy 
       will rot your bones.

       (Prov 14:31 NCV)  Whoever mistreats the poor insults their Maker, but 
       whoever is kind to the needy honors God.

       (Prov 14:32 NCV)  The wicked are ruined by their own evil, but those 
       who do right are protected even in death.

       (Prov 14:33 NCV)  Wisdom lives in those with understanding, and even 
       fools recognize it.

       (Prov 14:34 NCV)  Doing what is right makes a nation great, but sin 
       will bring disgrace to any people.

       (Prov 14:35 NCV)  A king is pleased with a wise servant, but he will 
       become angry with one who causes him shame.

       (Prov 15:1 NCV)  A gentle answer will calm a person's anger, but an 
       unkind answer will cause more anger.

       (Prov 15:2 NCV)  Wise people use knowledge when they speak, but fools 
       pour out foolishness.






       (Prov 15:3 NCV)  The Lord's eyes see everything; he watches both evil 
       and good people.

       (Prov 15:4 NCV)  As a tree gives fruit, healing words give life, but 
       dishonest words crush the spirit.

       (Prov 15:5 NCV)  Fools reject their parents' correction, but anyone 
       who accepts correction is wise.

       (Prov 15:6 NCV)  Much wealth is in the houses of good people, but evil 
       people get nothing but trouble.

       (Prov 15:7 NCV)  Wise people use their words to spread knowledge, but 
       there is no knowledge in the thoughts of fools.

       (Prov 15:8 NCV)  The LORD hates the sacrifice that the wicked offer, 
       but he likes the prayers of honest people.

       (Prov 15:9 NCV)  The LORD hates what evil people do, but he loves 
       those who do what is right.

       (Prov 15:10 NCV)  The person who quits doing what is right will be 
       punished, and the one who hates to be corrected will die.

       (Prov 15:11 NCV)  The LORD knows what is happening in the world of the 
       dead, so he surely knows the thoughts of the living.

       (Prov 15:12 NCV)  Those who make fun of wisdom don't like to be 
       corrected; they will not ask the wise for advice.

       (Prov 15:13 NCV)  Happiness makes a person smile, but sadness can 
       break a person's spirit.

       (Prov 15:14 NCV)  People with understanding want more knowledge, but 
       fools just want more foolishness.

       (Prov 15:15 NCV)  Every day is hard for those who suffer, but a happy 
       heart is like a continual feast.

       (Prov 15:16 NCV)  It is better to be poor and respect the LORD than to 
       be wealthy and have much trouble.

       (Prov 15:17 NCV)  It is better to eat vegetables with those who love 
       you than to eat meat with those who hate you.

       (Prov 15:18 NCV)  People with quick tempers cause trouble, but those 
       who control their tempers stop a quarrel.

       (Prov 15:19 NCV)  A lazy person's life is like a patch of thorns, but 
       an honest person's life is like a smooth highway.

       (Prov 15:20 NCV)  A wise son makes his father happy, but a foolish son 
       disrespects his mother.

       (Prov 15:21 NCV)  A person without wisdom enjoys being foolish, but 





       someone with understanding does what is right.

       (Prov 15:22 NCV)  Plans fail without good advice, but they succeed 
       with the advice of many others.

       (Prov 15:23 NCV)  People enjoy giving good advice. Saying the right 
       word at the right time is so pleasing.

       (Prov 15:24 NCV)  Wise people's lives get better and better. They 
       avoid whatever would cause their death.

       (Prov 15:25 NCV)  The LORD will tear down the proud person's house, 
       but he will protect the widow's property.

       (Prov 15:26 NCV)  The LORD hates evil thoughts but is pleased with 
       kind words.

       (Prov 15:27 NCV)  Greedy people bring trouble to their families, but 
       the person who can't be paid to do wrong will live.

       (Prov 15:28 NCV)  Good people think before they answer, but the wicked 
       simply pour out evil.

       (Prov 15:29 NCV)  The LORD does not listen to the wicked, but he hears 
       the prayers of those who do right.

       (Prov 15:30 NCV)  Good news makes you feel better. Your happiness will 
       show in your eyes.

       (Prov 15:31 NCV)  If you listen to correction to improve your life, 
       you will live among the wise.

       (Prov 15:32 NCV)  Those who refuse correction hate themselves, but 
       those who accept correction gain understanding.

       (Prov 15:33 NCV)  Respect for the LORD will teach you wisdom. If you 
       want to be honored, you must be humble.

       (Prov 16:1 NCV)  People may make plans in their minds, but only the 
       LORD can make them come true.

       (Prov 16:2 NCV)  You may believe you are doing right, but the LORD 
       will judge your reasons.

       (Prov 16:3 NCV)  Depend on the LORD in whatever you do, and your plans 
       will succeed.

       (Prov 16:4 NCV)  The LORD makes everything go as he pleases. He has 
       even prepared a day of disaster for evil people.

       (Prov 16:5 NCV)  The LORD hates those who are proud. They will surely 
       be punished.

       (Prov 16:6 NCV)  Love and truth bring forgiveness of sin. By 
       respecting the LORD you will avoid evil.





       (Prov 16:7 NCV)  When people live so that they please the LORD, even 
       their enemies will make peace with them.

       (Prov 16:8 NCV)  It is better to be poor and right than to be wealthy 
       and dishonest.

       (Prov 16:9 NCV)  People may make plans in their minds, but the LORD 
       decides what they will do.

       (Prov 16:10 NCV)  The words of a king are like a message from God, so 
       his decisions should be fair.

       (Prov 16:11 NCV)  The LORD wants honest balances and scales; all the 
       weights are his work.

       (Prov 16:12 NCV)  Kings hate those who do wrong, because governments 
       only continue if they are fair.

       (Prov 16:13 NCV)  Kings like honest people; they value someone who 
       speaks the truth.

       (Prov 16:14 NCV)  An angry king can put someone to death, so a wise 
       person will try to make him happy.

       (Prov 16:15 NCV)  A smiling king can give people life; his kindness is 
       like a spring shower.

       (Prov 16:16 NCV)  It is better to get wisdom than gold, and to choose 
       understanding rather than silver!

       (Prov 16:17 NCV)  Good people stay away from evil. By watching what 
       they do, they protect their lives.

       (Prov 16:18 NCV)  Pride will destroy a person; a proud attitude leads 
       to ruin.

       (Prov 16:19 NCV)  It is better to be humble and be with those who 
       suffer than to share stolen property with the proud.

       (Prov 16:20 NCV)  Whoever listens to what is taught will succeed, and 
       whoever trusts the LORD will be happy.

       (Prov 16:21 NCV)  The wise are known for their understanding. Their 
       pleasant words make them better teachers.

       (Prov 16:22 NCV)  Understanding is like a fountain which gives life to 
       those who use it, but foolishness brings punishment to fools.

       (Prov 16:23 NCV)  Wise people's minds tell them what to say, and that 
       helps them be better teachers.

       (Prov 16:24 NCV)  Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, making people 
       happy and healthy.

       (Prov 16:25 NCV)  Some people think they are doing right, but in the 
       end it leads to death.






       (Prov 16:26 NCV)  The workers' hunger helps them, because their desire 
       to eat makes them work.

       (Prov 16:27 NCV)  Useless people make evil plans, and their words are 
       like a burning fire.

       (Prov 16:28 NCV)  A useless person causes trouble, and a gossip ruins 
       friendships.

       (Prov 16:29 NCV)  Cruel people trick their neighbors and lead them to 
       do wrong.

       (Prov 16:30 NCV)  Someone who winks is planning evil, and the one who 
       grins is planning something wrong.

       (Prov 16:31 NCV)  Gray hair is like a crown of honor; it is earned by 
       living a good life.

       (Prov 16:32 NCV)  Patience is better than strength. Controlling your 
       temper is better than capturing a city.

       (Prov 16:33 NCV)  People throw lots to make a decision, but the answer 
       comes from the LORD.

       (Prov 17:1 NCV)  It is better to eat a dry crust of bread in peace 
       than to have a feast where there is quarreling.

       (Prov 17:2 NCV)  A wise servant will rule over the master's 
       disgraceful child and will even inherit a share of what the master 
       leaves his children.

       (Prov 17:3 NCV)  A hot furnace tests silver and gold, but the LORD 
       tests hearts.

       (Prov 17:4 NCV)  Evil people listen to evil words. Liars pay attention 
       to cruel words.

       (Prov 17:5 NCV)  Whoever mistreats the poor insults their Maker; 
       whoever enjoys someone's trouble will be punished.

       (Prov 17:6 NCV)  Old people are proud of their grandchildren, and 
       children are proud of their parents.

       (Prov 17:7 NCV)  Fools should not be proud, and rulers should not be 
       liars.

       (Prov 17:8 NCV)  Some people think they can pay others to do anything 
       they ask. They think it will work every time.

       (Prov 17:9 NCV)  Whoever forgives someone's sin makes a friend, but 
       gossiping about the sin breaks up friendships.

       (Prov 17:10 NCV)  A wise person will learn more from a warning than a 
       fool will learn from a hundred lashings.





       (Prov 17:11 NCV)  Disobedient people look only for trouble, so a cruel 
       messenger will be sent against them.

       (Prov 17:12 NCV)  It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than 
       to meet a fool doing foolish things.

       (Prov 17:13 NCV)  Whoever gives evil in return for good will always 
       have trouble at home.

       (Prov 17:14 NCV)  Starting a quarrel is like a leak in a dam, so stop 
       it before a fight breaks out.

       (Prov 17:15 NCV)  The LORD hates both of these things: freeing the 
       guilty and punishing the innocent.

       (Prov 17:16 NCV)  It won't do a fool any good to try to buy wisdom, 
       because he doesn't have the ability to be wise.

       (Prov 17:17 NCV)  A friend loves you all the time, and a brother helps 
       in time of trouble.

       (Prov 17:18 NCV)  It is not wise to promise to pay what your neighbor 
       owes.

       (Prov 17:19 NCV)  Whoever loves to argue loves to sin. Whoever brags a 
       lot is asking for trouble.

       (Prov 17:20 NCV)  A person with an evil heart will find no success, 
       and the person whose words are evil will get into trouble.

       (Prov 17:21 NCV)  It is sad to have a foolish child; there is no joy 
       in being the parent of a fool.

       (Prov 17:22 NCV)  A happy heart is like good medicine, but a broken 
       spirit drains your strength.

       (Prov 17:23 NCV)  When the wicked accept money to do wrong there can 
       be no justice.

       (Prov 17:24 NCV)  The person with understanding is always looking for 
       wisdom, but the mind of a fool wanders everywhere.

       (Prov 17:25 NCV)  A foolish son makes his father sad and causes his 
       mother great sorrow.

       (Prov 17:26 NCV)  It is not good to punish the innocent or to beat 
       leaders for being honest.

       (Prov 17:27 NCV)  The smart person says very little, and one with 
       understanding stays calm.

       (Prov 17:28 NCV)  Even fools seem to be wise if they keep quiet; if 
       they don't speak, they appear to understand.

       (Prov 18:1 NCV)  Unfriendly people are selfish and hate all good 
       sense.






       (Prov 18:2 NCV)  Fools do not want to understand anything. They only 
       want to tell others what they think.

       (Prov 18:3 NCV)  Do something evil, and people won't like you. Do 
       something shameful, and they will make fun of you.

       (Prov 18:4 NCV)  Spoken words can be like deep water, but wisdom is 
       like a flowing stream.

       (Prov 18:5 NCV)  It is not good to honor the wicked or to be unfair to 
       the innocent.

       (Prov 18:6 NCV)  The words of fools start quarrels. They make people 
       want to beat them.

       (Prov 18:7 NCV)  The words of fools will ruin them; their own words 
       will trap them.

       (Prov 18:8 NCV)  The words of a gossip are like tasty bits of food. 
       People like to gobble them up.

       (Prov 18:9 NCV)  A person who doesn't work hard is just like someone 
       who destroys things.

       (Prov 18:10 NCV)  The LORD is like a strong tower; those who do right 
       can run to him for safety.

       (Prov 18:11 NCV)  Rich people trust their wealth to protect them. They 
       think it is like the high walls of a city.

       (Prov 18:12 NCV)  Proud people will be ruined, but the humble will be 
       honored.

       (Prov 18:13 NCV)  Anyone who answers without listening is foolish and 
       confused.

       (Prov 18:14 NCV)  The will to live can get you through sickness, but 
       no one can live with a broken spirit.

       (Prov 18:15 NCV)  The mind of a person with understanding gets 
       knowledge; the wise person listens to learn more.

       (Prov 18:16 NCV)  Taking a gift to an important man will help get you 
       in to see him.

       (Prov 18:17 NCV)  The person who tells one side of a story seems 
       right, until someone else comes and asks questions.

       (Prov 18:18 NCV)  Throwing lots can settle arguments and keep the two 
       sides from fighting.

       (Prov 18:19 NCV)  A brother who has been insulted is harder to win 
       back than a walled city, and arguments separate people like the barred 
       gates of a palace.





       (Prov 18:20 NCV)  People will be rewarded for what they say; they will 
       be rewarded by how they speak.

       (Prov 18:21 NCV)  What you say can mean life or death. Those who speak 
       with care will be rewarded.

       (Prov 18:22 NCV)  When a man finds a wife, he finds something good. It 
       shows that the LORD is pleased with him.

       (Prov 18:23 NCV)  The poor beg for mercy, but the rich give rude 
       answers.

       (Prov 18:24 NCV)  Some friends may ruin you, but a real friend will be 
       more loyal than a brother.

       (Prov 19:1 NCV)  It is better to be poor and honest than to be foolish 
       and tell lies.

       (Prov 19:2 NCV)  Enthusiasm without knowledge is not good. If you act 
       too quickly, you might make a mistake.

       (Prov 19:3 NCV)  People's own foolishness ruins their lives, but in 
       their minds they blame the LORD.

       (Prov 19:4 NCV)  Wealthy people are always finding more friends, but 
       the poor lose all theirs.

       (Prov 19:5 NCV)  A witness who lies will not go free; liars will never 
       escape.

       (Prov 19:6 NCV)  Many people want to please a leader, and everyone is 
       friends with those who give gifts.

       (Prov 19:7 NCV)  Poor people's relatives avoid them; even their 
       friends stay far away. They run after them, begging, but they are 
       gone.

       (Prov 19:8 NCV)  Those who get wisdom do themselves a favor, and those 
       who love learning will succeed.

       (Prov 19:9 NCV)  A witness who lies will not go free, liars will die.

       (Prov 19:10 NCV)  A fool should not live in luxury. A slave should not 
       rule over princes.

       (Prov 19:11 NCV)  Smart people are patient; they will be honored if 
       they ignore insults.

       (Prov 19:12 NCV)  An angry king is like a roaring lion, but his 
       kindness is like the dew on the grass.

       (Prov 19:13 NCV)  A foolish son will ruin his father, and a quarreling 
       wife is like dripping water.

       (Prov 19:14 NCV)  Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a 
       wise wife is a gift from the LORD.






       (Prov 19:15 NCV)  Lazy people sleep a lot, and idle people will go 
       hungry.

       (Prov 19:16 NCV)  Those who obey the commands protect themselves, but 
       those who are careless will die.

       (Prov 19:17 NCV)  Being kind to the poor is like lending to the LORD; 
       he will reward you for what you have done.

       (Prov 19:18 NCV)  Correct your children while there is still hope; do 
       not let them destroy themselves.

       (Prov 19:19 NCV)  People with quick tempers will have to pay for it. 
       If you help them out once, you will have to do it again.

       (Prov 19:20 NCV)  Listen to advice and accept correction, and in the 
       end you will be wise.

       (Prov 19:21 NCV)  People can make all kinds of plans, but only the 
       Lord's plan will happen.

       (Prov 19:22 NCV)  People want others to be loyal, so it is better to 
       be poor than to be a liar.

       (Prov 19:23 NCV)  Those who respect the LORD will live and be 
       satisfied, unbothered by trouble.

       (Prov 19:24 NCV)  Though the lazy person puts his hand in the dish, he 
       won't lift the food to his mouth.

       (Prov 19:25 NCV)  Whip those who make fun of wisdom, and perhaps 
       foolish people will gain some wisdom. Correct those with 
       understanding, and they will gain knowledge.

       (Prov 19:26 NCV)  A son who robs his father and sends away his mother 
       brings shame and disgrace on himself.

       (Prov 19:27 NCV)  Don't stop listening to correction, my child, or you 
       will forget what you have already learned.

       (Prov 19:28 NCV)  An evil witness makes fun of fairness, and wicked 
       people love what is evil.

       (Prov 19:29 NCV)  People who make fun of wisdom will be punished, and 
       the backs of foolish people will be beaten.

       (Prov 20:1 NCV)  Wine and beer make people loud and uncontrolled; it 
       is not wise to get drunk on them.

       (Prov 20:2 NCV)  An angry king is like a roaring lion. Making him 
       angry may cost you your life.

       (Prov 20:3 NCV)  Foolish people are always fighting, but avoiding 
       quarrels will bring you honor.





       (Prov 20:4 NCV)  Lazy farmers don't plow when they should; they expect 
       a harvest, but there is none.

       (Prov 20:5 NCV)  People's thoughts can be like a deep well, but 
       someone with understanding can find the wisdom there.

       (Prov 20:6 NCV)  Many people claim to be loyal, but it is hard to find 
       a trustworthy person.

       (Prov 20:7 NCV)  The good people who live honest lives will be a 
       blessing to their children.

       (Prov 20:8 NCV)  When a king sits on his throne to judge, he knows 
       evil when he sees it.

       (Prov 20:9 NCV)  No one can say, "I am innocent; I have never done 
       anything wrong."

       (Prov 20:10 NCV)  The LORD hates both these things: dishonest weights 
       and dishonest measures.

       (Prov 20:11 NCV)  Even children are known by their behavior; their 
       actions show if they are innocent and good.

       (Prov 20:12 NCV)  The LORD has made both these things: ears to hear 
       and eyes to see.

       (Prov 20:13 NCV)  If you love to sleep, you will be poor. If you stay 
       awake, you will have plenty of food.

       (Prov 20:14 NCV)  Buyers say, "This is bad. It's no good." Then they 
       go away and brag about what they bought.

       (Prov 20:15 NCV)  There is gold and plenty of rubies, but only a few 
       people speak with knowledge.

       (Prov 20:16 NCV)  Take the coat of someone who promises to pay a 
       stranger's debts, and keep it until he pays what the stranger owes.

       (Prov 20:17 NCV)  Stolen food may taste sweet at first, but later it 
       will feel like a mouth full of gravel.

       (Prov 20:18 NCV)  Get advice if you want your plans to work. If you go 
       to war, get the advice of others.

       (Prov 20:19 NCV)  Gossips can't keep secrets, so avoid people who talk 
       too much.

       (Prov 20:20 NCV)  Those who curse their father or mother will be like 
       a light going out in darkness.

       (Prov 20:21 NCV)  Wealth inherited quickly in the beginning will do 
       you no good in the end.

       (Prov 20:22 NCV)  Don't say, "I'll pay you back for the wrong you 
       did." Wait for the LORD, and he will make things right.






       (Prov 20:23 NCV)  The LORD hates dishonest weights, and dishonest 
       scales do not please him.

       (Prov 20:24 NCV)  The LORD decides what a person will do; no one 
       understands what his life is all about.

       (Prov 20:25 NCV)  It's dangerous to promise something to God too 
       quickly. After you've thought about it, it may be too late.

       (Prov 20:26 NCV)  A wise king sorts out the evil people, and he 
       punishes them as they deserve.

       (Prov 20:27 NCV)  The LORD looks deep inside people and searches 
       through their thoughts.

       (Prov 20:28 NCV)  Loyalty and truth keep a king in power; he continues 
       to rule if he is loyal.

       (Prov 20:29 NCV)  Young men glory in their strength, and old men are 
       honored for their gray hair.

       (Prov 20:30 NCV)  Hard punishment will get rid of evil, and whippings 
       can change an evil heart.

       (Prov 21:1 NCV)  The LORD can control a king's mind as he controls a 
       river; he can direct it as he pleases.

       (Prov 21:2 NCV)  You may believe you are doing right, but the LORD 
       judges your reasons.

       (Prov 21:3 NCV)  Doing what is right and fair is more important to the 
       LORD than sacrifices.

       (Prov 21:4 NCV)  Proud looks, proud thoughts, and evil actions are 
       sin.

       (Prov 21:5 NCV)  The plans of hard-working people earn a profit, but 
       those who act too quickly become poor.

       (Prov 21:6 NCV)  Wealth that comes from telling lies vanishes like a 
       mist and leads to death.

       (Prov 21:7 NCV)  The violence of the wicked will destroy them, because 
       they refuse to do what is right.

       (Prov 21:8 NCV)  Guilty people live dishonest lives, but honest people 
       do right.

       (Prov 21:9 NCV)  It is better to live in a corner on the roof than 
       inside the house with a quarreling wife.

       (Prov 21:10 NCV)  Evil people only want to harm others. Their 
       neighbors get no mercy from them.

       (Prov 21:11 NCV)  If you punish those who make fun of wisdom, a 





       foolish person may gain some wisdom. But if you teach the wise, they 
       will get knowledge.

       (Prov 21:12 NCV)  God, who is always right, watches the house of the 
       wicked and brings ruin on every evil person.

       (Prov 21:13 NCV)  Whoever ignores the poor when they cry for help will 
       also cry for help and not be answered.

       (Prov 21:14 NCV)  A secret gift will calm an angry person; a present 
       given in secrecy will quiet great anger.

       (Prov 21:15 NCV)  When justice is done, good people are happy, but 
       evil people are ruined.

       (Prov 21:16 NCV)  Whoever does not use good sense will end up among 
       the dead.

       (Prov 21:17 NCV)  Whoever loves pleasure will become poor; whoever 
       loves wine and perfume will never be rich.

       (Prov 21:18 NCV)  Wicked people will suffer instead of good people, 
       and those who cannot be trusted will suffer instead of those who do 
       right.

       (Prov 21:19 NCV)  It is better to live alone in the desert than with a 
       quarreling and complaining wife.

       (Prov 21:20 NCV)  Wise people's houses are full of the best foods and 
       olive oil, but fools waste everything they have.

       (Prov 21:21 NCV)  Whoever tries to live right and be loyal finds life, 
       success, and honor.

       (Prov 21:22 NCV)  A wise person can defeat a city full of warriors and 
       tear down the defenses they trust in.

       (Prov 21:23 NCV)  Those who are careful about what they say keep 
       themselves out of trouble.

       (Prov 21:24 NCV)  People who act with stubborn pride are called 
       "proud," "bragger," and "mocker."

       (Prov 21:25 NCV)  Lazy people's desire for sleep will kill them, 
       because they refuse to work.

       (Prov 21:26 NCV)  All day long they wish for more, but good people 
       give without holding back.

       (Prov 21:27 NCV)  The LORD hates sacrifices brought by evil people, 
       particularly when they offer them for the wrong reasons.

       (Prov 21:28 NCV)  A lying witness will be forgotten, but a truthful 
       witness will speak on.

       (Prov 21:29 NCV)  Wicked people are stubborn, but good people think 





       carefully about what they do.

       (Prov 21:30 NCV)  There is no wisdom, understanding, or advice that 
       can succeed against the LORD.

       (Prov 21:31 NCV)  You can get the horses ready for battle, but it is 
       the LORD who gives the victory.

       (Prov 22:1 NCV)  Being respected is more important than having great 
       riches. To be well thought of is better than silver or gold.

       (Prov 22:2 NCV)  The rich and the poor are alike in that the LORD made 
       them all.

       (Prov 22:3 NCV)  The wise see danger ahead and avoid it, but fools 
       keep going and get into trouble.

       (Prov 22:4 NCV)  Respecting the LORD and not being proud will bring 
       you wealth, honor, and life.

       (Prov 22:5 NCV)  Evil people's lives are like paths covered with 
       thorns and traps. People who guard themselves don't have such 
       problems.

       (Prov 22:6 NCV)  Train children how to live right, and when they are 
       old, they will not change.

       (Prov 22:7 NCV)  The rich rule over the poor, and borrowers are 
       servants to lenders.

       (Prov 22:8 NCV)  Those who plan evil will receive trouble. Their cruel 
       anger will come to an end.

       (Prov 22:9 NCV)  Generous people will be blessed, because they share 
       their food with the poor.

       (Prov 22:10 NCV)  Get rid of the one who makes fun of wisdom. Then 
       fighting, quarrels, and insults will stop.

       (Prov 22:11 NCV)  Whoever loves pure thoughts and kind words will have 
       even the king as a friend.

       (Prov 22:12 NCV)  The LORD guards knowledge, but he destroys false 
       words.

       (Prov 22:13 NCV)  The lazy person says, "There's a lion outside! I 
       might get killed out in the street!"

       (Prov 22:14 NCV)  The words of an unfaithful wife are like a deep 
       trap. Those who make the LORD angry will get caught by them.

       (Prov 22:15 NCV)  Every child is full of foolishness, but punishment 
       can get rid of it.

       (Prov 22:16 NCV)  Whoever gets rich by mistreating the poor, and gives 
       presents to the wealthy, will become poor.






       (Prov 22:17 NCV)  Listen carefully to what wise people say; pay 
       attention to what I am teaching you.

       (Prov 22:18 NCV)  It will be good to keep these things in mind so that 
       you are ready to repeat them.

       (Prov 22:19 NCV)  I am teaching them to you now so that you will put 
       your trust in the LORD.

       (Prov 22:20 NCV)  I have written thirty sayings for you, which give 
       knowledge and good advice.

       (Prov 22:21 NCV)  I am teaching you true and reliable words so that 
       you can give true answers to anyone who asks.

       (Prov 22:22 NCV)  Do not abuse poor people because they are poor, and 
       do not take away the rights of the needy in court.

       (Prov 22:23 NCV)  The LORD will defend them in court and will take the 
       life of those who take away their rights.

       (Prov 22:24 NCV)  Don't make friends with quick-tempered people or 
       spend time with those who have bad tempers.

       (Prov 22:25 NCV)  If you do, you will be like them. Then you will be 
       in real danger.

       (Prov 22:26 NCV)  Don't promise to pay what someone else owes, and 
       don't guarantee anyone's loan.

       (Prov 22:27 NCV)  If you cannot pay the loan, your own bed may be 
       taken right out from under you.

       (Prov 22:28 NCV)  Don't move an old stone that marks a border, because 
       those stones were set up by your ancestors.

       (Prov 22:29 NCV)  Do you see people skilled in their work? They will 
       work for kings, not for ordinary people.

       (Prov 23:1 NCV)  If you sit down to eat with a ruler, notice the food 
       that is in front of you.

       (Prov 23:2 NCV)  Control yourself if you have a big appetite.

       (Prov 23:3 NCV)  Don't be greedy for his fine foods, because that food 
       might be a trick.

       (Prov 23:4 NCV)  Don't wear yourself out trying to get rich; be wise 
       enough to control yourself.

       (Prov 23:5 NCV)  Wealth can vanish in the wink of an eye. It can seem 
       to grow wings and fly away like an eagle.

       (Prov 23:6 NCV)  Don't eat the food of selfish people; don't be greedy 
       for their fine foods.






       (Prov 23:7 NCV)  Selfish people are always worrying about how much the 
       food costs. They tell you, "Eat and drink," but they don't really mean 
       it.

       (Prov 23:8 NCV)  You will throw up the little you have eaten, and you 
       will have wasted your kind words.

       (Prov 23:9 NCV)  Don't speak to fools; they will only ignore your wise 
       words.

       (Prov 23:10 NCV)  Don't move an old stone that marks a border, and 
       don't take fields that belong to orphans.

       (Prov 23:11 NCV)  God, their defender, is strong; he will take their 
       side against you.

       (Prov 23:12 NCV)  Remember what you are taught, and listen carefully 
       to words of knowledge.

       (Prov 23:13 NCV)  Don't fail to punish children. If you spank them, 
       they won't die.

       (Prov 23:14 NCV)  If you spank them, you will save them from death.

       (Prov 23:15 NCV)  My child, if you are wise, then I will be happy.

       (Prov 23:16 NCV)  I will be so pleased if you speak what is right.

       (Prov 23:17 NCV)  Don't envy sinners, but always respect the LORD.

       (Prov 23:18 NCV)  Then you will have hope for the future, and your 
       wishes will come true.

       (Prov 23:19 NCV)  Listen, my child, and be wise. Keep your mind on 
       what is right.

       (Prov 23:20 NCV)  Don't drink too much wine or eat too much food.

       (Prov 23:21 NCV)  Those who drink and eat too much become poor. They 
       sleep too much and end up wearing rags.

       (Prov 23:22 NCV)  Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not 
       forget your mother when she is old.

       (Prov 23:23 NCV)  Learn the truth and never reject it. Get wisdom, 
       self-control, and understanding.

       (Prov 23:24 NCV)  The father of a good child is very happy; parents 
       who have wise children are glad because of them.

       (Prov 23:25 NCV)  Make your father and mother happy; give your mother 
       a reason to be glad.

       (Prov 23:26 NCV)  My son, pay attention to me, and watch closely what 
       I do.






       (Prov 23:27 NCV)  A prostitute is as dangerous as a deep pit, and an 
       unfaithful wife is like a narrow well.

       (Prov 23:28 NCV)  They ambush you like robbers and cause many men to 
       be unfaithful to their wives.

       (Prov 23:29 NCV)  Who has trouble? Who has pain? Who fights? Who 
       complains? Who has unnecessary bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?

       (Prov 23:30 NCV)  It is people who drink too much wine, who try out 
       all different kinds of strong drinks.

       (Prov 23:31 NCV)  Don't stare at the wine when it is red, when it 
       sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly.

       (Prov 23:32 NCV)  Later it bites like a snake with poison in its 
       fangs.

       (Prov 23:33 NCV)  Your eyes will see strange sights, and your mind 
       will be confused.

       (Prov 23:34 NCV)  You will feel dizzy as if you're in a storm on the 
       ocean, as if you're on top of a ship's sails.

       (Prov 23:35 NCV)  You will think, "They hit me, but I'm not hurt. They 
       beat me up, but I don't remember it. I wish I could wake up. Then I 
       would get another drink."

       (Prov 24:1 NCV)  Don't envy evil people or try to be friends with 
       them.

       (Prov 24:2 NCV)  Their minds are always planning violence, and they 
       always talk about making trouble.

       (Prov 24:3 NCV)  It takes wisdom to have a good family, and it takes 
       understanding to make it strong.

       (Prov 24:4 NCV)  It takes knowledge to fill a home with rare and 
       beautiful treasures.

       (Prov 24:5 NCV)  Wise people have great power, and those with 
       knowledge have great strength.

       (Prov 24:6 NCV)  So you need advice when you go to war. If you have 
       lots of good advice, you will win.

       (Prov 24:7 NCV)  Foolish people cannot understand wisdom. They have 
       nothing to say in a discussion.

       (Prov 24:8 NCV)  Whoever makes evil plans will be known as a 
       troublemaker.

       (Prov 24:9 NCV)  Making foolish plans is sinful, and making fun of 
       wisdom is hateful.





       (Prov 24:10 NCV)  If you give up when trouble comes, it shows that you 
       are weak.

       (Prov 24:11 NCV)  Save those who are being led to their death; rescue 
       those who are about to be killed.

       (Prov 24:12 NCV)  If you say, "We don't know anything about this," 
       God, who knows what's in your mind, will notice. He is watching you, 
       and he will know. He will reward each person for what he has done.

       (Prov 24:13 NCV)  My child, eat honey because it is good. Honey from 
       the honeycomb tastes sweet.

       (Prov 24:14 NCV)  In the same way, wisdom is pleasing to you. If you 
       find it, you have hope for the future, and your wishes will come true.

       (Prov 24:15 NCV)  Don't be wicked and attack a good family's house; 
       don't rob the place where they live.

       (Prov 24:16 NCV)  Even though good people may be bothered by trouble 
       seven times, they are never defeated, but the wicked are overwhelmed 
       by trouble.

       (Prov 24:17 NCV)  Don't be happy when your enemy is defeated; don't be 
       glad when he is overwhelmed.

       (Prov 24:18 NCV)  The LORD will notice and be displeased. He may not 
       be angry with them anymore.

       (Prov 24:19 NCV)  Don't envy evil people, and don't be jealous of the 
       wicked.

       (Prov 24:20 NCV)  An evil person has nothing to hope for; the wicked 
       will die like a flame that is put out.

       (Prov 24:21 NCV)  My child, respect the LORD and the king. Don't join 
       those people who refuse to obey them.

       (Prov 24:22 NCV)  The LORD and the king will quickly destroy such 
       people. Those two can cause great disaster!

       (Prov 24:23 NCV)  These are also sayings of the wise: It is not good 
       to take sides when you are the judge.

       (Prov 24:24 NCV)  Don't tell the wicked that they are innocent; people 
       will curse you, and nations will hate you.

       (Prov 24:25 NCV)  But things will go well if you punish the guilty, 
       and you will receive rich blessings.

       (Prov 24:26 NCV)  An honest answer is as pleasing as a kiss on the 
       lips.

       (Prov 24:27 NCV)  First, finish your outside work and prepare your 
       fields. After that, you can build your house.





       (Prov 24:28 NCV)  Don't testify against your neighbor for no good 
       reason. Don't say things that are false.

       (Prov 24:29 NCV)  Don't say, "I'll get even; I'll do to him what he 
       did to me."

       (Prov 24:30 NCV)  I passed by a lazy person's field and by the 
       vineyard of someone with no sense.

       (Prov 24:31 NCV)  Thorns had grown up everywhere. The ground was 
       covered with weeds, and the stone walls had fallen down.

       (Prov 24:32 NCV)  I thought about what I had seen; I learned this 
       lesson from what I saw.

       (Prov 24:33 NCV)  You sleep a little; you take a nap. You fold your 
       hands and lie down to rest.

       (Prov 24:34 NCV)  Soon you will be as poor as if you had been robbed; 
       you will have as little as if you had been held up.

       (Prov 25:1 NCV)  These are more wise sayings of Solomon, copied by the 
       men of Hezekiah king of Judah.

       (Prov 25:2 NCV)  God is honored for what he keeps secret. Kings are 
       honored for what they can discover.

       (Prov 25:3 NCV)  No one can measure the height of the skies or the 
       depth of the earth. So also no one can understand the mind of a king.

       (Prov 25:4 NCV)  Remove the scum from the silver, so the silver can be 
       used by the silversmith.

       (Prov 25:5 NCV)  Remove wicked people from the king's presence; then 
       his government will be honest and last a long time.

       (Prov 25:6 NCV)  Don't brag to the king and act as if you are great.

       (Prov 25:7 NCV)  It is better for him to give you a higher position 
       than to bring you down in front of the prince. Because of something 
       you have seen,

       (Prov 25:8 NCV)  do not quickly take someone to court. What will you 
       do later when your neighbor proves you wrong?

       (Prov 25:9 NCV)  If you have an argument with your neighbor, don't 
       tell other people what was said.

       (Prov 25:10 NCV)  Whoever hears it might shame you, and you might not 
       ever be respected again.

       (Prov 25:11 NCV)  The right word spoken at the right time is as 
       beautiful as gold apples in a silver bowl.

       (Prov 25:12 NCV)  A wise warning to someone who will listen is as 
       valuable as gold earrings or fine gold jewelry.






       (Prov 25:13 NCV)  Trustworthy messengers refresh those who send them, 
       like the coolness of snow in the summertime.

       (Prov 25:14 NCV)  People who brag about gifts they never give are like 
       clouds and wind that give no rain.

       (Prov 25:15 NCV)  With patience you can convince a ruler, and a gentle 
       word can get through to the hard-headed.

       (Prov 25:16 NCV)  If you find honey, don't eat too much, or it will 
       make you throw up.

       (Prov 25:17 NCV)  Don't go to your neighbor's house too often; too 
       much of you will make him hate you.

       (Prov 25:18 NCV)  When you lie about your neighbors, it hurts them as 
       much as a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow.

       (Prov 25:19 NCV)  Trusting unfaithful people when you are in trouble 
       is like eating with a broken tooth or walking with a crippled foot.

       (Prov 25:20 NCV)  Singing songs to someone who is sad is like taking 
       away his coat on a cold day or pouring vinegar on soda.

       (Prov 25:21 NCV)  If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, 
       give him a drink.

       (Prov 25:22 NCV)  Doing this will be like pouring burning coals on his 
       head, and the LORD will reward you.

       (Prov 25:23 NCV)  As the north wind brings rain, telling gossip brings 
       angry looks.

       (Prov 25:24 NCV)  It is better to live in a corner on the roof than 
       inside the house with a quarreling wife.

       (Prov 25:25 NCV)  Good news from a faraway place is like a cool drink 
       when you are tired.

       (Prov 25:26 NCV)  A good person who gives in to evil is like a muddy 
       spring or a dirty well.

       (Prov 25:27 NCV)  It is not good to eat too much honey, nor does it 
       bring you honor to brag about yourself.

       (Prov 25:28 NCV)  Those who do not control themselves are like a city 
       whose walls are broken down.

       (Prov 26:1 NCV)  It shouldn't snow in summer or rain at harvest. 
       Neither should a foolish person ever be honored.

       (Prov 26:2 NCV)  Curses will not harm someone who is innocent; they 
       are like sparrows or swallows that fly around and never land.

       (Prov 26:3 NCV)  Whips are for horses, and harnesses are for donkeys, 





       so paddles are good for fools.

       (Prov 26:4 NCV)  Don't give fools a foolish answer, or you will be 
       just like them.

       (Prov 26:5 NCV)  But answer fools as they should be answered, or they 
       will think they are really wise.

       (Prov 26:6 NCV)  Sending a message by a foolish person is like cutting 
       off your feet or drinking poison.

       (Prov 26:7 NCV)  A wise saying spoken by a fool is as useless as the 
       legs of a crippled person.

       (Prov 26:8 NCV)  Giving honor to a foolish person is like tying a 
       stone in a slingshot.

       (Prov 26:9 NCV)  A wise saying spoken by a fool is like a thorn stuck 
       in the hand of a drunk.

       (Prov 26:10 NCV)  Hiring a foolish person or anyone just passing by is 
       like an archer shooting at just anything.

       (Prov 26:11 NCV)  A fool who repeats his foolishness is like a dog 
       that goes back to what it has thrown up.

       (Prov 26:12 NCV)  There is more hope for a foolish person than for 
       those who think they are wise.

       (Prov 26:13 NCV)  The lazy person says, "There's a lion in the road! 
       There's a lion in the streets!"

       (Prov 26:14 NCV)  Like a door turning back and forth on its hinges, 
       the lazy person turns over and over in bed.

       (Prov 26:15 NCV)  Lazy people may put their hands in the dish, but 
       they are too tired to lift the food to their mouths.

       (Prov 26:16 NCV)  The lazy person thinks he is wiser than seven people 
       who give sensible answers.

       (Prov 26:17 NCV)  Interfering in someone else's quarrel as you pass by 
       is like grabbing a dog by the ears.

       (Prov 26:18 NCV)  Like a madman shooting deadly, burning arrows

       (Prov 26:19 NCV)  is the one who tricks a neighbor and then says, "I 
       was just joking."

       (Prov 26:20 NCV)  Without wood, a fire will go out, and without 
       gossip, quarreling will stop.

       (Prov 26:21 NCV)  Just as charcoal and wood keep a fire going, a 
       quarrelsome person keeps an argument going.

       (Prov 26:22 NCV)  The words of a gossip are like tasty bits of food; 





       people like to gobble them up.

       (Prov 26:23 NCV)  Kind words from a wicked mind are like a shiny 
       coating on a clay pot.

       (Prov 26:24 NCV)  Those who hate you may try to fool you with their 
       words, but in their minds they are planning evil.

       (Prov 26:25 NCV)  People's words may be kind, but don't believe them, 
       because their minds are full of evil thoughts.

       (Prov 26:26 NCV)  Lies can hide hate, but the evil will be plain to 
       everyone.

       (Prov 26:27 NCV)  Whoever digs a pit for others will fall into it. 
       Whoever tries to roll a boulder down on others will be crushed by it.

       (Prov 26:28 NCV)  Liars hate the people they hurt, and false praise 
       can ruin others.

       (Prov 27:1 NCV)  Don't brag about tomorrow; you don't know what may 
       happen then.

       (Prov 27:2 NCV)  Don't praise yourself. Let someone else do it. Let 
       the praise come from a stranger and not from your own mouth.

       (Prov 27:3 NCV)  Stone is heavy, and sand is weighty, but a 
       complaining fool is worse than either.

       (Prov 27:4 NCV)  Anger is cruel and destroys like a flood, but no one 
       can put up with jealousy!

       (Prov 27:5 NCV)  It is better to correct someone openly than to have 
       love and not show it.

       (Prov 27:6 NCV)  The slap of a friend can be trusted to help you, but 
       the kisses of an enemy are nothing but lies.

       (Prov 27:7 NCV)  When you are full, not even honey tastes good, but 
       when you are hungry, even something bitter tastes sweet.

       (Prov 27:8 NCV)  A person who leaves his home is like a bird that 
       leaves its nest.

       (Prov 27:9 NCV)  The sweet smell of perfume and oils is pleasant, and 
       so is good advice from a friend.

       (Prov 27:10 NCV)  Don't forget your friend or your parent's friend. 
       Don't always go to your family for help when trouble comes. A neighbor 
       close by is better than a family far away.

       (Prov 27:11 NCV)  Be wise, my child, and make me happy. Then I can 
       respond to any insult.

       (Prov 27:12 NCV)  The wise see danger ahead and avoid it, but fools 
       keep going and get into trouble.






       (Prov 27:13 NCV)  Take the coat of someone who promises to pay a 
       stranger's loan, and keep it until he pays what the stranger owes.

       (Prov 27:14 NCV)  If you loudly greet your neighbor early in the 
       morning, he will think of it as a curse.

       (Prov 27:15 NCV)  A quarreling wife is as bothersome as a continual 
       dripping on a rainy day.

       (Prov 27:16 NCV)  Stopping her is like stopping the wind or trying to 
       grab oil in your hand.

       (Prov 27:17 NCV)  As iron sharpens iron, so people can improve each 
       other.

       (Prov 27:18 NCV)  Whoever tends a fig tree gets to eat its fruit, and 
       whoever takes care of his master will receive honor.

       (Prov 27:19 NCV)  As water reflects your face, so your mind shows what 
       kind of person you are.

       (Prov 27:20 NCV)  People will never stop dying and being destroyed, 
       and they will never stop wanting more than they have.

       (Prov 27:21 NCV)  A hot furnace tests silver and gold, and people are 
       tested by the praise they receive.

       (Prov 27:22 NCV)  Even if you ground up a foolish person like grain in 
       a bowl, you couldn't remove the foolishness.

       (Prov 27:23 NCV)  Be sure you know how your sheep are doing, and pay 
       attention to the condition of your cattle.

       (Prov 27:24 NCV)  Riches will not go on forever, nor do governments go 
       on forever.

       (Prov 27:25 NCV)  Bring in the hay, and let the new grass appear. 
       Gather the grass from the hills.

       (Prov 27:26 NCV)  Make clothes from the lambs' wool, and sell some 
       goats to buy a field.

       (Prov 27:27 NCV)  There will be plenty of goat's milk to feed you and 
       your family and to make your servant girls healthy.

       (Prov 28:1 NCV)  Evil people run even though no one is chasing them, 
       but good people are as brave as a lion.

       (Prov 28:2 NCV)  When a country is lawless, it has one ruler after 
       another; but when it is led by a man with understanding and knowledge, 
       it continues strong.

       (Prov 28:3 NCV)  Rulers who mistreat the poor are like a hard rain 
       that destroys the crops.





       (Prov 28:4 NCV)  Those who disobey what they have been taught praise 
       the wicked, but those who obey what they have been taught are against 
       them.

       (Prov 28:5 NCV)  Evil people do not understand justice, but those who 
       follow the LORD understand it completely.

       (Prov 28:6 NCV)  It is better to be poor and innocent than to be rich 
       and wicked.

       (Prov 28:7 NCV)  Children who obey what they have been taught are 
       smart, but friends of troublemakers disgrace their parents.

       (Prov 28:8 NCV)  Some people get rich by overcharging others, but 
       their wealth will be given to those who are kind to the poor.

       (Prov 28:9 NCV)  If you refuse to obey what you have been taught, your 
       prayers will not be heard.

       (Prov 28:10 NCV)  Those who lead good people to do wrong will be 
       ruined by their own evil, but the innocent will be rewarded with good 
       things.

       (Prov 28:11 NCV)  Rich people may think they are wise, but the poor 
       with understanding will prove them wrong.

       (Prov 28:12 NCV)  When good people triumph, there is great happiness, 
       but when the wicked get control, everybody hides.

       (Prov 28:13 NCV)  If you hide your sins, you will not succeed. If you 
       confess and reject them, you will receive mercy.

       (Prov 28:14 NCV)  Those who are always respectful will be happy, but 
       those who are stubborn will get into trouble.

       (Prov 28:15 NCV)  A wicked ruler is as dangerous to poor people as a 
       roaring lion or a charging bear.

       (Prov 28:16 NCV)  A ruler without wisdom will be cruel, but the one 
       who refuses to take dishonest money will rule a long time.

       (Prov 28:17 NCV)  Don't help those who are guilty of murder; let them 
       run until they die.

       (Prov 28:18 NCV)  Innocent people will be kept safe, but those who are 
       dishonest will suddenly be ruined.

       (Prov 28:19 NCV)  Those who work their land will have plenty of food, 
       but the ones who chase empty dreams instead will end up poor.

       (Prov 28:20 NCV)  A truthful person will have many blessings, but 
       those eager to get rich will be punished.

       (Prov 28:21 NCV)  It is not good for a judge to take sides, but some 
       will sin for only a piece of bread.





       (Prov 28:22 NCV)  Selfish people are in a hurry to get rich and do not 
       realize they soon will be poor.

       (Prov 28:23 NCV)  Those who correct others will later be liked more 
       than those who give false praise.

       (Prov 28:24 NCV)  Whoever robs his father or mother and says, "It's 
       not wrong," is just like someone who destroys things.

       (Prov 28:25 NCV)  A greedy person causes trouble, but the one who 
       trusts the LORD will succeed.

       (Prov 28:26 NCV)  Those who trust in themselves are foolish, but those 
       who live wisely will be kept safe.

       (Prov 28:27 NCV)  Whoever gives to the poor will have everything he 
       needs, but the one who ignores the poor will receive many curses.

       (Prov 28:28 NCV)  When the wicked get control, everybody hides, but 
       when they die, good people do well.

       (Prov 29:1 NCV)  Whoever is stubborn after being corrected many times 
       will suddenly be hurt beyond cure.

       (Prov 29:2 NCV)  When good people do well, everyone is happy, but when 
       evil people rule, everyone groans.

       (Prov 29:3 NCV)  Those who love wisdom make their parents happy, but 
       friends of prostitutes waste their money.

       (Prov 29:4 NCV)  If a king is fair, he makes his country strong, but 
       if he takes gifts dishonestly, he tears his country down.

       (Prov 29:5 NCV)  Those who give false praise to their neighbors are 
       setting a trap for them.

       (Prov 29:6 NCV)  Evil people are trapped by their own sin, but good 
       people can sing and be happy.

       (Prov 29:7 NCV)  Good people care about justice for the poor, but the 
       wicked are not concerned.

       (Prov 29:8 NCV)  People who make fun of wisdom cause trouble in a 
       city, but wise people calm anger down.

       (Prov 29:9 NCV)  When a wise person takes a foolish person to court, 
       the fool only shouts or laughs, and there is no peace.

       (Prov 29:10 NCV)  Murderers hate an honest person and try to kill 
       those who do right.

       (Prov 29:11 NCV)  Foolish people lose their tempers, but wise people 
       control theirs.

       (Prov 29:12 NCV)  If a ruler pays attention to lies, all his officers 
       will become wicked.






       (Prov 29:13 NCV)  The poor person and the cruel person are alike in 
       that the LORD gave eyes to both of them.

       (Prov 29:14 NCV)  If a king judges poor people fairly, his government 
       will continue forever.

       (Prov 29:15 NCV)  Correction and punishment make children wise, but 
       those left alone will disgrace their mother.

       (Prov 29:16 NCV)  When there are many wicked people, there is much 
       sin, but those who do right will see them destroyed.

       (Prov 29:17 NCV)  Correct your children, and you will be proud; they 
       will give you satisfaction.

       (Prov 29:18 NCV)  Where there is no word from God, people are 
       uncontrolled, but those who obey what they have been taught are happy.

       (Prov 29:19 NCV)  Words alone cannot correct a servant, because even 
       if he understands, he won't respond.

       (Prov 29:20 NCV)  Do you see people who speak too quickly? There is 
       more hope for a foolish person than for them.

       (Prov 29:21 NCV)  If you spoil your servants when they are young, they 
       will bring you grief later on.

       (Prov 29:22 NCV)  An angry person causes trouble; a person with a 
       quick temper sins a lot.

       (Prov 29:23 NCV)  Pride will ruin people, but those who are humble 
       will be honored.

       (Prov 29:24 NCV)  Partners of thieves are their own worst enemies. If 
       they have to testify in court, they are afraid to say anything.

       (Prov 29:25 NCV)  Being afraid of people can get you into trouble, but 
       if you trust the LORD, you will be safe.

       (Prov 29:26 NCV)  Many people want to speak to a ruler, but justice 
       comes only from the LORD.

       (Prov 29:27 NCV)  Good people hate those who are dishonest, and the 
       wicked hate those who are honest.

       (Prov 30:1 NCV)  These are the words of Agur son of Jakeh. This is his 
       message to Ithiel and Ucal:

       (Prov 30:2 NCV)  "I am the most stupid person there is, and I have no 
       understanding.

       (Prov 30:3 NCV)  I have not learned to be wise, and I don't know much 
       about God, the Holy One.

       (Prov 30:4 NCV)  Who has gone up to heaven and come back down? Who can 





       hold the wind in his hand? Who can gather up the waters in his coat? 
       Who has set in place the ends of the earth? What is his name or his 
       son's name? Tell me, if you know!

       (Prov 30:5 NCV)  "Every word of God is true. He guards those who come 
       to him for safety.

       (Prov 30:6 NCV)  Do not add to his words, or he will correct you and 
       prove you are a liar.

       (Prov 30:7 NCV)  "I ask two things from you, LORD. Don't refuse me 
       before I die.

       (Prov 30:8 NCV)  Keep me from lying and being dishonest. And don't 
       make me either rich or poor; just give me enough food for each day.

       (Prov 30:9 NCV)  If I have too much, I might reject you and say, 'I 
       don't know the LORD.' If I am poor, I might steal and disgrace the 
       name of my God.

       (Prov 30:10 NCV)  "Do not say bad things about servants to their 
       masters, or they will curse you, and you will suffer for it.

       (Prov 30:11 NCV)  "Some people curse their fathers and do not bless 
       their mothers.

       (Prov 30:12 NCV)  Some people think they are pure, but they are not 
       really free from evil.

       (Prov 30:13 NCV)  Some people have such a proud look! They look down 
       on others.

       (Prov 30:14 NCV)  Some people have teeth like swords; their jaws seem 
       full of knives. They want to remove the poor from the earth and the 
       needy from the land.

       (Prov 30:15 NCV)  "Greed has two daughters named 'Give' and 'Give.' 
       There are three things that are never satisfied, really four that 
       never say, 'I've had enough!':

       (Prov 30:16 NCV)  the cemetery, the childless mother, the land that 
       never gets enough rain, and fire that never says, 'I've had enough!'

       (Prov 30:17 NCV)  "If you make fun of your father and refuse to obey 
       your mother, the birds of the valley will peck out your eyes, and the 
       vultures will eat them.

       (Prov 30:18 NCV)  "There are three things that are too hard for me, 
       really four I don't understand:

       (Prov 30:19 NCV)  the way an eagle flies in the sky, the way a snake 
       slides over a rock, the way a ship sails on the sea, and the way a man 
       and a woman fall in love.

       (Prov 30:20 NCV)  "This is the way of a woman who takes part in 
       adultery: She acts as if she had eaten and washed her face; she says, 





       'I haven't done anything wrong.'

       (Prov 30:21 NCV)  "There are three things that make the earth tremble, 
       really four it cannot stand:

       (Prov 30:22 NCV)  a servant who becomes a king, a foolish person who 
       has plenty to eat,

       (Prov 30:23 NCV)  a hated woman who gets married, and a maid who 
       replaces her mistress.

       (Prov 30:24 NCV)  "There are four things on earth that are small, but 
       they are very wise:

       (Prov 30:25 NCV)  Ants are not very strong, but they store up food in 
       the summer.

       (Prov 30:26 NCV)  Rock badgers are not very powerful, but they can 
       live among the rocks.

       (Prov 30:27 NCV)  Locusts have no king, but they all go forward in 
       formation.

       (Prov 30:28 NCV)  Lizards can be caught in the hand, but they are 
       found even in kings' palaces.

       (Prov 30:29 NCV)  "There are three things that strut proudly, really 
       four that walk as if they were important:

       (Prov 30:30 NCV)  a lion, the proudest animal, which is strong and 
       runs from nothing,

       (Prov 30:31 NCV)  a rooster, a male goat, and a king when his army is 
       around him.

       (Prov 30:32 NCV)  "If you have been foolish and proud, or if you have 
       planned evil, shut your mouth.

       (Prov 30:33 NCV)  Just as stirring milk makes butter, and twisting 
       noses makes them bleed, so stirring up anger causes trouble."

       (Prov 31:1 NCV)  These are the words of King Lemuel, the message his 
       mother taught him:

       (Prov 31:2 NCV)  "My son, I gave birth to you. You are the son I 
       prayed for.

       (Prov 31:3 NCV)  Don't waste your strength on women or your time on 
       those who ruin kings.

       (Prov 31:4 NCV)  "Kings should not drink wine, Lemuel, and rulers 
       should not desire beer.

       (Prov 31:5 NCV)  If they drink, they might forget the law and keep the 
       needy from getting their rights.





       (Prov 31:6 NCV)  Give beer to people who are dying and wine to those 
       who are sad.

       (Prov 31:7 NCV)  Let them drink and forget their need and remember 
       their misery no more.

       (Prov 31:8 NCV)  "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; 
       defend the rights of all those who have nothing.

       (Prov 31:9 NCV)  Speak up and judge fairly, and defend the rights of 
       the poor and needy."

       (Prov 31:10 NCV)  It is hard to find a good wife, because she is worth 
       more than rubies.

       (Prov 31:11 NCV)  Her husband trusts her completely. With her, he has 
       everything he needs.

       (Prov 31:12 NCV)  She does him good and not harm for as long as she 
       lives.

       (Prov 31:13 NCV)  She looks for wool and flax and likes to work with 
       her hands.

       (Prov 31:14 NCV)  She is like a trader's ship, bringing food from far 
       away.

       (Prov 31:15 NCV)  She gets up while it is still dark and prepares food 
       for her family and feeds her servant girls.

       (Prov 31:16 NCV)  She inspects a field and buys it. With money she 
       earned, she plants a vineyard.

       (Prov 31:17 NCV)  She does her work with energy, and her arms are 
       strong.

       (Prov 31:18 NCV)  She knows that what she makes is good. Her lamp 
       burns late into the night.

       (Prov 31:19 NCV)  She makes thread with her hands and weaves her own 
       cloth.

       (Prov 31:20 NCV)  She welcomes the poor and helps the needy.

       (Prov 31:21 NCV)  She does not worry about her family when it snows, 
       because they all have fine clothes to keep them warm.

       (Prov 31:22 NCV)  She makes coverings for herself; her clothes are 
       made of linen and other expensive material.

       (Prov 31:23 NCV)  Her husband is known at the city meetings, where he 
       makes decisions as one of the leaders of the land.

       (Prov 31:24 NCV)  She makes linen clothes and sells them and provides 
       belts to the merchants.





       (Prov 31:25 NCV)  She is strong and is respected by the people. She 
       looks forward to the future with joy.

       (Prov 31:26 NCV)  She speaks wise words and teaches others to be kind.

       (Prov 31:27 NCV)  She watches over her family and never wastes her 
       time.

       (Prov 31:28 NCV)  Her children speak well of her. Her husband also 
       praises her,

       (Prov 31:29 NCV)  saying, "There are many fine women, but you are 
       better than all of them."

       (Prov 31:30 NCV)  Charm can fool you, and beauty can trick you, but a 
       woman who respects the LORD should be praised.

       (Prov 31:31 NCV)  Give her the reward she has earned; she should be 
       praised in public for what she has done.

       (Eccl 1:1 NCV)  These are the words of the Teacher, a son of David, 
       king in Jerusalem.

       (Eccl 1:2 NCV)  The Teacher says, "Useless! Useless! Completely 
       useless! Everything is useless."

       (Eccl 1:3 NCV)  What do people really gain from all the hard work they 
       do here on earth?

       (Eccl 1:4 NCV)  People live, and people die, but the earth continues 
       forever.

       (Eccl 1:5 NCV)  The sun rises, the sun sets, and then it hurries back 
       to where it rises again.

       (Eccl 1:6 NCV)  The wind blows to the south; it blows to the north. It 
       blows from one direction and then another. Then it turns around and 
       repeats the same pattern, going nowhere.

       (Eccl 1:7 NCV)  All the rivers flow to the sea, but the sea never 
       becomes full.

       (Eccl 1:8 NCV)  Everything is boring, so boring that you don't even 
       want to talk about it. Words come again and again to our ears, but we 
       never hear enough, nor can we ever really see all we want to see.

       (Eccl 1:9 NCV)  All things continue the way they have been since the 
       beginning. What has happened will happen again; there is nothing new 
       here on earth.

       (Eccl 1:10 NCV)  Someone might say, "Look, this is new," but really it 
       has always been here. It was here before we were.

       (Eccl 1:11 NCV)  People don't remember what happened long ago, and in 
       the future people will not remember what happens now. Even later, 
       other people will not remember what was done before them.






       (Eccl 1:12 NCV)  I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

       (Eccl 1:13 NCV)  I decided to use my wisdom to learn about everything 
       that happens on earth. I learned that God has given us terrible things 
       to face.

       (Eccl 1:14 NCV)  I looked at everything done on earth and saw that it 
       is all useless, like chasing the wind.

       (Eccl 1:15 NCV)  If something is crooked, you can't make it straight. 
       If something is missing, you can't say it is there.

       (Eccl 1:16 NCV)  I said to myself, "I have become very wise and am now 
       wiser than anyone who ruled Jerusalem before me. I know what wisdom 
       and knowledge really are."

       (Eccl 1:17 NCV)  So I decided to find out about wisdom and knowledge 
       and also about foolish thinking, but this turned out to be like 
       chasing the wind.

       (Eccl 1:18 NCV)  With much wisdom comes much disappointment; the 
       person who gains more knowledge also gains more sorrow.

       (Eccl 2:1 NCV)  I said to myself, "I will try having fun. I will enjoy 
       myself." But I found that this is also useless.

       (Eccl 2:2 NCV)  It is foolish to laugh all the time, and having fun 
       doesn't accomplish anything.

       (Eccl 2:3 NCV)  I decided to cheer myself up with wine while my mind 
       was still thinking wisely. I wanted to find a way to enjoy myself and 
       see what was good for people to do during their few days of life.

       (Eccl 2:4 NCV)  Then I did great things: I built houses and planted 
       vineyards for myself.

       (Eccl 2:5 NCV)  I made gardens and parks, and I planted all kinds of 
       fruit trees in them.

       (Eccl 2:6 NCV)  I made pools of water for myself and used them to 
       water my growing trees.

       (Eccl 2:7 NCV)  I bought male and female slaves, and slaves were also 
       born in my house. I had large herds and flocks, more than anyone in 
       Jerusalem had ever had before.

       (Eccl 2:8 NCV)  I also gathered silver and gold for myself, treasures 
       from kings and other areas. I had male and female singers and all the 
       women a man could ever want.

       (Eccl 2:9 NCV)  I became very famous, even greater than anyone who had 
       lived in Jerusalem before me. My wisdom helped me in all this.

       (Eccl 2:10 NCV)  Anything I saw and wanted, I got for myself; I did 
       not miss any pleasure I desired. I was pleased with everything I did, 





       and this pleasure was the reward for all my hard work.

       (Eccl 2:11 NCV)  But then I looked at what I had done, and I thought 
       about all the hard work. Suddenly I realized it was useless, like 
       chasing the wind. There is nothing to gain from anything we do here on 
       earth.

       (Eccl 2:12 NCV)  Then I began to think again about being wise, and 
       also about being foolish and doing crazy things. But after all, what 
       more can anyone do? He can't do more than what the other king has 
       already done.

       (Eccl 2:13 NCV)  I saw that being wise is certainly better than being 
       foolish, just as light is better than darkness.

       (Eccl 2:14 NCV)  Wise people see where they are going, but fools walk 
       around in the dark. Yet I saw that both wise and foolish people end 
       the same way.

       (Eccl 2:15 NCV)  I thought to myself, "What happens to a fool will 
       happen to me, too, so what is the reward for being wise?" I said to 
       myself, "Being wise is also useless."

       (Eccl 2:16 NCV)  The wise person and the fool will both die, and no 
       one will remember either one for long. In the future, both will be 
       forgotten.

       (Eccl 2:17 NCV)  So I hated life. It made me sad to think that 
       everything here on earth is useless, like chasing the wind.

       (Eccl 2:18 NCV)  I hated all the things I had worked for here on 
       earth, because I must leave them to someone who will live after me.

       (Eccl 2:19 NCV)  Someone else will control everything for which I 
       worked so hard here on earth, and I don't know if he will be wise or 
       foolish. This is also useless.

       (Eccl 2:20 NCV)  So I became sad about all the hard work I had done 
       here on earth.

       (Eccl 2:21 NCV)  People can work hard using all their wisdom, 
       knowledge, and skill, but they will die, and other people will get the 
       things for which they worked. They did not do the work, but they will 
       get everything. This is also unfair and useless.

       (Eccl 2:22 NCV)  What do people get for all their work and struggling 
       here on earth?

       (Eccl 2:23 NCV)  All of their lives their work is full of pain and 
       sorrow, and even at night their minds don't rest. This is also 
       useless.

       (Eccl 2:24 NCV)  The best that people can do is eat, drink, and enjoy 
       their work. I saw that even this comes from God,

       (Eccl 2:25 NCV)  because no one can eat or enjoy life without him.






       (Eccl 2:26 NCV)  If people please God, God will give them wisdom, 
       knowledge, and joy. But sinners will get only the work of gathering 
       and storing wealth that they will have to give to the ones who please 
       God. So all their work is useless, like chasing the wind.

       (Eccl 3:1 NCV)  There is a time for everything, and everything on 
       earth has its special season.

       (Eccl 3:2 NCV)  There is a time to be born and a time to die. There is 
       a time to plant and a time to pull up plants.

       (Eccl 3:3 NCV)  There is a time to kill and a time to heal. There is a 
       time to destroy and a time to build.

       (Eccl 3:4 NCV)  There is a time to cry and a time to laugh. There is a 
       time to be sad and a time to dance.

       (Eccl 3:5 NCV)  There is a time to throw away stones and a time to 
       gather them. There is a time to hug and a time not to hug.

       (Eccl 3:6 NCV)  There is a time to look for something and a time to 
       stop looking for it. There is a time to keep things and a time to 
       throw things away.

       (Eccl 3:7 NCV)  There is a time to tear apart and a time to sew 
       together. There is a time to be silent and a time to speak.

       (Eccl 3:8 NCV)  There is a time to love and a time to hate. There is a 
       time for war and a time for peace.

       (Eccl 3:9 NCV)  Do people really gain anything from their work?

       (Eccl 3:10 NCV)  I saw the hard work God has given people to do.

       (Eccl 3:11 NCV)  God has given them a desire to know the future. He 
       does everything just right and on time, but people can never 
       completely understand what he is doing.

       (Eccl 3:12 NCV)  So I realize that the best thing for them is to be 
       happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live.

       (Eccl 3:13 NCV)  God wants all people to eat and drink and be happy in 
       their work, which are gifts from God.

       (Eccl 3:14 NCV)  I know that everything God does will continue 
       forever. People cannot add anything to what God has done, and they 
       cannot take anything away from it. God does it this way to make people 
       respect him.

       (Eccl 3:15 NCV)  What happens now has happened in the past, and what 
       will happen in the future has happened before. God makes the same 
       things happen again and again.

       (Eccl 3:16 NCV)  I also saw this here on earth: Where there should 
       have been justice, there was evil; where there should have been right, 





       there was wrong.

       (Eccl 3:17 NCV)  I said to myself, God has planned a time for every 
       thing and every action, so he will judge both good people and bad.

       (Eccl 3:18 NCV)  I decided that God leaves it the way it is to test 
       people and to show them they are just like animals.

       (Eccl 3:19 NCV)  The same thing happens to animals and to people; they 
       both have the same breath, so they both die. People are no better off 
       than the animals, because everything is useless.

       (Eccl 3:20 NCV)  Both end up the same way; both came from dust and 
       both will go back to dust.

       (Eccl 3:21 NCV)  Who can be sure that the human spirit goes up to God 
       and that the spirit of an animal goes down into the ground?

       (Eccl 3:22 NCV)  So I saw that the best thing people can do is to 
       enjoy their work, because that is all they have. No one can help 
       another person see what will happen in the future.

       (Eccl 4:1 NCV)  Again I saw all the people who were mistreated here on 
       earth. I saw their tears and that they had no one to comfort them. 
       Cruel people had all the power, and there was no one to comfort those 
       they hurt.

       (Eccl 4:2 NCV)  I decided that the dead are better off than the 
       living.

       (Eccl 4:3 NCV)  But those who have never been born are better off 
       still; they have not seen the evil that is done here on earth.

       (Eccl 4:4 NCV)  I realized the reason people work hard and try to 
       succeed: They are jealous of each other. This, too, is useless, like 
       chasing the wind.

       (Eccl 4:5 NCV)  Some say it is foolish to fold your hands and do 
       nothing, because you will starve to death.

       (Eccl 4:6 NCV)  Maybe so, but I say it is better to be content with 
       what little you have. Otherwise, you will always be struggling for 
       more, and that is like chasing the wind.

       (Eccl 4:7 NCV)  Again I saw something here on earth that was useless:

       (Eccl 4:8 NCV)  I saw a man who had no family, no son or brother. He 
       always worked hard but was never satisfied with what he had. He never 
       asked himself, "For whom am I working so hard? Why don't I let myself 
       enjoy life?" This also is very sad and useless.

       (Eccl 4:9 NCV)  Two people are better than one, because they get more 
       done by working together.

       (Eccl 4:10 NCV)  If one falls down, the other can help him up. But it 
       is bad for the person who is alone and falls, because no one is there 





       to help.

       (Eccl 4:11 NCV)  If two lie down together, they will be warm, but a 
       person alone will not be warm.

       (Eccl 4:12 NCV)  An enemy might defeat one person, but two people 
       together can defend themselves; a rope that is woven of three strings 
       is hard to break.

       (Eccl 4:13 NCV)  A poor but wise boy is better than a foolish but old 
       king who doesn't listen to advice.

       (Eccl 4:14 NCV)  A boy became king. He had been born poor in the 
       kingdom and had even gone to prison before becoming king.

       (Eccl 4:15 NCV)  I watched all the people who live on earth follow him 
       and make him their king.

       (Eccl 4:16 NCV)  Many followed him at first, but later, they did not 
       like him, either. So fame and power are useless, like chasing the 
       wind.

       (Eccl 5:1 NCV)  Be careful when you go to worship at the Temple. It is 
       better to listen than to offer foolish sacrifices without even knowing 
       you are doing wrong.

       (Eccl 5:2 NCV)  Think before you speak, and be careful about what you 
       say to God. God is in heaven, and you are on the earth, so say only a 
       few words to God.

       (Eccl 5:3 NCV)  The saying is true: Bad dreams come from too much 
       worrying, and too many words come from foolish people.

       (Eccl 5:4 NCV)  If you make a promise to God, don't be slow to keep 
       it. God is not happy with fools, so give God what you promised.

       (Eccl 5:5 NCV)  It is better not to promise anything than to promise 
       something and not do it.

       (Eccl 5:6 NCV)  Don't let your words cause you to sin, and don't say 
       to the priest at the Temple, "I didn't mean what I promised." If you 
       do, God will become angry with your words and will destroy everything 
       you have worked for.

       (Eccl 5:7 NCV)  Many useless promises are like so many dreams; they 
       mean nothing. You should respect God.

       (Eccl 5:8 NCV)  In some places you will see poor people mistreated. 
       Don't be surprised when they are not treated fairly or given their 
       rights. One officer is cheated by a higher officer who in turn is 
       cheated by even higher officers.

       (Eccl 5:9 NCV)  The wealth of the country is divided up among them 
       all. Even the king makes sure he gets his share of the profits.

       (Eccl 5:10 NCV)  Whoever loves money will never have enough money; 





       Whoever loves wealth will not be satisfied with it. This is also 
       useless.

       (Eccl 5:11 NCV)  The more wealth people have, the more friends they 
       have to help spend it. So what do people really gain? They gain 
       nothing except to look at their riches.

       (Eccl 5:12 NCV)  Those who work hard sleep in peace; it is not 
       important if they eat little or much. But rich people worry about 
       their wealth and cannot sleep.

       (Eccl 5:13 NCV)  I have seen real misery here on earth: Money saved is 
       a curse to its owners.

       (Eccl 5:14 NCV)  They lose it all in a bad deal and have nothing to 
       give to their children.

       (Eccl 5:15 NCV)  People come into this world with nothing, and when 
       they die they leave with nothing. In spite of all their hard work, 
       they leave just as they came.

       (Eccl 5:16 NCV)  This, too, is real misery: They leave just as they 
       came. So what do they gain from chasing the wind?

       (Eccl 5:17 NCV)  All they get are days full of sadness and sorrow, and 
       they end up sick, defeated, and angry.

       (Eccl 5:18 NCV)  I have seen what is best for people here on earth. 
       They should eat and drink and enjoy their work, because the life God 
       has given them on earth is short.

       (Eccl 5:19 NCV)  God gives some people the ability to enjoy the wealth 
       and property he gives them, as well as the ability to accept their 
       state in life and enjoy their work.

       (Eccl 5:20 NCV)  They do not worry about how short life is, because 
       God keeps them busy with what they love to do.

       (Eccl 6:1 NCV)  I have seen something else wrong here on earth that 
       causes serious problems for people.

       (Eccl 6:2 NCV)  God gives great wealth, riches, and honor to some 
       people; they have everything they want. But God does not let them 
       enjoy such things; a stranger enjoys them instead. This is useless and 
       very wrong.

       (Eccl 6:3 NCV)  A man might have a hundred children and live a long 
       time, but what good is it if he can't enjoy the good God gives him or 
       have a proper burial? I say a baby born dead is better off than he is.

       (Eccl 6:4 NCV)  A baby born dead is useless. It returns to darkness 
       without even a name.

       (Eccl 6:5 NCV)  That baby never saw the sun and never knew anything, 
       but it finds more rest than that man.





       (Eccl 6:6 NCV)  Even if he lives two thousand years, he doesn't enjoy 
       the good God gives him. Everyone is going to the same place.

       (Eccl 6:7 NCV)  People work just to feed themselves, but they never 
       seem to get enough to eat.

       (Eccl 6:8 NCV)  In this way a wise person is no better off than a 
       fool. Then, too, it does a poor person little good to know how to get 
       along in life.

       (Eccl 6:9 NCV)  It is better to see what you have than to want more. 
       Wanting more is useless-- like chasing the wind.

       (Eccl 6:10 NCV)  Whatever happens was planned long ago. Everyone knows 
       what people are like. No one can argue with God, who is stronger than 
       anyone.

       (Eccl 6:11 NCV)  The more you say, the more useless it is. What good 
       does it do?

       (Eccl 6:12 NCV)  People have only a few useless days of life on the 
       earth; their short life passes like a shadow. Who knows what is best 
       for them while they live? Who can tell them what the future will 
       bring?

       (Eccl 7:1 NCV)  It is better to have respect than good perfume. The 
       day of death is better than the day of birth.

       (Eccl 7:2 NCV)  It is better to go to a funeral than to a party. We 
       all must die, and everyone living should think about this.

       (Eccl 7:3 NCV)  Sorrow is better than laughter, and sadness has a good 
       influence on you.

       (Eccl 7:4 NCV)  A wise person thinks about death, but a fool thinks 
       only about having a good time.

       (Eccl 7:5 NCV)  It is better to be criticized by a wise person than to 
       be praised by a fool.

       (Eccl 7:6 NCV)  The laughter of fools is like the crackling of thorns 
       in a cooking fire. Both are useless.

       (Eccl 7:7 NCV)  Even wise people are fools if they let money change 
       their thinking.

       (Eccl 7:8 NCV)  It is better to finish something than to start it. It 
       is better to be patient than to be proud.

       (Eccl 7:9 NCV)  Don't become angry quickly, because getting angry is 
       foolish.

       (Eccl 7:10 NCV)  Don't ask, "Why was life better in the 'good old 
       days'?" It is not wise to ask such questions.

       (Eccl 7:11 NCV)  Wisdom is better when it comes with money. They both 





       help those who are alive.

       (Eccl 7:12 NCV)  Wisdom is like money: they both help. But wisdom is 
       better, because it can save whoever has it.

       (Eccl 7:13 NCV)  Look at what God has done: No one can straighten what 
       he has bent.

       (Eccl 7:14 NCV)  When life is good, enjoy it. But when life is hard, 
       remember: God gives good times and hard times, and no one knows what 
       tomorrow will bring.

       (Eccl 7:15 NCV)  In my useless life I have seen both of these: I have 
       seen good people die in spite of their goodness and evil people live a 
       long time in spite of their evil.

       (Eccl 7:16 NCV)  Don't be too right, and don't be too wise. Why 
       destroy yourself?

       (Eccl 7:17 NCV)  Don't be too wicked, and don't be foolish. Why die 
       before your time?

       (Eccl 7:18 NCV)  It is good to grab the one and not let go of the 
       other; those who honor God will hold them both.

       (Eccl 7:19 NCV)  Wisdom makes a person stronger than ten leaders in a 
       city.

       (Eccl 7:20 NCV)  Surely there is not a good person on earth who always 
       does good and never sins.

       (Eccl 7:21 NCV)  Don't listen to everything people say, or you might 
       hear your servant insulting you.

       (Eccl 7:22 NCV)  You know that many times you have insulted others.

       (Eccl 7:23 NCV)  I used wisdom to test all these things. I wanted to 
       be wise, but it was too hard for me.

       (Eccl 7:24 NCV)  I cannot understand why things are as they are. It is 
       too hard for anyone to understand.

       (Eccl 7:25 NCV)  I studied and tried very hard to find wisdom, to find 
       some meaning for everything. I learned that it is foolish to be evil, 
       and it is crazy to act like a fool.

       (Eccl 7:26 NCV)  I found that some women are worse than death and are 
       as dangerous as traps. Their love is like a net, and their arms hold 
       men like chains. A man who pleases God will be saved from them, but a 
       sinner will be caught by them.

       (Eccl 7:27 NCV)  The Teacher says, "This is what I learned: I added 
       all these things together to find some meaning for everything.

       (Eccl 7:28 NCV)  While I was searching, I did not find one man among 
       the thousands I found. Nor did I find a woman among all these.






       (Eccl 7:29 NCV)  One thing I have learned: God made people good, but 
       they have found all kinds of ways to be bad."

       (Eccl 8:1 NCV)  No one is like the wise person who can understand what 
       things mean. Wisdom brings happiness; it makes sad faces happy.

       (Eccl 8:2 NCV)  Obey the king's command, because you made a promise to 
       God.

       (Eccl 8:3 NCV)  Don't be too quick to leave the king. Don't support 
       something that is wrong, because the king does whatever he pleases.

       (Eccl 8:4 NCV)  What the king says is law; no one tells him what to 
       do.

       (Eccl 8:5 NCV)  Whoever obeys the king's command will be safe. A wise 
       person does the right thing at the right time.

       (Eccl 8:6 NCV)  There is a right time and a right way for everything, 
       yet people often have many troubles.

       (Eccl 8:7 NCV)  They do not know what the future holds, and no one can 
       tell them what will happen.

       (Eccl 8:8 NCV)  No one can control the wind or stop his own death. No 
       soldier is released in times of war, and evil does not set free those 
       who do evil.

       (Eccl 8:9 NCV)  I saw all of this as I considered all that is done 
       here on earth. Sometimes men harm those they control.

       (Eccl 8:10 NCV)  I saw the funerals of evil people who used to go in 
       and out of the holy place. They were honored in the same towns where 
       they had done evil. This is useless, too.

       (Eccl 8:11 NCV)  When evil people are not punished right away, it 
       makes others want to do evil, too.

       (Eccl 8:12 NCV)  Though a sinner might do a hundred evil things and 
       might live a long time, I know it will be better for those who honor 
       God.

       (Eccl 8:13 NCV)  I also know it will not go well for evil people, 
       because they do not honor God. Like a shadow, they will not last.

       (Eccl 8:14 NCV)  Sometimes something useless happens on earth. Bad 
       things happen to good people, and good things happen to bad people. I 
       say that this is also useless.

       (Eccl 8:15 NCV)  So I decided it was more important to enjoy life. The 
       best that people can do here on earth is to eat, drink, and enjoy 
       life, because these joys will help them do the hard work God gives 
       them here on earth.

       (Eccl 8:16 NCV)  I tried to understand all that happens on earth. I 





       saw how busy people are, working day and night and hardly ever 
       sleeping.

       (Eccl 8:17 NCV)  I also saw all that God has done. Nobody can 
       understand what God does here on earth. No matter how hard people try 
       to understand it, they cannot. Even if wise people say they 
       understand, they cannot; no one can really understand it.

       (Eccl 9:1 NCV)  I thought about all this and tried to understand it. I 
       saw that God controls good people and wise people and what they do, 
       but no one knows if they will experience love or hate.

       (Eccl 9:2 NCV)  Good and bad people end up the same-- those who are 
       right and those who are wrong, those who are good and those who are 
       evil, those who are clean and those who are unclean, those who 
       sacrifice and those who do not. The same things happen to a good 
       person as happen to a sinner, to a person who makes promises to God 
       and to one who does not.

       (Eccl 9:3 NCV)  This is something wrong that happens here on earth: 
       What happens to one happens to all. So people's minds are full of evil 
       and foolish thoughts while they live. After that, they join the dead.

       (Eccl 9:4 NCV)  But anyone still alive has hope; even a live dog is 
       better off than a dead lion!

       (Eccl 9:5 NCV)  The living know they will die, but the dead know 
       nothing. Dead people have no more reward, and people forget them.

       (Eccl 9:6 NCV)  After people are dead, they can no longer love or hate 
       or envy. They will never again share in what happens here on earth.

       (Eccl 9:7 NCV)  So go eat your food and enjoy it; drink your wine and 
       be happy, because that is what God wants you to do.

       (Eccl 9:8 NCV)  Put on nice clothes and make yourself look good.

       (Eccl 9:9 NCV)  Enjoy life with the wife you love. Enjoy all the 
       useless days of this useless life God has given you here on earth, 
       because it is all you have. So enjoy the work you do here on earth.

       (Eccl 9:10 NCV)  Whatever work you do, do your best, because you are 
       going to the grave, where there is no working, no planning, no 
       knowledge, and no wisdom.

       (Eccl 9:11 NCV)  I also saw something else here on earth: The fastest 
       runner does not always win the race, the strongest soldier does not 
       always win the battle, the wisest does not always have food, the 
       smartest does not always become wealthy, and the talented one does not 
       always receive praise. Time and chance happen to everyone.

       (Eccl 9:12 NCV)  No one knows what will happen next. Like a fish 
       caught in a net, or a bird caught in a trap, people are trapped by 
       evil when it suddenly falls on them.

       (Eccl 9:13 NCV)  I also saw something wise here on earth that 





       impressed me.

       (Eccl 9:14 NCV)  There was a small town with only a few people in it. 
       A great king fought against it and put his armies all around it.

       (Eccl 9:15 NCV)  Now there was a poor but wise man in the town who 
       used his wisdom to save his town. But later on, everyone forgot about 
       him.

       (Eccl 9:16 NCV)  I still think wisdom is better than strength. But 
       those people forgot about the poor man's wisdom and stopped listening 
       to what he said.

       (Eccl 9:17 NCV)  The quiet words of a wise person are better than the 
       shouts of a foolish ruler.

       (Eccl 9:18 NCV)  Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner 
       can destroy much good.

       (Eccl 10:1 NCV)  Dead flies can make even perfume stink. In the same 
       way, a little foolishness can spoil wisdom.

       (Eccl 10:2 NCV)  The heart of the wise leads to right, but the heart 
       of a fool leads to wrong.

       (Eccl 10:3 NCV)  Even in the way fools walk along the road, they show 
       they are not wise; they show everyone how stupid they are.

       (Eccl 10:4 NCV)  Don't leave your job just because your boss is angry 
       with you. Remaining calm solves great problems.

       (Eccl 10:5 NCV)  There is something else wrong that happens here on 
       earth. It is the kind of mistake rulers make:

       (Eccl 10:6 NCV)  Fools are given important positions while gifted 
       people are given lower ones;

       (Eccl 10:7 NCV)  I have seen servants ride horses while princes walk 
       like servants on foot.

       (Eccl 10:8 NCV)  Anyone who digs a pit might fall into it; anyone who 
       knocks down a wall might be bitten by a snake;

       (Eccl 10:9 NCV)  anyone who moves boulders might be hurt by them; and 
       anyone who cuts logs might be harmed by them.

       (Eccl 10:10 NCV)  A dull ax means harder work. Being wise will make it 
       easier.

       (Eccl 10:11 NCV)  If a snake bites the tamer before it is tamed, what 
       good is the tamer?

       (Eccl 10:12 NCV)  The words of the wise bring them praise, but the 
       words of a fool will destroy them.

       (Eccl 10:13 NCV)  A fool begins by saying foolish things and ends by 





       saying crazy and wicked things.

       (Eccl 10:14 NCV)  A fool talks too much. No one knows the future, and 
       no one can tell what will happen after death.

       (Eccl 10:15 NCV)  Work wears fools out; they don't even know how to 
       get home.

       (Eccl 10:16 NCV)  How terrible it is for a country whose king is a 
       child and whose leaders eat all morning.

       (Eccl 10:17 NCV)  How lucky a country is whose king comes from a good 
       family, whose leaders eat only at mealtime and for strength, not to 
       get drunk.

       (Eccl 10:18 NCV)  If someone is lazy, the roof will begin to fall. If 
       he doesn't fix it, the house will leak.

       (Eccl 10:19 NCV)  A party makes you feel good, wine makes you feel 
       happy, and money buys anything.

       (Eccl 10:20 NCV)  Don't make fun of the king, and don't make fun of 
       rich people, even in your bedroom. A little bird might carry your 
       words; a bird might fly and tell what you said.

       (Eccl 11:1 NCV)  Invest what you have, because after a while you will 
       get a return.

       (Eccl 11:2 NCV)  Invest what you have in several different businesses, 
       because you don't know what disasters might happen.

       (Eccl 11:3 NCV)  If clouds are full of rain, they will shower on the 
       earth. A tree can fall to the north or south, but it will stay where 
       it falls.

       (Eccl 11:4 NCV)  Those who wait for perfect weather will never plant 
       seeds; those who look at every cloud will never harvest crops.

       (Eccl 11:5 NCV)  You don't know where the wind will blow, and you 
       don't know how a baby grows inside the mother. In the same way, you 
       don't know what God is doing, or how he created everything.

       (Eccl 11:6 NCV)  Plant early in the morning, and work until evening, 
       because you don't know if this or that will succeed. They might both 
       do well.

       (Eccl 11:7 NCV)  Sunshine is sweet; it is good to see the light of 
       day.

       (Eccl 11:8 NCV)  People ought to enjoy every day of their lives, no 
       matter how long they live. But they should also remember this: You 
       will be dead a long time. Everything that happens then is useless.

       (Eccl 11:9 NCV)  Young people, enjoy yourselves while you are young; 
       be happy while you are young. Do whatever your heart desires, whatever 
       you want to do. But remember that God will judge you for everything 





       you do.

       (Eccl 11:10 NCV)  Don't worry, and forget the troubles of your body, 
       because youth and childhood are useless.

       (Eccl 12:1 NCV)  Remember your Creator while you are young, before the 
       days of trouble come and the years when you say, "I find no pleasure 
       in them."

       (Eccl 12:2 NCV)  When you get old, the light from the sun, moon, and 
       stars will grow dark; the rain clouds will never seem to go away.

       (Eccl 12:3 NCV)  At that time your arms will shake and your legs will 
       become weak. Your teeth will fall out so you cannot chew, and your 
       eyes will not see clearly.

       (Eccl 12:4 NCV)  Your ears will be deaf to the noise in the streets, 
       and you will barely hear the millstone grinding grain. You'll wake up 
       when a bird starts singing, but you will barely hear singing.

       (Eccl 12:5 NCV)  You will fear high places and will be afraid to go 
       for a walk. Your hair will become white like the flowers on an almond 
       tree. You will limp along like a grasshopper when you walk. Your 
       appetite will be gone. Then you will go to your everlasting home, and 
       people will go to your funeral.

       (Eccl 12:6 NCV)  Soon your life will snap like a silver chain or break 
       like a golden bowl. You will be like a broken pitcher at a spring, or 
       a broken wheel at a well.

       (Eccl 12:7 NCV)  You will turn back into the dust of the earth again, 
       but your spirit will return to God who gave it.

       (Eccl 12:8 NCV)  Everything is useless! The Teacher says that 
       everything is useless.

       (Eccl 12:9 NCV)  The Teacher was very wise and taught the people what 
       he knew. He very carefully thought about, studied, and set in order 
       many wise teachings.

       (Eccl 12:10 NCV)  The Teacher looked for just the right words to write 
       what is dependable and true.

       (Eccl 12:11 NCV)  Words from wise people are like sharp sticks used to 
       guide animals. They are like nails that have been driven in firmly. 
       Altogether they are wise teachings that come from one Shepherd.

       (Eccl 12:12 NCV)  So be careful, my son, about other teachings. People 
       are always writing books, and too much study will make you tired.

       (Eccl 12:13 NCV)  Now, everything has been heard, so I give my final 
       advice: Honor God and obey his commands, because this is all people 
       must do.

       (Eccl 12:14 NCV)  God will judge everything, even what is done in 
       secret, the good and the evil.






       (Song 1:1 NCV)  Solomon's Greatest Song.

       (Song 1:2 NCV)  Kiss me with the kisses of your mouth, because your 
       love is better than wine.

       (Song 1:3 NCV)  The smell of your perfume is pleasant, and your name 
       is pleasant like expensive perfume. That's why the young women love 
       you.

       (Song 1:4 NCV)  Take me with you; let's run together. The king takes 
       me into his rooms. We will rejoice and be happy with you; we praise 
       your love more than wine. With good reason, the young women love you.

       (Song 1:5 NCV)  I'm dark but lovely, women of Jerusalem, dark like the 
       tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon.

       (Song 1:6 NCV)  Don't look at how dark I am, at how dark the sun has 
       made me. My brothers were angry with me and made me tend the 
       vineyards, so I haven't tended my own vineyard!

       (Song 1:7 NCV)  Tell me, you whom I love, where do you feed your 
       sheep? Where do you let them rest at noon? Why should I look for you 
       near your friend's sheep, like a woman who wears a veil?

       (Song 1:8 NCV)  You are the most beautiful of women. Surely you know 
       to follow the sheep and feed your young goats near the shepherds' 
       tents.

       (Song 1:9 NCV)  My darling, you are like a mare among the king's 
       stallions.

       (Song 1:10 NCV)  Your cheeks are beautiful with ornaments, and your 
       neck with jewels.

       (Song 1:11 NCV)  We will make for you gold earrings with silver hooks.

       (Song 1:12 NCV)  The smell of my perfume spreads out to the king on 
       his couch.

       (Song 1:13 NCV)  My lover is like a bag of myrrh that lies all night 
       between my breasts.

       (Song 1:14 NCV)  My lover is like a bunch of flowers from the 
       vineyards at En Gedi.

       (Song 1:15 NCV)  My darling, you are beautiful! Oh, you are beautiful, 
       and your eyes are like doves.

       (Song 1:16 NCV)  You are so handsome, my lover, and so pleasant! Our 
       bed is the grass.

       (Song 1:17 NCV)  Cedar trees form our roof; our ceiling is made of 
       juniper wood.

       (Song 2:1 NCV)  I am a rose in the Plain of Sharon, a lily in the 





       valleys.

       (Song 2:2 NCV)  Among the young women, my darling is like a lily among 
       thorns!

       (Song 2:3 NCV)  Among the young men, my lover is like an apple tree in 
       the woods! I enjoy sitting in his shadow; his fruit is sweet to my 
       taste.

       (Song 2:4 NCV)  He brought me to the banquet room, and his banner over 
       me is love.

       (Song 2:5 NCV)  Strengthen me with raisins, and refresh me with 
       apples, because I am weak with love.

       (Song 2:6 NCV)  My lover's left hand is under my head, and his right 
       arm holds me tight.

       (Song 2:7 NCV)  Women of Jerusalem, promise me by the gazelles and the 
       deer not to awaken or excite my feelings of love until it is ready.

       (Song 2:8 NCV)  I hear my lover's voice. Here he comes jumping across 
       the mountains, skipping over the hills.

       (Song 2:9 NCV)  My lover is like a gazelle or a young deer. Look, he 
       stands behind our wall peeking through the windows, looking through 
       the blinds.

       (Song 2:10 NCV)  My lover spoke and said to me, "Get up, my darling; 
       let's go away, my beautiful one.

       (Song 2:11 NCV)  Look, the winter is past; the rains are over and 
       gone.

       (Song 2:12 NCV)  Blossoms appear through all the land. The time has 
       come to sing; the cooing of doves is heard in our land.

       (Song 2:13 NCV)  There are young figs on the fig trees, and the 
       blossoms on the vines smell sweet. Get up, my darling; let's go away, 
       my beautiful one."

       (Song 2:14 NCV)  My beloved is like a dove hiding in the cracks of the 
       rock, in the secret places of the cliff. Show me your face, and let me 
       hear your voice. Your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.

       (Song 2:15 NCV)  Catch the foxes for us-- the little foxes that ruin 
       the vineyards while they are in blossom.

       (Song 2:16 NCV)  My lover is mine, and I am his. He feeds among the 
       lilies

       (Song 2:17 NCV)  until the day dawns and the shadows disappear. Turn, 
       my lover. Be like a gazelle or a young deer on the mountain valleys.

       (Song 3:1 NCV)  At night on my bed, I looked for the one I love; I 
       looked for him, but I could not find him.






       (Song 3:2 NCV)  I got up and went around the city, in the streets and 
       squares, looking for the one I love. I looked for him, but I could not 
       find him.

       (Song 3:3 NCV)  The watchmen found me as they patrolled the city, so I 
       asked, "Have you seen the one I love?"

       (Song 3:4 NCV)  As soon as I had left them, I found the one I love. I 
       held him and would not let him go until I brought him to my mother's 
       house, to the room where I was born.

       (Song 3:5 NCV)  Women of Jerusalem, promise me by the gazelles and the 
       deer not to awaken or excite my feelings of love until it is ready.

       (Song 3:6 NCV)  Who is this coming out of the desert like a cloud of 
       smoke? Who is this that smells like myrrh, incense, and other spices?

       (Song 3:7 NCV)  Look, it's Solomon's couch with sixty soldiers around 
       it, the finest soldiers of Israel.

       (Song 3:8 NCV)  These soldiers all carry swords and have been trained 
       in war. Every man wears a sword at his side and is ready for the 
       dangers of the night.

       (Song 3:9 NCV)  King Solomon had a couch made for himself of wood from 
       Lebanon.

       (Song 3:10 NCV)  He made its posts of silver and its braces of gold. 
       The seat was covered with purple cloth that the women of Jerusalem 
       wove with love.

       (Song 3:11 NCV)  Women of Jerusalem, go out and see King Solomon. He 
       is wearing the crown his mother put on his head on his wedding day, 
       when his heart was happy!

       (Song 4:1 NCV)  How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, you are 
       beautiful! Your eyes behind your veil are like doves. Your hair is 
       like a flock of goats streaming down Mount Gilead.

       (Song 4:2 NCV)  Your teeth are white like newly sheared sheep just 
       coming from their bath. Each one has a twin, and none of them is 
       missing.

       (Song 4:3 NCV)  Your lips are like red silk thread, and your mouth is 
       lovely. Your cheeks behind your veil are like slices of a pomegranate.

       (Song 4:4 NCV)  Your neck is like David's tower, built with rows of 
       stones. A thousand shields hang on its walls; each shield belongs to a 
       strong soldier.

       (Song 4:5 NCV)  Your breasts are like two fawns, like twins of a 
       gazelle, feeding among the lilies.

       (Song 4:6 NCV)  Until the day dawns and the shadows disappear, I will 
       go to that mountain of myrrh and to that hill of incense.






       (Song 4:7 NCV)  My darling, everything about you is beautiful, and 
       there is nothing at all wrong with you.

       (Song 4:8 NCV)  Come with me from Lebanon, my bride. Come with me from 
       Lebanon, from the top of Mount Amana, from the tops of Mount Senir and 
       Mount Hermon. Come from the lions' dens and from the leopards' hills.

       (Song 4:9 NCV)  My sister, my bride, you have thrilled my heart; you 
       have thrilled my heart with a glance of your eyes, with one sparkle 
       from your necklace.

       (Song 4:10 NCV)  Your love is so sweet, my sister, my bride. Your love 
       is better than wine, and your perfume smells better than any spice.

       (Song 4:11 NCV)  My bride, your lips drip honey; honey and milk are 
       under your tongue. Your clothes smell like the cedars of Lebanon.

       (Song 4:12 NCV)  My sister, my bride, you are like a garden locked up, 
       like a walled-in spring, a closed-up fountain.

       (Song 4:13 NCV)  Your limbs are like an orchard of pomegranates with 
       all the best fruit, filled with flowers and nard,

       (Song 4:14 NCV)  nard and saffron, calamus, and cinnamon, with trees 
       of incense, myrrh, and aloes-- all the best spices.

       (Song 4:15 NCV)  You are like a garden fountain-- a well of fresh 
       water flowing down from the mountains of Lebanon.

       (Song 4:16 NCV)  Awake, north wind. Come, south wind. Blow on my 
       garden, and let its sweet smells flow out. Let my lover enter the 
       garden and eat its best fruits.

       (Song 5:1 NCV)  I have entered my garden, my sister, my bride. I have 
       gathered my myrrh with my spice. I have eaten my honeycomb and my 
       honey. I have drunk my wine and my milk. Eat, friends, and drink; yes, 
       drink deeply, lovers.

       (Song 5:2 NCV)  I sleep, but my heart is awake. I hear my lover 
       knocking. "Open to me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my perfect one. 
       My head is wet with dew, and my hair with the dampness of the night."

       (Song 5:3 NCV)  I have taken off my garment and don't want to put it 
       on again. I have washed my feet and don't want to get them dirty 
       again.

       (Song 5:4 NCV)  My lover put his hand through the opening, and I felt 
       excited inside.

       (Song 5:5 NCV)  I got up to open the door for my lover. Myrrh was 
       dripping from my hands and flowing from my fingers, onto the handles 
       of the lock.

       (Song 5:6 NCV)  I opened the door for my lover, but my lover had left 
       and was gone. When he spoke, he took my breath away. I looked for him, 





       but I could not find him; I called for him, but he did not answer.

       (Song 5:7 NCV)  The watchmen found me as they patrolled the city. They 
       hit me and hurt me; the guards on the wall took away my veil.

       (Song 5:8 NCV)  Promise me, women of Jerusalem, if you find my lover, 
       tell him I am weak with love.

       (Song 5:9 NCV)  How is your lover better than other lovers, most 
       beautiful of women? How is your lover better than other lovers? Why do 
       you want us to promise this?

       (Song 5:10 NCV)  My lover is healthy and tan, the best of ten thousand 
       men.

       (Song 5:11 NCV)  His head is like the finest gold; his hair is wavy 
       and black like a raven.

       (Song 5:12 NCV)  His eyes are like doves by springs of water. They 
       seem to be bathed in cream and are set like jewels.

       (Song 5:13 NCV)  His cheeks are like beds of spices; they smell like 
       mounds of perfume. His lips are like lilies flowing with myrrh.

       (Song 5:14 NCV)  His hands are like gold hinges, filled with jewels. 
       His body is like shiny ivory covered with sapphires.

       (Song 5:15 NCV)  His legs are like large marble posts, standing on 
       bases of fine gold. He is like a cedar of Lebanon, like the finest of 
       the trees.

       (Song 5:16 NCV)  His mouth is sweet to kiss, and I desire him very 
       much. Yes, daughters of Jerusalem, this is my lover and my friend.

       (Song 6:1 NCV)  Where has your lover gone, most beautiful of women? 
       Which way did your lover turn? We will look for him with you.

       (Song 6:2 NCV)  My lover has gone down to his garden, to the beds of 
       spices, to feed in the gardens and to gather lilies.

       (Song 6:3 NCV)  I belong to my lover, and my lover belongs to me. He 
       feeds among the lilies.

       (Song 6:4 NCV)  My darling, you are as beautiful as the city of 
       Tirzah, as lovely as the city of Jerusalem, like an army flying flags.

       (Song 6:5 NCV)  Turn your eyes from me, because they excite me too 
       much. Your hair is like a flock of goats streaming down Mount Gilead.

       (Song 6:6 NCV)  Your teeth are white like sheep just coming from their 
       bath; each one has a twin, and none of them is missing.

       (Song 6:7 NCV)  Your cheeks behind your veil are like slices of a 
       pomegranate.

       (Song 6:8 NCV)  There may be sixty queens and eighty slave women and 





       so many girls you cannot count them,

       (Song 6:9 NCV)  but there is only one like my dove, my perfect one. 
       She is her mother's only daughter, the brightest of the one who gave 
       her birth. The young women saw her and called her happy; the queens 
       and the slave women also praised her.

       (Song 6:10 NCV)  Who is that young woman that shines out like the 
       dawn? She is as pretty as the moon, as bright as the sun, as wonderful 
       as an army flying flags.

       (Song 6:11 NCV)  I went down into the orchard of nut trees to see the 
       blossoms of the valley, to look for buds on the vines, to see if the 
       pomegranate trees had bloomed.

       (Song 6:12 NCV)  Before I realized it, my desire for you made me feel 
       like a prince in a chariot.

       (Song 6:13 NCV)  Come back, come back, woman of Shulam. Come back, 
       come back, so we may look at you! Why do you want to look at the woman 
       of Shulam as you would at the dance of two armies?

       (Song 7:1 NCV)  Your feet are beautiful in sandals, you daughter of a 
       prince. Your round thighs are like jewels shaped by an artist.

       (Song 7:2 NCV)  Your navel is like a round drinking cup always filled 
       with wine. Your stomach is like a pile of wheat surrounded with 
       lilies.

       (Song 7:3 NCV)  Your breasts are like two fawns, like twins of a 
       gazelle.

       (Song 7:4 NCV)  Your neck is like an ivory tower. Your eyes are like 
       the pools in Heshbon near the gate of Bath Rabbim. Your nose is like 
       the mountain of Lebanon that looks down on Damascus.

       (Song 7:5 NCV)  Your head is like Mount Carmel, and your hair is like 
       purple cloth; the king is captured in its folds.

       (Song 7:6 NCV)  You are beautiful and pleasant; my love, you are full 
       of delights.

       (Song 7:7 NCV)  You are tall like a palm tree, and your breasts are 
       like its bunches of fruit.

       (Song 7:8 NCV)  I said, "I will climb up the palm tree and take hold 
       of its fruit." Let your breasts be like bunches of grapes, the smell 
       of your breath like apples,

       (Song 7:9 NCV)  and your mouth like the best wine. Let this wine go 
       down sweetly for my lover; may it flow gently past the lips and teeth.

       (Song 7:10 NCV)  I belong to my lover, and he desires only me.

       (Song 7:11 NCV)  Come, my lover, let's go out into the country and 
       spend the night in the fields.






       (Song 7:12 NCV)  Let's go early to the vineyards and see if the buds 
       are on the vines. Let's see if the blossoms have already opened and if 
       the pomegranates have bloomed. There I will give you my love.

       (Song 7:13 NCV)  The mandrake flowers give their sweet smell, and all 
       the best fruits are at our gates. I have saved them for you, my lover, 
       the old delights and the new.

       (Song 8:1 NCV)  I wish you were like my brother who fed at my mother's 
       breasts. If I found you outside, I would kiss you, and no one would 
       look down on me.

       (Song 8:2 NCV)  I would lead you and bring you to my mother's house; 
       she is the one who taught me. I would give you a drink of spiced wine 
       from my pomegranates.

       (Song 8:3 NCV)  My lover's left hand is under my head, and his right 
       arm holds me tight.

       (Song 8:4 NCV)  Women of Jerusalem, promise not to awaken or excite my 
       feelings of love until it is ready.

       (Song 8:5 NCV)  Who is this coming out of the desert, leaning on her 
       lover? I woke you under the apple tree where you were born; there your 
       mother gave birth to you.

       (Song 8:6 NCV)  Put me like a seal on your heart, like a seal on your 
       arm. Love is as strong as death; jealousy is as strong as the grave. 
       Love bursts into flames and burns like a hot fire.

       (Song 8:7 NCV)  Even much water cannot put out the flame of love; 
       floods cannot drown love. If a man offered everything in his house for 
       love, people would totally reject it.

       (Song 8:8 NCV)  We have a little sister, and her breasts are not yet 
       grown. What should we do for our sister on the day she becomes 
       engaged?

       (Song 8:9 NCV)  If she is a wall, we will put silver towers on her. If 
       she is a door, we will protect her with cedar boards.

       (Song 8:10 NCV)  I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers. So I was 
       to him, as one who brings happiness.

       (Song 8:11 NCV)  Solomon had a vineyard at Baal Hamon. He rented the 
       vineyards for others to tend, and everyone who rented had to pay 
       twenty-five pounds of silver for the fruit.

       (Song 8:12 NCV)  But my own vineyard is mine to give. Solomon, the 
       twenty-five pounds of silver are for you, and five pounds are for 
       those who tend the fruit.

       (Song 8:13 NCV)  You who live in the gardens, my friends are listening 
       for your voice; let me hear it.





       (Song 8:14 NCV)  Hurry, my lover, be like a gazelle or a young deer on 
       the mountains where spices grow.

       (Isa 1:1 NCV)  This is the vision Isaiah son of Amoz saw about what 
       would happen to Judah and Jerusalem. Isaiah saw these things while 
       Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah.

       (Isa 1:2 NCV)  Heaven and earth, listen, because the LORD is speaking: 
       "I raised my children and helped them grow up, but they have turned 
       against me.

       (Isa 1:3 NCV)  An ox knows its master, and a donkey knows where its 
       owner feeds it, but the people of Israel do not know me; my people do 
       not understand."

       (Isa 1:4 NCV)  How terrible! Israel is a nation of sin, a people 
       loaded down with guilt, a group of children doing evil, children who 
       are full of evil. They have left the LORD; they hate God, the Holy One 
       of Israel, and have turned away from him as if he were a stranger.

       (Isa 1:5 NCV)  Why should you continue to be punished? Why do you 
       continue to turn against him? Your whole head is hurt, and your whole 
       heart is sick.

       (Isa 1:6 NCV)  There is no healthy spot from the bottom of your foot 
       to the top of your head; you are covered with wounds, hurts, and open 
       sores that are not cleaned and covered, and no medicine takes away the 
       pain.

       (Isa 1:7 NCV)  Your land is ruined; your cities have been burned with 
       fire. While you watch, your enemies are stealing everything from your 
       land; it is ruined like a country destroyed by enemies.

       (Isa 1:8 NCV)  Jerusalem is left alone like an empty shelter in a 
       vineyard, like a hut left in a field of melons, like a city surrounded 
       by enemies.

       (Isa 1:9 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful allowed a few of our people to 
       live. Otherwise we would have been completely destroyed like the 
       cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

       (Isa 1:10 NCV)  Jerusalem, your rulers are like those of Sodom, and 
       your people are like those of Gomorrah. Hear the word of the LORD; 
       listen to the teaching of our God!

       (Isa 1:11 NCV)  The LORD says, "I do not want all these sacrifices. I 
       have had enough of your burnt sacrifices of male sheep and fat from 
       fine animals. I am not pleased by the blood of bulls, lambs, and 
       goats.

       (Isa 1:12 NCV)  You come to meet with me, but who asked you to do all 
       this running in and out of my Temple's rooms?

       (Isa 1:13 NCV)  Don't continue bringing me worthless sacrifices! I 
       hate the incense you burn. I can't stand your New Moons, Sabbaths, and 
       other feast days; I can't stand the evil you do in your holy meetings.






       (Isa 1:14 NCV)  I hate your New Moon feasts and your other yearly 
       feasts. They have become a heavy weight on me, and I am tired of 
       carrying it.

       (Isa 1:15 NCV)  When you raise your arms to me in prayer, I will 
       refuse to look at you. Even if you say many prayers, I will not listen 
       to you, because your hands are full of blood.

       (Isa 1:16 NCV)  Wash yourselves and make yourselves clean. Stop doing 
       the evil things I see you do. Stop doing wrong.

       (Isa 1:17 NCV)  Learn to do good. Seek justice. Punish those who hurt 
       others. Help the orphans. Stand up for the rights of widows."

       (Isa 1:18 NCV)  The LORD says, "Come, let us talk about these things. 
       Though your sins are like scarlet, they can be as white as snow. 
       Though your sins are deep red, they can be white like wool.

       (Isa 1:19 NCV)  If you become willing and obey me, you will eat good 
       crops from the land.

       (Isa 1:20 NCV)  But if you refuse to obey and if you turn against me, 
       you will be destroyed by your enemies' swords." The LORD himself said 
       these things.

       (Isa 1:21 NCV)  The city of Jerusalem once followed the LORD, but she 
       is no longer loyal to him. She used to be filled with fairness; people 
       there lived the way God wanted. But now, murderers live there.

       (Isa 1:22 NCV)  Jerusalem, you have become like the scum left when 
       silver is purified; you are like wine mixed with water.

       (Isa 1:23 NCV)  Your rulers are rebels and friends of thieves. They 
       all accept money for doing wrong, and they are paid to cheat people. 
       They don't seek justice for the orphans or listen to the widows' 
       needs.

       (Isa 1:24 NCV)  So the Lord GOD All-Powerful, the Mighty One of 
       Israel, says: "You, my enemies, will not cause me any more trouble. I 
       will pay you back for what you did.

       (Isa 1:25 NCV)  I will turn against you and clean away all your wrongs 
       as if with soap; I will take all the worthless things out of you.

       (Isa 1:26 NCV)  I will bring back judges as you had long ago; your 
       counselors will be like those you had in the beginning. Then you will 
       be called the City That Is Right with God, the Loyal City."

       (Isa 1:27 NCV)  By doing what is fair, Jerusalem will be free again. 
       By doing what is right, her people who come back to the LORD will have 
       freedom.

       (Isa 1:28 NCV)  But sinners and those who turn against him will be 
       destroyed; those who have left the LORD will die.





       (Isa 1:29 NCV)  "You will be ashamed, because you have worshiped gods 
       under the oak trees. You will be disgraced, because you have worshiped 
       idols in your gardens.

       (Isa 1:30 NCV)  You will be like an oak whose leaves are dying or like 
       a garden without water.

       (Isa 1:31 NCV)  Powerful people will be like small, dry pieces of 
       wood, and their works will be like sparks. They will burn together, 
       and no one will be able to put out that fire."

       (Isa 2:1 NCV)  Isaiah son of Amoz saw this message about Judah and 
       Jerusalem:

       (Isa 2:2 NCV)  In the last days the mountain on which the Lord's 
       Temple stands will become the most important of all mountains. It will 
       be raised above the hills, and people from all nations will come 
       streaming to it.

       (Isa 2:3 NCV)  Many nations will come and say, "Come, let us go up to 
       the mountain of the LORD, to the Temple of the God of Jacob. Then God 
       will teach us his ways, and we will obey his teachings." His teachings 
       will go out from Jerusalem; the message of the LORD will go out from 
       Jerusalem.

       (Isa 2:4 NCV)  He will settle arguments among the nations and will 
       make decisions for many nations. Then they will make their swords into 
       plows and their spears into hooks for trimming trees. Nations will no 
       longer fight other nations, nor will they train for war anymore.

       (Isa 2:5 NCV)  Come, family of Jacob, and let us follow the way of the 
       LORD.

       (Isa 2:6 NCV)  LORD, you have left your people, the family of Jacob, 
       because they have become filled with wrong ideas from people in the 
       East. They try to tell the future like the Philistines, and they have 
       completely accepted those foreign ideas.

       (Isa 2:7 NCV)  Their land has been filled with silver and gold; there 
       are a great many treasures there. Their land has been filled with 
       horses; there are many chariots there.

       (Isa 2:8 NCV)  Their land is full of idols. The people worship these 
       idols they made with their own hands and shaped with their own 
       fingers.

       (Isa 2:9 NCV)  People will not be proud any longer but will bow low 
       with shame. God, do not forgive them.

       (Isa 2:10 NCV)  Go into the caves of the cliffs; dig holes and hide in 
       the ground from the anger of the LORD and from his great power!

       (Isa 2:11 NCV)  Proud people will be made humble, and they will bow 
       low with shame. At that time only the LORD will still be praised.

       (Isa 2:12 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful has a certain day planned when 





       he will punish the proud and those who brag, and they will no longer 
       be important.

       (Isa 2:13 NCV)  He will bring down the tall cedar trees from Lebanon 
       and the great oak trees of Bashan,

       (Isa 2:14 NCV)  all the tall mountains and the high hills,

       (Isa 2:15 NCV)  every tall tower and every high, strong wall,

       (Isa 2:16 NCV)  all the trading ships and the beautiful ships.

       (Isa 2:17 NCV)  At that time proud people will be made humble, and 
       they will bow low with shame. At that time only the LORD will be 
       praised,

       (Isa 2:18 NCV)  but all the idols will be gone.

       (Isa 2:19 NCV)  People will run to caves in the rocky cliffs and will 
       dig holes and hide in the ground from the anger of the LORD and his 
       great power, when he stands to shake the earth.

       (Isa 2:20 NCV)  At that time people will throw away their gold and 
       silver idols, which they made for themselves to worship; they will 
       throw them away to the bats and moles.

       (Isa 2:21 NCV)  Then the people will hide in caves and cracks in the 
       rocks from the anger of the LORD and his great power, when he stands 
       to shake the earth.

       (Isa 2:22 NCV)  You should stop trusting in people to save you, 
       because people are only human; they aren't able to help you.

       (Isa 3:1 NCV)  Understand this: The Lord GOD All-Powerful will take 
       away everything Judah and Jerusalem need-- all the food and water,

       (Isa 3:2 NCV)  the heroes and great soldiers, the judges and prophets, 
       people who do magic and older leaders,

       (Isa 3:3 NCV)  the military leaders and government leaders, the 
       counselors, the skilled craftsmen, and those who try to tell the 
       future.

       (Isa 3:4 NCV)  The LORD says, "I will cause young boys to be your 
       leaders, and foolish children will rule over you.

       (Isa 3:5 NCV)  People will be against each other; everyone will be 
       against his neighbor. Young people will not respect older people, and 
       common people will not respect important people."

       (Isa 3:6 NCV)  At that time a man will grab one of his brothers from 
       his own family and say, "You have a coat, so you will be our leader. 
       These ruins will be under your control."

       (Isa 3:7 NCV)  But that brother will stand up and say, "I cannot help 
       you, because I do not have food or clothes in my house. You will not 





       make me your leader."

       (Isa 3:8 NCV)  This will happen because Jerusalem has stumbled, and 
       Judah has fallen. The things they say and do are against the LORD; 
       they turn against him.

       (Isa 3:9 NCV)  The look on their faces shows they are guilty; like the 
       people of Sodom, they are proud of their sin. They don't care who sees 
       it. How terrible it will be for them, because they have brought much 
       trouble on themselves.

       (Isa 3:10 NCV)  Tell those who do what is right that things will go 
       well for them, because they will receive a reward for what they do.

       (Isa 3:11 NCV)  But how terrible it will be for the wicked! They will 
       be punished for all the wrong they have done.

       (Isa 3:12 NCV)  Children treat my people cruelly, and women rule over 
       them. My people, your guides lead you in the wrong way and turn you 
       away from what is right.

       (Isa 3:13 NCV)  The LORD takes his place in court and stands to judge 
       the people.

       (Isa 3:14 NCV)  The LORD presents his case against the older leaders 
       and other leaders of his people: "You have burned the vineyard. Your 
       houses are full of what you took from the poor.

       (Isa 3:15 NCV)  What gives you the right to crush my people and grind 
       the faces of the poor into the dirt?" The Lord GOD All-Powerful says 
       this.

       (Isa 3:16 NCV)  The LORD says, "The women of Jerusalem are proud. They 
       walk around with their heads held high, and they flirt with their 
       eyes. They take quick, short steps, making noise with their ankle 
       bracelets."

       (Isa 3:17 NCV)  So the Lord will put sores on the heads of those women 
       in Jerusalem, and he will make them lose their hair.

       (Isa 3:18 NCV)  At that time the Lord will take away everything that 
       makes them proud: their beautiful ankle bracelets, their headbands, 
       their necklaces shaped like the moon,

       (Isa 3:19 NCV)  their earrings, bracelets, and veils,

       (Isa 3:20 NCV)  their scarves, ankle chains, the cloth belts worn 
       around their waists, their bottles of perfume, and charms,

       (Isa 3:21 NCV)  their signet rings, nose rings,

       (Isa 3:22 NCV)  their fine robes, capes, shawls, and purses,

       (Isa 3:23 NCV)  their mirrors, linen dresses, turbans, and long 
       shawls.





       (Isa 3:24 NCV)  Instead of wearing sweet-smelling perfume, they will 
       stink. Instead of fine cloth belts, they will wear the ropes of 
       captives. Instead of having their hair fixed in fancy ways, they will 
       be bald. Instead of fine clothes, they will wear clothes of sadness. 
       Instead of being beautiful, they will wear the brand of a captive.

       (Isa 3:25 NCV)  At that time your men will be killed with swords, and 
       your heroes will die in war.

       (Isa 3:26 NCV)  There will be crying and sadness near the city gates. 
       Jerusalem will be like a woman who has lost everything and sits on the 
       ground.

       (Isa 4:1 NCV)  At that time seven women will grab one man and say, "We 
       will eat our own bread and make our own clothes, but please marry us! 
       Please, take away our shame."

       (Isa 4:2 NCV)  At that time the Lord's branch will be very beautiful 
       and great. The people still living in Israel will be proud of what the 
       land grows.

       (Isa 4:3 NCV)  Those who are still living in Jerusalem will be called 
       holy; their names are recorded among the living in Jerusalem.

       (Isa 4:4 NCV)  The Lord will wash away the filth from the women of 
       Jerusalem. He will wash the bloodstains out of Jerusalem and clean the 
       city with the spirit of fairness and the spirit of fire.

       (Isa 4:5 NCV)  Then the LORD will cover Mount Zion and the people who 
       meet there with a cloud of smoke during the day and with a bright, 
       flaming fire at night. There will be a covering over every person.

       (Isa 4:6 NCV)  This covering will protect the people from the heat of 
       the sun and will provide a safe place to hide from the storm and rain.

       (Isa 5:1 NCV)  Now I will sing for my friend a song about his 
       vineyard. My friend had a vineyard on a hill with very rich soil.

       (Isa 5:2 NCV)  He dug and cleared the field of stones and planted the 
       best grapevines there. He built a tower in the middle of it and cut 
       out a winepress as well. He hoped good grapes would grow there, but 
       only bad ones grew.

       (Isa 5:3 NCV)  My friend says, "You people living in Jerusalem, and 
       you people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard.

       (Isa 5:4 NCV)  What more could I have done for my vineyard than I have 
       already done? Although I expected good grapes to grow, why were there 
       only bad ones?

       (Isa 5:5 NCV)  Now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I 
       will remove the hedge, and it will be burned. I will break down the 
       stone wall, and it will be walked on.

       (Isa 5:6 NCV)  I will ruin my field. It will not be trimmed or hoed, 
       and weeds and thorns will grow there. I will command the clouds not to 





       rain on it."

       (Isa 5:7 NCV)  The vineyard belonging to the LORD All-Powerful is the 
       nation of Israel; the garden that he loves is the people of Judah. He 
       looked for justice, but there was only killing. He hoped for right 
       living, but there were only cries of pain.

       (Isa 5:8 NCV)  How terrible it will be for you who add more houses to 
       your houses and more fields to your fields until there is no room left 
       for other people. Then you are left alone in the land.

       (Isa 5:9 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful said this to me: "The fine houses 
       will be destroyed; the large and beautiful houses will be left empty.

       (Isa 5:10 NCV)  At that time a ten-acre vineyard will make only six 
       gallons of wine, and ten bushels of seed will grow only half a bushel 
       of grain."

       (Isa 5:11 NCV)  How terrible it will be for people who rise early in 
       the morning to look for strong drink, who stay awake late at night, 
       becoming drunk with wine.

       (Isa 5:12 NCV)  At their parties they have lyres, harps, tambourines, 
       flutes, and wine. They don't see what the LORD has done or notice the 
       work of his hands.

       (Isa 5:13 NCV)  So my people will be captured and taken away, because 
       they don't really know me. All the great people will die of hunger, 
       and the common people will die of thirst.

       (Isa 5:14 NCV)  So the place of the dead wants more and more people, 
       and it opens wide its mouth. Jerusalem's important people and common 
       people will go down into it, with their happy and noisy ones.

       (Isa 5:15 NCV)  So the common people and the great people will be 
       brought down; those who are proud will be humbled.

       (Isa 5:16 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful will receive glory by judging 
       fairly; the holy God will show himself holy by doing what is right.

       (Isa 5:17 NCV)  Then the sheep will go anywhere they want, and lambs 
       will feed on the land that rich people once owned.

       (Isa 5:18 NCV)  How terrible it will be for those people! They pull 
       their guilt and sins behind them as people pull wagons with ropes.

       (Isa 5:19 NCV)  They say, "Let God hurry; let him do his work soon so 
       we may see it. Let the plan of the Holy One of Israel happen soon so 
       that we will know what it is."

       (Isa 5:20 NCV)  How terrible it will be for people who call good 
       things bad and bad things good, who think darkness is light and light 
       is darkness, who think sour is sweet and sweet is sour.

       (Isa 5:21 NCV)  How terrible it will be for people who think they are 
       wise and believe they are clever.






       (Isa 5:22 NCV)  How terrible it will be for people who are famous for 
       drinking wine and are champions at mixing drinks.

       (Isa 5:23 NCV)  They take money to set the guilty free and don't allow 
       good people to be judged fairly.

       (Isa 5:24 NCV)  They will be destroyed just as fire burns straw or dry 
       grass. They will be destroyed like a plant whose roots rot and whose 
       flower dies and blows away like dust. They have refused to obey the 
       teachings of the LORD All-Powerful and have hated the message from the 
       Holy God of Israel.

       (Isa 5:25 NCV)  So the LORD has become very angry with his people, and 
       he has raised his hand to punish them. Even the mountains are 
       frightened. Dead bodies lie in the streets like garbage. But the LORD 
       is still angry; his hand is still raised to strike down the people.

       (Isa 5:26 NCV)  He raises a banner for the nations far away. He 
       whistles to call those people from the ends of the earth. Look! The 
       enemy comes quickly!

       (Isa 5:27 NCV)  Not one of them becomes tired or falls down. Not one 
       of them gets sleepy and falls asleep. Their weapons are close at hand, 
       and their sandal straps are not broken.

       (Isa 5:28 NCV)  Their arrows are sharp, and all of their bows are 
       ready to shoot. The horses' hoofs are hard as rocks, and their chariot 
       wheels move like a whirlwind.

       (Isa 5:29 NCV)  Their shout is like the roar of a lion; it is loud 
       like a young lion. They growl as they grab their captives. There is no 
       one to stop them from taking their captives away.

       (Isa 5:30 NCV)  On that day they will roar like the waves of the sea. 
       And when people look at the land, they will see only darkness and 
       pain; all light will become dark in this thick cloud.

       (Isa 6:1 NCV)  In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord 
       sitting on a very high throne. His long robe filled the Temple.

       (Isa 6:2 NCV)  Heavenly creatures of fire stood above him. Each 
       creature had six wings: It used two wings to cover its face, two wings 
       to cover its feet, and two wings for flying.

       (Isa 6:3 NCV)  Each creature was calling to the others: "Holy, holy, 
       holy is the LORD All-Powerful. His glory fills the whole earth."

       (Isa 6:4 NCV)  Their calling caused the frame around the door to 
       shake, as the Temple filled with smoke.

       (Isa 6:5 NCV)  I said, "Oh, no! I will be destroyed. I am not pure, 
       and I live among people who are not pure, but I have seen the King, 
       the LORD All-Powerful."

       (Isa 6:6 NCV)  One of the heavenly creatures used a pair of tongs to 





       take a hot coal from the altar. Then he flew to me with the hot coal 
       in his hand.

       (Isa 6:7 NCV)  The creature touched my mouth with the hot coal and 
       said, "Look, your guilt is taken away, because this hot coal has 
       touched your lips. Your sin is taken away."

       (Isa 6:8 NCV)  Then I heard the Lord's voice, saying, "Whom can I 
       send? Who will go for us?" So I said, "Here I am. Send me!"

       (Isa 6:9 NCV)  Then the Lord said, "Go and tell this to the people: 
       'You will listen and listen, but you will not understand. You will 
       look and look, but you will not learn.'

       (Isa 6:10 NCV)  Make the minds of these people dumb. Shut their ears. 
       Cover their eyes. Otherwise, they might really understand what they 
       see with their eyes and hear with their ears. They might really 
       understand in their minds and come back to me and be healed."

       (Isa 6:11 NCV)  Then I asked, "Lord, how long should I do this?" He 
       answered, "Until the cities are destroyed and the people are gone, 
       until there are no people left in the houses, until the land is 
       destroyed and left empty.

       (Isa 6:12 NCV)  The LORD will send the people far away, and the land 
       will be left empty.

       (Isa 6:13 NCV)  One-tenth of the people will be left in the land, but 
       it will be destroyed again. These people will be like an oak tree 
       whose stump is left when the tree is chopped down. The people who 
       remain will be like a stump that will sprout again."

       (Isa 7:1 NCV)  Now Ahaz was the son of Jotham, who was the son of 
       Uzziah. When Ahaz was king of Judah, Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son 
       of Remaliah, the king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to fight against 
       it. But they were not able to defeat the city.

       (Isa 7:2 NCV)  Ahaz king of Judah received a message saying, "The 
       armies of Aram and Israel have joined together." When Ahaz heard this, 
       he and the people were frightened. They shook with fear like trees of 
       the forest blown by the wind.

       (Isa 7:3 NCV)  Then the LORD told Isaiah, "You and your son 
       Shear-Jashub should go and meet Ahaz at the place where the water 
       flows into the upper pool, on the road where people do their laundry.

       (Isa 7:4 NCV)  Tell Ahaz, 'Be careful. Be calm and don't worry. Don't 
       let those two men, Rezin and Pekah son of Remaliah, scare you. Don't 
       be afraid of their anger or Aram's anger, because they are like two 
       barely burning sticks that are ready to go out.

       (Isa 7:5 NCV)  They have made plans against you, saying,

       (Isa 7:6 NCV)  "Let's fight against Judah and tear it apart. We will 
       divide the land for ourselves and make the son of Tabeel the new king 
       of Judah."






       (Isa 7:7 NCV)  But I, the Lord GOD, say, "'Their plan will not 
       succeed; it will not happen,

       (Isa 7:8 NCV)  because Aram is led by the city of Damascus, and 
       Damascus is led by its weak king, Rezin. Within sixty-five years 
       Israel will no longer be a nation.

       (Isa 7:9 NCV)  Israel is led by the city of Samaria, and Samaria is 
       led by its weak king, the son of Remaliah. If your faith is not 
       strong, you will not have strength enough to last.'"

       (Isa 7:10 NCV)  Then the LORD spoke to Ahaz again, saying,

       (Isa 7:11 NCV)  "Ask for a sign from the LORD your God to prove to 
       yourself that these things are true. It may be a sign from as deep as 
       the place of the dead or as high as the heavens."

       (Isa 7:12 NCV)  But Ahaz said, "I will not ask for a sign or test the 
       LORD."

       (Isa 7:13 NCV)  Then Isaiah said, "Ahaz, descendant of David, listen 
       carefully! Isn't it bad enough that you wear out the patience of 
       people? Do you also have to wear out the patience of my God?

       (Isa 7:14 NCV)  The Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will 
       be pregnant. She will have a son, and she will name him Immanuel.

       (Isa 7:15 NCV)  He will be eating milk curds and honey when he learns 
       to reject what is evil and to choose what is good.

       (Isa 7:16 NCV)  You are afraid of the kings of Israel and Aram now. 
       But before the child learns to choose good and reject evil, the lands 
       of Israel and Aram will be empty.

       (Isa 7:17 NCV)  The LORD will bring troubled times to you, your 
       people, and to the people of your father's family. They will be worse 
       than anything that has happened since Israel separated from Judah. The 
       LORD will bring the king of Assyria to fight against you.

       (Isa 7:18 NCV)  "At that time the LORD will whistle for the Egyptians, 
       and they will come like flies from Egypt's faraway streams. He will 
       call for the Assyrians, and they will come like bees.

       (Isa 7:19 NCV)  These enemies will camp in the deep ravines and in the 
       cliffs, by the thornbushes and watering holes.

       (Isa 7:20 NCV)  The Lord will hire Assyria and use it like a razor to 
       punish Judah. It will be as if the Lord is shaving the hair from 
       Judah's head and legs and removing Judah's beard.

       (Isa 7:21 NCV)  "At that time a person will be able to keep only one 
       young cow and two sheep alive.

       (Isa 7:22 NCV)  There will be only enough milk for that person to eat 
       milk curds. All who remain in the land will go back to eating just 





       milk curds and honey.

       (Isa 7:23 NCV)  In this land there are now vineyards that have a 
       thousand grapevines, which are worth about twenty-five pounds of 
       silver. But these fields will become full of weeds and thorns.

       (Isa 7:24 NCV)  The land will become wild and useful only as a hunting 
       ground.

       (Isa 7:25 NCV)  People once worked and grew food on these hills, but 
       at that time people will not go there, because the land will be filled 
       with weeds and thorns. Only sheep and cattle will go to those places."

       (Isa 8:1 NCV)  The LORD told me, "Take a large scroll and write on it 
       with an ordinary pen: 'Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.'

       (Isa 8:2 NCV)  I will gather some men to be reliable witnesses: Uriah 
       the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah."

       (Isa 8:3 NCV)  Then I went to the prophetess, and she became pregnant 
       and had a son. The LORD told me, "Name the boy Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz,

       (Isa 8:4 NCV)  because the king of Assyria will take away all the 
       wealth and possessions of Damascus and Samaria before the boy learns 
       to say 'my father' or 'my mother.'"

       (Isa 8:5 NCV)  Again the LORD spoke to me, saying,

       (Isa 8:6 NCV)  "These people refuse to accept the slow-moving waters 
       of the pool of Shiloah and are terrified of Rezin and Pekah son of 
       Remaliah.

       (Isa 8:7 NCV)  So I, the Lord, will bring the king of Assyria and all 
       his power against them, like a powerful flood of water from the 
       Euphrates River. The Assyrians will be like water rising over the 
       banks of the river, flowing over the land.

       (Isa 8:8 NCV)  That water will flow into Judah and pass through it, 
       rising to Judah's throat. Immanuel, this army will spread its wings 
       like a bird until it covers your whole country."

       (Isa 8:9 NCV)  Be broken, all you nations, and be smashed to pieces. 
       Listen, all you faraway countries. Prepare for battle and be smashed 
       to pieces! Prepare for battle and be smashed to pieces!

       (Isa 8:10 NCV)  Make your plans for the fight, but they will be 
       defeated. Give orders to your armies, but they will be useless, 
       because God is with us.

       (Isa 8:11 NCV)  The LORD spoke to me with his great power and warned 
       me not to follow the lead of the rest of the people. He said,

       (Isa 8:12 NCV)  "People are saying that others make plans against 
       them, but you should not believe them. Don't be afraid of what they 
       fear; do not dread those things.





       (Isa 8:13 NCV)  But remember that the LORD All-Powerful is holy. He is 
       the one you should fear; he is the one you should dread.

       (Isa 8:14 NCV)  Then he will be a place of safety for you. But for the 
       two families of Israel, he will be like a stone that causes people to 
       stumble, like a rock that makes them fall. He will be like a trap for 
       the people of Jerusalem, and he will catch them in his trap.

       (Isa 8:15 NCV)  Many people will fall over this rock. They will fall 
       and be broken; they will be trapped and caught."

       (Isa 8:16 NCV)  Make an agreement. Seal up the teaching while my 
       followers are watching.

       (Isa 8:17 NCV)  I will wait for the LORD to help us, the LORD who is 
       ashamed of the family of Israel. I will wait for him.

       (Isa 8:18 NCV)  I am here, and with me are the children the LORD has 
       given me. We are signs and proofs for the people of Israel from the 
       LORD All-Powerful, who lives on Mount Zion.

       (Isa 8:19 NCV)  Some people say, "Ask the mediums and fortune-tellers, 
       who whisper and mutter, what to do." But I tell you that people should 
       ask their God for help. Why should people who are still alive ask 
       something from the dead?

       (Isa 8:20 NCV)  You should follow the teachings and the agreement with 
       the LORD. The mediums and fortune-tellers do not speak the word of the 
       LORD, so their words are worth nothing.

       (Isa 8:21 NCV)  People will wander through the land troubled and 
       hungry. When they become hungry, they will become angry and will look 
       up and curse their king and their God.

       (Isa 8:22 NCV)  They will look around them at their land and see only 
       trouble, darkness, and awful gloom. And they will be forced into the 
       darkness.

       (Isa 9:1 NCV)  But suddenly there will be no more gloom for the land 
       that suffered. In the past God made the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali 
       hang their heads in shame, but in the future those lands will be made 
       great. They will stretch from the road along the Mediterranean Sea to 
       the land beyond the Jordan River and north to Galilee, the land of 
       people who are not Israelites.

       (Isa 9:2 NCV)  Before those people lived in darkness, but now they 
       have seen a great light. They lived in a dark land, but a light has 
       shined on them.

       (Isa 9:3 NCV)  God, you have caused the nation to grow and made the 
       people happy. And they have shown their happiness to you, like the joy 
       during harvest time, like the joy of people taking what they have won 
       in war.

       (Isa 9:4 NCV)  Like the time you defeated Midian, you have taken away 
       their heavy load and the heavy pole from their backs and the rod the 





       enemy used to punish them.

       (Isa 9:5 NCV)  Every boot that marched in battle and every uniform 
       stained with blood has been thrown into the fire.

       (Isa 9:6 NCV)  A child has been born to us; God has given a son to us. 
       He will be responsible for leading the people. His name will be 
       Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God, Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of 
       Peace.

       (Isa 9:7 NCV)  Power and peace will be in his kingdom and will 
       continue to grow forever. He will rule as king on David's throne and 
       over David's kingdom. He will make it strong by ruling with justice 
       and goodness from now on and forever. The LORD All-Powerful will do 
       this because of his strong love for his people.

       (Isa 9:8 NCV)  The Lord sent a message against the people of Jacob; it 
       says that God will judge Israel.

       (Isa 9:9 NCV)  Then everyone in Israel, even the leaders in Samaria, 
       will know that God has sent it. Those people are proud and brag by 
       saying,

       (Isa 9:10 NCV)  "These bricks have fallen, but we will build again 
       with cut stones. These small trees have been chopped down, but we will 
       put great cedars there."

       (Isa 9:11 NCV)  But the LORD has brought the enemies of Rezin against 
       them; he has stirred up their enemies against them.

       (Isa 9:12 NCV)  The Arameans came from the east and the Philistines 
       from the west, and they ate up Israel with their armies. But the LORD 
       was still angry; his hand was still raised to punish the people.

       (Isa 9:13 NCV)  But the people did not return to the one who had 
       struck them; they did not follow the LORD All-Powerful.

       (Isa 9:14 NCV)  So the LORD cut off Israel's head and tail, taking 
       away both the branch and stalk in one day.

       (Isa 9:15 NCV)  The older leaders and important men were the head, and 
       the prophets who speak lies were the tail.

       (Isa 9:16 NCV)  Those who led the people led them in the wrong 
       direction, and those who followed them were destroyed.

       (Isa 9:17 NCV)  So the Lord is not happy with the young people, nor 
       will he show mercy to the orphans and widows. All the people are 
       separated from God and are very evil; they all speak lies. But the 
       LORD is still angry; his hand is still raised to strike down the 
       people.

       (Isa 9:18 NCV)  Evil is like a small fire. First, it burns weeds and 
       thorns. Next, it burns the larger bushes in the forest, and they all 
       go up in a column of smoke.





       (Isa 9:19 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful is angry, so the land will be 
       burned. The people are like fuel for the fire; no one will try to save 
       his brother or sister.

       (Isa 9:20 NCV)  People will grab something on the right, but they will 
       still be hungry. They will eat something on the left, but they will 
       not be filled. Then they will each turn and eat their own children.

       (Isa 9:21 NCV)  The people of Manasseh will fight against the people 
       of Ephraim, and Ephraim will fight against Manasseh. Then both of them 
       will turn against Judah. But the LORD is still angry; his hand is 
       still raised to strike down the people.

       (Isa 10:1 NCV)  How terrible it will be for those who make unfair 
       laws, and those who write laws that make life hard for people.

       (Isa 10:2 NCV)  They are not fair to the poor, and they rob my people 
       of their rights. They allow people to steal from widows and to take 
       from orphans what really belongs to them.

       (Isa 10:3 NCV)  How will you explain the things you have done? What 
       will you do when your destruction comes from far away? Where will you 
       run for help? Where will you hide your riches then?

       (Isa 10:4 NCV)  You will have to bow down among the captives or fall 
       down among the dead bodies. But the LORD is still angry; his hand is 
       still raised to strike down the people.

       (Isa 10:5 NCV)  God says, "How terrible it will be for the king of 
       Assyria. I use him like a rod to show my anger; in anger I use Assyria 
       like a club.

       (Isa 10:6 NCV)  I send it to fight against a nation that is separated 
       from God. I am angry with those people, so I command Assyria to fight 
       against them, to take their wealth from them, to trample them down 
       like dirt in the streets.

       (Isa 10:7 NCV)  But Assyria's king doesn't understand that I am using 
       him; he doesn't know he is a tool for me. He only wants to destroy 
       other people and to defeat many nations.

       (Isa 10:8 NCV)  The king of Assyria says to himself, 'All of my 
       commanders are like kings.

       (Isa 10:9 NCV)  The city Calno is like the city Carchemish. The city 
       Hamath is like the city Arpad. The city Samaria is like the city 
       Damascus.

       (Isa 10:10 NCV)  I defeated those kingdoms that worship idols, and 
       those idols were more than the idols of Jerusalem and Samaria.

       (Isa 10:11 NCV)  As I defeated Samaria and her idols, I will also 
       defeat Jerusalem and her idols.'"

       (Isa 10:12 NCV)  When the Lord finishes doing what he planned to Mount 
       Zion and Jerusalem, he will punish Assyria. The king of Assyria is 





       very proud, and his pride has made him do these evil things, so God 
       will punish him.

       (Isa 10:13 NCV)  The king of Assyria says this: "By my own power I 
       have done these things; by my wisdom I have defeated many nations. I 
       have taken their wealth, and, like a mighty one, I have taken their 
       people.

       (Isa 10:14 NCV)  I have taken the riches of all these people, like a 
       person reaching into a bird's nest. I have taken these nations, like a 
       person taking eggs. Not one raised a hand or opened its mouth to stop 
       me."

       (Isa 10:15 NCV)  An ax is not better than the person who swings it. A 
       saw is not better than the one who uses it. A stick cannot control the 
       person who picks it up. A club cannot pick up the person!

       (Isa 10:16 NCV)  So the Lord GOD All-Powerful will send a terrible 
       disease upon Assyria's soldiers. The strength of Assyria will be 
       burned up like a fire burning until everything is gone.

       (Isa 10:17 NCV)  God, the Light of Israel, will be like a fire; the 
       Holy One will be like a flame. He will be like a fire that suddenly 
       burns the weeds and thorns.

       (Isa 10:18 NCV)  The fire burns away the great trees and rich 
       farmlands, destroying everything. It will be like a sick person who 
       wastes away.

       (Isa 10:19 NCV)  The trees left standing will be so few that even a 
       child could count them.

       (Isa 10:20 NCV)  At that time some people will be left alive in Israel 
       from the family of Jacob. They will not continue to depend on the 
       person who defeated them. They will learn truly to depend on the LORD, 
       the Holy One of Israel.

       (Isa 10:21 NCV)  Those who are left alive in Jacob's family will again 
       follow the powerful God.

       (Isa 10:22 NCV)  Israel, your people are many, like the grains of sand 
       by the sea. But only a few of them will be left alive to return to the 
       LORD. God has announced that he will destroy the land completely and 
       fairly.

       (Isa 10:23 NCV)  The Lord GOD All-Powerful will certainly destroy this 
       land, as he has announced.

       (Isa 10:24 NCV)  This is what the Lord GOD All-Powerful says: "My 
       people living in Jerusalem, don't be afraid of the Assyrians, who beat 
       you with a rod and raise a stick against you, as Egypt did.

       (Isa 10:25 NCV)  After a short time my anger against you will stop, 
       and then I will turn my anger to destroying them."

       (Isa 10:26 NCV)  Then the LORD All-Powerful will beat the Assyrians 





       with a whip as he defeated Midian at the rock of Oreb. He will raise 
       his stick over the waters as he did in Egypt.

       (Isa 10:27 NCV)  Then the troubles that Assyria puts on you will be 
       removed, and the load they make you carry will be taken away.

       (Isa 10:28 NCV)  The army of Assyria will enter near Aiath. Its 
       soldiers will walk through Migron. They will store their food in 
       Micmash.

       (Isa 10:29 NCV)  The army will go over the pass. The soldiers will 
       sleep at Geba. The people of Ramah will be afraid, and the people at 
       Gibeah of Saul will run away.

       (Isa 10:30 NCV)  Cry out, Bath Gallim! Laishah, listen! Poor Anathoth!

       (Isa 10:31 NCV)  The people of Madmenah are running away; the people 
       of Gebim are hiding.

       (Isa 10:32 NCV)  This day the army will stop at Nob. They will shake 
       their fist at Mount Zion, at the hill of Jerusalem.

       (Isa 10:33 NCV)  Watch! The Lord GOD All-Powerful with his great power 
       will chop them down like a great tree. Those who are great will be cut 
       down; those who are important will fall to the ground.

       (Isa 10:34 NCV)  He will cut them down as a forest is cut down with an 
       ax. And the great trees of Lebanon will fall by the power of the 
       Mighty One.

       (Isa 11:1 NCV)  A new branch will grow from a stump of a tree; so a 
       new king will come from the family of Jesse.

       (Isa 11:2 NCV)  The Spirit of the LORD will rest upon that king. The 
       Spirit will give him wisdom and understanding, guidance and power. The 
       Spirit will teach him to know and respect the LORD.

       (Isa 11:3 NCV)  This king will be glad to obey the LORD. He will not 
       judge by the way things look or decide by what he hears.

       (Isa 11:4 NCV)  But he will judge the poor honestly; he will be fair 
       in his decisions for the poor people of the land. At his command evil 
       people will be punished, and by his words the wicked will be put to 
       death.

       (Isa 11:5 NCV)  Goodness and fairness will give him strength, like a 
       belt around his waist.

       (Isa 11:6 NCV)  Then wolves will live in peace with lambs, and 
       leopards will lie down to rest with goats. Calves, lions, and young 
       bulls will eat together, and a little child will lead them.

       (Isa 11:7 NCV)  Cows and bears will eat together in peace. Their young 
       will lie down to rest together. Lions will eat hay as oxen do.

       (Isa 11:8 NCV)  A baby will be able to play near a cobra's hole, and a 





       child will be able to put his hand into the nest of a poisonous snake.

       (Isa 11:9 NCV)  They will not hurt or destroy each other on all my 
       holy mountain, because the earth will be full of the knowledge of the 
       LORD, as the sea is full of water.

       (Isa 11:10 NCV)  At that time the new king from the family of Jesse 
       will stand as a banner for all peoples. The nations will come together 
       around him, and the place where he lives will be filled with glory.

       (Isa 11:11 NCV)  At that time the Lord will again reach out and take 
       his people who are left alive in Assyria, North Egypt, South Egypt, 
       Cush, Elam, Babylonia, Hamath, and all the islands of the sea.

       (Isa 11:12 NCV)  God will raise a banner as a sign for all nations, 
       and he will gather the people of Israel who were forced from their 
       country. He will gather the scattered people of Judah from all parts 
       of the earth.

       (Isa 11:13 NCV)  At that time Israel will not be jealous anymore, and 
       Judah will have no more enemies. Israel will not be jealous of Judah, 
       and Judah will not hate Israel.

       (Isa 11:14 NCV)  But Israel and Judah will attack the Philistines on 
       the west. Together they will take the riches from the people of the 
       east. They will conquer Edom and Moab, and the people of Ammon will be 
       under their control.

       (Isa 11:15 NCV)  The LORD will dry up the Red Sea of Egypt. He will 
       wave his arm over the Euphrates River and dry it up with a scorching 
       wind. He will divide it into seven small rivers so that people can 
       walk across them with their sandals on.

       (Isa 11:16 NCV)  So God's people who are left alive will have a way to 
       leave Assyria, just like the time the Israelites came out of Egypt.

       (Isa 12:1 NCV)  At that time you will say: "I praise you, LORD! You 
       were angry with me, but you are not angry with me now! You have 
       comforted me.

       (Isa 12:2 NCV)  God is the one who saves me; I will trust him and not 
       be afraid. The LORD, the LORD gives me strength and makes me sing. He 
       has saved me."

       (Isa 12:3 NCV)  You will receive your salvation with joy as you would 
       draw water from a well.

       (Isa 12:4 NCV)  At that time you will say, "Praise the LORD and 
       worship him. Tell everyone what he has done and how great he is.

       (Isa 12:5 NCV)  Sing praise to the LORD, because he has done great 
       things. Let all the world know what he has done.

       (Isa 12:6 NCV)  Shout and sing for joy, you people of Jerusalem, 
       because the Holy One of Israel does great things before your eyes."





       (Isa 13:1 NCV)  God showed Isaiah son of Amoz this message about 
       Babylon:

       (Isa 13:2 NCV)  Raise a flag on the bare mountain. Call out to the 
       men. Raise your hand to signal them to enter through the gates for 
       important people.

       (Isa 13:3 NCV)  I myself have commanded those people whom I have 
       separated as mine. I have called those warriors to carry out my anger. 
       They rejoice and are glad to do my will.

       (Isa 13:4 NCV)  Listen to the loud noise in the mountains, the sound 
       of many people. Listen to the noise among the kingdoms, the sound of 
       nations gathering together. The LORD All-Powerful is calling his army 
       together for battle.

       (Isa 13:5 NCV)  This army is coming from a faraway land, from the edge 
       of the horizon. In anger the LORD is using this army like a weapon to 
       destroy the whole country.

       (Isa 13:6 NCV)  Cry, because the Lord's day of judging is near; the 
       Almighty is sending destruction.

       (Isa 13:7 NCV)  People will be weak with fear, and their courage will 
       melt away.

       (Isa 13:8 NCV)  Everyone will be afraid. Pain and hurt will grab them; 
       they will hurt like a woman giving birth to a baby. They will look at 
       each other in fear, with their faces red like fire.

       (Isa 13:9 NCV)  Look, the Lord's day of judging is coming-- a terrible 
       day, a day of God's anger. He will destroy the land and the sinners 
       who live in it.

       (Isa 13:10 NCV)  The stars will not show their light; the skies will 
       be dark. The sun will grow dark as it rises, and the moon will not 
       give its light.

       (Isa 13:11 NCV)  The LORD says, "I will punish the world for its evil 
       and wicked people for their sins. I will cause proud people to lose 
       their pride, and I will destroy the pride of those who are cruel to 
       others.

       (Isa 13:12 NCV)  People will be harder to find than pure gold; there 
       will be fewer people than there is fine gold in Ophir.

       (Isa 13:13 NCV)  I will make the sky shake, and the earth will be 
       moved from its place by the anger of the LORD All-Powerful at the time 
       of his burning anger.

       (Isa 13:14 NCV)  "Then the people from Babylon will run away like 
       hunted deer or like sheep who have no shepherd. Everyone will turn 
       back to his own people; each will run back to his own land.

       (Isa 13:15 NCV)  Everyone who is captured will be killed; everyone who 
       is caught will be killed with a sword.






       (Isa 13:16 NCV)  Their little children will be beaten to death in 
       front of them. Their houses will be robbed and their wives raped.

       (Isa 13:17 NCV)  "Look, I will cause the armies of Media to attack 
       Babylon. They do not care about silver or delight in gold.

       (Isa 13:18 NCV)  Their soldiers will shoot the young men with arrows; 
       they will show no mercy on children, nor will they feel sorry for 
       little ones.

       (Isa 13:19 NCV)  Babylon is the most beautiful of all kingdoms, and 
       the Babylonians are very proud of it. But God will destroy it like 
       Sodom and Gomorrah.

       (Isa 13:20 NCV)  No one will ever live there or settle there again. No 
       Arab will put a tent there; no shepherd will bring sheep there.

       (Isa 13:21 NCV)  Only desert animals will live there, and their houses 
       will be full of wild dogs. Owls will live there, and wild goats will 
       leap about in the houses.

       (Isa 13:22 NCV)  Wolves will howl within the strong walls, and wild 
       dogs will bark in the beautiful buildings. The end of Babylon is near; 
       its time is almost over."

       (Isa 14:1 NCV)  The LORD will show mercy to the people of Jacob, and 
       he will again choose the people of Israel. He will settle them in 
       their own land. Then non-Israelite people will join the Israelites and 
       will become a part of the family of Jacob.

       (Isa 14:2 NCV)  Nations will take the Israelites back to their land. 
       Then those men and women from the other nations will become slaves to 
       Israel in the Lord's land. In the past the Israelites were their 
       slaves, but now the Israelites will defeat those nations and rule over 
       them.

       (Isa 14:3 NCV)  The LORD will take away the Israelites' hard work and 
       will comfort them. They will no longer have to work hard as slaves.

       (Isa 14:4 NCV)  On that day Israel will sing this song about the king 
       of Babylon: The cruel king who ruled us is finished; his angry rule is 
       finished!

       (Isa 14:5 NCV)  The LORD has broken the scepter of evil rulers and 
       taken away their power.

       (Isa 14:6 NCV)  The king of Babylon struck people in anger again and 
       again. He ruled nations in anger and continued to hurt them.

       (Isa 14:7 NCV)  But now, the whole world rests and is quiet. Now the 
       people begin to sing.

       (Isa 14:8 NCV)  Even the pine trees are happy, and the cedar trees of 
       Lebanon rejoice. They say, "The king has fallen, so no one will ever 
       cut us down again."






       (Isa 14:9 NCV)  The place of the dead is excited to meet you when you 
       come. It wakes the spirits of the dead, the leaders of the world. It 
       makes kings of all nations stand up from their thrones to greet you.

       (Isa 14:10 NCV)  All these leaders will make fun of you and will say, 
       "Now you are weak, as we are. Now you are just like us."

       (Isa 14:11 NCV)  Your pride has been sent down to the place of the 
       dead. The music from your harps goes with it. Flies are spread out 
       like your bed beneath you, and worms cover your body like a blanket.

       (Isa 14:12 NCV)  King of Babylon, morning star, you have fallen from 
       heaven, even though you were as bright as the rising sun! In the past 
       all the nations on earth bowed down before you, but now you have been 
       cut down.

       (Isa 14:13 NCV)  You told yourself, "I will go up to heaven. I will 
       put my throne above God's stars. I will sit on the mountain of the 
       gods, on the slopes of the sacred mountain.

       (Isa 14:14 NCV)  I will go up above the tops of the clouds. I will be 
       like God Most High."

       (Isa 14:15 NCV)  But you were brought down to the grave, to the deep 
       places where the dead are.

       (Isa 14:16 NCV)  Those who see you stare at you. They think about what 
       has happened to you and say, "Is this the same man who caused great 
       fear on earth, who shook the kingdoms,

       (Isa 14:17 NCV)  who turned the world into a desert, who destroyed its 
       cities, who captured people in war and would not let them go home?"

       (Isa 14:18 NCV)  Every king of the earth has been buried with honor, 
       each in his own grave.

       (Isa 14:19 NCV)  But you are thrown out of your grave, like an 
       unwanted branch. You are covered by bodies that died in battle, by 
       bodies to be buried in a rocky pit. You are like a dead body other 
       soldiers walk on.

       (Isa 14:20 NCV)  You will not be buried with those bodies, because you 
       ruined your own country and killed your own people. The children of 
       evil people will never be mentioned again.

       (Isa 14:21 NCV)  Prepare to kill his children, because their father is 
       guilty. They will never again take control of the earth; they will 
       never again fill the world with their cities.

       (Isa 14:22 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful says this: "I will fight 
       against those people; I will destroy Babylon and its people, its 
       children and their descendants," says the LORD.

       (Isa 14:23 NCV)  "I will make Babylon fit only for owls and for 
       swamps. I will sweep Babylon as with a broom of destruction," says the 





       LORD All-Powerful.

       (Isa 14:24 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful has made this promise: "These 
       things will happen exactly as I planned them; they will happen exactly 
       as I set them up.

       (Isa 14:25 NCV)  I will destroy the king of Assyria in my country; I 
       will trample him on my mountains. He placed a heavy load on my people, 
       but that weight will be removed.

       (Isa 14:26 NCV)  "This is what I plan to do for all the earth. And 
       this is the hand that I have raised over all nations."

       (Isa 14:27 NCV)  When the LORD All-Powerful makes a plan, no one can 
       stop it. When the LORD raises his hand to punish people, no one can 
       stop it.

       (Isa 14:28 NCV)  This message was given in the year that King Ahaz 
       died:

       (Isa 14:29 NCV)  Country of Philistia, don't be happy that the king 
       who struck you is now dead. He is like a snake that will give birth to 
       another dangerous snake. The new king will be like a quick, dangerous 
       snake to bite you.

       (Isa 14:30 NCV)  Even the poorest of my people will be able to eat 
       safely, and people in need will be able to lie down in safety. But I 
       will kill your family with hunger, and all your people who are left 
       will die.

       (Isa 14:31 NCV)  People near the city gates, cry out! Philistines, be 
       frightened, because a cloud of dust comes from the north. It is an 
       army, full of men ready to fight.

       (Isa 14:32 NCV)  What shall we tell the messengers from Philistia? Say 
       that the LORD has made Jerusalem strong and that his poor people will 
       go there for safety.

       (Isa 15:1 NCV)  This is a message about Moab: In one night armies took 
       the wealth from Ar in Moab, and it was destroyed. In one night armies 
       took the wealth from Kir in Moab, and it was destroyed.

       (Isa 15:2 NCV)  The people of Dibon go to the places of worship to 
       cry. The people of Moab cry for the cities of Nebo and Medeba. Every 
       head and beard has been shaved to show how sad Moab is.

       (Isa 15:3 NCV)  In the streets they wear rough cloth to show their 
       sadness. On the roofs and in the public squares, they are crying 
       loudly.

       (Isa 15:4 NCV)  People in the cities Heshbon and Elealeh cry out loud. 
       You can hear their voices far away in the city Jahaz. Even the 
       soldiers are frightened; they are shaking with fear.

       (Isa 15:5 NCV)  My heart cries with sorrow for Moab. Its people run 
       away to Zoar for safety; they run to Eglath Shelishiyah. People are 





       going up the mountain road to Luhith, crying as they go. People are 
       going on the road to Horonaim, crying over their destruction.

       (Isa 15:6 NCV)  But the water of Nimrim has dried up. The grass has 
       dried up, and all the plants are dead; nothing green is left.

       (Isa 15:7 NCV)  So the people gather up what they have saved and carry 
       it across the Ravine of the Poplars.

       (Isa 15:8 NCV)  Crying is heard everywhere in Moab. Their crying is 
       heard as far away as the city Eglaim; it is heard as far away as Beer 
       Elim.

       (Isa 15:9 NCV)  The water of the city Dibon is full of blood, and I, 
       the LORD, will bring even more troubles to Dibon. A few people living 
       in Moab have escaped the enemy, but I will send lions to kill them.

       (Isa 16:1 NCV)  Send the king of the land the payment he demands. Send 
       a lamb from Sela through the desert to the mountain of Jerusalem.

       (Isa 16:2 NCV)  The women of Moab try to cross the river Arnon like 
       little birds that have fallen from their nest.

       (Isa 16:3 NCV)  They say: "Help us. Tell us what to do. Protect us 
       from our enemies as shade protects us from the noon sun. Hide us, 
       because we are running for safety! Don't give us to our enemies.

       (Isa 16:4 NCV)  Let those of us who were forced out of Moab live in 
       your land. Hide us from our enemies." The robbing of Moab will stop. 
       The enemy will be defeated; those who hurt others will disappear from 
       the land.

       (Isa 16:5 NCV)  Then a new loyal king will come; this faithful king 
       will be from the family of David. He will judge fairly and do what is 
       right.

       (Isa 16:6 NCV)  We have heard that the people of Moab are proud and 
       very conceited. They are very proud and angry, but their bragging 
       means nothing.

       (Isa 16:7 NCV)  So the people of Moab will cry; they will all be sad. 
       They will moan and groan for the raisin cakes they had in Kir 
       Hareseth.

       (Isa 16:8 NCV)  But the fields of Heshbon and the vines of Sibmah 
       cannot grow grapes; foreign rulers have destroyed the grapevines. The 
       grapevines once spread as far as the city of Jazer and into the 
       desert; they had spread as far as the sea.

       (Isa 16:9 NCV)  I cry with the people of Jazer for the grapevines of 
       Sibmah. I will cry with the people of Heshbon and Elealeh. There will 
       be no shouts of joy, because there will be no harvest or ripe fruit.

       (Isa 16:10 NCV)  There will be no joy and happiness in the orchards 
       and no songs or shouts of joy in the vineyards. No one makes wine in 
       the winepresses, because I have put an end to shouts of joy.






       (Isa 16:11 NCV)  My heart cries for Moab like a harp playing a funeral 
       song; I am very sad for Kir Hareseth.

       (Isa 16:12 NCV)  The people of Moab will go to their places of worship 
       and will try to pray. But when they go to their temple to pray, they 
       will not be able.

       (Isa 16:13 NCV)  Earlier the LORD said these things about Moab.

       (Isa 16:14 NCV)  Now the LORD says, "In three years all those people 
       and what they take pride in will be hated. (This is three years as a 
       hired helper would count time.) There will be a few people left, but 
       they will be weak."

       (Isa 17:1 NCV)  This is a message about Damascus: "The city of 
       Damascus will be destroyed; only ruins will remain.

       (Isa 17:2 NCV)  People will leave the cities of Aroer. Flocks will 
       wander freely in those empty towns, and there will be no one to bother 
       them.

       (Isa 17:3 NCV)  The strong, walled cities of Israel will be destroyed. 
       The government in Damascus will end. Those left alive of Aram will be 
       like the glory of Israel," says the LORD All-Powerful.

       (Isa 17:4 NCV)  "At that time Israel's wealth will all be gone. Israel 
       will be like someone who has lost much weight from sickness.

       (Isa 17:5 NCV)  That time will be like the grain harvest in the Valley 
       of Rephaim. The workers cut the wheat. Then they cut the heads of 
       grain from the plants and collect the grain.

       (Isa 17:6 NCV)  That time will also be like the olive harvest, when a 
       few olives are left. Two or three olives are left in the top branches. 
       Four or five olives are left on full branches," says the LORD, the God 
       of Israel.

       (Isa 17:7 NCV)  At that time people will look to God, their Maker; 
       their eyes will see the Holy One of Israel.

       (Isa 17:8 NCV)  They will not trust the altars they have made, nor 
       will they trust what their hands have made, not even the Asherah idols 
       and altars.

       (Isa 17:9 NCV)  In that day all their strong cities will be empty. 
       They will be like the cities the Hivites and the Amorites left when 
       the Israelites came to take the land. Everything will be ruined.

       (Isa 17:10 NCV)  You have forgotten the God who saves you; you have 
       not remembered that God is your place of safety. You plant the finest 
       grapevines and grapevines from faraway places.

       (Isa 17:11 NCV)  You plant your grapevines one day and try to make 
       them grow, and the next day you make them blossom. But at harvest time 
       everything will be dead; a sickness will kill all the plants.






       (Isa 17:12 NCV)  Listen to the many people! Their crying is like the 
       noise from the sea. Listen to the nations! Their crying is like the 
       crashing of great waves.

       (Isa 17:13 NCV)  The people roar like the waves, but when God speaks 
       harshly to them, they will run away. They will be like chaff on the 
       hills being blown by the wind, or like tumbleweeds blown away by a 
       storm.

       (Isa 17:14 NCV)  At night the people will be very frightened. Before 
       morning, no one will be left. So our enemies will come to our land, 
       but they will become nothing.

       (Isa 18:1 NCV)  How terrible it will be for the land beyond the rivers 
       of Cush. It is filled with the sound of wings.

       (Isa 18:2 NCV)  That land sends messengers across the sea; they go on 
       the water in boats made of reeds. Go, quick messengers, to a people 
       who are tall and smooth-skinned, who are feared everywhere. They are a 
       powerful nation that defeats other nations. Their land is divided by 
       rivers.

       (Isa 18:3 NCV)  All you people of the world, look! Everyone who lives 
       in the world, look! You will see a banner raised on a mountain. You 
       will hear a trumpet sound.

       (Isa 18:4 NCV)  The LORD said to me, "I will quietly watch from where 
       I live, like heat in the sunshine, like the dew in the heat of harvest 
       time."

       (Isa 18:5 NCV)  The time will come, after the flowers have bloomed and 
       before the harvest, when new grapes will be budding and growing. The 
       enemy will cut the plants with knives; he will cut down the vines and 
       take them away.

       (Isa 18:6 NCV)  They will be left for the birds of the mountains and 
       for the wild animals. Birds will feed on them all summer, and wild 
       animals will eat them that winter."

       (Isa 18:7 NCV)  At that time a gift will be brought to the LORD 
       All-Powerful from the people who are tall and smooth-skinned, who are 
       feared everywhere. They are a powerful nation that defeats other 
       nations. Their land is divided by rivers. These gifts will be brought 
       to the place of the LORD All-Powerful, to Mount Zion.

       (Isa 19:1 NCV)  This is a message about Egypt: Look, the LORD is 
       coming on a fast cloud to enter Egypt. The idols of Egypt will tremble 
       before him, and Egypt's courage will melt away.

       (Isa 19:2 NCV)  The LORD says, "I will cause the Egyptians to fight 
       against themselves. People will fight with their relatives; neighbors 
       will fight neighbors; cities will fight cities; kingdoms will fight 
       kingdoms.

       (Isa 19:3 NCV)  The Egyptians will be afraid, and I will ruin their 





       plans. They will ask advice from their idols and spirits of the dead, 
       from their mediums and fortune-tellers."

       (Isa 19:4 NCV)  The Lord GOD All-Powerful says, "I will hand Egypt 
       over to a hard master, and a powerful king will rule over them."

       (Isa 19:5 NCV)  The sea will become dry, and the water will disappear 
       from the Nile River.

       (Isa 19:6 NCV)  The canals will stink; the streams of Egypt will 
       decrease and dry up. All the water plants will rot;

       (Isa 19:7 NCV)  all the plants along the banks of the Nile will die. 
       Even the planted fields by the Nile will dry up, blow away, and 
       disappear.

       (Isa 19:8 NCV)  The fishermen, all those who catch fish from the Nile, 
       will groan and cry; those who fish in the Nile will be sad.

       (Isa 19:9 NCV)  All the people who make cloth from flax will be sad, 
       and those who weave linen will lose hope.

       (Isa 19:10 NCV)  Those who weave cloth will be broken. All those who 
       work for money will be sad.

       (Isa 19:11 NCV)  The officers of the city of Zoan are fools; the wise 
       men who advise the king of Egypt give wrong advice. How can you say to 
       him, 'I am wise'? How can you say, 'I am from the old family of the 
       kings'?

       (Isa 19:12 NCV)  Egypt, where are your wise men? Let them show you 
       what the LORD All-Powerful has planned for Egypt.

       (Isa 19:13 NCV)  The officers of Zoan have been fooled; the leaders of 
       Memphis have believed false things. So the leaders of Egypt lead that 
       nation the wrong way.

       (Isa 19:14 NCV)  The LORD has made the leaders confused. They have led 
       Egypt to wander in the wrong ways, like drunk people stumbling in 
       their own vomit.

       (Isa 19:15 NCV)  There is nothing Egypt can do; no one there can help.

       (Isa 19:16 NCV)  In that day the Egyptians will be like women. They 
       will be afraid of the LORD All-Powerful, because he will raise his 
       hand to strike them down.

       (Isa 19:17 NCV)  The land of Judah will bring fear to Egypt. Anyone 
       there who hears the name Judah will be afraid, because the LORD 
       All-Powerful has planned terrible things for them.

       (Isa 19:18 NCV)  At that time five cities in Egypt will speak Hebrew, 
       the language of Canaan, and they will promise to be loyal to the LORD 
       All-Powerful. One of these cities will be named the City of 
       Destruction.





       (Isa 19:19 NCV)  At that time there will be an altar for the LORD in 
       the middle of Egypt and a monument to the LORD at the border of Egypt.

       (Isa 19:20 NCV)  This will be a sign and a witness to the LORD 
       All-Powerful in the land of Egypt. When the people cry to the LORD for 
       help, he will send someone to save and defend them. He will rescue 
       them from those who hurt them.

       (Isa 19:21 NCV)  So the LORD will show himself to the Egyptians, and 
       then they will know he is the LORD. They will worship God and offer 
       many sacrifices. They will make promises to the LORD and will keep 
       them.

       (Isa 19:22 NCV)  The LORD will punish the Egyptians, but then he will 
       heal them. They will come back to the LORD, and he will listen to 
       their prayers and heal them.

       (Isa 19:23 NCV)  At that time there will be a highway from Egypt to 
       Assyria, and the Assyrians will go to Egypt, and the Egyptians will go 
       to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship God together.

       (Isa 19:24 NCV)  At that time Israel, Assyria, and Egypt will join 
       together, which will be a blessing for the earth.

       (Isa 19:25 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful will bless them, saying, 
       "Egypt, you are my people. Assyria, I made you. Israel, I own you. You 
       are all blessed!"

       (Isa 20:1 NCV)  Sargon king of Assyria sent a military commander to 
       Ashdod to attack that city. So the commander attacked and captured it.

       (Isa 20:2 NCV)  Then the LORD spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz, 
       saying, "Take the rough cloth off your body, and take your sandals off 
       your feet." So Isaiah obeyed and walked around naked and barefoot.

       (Isa 20:3 NCV)  Then the LORD said, "Isaiah my servant has walked 
       around naked and barefoot for three years as a sign against Egypt and 
       Cush.

       (Isa 20:4 NCV)  The king of Assyria will carry away prisoners from 
       Egypt and Cush. Old people and young people will be led away naked and 
       barefoot, with their buttocks bare. So the Egyptians will be shamed.

       (Isa 20:5 NCV)  People who looked to Cush for help will be afraid, and 
       those who were amazed by Egypt's glory will be shamed.

       (Isa 20:6 NCV)  People who live near the sea will say, 'Look at those 
       countries. We trusted them to help us. We ran to them so they would 
       save us from the king of Assyria. So how will we be able to escape?'"

       (Isa 21:1 NCV)  This is a message about the Desert by the Sea: 
       Disaster is coming from the desert like wind blowing in the south. It 
       is coming from a terrible country.

       (Isa 21:2 NCV)  I have seen a terrible vision. I see traitors turning 
       against you and people taking your wealth. Elam, attack the people! 





       Media, surround the city and attack it! I will bring an end to the 
       pain the city causes.

       (Isa 21:3 NCV)  I saw those terrible things, and now I am in pain; my 
       pains are like the pains of giving birth. What I hear makes me very 
       afraid; what I see causes me to shake with fear.

       (Isa 21:4 NCV)  I am worried, and I am shaking with fear. My pleasant 
       evening has become a night of fear.

       (Isa 21:5 NCV)  They set the table; they spread the rugs; they eat and 
       drink. Leaders, stand up. Prepare the shields for battle!

       (Isa 21:6 NCV)  The Lord said to me, "Go, place a lookout for the city 
       and have him report what he sees.

       (Isa 21:7 NCV)  If he sees chariots and teams of horses, donkeys, or 
       camels, he should pay very close attention."

       (Isa 21:8 NCV)  Then the lookout called out, "My master, each day I 
       stand in the watchtower watching; every night I have been on guard.

       (Isa 21:9 NCV)  Look, I see a man coming in a chariot with a team of 
       horses." The man gives back the answer, "Babylon has fallen. It has 
       fallen! All the statues of her gods lie broken on the ground."

       (Isa 21:10 NCV)  My people are crushed like grain on the threshing 
       floor. My people, I tell you what I have heard from the LORD 
       All-Powerful, from the God of Israel.

       (Isa 21:11 NCV)  This is a message about Dumah: Someone calls to me 
       from Edom, "Watchman, how much of the night is left? Watchman, how 
       much longer will it be night?"

       (Isa 21:12 NCV)  The watchman answers, "Morning is coming, but then 
       night will come again. If you have something to ask, then come back 
       and ask."

       (Isa 21:13 NCV)  This is a message about Arabia: A group of traders 
       from Dedan spent the night near some trees in Arabia.

       (Isa 21:14 NCV)  They gave water to thirsty travelers; the people of 
       Tema gave food to those who were escaping.

       (Isa 21:15 NCV)  They were running from swords, from swords ready to 
       kill, from bows ready to shoot, from a hard battle.

       (Isa 21:16 NCV)  This is what the Lord said to me: "In one year all 
       the glory of the country of Kedar will be gone. (This is a year as a 
       hired helper counts time.)

       (Isa 21:17 NCV)  At that time only a few of the archers, the soldiers 
       of Kedar, will be left alive." The LORD, the God of Israel, has 
       spoken.

       (Isa 22:1 NCV)  This is a message about the Valley of Vision: What is 





       wrong with you people? Why are you on your roofs?

       (Isa 22:2 NCV)  This city was a very busy city, full of noise and wild 
       parties. Now your people have been killed, but not with swords, nor 
       did they die in battle.

       (Isa 22:3 NCV)  All your leaders ran away together, but they have been 
       captured without using a bow. All you who were captured tried to run 
       away before the enemy came.

       (Isa 22:4 NCV)  So I say, "Don't look at me. Let me cry loudly. Don't 
       hurry to comfort me about the destruction of Jerusalem."

       (Isa 22:5 NCV)  The Lord GOD All-Powerful has chosen a special day of 
       riots and confusion. People will trample each other in the Valley of 
       Vision. The city walls will be knocked down, and the people will cry 
       out to the mountain.

       (Isa 22:6 NCV)  The soldiers from Elam will gather their arrows and 
       their chariots and men on horses. Kir will prepare their shields.

       (Isa 22:7 NCV)  Your nicest valleys will be filled with chariots. 
       Horsemen will be ordered to guard the gates of the city.

       (Isa 22:8 NCV)  The walls protecting Judah will fall. At that time the 
       people of Jerusalem depended on the weapons kept at the Palace of the 
       Forest.

       (Isa 22:9 NCV)  You saw that the walls of Jerusalem had many cracks 
       that needed repairing. You stored up water in the lower pool.

       (Isa 22:10 NCV)  You counted the houses of Jerusalem, and you tore 
       down houses to repair the walls with their stones.

       (Isa 22:11 NCV)  You made a pool between the two walls to save water 
       from the old pool, but you did not trust the God who made these 
       things; you did not respect the One who planned them long ago.

       (Isa 22:12 NCV)  The Lord GOD All-Powerful told the people to cry and 
       be sad, to shave their heads and wear rough cloth.

       (Isa 22:13 NCV)  But look, the people are happy and are having wild 
       parties. They kill the cattle and the sheep; they eat the food and 
       drink the wine. They say, "Let us eat and drink, because tomorrow we 
       will die."

       (Isa 22:14 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful said to me: "You people will 
       die before this guilt is forgiven." The Lord GOD All-Powerful said 
       this.

       (Isa 22:15 NCV)  This is what the Lord GOD All-Powerful says: "Go to 
       this servant Shebna, the manager of the palace.

       (Isa 22:16 NCV)  Say to him, 'What are you doing here? Who said you 
       could cut out a tomb for yourself here? Why are you preparing your 
       tomb in a high place? Why are you carving out a tomb from the rock?






       (Isa 22:17 NCV)  Look, mighty one! The LORD will throw you away. He 
       will take firm hold of you

       (Isa 22:18 NCV)  and roll you tightly into a ball and throw you into 
       another country. There you will die, and there your fine chariots will 
       remain. You are a disgrace to your master's house.

       (Isa 22:19 NCV)  I will force you out of your important job, and you 
       will be thrown down from your important place.'

       (Isa 22:20 NCV)  "At that time I will call for my servant Eliakim son 
       of Hilkiah.

       (Isa 22:21 NCV)  I will take your robe and put it on him and give him 
       your belt. I will hand over to him the important job you have, and he 
       will be like a father to the people of Jerusalem and the family of 
       Judah.

       (Isa 22:22 NCV)  I will put the key to the house of David around his 
       neck. If he opens a door, no one will be able to close it; if he 
       closes a door, no one will be able to open it.

       (Isa 22:23 NCV)  He will be like an honored chair in his father's 
       house. I will make him strong like a peg that is hammered into a 
       strong board.

       (Isa 22:24 NCV)  All the honored and important things of his family 
       will depend on him; all the adults and little children will depend on 
       him. They will be like bowls and jars hanging on him.

       (Isa 22:25 NCV)  "At that time," says the LORD All-Powerful, "the peg 
       hammered into the strong board will weaken. It will break and fall, 
       and everything hanging on it will be destroyed." The LORD says this.

       (Isa 23:1 NCV)  This is a message about Tyre: You trading ships, cry! 
       The houses and harbor of Tyre are destroyed. This news came to the 
       ships from the land of Cyprus.

       (Isa 23:2 NCV)  Be silent, you who live on the island of Tyre; you 
       merchants of Sidon, be silent. Sailors have made you rich.

       (Isa 23:3 NCV)  They traveled the sea to bring grain from Egypt; the 
       sailors of Tyre brought grain from the Nile Valley and sold it to 
       other nations.

       (Isa 23:4 NCV)  Sidon, be ashamed. Strong city of the sea, be ashamed, 
       because the sea says: "I have not felt the pain of giving birth; I 
       have not reared young men or women."

       (Isa 23:5 NCV)  Egypt will hear the news about Tyre, and it will make 
       Egypt hurt with sorrow.

       (Isa 23:6 NCV)  You ships should return to Tarshish. You people living 
       near the sea should be sad.





       (Isa 23:7 NCV)  Look at your once happy city! Look at your old, old 
       city! People from that city have traveled far away to live.

       (Isa 23:8 NCV)  Who planned Tyre's destruction? Tyre made others rich. 
       Its merchants were treated like princes, and its traders were greatly 
       respected.

       (Isa 23:9 NCV)  It was the LORD All-Powerful who planned this. He 
       decided to make these proud people unimportant; he decided to disgrace 
       those who were greatly respected.

       (Isa 23:10 NCV)  Go through your land, people of Tarshish, like the 
       Nile goes through Egypt. There is no harbor for you now!

       (Isa 23:11 NCV)  The LORD has stretched his hand over the sea and made 
       its kingdoms tremble. He commands that Canaan's strong, walled cities 
       be destroyed.

       (Isa 23:12 NCV)  He said, "Sidon, you will not rejoice any longer, 
       because you are destroyed. Even if you cross the sea to Cyprus, you 
       will not find a place to rest."

       (Isa 23:13 NCV)  Look at the land of the Babylonians; it is not a 
       country now. Assyria has made it a place for wild animals. Assyria 
       built towers to attack it; the soldiers took all the treasures from 
       its cities, and they turned it into ruins.

       (Isa 23:14 NCV)  So be sad, you trading ships, because your strong 
       city is destroyed.

       (Isa 23:15 NCV)  At that time people will forget about Tyre for 
       seventy years, which is the length of a king's life. After seventy 
       years, Tyre will be like the prostitute in this song:

       (Isa 23:16 NCV)  "Oh woman, you are forgotten. Take your harp and walk 
       through the city. Play your harp well. Sing your song often. Then 
       people will remember you."

       (Isa 23:17 NCV)  After seventy years the LORD will deal with Tyre, and 
       it will again have trade. It will be like a prostitute for all the 
       nations of the earth.

       (Isa 23:18 NCV)  The profits will be saved for the LORD. Tyre will not 
       keep the money she earns but will give them to the people who serve 
       the LORD, so they will have plenty of food and nice clothes.

       (Isa 24:1 NCV)  Look! The LORD will destroy the earth and leave it 
       empty; he will ruin the surface of the land and scatter its people.

       (Isa 24:2 NCV)  At that time the same thing will happen to everyone: 
       to common people and priests, to slaves and masters, to women slaves 
       and their women masters, to buyers and sellers, to those who borrow 
       and those who lend, to bankers and those who owe the bank.

       (Isa 24:3 NCV)  The earth will be completely empty. The wealth will 
       all be taken, because the LORD has commanded it.






       (Isa 24:4 NCV)  The earth will dry up and die; the world will grow 
       weak and die; the great leaders in this land will become weak.

       (Isa 24:5 NCV)  The people of the earth have ruined it, because they 
       do not follow God's teachings or obey God's laws or keep their 
       agreement with God that was to last forever.

       (Isa 24:6 NCV)  So a curse will destroy the earth. The people of the 
       world are guilty, so they will be burned up; only a few will be left.

       (Isa 24:7 NCV)  The new wine will be bad, and the grapevines will die. 
       People who were happy will be sad.

       (Isa 24:8 NCV)  The happy music of the tambourines will end. The happy 
       sounds of wild parties will stop. The joyful music from the harps will 
       end.

       (Isa 24:9 NCV)  People will no longer sing while they drink their 
       wine. The beer will taste bitter to those who drink it.

       (Isa 24:10 NCV)  The ruined city will be empty, and people will hide 
       behind closed doors.

       (Isa 24:11 NCV)  People in the streets will ask for wine, but joy will 
       have turned to sadness; all the happiness will have left.

       (Isa 24:12 NCV)  The city will be left in ruins, and its gates will be 
       smashed to pieces.

       (Isa 24:13 NCV)  This is what will happen all over the earth and to 
       all the nations. The earth will be like an olive tree after the 
       harvest or like the few grapes left on a vine after harvest.

       (Isa 24:14 NCV)  The people shout for joy. From the west they praise 
       the greatness of the LORD.

       (Isa 24:15 NCV)  People in the east, praise the LORD. People in the 
       islands of the sea, praise the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.

       (Isa 24:16 NCV)  We hear songs from every part of the earth praising 
       God, the Righteous One. But I said, "I am dying! I am dying! How 
       terrible it will be for me! Traitors turn against people; with their 
       dishonesty, they turn against people."

       (Isa 24:17 NCV)  There are terrors, holes, and traps for the people of 
       the earth.

       (Isa 24:18 NCV)  Anyone who tries to escape from the sound of terror 
       will fall into a hole. Anyone who climbs out of the hole will be 
       caught in a trap. The clouds in the sky will pour out rain, and the 
       foundations of the earth will shake.

       (Isa 24:19 NCV)  The earth will be broken up; the earth will split 
       open; the earth will shake violently.





       (Isa 24:20 NCV)  The earth will stumble around like someone who is 
       drunk; it will shake like a hut in a storm. Its sin is like a heavy 
       weight on its back; it will fall and never rise again.

       (Isa 24:21 NCV)  At that time the LORD will punish the powers in the 
       sky above and the rulers on earth below.

       (Isa 24:22 NCV)  They will be gathered together like prisoners thrown 
       into a dungeon; they will be shut up in prison. After much time they 
       will be punished.

       (Isa 24:23 NCV)  The moon will be embarrassed, and the sun will be 
       ashamed, because the LORD All-Powerful will rule as king on Mount Zion 
       in Jerusalem. Jerusalem's leaders will see his greatness.

       (Isa 25:1 NCV)  LORD, you are my God. I honor you and praise you, 
       because you have done amazing things. You have always done what you 
       said you would do; you have done what you planned long ago.

       (Isa 25:2 NCV)  You have made the city a pile of rocks and have 
       destroyed her walls. The city our enemies built with strong walls is 
       gone; it will never be built again.

       (Isa 25:3 NCV)  People from powerful nations will honor you; cruel 
       people from strong cities will fear you.

       (Isa 25:4 NCV)  You protect the poor; you protect the helpless when 
       they are in danger. You are like a shelter from storms, like shade 
       that protects them from the heat. The cruel people attack like a 
       rainstorm beating against the wall,

       (Isa 25:5 NCV)  like the heat in the desert. But you, God, stop their 
       violent attack. As a cloud cools a hot day, you silence the songs of 
       those who have no mercy.

       (Isa 25:6 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful will prepare a feast on this 
       mountain for all people. It will be a feast with all the best food and 
       wine, the finest meat and wine.

       (Isa 25:7 NCV)  On this mountain God will destroy the veil that covers 
       all nations, the veil that stretches over all peoples;

       (Isa 25:8 NCV)  he will destroy death forever. The Lord GOD will wipe 
       away every tear from every face. He will take away the shame of his 
       people from the earth. The LORD has spoken.

       (Isa 25:9 NCV)  At that time people will say, "Our God is doing this! 
       We have waited for him, and he has come to save us. This is the LORD. 
       We waited for him, so we will rejoice and be happy when he saves us."

       (Isa 25:10 NCV)  The LORD will protect Jerusalem, but he will crush 
       our enemy Moab like straw that is trampled down in the manure.

       (Isa 25:11 NCV)  They will spread their arms in it like a person who 
       is swimming. But God will bring down their pride, and all the clever 
       things they have made will mean nothing.






       (Isa 25:12 NCV)  Moab's high walls protect them, but God will destroy 
       these walls. He will throw them down to the ground, even to the dust.

       (Isa 26:1 NCV)  At that time people will sing this song in Judah: We 
       have a strong city. God protects us with its strong walls and 
       defenses.

       (Isa 26:2 NCV)  Open the gates, and the good people will enter, those 
       who follow God.

       (Isa 26:3 NCV)  You, LORD, give true peace to those who depend on you, 
       because they trust you.

       (Isa 26:4 NCV)  So, trust the LORD always, because he is our Rock 
       forever.

       (Isa 26:5 NCV)  He will destroy the proud city, and he will punish the 
       people living there. He will bring that high city down to the ground 
       and throw it down into the dust.

       (Isa 26:6 NCV)  Then those who were hurt by the city will walk on its 
       ruins; those who were made poor by the city will trample it under 
       their feet.

       (Isa 26:7 NCV)  The path of life is level for those who are right with 
       God; LORD, you make the way of life smooth for those people.

       (Isa 26:8 NCV)  But, LORD, we are waiting for your way of justice. Our 
       souls want to remember you and your name.

       (Isa 26:9 NCV)  My soul wants to be with you at night, and my spirit 
       wants to be with you at the dawn of every day. When your way of 
       justice comes to the land, people of the world will learn the right 
       way of living.

       (Isa 26:10 NCV)  Evil people will not learn to do good even if you 
       show them kindness. They will continue doing evil, even if they live 
       in a good world; they never see the Lord's greatness.

       (Isa 26:11 NCV)  LORD, you are ready to punish those people, but they 
       do not see that. Show them your strong love for your people. Then 
       those who are evil will be ashamed. Burn them in the fire you have 
       prepared for your enemies.

       (Isa 26:12 NCV)  LORD, all our success is because of what you have 
       done, so give us peace.

       (Isa 26:13 NCV)  LORD, our God, other masters besides you have ruled 
       us, but we honor only you.

       (Isa 26:14 NCV)  Those masters are now dead; their ghosts will not 
       rise from death. You punished and destroyed them and erased any memory 
       of them.

       (Isa 26:15 NCV)  LORD, you multiplied the number of your people; you 





       multiplied them and brought honor to yourself. You made the borders of 
       the land wide.

       (Isa 26:16 NCV)  LORD, people remember you when they are in trouble; 
       they say quiet prayers to you when you punish them.

       (Isa 26:17 NCV)  LORD, when we are with you, we are like a woman 
       giving birth to a baby; she cries and has pain from the birth.

       (Isa 26:18 NCV)  In the same way, we had pain. We gave birth, but only 
       to wind. We don't bring salvation to the land or make new people for 
       the world.

       (Isa 26:19 NCV)  Your people have died, but they will live again; 
       their bodies will rise from death. You who lie in the ground, wake up 
       and be happy! The dew covering you is like the dew of a new day; the 
       ground will give birth to the dead.

       (Isa 26:20 NCV)  My people, go into your rooms and shut your doors 
       behind you. Hide in your rooms for a short time until God's anger is 
       finished.

       (Isa 26:21 NCV)  The LORD will leave his place to punish the people of 
       the world for their sins. The earth will show the blood of the people 
       who have been killed; it will not cover the dead any longer.

       (Isa 27:1 NCV)  At that time the LORD will punish Leviathan, the 
       gliding snake. He will punish Leviathan, the coiled snake, with his 
       great and hard and powerful sword. He will kill the monster in the 
       sea.

       (Isa 27:2 NCV)  At that time people will sing about the pleasant 
       vineyard.

       (Isa 27:3 NCV)  "I, the LORD, will care for that vineyard; I will 
       water it at the right time. No one will hurt it, because I will guard 
       it day and night.

       (Isa 27:4 NCV)  I am not angry. If anyone builds a wall of thornbushes 
       in war, I will march to it and burn it.

       (Isa 27:5 NCV)  But if anyone comes to me for safety and wants to make 
       peace with me, he should come and make peace with me."

       (Isa 27:6 NCV)  In the days to come, the people of Jacob will be like 
       a plant with good roots; Israel will grow like a plant beginning to 
       bloom. Then the world will be filled with their children.

       (Isa 27:7 NCV)  The LORD has not hurt his people as he hurt their 
       enemies; his people have not been killed like those who tried to kill 
       them.

       (Isa 27:8 NCV)  He will settle his argument with Israel by sending it 
       far away. Like a hot desert wind, he will drive it away.

       (Isa 27:9 NCV)  This is how Israel's guilt will be forgiven; this is 





       how its sins will be taken away: Israel will crush the rocks of the 
       altar to dust, and no statues or altars will be left standing for the 
       Asherah idols.

       (Isa 27:10 NCV)  At that time the strong, walled city will be empty 
       like a desert. Calves will eat grass there. They will lie down there 
       and eat leaves from the branches.

       (Isa 27:11 NCV)  The limbs will become dry and break off, so women 
       will use them for firewood. The people refuse to understand, so God 
       will not comfort them; their Maker will not be kind to them.

       (Isa 27:12 NCV)  At that time the LORD will begin gathering his people 
       one by one from the Euphrates River to the brook of Egypt. He will 
       separate them from others as grain is separated from chaff.

       (Isa 27:13 NCV)  Many of my people are now lost in Assyria. Some have 
       run away to Egypt. But at that time a great trumpet will be blown, and 
       all those people will come and worship the LORD on that holy mountain 
       in Jerusalem.

       (Isa 28:1 NCV)  How terrible it will be for Samaria, the pride of 
       Israel's drunken people! That beautiful crown of flowers is just a 
       dying plant set on a hill above a rich valley where drunkards live.

       (Isa 28:2 NCV)  Look, the Lord has someone who is strong and powerful. 
       Like a storm of hail and strong wind, like a sudden flood of water 
       pouring over the country, he will throw Samaria down to the ground.

       (Isa 28:3 NCV)  That city, the pride of Israel's drunken people, will 
       be trampled underfoot.

       (Isa 28:4 NCV)  That beautiful crown of flowers is just a dying plant 
       set on a hill above a rich valley. That city will be like the first 
       fig of summer. Anyone who sees it quickly picks it and eats it.

       (Isa 28:5 NCV)  At that time the LORD All-Powerful will be like a 
       beautiful crown, like a wonderful crown of flowers for his people who 
       are left alive.

       (Isa 28:6 NCV)  Then he will give wisdom to the judges who must decide 
       cases and strength to those who battle at the city gate.

       (Isa 28:7 NCV)  But now those leaders are drunk with wine; they 
       stumble from drinking too much beer. The priests and prophets are 
       drunk with beer and are filled with wine. They stumble from too much 
       beer. The prophets are drunk when they see their visions; the judges 
       stumble when they make their decisions.

       (Isa 28:8 NCV)  Every table is covered with vomit, so there is not a 
       clean place anywhere.

       (Isa 28:9 NCV)  The LORD is trying to teach the people a lesson; he is 
       trying to make them understand his teachings. But the people are like 
       babies too old for breast milk, like those who no longer nurse at 
       their mother's breast.






       (Isa 28:10 NCV)  So they make fun of the Lord's prophet and say: "A 
       command here, a command there. A rule here, a rule there. A little 
       lesson here, a little lesson there."

       (Isa 28:11 NCV)  So the LORD will use strange words and foreign 
       languages to speak to these people.

       (Isa 28:12 NCV)  God said to them, "Here is a place of rest; let the 
       tired people come and rest. This is the place of peace." But the 
       people would not listen.

       (Isa 28:13 NCV)  So the words of the LORD will be, "A command here, a 
       command there. A rule here, a rule there. A little lesson here, a 
       little lesson there." They will fall back and be defeated; they will 
       be trapped and captured.

       (Isa 28:14 NCV)  So listen to the Lord's message, you who brag, you 
       leaders in Jerusalem.

       (Isa 28:15 NCV)  You say, "We have made an agreement with death; we 
       have a contract with death. When terrible punishment passes by, it 
       won't hurt us. Our lies will keep us safe, and our tricks will hide 
       us."

       (Isa 28:16 NCV)  Because of these things, this is what the Lord GOD 
       says: "I will put a stone in the ground in Jerusalem, a tested stone. 
       Everything will be built on this important and precious rock. Anyone 
       who trusts in it will never be disappointed.

       (Isa 28:17 NCV)  I will use justice as a measuring line and goodness 
       as the standard. The lies you hide behind will be destroyed as if by 
       hail. They will be washed away as if in a flood.

       (Isa 28:18 NCV)  Your agreement with death will be erased; your 
       contract with death will not help you. When terrible punishment comes, 
       you will be crushed by it.

       (Isa 28:19 NCV)  Whenever punishment comes, it will take you away. It 
       will come morning after morning; it will defeat you by day and by 
       night. Those who understand this punishment will be terrified."

       (Isa 28:20 NCV)  You will be like the person who tried to sleep on a 
       bed that was too short and with a blanket that was too narrow to wrap 
       around himself.

       (Isa 28:21 NCV)  The LORD will fight as he did at Mount Perazim. He 
       will be angry as he was in the Valley of Gibeon. He will do his work, 
       his strange work. He will finish his job, his strange job.

       (Isa 28:22 NCV)  Now, you must not make fun of these things, or the 
       ropes around you will become tighter. The Lord GOD All-Powerful has 
       told me how the whole earth will be destroyed.

       (Isa 28:23 NCV)  Listen closely to what I tell you; listen carefully 
       to what I say.






       (Isa 28:24 NCV)  A farmer does not plow his field all the time; he 
       does not go on working the soil.

       (Isa 28:25 NCV)  He makes the ground flat and smooth. Then he plants 
       the dill and scatters the cumin. He plants the wheat in rows, the 
       barley in its special place, and other wheat as a border around the 
       field.

       (Isa 28:26 NCV)  His God teaches him and shows him the right way.

       (Isa 28:27 NCV)  A farmer doesn't use heavy boards to crush dill; he 
       doesn't use a wagon wheel to crush cumin. He uses a small stick to 
       break open the dill, and with a stick he opens the cumin.

       (Isa 28:28 NCV)  The grain is ground to make bread. People do not ruin 
       it by crushing it forever. The farmer separates the wheat from the 
       chaff with his cart, but he does not let his horses grind it.

       (Isa 28:29 NCV)  This lesson also comes from the LORD All-Powerful, 
       who gives wonderful advice, who is very wise.

       (Isa 29:1 NCV)  How terrible it will be for you, Jerusalem, the city 
       where David camped. Your festivals have continued year after year.

       (Isa 29:2 NCV)  I will attack Jerusalem, and that city will be filled 
       with sadness and crying. It will be like an altar to me.

       (Isa 29:3 NCV)  I will put armies all around you, Jerusalem; I will 
       surround you with towers and with devices to attack you.

       (Isa 29:4 NCV)  You will be pulled down and will speak from the 
       ground; I will hear your voice rising from the ground. It will sound 
       like the voice of a ghost; your words will come like a whisper from 
       the dirt.

       (Isa 29:5 NCV)  Your many enemies will become like fine dust; the many 
       cruel people will be like chaff that is blown away. Everything will 
       happen very quickly.

       (Isa 29:6 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful will come with thunder, 
       earthquakes, and great noises, with storms, strong winds, and a fire 
       that destroys.

       (Isa 29:7 NCV)  Then all the nations that fight against Jerusalem will 
       be like a dream; all the nations that attack her will be like a vision 
       in the night.

       (Isa 29:8 NCV)  They will be like a hungry man who dreams he is 
       eating, but when he awakens, he is still hungry. They will be like a 
       thirsty man who dreams he is drinking, but when he awakens, he is 
       still weak and thirsty. It will be the same way with all the nations 
       who fight against Mount Zion.

       (Isa 29:9 NCV)  Be surprised and amazed. Blind yourselves so that you 
       cannot see. Become drunk, but not from wine. Trip and fall, but not 





       from beer.

       (Isa 29:10 NCV)  The LORD has made you go into a deep sleep. He has 
       closed your eyes. (The prophets are your eyes.) He has covered your 
       heads. (The seers are your heads.)

       (Isa 29:11 NCV)  This vision is like the words of a book that is 
       closed and sealed. You may give the book to someone who can read and 
       tell that person to read it. But he will say, "I can't read the book, 
       because it is sealed."

       (Isa 29:12 NCV)  Or you may give the book to someone who cannot read 
       and tell him to read it. But he will say, "I don't know how to read."

       (Isa 29:13 NCV)  The Lord says: "These people say they love me; they 
       show honor to me with words, but their hearts are far from me. The 
       honor they show me is nothing but human rules.

       (Isa 29:14 NCV)  So I will continue to amaze these people by doing 
       more and more miracles. Their wise men will lose their wisdom; their 
       wise men will not be able to understand."

       (Isa 29:15 NCV)  How terrible it will be for those who try to hide 
       things from the LORD and who do their work in darkness. They think no 
       one will see them or know what they do.

       (Isa 29:16 NCV)  You are confused. You think the clay is equal to the 
       potter. You think that an object can tell the one who made it, "You 
       didn't make me." This is like a pot telling its maker, "You don't know 
       anything."

       (Isa 29:17 NCV)  In a very short time, Lebanon will become rich 
       farmland, and the rich farmland will seem like a forest.

       (Isa 29:18 NCV)  At that time the deaf will hear the words in a book. 
       Instead of having darkness and gloom, the blind will see.

       (Isa 29:19 NCV)  The LORD will make the poor people happy; they will 
       rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

       (Isa 29:20 NCV)  Then the people without mercy will come to an end; 
       those who do not respect God will disappear. Those who enjoy doing 
       evil will be gone:

       (Isa 29:21 NCV)  those who lie about others in court, those who trap 
       people in court, those who lie and take justice from innocent people 
       in court.

       (Isa 29:22 NCV)  This is what the LORD who set Abraham free says to 
       the family of Jacob: "Now the people of Jacob will not be ashamed or 
       disgraced any longer.

       (Isa 29:23 NCV)  When they see all their children, the children I made 
       with my hands, they will say my name is holy. They will agree that the 
       Holy One of Jacob is holy, and they will respect the God of Israel.





       (Isa 29:24 NCV)  People who do wrong will now understand. Those who 
       complain will accept being taught."

       (Isa 30:1 NCV)  The LORD said, "How terrible it will be for these 
       stubborn children. They make plans, but they don't ask me to help 
       them. They make agreements with other nations, without asking my 
       Spirit. They are adding more and more sins to themselves.

       (Isa 30:2 NCV)  They go down to Egypt for help without asking me about 
       it first. They hope they will be saved by the king of Egypt; they want 
       Egypt to protect them.

       (Isa 30:3 NCV)  But hiding in Egypt will bring you only shame; Egypt's 
       protection will only disappoint you.

       (Isa 30:4 NCV)  Your officers have gone to Zoan, and your messengers 
       have gone to Hanes,

       (Isa 30:5 NCV)  but they will be put to shame, because Egypt is 
       useless to them. It will give no help and will be of no use; it will 
       cause them only shame and embarrassment."

       (Isa 30:6 NCV)  This is a message about the animals in southern Judah: 
       Southern Judah is a dangerous place full of lions and lionesses, 
       poisonous snakes and darting snakes. The messengers travel through 
       there with their wealth on the backs of donkeys and their treasure on 
       the backs of camels. They carry them to a nation that cannot help 
       them,

       (Isa 30:7 NCV)  to Egypt whose help is useless. So I call that country 
       Rahab the Do-Nothing.

       (Isa 30:8 NCV)  Now write this on a sign for the people, write this on 
       a scroll, so that for the days to come this will be a witness forever.

       (Isa 30:9 NCV)  These people are like children who lie and refuse to 
       obey; they refuse to listen to the Lord's teachings.

       (Isa 30:10 NCV)  They tell the seers, "Don't see any more visions!" 
       They say to the prophets, "Don't tell us the truth! Say things that 
       will make us feel good; see only good things for us.

       (Isa 30:11 NCV)  Stop blocking our path. Get out of our way. Stop 
       telling us about God, the Holy One of Israel."

       (Isa 30:12 NCV)  So this is what the Holy One of Israel says: "You 
       people have refused to accept this message and have depended on 
       cruelty and lies to help you.

       (Isa 30:13 NCV)  You are guilty of these things. So you will be like a 
       high wall with cracks in it that falls suddenly and breaks into small 
       pieces.

       (Isa 30:14 NCV)  You will be like a clay jar that breaks, smashed into 
       many pieces. Those pieces will be too small to take coals from the 
       fire or to get water from a well."






       (Isa 30:15 NCV)  This is what the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, 
       says: "If you come back to me and trust me, you will be saved. If you 
       will be calm and trust me, you will be strong." But you don't want to 
       do that.

       (Isa 30:16 NCV)  You say, "No, we need horses to run away on." So you 
       will run away on horses. You say, "We will ride away on fast horses." 
       So those who chase you will be fast.

       (Isa 30:17 NCV)  One enemy will make threats, and a thousand of your 
       men will run away. Five enemies will make threats, and all of you will 
       run from them. You will be left alone like a flagpole on a hilltop, 
       like a banner on a hill.

       (Isa 30:18 NCV)  The LORD wants to show his mercy to you. He wants to 
       rise and comfort you. The LORD is a fair God, and everyone who waits 
       for his help will be happy.

       (Isa 30:19 NCV)  You people who live on Mount Zion in Jerusalem will 
       not cry anymore. The LORD will hear your crying, and he will comfort 
       you. When he hears you, he will help you.

       (Isa 30:20 NCV)  The Lord has given you sorrow and hurt like the bread 
       and water you ate every day. He is your teacher; he will not continue 
       to hide from you, but you will see your teacher with your own eyes.

       (Isa 30:21 NCV)  If you go the wrong way--to the right or to the 
       left--you will hear a voice behind you saying, "This is the right way. 
       You should go this way."

       (Isa 30:22 NCV)  You have statues covered with silver and gold, but 
       you will ruin them for further use. You will throw them away like 
       filthy rags and say, "Go away!"

       (Isa 30:23 NCV)  At that time the LORD will send rain for the seeds 
       you plant in the ground, and the ground will grow food for you. The 
       harvest will be rich and great, and you will have plenty of food in 
       the fields for your animals.

       (Isa 30:24 NCV)  Your oxen and donkeys that work the soil will have 
       all the food they need. You will have to use shovels and pitchforks to 
       spread all their food.

       (Isa 30:25 NCV)  Every mountain and hill will have streams filled with 
       water. These things will happen after many people are killed and the 
       towers are pulled down.

       (Isa 30:26 NCV)  At that time the light from the moon will be bright 
       like the sun, and the light from the sun will be seven times brighter 
       than now, like the light of seven days. These things will happen when 
       the LORD bandages his broken people and heals the hurts he gave them.

       (Isa 30:27 NCV)  Look! The LORD comes from far away. His anger is like 
       a fire with thick clouds of smoke. His mouth is filled with anger, and 
       his tongue is like a burning fire.






       (Isa 30:28 NCV)  His breath is like a rushing river, which rises to 
       the throat. He will judge the nations as if he is sifting them through 
       the strainer of destruction. He will place in their mouths a bit that 
       will lead them the wrong way.

       (Isa 30:29 NCV)  You will sing happy songs as on the nights you begin 
       a festival. You will be happy like people listening to flutes as they 
       come to the mountain of the LORD, to the Rock of Israel.

       (Isa 30:30 NCV)  The LORD will cause all people to hear his great 
       voice and to see his powerful arm come down with anger, like a great 
       fire that burns everything, like a great storm with much rain and 
       hail.

       (Isa 30:31 NCV)  Assyria will be afraid when it hears the voice of the 
       LORD, because he will strike Assyria with a rod.

       (Isa 30:32 NCV)  When the LORD punishes Assyria with a rod, he will 
       beat them to the music of tambourines and harps; he will fight against 
       them with his mighty weapons.

       (Isa 30:33 NCV)  Topheth has been made ready for a long time; it is 
       ready for the king. It was made deep and wide with much wood and fire. 
       And the Lord's breath will come like a stream of burning sulfur and 
       set it on fire.

       (Isa 31:1 NCV)  How terrible it will be for those people who go down 
       to Egypt for help. They think horses will save them. They think their 
       many chariots and strong horsemen will save them. But they don't trust 
       God, the Holy One of Israel, or ask the LORD for help.

       (Isa 31:2 NCV)  But he is wise and can bring them disaster. He does 
       not change his warnings. He will rise up and fight against the evil 
       people and against those who try to help evil people.

       (Isa 31:3 NCV)  The Egyptians are only people and are not God. Their 
       horses are only animals and are not spirit. The LORD will stretch out 
       his arm, and the one who helps will stumble, and the people who wanted 
       help will fall. All of them will be destroyed together.

       (Isa 31:4 NCV)  The LORD says this to me: "When a lion or a lion's cub 
       kills an animal to eat, it stands over the dead animal and roars. A 
       band of shepherds may be assembled against it, but the lion will not 
       be afraid of their yelling or upset by their noise. So the LORD 
       All-Powerful will come down to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill.

       (Isa 31:5 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful will defend Jerusalem like birds 
       flying over their nests. He will defend and save it; he will 'pass 
       over' and save Jerusalem."

       (Isa 31:6 NCV)  You children of Israel, come back to the God you 
       fought against.

       (Isa 31:7 NCV)  The time is coming when each of you will stop 
       worshiping idols of gold and silver, which you sinned by making.






       (Isa 31:8 NCV)  "Assyria will be defeated by a sword, but not the 
       sword of a person; Assyria will be destroyed, but not by a person's 
       sword. Assyria will run away from the sword of God, but its young men 
       will be caught and made slaves.

       (Isa 31:9 NCV)  They will panic, and their protection will be 
       destroyed. Their commanders will be terrified when they see God's 
       battle flag," says the LORD, whose fire is in Jerusalem and whose 
       furnace is in Jerusalem.

       (Isa 32:1 NCV)  A king will rule in a way that brings justice, and 
       leaders will make fair decisions.

       (Isa 32:2 NCV)  Then each ruler will be like a shelter from the wind, 
       like a safe place in a storm, like streams of water in a dry land, 
       like a cool shadow from a large rock in a hot land.

       (Isa 32:3 NCV)  People will look to the king for help, and they will 
       truly listen to what he says.

       (Isa 32:4 NCV)  People who are now worried will be able to understand. 
       Those who cannot speak clearly now will then be able to speak clearly 
       and quickly.

       (Isa 32:5 NCV)  Fools will not be called great, and people will not 
       respect the wicked.

       (Isa 32:6 NCV)  A fool says foolish things, and in his mind he plans 
       evil. A fool does things that are wicked, and he says wrong things 
       about the LORD. A fool does not feed the hungry or let thirsty people 
       drink water.

       (Isa 32:7 NCV)  The wicked person uses evil like a tool. He plans ways 
       to take everything from the poor. He destroys the poor with lies, even 
       when the poor person is in the right.

       (Isa 32:8 NCV)  But a good leader plans to do good, and those good 
       things make him a good leader.

       (Isa 32:9 NCV)  You women who are calm now, stand up and listen to me. 
       You women who feel safe now, hear what I say.

       (Isa 32:10 NCV)  You women feel safe now, but after one year you will 
       be afraid. There will be no grape harvest and no summer fruit to 
       gather.

       (Isa 32:11 NCV)  Women, you are calm now, but you should shake with 
       fear. Women, you feel safe now, but you should tremble. Take off your 
       nice clothes and put rough cloth around your waist to show your 
       sadness.

       (Isa 32:12 NCV)  Beat your breasts in grief, because the fields that 
       were pleasant are now empty. Cry, because the vines that once had 
       fruit now have no more grapes.





       (Isa 32:13 NCV)  Cry for the land of my people, in which only thorns 
       and weeds now grow. Cry for the city that once was happy and for all 
       the houses that once were filled with joy.

       (Isa 32:14 NCV)  The palace will be empty; people will leave the noisy 
       city. Strong cities and towers will be empty. Wild donkeys will love 
       to live there, and sheep will go there to eat.

       (Isa 32:15 NCV)  This will continue until God pours his Spirit from 
       above upon us. Then the desert will be like a fertile field and the 
       fertile field like a forest.

       (Isa 32:16 NCV)  Justice will be found even in the desert, and 
       fairness will be found in the fertile fields.

       (Isa 32:17 NCV)  That fairness will bring peace, and it will bring 
       calm and safety forever.

       (Isa 32:18 NCV)  My people will live in peaceful places and in safe 
       homes and in calm places of rest.

       (Isa 32:19 NCV)  Hail will destroy the forest, and the city will be 
       completely destroyed.

       (Isa 32:20 NCV)  But you will be happy as you plant seeds near every 
       stream and as you let your cattle and donkeys wander freely.

       (Isa 33:1 NCV)  How terrible it will be for you who destroy others but 
       have not been destroyed yet. How terrible it will be for you, traitor, 
       whom no one has turned against yet. When you stop destroying, others 
       will destroy you. When you stop turning against others, they will turn 
       against you.

       (Isa 33:2 NCV)  LORD, be kind to us. We have waited for your help. 
       Give us strength every morning. Save us when we are in trouble.

       (Isa 33:3 NCV)  Your powerful voice makes people run away in fear; 
       your greatness causes the nations to run away.

       (Isa 33:4 NCV)  Like locusts, your enemies will take away the things 
       you stole in war. Like locusts rushing about, they will take your 
       wealth.

       (Isa 33:5 NCV)  The LORD is very great, and he lives in a high place. 
       He fills Jerusalem with fairness and justice.

       (Isa 33:6 NCV)  He will be your safety. He is full of salvation, 
       wisdom, and knowledge. Respect for the LORD is the greatest treasure.

       (Isa 33:7 NCV)  See, brave men are crying out in the streets; those 
       who tried to bring peace are crying loudly.

       (Isa 33:8 NCV)  There is no one on the roads, no one walking in the 
       paths. People have broken the agreements they made. They refuse to 
       believe the proof from witnesses. No one respects other people.





       (Isa 33:9 NCV)  The land is sick and dying; Lebanon is ashamed and 
       dying. The Plain of Sharon is dry like the desert, and the trees of 
       Bashan and Carmel are dying.

       (Isa 33:10 NCV)  The LORD says, "Now, I will stand up and show my 
       greatness. Now, I will become important to the people.

       (Isa 33:11 NCV)  You people do useless things that are like hay and 
       straw. A destructive wind will burn you like fire.

       (Isa 33:12 NCV)  People will be burned until their bones become like 
       lime; they will burn quickly like dry thornbushes."

       (Isa 33:13 NCV)  You people in faraway lands, hear what I have done. 
       You people who are near me, learn about my power.

       (Isa 33:14 NCV)  The sinners in Jerusalem are afraid; those who are 
       separated from God shake with fear. They say, "Can any of us live 
       through this fire that destroys? Who can live near this fire that 
       burns on and on?"

       (Isa 33:15 NCV)  A person who does what is right and speaks what is 
       right, who refuses to take money unfairly, who refuses to take money 
       to hurt others, who does not listen to plans of murder, who refuses to 
       think about evil--

       (Isa 33:16 NCV)  this is the kind of person who will be safe. He will 
       be protected as he would be in a high, walled city. He will always 
       have bread, and he will not run out of water.

       (Isa 33:17 NCV)  Your eyes will see the king in his beauty. You will 
       see the land that stretches far away.

       (Isa 33:18 NCV)  You will think about the terror of the past: "Where 
       is that officer? Where is the one who collected the taxes? Where is 
       the officer in charge of our defense towers?"

       (Isa 33:19 NCV)  No longer will you see those proud people from other 
       countries, whose strange language you couldn't understand.

       (Isa 33:20 NCV)  Look at Jerusalem, the city of our festivals. Look at 
       Jerusalem, that beautiful place of rest. It is like a tent that will 
       never be moved; the pegs that hold her in place will never be pulled 
       up, and her ropes will never be broken.

       (Isa 33:21 NCV)  There the LORD will be our Mighty One. That land is a 
       place with streams and wide rivers, but there will be no enemy boats 
       on those rivers; no powerful ship will sail on them.

       (Isa 33:22 NCV)  This is because the LORD is our judge. The LORD makes 
       our laws. The LORD is our king. He will save us.

       (Isa 33:23 NCV)  You sailors from other lands, hear: The ropes on your 
       boats hang loose. The mast is not held firm. The sails are not spread 
       open. Then your great wealth will be divided. There will be so much 
       wealth that even the crippled people will carry off a share.






       (Isa 33:24 NCV)  No one living in Jerusalem will say, "I am sick." The 
       people who live there will have their sins forgiven.

       (Isa 34:1 NCV)  All you nations, come near and listen. Pay attention, 
       you peoples! The earth and all the people in it should listen, the 
       world and everything in it.

       (Isa 34:2 NCV)  The LORD is angry with all the nations; he is angry 
       with their armies. He will destroy them and kill them all.

       (Isa 34:3 NCV)  Their bodies will be thrown outside. The stink will 
       rise from the bodies, and the blood will flow down the mountains.

       (Isa 34:4 NCV)  The sun, moon, and stars will dissolve, and the sky 
       will be rolled up like a scroll. The stars will fall like dead leaves 
       from a vine or dried-up figs from a fig tree.

       (Isa 34:5 NCV)  The Lord's sword in the sky is covered with blood. It 
       will cut through Edom and destroy those people as an offering to the 
       LORD.

       (Isa 34:6 NCV)  The Lord's sword will be covered with blood; it will 
       be covered with fat, with the blood from lambs and goats, with the fat 
       from the kidneys of sheep. This is because the LORD decided there will 
       be a sacrifice in Bozrah and much killing in Edom.

       (Isa 34:7 NCV)  The oxen will be killed, and the cattle and the strong 
       bulls. The land will be filled with their blood, and the dirt will be 
       covered with their fat.

       (Isa 34:8 NCV)  The LORD has chosen a time for punishment. He has 
       chosen a year when people must pay for the wrongs they did to 
       Jerusalem.

       (Isa 34:9 NCV)  Edom's rivers will be like hot tar. Its dirt will be 
       like burning sulfur. Its land will be like burning tar.

       (Isa 34:10 NCV)  The fires will burn night and day; the smoke will 
       rise from Edom forever. Year after year that land will be empty; no 
       one will ever travel through that land again.

       (Isa 34:11 NCV)  Birds and small animals will own that land, and owls 
       and ravens will live there. God will make it an empty wasteland; it 
       will have nothing left in it.

       (Isa 34:12 NCV)  The important people will have no one left to rule 
       them; the leaders will all be gone.

       (Isa 34:13 NCV)  Thorns will take over the strong towers, and wild 
       bushes will grow in the walled cities. It will be a home for wild dogs 
       and a place for owls to live.

       (Isa 34:14 NCV)  Desert animals will live with the hyenas, and wild 
       goats will call to their friends. Night animals will live there and 
       find a place of rest.






       (Isa 34:15 NCV)  Owls will nest there and lay eggs. When they hatch 
       open, the owls will gather their young under their wings. Hawks will 
       gather with their own kind.

       (Isa 34:16 NCV)  Look at the Lord's scroll and read what is written 
       there: None of these will be missing; none will be without its mate. 
       God has given the command, so his Spirit will gather them together.

       (Isa 34:17 NCV)  God has divided the land among them, and he has given 
       them each their portion. So they will own that land forever and will 
       live there year after year.

       (Isa 35:1 NCV)  The desert and dry land will become happy; the desert 
       will be glad and will produce flowers. Like a flower,

       (Isa 35:2 NCV)  it will have many blooms. It will show its happiness, 
       as if it were shouting with joy. It will be beautiful like the forest 
       of Lebanon, as beautiful as the hill of Carmel and the Plain of 
       Sharon. Everyone will see the glory of the LORD and the splendor of 
       our God.

       (Isa 35:3 NCV)  Make the weak hands strong and the weak knees steady.

       (Isa 35:4 NCV)  Say to people who are frightened, "Be strong. Don't be 
       afraid. Look, your God will come, and he will punish your enemies. He 
       will make them pay for the wrongs they did, but he will save you."

       (Isa 35:5 NCV)  Then the blind people will see again, and the deaf 
       will hear.

       (Isa 35:6 NCV)  Crippled people will jump like deer, and those who 
       can't talk now will shout with joy. Water will flow in the desert, and 
       streams will flow in the dry land.

       (Isa 35:7 NCV)  The burning desert will have pools of water, and the 
       dry ground will have springs. Where wild dogs once lived, grass and 
       water plants will grow.

       (Isa 35:8 NCV)  A road will be there; this highway will be called "The 
       Road to Being Holy." Evil people will not be allowed to walk on that 
       road; only good people will walk on it. No fools will go on it.

       (Isa 35:9 NCV)  No lions will be there, nor will dangerous animals be 
       on that road. They will not be found there. That road will be for the 
       people God saves;

       (Isa 35:10 NCV)  the people the LORD has freed will return there. They 
       will enter Jerusalem with joy, and their happiness will last forever. 
       Their gladness and joy will fill them completely, and sorrow and 
       sadness will go far away.

       (Isa 36:1 NCV)  During Hezekiah's fourteenth year as king, Sennacherib 
       king of Assyria attacked all the strong, walled cities of Judah and 
       captured them.





       (Isa 36:2 NCV)  The king of Assyria sent out his field commander with 
       a large army from Lachish to King Hezekiah in Jerusalem. When the 
       commander came near the waterway from the upper pool on the road where 
       people do their laundry, he stopped.

       (Isa 36:3 NCV)  Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah went out to meet him. 
       Eliakim son of Hilkiah was the palace manager, Shebna was the royal 
       secretary, and Joah son of Asaph was the recorder.

       (Isa 36:4 NCV)  The field commander said to them, "Tell Hezekiah this: 
       "'The great king, the king of Assyria, says: What can you trust in 
       now?

       (Isa 36:5 NCV)  You say you have battle plans and power for war, but 
       your words mean nothing. Whom are you trusting for help so that you 
       turn against me?

       (Isa 36:6 NCV)  Look, you are depending on Egypt to help you, but 
       Egypt is like a splintered walking stick. If you lean on it for help, 
       it will stab your hand and hurt you. The king of Egypt will hurt all 
       those who depend on him.

       (Isa 36:7 NCV)  You might say, "We are depending on the LORD our God," 
       but Hezekiah destroyed the Lord's altars and the places of worship. 
       Hezekiah told Judah and Jerusalem, "You must worship only at this one 
       altar."

       (Isa 36:8 NCV)  "'Now make an agreement with my master, the king of 
       Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses if you can find enough 
       men to ride them.

       (Isa 36:9 NCV)  You cannot defeat one of my master's least important 
       officers, so why do you depend on Egypt to give you chariots and 
       horsemen?

       (Isa 36:10 NCV)  I have not come to attack and destroy this country 
       without an order from the LORD. The LORD himself told me to come to 
       this country and destroy it.'"

       (Isa 36:11 NCV)  Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the field 
       commander, "Please speak to us in the Aramaic language. We understand 
       it. Don't speak to us in Hebrew, because the people on the city wall 
       can hear you."

       (Isa 36:12 NCV)  But the commander said, "My master did not send me to 
       tell these things only to you and your king. He sent me to speak also 
       to those people sitting on the wall who will have to eat their own 
       dung and drink their own urine like you."

       (Isa 36:13 NCV)  Then the commander stood and shouted loudly in the 
       Hebrew language, "Listen to what the great king, the king of Assyria 
       says,

       (Isa 36:14 NCV)  The king says you should not let Hezekiah fool you, 
       because he can't save you.





       (Isa 36:15 NCV)  Don't let Hezekiah talk you into trusting the LORD by 
       saying, 'The LORD will surely save us. This city won't be handed over 
       to the king of Assyria.'

       (Isa 36:16 NCV)  "Don't listen to Hezekiah. The king of Assyria says, 
       'Make peace with me, and come out of the city to me. Then everyone 
       will be free to eat the fruit from his own grapevine and fig tree and 
       to drink water from his own well.

       (Isa 36:17 NCV)  After that I will come and take you to a land like 
       your own--a land with grain and new wine, bread and vineyards.'

       (Isa 36:18 NCV)  "Don't let Hezekiah fool you, saying, 'The LORD will 
       save us.' Has a god of any other nation saved his people from the 
       power of the king of Assyria?

       (Isa 36:19 NCV)  Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the 
       gods of Sepharvaim? They did not save Samaria from my power.

       (Isa 36:20 NCV)  Not one of all the gods of these countries has saved 
       his people from me. Neither can the LORD save Jerusalem from my 
       power."

       (Isa 36:21 NCV)  The people were silent. They didn't answer the 
       commander at all, because King Hezekiah had ordered, "Don't answer 
       him."

       (Isa 36:22 NCV)  Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah tore their clothes to 
       show how upset they were. (Eliakim son of Hilkiah was the palace 
       manager, Shebna was the royal secretary, and Joah son of Asaph was the 
       recorder.) The three men went to Hezekiah and told him what the field 
       commander had said.

       (Isa 37:1 NCV)  When King Hezekiah heard the message, he tore his 
       clothes and put on rough cloth to show how sad he was. Then he went 
       into the Temple of the LORD.

       (Isa 37:2 NCV)  Hezekiah sent Eliakim, the palace manager, and Shebna, 
       the royal secretary, and the older priests to Isaiah. They were all 
       wearing rough cloth when they came to Isaiah the prophet, the son of 
       Amoz.

       (Isa 37:3 NCV)  They told Isaiah, "This is what Hezekiah says: Today 
       is a day of sorrow and punishment and disgrace, as when a child should 
       be born, but the mother is not strong enough to give birth to it.

       (Isa 37:4 NCV)  The king of Assyria sent his field commander to make 
       fun of the living God. Maybe the LORD your God will hear what the 
       commander said and will punish him for it. So pray for the few of us 
       who are left alive."

       (Isa 37:5 NCV)  When Hezekiah's officers came to Isaiah,

       (Isa 37:6 NCV)  he said to them, "Tell your master this: The LORD 
       says, 'Don't be afraid of what you have heard. Don't be frightened by 
       the words the servants of the king of Assyria have spoken against me.






       (Isa 37:7 NCV)  Listen! I am going to put a spirit in the king of 
       Assyria. He will hear a report that will make him return to his own 
       country, and I will cause him to die by the sword there.'"

       (Isa 37:8 NCV)  The field commander heard that the king of Assyria had 
       left Lachish. When he went back, he found the king fighting against 
       the city of Libnah.

       (Isa 37:9 NCV)  The king received a report that Tirhakah, the Cushite 
       king of Egypt, was coming to attack him. When the king of Assyria 
       heard this, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,

       (Isa 37:10 NCV)  "Tell Hezekiah king of Judah: Don't be fooled by the 
       god you trust. Don't believe him when he says Jerusalem will not be 
       handed over to the king of Assyria.

       (Isa 37:11 NCV)  You have heard what the kings of Assyria have done. 
       They have completely defeated every country, so do not think you will 
       be saved.

       (Isa 37:12 NCV)  Did the gods of those people save them? My ancestors 
       destroyed them, defeating the cities of Gozan, Haran, and Rezeph, and 
       the people of Eden living in Tel Assar.

       (Isa 37:13 NCV)  Where are the kings of Hamath and Arpad? Where are 
       the kings of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?"

       (Isa 37:14 NCV)  When Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers 
       and read it, he went up to the Temple of the LORD. He spread the 
       letter out before the LORD

       (Isa 37:15 NCV)  and prayed to the LORD:

       (Isa 37:16 NCV)  "LORD All-Powerful, you are the God of Israel, whose 
       throne is between the gold creatures with wings, only you are God of 
       all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth.

       (Isa 37:17 NCV)  Hear, LORD, and listen. Open your eyes, LORD, and 
       see. Listen to all the words Sennacherib has said to insult the living 
       God.

       (Isa 37:18 NCV)  "It is true, LORD, that the kings of Assyria have 
       destroyed all these countries and their lands.

       (Isa 37:19 NCV)  They have thrown the gods of these nations into the 
       fire, but they were only wood and rock statues that people made. So 
       the kings have destroyed them.

       (Isa 37:20 NCV)  Now, LORD our God, save us from the king's power so 
       that all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you, LORD, are the 
       only God."

       (Isa 37:21 NCV)  Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah 
       that said, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'You 
       prayed to me about Sennacherib king of Assyria.






       (Isa 37:22 NCV)  So this is what the LORD has said against 
       Sennacherib: The people of Jerusalem hate you and make fun of you; the 
       people of Jerusalem laugh at you as you run away.

       (Isa 37:23 NCV)  You have insulted me and spoken against me; you have 
       raised your voice against me. You have a proud look on your face, 
       which is against me, the Holy One of Israel!

       (Isa 37:24 NCV)  You have sent your messengers to insult the Lord. You 
       have said, "With my many chariots I have gone to the tops of the 
       mountains, to the highest mountains of Lebanon. I have cut down its 
       tallest cedars and its best pine trees. I have gone to its greatest 
       heights and its best forests.

       (Isa 37:25 NCV)  I have dug wells in foreign countries and drunk water 
       there. By the soles of my feet, I have dried up all the rivers of 
       Egypt."

       (Isa 37:26 NCV)  "'King of Assyria, surely you have heard. Long ago I, 
       the LORD, planned these things. Long ago I designed them, and now I 
       have made them happen. I allowed you to turn those strong, walled 
       cities into piles of rocks.

       (Isa 37:27 NCV)  The people in those cities were weak; they were 
       frightened and put to shame. They were like grass in the field, like 
       tender, young grass, like grass on the housetop that is burned by the 
       wind before it can grow.

       (Isa 37:28 NCV)  "'I know when you rest, when you come and go, and how 
       you rage against me.

       (Isa 37:29 NCV)  Because you rage against me, and because I have heard 
       your proud words, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your 
       mouth. Then I will force you to leave my country the same way you 
       came.'

       (Isa 37:30 NCV)  "Then the LORD said, 'Hezekiah, I will give you this 
       sign: This year you will eat the grain that grows wild, and the second 
       year you will eat what grows wild from that. But in the third year, 
       plant grain and harvest it. Plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

       (Isa 37:31 NCV)  Some of the people in the family of Judah will 
       escape. Like plants that take root, they will grow strong and have 
       many children.

       (Isa 37:32 NCV)  A few people will come out of Jerusalem alive; a few 
       from Mount Zion will live. The strong love of the LORD All-Powerful 
       will make this happen.'

       (Isa 37:33 NCV)  "So this is what the LORD says about the king of 
       Assyria: 'He will not enter this city or even shoot an arrow here. He 
       will not fight against it with shields or build a ramp to attack the 
       city walls.

       (Isa 37:34 NCV)  He will return to his country the same way he came, 





       and he will not enter this city,' says the LORD.

       (Isa 37:35 NCV)  'I will defend and save this city for my sake and for 
       David, my servant.'"

       (Isa 37:36 NCV)  Then the angel of the LORD went out and killed one 
       hundred eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people 
       got up early the next morning, they saw all the dead bodies.

       (Isa 37:37 NCV)  So Sennacherib king of Assyria left and went back to 
       Nineveh and stayed there.

       (Isa 37:38 NCV)  One day as Sennacherib was worshiping in the temple 
       of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with 
       a sword. Then they escaped to the land of Ararat. So Sennacherib's son 
       Esarhaddon became king of Assyria.

       (Isa 38:1 NCV)  At that time Hezekiah became very sick; he was almost 
       dead. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to see him and told him, 
       "This is what the LORD says: Make arrangements, because you are not 
       going to live, but die."

       (Isa 38:2 NCV)  Hezekiah turned toward the wall and prayed to the 
       LORD,

       (Isa 38:3 NCV)  "LORD, please remember that I have always obeyed you. 
       I have given myself completely to you and have done what you said was 
       right." Then Hezekiah cried loudly.

       (Isa 38:4 NCV)  Then the LORD spoke his word to Isaiah:

       (Isa 38:5 NCV)  "Go to Hezekiah and tell him: 'This is what the LORD, 
       the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer and 
       seen your tears. So I will add fifteen years to your life.

       (Isa 38:6 NCV)  I will save you and this city from the king of 
       Assyria; I will defend this city.

       (Isa 38:7 NCV)  "'The LORD will do what he says. This is the sign from 
       the LORD to show you:

       (Isa 38:8 NCV)  The sun has made a shadow go down the stairway of 
       Ahaz, but I will make it go back ten steps.'" So the shadow made by 
       the sun went back up the ten steps it had gone down.

       (Isa 38:9 NCV)  After Hezekiah king of Judah got well, he wrote this 
       song:

       (Isa 38:10 NCV)  I said, "I am in the middle of my life. Do I have to 
       go through the gates of death? Will I have the rest of my life taken 
       away from me?"

       (Isa 38:11 NCV)  I said, "I will not see the LORD in the land of the 
       living again. I will not again see the people who live on the earth.

       (Isa 38:12 NCV)  Like a shepherd's tent, my home has been pulled down 





       and taken from me. I am finished like the cloth a weaver rolls up and 
       cuts from the loom. In one day you brought me to this end.

       (Isa 38:13 NCV)  All night I cried loudly. Like a lion, he crushed all 
       my bones. In one day you brought me to this end.

       (Isa 38:14 NCV)  I cried like a bird and moaned like a dove. My eyes 
       became tired as I looked to the heavens. Lord, I have troubles. Please 
       help me."

       (Isa 38:15 NCV)  What can I say? The Lord told me what would happen 
       and then made it happen. I have had these troubles in my soul, so now 
       I will be humble all my life.

       (Isa 38:16 NCV)  Lord, because of you, people live. Because of you, my 
       spirit also lives; you made me well and let me live.

       (Isa 38:17 NCV)  It was for my own good that I had such troubles. 
       Because you love me very much, you did not let me die but threw my 
       sins far away.

       (Isa 38:18 NCV)  People in the place of the dead cannot praise you; 
       those who have died cannot sing praises to you; those who die don't 
       trust you to help them.

       (Isa 38:19 NCV)  The people who are alive are the ones who praise you. 
       They praise you as I praise you today. A father should tell his 
       children that you provide help.

       (Isa 38:20 NCV)  The LORD saved me, so we will play songs on stringed 
       instruments in the Temple of the LORD all the days of our lives.

       (Isa 38:21 NCV)  Then Isaiah said, "Make a paste from figs and put it 
       on Hezekiah's boil. Then he will get well."

       (Isa 38:22 NCV)  Hezekiah then asked Isaiah, "What will be the sign? 
       What will show that I will go up to the Temple of the LORD?"

       (Isa 39:1 NCV)  At that time Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan was king 
       of Babylon. He sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, because he had 
       heard that Hezekiah had been sick and was now well.

       (Isa 39:2 NCV)  Hezekiah was pleased and showed the messengers what 
       was in his storehouses: the silver, gold, spices, expensive perfumes, 
       his swords and shields, and all his wealth. He showed them everything 
       in his palace and in his kingdom.

       (Isa 39:3 NCV)  Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and 
       asked him, "What did these men say? Where did they come from?" 
       Hezekiah said, "They came from a faraway country--from Babylon."

       (Isa 39:4 NCV)  So Isaiah asked him, "What did they see in your 
       palace?" Hezekiah said, "They saw everything in my palace. I showed 
       them all my wealth."

       (Isa 39:5 NCV)  Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah: "Listen to the words of 





       the LORD All-Powerful:

       (Isa 39:6 NCV)  'In the future everything in your palace and 
       everything your ancestors have stored up until this day will be taken 
       away to Babylon. Nothing will be left,' says the LORD.

       (Isa 39:7 NCV)  Some of your own children, those who will be born to 
       you, will be taken away, and they will become servants in the palace 
       of the king of Babylon."

       (Isa 39:8 NCV)  Hezekiah told Isaiah, "These words from the LORD are 
       good." He said this because he thought, "There will be peace and 
       security in my lifetime."

       (Isa 40:1 NCV)  Your God says, "Comfort, comfort my people.

       (Isa 40:2 NCV)  Speak kindly to the people of Jerusalem and tell them 
       that their time of service is finished, that they have paid for their 
       sins, that the LORD has punished Jerusalem twice for every sin they 
       did."

       (Isa 40:3 NCV)  This is the voice of one who calls out: "Prepare in 
       the desert the way for the LORD. Make a straight road in the dry lands 
       for our God.

       (Isa 40:4 NCV)  Every valley should be raised up, and every mountain 
       and hill should be made flat. The rough ground should be made level, 
       and the rugged ground should be made smooth.

       (Isa 40:5 NCV)  Then the glory of the LORD will be shown, and all 
       people together will see it. The LORD himself said these things."

       (Isa 40:6 NCV)  A voice says, "Cry out!" Then I said, "What shall I 
       cry out?" "Say all people are like the grass, and all their glory is 
       like the flowers of the field.

       (Isa 40:7 NCV)  The grass dies and the flowers fall when the breath of 
       the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are like grass.

       (Isa 40:8 NCV)  The grass dies and the flowers fall, but the word of 
       our God will live forever."

       (Isa 40:9 NCV)  Jerusalem, you have good news to tell. Go up on a high 
       mountain. Jerusalem, you have good news to tell. Shout out loud the 
       good news. Shout it out and don't be afraid. Say to the towns of 
       Judah, "Here is your God."

       (Isa 40:10 NCV)  Look, the Lord GOD is coming with power to rule all 
       the people. Look, he will bring reward for his people; he will have 
       their payment with him.

       (Isa 40:11 NCV)  He takes care of his people like a shepherd. He 
       gathers them like lambs in his arms and carries them close to him. He 
       gently leads the mothers of the lambs.

       (Isa 40:12 NCV)  Who has measured the oceans in the palm of his hand? 





       Who has used his hand to measure the sky? Who has used a bowl to 
       measure all the dust of the earth and scales to weigh the mountains 
       and hills?

       (Isa 40:13 NCV)  Who has known the mind of the LORD or been able to 
       give him advice?

       (Isa 40:14 NCV)  Whom did he ask for help? Who taught him the right 
       way? Who taught him knowledge and showed him the way to understanding?

       (Isa 40:15 NCV)  The nations are like one small drop in a bucket; they 
       are no more than the dust on his measuring scales. To him the islands 
       are no more than fine dust on his scales.

       (Isa 40:16 NCV)  All the trees in Lebanon are not enough for the altar 
       fires, and all the animals in Lebanon are not enough for burnt 
       offerings.

       (Isa 40:17 NCV)  Compared to the LORD all the nations are worth 
       nothing; to him they are less than nothing.

       (Isa 40:18 NCV)  Can you compare God to anything? Can you compare him 
       to an image of anything?

       (Isa 40:19 NCV)  An idol is formed by a craftsman, and a goldsmith 
       covers it with gold and makes silver chains for it.

       (Isa 40:20 NCV)  A poor person cannot buy those expensive statues, so 
       he finds a tree that will not rot. Then he finds a skilled craftsman 
       to make it into an idol that will not fall over.

       (Isa 40:21 NCV)  Surely you know. Surely you have heard. Surely from 
       the beginning someone told you. Surely you understand how the earth 
       was created.

       (Isa 40:22 NCV)  God sits on his throne above the circle of the earth, 
       and compared to him, people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out 
       the skies like a piece of cloth and spreads them out like a tent to 
       sit under.

       (Isa 40:23 NCV)  He makes rulers unimportant and the judges of this 
       world worth nothing.

       (Isa 40:24 NCV)  They are like plants that are placed in the ground, 
       like seeds that are planted. As soon as they begin to grow strong, he 
       blows on them and they die, and the wind blows them away like chaff.

       (Isa 40:25 NCV)  God, the Holy One, says, "Can you compare me to 
       anyone? Is anyone equal to me?"

       (Isa 40:26 NCV)  Look up to the skies. Who created all these stars? He 
       leads out the army of heaven one by one and calls all the stars by 
       name. Because he is strong and powerful, not one of them is missing.

       (Isa 40:27 NCV)  People of Jacob, why do you complain? People of 
       Israel, why do you say, "The LORD does not see what happens to me; he 





       does not care if I am treated fairly"?

       (Isa 40:28 NCV)  Surely you know. Surely you have heard. The LORD is 
       the God who lives forever, who created all the world. He does not 
       become tired or need to rest. No one can understand how great his 
       wisdom is.

       (Isa 40:29 NCV)  He gives strength to those who are tired and more 
       power to those who are weak.

       (Isa 40:30 NCV)  Even children become tired and need to rest, and 
       young people trip and fall.

       (Isa 40:31 NCV)  But the people who trust the LORD will become strong 
       again. They will rise up as an eagle in the sky; they will run and not 
       need rest; they will walk and not become tired.

       (Isa 41:1 NCV)  The LORD says, "Faraway countries, listen to me. Let 
       the nations become strong. Come to me and speak; we will meet together 
       to decide who is right.

       (Isa 41:2 NCV)  "Who caused the one to come from the east? Who gives 
       him victories everywhere he goes? The one who brought him gives 
       nations over to him and defeats kings. He uses his sword, and kings 
       become like dust. He uses his bow, and they are blown away like chaff.

       (Isa 41:3 NCV)  He chases them and is never hurt, going places he has 
       never been before.

       (Isa 41:4 NCV)  Who caused this to happen? Who has controlled history 
       since the beginning? I, the LORD, am the one. I was here at the 
       beginning, and I will be here when all things are finished."

       (Isa 41:5 NCV)  All you faraway places, look and be afraid; all you 
       places far away on the earth, shake with fear. Come close and listen 
       to me.

       (Isa 41:6 NCV)  The workers help each other and say to each other, "Be 
       strong!"

       (Isa 41:7 NCV)  The craftsman encourages the goldsmith, and the 
       workman who smooths the metal with a hammer encourages the one who 
       shapes the metal. He says, "This metal work is good." He nails the 
       statue to a base so it can't fall over.

       (Isa 41:8 NCV)  The LORD says, "People of Israel, you are my servants. 
       People of Jacob, I chose you. You are from the family of my friend 
       Abraham.

       (Isa 41:9 NCV)  I took you from places far away on the earth and 
       called you from a faraway country. I said, 'You are my servants.' I 
       have chosen you and have not turned against you.

       (Isa 41:10 NCV)  So don't worry, because I am with you. Don't be 
       afraid, because I am your God. I will make you strong and will help 
       you; I will support you with my right hand that saves you.






       (Isa 41:11 NCV)  "All those people who are angry with you will be 
       ashamed and disgraced. Those who are against you will disappear and be 
       lost.

       (Isa 41:12 NCV)  You will look for your enemies, but you will not find 
       them. Those who fought against you will vanish completely.

       (Isa 41:13 NCV)  I am the LORD your God, who holds your right hand, 
       and I tell you, 'Don't be afraid. I will help you.'

       (Isa 41:14 NCV)  You few people of Israel who are left, do not be 
       afraid even though you are weak as a worm. I myself will help you," 
       says the LORD. "The one who saves you is the Holy One of Israel.

       (Isa 41:15 NCV)  Look, I have made you like a new threshing board with 
       many sharp teeth. So you will walk on mountains and crush them; you 
       will make the hills like chaff.

       (Isa 41:16 NCV)  You will throw them into the air, and the wind will 
       carry them away; a windstorm will scatter them. Then you will be happy 
       in the LORD; you will be proud of the Holy One of Israel.

       (Isa 41:17 NCV)  "The poor and needy people look for water, but they 
       can't find any. Their tongues are dry with thirst. But I, the LORD, 
       will answer their prayers; I, the God of Israel, will not leave them 
       to die.

       (Isa 41:18 NCV)  I will make rivers flow on the dry hills and springs 
       flow through the valleys. I will change the desert into a lake of 
       water and the dry land into fountains of water.

       (Isa 41:19 NCV)  I will make trees grow in the desert-- cedars, 
       acacia, myrtle, and olive trees. I will put pine, fir, and cypress 
       trees growing together in the desert.

       (Isa 41:20 NCV)  People will see these things and understand; they 
       will think carefully about these things and learn that the Lord's 
       power did this, that the Holy One of Israel made these things."

       (Isa 41:21 NCV)  The LORD says, "Present your case." The King of Jacob 
       says, "Tell me your arguments.

       (Isa 41:22 NCV)  Bring in your idols to tell us what is going to 
       happen. Have them tell us what happened in the beginning. Then we will 
       think about these things, and we will know how they will turn out. Or 
       tell us what will happen in the future.

       (Isa 41:23 NCV)  Tell us what is coming next so we will believe that 
       you are gods. Do something, whether it is good or bad, and make us 
       afraid.

       (Isa 41:24 NCV)  You gods are less than nothing; you can't do 
       anything. Those who worship you should be hated.

       (Isa 41:25 NCV)  "I have brought someone to come out of the north. I 





       have called by name a man from the east, and he knows me. He walks on 
       kings as if they were mud, just as a potter walks on the clay.

       (Isa 41:26 NCV)  Who told us about this before it happened? Who told 
       us ahead of time so we could say, 'He was right'? None of you told us 
       anything; none of you told us before it happened; no one heard you 
       tell about it.

       (Isa 41:27 NCV)  I, the LORD, was the first one to tell Jerusalem that 
       the people were coming home. I sent a messenger to Jerusalem with the 
       good news.

       (Isa 41:28 NCV)  I look at the idols, but there is not one that can 
       answer. None of them can give advice; none of them can answer my 
       questions.

       (Isa 41:29 NCV)  Look, all these idols are false. They cannot do 
       anything; they are worth nothing.

       (Isa 42:1 NCV)  "Here is my servant, the one I support. He is the one 
       I chose, and I am pleased with him. I have put my Spirit upon him, and 
       he will bring justice to all nations.

       (Isa 42:2 NCV)  He will not cry out or yell or speak loudly in the 
       streets.

       (Isa 42:3 NCV)  He will not break a crushed blade of grass or put out 
       even a weak flame. He will truly bring justice;

       (Isa 42:4 NCV)  he will not lose hope or give up until he brings 
       justice to the world. And people far away will trust his teachings."

       (Isa 42:5 NCV)  God, the LORD, said these things. He created the skies 
       and stretched them out. He spread out the earth and everything on it. 
       He gives life to all people on earth, to everyone who walks on the 
       earth.

       (Isa 42:6 NCV)  The LORD says, "I, the LORD, called you to do right, 
       and I will hold your hand and protect you. You will be the sign of my 
       agreement with the people, a light to shine for all people.

       (Isa 42:7 NCV)  You will help the blind to see. You will free those 
       who are in prison, and you will lead those who live in darkness out of 
       their prison.

       (Isa 42:8 NCV)  "I am the LORD. That is my name. I will not give my 
       glory to another; I will not let idols take the praise that should be 
       mine.

       (Isa 42:9 NCV)  The things I said would happen have happened, and now 
       I tell you about new things. Before those things happen, I tell you 
       about them."

       (Isa 42:10 NCV)  Sing a new song to the LORD; sing his praise 
       everywhere on the earth. Praise him, you people who sail on the seas 
       and you animals who live in them. Praise him, you people living in 





       faraway places.

       (Isa 42:11 NCV)  The deserts and their cities should praise him. The 
       settlements of Kedar should praise him. The people living in Sela 
       should sing for joy; they should shout from the mountaintops.

       (Isa 42:12 NCV)  They should give glory to the LORD. People in faraway 
       lands should praise him.

       (Isa 42:13 NCV)  The LORD will march out like a strong soldier; he 
       will be excited like a man ready to fight a war. He will shout out the 
       battle cry and defeat his enemies.

       (Isa 42:14 NCV)  The LORD says, "For a long time I have said nothing; 
       I have been quiet and held myself back. But now I will cry out and 
       strain like a woman giving birth to a child.

       (Isa 42:15 NCV)  I will destroy the hills and mountains and dry up all 
       their plants. I will make the rivers become dry land and dry up the 
       pools of water.

       (Isa 42:16 NCV)  Then I will lead the blind along a way they never 
       knew; I will guide them along paths they have not known. I will make 
       the darkness become light for them, and the rough ground smooth. These 
       are the things I will do; I will not leave my people.

       (Isa 42:17 NCV)  But those who trust in idols, who say to their 
       statues, 'You are our gods' will be rejected in disgrace.

       (Isa 42:18 NCV)  "You who are deaf, hear me. You who are blind, look 
       and see.

       (Isa 42:19 NCV)  No one is more blind than my servant Israel or more 
       deaf than the messenger I send. No one is more blind than the person I 
       own or more blind than the servant of the LORD.

       (Isa 42:20 NCV)  Israel, you have seen much, but you have not obeyed. 
       You hear, but you refuse to listen."

       (Isa 42:21 NCV)  The LORD made his teachings wonderful, because he is 
       good.

       (Isa 42:22 NCV)  These people have been defeated and robbed. They are 
       trapped in pits or locked up in prison. Like robbers, enemies have 
       taken them away, and there is no one to save them. Enemies carried 
       them off, and no one said, "Bring them back."

       (Isa 42:23 NCV)  Will any of you listen to this? Will you listen 
       carefully in the future?

       (Isa 42:24 NCV)  Who let the people of Jacob be carried off? Who let 
       robbers take Israel away? The LORD allowed this to happen, because we 
       sinned against him. We did not live the way he wanted us to live and 
       did not obey his teaching.

       (Isa 42:25 NCV)  So he became very angry with us and brought terrible 





       wars against us. It was as if the people of Israel had fire all around 
       them, but they didn't know what was happening. It was as if they were 
       burning, but they didn't pay any attention.

       (Isa 43:1 NCV)  Now this is what the LORD says. He created you, people 
       of Jacob; he formed you, people of Israel. He says, "Don't be afraid, 
       because I have saved you. I have called you by name, and you are mine.

       (Isa 43:2 NCV)  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. 
       When you cross rivers, you will not drown. When you walk through fire, 
       you will not be burned, nor will the flames hurt you.

       (Isa 43:3 NCV)  This is because I, the LORD, am your God, the Holy One 
       of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt to pay for you, and I gave Cush 
       and Seba to make you mine.

       (Isa 43:4 NCV)  Because you are precious to me, because I give you 
       honor and love you, I will give other people in your place; I will 
       give other nations to save your life.

       (Isa 43:5 NCV)  Don't be afraid, because I am with you. I will bring 
       your children from the east and gather you from the west.

       (Isa 43:6 NCV)  I will tell the north: Give my people to me. I will 
       tell the south: Don't keep my people in prison. Bring my sons from far 
       away and my daughters from faraway places.

       (Isa 43:7 NCV)  Bring to me all the people who are mine, whom I made 
       for my glory, whom I formed and made."

       (Isa 43:8 NCV)  Bring out the people who have eyes but don't see and 
       those who have ears but don't hear.

       (Isa 43:9 NCV)  All the nations gather together, and all the people 
       come together. Which of their gods said this would happen? Which of 
       their gods can tell what happened in the beginning? Let them bring 
       their witnesses to prove they were right. Then others will say, "It is 
       true."

       (Isa 43:10 NCV)  The LORD says, "You are my witnesses and the servant 
       I chose. I chose you so you would know and believe me, so you would 
       understand that I am the true God. There was no God before me, and 
       there will be no God after me.

       (Isa 43:11 NCV)  I myself am the LORD; I am the only Savior.

       (Isa 43:12 NCV)  I myself have spoken to you, saved you, and told you 
       these things. It was not some foreign god among you. You are my 
       witnesses, and I am God," says the LORD.

       (Isa 43:13 NCV)  "I have always been God. No one can save people from 
       my power; when I do something, no one can change it."

       (Isa 43:14 NCV)  This is what the LORD, who saves you, the Holy One of 
       Israel, says: "I will send armies to Babylon for you, and I will knock 
       down all its locked gates. The Babylonians will shout their cries of 





       sorrow.

       (Isa 43:15 NCV)  I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, 
       your King."

       (Isa 43:16 NCV)  This is what the LORD says. He is the one who made a 
       road through the sea and a path through rough waters.

       (Isa 43:17 NCV)  He is the one who defeated the chariots and horses 
       and the mighty armies. They fell together and will never rise again. 
       They were destroyed as a flame is put out.

       (Isa 43:18 NCV)  The LORD says, "Forget what happened before, and do 
       not think about the past.

       (Isa 43:19 NCV)  Look at the new thing I am going to do. It is already 
       happening. Don't you see it? I will make a road in the desert and 
       rivers in the dry land.

       (Isa 43:20 NCV)  Even the wild animals will be thankful to me-- the 
       wild dogs and owls. They will honor me when I put water in the desert 
       and rivers in the dry land to give water to my people, the ones I 
       chose.

       (Isa 43:21 NCV)  The people I made will sing songs to praise me.

       (Isa 43:22 NCV)  "People of Jacob, you have not called to me; people 
       of Israel, you have become tired of me.

       (Isa 43:23 NCV)  You have not brought me your sacrifices of sheep nor 
       honored me with your sacrifices. I did not weigh you down with 
       sacrifices to offer or make you tired with incense to burn.

       (Isa 43:24 NCV)  So you did not buy incense for me; you did not freely 
       bring me fat from your sacrifices. Instead you have weighed me down 
       with your many sins; you have made me tired of your many wrongs.

       (Isa 43:25 NCV)  "I, I am the One who forgives all your sins, for my 
       sake; I will not remember your sins.

       (Isa 43:26 NCV)  But you should remind me. Let's meet and decide what 
       is right. Tell what you have done and show you are right.

       (Isa 43:27 NCV)  Your first father sinned, and your leaders have 
       turned against me.

       (Isa 43:28 NCV)  So I will make your holy rulers unholy. I will bring 
       destruction on the people of Jacob, and I will let Israel be 
       insulted."

       (Isa 44:1 NCV)  The LORD says, "People of Jacob, you are my servants. 
       Listen to me! People of Israel, I chose you."

       (Isa 44:2 NCV)  This is what the LORD says, who made you, who formed 
       you in your mother's body, who will help you: "People of Jacob, my 
       servants, don't be afraid. Israel, I chose you.






       (Isa 44:3 NCV)  I will pour out water for the thirsty land and make 
       streams flow on dry land. I will pour out my Spirit into your children 
       and my blessing on your descendants.

       (Isa 44:4 NCV)  Your children will grow like a tree in the grass, like 
       poplar trees growing beside streams of water.

       (Isa 44:5 NCV)  One person will say, 'I belong to the LORD,' and 
       another will use the name Jacob. Another will sign his name 'I am the 
       Lord's,' and another will use the name Israel."

       (Isa 44:6 NCV)  The LORD, the king of Israel, is the LORD 
       All-Powerful, who saves Israel. This is what he says: "I am the 
       beginning and the end. I am the only God.

       (Isa 44:7 NCV)  Who is a god like me? That god should come and prove 
       it. Let him tell and explain all that has happened since I set up my 
       ancient people. He should also tell what will happen in the future.

       (Isa 44:8 NCV)  Don't be afraid! Don't worry! I have always told you 
       what will happen. You are my witnesses. There is no other God but me. 
       I know of no other Rock; I am the only One."

       (Isa 44:9 NCV)  Some people make idols, but they are worth nothing. 
       People treasure them, but they are useless. Those people are witnesses 
       for the statues, but those people cannot see. They know nothing, so 
       they will be ashamed.

       (Isa 44:10 NCV)  Who made these gods? Who made these useless idols?

       (Isa 44:11 NCV)  The workmen who made them will be ashamed, because 
       they are only human. If they all would come together, they would all 
       be ashamed and afraid.

       (Isa 44:12 NCV)  One workman uses tools to heat iron, and he works 
       over hot coals. With his hammer he beats the metal and makes a statue, 
       using his powerful arms. But when he becomes hungry, he loses his 
       power. If he does not drink water, he becomes tired.

       (Isa 44:13 NCV)  Another workman uses a line and a compass to draw on 
       the wood. Then he uses his chisels to cut a statue and his calipers to 
       measure the statue. In this way, the workman makes the wood look 
       exactly like a person, and this statue of a person sits in the house.

       (Isa 44:14 NCV)  He cuts down cedars or cypress or oak trees. Those 
       trees grew by their own power in the forest. Or he plants a pine tree, 
       and the rain makes it grow.

       (Isa 44:15 NCV)  Then he burns the tree. He uses some of the wood for 
       a fire to keep himself warm. He also starts a fire to bake his bread. 
       But he uses part of the wood to make a god, and then he worships it! 
       He makes the idol and bows down to it!

       (Isa 44:16 NCV)  The man burns half of the wood in the fire. He uses 
       the fire to cook his meat, and he eats the meat until he is full. He 





       also burns the wood to keep himself warm. He says, "Good! Now I am 
       warm. I can see because of the fire's light."

       (Isa 44:17 NCV)  But he makes a statue from the wood that is left and 
       calls it his god. He bows down to it and worships it. He prays to it 
       and says, "You are my god. Save me!"

       (Isa 44:18 NCV)  Those people don't know what they are doing. They 
       don't understand! It is as if their eyes are covered so they can't 
       see. Their minds don't understand.

       (Isa 44:19 NCV)  They have not thought about these things; they don't 
       understand. They have never thought to themselves, "I burned half of 
       the wood in the fire and used the hot coals to bake my bread. I cooked 
       and ate my meat. And I used the wood that was left to make this 
       hateful thing. I am worshiping a block of wood!"

       (Isa 44:20 NCV)  He doesn't know what he is doing; his confused mind 
       leads him the wrong way. He cannot save himself or say, "This statue I 
       am holding is a false god."

       (Isa 44:21 NCV)  "People of Jacob, remember these things! People of 
       Israel, remember you are my servants. I made you, and you are my 
       servants. So Israel, I will not forget you.

       (Isa 44:22 NCV)  I have swept away your sins like a big cloud; I have 
       removed your sins like a cloud that disappears into the air. Come back 
       to me because I saved you."

       (Isa 44:23 NCV)  Skies, sing for joy because the LORD did great 
       things! Earth, shout for joy, even in your deepest parts! Sing, you 
       mountains, with thanks to God. Sing, too, you trees in the forest! The 
       LORD saved the people of Jacob! He showed his glory when he saved 
       Israel.

       (Isa 44:24 NCV)  This is what the LORD says, who saved you, who formed 
       you in your mother's body: "I, the LORD, made everything, stretching 
       out the skies by myself and spreading out the earth all alone.

       (Isa 44:25 NCV)  I show that the lying prophets' signs are false; I 
       make fools of those who do magic. I confuse even wise men; they think 
       they know much, but I make them look foolish.

       (Isa 44:26 NCV)  I make the messages of my servants come true; I make 
       the advice of my messengers come true. I say to Jerusalem, 'People 
       will live in you again!' I say to the towns of Judah, 'You will be 
       built again!' I say to Jerusalem's ruins, 'I will repair you.'

       (Isa 44:27 NCV)  I tell the deep waters, 'Become dry! I will make your 
       streams become dry!'

       (Isa 44:28 NCV)  I say of Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd and will do all 
       that I want him to do. He will say to Jerusalem, "You will be built 
       again!" He will tell the Temple, "Your foundations will be rebuilt."'"

       (Isa 45:1 NCV)  This is what the LORD says to Cyrus, his appointed 





       king: "I hold your right hand and will help you defeat nations and 
       take away other kings' power. I will open doors for you so city gates 
       will not stop you.

       (Isa 45:2 NCV)  I will go before you and make the mountains flat. I 
       will break down the bronze gates of the cities and cut through their 
       iron bars.

       (Isa 45:3 NCV)  I will give you the wealth that is stored away and the 
       hidden riches so you will know I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who 
       calls you by name.

       (Isa 45:4 NCV)  I do these things for my servants, the people of 
       Jacob, and for my chosen people, the Israelites. Cyrus, I call you by 
       name, and I give you a title of honor even though you don't know me.

       (Isa 45:5 NCV)  I am the LORD. There is no other God; I am the only 
       God. I will make you strong, even though you don't know me,

       (Isa 45:6 NCV)  so that everyone will know there is no other God. From 
       the east to the west they will know I alone am the LORD.

       (Isa 45:7 NCV)  I made the light and the darkness. I bring peace, and 
       I cause troubles. I, the LORD, do all these things.

       (Isa 45:8 NCV)  "Sky above, make victory fall like rain; clouds, pour 
       down victory. Let the earth receive it, and let salvation grow, and 
       let victory grow with it. I, the LORD, have created it.

       (Isa 45:9 NCV)  "How terrible it will be for those who argue with the 
       God who made them. They are like a piece of broken pottery among many 
       pieces. The clay does not ask the potter, 'What are you doing?' The 
       thing that is made doesn't say to its maker, 'You have no hands.'

       (Isa 45:10 NCV)  How terrible it will be for the child who says to his 
       father, 'Why are you giving me life?' How terrible it will be for the 
       child who says to his mother, 'Why are you giving birth to me?'"

       (Isa 45:11 NCV)  This is what the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and 
       its Maker, says: "You ask me about what will happen. You question me 
       about my children. You give me orders about what I have made.

       (Isa 45:12 NCV)  I made the earth and all the people living on it. 
       With my own hands I stretched out the skies, and I commanded all the 
       armies in the sky.

       (Isa 45:13 NCV)  I will bring Cyrus to do good things, and I will make 
       his work easy. He will rebuild my city and set my people free without 
       any payment or reward. The LORD All-Powerful says this."

       (Isa 45:14 NCV)  The LORD says, "The goods made in Egypt and Cush and 
       the tall people of Seba will come to you and will become yours. The 
       Sabeans will walk behind you, coming along in chains. They will bow 
       down before you and pray to you, saying, 'God is with you, and there 
       is no other God.'"





       (Isa 45:15 NCV)  God and Savior of Israel, you are a God that people 
       cannot see.

       (Isa 45:16 NCV)  All the people who make idols will be put to great 
       shame; they will go off together in disgrace.

       (Isa 45:17 NCV)  But Israel will be saved by the LORD, and that 
       salvation will continue forever. Never again will Israel be put to 
       shame.

       (Isa 45:18 NCV)  The LORD created the heavens. He is the God who 
       formed the earth and made it. He did not want it to be empty, but he 
       wanted life on the earth. This is what the LORD says: "I am the LORD. 
       There is no other God.

       (Isa 45:19 NCV)  I did not speak in secret or hide my words in some 
       dark place. I did not tell the family of Jacob to look for me in empty 
       places. I am the LORD, and I speak the truth; I say what is right.

       (Isa 45:20 NCV)  "You people who have escaped from other nations, 
       gather together and come before me; come near together. People who 
       carry idols of wood don't know what they are doing. They pray to a god 
       who cannot save them.

       (Isa 45:21 NCV)  Tell these people to come to me. Let them talk about 
       these things together. Who told you long ago that this would happen? 
       Who told about it long ago? I, the LORD, said these things. There is 
       no other God besides me. I am the only good God. I am the Savior. 
       There is no other God.

       (Isa 45:22 NCV)  "All people everywhere, follow me and be saved. I am 
       God. There is no other God.

       (Isa 45:23 NCV)  I will make a promise by my own power, and my promise 
       is true; what I say will not be changed. I promise that everyone will 
       bow before me and will promise to follow me.

       (Isa 45:24 NCV)  People will say about me, 'Goodness and power come 
       only from the LORD.'" Everyone who has been angry with him will come 
       to him and be ashamed.

       (Isa 45:25 NCV)  But with the Lord's help, the people of Israel will 
       be found to be good, and they will praise him.

       (Isa 46:1 NCV)  Bel and Nebo bow down. Their idols are carried by 
       animals. The statues are only heavy loads that must be carried; they 
       only make people tired.

       (Isa 46:2 NCV)  These gods will all bow down. They cannot save 
       themselves but will all be carried away like prisoners.

       (Isa 46:3 NCV)  "Family of Jacob, listen to me! All you people from 
       Israel who are still alive, listen! I have carried you since you were 
       born; I have taken care of you from your birth.

       (Isa 46:4 NCV)  Even when you are old, I will be the same. Even when 





       your hair has turned gray, I will take care of you. I made you and 
       will take care of you. I will carry you and save you.

       (Isa 46:5 NCV)  "Can you compare me to anyone? No one is equal to me 
       or like me.

       (Isa 46:6 NCV)  Some people are rich with gold and weigh their silver 
       on the scales. They hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god. Then 
       they bow down and worship it.

       (Isa 46:7 NCV)  They put it on their shoulders and carry it. They set 
       it in its place, and there it stands; it cannot move from its place. 
       People may yell at it, but it cannot answer. It cannot save them from 
       their troubles.

       (Isa 46:8 NCV)  "Remember this, and do not forget it! Think about 
       these things, you who turn against God.

       (Isa 46:9 NCV)  Remember what happened long ago. Remember that I am 
       God, and there is no other God. I am God, and there is no one like me.

       (Isa 46:10 NCV)  From the beginning I told you what would happen in 
       the end. A long time ago I told you things that have not yet happened. 
       When I plan something, it happens. What I want to do, I will do.

       (Isa 46:11 NCV)  I am calling a man from the east to carry out my 
       plan; he will come like a hawk from a country far away. I will make 
       what I have said come true; I will do what I have planned.

       (Isa 46:12 NCV)  Listen to me, you stubborn people, who are far from 
       what is right.

       (Isa 46:13 NCV)  I will soon do the things that are right. I will 
       bring salvation soon. I will save Jerusalem and bring glory to 
       Israel."

       (Isa 47:1 NCV)  The LORD says, "City of Babylon, go down and sit in 
       the dirt. People of Babylon, sit on the ground. You are no longer the 
       ruler. You will no longer be called tender or beautiful.

       (Isa 47:2 NCV)  You must use large stones to grind grain into flour. 
       Remove your veil and your nice skirts. Uncover your legs and cross the 
       rivers.

       (Isa 47:3 NCV)  People will see your nakedness; they will see your 
       shame. I will punish you; I will punish every one of you."

       (Isa 47:4 NCV)  Our Savior is named the LORD All-Powerful; he is the 
       Holy One of Israel.

       (Isa 47:5 NCV)  "Babylon, sit in darkness and say nothing. You will no 
       longer be called the queen of kingdoms.

       (Isa 47:6 NCV)  I was angry with my people, so I rejected those who 
       belonged to me. I gave them to you, but you showed them no mercy. You 
       even made the old people work very hard.






       (Isa 47:7 NCV)  You said, 'I will live forever as the queen.' But you 
       did not think about these things or consider what would happen.

       (Isa 47:8 NCV)  "Now, listen, you lover of pleasure. You think you are 
       safe. You tell yourself, 'I am the only important person. I will never 
       be a widow or lose my children.'

       (Isa 47:9 NCV)  Two things will happen to you suddenly, in a single 
       day. You will lose your children and your husband. These things will 
       truly happen to you, in spite of all your magic, in spite of your 
       powerful tricks.

       (Isa 47:10 NCV)  You do evil things, but you feel safe and say, 'No 
       one sees what I do.' Your wisdom and knowledge have fooled you. You 
       say to yourself, 'I am God, and no one is equal to me.'

       (Isa 47:11 NCV)  But troubles will come to you, and you will not know 
       how to stop them. Disaster will fall on you, and you will not be able 
       to keep it away. You will be destroyed quickly; you will not even see 
       it coming.

       (Isa 47:12 NCV)  "Keep on using your tricks and doing all your magic 
       that you have used since you were young. Maybe they will help you; 
       maybe you will be able to scare someone.

       (Isa 47:13 NCV)  You are tired of the advice you have received. So let 
       those who study the sky-- those who tell the future by looking at the 
       stars and the new moons-- let them save you from what is about to 
       happen to you.

       (Isa 47:14 NCV)  But they are like straw; fire will quickly burn them 
       up. They cannot save themselves from the power of the fire. They are 
       not like coals that give warmth nor like a fire that you may sit 
       beside.

       (Isa 47:15 NCV)  You have worked with these people, and they have been 
       with you since you were young, but they will not be able to help you. 
       Everyone will go his own way, and there will be no one left to save 
       you."

       (Isa 48:1 NCV)  The LORD says, "Family of Jacob, listen to me. You are 
       called Israel, and you come from the family of Judah. You swear by the 
       Lord's name and praise the God of Israel, but you are not honest or 
       sincere.

       (Isa 48:2 NCV)  You call yourselves people of the holy city, and you 
       depend on the God of Israel, who is named the LORD All-Powerful.

       (Isa 48:3 NCV)  Long ago I told you what would happen. I said these 
       things and made them known; suddenly I acted, and these things 
       happened.

       (Isa 48:4 NCV)  I knew you were stubborn; your neck was like an iron 
       muscle, and your head was like bronze.





       (Isa 48:5 NCV)  So a long time ago I told you about these things; I 
       told you about them before they happened so you couldn't say, 'My 
       idols did this, and my wooden and metal statues made these things 
       happen.'

       (Isa 48:6 NCV)  "You heard and saw everything that happened, so you 
       should tell this news to others. Now I will tell you about new things, 
       hidden things that you don't know yet.

       (Isa 48:7 NCV)  These things are happening now, not long ago; you have 
       not heard about them before today. So you cannot say, 'We already knew 
       about that.'

       (Isa 48:8 NCV)  But you have not heard me; you have not understood. 
       Even long ago you did not listen to me. I knew you would surely turn 
       against me; you have fought against me since you were born.

       (Isa 48:9 NCV)  But for my own sake I will be patient. People will 
       praise me for not becoming angry and destroying you.

       (Isa 48:10 NCV)  I have made you pure, but not by fire, as silver is 
       made pure. I have purified you by giving you troubles.

       (Isa 48:11 NCV)  I do this for myself, for my own sake. I will not let 
       people speak evil against me, and I will not let some god take my 
       glory.

       (Isa 48:12 NCV)  "People of Jacob, listen to me. People of Israel, I 
       have called you to be my people. I am God; I am the beginning and the 
       end.

       (Isa 48:13 NCV)  I made the earth with my own hands. With my right 
       hand I spread out the skies. When I call them, they come together 
       before me."

       (Isa 48:14 NCV)  All of you, come together and listen. None of the 
       gods said these things would happen. The LORD has chosen someone to 
       attack the Babylonians; he will carry out his wishes against Babylon.

       (Isa 48:15 NCV)  "I have spoken; I have called him. I have brought 
       him, and I will make him successful.

       (Isa 48:16 NCV)  Come to me and listen to this. From the beginning I 
       have spoken openly. From the time it began, I was there." Now, the 
       Lord GOD has sent me with his Spirit.

       (Isa 48:17 NCV)  This is what the LORD, who saves you, the Holy One of 
       Israel, says: "I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to do what is 
       good, who leads you in the way you should go.

       (Isa 48:18 NCV)  If you had obeyed me, you would have had peace like a 
       full-flowing river. Good things would have flowed to you like the 
       waves of the sea.

       (Isa 48:19 NCV)  You would have had many children, as many as the 
       grains of sand. They would never have died out nor been destroyed."






       (Isa 48:20 NCV)  My people, leave Babylon! Run from the Babylonians! 
       Tell this news with shouts of joy to the people; spread it everywhere 
       on earth. Say, "The LORD has saved his servants, the people of Jacob."

       (Isa 48:21 NCV)  They did not become thirsty when he led them through 
       the deserts. He made water flow from a rock for them. He split the 
       rock, and water flowed out.

       (Isa 48:22 NCV)  "There is no peace for evil people," says the LORD.

       (Isa 49:1 NCV)  All of you people in faraway places, listen to me. 
       Listen, all you nations far away. Before I was born, the LORD called 
       me to serve him. The LORD named me while I was still in my mother's 
       body.

       (Isa 49:2 NCV)  He made my tongue like a sharp sword. He hid me in the 
       shadow of his hand. He made me like a sharp arrow. He hid me in the 
       holder for his arrows.

       (Isa 49:3 NCV)  He told me, "Israel, you are my servant. I will show 
       my glory through you."

       (Isa 49:4 NCV)  But I said, "I have worked hard for nothing; I have 
       used all my power, but I did nothing useful. But the LORD will decide 
       what my work is worth; God will decide my reward."

       (Isa 49:5 NCV)  The LORD made me in the body of my mother to be his 
       servant, to lead the people of Jacob back to him so that Israel might 
       be gathered to him. The LORD will honor me, and I will get my strength 
       from my God.

       (Isa 49:6 NCV)  Now he told me, "You are an important servant to me to 
       bring back the tribes of Jacob, to bring back the people of Israel who 
       are left alive. But, more importantly, I will make you a light for all 
       nations to show people all over the world the way to be saved."

       (Isa 49:7 NCV)  The LORD who saves you is the Holy One of Israel. He 
       speaks to the one who is hated by the people, to the servant of 
       rulers. This is what he says: "Kings will see you and stand to honor 
       you; great leaders will bow down before you, because the LORD can be 
       trusted. He is the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you."

       (Isa 49:8 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "At the right time I will 
       hear your prayers. On the day of salvation I will help you. I will 
       protect you, and you will be the sign of my agreement with the people. 
       You will bring back the people to the land and give the land that is 
       now ruined back to its owners.

       (Isa 49:9 NCV)  You will tell the prisoners, 'Come out of your 
       prison.' You will tell those in darkness, 'Come into the light.' The 
       people will eat beside the roads, and they will find food even on bare 
       hills.

       (Isa 49:10 NCV)  They will not be hungry or thirsty. Neither the hot 
       sun nor the desert wind will hurt them. The God who comforts them will 





       lead them and guide them by springs of water.

       (Isa 49:11 NCV)  I will make my mountains into roads, and the roads 
       will be raised up.

       (Isa 49:12 NCV)  Look, people are coming to me from far away, from the 
       north and from the west, from Aswan in southern Egypt."

       (Isa 49:13 NCV)  Heavens and earth, be happy. Mountains, shout with 
       joy, because the LORD comforts his people and will have pity on those 
       who suffer.

       (Isa 49:14 NCV)  But Jerusalem said, "The LORD has left me; the Lord 
       has forgotten me."

       (Isa 49:15 NCV)  The LORD answers, "Can a woman forget the baby she 
       nurses? Can she feel no kindness for the child to which she gave 
       birth? Even if she could forget her children, I will not forget you.

       (Isa 49:16 NCV)  See, I have written your name on my hand. Jerusalem, 
       I always think about your walls.

       (Isa 49:17 NCV)  Your children will soon return to you, and the people 
       who defeated you and destroyed you will leave.

       (Isa 49:18 NCV)  Look up and look around you. All your children are 
       gathering to return to you." The LORD says, "As surely as I live, your 
       children will be like jewels that a bride wears proudly.

       (Isa 49:19 NCV)  "You were destroyed and defeated, and your land was 
       made useless. But now you will have more people than the land can 
       hold, and those people who destroyed you will be far away.

       (Isa 49:20 NCV)  Children were born to you while you were sad, but 
       they will say to you, 'This place is too small for us. Give us a 
       bigger place to live.'

       (Isa 49:21 NCV)  Then you will say to yourself, 'Who gave me all these 
       children? I was sad and lonely, defeated and separated from my people. 
       So who reared these children? I was left all alone. Where did all 
       these children come from?'"

       (Isa 49:22 NCV)  This is what the Lord GOD says: "See, I will lift my 
       hand to signal the nations; I will raise my banner for all the people 
       to see. Then they will bring your sons back to you in their arms, and 
       they will carry your daughters on their shoulders.

       (Isa 49:23 NCV)  Kings will teach your children, and daughters of 
       kings will take care of them. They will bow down before you and kiss 
       the dirt at your feet. Then you will know I am the LORD. Anyone who 
       trusts in me will not be disappointed."

       (Isa 49:24 NCV)  Can the wealth a soldier wins in war be taken away 
       from him? Can a prisoner be freed from a powerful soldier?

       (Isa 49:25 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "The prisoners will be 





       taken from the strong soldiers. What the soldiers have taken will be 
       saved. I will fight your enemies, and I will save your children.

       (Isa 49:26 NCV)  I will force those who trouble you to eat their own 
       flesh. Their own blood will be the wine that makes them drunk. Then 
       everyone will know I, the LORD, am the One who saves you; I am the 
       Powerful One of Jacob who saves you."

       (Isa 50:1 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "People of Israel, you say 
       I divorced your mother. Then where is the paper that proves it? Or do 
       you think I sold you to pay a debt? Because of the evil things you 
       did, I sold you. Because of the times she turned against me, your 
       mother was sent away.

       (Isa 50:2 NCV)  I came home and found no one there; I called, but no 
       one answered. Do you think I am not able to save you? Do I not have 
       the power to save you? Look, I need only to shout and the sea becomes 
       dry. I change rivers into a desert, and their fish rot because there 
       is no water; they die of thirst.

       (Isa 50:3 NCV)  I can make the skies dark; I can make them black like 
       clothes of sadness."

       (Isa 50:4 NCV)  The Lord GOD gave me the ability to teach so that I 
       know what to say to make the weak strong. Every morning he wakes me. 
       He teaches me to listen like a student.

       (Isa 50:5 NCV)  The Lord GOD helps me learn, and I have not turned 
       against him nor stopped following him.

       (Isa 50:6 NCV)  I offered my back to those who beat me. I offered my 
       cheeks to those who pulled my beard. I won't hide my face from them 
       when they make fun of me and spit at me.

       (Isa 50:7 NCV)  The Lord GOD helps me, so I will not be ashamed. I 
       will be determined, and I know I will not be disgraced.

       (Isa 50:8 NCV)  He shows that I am innocent, and he is close to me. So 
       who can accuse me? If there is someone, let us go to court together. 
       If someone wants to prove I have done wrong, he should come and tell 
       me.

       (Isa 50:9 NCV)  Look! It is the Lord GOD who helps me. So who can 
       prove me guilty? Look! All those who try will become useless like old 
       clothes; moths will eat them.

       (Isa 50:10 NCV)  Who among you fears the LORD and obeys his servant? 
       That person may walk in the dark and have no light. Then let him trust 
       in the LORD and depend on his God.

       (Isa 50:11 NCV)  But instead, some of you want to light your own fires 
       and make your own light. So, go, walk in the light of your fires, and 
       trust your own light to guide you. But this is what you will receive 
       from me: You will lie down in a place of pain.

       (Isa 51:1 NCV)  The LORD says, "Listen to me, those of you who try to 





       live right and follow the LORD. Look at the rock from which you were 
       cut; look at the stone quarry from which you were dug.

       (Isa 51:2 NCV)  Look at Abraham, your ancestor, and Sarah, who gave 
       birth to your ancestors. Abraham had no children when I called him, 
       but I blessed him and gave him many descendants.

       (Isa 51:3 NCV)  So the LORD will comfort Jerusalem; he will show mercy 
       to those who live in her ruins. He will change her deserts into a 
       garden like Eden; he will make her empty lands like the garden of the 
       LORD. People there will be very happy; they will give thanks and sing 
       songs.

       (Isa 51:4 NCV)  "My people, listen to me; my nation, pay attention to 
       me. I will give the people my teachings, and my decisions will be like 
       a light to all people.

       (Isa 51:5 NCV)  I will soon show that I do what is right. I will soon 
       save you. I will use my power and judge all nations. All the faraway 
       places are waiting for me; they wait for my power to help them.

       (Isa 51:6 NCV)  Look up to the heavens. Look around you at the earth 
       below. The skies will disappear like clouds of smoke. The earth will 
       become useless like old clothes, and its people will die like flies. 
       But my salvation will continue forever, and my goodness will never 
       end.

       (Isa 51:7 NCV)  "You people who know what is right should listen to 
       me; you people who follow my teachings should hear what I say. Don't 
       be afraid of the evil things people say, and don't be upset by their 
       insults.

       (Isa 51:8 NCV)  Moths will eat those people as if they were clothes, 
       and worms will eat them as if they were wool. But my goodness will 
       continue forever, and my salvation will continue from now on."

       (Isa 51:9 NCV)  Wake up, wake up, and use your strength, powerful 
       LORD. Wake up as you did in the old times, as you did a long time ago. 
       With your own power, you cut Rahab into pieces and killed that sea 
       monster.

       (Isa 51:10 NCV)  You dried up the sea and the waters of the deep 
       ocean. You made the deepest parts of the sea into a road for your 
       people to cross over and be saved.

       (Isa 51:11 NCV)  The people the LORD has freed will return and enter 
       Jerusalem with joy. Their happiness will last forever. They will have 
       joy and gladness, and all sadness and sorrow will be gone far away.

       (Isa 51:12 NCV)  The LORD says, "I am the one who comforts you. So why 
       should you be afraid of people, who die? Why should you fear people 
       who die like the grass?

       (Isa 51:13 NCV)  Have you forgotten the LORD who made you, who 
       stretched out the skies and made the earth? Why are you always afraid 
       of those angry people who trouble you and who want to destroy? But 





       where are those angry people now?

       (Isa 51:14 NCV)  People in prison will soon be set free; they will not 
       die in prison, and they will have enough food.

       (Isa 51:15 NCV)  I am the LORD your God, who stirs the sea and makes 
       the waves roar. My name is the LORD All-Powerful.

       (Isa 51:16 NCV)  I will give you the words I want you to say. I will 
       cover you with my hands and protect you. I made the heavens and the 
       earth, and I say to Jerusalem, 'You are my people.'"

       (Isa 51:17 NCV)  Awake! Awake! Get up, Jerusalem. The LORD was very 
       angry with you; your punishment was like wine in a cup. The LORD made 
       you drink that wine; you drank the whole cup until you stumbled.

       (Isa 51:18 NCV)  Jerusalem had many people, but there was not one to 
       lead her. Of all the people who grew up there, no one was there to 
       guide her.

       (Isa 51:19 NCV)  Troubles came to you two by two, but no one will feel 
       sorry for you. There was ruin and disaster, great hunger and fighting. 
       No one can comfort you.

       (Isa 51:20 NCV)  Your people have become weak. They fall down and lie 
       on every street corner, like animals caught in a net. They have felt 
       the full anger of the LORD and have heard God's angry shout.

       (Isa 51:21 NCV)  So listen to me, poor Jerusalem, you who are drunk 
       but not from wine.

       (Isa 51:22 NCV)  Your God will defend his people. This is what the 
       LORD your God says: "The punishment I gave you is like a cup of wine. 
       You drank it and could not walk straight. But I am taking that cup of 
       my anger away from you, and you will never be punished by my anger 
       again.

       (Isa 51:23 NCV)  I will now give that cup of punishment to those who 
       gave you pain, who told you, 'Bow down so we can walk over you.' They 
       made your back like dirt for them to walk on; you were like a street 
       for them to travel on."

       (Isa 52:1 NCV)  Wake up, wake up, Jerusalem! Become strong! Be 
       beautiful again, holy city of Jerusalem. The people who do not worship 
       God and who are not pure will not enter you again.

       (Isa 52:2 NCV)  Jerusalem, you once were a prisoner. Now shake off the 
       dust and stand up. Jerusalem, you once were a prisoner. Now free 
       yourself from the chains around your neck.

       (Isa 52:3 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "You were not sold for a 
       price, so you will be saved without cost."

       (Isa 52:4 NCV)  This is what the Lord GOD says: "First my people went 
       down to Egypt to live. Later Assyria made them slaves.





       (Isa 52:5 NCV)  "Now see what has happened," says the LORD. "Another 
       nation has taken away my people for nothing. This nation who rules 
       them makes fun of me," says the LORD. "All day long they speak against 
       me.

       (Isa 52:6 NCV)  This has happened so my people will know who I am, and 
       so, on that future day, they will know that I am the one speaking to 
       them. It will really be me."

       (Isa 52:7 NCV)  How beautiful is the person who comes over the 
       mountains to bring good news, who announces peace and brings good 
       news, who announces salvation and says to Jerusalem, "Your God is 
       King."

       (Isa 52:8 NCV)  Listen! Your guards are shouting. They are all 
       shouting for joy! They all will see with their own eyes when the LORD 
       returns to Jerusalem.

       (Isa 52:9 NCV)  Jerusalem, your buildings are destroyed now, but shout 
       and rejoice together, because the LORD has comforted his people. He 
       has saved Jerusalem.

       (Isa 52:10 NCV)  The LORD will show his holy power to all the nations. 
       Then everyone on earth will see the salvation of our God.

       (Isa 52:11 NCV)  You people, leave, leave; get out of Babylon! Touch 
       nothing that is unclean. You men who carry the Lord's things used in 
       worship, leave there and make yourselves pure.

       (Isa 52:12 NCV)  You will not be forced to leave Babylon quickly; you 
       will not be forced to run away, because the LORD will go before you, 
       and the God of Israel will guard you from behind.

       (Isa 52:13 NCV)  The LORD says, "See, my servant will act wisely. 
       People will greatly honor and respect him.

       (Isa 52:14 NCV)  Many people were shocked when they saw him. His 
       appearance was so changed he did not look like a man; his form was 
       changed so much they could barely tell he was human.

       (Isa 52:15 NCV)  But now he will surprise many nations. Kings will be 
       amazed and shut their mouths. They will see things they had not been 
       told about him, and they will understand things they had not heard."

       (Isa 53:1 NCV)  Who would have believed what we heard? Who saw the 
       Lord's power in this?

       (Isa 53:2 NCV)  He grew up like a small plant before the LORD, like a 
       root growing in a dry land. He had no special beauty or form to make 
       us notice him; there was nothing in his appearance to make us desire 
       him.

       (Isa 53:3 NCV)  He was hated and rejected by people. He had much pain 
       and suffering. People would not even look at him. He was hated, and we 
       didn't even notice him.





       (Isa 53:4 NCV)  But he took our suffering on him and felt our pain for 
       us. We saw his suffering and thought God was punishing him.

       (Isa 53:5 NCV)  But he was wounded for the wrong we did; he was 
       crushed for the evil we did. The punishment, which made us well, was 
       given to him, and we are healed because of his wounds.

       (Isa 53:6 NCV)  We all have wandered away like sheep; each of us has 
       gone his own way. But the LORD has put on him the punishment for all 
       the evil we have done.

       (Isa 53:7 NCV)  He was beaten down and punished, but he didn't say a 
       word. He was like a lamb being led to be killed. He was quiet, as a 
       sheep is quiet while its wool is being cut; he never opened his mouth.

       (Isa 53:8 NCV)  Men took him away roughly and unfairly. He died 
       without children to continue his family. He was put to death; he was 
       punished for the sins of my people.

       (Isa 53:9 NCV)  He was buried with wicked men, and he died with the 
       rich. He had done nothing wrong, and he had never lied.

       (Isa 53:10 NCV)  But it was the LORD who decided to crush him and make 
       him suffer. The LORD made his life a penalty offering, but he will 
       still see his descendants and live a long life. He will complete the 
       things the LORD wants him to do.

       (Isa 53:11 NCV)  "After his soul suffers many things, he will see life 
       and be satisfied. My good servant will make many people right with 
       God; he will carry away their sins.

       (Isa 53:12 NCV)  For this reason I will make him a great man among 
       people, and he will share in all things with those who are strong. He 
       willingly gave his life and was treated like a criminal. But he 
       carried away the sins of many people and asked forgiveness for those 
       who sinned."

       (Isa 54:1 NCV)  The LORD says, "Sing, Jerusalem. You are like a woman 
       who never gave birth to children. Start singing and shout for joy. You 
       never felt the pain of giving birth, but you will have more children 
       than the woman who has a husband.

       (Isa 54:2 NCV)  Make your tent bigger; stretch it out and make it 
       wider. Do not hold back. Make the ropes longer and its stakes 
       stronger,

       (Isa 54:3 NCV)  because you will spread out to the right and to the 
       left. Your children will take over other nations, and they will again 
       live in cities that once were destroyed.

       (Isa 54:4 NCV)  "Don't be afraid, because you will not be ashamed. 
       Don't be embarrassed, because you will not be disgraced. You will 
       forget the shame you felt earlier; you will not remember the shame you 
       felt when you lost your husband.

       (Isa 54:5 NCV)  The God who made you is like your husband. His name is 





       the LORD All-Powerful. The Holy One of Israel is the one who saves 
       you. He is called the God of all the earth.

       (Isa 54:6 NCV)  You were like a woman whose husband left her, and you 
       were very sad. You were like a wife who married young and then her 
       husband left her. But the LORD called you to be his," says your God.

       (Isa 54:7 NCV)  God says, "I left you for a short time, but with great 
       kindness I will bring you back again.

       (Isa 54:8 NCV)  I became very angry and hid from you for a time, but I 
       will show you mercy with kindness forever," says the LORD who saves 
       you.

       (Isa 54:9 NCV)  The LORD says, "This day is like the time of Noah to 
       me. I promised then that I would never flood the world again. In the 
       same way, I promise I will not be angry with you or punish you again.

       (Isa 54:10 NCV)  The mountains may disappear, and the hills may come 
       to an end, but my love will never disappear; my promise of peace will 
       not come to an end," says the LORD who shows mercy to you.

       (Isa 54:11 NCV)  "You poor city. Storms have hurt you, and you have 
       not been comforted. But I will rebuild you with turquoise stones, and 
       I will build your foundations with sapphires.

       (Isa 54:12 NCV)  I will use rubies to build your walls and shining 
       jewels for the gates and precious jewels for all your outer walls.

       (Isa 54:13 NCV)  All your children will be taught by the LORD, and 
       they will have much peace.

       (Isa 54:14 NCV)  I will build you using fairness. You will be safe 
       from those who would hurt you, so you will have nothing to fear. 
       Nothing will come to make you afraid.

       (Isa 54:15 NCV)  I will not send anyone to attack you, and you will 
       defeat those who do attack you.

       (Isa 54:16 NCV)  "See, I made the blacksmith. He fans the fire to make 
       it hotter, and he makes the kind of tool he wants. In the same way I 
       have made the destroyer to destroy.

       (Isa 54:17 NCV)  So no weapon that is used against you will defeat 
       you. You will show that those who speak against you are wrong. These 
       are the good things my servants receive. Their victory comes from me," 
       says the LORD.

       (Isa 55:1 NCV)  The LORD says, "All you who are thirsty, come and 
       drink. Those of you who do not have money, come, buy and eat! Come buy 
       wine and milk without money and without cost.

       (Isa 55:2 NCV)  Why spend your money on something that is not real 
       food? Why work for something that doesn't really satisfy you? Listen 
       closely to me, and you will eat what is good; your soul will enjoy the 
       rich food that satisfies.






       (Isa 55:3 NCV)  Come to me and listen; listen to me so you may live. I 
       will make an agreement with you that will last forever. I will give 
       you the blessings I promised to David.

       (Isa 55:4 NCV)  I made David a witness of my power for all nations, a 
       ruler and commander of many nations.

       (Isa 55:5 NCV)  You will call for nations that you don't yet know. And 
       these nations that do not know you will run to you because of the LORD 
       your God, because of the Holy One of Israel who honors you."

       (Isa 55:6 NCV)  So you should look for the LORD before it is too late; 
       you should call to him while he is near.

       (Isa 55:7 NCV)  The wicked should stop doing wrong, and they should 
       stop their evil thoughts. They should return to the LORD so he may 
       have mercy on them. They should come to our God, because he will 
       freely forgive them.

       (Isa 55:8 NCV)  The LORD says, "My thoughts are not like your 
       thoughts. Your ways are not like my ways.

       (Isa 55:9 NCV)  Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are 
       my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your 
       thoughts.

       (Isa 55:10 NCV)  Rain and snow fall from the sky and don't return 
       without watering the ground. They cause the plants to sprout and grow, 
       making seeds for the farmer and bread for the people.

       (Isa 55:11 NCV)  The same thing is true of the words I speak. They 
       will not return to me empty. They make the things happen that I want 
       to happen, and they succeed in doing what I send them to do.

       (Isa 55:12 NCV)  "So you will go out with joy and be led out in peace. 
       The mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the 
       trees in the fields will clap their hands.

       (Isa 55:13 NCV)  Large cypress trees will grow where thornbushes were. 
       Myrtle trees will grow where weeds were. These things will be a 
       reminder of the Lord's promise, and this reminder will never be 
       destroyed."

       (Isa 56:1 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "Give justice to all 
       people, and do what is right, because my salvation will come to you 
       soon. Soon everyone will know that I do what is right.

       (Isa 56:2 NCV)  The person who obeys the law about the Sabbath will be 
       blessed, and the person who does no evil will be blessed."

       (Isa 56:3 NCV)  Foreigners who have joined the LORD should not say, 
       "The LORD will not accept me with his people." The eunuch should not 
       say, "Because I cannot have children, the LORD will not accept me."

       (Isa 56:4 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "The eunuchs should obey 





       the law about the Sabbath and do what I want and keep my agreement.

       (Isa 56:5 NCV)  If they do, I will make their names remembered within 
       my Temple and its walls. It will be better for them than children. I 
       will give them a name that will last forever, that will never be 
       forgotten.

       (Isa 56:6 NCV)  Foreigners will join the LORD to worship him and love 
       him, to serve him, to obey the law about the Sabbath, and to keep my 
       agreement.

       (Isa 56:7 NCV)  I will bring these people to my holy mountain and give 
       them joy in my house of prayer. The offerings and sacrifices they 
       place on my altar will please me, because my Temple will be called a 
       house for prayer for people from all nations."

       (Isa 56:8 NCV)  The Lord GOD says-- he who gathers the Israelites that 
       were forced to leave their country: "I will bring together other 
       people to join those who are already gathered."

       (Isa 56:9 NCV)  All you animals of the field, all you animals of the 
       forest, come to eat.

       (Isa 56:10 NCV)  The leaders who are to guard the people are blind; 
       they don't know what they are doing. All of them are like quiet dogs 
       that don't know how to bark. They lie down and dream and love to 
       sleep.

       (Isa 56:11 NCV)  They are like hungry dogs that are never satisfied. 
       They are like shepherds who don't know what they are doing. They all 
       have gone their own way; all they want to do is satisfy themselves.

       (Isa 56:12 NCV)  They say, "Come, let's drink some wine; let's drink 
       all the beer we want. And tomorrow we will do this again, or, maybe we 
       will have an even better time."

       (Isa 57:1 NCV)  Those who are right with God may die, but no one pays 
       attention. Good people are taken away, but no one understands. Those 
       who do right are being taken away from evil

       (Isa 57:2 NCV)  and are given peace. Those who live as God wants find 
       rest in death.

       (Isa 57:3 NCV)  "Come here, you magicians! Come here, you sons of 
       prostitutes and those who take part in adultery!

       (Isa 57:4 NCV)  Of whom are you making fun? Whom are you insulting? At 
       whom do you stick out your tongue? You turn against God, and you are 
       liars.

       (Isa 57:5 NCV)  You have sexual relations under every green tree to 
       worship your gods. You kill children in the ravines and sacrifice them 
       in the rocky places.

       (Isa 57:6 NCV)  You take the smooth rocks from the ravines as your 
       portion. You pour drink offerings on them to worship them, and you 





       give grain offerings to them. Do you think this makes me want to show 
       you mercy?

       (Isa 57:7 NCV)  You make your bed on every hill and mountain, and 
       there you offer sacrifices.

       (Isa 57:8 NCV)  You have hidden your idols behind your doors and 
       doorposts. You have left me, and you have uncovered yourself. You have 
       pulled back the covers and climbed into bed. You have made an 
       agreement with those whose beds you love, and you have looked at their 
       nakedness.

       (Isa 57:9 NCV)  You use your oils and perfumes to look nice for 
       Molech. You have sent your messengers to faraway lands; you even tried 
       to send them to the place of the dead.

       (Isa 57:10 NCV)  You were tired from doing these things, but you never 
       gave up. You found new strength, so you did not quit.

       (Isa 57:11 NCV)  "Whom were you so afraid of that you lied to me? You 
       have not remembered me or even thought about me. I have been quiet for 
       a long time. Is that why you are not afraid of me?

       (Isa 57:12 NCV)  I will tell about your 'goodness' and what you do, 
       and those things will do you no good.

       (Isa 57:13 NCV)  When you cry out for help, let the gods you have 
       gathered help you. The wind will blow them all away; just a puff of 
       wind will take them away. But the person who depends on me will 
       receive the land and own my holy mountain."

       (Isa 57:14 NCV)  Someone will say, "Build a road! Build a road! 
       Prepare the way! Make the way clear for my people."

       (Isa 57:15 NCV)  And this is the reason: God lives forever and is 
       holy. He is high and lifted up. He says, "I live in a high and holy 
       place, but I also live with people who are sad and humble. I give new 
       life to those who are humble and to those whose hearts are broken.

       (Isa 57:16 NCV)  I will not accuse forever, nor will I always be 
       angry, because then human life would grow weak. Human beings, whom I 
       created, would die.

       (Isa 57:17 NCV)  I was angry because they were dishonest in order to 
       make money. I punished them and turned away from them in anger, but 
       they continued to do evil.

       (Isa 57:18 NCV)  I have seen what they have done, but I will heal 
       them. I will guide them and comfort them and those who felt sad for 
       them. They will all praise me.

       (Isa 57:19 NCV)  I will give peace, real peace, to those far and near, 
       and I will heal them," says the LORD.

       (Isa 57:20 NCV)  But evil people are like the angry sea, which cannot 
       rest, whose waves toss up waste and mud.






       (Isa 57:21 NCV)  "There is no peace for evil people," says my God.

       (Isa 58:1 NCV)  The LORD says, "Shout out loud. Don't hold back. Shout 
       out loud like a trumpet. Tell my people what they have done against 
       their God; tell the family of Jacob about their sins.

       (Isa 58:2 NCV)  They still come every day looking for me and want to 
       learn my ways. They act just like a nation that does what is right, 
       that obeys the commands of its God. They ask me to judge them fairly. 
       They want God to be near them.

       (Isa 58:3 NCV)  They say, 'To honor you we had special days when we 
       gave up eating, but you didn't see. We humbled ourselves to honor you, 
       but you didn't notice.'" But the LORD says, "You do what pleases 
       yourselves on these special days, and you are unfair to your workers.

       (Isa 58:4 NCV)  On these special days when you do not eat, you argue 
       and fight and hit each other with your fists. You cannot do these 
       things as you do now and believe your prayers are heard in heaven.

       (Isa 58:5 NCV)  This kind of special day is not what I want. This is 
       not the way I want people to be sorry for what they have done. I don't 
       want people just to bow their heads like a plant and wear rough cloth 
       and lie in ashes to show their sadness. This is what you do on your 
       special days when you do not eat, but do you think this is what the 
       LORD wants?

       (Isa 58:6 NCV)  "I will tell you the kind of special day I want: Free 
       the people you have put in prison unfairly and undo their chains. Free 
       those to whom you are unfair and stop their hard labor.

       (Isa 58:7 NCV)  Share your food with the hungry and bring poor, 
       homeless people into your own homes. When you see someone who has no 
       clothes, give him yours, and don't refuse to help your own relatives.

       (Isa 58:8 NCV)  Then your light will shine like the dawn, and your 
       wounds will quickly heal. Your God will walk before you, and the glory 
       of the LORD will protect you from behind.

       (Isa 58:9 NCV)  Then you will call out, and the LORD will answer. You 
       will cry out, and he will say, 'Here I am.' "If you stop making 
       trouble for others, if you stop using cruel words and pointing your 
       finger at others,

       (Isa 58:10 NCV)  if you feed those who are hungry and take care of the 
       needs of those who are troubled, then your light will shine in the 
       darkness, and you will be bright like sunshine at noon.

       (Isa 58:11 NCV)  The LORD will always lead you. He will satisfy your 
       needs in dry lands and give strength to your bones. You will be like a 
       garden that has much water, like a spring that never runs dry.

       (Isa 58:12 NCV)  Your people will rebuild the old cities that are now 
       in ruins; you will rebuild their foundations. You will be known for 
       repairing the broken places and for rebuilding the roads and houses.






       (Isa 58:13 NCV)  "You must obey God's law about the Sabbath and not do 
       what pleases yourselves on that holy day. You should call the Sabbath 
       a joyful day and honor it as the Lord's holy day. You should honor it 
       by not doing whatever you please nor saying whatever you please on 
       that day.

       (Isa 58:14 NCV)  Then you will find joy in the LORD, and I will carry 
       you to the high places above the earth. I will let you eat the crops 
       of the land your ancestor Jacob had." The LORD has said these things.

       (Isa 59:1 NCV)  Surely the Lord's power is enough to save you. He can 
       hear you when you ask him for help.

       (Isa 59:2 NCV)  It is your evil that has separated you from your God. 
       Your sins cause him to turn away from you, so he does not hear you.

       (Isa 59:3 NCV)  With your hands you have killed others, and with your 
       fingers you have done wrong. With your lips you have lied, and with 
       your tongue you say evil things.

       (Isa 59:4 NCV)  People take each other to court unfairly, and no one 
       tells the truth in arguing his case. They accuse each other falsely 
       and tell lies. They cause trouble and create more evil.

       (Isa 59:5 NCV)  They hatch evil like eggs from poisonous snakes. If 
       you eat one of those eggs, you will die, and if you break one open, a 
       poisonous snake comes out. People tell lies as they would spin a 
       spider's web.

       (Isa 59:6 NCV)  The webs they make cannot be used for clothes; you 
       can't cover yourself with those webs. The things they do are evil, and 
       they use their hands to hurt others.

       (Isa 59:7 NCV)  They eagerly run to do evil, and they are always ready 
       to kill innocent people. They think evil thoughts. Everywhere they go 
       they cause ruin and destruction.

       (Isa 59:8 NCV)  They don't know how to live in peace, and there is no 
       fairness in their lives. They are dishonest. Anyone who lives as they 
       live will never have peace.

       (Isa 59:9 NCV)  Fairness has gone far away; goodness is nowhere to be 
       found. We wait for the light, but there is only darkness now. We hope 
       for a bright light, but all we have is darkness.

       (Isa 59:10 NCV)  We are like the blind feeling our way along a wall. 
       We feel our way as if we had no eyes. In the brightness of day we trip 
       as if it were night. We are like dead men among the strong.

       (Isa 59:11 NCV)  All of us growl like the bears. We call out sadly 
       like the doves. We look for justice, but there isn't any. We want to 
       be saved, but salvation is far away.

       (Isa 59:12 NCV)  We have done many wrong things against our God; our 
       sins show we are wrong. We know we have turned against God; we know 





       the evil things we have done:

       (Isa 59:13 NCV)  sinning and rejecting the LORD, turning away from our 
       God, planning to hurt others and to disobey God, planning and speaking 
       lies.

       (Isa 59:14 NCV)  So we have driven away justice, and we have kept away 
       from what is right. Truth is not spoken in the streets; what is honest 
       is not allowed to enter the city.

       (Isa 59:15 NCV)  Truth cannot be found anywhere, and people who refuse 
       to do evil are attacked. The LORD looked and could not find any 
       justice, and he was displeased.

       (Isa 59:16 NCV)  He could not find anyone to help the people, and he 
       was surprised that there was no one to help. So he used his own power 
       to save the people; his own goodness gave him strength.

       (Isa 59:17 NCV)  He covered himself with goodness like armor. He put 
       the helmet of salvation on his head. He put on the clothes of 
       punishment and wrapped himself in the coat of his strong love.

       (Isa 59:18 NCV)  The LORD will pay back his enemies for what they have 
       done. He will show his anger to those who were against him; he will 
       punish the people in faraway places as they deserve.

       (Isa 59:19 NCV)  Then people from the west will fear the LORD, and 
       people from the east will fear his glory. The LORD will come quickly 
       like a fast-flowing river, driven by the breath of the LORD.

       (Isa 59:20 NCV)  "Then a Savior will come to Jerusalem and to the 
       people of Jacob who have turned from sin," says the LORD.

       (Isa 59:21 NCV)  The LORD says, "This is my agreement with these 
       people: My Spirit and my words that I give you will never leave you or 
       your children or your grandchildren, now and forever."

       (Isa 60:1 NCV)  "Jerusalem, get up and shine, because your light has 
       come, and the glory of the LORD shines on you.

       (Isa 60:2 NCV)  Darkness now covers the earth; deep darkness covers 
       her people. But the LORD shines on you, and people see his glory 
       around you.

       (Isa 60:3 NCV)  Nations will come to your light; kings will come to 
       the brightness of your sunrise.

       (Isa 60:4 NCV)  "Look around you. People are gathering and coming to 
       you. Your sons are coming from far away, and your daughters are coming 
       with them.

       (Isa 60:5 NCV)  When you see them, you will shine with happiness; you 
       will be excited and full of joy, because the wealth of the nations 
       across the seas will be given to you; the riches of the nations will 
       come to you.





       (Isa 60:6 NCV)  Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels 
       from Midian and Ephah. People will come from Sheba bringing gold and 
       incense, and they will sing praises to the LORD.

       (Isa 60:7 NCV)  All the sheep from Kedar will be given to you; the 
       sheep from Nebaioth will be brought to you. They will be pleasing 
       sacrifices on my altar, and I will make my beautiful Temple more 
       beautiful.

       (Isa 60:8 NCV)  "The people are returning to you like clouds, like 
       doves flying to their nests.

       (Isa 60:9 NCV)  People in faraway lands are waiting for me. The great 
       trading ships will come first, bringing your children from faraway 
       lands, and with them silver and gold. This will honor the LORD your 
       God, the Holy One of Israel, who does wonderful things for you.

       (Isa 60:10 NCV)  "Jerusalem, foreigners will rebuild your walls, and 
       their kings will serve you. When I was angry, I hurt you, but now I 
       want to be kind to you and comfort you.

       (Isa 60:11 NCV)  Your gates will always be open; they will not be 
       closed day or night so the nations can bring their wealth to you, and 
       their kings will be led to you.

       (Isa 60:12 NCV)  The nation or kingdom that doesn't serve you will be 
       destroyed; it will be completely ruined.

       (Isa 60:13 NCV)  "The great trees of Lebanon will be given to you: its 
       pine, fir, and cypress trees together. You will use them to make my 
       Temple beautiful, and I will give much honor to this place where I 
       rest my feet.

       (Isa 60:14 NCV)  The people who have hurt you will bow down to you; 
       those who hated you will bow down at your feet. They will call you The 
       City of the LORD, Jerusalem, city of the Holy One of Israel.

       (Isa 60:15 NCV)  "You have been hated and left empty with no one 
       passing through. But I will make you great from now on; you will be a 
       place of happiness forever and ever.

       (Isa 60:16 NCV)  You will be given what you need from the nations, 
       like a child drinking milk from its mother. Then you will know that it 
       is I, the LORD, who saves you. You will know that the Powerful One of 
       Jacob protects you.

       (Isa 60:17 NCV)  I will bring you gold in place of bronze, silver in 
       place of iron, bronze in place of wood, iron in place of rocks. I will 
       change your punishment into peace, and you will be ruled by what is 
       right.

       (Isa 60:18 NCV)  There will be no more violence in your country; it 
       will not be ruined or destroyed. You will name your walls Salvation 
       and your gates Praise.

       (Isa 60:19 NCV)  The sun will no longer be your light during the day 





       nor will the brightness from the moon be your light, because the LORD 
       will be your light forever, and your God will be your glory.

       (Isa 60:20 NCV)  Your sun will never set again, and your moon will 
       never be dark, because the LORD will be your light forever, and your 
       time of sadness will end.

       (Isa 60:21 NCV)  All of your people will do what is right. They will 
       receive the earth forever. They are the plant I have planted, the work 
       of my own hands to show my greatness.

       (Isa 60:22 NCV)  The smallest family will grow to a thousand. The 
       least important of you will become a powerful nation. I am the LORD, 
       and when it is time, I will make these things happen quickly."

       (Isa 61:1 NCV)  The Lord GOD has put his Spirit in me, because the 
       LORD has appointed me to tell the good news to the poor. He has sent 
       me to comfort those whose hearts are broken, to tell the captives they 
       are free, and to tell the prisoners they are released.

       (Isa 61:2 NCV)  He has sent me to announce the time when the LORD will 
       show his kindness and the time when our God will punish evil people. 
       He has sent me to comfort all those who are sad

       (Isa 61:3 NCV)  and to help the sorrowing people of Jerusalem. I will 
       give them a crown to replace their ashes, and the oil of gladness to 
       replace their sorrow, and clothes of praise to replace their spirit of 
       sadness. Then they will be called Trees of Goodness, trees planted by 
       the LORD to show his greatness.

       (Isa 61:4 NCV)  They will rebuild the old ruins and restore the places 
       destroyed long ago. They will repair the ruined cities that were 
       destroyed for so long.

       (Isa 61:5 NCV)  My people, foreigners will come to tend your sheep. 
       People from other countries will tend your fields and vineyards.

       (Isa 61:6 NCV)  You will be called priests of the LORD; you will be 
       named the servants of our God. You will have riches from all the 
       nations on earth, and you will take pride in them.

       (Isa 61:7 NCV)  Instead of being ashamed, my people will receive twice 
       as much wealth. Instead of being disgraced, they will be happy because 
       of what they receive. They will receive a double share of the land, so 
       their happiness will continue forever.

       (Isa 61:8 NCV)  "I, the LORD, love justice. I hate stealing and 
       everything that is wrong. I will be fair and give my people what they 
       should have, and I will make an agreement with them that will continue 
       forever.

       (Isa 61:9 NCV)  Everyone in all nations will know the children of my 
       people, and their children will be known among the nations. Anyone who 
       sees them will know that they are people the LORD has blessed."

       (Isa 61:10 NCV)  The LORD makes me very happy; all that I am rejoices 





       in my God. He has covered me with clothes of salvation and wrapped me 
       with a coat of goodness, like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding, 
       like a bride dressed in jewels.

       (Isa 61:11 NCV)  The earth causes plants to grow, and a garden causes 
       the seeds planted in it to grow. In the same way the Lord GOD will 
       make goodness and praise come from all the nations.

       (Isa 62:1 NCV)  Because I love Jerusalem, I will continue to speak for 
       her; for Jerusalem's sake I will not stop speaking until her goodness 
       shines like a bright light, until her salvation burns bright like a 
       flame.

       (Isa 62:2 NCV)  Jerusalem, the nations will see your goodness, and all 
       kings will see your glory. Then you will have a new name, which the 
       LORD himself will give you.

       (Isa 62:3 NCV)  You will be like a beautiful crown in the Lord's hand, 
       like a king's crown in your God's hand.

       (Isa 62:4 NCV)  You will never again be called the People that God 
       Left, nor your land the Land that God Destroyed. You will be called 
       the People God Loves, and your land will be called the Bride of God, 
       because the LORD loves you. And your land will belong to him as a 
       bride belongs to her husband.

       (Isa 62:5 NCV)  As a young man marries a woman, so your children will 
       marry your land. As a man rejoices over his new wife, so your God will 
       rejoice over you.

       (Isa 62:6 NCV)  Jerusalem, I have put guards on the walls to watch. 
       They must not be silent day or night. You people who remind the LORD 
       of your needs in prayer should never be quiet.

       (Isa 62:7 NCV)  You should not stop praying to him until he builds up 
       Jerusalem and makes it a city all people will praise.

       (Isa 62:8 NCV)  The LORD has made a promise, and by his power he will 
       keep his promise. He said, "I will never again give your grain as food 
       to your enemies. I will not let your enemies drink the new wine that 
       you have worked to make.

       (Isa 62:9 NCV)  The person who gathers food will eat it, and he will 
       praise the LORD. The person who gathers the grapes will drink the wine 
       in the courts of my Temple."

       (Isa 62:10 NCV)  Go through, go through the gates! Make the way ready 
       for the people. Build up, build up the road! Move all the stones off 
       the road. Raise the banner as a sign for the people.

       (Isa 62:11 NCV)  The LORD is speaking to all the faraway lands: "Tell 
       the people of Jerusalem, 'Look, your Savior is coming. He is bringing 
       your reward to you; he is bringing his payment with him.'"

       (Isa 62:12 NCV)  His people will be called the Holy People, the Saved 
       People of the LORD, and Jerusalem will be called the City God Wants, 





       the City God Has Not Rejected.

       (Isa 63:1 NCV)  Who is this coming from Edom, from the city of Bozrah, 
       dressed in red? Who is this dressed in fine clothes and marching 
       forward with his great power? He says, "I, the LORD, speak what is 
       right. I have the power to save you."

       (Isa 63:2 NCV)  Someone asks, "Why are your clothes bright red as if 
       you had walked on the grapes to make wine?"

       (Isa 63:3 NCV)  The LORD answers, "I have walked in the winepress 
       alone, and no one among the nations helped me. I was angry and walked 
       on the nations and crushed them because of my anger. Blood splashed on 
       my clothes, and I stained all my clothing.

       (Isa 63:4 NCV)  I chose a time to punish people, and the time has come 
       for me to save.

       (Isa 63:5 NCV)  I looked around, but I saw no one to help me. I was 
       surprised that no one supported me. So I used my own power to save my 
       people; my own anger supported me.

       (Isa 63:6 NCV)  While I was angry, I walked on the nations. In my 
       anger I punished them and poured their blood on the ground."

       (Isa 63:7 NCV)  I will tell about the Lord's kindness and praise him 
       for everything he has done. I will praise the LORD for the many good 
       things he has given us and for his goodness to the people of Israel. 
       He has shown great mercy to us and has been very kind to us.

       (Isa 63:8 NCV)  He said, "These are my people; my children will not 
       lie to me." So he saved them.

       (Isa 63:9 NCV)  When they suffered, he suffered also. He sent his own 
       angel to save them. Because of his love and kindness, he saved them. 
       Since long ago he has picked them up and carried them.

       (Isa 63:10 NCV)  But they turned against him and made his Holy Spirit 
       very sad. So he became their enemy, and he fought against them.

       (Isa 63:11 NCV)  But then his people remembered what happened long 
       ago, in the days of Moses and the Israelites with him. Where is the 
       LORD who brought the people through the sea, with the leaders of his 
       people? Where is the one who put his Holy Spirit among them,

       (Isa 63:12 NCV)  who led Moses by the right hand with his wonderful 
       power, who divided the water before them to make his name famous 
       forever,

       (Isa 63:13 NCV)  who led the people through the deep waters? Like a 
       horse walking through a desert, the people did not stumble.

       (Isa 63:14 NCV)  Like cattle that go down to the valley, the Spirit of 
       the LORD gave the people a place to rest. LORD, that is the way you 
       led your people, and by this you won for yourself wonderful fame.





       (Isa 63:15 NCV)  LORD, look down from the heavens and see; look at us 
       from your wonderful and holy home in heaven. Where is your strong love 
       and power? Why are you keeping your love and mercy from us?

       (Isa 63:16 NCV)  You are our father. Abraham doesn't know we are his 
       children, and Israel doesn't recognize us. LORD, you are our father. 
       You are called "the one who has always saved us."

       (Isa 63:17 NCV)  LORD, why are you making us wander from your ways? 
       Why do you make us stubborn so that we don't honor you? For our sake 
       come back to us, your servants, who belong to you.

       (Isa 63:18 NCV)  Your people had your Temple for a while, but now our 
       enemies have walked on your holy place and crushed it.

       (Isa 63:19 NCV)  We have become like people you never ruled over, like 
       those who have never worn your name.

       (Isa 64:1 NCV)  Tear open the skies and come down to earth so that the 
       mountains will tremble before you.

       (Isa 64:2 NCV)  Like a fire that burns twigs, like a fire that makes 
       water boil, let your enemies know who you are. Then all nations will 
       shake with fear when they see you.

       (Isa 64:3 NCV)  You have done amazing things we did not expect. You 
       came down, and the mountains trembled before you.

       (Isa 64:4 NCV)  From long ago no one has ever heard of a God like you. 
       No one has ever seen a God besides you, who helps the people who trust 
       you.

       (Isa 64:5 NCV)  You help those who enjoy doing good, who remember how 
       you want them to live. But you were angry because we sinned. For a 
       long time we disobeyed, so how can we be saved?

       (Isa 64:6 NCV)  All of us are dirty with sin. All the right things we 
       have done are like filthy pieces of cloth. All of us are like dead 
       leaves, and our sins, like the wind, have carried us away.

       (Isa 64:7 NCV)  No one worships you or even asks you to help us. That 
       is because you have turned away from us and have let our sins destroy 
       us.

       (Isa 64:8 NCV)  But LORD, you are our father. We are like clay, and 
       you are the potter; your hands made us all.

       (Isa 64:9 NCV)  LORD, don't continue to be angry with us; don't 
       remember our sins forever. Please, look at us, because we are your 
       people.

       (Isa 64:10 NCV)  Your holy cities are empty like the desert. Jerusalem 
       is like a desert; it is destroyed.

       (Isa 64:11 NCV)  Our ancestors worshiped you in our holy and wonderful 
       Temple, but now it has been burned with fire, and all our precious 





       things have been destroyed.

       (Isa 64:12 NCV)  When you see these things, will you hold yourself 
       back from helping us, LORD? Will you be silent and punish us beyond 
       what we can stand?

       (Isa 65:1 NCV)  The LORD says, "I made myself known to people who were 
       not looking for me. I was found by those who were not asking me for 
       help. I said, 'Here I am. Here I am,' to a nation that was not praying 
       to me.

       (Isa 65:2 NCV)  All day long I stood ready to accept people who turned 
       against me, but the way they continue to live is not good; they do 
       anything they want to do.

       (Isa 65:3 NCV)  Right in front of me they continue to do things that 
       make me angry. They offer sacrifices to their gods in their gardens, 
       and they burn incense on altars of brick.

       (Isa 65:4 NCV)  They sit among the graves and spend their nights 
       waiting to get messages from the dead. They eat the meat of pigs, and 
       their pots are full of soup made from meat that is wrong to eat.

       (Isa 65:5 NCV)  But they tell others, 'Stay away, and don't come near 
       me. I am too holy for you.' These people are like smoke in my nose. 
       Like a fire that burns all the time, they continue to make me angry.

       (Isa 65:6 NCV)  "Look, it is written here before me. I will not be 
       quiet; instead, I will repay you in full. I will punish you for what 
       you have done.

       (Isa 65:7 NCV)  I will punish you for your sins and your ancestors' 
       sins," says the LORD. "They burned incense to gods on the mountains 
       and shamed me on those hills. So I will punish them as they should be 
       punished for what they did."

       (Isa 65:8 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "When there is juice left 
       in the grapes, people do not destroy them, because they know there is 
       good left in them. So I will do the same thing to my servants-- I will 
       not completely destroy them.

       (Isa 65:9 NCV)  I will leave some of the children of Jacob, and some 
       of the people of Judah will receive my mountain. I will choose the 
       people who will live there; my servants will live there.

       (Isa 65:10 NCV)  Then the Plain of Sharon will be a field for flocks, 
       and the Valley of Achor will be a place for herds to rest. They will 
       be for the people who want to follow me.

       (Isa 65:11 NCV)  "But as for you who left the LORD, who forgot about 
       my holy mountain, who worship the god Luck, who hold religious feasts 
       for the god Fate,

       (Isa 65:12 NCV)  I decide your fate, and I will punish you with my 
       sword. You will all be killed, because I called you, but you refused 
       to answer. I spoke to you, but you wouldn't listen. You did the things 





       I said were evil and chose to do things that displease me."

       (Isa 65:13 NCV)  So this is what the Lord GOD says: "My servants will 
       eat, but you evil people will be hungry. My servants will drink, but 
       you evil people will be thirsty. My servants will be happy, but you 
       evil people will be shamed.

       (Isa 65:14 NCV)  My servants will shout for joy because of the 
       goodness of their hearts, but you evil people will cry, because you 
       will be sad. You will cry loudly, because your spirits will be broken.

       (Isa 65:15 NCV)  Your names will be like curses to my servants, and 
       the Lord GOD will put you to death. But he will call his servants by 
       another name.

       (Isa 65:16 NCV)  People in the land who ask for blessings will ask for 
       them from the faithful God. And people in the land who make a promise 
       will promise in the name of the faithful God, because the troubles of 
       the past will be forgotten. I will make those troubles go away.

       (Isa 65:17 NCV)  "Look, I will make new heavens and a new earth, and 
       people will not remember the past or think about those things.

       (Isa 65:18 NCV)  My people will be happy forever because of the things 
       I will make. I will make a Jerusalem that is full of joy, and I will 
       make her people a delight.

       (Isa 65:19 NCV)  Then I will rejoice over Jerusalem and be delighted 
       with my people. There will never again be heard in that city the 
       sounds of crying and sadness.

       (Isa 65:20 NCV)  There will never be a baby from that city who lives 
       only a few days. And there will never be an older person who doesn't 
       have a long life. A person who lives a hundred years will be called 
       young, and a person who dies before he is a hundred will be thought of 
       as a sinner.

       (Isa 65:21 NCV)  In that city those who build houses will live there. 
       Those who plant vineyards will get to eat their grapes.

       (Isa 65:22 NCV)  No more will one person build a house and someone 
       else live there. One person will not plant a garden and someone else 
       eat its fruit. My people will live a long time, as trees live long. My 
       chosen people will live there and enjoy the things they make.

       (Isa 65:23 NCV)  They will never again work for nothing. They will 
       never again give birth to children who die young. All my people will 
       be blessed by the LORD; they and their children will be blessed.

       (Isa 65:24 NCV)  I will provide for their needs before they ask, and I 
       will help them while they are still asking for help.

       (Isa 65:25 NCV)  Wolves and lambs will eat together in peace. Lions 
       will eat hay like oxen, and a snake on the ground will not hurt 
       anyone. They will not hurt or destroy each other on all my holy 
       mountain," says the LORD.






       (Isa 66:1 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "Heaven is my throne, and 
       the earth is my footstool. So do you think you can build a house for 
       me? Do I need a place to rest?

       (Isa 66:2 NCV)  My hand made all things. All things are here because I 
       made them," says the LORD. "These are the people I am pleased with: 
       those who are not proud or stubborn and who fear my word.

       (Isa 66:3 NCV)  But those people who kill bulls as a sacrifice to me 
       are like those who kill people. Those who kill sheep as a sacrifice 
       are like those who break the necks of dogs. Those who give me grain 
       offerings are like those who offer me the blood of pigs. Those who 
       burn incense are like those who worship idols. These people choose 
       their own ways, not mine, and they love the terrible things they do.

       (Isa 66:4 NCV)  So I will choose their punishments, and I will punish 
       them with what they fear most. This is because I called to them, but 
       they did not listen. I spoke to them, but they did not hear me. They 
       did things I said were evil; they chose to do things I did not like."

       (Isa 66:5 NCV)  You people who obey the words of the LORD, listen to 
       what he says: "Your brothers hated you and turned against you because 
       you followed me. Your brothers said, 'Let the LORD be honored so we 
       may see you rejoice,' but they will be punished.

       (Isa 66:6 NCV)  Listen to the loud noise coming from the city; hear 
       the noise from the Temple. It is the LORD punishing his enemies, 
       giving them the punishment they should have.

       (Isa 66:7 NCV)  "A woman does not give birth before she feels the 
       pain; she does not give birth to a son before the pain starts.

       (Isa 66:8 NCV)  No one has ever heard of that happening; no one has 
       ever seen that happen. In the same way no one ever saw a country begin 
       in one day; no one has ever heard of a new nation beginning in one 
       moment. But Jerusalem will give birth to her children just as soon as 
       she feels the birth pains.

       (Isa 66:9 NCV)  In the same way I will not cause pain without allowing 
       something new to be born," says the LORD. "If I cause you the pain, I 
       will not stop you from giving birth to your new nation," says your 
       God.

       (Isa 66:10 NCV)  "Jerusalem, rejoice. All you people who love 
       Jerusalem, be happy. Those of you who felt sad for Jerusalem should 
       now feel happy with her.

       (Isa 66:11 NCV)  You will take comfort from her and be satisfied, as a 
       child is nursed by its mother. You will receive her good things and 
       enjoy her wealth."

       (Isa 66:12 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "I will give her peace 
       that will flow to her like a river. The wealth of the nations will 
       come to her like a river overflowing its banks. Like babies you will 
       be nursed and held in my arms and bounced on my knees.






       (Isa 66:13 NCV)  I will comfort you as a mother comforts her child. 
       You will be comforted in Jerusalem."

       (Isa 66:14 NCV)  When you see these things, you will be happy, and you 
       will grow like the grass. The Lord's servants will see his power, but 
       his enemies will see his anger.

       (Isa 66:15 NCV)  Look, the LORD is coming with fire and his armies 
       with clouds of dust. He will punish those people with his anger; he 
       will punish them with flames of fire.

       (Isa 66:16 NCV)  The LORD will judge the people with fire, and he will 
       destroy many people with his sword; he will kill many people.

       (Isa 66:17 NCV)  "These people make themselves holy and pure to go to 
       worship their gods in their gardens. Following each other into their 
       special gardens, they eat the meat of pigs and rats and other hateful 
       things. But they will all be destroyed together," says the LORD.

       (Isa 66:18 NCV)  "I know they have evil thoughts and do evil things, 
       so I am coming to punish them. I will gather all nations and all 
       people, and they will come together and see my glory.

       (Isa 66:19 NCV)  "I will put a mark on some of the people, and I will 
       send some of these saved people to the nations: to Tarshish, Libya, 
       Lud (the land of archers), Tubal, Greece, and all the faraway lands. 
       These people have never heard about what I have done nor seen my 
       glory. So the saved people will tell the nations about my glory.

       (Isa 66:20 NCV)  And they will bring all your fellow Israelites from 
       all nations to my holy mountain in Jerusalem. Your fellow Israelites 
       will come on horses, donkeys, and camels and in chariots and wagons. 
       They will be like the grain offerings that the people bring in clean 
       containers to the Temple," says the LORD.

       (Isa 66:21 NCV)  "And I will choose even some of these people to be 
       priests and Levites," says the LORD.

       (Isa 66:22 NCV)  "I will make new heavens and the new earth, which 
       will last forever," says the LORD. "In the same way, your names and 
       your children will always be with me.

       (Isa 66:23 NCV)  All people will come to worship me every Sabbath and 
       every New Moon," says the LORD.

       (Isa 66:24 NCV)  "They will go out and see the dead bodies of the 
       people who sinned against me. The worms that eat them will never die, 
       and the fires that burn them will never stop, and everyone will hate 
       to see those bodies."

       (Jer 1:1 NCV)  These are the words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah. He 
       belonged to the family of priests who lived in the town of Anathoth in 
       the land of Benjamin.

       (Jer 1:2 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah during the 





       thirteenth year that Josiah son of Amon was king of Judah.

       (Jer 1:3 NCV)  The LORD also spoke to Jeremiah while Jehoiakim son of 
       Josiah was king of Judah and during the eleven years that Zedekiah son 
       of Josiah was king of Judah. In the fifth month of his last year, the 
       people of Jerusalem were taken away as captives.

       (Jer 1:4 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Jer 1:5 NCV)  "Before I made you in your mother's womb, I chose you. 
       Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work. I appointed 
       you as a prophet to the nations."

       (Jer 1:6 NCV)  Then I said, "But Lord GOD, I don't know how to speak. 
       I am only a boy."

       (Jer 1:7 NCV)  But the LORD said to me, "Don't say, 'I am only a boy.' 
       You must go everywhere I send you, and you must say everything I tell 
       you to say.

       (Jer 1:8 NCV)  Don't be afraid of anyone, because I am with you to 
       protect you," says the LORD.

       (Jer 1:9 NCV)  Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my 
       mouth. He said to me, "See, I am putting my words in your mouth.

       (Jer 1:10 NCV)  Today I have put you in charge of nations and 
       kingdoms. You will pull up and tear down, destroy and overthrow, build 
       up and plant."

       (Jer 1:11 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me, saying: "Jeremiah, what 
       do you see?" I answered, "I see a stick of almond wood."

       (Jer 1:12 NCV)  The LORD said to me, "You have seen correctly, because 
       I am watching to make sure my words come true."

       (Jer 1:13 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me again: "What do you 
       see?" I answered, "I see a pot of boiling water, tipping over from the 
       north."

       (Jer 1:14 NCV)  The LORD said to me, "Disaster will come from the 
       north and strike all the people who live in this country.

       (Jer 1:15 NCV)  In a short time I will call all of the people in the 
       northern kingdoms," said the LORD. "Those kings will come and set up 
       their thrones near the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem. They will 
       attack all the city walls around Jerusalem and all the cities in 
       Judah.

       (Jer 1:16 NCV)  And I will announce my judgments against my people 
       because of their evil in turning away from me. They offered sacrifices 
       to other gods and worshiped idols they had made with their own hands.

       (Jer 1:17 NCV)  "Jeremiah, get ready. Stand up and tell them 
       everything I command you to say. Don't be afraid of the people, or I 
       will give you good reason to be afraid of them.






       (Jer 1:18 NCV)  Today I am going to make you a strong city, an iron 
       pillar, a bronze wall. You will be able to stand against everyone in 
       the land: Judah's kings, officers, priests, and the people of the 
       land.

       (Jer 1:19 NCV)  They will fight against you, but they will not defeat 
       you, because I am with you to protect you!" says the LORD.

       (Jer 2:1 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Jer 2:2 NCV)  "Go and speak to the people of Jerusalem, saying: This 
       is what the LORD says: 'I remember how faithful you were to me when 
       you were a young nation. You loved me like a young bride. You followed 
       me through the desert, a land that had never been planted.

       (Jer 2:3 NCV)  The people of Israel were holy to the LORD, like the 
       first fruits from his harvest. Those who tried to hurt Israel were 
       judged guilty. Disasters struck them,'" says the LORD.

       (Jer 2:4 NCV)  Hear the word of the LORD, family of Jacob, all you 
       family groups of Israel.

       (Jer 2:5 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "I was fair to your 
       ancestors, so why did they turn away from me? Your ancestors worshiped 
       useless idols and became useless themselves.

       (Jer 2:6 NCV)  Your ancestors didn't say, 'Where is the LORD who 
       brought us out of Egypt? He led us through the desert, through a dry 
       and rocky land, through a dark and dangerous land. He led us where no 
       one travels or lives.'

       (Jer 2:7 NCV)  I brought you into a fertile land so you could eat its 
       fruit and produce. But you came and made my land unclean; you made it 
       a hateful place.

       (Jer 2:8 NCV)  The priests didn't ask, 'Where is the LORD?' The people 
       who know the teachings didn't know me. The leaders turned against me. 
       The prophets prophesied in the name of Baal and worshiped useless 
       idols.

       (Jer 2:9 NCV)  "So now I will again tell what I have against you," 
       says the LORD. "And I will tell what I have against your 
       grandchildren.

       (Jer 2:10 NCV)  Go across the sea to the island of Cyprus and see. 
       Send someone to the land of Kedar to look closely. See if there has 
       ever been anything like this.

       (Jer 2:11 NCV)  Has a nation ever exchanged its gods? (Of course, its 
       gods are not really gods at all.) But my people have exchanged their 
       glorious God for idols worth nothing.

       (Jer 2:12 NCV)  Skies, be shocked at the things that have happened and 
       shake with great fear!" says the LORD.





       (Jer 2:13 NCV)  "My people have done two evils: They have turned away 
       from me, the spring of living water. And they have dug their own 
       wells, which are broken wells that cannot hold water.

       (Jer 2:14 NCV)  Have the people of Israel become slaves? Have they 
       become like someone who was born a slave? Why were they taken captive?

       (Jer 2:15 NCV)  Enemies have roared like lions at Israel; they have 
       growled at Israel. They have destroyed the land of Israel. The cities 
       of Israel lie in ruins, and all the people have left.

       (Jer 2:16 NCV)  The men from the cities of Memphis and Tahpanhes have 
       disgraced you by shaving the top of your head.

       (Jer 2:17 NCV)  Haven't you brought this on yourselves by turning away 
       from the LORD your God when he was leading you in the right way?

       (Jer 2:18 NCV)  It did not help to go to Egypt and drink from the 
       Shihor River. It did not help to go to Assyria and drink from the 
       Euphrates River.

       (Jer 2:19 NCV)  Your evil will bring punishment to you, and the wrong 
       you have done will teach you a lesson. Think about it and understand 
       that it is a terrible evil to turn away from the LORD your God. It is 
       wrong not to fear me," says the Lord GOD All-Powerful.

       (Jer 2:20 NCV)  "Long ago you refused to obey me as an ox breaks its 
       yoke. You broke the ropes I used to hold you and said, 'I will not 
       serve you!' In fact, on every high hill and under every green tree you 
       lay down as a prostitute.

       (Jer 2:21 NCV)  But I planted you as a special vine, as a very good 
       seed. How then did you turn into a wild vine that grows bad fruit?

       (Jer 2:22 NCV)  Although you wash yourself with cleanser and use much 
       soap, I can still see the stain of your guilt," says the Lord GOD.

       (Jer 2:23 NCV)  "How can you say to me, 'I am not guilty. I have not 
       worshiped the Baal idols'? Look at the things you did in the valley. 
       Think about what you have done. You are like a she-camel in mating 
       season that runs from place to place.

       (Jer 2:24 NCV)  You are like a wild donkey that lives in the desert 
       and sniffs the wind at mating time. At that time who can hold her 
       back? Any male who chases her will easily catch her; at mating time, 
       it is easy to find her.

       (Jer 2:25 NCV)  Don't run until your feet are bare or until your 
       throat is dry. But you say, 'It's no use! I love those other gods, and 
       I must chase them!'

       (Jer 2:26 NCV)  "A thief is ashamed when someone catches him stealing. 
       In the same way, the family of Israel is ashamed-- they, their kings, 
       their officers, their priests, and their prophets.

       (Jer 2:27 NCV)  They say to things of wood, 'You are my father,' and 





       to idols of stone, 'You gave birth to me.' Those people won't look at 
       me; they have turned their backs to me. But when they get into 
       trouble, they say, 'Come and save us!'

       (Jer 2:28 NCV)  Where are the idols you made for yourselves? Let them 
       come and save you when you are in trouble! People of Judah, you have 
       as many idols as you have towns!

       (Jer 2:29 NCV)  "Why do you complain to me? All of you have turned 
       against me," says the LORD.

       (Jer 2:30 NCV)  "I punished your people, but it did not help. They 
       didn't come back when they were punished. With your swords you killed 
       your prophets like a hungry lion.

       (Jer 2:31 NCV)  "People of Judah, pay attention to the word of the 
       LORD: Have I been like a desert to the people of Israel or like a dark 
       and dangerous land? Why do my people say, 'We are free to wander. We 
       won't come to you anymore'?

       (Jer 2:32 NCV)  A young woman does not forget her jewelry, and a bride 
       does not forget the decorations for her dress. But my people have 
       forgotten me for more days than can be counted.

       (Jer 2:33 NCV)  You really know how to chase after love. Even the 
       worst women can learn evil ways from you.

       (Jer 2:34 NCV)  Even on your clothes you have the blood of poor and 
       innocent people, but they weren't thieves you caught breaking in. You 
       do all these things,

       (Jer 2:35 NCV)  but you say, 'I am innocent. God is not angry with 
       me.' But I will judge you guilty of lying, because you say, 'I have 
       not sinned.'

       (Jer 2:36 NCV)  It is so easy for you to change your mind. Even Egypt 
       will let you down, as Assyria let you down.

       (Jer 2:37 NCV)  You will eventually leave that place with your hands 
       on your head, like captives. You trusted those countries, but you will 
       not be helped by them, because the LORD has rejected them.

       (Jer 3:1 NCV)  "If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him and 
       marries another man, should her first husband come back to her again? 
       If he went back to her, wouldn't the land become completely unclean? 
       But you have acted like a prostitute with many lovers, and now you 
       want to come back to me?" says the LORD.

       (Jer 3:2 NCV)  "Look up to the bare hilltops, Judah. Is there any 
       place where you have not been a prostitute? You have sat by the road 
       waiting for lovers, like an Arab in the desert. You made the land 
       unclean, because you did evil and were like a prostitute.

       (Jer 3:3 NCV)  So the rain has not come, and there have not been any 
       spring rains. But your face still looks like the face of a prostitute. 
       You refuse even to be ashamed of what you did.






       (Jer 3:4 NCV)  Now you are calling to me, 'My father, you have been my 
       friend since I was young.

       (Jer 3:5 NCV)  Will you always be angry at me? Will your anger last 
       forever?' Judah, you said this, but you did as much evil as you 
       could!"

       (Jer 3:6 NCV)  When King Josiah was ruling Judah, the LORD said to me, 
       "Did you see what unfaithful Israel did? She was like a prostitute 
       with her idols on every hill and under every green tree.

       (Jer 3:7 NCV)  I said to myself, 'Israel will come back to me after 
       she does this evil,' but she didn't come back. And Israel's wicked 
       sister Judah saw what she did.

       (Jer 3:8 NCV)  Judah saw that I divorced unfaithful Israel because of 
       her adultery, but that didn't make Israel's wicked sister Judah 
       afraid. She also went out and acted like a prostitute!

       (Jer 3:9 NCV)  And she didn't care that she was acting like a 
       prostitute. So she made her country unclean and was guilty of 
       adultery, because she worshiped idols made of stone and wood.

       (Jer 3:10 NCV)  Israel's wicked sister didn't even come back to me 
       with her whole heart, but only pretended," says the LORD.

       (Jer 3:11 NCV)  The LORD said to me, "Unfaithful Israel had a better 
       excuse than wicked Judah.

       (Jer 3:12 NCV)  Go and speak this message toward the north: 'Come 
       back, unfaithful people of Israel,' says the LORD. 'I will stop being 
       angry at you, because I am full of mercy,' says the LORD. 'I will not 
       be angry with you forever.

       (Jer 3:13 NCV)  All you have to do is admit your sin-- that you turned 
       against the LORD your God and worshiped gods under every green tree 
       and didn't obey me,'" says the LORD.

       (Jer 3:14 NCV)  "Come back to me, you unfaithful children," says the 
       LORD, "because I am your master. I will take one person from every 
       city and two from every family group, and I will bring you to 
       Jerusalem.

       (Jer 3:15 NCV)  Then I will give you new rulers who will be faithful 
       to me, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.

       (Jer 3:16 NCV)  In those days there will be many of you in the land," 
       says the LORD. "At that time people will no longer say, 'I remember 
       the Ark of the Agreement.' They won't think about it anymore or 
       remember it or miss it or make another one.

       (Jer 3:17 NCV)  At that time people will call Jerusalem The Throne of 
       the LORD, and all nations will come together in Jerusalem to show 
       respect to the LORD. They will not follow their stubborn, evil hearts 
       anymore.






       (Jer 3:18 NCV)  In those days the family of Judah will join the family 
       of Israel. They will come together from a land in the north to the 
       land I gave their ancestors.

       (Jer 3:19 NCV)  "I, the LORD, said, 'How happy I would be to treat you 
       as my own children and give you a pleasant land, a land more beautiful 
       than that of any other nation.' I thought you would call me 'My 
       Father' and not turn away from me.

       (Jer 3:20 NCV)  But like a woman who is unfaithful to her husband, 
       family of Israel, you have been unfaithful to me," says the LORD.

       (Jer 3:21 NCV)  You can hear crying on the bare hilltops. It is the 
       people of Israel crying and praying for mercy. They have become very 
       evil and have forgotten the LORD their God.

       (Jer 3:22 NCV)  "Come back to me, you unfaithful children, and I will 
       forgive you for being unfaithful." "Yes, we will come to you, because 
       you are the LORD our God.

       (Jer 3:23 NCV)  It was foolish to worship idols on the hills and on 
       the mountains. Surely the salvation of Israel comes from the LORD our 
       God.

       (Jer 3:24 NCV)  Since our youth, shameful gods have eaten up in 
       sacrifice everything our ancestors worked for-- their flocks and 
       herds, their sons and daughters.

       (Jer 3:25 NCV)  Let us lie down in our shame, and let our disgrace 
       cover us like a blanket. We have sinned against the LORD our God, both 
       we and our ancestors. From our youth until now, we have not obeyed the 
       LORD our God."

       (Jer 4:1 NCV)  "If you will return, Israel, then return to me," says 
       the LORD. "If you will throw away your idols that I hate, then don't 
       wander away from me.

       (Jer 4:2 NCV)  If you say when you make a promise, 'As surely as the 
       LORD lives,' and you can say it in a truthful, honest, and right way, 
       then the nations will be blessed by him, and they will praise him for 
       what he has done."

       (Jer 4:3 NCV)  This is what the LORD says to the people of Judah and 
       to Jerusalem: "Plow your unplowed fields, and don't plant seeds among 
       thorns.

       (Jer 4:4 NCV)  Give yourselves to the service of the LORD, and decide 
       to obey him, people of Judah and people of Jerusalem. If you don't, my 
       anger will spread among you like a fire, and no one will be able to 
       put it out, because of the evil you have done.

       (Jer 4:5 NCV)  "Announce this message in Judah and say it in 
       Jerusalem: 'Blow the trumpet throughout the country!' Shout out loud 
       and say, 'Come together! Let's all escape to the strong, walled 
       cities!'






       (Jer 4:6 NCV)  Raise the signal flag toward Jerusalem! Run for your 
       lives, and don't wait, because I am bringing disaster from the north. 
       There will be terrible destruction."

       (Jer 4:7 NCV)  A lion has come out of his den; a destroyer of nations 
       has begun to march. He has left his home to destroy your land. Your 
       towns will be destroyed with no one left to live in them.

       (Jer 4:8 NCV)  So put on rough cloth, show how sad you are, and cry 
       loudly. The terrible anger of the LORD has not turned away from us.

       (Jer 4:9 NCV)  "When this happens," says the LORD, "the king and 
       officers will lose their courage. The priests will be terribly afraid, 
       and the prophets will be shocked!"

       (Jer 4:10 NCV)  Then I said, "Lord GOD, you have tricked the people of 
       Judah and Jerusalem. You said, 'You will have peace,' but now the 
       sword is pointing at our throats!"

       (Jer 4:11 NCV)  At that time this message will be given to Judah and 
       Jerusalem: "A hot wind blows from the bare hilltops of the desert 
       toward the Lord's people. It is not a gentle wind to separate grain 
       from chaff.

       (Jer 4:12 NCV)  I feel a stronger wind than that. Now even I will 
       announce judgments against the people of Judah."

       (Jer 4:13 NCV)  Look! The enemy rises up like a cloud, and his 
       chariots come like a tornado. His horses are faster than eagles. How 
       terrible it will be for us! We are ruined!

       (Jer 4:14 NCV)  People of Jerusalem, clean the evil from your hearts 
       so that you can be saved. Don't continue making evil plans.

       (Jer 4:15 NCV)  A voice from Dan makes an announcement and brings bad 
       news from the mountains of Ephraim.

       (Jer 4:16 NCV)  "Report this to the nations. Spread this news in 
       Jerusalem: 'Invaders are coming from a faraway country, shouting words 
       of war against the cities of Judah.

       (Jer 4:17 NCV)  The enemy has surrounded Jerusalem as men guard a 
       field, because Judah turned against me,'" says the LORD.

       (Jer 4:18 NCV)  "The way you have lived and acted has brought this 
       trouble to you. This is your punishment. How terrible it is! The pain 
       stabs your heart!"

       (Jer 4:19 NCV)  Oh, how I hurt! How I hurt! I am bent over in pain. 
       Oh, the torture in my heart! My heart is pounding inside me. I cannot 
       keep quiet, because I have heard the sound of the trumpet. I have 
       heard the shouts of war.

       (Jer 4:20 NCV)  Disaster follows disaster; the whole country has been 
       destroyed. My tents are destroyed in only a moment. My curtains are 





       torn down quickly.

       (Jer 4:21 NCV)  How long must I look at the war flag? How long must I 
       listen to the war trumpet?

       (Jer 4:22 NCV)  The LORD says, "My people are foolish. They do not 
       know me. They are stupid children; they don't understand. They are 
       skillful at doing evil, but they don't know how to do good."

       (Jer 4:23 NCV)  I looked at the earth, and it was empty and had no 
       shape. I looked at the sky, and its light was gone.

       (Jer 4:24 NCV)  I looked at the mountains, and they were shaking. All 
       the hills were trembling.

       (Jer 4:25 NCV)  I looked, and there were no people. Every bird in the 
       sky had flown away.

       (Jer 4:26 NCV)  I looked, and the good, rich land had become a desert. 
       All its towns had been destroyed by the LORD and his great anger.

       (Jer 4:27 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "All the land will be 
       ruined, but I will not completely destroy it.

       (Jer 4:28 NCV)  So the people in the land will cry loudly, and the sky 
       will grow dark, because I have spoken and will not change my mind. I 
       have made a decision, and I will not change it."

       (Jer 4:29 NCV)  At the sound of the horsemen and the archers, all the 
       people in the towns run away. They hide in the thick bushes and climb 
       up into the rocks. All of the cities of Judah are empty; no one lives 
       in them.

       (Jer 4:30 NCV)  Judah, you destroyed nation, what are you doing? Why 
       do you put on your finest dress and decorate yourself with gold 
       jewelry? Why do you put color around your eyes? You make yourself 
       beautiful, but it is all useless. Your lovers hate you; they want to 
       kill you.

       (Jer 4:31 NCV)  I hear a cry like a woman having a baby, distress like 
       a woman having her first child. It is the sound of Jerusalem gasping 
       for breath. She lifts her hands in prayer and says, "Oh! I am about to 
       faint before my murderers!"

       (Jer 5:1 NCV)  The LORD says, "Walk up and down the streets of 
       Jerusalem. Look around and discover these things. Search the public 
       squares of the city. If you can find one person who does honest 
       things, who searches for the truth, I will forgive this city.

       (Jer 5:2 NCV)  Although the people say, 'As surely as the LORD lives!' 
       they don't really mean it."

       (Jer 5:3 NCV)  LORD, don't you look for truth in people? You struck 
       the people of Judah, but they didn't feel any pain. You crushed them, 
       but they refused to learn what is right. They became more stubborn 
       than a rock; they refused to turn back to God.






       (Jer 5:4 NCV)  But I thought, "These are only the poor, foolish 
       people. They have not learned the way of the LORD and what their God 
       wants them to do.

       (Jer 5:5 NCV)  So I will go to the leaders of Judah and talk to them. 
       Surely they understand the way of the LORD and know what God wants 
       them to do." But even the leaders had all joined together to break 
       away from the LORD; they had broken their ties with him.

       (Jer 5:6 NCV)  So a lion from the forest will attack them. A wolf from 
       the desert will kill them. A leopard is waiting for them near their 
       towns. It will tear to pieces anyone who comes out of the city, 
       because the people of Judah have sinned greatly. They have wandered 
       away from the LORD many times.

       (Jer 5:7 NCV)  The LORD said, "Tell me why I should forgive you. Your 
       children have left me and have made promises to idols that are not 
       gods at all. I gave your children everything they needed, but they 
       still were like an unfaithful wife to me. They spent much time in 
       houses of prostitutes.

       (Jer 5:8 NCV)  They are like well-fed horses filled with sexual 
       desire; each one wants another man's wife.

       (Jer 5:9 NCV)  Shouldn't I punish the people of Judah for doing these 
       things?" says the LORD. "Shouldn't I give a nation such as this the 
       punishment it deserves?

       (Jer 5:10 NCV)  "Go along and cut down Judah's vineyards, but do not 
       completely destroy them. Cut off all her people as if they were 
       branches, because they do not belong to the LORD.

       (Jer 5:11 NCV)  The families of Israel and Judah have been completely 
       unfaithful to me," says the LORD.

       (Jer 5:12 NCV)  Those people have lied about the LORD and said, "He 
       will not do anything to us! Nothing bad will happen to us! We will 
       never see war or hunger!

       (Jer 5:13 NCV)  The prophets are like an empty wind; the word of God 
       is not in them. Let the bad things they say happen to them."

       (Jer 5:14 NCV)  So this is what the LORD God All-Powerful says: "The 
       people said I would not punish them. So, the words I give you will be 
       like fire, and these people will be like wood that it burns up.

       (Jer 5:15 NCV)  Listen, family of Israel," says the LORD, "I will soon 
       bring a nation from far away to attack you. It is an old nation that 
       has lasted a long time. The people there speak a language you do not 
       know; you cannot understand what they say.

       (Jer 5:16 NCV)  Their arrows bring death. All their people are strong 
       warriors.

       (Jer 5:17 NCV)  They will eat your crops and your food. They will eat 





       your sons and daughters. They will eat your flocks and herds. They 
       will eat your grapes and figs. They will destroy with their swords the 
       strong, walled cities you trust.

       (Jer 5:18 NCV)  "Yet even then," says the LORD, "I will not destroy 
       you completely.

       (Jer 5:19 NCV)  When the people of Judah ask, 'Why has the LORD our 
       God done all these terrible things to us?' then give them this answer: 
       'You have left the LORD and served foreign idols in your own land. So 
       now you will serve foreigners in a land that does not belong to you.'

       (Jer 5:20 NCV)  "Announce this message to the family of Jacob, and 
       tell it to the nation of Judah:

       (Jer 5:21 NCV)  Hear this message, you foolish people who have no 
       sense. They have eyes, but they don't really see. They have ears, but 
       they don't really listen.

       (Jer 5:22 NCV)  Surely you are afraid of me," says the LORD. "You 
       should shake with fear in my presence. I am the one who made the 
       beaches to be a border for the sea, a border the water can never go 
       past. The waves may pound the beach, but they can't win over it. They 
       may roar, but they cannot go beyond it.

       (Jer 5:23 NCV)  But the people of Judah are stubborn and have turned 
       against me. They have turned aside and gone away from me.

       (Jer 5:24 NCV)  They do not say to themselves, 'We should fear the 
       LORD our God, who gives us autumn and spring rains in their seasons, 
       who makes sure we have the harvest at the right time.'

       (Jer 5:25 NCV)  But your evil has kept away both rain and harvest. 
       Your sins have kept you from enjoying good things.

       (Jer 5:26 NCV)  There are wicked men among my people. Like those who 
       make nets for catching birds, they set their traps to catch people.

       (Jer 5:27 NCV)  Like cages full of birds, their houses are full of 
       lies. They have become rich and powerful.

       (Jer 5:28 NCV)  They have grown big and fat. There is no end to the 
       evil things they do. They won't plead the case of the orphan or help 
       the poor be judged fairly.

       (Jer 5:29 NCV)  Shouldn't I punish the people of Judah for doing these 
       things?" says the LORD. "Shouldn't I give a nation such as this the 
       punishment it deserves?

       (Jer 5:30 NCV)  "A terrible and shocking thing has happened in the 
       land of Judah:

       (Jer 5:31 NCV)  The prophets speak lies, and the priests take power 
       into their own hands, and my people love it this way. But what will 
       you do when the end comes?





       (Jer 6:1 NCV)  "Run for your lives, people of Benjamin! Run away from 
       Jerusalem! Blow the war trumpet in the town of Tekoa! Raise the 
       warning flag over the town of Beth Hakkerem! Disaster is coming from 
       the north; terrible destruction is coming to you.

       (Jer 6:2 NCV)  Jerusalem, I will destroy you, you who are fragile and 
       gentle.

       (Jer 6:3 NCV)  Shepherds with their flocks will come against 
       Jerusalem. They will set up their tents all around her, each shepherd 
       taking care of his own section."

       (Jer 6:4 NCV)  They say, "Get ready to fight against Jerusalem! Get 
       up! We will attack at noon! But it is already getting late; the 
       evening shadows are growing long.

       (Jer 6:5 NCV)  So get up! We will attack at night. We will destroy the 
       strong towers of Jerusalem!"

       (Jer 6:6 NCV)  This is what the LORD All-Powerful says: "Cut down the 
       trees around Jerusalem, and build an attack ramp to the top of its 
       walls. This city must be punished. Inside it is nothing but slavery.

       (Jer 6:7 NCV)  Jerusalem pours out her evil as a well pours out its 
       water. The sounds of violence and destruction are heard within her. I 
       can see the sickness and hurts of Jerusalem.

       (Jer 6:8 NCV)  Listen to this warning, Jerusalem, or I will turn my 
       back on you and make your land an empty desert where no one can live."

       (Jer 6:9 NCV)  This is what the LORD All-Powerful says: "Gather the 
       few people of Israel who are left alive, as you would gather the last 
       grapes on a grapevine. Check each vine again, like someone who gathers 
       grapes."

       (Jer 6:10 NCV)  To whom can I speak? Whom can I warn? Who will listen 
       to me? The people of Israel have closed ears, so they cannot hear my 
       warnings. They don't like the word of the LORD; they don't want to 
       listen to it!

       (Jer 6:11 NCV)  But I am full of the anger of the LORD, and I am tired 
       of holding it in. "Pour out my anger on the children who play in the 
       street and on the young men gathered together. A husband and his wife 
       will both be caught in his anger, as will the very old.

       (Jer 6:12 NCV)  Their houses will be turned over to others, along with 
       their fields and wives, because I will raise my hand and punish the 
       people of Judah," says the LORD.

       (Jer 6:13 NCV)  "Everyone, from the least important to the greatest, 
       is greedy for money. Even the prophets and priests all tell lies.

       (Jer 6:14 NCV)  They tried to heal my people's serious injuries as if 
       they were small wounds. They said, 'It's all right, it's all right.' 
       But really, it is not all right.





       (Jer 6:15 NCV)  They should be ashamed of the terrible way they act, 
       but they are not ashamed at all. They don't even know how to blush 
       about their sins. So they will fall, along with everyone else. They 
       will be thrown to the ground when I punish them," says the LORD.

       (Jer 6:16 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "Stand where the roads 
       cross and look. Ask where the old way is, where the good way is, and 
       walk on it. If you do, you will find rest for yourselves. But they 
       have said, 'We will not walk on the good way.'

       (Jer 6:17 NCV)  I set watchmen over you and told you, 'Listen for the 
       sound of the war trumpet!' But they said, 'We will not listen.'

       (Jer 6:18 NCV)  So listen, all you nations, and pay attention, you 
       witnesses. Watch what I will do to the people of Judah.

       (Jer 6:19 NCV)  Hear this, people of the earth: I am going to bring 
       disaster to the people of Judah because of the evil they plan. They 
       have not listened to my messages and have rejected my teachings.

       (Jer 6:20 NCV)  Why do you bring me offerings of incense from the land 
       of Sheba? Why do you bring me sweet-smelling cane from a faraway land? 
       Your burnt offerings will not be accepted; your sacrifices do not 
       please me."

       (Jer 6:21 NCV)  So this is what the LORD says: "I will put problems in 
       front of Judah. Fathers and sons will stumble over them together. 
       Neighbors and friends will die."

       (Jer 6:22 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "Look, an army is coming 
       from the land of the north; a great nation is coming from the far 
       sides of the earth.

       (Jer 6:23 NCV)  The soldiers carry bows and spears. They are cruel and 
       show no mercy. They sound like the roaring ocean when they ride their 
       horses. That army is coming lined up for battle, ready to attack you, 
       Jerusalem."

       (Jer 6:24 NCV)  We have heard the news about that army and are 
       helpless from fear. We are gripped by our pain, like a woman having a 
       baby.

       (Jer 6:25 NCV)  Don't go out into the fields or walk down the roads, 
       because the enemy has swords. There is terror on every side.

       (Jer 6:26 NCV)  My people, put on rough cloth and roll in the ashes to 
       show how sad you are. Cry loudly for those who are dead, as if your 
       only son were dead, because the destroyer will soon come against us.

       (Jer 6:27 NCV)  "Jeremiah, I have made you like a worker who tests 
       metal, and my people are like the ore. You must observe their ways and 
       test them.

       (Jer 6:28 NCV)  All my people have turned against me and are stubborn. 
       They go around telling lies about others. They are like bronze and 
       iron that became covered with rust. They all act dishonestly.






       (Jer 6:29 NCV)  The fire is fanned to make it hotter, but the lead 
       does not melt. The pure metal does not come out; the evil is not 
       removed from my people.

       (Jer 6:30 NCV)  My people will be called rejected silver, because the 
       LORD has rejected them."

       (Jer 7:1 NCV)  This is the word that the LORD spoke to Jeremiah:

       (Jer 7:2 NCV)  "Stand at the gate of the Temple and preach this 
       message there: "'Hear the word of the LORD, all you people of the 
       nation of Judah! All you who come through these gates to worship the 
       LORD, listen to this message!

       (Jer 7:3 NCV)  This is what the LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel, 
       says: Change your lives and do what is right! Then I will let you live 
       in this place.

       (Jer 7:4 NCV)  Don't trust the lies of people who say, "This is the 
       Temple of the LORD. This is the Temple of the LORD. This is the Temple 
       of the LORD!"

       (Jer 7:5 NCV)  You must change your lives and do what is right. Be 
       fair to each other.

       (Jer 7:6 NCV)  You must not be hard on strangers, orphans, and widows. 
       Don't kill innocent people in this place! Don't follow other gods, or 
       they will ruin your lives.

       (Jer 7:7 NCV)  If you do these things, I will let you live in this 
       land that I gave to your ancestors to keep forever.

       (Jer 7:8 NCV)  "'But look, you are trusting lies, which is useless.

       (Jer 7:9 NCV)  Will you steal and murder and be guilty of adultery? 
       Will you falsely accuse other people? Will you burn incense to the god 
       Baal and follow other gods you have not known?

       (Jer 7:10 NCV)  If you do that, do you think you can come before me 
       and stand in this place where I have chosen to be worshiped? Do you 
       think you can say, "We are safe!" when you do all these hateful 
       things?

       (Jer 7:11 NCV)  This place where I have chosen to be worshiped is 
       nothing more to you than a hideout for robbers. I have been watching 
       you, says the LORD.

       (Jer 7:12 NCV)  "'You people of Judah, go now to the town of Shiloh, 
       where I first made a place to be worshiped. See what I did to it 
       because of the evil things the people of Israel had done.

       (Jer 7:13 NCV)  You people of Judah have done all these evil things 
       too, says the LORD. I spoke to you again and again, but you did not 
       listen to me. I called you, but you did not answer.





       (Jer 7:14 NCV)  So I will destroy the place where I have chosen to be 
       worshiped in Jerusalem. You trust in that place, which I gave to you 
       and your ancestors, but I will destroy it just as I destroyed Shiloh.

       (Jer 7:15 NCV)  I will push you away from me just as I pushed away 
       your relatives, the people of Israel!'

       (Jer 7:16 NCV)  "As for you, Jeremiah, don't pray for these people. 
       Don't cry out for them or ask anything for them or beg me to help 
       them, because I will not listen to you.

       (Jer 7:17 NCV)  Don't you see what they are doing in the towns of 
       Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?

       (Jer 7:18 NCV)  The children gather wood, and the fathers use the wood 
       to make a fire. The women make the dough for cakes of bread, and they 
       offer them to the Queen Goddess. They pour out drink offerings to 
       other gods to make me angry.

       (Jer 7:19 NCV)  But I am not the one the people of Judah are really 
       hurting, says the LORD. They are only hurting themselves and bringing 
       shame upon themselves.

       (Jer 7:20 NCV)  "'So this is what the Lord GOD says: I will pour out 
       my anger on this place, on people and animals, on the trees in the 
       field and the crops in the ground. My anger will be like a hot fire 
       that no one can put out.

       (Jer 7:21 NCV)  "'This is what the LORD All-Powerful, the God of 
       Israel, says: Offer burnt offerings along with your other sacrifices, 
       and eat the meat yourselves!

       (Jer 7:22 NCV)  When I brought your ancestors out of Egypt, I did not 
       speak to them and give them commands only about burnt offerings and 
       sacrifices.

       (Jer 7:23 NCV)  I also gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be 
       your God and you will be my people. Do all that I command so that good 
       things will happen to you.

       (Jer 7:24 NCV)  But your ancestors did not listen or pay attention to 
       me. They were stubborn and did whatever their evil hearts wanted. They 
       went backward, not forward.

       (Jer 7:25 NCV)  Since the day your ancestors left Egypt, I have sent 
       my servants, the prophets, again and again to you.

       (Jer 7:26 NCV)  But your ancestors did not listen or pay attention to 
       me. They were very stubborn and did more evil than their ancestors.'

       (Jer 7:27 NCV)  "Jeremiah, you will tell all these things to the 
       people of Judah, but they will not listen to you. You will call to 
       them, but they will not answer you.

       (Jer 7:28 NCV)  So say to them, 'This is the nation that has not 
       obeyed the LORD its God. These people do nothing when I correct them. 





       They do not tell the truth; it has disappeared from their lips.

       (Jer 7:29 NCV)  "'Cut off your hair and throw it away. Go up to the 
       bare hilltop and cry out, because the LORD has rejected these people. 
       He has turned his back on them, and in his anger will punish them.

       (Jer 7:30 NCV)  The people of Judah have done what I said was evil, 
       says the LORD. They have set up their hateful idols in the place where 
       I have chosen to be worshiped and have made it unclean.

       (Jer 7:31 NCV)  The people of Judah have built places of worship at 
       Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom. There they burned their own sons 
       and daughters as sacrifices, something I never commanded. It never 
       even entered my mind.

       (Jer 7:32 NCV)  So, I warn you. The days are coming, says the LORD, 
       when people will not call this place Topheth or the Valley of Ben 
       Hinnom anymore. They will call it the Valley of Killing. They will 
       bury the dead in Topheth until there is no room to bury anyone else.

       (Jer 7:33 NCV)  Then the bodies of the dead will become food for the 
       birds of the sky and for the wild animals. There will be no one left 
       alive to chase them away.

       (Jer 7:34 NCV)  I will end the happy sounds of the bride and 
       bridegroom. There will be no happy sounds in the cities of Judah or in 
       the streets of Jerusalem, because the land will become an empty 
       desert!

       (Jer 8:1 NCV)  "'The LORD says: At that time they will remove from 
       their tombs the bones of Judah's kings and officers, priests and 
       prophets, and the people of Jerusalem.

       (Jer 8:2 NCV)  The bones will be spread on the ground under the sun, 
       moon, and stars that the people loved and served and went after and 
       searched for and worshiped. No one will gather up the bones and bury 
       them. So they will be like dung thrown on the ground.

       (Jer 8:3 NCV)  I will force the people of Judah to leave their homes 
       and their land. Those of this evil family who are not dead will wish 
       they were, says the LORD All-Powerful.'

       (Jer 8:4 NCV)  "Say to the people of Judah: 'This is what the LORD 
       says: When people fall down, don't they get up again? And when someone 
       goes the wrong way, doesn't he turn back?

       (Jer 8:5 NCV)  Why, then, have the people of Jerusalem gone the wrong 
       way and not turned back? They believe their own lies and refuse to 
       turn around and come back.

       (Jer 8:6 NCV)  I have listened to them very carefully, but they do not 
       say what is right. They do not feel sorry about their wicked ways, 
       saying, "What have I done?" Each person goes his own way, like a horse 
       charging into a battle.

       (Jer 8:7 NCV)  Even the birds in the sky know the right times to do 





       things. The storks, doves, swifts, and thrushes know when it is time 
       to migrate. But my people don't know what the LORD wants them to do.

       (Jer 8:8 NCV)  "'You keep saying, "We are wise, because we have the 
       teachings of the LORD." But actually, those who explain the Scriptures 
       have written lies with their pens.

       (Jer 8:9 NCV)  These wise men refused to listen to the word of the 
       LORD, so they are not really wise at all. They will be ashamed. They 
       will be shocked and trapped.

       (Jer 8:10 NCV)  So I will give their wives to other men and their 
       fields to new owners. Everyone, from the least important to the 
       greatest, is greedy for money. Even the prophets and priests all tell 
       lies.

       (Jer 8:11 NCV)  They tried to heal my people's serious injuries as if 
       they were small wounds. They said, "It's all right, it's all right." 
       But really, it is not all right.

       (Jer 8:12 NCV)  They should be ashamed of the terrible way they act, 
       but they are not ashamed at all. They don't even know how to blush 
       about their sins. So they will fall, along with everyone else. They 
       will be thrown to the ground when I punish them, says the LORD.

       (Jer 8:13 NCV)  "'I will take away their crops, says the LORD. There 
       will be no grapes on the vine and no figs on the fig tree. Even the 
       leaves will dry up and die. I will take away what I gave them.'"

       (Jer 8:14 NCV)  "Why are we just sitting here? Let's get together! We 
       have sinned against the LORD, so he has given us poisoned water to 
       drink. Come, let's run to the strong, walled cities. The LORD our God 
       has decided that we must die, so let's die there.

       (Jer 8:15 NCV)  We hoped to have peace, but nothing good has come. We 
       hoped for a time when he would heal us, but only terror has come.

       (Jer 8:16 NCV)  From the land of Dan, the snorting of the enemy's 
       horses is heard. The ground shakes from the neighing of their large 
       horses. They have come and destroyed the land and everything in it, 
       the city and all who live there."

       (Jer 8:17 NCV)  "Look! I am sending poisonous snakes to attack you. 
       These snakes cannot be charmed, and they will bite you," says the 
       LORD.

       (Jer 8:18 NCV)  God, you are my comfort when I am very sad and when I 
       am afraid.

       (Jer 8:19 NCV)  Listen to the sound of my people. They cry from a 
       faraway land: "Isn't the LORD still in Jerusalem? Isn't Jerusalem's 
       king still there?" But God says, "Why did the people make me angry by 
       worshiping idols, useless foreign idols?"

       (Jer 8:20 NCV)  And the people say, "Harvest time is over; summer has 
       ended, and we have not been saved."






       (Jer 8:21 NCV)  Because my people are crushed, I am crushed. I cry 
       loudly and am afraid for them.

       (Jer 8:22 NCV)  Isn't there balm in the land of Gilead? Isn't there a 
       doctor there? So why aren't the hurts of my people healed?

       (Jer 9:1 NCV)  I wish my head were like a spring of water and my eyes 
       like a fountain of tears! Then I could cry day and night for my people 
       who have been killed.

       (Jer 9:2 NCV)  I wish I had a place in the desert-- a house where 
       travelers spend the night-- so I could leave my people. I could go 
       away from them, because they are all unfaithful to God; they are all 
       turning against him.

       (Jer 9:3 NCV)  "They use their tongues like a bow, shooting lies from 
       their mouths like arrows. Lies, not truth, have grown strong in the 
       land. They go from one evil thing to another. They do not know who I 
       am," says the LORD.

       (Jer 9:4 NCV)  "Watch out for your friends, and don't trust your own 
       relatives, because every relative is a cheater, and every friend tells 
       lies about you.

       (Jer 9:5 NCV)  Everyone lies to his friend, and no one speaks the 
       truth. The people of Judah have taught their tongues to lie. They have 
       become tired from sinning.

       (Jer 9:6 NCV)  Jeremiah, you live in the middle of lies. With their 
       lies the people refuse to know me," says the LORD.

       (Jer 9:7 NCV)  So this is what the LORD All-Powerful says: "I will 
       test the people of Judah as a person tests metal in a fire. I have no 
       other choice, because my people have sinned.

       (Jer 9:8 NCV)  Their tongues are like sharp arrows. Their mouths speak 
       lies. Everyone speaks nicely to his neighbor, but he is secretly 
       planning to attack him.

       (Jer 9:9 NCV)  Shouldn't I punish the people for doing this?" says the 
       LORD. "Shouldn't I give a nation like this the punishment it 
       deserves?"

       (Jer 9:10 NCV)  I, Jeremiah, will cry loudly for the mountains and 
       sing a funeral song for the empty fields. They are empty, and no one 
       passes through. The mooing of cattle cannot be heard. The birds have 
       flown away, and the animals are gone.

       (Jer 9:11 NCV)  "I, the LORD, will make the city of Jerusalem a heap 
       of ruins, a home for wild dogs. I will destroy the cities of Judah so 
       no one can live there."

       (Jer 9:12 NCV)  What person is wise enough to understand these things? 
       Is there someone who has been taught by the LORD who can explain them? 
       Why was the land ruined? Why has it been made like an empty desert 





       where no one goes?

       (Jer 9:13 NCV)  The LORD answered, "It is because Judah quit following 
       my teachings that I gave them. They have not obeyed me or done what I 
       told them to do.

       (Jer 9:14 NCV)  Instead, they were stubborn and followed the Baals, as 
       their ancestors taught them to do.

       (Jer 9:15 NCV)  So this is what the LORD All-Powerful, the God of 
       Israel, says: "I will soon make the people of Judah eat bitter food 
       and drink poisoned water.

       (Jer 9:16 NCV)  I will scatter them through other nations that they 
       and their ancestors never knew about. I will chase the people of Judah 
       with the sword until they are all killed."

       (Jer 9:17 NCV)  This is what the LORD All-Powerful says: "Now, think 
       about these things! Call for the women who cry at funerals to come. 
       Send for those women who are good at that job.

       (Jer 9:18 NCV)  Let them come quickly and cry loudly for us. Then our 
       eyes will fill with tears, and streams of water will flow from our 
       eyelids.

       (Jer 9:19 NCV)  The sound of loud crying is heard from Jerusalem: 'We 
       are truly ruined! We are truly ashamed! We must leave our land, 
       because our houses are in ruins.'"

       (Jer 9:20 NCV)  Now, women of Judah, listen to the word of the LORD; 
       open your ears to hear the words of his mouth. Teach your daughters 
       how to cry loudly. Teach one another a funeral song.

       (Jer 9:21 NCV)  Death has climbed in through our windows and has 
       entered our strong cities. Death has taken away our children who play 
       in the streets and the young men who meet in the city squares.

       (Jer 9:22 NCV)  Say, "This is what the LORD says: 'The dead bodies of 
       people will lie in the open field like dung. They will lie like grain 
       a farmer has cut, but there will be no one to gather them.'"

       (Jer 9:23 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "The wise must not brag 
       about their wisdom. The strong must not brag about their strength. The 
       rich must not brag about their money.

       (Jer 9:24 NCV)  But if someone wants to brag, let him brag that he 
       understands and knows me. Let him brag that I am the LORD, and that I 
       am kind and fair, and that I do things that are right on earth. This 
       kind of bragging pleases me," says the LORD.

       (Jer 9:25 NCV)  The LORD says, "The time is coming when I will punish 
       all those who are circumcised only in the flesh:

       (Jer 9:26 NCV)  the people of Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, Moab, and the 
       desert people who cut their hair short. The men in all those countries 
       are not circumcised. And the whole family of Israel does not give 





       itself to serving me."

       (Jer 10:1 NCV)  Family of Israel, listen to what the LORD says to you.

       (Jer 10:2 NCV)  This is what he says: "Don't live like the people from 
       other nations, and don't be afraid of special signs in the sky, even 
       though the other nations are afraid of them.

       (Jer 10:3 NCV)  The customs of other people are worth nothing. Their 
       idols are just wood cut from the forest, shaped by a worker with his 
       chisel.

       (Jer 10:4 NCV)  They decorate their idols with silver and gold. With 
       hammers and nails they fasten them down so they won't fall over.

       (Jer 10:5 NCV)  Their idols are like scarecrows in melon fields; they 
       cannot talk. Since they cannot walk, they must be carried. Do not be 
       afraid of those idols, because they can't hurt you, and they can't 
       help you either."

       (Jer 10:6 NCV)  LORD, there is no one like you. You are great, and 
       your name is great and powerful.

       (Jer 10:7 NCV)  Everyone should respect you, King of the nations; you 
       deserve respect. Of all the wise people among the nations and in all 
       the kingdoms, none of them is as wise as you.

       (Jer 10:8 NCV)  Those wise people are stupid and foolish. Their 
       teachings come from worthless wooden idols.

       (Jer 10:9 NCV)  Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish and gold from 
       Uphaz, so the idols are made by craftsmen and goldsmiths. They put 
       blue and purple clothes on the idols. All these things are made by 
       skilled workers.

       (Jer 10:10 NCV)  But the LORD is the only true God. He is the only 
       living God, the King forever. The earth shakes when he is angry, and 
       the nations cannot stand up to his anger.

       (Jer 10:11 NCV)  "Tell them this message: 'These gods did not make 
       heaven and earth; they will be destroyed and disappear from heaven and 
       earth.'"

       (Jer 10:12 NCV)  God made the earth by his power. He used his wisdom 
       to build the world and his understanding to stretch out the skies.

       (Jer 10:13 NCV)  When he thunders, the waters in the skies roar. He 
       makes clouds rise in the sky all over the earth. He sends lightning 
       with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

       (Jer 10:14 NCV)  People are so stupid and know so little. Goldsmiths 
       are made ashamed by their idols, because those statues are only false 
       gods. They have no breath in them.

       (Jer 10:15 NCV)  They are worth nothing; people make fun of them. When 
       they are judged, they will be destroyed.






       (Jer 10:16 NCV)  But God, who is Jacob's Portion, is not like the 
       idols. He made everything, and he chose Israel to be his special 
       people. The LORD All-Powerful is his name.

       (Jer 10:17 NCV)  Get everything you own and prepare to leave, you 
       people who are trapped by your enemies.

       (Jer 10:18 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "At this time I will 
       throw out the people who live in this land. I will bring trouble to 
       them so that they may be captured."

       (Jer 10:19 NCV)  How terrible it will be for me because of my injury. 
       My wound cannot be healed. Yet I told myself, "This is my sickness; I 
       must suffer through it."

       (Jer 10:20 NCV)  My tent is ruined, and all its ropes are broken. My 
       children have gone away and left me. No one is left to put up my tent 
       again or to set up a shelter for me.

       (Jer 10:21 NCV)  The shepherds are stupid and don't ask the LORD for 
       advice. So they do not have success, and all their flocks are 
       scattered and lost.

       (Jer 10:22 NCV)  Listen! The news is coming. A loud noise comes from 
       the north to make the towns of Judah an empty desert and a home for 
       wild dogs!

       (Jer 10:23 NCV)  LORD, I know that a person's life doesn't really 
       belong to him. No one can control his own life.

       (Jer 10:24 NCV)  LORD, correct me, but be fair. Don't punish me in 
       your anger, or you will destroy me.

       (Jer 10:25 NCV)  Pour out your anger on other nations that do not know 
       you and do not pray to you. Those nations have destroyed Jacob's 
       family. They have eaten him up completely and destroyed his homeland.

       (Jer 11:1 NCV)  These are the words that the LORD spoke to Jeremiah:

       (Jer 11:2 NCV)  "Listen to the words of this agreement and tell them 
       to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem.

       (Jer 11:3 NCV)  Tell them this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, 
       says: 'Cursed is the person who does not obey the words of this 
       agreement

       (Jer 11:4 NCV)  that I made with your ancestors when I brought them 
       out of Egypt. Egypt was like a furnace for melting iron!' I told them, 
       'Obey me and do everything I command you. Then you will be my people, 
       and I will be your God.

       (Jer 11:5 NCV)  Then I will keep the promise I made to your ancestors 
       to give them a fertile land.' And you are living in that country 
       today." I answered, "Amen, LORD."





       (Jer 11:6 NCV)  The LORD said to me, "Announce this message in the 
       towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: 'Listen to the words 
       of this agreement and obey them.

       (Jer 11:7 NCV)  I warned your ancestors to obey me when I brought them 
       out of Egypt. I have warned them again and again to this very day: 
       "Obey me!"

       (Jer 11:8 NCV)  But your ancestors did not listen to me. They were 
       stubborn and did what their own evil hearts wanted. So I made all the 
       curses of this agreement come upon them. I commanded them to obey the 
       agreement, but they did not.'"

       (Jer 11:9 NCV)  Then the LORD said to me, "I know the people of Judah 
       and those living in Jerusalem have made secret plans.

       (Jer 11:10 NCV)  They have gone back to the same sins their ancestors 
       did. Their ancestors refused to listen to my message and followed and 
       worshiped other gods instead. The families of Israel and Judah have 
       broken the agreement I made with their ancestors.

       (Jer 11:11 NCV)  So this is what the LORD says: 'I will soon bring a 
       disaster on the people of Judah which they will not be able to escape. 
       They will cry to me for help, but I will not listen to them.

       (Jer 11:12 NCV)  The people living in the towns of Judah and the city 
       of Jerusalem will pray to their idols to whom they burn incense. But 
       those idols will not be able to help when disaster comes.

       (Jer 11:13 NCV)  Look, people of Judah, you have as many idols as 
       there are towns in Judah. You have built as many altars to burn 
       incense to that shameful god Baal as there are streets in Jerusalem.'

       (Jer 11:14 NCV)  "As for you, Jeremiah, don't pray for these people or 
       cry out for them or ask anything for them. I will not listen when they 
       call to me in the time of their trouble.

       (Jer 11:15 NCV)  "What is my beloved Judah doing in my Temple when she 
       makes many evil plans? Do you think animal sacrifices will stop your 
       punishment? When you do your evil, then you are happy."

       (Jer 11:16 NCV)  The LORD called you "a leafy olive tree, with 
       beautiful fruit and shape." But with the roar of a strong storm he 
       will set that tree on fire, and its branches will be burned up.

       (Jer 11:17 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful, who planted you, has announced 
       that disaster will come to you. This is because the families of Israel 
       and Judah have done evil and have made him angry by burning incense to 
       Baal.

       (Jer 11:18 NCV)  The LORD showed me that men were making plans against 
       me. Because he showed me what they were doing, I knew they were 
       against me.

       (Jer 11:19 NCV)  Before this, I was like a gentle lamb waiting to be 
       butchered. I did not know they had made plans against me, saying: "Let 





       us destroy the tree and its fruit. Let's kill him so people will 
       forget him."

       (Jer 11:20 NCV)  But, LORD All-Powerful, you are a fair judge. You 
       know how to test peoples' hearts and minds. I have told you what I 
       have against them. So let me see you give them the punishment they 
       deserve.

       (Jer 11:21 NCV)  So the LORD speaks about the men from Anathoth who 
       plan to kill Jeremiah and say, "Don't prophesy in the name of the 
       LORD, or we will kill you!"

       (Jer 11:22 NCV)  So this is what the LORD All-Powerful says: "I will 
       soon punish the men from Anathoth. Their young men will die in war. 
       Their sons and daughters will die from hunger.

       (Jer 11:23 NCV)  No one from the city of Anathoth will be left alive, 
       because I will cause a disaster to happen to them that year."

       (Jer 12:1 NCV)  LORD, when I bring my case to you, you are always 
       right. But I want to ask you about the justice you give. Why are evil 
       people successful? Why do dishonest people have such easy lives?

       (Jer 12:2 NCV)  You have put the evil people here like plants with 
       strong roots. They grow and produce fruit. With their mouths they 
       speak well of you, but their hearts are really far away from you.

       (Jer 12:3 NCV)  But you know my heart, LORD. You see me and test my 
       thoughts about you. Drag the evil people away like sheep to be 
       butchered. Set them aside for the day of killing.

       (Jer 12:4 NCV)  How much longer will the land stay dried up and the 
       grass in every field be dead? The animals and birds in the land have 
       died, because the people are evil. Yes, they are even saying, "God 
       does not see what happens to us."

       (Jer 12:5 NCV)  "If you get tired while racing against people, how can 
       you race against horses? If you stumble in a country that is safe, 
       what will you do in the thick thornbushes along the Jordan River?

       (Jer 12:6 NCV)  Even your own brothers and members of your own family 
       are making plans against you. They are crying out against you. Don't 
       trust them, even when they say nice things to you!

       (Jer 12:7 NCV)  "I have left Israel; I have left my people. I have 
       given the people I love over to their enemies.

       (Jer 12:8 NCV)  My people have become to me like a lion in the forest. 
       They roar at me, so I hate them.

       (Jer 12:9 NCV)  My people have become to me like a speckled bird 
       attacked on all sides by hawks. Go, gather the wild animals. Bring 
       them to get something to eat.

       (Jer 12:10 NCV)  Many shepherds have ruined my vineyards and trampled 
       the plants in my field. They have turned my beautiful field into an 





       empty desert.

       (Jer 12:11 NCV)  They have turned my field into a desert that is 
       wilted and dead. The whole country is an empty desert, because no one 
       who lives there cares.

       (Jer 12:12 NCV)  Many soldiers have marched over those barren hills. 
       The LORD is using the armies to punish that land from one end to the 
       other. No one is safe.

       (Jer 12:13 NCV)  The people have planted wheat, but they have 
       harvested only thorns. They have worked hard until they were very 
       tired, but they have nothing for all their work. They are ashamed of 
       their poor harvest, because the Lord's terrible anger has caused 
       this."

       (Jer 12:14 NCV)  This is what the LORD said to me: "Here is what I 
       will do to all my wicked neighbors who take the land I gave my people 
       Israel. I will pull them up and throw them out of their land. And I 
       will pull up the people of Judah from among them.

       (Jer 12:15 NCV)  But after I pull them up, I will feel sorry for them 
       again. I will bring each person back to his own property and to his 
       own land.

       (Jer 12:16 NCV)  I want them to learn their lessons well. In the past 
       they taught my people to swear by Baal's name. But if they will now 
       learn to swear by my name, saying 'As surely as the LORD lives . 
       . .' I will allow them to rebuild among my people.

       (Jer 12:17 NCV)  But if a nation will not listen to my message, I will 
       pull it up completely and destroy it," says the LORD.

       (Jer 13:1 NCV)  This is what the LORD said to me: "Go and buy a linen 
       belt and put it around your waist. Don't let the belt get wet."

       (Jer 13:2 NCV)  So I bought a linen belt, just as the LORD told me, 
       and put it around my waist.

       (Jer 13:3 NCV)  Then the LORD spoke his word to me a second time:

       (Jer 13:4 NCV)  "Take the belt you bought and are wearing, and go to 
       Perath. Hide the belt there in a crack in the rocks."

       (Jer 13:5 NCV)  So I went to Perath and hid the belt there, just as 
       the LORD told me.

       (Jer 13:6 NCV)  Many days later the LORD said to me, "Now go to Perath 
       and get the belt I told you to hide there."

       (Jer 13:7 NCV)  So I went to Perath and dug up the belt and took it 
       from where I had hidden it. But now it was ruined; it was good for 
       nothing.

       (Jer 13:8 NCV)  Then the LORD spoke his word to me.





       (Jer 13:9 NCV)  This is what the LORD said: "In the same way I will 
       ruin the pride of the people of Judah and the great pride of 
       Jerusalem.

       (Jer 13:10 NCV)  These evil people refuse to listen to my warnings. 
       They stubbornly do only what they want to do, and they follow other 
       gods to serve and worship them. So they will become like this linen 
       belt--good for nothing.

       (Jer 13:11 NCV)  As a belt is wrapped tightly around a person's waist, 
       I wrapped the families of Israel and Judah around me," says the LORD. 
       "I did that so they would be my people and bring fame, praise, and 
       honor to me. But my people would not listen.

       (Jer 13:12 NCV)  "Say to them: 'This is what the LORD, the God of 
       Israel, says: All leather bags for holding wine should be filled with 
       wine.' People will say to you: 'Of course, we know all wine bags 
       should be filled with wine.'

       (Jer 13:13 NCV)  Then you will say to them, 'This is what the LORD 
       says: I will make everyone in this land like a drunken person--the 
       kings who sit on David's throne, the priests and the prophets, and all 
       the people who live in Jerusalem.

       (Jer 13:14 NCV)  I will make them smash against one another, fathers 
       and sons alike, says the LORD. I will not feel sorry or have pity on 
       them or show mercy that would stop me from destroying them.'"

       (Jer 13:15 NCV)  Listen and pay attention. Don't be too proud, because 
       the LORD has spoken to you.

       (Jer 13:16 NCV)  Give glory to the LORD your God before he brings 
       darkness and before you slip and fall on the dark hills. You hope for 
       light, but he will turn it into thick darkness; he will change it into 
       deep gloom.

       (Jer 13:17 NCV)  If you don't listen to him, I will cry secretly 
       because of your pride. I will cry painfully, and my eyes will overflow 
       with tears, because the Lord's people will be captured.

       (Jer 13:18 NCV)  Tell this to the king and the queen mother: "Come 
       down from your thrones, because your beautiful crowns have fallen from 
       your heads."

       (Jer 13:19 NCV)  The cities of southern Judah are locked up, and no 
       one can open them. All Judah will be taken as captives to a foreign 
       land; they will be carried away completely.

       (Jer 13:20 NCV)  Jerusalem, look up and see the people coming from the 
       north. Where is the flock God gave you to care for, the flock you 
       bragged about?

       (Jer 13:21 NCV)  What will you say when they appoint as your heads 
       those you had thought were your friends? Won't you have much pain and 
       trouble, like a woman giving birth to a baby?





       (Jer 13:22 NCV)  You might ask yourself, "Why has this happened to 
       me?" It happened because of your many sins. Because of your sins, your 
       skirt was torn off and your body has been treated badly.

       (Jer 13:23 NCV)  Can a person from Cush change the color of his skin? 
       Can a leopard change his spots? In the same way, Jerusalem, you cannot 
       change and do good, because you are accustomed to doing evil.

       (Jer 13:24 NCV)  "I will scatter you like chaff that is blown away by 
       the desert wind.

       (Jer 13:25 NCV)  This is what will happen to you; this is your part in 
       my plans," says the LORD. "Because you forgot me and trusted in false 
       gods,

       (Jer 13:26 NCV)  I will pull your skirts up over your face so everyone 
       will see your shame.

       (Jer 13:27 NCV)  I have seen the terrible things you have done: your 
       acts of adultery and your snorting, your prostitution, your hateful 
       acts on the hills and in the fields. How terrible it will be for you, 
       Jerusalem. How long will you continue being unclean?"

       (Jer 14:1 NCV)  These are the words that the LORD spoke to Jeremiah 
       about the time when there was no rain:

       (Jer 14:2 NCV)  "The nation of Judah cries as if someone has died, and 
       her cities are very sad. They are distressed over the land. A cry goes 
       up to God from Jerusalem.

       (Jer 14:3 NCV)  The important men send their servants to get water. 
       They go to the wells, but they find no water. So they return with 
       empty jars. They are ashamed and embarrassed and cover their heads in 
       shame.

       (Jer 14:4 NCV)  The ground is dry and cracked open, because no rain 
       falls on the land. The farmers are upset and sad, so they cover their 
       heads in shame.

       (Jer 14:5 NCV)  Even the mother deer in the field leaves her newborn 
       fawn to die, because there is no grass.

       (Jer 14:6 NCV)  Wild donkeys stand on the bare hills and sniff the 
       wind like wild dogs. But their eyes go blind, because there is no 
       food."

       (Jer 14:7 NCV)  We know that we suffer because of our sins. LORD, do 
       something to help us for the good of your name. We have left you many 
       times; we have sinned against you.

       (Jer 14:8 NCV)  God, the Hope of Israel, you have saved Israel in 
       times of trouble. Why are you like a stranger in the land, or like a 
       traveler who only stays one night?

       (Jer 14:9 NCV)  Why are you like someone who has been attacked by 
       surprise, like a warrior who is not able to save anyone? But you are 





       among us, LORD, and we are called by your name so don't leave us 
       without help!

       (Jer 14:10 NCV)  This is what the LORD says about the people of Judah: 
       "They really love to wander from me; they don't stop themselves from 
       leaving me. So now the LORD will not accept them. He will now remember 
       the evil they do and will punish them for their sins."

       (Jer 14:11 NCV)  Then the LORD said, "Don't pray for good things to 
       happen to the people of Judah.

       (Jer 14:12 NCV)  Even if they give up eating, I will not listen to 
       their prayers. Even if they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings 
       to me, I will not accept them. Instead, I will destroy the people of 
       Judah with war, hunger, and terrible diseases."

       (Jer 14:13 NCV)  But I said, "Oh, Lord GOD, the prophets keep telling 
       the people, 'You will not suffer from an enemy's sword or from hunger. 
       I, the LORD, will give you peace in this land.'"

       (Jer 14:14 NCV)  Then the LORD said to me, "Those prophets are 
       prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them or appoint them or 
       speak to them. They have been prophesying false visions, idolatries, 
       worthless magic, and their own wishful thinking.

       (Jer 14:15 NCV)  So this is what I say about the prophets who are 
       prophesying in my name. I did not send them. They say, 'No enemy will 
       attack this country with swords. There will never be hunger in this 
       land.' So those prophets will die from hunger and from an enemy's 
       sword.

       (Jer 14:16 NCV)  And the people to whom the prophets speak will be 
       thrown into the streets of Jerusalem. There they will die from hunger 
       and from an enemy's sword. And no one will be there to bury them, or 
       their wives, or their sons, or their daughters. I will punish them.

       (Jer 14:17 NCV)  "Jeremiah, speak this message to the people of Judah: 
       'Let my eyes be filled with tears night and day, without stopping. My 
       people have received a terrible blow; they have been hurt badly.

       (Jer 14:18 NCV)  If I go into the country, I see people killed by 
       swords. If I go into the city, I see much sickness, because the people 
       have no food. Both the priests and the prophets have been taken to a 
       foreign land.'"

       (Jer 14:19 NCV)  LORD, have you completely rejected the nation of 
       Judah? Do you hate Jerusalem? Why have you hurt us so badly that we 
       cannot be made well again? We hoped for peace, but nothing good has 
       come. We looked for a time of healing, but only terror came.

       (Jer 14:20 NCV)  LORD, we admit that we are wicked and that our 
       ancestors did evil things. We have sinned against you.

       (Jer 14:21 NCV)  For your sake, do not hate us. Do not take away the 
       honor from your glorious throne. Remember your agreement with us, and 
       do not break it.






       (Jer 14:22 NCV)  Do foreign idols have the power to bring rain? Does 
       the sky itself have the power to send down showers? No, it is you, 
       LORD our God. You are our only hope, because you are the one who made 
       all these things.

       (Jer 15:1 NCV)  Then the LORD said to me: "I would not feel sorry for 
       the people of Judah even if Moses and Samuel prayed for them. Send 
       them away from me! Tell them to go!

       (Jer 15:2 NCV)  When they ask you, 'Where will we go?' tell them: 
       'This is what the LORD says: Those who are meant to die will die. 
       Those who are meant to die in war will die in war. Those who are meant 
       to die from hunger will die from hunger. Those who are meant to be 
       taken captive will be taken captive.'

       (Jer 15:3 NCV)  "I will send four kinds of destroyers against them," 
       says the LORD. "I will send war to kill, dogs to drag the bodies away, 
       and the birds of the air and wild animals to eat and destroy the 
       bodies.

       (Jer 15:4 NCV)  I will make the people of Judah hated by everyone on 
       earth because of what Manasseh did in Jerusalem. (Manasseh son of 
       Hezekiah was king of the nation of Judah.)

       (Jer 15:5 NCV)  "Who will feel sorry for you, Jerusalem? Who will be 
       sad and cry for you? Who will go out of his way to ask how you are?

       (Jer 15:6 NCV)  Jerusalem, you have left me," says the LORD. "You keep 
       going farther and farther away, so I have taken hold of you and 
       destroyed you. I was tired of holding back my anger.

       (Jer 15:7 NCV)  I have separated the people of Judah with my pitchfork 
       and scattered them at the city gates of the land. My people haven't 
       changed their ways. So I have destroyed them and taken away their 
       children.

       (Jer 15:8 NCV)  There are more widows than grains of sand in the sea. 
       I brought a destroyer at noontime against the mothers of the young men 
       of Judah. I suddenly brought pain and fear on the people of Judah.

       (Jer 15:9 NCV)  When the enemy attacked, a woman with seven sons felt 
       faint because they would all die. She became weak and unable to 
       breathe. Her bright day became dark from sadness. She felt shame and 
       disgrace. And everyone else left alive in Judah I will hand over to 
       the enemies, too!" says the LORD.

       (Jer 15:10 NCV)  Mother, I am sorry that you gave birth to me since I 
       must accuse and criticize the whole land. I have not loaned or 
       borrowed anything, but everyone curses me.

       (Jer 15:11 NCV)  The LORD said, "I have saved you for a good reason. I 
       have made your enemies beg you in times of disaster and trouble.

       (Jer 15:12 NCV)  No one can smash a piece of iron or bronze that comes 
       from the north.






       (Jer 15:13 NCV)  Your wealth and treasures I will give to others free 
       of charge, because the people of Judah have sinned throughout the 
       country.

       (Jer 15:14 NCV)  I will make you slaves to your enemies in a land you 
       have never known. My anger is like a hot fire, and it will burn 
       against you."

       (Jer 15:15 NCV)  LORD, you understand. Remember me and take care of 
       me. Punish for me those who are hurting me. Don't destroy me while you 
       remain patient with them. Think about the shame I suffer for you.

       (Jer 15:16 NCV)  Your words came to me, and I listened carefully to 
       them. Your words made me very happy, because I am called by your name, 
       LORD God All-Powerful.

       (Jer 15:17 NCV)  I never sat with the crowd as they laughed and had 
       fun. I sat by myself, because you were there, and you filled me with 
       anger at the evil around me.

       (Jer 15:18 NCV)  I don't understand why my pain has no end. I don't 
       understand why my injury is not cured or healed. Will you be like a 
       brook that goes dry? Will you be like a spring that stops flowing?

       (Jer 15:19 NCV)  So this is what the LORD says: "If you change your 
       heart and return to me, I will take you back. Then you may serve me. 
       And if you speak things that have worth, not useless words, then you 
       may speak for me. Let the people of Judah turn to you, but you must 
       not change and be like them.

       (Jer 15:20 NCV)  I will make you as strong as a wall to this people, 
       as strong as a wall of bronze. They will fight against you, but they 
       will not defeat you, because I am with you. I will rescue you and save 
       you," says the LORD.

       (Jer 15:21 NCV)  "I will save you from these wicked people and rescue 
       you from these cruel people."

       (Jer 16:1 NCV)  Then the LORD spoke his word to me:

       (Jer 16:2 NCV)  "You must not get married or have sons or daughters in 
       this place."

       (Jer 16:3 NCV)  The LORD says this about the sons and daughters born 
       in this land and their mothers and fathers:

       (Jer 16:4 NCV)  "They will die of terrible diseases, and no one will 
       cry for them or bury them. Their bodies will lie on the ground like 
       dung. They will die in war, or they will starve to death. Their bodies 
       will be food for the birds of the sky and for the wild animals."

       (Jer 16:5 NCV)  So this is what the LORD says: "Jeremiah, do not go 
       into a house where there is a funeral meal. Do not go there to cry for 
       the dead or to show your sorrow for them, because I have taken back my 
       blessing, my love, and my pity from these people," says the LORD.






       (Jer 16:6 NCV)  "Important people and common people will die in the 
       land of Judah. No one will bury them or cry for them or cut himself or 
       shave his head to show sorrow for them.

       (Jer 16:7 NCV)  No one will bring food to comfort those who are crying 
       for the dead. No one will offer a drink to comfort someone whose 
       mother or father has died.

       (Jer 16:8 NCV)  "Do not go into a house where the people are having a 
       feast to sit down to eat and drink,

       (Jer 16:9 NCV)  because this is what the LORD All-Powerful, the God of 
       Israel, says: I will soon stop the sounds of joy and gladness and the 
       happy sounds of brides and bridegrooms in this place. This will happen 
       during your lifetime.

       (Jer 16:10 NCV)  "When you tell the people of Judah these things, they 
       will ask you, 'Why has the LORD said these terrible things to us? What 
       have we done wrong? What sin have we done against the LORD our God?'

       (Jer 16:11 NCV)  "Then say to them: 'This is because your ancestors 
       quit following me,' says the LORD. 'And they followed other gods and 
       served and worshiped them. Your ancestors left me and quit obeying my 
       teaching.

       (Jer 16:12 NCV)  But you have done even more evil than your ancestors. 
       You are very stubborn and do only what you want to do; you have not 
       obeyed me.

       (Jer 16:13 NCV)  So I will throw you out of this country and send you 
       into a land that you and your ancestors never knew. There you can 
       serve other gods day and night, because I will not help you or show 
       you any favors.'

       (Jer 16:14 NCV)  "People say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who 
       brought the people of Israel out of Egypt...' But the time is coming," 
       says the LORD, "when people will not say this anymore.

       (Jer 16:15 NCV)  They will say instead, 'As surely as the LORD lives, 
       who brought the Israelites from the northern land and from all the 
       countries where he had sent them...' And I will bring them back to the 
       land I gave to their ancestors.

       (Jer 16:16 NCV)  "I will soon send for many fishermen to come to this 
       land," says the LORD. "And they will catch the people of Judah. After 
       that, I will send for many hunters to come to this land. And they will 
       hunt the people of Judah on every mountain and hill and in the cracks 
       of the rocks.

       (Jer 16:17 NCV)  I see everything they do. They cannot hide from me 
       the things they do; their sin is not hidden from my eyes.

       (Jer 16:18 NCV)  I will pay back the people of Judah twice for every 
       one of their sins, because they have made my land unclean. They have 
       filled my country with their hateful idols."






       (Jer 16:19 NCV)  LORD, you are my strength and my protection, my safe 
       place in times of trouble. The nations will come to you from all over 
       the world and say, "Our ancestors had only false gods, useless idols 
       that didn't help them.

       (Jer 16:20 NCV)  Can people make gods for themselves? They will not 
       really be gods!"

       (Jer 16:21 NCV)  The LORD says, "So I will teach those who make idols. 
       This time I will teach them about my power and my strength. Then they 
       will know that my name is the LORD.

       (Jer 17:1 NCV)  "The sin of the people of Judah is written with an 
       iron tool. Their sins were cut with a hard point into the stone that 
       is their hearts. Their sins were cut into the corners of their altars.

       (Jer 17:2 NCV)  Even their children remember their altars to idols and 
       their Asherah idols beside the green trees and on the high hills.

       (Jer 17:3 NCV)  My mountain in the open country and your wealth and 
       treasures I will give away to other people. I will give away the 
       places of worship in your country, because you sinned by worshiping 
       there.

       (Jer 17:4 NCV)  You will lose the land I gave you, and it is your own 
       fault. I will let your enemies take you as their slaves to a land you 
       have never known. This is because you have made my anger burn like a 
       hot fire, and it will burn forever."

       (Jer 17:5 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "A curse is placed on 
       those who trust other people, who depend on humans for strength, who 
       have stopped trusting the LORD.

       (Jer 17:6 NCV)  They are like a bush in a desert that grows in a land 
       where no one lives, a hot and dry land with bad soil. They don't know 
       about the good things God can give.

       (Jer 17:7 NCV)  "But the person who trusts in the LORD will be 
       blessed. The LORD will show him that he can be trusted.

       (Jer 17:8 NCV)  He will be strong, like a tree planted near water that 
       sends its roots by a stream. It is not afraid when the days are hot; 
       its leaves are always green. It does not worry in a year when no rain 
       comes; it always produces fruit.

       (Jer 17:9 NCV)  "More than anything else, a person's mind is evil and 
       cannot be healed. No one truly understands it.

       (Jer 17:10 NCV)  But I, the LORD, look into a person's heart and test 
       the mind. So I can decide what each one deserves; I can give each one 
       the right payment for what he does."

       (Jer 17:11 NCV)  Like a bird hatching an egg it did not lay, so are 
       the people who get rich by cheating. When their lives are half 
       finished, they will lose their riches. At the end of their lives, it 





       will be clear they were fools.

       (Jer 17:12 NCV)  From the beginning, our Temple has been honored as a 
       glorious throne for God.

       (Jer 17:13 NCV)  LORD, hope of Israel, those who leave you will be 
       shamed. People who quit following the LORD will be like a name written 
       in the dust, because they have left the LORD, the spring of living 
       water.

       (Jer 17:14 NCV)  LORD, heal me, and I will truly be healed. Save me, 
       and I will truly be saved. You are the one I praise.

       (Jer 17:15 NCV)  The people of Judah keep asking me, "Where is the 
       word from the LORD? Let's see that message come true!"

       (Jer 17:16 NCV)  LORD, I didn't run away from being the shepherd you 
       wanted. I didn't want the terrible day to come. You know everything I 
       have said; you see all that is happening.

       (Jer 17:17 NCV)  Don't be a terror to me. I run to you for safety in 
       times of trouble.

       (Jer 17:18 NCV)  Make those who are hurting me be ashamed, but don't 
       bring shame to me. Let them be terrified, but keep me from terror. 
       Bring the day of disaster on my enemies. Destroy them, and destroy 
       them again.

       (Jer 17:19 NCV)  This is what the LORD said to me: "Go and stand at 
       the People's Gate of Jerusalem, where the kings of Judah go in and 
       out. And then go to all the other gates of Jerusalem.

       (Jer 17:20 NCV)  Say to them there: 'Hear the word of the LORD, kings 
       of Judah, all you people of Judah, and all who live in Jerusalem, who 
       come through these gates into the city.

       (Jer 17:21 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: Be careful not to carry a 
       load on the Sabbath day or bring it through the gates of Jerusalem.

       (Jer 17:22 NCV)  Don't take a load out of your houses on the Sabbath 
       or do any work on that day. But keep the Sabbath as a holy day, as I 
       commanded your ancestors.

       (Jer 17:23 NCV)  But your ancestors did not listen or pay attention to 
       me. They were very stubborn and did not listen. I punished them, but 
       it didn't do any good.

       (Jer 17:24 NCV)  But you must be careful to obey me, says the LORD. 
       You must not bring a load through the gates of Jerusalem on the 
       Sabbath, but you must keep the Sabbath as a holy day and not do any 
       work on that day.

       (Jer 17:25 NCV)  "'If you obey this command, kings who sit on David's 
       throne will come through the gates of Jerusalem with their officers. 
       They will come riding in chariots and on horses, along with the people 
       of Judah and Jerusalem. And the city of Jerusalem will have people 





       living in it forever.

       (Jer 17:26 NCV)  People will come to Jerusalem from the villages 
       around it, from the towns of Judah, from the land of Benjamin, from 
       the western hills, from the mountains, and from southern Judah. They 
       will all bring to the Temple of the LORD burnt offerings, sacrifices, 
       grain offerings, incense, and offerings to show thanks to God.

       (Jer 17:27 NCV)  But you must obey me and keep the Sabbath day as a 
       holy day. You must not carry any loads into Jerusalem on the Sabbath. 
       If you don't obey me, I will start a fire at the gates of Jerusalem, 
       and it will burn until it burns even the strong towers. And it will 
       not be put out.'"

       (Jer 18:1 NCV)  This is the word the LORD spoke to Jeremiah:

       (Jer 18:2 NCV)  "Go down to the potter's house, and I will give you my 
       message there."

       (Jer 18:3 NCV)  So I went down to the potter's house and saw him 
       working at the potter's wheel.

       (Jer 18:4 NCV)  He was using his hands to make a pot from clay, but 
       something went wrong with it. So he used that clay to make another pot 
       the way he wanted it to be.

       (Jer 18:5 NCV)  Then the LORD spoke his word to me:

       (Jer 18:6 NCV)  "Family of Israel, can't I do the same thing with 
       you?" says the LORD. "You are in my hands like the clay in the 
       potter's hands.

       (Jer 18:7 NCV)  There may come a time when I will speak about a nation 
       or a kingdom that I will pull up by its roots or that I will pull down 
       to destroy it.

       (Jer 18:8 NCV)  But if the people of that nation stop doing the evil 
       they have done, I will change my mind and not carry out my plans to 
       bring disaster to them.

       (Jer 18:9 NCV)  There may come another time when I will speak about a 
       nation that I will build up and plant.

       (Jer 18:10 NCV)  But if I see it doing evil by not obeying me, I will 
       change my mind and not carry out my plans to do good for them.

       (Jer 18:11 NCV)  "So, say this to the people of Judah and those who 
       live in Jerusalem: 'This is what the LORD says: I am preparing 
       disaster for you and making plans against you. So stop doing evil. 
       Change your ways and do what is right.'

       (Jer 18:12 NCV)  But the people of Judah will answer, 'It won't do any 
       good to try! We will continue to do what we want. Each of us will do 
       what his stubborn, evil heart wants!'"

       (Jer 18:13 NCV)  So this is what the LORD says: "Ask the people in 





       other nations this question: 'Have you ever heard anything like this?' 
       The people of Israel have done a horrible thing.

       (Jer 18:14 NCV)  The snow on the mountains of Lebanon never melts from 
       the rocks. Its cool, flowing streams do not dry up.

       (Jer 18:15 NCV)  But my people have forgotten me. They burn incense to 
       worthless idols and have stumbled in what they do and in the old ways 
       of their ancestors. They walk along back roads and on poor highways.

       (Jer 18:16 NCV)  So Judah's country will become an empty desert. 
       People will not stop making fun of it. They will shake their heads as 
       they pass by; they will be shocked at how the country was destroyed.

       (Jer 18:17 NCV)  Like a strong east wind, I will scatter them before 
       their enemies. At that awful time they will not see me coming to help 
       them; they will see me leaving."

       (Jer 18:18 NCV)  Then the people said, "Come, let's make plans against 
       Jeremiah. Surely the teaching of the law by the priest will not be 
       lost. We will still have the advice from the wise men and the words of 
       the prophets. So let's ruin him by telling lies about him. We won't 
       pay attention to anything he says."

       (Jer 18:19 NCV)  LORD, listen to me. Listen to what my accusers are 
       saying!

       (Jer 18:20 NCV)  Good should not be paid back with evil, but they have 
       dug a pit in order to kill me. Remember that I stood before you and 
       asked you to do good things for these people and to turn your anger 
       away from them.

       (Jer 18:21 NCV)  So now, let their children starve, and let their 
       enemies kill them with swords. Let their wives lose their children and 
       husbands. Let the men from Judah be put to death and the young men be 
       killed with swords in battle.

       (Jer 18:22 NCV)  Let them cry out in their houses when you bring an 
       enemy against them suddenly. Let all this happen, because my enemies 
       have dug a pit to capture me and have hidden traps for my feet.

       (Jer 18:23 NCV)  LORD, you know about all their plans to kill me. 
       Don't forgive their crimes or erase their sins from your mind. Make 
       them fall from their places; punish them while you are angry.

       (Jer 19:1 NCV)  This is what the LORD said to me: "Go and buy a clay 
       jar from a potter.

       (Jer 19:2 NCV)  Take some of the older leaders of the people and the 
       priests, and go out to the Valley of Ben Hinnom, near the front of the 
       Potsherd Gate. There speak the words I tell you.

       (Jer 19:3 NCV)  Say, 'Kings of Judah and people of Jerusalem, listen 
       to this message from the LORD. This is what the LORD All-Powerful, the 
       God of Israel, says: I will soon bring a disaster on this place that 
       will amaze and frighten everyone who hears about it.






       (Jer 19:4 NCV)  The people of Judah have quit following me. They have 
       made this a place for foreign gods. They have burned sacrifices to 
       other gods that neither they, nor their ancestors, nor the kings of 
       Judah had ever known before. They filled this place with the blood of 
       innocent people.

       (Jer 19:5 NCV)  They have built places on hilltops to worship Baal, 
       where they burn their children in the fire to Baal. That is something 
       I did not command or speak about; it never even entered my mind.

       (Jer 19:6 NCV)  Now people call this place the Valley of Ben Hinnom or 
       Topheth, but the days are coming, says the LORD, when people will call 
       it the Valley of Killing.

       (Jer 19:7 NCV)  "'At this place I will ruin the plans of the people of 
       Judah and Jerusalem. The enemy will chase them, and I will have them 
       killed with swords. I will make their dead bodies food for the birds 
       and wild animals.

       (Jer 19:8 NCV)  I will completely destroy this city. People will make 
       fun of it and shake their heads when they pass by. They will be 
       shocked when they see how the city was destroyed.

       (Jer 19:9 NCV)  An enemy army will surround the city and will not let 
       anyone go out to get food. I will make the people so hungry that they 
       will eat the bodies of their own sons and daughters, and then they 
       will begin to eat each other.'

       (Jer 19:10 NCV)  "While the people with you are watching, break that 
       jar.

       (Jer 19:11 NCV)  Then say this: 'The LORD All-Powerful says: I will 
       break this nation and this city just as someone breaks a clay jar that 
       cannot be put back together again. The dead people will be buried here 
       in Topheth, because there is no other place for them.

       (Jer 19:12 NCV)  This is what I will do to these people and to this 
       place, says the LORD. I will make this city like Topheth.

       (Jer 19:13 NCV)  The houses in Jerusalem and the king's palaces will 
       become as unclean as this place, Topheth, because the people worshiped 
       gods on the roofs of their houses. They worshiped the stars and burned 
       incense to honor them and gave drink offerings to gods.'"

       (Jer 19:14 NCV)  When Jeremiah left Topheth where the LORD had sent 
       him to prophesy, he went to the Lord's Temple, stood in the courtyard, 
       and said to all the people:

       (Jer 19:15 NCV)  "This is what the LORD All-Powerful, the God of 
       Israel, says: 'I will soon bring disaster to Jerusalem and the 
       villages around it, as I said I would. This will happen because the 
       people are very stubborn and do not listen at all to what I say.'"

       (Jer 20:1 NCV)  Pashhur son of Immer was a priest and the highest 
       officer in the Temple of the LORD. When he heard Jeremiah prophesying 





       in the Temple courtyard,

       (Jer 20:2 NCV)  he had Jeremiah the prophet beaten. And he locked 
       Jeremiah's hands and feet between large blocks of wood at the Upper 
       Gate of Benjamin of the Lord's Temple.

       (Jer 20:3 NCV)  The next day when Pashhur took Jeremiah out of the 
       blocks of wood, Jeremiah said to him, "The Lord's name for you is not 
       Pashhur. Now his name for you is Terror on Every Side.

       (Jer 20:4 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: 'I will soon make you a 
       terror to yourself and to all your friends. You will watch enemies 
       killing your friends with swords. And I will give all the people of 
       Judah to the king of Babylon, who will take them away as captives to 
       Babylon and then will kill them with swords.

       (Jer 20:5 NCV)  I will give all the wealth of this city to its 
       enemies--its goods, its valuables, and the treasures of the kings of 
       Judah. The enemies will carry all those valuables off to Babylon.

       (Jer 20:6 NCV)  And Pashhur, you and everyone in your house will be 
       taken captive. You will be forced to go to Babylon, where you will die 
       and be buried, you and your friends to whom you have prophesied 
       lies.'"

       (Jer 20:7 NCV)  LORD, you tricked me, and I was fooled. You are 
       stronger than I am, so you won. I have become a joke; everyone makes 
       fun of me all day long.

       (Jer 20:8 NCV)  Every time I speak, I shout. I am always shouting 
       about violence and destruction. I tell the people about the message I 
       received from the LORD, but this only brings me insults. The people 
       make fun of me all day long.

       (Jer 20:9 NCV)  Sometimes I say to myself, "I will forget about the 
       LORD. I will not speak anymore in his name." But then his message 
       becomes like a burning fire inside me, deep within my bones. I get 
       tired of trying to hold it inside of me, and finally, I cannot hold it 
       in.

       (Jer 20:10 NCV)  I hear many people whispering about me: "Terror on 
       every side! Tell on him! Let's tell the rulers about him." My friends 
       are all just waiting for me to make some mistake. They are saying, 
       "Maybe we can trick him so we can defeat him and pay him back."

       (Jer 20:11 NCV)  But the LORD is with me like a strong warrior, so 
       those who are chasing me will trip and fall; they will not defeat me. 
       They will be ashamed because they have failed, and their shame will 
       never be forgotten.

       (Jer 20:12 NCV)  LORD All-Powerful, you test good people; you look 
       deeply into the heart and mind of a person. I have told you my 
       arguments against these people, so let me see you give them the 
       punishment they deserve.

       (Jer 20:13 NCV)  Sing to the LORD! Praise the LORD! He saves the life 





       of the poor from the power of the wicked.

       (Jer 20:14 NCV)  Let there be a curse on the day I was born; let there 
       be no blessing on the day when my mother gave birth to me.

       (Jer 20:15 NCV)  Let there be a curse on the man who brought my father 
       the news: "You have a son!" This made my father very glad.

       (Jer 20:16 NCV)  Let that man be like the towns the LORD destroyed 
       without pity. Let him hear loud crying in the morning and battle cries 
       at noon,

       (Jer 20:17 NCV)  because he did not kill me before I was born. Then my 
       mother would have been my grave; she would have stayed pregnant 
       forever.

       (Jer 20:18 NCV)  Why did I have to come out of my mother's body? All I 
       have known is trouble and sorrow, and my life will end in shame.

       (Jer 21:1 NCV)  This is the word that the LORD spoke to Jeremiah. It 
       came when Zedekiah king of Judah sent Pashhur son of Malkijah and the 
       priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to Jeremiah.

       (Jer 21:2 NCV)  They said, "Ask the LORD for us what will happen, 
       because Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is attacking us. Maybe the LORD 
       will do miracles for us as he did in the past so Nebuchadnezzar will 
       stop attacking us and leave."

       (Jer 21:3 NCV)  But Jeremiah answered them, "Tell King Zedekiah this:

       (Jer 21:4 NCV)  'Here is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: You 
       have weapons of war in your hands to defend yourselves against the 
       king of Babylon and the Babylonians, who are all around the city wall. 
       But I will make those weapons useless. Soon I will bring them into the 
       center of this city.

       (Jer 21:5 NCV)  In my anger, my very great anger, I myself will fight 
       against you with my great power and strength.

       (Jer 21:6 NCV)  I will kill everything living in Jerusalem--both 
       people and animals. They will die from terrible diseases.

       (Jer 21:7 NCV)  Then, says the LORD, I'll hand over Zedekiah king of 
       Judah, his officers, and the people in Jerusalem who do not die from 
       the terrible diseases or battle or hunger, to Nebuchadnezzar king of 
       Babylon. I will let those win who want to kill the people of Judah, so 
       the people of Judah and Jerusalem will be killed in war. 
       Nebuchadnezzar will not show any mercy or pity or feel sorry for 
       them!'

       (Jer 21:8 NCV)  "Also tell this to the people of Jerusalem: 'This is 
       what the LORD says: I will let you choose to live or die.

       (Jer 21:9 NCV)  Anyone who stays in Jerusalem will die in war or from 
       hunger or from a terrible disease. But anyone who goes out of 
       Jerusalem and surrenders to the Babylonians who are attacking you will 





       live. Anyone who leaves the city will save his life as if it were a 
       prize won in war.

       (Jer 21:10 NCV)  I have decided to make trouble for this city and not 
       to help it, says the LORD. I will give it to the king of Babylon, and 
       he will burn it with fire.'

       (Jer 21:11 NCV)  "Say to Judah's royal family: 'Hear the word of the 
       LORD.

       (Jer 21:12 NCV)  Family of David, this is what the LORD says: You must 
       judge people fairly every morning. Save the person who has been robbed 
       from the power of his attacker. If you don't, I will become very 
       angry. My anger will be like a fire that no one can put out, because 
       you have done evil things.

       (Jer 21:13 NCV)  "'Jerusalem, I am against you, you who live on top of 
       the mountain over this valley, says the LORD. You say, "No one can 
       attack us or come into our strong city."

       (Jer 21:14 NCV)  But I will give you the punishment you deserve, says 
       the LORD. I will start a fire in your forests that will burn up 
       everything around you!'"

       (Jer 22:1 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "Go down to the palace of 
       the king of Judah and prophesy this message there:

       (Jer 22:2 NCV)  'Hear the word of the LORD, king of Judah, who rules 
       from David's throne. You and your officers, and your people who come 
       through these gates, listen!

       (Jer 22:3 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: Do what is fair and right. 
       Save the one who has been robbed from the power of his attacker. Don't 
       mistreat or hurt the foreigners, orphans, or widows. Don't kill 
       innocent people here.

       (Jer 22:4 NCV)  If you carefully obey these commands, kings who sit on 
       David's throne will come through the gates of this palace with their 
       officers and people, riding in chariots and on horses.

       (Jer 22:5 NCV)  But if you don't obey these commands, says the LORD, I 
       swear by my own name that this king's palace will become a ruin.'"

       (Jer 22:6 NCV)  This is what the LORD says about the palace where the 
       king of Judah lives: "You are tall like the forests of Gilead, like 
       the mountaintops of Lebanon. But I will truly make you into a desert, 
       into towns where no one lives.

       (Jer 22:7 NCV)  I will send men to destroy the palace, each with his 
       weapons. They will cut up your strong, beautiful cedar beams and throw 
       them into the fire.

       (Jer 22:8 NCV)  "People from many nations will pass by this city and 
       ask each other, 'Why has the LORD done such a terrible thing to 
       Jerusalem, this great city?'





       (Jer 22:9 NCV)  And the answer will be: 'Because the people of Judah 
       quit following the agreement with the LORD their God. They worshiped 
       and served other gods.'"

       (Jer 22:10 NCV)  Don't cry for the dead king or be sad about him. But 
       cry painfully for the king who is being taken away, because he will 
       never return or see his homeland again.

       (Jer 22:11 NCV)  This is what the LORD says about Jehoahaz son of 
       Josiah who became king of Judah after his father died and who has left 
       this place: "He will never return.

       (Jer 22:12 NCV)  He will die where he has been taken captive, and he 
       will not see this land again."

       (Jer 22:13 NCV)  "How terrible it will be for one who builds his 
       palace by doing evil, who cheats people so he can build its upper 
       rooms. He makes his own people work for nothing and does not pay them.

       (Jer 22:14 NCV)  He says, 'I will build a great palace for myself with 
       large upper rooms.' So he builds it with large windows and uses cedar 
       wood for the walls, which he paints red.

       (Jer 22:15 NCV)  "Does having a lot of cedar in your house make you a 
       great king? Your father was satisfied to have food and drink. He did 
       what was right and fair, so everything went well for him.

       (Jer 22:16 NCV)  He helped those who were poor and needy, so 
       everything went well for him. That is what it means to know God," says 
       the LORD.

       (Jer 22:17 NCV)  "But you only look for and think about what you can 
       get dishonestly. You are even willing to kill innocent people to get 
       it. You feel free to hurt people and to steal from them."

       (Jer 22:18 NCV)  So this is what the LORD says to Jehoiakim son of 
       Josiah king of Judah: "The people of Judah will not cry when Jehoiakim 
       dies, saying: 'Oh, my brother,' or 'Oh, my sister.' They will not cry 
       for him, saying: 'Oh, master,' or 'Oh, my king.'

       (Jer 22:19 NCV)  They will bury him like a donkey, dragging his body 
       away and throwing it outside the gates of Jerusalem.

       (Jer 22:20 NCV)  "Judah, go up to Lebanon and cry out. Let your voice 
       be heard in Bashan. Cry out from Abarim, because all your friends are 
       destroyed!

       (Jer 22:21 NCV)  Judah, when you were successful, I warned you, but 
       you said, 'I won't listen.' You have acted like this since you were 
       young; you have not obeyed me.

       (Jer 22:22 NCV)  Like a storm, my punishment will blow all your 
       shepherds away and send your friends into captivity. Then you will 
       really be ashamed and disgraced because of all the wicked things you 
       did.





       (Jer 22:23 NCV)  King, you live in your palace, cozy in your rooms of 
       cedar. But when your punishment comes, how you will groan like a woman 
       giving birth to a baby!

       (Jer 22:24 NCV)  "As surely as I live," says the LORD, "Jehoiachin son 
       of Jehoiakim king of Judah, even if you were a signet ring on my right 
       hand, I would still pull you off.

       (Jer 22:25 NCV)  I will hand you over to Nebuchadnezzar king of 
       Babylon and to the Babylonians--those people you fear because they 
       want to kill you.

       (Jer 22:26 NCV)  I will throw you and your mother into another 
       country. Neither of you was born there, but both of you will die 
       there.

       (Jer 22:27 NCV)  They will want to come back, but they will never be 
       able to return."

       (Jer 22:28 NCV)  Jehoiachin is like a broken pot someone threw away; 
       he is like something no one wants. Why will Jehoiachin and his 
       children be thrown out and sent into a foreign land?

       (Jer 22:29 NCV)  Land, land, land of Judah, hear the word of the LORD!

       (Jer 22:30 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "Write this down in the 
       record about Jehoiachin: He is a man without children, a man who will 
       not be successful in his lifetime. And none of his descendants will be 
       successful; none will sit on the throne of David or rule in Judah."

       (Jer 23:1 NCV)  "How terrible it will be for the leaders of Judah, who 
       are scattering and destroying my people," says the LORD.

       (Jer 23:2 NCV)  They are responsible for the people, so the LORD, the 
       God of Israel, says to them: "You have scattered my people and forced 
       them away and not taken care of them. So I will punish you for the 
       evil things you have done," says the LORD.

       (Jer 23:3 NCV)  "I sent my people to other countries, but I will 
       gather those who are left alive and bring them back to their own 
       country. Then they will have many children and grow in number.

       (Jer 23:4 NCV)  I will place new leaders over my people, who will take 
       care of them. And my people will not be afraid or terrified again, and 
       none of them will be lost," says the LORD.

       (Jer 23:5 NCV)  "The days are coming," says the LORD, "when I will 
       raise up a good branch in David's family. He will be a king who will 
       rule in a wise way; he will do what is fair and right in the land.

       (Jer 23:6 NCV)  In his time Judah will be saved, and Israel will live 
       in safety. This will be his name: The LORD Does What Is Right.

       (Jer 23:7 NCV)  "So the days are coming," says the LORD, "when people 
       will not say again: 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought Israel 
       out of Egypt .. ."






       (Jer 23:8 NCV)  But people will say something new: 'As surely as the 
       LORD lives, who brought the descendants of Israel from the land of the 
       north and from all the countries where he had sent them away. 
       . .' Then the people of Israel will live in their own land."

       (Jer 23:9 NCV)  A message to the prophets: My heart is broken. All my 
       bones shake. I'm like someone who is drunk, like someone who has been 
       overcome with wine. This is because of the LORD and his holy words.

       (Jer 23:10 NCV)  The land of Judah is full of people who are guilty of 
       adultery. Because of this, the LORD cursed the land. It has become a 
       very sad place, and the pastures have dried up. The people are evil 
       and use their power in the wrong way.

       (Jer 23:11 NCV)  "Both the prophets and the priests live as if there 
       were no God. I have found them doing evil things even in my own 
       Temple," says the LORD.

       (Jer 23:12 NCV)  "So they will be in danger. They will be forced into 
       darkness where they will be defeated. I will bring disaster on them in 
       the year I punish them," says the LORD.

       (Jer 23:13 NCV)  "I saw the prophets of Samaria do something wrong. 
       Those prophets prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel away.

       (Jer 23:14 NCV)  And I have seen the prophets of Jerusalem do terrible 
       things. They are guilty of adultery and live by lies. They encourage 
       evil people to keep on doing evil, so the people don't stop sinning. 
       All of those people are like the city of Sodom. The people of 
       Jerusalem are like the city of Gomorrah to me!"

       (Jer 23:15 NCV)  So this is what the LORD All-Powerful says about the 
       prophets: "I will make those prophets eat bitter food and drink 
       poisoned water, because the prophets of Jerusalem spread wickedness 
       through the whole country."

       (Jer 23:16 NCV)  This is what the LORD All-Powerful says: "Don't pay 
       attention to what those prophets are saying to you. They are trying to 
       fool you. They talk about visions their own minds made up, not about 
       visions from me.

       (Jer 23:17 NCV)  They say to those who hate me: 'The LORD says: You 
       will have peace.' They say to all those who are stubborn and do as 
       they please: 'Nothing bad will happen to you.'

       (Jer 23:18 NCV)  But none of these prophets has stood in the meeting 
       of angels to see or hear the message of the LORD. None of them has 
       paid close attention to his message.

       (Jer 23:19 NCV)  Look, the punishment from the LORD will come like a 
       storm. His anger will be like a hurricane. It will come swirling down 
       on the heads of those wicked people.

       (Jer 23:20 NCV)  The Lord's anger will not stop until he finishes what 
       he plans to do. When that day is over, you will understand this 





       clearly.

       (Jer 23:21 NCV)  I did not send those prophets, but they ran to tell 
       their message. I did not speak to them, but they prophesied anyway.

       (Jer 23:22 NCV)  But if they had stood in the meeting of angels, they 
       would have told my message to my people. They would have turned the 
       people from their evil ways and from doing evil.

       (Jer 23:23 NCV)  "I am a God who is near," says the LORD. "I am also a 
       God who is far away."

       (Jer 23:24 NCV)  "No one can hide where I cannot see him," says the 
       LORD. "I fill all of heaven and earth," says the LORD.

       (Jer 23:25 NCV)  "I have heard the prophets who prophesy lies in my 
       name. They say, 'I have had a dream! I have had a dream!'

       (Jer 23:26 NCV)  How long will this continue in the minds of these 
       lying prophets? They prophesy from their own wishful thinking.

       (Jer 23:27 NCV)  They are trying to make the people of Judah forget me 
       by telling each other these dreams. In the same way, their ancestors 
       forgot me and worshiped Baal.

       (Jer 23:28 NCV)  Is straw the same thing as wheat?" says the LORD. "If 
       a prophet wants to tell about his dreams, let him! But let the person 
       who hears my message speak it truthfully!

       (Jer 23:29 NCV)  Isn't my message like a fire?" says the LORD. "Isn't 
       it like a hammer that smashes a rock?

       (Jer 23:30 NCV)  "So I am against the false prophets," says the LORD. 
       "They keep stealing words from each other and say they are from me.

       (Jer 23:31 NCV)  I am against the false prophets," says the LORD. 
       "They use their own words and pretend it is a message from me.

       (Jer 23:32 NCV)  I am against the prophets who prophesy false dreams," 
       says the LORD. "They mislead my people with their lies and false 
       teachings! I did not send them or command them to do anything for me. 
       They can't help the people of Judah at all," says the LORD.

       (Jer 23:33 NCV)  "Suppose the people of Judah, a prophet, or a priest 
       asks you: 'Jeremiah, what is the message from the LORD?' You will 
       answer them and say, 'You are a heavy load to the LORD, and I will 
       throw you down, says the LORD.'

       (Jer 23:34 NCV)  A prophet or a priest or one of the people might say, 
       'This is a message from the LORD.' That person has lied, so I will 
       punish him and his whole family.

       (Jer 23:35 NCV)  This is what you will say to each other: 'What did 
       the LORD answer?' or 'What did the LORD say?'

       (Jer 23:36 NCV)  But you will never again say, 'The message of the 





       LORD,' because the only message you speak is your own words. You have 
       changed the words of our God, the living God, the LORD All-Powerful.

       (Jer 23:37 NCV)  This is how you should speak to the prophets: 'What 
       answer did the LORD give you?' or 'What did the LORD say?'

       (Jer 23:38 NCV)  But don't say, 'The message from the LORD.' If you 
       use these words, this is what the LORD says: Because you called it a 
       'message from the LORD,' though I told you not to use those words,

       (Jer 23:39 NCV)  I will pick you up and throw you away from me, along 
       with Jerusalem, which I gave to your ancestors and to you.

       (Jer 23:40 NCV)  And I will make a disgrace of you forever; your shame 
       will never be forgotten."

       (Jer 24:1 NCV)  Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon captured Jehoiachin son 
       of Jehoiakim and king of Judah, his officers, and all the craftsmen 
       and metalworkers of Judah. He took them away from Jerusalem and 
       brought them to Babylon. It was then that the LORD showed me two 
       baskets of figs arranged in front of the Temple of the LORD.

       (Jer 24:2 NCV)  One of the baskets had very good figs in it, like figs 
       that ripen early in the season. But the other basket had figs too 
       rotten to eat.

       (Jer 24:3 NCV)  The LORD said to me, "What do you see, Jeremiah?" I 
       answered, "I see figs. The good figs are very good, but the rotten 
       figs are too rotten to eat."

       (Jer 24:4 NCV)  Then the LORD spoke his word to me:

       (Jer 24:5 NCV)  "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I 
       sent the people of Judah out of their country to live in the country 
       of Babylon. I think of those people as good, like these good figs.

       (Jer 24:6 NCV)  I will look after them and bring them back to the land 
       of Judah. I will not tear them down, but I will build them up. I will 
       not pull them up, but I will plant them so they can grow.

       (Jer 24:7 NCV)  I will make them want to know me, that I am the LORD. 
       They will be my people, and I will be their God, because they will 
       return to me with their whole hearts.

       (Jer 24:8 NCV)  "'But the bad figs are too rotten to eat.' So this is 
       what the LORD says: 'Zedekiah king of Judah, his officers, and all the 
       people from Jerusalem who are left alive, even those who live in 
       Egypt, will be like those rotten figs.

       (Jer 24:9 NCV)  I will make those people hated as an evil people by 
       all the kingdoms of the earth. People will make fun of them and tell 
       jokes about them and point fingers at them and curse them everywhere I 
       scatter them.

       (Jer 24:10 NCV)  I will send war, hunger, and disease against them. I 
       will attack them until they have all been killed. Then they will no 





       longer be in the land I gave to them and their ancestors.'"

       (Jer 25:1 NCV)  This is the message that came to Jeremiah concerning 
       all the people of Judah. It came in the fourth year that Jehoiakim son 
       of Josiah was king of Judah and the first year Nebuchadnezzar was king 
       of Babylon.

       (Jer 25:2 NCV)  This is the message Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all 
       the people of Judah and Jerusalem:

       (Jer 25:3 NCV)  The LORD has spoken his word to me again and again for 
       these past twenty-three years. I have been a prophet since the 
       thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah. I have spoken 
       messages from the LORD to you from that time until today, but you have 
       not listened.

       (Jer 25:4 NCV)  The LORD has sent all his servants the prophets to you 
       over and over again, but you have not listened or paid any attention 
       to them.

       (Jer 25:5 NCV)  Those prophets have said, "Stop your evil ways. Stop 
       doing what is wrong so you can stay in the land that the LORD gave to 
       you and your ancestors to live in forever.

       (Jer 25:6 NCV)  Don't follow other gods to serve them or to worship 
       them. Don't make me, the LORD, angry by worshiping idols that are the 
       work of your own hands, or I will punish you."

       (Jer 25:7 NCV)  "But you people of Judah did not listen to me," says 
       the LORD. "You made me angry by worshiping idols that were the work of 
       your own hands, so I punished you."

       (Jer 25:8 NCV)  So this is what the LORD All-Powerful says: "Since you 
       have not listened to my messages,

       (Jer 25:9 NCV)  I will send for all the peoples of the north," says 
       the LORD, "along with my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. I 
       will bring them all against Judah, those who live there, and all the 
       nations around you, too. I will completely destroy all those countries 
       and leave them in ruins forever. People will be shocked when they see 
       how badly I have destroyed those countries.

       (Jer 25:10 NCV)  I will bring an end to the sounds of joy and 
       happiness, the sounds of brides and bridegrooms, and the sound of 
       people grinding meal. And I will take away the light of the lamp.

       (Jer 25:11 NCV)  That whole area will be an empty desert, and these 
       nations will be slaves of the king of Babylon for seventy years.

       (Jer 25:12 NCV)  "But when the seventy years have passed, I will 
       punish the king of Babylon and his entire nation for their evil," says 
       the LORD. "I will make that land a desert forever.

       (Jer 25:13 NCV)  I will make happen all the terrible things I said 
       about Babylonia--everything Jeremiah prophesied about all those 
       foreign nations, the warnings written in this book.






       (Jer 25:14 NCV)  Even the Babylonians will have to serve many nations 
       and many great kings. I will give them the punishment they deserve for 
       all their own hands have done."

       (Jer 25:15 NCV)  The LORD, the God of Israel, said this to me: "My 
       anger is like the wine in a cup. Take it from my hand and make all the 
       nations, to whom I am sending you, drink all of my anger from this 
       cup.

       (Jer 25:16 NCV)  They will drink my anger and stumble about and act 
       like madmen because of the war I am going to send among them."

       (Jer 25:17 NCV)  So I took the cup from the Lord's hand and went to 
       those nations and made them drink from it.

       (Jer 25:18 NCV)  I served this wine to the people of Jerusalem and the 
       towns of Judah, and the kings and officers of Judah, so they would 
       become a ruin. Then people would be shocked and would insult them and 
       speak evil of them. And so it has been to this day.

       (Jer 25:19 NCV)  I also made these people drink of the Lord's anger: 
       the king of Egypt, his servants, his officers, all his people,

       (Jer 25:20 NCV)  and all the foreigners there; all the kings of the 
       land of Uz; all the kings of the Philistines (the kings of the cities 
       of Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the people left at Ashdod);

       (Jer 25:21 NCV)  the people of Edom, Moab, and Ammon;

       (Jer 25:22 NCV)  all the kings of Tyre and Sidon; all the kings of the 
       coastal countries to the west;

       (Jer 25:23 NCV)  the people of Dedan and Tema and Buz; all who cut 
       their hair short;

       (Jer 25:24 NCV)  all the kings of Arabia; and the kings of the people 
       who live in the desert;

       (Jer 25:25 NCV)  all the kings of Zimri, Elam, and Media;

       (Jer 25:26 NCV)  and all the kings of the north, near and far, one 
       after the other. I made all the kingdoms on earth drink from the cup 
       of the Lord's anger, but the king of Babylon will drink from this cup 
       after all the others.

       (Jer 25:27 NCV)  "Then say to them, 'This is what the LORD 
       All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: Drink this cup of my anger. Get 
       drunk from it and vomit. Fall down and don't get up because of the war 
       I am sending among you!'

       (Jer 25:28 NCV)  "If they refuse to take the cup from your hand and 
       drink, say to them, 'The LORD All-Powerful says this: You must drink 
       from this cup.

       (Jer 25:29 NCV)  Look! I am already bringing disaster on Jerusalem, 





       the city that is called by my name. Do you think you will not be 
       punished? You will be punished! I am sending war on all the people of 
       the earth, says the LORD All-Powerful.'

       (Jer 25:30 NCV)  "You, Jeremiah, will prophesy against them with all 
       these words. Say to them: 'The LORD will roar from heaven and will 
       shout from his Holy Temple. He will roar loudly against his land. He 
       will shout like people who walk on grapes to make wine; he will shout 
       against all who live on the earth.

       (Jer 25:31 NCV)  The noise will spread all over the earth, because the 
       LORD will accuse all the nations. He will judge and tell what is wrong 
       with all people, and he will kill the evil people with a sword,'" says 
       the LORD.

       (Jer 25:32 NCV)  This is what the LORD All-Powerful says: "Disasters 
       will soon spread from nation to nation. They will come like a powerful 
       storm from the faraway places on earth."

       (Jer 25:33 NCV)  At that time those killed by the LORD will reach from 
       one end of the earth to the other. No one will cry for them or gather 
       up their bodies and bury them. They will be left lying on the ground 
       like dung.

       (Jer 25:34 NCV)  Cry, you leaders! Cry out loud! Roll around in the 
       dust, leaders of the people! It is now time for you to be killed. You 
       will fall and be scattered, like pieces of a broken jar.

       (Jer 25:35 NCV)  There will be no place for the leaders to hide; they 
       will not escape.

       (Jer 25:36 NCV)  I hear the sound of the leaders shouting. I hear the 
       leaders of the people crying loudly, because the LORD is destroying 
       their land.

       (Jer 25:37 NCV)  Those peaceful pastures will be like an empty desert, 
       because the LORD is very angry.

       (Jer 25:38 NCV)  Like a lion, he has left his den. Their land has been 
       destroyed because of the terrible war he brought, because of his 
       fierce anger.

       (Jer 26:1 NCV)  This message came from the LORD soon after Jehoiakim 
       son of Josiah became king of Judah.

       (Jer 26:2 NCV)  This is what the LORD said: "Jeremiah, stand in the 
       courtyard of the Temple of the LORD. Give this message to all the 
       people of the towns of Judah who are coming to worship at the Temple 
       of the LORD. Tell them everything I tell you to say; don't leave out a 
       word.

       (Jer 26:3 NCV)  Maybe they will listen and stop their evil ways. If 
       they will, I will change my mind about bringing on them the disaster 
       that I am planning because of the evil they have done.

       (Jer 26:4 NCV)  Say to them: 'This is what the LORD says: You must 





       obey me and follow my teachings that I gave you.

       (Jer 26:5 NCV)  You must listen to what my servants the prophets say 
       to you. I have sent them to you again and again, but you did not 
       listen.

       (Jer 26:6 NCV)  If you don't obey me, I will destroy my Temple in 
       Jerusalem as I destroyed my Holy Tent at Shiloh. When I do, people all 
       over the world will curse Jerusalem.'"

       (Jer 26:7 NCV)  The priests, the prophets, and all the people heard 
       Jeremiah speaking these words in the Temple of the LORD.

       (Jer 26:8 NCV)  When Jeremiah finished speaking everything the LORD 
       had commanded him to say, the priests, prophets, and all the people 
       grabbed Jeremiah. They said, "You must die!

       (Jer 26:9 NCV)  How dare you prophesy in the name of the LORD that 
       this Temple will be destroyed like the one at Shiloh! How dare you say 
       that Jerusalem will become a desert without anyone to live in it!" And 
       all the people crowded around Jeremiah in the Temple of the LORD.

       (Jer 26:10 NCV)  Now when the officers of Judah heard about what was 
       happening, they came out of the king's palace and went up to the 
       Temple of the LORD and took their places at the entrance of the New 
       Gate.

       (Jer 26:11 NCV)  Then the priests and prophets said to the officers 
       and all the other people, "Jeremiah should be killed. He prophesied 
       against Jerusalem, and you heard him yourselves."

       (Jer 26:12 NCV)  Then Jeremiah spoke these words to all the officers 
       of Judah and all the other people: "The LORD sent me to say everything 
       you have heard about this Temple and this city.

       (Jer 26:13 NCV)  Now change your lives and start doing good and obey 
       the LORD your God. Then he will change his mind and not bring on you 
       the disaster he has told you about.

       (Jer 26:14 NCV)  As for me, I am in your power. Do to me what you 
       think is good and right.

       (Jer 26:15 NCV)  But be sure of one thing. If you kill me, you will be 
       guilty of killing an innocent person. You will make this city and 
       everyone who lives in it guilty, too! The LORD truly sent me to you to 
       give you this message."

       (Jer 26:16 NCV)  Then the officers and all the people said to the 
       priests and the prophets, "Jeremiah must not be killed. What he told 
       us comes from the LORD our God."

       (Jer 26:17 NCV)  Then some of the older leaders of Judah stood up and 
       said to all the people,

       (Jer 26:18 NCV)  "Micah, from the city of Moresheth, was a prophet 
       during the time Hezekiah was king of Judah. Micah said to all the 





       people of Judah, 'This is what the LORD All-Powerful says: Jerusalem 
       will be plowed like a field. It will become a pile of rocks, and the 
       hill where the Temple stands will be covered with bushes.'

       (Jer 26:19 NCV)  "Hezekiah king of Judah and the people of Judah did 
       not kill Micah. You know that Hezekiah feared the LORD and tried to 
       please the LORD. So the LORD changed his mind and did not bring on 
       Judah the disaster he had promised. If we hurt Jeremiah, we will bring 
       a terrible disaster on ourselves!"

       (Jer 26:20 NCV)  (Now there was another man who prophesied in the name 
       of the LORD. His name was Uriah son of Shemaiah from the city of 
       Kiriath Jearim. He preached the same things against Jerusalem and the 
       land of Judah that Jeremiah did.

       (Jer 26:21 NCV)  When King Jehoiakim, all his army officers, and all 
       the leaders of Judah heard Uriah preach, King Jehoiakim wanted to kill 
       Uriah. But Uriah heard about it and was afraid. So he escaped to 
       Egypt.

       (Jer 26:22 NCV)  Then King Jehoiakim sent Elnathan son of Acbor and 
       some other men to Egypt,

       (Jer 26:23 NCV)  and they brought Uriah back from Egypt. Then they 
       took him to King Jehoiakim, who had Uriah killed with a sword. His 
       body was thrown into the burial place where poor people are buried.)

       (Jer 26:24 NCV)  Ahikam son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah. So Ahikam 
       did not hand Jeremiah over to be killed by the people.

       (Jer 27:1 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah soon after 
       Zedekiah son of Josiah was made king of Judah.

       (Jer 27:2 NCV)  This is what the LORD said to me: "Make a yoke out of 
       straps and poles, and put it on the back of your neck.

       (Jer 27:3 NCV)  Then send messages to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, 
       Tyre, and Sidon by their messengers who have come to Jerusalem to see 
       Zedekiah king of Judah.

       (Jer 27:4 NCV)  Tell them to give this message to their masters: 'The 
       LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: "Tell your masters:

       (Jer 27:5 NCV)  I made the earth, its people, and all its animals with 
       my great power and strength. I can give the earth to anyone I want.

       (Jer 27:6 NCV)  Now I have given all these lands to Nebuchadnezzar 
       king of Babylon, my servant. I will make even the wild animals obey 
       him.

       (Jer 27:7 NCV)  All nations will serve Nebuchadnezzar and his son and 
       grandson. Then the time will come for Babylon to be defeated, and many 
       nations and great kings will make Babylon their servant.

       (Jer 27:8 NCV)  "'"But if some nations or kingdoms refuse to serve 
       Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and refuse to be under his control, I 





       will punish them with war, hunger, and terrible diseases, says the 
       LORD. I will use Nebuchadnezzar to destroy them.

       (Jer 27:9 NCV)  So don't listen to your false prophets, those who use 
       magic to tell the future, those who explain dreams, the mediums, or 
       magicians. They all tell you, 'You will not be slaves to the king of 
       Babylon.'

       (Jer 27:10 NCV)  They are telling you lies that will cause you to be 
       taken far from your homeland. I will force you to leave your homes, 
       and you will die in another land.

       (Jer 27:11 NCV)  But the nations who put themselves under the control 
       of the king of Babylon and serve him I will let stay in their own 
       country, says the LORD. The people from those nations will live in 
       their own land and farm it."'"

       (Jer 27:12 NCV)  I gave the same message to Zedekiah king of Judah. I 
       said, "Put yourself under the control of the king of Babylon and serve 
       him, and you will live.

       (Jer 27:13 NCV)  Why should you and your people die from war, hunger, 
       or disease, as the LORD said would happen to those who do not serve 
       the king of Babylon?

       (Jer 27:14 NCV)  But the false prophets are saying, 'You will never be 
       slaves to the king of Babylon.' Don't listen to them because they are 
       prophesying lies to you!

       (Jer 27:15 NCV)  'I did not send them,' says the LORD. 'They are 
       prophesying lies and saying the message is from me. So I will send you 
       away, Judah. And you and those prophets who prophesy to you will 
       die.'"

       (Jer 27:16 NCV)  Then I, Jeremiah, said to the priests and all the 
       people, "This is what the LORD says: Those false prophets are saying, 
       'The Babylonians will soon return what they took from the Temple of 
       the LORD.' Don't listen to them! They are prophesying lies to you.

       (Jer 27:17 NCV)  Don't listen to those prophets. But serve the king of 
       Babylon, and you will live. There is no reason for you to cause 
       Jerusalem to become a ruin.

       (Jer 27:18 NCV)  If they are prophets and have the message from the 
       LORD, let them pray to the LORD All-Powerful. Let them ask that the 
       items which are still in the Temple of the LORD and in the king's 
       palace and in Jerusalem not be taken away to Babylon.

       (Jer 27:19 NCV)  "This is what the LORD All-Powerful says about those 
       items left in Jerusalem: the pillars, the large bronze bowl, which is 
       called the Sea, the stands that can be moved, and other things.

       (Jer 27:20 NCV)  Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take these 
       away when he took as captives Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of 
       Judah and all the other important people from Judah and Jerusalem to 
       Babylon.






       (Jer 27:21 NCV)  This is what the LORD All-Powerful, the God of 
       Israel, says about the items left in the Temple of the LORD and in the 
       king's palace and in Jerusalem:

       (Jer 27:22 NCV)  'All of them will also be taken to Babylon. And they 
       will stay there until the day I go to get them,' says the LORD. 'Then 
       I will bring them back and return them to this place.'"

       (Jer 28:1 NCV)  It was in that same year, in the fifth month of 
       Zedekiah's fourth year as king of Judah, soon after he began to rule. 
       The prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, from the town of Gibeon, spoke to 
       me in the Temple of the LORD in front of the priests and all the 
       people. He said:

       (Jer 28:2 NCV)  "The LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: 'I 
       have broken the yoke the king of Babylon has put on Judah.

       (Jer 28:3 NCV)  Before two years are over, I will bring back 
       everything that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took to Babylon from 
       the Lord's Temple.

       (Jer 28:4 NCV)  I will also bring back Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim 
       king of Judah and all the other captives from Judah who went to 
       Babylon,' says the LORD. 'So I will break the yoke the king of Babylon 
       put on Judah.'"

       (Jer 28:5 NCV)  Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet 
       Hananiah in front of the priests and all the people who were standing 
       in the Temple of the LORD.

       (Jer 28:6 NCV)  He said, "Amen! Let the LORD really do that! May the 
       LORD make the message you prophesy come true. May he bring back here 
       everything from the Lord's Temple and all the people who were taken as 
       captives to Babylon.

       (Jer 28:7 NCV)  "But listen to what I am going to say to you and all 
       the people.

       (Jer 28:8 NCV)  There were prophets long before we became prophets, 
       Hananiah. They prophesied that war, hunger, and terrible diseases 
       would come to many countries and great kingdoms.

       (Jer 28:9 NCV)  But if a prophet prophesies that we will have peace 
       and that message comes true, he can be recognized as one truly sent by 
       the LORD."

       (Jer 28:10 NCV)  Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke off 
       Jeremiah's neck and broke it.

       (Jer 28:11 NCV)  Hananiah said in front of all the people, "This is 
       what the LORD says: 'In the same way I will break the yoke of 
       Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He put that yoke on all the nations of 
       the world, but I will break it before two years are over.'" After 
       Hananiah had said that, Jeremiah left the Temple.





       (Jer 28:12 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah after the prophet 
       Hananiah had broken the yoke off of the prophet Jeremiah's neck.

       (Jer 28:13 NCV)  The LORD said, "Go and tell Hananiah, 'This is what 
       the LORD says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but I will make a yoke 
       of iron in its place!

       (Jer 28:14 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: I 
       will put a yoke of iron on the necks of all these nations to make them 
       serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they will be slaves to him. 
       I will even give Nebuchadnezzar control over the wild animals.'"

       (Jer 28:15 NCV)  Then the prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet 
       Hananiah, "Listen, Hananiah! The LORD did not send you, and you have 
       made the people of Judah trust in lies.

       (Jer 28:16 NCV)  So this is what the LORD says: 'Soon I will remove 
       you from the earth. You will die this year, because you taught the 
       people to turn against the LORD.'"

       (Jer 28:17 NCV)  Hananiah died in the seventh month of that same year.

       (Jer 29:1 NCV)  This is the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from 
       Jerusalem to the older leaders who were among the captives, the 
       priests, and the prophets. He sent it to all the other people 
       Nebuchadnezzar had taken as captives from Jerusalem to Babylon.

       (Jer 29:2 NCV)  (This letter was sent after all these people were 
       taken away: Jehoiachin the king and the queen mother; the officers and 
       leaders of Judah and Jerusalem; and the craftsmen and metalworkers 
       from Jerusalem.)

       (Jer 29:3 NCV)  Zedekiah king of Judah sent Elasah son of Shaphan and 
       Gemariah son of Hilkiah to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. 
       So Jeremiah gave them this letter to carry to Babylon:

       (Jer 29:4 NCV)  This is what the LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel, 
       says to all those people I sent away from Jerusalem as captives to 
       Babylon:

       (Jer 29:5 NCV)  "Build houses and settle in the land. Plant gardens 
       and eat the food they grow.

       (Jer 29:6 NCV)  Get married and have sons and daughters. Find wives 
       for your sons, and let your daughters be married so they also may have 
       sons and daughters. Have many children in Babylon; don't become fewer 
       in number.

       (Jer 29:7 NCV)  Also do good things for the city where I sent you as 
       captives. Pray to the LORD for the city where you are living, because 
       if good things happen in the city, good things will happen to you 
       also."

       (Jer 29:8 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: "Don't 
       let the prophets among you and the people who do magic fool you. Don't 
       listen to their dreams.






       (Jer 29:9 NCV)  They are prophesying lies to you, saying that their 
       message is from me. But I did not send them," says the LORD.

       (Jer 29:10 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "Babylon will be powerful 
       for seventy years. After that time I will come to you, and I will keep 
       my promise to bring you back to Jerusalem.

       (Jer 29:11 NCV)  I say this because I know what I am planning for 
       you," says the LORD. "I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt 
       you. I will give you hope and a good future.

       (Jer 29:12 NCV)  Then you will call my name. You will come to me and 
       pray to me, and I will listen to you.

       (Jer 29:13 NCV)  You will search for me. And when you search for me 
       with all your heart, you will find me!

       (Jer 29:14 NCV)  I will let you find me," says the LORD. "And I will 
       bring you back from your captivity. I forced you to leave this place, 
       but I will gather you from all the nations, from the places I have 
       sent you as captives," says the LORD. "And I will bring you back to 
       this place."

       (Jer 29:15 NCV)  You might say, "The LORD has given us prophets here 
       in Babylon."

       (Jer 29:16 NCV)  But the LORD says this about the king who is sitting 
       on David's throne now and all the other people still in Jerusalem, 
       your relatives who did not go as captives to Babylon with you.

       (Jer 29:17 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful says: "I will soon send war, 
       hunger, and terrible diseases against those still in Jerusalem. I will 
       make them like bad figs that are too rotten to eat.

       (Jer 29:18 NCV)  I will chase them with war, hunger, and terrible 
       diseases. I will make them hated by all the kingdoms of the earth. 
       People will curse them and be shocked and will use them as a shameful 
       example wherever I make them go.

       (Jer 29:19 NCV)  This is because they have not listened to my 
       message," says the LORD. "I sent my message to them again and again 
       through my servants, the prophets, but they did not listen," says the 
       LORD.

       (Jer 29:20 NCV)  You captives, whom I forced to leave Jerusalem and go 
       to Babylon, listen to the message from the LORD.

       (Jer 29:21 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says this 
       about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah: "These two men 
       have been prophesying lies to you, saying that their message is from 
       me. But soon I will hand over those two prophets to Nebuchadnezzar 
       king of Babylon, and he will kill them in front of you.

       (Jer 29:22 NCV)  Because of them, all the captives from Judah in 
       Babylon will use this curse: 'May the LORD treat you like Zedekiah and 





       Ahab, whom the king of Babylon burned in the fire.'

       (Jer 29:23 NCV)  They have done evil things among the people of 
       Israel. They are guilty of adultery with their neighbors' wives. They 
       have also spoken lies and said those lies were a message from me. I 
       did not tell them to do that. I know what they have done; I am a 
       witness to it," says the LORD.

       (Jer 29:24 NCV)  Also give a message to Shemaiah from the Nehelamite 
       family.

       (Jer 29:25 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: 
       "Shemaiah, you sent letters in your name to all the people in 
       Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, and to all the 
       priests.

       (Jer 29:26 NCV)  You said to Zephaniah, 'The LORD has made you priest 
       in place of Jehoiada. You are to be in charge of the Temple of the 
       LORD. You should arrest any madman who acts like a prophet. Lock his 
       hands and feet between wooden blocks, and put iron rings around his 
       neck.

       (Jer 29:27 NCV)  Now Jeremiah from Anathoth is acting like a prophet. 
       So why haven't you arrested him?

       (Jer 29:28 NCV)  Jeremiah has sent this message to us in Babylon: You 
       will be there for a long time, so build houses and settle down. Plant 
       gardens and eat what they grow.'"

       (Jer 29:29 NCV)  Zephaniah the priest read the letter to Jeremiah the 
       prophet.

       (Jer 29:30 NCV)  Then the LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah:

       (Jer 29:31 NCV)  "Send this message to all the captives in Babylon: 
       'This is what the LORD says about Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Shemaiah 
       has prophesied to you, but I did not send him. He has made you believe 
       a lie.

       (Jer 29:32 NCV)  So the LORD says, I will soon punish Shemaiah the 
       Nehelamite and his family. He will not see the good things I will do 
       for my people, says the LORD. None of his family will be left alive 
       among the people, because he has taught the people to turn against 
       me.'"

       (Jer 30:1 NCV)  These are the words that the LORD spoke to Jeremiah.

       (Jer 30:2 NCV)  The LORD, the God of Israel, said: "Jeremiah, write in 
       a book all the words I have spoken to you.

       (Jer 30:3 NCV)  The days will come when I will bring Israel and Judah 
       back from captivity," says the LORD. "I will return them to the land I 
       gave their ancestors, and they will own it!" says the LORD.

       (Jer 30:4 NCV)  The LORD spoke this message about the people of Israel 
       and Judah:






       (Jer 30:5 NCV)  This is what the LORD said: "We hear people crying 
       from fear. They are afraid; there is no peace.

       (Jer 30:6 NCV)  Ask this question, and consider it: A man cannot have 
       a baby. So why do I see every strong man holding his stomach in pain 
       like a woman having a baby? Why is everyone's face turning white like 
       a dead man's face?

       (Jer 30:7 NCV)  This will be a terrible day! There will never be 
       another time like this. This is a time of great trouble for the people 
       of Jacob, but they will be saved from it."

       (Jer 30:8 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful says, "At that time I will break 
       the yoke from their necks and tear off the ropes that hold them. 
       Foreign people will never again make my people slaves.

       (Jer 30:9 NCV)  They will serve the LORD their God and David their 
       king, whom I will send to them.

       (Jer 30:10 NCV)  "So people of Jacob, my servants, don't be afraid. 
       Israel, don't be frightened," says the LORD. "I will soon save you 
       from that faraway place where you are captives. I will save your 
       family from that land. The people of Jacob will be safe and have peace 
       again; there will be no enemy to frighten them.

       (Jer 30:11 NCV)  I am with you and will save you," says the LORD. "I 
       will completely destroy all those nations where I scattered you, but I 
       will not completely destroy you. I will punish you fairly, but I will 
       still punish you."

       (Jer 30:12 NCV)  This is what the LORD said: "You people have a wound 
       that cannot be cured; your injury will not heal.

       (Jer 30:13 NCV)  There is no one to argue your case and no cure for 
       your sores. So you will not be healed.

       (Jer 30:14 NCV)  All those nations who were your friends have 
       forgotten you. They don't care about you. I have hurt you as an enemy 
       would. I punished you very hard, because your guilt was so great and 
       your sins were so many.

       (Jer 30:15 NCV)  Why are you crying out about your injury? There is no 
       cure for your pain. I did these things to you because of your great 
       guilt, because of your many sins.

       (Jer 30:16 NCV)  But all those nations that destroyed you will now be 
       destroyed. All your enemies will become captives in other lands. Those 
       who stole from you will have their own things stolen. Those who took 
       things from you in war will have their own things taken.

       (Jer 30:17 NCV)  I will bring back your health and heal your 
       injuries," says the LORD, "because other people forced you away. They 
       said about you, 'No one cares about Jerusalem!'"

       (Jer 30:18 NCV)  This is what the LORD said: "I will soon make the 





       tents of Jacob's people as they used to be, and I will have pity on 
       Israel's houses. The city will be rebuilt on its hill of ruins, and 
       the king's palace will stand in its proper place.

       (Jer 30:19 NCV)  People in those places will sing songs of praise. 
       There will be the sound of laughter. I will give them many children so 
       their number will not be small. I will bring honor to them so no one 
       will look down on them.

       (Jer 30:20 NCV)  Their descendants will be as they were in the old 
       days. I will set them up as a strong people before me, and I will 
       punish the nations who have hurt them.

       (Jer 30:21 NCV)  One of their own people will lead them; their ruler 
       will come from among them. He will come near to me when I invite him. 
       Who would dare to come to me uninvited?" says the LORD.

       (Jer 30:22 NCV)  "So you will be my people, and I will be your God."

       (Jer 30:23 NCV)  Look! It is a storm from the LORD! He is angry and 
       has gone out to punish the people. Punishment will come like a storm 
       crashing down on the evil people.

       (Jer 30:24 NCV)  The LORD will stay angry until he finishes punishing 
       the people. He will stay angry until he finishes the punishment he 
       planned. When that day comes, you will understand this.

       (Jer 31:1 NCV)  The LORD says, "At that time I will be God of all 
       Israel's family groups, and they will be my people."

       (Jer 31:2 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "The people who were not 
       killed by the enemy's sword found help in the desert. I came to give 
       rest to Israel."

       (Jer 31:3 NCV)  And from far away the LORD appeared to his people and 
       said, "I love you people with a love that will last forever. That is 
       why I have continued showing you kindness.

       (Jer 31:4 NCV)  People of Israel, I will build you up again, and you 
       will be rebuilt. You will pick up your tambourines again and dance 
       with those who are joyful.

       (Jer 31:5 NCV)  You will plant vineyards again on the hills around 
       Samaria. The farmers will plant them and enjoy their fruit.

       (Jer 31:6 NCV)  There will be a time when watchmen in the mountains of 
       Ephraim shout this message: 'Come, let's go up to Jerusalem to worship 
       the LORD our God!'"

       (Jer 31:7 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "Be happy and sing for the 
       people of Jacob. Shout for Israel, the greatest of the nations. Sing 
       your praises and shout this: 'LORD, save your people, those who are 
       left alive from the nation of Israel!'

       (Jer 31:8 NCV)  Look, I will soon bring Israel from the country in the 
       north, and I will gather them from the faraway places on earth. Some 





       of the people are blind and crippled. Some of the women are pregnant, 
       and some are ready to give birth. A great many people will come back.

       (Jer 31:9 NCV)  They will be crying as they come, but they will pray 
       as I bring them back. I will lead those people by streams of water on 
       an even road where they will not stumble. I am Israel's father, and 
       Israel is my firstborn son.

       (Jer 31:10 NCV)  "Nations, listen to the message from the LORD. Tell 
       this message in the faraway lands by the sea: 'The one who scattered 
       the people of Israel will bring them back, and he will watch over his 
       people like a shepherd.'

       (Jer 31:11 NCV)  The LORD will pay for the people of Jacob and will 
       buy them back from people stronger than they were.

       (Jer 31:12 NCV)  The people of Israel will come to the high points of 
       Jerusalem and shout for joy. Their faces will shine with happiness 
       about all the good things from the LORD: the grain, new wine, oil, 
       young sheep, and young cows. They will be like a garden that has 
       plenty of water, and they will not be troubled anymore.

       (Jer 31:13 NCV)  Then young women of Israel will be happy and dance, 
       the young men and old men also. I will change their sadness into 
       happiness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sadness.

       (Jer 31:14 NCV)  The priests will have more than enough sacrifices, 
       and my people will be filled with the good things I give them!" says 
       the LORD.

       (Jer 31:15 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "A voice was heard in 
       Ramah of painful crying and deep sadness: Rachel crying for her 
       children. She refused to be comforted, because her children are dead!"

       (Jer 31:16 NCV)  But this is what the LORD says: "Stop crying; don't 
       let your eyes fill with tears. You will be rewarded for your work!" 
       says the LORD. "The people will return from their enemy's land.

       (Jer 31:17 NCV)  So there is hope for you in the future," says the 
       LORD. "Your children will return to their own land.

       (Jer 31:18 NCV)  "I have heard Israel moaning: 'LORD, you punished me, 
       and I have learned my lesson. I was like a calf that had never been 
       trained. Take me back so that I may come back. You truly are the LORD 
       my God.

       (Jer 31:19 NCV)  LORD, after I wandered away from you, I changed my 
       heart and life. After I understood, I beat my breast with sorrow. I 
       was ashamed and disgraced, because I suffered for the foolish things I 
       did when I was young.'

       (Jer 31:20 NCV)  "You know that Israel is my dear son, The child I 
       love. Yes, I often speak against Israel, but I still remember him. I 
       love him very much, and I want to comfort him," says the LORD.

       (Jer 31:21 NCV)  "People of Israel, fix the road signs. Put up signs 





       to show you the way home. Watch the road. Pay attention to the road on 
       which you travel. People of Israel, come home, come back to your 
       towns.

       (Jer 31:22 NCV)  You are an unfaithful daughter. How long will you 
       wander before you come home? The LORD has made something new happen in 
       the land: A woman will go seeking a man."

       (Jer 31:23 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: "I 
       will again do good things for the people of Judah. At that time the 
       people in the land of Judah and its towns will again use these words: 
       'May the LORD bless you, home of what is good, holy mountain.'

       (Jer 31:24 NCV)  People in all the towns of Judah will live together 
       in peace. Farmers and those who move around with their flocks will 
       live together in peace.

       (Jer 31:25 NCV)  I will give rest and strength to those who are weak 
       and tired."

       (Jer 31:26 NCV)  After hearing that, I, Jeremiah, woke up and looked 
       around. My sleep had been very pleasant.

       (Jer 31:27 NCV)  The LORD says, "The time is coming when I will help 
       the families of Israel and Judah and their children and animals to 
       grow.

       (Jer 31:28 NCV)  In the past I watched over Israel and Judah, to pull 
       them up and tear them down, to destroy them and bring them disaster. 
       But now I will watch over them to build them up and make them strong," 
       says the LORD.

       (Jer 31:29 NCV)  "At that time people will no longer say: 'The parents 
       have eaten sour grapes, and that caused the children to grind their 
       teeth from the sour taste.'

       (Jer 31:30 NCV)  Instead, each person will die for his own sin; the 
       person who eats sour grapes will grind his own teeth.

       (Jer 31:31 NCV)  "Look, the time is coming," says the LORD, "when I 
       will make a new agreement with the people of Israel and the people of 
       Judah.

       (Jer 31:32 NCV)  It will not be like the agreement I made with their 
       ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of Egypt. I 
       was a husband to them, but they broke that agreement," says the LORD.

       (Jer 31:33 NCV)  "This is the agreement I will make with the people of 
       Israel at that time," says the LORD: "I will put my teachings in their 
       minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they 
       will be my people.

       (Jer 31:34 NCV)  People will no longer have to teach their neighbors 
       and relatives to know the LORD, because all people will know me, from 
       the least to the most important," says the LORD. "I will forgive them 
       for the wicked things they did, and I will not remember their sins 





       anymore."

       (Jer 31:35 NCV)  The LORD makes the sun shine in the day and the moon 
       and stars to shine at night. He stirs up the sea so that its waves 
       crash on the shore. The LORD All-Powerful is his name. This is what 
       the LORD says:

       (Jer 31:36 NCV)  "Only if these laws should ever fail," says the LORD, 
       "will Israel's descendants ever stop being a nation before me."

       (Jer 31:37 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "Only if people can 
       measure the sky above and learn the secrets of the earth below, will I 
       reject all the descendants of Israel because of what they have done," 
       says the LORD.

       (Jer 31:38 NCV)  The LORD says, "The time is coming when Jerusalem 
       will be rebuilt for me--everything from the Tower of Hananel to the 
       Corner Gate.

       (Jer 31:39 NCV)  The measuring line will stretch from the Corner Gate 
       straight to the hill of Gareb. Then it will turn to the place named 
       Goah.

       (Jer 31:40 NCV)  The whole valley where dead bodies and ashes are 
       thrown, and all the terraces out to the Kidron Valley on the east as 
       far as the corner of the Horse Gate--all that area will be holy to the 
       LORD. The city of Jerusalem will never again be torn down or 
       destroyed."

       (Jer 32:1 NCV)  This is the word the LORD spoke to Jeremiah in the 
       tenth year Zedekiah was king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year 
       of Nebuchadnezzar.

       (Jer 32:2 NCV)  At that time the army of the king of Babylon was 
       surrounding Jerusalem. Jeremiah the prophet was under arrest in the 
       courtyard of the guard, which was at the palace of the king of Judah.

       (Jer 32:3 NCV)  Zedekiah king of Judah had put Jeremiah in prison 
       there. Zedekiah had asked, "Why have you prophesied the things you 
       have?" (Jeremiah had said, "This is what the LORD says: 'I will soon 
       hand the city of Jerusalem over to the king of Babylon, and he will 
       capture it.

       (Jer 32:4 NCV)  Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape from the 
       Babylonian army, but he will surely be handed over to the king of 
       Babylon. And he will speak to the king of Babylon face to face and see 
       him with his own eyes.

       (Jer 32:5 NCV)  The king will take Zedekiah to Babylon, where he will 
       stay until I have punished him,' says the LORD. 'If you fight against 
       the Babylonians, you will not succeed.'")

       (Jer 32:6 NCV)  While Jeremiah was in prison, he said, "The LORD spoke 
       this word to me:

       (Jer 32:7 NCV)  Your cousin Hanamel, son of your uncle Shallum, will 





       come to you soon. Hanamel will say to you, 'Jeremiah, you are my 
       nearest relative, so buy my field near the town of Anathoth. It is 
       your right and your duty to buy that field.'

       (Jer 32:8 NCV)  "Then it happened just as the LORD had said. My cousin 
       Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and said to me, 'Buy 
       for yourself my field near Anathoth in the land of Benjamin. It is 
       your right and duty to buy it and own it.' So I knew this was a 
       message from the LORD.

       (Jer 32:9 NCV)  "I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin 
       Hanamel, weighing out seven ounces of silver for him.

       (Jer 32:10 NCV)  I signed the record and sealed it and had some people 
       witness it. I also weighed out the silver on the scales.

       (Jer 32:11 NCV)  Then I took both copies of the record of 
       ownership--the one that was sealed that had the demands and limits of 
       ownership, and the one that was not sealed.

       (Jer 32:12 NCV)  And I gave them to Baruch son of Neriah, the son of 
       Mahseiah. My cousin Hanamel, the other witnesses who signed the record 
       of ownership, and many Jews sitting in the courtyard of the guard saw 
       me give the record of ownership to Baruch.

       (Jer 32:13 NCV)  "With all the people watching, I told Baruch,

       (Jer 32:14 NCV)  'This is what the LORD All-Powerful, the God of 
       Israel, says: Take both copies of the record of ownership--the sealed 
       copy and the copy that was not sealed--and put them in a clay jar so 
       they will last a long time.

       (Jer 32:15 NCV)  This is what the LORD All-Powerful, the God of 
       Israel, says: In the future my people will once again buy houses and 
       fields for grain and vineyards in the land of Israel.'

       (Jer 32:16 NCV)  "After I gave the record of ownership to Baruch son 
       of Neriah, I prayed to the LORD,

       (Jer 32:17 NCV)  Oh, Lord GOD, you made the skies and the earth with 
       your very great power. There is nothing too hard for you to do.

       (Jer 32:18 NCV)  You show love and kindness to thousands of people, 
       but you also bring punishment to children for their parents' sins. 
       Great and powerful God, your name is the LORD All-Powerful.

       (Jer 32:19 NCV)  You plan and do great things. You see everything that 
       people do, and you reward people for the way they live and for what 
       they do.

       (Jer 32:20 NCV)  You did miracles and wonderful things in the land of 
       Egypt. You have continued doing them in Israel and among the other 
       nations even until today. So you have become well known.

       (Jer 32:21 NCV)  You brought your people, the Israelites, out of Egypt 
       using signs and miracles and your great power and strength. You 





       brought great terror on everyone.

       (Jer 32:22 NCV)  You gave them this land that you promised to their 
       ancestors long ago, a fertile land.

       (Jer 32:23 NCV)  They came into this land and took it for their own, 
       but they did not obey you or follow your teachings. They did not do 
       everything you commanded. So you made all these terrible things happen 
       to them.

       (Jer 32:24 NCV)  "Look! The enemy has surrounded the city and has 
       built roads to the top of the walls to capture it. Because of war, 
       hunger, and terrible diseases, the city will be handed over to the 
       Babylonians who are attacking it. You said this would happen, and now 
       you see it is happening.

       (Jer 32:25 NCV)  But now, Lord GOD, you tell me, 'Buy the field with 
       silver and call in witnesses.' You tell me this while the Babylonian 
       army is ready to capture the city."

       (Jer 32:26 NCV)  Then the LORD spoke this word to Jeremiah:

       (Jer 32:27 NCV)  "I am the LORD, the God of every person on the earth. 
       Nothing is impossible for me.

       (Jer 32:28 NCV)  So this is what the LORD says: I will soon hand over 
       the city of Jerusalem to the Babylonian army and to Nebuchadnezzar 
       king of Babylon, who will capture it.

       (Jer 32:29 NCV)  The Babylonian army is already attacking the city of 
       Jerusalem. They will soon enter it and start a fire to burn down the 
       city and its houses. The people of Jerusalem offered sacrifices to 
       Baal on the roofs of those same houses and poured out drink offerings 
       to other idols to make me angry.

       (Jer 32:30 NCV)  From their youth, the people of Israel and Judah have 
       done only the things I said were wrong. They have made me angry by 
       worshiping idols made with their own hands," says the LORD.

       (Jer 32:31 NCV)  "From the day Jerusalem was built until now, this 
       city has made me angry, so angry that I must remove it from my sight.

       (Jer 32:32 NCV)  I will destroy it, because of all the evil the people 
       of Israel and Judah have done. The people, their kings and officers, 
       their priests and prophets, all the people of Judah, and the people of 
       Jerusalem have made me angry.

       (Jer 32:33 NCV)  They turned their backs to me, not their faces. I 
       tried to teach them again and again, but they wouldn't listen or 
       learn.

       (Jer 32:34 NCV)  They put their hateful idols in the place where I 
       have chosen to be worshiped, so they made it unclean.

       (Jer 32:35 NCV)  In the Valley of Ben Hinnom they built places to 
       worship Baal so they could burn their sons and daughters as sacrifices 





       to Molech. But I never commanded them to do such a hateful thing. It 
       never entered my mind that they would do such a thing and cause Judah 
       to sin.

       (Jer 32:36 NCV)  "You are saying, 'Because of war, hunger, and 
       terrible diseases, the city will be handed over to the king of 
       Babylon.' But the LORD, the God of Israel, says about Jerusalem:

       (Jer 32:37 NCV)  I forced the people of Israel and Judah to leave 
       their land, because I was furious and very angry with them. But soon I 
       will gather them from all the lands where I forced them to go, and I 
       will bring them back to this place, where they may live in safety.

       (Jer 32:38 NCV)  The people of Israel and Judah will be my people, and 
       I will be their God.

       (Jer 32:39 NCV)  I will make them truly want to be one people with one 
       goal. They will truly want to worship me all their lives, for their 
       own good and for the good of their children after them.

       (Jer 32:40 NCV)  "I will make an agreement with them that will last 
       forever. I will never turn away from them; I will always do good to 
       them. I will make them want to respect me so they will never turn away 
       from me.

       (Jer 32:41 NCV)  I will enjoy doing good to them. And with my whole 
       being I will surely plant them in this land and make them grow."

       (Jer 32:42 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "I have brought this 
       great disaster to the people of Israel and Judah. In the same way I 
       will bring the good things that I promise to do for them.

       (Jer 32:43 NCV)  You are saying, 'This land is an empty desert, 
       without people or animals. It has been handed over to the 
       Babylonians.' But in the future, people will again buy fields in this 
       land.

       (Jer 32:44 NCV)  They will use their money to buy fields. They will 
       sign and seal their agreements and call in witnesses. They will again 
       buy fields in the land of Benjamin, in the area around Jerusalem, in 
       the towns of Judah and in the mountains, in the western hills, and in 
       southern Judah. I will make everything as good for them as it once 
       was," says the LORD.

       (Jer 33:1 NCV)  While Jeremiah was still locked up in the courtyard of 
       the guards, the LORD spoke his word to him a second time:

       (Jer 33:2 NCV)  "These are the words of the LORD, who made the earth, 
       shaped it, and gave it order, whose name is the LORD:

       (Jer 33:3 NCV)  'Judah, pray to me, and I will answer you. I will tell 
       you important secrets you have never heard before.'

       (Jer 33:4 NCV)  This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says about 
       the houses in Jerusalem and the royal palaces of Judah that have been 
       torn down to be used in defense of the attack by the Babylonian army:






       (Jer 33:5 NCV)  'Some people will come to fight against the 
       Babylonians. They will fill these houses with the bodies of people I 
       killed in my hot anger. I have turned away from this city because of 
       all the evil its people have done.

       (Jer 33:6 NCV)  "'But then I will bring health and healing to the 
       people there. I will heal them and let them enjoy great peace and 
       safety.

       (Jer 33:7 NCV)  I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and 
       make them strong countries as in the past.

       (Jer 33:8 NCV)  They sinned against me, but I will wash away that sin. 
       They did evil and turned away from me, but I will forgive them.

       (Jer 33:9 NCV)  Then 'Jerusalem' will be to me a name that brings joy! 
       And people from all nations of the earth will praise it when they hear 
       about the good things I am doing there. They will be surprised and 
       shocked at all the good things and the peace I will bring to 
       Jerusalem.'

       (Jer 33:10 NCV)  "You are saying, 'Our country is an empty desert, 
       without people or animals.' But this is what the LORD says: It is now 
       quiet in the streets of Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah, without 
       people or animals, but it will be noisy there soon!

       (Jer 33:11 NCV)  There will be sounds of joy and gladness and the 
       happy sounds of brides and bridegrooms. There will be the sounds of 
       people bringing to the Temple of the LORD their offerings of thanks to 
       the LORD. They will say, 'Praise the LORD All-Powerful, because the 
       LORD is good! His love continues forever!' They will say this because 
       I will again do good things for Judah, as I did in the beginning," 
       says the LORD.

       (Jer 33:12 NCV)  This is what the LORD All-Powerful says: "This place 
       is empty now, without people or animals. But there will be shepherds 
       in all the towns of Judah and pastures where they let their flocks 
       rest.

       (Jer 33:13 NCV)  Shepherds will again count their sheep as the sheep 
       walk in front of them. They will count them in the mountains and in 
       the western hills, in southern Judah and the land of Benjamin, and 
       around Jerusalem and the other towns of Judah!" says the LORD.

       (Jer 33:14 NCV)  The LORD says, "The time is coming when I will do the 
       good thing I promised to the people of Israel and Judah.

       (Jer 33:15 NCV)  In those days and at that time, I will make a good 
       branch sprout from David's family. He will do what is fair and right 
       in the land.

       (Jer 33:16 NCV)  At that time Judah will be saved, and the people of 
       Jerusalem will live in safety. The branch will be named: The LORD Does 
       What Is Right."





       (Jer 33:17 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "Someone from David's 
       family will always sit on the throne of the family of Israel.

       (Jer 33:18 NCV)  And there will always be priests from the family of 
       Levi. They will always stand before me to offer burnt offerings and 
       grain offerings and sacrifices to me."

       (Jer 33:19 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah, saying:

       (Jer 33:20 NCV)  "This is what the LORD says: I have an agreement with 
       day and night that they will always come at the right times. If you 
       could change that agreement,

       (Jer 33:21 NCV)  only then could you change my agreement with David 
       and Levi. Only then would my servant David not have a descendant 
       ruling as king on David's throne. And only then would the family of 
       Levi not be priests serving me in the Temple.

       (Jer 33:22 NCV)  But I will give many descendants to my servant David 
       and to the family group of Levi who serve me in the Temple. They will 
       be as many as the stars in the sky that no one can count. They will be 
       as many as the grains of sand on the seashore that no one can 
       measure."

       (Jer 33:23 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah, saying:

       (Jer 33:24 NCV)  "Jeremiah, have you heard what the people are saying? 
       They say: 'The LORD turned away from the two families of Israel and 
       Judah that he chose.' Now they don't think of my people as a nation 
       anymore!"

       (Jer 33:25 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "If I had not made my 
       agreement with day and night, and if I had not made the laws for the 
       sky and earth,

       (Jer 33:26 NCV)  only then would I turn away from Jacob's descendants. 
       And only then would I not let the descendants of David my servant rule 
       over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But I will be kind 
       to them and cause good things to happen to them again."

       (Jer 34:1 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah when 
       Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and all 
       the towns around it. Nebuchadnezzar had with him all his army and the 
       armies of all the kingdoms and peoples he ruled.

       (Jer 34:2 NCV)  This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, said: 
       "Jeremiah, go to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him: 'This is what 
       the LORD says: I will soon hand the city of Jerusalem over to the king 
       of Babylon, and he will burn it down!

       (Jer 34:3 NCV)  You will not escape from the king of Babylon; you will 
       surely be captured and handed over to him. You will see the king of 
       Babylon with your own eyes, and he will talk to you face to face. And 
       you will go to Babylon.

       (Jer 34:4 NCV)  But, Zedekiah king of Judah, listen to the promise of 





       the LORD. This is what the LORD says about you: You will not be killed 
       with a sword.

       (Jer 34:5 NCV)  You will die in a peaceful way. As people made funeral 
       fires to honor your ancestors, the kings who ruled before you, so 
       people will make a funeral fire to honor you. They will cry for you 
       and sadly say, "Ah, master!" I myself make this promise to you, says 
       the LORD.'"

       (Jer 34:6 NCV)  So Jeremiah the prophet gave this message to Zedekiah 
       in Jerusalem.

       (Jer 34:7 NCV)  This was while the army of the king of Babylon was 
       fighting against Jerusalem and the cities of Judah that had not yet 
       been taken--Lachish and Azekah. These were the only strong, walled 
       cities left in the land of Judah.

       (Jer 34:8 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah. This was after 
       King Zedekiah had made an agreement with all the people in Jerusalem 
       to free all the Hebrew slaves.

       (Jer 34:9 NCV)  Everyone was supposed to free his Hebrew slaves, both 
       male and female. No one was to keep a fellow Jew as a slave.

       (Jer 34:10 NCV)  All the officers and all the people accepted this 
       agreement; they agreed to free their male and female slaves and no 
       longer keep them as slaves. So all the slaves were set free.

       (Jer 34:11 NCV)  But after that, the people who had slaves changed 
       their minds. So they took back the people they had set free and made 
       them slaves again.

       (Jer 34:12 NCV)  Then the LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah:

       (Jer 34:13 NCV)  "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I 
       brought your ancestors out of Egypt where they were slaves and made an 
       agreement with them.

       (Jer 34:14 NCV)  I said to your ancestors: 'At the end of every seven 
       years, each one of you must set his Hebrew slaves free. If a fellow 
       Hebrew has sold himself to you, you must let him go free after he has 
       served you for six years.' But your ancestors did not listen or pay 
       attention to me.

       (Jer 34:15 NCV)  A short time ago you changed your hearts and did what 
       I say is right. Each of you gave freedom to his fellow Hebrews who 
       were slaves. And you even made an agreement before me in the place 
       where I have chosen to be worshiped.

       (Jer 34:16 NCV)  But now you have changed your minds. You have shown 
       you do not honor me. Each of you has taken back the male and female 
       slaves you had set free, and you have forced them to become your 
       slaves again.

       (Jer 34:17 NCV)  "So this is what the LORD says: You have not obeyed 
       me. You have not given freedom to your fellow Hebrews, neither 





       relatives nor friends. But now I will give freedom, says the LORD, to 
       war, to terrible diseases, and to hunger. I will make you hated by all 
       the kingdoms of the earth.

       (Jer 34:18 NCV)  I will hand over the men who broke my agreement, who 
       have not kept the promises they made before me. They cut a calf into 
       two pieces before me and walked between the pieces.

       (Jer 34:19 NCV)  These people made the agreement before me by walking 
       between the pieces of the calf: the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, 
       the officers of the court, the priests, and all the people of the 
       land.

       (Jer 34:20 NCV)  So I will hand them over to their enemies and to 
       everyone who wants to kill them. Their bodies will become food for the 
       birds of the air and for the wild animals of the earth.

       (Jer 34:21 NCV)  I will hand Zedekiah king of Judah and his officers 
       over to their enemies, and to everyone who wants to kill them, and to 
       the army of the king of Babylon, even though they have left Jerusalem.

       (Jer 34:22 NCV)  I will give the order, says the LORD, to bring the 
       Babylonian army back to Jerusalem. It will fight against Jerusalem, 
       capture it, set it on fire, and burn it down. I will destroy the towns 
       in Judah so that they become ruins where no one lives!"

       (Jer 35:1 NCV)  When Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah, the 
       LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah, saying:

       (Jer 35:2 NCV)  "Go to the family of Recab. Invite them to come to one 
       of the side rooms of the Temple of the LORD, and offer them wine to 
       drink."

       (Jer 35:3 NCV)  So I went to get Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, the son of 
       Habazziniah. And I gathered all of Jaazaniah's brothers and sons and 
       the whole family of the Recabites together.

       (Jer 35:4 NCV)  Then I brought them into the Temple of the LORD. We 
       went into the room of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, who was a man 
       of God. The room was next to the one where the officers stay and above 
       the room of Maaseiah son of Shallum, the doorkeeper in the Temple.

       (Jer 35:5 NCV)  Then I put some bowls full of wine and some cups 
       before the men of the Recabite family. And I said to them, "Drink some 
       wine."

       (Jer 35:6 NCV)  But the Recabite men answered, "We never drink wine. 
       Our ancestor Jonadab son of Recab gave us this command: 'You and your 
       descendants must never drink wine.

       (Jer 35:7 NCV)  Also you must never build houses, plant seeds, or 
       plant vineyards, or do any of those things. You must live only in 
       tents. Then you will live a long time in the land where you are 
       wanderers.'

       (Jer 35:8 NCV)  So we Recabites have obeyed everything Jonadab our 





       ancestor commanded us. Neither we nor our wives, sons, or daughters 
       ever drink wine.

       (Jer 35:9 NCV)  We never build houses in which to live, or own fields 
       or vineyards, or plant crops.

       (Jer 35:10 NCV)  We have lived in tents and have obeyed everything our 
       ancestor Jonadab commanded us.

       (Jer 35:11 NCV)  But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked 
       Judah, we said to each other, 'Come, we must enter Jerusalem so we can 
       escape the Babylonian army and the Aramean army.' So we have stayed in 
       Jerusalem."

       (Jer 35:12 NCV)  Then the LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah:

       (Jer 35:13 NCV)  "This is what the LORD All-Powerful, the God of 
       Israel, says: Jeremiah, go and tell the men of Judah and the people of 
       Jerusalem: 'You should learn a lesson and obey my message,' says the 
       LORD.

       (Jer 35:14 NCV)  'Jonadab son of Recab ordered his descendants not to 
       drink wine, and that command has been obeyed. Until today they have 
       obeyed their ancestor's command; they do not drink wine. But I, the 
       LORD, have given you messages again and again, but you did not obey 
       me.

       (Jer 35:15 NCV)  I sent all my servants the prophets to you again and 
       again, saying, "Each of you must stop doing evil. You must change and 
       be good. Do not follow other gods to serve them. If you obey me, you 
       will live in the land I have given to you and your ancestors." But you 
       have not listened to me or paid attention to my message.

       (Jer 35:16 NCV)  The descendants of Jonadab son of Recab obeyed the 
       commands their ancestor gave them, but the people of Judah have not 
       obeyed me.'

       (Jer 35:17 NCV)  "So the LORD God All-Powerful, the God of Israel, 
       says: 'I will soon bring every disaster I said would come to Judah and 
       to everyone living in Jerusalem. I spoke to those people, but they 
       refused to listen. I called out to them, but they did not answer me.'"

       (Jer 35:18 NCV)  Then Jeremiah said to the Recabites, "This is what 
       the LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: 'You have obeyed the 
       commands of your ancestor Jonadab and have followed all of his 
       teachings; you have done everything he commanded.'

       (Jer 35:19 NCV)  So this is what the LORD All-Powerful, the God of 
       Israel, says: 'There will always be a descendant of Jonadab son of 
       Recab to serve me.'"

       (Jer 36:1 NCV)  The LORD spoke this word to Jeremiah during the fourth 
       year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah:

       (Jer 36:2 NCV)  "Get a scroll. Write on it all the words I have spoken 
       to you about Israel and Judah and all the nations. Write everything 





       from when I first spoke to you, when Josiah was king, until now.

       (Jer 36:3 NCV)  Maybe the family of Judah will hear what disasters I 
       am planning to bring on them and will stop doing wicked things. Then I 
       would forgive them for the sins and the evil things they have done."

       (Jer 36:4 NCV)  So Jeremiah called for Baruch son of Neriah. Jeremiah 
       spoke the messages the LORD had given him, and Baruch wrote those 
       messages on the scroll.

       (Jer 36:5 NCV)  Then Jeremiah commanded Baruch, "I cannot go to the 
       Temple of the LORD. I must stay here.

       (Jer 36:6 NCV)  So I want you to go to the Temple of the LORD on a day 
       when the people are giving up eating. Read from the scroll to all the 
       people of Judah who come into Jerusalem from their towns. Read the 
       messages from the LORD, which are the words you wrote on the scroll as 
       I spoke them to you.

       (Jer 36:7 NCV)  Perhaps they will ask the LORD to help them. Perhaps 
       each one will stop doing wicked things, because the LORD has announced 
       that he is very angry with them."

       (Jer 36:8 NCV)  So Baruch son of Neriah did everything Jeremiah the 
       prophet told him to do. In the Lord's Temple he read aloud the scroll 
       that had the Lord's messages written on it.

       (Jer 36:9 NCV)  In the ninth month of the fifth year that Jehoiakim 
       son of Josiah was king, a special time to give up eating was 
       announced. All the people of Jerusalem and everyone who had come into 
       Jerusalem from the towns of Judah were supposed to give up eating to 
       honor the LORD.

       (Jer 36:10 NCV)  At that time Baruch read to all the people there the 
       scroll containing Jeremiah's words. He read the scroll in the Temple 
       of the LORD in the room of Gemariah son of Shaphan, a royal secretary. 
       That room was in the upper courtyard at the entrance of the New Gate 
       of the Temple.

       (Jer 36:11 NCV)  Micaiah son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, heard 
       all the messages from the LORD that were on the scroll.

       (Jer 36:12 NCV)  Micaiah went down to the royal secretary's room in 
       the king's palace where all of the officers were sitting: Elishama the 
       royal secretary; Delaiah son of Shemaiah; Elnathan son of Acbor; 
       Gemariah son of Shaphan; Zedekiah son of Hananiah; and all the other 
       officers.

       (Jer 36:13 NCV)  Micaiah told those officers everything he had heard 
       Baruch read to the people from the scroll.

       (Jer 36:14 NCV)  Then the officers sent a man named Jehudi son of 
       Nethaniah to Baruch. (Nethaniah was the son of Shelemiah, who was the 
       son of Cushi.) Jehudi said to Baruch, "Bring the scroll that you read 
       to the people and come with me." So Baruch son of Neriah took the 
       scroll and went with Jehudi to the officers.






       (Jer 36:15 NCV)  Then the officers said to Baruch, "Please sit down 
       and read the scroll to us." So Baruch read the scroll to them.

       (Jer 36:16 NCV)  When the officers heard all the words, they became 
       afraid and looked at each other. They said to Baruch, "We must 
       certainly tell the king about these words."

       (Jer 36:17 NCV)  Then the officers asked Baruch, "Tell us, please, 
       where did you get all these words you wrote on the scroll? Did you 
       write down what Jeremiah said to you?"

       (Jer 36:18 NCV)  "Yes," Baruch answered. "Jeremiah spoke them all to 
       me, and I wrote them down with ink on this scroll."

       (Jer 36:19 NCV)  Then the officers said to Baruch, "You and Jeremiah 
       must go and hide, and don't tell anyone where you are."

       (Jer 36:20 NCV)  The officers put the scroll in the room of Elishama 
       the royal secretary. Then they went to the king in the courtyard and 
       told him all about the scroll.

       (Jer 36:21 NCV)  So King Jehoiakim sent Jehudi to get the scroll. 
       Jehudi brought the scroll from the room of Elishama the royal 
       secretary and read it to the king and to all the officers who stood 
       around the king.

       (Jer 36:22 NCV)  It was the ninth month of the year, so King Jehoiakim 
       was sitting in the winter apartment. There was a fire burning in a 
       small firepot in front of him.

       (Jer 36:23 NCV)  After Jehudi had read three or four columns, the king 
       cut those columns off of the scroll with a penknife and threw them 
       into the firepot. Finally, the whole scroll was burned in the fire.

       (Jer 36:24 NCV)  King Jehoiakim and his servants heard everything that 
       was said, but they were not frightened! They did not tear their 
       clothes to show their sorrow.

       (Jer 36:25 NCV)  Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah even tried to talk 
       King Jehoiakim out of burning the scroll, but he would not listen to 
       them.

       (Jer 36:26 NCV)  Instead, the king ordered Jerahmeel son of the king, 
       Seraiah son of Azriel, and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest Baruch 
       the secretary and Jeremiah the prophet. But the LORD had hidden them.

       (Jer 36:27 NCV)  So King Jehoiakim burned the scroll where Baruch had 
       written all the words Jeremiah had spoken to him. Then the LORD spoke 
       his word to Jeremiah:

       (Jer 36:28 NCV)  "Get another scroll. Write all the words on it that 
       were on the first scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah burned up.

       (Jer 36:29 NCV)  Also say this to Jehoiakim king of Judah: 'This is 
       what the LORD says: You burned up that scroll and said, "Why, 





       Jeremiah, did you write on it 'the king of Babylon will surely come 
       and destroy this land and the people and animals in it'?"

       (Jer 36:30 NCV)  So this is what the LORD says about Jehoiakim king of 
       Judah: Jehoiakim's descendants will not sit on David's throne. When 
       Jehoiakim dies, his body will be thrown out on the ground. It will be 
       left out in the heat of the day and in the cold frost of the night.

       (Jer 36:31 NCV)  I will punish Jehoiakim and his children and his 
       servants, because they have done evil things. I will bring disasters 
       upon them and upon all the people in Jerusalem and Judah--everything I 
       promised but which they refused to hear.'"

       (Jer 36:32 NCV)  So Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch 
       son of Neriah, his secretary. As Jeremiah spoke, Baruch wrote on the 
       scroll the same words that were on the scroll Jehoiakim king of Judah 
       had burned in the fire. And many similar words were added to the 
       second scroll.

       (Jer 37:1 NCV)  Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had appointed Zedekiah 
       son of Josiah to be king of Judah. Zedekiah took the place of 
       Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim.

       (Jer 37:2 NCV)  But Zedekiah, his servants, and the people of Judah 
       did not listen to the words the LORD had spoken through Jeremiah the 
       prophet.

       (Jer 37:3 NCV)  Now King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and 
       the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah with a message to Jeremiah the 
       prophet. This was the message: "Jeremiah, please pray to the LORD our 
       God for us."

       (Jer 37:4 NCV)  At that time Jeremiah had not yet been put into 
       prison. So he was free to go anywhere he wanted.

       (Jer 37:5 NCV)  The army of the king of Egypt had marched from Egypt 
       toward Judah. Now the Babylonian army had surrounded the city of 
       Jerusalem. When they heard about the Egyptian army marching toward 
       them, the Babylonian army left Jerusalem.

       (Jer 37:6 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah the prophet:

       (Jer 37:7 NCV)  "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 
       Jehucal and Zephaniah, I know Zedekiah king of Judah sent you to seek 
       my help. Tell this to King Zedekiah: 'The army of the king of Egypt 
       came here to help you, but they will go back to Egypt.

       (Jer 37:8 NCV)  After that, the Babylonian army will return and attack 
       Jerusalem and capture it and burn it down.'

       (Jer 37:9 NCV)  "This is what the LORD says: People of Jerusalem, do 
       not fool yourselves. Don't say, 'The Babylonian army will surely leave 
       us alone.' They will not!

       (Jer 37:10 NCV)  Even if you defeated all of the Babylonian army that 
       is attacking you and there were only a few injured men left in their 





       tents, they would come from their tents and burn down Jerusalem!"

       (Jer 37:11 NCV)  So the Babylonian army left Jerusalem to fight the 
       army of the king of Egypt.

       (Jer 37:12 NCV)  Now Jeremiah tried to travel from Jerusalem to the 
       land of Benjamin to get his share of the property that belonged to his 
       family.

       (Jer 37:13 NCV)  When Jeremiah got to the Benjamin Gate of Jerusalem, 
       the captain in charge of the guards arrested him. The captain's name 
       was Irijah son of Shelemiah son of Hananiah. Irijah said, "You are 
       leaving us to join the Babylonians!"

       (Jer 37:14 NCV)  But Jeremiah said to Irijah, "That's not true! I am 
       not leaving to join the Babylonians." Irijah refused to listen to 
       Jeremiah, so he arrested Jeremiah and took him to the officers of 
       Jerusalem.

       (Jer 37:15 NCV)  Those rulers were very angry with Jeremiah and beat 
       him. Then they put him in jail in the house of Jonathan the royal 
       secretary, which had been made into a prison.

       (Jer 37:16 NCV)  So those people put Jeremiah into a cell in a 
       dungeon, and Jeremiah was there for a long time.

       (Jer 37:17 NCV)  Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah and had him 
       brought to the palace. Zedekiah asked him in private, "Is there any 
       message from the LORD?" Jeremiah answered, "Yes, there is. Zedekiah, 
       you will be handed over to the king of Babylon."

       (Jer 37:18 NCV)  Then Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, "What crime have 
       I done against you or your officers or the people of Jerusalem? Why 
       have you thrown me into prison?

       (Jer 37:19 NCV)  Where are your prophets that prophesied this message 
       to you: 'The king of Babylon will not attack you or this land of 
       Judah?'

       (Jer 37:20 NCV)  But now, my master, king of Judah, please listen to 
       me, and please do what I ask of you. Do not send me back to the house 
       of Jonathan the royal secretary, or I will die there!"

       (Jer 37:21 NCV)  So King Zedekiah gave orders for Jeremiah to be put 
       under guard in the courtyard of the guard and to be given bread each 
       day from the street of the bakers until there was no more bread in the 
       city. So he stayed under guard in the courtyard of the guard.

       (Jer 38:1 NCV)  Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, 
       Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malkijah heard what 
       Jeremiah was telling all the people. He said:

       (Jer 38:2 NCV)  "This is what the LORD says: 'Everyone who stays in 
       Jerusalem will die from war, or hunger, or terrible diseases. But 
       everyone who surrenders to the Babylonian army will live; they will 
       escape with their lives and live.'






       (Jer 38:3 NCV)  And this is what the LORD says: 'This city of 
       Jerusalem will surely be handed over to the army of the king of 
       Babylon. He will capture this city!'"

       (Jer 38:4 NCV)  Then the officers said to the king, "Jeremiah must be 
       put to death! He is discouraging the soldiers who are still in the 
       city, and all the people, by what he is saying to them. He does not 
       want good to happen to us; he wants to ruin us."

       (Jer 38:5 NCV)  King Zedekiah said to them, "Jeremiah is in your 
       control. I cannot do anything to stop you."

       (Jer 38:6 NCV)  So the officers took Jeremiah and put him into the 
       well of Malkijah, the king's son, which was in the courtyard of the 
       guards. The officers used ropes to lower Jeremiah into the well, which 
       did not have any water in it, only mud. And Jeremiah sank down into 
       the mud.

       (Jer 38:7 NCV)  But Ebed-Melech, a Cushite and a servant in the 
       palace, heard that the officers had put Jeremiah into the well. As 
       King Zedekiah was sitting at the Benjamin Gate,

       (Jer 38:8 NCV)  Ebed-Melech left the palace and went to the king. 
       Ebed-Melech said to him,

       (Jer 38:9 NCV)  "My master and king, these rulers have acted in an 
       evil way. They have treated Jeremiah the prophet badly. They have 
       thrown him into a well and left him there to die! When there is no 
       more bread in the city, he will starve to death."

       (Jer 38:10 NCV)  Then King Zedekiah commanded Ebed-Melech the Cushite, 
       "Take thirty men from the palace and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of 
       the well before he dies."

       (Jer 38:11 NCV)  So Ebed-Melech took the men with him and went to a 
       room under the storeroom in the palace. He took some old rags and 
       worn-out clothes from that room. Then he let those rags down with some 
       ropes to Jeremiah in the well.

       (Jer 38:12 NCV)  Ebed-Melech the Cushite said to Jeremiah, "Put these 
       old rags and worn-out clothes under your arms to be pads for the 
       ropes." So Jeremiah did as Ebed-Melech said.

       (Jer 38:13 NCV)  The men pulled Jeremiah up with the ropes and lifted 
       him out of the well. And Jeremiah stayed under guard in the courtyard 
       of the guard.

       (Jer 38:14 NCV)  Then King Zedekiah sent someone to get Jeremiah the 
       prophet and bring him to the third entrance to the Temple of the LORD. 
       The king said to Jeremiah, "I am going to ask you something. Do not 
       hide anything from me, but tell me everything honestly."

       (Jer 38:15 NCV)  Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "If I give you an answer, 
       you will surely kill me. And even if I give you advice, you will not 
       listen to me."






       (Jer 38:16 NCV)  But King Zedekiah made a secret promise to Jeremiah, 
       "As surely as the LORD lives who has given us breath and life, I will 
       not kill you. And I promise not to hand you over to the officers who 
       want to kill you."

       (Jer 38:17 NCV)  Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "This is what the 
       LORD God All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: 'If you surrender to 
       the officers of the king of Babylon, your life will be saved. 
       Jerusalem will not be burned down, and you and your family will live.

       (Jer 38:18 NCV)  But if you refuse to surrender to the officers of the 
       king of Babylon, Jerusalem will be handed over to the Babylonian army, 
       and they will burn it down. And you yourself will not escape from 
       them.'"

       (Jer 38:19 NCV)  Then King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "I'm afraid of 
       some Jews who have already gone over to the side of the Babylonian 
       army. If the Babylonians hand me over to them, they will treat me 
       badly."

       (Jer 38:20 NCV)  But Jeremiah answered, "The Babylonians will not hand 
       you over to the Jews. Obey the LORD by doing what I tell you. Then 
       things will go well for you, and your life will be saved.

       (Jer 38:21 NCV)  But if you refuse to surrender to the Babylonians, 
       the LORD has shown me what will happen.

       (Jer 38:22 NCV)  All the women left in the palace of the king of Judah 
       will be brought out and taken to the important officers of the king of 
       Babylon. Your women will make fun of you with this song: 'Your good 
       friends misled you and were stronger than you. While your feet were 
       stuck in the mud, they left you.'

       (Jer 38:23 NCV)  "All your wives and children will be brought out and 
       given to the Babylonian army. You yourself will not even escape from 
       them. You will be taken prisoner by the king of Babylon, and Jerusalem 
       will be burned down."

       (Jer 38:24 NCV)  Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "Do not tell anyone 
       that I have been talking to you, or you will die.

       (Jer 38:25 NCV)  If the officers find out I talked to you, they will 
       come to you and say, 'Tell us what you said to King Zedekiah and what 
       he said to you. Don't keep any secrets from us. If you don't tell us 
       everything, we will kill you.'

       (Jer 38:26 NCV)  If they ask you, tell them, 'I was begging the king 
       not to send me back to Jonathan's house to die.'"

       (Jer 38:27 NCV)  All the officers did come to question Jeremiah. So he 
       told them everything the king had ordered him to say. Then the 
       officers said no more to Jeremiah, because no one had heard what 
       Jeremiah and the king had discussed.

       (Jer 38:28 NCV)  So Jeremiah stayed under guard in the courtyard of 





       the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured.

       (Jer 39:1 NCV)  This is how Jerusalem was captured: Nebuchadnezzar 
       king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and 
       surrounded the city to attack it. This was during the tenth month of 
       the ninth year Zedekiah was king of Judah.

       (Jer 39:2 NCV)  This lasted until the ninth day of the fourth month in 
       Zedekiah's eleventh year. Then the city wall was broken through.

       (Jer 39:3 NCV)  And all these officers of the king of Babylon came 
       into Jerusalem and sat down at the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of the 
       district of Samgar; Nebo-Sarsekim, a chief officer; Nergal-Sharezer, 
       an important leader; and all the other important officers.

       (Jer 39:4 NCV)  When Zedekiah king of Judah and all his soldiers saw 
       them, they ran away. They left Jerusalem at night and went out from 
       the king's garden. They went through the gate that was between the two 
       walls and then headed toward the Jordan Valley.

       (Jer 39:5 NCV)  But the Babylonian army chased them and caught up with 
       Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They captured him and took him to 
       Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who was at the town of Riblah in the 
       land of Hamath. There Nebuchadnezzar passed his sentence on Zedekiah.

       (Jer 39:6 NCV)  At Riblah the king of Babylon killed Zedekiah's sons 
       and all the important officers of Judah as Zedekiah watched.

       (Jer 39:7 NCV)  Then he put out Zedekiah's eyes. He put bronze chains 
       on Zedekiah and took him to Babylon.

       (Jer 39:8 NCV)  The Babylonians set fire to the palace and to the 
       houses of the people, and they broke down the walls around Jerusalem.

       (Jer 39:9 NCV)  Nebuzaradan, commander of the king's special guards, 
       took the people left in Jerusalem, those captives who had surrendered 
       to him earlier, and the rest of the people of Jerusalem, and he took 
       them all away to Babylon.

       (Jer 39:10 NCV)  But Nebuzaradan, commander of the guard, left some of 
       the poorest people of Judah behind. They owned nothing, but that day 
       he gave them vineyards and fields.

       (Jer 39:11 NCV)  Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given these orders 
       about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan, commander of the guard:

       (Jer 39:12 NCV)  "Find Jeremiah and take care of him. Do not hurt him, 
       but do for him whatever he asks you."

       (Jer 39:13 NCV)  So Nebuchadnezzar sent these men for Jeremiah: 
       Nebuzaradan, commander of the guards; Nebushazban, a chief officer; 
       Nergal-Sharezer, an important leader; and all the other officers of 
       the king of Babylon.

       (Jer 39:14 NCV)  They had Jeremiah taken out of the courtyard of the 
       guard. Then they turned him over to Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of 





       Shaphan, who had orders to take Jeremiah back home. So they took him 
       home, and he stayed among the people left in Judah.

       (Jer 39:15 NCV)  While Jeremiah was guarded in the courtyard, the LORD 
       spoke his word to him:

       (Jer 39:16 NCV)  "Jeremiah, go and tell Ebed-Melech the Cushite this 
       message: 'This is what the LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: 
       Very soon I will make my words about Jerusalem come true through 
       disaster, not through good times. You will see everything come true 
       with your own eyes.

       (Jer 39:17 NCV)  But I will save you on that day, Ebed-Melech, says 
       the LORD. You will not be handed over to the people you fear.

       (Jer 39:18 NCV)  I will surely save you, Ebed-Melech. You will not die 
       from a sword, but you will escape and live. This will happen because 
       you have trusted in me, says the LORD.'"

       (Jer 40:1 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah after Nebuzaradan, 
       commander of the guards, had set Jeremiah free at the city of Ramah. 
       He had found Jeremiah in Ramah bound in chains with all the captives 
       from Jerusalem and Judah who were being taken away to Babylon.

       (Jer 40:2 NCV)  When commander Nebuzaradan found Jeremiah, Nebuzaradan 
       said to him, "The LORD your God announced this disaster would come to 
       this place.

       (Jer 40:3 NCV)  And now the LORD has done everything he said he would 
       do. This disaster happened because the people of Judah sinned against 
       the LORD and did not obey him.

       (Jer 40:4 NCV)  But today I am freeing you from the chains on your 
       wrists. If you want to, come with me to Babylon, and I will take good 
       care of you. But if you don't want to come, then don't. Look, the 
       whole country is open to you. Go wherever you wish."

       (Jer 40:5 NCV)  Before Jeremiah turned to leave, Nebuzaradan said, "Or 
       go back to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan. The king of 
       Babylon has chosen him to be governor over the towns of Judah. Go and 
       live with Gedaliah among the people, or go anywhere you want." Then 
       Nebuzaradan gave Jeremiah some food and a present and let him go.

       (Jer 40:6 NCV)  So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah 
       and stayed with him there. He lived among the people who were left 
       behind in Judah.

       (Jer 40:7 NCV)  Some officers and their men from the army of Judah 
       were still out in the open country. They heard that the king of 
       Babylon had put Gedaliah son of Ahikam in charge of the people who 
       were left in the land: the men, women, and children who were the 
       poorest. They were the ones who were not taken to Babylon as captives.

       (Jer 40:8 NCV)  So these soldiers came to Gedaliah at Mizpah: Ishmael 
       son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of 
       Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, Jaazaniah son of the 





       Maacathite, and their men.

       (Jer 40:9 NCV)  Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, made a 
       promise to them, saying, "Do not be afraid to serve the Babylonians. 
       Stay in the land and serve the king of Babylon. Then everything will 
       go well for you.

       (Jer 40:10 NCV)  I myself will live in Mizpah and will speak for you 
       before the Babylonians who come to us here. Harvest the wine, the 
       summer fruit, and the oil, and put what you harvest in your storage 
       jars. Live in the towns you control."

       (Jer 40:11 NCV)  The Jews in Moab, Ammon, Edom, and other countries 
       also heard that the king of Babylon had left a few Jews alive in the 
       land. And they heard the king of Babylon had chosen Gedaliah as 
       governor over them. (Gedaliah was the son of Ahikam, the son of 
       Shaphan.)

       (Jer 40:12 NCV)  When the people of Judah heard this news, they came 
       back to Judah from all the countries where they had been scattered. 
       They came to Gedaliah at Mizpah and gathered a large harvest of wine 
       and summer fruit.

       (Jer 40:13 NCV)  Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers of 
       Judah still in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah.

       (Jer 40:14 NCV)  They said to him, "Don't you know that Baalis king of 
       the Ammonite people wants you dead? He has sent Ishmael son of 
       Nethaniah to kill you." But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe 
       them.

       (Jer 40:15 NCV)  Then Johanan son of Kareah spoke to Gedaliah in 
       private at Mizpah. He said, "Let me go and kill Ishmael son of 
       Nethaniah. No one will know anything about it. We should not let 
       Ishmael kill you. Then all the Jews gathered around you would be 
       scattered to different countries again, and the few people of Judah 
       who are left alive would be lost."

       (Jer 40:16 NCV)  But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of 
       Kareah, "Do not kill Ishmael! The things you are saying about Ishmael 
       are not true."

       (Jer 41:1 NCV)  In the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah and ten 
       of his men came to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. (Nethaniah was 
       the son of Elishama.) Now Ishmael was a member of the king's family 
       and had been one of the officers of the king of Judah. While they were 
       eating a meal with Gedaliah at Mizpah,

       (Jer 41:2 NCV)  Ishmael and his ten men got up and killed Gedaliah son 
       of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with a sword. (Gedaliah was the man the 
       king of Babylon had chosen as governor over Judah.)

       (Jer 41:3 NCV)  Ishmael also killed all the Jews and the Babylonian 
       soldiers who were there with Gedaliah at Mizpah.

       (Jer 41:4 NCV)  The day after Gedaliah was murdered, before anyone 





       knew about it,

       (Jer 41:5 NCV)  eighty men came to Mizpah bringing grain offerings and 
       incense to the Temple of the LORD. Those men from Shechem, Shiloh, and 
       Samaria had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes, and cut 
       themselves.

       (Jer 41:6 NCV)  Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet 
       them, crying as he walked. When he met them, he said, "Come with me to 
       meet Gedaliah son of Ahikam."

       (Jer 41:7 NCV)  So they went into Mizpah. Then Ishmael son of 
       Nethaniah and his men killed seventy of them and threw the bodies into 
       a deep well.

       (Jer 41:8 NCV)  But the ten men who were left alive said to Ishmael, 
       "Don't kill us! We have wheat and barley and oil and honey that we 
       have hidden in a field." So Ishmael let them live and did not kill 
       them with the others.

       (Jer 41:9 NCV)  Now the well where he had thrown all the bodies had 
       been made by King Asa as a part of his defenses against Baasha king of 
       Israel. But Ishmael son of Nethaniah put dead bodies in it until it 
       was full.

       (Jer 41:10 NCV)  Ishmael captured all the other people in Mizpah: the 
       king's daughters and all the other people who were left there. They 
       were the ones whom Nebuzaradan commander of the guard had chosen 
       Gedaliah son of Ahikam to take care of. So Ishmael son of Nethaniah 
       captured those people, and he started to cross over to the country of 
       the Ammonites.

       (Jer 41:11 NCV)  Johanan son of Kareah and all his army officers with 
       him heard about all the evil things Ishmael son of Nethaniah had done.

       (Jer 41:12 NCV)  So they took their men and went to fight Ishmael son 
       of Nethaniah and caught him near the big pool of water at Gibeon.

       (Jer 41:13 NCV)  When the captives Ishmael had taken saw Johanan and 
       the army officers, they were glad.

       (Jer 41:14 NCV)  So all the people Ishmael had taken captive from 
       Mizpah turned around and ran to Johanan son of Kareah.

       (Jer 41:15 NCV)  But Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men 
       escaped from Johanan and ran away to the Ammonites.

       (Jer 41:16 NCV)  So Johanan son of Kareah and all his army officers 
       saved the captives that Ishmael son of Nethaniah had taken from Mizpah 
       after he murdered Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Among those left alive were 
       soldiers, women, children, and palace officers. And Johanan brought 
       them back from the town of Gibeon.

       (Jer 41:17 NCV)  Johanan and the other army officers were afraid of 
       the Babylonians. Since the king of Babylon had chosen Gedaliah son of 
       Ahikam to be governor of Judah but Ishmael son of Nethaniah had 





       murdered him, Johanan was afraid that the Babylonians would be angry. 
       So they decided to run away to Egypt. On the way they stayed at Geruth 
       Kimham, near the town of Bethlehem.

       (Jer 41:18 NCV)  

       (Jer 42:1 NCV)  While there, Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah son of 
       Hoshaiah went to Jeremiah the prophet. All the army officers and all 
       the people, from the least important to the greatest, went along, too.

       (Jer 42:2 NCV)  They said to him, "Jeremiah, please listen to what we 
       ask. Pray to the LORD your God for all the people left alive from the 
       family of Judah. At one time there were many of us, but you can see 
       that there are few of us now.

       (Jer 42:3 NCV)  So pray that the LORD your God will tell us where we 
       should go and what we should do."

       (Jer 42:4 NCV)  Then Jeremiah the prophet answered, "I understand what 
       you want me to do. I will pray to the LORD your God as you have asked. 
       I will tell you everything he says and not hide anything from you."

       (Jer 42:5 NCV)  Then the people said to Jeremiah, "May the LORD be a 
       true and loyal witness against us if we don't do everything the LORD 
       your God sends you to tell us.

       (Jer 42:6 NCV)  It does not matter if we like the message or not. We 
       will obey the LORD our God, to whom we are sending you. We will obey 
       what he says so good things will happen to us."

       (Jer 42:7 NCV)  Ten days later the LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah.

       (Jer 42:8 NCV)  Then Jeremiah called for Johanan son of Kareah, the 
       army officers with him, and all the other people, from the least 
       important to the greatest.

       (Jer 42:9 NCV)  Jeremiah said to them, "You sent me to ask the LORD 
       for what you wanted. This is what the God of Israel says:

       (Jer 42:10 NCV)  'If you will stay in Judah, I will build you up and 
       not tear you down. I will plant you and not pull you up, because I am 
       sad about the disaster I brought on you.

       (Jer 42:11 NCV)  Now you fear the king of Babylon, but don't be afraid 
       of him. Don't be afraid of him,' says the LORD, 'because I am with 
       you. I will save you and rescue you from his power.

       (Jer 42:12 NCV)  I will be kind to you, and he will also treat you 
       with mercy and let you stay in your land.'

       (Jer 42:13 NCV)  "But if you say, 'We will not stay in Judah,' you 
       will disobey the LORD your God.

       (Jer 42:14 NCV)  Or you might say, 'No, we will go and live in Egypt. 
       There we will not see war, or hear the trumpets of war, or be hungry.'





       (Jer 42:15 NCV)  If you say that, listen to the message of the LORD, 
       you who are left alive from Judah. This is what the LORD All-Powerful, 
       the God of Israel, says: 'If you make up your mind to go and live in 
       Egypt, these things will happen:

       (Jer 42:16 NCV)  You are afraid of war, but it will find you in the 
       land of Egypt. And you are worried about hunger, but it will follow 
       you into Egypt, and you will die there.

       (Jer 42:17 NCV)  Everyone who goes to live in Egypt will die in war or 
       from hunger or terrible disease. No one who goes to Egypt will live; 
       no one will escape the terrible things I will bring to them.'

       (Jer 42:18 NCV)  "This is what the LORD All-Powerful, the God of 
       Israel, says: 'I showed my anger against the people of Jerusalem. In 
       the same way I will show my anger against you when you go to Egypt. 
       Other nations will speak evil of you. People will be shocked by what 
       will happen to you. You will become a curse word, and people will 
       insult you. And you will never see Judah again.'

       (Jer 42:19 NCV)  "You who are left alive in Judah, the LORD has told 
       you, 'Don't go to Egypt.' Be sure you understand this; I warn you 
       today

       (Jer 42:20 NCV)  that you are making a mistake that will cause your 
       deaths. You sent me to the LORD your God, saying, 'Pray to the LORD 
       our God for us. Tell us everything the LORD our God says, and we will 
       do it.'

       (Jer 42:21 NCV)  So today I have told you, but you have not obeyed the 
       LORD your God in all that he sent me to tell you.

       (Jer 42:22 NCV)  So now be sure you understand this: You want to go to 
       live in Egypt, but you will die there by war, hunger, or terrible 
       diseases."

       (Jer 43:1 NCV)  So Jeremiah finished telling the people the message 
       from the LORD their God; he told them everything the LORD their God 
       had sent him to tell them.

       (Jer 43:2 NCV)  Azariah son of Hoshaiah, Johanan son of Kareah, and 
       some other men were too proud. They said to Jeremiah, "You are lying! 
       The LORD our God did not send you to say, 'You must not go to Egypt to 
       live there.'

       (Jer 43:3 NCV)  Baruch son of Neriah is causing you to be against us. 
       He wants you to hand us over to the Babylonians so they can kill us or 
       capture us and take us to Babylon."

       (Jer 43:4 NCV)  So Johanan, the army officers, and all the people 
       disobeyed the Lord's command to stay in Judah.

       (Jer 43:5 NCV)  But Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers led 
       away those who were left alive from Judah. They were the people who 
       had run away from the Babylonians to other countries but then had come 
       back to live in Judah.






       (Jer 43:6 NCV)  They led away the men, women, and children, and the 
       king's daughters. Nebuzaradan commander of the guard had put Gedaliah 
       son of Ahikam son of Shaphan in charge of those people. Johanan also 
       took Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch son of Neriah.

       (Jer 43:7 NCV)  These people did not listen to the LORD. So they all 
       went to Egypt to the city of Tahpanhes.

       (Jer 43:8 NCV)  In Tahpanhes the LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah:

       (Jer 43:9 NCV)  "Take some large stones. Bury them in the clay in the 
       brick pavement in front of the king of Egypt's palace in Tahpanhes. Do 
       this while the Jews are watching you.

       (Jer 43:10 NCV)  Then say to them, 'This is what the LORD 
       All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: I will soon send for my 
       servant, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. I will set his throne over 
       these stones I have buried, and he will spread his covering for shade 
       above them.

       (Jer 43:11 NCV)  He will come here and attack Egypt. He will bring 
       death to those who are supposed to die. He will make prisoners of 
       those who are to be taken captive, and he will bring war to those who 
       are to be killed with a sword.

       (Jer 43:12 NCV)  Nebuchadnezzar will set fire to the temples of the 
       gods of Egypt and burn them. And he will take the idols away as 
       captives. As a shepherd wraps himself in his clothes, so 
       Nebuchadnezzar will wrap Egypt around him. Then he will safely leave 
       Egypt.

       (Jer 43:13 NCV)  He will destroy the stone pillars in the temple of 
       the sun god in Egypt, and he will burn down the temples of the gods of 
       Egypt.'"

       (Jer 44:1 NCV)  Jeremiah received a message from the LORD for all the 
       Jews living in Egypt--in the cities of Migdol, Tahpanhes, Memphis, and 
       in southern Egypt. This was the message:

       (Jer 44:2 NCV)  "The LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: You 
       saw all the terrible things I brought on Jerusalem and the towns of 
       Judah, which are ruins today with no one living in them.

       (Jer 44:3 NCV)  It is because the people who lived there did evil. 
       They made me angry by burning incense and worshiping other gods that 
       neither they nor you nor your ancestors ever knew.

       (Jer 44:4 NCV)  I sent all my servants, the prophets, to you again and 
       again. By them I said to you, 'Don't do this terrible thing that I 
       hate.'

       (Jer 44:5 NCV)  But they did not listen or pay attention. They did not 
       stop doing evil things and burning incense to other gods.

       (Jer 44:6 NCV)  So I showed my great anger against them. I poured out 





       my anger in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem so they 
       are only ruins and piles of stones today.

       (Jer 44:7 NCV)  "Now the LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: 
       Why are you doing such great harm to yourselves? You are cutting off 
       the men and women, children and babies from the family of Judah, 
       leaving yourselves without anyone from the family of Judah.

       (Jer 44:8 NCV)  Why do you want to make me angry by making idols? Why 
       do you burn incense to the gods of Egypt, where you have come to live? 
       You will destroy yourselves. Other nations will speak evil of you and 
       make fun of you.

       (Jer 44:9 NCV)  Have you forgotten about the evil things your 
       ancestors did? And have you forgotten the evil the kings and queens of 
       Judah did? Have you forgotten about the evil you and your wives did? 
       These things were done in the country of Judah and in the streets of 
       Jerusalem.

       (Jer 44:10 NCV)  Even to this day the people of Judah are still too 
       proud. They have not learned to respect me or to follow my teachings. 
       They have not obeyed the laws I gave you and your ancestors.

       (Jer 44:11 NCV)  "So this is what the LORD All-Powerful, the God of 
       Israel, says: I am determined to bring disasters on you. I will 
       destroy the whole family of Judah.

       (Jer 44:12 NCV)  The few who were left alive from Judah were 
       determined to go to Egypt and settle there, but they will all die in 
       Egypt. They will be killed in war or die from hunger. From the least 
       important to the greatest, they will be killed in war or die from 
       hunger. Other nations will speak evil about them. People will be 
       shocked by what has happened to them. They will become a curse word, 
       and people will insult them.

       (Jer 44:13 NCV)  I will punish those people who have gone to live in 
       Egypt, just as I punished Jerusalem, using swords, hunger, and 
       terrible diseases.

       (Jer 44:14 NCV)  Of the people of Judah who were left alive and have 
       gone to live in Egypt, none will escape my punishment. They want to 
       return to Judah and live there, but none of them will live to return 
       to Judah, except a few people who will escape."

       (Jer 44:15 NCV)  A large group of the people of Judah who lived in 
       southern Egypt were meeting together. Among them were many women of 
       Judah who were burning incense to other gods, and their husbands knew 
       it. All these people said to Jeremiah,

       (Jer 44:16 NCV)  "We will not listen to the message from the LORD that 
       you spoke to us.

       (Jer 44:17 NCV)  We promised to make sacrifices to the Queen Goddess, 
       and we will certainly do everything we promised. We will burn incense 
       and pour out drink offerings to worship her, just as we, our 
       ancestors, kings, and officers did in the past. All of us did these 





       things in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that 
       time we had plenty of food and were successful, and nothing bad 
       happened to us.

       (Jer 44:18 NCV)  But since we stopped making sacrifices to the Queen 
       Goddess and stopped pouring out drink offerings to her, we have had 
       great problems. Our people have also been killed in war and by 
       hunger."

       (Jer 44:19 NCV)  The women said, "Our husbands knew what we were 
       doing. We had their permission to burn incense to the Queen Goddess 
       and to pour out drink offerings to her. Our husbands knew we were 
       making cakes that looked like her and were pouring out drink offerings 
       to her."

       (Jer 44:20 NCV)  Then Jeremiah spoke to all the people--men and 
       women--who answered him.

       (Jer 44:21 NCV)  He said to them, "The LORD remembered that you and 
       your ancestors, kings and officers, and the people of the land burned 
       incense in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. He 
       remembered and thought about it.

       (Jer 44:22 NCV)  Then he could not be patient with you any longer. He 
       hated the terrible things you did. So he made your country an empty 
       desert, where no one lives. Other people curse that country. And so it 
       is today.

       (Jer 44:23 NCV)  All this happened because you burned incense to other 
       gods. You sinned against the LORD. You did not obey him or follow his 
       teachings or the laws he gave you. You did not keep your part of the 
       agreement with him. So this disaster has happened to you. It is there 
       for you to see."

       (Jer 44:24 NCV)  Then Jeremiah said to all those men and women, 
       "People of Judah who are now in Egypt, hear the word of the LORD:

       (Jer 44:25 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: You 
       and your wives did what you said you would do. You said, 'We will 
       certainly keep the promises we made. We promised to make sacrifices to 
       the Queen Goddess and to pour out drink offerings to her.' So, go 
       ahead. Do the things you promised, and keep your promises.

       (Jer 44:26 NCV)  But hear the word of the LORD. Listen, all you Jews 
       living in Egypt. The LORD says, 'I have sworn by my great name: The 
       people of Judah now living in Egypt will never again use my name to 
       make promises. They will never again say in Egypt, "As surely as the 
       Lord GOD lives.. ."

       (Jer 44:27 NCV)  I am watching over them, not to take care of them, 
       but to hurt them. The Jews who live in Egypt will die from swords or 
       hunger until they are all destroyed.

       (Jer 44:28 NCV)  A few will escape being killed by the sword and will 
       come back to Judah from Egypt. Then, of the people of Judah who came 
       to live in Egypt, those who are left alive will know if my word or 





       their word came true.

       (Jer 44:29 NCV)  I will give you a sign that I will punish you here in 
       Egypt,' says the LORD. 'When you see it happen, you will know that my 
       promises to hurt you will really happen.'

       (Jer 44:30 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: 'Hophra king of Egypt has 
       enemies who want to kill him. Soon I will hand him over to his enemies 
       just as I handed Zedekiah king of Judah over to Nebuchadnezzar king of 
       Babylon, who wanted to kill him.'"

       (Jer 45:1 NCV)  It was the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah 
       was king of Judah. Jeremiah the prophet told these things to Baruch 
       son of Neriah, and Baruch wrote them on a scroll:

       (Jer 45:2 NCV)  "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says to 
       you, Baruch:

       (Jer 45:3 NCV)  You have said, 'How terrible it is for me! The LORD 
       has given me sorrow along with my pain. I am tired because of my 
       suffering and cannot rest.'"

       (Jer 45:4 NCV)  The LORD said, "Say this to Baruch: 'This is what the 
       LORD says: I will soon tear down what I have built, and I will pull up 
       what I have planted everywhere in Judah.

       (Jer 45:5 NCV)  Baruch, you are looking for great things for yourself. 
       Don't look for them, because I will bring disaster on all the people, 
       says the LORD. You will have to go many places, but I will let you 
       escape alive wherever you go.'"

       (Jer 46:1 NCV)  The LORD spoke this word to Jeremiah the prophet about 
       the nations:

       (Jer 46:2 NCV)  This message is to Egypt. It is about the army of Neco 
       king of Egypt, which was defeated at the city of Carchemish on the 
       Euphrates River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. This was in the 
       fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah. This is 
       the Lord's message to Egypt:

       (Jer 46:3 NCV)  "Prepare your shields, large and small, and march out 
       for battle!

       (Jer 46:4 NCV)  Harness the horses and get on them! Go to your places 
       for battle and put on your helmets! Polish your spears. Put on your 
       armor!

       (Jer 46:5 NCV)  What do I see? That army is terrified, and the 
       soldiers are running away. Their warriors are defeated. They run away 
       quickly without looking back. There is terror on every side!" says the 
       LORD.

       (Jer 46:6 NCV)  "The fast runners cannot run away; the strong soldiers 
       cannot escape. They stumble and fall in the north, by the Euphrates 
       River.





       (Jer 46:7 NCV)  Who is this, rising up like the Nile River, like 
       strong, fast rivers?

       (Jer 46:8 NCV)  Egypt rises up like the Nile River, like strong, fast 
       rivers. Egypt says, 'I will rise up and cover the earth. I will 
       destroy cities and the people in them!'

       (Jer 46:9 NCV)  Horsemen, charge into battle! Chariot drivers, drive 
       hard! March on, brave soldiers-- soldiers from the countries of Cush 
       and Put who carry shields, soldiers from Lydia who use bows.

       (Jer 46:10 NCV)  "But that day belongs to the Lord GOD All-Powerful. 
       At that time he will give those people the punishment they deserve. 
       The sword will kill until it is finished, until it satisfies its 
       thirst for their blood. The Lord GOD All-Powerful will offer a 
       sacrifice in the land of the north, by the Euphrates River.

       (Jer 46:11 NCV)  "Go up to Gilead and get some balm, people of Egypt! 
       You have prepared many medicines, but they will not work; you will not 
       be healed.

       (Jer 46:12 NCV)  The nations have heard of your shame, and your cries 
       fill all the earth. One warrior has run into another; both of them 
       have fallen down together!"

       (Jer 46:13 NCV)  This is the message the LORD spoke to Jeremiah the 
       prophet about Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon's coming to attack Egypt:

       (Jer 46:14 NCV)  "Announce this message in Egypt, and preach it in 
       Migdol. Preach it also in the cities of Memphis and Tahpanhes: 'Get 
       ready for war, because the battle is all around you.'

       (Jer 46:15 NCV)  Egypt, why were your warriors killed? They could not 
       stand because the LORD pushed them down.

       (Jer 46:16 NCV)  They stumbled again and again and fell over each 
       other. They said, 'Get up. Let's go back to our own people and our 
       homeland. We must get away from our enemy's sword!'

       (Jer 46:17 NCV)  In their homelands those soldiers called out, 'The 
       king of Egypt is only a lot of noise. He missed his chance for 
       glory!'"

       (Jer 46:18 NCV)  The King's name is the LORD All-Powerful. He says, 
       "As surely as I live, a powerful leader will come. He will be like 
       Mount Tabor among the mountains, like Mount Carmel by the sea.

       (Jer 46:19 NCV)  People of Egypt, pack your things to be taken away as 
       captives, because Memphis will be destroyed. It will be a ruin, and no 
       one will live there.

       (Jer 46:20 NCV)  "Egypt is like a beautiful young cow, but a horsefly 
       is coming from the north to attack her.

       (Jer 46:21 NCV)  The hired soldiers in Egypt's army are like fat 
       calves, because even they all turn and run away together; they do not 





       stand strong against the attack. Their time of destruction is coming; 
       they will soon be punished.

       (Jer 46:22 NCV)  Egypt is like a hissing snake that is trying to 
       escape. The enemy comes closer and closer. They come against Egypt 
       with axes like men who cut down trees.

       (Jer 46:23 NCV)  They will chop down Egypt's army as if it were a 
       great forest," says the LORD. "There are more enemy soldiers than 
       locusts; there are too many to count.

       (Jer 46:24 NCV)  The people of Egypt will be ashamed. They will be 
       handed over to the enemy from the north."

       (Jer 46:25 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: "Very 
       soon I will punish Amon, the god of the city of Thebes. And I will 
       punish Egypt, her kings, her gods, and the people who depend on the 
       king.

       (Jer 46:26 NCV)  I will hand those people over to their enemies, who 
       want to kill them. I will give them to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon 
       and his officers. But in the future, Egypt will live in peace as it 
       once did," says the LORD.

       (Jer 46:27 NCV)  "People of Jacob, my servants, don't be afraid; don't 
       be frightened, Israel. I will surely save you from those faraway 
       places and your children from the lands where they are captives. The 
       people of Jacob will have peace and safety again, and no one will make 
       them afraid.

       (Jer 46:28 NCV)  People of Jacob, my servants, do not be afraid, 
       because I am with you," says the LORD. "I will completely destroy the 
       many different nations where I scattered you. But I will not 
       completely destroy you. I will punish you fairly, but I will not let 
       you escape your punishment."

       (Jer 47:1 NCV)  Before the king of Egypt attacked the city of Gaza, 
       the LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah the prophet. This message is to 
       the Philistine people.

       (Jer 47:2 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "See, the enemy is 
       gathering in the north like rising waters. They will become like an 
       overflowing stream and will cover the whole country like a flood, even 
       the towns and the people living in them. Everyone living in that 
       country will cry for help; the people will cry painfully.

       (Jer 47:3 NCV)  They will hear the sound of the running horses and the 
       noisy chariots and the rumbling chariot wheels. Parents will not help 
       their children to safety, because they will be too weak to help.

       (Jer 47:4 NCV)  The time has come to destroy all the Philistines. It 
       is time to destroy all who are left alive who could help the cities of 
       Tyre and Sidon. The LORD will soon destroy the Philistines, those left 
       alive from the island of Crete.

       (Jer 47:5 NCV)  The people from the city of Gaza will be sad and shave 





       their heads. The people from the city of Ashkelon will be made silent. 
       Those left alive from the valley, how long will you cut yourselves?

       (Jer 47:6 NCV)  "You cry, 'Sword of the LORD, how long will you keep 
       fighting? Return to your holder. Stop and be still.'

       (Jer 47:7 NCV)  But how can his sword rest when the LORD has given it 
       a command? He has ordered it to attack Ashkelon and the seacoast."

       (Jer 48:1 NCV)  This message is to the country of Moab. This is what 
       the LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: "How terrible it will 
       be for the city of Nebo, because it will be ruined. The town of 
       Kiriathaim will be disgraced and captured; the strong city will be 
       disgraced and shattered.

       (Jer 48:2 NCV)  Moab will not be praised again. Men in the town of 
       Heshbon plan Moab's defeat. They say, 'Come, let us put an end to that 
       nation!' Town of Madmen, you will also be silenced. The sword will 
       chase you.

       (Jer 48:3 NCV)  Listen to the cries from the town of Horonaim, cries 
       of much confusion and destruction.

       (Jer 48:4 NCV)  Moab will be broken up. Her little children will cry 
       for help.

       (Jer 48:5 NCV)  Moab's people go up the path to the town of Luhith, 
       crying loudly as they go. On the road down to Horonaim, cries of pain 
       and suffering can be heard.

       (Jer 48:6 NCV)  Run! Run for your lives! Go like a bush being blown 
       through the desert.

       (Jer 48:7 NCV)  You trust in the things you do and in your wealth, so 
       you also will be captured. The god Chemosh will go into captivity and 
       his priests and officers with him.

       (Jer 48:8 NCV)  The destroyer will come against every town; not one 
       town will escape. The valley will be ruined, and the high plain will 
       be destroyed, as the LORD has said.

       (Jer 48:9 NCV)  Give wings to Moab, because she will surely leave her 
       land. Moab's towns will become empty, with no one to live in them.

       (Jer 48:10 NCV)  A curse will be on anyone who doesn't do what the 
       LORD says, and a curse will be on anyone who holds back his sword from 
       killing.

       (Jer 48:11 NCV)  "The people of Moab have never known trouble. They 
       are like wine left to settle; they have never been poured from one jar 
       to another. They have not been taken into captivity. So they taste as 
       they did before, and their smell has not changed.

       (Jer 48:12 NCV)  A time is coming," says the LORD, "When I will send 
       people to pour you from your jars. They will empty Moab's jars and 
       smash her jugs.






       (Jer 48:13 NCV)  The people of Israel trusted that god in the town of 
       Bethel, and they were ashamed when there was no help. In the same way 
       Moab will be ashamed of their god Chemosh.

       (Jer 48:14 NCV)  "You cannot say, 'We are warriors! We are brave men 
       in battle!'

       (Jer 48:15 NCV)  The destroyer of Moab and her towns has arrived. Her 
       best young men will be killed!" says the King, whose name is the LORD 
       All-Powerful.

       (Jer 48:16 NCV)  "The end of Moab is near, and she will soon be 
       destroyed.

       (Jer 48:17 NCV)  All you who live around Moab, all you who know her, 
       cry for her. Say, 'The ruler's power is broken; Moab's power and glory 
       are gone.'

       (Jer 48:18 NCV)  "You people living in the town of Dibon, come down 
       from your place of honor and sit on the dry ground, because the 
       destroyer of Moab has come against you. And he has destroyed your 
       strong, walled cities.

       (Jer 48:19 NCV)  You people living in the town of Aroer, stand next to 
       the road and watch. See the man running away and the woman escaping. 
       Ask them, 'What happened?'

       (Jer 48:20 NCV)  Moab is filled with shame, because she is ruined. 
       Cry, Moab, cry out! Announce at the Arnon River that Moab is 
       destroyed.

       (Jer 48:21 NCV)  People on the high plain have been punished. Judgment 
       has come to these towns: Holon, Jahzah, and Mephaath;

       (Jer 48:22 NCV)  Dibon, Nebo, and Beth Diblathaim;

       (Jer 48:23 NCV)  Kiriathaim, Beth Gamul, and Beth Meon;

       (Jer 48:24 NCV)  Kerioth and Bozrah. Judgment has come to all the 
       towns of Moab, far and near.

       (Jer 48:25 NCV)  Moab's strength has been cut off, and its arm 
       broken!" says the LORD.

       (Jer 48:26 NCV)  "The people of Moab thought they were greater than 
       the LORD, so punish them until they act as if they are drunk. Moab 
       will fall and roll around in its own vomit, and people will even make 
       fun of it.

       (Jer 48:27 NCV)  Moab, you made fun of Israel. Israel was caught in 
       the middle of a gang of thieves. When you spoke about Israel, you 
       shook your head and acted as if you were better than it.

       (Jer 48:28 NCV)  People in Moab, leave your towns empty and go live 
       among the rocks. Be like a dove that makes its nest at the entrance of 





       a cave.

       (Jer 48:29 NCV)  "We have heard that the people of Moab are proud, 
       very proud. They are proud, very proud, and in their hearts they think 
       they are important."

       (Jer 48:30 NCV)  The LORD says, "I know Moab's great pride, but it is 
       useless. Moab's bragging accomplishes nothing.

       (Jer 48:31 NCV)  So I cry sadly for Moab, for everyone in Moab. I moan 
       for the people from the town of Kir Hareseth.

       (Jer 48:32 NCV)  I cry with the people of the town of Jazer for you, 
       the grapevines of the town of Sibmah. In the past your vines spread 
       all the way to the sea, as far as the sea of Jazer. But the destroyer 
       has taken over your fruit and grapes.

       (Jer 48:33 NCV)  Joy and happiness are gone from the large, rich 
       fields of Moab. I have stopped the flow of wine from the winepresses. 
       No one walks on the grapes with shouts of joy. There are shouts, but 
       not shouts of joy.

       (Jer 48:34 NCV)  "Their crying can be heard from Moabite towns, from 
       Heshbon to Elealeh and Jahaz. It can be heard from Zoar as far away as 
       Horonaim and Eglath Shelishiyah. Even the waters of Nimrim are dried 
       up.

       (Jer 48:35 NCV)  I will stop Moab from making burnt offerings at the 
       places of worship and from burning incense to their gods," says the 
       LORD.

       (Jer 48:36 NCV)  "My heart cries sadly for Moab like a flute playing a 
       funeral song. It cries like a flute for the people from Kir Hareseth. 
       The money they made has all been taken away.

       (Jer 48:37 NCV)  Every head has been shaved and every beard cut off. 
       Everyone's hands are cut, and everyone wears rough cloth around his 
       waist.

       (Jer 48:38 NCV)  People are crying on every roof in Moab and in every 
       public square. There is nothing but sadness, because I have broken 
       Moab like a jar no one wants," says the LORD.

       (Jer 48:39 NCV)  "Moab is shattered! The people are crying! Moab turns 
       away in shame! People all around her make fun of her. The things that 
       happened fill them with great fear."

       (Jer 48:40 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "Look! Someone is coming, 
       like an eagle diving down from the sky and spreading its wings over 
       Moab.

       (Jer 48:41 NCV)  The towns of Moab will be captured, and the strong, 
       walled cities will be defeated. At that time Moab's warriors will be 
       frightened, like a woman who is having a baby.

       (Jer 48:42 NCV)  The nation of Moab will be destroyed, because they 





       thought they were greater than the LORD.

       (Jer 48:43 NCV)  Fear, deep pits, and traps wait for you, people of 
       Moab," says the LORD.

       (Jer 48:44 NCV)  "People will run from fear, but they will fall into 
       the pits. Anyone who climbs out of the pits will be caught in the 
       traps. I will bring the year of punishment to Moab," says the LORD.

       (Jer 48:45 NCV)  "People have run from the powerful enemy and have 
       gone to Heshbon for safety. But fire started in Heshbon; a blaze has 
       spread from the hometown of Sihon king of Moab. It burned up the 
       leaders of Moab and destroyed those proud people.

       (Jer 48:46 NCV)  How terrible it is for you, Moab! The people who 
       worship Chemosh have been destroyed. Your sons have been taken 
       captive, and your daughters have been taken away.

       (Jer 48:47 NCV)  "But in days to come, I will make good things happen 
       again to Moab," says the LORD. This ends the judgment on Moab.

       (Jer 49:1 NCV)  This message is to the Ammonite people. This is what 
       the LORD says: "Do you think that Israel has no children? Do you think 
       there is no one to take the land when the parents die? If that were 
       true, why did Molech take Gad's land and why did Molech's people 
       settle in Gad's towns?"

       (Jer 49:2 NCV)  The LORD says, "The time will come when I will make 
       Rabbah, the capital city of the Ammonites, hear the battle cry. It 
       will become a hill covered with ruins, and the towns around it will be 
       burned. Those people forced Israel out of that land, but now Israel 
       will force them out!" says the LORD.

       (Jer 49:3 NCV)  "People in the town of Heshbon, cry sadly because the 
       town of Ai is destroyed! Those who live in Rabbah, cry out! Put on 
       your rough cloth to show your sadness, and cry loudly. Run here and 
       there for safety inside the walls, because Molech will be taken 
       captive and his priests and officers with him.

       (Jer 49:4 NCV)  You brag about your valleys and about the fruit in 
       your valleys. You are like an unfaithful child who believes his 
       treasures will save him. You think, 'Who would attack me?'

       (Jer 49:5 NCV)  I will soon bring terror on you from everyone around 
       you," says the Lord GOD All-Powerful. "You will all be forced to run 
       away, and no one will be able to gather you.

       (Jer 49:6 NCV)  "But the time will come when I will make good things 
       happen to the Ammonites again," says the LORD.

       (Jer 49:7 NCV)  This message is to Edom. This is what the LORD 
       All-Powerful says: "Is there no more wisdom in the town of Teman? Can 
       the wise men of Edom no longer give good advice? Have they lost their 
       wisdom?

       (Jer 49:8 NCV)  You people living in the town of Dedan, run away and 





       hide in deep caves, because I will bring disaster on the people of 
       Esau. It is time for me to punish them.

       (Jer 49:9 NCV)  If workers came and picked the grapes from your vines, 
       they would leave a few grapes behind. If robbers came at night, they 
       would steal only enough for themselves.

       (Jer 49:10 NCV)  But I will strip Edom bare. I will find all their 
       hiding places, so they will not be able to hide from me. The children, 
       relatives, and neighbors will die, and Edom will be no more.

       (Jer 49:11 NCV)  Leave the orphans, and I will take care of them. Your 
       widows also can trust in me."

       (Jer 49:12 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "Some people did not 
       deserve to be punished, but they had to drink from the cup of 
       suffering anyway. People of Edom, you deserve to be punished, so you 
       will not escape punishment. You must certainly drink from the cup of 
       suffering."

       (Jer 49:13 NCV)  The LORD says, "I swear by my own name that the city 
       of Bozrah will become a pile of ruins! People will be shocked by what 
       happened there. They will insult that city and speak evil of it. And 
       all the towns around it will become ruins forever."

       (Jer 49:14 NCV)  I have heard a message from the LORD. A messenger has 
       been sent among the nations, saying, "Gather your armies to attack it! 
       Get ready for battle!"

       (Jer 49:15 NCV)  "Soon I will make you the smallest of nations, and 
       you will be greatly hated by everyone.

       (Jer 49:16 NCV)  Edom, you frightened other nations, but your pride 
       has fooled you. You live in the hollow places of the cliff and control 
       the high places of the hills. Even if you build your home as high as 
       an eagle's nest, I will bring you down from there," says the LORD.

       (Jer 49:17 NCV)  "Edom will be destroyed. People who pass by will be 
       shocked to see the destroyed cities, and they will be amazed at all 
       her injuries.

       (Jer 49:18 NCV)  Edom will be destroyed like the cities of Sodom and 
       Gomorrah and the towns around them," says the LORD. "No one will live 
       there! No one will stay in Edom."

       (Jer 49:19 NCV)  "Like a lion coming up from the thick bushes near the 
       Jordan River to attack a strong pen for sheep, I will suddenly chase 
       Edom from its land. Who is the one I have chosen to do this? There is 
       no one like me, no one who can take me to court. None of their leaders 
       can stand up against me."

       (Jer 49:20 NCV)  So listen to what the LORD has planned to do against 
       Edom. Listen to what he has decided to do to the people in the town of 
       Teman. He will surely drag away the young ones of Edom. Their 
       hometowns will surely be shocked at what happens to them.





       (Jer 49:21 NCV)  At the sound of Edom's fall, the earth will shake. 
       Their cry will be heard all the way to the Red Sea.

       (Jer 49:22 NCV)  The LORD is like an eagle swooping down and spreading 
       its wings over the city of Bozrah. At that time Edom's soldiers will 
       become very frightened, like a woman having a baby.

       (Jer 49:23 NCV)  This message is to the city of Damascus: "The towns 
       of Hamath and Arpad are put to shame, because they have heard bad 
       news. They are discouraged. They are troubled like the tossing sea.

       (Jer 49:24 NCV)  The city of Damascus has become weak. The people want 
       to run away; they are ready to panic. The people feel pain and 
       suffering, like a woman giving birth to a baby.

       (Jer 49:25 NCV)  Damascus was a city of my joy. Why have the people 
       not left that famous city yet?

       (Jer 49:26 NCV)  Surely the young men will die in the city squares, 
       and all her soldiers will be killed at that time," says the LORD 
       All-Powerful.

       (Jer 49:27 NCV)  "I will set fire to the walls of Damascus, and it 
       will completely burn the strong cities of King Ben-Hadad."

       (Jer 49:28 NCV)  This message is to the tribe of Kedar and the 
       kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated. This 
       is what the LORD says: "Go and attack the people of Kedar, and destroy 
       the people of the East.

       (Jer 49:29 NCV)  Their tents and flocks will be taken away. Their 
       belongings will be carried off-- their tents, all their goods, and 
       their camels. Men will shout to them, 'Terror on every side!'

       (Jer 49:30 NCV)  "Run away quickly! People in Hazor, find a good place 
       to hide!" says the LORD. "Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has made 
       plans against you and wants to defeat you.

       (Jer 49:31 NCV)  "Get up! Attack the nation that is comfortable, that 
       is sure no one will defeat it," says the LORD. "It does not have gates 
       or fences to protect it. Its people live alone.

       (Jer 49:32 NCV)  The enemy will steal their camels and their large 
       herds of cattle as war prizes. I will scatter the people who cut their 
       hair short to every part of the earth, and I will bring disaster on 
       them from everywhere," says the LORD.

       (Jer 49:33 NCV)  "The city of Hazor will become a home for wild dogs; 
       it will be an empty desert forever. No one will live there, and no one 
       will stay in it."

       (Jer 49:34 NCV)  Soon after Zedekiah became king of Judah, the LORD 
       spoke this word to Jeremiah the prophet. This message is to the nation 
       of Elam.

       (Jer 49:35 NCV)  This is what the LORD All-Powerful says: "I will soon 





       break Elam's bow, its greatest strength.

       (Jer 49:36 NCV)  I will bring the four winds against Elam from the 
       four corners of the skies. I will scatter its people everywhere the 
       four winds blow; its captives will go to every nation.

       (Jer 49:37 NCV)  I will terrify Elam in front of their enemies, who 
       want to destroy them. I will bring disaster to Elam and show them how 
       angry I am!" says the LORD. "I will send a sword to chase Elam until I 
       have killed them all.

       (Jer 49:38 NCV)  I will set up my throne in Elam to show that I am 
       king, and I will destroy its king and its officers!" says the LORD.

       (Jer 49:39 NCV)  "But I will make good things happen to Elam again in 
       the future," says the LORD.

       (Jer 50:1 NCV)  This is the message the LORD spoke to Babylon and the 
       Babylonian people through Jeremiah the prophet.

       (Jer 50:2 NCV)  "Announce this to the nations. Lift up a banner and 
       tell them. Speak the whole message and say: 'Babylon will be captured. 
       The god Bel will be put to shame, and the god Marduk will be afraid. 
       Babylon's gods will be put to shame, and her idols will be afraid!'

       (Jer 50:3 NCV)  A nation from the north will attack Babylon and make 
       it like an empty desert. No one will live there; both people and 
       animals will run away."

       (Jer 50:4 NCV)  The LORD says, "At that time the people of Israel and 
       Judah will come together. They will cry and look for the LORD their 
       God.

       (Jer 50:5 NCV)  Those people will ask how to go to Jerusalem and will 
       start in that direction. They will come and join themselves to the 
       LORD. They will make an agreement with him that will last forever, an 
       agreement that will never be forgotten.

       (Jer 50:6 NCV)  "My people have been like lost sheep. Their leaders 
       have led them in the wrong way and made them wander around in the 
       mountains and hills. They forgot where their resting place was.

       (Jer 50:7 NCV)  Whoever saw my people hurt them. And those enemies 
       said, 'We did nothing wrong. Those people sinned against the LORD, 
       their true resting place, the God their fathers trusted.'

       (Jer 50:8 NCV)  "Run away from Babylon, and leave the land of the 
       Babylonians. Be like the goats that lead the flock.

       (Jer 50:9 NCV)  I will soon bring against Babylon many great nations 
       from the north. They will take their places for war against it, and it 
       will be captured by people from the north. Their arrows are like 
       trained soldiers who do not return from war with empty hands.

       (Jer 50:10 NCV)  The enemy will take all the wealth from the 
       Babylonians. Those enemy soldiers will get all they want," says the 





       LORD.

       (Jer 50:11 NCV)  "Babylon, you are excited and happy, because you took 
       my land. You dance around like a young cow in the grain. Your laughter 
       is like the neighing of male horses.

       (Jer 50:12 NCV)  Your mother will be very ashamed; the woman who gave 
       birth to you will be disgraced. Soon Babylonia will be the least 
       important of all the nations. She will be an empty, dry desert.

       (Jer 50:13 NCV)  Because of the Lord's anger, no one will live there. 
       She will be completely empty. Everyone who passes by Babylon will be 
       shocked. They will shake their heads when they see all her injuries.

       (Jer 50:14 NCV)  "Take your positions for war against Babylon, all you 
       soldiers with bows. Shoot your arrows at Babylon! Do not save any of 
       them, because Babylon has sinned against the LORD.

       (Jer 50:15 NCV)  Soldiers around Babylon, shout the war cry! Babylon 
       has surrendered, her towers have fallen, and her walls have been torn 
       down. The LORD is giving her people the punishment they deserve. You 
       nations should give her what she deserves; do to her what she has done 
       to others.

       (Jer 50:16 NCV)  Don't let the people from Babylon plant their crops 
       or gather the harvest. The soldiers treated their captives cruelly. 
       Now, let everyone go back home. Let everyone run to his own country.

       (Jer 50:17 NCV)  "The people of Israel are like a flock of sheep that 
       are scattered from being chased by lions. The first lion to eat them 
       up was the king of Assyria. The last lion to crush their bones was 
       Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon."

       (Jer 50:18 NCV)  So this is what the LORD All-Powerful, the God of 
       Israel, says: "I will punish the king of Babylon and his country as I 
       punished the king of Assyria.

       (Jer 50:19 NCV)  But I will bring the people of Israel back to their 
       own pasture. They will eat on Mount Carmel and in Bashan. They will 
       eat and be full on the hills of Ephraim and Gilead."

       (Jer 50:20 NCV)  The LORD says, "At that time people will try to find 
       Israel's guilt, but there will be no guilt. People will try to find 
       Judah's sins, but no sins will be found, because I will leave a few 
       people alive from Israel and Judah, and I will forgive their sins.

       (Jer 50:21 NCV)  "Attack the land of Merathaim. Attack the people who 
       live in Pekod. Chase them, kill them, and completely destroy them. Do 
       everything I commanded you!" says the LORD.

       (Jer 50:22 NCV)  "The noise of battle can be heard all over the 
       country; it is the noise of much destruction.

       (Jer 50:23 NCV)  Babylon was the hammer of the whole earth, but how 
       broken and shattered that hammer is now. It is truly the most ruined 
       of all the nations.






       (Jer 50:24 NCV)  Babylon, I set a trap for you, and you were caught 
       before you knew it. You fought against the LORD, so you were found and 
       taken prisoner.

       (Jer 50:25 NCV)  The LORD has opened up his storeroom and brought out 
       the weapons of his anger, because the Lord GOD All-Powerful has work 
       to do in the land of the Babylonians.

       (Jer 50:26 NCV)  Come against Babylon from far away. Break open her 
       storehouses of grain. Pile up her dead bodies like heaps of grain. 
       Completely destroy Babylon and do not leave anyone alive.

       (Jer 50:27 NCV)  Kill all the young men in Babylon; let them be killed 
       like animals. How terrible it will be for them, because the time has 
       come for their defeat; it is time for them to be punished.

       (Jer 50:28 NCV)  Listen to the people running to escape the country of 
       Babylon! They are telling Jerusalem how the LORD our God is punishing 
       Babylon as it deserves for destroying his Temple.

       (Jer 50:29 NCV)  "Call for the archers to come against Babylon. Tell 
       them to surround the city, and let no one escape. Pay her back for 
       what she has done; do to her what she has done to other nations. 
       Babylon acted with pride against the LORD, the Holy One of Israel.

       (Jer 50:30 NCV)  So her young men will be killed in her streets. All 
       her soldiers will die on that day," says the LORD.

       (Jer 50:31 NCV)  "Babylon, you are too proud, and I am against you," 
       says the Lord GOD All-Powerful. "The time has come for you to be 
       punished.

       (Jer 50:32 NCV)  Proud Babylon will stumble and fall, and no one will 
       help her get up. I will start a fire in her towns, and it will burn up 
       everything around her."

       (Jer 50:33 NCV)  This is what the LORD All-Powerful says: "The people 
       of Israel and Judah are slaves. The enemy took them as prisoners and 
       won't let them go.

       (Jer 50:34 NCV)  But God is strong and will buy them back. His name is 
       the LORD All-Powerful. He will surely defend them with power so he can 
       give rest to their land. But he will not give rest to those living in 
       Babylon."

       (Jer 50:35 NCV)  The LORD says, "Let a sword kill the people living in 
       Babylon and her officers and wise men!

       (Jer 50:36 NCV)  Let a sword kill her false prophets, and they will 
       become fools. Let a sword kill her warriors, and they will be full of 
       terror.

       (Jer 50:37 NCV)  Let a sword kill her horses and chariots and all the 
       soldiers hired from other countries! Then they will be like frightened 
       women. Let a sword attack her treasures, so they will be taken away.






       (Jer 50:38 NCV)  Let a sword attack her waters so they will be dried 
       up. She is a land of idols, and the people go crazy with fear over 
       them.

       (Jer 50:39 NCV)  "Desert animals and hyenas will live there, and owls 
       will live there, but no people will ever live there again. She will 
       never be filled with people again.

       (Jer 50:40 NCV)  God completely destroyed the cities of Sodom and 
       Gomorrah and the towns around them," says the LORD. "In the same way 
       no people will live in Babylon, and no human being will stay there.

       (Jer 50:41 NCV)  "Look! An army is coming from the north. A powerful 
       nation and many kings are coming together from all around the world.

       (Jer 50:42 NCV)  Their armies have bows and spears. The soldiers are 
       cruel and have no mercy. As the soldiers come riding on their horses, 
       the sound is loud like the roaring sea. They stand in their places, 
       ready for battle. They are ready to attack you, city of Babylon.

       (Jer 50:43 NCV)  The king of Babylon heard about those armies, and he 
       became helpless with fear. Distress has gripped him. His pain is like 
       that of a woman giving birth to a baby.

       (Jer 50:44 NCV)  "Like a lion coming up from the thick bushes near the 
       Jordan River to attack a strong pen for sheep, I will suddenly chase 
       the people of Babylon from their land. Who is the one I have chosen to 
       do this? There is no one like me, no one who can take me to court. 
       None of their leaders can stand up against me."

       (Jer 50:45 NCV)  So listen to what the LORD has planned to do against 
       Babylon. Listen to what he has decided to do to the people in the city 
       of Babylon. He will surely drag away the young ones of Babylon. Their 
       hometowns will surely be shocked at what happens to them.

       (Jer 50:46 NCV)  At the sound of Babylon's capture, the earth will 
       shake. People in all nations will hear Babylon's cry of distress.

       (Jer 51:1 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "I will soon cause a 
       destroying wind to blow against Babylon and the Babylonian people.

       (Jer 51:2 NCV)  I will send foreign people to destroy Babylon like a 
       wind that blows chaff away. They will destroy the land. Armies will 
       surround the city when the day of disaster comes upon her.

       (Jer 51:3 NCV)  Don't let the Babylonian soldiers prepare their bows 
       to shoot. Don't even let them put on their armor. Don't feel sorry for 
       the young men of Babylon, but completely destroy her army.

       (Jer 51:4 NCV)  They will be killed in the land of the Babylonians and 
       will die in her streets.

       (Jer 51:5 NCV)  The Lord GOD All-Powerful did not leave Israel and 
       Judah, even though they were completely guilty in the presence of the 
       Holy One of Israel.






       (Jer 51:6 NCV)  "Run away from Babylon and save your lives! Don't stay 
       and be killed because of Babylon's sins. It is time for the LORD to 
       punish Babylon; he will give Babylon the punishment she deserves.

       (Jer 51:7 NCV)  Babylon was like a gold cup in the Lord's hand that 
       made the whole earth drunk. The nations drank Babylon's wine, so they 
       went crazy.

       (Jer 51:8 NCV)  Babylon has suddenly fallen and been broken. Cry for 
       her! Get balm for her pain, and maybe she can be healed.

       (Jer 51:9 NCV)  "Foreigners in Babylon say, 'We tried to heal Babylon, 
       but she cannot be healed. So let us leave her and each go to his own 
       country. Babylon's punishment is as high as the sky; it reaches to the 
       clouds.'

       (Jer 51:10 NCV)  "The people of Judah say, 'The LORD has shown us to 
       be right. Come, let us tell in Jerusalem what the LORD our God has 
       done.'

       (Jer 51:11 NCV)  "Sharpen the arrows! Pick up your shields! The LORD 
       has stirred up the kings of the Medes, because he wants to destroy 
       Babylon. The LORD will punish them as they deserve for destroying his 
       Temple.

       (Jer 51:12 NCV)  Lift up a banner against the walls of Babylon! Bring 
       more guards. Put the watchmen in their places, and get ready for a 
       secret attack! The LORD will certainly do what he has planned and what 
       he said he would do against the people of Babylon.

       (Jer 51:13 NCV)  People of Babylon, you live near much water and are 
       rich with many treasures, but your end as a nation has come. It is 
       time to stop you from robbing other nations.

       (Jer 51:14 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful has promised in his own name: 
       'Babylon, I will surely fill you with so many enemy soldiers they will 
       be like a swarm of locusts. They will stand over you and shout their 
       victory.'

       (Jer 51:15 NCV)  "The LORD made the earth by his power. He used his 
       wisdom to build the world and his understanding to stretch out the 
       skies.

       (Jer 51:16 NCV)  When he thunders, the waters in the skies roar. He 
       makes clouds rise in the sky all over the earth. He sends lightning 
       with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

       (Jer 51:17 NCV)  "People are so stupid and know so little. Goldsmiths 
       are made ashamed by their idols, because those statues are only false 
       gods. They have no breath in them.

       (Jer 51:18 NCV)  They are worth nothing; people make fun of them. When 
       they are judged, they will be destroyed.

       (Jer 51:19 NCV)  But God, who is Jacob's Portion, is not like the 





       idols. He made everything, and he chose Israel to be his special 
       people. The LORD All-Powerful is his name.

       (Jer 51:20 NCV)  "You are my war club, my battle weapon. I use you to 
       smash nations. I use you to destroy kingdoms.

       (Jer 51:21 NCV)  I use you to smash horses and riders. I use you to 
       smash chariots and drivers.

       (Jer 51:22 NCV)  I use you to smash men and women. I use you to smash 
       old people and young people. I use you to smash young men and young 
       women.

       (Jer 51:23 NCV)  I use you to smash shepherds and flocks. I use you to 
       smash farmers and oxen. I use you to smash governors and officers.

       (Jer 51:24 NCV)  "But I will pay back Babylon and all the Babylonians 
       for all the evil things they did to Jerusalem in your sight," says the 
       LORD.

       (Jer 51:25 NCV)  The LORD says, "Babylon, you are a destroying 
       mountain, and I am against you. You have destroyed the whole land. I 
       will put my hand out against you. I will roll you off the cliffs, and 
       I will make you a burned-out mountain.

       (Jer 51:26 NCV)  People will not find any rocks in Babylon big enough 
       for cornerstones. People will not take any rocks from Babylon to use 
       for the foundation of a building, because your city will be just a 
       pile of ruins forever," says the LORD.

       (Jer 51:27 NCV)  "Lift up a banner in the land! Blow the trumpet among 
       the nations! Get the nations ready for battle against Babylon. Call 
       these kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz to fight against her. 
       Choose a commander to lead the army against Babylon. Send so many 
       horses that they are like a swarm of locusts.

       (Jer 51:28 NCV)  Get the nations ready for battle against Babylon-- 
       the kings of the Medes, their governors and all their officers, and 
       all the countries they rule.

       (Jer 51:29 NCV)  The land shakes and moves in pain, because the LORD 
       will do what he has planned to Babylon. He will make Babylon an empty 
       desert, where no one will live.

       (Jer 51:30 NCV)  Babylon's warriors have stopped fighting. They stay 
       in their protected cities. Their strength is gone, and they have 
       become like frightened women. Babylon's houses are burning. The bars 
       of her gates are broken.

       (Jer 51:31 NCV)  One messenger follows another; messenger follows 
       messenger. They announce to the king of Babylon that his whole city 
       has been captured.

       (Jer 51:32 NCV)  The river crossings have been captured, and the 
       swamplands are burning. All of Babylon's soldiers are terribly 
       afraid."






       (Jer 51:33 NCV)  This is what the LORD All-Powerful, the God of 
       Israel, says: "The city of Babylon is like a threshing floor, where 
       people crush the grain at harvest time. The time to harvest Babylon is 
       coming soon."

       (Jer 51:34 NCV)  "Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has defeated and 
       destroyed us. In the past he took our people away, and we became like 
       an empty jar. He was like a giant snake that swallowed us. He filled 
       his stomach with our best things. Then he spit us out.

       (Jer 51:35 NCV)  Babylon did terrible things to hurt us. Now let those 
       things happen to Babylon," say the people of Jerusalem. "The people of 
       Babylon killed our people. Now let them be punished for what they 
       did," says Jerusalem.

       (Jer 51:36 NCV)  So this is what the LORD says: "I will soon defend 
       you, Judah, and make sure that Babylon is punished. I will dry up 
       Babylon's sea and make her springs become dry.

       (Jer 51:37 NCV)  Babylon will become a pile of ruins, a home for wild 
       dogs. People will be shocked by what happened there. No one will live 
       there anymore.

       (Jer 51:38 NCV)  Babylon's people roar like young lions; they growl 
       like baby lions.

       (Jer 51:39 NCV)  While they are stirred up, I will give a feast for 
       them and make them drunk. They will shout and laugh. And they will 
       sleep forever and never wake up!" says the LORD.

       (Jer 51:40 NCV)  "I will take the people of Babylon to be killed. They 
       will be like lambs, like sheep and goats waiting to be killed.

       (Jer 51:41 NCV)  "How Babylon has been defeated! The pride of the 
       whole earth has been taken captive. People from other nations are 
       shocked at what happened to Babylon, and the things they see make them 
       afraid.

       (Jer 51:42 NCV)  The sea has risen over Babylon; its roaring waves 
       cover her.

       (Jer 51:43 NCV)  Babylon's towns are ruined and empty. It has become a 
       dry, desert land, a land where no one lives. People do not even travel 
       through Babylon.

       (Jer 51:44 NCV)  I will punish the god Bel in Babylon. I will make him 
       spit out what he has swallowed. Nations will no longer come to 
       Babylon; even the wall around the city will fall.

       (Jer 51:45 NCV)  "Come out of Babylon, my people! Run for your lives! 
       Run from the Lord's great anger.

       (Jer 51:46 NCV)  Don't lose courage; rumors will spread through the 
       land, but don't be afraid. One rumor comes this year, and another 
       comes the next year. There will be rumors of terrible fighting in the 





       country, of rulers fighting against rulers.

       (Jer 51:47 NCV)  The time will surely come when I will punish the 
       idols of Babylon, and the whole land will be disgraced. There will be 
       many dead people lying all around.

       (Jer 51:48 NCV)  Then heaven and earth and all that is in them will 
       shout for joy about Babylon. They will shout because the army comes 
       from the north to destroy Babylon," says the LORD.

       (Jer 51:49 NCV)  "Babylon must fall, because she killed people from 
       Israel. She killed people from everywhere on earth.

       (Jer 51:50 NCV)  You who have escaped being killed with swords, leave 
       Babylon! Don't wait! Remember the LORD in the faraway land and think 
       about Jerusalem."

       (Jer 51:51 NCV)  "We people of Judah are disgraced, because we have 
       been insulted. We have been shamed, because strangers have gone into 
       the holy places of the Lord's Temple!"

       (Jer 51:52 NCV)  So the LORD says, "The time is coming soon when I 
       will punish the idols of Babylon. Wounded people will cry with pain 
       all over that land.

       (Jer 51:53 NCV)  Even if Babylon grows until she touches the sky, and 
       even if she makes her highest cities strong, I will send people to 
       destroy her," says the LORD.

       (Jer 51:54 NCV)  "Sounds of people crying are heard in Babylon. Sounds 
       of people destroying things are heard in the land of the Babylonians.

       (Jer 51:55 NCV)  The LORD is destroying Babylon and making the loud 
       sounds of the city become silent. Enemies come roaring in like ocean 
       waves. The roar of their voices is heard all around.

       (Jer 51:56 NCV)  The army has come to destroy Babylon. Her soldiers 
       have been captured, and their bows are broken, because the LORD is a 
       God who punishes people for the evil they do. He gives them the full 
       punishment they deserve.

       (Jer 51:57 NCV)  I will make Babylon's rulers and wise men drunk, and 
       her governors, officers, and soldiers, too. Then they will sleep 
       forever and never wake up," says the King, whose name is the LORD 
       All-Powerful.

       (Jer 51:58 NCV)  This is what the LORD All-Powerful says: "Babylon's 
       thick wall will be completely pulled down and her high gates burned. 
       The people will work hard, but it won't help; their work will only 
       become fuel for the flames!"

       (Jer 51:59 NCV)  This is the message that Jeremiah the prophet gave to 
       the officer Seraiah son of Neriah, who was the son of Mahseiah. 
       Seraiah went to Babylon with Zedekiah king of Judah in the fourth year 
       Zedekiah was king of Judah. His duty was to arrange the king's food 
       and housing on the trip.






       (Jer 51:60 NCV)  Jeremiah had written on a scroll all the terrible 
       things that would happen to Babylon, all these words about Babylon.

       (Jer 51:61 NCV)  Jeremiah said to Seraiah, "As soon as you come to 
       Babylon, be sure to read this message so all the people can hear you.

       (Jer 51:62 NCV)  Then say, 'LORD, you have said that you will destroy 
       this place so that no people or animals will live in it. It will be an 
       empty ruin forever.'

       (Jer 51:63 NCV)  After you finish reading this scroll, tie a stone to 
       it and throw it into the Euphrates River.

       (Jer 51:64 NCV)  Then say, 'In the same way Babylon will sink and will 
       not rise again because of the terrible things I will make happen here. 
       Her people will fall.'" The words of Jeremiah end here.

       (Jer 52:1 NCV)  Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, 
       and he was king in Jerusalem for eleven years. His mother's name was 
       Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah, and she was from Libnah.

       (Jer 52:2 NCV)  Zedekiah did what the LORD said was wrong, just as 
       Jehoiakim had done.

       (Jer 52:3 NCV)  All this happened in Jerusalem and Judah because the 
       LORD was angry with them. Finally, he threw them out of his presence. 
       Zedekiah turned against the king of Babylon.

       (Jer 52:4 NCV)  Then Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against 
       Jerusalem with his whole army. They made a camp around the city and 
       built devices all around the city walls to attack it. This happened on 
       Zedekiah's ninth year, tenth month, and tenth day as king.

       (Jer 52:5 NCV)  And the city was under attack until Zedekiah's 
       eleventh year as king.

       (Jer 52:6 NCV)  By the ninth day of the fourth month, the hunger was 
       terrible in the city; there was no food for the people to eat.

       (Jer 52:7 NCV)  Then the city wall was broken through, and the whole 
       army of Judah ran away at night. They left the city through the gate 
       between the two walls by the king's garden. Even though the 
       Babylonians were surrounding the city, Zedekiah and his men headed 
       toward the Jordan Valley.

       (Jer 52:8 NCV)  But the Babylonian army chased King Zedekiah and 
       caught him in the plains of Jericho. All of his army was scattered 
       from him.

       (Jer 52:9 NCV)  So the Babylonians captured Zedekiah and took him to 
       the king of Babylon at the town of Riblah in the land of Hamath. There 
       he passed sentence on Zedekiah.

       (Jer 52:10 NCV)  At Riblah the king of Babylon killed Zedekiah's sons 
       as he watched. The king also killed all the officers of Judah.






       (Jer 52:11 NCV)  Then he put out Zedekiah's eyes, and put bronze 
       chains on him, and took him to Babylon. And the king kept Zedekiah in 
       prison there until the day he died.

       (Jer 52:12 NCV)  Nebuzaradan, commander of the king's special guards 
       and servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem on the tenth day 
       of the fifth month. This was in Nebuchadnezzar's nineteenth year as 
       king of Babylon.

       (Jer 52:13 NCV)  Nebuzaradan set fire to the Temple of the LORD, the 
       palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem; every important building was 
       burned.

       (Jer 52:14 NCV)  The whole Babylonian army, led by the commander of 
       the king's special guards, broke down all the walls around Jerusalem.

       (Jer 52:15 NCV)  Nebuzaradan, the commander of the king's special 
       guards, took captive some of the poorest people, those who were left 
       in Jerusalem, those who had surrendered to the king of Babylon, and 
       the skilled craftsmen who were left in Jerusalem.

       (Jer 52:16 NCV)  But Nebuzaradan left behind some of the poorest 
       people of the land to take care of the vineyards and fields.

       (Jer 52:17 NCV)  The Babylonians broke into pieces the bronze pillars, 
       the bronze stands, and the large bronze bowl, called the Sea, which 
       were in the Temple of the LORD. Then they carried all the bronze 
       pieces to Babylon.

       (Jer 52:18 NCV)  They also took the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, 
       bowls, dishes, and all the bronze objects used to serve in the Temple.

       (Jer 52:19 NCV)  The commander of the king's special guards took away 
       bowls, pans for carrying hot coals, large bowls, pots, lampstands, 
       pans, and bowls used for drink offerings. He took everything that was 
       made of pure gold or silver.

       (Jer 52:20 NCV)  There was so much bronze that it could not be 
       weighed: two pillars, the large bronze bowl called the Sea with the 
       twelve bronze bulls under it, and the movable stands, which King 
       Solomon had made for the Temple of the LORD.

       (Jer 52:21 NCV)  Each of the pillars was about twenty-seven feet high, 
       eighteen feet around, and hollow inside. The wall of each pillar was 
       three inches thick.

       (Jer 52:22 NCV)  The bronze capital on top of the one pillar was about 
       seven and one-half feet high. It was decorated with a net design and 
       bronze pomegranates all around it. The other pillar also had 
       pomegranates and was like the first pillar.

       (Jer 52:23 NCV)  There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides of 
       the pillars. There was a total of a hundred pomegranates above the net 
       design.





       (Jer 52:24 NCV)  The commander of the king's special guards took as 
       prisoners Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest next in rank, 
       and the three doorkeepers.

       (Jer 52:25 NCV)  He also took from the city the officer in charge of 
       the soldiers, seven people who advised the king, the royal secretary 
       who selected people for the army, and sixty other men from Judah who 
       were in the city when it fell.

       (Jer 52:26 NCV)  Nebuzaradan, the commander, took these people and 
       brought them to the king of Babylon at the town of Riblah.

       (Jer 52:27 NCV)  There at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king had 
       them killed. So the people of Judah were led away from their country 
       as captives.

       (Jer 52:28 NCV)  This is the number of the people Nebuchadnezzar took 
       away as captives: in the seventh year, 3,023 Jews;

       (Jer 52:29 NCV)  in Nebuchadnezzar's eighteenth year, 832 people from 
       Jerusalem;

       (Jer 52:30 NCV)  in Nebuchadnezzar's twenty-third year, Nebuzaradan, 
       commander of the king's special guards, took 745 Jews as captives. In 
       all 4,600 people were taken captive.

       (Jer 52:31 NCV)  Jehoiachin king of Judah was in prison in Babylon for 
       thirty-seven years. The year Evil-Merodach became king of Babylon he 
       let Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison. He set Jehoiachin free on 
       the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month.

       (Jer 52:32 NCV)  Evil-Merodach spoke kindly to Jehoiachin and gave him 
       a seat of honor above the seats of the other kings who were with him 
       in Babylon.

       (Jer 52:33 NCV)  So Jehoiachin put away his prison clothes, and for 
       the rest of his life, he ate at the king's table.

       (Jer 52:34 NCV)  Every day the king of Babylon gave Jehoiachin an 
       allowance. This lasted as long as he lived, until the day Jehoiachin 
       died.

       (Lam 1:1 NCV)  Jerusalem once was full of people, but now the city is 
       empty. Jerusalem once was a great city among the nations, but now she 
       is like a widow. She was like a queen of all the other cities, but now 
       she is a slave.

       (Lam 1:2 NCV)  She cries loudly at night, and tears are on her cheeks. 
       There is no one to comfort her; all who loved her are gone. All her 
       friends have turned against her and are now her enemies.

       (Lam 1:3 NCV)  Judah has gone into captivity where she suffers and 
       works hard. She lives among other nations, but she has found no rest. 
       Those who chased her caught her when she was in trouble.

       (Lam 1:4 NCV)  The roads to Jerusalem are sad, because no one comes 





       for the feasts. No one passes through her gates. Her priests groan, 
       her young women are suffering, and Jerusalem suffers terribly.

       (Lam 1:5 NCV)  Her foes are now her masters. Her enemies enjoy the 
       wealth they have taken. The LORD is punishing her for her many sins. 
       Her children have gone away as captives of the enemy.

       (Lam 1:6 NCV)  The beauty of Jerusalem has gone away. Her rulers are 
       like deer that cannot find food. They are weak and run from the 
       hunters.

       (Lam 1:7 NCV)  Jerusalem is suffering and homeless. She remembers all 
       the good things from the past. But her people were defeated by the 
       enemy, and there was no one to help her. When her enemies saw her, 
       they laughed to see her ruined.

       (Lam 1:8 NCV)  Jerusalem sinned terribly, so she has become unclean. 
       Those who honored her now hate her, because they have seen her 
       nakedness. She groans and turns away.

       (Lam 1:9 NCV)  She made herself dirty by her sins and did not think 
       about what would happen to her. Her defeat was surprising, and no one 
       could comfort her. She says, "LORD, see how I suffer, because the 
       enemy has won."

       (Lam 1:10 NCV)  The enemy reached out and took all her precious 
       things. She even saw foreigners enter her Temple. The LORD had 
       commanded foreigners never to enter the meeting place of his people.

       (Lam 1:11 NCV)  All of Jerusalem's people groan, looking for bread. 
       They are trading their precious things for food so they can stay 
       alive. The city says, "Look, LORD, and see. I am hated."

       (Lam 1:12 NCV)  Jerusalem says, "You who pass by on the road don't 
       seem to care. Come, look at me and see: Is there any pain like mine? 
       Is there any pain like that he has caused me? The LORD has punished me 
       on the day of his great anger.

       (Lam 1:13 NCV)  "He sent fire from above that went down into my bones. 
       He stretched out a net for my feet and turned me back. He made me so 
       sad and lonely that I am weak all day.

       (Lam 1:14 NCV)  "He has noticed my sins; they are tied together by his 
       hands; they hang around my neck. He has turned my strength into 
       weakness. The Lord has handed me over to those who are stronger than 
       I.

       (Lam 1:15 NCV)  "The Lord has rejected all my mighty men inside my 
       walls. He brought an army against me to destroy my young men. As if in 
       a winepress, the Lord has crushed the capital city of Judah.

       (Lam 1:16 NCV)  "I cry about these things; my eyes overflow with 
       tears. There is no one near to comfort me, no one who can give me 
       strength again. My children are left sad and lonely, because the enemy 
       has won."





       (Lam 1:17 NCV)  Jerusalem reaches out her hands, but there is no one 
       to comfort her. The LORD commanded the people of Jacob to be 
       surrounded by their enemies. Jerusalem is now unclean like those 
       around her.

       (Lam 1:18 NCV)  Jerusalem says, "The LORD is right, but I refused to 
       obey him. Listen, all you people, and look at my pain. My young women 
       and men have gone into captivity.

       (Lam 1:19 NCV)  "I called out to my friends, but they turned against 
       me. My priests and my older leaders have died in the city while 
       looking for food to stay alive.

       (Lam 1:20 NCV)  "Look at me, LORD. I am upset and greatly troubled. My 
       heart is troubled, because I have been so stubborn. Out in the 
       streets, the sword kills; inside the houses, death destroys.

       (Lam 1:21 NCV)  "People have heard my groaning, and there is no one to 
       comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble, and they are 
       happy you have done this to me. Now bring that day you have announced 
       so that my enemies will be like me.

       (Lam 1:22 NCV)  "Look at all their evil. Do to them what you have done 
       to me because of all my sins. I groan over and over again, and I am 
       afraid."

       (Lam 2:1 NCV)  Look how the Lord in his anger has brought Jerusalem to 
       shame. He has thrown down the greatness of Israel from the sky to the 
       earth; he did not remember the Temple, his footstool, on the day of 
       his anger.

       (Lam 2:2 NCV)  The Lord swallowed up without mercy all the houses of 
       the people of Jacob; in his anger he pulled down the strong places of 
       Judah. He threw her kingdom and its rulers down to the ground in 
       dishonor.

       (Lam 2:3 NCV)  In his anger he has removed all the strength of Israel; 
       he took away his power from Israel when the enemy came. He burned 
       against the people of Jacob like a flaming fire that burns up 
       everything around it.

       (Lam 2:4 NCV)  Like an enemy, he prepared to shoot his bow, and his 
       hand was against us. Like an enemy, he killed all the good-looking 
       people; he poured out his anger like fire on the tents of Jerusalem.

       (Lam 2:5 NCV)  The Lord was like an enemy; he swallowed up Israel. He 
       swallowed up all her palaces and destroyed all her strongholds. He has 
       caused more moaning and groaning for Judah.

       (Lam 2:6 NCV)  He cut down his Temple like a garden; he destroyed the 
       meeting place. The LORD has made Jerusalem forget the set feasts and 
       Sabbath days. He has rejected the king and the priest in his great 
       anger.

       (Lam 2:7 NCV)  The Lord has rejected his altar and abandoned his 
       Temple. He has handed over to the enemy the walls of Jerusalem's 





       palaces. Their uproar in the Lord's Temple was like that of a feast 
       day.

       (Lam 2:8 NCV)  The LORD planned to destroy the wall around Jerusalem. 
       He measured the wall and did not stop himself from destroying it. He 
       made the walls and defenses sad; together they have fallen.

       (Lam 2:9 NCV)  Jerusalem's gates have fallen to the ground; he 
       destroyed and smashed the bars of the gates. Her king and her princes 
       are among the nations. The teaching of the LORD has stopped, and the 
       prophets do not have visions from the LORD.

       (Lam 2:10 NCV)  The older leaders of Jerusalem sit on the ground in 
       silence. They throw dust on their heads and put on rough cloth to show 
       their sadness. The young women of Jerusalem bow their heads to the 
       ground in sorrow.

       (Lam 2:11 NCV)  My eyes have no more tears, and I am sick to my 
       stomach. I feel empty inside, because my people have been destroyed. 
       Children and babies are fainting in the streets of the city.

       (Lam 2:12 NCV)  They ask their mothers, "Where is the grain and wine?" 
       They faint like wounded soldiers in the streets of the city and die in 
       their mothers' arms.

       (Lam 2:13 NCV)  What can I say about you, Jerusalem? What can I 
       compare you to? What can I say you are like? How can I comfort you, 
       Jerusalem? Your ruin is as deep as the sea. No one can heal you.

       (Lam 2:14 NCV)  Your prophets saw visions, but they were false and 
       worth nothing. They did not point out your sins to keep you from being 
       captured. They preached what was false and led you wrongly.

       (Lam 2:15 NCV)  All who pass by on the road clap their hands at you; 
       they make fun of Jerusalem and shake their heads. They ask, "Is this 
       the city that people called the most beautiful city, the happiest 
       place on earth?"

       (Lam 2:16 NCV)  All your enemies open their mouths to speak against 
       you. They make fun and grind their teeth in anger. They say, "We have 
       swallowed you up. This is the day we were waiting for! We have finally 
       seen it happen."

       (Lam 2:17 NCV)  The LORD has done what he planned; he has kept his 
       word that he commanded long ago. He has destroyed without mercy, and 
       he has let your enemies laugh at you. He has strengthened your 
       enemies.

       (Lam 2:18 NCV)  The people cry out to the Lord. Wall of Jerusalem, let 
       your tears flow like a river day and night. Do not stop or let your 
       eyes rest.

       (Lam 2:19 NCV)  Get up, cry out in the night, even as the night 
       begins. Pour out your heart like water in prayer to the Lord. Lift up 
       your hands in prayer to him for the life of your children who are 
       fainting with hunger on every street corner.






       (Lam 2:20 NCV)  Jerusalem says: "Look, LORD, and see to whom you have 
       done this. Women eat their own babies, the children they have cared 
       for. Priests and prophets are killed in the Temple of the Lord.

       (Lam 2:21 NCV)  "People young and old lie outside on the ground. My 
       young women and young men have been killed by the sword. You killed 
       them on the day of your anger; you killed them without mercy.

       (Lam 2:22 NCV)  "You invited terrors to come against me on every side, 
       as if you were inviting them to a feast. No one escaped or remained 
       alive on the day of the Lord's anger. My enemy has killed those I 
       cared for and brought up."

       (Lam 3:1 NCV)  I am a man who has seen the suffering that comes from 
       the rod of the Lord's anger.

       (Lam 3:2 NCV)  He led me into darkness, not light.

       (Lam 3:3 NCV)  He turned his hand against me again and again, all day 
       long.

       (Lam 3:4 NCV)  He wore out my flesh and skin and broke my bones.

       (Lam 3:5 NCV)  He surrounded me with sadness and attacked me with 
       grief.

       (Lam 3:6 NCV)  He made me sit in the dark, like those who have been 
       dead a long time.

       (Lam 3:7 NCV)  He shut me in so I could not get out; he put heavy 
       chains on me.

       (Lam 3:8 NCV)  I cry out and beg for help, but he ignores my prayer.

       (Lam 3:9 NCV)  He blocked my way with a stone wall and led me in the 
       wrong direction.

       (Lam 3:10 NCV)  He is like a bear ready to attack me, like a lion in 
       hiding.

       (Lam 3:11 NCV)  He led me the wrong way and let me stray and left me 
       without help.

       (Lam 3:12 NCV)  He prepared to shoot his bow and made me the target 
       for his arrows.

       (Lam 3:13 NCV)  He shot me in the kidneys with the arrows from his 
       bag.

       (Lam 3:14 NCV)  I was a joke to all my people, who make fun of me with 
       songs all day long.

       (Lam 3:15 NCV)  The LORD filled me with misery; he made me drunk with 
       suffering.





       (Lam 3:16 NCV)  He broke my teeth with gravel and trampled me into the 
       dirt.

       (Lam 3:17 NCV)  I have no more peace. I have forgotten what happiness 
       is.

       (Lam 3:18 NCV)  I said, "My strength is gone, and I have no hope in 
       the LORD."

       (Lam 3:19 NCV)  LORD, remember my suffering and my misery, my sorrow 
       and trouble.

       (Lam 3:20 NCV)  Please remember me and think about me.

       (Lam 3:21 NCV)  But I have hope when I think of this:

       (Lam 3:22 NCV)  The Lord's love never ends; his mercies never stop.

       (Lam 3:23 NCV)  They are new every morning; LORD, your loyalty is 
       great.

       (Lam 3:24 NCV)  I say to myself, "The LORD is mine, so I hope in him."

       (Lam 3:25 NCV)  The LORD is good to those who hope in him, to those 
       who seek him.

       (Lam 3:26 NCV)  It is good to wait quietly for the LORD to save.

       (Lam 3:27 NCV)  It is good for someone to work hard while he is young.

       (Lam 3:28 NCV)  He should sit alone and be quiet; the LORD has given 
       him hard work to do.

       (Lam 3:29 NCV)  He should bow down to the ground; maybe there is still 
       hope.

       (Lam 3:30 NCV)  He should let anyone slap his cheek; he should be 
       filled with shame.

       (Lam 3:31 NCV)  The Lord will not reject his people forever.

       (Lam 3:32 NCV)  Although he brings sorrow, he also has mercy and great 
       love.

       (Lam 3:33 NCV)  He does not like to punish people or make them sad.

       (Lam 3:34 NCV)  He sees if any prisoner of the earth is crushed under 
       his feet;

       (Lam 3:35 NCV)  he sees if someone is treated unfairly before the Most 
       High God;

       (Lam 3:36 NCV)  the Lord sees if someone is cheated in his case in 
       court.

       (Lam 3:37 NCV)  Nobody can speak and have it happen unless the Lord 





       commands it.

       (Lam 3:38 NCV)  Both bad and good things come by the command of the 
       Most High God.

       (Lam 3:39 NCV)  No one should complain when he is punished for his 
       sins.

       (Lam 3:40 NCV)  Let us examine and see what we have done and then 
       return to the LORD.

       (Lam 3:41 NCV)  Let us lift up our hands and pray from our hearts to 
       God in heaven:

       (Lam 3:42 NCV)  "We have sinned and turned against you, and you have 
       not forgiven us.

       (Lam 3:43 NCV)  "You wrapped yourself in anger and chased us; you 
       killed us without mercy.

       (Lam 3:44 NCV)  You wrapped yourself in a cloud, and no prayer could 
       get through.

       (Lam 3:45 NCV)  You made us like scum and trash among the other 
       nations.

       (Lam 3:46 NCV)  "All of our enemies open their mouths and speak 
       against us.

       (Lam 3:47 NCV)  We have been frightened and fearful, ruined and 
       destroyed."

       (Lam 3:48 NCV)  Streams of tears flow from my eyes, because my people 
       are destroyed.

       (Lam 3:49 NCV)  My tears flow continually, without stopping,

       (Lam 3:50 NCV)  until the LORD looks down and sees from heaven.

       (Lam 3:51 NCV)  I am sad when I see what has happened to all the women 
       of my city.

       (Lam 3:52 NCV)  Those who are my enemies for no reason hunted me like 
       a bird.

       (Lam 3:53 NCV)  They tried to kill me in a pit; they threw stones at 
       me.

       (Lam 3:54 NCV)  Water came up over my head, and I said, "I am going to 
       die."

       (Lam 3:55 NCV)  I called out to you, LORD, from the bottom of the pit.

       (Lam 3:56 NCV)  You heard me calling, "Do not close your ears and 
       ignore my gasps and shouts."





       (Lam 3:57 NCV)  You came near when I called to you; you said, "Don't 
       be afraid."

       (Lam 3:58 NCV)  Lord, you have taken my case and given me back my 
       life.

       (Lam 3:59 NCV)  LORD, you have seen how I have been wronged. Now judge 
       my case for me.

       (Lam 3:60 NCV)  You have seen how my enemies took revenge on me and 
       made evil plans against me.

       (Lam 3:61 NCV)  LORD, you have heard their insults and all their evil 
       plans against me.

       (Lam 3:62 NCV)  The words and thoughts of my enemies are against me 
       all the time.

       (Lam 3:63 NCV)  Look! In everything they do they make fun of me with 
       songs.

       (Lam 3:64 NCV)  Pay them back, LORD, for what they have done.

       (Lam 3:65 NCV)  Make them stubborn, and put your curse on them.

       (Lam 3:66 NCV)  Chase them in anger, LORD, and destroy them from under 
       your heavens.

       (Lam 4:1 NCV)  See how the gold has lost its shine, how the pure gold 
       has dulled! The stones of the Temple are scattered at every street 
       corner.

       (Lam 4:2 NCV)  The precious people of Jerusalem were more valuable 
       than gold, but now they are thought of as clay jars made by the hands 
       of a potter.

       (Lam 4:3 NCV)  Even wild dogs give their milk to feed their young, but 
       my people are cruel like ostriches in the desert.

       (Lam 4:4 NCV)  The babies are so thirsty their tongues stick to the 
       roofs of their mouths. Children beg for bread, but no one gives them 
       any.

       (Lam 4:5 NCV)  Those who once ate fine foods are now starving in the 
       streets. People who grew up wearing nice clothes now pick through 
       trash piles.

       (Lam 4:6 NCV)  My people have been punished more than Sodom was. Sodom 
       was destroyed suddenly, and no hands reached out to help her.

       (Lam 4:7 NCV)  Our princes were purer than snow, and whiter than milk. 
       Their bodies were redder than rubies; they looked like sapphires.

       (Lam 4:8 NCV)  But now they are blacker than coal, and no one 
       recognizes them in the streets. Their skin hangs on their bones; it is 
       as dry as wood.






       (Lam 4:9 NCV)  Those who were killed in the war were better off than 
       those killed by hunger. They starve in pain and die, because there is 
       no food from the field.

       (Lam 4:10 NCV)  With their own hands kind women cook their own 
       children. They became food when my people were destroyed.

       (Lam 4:11 NCV)  The LORD turned loose all of his anger; he poured out 
       his strong anger. He set fire to Jerusalem, burning it down to the 
       foundations.

       (Lam 4:12 NCV)  Kings of the earth and people of the world could not 
       believe that enemies and foes could enter the gates of Jerusalem.

       (Lam 4:13 NCV)  It happened because her prophets sinned and her 
       priests did evil. They killed in the city those who did what was 
       right.

       (Lam 4:14 NCV)  They wandered in the streets as if they were blind. 
       They were dirty with blood, so no one would touch their clothes.

       (Lam 4:15 NCV)  "Go away! You are unclean," people shouted at them. 
       "Get away! Get away! Don't touch us!" So they ran away and wandered. 
       Even the other nations said, "Don't stay here."

       (Lam 4:16 NCV)  The LORD himself scattered them and did not look after 
       them anymore. No one respects the priests or honors the older leaders.

       (Lam 4:17 NCV)  Also, our eyes grew tired, looking for help that never 
       came. We kept watch from our towers for a nation to save us.

       (Lam 4:18 NCV)  Our enemies hunted us, so we could not even walk in 
       the streets. Our end is near. Our time is up. Our end has come.

       (Lam 4:19 NCV)  Those who chased us were faster than eagles in the 
       sky. They ran us into the mountains and ambushed us in the desert.

       (Lam 4:20 NCV)  The Lord's appointed king, who was our very breath, 
       was caught in their traps. We had said about him, "We will be 
       protected by him among the nations."

       (Lam 4:21 NCV)  Be happy and glad, people of Edom, you who live in the 
       land of Uz. The cup of God's anger will come to you; then you will get 
       drunk and go naked.

       (Lam 4:22 NCV)  Your punishment is complete, Jerusalem. He will not 
       send you into captivity again. But the LORD will punish the sins of 
       Edom; he will uncover your evil.

       (Lam 5:1 NCV)  Remember, LORD, what happened to us. Look and see our 
       disgrace.

       (Lam 5:2 NCV)  Our land has been turned over to strangers; our houses 
       have been given to foreigners.





       (Lam 5:3 NCV)  We are like orphans with no father; our mothers are 
       like widows.

       (Lam 5:4 NCV)  We have to buy the water we drink; we must pay for the 
       firewood.

       (Lam 5:5 NCV)  Those who chase after us want to catch us by the neck. 
       We are tired and find no rest.

       (Lam 5:6 NCV)  We made an agreement with Egypt and with Assyria to get 
       enough food.

       (Lam 5:7 NCV)  Our ancestors sinned against you, but they are gone; 
       now we suffer because of their sins.

       (Lam 5:8 NCV)  Slaves have become our rulers, and no one can save us 
       from them.

       (Lam 5:9 NCV)  We risk our lives to get our food; we face death in the 
       desert.

       (Lam 5:10 NCV)  Our skin is hot like an oven; we burn with starvation.

       (Lam 5:11 NCV)  The enemy abused the women of Jerusalem and the girls 
       in the cities of Judah.

       (Lam 5:12 NCV)  Princes were hung by the hands; they did not respect 
       our older leaders.

       (Lam 5:13 NCV)  The young men ground grain at the mill, and boys 
       stumbled under loads of wood.

       (Lam 5:14 NCV)  The older leaders no longer sit at the city gates; the 
       young men no longer sing.

       (Lam 5:15 NCV)  We have no more joy in our hearts; our dancing has 
       turned to sadness.

       (Lam 5:16 NCV)  The crown has fallen from our head. How terrible it is 
       because we sinned.

       (Lam 5:17 NCV)  Because of this we are afraid, and now our eyes are 
       dim.

       (Lam 5:18 NCV)  Mount Zion is empty, and wild dogs wander around it.

       (Lam 5:19 NCV)  But you rule forever, LORD. You will be King from now 
       on.

       (Lam 5:20 NCV)  Why have you forgotten us for so long? Have you left 
       us forever?

       (Lam 5:21 NCV)  Bring us back to you, LORD, and we will return. Make 
       our days as they were before,

       (Lam 5:22 NCV)  or have you completely rejected us? Are you so angry 





       with us?

       (Ezek 1:1 NCV)  It was the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the 
       fourth month of our captivity. I was by the Kebar River among the 
       people who had been carried away as captives. The sky opened, and I 
       saw visions of God.

       (Ezek 1:2 NCV)  It was the fifth day of the month of the fifth year 
       that King Jehoiachin had been a prisoner.

       (Ezek 1:3 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to Ezekiel son of Buzi in the 
       land of the Babylonians by the Kebar River. There he felt the power of 
       the LORD.

       (Ezek 1:4 NCV)  When I looked, I saw a stormy wind coming from the 
       north. There was a great cloud with a bright light around it and fire 
       flashing out of it. Something that looked like glowing metal was in 
       the center of the fire.

       (Ezek 1:5 NCV)  Inside the cloud was what looked like four living 
       creatures, who were shaped like humans,

       (Ezek 1:6 NCV)  but each of them had four faces and four wings.

       (Ezek 1:7 NCV)  Their legs were straight. Their feet were like a 
       calf's hoofs and sparkled like polished bronze.

       (Ezek 1:8 NCV)  The living creatures had human hands under their wings 
       on their four sides. All four of them had faces and wings,

       (Ezek 1:9 NCV)  and their wings touched each other. The living 
       creatures did not turn when they moved, but each went straight ahead.

       (Ezek 1:10 NCV)  Their faces looked like this: Each living creature 
       had a human face and the face of a lion on the right side and the face 
       of an ox on the left side. And each one also had the face of an eagle.

       (Ezek 1:11 NCV)  That was what their faces looked like. Their wings 
       were spread out above. Each had two wings that touched one of the 
       other living creatures and two wings that covered its body.

       (Ezek 1:12 NCV)  Each went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would 
       go, the living creatures would also go, without turning.

       (Ezek 1:13 NCV)  The living creatures looked like burning coals of 
       fire or like torches. Fire went back and forth among the living 
       creatures. It was bright, and lightning flashed from it.

       (Ezek 1:14 NCV)  The living creatures ran back and forth like bolts of 
       lightning.

       (Ezek 1:15 NCV)  Now as I looked at the living creatures, I saw a 
       wheel on the ground by each of the living creatures with its four 
       faces.

       (Ezek 1:16 NCV)  The wheels and the way they were made were like this: 





       They looked like sparkling chrysolite. All four of them looked the 
       same, like one wheel crossways inside another wheel.

       (Ezek 1:17 NCV)  When they moved, they went in any one of the four 
       directions, without turning as they went.

       (Ezek 1:18 NCV)  The rims of the wheels were high and frightening and 
       were full of eyes all around.

       (Ezek 1:19 NCV)  When the living creatures moved, the wheels moved 
       beside them. When the living creatures were lifted up from the ground, 
       the wheels also were lifted up.

       (Ezek 1:20 NCV)  Wherever the spirit would go, the living creatures 
       would go. And the wheels were lifted up beside them, because the 
       spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

       (Ezek 1:21 NCV)  When the living creatures moved, the wheels moved. 
       When the living creatures stopped, the wheels stopped. And when the 
       living creatures were lifted from the ground, the wheels were lifted 
       beside them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the 
       wheels.

       (Ezek 1:22 NCV)  Now, over the heads of the living creatures was 
       something like a dome that sparkled like ice and was frightening.

       (Ezek 1:23 NCV)  And under the dome the wings of the living creatures 
       were stretched out straight toward one another. Each living creature 
       also had two wings covering its body.

       (Ezek 1:24 NCV)  I heard the sound of their wings, like the roaring 
       sound of the sea, as they moved. It was like the voice of God 
       Almighty, a roaring sound like a noisy army. When the living creatures 
       stopped, they lowered their wings.

       (Ezek 1:25 NCV)  A voice came from above the dome over the heads of 
       the living creatures. When the living creatures stopped, they lowered 
       their wings.

       (Ezek 1:26 NCV)  Now above the dome there was something that looked 
       like a throne. It looked like a sapphire gem. And on the throne was a 
       shape like a human.

       (Ezek 1:27 NCV)  Then I noticed that from the waist up the shape 
       looked like glowing metal with fire inside. From the waist down it 
       looked like fire, and a bright light was all around.

       (Ezek 1:28 NCV)  The surrounding glow looked like the rainbow in the 
       clouds on a rainy day. It seemed to look like the glory of the LORD. 
       So when I saw it, I bowed facedown on the ground and heard a voice 
       speaking.

       (Ezek 2:1 NCV)  He said to me, "Human, stand up on your feet so I may 
       speak with you."

       (Ezek 2:2 NCV)  While he spoke to me, the Spirit entered me and put me 





       on my feet. Then I heard the LORD speaking to me.

       (Ezek 2:3 NCV)  He said, "Human, I am sending you to the people of 
       Israel. That nation has turned against me and broken away from me. 
       They and their ancestors have sinned against me until this very day.

       (Ezek 2:4 NCV)  I am sending you to people who are stubborn and who do 
       not obey. You will say to them, 'This is what the Lord GOD says.'

       (Ezek 2:5 NCV)  They may listen, or they may not, since they are a 
       people who have turned against me. But they will know that a prophet 
       has been among them.

       (Ezek 2:6 NCV)  You, human, don't be afraid of the people or their 
       words. Even though they may be like thorny branches and stickers all 
       around you, and though you may feel like you live with poisonous 
       insects, don't be afraid. Don't be afraid of their words or their 
       looks, because they are a people who turn against me.

       (Ezek 2:7 NCV)  But speak my words to them. They may listen, or they 
       may not, because they turn against me.

       (Ezek 2:8 NCV)  But you, human, listen to what I say to you. Don't 
       turn against me as those people do. Open your mouth and eat what I am 
       giving you."

       (Ezek 2:9 NCV)  Then I looked and saw a hand stretched out to me, and 
       a scroll was in it.

       (Ezek 2:10 NCV)  He opened the scroll in front of me. Funeral songs, 
       sad writings, and words about troubles were written on the front and 
       back.

       (Ezek 3:1 NCV)  Then the LORD said to me, "Human, eat what you find; 
       eat this scroll. Then go and speak to the people of Israel."

       (Ezek 3:2 NCV)  So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to 
       eat.

       (Ezek 3:3 NCV)  He said to me, "Human, eat this scroll which I am 
       giving you, and fill your stomach with it." Then I ate it, and it was 
       as sweet as honey in my mouth.

       (Ezek 3:4 NCV)  Then he said to me, "Human, go to the people of 
       Israel, and speak my words to them.

       (Ezek 3:5 NCV)  You are not being sent to people whose speech you 
       can't understand, whose language is difficult. You are being sent to 
       Israel.

       (Ezek 3:6 NCV)  You are not being sent to many nations whose speech 
       you can't understand, whose language is difficult, whose words you 
       cannot understand. If I had sent you to them, they would have listened 
       to you.

       (Ezek 3:7 NCV)  But the people of Israel will not be willing to listen 





       to you, because they are not willing to listen to me. Yes, all the 
       people of Israel are stubborn and will not obey.

       (Ezek 3:8 NCV)  See, I now make you as stubborn and as hard as they 
       are.

       (Ezek 3:9 NCV)  I am making you as hard as a diamond, harder than 
       stone. Don't be afraid of them or be frightened by them, though they 
       are a people who turn against me."

       (Ezek 3:10 NCV)  Also, he said to me, "Human, believe all the words I 
       will speak to you, and listen carefully to them.

       (Ezek 3:11 NCV)  Then go to the captives, your own people, and say to 
       them, 'The Lord GOD says this.' Tell them this whether they listen or 
       not."

       (Ezek 3:12 NCV)  Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard a loud 
       rumbling sound behind me, saying, "Praise the glory of the LORD in 
       heaven."

       (Ezek 3:13 NCV)  I heard the wings of the living creatures touching 
       each other and the sound of the wheels by them. It was a loud rumbling 
       sound.

       (Ezek 3:14 NCV)  So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away. I was 
       unhappy and angry, and I felt the great power of the LORD.

       (Ezek 3:15 NCV)  I came to the captives from Judah, who lived by the 
       Kebar River at Tel Abib. I sat there seven days where these people 
       lived, feeling shocked.

       (Ezek 3:16 NCV)  After seven days the LORD spoke his word to me again. 
       He said,

       (Ezek 3:17 NCV)  "Human, I now make you a watchman for Israel. Any 
       time you hear a word from my mouth, warn them for me.

       (Ezek 3:18 NCV)  When I say to the wicked, 'You will surely die,' you 
       must warn them so they may live. If you don't speak out to warn the 
       wicked to stop their evil ways, they will die in their sin. But I will 
       hold you responsible for their death.

       (Ezek 3:19 NCV)  If you warn the wicked and they do not turn from 
       their wickedness or their evil ways, they will die because of their 
       sin. But you will have saved your life.

       (Ezek 3:20 NCV)  "Again, those who do right may turn away from doing 
       good and do evil. If I make something bad happen to them, they will 
       die. Because you have not warned them, they will die because of their 
       sin, and the good they did will not be remembered. But I will hold you 
       responsible for their deaths.

       (Ezek 3:21 NCV)  But if you have warned those good people not to sin, 
       and they do not sin, they will surely live, because they believed the 
       warning. And you will have saved your life."






       (Ezek 3:22 NCV)  Then I felt the power of the LORD there. He said to 
       me, "Get up and go out to the plain. There I will speak to you."

       (Ezek 3:23 NCV)  So I got up and went out to the plain. I saw the 
       glory of the LORD standing there, like the glory I saw by the Kebar 
       River, and I bowed facedown on the ground.

       (Ezek 3:24 NCV)  Then the Spirit entered me and made me stand on my 
       feet. He spoke to me and said, "Go, shut yourself up in your house.

       (Ezek 3:25 NCV)  As for you, human, the people will tie you up with 
       ropes so that you will not be able to go out among them.

       (Ezek 3:26 NCV)  Also, I will make your tongue stick to the roof of 
       your mouth so you will be silent. You will not be able to argue with 
       the people, even though they turn against me.

       (Ezek 3:27 NCV)  But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth, and 
       you will say to them, 'The Lord GOD says this.' Those who will listen, 
       let them listen. Those who refuse, let them refuse, because they are a 
       people who turn against me.

       (Ezek 4:1 NCV)  "Now, human, get yourself a brick, put it in front of 
       you, and draw a map of Jerusalem on it.

       (Ezek 4:2 NCV)  Then surround it with an army. Build battle works 
       against the city and a dirt road to the top of the city walls. Set up 
       camps around it, and put heavy logs in place to break down the walls.

       (Ezek 4:3 NCV)  Then get yourself an iron plate and set it up like an 
       iron wall between you and the city. Turn your face toward the city as 
       if to attack it and then attack. This is a sign to Israel.

       (Ezek 4:4 NCV)  "Then lie down on your left side, and take the guilt 
       of Israel on yourself. Their guilt will be on you for the number of 
       days you lie on your left side.

       (Ezek 4:5 NCV)  I have given you the same number of days as the years 
       of the people's sin. So you will have the guilt of Israel's sin on you 
       for three hundred ninety days.

       (Ezek 4:6 NCV)  "After you have finished these three hundred ninety 
       days, lie down a second time, on your right side. You will then have 
       the guilt of Judah on you. I will give it to you for forty days, a day 
       for each year of their sin.

       (Ezek 4:7 NCV)  Then you will look toward Jerusalem, which is being 
       attacked. With your arm bare, you will prophesy against Jerusalem.

       (Ezek 4:8 NCV)  I will put ropes on you so you cannot turn from one 
       side to the other until you have finished the days of your attack on 
       Jerusalem.

       (Ezek 4:9 NCV)  "Take wheat, barley, beans, small peas, and millet 
       seeds, and put them in one bowl, and make them into bread for 





       yourself. You will eat it the three hundred ninety days you lie on 
       your side.

       (Ezek 4:10 NCV)  You will eat eight ounces of food every day at set 
       times.

       (Ezek 4:11 NCV)  You will drink about two-thirds of a quart of water 
       every day at set times.

       (Ezek 4:12 NCV)  Eat your food as you would eat a barley cake, baking 
       it over human dung where the people can see."

       (Ezek 4:13 NCV)  Then the LORD said, "In the same way Israel will eat 
       unclean food among the nations where I force them to go."

       (Ezek 4:14 NCV)  But I said, "No, Lord GOD! I have never been made 
       unclean. From the time I was young until now I've never eaten anything 
       that died by itself or was torn by animals. Unclean meat has never 
       entered my mouth."

       (Ezek 4:15 NCV)  "Very well," he said. "Then I will give you cow's 
       dung instead of human dung to use for your fire to bake your bread."

       (Ezek 4:16 NCV)  He also said to me, "Human, I am going to cut off the 
       supply of bread to Jerusalem. They will eat the bread that is measured 
       out to them, and they will worry as they eat. They will drink water 
       that is measured out to them, and they will be in shock as they drink 
       it.

       (Ezek 4:17 NCV)  This is because bread and water will be hard to find. 
       The people will be shocked at the sight of each other, and they will 
       become weak because of their sin.

       (Ezek 5:1 NCV)  "Now, human, take a sharp sword, and use it like a 
       barber's razor to shave your head and beard. Then take scales and 
       weigh and divide the hair.

       (Ezek 5:2 NCV)  Burn one-third with fire in the middle of the city 
       when the days of the attack on Jerusalem are over. Then take one-third 
       and cut it up with the knife all around the city. And scatter 
       one-third to the wind. This is how I will chase them with a sword.

       (Ezek 5:3 NCV)  Also take a few of these hairs and tie them in the 
       folds of your clothes.

       (Ezek 5:4 NCV)  Take a few more and throw them into the fire and burn 
       them up. From there a fire will spread to all the people of Israel.

       (Ezek 5:5 NCV)  "This is what the Lord GOD says: This is Jerusalem. I 
       have put her at the center of the nations with countries all around 
       her.

       (Ezek 5:6 NCV)  But she has refused to obey my laws and has been more 
       evil than the nations. She has refused to obey my rules, even more 
       than nations around her. The people of Jerusalem have rejected my laws 
       and have not lived by my rules.






       (Ezek 5:7 NCV)  "So this is what the Lord GOD says: You have caused 
       more trouble than the nations around you. You have not followed my 
       rules or obeyed my laws. You have not even obeyed the laws of the 
       nations around you.

       (Ezek 5:8 NCV)  "So this is what the Lord GOD says: I myself am 
       against you, and I will punish you as the nations watch.

       (Ezek 5:9 NCV)  I will do things among you that I have not done before 
       and that I will never do anything like again, because you do the 
       things I hate.

       (Ezek 5:10 NCV)  So parents among you will eat their children, and 
       children will eat their parents. I will punish you and will scatter to 
       the winds all who are left alive.

       (Ezek 5:11 NCV)  So the Lord GOD says: You have made my Temple unclean 
       with all your evil idols and the hateful things you do. Because of 
       this, as surely as I live, I will cut you off. I will have no pity, 
       and I will show no mercy.

       (Ezek 5:12 NCV)  A third of you will die by disease or be destroyed by 
       hunger inside your walls. A third will fall dead by the sword outside 
       your walls. And a third I will scatter in every direction as I chase 
       them with a sword.

       (Ezek 5:13 NCV)  Then my anger will come to an end. I will use it up 
       against them, and then I will be satisfied. Then they will know that 
       I, the LORD, have spoken. After I have carried out my anger against 
       them, they will know how strongly I felt.

       (Ezek 5:14 NCV)  "I will make you a ruin and a shame among the nations 
       around you, to be seen by all who pass by.

       (Ezek 5:15 NCV)  Then the nations around you will shame you and make 
       fun of you. You will be a warning and a terror to them. This will 
       happen when I punish you in my great anger. I, the LORD, have spoken.

       (Ezek 5:16 NCV)  I will send a time of hunger to destroy you, and then 
       I will make your hunger get even worse, and I will cut off your supply 
       of food.

       (Ezek 5:17 NCV)  I will send a time of hunger and wild animals against 
       you, and they will kill your children. Disease and death will sweep 
       through your people, and I will bring the sword against you to kill 
       you. I, the LORD, have spoken."

       (Ezek 6:1 NCV)  Again the LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Ezek 6:2 NCV)  "Human, look toward the mountains of Israel, and 
       prophesy against them.

       (Ezek 6:3 NCV)  Say, 'Mountains of Israel, listen to the word of the 
       Lord GOD. The Lord GOD says this to the mountains, the hills, the 
       ravines, and the valleys: I will bring a sword against you, and I will 





       destroy your places of idol worship.

       (Ezek 6:4 NCV)  Your altars will be destroyed and your incense altars 
       broken down. Your people will be killed in front of your idols.

       (Ezek 6:5 NCV)  I will lay the dead bodies of the Israelites in front 
       of their idols, and I will scatter your bones around your altars.

       (Ezek 6:6 NCV)  In all the places you live, cities will become empty. 
       The places of idol worship will be ruined; your altars will become 
       lonely ruins. Your idols will be broken and brought to an end. Your 
       incense altars will be cut down, and the things you made will be wiped 
       out.

       (Ezek 6:7 NCV)  Your people will be killed and fall among you. Then 
       you will know that I am the LORD.

       (Ezek 6:8 NCV)  "'But I will leave some people alive; some will not be 
       killed by the nations when you are scattered among the foreign lands.

       (Ezek 6:9 NCV)  Then those who have escaped will remember me, as they 
       live among the nations where they have been taken as captives. They 
       will remember how I was hurt because they were unfaithful to me and 
       turned away from me and desired to worship their idols. They will hate 
       themselves because of the evil things they did that I hate.

       (Ezek 6:10 NCV)  Then they will know that I am the LORD. I did not 
       bring this terrible thing on them for no reason.

       (Ezek 6:11 NCV)  "'This is what the Lord GOD says: Clap your hands, 
       stamp your feet, and groan because of all the hateful, evil things the 
       people of Israel have done. They will die by war, hunger, and disease.

       (Ezek 6:12 NCV)  The person who is far away will die by disease. The 
       one who is nearby will die in war. The person who is still alive and 
       has escaped these will die from hunger. So I will carry out my anger 
       on them.

       (Ezek 6:13 NCV)  Their people will lie dead among their idols around 
       the altars, on every high hill, on all the mountain tops, and under 
       every green tree and leafy oak--all the places where they offered 
       sweet-smelling incense to their idols. Then you will know that I am 
       the LORD.

       (Ezek 6:14 NCV)  I will use my power against them to make the land 
       empty and wasted from the desert to Diblah, wherever they live. Then 
       they will know that I am the LORD.'"

       (Ezek 7:1 NCV)  Again the LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Ezek 7:2 NCV)  "Human, the Lord GOD says this to the land of Israel: 
       An end! The end has come on the four corners of the land.

       (Ezek 7:3 NCV)  Now the end has come for you, and I will send my anger 
       against you. I will judge you for the way you have lived, and I will 
       make you pay for all your actions that I hate.






       (Ezek 7:4 NCV)  I will have no pity on you; I will not hold back 
       punishment from you. Instead, I will make you pay for the way you have 
       lived and for your actions that I hate. Then you will know that I am 
       the LORD.

       (Ezek 7:5 NCV)  "This is what the Lord GOD says: Disaster on top of 
       disaster is coming.

       (Ezek 7:6 NCV)  The end has come! The end has come! It has stirred 
       itself up against you! Look! It has come!

       (Ezek 7:7 NCV)  Disaster has come for you who live in the land! The 
       time has come; the day of confusion is near. There will be no happy 
       shouting on the mountains.

       (Ezek 7:8 NCV)  Soon I will pour out my anger against you; I will 
       carry out my anger against you. I will judge you for the way you have 
       lived and will make you pay for everything you have done that I hate.

       (Ezek 7:9 NCV)  I will show no pity, and I will not hold back 
       punishment. I will pay you back for the way you have lived and the 
       things you have done that I hate. Then you will know that I am the 
       LORD who punishes.

       (Ezek 7:10 NCV)  "Look, the day is here. It has come. Disaster has 
       come, violence has grown, and there is more pride than ever.

       (Ezek 7:11 NCV)  Violence has grown into a weapon for punishing 
       wickedness. None of the people will be left--none of that crowd, none 
       of their wealth, and nothing of value.

       (Ezek 7:12 NCV)  The time has come; the day has arrived. Don't let the 
       buyer be happy or the seller be sad, because my burning anger is 
       against the whole crowd.

       (Ezek 7:13 NCV)  Sellers will not return to the land they have sold as 
       long as they live, because the vision against all that crowd will not 
       be changed. Because of their sins, they will not save their lives.

       (Ezek 7:14 NCV)  They have blown the trumpet, and everything is ready. 
       But no one is going to the battle, because my anger is against all 
       that crowd.

       (Ezek 7:15 NCV)  "The sword is outside, and disease and hunger are 
       inside. Whoever is in the field will die by the sword. Hunger and 
       disease will destroy those in the city.

       (Ezek 7:16 NCV)  Those who are left alive and who escape will be on 
       the mountains, moaning like doves of the valleys about their own sin.

       (Ezek 7:17 NCV)  All hands will hang weakly with fear, and all knees 
       will become weak as water.

       (Ezek 7:18 NCV)  They will put on rough cloth to show how sad they 
       are. They will tremble all over with fear. Their faces will show their 





       shame, and all their heads will be shaved.

       (Ezek 7:19 NCV)  The people will throw their silver into the streets, 
       and their gold will be like trash. Their silver and gold will not save 
       them from the Lord's anger. It will not satisfy their hunger or fill 
       their stomachs, because it caused them to fall into sin.

       (Ezek 7:20 NCV)  They were proud of their beautiful jewelry and used 
       it to make their idols and their evil statues, which I hate. So I will 
       turn their wealth into trash.

       (Ezek 7:21 NCV)  I will give it to foreigners as loot from war and to 
       the most evil people in the world as treasure, and they will dishonor 
       it.

       (Ezek 7:22 NCV)  I will also turn away from the people of Israel, and 
       they will dishonor my treasured place. Then robbers will enter and 
       dishonor it.

       (Ezek 7:23 NCV)  "Make chains for captives, because the land is full 
       of bloody crimes and the city is full of violence.

       (Ezek 7:24 NCV)  So I will bring the worst of the nations to take over 
       the people's houses. I will also end the pride of the strong, and 
       their holy places will be dishonored.

       (Ezek 7:25 NCV)  When the people are suffering greatly, they will look 
       for peace, but there will be none.

       (Ezek 7:26 NCV)  Disaster will come on top of disaster, and rumor will 
       be added to rumor. Then they will try to get a vision from a prophet; 
       the teachings of God from the priest and the advice from the older 
       leaders will be lost.

       (Ezek 7:27 NCV)  The king will cry greatly, the prince will give up 
       hope, and the hands of the people who own land will shake with fear. I 
       will punish them for the way they have lived. The way they have judged 
       others is the way I will judge them. Then they will know that I am the 
       LORD."

       (Ezek 8:1 NCV)  It was the sixth year, on the fifth day of the sixth 
       month of our captivity. I was sitting in my house with the older 
       leaders of Judah in front of me. There I felt the power of the Lord 
       GOD.

       (Ezek 8:2 NCV)  I looked and saw something that looked like a human. 
       From the waist down it looked like fire, and from the waist up it 
       looked like bright glowing metal.

       (Ezek 8:3 NCV)  It stretched out the shape of a hand and caught me by 
       the hair on my head. The Spirit lifted me up between the earth and the 
       sky. He took me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance to the 
       north gate of the inner courtyard of the Temple. In the courtyard was 
       the idol that caused God to be jealous.

       (Ezek 8:4 NCV)  I saw the glory of the God of Israel there, as I had 





       seen on the plain.

       (Ezek 8:5 NCV)  Then he said to me, "Human, now look toward the 
       north." So I looked up toward the north, and in the entrance north of 
       the gate of the altar was the idol that caused God to be jealous.

       (Ezek 8:6 NCV)  He said to me, "Human, do you see what they are doing? 
       Do you see how many hateful things the people of Israel are doing here 
       that drive me far away from my Temple? But you will see things more 
       hateful than these."

       (Ezek 8:7 NCV)  Then he brought me to the entry of the courtyard. When 
       I looked, I saw a hole in the wall.

       (Ezek 8:8 NCV)  He said to me, "Human, dig through the wall." So I dug 
       through the wall and saw an entrance.

       (Ezek 8:9 NCV)  Then he said to me, "Go in and see the hateful, evil 
       things they are doing here."

       (Ezek 8:10 NCV)  So I entered and looked, and I saw every kind of 
       crawling thing and hateful beast and all the idols of the people of 
       Israel, carved on the wall all around.

       (Ezek 8:11 NCV)  Standing in front of these carvings and idols were 
       seventy of the older leaders of Israel and Jaazaniah son of Shaphan. 
       Each man had his pan for burning incense in his hand, and a 
       sweet-smelling cloud of incense was rising.

       (Ezek 8:12 NCV)  Then he said to me, "Human, have you seen what the 
       older leaders of Israel are doing in the dark? Have you seen each man 
       in the room of his own idol? They say, 'The LORD doesn't see us. The 
       LORD has left the land.'"

       (Ezek 8:13 NCV)  He also said to me, "You will see even more hateful 
       things that they are doing."

       (Ezek 8:14 NCV)  Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate 
       of the Temple of the LORD, where I saw women sitting and crying for 
       Tammuz.

       (Ezek 8:15 NCV)  He said to me, "Do you see, human? You will see 
       things even more hateful than these."

       (Ezek 8:16 NCV)  Then he brought me into the inner courtyard of the 
       Temple. There I saw about twenty-five men at the entrance to the 
       Temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar. With their backs 
       turned to the Temple of the LORD, they faced east and were worshiping 
       the sun in the east.

       (Ezek 8:17 NCV)  He said to me, "Do you see, human? Is it unimportant 
       that the people of Judah are doing the hateful things they have done 
       here? They have filled the land with violence and made me continually 
       angry. Look, they are insulting me every way they can.

       (Ezek 8:18 NCV)  So I will act in anger. I will have no pity, nor will 





       I show mercy. Even if they shout in my ears, I won't listen to them."

       (Ezek 9:1 NCV)  Then he shouted with a loud voice in my ears, "You who 
       are chosen to punish this city, come near with your weapon in your 
       hand."

       (Ezek 9:2 NCV)  Then six men came from the direction of the upper 
       gate, which faces north, each with his powerful weapon in his hand. 
       Among them was a man dressed in linen with a writing case at his side. 
       The men went in and stood by the bronze altar.

       (Ezek 9:3 NCV)  Then the glory of the God of Israel went up from above 
       the creatures with wings, where it had been, to the place in the 
       Temple where the door opened. He called to the man dressed in linen 
       who had the writing case at his side.

       (Ezek 9:4 NCV)  He said to the man, "Go through Jerusalem and put a 
       mark on the foreheads of the people who groan and cry about all the 
       hateful things being done among them."

       (Ezek 9:5 NCV)  As I listened, he said to the other men, "Go through 
       the city behind the man dressed in linen and kill. Don't pity anyone, 
       and don't show mercy.

       (Ezek 9:6 NCV)  Kill and destroy old men, young men and women, little 
       children, and older women, but don't touch any who have the mark on 
       them. Start at my Temple." So they started with the older leaders who 
       were in front of the Temple.

       (Ezek 9:7 NCV)  Then he said to the men, "Make the Temple unclean, and 
       fill the courtyards with those who have been killed. Go out!" So the 
       men went out and killed the people in the city.

       (Ezek 9:8 NCV)  While the men were killing the people, I was left 
       alone. I bowed facedown on the ground and I cried out, "Oh, Lord GOD! 
       Will you destroy everyone left alive in Israel when you turn loose 
       your anger on Jerusalem?"

       (Ezek 9:9 NCV)  Then he said to me, "The sin of the people of Israel 
       and Judah is very great. The land is filled with people who murder, 
       and the city is full of people who are not fair. The people say, 'The 
       LORD has left the land, and the LORD does not see.'

       (Ezek 9:10 NCV)  But I will have no pity, nor will I show mercy. I 
       will bring their evil back on their heads."

       (Ezek 9:11 NCV)  Then the man dressed in linen with the writing case 
       at his side reported, "I have done just as you commanded me."

       (Ezek 10:1 NCV)  Then I looked and saw in the dome above the heads of 
       the living creatures something like a sapphire gem which looked like a 
       throne.

       (Ezek 10:2 NCV)  The LORD said to the man dressed in linen, "Go in 
       between the wheels under the living creatures, fill your hands with 
       coals of fire from between the living creatures, and scatter the coals 





       over the city." As I watched, the man with linen clothes went in.

       (Ezek 10:3 NCV)  Now the living creatures were standing on the south 
       side of the Temple when the man went in. And a cloud filled the inner 
       courtyard.

       (Ezek 10:4 NCV)  Then the glory of the LORD went up from the living 
       creatures and stood over the door of the Temple. The Temple was filled 
       with the cloud, and the courtyard was full of the brightness from the 
       glory of the LORD.

       (Ezek 10:5 NCV)  The sound of the wings of the living creatures was 
       heard all the way to the outer courtyard. It was like the voice of God 
       Almighty when he speaks.

       (Ezek 10:6 NCV)  When the LORD commanded the man dressed in linen, 
       "Take fire from between the wheels, from between the living 
       creatures," the man went in and stood by a wheel.

       (Ezek 10:7 NCV)  One living creature put out his hand to the fire that 
       was among them, took some of the fire, and put it in the hands of the 
       man dressed in linen. Then the man took the fire and went out.

       (Ezek 10:8 NCV)  Something that looked like a human hand could be seen 
       under the wings of the living creatures.

       (Ezek 10:9 NCV)  I saw the four wheels by the living creatures, one 
       wheel by each living creature. The wheels looked like shining 
       chrysolite.

       (Ezek 10:10 NCV)  All four wheels looked alike: Each looked like a 
       wheel crossways inside another wheel.

       (Ezek 10:11 NCV)  When the wheels moved, they went in any of the 
       directions that the four living creatures faced. The wheels did not 
       turn about, and the living creatures did not turn their bodies as they 
       went.

       (Ezek 10:12 NCV)  All their bodies, their backs, their hands, their 
       wings, and the wheels were full of eyes all over. Each of the four 
       living creatures had a wheel.

       (Ezek 10:13 NCV)  I heard the wheels being called "whirling wheels."

       (Ezek 10:14 NCV)  Each living creature had four faces. The first face 
       was the face of a creature with wings. The second face was a human 
       face, the third was the face of a lion, and the fourth was the face of 
       an eagle.

       (Ezek 10:15 NCV)  Then the living creatures flew up. They were the 
       same living creatures I had seen by the Kebar River.

       (Ezek 10:16 NCV)  When the living creatures moved, the wheels moved 
       beside them. When the living creatures lifted their wings to fly up 
       from the ground, the wheels did not leave their place beside them.





       (Ezek 10:17 NCV)  When the living creatures stopped, the wheels 
       stopped. When the creatures went up, the wheels went up also, because 
       the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

       (Ezek 10:18 NCV)  Then the glory of the LORD left the door of the 
       Temple and stood over the living creatures.

       (Ezek 10:19 NCV)  As I watched, the living creatures spread their 
       wings and flew up from the ground, with the wheels beside them. They 
       stood where the east gate of the Temple of the LORD opened, and the 
       glory of the God of Israel was over them.

       (Ezek 10:20 NCV)  These were the living creatures I had seen under the 
       God of Israel by the Kebar River. I knew they were called cherubim.

       (Ezek 10:21 NCV)  Each one had four faces and four wings, and under 
       their wings were things that looked like human hands.

       (Ezek 10:22 NCV)  Their faces looked the same as the ones I had seen 
       by the Kebar River. They each went straight ahead.

       (Ezek 11:1 NCV)  The Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the front 
       gate of the Temple of the LORD, which faces east. I saw twenty-five 
       men where the gate opens, among them Jaazaniah son of Azzur and 
       Pelatiah son of Benaiah, who were leaders of the people.

       (Ezek 11:2 NCV)  Then the LORD said to me, "Human, these are the men 
       who plan evil and give wicked advice in this city of Jerusalem.

       (Ezek 11:3 NCV)  They say, 'It is almost time for us to build houses. 
       This city is like a cooking pot, and we are like the best meat.'

       (Ezek 11:4 NCV)  So prophesy against them, prophesy, human."

       (Ezek 11:5 NCV)  Then the Spirit of the LORD entered me and told me to 
       say: "This is what the LORD says: You have said these things, people 
       of Israel, and I know what you are thinking.

       (Ezek 11:6 NCV)  You have killed many people in this city, filling its 
       streets with their bodies.

       (Ezek 11:7 NCV)  "So this is what the Lord GOD says: Those people you 
       have killed and left in the middle of the city are like the best meat, 
       and this city is like the cooking pot. But I will force you out of the 
       city.

       (Ezek 11:8 NCV)  You have feared the sword, but I will bring a sword 
       against you, says the Lord GOD.

       (Ezek 11:9 NCV)  I will force you out of the city and hand you over to 
       strangers and punish you.

       (Ezek 11:10 NCV)  You will die by the sword. I will punish you at the 
       border of Israel so you will know that I am the LORD.

       (Ezek 11:11 NCV)  This city will not be your cooking pot, and you will 





       not be the best meat in the middle of it. I will punish you at the 
       border of Israel.

       (Ezek 11:12 NCV)  Then you will know that I am the LORD. You did not 
       live by my rules or obey my laws. Instead, you did the same things as 
       the nations around you."

       (Ezek 11:13 NCV)  As I prophesied, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then 
       I bowed facedown on the ground and shouted with a loud voice, "Oh no, 
       Lord GOD! Will you completely destroy the Israelites who are left 
       alive?"

       (Ezek 11:14 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me, saying,

       (Ezek 11:15 NCV)  "Human, the people still in Jerusalem have spoken 
       about your own relatives and all the people of Israel who are captives 
       with you, saying, 'They are far from the LORD. This land has been 
       given to us as our property.'

       (Ezek 11:16 NCV)  "So say, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: I sent the 
       people far away among the nations and scattered them among the 
       countries. But for a little while I have become a Temple to them in 
       the countries where they have gone.'

       (Ezek 11:17 NCV)  "So say: 'This is what the Lord GOD says: I will 
       gather you from the nations and bring you together from the countries 
       where you have been scattered. Then I will give you back the land of 
       Israel.'

       (Ezek 11:18 NCV)  "When they come to this land, they will remove all 
       the evil idols and all the hateful images.

       (Ezek 11:19 NCV)  I will give them a desire to respect me completely, 
       and I will put inside them a new way of thinking. I will take out the 
       stubborn heart of stone from their bodies, and I will give them an 
       obedient heart of flesh.

       (Ezek 11:20 NCV)  Then they will live by my rules and obey my laws and 
       keep them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

       (Ezek 11:21 NCV)  But those who want to serve their evil statues and 
       hateful idols, I will pay back for their evil ways, says the Lord 
       GOD."

       (Ezek 11:22 NCV)  Then the living creatures lifted their wings with 
       the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel was above 
       them.

       (Ezek 11:23 NCV)  The glory of the LORD went up from inside Jerusalem 
       and stopped on the mountain on the east side of the city.

       (Ezek 11:24 NCV)  The Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the 
       captives who had been taken from Judah to Babylonia. This happened in 
       a vision given by the Spirit of God, and then the vision I had seen 
       ended.





       (Ezek 11:25 NCV)  And I told the captives from Judah all the things 
       the LORD had shown me.

       (Ezek 12:1 NCV)  Again the LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Ezek 12:2 NCV)  "Human, you are living among a people who refuse to 
       obey. They have eyes to see, but they do not see, and they have ears 
       to hear, but they do not hear, because they are a people who refuse to 
       obey.

       (Ezek 12:3 NCV)  "So, human, pack your things as if you will be taken 
       away captive, and walk away like a captive in the daytime with the 
       people watching. Move from your place to another with the people 
       watching. Maybe they will understand, even though they are a people 
       who refuse to obey.

       (Ezek 12:4 NCV)  During the day when the people are watching, bring 
       out the things you would pack as captive. At evening, with the people 
       watching, leave your place like those who are taken away as captives 
       from their country.

       (Ezek 12:5 NCV)  Dig a hole through the wall while they watch, and 
       bring your things out through it.

       (Ezek 12:6 NCV)  Lift them onto your shoulders with the people 
       watching, and carry them out in the dark. Cover your face so you 
       cannot see the ground, because I have made you a sign to the people of 
       Israel."

       (Ezek 12:7 NCV)  I did these things as I was commanded. In the daytime 
       I brought what I had packed as if I were being taken away captive. 
       Then in the evening I dug through the wall with my hands. I brought my 
       things out in the dark and carried them on my shoulders as the people 
       watched.

       (Ezek 12:8 NCV)  Then in the morning the LORD spoke his word to me, 
       saying:

       (Ezek 12:9 NCV)  "Human, didn't Israel, who refuses to obey, ask you, 
       'What are you doing?'

       (Ezek 12:10 NCV)  "Say to them, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: This 
       message is about the king in Jerusalem and all the people of Israel 
       who live there.'

       (Ezek 12:11 NCV)  Say, 'I am a sign to you.' "The same things I have 
       done will be done to the people in Jerusalem. They will be taken away 
       from their country as captives.

       (Ezek 12:12 NCV)  The king among them will put his things on his 
       shoulder in the dark and will leave. The people will dig a hole 
       through the wall to bring him out. He will cover his face so he cannot 
       see the ground.

       (Ezek 12:13 NCV)  But I will spread my net over him, and he will be 
       caught in my trap. Then I will bring him to Babylon in the land of the 





       Babylonians. He will not see that land, but he will die there.

       (Ezek 12:14 NCV)  All who are around the king--his helpers and all his 
       army--I will scatter in every direction, and I will chase them with a 
       sword.

       (Ezek 12:15 NCV)  "They will know that I am the LORD when I scatter 
       them among the nations and spread them among the countries.

       (Ezek 12:16 NCV)  But I will save a few of them from the sword and 
       from hunger and disease. Then they can tell about their hateful 
       actions among the nations where they go. Then they will know that I am 
       the LORD."

       (Ezek 12:17 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Ezek 12:18 NCV)  "Human, tremble as you eat your food, and shake with 
       fear as you drink your water.

       (Ezek 12:19 NCV)  Then say to the people of the land: 'This is what 
       the Lord GOD says about the people who live in Jerusalem in the land 
       of Israel: They will eat their food with fear and drink their water in 
       shock, because their land will be stripped bare because of the 
       violence of the people who live in it.

       (Ezek 12:20 NCV)  The cities where people live will become ruins, and 
       the land will become empty. Then you will know that I am the LORD.'"

       (Ezek 12:21 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Ezek 12:22 NCV)  "Human, what is this saying you have in the land of 
       Israel: 'The days go by and every vision comes to nothing'?

       (Ezek 12:23 NCV)  So say to them, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: I 
       will make them stop saying this, and nobody in Israel will use this 
       saying anymore.' But tell them, 'The time is near when every vision 
       will come true.

       (Ezek 12:24 NCV)  There will be no more false visions or pleasing 
       prophecies inside the nation of Israel,

       (Ezek 12:25 NCV)  but I, the LORD, will speak. What I say will be 
       done, and it will not be delayed. You refuse to obey, but in your time 
       I will say the word and do it, says the Lord GOD.'"

       (Ezek 12:26 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Ezek 12:27 NCV)  "Human, the people of Israel are saying, 'The vision 
       that Ezekiel sees is for a time many years from now. He is prophesying 
       about times far away.'

       (Ezek 12:28 NCV)  "So say to them: 'The Lord GOD says this: None of my 
       words will be delayed anymore. What I have said will be done, says the 
       Lord GOD.'"

       (Ezek 13:1 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me, saying:






       (Ezek 13:2 NCV)  "Human, prophesy against the prophets of Israel. Say 
       to those who make up their own prophecies: 'Listen to the word of the 
       LORD.

       (Ezek 13:3 NCV)  This is what the Lord GOD says: How terrible it will 
       be for the foolish prophets who follow their own ideas and have not 
       seen a vision from me!

       (Ezek 13:4 NCV)  People of Israel, your prophets have been like wild 
       dogs hunting to kill and eat among ruins.

       (Ezek 13:5 NCV)  Israel is like a house in ruins, but you have not 
       gone up into the broken places or repaired the wall. So how can Israel 
       hold back the enemy in the battle on the Lord's day of judging?

       (Ezek 13:6 NCV)  Your prophets see false visions and prophesy lies. 
       They say, "This is the message of the LORD," when the LORD has not 
       sent them. But they still hope their words will come true.

       (Ezek 13:7 NCV)  You said, "This is the message of the LORD," but that 
       is a false vision. Your prophecies are lies, because I have not 
       spoken.

       (Ezek 13:8 NCV)  "'So this is what the Lord GOD says: Because you 
       prophets spoke things that are false and saw visions that do not come 
       true, I am against you, says the Lord GOD.

       (Ezek 13:9 NCV)  I will punish the prophets who see false visions and 
       prophesy lies. They will have no place among my people. Their names 
       will not be written on the list of the people of Israel, and they will 
       not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord 
       GOD.

       (Ezek 13:10 NCV)  "'It is because they lead my people the wrong way by 
       saying, "Peace!" when there is no peace. When the people build a weak 
       wall, the prophets cover it with whitewash to make it look strong.

       (Ezek 13:11 NCV)  So tell those who cover a weak wall with whitewash 
       that it will fall down. Rain will pour down, hailstones will fall, and 
       a stormy wind will break the wall down.

       (Ezek 13:12 NCV)  When the wall has fallen, people will ask you, 
       "Where is the whitewash you used on the wall?"

       (Ezek 13:13 NCV)  "'So this is what the Lord GOD says: I will break 
       the wall with a stormy wind. In my anger rain will pour down, and 
       hailstones will destroy the wall.

       (Ezek 13:14 NCV)  I will tear down the wall on which you put 
       whitewash. I will level it to the ground so that people will see the 
       wall's foundation. And when the wall falls, you will be destroyed 
       under it. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

       (Ezek 13:15 NCV)  So I will carry out my anger on the wall and against 
       those who covered it with whitewash. Then I will tell you, "The wall 





       is gone, and those who covered it with whitewash are gone.

       (Ezek 13:16 NCV)  The prophets of Israel who prophesy to Jerusalem and 
       who see visions of peace for the city, when there is no peace, will be 
       gone, says the Lord GOD."'

       (Ezek 13:17 NCV)  "Now, human, look toward the women among your people 
       who make up their own prophecies. Prophesy against them.

       (Ezek 13:18 NCV)  Say, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: How terrible 
       it will be for women who sew magic charms on their wrists and make 
       veils of every length to trap people! You ruin the lives of my people 
       but try to save your own lives.

       (Ezek 13:19 NCV)  For handfuls of barley and pieces of bread, you have 
       dishonored me among my people. By lying to my people, who listen to 
       lies, you have killed people who should not die, and you have kept 
       alive those who should not live.

       (Ezek 13:20 NCV)  "'So this is what the Lord GOD says: I am against 
       your magic charms, by which you trap people as if they were birds. I 
       will tear those charms off your arms, and I will free those people you 
       have trapped like birds.

       (Ezek 13:21 NCV)  I will also tear off your veils and save my people 
       from your hands. They will no longer be trapped by your power. Then 
       you will know that I am the LORD.

       (Ezek 13:22 NCV)  By your lies you have caused those who did right to 
       be sad, when I did not make them sad. And you have encouraged the 
       wicked not to stop being wicked, which would have saved their lives.

       (Ezek 13:23 NCV)  So you will not see false visions or prophesy 
       anymore, and I will save my people from your power so you will know 
       that I am the LORD.'"

       (Ezek 14:1 NCV)  Some of the older leaders of Israel came to me and 
       sat down in front of me.

       (Ezek 14:2 NCV)  Then the LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Ezek 14:3 NCV)  "Human, these men want to worship idols. They put up 
       evil things that cause people to sin. Should I allow them to ask me 
       for help?

       (Ezek 14:4 NCV)  So speak to them and tell them, 'This is what the 
       Lord GOD says: When any of the people of Israel want to worship idols 
       and put up evil things that cause people to sin and then come to the 
       prophet, I, the LORD, will answer them myself for worshiping idols.

       (Ezek 14:5 NCV)  Then I will win back my people Israel, who have left 
       me because of all their idols.'

       (Ezek 14:6 NCV)  "So say to the people of Israel, 'This is what the 
       Lord GOD says: Change your hearts and lives, and stop worshiping 
       idols. Stop doing all the things I hate.






       (Ezek 14:7 NCV)  Any of the Israelites or foreigners in Israel can 
       separate themselves from me by wanting to worship idols or by putting 
       up the things that cause people to sin. Then if they come to the 
       prophet to ask me questions, I, the LORD, will answer them myself.

       (Ezek 14:8 NCV)  I will reject them. I will make them a sign and an 
       example, and I will separate them from my people. Then you will know 
       that I am the LORD.

       (Ezek 14:9 NCV)  "'But if the prophet is tricked into giving a 
       prophecy, it is because I, the LORD, have tricked that prophet to 
       speak. Then I will use my power against him and destroy him from among 
       my people Israel.

       (Ezek 14:10 NCV)  The prophet will be as guilty as the one who asks 
       him for help; both will be responsible for their guilt.

       (Ezek 14:11 NCV)  Then the nation of Israel will not leave me anymore 
       or make themselves unclean anymore with all their sins. They will be 
       my people, and I will be their God, says the Lord GOD.'"

       (Ezek 14:12 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Ezek 14:13 NCV)  "Human, if the people of a country sin against me by 
       not being loyal, I will use my power against them. I will cut off 
       their supply of food and send a time of hunger, destroying both people 
       and animals.

       (Ezek 14:14 NCV)  Even if three great men like Noah, Daniel, and Job 
       were in that country, their goodness could save only themselves, says 
       the Lord GOD.

       (Ezek 14:15 NCV)  "Or I might send wild animals into that land, 
       leaving the land empty and without children. Then no one would pass 
       through it because of the animals.

       (Ezek 14:16 NCV)  As surely as I live, says the Lord GOD, even if 
       Noah, Daniel, and Job were in the land, they could not save their own 
       sons or daughters. They could save only themselves, but that country 
       would become empty.

       (Ezek 14:17 NCV)  "Or I might bring a war against that country. I 
       might say, 'Let a war be fought in that land,' in this way destroying 
       its people and its animals.

       (Ezek 14:18 NCV)  As surely as I live, says the Lord GOD, even if 
       those three men were in the land, they could not save their sons or 
       daughters. They could save only themselves.

       (Ezek 14:19 NCV)  "Or I might cause a disease to spread in that 
       country. I might pour out my anger against it, destroying and killing 
       people and animals.

       (Ezek 14:20 NCV)  As surely as I live, says the Lord GOD, even if 
       Noah, Daniel, and Job were in the land, they could not save their son 





       or daughter. They could save only themselves because they did what was 
       right.

       (Ezek 14:21 NCV)  "This is what the Lord GOD says: My plans for 
       Jerusalem are much worse! I will send my four terrible punishments 
       against it--war, hunger, wild animals, and disease--to destroy its 
       people and animals.

       (Ezek 14:22 NCV)  But some people will escape; some sons and daughters 
       will be led out. They will come out to you, and you will see what 
       happens to people who live as they did. Then you will be comforted 
       after the disasters I have brought against Jerusalem, after all the 
       things I have brought against it.

       (Ezek 14:23 NCV)  You will be comforted when you see what happens to 
       them for living as they did, because you will know there was a good 
       reason for what I did to Jerusalem, says the Lord GOD."

       (Ezek 15:1 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Ezek 15:2 NCV)  "Human, is the wood of the vine better than the wood 
       of any tree in the forest?

       (Ezek 15:3 NCV)  Can wood be taken from the vine to make anything? Can 
       you use it to make a peg on which to hang something?

       (Ezek 15:4 NCV)  If the vine is thrown into the fire for fuel, and the 
       fire burns up both ends and starts to burn the middle, is it useful 
       for anything?

       (Ezek 15:5 NCV)  When the vine was whole, it couldn't be made into 
       anything. When the fire has burned it completely, it certainly cannot 
       be made into anything."

       (Ezek 15:6 NCV)  So this is what the Lord GOD says: "Out of all the 
       trees in the forest, I have given the wood of the vine as fuel for 
       fire. In the same way I have given up the people who live in Jerusalem

       (Ezek 15:7 NCV)  and will turn against them. Although they came 
       through one fire, fire will still destroy them. When I turn against 
       them, you will know that I am the LORD.

       (Ezek 15:8 NCV)  So I will make the land empty, because the people 
       have not been loyal, says the Lord GOD."

       (Ezek 16:1 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Ezek 16:2 NCV)  "Human, tell Jerusalem about her hateful actions.

       (Ezek 16:3 NCV)  Say, 'This is what the Lord GOD says to Jerusalem: 
       Your beginnings and your ancestors were in the land of the Canaanites. 
       Your father was an Amorite, and your mother was a Hittite.

       (Ezek 16:4 NCV)  On the day you were born, your cord was not cut. You 
       were not washed with water to clean you. You were not rubbed with salt 
       or wrapped in cloths.






       (Ezek 16:5 NCV)  No one felt sorry enough for you to do any of these 
       things for you. No, you were thrown out into the open field, because 
       you were hated on the day you were born.

       (Ezek 16:6 NCV)  "'When I passed by and saw you kicking about in your 
       blood, I said to you, "Live!"

       (Ezek 16:7 NCV)  I made you grow like a plant in the field. You grew 
       up and became tall and became like a beautiful jewel. Your breasts 
       formed, and your hair grew, but you were naked and without clothes.

       (Ezek 16:8 NCV)  "'Later when I passed by you and looked at you, I saw 
       that you were old enough for love. So I spread my robe over you and 
       covered your nakedness. I also made a promise to you and entered into 
       an agreement with you so that you became mine, says the Lord GOD.

       (Ezek 16:9 NCV)  "'Then I bathed you with water, washed all the blood 
       off of you, and put oil on you.

       (Ezek 16:10 NCV)  I put beautiful clothes made with needlework on you 
       and put sandals of fine leather on your feet. I wrapped you in fine 
       linen and covered you with silk.

       (Ezek 16:11 NCV)  I put jewelry on you: bracelets on your arms, a 
       necklace around your neck,

       (Ezek 16:12 NCV)  a ring in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a 
       beautiful crown on your head.

       (Ezek 16:13 NCV)  So you wore gold and silver. Your clothes were made 
       of fine linen, silk, and beautiful needlework. You ate fine flour, 
       honey, and olive oil. You were very beautiful and became a queen.

       (Ezek 16:14 NCV)  Then you became famous among the nations, because 
       you were so beautiful. Your beauty was perfect, because of the glory I 
       gave you, says the Lord GOD.

       (Ezek 16:15 NCV)  "'But you trusted in your beauty. You became a 
       prostitute, because you were so famous. You had sexual relations with 
       anyone who passed by.

       (Ezek 16:16 NCV)  You took some of your clothes and made your places 
       of worship colorful. There you carried on your prostitution. These 
       things should not happen; they should never occur.

       (Ezek 16:17 NCV)  You also took your beautiful jewelry, made from my 
       gold and silver I had given you, and you made for yourselves male 
       idols so you could be a prostitute with them.

       (Ezek 16:18 NCV)  Then you took your clothes with beautiful needlework 
       and covered the idols. You gave my oil and incense as an offering to 
       them.

       (Ezek 16:19 NCV)  Also, you took the bread I gave you, the fine flour, 
       oil, and honey I gave you to eat, and you offered them before the gods 





       as a pleasing smell. This is what happened, says the Lord GOD.

       (Ezek 16:20 NCV)  "'But your sexual sins were not enough for you. You 
       also took your sons and daughters who were my children, and you 
       sacrificed them to the idols as food.

       (Ezek 16:21 NCV)  You killed my children and offered them up in fire 
       to the idols.

       (Ezek 16:22 NCV)  While you did all your hateful acts and sexual sins, 
       you did not remember when you were young, when you were naked and had 
       no clothes and were left in your blood.

       (Ezek 16:23 NCV)  "'How terrible! How terrible it will be for you, 
       says the Lord GOD. After you did all these evil things,

       (Ezek 16:24 NCV)  you built yourself a place to worship gods. You made 
       for yourself a place of worship in every city square.

       (Ezek 16:25 NCV)  You built a place of worship at the beginning of 
       every street. You made your beauty hateful, offering your body for sex 
       to anyone who passed by, so your sexual sins became worse and worse.

       (Ezek 16:26 NCV)  You also had sexual relations with the Egyptians, 
       who were your neighbors and partners in sexual sin. Your sexual sins 
       became even worse, and they caused me to be angry.

       (Ezek 16:27 NCV)  So then, I used my power against you and took away 
       some of your land. I let you be defeated by those who hate you, the 
       Philistine women, who were ashamed of your evil ways.

       (Ezek 16:28 NCV)  Also, you had sexual relations with the Assyrians, 
       because you could not be satisfied. Even though you had sexual 
       relations with them, you still were not satisfied.

       (Ezek 16:29 NCV)  You did many more sexual sins in Babylonia, the land 
       of traders, but even this did not satisfy you.

       (Ezek 16:30 NCV)  "'Truly your will is weak, says the Lord GOD. You do 
       all the things a stubborn prostitute does.

       (Ezek 16:31 NCV)  You built your place to worship gods at the 
       beginning of every street, and you made places of worship in every 
       city square. But you were not like a prostitute when you refused to 
       accept payment.

       (Ezek 16:32 NCV)  "'You are a wife who is guilty of adultery. You 
       desire strangers instead of your husband.

       (Ezek 16:33 NCV)  Men pay prostitutes, but you pay all your lovers to 
       come to you. And they come from all around for sexual relations.

       (Ezek 16:34 NCV)  So you are different from other prostitutes. No man 
       asks you to be a prostitute, and you pay money instead of having money 
       paid to you. Yes, you are different.





       (Ezek 16:35 NCV)  "'So, prostitute, hear the word of the LORD.

       (Ezek 16:36 NCV)  This is what the Lord GOD says: You showed your 
       nakedness to other countries. You uncovered your body in your sexual 
       sins with them as your lovers and with all your hateful idols. You 
       killed your children and offered their blood to your idols.

       (Ezek 16:37 NCV)  So I will gather all your lovers with whom you found 
       pleasure. Yes, I will gather all those you loved and those you hated. 
       I will gather them against you from all around, and I will strip you 
       naked in front of them so they can see your nakedness.

       (Ezek 16:38 NCV)  I will punish you as women guilty of adultery or as 
       murderers are punished. I will put you to death because I am angry and 
       jealous.

       (Ezek 16:39 NCV)  I will also hand you over to your lovers. They will 
       tear down your places of worship and destroy other places where you 
       worship gods. They will tear off your clothes and take away your 
       jewelry, leaving you naked and bare.

       (Ezek 16:40 NCV)  They will bring a crowd against you to throw stones 
       at you and to cut you into pieces with their swords.

       (Ezek 16:41 NCV)  They will burn down your houses and will punish you 
       in front of many women. I will put an end to your sexual sins, and you 
       will no longer pay your lovers.

       (Ezek 16:42 NCV)  Then I will rest from my anger against you, and I 
       will stop being jealous. I will be quiet and not angry anymore.

       (Ezek 16:43 NCV)  "'Because you didn't remember when you were young, 
       but have made me angry in all these ways, I will repay you for what 
       you have done, says the Lord GOD. Didn't you add sexual sins to all 
       your other acts which I hate?

       (Ezek 16:44 NCV)  "'Everyone who uses wise sayings will say this about 
       you: "The daughter is like her mother."

       (Ezek 16:45 NCV)  You are like your mother, who hated her husband and 
       children. You are also like your sisters, who hated their husbands and 
       children. Your mother was a Hittite, and your father was an Amorite.

       (Ezek 16:46 NCV)  Your older sister is Samaria, who lived north of you 
       with her daughters; your younger sister is Sodom, who lived south of 
       you with her daughters.

       (Ezek 16:47 NCV)  You not only followed their ways and did the hateful 
       things they did, but you were soon worse than they were in all your 
       ways.

       (Ezek 16:48 NCV)  As surely as I live, says the Lord GOD, this is 
       true. Your sister Sodom and her daughters never did what you and your 
       daughters have done.

       (Ezek 16:49 NCV)  "'This was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her 





       daughters were proud and had plenty of food and lived in great 
       comfort, but she did not help the poor and needy.

       (Ezek 16:50 NCV)  So Sodom and her daughters were proud and did things 
       I hate in front of me. So I got rid of them when I saw what they did.

       (Ezek 16:51 NCV)  Also, Samaria did not do half the sins you do; you 
       have done more hateful things than they did. So you make your sisters 
       look good because of all the hateful things you have done.

       (Ezek 16:52 NCV)  You will suffer disgrace, because you have provided 
       an excuse for your sisters. They are better than you are. Your sins 
       were even more terrible than theirs. Feel ashamed and suffer disgrace, 
       because you made your sisters look good.

       (Ezek 16:53 NCV)  "'But I will give back to Sodom and her daughters 
       the good things they once had. I will give back to Samaria and her 
       daughters the good things they once had. And with them I will also 
       give back the good things you once had

       (Ezek 16:54 NCV)  so you may suffer disgrace and feel ashamed for all 
       the things you have done. You even gave comfort to your sisters in 
       their sins.

       (Ezek 16:55 NCV)  Your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria 
       with her daughters, will return to what they were before. You and your 
       daughters will also return to what you were before.

       (Ezek 16:56 NCV)  You humiliated your sister Sodom when you were 
       proud,

       (Ezek 16:57 NCV)  before your evil was uncovered. And now the Edomite 
       women and their neighbors humiliate you. Even the Philistine women 
       humiliate you. Those around you hate you.

       (Ezek 16:58 NCV)  This is your punishment for your terrible sins and 
       for actions that I hate, says the LORD.

       (Ezek 16:59 NCV)  "'This is what the Lord GOD says: I will do to you 
       what you have done. You hated and broke the agreement you promised to 
       keep.

       (Ezek 16:60 NCV)  But I will remember my agreement I made with you 
       when you were young, and I will make an agreement that will continue 
       forever with you.

       (Ezek 16:61 NCV)  Then you will remember what you have done and feel 
       ashamed when you receive your sisters--both your older and your 
       younger sisters. I will give them to you like daughters, but not 
       because they share in my agreement with you.

       (Ezek 16:62 NCV)  I will set up my agreement with you, and you will 
       know that I am the LORD.

       (Ezek 16:63 NCV)  You will remember what you did and feel ashamed. You 
       will not open your mouth again because of your shame, when I forgive 





       you for all the things you have done, says the Lord GOD.'"

       (Ezek 17:1 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Ezek 17:2 NCV)  "Human, give a riddle and tell a story to the people 
       of Israel.

       (Ezek 17:3 NCV)  Say, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: A giant eagle 
       with big wings and long feathers of many different colors came to 
       Lebanon and took hold of the top of a cedar tree.

       (Ezek 17:4 NCV)  He pulled off the top branch and brought it to a land 
       of traders, where he planted it in a city of traders.

       (Ezek 17:5 NCV)  "'The eagle took some seed from the land and planted 
       it in a good field near plenty of water. He planted it to grow like a 
       willow tree.

       (Ezek 17:6 NCV)  It sprouted and became a low vine that spread over 
       the ground. The branches turned toward the eagle, but the roots were 
       under the eagle. So the seed became a vine, and its branches grew, 
       sending out leaves.

       (Ezek 17:7 NCV)  "'But there was another giant eagle with big wings 
       and many feathers. The vine then bent its roots toward this eagle. It 
       sent out its branches from the area where it was planted toward the 
       eagle so he could water it.

       (Ezek 17:8 NCV)  It had been planted in a good field by plenty of 
       water so it could grow branches and give fruit. It could have become a 
       fine vine.'

       (Ezek 17:9 NCV)  "Say to them, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: The 
       vine will not continue to grow. The first eagle will pull up the 
       vine's roots and strip off its fruit. Then the vine and all its new 
       leaves will dry up and die. It will not take a strong arm or many 
       people to pull the vine up by its roots.

       (Ezek 17:10 NCV)  Even if it is planted again, it will not continue to 
       grow. It will completely dry up and die when the east wind hits it in 
       the area where it grew.'"

       (Ezek 17:11 NCV)  Then the LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Ezek 17:12 NCV)  "Say now to the people who refuse to obey: 'Do you 
       know what these things mean?' Say: 'The king of Babylon came to 
       Jerusalem and took the king and important men of Jerusalem and brought 
       them to Babylon.

       (Ezek 17:13 NCV)  Then he took a member of the family of the king of 
       Judah and made an agreement with him, forcing him to take an oath. The 
       king also took away the leaders of Judah

       (Ezek 17:14 NCV)  to make the kingdom weak so it would not be strong 
       again. Then the kingdom of Judah could continue only by keeping its 
       agreement with the king of Babylon.






       (Ezek 17:15 NCV)  But the king of Judah turned against the king of 
       Babylon by sending his messengers to Egypt and asking them for horses 
       and many soldiers. Will the king of Judah succeed? Will the one who 
       does such things escape? He cannot break the agreement and escape.

       (Ezek 17:16 NCV)  "'As surely as I live, says the Lord GOD, he will 
       die in Babylon, in the land of the king who made him king of Judah. 
       The king of Judah hated his promise to the king of Babylon and broke 
       his agreement with him.

       (Ezek 17:17 NCV)  The king of Egypt with his mighty army and many 
       people will not help the king of Judah in the war. The Babylonians 
       will build devices to attack the cities and to kill many people.

       (Ezek 17:18 NCV)  The king of Judah showed that he hated the promise 
       by breaking the agreement. He promised to support Babylon, but he did 
       all these things. So he will not escape.

       (Ezek 17:19 NCV)  "'So this is what the Lord GOD says: As surely as I 
       live, this is true: I will pay back the king of Judah for hating my 
       promise and breaking my agreement.

       (Ezek 17:20 NCV)  I will spread my net over him, and he will be caught 
       in my trap. Then I will bring him to Babylon, where I will punish him 
       for the unfaithful acts he did against me.

       (Ezek 17:21 NCV)  All the best of his soldiers who escape will die by 
       the sword, and those who live will be scattered to every wind. Then 
       you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken.

       (Ezek 17:22 NCV)  "'This is what the Lord GOD says: I myself will also 
       take a young branch from the top of a cedar tree, and I will plant it. 
       I will cut off a small twig from the top of the tree's young branches, 
       and I will plant it on a very high mountain.

       (Ezek 17:23 NCV)  I will plant it on the high mountain of Israel. Then 
       it will grow branches and give fruit and become a great cedar tree. 
       Birds of every kind will build nests in it and live in the shelter of 
       the tree's branches.

       (Ezek 17:24 NCV)  Then all the trees in the countryside will know that 
       I am the LORD. I bring down the high tree and make the low tree tall. 
       I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree grow. I am the LORD. I 
       have spoken, and I will do it.'"

       (Ezek 18:1 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Ezek 18:2 NCV)  "What do you mean by using this saying about the land 
       of Israel: 'The parents have eaten sour grapes, and that caused the 
       children to grind their teeth from the sour taste'?

       (Ezek 18:3 NCV)  "As surely as I live, says the Lord GOD, this is 
       true: You will not use this saying in Israel anymore.

       (Ezek 18:4 NCV)  Every living thing belongs to me. The life of the 





       parent is mine, and the life of the child is mine. The person who sins 
       is the one who will die.

       (Ezek 18:5 NCV)  "Suppose a person is good and does what is fair and 
       right.

       (Ezek 18:6 NCV)  He does not eat at the mountain places of worship. He 
       does not look to the idols of Israel for help. He does not have sexual 
       relations with his neighbor's wife or with a woman during her time of 
       monthly bleeding.

       (Ezek 18:7 NCV)  He does not mistreat anyone but returns what was 
       given as a promise for a loan. He does not rob other people. He gives 
       bread to the hungry and clothes to those who have none.

       (Ezek 18:8 NCV)  He does not lend money to get too much interest or 
       profit. He keeps his hand from doing wrong. He judges fairly between 
       one person and another.

       (Ezek 18:9 NCV)  He lives by my rules and obeys my laws faithfully. 
       Whoever does these things is good and will surely live, says the Lord 
       GOD.

       (Ezek 18:10 NCV)  "But suppose this person has a wild son who murders 
       people and who does any of these other things.

       (Ezek 18:11 NCV)  (But the father himself has not done any of these 
       things.) This son eats at the mountain places of worship. He has 
       sexual relations with his neighbor's wife.

       (Ezek 18:12 NCV)  He mistreats the poor and needy. He steals and 
       refuses to return what was promised for a loan. He looks to idols for 
       help. He does things which I hate.

       (Ezek 18:13 NCV)  He lends money for too much interest and profit. 
       Will this son live? No, he will not live! He has done all these 
       hateful things, so he will surely be put to death. He will be 
       responsible for his own death.

       (Ezek 18:14 NCV)  "Now suppose this son has a son who has seen all his 
       father's sins, but after seeing them does not do those things.

       (Ezek 18:15 NCV)  He does not eat at the mountain places of worship. 
       He does not look to the idols of Israel for help. He does not have 
       sexual relations with his neighbor's wife.

       (Ezek 18:16 NCV)  He does not mistreat anyone or keep something 
       promised for a loan or steal. He gives bread to the hungry and clothes 
       to those who have none.

       (Ezek 18:17 NCV)  He keeps his hand from doing wrong. He does not take 
       too much interest or profit when he lends money. He obeys my laws and 
       lives by my rules. He will not die for his father's sin; he will 
       surely live.

       (Ezek 18:18 NCV)  But his father took other people's money unfairly 





       and robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people. So he 
       will die for his own sin.

       (Ezek 18:19 NCV)  "But you ask, 'Why is the son not punished for the 
       father's sin?' The son has done what is fair and right. He obeys all 
       my rules, so he will surely live.

       (Ezek 18:20 NCV)  The person who sins is the one who will die. A child 
       will not be punished for a parent's sin, and a parent will not be 
       punished for a child's sin. Those who do right will enjoy the results 
       of their own goodness; evil people will suffer the results of their 
       own evil.

       (Ezek 18:21 NCV)  "But suppose the wicked stop doing all the sins they 
       have done and obey all my rules and do what is fair and right. Then 
       they will surely live; they will not die.

       (Ezek 18:22 NCV)  Their sins will be forgotten. Because they have done 
       what is right, they will live.

       (Ezek 18:23 NCV)  I do not really want the wicked to die, says the 
       Lord GOD. I want them to stop their bad ways and live.

       (Ezek 18:24 NCV)  "But suppose good people stop doing good and do 
       wrong and do the same hateful things the wicked do. Will they live? 
       All their good acts will be forgotten, because they became unfaithful. 
       They have sinned, so they will die because of their sins.

       (Ezek 18:25 NCV)  "But you say, 'What the Lord does isn't fair.' 
       Listen, people of Israel. I am fair. It is what you do that is not 
       fair!

       (Ezek 18:26 NCV)  When good people stop doing good and do wrong, they 
       will die because of it. They will die, because they did wrong.

       (Ezek 18:27 NCV)  When the wicked stop being wicked and do what is 
       fair and right, they will save their lives.

       (Ezek 18:28 NCV)  Because they thought about it and stopped doing all 
       the sins they had done, they will surely live; they will not die.

       (Ezek 18:29 NCV)  But the people of Israel still say, 'What the Lord 
       does isn't fair.' People of Israel, I am fair. It is what you do that 
       is not fair.

       (Ezek 18:30 NCV)  "So I will judge you, people of Israel; I will judge 
       each of you by what you do, says the Lord GOD. Change your hearts and 
       stop all your sinning so sin will not bring your ruin.

       (Ezek 18:31 NCV)  Get rid of all the sins you have done, and get for 
       yourselves a new heart and a new way of thinking. Why do you want to 
       die, people of Israel?

       (Ezek 18:32 NCV)  I do not want anyone to die, says the Lord GOD, so 
       change your hearts and lives so you may live.





       (Ezek 19:1 NCV)  "Sing a funeral song for the leaders of Israel.

       (Ezek 19:2 NCV)  Say: 'Your mother was like a female lion. She lay 
       down among the young lions. She had many cubs.

       (Ezek 19:3 NCV)  When she brought up one of her cubs, he became a 
       strong lion. He learned to tear the animals he hunted, and he ate 
       people.

       (Ezek 19:4 NCV)  The nations heard about him. He was trapped in their 
       pit, and they brought him with hooks to the land of Egypt.

       (Ezek 19:5 NCV)  "'The mother lion waited and saw that there was no 
       hope for her cub. So she took another one of her cubs and made him a 
       strong lion.

       (Ezek 19:6 NCV)  This cub roamed among the lions. He was now a strong 
       lion. He learned to tear the animals he hunted, and he ate people.

       (Ezek 19:7 NCV)  He tore down their strong places and destroyed their 
       cities. The land and everything in it were terrified by the sound of 
       his roar.

       (Ezek 19:8 NCV)  Then the nations came against him from areas all 
       around, and they spread their net over him. He was trapped in their 
       pit.

       (Ezek 19:9 NCV)  Then they put him into a cage with chains and brought 
       him to the king of Babylon. They put him into prison so his roar could 
       not be heard again on the mountains of Israel.

       (Ezek 19:10 NCV)  "'Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard, 
       planted beside the water. The vine had many branches and gave much 
       fruit, because there was plenty of water.

       (Ezek 19:11 NCV)  The vine had strong branches, good enough for a 
       king's scepter. The vine became tall among the thick branches. And it 
       was seen, because it was tall with many branches.

       (Ezek 19:12 NCV)  But it was pulled up by its roots in anger and 
       thrown down to the ground. The east wind dried it up. Its fruit was 
       torn off. Its strong branches were broken off and burned up.

       (Ezek 19:13 NCV)  Now the vine is planted in the desert, in a dry and 
       thirsty land.

       (Ezek 19:14 NCV)  Fire spread from the vine's main branch, destroying 
       its fruit. There is not a strong branch left on it that could become a 
       scepter for a king.' This is a funeral song; it is to be used as a 
       funeral song."

       (Ezek 20:1 NCV)  It was the seventh year of our captivity, in the 
       fifth month, on the tenth day of the month. Some of the older leaders 
       of Israel came to ask about the LORD and sat down in front of me.

       (Ezek 20:2 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me, saying:






       (Ezek 20:3 NCV)  "Human, speak to the older leaders of Israel and say 
       to them: 'This is what the Lord GOD says: Did you come to ask me 
       questions? As surely as I live, I will not let you ask me questions.'

       (Ezek 20:4 NCV)  "Will you judge them? Will you judge them, human? Let 
       them know the hateful things their ancestors did.

       (Ezek 20:5 NCV)  Say to them: 'This is what the Lord GOD says: When I 
       chose Israel, I made a promise to the descendants of Jacob. I made 
       myself known to them in Egypt, and I promised them, "I am the LORD 
       your God."

       (Ezek 20:6 NCV)  At that time I promised them I would bring them out 
       of Egypt into a land I had found for them, a fertile land, the best 
       land in the world.

       (Ezek 20:7 NCV)  I said to them, "Each one of you must throw away the 
       hateful idols you have seen and liked. Don't make yourselves unclean 
       with the idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God."

       (Ezek 20:8 NCV)  "'But they turned against me and refused to listen to 
       me. They did not throw away the hateful idols which they saw and 
       liked; they did not give up the idols of Egypt. Then I decided to pour 
       out my anger against them while they were still in Egypt.

       (Ezek 20:9 NCV)  But I acted for the sake of my name so it would not 
       be dishonored in full view of the nations where the Israelites lived. 
       I made myself known to the Israelites with a promise to bring them out 
       of Egypt while the nations were watching.

       (Ezek 20:10 NCV)  So I took them out of Egypt and brought them into 
       the desert.

       (Ezek 20:11 NCV)  I gave them my rules and told them about my laws, by 
       which people will live if they obey them.

       (Ezek 20:12 NCV)  I also gave them my Sabbaths to be a sign between us 
       so they would know that I am the LORD who made them holy.

       (Ezek 20:13 NCV)  "'But in the desert Israel turned against me. They 
       did not follow my rules, and they rejected my laws, by which people 
       will live if they obey them. They dishonored my Sabbaths. Then I 
       decided to pour out my anger against them and destroy them in the 
       desert.

       (Ezek 20:14 NCV)  But I acted for the sake of my name so it would not 
       be dishonored in full view of the nations who watched as I had brought 
       the Israelites out of Egypt.

       (Ezek 20:15 NCV)  And in the desert I swore to the Israelites that I 
       would not bring them into the land I had given them. It is a fertile 
       land, the best land in the world.

       (Ezek 20:16 NCV)  This was because they rejected my laws and did not 
       follow my rules. They dishonored my Sabbaths and wanted to worship 





       their idols.

       (Ezek 20:17 NCV)  But I had pity on them. I did not destroy them or 
       put an end to them in the desert.

       (Ezek 20:18 NCV)  I said to their children in the desert, "Don't live 
       by the rules of your parents, or obey their laws. Don't make 
       yourselves unclean with their idols.

       (Ezek 20:19 NCV)  I am the LORD your God. Live by my rules, obey my 
       laws, and follow them.

       (Ezek 20:20 NCV)  Keep my Sabbaths holy, and they will be a sign 
       between me and you. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God."

       (Ezek 20:21 NCV)  "'But the children turned against me. They did not 
       live by my rules, nor were they careful to obey my laws, by which 
       people will live if they obey them. They dishonored my Sabbaths. So I 
       decided to pour out my anger against them in the desert.

       (Ezek 20:22 NCV)  But I held back my anger. I acted for the sake of my 
       name so it would not be dishonored in full view of the nations who 
       watched as I brought the Israelites out.

       (Ezek 20:23 NCV)  And in the desert I swore to the Israelites that I 
       would scatter them among the nations and spread them among the 
       countries,

       (Ezek 20:24 NCV)  because they had not obeyed my laws. They had 
       rejected my rules and dishonored my Sabbaths and worshiped the idols 
       of their parents.

       (Ezek 20:25 NCV)  I also allowed them to follow rules that were not 
       good and laws by which they could not live.

       (Ezek 20:26 NCV)  I let the Israelites make themselves unclean by the 
       gifts they brought to their gods when they sacrificed their first 
       children in the fire. I wanted to terrify them so they would know that 
       I am the LORD.'

       (Ezek 20:27 NCV)  "So, human, speak to the people of Israel. Say to 
       them, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: Your ancestors spoke against me 
       by being unfaithful to me in another way.

       (Ezek 20:28 NCV)  When I had brought them into the land I promised to 
       give them, they saw every high hill and every leafy tree. There they 
       offered their sacrifices to gods. They brought offerings that made me 
       angry and burned their incense and poured out their drink offerings.

       (Ezek 20:29 NCV)  Then I said to them: What is this high place where 
       you go to worship?'" (It is still called High Place today.)

       (Ezek 20:30 NCV)  "So say to the people of Israel: 'This is what the 
       Lord GOD says: Are you going to make yourselves unclean as your 
       ancestors did? Are you going to be unfaithful and desire their hateful 
       idols?






       (Ezek 20:31 NCV)  When you offer your children as gifts and sacrifice 
       them in the fire, you are making yourselves unclean with all your 
       idols even today. So, people of Israel, should I let you ask me 
       questions? As surely as I live, says the Lord GOD, I will not accept 
       questions from you.

       (Ezek 20:32 NCV)  "'What you want will not come true. You say, "We 
       want to be like the other nations, like the people in other lands. We 
       want to worship idols made of wood and stone."

       (Ezek 20:33 NCV)  As surely as I live, says the Lord GOD, I will use 
       my great power and strength and anger to rule over you.

       (Ezek 20:34 NCV)  I will bring you out from the foreign nations. With 
       my great power and strength and anger I will gather you from the lands 
       where you are scattered.

       (Ezek 20:35 NCV)  I will bring you among the nations as I brought your 
       ancestors into the desert with Moses. There I will judge you face to 
       face.

       (Ezek 20:36 NCV)  I will judge you the same way I judged your 
       ancestors in the desert of the land of Egypt, says the Lord GOD.

       (Ezek 20:37 NCV)  I will count you like sheep and will bring you into 
       line with my agreement.

       (Ezek 20:38 NCV)  I will get rid of those who refuse to obey me and 
       who turn against me. I will bring them out of the land where they are 
       now living, but they will never enter the land of Israel. Then you 
       will know that I am the LORD.

       (Ezek 20:39 NCV)  "'This is what the Lord GOD says: People of Israel, 
       go serve your idols for now. But later you will listen to me; you will 
       not continue to dishonor my holy name with your gifts and gods.

       (Ezek 20:40 NCV)  On my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, 
       all Israel will serve me in the land, says the Lord GOD. There I will 
       accept you. There I will expect your offerings, the first harvest of 
       your offerings, and all your holy gifts.

       (Ezek 20:41 NCV)  I will accept you like the pleasing smell of 
       sacrifices when I bring you out from the foreign nations and gather 
       you from the lands where you are scattered. Then through you I will 
       show how holy I am so the nations will see.

       (Ezek 20:42 NCV)  When I bring you into the land of Israel, the land I 
       promised your ancestors, you will know that I am the LORD.

       (Ezek 20:43 NCV)  There you will remember everything you did that made 
       you unclean, and then you will hate yourselves for all the evil things 
       you have done.

       (Ezek 20:44 NCV)  I will deal with you for the sake of my name, not 
       because of your evil ways or unclean actions. Then you will know I am 





       the LORD, people of Israel, says the Lord GOD.'"

       (Ezek 20:45 NCV)  Now the LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Ezek 20:46 NCV)  "Human, look toward the south. Prophesy against the 
       south and against the forest of the southern area.

       (Ezek 20:47 NCV)  Say to that forest: 'Hear the word of the LORD. This 
       is what the Lord GOD says: I am ready to start a fire in you that will 
       destroy all your green trees and all your dry trees. The flames that 
       burn will not be put out. Every face from south to north will feel 
       their heat.

       (Ezek 20:48 NCV)  Then all the people will see that I, the LORD, have 
       started the fire. It will not be put out.'"

       (Ezek 20:49 NCV)  Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! The people are saying 
       about me, 'He is only telling stories.'"

       (Ezek 21:1 NCV)  Then the LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Ezek 21:2 NCV)  "Human, look toward Jerusalem and speak against the 
       holy place. Prophesy against the land of Israel.

       (Ezek 21:3 NCV)  Say to Israel: 'This is what the LORD says: I am 
       against you. I will pull my sword out of its holder, and I will cut 
       off from you both the wicked and those who do right.

       (Ezek 21:4 NCV)  Because I am going to cut off the wicked and those 
       who do right, my sword will come out from its holder and attack all 
       people from south to north.

       (Ezek 21:5 NCV)  Then all people will know that I, the LORD, have 
       pulled my sword out from its holder. My sword will not go back in 
       again.'

       (Ezek 21:6 NCV)  "So, human, groan with breaking heart and great 
       sadness. Groan in front of the people.

       (Ezek 21:7 NCV)  When they ask you, 'Why are you groaning?' you will 
       say, 'Because of what I have heard is going to happen. When it 
       happens, every heart will melt with fear, and all hands will become 
       weak. Everyone will be afraid; all knees will become weak as water. 
       Look, it is coming, and it will happen, says the Lord GOD.'"

       (Ezek 21:8 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Ezek 21:9 NCV)  "Human, prophesy and say, 'This is what the Lord 
       says: A sword, a sword, made sharp and polished.

       (Ezek 21:10 NCV)  It is made sharp for the killing. It is polished to 
       flash like lightning. "'You are not happy about this horrible 
       punishment by the sword. But my son Judah, you did not change when you 
       were only beaten with a rod.

       (Ezek 21:11 NCV)  The sword should be polished. It is meant to be held 





       in the hand. It is made sharp and polished, ready for the hand of a 
       killer.

       (Ezek 21:12 NCV)  Shout and yell, human, because the sword is meant 
       for my people, for all the rulers of Israel. They will be killed by 
       the sword, along with my people. So beat your chest in sadness.

       (Ezek 21:13 NCV)  "'The test will come. And Judah, who is hated by the 
       armies of Babylon, will not last, says the Lord GOD.'

       (Ezek 21:14 NCV)  "So, human, prophesy and clap your hands. Let the 
       sword strike two or three times. It is a sword meant for killing, a 
       sword meant for much killing. This sword surrounds the people to be 
       killed.

       (Ezek 21:15 NCV)  Their hearts will melt with fear, and many people 
       will die. I have placed the killing sword at all their city gates. Oh! 
       The sword is made to flash like lightning. It is held, ready for 
       killing.

       (Ezek 21:16 NCV)  Sword, cut on the right side; then cut on the left 
       side. Cut anywhere your blade is turned.

       (Ezek 21:17 NCV)  I will also clap my hands and use up my anger. I, 
       the LORD, have spoken."

       (Ezek 21:18 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Ezek 21:19 NCV)  "Human, mark two roads that the king of Babylon and 
       his sword can follow. Both of these roads will start from the same 
       country. And make signs where the road divides and one way goes toward 
       the city.

       (Ezek 21:20 NCV)  Mark one sign to show the road he can take with his 
       sword to Rabbah in the land of the Ammonites. Mark the other sign to 
       show the road to Judah and Jerusalem, which is protected with strong 
       walls.

       (Ezek 21:21 NCV)  The king of Babylon has come to where the road 
       divides, and he is using magic. He throws lots with arrows and asks 
       questions of his family idols. He looks at the liver of a sacrificed 
       animal to learn where he should go.

       (Ezek 21:22 NCV)  The lot in his right hand tells him to go to 
       Jerusalem. It tells him to use logs to break down the city gates, to 
       shout the battle cry and give the order to kill, and to build a dirt 
       road to the top of the walls and devices to attack the walls.

       (Ezek 21:23 NCV)  The people of Jerusalem have made agreements with 
       other nations to help them fight Babylon. So they will think this 
       prediction is wrong, but it is really proof of their sin, and they 
       will be captured.

       (Ezek 21:24 NCV)  "So this is what the Lord GOD says: 'You have shown 
       how sinful you are by turning against the LORD. Your sins are seen in 
       all the things you do. Because of this proof against you, you will be 





       taken captive by the enemy.

       (Ezek 21:25 NCV)  "'You unclean and evil leader of Israel, you will be 
       killed! The time of your final punishment has come.

       (Ezek 21:26 NCV)  This is what the Lord GOD says: Take off the royal 
       turban, and remove the crown. Things will change. Those who are 
       important now will be made unimportant, and those who are unimportant 
       now will be made important.

       (Ezek 21:27 NCV)  A ruin! A ruin! I will make it a ruin! This place 
       will not be rebuilt until the one comes who has a right to be king. 
       Then I will give him that right.'

       (Ezek 21:28 NCV)  "And you, human, prophesy and say: 'This is what the 
       Lord GOD says about the people of Ammon and their insults: A sword, a 
       sword is pulled out of its holder. It is polished to kill and destroy, 
       to flash like lightning!

       (Ezek 21:29 NCV)  Prophets see false visions about you and prophesy 
       lies about you. The sword will be put on the necks of these unclean 
       and evil people. Their day of judging has come; the time of final 
       punishment has come.

       (Ezek 21:30 NCV)  Put the sword back in its holder. I will judge you 
       in the place where you were created, in the land where you were born.

       (Ezek 21:31 NCV)  I will pour out my anger against you and blast you 
       with the fire of my anger. I will hand you over to cruel men, experts 
       in destruction.

       (Ezek 21:32 NCV)  You will be like fuel for the fire; you will die in 
       the land. You will not be remembered, because I, the LORD, have 
       spoken.'"

       (Ezek 22:1 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Ezek 22:2 NCV)  "And you, human, will you judge? Will you judge the 
       city of murderers? Then tell her about all her hateful acts.

       (Ezek 22:3 NCV)  You are to say: 'This is what the Lord GOD says: You 
       are a city that kills those who come to live there. You make yourself 
       unclean by making idols.

       (Ezek 22:4 NCV)  You have become guilty of murder and have become 
       unclean by your idols which you have made. So you have brought your 
       time of punishment near; you have come to the end of your years. That 
       is why I have made you a shame to the nations and why all lands laugh 
       at you.

       (Ezek 22:5 NCV)  Those near and those far away laugh at you with your 
       bad name, you city full of confusion.

       (Ezek 22:6 NCV)  "'Jerusalem, see how each ruler of Israel in you has 
       been trying to kill people.





       (Ezek 22:7 NCV)  The people in you hate their fathers and mothers. 
       They mistreat the foreigners in you and wrong the orphans and widows 
       in you.

       (Ezek 22:8 NCV)  You hate my holy things and dishonor my Sabbaths.

       (Ezek 22:9 NCV)  The men in you tell lies to cause the death of 
       others. The people in you eat food offered to idols at the mountain 
       places of worship, and they take part in sexual sins.

       (Ezek 22:10 NCV)  The men in you have sexual relations with their 
       fathers' wives and with women who are unclean, during their time of 
       monthly bleeding.

       (Ezek 22:11 NCV)  One man in you does a hateful act with his 
       neighbor's wife, while another has shamefully made his daughter-in-law 
       unclean sexually. And another forces his half sister to have sexual 
       relations with him.

       (Ezek 22:12 NCV)  The people in you take money to kill others. You 
       take unfair interest and profits and make profits by mistreating your 
       neighbor. And you have forgotten me, says the Lord GOD.

       (Ezek 22:13 NCV)  "'So, Jerusalem, I will shake my fist at you for 
       stealing money and for murdering people.

       (Ezek 22:14 NCV)  Will you still be brave and strong when I punish 
       you? I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will act.

       (Ezek 22:15 NCV)  I will scatter you among the nations and spread you 
       through the countries. That is how I will get rid of your uncleanness.

       (Ezek 22:16 NCV)  But you, yourself, will be dishonored in the sight 
       of the nations. Then you will know that I am the LORD.'"

       (Ezek 22:17 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Ezek 22:18 NCV)  "Human, the people of Israel have become useless 
       like scum to me. They are like the copper, tin, iron, and lead left in 
       the furnace when silver is purified.

       (Ezek 22:19 NCV)  So this is what the Lord GOD says: 'Because you have 
       become useless like scum, I am going to put you together inside 
       Jerusalem.

       (Ezek 22:20 NCV)  People put silver, copper, iron, lead, and tin 
       together inside a furnace to melt them down in a blazing fire. In the 
       same way I will gather you in my hot anger and put you together in 
       Jerusalem and melt you down.

       (Ezek 22:21 NCV)  I will put you together and make you feel the heat 
       of my anger. You will be melted down inside Jerusalem.

       (Ezek 22:22 NCV)  As silver is melted in a furnace, you will be melted 
       inside the city. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have poured out 
       my anger on you.'"






       (Ezek 22:23 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Ezek 22:24 NCV)  "Human, say to the land, 'You are a land that has 
       not had rain or showers when God is angry.'

       (Ezek 22:25 NCV)  Like a roaring lion that tears the animal it has 
       caught, Israel's rulers make evil plans. They have destroyed lives and 
       have taken treasure and valuable things. They have caused many women 
       to become widows.

       (Ezek 22:26 NCV)  Israel's priests do cruel things to my teachings and 
       do not honor my holy things. They make no difference between holy and 
       unholy things, and they teach there is no difference between clean and 
       unclean things. They do not remember my Sabbaths, so I am dishonored 
       by them.

       (Ezek 22:27 NCV)  Like wolves tearing a dead animal, Jerusalem's 
       leaders have killed people for profit.

       (Ezek 22:28 NCV)  And the prophets try to cover this up by false 
       visions and by lying messages. They say, 'This is what the Lord GOD 
       says' when the LORD has not spoken.

       (Ezek 22:29 NCV)  The people cheat others and steal. They hurt people 
       who are poor and needy. They cheat foreigners and do not treat them 
       fairly.

       (Ezek 22:30 NCV)  "I looked for someone to build up the walls and to 
       stand before me where the walls are broken to defend these people so I 
       would not have to destroy them. But I could not find anyone.

       (Ezek 22:31 NCV)  So I let them see my anger. I destroyed them with an 
       anger that was like fire because of all the things they have done, 
       says the Lord GOD."

       (Ezek 23:1 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Ezek 23:2 NCV)  "Human, a woman had two daughters.

       (Ezek 23:3 NCV)  While they were young, they went to Egypt and became 
       prostitutes. They let men touch and hold their breasts.

       (Ezek 23:4 NCV)  The older girl was named Oholah, and her sister was 
       named Oholibah. They became my wives and had sons and daughters. 
       Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.

       (Ezek 23:5 NCV)  "While still my wife, Samaria had sexual relations 
       with other men. She had great sexual desire for her lovers, men from 
       Assyria. The Assyrians were warriors and

       (Ezek 23:6 NCV)  wore blue uniforms. They were all handsome young 
       captains and lieutenants riding on horseback.

       (Ezek 23:7 NCV)  Samaria became a prostitute for all the important men 
       in Assyria and made herself unclean with all the idols of everyone she 





       desired.

       (Ezek 23:8 NCV)  She continued the prostitution she began in Egypt. 
       When she was young, she had slept with men, and they touched her 
       breasts and had sexual relations with her.

       (Ezek 23:9 NCV)  "So I handed her over to her lovers, the Assyrians, 
       that she wanted so badly.

       (Ezek 23:10 NCV)  They stripped her naked and took away her sons and 
       daughters. Then they killed her with a sword. Women everywhere began 
       talking about how she had been punished.

       (Ezek 23:11 NCV)  "Her sister Jerusalem saw what happened, but she 
       became worse than her sister in her sexual desire and prostitution.

       (Ezek 23:12 NCV)  She also desired the Assyrians, who were all 
       soldiers in beautiful uniforms--handsome young captains and 
       lieutenants riding horses.

       (Ezek 23:13 NCV)  I saw that both girls were alike; both were 
       prostitutes.

       (Ezek 23:14 NCV)  "But Jerusalem went even further. She saw carvings 
       of Babylonian men on a wall. They wore red

       (Ezek 23:15 NCV)  and had belts around their waists and turbans on 
       their heads. They all looked like chariot officers born in Babylonia.

       (Ezek 23:16 NCV)  When she saw them, she wanted to have sexual 
       relations with them and sent messengers to them in Babylonia.

       (Ezek 23:17 NCV)  So these Babylonian men came and had sexual 
       relations with her and made her unclean. After that, she became sick 
       of them.

       (Ezek 23:18 NCV)  But she continued her prostitution so openly that 
       everyone knew about it. And I finally became sick of her, as I had her 
       sister.

       (Ezek 23:19 NCV)  But she remembered how she was a young prostitute in 
       Egypt, so she took part in even more prostitution.

       (Ezek 23:20 NCV)  She wanted men who behaved like animals in their 
       sexual desire.

       (Ezek 23:21 NCV)  In the same way you desired to do the sinful things 
       you had done in Egypt. There men touched and held your young breasts.

       (Ezek 23:22 NCV)  "So, Jerusalem, this is what the Lord GOD says: You 
       are tired of your lovers. So now I will make them angry with you and 
       have them attack you from all sides.

       (Ezek 23:23 NCV)  Men from Babylon and all Babylonia and men from 
       Pekod, Shoa, and Koa will attack you. All the Assyrians will attack 
       you: handsome young captains and lieutenants, all of them important 





       men and all riding horses.

       (Ezek 23:24 NCV)  Those men will attack with great armies and with 
       their weapons, chariots, and wagons. They will surround you with large 
       and small shields and with helmets. And I will give them the right to 
       punish you, and they will give you their own kind of punishment.

       (Ezek 23:25 NCV)  Then you will see how strong my anger can be when 
       they punish you in their anger. They will cut off your noses and ears. 
       They will take away your sons and daughters, and those who are left 
       will be burned.

       (Ezek 23:26 NCV)  They will take off your clothes and steal your 
       jewelry.

       (Ezek 23:27 NCV)  I will put a stop to the sinful life you began when 
       you were in Egypt so that you will not desire it or remember Egypt 
       anymore.

       (Ezek 23:28 NCV)  "This is what the Lord GOD says: You became tired of 
       your lovers, but I am going to hand you over to those men you now 
       hate.

       (Ezek 23:29 NCV)  They will treat you with hate and take away 
       everything you worked for, leaving you empty and naked. Everyone will 
       know about the sinful things you did. Your sexual sins

       (Ezek 23:30 NCV)  have brought this on you. You have had sexual 
       relations with the nations and made yourselves unclean by worshiping 
       their idols.

       (Ezek 23:31 NCV)  You did the same things your sister did, so you will 
       get the same punishment, like a bitter cup to drink.

       (Ezek 23:32 NCV)  "This is what the Lord GOD says: You will drink the 
       same cup your sister did, and that cup is deep and wide. Everyone will 
       make fun of you, because the cup is full.

       (Ezek 23:33 NCV)  It will make you miserable and drunk. It is the cup 
       of fear and ruin. It is the cup of your sister Samaria.

       (Ezek 23:34 NCV)  You will drink everything in it, and then you will 
       smash it and tear at your breasts. I have spoken, says the Lord GOD.

       (Ezek 23:35 NCV)  "So this is what the Lord GOD says: You have 
       forgotten me and turned your back on me. So you will be punished for 
       your sexual sins."

       (Ezek 23:36 NCV)  The LORD said to me: "Human, will you judge Samaria 
       and Jerusalem, showing them their hateful acts?

       (Ezek 23:37 NCV)  They are guilty of adultery and murder. They have 
       taken part in adultery with their idols. They even offered our 
       children as sacrifices in the fire to be food for these idols.

       (Ezek 23:38 NCV)  They have also done this to me: They made my Temple 





       unclean at the same time they dishonored my Sabbaths.

       (Ezek 23:39 NCV)  They sacrificed their children to their idols. Then 
       they entered my Temple at that very time to dishonor it. That is what 
       they did inside my Temple!

       (Ezek 23:40 NCV)  "They even sent for men from far away, who came 
       after a messenger was sent to them. The two sisters bathed themselves 
       for them, painted their eyes, and put on jewelry.

       (Ezek 23:41 NCV)  They sat on a fine bed with a table set before it, 
       on which they put my incense and my oil.

       (Ezek 23:42 NCV)  "There was the noise of a reckless crowd in the 
       city. Common people gathered, and drunkards were brought from the 
       desert. They put bracelets on the wrists of the two sisters and 
       beautiful crowns on their heads.

       (Ezek 23:43 NCV)  Then I said about the one who was worn out by her 
       acts of adultery, 'Let them continue their sexual sins with her. She 
       is nothing but a prostitute.'

       (Ezek 23:44 NCV)  They kept going to her as they would go to a 
       prostitute. So they continued to go to Samaria and Jerusalem, these 
       shameful women.

       (Ezek 23:45 NCV)  But men who do right will punish them as they punish 
       women who take part in adultery and who murder people, because they 
       are guilty of adultery and murder.

       (Ezek 23:46 NCV)  "This is what the Lord GOD says: Bring together a 
       mob against Samaria and Jerusalem, and hand them over to be frightened 
       and robbed.

       (Ezek 23:47 NCV)  Let the mob kill them by throwing stones at them, 
       and let them cut them down with their swords. Let them kill their sons 
       and daughters and burn their houses down.

       (Ezek 23:48 NCV)  "So I will put an end to sexual sins in the land. 
       Then all women will be warned, and they will not do the sexual sins 
       you have done.

       (Ezek 23:49 NCV)  You will be punished for your sexual sins and the 
       sin of worshiping idols. Then you will know that I am the Lord GOD."

       (Ezek 24:1 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me in the ninth year of 
       our captivity, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month. He 
       said:

       (Ezek 24:2 NCV)  "Human, write down today's date, this very date. The 
       king of Babylon has surrounded Jerusalem this very day.

       (Ezek 24:3 NCV)  And tell a story to the people who refuse to obey me. 
       Say to them: 'This is what the Lord GOD says: Put on the pot; put it 
       on and pour water in it.





       (Ezek 24:4 NCV)  Put in the pieces of meat, the best pieces--the legs 
       and the shoulders. Fill it with the best bones.

       (Ezek 24:5 NCV)  Take the best of the flock, and pile wood under the 
       pot. Boil the pieces of meat until even the bones are cooked.

       (Ezek 24:6 NCV)  "'This is what the Lord GOD says: How terrible it 
       will be for the city of murderers! How terrible it will be for the 
       rusty pot whose rust will not come off! Take the meat out of it, piece 
       by piece. Don't choose any special piece.

       (Ezek 24:7 NCV)  "'The blood from her killings is still in the city. 
       She poured the blood on the bare rock. She did not pour it on the 
       ground where dust would cover it.

       (Ezek 24:8 NCV)  To stir up my anger and revenge, I put the blood she 
       spilled on the bare rock so it will not be covered.

       (Ezek 24:9 NCV)  "'So this is what the Lord GOD says: How terrible it 
       will be for the city of murderers! I myself will pile the wood high 
       for burning.

       (Ezek 24:10 NCV)  Pile up the wood and light the fire. Finish cooking 
       the meat. Mix in the spices, and let the bones burn.

       (Ezek 24:11 NCV)  Then set the empty pot on the coals so it may become 
       hot and its copper sides glow. The dirty scum stuck inside it may then 
       melt and its rust burn away.

       (Ezek 24:12 NCV)  But efforts to clean the pot have failed. Its heavy 
       rust cannot be removed, even in the fire.

       (Ezek 24:13 NCV)  "'By your sinful action you have become unclean. I 
       wanted to cleanse you, but you are still unclean. You will never be 
       cleansed from your sin until my anger against you is carried out.

       (Ezek 24:14 NCV)  "'I, the LORD, have spoken. The time has come for me 
       to act. I will not hold back punishment or feel pity or change my 
       mind. I will judge you by your ways and actions, says the Lord GOD.'"

       (Ezek 24:15 NCV)  Then the LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Ezek 24:16 NCV)  "Human, I am going to take your wife from you, the 
       woman you look at with love. She will die suddenly, but you must not 
       be sad or cry loudly for her or shed any tears.

       (Ezek 24:17 NCV)  Groan silently; do not cry loudly for the dead. Tie 
       on your turban, and put your sandals on your feet. Do not cover your 
       face, and do not eat the food people eat when they are sad about a 
       death."

       (Ezek 24:18 NCV)  So I spoke to the people in the morning, and my wife 
       died in the evening. The next morning I did as I had been commanded.

       (Ezek 24:19 NCV)  Then the people asked me, "Tell us, what do the 
       things you are doing mean for us?"






       (Ezek 24:20 NCV)  Then I said to them, "The LORD spoke his word to me. 
       He said,

       (Ezek 24:21 NCV)  'Say to the people of Israel, This is what the Lord 
       GOD says: I am going to dishonor my Temple. You think it gives you 
       strength. You are proud of it, and you look at it with love and 
       tenderness. But your sons and daughters that you left behind in 
       Jerusalem will fall dead by the sword.

       (Ezek 24:22 NCV)  When that happens, you are to act as I have: you are 
       not to cover your face, and you are not to eat the food people eat 
       when they are sad about a death.

       (Ezek 24:23 NCV)  Your turbans must stay on your heads, and your 
       sandals on your feet. You must not cry loudly, but you must rot away 
       in your sins and groan to each other.

       (Ezek 24:24 NCV)  So Ezekiel is to be an example for you. You must do 
       all the same things he did. When all this happens, you will know that 
       I am the Lord GOD.'

       (Ezek 24:25 NCV)  "And as for you, human, this is how it will be. I 
       will take away the Temple that gives them strength and joy, that makes 
       them proud. They look at it with love, and it makes them happy. And I 
       will take away their sons and daughters also.

       (Ezek 24:26 NCV)  At that time a person who escapes will come to you 
       with information for you to hear.

       (Ezek 24:27 NCV)  At that very time your mouth will be opened. You 
       will speak and be silent no more. So you will be a sign for them, and 
       they will know that I am the LORD."

       (Ezek 25:1 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Ezek 25:2 NCV)  "Human, look toward the people of Ammon and prophesy 
       against them.

       (Ezek 25:3 NCV)  Say to them, 'Hear the word of the Lord GOD. This is 
       what the Lord GOD says: You were glad when my Temple was dishonored, 
       when the land of Israel was ruined, and when the people of Judah were 
       taken away as captives.

       (Ezek 25:4 NCV)  So I am going to give you to the people of the East 
       to be theirs. They will set up their camps among you and make their 
       homes among you. They will eat your fruit and drink your milk.

       (Ezek 25:5 NCV)  I will make the city of Rabbah a pasture for camels 
       and the land of Ammon a resting place for sheep. Then you will know 
       that I am the LORD.

       (Ezek 25:6 NCV)  This is what the Lord GOD says: You have clapped your 
       hands and stamped your feet; you have laughed about all the insults 
       you made against the land of Israel.





       (Ezek 25:7 NCV)  So I will use my power against you. I will give you 
       to the nations as if you were treasures taken in war. I will wipe you 
       out of the lands so you will no longer be a nation, and I will destroy 
       you. Then you will know that I am the LORD.'

       (Ezek 25:8 NCV)  "This is what the Lord GOD says: 'Moab and Edom say, 
       "The people of Judah are like all the other nations."

       (Ezek 25:9 NCV)  So I am going to take away the cities that protect 
       Moab's borders, the best cities in that land: Beth Jeshimoth, Baal 
       Meon, and Kiriathaim.

       (Ezek 25:10 NCV)  Then I will give Moab, along with the Ammonites, to 
       the people of the East as their possession. Then, along with the 
       Ammonites, Moab will not be a nation anymore.

       (Ezek 25:11 NCV)  So I will punish the people of Moab, and they will 
       know that I am the LORD.'

       (Ezek 25:12 NCV)  "This is what the Lord GOD says: 'Edom took revenge 
       on the people of Judah, and the Edomites became guilty because of it.

       (Ezek 25:13 NCV)  So this is what the Lord GOD says: I will use my 
       power against Edom, killing every human and animal in it. And I will 
       destroy Edom all the way from Teman to Dedan as they die in battle.

       (Ezek 25:14 NCV)  I will use my people Israel to take revenge on Edom. 
       So the Israelites will do to Edom what my hot anger demands. Then the 
       Edomites will know what my revenge feels like, says the Lord GOD.'

       (Ezek 25:15 NCV)  "This is what the Lord GOD says: 'The Philistines 
       have taken revenge with hateful hearts. Because of their strong 
       hatred, they have tried to destroy Judah.

       (Ezek 25:16 NCV)  So this is what the Lord GOD says: I will use my 
       power against the Philistines. I will kill the Kerethites, and I will 
       destroy those people still alive on the coast of the Mediterranean 
       Sea.

       (Ezek 25:17 NCV)  I will punish them in my anger and do great acts of 
       revenge to them. They will know that I am the LORD when I take revenge 
       on them.'"

       (Ezek 26:1 NCV)  It was the eleventh year of our captivity, on the 
       first day of the month. The LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Ezek 26:2 NCV)  "Human, the city of Tyre has spoken against 
       Jerusalem: 'The city that traded with the nations is destroyed. Now we 
       can be the trading center. Since the city of Jerusalem is ruined, we 
       can make money.'

       (Ezek 26:3 NCV)  So this is what the Lord GOD says: I am against you, 
       Tyre. I will bring many nations against you, like the sea beating its 
       waves on your island shores.

       (Ezek 26:4 NCV)  They will destroy the walls of Tyre and pull down her 





       towers. I will also scrape away her ruins and make her a bare rock.

       (Ezek 26:5 NCV)  Tyre will be an island where fishermen dry their 
       nets. I have spoken, says the Lord GOD. The nations will steal 
       treasures from Tyre.

       (Ezek 26:6 NCV)  Also, her villages on the shore across from the 
       island will be destroyed by war. Then they will know that I am the 
       LORD.

       (Ezek 26:7 NCV)  "This is what the Lord GOD says: I will bring a king 
       from the north against Tyre. He is Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the 
       greatest king, with his horses, chariots, horsemen, and a great army.

       (Ezek 26:8 NCV)  He will fight a battle and destroy your villages on 
       the shore across from the island. He will set up devices to attack 
       you. He will build a road of earth to the top of the walls. He will 
       raise his shields against you.

       (Ezek 26:9 NCV)  He will bring logs to pound through your city walls, 
       and he will break down your towers with his iron bars.

       (Ezek 26:10 NCV)  His horses will be so many that they will cover you 
       with their dust. Your walls will shake at the noise of horsemen, 
       wagons, and chariots. The king of Babylon will enter your city gates 
       as men enter a city where the walls are broken through.

       (Ezek 26:11 NCV)  The hoofs of his horses will run over your streets. 
       He will kill your army with the sword, and your strong pillars will 
       fall down to the ground.

       (Ezek 26:12 NCV)  Also, his men will take away your riches and will 
       steal the things you sell. They will break down your walls and destroy 
       your nice houses. They will throw your stones, wood, and trash into 
       the sea.

       (Ezek 26:13 NCV)  So I will stop your songs; the music of your harps 
       will not be heard anymore.

       (Ezek 26:14 NCV)  I will make you a bare rock, and you will be a place 
       for drying fishing nets. You will not be built again, because I, the 
       LORD, have spoken, says the Lord GOD.

       (Ezek 26:15 NCV)  "This is what the Lord GOD says to Tyre: The people 
       who live along the seacoast will shake with fear when they hear about 
       your defeat. Those of you who are injured and dying will groan.

       (Ezek 26:16 NCV)  Then all the leaders of the seacoast will get down 
       from their thrones, take off their beautiful needlework clothes, and 
       show how afraid they are. They will sit on the ground and tremble all 
       the time. When they see you, they will be shocked.

       (Ezek 26:17 NCV)  They will begin singing a funeral song about you and 
       will say to you: 'Tyre, you famous city, you have been destroyed! You 
       have lost your sea power! You and your people had great power on the 
       seas. You made everyone around you afraid of you.






       (Ezek 26:18 NCV)  Now the people who live by the coast tremble, now 
       that you have fallen. The islands of the sea are afraid because you 
       have been defeated.'

       (Ezek 26:19 NCV)  "This is what the Lord GOD says: I will make you an 
       empty city, like cities that have no people living in them. I will 
       bring the deep ocean waters over you, and the Mediterranean Sea will 
       cover you.

       (Ezek 26:20 NCV)  At that time I will send you down to the place of 
       the dead to join those who died long ago. I will make you live with 
       the dead below the earth in places that are like old ruins. You will 
       not come back from there or have any place in the world of the living 
       again.

       (Ezek 26:21 NCV)  Other people will be afraid of what happened to you, 
       and it will be the end of you. People will look for you, but they will 
       never find you again, says the Lord GOD."

       (Ezek 27:1 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Ezek 27:2 NCV)  "Human, sing a funeral song for the city of Tyre.

       (Ezek 27:3 NCV)  Speak to Tyre, which has ports for the Mediterranean 
       Sea and is a place for trade for the people of many lands along the 
       seacoast. 'This is what the Lord GOD says: Tyre, you have said, "I am 
       like a beautiful ship."

       (Ezek 27:4 NCV)  You were at home on the high seas. Your builders made 
       your beauty perfect.

       (Ezek 27:5 NCV)  They made all your boards of fir trees from Mount 
       Hermon. They took a cedar tree from Lebanon to make a ship's mast for 
       you.

       (Ezek 27:6 NCV)  They made your oars from oak trees from Bashan. They 
       made your deck from cypress trees from the coast of Cyprus and set 
       ivory into it.

       (Ezek 27:7 NCV)  Your sail of linen with designs sewed on it came from 
       Egypt and became like a flag for you. Your cloth shades over the deck 
       were blue and purple and came from the island of Cyprus.

       (Ezek 27:8 NCV)  Men from Sidon and Arvad used oars to row you. Tyre, 
       your skilled men were the sailors on your deck.

       (Ezek 27:9 NCV)  Workers of Byblos were with you, putting caulk in 
       your ship's seams. All the ships of the sea and their sailors came 
       alongside to trade with you.

       (Ezek 27:10 NCV)  "'Men of Persia, Lydia, and Put were warriors in 
       your navy and hung their shields and helmets on your sides. They made 
       you look beautiful.

       (Ezek 27:11 NCV)  Men of Arvad and Cilicia guarded your city walls all 





       around. Men of Gammad were in your watchtowers and hung their shields 
       around your walls. They made your beauty perfect.

       (Ezek 27:12 NCV)  "'People of Tarshish became traders for you because 
       of your great wealth. They traded your goods for silver, iron, tin, 
       and lead.

       (Ezek 27:13 NCV)  "'People of Greece, Tubal, and Meshech became 
       merchants for you. They traded your goods for slaves and items of 
       bronze.

       (Ezek 27:14 NCV)  "'People of Beth Togarmah traded your goods for work 
       horses, war horses, and mules.

       (Ezek 27:15 NCV)  "'People of Rhodes became merchants for you, selling 
       your goods on many coastlands. They brought back ivory tusks and 
       valuable black wood as your payment.

       (Ezek 27:16 NCV)  "'People of Aram became traders for you, because you 
       had so many good things to sell. They traded your goods for turquoise, 
       purple cloth, cloth with designs sewed on, fine linen, coral, and 
       rubies.

       (Ezek 27:17 NCV)  "'People of Judah and Israel became merchants for 
       you. They traded your goods for wheat from Minnith, and for honey, 
       olive oil, and balm.

       (Ezek 27:18 NCV)  "'People of Damascus became traders for you because 
       you have many good things and great wealth. They traded your goods for 
       wine from Helbon, wool from Zahar, and barrels of wine from Izal. They 
       received wrought iron, cassia, and sugar cane in payment for your good 
       things.

       (Ezek 27:19 NCV)  

       (Ezek 27:20 NCV)  "'People of Dedan became merchants for you, trading 
       saddle blankets for riding.

       (Ezek 27:21 NCV)  "'People of Arabia and all the rulers of Kedar 
       became traders for you. They received lambs, male sheep, and goats in 
       payment for you.

       (Ezek 27:22 NCV)  "'The merchants of Sheba and Raamah became merchants 
       for you. They traded your goods for all the best spices, valuable 
       gems, and gold.

       (Ezek 27:23 NCV)  "'People of Haran, Canneh, Eden, and the traders of 
       Sheba, Asshur, and Kilmad became merchants for you.

       (Ezek 27:24 NCV)  They were paid with the best clothes, blue cloth, 
       cloth with designs sewed on, carpets of many colors, and tightly wound 
       ropes.

       (Ezek 27:25 NCV)  "'Trading ships carried the things you sold. You 
       were like a ship full of heavy cargo in the middle of the sea.





       (Ezek 27:26 NCV)  The men who rowed you brought you out into the high 
       seas, but the east wind broke you to pieces in the middle of the sea.

       (Ezek 27:27 NCV)  Your wealth, your trade, your goods, your seamen, 
       your sailors, your workers, your traders, your warriors, and everyone 
       else on board sank into the sea on the day your ship was wrecked.

       (Ezek 27:28 NCV)  The people on the shore shake with fear when your 
       sailors cry out.

       (Ezek 27:29 NCV)  All the men who row leave their ships; the seamen 
       and the sailors of other ships stand on the shore.

       (Ezek 27:30 NCV)  They cry loudly about you; they cry very much. They 
       throw dust on their heads and roll in ashes to show they are sad.

       (Ezek 27:31 NCV)  They shave their heads for you, and they put on 
       rough cloth to show they are upset. They cry and sob for you; they cry 
       loudly.

       (Ezek 27:32 NCV)  And in their loud crying they sing a funeral song 
       for you: "No one was ever destroyed like Tyre, surrounded by the sea."

       (Ezek 27:33 NCV)  When the goods you traded went out over the seas, 
       you met the needs of many nations. With your great wealth and goods, 
       you made kings of the earth rich.

       (Ezek 27:34 NCV)  But now you are broken by the sea and have sunk to 
       the bottom. Your goods and all the people on board have gone down with 
       you.

       (Ezek 27:35 NCV)  All those who live along the shore are shocked by 
       what happened to you. Their kings are terribly afraid, and their faces 
       show their fear.

       (Ezek 27:36 NCV)  The traders among the nations hiss at you. You have 
       come to a terrible end, and you are gone forever.'"

       (Ezek 28:1 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Ezek 28:2 NCV)  "Human, say to the ruler of Tyre: 'This is what the 
       Lord GOD says: Because you are proud, you say, "I am a god. I sit on 
       the throne of a god in the middle of the seas." You think you are as 
       wise as a god, but you are a human, not a god.

       (Ezek 28:3 NCV)  You think you are wiser than Daniel. You think you 
       can find out all secrets.

       (Ezek 28:4 NCV)  Through your wisdom and understanding you have made 
       yourself rich. You have gained gold and silver and have saved it in 
       your storerooms.

       (Ezek 28:5 NCV)  Through your great skill in trading, you have made 
       your riches grow. You are too proud because of your riches.

       (Ezek 28:6 NCV)  "'So this is what the Lord GOD says: You think you 





       are wise like a god,

       (Ezek 28:7 NCV)  but I will bring foreign people against you, the 
       cruelest nation. They will pull out their swords and destroy all that 
       your wisdom has built, and they will dishonor your greatness.

       (Ezek 28:8 NCV)  They will kill you; you will die a terrible death 
       like those who are killed at sea.

       (Ezek 28:9 NCV)  While they are killing you, you will not be able to 
       say anymore, "I am a god." You will be only a human, not a god, when 
       your murderers kill you.

       (Ezek 28:10 NCV)  You will die like an unclean person; foreigners will 
       kill you. I have spoken, says the Lord GOD.'"

       (Ezek 28:11 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Ezek 28:12 NCV)  "Human, sing a funeral song for the king of Tyre. 
       Say to him: 'This is what the Lord GOD says: You were an example of 
       what was perfect, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

       (Ezek 28:13 NCV)  You had a wonderful life, as if you were in Eden, 
       the garden of God. Every valuable gem was on you: ruby, topaz, and 
       emerald, yellow quartz, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and 
       chrysolite. Your jewelry was made of gold. It was prepared on the day 
       you were created.

       (Ezek 28:14 NCV)  I appointed a living creature to guard you. I put 
       you on the holy mountain of God. You walked among the gems that shined 
       like fire.

       (Ezek 28:15 NCV)  Your life was right and good from the day you were 
       created, until evil was found in you.

       (Ezek 28:16 NCV)  Because you traded with countries far away, you 
       learned to be cruel, and you sinned. So I threw you down in disgrace 
       from the mountain of God. And the living creature who guarded you 
       forced you out from among the gems that shined like fire.

       (Ezek 28:17 NCV)  You became too proud because of your beauty. You 
       ruined your wisdom because of your greatness. I threw you down to the 
       ground. Your example taught a lesson to other kings.

       (Ezek 28:18 NCV)  You dishonored your places of worship through your 
       many sins and dishonest trade. So I set on fire the place where you 
       lived, and the fire burned you up. I turned you into ashes on the 
       ground for all those watching to see.

       (Ezek 28:19 NCV)  All the nations who knew you are shocked about you. 
       Your punishment was so terrible, and you are gone forever.'"

       (Ezek 28:20 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Ezek 28:21 NCV)  "Human, look toward the city of Sidon and prophesy 
       against her.






       (Ezek 28:22 NCV)  Say: 'This is what the Lord GOD says: I am against 
       you, Sidon, and I will show my glory among you. People will know that 
       I am the LORD when I have punished Sidon; I will show my holiness by 
       defeating her.

       (Ezek 28:23 NCV)  I will send diseases to Sidon, and blood will flow 
       in her streets. Those who are wounded in Sidon will fall dead, 
       attacked from all sides. Then they will know that I am the LORD.

       (Ezek 28:24 NCV)  "'No more will neighboring nations be like thorny 
       branches or sharp stickers to hurt Israel. Then they will know that I 
       am the Lord GOD.

       (Ezek 28:25 NCV)  "'This is what the Lord GOD says: I will gather the 
       people of Israel from the nations where they are scattered. I will 
       show my holiness when the nations see what I do for my people. Then 
       they will live in their own land--the land I gave to my servant Jacob.

       (Ezek 28:26 NCV)  They will live safely in the land and will build 
       houses and plant vineyards. They will live in safety after I have 
       punished all the nations around who hate them. Then they will know 
       that I am the LORD their God.'"

       (Ezek 29:1 NCV)  It was the tenth year of our captivity, in the tenth 
       month, on the twelfth day of the month. The LORD spoke his word to me, 
       saying:

       (Ezek 29:2 NCV)  "Human, look toward the king of Egypt, and prophesy 
       against him and all Egypt.

       (Ezek 29:3 NCV)  Say: 'This is what the Lord GOD says: I am against 
       you, king of Egypt. You are like a great crocodile that lies in the 
       Nile River. You say, "The Nile is mine; I made it for myself."

       (Ezek 29:4 NCV)  But I will put hooks in your jaws, and I will make 
       the fish of the Nile stick to your sides. I will pull you up out of 
       your rivers, with all the fish sticking to your sides.

       (Ezek 29:5 NCV)  I will leave you in the desert, you and all the fish 
       from your rivers. You will fall onto the ground; you will not be 
       picked up or buried. I have given you to the wild animals and to the 
       birds of the sky for food.

       (Ezek 29:6 NCV)  Then all the people who live in Egypt will know that 
       I am the LORD. "'Israel tried to lean on you for help, but you were 
       like a crutch made out of a weak stalk of grass.

       (Ezek 29:7 NCV)  When their hands grabbed you, you splintered and tore 
       open their shoulders. When they leaned on you, you broke and made all 
       their backs twist.

       (Ezek 29:8 NCV)  "'So this is what the Lord GOD says: I will cause an 
       enemy to attack you and kill your people and animals.

       (Ezek 29:9 NCV)  Egypt will become an empty desert. Then they will 





       know that I am the LORD. "'Because you said, "The Nile River is mine, 
       and I have made it,"

       (Ezek 29:10 NCV)  I am against you and your rivers. I will destroy the 
       land of Egypt and make it an empty desert from Migdol in the north to 
       Aswan in the south, all the way to the border of Cush.

       (Ezek 29:11 NCV)  No person or animal will walk through it, and no one 
       will live in Egypt for forty years.

       (Ezek 29:12 NCV)  I will make the land of Egypt the most deserted 
       country of all. Her cities will be the most deserted of all ruined 
       cities for forty years. I will scatter the Egyptians among the 
       nations, spreading them among the countries.

       (Ezek 29:13 NCV)  "'This is what the Lord GOD says: After forty years 
       I will gather Egypt from the nations where they have been scattered.

       (Ezek 29:14 NCV)  I will bring back the Egyptian captives and make 
       them return to southern Egypt, to the land they came from. They will 
       become a weak kingdom there.

       (Ezek 29:15 NCV)  It will be the weakest kingdom, and it will never 
       again rule other nations. I will make it so weak it will never again 
       rule over the nations.

       (Ezek 29:16 NCV)  The Israelites will never again depend on Egypt. 
       Instead, Egypt's punishment will remind the Israelites of their sin in 
       turning to Egypt for help. Then they will know that I am the Lord 
       GOD.'"

       (Ezek 29:17 NCV)  It was the twenty-seventh year of our captivity, in 
       the first month, on the first day of the month. The LORD spoke his 
       word to me, saying:

       (Ezek 29:18 NCV)  "Human, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his army 
       fight hard against Tyre. Every soldier's head was rubbed bare, and 
       every shoulder was rubbed raw. But Nebuchadnezzar and his army gained 
       nothing from fighting Tyre.

       (Ezek 29:19 NCV)  So this is what the Lord GOD says: I will give the 
       land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He will take away 
       Egypt's people and its wealth and its treasures as pay for his army.

       (Ezek 29:20 NCV)  I am giving Nebuchadnezzar the land of Egypt as a 
       reward for working hard for me, says the Lord GOD.

       (Ezek 29:21 NCV)  "At that time I will make Israel grow strong again, 
       and I will let you, Ezekiel, speak to them. Then they will know that I 
       am the LORD."

       (Ezek 30:1 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Ezek 30:2 NCV)  "Human, prophesy and say, 'This is what the Lord GOD 
       says: Cry and say, "The terrible day is coming."





       (Ezek 30:3 NCV)  The day is near; the Lord's day of judging is near. 
       It is a cloudy day and a time when the nations will be judged.

       (Ezek 30:4 NCV)  An enemy will attack Egypt, and Cush will tremble 
       with fear. When the killing begins in Egypt, her wealth will be taken 
       away, and her foundations will be torn down.

       (Ezek 30:5 NCV)  Cush, Put, Lydia, Arabia, Libya, and some of my 
       people who had made an agreement with Egypt will fall dead in war.

       (Ezek 30:6 NCV)  "'This is what the LORD says: Those who fight on 
       Egypt's side will fall. The power she is proud of will be lost. The 
       people in Egypt will fall dead in war from Migdol in the north to 
       Aswan in the south, says the Lord GOD.

       (Ezek 30:7 NCV)  They will be the most deserted lands. Egypt's cities 
       will be the worst of cities that lie in ruins.

       (Ezek 30:8 NCV)  Then they will know that I am the LORD when I set 
       fire to Egypt and when all those nations on her side are crushed.

       (Ezek 30:9 NCV)  "'At that time I will send messengers in ships to 
       frighten Cush, which now feels safe. The people of Cush will tremble 
       with fear when Egypt is punished. And that time is sure to come.

       (Ezek 30:10 NCV)  "'This is what the Lord GOD says: I will destroy 
       great numbers of people in Egypt through the power of Nebuchadnezzar 
       king of Babylon.

       (Ezek 30:11 NCV)  Nebuchadnezzar and his army, the cruelest army of 
       any nation, will be brought in to destroy the land. They will pull out 
       their swords against Egypt and will fill the land with those they 
       kill.

       (Ezek 30:12 NCV)  I will make the streams of the Nile River become dry 
       land, and then I will sell the land to evil people. I will destroy the 
       land and everything in it through the power of foreigners. I, the 
       LORD, have spoken.

       (Ezek 30:13 NCV)  "'This is what the Lord GOD says: I will destroy the 
       idols and take away the statues of gods from the city of Memphis. 
       There will no longer be a leader in Egypt, and I will spread fear 
       through the land of Egypt.

       (Ezek 30:14 NCV)  I will make southern Egypt empty and start a fire in 
       Zoan and punish Thebes.

       (Ezek 30:15 NCV)  And I will pour out my anger against Pelusium, the 
       strong place of Egypt. I will destroy great numbers of people in 
       Thebes.

       (Ezek 30:16 NCV)  I will set fire to Egypt. Pelusium will be in great 
       pain. The walls of Thebes will be broken open, and Memphis will have 
       troubles every day.

       (Ezek 30:17 NCV)  The young men of Heliopolis and Bubastis will fall 





       dead in war, and the people will be taken away as captives.

       (Ezek 30:18 NCV)  In Tahpanhes the day will be dark when I break 
       Egypt's power. Then she will no longer be proud of her power. A cloud 
       will cover Egypt, and her villages will be captured and taken away.

       (Ezek 30:19 NCV)  So I will punish Egypt, and they will know I am the 
       LORD.'"

       (Ezek 30:20 NCV)  It was in the eleventh year of our captivity, in the 
       first month, on the seventh day of the month. The LORD spoke his word 
       to me, saying:

       (Ezek 30:21 NCV)  "Human, I have broken the powerful arm of the king 
       of Egypt. It has not been tied up, so it will not get well. It has not 
       been wrapped with a bandage, so it will not be strong enough to hold a 
       sword in war.

       (Ezek 30:22 NCV)  So this is what the Lord GOD says: I am against the 
       king of Egypt. I will break his arms, both the strong arm and the 
       broken arm, and I will make the sword fall from his hand.

       (Ezek 30:23 NCV)  I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, 
       spreading them among the countries.

       (Ezek 30:24 NCV)  I will make the arms of the king of Babylon strong 
       and put my sword in his hand. But I will break the arms of the king of 
       Egypt. Then when he faces the king of Babylon, he will cry out in pain 
       like a dying person.

       (Ezek 30:25 NCV)  So I will make the arms of the king of Babylon 
       strong, but the arms of the king of Egypt will fall. Then people will 
       know that I am the LORD when I put my sword into the hand of the king 
       of Babylon and he uses it in war against Egypt.

       (Ezek 30:26 NCV)  Then I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, 
       spreading them among the countries. Then they will know that I am the 
       LORD."

       (Ezek 31:1 NCV)  It was in the eleventh year of our captivity, in the 
       third month, on the first day of the month. The LORD spoke his word to 
       me, saying:

       (Ezek 31:2 NCV)  "Human, say to the king of Egypt and his people: 'No 
       one is like you in your greatness.

       (Ezek 31:3 NCV)  Assyria was once like a cedar tree in Lebanon with 
       beautiful branches that shaded the forest. It was very tall; its top 
       was among the clouds.

       (Ezek 31:4 NCV)  Much water made the tree grow; the deep springs made 
       it tall. Rivers flowed around the bottom of the tree and sent their 
       streams to all other trees in the countryside.

       (Ezek 31:5 NCV)  So the tree was taller than all the other trees in 
       the countryside. Its limbs became long and big because of so much 





       water.

       (Ezek 31:6 NCV)  All the birds of the sky made their nests in the 
       tree's limbs. And all the wild animals gave birth under its branches. 
       All great nations lived in the tree's shade.

       (Ezek 31:7 NCV)  So the tree was great and beautiful, with its long 
       branches, because its roots reached down to much water.

       (Ezek 31:8 NCV)  The cedar trees in the garden of God were not as 
       great as it was. The pine trees did not have such great limbs. The 
       plane trees did not have such branches. No tree in the garden of God 
       was as beautiful as this tree.

       (Ezek 31:9 NCV)  I made it beautiful with many branches, and all the 
       trees of Eden in the garden of God wanted to be like it.

       (Ezek 31:10 NCV)  "'So this is what the Lord GOD says: The tree grew 
       tall. Its top reached the clouds, and it became proud of its height.

       (Ezek 31:11 NCV)  So I handed it over to a mighty ruler of the nations 
       for him to punish it. Because it was evil, I got rid of it.

       (Ezek 31:12 NCV)  The cruelest foreign nation cut it down and left it. 
       The tree's branches fell on the mountains and in all the valleys, and 
       its broken limbs were in all the ravines of the land. All the nations 
       of the earth left the shade of that tree.

       (Ezek 31:13 NCV)  The birds of the sky live on the fallen tree. The 
       wild animals live among the tree's fallen branches.

       (Ezek 31:14 NCV)  So the trees that grow by the water will not be 
       proud to be tall; they will not put their tops among the clouds. None 
       of the trees that are watered well will grow that tall, because they 
       all are meant to die and go under the ground. They will be with people 
       who have died and have gone down to the place of the dead.

       (Ezek 31:15 NCV)  "'This is what the Lord GOD says: On the day when 
       the tree went down to the place of the dead, I made the deep springs 
       cry loudly. I covered them and held back their rivers, and the great 
       waters stopped flowing. I dressed Lebanon in black to show her sadness 
       about the great tree, and all the trees in the countryside were sad 
       about it.

       (Ezek 31:16 NCV)  I made the nations shake with fear at the sound of 
       the tree falling when I brought it down to the place of the dead. It 
       went to join those who have gone down to the grave. Then all the trees 
       of Eden and the best trees of Lebanon, all the well-watered trees, 
       were comforted in the place of the dead below the earth.

       (Ezek 31:17 NCV)  These trees had also gone down with the great tree 
       to the place of the dead. They joined those who were killed in war and 
       those among the nations who had lived under the great tree's shade.

       (Ezek 31:18 NCV)  "'So no tree in Eden is equal to you, Egypt, in 
       greatness and honor, but you will go down to join the trees of Eden in 





       the place below the earth. You will lie among unclean people, with 
       those who were killed in war. "'This is about the king of Egypt and 
       all his people, says the Lord GOD.'"

       (Ezek 32:1 NCV)  It was in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the 
       twelfth month, on the first day of the month. The LORD spoke his word 
       to me, saying:

       (Ezek 32:2 NCV)  "Human, sing a funeral song about the king of Egypt. 
       Say to him: 'You are like a young lion among the nations. You are like 
       a crocodile in the seas. You splash around in your streams and stir up 
       the water with your feet, making the rivers muddy.

       (Ezek 32:3 NCV)  "'This is what the Lord GOD says: I will spread my 
       net over you, and I will use a large group of people to pull you up in 
       my net.

       (Ezek 32:4 NCV)  Then I will throw you on the land dropping you onto 
       the ground. I will let the birds of the sky rest on you and all the 
       animals of the earth eat you until they are full.

       (Ezek 32:5 NCV)  I will scatter your flesh on the mountains and fill 
       the valleys with what is left of you.

       (Ezek 32:6 NCV)  I will drench the land with your flowing blood as far 
       as the mountains, and the ravines will be full of your flesh.

       (Ezek 32:7 NCV)  When I make you disappear, I will cover the sky and 
       make the stars dark. I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon 
       will not shine.

       (Ezek 32:8 NCV)  I will make all the shining lights in the sky become 
       dark over you; I will bring darkness over your land, says the Lord 
       GOD.

       (Ezek 32:9 NCV)  I will cause many people to be afraid when I bring 
       you as a captive into other nations, to lands you have not known.

       (Ezek 32:10 NCV)  I will cause many people to be shocked about you. 
       Their kings will tremble with fear because of you when I swing my 
       sword in front of them. They will shake every moment on the day you 
       fall; each king will be afraid for his own life.

       (Ezek 32:11 NCV)  "'So this is what the Lord GOD says: The sword of 
       the king of Babylon will attack you.

       (Ezek 32:12 NCV)  I will cause your people to fall by the swords of 
       mighty soldiers, the most terrible in the world. They will destroy the 
       pride of Egypt and all its people.

       (Ezek 32:13 NCV)  I will also destroy all Egypt's cattle which live 
       alongside much water. The foot of a human will not stir the water, and 
       the hoofs of cattle will not muddy it anymore.

       (Ezek 32:14 NCV)  So I will let the Egyptians' water become clear. I 
       will cause their rivers to run as smoothly as olive oil, says the Lord 





       GOD.

       (Ezek 32:15 NCV)  When I make the land of Egypt empty and take 
       everything that is in the land, when I destroy all those who live in 
       Egypt, then they will know that I am the LORD.'

       (Ezek 32:16 NCV)  "This is the funeral song people will sing for 
       Egypt. The women of the nations will sing it; they will sing a funeral 
       song for Egypt and all its people, says the Lord GOD."

       (Ezek 32:17 NCV)  It was in the twelfth year of our captivity, on the 
       fifteenth day of the month. The LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Ezek 32:18 NCV)  "Human, cry for the people of Egypt. Bring down 
       Egypt, together with the women of the powerful nations; bring them 
       down to the place of the dead below the earth to join those who go to 
       the place of the dead.

       (Ezek 32:19 NCV)  Say to them: 'Are you more beautiful than others? Go 
       lie down in death with those who are unclean.'

       (Ezek 32:20 NCV)  The Egyptians will fall among those killed in war. 
       The sword is ready; the enemy will drag Egypt and all her people away.

       (Ezek 32:21 NCV)  From the place of the dead the leaders of the mighty 
       ones will speak about the king of Egypt and the nations which help 
       him: 'The unclean, those killed in war, have come down here and lie 
       dead.'

       (Ezek 32:22 NCV)  "Assyria and all its army lie dead there. The graves 
       of their soldiers are all around. All were killed in war,

       (Ezek 32:23 NCV)  and their graves were put in the deepest parts of 
       the place of the dead. Assyria's army lies around its grave. When they 
       lived on earth, they frightened people, but now all of them have been 
       killed in war.

       (Ezek 32:24 NCV)  "The nation of Elam is there with all its army 
       around its grave. All of them were killed in war. They had frightened 
       people on earth and were unclean, so they went down to the lowest 
       parts of the place of the dead. They must carry their shame with those 
       who have gone down to the place of the dead.

       (Ezek 32:25 NCV)  A bed has been made for Elam with all those killed 
       in war. The graves of her soldiers are all around her. All Elam's 
       people are unclean, killed in war. They frightened people when they 
       lived on earth, but now they must carry their shame with those who 
       have gone down to the place of the dead. Their graves are with the 
       rest who were killed.

       (Ezek 32:26 NCV)  "Meshech and Tubal are there with the graves of all 
       their soldiers around them. All of them are unclean and have been 
       killed in war. They also frightened people when they lived on earth.

       (Ezek 32:27 NCV)  But they are not buried with the other soldiers who 
       were killed in battle long ago, those who went with their weapons of 





       war to the place of the dead. These soldiers had their swords laid 
       under their heads and their shields on their bodies. These mighty 
       soldiers used to frighten people when they lived on earth.

       (Ezek 32:28 NCV)  "You, king of Egypt, will be broken and lie among 
       those who are unclean, who were killed in war.

       (Ezek 32:29 NCV)  "Edom is there also, with its kings and all its 
       leaders. They were mighty, but now they lie in death with those killed 
       in war, with those who are unclean, with those who have gone down to 
       the place of the dead.

       (Ezek 32:30 NCV)  "All the rulers of the north and all the Sidonians 
       are there. Their strength frightened people, but they have gone down 
       in shame with those who were killed. They are unclean, lying with 
       those killed in war. They carry their shame with those who have gone 
       down to the place of the dead.

       (Ezek 32:31 NCV)  "The king of Egypt and his army will see these who 
       have been killed in war. Then he will be comforted for all his 
       soldiers killed in war, says the Lord GOD.

       (Ezek 32:32 NCV)  I made people afraid of the king of Egypt while he 
       lived on earth. But he and all his people will lie among those who are 
       unclean, who were killed in war, says the Lord GOD."

       (Ezek 33:1 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Ezek 33:2 NCV)  "Human, speak to your people and say to them: 
       'Suppose I bring a war against a land. The people of the land may 
       choose one of their men and make him their watchman.

       (Ezek 33:3 NCV)  When he sees the enemy coming to attack the land, he 
       will blow the trumpet and warn the people.

       (Ezek 33:4 NCV)  If they hear the sound of the trumpet but do nothing, 
       the enemy will come and kill them. They will be responsible for their 
       own deaths.

       (Ezek 33:5 NCV)  They heard the sound of the trumpet but didn't do 
       anything. So they are to blame for their own deaths. If they had done 
       something, they would have saved their own lives.

       (Ezek 33:6 NCV)  But if the watchman sees the enemy coming to attack 
       and does not blow the trumpet, the people will not be warned. Then if 
       the enemy comes and kills any of them, they have died because of their 
       own sin. But I will punish the watchman for their deaths.'

       (Ezek 33:7 NCV)  "You, human, are the one I have made a watchman for 
       Israel. If you hear a word from my mouth, you must warn them for me.

       (Ezek 33:8 NCV)  Suppose I say to the wicked: 'Wicked people, you will 
       surely die,' but you don't speak to warn the wicked to stop doing 
       evil. Then they will die because they were sinners, but I will punish 
       you for their deaths.





       (Ezek 33:9 NCV)  But if you warn the wicked to stop doing evil and 
       they do not stop, they will die because they were sinners. But you 
       have saved your life.

       (Ezek 33:10 NCV)  "So you, human, say to Israel: 'You have said: 
       Surely our law-breaking and sins are hurting us. They will kill us. 
       What can we do so we will live?'

       (Ezek 33:11 NCV)  Say to them: 'The Lord GOD says: As surely as I 
       live, I do not want any who are wicked to die. I want them to stop 
       doing evil and live. Stop! Stop your wicked ways! You don't want to 
       die, do you, people of Israel?'

       (Ezek 33:12 NCV)  "Human, say to your people: 'The goodness of those 
       who do right will not save them when they sin. The evil of wicked 
       people will not cause them to be punished if they stop doing it. If 
       good people sin, they will not be able to live by the good they did 
       earlier.'

       (Ezek 33:13 NCV)  If I tell good people, "You will surely live," they 
       might think they have done enough good and then do evil. Then none of 
       the good things they did will be remembered. They will die because of 
       the evil they have done.

       (Ezek 33:14 NCV)  Or, if I say to the wicked people, "You will surely 
       die," they may stop sinning and do what is right and honest.

       (Ezek 33:15 NCV)  For example, they may return what somebody gave them 
       as a promise to repay a loan, or pay back what they stole. If they 
       live by the rules that give life and do not sin, then they will surely 
       live, and they will not die.

       (Ezek 33:16 NCV)  They will not be punished for any of their sins. 
       They now do what is right and fair, so they will surely live.

       (Ezek 33:17 NCV)  "Your people say: 'The way of the Lord is not fair.' 
       But it is their own ways that are not fair.

       (Ezek 33:18 NCV)  When the good people stop doing good and do evil, 
       they will die for their evil.

       (Ezek 33:19 NCV)  But when the wicked stop doing evil and do what is 
       right and fair, they will live.

       (Ezek 33:20 NCV)  You still say: 'The way of the Lord is not fair.' 
       Israel, I will judge all of you by your own ways."

       (Ezek 33:21 NCV)  It was in the twelfth year of our captivity, on the 
       fifth day of the tenth month. A person who had escaped from Jerusalem 
       came to me and said, "Jerusalem has been captured."

       (Ezek 33:22 NCV)  Now I had felt the power of the LORD on me the 
       evening before. He had made me able to talk again before this person 
       came to me. I could speak; I was not without speech anymore.

       (Ezek 33:23 NCV)  Then the LORD spoke his word to me, saying:






       (Ezek 33:24 NCV)  "Human, people who live in the ruins in the land of 
       Israel are saying: 'Abraham was only one person, yet he was given the 
       land as his own. Surely the land has been given to us, who are many, 
       as our very own.'

       (Ezek 33:25 NCV)  So say to them: 'This is what the Lord GOD says: You 
       eat meat with the blood still in it, you ask your idols for help, and 
       you murder people. Should you then have the land as your very own?

       (Ezek 33:26 NCV)  You depend on your sword and do terrible things 
       which I hate. Each of you has sexual relations with his neighbor's 
       wife. So should you have the land?'

       (Ezek 33:27 NCV)  "Say to them: 'This is what the Lord GOD says: As 
       surely as I live, those who are among the city ruins in Israel will be 
       killed in war. I will cause those who live in the country to be eaten 
       by wild animals. People hiding in the strongholds and caves will die 
       of disease.

       (Ezek 33:28 NCV)  I will make the land an empty desert. The people's 
       pride in the land's power will end. The mountains of Israel will 
       become empty so that no one will pass through them.

       (Ezek 33:29 NCV)  They will know that I am the LORD when I make the 
       land an empty desert because of the things they have done that I 
       hate.'

       (Ezek 33:30 NCV)  "But as for you, human, your people are talking 
       about you by the walls and in the doorways of houses. They say to each 
       other: 'Come now, and hear the message from the LORD.'

       (Ezek 33:31 NCV)  So they come to you in crowds as if they were really 
       ready to listen. They sit in front of you as if they were my people 
       and hear your words, but they will not obey them. With their mouths 
       they tell me they love me, but their hearts desire their selfish 
       profits.

       (Ezek 33:32 NCV)  To your people you are nothing more than a singer 
       who sings love songs and has a beautiful voice and plays a musical 
       instrument well. They hear your words, but they will not obey them.

       (Ezek 33:33 NCV)  "When this comes true, and it surely will happen, 
       then the people will know that a prophet has been among them."

       (Ezek 34:1 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Ezek 34:2 NCV)  "Human, prophesy against the leaders of Israel, who 
       are like shepherds. Prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Lord 
       GOD says: How terrible it will be for the shepherds of Israel who feed 
       only themselves! Why don't the shepherds feed the flock?

       (Ezek 34:3 NCV)  You eat the milk curds, and you clothe yourselves 
       with the wool. You kill the fat sheep, but you do not feed the flock.

       (Ezek 34:4 NCV)  You have not made the weak strong. You have not 





       healed the sick or put bandages on those that were hurt. You have not 
       brought back those who strayed away or searched for the lost. But you 
       have ruled the sheep with cruel force.

       (Ezek 34:5 NCV)  The sheep were scattered, because there was no 
       shepherd, and they became food for every wild animal.

       (Ezek 34:6 NCV)  My flock wandered over all the mountains and on every 
       high hill. They were scattered all over the face of the earth, and no 
       one searched or looked for them.

       (Ezek 34:7 NCV)  "'So, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD. This 
       is what the Lord GOD says:

       (Ezek 34:8 NCV)  As surely as I live, my flock has been caught and 
       eaten by all the wild animals, because the flock has no shepherd. The 
       shepherds did not search for my flock. No, they fed themselves instead 
       of my flock.

       (Ezek 34:9 NCV)  So, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD.

       (Ezek 34:10 NCV)  This is what the Lord GOD says: I am against the 
       shepherds. I will blame them for what has happened to my sheep and 
       will not let them tend the flock anymore. Then the shepherds will stop 
       feeding themselves, and I will take my flock from their mouths so they 
       will no longer be their food.

       (Ezek 34:11 NCV)  "'This is what the Lord GOD says: I, myself, will 
       search for my sheep and take care of them.

       (Ezek 34:12 NCV)  As a shepherd takes care of his scattered flock when 
       it is found, I will take care of my sheep. I will save them from all 
       the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day.

       (Ezek 34:13 NCV)  I will bring them out from the nations and gather 
       them from the countries. I will bring them to their own land and 
       pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines, and in all 
       the places where people live in the land.

       (Ezek 34:14 NCV)  I will feed them in a good pasture, and they will 
       eat grass on the high mountains of Israel. They will lie down on good 
       ground where they eat grass, and they will eat in rich grassland on 
       the mountains of Israel.

       (Ezek 34:15 NCV)  I will feed my flock and lead them to rest, says the 
       Lord GOD.

       (Ezek 34:16 NCV)  I will search for the lost, bring back those that 
       strayed away, put bandages on those that were hurt, and make the weak 
       strong. But I will destroy those sheep that are fat and strong. I will 
       tend the sheep with fairness.

       (Ezek 34:17 NCV)  "'This is what the Lord GOD says: As for you, my 
       flock, I will judge between one sheep and another, between the male 
       sheep and the male goats.





       (Ezek 34:18 NCV)  Is it not enough for you to eat grass in the good 
       land? Must you crush the rest of the grass with your feet? Is it not 
       enough for you to drink clear water? Must you make the rest of the 
       water muddy with your feet?

       (Ezek 34:19 NCV)  Must my flock eat what you crush, and must they 
       drink what you make muddy with your feet?

       (Ezek 34:20 NCV)  "'So this is what the Lord GOD says to them: I, 
       myself, will judge between the fat sheep and the thin sheep.

       (Ezek 34:21 NCV)  You push with your side and with your shoulder, and 
       you knock down all the weak sheep with your horns until you have 
       forced them away.

       (Ezek 34:22 NCV)  So I will save my flock; they will not be hurt 
       anymore. I will judge between one sheep and another.

       (Ezek 34:23 NCV)  Then I will put over them one shepherd, my servant 
       David. He will feed them and tend them and be their shepherd.

       (Ezek 34:24 NCV)  Then I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant 
       David will be a ruler among them. I, the LORD, have spoken.

       (Ezek 34:25 NCV)  "'I will make an agreement of peace with my sheep 
       and will remove harmful animals from the land. Then the sheep will 
       live safely in the desert and sleep in the woods.

       (Ezek 34:26 NCV)  I will bless them and let them live around my hill. 
       I will cause the rains to come when it is time; there will be showers 
       to bless them.

       (Ezek 34:27 NCV)  Also the trees in the countryside will give their 
       fruit, and the land will give its harvest. And the sheep will be safe 
       on their land. Then they will know that I am the LORD when I break the 
       bars of their captivity and save them from the power of those who made 
       them slaves.

       (Ezek 34:28 NCV)  They will not be led captive by the nations again. 
       The wild animals will not eat them, but they will live safely, and no 
       one will make them afraid.

       (Ezek 34:29 NCV)  I will give them a place famous for its good crops, 
       so they will no longer suffer from hunger in the land. They will not 
       suffer the insults of other nations anymore.

       (Ezek 34:30 NCV)  Then they will know that I, the LORD their God, am 
       with them. The nation of Israel will know that they are my people, 
       says the Lord GOD.

       (Ezek 34:31 NCV)  You, my human sheep, are the sheep I care for, and I 
       am your God, says the Lord GOD.'"

       (Ezek 35:1 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me, saying:

       (Ezek 35:2 NCV)  "Human, look toward Edom and prophesy against it.






       (Ezek 35:3 NCV)  Say to it: 'This is what the Lord GOD says: I am 
       against you, Edom. I will stretch out my hand against you and make you 
       an empty desert.

       (Ezek 35:4 NCV)  I will destroy your cities, and you will become 
       empty. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

       (Ezek 35:5 NCV)  "'You have always been an enemy of Israel. You let 
       them be defeated in war when they were in trouble at the time of their 
       final punishment.

       (Ezek 35:6 NCV)  So the Lord GOD says, as surely as I live, I will let 
       you be murdered. Murder will chase you. Since you did not hate 
       murdering people, murder will chase you.

       (Ezek 35:7 NCV)  I will make Edom an empty ruin and destroy everyone 
       who goes in or comes out of it.

       (Ezek 35:8 NCV)  I will fill its mountains with those who are killed. 
       Those killed in war will fall on your hills, in your valleys, and in 
       all your ravines.

       (Ezek 35:9 NCV)  I will make you a ruin forever; no one will live in 
       your cities. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

       (Ezek 35:10 NCV)  "'You said, "These two nations, Israel and Judah, 
       and these two lands will be ours. We will take them for our own." But 
       the LORD was there.

       (Ezek 35:11 NCV)  So this is what the Lord GOD says: As surely as I 
       live, I will treat you just as you treated them. You were angry and 
       jealous because you hated them. So I will punish you and show the 
       Israelites who I am.

       (Ezek 35:12 NCV)  Then you will know that I, the LORD, have heard all 
       your insults against the mountains of Israel. You said, "They have 
       been ruined. They have been given to us to eat."

       (Ezek 35:13 NCV)  You have not stopped your proud talk against me. I 
       have heard you.

       (Ezek 35:14 NCV)  This is what the Lord GOD says: All the earth will 
       be happy when I make you an empty ruin.

       (Ezek 35:15 NCV)  You were happy when the land of Israel was ruined, 
       but I will do the same thing to you. Mount Seir and all Edom, you will 
       become an empty ruin. Then you will know that I am the LORD.'"

       (Ezek 36:1 NCV)  "Human, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say: 
       'Mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD.

       (Ezek 36:2 NCV)  This is what the Lord GOD says: The enemy has said 
       about you, "Now the old places to worship gods have become ours."'

       (Ezek 36:3 NCV)  So prophesy and say: 'This is what the Lord GOD says: 





       They have made you an empty ruin and have crushed you from all around. 
       So you became a possession of the other nations. People have talked 
       and whispered against you.

       (Ezek 36:4 NCV)  So, mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord 
       GOD. The Lord GOD speaks to the mountains, hills, ravines, and 
       valleys, to the empty ruins and abandoned cities that have been robbed 
       and laughed at by the other nations.

       (Ezek 36:5 NCV)  This is what the Lord GOD says: I speak in hot anger 
       against the other nations. I speak against the people of Edom, who 
       took my land for themselves with joy and with hate in their hearts. 
       They forced out the people and took their pastureland.'

       (Ezek 36:6 NCV)  So prophesy about the land of Israel and say to the 
       mountains, hills, ravines, and valleys: 'This is what the Lord GOD 
       says: I speak in my jealous anger, because you have suffered the 
       insults of the nations.

       (Ezek 36:7 NCV)  So this is what the Lord GOD says: I promise that the 
       nations around you will also have to suffer insults.

       (Ezek 36:8 NCV)  "'But you, mountains of Israel, will grow branches 
       and fruit for my people, who will soon come home.

       (Ezek 36:9 NCV)  I am concerned about you; I am on your side. You will 
       be plowed, and seed will be planted in you.

       (Ezek 36:10 NCV)  I will increase the number of people who live on 
       you, all the people of Israel. The cities will have people living in 
       them, and the ruins will be rebuilt.

       (Ezek 36:11 NCV)  I will increase the number of people and animals 
       living on you. They will grow and have many young. You will have 
       people living on you as you did before, and I will make you better off 
       than at the beginning. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

       (Ezek 36:12 NCV)  I will cause my people Israel to walk on you and own 
       you, and you will belong to them. You will never again take their 
       children away from them.

       (Ezek 36:13 NCV)  "'This is what the Lord GOD says: People say about 
       you, "You eat people and take children from your nation."

       (Ezek 36:14 NCV)  But you will not eat people anymore or take away the 
       children, says the Lord GOD.

       (Ezek 36:15 NCV)  I will not make you listen to insults from the 
       nations anymore; you will not suffer shame from them anymore. You will 
       not cause your nation to fall anymore, says the Lord GOD.'"

       (Ezek 36:16 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me again, saying:

       (Ezek 36:17 NCV)  "Human, when the nation of Israel was living in 
       their own land, they made it unclean by their ways and the things they 
       did. Their ways were like a woman's uncleanness in her time of monthly 





       bleeding.

       (Ezek 36:18 NCV)  So I poured out my anger against them, because they 
       murdered in the land and because they made the land unclean with their 
       idols.

       (Ezek 36:19 NCV)  I scattered them among the nations, and they were 
       spread through the countries. I punished them for how they lived and 
       what they did.

       (Ezek 36:20 NCV)  They dishonored my holy name in the nations where 
       they went. The nations said about them: 'These are the people of the 
       LORD, but they had to leave the land which he gave them.'

       (Ezek 36:21 NCV)  But I had concern for my holy name, which the nation 
       of Israel had dishonored among the nations where they went.

       (Ezek 36:22 NCV)  "So say to the people of Israel, 'This is what the 
       Lord GOD says: Israel, I am going to act, but not for your sake. I 
       will do something to help my holy name, which you have dishonored 
       among the nations where you went.

       (Ezek 36:23 NCV)  I will prove the holiness of my great name, which 
       has been dishonored among the nations. You have dishonored it among 
       these nations, but the nations will know that I am the LORD when I 
       prove myself holy before their eyes, says the Lord GOD.

       (Ezek 36:24 NCV)  "'I will take you from the nations and gather you 
       out of all the lands and bring you back into your own land.

       (Ezek 36:25 NCV)  Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you 
       will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your uncleanness and your 
       idols.

       (Ezek 36:26 NCV)  Also, I will teach you to respect me completely, and 
       I will put a new way of thinking inside you. I will take out the 
       stubborn hearts of stone from your bodies, and I will give you 
       obedient hearts of flesh.

       (Ezek 36:27 NCV)  I will put my Spirit inside you and help you live by 
       my rules and carefully obey my laws.

       (Ezek 36:28 NCV)  You will live in the land I gave to your ancestors, 
       and you will be my people, and I will be your God.

       (Ezek 36:29 NCV)  So I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will 
       command the grain to come and grow; I will not allow a time of hunger 
       to hurt you.

       (Ezek 36:30 NCV)  I will increase the harvest of the field so you will 
       never again suffer shame among the nations because of hunger.

       (Ezek 36:31 NCV)  Then you will remember your evil ways and actions 
       that were not good, and you will hate yourselves because of your sins 
       and your terrible acts that I hate.





       (Ezek 36:32 NCV)  I want you to know that I am not going to do this 
       for your sake, says the Lord GOD. Be ashamed and embarrassed about 
       your ways, Israel.

       (Ezek 36:33 NCV)  "'This is what the Lord GOD says: This is what will 
       happen on the day I cleanse you from all your sins: I will cause the 
       cities to have people living in them again, and the destroyed places 
       will be rebuilt.

       (Ezek 36:34 NCV)  The empty land will be plowed so it will no longer 
       be a ruin for everyone who passes by to see.

       (Ezek 36:35 NCV)  They will say, "This land was ruined, but now it has 
       become like the garden of Eden. The cities were destroyed, empty, and 
       ruined, but now they are protected and have people living in them."

       (Ezek 36:36 NCV)  Then those nations still around you will know that 
       I, the LORD, have rebuilt what was destroyed and have planted what was 
       empty. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do it.'

       (Ezek 36:37 NCV)  "This is what the Lord GOD says: I will let myself 
       be asked by the people of Israel to do this for them again: I will 
       make their people grow in number like a flock.

       (Ezek 36:38 NCV)  They will be as many as the flocks brought to 
       Jerusalem during her holy feasts. Her ruined cities will be filled 
       with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the LORD."

       (Ezek 37:1 NCV)  I felt the power of the LORD on me, and he brought me 
       out by the Spirit of the LORD and put me down in the middle of a 
       valley. It was full of bones.

       (Ezek 37:2 NCV)  He led me around among the bones, and I saw that 
       there were many bones in the valley and that they were very dry.

       (Ezek 37:3 NCV)  Then he asked me, "Human, can these bones live?" I 
       answered, "Lord GOD, only you know."

       (Ezek 37:4 NCV)  He said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to 
       them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.

       (Ezek 37:5 NCV)  This is what the Lord GOD says to the bones: I will 
       cause breath to enter you so you will come to life.

       (Ezek 37:6 NCV)  I will put muscles on you and flesh on you and cover 
       you with skin. Then I will put breath in you so you will come to life. 
       Then you will know that I am the LORD.'"

       (Ezek 37:7 NCV)  So I prophesied as I was commanded. While I 
       prophesied, there was a noise and a rattling. The bones came together, 
       bone to bone.

       (Ezek 37:8 NCV)  I looked and saw muscles come on the bones, and flesh 
       grew, and skin covered the bones. But there was no breath in them.

       (Ezek 37:9 NCV)  Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the wind. Prophesy, 





       human, and say to the wind, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: Wind, 
       come from the four winds, and breathe on these people who were killed 
       so they can come back to life.'"

       (Ezek 37:10 NCV)  So I prophesied as the LORD commanded me. And the 
       breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, 
       a very large army.

       (Ezek 37:11 NCV)  Then he said to me, "Human, these bones are like all 
       the people of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope 
       has gone. We are destroyed.'

       (Ezek 37:12 NCV)  So, prophesy and say to them, 'This is what the Lord 
       GOD says: My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up 
       out of your graves. Then I will bring you into the land of Israel.

       (Ezek 37:13 NCV)  My people, you will know that I am the LORD when I 
       open your graves and cause you to come up from them.

       (Ezek 37:14 NCV)  And I will put my Spirit inside you, and you will 
       come to life. Then I will put you in your own land. And you will know 
       that I, the LORD, have spoken and done it, says the LORD.'"

       (Ezek 37:15 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me, saying,

       (Ezek 37:16 NCV)  "Human, take a stick and write on it, 'For Judah and 
       all the Israelites with him.' Then take another stick and write on it, 
       'The stick of Ephraim, for Joseph and all the Israelites with him.'

       (Ezek 37:17 NCV)  Then join them together into one stick so they will 
       be one in your hand.

       (Ezek 37:18 NCV)  "When your people say to you, 'Explain to us what 
       you mean by this,'

       (Ezek 37:19 NCV)  say to them, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: I will 
       take the stick for Joseph and the tribes of Israel with him, which is 
       in the hand of Ephraim, and I will put it with the stick of Judah. I 
       will make them into one stick, and they will be one in my hand.'

       (Ezek 37:20 NCV)  Hold the sticks on which you wrote these names in 
       your hand so the people can see them.

       (Ezek 37:21 NCV)  Say to the people, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: 
       I am going to take the people of Israel from among the nations where 
       they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them into 
       their own land.

       (Ezek 37:22 NCV)  I will make them one nation in the land, on the 
       mountains of Israel. One king will rule all of them. They will never 
       again be two nations; they will not be divided into two kingdoms 
       anymore.

       (Ezek 37:23 NCV)  They will not continue to make themselves unclean by 
       their idols, their statues of gods which I hate, or by their sins. I 
       will save them from all the ways they sin and turn against me, and I 





       will make them clean. Then they will be my people, and I will be their 
       God.

       (Ezek 37:24 NCV)  "'My servant David will be their king, and they will 
       all have one shepherd. They will live by my rules and obey my laws.

       (Ezek 37:25 NCV)  They will live on the land I gave to my servant 
       Jacob, the land in which your ancestors lived. They will all live on 
       the land forever: they, their children, and their grandchildren. David 
       my servant will be their king forever.

       (Ezek 37:26 NCV)  I will make an agreement of peace with them, an 
       agreement that continues forever. I will put them in their land and 
       make them grow in number. Then I will put my Temple among them 
       forever.

       (Ezek 37:27 NCV)  The place where I live will be with them. I will be 
       their God, and they will be my people.

       (Ezek 37:28 NCV)  When my Temple is among them forever, the nations 
       will know that I, the LORD, make Israel holy.'"

       (Ezek 38:1 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me, saying,

       (Ezek 38:2 NCV)  "Human, look toward Gog of the land of Magog, the 
       chief ruler of the nations of Meshech and Tubal. Prophesy against him

       (Ezek 38:3 NCV)  and say, 'The Lord GOD says this: I am against you, 
       Gog, chief ruler of Meshech and Tubal.

       (Ezek 38:4 NCV)  I will turn you around and put hooks in your jaws. 
       And I will bring you out with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all 
       of whom will be dressed in beautiful uniforms. They will be a large 
       army with large and small shields and all having swords.

       (Ezek 38:5 NCV)  Persia, Cush, and Put will be with them, all of them 
       having shields and helmets.

       (Ezek 38:6 NCV)  There will also be Gomer with all its troops and the 
       nation of Togarmah from the far north with all its troops--many 
       nations with you.

       (Ezek 38:7 NCV)  "'Be prepared. Be prepared, you and all the armies 
       that have come together to make you their commander.

       (Ezek 38:8 NCV)  After a long time you will be called for service. 
       After those years you will come into a land that has been rebuilt from 
       war. The people in the land will have been gathered from many nations 
       to the mountains of Israel, which were empty for a long time. These 
       people were brought out from the nations, and they will all be living 
       in safety.

       (Ezek 38:9 NCV)  You will come like a storm. You, all your troops, and 
       the many nations with you will be like a cloud covering the land.

       (Ezek 38:10 NCV)  "'This is what the Lord GOD says: At that time ideas 





       will come into your mind, and you will think up an evil plan.

       (Ezek 38:11 NCV)  You will say, "I will march against a land of towns 
       without walls. I will attack those who are at rest and live in safety. 
       All of them live without city walls or gate bars or gates.

       (Ezek 38:12 NCV)  I will capture treasures and take loot. I will turn 
       my power against the rebuilt ruins that now have people living in 
       them. I will attack these people who have been gathered from the 
       nations, who have become rich with farm animals and property, who live 
       at the center of the world."

       (Ezek 38:13 NCV)  Sheba, Dedan, and the traders of Tarshish, with all 
       its villages, will say to you, "Did you come to capture treasure? Did 
       you bring your troops together to take loot? Did you bring them to 
       carry away silver and gold and to take away farm animals and 
       property?"'

       (Ezek 38:14 NCV)  "So prophesy, human, and say to Gog, 'This is what 
       the Lord GOD says: Now that my people Israel are living in safety, you 
       will know about it.

       (Ezek 38:15 NCV)  You will come with many people from your place in 
       the far north. You will have a large group with you, a mighty army, 
       all riding on horses.

       (Ezek 38:16 NCV)  You will attack my people Israel like a cloud that 
       covers the land. This will happen in the days to come when I bring you 
       against my land. Gog, then the nations will know me when they see me 
       prove how holy I am in what I do through you.

       (Ezek 38:17 NCV)  "'This is what the Lord GOD says: You are the one 
       about whom I spoke in past days. I spoke through my servants, the 
       prophets of Israel, who prophesied for many years that I would bring 
       you against them.

       (Ezek 38:18 NCV)  This is what will happen: On the day Gog attacks the 
       land of Israel, I will become very angry, says the Lord GOD.

       (Ezek 38:19 NCV)  With jealousy and great anger I tell you that at 
       that time there will surely be a great earthquake in Israel.

       (Ezek 38:20 NCV)  The fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the wild 
       animals, everything that crawls on the ground, and all the people on 
       the earth will shake with fear before me. Also the mountains will be 
       thrown down, the cliffs will fall, and every wall will fall to the 
       ground.

       (Ezek 38:21 NCV)  Then I will call for a war against Gog on all my 
       mountains, says the Lord GOD. Everyone's sword will attack the soldier 
       next to him.

       (Ezek 38:22 NCV)  I will punish Gog with disease and death. I will 
       send a heavy rain with hailstones and burning sulfur on Gog, his army, 
       and the many nations with him.





       (Ezek 38:23 NCV)  Then I will show how great I am. I will show my 
       holiness, and I will make myself known to the many nations that watch. 
       Then they will know that I am the LORD.'

       (Ezek 39:1 NCV)  "Human, prophesy against Gog and say, 'This is what 
       the Lord GOD says: I am against you, Gog, chief ruler of Meshech and 
       Tubal.

       (Ezek 39:2 NCV)  I will turn you around and lead you. I will bring you 
       from the far north and send you to attack the mountains of Israel.

       (Ezek 39:3 NCV)  I will knock your bow out of your left hand and throw 
       down your arrows from your right hand.

       (Ezek 39:4 NCV)  You, all your troops, and the nations with you will 
       fall dead on the mountains of Israel. I will let you be food for every 
       bird that eats meat and for every wild animal.

       (Ezek 39:5 NCV)  You will lie fallen on the ground, because I have 
       spoken, says the Lord GOD.

       (Ezek 39:6 NCV)  I will send fire on Magog and those who live in 
       safety on the coastlands. Then they will know that I am the LORD.

       (Ezek 39:7 NCV)  "'I will make myself known among my people Israel, 
       and I will not let myself be dishonored anymore. Then the nations will 
       know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.

       (Ezek 39:8 NCV)  It is coming! It will happen, says the Lord GOD. The 
       time I talked about is coming.

       (Ezek 39:9 NCV)  "'Then those who live in the cities of Israel will 
       come out and make fires with the enemy's weapons. They will burn them, 
       both large and small shields, bows and arrows, war clubs, and spears. 
       They will use the weapons to burn in their fires for seven years.

       (Ezek 39:10 NCV)  They will not need to take wood from the field or 
       chop firewood from the forests, because they will make fires with the 
       weapons. In this way they will take the treasures of those who took 
       their treasures; they will take the loot of those who took their loot, 
       says the Lord GOD.

       (Ezek 39:11 NCV)  "'At that time I will give Gog a burial place in 
       Israel, in the Valley of the Travelers, east of the Dead Sea. It will 
       block the road for travelers. Gog and all his army will be buried 
       there, so people will call it The Valley of Gog's Army.

       (Ezek 39:12 NCV)  "'The people of Israel will be burying them for 
       seven months to make the land clean again.

       (Ezek 39:13 NCV)  All the people in the land will bury them, and they 
       will be honored on the day of my victory, says the Lord GOD.

       (Ezek 39:14 NCV)  "'The people of Israel will choose men to work 
       through the land to make it clean. Along with others, they will bury 
       Gog's soldiers still lying dead on the ground. After the seven months 





       are finished, they will still search.

       (Ezek 39:15 NCV)  As they go through the land, anyone who sees a human 
       bone is to put a marker by it. The sign will stay there until the 
       gravediggers bury the bone in The Valley of Gog's Army.

       (Ezek 39:16 NCV)  A city will be there named Hamonah. So they will 
       make the land clean again.'

       (Ezek 39:17 NCV)  "Human, this is what the Lord GOD says: Speak to 
       every kind of bird and wild animal: 'Come together, come! Come 
       together from all around to my sacrifice, a great sacrifice which I 
       will prepare for you on the mountains of Israel. Eat flesh and drink 
       blood!

       (Ezek 39:18 NCV)  You are to eat the flesh of the mighty and drink the 
       blood of the rulers of the earth as if they were fat animals from 
       Bashan: male sheep, lambs, goats, and bulls.

       (Ezek 39:19 NCV)  You are to eat and drink from my sacrifice which I 
       have prepared for you, eating fat until you are full and drinking 
       blood until you are drunk.

       (Ezek 39:20 NCV)  At my table you are to eat until you are full of 
       horses and riders, mighty men and all kinds of soldiers,' says the 
       Lord GOD.

       (Ezek 39:21 NCV)  "I will show my glory among the nations. All the 
       nations will see my power when I punish them.

       (Ezek 39:22 NCV)  From that time onward the people of Israel will know 
       that I am the LORD their God.

       (Ezek 39:23 NCV)  The nations will know Israel was taken away captive 
       because they turned against me. So I turned away from them and handed 
       them over to their enemies until all of them died in war.

       (Ezek 39:24 NCV)  Because of their uncleanness and their sins, I 
       punished them and turned away from them.

       (Ezek 39:25 NCV)  "So this is what the Lord GOD says: Now I will bring 
       the people of Jacob back from captivity, and I will have mercy on the 
       whole nation of Israel. I will not let them dishonor me.

       (Ezek 39:26 NCV)  The people will forget their shame and how they 
       rejected me when they live again in safety on their own land with no 
       one to make them afraid.

       (Ezek 39:27 NCV)  I will bring the people back from other lands and 
       gather them from the lands of their enemies. So I will use my people 
       to show many nations that I am holy.

       (Ezek 39:28 NCV)  Then my people will know that I am the LORD their 
       God, because I sent them into captivity among the nations, but then I 
       brought them back to their own land, leaving no one behind.





       (Ezek 39:29 NCV)  I will not turn away from them anymore, because I 
       will put my Spirit into the people of Israel, says the Lord GOD."

       (Ezek 40:1 NCV)  It was the twenty-fifth year of our captivity, at the 
       beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month. It was in the 
       fourteenth year after Jerusalem was captured. On that same day I felt 
       the power of the LORD, and he brought me to Jerusalem.

       (Ezek 40:2 NCV)  In the visions of God he brought me to the land of 
       Israel and put me down on a very high mountain. On the south of the 
       mountain there were some buildings that looked like a city.

       (Ezek 40:3 NCV)  He took me closer to the buildings, and I saw a man 
       who looked as if he were made of bronze, standing in the gateway. He 
       had a cord made of linen and a stick in his hand, both for measuring.

       (Ezek 40:4 NCV)  The man said to me, "Human, look with your eyes and 
       hear with your ears. Pay attention to all that I will show you, 
       because that's why you have been brought here. Tell the people of 
       Israel all that you see."

       (Ezek 40:5 NCV)  I saw a wall that surrounded the Temple area. The 
       measuring stick in the man's hand was ten and one-half feet long. So 
       the man measured the wall, which was ten and one-half feet thick and 
       ten and one-half feet high.

       (Ezek 40:6 NCV)  Then the man went to the east gateway. He went up its 
       steps and measured the opening of the gateway. It was ten and one-half 
       feet deep.

       (Ezek 40:7 NCV)  The rooms for the guards were ten and one-half feet 
       long and ten and one-half feet wide. The walls that came out between 
       the guards' rooms were about nine feet thick. The opening of the 
       gateway next to the porch that faced the Temple was ten and one-half 
       feet deep.

       (Ezek 40:8 NCV)  Then the man measured the porch of the gateway.

       (Ezek 40:9 NCV)  It was about fourteen feet deep, and its side walls 
       were three and one-half feet thick. The porch of the gateway faced the 
       Temple.

       (Ezek 40:10 NCV)  On each side of the east gateway were three rooms, 
       which measured the same on each side. The walls between each room were 
       the same thickness.

       (Ezek 40:11 NCV)  The man measured the width of the entrance to the 
       gateway, which was seventeen and one-half feet wide. The width of the 
       gate was about twenty-three feet.

       (Ezek 40:12 NCV)  And there was a low wall about twenty-one inches 
       high in front of each room. The rooms were ten and one-half feet on 
       each side.

       (Ezek 40:13 NCV)  The man measured the gateway from the roof of one 
       room to the roof of the opposite room. It was about forty-four feet 





       from one door to the opposite door.

       (Ezek 40:14 NCV)  The man also measured the porch, which was about 
       thirty-five feet wide. The courtyard was around the porch.

       (Ezek 40:15 NCV)  From the front of the outer side of the gateway to 
       the front of the porch of the inner side of the gateway was 
       eighty-seven and one-half feet.

       (Ezek 40:16 NCV)  The rooms and porch had small windows on both sides. 
       The windows were narrower on the side facing the gateway. Carvings of 
       palm trees were on each side wall of the rooms.

       (Ezek 40:17 NCV)  Then the man brought me into the outer courtyard 
       where I saw rooms and a pavement of stones all around the court. 
       Thirty rooms were along the edge of the paved walkway.

       (Ezek 40:18 NCV)  The pavement ran alongside the gates and was as deep 
       as the gates were wide. This was the lower pavement.

       (Ezek 40:19 NCV)  Then the man measured from the outer wall to the 
       inner wall. The outer court between these two walls was one hundred 
       seventy-five feet on the east and on the north.

       (Ezek 40:20 NCV)  The man measured the length and width of the north 
       gateway leading to the outer courtyard.

       (Ezek 40:21 NCV)  Its three rooms on each side, its inner walls, and 
       its porch measured the same as the first gateway. It was eighty-seven 
       and one-half feet long and forty-four feet wide.

       (Ezek 40:22 NCV)  Its windows, porch, and carvings of palm trees 
       measured the same as the east gateway. Seven steps went up to the 
       gateway, and the gateway's porch was at the inner end.

       (Ezek 40:23 NCV)  The inner courtyard had a gateway across from the 
       northern gateway like the one on the east. The man measured it and 
       found it was one hundred seventy-five feet from inner gateway to outer 
       gateway.

       (Ezek 40:24 NCV)  Then the man led me south where I saw a gateway 
       facing south. He measured its inner walls and its porch, and they 
       measured the same as the other gateways.

       (Ezek 40:25 NCV)  The gateway and its porch had windows all around 
       like the other gateways. It was eighty-seven and one-half feet long 
       and forty-four feet wide.

       (Ezek 40:26 NCV)  Seven steps went up to this gateway. Its porch was 
       at the inner end, and it had carvings of palm trees on its inner 
       walls.

       (Ezek 40:27 NCV)  The inner courtyard had a gateway on its south side. 
       The man measured from gate to gate on the south side, which was one 
       hundred seventy-five feet.





       (Ezek 40:28 NCV)  Then the man brought me through the south gateway 
       into the inner courtyard. The inner south gateway measured the same as 
       the gateways in the outer wall.

       (Ezek 40:29 NCV)  The inner south gateway's rooms, inner walls, and 
       porch measured the same as the gateways in the outer wall. There were 
       windows all around the gateway and its porch. The gateway was 
       eighty-seven and one-half feet long and forty-four feet wide.

       (Ezek 40:30 NCV)  Each porch of each inner gateway was about 
       forty-four feet long and about nine feet wide.

       (Ezek 40:31 NCV)  The inner south gateway's porch faced the outer 
       courtyard. Carvings of palm trees were on its side walls, and its 
       stairway had eight steps.

       (Ezek 40:32 NCV)  The man brought me into the inner courtyard on the 
       east side. He measured the inner east gateway, and it was the same as 
       the other gateways.

       (Ezek 40:33 NCV)  The inner east gateway's rooms, inside walls, and 
       porch measured the same as the other gateways. Windows were all around 
       the gateway and its porch. The inner east gateway was eighty-seven and 
       one-half feet long and forty-four feet wide.

       (Ezek 40:34 NCV)  Its porch faced the outer courtyard. Carvings of 
       palm trees were on its inner walls on each side, and its stairway had 
       eight steps.

       (Ezek 40:35 NCV)  Then the man brought me to the inner north gateway. 
       He measured it, and it was the same as the other gateways.

       (Ezek 40:36 NCV)  Its rooms, inner walls, and porch measured the same 
       as the other gateways. There were windows all around the gateway, 
       which was eighty-seven and one-half feet long and forty-four feet 
       wide.

       (Ezek 40:37 NCV)  Its porch faced the outer courtyard. Carvings of 
       palm trees were on its inner walls on each side, and its stairway had 
       eight steps.

       (Ezek 40:38 NCV)  There was a room with a door that opened onto the 
       porch of the inner north gateway. In this room the priests washed 
       animals for the burnt offerings.

       (Ezek 40:39 NCV)  There were two tables on each side of the porch, on 
       which animals for burnt offerings, sin offerings, and penalty 
       offerings were killed.

       (Ezek 40:40 NCV)  Outside, by each side wall of the porch, at the 
       entrance to the north gateway, were two more tables.

       (Ezek 40:41 NCV)  So there were four tables inside the gateway, and 
       four tables outside. In all there were eight tables on which the 
       priests killed animals for sacrifices.





       (Ezek 40:42 NCV)  There were four tables made of cut stone for the 
       burnt offering. These tables were about three feet long, three feet 
       wide, and about two feet high. On these tables the priests put their 
       tools which they used to kill animals for burnt offerings and the 
       other sacrifices.

       (Ezek 40:43 NCV)  Double shelves three inches wide were put up on all 
       the walls. The flesh for the offering was put on the tables.

       (Ezek 40:44 NCV)  There were two rooms in the inner courtyard. One was 
       beside the north gateway and faced south. The other room was beside 
       the south gateway and faced north.

       (Ezek 40:45 NCV)  The man said to me, "The room which faces south is 
       for the priests who serve in the Temple area,

       (Ezek 40:46 NCV)  while the room that faces north is for the priests 
       who serve at the altar. This second group of priests are descendants 
       of Zadok, the only descendants of Levi who can come near the LORD to 
       serve him."

       (Ezek 40:47 NCV)  The man measured the inner courtyard. It was a 
       square--one hundred seventy-five feet long and one hundred 
       seventy-five feet wide. The altar was in front of the Temple.

       (Ezek 40:48 NCV)  The man brought me to the porch of the Temple and 
       measured each side wall of the porch. Each was about nine feet thick. 
       The doorway was twenty-four and one-half feet wide. The side walls of 
       the doorway were each about five feet wide.

       (Ezek 40:49 NCV)  The porch was thirty-five feet long and twenty-one 
       feet wide, with ten steps leading up to it. Pillars were by the side 
       walls, one on each side of the entrance.

       (Ezek 41:1 NCV)  The man brought me to the Holy Place and measured its 
       side walls, which were each ten and one-half feet thick.

       (Ezek 41:2 NCV)  The entrance was seventeen and one-half feet wide. 
       The walls alongside the entrance were each about nine feet wide. The 
       man measured the Holy Place, which was seventy feet long and 
       thirty-five feet wide.

       (Ezek 41:3 NCV)  Then the man went inside and measured the side walls 
       of the next doorway. Each was three and one-half feet thick. The 
       doorway was ten and one-half feet wide, and the walls next to it were 
       each more than twelve feet thick.

       (Ezek 41:4 NCV)  Then the man measured the room at the end of the Holy 
       Place. It was thirty-five feet long and thirty-five feet wide. The man 
       said to me, "This is the Most Holy Place."

       (Ezek 41:5 NCV)  Then the man measured the wall of the Temple, which 
       was ten and one-half feet thick. There were side rooms seven feet wide 
       all around the Temple.

       (Ezek 41:6 NCV)  The side rooms were on three different stories, each 





       above the other, with thirty rooms on each story. All around the 
       Temple walls there were ledges for the side rooms. The upper rooms 
       rested on the ledges but were not attached to the Temple walls.

       (Ezek 41:7 NCV)  The side rooms around the Temple were wider on each 
       higher story, so rooms were wider on the top story. A stairway went up 
       from the lowest story to the highest through the middle story.

       (Ezek 41:8 NCV)  I also saw that the Temple had a raised base all 
       around. Its edge was the foundation for the side rooms, and it was ten 
       and one-half feet thick.

       (Ezek 41:9 NCV)  The outer wall of the side rooms was about nine feet 
       thick. There was an open area between the side rooms of the Temple

       (Ezek 41:10 NCV)  and some other rooms. It was thirty-five feet wide 
       and went all around the Temple.

       (Ezek 41:11 NCV)  The side rooms had doors which led to the open area 
       around the outside of the Temple. One door faced north, and the other 
       faced south. The open area was about nine feet wide all around.

       (Ezek 41:12 NCV)  The building facing the private area at the west 
       side was one hundred twenty-two and one-half feet wide. The wall 
       around the building was about nine feet thick and one hundred 
       fifty-seven and one-half feet long.

       (Ezek 41:13 NCV)  Then the man measured the Temple. It was one hundred 
       seventy-five feet long. The private area, including the building and 
       its walls, was in all one hundred seventy-five feet long.

       (Ezek 41:14 NCV)  Also the front of the Temple and the private area on 
       its east side were one hundred seventy-five feet wide.

       (Ezek 41:15 NCV)  The man measured the length of the building facing 
       the private area on the west side, and it was one hundred seventy-five 
       feet from one wall to the other. The Holy Place, the Most Holy Place, 
       and the outer porch

       (Ezek 41:16 NCV)  had wood panels on the walls. By the doorway, the 
       Temple had wood panels on the walls. The wood covered all the walls 
       from the floor up to the windows,

       (Ezek 41:17 NCV)  up to the part of the wall above the entrance. All 
       the walls inside the Most Holy Place and the Holy Place, and on the 
       outside, in the porch,

       (Ezek 41:18 NCV)  had carvings of creatures with wings and palm trees. 
       A palm tree was between each carved creature, and every creature had 
       two faces.

       (Ezek 41:19 NCV)  One was a human face looking toward the palm tree on 
       one side. The other was a lion's face looking toward the palm tree on 
       the other side. They were carved all around the Temple walls.

       (Ezek 41:20 NCV)  From the floor to above the entrance, palm trees and 





       creatures with wings were carved. The walls of the Holy Place

       (Ezek 41:21 NCV)  had square doorposts. In front of the Most Holy 
       Place was something that looked like

       (Ezek 41:22 NCV)  an altar of wood. It was more than five feet high 
       and three feet wide. Its corners, base, and sides were wood. The man 
       said to me, "This is the table that is in the presence of the LORD."

       (Ezek 41:23 NCV)  Both the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place had 
       double doors.

       (Ezek 41:24 NCV)  Each of the doors had two pieces that would swing 
       open.

       (Ezek 41:25 NCV)  Carved on the doors of the Holy Place were palm 
       trees and creatures with wings, like those carved on the walls. And 
       there was a wood roof over the front Temple porch.

       (Ezek 41:26 NCV)  There were windows and palm trees on both side walls 
       of the porch. The side rooms of the Temple were also covered by a roof 
       over the stairway.

       (Ezek 42:1 NCV)  Then the man led me north out into the outer 
       courtyard and to the rooms across from the private area and the 
       building.

       (Ezek 42:2 NCV)  These rooms on the north side were one hundred 
       seventy-five feet long and eighty-seven and one-half feet wide.

       (Ezek 42:3 NCV)  There was thirty-five feet of the inner courtyard 
       between them and the Temple. On the other side, they faced the stone 
       pavement of the outer courtyard. The rooms were built in three stories 
       like steps and had balconies.

       (Ezek 42:4 NCV)  There was a path on the north side of the rooms, 
       which was seventeen and one-half feet wide and one hundred 
       seventy-five feet long. Doors led into the rooms from this path.

       (Ezek 42:5 NCV)  The top rooms were narrower, because the balconies 
       took more space from them. The rooms on the first and second stories 
       of the building were wider.

       (Ezek 42:6 NCV)  The rooms were on three stories. They did not have 
       pillars like the pillars of the courtyards. So the top rooms were 
       farther back than those on the first and second stories.

       (Ezek 42:7 NCV)  There was a wall outside parallel to the rooms and to 
       the outer courtyard. It ran in front of the rooms for eighty-seven and 
       one-half feet.

       (Ezek 42:8 NCV)  The row of rooms along the outer courtyard was 
       eighty-seven and one-half feet long, and the rooms that faced the 
       Temple were about one hundred seventy-five feet long.

       (Ezek 42:9 NCV)  The lower rooms had an entrance on the east side so a 





       person could enter them from the outer courtyard,

       (Ezek 42:10 NCV)  at the start of the wall beside the courtyard. There 
       were rooms on the south side, which were across from the private area 
       and the building.

       (Ezek 42:11 NCV)  These rooms had a path in front of them. They were 
       like the rooms on the north with the same length and width and the 
       same doors.

       (Ezek 42:12 NCV)  The doors of the south rooms were like the doors of 
       the north rooms. There was an entrance at the open end of a path 
       beside the wall, so a person could enter at the east end.

       (Ezek 42:13 NCV)  The man said to me, "The north and south rooms 
       across from the private area are holy rooms. There the priests who go 
       near the LORD will eat the most holy offerings. There they will put 
       the most holy offerings: the grain offerings, sin offerings, and the 
       penalty offerings, because the place is holy.

       (Ezek 42:14 NCV)  The priests who enter the Holy Place must leave 
       their serving clothes there before they go into the outer courtyard, 
       because these clothes are holy. After they put on other clothes, they 
       may go to the part of the Temple area which is for the people."

       (Ezek 42:15 NCV)  When the man finished measuring inside the Temple 
       area, he brought me out through the east gateway. He measured the area 
       all around.

       (Ezek 42:16 NCV)  The man measured the east side with the measuring 
       stick; it was eight hundred seventy-five feet by the measuring stick.

       (Ezek 42:17 NCV)  He measured the north side; it was eight hundred 
       seventy-five feet by the measuring stick.

       (Ezek 42:18 NCV)  He measured the south side; it was eight hundred 
       seventy-five feet by the measuring stick.

       (Ezek 42:19 NCV)  He went around to the west side; it measured eight 
       hundred seventy-five feet by the measuring stick.

       (Ezek 42:20 NCV)  So he measured the Temple area on all four sides. 
       The Temple area had a wall all around it that was eight hundred 
       seventy-five feet long and eight hundred seventy-five feet wide. It 
       separated what was holy from that which was not holy.

       (Ezek 43:1 NCV)  Then the man led me to the outer east gateway,

       (Ezek 43:2 NCV)  and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from 
       the east. It sounded like the roar of rushing water, and its 
       brightness made the earth shine.

       (Ezek 43:3 NCV)  The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when 
       the LORD came to destroy the city and also like the vision I had seen 
       by the Kebar River. I bowed facedown on the ground.





       (Ezek 43:4 NCV)  The glory of the LORD came into the Temple area 
       through the east gateway.

       (Ezek 43:5 NCV)  Then the Spirit picked me up and brought me into the 
       inner courtyard. There I saw the Lord's glory filling the Temple.

       (Ezek 43:6 NCV)  As the man stood at my side, I heard someone speaking 
       to me from inside the Temple.

       (Ezek 43:7 NCV)  The voice from the Temple said to me, "Human, this is 
       my throne and the place where my feet rest. I will live here among the 
       Israelites forever. The people of Israel will not make my holy name 
       unclean again. Neither the people nor their kings will make it unclean 
       with their sexual sins or with the dead bodies of their kings.

       (Ezek 43:8 NCV)  The kings made my name unclean by putting their 
       doorway next to my doorway, and their doorpost next to my doorpost so 
       only a wall separated me from them. When they did their acts that I 
       hate, they made my holy name unclean, and so I destroyed them in my 
       anger.

       (Ezek 43:9 NCV)  Now let them stop their sexual sins and take the dead 
       bodies of their kings far away from me. Then I will live among them 
       forever.

       (Ezek 43:10 NCV)  "Human, tell the people of Israel about the Temple 
       so they will be ashamed of their sins. Let them think about the plan 
       of the Temple.

       (Ezek 43:11 NCV)  If they are ashamed of all they have done, let them 
       know the design of the Temple and how it is built. Show them its exits 
       and entrances, all its designs, and also all its rules and teachings. 
       Write the rules as they watch so they will obey all the teachings and 
       rules about the Temple.

       (Ezek 43:12 NCV)  This is the teaching about the Temple: All the area 
       around the top of the mountain is most holy. This is the teaching 
       about the Temple.

       (Ezek 43:13 NCV)  "These are the measurements of the altar, using the 
       measuring stick. The altar's gutter is twenty-one inches high and 
       twenty-one inches wide, and its rim is about nine inches around its 
       edge. And the altar is this tall:

       (Ezek 43:14 NCV)  From the ground up to the lower ledge, it measures 
       three and one-half feet. It is twenty-one inches wide. It measures 
       seven feet from the smaller ledge to the larger ledge and is 
       twenty-one inches wide.

       (Ezek 43:15 NCV)  The place where the sacrifice is burned on the altar 
       is seven feet high, with its four corners shaped like horns and 
       reaching up above it.

       (Ezek 43:16 NCV)  It is square, twenty-one feet long and twenty-one 
       feet wide.





       (Ezek 43:17 NCV)  The upper ledge is also square, twenty-four and 
       one-half feet long and twenty-four and one-half feet wide. The rim 
       around the altar is ten and one-half inches wide, and its gutter is 
       twenty-one inches wide all around. Its steps are on the east side."

       (Ezek 43:18 NCV)  Then the man said to me, "Human, this is what the 
       Lord GOD says: These are the rules for the altar. When it is built, 
       use these rules to offer burnt offerings and to sprinkle blood on it.

       (Ezek 43:19 NCV)  You must give a young bull as a sin offering to the 
       priests, the Levites who are from the family of Zadok and who come 
       near me to serve me, says the Lord GOD.

       (Ezek 43:20 NCV)  Take some of the bull's blood and put it on the four 
       corners of the altar, on the four corners of the ledge, and all around 
       the rim. This is how you will make the altar pure and ready for God's 
       service.

       (Ezek 43:21 NCV)  Then take the bull for the sin offering and burn it 
       in the proper place in the Temple area, outside the Temple building.

       (Ezek 43:22 NCV)  "On the second day offer a male goat that has 
       nothing wrong with it for a sin offering. The priests will make the 
       altar pure and ready for God's service as they did with the young 
       bull.

       (Ezek 43:23 NCV)  When you finish making the altar pure and ready, 
       offer a young bull and a male sheep from the flock, which have nothing 
       wrong with them.

       (Ezek 43:24 NCV)  You must offer them in the presence of the LORD, and 
       the priests are to throw salt on them and offer them as a burnt 
       offering to the LORD.

       (Ezek 43:25 NCV)  "You must prepare a goat every day for seven days as 
       a sin offering. Also, the priests must prepare a young bull and male 
       sheep from the flock, which have nothing wrong with them.

       (Ezek 43:26 NCV)  For seven days the priests are to make the altar 
       pure and ready for God's service. Then they will give the altar to 
       God.

       (Ezek 43:27 NCV)  After these seven days, on the eighth day, the 
       priests must offer your burnt offerings and your fellowship offerings 
       on the altar. Then I will accept you, says the Lord GOD."

       (Ezek 44:1 NCV)  Then the man brought me back to the outer east 
       gateway of the Temple area, but the gate was shut.

       (Ezek 44:2 NCV)  The LORD said to me, "This gate will stay shut; it 
       will not be opened. No one may enter through it, because the LORD God 
       of Israel has entered through it. So it must stay shut.

       (Ezek 44:3 NCV)  Only the ruler himself may sit in the gateway to eat 
       a meal in the presence of the LORD. He must enter through the porch of 
       the gateway and go out the same way."






       (Ezek 44:4 NCV)  Then the man brought me through the outer north gate 
       to the front of the Temple. As I looked, I saw the glory of the LORD 
       filling the Temple of the LORD, and I bowed facedown on the ground.

       (Ezek 44:5 NCV)  The LORD said to me, "Human, pay attention. Use your 
       eyes to see, and your ears to hear. See and hear everything I tell you 
       about all the rules and teachings of the Temple of the LORD. Pay 
       attention to the entrance to the Temple and to all the exits from the 
       Temple area.

       (Ezek 44:6 NCV)  Then speak to those who refuse to obey. Say to the 
       people of Israel, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: Stop doing all your 
       acts that I hate, Israel!

       (Ezek 44:7 NCV)  You brought foreigners into my Holy Place who were 
       not circumcised in the flesh and had not given themselves to serving 
       me. You dishonored my Temple when you offered me food, fat, and blood. 
       You broke my agreement by all the things you did that I hate.

       (Ezek 44:8 NCV)  You did not take care of my holy things yourselves 
       but put foreigners in charge of my Temple.

       (Ezek 44:9 NCV)  This is what the Lord GOD says: Foreigners who are 
       not circumcised in flesh and who do not give themselves to serving me 
       may not enter my Temple. Not even a foreigner living among the people 
       of Israel may enter.

       (Ezek 44:10 NCV)  "'But the Levites who stopped obeying me when Israel 
       left me and who followed their idols must be punished for their sin.

       (Ezek 44:11 NCV)  These Levites are to be servants in my Holy Place. 
       They may guard the gates of the Temple and serve in the Temple area. 
       They may kill the animals for the burnt offering and the sacrifices 
       for the people. They may stand before the people to serve them.

       (Ezek 44:12 NCV)  But these Levites helped the people worship their 
       idols and caused the people of Israel to fall, so I make this promise: 
       They will be punished for their sin, says the Lord GOD.

       (Ezek 44:13 NCV)  They will not come near me to serve as priests, nor 
       will they come near any of my holy things or the most holy offerings. 
       But they will be made ashamed of the things they did that I hate.

       (Ezek 44:14 NCV)  I will put them in charge of taking care of the 
       Temple area, all the work that must be done in it.

       (Ezek 44:15 NCV)  "'But the priests who are Levites and descendants of 
       Zadok took care of my Holy Place when Israel left me, so they may come 
       near to serve me. They may stand in my presence to offer me the fat 
       and blood of the animals they sacrifice, says the Lord GOD.

       (Ezek 44:16 NCV)  They are the only ones who may enter my Holy Place. 
       Only they may come near my table to serve me and take care of the 
       things I gave them to do.





       (Ezek 44:17 NCV)  "'When they enter the gates of the inner courtyard, 
       they must wear linen robes. They must not wear wool to serve at the 
       gates of the inner courtyard or in the Temple.

       (Ezek 44:18 NCV)  They will wear linen turbans on their heads and 
       linen underclothes. They will not wear anything that makes them 
       perspire.

       (Ezek 44:19 NCV)  When they go out into the outer courtyard to the 
       people, they must take off their serving clothes before they go. They 
       must leave these clothes in the holy rooms and put on other clothes. 
       Then they will not let their holy clothes hurt the people.

       (Ezek 44:20 NCV)  "'They must not shave their heads or let their hair 
       grow long but must keep the hair of their heads trimmed.

       (Ezek 44:21 NCV)  None of the priests may drink wine when they enter 
       the inner courtyard.

       (Ezek 44:22 NCV)  The priests must not marry widows or divorced women. 
       They may marry only virgins from the people of Israel or widows of 
       priests.

       (Ezek 44:23 NCV)  They must teach my people the difference between 
       what is holy and what is not holy. They must help my people know what 
       is unclean and what is clean.

       (Ezek 44:24 NCV)  "'In court they will act as judges. When they judge, 
       they will follow my teachings. They must obey my laws and my rules at 
       all my special feasts and keep my Sabbaths holy.

       (Ezek 44:25 NCV)  "'They must not go near a dead person, making 
       themselves unclean. But they are allowed to make themselves unclean if 
       the dead person is their father, mother, son, daughter, brother, or a 
       sister who has not married.

       (Ezek 44:26 NCV)  After a priest has been made clean again, he must 
       wait seven days.

       (Ezek 44:27 NCV)  Then he may go into the inner courtyard to serve in 
       the Temple, but he must offer a sin offering for himself, says the 
       Lord GOD.

       (Ezek 44:28 NCV)  "'These are the rules about the priests and their 
       property: They will have me instead of property. You will not give 
       them any land to own in Israel; I am what they will own.

       (Ezek 44:29 NCV)  They will eat the grain offerings, sin offerings, 
       and penalty offerings. Everything Israel gives to me will be theirs.

       (Ezek 44:30 NCV)  The best fruits of all the first harvests and all 
       the special gifts offered to me will belong to the priests. You will 
       also give to the priests the first part of your grain that you grind 
       and so bring a blessing on your family.

       (Ezek 44:31 NCV)  The priests must not eat any bird or animal that 





       died a natural death or one that has been torn by wild animals.

       (Ezek 45:1 NCV)  "'When you divide the land for the Israelite tribes 
       by throwing lots, you must give a part of the land to belong to the 
       LORD. It will be about seven miles long and about six miles wide; all 
       of this land will be holy.

       (Ezek 45:2 NCV)  From this land, an area eight hundred seventy-five 
       feet square will be for the Temple. There will be an open space around 
       the Temple that is eighty-seven and one-half feet wide.

       (Ezek 45:3 NCV)  In the holy area you will measure a part about seven 
       miles long and three miles wide, and in it will be the Most Holy 
       Place.

       (Ezek 45:4 NCV)  This holy part of the land will be for the priests 
       who serve in the Temple, who come near to the LORD to serve him. It 
       will be a place for the priests' houses and for the Temple.

       (Ezek 45:5 NCV)  Another area about seven miles long and more than 
       three miles wide will be for the Levites, who serve in the Temple 
       area. It will belong to them so they will have cities in which to 
       live.

       (Ezek 45:6 NCV)  "'You must give the city an area that is about one 
       and one-half miles wide and about seven miles long, along the side of 
       the holy area. It will belong to all the people of Israel.

       (Ezek 45:7 NCV)  "'The ruler will have land on both sides of the holy 
       area and the city. On the west of the holy area, his land will reach 
       to the Mediterranean Sea. On the east of the holy area, his land will 
       reach to the eastern border. It will be as long as the land given to 
       each tribe.

       (Ezek 45:8 NCV)  Only this land will be the ruler's property in 
       Israel. So my rulers will not be cruel to my people anymore, but they 
       will let each tribe in the nation of Israel have its share of the 
       land.

       (Ezek 45:9 NCV)  "'This is what the Lord GOD says: You have gone far 
       enough, you rulers of Israel! Stop being cruel and hurting people, and 
       do what is right and fair. Stop forcing my people out of their homes, 
       says the Lord GOD.

       (Ezek 45:10 NCV)  You must have honest scales, an honest dry 
       measurement and an honest liquid measurement.

       (Ezek 45:11 NCV)  The dry measure and the liquid measure will be the 
       same: The liquid measure will always be a tenth of a homer, and the 
       ephah will always be a tenth of a homer. The measurement they follow 
       will be the homer.

       (Ezek 45:12 NCV)  The shekel will be worth twenty gerahs, and a mina 
       will be worth sixty shekels.

       (Ezek 45:13 NCV)  "'This is the gift you should offer: a sixth of an 





       ephah from every homer of wheat, and a sixth of an ephah from every 
       homer of barley.

       (Ezek 45:14 NCV)  The amount of oil you are to offer is a tenth of a 
       bath from each cor. (Ten baths make a homer and also make a cor.)

       (Ezek 45:15 NCV)  You should give one sheep from each flock of two 
       hundred from the watering places of Israel. All these are to be 
       offered for the grain offerings, burnt offerings, and fellowship 
       offerings to remove sins so you will belong to God, says the Lord GOD.

       (Ezek 45:16 NCV)  All people in the land will give this special 
       offering to the ruler of Israel.

       (Ezek 45:17 NCV)  It will be the ruler's responsibility to supply the 
       burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings. These offerings 
       will be given at the feasts, at the New Moons, on the Sabbaths, and at 
       all the other feasts of Israel. The ruler will supply the sin 
       offerings, grain offerings, and fellowship offerings to pay for the 
       sins of Israel.

       (Ezek 45:18 NCV)  "'This is what the Lord GOD says: On the first day 
       of the first month take a young bull that has nothing wrong with it. 
       Use it to make the Temple pure and ready for God's service.

       (Ezek 45:19 NCV)  The priest will take some of the blood from this sin 
       offering and put it on the doorposts of the Temple, on the four 
       corners of the ledge of the altar, and on the posts of the gate to the 
       inner courtyard.

       (Ezek 45:20 NCV)  You will do the same thing on the seventh day of the 
       month for anyone who has sinned by accident or without knowing it. 
       This is how you make the Temple pure and ready for God's service.

       (Ezek 45:21 NCV)  "'On the fourteenth day of the first month you will 
       celebrate the Feast of Passover. It will be a feast of seven days when 
       you eat bread made without yeast.

       (Ezek 45:22 NCV)  On that day the ruler must offer a bull for himself 
       and for all the people of the land as a sin offering.

       (Ezek 45:23 NCV)  During the seven days of the feast he must offer 
       seven bulls and seven male sheep that have nothing wrong with them. 
       They will be burnt offerings to the LORD, which the ruler will offer 
       every day of the seven days of the feast. He must also offer a male 
       goat every day as a sin offering.

       (Ezek 45:24 NCV)  The ruler must give as a grain offering one-half 
       bushel for each bull and one-half bushel for each sheep. He must give 
       a gallon of olive oil for each half bushel.

       (Ezek 45:25 NCV)  "'Beginning on the fifteenth day of the seventh 
       month, when you celebrate the Feast of Shelters, the ruler will supply 
       the same things for seven days: the sin offerings, burnt offerings, 
       grain offerings, and the olive oil.





       (Ezek 46:1 NCV)  "'This is what the Lord GOD says: The east gate of 
       the inner courtyard will stay shut on the six working days, but it 
       will be opened on the Sabbath day and on the day of the New Moon.

       (Ezek 46:2 NCV)  The ruler will enter from outside through the porch 
       of the gateway and stand by the gatepost, while the priests offer the 
       ruler's burnt offering and fellowship offering. The ruler will worship 
       at the entrance of the gateway, and then he will go out. But the gate 
       will not be shut until evening.

       (Ezek 46:3 NCV)  The people of the land will worship at the entrance 
       of that gateway in the presence of the LORD on the Sabbaths and New 
       Moons.

       (Ezek 46:4 NCV)  This is the burnt offering the ruler will offer to 
       the LORD on the Sabbath day: six male lambs that have nothing wrong 
       with them and a male sheep that has nothing wrong with it.

       (Ezek 46:5 NCV)  He must give a half-bushel grain offering with the 
       male sheep, but he may give as much grain offering with the lambs as 
       he pleases. He must also give a gallon of olive oil for each half 
       bushel of grain.

       (Ezek 46:6 NCV)  On the day of the New Moon he must offer a young bull 
       that has nothing wrong with it. He must also offer six lambs and a 
       male sheep that have nothing wrong with them.

       (Ezek 46:7 NCV)  The ruler must give a half-bushel grain offering with 
       the bull and one-half bushel with the male sheep. With the lambs, he 
       may give as much grain as he pleases. But he must give a gallon of 
       olive oil for each half bushel of grain.

       (Ezek 46:8 NCV)  When the ruler enters, he must go in through the 
       porch of the gateway, and he must go out the same way.

       (Ezek 46:9 NCV)  "'When the people of the land come into the Lord's 
       presence at the special feasts, those who enter through the north gate 
       to worship must go out through the south gate. Those who enter through 
       the south gate must go out through the north gate. They must not 
       return the same way they entered; everyone must go out the opposite 
       way.

       (Ezek 46:10 NCV)  The ruler will go in with the people when they go in 
       and go out with them when they go out.

       (Ezek 46:11 NCV)  "'At the feasts and regular times of worship 
       one-half bushel of grain must be offered with a young bull, and 
       one-half bushel of grain must be offered with a male sheep. But with 
       an offering of lambs, the ruler may give as much grain as he pleases. 
       He should give a gallon of olive oil for each half bushel of grain.

       (Ezek 46:12 NCV)  The ruler may give an offering as a special gift to 
       the LORD; it may be a burnt offering or fellowship offering. When he 
       gives it to the LORD, the inner east gate is to be opened for him. He 
       must offer his burnt offering or his fellowship offering as he does on 
       the Sabbath day. Then he will go out, and the gate will be shut after 





       he has left.

       (Ezek 46:13 NCV)  "'Every day you will give a year-old lamb that has 
       nothing wrong with it for a burnt offering to the LORD. Do it every 
       morning.

       (Ezek 46:14 NCV)  Also, you must offer a grain offering with the lamb 
       every morning. For this you will give three and one-third quarts of 
       grain and one and one-third quarts of olive oil, to make the fine 
       flour moist, as a grain offering to the LORD. This is a rule that must 
       be kept from now on.

       (Ezek 46:15 NCV)  So you must always give the lamb, together with the 
       grain offering and the olive oil, every morning as a burnt offering.

       (Ezek 46:16 NCV)  "'This is what the Lord GOD says: If the ruler gives 
       a gift from his land to any of his sons, that land will belong to the 
       son and then to the son's children. It is their property passed down 
       from their family.

       (Ezek 46:17 NCV)  But if the ruler gives a gift from his land to any 
       of his servants, that land will belong to the servant only until the 
       year of freedom. Then the land will go back to the ruler. Only the 
       ruler's sons may keep a gift of land from the ruler.

       (Ezek 46:18 NCV)  The ruler must not take any of the people's land, 
       forcing them out of their land. He must give his sons some of his own 
       land so my people will not be scattered out of their own land.'"

       (Ezek 46:19 NCV)  The man led me through the entrance at the side of 
       the gateway to the priests' holy rooms that face north. There I saw a 
       place at the west end.

       (Ezek 46:20 NCV)  The man said to me, "This is where the priests will 
       boil the meat of the penalty offering and sin offering and bake the 
       grain offering. Then they will not need to bring these holy offerings 
       into the outer courtyard, because that would hurt the people."

       (Ezek 46:21 NCV)  Then the man brought me out into the outer courtyard 
       and led me to its four corners. In each corner of the courtyard was a 
       smaller courtyard.

       (Ezek 46:22 NCV)  Small courtyards were in the four corners of the 
       courtyard. Each small courtyard was the same size, seventy feet long 
       and fifty-two and one-half feet wide.

       (Ezek 46:23 NCV)  A stone wall was around each of the four small 
       courtyards, and places for cooking were built in each of the stone 
       walls.

       (Ezek 46:24 NCV)  The man said to me, "These are the kitchens where 
       those who work in the Temple will boil the sacrifices offered by the 
       people."

       (Ezek 47:1 NCV)  The man led me back to the door of the Temple, and I 
       saw water coming out from under the doorway and flowing east. (The 





       Temple faced east.) The water flowed down from the south side wall of 
       the Temple and then south of the altar.

       (Ezek 47:2 NCV)  The man brought me out through the outer north gate 
       and led me around outside to the outer east gate. I found the water 
       coming out on the south side of the gate.

       (Ezek 47:3 NCV)  The man went toward the east with a line in his hand 
       and measured about one-third of a mile. Then he led me through water 
       that came up to my ankles.

       (Ezek 47:4 NCV)  The man measured about one-third of a mile again and 
       led me through water that came up to my knees. Then he measured about 
       one-third of a mile again and led me through water up to my waist.

       (Ezek 47:5 NCV)  The man measured about one-third of a mile again, but 
       it was now a river that I could not cross. The water had risen too 
       high; it was deep enough for swimming; it was a river that no one 
       could cross.

       (Ezek 47:6 NCV)  The man asked me, "Human, do you see this?" Then the 
       man led me back to the bank of the river.

       (Ezek 47:7 NCV)  As I went back, I saw many trees on both sides of the 
       river.

       (Ezek 47:8 NCV)  The man said to me, "This water will flow toward the 
       eastern areas and go down into the Jordan Valley. When it enters the 
       Dead Sea, it will become fresh.

       (Ezek 47:9 NCV)  Everywhere the river goes, there will be many fish. 
       Wherever this water goes the Dead Sea will become fresh, and so where 
       the river goes there will be many living things.

       (Ezek 47:10 NCV)  Fishermen will stand by the Dead Sea. From En Gedi 
       all the way to En Eglaim there will be places to spread fishing nets. 
       There will be many kinds of fish in the Dead Sea, as many as in the 
       Mediterranean Sea.

       (Ezek 47:11 NCV)  But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; 
       they will be left for salt.

       (Ezek 47:12 NCV)  All kinds of fruit trees will grow on both banks of 
       the river, and their leaves will not dry and die. The trees will have 
       fruit every month, because the water for them comes from the Temple. 
       The fruit from the trees will be used for food, and their leaves for 
       medicine."

       (Ezek 47:13 NCV)  This is what the Lord GOD says: "These are the 
       borders of the land to be divided among the twelve tribes of Israel. 
       Joseph will have two parts of land.

       (Ezek 47:14 NCV)  You will divide the land equally. I promised to give 
       it to your ancestors, so this land will belong to you as family 
       property.





       (Ezek 47:15 NCV)  "This will be the border line of the land: "On the 
       north side it will start at the Mediterranean Sea. It will go through 
       Hethlon, toward Lebo Hamath and on to the towns of Zedad,

       (Ezek 47:16 NCV)  Berothah, and Sibraim on the border between Damascus 
       and Hamath. Then it will go on to the town of Hazer Hatticon on the 
       border of the country of Hauran.

       (Ezek 47:17 NCV)  So the border line will go from the Mediterranean 
       Sea east to the town of Hazar Enan, where the land belonging to 
       Damascus and Hamath lies on the north side. This will be the north 
       side of the land.

       (Ezek 47:18 NCV)  "On the east side the border runs south from a point 
       between Hauran and Damascus. It will go along the Jordan between 
       Gilead and the land of Israel and will continue to the town of Tamar 
       on the Dead Sea. This will be the east side of the land.

       (Ezek 47:19 NCV)  "On the south side the border line will go east from 
       Tamar all the way to the waters of Meribah Kadesh. Then it will run 
       along the brook of Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea. This will be the 
       south side of the land.

       (Ezek 47:20 NCV)  "On the west side the Mediterranean Sea will be the 
       border line up to a place across from Lebo Hamath. This will be the 
       west side of your land.

       (Ezek 47:21 NCV)  "You will divide this land among the tribes of 
       Israel.

       (Ezek 47:22 NCV)  You will divide it as family property for yourselves 
       and for the foreigners who live and have children among you. You are 
       to treat these foreigners the same as people born in Israel; they are 
       to share the land with the tribes of Israel.

       (Ezek 47:23 NCV)  In whatever tribe the foreigner lives, you will give 
       him some land," says the Lord GOD.

       (Ezek 48:1 NCV)  "These are the areas of the tribes named here: Dan 
       will have one share at the northern border. It will go from the sea 
       through Hethlon to Lebo Hamath, all the way to Hazar Enan, where 
       Damascus lies to the north. It will stop there next to Hamath. This 
       will be Dan's northern border from the east side to the Mediterranean 
       Sea on the west side.

       (Ezek 48:2 NCV)  "South of Dan's border, Asher will have one share. It 
       will go from the east side to the west side.

       (Ezek 48:3 NCV)  "South of Asher's border, Naphtali will have one 
       share. It will go from the east side to the west side.

       (Ezek 48:4 NCV)  "South of Naphtali's border, Manasseh will have one 
       share. It will go from the east side to the west side.

       (Ezek 48:5 NCV)  "South of Manasseh's border, Ephraim will have one 
       share. It will go from the east side to the west side.






       (Ezek 48:6 NCV)  "South of Ephraim's border, Reuben will have one 
       share. It will go from the east side to the west side.

       (Ezek 48:7 NCV)  "South of Reuben's border, Judah will have one share. 
       It will go from the east side to the west side.

       (Ezek 48:8 NCV)  "South of Judah's border will be the holy area which 
       you are to give. It will be about seven miles wide and as long and 
       wide as one of the tribes' shares. It will run from the east side to 
       the west side. The Temple will be in the middle of this area.

       (Ezek 48:9 NCV)  "The share which you will give the LORD will be about 
       seven miles long and three miles wide.

       (Ezek 48:10 NCV)  The holy area will be divided among these people. 
       The priests will have land about seven miles long on the north and 
       south sides, and three miles wide on the west and east sides. The 
       Temple of the LORD will be in the middle of it.

       (Ezek 48:11 NCV)  This land is for the priests who are given the holy 
       duty of serving the LORD. They are the descendants of Zadok who did my 
       work and did not leave me when Israel and the Levites left me.

       (Ezek 48:12 NCV)  They will have as their share a very holy part of 
       the holy portion of the land. It will be next to the land of the 
       Levites.

       (Ezek 48:13 NCV)  "Alongside the land for the priests, the Levites 
       will have a share about seven miles long and three miles wide; its 
       full length will be about seven miles and its full width about three 
       miles.

       (Ezek 48:14 NCV)  The Levites are not to sell or trade any of this 
       land. They are not to let anyone else own any of this best part of the 
       land, because it belongs to the LORD.

       (Ezek 48:15 NCV)  "The rest of the area will be about one and one-half 
       miles wide and seven miles long. It will not be holy but will belong 
       to the city and be used for homes and pastures. The city will be in 
       the middle of it.

       (Ezek 48:16 NCV)  These are the city's measurements: the north side 
       will be about one mile, the south side about one mile, the east side 
       about one mile, and the west side about one mile.

       (Ezek 48:17 NCV)  The city's land for pastures will be about four 
       hundred thirty-seven feet on the north, four hundred thirty-seven feet 
       on the south, four hundred thirty-seven feet on the east, and four 
       hundred thirty-seven feet on the west.

       (Ezek 48:18 NCV)  Along the long side of the holy area there will be 
       left three miles on the east and three miles on the west. It will be 
       used to grow food for the city workers.

       (Ezek 48:19 NCV)  The city workers from all the tribes of Israel will 





       farm this land.

       (Ezek 48:20 NCV)  This whole area will be square, seven miles by seven 
       miles. You shall give to the LORD the holy share along with the city 
       property.

       (Ezek 48:21 NCV)  "Land that is left over on both sides of the holy 
       area and city property will belong to the ruler. That land will extend 
       east of the holy area to the eastern border and west of it to the 
       Mediterranean Sea. Both of these areas run the length of the lands of 
       the tribes, and they belong to the ruler. The holy area with the Holy 
       Place of the Temple will be in the middle.

       (Ezek 48:22 NCV)  The Levites' land and the city property will be in 
       the middle of the lands belonging to the ruler. Those lands will be 
       between Judah's border and Benjamin's border.

       (Ezek 48:23 NCV)  "Here is what the rest of the tribes will receive: 
       Benjamin will have one share. It will go from the east side to the 
       Mediterranean Sea on the west side.

       (Ezek 48:24 NCV)  "South of Benjamin's land, Simeon will have one 
       share. It will go from the east side to the west side.

       (Ezek 48:25 NCV)  "South of Simeon's land, Issachar will have one 
       share. It will go from the east side to the west side.

       (Ezek 48:26 NCV)  "South of Issachar's land, Zebulun will have one 
       share. It will go from the east side to the west side.

       (Ezek 48:27 NCV)  "South of Zebulun's land, Gad will have one share. 
       It will go from the east side to the west side.

       (Ezek 48:28 NCV)  "The southern border of Gad's land will go east from 
       Tamar on the Dead Sea to the waters of Meribah Kadesh. Then it will 
       run along the brook of Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea.

       (Ezek 48:29 NCV)  "This is the land you will divide among the tribes 
       of Israel to be their shares," says the Lord GOD.

       (Ezek 48:30 NCV)  "These will be the outside borders of the city: The 
       north side will measure more than one mile.

       (Ezek 48:31 NCV)  There will be three gates facing north: Reuben's 
       Gate, Judah's Gate, and Levi's Gate, named for the tribes of Israel.

       (Ezek 48:32 NCV)  "The east side will measure more than one mile. 
       There will be three gates facing east: Joseph's Gate, Benjamin's Gate, 
       and Dan's Gate.

       (Ezek 48:33 NCV)  "The south side will measure more than one mile. 
       There will be three gates facing south: Simeon's Gate, Issachar's 
       Gate, and Zebulun's Gate.

       (Ezek 48:34 NCV)  "The west side will measure more than one mile. 
       There will be three gates facing west: Gad's Gate, Asher's Gate, and 





       Naphtali's Gate.

       (Ezek 48:35 NCV)  "The city will measure about six miles around. From 
       then on the name of the city will be The LORD Is There."

       (Dan 1:1 NCV)  During the third year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah, 
       Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and surrounded it 
       with his army.

       (Dan 1:2 NCV)  The Lord allowed Nebuchadnezzar to capture Jehoiakim 
       king of Judah. Nebuchadnezzar also took some of the things from the 
       Temple of God, which he carried to Babylonia and put in the temple of 
       his gods.

       (Dan 1:3 NCV)  Then King Nebuchadnezzar ordered Ashpenaz, his chief 
       officer, to bring some of the Israelite men into his palace. He wanted 
       them to be from important families, including the family of the king 
       of Judah.

       (Dan 1:4 NCV)  King Nebuchadnezzar wanted only young Israelite men who 
       had nothing wrong with them. They were to be handsome and well 
       educated, capable of learning and understanding, and able to serve in 
       his palace. Ashpenaz was to teach them the language and writings of 
       the Babylonians.

       (Dan 1:5 NCV)  The king gave the young men a certain amount of food 
       and wine every day, just like the food he ate. The young men were to 
       be trained for three years, and then they would become servants of the 
       king of Babylon.

       (Dan 1:6 NCV)  Among those young men were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, 
       and Azariah from the people of Judah.

       (Dan 1:7 NCV)  Ashpenaz, the chief officer, gave them Babylonian 
       names. Daniel's new name was Belteshazzar, Hananiah's was Shadrach, 
       Mishael's was Meshach, and Azariah's was Abednego.

       (Dan 1:8 NCV)  Daniel decided not to eat the king's food or drink his 
       wine because that would make him unclean. So he asked Ashpenaz for 
       permission not to make himself unclean in this way.

       (Dan 1:9 NCV)  God made Ashpenaz, the chief officer, want to be kind 
       and merciful to Daniel,

       (Dan 1:10 NCV)  but Ashpenaz said to Daniel, "I am afraid of my 
       master, the king. He ordered me to give you this food and drink. If 
       you begin to look worse than other young men your age, the king will 
       see this. Then he will cut off my head because of you."

       (Dan 1:11 NCV)  Ashpenaz had ordered a guard to watch Daniel, 
       Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

       (Dan 1:12 NCV)  Daniel said to the guard, "Please give us this test 
       for ten days: Don't give us anything but vegetables to eat and water 
       to drink.





       (Dan 1:13 NCV)  After ten days compare how we look with how the other 
       young men look who eat the king's food. See for yourself and then 
       decide how you want to treat us, your servants."

       (Dan 1:14 NCV)  So the guard agreed to test them for ten days.

       (Dan 1:15 NCV)  After ten days they looked healthier and better fed 
       than all the young men who ate the king's food.

       (Dan 1:16 NCV)  So the guard took away the king's special food and 
       wine, feeding them vegetables instead.

       (Dan 1:17 NCV)  God gave these four young men wisdom and the ability 
       to learn many things that people had written and studied. Daniel could 
       also understand visions and dreams.

       (Dan 1:18 NCV)  At the end of the time set for them by the king, 
       Ashpenaz brought all the young men to King Nebuchadnezzar.

       (Dan 1:19 NCV)  The king talked to them and found that none of the 
       young men were as good as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So 
       those four young men became the king's servants.

       (Dan 1:20 NCV)  Every time the king asked them about something 
       important, they showed much wisdom and understanding. They were ten 
       times better than all the fortune-tellers and magicians in his 
       kingdom!

       (Dan 1:21 NCV)  So Daniel continued to be the king's servant until the 
       first year Cyrus was king.

       (Dan 2:1 NCV)  During Nebuchadnezzar's second year as king, he had 
       dreams that bothered him and kept him awake at night.

       (Dan 2:2 NCV)  So the king called for his fortune-tellers, magicians, 
       wizards, and wise men, because he wanted them to tell him what he had 
       dreamed. They came in and stood in front of the king.

       (Dan 2:3 NCV)  Then the king said to them, "I had a dream that bothers 
       me, and I want to know what it means."

       (Dan 2:4 NCV)  The wise men answered the king in the Aramaic language, 
       "O king, live forever! Please tell us, your servants, your dream. Then 
       we will tell you what it means."

       (Dan 2:5 NCV)  King Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "I meant what I said. 
       You must tell me the dream and what it means. If you don't, I will 
       have you torn apart, and I will turn your houses into piles of stones.

       (Dan 2:6 NCV)  But if you tell me my dream and its meaning, I will 
       reward you with gifts and great honor. So tell me the dream and what 
       it means."

       (Dan 2:7 NCV)  Again the wise men said to the king, "Tell us, your 
       servants, the dream, and we will tell you what it means."





       (Dan 2:8 NCV)  King Nebuchadnezzar answered, "I know you are trying to 
       get more time, because you know that I meant what I said.

       (Dan 2:9 NCV)  If you don't tell me my dream, you will be punished. 
       You have all agreed to tell me lies and wicked things, hoping things 
       will change. Now, tell me the dream so that I will know you can tell 
       me what it really means!"

       (Dan 2:10 NCV)  The wise men answered the king, saying, "No one on 
       earth can do what the king asks! No great and powerful king has ever 
       asked the fortune-tellers, magicians, or wise men to do this;

       (Dan 2:11 NCV)  the king is asking something that is too hard. Only 
       the gods could tell the king this, but the gods do not live among 
       people."

       (Dan 2:12 NCV)  When the king heard their answer, he became very 
       angry. He ordered that all the wise men of Babylon be killed.

       (Dan 2:13 NCV)  So King Nebuchadnezzar's order to kill the wise men 
       was announced, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to 
       kill them.

       (Dan 2:14 NCV)  Arioch, the commander of the king's guards, was going 
       to kill the wise men of Babylon. But Daniel spoke to him with wisdom 
       and skill,

       (Dan 2:15 NCV)  saying, "Why did the king order such a terrible 
       punishment?" Then Arioch explained everything to Daniel.

       (Dan 2:16 NCV)  So Daniel went to King Nebuchadnezzar and asked for an 
       appointment so that he could tell the king what his dream meant.

       (Dan 2:17 NCV)  Then Daniel went to his house and explained the whole 
       story to his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

       (Dan 2:18 NCV)  Daniel asked his friends to pray that the God of 
       heaven would show them mercy and help them understand this secret so 
       he and his friends would not be killed with the other wise men of 
       Babylon.

       (Dan 2:19 NCV)  During the night God explained the secret to Daniel in 
       a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven.

       (Dan 2:20 NCV)  Daniel said: "Praise God forever and ever, because he 
       has wisdom and power.

       (Dan 2:21 NCV)  He changes the times and seasons of the year. He takes 
       away the power of kings and gives their power to new kings. He gives 
       wisdom to those who are wise and knowledge to those who understand.

       (Dan 2:22 NCV)  He makes known secrets that are deep and hidden; he 
       knows what is hidden in darkness, and light is all around him.

       (Dan 2:23 NCV)  I thank you and praise you, God of my ancestors, 
       because you have given me wisdom and power. You told me what we asked 





       of you; you told us about the king's dream."

       (Dan 2:24 NCV)  Then Daniel went to Arioch, the man King 
       Nebuchadnezzar had chosen to kill the wise men of Babylon. Daniel said 
       to him, "Don't put the wise men of Babylon to death. Take me to the 
       king, and I will tell him what his dream means."

       (Dan 2:25 NCV)  Very quickly Arioch took Daniel to the king and said, 
       "I have found a man among the captives from Judah who can tell the 
       king what his dream means."

       (Dan 2:26 NCV)  The king asked Daniel, who was also called 
       Belteshazzar, "Are you able to tell me what I dreamed and what it 
       means?"

       (Dan 2:27 NCV)  Daniel answered, "No wise man, magician, or 
       fortune-teller can explain to the king the secret he has asked about.

       (Dan 2:28 NCV)  But there is a God in heaven who explains secret 
       things, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen at a 
       later time. This is your dream, the vision you saw while lying on your 
       bed:

       (Dan 2:29 NCV)  O king, as you were lying there, you thought about 
       things to come. God, who can tell people about secret things, showed 
       you what is going to happen.

       (Dan 2:30 NCV)  God also told this secret to me, not because I have 
       greater wisdom than any other living person, but so that you may know 
       what it means. In that way you will understand what went through your 
       mind.

       (Dan 2:31 NCV)  "O king, in your dream you saw a huge, shiny, and 
       frightening statue in front of you.

       (Dan 2:32 NCV)  The head of the statue was made of pure gold. Its 
       chest and arms were made of silver. Its stomach and the upper part of 
       its legs were made of bronze.

       (Dan 2:33 NCV)  The lower part of the legs were made of iron, while 
       its feet were made partly of iron and partly of baked clay.

       (Dan 2:34 NCV)  While you were looking at the statue, you saw a rock 
       cut free, but no human being touched the rock. It hit the statue on 
       its feet of iron and clay and smashed them.

       (Dan 2:35 NCV)  Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold broke to 
       pieces at the same time. They became like chaff on a threshing floor 
       in the summertime; the wind blew them away, and there was nothing 
       left. Then the rock that hit the statue became a very large mountain 
       that filled the whole earth.

       (Dan 2:36 NCV)  "That was your dream. Now we will tell the king what 
       it means.

       (Dan 2:37 NCV)  O king, you are the greatest king. God of heaven has 





       given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory.

       (Dan 2:38 NCV)  Wherever people, wild animals, and birds live, God 
       made you ruler over them. King Nebuchadnezzar, you are the head of 
       gold on that statue.

       (Dan 2:39 NCV)  "Another kingdom will come after you, but it will not 
       be as great as yours. Next a third kingdom, the bronze part, will rule 
       over the earth.

       (Dan 2:40 NCV)  Then there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron. 
       In the same way that iron crushes and smashes things to pieces, the 
       fourth kingdom will smash and crush all the other kingdoms.

       (Dan 2:41 NCV)  "You saw that the statue's feet and toes were partly 
       baked clay and partly iron. That means the fourth kingdom will be a 
       divided kingdom. It will have some of the strength of iron in it, just 
       as you saw iron was mixed with clay.

       (Dan 2:42 NCV)  The toes of the statue were partly iron and partly 
       clay. So the fourth kingdom will be partly strong like iron and partly 
       breakable like clay.

       (Dan 2:43 NCV)  You saw the iron mixed with clay, but iron and clay do 
       not hold together. In the same way the people of the fourth kingdom 
       will be a mixture, but they will not be united as one people.

       (Dan 2:44 NCV)  "During the time of those kings, the God of heaven 
       will set up another kingdom that will never be destroyed or given to 
       another group of people. This kingdom will crush all the other 
       kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will continue forever.

       (Dan 2:45 NCV)  "King Nebuchadnezzar, you saw a rock cut from a 
       mountain, but no human being touched it. The rock broke the iron, 
       bronze, clay, silver, and gold to pieces. In this way the great God 
       showed you what will happen. The dream is true, and you can trust this 
       explanation."

       (Dan 2:46 NCV)  Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell facedown on the ground 
       in front of Daniel. The king honored him and commanded that an 
       offering and incense be presented to him.

       (Dan 2:47 NCV)  Then the king said to Daniel, "Truly I know your God 
       is the greatest of all gods, the Lord of all the kings. He tells 
       people about things they cannot know. I know this is true, because you 
       were able to tell these secret things to me."

       (Dan 2:48 NCV)  Then the king gave Daniel many gifts plus an important 
       position in his kingdom. Nebuchadnezzar made him ruler over the whole 
       area of Babylon and put him in charge of all the wise men of Babylon.

       (Dan 2:49 NCV)  Daniel asked the king to make Shadrach, Meshach, and 
       Abednego leaders over the area of Babylon, so the king did as Daniel 
       asked. Daniel himself became one of the people who stayed at the royal 
       court.





       (Dan 3:1 NCV)  King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue ninety feet high 
       and nine feet wide and set it up on the plain of Dura in the area of 
       Babylon.

       (Dan 3:2 NCV)  Then he called for the leaders: the governors, 
       assistant governors, captains of the soldiers, people who advised the 
       king, keepers of the treasury, judges, rulers, and all other officers 
       in his kingdom. He wanted them to come to the special service for the 
       statue he had set up.

       (Dan 3:3 NCV)  So they all came for the special service and stood in 
       front of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

       (Dan 3:4 NCV)  Then the man who made announcements for the king said 
       in a loud voice, "People, nations, and those of every language, this 
       is what you are commanded to do:

       (Dan 3:5 NCV)  When you hear the sound of the horns, flutes, lyres, 
       zithers, harps, pipes, and all the other musical instruments, you must 
       bow down and worship the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set 
       up.

       (Dan 3:6 NCV)  Anyone who doesn't bow down and worship will 
       immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace."

       (Dan 3:7 NCV)  Now people, nations, and those who spoke every language 
       were there. When they heard the sound of the horns, flutes, lyres, 
       zithers, pipes, and all the other musical instruments, they bowed down 
       and worshiped the gold statue King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

       (Dan 3:8 NCV)  Then some Babylonians came up to the king and began 
       speaking against the men of Judah.

       (Dan 3:9 NCV)  They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live 
       forever!

       (Dan 3:10 NCV)  O king, you gave a command that everyone who heard the 
       horns, lyres, zithers, harps, pipes, and all the other musical 
       instruments would have to bow down and worship the gold statue.

       (Dan 3:11 NCV)  Anyone who wouldn't do this was to be thrown into a 
       blazing furnace.

       (Dan 3:12 NCV)  O king, there are some men of Judah whom you made 
       officers in the area of Babylon that did not pay attention to your 
       order. Their names are Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They do not 
       serve your gods and do not worship the gold statue you have set up."

       (Dan 3:13 NCV)  Nebuchadnezzar became very angry and called for 
       Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. When they were brought to the king,

       (Dan 3:14 NCV)  Nebuchadnezzar said, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, 
       is it true that you do not serve my gods nor worship the gold statue I 
       have set up?

       (Dan 3:15 NCV)  In a moment you will again hear the sound of the 





       horns, flutes, lyres, zithers, harps, pipes, and all the other musical 
       instruments. If you bow down and worship the statue I made, that will 
       be good. But if you do not worship it, you will immediately be thrown 
       into the blazing furnace. What god will be able to save you from my 
       power then?"

       (Dan 3:16 NCV)  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, 
       saying, "Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves to you.

       (Dan 3:17 NCV)  If you throw us into the blazing furnace, the God we 
       serve is able to save us from the furnace. He will save us from your 
       power, O king.

       (Dan 3:18 NCV)  But even if God does not save us, we want you, O king, 
       to know this: We will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue 
       you have set up."

       (Dan 3:19 NCV)  Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, 
       Meshach, and Abednego, and he changed his mind. He ordered the furnace 
       to be heated seven times hotter than usual.

       (Dan 3:20 NCV)  Then he commanded some of the strongest soldiers in 
       his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into 
       the blazing furnace.

       (Dan 3:21 NCV)  So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were tied up and 
       thrown into the blazing furnace while still wearing their robes, 
       trousers, turbans, and other clothes.

       (Dan 3:22 NCV)  The king's command was very strict, and the furnace 
       was made so hot that the flames killed the strong soldiers who threw 
       Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the furnace.

       (Dan 3:23 NCV)  Firmly tied, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego fell into 
       the blazing furnace.

       (Dan 3:24 NCV)  Then King Nebuchadnezzar was so surprised that he 
       jumped to his feet. He asked the men who advised him, "Didn't we tie 
       up only three men and throw them into the fire?" They answered, "Yes, 
       O king."

       (Dan 3:25 NCV)  The king said, "Look! I see four men walking around in 
       the fire. They are not tied up, and they are not burned. The fourth 
       man looks like a son of the gods."

       (Dan 3:26 NCV)  Then Nebuchadnezzar went to the opening of the blazing 
       furnace and shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, come out! 
       Servants of the Most High God, come here!" So Shadrach, Meshach, and 
       Abednego came out of the fire.

       (Dan 3:27 NCV)  When they came out, the governors, assistant 
       governors, captains of the soldiers, and royal advisers crowded around 
       them and saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies. Their hair was 
       not burned, their robes were not burned, and they didn't even smell 
       like smoke!





       (Dan 3:28 NCV)  Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise the God of Shadrach, 
       Meshach, and Abednego. Their God has sent his angel and saved his 
       servants from the fire! These three men trusted their God and refused 
       to obey my command. They were willing to die rather than serve or 
       worship any god other than their own.

       (Dan 3:29 NCV)  So I now give this command: Anyone from any nation or 
       language who says anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and 
       Abednego will be torn apart and have his house turned into a pile of 
       stones. No other god can save his people like this."

       (Dan 3:30 NCV)  Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego 
       in the area of Babylon.

       (Dan 4:1 NCV)  King Nebuchadnezzar sent this letter to the people, 
       nations, and those who speak every language in all the world: I wish 
       you peace and great wealth!

       (Dan 4:2 NCV)  The Most High God has done miracles and wonderful 
       things for me that I am happy to tell you about.

       (Dan 4:3 NCV)  His wonderful acts are great, and his miracles are 
       mighty. His kingdom goes on forever, and his rule continues from now 
       on.

       (Dan 4:4 NCV)  I, Nebuchadnezzar, was happy and successful at my 
       palace,

       (Dan 4:5 NCV)  but I had a dream that made me afraid. As I was lying 
       on my bed, I saw pictures and visions in my mind that alarmed me.

       (Dan 4:6 NCV)  So I ordered all the wise men of Babylon to come to me 
       and tell me what my dream meant.

       (Dan 4:7 NCV)  The fortune-tellers, magicians, and wise men came, and 
       I told them about the dream. But they could not tell me what it meant.

       (Dan 4:8 NCV)  Finally, Daniel came to me. (I called him Belteshazzar 
       to honor my god, because the spirit of the holy gods is in him.) I 
       told my dream to him.

       (Dan 4:9 NCV)  I said, "Belteshazzar, you are the most important of 
       all the fortune-tellers. I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in 
       you, so there is no secret that is too hard for you to understand. 
       This was what I dreamed; tell me what it means.

       (Dan 4:10 NCV)  These are the visions I saw while I was lying in my 
       bed: I looked, and there in front of me was a tree standing in the 
       middle of the earth. And it was very tall.

       (Dan 4:11 NCV)  The tree grew large and strong. The top of the tree 
       touched the sky and could be seen from anywhere on earth.

       (Dan 4:12 NCV)  The leaves of the tree were beautiful. It had plenty 
       of good fruit on it, enough food for everyone. The wild animals found 
       shelter under the tree, and the birds lived in its branches. Every 





       animal ate from it.

       (Dan 4:13 NCV)  "As I was looking at those things in the vision while 
       lying on my bed, I saw an observer, a holy angel coming down from 
       heaven.

       (Dan 4:14 NCV)  He spoke very loudly and said, 'Cut down the tree and 
       cut off its branches. Strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let 
       the animals under the tree run away, and let the birds in its branches 
       fly away.

       (Dan 4:15 NCV)  But leave the stump and its roots in the ground with a 
       band of iron and bronze around it; let it stay in the field with the 
       grass around it. "'Let the man become wet with dew, and let him live 
       among the animals and plants of the earth.

       (Dan 4:16 NCV)  Let him not think like a human any longer, but let him 
       have the mind of an animal for seven years.

       (Dan 4:17 NCV)  "'The observers gave this command; the holy ones 
       declared the sentence. This is so all people may know that the Most 
       High God rules over every kingdom on earth. God gives those kingdoms 
       to anyone he wants, and he chooses people to rule them who are not 
       proud.'

       (Dan 4:18 NCV)  "That is what I, King Nebuchadnezzar, dreamed. Now 
       Belteshazzar, tell me what the dream means. None of the wise men in my 
       kingdom can explain it to me, but you can, because the spirit of the 
       holy gods is in you."

       (Dan 4:19 NCV)  Then Daniel, who was called Belteshazzar, was very 
       quiet for a while, because his understanding of the dream frightened 
       him. So the king said, "Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its 
       meaning make you afraid." Then Belteshazzar answered, "My master, I 
       wish the dream were about your enemies, and I wish its meaning were 
       for those who are against you!

       (Dan 4:20 NCV)  You saw a tree in your dream that grew large and 
       strong. Its top touched the sky, and it could be seen from all over 
       the earth.

       (Dan 4:21 NCV)  Its leaves were beautiful, and it had plenty of fruit 
       for everyone to eat. It was a home for the wild animals, and its 
       branches were nesting places for the birds.

       (Dan 4:22 NCV)  O king, you are that tree! You have become great and 
       powerful, like the tall tree that touched the sky. Your power reaches 
       to the far parts of the earth.

       (Dan 4:23 NCV)  "O king, you saw an observer, a holy angel, coming 
       down from heaven who said, 'Cut down the tree and destroy it. But 
       leave the stump and its roots in the ground with a band of iron and 
       bronze around it; leave it in the field with the grass. Let him become 
       wet with dew and live like a wild animal for seven years.'

       (Dan 4:24 NCV)  "This is the meaning of the dream, O king. The Most 





       High God has commanded these things to happen to my master the king:

       (Dan 4:25 NCV)  You will be forced away from people to live among the 
       wild animals. People will feed you grass like an ox, and dew from the 
       sky will make you wet. Seven years will pass, and then you will learn 
       this lesson: The Most High God is ruler over every kingdom on earth, 
       and he gives those kingdoms to anyone he chooses.

       (Dan 4:26 NCV)  "Since the stump of the tree and its roots were left 
       in the ground, your kingdom will be given back to you when you learn 
       that one in heaven rules your kingdom.

       (Dan 4:27 NCV)  So, O king, please accept my advice. Stop sinning and 
       do what is right. Stop doing wicked things and be kind to the poor. 
       Then you might continue to be successful."

       (Dan 4:28 NCV)  All these things happened to King Nebuchadnezzar.

       (Dan 4:29 NCV)  Twelve months later as he was walking on the roof of 
       his palace in Babylon,

       (Dan 4:30 NCV)  he said, "I have built this great Babylon as my royal 
       home. I built it by my power to show my glory and my majesty."

       (Dan 4:31 NCV)  The words were still in his mouth when a voice from 
       heaven said, "King Nebuchadnezzar, these things will happen to you: 
       Your royal power has been taken away from you.

       (Dan 4:32 NCV)  You will be forced away from people. You will live 
       with the wild animals and will be fed grass like an ox. Seven years 
       will pass before you learn this lesson: The Most High God rules over 
       every kingdom on earth and gives those kingdoms to anyone he chooses."

       (Dan 4:33 NCV)  Immediately the words came true. Nebuchadnezzar was 
       forced to go away from people, and he began eating grass like an ox. 
       He became wet from dew. His hair grew long like the feathers of an 
       eagle, and his nails grew like the claws of a bird.

       (Dan 4:34 NCV)  At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up 
       toward heaven, and I could think normally again! Then I gave praise to 
       the Most High God; I gave honor and glory to him who lives forever. 
       God's rule is forever, and his kingdom continues for all time.

       (Dan 4:35 NCV)  People on earth are not truly important. God does what 
       he wants with the powers of heaven and the people on earth. No one can 
       stop his powerful hand or question what he does.

       (Dan 4:36 NCV)  At that time I could think normally again, and God 
       gave back my great honor and power and returned the glory to my 
       kingdom. The people who advised me and the royal family came to me for 
       help again. I became king again and was even greater and more powerful 
       than before.

       (Dan 4:37 NCV)  Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, give praise and honor and glory 
       to the King of heaven. Everything he does is right and fair, and he is 
       able to make proud people humble.






       (Dan 5:1 NCV)  King Belshazzar gave a big banquet for a thousand royal 
       guests and drank wine with them.

       (Dan 5:2 NCV)  As Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to 
       bring the gold and silver cups that his ancestor Nebuchadnezzar had 
       taken from the Temple in Jerusalem. This was so the king, his royal 
       guests, his wives, and his slave women could drink from those cups.

       (Dan 5:3 NCV)  So they brought the gold cups that had been taken from 
       the Temple of God in Jerusalem. And the king and his royal guests, his 
       wives, and his slave women drank from them.

       (Dan 5:4 NCV)  As they were drinking, they praised their gods, which 
       were made from gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

       (Dan 5:5 NCV)  Suddenly the fingers of a person's hand appeared and 
       began writing on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the 
       royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote.

       (Dan 5:6 NCV)  King Belshazzar was very frightened. His face turned 
       white, his knees knocked together, and he could not stand up because 
       his legs were too weak.

       (Dan 5:7 NCV)  The king called for the magicians, wise men, and 
       wizards of Babylon and said to them, "Anyone who can read this writing 
       and explain it will receive purple clothes fit for a king and a gold 
       chain around his neck. And I will make that person the third highest 
       ruler in the kingdom."

       (Dan 5:8 NCV)  Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could 
       not read the writing or tell the king what it meant.

       (Dan 5:9 NCV)  King Belshazzar became even more afraid, and his face 
       became even whiter. His royal guests were confused.

       (Dan 5:10 NCV)  Then the king's mother, who had heard the voices of 
       the king and his royal guests, came into the banquet room. She said, 
       "O king, live forever! Don't be afraid or let your face be white with 
       fear!

       (Dan 5:11 NCV)  There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of 
       the holy gods. In the days of your father, this man showed 
       understanding, knowledge, and wisdom like the gods. Your father, King 
       Nebuchadnezzar, put this man in charge of all the wise men, 
       fortune-tellers, magicians, and wizards.

       (Dan 5:12 NCV)  The man I am talking about is named Daniel, whom the 
       king named Belteshazzar. He was very smart and had knowledge and 
       understanding. He could explain dreams and secrets and could answer 
       very hard problems. Call for Daniel. He will tell you what the writing 
       on the wall means."

       (Dan 5:13 NCV)  So they brought Daniel to the king, and the king 
       asked, "Is your name Daniel? Are you one of the captives my father the 
       king brought from Judah?






       (Dan 5:14 NCV)  I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, 
       and that you are very smart and have knowledge and extraordinary 
       understanding.

       (Dan 5:15 NCV)  The wise men and magicians were brought to me to read 
       this writing and to explain what it means, but they could not explain 
       it.

       (Dan 5:16 NCV)  I have heard that you are able to explain what things 
       mean and can find the answers to hard problems. Read this writing on 
       the wall and explain it to me. If you can, I will give you purple 
       clothes fit for a king and a gold chain to wear around your neck. And 
       you will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom."

       (Dan 5:17 NCV)  Then Daniel answered the king, "You may keep your 
       gifts for yourself, or you may give those rewards to someone else. But 
       I will read the writing on the wall for you and will explain to you 
       what it means.

       (Dan 5:18 NCV)  "O king, the Most High God made your father 
       Nebuchadnezzar a great, important, and powerful king.

       (Dan 5:19 NCV)  Because God made him important, all the people, 
       nations, and those who spoke every language were very frightened of 
       Nebuchadnezzar. If he wanted someone to die, he killed that person. If 
       he wanted someone to live, he let that person live. Those he wanted to 
       promote, he promoted. Those he wanted to be less important, he made 
       less important.

       (Dan 5:20 NCV)  "But Nebuchadnezzar became too proud and stubborn, so 
       he was taken off his royal throne. His glory was taken away.

       (Dan 5:21 NCV)  He was forced away from people, and his mind became 
       like the mind of an animal. He lived with the wild donkeys and was fed 
       grass like an ox and became wet with dew. These things happened to him 
       until he learned his lesson: The Most High God rules over every 
       kingdom on earth, and he sets anyone he chooses over those kingdoms.

       (Dan 5:22 NCV)  "Belshazzar, you already knew these things, because 
       you are a descendant of Nebuchadnezzar. Still you have not been sorry 
       for what you have done.

       (Dan 5:23 NCV)  Instead, you have set yourself against the Lord of 
       heaven. You ordered the drinking cups from the Temple of the Lord to 
       be brought to you. Then you and your royal guests, your wives, and 
       your slave women drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver, 
       gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone that are not really gods; they 
       cannot see or hear or understand anything. You did not honor God, who 
       has power over your life and everything you do.

       (Dan 5:24 NCV)  So God sent the hand that wrote on the wall.

       (Dan 5:25 NCV)  "These are the words that were written on the wall: 
       'Mene, mene, tekel, and parsin.'





       (Dan 5:26 NCV)  "This is what the words mean: Mene: God has counted 
       the days until your kingdom will end.

       (Dan 5:27 NCV)  Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found 
       not good enough.

       (Dan 5:28 NCV)  Parsin: Your kingdom is being divided and will be 
       given to the Medes and the Persians."

       (Dan 5:29 NCV)  Then Belshazzar gave an order for Daniel to be dressed 
       in purple clothes and to have a gold chain put around his neck. And it 
       was announced that Daniel was the third highest ruler in the kingdom.

       (Dan 5:30 NCV)  That very same night Belshazzar, king of the 
       Babylonian people, was killed.

       (Dan 5:31 NCV)  So Darius the Mede became the new king when he was 
       sixty-two years old.

       (Dan 6:1 NCV)  Darius thought it would be a good idea to choose one 
       hundred twenty governors who would rule his kingdom.

       (Dan 6:2 NCV)  He chose three men as supervisors over those governors, 
       and Daniel was one of the supervisors. The supervisors were to ensure 
       that the governors did not try to cheat the king.

       (Dan 6:3 NCV)  Daniel showed that he could do the work better than the 
       other supervisors and governors, so the king planned to put Daniel in 
       charge of the whole kingdom.

       (Dan 6:4 NCV)  Because of this, the other supervisors and governors 
       tried to find reasons to accuse Daniel about his work in the 
       government. But they could not find anything wrong with him or any 
       reason to accuse him, because he was trustworthy and not lazy or 
       dishonest.

       (Dan 6:5 NCV)  Finally these men said, "We will never find any reason 
       to accuse Daniel unless it is about the law of his God."

       (Dan 6:6 NCV)  So the supervisors and governors went as a group to the 
       king and said: "King Darius, live forever!

       (Dan 6:7 NCV)  The supervisors, assistant governors, governors, the 
       people who advise you, and the captains of the soldiers have all 
       agreed that you should make a new law for everyone to obey: For the 
       next thirty days no one should pray to any god or human except to you, 
       O king. Anyone who doesn't obey will be thrown into the lions' den.

       (Dan 6:8 NCV)  Now, O king, make the law and sign your name to it so 
       that it cannot be changed, because then it will be a law of the Medes 
       and Persians and cannot be canceled."

       (Dan 6:9 NCV)  So King Darius signed the law.

       (Dan 6:10 NCV)  Even though Daniel knew that the new law had been 
       written, he went to pray in an upstairs room in his house, which had 





       windows that opened toward Jerusalem. Three times each day Daniel 
       would kneel down to pray and thank God, just as he always had done.

       (Dan 6:11 NCV)  Then those men went as a group and found Daniel 
       praying and asking God for help.

       (Dan 6:12 NCV)  So they went to the king and talked to him about the 
       law he had made. They said, "Didn't you sign a law that says no one 
       may pray to any god or human except you, O king? Doesn't it say that 
       anyone who disobeys during the next thirty days will be thrown into 
       the lions' den?" The king answered, "Yes, that is the law, and the 
       laws of the Medes and Persians cannot be canceled."

       (Dan 6:13 NCV)  Then they said to the king, "Daniel, one of the 
       captives from Judah, is not paying attention to you, O king, or to the 
       law you signed. Daniel still prays to his God three times every day."

       (Dan 6:14 NCV)  The king became very upset when he heard this. He 
       wanted to save Daniel, and he worked hard until sunset trying to think 
       of a way to save him.

       (Dan 6:15 NCV)  Then those men went as a group to the king. They said, 
       "Remember, O king, the law of the Medes and Persians says that no law 
       or command given by the king can be changed."

       (Dan 6:16 NCV)  So King Darius gave the order, and Daniel was brought 
       in and thrown into the lions' den. The king said to Daniel, "May the 
       God you serve all the time save you!"

       (Dan 6:17 NCV)  A big stone was brought and placed over the opening of 
       the lions' den. Then the king used his signet ring and the rings of 
       his royal officers to put special seals on the rock. This ensured that 
       no one would move the rock and bring Daniel out.

       (Dan 6:18 NCV)  Then King Darius went back to his palace. He did not 
       eat that night, he did not have any entertainment brought to him, and 
       he could not sleep.

       (Dan 6:19 NCV)  The next morning King Darius got up at dawn and 
       hurried to the lions' den.

       (Dan 6:20 NCV)  As he came near the den, he was worried. He called out 
       to Daniel, "Daniel, servant of the living God! Has your God that you 
       always worship been able to save you from the lions?"

       (Dan 6:21 NCV)  Daniel answered, "O king, live forever!

       (Dan 6:22 NCV)  My God sent his angel to close the lions' mouths. They 
       have not hurt me, because my God knows I am innocent. I never did 
       anything wrong to you, O king."

       (Dan 6:23 NCV)  King Darius was very happy and told his servants to 
       lift Daniel out of the lions' den. So they lifted him out and did not 
       find any injury on him, because Daniel had trusted in his God.

       (Dan 6:24 NCV)  Then the king commanded that the men who had accused 





       Daniel be brought to the lions' den. They, their wives, and their 
       children were thrown into the den. The lions grabbed them before they 
       hit the floor of the den and crushed their bones.

       (Dan 6:25 NCV)  Then King Darius wrote a letter to all people and all 
       nations, to those who spoke every language in the world: I wish you 
       great peace and wealth.

       (Dan 6:26 NCV)  I am making a new law for people in every part of my 
       kingdom. All of you must fear and respect the God of Daniel. Daniel's 
       God is the living God; he lives forever. His kingdom will never be 
       destroyed, and his rule will never end.

       (Dan 6:27 NCV)  God rescues and saves people and does mighty miracles 
       in heaven and on earth. He is the one who saved Daniel from the power 
       of the lions.

       (Dan 6:28 NCV)  So Daniel was successful during the time Darius was 
       king and when Cyrus the Persian was king.

       (Dan 7:1 NCV)  In Belshazzar's first year as king of Babylon, Daniel 
       had a dream. He saw visions as he was lying on his bed, and he wrote 
       down what he had dreamed.

       (Dan 7:2 NCV)  Daniel said: "I saw my vision at night. In the vision 
       the wind was blowing from all four directions, which made the sea very 
       rough.

       (Dan 7:3 NCV)  I saw four huge animals come up from the sea, and each 
       animal was different from the others.

       (Dan 7:4 NCV)  "The first animal looked like a lion, but had wings 
       like an eagle. I watched this animal until its wings were torn off. It 
       was lifted from the ground so that it stood up on two feet like a 
       human, and it was given the mind of a human.

       (Dan 7:5 NCV)  Then I saw a second animal before me that looked like a 
       bear. It was raised up on one of its sides and had three ribs in its 
       mouth between its teeth. It was told, 'Get up and eat all the meat you 
       want!'

       (Dan 7:6 NCV)  "After that, I looked, and there before me was another 
       animal. This animal looked like a leopard with four wings on its back 
       that looked like a bird's wings. This animal had four heads and was 
       given power to rule.

       (Dan 7:7 NCV)  "After that, in my vision at night I saw in front of me 
       a fourth animal that was cruel, terrible, and very strong. It had 
       large iron teeth. It crushed and ate what it killed, and then it 
       walked on whatever was left. This fourth animal was different from any 
       animal I had seen before, and it had ten horns.

       (Dan 7:8 NCV)  "While I was thinking about the horns, another horn 
       grew up among them. It was a little horn with eyes like a human's 
       eyes. It also had a mouth, and the mouth was bragging. The little horn 
       pulled out three of the other horns.






       (Dan 7:9 NCV)  "As I looked, thrones were put in their places, and 
       God, who has been alive forever, sat on his throne. His clothes were 
       white like snow, and the hair on his head was white like wool. His 
       throne was made from fire, and the wheels of his throne were blazing 
       with fire.

       (Dan 7:10 NCV)  A river of fire was flowing from in front of him. Many 
       thousands of angels were serving him, and millions of angels stood 
       before him. Court was ready to begin, and the books were opened.

       (Dan 7:11 NCV)  "I kept on looking because the little horn was 
       bragging. I kept watching until finally the fourth animal was killed. 
       Its body was destroyed, and it was thrown into the burning fire.

       (Dan 7:12 NCV)  (The power and rule of the other animals had been 
       taken from them, but they were permitted to live for a certain period 
       of time.)

       (Dan 7:13 NCV)  "In my vision at night I saw in front of me someone 
       who looked like a human being coming on the clouds in the sky. He came 
       near God, who has been alive forever, and he was led to God.

       (Dan 7:14 NCV)  He was given authority, glory, and the strength of a 
       king. People of every tribe, nation, and language will serve him. His 
       rule will last forever, and his kingdom will never be destroyed.

       (Dan 7:15 NCV)  "I, Daniel, was worried. The visions that went through 
       my mind frightened me.

       (Dan 7:16 NCV)  I came near one of those standing there and asked what 
       all this meant. "So he told me and explained to me what these things 
       meant:

       (Dan 7:17 NCV)  'The four great animals are four kingdoms that will 
       come from the earth.

       (Dan 7:18 NCV)  But the holy people who belong to the Most High God 
       will receive the power to rule and will have the power to rule 
       forever, from now on.'

       (Dan 7:19 NCV)  "Then I wanted to know what the fourth animal meant, 
       because it was different from all the others. It was very terrible and 
       had iron teeth and bronze claws. It was the animal that crushed and 
       ate what it killed and then walked on whatever was left.

       (Dan 7:20 NCV)  I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head 
       and about the little horn that grew there. It had pulled out three of 
       the other ten horns and looked greater than the others. It had eyes 
       and a mouth that kept bragging.

       (Dan 7:21 NCV)  As I watched, the little horn began making war against 
       God's holy people and was defeating them

       (Dan 7:22 NCV)  until God, who has been alive forever, came. He judged 
       in favor of the holy people who belong to the Most High God; then the 





       time came for them to receive the power to rule.

       (Dan 7:23 NCV)  "And he explained this to me: 'The fourth animal is a 
       fourth kingdom that will come on the earth. It will be different from 
       all the other kingdoms and will destroy people all over the world. It 
       will walk on and crush the whole earth.

       (Dan 7:24 NCV)  The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this 
       fourth kingdom. After those ten kings are gone, another king will 
       come. He will be different from the kings who ruled before him, and he 
       will defeat three of the other kings.

       (Dan 7:25 NCV)  This king will speak against the Most High God, and he 
       will hurt and kill God's holy people. He will try to change times and 
       laws that have already been set. The holy people that belong to God 
       will be in that king's power for three and one-half years.

       (Dan 7:26 NCV)  "'But the court will decide what should happen. The 
       power of the king will be taken away, and his kingdom will be 
       completely destroyed.

       (Dan 7:27 NCV)  Then the holy people who belong to the Most High God 
       will have the power to rule. They will rule over all the kingdoms 
       under heaven with power and greatness, and their power to rule will 
       last forever. People from all the other kingdoms will respect and 
       serve them.'

       (Dan 7:28 NCV)  "That was the end of the dream. I, Daniel, was very 
       afraid. My face became white from fear, but I kept everything to 
       myself."

       (Dan 8:1 NCV)  During the third year of King Belshazzar's rule, I, 
       Daniel, saw another vision, which was like the first one.

       (Dan 8:2 NCV)  In this vision I saw myself in the capital city of 
       Susa, in the area of Elam. I was standing by the Ulai Canal

       (Dan 8:3 NCV)  when I looked up and saw a male sheep standing beside 
       the canal. It had two long horns, but one horn was longer and newer 
       than the other.

       (Dan 8:4 NCV)  I watched the sheep charge to the west, the north, and 
       the south. No animal could stand before him, and none could save 
       another animal from his power. He did whatever he wanted and became 
       very powerful.

       (Dan 8:5 NCV)  While I was watching this, I saw a male goat come from 
       the west. This goat had one large horn between his eyes that was easy 
       to see. He crossed over the whole earth so fast that his feet hardly 
       touched the ground.

       (Dan 8:6 NCV)  In his anger the goat charged the sheep with the two 
       horns that I had seen standing by the canal.

       (Dan 8:7 NCV)  I watched the angry goat attack the sheep and break the 
       sheep's two horns. The sheep was not strong enough to stop it. The 





       goat knocked the sheep to the ground and then walked all over him. No 
       one was able to save the sheep from the goat,

       (Dan 8:8 NCV)  so the male goat became very great. But when he was 
       strong, his big horn broke off and four horns grew in place of the one 
       big horn. Those four horns pointed in four different directions and 
       were easy to see.

       (Dan 8:9 NCV)  Then a little horn grew from one of those four horns, 
       and it became very big. It grew to the south, the east, and toward the 
       beautiful land of Judah.

       (Dan 8:10 NCV)  That little horn grew until it reached to the sky. It 
       even threw some of the army of heaven to the ground and walked on 
       them!

       (Dan 8:11 NCV)  That little horn set itself up as equal to God, the 
       Commander of heaven's armies. It stopped the daily sacrifices that 
       were offered to him, and the Temple, the place where people worshiped 
       him, was pulled down.

       (Dan 8:12 NCV)  Because there was a turning away from God, the people 
       stopped the daily sacrifices. Truth was thrown down to the ground, and 
       the horn was successful in everything it did.

       (Dan 8:13 NCV)  Then I heard a holy angel speaking. Another holy angel 
       asked the first one, "How long will the things in this vision 
       last--the daily sacrifices, the turning away from God that brings 
       destruction, the Temple being pulled down, and the army of heaven 
       being walked on?"

       (Dan 8:14 NCV)  The angel said to me, "This will happen for 
       twenty-three hundred evenings and mornings. Then the holy place will 
       be repaired."

       (Dan 8:15 NCV)  I, Daniel, saw this vision and tried to understand 
       what it meant. In it I saw someone who looked like a man standing near 
       me.

       (Dan 8:16 NCV)  And I heard a man's voice calling from the Ulai Canal: 
       "Gabriel, explain the vision to this man."

       (Dan 8:17 NCV)  Gabriel came to where I was standing. When he came 
       close to me, I was very afraid and bowed facedown on the ground. But 
       Gabriel said to me, "Human being, understand that this vision is about 
       the time of the end."

       (Dan 8:18 NCV)  While Gabriel was speaking, I fell into a deep sleep 
       with my face on the ground. Then he touched me and lifted me to my 
       feet.

       (Dan 8:19 NCV)  He said, "Now, I will explain to you what will happen 
       in the time of God's anger. Your vision was about the set time of the 
       end.

       (Dan 8:20 NCV)  "You saw a male sheep with two horns, which are the 





       kings of Media and Persia.

       (Dan 8:21 NCV)  The male goat is the king of Greece, and the big horn 
       between its eyes is the first king.

       (Dan 8:22 NCV)  The four horns that grew in the place of the broken 
       horn are four kingdoms. Those four kingdoms will come from the nation 
       of the first king, but they will not be as strong as the first king.

       (Dan 8:23 NCV)  "When the end comes near for those kingdoms, a bold 
       and cruel king who tells lies will come. This will happen when many 
       people have turned against God.

       (Dan 8:24 NCV)  This king will be very powerful, but his power will 
       not come from himself. He will cause terrible destruction and will be 
       successful in everything he does. He will destroy powerful people and 
       even God's holy people.

       (Dan 8:25 NCV)  This king will succeed by using lies and force. He 
       will think that he is very important. He will destroy many people 
       without warning; he will try to fight even the Prince of princes! But 
       that cruel king will be destroyed, and not by human power.

       (Dan 8:26 NCV)  "The vision that has been shown to you about these 
       evenings and mornings is true. But seal up the vision, because those 
       things won't happen for a long time."

       (Dan 8:27 NCV)  I, Daniel, became very weak and was sick for several 
       days after that vision. Then I got up and went back to work for the 
       king, but I was very upset about the vision. I didn't understand what 
       it meant.

       (Dan 9:1 NCV)  These things happened during the first year Darius son 
       of Xerxes was king over Babylon. He was a descendant of the Medes.

       (Dan 9:2 NCV)  During Darius' first year as king, I, Daniel, was 
       reading the Scriptures. I saw that the LORD told Jeremiah that 
       Jerusalem would be empty ruins for seventy years.

       (Dan 9:3 NCV)  Then I turned to the Lord God and prayed and asked him 
       for help. I did not eat any food. To show my sadness, I put on rough 
       cloth and sat in ashes.

       (Dan 9:4 NCV)  I prayed to the LORD my God and told him about all of 
       our sins. I said, "Lord, you are a great God who causes fear and 
       wonder. You keep your agreement of love with all who love you and obey 
       your commands.

       (Dan 9:5 NCV)  "But we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked 
       and turned against you, your commands, and your laws.

       (Dan 9:6 NCV)  We did not listen to your servants, the prophets, who 
       spoke for you to our kings, our leaders, our ancestors, and all the 
       people of the land.

       (Dan 9:7 NCV)  "Lord, you are good and right, but we are full of shame 





       today--the people of Judah and Jerusalem, all the people of Israel, 
       those near and far whom you scattered among many nations because they 
       were not loyal to you.

       (Dan 9:8 NCV)  LORD, we are all ashamed. Our kings and leaders and our 
       fathers are ashamed, because we have sinned against you.

       (Dan 9:9 NCV)  "But, Lord our God, you show us mercy and forgive us 
       even though we have turned against you.

       (Dan 9:10 NCV)  We have not obeyed the LORD our God or the teachings 
       he gave us through his servants, the prophets.

       (Dan 9:11 NCV)  All the people of Israel have disobeyed your teachings 
       and have turned away, refusing to obey you. So you brought on us the 
       curses and promises of punishment written in the Teachings of Moses, 
       the servant of God, because we sinned against you.

       (Dan 9:12 NCV)  "You said these things would happen to us and our 
       leaders, and you made them happen; you brought on us a great disaster. 
       Nothing has ever been done on earth like what was done to Jerusalem.

       (Dan 9:13 NCV)  All this disaster came to us just as it is written in 
       the Teachings of Moses. But we have not pleaded with the LORD our God. 
       We have not stopped sinning. We have not paid attention to your truth.

       (Dan 9:14 NCV)  The LORD was ready to bring the disaster on us, and he 
       did it because the LORD our God is right in everything he does. But we 
       still did not obey him.

       (Dan 9:15 NCV)  "Lord our God, you used your power and brought us out 
       of Egypt. Because of that, your name is known even today. But we have 
       sinned and have done wrong.

       (Dan 9:16 NCV)  Lord, you do what is right, but please do not be angry 
       with Jerusalem, your city on your holy hill. Because of our sins and 
       the evil things done by our ancestors, people all around insult and 
       make fun of Jerusalem and your people.

       (Dan 9:17 NCV)  "Now, our God, hear the prayers of your servant. 
       Listen to my prayer for help, and for your sake do good things for 
       your holy place that is in ruins.

       (Dan 9:18 NCV)  My God, pay attention and hear me. Open your eyes and 
       see all the terrible things that have happened to us. See how our 
       lives have been ruined and what has happened to the city that is 
       called by your name. We do not ask these things because we are good; 
       instead, we ask because of your mercy.

       (Dan 9:19 NCV)  Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear us and do 
       something! For your sake, don't wait, because your city and your 
       people are called by your name."

       (Dan 9:20 NCV)  While I was saying these things in my prayer to the 
       LORD, my God, confessing my sins and the sins of the people of Israel 
       and praying for God's holy hill,






       (Dan 9:21 NCV)  Gabriel came to me. (I had seen him in my last 
       vision.) He came flying quickly to me about the time of the evening 
       sacrifice, while I was still praying.

       (Dan 9:22 NCV)  He taught me and said to me, "Daniel, I have come to 
       give you wisdom and to help you understand.

       (Dan 9:23 NCV)  When you first started praying, an answer was given, 
       and I came to tell you, because God loves you very much. So think 
       about the message and understand the vision.

       (Dan 9:24 NCV)  "God has ordered four hundred ninety years for your 
       people and your holy city for these reasons: to stop people from 
       turning against God; to put an end to sin; to take away evil; to bring 
       in goodness that continues forever; to bring about the vision and 
       prophecy; and to appoint a most holy place.

       (Dan 9:25 NCV)  "Learn and understand these things. A command will 
       come to rebuild Jerusalem. The time from this command until the 
       appointed leader comes will be forty-nine years and four hundred 
       thirty-four years. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and a trench 
       filled with water around it, but it will be built in times of trouble.

       (Dan 9:26 NCV)  After the four hundred thirty-four years the appointed 
       leader will be killed; he will have nothing. The people of the leader 
       who is to come will destroy the city and the holy place. The end of 
       the city will come like a flood, and war will continue until the end. 
       God has ordered that place to be completely destroyed.

       (Dan 9:27 NCV)  That leader will make firm an agreement with many 
       people for seven years. He will stop the offerings and sacrifices 
       after three and one-half years. A destroyer will do terrible things 
       until the ordered end comes to the destroyed city."

       (Dan 10:1 NCV)  During Cyrus' third year as king of Persia, Daniel, 
       whose name was Belteshazzar, received a vision about a great war. It 
       was a true message that Daniel understood.

       (Dan 10:2 NCV)  At that time I, Daniel, had been very sad for three 
       weeks.

       (Dan 10:3 NCV)  I did not eat any fancy food or meat, or drink any 
       wine, or use any perfumed oil for three weeks.

       (Dan 10:4 NCV)  On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, I was 
       standing beside the great Tigris River.

       (Dan 10:5 NCV)  While standing there, I looked up and saw a man 
       dressed in linen clothes with a belt of fine gold wrapped around his 
       waist.

       (Dan 10:6 NCV)  His body was like shiny yellow quartz. His face was 
       bright like lightning, and his eyes were like fire. His arms and legs 
       were shiny like polished bronze, and his voice sounded like the roar 
       of a crowd.






       (Dan 10:7 NCV)  I, Daniel, was the only person who saw the vision. The 
       men with me did not see it, because they were so frightened that they 
       ran away and hid.

       (Dan 10:8 NCV)  So I was left alone, watching this great vision. I 
       lost my strength, my face turned white like a dead person, and I was 
       helpless.

       (Dan 10:9 NCV)  Then I heard the man in the vision speaking. As I 
       listened, I fell into a deep sleep with my face on the ground.

       (Dan 10:10 NCV)  Then a hand touched me and set me on my hands and 
       knees. I was so afraid that I was shaking.

       (Dan 10:11 NCV)  The man in the vision said to me, "Daniel, God loves 
       you very much. Think carefully about the words I will speak to you, 
       and stand up, because I have been sent to you." When he said this, I 
       stood up, but I was still shaking.

       (Dan 10:12 NCV)  Then the man said to me, "Daniel, do not be afraid. 
       Some time ago you decided to get understanding and to humble yourself 
       before your God. Since that time God has listened to you, and I have 
       come because of your prayers.

       (Dan 10:13 NCV)  But the prince of Persia has been fighting against me 
       for twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the most important angels, 
       came to help me, because I had been left there with the king of 
       Persia.

       (Dan 10:14 NCV)  Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to 
       your people, because the vision is about a time in the future."

       (Dan 10:15 NCV)  While he was speaking to me, I bowed facedown and 
       could not speak.

       (Dan 10:16 NCV)  Then one who looked like a man touched my lips, so I 
       opened my mouth and started to speak. I said to the one standing in 
       front of me, "Master, I am upset and afraid because of what I saw in 
       the vision. I feel helpless.

       (Dan 10:17 NCV)  Master, how can I, your servant, talk with you? My 
       strength is gone, and it is hard for me to breathe."

       (Dan 10:18 NCV)  The one who looked like a man touched me again and 
       gave me strength.

       (Dan 10:19 NCV)  He said, "Daniel, don't be afraid. God loves you very 
       much. Peace be with you. Be strong now; be courageous." When he spoke 
       to me, I became stronger and said, "Master, speak, since you have 
       given me strength."

       (Dan 10:20 NCV)  Then he said, "Daniel, do you know why I have come to 
       you? Soon I must go back to fight against the prince of Persia. When I 
       go, the prince of Greece will come,





       (Dan 10:21 NCV)  but I must first tell you what is written in the Book 
       of Truth. No one stands with me against these enemies except Michael, 
       the angel ruling over your people.

       (Dan 11:1 NCV)  In the first year that Darius the Mede was king, I 
       stood up to support Michael in his fight against the prince of Persia.

       (Dan 11:2 NCV)  "Now then, Daniel, I tell you the truth: Three more 
       kings will rule in Persia, and then a fourth king will come. He will 
       be much richer than all the kings of Persia before him and will use 
       his riches to get power. He will stir up everyone against the kingdom 
       of Greece.

       (Dan 11:3 NCV)  Then a mighty king will come, who will rule with great 
       power and will do anything he wants.

       (Dan 11:4 NCV)  After that king has come, his kingdom will be broken 
       up and divided out toward the four parts of the world. His kingdom 
       will not go to his descendants, and it will not have the power that he 
       had, because his kingdom will be pulled up and given to other people.

       (Dan 11:5 NCV)  "The king of the South will become strong, but one of 
       his commanders will become even stronger. He will begin to rule his 
       own kingdom with great power.

       (Dan 11:6 NCV)  Then after a few years, a new friendship will develop. 
       The daughter of the king of the South will marry the king of the North 
       in order to bring peace. But she will not keep her power, and his 
       family will not last. She, her husband, her child, and those who 
       brought her to that country will be killed.

       (Dan 11:7 NCV)  "But a person from her family will become king of the 
       South and will attack the armies of the king of the North. He will go 
       into that king's strong, walled city and will fight and win.

       (Dan 11:8 NCV)  He will take their gods, their metal idols, and their 
       valuable things made of silver and gold back to Egypt. Then he will 
       not bother the king of the North for a few years.

       (Dan 11:9 NCV)  Next, the king of the North will attack the king of 
       the South, but he will be beaten back to his own country.

       (Dan 11:10 NCV)  "The sons of the king of the North will prepare for 
       war. They will get a large army together that will move through the 
       land very quickly, like a powerful flood. Later, that army will come 
       back and fight all the way to the strong, walled city of the king of 
       the South.

       (Dan 11:11 NCV)  Then the king of the South will become very angry and 
       will march out to fight against the king of the North. The king of the 
       North will have a large army, but he will lose the battle,

       (Dan 11:12 NCV)  and the soldiers will be carried away. The king of 
       the South will then be very proud and will kill thousands of soldiers 
       from the northern army, but he will not continue to be successful.





       (Dan 11:13 NCV)  The king of the North will gather another army, 
       larger than the first one. After several years he will attack with a 
       large army and many weapons.

       (Dan 11:14 NCV)  "In those times many people will be against the king 
       of the South. Some of your own people who love to fight will turn 
       against the king of the South, thinking it is time for God's promises 
       to come true. But they will fail.

       (Dan 11:15 NCV)  Then the king of the North will come. He will build 
       ramps to the tops of the city walls and will capture a strong, walled 
       city. The southern army will not have the power to fight back; even 
       their best soldiers will not be strong enough to stop the northern 
       army.

       (Dan 11:16 NCV)  So the king of the North will do whatever he wants; 
       no one will be able to stand against him. He will gain power and 
       control in the beautiful land of Israel and will have the power to 
       destroy it.

       (Dan 11:17 NCV)  The king of the North will decide to use all his 
       power to fight against the king of the South, but he will make a peace 
       agreement with the king of the South. The king of the North will give 
       one of his daughters as a wife to the king of the South so that he can 
       defeat him. But those plans will not succeed or help him.

       (Dan 11:18 NCV)  Then the king of the North will turn his attention to 
       cities along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and will capture them. 
       But a commander will put an end to the pride of the king of the North, 
       turning his pride back on him.

       (Dan 11:19 NCV)  After that happens the king of the North will go back 
       to the strong, walled cities of his own country, but he will lose his 
       power. That will be the end of him.

       (Dan 11:20 NCV)  "The next king of the North will send out a tax 
       collector so he will have plenty of money. In a few years that ruler 
       will be killed, although he will not die in anger or in a battle.

       (Dan 11:21 NCV)  "That ruler will be followed by a very cruel and 
       hated man, who will not have the honor of being from a king's family. 
       He will attack the kingdom when the people feel safe, and he will take 
       power by lying to the people.

       (Dan 11:22 NCV)  He will sweep away in defeat large and powerful 
       armies and even a prince who made an agreement.

       (Dan 11:23 NCV)  Many nations will make agreements with that cruel and 
       hated ruler, but he will lie to them. He will gain much power, but 
       only a few people will support him.

       (Dan 11:24 NCV)  The richest areas will feel safe, but that cruel and 
       hated ruler will attack them. He will succeed where his ancestors did 
       not. He will rob the countries he defeats and will give those things 
       to his followers. He will plan to defeat and destroy strong cities, 
       but he will be successful for only a short time.






       (Dan 11:25 NCV)  "That very cruel and hated ruler will have a large 
       army that he will use to stir up his strength and courage. He will 
       attack the king of the South. The king of the South will gather a 
       large and very powerful army and prepare for war. But the people who 
       are against him will make secret plans, and the king of the South will 
       be defeated.

       (Dan 11:26 NCV)  People who were supposed to be his good friends will 
       try to destroy him. His army will be swept away in defeat; many of his 
       soldiers will be killed in battle.

       (Dan 11:27 NCV)  Those two kings will want to hurt each other. They 
       will sit at the same table and lie to each other, but it will not do 
       either one any good, because God has set a time for their end to come.

       (Dan 11:28 NCV)  The king of the North will go back to his own country 
       with much wealth. Then he will decide to go against the holy 
       agreement. He will take action and then return to his own country.

       (Dan 11:29 NCV)  "At the right time the king of the North will attack 
       the king of the South again, but this time he will not be successful 
       as he was before.

       (Dan 11:30 NCV)  Ships from the west will come and fight against the 
       king of the North, so he will be afraid. Then he will return and show 
       his anger against the holy agreement. He will be good to those who 
       have stopped obeying the holy agreement.

       (Dan 11:31 NCV)  "The king of the North will send his army to make the 
       Temple in Jerusalem unclean. They will stop the people from offering 
       the daily sacrifice, and then they will set up the destroying terror.

       (Dan 11:32 NCV)  The king of the North will tell lies and cause those 
       who have not obeyed God to be ruined. But those who know God and obey 
       him will be strong and fight back.

       (Dan 11:33 NCV)  "Those who are wise will help the others understand 
       what is happening. But they will be killed with swords, or burned, or 
       taken captive, or robbed of their homes and possessions. These things 
       will continue for many days.

       (Dan 11:34 NCV)  When the wise ones are suffering, they will get a 
       little help, but many who join the wise ones will not help them in 
       their time of need.

       (Dan 11:35 NCV)  Some of the wise ones will be killed. But the hard 
       times must come so they can be made stronger and purer and without 
       faults until the time of the end comes. Then, at the right time, the 
       end will come.

       (Dan 11:36 NCV)  "The king of the North will do whatever he wants. He 
       will brag about himself and praise himself and think he is even better 
       than a god. He will say things against the God of gods that no one has 
       ever heard. And he will be successful until all the bad things have 
       happened. Then what God has planned to happen will happen.






       (Dan 11:37 NCV)  The king of the North will not care about the gods 
       his ancestors worshiped or the god that women worship. He won't care 
       about any god. Instead, he will make himself more important than any 
       god.

       (Dan 11:38 NCV)  The king of the North will worship power and 
       strength, which his ancestors did not worship. He will honor the god 
       of power with gold and silver, expensive jewels and gifts.

       (Dan 11:39 NCV)  That king will attack strong, walled cities with the 
       help of a foreign god. He will give much honor to the people who join 
       him, making them rulers in charge of many other people. And he will 
       make them pay him for the land they rule.

       (Dan 11:40 NCV)  "At the time of the end, the king of the South will 
       fight a battle against the king of the North. The king of the North 
       will attack with chariots, soldiers on horses, and many large ships. 
       He will invade many countries and sweep through their lands like a 
       flood.

       (Dan 11:41 NCV)  The king of the North will attack the beautiful land 
       of Judah. He will defeat many countries, but Edom, Moab, and the 
       leaders of Ammon will be saved from him.

       (Dan 11:42 NCV)  The king of the North will show his power in many 
       countries; Egypt will not escape.

       (Dan 11:43 NCV)  The king will get treasures of gold and silver and 
       all the riches of Egypt. The Libyan and Nubian people will obey him.

       (Dan 11:44 NCV)  But the king of the North will hear news from the 
       east and the north that will make him afraid and angry. He will go to 
       destroy completely many nations.

       (Dan 11:45 NCV)  He will set up his royal tents between the sea and 
       the beautiful mountain where the holy Temple is built. But, finally, 
       his end will come, and no one will help him.

       (Dan 12:1 NCV)  "At that time Michael, the great prince who protects 
       your people, will stand up. There will be a time of much trouble, the 
       worst time since nations have been on earth, but your people will be 
       saved. Everyone whose name is written in God's book will be saved.

       (Dan 12:2 NCV)  Many people who have already died will live again. 
       Some of them will wake up to have life forever, but some will wake up 
       to find shame and disgrace forever.

       (Dan 12:3 NCV)  The wise people will shine like the brightness of the 
       sky. Those who teach others to live right will shine like stars 
       forever and ever.

       (Dan 12:4 NCV)  "But you, Daniel, close up the book and seal it. These 
       things will happen at the time of the end. Many people will go here 
       and there to find true knowledge."





       (Dan 12:5 NCV)  Then I, Daniel, looked, and saw two other men. One was 
       standing on my side of the river, and the other was standing on the 
       far side.

       (Dan 12:6 NCV)  The man who was dressed in linen was standing over the 
       water in the river. One of the two men spoke to him and asked, "How 
       long will it be before these amazing things come true?"

       (Dan 12:7 NCV)  The man dressed in linen, who stood over the water, 
       raised his hands toward heaven. And I heard him swear by the name of 
       God who lives forever, "It will be for three and one-half years. The 
       power of the holy people will finally be broken, and then all these 
       things will come true."

       (Dan 12:8 NCV)  I heard the answer, but I did not really understand, 
       so I asked, "Master, what will happen after all these things come 
       true?"

       (Dan 12:9 NCV)  He answered, "Go your way, Daniel. The message is 
       closed up and sealed until the time of the end.

       (Dan 12:10 NCV)  Many people will be made clean, pure, and spotless, 
       but the wicked will continue to be wicked. Those wicked people will 
       not understand these things, but the wise will understand them.

       (Dan 12:11 NCV)  "The daily sacrifice will be stopped. Then, after 
       1,290 days from that time, the destroying terror will be set up.

       (Dan 12:12 NCV)  Those who wait for the end of the 1,335 days will be 
       happy.

       (Dan 12:13 NCV)  "As for you, Daniel, go your way until the end. You 
       will get your rest, and at the end you will rise to receive your 
       reward."

       (Hosea 1:1 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to Hosea son of Beeri during 
       the time that Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah 
       and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel.

       (Hosea 1:2 NCV)  When the LORD began speaking through Hosea, the LORD 
       said to him, "Go, and marry an unfaithful woman and have unfaithful 
       children, because the people in this country have been completely 
       unfaithful to the LORD."

       (Hosea 1:3 NCV)  So Hosea married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she 
       became pregnant and gave birth to Hosea's son.

       (Hosea 1:4 NCV)  The LORD said to Hosea, "Name him Jezreel, because 
       soon I will punish the family of Jehu for the people they killed at 
       Jezreel. In the future I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel

       (Hosea 1:5 NCV)  and break the power of Israel's army in the Valley of 
       Jezreel."

       (Hosea 1:6 NCV)  Gomer became pregnant again and gave birth to a 
       daughter. The LORD said to Hosea, "Name her Lo-Ruhamah, because I will 





       not pity Israel anymore, nor will I forgive them.

       (Hosea 1:7 NCV)  But I will show pity to the people of Judah. I will 
       save them, but not by using bows or swords, horses or horsemen, or 
       weapons of war. I, the LORD their God, will save them."

       (Hosea 1:8 NCV)  After Gomer had stopped nursing Lo-Ruhamah, she 
       became pregnant again and gave birth to another son.

       (Hosea 1:9 NCV)  The LORD said, "Name him Lo-Ammi, because you are not 
       my people, and I am not your God.

       (Hosea 1:10 NCV)  "But the number of the Israelites will become like 
       the grains of sand of the sea, which no one can measure or count. They 
       were called, 'You are not my people,' but later they will be called 
       'children of the living God.'

       (Hosea 1:11 NCV)  The people of Judah and Israel will join together 
       again and will choose one leader for themselves. They will come up 
       from the land, because the day of Jezreel will be truly great.

       (Hosea 2:1 NCV)  "You are to call your brothers, 'my people,' and your 
       sisters, 'you have been shown pity.'

       (Hosea 2:2 NCV)  "Plead with your mother. Accuse her, because she is 
       no longer my wife, and I am no longer her husband. Tell her to stop 
       acting like a prostitute, to stop behaving like an unfaithful wife.

       (Hosea 2:3 NCV)  If she refuses, I will strip her naked and leave her 
       bare like the day she was born. I will make her dry like a desert, 
       like a land without water, and I will kill her with thirst.

       (Hosea 2:4 NCV)  I will not take pity on her children, because they 
       are the children of a prostitute.

       (Hosea 2:5 NCV)  Their mother has acted like a prostitute; the one who 
       became pregnant with them has acted disgracefully. She said, 'I will 
       chase after my lovers, who give me my food and water, wool and flax, 
       wine and olive oil.'

       (Hosea 2:6 NCV)  So I will block her road with thornbushes; I will 
       build a wall around her so she cannot find her way.

       (Hosea 2:7 NCV)  She will run after her lovers, but she won't catch 
       them. She will look for them, but she won't find them. Then she will 
       say, 'I will go back to my first husband, because life was better then 
       for me than it is now.'

       (Hosea 2:8 NCV)  But she does not know that I was the one who gave her 
       grain, new wine, and oil. I gave her much silver and gold, but she 
       used it for Baal.

       (Hosea 2:9 NCV)  "So I will come back and take away my grain at 
       harvest time and my new wine when it is ready. I will take back my 
       wool and linen that covered her nakedness.





       (Hosea 2:10 NCV)  So I will show her nakedness to her lovers, and no 
       one will save her from me.

       (Hosea 2:11 NCV)  I will put an end to all her celebrations: her 
       yearly festivals, her New Moon festivals, and her Sabbaths. I will 
       stop all of her special feasts.

       (Hosea 2:12 NCV)  I will destroy her vines and fig trees, which she 
       said were her pay from her lovers. I will turn them into a forest, and 
       wild animals will eat them.

       (Hosea 2:13 NCV)  I will punish her for all the times she burned 
       incense to the Baals. She put on her rings and jewelry and went 
       chasing after her lovers, but she forgot me!" says the LORD.

       (Hosea 2:14 NCV)  "So I am going to attract her; I will lead her into 
       the desert and speak tenderly to her.

       (Hosea 2:15 NCV)  There I will give her back her vineyards, and I will 
       make the Valley of Trouble a door of hope. There she will respond as 
       when she was young, as when she came out of Egypt."

       (Hosea 2:16 NCV)  The LORD says, "In the future she will call me 'my 
       husband'; no longer will she call me 'my baal.'

       (Hosea 2:17 NCV)  I will never let her say the names of Baal again; 
       people won't use their names anymore.

       (Hosea 2:18 NCV)  At that time I will make an agreement for them with 
       the wild animals, the birds, and the crawling things. I will smash 
       from the land the bow and the sword and the weapons of war, so my 
       people will live in safety.

       (Hosea 2:19 NCV)  And I will make you my promised bride forever. I 
       will be good and fair; I will show you my love and mercy.

       (Hosea 2:20 NCV)  I will be true to you as my promised bride, and you 
       will know the LORD.

       (Hosea 2:21 NCV)  "At that time I will speak to you," says the LORD. 
       "I will speak to the skies, and they will give rain to the earth.

       (Hosea 2:22 NCV)  The earth will produce grain, new wine, and oil; 
       much will grow because my people are called Jezreel.

       (Hosea 2:23 NCV)  I will plant my people in the land, and I will show 
       pity to the one I had called 'not shown pity." I will say, 'You are my 
       people' to those I had called 'not my people.' And they will say to 
       me, 'You are our God.'"

       (Hosea 3:1 NCV)  The LORD said to me again, "Go, show your love to a 
       woman loved by someone else, who has been unfaithful to you. In the 
       same way the LORD loves the people of Israel, even though they worship 
       other gods and love to eat the raisin cakes."

       (Hosea 3:2 NCV)  So I bought her for six ounces of silver and ten 





       bushels of barley.

       (Hosea 3:3 NCV)  Then I told her, "You must wait for me for many days. 
       You must not be a prostitute, and you must not have sexual relations 
       with any other man. I will act the same way toward you."

       (Hosea 3:4 NCV)  In the same way Israel will live many days without a 
       king or leader, without sacrifices or holy stone pillars, and without 
       the holy vest or an idol.

       (Hosea 3:5 NCV)  After this, the people of Israel will return to the 
       LORD their God and follow him and the king from David's family. In the 
       last days they will turn in fear to the LORD, and he will bless them.

       (Hosea 4:1 NCV)  People of Israel, listen to the Lord's message. The 
       LORD has this against you who live in the land: "The people are not 
       true, not loyal to God, nor do those who live in the land even know 
       him.

       (Hosea 4:2 NCV)  Cursing, lying, killing, stealing and adultery are 
       everywhere. One murder follows another.

       (Hosea 4:3 NCV)  Because of this the land dries up, and all its people 
       are dying. Even the wild animals and the birds of the air and the fish 
       of the sea are dying.

       (Hosea 4:4 NCV)  "No one should accuse or blame another person. Don't 
       blame the people, you priests, when they quarrel with you.

       (Hosea 4:5 NCV)  You will be ruined in the day, and your prophets will 
       be ruined with you in the night. I will also destroy your mother.

       (Hosea 4:6 NCV)  My people will be destroyed, because they have no 
       knowledge. You have refused to learn, so I will refuse to let you be 
       priests to me. You have forgotten the teachings of your God, so I will 
       forget your children.

       (Hosea 4:7 NCV)  The more priests there are, the more they sin against 
       me. I will take away their honor and give them shame.

       (Hosea 4:8 NCV)  Since the priests live off the sin offerings of the 
       people, they want the people to sin more and more.

       (Hosea 4:9 NCV)  The priests are as wrong as the people, and I will 
       punish them both for what they have done. I will repay them for the 
       wrong they have done.

       (Hosea 4:10 NCV)  "They will eat but not have enough; they will have 
       sexual relations with the prostitutes, but they will not have 
       children, because they have left the LORD to give themselves to

       (Hosea 4:11 NCV)  prostitution, to old and new wine, which take away 
       their ability to understand.

       (Hosea 4:12 NCV)  "My people ask wooden idols for advice; they ask 
       those sticks of wood to advise them! Like prostitutes, they have 





       chased after other gods and have left their own God.

       (Hosea 4:13 NCV)  They make sacrifices on the tops of the mountains. 
       They burn offerings on the hills, under oaks, poplars, and other 
       trees, because their shade is nice. So your daughters become 
       prostitutes, and your daughters-in-law are guilty of adultery.

       (Hosea 4:14 NCV)  "But I will not punish your daughters for becoming 
       prostitutes, nor your daughters-in-law for their sins of adultery. I 
       will not punish them, because the men have sexual relations with 
       prostitutes and offer sacrifices with the temple prostitutes. A 
       foolish people will be ruined.

       (Hosea 4:15 NCV)  "Israel, you act like a prostitute, but do not be 
       guilty toward the LORD. Don't go to Gilgal or go up to Beth Aven. 
       Don't make promises, saying, 'As surely as the LORD lives...'

       (Hosea 4:16 NCV)  The people of Israel are stubborn like a stubborn 
       young cow. Now the LORD will feed them like lambs in the open country.

       (Hosea 4:17 NCV)  The Israelites have chosen to worship idols, so 
       leave them alone.

       (Hosea 4:18 NCV)  When they finish their drinking, they completely 
       give themselves to being prostitutes; they love these disgraceful 
       ways.

       (Hosea 4:19 NCV)  They will be swept away as if by a whirlwind, and 
       their sacrifices will bring them only shame.

       (Hosea 5:1 NCV)  "Listen, you priests. Pay attention, people of 
       Israel. Listen, royal family, because you will all be judged. You have 
       been like a trap at Mizpah and like a net spread out at Mount Tabor.

       (Hosea 5:2 NCV)  You have done many evil things, so I will punish you 
       all.

       (Hosea 5:3 NCV)  I know all about the people of Israel; what they have 
       done is not hidden from me. Now that Israel acts like a prostitute, it 
       has made itself unclean.

       (Hosea 5:4 NCV)  "They will not give up their deeds and return to 
       their God. They are determined to be unfaithful to me; they do not 
       know the LORD.

       (Hosea 5:5 NCV)  Israel's pride testifies against them. The people of 
       Israel will stumble because of their sin, and the people of Judah will 
       stumble with them.

       (Hosea 5:6 NCV)  They will come to worship the LORD, bringing their 
       flocks and herds, but they will not be able to find him, because he 
       has left them.

       (Hosea 5:7 NCV)  They have not been true to the LORD; they are 
       children who do not belong to him. So their false worship will destroy 
       them and their land.






       (Hosea 5:8 NCV)  "Blow the horn in Gibeah and the trumpet in Ramah. 
       Give the warning at Beth Aven, and be first into battle, people of 
       Benjamin.

       (Hosea 5:9 NCV)  Israel will be ruined on the day of punishment. To 
       the tribes of Israel I tell the truth.

       (Hosea 5:10 NCV)  The leaders of Judah are like those who steal other 
       people's land. I will pour my punishment over them like a flood of 
       water.

       (Hosea 5:11 NCV)  Israel is crushed by the punishment, because it 
       decided to follow idols.

       (Hosea 5:12 NCV)  I am like a moth to Israel, like a rot to the people 
       of Judah.

       (Hosea 5:13 NCV)  "When Israel saw its illness and Judah saw its 
       wounds, Israel went to Assyria for help and sent to the great king of 
       Assyria. But he cannot heal you or cure your wounds.

       (Hosea 5:14 NCV)  I will be like a lion to Israel, like a young lion 
       to Judah. I will attack them and tear them to pieces. I will drag them 
       off, and no one will be able to save them.

       (Hosea 5:15 NCV)  Then I will go back to my place until they suffer 
       for their guilt and turn back to me. In their trouble they will look 
       for me."

       (Hosea 6:1 NCV)  "Come, let's go back to the LORD. He has hurt us, but 
       he will heal us. He has wounded us, but he will bandage our wounds.

       (Hosea 6:2 NCV)  In two days he will put new life in us; on the third 
       day he will raise us up so that we may live in his presence

       (Hosea 6:3 NCV)  and know him. Let's try to learn about the LORD; He 
       will come to us as surely as the dawn comes. He will come to us like 
       rain, like the spring rain that waters the ground."

       (Hosea 6:4 NCV)  The LORD says, "Israel, what should I do with you? 
       Judah, what should I do with you? Your faithfulness is like a morning 
       mist, like the dew that goes away early in the day.

       (Hosea 6:5 NCV)  I have warned you by my prophets that I will kill you 
       and destroy you. My justice comes out like bright light.

       (Hosea 6:6 NCV)  I want faithful love more than I want animal 
       sacrifices. I want people to know me more than I want burnt offerings.

       (Hosea 6:7 NCV)  But they have broken the agreement as Adam did; they 
       have been unfaithful to me.

       (Hosea 6:8 NCV)  Gilead is a city of people who do evil; their 
       footprints are bloody.





       (Hosea 6:9 NCV)  The priests are like robbers waiting to attack 
       people; they murder people on the road to Shechem and do wicked 
       things.

       (Hosea 6:10 NCV)  I have seen horrible things in Israel. Look at 
       Israel's prostitution; Israel has become unclean.

       (Hosea 6:11 NCV)  "Judah, I have set a harvest time for you when I 
       will make the lives of my people good again.

       (Hosea 7:1 NCV)  When I heal Israel, Israel's sin will go away, and so 
       will Samaria's evil. "They cheat a lot! Thieves break into houses, and 
       robbers are in the streets.

       (Hosea 7:2 NCV)  It never enters their minds that I remember all their 
       evil deeds. The bad things they do are all around them; they are right 
       in front of me.

       (Hosea 7:3 NCV)  "They make the king happy with their wickedness; 
       their rulers are glad with their lies.

       (Hosea 7:4 NCV)  But all of them are traitors. They are like an oven 
       heated by a baker. While he mixes the dough, he does not need to stir 
       up the fire.

       (Hosea 7:5 NCV)  The kings get so drunk they get sick every day. The 
       rulers become crazy with wine; they make agreements with those who do 
       not know the true God.

       (Hosea 7:6 NCV)  They burn like an oven; their hearts burn inside 
       them. All night long their anger is low, but when morning comes, it 
       becomes a roaring fire.

       (Hosea 7:7 NCV)  All these people are as hot as an oven; they burn up 
       their rulers. All their kings fall, and no one calls on me.

       (Hosea 7:8 NCV)  "Israel mixes with other nations; he is like a 
       pancake cooked only on one side.

       (Hosea 7:9 NCV)  Foreign nations have eaten up his strength, but he 
       doesn't know it. Israel is weak and feeble, like an old man, but he 
       doesn't know it.

       (Hosea 7:10 NCV)  Israel's pride will cause their defeat; they will 
       not turn back to the LORD their God or look to him for help in all 
       this.

       (Hosea 7:11 NCV)  Israel has become like a pigeon-- easy to fool and 
       stupid. First they call to Egypt for help. Then they run to Assyria.

       (Hosea 7:12 NCV)  When they go, I will catch them in a net, I will 
       bring them down like birds from the sky; I will punish them countless 
       times for their evil.

       (Hosea 7:13 NCV)  How terrible for them because they left me! They 
       will be destroyed, because they turned against me. I want to save 





       them, but they have spoken lies against me.

       (Hosea 7:14 NCV)  They do not call to me from their hearts. They just 
       lie on their beds and cry. They come together to ask for grain and new 
       wine, but they really turn away from me.

       (Hosea 7:15 NCV)  Though I trained them and gave them strength, they 
       have made evil plans against me.

       (Hosea 7:16 NCV)  They did not turn to the Most High God. They are 
       like a loose bow that can't shoot. Because their leaders brag about 
       their strength, they will be killed with swords, and the people in 
       Egypt will laugh at them.

       (Hosea 8:1 NCV)  "Put the trumpet to your lips and give the warning! 
       The enemy swoops down on the Lord's people like an eagle. The 
       Israelites have broken my agreement and have turned against my 
       teachings.

       (Hosea 8:2 NCV)  They cry out to me, 'Our God, we in Israel know you!'

       (Hosea 8:3 NCV)  But Israel has rejected what is good, so the enemy 
       will chase them.

       (Hosea 8:4 NCV)  They chose their own kings without asking my 
       permission. They chose their own leaders, people I did not know. They 
       made their silver and gold into idols, and for all this they will be 
       destroyed.

       (Hosea 8:5 NCV)  I hate the calf-shaped idol of Israel! I am very 
       angry with the people. How long will they remain unclean?

       (Hosea 8:6 NCV)  The idol is something a craftsman made; it is not 
       God. Israel's calf-shaped idol will surely be smashed to pieces.

       (Hosea 8:7 NCV)  "Israel's foolish plans are like planting the wind, 
       but they will harvest a storm. Like a stalk with no head of grain, it 
       produces nothing. Even if it produced something, other nations would 
       eat it.

       (Hosea 8:8 NCV)  Israel is eaten up; the people are mixed among the 
       other nations and have become useless to me.

       (Hosea 8:9 NCV)  Israel is like a wild donkey all by itself. They have 
       run to Assyria; They have hired other nations to protect them.

       (Hosea 8:10 NCV)  Although Israel is mixed among the nations, I will 
       gather them together. They will become weaker and weaker as they 
       suffer under the great king of Assyria.

       (Hosea 8:11 NCV)  "Although Israel built more altars to remove sin, 
       they have become altars for sinning.

       (Hosea 8:12 NCV)  I have written many teachings for them, but they 
       think the teachings are strange and foreign.





       (Hosea 8:13 NCV)  The Israelites offer sacrifices to me as gifts and 
       eat the meat, but the LORD is not pleased with them. He remembers the 
       evil they have done, and he will punish them for their sins. They will 
       be slaves again as they were in Egypt.

       (Hosea 8:14 NCV)  Israel has forgotten their Maker and has built 
       palaces; Judah has built many strong, walled cities. But I will send 
       fire on their cities and destroy their strong buildings."

       (Hosea 9:1 NCV)  Israel, do not rejoice; don't shout for joy as the 
       other nations do. You have been like a prostitute against your God. 
       You love the pay of prostitutes on every threshing floor.

       (Hosea 9:2 NCV)  But the threshing floor and the winepress will not 
       feed the people, and there won't be enough new wine.

       (Hosea 9:3 NCV)  The people will not stay in the Lord's land. Israel 
       will return to being captives as they were in Egypt, and in Assyria 
       they will eat food that they are not allowed to eat.

       (Hosea 9:4 NCV)  The Israelites will not give offerings of wine to the 
       LORD; they will not give him sacrifices. Their sacrifices will be like 
       food that is eaten at a funeral; it is unclean, and everyone who eats 
       it becomes unclean. Their food will only satisfy their hunger; they 
       cannot sacrifice it in the Temple.

       (Hosea 9:5 NCV)  What will you do then on the day of feasts and on the 
       day of the Lord's festival?

       (Hosea 9:6 NCV)  Even if the people are not destroyed, Egypt will 
       capture them; Memphis will bury them. Weeds will grow over their 
       silver treasures, and thorns will drive them out of their tents.

       (Hosea 9:7 NCV)  The time of punishment has come, the time to pay for 
       sins. Let Israel know this: You think the prophet is a fool, and you 
       say the spiritual person is crazy. You have sinned very much, and your 
       hatred is great.

       (Hosea 9:8 NCV)  Is Israel a watchman? Are God's people prophets? 
       Everywhere Israel goes, traps are set for him. He is an enemy in God's 
       house.

       (Hosea 9:9 NCV)  The people of Israel have gone deep into sin as the 
       people of Gibeah did. The Lord will remember the evil things they have 
       done, and he will punish their sins.

       (Hosea 9:10 NCV)  "When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in 
       the desert. Your ancestors were like finding the first figs on the fig 
       tree. But when they came to Baal Peor, they began worshiping an idol, 
       and they became as hateful as the thing they worshiped.

       (Hosea 9:11 NCV)  Israel's glory will fly away like a bird; there will 
       be no more pregnancy, no more births, no more getting pregnant.

       (Hosea 9:12 NCV)  But even if the Israelites bring up children, I will 
       take them all away. How terrible it will be for them when I go away 





       from them!

       (Hosea 9:13 NCV)  I have seen Israel, like Tyre, given a pleasant 
       place. But the people of Israel will soon bring out their children to 
       be killed."

       (Hosea 9:14 NCV)  LORD, give them what they should have. What will you 
       give them? Make their women unable to have children; give them 
       dried-up breasts that cannot feed their babies.

       (Hosea 9:15 NCV)  "The Israelites were very wicked in Gilgal, so I 
       have hated them there. Because of the sinful things they have done, I 
       will force them to leave my land. I will no longer love them; their 
       leaders have turned against me.

       (Hosea 9:16 NCV)  Israel is beaten down; its root is dying, and it has 
       no fruit. If they have more children, I will kill the children they 
       love."

       (Hosea 9:17 NCV)  God will reject them, because they have not obeyed 
       him; they will wander among the nations.

       (Hosea 10:1 NCV)  Israel is like a large vine that produced plenty of 
       fruit. As the people became richer, they built more altars for idols. 
       As their land became better, they put up better stone pillars to honor 
       gods.

       (Hosea 10:2 NCV)  Their heart was false, and now they must pay for 
       their guilt. The LORD will break down their altars; he will destroy 
       their holy stone pillars.

       (Hosea 10:3 NCV)  Then they will say, "We have no king, because we 
       didn't honor the LORD. As for the king, he couldn't do anything for 
       us."

       (Hosea 10:4 NCV)  They make many false promises and agreements which 
       they don't keep. So people sue each other in court; they are like 
       poisonous weeds growing in a plowed field.

       (Hosea 10:5 NCV)  The people from Israel are worried about the 
       calf-shaped idol at Beth Aven. The people will cry about it, and the 
       priests will cry about it. They used to shout for joy about its glory,

       (Hosea 10:6 NCV)  but it will be carried off to Assyria as a gift to 
       the great king. Israel will be disgraced, and the people will be 
       ashamed for not obeying.

       (Hosea 10:7 NCV)  Israel will be destroyed; its king will be like a 
       chip of wood floating on the water.

       (Hosea 10:8 NCV)  The places of false worship will be destroyed, the 
       places where Israel sins. Thorns and weeds will grow up and cover 
       their altars. Then they will say to the mountains, "Cover us!" and to 
       the hills, "Fall on us!"

       (Hosea 10:9 NCV)  "Israel, you have sinned since the time of Gibeah, 





       and the people there have continued sinning. But war will surely 
       overwhelm them in Gibeah, because of the evil they have done there.

       (Hosea 10:10 NCV)  When I am ready, I will come to punish them. 
       Nations will come together against them, and they will be punished for 
       their double sins.

       (Hosea 10:11 NCV)  Israel is like a well-trained young cow that likes 
       to thresh grain. I will put a yoke on her neck and make her work hard 
       in the field. Israel will plow, and Judah will break up the ground.

       (Hosea 10:12 NCV)  I said, 'Plant goodness, harvest the fruit of 
       loyalty, plow the new ground of knowledge. Look for the LORD until he 
       comes and pours goodness on you like water.'

       (Hosea 10:13 NCV)  But you have plowed evil and harvested trouble; you 
       have eaten the fruit of your lies. Because you have trusted in your 
       own power and your many soldiers,

       (Hosea 10:14 NCV)  your people will hear the noise of battle, and all 
       your strong, walled cities will be destroyed. It will be like the time 
       King Shalman destroyed Beth Arbel in battle, when mothers and their 
       children were bashed to death.

       (Hosea 10:15 NCV)  The same will happen to you, people of Bethel, 
       because you did so much evil. When the sun comes up, the king of 
       Israel will die.

       (Hosea 11:1 NCV)  "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and I called 
       my son out of Egypt.

       (Hosea 11:2 NCV)  But when I called the people of Israel, they went 
       away from me. They offered sacrifices to the Baals and burned incense 
       to the idols.

       (Hosea 11:3 NCV)  It was I who taught Israel to walk, and I took them 
       by the arms, but they did not understand that I had healed them.

       (Hosea 11:4 NCV)  I led them with cords of human kindness, with ropes 
       of love. I lifted the yoke from their neck and bent down and fed them.

       (Hosea 11:5 NCV)  "The Israelites will become captives again, as they 
       were in Egypt, and Assyria will become their king, because they refuse 
       to turn back to God.

       (Hosea 11:6 NCV)  War will sweep through their cities and will destroy 
       them and kill them because of their wicked plans.

       (Hosea 11:7 NCV)  My people have made up their minds to turn away from 
       me. The prophets call them to turn to me, but none of them honors me 
       at all.

       (Hosea 11:8 NCV)  "Israel, how can I give you up? How can I give you 
       away, Israel? I don't want to make you like Admah or treat you like 
       Zeboiim. My heart beats for you, and my love for you stirs up my pity.





       (Hosea 11:9 NCV)  I won't punish you in my anger, and I won't destroy 
       Israel again. I am God and not a human; I am the Holy One, and I am 
       among you. I will not come against you in anger.

       (Hosea 11:10 NCV)  They will go after the LORD, and he will roar like 
       a lion. When he roars, his children will hurry to him from the west.

       (Hosea 11:11 NCV)  They will come swiftly like birds from Egypt and 
       like doves from Assyria. I will settle them again in their homes," 
       says the LORD.

       (Hosea 11:12 NCV)  Israel has surrounded me with lies; the people have 
       made evil plans. And Judah turns against God, the faithful Holy One.

       (Hosea 12:1 NCV)  What Israel does is as useless as chasing the wind; 
       he chases the east wind all day. They tell more and more lies and do 
       more and more violence. They make agreements with Assyria, and they 
       send a gift of olive oil to Egypt.

       (Hosea 12:2 NCV)  The LORD also has some things against Judah. He will 
       punish Israel for what they have done; he will give them what they 
       deserve.

       (Hosea 12:3 NCV)  Their ancestor Jacob held on to his brother's heel 
       while the two of them were being born. When he grew to be a man, he 
       wrestled with God.

       (Hosea 12:4 NCV)  When Jacob wrestled with the angel and won, he cried 
       and asked for his blessing. Later, God met with him at Bethel and 
       spoke with him there.

       (Hosea 12:5 NCV)  It was the LORD God All-Powerful; the LORD is his 
       great name.

       (Hosea 12:6 NCV)  You must return to your God; love him, do what is 
       just, and always trust in him as your God.

       (Hosea 12:7 NCV)  The merchants use dishonest scales; they like to 
       cheat people.

       (Hosea 12:8 NCV)  Israel said, "I am rich! I am someone with power!" 
       All their money will do them no good because of the sins they have 
       done.

       (Hosea 12:9 NCV)  "But I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of 
       Egypt. I will make you live in tents again as you used to do on 
       worship days.

       (Hosea 12:10 NCV)  I spoke to the prophets and gave them many visions; 
       through them, I taught my lessons to you."

       (Hosea 12:11 NCV)  The people of Gilead are evil, worth nothing. 
       Though people sacrifice bulls at Gilgal, their altars will become like 
       piles of stone in a plowed field.

       (Hosea 12:12 NCV)  Your ancestor Jacob fled to Northwest Mesopotamia 





       where he worked to get a wife; he tended sheep to pay for her.

       (Hosea 12:13 NCV)  Later the LORD used a prophet to bring Jacob's 
       descendants out of Egypt; he used a prophet to take care of the 
       Israelites.

       (Hosea 12:14 NCV)  But the Israelites made the Lord angry when they 
       killed other people, and they deserve to die for their crimes. The 
       Lord will make them pay for the disgraceful things they have done.

       (Hosea 13:1 NCV)  People used to fear the tribe of Ephraim; they were 
       important people in Israel. But they sinned by worshiping Baal, so 
       they must die.

       (Hosea 13:2 NCV)  But they still keep on sinning more and more. They 
       make idols of their silver, idols that are cleverly made, the work of 
       a craftsman. Yet the people of Israel say to each other, "Kiss those 
       calf idols and sacrifice to them."

       (Hosea 13:3 NCV)  So those people will be like the morning mist; they 
       will disappear like the morning dew. They will be like chaff blown 
       from the threshing floor, like smoke going out a window.

       (Hosea 13:4 NCV)  "I, the LORD, have been your God since you were in 
       the land of Egypt. You should have known no other God except me. I am 
       the only one who saves.

       (Hosea 13:5 NCV)  I cared for them in the desert where it was hot and 
       dry.

       (Hosea 13:6 NCV)  I gave them food, and they became full and 
       satisfied. But then they became too proud and forgot me.

       (Hosea 13:7 NCV)  That is why I will be like a lion to them, like a 
       leopard waiting by the road.

       (Hosea 13:8 NCV)  I will attack like a bear robbed of her cubs, 
       ripping their bodies open. I will devour them like a lion and tear 
       them apart like a wild animal.

       (Hosea 13:9 NCV)  "Israel, I will destroy you. Who will be your helper 
       then?

       (Hosea 13:10 NCV)  What good is your king? Can he save you in any of 
       your towns? What good are your leaders? You said, 'Give us a king and 
       leaders.'

       (Hosea 13:11 NCV)  So I gave you a king, but only in anger, and I took 
       him away in my great anger.

       (Hosea 13:12 NCV)  The sins of Israel are on record, stored away, 
       waiting for punishment.

       (Hosea 13:13 NCV)  The pain of birth will come for him, but he is like 
       a foolish baby who won't come out of its mother's womb.





       (Hosea 13:14 NCV)  Will I save them from the place of the dead? Will I 
       rescue them from death? Where is your sickness, death? Where is your 
       pain, place of death? I will show them no mercy.

       (Hosea 13:15 NCV)  Israel is doing well among the nations, but the 
       LORD will send a wind from the east, coming from the desert, that will 
       dry up his springs and wells of water. He will destroy from their 
       treasure houses everything of value.

       (Hosea 13:16 NCV)  The nation of Israel will be ruined, because it 
       fought against God. The people of Israel will die in war; their 
       children will be torn to pieces, and their pregnant women will be 
       ripped open."

       (Hosea 14:1 NCV)  Israel, return to the LORD your God, because your 
       sins have made you fall.

       (Hosea 14:2 NCV)  Come back to the LORD and say these words to him: 
       "Take away all our sin and kindly receive us, and we will keep the 
       promises we made to you.

       (Hosea 14:3 NCV)  Assyria cannot save us, nor will we trust in our 
       horses. We will not say again, 'Our gods,' to the things our hands 
       have made. You show mercy to orphans."

       (Hosea 14:4 NCV)  The LORD says, "I will forgive them for leaving me 
       and will love them freely, because I am not angry with them anymore.

       (Hosea 14:5 NCV)  I will be like the dew to Israel, and they will 
       blossom like a lily. Like the cedar trees in Lebanon, their roots will 
       be firm.

       (Hosea 14:6 NCV)  They will be like spreading branches, like the 
       beautiful olive trees and the sweet-smelling cedars in Lebanon.

       (Hosea 14:7 NCV)  The people of Israel will again live under my 
       protection. They will grow like the grain, they will bloom like a 
       vine, and they will be as famous as the wine of Lebanon.

       (Hosea 14:8 NCV)  Israel, have nothing to do with idols. I, the LORD, 
       am the one who answers your prayers and watches over you. I am like a 
       green pine tree; your blessings come from me."

       (Hosea 14:9 NCV)  A wise person will know these things, and an 
       understanding person will take them to heart. The Lord's ways are 
       right. Good people live by following them, but those who turn against 
       God die because of them.

       (Joel 1:1 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to Joel son of Pethuel:

       (Joel 1:2 NCV)  Older leaders, listen to this message. Listen to me, 
       all you who live in the land. Nothing like this has ever happened 
       during your lifetime or during your ancestors' lifetimes.

       (Joel 1:3 NCV)  Tell your children about these things, let your 
       children tell their children, and let your grandchildren tell their 





       children.

       (Joel 1:4 NCV)  What the cutting locusts have left, the swarming 
       locusts have eaten; what the swarming locusts have left, the hopping 
       locusts have eaten, and what the hopping locusts have left, the 
       destroying locusts have eaten.

       (Joel 1:5 NCV)  Drunks, wake up and cry! All you people who drink 
       wine, cry! Cry because your wine has been taken away from your mouths.

       (Joel 1:6 NCV)  A powerful nation has come into my land with too many 
       soldiers to count. It has teeth like a lion, jaws like a female lion.

       (Joel 1:7 NCV)  It has made my grapevine a waste and made my fig tree 
       a stump. It has stripped all the bark off my trees and left the 
       branches white.

       (Joel 1:8 NCV)  Cry as a young woman cries when the man she was going 
       to marry has died.

       (Joel 1:9 NCV)  There will be no more grain or drink offerings to 
       offer in the Temple of the LORD. Because of this, the priests, the 
       servants of the LORD, are sad.

       (Joel 1:10 NCV)  The fields are ruined; the ground is dried up. The 
       grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, and the olive oil runs 
       out.

       (Joel 1:11 NCV)  Be sad, farmers. Cry loudly, you who grow grapes. Cry 
       for the wheat and the barley. Cry because the harvest of the field is 
       lost.

       (Joel 1:12 NCV)  The vines have become dry, and the fig trees are 
       dried up. The pomegranate trees, the date palm trees, the apple 
       trees-- all the trees in the field have died. And the happiness of the 
       people has died, too.

       (Joel 1:13 NCV)  Priests, put on your rough cloth and cry to show your 
       sadness. Servants of the altar, cry out loud. Servants of my God, keep 
       your rough cloth on all night to show your sadness. Cry because there 
       will be no more grain or drink offerings to offer in the Temple of 
       your God.

       (Joel 1:14 NCV)  Call for a day when no one eats food! Tell everyone 
       to stop work! Bring the older leaders and everyone who lives in the 
       land to the Temple of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD.

       (Joel 1:15 NCV)  What a terrible day it will be! The Lord's day of 
       judging is near, when punishment will come like a destroying attack 
       from the Almighty.

       (Joel 1:16 NCV)  Our food is taken away while we watch. Joy and 
       happiness are gone from the Temple of our God.

       (Joel 1:17 NCV)  Though we planted fig seeds, they lie dry and dead in 
       the dirt. The barns are empty and falling down. The storerooms for 





       grain have been broken down, because the grain has dried up.

       (Joel 1:18 NCV)  The animals are groaning! The herds of cattle wander 
       around confused, because they have no grass to eat; even the flocks of 
       sheep suffer.

       (Joel 1:19 NCV)  LORD, I am calling to you for help, because fire has 
       burned up the open pastures, and flames have burned all the trees in 
       the field.

       (Joel 1:20 NCV)  Wild animals also need your help. The streams of 
       water have dried up, and fire has burned up the open pastures.

       (Joel 2:1 NCV)  Blow the trumpet in Jerusalem; shout a warning on my 
       holy mountain. Let all the people who live in the land shake with 
       fear, because the Lord's day of judging is coming; it is near.

       (Joel 2:2 NCV)  It will be a dark, gloomy day, cloudy and black. Like 
       the light at sunrise, a great and powerful army will spread over the 
       mountains. There has never been anything like it before, and there 
       will never be anything like it again.

       (Joel 2:3 NCV)  In front of them a fire destroys; in back of them a 
       flame burns. The land in front of them is like the garden of Eden; the 
       land behind them is like an empty desert. Nothing will escape from 
       them.

       (Joel 2:4 NCV)  They look like horses, and they run like war horses.

       (Joel 2:5 NCV)  It is like the noise of chariots rumbling over the 
       tops of the mountains, like the noise of a roaring fire burning dry 
       stalks. They are like a powerful army lined up for battle.

       (Joel 2:6 NCV)  When they see them, nations shake with fear, and 
       everyone's face becomes pale.

       (Joel 2:7 NCV)  They charge like soldiers; they climb over the wall 
       like warriors. They all march straight ahead and do not move off their 
       path.

       (Joel 2:8 NCV)  They do not run into each other, because each walks in 
       line. They break through all efforts to stop them and keep coming.

       (Joel 2:9 NCV)  They run into the city. They run at the wall and climb 
       into the houses, entering through windows like thieves.

       (Joel 2:10 NCV)  Before them, earth and sky shake. The sun and the 
       moon become dark, and the stars stop shining.

       (Joel 2:11 NCV)  The LORD shouts out orders to his army. His army is 
       very large! Those who obey him are very strong! The Lord's day of 
       judging is an overwhelming and terrible day. No one can stand up 
       against it!

       (Joel 2:12 NCV)  The LORD says, "Even now, come back to me with all 
       your heart. Go without food, and cry and be sad."






       (Joel 2:13 NCV)  Tearing your clothes is not enough to show you are 
       sad; let your heart be broken. Come back to the LORD your God, because 
       he is kind and shows mercy. He doesn't become angry quickly, and he 
       has great love. He can change his mind about doing harm.

       (Joel 2:14 NCV)  Who knows? Maybe he will turn back to you and leave 
       behind a blessing for you. Grain and drink offerings belong to the 
       LORD your God.

       (Joel 2:15 NCV)  Blow the trumpet in Jerusalem; call for a day when no 
       one eats food. Tell everyone to stop work.

       (Joel 2:16 NCV)  Bring the people together and make the meeting holy 
       for the LORD. Bring together the older leaders, as well as the 
       children, and even babies that still feed at their mothers' breasts. 
       The bridegroom should come from his room, the bride from her bedroom.

       (Joel 2:17 NCV)  The priests, the Lord's servants, should cry between 
       the altar and the entrance to the Temple. They should say, "LORD, have 
       mercy on your people. Don't let them be put to shame; don't let other 
       nations make fun of them. Don't let people in other nations ask, 
       'Where is their God?'"

       (Joel 2:18 NCV)  Then the LORD became concerned about his land and 
       felt sorry for his people.

       (Joel 2:19 NCV)  He said to them: "I will send you grain, new wine, 
       and olive oil, so that you will have plenty. No more will I shame you 
       among the nations.

       (Joel 2:20 NCV)  I will force the army from the north to leave your 
       land and go into a dry, empty land. Their soldiers in front will be 
       forced into the Dead Sea, and those in the rear into the Mediterranean 
       Sea. Their bodies will rot and stink. The LORD has surely done a 
       wonderful thing!"

       (Joel 2:21 NCV)  Land, don't be afraid; be happy and full of joy, 
       because the LORD has done a wonderful thing.

       (Joel 2:22 NCV)  Wild animals, don't be afraid, because the open 
       pastures have grown grass. The trees have given fruit; the fig trees 
       and the grapevines have grown much fruit.

       (Joel 2:23 NCV)  So be happy, people of Jerusalem; be joyful in the 
       LORD your God. Because he does what is right, he has brought you rain; 
       he has sent the fall rain and the spring rain for you, as before.

       (Joel 2:24 NCV)  And the threshing floors will be full of grain; the 
       barrels will overflow with new wine and olive oil.

       (Joel 2:25 NCV)  "Though I sent my great army against you-- those 
       swarming locusts and hopping locusts, the destroying locusts and the 
       cutting locusts that ate your crops-- I will pay you back for those 
       years of trouble.





       (Joel 2:26 NCV)  Then you will have plenty to eat and be full. You 
       will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has done miracles for 
       you. My people will never again be shamed.

       (Joel 2:27 NCV)  Then you will know that I am among the people of 
       Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and there is no other God. My 
       people will never be shamed again.

       (Joel 2:28 NCV)  "After this, I will pour out my Spirit on all kinds 
       of people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will 
       dream dreams, and your young men will see visions.

       (Joel 2:29 NCV)  At that time I will pour out my Spirit also on male 
       slaves and female slaves.

       (Joel 2:30 NCV)  I will show miracles in the sky and on the earth: 
       blood, fire, and thick smoke.

       (Joel 2:31 NCV)  The sun will become dark, the moon red as blood, 
       before the overwhelming and terrible day of the LORD comes.

       (Joel 2:32 NCV)  Then anyone who calls on the LORD will be saved, 
       because on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be people who will 
       be saved, just as the LORD has said. Those left alive after the day of 
       punishment are the people whom the LORD called.

       (Joel 3:1 NCV)  "In those days and at that time, when I will make 
       things better for Judah and Jerusalem,

       (Joel 3:2 NCV)  I will gather all the nations together and bring them 
       down into the Valley Where the LORD Judges. There I will judge them, 
       because those nations scattered my own people Israel and forced them 
       to live in other nations. They divided up my land

       (Joel 3:3 NCV)  and threw lots for my people. They traded boys for 
       prostitutes, and they sold girls to buy wine to drink.

       (Joel 3:4 NCV)  "Tyre and Sidon and all of you regions of Philistia! 
       What did you have against me? Were you punishing me for something I 
       did, or were you doing something to hurt me? I will very quickly do to 
       you what you have done to me.

       (Joel 3:5 NCV)  You took my silver and gold, and you put my precious 
       treasures in your temples.

       (Joel 3:6 NCV)  You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the 
       Greeks so that you could send them far from their land.

       (Joel 3:7 NCV)  "You sent my people to that faraway place, but I will 
       get them and bring them back, and I will do to you what you have done 
       to them.

       (Joel 3:8 NCV)  I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of 
       Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabean people far away." The 
       LORD said this.





       (Joel 3:9 NCV)  Announce this among the nations: Prepare for war! Wake 
       up the soldiers! Let all the men of war come near and attack.

       (Joel 3:10 NCV)  Make swords from your plows, and make spears from 
       your hooks for trimming trees. Let even the weak person say, "I am a 
       soldier."

       (Joel 3:11 NCV)  All of you nations, hurry, and come together in that 
       place. LORD, send your soldiers to gather the nations.

       (Joel 3:12 NCV)  "Wake up, nations, and come to attack in the Valley 
       Where the LORD Judges. There I will sit to judge all the nations on 
       every side.

       (Joel 3:13 NCV)  Swing the cutting tool, because the harvest is ripe. 
       Come, walk on them as you would walk on grapes to get their juice, 
       because the winepress is full and the barrels are spilling over, 
       because these people are so evil!"

       (Joel 3:14 NCV)  There are huge numbers of people in the Valley of 
       Decision, because the Lord's day of judging is near in the Valley of 
       Decision.

       (Joel 3:15 NCV)  The sun and the moon will become dark, and the stars 
       will stop shining.

       (Joel 3:16 NCV)  The LORD will roar like a lion from Jerusalem; his 
       loud voice will thunder from that city, and the sky and the earth will 
       shake. But the LORD will be a safe place for his people, a strong 
       place of safety for the people of Israel.

       (Joel 3:17 NCV)  "Then you will know that I, the LORD your God, live 
       on my holy Mount Zion. Jerusalem will be a holy place, and strangers 
       will never even go through it again.

       (Joel 3:18 NCV)  "On that day wine will drip from the mountains, milk 
       will flow from the hills, and water will run through all the ravines 
       of Judah. A fountain will flow from the Temple of the LORD and give 
       water to the valley of acacia trees.

       (Joel 3:19 NCV)  But Egypt will become empty, and Edom an empty 
       desert, because they were cruel to the people of Judah. They killed 
       innocent people in that land.

       (Joel 3:20 NCV)  But there will always be people living in Judah, and 
       people will live in Jerusalem from now on.

       (Joel 3:21 NCV)  Egypt and Edom killed my people, so I will definitely 
       punish them." The LORD lives in Jerusalem!

       (Amos 1:1 NCV)  These are the words of Amos, one of the shepherds from 
       the town of Tekoa. He saw this vision about Israel two years before 
       the earthquake. It was at the time Uzziah was king of Judah and 
       Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel.

       (Amos 1:2 NCV)  Amos said, "The LORD will roar from Jerusalem; he will 





       send his voice from Jerusalem. The pastures of the shepherds will 
       become dry, and even the top of Mount Carmel will dry up."

       (Amos 1:3 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "For the many crimes of 
       Damascus, I will punish them. They drove over the people of Gilead 
       with threshing boards that had iron teeth.

       (Amos 1:4 NCV)  So I will send fire upon the house of Hazael that will 
       destroy the strong towers of Ben-Hadad.

       (Amos 1:5 NCV)  I will break down the bar of the gate to Damascus and 
       destroy the king who is in the Valley of Aven, as well as the leader 
       of Beth Eden. The people of Aram will be taken captive to the country 
       of Kir," says the LORD.

       (Amos 1:6 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "For the many crimes of 
       Gaza, I will punish them. They sold all the people of one area as 
       slaves to Edom.

       (Amos 1:7 NCV)  So I will send a fire on the walls of Gaza that will 
       destroy the city's strong buildings.

       (Amos 1:8 NCV)  I will destroy the king of the city of Ashdod, as well 
       as the leader of Ashkelon. Then I will turn against the people of the 
       city of Ekron, and the last of the Philistines will die," says the 
       Lord GOD.

       (Amos 1:9 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "For the many crimes of 
       Tyre, I will punish them. They sold all the people of one area as 
       slaves to Edom, and they forgot the agreement among relatives they had 
       made with Israel.

       (Amos 1:10 NCV)  So I will send fire on the walls of Tyre that will 
       destroy the city's strong buildings."

       (Amos 1:11 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "For the many crimes of 
       Edom, I will punish them. They hunted down their relatives, the 
       Israelites, with the sword, showing them no mercy. They were angry all 
       the time and kept on being very angry.

       (Amos 1:12 NCV)  So I will send fire on the city of Teman that will 
       even destroy the strong buildings of Bozrah."

       (Amos 1:13 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "For the many crimes of 
       Ammon, I will punish them. They ripped open the pregnant women in 
       Gilead so they could take over that land and make their own country 
       larger.

       (Amos 1:14 NCV)  So I will send fire on the city wall of Rabbah that 
       will destroy its strong buildings. It will come during a day of 
       battle, during a stormy day with strong winds.

       (Amos 1:15 NCV)  Then their king and leaders will be taken captive; 
       they will all be taken away together," says the LORD.

       (Amos 2:1 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "For the many crimes of 





       Moab, I will punish them. They burned the bones of the king of Edom 
       into lime.

       (Amos 2:2 NCV)  So I will send fire on Moab that will destroy the 
       strong buildings of the city of Kerioth. The people of Moab will die 
       in a great noise, in the middle of the sounds of war and trumpets.

       (Amos 2:3 NCV)  So I will bring an end to the king of Moab, and I will 
       kill all its leaders with him," says the LORD.

       (Amos 2:4 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "For the many crimes of 
       Judah, I will punish them. They rejected the teachings of the LORD and 
       did not keep his commands; they followed the same gods as their 
       ancestors had followed.

       (Amos 2:5 NCV)  So I will send fire on Judah, and it will destroy the 
       strong buildings of Jerusalem."

       (Amos 2:6 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "For the many crimes of 
       Israel, I will punish them. For silver, they sell people who have done 
       nothing wrong; they sell the poor to buy a pair of sandals.

       (Amos 2:7 NCV)  They walk on poor people as if they were dirt, and 
       they refuse to be fair to those who are suffering. Fathers and sons 
       have sexual relations with the same woman, and so they ruin my holy 
       name.

       (Amos 2:8 NCV)  As they worship at their altars, they lie down on 
       clothes taken from the poor. They fine people, and with that money 
       they buy wine to drink in the house of their god.

       (Amos 2:9 NCV)  "But it was I who destroyed the Amorites before them, 
       who were tall like cedar trees and as strong as oaks-- I destroyed 
       them completely.

       (Amos 2:10 NCV)  It was I who brought you from the land of Egypt and 
       led you for forty years through the desert so I could give you the 
       land of the Amorites.

       (Amos 2:11 NCV)  I made some of your children to be prophets and some 
       of your young people to be Nazirites. People of Israel, isn't this 
       true?" says the LORD.

       (Amos 2:12 NCV)  "But you made the Nazirites drink wine and told the 
       prophets not to prophesy.

       (Amos 2:13 NCV)  Now I will make you get stuck, as a wagon loaded with 
       grain gets stuck.

       (Amos 2:14 NCV)  No one will escape, not even the fastest runner. 
       Strong people will not be strong enough; warriors will not be able to 
       save themselves.

       (Amos 2:15 NCV)  Soldiers with bows and arrows will not stand and 
       fight, and even fast runners will not get away; soldiers on horses 
       will not escape alive.






       (Amos 2:16 NCV)  At that time even the bravest warriors will run away 
       without their armor," says the LORD.

       (Amos 3:1 NCV)  Listen to this word that the LORD has spoken against 
       you, people of Israel, against the whole family he brought out of 
       Egypt.

       (Amos 3:2 NCV)  "I have chosen only you out of all the families of the 
       earth, so I will punish you for all your sins."

       (Amos 3:3 NCV)  Two people will not walk together unless they have 
       agreed to do so.

       (Amos 3:4 NCV)  A lion in the forest does not roar unless it has 
       caught an animal; it does not growl in its den when it has caught 
       nothing.

       (Amos 3:5 NCV)  A bird will not fall into a trap where there is no 
       bait; the trap will not spring shut if there is nothing to catch.

       (Amos 3:6 NCV)  When a trumpet blows a warning in a city, the people 
       tremble. When trouble comes to a city, the LORD has caused it.

       (Amos 3:7 NCV)  Before the Lord GOD does anything, he tells his plans 
       to his servants the prophets.

       (Amos 3:8 NCV)  The lion has roared! Who wouldn't be afraid? The Lord 
       GOD has spoken. Who will not prophesy?

       (Amos 3:9 NCV)  Announce this to the strong buildings of Ashdod and to 
       the strong buildings of Egypt: "Come to the mountains of Samaria, 
       where you will see great confusion and people hurting others."

       (Amos 3:10 NCV)  "The people don't know how to do what is right," says 
       the LORD. "Their strong buildings are filled with treasures they took 
       by force from others."

       (Amos 3:11 NCV)  So this is what the Lord GOD says: "An enemy will 
       take over the land and pull down your strongholds; he will take the 
       treasures out of your strong buildings."

       (Amos 3:12 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "A shepherd might save 
       from a lion's mouth only two leg bones or a scrap of an ear of his 
       sheep. In the same way only a few Israelites in Samaria will be 
       saved-- people who now sit on their beds and on their couches."

       (Amos 3:13 NCV)  "Listen and be witnesses against the family of 
       Jacob," says the Lord GOD, the God All-Powerful.

       (Amos 3:14 NCV)  "When I punish Israel for their sins, I will also 
       destroy the altars at Bethel. The corners of the altar will be cut 
       off, and they will fall to the ground.

       (Amos 3:15 NCV)  I will tear down the winter house, together with the 
       summer house. The houses decorated with ivory will be destroyed, and 





       the great houses will come to an end," says the LORD.

       (Amos 4:1 NCV)  Listen to this message, you cows of Bashan on the 
       Mountain of Samaria. You take things from the poor and crush people 
       who are in need. Then you command your husbands, "Bring us something 
       to drink!"

       (Amos 4:2 NCV)  The Lord GOD has promised this: "Just as surely as I 
       am a holy God, the time will come when you will be taken away by 
       hooks, and what is left of you with fishhooks.

       (Amos 4:3 NCV)  You will go straight out of the city through holes in 
       the walls, and you will be thrown on the garbage dump," says the LORD.

       (Amos 4:4 NCV)  "Come to the city of Bethel and sin; come to Gilgal 
       and sin even more. Offer your sacrifices every morning, and bring 
       one-tenth of your crops every three days.

       (Amos 4:5 NCV)  Offer bread made with yeast as a sacrifice to show 
       your thanks, and brag about the special offerings you bring, because 
       this is what you love to do, Israelites," says the Lord GOD.

       (Amos 4:6 NCV)  "I did not give you any food in your cities, and there 
       was not enough to eat in any of your towns, but you did not come back 
       to me," says the LORD.

       (Amos 4:7 NCV)  "I held back the rain from you three months before 
       harvest time. Then I let it rain on one city but not on another. Rain 
       fell on one field, but another field got none and dried up.

       (Amos 4:8 NCV)  People weak from thirst went from town to town for 
       water, but they could not get enough to drink. Still you did not come 
       back to me," says the LORD.

       (Amos 4:9 NCV)  "I made your crops die from disease and mildew. When 
       your gardens and your vineyards got larger, locusts ate your fig and 
       olive trees. But still you did not come back to me," says the LORD.

       (Amos 4:10 NCV)  "I sent disasters against you, as I did to Egypt. I 
       killed your young men with swords, and your horses were taken from 
       you. I made you smell the stink from all the dead bodies, but still 
       you did not come back to me," says the LORD.

       (Amos 4:11 NCV)  "I destroyed some of you as I destroyed Sodom and 
       Gomorrah. You were like a burning stick pulled from a fire, but still 
       you did not come back to me," says the LORD.

       (Amos 4:12 NCV)  "So this is what I will do to you, Israel; because I 
       will do this to you, get ready to meet your God, Israel."

       (Amos 4:13 NCV)  He is the one who makes the mountains and creates the 
       wind and makes his thoughts known to people. He changes the dawn into 
       darkness and walks over the mountains of the earth. His name is the 
       LORD God All-Powerful.

       (Amos 5:1 NCV)  Listen to this funeral song that I sing about you, 





       people of Israel.

       (Amos 5:2 NCV)  "The young girl Israel has fallen, and she will not 
       rise up again. She was left alone in her own land, and there is no one 
       to help her up."

       (Amos 5:3 NCV)  This is what the Lord GOD says: "If a thousand 
       soldiers leave a city, only a hundred will return; if a hundred 
       soldiers leave a city, only ten will return."

       (Amos 5:4 NCV)  This is what the LORD says to the nation of Israel: 
       "Come to me and live.

       (Amos 5:5 NCV)  But do not look in Bethel or go to Gilgal, and do not 
       go down to Beersheba. The people of Gilgal will be taken away as 
       captives, and Bethel will become nothing."

       (Amos 5:6 NCV)  Come to the LORD and live, or he will move like fire 
       against the descendants of Joseph. The fire will burn Bethel, and 
       there will be no one to put it out.

       (Amos 5:7 NCV)  You turn justice upside down, and you throw on the 
       ground what is right.

       (Amos 5:8 NCV)  God is the one who made the star groups Pleiades and 
       Orion; he changes darkness into the morning light, and the day into 
       dark night. He calls for the waters of the sea to pour out on the 
       earth. The LORD is his name.

       (Amos 5:9 NCV)  He destroys the protected city; he ruins the strong, 
       walled city.

       (Amos 5:10 NCV)  You hate those who speak in court against evil, and 
       you can't stand those who tell the truth.

       (Amos 5:11 NCV)  You walk on poor people, forcing them to give you 
       grain. You have built fancy houses of cut stone, but you will not live 
       in them. You have planted beautiful vineyards, but you will not drink 
       the wine from them.

       (Amos 5:12 NCV)  I know your many crimes, your terrible sins. You hurt 
       people who do right, you take money to do wrong, and you keep the poor 
       from getting justice in court.

       (Amos 5:13 NCV)  In such times the wise person will keep quiet, 
       because it is a bad time.

       (Amos 5:14 NCV)  Try to do good, not evil, so that you will live, and 
       the LORD God All-Powerful will be with you just as you say he is.

       (Amos 5:15 NCV)  Hate evil and love good; be fair in the courts. Maybe 
       the LORD God All-Powerful will be kind to the people of Joseph who are 
       left alive.

       (Amos 5:16 NCV)  This is what the Lord, the LORD God All-Powerful, 
       says: "People will be crying in all the streets; they will be saying, 





       'Oh, no!' in the public places. They will call the farmers to come and 
       weep and will pay people to cry out loud for them.

       (Amos 5:17 NCV)  People will be crying in all the vineyards, because I 
       will pass among you to punish you," says the LORD.

       (Amos 5:18 NCV)  How terrible it will be for you who want the Lord's 
       day of judging to come. Why do you want that day to come? It will 
       bring darkness for you, not light.

       (Amos 5:19 NCV)  It will be like someone who runs from a lion and 
       meets a bear, or like someone who goes into his house and puts his 
       hand on the wall, and then is bitten by a snake.

       (Amos 5:20 NCV)  So the Lord's day of judging will bring darkness, not 
       light; it will be very dark, not light at all.

       (Amos 5:21 NCV)  The LORD says, "I completely hate your feasts; I 
       cannot stand your religious meetings.

       (Amos 5:22 NCV)  If you offer me burnt offerings and grain offerings, 
       I won't accept them. You bring your best fellowship offerings of 
       fattened cattle, but I will ignore them.

       (Amos 5:23 NCV)  Take the noise of your songs away from me! I won't 
       listen to the music of your harps.

       (Amos 5:24 NCV)  But let justice flow like a river, and let goodness 
       flow like a stream that never stops.

       (Amos 5:25 NCV)  "People of Israel, you did not bring me sacrifices 
       and offerings while you traveled in the desert for forty years.

       (Amos 5:26 NCV)  You have carried with you your king, the god Sakkuth, 
       and Kaiwan your idol, and the star gods you have made.

       (Amos 5:27 NCV)  So I will send you away as captives beyond Damascus," 
       says the LORD, whose name is the God All-Powerful.

       (Amos 6:1 NCV)  How terrible it will be for those who have an easy 
       life in Jerusalem, for those who feel safe living on Mount Samaria. 
       You think you are the important people of the best nation in the 
       world; the Israelites come to you for help.

       (Amos 6:2 NCV)  Go look at the city of Calneh, and from there go to 
       the great city Hamath; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. You 
       are no better than these kingdoms. Your land is no larger than theirs.

       (Amos 6:3 NCV)  You put off the day of punishment, but you bring near 
       the day when you can do evil to others.

       (Amos 6:4 NCV)  You lie on beds decorated with ivory and stretch out 
       on your couches. You eat tender lambs and fattened calves.

       (Amos 6:5 NCV)  You make up songs on your harps, and, like David, you 
       compose songs on musical instruments.






       (Amos 6:6 NCV)  You drink wine by the bowlful and use the best 
       perfumed lotions. But you are not sad over the ruin of Israel,

       (Amos 6:7 NCV)  so you will be some of the first ones taken as slaves. 
       Your feasting and lying around will come to an end.

       (Amos 6:8 NCV)  The Lord GOD made this promise; the LORD God 
       All-Powerful says: "I hate the pride of the Israelites, and I hate 
       their strong buildings, so I will let the enemy take the city and 
       everything in it."

       (Amos 6:9 NCV)  At that time there might be only ten people left alive 
       in just one house, but they will also die.

       (Amos 6:10 NCV)  When the relatives come to get the bodies to take 
       them outside, one of them will call to the other and ask, "Are there 
       any other dead bodies with you?" That person will answer, "No." Then 
       the one who asked will say, "Hush! We must not say the name of the 
       LORD."

       (Amos 6:11 NCV)  The LORD has given the command; the large house will 
       be broken into pieces, and the small house into bits.

       (Amos 6:12 NCV)  Horses do not run on rocks, and people do not plow 
       rocks with oxen. But you have changed fairness into poison; you have 
       changed what is right into a bitter taste.

       (Amos 6:13 NCV)  You are happy that the town of Lo Debar was captured, 
       and you say, "We have taken Karnaim by our own strength."

       (Amos 6:14 NCV)  The LORD God All-Powerful says, "Israel, I will bring 
       a nation against you that will make your people suffer from Lebo 
       Hamath in the north to the valley south of the Dead Sea."

       (Amos 7:1 NCV)  This is what the Lord GOD showed me: He was forming a 
       swarm of locusts, after the king had taken his share of the first crop 
       and the second crop had just begun growing.

       (Amos 7:2 NCV)  When the locusts ate all the crops in the country, I 
       said, "Lord GOD, forgive us. How could Israel live through this? It is 
       too small already!"

       (Amos 7:3 NCV)  So the LORD changed his mind about this. "It will not 
       happen," said the LORD.

       (Amos 7:4 NCV)  This is what the Lord GOD showed me: The Lord GOD was 
       calling for fire to come down like rain. It burned up the deep water 
       and was going to burn up the land.

       (Amos 7:5 NCV)  Then I cried out, "Lord GOD, stop! How could Israel 
       live through this? It is too small already."

       (Amos 7:6 NCV)  So the LORD changed his mind about this too. "It will 
       not happen," said the Lord GOD.





       (Amos 7:7 NCV)  This is what he showed me: The Lord stood by a 
       straight wall, with a plumb line in his hand.

       (Amos 7:8 NCV)  The LORD said to me, "Amos, what do you see?" I said, 
       "A plumb line." Then the Lord said, "See, I will put a plumb line 
       among my people Israel to show how crooked they are. I will not look 
       the other way any longer.

       (Amos 7:9 NCV)  "The places where Isaac's descendants worship will be 
       destroyed, Israel's holy places will be turned into ruins, and I will 
       attack King Jeroboam's family with the sword."

       (Amos 7:10 NCV)  Amaziah, a priest at Bethel, sent this message to 
       Jeroboam king of Israel: "Amos is making evil plans against you with 
       the people of Israel. He has been speaking so much that this land 
       can't hold all his words.

       (Amos 7:11 NCV)  This is what Amos has said: 'Jeroboam will die by the 
       sword, and the people of Israel will be taken as captives out of their 
       own country.'"

       (Amos 7:12 NCV)  Then Amaziah said to Amos, "Seer, go back right now 
       to Judah. Do your prophesying and earn your living there,

       (Amos 7:13 NCV)  but don't prophesy anymore here at Bethel. This is 
       the king's holy place, and it is the nation's temple."

       (Amos 7:14 NCV)  Then Amos answered Amaziah, "I do not make my living 
       as a prophet, nor am I a member of a group of prophets. I make my 
       living as a shepherd, and I take care of sycamore trees.

       (Amos 7:15 NCV)  But the LORD took me away from tending the flock and 
       said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel.'

       (Amos 7:16 NCV)  So listen to the Lord's word. You tell me, 'Don't 
       prophesy against Israel, and stop prophesying against the descendants 
       of Isaac.'

       (Amos 7:17 NCV)  "Because you have said this, the LORD says: 'Your 
       wife will become a prostitute in the city, and your sons and daughters 
       will be killed with swords. Other people will measure your land and 
       divide it among themselves, and you will die in a foreign country. The 
       people of Israel will definitely be taken from their own land as 
       captives.'"

       (Amos 8:1 NCV)  This is what the Lord GOD showed me: a basket of 
       summer fruit.

       (Amos 8:2 NCV)  He said to me, "Amos, what do you see?" I said, "A 
       basket of summer fruit." Then the LORD said to me, "An end has come 
       for my people Israel, because I will not overlook their sins anymore.

       (Amos 8:3 NCV)  "On that day the palace songs will become funeral 
       songs," says the Lord GOD. "There will be dead bodies thrown 
       everywhere! Silence!"





       (Amos 8:4 NCV)  Listen to me, you who walk on helpless people, you who 
       are trying to destroy the poor people of this country, saying,

       (Amos 8:5 NCV)  "When will the New Moon festival be over so we can 
       sell grain? When will the Sabbath be over so we can bring out wheat to 
       sell? We can charge them more and give them less, and we can change 
       the scales to cheat the people.

       (Amos 8:6 NCV)  We will buy poor people for silver, and needy people 
       for the price of a pair of sandals. We will even sell the wheat that 
       was swept up from the floor."

       (Amos 8:7 NCV)  The LORD has sworn by his name, the Pride of Jacob, "I 
       will never forget everything that these people did.

       (Amos 8:8 NCV)  The whole land will shake because of it, and everyone 
       who lives in the land will cry for those who died. The whole land will 
       rise like the Nile; it will be shaken, and then it will fall like the 
       Nile River in Egypt."

       (Amos 8:9 NCV)  The Lord GOD says: "At that time I will cause the sun 
       to go down at noon and make the earth dark on a bright day.

       (Amos 8:10 NCV)  I will change your festivals into days of crying for 
       the dead, and all your songs will become songs of sadness. I will make 
       all of you wear rough cloth to show your sadness; I will make you 
       shave your heads as well. I will make it like a time of crying for the 
       death of an only son, and its end like the end of an awful day."

       (Amos 8:11 NCV)  The Lord GOD says: "The days are coming when I will 
       cause a time of hunger in the land. The people will not be hungry for 
       bread or thirsty for water, but they will be hungry for words from the 
       LORD.

       (Amos 8:12 NCV)  They will wander from the Mediterranean Sea to the 
       Dead Sea, from the north to the east. They will search for the word of 
       the LORD, but they won't find it.

       (Amos 8:13 NCV)  At that time the beautiful young women and the young 
       men will become weak from thirst.

       (Amos 8:14 NCV)  They make promises by the idol in Samaria and say, 
       'As surely as the god of Dan lives. . . ' and, 'As surely as the god 
       of Beersheba lives, we promise . . . " So they will fall and never get 
       up again."

       (Amos 9:1 NCV)  I saw the Lord standing by the altar, and he said: 
       "Smash the top of the pillars so that even the bottom of the doors 
       will shake. Make the pillars fall on the people's heads; anyone left 
       alive I will kill with a sword. Not one person will get away; no one 
       will escape.

       (Amos 9:2 NCV)  If they dig down as deep as the place of the dead, I 
       will pull them up from there. If they climb up into heaven, I will 
       bring them down from there.





       (Amos 9:3 NCV)  If they hide at the top of Mount Carmel, I will find 
       them and take them away. If they try to hide from me at the bottom of 
       the sea, I will command a snake to bite them.

       (Amos 9:4 NCV)  If they are captured and taken away by their enemies, 
       I will command the sword to kill them. I will keep watch over them, 
       but I will keep watch to give them trouble, not to do them good."

       (Amos 9:5 NCV)  The Lord GOD All-Powerful touches the land, and the 
       land shakes. Then everyone who lives in the land cries for the dead. 
       The whole land rises like the Nile River and falls like the river of 
       Egypt.

       (Amos 9:6 NCV)  The LORD builds his upper rooms above the skies; he 
       sets their foundations on the earth. He calls for the waters of the 
       sea and pours them out on the land. The LORD is his name.

       (Amos 9:7 NCV)  The LORD says, "Israel, you are no different to me 
       than the people of Cush. I brought Israel out of the land of Egypt, 
       and the Philistines from Crete, and the Arameans from Kir.

       (Amos 9:8 NCV)  I, the Lord GOD, am watching the sinful kingdom 
       Israel. I will destroy it from off the earth, but I will not 
       completely destroy Jacob's descendants," says the LORD.

       (Amos 9:9 NCV)  "I am giving the command to scatter the nation of 
       Israel among all nations. It will be like someone shaking grain 
       through a strainer, but not even a tiny stone falls through.

       (Amos 9:10 NCV)  All the sinners among my people will die by the 
       sword-- those who say, 'Nothing bad will happen to us.'

       (Amos 9:11 NCV)  "The kingdom of David is like a fallen tent, but in 
       that day I will set it up again and mend its broken places. I will 
       rebuild its ruins as it was before.

       (Amos 9:12 NCV)  Then Israel will take over what is left of Edom and 
       the other nations that belong to me," says the LORD, who will make it 
       happen.

       (Amos 9:13 NCV)  The LORD says, "The time is coming when there will be 
       all kinds of food. People will still be harvesting crops when it's 
       time to plow again. People will still be taking the juice from grapes 
       when it's time to plant again. Wine will drip from the mountains and 
       pour from the hills.

       (Amos 9:14 NCV)  I will bring my people Israel back from captivity; 
       they will build the ruined cities again, and they will live in them. 
       They will plant vineyards and drink the wine from them; they will 
       plant gardens and eat their fruit.

       (Amos 9:15 NCV)  I will plant my people on their land, and they will 
       not be pulled out again from the land which I have given them," says 
       the LORD your God.

       (Oba 1:1 NCV)  This is the vision of Obadiah. This is what the Lord 





       GOD says about Edom: We have heard a message from the LORD. A 
       messenger has been sent among the nations, saying, "Attack! Let's go 
       attack Edom!"

       (Oba 1:2 NCV)  "Soon I will make you the smallest of nations. You will 
       be greatly hated by everyone.

       (Oba 1:3 NCV)  Your pride has fooled you, you who live in the hollow 
       places of the cliff. Your home is up high, you who say to yourself, 
       'No one can bring me down to the ground.'

       (Oba 1:4 NCV)  Even if you fly high like the eagle and make your nest 
       among the stars, I will bring you down from there," says the LORD.

       (Oba 1:5 NCV)  "You will really be ruined! If thieves came to you, if 
       robbers came by night, they would steal only enough for themselves. If 
       workers came and picked the grapes from your vines, they would leave a 
       few behind.

       (Oba 1:6 NCV)  But you, Edom, will really lose everything! People will 
       find all your hidden treasures!

       (Oba 1:7 NCV)  All the people who are your friends will force you out 
       of the land. The people who are at peace with you will trick you and 
       defeat you. Those who eat your bread with you now are planning a trap 
       for you, and you will not notice it."

       (Oba 1:8 NCV)  The LORD says, "On that day I will surely destroy the 
       wise people from Edom, and those with understanding from the mountains 
       of Edom.

       (Oba 1:9 NCV)  Then, city of Teman, your best warriors will be afraid, 
       and everyone from the mountains of Edom will be killed.

       (Oba 1:10 NCV)  You did violence to your relatives, the Israelites, so 
       you will be covered with shame and destroyed forever.

       (Oba 1:11 NCV)  You stood aside without helping while strangers 
       carried Israel's treasures away. When foreigners entered Israel's city 
       gate and threw lots to decide what part of Jerusalem they would take, 
       you were like one of them.

       (Oba 1:12 NCV)  "Edom, do not laugh at your brother Israel in his time 
       of trouble or be happy about the people of Judah when they are 
       destroyed. Do not brag when cruel things are done to them.

       (Oba 1:13 NCV)  Do not enter the city gate of my people in their time 
       of trouble or laugh at their problems in their time of trouble. Do not 
       take their treasures in their time of trouble.

       (Oba 1:14 NCV)  Do not stand at the crossroads to destroy those who 
       are trying to escape. Do not capture those who escape alive and turn 
       them over to their enemy in their time of trouble.

       (Oba 1:15 NCV)  "The Lord's day of judging is coming soon to all the 
       nations. The same evil things you did to other people will happen to 





       you; they will come back upon your own head.

       (Oba 1:16 NCV)  Because you drank in my Temple, all the nations will 
       drink on and on. They will drink and drink until they disappear.

       (Oba 1:17 NCV)  But on Mount Zion some will escape the judgment, and 
       it will be a holy place. The people of Jacob will take back their land 
       from those who took it from them.

       (Oba 1:18 NCV)  The people of Jacob will be like a fire and the people 
       of Joseph like a flame. But the people of Esau will be like dry 
       stalks. The people of Jacob will set them on fire and burn them up. 
       There will be no one left of the people of Esau." This will happen 
       because the LORD has said it.

       (Oba 1:19 NCV)  Then God's people will regain southern Judah from 
       Edom; they will take back the mountains of Edom. They will take back 
       the western hills from the Philistines. They will regain the lands of 
       Ephraim and Samaria, and Benjamin will take over Gilead.

       (Oba 1:20 NCV)  People from Israel who once were forced to leave their 
       homes will take the land of the Canaanites, all the way to Zarephath. 
       People from Judah who once were forced to leave Jerusalem and live in 
       Sepharad will take back the cities of southern Judah.

       (Oba 1:21 NCV)  Powerful warriors will go up on Mount Zion, where they 
       will rule the people living on Edom's mountains. And the kingdom will 
       belong to the LORD.

       (Jonah 1:1 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to Jonah son of Amittai:

       (Jonah 1:2 NCV)  "Get up, go to the great city of Nineveh, and preach 
       against it, because I see the evil things they do."

       (Jonah 1:3 NCV)  But Jonah got up to run away from the LORD by going 
       to Tarshish. He went to the city of Joppa, where he found a ship that 
       was going to the city of Tarshish. Jonah paid for the trip and went 
       aboard, planning to go to Tarshish to run away from the LORD.

       (Jonah 1:4 NCV)  But the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, which made 
       the sea so stormy that the ship was in danger of breaking apart.

       (Jonah 1:5 NCV)  The sailors were afraid, and each man cried to his 
       own god. They began throwing the cargo from the ship into the sea to 
       make the ship lighter. But Jonah had gone down far inside the ship to 
       lie down, and he fell fast asleep.

       (Jonah 1:6 NCV)  The captain of the ship came and said, "Why are you 
       sleeping? Get up and pray to your god! Maybe your god will pay 
       attention to us, and we won't die!"

       (Jonah 1:7 NCV)  Then the men said to each other, "Let's throw lots to 
       see who caused these troubles to happen to us." When they threw lots, 
       the lot showed that the trouble had happened because of Jonah.

       (Jonah 1:8 NCV)  Then they said to him, "Tell us, who caused our 





       trouble? What is your job? Where do you come from? What is your 
       country? Who are your people?"

       (Jonah 1:9 NCV)  Then Jonah said to them, "I am a Hebrew. I fear the 
       LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land."

       (Jonah 1:10 NCV)  The men were very afraid, and they asked Jonah, 
       "What terrible thing did you do?" (They knew he was running away from 
       the LORD because he had told them.)

       (Jonah 1:11 NCV)  Since the wind and the waves of the sea were 
       becoming much stronger, they said to him, "What should we do to you to 
       make the sea calm down for us?"

       (Jonah 1:12 NCV)  Jonah said to them, "Pick me up, and throw me into 
       the sea, and then it will calm down. I know it is my fault that this 
       great storm has come on you."

       (Jonah 1:13 NCV)  Instead, the men tried to row the ship back to the 
       land, but they could not, because the sea was becoming more stormy.

       (Jonah 1:14 NCV)  So the men cried to the LORD, "LORD, please don't 
       let us die because of this man's life; please don't think we are 
       guilty of killing an innocent person. LORD, you have caused all this 
       to happen; you wanted it this way."

       (Jonah 1:15 NCV)  So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, 
       and the sea became calm.

       (Jonah 1:16 NCV)  Then they began to fear the LORD very much; they 
       offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made promises to him.

       (Jonah 1:17 NCV)  The LORD caused a big fish to swallow Jonah, and 
       Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.

       (Jonah 2:1 NCV)  While Jonah was inside the fish, he prayed to the 
       LORD his God and said,

       (Jonah 2:2 NCV)  "When I was in danger, I called to the LORD, and he 
       answered me. I was about to die, so I cried to you, and you heard my 
       voice.

       (Jonah 2:3 NCV)  You threw me into the sea, down, down into the deep 
       sea. The water was all around me, and your powerful waves flowed over 
       me.

       (Jonah 2:4 NCV)  I said, 'I was driven out of your presence, but I 
       hope to see your Holy Temple again.'

       (Jonah 2:5 NCV)  The waters of the sea closed around my throat. The 
       deep sea was all around me; seaweed was wrapped around my head.

       (Jonah 2:6 NCV)  When I went down to where the mountains of the sea 
       start to rise, I thought I was locked in this prison forever, but you 
       saved me from the pit of death, LORD my God.





       (Jonah 2:7 NCV)  "When my life had almost gone, I remembered the LORD. 
       I prayed to you, and you heard my prayers in your Holy Temple.

       (Jonah 2:8 NCV)  "People who worship useless idols give up their 
       loyalty to you.

       (Jonah 2:9 NCV)  But I will praise and thank you while I give 
       sacrifices to you, and I will keep my promises to you. Salvation comes 
       from the LORD!"

       (Jonah 2:10 NCV)  Then the LORD spoke to the fish, and the fish threw 
       up Jonah onto the dry land.

       (Jonah 3:1 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to Jonah again and said,

       (Jonah 3:2 NCV)  "Get up, go to the great city Nineveh, and preach to 
       it what I tell you to say."

       (Jonah 3:3 NCV)  So Jonah obeyed the LORD and got up and went to 
       Nineveh. It was a very large city; just to walk across it took a 
       person three days.

       (Jonah 3:4 NCV)  After Jonah had entered the city and walked for one 
       day, he preached to the people, saying, "After forty days, Nineveh 
       will be destroyed!"

       (Jonah 3:5 NCV)  The people of Nineveh believed God. They announced 
       that they would stop eating for a while, and they put on rough cloth 
       to show their sadness. All the people in the city did this, from the 
       most important to the least important.

       (Jonah 3:6 NCV)  When the king of Nineveh heard this news, he got up 
       from his throne, took off his robe, and covered himself with rough 
       cloth and sat in ashes to show how upset he was.

       (Jonah 3:7 NCV)  He sent this announcement through Nineveh: By command 
       of the king and his important men: No person or animal, herd or flock, 
       will be allowed to taste anything. Do not let them eat food or drink 
       water.

       (Jonah 3:8 NCV)  But every person and animal should be covered with 
       rough cloth, and people should cry loudly to God. Everyone must turn 
       away from evil living and stop doing harm all the time.

       (Jonah 3:9 NCV)  Who knows? Maybe God will change his mind. Maybe he 
       will stop being angry, and then we will not die.

       (Jonah 3:10 NCV)  When God saw what the people did, that they stopped 
       doing evil, he changed his mind and did not do what he had warned. He 
       did not punish them.

       (Jonah 4:1 NCV)  But this made Jonah very unhappy, and he became 
       angry.

       (Jonah 4:2 NCV)  He prayed to the LORD, "When I was still in my own 
       country this is what I said would happen, and that is why I quickly 





       ran away to Tarshish. I knew that you are a God who is kind and shows 
       mercy. You don't become angry quickly, and you have great love. I knew 
       you would choose not to cause harm.

       (Jonah 4:3 NCV)  So now I ask you, LORD, please kill me. It is better 
       for me to die than to live."

       (Jonah 4:4 NCV)  Then the LORD said, "Do you think it is right for you 
       to be angry?"

       (Jonah 4:5 NCV)  Jonah went out and sat down east of the city. There 
       he made a shelter for himself and sat in the shade, waiting to see 
       what would happen to the city.

       (Jonah 4:6 NCV)  The LORD made a plant grow quickly up over Jonah, 
       which gave him shade and helped him to be more comfortable. Jonah was 
       very pleased to have the plant.

       (Jonah 4:7 NCV)  But the next day when the sun rose, God sent a worm 
       to attack the plant so that it died.

       (Jonah 4:8 NCV)  As the sun rose higher in the sky, God sent a very 
       hot east wind to blow, and the sun became so hot on Jonah's head that 
       he became very weak and wished he were dead. He said, "It is better 
       for me to die than to live."

       (Jonah 4:9 NCV)  But God said to Jonah, "Do you think it is right for 
       you to be angry about the plant?" Jonah answered, "It is right for me 
       to be angry! I am so angry I could die!"

       (Jonah 4:10 NCV)  And the LORD said, "You are so concerned for that 
       plant even though you did nothing to make it grow. It appeared one 
       day, and the next day it died.

       (Jonah 4:11 NCV)  Then shouldn't I show concern for the great city 
       Nineveh, which has more than one hundred twenty thousand people who do 
       not know right from wrong, and many animals, too?"

       (Micah 1:1 NCV)  During the time that Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were 
       kings of Judah, the word of the LORD came to Micah, who was from 
       Moresheth. He saw these visions about Samaria and Jerusalem.

       (Micah 1:2 NCV)  Hear this, all you nations; listen, earth and all you 
       who live on it. The Lord GOD will be a witness against you, the Lord 
       from his Holy Temple.

       (Micah 1:3 NCV)  See, the LORD is coming out of his place; he is 
       coming down to walk on the tops of the mountains.

       (Micah 1:4 NCV)  The mountains will melt under him, and the valleys 
       will crack open, like wax near a fire, like water running down a 
       hillside.

       (Micah 1:5 NCV)  All this is because of Jacob's sin, because of the 
       sins of the nation of Israel. What is the place of Jacob's sin? Isn't 
       it Samaria? What is Judah's place of idol worship? Isn't it Jerusalem?






       (Micah 1:6 NCV)  "So I will make Samaria a pile of ruins in the open 
       country, a place for planting vineyards. I will pour her stones down 
       into the valley and strip her down to her foundations.

       (Micah 1:7 NCV)  All her idols will be broken into pieces; all the 
       gifts to her idols will be burned with fire. I will destroy all her 
       idols, and because Samaria earned her money by being unfaithful to me, 
       this money will be carried off by others who are not faithful to me."

       (Micah 1:8 NCV)  I will moan and cry because of this evil, going 
       around barefoot and naked. I will cry loudly like the wild dogs and 
       make sad sounds like the owls do,

       (Micah 1:9 NCV)  because Samaria's wound cannot be healed. It will 
       spread to Judah; it will reach the city gate of my people, all the way 
       to Jerusalem.

       (Micah 1:10 NCV)  Don't tell it in Gath. Don't cry in Acco. Roll in 
       the dust at Beth Ophrah.

       (Micah 1:11 NCV)  Pass on your way, naked and ashamed, you who live in 
       Shaphir. Those who live in Zaanan won't come out. The people in Beth 
       Ezel will cry, but they will not give you any support.

       (Micah 1:12 NCV)  Those who live in Maroth will be anxious for good 
       news to come, because trouble will come from the LORD, all the way to 
       the gate of Jerusalem.

       (Micah 1:13 NCV)  You people living in Lachish, harness the fastest 
       horse to the chariot. Jerusalem's sins started in you; yes, Israel's 
       sins were found in you.

       (Micah 1:14 NCV)  So you must give farewell gifts to Moresheth in 
       Gath. The houses in Aczib will be false help to the kings of Israel.

       (Micah 1:15 NCV)  I will bring against you people who will take your 
       land, you who live in Mareshah. The glory of Israel will go in to 
       Adullam.

       (Micah 1:16 NCV)  Cut off your hair to show you are sad for the 
       children you love. Make yourself bald like the eagle, because your 
       children will be taken away to a foreign land.

       (Micah 2:1 NCV)  How terrible it will be for people who plan 
       wickedness, who lie on their beds and make evil plans. When the 
       morning light comes, they do what they planned, because they have the 
       power to do so.

       (Micah 2:2 NCV)  They want fields, so they take them; they want 
       houses, so they take them away. They cheat people to get their houses; 
       they rob them even of their property.

       (Micah 2:3 NCV)  That is why the LORD says: "Look, I am planning 
       trouble against such people, and you won't be able to save yourselves. 
       You will no longer walk proudly, because it will be a terrible time.






       (Micah 2:4 NCV)  At that time people will make fun of you and sing 
       this sad song about you: 'We are completely ruined; the LORD has taken 
       away my people's land. Yes, he has taken it away from me and divided 
       our fields among our enemies!'"

       (Micah 2:5 NCV)  So you will have no one from the Lord's people to 
       throw lots to divide the land.

       (Micah 2:6 NCV)  The prophets say, "Don't prophesy to us! Don't 
       prophesy about these things! Nothing to make us feel bad will happen!"

       (Micah 2:7 NCV)  But I must say this, people of Jacob: The LORD is 
       becoming angry about what you have done. My words are welcome to the 
       person who does what is right.

       (Micah 2:8 NCV)  But you are fighting against my people like an enemy. 
       You take the coats from people who pass by; you rob them of their 
       safety; you plan war.

       (Micah 2:9 NCV)  You've forced the women of my people from their nice 
       houses; you've taken my glory from their children forever.

       (Micah 2:10 NCV)  Get up and leave. This is not your place of rest 
       anymore. You have made this place unclean, and it is doomed to 
       destruction.

       (Micah 2:11 NCV)  But you people want a false prophet who will tell 
       you nothing but lies. You want one who promises to prophesy good 
       things for you if you give him wine and beer. He's just the prophet 
       for you.

       (Micah 2:12 NCV)  "Yes, people of Jacob, I will bring all of you 
       together; I will bring together all those left alive in Israel. I will 
       put them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture; 
       the place will be filled with many people.

       (Micah 2:13 NCV)  Someone will open the way and lead the people out. 
       The people will break through the gate and leave the city where they 
       were held captive. Their king will go out in front of them, and the 
       LORD will lead them."

       (Micah 3:1 NCV)  Then I said, "Listen, leaders of the people of Jacob; 
       listen, you rulers of the nation of Israel. You should know how to 
       decide cases fairly,

       (Micah 3:2 NCV)  but you hate good and love evil. You skin my people 
       alive and tear the flesh off their bones.

       (Micah 3:3 NCV)  You eat my people's flesh and skin them and break 
       their bones; you chop them up like meat for the pot, like meat in a 
       cooking pan.

       (Micah 3:4 NCV)  They will cry to the LORD, but he won't answer them. 
       At that time he will hide his face from them, because what they have 
       done is evil."






       (Micah 3:5 NCV)  The LORD says this about the prophets who teach his 
       people the wrong way of living: "If these prophets are given food to 
       eat, they shout, 'Peace!' But if someone doesn't give them what they 
       ask for, they call for a holy war against that person.

       (Micah 3:6 NCV)  So it will become like night for them, without 
       visions. It will become dark for them, without any way to tell the 
       future. The sun is about to set for the prophets; their day will 
       become dark.

       (Micah 3:7 NCV)  The seers will be ashamed; the people who see the 
       future will be embarrassed. Yes, all of them will cover their mouths, 
       because there will be no answer from God."

       (Micah 3:8 NCV)  But I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the 
       LORD, and with justice and strength, to tell the people of Jacob how 
       they have turned against God, and the people of Israel how they have 
       sinned.

       (Micah 3:9 NCV)  Leaders of Jacob and rulers of Israel, listen to me, 
       you who hate fairness and twist what is right.

       (Micah 3:10 NCV)  You build Jerusalem by murdering people; you build 
       it with evil.

       (Micah 3:11 NCV)  Its judges take money to decide who wins in court. 
       Its priests only teach for pay, and its prophets only look into the 
       future when they get paid. But they lean on the LORD and say, "The 
       LORD is here with us, so nothing bad will happen to us."

       (Micah 3:12 NCV)  Because of you, Jerusalem will be plowed like a 
       field. The city will become a pile of rocks, and the hill on which the 
       Temple stands will be covered with bushes.

       (Micah 4:1 NCV)  In the last days the mountain on which the Lord's 
       Temple stands will become the most important of all mountains. It will 
       be raised above the hills, and people from other nations will come 
       streaming to it.

       (Micah 4:2 NCV)  Many nations will come and say, "Come, let us go up 
       to the mountain of the LORD, to the Temple of the God of Jacob, so 
       that he can teach us his ways, and we can obey his teachings." His 
       teachings will go out from Jerusalem, the word of the LORD from that 
       city.

       (Micah 4:3 NCV)  The Lord will judge many nations; he will make 
       decisions about strong nations that are far away. They will hammer 
       their swords into plow blades and their spears into hooks for trimming 
       trees. Nations will no longer raise swords against other nations; they 
       will not train for war anymore.

       (Micah 4:4 NCV)  Everyone will sit under his own vine and fig tree, 
       and no one will make them afraid, because the LORD All-Powerful has 
       said it.





       (Micah 4:5 NCV)  All other nations may follow their own gods, but we 
       will follow the LORD our God forever and ever.

       (Micah 4:6 NCV)  The LORD says, "At that time, I will gather the 
       crippled; I will bring together those who were sent away, those whom I 
       caused to have trouble.

       (Micah 4:7 NCV)  I will keep alive those who were crippled, and I will 
       make a strong nation of those who were sent away. The LORD will be 
       their king in Mount Zion from now on and forever.

       (Micah 4:8 NCV)  And you, watchtower of the flocks, hill of Jerusalem, 
       to you will come the kingdom as in the past. Jerusalem, the right to 
       rule will come again to you."

       (Micah 4:9 NCV)  Now, why do you cry so loudly? Is your king gone? 
       Have you lost your helper, so that you are in pain, like a woman 
       trying to give birth?

       (Micah 4:10 NCV)  People of Jerusalem, strain and be in pain. Be like 
       a woman trying to give birth, because now you must leave the city and 
       live in the field. You will go to Babylon, but you will be saved from 
       that place. The LORD will go there and buy you back from your enemies.

       (Micah 4:11 NCV)  But now many nations have come to fight against you, 
       saying, "Let's destroy Jerusalem. We will look at her and be glad we 
       have defeated her."

       (Micah 4:12 NCV)  But they don't know what the LORD is thinking; they 
       don't understand his plan. He has gathered them like bundles of grain 
       to the threshing floor.

       (Micah 4:13 NCV)  "Get up and beat them, people of Jerusalem. I will 
       make you strong as if you had horns of iron and hoofs of bronze. You 
       will beat many nations into small pieces and give their wealth to the 
       LORD, their treasure to the Lord of all the earth."

       (Micah 5:1 NCV)  So, strong city, gather your soldiers together, 
       because we are surrounded and attacked. They will hit the leader of 
       Israel in the face with a club.

       (Micah 5:2 NCV)  "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are too 
       small to be among the army groups from Judah, from you will come one 
       who will rule Israel for me. He comes from very old times, from days 
       long ago."

       (Micah 5:3 NCV)  The LORD will give up his people until the one who is 
       having a baby gives birth; then the rest of his relatives will return 
       to the people of Israel.

       (Micah 5:4 NCV)  At that time the ruler of Israel will stand and take 
       care of his people with the Lord's strength and with the power of the 
       name of the LORD his God. The Israelites will live in safety, because 
       his greatness will reach all over the earth.

       (Micah 5:5 NCV)  He will bring peace. Assyria will surely come into 





       our country and walk over our large buildings. We will set up seven 
       shepherds, eight leaders of the people.

       (Micah 5:6 NCV)  They will destroy the Assyrians with their swords; 
       they will conquer the land of Assyria with their swords drawn. They 
       will rescue us from the Assyrians when they come into our land, when 
       they walk over our borders.

       (Micah 5:7 NCV)  Then the people of Jacob who are left alive will be 
       to other people like dew from the LORD or rain on the grass-- it does 
       not wait for human beings; it does not pause for any person.

       (Micah 5:8 NCV)  Those of Jacob's people who are left alive will be 
       scattered among many nations and peoples. They will be like a lion 
       among the animals of the forest, like a young lion in a flock of 
       sheep: As it goes, it jumps on them and tears them to pieces, and no 
       one can save them.

       (Micah 5:9 NCV)  So you will raise your fist in victory over your 
       enemies, and all your enemies will be destroyed.

       (Micah 5:10 NCV)  The LORD says, "At that time, I will take your 
       horses from you and destroy your chariots.

       (Micah 5:11 NCV)  I will destroy the cities in your country and tear 
       down all your defenses.

       (Micah 5:12 NCV)  I will take away the magic charms you use so you 
       will have no more fortune-tellers.

       (Micah 5:13 NCV)  I will destroy your statues of gods and the stone 
       pillars you worship so that you will no longer worship what your hands 
       have made.

       (Micah 5:14 NCV)  I will tear down Asherah idols from you and destroy 
       your cities.

       (Micah 5:15 NCV)  In my anger and rage, I will pay back the nations 
       that have not listened."

       (Micah 6:1 NCV)  Now hear what the LORD says: "Get up; plead your case 
       in front of the mountains; let the hills hear your story.

       (Micah 6:2 NCV)  Mountains, listen to the Lord's legal case. 
       Foundations of the earth, listen. The LORD has a legal case against 
       his people, and he will accuse Israel."

       (Micah 6:3 NCV)  He says, "My people, what did I do to you? How did I 
       make you tired of me? Tell me.

       (Micah 6:4 NCV)  I brought you from the land of Egypt and freed you 
       from slavery; I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to you.

       (Micah 6:5 NCV)  My people, remember the evil plans of Balak king of 
       Moab and what Balaam son of Beor told Balak. Remember what happened 
       from Acacia to Gilgal so that you will know the LORD does what is 





       right!"

       (Micah 6:6 NCV)  You say, "What can I bring with me when I come before 
       the LORD, when I bow before God on high? Should I come before him with 
       burnt offerings, with year-old calves?

       (Micah 6:7 NCV)  Will the LORD be pleased with a thousand male sheep? 
       Will he be pleased with ten thousand rivers of oil? Should I give my 
       first child for the evil I have done? Should I give my very own child 
       for my sin?"

       (Micah 6:8 NCV)  The LORD has told you, human, what is good; he has 
       told you what he wants from you: to do what is right to other people, 
       love being kind to others, and live humbly, obeying your God.

       (Micah 6:9 NCV)  The voice of the LORD calls to the city, and the wise 
       person honors him. So pay attention to the rod of punishment; pay 
       attention to the One who threatens to punish.

       (Micah 6:10 NCV)  Are there still in the wicked house wicked treasures 
       and the cursed false measure?

       (Micah 6:11 NCV)  Can I forgive people who cheat others with wrong 
       weights and scales?

       (Micah 6:12 NCV)  The rich people of the city do cruel things. Its 
       people tell lies; they do not tell the truth.

       (Micah 6:13 NCV)  As for me, I will make you sick. I will attack you, 
       ruining you because of your sins.

       (Micah 6:14 NCV)  You will eat, but you won't become full; you will 
       still be hungry and empty. You will store up, but save nothing, and 
       what you store up, the sword will destroy.

       (Micah 6:15 NCV)  You will plant, but you won't harvest. You will step 
       on your olives, but you won't get any oil from them. You will crush 
       the grapes, but you will not drink the new wine.

       (Micah 6:16 NCV)  This is because you obey the laws of King Omri and 
       do all the things that Ahab's family does; you follow their advice. So 
       I will let you be destroyed. The people in your city will be laughed 
       at, and other nations will make fun of you.

       (Micah 7:1 NCV)  Poor me! I am like a hungry man, and all the summer 
       fruit has been picked-- there are no grapes left to eat, none of the 
       early figs I love.

       (Micah 7:2 NCV)  All of the faithful people are gone; there is not one 
       good person left in this country. Everyone is waiting to kill someone; 
       everyone is trying to trap someone else.

       (Micah 7:3 NCV)  With both hands they are doing evil. Rulers ask for 
       money, and judges' decisions are bought for a price. Rich people tell 
       what they want, and they get it.





       (Micah 7:4 NCV)  Even the best of them is like a thornbush; the most 
       honest of them is worse than a prickly plant. The day that your 
       watchmen warned you about has come. Now they will be confused.

       (Micah 7:5 NCV)  Don't believe your neighbor or trust a friend. Don't 
       say anything, even to your wife.

       (Micah 7:6 NCV)  A son will not honor his father, a daughter will turn 
       against her mother, and a daughter-in-law will be against her 
       mother-in-law; a person's enemies will be members of his own family.

       (Micah 7:7 NCV)  Israel says, "I will look to the LORD for help. I 
       will wait for God to save me; my God will hear me.

       (Micah 7:8 NCV)  Enemy, don't laugh at me. I have fallen, but I will 
       get up again. I sit in the shadow of trouble now, but the LORD will be 
       a light for me.

       (Micah 7:9 NCV)  I sinned against the LORD, so he was angry with me, 
       but he will defend my case in court. He will bring about what is right 
       for me. Then he will bring me out into the light, and I will see him 
       set things right.

       (Micah 7:10 NCV)  Then my enemies will see this, and they will be 
       ashamed, those who said to me, 'Where is the LORD your God?' I will 
       look down on them. They will get walked on, like mud in the street."

       (Micah 7:11 NCV)  The time will come when your walls will be built 
       again, when your country will grow.

       (Micah 7:12 NCV)  At that time your people will come back to you from 
       Assyria and the cities of Egypt, and from Egypt to the Euphrates 
       River, and from sea to sea and mountain to mountain.

       (Micah 7:13 NCV)  The earth will be ruined for the people who live in 
       it because of their deeds.

       (Micah 7:14 NCV)  So shepherd your people with your stick; tend the 
       flock of people who belong to you. That flock now lives alone in the 
       forest in the middle of a garden land. Let them feed in Bashan and 
       Gilead as in days long ago.

       (Micah 7:15 NCV)  "As in the days when I brought you out of Egypt, I 
       will show them miracles."

       (Micah 7:16 NCV)  When the nations see those miracles, they will no 
       longer brag about their power. They will put their hands over their 
       mouths, refusing to listen.

       (Micah 7:17 NCV)  They will crawl in the dust like a snake, like 
       insects crawling on the ground. They will come trembling from their 
       holes to the LORD our God and will turn in fear before you.

       (Micah 7:18 NCV)  There is no God like you. You forgive those who are 
       guilty of sin; you don't look at the sins of your people who are left 
       alive. You will not stay angry forever, because you enjoy being kind.






       (Micah 7:19 NCV)  You will have mercy on us again; you will conquer 
       our sins. You will throw away all our sins into the deepest part of 
       the sea.

       (Micah 7:20 NCV)  You will be true to the people of Jacob, and you 
       will be kind to the people of Abraham as you promised to our ancestors 
       long ago.

       (Nahum 1:1 NCV)  This is the message for the city of Nineveh. This is 
       the book of the vision of Nahum, who was from the town of Elkosh.

       (Nahum 1:2 NCV)  The LORD is a jealous God who punishes; the LORD 
       punishes and is filled with anger. The LORD punishes those who are 
       against him, and he stays angry with his enemies.

       (Nahum 1:3 NCV)  The LORD does not become angry quickly, and his power 
       is great. The LORD will not let the guilty go unpunished. Where the 
       LORD goes, there are whirlwinds and storms, and the clouds are the 
       dust beneath his feet.

       (Nahum 1:4 NCV)  He speaks to the sea and makes it dry; he dries up 
       all the rivers. The areas of Bashan and Carmel dry up, and the flowers 
       of Lebanon dry up.

       (Nahum 1:5 NCV)  The mountains shake in front of him, and the hills 
       melt. The earth trembles when he comes; the world and all who live in 
       it shake with fear.

       (Nahum 1:6 NCV)  No one can stay alive when he is angry; no one can 
       survive his strong anger. His anger is poured out like fire; the rocks 
       are smashed by him.

       (Nahum 1:7 NCV)  The LORD is good, giving protection in times of 
       trouble. He knows who trusts in him.

       (Nahum 1:8 NCV)  But like a rushing flood, he will completely destroy 
       Nineveh; he will chase his enemies until he kills them.

       (Nahum 1:9 NCV)  The LORD will completely destroy anyone making plans 
       against him. Trouble will not come a second time.

       (Nahum 1:10 NCV)  Those people will be like tangled thorns or like 
       people drunk from their wine; they will be burned up quickly like dry 
       weeds.

       (Nahum 1:11 NCV)  Someone has come from Nineveh who makes evil plans 
       against the LORD and gives wicked advice.

       (Nahum 1:12 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "Although Assyria is 
       strong and has many people, it will be defeated and brought to an end. 
       Although I have made you suffer, Judah, I will make you suffer no 
       more.

       (Nahum 1:13 NCV)  Now I will free you from their control and tear away 
       your chains."






       (Nahum 1:14 NCV)  The LORD has given you this command, Nineveh: "You 
       will not have descendants to carry on your name. I will destroy the 
       idols and metal images that are in the temple of your gods. I will 
       make a grave for you, because you are wicked."

       (Nahum 1:15 NCV)  Look, there on the hills, someone is bringing good 
       news! He is announcing peace! Celebrate your feasts, people of Judah, 
       and give your promised sacrifices to God. The wicked will not come to 
       attack you again; they have been completely destroyed.

       (Nahum 2:1 NCV)  The destroyer is coming to attack you, Nineveh. Guard 
       the defenses. Watch the road. Get ready. Gather all your strength!

       (Nahum 2:2 NCV)  Destroyers have destroyed God's people and ruined 
       their vines, but the LORD will bring back Jacob's greatness like 
       Israel's greatness.

       (Nahum 2:3 NCV)  The shields of his soldiers are red; the army is 
       dressed in red. The metal on the chariots flashes like fire when they 
       are ready to attack; their horses are excited.

       (Nahum 2:4 NCV)  The chariots race through the streets and rush back 
       and forth through the city squares. They look like torches; they run 
       like lightning.

       (Nahum 2:5 NCV)  He calls his officers, but they stumble on the way. 
       They hurry to the city wall, and the shield is put into place.

       (Nahum 2:6 NCV)  The river gates are thrown open, and the palace is 
       destroyed.

       (Nahum 2:7 NCV)  It has been announced that the people of Nineveh will 
       be captured and carried away. The slave girls moan like doves and beat 
       their breasts, because they are sad.

       (Nahum 2:8 NCV)  Nineveh is like a pool, and now its water is draining 
       away. "Stop! Stop!" the people yell, but no one turns back.

       (Nahum 2:9 NCV)  Take the silver! Take the gold! There is no end to 
       the treasure-- piles of wealth of every kind.

       (Nahum 2:10 NCV)  Nineveh is robbed, ruined, and destroyed. The people 
       lose their courage, and their knees knock. Stomachs ache, and 
       everyone's face grows pale.

       (Nahum 2:11 NCV)  Where is the lions' den and the place where they 
       feed their young? Where did the lion, lioness, and cubs go without 
       being afraid?

       (Nahum 2:12 NCV)  The lion killed enough for his cubs, enough for his 
       mate. He filled his cave with the animals he caught; he filled his den 
       with meat he had killed.

       (Nahum 2:13 NCV)  "I am against you, Nineveh," says the LORD 
       All-Powerful. "I will burn up your chariots in smoke, and the sword 





       will kill your young lions. I will stop you from hunting down others 
       on the earth, and your messengers' voices will no longer be heard."

       (Nahum 3:1 NCV)  How terrible it will be for the city that has killed 
       so many. It is full of lies and goods stolen from other countries. It 
       is always killing somebody.

       (Nahum 3:2 NCV)  Hear the sound of whips and the noise of the wheels. 
       Hear horses galloping and chariots bouncing along!

       (Nahum 3:3 NCV)  Horses are charging, swords are shining, spears are 
       gleaming! Many are dead; their bodies are piled up-- too many to 
       count. People stumble over the dead bodies.

       (Nahum 3:4 NCV)  The city was like a prostitute; she was charming and 
       a lover of magic. She made nations slaves with her prostitution and 
       her witchcraft.

       (Nahum 3:5 NCV)  "I am against you, Nineveh," says the LORD 
       All-Powerful. "I will pull your dress up over your face and show the 
       nations your nakedness and the kingdoms your shame.

       (Nahum 3:6 NCV)  I will throw filthy garbage on you and make a fool of 
       you. I will make people stare at you.

       (Nahum 3:7 NCV)  Everyone who sees you will run away and say, 'Nineveh 
       is in ruins. Who will cry for her?' Nineveh, where will I find anyone 
       to comfort you?"

       (Nahum 3:8 NCV)  You are no better than Thebes, who sits by the Nile 
       River with water all around her. The river was her defense; the waters 
       were like a wall around her.

       (Nahum 3:9 NCV)  Cush and Egypt gave her endless strength; Put and 
       Libya supported her.

       (Nahum 3:10 NCV)  But Thebes was captured and went into captivity. Her 
       small children were beaten to death at every street corner. Lots were 
       thrown for her important men, and all of her leaders were put in 
       chains.

       (Nahum 3:11 NCV)  Nineveh, you will be drunk, too. You will hide; you 
       will look for a place safe from the enemy.

       (Nahum 3:12 NCV)  All your defenses are like fig trees with ripe 
       fruit. When the tree is shaken, the figs fall into the mouth of the 
       eater.

       (Nahum 3:13 NCV)  Look at your soldiers. They are all women! The gates 
       of your land are wide open for your enemies; fire has burned the bars 
       of your gates.

       (Nahum 3:14 NCV)  Get enough water before the long war begins. Make 
       your defenses strong! Get mud, mix clay, make bricks!

       (Nahum 3:15 NCV)  There the fire will burn you up. The sword will kill 





       you; like grasshoppers eating crops, the battle will completely 
       destroy you. Grow in number like hopping locusts; grow in number like 
       swarming locusts!

       (Nahum 3:16 NCV)  Your traders are more than the stars in the sky, but 
       like locusts, they strip the land and then fly away.

       (Nahum 3:17 NCV)  Your guards are like locusts. Your officers are like 
       swarms of locusts that hang on the walls on a cold day. When the sun 
       comes up, they fly away, and no one knows where they have gone.

       (Nahum 3:18 NCV)  King of Assyria, your rulers are asleep; your 
       important men lie down to rest. Your people have been scattered on the 
       mountains, and there is no one to bring them back.

       (Nahum 3:19 NCV)  Nothing can heal your wound; your injury will not 
       heal. Everyone who hears about you applauds, because everyone has felt 
       your endless cruelty.

       (Hab 1:1 NCV)  This is the message Habakkuk the prophet received.

       (Hab 1:2 NCV)  LORD, how long must I ask for help and you ignore me? I 
       cry out to you about violence, but you do not save us!

       (Hab 1:3 NCV)  Why do you make me see wrong things and make me look at 
       trouble? People are destroying things and hurting others in front of 
       me; they are arguing and fighting.

       (Hab 1:4 NCV)  So the teachings are weak, and justice never comes. 
       Evil people gain while good people lose; the judges no longer make 
       fair decisions.

       (Hab 1:5 NCV)  "Look at the nations! Watch them and be amazed and 
       shocked. I will do something in your lifetime that you won't believe 
       even when you are told about it.

       (Hab 1:6 NCV)  I will use the Babylonians, those cruel and wild people 
       who march across the earth and take lands that don't belong to them.

       (Hab 1:7 NCV)  They scare and frighten people. They do what they want 
       to do and are good only to themselves.

       (Hab 1:8 NCV)  Their horses are faster than leopards and quicker than 
       wolves at sunset. Their horse soldiers attack quickly; they come from 
       places far away. They attack quickly, like an eagle swooping down for 
       food.

       (Hab 1:9 NCV)  They all come to fight. Nothing can stop them. Their 
       prisoners are as many as the grains of sand.

       (Hab 1:10 NCV)  They laugh at kings and make fun of rulers. They laugh 
       at all the strong, walled cities and build dirt piles to the top of 
       the walls to capture them.

       (Hab 1:11 NCV)  Then they leave like the wind and move on. They are 
       guilty of worshiping their own strength."






       (Hab 1:12 NCV)  LORD, you live forever, my God, my holy God. We will 
       not die. LORD, you have chosen the Babylonians to punish people; our 
       Rock, you picked them to punish.

       (Hab 1:13 NCV)  Your eyes are too good to look at evil; you cannot 
       stand to see those who do wrong. So how can you put up with those evil 
       people? How can you be quiet when the wicked swallow up people who are 
       better than they are?

       (Hab 1:14 NCV)  You treat people like fish in the sea, like sea 
       animals without a leader.

       (Hab 1:15 NCV)  The enemy brings them in with hooks. He catches them 
       in his net and drags them in his fishnet. So he rejoices and sings for 
       joy.

       (Hab 1:16 NCV)  The enemy offers sacrifices to his net and burns 
       incense to worship it, because it lets him live like the rich and 
       enjoy the best food.

       (Hab 1:17 NCV)  Will he keep on taking riches with his net? Will he go 
       on destroying people without showing mercy?

       (Hab 2:1 NCV)  I will stand like a guard to watch and place myself at 
       the tower. I will wait to see what he will say to me; I will wait to 
       learn how God will answer my complaint.

       (Hab 2:2 NCV)  The LORD answered me: "Write down the vision; write it 
       clearly on clay tablets so whoever reads it can run to tell others.

       (Hab 2:3 NCV)  It is not yet time for the message to come true, but 
       that time is coming soon; the message will come true. It may seem like 
       a long time, but be patient and wait for it, because it will surely 
       come; it will not be delayed.

       (Hab 2:4 NCV)  The evil nation is very proud of itself; it is not 
       living as it should. But those who are right with God will live by 
       trusting in him.

       (Hab 2:5 NCV)  "Just as wine can trick a person, those who are too 
       proud will not last, because their desire is like a grave's desire for 
       death, and like death they always want more. They gather other nations 
       for themselves and collect for themselves all the countries.

       (Hab 2:6 NCV)  But all the nations the Babylonians have hurt will 
       laugh at them. They will make fun of the Babylonians and say, 'How 
       terrible it will be for the one that steals many things. How long will 
       that nation get rich by forcing others to pay them?'

       (Hab 2:7 NCV)  "One day the people from whom you have taken money will 
       turn against you. They will realize what is happening and make you 
       shake with fear. Then they will take everything you have.

       (Hab 2:8 NCV)  Because you have stolen from many nations, those who 
       are left will take much from you. This is because you have killed many 





       people, destroying countries and cities and everyone in them.

       (Hab 2:9 NCV)  "How terrible it will be for the nation that becomes 
       rich by doing wrong, thinking they will live in a safe place and 
       escape harm.

       (Hab 2:10 NCV)  Because you have made plans to destroy many people, 
       you have made your own houses ashamed of you. Because of it, you will 
       lose your lives.

       (Hab 2:11 NCV)  The stones of the walls will cry out against you, and 
       the boards that support the roof will agree that you are wrong.

       (Hab 2:12 NCV)  "How terrible it will be for the nation that kills 
       people to build a city, that wrongs others to start a town.

       (Hab 2:13 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful will send fire to destroy what 
       those people have built; all the nations' work will be for nothing.

       (Hab 2:14 NCV)  Then, just as water covers the sea, people everywhere 
       will know the Lord's glory.

       (Hab 2:15 NCV)  "How terrible for the nation that makes its neighbors 
       drink, pouring from the jug of wine until they are drunk so that it 
       can look at their naked bodies.

       (Hab 2:16 NCV)  You Babylonians will be filled with disgrace, not 
       respect. It's your turn to drink and fall to the ground like a drunk 
       person. The cup of anger from the Lord's right hand is coming around 
       to you. You will receive disgrace, not respect.

       (Hab 2:17 NCV)  You hurt many people in Lebanon, but now you will be 
       hurt. You killed many animals there, and now you must be afraid 
       because of what you did to that land, those cities, and the people who 
       lived in them.

       (Hab 2:18 NCV)  "An idol does no good, because a human made it; it is 
       only a statue that teaches lies. The one who made it expects his own 
       work to help him, but he makes idols that can't even speak!

       (Hab 2:19 NCV)  How terrible it will be for the one who says to a 
       wooden statue, 'Come to life!' How terrible it will be for the one who 
       says to a silent stone, 'Get up!' It cannot tell you what to do. It is 
       only a statue covered with gold and silver; there is no life in it.

       (Hab 2:20 NCV)  The LORD is in his Holy Temple; all the earth should 
       be silent in his presence."

       (Hab 3:1 NCV)  This is the prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, on 
       shigionoth.

       (Hab 3:2 NCV)  LORD, I have heard the news about you; I am amazed at 
       what you have done. LORD, do great things once again in our time; make 
       those things happen again in our own days. Even when you are angry, 
       remember to be kind.





       (Hab 3:3 NCV)  God is coming from Teman; the Holy One comes from Mount 
       Paran. His glory covers the skies, and his praise fills the earth.

       (Hab 3:4 NCV)  He is like a bright light. Rays of light shine from his 
       hand, and there he hides his power.

       (Hab 3:5 NCV)  Sickness goes before him, and disease follows behind 
       him.

       (Hab 3:6 NCV)  He stands and shakes the earth. He looks, and the 
       nations shake with fear. The mountains, which stood for ages, break 
       into pieces; the old hills fall down. God has always done this.

       (Hab 3:7 NCV)  I saw that the tents of Cushan were in trouble and that 
       the tents of Midian trembled.

       (Hab 3:8 NCV)  LORD, were you angry at the rivers, or were you angry 
       at the streams? Were you angry with the sea when you rode your horses 
       and chariots of victory?

       (Hab 3:9 NCV)  You uncovered your bow and commanded many arrows to be 
       brought to you. Selah You split the earth with rivers.

       (Hab 3:10 NCV)  The mountains saw you and shook with fear. The rushing 
       water flowed. The sea made a loud noise, and its waves rose high.

       (Hab 3:11 NCV)  The sun and moon stood still in the sky; they stopped 
       when they saw the flash of your flying arrows and the gleam of your 
       shining spear.

       (Hab 3:12 NCV)  In anger you marched on the earth; in anger you 
       punished the nations.

       (Hab 3:13 NCV)  You came out to save your people, to save your chosen 
       one. You crushed the leader of the wicked ones and took everything he 
       had, from head to toe. Selah

       (Hab 3:14 NCV)  With the enemy's own spear you stabbed the leader of 
       his army. His soldiers rushed out like a storm to scatter us. They 
       were happy as they were robbing the poor people in secret.

       (Hab 3:15 NCV)  But you marched through the sea with your horses, 
       stirring the great waters.

       (Hab 3:16 NCV)  I hear these things, and my body trembles; my lips 
       tremble when I hear the sound. My bones feel weak, and my legs shake. 
       But I will wait patiently for the day of disaster that will come to 
       the people who attack us.

       (Hab 3:17 NCV)  Fig trees may not grow figs, and there may be no 
       grapes on the vines. There may be no olives growing and no food 
       growing in the fields. There may be no sheep in the pens and no cattle 
       in the barns.

       (Hab 3:18 NCV)  But I will still be glad in the LORD; I will rejoice 
       in God my Savior.






       (Hab 3:19 NCV)  The Lord GOD is my strength. He makes me like a deer 
       that does not stumble so I can walk on the steep mountains. For the 
       director of music. On my stringed instruments.

       (Zep 1:1 NCV)  This is the word of the LORD that came through 
       Zephaniah while Josiah son of Amon was king of Judah. Zephaniah was 
       the son of Cushi, who was the son of Gedaliah. Gedaliah was the son of 
       Amariah, who was the son of Hezekiah.

       (Zep 1:2 NCV)  "I will sweep away everything from the earth," says the 
       LORD.

       (Zep 1:3 NCV)  "I will sweep away the people and animals; I will 
       destroy the birds in the air and the fish of the sea. I will ruin the 
       evil people, and I will remove human beings from the earth," says the 
       LORD.

       (Zep 1:4 NCV)  "I will punish Judah and all the people living in 
       Jerusalem. I will remove from this place all signs of Baal, the false 
       priests, and the other priests.

       (Zep 1:5 NCV)  I will destroy those who worship the stars from the 
       roofs, and those who worship and make promises by both the LORD and 
       the god Molech,

       (Zep 1:6 NCV)  and those who turned away from the LORD, and those who 
       quit following the LORD and praying to him for direction.

       (Zep 1:7 NCV)  Be silent before the Lord GOD, because the Lord's day 
       for judging people is coming soon. The LORD has prepared a sacrifice; 
       he has made holy his invited guests.

       (Zep 1:8 NCV)  On the day of the Lord's sacrifice, I, the LORD, will 
       punish the princes and the king's sons and all those who wear foreign 
       clothes.

       (Zep 1:9 NCV)  On that day I will punish those who worship Dagon, 
       those who hurt others and tell lies in the temples of their gods.

       (Zep 1:10 NCV)  "On that day," says the LORD, "a cry will be heard at 
       the Fish Gate. A wail will come from the new area of the city, and a 
       loud crash will echo from the hills.

       (Zep 1:11 NCV)  Cry, you people living in the market area, because all 
       the merchants will be dead; all the silver traders will be gone.

       (Zep 1:12 NCV)  At that time I, the LORD, will search Jerusalem with 
       lamps. I will punish those who are satisfied with themselves, who 
       think, 'The LORD won't help us or punish us.'

       (Zep 1:13 NCV)  Their wealth will be stolen and their houses 
       destroyed. They may build houses, but they will not live in them. They 
       may plant vineyards, but they will not drink any wine from them.

       (Zep 1:14 NCV)  "The Lord's day of judging is coming soon; it is near 





       and coming fast. The cry will be very sad on the day of the LORD; even 
       soldiers will cry.

       (Zep 1:15 NCV)  That day will be a day of anger, a day of terror and 
       trouble, a day of destruction and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a 
       day of clouds and blackness,

       (Zep 1:16 NCV)  a day of alarms and battle cries. 'Attack the strong, 
       walled cities! Attack the corner towers!'

       (Zep 1:17 NCV)  I will make life hard on the people; they will walk 
       around like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD. 
       Their blood will be poured out like dust, and their insides will be 
       dumped like trash.

       (Zep 1:18 NCV)  On the day that God will show his anger, neither their 
       silver nor gold will save them. The Lord's anger will be like a fire 
       that will burn up the whole world; suddenly he will bring an end, yes, 
       an end to everyone on earth."

       (Zep 2:1 NCV)  Gather together, gather, you unwanted people.

       (Zep 2:2 NCV)  Do it before it's too late, before you are blown away 
       like chaff, before the Lord's terrible anger reaches you, before the 
       day of the Lord's anger comes to you.

       (Zep 2:3 NCV)  Come to the LORD, all you who are not proud, who obey 
       his laws. Do what is right. Learn to be humble. Maybe you will escape 
       on the day the LORD shows his anger.

       (Zep 2:4 NCV)  No one will be left in the city of Gaza, and the city 
       of Ashkelon will be destroyed. Ashdod will be empty by noon, and the 
       people of Ekron will be chased away.

       (Zep 2:5 NCV)  How terrible it will be for you who live by the 
       Mediterranean Sea, you Philistines! The word of the LORD is against 
       you, Canaan, land of the Philistines. "I will destroy you so that no 
       one will be left."

       (Zep 2:6 NCV)  The land by the Mediterranean Sea, in which you live, 
       will become pastures, fields for shepherds, and pens for sheep.

       (Zep 2:7 NCV)  It will belong to the descendants of Judah who are left 
       alive. There they will let their sheep eat grass. At night they will 
       sleep in the houses of Ashkelon. The LORD their God will pay attention 
       to them and will make their life good again.

       (Zep 2:8 NCV)  "I have heard the insults of the country of Moab and 
       the threats of the people of Ammon. They have insulted my people and 
       have taken their land."

       (Zep 2:9 NCV)  So the LORD All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says, "As 
       surely as I live, Moab will be destroyed like Sodom, and Ammon will be 
       destroyed like Gomorrah -- a heap of weeds, a pit of salt, and a ruin 
       forever. Those of my people who are left alive will take whatever they 
       want from them; those who are left from my nation will take their 





       land."

       (Zep 2:10 NCV)  This is what Moab and Ammon get for being proud, 
       because they insulted and made fun of the people of the LORD 
       All-Powerful.

       (Zep 2:11 NCV)  The LORD will frighten them, because he will destroy 
       all the gods of the earth. Then everyone in faraway places will 
       worship him wherever they are.

       (Zep 2:12 NCV)  "You Cushites also will be killed by my sword."

       (Zep 2:13 NCV)  Then the LORD will turn against the north and destroy 
       Assyria. He will make Nineveh a ruin as dry as a desert.

       (Zep 2:14 NCV)  Flocks and herds will lie down there, and all wild 
       animals. The owls and crows will sit on the stone pillars. The owl 
       will hoot through the windows, trash will be in the doorways, and the 
       wooden boards of the buildings will be gone.

       (Zep 2:15 NCV)  This is the happy and safe city that thinks there is 
       no one else as strong as it is. But what a ruin it will be, a place 
       where wild animals live. All those who pass by will make fun and shake 
       their fists.

       (Zep 3:1 NCV)  How terrible for the wicked, stubborn city of 
       Jerusalem, which hurts its own people.

       (Zep 3:2 NCV)  It obeys no voice; it can't be taught to do right. It 
       doesn't trust the LORD; it doesn't worship its God.

       (Zep 3:3 NCV)  Its officers are like roaring lions. Its rulers are 
       like hungry wolves that attack in the evening, and in the morning 
       nothing is left of those they attacked.

       (Zep 3:4 NCV)  Its prophets are proud; they are people who cannot be 
       trusted. Its priests don't respect holy things; they break God's 
       teachings.

       (Zep 3:5 NCV)  But the LORD is good, and he is there in that city. He 
       does no wrong. Every morning he governs the people fairly; every day 
       he can be trusted. But evil people are not ashamed of what they do.

       (Zep 3:6 NCV)  "I have destroyed nations; their towers were ruined. I 
       made their streets empty so no one goes there anymore. Their cities 
       are ruined; no one lives there at all.

       (Zep 3:7 NCV)  I said, 'Surely now Jerusalem will respect me and will 
       accept my teaching.' Then the place where they lived would not be 
       destroyed, and I would not have to punish them. But they were still 
       eager to do evil in everything they did.

       (Zep 3:8 NCV)  Just wait," says the LORD. "Some day I will stand up as 
       a witness. I have decided that I will gather nations and assemble 
       kingdoms. I will pour out my anger on them, all my strong anger. My 
       anger will be like fire that will burn up the whole world.






       (Zep 3:9 NCV)  "Then I will give the people of all nations pure speech 
       so that all of them will speak the name of the LORD and worship me 
       together.

       (Zep 3:10 NCV)  People will come from where the Nile River begins; my 
       scattered people will come with gifts for me.

       (Zep 3:11 NCV)  Then Jerusalem will not be ashamed of the wrongs done 
       against me, because I will remove from this city those who like to 
       brag; there will never be any more proud people on my holy mountain in 
       Jerusalem.

       (Zep 3:12 NCV)  But I will leave in the city the humble and those who 
       are not proud, and they will trust in the LORD.

       (Zep 3:13 NCV)  Those who are left alive in Israel won't do wrong or 
       tell lies; they won't trick people with their words. They will eat and 
       lie down with no one to make them afraid."

       (Zep 3:14 NCV)  Sing, Jerusalem. Israel, shout for joy! Jerusalem, be 
       happy and rejoice with all your heart.

       (Zep 3:15 NCV)  The LORD has stopped punishing you; he has sent your 
       enemies away. The King of Israel, the LORD, is with you; you will 
       never again be afraid of being harmed.

       (Zep 3:16 NCV)  On that day Jerusalem will be told, "Don't be afraid, 
       city of Jerusalem. Don't give up.

       (Zep 3:17 NCV)  The LORD your God is with you; the mighty One will 
       save you. He will rejoice over you. You will rest in his love; he will 
       sing and be joyful about you."

       (Zep 3:18 NCV)  "I will take away the sadness planned for you, which 
       would have made you very ashamed.

       (Zep 3:19 NCV)  At that time I will punish all those who harmed you. I 
       will save my people who cannot walk and gather my people who have been 
       thrown out. I will give them praise and honor in every place where 
       they were shamed.

       (Zep 3:20 NCV)  At that time I will gather you; at that time I will 
       bring you back home. I will give you honor and praise from people 
       everywhere when I make things go well again for you, as you will see 
       with your own eyes," says the LORD.

       (Hag 1:1 NCV)  The prophet Haggai spoke the word of the LORD to 
       Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah, and to Joshua son 
       of Jehozadak, the high priest. This message came in the second year 
       that Darius was king, on the first day of the sixth month:

       (Hag 1:2 NCV)  "This is what the LORD All-Powerful says: 'The people 
       say the right time has not come to rebuild the Temple of the LORD.'"

       (Hag 1:3 NCV)  Then Haggai the prophet spoke the word of the LORD:






       (Hag 1:4 NCV)  "Is it right for you to be living in fancy houses while 
       the Temple is still in ruins?"

       (Hag 1:5 NCV)  This is what the LORD All-Powerful says: "Think about 
       what you have done.

       (Hag 1:6 NCV)  You have planted much, but you harvest little. You eat, 
       but you do not become full. You drink, but you are still thirsty. You 
       put on clothes, but you are not warm enough. You earn money, but then 
       you lose it all as if you had put it into a purse full of holes."

       (Hag 1:7 NCV)  This is what the LORD All-Powerful says: "Think about 
       what you have done.

       (Hag 1:8 NCV)  Go up to the mountains, bring back wood, and build the 
       Temple. Then I will be pleased with it and be honored," says the LORD.

       (Hag 1:9 NCV)  "You look for much, but you find little. When you bring 
       it home, I destroy it. Why?" asks the LORD All-Powerful. "Because you 
       all work hard for your own houses while my house is still in ruins!

       (Hag 1:10 NCV)  Because of what you have done, the sky holds back its 
       rain and the ground holds back its crops.

       (Hag 1:11 NCV)  I have called for a time without rain on the land, and 
       on the mountains, and on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil, the 
       plants which the earth produces, the people, the farm animals, and all 
       the work of your hands."

       (Hag 1:12 NCV)  Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of 
       Jehozadak, the high priest, and all the rest of the people who were 
       left alive obeyed the LORD their God and the message from Haggai the 
       prophet, because the LORD their God had sent him. And the people 
       feared the LORD.

       (Hag 1:13 NCV)  Haggai, the Lord's messenger, gave the Lord's message 
       to the people, saying, "The LORD says, 'I am with you.'"

       (Hag 1:14 NCV)  The LORD stirred up Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the 
       governor of Judah, and Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and 
       all the rest of the people who were left alive. So they came and 
       worked on the Temple of their God, the LORD All-Powerful.

       (Hag 1:15 NCV)  They began on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month 
       in the second year Darius was king.

       (Hag 2:1 NCV)  On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the LORD 
       spoke his word through Haggai the prophet, saying,

       (Hag 2:2 NCV)  "Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of 
       Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the 
       rest of the people who are left alive. Say,

       (Hag 2:3 NCV)  'Do any of you remember how great the Temple was before 
       it was destroyed? What does it look like now? Doesn't it seem like 





       nothing to you?'

       (Hag 2:4 NCV)  But the LORD says, 'Zerubbabel, be brave. Also, Joshua 
       son of Jehozadak, the high priest, be brave. And all you people who 
       live in the land, be brave,' says the LORD. 'Work, because I am with 
       you,' says the LORD All-Powerful.

       (Hag 2:5 NCV)  'I made a promise to you when you came out of Egypt, 
       and my Spirit is still with you. So don't be afraid.'

       (Hag 2:6 NCV)  "This is what the LORD All-Powerful says: 'In a short 
       time I will once again shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and 
       the dry land.

       (Hag 2:7 NCV)  I will shake all the nations, and they will bring their 
       wealth. Then I will fill this Temple with glory,' says the LORD 
       All-Powerful.

       (Hag 2:8 NCV)  'The silver is mine, and the gold is mine,' says the 
       LORD All-Powerful.

       (Hag 2:9 NCV)  'The new Temple will be greater than the one before,' 
       says the LORD All-Powerful. 'And in this place I will give peace,' 
       says the LORD All-Powerful."

       (Hag 2:10 NCV)  On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month in the 
       second year Darius was king, the LORD spoke his word to Haggai the 
       prophet, saying,

       (Hag 2:11 NCV)  "This is what the LORD All-Powerful says: 'Ask the 
       priests for a teaching.

       (Hag 2:12 NCV)  Suppose a person carries in the fold of his clothes 
       some meat made holy for the LORD. If that fold touches bread, cooked 
       food, wine, olive oil, or some other food, will that be made holy?'" 
       The priests answered, "No."

       (Hag 2:13 NCV)  Then Haggai said, "A person who touches a dead body 
       will become unclean. If he touches any of these foods, will it become 
       unclean, too?" The priests answered, "Yes, it would become unclean."

       (Hag 2:14 NCV)  Then Haggai answered, "The LORD says, 'This is also 
       true for the people of this nation. They are unclean, and everything 
       they do with their hands is unclean to me. Whatever they offer at the 
       altar is also unclean.

       (Hag 2:15 NCV)  "'Think about this from now on! Think about how it was 
       before you started laying stones on top of stones to build the Temple 
       of the LORD.

       (Hag 2:16 NCV)  A person used to come to a pile of grain expecting to 
       find twenty basketfuls, but there were only ten. And a person used to 
       come to the wine vat to take out fifty jarfuls, but only twenty were 
       there.

       (Hag 2:17 NCV)  I destroyed your work with diseases, mildew, and hail, 





       but you still did not come back to me,' says the LORD.

       (Hag 2:18 NCV)  'It is the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, the 
       day in which the people finished working on the foundation of the 
       Temple of the LORD. From now on, think about these things:

       (Hag 2:19 NCV)  Do you have seeds for crops still in the barn? Your 
       vines, fig trees, pomegranates, and olive trees have not given fruit 
       yet. But from now on I will bless you!'"

       (Hag 2:20 NCV)  Then the LORD spoke his word a second time to Haggai 
       on the twenty-fourth day of the month. He said,

       (Hag 2:21 NCV)  "Tell Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, 'I am going 
       to shake the heavens and the earth.

       (Hag 2:22 NCV)  I will destroy the foreign kingdoms and take away the 
       power of the kingdoms of the nations. I will destroy the chariots and 
       their riders. The horses will fall with their riders, as people kill 
       each other with swords.'

       (Hag 2:23 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful says, 'On that day I will take 
       you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant,' says the LORD, 'and I 
       will make you important like my signet ring, because I have chosen 
       you!' says the LORD All-Powerful."

       (Zec 1:1 NCV)  In the eighth month of the second year Darius was king, 
       the LORD spoke his word to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, who 
       was the son of Iddo. The LORD said,

       (Zec 1:2 NCV)  "The LORD was very angry with your ancestors.

       (Zec 1:3 NCV)  So tell the people: This is what the LORD All-Powerful 
       says: 'Return to me, and I will return to you,' says the LORD 
       All-Powerful.

       (Zec 1:4 NCV)  Don't be like your ancestors. In the past the prophets 
       said to them: This is what the LORD All-Powerful says: 'Stop your evil 
       ways and evil actions.' But they wouldn't listen or pay attention to 
       me, says the LORD.

       (Zec 1:5 NCV)  Your ancestors are dead, and those prophets didn't live 
       forever.

       (Zec 1:6 NCV)  I commanded my words and laws to my servants the 
       prophets, and they preached to your ancestors, who returned to me. 
       They said, 'The LORD All-Powerful did as he said he would. He punished 
       us for the way we lived and for what we did.'"

       (Zec 1:7 NCV)  It was on the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, 
       which is the month of Shebat, in Darius's second year as king. The 
       LORD spoke his word to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, who was 
       the son of Iddo.

       (Zec 1:8 NCV)  During the night I had a vision. I saw a man riding a 
       red horse. He was standing among some myrtle trees in a ravine, with 





       red, brown, and white horses behind him.

       (Zec 1:9 NCV)  I asked, "What are these, sir?" The angel who was 
       talking with me answered, "I'll show you what they are."

       (Zec 1:10 NCV)  Then the man standing among the myrtle trees 
       explained, "They are the ones the LORD sent through all the earth."

       (Zec 1:11 NCV)  Then they spoke to the Lord's angel, who was standing 
       among the myrtle trees. They said, "We have gone through all the 
       earth, and everything is calm and quiet."

       (Zec 1:12 NCV)  Then the Lord's angel asked, "LORD All-Powerful, how 
       long will it be before you show mercy to Jerusalem and the cities of 
       Judah? You have been angry with them for seventy years now."

       (Zec 1:13 NCV)  So the LORD answered the angel who was talking with 
       me, and his words were comforting and good.

       (Zec 1:14 NCV)  Then the angel who was talking to me said to me, 
       "Announce this: This is what the LORD All-Powerful says: 'I have a 
       strong love for Jerusalem.

       (Zec 1:15 NCV)  And I am very angry with the nations that feel so 
       safe. I was only a little angry at them, but they made things worse.'

       (Zec 1:16 NCV)  "So this is what the LORD says: 'I will return to 
       Jerusalem with mercy. My Temple will be rebuilt,' says the LORD 
       All-Powerful, 'and the measuring line will be used to rebuild 
       Jerusalem.'

       (Zec 1:17 NCV)  "Also announce: This is what the LORD All-Powerful 
       says: 'My towns will be rich again. The LORD will comfort Jerusalem 
       again, and I will again choose Jerusalem.'"

       (Zec 1:18 NCV)  Then I looked up and saw four animal horns.

       (Zec 1:19 NCV)  I asked the angel who was talking with me, "What are 
       these?" He said, "These are the horns that scattered the people of 
       Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem."

       (Zec 1:20 NCV)  Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen.

       (Zec 1:21 NCV)  I asked, "What are they coming to do?" He answered, 
       "They have come to scare and throw down the horns. These horns 
       scattered the people of Judah so that no one could even lift up his 
       head. These horns stand for the nations that attacked the people of 
       Judah and scattered them."

       (Zec 2:1 NCV)  Then I looked up and saw a man holding a line for 
       measuring things.

       (Zec 2:2 NCV)  I asked him, "Where are you going?" He said to me, "I 
       am going to measure Jerusalem, to see how wide and how long it is."

       (Zec 2:3 NCV)  Then the angel who was talking with me left, and 





       another angel came out to meet him.

       (Zec 2:4 NCV)  The second angel said to him, "Run and tell that young 
       man, 'Jerusalem will become a city without walls, because there will 
       be so many people and cattle in it.

       (Zec 2:5 NCV)  I will be a wall of fire around it,' says the LORD. 
       'And I will be the glory within it.'

       (Zec 2:6 NCV)  "Oh no! Oh no! Run away from Babylon, because I have 
       scattered you like the four winds of heaven," says the LORD.

       (Zec 2:7 NCV)  "Oh no, Jerusalem! Escape, you who live right in 
       Babylon."

       (Zec 2:8 NCV)  This is what the LORD All-Powerful says: "After he has 
       honored me and sent me against the nations who took your 
       possessions--because whoever touches you hurts what is precious to 
       me--

       (Zec 2:9 NCV)  I will shake my hand against them so that their slaves 
       will rob them." Then you will know that the LORD All-Powerful sent me.

       (Zec 2:10 NCV)  "Shout and be glad, Jerusalem. I am coming, and I will 
       live among you," says the LORD.

       (Zec 2:11 NCV)  "At that time people from many nations will join with 
       the LORD and will become my people. Then I will live among you, and 
       you will know that the LORD All-Powerful has sent me to you.

       (Zec 2:12 NCV)  The LORD will take Judah as his own part of the holy 
       land, and Jerusalem will be his chosen city again.

       (Zec 2:13 NCV)  Be silent, everyone, in the presence of the LORD. He 
       is coming out of the holy place where he lives."

       (Zec 3:1 NCV)  Then he showed me Joshua, the high priest, standing in 
       front of the Lord's angel. And Satan was standing by Joshua's right 
       side to accuse him.

       (Zec 3:2 NCV)  The LORD said to Satan, "The LORD says no to you, 
       Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem says no to you! This man was 
       like a burning stick pulled from the fire."

       (Zec 3:3 NCV)  Joshua was wearing dirty clothes and was standing in 
       front of the angel.

       (Zec 3:4 NCV)  The angel said to those standing in front of him, "Take 
       off those dirty clothes." Then the angel said to Joshua, "Look, I have 
       taken away your sin from you, and I am giving you beautiful, fine 
       clothes."

       (Zec 3:5 NCV)  Then I said, "Put a clean turban on his head." So they 
       put a clean turban on his head and dressed him while the Lord's angel 
       stood there.





       (Zec 3:6 NCV)  Then the Lord's angel said to Joshua,

       (Zec 3:7 NCV)  "This is what the LORD All-Powerful says: 'If you do as 
       I tell you and serve me, you will be in charge of my Temple and my 
       courtyards. And I will let you be with these angels who are standing 
       here.

       (Zec 3:8 NCV)  "'Listen, Joshua, the high priest, and your friends who 
       are sitting in front of you. They are symbols of what will happen. I 
       am going to bring my servant called the Branch.

       (Zec 3:9 NCV)  Look, I put this stone in front of Joshua, a stone with 
       seven sides. I will carve a message on it,' says the LORD 
       All-Powerful. 'And in one day I will take away the sin of this land.'

       (Zec 3:10 NCV)  "The LORD All-Powerful says, 'In that day, each of you 
       will invite your neighbor to sit under your own grapevine and under 
       your own fig tree.'"

       (Zec 4:1 NCV)  Then the angel who was talking with me returned and 
       woke me up as if I had been asleep.

       (Zec 4:2 NCV)  He asked me, "What do you see?" I said, "I see a solid 
       gold lampstand with a bowl at the top. And there are seven lamps and 
       also seven places for wicks.

       (Zec 4:3 NCV)  There are two olive trees by it, one on the right of 
       the bowl and the other on the left."

       (Zec 4:4 NCV)  I asked the angel who talked with me, "Sir, what are 
       these?"

       (Zec 4:5 NCV)  The angel said, "Don't you know what they are?" "No, 
       sir," I said.

       (Zec 4:6 NCV)  Then he told me, "This is the word of the LORD to 
       Zerubbabel: 'You will not succeed by your own strength or power, but 
       by my Spirit,' says the LORD All-Powerful.

       (Zec 4:7 NCV)  "Who are you, big mountain? In front of Zerubbabel you 
       will become flat land, and he will bring out the topmost stone, 
       shouting, 'It's beautiful! It's beautiful!'"

       (Zec 4:8 NCV)  Then the LORD spoke his word to me again, saying,

       (Zec 4:9 NCV)  "Zerubbabel has laid the foundation of this Temple, and 
       he will complete it. Then you will know that the LORD All-Powerful has 
       sent me to you.

       (Zec 4:10 NCV)  "The people should not think that small beginnings are 
       unimportant. They will be happy when they see Zerubbabel with tools, 
       building the Temple. "(These are the seven eyes of the LORD, which 
       look back and forth across the earth.)"

       (Zec 4:11 NCV)  Then I asked the angel, "What are the two olive trees 
       on the right and left of the lampstand?"






       (Zec 4:12 NCV)  I also asked him, "What are the two olive branches 
       beside the two gold pipes, from which the olive oil flows to the 
       lamps?"

       (Zec 4:13 NCV)  He answered, "Don't you know what they are?" "No, 
       sir," I said.

       (Zec 4:14 NCV)  So he said, "They are symbols of the two who have been 
       appointed to serve the LORD of all the earth."

       (Zec 5:1 NCV)  I looked up again and saw a flying scroll.

       (Zec 5:2 NCV)  The angel asked me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I 
       see a flying scroll, thirty feet long and fifteen feet wide."

       (Zec 5:3 NCV)  And he said to me, "This is the curse that will go all 
       over the land. One side says every thief will be taken away. The other 
       side says everyone who makes false promises will be taken away.

       (Zec 5:4 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful says, 'I will send it to the 
       houses of thieves and to those who use my name to make false promises. 
       The scroll will stay in that person's house and destroy it with its 
       wood and stones.'"

       (Zec 5:5 NCV)  Then the angel who was talking with me came forward and 
       said to me, "Look up and see what is going out."

       (Zec 5:6 NCV)  "What is it?" I asked. He answered, "It is a measuring 
       basket going out." He also said, "It is a symbol of the people's sins 
       in all the land."

       (Zec 5:7 NCV)  Then the lid made of lead was raised, and there was a 
       woman sitting inside the basket.

       (Zec 5:8 NCV)  The angel said, "The woman stands for wickedness." Then 
       he pushed her back into the basket and put the lid back down.

       (Zec 5:9 NCV)  Then I looked up and saw two women going out with the 
       wind in their wings. Their wings were like those of a stork, and they 
       lifted up the basket between earth and the sky.

       (Zec 5:10 NCV)  I asked the angel who was talking with me, "Where are 
       they taking the basket?"

       (Zec 5:11 NCV)  "They are going to Babylonia to build a temple for 
       it," he answered. "When the temple is ready, they will set the basket 
       there in its place."

       (Zec 6:1 NCV)  I looked up again and saw four chariots going out 
       between two mountains, mountains of bronze.

       (Zec 6:2 NCV)  Red horses pulled the first chariot. Black horses 
       pulled the second chariot.

       (Zec 6:3 NCV)  White horses pulled the third chariot, and strong, 





       spotted horses pulled the fourth chariot.

       (Zec 6:4 NCV)  I asked the angel who was talking with me, "What are 
       these, sir?"

       (Zec 6:5 NCV)  He said, "These are the four spirits of heaven. They 
       have just come from the presence of the Lord of the whole world.

       (Zec 6:6 NCV)  The chariot pulled by the black horses will go to the 
       land of the north. The white horses will go to the land of the west, 
       and the spotted horses will go to the land of the south."

       (Zec 6:7 NCV)  When the powerful horses went out, they were eager to 
       go through all the earth. So he said, "Go through all the earth," and 
       they did.

       (Zec 6:8 NCV)  Then he called to me, "Look, the horses that went north 
       have caused my spirit to rest in the land of the north."

       (Zec 6:9 NCV)  The LORD spoke his word to me, saying,

       (Zec 6:10 NCV)  "Take silver and gold from Heldai, Tobijah, and 
       Jedaiah, who were captives in Babylon. Go that same day to the house 
       of Josiah son of Zephaniah, who came from Babylon.

       (Zec 6:11 NCV)  Make the silver and gold into a crown, and put it on 
       the head of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest.

       (Zec 6:12 NCV)  Tell him this is what the LORD All-Powerful says: 'A 
       man whose name is the Branch will branch out from where he is, and he 
       will build the Temple of the LORD.

       (Zec 6:13 NCV)  One man will build the Temple of the LORD, and the 
       other will receive honor. One man will sit on his throne and rule, and 
       the other will be a priest on his throne. And these two men will work 
       together in peace.'

       (Zec 6:14 NCV)  The crown will be kept in the Temple of the LORD to 
       remind Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Josiah son of Zephaniah.

       (Zec 6:15 NCV)  People living far away will come and build the Temple 
       of the LORD. Then you will know the LORD All-Powerful has sent me to 
       you. This will happen if you completely obey the LORD your God."

       (Zec 7:1 NCV)  In the fourth year Darius was king, on the fourth day 
       of the ninth month, which is called Kislev, the LORD spoke his word to 
       Zechariah.

       (Zec 7:2 NCV)  The city of Bethel sent Sharezer, Regem-Melech, and 
       their men to ask the LORD a question.

       (Zec 7:3 NCV)  They went to the prophets and priests who were at the 
       Temple of the LORD All-Powerful. The men said, "For years in the fifth 
       month of each year we have shown our sadness and gone without food. 
       Should we continue to do this?"





       (Zec 7:4 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful spoke his word to me, saying,

       (Zec 7:5 NCV)  "Tell the priests and the people in the land: 'For 
       seventy years you went without food and cried in the fifth and seventh 
       months, but that was not really for me.

       (Zec 7:6 NCV)  And when you ate and drank, it was really for 
       yourselves.

       (Zec 7:7 NCV)  The LORD used the earlier prophets to say the same 
       thing, when Jerusalem and the surrounding towns were at peace and 
       wealthy, and people lived in the southern area and the western 
       hills.'"

       (Zec 7:8 NCV)  And the LORD spoke his word to Zechariah again, saying,

       (Zec 7:9 NCV)  "This is what the LORD All-Powerful says: 'Do what is 
       right and true. Be kind and merciful to each other.

       (Zec 7:10 NCV)  Don't hurt widows and orphans, foreigners or the poor; 
       don't even think of doing evil to somebody else.'

       (Zec 7:11 NCV)  "But they refused to pay attention; they were stubborn 
       and did not want to listen anymore.

       (Zec 7:12 NCV)  They made their hearts as hard as rock and would not 
       listen to the teachings of the LORD All-Powerful. And they would not 
       hear the words he sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So 
       the LORD All-Powerful became very angry.

       (Zec 7:13 NCV)  "'When I called to them, they would not listen. So 
       when they called to me, I would not listen,' says the LORD 
       All-Powerful.

       (Zec 7:14 NCV)  'I scattered them like a hurricane to other countries 
       they did not know. This good land was left so ruined behind them that 
       no one could live there. They had made the desired land a ruin.'"

       (Zec 8:1 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful spoke his word, saying,

       (Zec 8:2 NCV)  This is what the LORD All-Powerful says: "I have a very 
       strong love for Jerusalem. My strong love for her is like a fire 
       burning in me."

       (Zec 8:3 NCV)  This is what the LORD says: "I will return to Jerusalem 
       and live in it. Then it will be called the City of Truth, and the 
       mountain of the LORD All-Powerful will be called the Holy Mountain."

       (Zec 8:4 NCV)  This is what the LORD All-Powerful says: "Old men and 
       old women will again sit along Jerusalem's streets, each carrying a 
       cane because of age.

       (Zec 8:5 NCV)  And the streets will be filled with boys and girls 
       playing."

       (Zec 8:6 NCV)  This is what the LORD All-Powerful says: "Those who are 





       left alive then may think it is too difficult to happen, but it is not 
       too difficult for me," says the LORD All-Powerful.

       (Zec 8:7 NCV)  This is what the LORD All-Powerful says: "I will save 
       my people from countries in the east and west.

       (Zec 8:8 NCV)  I will bring them back, and they will live in 
       Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their good and loyal 
       God."

       (Zec 8:9 NCV)  This is what the LORD All-Powerful says: "Work hard, 
       you who are hearing these words today. The prophets spoke these words 
       when the foundation was laid for the house of the LORD All-Powerful, 
       for the building of the Temple.

       (Zec 8:10 NCV)  Before that time there was no money to hire people or 
       animals. People could not safely come and go because of the enemies; I 
       had turned everyone against his neighbor.

       (Zec 8:11 NCV)  But I will not do to these people who are left what I 
       did in the past," says the LORD All-Powerful.

       (Zec 8:12 NCV)  "They will plant their seeds in peace, their 
       grapevines will have fruit, the ground will give good crops, and the 
       sky will send rain. I will give all this to the people who are left 
       alive.

       (Zec 8:13 NCV)  Judah and Israel, your names have been used as curses 
       in other nations. But I will save you, and you will become a blessing. 
       So don't be afraid; work hard."

       (Zec 8:14 NCV)  This is what the LORD All-Powerful says: "When your 
       ancestors made me angry, I planned to punish you. I did not change my 
       mind," says the LORD All-Powerful.

       (Zec 8:15 NCV)  "But now I will do something different. I am planning 
       to do good to Jerusalem and Judah. So don't be afraid.

       (Zec 8:16 NCV)  These are the things you should do: Tell each other 
       the truth. In the courts judge with truth and complete fairness.

       (Zec 8:17 NCV)  Do not make plans to hurt your neighbors, and don't 
       love false promises. I hate all these things," says the LORD.

       (Zec 8:18 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful spoke his word to me again.

       (Zec 8:19 NCV)  This is what the LORD All-Powerful says: "The special 
       days when you give up eating in the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth 
       months will become good, joyful, happy feasts in Judah. But you must 
       love truth and peace."

       (Zec 8:20 NCV)  This is what the LORD All-Powerful says: "Many people 
       from many cities will still come to Jerusalem.

       (Zec 8:21 NCV)  People from one city will go and say to those from 
       another city, 'We are going to pray to the LORD and to ask the LORD 





       All-Powerful for help. Come and go with us.'

       (Zec 8:22 NCV)  Many people and powerful nations will come to worship 
       the LORD All-Powerful in Jerusalem and to pray to the LORD for help."

       (Zec 8:23 NCV)  This is what the LORD All-Powerful says: "At that 
       time, ten men from different countries will come and take hold of a 
       Judean by his coat. They will say to him, 'Let us go with you, because 
       we have heard that God is with you.'"

       (Zec 9:1 NCV)  This message is the word of the LORD. The message is 
       against the land of Hadrach and the city of Damascus. The tribes of 
       Israel and all people belong to the LORD.

       (Zec 9:2 NCV)  The message is also against the city of Hamath, on the 
       border, and against Tyre and Sidon, with their skill.

       (Zec 9:3 NCV)  Tyre has built a strong wall for herself. She has piled 
       up silver like dust and gold like the mud in the streets.

       (Zec 9:4 NCV)  But the Lord will take away all she has and destroy her 
       power on the sea. That city will be destroyed by fire.

       (Zec 9:5 NCV)  The city of Ashkelon will see it and be afraid. The 
       people of Gaza will shake with fear, and the people of Ekron will lose 
       hope. No king will be left in Gaza, and no one will live in Ashkelon 
       anymore.

       (Zec 9:6 NCV)  Foreigners will live in Ashdod, and I will destroy the 
       pride of the Philistines.

       (Zec 9:7 NCV)  I will stop them from drinking blood and from eating 
       forbidden food. Those left alive will belong to God. They will be 
       leaders in Judah, and Ekron will become like the Jebusites.

       (Zec 9:8 NCV)  I will protect my Temple from armies who would come or 
       go. No one will hurt my people again, because now I am watching them.

       (Zec 9:9 NCV)  Rejoice greatly, people of Jerusalem! Shout for joy, 
       people of Jerusalem! Your king is coming to you. He does what is 
       right, and he saves. He is gentle and riding on a donkey, on the colt 
       of a donkey.

       (Zec 9:10 NCV)  I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the 
       horses from Jerusalem. The bows used in war will be broken. The king 
       will talk to the nations about peace. His kingdom will go from sea to 
       sea, and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.

       (Zec 9:11 NCV)  As for you, because of the blood of the agreement with 
       you I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.

       (Zec 9:12 NCV)  You prisoners who have hope, return to your place of 
       safety. Today I am telling you that I will give you back twice as much 
       as before.

       (Zec 9:13 NCV)  I will use Judah like a bow and Ephraim like the 





       arrows. Jerusalem, I will use your men to fight the men of Greece. I 
       will use you like a warrior's sword.

       (Zec 9:14 NCV)  Then the LORD will appear above them, and his arrows 
       will shoot like lightning. The Lord GOD will blow the trumpet, and he 
       will march in the storms of the south.

       (Zec 9:15 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful will protect them; they will 
       destroy the enemy with slingshots. They will drink and shout like 
       drunk men. They will be filled like a bowl used for sprinkling blood 
       at the corners of the altar.

       (Zec 9:16 NCV)  On that day the LORD their God will save them as if 
       his people were sheep. They will shine in his land like jewels in a 
       crown.

       (Zec 9:17 NCV)  They will be so pretty and beautiful. The young men 
       will grow strong on the grain and the young women on new wine.

       (Zec 10:1 NCV)  Ask the LORD for rain during the springtime rains. The 
       LORD is the one who makes the clouds. He sends the showers and gives 
       everyone green fields.

       (Zec 10:2 NCV)  Idols tell lies; fortune-tellers see false visions and 
       tell about false dreams. The comfort they give is worth nothing. So 
       the people are like lost sheep. They are abused, because there is no 
       shepherd.

       (Zec 10:3 NCV)  The LORD says, "I am angry at my shepherds, and I will 
       punish the leaders. I, the LORD All-Powerful, care for my flock, the 
       people of Judah. I will make them like my proud war horses.

       (Zec 10:4 NCV)  From Judah will come the cornerstone, and the tent 
       peg, the battle bow, and every ruler.

       (Zec 10:5 NCV)  Together they will be like soldiers marching to battle 
       through muddy streets. The LORD is with them, so they will fight and 
       defeat the horsemen.

       (Zec 10:6 NCV)  "I will strengthen the people of Judah and save the 
       people of Joseph. I will bring them back, because I care about them. 
       It will be as though I had never left them, because I am the LORD 
       their God, and I will answer them.

       (Zec 10:7 NCV)  The people of Ephraim will be strong like soldiers; 
       they will be glad as when they have drunk wine. Their children will 
       see it and rejoice; they will be happy in the LORD.

       (Zec 10:8 NCV)  I will call my people and gather them together. I will 
       save them, and they will grow in number as they grew in number before.

       (Zec 10:9 NCV)  I have scattered them among the nations, but in those 
       faraway places, they will remember me. They and their children will 
       live and return.

       (Zec 10:10 NCV)  I will bring them back from the land of Egypt and 





       gather them from Assyria. I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon 
       until there isn't enough room for them all.

       (Zec 10:11 NCV)  They will come through the sea of trouble. The waves 
       of the sea will be calm, and the Nile River will dry up. I will defeat 
       Assyria's pride and destroy Egypt's power over other countries.

       (Zec 10:12 NCV)  I will make my people strong, and they will live as I 
       say," says the LORD.

       (Zec 11:1 NCV)  Lebanon, open your gates so fire may burn your cedar 
       trees.

       (Zec 11:2 NCV)  Cry, pine trees, because the cedar has fallen, because 
       the tall trees are ruined. Cry, oaks in Bashan, because the mighty 
       forest has been cut down.

       (Zec 11:3 NCV)  Listen to the shepherds crying because their rich 
       pastures are destroyed. Listen to the lions roaring because the lovely 
       land of the Jordan River is ruined.

       (Zec 11:4 NCV)  This is what the LORD my God says: "Feed the flock 
       that are about to be killed.

       (Zec 11:5 NCV)  Their buyers kill them and are not punished. Those who 
       sell them say, 'Praise the LORD, I am rich.' Even the shepherds don't 
       feel sorry for their sheep.

       (Zec 11:6 NCV)  I don't feel sorry anymore for the people of this 
       country," says the LORD. "I will let everyone be under the power of 
       his neighbor and king. They will bring trouble to the country, and I 
       will not save anyone from them."

       (Zec 11:7 NCV)  So I fed the flock about to be killed, particularly 
       the weakest ones. Then I took two sticks; I called one Pleasant and 
       the other Union, and I fed the flock.

       (Zec 11:8 NCV)  In one month I got rid of three shepherds. The flock 
       did not pay attention to me, and I got impatient with them.

       (Zec 11:9 NCV)  I said, "I will no longer take care of you like a 
       shepherd. Let those that are dying die, and let those that are to be 
       destroyed be destroyed. Let those that are left eat each other."

       (Zec 11:10 NCV)  Then I broke the stick named Pleasant to break the 
       agreement God made with all the nations.

       (Zec 11:11 NCV)  That day it was broken. The weak ones in the flock 
       who were watching me knew this message was from the LORD.

       (Zec 11:12 NCV)  Then I said, "If you want to pay me, pay me. If not, 
       then don't." So they paid me thirty pieces of silver.

       (Zec 11:13 NCV)  The LORD said to me, "Throw the money to the potter." 
       That is how little they thought I was worth. So I took the thirty 
       pieces of silver and threw them to the potter in the Temple of the 





       LORD.

       (Zec 11:14 NCV)  Then I broke the second stick, named Union, to break 
       the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

       (Zec 11:15 NCV)  Then the LORD said to me, "Get the things used by a 
       foolish shepherd again,

       (Zec 11:16 NCV)  because I am going to get a new shepherd for the 
       country. He will not care for the dying sheep, or look for the young 
       ones, or heal the injured ones, or feed the healthy. But he will eat 
       the best sheep and tear off their hoofs.

       (Zec 11:17 NCV)  "How terrible it will be for the useless shepherd who 
       abandoned the flock. A sword will strike his arm and his right eye. 
       His arm will lose all its strength, and his right eye will go blind."

       (Zec 12:1 NCV)  This message is the word of the LORD to Israel. This 
       is what the LORD says, who stretched out the skies, and laid the 
       foundations of the earth, and put the human spirit within:

       (Zec 12:2 NCV)  "I will make Jerusalem like a cup of poison to the 
       nations around her. They will come and attack Jerusalem and Judah.

       (Zec 12:3 NCV)  One day all the nations on earth will come together to 
       attack Jerusalem, but I will make it like a heavy rock; anyone who 
       tries to move it will get hurt.

       (Zec 12:4 NCV)  At that time I will confuse every horse and cause its 
       rider to go crazy," says the LORD. "I will watch over Judah, but I 
       will blind all the horses of the enemies.

       (Zec 12:5 NCV)  Then the leaders of Judah will say to themselves, 'The 
       people of Jerusalem are strong, because the LORD All-Powerful is their 
       God.'

       (Zec 12:6 NCV)  "At that time I will make the leaders of Judah like a 
       fire burning a stack of wood or like a fire burning straw. They will 
       destroy all the people around them left and right. But the people of 
       Jerusalem will remain safe.

       (Zec 12:7 NCV)  "The LORD will save the homes of Judah first so that 
       the honor given to David's family and to the people of Jerusalem won't 
       be greater than the honor given to Judah.

       (Zec 12:8 NCV)  At that time the LORD will protect the people in 
       Jerusalem. Then even the weakest of them will be strong like David. 
       And the family of David will be like God, like an angel of the LORD in 
       front of them.

       (Zec 12:9 NCV)  At that time I will go to destroy all the nations that 
       attack Jerusalem.

       (Zec 12:10 NCV)  "I will pour out on David's family and the people in 
       Jerusalem a spirit of kindness and mercy. They will look at me, the 
       one they have stabbed, and they will cry like someone crying over the 





       death of an only child. They will be as sad as someone who has lost a 
       firstborn son.

       (Zec 12:11 NCV)  At that time there will be much crying in Jerusalem, 
       like the crying for Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.

       (Zec 12:12 NCV)  The land will cry, each family by itself: the family 
       of David by itself and their wives by themselves, the family of Nathan 
       by itself and their wives by themselves,

       (Zec 12:13 NCV)  the family of Levi by itself and their wives by 
       themselves, the family of Shimei by itself and their wives by 
       themselves,

       (Zec 12:14 NCV)  and all the rest of the families by themselves and 
       their wives by themselves.

       (Zec 13:1 NCV)  "At that time a fountain will be open for David's 
       descendants and for the people of Jerusalem to cleanse them of their 
       sin and uncleanness."

       (Zec 13:2 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful says, "At that time I will get 
       rid of the names of the idols from the land; no one will remember them 
       anymore. I will also remove the prophets and unclean spirits from the 
       land.

       (Zec 13:3 NCV)  If a person continues to prophesy, his own father and 
       mother, the ones who gave birth to him, will tell him, 'You have told 
       lies using the Lord's name, so you must die.' When he prophesies, his 
       own father and mother who gave birth to him will stab him.

       (Zec 13:4 NCV)  "At that time the prophets will be ashamed of their 
       visions and prophecies. They won't wear the prophet's clothes made of 
       hair to trick people.

       (Zec 13:5 NCV)  Each of them will say, 'I am not a prophet. I am a 
       farmer and have been a farmer since I was young.'

       (Zec 13:6 NCV)  But someone will ask, 'What are the deep cuts on your 
       body?' And each will answer, 'I was hurt at my friend's house.'

       (Zec 13:7 NCV)  "Sword, hit the shepherd. Attack the man who is my 
       friend," says the LORD All-Powerful. "Kill the shepherd, and the sheep 
       will scatter, and I will punish the little ones."

       (Zec 13:8 NCV)  The LORD says, "Two-thirds of the people through all 
       the land will die. They will be gone, and one-third will be left.

       (Zec 13:9 NCV)  The third that is left I will test with fire, 
       purifying them like silver, testing them like gold. Then they will 
       call on me, and I will answer them. I will say, 'You are my people,' 
       and they will say, 'The LORD is our God.'"

       (Zec 14:1 NCV)  The Lord's day of judging is coming when the wealth 
       you have taken will be divided among you.





       (Zec 14:2 NCV)  I will bring all the nations together to fight 
       Jerusalem. They will capture the city and rob the houses and attack 
       the women. Half the people will be taken away as captives, but the 
       rest of the people won't be taken from the city.

       (Zec 14:3 NCV)  Then the LORD will go to war against those nations; he 
       will fight as in a day of battle.

       (Zec 14:4 NCV)  On that day he will stand on the Mount of Olives, east 
       of Jerusalem. The Mount of Olives will split in two, forming a deep 
       valley that runs east and west. Half the mountain will move toward the 
       north, and half will move toward the south.

       (Zec 14:5 NCV)  You will run through this mountain valley to the other 
       side, just as you ran from the earthquake when Uzziah was king of 
       Judah. Then the LORD my God will come and all the holy ones with him.

       (Zec 14:6 NCV)  On that day there will be no light, cold, or frost.

       (Zec 14:7 NCV)  There will be no other day like it, and the LORD knows 
       when it will come. There will be no day or night; even at evening it 
       will still be light.

       (Zec 14:8 NCV)  At that time fresh water will flow from Jerusalem. 
       Half of it will flow east to the Dead Sea, and half will flow west to 
       the Mediterranean Sea. It will flow summer and winter.

       (Zec 14:9 NCV)  Then the LORD will be king over the whole world. At 
       that time there will be only one LORD, and his name will be the only 
       name.

       (Zec 14:10 NCV)  All the land south of Jerusalem from Geba to Rimmon 
       will be turned into a plain. Jerusalem will be raised up, but it will 
       stay in the same place. The city will reach from the Benjamin Gate and 
       to the First Gate to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to 
       the king's winepresses.

       (Zec 14:11 NCV)  People will live there, and it will never be 
       destroyed again. Jerusalem will be safe.

       (Zec 14:12 NCV)  But the LORD will bring a terrible disease on the 
       nations that fought against Jerusalem. Their flesh will rot away while 
       they are still standing up. Their eyes will rot in their sockets, and 
       their tongues will rot in their mouths.

       (Zec 14:13 NCV)  At that time the LORD will cause panic. Everybody 
       will grab his neighbor, and they will attack each other.

       (Zec 14:14 NCV)  The people of Judah will fight in Jerusalem. And the 
       wealth of the nations around them will be collected--much gold, 
       silver, and clothes.

       (Zec 14:15 NCV)  A similar disease will strike the horses, mules, 
       camels, donkeys, and all the animals in the camps.

       (Zec 14:16 NCV)  All of those left alive of the people who came to 





       fight Jerusalem will come back to Jerusalem year after year to worship 
       the King, the LORD All-Powerful, and to celebrate the Feast of 
       Shelters.

       (Zec 14:17 NCV)  Anyone from the nations who does not go to Jerusalem 
       to worship the King, the LORD All-Powerful, will not have rain fall on 
       his land.

       (Zec 14:18 NCV)  If the Egyptians do not go to Jerusalem, they will 
       not have rain. Then the LORD will send them the same terrible disease 
       he sent the other nations that did not celebrate the Feast of 
       Shelters.

       (Zec 14:19 NCV)  This will be the punishment for Egypt and any nation 
       which does not go to celebrate the Feast of Shelters.

       (Zec 14:20 NCV)  At that time the horses' bells will have written on 
       them: HOLY TO THE LORD. The cooking pots in the Temple of the LORD 
       will be like the holy altar bowls.

       (Zec 14:21 NCV)  Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the 
       LORD All-Powerful, and everyone who offers sacrifices will be able to 
       take food from them and cook in them. At that time there will not be 
       any buyers or sellers in the Temple of the LORD All-Powerful.

       (Mal 1:1 NCV)  This message is the word of the LORD given to Israel 
       through Malachi.

       (Mal 1:2 NCV)  The LORD said, "I have loved you." But you ask, "How 
       have you loved us?" The LORD said, "Esau and Jacob were brothers. I 
       loved Jacob,

       (Mal 1:3 NCV)  but I hated Esau. I destroyed his mountain country and 
       left his land to the wild dogs of the desert."

       (Mal 1:4 NCV)  The people of Edom might say, "We were destroyed, but 
       we will go back and rebuild the ruins." But the LORD All-Powerful 
       says, "If they rebuild them, I will destroy them. People will say, 
       'Edom is a wicked country. The LORD is always angry with the 
       Edomites.'

       (Mal 1:5 NCV)  You will see these things with your own eyes. And you 
       will say, 'The LORD is great, even outside the borders of Israel!'"

       (Mal 1:6 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful says, "A child honors his father, 
       and a servant honors his master. I am a father, so why don't you honor 
       me? I am a master, so why don't you respect me? You priests do not 
       respect me. "But you ask, 'How have we shown you disrespect?"

       (Mal 1:7 NCV)  "You have shown it by bringing unclean food to my 
       altar. "But you ask, 'What makes it unclean?" "It is unclean because 
       you don't respect the altar of the LORD.

       (Mal 1:8 NCV)  When you bring blind animals as sacrifices, that is 
       wrong. When you bring crippled and sick animals, that is wrong. Try 
       giving them to your governor. Would he be pleased with you? He 





       wouldn't accept you," says the LORD All-Powerful.

       (Mal 1:9 NCV)  "Now ask God to be kind to you, but he won't accept you 
       with such offerings," says the LORD All-Powerful.

       (Mal 1:10 NCV)  "I wish one of you would close the Temple doors so 
       that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased 
       with you and will not accept your gifts," says the LORD All-Powerful.

       (Mal 1:11 NCV)  "From the east to the west I will be honored among the 
       nations. Everywhere they will bring incense and clean offerings to me, 
       because I will be honored among the nations," says the LORD 
       All-Powerful.

       (Mal 1:12 NCV)  "But you don't honor me. You say about the Lord's 
       altar, 'It is unclean, and the food has no worth.'

       (Mal 1:13 NCV)  You say, 'We are tired of doing this,' and you sniff 
       at it in disgust," says the LORD All-Powerful. "And you bring hurt, 
       crippled, and sick animals as gifts. You bring them as gifts, but I 
       won't accept them from you," says the LORD.

       (Mal 1:14 NCV)  "The person who cheats will be cursed. He has a male 
       animal in his flock and promises to offer it, but then he offers to 
       the Lord an animal that has something wrong with it. I am a great 
       king," says the LORD All-Powerful, "and I am feared by all the 
       nations.

       (Mal 2:1 NCV)  "Priests, this command is for you.

       (Mal 2:2 NCV)  Listen to me. Pay attention to what I say. Honor my 
       name," says the LORD All-Powerful. "If you don't, I will send a curse 
       on you and on your blessings. I have already cursed them, because you 
       don't pay attention to what I say.

       (Mal 2:3 NCV)  "I will punish your descendants. I will smear your 
       faces with the animal insides left from your feasts, and you will be 
       thrown away with it.

       (Mal 2:4 NCV)  Then you will know that I am giving you this command so 
       my agreement with Levi will continue," says the LORD All-Powerful.

       (Mal 2:5 NCV)  "My agreement for priests was with the tribe of Levi. I 
       promised them life and peace so they would honor me. And they did 
       honor me and fear me.

       (Mal 2:6 NCV)  They taught the true teachings and spoke no lies. With 
       peace and honesty they did what I said they should do, and they kept 
       many people from sinning.

       (Mal 2:7 NCV)  "A priest should teach what he knows, and people should 
       learn the teachings from him, because he is the messenger of the LORD 
       All-Powerful.

       (Mal 2:8 NCV)  But you priests have stopped obeying me. With your 
       teachings you have caused many people to do wrong. You have broken the 





       agreement with the tribe of Levi!" says the LORD All-Powerful.

       (Mal 2:9 NCV)  "You have not been careful to do what I say, but 
       instead you take sides in court cases. So I have caused you to be 
       hated and disgraced in front of everybody."

       (Mal 2:10 NCV)  We all have the same father; the same God made us. So 
       why do people break their promises to each other and show no respect 
       for the agreement our ancestors made with God?

       (Mal 2:11 NCV)  The people of Judah have broken their promises. They 
       have done something God hates in Israel and Jerusalem: The people of 
       Judah did not respect the Temple that the LORD loves, and the men of 
       Judah married women who worship foreign gods.

       (Mal 2:12 NCV)  Whoever does this might bring offerings to the LORD 
       All-Powerful, but the LORD will still cut that person off from the 
       community of Israel.

       (Mal 2:13 NCV)  This is another thing you do. You cover the Lord's 
       altar with your tears. You cry and moan, because he does not accept 
       your offerings and is not pleased with what you bring.

       (Mal 2:14 NCV)  You ask, "Why?" It is because the LORD sees how you 
       treated the wife you married when you were young. You broke your 
       promise to her, even though she was your partner and you had an 
       agreement with her.

       (Mal 2:15 NCV)  God made husbands and wives to become one body and one 
       spirit for his purpose--so they would have children who are true to 
       God. So be careful, and do not break your promise to the wife you 
       married when you were young.

       (Mal 2:16 NCV)  The LORD God of Israel says, "I hate divorce. And I 
       hate people who do cruel things as easily as they put on clothes," 
       says the LORD All-Powerful. So be careful. And do not break your 
       trust.

       (Mal 2:17 NCV)  You have tired the LORD with your words. You ask, "How 
       have we tired him?" You did it by saying, "The LORD thinks anyone who 
       does evil is good, and he is pleased with them." Or you asked, "Where 
       is the God who is fair?"

       (Mal 3:1 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful says, "I will send my messenger, 
       who will prepare the way for me. Suddenly, the Lord you are looking 
       for will come to his Temple; the messenger of the agreement, whom you 
       want, will come."

       (Mal 3:2 NCV)  No one can live through that time; no one can survive 
       when he comes. He will be like a purifying fire and like laundry soap.

       (Mal 3:3 NCV)  Like someone who heats and purifies silver, he will 
       purify the Levites and make them pure like gold and silver. Then they 
       will bring offerings to the LORD in the right way.

       (Mal 3:4 NCV)  And the LORD will accept the offerings from Judah and 





       Jerusalem, as it was in the past.

       (Mal 3:5 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful says, "Then I will come to you 
       and judge you. I will be quick to testify against those who take part 
       in evil magic, adultery, and lying under oath, those who cheat workers 
       of their pay and who cheat widows and orphans, those who are unfair to 
       foreigners, and those who do not respect me.

       (Mal 3:6 NCV)  "I the LORD do not change. So you descendants of Jacob 
       have not been destroyed.

       (Mal 3:7 NCV)  Since the time of your ancestors, you have disobeyed my 
       rules and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," 
       says the LORD All-Powerful. "But you ask, 'How can we return?"

       (Mal 3:8 NCV)  "Should a person rob God? But you are robbing me. "You 
       ask, 'How have we robbed you?" "You have robbed me in your offerings 
       and the tenth of your crops.

       (Mal 3:9 NCV)  So a curse is on you, because the whole nation has 
       robbed me.

       (Mal 3:10 NCV)  Bring to the storehouse a full tenth of what you earn 
       so there will be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD 
       All-Powerful. "I will open the windows of heaven for you and pour out 
       all the blessings you need.

       (Mal 3:11 NCV)  I will stop the insects so they won't eat your crops. 
       The grapes won't fall from your vines before they are ready to pick," 
       says the LORD All-Powerful.

       (Mal 3:12 NCV)  "All the nations will call you blessed, because you 
       will have a pleasant country," says the LORD All-Powerful.

       (Mal 3:13 NCV)  The LORD says, "You have said terrible things about 
       me. "But you ask, 'What have we said about you?"

       (Mal 3:14 NCV)  "You have said, 'It is useless to serve God. It did no 
       good to obey his laws and to show the LORD All-Powerful that we were 
       sorry for what we did.

       (Mal 3:15 NCV)  So we say that proud people are happy. Evil people 
       succeed. They challenge God and get away with it.'"

       (Mal 3:16 NCV)  Then those who honored the LORD spoke with each other, 
       and the LORD listened and heard them. The names of those who honored 
       the LORD and respected him were written in his presence in a book to 
       be remembered.

       (Mal 3:17 NCV)  The LORD All-Powerful says, "They belong to me; on 
       that day they will be my very own. As a parent shows mercy to his 
       child who serves him, I will show mercy to my people.

       (Mal 3:18 NCV)  You will again see the difference between good and 
       evil people, between those who serve God and those who don't.





       (Mal 4:1 NCV)  "There is a day coming that will burn like a hot 
       furnace, and all the proud and evil people will be like straw. On that 
       day they will be completely burned up so that not a root or branch 
       will be left," says the LORD All-Powerful.

       (Mal 4:2 NCV)  "But for you who honor me, goodness will shine on you 
       like the sun, with healing in its rays. You will jump around, like 
       well-fed calves.

       (Mal 4:3 NCV)  Then you will crush the wicked like ashes under your 
       feet on the day I will do this," says the LORD All-Powerful.

       (Mal 4:4 NCV)  "Remember the teaching of Moses my servant, those laws 
       and rules I gave to him on Mount Sinai for all the Israelites.

       (Mal 4:5 NCV)  "But I will send you Elijah the prophet before that 
       great and terrifying day of the Lord's judging.

       (Mal 4:6 NCV)  Elijah will help parents love their children and 
       children love their parents. Otherwise, I will come and put a curse on 
       the land."

       (Mat 1:1 NCV)  This is the family history of Jesus Christ. He came 
       from the family of David, and David came from the family of Abraham.

       (Mat 1:2 NCV)  Abraham was the father of Isaac. Isaac was the father 
       of Jacob. Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers.

       (Mat 1:3 NCV)  Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah. (Their mother 
       was Tamar.) Perez was the father of Hezron. Hezron was the father of 
       Ram.

       (Mat 1:4 NCV)  Ram was the father of Amminadab. Amminadab was the 
       father of Nahshon. Nahshon was the father of Salmon.

       (Mat 1:5 NCV)  Salmon was the father of Boaz. (Boaz's mother was 
       Rahab.) Boaz was the father of Obed. (Obed's mother was Ruth.) Obed 
       was the father of Jesse.

       (Mat 1:6 NCV)  Jesse was the father of King David. David was the 
       father of Solomon. (Solomon's mother had been Uriah's wife.)

       (Mat 1:7 NCV)  Solomon was the father of Rehoboam. Rehoboam was the 
       father of Abijah. Abijah was the father of Asa.

       (Mat 1:8 NCV)  Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat was the 
       father of Jehoram. Jehoram was the ancestor of Uzziah.

       (Mat 1:9 NCV)  Uzziah was the father of Jotham. Jotham was the father 
       of Ahaz. Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah.

       (Mat 1:10 NCV)  Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh. Manasseh was the 
       father of Amon. Amon was the father of Josiah.

       (Mat 1:11 NCV)  Josiah was the grandfather of Jehoiachin and his 
       brothers. (This was at the time that the people were taken to 





       Babylon.)

       (Mat 1:12 NCV)  After they were taken to Babylon: Jehoiachin was the 
       father of Shealtiel. Shealtiel was the grandfather of Zerubbabel.

       (Mat 1:13 NCV)  Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud. Abiud was the 
       father of Eliakim. Eliakim was the father of Azor.

       (Mat 1:14 NCV)  Azor was the father of Zadok. Zadok was the father of 
       Akim. Akim was the father of Eliud.

       (Mat 1:15 NCV)  Eliud was the father of Eleazar. Eleazar was the 
       father of Matthan. Matthan was the father of Jacob.

       (Mat 1:16 NCV)  Jacob was the father of Joseph. Joseph was the husband 
       of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus. Jesus is called the Christ.

       (Mat 1:17 NCV)  So there were fourteen generations from Abraham to 
       David. And there were fourteen generations from David until the people 
       were taken to Babylon. And there were fourteen generations from the 
       time when the people were taken to Babylon until Christ was born.

       (Mat 1:18 NCV)  This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. His 
       mother Mary was engaged to marry Joseph, but before they married, she 
       learned she was pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit.

       (Mat 1:19 NCV)  Because Mary's husband, Joseph, was a good man, he did 
       not want to disgrace her in public, so he planned to divorce her 
       secretly.

       (Mat 1:20 NCV)  While Joseph thought about these things, an angel of 
       the Lord came to him in a dream. The angel said, "Joseph, descendant 
       of David, don't be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the baby 
       in her is from the Holy Spirit.

       (Mat 1:21 NCV)  She will give birth to a son, and you will name him 
       Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

       (Mat 1:22 NCV)  All this happened to bring about what the Lord had 
       said through the prophet:

       (Mat 1:23 NCV)  "The virgin will be pregnant. She will have a son, and 
       they will name him Immanuel," which means "God is with us."

       (Mat 1:24 NCV)  When Joseph woke up, he did what the Lord's angel had 
       told him to do. Joseph took Mary as his wife,

       (Mat 1:25 NCV)  but he did not have sexual relations with her until 
       she gave birth to the son. And Joseph named him Jesus.

       (Mat 2:1 NCV)  Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea during 
       the time when Herod was king. When Jesus was born, some wise men from 
       the east came to Jerusalem.

       (Mat 2:2 NCV)  They asked, "Where is the baby who was born to be the 
       king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship 





       him."

       (Mat 2:3 NCV)  When King Herod heard this, he was troubled, as well as 
       all the people in Jerusalem.

       (Mat 2:4 NCV)  Herod called a meeting of all the leading priests and 
       teachers of the law and asked them where the Christ would be born.

       (Mat 2:5 NCV)  They answered, "In the town of Bethlehem in Judea. The 
       prophet wrote about this in the Scriptures:

       (Mat 2:6 NCV)  'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are 
       important among the tribes of Judah. A ruler will come from you who 
       will be like a shepherd for my people Israel.'"

       (Mat 2:7 NCV)  Then Herod had a secret meeting with the wise men and 
       learned from them the exact time they first saw the star.

       (Mat 2:8 NCV)  He sent the wise men to Bethlehem, saying, "Look 
       carefully for the child. When you find him, come tell me so I can 
       worship him too."

       (Mat 2:9 NCV)  After the wise men heard the king, they left. The star 
       that they had seen in the east went before them until it stopped above 
       the place where the child was.

       (Mat 2:10 NCV)  When the wise men saw the star, they were filled with 
       joy.

       (Mat 2:11 NCV)  They came to the house where the child was and saw him 
       with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. They 
       opened their gifts and gave him treasures of gold, frankincense, and 
       myrrh.

       (Mat 2:12 NCV)  But God warned the wise men in a dream not to go back 
       to Herod, so they returned to their own country by a different way.

       (Mat 2:13 NCV)  After they left, an angel of the Lord came to Joseph 
       in a dream and said, "Get up! Take the child and his mother and escape 
       to Egypt, because Herod is starting to look for the child so he can 
       kill him. Stay in Egypt until I tell you to return."

       (Mat 2:14 NCV)  So Joseph got up and left for Egypt during the night 
       with the child and his mother.

       (Mat 2:15 NCV)  And Joseph stayed in Egypt until Herod died. This 
       happened to bring about what the Lord had said through the prophet: "I 
       called my son out of Egypt."

       (Mat 2:16 NCV)  When Herod saw that the wise men had tricked him, he 
       was furious. So he gave an order to kill all the baby boys in 
       Bethlehem and in the surrounding area who were two years old or 
       younger. This was in keeping with the time he learned from the wise 
       men.

       (Mat 2:17 NCV)  So what God had said through the prophet Jeremiah came 





       true:

       (Mat 2:18 NCV)  "A voice was heard in Ramah of painful crying and deep 
       sadness: Rachel crying for her children. She refused to be comforted, 
       because her children are dead."

       (Mat 2:19 NCV)  After Herod died, an angel of the Lord spoke to Joseph 
       in a dream while he was in Egypt.

       (Mat 2:20 NCV)  The angel said, "Get up! Take the child and his mother 
       and go to the land of Israel, because the people who were trying to 
       kill the child are now dead."

       (Mat 2:21 NCV)  So Joseph took the child and his mother and went to 
       Israel.

       (Mat 2:22 NCV)  But he heard that Archelaus was now king in Judea 
       since his father Herod had died. So Joseph was afraid to go there. 
       After being warned in a dream, he went to the area of Galilee,

       (Mat 2:23 NCV)  to a town called Nazareth, and lived there. And so 
       what God had said through the prophets came true: "He will be called a 
       Nazarene."

       (Mat 3:1 NCV)  About that time John the Baptist began preaching in the 
       desert area of Judea.

       (Mat 3:2 NCV)  John said, "Change your hearts and lives because the 
       kingdom of heaven is near."

       (Mat 3:3 NCV)  John the Baptist is the one Isaiah the prophet was 
       talking about when he said: "This is a voice of one who calls out in 
       the desert: 'Prepare the way for the Lord. Make the road straight for 
       him.'"

       (Mat 3:4 NCV)  John's clothes were made from camel's hair, and he wore 
       a leather belt around his waist. For food, he ate locusts and wild 
       honey.

       (Mat 3:5 NCV)  Many people came from Jerusalem and Judea and all the 
       area around the Jordan River to hear John.

       (Mat 3:6 NCV)  They confessed their sins, and he baptized them in the 
       Jordan River.

       (Mat 3:7 NCV)  Many of the Pharisees and Sadducees came to the place 
       where John was baptizing people. When John saw them, he said, "You are 
       all snakes! Who warned you to run away from God's coming punishment?

       (Mat 3:8 NCV)  Do the things that show you really have changed your 
       hearts and lives.

       (Mat 3:9 NCV)  And don't think you can say to yourselves, 'Abraham is 
       our father.' I tell you that God could make children for Abraham from 
       these rocks.





       (Mat 3:10 NCV)  The ax is now ready to cut down the trees, and every 
       tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into 
       the fire.

       (Mat 3:11 NCV)  "I baptize you with water to show that your hearts and 
       lives have changed. But there is one coming after me who is greater 
       than I am, whose sandals I am not good enough to carry. He will 
       baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

       (Mat 3:12 NCV)  He will come ready to clean the grain, separating the 
       good grain from the chaff. He will put the good part of the grain into 
       his barn, but he will burn the chaff with a fire that cannot be put 
       out."

       (Mat 3:13 NCV)  At that time Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan 
       River and wanted John to baptize him.

       (Mat 3:14 NCV)  But John tried to stop him, saying, "Why do you come 
       to me to be baptized? I need to be baptized by you!"

       (Mat 3:15 NCV)  Jesus answered, "Let it be this way for now. We should 
       do all things that are God's will." So John agreed to baptize Jesus.

       (Mat 3:16 NCV)  As soon as Jesus was baptized, he came up out of the 
       water. Then heaven opened, and he saw God's Spirit coming down on him 
       like a dove.

       (Mat 3:17 NCV)  And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I 
       love, and I am very pleased with him."

       (Mat 4:1 NCV)  Then the Spirit led Jesus into the desert to be tempted 
       by the devil.

       (Mat 4:2 NCV)  Jesus ate nothing for forty days and nights. After 
       this, he was very hungry.

       (Mat 4:3 NCV)  The devil came to Jesus to tempt him, saying, "If you 
       are the Son of God, tell these rocks to become bread."

       (Mat 4:4 NCV)  Jesus answered, "It is written in the Scriptures, 'A 
       person does not live by eating only bread, but by everything God 
       says.'"

       (Mat 4:5 NCV)  Then the devil led Jesus to the holy city of Jerusalem 
       and put him on a high place of the Temple.

       (Mat 4:6 NCV)  The devil said, "If you are the Son of God, jump down, 
       because it is written in the Scriptures: 'He has put his angels in 
       charge of you. They will catch you in their hands so that you will not 
       hit your foot on a rock.'"

       (Mat 4:7 NCV)  Jesus answered him, "It also says in the Scriptures, 
       'Do not test the Lord your God.'"

       (Mat 4:8 NCV)  Then the devil led Jesus to the top of a very high 
       mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and all their 





       splendor.

       (Mat 4:9 NCV)  The devil said, "If you will bow down and worship me, I 
       will give you all these things."

       (Mat 4:10 NCV)  Jesus said to the devil, "Go away from me, Satan! It 
       is written in the Scriptures, 'You must worship the Lord your God and 
       serve only him.'"

       (Mat 4:11 NCV)  So the devil left Jesus, and angels came and took care 
       of him.

       (Mat 4:12 NCV)  When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he 
       went back to Galilee.

       (Mat 4:13 NCV)  He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum, a town 
       near Lake Galilee, in the area near Zebulun and Naphtali.

       (Mat 4:14 NCV)  Jesus did this to bring about what the prophet Isaiah 
       had said:

       (Mat 4:15 NCV)  "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali along the sea, 
       beyond the Jordan River. This is Galilee where the non-Jewish people 
       live.

       (Mat 4:16 NCV)  These people who live in darkness will see a great 
       light. They live in a place covered with the shadows of death, but a 
       light will shine on them."

       (Mat 4:17 NCV)  From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Change 
       your hearts and lives, because the kingdom of heaven is near."

       (Mat 4:18 NCV)  As Jesus was walking by Lake Galilee, he saw two 
       brothers, Simon (called Peter) and his brother Andrew. They were 
       throwing a net into the lake because they were fishermen.

       (Mat 4:19 NCV)  Jesus said, "Come follow me, and I will make you fish 
       for people."

       (Mat 4:20 NCV)  So Simon and Andrew immediately left their nets and 
       followed him.

       (Mat 4:21 NCV)  As Jesus continued walking by Lake Galilee, he saw two 
       other brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in a 
       boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus told them to 
       come with him.

       (Mat 4:22 NCV)  Immediately they left the boat and their father, and 
       they followed Jesus.

       (Mat 4:23 NCV)  Jesus went everywhere in Galilee, teaching in the 
       synagogues, preaching the Good News about the kingdom of heaven, and 
       healing all the people's diseases and sicknesses.

       (Mat 4:24 NCV)  The news about Jesus spread all over Syria, and people 
       brought all the sick to him. They were suffering from different kinds 





       of diseases. Some were in great pain, some had demons, some were 
       epileptics, and some were paralyzed. Jesus healed all of them.

       (Mat 4:25 NCV)  Many people from Galilee, the Ten Towns, Jerusalem, 
       Judea, and the land across the Jordan River followed him.

       (Mat 5:1 NCV)  When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a hill and sat 
       down. His followers came to him,

       (Mat 5:2 NCV)  and he began to teach them, saying:

       (Mat 5:3 NCV)  "Those people who know they have great spiritual needs 
       are happy, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

       (Mat 5:4 NCV)  Those who are sad now are happy, because God will 
       comfort them.

       (Mat 5:5 NCV)  Those who are humble are happy, because the earth will 
       belong to them.

       (Mat 5:6 NCV)  Those who want to do right more than anything else are 
       happy, because God will fully satisfy them.

       (Mat 5:7 NCV)  Those who show mercy to others are happy, because God 
       will show mercy to them.

       (Mat 5:8 NCV)  Those who are pure in their thinking are happy, because 
       they will be with God.

       (Mat 5:9 NCV)  Those who work to bring peace are happy, because God 
       will call them his children.

       (Mat 5:10 NCV)  Those who are treated badly for doing good are happy, 
       because the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

       (Mat 5:11 NCV)  "People will insult you and hurt you. They will lie 
       and say all kinds of evil things about you because you follow me. But 
       when they do, you will be happy.

       (Mat 5:12 NCV)  Rejoice and be glad, because you have a great reward 
       waiting for you in heaven. People did the same evil things to the 
       prophets who lived before you.

       (Mat 5:13 NCV)  "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses 
       its salty taste, it cannot be made salty again. It is good for 
       nothing, except to be thrown out and walked on.

       (Mat 5:14 NCV)  "You are the light that gives light to the world. A 
       city that is built on a hill cannot be hidden.

       (Mat 5:15 NCV)  And people don't hide a light under a bowl. They put 
       it on a lampstand so the light shines for all the people in the house.

       (Mat 5:16 NCV)  In the same way, you should be a light for other 
       people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and will 
       praise your Father in heaven.






       (Mat 5:17 NCV)  "Don't think that I have come to destroy the law of 
       Moses or the teaching of the prophets. I have not come to destroy them 
       but to bring about what they said.

       (Mat 5:18 NCV)  I tell you the truth, nothing will disappear from the 
       law until heaven and earth are gone. Not even the smallest letter or 
       the smallest part of a letter will be lost until everything has 
       happened.

       (Mat 5:19 NCV)  Whoever refuses to obey any command and teaches other 
       people not to obey that command will be the least important in the 
       kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys the commands and teaches other 
       people to obey them will be great in the kingdom of heaven.

       (Mat 5:20 NCV)  I tell you that if you are no more obedient than the 
       teachers of the law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the 
       kingdom of heaven.

       (Mat 5:21 NCV)  "You have heard that it was said to our people long 
       ago, 'You must not murder anyone. Anyone who murders another will be 
       judged."

       (Mat 5:22 NCV)  But I tell you, if you are angry with a brother or 
       sister, you will be judged. If you say bad things to a brother or 
       sister, you will be judged by the council. And if you call someone a 
       fool, you will be in danger of the fire of hell.

       (Mat 5:23 NCV)  "So when you offer your gift to God at the altar, and 
       you remember that your brother or sister has something against you,

       (Mat 5:24 NCV)  leave your gift there at the altar. Go and make peace 
       with that person, and then come and offer your gift.

       (Mat 5:25 NCV)  "If your enemy is taking you to court, become friends 
       quickly, before you go to court. Otherwise, your enemy might turn you 
       over to the judge, and the judge might give you to a guard to put you 
       in jail.

       (Mat 5:26 NCV)  I tell you the truth, you will not leave there until 
       you have paid everything you owe.

       (Mat 5:27 NCV)  "You have heard that it was said, 'You must not be 
       guilty of adultery.'

       (Mat 5:28 NCV)  But I tell you that if anyone looks at a woman and 
       wants to sin sexually with her, in his mind he has already done that 
       sin with the woman.

       (Mat 5:29 NCV)  If your right eye causes you to sin, take it out and 
       throw it away. It is better to lose one part of your body than to have 
       your whole body thrown into hell.

       (Mat 5:30 NCV)  If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and 
       throw it away. It is better to lose one part of your body than for 
       your whole body to go into hell.






       (Mat 5:31 NCV)  "It was also said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must 
       give her a written divorce paper.'

       (Mat 5:32 NCV)  But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife 
       forces her to be guilty of adultery. The only reason for a man to 
       divorce his wife is if she has sexual relations with another man. And 
       anyone who marries that divorced woman is guilty of adultery.

       (Mat 5:33 NCV)  "You have heard that it was said to our people long 
       ago, 'Don't break your promises, but keep the promises you make to the 
       Lord.'

       (Mat 5:34 NCV)  But I tell you, never swear an oath. Don't swear an 
       oath using the name of heaven, because heaven is God's throne.

       (Mat 5:35 NCV)  Don't swear an oath using the name of the earth, 
       because the earth belongs to God. Don't swear an oath using the name 
       of Jerusalem, because that is the city of the great King.

       (Mat 5:36 NCV)  Don't even swear by your own head, because you cannot 
       make one hair on your head become white or black.

       (Mat 5:37 NCV)  Say only yes if you mean yes, and no if you mean no. 
       If you say more than yes or no, it is from the Evil One.

       (Mat 5:38 NCV)  "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, 
       and a tooth for a tooth.'

       (Mat 5:39 NCV)  But I tell you, don't stand up against an evil person. 
       If someone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other cheek 
       also.

       (Mat 5:40 NCV)  If someone wants to sue you in court and take your 
       shirt, let him have your coat also.

       (Mat 5:41 NCV)  If someone forces you to go with him one mile, go with 
       him two miles.

       (Mat 5:42 NCV)  If a person asks you for something, give it to him. 
       Don't refuse to give to someone who wants to borrow from you.

       (Mat 5:43 NCV)  "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor 
       and hate your enemies.'

       (Mat 5:44 NCV)  But I say to you, love your enemies. Pray for those 
       who hurt you.

       (Mat 5:45 NCV)  If you do this, you will be true children of your 
       Father in heaven. He causes the sun to rise on good people and on evil 
       people, and he sends rain to those who do right and to those who do 
       wrong.

       (Mat 5:46 NCV)  If you love only the people who love you, you will get 
       no reward. Even the tax collectors do that.





       (Mat 5:47 NCV)  And if you are nice only to your friends, you are no 
       better than other people. Even those who don't know God are nice to 
       their friends.

       (Mat 5:48 NCV)  So you must be perfect, just as your Father in heaven 
       is perfect.

       (Mat 6:1 NCV)  "Be careful! When you do good things, don't do them in 
       front of people to be seen by them. If you do that, you will have no 
       reward from your Father in heaven.

       (Mat 6:2 NCV)  "When you give to the poor, don't be like the 
       hypocrites. They blow trumpets in the synagogues and on the streets so 
       that people will see them and honor them. I tell you the truth, those 
       hypocrites already have their full reward.

       (Mat 6:3 NCV)  So when you give to the poor, don't let anyone know 
       what you are doing.

       (Mat 6:4 NCV)  Your giving should be done in secret. Your Father can 
       see what is done in secret, and he will reward you.

       (Mat 6:5 NCV)  "When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites. They love 
       to stand in the synagogues and on the street corners and pray so 
       people will see them. I tell you the truth, they already have their 
       full reward.

       (Mat 6:6 NCV)  When you pray, you should go into your room and close 
       the door and pray to your Father who cannot be seen. Your Father can 
       see what is done in secret, and he will reward you.

       (Mat 6:7 NCV)  "And when you pray, don't be like those people who 
       don't know God. They continue saying things that mean nothing, 
       thinking that God will hear them because of their many words.

       (Mat 6:8 NCV)  Don't be like them, because your Father knows the 
       things you need before you ask him.

       (Mat 6:9 NCV)  So when you pray, you should pray like this: 'Our 
       Father in heaven, may your name always be kept holy.

       (Mat 6:10 NCV)  May your kingdom come and what you want be done, here 
       on earth as it is in heaven.

       (Mat 6:11 NCV)  Give us the food we need for each day.

       (Mat 6:12 NCV)  Forgive us for our sins, just as we have forgiven 
       those who sinned against us.

       (Mat 6:13 NCV)  And do not cause us to be tempted, but save us from 
       the Evil One.'

       (Mat 6:14 NCV)  Yes, if you forgive others for their sins, your Father 
       in heaven will also forgive you for your sins.

       (Mat 6:15 NCV)  But if you don't forgive others, your Father in heaven 





       will not forgive your sins.

       (Mat 6:16 NCV)  "When you give up eating, don't put on a sad face like 
       the hypocrites. They make their faces look sad to show people they are 
       giving up eating. I tell you the truth, those hypocrites already have 
       their full reward.

       (Mat 6:17 NCV)  So when you give up eating, comb your hair and wash 
       your face.

       (Mat 6:18 NCV)  Then people will not know that you are giving up 
       eating, but your Father, whom you cannot see, will see you. Your 
       Father sees what is done in secret, and he will reward you.

       (Mat 6:19 NCV)  "Don't store treasures for yourselves here on earth 
       where moths and rust will destroy them and thieves can break in and 
       steal them.

       (Mat 6:20 NCV)  But store your treasures in heaven where they cannot 
       be destroyed by moths or rust and where thieves cannot break in and 
       steal them.

       (Mat 6:21 NCV)  Your heart will be where your treasure is.

       (Mat 6:22 NCV)  "The eye is a light for the body. If your eyes are 
       good, your whole body will be full of light.

       (Mat 6:23 NCV)  But if your eyes are evil, your whole body will be 
       full of darkness. And if the only light you have is really darkness, 
       then you have the worst darkness.

       (Mat 6:24 NCV)  "No one can serve two masters. The person will hate 
       one master and love the other, or will follow one master and refuse to 
       follow the other. You cannot serve both God and worldly riches.

       (Mat 6:25 NCV)  "So I tell you, don't worry about the food or drink 
       you need to live, or about the clothes you need for your body. Life is 
       more than food, and the body is more than clothes.

       (Mat 6:26 NCV)  Look at the birds in the air. They don't plant or 
       harvest or store food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. 
       And you know that you are worth much more than the birds.

       (Mat 6:27 NCV)  You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about 
       it.

       (Mat 6:28 NCV)  "And why do you worry about clothes? Look at how the 
       lilies in the field grow. They don't work or make clothes for 
       themselves.

       (Mat 6:29 NCV)  But I tell you that even Solomon with his riches was 
       not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers.

       (Mat 6:30 NCV)  God clothes the grass in the field, which is alive 
       today but tomorrow is thrown into the fire. So you can be even more 
       sure that God will clothe you. Don't have so little faith!






       (Mat 6:31 NCV)  Don't worry and say, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will 
       we drink?' or 'What will we wear?'

       (Mat 6:32 NCV)  The people who don't know God keep trying to get these 
       things, and your Father in heaven knows you need them.

       (Mat 6:33 NCV)  The thing you should want most is God's kingdom and 
       doing what God wants. Then all these other things you need will be 
       given to you.

       (Mat 6:34 NCV)  So don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will 
       have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

       (Mat 7:1 NCV)  "Don't judge other people, or you will be judged.

       (Mat 7:2 NCV)  You will be judged in the same way that you judge 
       others, and the amount you give to others will be given to you.

       (Mat 7:3 NCV)  "Why do you notice the little piece of dust in your 
       friend's eye, but you don't notice the big piece of wood in your own 
       eye?

       (Mat 7:4 NCV)  How can you say to your friend, 'Let me take that 
       little piece of dust out of your eye'? Look at yourself! You still 
       have that big piece of wood in your own eye.

       (Mat 7:5 NCV)  You hypocrite! First, take the wood out of your own 
       eye. Then you will see clearly to take the dust out of your friend's 
       eye.

       (Mat 7:6 NCV)  "Don't give holy things to dogs, and don't throw your 
       pearls before pigs. Pigs will only trample on them, and dogs will turn 
       to attack you.

       (Mat 7:7 NCV)  "Ask, and God will give to you. Search, and you will 
       find. Knock, and the door will open for you.

       (Mat 7:8 NCV)  Yes, everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who 
       searches will find. And everyone who knocks will have the door opened.

       (Mat 7:9 NCV)  "If your children ask for bread, which of you would 
       give them a stone?

       (Mat 7:10 NCV)  Or if your children ask for a fish, would you give 
       them a snake?

       (Mat 7:11 NCV)  Even though you are bad, you know how to give good 
       gifts to your children. How much more your heavenly Father will give 
       good things to those who ask him!

       (Mat 7:12 NCV)  "Do to others what you want them to do to you. This is 
       the meaning of the law of Moses and the teaching of the prophets.

       (Mat 7:13 NCV)  "Enter through the narrow gate. The gate is wide and 
       the road is wide that leads to hell, and many people enter through 





       that gate.

       (Mat 7:14 NCV)  But the gate is small and the road is narrow that 
       leads to true life. Only a few people find that road.

       (Mat 7:15 NCV)  "Be careful of false prophets. They come to you 
       looking gentle like sheep, but they are really dangerous like wolves.

       (Mat 7:16 NCV)  You will know these people by what they do. Grapes 
       don't come from thornbushes, and figs don't come from thorny weeds.

       (Mat 7:17 NCV)  In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, 
       but a bad tree produces bad fruit.

       (Mat 7:18 NCV)  A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree 
       cannot produce good fruit.

       (Mat 7:19 NCV)  Every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut 
       down and thrown into the fire.

       (Mat 7:20 NCV)  In the same way, you will know these false prophets by 
       what they do.

       (Mat 7:21 NCV)  "Not all those who say that I am their Lord will enter 
       the kingdom of heaven. The only people who will enter the kingdom of 
       heaven are those who do what my Father in heaven wants.

       (Mat 7:22 NCV)  On the last day many people will say to me, 'Lord, 
       Lord, we spoke for you, and through you we forced out demons and did 
       many miracles.'

       (Mat 7:23 NCV)  Then I will tell them clearly, 'Get away from me, you 
       who do evil. I never knew you.'

       (Mat 7:24 NCV)  "Everyone who hears my words and obeys them is like a 
       wise man who built his house on rock.

       (Mat 7:25 NCV)  It rained hard, the floods came, and the winds blew 
       and hit that house. But it did not fall, because it was built on rock.

       (Mat 7:26 NCV)  Everyone who hears my words and does not obey them is 
       like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

       (Mat 7:27 NCV)  It rained hard, the floods came, and the winds blew 
       and hit that house, and it fell with a big crash."

       (Mat 7:28 NCV)  When Jesus finished saying these things, the people 
       were amazed at his teaching,

       (Mat 7:29 NCV)  because he did not teach like their teachers of the 
       law. He taught like a person who had authority.

       (Mat 8:1 NCV)  When Jesus came down from the hill, great crowds 
       followed him.

       (Mat 8:2 NCV)  Then a man with a skin disease came to Jesus. The man 





       bowed down before him and said, "Lord, you can heal me if you will."

       (Mat 8:3 NCV)  Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man and 
       said, "I will. Be healed!" And immediately the man was healed from his 
       disease.

       (Mat 8:4 NCV)  Then Jesus said to him, "Don't tell anyone about this. 
       But go and show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses 
       commanded for people who are made well. This will show the people what 
       I have done."

       (Mat 8:5 NCV)  When Jesus entered the city of Capernaum, an army 
       officer came to him, begging for help.

       (Mat 8:6 NCV)  The officer said, "Lord, my servant is at home in bed. 
       He can't move his body and is in much pain."

       (Mat 8:7 NCV)  Jesus said to the officer, "I will go and heal him."

       (Mat 8:8 NCV)  The officer answered, "Lord, I am not worthy for you to 
       come into my house. You only need to command it, and my servant will 
       be healed.

       (Mat 8:9 NCV)  I, too, am a man under the authority of others, and I 
       have soldiers under my command. I tell one soldier, 'Go,' and he goes. 
       I tell another soldier, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do 
       this,' and my servant does it.

       (Mat 8:10 NCV)  When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. He said to those 
       who were following him, "I tell you the truth, this is the greatest 
       faith I have found, even in Israel.

       (Mat 8:11 NCV)  Many people will come from the east and from the west 
       and will sit and eat with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of 
       heaven.

       (Mat 8:12 NCV)  But those people who should be in the kingdom will be 
       thrown outside into the darkness, where people will cry and grind 
       their teeth with pain."

       (Mat 8:13 NCV)  Then Jesus said to the officer, "Go home. Your servant 
       will be healed just as you believed he would." And his servant was 
       healed that same hour.

       (Mat 8:14 NCV)  When Jesus went to Peter's house, he saw that Peter's 
       mother-in-law was sick in bed with a fever.

       (Mat 8:15 NCV)  Jesus touched her hand, and the fever left her. Then 
       she stood up and began to serve Jesus.

       (Mat 8:16 NCV)  That evening people brought to Jesus many who had 
       demons. Jesus spoke and the demons left them, and he healed all the 
       sick.

       (Mat 8:17 NCV)  He did these things to bring about what Isaiah the 
       prophet had said: "He took our suffering on him and carried our 





       diseases."

       (Mat 8:18 NCV)  When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he told his 
       followers to go to the other side of the lake.

       (Mat 8:19 NCV)  Then a teacher of the law came to Jesus and said, 
       "Teacher, I will follow you any place you go."

       (Mat 8:20 NCV)  Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes to live in, 
       and the birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to rest his 
       head."

       (Mat 8:21 NCV)  Another man, one of Jesus' followers, said to him, 
       "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."

       (Mat 8:22 NCV)  But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the people who 
       are dead bury their own dead."

       (Mat 8:23 NCV)  Jesus got into a boat, and his followers went with 
       him.

       (Mat 8:24 NCV)  A great storm arose on the lake so that waves covered 
       the boat, but Jesus was sleeping.

       (Mat 8:25 NCV)  His followers went to him and woke him, saying, "Lord, 
       save us! We will drown!"

       (Mat 8:26 NCV)  Jesus answered, "Why are you afraid? You don't have 
       enough faith." Then Jesus got up and gave a command to the wind and 
       the waves, and it became completely calm.

       (Mat 8:27 NCV)  The men were amazed and said, "What kind of man is 
       this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

       (Mat 8:28 NCV)  When Jesus arrived at the other side of the lake in 
       the area of the Gadarene people, two men who had demons in them met 
       him. These men lived in the burial caves and were so dangerous that 
       people could not use the road by those caves.

       (Mat 8:29 NCV)  They shouted, "What do you want with us, Son of God? 
       Did you come here to torture us before the right time?"

       (Mat 8:30 NCV)  Near that place there was a large herd of pigs 
       feeding.

       (Mat 8:31 NCV)  The demons begged Jesus, "If you make us leave these 
       men, please send us into that herd of pigs."

       (Mat 8:32 NCV)  Jesus said to them, "Go!" So the demons left the men 
       and went into the pigs. Then the whole herd rushed down the hill into 
       the lake and were drowned.

       (Mat 8:33 NCV)  The herdsmen ran away and went into town, where they 
       told about all of this and what had happened to the men who had 
       demons.





       (Mat 8:34 NCV)  Then the whole town went out to see Jesus. When they 
       saw him, they begged him to leave their area.

       (Mat 9:1 NCV)  Jesus got into a boat and went back across the lake to 
       his own town.

       (Mat 9:2 NCV)  Some people brought to Jesus a man who was paralyzed 
       and lying on a mat. When Jesus saw the faith of these people, he said 
       to the paralyzed man, "Be encouraged, young man. Your sins are 
       forgiven."

       (Mat 9:3 NCV)  Some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, 
       "This man speaks as if he were God. That is blasphemy!"

       (Mat 9:4 NCV)  Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why are you 
       thinking evil thoughts?

       (Mat 9:5 NCV)  Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or 
       to tell him, 'Stand up and walk'?

       (Mat 9:6 NCV)  But I will prove to you that the Son of Man has 
       authority on earth to forgive sins." Then Jesus said to the paralyzed 
       man, "Stand up, take your mat, and go home."

       (Mat 9:7 NCV)  And the man stood up and went home.

       (Mat 9:8 NCV)  When the people saw this, they were amazed and praised 
       God for giving power like this to human beings.

       (Mat 9:9 NCV)  When Jesus was leaving, he saw a man named Matthew 
       sitting in the tax collector's booth. Jesus said to him, "Follow me," 
       and he stood up and followed Jesus.

       (Mat 9:10 NCV)  As Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many 
       tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with Jesus and his 
       followers.

       (Mat 9:11 NCV)  When the Pharisees saw this, they asked Jesus' 
       followers, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 
       sinners?"

       (Mat 9:12 NCV)  When Jesus heard them, he said, "It is not the healthy 
       people who need a doctor, but the sick.

       (Mat 9:13 NCV)  Go and learn what this means: 'I want kindness more 
       than I want animal sacrifices.' I did not come to invite good people 
       but to invite sinners."

       (Mat 9:14 NCV)  Then the followers of John came to Jesus and said, 
       "Why do we and the Pharisees often give up eating for a certain time, 
       but your followers don't?"

       (Mat 9:15 NCV)  Jesus answered, "The friends of the bridegroom are not 
       sad while he is with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom 
       will be taken from them, and then they will give up eating.





       (Mat 9:16 NCV)  "No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth over a hole in 
       an old coat. If he does, the patch will shrink and pull away from the 
       coat, making the hole worse.

       (Mat 9:17 NCV)  Also, people never pour new wine into old leather 
       bags. Otherwise, the bags will break, the wine will spill, and the 
       wine bags will be ruined. But people always pour new wine into new 
       wine bags. Then both will continue to be good."

       (Mat 9:18 NCV)  While Jesus was saying these things, a leader of the 
       synagogue came to him. He bowed down before Jesus and said, "My 
       daughter has just died. But if you come and lay your hand on her, she 
       will live again."

       (Mat 9:19 NCV)  So Jesus and his followers stood up and went with the 
       leader.

       (Mat 9:20 NCV)  Then a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years 
       came behind Jesus and touched the edge of his coat.

       (Mat 9:21 NCV)  She was thinking, "If I can just touch his clothes, I 
       will be healed."

       (Mat 9:22 NCV)  Jesus turned and saw the woman and said, "Be 
       encouraged, dear woman. You are made well because you believed." And 
       the woman was healed from that moment on.

       (Mat 9:23 NCV)  Jesus continued along with the leader and went into 
       his house. There he saw the funeral musicians and many people crying.

       (Mat 9:24 NCV)  Jesus said, "Go away. The girl is not dead, only 
       asleep." But the people laughed at him.

       (Mat 9:25 NCV)  After the crowd had been thrown out of the house, 
       Jesus went into the girl's room and took hold of her hand, and she 
       stood up.

       (Mat 9:26 NCV)  The news about this spread all around the area.

       (Mat 9:27 NCV)  When Jesus was leaving there, two blind men followed 
       him. They cried out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!"

       (Mat 9:28 NCV)  After Jesus went inside, the blind men went with him. 
       He asked the men, "Do you believe that I can make you see again?" They 
       answered, "Yes, Lord."

       (Mat 9:29 NCV)  Then Jesus touched their eyes and said, "Because you 
       believe I can make you see again, it will happen."

       (Mat 9:30 NCV)  Then the men were able to see. But Jesus warned them 
       strongly, saying, "Don't tell anyone about this."

       (Mat 9:31 NCV)  But the blind men left and spread the news about Jesus 
       all around that area.

       (Mat 9:32 NCV)  When the two men were leaving, some people brought 





       another man to Jesus. This man could not talk because he had a demon 
       in him.

       (Mat 9:33 NCV)  After Jesus forced the demon to leave the man, he was 
       able to speak. The crowd was amazed and said, "We have never seen 
       anything like this in Israel."

       (Mat 9:34 NCV)  But the Pharisees said, "The prince of demons is the 
       one that gives him power to force demons out."

       (Mat 9:35 NCV)  Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages, 
       teaching in their synagogues, preaching the Good News about the 
       kingdom, and healing all kinds of diseases and sicknesses.

       (Mat 9:36 NCV)  When he saw the crowds, he felt sorry for them because 
       they were hurting and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

       (Mat 9:37 NCV)  Jesus said to his followers, "There are many people to 
       harvest but only a few workers to help harvest them.

       (Mat 9:38 NCV)  Pray to the Lord, who owns the harvest, that he will 
       send more workers to gather his harvest."

       (Mat 10:1 NCV)  Jesus called his twelve followers together and gave 
       them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every kind of 
       disease and sickness.

       (Mat 10:2 NCV)  These are the names of the twelve apostles: Simon 
       (also called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and 
       his brother John;

       (Mat 10:3 NCV)  Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew, the tax 
       collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;

       (Mat 10:4 NCV)  Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who turned 
       against Jesus.

       (Mat 10:5 NCV)  Jesus sent out these twelve men with the following 
       order: "Don't go to the non-Jewish people or to any town where the 
       Samaritans live.

       (Mat 10:6 NCV)  But go to the people of Israel, who are like lost 
       sheep.

       (Mat 10:7 NCV)  When you go, preach this: 'The kingdom of heaven is 
       near.'

       (Mat 10:8 NCV)  Heal the sick, raise the dead to life again, heal 
       those who have skin diseases, and force demons out of people. I give 
       you these powers freely, so help other people freely.

       (Mat 10:9 NCV)  Don't carry any money with you--gold or silver or 
       copper.

       (Mat 10:10 NCV)  Don't carry a bag or extra clothes or sandals or a 
       walking stick. Workers should be given what they need.






       (Mat 10:11 NCV)  "When you enter a city or town, find some worthy 
       person there and stay in that home until you leave.

       (Mat 10:12 NCV)  When you enter that home, say, 'Peace be with you.'

       (Mat 10:13 NCV)  If the people there welcome you, let your peace stay 
       there. But if they don't welcome you, take back the peace you wished 
       for them.

       (Mat 10:14 NCV)  And if a home or town refuses to welcome you or 
       listen to you, leave that place and shake its dust off your feet.

       (Mat 10:15 NCV)  I tell you the truth, on the Judgment Day it will be 
       better for the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah than for the people of that 
       town.

       (Mat 10:16 NCV)  "Listen, I am sending you out like sheep among 
       wolves. So be as smart as snakes and as innocent as doves.

       (Mat 10:17 NCV)  Be careful of people, because they will arrest you 
       and take you to court and whip you in their synagogues.

       (Mat 10:18 NCV)  Because of me you will be taken to stand before 
       governors and kings, and you will tell them and the non-Jewish people 
       about me.

       (Mat 10:19 NCV)  When you are arrested, don't worry about what to say 
       or how to say it. At that time you will be given the things to say.

       (Mat 10:20 NCV)  It will not really be you speaking but the Spirit of 
       your Father speaking through you.

       (Mat 10:21 NCV)  "Brothers will give their own brothers to be killed, 
       and fathers will give their own children to be killed. Children will 
       fight against their own parents and have them put to death.

       (Mat 10:22 NCV)  All people will hate you because you follow me, but 
       those people who keep their faith until the end will be saved.

       (Mat 10:23 NCV)  When you are treated badly in one city, run to 
       another city. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through 
       all the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

       (Mat 10:24 NCV)  "A student is not better than his teacher, and a 
       servant is not better than his master.

       (Mat 10:25 NCV)  A student should be satisfied to become like his 
       teacher; a servant should be satisfied to become like his master. If 
       the head of the family is called Beelzebul, then the other members of 
       the family will be called worse names!

       (Mat 10:26 NCV)  "So don't be afraid of those people, because 
       everything that is hidden will be shown. Everything that is secret 
       will be made known.





       (Mat 10:27 NCV)  I tell you these things in the dark, but I want you 
       to tell them in the light. What you hear whispered in your ear you 
       should shout from the housetops.

       (Mat 10:28 NCV)  Don't be afraid of people, who can kill the body but 
       cannot kill the soul. The only one you should fear is the one who can 
       destroy the soul and the body in hell.

       (Mat 10:29 NCV)  Two sparrows cost only a penny, but not even one of 
       them can die without your Father's knowing it.

       (Mat 10:30 NCV)  God even knows how many hairs are on your head.

       (Mat 10:31 NCV)  So don't be afraid. You are worth much more than many 
       sparrows.

       (Mat 10:32 NCV)  "All those who stand before others and say they 
       believe in me, I will say before my Father in heaven that they belong 
       to me.

       (Mat 10:33 NCV)  But all who stand before others and say they do not 
       believe in me, I will say before my Father in heaven that they do not 
       belong to me.

       (Mat 10:34 NCV)  "Don't think that I came to bring peace to the earth. 
       I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

       (Mat 10:35 NCV)  I have come so that 'a son will be against his 
       father, a daughter will be against her mother, a daughter-in-law will 
       be against her mother-in-law.

       (Mat 10:36 NCV)  A person's enemies will be members of his own 
       family.'

       (Mat 10:37 NCV)  "Those who love their father or mother more than they 
       love me are not worthy to be my followers. Those who love their son or 
       daughter more than they love me are not worthy to be my followers.

       (Mat 10:38 NCV)  Whoever is not willing to carry the cross and follow 
       me is not worthy of me.

       (Mat 10:39 NCV)  Those who try to hold on to their lives will give up 
       true life. Those who give up their lives for me will hold on to true 
       life.

       (Mat 10:40 NCV)  Whoever accepts you also accepts me, and whoever 
       accepts me also accepts the One who sent me.

       (Mat 10:41 NCV)  Whoever meets a prophet and accepts him will receive 
       the reward of a prophet. And whoever accepts a good person because 
       that person is good will receive the reward of a good person.

       (Mat 10:42 NCV)  Those who give one of these little ones a cup of cold 
       water because they are my followers will truly get their reward."

       (Mat 11:1 NCV)  After Jesus finished telling these things to his 





       twelve followers, he left there and went to the towns in Galilee to 
       teach and preach.

       (Mat 11:2 NCV)  John the Baptist was in prison, but he heard about 
       what Christ was doing. So John sent some of his followers to Jesus.

       (Mat 11:3 NCV)  They asked him, "Are you the One who is to come, or 
       should we wait for someone else?"

       (Mat 11:4 NCV)  Jesus answered them, "Go tell John what you hear and 
       see:

       (Mat 11:5 NCV)  The blind can see, the crippled can walk, and people 
       with skin diseases are healed. The deaf can hear, the dead are raised 
       to life, and the Good News is preached to the poor.

       (Mat 11:6 NCV)  Those who do not stumble in their faith because of me 
       are blessed."

       (Mat 11:7 NCV)  As John's followers were leaving, Jesus began talking 
       to the people about John. Jesus said, "What did you go out into the 
       desert to see? A reed blown by the wind?

       (Mat 11:8 NCV)  What did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine 
       clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes live in kings' palaces.

       (Mat 11:9 NCV)  So why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, and I 
       tell you, John is more than a prophet.

       (Mat 11:10 NCV)  This was written about him: 'I will send my messenger 
       ahead of you, who will prepare the way for you.'

       (Mat 11:11 NCV)  I tell you the truth, John the Baptist is greater 
       than any other person ever born, but even the least important person 
       in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John.

       (Mat 11:12 NCV)  Since the time John the Baptist came until now, the 
       kingdom of heaven has been going forward in strength, and people have 
       been trying to take it by force.

       (Mat 11:13 NCV)  All the prophets and the law of Moses told about what 
       would happen until the time John came.

       (Mat 11:14 NCV)  And if you will believe what they said, you will 
       believe that John is Elijah, whom they said would come.

       (Mat 11:15 NCV)  You people who can hear me, listen!

       (Mat 11:16 NCV)  "What can I say about the people of this time? What 
       are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace, who 
       call out to each other,

       (Mat 11:17 NCV)  'We played music for you, but you did not dance; we 
       sang a sad song, but you did not cry.'

       (Mat 11:18 NCV)  John came and did not eat or drink like other people. 





       So people say, 'He has a demon.'

       (Mat 11:19 NCV)  The Son of Man came, eating and drinking, and people 
       say, 'Look at him! He eats too much and drinks too much wine, and he 
       is a friend of tax collectors and sinners.' But wisdom is proved to be 
       right by what it does."

       (Mat 11:20 NCV)  Then Jesus criticized the cities where he did most of 
       his miracles, because the people did not change their lives and stop 
       sinning.

       (Mat 11:21 NCV)  He said, "How terrible for you, Korazin! How terrible 
       for you, Bethsaida! If the same miracles I did in you had happened in 
       Tyre and Sidon, those people would have changed their lives a long 
       time ago. They would have worn rough cloth and put ashes on themselves 
       to show they had changed.

       (Mat 11:22 NCV)  But I tell you, on the Judgment Day it will be better 
       for Tyre and Sidon than for you.

       (Mat 11:23 NCV)  And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? 
       No, you will be thrown down to the depths. If the miracles I did in 
       you had happened in Sodom, its people would have stopped sinning, and 
       it would still be a city today.

       (Mat 11:24 NCV)  But I tell you, on the Judgment Day it will be better 
       for Sodom than for you."

       (Mat 11:25 NCV)  At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord 
       of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the 
       people who are wise and smart. But you have shown them to those who 
       are like little children.

       (Mat 11:26 NCV)  Yes, Father, this is what you really wanted.

       (Mat 11:27 NCV)  "My Father has given me all things. No one knows the 
       Son, except the Father. And no one knows the Father, except the Son 
       and those whom the Son chooses to tell.

       (Mat 11:28 NCV)  "Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy 
       loads, and I will give you rest.

       (Mat 11:29 NCV)  Accept my teachings and learn from me, because I am 
       gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest for your lives.

       (Mat 11:30 NCV)  The teaching that I ask you to accept is easy; the 
       load I give you to carry is light."

       (Mat 12:1 NCV)  At that time Jesus was walking through some fields of 
       grain on a Sabbath day. His followers were hungry, so they began to 
       pick the grain and eat it.

       (Mat 12:2 NCV)  When the Pharisees saw this, they said to Jesus, 
       "Look! Your followers are doing what is unlawful to do on the Sabbath 
       day."





       (Mat 12:3 NCV)  Jesus answered, "Have you not read what David did when 
       he and the people with him were hungry?

       (Mat 12:4 NCV)  He went into God's house, and he and those with him 
       ate the holy bread, which was lawful only for priests to eat.

       (Mat 12:5 NCV)  And have you not read in the law of Moses that on 
       every Sabbath day the priests in the Temple break this law about the 
       Sabbath day? But the priests are not wrong for doing that.

       (Mat 12:6 NCV)  I tell you that there is something here that is 
       greater than the Temple.

       (Mat 12:7 NCV)  The Scripture says, 'I want kindness more than I want 
       animal sacrifices.' You don't really know what those words mean. If 
       you understood them, you would not judge those who have done nothing 
       wrong.

       (Mat 12:8 NCV)  "So the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath day."

       (Mat 12:9 NCV)  Jesus left there and went into their synagogue,

       (Mat 12:10 NCV)  where there was a man with a crippled hand. They were 
       looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they asked him, "Is it right 
       to heal on the Sabbath day?"

       (Mat 12:11 NCV)  Jesus answered, "If any of you has a sheep, and it 
       falls into a ditch on the Sabbath day, you will help it out of the 
       ditch.

       (Mat 12:12 NCV)  Surely a human being is more important than a sheep. 
       So it is lawful to do good things on the Sabbath day."

       (Mat 12:13 NCV)  Then Jesus said to the man with the crippled hand, 
       "Hold out your hand." The man held out his hand, and it became well 
       again, like the other hand.

       (Mat 12:14 NCV)  But the Pharisees left and made plans to kill Jesus.

       (Mat 12:15 NCV)  Jesus knew what the Pharisees were doing, so he left 
       that place. Many people followed him, and he healed all who were sick.

       (Mat 12:16 NCV)  But Jesus warned the people not to tell who he was.

       (Mat 12:17 NCV)  He did these things to bring about what Isaiah the 
       prophet had said:

       (Mat 12:18 NCV)  "Here is my servant whom I have chosen. I love him, 
       and I am pleased with him. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will 
       tell of my justice to all people.

       (Mat 12:19 NCV)  He will not argue or cry out; no one will hear his 
       voice in the streets.

       (Mat 12:20 NCV)  He will not break a crushed blade of grass or put out 
       even a weak flame until he makes justice win the victory.






       (Mat 12:21 NCV)  In him will the non-Jewish people find hope."

       (Mat 12:22 NCV)  Then some people brought to Jesus a man who was blind 
       and could not talk, because he had a demon. Jesus healed the man so 
       that he could talk and see.

       (Mat 12:23 NCV)  All the people were amazed and said, "Perhaps this 
       man is the Son of David!"

       (Mat 12:24 NCV)  When the Pharisees heard this, they said, "Jesus uses 
       the power of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons, to force demons out of 
       people."

       (Mat 12:25 NCV)  Jesus knew what the Pharisees were thinking, so he 
       said to them, "Every kingdom that is divided against itself will be 
       destroyed. And any city or family that is divided against itself will 
       not continue.

       (Mat 12:26 NCV)  And if Satan forces out himself, then Satan is 
       divided against himself, and his kingdom will not continue.

       (Mat 12:27 NCV)  You say that I use the power of Beelzebul to force 
       out demons. If that is true, then what power do your people use to 
       force out demons? So they will be your judges.

       (Mat 12:28 NCV)  But if I use the power of God's Spirit to force out 
       demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you.

       (Mat 12:29 NCV)  "If anyone wants to enter a strong person's house and 
       steal his things, he must first tie up the strong person. Then he can 
       steal the things from the house.

       (Mat 12:30 NCV)  "Whoever is not with me is against me. Whoever does 
       not work with me is working against me.

       (Mat 12:31 NCV)  So I tell you, people can be forgiven for every sin 
       and everything they say against God. But whoever speaks against the 
       Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

       (Mat 12:32 NCV)  Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be 
       forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be 
       forgiven, now or in the future.

       (Mat 12:33 NCV)  "If you want good fruit, you must make the tree good. 
       If your tree is not good, it will have bad fruit. A tree is known by 
       the kind of fruit it produces.

       (Mat 12:34 NCV)  You snakes! You are evil people, so how can you say 
       anything good? The mouth speaks the things that are in the heart.

       (Mat 12:35 NCV)  Good people have good things in their hearts, and so 
       they say good things. But evil people have evil in their hearts, so 
       they say evil things.

       (Mat 12:36 NCV)  And I tell you that on the Judgment Day people will 





       be responsible for every careless thing they have said.

       (Mat 12:37 NCV)  The words you have said will be used to judge you. 
       Some of your words will prove you right, but some of your words will 
       prove you guilty."

       (Mat 12:38 NCV)  Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law 
       answered Jesus, saying, "Teacher, we want to see you work a miracle as 
       a sign."

       (Mat 12:39 NCV)  Jesus answered, "Evil and sinful people are the ones 
       who want to see a miracle for a sign. But no sign will be given to 
       them, except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

       (Mat 12:40 NCV)  Jonah was in the stomach of the big fish for three 
       days and three nights. In the same way, the Son of Man will be in the 
       grave three days and three nights.

       (Mat 12:41 NCV)  On the Judgment Day the people from Nineveh will 
       stand up with you people who live now, and they will show that you are 
       guilty. When Jonah preached to them, they were sorry and changed their 
       lives. And I tell you that someone greater than Jonah is here.

       (Mat 12:42 NCV)  On the Judgment Day, the Queen of the South will 
       stand up with you people who live today. She will show that you are 
       guilty, because she came from far away to listen to Solomon's wise 
       teaching. And I tell you that someone greater than Solomon is here.

       (Mat 12:43 NCV)  "When an evil spirit comes out of a person, it 
       travels through dry places, looking for a place to rest, but it 
       doesn't find it.

       (Mat 12:44 NCV)  So the spirit says, 'I will go back to the house I 
       left.' When the spirit comes back, it finds the house still empty, 
       swept clean, and made neat.

       (Mat 12:45 NCV)  Then the evil spirit goes out and brings seven other 
       spirits even more evil than it is, and they go in and live there. So 
       the person has even more trouble than before. It is the same way with 
       the evil people who live today."

       (Mat 12:46 NCV)  While Jesus was talking to the people, his mother and 
       brothers stood outside, trying to find a way to talk to him.

       (Mat 12:47 NCV)  Someone told Jesus, "Your mother and brothers are 
       standing outside, and they want to talk to you."

       (Mat 12:48 NCV)  He answered, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?"

       (Mat 12:49 NCV)  Then he pointed to his followers and said, "Here are 
       my mother and my brothers.

       (Mat 12:50 NCV)  My true brother and sister and mother are those who 
       do what my Father in heaven wants."

       (Mat 13:1 NCV)  That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by 





       the lake.

       (Mat 13:2 NCV)  Large crowds gathered around him, so he got into a 
       boat and sat down, while the people stood on the shore.

       (Mat 13:3 NCV)  Then Jesus used stories to teach them many things. He 
       said: "A farmer went out to plant his seed.

       (Mat 13:4 NCV)  While he was planting, some seed fell by the road, and 
       the birds came and ate it all up.

       (Mat 13:5 NCV)  Some seed fell on rocky ground, where there wasn't 
       much dirt. That seed grew very fast, because the ground was not deep.

       (Mat 13:6 NCV)  But when the sun rose, the plants dried up, because 
       they did not have deep roots.

       (Mat 13:7 NCV)  Some other seed fell among thorny weeds, which grew 
       and choked the good plants.

       (Mat 13:8 NCV)  Some other seed fell on good ground where it grew and 
       produced a crop. Some plants made a hundred times more, some made 
       sixty times more, and some made thirty times more.

       (Mat 13:9 NCV)  You people who can hear me, listen."

       (Mat 13:10 NCV)  The followers came to Jesus and asked, "Why do you 
       use stories to teach the people?"

       (Mat 13:11 NCV)  Jesus answered, "You have been chosen to know the 
       secrets about the kingdom of heaven, but others cannot know these 
       secrets.

       (Mat 13:12 NCV)  Those who have understanding will be given more, and 
       they will have all they need. But those who do not have understanding, 
       even what they have will be taken away from them.

       (Mat 13:13 NCV)  This is why I use stories to teach the people: They 
       see, but they don't really see. They hear, but they don't really hear 
       or understand.

       (Mat 13:14 NCV)  So they show that the things Isaiah said about them 
       are true: 'You will listen and listen, but you will not understand. 
       You will look and look, but you will not learn.

       (Mat 13:15 NCV)  For the minds of these people have become stubborn. 
       They do not hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. 
       Otherwise they might really understand what they see with their eyes 
       and hear with their ears. They might really understand in their minds 
       and come back to me and be healed.'

       (Mat 13:16 NCV)  But you are blessed, because you see with your eyes 
       and hear with your ears.

       (Mat 13:17 NCV)  I tell you the truth, many prophets and good people 
       wanted to see the things that you now see, but they did not see them. 





       And they wanted to hear the things that you now hear, but they did not 
       hear them.

       (Mat 13:18 NCV)  "So listen to the meaning of that story about the 
       farmer.

       (Mat 13:19 NCV)  What is the seed that fell by the road? That seed is 
       like the person who hears the message about the kingdom but does not 
       understand it. The Evil One comes and takes away what was planted in 
       that person's heart.

       (Mat 13:20 NCV)  And what is the seed that fell on rocky ground? That 
       seed is like the person who hears the teaching and quickly accepts it 
       with joy.

       (Mat 13:21 NCV)  But he does not let the teaching go deep into his 
       life, so he keeps it only a short time. When trouble or persecution 
       comes because of the teaching he accepted, he quickly gives up.

       (Mat 13:22 NCV)  And what is the seed that fell among the thorny 
       weeds? That seed is like the person who hears the teaching but lets 
       worries about this life and the temptation of wealth stop that 
       teaching from growing. So the teaching does not produce fruit in that 
       person's life.

       (Mat 13:23 NCV)  But what is the seed that fell on the good ground? 
       That seed is like the person who hears the teaching and understands 
       it. That person grows and produces fruit, sometimes a hundred times 
       more, sometimes sixty times more, and sometimes thirty times more."

       (Mat 13:24 NCV)  Then Jesus told them another story: "The kingdom of 
       heaven is like a man who planted good seed in his field.

       (Mat 13:25 NCV)  That night, when everyone was asleep, his enemy came 
       and planted weeds among the wheat and then left.

       (Mat 13:26 NCV)  Later, the wheat sprouted and the heads of grain 
       grew, but the weeds also grew.

       (Mat 13:27 NCV)  Then the man's servants came to him and said, 'You 
       planted good seed in your field. Where did the weeds come from?'

       (Mat 13:28 NCV)  The man answered, 'An enemy planted weeds.' The 
       servants asked, 'Do you want us to pull up the weeds?'

       (Mat 13:29 NCV)  The man answered, 'No, because when you pull up the 
       weeds, you might also pull up the wheat.

       (Mat 13:30 NCV)  Let the weeds and the wheat grow together until the 
       harvest time. At harvest time I will tell the workers, "First gather 
       the weeds and tie them together to be burned. Then gather the wheat 
       and bring it to my barn."'"

       (Mat 13:31 NCV)  Then Jesus told another story: "The kingdom of heaven 
       is like a mustard seed that a man planted in his field.





       (Mat 13:32 NCV)  That seed is the smallest of all seeds, but when it 
       grows, it is one of the largest garden plants. It becomes big enough 
       for the wild birds to come and build nests in its branches."

       (Mat 13:33 NCV)  Then Jesus told another story: "The kingdom of heaven 
       is like yeast that a woman took and hid in a large tub of flour until 
       it made all the dough rise."

       (Mat 13:34 NCV)  Jesus used stories to tell all these things to the 
       people; he always used stories to teach them.

       (Mat 13:35 NCV)  This is as the prophet said: "I will speak using 
       stories; I will tell things that have been secret since the world was 
       made."

       (Mat 13:36 NCV)  Then Jesus left the crowd and went into the house. 
       His followers came to him and said, "Explain to us the meaning of the 
       story about the weeds in the field."

       (Mat 13:37 NCV)  Jesus answered, "The man who planted the good seed in 
       the field is the Son of Man.

       (Mat 13:38 NCV)  The field is the world, and the good seed are all of 
       God's children who belong to the kingdom. The weeds are those people 
       who belong to the Evil One.

       (Mat 13:39 NCV)  And the enemy who planted the bad seed is the devil. 
       The harvest time is the end of the world, and the workers who gather 
       are God's angels.

       (Mat 13:40 NCV)  "Just as the weeds are pulled up and burned in the 
       fire, so it will be at the end of the world.

       (Mat 13:41 NCV)  The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they 
       will gather out of his kingdom all who cause sin and all who do evil.

       (Mat 13:42 NCV)  The angels will throw them into the blazing furnace, 
       where the people will cry and grind their teeth with pain.

       (Mat 13:43 NCV)  Then the good people will shine like the sun in the 
       kingdom of their Father. You people who can hear me, listen.

       (Mat 13:44 NCV)  "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a 
       field. One day a man found the treasure, and then he hid it in the 
       field again. He was so happy that he went and sold everything he owned 
       to buy that field.

       (Mat 13:45 NCV)  "Also, the kingdom of heaven is like a man looking 
       for fine pearls.

       (Mat 13:46 NCV)  When he found a very valuable pearl, he went and sold 
       everything he had and bought it.

       (Mat 13:47 NCV)  "Also, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was 
       put into the lake and caught many different kinds of fish.





       (Mat 13:48 NCV)  When it was full, the fishermen pulled the net to the 
       shore. They sat down and put all the good fish in baskets and threw 
       away the bad fish.

       (Mat 13:49 NCV)  It will be this way at the end of the world. The 
       angels will come and separate the evil people from the good people.

       (Mat 13:50 NCV)  The angels will throw the evil people into the 
       blazing furnace, where people will cry and grind their teeth with 
       pain."

       (Mat 13:51 NCV)  Jesus asked his followers, "Do you understand all 
       these things?" They answered, "Yes, we understand."

       (Mat 13:52 NCV)  Then Jesus said to them, "So every teacher of the law 
       who has been taught about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a 
       house. He brings out both new things and old things he has saved."

       (Mat 13:53 NCV)  When Jesus finished teaching with these stories, he 
       left there.

       (Mat 13:54 NCV)  He went to his hometown and taught the people in the 
       synagogue, and they were amazed. They said, "Where did this man get 
       this wisdom and this power to do miracles?

       (Mat 13:55 NCV)  He is just the son of a carpenter. His mother is 
       Mary, and his brothers are James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas.

       (Mat 13:56 NCV)  And all his sisters are here with us. Where then does 
       this man get all these things?"

       (Mat 13:57 NCV)  So the people were upset with Jesus. But Jesus said 
       to them, "A prophet is honored everywhere except in his hometown and 
       in his own home."

       (Mat 13:58 NCV)  So he did not do many miracles there because they had 
       no faith.

       (Mat 14:1 NCV)  At that time Herod, the ruler of Galilee, heard the 
       reports about Jesus.

       (Mat 14:2 NCV)  So he said to his servants, "Jesus is John the 
       Baptist, who has risen from the dead. That is why he can work these 
       miracles."

       (Mat 14:3 NCV)  Sometime before this, Herod had arrested John, tied 
       him up, and put him into prison. Herod did this because of Herodias, 
       who had been the wife of Philip, Herod's brother.

       (Mat 14:4 NCV)  John had been telling Herod, "It is not lawful for you 
       to be married to Herodias."

       (Mat 14:5 NCV)  Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the 
       people, because they believed John was a prophet.

       (Mat 14:6 NCV)  On Herod's birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced 





       for Herod and his guests, and she pleased him.

       (Mat 14:7 NCV)  So he promised with an oath to give her anything she 
       wanted.

       (Mat 14:8 NCV)  Herodias told her daughter what to ask for, so she 
       said to Herod, "Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a 
       platter."

       (Mat 14:9 NCV)  Although King Herod was very sad, he had made a 
       promise, and his dinner guests had heard him. So Herod ordered that 
       what she asked for be done.

       (Mat 14:10 NCV)  He sent soldiers to the prison to cut off John's 
       head.

       (Mat 14:11 NCV)  And they brought it on a platter and gave it to the 
       girl, and she took it to her mother.

       (Mat 14:12 NCV)  John's followers came and got his body and buried it. 
       Then they went and told Jesus.

       (Mat 14:13 NCV)  When Jesus heard what had happened to John, he left 
       in a boat and went to a lonely place by himself. But the crowds heard 
       about it and followed him on foot from the towns.

       (Mat 14:14 NCV)  When he arrived, he saw a great crowd waiting. He 
       felt sorry for them and healed those who were sick.

       (Mat 14:15 NCV)  When it was evening, his followers came to him and 
       said, "No one lives in this place, and it is already late. Send the 
       people away so they can go to the towns and buy food for themselves."

       (Mat 14:16 NCV)  But Jesus answered, "They don't need to go away. You 
       give them something to eat."

       (Mat 14:17 NCV)  They said to him, "But we have only five loaves of 
       bread and two fish."

       (Mat 14:18 NCV)  Jesus said, "Bring the bread and the fish to me."

       (Mat 14:19 NCV)  Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. He 
       took the five loaves and the two fish and, looking to heaven, he 
       thanked God for the food. Jesus divided the bread and gave it to his 
       followers, who gave it to the people.

       (Mat 14:20 NCV)  All the people ate and were satisfied. Then the 
       followers filled twelve baskets with the leftover pieces of food.

       (Mat 14:21 NCV)  There were about five thousand men there who ate, not 
       counting women and children.

       (Mat 14:22 NCV)  Immediately Jesus told his followers to get into the 
       boat and go ahead of him across the lake. He stayed there to send the 
       people home.





       (Mat 14:23 NCV)  After he had sent them away, he went by himself up 
       into the hills to pray. It was late, and Jesus was there alone.

       (Mat 14:24 NCV)  By this time, the boat was already far away from 
       land. It was being hit by waves, because the wind was blowing against 
       it.

       (Mat 14:25 NCV)  Between three and six o'clock in the morning, Jesus 
       came to them, walking on the water.

       (Mat 14:26 NCV)  When his followers saw him walking on the water, they 
       were afraid. They said, "It's a ghost!" and cried out in fear.

       (Mat 14:27 NCV)  But Jesus quickly spoke to them, "Have courage! It is 
       I. Do not be afraid."

       (Mat 14:28 NCV)  Peter said, "Lord, if it is really you, then command 
       me to come to you on the water."

       (Mat 14:29 NCV)  Jesus said, "Come." And Peter left the boat and 
       walked on the water to Jesus.

       (Mat 14:30 NCV)  But when Peter saw the wind and the waves, he became 
       afraid and began to sink. He shouted, "Lord, save me!"

       (Mat 14:31 NCV)  Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught 
       Peter. Jesus said, "Your faith is small. Why did you doubt?"

       (Mat 14:32 NCV)  After they got into the boat, the wind became calm.

       (Mat 14:33 NCV)  Then those who were in the boat worshiped Jesus and 
       said, "Truly you are the Son of God!"

       (Mat 14:34 NCV)  When they had crossed the lake, they came to shore at 
       Gennesaret.

       (Mat 14:35 NCV)  When the people there recognized Jesus, they told 
       people all around there that Jesus had come, and they brought all 
       their sick to him.

       (Mat 14:36 NCV)  They begged Jesus to let them touch just the edge of 
       his coat, and all who touched it were healed.

       (Mat 15:1 NCV)  Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to 
       Jesus from Jerusalem. They asked him,

       (Mat 15:2 NCV)  "Why don't your followers obey the unwritten laws 
       which have been handed down to us? They don't wash their hands before 
       they eat."

       (Mat 15:3 NCV)  Jesus answered, "And why do you refuse to obey God's 
       command so that you can follow your own teachings?

       (Mat 15:4 NCV)  God said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and 
       'Anyone who says cruel things to his father or mother must be put to 
       death.'






       (Mat 15:5 NCV)  But you say a person can tell his father or mother, 'I 
       have something I could use to help you, but I have given it to God 
       already.'

       (Mat 15:6 NCV)  You teach that person not to honor his father or his 
       mother. You rejected what God said for the sake of your own rules.

       (Mat 15:7 NCV)  You are hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he said 
       about you:

       (Mat 15:8 NCV)  'These people show honor to me with words, but their 
       hearts are far from me.

       (Mat 15:9 NCV)  Their worship of me is worthless. The things they 
       teach are nothing but human rules.'"

       (Mat 15:10 NCV)  After Jesus called the crowd to him, he said, "Listen 
       and understand what I am saying.

       (Mat 15:11 NCV)  It is not what people put into their mouths that 
       makes them unclean. It is what comes out of their mouths that makes 
       them unclean."

       (Mat 15:12 NCV)  Then his followers came to him and asked, "Do you 
       know that the Pharisees are angry because of what you said?"

       (Mat 15:13 NCV)  Jesus answered, "Every plant that my Father in heaven 
       has not planted himself will be pulled up by the roots.

       (Mat 15:14 NCV)  Stay away from the Pharisees; they are blind leaders. 
       And if a blind person leads a blind person, both will fall into a 
       ditch."

       (Mat 15:15 NCV)  Peter said, "Explain the example to us."

       (Mat 15:16 NCV)  Jesus said, "Do you still not understand?

       (Mat 15:17 NCV)  Surely you know that all the food that enters the 
       mouth goes into the stomach and then goes out of the body.

       (Mat 15:18 NCV)  But what people say with their mouths comes from the 
       way they think; these are the things that make people unclean.

       (Mat 15:19 NCV)  Out of the mind come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, 
       sexual sins, stealing, lying, and speaking evil of others.

       (Mat 15:20 NCV)  These things make people unclean; eating with 
       unwashed hands does not make them unclean."

       (Mat 15:21 NCV)  Jesus left that place and went to the area of Tyre 
       and Sidon.

       (Mat 15:22 NCV)  A Canaanite woman from that area came to Jesus and 
       cried out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter has a 
       demon, and she is suffering very much."






       (Mat 15:23 NCV)  But Jesus did not answer the woman. So his followers 
       came to Jesus and begged him, "Tell the woman to go away. She is 
       following us and shouting."

       (Mat 15:24 NCV)  Jesus answered, "God sent me only to the lost sheep, 
       the people of Israel."

       (Mat 15:25 NCV)  Then the woman came to Jesus again and bowed before 
       him and said, "Lord, help me!"

       (Mat 15:26 NCV)  Jesus answered, "It is not right to take the 
       children's bread and give it to the dogs."

       (Mat 15:27 NCV)  The woman said, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the 
       crumbs that fall from their masters' table."

       (Mat 15:28 NCV)  Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! I 
       will do what you asked." And at that moment the woman's daughter was 
       healed.

       (Mat 15:29 NCV)  After leaving there, Jesus went along the shore of 
       Lake Galilee. He went up on a hill and sat there.

       (Mat 15:30 NCV)  Great crowds came to Jesus, bringing with them the 
       lame, the blind, the crippled, those who could not speak, and many 
       others. They put them at Jesus' feet, and he healed them.

       (Mat 15:31 NCV)  The crowd was amazed when they saw that people who 
       could not speak before were now able to speak. The crippled were made 
       strong. The lame could walk, and the blind could see. And they praised 
       the God of Israel for this.

       (Mat 15:32 NCV)  Jesus called his followers to him and said, "I feel 
       sorry for these people, because they have already been with me three 
       days, and they have nothing to eat. I don't want to send them away 
       hungry. They might faint while going home."

       (Mat 15:33 NCV)  His followers asked him, "How can we get enough bread 
       to feed all these people? We are far away from any town."

       (Mat 15:34 NCV)  Jesus asked, "How many loaves of bread do you have?" 
       They answered, "Seven, and a few small fish."

       (Mat 15:35 NCV)  Jesus told the people to sit on the ground.

       (Mat 15:36 NCV)  He took the seven loaves of bread and the fish and 
       gave thanks to God. Then he divided the food and gave it to his 
       followers, and they gave it to the people.

       (Mat 15:37 NCV)  All the people ate and were satisfied. Then his 
       followers filled seven baskets with the leftover pieces of food.

       (Mat 15:38 NCV)  There were about four thousand men there who ate, 
       besides women and children.





       (Mat 15:39 NCV)  After sending the people home, Jesus got into the 
       boat and went to the area of Magadan.

       (Mat 16:1 NCV)  The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus, wanting to 
       trick him. So they asked him to show them a miracle from God.

       (Mat 16:2 NCV)  Jesus answered, "At sunset you say we will have good 
       weather, because the sky is red.

       (Mat 16:3 NCV)  And in the morning you say that it will be a rainy 
       day, because the sky is dark and red. You see these signs in the sky 
       and know what they mean. In the same way, you see the things that I am 
       doing now, but you don't know their meaning.

       (Mat 16:4 NCV)  Evil and sinful people ask for a miracle as a sign, 
       but they will not be given any sign, except the sign of Jonah." Then 
       Jesus left them and went away.

       (Mat 16:5 NCV)  Jesus' followers went across the lake, but they had 
       forgotten to bring bread.

       (Mat 16:6 NCV)  Jesus said to them, "Be careful! Beware of the yeast 
       of the Pharisees and the Sadducees."

       (Mat 16:7 NCV)  His followers discussed the meaning of this, saying, 
       "He said this because we forgot to bring bread."

       (Mat 16:8 NCV)  Knowing what they were talking about, Jesus asked 
       them, "Why are you talking about not having bread? Your faith is 
       small.

       (Mat 16:9 NCV)  Do you still not understand? Remember the five loaves 
       of bread that fed the five thousand? And remember that you filled many 
       baskets with the leftovers?

       (Mat 16:10 NCV)  Or the seven loaves of bread that fed the four 
       thousand and the many baskets you filled then also?

       (Mat 16:11 NCV)  I was not talking to you about bread. Why don't you 
       understand that? I am telling you to beware of the yeast of the 
       Pharisees and the Sadducees."

       (Mat 16:12 NCV)  Then the followers understood that Jesus was not 
       telling them to beware of the yeast used in bread but to beware of the 
       teaching of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

       (Mat 16:13 NCV)  When Jesus came to the area of Caesarea Philippi, he 
       asked his followers, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"

       (Mat 16:14 NCV)  They answered, "Some say you are John the Baptist. 
       Others say you are Elijah, and still others say you are Jeremiah or 
       one of the prophets."

       (Mat 16:15 NCV)  Then Jesus asked them, "And who do you say I am?"

       (Mat 16:16 NCV)  Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of 





       the living God."

       (Mat 16:17 NCV)  Jesus answered, "You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah, 
       because no person taught you that. My Father in heaven showed you who 
       I am.

       (Mat 16:18 NCV)  So I tell you, you are Peter. On this rock I will 
       build my church, and the power of death will not be able to defeat it.

       (Mat 16:19 NCV)  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; 
       the things you don't allow on earth will be the things that God does 
       not allow, and the things you allow on earth will be the things that 
       God allows."

       (Mat 16:20 NCV)  Then Jesus warned his followers not to tell anyone he 
       was the Christ.

       (Mat 16:21 NCV)  From that time on Jesus began telling his followers 
       that he must go to Jerusalem, where the older Jewish leaders, the 
       leading priests, and the teachers of the law would make him suffer 
       many things. He told them he must be killed and then be raised from 
       the dead on the third day.

       (Mat 16:22 NCV)  Peter took Jesus aside and told him not to talk like 
       that. He said, "God save you from those things, Lord! Those things 
       will never happen to you!"

       (Mat 16:23 NCV)  Then Jesus said to Peter, "Go away from me, Satan! 
       You are not helping me! You don't care about the things of God, but 
       only about the things people think are important."

       (Mat 16:24 NCV)  Then Jesus said to his followers, "If people want to 
       follow me, they must give up the things they want. They must be 
       willing even to give up their lives to follow me.

       (Mat 16:25 NCV)  Those who want to save their lives will give up true 
       life, and those who give up their lives for me will have true life.

       (Mat 16:26 NCV)  It is worth nothing for them to have the whole world 
       if they lose their souls. They could never pay enough to buy back 
       their souls.

       (Mat 16:27 NCV)  The Son of Man will come again with his Father's 
       glory and with his angels. At that time, he will reward them for what 
       they have done.

       (Mat 16:28 NCV)  I tell you the truth, some people standing here will 
       see the Son of Man coming with his kingdom before they die."

       (Mat 17:1 NCV)  Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John, the 
       brother of James, up on a high mountain by themselves.

       (Mat 17:2 NCV)  While they watched, Jesus' appearance was changed; his 
       face became bright like the sun, and his clothes became white as 
       light.





       (Mat 17:3 NCV)  Then Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with 
       Jesus.

       (Mat 17:4 NCV)  Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good that we are 
       here. If you want, I will put up three tents here--one for you, one 
       for Moses, and one for Elijah."

       (Mat 17:5 NCV)  While Peter was talking, a bright cloud covered them. 
       A voice came from the cloud and said, "This is my Son, whom I love, 
       and I am very pleased with him. Listen to him!"

       (Mat 17:6 NCV)  When his followers heard the voice, they were so 
       frightened they fell to the ground.

       (Mat 17:7 NCV)  But Jesus went to them and touched them and said, 
       "Stand up. Don't be afraid."

       (Mat 17:8 NCV)  When they looked up, they saw Jesus was now alone.

       (Mat 17:9 NCV)  As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded 
       them not to tell anyone about what they had seen until the Son of Man 
       had risen from the dead.

       (Mat 17:10 NCV)  Then his followers asked him, "Why do the teachers of 
       the law say that Elijah must come first?"

       (Mat 17:11 NCV)  Jesus answered, "They are right to say that Elijah is 
       coming and that he will make everything the way it should be.

       (Mat 17:12 NCV)  But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they 
       did not recognize him. They did to him whatever they wanted to do. It 
       will be the same with the Son of Man; those same people will make the 
       Son of Man suffer."

       (Mat 17:13 NCV)  Then the followers understood that Jesus was talking 
       about John the Baptist.

       (Mat 17:14 NCV)  When Jesus and his followers came back to the crowd, 
       a man came to Jesus and bowed before him.

       (Mat 17:15 NCV)  The man said, "Lord, have mercy on my son. He has 
       epilepsy and is suffering very much, because he often falls into the 
       fire or into the water.

       (Mat 17:16 NCV)  I brought him to your followers, but they could not 
       cure him."

       (Mat 17:17 NCV)  Jesus answered, "You people have no faith, and your 
       lives are all wrong. How long must I put up with you? How long must I 
       continue to be patient with you? Bring the boy here."

       (Mat 17:18 NCV)  Jesus commanded the demon inside the boy. Then the 
       demon came out, and the boy was healed from that time on.

       (Mat 17:19 NCV)  The followers came to Jesus when he was alone and 
       asked, "Why couldn't we force the demon out?"






       (Mat 17:20 NCV)  Jesus answered, "Because your faith is too small. I 
       tell you the truth, if your faith is as big as a mustard seed, you can 
       say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. All 
       things will be possible for you."

       (Mat 17:21 NCV)  

       (Mat 17:22 NCV)  While Jesus' followers were gathering in Galilee, he 
       said to them, "The Son of Man will be handed over to people,

       (Mat 17:23 NCV)  and they will kill him. But on the third day he will 
       be raised from the dead." And the followers were filled with sadness.

       (Mat 17:24 NCV)  When Jesus and his followers came to Capernaum, the 
       men who collected the Temple tax came to Peter. They asked, "Does your 
       teacher pay the Temple tax?"

       (Mat 17:25 NCV)  Peter answered, "Yes, Jesus pays the tax." Peter went 
       into the house, but before he could speak, Jesus said to him, "What do 
       you think? The kings of the earth collect different kinds of taxes. 
       But who pays the taxes--the king's children or others?"

       (Mat 17:26 NCV)  Peter answered, "Other people pay the taxes." Jesus 
       said to Peter, "Then the children of the king don't have to pay taxes.

       (Mat 17:27 NCV)  But we don't want to upset these tax collectors. So 
       go to the lake and fish. After you catch the first fish, open its 
       mouth and you will find a coin. Take that coin and give it to the tax 
       collectors for you and me."

       (Mat 18:1 NCV)  At that time the followers came to Jesus and asked, 
       "Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"

       (Mat 18:2 NCV)  Jesus called a little child to him and stood the child 
       before his followers.

       (Mat 18:3 NCV)  Then he said, "I tell you the truth, you must change 
       and become like little children. Otherwise, you will never enter the 
       kingdom of heaven.

       (Mat 18:4 NCV)  The greatest person in the kingdom of heaven is the 
       one who makes himself humble like this child.

       (Mat 18:5 NCV)  "Whoever accepts a child in my name accepts me.

       (Mat 18:6 NCV)  If one of these little children believes in me, and 
       someone causes that child to sin, it would be better for that person 
       to have a large stone tied around the neck and be drowned in the sea.

       (Mat 18:7 NCV)  How terrible for the people of the world because of 
       the things that cause them to sin. Such things will happen, but how 
       terrible for the one who causes them to happen!

       (Mat 18:8 NCV)  If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it 
       off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose part of your body 





       and live forever than to have two hands and two feet and be thrown 
       into the fire that burns forever.

       (Mat 18:9 NCV)  If your eye causes you to sin, take it out and throw 
       it away. It is better for you to have only one eye and live forever 
       than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

       (Mat 18:10 NCV)  "Be careful. Don't think these little children are 
       worth nothing. I tell you that they have angels in heaven who are 
       always with my Father in heaven.

       (Mat 18:11 NCV)  

       (Mat 18:12 NCV)  "If a man has a hundred sheep but one of the sheep 
       gets lost, he will leave the other ninety-nine on the hill and go to 
       look for the lost sheep.

       (Mat 18:13 NCV)  I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one 
       sheep than about the ninety-nine that were never lost.

       (Mat 18:14 NCV)  In the same way, your Father in heaven does not want 
       any of these little children to be lost.

       (Mat 18:15 NCV)  "If your fellow believer sins against you, go and 
       tell him in private what he did wrong. If he listens to you, you have 
       helped that person to be your brother or sister again.

       (Mat 18:16 NCV)  But if he refuses to listen, go to him again and take 
       one or two other people with you. 'Every case may be proved by two or 
       three witnesses.'

       (Mat 18:17 NCV)  If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. If 
       he refuses to listen to the church, then treat him like a person who 
       does not believe in God or like a tax collector.

       (Mat 18:18 NCV)  "I tell you the truth, the things you don't allow on 
       earth will be the things God does not allow. And the things you allow 
       on earth will be the things that God allows.

       (Mat 18:19 NCV)  "Also, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree 
       about something and pray for it, it will be done for you by my Father 
       in heaven.

       (Mat 18:20 NCV)  This is true because if two or three people come 
       together in my name, I am there with them."

       (Mat 18:21 NCV)  Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, when my 
       fellow believer sins against me, how many times must I forgive him? 
       Should I forgive him as many as seven times?"

       (Mat 18:22 NCV)  Jesus answered, "I tell you, you must forgive him 
       more than seven times. You must forgive him even if he does wrong to 
       you seventy-seven times.

       (Mat 18:23 NCV)  "The kingdom of heaven is like a king who decided to 
       collect the money his servants owed him.






       (Mat 18:24 NCV)  When the king began to collect his money, a servant 
       who owed him several million dollars was brought to him.

       (Mat 18:25 NCV)  But the servant did not have enough money to pay his 
       master, the king. So the master ordered that everything the servant 
       owned should be sold, even the servant's wife and children. Then the 
       money would be used to pay the king what the servant owed.

       (Mat 18:26 NCV)  "But the servant fell on his knees and begged, 'Be 
       patient with me, and I will pay you everything I owe.'

       (Mat 18:27 NCV)  The master felt sorry for his servant and told him he 
       did not have to pay it back. Then he let the servant go free.

       (Mat 18:28 NCV)  "Later, that same servant found another servant who 
       owed him a few dollars. The servant grabbed him around the neck and 
       said, 'Pay me the money you owe me!'

       (Mat 18:29 NCV)  "The other servant fell on his knees and begged him, 
       'Be patient with me, and I will pay you everything I owe.'

       (Mat 18:30 NCV)  "But the first servant refused to be patient. He 
       threw the other servant into prison until he could pay everything he 
       owed.

       (Mat 18:31 NCV)  When the other servants saw what had happened, they 
       were very sorry. So they went and told their master all that had 
       happened.

       (Mat 18:32 NCV)  "Then the master called his servant in and said, 'You 
       evil servant! Because you begged me to forget what you owed, I told 
       you that you did not have to pay anything.

       (Mat 18:33 NCV)  You should have showed mercy to that other servant, 
       just as I showed mercy to you.'

       (Mat 18:34 NCV)  The master was very angry and put the servant in 
       prison to be punished until he could pay everything he owed.

       (Mat 18:35 NCV)  "This king did what my heavenly Father will do to you 
       if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart."

       (Mat 19:1 NCV)  After Jesus said all these things, he left Galilee and 
       went into the area of Judea on the other side of the Jordan River.

       (Mat 19:2 NCV)  Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

       (Mat 19:3 NCV)  Some Pharisees came to Jesus and tried to trick him. 
       They asked, "Is it right for a man to divorce his wife for any reason 
       he chooses?"

       (Mat 19:4 NCV)  Jesus answered, "Surely you have read in the 
       Scriptures: When God made the world, 'he made them male and female.'

       (Mat 19:5 NCV)  And God said, 'So a man will leave his father and 





       mother and be united with his wife, and the two will become one body.'

       (Mat 19:6 NCV)  So there are not two, but one. God has joined the two 
       together, so no one should separate them."

       (Mat 19:7 NCV)  The Pharisees asked, "Why then did Moses give a 
       command for a man to divorce his wife by giving her divorce papers?"

       (Mat 19:8 NCV)  Jesus answered, "Moses allowed you to divorce your 
       wives because you refused to accept God's teaching, but divorce was 
       not allowed in the beginning.

       (Mat 19:9 NCV)  I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife and 
       marries another woman is guilty of adultery. The only reason for a man 
       to divorce his wife is if his wife has sexual relations with another 
       man."

       (Mat 19:10 NCV)  The followers said to him, "If that is the only 
       reason a man can divorce his wife, it is better not to marry."

       (Mat 19:11 NCV)  Jesus answered, "Not everyone can accept this 
       teaching, but God has made some able to accept it.

       (Mat 19:12 NCV)  There are different reasons why some men cannot 
       marry. Some men were born without the ability to become fathers. 
       Others were made that way later in life by other people. And some men 
       have given up marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. But the 
       person who can marry should accept this teaching about marriage."

       (Mat 19:13 NCV)  Then the people brought their little children to 
       Jesus so he could put his hands on them and pray for them. His 
       followers told them to stop,

       (Mat 19:14 NCV)  but Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me. 
       Don't stop them, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to people who 
       are like these children."

       (Mat 19:15 NCV)  After Jesus put his hands on the children, he left 
       there.

       (Mat 19:16 NCV)  A man came to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good 
       thing must I do to have life forever?"

       (Mat 19:17 NCV)  Jesus answered, "Why do you ask me about what is 
       good? Only God is good. But if you want to have life forever, obey the 
       commands."

       (Mat 19:18 NCV)  The man asked, "Which commands?" Jesus answered, 
       "'You must not murder anyone; you must not be guilty of adultery; you 
       must not steal; you must not tell lies about your neighbor;

       (Mat 19:19 NCV)  honor your father and mother; and love your neighbor 
       as you love yourself.'"

       (Mat 19:20 NCV)  The young man said, "I have obeyed all these things. 
       What else do I need to do?"






       (Mat 19:21 NCV)  Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, then go 
       and sell your possessions and give the money to the poor. If you do 
       this, you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me."

       (Mat 19:22 NCV)  But when the young man heard this, he left 
       sorrowfully, because he was rich.

       (Mat 19:23 NCV)  Then Jesus said to his followers, "I tell you the 
       truth, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of 
       heaven.

       (Mat 19:24 NCV)  Yes, I tell you that it is easier for a camel to go 
       through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the 
       kingdom of God."

       (Mat 19:25 NCV)  When Jesus' followers heard this, they were very 
       surprised and asked, "Then who can be saved?"

       (Mat 19:26 NCV)  Jesus looked at them and said, "This is something 
       people cannot do, but God can do all things."

       (Mat 19:27 NCV)  Peter said to Jesus, "Look, we have left everything 
       and followed you. So what will we have?"

       (Mat 19:28 NCV)  Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, when the 
       age to come has arrived, the Son of Man will sit on his great throne. 
       All of you who followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging 
       the twelve tribes of Israel.

       (Mat 19:29 NCV)  And all those who have left houses, brothers, 
       sisters, father, mother, children, or farms to follow me will get much 
       more than they left, and they will have life forever.

       (Mat 19:30 NCV)  Many who have the highest place now will have the 
       lowest place in the future. And many who have the lowest place now 
       will have the highest place in the future.

       (Mat 20:1 NCV)  "The kingdom of heaven is like a person who owned some 
       land. One morning, he went out very early to hire some people to work 
       in his vineyard.

       (Mat 20:2 NCV)  The man agreed to pay the workers one coin for working 
       that day. Then he sent them into the vineyard to work.

       (Mat 20:3 NCV)  About nine o'clock the man went to the marketplace and 
       saw some other people standing there, doing nothing.

       (Mat 20:4 NCV)  So he said to them, 'If you go and work in my 
       vineyard, I will pay you what your work is worth.'

       (Mat 20:5 NCV)  So they went to work in the vineyard. The man went out 
       again about twelve o'clock and three o'clock and did the same thing.

       (Mat 20:6 NCV)  About five o'clock the man went to the marketplace 
       again and saw others standing there. He asked them, 'Why did you stand 





       here all day doing nothing?'

       (Mat 20:7 NCV)  They answered, 'No one gave us a job.' The man said to 
       them, 'Then you can go and work in my vineyard.'

       (Mat 20:8 NCV)  "At the end of the day, the owner of the vineyard said 
       to the boss of all the workers, 'Call the workers and pay them. Start 
       with the last people I hired and end with those I hired first.'

       (Mat 20:9 NCV)  "When the workers who were hired at five o'clock came 
       to get their pay, each received one coin.

       (Mat 20:10 NCV)  When the workers who were hired first came to get 
       their pay, they thought they would be paid more than the others. But 
       each one of them also received one coin.

       (Mat 20:11 NCV)  When they got their coin, they complained to the man 
       who owned the land.

       (Mat 20:12 NCV)  They said, 'Those people were hired last and worked 
       only one hour. But you paid them the same as you paid us who worked 
       hard all day in the hot sun.'

       (Mat 20:13 NCV)  But the man who owned the vineyard said to one of 
       those workers, 'Friend, I am being fair to you. You agreed to work for 
       one coin.

       (Mat 20:14 NCV)  So take your pay and go. I want to give the man who 
       was hired last the same pay that I gave you.

       (Mat 20:15 NCV)  I can do what I want with my own money. Are you 
       jealous because I am good to those people?'

       (Mat 20:16 NCV)  "So those who have the last place now will have the 
       first place in the future, and those who have the first place now will 
       have the last place in the future."

       (Mat 20:17 NCV)  While Jesus was going to Jerusalem, he took his 
       twelve followers aside privately and said to them,

       (Mat 20:18 NCV)  "Look, we are going to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will 
       be turned over to the leading priests and the teachers of the law, and 
       they will say that he must die.

       (Mat 20:19 NCV)  They will give the Son of Man to the non-Jewish 
       people to laugh at him and beat him with whips and crucify him. But on 
       the third day, he will be raised to life again."

       (Mat 20:20 NCV)  Then the wife of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons. 
       She bowed before him and asked him to do something for her.

       (Mat 20:21 NCV)  Jesus asked, "What do you want?" She said, "Promise 
       that one of my sons will sit at your right side and the other will sit 
       at your left side in your kingdom."

       (Mat 20:22 NCV)  But Jesus said, "You don't understand what you are 





       asking. Can you drink the cup that I am about to drink?" The sons 
       answered, "Yes, we can."

       (Mat 20:23 NCV)  Jesus said to them, "You will drink from my cup. But 
       I cannot choose who will sit at my right or my left; those places 
       belong to those for whom my Father has prepared them."

       (Mat 20:24 NCV)  When the other ten followers heard this, they were 
       angry with the two brothers.

       (Mat 20:25 NCV)  Jesus called all the followers together and said, 
       "You know that the rulers of the non-Jewish people love to show their 
       power over the people. And their important leaders love to use all 
       their authority.

       (Mat 20:26 NCV)  But it should not be that way among you. Whoever 
       wants to become great among you must serve the rest of you like a 
       servant.

       (Mat 20:27 NCV)  Whoever wants to become first among you must serve 
       the rest of you like a slave.

       (Mat 20:28 NCV)  In the same way, the Son of Man did not come to be 
       served. He came to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for 
       many people."

       (Mat 20:29 NCV)  When Jesus and his followers were leaving Jericho, a 
       great many people followed him.

       (Mat 20:30 NCV)  Two blind men sitting by the road heard that Jesus 
       was going by, so they shouted, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"

       (Mat 20:31 NCV)  The people warned the blind men to be quiet, but they 
       shouted even more, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"

       (Mat 20:32 NCV)  Jesus stopped and said to the blind men, "What do you 
       want me to do for you?"

       (Mat 20:33 NCV)  They answered, "Lord, we want to see."

       (Mat 20:34 NCV)  Jesus felt sorry for the blind men and touched their 
       eyes, and at once they could see. Then they followed Jesus.

       (Mat 21:1 NCV)  As Jesus and his followers were coming closer to 
       Jerusalem, they stopped at Bethphage at the hill called the Mount of 
       Olives. From there Jesus sent two of his followers

       (Mat 21:2 NCV)  and said to them, "Go to the town you can see there. 
       When you enter it, you will quickly find a donkey tied there with its 
       colt. Untie them and bring them to me.

       (Mat 21:3 NCV)  If anyone asks you why you are taking the donkeys, say 
       that the Master needs them, and he will send them at once."

       (Mat 21:4 NCV)  This was to bring about what the prophet had said:





       (Mat 21:5 NCV)  "Tell the people of Jerusalem, 'Your king is coming to 
       you. He is gentle and riding on a donkey, on the colt of a donkey.'"

       (Mat 21:6 NCV)  The followers went and did what Jesus told them to do.

       (Mat 21:7 NCV)  They brought the donkey and the colt to Jesus and laid 
       their coats on them, and Jesus sat on them.

       (Mat 21:8 NCV)  Many people spread their coats on the road. Others cut 
       branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

       (Mat 21:9 NCV)  The people were walking ahead of Jesus and behind him, 
       shouting, "Praise to the Son of David! God bless the One who comes in 
       the name of the Lord! Praise to God in heaven!"

       (Mat 21:10 NCV)  When Jesus entered Jerusalem, all the city was filled 
       with excitement. The people asked, "Who is this man?"

       (Mat 21:11 NCV)  The crowd said, "This man is Jesus, the prophet from 
       the town of Nazareth in Galilee."

       (Mat 21:12 NCV)  Jesus went into the Temple and threw out all the 
       people who were buying and selling there. He turned over the tables of 
       those who were exchanging different kinds of money, and he upset the 
       benches of those who were selling doves.

       (Mat 21:13 NCV)  Jesus said to all the people there, "It is written in 
       the Scriptures, 'My Temple will be called a house for prayer.' But you 
       are changing it into a 'hideout for robbers.'"

       (Mat 21:14 NCV)  The blind and crippled people came to Jesus in the 
       Temple, and he healed them.

       (Mat 21:15 NCV)  The leading priests and the teachers of the law saw 
       that Jesus was doing wonderful things and that the children were 
       praising him in the Temple, saying, "Praise to the Son of David." All 
       these things made the priests and the teachers of the law very angry.

       (Mat 21:16 NCV)  They asked Jesus, "Do you hear the things these 
       children are saying?" Jesus answered, "Yes. Haven't you read in the 
       Scriptures, 'You have taught children and babies to sing praises'?"

       (Mat 21:17 NCV)  Then Jesus left and went out of the city to Bethany, 
       where he spent the night.

       (Mat 21:18 NCV)  Early the next morning, as Jesus was going back to 
       the city, he became hungry.

       (Mat 21:19 NCV)  Seeing a fig tree beside the road, Jesus went to it, 
       but there were no figs on the tree, only leaves. So Jesus said to the 
       tree, "You will never again have fruit." The tree immediately dried 
       up.

       (Mat 21:20 NCV)  When his followers saw this, they were amazed. They 
       asked, "How did the fig tree dry up so quickly?"





       (Mat 21:21 NCV)  Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, if you have 
       faith and do not doubt, you will be able to do what I did to this tree 
       and even more. You will be able to say to this mountain, 'Go, fall 
       into the sea.' And if you have faith, it will happen.

       (Mat 21:22 NCV)  If you believe, you will get anything you ask for in 
       prayer."

       (Mat 21:23 NCV)  Jesus went to the Temple, and while he was teaching 
       there, the leading priests and the older leaders of the people came to 
       him. They said, "What authority do you have to do these things? Who 
       gave you this authority?"

       (Mat 21:24 NCV)  Jesus answered, "I also will ask you a question. If 
       you answer me, then I will tell you what authority I have to do these 
       things.

       (Mat 21:25 NCV)  Tell me: When John baptized people, did that come 
       from God or just from other people?" They argued about Jesus' 
       question, saying, "If we answer, 'John's baptism was from God,' Jesus 
       will say, 'Then why didn't you believe him?'

       (Mat 21:26 NCV)  But if we say, 'It was from people,' we are afraid of 
       what the crowd will do because they all believe that John was a 
       prophet."

       (Mat 21:27 NCV)  So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Jesus said 
       to them, "Then I won't tell you what authority I have to do these 
       things.

       (Mat 21:28 NCV)  "Tell me what you think about this: A man had two 
       sons. He went to the first son and said, 'Son, go and work today in my 
       vineyard.'

       (Mat 21:29 NCV)  The son answered, 'I will not go.' But later the son 
       changed his mind and went.

       (Mat 21:30 NCV)  Then the father went to the other son and said, 'Son, 
       go and work today in my vineyard.' The son answered, 'Yes, sir, I will 
       go and work,' but he did not go.

       (Mat 21:31 NCV)  Which of the two sons obeyed his father?" The priests 
       and leaders answered, "The first son." Jesus said to them, "I tell you 
       the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes will enter the 
       kingdom of God before you do.

       (Mat 21:32 NCV)  John came to show you the right way to live. You did 
       not believe him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes believed him. 
       Even after seeing this, you still refused to change your ways and 
       believe him.

       (Mat 21:33 NCV)  "Listen to this story: There was a man who owned a 
       vineyard. He put a wall around it and dug a hole for a winepress and 
       built a tower. Then he leased the land to some farmers and left for a 
       trip.





       (Mat 21:34 NCV)  When it was time for the grapes to be picked, he sent 
       his servants to the farmers to get his share of the grapes.

       (Mat 21:35 NCV)  But the farmers grabbed the servants, beat one, 
       killed another, and then killed a third servant with stones.

       (Mat 21:36 NCV)  So the man sent some other servants to the farmers, 
       even more than he sent the first time. But the farmers did the same 
       thing to the servants that they had done before.

       (Mat 21:37 NCV)  So the man decided to send his son to the farmers. He 
       said, 'They will respect my son.'

       (Mat 21:38 NCV)  But when the farmers saw the son, they said to each 
       other, 'This son will inherit the vineyard. If we kill him, it will be 
       ours!'

       (Mat 21:39 NCV)  Then the farmers grabbed the son, threw him out of 
       the vineyard, and killed him.

       (Mat 21:40 NCV)  So what will the owner of the vineyard do to these 
       farmers when he comes?"

       (Mat 21:41 NCV)  The priests and leaders said, "He will surely kill 
       those evil men. Then he will lease the vineyard to some other farmers 
       who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time."

       (Mat 21:42 NCV)  Jesus said to them, "Surely you have read this in the 
       Scriptures: 'The stone that the builders rejected became the 
       cornerstone. The Lord did this, and it is wonderful to us.'

       (Mat 21:43 NCV)  "So I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken 
       away from you and given to people who do the things God wants in his 
       kingdom.

       (Mat 21:44 NCV)  The person who falls on this stone will be broken, 
       and on whomever that stone falls, that person will be crushed."

       (Mat 21:45 NCV)  When the leading priests and the Pharisees heard 
       these stories, they knew Jesus was talking about them.

       (Mat 21:46 NCV)  They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of 
       the people, because the people believed that Jesus was a prophet.

       (Mat 22:1 NCV)  Jesus again used stories to teach the people. He said,

       (Mat 22:2 NCV)  "The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a 
       wedding feast for his son.

       (Mat 22:3 NCV)  The king invited some people to the feast. When the 
       feast was ready, the king sent his servants to tell the people, but 
       they refused to come.

       (Mat 22:4 NCV)  "Then the king sent other servants, saying, 'Tell 
       those who have been invited that my feast is ready. I have killed my 
       best bulls and calves for the dinner, and everything is ready. Come to 





       the wedding feast.'

       (Mat 22:5 NCV)  "But the people refused to listen to the servants and 
       left to do other things. One went to work in his field, and another 
       went to his business.

       (Mat 22:6 NCV)  Some of the other people grabbed the servants, beat 
       them, and killed them.

       (Mat 22:7 NCV)  The king was furious and sent his army to kill the 
       murderers and burn their city.

       (Mat 22:8 NCV)  "After that, the king said to his servants, 'The 
       wedding feast is ready. I invited those people, but they were not 
       worthy to come.

       (Mat 22:9 NCV)  So go to the street corners and invite everyone you 
       find to come to my feast.'

       (Mat 22:10 NCV)  So the servants went into the streets and gathered 
       all the people they could find, both good and bad. And the wedding 
       hall was filled with guests.

       (Mat 22:11 NCV)  "When the king came in to see the guests, he saw a 
       man who was not dressed for a wedding.

       (Mat 22:12 NCV)  The king said, 'Friend, how were you allowed to come 
       in here? You are not dressed for a wedding.' But the man said nothing.

       (Mat 22:13 NCV)  So the king told some servants, 'Tie this man's hands 
       and feet. Throw him out into the darkness, where people will cry and 
       grind their teeth with pain.'

       (Mat 22:14 NCV)  "Yes, many people are invited, but only a few are 
       chosen."

       (Mat 22:15 NCV)  Then the Pharisees left that place and made plans to 
       trap Jesus in saying something wrong.

       (Mat 22:16 NCV)  They sent some of their own followers and some people 
       from the group called Herodians. They said, "Teacher, we know that you 
       are an honest man and that you teach the truth about God's way. You 
       are not afraid of what other people think about you, because you pay 
       no attention to who they are.

       (Mat 22:17 NCV)  So tell us what you think. Is it right to pay taxes 
       to Caesar or not?"

       (Mat 22:18 NCV)  But knowing that these leaders were trying to trick 
       him, Jesus said, "You hypocrites! Why are you trying to trap me?

       (Mat 22:19 NCV)  Show me a coin used for paying the tax." So the men 
       showed him a coin.

       (Mat 22:20 NCV)  Then Jesus asked, "Whose image and name are on the 
       coin?"






       (Mat 22:21 NCV)  The men answered, "Caesar's." Then Jesus said to 
       them, "Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and give to God 
       the things that are God's."

       (Mat 22:22 NCV)  When the men heard what Jesus said, they were amazed 
       and left him and went away.

       (Mat 22:23 NCV)  That same day some Sadducees came to Jesus and asked 
       him a question. (Sadducees believed that people would not rise from 
       the dead.)

       (Mat 22:24 NCV)  They said, "Teacher, Moses said if a married man dies 
       without having children, his brother must marry the widow and have 
       children for him.

       (Mat 22:25 NCV)  Once there were seven brothers among us. The first 
       one married and died. Since he had no children, his brother married 
       the widow.

       (Mat 22:26 NCV)  Then the second brother also died. The same thing 
       happened to the third brother and all the other brothers.

       (Mat 22:27 NCV)  Finally, the woman died.

       (Mat 22:28 NCV)  Since all seven men had married her, when people rise 
       from the dead, whose wife will she be?"

       (Mat 22:29 NCV)  Jesus answered, "You don't understand, because you 
       don't know what the Scriptures say, and you don't know about the power 
       of God.

       (Mat 22:30 NCV)  When people rise from the dead, they will not marry, 
       nor will they be given to someone to marry. They will be like the 
       angels in heaven.

       (Mat 22:31 NCV)  Surely you have read what God said to you about 
       rising from the dead.

       (Mat 22:32 NCV)  God said, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, 
       and the God of Jacob.' God is the God of the living, not the dead."

       (Mat 22:33 NCV)  When the people heard this, they were amazed at 
       Jesus' teaching.

       (Mat 22:34 NCV)  When the Pharisees learned that the Sadducees could 
       not argue with Jesus' answers to them, the Pharisees met together.

       (Mat 22:35 NCV)  One Pharisee, who was an expert on the law of Moses, 
       asked Jesus this question to test him:

       (Mat 22:36 NCV)  "Teacher, which command in the law is the most 
       important?"

       (Mat 22:37 NCV)  Jesus answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all 
       your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.'






       (Mat 22:38 NCV)  This is the first and most important command.

       (Mat 22:39 NCV)  And the second command is like the first: 'Love your 
       neighbor as you love yourself.'

       (Mat 22:40 NCV)  All the law and the writings of the prophets depend 
       on these two commands."

       (Mat 22:41 NCV)  While the Pharisees were together, Jesus asked them,

       (Mat 22:42 NCV)  "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is 
       he?" They answered, "The Christ is the Son of David."

       (Mat 22:43 NCV)  Then Jesus said to them, "Then why did David call him 
       'Lord'? David, speaking by the power of the Holy Spirit, said,

       (Mat 22:44 NCV)  'The Lord said to my Lord: Sit by me at my right 
       side, until I put your enemies under your control.'

       (Mat 22:45 NCV)  David calls the Christ 'Lord,' so how can the Christ 
       be his son?"

       (Mat 22:46 NCV)  None of the Pharisees could answer Jesus' question, 
       and after that day no one was brave enough to ask him any more 
       questions.

       (Mat 23:1 NCV)  Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his followers,

       (Mat 23:2 NCV)  "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees have the 
       authority to tell you what the law of Moses says.

       (Mat 23:3 NCV)  So you should obey and follow whatever they tell you, 
       but their lives are not good examples for you to follow. They tell you 
       to do things, but they themselves don't do them.

       (Mat 23:4 NCV)  They make strict rules and try to force people to obey 
       them, but they are unwilling to help those who struggle under the 
       weight of their rules.

       (Mat 23:5 NCV)  "They do good things so that other people will see 
       them. They make the boxes of Scriptures that they wear bigger, and 
       they make their special prayer clothes very long.

       (Mat 23:6 NCV)  Those Pharisees and teachers of the law love to have 
       the most important seats at feasts and in the synagogues.

       (Mat 23:7 NCV)  They love people to greet them with respect in the 
       marketplaces, and they love to have people call them 'Teacher.'

       (Mat 23:8 NCV)  "But you must not be called 'Teacher,' because you 
       have only one Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters together.

       (Mat 23:9 NCV)  And don't call any person on earth 'Father,' because 
       you have one Father, who is in heaven.





       (Mat 23:10 NCV)  And you should not be called 'Master,' because you 
       have only one Master, the Christ.

       (Mat 23:11 NCV)  Whoever is your servant is the greatest among you.

       (Mat 23:12 NCV)  Whoever makes himself great will be made humble. 
       Whoever makes himself humble will be made great.

       (Mat 23:13 NCV)  "How terrible for you, teachers of the law and 
       Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You close the door for people to enter 
       the kingdom of heaven. You yourselves don't enter, and you stop others 
       who are trying to enter.

       (Mat 23:14 NCV)  

       (Mat 23:15 NCV)  "How terrible for you, teachers of the law and 
       Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You travel across land and sea to find 
       one person who will change to your ways. When you find that person, 
       you make him more fit for hell than you are.

       (Mat 23:16 NCV)  "How terrible for you! You guide the people, but you 
       are blind. You say, 'If people swear by the Temple when they make a 
       promise, that means nothing. But if they swear by the gold that is in 
       the Temple, they must keep that promise.'

       (Mat 23:17 NCV)  You are blind fools! Which is greater: the gold or 
       the Temple that makes that gold holy?

       (Mat 23:18 NCV)  And you say, 'If people swear by the altar when they 
       make a promise, that means nothing. But if they swear by the gift on 
       the altar, they must keep that promise.'

       (Mat 23:19 NCV)  You are blind! Which is greater: the gift or the 
       altar that makes the gift holy?

       (Mat 23:20 NCV)  The person who swears by the altar is really using 
       the altar and also everything on the altar.

       (Mat 23:21 NCV)  And the person who swears by the Temple is really 
       using the Temple and also everything in the Temple.

       (Mat 23:22 NCV)  The person who swears by heaven is also using God's 
       throne and the One who sits on that throne.

       (Mat 23:23 NCV)  "How terrible for you, teachers of the law and 
       Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You give to God one-tenth of everything 
       you earn--even your mint, dill, and cumin. But you don't obey the 
       really important teachings of the law--justice, mercy, and being 
       loyal. These are the things you should do, as well as those other 
       things.

       (Mat 23:24 NCV)  You guide the people, but you are blind! You are like 
       a person who picks a fly out of a drink and then swallows a camel!

       (Mat 23:25 NCV)  "How terrible for you, teachers of the law and 
       Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You wash the outside of your cups and 





       dishes, but inside they are full of things you got by cheating others 
       and by pleasing only yourselves.

       (Mat 23:26 NCV)  Pharisees, you are blind! First make the inside of 
       the cup clean, and then the outside of the cup can be truly clean.

       (Mat 23:27 NCV)  "How terrible for you, teachers of the law and 
       Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You are like tombs that are painted 
       white. Outside, those tombs look fine, but inside, they are full of 
       the bones of dead people and all kinds of unclean things.

       (Mat 23:28 NCV)  It is the same with you. People look at you and think 
       you are good, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and evil.

       (Mat 23:29 NCV)  "How terrible for you, teachers of the law and 
       Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets, and 
       you show honor to the graves of those who lived good lives.

       (Mat 23:30 NCV)  You say, 'If we had lived during the time of our 
       ancestors, we would not have helped them kill the prophets.'

       (Mat 23:31 NCV)  But you give proof that you are children of those who 
       murdered the prophets.

       (Mat 23:32 NCV)  And you will complete the sin that your ancestors 
       started.

       (Mat 23:33 NCV)  "You are snakes! A family of poisonous snakes! How 
       are you going to escape God's judgment?

       (Mat 23:34 NCV)  So I tell you this: I am sending to you prophets and 
       wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify. Some of 
       them you will beat in your synagogues and chase from town to town.

       (Mat 23:35 NCV)  So you will be guilty for the death of all the good 
       people who have been killed on earth--from the murder of that good man 
       Abel to the murder of Zechariah son of Berakiah, whom you murdered 
       between the Temple and the altar.

       (Mat 23:36 NCV)  I tell you the truth, all of these things will happen 
       to you people who are living now.

       (Mat 23:37 NCV)  "Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and 
       stone to death those who are sent to you. Many times I wanted to 
       gather your people as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but 
       you did not let me.

       (Mat 23:38 NCV)  Now your house will be left completely empty.

       (Mat 23:39 NCV)  I tell you, you will not see me again until that time 
       when you will say, 'God bless the One who comes in the name of the 
       Lord.'"

       (Mat 24:1 NCV)  As Jesus left the Temple and was walking away, his 
       followers came up to show him the Temple's buildings.





       (Mat 24:2 NCV)  Jesus asked, "Do you see all these buildings? I tell 
       you the truth, not one stone will be left on another. Every stone will 
       be thrown down to the ground."

       (Mat 24:3 NCV)  Later, as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, 
       his followers came to be alone with him. They said, "Tell us, when 
       will these things happen? And what will be the sign that it is time 
       for you to come again and for this age to end?"

       (Mat 24:4 NCV)  Jesus answered, "Be careful that no one fools you.

       (Mat 24:5 NCV)  Many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' 
       and they will fool many people.

       (Mat 24:6 NCV)  You will hear about wars and stories of wars that are 
       coming, but don't be afraid. These things must happen before the end 
       comes.

       (Mat 24:7 NCV)  Nations will fight against other nations; kingdoms 
       will fight against other kingdoms. There will be times when there is 
       no food for people to eat, and there will be earthquakes in different 
       places.

       (Mat 24:8 NCV)  These things are like the first pains when something 
       new is about to be born.

       (Mat 24:9 NCV)  "Then people will arrest you, hand you over to be 
       hurt, and kill you. They will hate you because you believe in me.

       (Mat 24:10 NCV)  At that time, many will lose their faith, and they 
       will turn against each other and hate each other.

       (Mat 24:11 NCV)  Many false prophets will come and cause many people 
       to believe lies.

       (Mat 24:12 NCV)  There will be more and more evil in the world, so 
       most people will stop showing their love for each other.

       (Mat 24:13 NCV)  But those people who keep their faith until the end 
       will be saved.

       (Mat 24:14 NCV)  The Good News about God's kingdom will be preached in 
       all the world, to every nation. Then the end will come.

       (Mat 24:15 NCV)  "Daniel the prophet spoke about 'the destroying 
       terror.' You will see this standing in the holy place." (You who read 
       this should understand what it means.)

       (Mat 24:16 NCV)  "At that time, the people in Judea should run away to 
       the mountains.

       (Mat 24:17 NCV)  If people are on the roofs of their houses, they must 
       not go down to get anything out of their houses.

       (Mat 24:18 NCV)  If people are in the fields, they must not go back to 
       get their coats.






       (Mat 24:19 NCV)  At that time, how terrible it will be for women who 
       are pregnant or have nursing babies!

       (Mat 24:20 NCV)  Pray that it will not be winter or a Sabbath day when 
       these things happen and you have to run away,

       (Mat 24:21 NCV)  because at that time there will be much trouble. 
       There will be more trouble than there has ever been since the 
       beginning of the world until now, and nothing as bad will ever happen 
       again.

       (Mat 24:22 NCV)  God has decided to make that terrible time short. 
       Otherwise, no one would go on living. But God will make that time 
       short to help the people he has chosen.

       (Mat 24:23 NCV)  At that time, someone might say to you, 'Look, there 
       is the Christ!' Or another person might say, 'There he is!' But don't 
       believe them.

       (Mat 24:24 NCV)  False Christs and false prophets will come and 
       perform great wonders and miracles. They will try to fool even the 
       people God has chosen, if that is possible.

       (Mat 24:25 NCV)  Now I have warned you about this before it happens.

       (Mat 24:26 NCV)  "If people tell you, 'The Christ is in the desert,' 
       don't go there. If they say, 'The Christ is in the inner room,' don't 
       believe it.

       (Mat 24:27 NCV)  When the Son of Man comes, he will be seen by 
       everyone, like lightning flashing from the east to the west.

       (Mat 24:28 NCV)  Wherever the dead body is, there the vultures will 
       gather.

       (Mat 24:29 NCV)  "Soon after the trouble of those days, 'the sun will 
       grow dark, and the moon will not give its light. The stars will fall 
       from the sky. And the powers of the heavens will be shaken.'

       (Mat 24:30 NCV)  "At that time, the sign of the Son of Man will appear 
       in the sky. Then all the peoples of the world will cry. They will see 
       the Son of Man coming on clouds in the sky with great power and glory.

       (Mat 24:31 NCV)  He will use a loud trumpet to send his angels all 
       around the earth, and they will gather his chosen people from every 
       part of the world.

       (Mat 24:32 NCV)  "Learn a lesson from the fig tree: When its branches 
       become green and soft and new leaves appear, you know summer is near.

       (Mat 24:33 NCV)  In the same way, when you see all these things 
       happening, you will know that the time is near, ready to come.

       (Mat 24:34 NCV)  I tell you the truth, all these things will happen 
       while the people of this time are still living.






       (Mat 24:35 NCV)  Earth and sky will be destroyed, but the words I have 
       said will never be destroyed.

       (Mat 24:36 NCV)  "No one knows when that day or time will be, not the 
       angels in heaven, not even the Son. Only the Father knows.

       (Mat 24:37 NCV)  When the Son of Man comes, it will be like what 
       happened during Noah's time.

       (Mat 24:38 NCV)  In those days before the flood, people were eating 
       and drinking, marrying and giving their children to be married, until 
       the day Noah entered the boat.

       (Mat 24:39 NCV)  They knew nothing about what was happening until the 
       flood came and destroyed them. It will be the same when the Son of Man 
       comes.

       (Mat 24:40 NCV)  Two men will be in the field. One will be taken, and 
       the other will be left.

       (Mat 24:41 NCV)  Two women will be grinding grain with a mill. One 
       will be taken, and the other will be left.

       (Mat 24:42 NCV)  "So always be ready, because you don't know the day 
       your Lord will come.

       (Mat 24:43 NCV)  Remember this: If the owner of the house knew what 
       time of night a thief was coming, the owner would watch and not let 
       the thief break in.

       (Mat 24:44 NCV)  So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man 
       will come at a time you don't expect him.

       (Mat 24:45 NCV)  "Who is the wise and loyal servant that the master 
       trusts to give the other servants their food at the right time?

       (Mat 24:46 NCV)  When the master comes and finds the servant doing his 
       work, the servant will be blessed.

       (Mat 24:47 NCV)  I tell you the truth, the master will choose that 
       servant to take care of everything he owns.

       (Mat 24:48 NCV)  But suppose that evil servant thinks to himself, 'My 
       master will not come back soon,'

       (Mat 24:49 NCV)  and he begins to beat the other servants and eat and 
       get drunk with others like him?

       (Mat 24:50 NCV)  The master will come when that servant is not ready 
       and is not expecting him.

       (Mat 24:51 NCV)  Then the master will cut him in pieces and send him 
       away to be with the hypocrites, where people will cry and grind their 
       teeth with pain.





       (Mat 25:1 NCV)  "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten 
       bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to wait for the bridegroom.

       (Mat 25:2 NCV)  Five of them were foolish and five were wise.

       (Mat 25:3 NCV)  The five foolish bridesmaids took their lamps, but 
       they did not take more oil for the lamps to burn.

       (Mat 25:4 NCV)  The wise bridesmaids took their lamps and more oil in 
       jars.

       (Mat 25:5 NCV)  Because the bridegroom was late, they became sleepy 
       and went to sleep.

       (Mat 25:6 NCV)  "At midnight someone cried out, 'The bridegroom is 
       coming! Come and meet him!'

       (Mat 25:7 NCV)  Then all the bridesmaids woke up and got their lamps 
       ready.

       (Mat 25:8 NCV)  But the foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some 
       of your oil, because our lamps are going out.'

       (Mat 25:9 NCV)  The wise bridesmaids answered, 'No, the oil we have 
       might not be enough for all of us. Go to the people who sell oil and 
       buy some for yourselves.'

       (Mat 25:10 NCV)  "So while the five foolish bridesmaids went to buy 
       oil, the bridegroom came. The bridesmaids who were ready went in with 
       the bridegroom to the wedding feast. Then the door was closed and 
       locked.

       (Mat 25:11 NCV)  "Later the others came back and said, 'Sir, sir, open 
       the door to let us in.'

       (Mat 25:12 NCV)  But the bridegroom answered, 'I tell you the truth, I 
       don't want to know you.'

       (Mat 25:13 NCV)  "So always be ready, because you don't know the day 
       or the hour the Son of Man will come.

       (Mat 25:14 NCV)  "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who was going to 
       another place for a visit. Before he left, he called for his servants 
       and told them to take care of his things while he was gone.

       (Mat 25:15 NCV)  He gave one servant five bags of gold, another 
       servant two bags of gold, and a third servant one bag of gold, to each 
       one as much as he could handle. Then he left.

       (Mat 25:16 NCV)  The servant who got five bags went quickly to invest 
       the money and earned five more bags.

       (Mat 25:17 NCV)  In the same way, the servant who had two bags 
       invested them and earned two more.

       (Mat 25:18 NCV)  But the servant who got one bag went out and dug a 





       hole in the ground and hid the master's money.

       (Mat 25:19 NCV)  "After a long time the master came home and asked the 
       servants what they did with his money.

       (Mat 25:20 NCV)  The servant who was given five bags of gold brought 
       five more bags to the master and said, 'Master, you trusted me to care 
       for five bags of gold, so I used your five bags to earn five more.'

       (Mat 25:21 NCV)  The master answered, 'You did well. You are a good 
       and loyal servant. Because you were loyal with small things, I will 
       let you care for much greater things. Come and share my joy with me.'

       (Mat 25:22 NCV)  "Then the servant who had been given two bags of gold 
       came to the master and said, 'Master, you gave me two bags of gold to 
       care for, so I used your two bags to earn two more.'

       (Mat 25:23 NCV)  The master answered, 'You did well. You are a good 
       and loyal servant. Because you were loyal with small things, I will 
       let you care for much greater things. Come and share my joy with me.'

       (Mat 25:24 NCV)  "Then the servant who had been given one bag of gold 
       came to the master and said, 'Master, I knew that you were a hard man. 
       You harvest things you did not plant. You gather crops where you did 
       not sow any seed.

       (Mat 25:25 NCV)  So I was afraid and went and hid your money in the 
       ground. Here is your bag of gold.'

       (Mat 25:26 NCV)  The master answered, 'You are a wicked and lazy 
       servant! You say you knew that I harvest things I did not plant and 
       that I gather crops where I did not sow any seed.

       (Mat 25:27 NCV)  So you should have put my gold in the bank. Then, 
       when I came home, I would have received my gold back with interest.'

       (Mat 25:28 NCV)  "So the master told his other servants, 'Take the bag 
       of gold from that servant and give it to the servant who has ten bags 
       of gold.

       (Mat 25:29 NCV)  Those who have much will get more, and they will have 
       much more than they need. But those who do not have much will have 
       everything taken away from them.'

       (Mat 25:30 NCV)  Then the master said, 'Throw that useless servant 
       outside, into the darkness where people will cry and grind their teeth 
       with pain.'

       (Mat 25:31 NCV)  "The Son of Man will come again in his great glory, 
       with all his angels. He will be King and sit on his great throne.

       (Mat 25:32 NCV)  All the nations of the world will be gathered before 
       him, and he will separate them into two groups as a shepherd separates 
       the sheep from the goats.

       (Mat 25:33 NCV)  The Son of Man will put the sheep on his right and 





       the goats on his left.

       (Mat 25:34 NCV)  "Then the King will say to the people on his right, 
       'Come, my Father has given you his blessing. Receive the kingdom God 
       has prepared for you since the world was made.

       (Mat 25:35 NCV)  I was hungry, and you gave me food. I was thirsty, 
       and you gave me something to drink. I was alone and away from home, 
       and you invited me into your house.

       (Mat 25:36 NCV)  I was without clothes, and you gave me something to 
       wear. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you 
       visited me.'

       (Mat 25:37 NCV)  "Then the good people will answer, 'Lord, when did we 
       see you hungry and give you food, or thirsty and give you something to 
       drink?

       (Mat 25:38 NCV)  When did we see you alone and away from home and 
       invite you into our house? When did we see you without clothes and 
       give you something to wear?

       (Mat 25:39 NCV)  When did we see you sick or in prison and care for 
       you?'

       (Mat 25:40 NCV)  "Then the King will answer, 'I tell you the truth, 
       anything you did for even the least of my people here, you also did 
       for me.'

       (Mat 25:41 NCV)  "Then the King will say to those on his left, 'Go 
       away from me. You will be punished. Go into the fire that burns 
       forever that was prepared for the devil and his angels.

       (Mat 25:42 NCV)  I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat. I was 
       thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink.

       (Mat 25:43 NCV)  I was alone and away from home, and you did not 
       invite me into your house. I was without clothes, and you gave me 
       nothing to wear. I was sick and in prison, and you did not care for 
       me.'

       (Mat 25:44 NCV)  "Then those people will answer, 'Lord, when did we 
       see you hungry or thirsty or alone and away from home or without 
       clothes or sick or in prison? When did we see these things and not 
       help you?'

       (Mat 25:45 NCV)  "Then the King will answer, 'I tell you the truth, 
       anything you refused to do for even the least of my people here, you 
       refused to do for me.'

       (Mat 25:46 NCV)  "These people will go off to be punished forever, but 
       the good people will go to live forever."

       (Mat 26:1 NCV)  After Jesus finished saying all these things, he told 
       his followers,





       (Mat 26:2 NCV)  "You know that the day after tomorrow is the day of 
       the Passover Feast. On that day the Son of Man will be given to his 
       enemies to be crucified."

       (Mat 26:3 NCV)  Then the leading priests and the older Jewish leaders 
       had a meeting at the palace of the high priest, named Caiaphas.

       (Mat 26:4 NCV)  At the meeting, they planned to set a trap to arrest 
       Jesus and kill him.

       (Mat 26:5 NCV)  But they said, "We must not do it during the feast, 
       because the people might cause a riot."

       (Mat 26:6 NCV)  Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon, who had a 
       skin disease.

       (Mat 26:7 NCV)  While Jesus was there, a woman approached him with an 
       alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. She poured this perfume 
       on Jesus' head while he was eating.

       (Mat 26:8 NCV)  His followers were upset when they saw the woman do 
       this. They asked, "Why waste that perfume?

       (Mat 26:9 NCV)  It could have been sold for a great deal of money and 
       the money given to the poor."

       (Mat 26:10 NCV)  Knowing what had happened, Jesus said, "Why are you 
       troubling this woman? She did an excellent thing for me.

       (Mat 26:11 NCV)  You will always have the poor with you, but you will 
       not always have me.

       (Mat 26:12 NCV)  This woman poured perfume on my body to prepare me 
       for burial.

       (Mat 26:13 NCV)  I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is 
       preached in all the world, what this woman has done will be told, and 
       people will remember her."

       (Mat 26:14 NCV)  Then one of the twelve apostles, Judas Iscariot, went 
       to talk to the leading priests.

       (Mat 26:15 NCV)  He said, "What will you pay me for giving Jesus to 
       you?" And they gave him thirty silver coins.

       (Mat 26:16 NCV)  After that, Judas watched for the best time to turn 
       Jesus in.

       (Mat 26:17 NCV)  On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, 
       the followers came to Jesus. They said, "Where do you want us to 
       prepare for you to eat the Passover meal?"

       (Mat 26:18 NCV)  Jesus answered, "Go into the city to a certain man 
       and tell him, 'The Teacher says: The chosen time is near. I will have 
       the Passover with my followers at your house.'"





       (Mat 26:19 NCV)  The followers did what Jesus told them to do, and 
       they prepared the Passover meal.

       (Mat 26:20 NCV)  In the evening Jesus was sitting at the table with 
       his twelve followers.

       (Mat 26:21 NCV)  As they were eating, Jesus said, "I tell you the 
       truth, one of you will turn against me."

       (Mat 26:22 NCV)  This made the followers very sad. Each one began to 
       say to Jesus, "Surely, Lord, I am not the one who will turn against 
       you, am I?"

       (Mat 26:23 NCV)  Jesus answered, "The man who has dipped his hand with 
       me into the bowl is the one who will turn against me.

       (Mat 26:24 NCV)  The Son of Man will die, just as the Scriptures say. 
       But how terrible it will be for the person who hands the Son of Man 
       over to be killed. It would be better for him if he had never been 
       born."

       (Mat 26:25 NCV)  Then Judas, who would give Jesus to his enemies, said 
       to Jesus, "Teacher, surely I am not the one, am I?" Jesus answered, 
       "Yes, it is you."

       (Mat 26:26 NCV)  While they were eating, Jesus took some bread and 
       thanked God for it and broke it. Then he gave it to his followers and 
       said, "Take this bread and eat it; this is my body."

       (Mat 26:27 NCV)  Then Jesus took a cup and thanked God for it and gave 
       it to the followers. He said, "Every one of you drink this.

       (Mat 26:28 NCV)  This is my blood which is the new agreement that God 
       makes with his people. This blood is poured out for many to forgive 
       their sins.

       (Mat 26:29 NCV)  I tell you this: I will not drink of this fruit of 
       the vine again until that day when I drink it new with you in my 
       Father's kingdom."

       (Mat 26:30 NCV)  After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of 
       Olives.

       (Mat 26:31 NCV)  Jesus told his followers, "Tonight you will all 
       stumble in your faith on account of me, because it is written in the 
       Scriptures: 'I will kill the shepherd, and the sheep will scatter.'

       (Mat 26:32 NCV)  But after I rise from the dead, I will go ahead of 
       you into Galilee."

       (Mat 26:33 NCV)  Peter said, "Everyone else may stumble in their faith 
       because of you, but I will not."

       (Mat 26:34 NCV)  Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, tonight before the 
       rooster crows you will say three times that you don't know me."





       (Mat 26:35 NCV)  But Peter said, "I will never say that I don't know 
       you! I will even die with you!" And all the other followers said the 
       same thing.

       (Mat 26:36 NCV)  Then Jesus went with his followers to a place called 
       Gethsemane. He said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and 
       pray."

       (Mat 26:37 NCV)  He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with him, 
       and he began to be very sad and troubled.

       (Mat 26:38 NCV)  He said to them, "My heart is full of sorrow, to the 
       point of death. Stay here and watch with me."

       (Mat 26:39 NCV)  After walking a little farther away from them, Jesus 
       fell to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, do not 
       give me this cup of suffering. But do what you want, not what I want."

       (Mat 26:40 NCV)  Then Jesus went back to his followers and found them 
       asleep. He said to Peter, "You men could not stay awake with me for 
       one hour?

       (Mat 26:41 NCV)  Stay awake and pray for strength against temptation. 
       The spirit wants to do what is right, but the body is weak."

       (Mat 26:42 NCV)  Then Jesus went away a second time and prayed, "My 
       Father, if it is not possible for this painful thing to be taken from 
       me, and if I must do it, I pray that what you want will be done."

       (Mat 26:43 NCV)  Then he went back to his followers, and again he 
       found them asleep, because their eyes were heavy.

       (Mat 26:44 NCV)  So Jesus left them and went away and prayed a third 
       time, saying the same thing.

       (Mat 26:45 NCV)  Then Jesus went back to his followers and said, "Are 
       you still sleeping and resting? The time has come for the Son of Man 
       to be handed over to sinful people.

       (Mat 26:46 NCV)  Get up, we must go. Look, here comes the man who has 
       turned against me."

       (Mat 26:47 NCV)  While Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the 
       twelve apostles, came up. With him were many people carrying swords 
       and clubs who had been sent from the leading priests and the older 
       Jewish leaders of the people.

       (Mat 26:48 NCV)  Judas had planned to give them a signal, saying, "The 
       man I kiss is Jesus. Arrest him."

       (Mat 26:49 NCV)  At once Judas went to Jesus and said, "Greetings, 
       Teacher!" and kissed him.

       (Mat 26:50 NCV)  Jesus answered, "Friend, do what you came to do." 
       Then the people came and grabbed Jesus and arrested him.





       (Mat 26:51 NCV)  When that happened, one of Jesus' followers reached 
       for his sword and pulled it out. He struck the servant of the high 
       priest and cut off his ear.

       (Mat 26:52 NCV)  Jesus said to the man, "Put your sword back in its 
       place. All who use swords will be killed with swords.

       (Mat 26:53 NCV)  Surely you know I could ask my Father, and he would 
       give me more than twelve armies of angels.

       (Mat 26:54 NCV)  But it must happen this way to bring about what the 
       Scriptures say."

       (Mat 26:55 NCV)  Then Jesus said to the crowd, "You came to get me 
       with swords and clubs as if I were a criminal. Every day I sat in the 
       Temple teaching, and you did not arrest me there.

       (Mat 26:56 NCV)  But all these things have happened so that it will 
       come about as the prophets wrote." Then all of Jesus' followers left 
       him and ran away.

       (Mat 26:57 NCV)  Those people who arrested Jesus led him to the house 
       of Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the 
       older Jewish leaders were gathered.

       (Mat 26:58 NCV)  Peter followed far behind to the courtyard of the 
       high priest's house, and he sat down with the guards to see what would 
       happen to Jesus.

       (Mat 26:59 NCV)  The leading priests and the whole Jewish council 
       tried to find something false against Jesus so they could kill him.

       (Mat 26:60 NCV)  Many people came and told lies about him, but the 
       council could find no real reason to kill him. Then two people came 
       and said,

       (Mat 26:61 NCV)  "This man said, 'I can destroy the Temple of God and 
       build it again in three days.'"

       (Mat 26:62 NCV)  Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, 
       "Aren't you going to answer? Don't you have something to say about 
       their charges against you?"

       (Mat 26:63 NCV)  But Jesus said nothing. Again the high priest said to 
       Jesus, "I command you by the power of the living God: Tell us if you 
       are the Christ, the Son of God."

       (Mat 26:64 NCV)  Jesus answered, "Those are your words. But I tell 
       you, in the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right 
       hand of God, the Powerful One, and coming on clouds in the sky."

       (Mat 26:65 NCV)  When the high priest heard this, he tore his clothes 
       and said, "This man has said things that are against God! We don't 
       need any more witnesses; you all heard him say these things against 
       God.





       (Mat 26:66 NCV)  What do you think?" The people answered, "He should 
       die."

       (Mat 26:67 NCV)  Then the people there spat in Jesus' face and beat 
       him with their fists. Others slapped him.

       (Mat 26:68 NCV)  They said, "Prove to us that you are a prophet, you 
       Christ! Tell us who hit you!"

       (Mat 26:69 NCV)  At that time, as Peter was sitting in the courtyard, 
       a servant girl came to him and said, "You also were with Jesus of 
       Galilee."

       (Mat 26:70 NCV)  But Peter said to all the people there that he was 
       never with Jesus. He said, "I don't know what you are talking about."

       (Mat 26:71 NCV)  When he left the courtyard and was at the gate, 
       another girl saw him. She said to the people there, "This man was with 
       Jesus of Nazareth."

       (Mat 26:72 NCV)  Again, Peter said he was never with him, saying, "I 
       swear I don't know this man Jesus!"

       (Mat 26:73 NCV)  A short time later, some people standing there went 
       to Peter and said, "Surely you are one of those who followed Jesus. 
       The way you talk shows it."

       (Mat 26:74 NCV)  Then Peter began to place a curse on himself and 
       swear, "I don't know the man." At once, a rooster crowed.

       (Mat 26:75 NCV)  And Peter remembered what Jesus had told him: "Before 
       the rooster crows, you will say three times that you don't know me." 
       Then Peter went outside and cried painfully.

       (Mat 27:1 NCV)  Early the next morning, all the leading priests and 
       older leaders of the people decided that Jesus should die.

       (Mat 27:2 NCV)  They tied him, led him away, and turned him over to 
       Pilate, the governor.

       (Mat 27:3 NCV)  Judas, the one who had given Jesus to his enemies, saw 
       that they had decided to kill Jesus. Then he was very sorry for what 
       he had done. So he took the thirty silver coins back to the priests 
       and the leaders,

       (Mat 27:4 NCV)  saying, "I sinned; I handed over to you an innocent 
       man." The leaders answered, "What is that to us? That's your problem, 
       not ours."

       (Mat 27:5 NCV)  So Judas threw the money into the Temple. Then he went 
       off and hanged himself.

       (Mat 27:6 NCV)  The leading priests picked up the silver coins in the 
       Temple and said, "Our law does not allow us to keep this money with 
       the Temple money, because it has paid for a man's death."





       (Mat 27:7 NCV)  So they decided to use the coins to buy Potter's Field 
       as a place to bury strangers who died in Jerusalem.

       (Mat 27:8 NCV)  That is why that field is still called the Field of 
       Blood.

       (Mat 27:9 NCV)  So what Jeremiah the prophet had said came true: "They 
       took thirty silver coins. That is how little the Israelites thought he 
       was worth.

       (Mat 27:10 NCV)  They used those thirty silver coins to buy the 
       potter's field, as the Lord commanded me."

       (Mat 27:11 NCV)  Jesus stood before Pilate the governor, and Pilate 
       asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "Those are 
       your words."

       (Mat 27:12 NCV)  When the leading priests and the older leaders 
       accused Jesus, he said nothing.

       (Mat 27:13 NCV)  So Pilate said to Jesus, "Don't you hear them 
       accusing you of all these things?"

       (Mat 27:14 NCV)  But Jesus said nothing in answer to Pilate, and 
       Pilate was very surprised at this.

       (Mat 27:15 NCV)  Every year at the time of Passover the governor would 
       free one prisoner whom the people chose.

       (Mat 27:16 NCV)  At that time there was a man in prison, named 
       Barabbas, who was known to be very bad.

       (Mat 27:17 NCV)  When the people gathered at Pilate's house, Pilate 
       said, "Whom do you want me to set free: Barabbas or Jesus who is 
       called the Christ?"

       (Mat 27:18 NCV)  Pilate knew that the people turned Jesus in to him 
       because they were jealous.

       (Mat 27:19 NCV)  While Pilate was sitting there on the judge's seat, 
       his wife sent this message to him: "Don't do anything to that man, 
       because he is innocent. Today I had a dream about him, and it troubled 
       me very much."

       (Mat 27:20 NCV)  But the leading priests and older leaders convinced 
       the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be freed and for Jesus to be killed.

       (Mat 27:21 NCV)  Pilate said, "I have Barabbas and Jesus. Which do you 
       want me to set free for you?" The people answered, "Barabbas."

       (Mat 27:22 NCV)  Pilate asked, "So what should I do with Jesus, the 
       one called the Christ?" They all answered, "Crucify him!"

       (Mat 27:23 NCV)  Pilate asked, "Why? What wrong has he done?" But they 
       shouted louder, "Crucify him!"





       (Mat 27:24 NCV)  When Pilate saw that he could do nothing about this 
       and that a riot was starting, he took some water and washed his hands 
       in front of the crowd. Then he said, "I am not guilty of this man's 
       death. You are the ones who are causing it!"

       (Mat 27:25 NCV)  All the people answered, "We and our children will be 
       responsible for his death."

       (Mat 27:26 NCV)  Then he set Barabbas free. But Jesus was beaten with 
       whips and handed over to the soldiers to be crucified.

       (Mat 27:27 NCV)  The governor's soldiers took Jesus into the 
       governor's palace, and they all gathered around him.

       (Mat 27:28 NCV)  They took off his clothes and put a red robe on him.

       (Mat 27:29 NCV)  Using thorny branches, they made a crown, put it on 
       his head, and put a stick in his right hand. Then the soldiers bowed 
       before Jesus and made fun of him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"

       (Mat 27:30 NCV)  They spat on Jesus. Then they took his stick and 
       began to beat him on the head.

       (Mat 27:31 NCV)  After they finished, the soldiers took off the robe 
       and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be 
       crucified.

       (Mat 27:32 NCV)  As the soldiers were going out of the city with 
       Jesus, they forced a man from Cyrene, named Simon, to carry the cross 
       for Jesus.

       (Mat 27:33 NCV)  They all came to the place called Golgotha, which 
       means the Place of the Skull.

       (Mat 27:34 NCV)  The soldiers gave Jesus wine mixed with gall to 
       drink. He tasted the wine but refused to drink it.

       (Mat 27:35 NCV)  When the soldiers had crucified him, they threw lots 
       to decide who would get his clothes.

       (Mat 27:36 NCV)  The soldiers sat there and continued watching him.

       (Mat 27:37 NCV)  They put a sign above Jesus' head with a charge 
       against him. It said: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

       (Mat 27:38 NCV)  Two robbers were crucified beside Jesus, one on the 
       right and the other on the left.

       (Mat 27:39 NCV)  People walked by and insulted Jesus and shook their 
       heads,

       (Mat 27:40 NCV)  saying, "You said you could destroy the Temple and 
       build it again in three days. So save yourself! Come down from that 
       cross if you are really the Son of God!"

       (Mat 27:41 NCV)  The leading priests, the teachers of the law, and the 





       older Jewish leaders were also making fun of Jesus.

       (Mat 27:42 NCV)  They said, "He saved others, but he can't save 
       himself! He says he is the king of Israel! If he is the king, let him 
       come down now from the cross. Then we will believe in him.

       (Mat 27:43 NCV)  He trusts in God, so let God save him now, if God 
       really wants him. He himself said, 'I am the Son of God.'"

       (Mat 27:44 NCV)  And in the same way, the robbers who were being 
       crucified beside Jesus also insulted him.

       (Mat 27:45 NCV)  At noon the whole country became dark, and the 
       darkness lasted for three hours.

       (Mat 27:46 NCV)  About three o'clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 
       "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" This means, "My God, my God, why have 
       you rejected me?"

       (Mat 27:47 NCV)  Some of the people standing there who heard this 
       said, "He is calling Elijah."

       (Mat 27:48 NCV)  Quickly one of them ran and got a sponge and filled 
       it with vinegar and tied it to a stick and gave it to Jesus to drink.

       (Mat 27:49 NCV)  But the others said, "Don't bother him. We want to 
       see if Elijah will come to save him."

       (Mat 27:50 NCV)  But Jesus cried out again in a loud voice and died.

       (Mat 27:51 NCV)  Then the curtain in the Temple was torn into two 
       pieces, from the top to the bottom. Also, the earth shook and rocks 
       broke apart.

       (Mat 27:52 NCV)  The graves opened, and many of God's people who had 
       died were raised from the dead.

       (Mat 27:53 NCV)  They came out of the graves after Jesus was raised 
       from the dead and went into the holy city, where they appeared to many 
       people.

       (Mat 27:54 NCV)  When the army officer and the soldiers guarding Jesus 
       saw this earthquake and everything else that happened, they were very 
       frightened and said, "He really was the Son of God!"

       (Mat 27:55 NCV)  Many women who had followed Jesus from Galilee to 
       help him were standing at a distance from the cross, watching.

       (Mat 27:56 NCV)  Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and 
       Joseph, and the mother of James and John were there.

       (Mat 27:57 NCV)  That evening a rich man named Joseph, a follower of 
       Jesus from the town of Arimathea, came to Jerusalem.

       (Mat 27:58 NCV)  Joseph went to Pilate and asked to have Jesus' body. 
       So Pilate gave orders for the soldiers to give it to Joseph.






       (Mat 27:59 NCV)  Then Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean 
       linen cloth.

       (Mat 27:60 NCV)  He put Jesus' body in a new tomb that he had cut out 
       of a wall of rock, and he rolled a very large stone to block the 
       entrance of the tomb. Then Joseph went away.

       (Mat 27:61 NCV)  Mary Magdalene and the other woman named Mary were 
       sitting near the tomb.

       (Mat 27:62 NCV)  The next day, the day after Preparation Day, the 
       leading priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate.

       (Mat 27:63 NCV)  They said, "Sir, we remember that while that liar was 
       still alive he said, 'After three days I will rise from the dead.'

       (Mat 27:64 NCV)  So give the order for the tomb to be guarded closely 
       till the third day. Otherwise, his followers might come and steal the 
       body and tell people that he has risen from the dead. That lie would 
       be even worse than the first one."

       (Mat 27:65 NCV)  Pilate said, "Take some soldiers and go guard the 
       tomb the best way you know."

       (Mat 27:66 NCV)  So they all went to the tomb and made it safe from 
       thieves by sealing the stone in the entrance and putting soldiers 
       there to guard it.

       (Mat 28:1 NCV)  The day after the Sabbath day was the first day of the 
       week. At dawn on the first day, Mary Magdalene and another woman named 
       Mary went to look at the tomb.

       (Mat 28:2 NCV)  At that time there was a strong earthquake. An angel 
       of the Lord came down from heaven, went to the tomb, and rolled the 
       stone away from the entrance. Then he sat on the stone.

       (Mat 28:3 NCV)  He was shining as bright as lightning, and his clothes 
       were white as snow.

       (Mat 28:4 NCV)  The soldiers guarding the tomb shook with fear because 
       of the angel, and they became like dead men.

       (Mat 28:5 NCV)  The angel said to the women, "Don't be afraid. I know 
       that you are looking for Jesus, who has been crucified.

       (Mat 28:6 NCV)  He is not here. He has risen from the dead as he said 
       he would. Come and see the place where his body was.

       (Mat 28:7 NCV)  And go quickly and tell his followers, 'Jesus has 
       risen from the dead. He is going into Galilee ahead of you, and you 
       will see him there.'" Then the angel said, "Now I have told you."

       (Mat 28:8 NCV)  The women left the tomb quickly. They were afraid, but 
       they were also very happy. They ran to tell Jesus' followers what had 
       happened.






       (Mat 28:9 NCV)  Suddenly, Jesus met them and said, "Greetings." The 
       women came up to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him.

       (Mat 28:10 NCV)  Then Jesus said to them, "Don't be afraid. Go and 
       tell my followers to go on to Galilee, and they will see me there."

       (Mat 28:11 NCV)  While the women went to tell Jesus' followers, some 
       of the soldiers who had been guarding the tomb went into the city to 
       tell the leading priests everything that had happened.

       (Mat 28:12 NCV)  Then the priests met with the older Jewish leaders 
       and made a plan. They paid the soldiers a large amount of money

       (Mat 28:13 NCV)  and said to them, "Tell the people that Jesus' 
       followers came during the night and stole the body while you were 
       asleep.

       (Mat 28:14 NCV)  If the governor hears about this, we will satisfy him 
       and save you from trouble."

       (Mat 28:15 NCV)  So the soldiers kept the money and did as they were 
       told. And that story is still spread among the Jewish people even 
       today.

       (Mat 28:16 NCV)  The eleven followers went to Galilee to the mountain 
       where Jesus had told them to go.

       (Mat 28:17 NCV)  On the mountain they saw Jesus and worshiped him, but 
       some of them did not believe it was really Jesus.

       (Mat 28:18 NCV)  Then Jesus came to them and said, "All power in 
       heaven and on earth is given to me.

       (Mat 28:19 NCV)  So go and make followers of all people in the world. 
       Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy 
       Spirit.

       (Mat 28:20 NCV)  Teach them to obey everything that I have taught you, 
       and I will be with you always, even until the end of this age."

       (Mark 1:1 NCV)  This is the beginning of the Good News about Jesus 
       Christ, the Son of God,

       (Mark 1:2 NCV)  as the prophet Isaiah wrote: "I will send my messenger 
       ahead of you, who will prepare your way."

       (Mark 1:3 NCV)  "This is a voice of one who calls out in the desert: 
       'Prepare the way for the Lord. Make the road straight for him.'"

       (Mark 1:4 NCV)  John was baptizing people in the desert and preaching 
       a baptism of changed hearts and lives for the forgiveness of sins.

       (Mark 1:5 NCV)  All the people from Judea and Jerusalem were going out 
       to him. They confessed their sins and were baptized by him in the 
       Jordan River.






       (Mark 1:6 NCV)  John wore clothes made from camel's hair, had a 
       leather belt around his waist, and ate locusts and wild honey.

       (Mark 1:7 NCV)  This is what John preached to the people: "There is 
       one coming after me who is greater than I; I am not good enough even 
       to kneel down and untie his sandals.

       (Mark 1:8 NCV)  I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with 
       the Holy Spirit."

       (Mark 1:9 NCV)  At that time Jesus came from the town of Nazareth in 
       Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan River.

       (Mark 1:10 NCV)  Immediately, as Jesus was coming up out of the water, 
       he saw heaven open. The Holy Spirit came down on him like a dove,

       (Mark 1:11 NCV)  and a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I 
       love, and I am very pleased with you."

       (Mark 1:12 NCV)  Then the Spirit sent Jesus into the desert.

       (Mark 1:13 NCV)  He was in the desert forty days and was tempted by 
       Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels came and took care 
       of him.

       (Mark 1:14 NCV)  After John was put in prison, Jesus went into 
       Galilee, preaching the Good News from God.

       (Mark 1:15 NCV)  He said, "The right time has come. The kingdom of God 
       is near. Change your hearts and lives and believe the Good News!"

       (Mark 1:16 NCV)  When Jesus was walking by Lake Galilee, he saw Simon 
       and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the lake because they were 
       fishermen.

       (Mark 1:17 NCV)  Jesus said to them, "Come follow me, and I will make 
       you fish for people."

       (Mark 1:18 NCV)  So Simon and Andrew immediately left their nets and 
       followed him.

       (Mark 1:19 NCV)  Going a little farther, Jesus saw two more brothers, 
       James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in a boat, mending 
       their nets.

       (Mark 1:20 NCV)  Jesus immediately called them, and they left their 
       father in the boat with the hired workers and followed Jesus.

       (Mark 1:21 NCV)  Jesus and his followers went to Capernaum. On the 
       Sabbath day He went to the synagogue and began to teach.

       (Mark 1:22 NCV)  The people were amazed at his teaching, because he 
       taught like a person who had authority, not like their teachers of the 
       law.





       (Mark 1:23 NCV)  Just then, a man was there in the synagogue who had 
       an evil spirit in him. He shouted,

       (Mark 1:24 NCV)  "Jesus of Nazareth! What do you want with us? Did you 
       come to destroy us? I know who you are--God's Holy One!"

       (Mark 1:25 NCV)  Jesus commanded the evil spirit, "Be quiet! Come out 
       of the man!"

       (Mark 1:26 NCV)  The evil spirit shook the man violently, gave a loud 
       cry, and then came out of him.

       (Mark 1:27 NCV)  The people were so amazed they asked each other, 
       "What is happening here? This man is teaching something new, and with 
       authority. He even gives commands to evil spirits, and they obey him."

       (Mark 1:28 NCV)  And the news about Jesus spread quickly everywhere in 
       the area of Galilee.

       (Mark 1:29 NCV)  As soon as Jesus and his followers left the 
       synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and 
       Andrew.

       (Mark 1:30 NCV)  Simon's mother-in-law was sick in bed with a fever, 
       and the people told Jesus about her.

       (Mark 1:31 NCV)  So Jesus went to her bed, took her hand, and helped 
       her up. The fever left her, and she began serving them.

       (Mark 1:32 NCV)  That evening, after the sun went down, the people 
       brought to Jesus all who were sick and had demons in them.

       (Mark 1:33 NCV)  The whole town gathered at the door.

       (Mark 1:34 NCV)  Jesus healed many who had different kinds of 
       sicknesses, and he forced many demons to leave people. But he would 
       not allow the demons to speak, because they knew who he was.

       (Mark 1:35 NCV)  Early the next morning, while it was still dark, 
       Jesus woke and left the house. He went to a lonely place, where he 
       prayed.

       (Mark 1:36 NCV)  Simon and his friends went to look for Jesus.

       (Mark 1:37 NCV)  When they found him, they said, "Everyone is looking 
       for you!"

       (Mark 1:38 NCV)  Jesus answered, "We should go to other towns around 
       here so I can preach there too. That is the reason I came."

       (Mark 1:39 NCV)  So he went everywhere in Galilee, preaching in the 
       synagogues and forcing out demons.

       (Mark 1:40 NCV)  A man with a skin disease came to Jesus. He fell to 
       his knees and begged Jesus, "You can heal me if you will."





       (Mark 1:41 NCV)  Jesus felt sorry for the man, so he reached out his 
       hand and touched him and said, "I will. Be healed!"

       (Mark 1:42 NCV)  Immediately the disease left the man, and he was 
       healed.

       (Mark 1:43 NCV)  Jesus told the man to go away at once, but he warned 
       him strongly,

       (Mark 1:44 NCV)  "Don't tell anyone about this. But go and show 
       yourself to the priest. And offer the gift Moses commanded for people 
       who are made well. This will show the people what I have done."

       (Mark 1:45 NCV)  The man left there, but he began to tell everyone 
       that Jesus had healed him, and so he spread the news about Jesus. As a 
       result, Jesus could not enter a town if people saw him. He stayed in 
       places where nobody lived, but people came to him from everywhere.

       (Mark 2:1 NCV)  A few days later, when Jesus came back to Capernaum, 
       the news spread that he was at home.

       (Mark 2:2 NCV)  Many people gathered together so that there was no 
       room in the house, not even outside the door. And Jesus was teaching 
       them God's message.

       (Mark 2:3 NCV)  Four people came, carrying a paralyzed man.

       (Mark 2:4 NCV)  Since they could not get to Jesus because of the 
       crowd, they dug a hole in the roof right above where he was speaking. 
       When they got through, they lowered the mat with the paralyzed man on 
       it.

       (Mark 2:5 NCV)  When Jesus saw the faith of these people, he said to 
       the paralyzed man, "Young man, your sins are forgiven."

       (Mark 2:6 NCV)  Some of the teachers of the law were sitting there, 
       thinking to themselves,

       (Mark 2:7 NCV)  "Why does this man say things like that? He is 
       speaking as if he were God. Only God can forgive sins."

       (Mark 2:8 NCV)  Jesus knew immediately what these teachers of the law 
       were thinking. So he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things?

       (Mark 2:9 NCV)  Which is easier: to tell this paralyzed man, 'Your 
       sins are forgiven,' or to tell him, 'Stand up. Take your mat and 
       walk'?

       (Mark 2:10 NCV)  But I will prove to you that the Son of Man has 
       authority on earth to forgive sins." So Jesus said to the paralyzed 
       man,

       (Mark 2:11 NCV)  "I tell you, stand up, take your mat, and go home."

       (Mark 2:12 NCV)  Immediately the paralyzed man stood up, took his mat, 
       and walked out while everyone was watching him. The people were amazed 





       and praised God. They said, "We have never seen anything like this!"

       (Mark 2:13 NCV)  Jesus went to the lake again. The whole crowd 
       followed him there, and he taught them.

       (Mark 2:14 NCV)  While he was walking along, he saw a man named Levi 
       son of Alphaeus, sitting in the tax collector's booth. Jesus said to 
       him, "Follow me," and he stood up and followed Jesus.

       (Mark 2:15 NCV)  Later, as Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, 
       many tax collectors and "sinners" were eating there with Jesus and his 
       followers. Many people like this followed Jesus.

       (Mark 2:16 NCV)  When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw 
       Jesus eating with the tax collectors and "sinners," they asked his 
       followers, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

       (Mark 2:17 NCV)  Jesus heard this and said to them, "It is not the 
       healthy people who need a doctor, but the sick. I did not come to 
       invite good people but to invite sinners."

       (Mark 2:18 NCV)  Now the followers of John and the Pharisees often 
       gave up eating for a certain time. Some people came to Jesus and said, 
       "Why do John's followers and the followers of the Pharisees often give 
       up eating, but your followers don't?"

       (Mark 2:19 NCV)  Jesus answered, "The friends of the bridegroom do not 
       give up eating while the bridegroom is still with them. As long as the 
       bridegroom is with them, they cannot give up eating.

       (Mark 2:20 NCV)  But the time will come when the bridegroom will be 
       taken from them, and then they will give up eating.

       (Mark 2:21 NCV)  "No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth over a hole in 
       an old coat. Otherwise, the patch will shrink and pull away--the new 
       patch will pull away from the old coat. Then the hole will be worse.

       (Mark 2:22 NCV)  Also, no one ever pours new wine into old leather 
       bags. Otherwise, the new wine will break the bags, and the wine will 
       be ruined along with the bags. But new wine should be put into new 
       leather bags."

       (Mark 2:23 NCV)  One Sabbath day, as Jesus was walking through some 
       fields of grain, his followers began to pick some grain to eat.

       (Mark 2:24 NCV)  The Pharisees said to Jesus, "Why are your followers 
       doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath day?"

       (Mark 2:25 NCV)  Jesus answered, "Have you never read what David did 
       when he and those with him were hungry and needed food?

       (Mark 2:26 NCV)  During the time of Abiathar the high priest, David 
       went into God's house and ate the holy bread, which is lawful only for 
       priests to eat. And David also gave some of the bread to those who 
       were with him."





       (Mark 2:27 NCV)  Then Jesus said to the Pharisees, "The Sabbath day 
       was made to help people; they were not made to be ruled by the Sabbath 
       day.

       (Mark 2:28 NCV)  So then, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath 
       day."

       (Mark 3:1 NCV)  Another time when Jesus went into a synagogue, a man 
       with a crippled hand was there.

       (Mark 3:2 NCV)  Some people watched Jesus closely to see if he would 
       heal the man on the Sabbath day so they could accuse him.

       (Mark 3:3 NCV)  Jesus said to the man with the crippled hand, "Stand 
       up here in the middle of everyone."

       (Mark 3:4 NCV)  Then Jesus asked the people, "Which is lawful on the 
       Sabbath day: to do good or to do evil, to save a life or to kill?" But 
       they said nothing to answer him.

       (Mark 3:5 NCV)  Jesus was angry as he looked at the people, and he 
       felt very sad because they were stubborn. Then he said to the man, 
       "Hold out your hand." The man held out his hand and it was healed.

       (Mark 3:6 NCV)  Then the Pharisees left and began making plans with 
       the Herodians about a way to kill Jesus.

       (Mark 3:7 NCV)  Jesus left with his followers for the lake, and a 
       large crowd from Galilee followed him.

       (Mark 3:8 NCV)  Also many people came from Judea, from Jerusalem, from 
       Idumea, from the lands across the Jordan River, and from the area of 
       Tyre and Sidon. When they heard what Jesus was doing, many people came 
       to him.

       (Mark 3:9 NCV)  When Jesus saw the crowds, he told his followers to 
       get a boat ready for him to keep people from crowding against him.

       (Mark 3:10 NCV)  He had healed many people, so all the sick were 
       pushing toward him to touch him.

       (Mark 3:11 NCV)  When evil spirits saw Jesus, they fell down before 
       him and shouted, "You are the Son of God!"

       (Mark 3:12 NCV)  But Jesus strongly warned them not to tell who he 
       was.

       (Mark 3:13 NCV)  Then Jesus went up on a mountain and called to him 
       the men he wanted, and they came to him.

       (Mark 3:14 NCV)  Jesus chose twelve men and called them apostles. He 
       wanted them to be with him, and he wanted to send them out to preach

       (Mark 3:15 NCV)  and to have the authority to force demons out of 
       people.





       (Mark 3:16 NCV)  These are the twelve men he chose: Simon (Jesus named 
       him Peter),

       (Mark 3:17 NCV)  James and John, the sons of Zebedee (Jesus named them 
       Boanerges, which means "Sons of Thunder"),

       (Mark 3:18 NCV)  Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James 
       the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot,

       (Mark 3:19 NCV)  and Judas Iscariot, who later turned against Jesus.

       (Mark 3:20 NCV)  Then Jesus went home, but again a crowd gathered. 
       There were so many people that Jesus and his followers could not eat.

       (Mark 3:21 NCV)  When his family heard this, they went to get him 
       because they thought he was out of his mind.

       (Mark 3:22 NCV)  But the teachers of the law from Jerusalem were 
       saying, "Beelzebul is living inside him! He uses power from the ruler 
       of demons to force demons out of people."

       (Mark 3:23 NCV)  So Jesus called the people together and taught them 
       with stories. He said, "Satan will not force himself out of people.

       (Mark 3:24 NCV)  A kingdom that is divided cannot continue,

       (Mark 3:25 NCV)  and a family that is divided cannot continue.

       (Mark 3:26 NCV)  And if Satan is against himself and fights against 
       his own people, he cannot continue; that is the end of Satan.

       (Mark 3:27 NCV)  No one can enter a strong person's house and steal 
       his things unless he first ties up the strong person. Then he can 
       steal things from the house.

       (Mark 3:28 NCV)  I tell you the truth, all sins that people do and all 
       the things people say against God can be forgiven.

       (Mark 3:29 NCV)  But anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will 
       never be forgiven; he is guilty of a sin that continues forever."

       (Mark 3:30 NCV)  Jesus said this because the teachers of the law said 
       that he had an evil spirit inside him.

       (Mark 3:31 NCV)  Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing 
       outside, they sent someone in to tell him to come out.

       (Mark 3:32 NCV)  Many people were sitting around Jesus, and they said 
       to him, "Your mother and brothers are waiting for you outside."

       (Mark 3:33 NCV)  Jesus asked, "Who are my mother and my brothers?"

       (Mark 3:34 NCV)  Then he looked at those sitting around him and said, 
       "Here are my mother and my brothers!

       (Mark 3:35 NCV)  My true brother and sister and mother are those who 





       do what God wants."

       (Mark 4:1 NCV)  Again Jesus began teaching by the lake. A great crowd 
       gathered around him, so he sat down in a boat near the shore. All the 
       people stayed on the shore close to the water.

       (Mark 4:2 NCV)  Jesus taught them many things, using stories. He said,

       (Mark 4:3 NCV)  "Listen! A farmer went out to plant his seed.

       (Mark 4:4 NCV)  While he was planting, some seed fell by the road, and 
       the birds came and ate it up.

       (Mark 4:5 NCV)  Some seed fell on rocky ground where there wasn't much 
       dirt. That seed grew very fast, because the ground was not deep.

       (Mark 4:6 NCV)  But when the sun rose, the plants dried up because 
       they did not have deep roots.

       (Mark 4:7 NCV)  Some other seed fell among thorny weeds, which grew 
       and choked the good plants. So those plants did not produce a crop.

       (Mark 4:8 NCV)  Some other seed fell on good ground and began to grow. 
       It got taller and produced a crop. Some plants made thirty times more, 
       some made sixty times more, and some made a hundred times more."

       (Mark 4:9 NCV)  Then Jesus said, "You people who can hear me, listen!"

       (Mark 4:10 NCV)  Later, when Jesus was alone, the twelve apostles and 
       others around him asked him about the stories.

       (Mark 4:11 NCV)  Jesus said, "You can know the secret about the 
       kingdom of God. But to other people I tell everything by using stories

       (Mark 4:12 NCV)  so that: 'They will look and look, but they will not 
       learn. They will listen and listen, but they will not understand. If 
       they did learn and understand, they would come back to me and be 
       forgiven.'"

       (Mark 4:13 NCV)  Then Jesus said to his followers, "Don't you 
       understand this story? If you don't, how will you understand any 
       story?

       (Mark 4:14 NCV)  The farmer is like a person who plants God's message 
       in people.

       (Mark 4:15 NCV)  Sometimes the teaching falls on the road. This is 
       like the people who hear the teaching of God, but Satan quickly comes 
       and takes away the teaching that was planted in them.

       (Mark 4:16 NCV)  Others are like the seed planted on rocky ground. 
       They hear the teaching and quickly accept it with joy.

       (Mark 4:17 NCV)  But since they don't allow the teaching to go deep 
       into their lives, they keep it only a short time. When trouble or 
       persecution comes because of the teaching they accepted, they quickly 





       give up.

       (Mark 4:18 NCV)  Others are like the seed planted among the thorny 
       weeds. They hear the teaching,

       (Mark 4:19 NCV)  but the worries of this life, the temptation of 
       wealth, and many other evil desires keep the teaching from growing and 
       producing fruit in their lives.

       (Mark 4:20 NCV)  Others are like the seed planted in the good ground. 
       They hear the teaching and accept it. Then they grow and produce 
       fruit--sometimes thirty times more, sometimes sixty times more, and 
       sometimes a hundred times more."

       (Mark 4:21 NCV)  Then Jesus said to them, "Do you hide a lamp under a 
       bowl or under a bed? No! You put the lamp on a lampstand.

       (Mark 4:22 NCV)  Everything that is hidden will be made clear and 
       every secret thing will be made known.

       (Mark 4:23 NCV)  You people who can hear me, listen!

       (Mark 4:24 NCV)  "Think carefully about what you hear. The way you 
       give to others is the way God will give to you, but God will give you 
       even more.

       (Mark 4:25 NCV)  Those who have understanding will be given more. But 
       those who do not have understanding, even what they have will be taken 
       away from them."

       (Mark 4:26 NCV)  Then Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is like someone 
       who plants seed in the ground.

       (Mark 4:27 NCV)  Night and day, whether the person is asleep or awake, 
       the seed still grows, but the person does not know how it grows.

       (Mark 4:28 NCV)  By itself the earth produces grain. First the plant 
       grows, then the head, and then all the grain in the head.

       (Mark 4:29 NCV)  When the grain is ready, the farmer cuts it, because 
       this is the harvest time."

       (Mark 4:30 NCV)  Then Jesus said, "How can I show you what the kingdom 
       of God is like? What story can I use to explain it?

       (Mark 4:31 NCV)  The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, the 
       smallest seed you plant in the ground.

       (Mark 4:32 NCV)  But when planted, this seed grows and becomes the 
       largest of all garden plants. It produces large branches, and the wild 
       birds can make nests in its shade."

       (Mark 4:33 NCV)  Jesus used many stories like these to teach the crowd 
       God's message--as much as they could understand.

       (Mark 4:34 NCV)  He always used stories to teach them. But when he and 





       his followers were alone, Jesus explained everything to them.

       (Mark 4:35 NCV)  That evening, Jesus said to his followers, "Let's go 
       across the lake."

       (Mark 4:36 NCV)  Leaving the crowd behind, they took him in the boat 
       just as he was. There were also other boats with them.

       (Mark 4:37 NCV)  A very strong wind came up on the lake. The waves 
       came over the sides and into the boat so that it was already full of 
       water.

       (Mark 4:38 NCV)  Jesus was at the back of the boat, sleeping with his 
       head on a cushion. His followers woke him and said, "Teacher, don't 
       you care that we are drowning!"

       (Mark 4:39 NCV)  Jesus stood up and commanded the wind and said to the 
       waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind stopped, and it became 
       completely calm.

       (Mark 4:40 NCV)  Jesus said to his followers, "Why are you afraid? Do 
       you still have no faith?"

       (Mark 4:41 NCV)  The followers were very afraid and asked each other, 
       "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

       (Mark 5:1 NCV)  Jesus and his followers went to the other side of the 
       lake to the area of the Gerasene people.

       (Mark 5:2 NCV)  When Jesus got out of the boat, instantly a man with 
       an evil spirit came to him from the burial caves.

       (Mark 5:3 NCV)  This man lived in the caves, and no one could tie him 
       up, not even with a chain.

       (Mark 5:4 NCV)  Many times people had used chains to tie the man's 
       hands and feet, but he always broke them off. No one was strong enough 
       to control him.

       (Mark 5:5 NCV)  Day and night he would wander around the burial caves 
       and on the hills, screaming and cutting himself with stones.

       (Mark 5:6 NCV)  While Jesus was still far away, the man saw him, ran 
       to him, and fell down before him.

       (Mark 5:7 NCV)  The man shouted in a loud voice, "What do you want 
       with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I command you in God's name 
       not to torture me!"

       (Mark 5:8 NCV)  He said this because Jesus was saying to him, "You 
       evil spirit, come out of the man."

       (Mark 5:9 NCV)  Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" He 
       answered, "My name is Legion, because we are many spirits."

       (Mark 5:10 NCV)  He begged Jesus again and again not to send them out 





       of that area.

       (Mark 5:11 NCV)  A large herd of pigs was feeding on a hill near 
       there.

       (Mark 5:12 NCV)  The demons begged Jesus, "Send us into the pigs; let 
       us go into them."

       (Mark 5:13 NCV)  So Jesus allowed them to do this. The evil spirits 
       left the man and went into the pigs. Then the herd of pigs--about two 
       thousand of them--rushed down the hill into the lake and were drowned.

       (Mark 5:14 NCV)  The herdsmen ran away and went to the town and to the 
       countryside, telling everyone about this. So people went out to see 
       what had happened.

       (Mark 5:15 NCV)  They came to Jesus and saw the man who used to have 
       the many evil spirits, sitting, clothed, and in his right mind. And 
       they were frightened.

       (Mark 5:16 NCV)  The people who saw this told the others what had 
       happened to the man who had the demons living in him, and they told 
       about the pigs.

       (Mark 5:17 NCV)  Then the people began to beg Jesus to leave their 
       area.

       (Mark 5:18 NCV)  As Jesus was getting back into the boat, the man who 
       was freed from the demons begged to go with him.

       (Mark 5:19 NCV)  But Jesus would not let him. He said, "Go home to 
       your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how 
       he has had mercy on you."

       (Mark 5:20 NCV)  So the man left and began to tell the people in the 
       Ten Towns about what Jesus had done for him. And everyone was amazed.

       (Mark 5:21 NCV)  When Jesus went in the boat back to the other side of 
       the lake, a large crowd gathered around him there.

       (Mark 5:22 NCV)  A leader of the synagogue, named Jairus, came there, 
       saw Jesus, and fell at his feet.

       (Mark 5:23 NCV)  He begged Jesus, saying again and again, "My daughter 
       is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so she will be healed 
       and will live."

       (Mark 5:24 NCV)  So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed Jesus 
       and pushed very close around him.

       (Mark 5:25 NCV)  Among them was a woman who had been bleeding for 
       twelve years.

       (Mark 5:26 NCV)  She had suffered very much from many doctors and had 
       spent all the money she had, but instead of improving, she was getting 
       worse.






       (Mark 5:27 NCV)  When the woman heard about Jesus, she came up behind 
       him in the crowd and touched his coat.

       (Mark 5:28 NCV)  She thought, "If I can just touch his clothes, I will 
       be healed."

       (Mark 5:29 NCV)  Instantly her bleeding stopped, and she felt in her 
       body that she was healed from her disease.

       (Mark 5:30 NCV)  At once Jesus felt power go out from him. So he 
       turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"

       (Mark 5:31 NCV)  His followers said, "Look at how many people are 
       pushing against you! And you ask, 'Who touched me?'"

       (Mark 5:32 NCV)  But Jesus continued looking around to see who had 
       touched him.

       (Mark 5:33 NCV)  The woman, knowing that she was healed, came and fell 
       at Jesus' feet. Shaking with fear, she told him the whole truth.

       (Mark 5:34 NCV)  Jesus said to her, "Dear woman, you are made well 
       because you believed. Go in peace; be healed of your disease."

       (Mark 5:35 NCV)  While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from 
       the house of the synagogue leader. They said, "Your daughter is dead. 
       There is no need to bother the teacher anymore."

       (Mark 5:36 NCV)  But Jesus paid no attention to what they said. He 
       told the synagogue leader, "Don't be afraid; just believe."

       (Mark 5:37 NCV)  Jesus let only Peter, James, and John the brother of 
       James go with him.

       (Mark 5:38 NCV)  When they came to the house of the synagogue leader, 
       Jesus found many people there making lots of noise and crying loudly.

       (Mark 5:39 NCV)  Jesus entered the house and said to them, "Why are 
       you crying and making so much noise? The child is not dead, only 
       asleep."

       (Mark 5:40 NCV)  But they laughed at him. So, after throwing them out 
       of the house, Jesus took the child's father and mother and his three 
       followers into the room where the child was.

       (Mark 5:41 NCV)  Taking hold of the girl's hand, he said to her, 
       "Talitha, koum!" (This means, "Young girl, I tell you to stand up!")

       (Mark 5:42 NCV)  At once the girl stood right up and began walking. 
       (She was twelve years old.) Everyone was completely amazed.

       (Mark 5:43 NCV)  Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell people 
       about this. Then he told them to give the girl something to eat.

       (Mark 6:1 NCV)  Jesus left there and went to his hometown, and his 





       followers went with him.

       (Mark 6:2 NCV)  On the Sabbath day he taught in the synagogue. Many 
       people heard him and were amazed, saying, "Where did this man get 
       these teachings? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? And 
       where did he get the power to do miracles?

       (Mark 6:3 NCV)  He is just the carpenter, the son of Mary and the 
       brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters are here 
       with us." So the people were upset with Jesus.

       (Mark 6:4 NCV)  Jesus said to them, "A prophet is honored everywhere 
       except in his hometown and with his own people and in his own home."

       (Mark 6:5 NCV)  So Jesus was not able to work any miracles there 
       except to heal a few sick people by putting his hands on them.

       (Mark 6:6 NCV)  He was amazed at how many people had no faith. Then 
       Jesus went to other villages in that area and taught.

       (Mark 6:7 NCV)  He called his twelve followers together and got ready 
       to send them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.

       (Mark 6:8 NCV)  This is what Jesus commanded them: "Take nothing for 
       your trip except a walking stick. Take no bread, no bag, and no money 
       in your pockets.

       (Mark 6:9 NCV)  Wear sandals, but take only the clothes you are 
       wearing.

       (Mark 6:10 NCV)  When you enter a house, stay there until you leave 
       that town.

       (Mark 6:11 NCV)  If the people in a certain place refuse to welcome 
       you or listen to you, leave that place. Shake its dust off your feet 
       as a warning to them."

       (Mark 6:12 NCV)  So the followers went out and preached that people 
       should change their hearts and lives.

       (Mark 6:13 NCV)  They forced many demons out and put olive oil on many 
       sick people and healed them.

       (Mark 6:14 NCV)  King Herod heard about Jesus, because he was now well 
       known. Some people said, "He is John the Baptist, who has risen from 
       the dead. That is why he can work these miracles."

       (Mark 6:15 NCV)  Others said, "He is Elijah." Other people said, 
       "Jesus is a prophet, like the prophets who lived long ago."

       (Mark 6:16 NCV)  When Herod heard this, he said, "I killed John by 
       cutting off his head. Now he has risen from the dead!"

       (Mark 6:17 NCV)  Herod himself had ordered his soldiers to arrest John 
       and put him in prison in order to please his wife, Herodias. She had 
       been the wife of Philip, Herod's brother, but then Herod had married 





       her.

       (Mark 6:18 NCV)  John had been telling Herod, "It is not lawful for 
       you to be married to your brother's wife."

       (Mark 6:19 NCV)  So Herodias hated John and wanted to kill him. But 
       she couldn't,

       (Mark 6:20 NCV)  because Herod was afraid of John and protected him. 
       He knew John was a good and holy man. Also, though John's preaching 
       always bothered him, he enjoyed listening to John.

       (Mark 6:21 NCV)  Then the perfect time came for Herodias to cause 
       John's death. On Herod's birthday, he gave a dinner party for the most 
       important government leaders, the commanders of his army, and the most 
       important people in Galilee.

       (Mark 6:22 NCV)  When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she 
       pleased Herod and the people eating with him. So King Herod said to 
       the girl, "Ask me for anything you want, and I will give it to you."

       (Mark 6:23 NCV)  He promised her, "Anything you ask for I will give to 
       you--up to half of my kingdom."

       (Mark 6:24 NCV)  The girl went to her mother and asked, "What should I 
       ask for?" Her mother answered, "Ask for the head of John the Baptist."

       (Mark 6:25 NCV)  At once the girl went back to the king and said to 
       him, "I want the head of John the Baptist right now on a platter."

       (Mark 6:26 NCV)  Although the king was very sad, he had made a 
       promise, and his dinner guests had heard it. So he did not want to 
       refuse what she asked.

       (Mark 6:27 NCV)  Immediately the king sent a soldier to bring John's 
       head. The soldier went and cut off John's head in the prison

       (Mark 6:28 NCV)  and brought it back on a platter. He gave it to the 
       girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.

       (Mark 6:29 NCV)  When John's followers heard this, they came and got 
       John's body and put it in a tomb.

       (Mark 6:30 NCV)  The apostles gathered around Jesus and told him about 
       all the things they had done and taught.

       (Mark 6:31 NCV)  Crowds of people were coming and going so that Jesus 
       and his followers did not even have time to eat. He said to them, 
       "Come away by yourselves, and we will go to a lonely place to get some 
       rest."

       (Mark 6:32 NCV)  So they went in a boat by themselves to a lonely 
       place.

       (Mark 6:33 NCV)  But many people saw them leave and recognized them. 
       So from all the towns they ran to the place where Jesus was going, and 





       they got there before him.

       (Mark 6:34 NCV)  When he arrived, he saw a great crowd waiting. He 
       felt sorry for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. 
       So he began to teach them many things.

       (Mark 6:35 NCV)  When it was late in the day, his followers came to 
       him and said, "No one lives in this place, and it is already very 
       late.

       (Mark 6:36 NCV)  Send the people away so they can go to the 
       countryside and towns around here to buy themselves something to eat."

       (Mark 6:37 NCV)  But Jesus answered, "You give them something to eat." 
       They said to him, "We would all have to work a month to earn enough 
       money to buy that much bread!"

       (Mark 6:38 NCV)  Jesus asked them, "How many loaves of bread do you 
       have? Go and see." When they found out, they said, "Five loaves and 
       two fish."

       (Mark 6:39 NCV)  Then Jesus told his followers to have the people sit 
       in groups on the green grass.

       (Mark 6:40 NCV)  So they sat in groups of fifty or a hundred.

       (Mark 6:41 NCV)  Jesus took the five loaves and two fish and, looking 
       up to heaven, he thanked God for the food. He divided the bread and 
       gave it to his followers for them to give to the people. Then he 
       divided the two fish among them all.

       (Mark 6:42 NCV)  All the people ate and were satisfied.

       (Mark 6:43 NCV)  The followers filled twelve baskets with the leftover 
       pieces of bread and fish.

       (Mark 6:44 NCV)  There were five thousand men who ate.

       (Mark 6:45 NCV)  Immediately Jesus told his followers to get into the 
       boat and go ahead of him to Bethsaida across the lake. He stayed there 
       to send the people home.

       (Mark 6:46 NCV)  After sending them away, he went into the hills to 
       pray.

       (Mark 6:47 NCV)  That night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, 
       and Jesus was alone on the land.

       (Mark 6:48 NCV)  He saw his followers struggling hard to row the boat, 
       because the wind was blowing against them. Between three and six 
       o'clock in the morning, Jesus came to them, walking on the water, and 
       he wanted to walk past the boat.

       (Mark 6:49 NCV)  But when they saw him walking on the water, they 
       thought he was a ghost and cried out.





       (Mark 6:50 NCV)  They all saw him and were afraid. But quickly Jesus 
       spoke to them and said, "Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid."

       (Mark 6:51 NCV)  Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind 
       became calm. The followers were greatly amazed.

       (Mark 6:52 NCV)  They did not understand about the miracle of the five 
       loaves, because their minds were closed.

       (Mark 6:53 NCV)  When they had crossed the lake, they came to shore at 
       Gennesaret and tied the boat there.

       (Mark 6:54 NCV)  When they got out of the boat, people immediately 
       recognized Jesus.

       (Mark 6:55 NCV)  They ran everywhere in that area and began to bring 
       sick people on mats wherever they heard he was.

       (Mark 6:56 NCV)  And everywhere he went--into towns, cities, or 
       countryside--the people brought the sick to the marketplaces. They 
       begged him to let them touch just the edge of his coat, and all who 
       touched it were healed.

       (Mark 7:1 NCV)  When some Pharisees and some teachers of the law came 
       from Jerusalem, they gathered around Jesus.

       (Mark 7:2 NCV)  They saw that some of Jesus' followers ate food with 
       hands that were not clean, that is, they hadn't washed them.

       (Mark 7:3 NCV)  (The Pharisees and all the Jews never eat before 
       washing their hands in a special way according to their unwritten 
       laws.

       (Mark 7:4 NCV)  And when they buy something in the market, they never 
       eat it until they wash themselves in a special way. They also follow 
       many other unwritten laws, such as the washing of cups, pitchers, and 
       pots.)

       (Mark 7:5 NCV)  The Pharisees and the teachers of the law said to 
       Jesus, "Why don't your followers obey the unwritten laws which have 
       been handed down to us? Why do your followers eat their food with 
       hands that are not clean?"

       (Mark 7:6 NCV)  Jesus answered, "Isaiah was right when he spoke about 
       you hypocrites. He wrote, 'These people show honor to me with words, 
       but their hearts are far from me.

       (Mark 7:7 NCV)  Their worship of me is worthless. The things they 
       teach are nothing but human rules.'

       (Mark 7:8 NCV)  You have stopped following the commands of God, and 
       you follow only human teachings."

       (Mark 7:9 NCV)  Then Jesus said to them, "You cleverly ignore the 
       commands of God so you can follow your own teachings.





       (Mark 7:10 NCV)  Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and 
       'Anyone who says cruel things to his father or mother must be put to 
       death.'

       (Mark 7:11 NCV)  But you say a person can tell his father or mother, 
       'I have something I could use to help you, but it is Corban--a gift to 
       God.'

       (Mark 7:12 NCV)  You no longer let that person use that money for his 
       father or his mother.

       (Mark 7:13 NCV)  By your own rules, which you teach people, you are 
       rejecting what God said. And you do many things like that."

       (Mark 7:14 NCV)  After Jesus called the crowd to him again, he said, 
       "Every person should listen to me and understand what I am saying.

       (Mark 7:15 NCV)  There is nothing people put into their bodies that 
       makes them unclean. People are made unclean by the things that come 
       out of them."

       (Mark 7:16 NCV)  

       (Mark 7:17 NCV)  When Jesus left the people and went into the house, 
       his followers asked him about this story.

       (Mark 7:18 NCV)  Jesus said, "Do you still not understand? Surely you 
       know that nothing that enters someone from the outside can make that 
       person unclean.

       (Mark 7:19 NCV)  It does not go into the mind, but into the stomach. 
       Then it goes out of the body." (When Jesus said this, he meant that no 
       longer was any food unclean for people to eat.)

       (Mark 7:20 NCV)  And Jesus said, "The things that come out of people 
       are the things that make them unclean.

       (Mark 7:21 NCV)  All these evil things begin inside people, in the 
       mind: evil thoughts, sexual sins, stealing, murder, adultery,

       (Mark 7:22 NCV)  greed, evil actions, lying, doing sinful things, 
       jealousy, speaking evil of others, pride, and foolish living.

       (Mark 7:23 NCV)  All these evil things come from inside and make 
       people unclean."

       (Mark 7:24 NCV)  Jesus left that place and went to the area around 
       Tyre. When he went into a house, he did not want anyone to know he was 
       there, but he could not stay hidden.

       (Mark 7:25 NCV)  A woman whose daughter had an evil spirit in her 
       heard that he was there. So she quickly came to Jesus and fell at his 
       feet.

       (Mark 7:26 NCV)  She was Greek, born in Phoenicia, in Syria. She 
       begged Jesus to force the demon out of her daughter.






       (Mark 7:27 NCV)  Jesus told the woman, "It is not right to take the 
       children's bread and give it to the dogs. First let the children eat 
       all they want."

       (Mark 7:28 NCV)  But she answered, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under 
       the table can eat the children's crumbs."

       (Mark 7:29 NCV)  Then Jesus said, "Because of your answer, you may go. 
       The demon has left your daughter."

       (Mark 7:30 NCV)  The woman went home and found her daughter lying in 
       bed; the demon was gone.

       (Mark 7:31 NCV)  Then Jesus left the area around Tyre and went through 
       Sidon to Lake Galilee, to the area of the Ten Towns.

       (Mark 7:32 NCV)  While he was there, some people brought a man to him 
       who was deaf and could not talk plainly. The people begged Jesus to 
       put his hand on the man to heal him.

       (Mark 7:33 NCV)  Jesus led the man away from the crowd, by himself. He 
       put his fingers in the man's ears and then spit and touched the man's 
       tongue.

       (Mark 7:34 NCV)  Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to the man, 
       "Ephphatha!" (This means, "Be opened.")

       (Mark 7:35 NCV)  Instantly the man was able to hear and to use his 
       tongue so that he spoke clearly.

       (Mark 7:36 NCV)  Jesus commanded the people not to tell anyone about 
       what happened. But the more he commanded them, the more they told 
       about it.

       (Mark 7:37 NCV)  They were completely amazed and said, "Jesus does 
       everything well. He makes the deaf hear! And those who can't talk he 
       makes able to speak."

       (Mark 8:1 NCV)  Another time there was a great crowd with Jesus that 
       had nothing to eat. So Jesus called his followers and said,

       (Mark 8:2 NCV)  "I feel sorry for these people, because they have 
       already been with me for three days, and they have nothing to eat.

       (Mark 8:3 NCV)  If I send them home hungry, they will faint on the 
       way. Some of them live a long way from here."

       (Mark 8:4 NCV)  Jesus' followers answered, "How can we get enough 
       bread to feed all these people? We are far away from any town."

       (Mark 8:5 NCV)  Jesus asked, "How many loaves of bread do you have?" 
       They answered, "Seven."

       (Mark 8:6 NCV)  Jesus told the people to sit on the ground. Then he 
       took the seven loaves, gave thanks to God, and divided the bread. He 





       gave the pieces to his followers to give to the people, and they did 
       so.

       (Mark 8:7 NCV)  The followers also had a few small fish. After Jesus 
       gave thanks for the fish, he told his followers to give them to the 
       people also.

       (Mark 8:8 NCV)  All the people ate and were satisfied. Then his 
       followers filled seven baskets with the leftover pieces of food.

       (Mark 8:9 NCV)  There were about four thousand people who ate. After 
       they had eaten, Jesus sent them home.

       (Mark 8:10 NCV)  Then right away he got into a boat with his followers 
       and went to the area of Dalmanutha.

       (Mark 8:11 NCV)  The Pharisees came to Jesus and began to ask him 
       questions. Hoping to trap him, they asked Jesus for a miracle from 
       God.

       (Mark 8:12 NCV)  Jesus sighed deeply and said, "Why do you people ask 
       for a miracle as a sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given 
       to you."

       (Mark 8:13 NCV)  Then Jesus left the Pharisees and went in the boat to 
       the other side of the lake.

       (Mark 8:14 NCV)  His followers had only one loaf of bread with them in 
       the boat; they had forgotten to bring more.

       (Mark 8:15 NCV)  Jesus warned them, "Be careful! Beware of the yeast 
       of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod."

       (Mark 8:16 NCV)  His followers discussed the meaning of this, saying, 
       "He said this because we have no bread."

       (Mark 8:17 NCV)  Knowing what they were talking about, Jesus asked 
       them, "Why are you talking about not having bread? Do you still not 
       see or understand? Are your minds closed?

       (Mark 8:18 NCV)  You have eyes, but you don't really see. You have 
       ears, but you don't really listen. Remember when

       (Mark 8:19 NCV)  I divided five loaves of bread for the five thousand? 
       How many baskets did you fill with leftover pieces of food?" They 
       answered, "Twelve."

       (Mark 8:20 NCV)  "And when I divided seven loaves of bread for the 
       four thousand, how many baskets did you fill with leftover pieces of 
       food?" They answered, "Seven."

       (Mark 8:21 NCV)  Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand yet?"

       (Mark 8:22 NCV)  Jesus and his followers came to Bethsaida. There some 
       people brought a blind man to Jesus and begged him to touch the man.





       (Mark 8:23 NCV)  So Jesus took the blind man's hand and led him out of 
       the village. Then he spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on the 
       man and asked, "Can you see now?"

       (Mark 8:24 NCV)  The man looked up and said, "Yes, I see people, but 
       they look like trees walking around."

       (Mark 8:25 NCV)  Again Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then the 
       man opened his eyes wide and they were healed, and he was able to see 
       everything clearly.

       (Mark 8:26 NCV)  Jesus told him to go home, saying, "Don't go into the 
       town."

       (Mark 8:27 NCV)  Jesus and his followers went to the towns around 
       Caesarea Philippi. While they were traveling, Jesus asked them, "Who 
       do people say I am?"

       (Mark 8:28 NCV)  They answered, "Some say you are John the Baptist. 
       Others say you are Elijah, and others say you are one of the 
       prophets."

       (Mark 8:29 NCV)  Then Jesus asked, "But who do you say I am?" Peter 
       answered, "You are the Christ."

       (Mark 8:30 NCV)  Jesus warned his followers not to tell anyone who he 
       was.

       (Mark 8:31 NCV)  Then Jesus began to teach them that the Son of Man 
       must suffer many things and that he would be rejected by the older 
       Jewish leaders, the leading priests, and the teachers of the law. He 
       told them that the Son of Man must be killed and then rise from the 
       dead after three days.

       (Mark 8:32 NCV)  Jesus told them plainly what would happen. Then Peter 
       took Jesus aside and began to tell him not to talk like that.

       (Mark 8:33 NCV)  But Jesus turned and looked at his followers. Then he 
       told Peter not to talk that way. He said, "Go away from me, Satan! You 
       don't care about the things of God, but only about things people think 
       are important."

       (Mark 8:34 NCV)  Then Jesus called the crowd to him, along with his 
       followers. He said, "If people want to follow me, they must give up 
       the things they want. They must be willing even to give up their lives 
       to follow me.

       (Mark 8:35 NCV)  Those who want to save their lives will give up true 
       life. But those who give up their lives for me and for the Good News 
       will have true life.

       (Mark 8:36 NCV)  It is worth nothing for them to have the whole world 
       if they lose their souls.

       (Mark 8:37 NCV)  They could never pay enough to buy back their souls.





       (Mark 8:38 NCV)  The people who live now are living in a sinful and 
       evil time. If people are ashamed of me and my teaching, the Son of Man 
       will be ashamed of them when he comes with his Father's glory and with 
       the holy angels."

       (Mark 9:1 NCV)  Then Jesus said to the people, "I tell you the truth, 
       some people standing here will see the kingdom of God come with power 
       before they die."

       (Mark 9:2 NCV)  Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John up 
       on a high mountain by themselves. While they watched, Jesus' 
       appearance was changed.

       (Mark 9:3 NCV)  His clothes became shining white, whiter than any 
       person could make them.

       (Mark 9:4 NCV)  Then Elijah and Moses appeared to them, talking with 
       Jesus.

       (Mark 9:5 NCV)  Peter said to Jesus, "Teacher, it is good that we are 
       here. Let us make three tents--one for you, one for Moses, and one for 
       Elijah."

       (Mark 9:6 NCV)  Peter did not know what to say, because he and the 
       others were so frightened.

       (Mark 9:7 NCV)  Then a cloud came and covered them, and a voice came 
       from the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!"

       (Mark 9:8 NCV)  Suddenly Peter, James, and John looked around, but 
       they saw only Jesus there alone with them.

       (Mark 9:9 NCV)  As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded 
       them not to tell anyone about what they had seen until the Son of Man 
       had risen from the dead.

       (Mark 9:10 NCV)  So the followers obeyed Jesus, but they discussed 
       what he meant about rising from the dead.

       (Mark 9:11 NCV)  Then they asked Jesus, "Why do the teachers of the 
       law say that Elijah must come first?"

       (Mark 9:12 NCV)  Jesus answered, "They are right to say that Elijah 
       must come first and make everything the way it should be. But why does 
       the Scripture say that the Son of Man will suffer much and that people 
       will treat him as if he were nothing?

       (Mark 9:13 NCV)  I tell you that Elijah has already come. And people 
       did to him whatever they wanted to do, just as the Scriptures said it 
       would happen."

       (Mark 9:14 NCV)  When Jesus, Peter, James, and John came back to the 
       other followers, they saw a great crowd around them and the teachers 
       of the law arguing with them.

       (Mark 9:15 NCV)  But as soon as the crowd saw Jesus, the people were 





       surprised and ran to welcome him.

       (Mark 9:16 NCV)  Jesus asked, "What are you arguing about?"

       (Mark 9:17 NCV)  A man answered, "Teacher, I brought my son to you. He 
       has an evil spirit in him that stops him from talking.

       (Mark 9:18 NCV)  When the spirit attacks him, it throws him on the 
       ground. Then my son foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes 
       very stiff. I asked your followers to force the evil spirit out, but 
       they couldn't."

       (Mark 9:19 NCV)  Jesus answered, "You people have no faith. How long 
       must I stay with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy 
       to me."

       (Mark 9:20 NCV)  So the followers brought him to Jesus. As soon as the 
       evil spirit saw Jesus, it made the boy lose control of himself, and he 
       fell down and rolled on the ground, foaming at the mouth.

       (Mark 9:21 NCV)  Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has this been 
       happening?" The father answered, "Since he was very young.

       (Mark 9:22 NCV)  The spirit often throws him into a fire or into water 
       to kill him. If you can do anything for him, please have pity on us 
       and help us."

       (Mark 9:23 NCV)  Jesus said to the father, "You said, 'If you can!' 
       All things are possible for the one who believes."

       (Mark 9:24 NCV)  Immediately the father cried out, "I do believe! Help 
       me to believe more!"

       (Mark 9:25 NCV)  When Jesus saw that a crowd was quickly gathering, he 
       ordered the evil spirit, saying, "You spirit that makes people unable 
       to hear or speak, I command you to come out of this boy and never 
       enter him again!"

       (Mark 9:26 NCV)  The evil spirit screamed and caused the boy to fall 
       on the ground again. Then the spirit came out. The boy looked as if he 
       were dead, and many people said, "He is dead!"

       (Mark 9:27 NCV)  But Jesus took hold of the boy's hand and helped him 
       to stand up.

       (Mark 9:28 NCV)  When Jesus went into the house, his followers began 
       asking him privately, "Why couldn't we force that evil spirit out?"

       (Mark 9:29 NCV)  Jesus answered, "That kind of spirit can only be 
       forced out by prayer."

       (Mark 9:30 NCV)  Then Jesus and his followers left that place and went 
       through Galilee. He didn't want anyone to know where he was,

       (Mark 9:31 NCV)  because he was teaching his followers. He said to 
       them, "The Son of Man will be handed over to people, and they will 





       kill him. After three days, he will rise from the dead."

       (Mark 9:32 NCV)  But the followers did not understand what Jesus 
       meant, and they were afraid to ask him.

       (Mark 9:33 NCV)  Jesus and his followers went to Capernaum. When they 
       went into a house there, he asked them, "What were you arguing about 
       on the road?"

       (Mark 9:34 NCV)  But the followers did not answer, because their 
       argument on the road was about which one of them was the greatest.

       (Mark 9:35 NCV)  Jesus sat down and called the twelve apostles to him. 
       He said, "Whoever wants to be the most important must be last of all 
       and servant of all."

       (Mark 9:36 NCV)  Then Jesus took a small child and had him stand among 
       them. Taking the child in his arms, he said,

       (Mark 9:37 NCV)  "Whoever accepts a child like this in my name accepts 
       me. And whoever accepts me accepts the One who sent me."

       (Mark 9:38 NCV)  Then John said, "Teacher, we saw someone using your 
       name to force demons out of a person. We told him to stop, because he 
       does not belong to our group."

       (Mark 9:39 NCV)  But Jesus said, "Don't stop him, because anyone who 
       uses my name to do powerful things will not easily say evil things 
       about me.

       (Mark 9:40 NCV)  Whoever is not against us is with us.

       (Mark 9:41 NCV)  I tell you the truth, whoever gives you a drink of 
       water because you belong to the Christ will truly get his reward.

       (Mark 9:42 NCV)  "If one of these little children believes in me, and 
       someone causes that child to sin, it would be better for that person 
       to have a large stone tied around his neck and be drowned in the sea.

       (Mark 9:43 NCV)  If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is 
       better for you to lose part of your body and live forever than to have 
       two hands and go to hell, where the fire never goes out.

       (Mark 9:44 NCV)  

       (Mark 9:45 NCV)  If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is 
       better for you to lose part of your body and to live forever than to 
       have two feet and be thrown into hell.

       (Mark 9:46 NCV)  

       (Mark 9:47 NCV)  If your eye causes you to sin, take it out. It is 
       better for you to enter the kingdom of God with only one eye than to 
       have two eyes and be thrown into hell.

       (Mark 9:48 NCV)  In hell the worm does not die; the fire is never put 





       out.

       (Mark 9:49 NCV)  Every person will be salted with fire.

       (Mark 9:50 NCV)  "Salt is good, but if the salt loses its salty taste, 
       you cannot make it salty again. So, be full of salt, and have peace 
       with each other."

       (Mark 10:1 NCV)  Then Jesus left that place and went into the area of 
       Judea and across the Jordan River. Again, crowds came to him, and he 
       taught them as he usually did.

       (Mark 10:2 NCV)  Some Pharisees came to Jesus and tried to trick him. 
       They asked, "Is it right for a man to divorce his wife?"

       (Mark 10:3 NCV)  Jesus answered, "What did Moses command you to do?"

       (Mark 10:4 NCV)  They said, "Moses allowed a man to write out divorce 
       papers and send her away."

       (Mark 10:5 NCV)  Jesus said, "Moses wrote that command for you because 
       you were stubborn.

       (Mark 10:6 NCV)  But when God made the world, 'he made them male and 
       female.'

       (Mark 10:7 NCV)  'So a man will leave his father and mother and be 
       united with his wife,

       (Mark 10:8 NCV)  and the two will become one body.' So there are not 
       two, but one.

       (Mark 10:9 NCV)  God has joined the two together, so no one should 
       separate them."

       (Mark 10:10 NCV)  Later, in the house, his followers asked Jesus again 
       about the question of divorce.

       (Mark 10:11 NCV)  He answered, "Anyone who divorces his wife and 
       marries another woman is guilty of adultery against her.

       (Mark 10:12 NCV)  And the woman who divorces her husband and marries 
       another man is also guilty of adultery."

       (Mark 10:13 NCV)  Some people brought their little children to Jesus 
       so he could touch them, but his followers told them to stop.

       (Mark 10:14 NCV)  When Jesus saw this, he was upset and said to them, 
       "Let the little children come to me. Don't stop them, because the 
       kingdom of God belongs to people who are like these children.

       (Mark 10:15 NCV)  I tell you the truth, you must accept the kingdom of 
       God as if you were a little child, or you will never enter it."

       (Mark 10:16 NCV)  Then Jesus took the children in his arms, put his 
       hands on them, and blessed them.






       (Mark 10:17 NCV)  As Jesus started to leave, a man ran to him and fell 
       on his knees before Jesus. The man asked, "Good teacher, what must I 
       do to have life forever?"

       (Mark 10:18 NCV)  Jesus answered, "Why do you call me good? Only God 
       is good.

       (Mark 10:19 NCV)  You know the commands: 'You must not murder anyone. 
       You must not be guilty of adultery. You must not steal. You must not 
       tell lies about your neighbor. You must not cheat. Honor your father 
       and mother.'"

       (Mark 10:20 NCV)  The man said, "Teacher, I have obeyed all these 
       things since I was a boy."

       (Mark 10:21 NCV)  Jesus, looking at the man, loved him and said, 
       "There is one more thing you need to do. Go and sell everything you 
       have, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in 
       heaven. Then come and follow me."

       (Mark 10:22 NCV)  He was very sad to hear Jesus say this, and he left 
       sorrowfully, because he was rich.

       (Mark 10:23 NCV)  Then Jesus looked at his followers and said, "How 
       hard it will be for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!"

       (Mark 10:24 NCV)  The followers were amazed at what Jesus said. But he 
       said again, "My children, it is very hard to enter the kingdom of God!

       (Mark 10:25 NCV)  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a 
       needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."

       (Mark 10:26 NCV)  The followers were even more surprised and said to 
       each other, "Then who can be saved?"

       (Mark 10:27 NCV)  Jesus looked at them and said, "This is something 
       people cannot do, but God can. God can do all things."

       (Mark 10:28 NCV)  Peter said to Jesus, "Look, we have left everything 
       and followed you."

       (Mark 10:29 NCV)  Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, all those who 
       have left houses, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, or 
       farms for me and for the Good News

       (Mark 10:30 NCV)  will get more than they left. Here in this world 
       they will have a hundred times more homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, 
       children, and fields. And with those things, they will also suffer for 
       their belief. But in the age that is coming they will have life 
       forever.

       (Mark 10:31 NCV)  Many who have the highest place now will have the 
       lowest place in the future. And many who have the lowest place now 
       will have the highest place in the future."





       (Mark 10:32 NCV)  As Jesus and the people with him were on the road to 
       Jerusalem, he was leading the way. His followers were amazed, but 
       others in the crowd who followed were afraid. Again Jesus took the 
       twelve apostles aside and began to tell them what was about to happen 
       in Jerusalem.

       (Mark 10:33 NCV)  He said, "Look, we are going to Jerusalem. The Son 
       of Man will be turned over to the leading priests and the teachers of 
       the law. They will say that he must die, and they will turn him over 
       to the non-Jewish people,

       (Mark 10:34 NCV)  who will laugh at him and spit on him. They will 
       beat him with whips and crucify him. But on the third day, he will 
       rise to life again."

       (Mark 10:35 NCV)  Then James and John, sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus 
       and said, "Teacher, we want to ask you to do something for us."

       (Mark 10:36 NCV)  Jesus asked, "What do you want me to do for you?"

       (Mark 10:37 NCV)  They answered, "Let one of us sit at your right side 
       and one of us sit at your left side in your glory in your kingdom."

       (Mark 10:38 NCV)  Jesus said, "You don't understand what you are 
       asking. Can you drink the cup that I must drink? And can you be 
       baptized with the same kind of baptism that I must go through?"

       (Mark 10:39 NCV)  They answered, "Yes, we can." Jesus said to them, 
       "You will drink the same cup that I will drink, and you will be 
       baptized with the same baptism that I must go through.

       (Mark 10:40 NCV)  But I cannot choose who will sit at my right or my 
       left; those places belong to those for whom they have been prepared."

       (Mark 10:41 NCV)  When the other ten followers heard this, they began 
       to be angry with James and John.

       (Mark 10:42 NCV)  Jesus called them together and said, "The non-Jewish 
       people have rulers. You know that those rulers love to show their 
       power over the people, and their important leaders love to use all 
       their authority.

       (Mark 10:43 NCV)  But it should not be that way among you. Whoever 
       wants to become great among you must serve the rest of you like a 
       servant.

       (Mark 10:44 NCV)  Whoever wants to become the first among you must 
       serve all of you like a slave.

       (Mark 10:45 NCV)  In the same way, the Son of Man did not come to be 
       served. He came to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for 
       many people."

       (Mark 10:46 NCV)  Then they came to the town of Jericho. As Jesus was 
       leaving there with his followers and a great many people, a blind 
       beggar named Bartimaeus son of Timaeus was sitting by the road.






       (Mark 10:47 NCV)  When he heard that Jesus from Nazareth was walking 
       by, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

       (Mark 10:48 NCV)  Many people warned the blind man to be quiet, but he 
       shouted even more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

       (Mark 10:49 NCV)  Jesus stopped and said, "Tell the man to come here." 
       So they called the blind man, saying, "Cheer up! Get to your feet. 
       Jesus is calling you."

       (Mark 10:50 NCV)  The blind man jumped up, left his coat there, and 
       went to Jesus.

       (Mark 10:51 NCV)  Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for 
       you?" The blind man answered, "Teacher, I want to see."

       (Mark 10:52 NCV)  Jesus said, "Go, you are healed because you 
       believed." At once the man could see, and he followed Jesus on the 
       road.

       (Mark 11:1 NCV)  As Jesus and his followers were coming closer to 
       Jerusalem, they came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany near the 
       Mount of Olives. From there Jesus sent two of his followers

       (Mark 11:2 NCV)  and said to them, "Go to the town you can see there. 
       When you enter it, you will quickly find a colt tied, which no one has 
       ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here to me.

       (Mark 11:3 NCV)  If anyone asks you why you are doing this, tell him 
       its Master needs the colt, and he will send it at once."

       (Mark 11:4 NCV)  The followers went into the town, found a colt tied 
       in the street near the door of a house, and untied it.

       (Mark 11:5 NCV)  Some people were standing there and asked, "What are 
       you doing? Why are you untying that colt?"

       (Mark 11:6 NCV)  The followers answered the way Jesus told them to 
       answer, and the people let them take the colt.

       (Mark 11:7 NCV)  They brought the colt to Jesus and put their coats on 
       it, and Jesus sat on it.

       (Mark 11:8 NCV)  Many people spread their coats on the road. Others 
       cut branches in the fields and spread them on the road.

       (Mark 11:9 NCV)  The people were walking ahead of Jesus and behind 
       him, shouting, "Praise God! God bless the One who comes in the name of 
       the Lord!

       (Mark 11:10 NCV)  God bless the kingdom of our father David! That 
       kingdom is coming! Praise to God in heaven!"

       (Mark 11:11 NCV)  Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the Temple. 
       After he had looked at everything, since it was already late, he went 





       out to Bethany with the twelve apostles.

       (Mark 11:12 NCV)  The next day as Jesus was leaving Bethany, he became 
       hungry.

       (Mark 11:13 NCV)  Seeing a fig tree in leaf from far away, he went to 
       see if it had any figs on it. But he found no figs, only leaves, 
       because it was not the right season for figs.

       (Mark 11:14 NCV)  So Jesus said to the tree, "May no one ever eat 
       fruit from you again." And Jesus' followers heard him say this.

       (Mark 11:15 NCV)  When Jesus returned to Jerusalem, he went into the 
       Temple and began to throw out those who were buying and selling there. 
       He turned over the tables of those who were exchanging different kinds 
       of money, and he upset the benches of those who were selling doves.

       (Mark 11:16 NCV)  Jesus refused to allow anyone to carry goods through 
       the Temple courts.

       (Mark 11:17 NCV)  Then he taught the people, saying, "It is written in 
       the Scriptures, 'My Temple will be called a house for prayer for 
       people from all nations.' But you are changing God's house into a 
       'hideout for robbers.'"

       (Mark 11:18 NCV)  The leading priests and the teachers of the law 
       heard all this and began trying to find a way to kill Jesus. They were 
       afraid of him, because all the people were amazed at his teaching.

       (Mark 11:19 NCV)  That evening, Jesus and his followers left the city.

       (Mark 11:20 NCV)  The next morning as Jesus was passing by with his 
       followers, they saw the fig tree dry and dead, even to the roots.

       (Mark 11:21 NCV)  Peter remembered the tree and said to Jesus, 
       "Teacher, look! The fig tree you cursed is dry and dead!"

       (Mark 11:22 NCV)  Jesus answered, "Have faith in God.

       (Mark 11:23 NCV)  I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, 
       'Go, fall into the sea.' And if you have no doubts in your mind and 
       believe that what you say will happen, God will do it for you.

       (Mark 11:24 NCV)  So I tell you to believe that you have received the 
       things you ask for in prayer, and God will give them to you.

       (Mark 11:25 NCV)  When you are praying, if you are angry with someone, 
       forgive him so that your Father in heaven will also forgive your 
       sins."

       (Mark 11:26 NCV)  

       (Mark 11:27 NCV)  Jesus and his followers went again to Jerusalem. As 
       Jesus was walking in the Temple, the leading priests, the teachers of 
       the law, and the older leaders came to him.





       (Mark 11:28 NCV)  They said to him, "What authority do you have to do 
       these things? Who gave you this authority?"

       (Mark 11:29 NCV)  Jesus answered, "I will ask you one question. If you 
       answer me, I will tell you what authority I have to do these things.

       (Mark 11:30 NCV)  Tell me: When John baptized people, was that 
       authority from God or just from other people?"

       (Mark 11:31 NCV)  They argued about Jesus' question, saying, "If we 
       answer, 'John's baptism was from God,' Jesus will say, 'Then why 
       didn't you believe him?'

       (Mark 11:32 NCV)  But if we say, 'It was from other people,' the crowd 
       will be against us." (These leaders were afraid of the people, because 
       all the people believed that John was a prophet.)

       (Mark 11:33 NCV)  So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Jesus said 
       to them, "Then I won't tell you what authority I have to do these 
       things."

       (Mark 12:1 NCV)  Jesus began to use stories to teach the people. He 
       said, "A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it and dug a 
       hole for a winepress and built a tower. Then he leased the land to 
       some farmers and left for a trip.

       (Mark 12:2 NCV)  When it was time for the grapes to be picked, he sent 
       a servant to the farmers to get his share of the grapes.

       (Mark 12:3 NCV)  But the farmers grabbed the servant and beat him and 
       sent him away empty-handed.

       (Mark 12:4 NCV)  Then the man sent another servant. They hit him on 
       the head and showed no respect for him.

       (Mark 12:5 NCV)  So the man sent another servant, whom they killed. 
       The man sent many other servants; the farmers beat some of them and 
       killed others.

       (Mark 12:6 NCV)  "The man had one person left to send, his son whom he 
       loved. He sent him last of all, saying, 'They will respect my son.'

       (Mark 12:7 NCV)  "But the farmers said to each other, 'This son will 
       inherit the vineyard. If we kill him, it will be ours.'

       (Mark 12:8 NCV)  So they took the son, killed him, and threw him out 
       of the vineyard.

       (Mark 12:9 NCV)  "So what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will 
       come and kill those farmers and will give the vineyard to other 
       farmers.

       (Mark 12:10 NCV)  Surely you have read this Scripture: 'The stone that 
       the builders rejected became the cornerstone.

       (Mark 12:11 NCV)  The Lord did this, and it is wonderful to us.'"






       (Mark 12:12 NCV)  The Jewish leaders knew that the story was about 
       them. So they wanted to find a way to arrest Jesus, but they were 
       afraid of the people. So the leaders left him and went away.

       (Mark 12:13 NCV)  Later, the Jewish leaders sent some Pharisees and 
       Herodians to Jesus to trap him in saying something wrong.

       (Mark 12:14 NCV)  They came to him and said, "Teacher, we know that 
       you are an honest man. You are not afraid of what other people think 
       about you, because you pay no attention to who they are. And you teach 
       the truth about God's way. Tell us: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar 
       or not?

       (Mark 12:15 NCV)  Should we pay them, or not?" But knowing what these 
       men were really trying to do, Jesus said to them, "Why are you trying 
       to trap me? Bring me a coin to look at."

       (Mark 12:16 NCV)  They gave Jesus a coin, and he asked, "Whose image 
       and name are on the coin?" They answered, "Caesar's."

       (Mark 12:17 NCV)  Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar the things 
       that are Caesar's, and give to God the things that are God's." The men 
       were amazed at what Jesus said.

       (Mark 12:18 NCV)  Then some Sadducees came to Jesus and asked him a 
       question. (Sadducees believed that people would not rise from the 
       dead.)

       (Mark 12:19 NCV)  They said, "Teacher, Moses wrote that if a man's 
       brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, then that man must marry 
       the widow and have children for his brother.

       (Mark 12:20 NCV)  Once there were seven brothers. The first brother 
       married and died, leaving no children.

       (Mark 12:21 NCV)  So the second brother married the widow, but he also 
       died and had no children. The same thing happened with the third 
       brother.

       (Mark 12:22 NCV)  All seven brothers married her and died, and none of 
       the brothers had any children. Finally the woman died too.

       (Mark 12:23 NCV)  Since all seven brothers had married her, when 
       people rise from the dead, whose wife will she be?"

       (Mark 12:24 NCV)  Jesus answered, "Why don't you understand? Don't you 
       know what the Scriptures say, and don't you know about the power of 
       God?

       (Mark 12:25 NCV)  When people rise from the dead, they will not marry, 
       nor will they be given to someone to marry. They will be like the 
       angels in heaven.

       (Mark 12:26 NCV)  Surely you have read what God said about people 
       rising from the dead. In the book in which Moses wrote about the 





       burning bush, it says that God told Moses, 'I am the God of Abraham, 
       the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'

       (Mark 12:27 NCV)  God is the God of the living, not the dead. You 
       Sadducees are wrong!"

       (Mark 12:28 NCV)  One of the teachers of the law came and heard Jesus 
       arguing with the Sadducees. Seeing that Jesus gave good answers to 
       their questions, he asked Jesus, "Which of the commands is most 
       important?"

       (Mark 12:29 NCV)  Jesus answered, "The most important command is this: 
       'Listen, people of Israel! The Lord our God is the only Lord.

       (Mark 12:30 NCV)  Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your 
       soul, all your mind, and all your strength.'

       (Mark 12:31 NCV)  The second command is this: 'Love your neighbor as 
       you love yourself.' There are no commands more important than these."

       (Mark 12:32 NCV)  The man answered, "That was a good answer, Teacher. 
       You were right when you said God is the only Lord and there is no 
       other God besides him.

       (Mark 12:33 NCV)  One must love God with all his heart, all his mind, 
       and all his strength. And one must love his neighbor as he loves 
       himself. These commands are more important than all the animals and 
       sacrifices we offer to God."

       (Mark 12:34 NCV)  When Jesus saw that the man answered him wisely, 
       Jesus said to him, "You are close to the kingdom of God." And after 
       that, no one was brave enough to ask Jesus any more questions.

       (Mark 12:35 NCV)  As Jesus was teaching in the Temple, he asked, "Why 
       do the teachers of the law say that the Christ is the son of David?

       (Mark 12:36 NCV)  David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, said: 
       'The Lord said to my Lord: Sit by me at my right side, until I put 
       your enemies under your control.'

       (Mark 12:37 NCV)  David himself calls the Christ 'Lord,' so how can 
       the Christ be his son?" The large crowd listened to Jesus with 
       pleasure.

       (Mark 12:38 NCV)  Jesus continued teaching and said, "Beware of the 
       teachers of the law. They like to walk around wearing fancy clothes, 
       and they love for people to greet them with respect in the 
       marketplaces.

       (Mark 12:39 NCV)  They love to have the most important seats in the 
       synagogues and at feasts.

       (Mark 12:40 NCV)  But they cheat widows and steal their houses and 
       then try to make themselves look good by saying long prayers. They 
       will receive a greater punishment."





       (Mark 12:41 NCV)  Jesus sat near the Temple money box and watched the 
       people put in their money. Many rich people gave large sums of money.

       (Mark 12:42 NCV)  Then a poor widow came and put in two small copper 
       coins, which were only worth a few cents.

       (Mark 12:43 NCV)  Calling his followers to him, Jesus said, "I tell 
       you the truth, this poor widow gave more than all those rich people.

       (Mark 12:44 NCV)  They gave only what they did not need. This woman is 
       very poor, but she gave all she had; she gave all she had to live on."

       (Mark 13:1 NCV)  As Jesus was leaving the Temple, one of his followers 
       said to him, "Look, Teacher! How beautiful the buildings are! How big 
       the stones are!"

       (Mark 13:2 NCV)  Jesus said, "Do you see all these great buildings? 
       Not one stone will be left on another. Every stone will be thrown down 
       to the ground."

       (Mark 13:3 NCV)  Later, as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, 
       opposite the Temple, he was alone with Peter, James, John, and Andrew. 
       They asked Jesus,

       (Mark 13:4 NCV)  "Tell us, when will these things happen? And what 
       will be the sign that they are going to happen?"

       (Mark 13:5 NCV)  Jesus began to answer them, "Be careful that no one 
       fools you.

       (Mark 13:6 NCV)  Many people will come in my name, saying, 'I am the 
       One,' and they will fool many people.

       (Mark 13:7 NCV)  When you hear about wars and stories of wars that are 
       coming, don't be afraid. These things must happen before the end 
       comes.

       (Mark 13:8 NCV)  Nations will fight against other nations, and 
       kingdoms against other kingdoms. There will be earthquakes in 
       different places, and there will be times when there is no food for 
       people to eat. These things are like the first pains when something 
       new is about to be born.

       (Mark 13:9 NCV)  "You must be careful. People will arrest you and take 
       you to court and beat you in their synagogues. You will be forced to 
       stand before kings and governors, to tell them about me. This will 
       happen to you because you follow me.

       (Mark 13:10 NCV)  But before these things happen, the Good News must 
       be told to all people.

       (Mark 13:11 NCV)  When you are arrested and judged, don't worry ahead 
       of time about what you should say. Say whatever is given you to say at 
       that time, because it will not really be you speaking; it will be the 
       Holy Spirit.





       (Mark 13:12 NCV)  "Brothers will give their own brothers to be killed, 
       and fathers will give their own children to be killed. Children will 
       fight against their own parents and cause them to be put to death.

       (Mark 13:13 NCV)  All people will hate you because you follow me, but 
       those people who keep their faith until the end will be saved.

       (Mark 13:14 NCV)  "You will see 'the destroying terror' standing where 
       it should not be." (You who read this should understand what it 
       means.) "At that time, the people in Judea should run away to the 
       mountains.

       (Mark 13:15 NCV)  If people are on the roofs of their houses, they 
       must not go down or go inside to get anything out of their houses.

       (Mark 13:16 NCV)  If people are in the fields, they must not go back 
       to get their coats.

       (Mark 13:17 NCV)  At that time, how terrible it will be for women who 
       are pregnant or have nursing babies!

       (Mark 13:18 NCV)  Pray that these things will not happen in winter,

       (Mark 13:19 NCV)  because those days will be full of trouble. There 
       will be more trouble than there has ever been since the beginning, 
       when God made the world, until now, and nothing as bad will ever 
       happen again.

       (Mark 13:20 NCV)  God has decided to make that terrible time short. 
       Otherwise, no one would go on living. But God will make that time 
       short to help the people he has chosen.

       (Mark 13:21 NCV)  At that time, someone might say to you, 'Look, there 
       is the Christ!' Or another person might say, 'There he is!' But don't 
       believe them.

       (Mark 13:22 NCV)  False Christs and false prophets will come and 
       perform great wonders and miracles. They will try to fool even the 
       people God has chosen, if that is possible.

       (Mark 13:23 NCV)  So be careful. I have warned you about all this 
       before it happens.

       (Mark 13:24 NCV)  "During the days after this trouble comes, 'the sun 
       will grow dark, and the moon will not give its light.

       (Mark 13:25 NCV)  The stars will fall from the sky. And the powers of 
       the heavens will be shaken.'

       (Mark 13:26 NCV)  "Then people will see the Son of Man coming in 
       clouds with great power and glory.

       (Mark 13:27 NCV)  Then he will send his angels all around the earth to 
       gather his chosen people from every part of the earth and from every 
       part of heaven.





       (Mark 13:28 NCV)  "Learn a lesson from the fig tree: When its branches 
       become green and soft and new leaves appear, you know summer is near.

       (Mark 13:29 NCV)  In the same way, when you see these things 
       happening, you will know that the time is near, ready to come.

       (Mark 13:30 NCV)  I tell you the truth, all these things will happen 
       while the people of this time are still living.

       (Mark 13:31 NCV)  Earth and sky will be destroyed, but the words I 
       have said will never be destroyed.

       (Mark 13:32 NCV)  "No one knows when that day or time will be, not the 
       angels in heaven, not even the Son. Only the Father knows.

       (Mark 13:33 NCV)  Be careful! Always be ready, because you don't know 
       when that time will be.

       (Mark 13:34 NCV)  It is like a man who goes on a trip. He leaves his 
       house and lets his servants take care of it, giving each one a special 
       job to do. The man tells the servant guarding the door always to be 
       watchful.

       (Mark 13:35 NCV)  So always be ready, because you don't know when the 
       owner of the house will come back. It might be in the evening, or at 
       midnight, or in the morning while it is still dark, or when the sun 
       rises.

       (Mark 13:36 NCV)  Always be ready. Otherwise he might come back 
       suddenly and find you sleeping.

       (Mark 13:37 NCV)  I tell you this, and I say this to everyone: 'Be 
       ready!'"

       (Mark 14:1 NCV)  It was now only two days before the Passover and the 
       Feast of Unleavened Bread. The leading priests and teachers of the law 
       were trying to find a trick to arrest Jesus and kill him.

       (Mark 14:2 NCV)  But they said, "We must not do it during the feast, 
       because the people might cause a riot."

       (Mark 14:3 NCV)  Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon, who had a 
       skin disease. While Jesus was eating there, a woman approached him 
       with an alabaster jar filled with very expensive perfume, made of pure 
       nard. She opened the jar and poured the perfume on Jesus' head.

       (Mark 14:4 NCV)  Some who were there became upset and said to each 
       other, "Why waste that perfume?

       (Mark 14:5 NCV)  It was worth a full year's work. It could have been 
       sold and the money given to the poor." And they got very angry with 
       the woman.

       (Mark 14:6 NCV)  Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Why are you troubling 
       her? She did an excellent thing for me.





       (Mark 14:7 NCV)  You will always have the poor with you, and you can 
       help them anytime you want. But you will not always have me.

       (Mark 14:8 NCV)  This woman did the only thing she could do for me; 
       she poured perfume on my body to prepare me for burial.

       (Mark 14:9 NCV)  I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is 
       preached in all the world, what this woman has done will be told, and 
       people will remember her."

       (Mark 14:10 NCV)  One of the twelve apostles, Judas Iscariot, went to 
       talk to the leading priests to offer to hand Jesus over to them.

       (Mark 14:11 NCV)  These priests were pleased about this and promised 
       to pay Judas money. So he watched for the best time to turn Jesus in.

       (Mark 14:12 NCV)  It was now the first day of the Feast of Unleavened 
       Bread when the Passover lamb was sacrificed. Jesus' followers said to 
       him, "Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the 
       Passover meal?"

       (Mark 14:13 NCV)  Jesus sent two of his followers and said to them, 
       "Go into the city and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. 
       Follow him.

       (Mark 14:14 NCV)  When he goes into a house, tell the owner of the 
       house, 'The Teacher says: Where is my guest room in which I can eat 
       the Passover meal with my followers?'

       (Mark 14:15 NCV)  The owner will show you a large room upstairs that 
       is furnished and ready. Prepare the food for us there."

       (Mark 14:16 NCV)  So the followers left and went into the city. 
       Everything happened as Jesus had said, so they prepared the Passover 
       meal.

       (Mark 14:17 NCV)  In the evening, Jesus went to that house with the 
       twelve.

       (Mark 14:18 NCV)  While they were all eating, Jesus said, "I tell you 
       the truth, one of you will turn against me--one of you eating with me 
       now."

       (Mark 14:19 NCV)  The followers were very sad to hear this. Each one 
       began to say to Jesus, "I am not the one, am I?"

       (Mark 14:20 NCV)  Jesus answered, "It is one of the twelve--the one 
       who dips his bread into the bowl with me.

       (Mark 14:21 NCV)  The Son of Man will die, just as the Scriptures say. 
       But how terrible it will be for the person who hands the Son of Man 
       over to be killed. It would be better for him if he had never been 
       born."

       (Mark 14:22 NCV)  While they were eating, Jesus took some bread and 
       thanked God for it and broke it. Then he gave it to his followers and 





       said, "Take it; this is my body."

       (Mark 14:23 NCV)  Then Jesus took a cup and thanked God for it and 
       gave it to the followers, and they all drank from the cup.

       (Mark 14:24 NCV)  Then Jesus said, "This is my blood which is the new 
       agreement that God makes with his people. This blood is poured out for 
       many.

       (Mark 14:25 NCV)  I tell you the truth, I will not drink of this fruit 
       of the vine again until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of 
       God."

       (Mark 14:26 NCV)  After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of 
       Olives.

       (Mark 14:27 NCV)  Then Jesus told the followers, "You will all stumble 
       in your faith, because it is written in the Scriptures: 'I will kill 
       the shepherd, and the sheep will scatter.'

       (Mark 14:28 NCV)  But after I rise from the dead, I will go ahead of 
       you into Galilee."

       (Mark 14:29 NCV)  Peter said, "Everyone else may stumble in their 
       faith, but I will not."

       (Mark 14:30 NCV)  Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, tonight 
       before the rooster crows twice you will say three times you don't know 
       me."

       (Mark 14:31 NCV)  But Peter insisted, "I will never say that I don't 
       know you! I will even die with you!" And all the other followers said 
       the same thing.

       (Mark 14:32 NCV)  Jesus and his followers went to a place called 
       Gethsemane. He said to them, "Sit here while I pray."

       (Mark 14:33 NCV)  Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him, and he 
       began to be very sad and troubled.

       (Mark 14:34 NCV)  He said to them, "My heart is full of sorrow, to the 
       point of death. Stay here and watch."

       (Mark 14:35 NCV)  After walking a little farther away from them, Jesus 
       fell to the ground and prayed that, if possible, he would not have 
       this time of suffering.

       (Mark 14:36 NCV)  He prayed, "Abba, Father! You can do all things. 
       Take away this cup of suffering. But do what you want, not what I 
       want."

       (Mark 14:37 NCV)  Then Jesus went back to his followers and found them 
       asleep. He said to Peter, "Simon, are you sleeping? Couldn't you stay 
       awake with me for one hour?

       (Mark 14:38 NCV)  Stay awake and pray for strength against temptation. 





       The spirit wants to do what is right, but the body is weak."

       (Mark 14:39 NCV)  Again Jesus went away and prayed the same thing.

       (Mark 14:40 NCV)  Then he went back to his followers, and again he 
       found them asleep, because their eyes were very heavy. And they did 
       not know what to say to him.

       (Mark 14:41 NCV)  After Jesus prayed a third time, he went back to his 
       followers and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? 
       That's enough. The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over 
       to sinful people.

       (Mark 14:42 NCV)  Get up, we must go. Look, here comes the man who has 
       turned against me."

       (Mark 14:43 NCV)  At once, while Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one 
       of the twelve apostles, came up. With him were many people carrying 
       swords and clubs who had been sent from the leading priests, the 
       teachers of the law, and the older Jewish leaders.

       (Mark 14:44 NCV)  Judas had planned a signal for them, saying, "The 
       man I kiss is Jesus. Arrest him and guard him while you lead him 
       away."

       (Mark 14:45 NCV)  So Judas went straight to Jesus and said, "Teacher!" 
       and kissed him.

       (Mark 14:46 NCV)  Then the people grabbed Jesus and arrested him.

       (Mark 14:47 NCV)  One of his followers standing nearby pulled out his 
       sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.

       (Mark 14:48 NCV)  Then Jesus said, "You came to get me with swords and 
       clubs as if I were a criminal.

       (Mark 14:49 NCV)  Every day I was with you teaching in the Temple, and 
       you did not arrest me there. But all these things have happened to 
       make the Scriptures come true."

       (Mark 14:50 NCV)  Then all of Jesus' followers left him and ran away.

       (Mark 14:51 NCV)  A young man, wearing only a linen cloth, was 
       following Jesus, and the people also grabbed him.

       (Mark 14:52 NCV)  But the cloth he was wearing came off, and he ran 
       away naked.

       (Mark 14:53 NCV)  The people who arrested Jesus led him to the house 
       of the high priest, where all the leading priests, the older Jewish 
       leaders, and the teachers of the law were gathered.

       (Mark 14:54 NCV)  Peter followed far behind and entered the courtyard 
       of the high priest's house. There he sat with the guards, warming 
       himself by the fire.





       (Mark 14:55 NCV)  The leading priests and the whole Jewish council 
       tried to find something that Jesus had done wrong so they could kill 
       him. But the council could find no proof of anything.

       (Mark 14:56 NCV)  Many people came and told false things about him, 
       but all said different things--none of them agreed.

       (Mark 14:57 NCV)  Then some people stood up and lied about Jesus, 
       saying,

       (Mark 14:58 NCV)  "We heard this man say, 'I will destroy this Temple 
       that people made. And three days later, I will build another Temple 
       not made by people.'"

       (Mark 14:59 NCV)  But even the things these people said did not agree.

       (Mark 14:60 NCV)  Then the high priest stood before them and asked 
       Jesus, "Aren't you going to answer? Don't you have something to say 
       about their charges against you?"

       (Mark 14:61 NCV)  But Jesus said nothing; he did not answer. The high 
       priest asked Jesus another question: "Are you the Christ, the Son of 
       the blessed God?"

       (Mark 14:62 NCV)  Jesus answered, "I am. And in the future you will 
       see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of God, the Powerful One, 
       and coming on clouds in the sky."

       (Mark 14:63 NCV)  When the high priest heard this, he tore his clothes 
       and said, "We don't need any more witnesses!

       (Mark 14:64 NCV)  You all heard him say these things against God. What 
       do you think?" They all said that Jesus was guilty and should die.

       (Mark 14:65 NCV)  Some of the people there began to spit at Jesus. 
       They blindfolded him and beat him with their fists and said, "Prove 
       you are a prophet!" Then the guards led Jesus away and beat him.

       (Mark 14:66 NCV)  While Peter was in the courtyard, a servant girl of 
       the high priest came there.

       (Mark 14:67 NCV)  She saw Peter warming himself at the fire and looked 
       closely at him. Then she said, "You also were with Jesus, that man 
       from Nazareth."

       (Mark 14:68 NCV)  But Peter said that he was never with Jesus. He 
       said, "I don't know or understand what you are talking about." Then 
       Peter left and went toward the entrance of the courtyard. And the 
       rooster crowed.

       (Mark 14:69 NCV)  The servant girl saw Peter there, and again she said 
       to the people who were standing nearby, "This man is one of those who 
       followed Jesus."

       (Mark 14:70 NCV)  Again Peter said that it was not true. A short time 
       later, some people were standing near Peter saying, "Surely you are 





       one of those who followed Jesus, because you are from Galilee, too."

       (Mark 14:71 NCV)  Then Peter began to place a curse on himself and 
       swear, "I don't know this man you're talking about!"

       (Mark 14:72 NCV)  At once, the rooster crowed the second time. Then 
       Peter remembered what Jesus had told him: "Before the rooster crows 
       twice, you will say three times that you don't know me." Then Peter 
       lost control of himself and began to cry.

       (Mark 15:1 NCV)  Very early in the morning, the leading priests, the 
       older leaders, the teachers of the law, and all the Jewish council 
       decided what to do with Jesus. They tied him, led him away, and turned 
       him over to Pilate, the governor.

       (Mark 15:2 NCV)  Pilate asked Jesus, "Are you the king of the Jews?" 
       Jesus answered, "Those are your words."

       (Mark 15:3 NCV)  The leading priests accused Jesus of many things.

       (Mark 15:4 NCV)  So Pilate asked Jesus another question, "You can see 
       that they are accusing you of many things. Aren't you going to 
       answer?"

       (Mark 15:5 NCV)  But Jesus still said nothing, so Pilate was very 
       surprised.

       (Mark 15:6 NCV)  Every year at the time of the Passover the governor 
       would free one prisoner whom the people chose.

       (Mark 15:7 NCV)  At that time, there was a man named Barabbas in 
       prison who was a rebel and had committed murder during a riot.

       (Mark 15:8 NCV)  The crowd came to Pilate and began to ask him to free 
       a prisoner as he always did.

       (Mark 15:9 NCV)  So Pilate asked them, "Do you want me to free the 
       king of the Jews?"

       (Mark 15:10 NCV)  Pilate knew that the leading priests had turned 
       Jesus in to him because they were jealous.

       (Mark 15:11 NCV)  But the leading priests had persuaded the people to 
       ask Pilate to free Barabbas, not Jesus.

       (Mark 15:12 NCV)  Then Pilate asked the crowd again, "So what should I 
       do with this man you call the king of the Jews?"

       (Mark 15:13 NCV)  They shouted, "Crucify him!"

       (Mark 15:14 NCV)  Pilate asked, "Why? What wrong has he done?" But 
       they shouted even louder, "Crucify him!"

       (Mark 15:15 NCV)  Pilate wanted to please the crowd, so he freed 
       Barabbas for them. After having Jesus beaten with whips, he handed 
       Jesus over to the soldiers to be crucified.






       (Mark 15:16 NCV)  The soldiers took Jesus into the governor's palace 
       (called the Praetorium) and called all the other soldiers together.

       (Mark 15:17 NCV)  They put a purple robe on Jesus and used thorny 
       branches to make a crown for his head.

       (Mark 15:18 NCV)  They began to call out to him, "Hail, King of the 
       Jews!"

       (Mark 15:19 NCV)  The soldiers beat Jesus on the head many times with 
       a stick. They spit on him and made fun of him by bowing on their knees 
       and worshiping him.

       (Mark 15:20 NCV)  After they finished, the soldiers took off the 
       purple robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him 
       out of the palace to be crucified.

       (Mark 15:21 NCV)  A man named Simon from Cyrene, the father of 
       Alexander and Rufus, was coming from the fields to the city. The 
       soldiers forced Simon to carry the cross for Jesus.

       (Mark 15:22 NCV)  They led Jesus to the place called Golgotha, which 
       means the Place of the Skull.

       (Mark 15:23 NCV)  The soldiers tried to give Jesus wine mixed with 
       myrrh to drink, but he refused.

       (Mark 15:24 NCV)  The soldiers crucified Jesus and divided his clothes 
       among themselves, throwing lots to decide what each soldier would get.

       (Mark 15:25 NCV)  It was nine o'clock in the morning when they 
       crucified Jesus.

       (Mark 15:26 NCV)  There was a sign with this charge against Jesus 
       written on it: THE KING OF THE JEWS.

       (Mark 15:27 NCV)  They also put two robbers on crosses beside Jesus, 
       one on the right, and the other on the left.

       (Mark 15:28 NCV)  

       (Mark 15:29 NCV)  People walked by and insulted Jesus and shook their 
       heads, saying, "You said you could destroy the Temple and build it 
       again in three days.

       (Mark 15:30 NCV)  So save yourself! Come down from that cross!"

       (Mark 15:31 NCV)  The leading priests and the teachers of the law were 
       also making fun of Jesus. They said to each other, "He saved other 
       people, but he can't save himself.

       (Mark 15:32 NCV)  If he is really the Christ, the king of Israel, let 
       him come down now from the cross. When we see this, we will believe in 
       him." The robbers who were being crucified beside Jesus also insulted 
       him.






       (Mark 15:33 NCV)  At noon the whole country became dark, and the 
       darkness lasted for three hours.

       (Mark 15:34 NCV)  At three o'clock Jesus cried in a loud voice, "Eloi, 
       Eloi, lama sabachthani." This means, "My God, my God, why have you 
       rejected me?"

       (Mark 15:35 NCV)  When some of the people standing there heard this, 
       they said, "Listen! He is calling Elijah."

       (Mark 15:36 NCV)  Someone there ran and got a sponge, filled it with 
       vinegar, tied it to a stick, and gave it to Jesus to drink. He said, 
       "We want to see if Elijah will come to take him down from the cross."

       (Mark 15:37 NCV)  Then Jesus cried in a loud voice and died.

       (Mark 15:38 NCV)  The curtain in the Temple was torn into two pieces, 
       from the top to the bottom.

       (Mark 15:39 NCV)  When the army officer who was standing in front of 
       the cross saw what happened when Jesus died, he said, "This man really 
       was the Son of God!"

       (Mark 15:40 NCV)  Some women were standing at a distance from the 
       cross, watching; among them were Mary Magdalene, Salome, and Mary the 
       mother of James and Joseph. (James was her youngest son.)

       (Mark 15:41 NCV)  These women had followed Jesus in Galilee and helped 
       him. Many other women were also there who had come with Jesus to 
       Jerusalem.

       (Mark 15:42 NCV)  This was Preparation Day. (That means the day before 
       the Sabbath day.) That evening,

       (Mark 15:43 NCV)  Joseph from Arimathea was brave enough to go to 
       Pilate and ask for Jesus' body. Joseph, an important member of the 
       Jewish council, was one of the people who was waiting for the kingdom 
       of God to come.

       (Mark 15:44 NCV)  Pilate was amazed that Jesus would have already 
       died, so he called the army officer who had guarded Jesus and asked 
       him if Jesus had already died.

       (Mark 15:45 NCV)  The officer told Pilate that he was dead, so Pilate 
       told Joseph he could have the body.

       (Mark 15:46 NCV)  Joseph bought some linen cloth, took the body down 
       from the cross, and wrapped it in the linen. He put the body in a tomb 
       that was cut out of a wall of rock. Then he rolled a very large stone 
       to block the entrance of the tomb.

       (Mark 15:47 NCV)  And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw 
       the place where Jesus was laid.

       (Mark 16:1 NCV)  The day after the Sabbath day, Mary Magdalene, Mary 





       the mother of James, and Salome bought some sweet-smelling spices to 
       put on Jesus' body.

       (Mark 16:2 NCV)  Very early on that day, the first day of the week, 
       soon after sunrise, the women were on their way to the tomb.

       (Mark 16:3 NCV)  They said to each other, "Who will roll away for us 
       the stone that covers the entrance of the tomb?"

       (Mark 16:4 NCV)  Then the women looked and saw that the stone had 
       already been rolled away, even though it was very large.

       (Mark 16:5 NCV)  The women entered the tomb and saw a young man 
       wearing a white robe and sitting on the right side, and they were 
       afraid.

       (Mark 16:6 NCV)  But the man said, "Don't be afraid. You are looking 
       for Jesus from Nazareth, who has been crucified. He has risen from the 
       dead; he is not here. Look, here is the place they laid him.

       (Mark 16:7 NCV)  Now go and tell his followers and Peter, 'Jesus is 
       going into Galilee ahead of you, and you will see him there as he told 
       you before.'"

       (Mark 16:8 NCV)  The women were confused and shaking with fear, so 
       they left the tomb and ran away. They did not tell anyone about what 
       happened, because they were afraid.

       (Mark 16:9 NCV)  After Jesus rose from the dead early on the first day 
       of the week, he showed himself first to Mary Magdalene. One time in 
       the past, he had forced seven demons out of her.

       (Mark 16:10 NCV)  After Mary saw Jesus, she went and told his 
       followers, who were very sad and were crying.

       (Mark 16:11 NCV)  But Mary told them that Jesus was alive. She said 
       that she had seen him, but the followers did not believe her.

       (Mark 16:12 NCV)  Later, Jesus showed himself to two of his followers 
       while they were walking in the country, but he did not look the same 
       as before.

       (Mark 16:13 NCV)  These followers went back to the others and told 
       them what had happened, but again, the followers did not believe them.

       (Mark 16:14 NCV)  Later Jesus showed himself to the eleven apostles 
       while they were eating, and he criticized them because they had no 
       faith. They were stubborn and refused to believe those who had seen 
       him after he had risen from the dead.

       (Mark 16:15 NCV)  Jesus said to his followers, "Go everywhere in the 
       world, and tell the Good News to everyone.

       (Mark 16:16 NCV)  Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved, 
       but anyone who does not believe will be punished.





       (Mark 16:17 NCV)  And those who believe will be able to do these 
       things as proof: They will use my name to force out demons. They will 
       speak in new languages.

       (Mark 16:18 NCV)  They will pick up snakes and drink poison without 
       being hurt. They will touch the sick, and the sick will be healed."

       (Mark 16:19 NCV)  After the Lord Jesus said these things to his 
       followers, he was carried up into heaven, and he sat at the right side 
       of God.

       (Mark 16:20 NCV)  The followers went everywhere in the world and told 
       the Good News to people, and the Lord helped them. The Lord proved 
       that the Good News they told was true by giving them power to work 
       miracles.

       (Luke 1:1 NCV)  Many have tried to report on the things that happened 
       among us.

       (Luke 1:2 NCV)  They have written the same things that we learned from 
       others--the people who saw those things from the beginning and served 
       God by telling people his message.

       (Luke 1:3 NCV)  Since I myself have studied everything carefully from 
       the beginning, most excellent Theophilus, it seemed good for me to 
       write it out for you. I arranged it in order

       (Luke 1:4 NCV)  to help you know that what you have been taught is 
       true.

       (Luke 1:5 NCV)  During the time Herod ruled Judea, there was a priest 
       named Zechariah who belonged to Abijah's group. Zechariah's wife, 
       Elizabeth, came from the family of Aaron.

       (Luke 1:6 NCV)  Zechariah and Elizabeth truly did what God said was 
       good. They did everything the Lord commanded and were without fault in 
       keeping his law.

       (Luke 1:7 NCV)  But they had no children, because Elizabeth could not 
       have a baby, and both of them were very old.

       (Luke 1:8 NCV)  One day Zechariah was serving as a priest before God, 
       because his group was on duty.

       (Luke 1:9 NCV)  According to the custom of the priests, he was chosen 
       by lot to go into the Temple of the Lord and burn incense.

       (Luke 1:10 NCV)  There were a great many people outside praying at the 
       time the incense was offered.

       (Luke 1:11 NCV)  Then an angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah, 
       standing on the right side of the incense table.

       (Luke 1:12 NCV)  When he saw the angel, Zechariah was startled and 
       frightened.





       (Luke 1:13 NCV)  But the angel said to him, "Zechariah, don't be 
       afraid. God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give 
       birth to a son, and you will name him John.

       (Luke 1:14 NCV)  He will bring you joy and gladness, and many people 
       will be happy because of his birth.

       (Luke 1:15 NCV)  John will be a great man for the Lord. He will never 
       drink wine or beer, and even from birth, he will be filled with the 
       Holy Spirit.

       (Luke 1:16 NCV)  He will help many people of Israel return to the Lord 
       their God.

       (Luke 1:17 NCV)  He will go before the Lord in spirit and power like 
       Elijah. He will make peace between parents and their children and will 
       bring those who are not obeying God back to the right way of thinking, 
       to make a people ready for the coming of the Lord."

       (Luke 1:18 NCV)  Zechariah said to the angel, "How can I know that 
       what you say is true? I am an old man, and my wife is old, too."

       (Luke 1:19 NCV)  The angel answered him, "I am Gabriel. I stand before 
       God, who sent me to talk to you and to tell you this good news.

       (Luke 1:20 NCV)  Now, listen! You will not be able to speak until the 
       day these things happen, because you did not believe what I told you. 
       But they will really happen."

       (Luke 1:21 NCV)  Outside, the people were still waiting for Zechariah 
       and were surprised that he was staying so long in the Temple.

       (Luke 1:22 NCV)  When Zechariah came outside, he could not speak to 
       them, and they knew he had seen a vision in the Temple. He could only 
       make signs to them and remained unable to speak.

       (Luke 1:23 NCV)  When his time of service at the Temple was finished, 
       he went home.

       (Luke 1:24 NCV)  Later, Zechariah's wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant 
       and did not go out of her house for five months. Elizabeth said,

       (Luke 1:25 NCV)  "Look what the Lord has done for me! My people were 
       ashamed of me, but now the Lord has taken away that shame."

       (Luke 1:26 NCV)  During Elizabeth's sixth month of pregnancy, God sent 
       the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,

       (Luke 1:27 NCV)  to a virgin. She was engaged to marry a man named 
       Joseph from the family of David. Her name was Mary.

       (Luke 1:28 NCV)  The angel came to her and said, "Greetings! The Lord 
       has blessed you and is with you."

       (Luke 1:29 NCV)  But Mary was very startled by what the angel said and 
       wondered what this greeting might mean.






       (Luke 1:30 NCV)  The angel said to her, "Don't be afraid, Mary; God 
       has shown you his grace.

       (Luke 1:31 NCV)  Listen! You will become pregnant and give birth to a 
       son, and you will name him Jesus.

       (Luke 1:32 NCV)  He will be great and will be called the Son of the 
       Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of King David, his 
       ancestor.

       (Luke 1:33 NCV)  He will rule over the people of Jacob forever, and 
       his kingdom will never end."

       (Luke 1:34 NCV)  Mary said to the angel, "How will this happen since I 
       am a virgin?"

       (Luke 1:35 NCV)  The angel said to Mary, "The Holy Spirit will come 
       upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover you. For this 
       reason the baby will be holy and will be called the Son of God.

       (Luke 1:36 NCV)  Now Elizabeth, your relative, is also pregnant with a 
       son though she is very old. Everyone thought she could not have a 
       baby, but she has been pregnant for six months.

       (Luke 1:37 NCV)  God can do anything!"

       (Luke 1:38 NCV)  Mary said, "I am the servant of the Lord. Let this 
       happen to me as you say!" Then the angel went away.

       (Luke 1:39 NCV)  Mary got up and went quickly to a town in the hills 
       of Judea.

       (Luke 1:40 NCV)  She came to Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth.

       (Luke 1:41 NCV)  When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the unborn baby 
       inside her jumped, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

       (Luke 1:42 NCV)  She cried out in a loud voice, "God has blessed you 
       more than any other woman, and he has blessed the baby to which you 
       will give birth.

       (Luke 1:43 NCV)  Why has this good thing happened to me, that the 
       mother of my Lord comes to me?

       (Luke 1:44 NCV)  When I heard your voice, the baby inside me jumped 
       with joy.

       (Luke 1:45 NCV)  You are blessed because you believed that what the 
       Lord said to you would really happen."

       (Luke 1:46 NCV)  Then Mary said, "My soul praises the Lord;

       (Luke 1:47 NCV)  my heart rejoices in God my Savior,

       (Luke 1:48 NCV)  because he has shown his concern for his humble 





       servant girl. From now on, all people will say that I am blessed,

       (Luke 1:49 NCV)  because the Powerful One has done great things for 
       me. His name is holy.

       (Luke 1:50 NCV)  God will show his mercy forever and ever to those who 
       worship and serve him.

       (Luke 1:51 NCV)  He has done mighty deeds by his power. He has 
       scattered the people who are proud and think great things about 
       themselves.

       (Luke 1:52 NCV)  He has brought down rulers from their thrones and 
       raised up the humble.

       (Luke 1:53 NCV)  He has filled the hungry with good things and sent 
       the rich away with nothing.

       (Luke 1:54 NCV)  He has helped his servant, the people of Israel, 
       remembering to show them mercy

       (Luke 1:55 NCV)  as he promised to our ancestors, to Abraham and to 
       his children forever."

       (Luke 1:56 NCV)  Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and 
       then returned home.

       (Luke 1:57 NCV)  When it was time for Elizabeth to give birth, she had 
       a boy.

       (Luke 1:58 NCV)  Her neighbors and relatives heard how good the Lord 
       was to her, and they rejoiced with her.

       (Luke 1:59 NCV)  When the baby was eight days old, they came to 
       circumcise him. They wanted to name him Zechariah because this was his 
       father's name,

       (Luke 1:60 NCV)  but his mother said, "No! He will be named John."

       (Luke 1:61 NCV)  The people said to Elizabeth, "But no one in your 
       family has this name."

       (Luke 1:62 NCV)  Then they made signs to his father to find out what 
       he would like to name him.

       (Luke 1:63 NCV)  Zechariah asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His 
       name is John," and everyone was surprised.

       (Luke 1:64 NCV)  Immediately Zechariah could talk again, and he began 
       praising God.

       (Luke 1:65 NCV)  All their neighbors became alarmed, and in all the 
       mountains of Judea people continued talking about all these things.

       (Luke 1:66 NCV)  The people who heard about them wondered, saying, 
       "What will this child be?" because the Lord was with him.






       (Luke 1:67 NCV)  Then Zechariah, John's father, was filled with the 
       Holy Spirit and prophesied:

       (Luke 1:68 NCV)  "Let us praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because 
       he has come to help his people and has given them freedom.

       (Luke 1:69 NCV)  He has given us a powerful Savior from the family of 
       God's servant David.

       (Luke 1:70 NCV)  He said that he would do this through his holy 
       prophets who lived long ago:

       (Luke 1:71 NCV)  He promised he would save us from our enemies and 
       from the power of all those who hate us.

       (Luke 1:72 NCV)  He said he would give mercy to our fathers and that 
       he would remember his holy promise.

       (Luke 1:73 NCV)  God promised Abraham, our father,

       (Luke 1:74 NCV)  that he would save us from the power of our enemies 
       so we could serve him without fear,

       (Luke 1:75 NCV)  being holy and good before God as long as we live.

       (Luke 1:76 NCV)  "Now you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most 
       High God. You will go before the Lord to prepare his way.

       (Luke 1:77 NCV)  You will make his people know that they will be saved 
       by having their sins forgiven.

       (Luke 1:78 NCV)  With the loving mercy of our God, a new day from 
       heaven will dawn upon us.

       (Luke 1:79 NCV)  It will shine on those who live in darkness, in the 
       shadow of death. It will guide us into the path of peace."

       (Luke 1:80 NCV)  And so the child grew up and became strong in spirit. 
       John lived in the desert until the time when he came out to preach to 
       Israel.

       (Luke 2:1 NCV)  At that time, Augustus Caesar sent an order that all 
       people in the countries under Roman rule must list their names in a 
       register.

       (Luke 2:2 NCV)  This was the first registration; it was taken while 
       Quirinius was governor of Syria.

       (Luke 2:3 NCV)  And all went to their own towns to be registered.

       (Luke 2:4 NCV)  So Joseph left Nazareth, a town in Galilee, and went 
       to the town of Bethlehem in Judea, known as the town of David. Joseph 
       went there because he was from the family of David.

       (Luke 2:5 NCV)  Joseph registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged 





       and who was now pregnant.

       (Luke 2:6 NCV)  While they were in Bethlehem, the time came for Mary 
       to have the baby,

       (Luke 2:7 NCV)  and she gave birth to her first son. Because there 
       were no rooms left in the inn, she wrapped the baby with pieces of 
       cloth and laid him in a box where animals are fed.

       (Luke 2:8 NCV)  That night, some shepherds were in the fields nearby 
       watching their sheep.

       (Luke 2:9 NCV)  Then an angel of the Lord stood before them. The glory 
       of the Lord was shining around them, and they became very frightened.

       (Luke 2:10 NCV)  The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I am 
       bringing you good news that will be a great joy to all the people.

       (Luke 2:11 NCV)  Today your Savior was born in the town of David. He 
       is Christ, the Lord.

       (Luke 2:12 NCV)  This is how you will know him: You will find a baby 
       wrapped in pieces of cloth and lying in a feeding box."

       (Luke 2:13 NCV)  Then a very large group of angels from heaven joined 
       the first angel, praising God and saying:

       (Luke 2:14 NCV)  "Give glory to God in heaven, and on earth let there 
       be peace among the people who please God."

       (Luke 2:15 NCV)  When the angels left them and went back to heaven, 
       the shepherds said to each other, "Let's go to Bethlehem. Let's see 
       this thing that has happened which the Lord has told us about."

       (Luke 2:16 NCV)  So the shepherds went quickly and found Mary and 
       Joseph and the baby, who was lying in a feeding box.

       (Luke 2:17 NCV)  When they had seen him, they told what the angels had 
       said about this child.

       (Luke 2:18 NCV)  Everyone was amazed at what the shepherds said to 
       them.

       (Luke 2:19 NCV)  But Mary treasured these things and continued to 
       think about them.

       (Luke 2:20 NCV)  Then the shepherds went back to their sheep, praising 
       God and thanking him for everything they had seen and heard. It had 
       been just as the angel had told them.

       (Luke 2:21 NCV)  When the baby was eight days old, he was circumcised 
       and was named Jesus, the name given by the angel before the baby began 
       to grow inside Mary.

       (Luke 2:22 NCV)  When the time came for Mary and Joseph to do what the 
       law of Moses taught about being made pure, they took Jesus to 





       Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.

       (Luke 2:23 NCV)  (It is written in the law of the Lord: "Every 
       firstborn male shall be given to the Lord.")

       (Luke 2:24 NCV)  Mary and Joseph also went to offer a sacrifice, as 
       the law of the Lord says: "You must sacrifice two doves or two young 
       pigeons."

       (Luke 2:25 NCV)  In Jerusalem lived a man named Simeon who was a good 
       man and godly. He was waiting for the time when God would take away 
       Israel's sorrow, and the Holy Spirit was in him.

       (Luke 2:26 NCV)  Simeon had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would 
       not die before he saw the Christ promised by the Lord.

       (Luke 2:27 NCV)  The Spirit led Simeon to the Temple. When Mary and 
       Joseph brought the baby Jesus to the Temple to do what the law said 
       they must do,

       (Luke 2:28 NCV)  Simeon took the baby in his arms and thanked God:

       (Luke 2:29 NCV)  "Now, Lord, you can let me, your servant, die in 
       peace as you said.

       (Luke 2:30 NCV)  With my own eyes I have seen your salvation,

       (Luke 2:31 NCV)  which you prepared before all people.

       (Luke 2:32 NCV)  It is a light for the non-Jewish people to see and an 
       honor for your people, the Israelites."

       (Luke 2:33 NCV)  Jesus' father and mother were amazed at what Simeon 
       had said about him.

       (Luke 2:34 NCV)  Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, "God has 
       chosen this child to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel. He 
       will be a sign from God that many people will not accept

       (Luke 2:35 NCV)  so that the thoughts of many will be made known. And 
       the things that will happen will make your heart sad, too."

       (Luke 2:36 NCV)  There was a prophetess, Anna, from the family of 
       Phanuel in the tribe of Asher. Anna was very old. She had once been 
       married for seven years.

       (Luke 2:37 NCV)  Then her husband died, and she was a widow for 
       eighty-four years. Anna never left the Temple but worshiped God, going 
       without food and praying day and night.

       (Luke 2:38 NCV)  Standing there at that time, she thanked God and 
       spoke about Jesus to all who were waiting for God to free Jerusalem.

       (Luke 2:39 NCV)  When Joseph and Mary had done everything the law of 
       the Lord commanded, they went home to Nazareth, their own town in 
       Galilee.






       (Luke 2:40 NCV)  The little child grew and became strong. He was 
       filled with wisdom, and God's goodness was upon him.

       (Luke 2:41 NCV)  Every year Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for the 
       Passover Feast.

       (Luke 2:42 NCV)  When he was twelve years old, they went to the feast 
       as they always did.

       (Luke 2:43 NCV)  After the feast days were over, they started home. 
       The boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know 
       it.

       (Luke 2:44 NCV)  Thinking that Jesus was with them in the group, they 
       traveled for a whole day. Then they began to look for him among their 
       family and friends.

       (Luke 2:45 NCV)  When they did not find him, they went back to 
       Jerusalem to look for him there.

       (Luke 2:46 NCV)  After three days they found Jesus sitting in the 
       Temple with the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.

       (Luke 2:47 NCV)  All who heard him were amazed at his understanding 
       and answers.

       (Luke 2:48 NCV)  When Jesus' parents saw him, they were astonished. 
       His mother said to him, "Son, why did you do this to us? Your father 
       and I were very worried about you and have been looking for you."

       (Luke 2:49 NCV)  Jesus said to them, "Why were you looking for me? 
       Didn't you know that I must be in my Father's house?"

       (Luke 2:50 NCV)  But they did not understand the meaning of what he 
       said.

       (Luke 2:51 NCV)  Jesus went with them to Nazareth and was obedient to 
       them. But his mother kept in her mind all that had happened.

       (Luke 2:52 NCV)  Jesus became wiser and grew physically. People liked 
       him, and he pleased God.

       (Luke 3:1 NCV)  It was the fifteenth year of the rule of Tiberius 
       Caesar. These men were under Caesar: Pontius Pilate, the ruler of 
       Judea; Herod, the ruler of Galilee; Philip, Herod's brother, the ruler 
       of Iturea and Trachonitis; and Lysanias, the ruler of Abilene.

       (Luke 3:2 NCV)  Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests. At this 
       time, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert.

       (Luke 3:3 NCV)  He went all over the area around the Jordan River 
       preaching a baptism of changed hearts and lives for the forgiveness of 
       sins.

       (Luke 3:4 NCV)  As it is written in the book of Isaiah the prophet: 





       "This is a voice of one who calls out in the desert: 'Prepare the way 
       for the Lord. Make the road straight for him.

       (Luke 3:5 NCV)  Every valley should be filled in, and every mountain 
       and hill should be made flat. Roads with turns should be made 
       straight, and rough roads should be made smooth.

       (Luke 3:6 NCV)  And all people will know about the salvation of God!'"

       (Luke 3:7 NCV)  To the crowds of people who came to be baptized by 
       John, he said, "You are all snakes! Who warned you to run away from 
       God's coming punishment?

       (Luke 3:8 NCV)  Do the things that show you really have changed your 
       hearts and lives. Don't begin to say to yourselves, 'Abraham is our 
       father.' I tell you that God could make children for Abraham from 
       these rocks.

       (Luke 3:9 NCV)  The ax is now ready to cut down the trees, and every 
       tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into 
       the fire."

       (Luke 3:10 NCV)  The people asked John, "Then what should we do?"

       (Luke 3:11 NCV)  John answered, "If you have two shirts, share with 
       the person who does not have one. If you have food, share that also."

       (Luke 3:12 NCV)  Even tax collectors came to John to be baptized. They 
       said to him, "Teacher, what should we do?"

       (Luke 3:13 NCV)  John said to them, "Don't take more taxes from people 
       than you have been ordered to take."

       (Luke 3:14 NCV)  The soldiers asked John, "What about us? What should 
       we do?" John said to them, "Don't force people to give you money, and 
       don't lie about them. Be satisfied with the pay you get."

       (Luke 3:15 NCV)  Since the people were hoping for the Christ to come, 
       they wondered if John might be the one.

       (Luke 3:16 NCV)  John answered everyone, "I baptize you with water, 
       but there is one coming who is greater than I am. I am not good enough 
       to untie his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and 
       fire.

       (Luke 3:17 NCV)  He will come ready to clean the grain, separating the 
       good grain from the chaff. He will put the good part of the grain into 
       his barn, but he will burn the chaff with a fire that cannot be put 
       out."

       (Luke 3:18 NCV)  And John continued to preach the Good News, saying 
       many other things to encourage the people.

       (Luke 3:19 NCV)  But John spoke against Herod, the governor, because 
       of his sin with Herodias, the wife of Herod's brother, and because of 
       the many other evil things Herod did.






       (Luke 3:20 NCV)  So Herod did something even worse: He put John in 
       prison.

       (Luke 3:21 NCV)  When all the people were being baptized by John, 
       Jesus also was baptized. While Jesus was praying, heaven opened

       (Luke 3:22 NCV)  and the Holy Spirit came down on him in the form of a 
       dove. Then a voice came from heaven, saying, "You are my Son, whom I 
       love, and I am very pleased with you."

       (Luke 3:23 NCV)  When Jesus began his ministry, he was about thirty 
       years old. People thought that Jesus was Joseph's son. Joseph was the 
       son of Heli.

       (Luke 3:24 NCV)  Heli was the son of Matthat. Matthat was the son of 
       Levi. Levi was the son of Melki. Melki was the son of Jannai. Jannai 
       was the son of Joseph.

       (Luke 3:25 NCV)  Joseph was the son of Mattathias. Mattathias was the 
       son of Amos. Amos was the son of Nahum. Nahum was the son of Esli. 
       Esli was the son of Naggai.

       (Luke 3:26 NCV)  Naggai was the son of Maath. Maath was the son of 
       Mattathias. Mattathias was the son of Semein. Semein was the son of 
       Josech. Josech was the son of Joda.

       (Luke 3:27 NCV)  Joda was the son of Joanan. Joanan was the son of 
       Rhesa. Rhesa was the son of Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel was the grandson of 
       Shealtiel. Shealtiel was the son of Neri.

       (Luke 3:28 NCV)  Neri was the son of Melchi. Melchi was the son of 
       Addi. Addi was the son of Cosam. Cosam was the son of Elmadam. Elmadam 
       was the son of Er.

       (Luke 3:29 NCV)  Er was the son of Joshua. Joshua was the son of 
       Eliezer. Eliezer was the son of Jorim. Jorim was the son of Matthat. 
       Matthat was the son of Levi.

       (Luke 3:30 NCV)  Levi was the son of Simeon. Simeon was the son of 
       Judah. Judah was the son of Joseph. Joseph was the son of Jonam. Jonam 
       was the son of Eliakim.

       (Luke 3:31 NCV)  Eliakim was the son of Melea. Melea was the son of 
       Menna. Menna was the son of Mattatha. Mattatha was the son of Nathan. 
       Nathan was the son of David.

       (Luke 3:32 NCV)  David was the son of Jesse. Jesse was the son of 
       Obed. Obed was the son of Boaz. Boaz was the son of Salmon. Salmon was 
       the son of Nahshon.

       (Luke 3:33 NCV)  Nahshon was the son of Amminadab. Amminadab was the 
       son of Admin. Admin was the son of Arni. Arni was the son of Hezron. 
       Hezron was the son of Perez. Perez was the son of Judah.

       (Luke 3:34 NCV)  Judah was the son of Jacob. Jacob was the son of 





       Isaac. Isaac was the son of Abraham. Abraham was the son of Terah. 
       Terah was the son of Nahor.

       (Luke 3:35 NCV)  Nahor was the son of Serug. Serug was the son of Reu. 
       Reu was the son of Peleg. Peleg was the son of Eber. Eber was the son 
       of Shelah.

       (Luke 3:36 NCV)  Shelah was the son of Cainan. Cainan was the son of 
       Arphaxad. Arphaxad was the son of Shem. Shem was the son of Noah. Noah 
       was the son of Lamech.

       (Luke 3:37 NCV)  Lamech was the son of Methuselah. Methuselah was the 
       son of Enoch. Enoch was the son of Jared. Jared was the son of 
       Mahalalel. Mahalalel was the son of Kenan.

       (Luke 3:38 NCV)  Kenan was the son of Enosh. Enosh was the son of 
       Seth. Seth was the son of Adam. Adam was the son of God.

       (Luke 4:1 NCV)  Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the 
       Jordan River. The Spirit led Jesus into the desert

       (Luke 4:2 NCV)  where the devil tempted Jesus for forty days. Jesus 
       ate nothing during that time, and when those days were ended, he was 
       very hungry.

       (Luke 4:3 NCV)  The devil said to Jesus, "If you are the Son of God, 
       tell this rock to become bread."

       (Luke 4:4 NCV)  Jesus answered, "It is written in the Scriptures: 'A 
       person does not live by eating only bread.'"

       (Luke 4:5 NCV)  Then the devil took Jesus and showed him all the 
       kingdoms of the world in an instant.

       (Luke 4:6 NCV)  The devil said to Jesus, "I will give you all these 
       kingdoms and all their power and glory. It has all been given to me, 
       and I can give it to anyone I wish.

       (Luke 4:7 NCV)  If you worship me, then it will all be yours."

       (Luke 4:8 NCV)  Jesus answered, "It is written in the Scriptures: 'You 
       must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.'"

       (Luke 4:9 NCV)  Then the devil led Jesus to Jerusalem and put him on a 
       high place of the Temple. He said to Jesus, "If you are the Son of 
       God, jump down.

       (Luke 4:10 NCV)  It is written in the Scriptures: 'He has put his 
       angels in charge of you to watch over you.'

       (Luke 4:11 NCV)  It is also written: 'They will catch you in their 
       hands so that you will not hit your foot on a rock.'"

       (Luke 4:12 NCV)  Jesus answered, "But it also says in the Scriptures: 
       'Do not test the Lord your God.'"





       (Luke 4:13 NCV)  After the devil had tempted Jesus in every way, he 
       left him to wait until a better time.

       (Luke 4:14 NCV)  Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Holy 
       Spirit, and stories about him spread all through the area.

       (Luke 4:15 NCV)  He began to teach in their synagogues, and everyone 
       praised him.

       (Luke 4:16 NCV)  Jesus traveled to Nazareth, where he had grown up. On 
       the Sabbath day he went to the synagogue, as he always did, and stood 
       up to read.

       (Luke 4:17 NCV)  The book of Isaiah the prophet was given to him. He 
       opened the book and found the place where this is written:

       (Luke 4:18 NCV)  "The Lord has put his Spirit in me, because he 
       appointed me to tell the Good News to the poor. He has sent me to tell 
       the captives they are free and to tell the blind that they can see 
       again. God sent me to free those who have been treated unfairly

       (Luke 4:19 NCV)  and to announce the time when the Lord will show his 
       kindness."

       (Luke 4:20 NCV)  Jesus closed the book, gave it back to the assistant, 
       and sat down. Everyone in the synagogue was watching Jesus closely.

       (Luke 4:21 NCV)  He began to say to them, "While you heard these words 
       just now, they were coming true!"

       (Luke 4:22 NCV)  All the people spoke well of Jesus and were amazed at 
       the words of grace he spoke. They asked, "Isn't this Joseph's son?"

       (Luke 4:23 NCV)  Jesus said to them, "I know that you will tell me the 
       old saying: 'Doctor, heal yourself.' You want to say, 'We heard about 
       the things you did in Capernaum. Do those things here in your own 
       town!'"

       (Luke 4:24 NCV)  Then Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, a prophet is 
       not accepted in his hometown.

       (Luke 4:25 NCV)  But I tell you the truth, there were many widows in 
       Israel during the time of Elijah. It did not rain in Israel for three 
       and one-half years, and there was no food anywhere in the whole 
       country.

       (Luke 4:26 NCV)  But Elijah was sent to none of those widows, only to 
       a widow in Zarephath, a town in Sidon.

       (Luke 4:27 NCV)  And there were many with skin diseases living in 
       Israel during the time of the prophet Elisha. But none of them were 
       healed, only Naaman, who was from the country of Syria."

       (Luke 4:28 NCV)  When all the people in the synagogue heard these 
       things, they became very angry.





       (Luke 4:29 NCV)  They got up, forced Jesus out of town, and took him 
       to the edge of the cliff on which the town was built. They planned to 
       throw him off the edge,

       (Luke 4:30 NCV)  but Jesus walked through the crowd and went on his 
       way.

       (Luke 4:31 NCV)  Jesus went to Capernaum, a city in Galilee, and on 
       the Sabbath day, he taught the people.

       (Luke 4:32 NCV)  They were amazed at his teaching, because he spoke 
       with authority.

       (Luke 4:33 NCV)  In the synagogue a man who had within him an evil 
       spirit shouted in a loud voice,

       (Luke 4:34 NCV)  "Jesus of Nazareth! What do you want with us? Did you 
       come to destroy us? I know who you are--God's Holy One!"

       (Luke 4:35 NCV)  Jesus commanded the evil spirit, "Be quiet! Come out 
       of the man!" The evil spirit threw the man down to the ground before 
       all the people and then left the man without hurting him.

       (Luke 4:36 NCV)  The people were amazed and said to each other, "What 
       does this mean? With authority and power he commands evil spirits, and 
       they come out."

       (Luke 4:37 NCV)  And so the news about Jesus spread to every place in 
       the whole area.

       (Luke 4:38 NCV)  Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of 
       Simon. Simon's mother-in-law was sick with a high fever, and they 
       asked Jesus to help her.

       (Luke 4:39 NCV)  He came to her side and commanded the fever to leave. 
       It left her, and immediately she got up and began serving them.

       (Luke 4:40 NCV)  When the sun went down, the people brought those who 
       were sick to Jesus. Putting his hands on each sick person, he healed 
       every one of them.

       (Luke 4:41 NCV)  Demons came out of many people, shouting, "You are 
       the Son of God." But Jesus commanded the demons and would not allow 
       them to speak, because they knew Jesus was the Christ.

       (Luke 4:42 NCV)  At daybreak, Jesus went to a lonely place, but the 
       people looked for him. When they found him, they tried to keep him 
       from leaving.

       (Luke 4:43 NCV)  But Jesus said to them, "I must preach about God's 
       kingdom to other towns, too. This is why I was sent."

       (Luke 4:44 NCV)  Then he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

       (Luke 5:1 NCV)  One day while Jesus was standing beside Lake Galilee, 
       many people were pressing all around him to hear the word of God.






       (Luke 5:2 NCV)  Jesus saw two boats at the shore of the lake. The 
       fishermen had left them and were washing their nets.

       (Luke 5:3 NCV)  Jesus got into one of the boats, the one that belonged 
       to Simon, and asked him to push off a little from the land. Then Jesus 
       sat down and continued to teach the people from the boat.

       (Luke 5:4 NCV)  When Jesus had finished speaking, he said to Simon, 
       "Take the boat into deep water, and put your nets in the water to 
       catch some fish."

       (Luke 5:5 NCV)  Simon answered, "Master, we worked hard all night 
       trying to catch fish, and we caught nothing. But you say to put the 
       nets in the water, so I will."

       (Luke 5:6 NCV)  When the fishermen did as Jesus told them, they caught 
       so many fish that the nets began to break.

       (Luke 5:7 NCV)  They called to their partners in the other boat to 
       come and help them. They came and filled both boats so full that they 
       were almost sinking.

       (Luke 5:8 NCV)  When Simon Peter saw what had happened, he bowed down 
       before Jesus and said, "Go away from me, Lord. I am a sinful man!"

       (Luke 5:9 NCV)  He and the other fishermen were amazed at the many 
       fish they caught, as were

       (Luke 5:10 NCV)  James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's 
       partners. Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid. From now on you will 
       fish for people."

       (Luke 5:11 NCV)  When the men brought their boats to the shore, they 
       left everything and followed Jesus.

       (Luke 5:12 NCV)  When Jesus was in one of the towns, there was a man 
       covered with a skin disease. When he saw Jesus, he bowed before him 
       and begged him, "Lord, you can heal me if you will."

       (Luke 5:13 NCV)  Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man and 
       said, "I will. Be healed!" Immediately the disease disappeared.

       (Luke 5:14 NCV)  Then Jesus said, "Don't tell anyone about this, but 
       go and show yourself to the priest and offer a gift for your healing, 
       as Moses commanded. This will show the people what I have done."

       (Luke 5:15 NCV)  But the news about Jesus spread even more. Many 
       people came to hear Jesus and to be healed of their sicknesses,

       (Luke 5:16 NCV)  but Jesus often slipped away to be alone so he could 
       pray.

       (Luke 5:17 NCV)  One day as Jesus was teaching the people, the 
       Pharisees and teachers of the law from every town in Galilee and Judea 
       and from Jerusalem were there. The Lord was giving Jesus the power to 





       heal people.

       (Luke 5:18 NCV)  Just then, some men were carrying on a mat a man who 
       was paralyzed. They tried to bring him in and put him down before 
       Jesus.

       (Luke 5:19 NCV)  But because there were so many people there, they 
       could not find a way in. So they went up on the roof and lowered the 
       man on his mat through the ceiling into the middle of the crowd right 
       before Jesus.

       (Luke 5:20 NCV)  Seeing their faith, Jesus said, "Friend, your sins 
       are forgiven."

       (Luke 5:21 NCV)  The Jewish teachers of the law and the Pharisees 
       thought to themselves, "Who is this man who is speaking as if he were 
       God? Only God can forgive sins."

       (Luke 5:22 NCV)  But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said, "Why 
       are you thinking these things?

       (Luke 5:23 NCV)  Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or 
       to say, 'Stand up and walk'?

       (Luke 5:24 NCV)  But I will prove to you that the Son of Man has 
       authority on earth to forgive sins." So Jesus said to the paralyzed 
       man, "I tell you, stand up, take your mat, and go home."

       (Luke 5:25 NCV)  At once the man stood up before them, picked up his 
       mat, and went home, praising God.

       (Luke 5:26 NCV)  All the people were fully amazed and began to praise 
       God. They were filled with much respect and said, "Today we have seen 
       amazing things!"

       (Luke 5:27 NCV)  After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector 
       named Levi sitting in the tax collector's booth. Jesus said to him, 
       "Follow me!"

       (Luke 5:28 NCV)  So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him.

       (Luke 5:29 NCV)  Then Levi gave a big dinner for Jesus at his house. 
       Many tax collectors and other people were eating there, too.

       (Luke 5:30 NCV)  But the Pharisees and the men who taught the law for 
       the Pharisees began to complain to Jesus' followers, "Why do you eat 
       and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"

       (Luke 5:31 NCV)  Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy people 
       who need a doctor, but the sick.

       (Luke 5:32 NCV)  I have not come to invite good people but sinners to 
       change their hearts and lives."

       (Luke 5:33 NCV)  They said to Jesus, "John's followers often give up 
       eating for a certain time and pray, just as the Pharisees do. But your 





       followers eat and drink all the time."

       (Luke 5:34 NCV)  Jesus said to them, "You cannot make the friends of 
       the bridegroom give up eating while he is still with them.

       (Luke 5:35 NCV)  But the time will come when the bridegroom will be 
       taken away from them, and then they will give up eating."

       (Luke 5:36 NCV)  Jesus told them this story: "No one takes cloth off a 
       new coat to cover a hole in an old coat. Otherwise, he ruins the new 
       coat, and the cloth from the new coat will not be the same as the old 
       cloth.

       (Luke 5:37 NCV)  Also, no one ever pours new wine into old leather 
       bags. Otherwise, the new wine will break the bags, the wine will spill 
       out, and the leather bags will be ruined.

       (Luke 5:38 NCV)  New wine must be put into new leather bags.

       (Luke 5:39 NCV)  No one after drinking old wine wants new wine, 
       because he says, 'The old wine is better.'"

       (Luke 6:1 NCV)  One Sabbath day Jesus was walking through some fields 
       of grain. His followers picked the heads of grain, rubbed them in 
       their hands, and ate them.

       (Luke 6:2 NCV)  Some Pharisees said, "Why do you do what is not lawful 
       on the Sabbath day?"

       (Luke 6:3 NCV)  Jesus answered, "Have you not read what David did when 
       he and those with him were hungry?

       (Luke 6:4 NCV)  He went into God's house and took and ate the holy 
       bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he gave some to 
       the people who were with him."

       (Luke 6:5 NCV)  Then Jesus said to the Pharisees, "The Son of Man is 
       Lord of the Sabbath day."

       (Luke 6:6 NCV)  On another Sabbath day Jesus went into the synagogue 
       and was teaching, and a man with a crippled right hand was there.

       (Luke 6:7 NCV)  The teachers of the law and the Pharisees were 
       watching closely to see if Jesus would heal on the Sabbath day so they 
       could accuse him.

       (Luke 6:8 NCV)  But he knew what they were thinking, and he said to 
       the man with the crippled hand, "Stand up here in the middle of 
       everyone." The man got up and stood there.

       (Luke 6:9 NCV)  Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, which is lawful 
       on the Sabbath day: to do good or to do evil, to save a life or to 
       destroy it?"

       (Luke 6:10 NCV)  Jesus looked around at all of them and said to the 
       man, "Hold out your hand." The man held out his hand, and it was 





       healed.

       (Luke 6:11 NCV)  But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were 
       very angry and discussed with each other what they could do to Jesus.

       (Luke 6:12 NCV)  At that time Jesus went off to a mountain to pray, 
       and he spent the night praying to God.

       (Luke 6:13 NCV)  The next morning, Jesus called his followers to him 
       and chose twelve of them, whom he named apostles:

       (Luke 6:14 NCV)  Simon (Jesus named him Peter), his brother Andrew, 
       James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,

       (Luke 6:15 NCV)  Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon (called 
       the Zealot),

       (Luke 6:16 NCV)  Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who later 
       turned Jesus over to his enemies.

       (Luke 6:17 NCV)  Jesus and the apostles came down from the mountain, 
       and he stood on level ground. A large group of his followers was 
       there, as well as many people from all around Judea, Jerusalem, and 
       the seacoast cities of Tyre and Sidon.

       (Luke 6:18 NCV)  They all came to hear Jesus teach and to be healed of 
       their sicknesses, and he healed those who were troubled by evil 
       spirits.

       (Luke 6:19 NCV)  All the people were trying to touch Jesus, because 
       power was coming from him and healing them all.

       (Luke 6:20 NCV)  Jesus looked at his followers and said, "You people 
       who are poor are happy, because the kingdom of God belongs to you.

       (Luke 6:21 NCV)  You people who are now hungry are happy, because you 
       will be satisfied. You people who are now crying are happy, because 
       you will laugh with joy.

       (Luke 6:22 NCV)  "People will hate you, shut you out, insult you, and 
       say you are evil because you follow the Son of Man. But when they do, 
       you will be happy.

       (Luke 6:23 NCV)  Be full of joy at that time, because you have a great 
       reward waiting for you in heaven. Their ancestors did the same things 
       to the prophets.

       (Luke 6:24 NCV)  "But how terrible it will be for you who are rich, 
       because you have had your easy life.

       (Luke 6:25 NCV)  How terrible it will be for you who are full now, 
       because you will be hungry. How terrible it will be for you who are 
       laughing now, because you will be sad and cry.

       (Luke 6:26 NCV)  "How terrible when everyone says only good things 
       about you, because their ancestors said the same things about the 





       false prophets.

       (Luke 6:27 NCV)  "But I say to you who are listening, love your 
       enemies. Do good to those who hate you,

       (Luke 6:28 NCV)  bless those who curse you, pray for those who are 
       cruel to you.

       (Luke 6:29 NCV)  If anyone slaps you on one cheek, offer him the other 
       cheek, too. If someone takes your coat, do not stop him from taking 
       your shirt.

       (Luke 6:30 NCV)  Give to everyone who asks you, and when someone takes 
       something that is yours, don't ask for it back.

       (Luke 6:31 NCV)  Do to others what you would want them to do to you.

       (Luke 6:32 NCV)  If you love only the people who love you, what praise 
       should you get? Even sinners love the people who love them.

       (Luke 6:33 NCV)  If you do good only to those who do good to you, what 
       praise should you get? Even sinners do that!

       (Luke 6:34 NCV)  If you lend things to people, always hoping to get 
       something back, what praise should you get? Even sinners lend to other 
       sinners so that they can get back the same amount!

       (Luke 6:35 NCV)  But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to 
       them without hoping to get anything back. Then you will have a great 
       reward, and you will be children of the Most High God, because he is 
       kind even to people who are ungrateful and full of sin.

       (Luke 6:36 NCV)  Show mercy, just as your Father shows mercy.

       (Luke 6:37 NCV)  "Don't judge other people, and you will not be 
       judged. Don't accuse others of being guilty, and you will not be 
       accused of being guilty. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

       (Luke 6:38 NCV)  Give, and you will receive. You will be given much. 
       Pressed down, shaken together, and running over, it will spill into 
       your lap. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you."

       (Luke 6:39 NCV)  Jesus told them this story: "Can a blind person lead 
       another blind person? No! Both of them will fall into a ditch.

       (Luke 6:40 NCV)  A student is not better than the teacher, but the 
       student who has been fully trained will be like the teacher.

       (Luke 6:41 NCV)  "Why do you notice the little piece of dust in your 
       friend's eye, but you don't notice the big piece of wood in your own 
       eye?

       (Luke 6:42 NCV)  How can you say to your friend, 'Friend, let me take 
       that little piece of dust out of your eye' when you cannot see that 
       big piece of wood in your own eye! You hypocrite! First, take the wood 
       out of your own eye. Then you will see clearly to take the dust out of 





       your friend's eye.

       (Luke 6:43 NCV)  "A good tree does not produce bad fruit, nor does a 
       bad tree produce good fruit.

       (Luke 6:44 NCV)  Each tree is known by its own fruit. People don't 
       gather figs from thornbushes, and they don't get grapes from bushes.

       (Luke 6:45 NCV)  Good people bring good things out of the good they 
       stored in their hearts. But evil people bring evil things out of the 
       evil they stored in their hearts. People speak the things that are in 
       their hearts.

       (Luke 6:46 NCV)  "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' but do not do what 
       I say?

       (Luke 6:47 NCV)  I will show you what everyone is like who comes to me 
       and hears my words and obeys.

       (Luke 6:48 NCV)  That person is like a man building a house who dug 
       deep and laid the foundation on rock. When the floods came, the water 
       tried to wash the house away, but it could not shake it, because the 
       house was built well.

       (Luke 6:49 NCV)  But the one who hears my words and does not obey is 
       like a man who built his house on the ground without a foundation. 
       When the floods came, the house quickly fell and was completely 
       destroyed."

       (Luke 7:1 NCV)  When Jesus finished saying all these things to the 
       people, he went to Capernaum.

       (Luke 7:2 NCV)  There was an army officer who had a servant who was 
       very important to him. The servant was so sick he was nearly dead.

       (Luke 7:3 NCV)  When the officer heard about Jesus, he sent some older 
       Jewish leaders to him to ask Jesus to come and heal his servant.

       (Luke 7:4 NCV)  The men went to Jesus and begged him, saying, "This 
       officer is worthy of your help.

       (Luke 7:5 NCV)  He loves our people, and he built us a synagogue."

       (Luke 7:6 NCV)  So Jesus went with the men. He was getting near the 
       officer's house when the officer sent friends to say, "Lord, don't 
       trouble yourself, because I am not worthy to have you come into my 
       house.

       (Luke 7:7 NCV)  That is why I did not come to you myself. But you only 
       need to command it, and my servant will be healed.

       (Luke 7:8 NCV)  I, too, am a man under the authority of others, and I 
       have soldiers under my command. I tell one soldier, 'Go,' and he goes. 
       I tell another soldier, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do 
       this,' and my servant does it."





       (Luke 7:9 NCV)  When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to the 
       crowd that was following him, he said, "I tell you, this is the 
       greatest faith I have found anywhere, even in Israel."

       (Luke 7:10 NCV)  Those who had been sent to Jesus went back to the 
       house where they found the servant in good health.

       (Luke 7:11 NCV)  Soon afterwards Jesus went to a town called Nain, and 
       his followers and a large crowd traveled with him.

       (Luke 7:12 NCV)  When he came near the town gate, he saw a funeral. A 
       mother, who was a widow, had lost her only son. A large crowd from the 
       town was with the mother while her son was being carried out.

       (Luke 7:13 NCV)  When the Lord saw her, he felt very sorry for her and 
       said, "Don't cry."

       (Luke 7:14 NCV)  He went up and touched the coffin, and the people who 
       were carrying it stopped. Jesus said, "Young man, I tell you, get up!"

       (Luke 7:15 NCV)  And the son sat up and began to talk. Then Jesus gave 
       him back to his mother.

       (Luke 7:16 NCV)  All the people were amazed and began praising God, 
       saying, "A great prophet has come to us! God has come to help his 
       people."

       (Luke 7:17 NCV)  This news about Jesus spread through all Judea and 
       into all the places around there.

       (Luke 7:18 NCV)  John's followers told him about all these things. He 
       called for two of his followers

       (Luke 7:19 NCV)  and sent them to the Lord to ask, "Are you the One 
       who is to come, or should we wait for someone else?"

       (Luke 7:20 NCV)  When the men came to Jesus, they said, "John the 
       Baptist sent us to you with this question: 'Are you the One who is to 
       come, or should we wait for someone else?'"

       (Luke 7:21 NCV)  At that time, Jesus healed many people of their 
       sicknesses, diseases, and evil spirits, and he gave sight to many 
       blind people.

       (Luke 7:22 NCV)  Then Jesus answered John's followers, "Go tell John 
       what you saw and heard here. The blind can see, the crippled can walk, 
       and people with skin diseases are healed. The deaf can hear, the dead 
       are raised to life, and the Good News is preached to the poor.

       (Luke 7:23 NCV)  Those who do not stumble in their faith because of me 
       are blessed!"

       (Luke 7:24 NCV)  When John's followers left, Jesus began talking to 
       the people about John: "What did you go out into the desert to see? A 
       reed blown by the wind?





       (Luke 7:25 NCV)  What did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine 
       clothes? No, people who have fine clothes and much wealth live in 
       kings' palaces.

       (Luke 7:26 NCV)  But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, and I 
       tell you, John is more than a prophet.

       (Luke 7:27 NCV)  This was written about him: 'I will send my messenger 
       ahead of you, who will prepare the way for you.'

       (Luke 7:28 NCV)  I tell you, John is greater than any other person 
       ever born, but even the least important person in the kingdom of God 
       is greater than John."

       (Luke 7:29 NCV)  (When the people, including the tax collectors, heard 
       this, they all agreed that God's teaching was good, because they had 
       been baptized by John.

       (Luke 7:30 NCV)  But the Pharisees and experts on the law refused to 
       accept God's plan for themselves; they did not let John baptize them.)

       (Luke 7:31 NCV)  Then Jesus said, "What shall I say about the people 
       of this time? What are they like?

       (Luke 7:32 NCV)  They are like children sitting in the marketplace, 
       calling to one another and saying, 'We played music for you, but you 
       did not dance; we sang a sad song, but you did not cry.'

       (Luke 7:33 NCV)  John the Baptist came and did not eat bread or drink 
       wine, and you say, 'He has a demon in him.'

       (Luke 7:34 NCV)  The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, 
       'Look at him! He eats too much and drinks too much wine, and he is a 
       friend of tax collectors and sinners!'

       (Luke 7:35 NCV)  But wisdom is proved to be right by what it does."

       (Luke 7:36 NCV)  One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, so 
       Jesus went into the Pharisee's house and sat at the table.

       (Luke 7:37 NCV)  A sinful woman in the town learned that Jesus was 
       eating at the Pharisee's house. So she brought an alabaster jar of 
       perfume

       (Luke 7:38 NCV)  and stood behind Jesus at his feet, crying. She began 
       to wash his feet with her tears, and she dried them with her hair, 
       kissing them many times and rubbing them with the perfume.

       (Luke 7:39 NCV)  When the Pharisee who asked Jesus to come to his 
       house saw this, he thought to himself, "If Jesus were a prophet, he 
       would know that the woman touching him is a sinner!"

       (Luke 7:40 NCV)  Jesus said to the Pharisee, "Simon, I have something 
       to say to you." Simon said, "Teacher, tell me."

       (Luke 7:41 NCV)  Jesus said, "Two people owed money to the same 





       banker. One owed five hundred coins and the other owed fifty.

       (Luke 7:42 NCV)  They had no money to pay what they owed, but the 
       banker told both of them they did not have to pay him. Which person 
       will love the banker more?"

       (Luke 7:43 NCV)  Simon, the Pharisee, answered, "I think it would be 
       the one who owed him the most money." Jesus said to Simon, "You are 
       right."

       (Luke 7:44 NCV)  Then Jesus turned toward the woman and said to Simon, 
       "Do you see this woman? When I came into your house, you gave me no 
       water for my feet, but she washed my feet with her tears and dried 
       them with her hair.

       (Luke 7:45 NCV)  You gave me no kiss of greeting, but she has been 
       kissing my feet since I came in.

       (Luke 7:46 NCV)  You did not put oil on my head, but she poured 
       perfume on my feet.

       (Luke 7:47 NCV)  I tell you that her many sins are forgiven, so she 
       showed great love. But the person who is forgiven only a little will 
       love only a little."

       (Luke 7:48 NCV)  Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

       (Luke 7:49 NCV)  The people sitting at the table began to say among 
       themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"

       (Luke 7:50 NCV)  Jesus said to the woman, "Because you believed, you 
       are saved from your sins. Go in peace."

       (Luke 8:1 NCV)  After this, while Jesus was traveling through some 
       cities and small towns, he preached and told the Good News about God's 
       kingdom. The twelve apostles were with him,

       (Luke 8:2 NCV)  and also some women who had been healed of sicknesses 
       and evil spirits: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had 
       gone out;

       (Luke 8:3 NCV)  Joanna, the wife of Chuza (the manager of Herod's 
       house); Susanna; and many others. These women used their own money to 
       help Jesus and his apostles.

       (Luke 8:4 NCV)  When a great crowd was gathered, and people were 
       coming to Jesus from every town, he told them this story:

       (Luke 8:5 NCV)  "A farmer went out to plant his seed. While he was 
       planting, some seed fell by the road. People walked on the seed, and 
       the birds ate it up.

       (Luke 8:6 NCV)  Some seed fell on rock, and when it began to grow, it 
       died because it had no water.

       (Luke 8:7 NCV)  Some seed fell among thorny weeds, but the weeds grew 





       up with it and choked the good plants.

       (Luke 8:8 NCV)  And some seed fell on good ground and grew and made a 
       hundred times more." As Jesus finished the story, he called out, "You 
       people who can hear me, listen!"

       (Luke 8:9 NCV)  Jesus' followers asked him what this story meant.

       (Luke 8:10 NCV)  Jesus said, "You have been chosen to know the secrets 
       about the kingdom of God. But I use stories to speak to other people 
       so that: 'They will look, but they may not see. They will listen, but 
       they may not understand.'

       (Luke 8:11 NCV)  "This is what the story means: The seed is God's 
       message.

       (Luke 8:12 NCV)  The seed that fell beside the road is like the people 
       who hear God's teaching, but the devil comes and takes it away from 
       them so they cannot believe it and be saved.

       (Luke 8:13 NCV)  The seed that fell on rock is like those who hear 
       God's teaching and accept it gladly, but they don't allow the teaching 
       to go deep into their lives. They believe for a while, but when 
       trouble comes, they give up.

       (Luke 8:14 NCV)  The seed that fell among the thorny weeds is like 
       those who hear God's teaching, but they let the worries, riches, and 
       pleasures of this life keep them from growing and producing good 
       fruit.

       (Luke 8:15 NCV)  And the seed that fell on the good ground is like 
       those who hear God's teaching with good, honest hearts and obey it and 
       patiently produce good fruit.

       (Luke 8:16 NCV)  "No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a bowl 
       or hides it under a bed. Instead, the person puts it on a lampstand so 
       those who come in will see the light.

       (Luke 8:17 NCV)  Everything that is hidden will become clear, and 
       every secret thing will be made known.

       (Luke 8:18 NCV)  So be careful how you listen. Those who have 
       understanding will be given more. But those who do not have 
       understanding, even what they think they have will be taken away from 
       them."

       (Luke 8:19 NCV)  Jesus' mother and brothers came to see him, but there 
       was such a crowd they could not get to him.

       (Luke 8:20 NCV)  Someone said to Jesus, "Your mother and your brothers 
       are standing outside, wanting to see you."

       (Luke 8:21 NCV)  Jesus answered them, "My mother and my brothers are 
       those who listen to God's teaching and obey it!"

       (Luke 8:22 NCV)  One day Jesus and his followers got into a boat, and 





       he said to them, "Let's go across the lake." And so they started 
       across.

       (Luke 8:23 NCV)  While they were sailing, Jesus fell asleep. A very 
       strong wind blew up on the lake, causing the boat to fill with water, 
       and they were in danger.

       (Luke 8:24 NCV)  The followers went to Jesus and woke him, saying, 
       "Master! Master! We will drown!" Jesus got up and gave a command to 
       the wind and the waves. They stopped, and it became calm.

       (Luke 8:25 NCV)  Jesus said to his followers, "Where is your faith?" 
       The followers were afraid and amazed and said to each other, "Who is 
       this that commands even the wind and the water, and they obey him?"

       (Luke 8:26 NCV)  Jesus and his followers sailed across the lake from 
       Galilee to the area of the Gerasene people.

       (Luke 8:27 NCV)  When Jesus got out on the land, a man from the town 
       who had demons inside him came to Jesus. For a long time he had worn 
       no clothes and had lived in the burial caves, not in a house.

       (Luke 8:28 NCV)  When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before 
       him. He said with a loud voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son 
       of the Most High God? I beg you, don't torture me!"

       (Luke 8:29 NCV)  He said this because Jesus was commanding the evil 
       spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had taken hold of him. 
       Though he had been kept under guard and chained hand and foot, he had 
       broken his chains and had been forced by the demon out into a lonely 
       place.

       (Luke 8:30 NCV)  Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" He answered, 
       "Legion," because many demons were in him.

       (Luke 8:31 NCV)  The demons begged Jesus not to send them into eternal 
       darkness.

       (Luke 8:32 NCV)  A large herd of pigs was feeding on a hill, and the 
       demons begged Jesus to allow them to go into the pigs. So Jesus 
       allowed them to do this.

       (Luke 8:33 NCV)  When the demons came out of the man, they went into 
       the pigs, and the herd ran down the hill into the lake and was 
       drowned.

       (Luke 8:34 NCV)  When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran 
       away and told about this in the town and the countryside.

       (Luke 8:35 NCV)  And people went to see what had happened. When they 
       came to Jesus, they found the man sitting at Jesus' feet, clothed and 
       in his right mind, because the demons were gone. But the people were 
       frightened.

       (Luke 8:36 NCV)  The people who saw this happen told the others how 
       Jesus had made the man well.






       (Luke 8:37 NCV)  All the people of the Gerasene country asked Jesus to 
       leave, because they were all very afraid. So Jesus got into the boat 
       and went back to Galilee.

       (Luke 8:38 NCV)  The man whom Jesus had healed begged to go with him, 
       but Jesus sent him away, saying,

       (Luke 8:39 NCV)  "Go back home and tell people how much God has done 
       for you." So the man went all over town telling how much Jesus had 
       done for him.

       (Luke 8:40 NCV)  When Jesus got back to Galilee, a crowd welcomed him, 
       because everyone was waiting for him.

       (Luke 8:41 NCV)  A man named Jairus, a leader of the synagogue, came 
       to Jesus and fell at his feet, begging him to come to his house.

       (Luke 8:42 NCV)  Jairus' only daughter, about twelve years old, was 
       dying. While Jesus was on his way to Jairus' house, the people were 
       crowding all around him.

       (Luke 8:43 NCV)  A woman was in the crowd who had been bleeding for 
       twelve years, but no one was able to heal her.

       (Luke 8:44 NCV)  She came up behind Jesus and touched the edge of his 
       coat, and instantly her bleeding stopped.

       (Luke 8:45 NCV)  Then Jesus said, "Who touched me?" When all the 
       people said they had not touched him, Peter said, "Master, the people 
       are all around you and are pushing against you."

       (Luke 8:46 NCV)  But Jesus said, "Someone did touch me, because I felt 
       power go out from me."

       (Luke 8:47 NCV)  When the woman saw she could not hide, she came 
       forward, shaking, and fell down before Jesus. While all the people 
       listened, she told why she had touched him and how she had been 
       instantly healed.

       (Luke 8:48 NCV)  Jesus said to her, "Dear woman, you are made well 
       because you believed. Go in peace."

       (Luke 8:49 NCV)  While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the 
       house of the synagogue leader and said to him, "Your daughter is dead. 
       Don't bother the teacher anymore."

       (Luke 8:50 NCV)  When Jesus heard this, he said to Jairus, "Don't be 
       afraid. Just believe, and your daughter will be well."

       (Luke 8:51 NCV)  When Jesus went to the house, he let only Peter, 
       John, James, and the girl's father and mother go inside with him.

       (Luke 8:52 NCV)  All the people were crying and feeling sad because 
       the girl was dead, but Jesus said, "Stop crying. She is not dead, only 
       asleep."






       (Luke 8:53 NCV)  The people laughed at Jesus because they knew the 
       girl was dead.

       (Luke 8:54 NCV)  But Jesus took hold of her hand and called to her, 
       "My child, stand up!"

       (Luke 8:55 NCV)  Her spirit came back into her, and she stood up at 
       once. Then Jesus ordered that she be given something to eat.

       (Luke 8:56 NCV)  The girl's parents were amazed, but Jesus told them 
       not to tell anyone what had happened.

       (Luke 9:1 NCV)  Jesus called the twelve apostles together and gave 
       them power and authority over all demons and the ability to heal 
       sicknesses.

       (Luke 9:2 NCV)  He sent the apostles out to tell about God's kingdom 
       and to heal the sick.

       (Luke 9:3 NCV)  He said to them, "Take nothing for your trip, neither 
       a walking stick, bag, bread, money, or extra clothes.

       (Luke 9:4 NCV)  When you enter a house, stay there until it is time to 
       leave.

       (Luke 9:5 NCV)  If people do not welcome you, shake the dust off of 
       your feet as you leave the town, as a warning to them."

       (Luke 9:6 NCV)  So the apostles went out and traveled through all the 
       towns, preaching the Good News and healing people everywhere.

       (Luke 9:7 NCV)  Herod, the governor, heard about all the things that 
       were happening and was confused, because some people said, "John the 
       Baptist has risen from the dead."

       (Luke 9:8 NCV)  Others said, "Elijah has come to us." And still others 
       said, "One of the prophets who lived long ago has risen from the 
       dead."

       (Luke 9:9 NCV)  Herod said, "I cut off John's head, so who is this man 
       I hear such things about?" And Herod kept trying to see Jesus.

       (Luke 9:10 NCV)  When the apostles returned, they told Jesus 
       everything they had done. Then Jesus took them with him to a town 
       called Bethsaida where they could be alone together.

       (Luke 9:11 NCV)  But the people learned where Jesus went and followed 
       him. He welcomed them and talked with them about God's kingdom and 
       healed those who needed to be healed.

       (Luke 9:12 NCV)  Late in the afternoon, the twelve apostles came to 
       Jesus and said, "Send the people away. They need to go to the towns 
       and countryside around here and find places to sleep and something to 
       eat, because no one lives in this place."





       (Luke 9:13 NCV)  But Jesus said to them, "You give them something to 
       eat." They said, "We have only five loaves of bread and two fish, 
       unless we go buy food for all these people."

       (Luke 9:14 NCV)  (There were about five thousand men there.) Jesus 
       said to his followers, "Tell the people to sit in groups of about 
       fifty people."

       (Luke 9:15 NCV)  So the followers did this, and all the people sat 
       down.

       (Luke 9:16 NCV)  Then Jesus took the five loaves of bread and two 
       fish, and looking up to heaven, he thanked God for the food. Then he 
       divided the food and gave it to the followers to give to the people.

       (Luke 9:17 NCV)  They all ate and were satisfied, and what was left 
       over was gathered up, filling twelve baskets.

       (Luke 9:18 NCV)  One time when Jesus was praying alone, his followers 
       were with him, and he asked them, "Who do the people say I am?"

       (Luke 9:19 NCV)  They answered, "Some say you are John the Baptist. 
       Others say you are Elijah. And others say you are one of the prophets 
       from long ago who has come back to life."

       (Luke 9:20 NCV)  Then Jesus asked, "But who do you say I am?" Peter 
       answered, "You are the Christ from God."

       (Luke 9:21 NCV)  Jesus warned them not to tell anyone, saying,

       (Luke 9:22 NCV)  "The Son of Man must suffer many things. He will be 
       rejected by the older Jewish leaders, the leading priests, and the 
       teachers of the law. He will be killed and after three days will be 
       raised from the dead."

       (Luke 9:23 NCV)  Jesus said to all of them, "If people want to follow 
       me, they must give up the things they want. They must be willing to 
       give up their lives daily to follow me.

       (Luke 9:24 NCV)  Those who want to save their lives will give up true 
       life. But those who give up their lives for me will have true life.

       (Luke 9:25 NCV)  It is worth nothing for them to have the whole world 
       if they themselves are destroyed or lost.

       (Luke 9:26 NCV)  If people are ashamed of me and my teaching, then the 
       Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and with 
       the glory of the Father and the holy angels.

       (Luke 9:27 NCV)  I tell you the truth, some people standing here will 
       see the kingdom of God before they die."

       (Luke 9:28 NCV)  About eight days after Jesus said these things, he 
       took Peter, John, and James and went up on a mountain to pray.

       (Luke 9:29 NCV)  While Jesus was praying, the appearance of his face 





       changed, and his clothes became shining white.

       (Luke 9:30 NCV)  Then two men, Moses and Elijah, were talking with 
       Jesus.

       (Luke 9:31 NCV)  They appeared in heavenly glory, talking about his 
       departure which he would soon bring about in Jerusalem.

       (Luke 9:32 NCV)  Peter and the others were very sleepy, but when they 
       awoke fully, they saw the glory of Jesus and the two men standing with 
       him.

       (Luke 9:33 NCV)  When Moses and Elijah were about to leave, Peter said 
       to Jesus, "Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three 
       tents--one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." (Peter did not 
       know what he was talking about.)

       (Luke 9:34 NCV)  While he was saying these things, a cloud came and 
       covered them, and they became afraid as the cloud covered them.

       (Luke 9:35 NCV)  A voice came from the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, 
       whom I have chosen. Listen to him!"

       (Luke 9:36 NCV)  When the voice finished speaking, only Jesus was 
       there. Peter, John, and James said nothing and told no one at that 
       time what they had seen.

       (Luke 9:37 NCV)  The next day, when they came down from the mountain, 
       a large crowd met Jesus.

       (Luke 9:38 NCV)  A man in the crowd shouted to him, "Teacher, please 
       come and look at my son, because he is my only child.

       (Luke 9:39 NCV)  An evil spirit seizes my son, and suddenly he 
       screams. It causes him to lose control of himself and foam at the 
       mouth. The evil spirit keeps on hurting him and almost never leaves 
       him.

       (Luke 9:40 NCV)  I begged your followers to force the evil spirit out, 
       but they could not do it."

       (Luke 9:41 NCV)  Jesus answered, "You people have no faith, and your 
       lives are all wrong. How long must I stay with you and put up with 
       you? Bring your son here."

       (Luke 9:42 NCV)  While the boy was coming, the demon threw him on the 
       ground and made him lose control of himself. But Jesus gave a strong 
       command to the evil spirit and healed the boy and gave him back to his 
       father.

       (Luke 9:43 NCV)  All the people were amazed at the great power of God. 
       While everyone was wondering about all that Jesus did, he said to his 
       followers,

       (Luke 9:44 NCV)  "Don't forget what I tell you now: The Son of Man 
       will be handed over to people."






       (Luke 9:45 NCV)  But the followers did not understand what this meant; 
       the meaning was hidden from them so they could not understand. But 
       they were afraid to ask Jesus about it.

       (Luke 9:46 NCV)  Jesus' followers began to have an argument about 
       which one of them was the greatest.

       (Luke 9:47 NCV)  Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he took a 
       little child and stood the child beside him.

       (Luke 9:48 NCV)  Then Jesus said, "Whoever accepts this little child 
       in my name accepts me. And whoever accepts me accepts the One who sent 
       me, because whoever is least among you all is really the greatest."

       (Luke 9:49 NCV)  John answered, "Master, we saw someone using your 
       name to force demons out of people. We told him to stop, because he 
       does not belong to our group."

       (Luke 9:50 NCV)  But Jesus said to him, "Don't stop him, because 
       whoever is not against you is for you."

       (Luke 9:51 NCV)  When the time was coming near for Jesus to depart, he 
       was determined to go to Jerusalem.

       (Luke 9:52 NCV)  He sent some men ahead of him, who went into a town 
       in Samaria to make everything ready for him.

       (Luke 9:53 NCV)  But the people there would not welcome him, because 
       he was set on going to Jerusalem.

       (Luke 9:54 NCV)  When James and John, followers of Jesus, saw this, 
       they said, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven and 
       destroy those people?"

       (Luke 9:55 NCV)  But Jesus turned and scolded them.

       (Luke 9:56 NCV)  Then they went to another town.

       (Luke 9:57 NCV)  As they were going along the road, someone said to 
       Jesus, "I will follow you any place you go."

       (Luke 9:58 NCV)  Jesus said to them, "The foxes have holes to live in, 
       and the birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to rest his 
       head."

       (Luke 9:59 NCV)  Jesus said to another man, "Follow me!" But he said, 
       "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."

       (Luke 9:60 NCV)  But Jesus said to him, "Let the people who are dead 
       bury their own dead. You must go and tell about the kingdom of God."

       (Luke 9:61 NCV)  Another man said, "I will follow you, Lord, but first 
       let me go and say good-bye to my family."

       (Luke 9:62 NCV)  Jesus said, "Anyone who begins to plow a field but 





       keeps looking back is of no use in the kingdom of God."

       (Luke 10:1 NCV)  After this, the Lord chose seventy-two others and 
       sent them out in pairs ahead of him into every town and place where he 
       planned to go.

       (Luke 10:2 NCV)  He said to them, "There are a great many people to 
       harvest, but there are only a few workers. So pray to God, who owns 
       the harvest, that he will send more workers to help gather his 
       harvest.

       (Luke 10:3 NCV)  Go now, but listen! I am sending you out like sheep 
       among wolves.

       (Luke 10:4 NCV)  Don't carry a purse, a bag, or sandals, and don't 
       waste time talking with people on the road.

       (Luke 10:5 NCV)  Before you go into a house, say, 'Peace be with this 
       house.'

       (Luke 10:6 NCV)  If peaceful people live there, your blessing of peace 
       will stay with them, but if not, then your blessing will come back to 
       you.

       (Luke 10:7 NCV)  Stay in the peaceful house, eating and drinking what 
       the people there give you. A worker should be given his pay. Don't 
       move from house to house.

       (Luke 10:8 NCV)  If you go into a town and the people welcome you, eat 
       what they give you.

       (Luke 10:9 NCV)  Heal the sick who live there, and tell them, 'The 
       kingdom of God is near you.'

       (Luke 10:10 NCV)  But if you go into a town, and the people don't 
       welcome you, then go into the streets and say,

       (Luke 10:11 NCV)  'Even the dirt from your town that sticks to our 
       feet we wipe off against you. But remember that the kingdom of God is 
       near.'

       (Luke 10:12 NCV)  I tell you, on the Judgment Day it will be better 
       for the people of Sodom than for the people of that town.

       (Luke 10:13 NCV)  "How terrible for you, Korazin! How terrible for 
       you, Bethsaida! If the miracles I did in you had happened in Tyre and 
       Sidon, those people would have changed their lives long ago. They 
       would have worn rough cloth and put ashes on themselves to show they 
       had changed.

       (Luke 10:14 NCV)  But on the Judgment Day it will be better for Tyre 
       and Sidon than for you.

       (Luke 10:15 NCV)  And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? 
       No! You will be thrown down to the depths!





       (Luke 10:16 NCV)  "Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever 
       refuses to accept you refuses to accept me. And whoever refuses to 
       accept me refuses to accept the One who sent me."

       (Luke 10:17 NCV)  When the seventy-two came back, they were very happy 
       and said, "Lord, even the demons obeyed us when we used your name!"

       (Luke 10:18 NCV)  Jesus said, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from 
       heaven.

       (Luke 10:19 NCV)  Listen, I have given you power to walk on snakes and 
       scorpions, power that is greater than the enemy has. So nothing will 
       hurt you.

       (Luke 10:20 NCV)  But you should not be happy because the spirits obey 
       you but because your names are written in heaven."

       (Luke 10:21 NCV)  Then Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I 
       praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden 
       these things from the people who are wise and smart. But you have 
       shown them to those who are like little children. Yes, Father, this is 
       what you really wanted.

       (Luke 10:22 NCV)  "My Father has given me all things. No one knows who 
       the Son is, except the Father. And no one knows who the Father is, 
       except the Son and those whom the Son chooses to tell."

       (Luke 10:23 NCV)  Then Jesus turned to his followers and said 
       privately, "You are blessed to see what you now see.

       (Luke 10:24 NCV)  I tell you, many prophets and kings wanted to see 
       what you now see, but they did not, and they wanted to hear what you 
       now hear, but they did not."

       (Luke 10:25 NCV)  Then an expert on the law stood up to test Jesus, 
       saying, "Teacher, what must I do to get life forever?"

       (Luke 10:26 NCV)  Jesus said, "What is written in the law? What do you 
       read there?"

       (Luke 10:27 NCV)  The man answered, "Love the Lord your God with all 
       your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind." 
       Also, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself."

       (Luke 10:28 NCV)  Jesus said to him, "Your answer is right. Do this 
       and you will live."

       (Luke 10:29 NCV)  But the man, wanting to show the importance of his 
       question, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

       (Luke 10:30 NCV)  Jesus answered, "As a man was going down from 
       Jerusalem to Jericho, some robbers attacked him. They tore off his 
       clothes, beat him, and left him lying there, almost dead.

       (Luke 10:31 NCV)  It happened that a Jewish priest was going down that 
       road. When he saw the man, he walked by on the other side.






       (Luke 10:32 NCV)  Next, a Levite came there, and after he went over 
       and looked at the man, he walked by on the other side of the road.

       (Luke 10:33 NCV)  Then a Samaritan traveling down the road came to 
       where the hurt man was. When he saw the man, he felt very sorry for 
       him.

       (Luke 10:34 NCV)  The Samaritan went to him, poured olive oil and wine 
       on his wounds, and bandaged them. Then he put the hurt man on his own 
       donkey and took him to an inn where he cared for him.

       (Luke 10:35 NCV)  The next day, the Samaritan brought out two coins, 
       gave them to the innkeeper, and said, 'Take care of this man. If you 
       spend more money on him, I will pay it back to you when I come 
       again.'"

       (Luke 10:36 NCV)  Then Jesus said, "Which one of these three men do 
       you think was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by the robbers?"

       (Luke 10:37 NCV)  The expert on the law answered, "The one who showed 
       him mercy." Jesus said to him, "Then go and do what he did."

       (Luke 10:38 NCV)  While Jesus and his followers were traveling, Jesus 
       went into a town. A woman named Martha let Jesus stay at her house.

       (Luke 10:39 NCV)  Martha had a sister named Mary, who was sitting at 
       Jesus' feet and listening to him teach.

       (Luke 10:40 NCV)  But Martha was busy with all the work to be done. 
       She went in and said, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me 
       alone to do all the work? Tell her to help me."

       (Luke 10:41 NCV)  But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are 
       worried and upset about many things.

       (Luke 10:42 NCV)  Only one thing is important. Mary has chosen the 
       better thing, and it will never be taken away from her."

       (Luke 11:1 NCV)  One time Jesus was praying in a certain place. When 
       he finished, one of his followers said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray 
       as John taught his followers."

       (Luke 11:2 NCV)  Jesus said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, may 
       your name always be kept holy. May your kingdom come.

       (Luke 11:3 NCV)  Give us the food we need for each day.

       (Luke 11:4 NCV)  Forgive us for our sins, because we forgive everyone 
       who has done wrong to us. And do not cause us to be tempted.'"

       (Luke 11:5 NCV)  Then Jesus said to them, "Suppose one of you went to 
       your friend's house at midnight and said to him, 'Friend, loan me 
       three loaves of bread.

       (Luke 11:6 NCV)  A friend of mine has come into town to visit me, but 





       I have nothing for him to eat.'

       (Luke 11:7 NCV)  Your friend inside the house answers, 'Don't bother 
       me! The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I 
       cannot get up and give you anything.'

       (Luke 11:8 NCV)  I tell you, if friendship is not enough to make him 
       get up to give you the bread, your boldness will make him get up and 
       give you whatever you need.

       (Luke 11:9 NCV)  So I tell you, ask, and God will give to you. Search, 
       and you will find. Knock, and the door will open for you.

       (Luke 11:10 NCV)  Yes, everyone who asks will receive. The one who 
       searches will find. And everyone who knocks will have the door opened.

       (Luke 11:11 NCV)  If your children ask for a fish, which of you would 
       give them a snake instead?

       (Luke 11:12 NCV)  Or, if your children ask for an egg, would you give 
       them a scorpion?

       (Luke 11:13 NCV)  Even though you are bad, you know how to give good 
       things to your children. How much more your heavenly Father will give 
       the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

       (Luke 11:14 NCV)  One time Jesus was sending out a demon that could 
       not talk. When the demon came out, the man who had been unable to 
       speak, then spoke. The people were amazed.

       (Luke 11:15 NCV)  But some of them said, "Jesus uses the power of 
       Beelzebul, the ruler of demons, to force demons out of people."

       (Luke 11:16 NCV)  Other people, wanting to test Jesus, asked him to 
       give them a sign from heaven.

       (Luke 11:17 NCV)  But knowing their thoughts, he said to them, "Every 
       kingdom that is divided against itself will be destroyed. And a family 
       that is divided against itself will not continue.

       (Luke 11:18 NCV)  So if Satan is divided against himself, his kingdom 
       will not continue. You say that I use the power of Beelzebul to force 
       out demons.

       (Luke 11:19 NCV)  But if I use the power of Beelzebul to force out 
       demons, what power do your people use to force demons out? So they 
       will be your judges.

       (Luke 11:20 NCV)  But if I use the power of God to force out demons, 
       then the kingdom of God has come to you.

       (Luke 11:21 NCV)  "When a strong person with many weapons guards his 
       own house, his possessions are safe.

       (Luke 11:22 NCV)  But when someone stronger comes and defeats him, the 
       stronger one will take away the weapons the first man trusted and will 





       give away the possessions.

       (Luke 11:23 NCV)  "Anyone who is not with me is against me, and anyone 
       who does not work with me is working against me.

       (Luke 11:24 NCV)  "When an evil spirit comes out of a person, it 
       travels through dry places, looking for a place to rest. But when it 
       finds no place, it says, 'I will go back to the house I left.'

       (Luke 11:25 NCV)  And when it comes back, it finds that house swept 
       clean and made neat.

       (Luke 11:26 NCV)  Then the evil spirit goes out and brings seven other 
       spirits more evil than it is, and they go in and live there. So the 
       person has even more trouble than before."

       (Luke 11:27 NCV)  As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the 
       crowd called out to Jesus, "Happy is the mother who gave birth to you 
       and nursed you."

       (Luke 11:28 NCV)  But Jesus said, "No, happy are those who hear the 
       teaching of God and obey it."

       (Luke 11:29 NCV)  As the crowd grew larger, Jesus said, "The people 
       who live today are evil. They want to see a miracle for a sign, but no 
       sign will be given them, except the sign of Jonah.

       (Luke 11:30 NCV)  As Jonah was a sign for those people who lived in 
       Nineveh, the Son of Man will be a sign for the people of this time.

       (Luke 11:31 NCV)  On the Judgment Day the Queen of the South will 
       stand up with the people who live now. She will show they are guilty, 
       because she came from far away to listen to Solomon's wise teaching. 
       And I tell you that someone greater than Solomon is here.

       (Luke 11:32 NCV)  On the Judgment Day the people of Nineveh will stand 
       up with the people who live now, and they will show that you are 
       guilty. When Jonah preached to them, they were sorry and changed their 
       lives. And I tell you that someone greater than Jonah is here.

       (Luke 11:33 NCV)  "No one lights a lamp and puts it in a secret place 
       or under a bowl, but on a lampstand so the people who come in can see.

       (Luke 11:34 NCV)  Your eye is a light for the body. When your eyes are 
       good, your whole body will be full of light. But when your eyes are 
       evil, your whole body will be full of darkness.

       (Luke 11:35 NCV)  So be careful not to let the light in you become 
       darkness.

       (Luke 11:36 NCV)  If your whole body is full of light, and none of it 
       is dark, then you will shine bright, as when a lamp shines on you."

       (Luke 11:37 NCV)  After Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee asked 
       Jesus to eat with him. So Jesus went in and sat at the table.





       (Luke 11:38 NCV)  But the Pharisee was surprised when he saw that 
       Jesus did not wash his hands before the meal.

       (Luke 11:39 NCV)  The Lord said to him, "You Pharisees clean the 
       outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are full of greed and 
       evil.

       (Luke 11:40 NCV)  You foolish people! The same one who made what is 
       outside also made what is inside.

       (Luke 11:41 NCV)  So give what is in your dishes to the poor, and then 
       you will be fully clean.

       (Luke 11:42 NCV)  How terrible for you Pharisees! You give God 
       one-tenth of even your mint, your rue, and every other plant in your 
       garden. But you fail to be fair to others and to love God. These are 
       the things you should do while continuing to do those other things.

       (Luke 11:43 NCV)  How terrible for you Pharisees, because you love to 
       have the most important seats in the synagogues, and you love to be 
       greeted with respect in the marketplaces.

       (Luke 11:44 NCV)  How terrible for you, because you are like hidden 
       graves, which people walk on without knowing."

       (Luke 11:45 NCV)  One of the experts on the law said to Jesus, 
       "Teacher, when you say these things, you are insulting us, too."

       (Luke 11:46 NCV)  Jesus answered, "How terrible for you, you experts 
       on the law! You make strict rules that are very hard for people to 
       obey, but you yourselves don't even try to follow those rules.

       (Luke 11:47 NCV)  How terrible for you, because you build tombs for 
       the prophets whom your ancestors killed!

       (Luke 11:48 NCV)  And now you show that you approve of what your 
       ancestors did. They killed the prophets, and you build tombs for them!

       (Luke 11:49 NCV)  This is why in his wisdom God said, 'I will send 
       prophets and apostles to them. They will kill some, and they will 
       treat others cruelly.'

       (Luke 11:50 NCV)  So you who live now will be punished for the deaths 
       of all the prophets who were killed since the beginning of the world--

       (Luke 11:51 NCV)  from the killing of Abel to the killing of 
       Zechariah, who died between the altar and the Temple. Yes, I tell you 
       that you who are alive now will be punished for them all.

       (Luke 11:52 NCV)  "How terrible for you, you experts on the law. You 
       have taken away the key to learning about God. You yourselves would 
       not learn, and you stopped others from learning, too."

       (Luke 11:53 NCV)  When Jesus left, the teachers of the law and the 
       Pharisees began to give him trouble, asking him questions about many 
       things,






       (Luke 11:54 NCV)  trying to catch him saying something wrong.

       (Luke 12:1 NCV)  So many thousands of people had gathered that they 
       were stepping on each other. Jesus spoke first to his followers, 
       saying, "Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, because they are 
       hypocrites.

       (Luke 12:2 NCV)  Everything that is hidden will be shown, and 
       everything that is secret will be made known.

       (Luke 12:3 NCV)  What you have said in the dark will be heard in the 
       light, and what you have whispered in an inner room will be shouted 
       from the housetops.

       (Luke 12:4 NCV)  "I tell you, my friends, don't be afraid of people 
       who can kill the body but after that can do nothing more to hurt you.

       (Luke 12:5 NCV)  I will show you the one to fear. Fear the one who has 
       the power to kill you and also to throw you into hell. Yes, this is 
       the one you should fear.

       (Luke 12:6 NCV)  "Five sparrows are sold for only two pennies, and God 
       does not forget any of them.

       (Luke 12:7 NCV)  But God even knows how many hairs you have on your 
       head. Don't be afraid. You are worth much more than many sparrows.

       (Luke 12:8 NCV)  "I tell you, all those who stand before others and 
       say they believe in me, I, the Son of Man, will say before the angels 
       of God that they belong to me.

       (Luke 12:9 NCV)  But all who stand before others and say they do not 
       believe in me, I will say before the angels of God that they do not 
       belong to me.

       (Luke 12:10 NCV)  "Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be 
       forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be 
       forgiven.

       (Luke 12:11 NCV)  "When you are brought into the synagogues before the 
       leaders and other powerful people, don't worry about how to defend 
       yourself or what to say.

       (Luke 12:12 NCV)  At that time the Holy Spirit will teach you what you 
       must say."

       (Luke 12:13 NCV)  Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, tell 
       my brother to divide with me the property our father left us."

       (Luke 12:14 NCV)  But Jesus said to him, "Who said I should judge or 
       decide between you?"

       (Luke 12:15 NCV)  Then Jesus said to them, "Be careful and guard 
       against all kinds of greed. Life is not measured by how much one 
       owns."






       (Luke 12:16 NCV)  Then Jesus told this story: "There was a rich man 
       who had some land, which grew a good crop.

       (Luke 12:17 NCV)  He thought to himself, 'What will I do? I have no 
       place to keep all my crops.'

       (Luke 12:18 NCV)  Then he said, 'This is what I will do: I will tear 
       down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my 
       grain and other goods.

       (Luke 12:19 NCV)  Then I can say to myself, "I have enough good things 
       stored to last for many years. Rest, eat, drink, and enjoy life!"

       (Luke 12:20 NCV)  "But God said to him, 'Foolish man! Tonight your 
       life will be taken from you. So who will get those things you have 
       prepared for yourself?'

       (Luke 12:21 NCV)  "This is how it will be for those who store up 
       things for themselves and are not rich toward God."

       (Luke 12:22 NCV)  Jesus said to his followers, "So I tell you, don't 
       worry about the food you need to live, or about the clothes you need 
       for your body.

       (Luke 12:23 NCV)  Life is more than food, and the body is more than 
       clothes.

       (Luke 12:24 NCV)  Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest, they 
       don't have storerooms or barns, but God feeds them. And you are worth 
       much more than birds.

       (Luke 12:25 NCV)  You cannot add any time to your life by worrying 
       about it.

       (Luke 12:26 NCV)  If you cannot do even the little things, then why 
       worry about the big things?

       (Luke 12:27 NCV)  Consider how the lilies grow; they don't work or 
       make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that even Solomon with his 
       riches was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers.

       (Luke 12:28 NCV)  God clothes the grass in the field, which is alive 
       today but tomorrow is thrown into the fire. So how much more will God 
       clothe you? Don't have so little faith!

       (Luke 12:29 NCV)  Don't always think about what you will eat or what 
       you will drink, and don't keep worrying.

       (Luke 12:30 NCV)  All the people in the world are trying to get these 
       things, and your Father knows you need them.

       (Luke 12:31 NCV)  But seek God's kingdom, and all the other things you 
       need will be given to you.

       (Luke 12:32 NCV)  "Don't fear, little flock, because your Father wants 





       to give you the kingdom.

       (Luke 12:33 NCV)  Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Get for 
       yourselves purses that will not wear out, the treasure in heaven that 
       never runs out, where thieves can't steal and moths can't destroy.

       (Luke 12:34 NCV)  Your heart will be where your treasure is.

       (Luke 12:35 NCV)  "Be dressed, ready for service, and have your lamps 
       shining.

       (Luke 12:36 NCV)  Be like servants who are waiting for their master to 
       come home from a wedding party. When he comes and knocks, the servants 
       immediately open the door for him.

       (Luke 12:37 NCV)  They will be blessed when their master comes home, 
       because he sees that they were watching for him. I tell you the truth, 
       the master will dress himself to serve and tell the servants to sit at 
       the table, and he will serve them.

       (Luke 12:38 NCV)  Those servants will be happy when he comes in and 
       finds them still waiting, even if it is midnight or later.

       (Luke 12:39 NCV)  "Remember this: If the owner of the house knew what 
       time a thief was coming, he would not allow the thief to enter his 
       house.

       (Luke 12:40 NCV)  So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man 
       will come at a time when you don't expect him!"

       (Luke 12:41 NCV)  Peter said, "Lord, did you tell this story to us or 
       to all people?"

       (Luke 12:42 NCV)  The Lord said, "Who is the wise and trusted servant 
       that the master trusts to give the other servants their food at the 
       right time?

       (Luke 12:43 NCV)  When the master comes and finds the servant doing 
       his work, the servant will be blessed.

       (Luke 12:44 NCV)  I tell you the truth, the master will choose that 
       servant to take care of everything he owns.

       (Luke 12:45 NCV)  But suppose the servant thinks to himself, 'My 
       master will not come back soon,' and he begins to beat the other 
       servants, men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk.

       (Luke 12:46 NCV)  The master will come when that servant is not ready 
       and is not expecting him. Then the master will cut him in pieces and 
       send him away to be with the others who don't obey.

       (Luke 12:47 NCV)  "The servant who knows what his master wants but is 
       not ready, or who does not do what the master wants, will be beaten 
       with many blows!

       (Luke 12:48 NCV)  But the servant who does not know what his master 





       wants and does things that should be punished will be beaten with few 
       blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded. 
       And from the one trusted with much, much more will be expected.

       (Luke 12:49 NCV)  "I came to set fire to the world, and I wish it were 
       already burning!

       (Luke 12:50 NCV)  I have a baptism to suffer through, and I feel very 
       troubled until it is over.

       (Luke 12:51 NCV)  Do you think I came to give peace to the earth? No, 
       I tell you, I came to divide it.

       (Luke 12:52 NCV)  From now on, a family with five people will be 
       divided, three against two, and two against three.

       (Luke 12:53 NCV)  They will be divided: father against son and son 
       against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, 
       mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against 
       mother-in-law."

       (Luke 12:54 NCV)  Then Jesus said to the people, "When you see clouds 
       coming up in the west, you say, 'It's going to rain,' and it happens.

       (Luke 12:55 NCV)  When you feel the wind begin to blow from the south, 
       you say, 'It will be a hot day,' and it happens.

       (Luke 12:56 NCV)  Hypocrites! You know how to understand the 
       appearance of the earth and sky. Why don't you understand what is 
       happening now?

       (Luke 12:57 NCV)  "Why can't you decide for yourselves what is right?

       (Luke 12:58 NCV)  If your enemy is taking you to court, try hard to 
       settle it on the way. If you don't, your enemy might take you to the 
       judge, and the judge might turn you over to the officer, and the 
       officer might throw you into jail.

       (Luke 12:59 NCV)  I tell you, you will not get out of there until you 
       have paid everything you owe."

       (Luke 13:1 NCV)  At that time some people were there who told Jesus 
       that Pilate had killed some people from Galilee while they were 
       worshiping. He mixed their blood with the blood of the animals they 
       were sacrificing to God.

       (Luke 13:2 NCV)  Jesus answered, "Do you think this happened to them 
       because they were more sinful than all others from Galilee?

       (Luke 13:3 NCV)  No, I tell you. But unless you change your hearts and 
       lives, you will be destroyed as they were!

       (Luke 13:4 NCV)  What about those eighteen people who died when the 
       tower of Siloam fell on them? Do you think they were more sinful than 
       all the others who live in Jerusalem?





       (Luke 13:5 NCV)  No, I tell you. But unless you change your hearts and 
       lives, you will all be destroyed too!"

       (Luke 13:6 NCV)  Jesus told this story: "A man had a fig tree planted 
       in his vineyard. He came looking for some fruit on the tree, but he 
       found none.

       (Luke 13:7 NCV)  So the man said to his gardener, 'I have been looking 
       for fruit on this tree for three years, but I never find any. Cut it 
       down. Why should it waste the ground?'

       (Luke 13:8 NCV)  But the servant answered, 'Master, let the tree have 
       one more year to produce fruit. Let me dig up the dirt around it and 
       put on some fertilizer.

       (Luke 13:9 NCV)  If the tree produces fruit next year, good. But if 
       not, you can cut it down.'"

       (Luke 13:10 NCV)  Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the 
       Sabbath day.

       (Luke 13:11 NCV)  A woman was there who, for eighteen years, had an 
       evil spirit in her that made her crippled. Her back was always bent; 
       she could not stand up straight.

       (Luke 13:12 NCV)  When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, 
       "Woman, you are free from your sickness."

       (Luke 13:13 NCV)  Jesus put his hands on her, and immediately she was 
       able to stand up straight and began praising God.

       (Luke 13:14 NCV)  The synagogue leader was angry because Jesus healed 
       on the Sabbath day. He said to the people, "There are six days when 
       one has to work. So come to be healed on one of those days, and not on 
       the Sabbath day."

       (Luke 13:15 NCV)  The Lord answered, "You hypocrites! Doesn't each of 
       you untie your work animals and lead them to drink water every 
       day--even on the Sabbath day?

       (Luke 13:16 NCV)  This woman that I healed, a daughter of Abraham, has 
       been held by Satan for eighteen years. Surely it is not wrong for her 
       to be freed from her sickness on a Sabbath day!"

       (Luke 13:17 NCV)  When Jesus said this, all of those who were 
       criticizing him were ashamed, but the entire crowd rejoiced at all the 
       wonderful things Jesus was doing.

       (Luke 13:18 NCV)  Then Jesus said, "What is God's kingdom like? What 
       can I compare it with?

       (Luke 13:19 NCV)  It is like a mustard seed that a man plants in his 
       garden. The seed grows and becomes a tree, and the wild birds build 
       nests in its branches."

       (Luke 13:20 NCV)  Jesus said again, "What can I compare God's kingdom 





       with?

       (Luke 13:21 NCV)  It is like yeast that a woman took and hid in a 
       large tub of flour until it made all the dough rise."

       (Luke 13:22 NCV)  Jesus was teaching in every town and village as he 
       traveled toward Jerusalem.

       (Luke 13:23 NCV)  Someone said to Jesus, "Lord, will only a few people 
       be saved?" Jesus said,

       (Luke 13:24 NCV)  "Try hard to enter through the narrow door, because 
       many people will try to enter there, but they will not be able.

       (Luke 13:25 NCV)  When the owner of the house gets up and closes the 
       door, you can stand outside and knock on the door and say, 'Sir, open 
       the door for us.' But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where you 
       come from.'

       (Luke 13:26 NCV)  Then you will say, 'We ate and drank with you, and 
       you taught in the streets of our town.'

       (Luke 13:27 NCV)  But he will say to you, 'I don't know you or where 
       you come from. Go away from me, all you who do evil!'

       (Luke 13:28 NCV)  You will cry and grind your teeth with pain when you 
       see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in God's kingdom, but 
       you yourselves thrown outside.

       (Luke 13:29 NCV)  People will come from the east, west, north, and 
       south and will sit down at the table in the kingdom of God.

       (Luke 13:30 NCV)  There are those who have the lowest place in life 
       now who will have the highest place in the future. And there are those 
       who have the highest place now who will have the lowest place in the 
       future."

       (Luke 13:31 NCV)  At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said, 
       "Go away from here! Herod wants to kill you!"

       (Luke 13:32 NCV)  Jesus said to them, "Go tell that fox Herod, 'Today 
       and tomorrow I am forcing demons out and healing people. Then, on the 
       third day, I will reach my goal.'

       (Luke 13:33 NCV)  Yet I must be on my way today and tomorrow and the 
       next day. Surely it cannot be right for a prophet to be killed 
       anywhere except in Jerusalem.

       (Luke 13:34 NCV)  "Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and 
       stone to death those who are sent to you. Many times I wanted to 
       gather your people as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but 
       you would not let me.

       (Luke 13:35 NCV)  Now your house is left completely empty. I tell you, 
       you will not see me until that time when you will say, 'God bless the 
       One who comes in the name of the Lord.'"






       (Luke 14:1 NCV)  On a Sabbath day, when Jesus went to eat at the home 
       of a leading Pharisee, the people were watching Jesus very closely.

       (Luke 14:2 NCV)  And in front of him was a man with dropsy.

       (Luke 14:3 NCV)  Jesus said to the Pharisees and experts on the law, 
       "Is it right or wrong to heal on the Sabbath day?"

       (Luke 14:4 NCV)  But they would not answer his question. So Jesus took 
       the man, healed him, and sent him away.

       (Luke 14:5 NCV)  Jesus said to the Pharisees and teachers of the law, 
       "If your child or ox falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you 
       not pull him out quickly?"

       (Luke 14:6 NCV)  And they could not answer him.

       (Luke 14:7 NCV)  When Jesus noticed that some of the guests were 
       choosing the best places to sit, he told this story:

       (Luke 14:8 NCV)  "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, don't 
       take the most important seat, because someone more important than you 
       may have been invited.

       (Luke 14:9 NCV)  The host, who invited both of you, will come to you 
       and say, 'Give this person your seat.' Then you will be embarrassed 
       and will have to move to the last place.

       (Luke 14:10 NCV)  So when you are invited, go sit in a seat that is 
       not important. When the host comes to you, he may say, 'Friend, move 
       up here to a more important place.' Then all the other guests will 
       respect you.

       (Luke 14:11 NCV)  All who make themselves great will be made humble, 
       but those who make themselves humble will be made great."

       (Luke 14:12 NCV)  Then Jesus said to the man who had invited him, 
       "When you give a lunch or a dinner, don't invite only your friends, 
       your family, your other relatives, and your rich neighbors. At another 
       time they will invite you to eat with them, and you will be repaid.

       (Luke 14:13 NCV)  Instead, when you give a feast, invite the poor, the 
       crippled, the lame, and the blind.

       (Luke 14:14 NCV)  Then you will be blessed, because they have nothing 
       and cannot pay you back. But you will be repaid when the good people 
       rise from the dead."

       (Luke 14:15 NCV)  One of those at the table with Jesus heard these 
       things and said to him, "Happy are the people who will share in the 
       meal in God's kingdom."

       (Luke 14:16 NCV)  Jesus said to him, "A man gave a big banquet and 
       invited many people.





       (Luke 14:17 NCV)  When it was time to eat, the man sent his servant to 
       tell the guests, 'Come. Everything is ready.'

       (Luke 14:18 NCV)  "But all the guests made excuses. The first one 
       said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go look at it. Please 
       excuse me.'

       (Luke 14:19 NCV)  Another said, 'I have just bought five pairs of 
       oxen; I must go and try them. Please excuse me.'

       (Luke 14:20 NCV)  A third person said, 'I just got married; I can't 
       come.'

       (Luke 14:21 NCV)  So the servant returned and told his master what had 
       happened. Then the master became angry and said, 'Go at once into the 
       streets and alleys of the town, and bring in the poor, the crippled, 
       the blind, and the lame.'

       (Luke 14:22 NCV)  Later the servant said to him, 'Master, I did what 
       you commanded, but we still have room.'

       (Luke 14:23 NCV)  The master said to the servant, 'Go out to the roads 
       and country lanes, and urge the people there to come so my house will 
       be full.

       (Luke 14:24 NCV)  I tell you, none of those whom I invited first will 
       eat with me.'"

       (Luke 14:25 NCV)  Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he 
       turned and said to them,

       (Luke 14:26 NCV)  "If anyone comes to me but loves his father, mother, 
       wife, children, brothers, or sisters--or even life--more than me, he 
       cannot be my follower.

       (Luke 14:27 NCV)  Whoever is not willing to carry the cross and follow 
       me cannot be my follower.

       (Luke 14:28 NCV)  If you want to build a tower, you first sit down and 
       decide how much it will cost, to see if you have enough money to 
       finish the job.

       (Luke 14:29 NCV)  If you don't, you might lay the foundation, but you 
       would not be able to finish. Then all who would see it would make fun 
       of you,

       (Luke 14:30 NCV)  saying, 'This person began to build but was not able 
       to finish.'

       (Luke 14:31 NCV)  "If a king is going to fight another king, first he 
       will sit down and plan. He will decide if he and his ten thousand 
       soldiers can defeat the other king who has twenty thousand soldiers.

       (Luke 14:32 NCV)  If he can't, then while the other king is still far 
       away, he will send some people to speak to him and ask for peace.





       (Luke 14:33 NCV)  In the same way, you must give up everything you 
       have to be my follower.

       (Luke 14:34 NCV)  "Salt is good, but if it loses its salty taste, you 
       cannot make it salty again.

       (Luke 14:35 NCV)  It is no good for the soil or for manure; it is 
       thrown away. "You people who can hear me, listen."

       (Luke 15:1 NCV)  The tax collectors and sinners all came to listen to 
       Jesus.

       (Luke 15:2 NCV)  But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began 
       to complain: "Look, this man welcomes sinners and even eats with 
       them."

       (Luke 15:3 NCV)  Then Jesus told them this story:

       (Luke 15:4 NCV)  "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep but loses one 
       of them. Then he will leave the other ninety-nine sheep in the open 
       field and go out and look for the lost sheep until he finds it.

       (Luke 15:5 NCV)  And when he finds it, he happily puts it on his 
       shoulders

       (Luke 15:6 NCV)  and goes home. He calls to his friends and neighbors 
       and says, 'Be happy with me because I found my lost sheep.'

       (Luke 15:7 NCV)  In the same way, I tell you there is more joy in 
       heaven over one sinner who changes his heart and life, than over 
       ninety-nine good people who don't need to change.

       (Luke 15:8 NCV)  "Suppose a woman has ten silver coins, but loses one. 
       She will light a lamp, sweep the house, and look carefully for the 
       coin until she finds it.

       (Luke 15:9 NCV)  And when she finds it, she will call her friends and 
       neighbors and say, 'Be happy with me because I have found the coin 
       that I lost.'

       (Luke 15:10 NCV)  In the same way, there is joy in the presence of the 
       angels of God when one sinner changes his heart and life."

       (Luke 15:11 NCV)  Then Jesus said, "A man had two sons.

       (Luke 15:12 NCV)  The younger son said to his father, 'Give me my 
       share of the property.' So the father divided the property between his 
       two sons.

       (Luke 15:13 NCV)  Then the younger son gathered up all that was his 
       and traveled far away to another country. There he wasted his money in 
       foolish living.

       (Luke 15:14 NCV)  After he had spent everything, a time came when 
       there was no food anywhere in the country, and the son was poor and 
       hungry.






       (Luke 15:15 NCV)  So he got a job with one of the citizens there who 
       sent the son into the fields to feed pigs.

       (Luke 15:16 NCV)  The son was so hungry that he wanted to eat the pods 
       the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

       (Luke 15:17 NCV)  When he realized what he was doing, he thought, 'All 
       of my father's servants have plenty of food. But I am here, almost 
       dying with hunger.

       (Luke 15:18 NCV)  I will leave and return to my father and say to him, 
       "Father, I have sinned against God and have done wrong to you.

       (Luke 15:19 NCV)  I am no longer worthy to be called your son, but let 
       me be like one of your servants."'

       (Luke 15:20 NCV)  So the son left and went to his father. "While the 
       son was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt sorry for 
       his son. So the father ran to him and hugged and kissed him.

       (Luke 15:21 NCV)  The son said, 'Father, I have sinned against God and 
       have done wrong to you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'

       (Luke 15:22 NCV)  But the father said to his servants, 'Hurry! Bring 
       the best clothes and put them on him. Also, put a ring on his finger 
       and sandals on his feet.

       (Luke 15:23 NCV)  And get our fat calf and kill it so we can have a 
       feast and celebrate.

       (Luke 15:24 NCV)  My son was dead, but now he is alive again! He was 
       lost, but now he is found!' So they began to celebrate.

       (Luke 15:25 NCV)  "The older son was in the field, and as he came 
       closer to the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing.

       (Luke 15:26 NCV)  So he called to one of the servants and asked what 
       all this meant.

       (Luke 15:27 NCV)  The servant said, 'Your brother has come back, and 
       your father killed the fat calf, because your brother came home 
       safely.'

       (Luke 15:28 NCV)  The older son was angry and would not go in to the 
       feast. So his father went out and begged him to come in.

       (Luke 15:29 NCV)  But the older son said to his father, 'I have served 
       you like a slave for many years and have always obeyed your commands. 
       But you never gave me even a young goat to have at a feast with my 
       friends.

       (Luke 15:30 NCV)  But your other son, who wasted all your money on 
       prostitutes, comes home, and you kill the fat calf for him!'

       (Luke 15:31 NCV)  The father said to him, 'Son, you are always with 





       me, and all that I have is yours.

       (Luke 15:32 NCV)  We had to celebrate and be happy because your 
       brother was dead, but now he is alive. He was lost, but now he is 
       found.'"

       (Luke 16:1 NCV)  Jesus also said to his followers, "Once there was a 
       rich man who had a manager to take care of his business. This manager 
       was accused of cheating him.

       (Luke 16:2 NCV)  So he called the manager in and said to him, 'What is 
       this I hear about you? Give me a report of what you have done with my 
       money, because you can't be my manager any longer.'

       (Luke 16:3 NCV)  The manager thought to himself, 'What will I do since 
       my master is taking my job away from me? I am not strong enough to dig 
       ditches, and I am ashamed to beg.

       (Luke 16:4 NCV)  I know what I'll do so that when I lose my job people 
       will welcome me into their homes.'

       (Luke 16:5 NCV)  "So the manager called in everyone who owed the 
       master any money. He asked the first one, 'How much do you owe?'

       (Luke 16:6 NCV)  He answered, 'Eight hundred gallons of olive oil.' 
       The manager said to him, 'Take your bill, sit down quickly, and write 
       four hundred gallons.'

       (Luke 16:7 NCV)  Then the manager asked another one, 'How much do you 
       owe?' He answered, 'One thousand bushels of wheat.' Then the manager 
       said to him, 'Take your bill and write eight hundred bushels.'

       (Luke 16:8 NCV)  So, the master praised the dishonest manager for 
       being smart. Yes, worldly people are smarter with their own kind than 
       spiritual people are.

       (Luke 16:9 NCV)  "I tell you, make friends for yourselves using 
       worldly riches so that when those riches are gone, you will be 
       welcomed in those homes that continue forever.

       (Luke 16:10 NCV)  Whoever can be trusted with a little can also be 
       trusted with a lot, and whoever is dishonest with a little is 
       dishonest with a lot.

       (Luke 16:11 NCV)  If you cannot be trusted with worldly riches, then 
       who will trust you with true riches?

       (Luke 16:12 NCV)  And if you cannot be trusted with things that belong 
       to someone else, who will give you things of your own?

       (Luke 16:13 NCV)  "No servant can serve two masters. The servant will 
       hate one master and love the other, or will follow one master and 
       refuse to follow the other. You cannot serve both God and worldly 
       riches."

       (Luke 16:14 NCV)  The Pharisees, who loved money, were listening to 





       all these things and made fun of Jesus.

       (Luke 16:15 NCV)  He said to them, "You make yourselves look good in 
       front of people, but God knows what is really in your hearts. What is 
       important to people is hateful in God's sight.

       (Luke 16:16 NCV)  "The law of Moses and the writings of the prophets 
       were preached until John came. Since then the Good News about the 
       kingdom of God is being told, and everyone tries to enter it by force.

       (Luke 16:17 NCV)  It would be easier for heaven and earth to pass away 
       than for the smallest part of a letter in the law to be changed.

       (Luke 16:18 NCV)  "If a man divorces his wife and marries another 
       woman, he is guilty of adultery, and the man who marries a divorced 
       woman is also guilty of adultery."

       (Luke 16:19 NCV)  Jesus said, "There was a rich man who always dressed 
       in the finest clothes and lived in luxury every day.

       (Luke 16:20 NCV)  And a very poor man named Lazarus, whose body was 
       covered with sores, was laid at the rich man's gate.

       (Luke 16:21 NCV)  He wanted to eat only the small pieces of food that 
       fell from the rich man's table. And the dogs would come and lick his 
       sores.

       (Luke 16:22 NCV)  Later, Lazarus died, and the angels carried him to 
       the arms of Abraham. The rich man died, too, and was buried.

       (Luke 16:23 NCV)  In the place of the dead, he was in much pain. The 
       rich man saw Abraham far away with Lazarus at his side.

       (Luke 16:24 NCV)  He called, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me! Send 
       Lazarus to dip his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am 
       suffering in this fire!'

       (Luke 16:25 NCV)  But Abraham said, 'Child, remember when you were 
       alive you had the good things in life, but bad things happened to 
       Lazarus. Now he is comforted here, and you are suffering.

       (Luke 16:26 NCV)  Besides, there is a big pit between you and us, so 
       no one can cross over to you, and no one can leave there and come 
       here.'

       (Luke 16:27 NCV)  The rich man said, 'Father, then please send Lazarus 
       to my father's house.

       (Luke 16:28 NCV)  I have five brothers, and Lazarus could warn them so 
       that they will not come to this place of pain.'

       (Luke 16:29 NCV)  But Abraham said, 'They have the law of Moses and 
       the writings of the prophets; let them learn from them.'

       (Luke 16:30 NCV)  The rich man said, 'No, father Abraham! If someone 
       goes to them from the dead, they would believe and change their hearts 





       and lives."

       (Luke 16:31 NCV)  But Abraham said to him, 'If they will not listen to 
       Moses and the prophets, they will not listen to someone who comes back 
       from the dead.'"

       (Luke 17:1 NCV)  Jesus said to his followers, "Things that cause 
       people to sin will happen, but how terrible for the person who causes 
       them to happen!

       (Luke 17:2 NCV)  It would be better for you to be thrown into the sea 
       with a large stone around your neck than to cause one of these little 
       ones to sin.

       (Luke 17:3 NCV)  So be careful! "If another follower sins, warn him, 
       and if he is sorry and stops sinning, forgive him.

       (Luke 17:4 NCV)  If he sins against you seven times in one day and 
       says that he is sorry each time, forgive him."

       (Luke 17:5 NCV)  The apostles said to the Lord, "Give us more faith!"

       (Luke 17:6 NCV)  The Lord said, "If your faith were the size of a 
       mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Dig yourself up 
       and plant yourself in the sea,' and it would obey you.

       (Luke 17:7 NCV)  "Suppose one of you has a servant who has been 
       plowing the ground or caring for the sheep. When the servant comes in 
       from working in the field, would you say, 'Come in and sit down to 
       eat'?

       (Luke 17:8 NCV)  No, you would say to him, 'Prepare something for me 
       to eat. Then get yourself ready and serve me. After I finish eating 
       and drinking, you can eat.'

       (Luke 17:9 NCV)  The servant does not get any special thanks for doing 
       what his master commanded.

       (Luke 17:10 NCV)  It is the same with you. When you have done 
       everything you are told to do, you should say, 'We are unworthy 
       servants; we have only done the work we should do.'"

       (Luke 17:11 NCV)  While Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, he was 
       going through the area between Samaria and Galilee.

       (Luke 17:12 NCV)  As he came into a small town, ten men who had a skin 
       disease met him there. They did not come close to Jesus

       (Luke 17:13 NCV)  but called to him, "Jesus! Master! Have mercy on 
       us!"

       (Luke 17:14 NCV)  When Jesus saw the men, he said, "Go and show 
       yourselves to the priests." As the ten men were going, they were 
       healed.

       (Luke 17:15 NCV)  When one of them saw that he was healed, he went 





       back to Jesus, praising God in a loud voice.

       (Luke 17:16 NCV)  Then he bowed down at Jesus' feet and thanked him. 
       (And this man was a Samaritan.)

       (Luke 17:17 NCV)  Jesus said, "Weren't ten men healed? Where are the 
       other nine?

       (Luke 17:18 NCV)  Is this Samaritan the only one who came back to 
       thank God?"

       (Luke 17:19 NCV)  Then Jesus said to him, "Stand up and go on your 
       way. You were healed because you believed."

       (Luke 17:20 NCV)  Some of the Pharisees asked Jesus, "When will the 
       kingdom of God come?" Jesus answered, "God's kingdom is coming, but 
       not in a way that you will be able to see with your eyes.

       (Luke 17:21 NCV)  People will not say, 'Look, here it is!' or, 'There 
       it is!' because God's kingdom is within you."

       (Luke 17:22 NCV)  Then Jesus said to his followers, "The time will 
       come when you will want very much to see one of the days of the Son of 
       Man. But you will not see it.

       (Luke 17:23 NCV)  People will say to you, 'Look, there he is!' or, 
       'Look, here he is!' Stay where you are; don't go away and search.

       (Luke 17:24 NCV)  "When the Son of Man comes again, he will shine like 
       lightning, which flashes across the sky and lights it up from one side 
       to the other.

       (Luke 17:25 NCV)  But first he must suffer many things and be rejected 
       by the people of this time.

       (Luke 17:26 NCV)  When the Son of Man comes again, it will be as it 
       was when Noah lived.

       (Luke 17:27 NCV)  People were eating, drinking, marrying, and giving 
       their children to be married until the day Noah entered the boat. Then 
       the flood came and killed them all.

       (Luke 17:28 NCV)  It will be the same as during the time of Lot. 
       People were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, and building.

       (Luke 17:29 NCV)  But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained 
       down from the sky and killed them all.

       (Luke 17:30 NCV)  This is how it will be when the Son of Man comes 
       again.

       (Luke 17:31 NCV)  "On that day, a person who is on the roof and whose 
       belongings are in the house should not go inside to get them. A person 
       who is in the field should not go back home.

       (Luke 17:32 NCV)  Remember Lot's wife.






       (Luke 17:33 NCV)  Those who try to keep their lives will lose them. 
       But those who give up their lives will save them.

       (Luke 17:34 NCV)  I tell you, on that night two people will be 
       sleeping in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left.

       (Luke 17:35 NCV)  There will be two women grinding grain together; one 
       will be taken, and the other will be left."

       (Luke 17:36 NCV)  

       (Luke 17:37 NCV)  The followers asked Jesus, "Where will this be, 
       Lord?" Jesus answered, "Where there is a dead body, there the vultures 
       will gather."

       (Luke 18:1 NCV)  Then Jesus used this story to teach his followers 
       that they should always pray and never lose hope.

       (Luke 18:2 NCV)  "In a certain town there was a judge who did not 
       respect God or care about people.

       (Luke 18:3 NCV)  In that same town there was a widow who kept coming 
       to this judge, saying, 'Give me my rights against my enemy.'

       (Luke 18:4 NCV)  For a while the judge refused to help her. But 
       afterwards, he thought to himself, 'Even though I don't respect God or 
       care about people,

       (Luke 18:5 NCV)  I will see that she gets her rights. Otherwise she 
       will continue to bother me until I am worn out.'"

       (Luke 18:6 NCV)  The Lord said, "Listen to what the unfair judge said.

       (Luke 18:7 NCV)  God will always give what is right to his people who 
       cry to him night and day, and he will not be slow to answer them.

       (Luke 18:8 NCV)  I tell you, God will help his people quickly. But 
       when the Son of Man comes again, will he find those on earth who 
       believe in him?"

       (Luke 18:9 NCV)  Jesus told this story to some people who thought they 
       were very good and looked down on everyone else:

       (Luke 18:10 NCV)  "A Pharisee and a tax collector both went to the 
       Temple to pray.

       (Luke 18:11 NCV)  The Pharisee stood alone and prayed, 'God, I thank 
       you that I am not like other people who steal, cheat, or take part in 
       adultery, or even like this tax collector.

       (Luke 18:12 NCV)  I give up eating twice a week, and I give one-tenth 
       of everything I get!'

       (Luke 18:13 NCV)  "The tax collector, standing at a distance, would 
       not even look up to heaven. But he beat on his chest because he was so 





       sad. He said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

       (Luke 18:14 NCV)  I tell you, when this man went home, he was right 
       with God, but the Pharisee was not. All who make themselves great will 
       be made humble, but all who make themselves humble will be made 
       great."

       (Luke 18:15 NCV)  Some people brought even their babies to Jesus so he 
       could touch them. When the followers saw this, they told them to stop.

       (Luke 18:16 NCV)  But Jesus called for the children, saying, "Let the 
       little children come to me. Don't stop them, because the kingdom of 
       God belongs to people who are like these children.

       (Luke 18:17 NCV)  I tell you the truth, you must accept the kingdom of 
       God as if you were a child, or you will never enter it."

       (Luke 18:18 NCV)  A certain leader asked Jesus, "Good Teacher, what 
       must I do to have life forever?"

       (Luke 18:19 NCV)  Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? Only 
       God is good.

       (Luke 18:20 NCV)  You know the commands: 'You must not be guilty of 
       adultery. You must not murder anyone. You must not steal. You must not 
       tell lies about your neighbor. Honor your father and mother.'"

       (Luke 18:21 NCV)  But the leader said, "I have obeyed all these 
       commands since I was a boy."

       (Luke 18:22 NCV)  When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "There is 
       still one more thing you need to do. Sell everything you have and give 
       it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and 
       follow me."

       (Luke 18:23 NCV)  But when the man heard this, he became very sad, 
       because he was very rich.

       (Luke 18:24 NCV)  Jesus looked at him and said, "It is very hard for 
       rich people to enter the kingdom of God.

       (Luke 18:25 NCV)  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a 
       needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."

       (Luke 18:26 NCV)  When the people heard this, they asked, "Then who 
       can be saved?"

       (Luke 18:27 NCV)  Jesus answered, "God can do things that are not 
       possible for people to do."

       (Luke 18:28 NCV)  Peter said, "Look, we have left everything and 
       followed you."

       (Luke 18:29 NCV)  Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, all those who 
       have left houses, wives, brothers, parents, or children for the 
       kingdom of God






       (Luke 18:30 NCV)  will get much more in this life. And in the age that 
       is coming, they will have life forever."

       (Luke 18:31 NCV)  Then Jesus took the twelve apostles aside and said 
       to them, "We are going to Jerusalem. Everything the prophets wrote 
       about the Son of Man will happen.

       (Luke 18:32 NCV)  He will be turned over to those who are not Jews. 
       They will laugh at him, insult him, spit on him,

       (Luke 18:33 NCV)  beat him with whips, and kill him. But on the third 
       day, he will rise to life again."

       (Luke 18:34 NCV)  The apostles did not understand this; the meaning 
       was hidden from them, and they did not realize what was said.

       (Luke 18:35 NCV)  As Jesus came near the city of Jericho, a blind man 
       was sitting beside the road, begging.

       (Luke 18:36 NCV)  When he heard the people coming down the road, he 
       asked, "What is happening?"

       (Luke 18:37 NCV)  They told him, "Jesus, from Nazareth, is going by."

       (Luke 18:38 NCV)  The blind man cried out, "Jesus, Son of David, have 
       mercy on me!"

       (Luke 18:39 NCV)  The people leading the group warned the blind man to 
       be quiet. But the blind man shouted even more, "Son of David, have 
       mercy on me!"

       (Luke 18:40 NCV)  Jesus stopped and ordered the blind man to be 
       brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him,

       (Luke 18:41 NCV)  "What do you want me to do for you?" He said, "Lord, 
       I want to see."

       (Luke 18:42 NCV)  Jesus said to him, "Then see. You are healed because 
       you believed."

       (Luke 18:43 NCV)  At once the man was able to see, and he followed 
       Jesus, thanking God. All the people who saw this praised God.

       (Luke 19:1 NCV)  Jesus was going through the city of Jericho.

       (Luke 19:2 NCV)  A man was there named Zacchaeus, who was a very 
       important tax collector, and he was wealthy.

       (Luke 19:3 NCV)  He wanted to see who Jesus was, but he was not able 
       because he was too short to see above the crowd.

       (Luke 19:4 NCV)  He ran ahead to a place where Jesus would come, and 
       he climbed a sycamore tree so he could see him.

       (Luke 19:5 NCV)  When Jesus came to that place, he looked up and said 





       to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down! I must stay at your house 
       today."

       (Luke 19:6 NCV)  Zacchaeus came down quickly and welcomed him gladly.

       (Luke 19:7 NCV)  All the people saw this and began to complain, "Jesus 
       is staying with a sinner!"

       (Luke 19:8 NCV)  But Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "I will 
       give half of my possessions to the poor. And if I have cheated anyone, 
       I will pay back four times more."

       (Luke 19:9 NCV)  Jesus said to him, "Salvation has come to this house 
       today, because this man also belongs to the family of Abraham.

       (Luke 19:10 NCV)  The Son of Man came to find lost people and save 
       them."

       (Luke 19:11 NCV)  As the people were listening to this, Jesus told 
       them a story because he was near Jerusalem and they thought God's 
       kingdom would appear immediately.

       (Luke 19:12 NCV)  He said: "A very important man went to a country far 
       away to be made a king and then to return home.

       (Luke 19:13 NCV)  So he called ten of his servants and gave a coin to 
       each servant. He said, 'Do business with this money until I get back.'

       (Luke 19:14 NCV)  But the people in the kingdom hated the man. So they 
       sent a group to follow him and say, 'We don't want this man to be our 
       king."

       (Luke 19:15 NCV)  "But the man became king. When he returned home, he 
       said, 'Call those servants who have my money so I can know how much 
       they earned with it.'

       (Luke 19:16 NCV)  "The first servant came and said, 'Sir, I earned ten 
       coins with the one you gave me.'

       (Luke 19:17 NCV)  The king said to the servant, 'Excellent! You are a 
       good servant. Since I can trust you with small things, I will let you 
       rule over ten of my cities.'

       (Luke 19:18 NCV)  "The second servant said, 'Sir, I earned five coins 
       with your one.'

       (Luke 19:19 NCV)  The king said to this servant, 'You can rule over 
       five cities.'

       (Luke 19:20 NCV)  "Then another servant came in and said to the king, 
       'Sir, here is your coin which I wrapped in a piece of cloth and hid.

       (Luke 19:21 NCV)  I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You 
       even take money that you didn't earn and gather food that you didn't 
       plant.'





       (Luke 19:22 NCV)  Then the king said to the servant, 'I will condemn 
       you by your own words, you evil servant. You knew that I am a hard 
       man, taking money that I didn't earn and gathering food that I didn't 
       plant.

       (Luke 19:23 NCV)  Why then didn't you put my money in the bank? Then 
       when I came back, my money would have earned some interest.'

       (Luke 19:24 NCV)  "The king said to the men who were standing by, 
       'Take the coin away from this servant and give it to the servant who 
       earned ten coins.'

       (Luke 19:25 NCV)  They said, 'But sir, that servant already has ten 
       coins.'

       (Luke 19:26 NCV)  The king said, 'Those who have will be given more, 
       but those who do not have anything will have everything taken away 
       from them.

       (Luke 19:27 NCV)  Now where are my enemies who didn't want me to be 
       king? Bring them here and kill them before me.'"

       (Luke 19:28 NCV)  After Jesus said this, he went on toward Jerusalem.

       (Luke 19:29 NCV)  As Jesus came near Bethphage and Bethany, towns near 
       the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent out two of his followers.

       (Luke 19:30 NCV)  He said, "Go to the town you can see there. When you 
       enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever 
       ridden. Untie it and bring it here to me.

       (Luke 19:31 NCV)  If anyone asks you why you are untying it, say that 
       the Master needs it."

       (Luke 19:32 NCV)  The two followers went into town and found the colt 
       just as Jesus had told them.

       (Luke 19:33 NCV)  As they were untying it, its owners came out and 
       asked the followers, "Why are you untying our colt?"

       (Luke 19:34 NCV)  The followers answered, "The Master needs it."

       (Luke 19:35 NCV)  So they brought it to Jesus, threw their coats on 
       the colt's back, and put Jesus on it.

       (Luke 19:36 NCV)  As Jesus rode toward Jerusalem, others spread their 
       coats on the road before him.

       (Luke 19:37 NCV)  As he was coming close to Jerusalem, on the way down 
       the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of followers began joyfully 
       shouting praise to God for all the miracles they had seen.

       (Luke 19:38 NCV)  They said, "God bless the king who comes in the name 
       of the Lord! There is peace in heaven and glory to God!"

       (Luke 19:39 NCV)  Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, 





       "Teacher, tell your followers not to say these things."

       (Luke 19:40 NCV)  But Jesus answered, "I tell you, if my followers 
       didn't say these things, then the stones would cry out."

       (Luke 19:41 NCV)  As Jesus came near Jerusalem, he saw the city and 
       cried for it,

       (Luke 19:42 NCV)  saying, "I wish you knew today what would bring you 
       peace. But now it is hidden from you.

       (Luke 19:43 NCV)  The time is coming when your enemies will build a 
       wall around you and will hold you in on all sides.

       (Luke 19:44 NCV)  They will destroy you and all your people, and not 
       one stone will be left on another. All this will happen because you 
       did not recognize the time when God came to save you."

       (Luke 19:45 NCV)  Jesus went into the Temple and began to throw out 
       the people who were selling things there.

       (Luke 19:46 NCV)  He said, "It is written in the Scriptures, 'My 
       Temple will be a house for prayer.' But you have changed it into a 
       'hideout for robbers'!"

       (Luke 19:47 NCV)  Jesus taught in the Temple every day. The leading 
       priests, the experts on the law, and some of the leaders of the people 
       wanted to kill Jesus.

       (Luke 19:48 NCV)  But they did not know how they could do it, because 
       all the people were listening closely to him.

       (Luke 20:1 NCV)  One day Jesus was in the Temple, teaching the people 
       and telling them the Good News. The leading priests, teachers of the 
       law, and older Jewish leaders came up to talk with him,

       (Luke 20:2 NCV)  saying, "Tell us what authority you have to do these 
       things? Who gave you this authority?"

       (Luke 20:3 NCV)  Jesus answered, "I will also ask you a question. Tell 
       me:

       (Luke 20:4 NCV)  When John baptized people, was that authority from 
       God or just from other people?"

       (Luke 20:5 NCV)  They argued about this, saying, "If we answer, 
       'John's baptism was from God,' Jesus will say, 'Then why did you not 
       believe him?'

       (Luke 20:6 NCV)  But if we say, 'It was from other people,' all the 
       people will stone us to death, because they believe John was a 
       prophet."

       (Luke 20:7 NCV)  So they answered that they didn't know where it came 
       from.





       (Luke 20:8 NCV)  Jesus said to them, "Then I won't tell you what 
       authority I have to do these things."

       (Luke 20:9 NCV)  Then Jesus told the people this story: "A man planted 
       a vineyard and leased it to some farmers. Then he went away for a long 
       time.

       (Luke 20:10 NCV)  When it was time for the grapes to be picked, he 
       sent a servant to the farmers to get some of the grapes. But they beat 
       the servant and sent him away empty-handed.

       (Luke 20:11 NCV)  Then he sent another servant. They beat this servant 
       also, and showed no respect for him, and sent him away empty-handed.

       (Luke 20:12 NCV)  So the man sent a third servant. The farmers wounded 
       him and threw him out.

       (Luke 20:13 NCV)  The owner of the vineyard said, 'What will I do now? 
       I will send my son whom I love. Maybe they will respect him.'

       (Luke 20:14 NCV)  But when the farmers saw the son, they said to each 
       other, 'This son will inherit the vineyard. If we kill him, it will be 
       ours.'

       (Luke 20:15 NCV)  So the farmers threw the son out of the vineyard and 
       killed him. "What will the owner of this vineyard do to them?

       (Luke 20:16 NCV)  He will come and kill those farmers and will give 
       the vineyard to other farmers." When the people heard this story, they 
       said, "Let this never happen!"

       (Luke 20:17 NCV)  But Jesus looked at them and said, "Then what does 
       this verse mean: 'The stone that the builders rejected became the 
       cornerstone'?

       (Luke 20:18 NCV)  Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken, and 
       the person on whom it falls, that person will be crushed!"

       (Luke 20:19 NCV)  The teachers of the law and the leading priests 
       wanted to arrest Jesus at once, because they knew the story was about 
       them. But they were afraid of what the people would do.

       (Luke 20:20 NCV)  So they watched Jesus and sent some spies who acted 
       as if they were sincere. They wanted to trap Jesus in saying something 
       wrong so they could hand him over to the authority and power of the 
       governor.

       (Luke 20:21 NCV)  So the spies asked Jesus, "Teacher, we know that 
       what you say and teach is true. You pay no attention to who people 
       are, and you always teach the truth about God's way.

       (Luke 20:22 NCV)  Tell us, is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar 
       or not?"

       (Luke 20:23 NCV)  But Jesus, knowing they were trying to trick him, 
       said,






       (Luke 20:24 NCV)  "Show me a coin. Whose image and name are on it?" 
       They said, "Caesar's."

       (Luke 20:25 NCV)  Jesus said to them, "Then give to Caesar the things 
       that are Caesar's, and give to God the things that are God's."

       (Luke 20:26 NCV)  So they were not able to trap Jesus in anything he 
       said in the presence of the people. And being amazed at his answer, 
       they became silent.

       (Luke 20:27 NCV)  Some Sadducees, who believed people would not rise 
       from the dead, came to Jesus.

       (Luke 20:28 NCV)  They asked, "Teacher, Moses wrote that if a man's 
       brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, then that man must 
       marry the widow and have children for his brother.

       (Luke 20:29 NCV)  Once there were seven brothers. The first brother 
       married and died, but had no children.

       (Luke 20:30 NCV)  Then the second brother married the widow, and he 
       died.

       (Luke 20:31 NCV)  And the third brother married the widow, and he 
       died. The same thing happened with all seven brothers; they died and 
       had no children.

       (Luke 20:32 NCV)  Finally, the woman died also.

       (Luke 20:33 NCV)  Since all seven brothers had married her, whose wife 
       will she be when people rise from the dead?"

       (Luke 20:34 NCV)  Jesus said to them, "On earth, people marry and are 
       given to someone to marry.

       (Luke 20:35 NCV)  But those who will be worthy to be raised from the 
       dead and live again will not marry, nor will they be given to someone 
       to marry.

       (Luke 20:36 NCV)  In that life they are like angels and cannot die. 
       They are children of God, because they have been raised from the dead.

       (Luke 20:37 NCV)  Even Moses clearly showed that the dead are raised 
       to life. When he wrote about the burning bush, he said that the Lord 
       is 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'

       (Luke 20:38 NCV)  God is the God of the living, not the dead, because 
       all people are alive to him."

       (Luke 20:39 NCV)  Some of the teachers of the law said, "Teacher, your 
       answer was good."

       (Luke 20:40 NCV)  No one was brave enough to ask him another question.

       (Luke 20:41 NCV)  Then Jesus said, "Why do people say that the Christ 





       is the Son of David?

       (Luke 20:42 NCV)  In the book of Psalms, David himself says: 'The Lord 
       said to my Lord: Sit by me at my right side,

       (Luke 20:43 NCV)  until I put your enemies under your control.'

       (Luke 20:44 NCV)  David calls the Christ 'Lord,' so how can the Christ 
       be his son?"

       (Luke 20:45 NCV)  While all the people were listening, Jesus said to 
       his followers,

       (Luke 20:46 NCV)  "Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to 
       walk around wearing fancy clothes, and they love for people to greet 
       them with respect in the marketplaces. They love to have the most 
       important seats in the synagogues and at feasts.

       (Luke 20:47 NCV)  But they cheat widows and steal their houses and 
       then try to make themselves look good by saying long prayers. They 
       will receive a greater punishment."

       (Luke 21:1 NCV)  As Jesus looked up, he saw some rich people putting 
       their gifts into the Temple money box.

       (Luke 21:2 NCV)  Then he saw a poor widow putting two small copper 
       coins into the box.

       (Luke 21:3 NCV)  He said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow gave 
       more than all those rich people.

       (Luke 21:4 NCV)  They gave only what they did not need. This woman is 
       very poor, but she gave all she had to live on."

       (Luke 21:5 NCV)  Some people were talking about the Temple and how it 
       was decorated with beautiful stones and gifts offered to God. But 
       Jesus said,

       (Luke 21:6 NCV)  "As for these things you are looking at, the time 
       will come when not one stone will be left on another. Every stone will 
       be thrown down."

       (Luke 21:7 NCV)  They asked Jesus, "Teacher, when will these things 
       happen? What will be the sign that they are about to take place?"

       (Luke 21:8 NCV)  Jesus said, "Be careful so you are not fooled. Many 
       people will come in my name, saying, 'I am the One' and, 'The time has 
       come!' But don't follow them.

       (Luke 21:9 NCV)  When you hear about wars and riots, don't be afraid, 
       because these things must happen first, but the end will come later."

       (Luke 21:10 NCV)  Then he said to them, "Nations will fight against 
       other nations, and kingdoms against other kingdoms.

       (Luke 21:11 NCV)  In various places there will be great earthquakes, 





       sicknesses, and a lack of food. Fearful events and great signs will 
       come from heaven.

       (Luke 21:12 NCV)  "But before all these things happen, people will 
       arrest you and treat you cruelly. They will judge you in their 
       synagogues and put you in jail and force you to stand before kings and 
       governors, because you follow me.

       (Luke 21:13 NCV)  But this will give you an opportunity to tell about 
       me.

       (Luke 21:14 NCV)  Make up your minds not to worry ahead of time about 
       what you will say.

       (Luke 21:15 NCV)  I will give you the wisdom to say things that none 
       of your enemies will be able to stand against or prove wrong.

       (Luke 21:16 NCV)  Even your parents, brothers, relatives, and friends 
       will turn against you, and they will kill some of you.

       (Luke 21:17 NCV)  All people will hate you because you follow me.

       (Luke 21:18 NCV)  But none of these things can really harm you.

       (Luke 21:19 NCV)  By continuing to have faith you will save your 
       lives.

       (Luke 21:20 NCV)  "When you see armies all around Jerusalem, you will 
       know it will soon be destroyed.

       (Luke 21:21 NCV)  At that time, the people in Judea should run away to 
       the mountains. The people in Jerusalem must get out, and those who are 
       near the city should not go in.

       (Luke 21:22 NCV)  These are the days of punishment to bring about all 
       that is written in the Scriptures.

       (Luke 21:23 NCV)  How terrible it will be for women who are pregnant 
       or have nursing babies! Great trouble will come upon this land, and 
       God will be angry with these people.

       (Luke 21:24 NCV)  They will be killed by the sword and taken as 
       prisoners to all nations. Jerusalem will be crushed by non-Jewish 
       people until their time is over.

       (Luke 21:25 NCV)  "There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars. On 
       earth, nations will be afraid and confused because of the roar and 
       fury of the sea.

       (Luke 21:26 NCV)  People will be so afraid they will faint, wondering 
       what is happening to the world, because the powers of the heavens will 
       be shaken.

       (Luke 21:27 NCV)  Then people will see the Son of Man coming in a 
       cloud with power and great glory.





       (Luke 21:28 NCV)  When these things begin to happen, look up and hold 
       your heads high, because the time when God will free you is near!"

       (Luke 21:29 NCV)  Then Jesus told this story: "Look at the fig tree 
       and all the other trees.

       (Luke 21:30 NCV)  When their leaves appear, you know that summer is 
       near.

       (Luke 21:31 NCV)  In the same way, when you see these things 
       happening, you will know that God's kingdom is near.

       (Luke 21:32 NCV)  "I tell you the truth, all these things will happen 
       while the people of this time are still living.

       (Luke 21:33 NCV)  Earth and sky will be destroyed, but the words I 
       have spoken will never be destroyed.

       (Luke 21:34 NCV)  "Be careful not to spend your time feasting, 
       drinking, or worrying about worldly things. If you do, that day might 
       come on you suddenly,

       (Luke 21:35 NCV)  like a trap on all people on earth.

       (Luke 21:36 NCV)  So be ready all the time. Pray that you will be 
       strong enough to escape all these things that will happen and that you 
       will be able to stand before the Son of Man."

       (Luke 21:37 NCV)  During the day, Jesus taught the people in the 
       Temple, and at night he went out of the city and stayed on the Mount 
       of Olives.

       (Luke 21:38 NCV)  Every morning all the people got up early to go to 
       the Temple to listen to him.

       (Luke 22:1 NCV)  It was almost time for the Feast of Unleavened Bread, 
       called the Passover Feast.

       (Luke 22:2 NCV)  The leading priests and teachers of the law were 
       trying to find a way to kill Jesus, because they were afraid of the 
       people.

       (Luke 22:3 NCV)  Satan entered Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus' twelve 
       apostles.

       (Luke 22:4 NCV)  Judas went to the leading priests and some of the 
       soldiers who guarded the Temple and talked to them about a way to hand 
       Jesus over to them.

       (Luke 22:5 NCV)  They were pleased and agreed to give Judas money.

       (Luke 22:6 NCV)  He agreed and watched for the best time to hand Jesus 
       over to them when he was away from the crowd.

       (Luke 22:7 NCV)  The Day of Unleavened Bread came when the Passover 
       lambs had to be sacrificed.






       (Luke 22:8 NCV)  Jesus said to Peter and John, "Go and prepare the 
       Passover meal for us to eat."

       (Luke 22:9 NCV)  They asked, "Where do you want us to prepare it?"

       (Luke 22:10 NCV)  Jesus said to them, "After you go into the city, a 
       man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house 
       that he enters,

       (Luke 22:11 NCV)  and tell the owner of the house, 'The Teacher says: 
       Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover meal with my 
       followers?'

       (Luke 22:12 NCV)  Then he will show you a large, furnished room 
       upstairs. Prepare the Passover meal there."

       (Luke 22:13 NCV)  So Peter and John left and found everything as Jesus 
       had said. And they prepared the Passover meal.

       (Luke 22:14 NCV)  When the time came, Jesus and the apostles were 
       sitting at the table.

       (Luke 22:15 NCV)  He said to them, "I wanted very much to eat this 
       Passover meal with you before I suffer.

       (Luke 22:16 NCV)  I will not eat another Passover meal until it is 
       given its true meaning in the kingdom of God."

       (Luke 22:17 NCV)  Then Jesus took a cup, gave thanks, and said, "Take 
       this cup and share it among yourselves.

       (Luke 22:18 NCV)  I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine 
       until God's kingdom comes."

       (Luke 22:19 NCV)  Then Jesus took some bread, gave thanks, broke it, 
       and gave it to the apostles, saying, "This is my body, which I am 
       giving for you. Do this to remember me."

       (Luke 22:20 NCV)  In the same way, after supper, Jesus took the cup 
       and said, "This cup is the new agreement that God makes with his 
       people. This new agreement begins with my blood which is poured out 
       for you.

       (Luke 22:21 NCV)  "But one of you will turn against me, and his hand 
       is with mine on the table.

       (Luke 22:22 NCV)  What God has planned for the Son of Man will happen, 
       but how terrible it will be for that one who turns against the Son of 
       Man."

       (Luke 22:23 NCV)  Then the apostles asked each other which one of them 
       would do that.

       (Luke 22:24 NCV)  The apostles also began to argue about which one of 
       them was the most important.






       (Luke 22:25 NCV)  But Jesus said to them, "The kings of the non-Jewish 
       people rule over them, and those who have authority over others like 
       to be called 'friends of the people.'

       (Luke 22:26 NCV)  But you must not be like that. Instead, the greatest 
       among you should be like the youngest, and the leader should be like 
       the servant.

       (Luke 22:27 NCV)  Who is more important: the one sitting at the table 
       or the one serving? You think the one at the table is more important, 
       but I am like a servant among you.

       (Luke 22:28 NCV)  "You have stayed with me through my struggles.

       (Luke 22:29 NCV)  Just as my Father has given me a kingdom, I also 
       give you a kingdom

       (Luke 22:30 NCV)  so you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom. 
       And you will sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

       (Luke 22:31 NCV)  "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to test all of you as 
       a farmer sifts his wheat.

       (Luke 22:32 NCV)  I have prayed that you will not lose your faith! 
       Help your brothers be stronger when you come back to me."

       (Luke 22:33 NCV)  But Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, I am ready to go 
       with you to prison and even to die with you!"

       (Luke 22:34 NCV)  But Jesus said, "Peter, before the rooster crows 
       this day, you will say three times that you don't know me."

       (Luke 22:35 NCV)  Then Jesus said to the apostles, "When I sent you 
       out without a purse, a bag, or sandals, did you need anything?" They 
       said, "No."

       (Luke 22:36 NCV)  He said to them, "But now if you have a purse or a 
       bag, carry that with you. If you don't have a sword, sell your coat 
       and buy one.

       (Luke 22:37 NCV)  The Scripture says, 'He was treated like a 
       criminal,' and I tell you this scripture must have its full meaning. 
       It was written about me, and it is happening now."

       (Luke 22:38 NCV)  His followers said, "Look, Lord, here are two 
       swords." He said to them, "That is enough."

       (Luke 22:39 NCV)  Jesus left the city and went to the Mount of Olives, 
       as he often did, and his followers went with him.

       (Luke 22:40 NCV)  When he reached the place, he said to them, "Pray 
       for strength against temptation."

       (Luke 22:41 NCV)  Then Jesus went about a stone's throw away from 
       them. He kneeled down and prayed,






       (Luke 22:42 NCV)  "Father, if you are willing, take away this cup of 
       suffering. But do what you want, not what I want."

       (Luke 22:43 NCV)  Then an angel from heaven appeared to him to 
       strengthen him.

       (Luke 22:44 NCV)  Being full of pain, Jesus prayed even harder. His 
       sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

       (Luke 22:45 NCV)  When he finished praying, he went to his followers 
       and found them asleep because of their sadness.

       (Luke 22:46 NCV)  Jesus said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Get up 
       and pray for strength against temptation."

       (Luke 22:47 NCV)  While Jesus was speaking, a crowd came up, and 
       Judas, one of the twelve apostles, was leading them. He came close to 
       Jesus so he could kiss him.

       (Luke 22:48 NCV)  But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you using the 
       kiss to give the Son of Man to his enemies?"

       (Luke 22:49 NCV)  When those who were standing around him saw what was 
       happening, they said, "Lord, should we strike them with our swords?"

       (Luke 22:50 NCV)  And one of them struck the servant of the high 
       priest and cut off his right ear.

       (Luke 22:51 NCV)  Jesus said, "Stop! No more of this." Then he touched 
       the servant's ear and healed him.

       (Luke 22:52 NCV)  Those who came to arrest Jesus were the leading 
       priests, the soldiers who guarded the Temple, and the older Jewish 
       leaders. Jesus said to them, "You came out here with swords and clubs 
       as though I were a criminal.

       (Luke 22:53 NCV)  I was with you every day in the Temple, and you 
       didn't arrest me there. But this is your time--the time when darkness 
       rules."

       (Luke 22:54 NCV)  They arrested Jesus, and led him away, and brought 
       him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed far behind them.

       (Luke 22:55 NCV)  After the soldiers started a fire in the middle of 
       the courtyard and sat together, Peter sat with them.

       (Luke 22:56 NCV)  A servant girl saw Peter sitting there in the 
       firelight, and looking closely at him, she said, "This man was also 
       with him."

       (Luke 22:57 NCV)  But Peter said this was not true; he said, "Woman, I 
       don't know him."

       (Luke 22:58 NCV)  A short time later, another person saw Peter and 
       said, "You are also one of them." But Peter said, "Man, I am not!"






       (Luke 22:59 NCV)  About an hour later, another man insisted, 
       "Certainly this man was with him, because he is from Galilee, too."

       (Luke 22:60 NCV)  But Peter said, "Man, I don't know what you are 
       talking about!" At once, while Peter was still speaking, a rooster 
       crowed.

       (Luke 22:61 NCV)  Then the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. 
       And Peter remembered what the Lord had said: "Before the rooster crows 
       this day, you will say three times that you don't know me."

       (Luke 22:62 NCV)  Then Peter went outside and cried painfully.

       (Luke 22:63 NCV)  The men who were guarding Jesus began making fun of 
       him and beating him.

       (Luke 22:64 NCV)  They blindfolded him and said, "Prove that you are a 
       prophet, and tell us who hit you."

       (Luke 22:65 NCV)  They said many cruel things to Jesus.

       (Luke 22:66 NCV)  When day came, the council of the older leaders of 
       the people, both the leading priests and the teachers of the law, came 
       together and led Jesus to their highest court.

       (Luke 22:67 NCV)  They said, "If you are the Christ, tell us." Jesus 
       said to them, "If I tell you, you will not believe me.

       (Luke 22:68 NCV)  And if I ask you, you will not answer.

       (Luke 22:69 NCV)  But from now on, the Son of Man will sit at the 
       right hand of the powerful God."

       (Luke 22:70 NCV)  They all said, "Then are you the Son of God?" Jesus 
       said to them, "You say that I am."

       (Luke 22:71 NCV)  They said, "Why do we need witnesses now? We 
       ourselves heard him say this."

       (Luke 23:1 NCV)  Then the whole group stood up and led Jesus to 
       Pilate.

       (Luke 23:2 NCV)  They began to accuse Jesus, saying, "We caught this 
       man telling things that mislead our people. He says that we should not 
       pay taxes to Caesar, and he calls himself the Christ, a king."

       (Luke 23:3 NCV)  Pilate asked Jesus, "Are you the king of the Jews?" 
       Jesus answered, "Those are your words."

       (Luke 23:4 NCV)  Pilate said to the leading priests and the people, "I 
       find nothing against this man."

       (Luke 23:5 NCV)  They were insisting, saying, "But Jesus makes trouble 
       with the people, teaching all around Judea. He began in Galilee, and 
       now he is here."






       (Luke 23:6 NCV)  Pilate heard this and asked if Jesus was from 
       Galilee.

       (Luke 23:7 NCV)  Since Jesus was under Herod's authority, Pilate sent 
       Jesus to Herod, who was in Jerusalem at that time.

       (Luke 23:8 NCV)  When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, because he 
       had heard about Jesus and had wanted to meet him for a long time. He 
       was hoping to see Jesus work a miracle.

       (Luke 23:9 NCV)  Herod asked Jesus many questions, but Jesus said 
       nothing.

       (Luke 23:10 NCV)  The leading priests and teachers of the law were 
       standing there, strongly accusing Jesus.

       (Luke 23:11 NCV)  After Herod and his soldiers had made fun of Jesus, 
       they dressed him in a kingly robe and sent him back to Pilate.

       (Luke 23:12 NCV)  In the past, Pilate and Herod had always been 
       enemies, but on that day they became friends.

       (Luke 23:13 NCV)  Pilate called the people together with the leading 
       priests and the Jewish leaders.

       (Luke 23:14 NCV)  He said to them, "You brought this man to me, saying 
       he makes trouble among the people. But I have questioned him before 
       you all, and I have not found him guilty of what you say.

       (Luke 23:15 NCV)  Also, Herod found nothing wrong with him; he sent 
       him back to us. Look, he has done nothing for which he should die.

       (Luke 23:16 NCV)  So, after I punish him, I will let him go free."

       (Luke 23:17 NCV)  

       (Luke 23:18 NCV)  But the people shouted together, "Take this man 
       away! Let Barabbas go free!"

       (Luke 23:19 NCV)  (Barabbas was a man who was in prison for his part 
       in a riot in the city and for murder.)

       (Luke 23:20 NCV)  Pilate wanted to let Jesus go free and told this to 
       the crowd.

       (Luke 23:21 NCV)  But they shouted again, "Crucify him! Crucify him!"

       (Luke 23:22 NCV)  A third time Pilate said to them, "Why? What wrong 
       has he done? I can find no reason to kill him. So I will have him 
       punished and set him free."

       (Luke 23:23 NCV)  But they continued to shout, demanding that Jesus be 
       crucified. Their yelling became so loud that

       (Luke 23:24 NCV)  Pilate decided to give them what they wanted.






       (Luke 23:25 NCV)  He set free the man who was in jail for rioting and 
       murder, and he handed Jesus over to them to do with him as they 
       wished.

       (Luke 23:26 NCV)  As they led Jesus away, Simon, a man from Cyrene, 
       was coming in from the fields. They forced him to carry Jesus' cross 
       and to walk behind him.

       (Luke 23:27 NCV)  A large crowd of people was following Jesus, 
       including some women who were sad and crying for him.

       (Luke 23:28 NCV)  But Jesus turned and said to them, "Women of 
       Jerusalem, don't cry for me. Cry for yourselves and for your children.

       (Luke 23:29 NCV)  The time is coming when people will say, 'Happy are 
       the women who cannot have children and who have no babies to nurse.'

       (Luke 23:30 NCV)  Then people will say to the mountains, 'Fall on us!' 
       And they will say to the hills, 'Cover us!'

       (Luke 23:31 NCV)  If they act like this now when life is good, what 
       will happen when bad times come?"

       (Luke 23:32 NCV)  There were also two criminals led out with Jesus to 
       be put to death.

       (Luke 23:33 NCV)  When they came to a place called the Skull, the 
       soldiers crucified Jesus and the criminals--one on his right and the 
       other on his left.

       (Luke 23:34 NCV)  Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, because they 
       don't know what they are doing." The soldiers threw lots to decide who 
       would get his clothes.

       (Luke 23:35 NCV)  The people stood there watching. And the leaders 
       made fun of Jesus, saying, "He saved others. Let him save himself if 
       he is God's Chosen One, the Christ."

       (Luke 23:36 NCV)  The soldiers also made fun of him, coming to Jesus 
       and offering him some vinegar.

       (Luke 23:37 NCV)  They said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save 
       yourself!"

       (Luke 23:38 NCV)  At the top of the cross these words were written: 
       THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

       (Luke 23:39 NCV)  One of the criminals on a cross began to shout 
       insults at Jesus: "Aren't you the Christ? Then save yourself and us."

       (Luke 23:40 NCV)  But the other criminal stopped him and said, "You 
       should fear God! You are getting the same punishment he is.

       (Luke 23:41 NCV)  We are punished justly, getting what we deserve for 
       what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong."






       (Luke 23:42 NCV)  Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into 
       your kingdom."

       (Luke 23:43 NCV)  Jesus said to him, "I tell you the truth, today you 
       will be with me in paradise."

       (Luke 23:44 NCV)  It was about noon, and the whole land became dark 
       until three o'clock in the afternoon,

       (Luke 23:45 NCV)  because the sun did not shine. The curtain in the 
       Temple was torn in two.

       (Luke 23:46 NCV)  Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Father, I give you 
       my life." After Jesus said this, he died.

       (Luke 23:47 NCV)  When the army officer there saw what happened, he 
       praised God, saying, "Surely this was a good man!"

       (Luke 23:48 NCV)  When all the people who had gathered there to watch 
       saw what happened, they returned home, beating their chests because 
       they were so sad.

       (Luke 23:49 NCV)  But those who were close friends of Jesus, including 
       the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance and 
       watched.

       (Luke 23:50 NCV)  There was a good and religious man named Joseph who 
       was a member of the Jewish council.

       (Luke 23:51 NCV)  But he had not agreed to the other leaders' plans 
       and actions against Jesus. He was from the Jewish town of Arimathea 
       and was waiting for the kingdom of God to come.

       (Luke 23:52 NCV)  Joseph went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus.

       (Luke 23:53 NCV)  He took the body down from the cross, wrapped it in 
       cloth, and put it in a tomb that was cut out of a wall of rock. This 
       tomb had never been used before.

       (Luke 23:54 NCV)  This was late on Preparation Day, and when the sun 
       went down, the Sabbath day would begin.

       (Luke 23:55 NCV)  The women who had come from Galilee with Jesus 
       followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how Jesus' body was laid.

       (Luke 23:56 NCV)  Then the women left to prepare spices and perfumes. 
       On the Sabbath day they rested, as the law of Moses commanded.

       (Luke 24:1 NCV)  Very early on the first day of the week, at dawn, the 
       women came to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared.

       (Luke 24:2 NCV)  They found the stone rolled away from the entrance of 
       the tomb,

       (Luke 24:3 NCV)  but when they went in, they did not find the body of 





       the Lord Jesus.

       (Luke 24:4 NCV)  While they were wondering about this, two men in 
       shining clothes suddenly stood beside them.

       (Luke 24:5 NCV)  The women were very afraid and bowed their heads to 
       the ground. The men said to them, "Why are you looking for a living 
       person in this place for the dead?

       (Luke 24:6 NCV)  He is not here; he has risen from the dead. Do you 
       remember what he told you in Galilee?

       (Luke 24:7 NCV)  He said the Son of Man must be handed over to sinful 
       people, be crucified, and rise from the dead on the third day."

       (Luke 24:8 NCV)  Then the women remembered what Jesus had said.

       (Luke 24:9 NCV)  The women left the tomb and told all these things to 
       the eleven apostles and the other followers.

       (Luke 24:10 NCV)  It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of 
       James, and some other women who told the apostles everything that had 
       happened at the tomb.

       (Luke 24:11 NCV)  But they did not believe the women, because it 
       sounded like nonsense.

       (Luke 24:12 NCV)  But Peter got up and ran to the tomb. Bending down 
       and looking in, he saw only the cloth that Jesus' body had been 
       wrapped in. Peter went away to his home, wondering about what had 
       happened.

       (Luke 24:13 NCV)  That same day two of Jesus' followers were going to 
       a town named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.

       (Luke 24:14 NCV)  They were talking about everything that had 
       happened.

       (Luke 24:15 NCV)  While they were talking and discussing, Jesus 
       himself came near and began walking with them,

       (Luke 24:16 NCV)  but they were kept from recognizing him.

       (Luke 24:17 NCV)  Then he said, "What are these things you are talking 
       about while you walk?" The two followers stopped, looking very sad.

       (Luke 24:18 NCV)  The one named Cleopas answered, "Are you the only 
       visitor in Jerusalem who does not know what just happened there?"

       (Luke 24:19 NCV)  Jesus said to them, "What are you talking about?" 
       They said, "About Jesus of Nazareth. He was a prophet who said and did 
       many powerful things before God and all the people.

       (Luke 24:20 NCV)  Our leaders and the leading priests handed him over 
       to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him.





       (Luke 24:21 NCV)  But we were hoping that he would free Israel. 
       Besides this, it is now the third day since this happened.

       (Luke 24:22 NCV)  And today some women among us amazed us. Early this 
       morning they went to the tomb,

       (Luke 24:23 NCV)  but they did not find his body there. They came and 
       told us that they had seen a vision of angels who said that Jesus was 
       alive!

       (Luke 24:24 NCV)  So some of our group went to the tomb, too. They 
       found it just as the women said, but they did not see Jesus."

       (Luke 24:25 NCV)  Then Jesus said to them, "You are foolish and slow 
       to believe everything the prophets said.

       (Luke 24:26 NCV)  They said that the Christ must suffer these things 
       before he enters his glory."

       (Luke 24:27 NCV)  Then starting with what Moses and all the prophets 
       had said about him, Jesus began to explain everything that had been 
       written about himself in the Scriptures.

       (Luke 24:28 NCV)  They came near the town of Emmaus, and Jesus acted 
       as if he were going farther.

       (Luke 24:29 NCV)  But they begged him, "Stay with us, because it is 
       late; it is almost night." So he went in to stay with them.

       (Luke 24:30 NCV)  When Jesus was at the table with them, he took some 
       bread, gave thanks, divided it, and gave it to them.

       (Luke 24:31 NCV)  And then, they were allowed to recognize Jesus. But 
       when they saw who he was, he disappeared.

       (Luke 24:32 NCV)  They said to each other, "It felt like a fire 
       burning in us when Jesus talked to us on the road and explained the 
       Scriptures to us."

       (Luke 24:33 NCV)  So the two followers got up at once and went back to 
       Jerusalem. There they found the eleven apostles and others gathered.

       (Luke 24:34 NCV)  They were saying, "The Lord really has risen from 
       the dead! He showed himself to Simon."

       (Luke 24:35 NCV)  Then the two followers told what had happened on the 
       road and how they recognized Jesus when he divided the bread.

       (Luke 24:36 NCV)  While the two followers were telling this, Jesus 
       himself stood right in the middle of them and said, "Peace be with 
       you."

       (Luke 24:37 NCV)  They were fearful and terrified and thought they 
       were seeing a ghost.

       (Luke 24:38 NCV)  But Jesus said, "Why are you troubled? Why do you 





       doubt what you see?

       (Luke 24:39 NCV)  Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch 
       me and see, because a ghost does not have a living body as you see I 
       have."

       (Luke 24:40 NCV)  After Jesus said this, he showed them his hands and 
       feet.

       (Luke 24:41 NCV)  While they still could not believe it because they 
       were amazed and happy, Jesus said to them, "Do you have any food 
       here?"

       (Luke 24:42 NCV)  They gave him a piece of broiled fish.

       (Luke 24:43 NCV)  While the followers watched, Jesus took the fish and 
       ate it.

       (Luke 24:44 NCV)  He said to them, "Remember when I was with you 
       before? I said that everything written about me must 
       happen--everything in the law of Moses, the books of the prophets, and 
       the Psalms."

       (Luke 24:45 NCV)  Then Jesus opened their minds so they could 
       understand the Scriptures.

       (Luke 24:46 NCV)  He said to them, "It is written that the Christ 
       would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day

       (Luke 24:47 NCV)  and that a change of hearts and lives and 
       forgiveness of sins would be preached in his name to all nations, 
       starting at Jerusalem.

       (Luke 24:48 NCV)  You are witnesses of these things.

       (Luke 24:49 NCV)  I will send you what my Father has promised, but you 
       must stay in Jerusalem until you have received that power from 
       heaven."

       (Luke 24:50 NCV)  Jesus led his followers as far as Bethany, and he 
       raised his hands and blessed them.

       (Luke 24:51 NCV)  While he was blessing them, he was separated from 
       them and carried into heaven.

       (Luke 24:52 NCV)  They worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem very 
       happy.

       (Luke 24:53 NCV)  They stayed in the Temple all the time, praising 
       God.

       (John 1:1 NCV)  In the beginning there was the Word. The Word was with 
       God, and the Word was God.

       (John 1:2 NCV)  He was with God in the beginning.





       (John 1:3 NCV)  All things were made by him, and nothing was made 
       without him.

       (John 1:4 NCV)  In him there was life, and that life was the light of 
       all people.

       (John 1:5 NCV)  The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has 
       not overpowered it.

       (John 1:6 NCV)  There was a man named John who was sent by God.

       (John 1:7 NCV)  He came to tell people the truth about the Light so 
       that through him all people could hear about the Light and believe.

       (John 1:8 NCV)  John was not the Light, but he came to tell people the 
       truth about the Light.

       (John 1:9 NCV)  The true Light that gives light to all was coming into 
       the world!

       (John 1:10 NCV)  The Word was in the world, and the world was made by 
       him, but the world did not know him.

       (John 1:11 NCV)  He came to the world that was his own, but his own 
       people did not accept him.

       (John 1:12 NCV)  But to all who did accept him and believe in him he 
       gave the right to become children of God.

       (John 1:13 NCV)  They did not become his children in any human way--by 
       any human parents or human desire. They were born of God.

       (John 1:14 NCV)  The Word became a human and lived among us. We saw 
       his glory--the glory that belongs to the only Son of the Father--and 
       he was full of grace and truth.

       (John 1:15 NCV)  John tells the truth about him and cries out, saying, 
       "This is the One I told you about: 'The One who comes after me is 
       greater than I am, because he was living before me.'"

       (John 1:16 NCV)  Because he was full of grace and truth, from him we 
       all received one gift after another.

       (John 1:17 NCV)  The law was given through Moses, but grace and truth 
       came through Jesus Christ.

       (John 1:18 NCV)  No one has ever seen God. But God the only Son is 
       very close to the Father, and he has shown us what God is like.

       (John 1:19 NCV)  Here is the truth John told when the Jews in 
       Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, "Who are you?"

       (John 1:20 NCV)  John spoke freely and did not refuse to answer. He 
       said, "I am not the Christ."

       (John 1:21 NCV)  So they asked him, "Then who are you? Are you 





       Elijah?" He answered, "No, I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" they 
       asked. He answered, "No."

       (John 1:22 NCV)  Then they said, "Who are you? Give us an answer to 
       tell those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"

       (John 1:23 NCV)  John told them in the words of the prophet Isaiah: "I 
       am the voice of one calling out in the desert: 'Make the road straight 
       for the Lord.'"

       (John 1:24 NCV)  Some Pharisees who had been sent asked John:

       (John 1:25 NCV)  "If you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet, 
       why do you baptize people?"

       (John 1:26 NCV)  John answered, "I baptize with water, but there is 
       one here with you that you don't know about.

       (John 1:27 NCV)  He is the One who comes after me. I am not good 
       enough to untie the strings of his sandals."

       (John 1:28 NCV)  This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the 
       Jordan River, where John was baptizing people.

       (John 1:29 NCV)  The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him. John 
       said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

       (John 1:30 NCV)  This is the One I was talking about when I said, 'A 
       man will come after me, but he is greater than I am, because he was 
       living before me.'

       (John 1:31 NCV)  Even I did not know who he was, although I came 
       baptizing with water so that the people of Israel would know who he 
       is."

       (John 1:32 NCV)  Then John said, "I saw the Spirit come down from 
       heaven in the form of a dove and rest on him. Until then I did not 
       know who the Christ was. But the God who sent me to baptize with water 
       told me, 'You will see the Spirit come down and rest on a man; he is 
       the One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.'

       (John 1:33 NCV)  

       (John 1:34 NCV)  I have seen this happen, and I tell you the truth: 
       This man is the Son of God."

       (John 1:35 NCV)  The next day John was there again with two of his 
       followers.

       (John 1:36 NCV)  When he saw Jesus walking by, he said, "Look, the 
       Lamb of God!"

       (John 1:37 NCV)  The two followers heard John say this, so they 
       followed Jesus.

       (John 1:38 NCV)  When Jesus turned and saw them following him, he 





       asked, "What are you looking for?" They said, "Rabbi, where are you 
       staying?" ("Rabbi" means "Teacher.")

       (John 1:39 NCV)  He answered, "Come and see." So the two men went with 
       Jesus and saw where he was staying and stayed there with him that day. 
       It was about four o'clock in the afternoon.

       (John 1:40 NCV)  One of the two men who followed Jesus after they 
       heard John speak about him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

       (John 1:41 NCV)  The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother 
       Simon and say to him, "We have found the Messiah." ("Messiah" means 
       "Christ.")

       (John 1:42 NCV)  Then Andrew took Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him 
       and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas." 
       ("Cephas" means "Peter.")

       (John 1:43 NCV)  The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found 
       Philip and said to him, "Follow me."

       (John 1:44 NCV)  Philip was from the town of Bethsaida, where Andrew 
       and Peter lived.

       (John 1:45 NCV)  Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found 
       the man that Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets also wrote 
       about him. He is Jesus, the son of Joseph, from Nazareth."

       (John 1:46 NCV)  But Nathanael said to Philip, "Can anything good come 
       from Nazareth?" Philip answered, "Come and see."

       (John 1:47 NCV)  As Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said, 
       "Here is truly an Israelite. There is nothing false in him."

       (John 1:48 NCV)  Nathanael asked, "How do you know me?" Jesus 
       answered, "I saw you when you were under the fig tree, before Philip 
       told you about me."

       (John 1:49 NCV)  Then Nathanael said to Jesus, "Teacher, you are the 
       Son of God; you are the King of Israel."

       (John 1:50 NCV)  Jesus said to Nathanael, "Do you believe simply 
       because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater 
       things than that."

       (John 1:51 NCV)  And Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, you 
       will all see heaven open and 'angels of God going up and coming down' 
       on the Son of Man."

       (John 2:1 NCV)  Two days later there was a wedding in the town of Cana 
       in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there,

       (John 2:2 NCV)  and Jesus and his followers were also invited to the 
       wedding.

       (John 2:3 NCV)  When all the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, 





       "They have no more wine."

       (John 2:4 NCV)  Jesus answered, "Dear woman, why come to me? My time 
       has not yet come."

       (John 2:5 NCV)  His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells 
       you to do."

       (John 2:6 NCV)  In that place there were six stone water jars that the 
       Jews used in their washing ceremony. Each jar held about twenty or 
       thirty gallons.

       (John 2:7 NCV)  Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with 
       water." So they filled the jars to the top.

       (John 2:8 NCV)  Then he said to them, "Now take some out and give it 
       to the master of the feast." So they took the water to the master.

       (John 2:9 NCV)  When he tasted it, the water had become wine. He did 
       not know where the wine came from, but the servants who had brought 
       the water knew. The master of the wedding called the bridegroom

       (John 2:10 NCV)  and said to him, "People always serve the best wine 
       first. Later, after the guests have been drinking awhile, they serve 
       the cheaper wine. But you have saved the best wine till now."

       (John 2:11 NCV)  So in Cana of Galilee Jesus did his first miracle. 
       There he showed his glory, and his followers believed in him.

       (John 2:12 NCV)  After this, Jesus went to the town of Capernaum with 
       his mother, brothers, and followers. They stayed there for just a few 
       days.

       (John 2:13 NCV)  When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover 
       Feast, Jesus went to Jerusalem.

       (John 2:14 NCV)  In the Temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, 
       and doves. He saw others sitting at tables, exchanging different kinds 
       of money.

       (John 2:15 NCV)  Jesus made a whip out of cords and forced all of 
       them, both the sheep and cattle, to leave the Temple. He turned over 
       the tables and scattered the money of those who were exchanging it.

       (John 2:16 NCV)  Then he said to those who were selling pigeons, "Take 
       these things out of here! Don't make my Father's house a place for 
       buying and selling!"

       (John 2:17 NCV)  When this happened, the followers remembered what was 
       written in the Scriptures: "My strong love for your Temple completely 
       controls me."

       (John 2:18 NCV)  The Jews said to Jesus, "Show us a miracle to prove 
       you have the right to do these things."

       (John 2:19 NCV)  Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will 





       build it again in three days."

       (John 2:20 NCV)  The Jews answered, "It took forty-six years to build 
       this Temple! Do you really believe you can build it again in three 
       days?"

       (John 2:21 NCV)  (But the temple Jesus meant was his own body.

       (John 2:22 NCV)  After Jesus was raised from the dead, his followers 
       remembered that Jesus had said this. Then they believed the Scripture 
       and the words Jesus had said.)

       (John 2:23 NCV)  When Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Passover Feast, 
       many people believed in him because they saw the miracles he did.

       (John 2:24 NCV)  But Jesus did not trust himself to them because he 
       knew them all.

       (John 2:25 NCV)  He did not need anyone to tell him about people, 
       because he knew what was in people's minds.

       (John 3:1 NCV)  There was a man named Nicodemus who was one of the 
       Pharisees and an important Jewish leader.

       (John 3:2 NCV)  One night Nicodemus came to Jesus and said, "Teacher, 
       we know you are a teacher sent from God, because no one can do the 
       miracles you do unless God is with him."

       (John 3:3 NCV)  Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, unless one is 
       born again, he cannot be in God's kingdom."

       (John 3:4 NCV)  Nicodemus said, "But if a person is already old, how 
       can he be born again? He cannot enter his mother's body again. So how 
       can a person be born a second time?"

       (John 3:5 NCV)  But Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, unless one 
       is born from water and the Spirit, he cannot enter God's kingdom.

       (John 3:6 NCV)  Human life comes from human parents, but spiritual 
       life comes from the Spirit.

       (John 3:7 NCV)  Don't be surprised when I tell you, 'You must all be 
       born again.'

       (John 3:8 NCV)  The wind blows where it wants to and you hear the 
       sound of it, but you don't know where the wind comes from or where it 
       is going. It is the same with every person who is born from the 
       Spirit."

       (John 3:9 NCV)  Nicodemus asked, "How can this happen?"

       (John 3:10 NCV)  Jesus said, "You are an important teacher in Israel, 
       and you don't understand these things?

       (John 3:11 NCV)  I tell you the truth, we talk about what we know, and 
       we tell about what we have seen, but you don't accept what we tell 





       you.

       (John 3:12 NCV)  I have told you about things here on earth, and you 
       do not believe me. So you will not believe me if I tell you about 
       things of heaven.

       (John 3:13 NCV)  The only one who has ever gone up to heaven is the 
       One who came down from heaven--the Son of Man.

       (John 3:14 NCV)  "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, the 
       Son of Man must also be lifted up.

       (John 3:15 NCV)  So that everyone who believes can have eternal life 
       in him.

       (John 3:16 NCV)  "God loved the world so much that he gave his one and 
       only Son so that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have 
       eternal life.

       (John 3:17 NCV)  God did not send his Son into the world to judge the 
       world guilty, but to save the world through him.

       (John 3:18 NCV)  People who believe in God's Son are not judged 
       guilty. Those who do not believe have already been judged guilty, 
       because they have not believed in God's one and only Son.

       (John 3:19 NCV)  They are judged by this fact: The Light has come into 
       the world, but they did not want light. They wanted darkness, because 
       they were doing evil things.

       (John 3:20 NCV)  All who do evil hate the light and will not come to 
       the light, because it will show all the evil things they do.

       (John 3:21 NCV)  But those who follow the true way come to the light, 
       and it shows that the things they do were done through God."

       (John 3:22 NCV)  After this, Jesus and his followers went into the 
       area of Judea, where he stayed with his followers and baptized people.

       (John 3:23 NCV)  John was also baptizing in Aenon, near Salim, because 
       there was plenty of water there. People were going there to be 
       baptized.

       (John 3:24 NCV)  (This was before John was put into prison.)

       (John 3:25 NCV)  Some of John's followers had an argument with a Jew 
       about religious washing.

       (John 3:26 NCV)  So they came to John and said, "Teacher, remember the 
       man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan River, the one 
       you spoke about so much? He is baptizing, and everyone is going to 
       him."

       (John 3:27 NCV)  John answered, "A man can get only what God gives 
       him.





       (John 3:28 NCV)  You yourselves heard me say, 'I am not the Christ, 
       but I am the one sent to prepare the way for him.'

       (John 3:29 NCV)  The bride belongs only to the bridegroom. But the 
       friend who helps the bridegroom stands by and listens to him. He is 
       thrilled that he gets to hear the bridegroom's voice. In the same way, 
       I am really happy.

       (John 3:30 NCV)  He must become greater, and I must become less 
       important.

       (John 3:31 NCV)  "The One who comes from above is greater than all. 
       The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and talks about 
       things on the earth. But the One who comes from heaven is greater than 
       all.

       (John 3:32 NCV)  He tells what he has seen and heard, but no one 
       accepts what he says.

       (John 3:33 NCV)  Whoever accepts what he says has proven that God is 
       true.

       (John 3:34 NCV)  The One whom God sent speaks the words of God, 
       because God gives him the Spirit fully.

       (John 3:35 NCV)  The Father loves the Son and has given him power over 
       everything.

       (John 3:36 NCV)  Those who believe in the Son have eternal life, but 
       those who do not obey the Son will never have life. God's anger stays 
       on them."

       (John 4:1 NCV)  The Pharisees heard that Jesus was making and 
       baptizing more followers than John,

       (John 4:2 NCV)  although Jesus himself did not baptize people, but his 
       followers did.

       (John 4:3 NCV)  Jesus knew that the Pharisees had heard about him, so 
       he left Judea and went back to Galilee.

       (John 4:4 NCV)  But on the way he had to go through the country of 
       Samaria.

       (John 4:5 NCV)  In Samaria Jesus came to the town called Sychar, which 
       is near the field Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

       (John 4:6 NCV)  Jacob's well was there. Jesus was tired from his long 
       trip, so he sat down beside the well. It was about twelve o'clock 
       noon.

       (John 4:7 NCV)  When a Samaritan woman came to the well to get some 
       water, Jesus said to her, "Please give me a drink."

       (John 4:8 NCV)  (This happened while Jesus' followers were in town 
       buying some food.)






       (John 4:9 NCV)  The woman said, "I am surprised that you ask me for a 
       drink, since you are a Jewish man and I am a Samaritan woman." (Jewish 
       people are not friends with Samaritans.)

       (John 4:10 NCV)  Jesus said, "If you only knew the free gift of God 
       and who it is that is asking you for water, you would have asked him, 
       and he would have given you living water."

       (John 4:11 NCV)  The woman said, "Sir, where will you get this living 
       water? The well is very deep, and you have nothing to get water with.

       (John 4:12 NCV)  Are you greater than Jacob, our father, who gave us 
       this well and drank from it himself along with his sons and flocks?"

       (John 4:13 NCV)  Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will 
       be thirsty again,

       (John 4:14 NCV)  but whoever drinks the water I give will never be 
       thirsty. The water I give will become a spring of water gushing up 
       inside that person, giving eternal life."

       (John 4:15 NCV)  The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so I 
       will never be thirsty again and will not have to come back here to get 
       more water."

       (John 4:16 NCV)  Jesus told her, "Go get your husband and come back 
       here."

       (John 4:17 NCV)  The woman answered, "I have no husband." Jesus said 
       to her, "You are right to say you have no husband.

       (John 4:18 NCV)  Really you have had five husbands, and the man you 
       live with now is not your husband. You told the truth."

       (John 4:19 NCV)  The woman said, "Sir, I can see that you are a 
       prophet.

       (John 4:20 NCV)  Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you 
       Jews say that Jerusalem is the place where people must worship."

       (John 4:21 NCV)  Jesus said, "Believe me, woman. The time is coming 
       when neither in Jerusalem nor on this mountain will you actually 
       worship the Father.

       (John 4:22 NCV)  You Samaritans worship something you don't 
       understand. We understand what we worship, because salvation comes 
       from the Jews.

       (John 4:23 NCV)  The time is coming when the true worshipers will 
       worship the Father in spirit and truth, and that time is here already. 
       You see, the Father too is actively seeking such people to worship 
       him.

       (John 4:24 NCV)  God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship 
       in spirit and truth."






       (John 4:25 NCV)  The woman said, "I know that the Messiah is coming." 
       (Messiah is the One called Christ.) "When the Messiah comes, he will 
       explain everything to us."

       (John 4:26 NCV)  Then Jesus said, "I am he--I, the one talking to 
       you."

       (John 4:27 NCV)  Just then his followers came back from town and were 
       surprised to see him talking with a woman. But none of them asked, 
       "What do you want?" or "Why are you talking with her?"

       (John 4:28 NCV)  Then the woman left her water jar and went back to 
       town. She said to the people,

       (John 4:29 NCV)  "Come and see a man who told me everything I ever 
       did. Do you think he might be the Christ?"

       (John 4:30 NCV)  So the people left the town and went to see Jesus.

       (John 4:31 NCV)  Meanwhile, his followers were begging him, "Teacher, 
       eat something."

       (John 4:32 NCV)  But Jesus answered, "I have food to eat that you know 
       nothing about."

       (John 4:33 NCV)  So the followers asked themselves, "Did somebody 
       already bring him food?"

       (John 4:34 NCV)  Jesus said, "My food is to do what the One who sent 
       me wants me to do and to finish his work.

       (John 4:35 NCV)  You have a saying, 'Four more months till harvest.' 
       But I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields ready for 
       harvest now.

       (John 4:36 NCV)  Already, the one who harvests is being paid and is 
       gathering crops for eternal life. So the one who plants and the one 
       who harvests celebrate at the same time.

       (John 4:37 NCV)  Here the saying is true, 'One person plants, and 
       another harvests.'

       (John 4:38 NCV)  I sent you to harvest a crop that you did not work 
       on. Others did the work, and you get to finish up their work."

       (John 4:39 NCV)  Many of the Samaritans in that town believed in Jesus 
       because of what the woman said: "He told me everything I ever did."

       (John 4:40 NCV)  When the Samaritans came to Jesus, they begged him to 
       stay with them, so he stayed there two more days.

       (John 4:41 NCV)  And many more believed because of the things he said.

       (John 4:42 NCV)  They said to the woman, "First we believed in Jesus 
       because of your speech, but now we believe because we heard him 





       ourselves. We know that this man really is the Savior of the world."

       (John 4:43 NCV)  Two days later, Jesus left and went to Galilee.

       (John 4:44 NCV)  (Jesus had said before that a prophet is not 
       respected in his own country.)

       (John 4:45 NCV)  When Jesus arrived in Galilee, the people there 
       welcomed him. They had seen all the things he did at the Passover 
       Feast in Jerusalem, because they had been there, too.

       (John 4:46 NCV)  Jesus went again to visit Cana in Galilee where he 
       had changed the water into wine. One of the king's important officers 
       lived in the city of Capernaum, and his son was sick.

       (John 4:47 NCV)  When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to 
       Galilee, he went to Jesus and begged him to come to Capernaum and heal 
       his son, because his son was almost dead.

       (John 4:48 NCV)  Jesus said to him, "You people must see signs and 
       miracles before you will believe in me."

       (John 4:49 NCV)  The officer said, "Sir, come before my child dies."

       (John 4:50 NCV)  Jesus answered, "Go. Your son will live." The man 
       believed what Jesus told him and went home.

       (John 4:51 NCV)  On the way the man's servants came and met him and 
       told him, "Your son is alive."

       (John 4:52 NCV)  The man asked, "What time did my son begin to get 
       well?" They answered, "Yesterday at one o'clock the fever left him."

       (John 4:53 NCV)  The father knew that one o'clock was the exact time 
       that Jesus had said, "Your son will live." So the man and all the 
       people who lived in his house believed in Jesus.

       (John 4:54 NCV)  That was the second miracle Jesus did after coming 
       from Judea to Galilee.

       (John 5:1 NCV)  Later Jesus went to Jerusalem for a special Jewish 
       feast.

       (John 5:2 NCV)  In Jerusalem there is a pool with five covered 
       porches, which is called Bethzatha in the Jewish language. This pool 
       is near the Sheep Gate.

       (John 5:3 NCV)  Many sick people were lying on the porches beside the 
       pool. Some were blind, some were crippled, and some were paralyzed.

       (John 5:4 NCV)  

       (John 5:5 NCV)  A man was lying there who had been sick for 
       thirty-eight years.

       (John 5:6 NCV)  When Jesus saw the man and knew that he had been sick 





       for such a long time, Jesus asked him, "Do you want to be well?"

       (John 5:7 NCV)  The sick man answered, "Sir, there is no one to help 
       me get into the pool when the water starts moving. While I am coming 
       to the water, someone else always gets in before me."

       (John 5:8 NCV)  Then Jesus said, "Stand up. Pick up your mat and 
       walk."

       (John 5:9 NCV)  And immediately the man was well; he picked up his mat 
       and began to walk. The day this happened was a Sabbath day.

       (John 5:10 NCV)  So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, 
       "Today is the Sabbath. It is against our law for you to carry your mat 
       on the Sabbath day."

       (John 5:11 NCV)  But he answered, "The man who made me well told me, 
       'Pick up your mat and walk.'"

       (John 5:12 NCV)  Then they asked him, "Who is the man who told you to 
       pick up your mat and walk?"

       (John 5:13 NCV)  But the man who had been healed did not know who it 
       was, because there were many people in that place, and Jesus had left.

       (John 5:14 NCV)  Later, Jesus found the man at the Temple and said to 
       him, "See, you are well now. Stop sinning so that something worse does 
       not happen to you."

       (John 5:15 NCV)  Then the man left and told the Jews that Jesus was 
       the one who had made him well.

       (John 5:16 NCV)  Because Jesus was doing this on the Sabbath day, the 
       Jews began to persecute him.

       (John 5:17 NCV)  But Jesus said to them, "My Father never stops 
       working, and so I keep working, too."

       (John 5:18 NCV)  This made the Jews try still harder to kill him. They 
       said, "First Jesus was breaking the law about the Sabbath day. Now he 
       says that God is his own Father, making himself equal with God!"

       (John 5:19 NCV)  But Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, the Son can do 
       nothing alone. The Son does only what he sees the Father doing, 
       because the Son does whatever the Father does.

       (John 5:20 NCV)  The Father loves the Son and shows the Son all the 
       things he himself does. But the Father will show the Son even greater 
       things than this so that you can all be amazed.

       (John 5:21 NCV)  Just as the Father raises the dead and gives them 
       life, so also the Son gives life to those he wants to.

       (John 5:22 NCV)  In fact, the Father judges no one, but he has given 
       the Son power to do all the judging





       (John 5:23 NCV)  so that all people will honor the Son as much as they 
       honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the 
       Father who sent him.

       (John 5:24 NCV)  "I tell you the truth, whoever hears what I say and 
       believes in the One who sent me has eternal life. That person will not 
       be judged guilty but has already left death and entered life.

       (John 5:25 NCV)  I tell you the truth, the time is coming and is 
       already here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and 
       those who hear will have life.

       (John 5:26 NCV)  Life comes from the Father himself, and he has 
       allowed the Son to have life in himself as well.

       (John 5:27 NCV)  And the Father has given the Son the power to judge, 
       because he is the Son of Man.

       (John 5:28 NCV)  Don't be surprised at this: A time is coming when all 
       who are dead and in their graves will hear his voice.

       (John 5:29 NCV)  Then they will come out of their graves. Those who 
       did good will rise and have life forever, but those who did evil will 
       rise to be judged guilty.

       (John 5:30 NCV)  "I can do nothing alone. I judge only the way I am 
       told, so my judgment is fair. I don't try to please myself, but I try 
       to please the One who sent me.

       (John 5:31 NCV)  "If only I tell people about myself, what I say is 
       not true.

       (John 5:32 NCV)  But there is another who tells about me, and I know 
       that the things he says about me are true.

       (John 5:33 NCV)  "You have sent people to John, and he has told you 
       the truth.

       (John 5:34 NCV)  It is not that I accept such human telling; I tell 
       you this so you can be saved.

       (John 5:35 NCV)  John was like a burning and shining lamp, and you 
       were happy to enjoy his light for a while.

       (John 5:36 NCV)  "But I have a proof about myself that is greater than 
       that of John. The things I do, which are the things my Father gave me 
       to do, prove that the Father sent me.

       (John 5:37 NCV)  And the Father himself who sent me has given proof 
       about me. You have never heard his voice or seen what he looks like.

       (John 5:38 NCV)  His teaching does not live in you, because you don't 
       believe in the One the Father sent.

       (John 5:39 NCV)  You carefully study the Scriptures because you think 
       they give you eternal life. They do in fact tell about me,






       (John 5:40 NCV)  but you refuse to come to me to have that life.

       (John 5:41 NCV)  "I don't need praise from people.

       (John 5:42 NCV)  But I know you--I know that you don't have God's love 
       in you.

       (John 5:43 NCV)  I have come from my Father and speak for him, but you 
       don't accept me. But when another person comes, speaking only for 
       himself, you will accept him.

       (John 5:44 NCV)  You try to get praise from each other, but you do not 
       try to get the praise that comes from the only God. So how can you 
       believe?

       (John 5:45 NCV)  Don't think that I will stand before the Father and 
       say you are wrong. The one who says you are wrong is Moses, the one 
       you hoped would save you.

       (John 5:46 NCV)  If you really believed Moses, you would believe me, 
       because Moses wrote about me.

       (John 5:47 NCV)  But if you don't believe what Moses wrote, how can 
       you believe what I say?"

       (John 6:1 NCV)  After this, Jesus went across Lake Galilee (or, Lake 
       Tiberias).

       (John 6:2 NCV)  Many people followed him because they saw the miracles 
       he did to heal the sick.

       (John 6:3 NCV)  Jesus went up on a hill and sat down there with his 
       followers.

       (John 6:4 NCV)  It was almost the time for the Jewish Passover Feast.

       (John 6:5 NCV)  When Jesus looked up and saw a large crowd coming 
       toward him, he said to Philip, "Where can we buy enough bread for all 
       these people to eat?"

       (John 6:6 NCV)  (Jesus asked Philip this question to test him, because 
       Jesus already knew what he planned to do.)

       (John 6:7 NCV)  Philip answered, "We would all have to work a month to 
       buy enough bread for each person to have only a little piece."

       (John 6:8 NCV)  Another one of his followers, Andrew, Simon Peter's 
       brother, said,

       (John 6:9 NCV)  "Here is a boy with five loaves of barley bread and 
       two little fish, but that is not enough for so many people."

       (John 6:10 NCV)  Jesus said, "Tell the people to sit down." This was a 
       very grassy place, and about five thousand men sat down there.





       (John 6:11 NCV)  Then Jesus took the loaves of bread, thanked God for 
       them, and gave them to the people who were sitting there. He did the 
       same with the fish, giving as much as the people wanted.

       (John 6:12 NCV)  When they had all had enough to eat, Jesus said to 
       his followers, "Gather the leftover pieces of fish and bread so that 
       nothing is wasted."

       (John 6:13 NCV)  So they gathered up the pieces and filled twelve 
       baskets with the pieces left from the five barley loaves.

       (John 6:14 NCV)  When the people saw this miracle that Jesus did, they 
       said, "He must truly be the Prophet who is coming into the world."

       (John 6:15 NCV)  Jesus knew that the people planned to come and take 
       him by force and make him their king, so he left and went into the 
       hills alone.

       (John 6:16 NCV)  That evening Jesus' followers went down to Lake 
       Galilee.

       (John 6:17 NCV)  It was dark now, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 
       The followers got into a boat and started across the lake to 
       Capernaum.

       (John 6:18 NCV)  By now a strong wind was blowing, and the waves on 
       the lake were getting bigger.

       (John 6:19 NCV)  When they had rowed the boat about three or four 
       miles, they saw Jesus walking on the water, coming toward the boat. 
       The followers were afraid,

       (John 6:20 NCV)  but Jesus said to them, "It is I. Do not be afraid."

       (John 6:21 NCV)  Then they were glad to take him into the boat. At 
       once the boat came to land at the place where they wanted to go.

       (John 6:22 NCV)  The next day the people who had stayed on the other 
       side of the lake knew that Jesus had not gone in the boat with his 
       followers but that they had left without him. And they knew that only 
       one boat had been there.

       (John 6:23 NCV)  But then some boats came from Tiberias and landed 
       near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had 
       given thanks.

       (John 6:24 NCV)  When the people saw that Jesus and his followers were 
       not there now, they got into boats and went to Capernaum to find 
       Jesus.

       (John 6:25 NCV)  When the people found Jesus on the other side of the 
       lake, they asked him, "Teacher, when did you come here?"

       (John 6:26 NCV)  Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you aren't 
       looking for me because you saw me do miracles. You are looking for me 
       because you ate the bread and were satisfied.






       (John 6:27 NCV)  Don't work for the food that spoils. Work for the 
       food that stays good always and gives eternal life. The Son of Man 
       will give you this food, because on him God the Father has put his 
       power."

       (John 6:28 NCV)  The people asked Jesus, "What are the things God 
       wants us to do?"

       (John 6:29 NCV)  Jesus answered, "The work God wants you to do is 
       this: Believe the One he sent."

       (John 6:30 NCV)  So the people asked, "What miracle will you do? If we 
       see a miracle, we will believe you. What will you do?

       (John 6:31 NCV)  Our fathers ate the manna in the desert. This is 
       written in the Scriptures: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"

       (John 6:32 NCV)  Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, it was not Moses 
       who gave you bread from heaven; it is my Father who is giving you the 
       true bread from heaven.

       (John 6:33 NCV)  God's bread is the One who comes down from heaven and 
       gives life to the world."

       (John 6:34 NCV)  The people said, "Sir, give us this bread always."

       (John 6:35 NCV)  Then Jesus said, "I am the bread that gives life. 
       Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me 
       will never be thirsty.

       (John 6:36 NCV)  But as I told you before, you have seen me and still 
       don't believe.

       (John 6:37 NCV)  The Father gives me my people. Every one of them will 
       come to me, and I will always accept them.

       (John 6:38 NCV)  I came down from heaven to do what God wants me to 
       do, not what I want to do.

       (John 6:39 NCV)  Here is what the One who sent me wants me to do: I 
       must not lose even one whom God gave me, but I must raise them all on 
       the last day.

       (John 6:40 NCV)  Those who see the Son and believe in him have eternal 
       life, and I will raise them on the last day. This is what my Father 
       wants."

       (John 6:41 NCV)  The Jews began to complain about Jesus because he 
       said, "I am the bread that comes down from heaven."

       (John 6:42 NCV)  They said, "This is Jesus, the son of Joseph. We know 
       his father and mother. How can he say, 'I came down from heaven'?"

       (John 6:43 NCV)  But Jesus answered, "Stop complaining to each other.





       (John 6:44 NCV)  The Father is the One who sent me. No one can come to 
       me unless the Father draws him to me, and I will raise that person up 
       on the last day.

       (John 6:45 NCV)  It is written in the prophets, 'They will all be 
       taught by God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him 
       comes to me.

       (John 6:46 NCV)  No one has seen the Father except the One who is from 
       God; only he has seen the Father.

       (John 6:47 NCV)  I tell you the truth, whoever believes has eternal 
       life.

       (John 6:48 NCV)  I am the bread that gives life.

       (John 6:49 NCV)  Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but still 
       they died.

       (John 6:50 NCV)  Here is the bread that comes down from heaven. Anyone 
       who eats this bread will never die.

       (John 6:51 NCV)  I am the living bread that came down from heaven. 
       Anyone who eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, 
       which I will give up so that the world may have life."

       (John 6:52 NCV)  Then the Jews began to argue among themselves, 
       saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"

       (John 6:53 NCV)  Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, you must eat the 
       flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood. Otherwise, you won't have 
       real life in you.

       (John 6:54 NCV)  Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have 
       eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day.

       (John 6:55 NCV)  My flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.

       (John 6:56 NCV)  Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood live in me, 
       and I live in them.

       (John 6:57 NCV)  The living Father sent me, and I live because of the 
       Father. So whoever eats me will live because of me.

       (John 6:58 NCV)  I am not like the bread your ancestors ate. They ate 
       that bread and still died. I am the bread that came down from heaven, 
       and whoever eats this bread will live forever."

       (John 6:59 NCV)  Jesus said all these things while he was teaching in 
       the synagogue in Capernaum.

       (John 6:60 NCV)  When the followers of Jesus heard this, many of them 
       said, "This teaching is hard. Who can accept it?"

       (John 6:61 NCV)  Knowing that his followers were complaining about 
       this, Jesus said, "Does this teaching bother you?






       (John 6:62 NCV)  Then will it also bother you to see the Son of Man 
       going back to the place where he came from?

       (John 6:63 NCV)  It is the Spirit that gives life. The flesh doesn't 
       give life. The words I told you are spirit, and they give life.

       (John 6:64 NCV)  But some of you don't believe." (Jesus knew from the 
       beginning who did not believe and who would turn against him.)

       (John 6:65 NCV)  Jesus said, "That is the reason I said, 'If the 
       Father does not bring a person to me, that one cannot come.'"

       (John 6:66 NCV)  After Jesus said this, many of his followers left him 
       and stopped following him.

       (John 6:67 NCV)  Jesus asked the twelve followers, "Do you want to 
       leave, too?"

       (John 6:68 NCV)  Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, where would we go? 
       You have the words that give eternal life.

       (John 6:69 NCV)  We believe and know that you are the Holy One from 
       God."

       (John 6:70 NCV)  Then Jesus answered, "I chose all twelve of you, but 
       one of you is a devil."

       (John 6:71 NCV)  Jesus was talking about Judas, the son of Simon 
       Iscariot. Judas was one of the twelve, but later he was going to turn 
       against Jesus.

       (John 7:1 NCV)  After this, Jesus traveled around Galilee. He did not 
       want to travel in Judea, because the Jews there wanted to kill him.

       (John 7:2 NCV)  It was time for the Jewish Feast of Shelters.

       (John 7:3 NCV)  So Jesus' brothers said to him, "You should leave here 
       and go to Judea so your followers there can see the miracles you do.

       (John 7:4 NCV)  Anyone who wants to be well known does not hide what 
       he does. If you are doing these things, show yourself to the world."

       (John 7:5 NCV)  (Even Jesus' brothers did not believe in him.)

       (John 7:6 NCV)  Jesus said to his brothers, "The right time for me has 
       not yet come, but any time is right for you.

       (John 7:7 NCV)  The world cannot hate you, but it hates me, because I 
       tell it the evil things it does.

       (John 7:8 NCV)  So you go to the feast. I will not go yet to this 
       feast, because the right time for me has not yet come."

       (John 7:9 NCV)  After saying this, Jesus stayed in Galilee.





       (John 7:10 NCV)  But after Jesus' brothers had gone to the feast, 
       Jesus went also. But he did not let people see him.

       (John 7:11 NCV)  At the feast the Jews were looking for him and 
       saying, "Where is that man?"

       (John 7:12 NCV)  Within the large crowd there, many people were 
       whispering to each other about Jesus. Some said, "He is a good man." 
       Others said, "No, he fools the people."

       (John 7:13 NCV)  But no one was brave enough to talk about Jesus 
       openly, because they were afraid of the Jews.

       (John 7:14 NCV)  When the feast was about half over, Jesus went to the 
       Temple and began to teach.

       (John 7:15 NCV)  The Jews were amazed and said, "This man has never 
       studied in school. How did he learn so much?"

       (John 7:16 NCV)  Jesus answered, "The things I teach are not my own, 
       but they come from him who sent me.

       (John 7:17 NCV)  If people choose to do what God wants, they will know 
       that my teaching comes from God and not from me.

       (John 7:18 NCV)  Those who teach their own ideas are trying to get 
       honor for themselves. But those who try to bring honor to the one who 
       sent him speak the truth, and there is nothing false in them.

       (John 7:19 NCV)  Moses gave you the law, but none of you obeys that 
       law. Why are you trying to kill me?"

       (John 7:20 NCV)  The people answered, "A demon has come into you. We 
       are not trying to kill you."

       (John 7:21 NCV)  Jesus said to them, "I did one miracle, and you are 
       all amazed.

       (John 7:22 NCV)  Moses gave you the law about circumcision. (But 
       really Moses did not give you circumcision; it came from our 
       ancestors.) And yet you circumcise a baby on a Sabbath day.

       (John 7:23 NCV)  If a baby can be circumcised on a Sabbath day to obey 
       the law of Moses, why are you angry at me for healing a person's whole 
       body on the Sabbath day?

       (John 7:24 NCV)  Stop judging by the way things look, but judge by 
       what is really right."

       (John 7:25 NCV)  Then some of the people who lived in Jerusalem said, 
       "This is the man they are trying to kill.

       (John 7:26 NCV)  But he is teaching where everyone can see and hear 
       him, and no one is trying to stop him. Maybe the leaders have decided 
       he really is the Christ.





       (John 7:27 NCV)  But we know where this man is from. And when the real 
       Christ comes, no one will know where he comes from."

       (John 7:28 NCV)  Jesus, teaching in the Temple, cried out, "Yes, you 
       know me, and you know where I am from. But I have not come by my own 
       authority. I was sent by the One who is true, whom you don't know.

       (John 7:29 NCV)  But I know him, because I am from him, and he sent 
       me."

       (John 7:30 NCV)  When Jesus said this, the people tried to take him. 
       But no one was able to touch him, because it was not yet the right 
       time.

       (John 7:31 NCV)  But many of the people believed in Jesus. They said, 
       "When the Christ comes, will he do more miracles than this man has 
       done?"

       (John 7:32 NCV)  The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering these things 
       about Jesus. So the leading priests and the Pharisees sent some Temple 
       guards to arrest him.

       (John 7:33 NCV)  Jesus said, "I will be with you a little while 
       longer. Then I will go back to the One who sent me.

       (John 7:34 NCV)  You will look for me, but you will not find me. And 
       you cannot come where I am."

       (John 7:35 NCV)  The Jews said to each other, "Where will this man go 
       so we cannot find him? Will he go to the Greek cities where our people 
       live and teach the Greek people there?

       (John 7:36 NCV)  What did he mean when he said, 'You will look for me, 
       but you will not find me,' and 'You cannot come where I am'?"

       (John 7:37 NCV)  On the last and most important day of the feast Jesus 
       stood up and said in a loud voice, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to 
       me and drink.

       (John 7:38 NCV)  If anyone believes in me, rivers of living water will 
       flow out from that person's heart, as the Scripture says."

       (John 7:39 NCV)  Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit. The Spirit 
       had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been raised to 
       glory. But later, those who believed in Jesus would receive the 
       Spirit.

       (John 7:40 NCV)  When the people heard Jesus' words, some of them 
       said, "This man really is the Prophet."

       (John 7:41 NCV)  Others said, "He is the Christ." Still others said, 
       "The Christ will not come from Galilee.

       (John 7:42 NCV)  The Scripture says that the Christ will come from 
       David's family and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived."





       (John 7:43 NCV)  So the people did not agree with each other about 
       Jesus.

       (John 7:44 NCV)  Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one was 
       able to touch him.

       (John 7:45 NCV)  The Temple guards went back to the leading priests 
       and the Pharisees, who asked, "Why didn't you bring Jesus?"

       (John 7:46 NCV)  The guards answered, "The words he says are greater 
       than the words of any other person who has ever spoken!"

       (John 7:47 NCV)  The Pharisees answered, "So Jesus has fooled you 
       also!

       (John 7:48 NCV)  Have any of the leaders or the Pharisees believed in 
       him? No!

       (John 7:49 NCV)  But these people, who know nothing about the law, are 
       under God's curse."

       (John 7:50 NCV)  Nicodemus, who had gone to see Jesus before, was in 
       that group. He said,

       (John 7:51 NCV)  "Our law does not judge a man without hearing him and 
       knowing what he has done."

       (John 7:52 NCV)  They answered, "Are you from Galilee, too? Study the 
       Scriptures, and you will learn that no prophet comes from Galilee."

       (John 7:53 NCV)  And everyone left and went home.

       (John 8:1 NCV)  Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

       (John 8:2 NCV)  But early in the morning he went back to the Temple, 
       and all the people came to him, and he sat and taught them.

       (John 8:3 NCV)  The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought a 
       woman who had been caught in adultery. They forced her to stand before 
       the people.

       (John 8:4 NCV)  They said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught 
       having sexual relations with a man who is not her husband.

       (John 8:5 NCV)  The law of Moses commands that we stone to death every 
       woman who does this. What do you say we should do?"

       (John 8:6 NCV)  They were asking this to trick Jesus so that they 
       could have some charge against him. But Jesus bent over and started 
       writing on the ground with his finger.

       (John 8:7 NCV)  When they continued to ask Jesus their question, he 
       raised up and said, "Anyone here who has never sinned can throw the 
       first stone at her."

       (John 8:8 NCV)  Then Jesus bent over again and wrote on the ground.






       (John 8:9 NCV)  Those who heard Jesus began to leave one by one, first 
       the older men and then the others. Jesus was left there alone with the 
       woman standing before him.

       (John 8:10 NCV)  Jesus raised up again and asked her, "Woman, where 
       are they? Has no one judged you guilty?"

       (John 8:11 NCV)  She answered, "No one, sir." Then Jesus said, "I also 
       don't judge you guilty. You may go now, but don't sin anymore."

       (John 8:12 NCV)  Later, Jesus talked to the people again, saying, "I 
       am the light of the world. The person who follows me will never live 
       in darkness but will have the light that gives life."

       (John 8:13 NCV)  The Pharisees said to Jesus, "When you talk about 
       yourself, you are the only one to say these things are true. We cannot 
       accept what you say."

       (John 8:14 NCV)  Jesus answered, "Yes, I am saying these things about 
       myself, but they are true. I know where I came from and where I am 
       going. But you don't know where I came from or where I am going.

       (John 8:15 NCV)  You judge by human standards. I am not judging 
       anyone.

       (John 8:16 NCV)  But when I do judge, my judging is true, because I am 
       not alone. The Father who sent me is with me.

       (John 8:17 NCV)  Your own law says that when two witnesses say the 
       same thing, you must accept what they say.

       (John 8:18 NCV)  I am one of the witnesses who speaks about myself, 
       and the Father who sent me is the other witness."

       (John 8:19 NCV)  They asked, "Where is your father?" Jesus answered, 
       "You don't know me or my Father. If you knew me, you would know my 
       Father, too."

       (John 8:20 NCV)  Jesus said these things while he was teaching in the 
       Temple, near where the money is kept. But no one arrested him, because 
       the right time for him had not yet come.

       (John 8:21 NCV)  Again, Jesus said to the people, "I will leave you, 
       and you will look for me, but you will die in your sins. You cannot 
       come where I am going."

       (John 8:22 NCV)  So the Jews asked, "Will Jesus kill himself? Is that 
       why he said, 'You cannot come where I am going'?"

       (John 8:23 NCV)  Jesus said, "You people are from here below, but I am 
       from above. You belong to this world, but I don't belong to this 
       world.

       (John 8:24 NCV)  So I told you that you would die in your sins. Yes, 
       you will die in your sins if you don't believe that I am he."






       (John 8:25 NCV)  They asked, "Then who are you?" Jesus answered, "I am 
       what I have told you from the beginning.

       (John 8:26 NCV)  I have many things to say and decide about you. But I 
       tell people only the things I have heard from the One who sent me, and 
       he speaks the truth."

       (John 8:27 NCV)  The people did not understand that he was talking to 
       them about the Father.

       (John 8:28 NCV)  So Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of 
       Man, you will know that I am he. You will know that these things I do 
       are not by my own authority but that I say only what the Father has 
       taught me.

       (John 8:29 NCV)  The One who sent me is with me. I always do what is 
       pleasing to him, so he has not left me alone."

       (John 8:30 NCV)  While Jesus was saying these things, many people 
       believed in him.

       (John 8:31 NCV)  So Jesus said to the Jews who believed in him, "If 
       you continue to obey my teaching, you are truly my followers.

       (John 8:32 NCV)  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will make 
       you free."

       (John 8:33 NCV)  They answered, "We are Abraham's children, and we 
       have never been anyone's slaves. So why do you say we will be free?"

       (John 8:34 NCV)  Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, everyone who 
       lives in sin is a slave to sin.

       (John 8:35 NCV)  A slave does not stay with a family forever, but a 
       son belongs to the family forever.

       (John 8:36 NCV)  So if the Son makes you free, you will be truly free.

       (John 8:37 NCV)  I know you are Abraham's children, but you want to 
       kill me because you don't accept my teaching.

       (John 8:38 NCV)  I am telling you what my Father has shown me, but you 
       do what your father has told you."

       (John 8:39 NCV)  They answered, "Our father is Abraham." Jesus said, 
       "If you were really Abraham's children, you would do the things 
       Abraham did.

       (John 8:40 NCV)  I am a man who has told you the truth which I heard 
       from God, but you are trying to kill me. Abraham did nothing like 
       that.

       (John 8:41 NCV)  So you are doing the things your own father did." But 
       they said, "We are not like children who never knew who their father 
       was. God is our Father; he is the only Father we have."






       (John 8:42 NCV)  Jesus said to them, "If God were really your Father, 
       you would love me, because I came from God and now I am here. I did 
       not come by my own authority; God sent me.

       (John 8:43 NCV)  You don't understand what I say, because you cannot 
       accept my teaching.

       (John 8:44 NCV)  You belong to your father the devil, and you want to 
       do what he wants. He was a murderer from the beginning and was against 
       the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he 
       shows what he is really like, because he is a liar and the father of 
       lies.

       (John 8:45 NCV)  But because I speak the truth, you don't believe me.

       (John 8:46 NCV)  Can any of you prove that I am guilty of sin? If I am 
       telling the truth, why don't you believe me?

       (John 8:47 NCV)  The person who belongs to God accepts what God says. 
       But you don't accept what God says, because you don't belong to God."

       (John 8:48 NCV)  The Jews answered, "We say you are a Samaritan and 
       have a demon in you. Are we not right?"

       (John 8:49 NCV)  Jesus answered, "I have no demon in me. I give honor 
       to my Father, but you dishonor me.

       (John 8:50 NCV)  I am not trying to get honor for myself. There is One 
       who wants this honor for me, and he is the judge.

       (John 8:51 NCV)  I tell you the truth, whoever obeys my teaching will 
       never die."

       (John 8:52 NCV)  The Jews said to Jesus, "Now we know that you have a 
       demon in you! Even Abraham and the prophets died. But you say, 
       'Whoever obeys my teaching will never die.'

       (John 8:53 NCV)  Do you think you are greater than our father Abraham, 
       who died? And the prophets died, too. Who do you think you are?"

       (John 8:54 NCV)  Jesus answered, "If I give honor to myself, that 
       honor is worth nothing. The One who gives me honor is my Father, and 
       you say he is your God.

       (John 8:55 NCV)  You don't really know him, but I know him. If I said 
       I did not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and 
       I obey what he says.

       (John 8:56 NCV)  Your father Abraham was very happy that he would see 
       my day. He saw that day and was glad."

       (John 8:57 NCV)  The Jews said to him, "You have never seen Abraham! 
       You are not even fifty years old."

       (John 8:58 NCV)  Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, before Abraham 





       was even born, I am!"

       (John 8:59 NCV)  When Jesus said this, the people picked up stones to 
       throw at him. But Jesus hid himself, and then he left the Temple.

       (John 9:1 NCV)  As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been 
       born blind.

       (John 9:2 NCV)  His followers asked him, "Teacher, whose sin caused 
       this man to be born blind--his own sin or his parents' sin?"

       (John 9:3 NCV)  Jesus answered, "It is not this man's sin or his 
       parents' sin that made him be blind. This man was born blind so that 
       God's power could be shown in him.

       (John 9:4 NCV)  While it is daytime, we must continue doing the work 
       of the One who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.

       (John 9:5 NCV)  While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

       (John 9:6 NCV)  After Jesus said this, he spit on the ground and made 
       some mud with it and put the mud on the man's eyes.

       (John 9:7 NCV)  Then he told the man, "Go and wash in the Pool of 
       Siloam." (Siloam means Sent.) So the man went, washed, and came back 
       seeing.

       (John 9:8 NCV)  The neighbors and some people who had earlier seen 
       this man begging said, "Isn't this the same man who used to sit and 
       beg?"

       (John 9:9 NCV)  Some said, "He is the one," but others said, "No, he 
       only looks like him." The man himself said, "I am the man."

       (John 9:10 NCV)  They asked, "How did you get your sight?"

       (John 9:11 NCV)  He answered, "The man named Jesus made some mud and 
       put it on my eyes. Then he told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went 
       and washed, and then I could see."

       (John 9:12 NCV)  They asked him, "Where is this man?" "I don't know," 
       he answered.

       (John 9:13 NCV)  Then the people took to the Pharisees the man who had 
       been blind.

       (John 9:14 NCV)  The day Jesus had made mud and healed his eyes was a 
       Sabbath day.

       (John 9:15 NCV)  So now the Pharisees asked the man, "How did you get 
       your sight?" He answered, "He put mud on my eyes, I washed, and now I 
       see."

       (John 9:16 NCV)  So some of the Pharisees were saying, "This man does 
       not keep the Sabbath day, so he is not from God." But others said, "A 
       man who is a sinner can't do miracles like these." So they could not 





       agree with each other.

       (John 9:17 NCV)  They asked the man again, "What do you say about him 
       since it was your eyes he opened?" The man answered, "He is a 
       prophet."

       (John 9:18 NCV)  The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and 
       could now see again. So they sent for the man's parents

       (John 9:19 NCV)  and asked them, "Is this your son who you say was 
       born blind? Then how does he now see?"

       (John 9:20 NCV)  His parents answered, "We know that this is our son 
       and that he was born blind.

       (John 9:21 NCV)  But we don't know how he can now see. We don't know 
       who opened his eyes. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself."

       (John 9:22 NCV)  His parents said this because they were afraid of the 
       Jews, who had already decided that anyone who said Jesus was the 
       Christ would be put out of the synagogue.

       (John 9:23 NCV)  That is why his parents said, "He is old enough. Ask 
       him."

       (John 9:24 NCV)  So for the second time, they called the man who had 
       been blind. They said, "You should give God the glory by telling the 
       truth. We know that this man is a sinner."

       (John 9:25 NCV)  He answered, "I don't know if he is a sinner. One 
       thing I do know: I was blind, and now I see."

       (John 9:26 NCV)  They asked, "What did he do to you? How did he make 
       you see again?"

       (John 9:27 NCV)  He answered, "I already told you, and you didn't 
       listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his 
       followers, too?"

       (John 9:28 NCV)  Then they insulted him and said, "You are his 
       follower, but we are followers of Moses.

       (John 9:29 NCV)  We know that God spoke to Moses, but we don't even 
       know where this man comes from."

       (John 9:30 NCV)  The man answered, "This is a very strange thing. You 
       don't know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes.

       (John 9:31 NCV)  We all know that God does not listen to sinners, but 
       he listens to anyone who worships and obeys him.

       (John 9:32 NCV)  Nobody has ever heard of anyone giving sight to a man 
       born blind.

       (John 9:33 NCV)  If this man were not from God, he could do nothing."





       (John 9:34 NCV)  They answered, "You were born full of sin! Are you 
       trying to teach us?" And they threw him out.

       (John 9:35 NCV)  When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, Jesus 
       found him and said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"

       (John 9:36 NCV)  He asked, "Who is the Son of Man, sir, so that I can 
       believe in him?"

       (John 9:37 NCV)  Jesus said to him, "You have seen him. The Son of Man 
       is the one talking with you."

       (John 9:38 NCV)  He said, "Lord, I believe!" Then the man worshiped 
       Jesus.

       (John 9:39 NCV)  Jesus said, "I came into this world so that the world 
       could be judged. I came so that the blind would see and so that those 
       who see will become blind."

       (John 9:40 NCV)  Some of the Pharisees who were nearby heard Jesus say 
       this and asked, "Are you saying we are blind, too?"

       (John 9:41 NCV)  Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be 
       guilty of sin. But since you keep saying you see, your guilt remains."

       (John 10:1 NCV)  Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, the person who 
       does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in some other 
       way, is a thief and a robber.

       (John 10:2 NCV)  The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the 
       sheep.

       (John 10:3 NCV)  The one who guards the door opens it for him. And the 
       sheep listen to the voice of the shepherd. He calls his own sheep by 
       name and leads them out.

       (John 10:4 NCV)  When he brings all his sheep out, he goes ahead of 
       them, and they follow him because they know his voice.

       (John 10:5 NCV)  But they will never follow a stranger. They will run 
       away from him because they don't know his voice."

       (John 10:6 NCV)  Jesus told the people this story, but they did not 
       understand what it meant.

       (John 10:7 NCV)  So Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the 
       door for the sheep.

       (John 10:8 NCV)  All the people who came before me were thieves and 
       robbers. The sheep did not listen to them.

       (John 10:9 NCV)  I am the door, and the person who enters through me 
       will be saved and will be able to come in and go out and find pasture.

       (John 10:10 NCV)  A thief comes to steal and kill and destroy, but I 
       came to give life--life in all its fullness.






       (John 10:11 NCV)  "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his 
       life for the sheep.

       (John 10:12 NCV)  The worker who is paid to keep the sheep is 
       different from the shepherd who owns them. When the worker sees a wolf 
       coming, he runs away and leaves the sheep alone. Then the wolf attacks 
       the sheep and scatters them.

       (John 10:13 NCV)  The man runs away because he is only a paid worker 
       and does not really care about the sheep.

       (John 10:14 NCV)  "I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep, as the 
       Father knows me. And my sheep know me, as I know the Father. I give my 
       life for the sheep.

       (John 10:15 NCV)  

       (John 10:16 NCV)  I have other sheep that are not in this flock, and I 
       must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be 
       one flock and one shepherd.

       (John 10:17 NCV)  The Father loves me because I give my life so that I 
       can take it back again.

       (John 10:18 NCV)  No one takes it away from me; I give my own life 
       freely. I have the right to give my life, and I have the right to take 
       it back. This is what my Father commanded me to do."

       (John 10:19 NCV)  Again the Jews did not agree with each other because 
       of these words of Jesus.

       (John 10:20 NCV)  Many of them said, "A demon has come into him and 
       made him crazy. Why listen to him?"

       (John 10:21 NCV)  But others said, "A man who is crazy with a demon 
       does not say things like this. Can a demon open the eyes of the 
       blind?"

       (John 10:22 NCV)  The time came for the Feast of Dedication at 
       Jerusalem. It was winter,

       (John 10:23 NCV)  and Jesus was walking in the Temple in Solomon's 
       Porch.

       (John 10:24 NCV)  The Jews gathered around him and said, "How long 
       will you make us wonder about you? If you are the Christ, tell us 
       plainly."

       (John 10:25 NCV)  Jesus answered, "I told you already, but you did not 
       believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name show who I am.

       (John 10:26 NCV)  But you don't believe, because you are not my sheep.

       (John 10:27 NCV)  My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they 
       follow me.






       (John 10:28 NCV)  I give them eternal life, and they will never die, 
       and no one can steal them out of my hand.

       (John 10:29 NCV)  My Father gave my sheep to me. He is greater than 
       all, and no person can steal my sheep out of my Father's hand.

       (John 10:30 NCV)  The Father and I are one."

       (John 10:31 NCV)  Again the Jews picked up stones to kill Jesus.

       (John 10:32 NCV)  But he said to them, "I have done many good works 
       from the Father. Which of these good works are you killing me for?"

       (John 10:33 NCV)  The Jews answered, "We are not killing you because 
       of any good work you did, but because you speak against God. You are 
       only a human, but you say you are the same as God!"

       (John 10:34 NCV)  Jesus answered, "It is written in your law that God 
       said, 'I said, you are gods.'

       (John 10:35 NCV)  This Scripture called those people gods who received 
       God's message, and Scripture is always true.

       (John 10:36 NCV)  So why do you say that I speak against God because I 
       said, 'I am God's Son'? I am the one God chose and sent into the 
       world.

       (John 10:37 NCV)  If I don't do what my Father does, then don't 
       believe me.

       (John 10:38 NCV)  But if I do what my Father does, even though you 
       don't believe in me, believe what I do. Then you will know and 
       understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father."

       (John 10:39 NCV)  They tried to take Jesus again, but he escaped from 
       them.

       (John 10:40 NCV)  Then he went back across the Jordan River to the 
       place where John had first baptized. Jesus stayed there,

       (John 10:41 NCV)  and many people came to him and said, "John never 
       did a miracle, but everything John said about this man is true."

       (John 10:42 NCV)  And in that place many believed in Jesus.

       (John 11:1 NCV)  A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in the town of 
       Bethany, where Mary and her sister Martha lived.

       (John 11:2 NCV)  Mary was the woman who later put perfume on the Lord 
       and wiped his feet with her hair. Mary's brother was Lazarus, the man 
       who was now sick.

       (John 11:3 NCV)  So Mary and Martha sent someone to tell Jesus, "Lord, 
       the one you love is sick."





       (John 11:4 NCV)  When Jesus heard this, he said, "This sickness will 
       not end in death. It is for the glory of God, to bring glory to the 
       Son of God."

       (John 11:5 NCV)  Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.

       (John 11:6 NCV)  But when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed 
       where he was for two more days.

       (John 11:7 NCV)  Then Jesus said to his followers, "Let's go back to 
       Judea."

       (John 11:8 NCV)  The followers said, "But Teacher, the Jews there 
       tried to stone you to death only a short time ago. Now you want to go 
       back there?"

       (John 11:9 NCV)  Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the 
       day? If anyone walks in the daylight, he will not stumble, because he 
       can see by this world's light.

       (John 11:10 NCV)  But if anyone walks at night, he stumbles because 
       there is no light to help him see."

       (John 11:11 NCV)  After Jesus said this, he added, "Our friend Lazarus 
       has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him."

       (John 11:12 NCV)  The followers said, "But Lord, if he is only asleep, 
       he will be all right."

       (John 11:13 NCV)  Jesus meant that Lazarus was dead, but his followers 
       thought he meant Lazarus was really sleeping.

       (John 11:14 NCV)  So then Jesus said plainly, "Lazarus is dead.

       (John 11:15 NCV)  And I am glad for your sakes I was not there so that 
       you may believe. But let's go to him now."

       (John 11:16 NCV)  Then Thomas (the one called Didymus) said to the 
       other followers, "Let us also go so that we can die with him."

       (John 11:17 NCV)  When Jesus arrived, he learned that Lazarus had 
       already been dead and in the tomb for four days.

       (John 11:18 NCV)  Bethany was about two miles from Jerusalem.

       (John 11:19 NCV)  Many of the Jews had come there to comfort Martha 
       and Mary about their brother.

       (John 11:20 NCV)  When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went 
       out to meet him, but Mary stayed home.

       (John 11:21 NCV)  Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, 
       my brother would not have died.

       (John 11:22 NCV)  But I know that even now God will give you anything 
       you ask."






       (John 11:23 NCV)  Jesus said, "Your brother will rise and live again."

       (John 11:24 NCV)  Martha answered, "I know that he will rise and live 
       again in the resurrection on the last day."

       (John 11:25 NCV)  Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the 
       life. Those who believe in me will have life even if they die.

       (John 11:26 NCV)  And everyone who lives and believes in me will never 
       die. Martha, do you believe this?"

       (John 11:27 NCV)  Martha answered, "Yes, Lord. I believe that you are 
       the Christ, the Son of God, the One coming to the world."

       (John 11:28 NCV)  After Martha said this, she went back and talked to 
       her sister Mary alone. Martha said, "The Teacher is here and he is 
       asking for you."

       (John 11:29 NCV)  When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to 
       Jesus.

       (John 11:30 NCV)  Jesus had not yet come into the town but was still 
       at the place where Martha had met him.

       (John 11:31 NCV)  The Jews were with Mary in the house, comforting 
       her. When they saw her stand and leave quickly, they followed her, 
       thinking she was going to the tomb to cry there.

       (John 11:32 NCV)  But Mary went to the place where Jesus was. When she 
       saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, 
       my brother would not have died."

       (John 11:33 NCV)  When Jesus saw Mary crying and the Jews who came 
       with her also crying, he was upset and was deeply troubled.

       (John 11:34 NCV)  He asked, "Where did you bury him?" "Come and see, 
       Lord," they said.

       (John 11:35 NCV)  Jesus cried.

       (John 11:36 NCV)  So the Jews said, "See how much he loved him."

       (John 11:37 NCV)  But some of them said, "If Jesus opened the eyes of 
       the blind man, why couldn't he keep Lazarus from dying?"

       (John 11:38 NCV)  Again feeling very upset, Jesus came to the tomb. It 
       was a cave with a large stone covering the entrance.

       (John 11:39 NCV)  Jesus said, "Move the stone away." Martha, the 
       sister of the dead man, said, "But, Lord, it has been four days since 
       he died. There will be a bad smell."

       (John 11:40 NCV)  Then Jesus said to her, "Didn't I tell you that if 
       you believed you would see the glory of God?"





       (John 11:41 NCV)  So they moved the stone away from the entrance. Then 
       Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you heard me.

       (John 11:42 NCV)  I know that you always hear me, but I said these 
       things because of the people here around me. I want them to believe 
       that you sent me."

       (John 11:43 NCV)  After Jesus said this, he cried out in a loud voice, 
       "Lazarus, come out!"

       (John 11:44 NCV)  The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped 
       with pieces of cloth, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, 
       "Take the cloth off of him and let him go."

       (John 11:45 NCV)  Many of the Jews, who had come to visit Mary and saw 
       what Jesus did, believed in him.

       (John 11:46 NCV)  But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them 
       what Jesus had done.

       (John 11:47 NCV)  Then the leading priests and Pharisees called a 
       meeting of the Jewish council. They asked, "What should we do? This 
       man is doing many miracles.

       (John 11:48 NCV)  If we let him continue doing these things, everyone 
       will believe in him. Then the Romans will come and take away our 
       Temple and our nation."

       (John 11:49 NCV)  One of the men there was Caiaphas, the high priest 
       that year. He said, "You people know nothing!

       (John 11:50 NCV)  You don't realize that it is better for one man to 
       die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed."

       (John 11:51 NCV)  Caiaphas did not think of this himself. As high 
       priest that year, he was really prophesying that Jesus would die for 
       the Jewish nation

       (John 11:52 NCV)  and for God's scattered children to bring them all 
       together and make them one.

       (John 11:53 NCV)  That day they started planning to kill Jesus.

       (John 11:54 NCV)  So Jesus no longer traveled openly among the Jews. 
       He left there and went to a place near the desert, to a town called 
       Ephraim and stayed there with his followers.

       (John 11:55 NCV)  It was almost time for the Jewish Passover Feast. 
       Many from the country went up to Jerusalem before the Passover to do 
       the special things to make themselves pure.

       (John 11:56 NCV)  The people looked for Jesus and stood in the Temple 
       asking each other, "Is he coming to the Feast? What do you think?"

       (John 11:57 NCV)  But the leading priests and the Pharisees had given 
       orders that if anyone knew where Jesus was, he must tell them. Then 





       they could arrest him.

       (John 12:1 NCV)  Six days before the Passover Feast, Jesus went to 
       Bethany, where Lazarus lived. (Lazarus is the man Jesus raised from 
       the dead.)

       (John 12:2 NCV)  There they had a dinner for Jesus. Martha served the 
       food, and Lazarus was one of the people eating with Jesus.

       (John 12:3 NCV)  Mary brought in a pint of very expensive perfume made 
       from pure nard. She poured the perfume on Jesus' feet, and then she 
       wiped his feet with her hair. And the sweet smell from the perfume 
       filled the whole house.

       (John 12:4 NCV)  Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus' followers who would 
       later turn against him, was there. Judas said,

       (John 12:5 NCV)  "This perfume was worth three hundred coins. Why 
       wasn't it sold and the money given to the poor?"

       (John 12:6 NCV)  But Judas did not really care about the poor; he said 
       this because he was a thief. He was the one who kept the money box, 
       and he often stole from it.

       (John 12:7 NCV)  Jesus answered, "Leave her alone. It was right for 
       her to save this perfume for today, the day for me to be prepared for 
       burial.

       (John 12:8 NCV)  You will always have the poor with you, but you will 
       not always have me."

       (John 12:9 NCV)  A large crowd of Jews heard that Jesus was in 
       Bethany. So they went there to see not only Jesus but Lazarus, whom 
       Jesus raised from the dead.

       (John 12:10 NCV)  So the leading priests made plans to kill Lazarus, 
       too.

       (John 12:11 NCV)  Because of Lazarus many of the Jews were leaving 
       them and believing in Jesus.

       (John 12:12 NCV)  The next day a great crowd who had come to Jerusalem 
       for the Passover Feast heard that Jesus was coming there.

       (John 12:13 NCV)  So they took branches of palm trees and went out to 
       meet Jesus, shouting, "Praise God! God bless the One who comes in the 
       name of the Lord! God bless the King of Israel!"

       (John 12:14 NCV)  Jesus found a colt and sat on it. This was as the 
       Scripture says,

       (John 12:15 NCV)  "Don't be afraid, people of Jerusalem! Your king is 
       coming, sitting on the colt of a donkey."

       (John 12:16 NCV)  The followers of Jesus did not understand this at 
       first. But after Jesus was raised to glory, they remembered that this 





       had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.

       (John 12:17 NCV)  There had been many people with Jesus when he raised 
       Lazarus from the dead and told him to come out of the tomb. Now they 
       were telling others about what Jesus did.

       (John 12:18 NCV)  Many people went out to meet Jesus, because they had 
       heard about this miracle.

       (John 12:19 NCV)  So the Pharisees said to each other, "You can see 
       that nothing is going right for us. Look! The whole world is following 
       him."

       (John 12:20 NCV)  There were some Greek people, too, who came to 
       Jerusalem to worship at the Passover Feast.

       (John 12:21 NCV)  They went to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in 
       Galilee, and said, "Sir, we would like to see Jesus."

       (John 12:22 NCV)  Philip told Andrew, and then Andrew and Philip told 
       Jesus.

       (John 12:23 NCV)  Jesus said to them, "The time has come for the Son 
       of Man to receive his glory.

       (John 12:24 NCV)  I tell you the truth, a grain of wheat must fall to 
       the ground and die to make many seeds. But if it never dies, it 
       remains only a single seed.

       (John 12:25 NCV)  Those who love their lives will lose them, but those 
       who hate their lives in this world will keep true life forever.

       (John 12:26 NCV)  Whoever serves me must follow me. Then my servant 
       will be with me everywhere I am. My Father will honor anyone who 
       serves me.

       (John 12:27 NCV)  "Now I am very troubled. Should I say, 'Father, save 
       me from this time'? No, I came to this time so I could suffer.

       (John 12:28 NCV)  Father, bring glory to your name!" Then a voice came 
       from heaven, "I have brought glory to it, and I will do it again."

       (John 12:29 NCV)  The crowd standing there, who heard the voice, said 
       it was thunder. But others said, "An angel has spoken to him."

       (John 12:30 NCV)  Jesus said, "That voice was for your sake, not mine.

       (John 12:31 NCV)  Now is the time for the world to be judged; now the 
       ruler of this world will be thrown down.

       (John 12:32 NCV)  If I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all 
       people toward me."

       (John 12:33 NCV)  Jesus said this to show how he would die.

       (John 12:34 NCV)  The crowd said, "We have heard from the law that the 





       Christ will live forever. So why do you say, 'The Son of Man must be 
       lifted up'? Who is this 'Son of Man'?"

       (John 12:35 NCV)  Then Jesus said, "The light will be with you for a 
       little longer, so walk while you have the light. Then the darkness 
       will not catch you. If you walk in the darkness, you will not know 
       where you are going.

       (John 12:36 NCV)  Believe in the light while you still have it so that 
       you will become children of light." When Jesus had said this, he left 
       and hid himself from them.

       (John 12:37 NCV)  Though Jesus had done many miracles in front of the 
       people, they still did not believe in him.

       (John 12:38 NCV)  This was to bring about what Isaiah the prophet had 
       said: "Lord, who believed what we told them? Who saw the Lord's power 
       in this?"

       (John 12:39 NCV)  This is why the people could not believe: Isaiah 
       also had said,

       (John 12:40 NCV)  "He has blinded their eyes, and he has closed their 
       minds. Otherwise they would see with their eyes and understand in 
       their minds and come back to me and be healed."

       (John 12:41 NCV)  Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory and 
       spoke about him.

       (John 12:42 NCV)  But many believed in Jesus, even many of the 
       leaders. But because of the Pharisees, they did not say they believed 
       in him for fear they would be put out of the synagogue.

       (John 12:43 NCV)  They loved praise from people more than praise from 
       God.

       (John 12:44 NCV)  Then Jesus cried out, "Whoever believes in me is 
       really believing in the One who sent me.

       (John 12:45 NCV)  Whoever sees me sees the One who sent me.

       (John 12:46 NCV)  I have come as light into the world so that whoever 
       believes in me would not stay in darkness.

       (John 12:47 NCV)  "Anyone who hears my words and does not obey them, I 
       do not judge, because I did not come to judge the world, but to save 
       the world.

       (John 12:48 NCV)  There is a judge for those who refuse to believe in 
       me and do not accept my words. The word I have taught will be their 
       judge on the last day.

       (John 12:49 NCV)  The things I taught were not from myself. The Father 
       who sent me told me what to say and what to teach.

       (John 12:50 NCV)  And I know that eternal life comes from what the 





       Father commands. So whatever I say is what the Father told me to say."

       (John 13:1 NCV)  It was almost time for the Jewish Passover Feast. 
       Jesus knew that it was time for him to leave this world and go back to 
       the Father. He had always loved those who were his own in the world, 
       and he loved them all the way to the end.

       (John 13:2 NCV)  Jesus and his followers were at the evening meal. The 
       devil had already persuaded Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to turn 
       against Jesus.

       (John 13:3 NCV)  Jesus knew that the Father had given him power over 
       everything and that he had come from God and was going back to God.

       (John 13:4 NCV)  So during the meal Jesus stood up and took off his 
       outer clothing. Taking a towel, he wrapped it around his waist.

       (John 13:5 NCV)  Then he poured water into a bowl and began to wash 
       the followers' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped 
       around him.

       (John 13:6 NCV)  Jesus came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, 
       are you going to wash my feet?"

       (John 13:7 NCV)  Jesus answered, "You don't understand now what I am 
       doing, but you will understand later."

       (John 13:8 NCV)  Peter said, "No, you will never wash my feet." Jesus 
       answered, "If I don't wash your feet, you are not one of my people."

       (John 13:9 NCV)  Simon Peter answered, "Lord, then wash not only my 
       feet, but wash my hands and my head, too!"

       (John 13:10 NCV)  Jesus said, "After a person has had a bath, his 
       whole body is clean. He needs only to wash his feet. And you men are 
       clean, but not all of you."

       (John 13:11 NCV)  Jesus knew who would turn against him, and that is 
       why he said, "Not all of you are clean."

       (John 13:12 NCV)  When he had finished washing their feet, he put on 
       his clothes and sat down again. He asked, "Do you understand what I 
       have just done for you?

       (John 13:13 NCV)  You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and you are right, 
       because that is what I am.

       (John 13:14 NCV)  If I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, 
       you also should wash each other's feet.

       (John 13:15 NCV)  I did this as an example so that you should do as I 
       have done for you.

       (John 13:16 NCV)  I tell you the truth, a servant is not greater than 
       his master. A messenger is not greater than the one who sent him.





       (John 13:17 NCV)  If you know these things, you will be happy if you 
       do them.

       (John 13:18 NCV)  "I am not talking about all of you. I know those I 
       have chosen. But this is to bring about what the Scripture said: 'The 
       man who ate at my table has turned against me.'

       (John 13:19 NCV)  I am telling you this now before it happens so that 
       when it happens, you will believe that I am he.

       (John 13:20 NCV)  I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send 
       also accepts me. And whoever accepts me also accepts the One who sent 
       me."

       (John 13:21 NCV)  After Jesus said this, he was very troubled. He said 
       openly, "I tell you the truth, one of you will turn against me."

       (John 13:22 NCV)  The followers all looked at each other, because they 
       did not know whom Jesus was talking about.

       (John 13:23 NCV)  One of the followers sitting next to Jesus was the 
       follower Jesus loved.

       (John 13:24 NCV)  Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus whom he was 
       talking about.

       (John 13:25 NCV)  That follower leaned closer to Jesus and asked, 
       "Lord, who is it?"

       (John 13:26 NCV)  Jesus answered, "I will dip this bread into the 
       dish. The man I give it to is the man who will turn against me." So 
       Jesus took a piece of bread, dipped it, and gave it to Judas Iscariot, 
       the son of Simon.

       (John 13:27 NCV)  As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered him. 
       Jesus said to him, "The thing that you will do--do it quickly."

       (John 13:28 NCV)  No one at the table understood why Jesus said this 
       to Judas.

       (John 13:29 NCV)  Since he was the one who kept the money box, some of 
       the followers thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for 
       the feast or to give something to the poor.

       (John 13:30 NCV)  Judas took the bread Jesus gave him and immediately 
       went out. It was night.

       (John 13:31 NCV)  When Judas was gone, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man 
       receives his glory, and God receives glory through him.

       (John 13:32 NCV)  If God receives glory through him, then God will 
       give glory to the Son through himself. And God will give him glory 
       quickly."

       (John 13:33 NCV)  Jesus said, "My children, I will be with you only a 
       little longer. You will look for me, and what I told the Jews, I tell 





       you now: Where I am going you cannot come.

       (John 13:34 NCV)  "I give you a new command: Love each other. You must 
       love each other as I have loved you.

       (John 13:35 NCV)  All people will know that you are my followers if 
       you love each other."

       (John 13:36 NCV)  Simon Peter asked Jesus, "Lord, where are you 
       going?" Jesus answered, "Where I am going you cannot follow now, but 
       you will follow later."

       (John 13:37 NCV)  Peter asked, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I am 
       ready to die for you!"

       (John 13:38 NCV)  Jesus answered, "Are you ready to die for me? I tell 
       you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will say three times that 
       you don't know me."

       (John 14:1 NCV)  Jesus said, "Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust 
       in God, and trust in me.

       (John 14:2 NCV)  There are many rooms in my Father's house; I would 
       not tell you this if it were not true. I am going there to prepare a 
       place for you.

       (John 14:3 NCV)  After I go and prepare a place for you, I will come 
       back and take you to be with me so that you may be where I am.

       (John 14:4 NCV)  You know the way to the place where I am going."

       (John 14:5 NCV)  Thomas said to Jesus, "Lord, we don't know where you 
       are going. So how can we know the way?"

       (John 14:6 NCV)  Jesus answered, "I am the way, and the truth, and the 
       life. The only way to the Father is through me.

       (John 14:7 NCV)  If you really knew me, you would know my Father, too. 
       But now you do know him, and you have seen him."

       (John 14:8 NCV)  Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father. That 
       is all we need."

       (John 14:9 NCV)  Jesus answered, "I have been with you a long time 
       now. Do you still not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen 
       the Father. So why do you say, 'Show us the Father'?

       (John 14:10 NCV)  Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the 
       Father is in me? The words I say to you don't come from me, but the 
       Father lives in me and does his own work.

       (John 14:11 NCV)  Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and 
       the Father is in me. Or believe because of the miracles I have done.

       (John 14:12 NCV)  I tell you the truth, whoever believes in me will do 
       the same things that I do. Those who believe will do even greater 





       things than these, because I am going to the Father.

       (John 14:13 NCV)  And if you ask for anything in my name, I will do it 
       for you so that the Father's glory will be shown through the Son.

       (John 14:14 NCV)  If you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it.

       (John 14:15 NCV)  "If you love me, you will obey my commands.

       (John 14:16 NCV)  I will ask the Father, and he will give you another 
       Helper to be with you forever--

       (John 14:17 NCV)  the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, 
       because it does not see him or know him. But you know him, because he 
       lives with you and he will be in you.

       (John 14:18 NCV)  "I will not leave you all alone like orphans; I will 
       come back to you.

       (John 14:19 NCV)  In a little while the world will not see me anymore, 
       but you will see me. Because I live, you will live, too.

       (John 14:20 NCV)  On that day you will know that I am in my Father, 
       and that you are in me and I am in you.

       (John 14:21 NCV)  Those who know my commands and obey them are the 
       ones who love me, and my Father will love those who love me. I will 
       love them and will show myself to them."

       (John 14:22 NCV)  Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, 
       why do you plan to show yourself to us and not to the rest of the 
       world?"

       (John 14:23 NCV)  Jesus answered, "If people love me, they will obey 
       my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and 
       make our home with them.

       (John 14:24 NCV)  Those who do not love me do not obey my teaching. 
       This teaching that you hear is not really mine; it is from my Father, 
       who sent me.

       (John 14:25 NCV)  "I have told you all these things while I am with 
       you.

       (John 14:26 NCV)  But the Helper will teach you everything and will 
       cause you to remember all that I told you. This Helper is the Holy 
       Spirit whom the Father will send in my name.

       (John 14:27 NCV)  "I leave you peace; my peace I give you. I do not 
       give it to you as the world does. So don't let your hearts be troubled 
       or afraid.

       (John 14:28 NCV)  You heard me say to you, 'I am going, but I am 
       coming back to you.' If you loved me, you should be happy that I am 
       going back to the Father, because he is greater than I am.





       (John 14:29 NCV)  I have told you this now, before it happens, so that 
       when it happens, you will believe.

       (John 14:30 NCV)  I will not talk with you much longer, because the 
       ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me,

       (John 14:31 NCV)  but the world must know that I love the Father, so I 
       do exactly what the Father told me to do. "Come now, let us go.

       (John 15:1 NCV)  "I am the true vine; my Father is the gardener.

       (John 15:2 NCV)  He cuts off every branch of mine that does not 
       produce fruit. And he trims and cleans every branch that produces 
       fruit so that it will produce even more fruit.

       (John 15:3 NCV)  You are already clean because of the words I have 
       spoken to you.

       (John 15:4 NCV)  Remain in me, and I will remain in you. A branch 
       cannot produce fruit alone but must remain in the vine. In the same 
       way, you cannot produce fruit alone but must remain in me.

       (John 15:5 NCV)  "I am the vine, and you are the branches. If any 
       remain in me and I remain in them, they produce much fruit. But 
       without me they can do nothing.

       (John 15:6 NCV)  If any do not remain in me, they are like a branch 
       that is thrown away and then dies. People pick up dead branches, throw 
       them into the fire, and burn them.

       (John 15:7 NCV)  If you remain in me and follow my teachings, you can 
       ask anything you want, and it will be given to you.

       (John 15:8 NCV)  You should produce much fruit and show that you are 
       my followers, which brings glory to my Father.

       (John 15:9 NCV)  I loved you as the Father loved me. Now remain in my 
       love.

       (John 15:10 NCV)  I have obeyed my Father's commands, and I remain in 
       his love. In the same way, if you obey my commands, you will remain in 
       my love.

       (John 15:11 NCV)  I have told you these things so that you can have 
       the same joy I have and so that your joy will be the fullest possible 
       joy.

       (John 15:12 NCV)  "This is my command: Love each other as I have loved 
       you.

       (John 15:13 NCV)  The greatest love a person can show is to die for 
       his friends.

       (John 15:14 NCV)  You are my friends if you do what I command you.

       (John 15:15 NCV)  I no longer call you servants, because a servant 





       does not know what his master is doing. But I call you friends, 
       because I have made known to you everything I heard from my Father.

       (John 15:16 NCV)  You did not choose me; I chose you. And I gave you 
       this work: to go and produce fruit, fruit that will last. Then the 
       Father will give you anything you ask for in my name.

       (John 15:17 NCV)  This is my command: Love each other.

       (John 15:18 NCV)  "If the world hates you, remember that it hated me 
       first.

       (John 15:19 NCV)  If you belonged to the world, it would love you as 
       it loves its own. But I have chosen you out of the world, so you don't 
       belong to it. That is why the world hates you.

       (John 15:20 NCV)  Remember what I told you: A servant is not greater 
       than his master. If people did wrong to me, they will do wrong to you, 
       too. And if they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours, too.

       (John 15:21 NCV)  They will do all this to you on account of me, 
       because they do not know the One who sent me.

       (John 15:22 NCV)  If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not 
       be guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.

       (John 15:23 NCV)  Whoever hates me also hates my Father.

       (John 15:24 NCV)  I did works among them that no one else has ever 
       done. If I had not done these works, they would not be guilty of sin. 
       But now they have seen what I have done, and yet they have hated both 
       me and my Father.

       (John 15:25 NCV)  But this happened so that what is written in their 
       law would be true: 'They hated me for no reason.'

       (John 15:26 NCV)  "I will send you the Helper from the Father; he is 
       the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father. When he comes, he will 
       tell about me,

       (John 15:27 NCV)  and you also must tell people about me, because you 
       have been with me from the beginning.

       (John 16:1 NCV)  "I have told you these things to keep you from giving 
       up.

       (John 16:2 NCV)  People will put you out of their synagogues. Yes, the 
       time is coming when those who kill you will think they are offering 
       service to God.

       (John 16:3 NCV)  They will do this because they have not known the 
       Father and they have not known me.

       (John 16:4 NCV)  I have told you these things now so that when the 
       time comes you will remember that I warned you. "I did not tell you 
       these things at the beginning, because I was with you then.






       (John 16:5 NCV)  Now I am going back to the One who sent me. But none 
       of you asks me, 'Where are you going?'

       (John 16:6 NCV)  Your hearts are filled with sadness because I have 
       told you these things.

       (John 16:7 NCV)  But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I 
       go away. When I go away, I will send the Helper to you. If I do not go 
       away, the Helper will not come.

       (John 16:8 NCV)  When the Helper comes, he will prove to the people of 
       the world the truth about sin, about being right with God, and about 
       judgment.

       (John 16:9 NCV)  He will prove to them that sin is not believing in 
       me.

       (John 16:10 NCV)  He will prove to them that being right with God 
       comes from my going to the Father and not being seen anymore.

       (John 16:11 NCV)  And the Helper will prove to them that judgment 
       happened when the ruler of this world was judged.

       (John 16:12 NCV)  "I have many more things to say to you, but they are 
       too much for you now.

       (John 16:13 NCV)  But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead you 
       into all truth. He will not speak his own words, but he will speak 
       only what he hears, and he will tell you what is to come.

       (John 16:14 NCV)  The Spirit of truth will bring glory to me, because 
       he will take what I have to say and tell it to you.

       (John 16:15 NCV)  All that the Father has is mine. That is why I said 
       that the Spirit will take what I have to say and tell it to you.

       (John 16:16 NCV)  "After a little while you will not see me, and then 
       after a little while you will see me again."

       (John 16:17 NCV)  Some of the followers said to each other, "What does 
       Jesus mean when he says, 'After a little while you will not see me, 
       and then after a little while you will see me again'? And what does he 
       mean when he says, 'Because I am going to the Father'?"

       (John 16:18 NCV)  They also asked, "What does he mean by 'a little 
       while'? We don't understand what he is saying."

       (John 16:19 NCV)  Jesus saw that the followers wanted to ask him about 
       this, so he said to them, "Are you asking each other what I meant when 
       I said, 'After a little while you will not see me, and then after a 
       little while you will see me again'?

       (John 16:20 NCV)  I tell you the truth, you will cry and be sad, but 
       the world will be happy. You will be sad, but your sadness will become 
       joy.






       (John 16:21 NCV)  When a woman gives birth to a baby, she has pain, 
       because her time has come. But when her baby is born, she forgets the 
       pain, because she is so happy that a child has been born into the 
       world.

       (John 16:22 NCV)  It is the same with you. Now you are sad, but I will 
       see you again and you will be happy, and no one will take away your 
       joy.

       (John 16:23 NCV)  In that day you will not ask me for anything. I tell 
       you the truth, my Father will give you anything you ask for in my 
       name.

       (John 16:24 NCV)  Until now you have not asked for anything in my 
       name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy will be the fullest 
       possible joy.

       (John 16:25 NCV)  "I have told you these things, using stories that 
       hide the meaning. But the time will come when I will not use stories 
       like that to tell you things; I will speak to you in plain words about 
       the Father.

       (John 16:26 NCV)  In that day you will ask the Father for things in my 
       name. I mean, I will not need to ask the Father for you.

       (John 16:27 NCV)  The Father himself loves you. He loves you because 
       you loved me and believed that I came from God.

       (John 16:28 NCV)  I came from the Father into the world. Now I am 
       leaving the world and going back to the Father."

       (John 16:29 NCV)  Then the followers of Jesus said, "You are speaking 
       clearly to us now and are not using stories that are hard to 
       understand.

       (John 16:30 NCV)  We can see now that you know all things. You can 
       answer a person's question even before it is asked. This makes us 
       believe you came from God."

       (John 16:31 NCV)  Jesus answered, "So now you believe?

       (John 16:32 NCV)  Listen to me; a time is coming when you will be 
       scattered, each to his own home. That time is now here. You will leave 
       me alone, but I am never really alone, because the Father is with me.

       (John 16:33 NCV)  "I told you these things so that you can have peace 
       in me. In this world you will have trouble, but be brave! I have 
       defeated the world."

       (John 17:1 NCV)  After Jesus said these things, he looked toward 
       heaven and prayed, "Father, the time has come. Give glory to your Son 
       so that the Son can give glory to you.

       (John 17:2 NCV)  You gave the Son power over all people so that the 
       Son could give eternal life to all those you gave him.






       (John 17:3 NCV)  And this is eternal life: that people know you, the 
       only true God, and that they know Jesus Christ, the One you sent.

       (John 17:4 NCV)  Having finished the work you gave me to do, I brought 
       you glory on earth.

       (John 17:5 NCV)  And now, Father, give me glory with you; give me the 
       glory I had with you before the world was made.

       (John 17:6 NCV)  "I showed what you are like to those you gave me from 
       the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they 
       have obeyed your teaching.

       (John 17:7 NCV)  Now they know that everything you gave me comes from 
       you.

       (John 17:8 NCV)  I gave them the teachings you gave me, and they 
       accepted them. They knew that I truly came from you, and they believed 
       that you sent me.

       (John 17:9 NCV)  I am praying for them. I am not praying for people in 
       the world but for those you gave me, because they are yours.

       (John 17:10 NCV)  All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And 
       my glory is shown through them.

       (John 17:11 NCV)  I am coming to you; I will not stay in the world any 
       longer. But they are still in the world. Holy Father, keep them safe 
       by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they will be 
       one, just as you and I are one.

       (John 17:12 NCV)  While I was with them, I kept them safe by the power 
       of your name, the name you gave me. I protected them, and only one of 
       them, the one worthy of destruction, was lost so that the Scripture 
       would come true.

       (John 17:13 NCV)  "I am coming to you now. But I pray these things 
       while I am still in the world so that these followers can have all of 
       my joy in them.

       (John 17:14 NCV)  I have given them your teaching. And the world has 
       hated them, because they don't belong to the world, just as I don't 
       belong to the world.

       (John 17:15 NCV)  I am not asking you to take them out of the world 
       but to keep them safe from the Evil One.

       (John 17:16 NCV)  They don't belong to the world, just as I don't 
       belong to the world.

       (John 17:17 NCV)  Make them ready for your service through your truth; 
       your teaching is truth.

       (John 17:18 NCV)  I have sent them into the world, just as you sent me 
       into the world.






       (John 17:19 NCV)  For their sake, I am making myself ready to serve so 
       that they can be ready for their service of the truth.

       (John 17:20 NCV)  "I pray for these followers, but I am also praying 
       for all those who will believe in me because of their teaching.

       (John 17:21 NCV)  Father, I pray that they can be one. As you are in 
       me and I am in you, I pray that they can also be one in us. Then the 
       world will believe that you sent me.

       (John 17:22 NCV)  I have given these people the glory that you gave me 
       so that they can be one, just as you and I are one.

       (John 17:23 NCV)  I will be in them and you will be in me so that they 
       will be completely one. Then the world will know that you sent me and 
       that you loved them just as much as you loved me.

       (John 17:24 NCV)  "Father, I want these people that you gave me to be 
       with me where I am. I want them to see my glory, which you gave me 
       because you loved me before the world was made.

       (John 17:25 NCV)  Father, you are the One who is good. The world does 
       not know you, but I know you, and these people know you sent me.

       (John 17:26 NCV)  I showed them what you are like, and I will show 
       them again. Then they will have the same love that you have for me, 
       and I will live in them."

       (John 18:1 NCV)  When Jesus finished praying, he went with his 
       followers across the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a 
       garden, and Jesus and his followers went into it.

       (John 18:2 NCV)  Judas knew where this place was, because Jesus met 
       there often with his followers. Judas was the one who turned against 
       Jesus.

       (John 18:3 NCV)  So Judas came there with a group of soldiers and some 
       guards from the leading priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying 
       torches, lanterns, and weapons.

       (John 18:4 NCV)  Knowing everything that would happen to him, Jesus 
       went out and asked, "Who is it you are looking for?"

       (John 18:5 NCV)  They answered, "Jesus from Nazareth." "I am he," 
       Jesus said. (Judas, the one who turned against Jesus, was standing 
       there with them.)

       (John 18:6 NCV)  When Jesus said, "I am he," they moved back and fell 
       to the ground.

       (John 18:7 NCV)  Jesus asked them again, "Who is it you are looking 
       for?" They said, "Jesus of Nazareth."

       (John 18:8 NCV)  "I told you that I am he," Jesus said. "So if you are 
       looking for me, let the others go."






       (John 18:9 NCV)  This happened so that the words Jesus said before 
       would come true: "I have not lost any of the ones you gave me."

       (John 18:10 NCV)  Simon Peter, who had a sword, pulled it out and 
       struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. (The 
       servant's name was Malchus.)

       (John 18:11 NCV)  Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword back. Shouldn't 
       I drink the cup the Father gave me?"

       (John 18:12 NCV)  Then the soldiers with their commander and the 
       Jewish guards arrested Jesus. They tied him

       (John 18:13 NCV)  and led him first to Annas, the father-in-law of 
       Caiaphas, the high priest that year.

       (John 18:14 NCV)  Caiaphas was the one who told the Jews that it would 
       be better if one man died for all the people.

       (John 18:15 NCV)  Simon Peter and another one of Jesus' followers went 
       along after Jesus. This follower knew the high priest, so he went with 
       Jesus into the high priest's courtyard.

       (John 18:16 NCV)  But Peter waited outside near the door. The follower 
       who knew the high priest came back outside, spoke to the girl at the 
       door, and brought Peter inside.

       (John 18:17 NCV)  The girl at the door said to Peter, "Aren't you also 
       one of that man's followers?" Peter answered, "No, I am not!"

       (John 18:18 NCV)  It was cold, so the servants and guards had built a 
       fire and were standing around it, warming themselves. Peter also was 
       standing with them, warming himself.

       (John 18:19 NCV)  The high priest asked Jesus questions about his 
       followers and his teaching.

       (John 18:20 NCV)  Jesus answered, "I have spoken openly to everyone. I 
       have always taught in synagogues and in the Temple, where all the Jews 
       come together. I never said anything in secret.

       (John 18:21 NCV)  So why do you question me? Ask the people who heard 
       my teaching. They know what I said."

       (John 18:22 NCV)  When Jesus said this, one of the guards standing 
       there hit him. The guard said, "Is that the way you answer the high 
       priest?"

       (John 18:23 NCV)  Jesus answered him, "If I said something wrong, then 
       show what it was. But if what I said is true, why do you hit me?"

       (John 18:24 NCV)  Then Annas sent Jesus, who was still tied, to 
       Caiaphas the high priest.

       (John 18:25 NCV)  As Simon Peter was standing and warming himself, 





       they said to him, "Aren't you one of that man's followers?" Peter said 
       it was not true; he said, "No, I am not."

       (John 18:26 NCV)  One of the servants of the high priest was there. 
       This servant was a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off. 
       The servant said, "Didn't I see you with him in the garden?"

       (John 18:27 NCV)  Again Peter said it wasn't true. At once a rooster 
       crowed.

       (John 18:28 NCV)  Early in the morning they led Jesus from Caiaphas's 
       house to the Roman governor's palace. They would not go inside the 
       palace, because they did not want to make themselves unclean; they 
       wanted to eat the Passover meal.

       (John 18:29 NCV)  So Pilate went outside to them and asked, "What 
       charges do you bring against this man?"

       (John 18:30 NCV)  They answered, "If he were not a criminal, we 
       wouldn't have brought him to you."

       (John 18:31 NCV)  Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and judge 
       him by your own law." "But we are not allowed to put anyone to death," 
       the Jews answered.

       (John 18:32 NCV)  (This happened so that what Jesus said about how he 
       would die would come true.)

       (John 18:33 NCV)  Then Pilate went back inside the palace and called 
       Jesus to him and asked, "Are you the king of the Jews?"

       (John 18:34 NCV)  Jesus said, "Is that your own question, or did 
       others tell you about me?"

       (John 18:35 NCV)  Pilate answered, "I am not Jewish. It was your own 
       people and their leading priests who handed you over to me. What have 
       you done wrong?"

       (John 18:36 NCV)  Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not belong to this 
       world. If it belonged to this world, my servants would fight so that I 
       would not be given over to the Jews. But my kingdom is from another 
       place."

       (John 18:37 NCV)  Pilate said, "So you are a king!" Jesus answered, 
       "You are the one saying I am a king. This is why I was born and came 
       into the world: to tell people the truth. And everyone who belongs to 
       the truth listens to me."

       (John 18:38 NCV)  Pilate said, "What is truth?" After he said this, he 
       went out to the Jews again and said to them, "I find nothing against 
       this man.

       (John 18:39 NCV)  But it is your custom that I free one prisoner to 
       you at Passover time. Do you want me to free the 'king of the Jews'?"

       (John 18:40 NCV)  They shouted back, "No, not him! Let Barabbas go 





       free!" (Barabbas was a robber.)

       (John 19:1 NCV)  Then Pilate ordered that Jesus be taken away and 
       whipped.

       (John 19:2 NCV)  The soldiers made a crown from some thorny branches 
       and put it on Jesus' head and put a purple robe around him.

       (John 19:3 NCV)  Then they came to him many times and said, "Hail, 
       King of the Jews!" and hit him in the face.

       (John 19:4 NCV)  Again Pilate came out and said to them, "Look, I am 
       bringing Jesus out to you. I want you to know that I find nothing 
       against him."

       (John 19:5 NCV)  So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and 
       the purple robe. Pilate said to them, "Here is the man!"

       (John 19:6 NCV)  When the leading priests and the guards saw Jesus, 
       they shouted, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" But Pilate answered, 
       "Crucify him yourselves, because I find nothing against him."

       (John 19:7 NCV)  The Jews answered, "We have a law that says he should 
       die, because he said he is the Son of God."

       (John 19:8 NCV)  When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid.

       (John 19:9 NCV)  He went back inside the palace and asked Jesus, 
       "Where do you come from?" But Jesus did not answer him.

       (John 19:10 NCV)  Pilate said, "You refuse to speak to me? Don't you 
       know I have power to set you free and power to have you crucified?"

       (John 19:11 NCV)  Jesus answered, "The only power you have over me is 
       the power given to you by God. The man who turned me in to you is 
       guilty of a greater sin."

       (John 19:12 NCV)  After this, Pilate tried to let Jesus go. But the 
       Jews cried out, "Anyone who makes himself king is against Caesar. If 
       you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar."

       (John 19:13 NCV)  When Pilate heard what they were saying, he brought 
       Jesus out and sat down on the judge's seat at the place called The 
       Stone Pavement. (In the Jewish language the name is Gabbatha.)

       (John 19:14 NCV)  It was about noon on Preparation Day of Passover 
       week. Pilate said to the Jews, "Here is your king!"

       (John 19:15 NCV)  They shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify 
       him!" Pilate asked them, "Do you want me to crucify your king?" The 
       leading priests answered, "The only king we have is Caesar."

       (John 19:16 NCV)  So Pilate handed Jesus over to them to be crucified. 
       The soldiers took charge of Jesus.

       (John 19:17 NCV)  Carrying his own cross, Jesus went out to a place 





       called The Place of the Skull, which in the Jewish language is called 
       Golgotha.

       (John 19:18 NCV)  There they crucified Jesus. They also crucified two 
       other men, one on each side, with Jesus in the middle.

       (John 19:19 NCV)  Pilate wrote a sign and put it on the cross. It 
       read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

       (John 19:20 NCV)  The sign was written in the Jewish language, in 
       Latin, and in Greek. Many of the Jews read the sign, because the place 
       where Jesus was crucified was near the city.

       (John 19:21 NCV)  The leading Jewish priests said to Pilate, "Don't 
       write, 'The King of the Jews.' But write, 'This man said, "I am the 
       King of the Jews."'"

       (John 19:22 NCV)  Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have 
       written."

       (John 19:23 NCV)  After the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his 
       clothes and divided them into four parts, with each soldier getting 
       one part. They also took his long shirt, which was all one piece of 
       cloth, woven from top to bottom.

       (John 19:24 NCV)  So the soldiers said to each other, "We should not 
       tear this into parts. Let's throw lots to see who will get it." This 
       happened so that this Scripture would come true: "They divided my 
       clothes among them, and they threw lots for my clothing." So the 
       soldiers did this.

       (John 19:25 NCV)  Standing near his cross were Jesus' mother, his 
       mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

       (John 19:26 NCV)  When Jesus saw his mother and the follower he loved 
       standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your 
       son."

       (John 19:27 NCV)  Then he said to the follower, "Here is your mother." 
       From that time on, the follower took her to live in his home.

       (John 19:28 NCV)  After this, Jesus knew that everything had been 
       done. So that the Scripture would come true, he said, "I am thirsty."

       (John 19:29 NCV)  There was a jar full of vinegar there, so the 
       soldiers soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a branch of a hyssop 
       plant, and lifted it to Jesus' mouth.

       (John 19:30 NCV)  When Jesus tasted the vinegar, he said, "It is 
       finished." Then he bowed his head and died.

       (John 19:31 NCV)  This day was Preparation Day, and the next day was a 
       special Sabbath day. Since the Jews did not want the bodies to stay on 
       the cross on the Sabbath day, they asked Pilate to order that the legs 
       of the men be broken and the bodies be taken away.





       (John 19:32 NCV)  So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first 
       man on the cross beside Jesus. Then they broke the legs of the man on 
       the other cross beside Jesus.

       (John 19:33 NCV)  But when the soldiers came to Jesus and saw that he 
       was already dead, they did not break his legs.

       (John 19:34 NCV)  But one of the soldiers stuck his spear into Jesus' 
       side, and at once blood and water came out.

       (John 19:35 NCV)  (The one who saw this happen is the one who told us 
       this, and whatever he says is true. And he knows that he tells the 
       truth, and he tells it so that you might believe.)

       (John 19:36 NCV)  These things happened to make the Scripture come 
       true: "Not one of his bones will be broken."

       (John 19:37 NCV)  And another Scripture says, "They will look at the 
       one they stabbed."

       (John 19:38 NCV)  Later, Joseph from Arimathea asked Pilate if he 
       could take the body of Jesus. (Joseph was a secret follower of Jesus, 
       because he was afraid of the Jews.) Pilate gave his permission, so 
       Joseph came and took Jesus' body away.

       (John 19:39 NCV)  Nicodemus, who earlier had come to Jesus at night, 
       went with Joseph. He brought about seventy-five pounds of myrrh and 
       aloes.

       (John 19:40 NCV)  These two men took Jesus' body and wrapped it with 
       the spices in pieces of linen cloth, which is how the Jewish people 
       bury the dead.

       (John 19:41 NCV)  In the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a 
       garden. In the garden was a new tomb that had never been used before.

       (John 19:42 NCV)  The men laid Jesus in that tomb because it was 
       nearby, and the Jews were preparing to start their Sabbath day.

       (John 20:1 NCV)  Early on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene 
       went to the tomb while it was still dark. When she saw that the large 
       stone had been moved away from the tomb,

       (John 20:2 NCV)  she ran to Simon Peter and the follower whom Jesus 
       loved. Mary said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we 
       don't know where they have put him."

       (John 20:3 NCV)  So Peter and the other follower started for the tomb.

       (John 20:4 NCV)  They were both running, but the other follower ran 
       faster than Peter and reached the tomb first.

       (John 20:5 NCV)  He bent down and looked in and saw the strips of 
       linen cloth lying there, but he did not go in.

       (John 20:6 NCV)  Then following him, Simon Peter arrived and went into 





       the tomb and saw the strips of linen lying there.

       (John 20:7 NCV)  He also saw the cloth that had been around Jesus' 
       head, which was folded up and laid in a different place from the 
       strips of linen.

       (John 20:8 NCV)  Then the other follower, who had reached the tomb 
       first, also went in. He saw and believed.

       (John 20:9 NCV)  (They did not yet understand from the Scriptures that 
       Jesus must rise from the dead.)

       (John 20:10 NCV)  Then the followers went back home.

       (John 20:11 NCV)  But Mary stood outside the tomb, crying. As she was 
       crying, she bent down and looked inside the tomb.

       (John 20:12 NCV)  She saw two angels dressed in white, sitting where 
       Jesus' body had been, one at the head and one at the feet.

       (John 20:13 NCV)  They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" She 
       answered, "They have taken away my Lord, and I don't know where they 
       have put him."

       (John 20:14 NCV)  When Mary said this, she turned around and saw Jesus 
       standing there, but she did not know it was Jesus.

       (John 20:15 NCV)  Jesus asked her, "Woman, why are you crying? Whom 
       are you looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said to him, 
       "Did you take him away, sir? Tell me where you put him, and I will get 
       him."

       (John 20:16 NCV)  Jesus said to her, "Mary." Mary turned toward Jesus 
       and said in the Jewish language, "Rabboni." (This means Teacher.)

       (John 20:17 NCV)  Jesus said to her, "Don't hold on to me, because I 
       have not yet gone up to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell 
       them, 'I am going back to my Father and your Father, to my God and 
       your God.'"

       (John 20:18 NCV)  Mary Magdalene went and said to the followers, "I 
       saw the Lord!" And she told them what Jesus had said to her.

       (John 20:19 NCV)  When it was evening on the first day of the week, 
       the followers were together. The doors were locked, because they were 
       afraid of the Jews. Then Jesus came and stood right in the middle of 
       them and said, "Peace be with you."

       (John 20:20 NCV)  After he said this, he showed them his hands and his 
       side. The followers were thrilled when they saw the Lord.

       (John 20:21 NCV)  Then Jesus said again, "Peace be with you. As the 
       Father sent me, I now send you."

       (John 20:22 NCV)  After he said this, he breathed on them and said, 
       "Receive the Holy Spirit.






       (John 20:23 NCV)  If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven. 
       If you don't forgive them, they are not forgiven."

       (John 20:24 NCV)  Thomas (called Didymus), who was one of the twelve, 
       was not with them when Jesus came.

       (John 20:25 NCV)  The other followers kept telling Thomas, "We saw the 
       Lord." But Thomas said, "I will not believe it until I see the nail 
       marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were and put my 
       hand into his side."

       (John 20:26 NCV)  A week later the followers were in the house again, 
       and Thomas was with them. The doors were locked, but Jesus came in and 
       stood right in the middle of them. He said, "Peace be with you."

       (John 20:27 NCV)  Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and 
       look at my hands. Put your hand here in my side. Stop being an 
       unbeliever and believe."

       (John 20:28 NCV)  Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"

       (John 20:29 NCV)  Then Jesus told him, "You believe because you see 
       me. Those who believe without seeing me will be truly happy."

       (John 20:30 NCV)  Jesus did many other miracles in the presence of his 
       followers that are not written in this book.

       (John 20:31 NCV)  But these are written so that you may believe that 
       Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Then, by believing, you may have 
       life through his name.

       (John 21:1 NCV)  Later, Jesus showed himself to his followers 
       again--this time at Lake Galilee. This is how he showed himself:

       (John 21:2 NCV)  Some of the followers were together: Simon Peter, 
       Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the two sons 
       of Zebedee, and two other followers.

       (John 21:3 NCV)  Simon Peter said, "I am going out to fish." The 
       others said, "We will go with you." So they went out and got into the 
       boat. They fished that night but caught nothing.

       (John 21:4 NCV)  Early the next morning Jesus stood on the shore, but 
       the followers did not know it was Jesus.

       (John 21:5 NCV)  Then he said to them, "Friends, did you catch any 
       fish?" They answered, "No."

       (John 21:6 NCV)  He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the 
       boat, and you will find some." So they did, and they caught so many 
       fish they could not pull the net back into the boat.

       (John 21:7 NCV)  The follower whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is 
       the Lord!" When Peter heard him say this, he wrapped his coat around 
       himself. (Peter had taken his clothes off.) Then he jumped into the 





       water.

       (John 21:8 NCV)  The other followers went to shore in the boat, 
       dragging the net full of fish. They were not very far from shore, only 
       about a hundred yards.

       (John 21:9 NCV)  When the followers stepped out of the boat and onto 
       the shore, they saw a fire of hot coals. There were fish on the fire, 
       and there was bread.

       (John 21:10 NCV)  Then Jesus said, "Bring some of the fish you just 
       caught."

       (John 21:11 NCV)  Simon Peter went into the boat and pulled the net to 
       the shore. It was full of big fish, one hundred fifty-three in all, 
       but even though there were so many, the net did not tear.

       (John 21:12 NCV)  Jesus said to them, "Come and eat." None of the 
       followers dared ask him, "Who are you?" because they knew it was the 
       Lord.

       (John 21:13 NCV)  Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, 
       along with the fish.

       (John 21:14 NCV)  This was now the third time Jesus showed himself to 
       his followers after he was raised from the dead.

       (John 21:15 NCV)  When they finished eating, Jesus said to Simon 
       Peter, "Simon son of John do you love me more than these?" He 
       answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my 
       lambs."

       (John 21:16 NCV)  Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John do you love 
       me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, 
       "Take care of my sheep."

       (John 21:17 NCV)  A third time he said, "Simon son of John do you love 
       me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you 
       love me?" Peter said, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love 
       you!" He said to him, "Feed my sheep.

       (John 21:18 NCV)  I tell you the truth, when you were younger, you 
       tied your own belt and went where you wanted. But when you are old, 
       you will put out your hands and someone else will tie you and take you 
       where you don't want to go."

       (John 21:19 NCV)  (Jesus said this to show how Peter would die to give 
       glory to God.) Then Jesus said to Peter, "Follow me!"

       (John 21:20 NCV)  Peter turned and saw that the follower Jesus loved 
       was walking behind them. (This was the follower who had leaned against 
       Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who will turn against you?")

       (John 21:21 NCV)  When Peter saw him behind them, he asked Jesus, 
       "Lord, what about him?"





       (John 21:22 NCV)  Jesus answered, "If I want him to live until I come 
       back, that is not your business. You follow me."

       (John 21:23 NCV)  So a story spread among the followers that this one 
       would not die. But Jesus did not say he would not die. He only said, 
       "If I want him to live until I come back, that is not your business."

       (John 21:24 NCV)  That follower is the one who is telling these things 
       and who has now written them down. We know that what he says is true.

       (John 21:25 NCV)  There are many other things Jesus did. If every one 
       of them were written down, I suppose the whole world would not be big 
       enough for all the books that would be written.

       (Acts 1:1 NCV)  To Theophilus. The first book I wrote was about 
       everything Jesus began to do and teach

       (Acts 1:2 NCV)  until the day he was taken up into heaven. Before 
       this, with the help of the Holy Spirit, Jesus told the apostles he had 
       chosen what they should do.

       (Acts 1:3 NCV)  After his death, he showed himself to them and proved 
       in many ways that he was alive. The apostles saw Jesus during the 
       forty days after he was raised from the dead, and he spoke to them 
       about the kingdom of God.

       (Acts 1:4 NCV)  Once when he was eating with them, he told them not to 
       leave Jerusalem. He said, "Wait here to receive the promise from the 
       Father which I told you about.

       (Acts 1:5 NCV)  John baptized people with water, but in a few days you 
       will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

       (Acts 1:6 NCV)  When the apostles were all together, they asked Jesus, 
       "Lord, are you now going to give the kingdom back to Israel?"

       (Acts 1:7 NCV)  Jesus said to them, "The Father is the only One who 
       has the authority to decide dates and times. These things are not for 
       you to know.

       (Acts 1:8 NCV)  But when the Holy Spirit comes to you, you will 
       receive power. You will be my witnesses--in Jerusalem, in all of 
       Judea, in Samaria, and in every part of the world."

       (Acts 1:9 NCV)  After he said this, as they were watching, he was 
       lifted up, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

       (Acts 1:10 NCV)  As he was going, they were looking into the sky. 
       Suddenly, two men wearing white clothes stood beside them.

       (Acts 1:11 NCV)  They said, "Men of Galilee, why are you standing here 
       looking into the sky? Jesus, whom you saw taken up from you into 
       heaven, will come back in the same way you saw him go."

       (Acts 1:12 NCV)  Then they went back to Jerusalem from the Mount of 
       Olives. (This mountain is about half a mile from Jerusalem.)






       (Acts 1:13 NCV)  When they entered the city, they went to the upstairs 
       room where they were staying. Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, 
       Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon (known as 
       the Zealot), and Judas son of James were there.

       (Acts 1:14 NCV)  They all continued praying together with some women, 
       including Mary the mother of Jesus, and Jesus' brothers.

       (Acts 1:15 NCV)  During this time there was a meeting of the believers 
       (about one hundred twenty of them.) Peter stood up and said,

       (Acts 1:16 NCV)  "Brothers and sisters, in the Scriptures the Holy 
       Spirit said through David something that must happen involving Judas. 
       He was one of our own group and served together with us. He led those 
       who arrested Jesus."

       (Acts 1:17 NCV)  

       (Acts 1:18 NCV)  (Judas bought a field with the money he got for his 
       evil act. But he fell to his death, his body burst open, and all his 
       intestines poured out.

       (Acts 1:19 NCV)  Everyone in Jerusalem learned about this so they 
       named this place Akeldama. In their language Akeldama means "Field of 
       Blood.")

       (Acts 1:20 NCV)  "In the Book of Psalms," Peter said, "this is 
       written: 'May his place be empty; leave no one to live in it.' And it 
       is also written: 'Let another man replace him as leader.'

       (Acts 1:21 NCV)  "So now a man must become a witness with us of Jesus' 
       being raised from the dead. He must be one of the men who were part of 
       our group during all the time the Lord Jesus was among us--from the 
       time John was baptizing people until the day Jesus was taken up from 
       us to heaven."

       (Acts 1:22 NCV)  

       (Acts 1:23 NCV)  They put the names of two men before the group. One 
       was Joseph Barsabbas, who was also called Justus. The other was 
       Matthias.

       (Acts 1:24 NCV)  The apostles prayed, "Lord, you know the thoughts of 
       everyone. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to do this 
       work. Show us who should be an apostle in place of Judas, who turned 
       away and went where he belongs."

       (Acts 1:25 NCV)  

       (Acts 1:26 NCV)  Then they used lots to choose between them, and the 
       lots showed that Matthias was the one. So he became an apostle with 
       the other eleven.

       (Acts 2:1 NCV)  When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together 
       in one place.






       (Acts 2:2 NCV)  Suddenly a noise like a strong, blowing wind came from 
       heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.

       (Acts 2:3 NCV)  They saw something like flames of fire that were 
       separated and stood over each person there.

       (Acts 2:4 NCV)  They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they 
       began to speak different languages by the power the Holy Spirit was 
       giving them.

       (Acts 2:5 NCV)  There were some religious Jews staying in Jerusalem 
       who were from every country in the world.

       (Acts 2:6 NCV)  When they heard this noise, a crowd came together. 
       They were all surprised, because each one heard them speaking in his 
       own language.

       (Acts 2:7 NCV)  They were completely amazed at this. They said, "Look! 
       Aren't all these people that we hear speaking from Galilee?

       (Acts 2:8 NCV)  Then how is it possible that we each hear them in our 
       own languages? We are from different places:

       (Acts 2:9 NCV)  Parthia, Media, Elam, Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, 
       Pontus, Asia,

       (Acts 2:10 NCV)  Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the areas of Libya near 
       Cyrene, Rome

       (Acts 2:11 NCV)  (both Jews and those who had become Jews), Crete, and 
       Arabia. But we hear them telling in our own languages about the great 
       things God has done!"

       (Acts 2:12 NCV)  They were all amazed and confused, asking each other, 
       "What does this mean?"

       (Acts 2:13 NCV)  But others were making fun of them, saying, "They 
       have had too much wine."

       (Acts 2:14 NCV)  But Peter stood up with the eleven apostles, and in a 
       loud voice he spoke to the crowd: "My fellow Jews, and all of you who 
       are in Jerusalem, listen to me. Pay attention to what I have to say.

       (Acts 2:15 NCV)  These people are not drunk, as you think; it is only 
       nine o'clock in the morning!

       (Acts 2:16 NCV)  But Joel the prophet wrote about what is happening 
       here today:

       (Acts 2:17 NCV)  'God says: In the last days I will pour out my Spirit 
       on all kinds of people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your 
       young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.

       (Acts 2:18 NCV)  At that time I will pour out my Spirit also on my 
       male slaves and female slaves, and they will prophesy.






       (Acts 2:19 NCV)  I will show miracles in the sky and on the earth: 
       blood, fire, and thick smoke.

       (Acts 2:20 NCV)  The sun will become dark, the moon red as blood, 
       before the overwhelming and glorious day of the Lord will come.

       (Acts 2:21 NCV)  Then anyone who calls on the Lord will be saved.'

       (Acts 2:22 NCV)  "People of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus from 
       Nazareth was a very special man. God clearly showed this to you by the 
       miracles, wonders, and signs he did through Jesus. You all know this, 
       because it happened right here among you.

       (Acts 2:23 NCV)  Jesus was given to you, and with the help of those 
       who don't know the law, you put him to death by nailing him to a 
       cross. But this was God's plan which he had made long ago; he knew all 
       this would happen.

       (Acts 2:24 NCV)  God raised Jesus from the dead and set him free from 
       the pain of death, because death could not hold him.

       (Acts 2:25 NCV)  For David said this about him: 'I keep the Lord 
       before me always. Because he is close by my side, I will not be hurt.

       (Acts 2:26 NCV)  So I am glad, and I rejoice. Even my body has hope,

       (Acts 2:27 NCV)  because you will not leave me in the grave. You will 
       not let your Holy One rot.

       (Acts 2:28 NCV)  You will teach me how to live a holy life. Being with 
       you will fill me with joy.'

       (Acts 2:29 NCV)  "Brothers and sisters, I can tell you truly that 
       David, our ancestor, died and was buried. His grave is still here with 
       us today.

       (Acts 2:30 NCV)  He was a prophet and knew God had promised him that 
       he would make a person from David's family a king just as he was.

       (Acts 2:31 NCV)  Knowing this before it happened, David talked about 
       the Christ rising from the dead. He said: 'He was not left in the 
       grave. His body did not rot.'

       (Acts 2:32 NCV)  So Jesus is the One whom God raised from the dead. 
       And we are all witnesses to this.

       (Acts 2:33 NCV)  Jesus was lifted up to heaven and is now at God's 
       right side. The Father has given the Holy Spirit to Jesus as he 
       promised. So Jesus has poured out that Spirit, and this is what you 
       now see and hear.

       (Acts 2:34 NCV)  David was not the one who was lifted up to heaven, 
       but he said: 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit by me at my right side,

       (Acts 2:35 NCV)  until I put your enemies under your control."'






       (Acts 2:36 NCV)  "So, all the people of Israel should know this truly: 
       God has made Jesus--the man you nailed to the cross--both Lord and 
       Christ."

       (Acts 2:37 NCV)  When the people heard this, they felt guilty and 
       asked Peter and the other apostles, "What shall we do?"

       (Acts 2:38 NCV)  Peter said to them, "Change your hearts and lives and 
       be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the 
       forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy 
       Spirit.

       (Acts 2:39 NCV)  This promise is for you, for your children, and for 
       all who are far away. It is for everyone the Lord our God calls to 
       himself."

       (Acts 2:40 NCV)  Peter warned them with many other words. He begged 
       them, "Save yourselves from the evil of today's people!"

       (Acts 2:41 NCV)  Then those people who accepted what Peter said were 
       baptized. About three thousand people were added to the number of 
       believers that day.

       (Acts 2:42 NCV)  They spent their time learning the apostles' 
       teaching, sharing, breaking bread, and praying together.

       (Acts 2:43 NCV)  The apostles were doing many miracles and signs, and 
       everyone felt great respect for God.

       (Acts 2:44 NCV)  All the believers were together and shared 
       everything.

       (Acts 2:45 NCV)  They would sell their land and the things they owned 
       and then divide the money and give it to anyone who needed it.

       (Acts 2:46 NCV)  The believers met together in the Temple every day. 
       They ate together in their homes, happy to share their food with 
       joyful hearts.

       (Acts 2:47 NCV)  They praised God and were liked by all the people. 
       Every day the Lord added those who were being saved to the group of 
       believers.

       (Acts 3:1 NCV)  One day Peter and John went to the Temple at three 
       o'clock, the time set each day for the afternoon prayer service.

       (Acts 3:2 NCV)  There, at the Temple gate called Beautiful Gate, was a 
       man who had been crippled all his life. Every day he was carried to 
       this gate to beg for money from the people going into the Temple.

       (Acts 3:3 NCV)  The man saw Peter and John going into the Temple and 
       asked them for money.

       (Acts 3:4 NCV)  Peter and John looked straight at him and said, "Look 
       at us!"






       (Acts 3:5 NCV)  The man looked at them, thinking they were going to 
       give him some money.

       (Acts 3:6 NCV)  But Peter said, "I don't have any silver or gold, but 
       I do have something else I can give you. By the power of Jesus Christ 
       from Nazareth, stand up and walk!"

       (Acts 3:7 NCV)  Then Peter took the man's right hand and lifted him 
       up. Immediately the man's feet and ankles became strong.

       (Acts 3:8 NCV)  He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk. He 
       went into the Temple with them, walking and jumping and praising God.

       (Acts 3:9 NCV)  All the people recognized him as the crippled man who 
       always sat by the Beautiful Gate begging for money. Now they saw this 
       same man walking and praising God, and they were amazed. They wondered 
       how this could happen.

       (Acts 3:10 NCV)  

       (Acts 3:11 NCV)  While the man was holding on to Peter and John, all 
       the people were amazed and ran to them at Solomon's Porch.

       (Acts 3:12 NCV)  When Peter saw this, he said to them, "People of 
       Israel, why are you surprised? You are looking at us as if it were our 
       own power or goodness that made this man walk.

       (Acts 3:13 NCV)  The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our 
       ancestors, gave glory to Jesus, his servant. But you handed him over 
       to be killed. Pilate decided to let him go free, but you told Pilate 
       you did not want Jesus.

       (Acts 3:14 NCV)  You did not want the One who is holy and good but 
       asked Pilate to give you a murderer instead.

       (Acts 3:15 NCV)  And so you killed the One who gives life, but God 
       raised him from the dead. We are witnesses to this.

       (Acts 3:16 NCV)  It was faith in Jesus that made this crippled man 
       well. You can see this man, and you know him. He was made completely 
       well because of trust in Jesus, and you all saw it happen!

       (Acts 3:17 NCV)  "Brothers and sisters, I know you did those things to 
       Jesus because neither you nor your leaders understood what you were 
       doing.

       (Acts 3:18 NCV)  God said through the prophets that his Christ would 
       suffer and die. And now God has made these things come true in this 
       way.

       (Acts 3:19 NCV)  So you must change your hearts and lives! Come back 
       to God, and he will forgive your sins. Then the Lord will send the 
       time of rest.

       (Acts 3:20 NCV)  And he will send Jesus, the One he chose to be the 





       Christ.

       (Acts 3:21 NCV)  But Jesus must stay in heaven until the time comes 
       when all things will be made right again. God told about this time 
       long ago when he spoke through his holy prophets.

       (Acts 3:22 NCV)  Moses said, 'The Lord your God will give you a 
       prophet like me, who is one of your own people. You must listen to 
       everything he tells you.

       (Acts 3:23 NCV)  Anyone who does not listen to that prophet will die, 
       cut off from God's people.'

       (Acts 3:24 NCV)  Samuel, and all the other prophets who spoke for God 
       after Samuel, told about this time now.

       (Acts 3:25 NCV)  You are descendants of the prophets. You have 
       received the agreement God made with your ancestors. He said to your 
       father Abraham, 'Through your descendants all the nations on the earth 
       will be blessed.'

       (Acts 3:26 NCV)  God has raised up his servant Jesus and sent him to 
       you first to bless you by turning each of you away from doing evil."

       (Acts 4:1 NCV)  While Peter and John were speaking to the people, 
       Jewish priests, the captain of the soldiers that guarded the Temple, 
       and Sadducees came up to them.

       (Acts 4:2 NCV)  They were upset because the two apostles were teaching 
       the people and were preaching that people will rise from the dead 
       through the power of Jesus.

       (Acts 4:3 NCV)  The Jewish leaders grabbed Peter and John and put them 
       in jail. Since it was already night, they kept them in jail until the 
       next day.

       (Acts 4:4 NCV)  But many of those who had heard Peter and John preach 
       believed the things they said. There were now about five thousand in 
       the group of believers.

       (Acts 4:5 NCV)  The next day the Jewish rulers, the older Jewish 
       leaders, and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem.

       (Acts 4:6 NCV)  Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander 
       were there, as well as everyone from the high priest's family.

       (Acts 4:7 NCV)  They made Peter and John stand before them and then 
       asked them, "By what power or authority did you do this?"

       (Acts 4:8 NCV)  Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, 
       "Rulers of the people and you older leaders,

       (Acts 4:9 NCV)  are you questioning us about a good thing that was 
       done to a crippled man? Are you asking us who made him well?

       (Acts 4:10 NCV)  We want all of you and all the Jewish people to know 





       that this man was made well by the power of Jesus Christ from 
       Nazareth. You crucified him, but God raised him from the dead. This 
       man was crippled, but he is now well and able to stand here before you 
       because of the power of Jesus.

       (Acts 4:11 NCV)  Jesus is 'the stone that you builders rejected, which 
       has become the cornerstone.'

       (Acts 4:12 NCV)  Jesus is the only One who can save people. His name 
       is the only power in the world that has been given to save people. We 
       must be saved through him."

       (Acts 4:13 NCV)  The Jewish leaders saw that Peter and John were not 
       afraid to speak, and they understood that these men had no special 
       training or education. So they were amazed. Then they realized that 
       Peter and John had been with Jesus.

       (Acts 4:14 NCV)  Because they saw the healed man standing there beside 
       the two apostles, they could say nothing against them.

       (Acts 4:15 NCV)  After the Jewish leaders ordered them to leave the 
       meeting, they began to talk to each other.

       (Acts 4:16 NCV)  They said, "What shall we do with these men? Everyone 
       in Jerusalem knows they have done a great miracle, and we cannot say 
       it is not true.

       (Acts 4:17 NCV)  But to keep it from spreading among the people, we 
       must warn them not to talk to people anymore using that name."

       (Acts 4:18 NCV)  So they called Peter and John in again and told them 
       not to speak or to teach at all in the name of Jesus.

       (Acts 4:19 NCV)  But Peter and John answered them, "You decide what 
       God would want. Should we obey you or God?

       (Acts 4:20 NCV)  We cannot keep quiet. We must speak about what we 
       have seen and heard."

       (Acts 4:21 NCV)  The Jewish leaders warned the apostles again and let 
       them go free. They could not find a way to punish them, because all 
       the people were praising God for what had been done.

       (Acts 4:22 NCV)  The man who received the miracle of healing was more 
       than forty years old.

       (Acts 4:23 NCV)  After Peter and John left the meeting of Jewish 
       leaders, they went to their own group and told them everything the 
       leading priests and the older Jewish leaders had said to them.

       (Acts 4:24 NCV)  When the believers heard this, they prayed to God 
       together, "Lord, you are the One who made the sky, the earth, the sea, 
       and everything in them.

       (Acts 4:25 NCV)  By the Holy Spirit, through our father David your 
       servant, you said: 'Why are the nations so angry? Why are the people 





       making useless plans?

       (Acts 4:26 NCV)  The kings of the earth prepare to fight, and their 
       leaders make plans together against the Lord and his Christ.'

       (Acts 4:27 NCV)  These things really happened when Herod, Pontius 
       Pilate, those who are not Jews, and the Jewish people all came 
       together against Jesus here in Jerusalem. Jesus is your holy servant, 
       the One you made to be the Christ.

       (Acts 4:28 NCV)  These people made your plan happen because of your 
       power and your will.

       (Acts 4:29 NCV)  And now, Lord, listen to their threats. Lord, help 
       us, your servants, to speak your word without fear.

       (Acts 4:30 NCV)  Help us to be brave by showing us your power to heal. 
       Give proofs and make miracles happen by the power of Jesus, your holy 
       servant."

       (Acts 4:31 NCV)  After they had prayed, the place where they were 
       meeting was shaken. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and 
       they spoke God's word without fear.

       (Acts 4:32 NCV)  The group of believers were united in their hearts 
       and spirit. All those in the group acted as though their private 
       property belonged to everyone in the group. In fact, they shared 
       everything.

       (Acts 4:33 NCV)  With great power the apostles were telling people 
       that the Lord Jesus was truly raised from the dead. And God blessed 
       all the believers very much.

       (Acts 4:34 NCV)  No one in the group needed anything. From time to 
       time those who owned fields or houses sold them, brought the money,

       (Acts 4:35 NCV)  and gave it to the apostles. Then the money was given 
       to anyone who needed it.

       (Acts 4:36 NCV)  One of the believers was named Joseph, a Levite born 
       in Cyprus. The apostles called him Barnabas (which means "one who 
       encourages").

       (Acts 4:37 NCV)  Joseph owned a field, sold it, brought the money, and 
       gave it to the apostles.

       (Acts 5:1 NCV)  But a man named Ananias and his wife Sapphira sold 
       some land.

       (Acts 5:2 NCV)  He kept back part of the money for himself; his wife 
       knew about this and agreed to it. But he brought the rest of the money 
       and gave it to the apostles.

       (Acts 5:3 NCV)  Peter said, "Ananias, why did you let Satan rule your 
       thoughts to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep for yourself part of 
       the money you received for the land?






       (Acts 5:4 NCV)  Before you sold the land, it belonged to you. And even 
       after you sold it, you could have used the money any way you wanted. 
       Why did you think of doing this? You lied to God, not to us!"

       (Acts 5:5 NCV)  When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. Some 
       young men came in, wrapped up his body, carried it out, and buried it. 
       And everyone who heard about this was filled with fear.

       (Acts 5:6 NCV)  

       (Acts 5:7 NCV)  About three hours later his wife came in, but she did 
       not know what had happened.

       (Acts 5:8 NCV)  Peter said to her, "Tell me, was the money you got for 
       your field this much?" Sapphira answered, "Yes, that was the price."

       (Acts 5:9 NCV)  Peter said to her, "Why did you and your husband agree 
       to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The men who buried your husband 
       are at the door, and they will carry you out."

       (Acts 5:10 NCV)  At that moment Sapphira fell down by his feet and 
       died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they 
       carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

       (Acts 5:11 NCV)  The whole church and all the others who heard about 
       these things were filled with fear.

       (Acts 5:12 NCV)  The apostles did many signs and miracles among the 
       people. And they would all meet together on Solomon's Porch.

       (Acts 5:13 NCV)  None of the others dared to join them, but all the 
       people respected them.

       (Acts 5:14 NCV)  More and more men and women believed in the Lord and 
       were added to the group of believers.

       (Acts 5:15 NCV)  The people placed their sick on beds and mats in the 
       streets, hoping that when Peter passed by at least his shadow might 
       fall on them.

       (Acts 5:16 NCV)  Crowds came from all the towns around Jerusalem, 
       bringing their sick and those who were bothered by evil spirits, and 
       all of them were healed.

       (Acts 5:17 NCV)  The high priest and all his friends (a group called 
       the Sadducees) became very jealous.

       (Acts 5:18 NCV)  They took the apostles and put them in jail.

       (Acts 5:19 NCV)  But during the night, an angel of the Lord opened the 
       doors of the jail and led the apostles outside. The angel said,

       (Acts 5:20 NCV)  "Go stand in the Temple and tell the people 
       everything about this new life."





       (Acts 5:21 NCV)  When the apostles heard this, they obeyed and went 
       into the Temple early in the morning and continued teaching. When the 
       high priest and his friends arrived, they called a meeting of the 
       Jewish leaders and all the important older Jewish men. They sent some 
       men to the jail to bring the apostles to them.

       (Acts 5:22 NCV)  But, upon arriving, the officers could not find the 
       apostles. So they went back and reported to the Jewish leaders.

       (Acts 5:23 NCV)  They said, "The jail was closed and locked, and the 
       guards were standing at the doors. But when we opened the doors, the 
       jail was empty!"

       (Acts 5:24 NCV)  Hearing this, the captain of the Temple guards and 
       the leading priests were confused and wondered what was happening.

       (Acts 5:25 NCV)  Then someone came and told them, "Listen! The men you 
       put in jail are standing in the Temple teaching the people."

       (Acts 5:26 NCV)  Then the captain and his men went out and brought the 
       apostles back. But the soldiers did not use force, because they were 
       afraid the people would stone them to death.

       (Acts 5:27 NCV)  The soldiers brought the apostles to the meeting and 
       made them stand before the Jewish leaders. The high priest questioned 
       them,

       (Acts 5:28 NCV)  saying, "We gave you strict orders not to continue 
       teaching in that name. But look, you have filled Jerusalem with your 
       teaching and are trying to make us responsible for this man's death."

       (Acts 5:29 NCV)  Peter and the other apostles answered, "We must obey 
       God, not human authority!

       (Acts 5:30 NCV)  You killed Jesus by hanging him on a cross. But God, 
       the God of our ancestors, raised Jesus up from the dead!

       (Acts 5:31 NCV)  Jesus is the One whom God raised to be on his right 
       side, as Leader and Savior. Through him, all Jewish people could 
       change their hearts and lives and have their sins forgiven.

       (Acts 5:32 NCV)  We saw all these things happen. The Holy Spirit, whom 
       God has given to all who obey him, also proves these things are true."

       (Acts 5:33 NCV)  When the Jewish leaders heard this, they became angry 
       and wanted to kill them.

       (Acts 5:34 NCV)  But a Pharisee named Gamaliel stood up in the 
       meeting. He was a teacher of the law, and all the people respected 
       him. He ordered the apostles to leave the meeting for a little while.

       (Acts 5:35 NCV)  Then he said, "People of Israel, be careful what you 
       are planning to do to these men.

       (Acts 5:36 NCV)  Remember when Theudas appeared? He said he was a 
       great man, and about four hundred men joined him. But he was killed, 





       and all his followers were scattered; they were able to do nothing.

       (Acts 5:37 NCV)  Later, a man named Judas came from Galilee at the 
       time of the registration. He also led a group of followers and was 
       killed, and all his followers were scattered.

       (Acts 5:38 NCV)  And so now I tell you: Stay away from these men, and 
       leave them alone. If their plan comes from human authority, it will 
       fail.

       (Acts 5:39 NCV)  But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop 
       them. You might even be fighting against God himself!" The Jewish 
       leaders agreed with what Gamaliel said.

       (Acts 5:40 NCV)  They called the apostles in, beat them, and told them 
       not to speak in the name of Jesus again. Then they let them go free.

       (Acts 5:41 NCV)  The apostles left the meeting full of joy because 
       they were given the honor of suffering disgrace for Jesus.

       (Acts 5:42 NCV)  Every day in the Temple and in people's homes they 
       continued teaching the people and telling the Good News--that Jesus is 
       the Christ.

       (Acts 6:1 NCV)  The number of followers was growing. But during this 
       same time, the Greek-speaking followers had an argument with the other 
       Jewish followers. The Greek-speaking widows were not getting their 
       share of the food that was given out every day.

       (Acts 6:2 NCV)  The twelve apostles called the whole group of 
       followers together and said, "It is not right for us to stop our work 
       of teaching God's word in order to serve tables.

       (Acts 6:3 NCV)  So, brothers and sisters, choose seven of your own men 
       who are good, full of the Spirit and full of wisdom. We will put them 
       in charge of this work.

       (Acts 6:4 NCV)  Then we can continue to pray and to teach the word of 
       God."

       (Acts 6:5 NCV)  The whole group liked the idea, so they chose these 
       seven men: Stephen (a man with great faith and full of the Holy 
       Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas (a 
       man from Antioch who had become a Jew).

       (Acts 6:6 NCV)  Then they put these men before the apostles, who 
       prayed and laid their hands on them.

       (Acts 6:7 NCV)  The word of God was continuing to spread. The group of 
       followers in Jerusalem increased, and a great number of the Jewish 
       priests believed and obeyed.

       (Acts 6:8 NCV)  Stephen was richly blessed by God who gave him the 
       power to do great miracles and signs among the people.

       (Acts 6:9 NCV)  But some Jewish people were against him. They belonged 





       to the synagogue of Free Men (as it was called), which included Jewish 
       people from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and Asia. They all came and 
       argued with Stephen.

       (Acts 6:10 NCV)  But the Spirit was helping him to speak with wisdom, 
       and his words were so strong that they could not argue with him.

       (Acts 6:11 NCV)  So they secretly urged some men to say, "We heard 
       Stephen speak against Moses and against God."

       (Acts 6:12 NCV)  This upset the people, the older Jewish leaders, and 
       the teachers of the law. They came and grabbed Stephen and brought him 
       to a meeting of the Jewish leaders.

       (Acts 6:13 NCV)  They brought in some people to tell lies about 
       Stephen, saying, "This man is always speaking against this holy place 
       and the law of Moses.

       (Acts 6:14 NCV)  We heard him say that Jesus from Nazareth will 
       destroy this place and that Jesus will change the customs Moses gave 
       us."

       (Acts 6:15 NCV)  All the people in the meeting were watching Stephen 
       closely and saw that his face looked like the face of an angel.

       (Acts 7:1 NCV)  The high priest said to Stephen, "Are these things 
       true?"

       (Acts 7:2 NCV)  Stephen answered, "Brothers and fathers, listen to me. 
       Our glorious God appeared to Abraham, our ancestor, in Mesopotamia 
       before he lived in Haran.

       (Acts 7:3 NCV)  God said to Abraham, 'Leave your country and your 
       relatives, and go to the land I will show you.'

       (Acts 7:4 NCV)  So Abraham left the country of Chaldea and went to 
       live in Haran. After Abraham's father died, God sent him to this place 
       where you now live.

       (Acts 7:5 NCV)  God did not give Abraham any of this land, not even a 
       foot of it. But God promised that he would give this land to him and 
       his descendants, even before Abraham had a child.

       (Acts 7:6 NCV)  This is what God said to him: 'Your descendants will 
       be strangers in a land they don't own. The people there will make them 
       slaves and will mistreat them for four hundred years.

       (Acts 7:7 NCV)  But I will punish the nation where they are slaves. 
       Then your descendants will leave that land and will worship me in this 
       place.'

       (Acts 7:8 NCV)  God made an agreement with Abraham, the sign of which 
       was circumcision. And so when Abraham had his son Isaac, Abraham 
       circumcised him when he was eight days old. Isaac also circumcised his 
       son Jacob, and Jacob did the same for his sons, the twelve ancestors 
       of our people.






       (Acts 7:9 NCV)  "Jacob's sons became jealous of Joseph and sold him to 
       be a slave in Egypt. But God was with him

       (Acts 7:10 NCV)  and saved him from all his troubles. The king of 
       Egypt liked Joseph and respected him because of the wisdom God gave 
       him. The king made him governor of Egypt and put him in charge of all 
       the people in his palace.

       (Acts 7:11 NCV)  "Then all the land of Egypt and Canaan became so dry 
       that nothing would grow, and the people suffered very much. Jacob's 
       sons, our ancestors, could not find anything to eat.

       (Acts 7:12 NCV)  But when Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt, he 
       sent his sons there. This was their first trip to Egypt.

       (Acts 7:13 NCV)  When they went there a second time, Joseph told his 
       brothers who he was, and the king learned about Joseph's family.

       (Acts 7:14 NCV)  Then Joseph sent messengers to invite Jacob, his 
       father, to come to Egypt along with all his relatives (seventy-five 
       persons altogether).

       (Acts 7:15 NCV)  So Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and his sons 
       died.

       (Acts 7:16 NCV)  Later their bodies were moved to Shechem and put in a 
       grave there. (It was the same grave Abraham had bought for a sum of 
       money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.)

       (Acts 7:17 NCV)  "The promise God made to Abraham was soon to come 
       true, and the number of people in Egypt grew large.

       (Acts 7:18 NCV)  Then a new king, who did not know who Joseph was, 
       began to rule Egypt.

       (Acts 7:19 NCV)  This king tricked our people and was cruel to our 
       ancestors, forcing them to leave their babies outside to die.

       (Acts 7:20 NCV)  At this time Moses was born, and he was very 
       beautiful. For three months Moses was cared for in his father's house.

       (Acts 7:21 NCV)  When they put Moses outside, the king's daughter 
       adopted him and raised him as if he were her own son.

       (Acts 7:22 NCV)  The Egyptians taught Moses everything they knew, and 
       he was a powerful man in what he said and did.

       (Acts 7:23 NCV)  "When Moses was about forty years old, he thought it 
       would be good to visit his own people, the people of Israel.

       (Acts 7:24 NCV)  Moses saw an Egyptian mistreating an Israelite, so he 
       defended the Israelite and punished the Egyptian by killing him.

       (Acts 7:25 NCV)  Moses thought his own people would understand that 
       God was using him to save them, but they did not.






       (Acts 7:26 NCV)  The next day when Moses saw two men of Israel 
       fighting, he tried to make peace between them. He said, 'Men, you are 
       brothers. Why are you hurting each other?'

       (Acts 7:27 NCV)  The man who was hurting the other pushed Moses away 
       and said, 'Who made you our ruler and judge?

       (Acts 7:28 NCV)  Are you going to kill me as you killed the Egyptian 
       yesterday?'

       (Acts 7:29 NCV)  When Moses heard him say this, he left Egypt and went 
       to live in the land of Midian where he was a stranger. While Moses 
       lived in Midian, he had two sons.

       (Acts 7:30 NCV)  "Forty years later an angel appeared to Moses in the 
       flames of a burning bush as he was in the desert near Mount Sinai.

       (Acts 7:31 NCV)  When Moses saw this, he was amazed and went near to 
       look closer. Moses heard the Lord's voice say,

       (Acts 7:32 NCV)  'I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, 
       Isaac, and Jacob.' Moses began to shake with fear and was afraid to 
       look.

       (Acts 7:33 NCV)  The Lord said to him, 'Take off your sandals, because 
       you are standing on holy ground.

       (Acts 7:34 NCV)  I have seen the troubles my people have suffered in 
       Egypt. I have heard their cries and have come down to save them. And 
       now, Moses, I am sending you back to Egypt.'

       (Acts 7:35 NCV)  "This Moses was the same man the two men of Israel 
       rejected, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and judge?' Moses is the same 
       man God sent to be a ruler and savior, with the help of the angel that 
       Moses saw in the burning bush.

       (Acts 7:36 NCV)  So Moses led the people out of Egypt. He worked 
       miracles and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and then in the desert 
       for forty years.

       (Acts 7:37 NCV)  This is the same Moses that said to the people of 
       Israel, 'God will give you a prophet like me, who is one of your own 
       people.'

       (Acts 7:38 NCV)  This is the Moses who was with the gathering of the 
       Israelites in the desert. He was with the angel that spoke to him at 
       Mount Sinai, and he was with our ancestors. He received commands from 
       God that give life, and he gave those commands to us.

       (Acts 7:39 NCV)  "But our ancestors did not want to obey Moses. They 
       rejected him and wanted to go back to Egypt.

       (Acts 7:40 NCV)  They said to Aaron, 'Make us gods who will lead us. 
       Moses led us out of Egypt, but we don't know what has happened to him'





       (Acts 7:41 NCV)  So the people made an idol that looked like a calf. 
       Then they brought sacrifices to it and were proud of what they had 
       made with their own hands.

       (Acts 7:42 NCV)  But God turned against them and did not try to stop 
       them from worshiping the sun, moon, and stars. This is what is written 
       in the book of the prophets: God says, 'People of Israel, you did not 
       bring me sacrifices and offerings while you traveled in the desert for 
       forty years.

       (Acts 7:43 NCV)  You have carried with you the tent to worship Molech 
       and the idols of the star god Rephan that you made to worship. So I 
       will send you away beyond Babylon.'

       (Acts 7:44 NCV)  "The Holy Tent where God spoke to our ancestors was 
       with them in the desert. God told Moses how to make this Tent, and he 
       made it like the plan God showed him.

       (Acts 7:45 NCV)  Later, Joshua led our ancestors to capture the lands 
       of the other nations. Our people went in, and God forced the other 
       people out. When our people went into this new land, they took with 
       them this same Tent they had received from their ancestors. They kept 
       it until the time of David,

       (Acts 7:46 NCV)  who pleased God and asked God to let him build a 
       house for him, the God of Jacob.

       (Acts 7:47 NCV)  But Solomon was the one who built the Temple.

       (Acts 7:48 NCV)  "But the Most High does not live in houses that 
       people build with their hands. As the prophet says:

       (Acts 7:49 NCV)  'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. 
       So do you think you can build a house for me? says the Lord. Do I need 
       a place to rest?

       (Acts 7:50 NCV)  Remember, my hand made all these things!'"

       (Acts 7:51 NCV)  Stephen continued speaking: "You stubborn people! You 
       have not given your hearts to God, nor will you listen to him! You are 
       always against what the Holy Spirit is trying to tell you, just as 
       your ancestors were.

       (Acts 7:52 NCV)  Your ancestors tried to hurt every prophet who ever 
       lived. Those prophets said long ago that the One who is good would 
       come, but your ancestors killed them. And now you have turned against 
       and killed the One who is good.

       (Acts 7:53 NCV)  You received the law of Moses, which God gave you 
       through his angels, but you haven't obeyed it."

       (Acts 7:54 NCV)  When the leaders heard this, they became furious. 
       They were so mad they were grinding their teeth at Stephen.

       (Acts 7:55 NCV)  But Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit. He looked up 
       to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at God's right 





       side.

       (Acts 7:56 NCV)  He said, "Look! I see heaven open and the Son of Man 
       standing at God's right side."

       (Acts 7:57 NCV)  Then they shouted loudly and covered their ears and 
       all ran at Stephen.

       (Acts 7:58 NCV)  They took him out of the city and began to throw 
       stones at him to kill him. And those who told lies against Stephen 
       left their coats with a young man named Saul.

       (Acts 7:59 NCV)  While they were throwing stones, Stephen prayed, 
       "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."

       (Acts 7:60 NCV)  He fell on his knees and cried in a loud voice, 
       "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." After Stephen said this, he 
       died.

       (Acts 8:1 NCV)  Saul agreed that the killing of Stephen was good. On 
       that day the church of Jerusalem began to be persecuted, and all the 
       believers, except the apostles, were scattered throughout Judea and 
       Samaria.

       (Acts 8:2 NCV)  And some religious people buried Stephen and cried 
       loudly for him.

       (Acts 8:3 NCV)  Saul was also trying to destroy the church, going from 
       house to house, dragging out men and women and putting them in jail.

       (Acts 8:4 NCV)  And wherever they were scattered, they told people the 
       Good News.

       (Acts 8:5 NCV)  Philip went to the city of Samaria and preached about 
       the Christ.

       (Acts 8:6 NCV)  When the people there heard Philip and saw the 
       miracles he was doing, they all listened carefully to what he said.

       (Acts 8:7 NCV)  Many of these people had evil spirits in them, but 
       Philip made the evil spirits leave. The spirits made a loud noise when 
       they came out. Philip also healed many weak and crippled people there.

       (Acts 8:8 NCV)  So the people in that city were very happy.

       (Acts 8:9 NCV)  But there was a man named Simon in that city. Before 
       Philip came there, Simon had practiced magic and amazed all the people 
       of Samaria. He bragged and called himself a great man.

       (Acts 8:10 NCV)  All the people--the least important and the most 
       important--paid attention to Simon, saying, "This man has the power of 
       God, called 'the Great Power'!"

       (Acts 8:11 NCV)  Simon had amazed them with his magic so long that the 
       people became his followers.





       (Acts 8:12 NCV)  But when Philip told them the Good News about the 
       kingdom of God and the power of Jesus Christ, men and women believed 
       Philip and were baptized.

       (Acts 8:13 NCV)  Simon himself believed, and after he was baptized, he 
       stayed very close to Philip. When he saw the miracles and the powerful 
       things Philip did, Simon was amazed.

       (Acts 8:14 NCV)  When the apostles who were still in Jerusalem heard 
       that the people of Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent 
       Peter and John to them.

       (Acts 8:15 NCV)  When Peter and John arrived, they prayed that the 
       Samaritan believers might receive the Holy Spirit.

       (Acts 8:16 NCV)  These people had been baptized in the name of the 
       Lord Jesus, but the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them.

       (Acts 8:17 NCV)  Then, when the two apostles began laying their hands 
       on the people, they received the Holy Spirit.

       (Acts 8:18 NCV)  Simon saw that the Spirit was given to people when 
       the apostles laid their hands on them. So he offered the apostles 
       money,

       (Acts 8:19 NCV)  saying, "Give me also this power so that anyone on 
       whom I lay my hands will receive the Holy Spirit."

       (Acts 8:20 NCV)  Peter said to him, "You and your money should both be 
       destroyed, because you thought you could buy God's gift with money.

       (Acts 8:21 NCV)  You cannot share with us in this work since your 
       heart is not right before God.

       (Acts 8:22 NCV)  Change your heart! Turn away from this evil thing you 
       have done, and pray to the Lord. Maybe he will forgive you for 
       thinking this.

       (Acts 8:23 NCV)  I see that you are full of bitter jealousy and ruled 
       by sin."

       (Acts 8:24 NCV)  Simon answered, "Both of you pray for me to the Lord 
       so the things you have said will not happen to me."

       (Acts 8:25 NCV)  After Peter and John told the people what they had 
       seen Jesus do and after they had spoken the message of the Lord, they 
       went back to Jerusalem. On the way, they went through many Samaritan 
       towns and preached the Good News to the people.

       (Acts 8:26 NCV)  An angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Get ready and 
       go south to the road that leads down to Gaza from Jerusalem--the 
       desert road."

       (Acts 8:27 NCV)  So Philip got ready and went. On the road he saw a 
       man from Ethiopia, a eunuch. He was an important officer in the 
       service of Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians; he was responsible 





       for taking care of all her money. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship.

       (Acts 8:28 NCV)  Now, as he was on his way home, he was sitting in his 
       chariot reading from the Book of Isaiah, the prophet.

       (Acts 8:29 NCV)  The Spirit said to Philip, "Go to that chariot and 
       stay near it."

       (Acts 8:30 NCV)  So when Philip ran toward the chariot, he heard the 
       man reading from Isaiah the prophet. Philip asked, "Do you understand 
       what you are reading?"

       (Acts 8:31 NCV)  He answered, "How can I understand unless someone 
       explains it to me?" Then he invited Philip to climb in and sit with 
       him.

       (Acts 8:32 NCV)  The portion of Scripture he was reading was this: "He 
       was like a sheep being led to be killed. He was quiet, as a lamb is 
       quiet while its wool is being cut; he never opened his mouth.

       (Acts 8:33 NCV)  He was shamed and was treated unfairly. He died 
       without children to continue his family. His life on earth has ended."

       (Acts 8:34 NCV)  The officer said to Philip, "Please tell me, who is 
       the prophet talking about--himself or someone else?"

       (Acts 8:35 NCV)  Philip began to speak, and starting with this same 
       Scripture, he told the man the Good News about Jesus.

       (Acts 8:36 NCV)  While they were traveling down the road, they came to 
       some water. The officer said, "Look, here is water. What is stopping 
       me from being baptized?"

       (Acts 8:37 NCV)  

       (Acts 8:38 NCV)  Then the officer commanded the chariot to stop. Both 
       Philip and the officer went down into the water, and Philip baptized 
       him.

       (Acts 8:39 NCV)  When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the 
       Lord took Philip away; the officer never saw him again. And the 
       officer continued on his way home, full of joy.

       (Acts 8:40 NCV)  But Philip appeared in a city called Azotus and 
       preached the Good News in all the towns on the way from Azotus to 
       Caesarea.

       (Acts 9:1 NCV)  In Jerusalem Saul was still threatening the followers 
       of the Lord by saying he would kill them. So he went to the high 
       priest

       (Acts 9:2 NCV)  and asked him to write letters to the synagogues in 
       the city of Damascus. Then if Saul found any followers of Christ's 
       Way, men or women, he would arrest them and bring them back to 
       Jerusalem.





       (Acts 9:3 NCV)  So Saul headed toward Damascus. As he came near the 
       city, a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around him.

       (Acts 9:4 NCV)  Saul fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to 
       him, "Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting me?"

       (Acts 9:5 NCV)  Saul said, "Who are you, Lord?" The voice answered, "I 
       am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

       (Acts 9:6 NCV)  Get up now and go into the city. Someone there will 
       tell you what you must do."

       (Acts 9:7 NCV)  The people traveling with Saul stood there but said 
       nothing. They heard the voice, but they saw no one.

       (Acts 9:8 NCV)  Saul got up from the ground and opened his eyes, but 
       he could not see. So those with Saul took his hand and led him into 
       Damascus.

       (Acts 9:9 NCV)  For three days Saul could not see and did not eat or 
       drink.

       (Acts 9:10 NCV)  There was a follower of Jesus in Damascus named 
       Ananias. The Lord spoke to Ananias in a vision, "Ananias!" Ananias 
       answered, "Here I am, Lord."

       (Acts 9:11 NCV)  The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to Straight 
       Street. Find the house of Judas, and ask for a man named Saul from the 
       city of Tarsus. He is there now, praying.

       (Acts 9:12 NCV)  Saul has seen a vision in which a man named Ananias 
       comes to him and lays his hands on him. Then he is able to see again."

       (Acts 9:13 NCV)  But Ananias answered, "Lord, many people have told me 
       about this man and the terrible things he did to your holy people in 
       Jerusalem.

       (Acts 9:14 NCV)  Now he has come here to Damascus, and the leading 
       priests have given him the power to arrest everyone who worships you."

       (Acts 9:15 NCV)  But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! I have chosen Saul 
       for an important work. He must tell about me to those who are not 
       Jews, to kings, and to the people of Israel.

       (Acts 9:16 NCV)  I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."

       (Acts 9:17 NCV)  So Ananias went to the house of Judas. He laid his 
       hands on Saul and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus sent me. He is 
       the one you saw on the road on your way here. He sent me so that you 
       can see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit."

       (Acts 9:18 NCV)  Immediately, something that looked like fish scales 
       fell from Saul's eyes, and he was able to see again! Then Saul got up 
       and was baptized.

       (Acts 9:19 NCV)  After he ate some food, his strength returned. Saul 





       stayed with the followers of Jesus in Damascus for a few days.

       (Acts 9:20 NCV)  Soon he began to preach about Jesus in the 
       synagogues, saying, "Jesus is the Son of God."

       (Acts 9:21 NCV)  All the people who heard him were amazed. They said, 
       "This is the man who was in Jerusalem trying to destroy those who 
       trust in this name! He came here to arrest the followers of Jesus and 
       take them back to the leading priests."

       (Acts 9:22 NCV)  But Saul grew more powerful. His proofs that Jesus is 
       the Christ were so strong that the Jewish people in Damascus could not 
       argue with him.

       (Acts 9:23 NCV)  After many days, some Jewish people made plans to 
       kill Saul.

       (Acts 9:24 NCV)  They were watching the city gates day and night, but 
       Saul learned about their plan.

       (Acts 9:25 NCV)  One night some followers of Saul helped him leave the 
       city by lowering him in a basket through an opening in the city wall.

       (Acts 9:26 NCV)  When Saul went to Jerusalem, he tried to join the 
       group of followers, but they were all afraid of him. They did not 
       believe he was really a follower.

       (Acts 9:27 NCV)  But Barnabas accepted Saul and took him to the 
       apostles. Barnabas explained to them that Saul had seen the Lord on 
       the road and the Lord had spoken to Saul. Then he told them how boldly 
       Saul had preached in the name of Jesus in Damascus.

       (Acts 9:28 NCV)  And so Saul stayed with the followers, going 
       everywhere in Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord.

       (Acts 9:29 NCV)  He would often talk and argue with the Jewish people 
       who spoke Greek, but they were trying to kill him.

       (Acts 9:30 NCV)  When the followers learned about this, they took Saul 
       to Caesarea and from there sent him to Tarsus.

       (Acts 9:31 NCV)  The church everywhere in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria 
       had a time of peace and became stronger. Respecting the Lord by the 
       way they lived, and being encouraged by the Holy Spirit, the group of 
       believers continued to grow.

       (Acts 9:32 NCV)  As Peter was traveling through all the area, he 
       visited God's people who lived in Lydda.

       (Acts 9:33 NCV)  There he met a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed 
       and had not been able to leave his bed for the past eight years.

       (Acts 9:34 NCV)  Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. 
       Stand up and make your bed." Aeneas stood up immediately.

       (Acts 9:35 NCV)  All the people living in Lydda and on the Plain of 





       Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

       (Acts 9:36 NCV)  In the city of Joppa there was a follower named 
       Tabitha (whose Greek name was Dorcas). She was always doing good deeds 
       and kind acts.

       (Acts 9:37 NCV)  While Peter was in Lydda, Tabitha became sick and 
       died. Her body was washed and put in a room upstairs.

       (Acts 9:38 NCV)  Since Lydda is near Joppa and the followers in Joppa 
       heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two messengers to Peter. They 
       begged him, "Hurry, please come to us!"

       (Acts 9:39 NCV)  So Peter got ready and went with them. When he 
       arrived, they took him to the upstairs room where all the widows stood 
       around Peter, crying. They showed him the shirts and coats Tabitha had 
       made when she was still alive.

       (Acts 9:40 NCV)  Peter sent everyone out of the room and kneeled and 
       prayed. Then he turned to the body and said, "Tabitha, stand up." She 
       opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.

       (Acts 9:41 NCV)  He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then he 
       called the saints and the widows into the room and showed them that 
       Tabitha was alive.

       (Acts 9:42 NCV)  People everywhere in Joppa learned about this, and 
       many believed in the Lord.

       (Acts 9:43 NCV)  Peter stayed in Joppa for many days with a man named 
       Simon who was a tanner.

       (Acts 10:1 NCV)  At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, an 
       officer in the Italian group of the Roman army.

       (Acts 10:2 NCV)  Cornelius was a religious man. He and all the other 
       people who lived in his house worshiped the true God. He gave much of 
       his money to the poor and prayed to God often.

       (Acts 10:3 NCV)  One afternoon about three o'clock, Cornelius clearly 
       saw a vision. An angel of God came to him and said, "Cornelius!"

       (Acts 10:4 NCV)  Cornelius stared at the angel. He became afraid and 
       said, "What do you want, Lord?" The angel said, "God has heard your 
       prayers. He has seen that you give to the poor, and he remembers you.

       (Acts 10:5 NCV)  Send some men now to Joppa to bring back a man named 
       Simon who is also called Peter.

       (Acts 10:6 NCV)  He is staying with a man, also named Simon, who is a 
       tanner and has a house beside the sea."

       (Acts 10:7 NCV)  When the angel who spoke to Cornelius left, Cornelius 
       called two of his servants and a soldier, a religious man who worked 
       for him.





       (Acts 10:8 NCV)  Cornelius explained everything to them and sent them 
       to Joppa.

       (Acts 10:9 NCV)  About noon the next day as they came near Joppa, 
       Peter was going up to the roof to pray.

       (Acts 10:10 NCV)  He was hungry and wanted to eat, but while the food 
       was being prepared, he had a vision.

       (Acts 10:11 NCV)  He saw heaven opened and something coming down that 
       looked like a big sheet being lowered to earth by its four corners.

       (Acts 10:12 NCV)  In it were all kinds of animals, reptiles, and 
       birds.

       (Acts 10:13 NCV)  Then a voice said to Peter, "Get up, Peter; kill and 
       eat."

       (Acts 10:14 NCV)  But Peter said, "No, Lord! I have never eaten food 
       that is unholy or unclean."

       (Acts 10:15 NCV)  But the voice said to him again, "God has made these 
       things clean so don't call them 'unholy'!"

       (Acts 10:16 NCV)  This happened three times, and at once the sheet was 
       taken back to heaven.

       (Acts 10:17 NCV)  While Peter was wondering what this vision meant, 
       the men Cornelius sent had found Simon's house and were standing at 
       the gate.

       (Acts 10:18 NCV)  They asked, "Is Simon Peter staying here?"

       (Acts 10:19 NCV)  While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the 
       Spirit said to him, "Listen, three men are looking for you.

       (Acts 10:20 NCV)  Get up and go downstairs. Go with them without 
       doubting, because I have sent them to you."

       (Acts 10:21 NCV)  So Peter went down to the men and said, "I am the 
       one you are looking for. Why did you come here?"

       (Acts 10:22 NCV)  They said, "A holy angel spoke to Cornelius, an army 
       officer and a good man; he worships God. All the Jewish people respect 
       him. The angel told Cornelius to ask you to come to his house so that 
       he can hear what you have to say."

       (Acts 10:23 NCV)  So Peter asked the men to come in and spend the 
       night. The next day Peter got ready and went with them, and some of 
       the followers from Joppa joined him.

       (Acts 10:24 NCV)  On the following day they came to Caesarea. 
       Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives 
       and close friends.

       (Acts 10:25 NCV)  When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, fell at his 





       feet, and worshiped him.

       (Acts 10:26 NCV)  But Peter helped him up, saying, "Stand up. I too am 
       only a human."

       (Acts 10:27 NCV)  As he talked with Cornelius, Peter went inside where 
       he saw many people gathered.

       (Acts 10:28 NCV)  He said, "You people understand that it is against 
       our Jewish law for Jewish people to associate with or visit anyone who 
       is not Jewish. But God has shown me that I should not call any person 
       'unholy' or 'unclean.'

       (Acts 10:29 NCV)  That is why I did not argue when I was asked to come 
       here. Now, please tell me why you sent for me."

       (Acts 10:30 NCV)  Cornelius said, "Four days ago, I was praying in my 
       house at this same time--three o'clock in the afternoon. Suddenly, 
       there was a man standing before me wearing shining clothes.

       (Acts 10:31 NCV)  He said, 'Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and 
       has seen that you give to the poor and remembers you.

       (Acts 10:32 NCV)  So send some men to Joppa and ask Simon Peter to 
       come. Peter is staying in the house of a man, also named Simon, who is 
       a tanner and has a house beside the sea.'

       (Acts 10:33 NCV)  So I sent for you immediately, and it was very good 
       of you to come. Now we are all here before God to hear everything the 
       Lord has commanded you to tell us."

       (Acts 10:34 NCV)  Peter began to speak: "I really understand now that 
       to God every person is the same.

       (Acts 10:35 NCV)  In every country God accepts anyone who worships him 
       and does what is right.

       (Acts 10:36 NCV)  You know the message that God has sent to the people 
       of Israel is the Good News that peace has come through Jesus Christ. 
       Jesus is the Lord of all people!

       (Acts 10:37 NCV)  You know what has happened all over Judea, beginning 
       in Galilee after John preached to the people about baptism.

       (Acts 10:38 NCV)  You know about Jesus from Nazareth, that God gave 
       him the Holy Spirit and power. You know how Jesus went everywhere 
       doing good and healing those who were ruled by the devil, because God 
       was with him.

       (Acts 10:39 NCV)  We saw what Jesus did in Judea and in Jerusalem, but 
       the Jews in Jerusalem killed him by hanging him on a cross.

       (Acts 10:40 NCV)  Yet, on the third day, God raised Jesus to life and 
       caused him to be seen,

       (Acts 10:41 NCV)  not by all the people, but only by the witnesses God 





       had already chosen. And we are those witnesses who ate and drank with 
       him after he was raised from the dead.

       (Acts 10:42 NCV)  He told us to preach to the people and to tell them 
       that he is the one whom God chose to be the judge of the living and 
       the dead.

       (Acts 10:43 NCV)  All the prophets say it is true that all who believe 
       in Jesus will be forgiven of their sins through Jesus' name."

       (Acts 10:44 NCV)  While Peter was still saying this, the Holy Spirit 
       came down on all those who were listening.

       (Acts 10:45 NCV)  The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed 
       that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been given even to those who were 
       not Jews.

       (Acts 10:46 NCV)  These Jewish believers heard them speaking in 
       different languages and praising God. Then Peter said,

       (Acts 10:47 NCV)  "Can anyone keep these people from being baptized 
       with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we did!"

       (Acts 10:48 NCV)  So Peter ordered that they be baptized in the name 
       of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few 
       days.

       (Acts 11:1 NCV)  The apostles and the believers in Judea heard that 
       some who were not Jewish had accepted God's teaching too.

       (Acts 11:2 NCV)  But when Peter came to Jerusalem, some Jewish 
       believers argued with him.

       (Acts 11:3 NCV)  They said, "You went into the homes of people who are 
       not circumcised and ate with them!"

       (Acts 11:4 NCV)  So Peter explained the whole story to them.

       (Acts 11:5 NCV)  He said, "I was in the city of Joppa, and while I was 
       praying, I had a vision. I saw something that looked like a big sheet 
       being lowered from heaven by its four corners. It came very close to 
       me.

       (Acts 11:6 NCV)  I looked inside it and saw animals, wild beasts, 
       reptiles, and birds.

       (Acts 11:7 NCV)  I heard a voice say to me, 'Get up, Peter. Kill and 
       eat.'

       (Acts 11:8 NCV)  But I said, 'No, Lord! I have never eaten anything 
       that is unholy or unclean.'

       (Acts 11:9 NCV)  But the voice from heaven spoke again, 'God has made 
       these things clean, so don't call them unholy.'

       (Acts 11:10 NCV)  This happened three times. Then the whole thing was 





       taken back to heaven.

       (Acts 11:11 NCV)  Right then three men who were sent to me from 
       Caesarea came to the house where I was staying.

       (Acts 11:12 NCV)  The Spirit told me to go with them without doubting. 
       These six believers here also went with me, and we entered the house 
       of Cornelius.

       (Acts 11:13 NCV)  He told us about the angel he saw standing in his 
       house. The angel said to him, 'Send some men to Joppa and invite Simon 
       Peter to come.

       (Acts 11:14 NCV)  By the words he will say to you, you and all your 
       family will be saved.'

       (Acts 11:15 NCV)  When I began my speech, the Holy Spirit came on them 
       just as he came on us at the beginning.

       (Acts 11:16 NCV)  Then I remembered the words of the Lord. He said, 
       'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy 
       Spirit.'

       (Acts 11:17 NCV)  Since God gave them the same gift he gave us who 
       believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, how could I stop the work of God?"

       (Acts 11:18 NCV)  When the Jewish believers heard this, they stopped 
       arguing. They praised God and said, "So God is allowing even those who 
       are not Jewish to turn to him and live."

       (Acts 11:19 NCV)  Many of the believers were scattered when they were 
       persecuted after Stephen was killed. Some of them went as far as 
       Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch telling the message to others, but only 
       to Jews.

       (Acts 11:20 NCV)  Some of these believers were people from Cyprus and 
       Cyrene. When they came to Antioch, they spoke also to Greeks, telling 
       them the Good News about the Lord Jesus.

       (Acts 11:21 NCV)  The Lord was helping the believers, and a large 
       group of people believed and turned to the Lord.

       (Acts 11:22 NCV)  The church in Jerusalem heard about all of this, so 
       they sent Barnabas to Antioch.

       (Acts 11:23 NCV)  Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and 
       full of faith. When he reached Antioch and saw how God had blessed the 
       people, he was glad. He encouraged all the believers in Antioch always 
       to obey the Lord with all their hearts, and many people became 
       followers of the Lord.

       (Acts 11:24 NCV)  

       (Acts 11:25 NCV)  Then Barnabas went to the city of Tarsus to look for 
       Saul,





       (Acts 11:26 NCV)  and when he found Saul, he brought him to Antioch. 
       For a whole year Saul and Barnabas met with the church and taught many 
       people there. In Antioch the followers were called Christians for the 
       first time.

       (Acts 11:27 NCV)  About that time some prophets came from Jerusalem to 
       Antioch.

       (Acts 11:28 NCV)  One of them, named Agabus, stood up and spoke with 
       the help of the Holy Spirit. He said, "A very hard time is coming to 
       the whole world. There will be no food to eat." (This happened when 
       Claudius ruled.)

       (Acts 11:29 NCV)  The believers all decided to help the followers who 
       lived in Judea, as much as each one could.

       (Acts 11:30 NCV)  They gathered the money and gave it to Barnabas and 
       Saul, who brought it to the elders in Judea.

       (Acts 12:1 NCV)  During that same time King Herod began to mistreat 
       some who belonged to the church.

       (Acts 12:2 NCV)  He ordered James, the brother of John, to be killed 
       by the sword.

       (Acts 12:3 NCV)  Herod saw that the Jewish people liked this, so he 
       decided to arrest Peter, too. (This happened during the time of the 
       Feast of Unleavened Bread.)

       (Acts 12:4 NCV)  After Herod arrested Peter, he put him in jail and 
       handed him over to be guarded by sixteen soldiers. Herod planned to 
       bring Peter before the people for trial after the Passover Feast.

       (Acts 12:5 NCV)  So Peter was kept in jail, but the church prayed 
       earnestly to God for him.

       (Acts 12:6 NCV)  The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, 
       Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains. Other 
       soldiers were guarding the door of the jail.

       (Acts 12:7 NCV)  Suddenly, an angel of the Lord stood there, and a 
       light shined in the cell. The angel struck Peter on the side and woke 
       him up. "Hurry! Get up!" the angel said. And the chains fell off 
       Peter's hands.

       (Acts 12:8 NCV)  Then the angel told him, "Get dressed and put on your 
       sandals." And Peter did. Then the angel said, "Put on your coat and 
       follow me."

       (Acts 12:9 NCV)  So Peter followed him out, but he did not know if 
       what the angel was doing was real; he thought he might be seeing a 
       vision.

       (Acts 12:10 NCV)  They went past the first and second guards and came 
       to the iron gate that separated them from the city. The gate opened by 
       itself for them, and they went through it. When they had walked down 





       one street, the angel suddenly left him.

       (Acts 12:11 NCV)  Then Peter realized what had happened. He thought, 
       "Now I know that the Lord really sent his angel to me. He rescued me 
       from Herod and from all the things the Jewish people thought would 
       happen."

       (Acts 12:12 NCV)  When he considered this, he went to the home of 
       Mary, the mother of John Mark. Many people were gathered there, 
       praying.

       (Acts 12:13 NCV)  Peter knocked on the outside door, and a servant 
       girl named Rhoda came to answer it.

       (Acts 12:14 NCV)  When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so happy 
       she forgot to open the door. Instead, she ran inside and told the 
       group, "Peter is at the door!"

       (Acts 12:15 NCV)  They said to her, "You are crazy!" But she kept on 
       saying it was true, so they said, "It must be Peter's angel."

       (Acts 12:16 NCV)  Peter continued to knock, and when they opened the 
       door, they saw him and were amazed.

       (Acts 12:17 NCV)  Peter made a sign with his hand to tell them to be 
       quiet. He explained how the Lord led him out of the jail, and he said, 
       "Tell James and the other believers what happened." Then he left to go 
       to another place.

       (Acts 12:18 NCV)  The next day the soldiers were very upset and 
       wondered what had happened to Peter.

       (Acts 12:19 NCV)  Herod looked everywhere for him but could not find 
       him. So he questioned the guards and ordered that they be killed. 
       Later Herod moved from Judea and went to the city of Caesarea, where 
       he stayed.

       (Acts 12:20 NCV)  Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and 
       Sidon, but the people of those cities all came in a group to him. 
       After convincing Blastus, the king's personal servant, to be on their 
       side, they asked Herod for peace, because their country got its food 
       from his country.

       (Acts 12:21 NCV)  On a chosen day Herod put on his royal robes, sat on 
       his throne, and made a speech to the people.

       (Acts 12:22 NCV)  They shouted, "This is the voice of a god, not a 
       human!"

       (Acts 12:23 NCV)  Because Herod did not give the glory to God, an 
       angel of the Lord immediately caused him to become sick, and he was 
       eaten by worms and died.

       (Acts 12:24 NCV)  God's message continued to spread and reach people.

       (Acts 12:25 NCV)  After Barnabas and Saul finished their task in 





       Jerusalem, they returned to Antioch, taking John Mark with them.

       (Acts 13:1 NCV)  In the church at Antioch there were these prophets 
       and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon (also called Niger), Lucius (from the 
       city of Cyrene), Manaen (who had grown up with Herod, the ruler), and 
       Saul.

       (Acts 13:2 NCV)  They were all worshiping the Lord and giving up 
       eating for a certain time. During this time the Holy Spirit said to 
       them, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul to do a special work for 
       which I have chosen them."

       (Acts 13:3 NCV)  So after they gave up eating and prayed, they laid 
       their hands on Barnabas and Saul and sent them out.

       (Acts 13:4 NCV)  Barnabas and Saul, sent out by the Holy Spirit, went 
       to the city of Seleucia. From there they sailed to the island of 
       Cyprus.

       (Acts 13:5 NCV)  When they came to Salamis, they preached the Good 
       News of God in the Jewish synagogues. John Mark was with them to help.

       (Acts 13:6 NCV)  They went across the whole island to Paphos where 
       they met a Jewish magician named Bar-Jesus. He was a false prophet

       (Acts 13:7 NCV)  who always stayed close to Sergius Paulus, the 
       governor and a smart man. He asked Barnabas and Saul to come to him, 
       because he wanted to hear the message of God.

       (Acts 13:8 NCV)  But Elymas, the magician, was against them. (Elymas 
       is the name for Bar-Jesus in the Greek language.) He tried to stop the 
       governor from believing in Jesus.

       (Acts 13:9 NCV)  But Saul, who was also called Paul, was filled with 
       the Holy Spirit. He looked straight at Elymas

       (Acts 13:10 NCV)  and said, "You son of the devil! You are an enemy of 
       everything that is right! You are full of evil tricks and lies, always 
       trying to change the Lord's truths into lies.

       (Acts 13:11 NCV)  Now the Lord will touch you, and you will be blind. 
       For a time you will not be able to see anything--not even the light 
       from the sun." Then everything became dark for Elymas, and he walked 
       around, trying to find someone to lead him by the hand.

       (Acts 13:12 NCV)  When the governor saw this, he believed because he 
       was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.

       (Acts 13:13 NCV)  Paul and those with him sailed from Paphos and came 
       to Perga, in Pamphylia. There John Mark left them to return to 
       Jerusalem.

       (Acts 13:14 NCV)  They continued their trip from Perga and went to 
       Antioch, a city in Pisidia. On the Sabbath day they went into the 
       synagogue and sat down.





       (Acts 13:15 NCV)  After the law of Moses and the writings of the 
       prophets were read, the leaders of the synagogue sent a message to 
       Paul and Barnabas: "Brothers, if you have any message that will 
       encourage the people, please speak."

       (Acts 13:16 NCV)  Paul stood up, raised his hand, and said, "You 
       Israelites and you who worship God, please listen!

       (Acts 13:17 NCV)  The God of the Israelites chose our ancestors. He 
       made the people great during the time they lived in Egypt, and he 
       brought them out of that country with great power.

       (Acts 13:18 NCV)  And he was patient with them for forty years in the 
       desert.

       (Acts 13:19 NCV)  God destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan 
       and gave the land to his people.

       (Acts 13:20 NCV)  All this happened in about four hundred fifty years. 
       "After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the 
       prophet.

       (Acts 13:21 NCV)  Then the people asked for a king, so God gave them 
       Saul son of Kish. Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin and was king for 
       forty years.

       (Acts 13:22 NCV)  After God took him away, God made David their king. 
       God said about him: 'I have found in David son of Jesse the kind of 
       man I want. He will do all I want him to do.'

       (Acts 13:23 NCV)  So God has brought Jesus, one of David's 
       descendants, to Israel to be its Savior, as he promised.

       (Acts 13:24 NCV)  Before Jesus came, John preached to all the people 
       of Israel about a baptism of changed hearts and lives.

       (Acts 13:25 NCV)  When he was finishing his work, he said, 'Who do you 
       think I am? I am not the Christ. He is coming later, and I am not 
       worthy to untie his sandals.'

       (Acts 13:26 NCV)  "Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those 
       of you who are not Jews who worship God, listen! The news about this 
       salvation has been sent to us.

       (Acts 13:27 NCV)  Those who live in Jerusalem and their leaders did 
       not realize that Jesus was the Savior. They did not understand the 
       words that the prophets wrote, which are read every Sabbath day. But 
       they made them come true when they said Jesus was guilty.

       (Acts 13:28 NCV)  They could not find any real reason for Jesus to be 
       put to death, but they asked Pilate to have him killed.

       (Acts 13:29 NCV)  When they had done to him all that the Scriptures 
       had said, they took him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb.

       (Acts 13:30 NCV)  But God raised him up from the dead!






       (Acts 13:31 NCV)  After this, for many days, those who had gone with 
       Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem saw him. They are now his witnesses to 
       the people.

       (Acts 13:32 NCV)  We tell you the Good News about the promise God made 
       to our ancestors.

       (Acts 13:33 NCV)  God has made this promise come true for us, his 
       children, by raising Jesus from the dead. We read about this also in 
       Psalm 2: 'You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.'

       (Acts 13:34 NCV)  God raised Jesus from the dead, and he will never go 
       back to the grave and become dust. So God said: 'I will give you the 
       holy and sure blessings that I promised to David.'

       (Acts 13:35 NCV)  But in another place God says: 'You will not let 
       your Holy One rot.'

       (Acts 13:36 NCV)  David did God's will during his lifetime. Then he 
       died and was buried beside his ancestors, and his body did rot in the 
       grave.

       (Acts 13:37 NCV)  But the One God raised from the dead did not rot in 
       the grave.

       (Acts 13:38 NCV)  Brothers, understand what we are telling you: You 
       can have forgiveness of your sins through Jesus. The law of Moses 
       could not free you from your sins. But through Jesus everyone who 
       believes is free from all sins.

       (Acts 13:39 NCV)  

       (Acts 13:40 NCV)  Be careful! Don't let what the prophets said happen 
       to you:

       (Acts 13:41 NCV)  'Listen, you people who doubt! You can wonder, and 
       then die. I will do something in your lifetime that you won't believe 
       even when you are told about it!'"

       (Acts 13:42 NCV)  While Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, 
       the people asked them to tell them more about these things on the next 
       Sabbath.

       (Acts 13:43 NCV)  When the meeting was over, many Jews and those who 
       had changed to the Jewish religion and who worshiped God followed Paul 
       and Barnabas from that place. Paul and Barnabas were persuading them 
       to continue trusting in God's grace.

       (Acts 13:44 NCV)  On the next Sabbath day, almost everyone in the city 
       came to hear the word of the Lord.

       (Acts 13:45 NCV)  Seeing the crowd, the Jewish people became very 
       jealous and said insulting things and argued against what Paul said.

       (Acts 13:46 NCV)  But Paul and Barnabas spoke very boldly, saying, "We 





       must speak the message of God to you first. But you refuse to listen. 
       You are judging yourselves not worthy of having eternal life! So we 
       will now go to the people of other nations.

       (Acts 13:47 NCV)  This is what the Lord told us to do, saying: 'I have 
       made you a light for the nations; you will show people all over the 
       world the way to be saved.'"

       (Acts 13:48 NCV)  When those who were not Jewish heard Paul say this, 
       they were happy and gave honor to the message of the Lord. And the 
       people who were chosen to have life forever believed the message.

       (Acts 13:49 NCV)  So the message of the Lord was spreading through the 
       whole country.

       (Acts 13:50 NCV)  But the Jewish people stirred up some of the 
       important religious women and the leaders of the city. They started 
       trouble against Paul and Barnabas and forced them out of their area.

       (Acts 13:51 NCV)  So Paul and Barnabas shook the dust off their feet 
       and went to Iconium.

       (Acts 13:52 NCV)  But the followers were filled with joy and the Holy 
       Spirit.

       (Acts 14:1 NCV)  In Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went as usual to the 
       Jewish synagogue. They spoke so well that a great many Jews and Greeks 
       believed.

       (Acts 14:2 NCV)  But some of the Jews who did not believe excited the 
       non-Jewish people and turned them against the believers.

       (Acts 14:3 NCV)  Paul and Barnabas stayed in Iconium a long time and 
       spoke bravely for the Lord. He showed that their message about his 
       grace was true by giving them the power to work miracles and signs.

       (Acts 14:4 NCV)  But the city was divided. Some of the people agreed 
       with the Jews, and others believed the apostles.

       (Acts 14:5 NCV)  Some who were not Jews, some Jews, and some of their 
       rulers wanted to mistreat Paul and Barnabas and to stone them to 
       death.

       (Acts 14:6 NCV)  When Paul and Barnabas learned about this, they ran 
       away to Lystra and Derbe, cities in Lycaonia, and to the areas around 
       those cities.

       (Acts 14:7 NCV)  They announced the Good News there, too.

       (Acts 14:8 NCV)  In Lystra there sat a man who had been born crippled; 
       he had never walked.

       (Acts 14:9 NCV)  As this man was listening to Paul speak, Paul looked 
       straight at him and saw that he believed God could heal him.

       (Acts 14:10 NCV)  So he cried out, "Stand up on your feet!" The man 





       jumped up and began walking around.

       (Acts 14:11 NCV)  When the crowds saw what Paul did, they shouted in 
       the Lycaonian language, "The gods have become like humans and have 
       come down to us!"

       (Acts 14:12 NCV)  Then the people began to call Barnabas "Zeus" and 
       Paul "Hermes," because he was the main speaker.

       (Acts 14:13 NCV)  The priest in the temple of Zeus, which was near the 
       city, brought some bulls and flowers to the city gates. He and the 
       people wanted to offer a sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas.

       (Acts 14:14 NCV)  But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard 
       about it, they tore their clothes. They ran in among the people, 
       shouting,

       (Acts 14:15 NCV)  "Friends, why are you doing these things? We are 
       only human beings like you. We are bringing you the Good News and are 
       telling you to turn away from these worthless things and turn to the 
       living God. He is the One who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and 
       everything in them.

       (Acts 14:16 NCV)  In the past, God let all the nations do what they 
       wanted.

       (Acts 14:17 NCV)  Yet he proved he is real by showing kindness, by 
       giving you rain from heaven and crops at the right times, by giving 
       you food and filling your hearts with joy."

       (Acts 14:18 NCV)  Even with these words, they were barely able to keep 
       the crowd from offering sacrifices to them.

       (Acts 14:19 NCV)  Then some Jewish people came from Antioch and 
       Iconium and persuaded the people to turn against Paul. So they threw 
       stones at him and dragged him out of town, thinking they had killed 
       him.

       (Acts 14:20 NCV)  But the followers gathered around him, and he got up 
       and went back into the town. The next day he and Barnabas left and 
       went to the city of Derbe.

       (Acts 14:21 NCV)  Paul and Barnabas told the Good News in Derbe, and 
       many became followers. Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, 
       and Antioch,

       (Acts 14:22 NCV)  making the followers of Jesus stronger and helping 
       them stay in the faith. They said, "We must suffer many things to 
       enter God's kingdom."

       (Acts 14:23 NCV)  They chose elders for each church, by praying and 
       giving up eating for a certain time. These elders had trusted the 
       Lord, so Paul and Barnabas put them in the Lord's care.

       (Acts 14:24 NCV)  Then they went through Pisidia and came to 
       Pamphylia.






       (Acts 14:25 NCV)  When they had preached the message in Perga, they 
       went down to Attalia.

       (Acts 14:26 NCV)  And from there they sailed away to Antioch where the 
       believers had put them into God's care and had sent them out to do 
       this work. Now they had finished.

       (Acts 14:27 NCV)  When they arrived in Antioch, Paul and Barnabas 
       gathered the church together. They told the church all about what God 
       had done with them and how God had made it possible for those who were 
       not Jewish to believe.

       (Acts 14:28 NCV)  And they stayed there a long time with the 
       followers.

       (Acts 15:1 NCV)  Then some people came to Antioch from Judea and began 
       teaching the non-Jewish believers: "You cannot be saved if you are not 
       circumcised as Moses taught us."

       (Acts 15:2 NCV)  Paul and Barnabas were against this teaching and 
       argued with them about it. So the church decided to send Paul, 
       Barnabas, and some others to Jerusalem where they could talk more 
       about this with the apostles and elders.

       (Acts 15:3 NCV)  The church helped them leave on the trip, and they 
       went through the countries of Phoenicia and Samaria, telling all about 
       how those who were not Jewish had turned to God. This made all the 
       believers very happy.

       (Acts 15:4 NCV)  When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by 
       the apostles, the elders, and the church. Paul, Barnabas, and the 
       others told about everything God had done with them.

       (Acts 15:5 NCV)  But some of the believers who belonged to the 
       Pharisee group came forward and said, "The non-Jewish believers must 
       be circumcised. They must be told to obey the law of Moses."

       (Acts 15:6 NCV)  The apostles and the elders gathered to consider this 
       problem.

       (Acts 15:7 NCV)  After a long debate, Peter stood up and said to them, 
       "Brothers, you know that in the early days God chose me from among you 
       to preach the Good News to those who are not Jewish. They heard the 
       Good News from me, and they believed.

       (Acts 15:8 NCV)  God, who knows the thoughts of everyone, accepted 
       them. He showed this to us by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he 
       did to us.

       (Acts 15:9 NCV)  To God, those people are not different from us. When 
       they believed, he made their hearts pure.

       (Acts 15:10 NCV)  So now why are you testing God by putting a heavy 
       load around the necks of the non-Jewish believers? It is a load that 
       neither we nor our ancestors were able to carry.






       (Acts 15:11 NCV)  But we believe that we and they too will be saved by 
       the grace of the Lord Jesus."

       (Acts 15:12 NCV)  Then the whole group became quiet. They listened to 
       Paul and Barnabas tell about all the miracles and signs that God did 
       through them among the non-Jewish people.

       (Acts 15:13 NCV)  After they finished speaking, James said, "Brothers, 
       listen to me.

       (Acts 15:14 NCV)  Simon has told us how God showed his love for the 
       non-Jewish people. For the first time he is accepting from among them 
       a people to be his own.

       (Acts 15:15 NCV)  The words of the prophets agree with this too:

       (Acts 15:16 NCV)  'After these things I will return. The kingdom of 
       David is like a fallen tent. But I will rebuild its ruins, and I will 
       set it up.

       (Acts 15:17 NCV)  Then those people who are left alive may ask the 
       Lord for help, and the other nations that belong to me, says the Lord, 
       who will make it happen.

       (Acts 15:18 NCV)  And these things have been known for a long time.'

       (Acts 15:19 NCV)  "So I think we should not bother the non-Jewish 
       people who are turning to God.

       (Acts 15:20 NCV)  Instead, we should write a letter to them telling 
       them these things: Stay away from food that has been offered to idols 
       (which makes it unclean), any kind of sexual sin, eating animals that 
       have been strangled, and blood.

       (Acts 15:21 NCV)  They should do these things, because for a long time 
       in every city the law of Moses has been taught. And it is still read 
       in the synagogue every Sabbath day."

       (Acts 15:22 NCV)  The apostles, the elders, and the whole church 
       decided to send some of their men with Paul and Barnabas to Antioch. 
       They chose Judas Barsabbas and Silas, who were respected by the 
       believers.

       (Acts 15:23 NCV)  They sent the following letter with them: From the 
       apostles and elders, your brothers. To all the non-Jewish believers in 
       Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings!

       (Acts 15:24 NCV)  We have heard that some of our group have come to 
       you and said things that trouble and upset you. But we did not tell 
       them to do this.

       (Acts 15:25 NCV)  We have all agreed to choose some messengers and 
       send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul--

       (Acts 15:26 NCV)  people who have given their lives to serve our Lord 





       Jesus Christ.

       (Acts 15:27 NCV)  So we are sending Judas and Silas, who will tell you 
       the same things.

       (Acts 15:28 NCV)  It has pleased the Holy Spirit that you should not 
       have a heavy load to carry, and we agree. You need to do only these 
       things:

       (Acts 15:29 NCV)  Stay away from any food that has been offered to 
       idols, eating any animals that have been strangled, and blood, and any 
       kind of sexual sin. If you stay away from these things, you will do 
       well. Good-bye.

       (Acts 15:30 NCV)  So they left Jerusalem and went to Antioch where 
       they gathered the church and gave them the letter.

       (Acts 15:31 NCV)  When they read it, they were very happy because of 
       the encouraging message.

       (Acts 15:32 NCV)  Judas and Silas, who were also prophets, said many 
       things to encourage the believers and make them stronger.

       (Acts 15:33 NCV)  After some time Judas and Silas were sent off in 
       peace by the believers, and they went back to those who had sent them.

       (Acts 15:34 NCV)  

       (Acts 15:35 NCV)  But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch and, along 
       with many others, preached the Good News and taught the people the 
       message of the Lord.

       (Acts 15:36 NCV)  After some time, Paul said to Barnabas, "We should 
       go back to all those towns where we preached the message of the Lord. 
       Let's visit the believers and see how they are doing."

       (Acts 15:37 NCV)  Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them,

       (Acts 15:38 NCV)  but he had left them at Pamphylia; he did not 
       continue with them in the work. So Paul did not think it was a good 
       idea to take him.

       (Acts 15:39 NCV)  Paul and Barnabas had such a serious argument about 
       this that they separated and went different ways. Barnabas took Mark 
       and sailed to Cyprus,

       (Acts 15:40 NCV)  but Paul chose Silas and left. The believers in 
       Antioch put Paul into the Lord's care,

       (Acts 15:41 NCV)  and he went through Syria and Cilicia, giving 
       strength to the churches.

       (Acts 16:1 NCV)  Paul came to Derbe and Lystra, where a follower named 
       Timothy lived. Timothy's mother was Jewish and a believer, but his 
       father was a Greek.





       (Acts 16:2 NCV)  The believers in Lystra and Iconium respected Timothy 
       and said good things about him.

       (Acts 16:3 NCV)  Paul wanted Timothy to travel with him, but all the 
       Jews living in that area knew that Timothy's father was Greek. So Paul 
       circumcised Timothy to please the Jews.

       (Acts 16:4 NCV)  Paul and those with him traveled from town to town 
       and gave the decisions made by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem 
       for the people to obey.

       (Acts 16:5 NCV)  So the churches became stronger in the faith and grew 
       larger every day.

       (Acts 16:6 NCV)  Paul and those with him went through the areas of 
       Phrygia and Galatia since the Holy Spirit did not let them preach the 
       Good News in the country of Asia.

       (Acts 16:7 NCV)  When they came near the country of Mysia, they tried 
       to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not let them.

       (Acts 16:8 NCV)  So they passed by Mysia and went to Troas.

       (Acts 16:9 NCV)  That night Paul saw in a vision a man from Macedonia. 
       The man stood and begged, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."

       (Acts 16:10 NCV)  After Paul had seen the vision, we immediately 
       prepared to leave for Macedonia, understanding that God had called us 
       to tell the Good News to those people.

       (Acts 16:11 NCV)  We left Troas and sailed straight to the island of 
       Samothrace. The next day we sailed to Neapolis.

       (Acts 16:12 NCV)  Then we went by land to Philippi, a Roman colony and 
       the leading city in that part of Macedonia. We stayed there for 
       several days.

       (Acts 16:13 NCV)  On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate to 
       the river where we thought we would find a special place for prayer. 
       Some women had gathered there, so we sat down and talked with them.

       (Acts 16:14 NCV)  One of the listeners was a woman named Lydia from 
       the city of Thyatira whose job was selling purple cloth. She worshiped 
       God, and he opened her mind to pay attention to what Paul was saying.

       (Acts 16:15 NCV)  She and all the people in her house were baptized. 
       Then she invited us to her home, saying, "If you think I am truly a 
       believer in the Lord, then come stay in my house." And she persuaded 
       us to stay with her.

       (Acts 16:16 NCV)  Once, while we were going to the place for prayer, a 
       servant girl met us. She had a special spirit in her, and she earned a 
       lot of money for her owners by telling fortunes.

       (Acts 16:17 NCV)  This girl followed Paul and us, shouting, "These men 
       are servants of the Most High God. They are telling you how you can be 





       saved."

       (Acts 16:18 NCV)  She kept this up for many days. This bothered Paul, 
       so he turned and said to the spirit, "By the power of Jesus Christ, I 
       command you to come out of her!" Immediately, the spirit came out.

       (Acts 16:19 NCV)  When the owners of the servant girl saw this, they 
       knew that now they could not use her to make money. So they grabbed 
       Paul and Silas and dragged them before the city rulers in the 
       marketplace.

       (Acts 16:20 NCV)  They brought Paul and Silas to the Roman rulers and 
       said, "These men are Jews and are making trouble in our city.

       (Acts 16:21 NCV)  They are teaching things that are not right for us 
       as Romans to do."

       (Acts 16:22 NCV)  The crowd joined the attack against them. The Roman 
       officers tore the clothes of Paul and Silas and had them beaten with 
       rods.

       (Acts 16:23 NCV)  Then Paul and Silas were thrown into jail, and the 
       jailer was ordered to guard them carefully.

       (Acts 16:24 NCV)  When he heard this order, he put them far inside the 
       jail and pinned their feet down between large blocks of wood.

       (Acts 16:25 NCV)  About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and 
       singing songs to God as the other prisoners listened.

       (Acts 16:26 NCV)  Suddenly, there was a strong earthquake that shook 
       the foundation of the jail. Then all the doors of the jail broke open, 
       and all the prisoners were freed from their chains.

       (Acts 16:27 NCV)  The jailer woke up and saw that the jail doors were 
       open. Thinking that the prisoners had already escaped, he got his 
       sword and was about to kill himself.

       (Acts 16:28 NCV)  But Paul shouted, "Don't hurt yourself! We are all 
       here."

       (Acts 16:29 NCV)  The jailer told someone to bring a light. Then he 
       ran inside and, shaking with fear, fell down before Paul and Silas.

       (Acts 16:30 NCV)  He brought them outside and said, "Men, what must I 
       do to be saved?"

       (Acts 16:31 NCV)  They said to him, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you 
       will be saved--you and all the people in your house."

       (Acts 16:32 NCV)  So Paul and Silas told the message of the Lord to 
       the jailer and all the people in his house.

       (Acts 16:33 NCV)  At that hour of the night the jailer took Paul and 
       Silas and washed their wounds. Then he and all his people were 
       baptized immediately.






       (Acts 16:34 NCV)  After this the jailer took Paul and Silas home and 
       gave them food. He and his family were very happy because they now 
       believed in God.

       (Acts 16:35 NCV)  The next morning, the Roman officers sent the police 
       to tell the jailer, "Let these men go free."

       (Acts 16:36 NCV)  The jailer said to Paul, "The officers have sent an 
       order to let you go free. You can leave now. Go in peace."

       (Acts 16:37 NCV)  But Paul said to the police, "They beat us in public 
       without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens. And they threw us 
       in jail. Now they want to make us go away quietly. No! Let them come 
       themselves and bring us out."

       (Acts 16:38 NCV)  The police told the Roman officers what Paul said. 
       When the officers heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they 
       were afraid.

       (Acts 16:39 NCV)  So they came and told Paul and Silas they were sorry 
       and took them out of jail and asked them to leave the city.

       (Acts 16:40 NCV)  So when they came out of the jail, they went to 
       Lydia's house where they saw some of the believers and encouraged 
       them. Then they left.

       (Acts 17:1 NCV)  Paul and Silas traveled through Amphipolis and 
       Apollonia and came to Thessalonica where there was a Jewish synagogue.

       (Acts 17:2 NCV)  Paul went into the synagogue as he always did, and on 
       each Sabbath day for three weeks, he talked with the Jews about the 
       Scriptures.

       (Acts 17:3 NCV)  He explained and proved that the Christ must die and 
       then rise from the dead. He said, "This Jesus I am telling you about 
       is the Christ."

       (Acts 17:4 NCV)  Some of the Jews were convinced and joined Paul and 
       Silas, along with many of the Greeks who worshiped God and many of the 
       important women.

       (Acts 17:5 NCV)  But the Jews became jealous. So they got some evil 
       men from the marketplace, formed a mob, and started a riot. They ran 
       to Jason's house, looking for Paul and Silas, wanting to bring them 
       out to the people.

       (Acts 17:6 NCV)  But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason 
       and some other believers to the leaders of the city. The people were 
       yelling, "These people have made trouble everywhere in the world, and 
       now they have come here too!

       (Acts 17:7 NCV)  Jason is keeping them in his house. All of them do 
       things against the laws of Caesar, saying there is another king, 
       called Jesus."





       (Acts 17:8 NCV)  When the people and the leaders of the city heard 
       these things, they became very upset.

       (Acts 17:9 NCV)  They made Jason and the others put up a sum of money. 
       Then they let the believers go free.

       (Acts 17:10 NCV)  That same night the believers sent Paul and Silas to 
       Berea where they went to the Jewish synagogue.

       (Acts 17:11 NCV)  These Jews were more willing to listen than the Jews 
       in Thessalonica. The Bereans were eager to hear what Paul and Silas 
       said and studied the Scriptures every day to find out if these things 
       were true.

       (Acts 17:12 NCV)  So, many of them believed, as well as many important 
       Greek women and men.

       (Acts 17:13 NCV)  But the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was 
       preaching the word of God in Berea, too. So they came there, upsetting 
       the people and making trouble.

       (Acts 17:14 NCV)  The believers quickly sent Paul away to the coast, 
       but Silas and Timothy stayed in Berea.

       (Acts 17:15 NCV)  The people leading Paul went with him to Athens. 
       Then they carried a message from Paul back to Silas and Timothy for 
       them to come to him as soon as they could.

       (Acts 17:16 NCV)  While Paul was waiting for Silas and Timothy in 
       Athens, he was troubled because he saw that the city was full of 
       idols.

       (Acts 17:17 NCV)  In the synagogue, he talked with the Jews and the 
       Greeks who worshiped God. He also talked every day with people in the 
       marketplace.

       (Acts 17:18 NCV)  Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers argued 
       with him, saying, "This man doesn't know what he is talking about. 
       What is he trying to say?" Others said, "He seems to be telling us 
       about some other gods," because Paul was telling them about Jesus and 
       his rising from the dead.

       (Acts 17:19 NCV)  They got Paul and took him to a meeting of the 
       Areopagus, where they said, "Please explain to us this new idea you 
       have been teaching.

       (Acts 17:20 NCV)  The things you are saying are new to us, and we want 
       to know what this teaching means."

       (Acts 17:21 NCV)  (All the people of Athens and those from other 
       countries who lived there always used their time to talk about the 
       newest ideas.)

       (Acts 17:22 NCV)  Then Paul stood before the meeting of the Areopagus 
       and said, "People of Athens, I can see you are very religious in all 
       things.






       (Acts 17:23 NCV)  As I was going through your city, I saw the objects 
       you worship. I found an altar that had these words written on it: TO A 
       GOD WHO IS NOT KNOWN. You worship a god that you don't know, and this 
       is the God I am telling you about!

       (Acts 17:24 NCV)  The God who made the whole world and everything in 
       it is the Lord of the land and the sky. He does not live in temples 
       built by human hands.

       (Acts 17:25 NCV)  This God is the One who gives life, breath, and 
       everything else to people. He does not need any help from them; he has 
       everything he needs.

       (Acts 17:26 NCV)  God began by making one person, and from him came 
       all the different people who live everywhere in the world. God decided 
       exactly when and where they must live.

       (Acts 17:27 NCV)  God wanted them to look for him and perhaps search 
       all around for him and find him, though he is not far from any of us:

       (Acts 17:28 NCV)  'We live in him. We walk in him. We are in him.' 
       Some of your own poets have said: 'For we are his children."

       (Acts 17:29 NCV)  Since we are God's children, you must not think that 
       God is like something that people imagine or make from gold, silver, 
       or rock.

       (Acts 17:30 NCV)  In the past, people did not understand God, and he 
       ignored this. But now, God tells all people in the world to change 
       their hearts and lives.

       (Acts 17:31 NCV)  God has set a day that he will judge all the world 
       with fairness, by the man he chose long ago. And God has proved this 
       to everyone by raising that man from the dead!"

       (Acts 17:32 NCV)  When the people heard about Jesus being raised from 
       the dead, some of them laughed. But others said, "We will hear more 
       about this from you later."

       (Acts 17:33 NCV)  So Paul went away from them.

       (Acts 17:34 NCV)  But some of the people believed Paul and joined him. 
       Among those who believed was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, a 
       woman named Damaris, and some others.

       (Acts 18:1 NCV)  Later Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.

       (Acts 18:2 NCV)  Here he met a Jew named Aquila who had been born in 
       the country of Pontus. But Aquila and his wife, Priscilla, had 
       recently moved to Corinth from Italy, because Claudius commanded that 
       all Jews must leave Rome. Paul went to visit Aquila and Priscilla.

       (Acts 18:3 NCV)  Because they were tentmakers, just as he was, he 
       stayed with them and worked with them.





       (Acts 18:4 NCV)  Every Sabbath day he talked with the Jews and Greeks 
       in the synagogue, trying to persuade them to believe in Jesus.

       (Acts 18:5 NCV)  Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia and joined Paul 
       in Corinth. After this, Paul spent all his time telling people the 
       Good News, showing the Jews that Jesus is the Christ.

       (Acts 18:6 NCV)  But they would not accept Paul's teaching and said 
       some evil things. So he shook off the dust from his clothes and said 
       to them, "If you are not saved, it will be your own fault! I have done 
       all I can do! After this, I will go only to those who are not Jewish."

       (Acts 18:7 NCV)  Paul left the synagogue and moved into the home of 
       Titius Justus, next to the synagogue. This man worshiped God.

       (Acts 18:8 NCV)  Crispus was the leader of that synagogue, and he and 
       all the people living in his house believed in the Lord. Many others 
       in Corinth also listened to Paul and believed and were baptized.

       (Acts 18:9 NCV)  During the night, the Lord told Paul in a vision: 
       "Don't be afraid. Continue talking to people and don't be quiet.

       (Acts 18:10 NCV)  I am with you, and no one will hurt you because many 
       of my people are in this city."

       (Acts 18:11 NCV)  Paul stayed there for a year and a half, teaching 
       God's word to the people.

       (Acts 18:12 NCV)  When Gallio was the governor of the country of 
       Southern Greece, some of the Jews came together against Paul and took 
       him to the court.

       (Acts 18:13 NCV)  They said, "This man is teaching people to worship 
       God in a way that is against our law."

       (Acts 18:14 NCV)  Paul was about to say something, but Gallio spoke to 
       the Jews, saying, "I would listen to you Jews if you were complaining 
       about a crime or some wrong.

       (Acts 18:15 NCV)  But the things you are saying are only questions 
       about words and names--arguments about your own law. So you must solve 
       this problem yourselves. I don't want to be a judge of these things."

       (Acts 18:16 NCV)  And Gallio made them leave the court.

       (Acts 18:17 NCV)  Then they all grabbed Sosthenes, the leader of the 
       synagogue, and beat him there before the court. But this did not 
       bother Gallio.

       (Acts 18:18 NCV)  Paul stayed with the believers for many more days. 
       Then he left and sailed for Syria, with Priscilla and Aquila. At 
       Cenchrea Paul cut off his hair, because he had made a promise to God.

       (Acts 18:19 NCV)  Then they went to Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla 
       and Aquila. While Paul was there, he went into the synagogue and 
       talked with the Jews.






       (Acts 18:20 NCV)  When they asked him to stay with them longer, he 
       refused.

       (Acts 18:21 NCV)  But as he left, he said, "I will come back to you 
       again if God wants me to." And so he sailed away from Ephesus.

       (Acts 18:22 NCV)  When Paul landed at Caesarea, he went and gave 
       greetings to the church in Jerusalem. After that, Paul went to 
       Antioch.

       (Acts 18:23 NCV)  He stayed there for a while and then left and went 
       through the regions of Galatia and Phrygia. He traveled from town to 
       town in these regions, giving strength to all the followers.

       (Acts 18:24 NCV)  A Jew named Apollos came to Ephesus. He was born in 
       the city of Alexandria and was a good speaker who knew the Scriptures 
       well.

       (Acts 18:25 NCV)  He had been taught about the way of the Lord and was 
       always very excited when he spoke and taught the truth about Jesus. 
       But the only baptism Apollos knew about was the baptism that John 
       taught.

       (Acts 18:26 NCV)  Apollos began to speak very boldly in the synagogue, 
       and when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him to their home 
       and helped him better understand the way of God.

       (Acts 18:27 NCV)  Now Apollos wanted to go to the country of Southern 
       Greece. So the believers helped him and wrote a letter to the 
       followers there, asking them to accept him. These followers had 
       believed in Jesus because of God's grace, and when Apollos arrived, he 
       helped them very much.

       (Acts 18:28 NCV)  He argued very strongly with the Jews before all the 
       people, clearly proving with the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.

       (Acts 19:1 NCV)  While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul was visiting some 
       places on the way to Ephesus. There he found some followers

       (Acts 19:2 NCV)  and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when 
       you believed?" They said, "We have never even heard of a Holy Spirit."

       (Acts 19:3 NCV)  So he asked, "What kind of baptism did you have?" 
       They said, "It was the baptism that John taught."

       (Acts 19:4 NCV)  Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of changed 
       hearts and lives. He told people to believe in the one who would come 
       after him, and that one is Jesus."

       (Acts 19:5 NCV)  When they heard this, they were baptized in the name 
       of the Lord Jesus.

       (Acts 19:6 NCV)  Then Paul laid his hands on them, and the Holy Spirit 
       came upon them. They began speaking different languages and 
       prophesying.






       (Acts 19:7 NCV)  There were about twelve people in this group.

       (Acts 19:8 NCV)  Paul went into the synagogue and spoke out boldly for 
       three months. He talked with the Jews and persuaded them to accept the 
       things he said about the kingdom of God.

       (Acts 19:9 NCV)  But some of the Jews became stubborn. They refused to 
       believe and said evil things about the Way of Jesus before all the 
       people. So Paul left them, and taking the followers with him, he went 
       to the school of a man named Tyrannus. There Paul talked with people 
       every day

       (Acts 19:10 NCV)  for two years. Because of his work, every Jew and 
       Greek in the country of Asia heard the word of the Lord.

       (Acts 19:11 NCV)  God used Paul to do some very special miracles.

       (Acts 19:12 NCV)  Some people took handkerchiefs and clothes that Paul 
       had used and put them on the sick. When they did this, the sick were 
       healed and evil spirits left them.

       (Acts 19:13 NCV)  But some Jews also were traveling around and making 
       evil spirits go out of people. They tried to use the name of the Lord 
       Jesus to force the evil spirits out. They would say, "By the same 
       Jesus that Paul talks about, I order you to come out!"

       (Acts 19:14 NCV)  Seven sons of Sceva, a leading Jewish priest, were 
       doing this.

       (Acts 19:15 NCV)  But one time an evil spirit said to them, "I know 
       Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?"

       (Acts 19:16 NCV)  Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them. 
       Because he was so much stronger than all of them, they ran away from 
       the house naked and hurt.

       (Acts 19:17 NCV)  All the people in Ephesus--Jews and Greeks--learned 
       about this and were filled with fear and gave great honor to the Lord 
       Jesus.

       (Acts 19:18 NCV)  Many of the believers began to confess openly and 
       tell all the evil things they had done.

       (Acts 19:19 NCV)  Some of them who had used magic brought their magic 
       books and burned them before everyone. Those books were worth about 
       fifty thousand silver coins.

       (Acts 19:20 NCV)  So in a powerful way the word of the Lord kept 
       spreading and growing.

       (Acts 19:21 NCV)  After these things, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, 
       planning to go through the countries of Macedonia and Southern Greece 
       and then on to Jerusalem. He said, "After I have been to Jerusalem, I 
       must also visit Rome."





       (Acts 19:22 NCV)  Paul sent Timothy and Erastus, two of his helpers, 
       ahead to Macedonia, but he himself stayed in Asia for a while.

       (Acts 19:23 NCV)  And during that time, there was some serious trouble 
       in Ephesus about the Way of Jesus.

       (Acts 19:24 NCV)  A man named Demetrius, who worked with silver, made 
       little silver models that looked like the temple of the goddess 
       Artemis. Those who did this work made much money.

       (Acts 19:25 NCV)  Demetrius had a meeting with them and some others 
       who did the same kind of work. He told them, "Men, you know that we 
       make a lot of money from our business.

       (Acts 19:26 NCV)  But look at what this man Paul is doing. He has 
       convinced and turned away many people in Ephesus and in almost all of 
       Asia! He says the gods made by human hands are not real.

       (Acts 19:27 NCV)  There is a danger that our business will lose its 
       good name, but there is also another danger: People will begin to 
       think that the temple of the great goddess Artemis is not important. 
       Her greatness will be destroyed, and Artemis is the goddess that 
       everyone in Asia and the whole world worships."

       (Acts 19:28 NCV)  When the others heard this, they became very angry 
       and shouted, "Artemis, the goddess of Ephesus, is great!"

       (Acts 19:29 NCV)  The whole city became confused. The people grabbed 
       Gaius and Aristarchus, who were from Macedonia and were traveling with 
       Paul, and ran to the theater.

       (Acts 19:30 NCV)  Paul wanted to go in and talk to the crowd, but the 
       followers did not let him.

       (Acts 19:31 NCV)  Also, some leaders of Asia who were friends of Paul 
       sent him a message, begging him not to go into the theater.

       (Acts 19:32 NCV)  Some people were shouting one thing, and some were 
       shouting another. The meeting was completely confused; most of them 
       did not know why they had come together.

       (Acts 19:33 NCV)  The Jews put a man named Alexander in front of the 
       people, and some of them told him what to do. Alexander waved his hand 
       so he could explain things to the people.

       (Acts 19:34 NCV)  But when they saw that Alexander was a Jew, they all 
       shouted the same thing for two hours: "Great is Artemis of Ephesus!"

       (Acts 19:35 NCV)  Then the city clerk made the crowd be quiet. He 
       said, "People of Ephesus, everyone knows that Ephesus is the city that 
       keeps the temple of the great goddess Artemis and her holy stone that 
       fell from heaven.

       (Acts 19:36 NCV)  Since no one can say this is not true, you should be 
       quiet. Stop and think before you do anything.





       (Acts 19:37 NCV)  You brought these men here, but they have not said 
       anything evil against our goddess or stolen anything from her temple.

       (Acts 19:38 NCV)  If Demetrius and those who work with him have a 
       charge against anyone they should go to the courts and judges where 
       they can argue with each other.

       (Acts 19:39 NCV)  If there is something else you want to talk about, 
       it can be decided at the regular town meeting of the people.

       (Acts 19:40 NCV)  I say this because some people might see this 
       trouble today and say that we are rioting. We could not explain this, 
       because there is no real reason for this meeting."

       (Acts 19:41 NCV)  After the city clerk said these things, he told the 
       people to go home.

       (Acts 20:1 NCV)  When the trouble stopped, Paul sent for the followers 
       to come to him. After he encouraged them and then told them good-bye, 
       he left and went to the country of Macedonia.

       (Acts 20:2 NCV)  He said many things to strengthen the followers in 
       the different places on his way through Macedonia. Then he went to 
       Greece,

       (Acts 20:3 NCV)  where he stayed for three months. He was ready to 
       sail for Syria, but some Jews were planning something against him. So 
       Paul decided to go back through Macedonia to Syria.

       (Acts 20:4 NCV)  The men who went with him were Sopater son of 
       Pyrrhus, from the city of Berea; Aristarchus and Secundus, from the 
       city of Thessalonica; Gaius, from Derbe; Timothy; and Tychicus and 
       Trophimus, two men from the country of Asia.

       (Acts 20:5 NCV)  These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas.

       (Acts 20:6 NCV)  We sailed from Philippi after the Feast of Unleavened 
       Bread. Five days later we met them in Troas, where we stayed for seven 
       days.

       (Acts 20:7 NCV)  On the first day of the week, we all met together to 
       break bread, and Paul spoke to the group. Because he was planning to 
       leave the next day, he kept on talking until midnight.

       (Acts 20:8 NCV)  We were all together in a room upstairs, and there 
       were many lamps in the room.

       (Acts 20:9 NCV)  A young man named Eutychus was sitting in the window. 
       As Paul continued talking, Eutychus was falling into a deep sleep. 
       Finally, he went sound asleep and fell to the ground from the third 
       floor. When they picked him up, he was dead.

       (Acts 20:10 NCV)  Paul went down to Eutychus, knelt down, and put his 
       arms around him. He said, "Don't worry. He is alive now."

       (Acts 20:11 NCV)  Then Paul went upstairs again, broke bread, and ate. 





       He spoke to them a long time, until it was early morning, and then he 
       left.

       (Acts 20:12 NCV)  They took the young man home alive and were greatly 
       comforted.

       (Acts 20:13 NCV)  We went on ahead of Paul and sailed for the city of 
       Assos, where he wanted to join us on the ship. Paul planned it this 
       way because he wanted to go to Assos by land.

       (Acts 20:14 NCV)  When he met us there, we took him aboard and went to 
       Mitylene.

       (Acts 20:15 NCV)  We sailed from Mitylene and the next day came to a 
       place near Chios. The following day we sailed to Samos, and the next 
       day we reached Miletus.

       (Acts 20:16 NCV)  Paul had already decided not to stop at Ephesus, 
       because he did not want to stay too long in the country of Asia. He 
       was hurrying to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, if that were 
       possible.

       (Acts 20:17 NCV)  Now from Miletus Paul sent to Ephesus and called for 
       the elders of the church.

       (Acts 20:18 NCV)  When they came to him, he said, "You know about my 
       life from the first day I came to Asia. You know the way I lived all 
       the time I was with you.

       (Acts 20:19 NCV)  The Jews made plans against me, which troubled me 
       very much. But you know I always served the Lord unselfishly, and I 
       often cried.

       (Acts 20:20 NCV)  You know I preached to you and did not hold back 
       anything that would help you. You know that I taught you in public and 
       in your homes.

       (Acts 20:21 NCV)  I warned both Jews and Greeks to change their lives 
       and turn to God and believe in our Lord Jesus.

       (Acts 20:22 NCV)  But now I must obey the Holy Spirit and go to 
       Jerusalem. I don't know what will happen to me there.

       (Acts 20:23 NCV)  I know only that in every city the Holy Spirit tells 
       me that troubles and even jail wait for me.

       (Acts 20:24 NCV)  I don't care about my own life. The most important 
       thing is that I complete my mission, the work that the Lord Jesus gave 
       me--to tell people the Good News about God's grace.

       (Acts 20:25 NCV)  "And now, I know that none of you among whom I was 
       preaching the kingdom of God will ever see me again.

       (Acts 20:26 NCV)  So today I tell you that if any of you should be 
       lost, I am not responsible,





       (Acts 20:27 NCV)  because I have told you everything God wants you to 
       know.

       (Acts 20:28 NCV)  Be careful for yourselves and for all the people the 
       Holy Spirit has given to you to care for. You must be like shepherds 
       to the church of God, which he bought with the death of his own son.

       (Acts 20:29 NCV)  I know that after I leave, some people will come 
       like wild wolves and try to destroy the flock.

       (Acts 20:30 NCV)  Also, some from your own group will rise up and 
       twist the truth and will lead away followers after them.

       (Acts 20:31 NCV)  So be careful! Always remember that for three years, 
       day and night, I never stopped warning each of you, and I often cried 
       over you.

       (Acts 20:32 NCV)  "Now I am putting you in the care of God and the 
       message about his grace. It is able to give you strength, and it will 
       give you the blessings God has for all his holy people.

       (Acts 20:33 NCV)  When I was with you, I never wanted anyone's money 
       or fine clothes.

       (Acts 20:34 NCV)  You know I always worked to take care of my own 
       needs and the needs of those who were with me.

       (Acts 20:35 NCV)  I showed you in all things that you should work as I 
       did and help the weak. I taught you to remember the words Jesus said: 
       'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

       (Acts 20:36 NCV)  When Paul had said this, he knelt down with all of 
       them and prayed.

       (Acts 20:37 NCV)  And they all cried because Paul had said they would 
       never see him again. They put their arms around him and kissed him. 
       Then they went with him to the ship.

       (Acts 20:38 NCV)  

       (Acts 21:1 NCV)  After we all said good-bye to them, we sailed 
       straight to the island of Cos. The next day we reached Rhodes, and 
       from there we went to Patara.

       (Acts 21:2 NCV)  There we found a ship going to Phoenicia, so we went 
       aboard and sailed away.

       (Acts 21:3 NCV)  We sailed near the island of Cyprus, seeing it to the 
       north, but we sailed on to Syria. We stopped at Tyre because the ship 
       needed to unload its cargo there.

       (Acts 21:4 NCV)  We found some followers in Tyre and stayed with them 
       for seven days. Through the Holy Spirit they warned Paul not to go to 
       Jerusalem.

       (Acts 21:5 NCV)  When we finished our visit, we left and continued our 





       trip. All the followers, even the women and children, came outside the 
       city with us. After we all knelt on the beach and prayed,

       (Acts 21:6 NCV)  we said good-bye and got on the ship, and the 
       followers went back home.

       (Acts 21:7 NCV)  We continued our trip from Tyre and arrived at 
       Ptolemais, where we greeted the believers and stayed with them for a 
       day.

       (Acts 21:8 NCV)  The next day we left Ptolemais and went to the city 
       of Caesarea. There we went into the home of Philip the preacher, one 
       of the seven helpers, and stayed with him.

       (Acts 21:9 NCV)  He had four unmarried daughters who had the gift of 
       prophesying.

       (Acts 21:10 NCV)  After we had been there for some time, a prophet 
       named Agabus arrived from Judea.

       (Acts 21:11 NCV)  He came to us and borrowed Paul's belt and used it 
       to tie his own hands and feet. He said, "The Holy Spirit says, 'This 
       is how the Jews in Jerusalem will tie up the man who wears this belt. 
       Then they will give him to those who are not Jews.'"

       (Acts 21:12 NCV)  When we all heard this, we and the people there 
       begged Paul not to go to Jerusalem.

       (Acts 21:13 NCV)  But he said, "Why are you crying and making me so 
       sad? I am not only ready to be tied up in Jerusalem, I am ready to die 
       for the Lord Jesus!"

       (Acts 21:14 NCV)  We could not persuade him to stay away from 
       Jerusalem. So we stopped begging him and said, "We pray that what the 
       Lord wants will be done."

       (Acts 21:15 NCV)  After this, we got ready and started on our way to 
       Jerusalem.

       (Acts 21:16 NCV)  Some of the followers from Caesarea went with us and 
       took us to the home of Mnason, where we would stay. He was from Cyprus 
       and was one of the first followers.

       (Acts 21:17 NCV)  In Jerusalem the believers were glad to see us.

       (Acts 21:18 NCV)  The next day Paul went with us to visit James, and 
       all the elders were there.

       (Acts 21:19 NCV)  Paul greeted them and told them everything God had 
       done among the non-Jewish people through him.

       (Acts 21:20 NCV)  When they heard this, they praised God. Then they 
       said to Paul, "Brother, you can see that many thousands of Jews have 
       become believers. And they think it is very important to obey the law 
       of Moses.





       (Acts 21:21 NCV)  They have heard about your teaching, that you tell 
       the Jews who live among those who are not Jews to leave the law of 
       Moses. They have heard that you tell them not to circumcise their 
       children and not to obey Jewish customs.

       (Acts 21:22 NCV)  What should we do? They will learn that you have 
       come.

       (Acts 21:23 NCV)  So we will tell you what to do: Four of our men have 
       made a promise to God.

       (Acts 21:24 NCV)  Take these men with you and share in their cleansing 
       ceremony. Pay their expenses so they can shave their heads. Then it 
       will prove to everyone that what they have heard about you is not true 
       and that you follow the law of Moses in your own life.

       (Acts 21:25 NCV)  We have already sent a letter to the non-Jewish 
       believers. The letter said: 'Do not eat food that has been offered to 
       idols, or blood, or animals that have been strangled. Do not take part 
       in sexual sin.'"

       (Acts 21:26 NCV)  The next day Paul took the four men and shared in 
       the cleansing ceremony with them. Then he went to the Temple and 
       announced the time when the days of the cleansing ceremony would be 
       finished. On the last day an offering would be given for each of the 
       men.

       (Acts 21:27 NCV)  When the seven days were almost over, some Jews from 
       Asia saw Paul at the Temple. They caused all the people to be upset 
       and grabbed Paul.

       (Acts 21:28 NCV)  They shouted, "People of Israel, help us! This is 
       the man who goes everywhere teaching against the law of Moses, against 
       our people, and against this Temple. Now he has brought some Greeks 
       into the Temple and has made this holy place unclean!"

       (Acts 21:29 NCV)  (The Jews said this because they had seen Trophimus, 
       a man from Ephesus, with Paul in Jerusalem. The Jews thought that Paul 
       had brought him into the Temple.)

       (Acts 21:30 NCV)  All the people in Jerusalem became upset. Together 
       they ran, took Paul, and dragged him out of the Temple. The Temple 
       doors were closed immediately.

       (Acts 21:31 NCV)  While they were trying to kill Paul, the commander 
       of the Roman army in Jerusalem learned that there was trouble in the 
       whole city.

       (Acts 21:32 NCV)  Immediately he took some officers and soldiers and 
       ran to the place where the crowd was gathered. When the people saw 
       them, they stopped beating Paul.

       (Acts 21:33 NCV)  The commander went to Paul and arrested him. He told 
       his soldiers to tie Paul with two chains. Then he asked who he was and 
       what he had done wrong.





       (Acts 21:34 NCV)  Some in the crowd were yelling one thing, and some 
       were yelling another. Because of all this confusion and shouting, the 
       commander could not learn what had happened. So he ordered the 
       soldiers to take Paul to the army building.

       (Acts 21:35 NCV)  When Paul came to the steps, the soldiers had to 
       carry him because the people were ready to hurt him.

       (Acts 21:36 NCV)  The whole mob was following them, shouting, "Kill 
       him!"

       (Acts 21:37 NCV)  As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the 
       army building, he spoke to the commander, "May I say something to 
       you?" The commander said, "Do you speak Greek?

       (Acts 21:38 NCV)  I thought you were the Egyptian who started some 
       trouble against the government not long ago and led four thousand 
       killers out to the desert."

       (Acts 21:39 NCV)  Paul said, "No, I am a Jew from Tarsus in the 
       country of Cilicia. I am a citizen of that important city. Please, let 
       me speak to the people."

       (Acts 21:40 NCV)  The commander gave permission, so Paul stood on the 
       steps and waved his hand to quiet the people. When there was silence, 
       he spoke to them in the Jewish language.

       (Acts 22:1 NCV)  Paul said, "Friends, fellow Jews, listen to my 
       defense to you."

       (Acts 22:2 NCV)  When the Jews heard him speaking the Jewish language, 
       they became very quiet. Paul said,

       (Acts 22:3 NCV)  "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in the country of 
       Cilicia, but I grew up in this city. I was a student of Gamaliel, who 
       carefully taught me everything about the law of our ancestors. I was 
       very serious about serving God, just as are all of you here today.

       (Acts 22:4 NCV)  I persecuted the people who followed the Way of 
       Jesus, and some of them were even killed. I arrested men and women and 
       put them in jail.

       (Acts 22:5 NCV)  The high priest and the whole council of older Jewish 
       leaders can tell you this is true. They gave me letters to the Jewish 
       brothers in Damascus. So I was going there to arrest these people and 
       bring them back to Jerusalem to be punished.

       (Acts 22:6 NCV)  "About noon when I came near Damascus, a bright light 
       from heaven suddenly flashed all around me.

       (Acts 22:7 NCV)  I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, 'Saul, 
       Saul, why are you persecuting me?'

       (Acts 22:8 NCV)  I asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' The voice said, 'I am 
       Jesus from Nazareth whom you are persecuting.'





       (Acts 22:9 NCV)  Those who were with me did not hear the voice, but 
       they saw the light.

       (Acts 22:10 NCV)  I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' The Lord answered, 
       'Get up and go to Damascus. There you will be told about all the 
       things I have planned for you to do.'

       (Acts 22:11 NCV)  I could not see, because the bright light had made 
       me blind. So my companions led me into Damascus.

       (Acts 22:12 NCV)  "There a man named Ananias came to me. He was a 
       religious man; he obeyed the law of Moses, and all the Jews who lived 
       there respected him.

       (Acts 22:13 NCV)  He stood by me and said, 'Brother Saul, see again!' 
       Immediately I was able to see him.

       (Acts 22:14 NCV)  He said, 'The God of our ancestors chose you long 
       ago to know his plan, to see the Righteous One, and to hear words from 
       him.

       (Acts 22:15 NCV)  You will be his witness to all people, telling them 
       about what you have seen and heard.

       (Acts 22:16 NCV)  Now, why wait any longer? Get up, be baptized, and 
       wash your sins away, trusting in him to save you.'

       (Acts 22:17 NCV)  "Later, when I returned to Jerusalem, I was praying 
       in the Temple, and I saw a vision.

       (Acts 22:18 NCV)  I saw the Lord saying to me, 'Hurry! Leave Jerusalem 
       now! The people here will not accept the truth about me.'

       (Acts 22:19 NCV)  But I said, 'Lord, they know that in every synagogue 
       I put the believers in jail and beat them.

       (Acts 22:20 NCV)  They also know I was there when Stephen, your 
       witness, was killed. I stood there agreeing and holding the coats of 
       those who were killing him!'

       (Acts 22:21 NCV)  But the Lord said to me, 'Leave now. I will send you 
       far away to the non-Jewish people.'"

       (Acts 22:22 NCV)  The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then 
       they began shouting, "Kill him! Get him out of the world! He should 
       not be allowed to live!"

       (Acts 22:23 NCV)  They shouted, threw off their coats, and threw dust 
       into the air.

       (Acts 22:24 NCV)  Then the commander ordered the soldiers to take Paul 
       into the army building and beat him. He wanted to make Paul tell why 
       the people were shouting against him like this.

       (Acts 22:25 NCV)  But as the soldiers were tying him up, preparing to 
       beat him, Paul said to an officer nearby, "Do you have the right to 





       beat a Roman citizen who has not been proven guilty?"

       (Acts 22:26 NCV)  When the officer heard this, he went to the 
       commander and reported it. The officer said, "Do you know what you are 
       doing? This man is a Roman citizen."

       (Acts 22:27 NCV)  The commander came to Paul and said, "Tell me, are 
       you really a Roman citizen?" He answered, "Yes."

       (Acts 22:28 NCV)  The commander said, "I paid a lot of money to become 
       a Roman citizen." But Paul said, "I was born a citizen."

       (Acts 22:29 NCV)  The men who were preparing to question Paul moved 
       away from him immediately. The commander was frightened because he had 
       already tied Paul, and Paul was a Roman citizen.

       (Acts 22:30 NCV)  The next day the commander decided to learn why the 
       Jews were accusing Paul. So he ordered the leading priests and the 
       Jewish council to meet. The commander took Paul's chains off. Then he 
       brought Paul out and stood him before their meeting.

       (Acts 23:1 NCV)  Paul looked at the Jewish council and said, 
       "Brothers, I have lived my life without guilt feelings before God up 
       to this day."

       (Acts 23:2 NCV)  Ananias, the high priest, heard this and told the men 
       who were standing near Paul to hit him on the mouth.

       (Acts 23:3 NCV)  Paul said to Ananias, "God will hit you, too! You are 
       like a wall that has been painted white. You sit there and judge me, 
       using the law of Moses, but you are telling them to hit me, and that 
       is against the law."

       (Acts 23:4 NCV)  The men standing near Paul said to him, "You cannot 
       insult God's high priest like that!"

       (Acts 23:5 NCV)  Paul said, "Brothers, I did not know this man was the 
       high priest. It is written in the Scriptures, 'You must not curse a 
       leader of your people.'"

       (Acts 23:6 NCV)  Some of the men in the meeting were Sadducees, and 
       others were Pharisees. Knowing this, Paul shouted to them, "My 
       brothers, I am a Pharisee, and my father was a Pharisee. I am on trial 
       here because I believe that people will rise from the dead."

       (Acts 23:7 NCV)  When Paul said this, there was an argument between 
       the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the group was divided.

       (Acts 23:8 NCV)  (The Sadducees do not believe in angels or spirits or 
       that people will rise from the dead. But the Pharisees believe in them 
       all.)

       (Acts 23:9 NCV)  So there was a great uproar. Some of the teachers of 
       the law, who were Pharisees, stood up and argued, "We find nothing 
       wrong with this man. Maybe an angel or a spirit did speak to him."





       (Acts 23:10 NCV)  The argument was beginning to turn into such a fight 
       that the commander was afraid the Jews would tear Paul to pieces. So 
       he told the soldiers to go down and take Paul away and put him in the 
       army building.

       (Acts 23:11 NCV)  The next night the Lord came and stood by Paul. He 
       said, "Be brave! You have told people in Jerusalem about me. You must 
       do the same in Rome."

       (Acts 23:12 NCV)  In the morning some of the Jews made a plan to kill 
       Paul, and they took an oath not to eat or drink anything until they 
       had killed him.

       (Acts 23:13 NCV)  There were more than forty Jews who made this plan.

       (Acts 23:14 NCV)  They went to the leading priests and the older 
       Jewish leaders and said, "We have taken an oath not to eat or drink 
       until we have killed Paul.

       (Acts 23:15 NCV)  So this is what we want you to do: Send a message to 
       the commander to bring Paul out to you as though you want to ask him 
       more questions. We will be waiting to kill him while he is on the way 
       here."

       (Acts 23:16 NCV)  But Paul's nephew heard about this plan and went to 
       the army building and told Paul.

       (Acts 23:17 NCV)  Then Paul called one of the officers and said, "Take 
       this young man to the commander. He has a message for him."

       (Acts 23:18 NCV)  So the officer brought Paul's nephew to the 
       commander and said, "The prisoner, Paul, asked me to bring this young 
       man to you. He wants to tell you something."

       (Acts 23:19 NCV)  The commander took the young man's hand and led him 
       to a place where they could be alone. He asked, "What do you want to 
       tell me?"

       (Acts 23:20 NCV)  The young man said, "The Jews have decided to ask 
       you to bring Paul down to their council meeting tomorrow. They want 
       you to think they are going to ask him more questions.

       (Acts 23:21 NCV)  But don't believe them! More than forty men are 
       hiding and waiting to kill Paul. They have all taken an oath not to 
       eat or drink until they have killed him. Now they are waiting for you 
       to agree."

       (Acts 23:22 NCV)  The commander sent the young man away, ordering him, 
       "Don't tell anyone that you have told me about their plan."

       (Acts 23:23 NCV)  Then the commander called two officers and said, "I 
       need some men to go to Caesarea. Get two hundred soldiers, seventy 
       horsemen, and two hundred men with spears ready to leave at nine 
       o'clock tonight.

       (Acts 23:24 NCV)  Get some horses for Paul to ride so he can be taken 





       to Governor Felix safely."

       (Acts 23:25 NCV)  And he wrote a letter that said:

       (Acts 23:26 NCV)  From Claudius Lysias. To the Most Excellent Governor 
       Felix: Greetings.

       (Acts 23:27 NCV)  The Jews had taken this man and planned to kill him. 
       But I learned that he is a Roman citizen, so I went with my soldiers 
       and saved him.

       (Acts 23:28 NCV)  I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I 
       brought him before their council meeting.

       (Acts 23:29 NCV)  I learned that the Jews said Paul did some things 
       that were wrong by their own laws, but no charge was worthy of jail or 
       death.

       (Acts 23:30 NCV)  When I was told that some of the Jews were planning 
       to kill Paul, I sent him to you at once. I also told those Jews to 
       tell you what they have against him.

       (Acts 23:31 NCV)  So the soldiers did what they were told and took 
       Paul and brought him to the city of Antipatris that night.

       (Acts 23:32 NCV)  The next day the horsemen went with Paul to 
       Caesarea, but the other soldiers went back to the army building in 
       Jerusalem.

       (Acts 23:33 NCV)  When the horsemen came to Caesarea and gave the 
       letter to the governor, they turned Paul over to him.

       (Acts 23:34 NCV)  The governor read the letter and asked Paul, "What 
       area are you from?" When he learned that Paul was from Cilicia,

       (Acts 23:35 NCV)  he said, "I will hear your case when those who are 
       against you come here, too." Then the governor gave orders for Paul to 
       be kept under guard in Herod's palace.

       (Acts 24:1 NCV)  Five days later Ananias, the high priest, went to the 
       city of Caesarea with some of the older Jewish leaders and a lawyer 
       named Tertullus. They had come to make charges against Paul before the 
       governor.

       (Acts 24:2 NCV)  Paul was called into the meeting, and Tertullus began 
       to accuse him, saying, "Most Excellent Felix! Our people enjoy much 
       peace because of you, and many wrong things in our country are being 
       made right through your wise help.

       (Acts 24:3 NCV)  We accept these things always and in every place, and 
       we are thankful for them.

       (Acts 24:4 NCV)  But not wanting to take any more of your time, I beg 
       you to be kind and listen to our few words.

       (Acts 24:5 NCV)  We have found this man to be a troublemaker, stirring 





       up the Jews everywhere in the world. He is a leader of the Nazarene 
       group.

       (Acts 24:6 NCV)  Also, he was trying to make the Temple unclean, but 
       we stopped him.

       (Acts 24:7 NCV)  

       (Acts 24:8 NCV)  By asking him questions yourself, you can decide if 
       all these things are true."

       (Acts 24:9 NCV)  The other Jews agreed and said that all of this was 
       true.

       (Acts 24:10 NCV)  When the governor made a sign for Paul to speak, 
       Paul said, "Governor Felix, I know you have been a judge over this 
       nation for a long time. So I am happy to defend myself before you.

       (Acts 24:11 NCV)  You can learn for yourself that I went to worship in 
       Jerusalem only twelve days ago.

       (Acts 24:12 NCV)  Those who are accusing me did not find me arguing 
       with anyone in the Temple or stirring up the people in the synagogues 
       or in the city.

       (Acts 24:13 NCV)  They cannot prove the things they are saying against 
       me now.

       (Acts 24:14 NCV)  But I will tell you this: I worship the God of our 
       ancestors as a follower of the Way of Jesus. The Jews say that the Way 
       of Jesus is not the right way. But I believe everything that is taught 
       in the law of Moses and that is written in the books of the Prophets.

       (Acts 24:15 NCV)  I have the same hope in God that they have--the hope 
       that all people, good and bad, will surely be raised from the dead.

       (Acts 24:16 NCV)  This is why I always try to do what I believe is 
       right before God and people.

       (Acts 24:17 NCV)  "After being away from Jerusalem for several years, 
       I went back to bring money to my people and to offer sacrifices.

       (Acts 24:18 NCV)  I was doing this when they found me in the Temple. I 
       had finished the cleansing ceremony and had not made any trouble; no 
       people were gathering around me.

       (Acts 24:19 NCV)  But there were some Jews from the country of Asia 
       who should be here, standing before you. If I have really done 
       anything wrong, they are the ones who should accuse me.

       (Acts 24:20 NCV)  Or ask these Jews here if they found any wrong in me 
       when I stood before the Jewish council in Jerusalem.

       (Acts 24:21 NCV)  But I did shout one thing when I stood before them: 
       'You are judging me today because I believe that people will rise from 
       the dead!'"






       (Acts 24:22 NCV)  Felix already understood much about the Way of 
       Jesus. He stopped the trial and said, "When commander Lysias comes 
       here, I will decide your case."

       (Acts 24:23 NCV)  Felix told the officer to keep Paul guarded but to 
       give him some freedom and to let his friends bring what he needed.

       (Acts 24:24 NCV)  After some days Felix came with his wife, Drusilla, 
       who was Jewish, and asked for Paul to be brought to him. He listened 
       to Paul talk about believing in Christ Jesus.

       (Acts 24:25 NCV)  But Felix became afraid when Paul spoke about living 
       right, self-control, and the time when God will judge the world. He 
       said, "Go away now. When I have more time, I will call for you."

       (Acts 24:26 NCV)  At the same time Felix hoped that Paul would give 
       him some money, so he often sent for Paul and talked with him.

       (Acts 24:27 NCV)  But after two years, Felix was replaced by Porcius 
       Festus as governor. But Felix had left Paul in prison to please the 
       Jews.

       (Acts 25:1 NCV)  Three days after Festus became governor, he went from 
       Caesarea to Jerusalem.

       (Acts 25:2 NCV)  There the leading priests and the important Jewish 
       leaders made charges against Paul before Festus.

       (Acts 25:3 NCV)  They asked Festus to do them a favor. They wanted him 
       to send Paul back to Jerusalem, because they had a plan to kill him on 
       the way.

       (Acts 25:4 NCV)  But Festus answered that Paul would be kept in 
       Caesarea and that he himself was returning there soon.

       (Acts 25:5 NCV)  He said, "Some of your leaders should go with me. 
       They can accuse the man there in Caesarea, if he has really done 
       something wrong."

       (Acts 25:6 NCV)  Festus stayed in Jerusalem another eight or ten days 
       and then went back to Caesarea. The next day he told the soldiers to 
       bring Paul before him. Festus was seated on the judge's seat

       (Acts 25:7 NCV)  when Paul came into the room. The Jewish people who 
       had come from Jerusalem stood around him, making serious charges 
       against him, which they could not prove.

       (Acts 25:8 NCV)  This is what Paul said to defend himself: "I have 
       done nothing wrong against the Jewish law, against the Temple, or 
       against Caesar."

       (Acts 25:9 NCV)  But Festus wanted to please the Jews. So he asked 
       Paul, "Do you want to go to Jerusalem for me to judge you there on 
       these charges?"





       (Acts 25:10 NCV)  Paul said, "I am standing at Caesar's judgment seat 
       now, where I should be judged. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews; 
       you know this is true.

       (Acts 25:11 NCV)  If I have done something wrong and the law says I 
       must die, I do not ask to be saved from death. But if these charges 
       are not true, then no one can give me to them. I want Caesar to hear 
       my case!"

       (Acts 25:12 NCV)  Festus talked about this with his advisors. Then he 
       said, "You have asked to see Caesar, so you will go to Caesar!"

       (Acts 25:13 NCV)  A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice came to 
       Caesarea to visit Festus.

       (Acts 25:14 NCV)  They stayed there for some time, and Festus told the 
       king about Paul's case. Festus said, "There is a man that Felix left 
       in prison.

       (Acts 25:15 NCV)  When I went to Jerusalem, the leading priests and 
       the older Jewish leaders there made charges against him, asking me to 
       sentence him to death.

       (Acts 25:16 NCV)  But I answered, 'When a man is accused of a crime, 
       Romans do not hand him over until he has been allowed to face his 
       accusers and defend himself against their charges.'

       (Acts 25:17 NCV)  So when these Jews came here to Caesarea for the 
       trial, I did not waste time. The next day I sat on the judge's seat 
       and commanded that the man be brought in.

       (Acts 25:18 NCV)  The Jews stood up and accused him, but not of any 
       serious crime as I thought they would.

       (Acts 25:19 NCV)  The things they said were about their own religion 
       and about a man named Jesus who died. But Paul said that he is still 
       alive.

       (Acts 25:20 NCV)  Not knowing how to find out about these questions, I 
       asked Paul, 'Do you want to go to Jerusalem and be judged there?'

       (Acts 25:21 NCV)  But he asked to be kept in Caesarea. He wants a 
       decision from the emperor. So I ordered that he be held until I could 
       send him to Caesar."

       (Acts 25:22 NCV)  Agrippa said to Festus, "I would also like to hear 
       this man myself." Festus said, "Tomorrow you will hear him."

       (Acts 25:23 NCV)  The next day Agrippa and Bernice appeared with great 
       show, acting like very important people. They went into the judgment 
       room with the army leaders and the important men of Caesarea. Then 
       Festus ordered the soldiers to bring Paul in.

       (Acts 25:24 NCV)  Festus said, "King Agrippa and all who are gathered 
       here with us, you see this man. All the Jewish people, here and in 
       Jerusalem, have complained to me about him, shouting that he should 





       not live any longer.

       (Acts 25:25 NCV)  When I judged him, I found no reason to order his 
       death. But since he asked to be judged by Caesar, I decided to send 
       him.

       (Acts 25:26 NCV)  But I have nothing definite to write the emperor 
       about him. So I have brought him before all of you--especially you, 
       King Agrippa. I hope you can question him and give me something to 
       write.

       (Acts 25:27 NCV)  I think it is foolish to send a prisoner to Caesar 
       without telling what charges are against him."

       (Acts 26:1 NCV)  Agrippa said to Paul, "You may now speak to defend 
       yourself." Then Paul raised his hand and began to speak.

       (Acts 26:2 NCV)  He said, "King Agrippa, I am very happy to stand 
       before you and will answer all the charges the Jewish people make 
       against me.

       (Acts 26:3 NCV)  You know so much about all the Jewish customs and the 
       things the Jews argue about, so please listen to me patiently.

       (Acts 26:4 NCV)  "All the Jewish people know about my whole life, how 
       I lived from the beginning in my own country and later in Jerusalem.

       (Acts 26:5 NCV)  They have known me for a long time. If they want to, 
       they can tell you that I was a good Pharisee. And the Pharisees obey 
       the laws of the Jewish religion more carefully than any other group.

       (Acts 26:6 NCV)  Now I am on trial because I hope for the promise that 
       God made to our ancestors.

       (Acts 26:7 NCV)  This is the promise that the twelve tribes of our 
       people hope to receive as they serve God day and night. My king, the 
       Jews have accused me because I hope for this same promise!

       (Acts 26:8 NCV)  Why do any of you people think it is impossible for 
       God to raise people from the dead?

       (Acts 26:9 NCV)  "I, too, thought I ought to do many things against 
       Jesus from Nazareth.

       (Acts 26:10 NCV)  And that is what I did in Jerusalem. The leading 
       priests gave me the power to put many of God's people in jail, and 
       when they were being killed, I agreed it was a good thing.

       (Acts 26:11 NCV)  In every synagogue, I often punished them and tried 
       to make them speak against Jesus. I was so angry against them I even 
       went to other cities to find them and punish them.

       (Acts 26:12 NCV)  "One time the leading priests gave me permission and 
       the power to go to Damascus.

       (Acts 26:13 NCV)  On the way there, at noon, I saw a light from 





       heaven. It was brighter than the sun and flashed all around me and 
       those who were traveling with me.

       (Acts 26:14 NCV)  We all fell to the ground. Then I heard a voice 
       speaking to me in the Jewish language, saying, 'Saul, Saul, why are 
       you persecuting me? You are only hurting yourself by fighting me.'

       (Acts 26:15 NCV)  I said, 'Who are you, Lord?' The Lord said, 'I am 
       Jesus, the one you are persecuting.

       (Acts 26:16 NCV)  Stand up! I have chosen you to be my servant and my 
       witness--you will tell people the things that you have seen and the 
       things that I will show you. This is why I have come to you today.

       (Acts 26:17 NCV)  I will keep you safe from your own people and also 
       from those who are not Jewish. I am sending you to them

       (Acts 26:18 NCV)  to open their eyes so that they may turn away from 
       darkness to the light, away from the power of Satan and to God. Then 
       their sins can be forgiven, and they can have a place with those 
       people who have been made holy by believing in me.'

       (Acts 26:19 NCV)  "King Agrippa, after I had this vision from heaven, 
       I obeyed it.

       (Acts 26:20 NCV)  I began telling people that they should change their 
       hearts and lives and turn to God and do things to show they really had 
       changed. I told this first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem, 
       and in every part of Judea, and also to those who are not Jewish.

       (Acts 26:21 NCV)  This is why the Jews took me and were trying to kill 
       me in the Temple.

       (Acts 26:22 NCV)  But God has helped me, and so I stand here today, 
       telling all people, small and great, what I have seen. But I am saying 
       only what Moses and the prophets said would happen--

       (Acts 26:23 NCV)  that the Christ would die, and as the first to rise 
       from the dead, he would bring light to the Jewish and non-Jewish 
       people."

       (Acts 26:24 NCV)  While Paul was saying these things to defend 
       himself, Festus said loudly, "Paul, you are out of your mind! Too much 
       study has driven you crazy!"

       (Acts 26:25 NCV)  Paul said, "Most excellent Festus, I am not crazy. 
       My words are true and sensible.

       (Acts 26:26 NCV)  King Agrippa knows about these things, and I can 
       speak freely to him. I know he has heard about all of these things, 
       because they did not happen off in a corner.

       (Acts 26:27 NCV)  King Agrippa, do you believe what the prophets 
       wrote? I know you believe."

       (Acts 26:28 NCV)  King Agrippa said to Paul, "Do you think you can 





       persuade me to become a Christian in such a short time?"

       (Acts 26:29 NCV)  Paul said, "Whether it is a short or a long time, I 
       pray to God that not only you but every person listening to me today 
       would be saved and be like me--except for these chains I have."

       (Acts 26:30 NCV)  Then King Agrippa, Governor Festus, Bernice, and all 
       the people sitting with them stood up

       (Acts 26:31 NCV)  and left the room. Talking to each other, they said, 
       "There is no reason why this man should die or be put in jail."

       (Acts 26:32 NCV)  And Agrippa said to Festus, "We could let this man 
       go free, but he has asked Caesar to hear his case."

       (Acts 27:1 NCV)  It was decided that we would sail for Italy. An 
       officer named Julius, who served in the emperor's army, guarded Paul 
       and some other prisoners.

       (Acts 27:2 NCV)  We got on a ship that was from the city of 
       Adramyttium and was about to sail to different ports in the country of 
       Asia. Aristarchus, a man from the city of Thessalonica in Macedonia, 
       went with us.

       (Acts 27:3 NCV)  The next day we came to Sidon. Julius was very good 
       to Paul and gave him freedom to go visit his friends, who took care of 
       his needs.

       (Acts 27:4 NCV)  We left Sidon and sailed close to the island of 
       Cyprus, because the wind was blowing against us.

       (Acts 27:5 NCV)  We went across the sea by Cilicia and Pamphylia and 
       landed at the city of Myra, in Lycia.

       (Acts 27:6 NCV)  There the officer found a ship from Alexandria that 
       was going to Italy, so he put us on it.

       (Acts 27:7 NCV)  We sailed slowly for many days. We had a hard time 
       reaching Cnidus because the wind was blowing against us, and we could 
       not go any farther. So we sailed by the south side of the island of 
       Crete near Salmone.

       (Acts 27:8 NCV)  Sailing past it was hard. Then we came to a place 
       called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.

       (Acts 27:9 NCV)  We had lost much time, and it was now dangerous to 
       sail, because it was already after the Day of Cleansing. So Paul 
       warned them,

       (Acts 27:10 NCV)  "Men, I can see there will be a lot of trouble on 
       this trip. The ship, the cargo, and even our lives may be lost."

       (Acts 27:11 NCV)  But the captain and the owner of the ship did not 
       agree with Paul, and the officer believed what the captain and owner 
       of the ship said.





       (Acts 27:12 NCV)  Since that harbor was not a good place for the ship 
       to stay for the winter, most of the men decided that the ship should 
       leave. They hoped we could go to Phoenix and stay there for the 
       winter. Phoenix, a city on the island of Crete, had a harbor which 
       faced southwest and northwest.

       (Acts 27:13 NCV)  When a good wind began to blow from the south, the 
       men on the ship thought, "This is the wind we wanted, and now we have 
       it." So they pulled up the anchor, and we sailed very close to the 
       island of Crete.

       (Acts 27:14 NCV)  But then a very strong wind named the "northeaster" 
       came from the island.

       (Acts 27:15 NCV)  The ship was caught in it and could not sail against 
       it. So we stopped trying and let the wind carry us.

       (Acts 27:16 NCV)  When we went below a small island named Cauda, we 
       were barely able to bring in the lifeboat.

       (Acts 27:17 NCV)  After the men took the lifeboat in, they tied ropes 
       around the ship to hold it together. The men were afraid that the ship 
       would hit the sandbanks of Syrtis, so they lowered the sail and let 
       the wind carry the ship.

       (Acts 27:18 NCV)  The next day the storm was blowing us so hard that 
       the men threw out some of the cargo.

       (Acts 27:19 NCV)  A day later with their own hands they threw out the 
       ship's equipment.

       (Acts 27:20 NCV)  When we could not see the sun or the stars for many 
       days, and the storm was very bad, we lost all hope of being saved.

       (Acts 27:21 NCV)  After the men had gone without food for a long time, 
       Paul stood up before them and said, "Men, you should have listened to 
       me. You should not have sailed from Crete. Then you would not have all 
       this trouble and loss.

       (Acts 27:22 NCV)  But now I tell you to cheer up because none of you 
       will die. Only the ship will be lost.

       (Acts 27:23 NCV)  Last night an angel came to me from the God I belong 
       to and worship.

       (Acts 27:24 NCV)  The angel said, 'Paul, do not be afraid. You must 
       stand before Caesar. And God has promised you that he will save the 
       lives of everyone sailing with you.'

       (Acts 27:25 NCV)  So men, have courage. I trust in God that everything 
       will happen as his angel told me.

       (Acts 27:26 NCV)  But we will crash on an island."

       (Acts 27:27 NCV)  On the fourteenth night we were still being carried 
       around in the Adriatic Sea. About midnight the sailors thought we were 





       close to land,

       (Acts 27:28 NCV)  so they lowered a rope with a weight on the end of 
       it into the water. They found that the water was one hundred twenty 
       feet deep. They went a little farther and lowered the rope again. It 
       was ninety feet deep.

       (Acts 27:29 NCV)  The sailors were afraid that we would hit the rocks, 
       so they threw four anchors into the water and prayed for daylight to 
       come.

       (Acts 27:30 NCV)  Some of the sailors wanted to leave the ship, and 
       they lowered the lifeboat, pretending they were throwing more anchors 
       from the front of the ship.

       (Acts 27:31 NCV)  But Paul told the officer and the other soldiers, 
       "If these men do not stay in the ship, your lives cannot be saved."

       (Acts 27:32 NCV)  So the soldiers cut the ropes and let the lifeboat 
       fall into the water.

       (Acts 27:33 NCV)  Just before dawn Paul began persuading all the 
       people to eat something. He said, "For the past fourteen days you have 
       been waiting and watching and not eating.

       (Acts 27:34 NCV)  Now I beg you to eat something. You need it to stay 
       alive. None of you will lose even one hair off your heads."

       (Acts 27:35 NCV)  After he said this, Paul took some bread and thanked 
       God for it before all of them. He broke off a piece and began eating.

       (Acts 27:36 NCV)  They all felt better and started eating, too.

       (Acts 27:37 NCV)  There were two hundred seventy-six people on the 
       ship.

       (Acts 27:38 NCV)  When they had eaten all they wanted, they began 
       making the ship lighter by throwing the grain into the sea.

       (Acts 27:39 NCV)  When daylight came, the sailors saw land. They did 
       not know what land it was, but they saw a bay with a beach and wanted 
       to sail the ship to the beach if they could.

       (Acts 27:40 NCV)  So they cut the ropes to the anchors and left the 
       anchors in the sea. At the same time, they untied the ropes that were 
       holding the rudders. Then they raised the front sail into the wind and 
       sailed toward the beach.

       (Acts 27:41 NCV)  But the ship hit a sandbank. The front of the ship 
       stuck there and could not move, but the back of the ship began to 
       break up from the big waves.

       (Acts 27:42 NCV)  The soldiers decided to kill the prisoners so none 
       of them could swim away and escape.

       (Acts 27:43 NCV)  But Julius, the officer, wanted to let Paul live and 





       did not allow the soldiers to kill the prisoners. Instead he ordered 
       everyone who could swim to jump into the water first and swim to land.

       (Acts 27:44 NCV)  The rest were to follow using wooden boards or 
       pieces of the ship. And this is how all the people made it safely to 
       land.

       (Acts 28:1 NCV)  When we were safe on land, we learned that the island 
       was called Malta.

       (Acts 28:2 NCV)  The people who lived there were very good to us. 
       Because it was raining and very cold, they made a fire and welcomed 
       all of us.

       (Acts 28:3 NCV)  Paul gathered a pile of sticks and was putting them 
       on the fire when a poisonous snake came out because of the heat and 
       bit him on the hand.

       (Acts 28:4 NCV)  The people living on the island saw the snake hanging 
       from Paul's hand and said to each other, "This man must be a murderer! 
       He did not die in the sea, but Justice does not want him to live."

       (Acts 28:5 NCV)  But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and was 
       not hurt.

       (Acts 28:6 NCV)  The people thought that Paul would swell up or fall 
       down dead. They waited and watched him for a long time, but nothing 
       bad happened to him. So they changed their minds and said, "He is a 
       god!"

       (Acts 28:7 NCV)  There were some fields around there owned by Publius, 
       an important man on the island. He welcomed us into his home and was 
       very good to us for three days.

       (Acts 28:8 NCV)  Publius' father was sick with a fever and dysentery. 
       Paul went to him, prayed, and put his hands on the man and healed him.

       (Acts 28:9 NCV)  After this, all the other sick people on the island 
       came to Paul, and he healed them, too.

       (Acts 28:10 NCV)  The people on the island gave us many honors. When 
       we were ready to leave, three months later, they gave us the things we 
       needed. We got on a ship from Alexandria that had stayed on the island 
       during the winter. On the front of the ship was the sign of the twin 
       gods.

       (Acts 28:11 NCV)  

       (Acts 28:12 NCV)  We stopped at Syracuse for three days.

       (Acts 28:13 NCV)  From there we sailed to Rhegium. The next day a wind 
       began to blow from the south, and a day later we came to Puteoli.

       (Acts 28:14 NCV)  We found some believers there who asked us to stay 
       with them for a week. Finally, we came to Rome.





       (Acts 28:15 NCV)  The believers in Rome heard that we were there and 
       came out as far as the Market of Appius and the Three Inns to meet us. 
       When Paul saw them, he was encouraged and thanked God.

       (Acts 28:16 NCV)  When we arrived at Rome, Paul was allowed to live 
       alone, with the soldier who guarded him.

       (Acts 28:17 NCV)  Three days later Paul sent for the Jewish leaders 
       there. When they came together, he said, "Brothers, I have done 
       nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors. But I was 
       arrested in Jerusalem and given to the Romans.

       (Acts 28:18 NCV)  After they asked me many questions, they could find 
       no reason why I should be killed. They wanted to let me go free,

       (Acts 28:19 NCV)  but the Jewish people there argued against that. So 
       I had to ask to come to Rome to have my trial before Caesar. But I 
       have no charge to bring against my own people.

       (Acts 28:20 NCV)  That is why I wanted to see you and talk with you. I 
       am bound with this chain because I believe in the hope of Israel."

       (Acts 28:21 NCV)  They answered Paul, "We have received no letters 
       from Judea about you. None of our Jewish brothers who have come from 
       there brought news or told us anything bad about you.

       (Acts 28:22 NCV)  But we want to hear your ideas, because we know that 
       people everywhere are speaking against this religious group."

       (Acts 28:23 NCV)  Paul and the Jewish people chose a day for a meeting 
       and on that day many more of the Jews met with Paul at the place he 
       was staying. He spoke to them all day long. Using the law of Moses and 
       the prophets' writings, he explained the kingdom of God, and he tried 
       to persuade them to believe these things about Jesus.

       (Acts 28:24 NCV)  Some believed what Paul said, but others did not.

       (Acts 28:25 NCV)  So they argued and began leaving after Paul said one 
       more thing to them: "The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors 
       through Isaiah the prophet, saying,

       (Acts 28:26 NCV)  'Go to this people and say: You will listen and 
       listen, but you will not understand. You will look and look, but you 
       will not learn,

       (Acts 28:27 NCV)  because these people have become stubborn. They 
       don't hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. 
       Otherwise, they might really understand what they see with their eyes 
       and hear with their ears. They might really understand in their minds 
       and come back to me and be healed.'

       (Acts 28:28 NCV)  "I want you to know that God has also sent his 
       salvation to those who are not Jewish, and they will listen!"

       (Acts 28:29 NCV)  





       (Acts 28:30 NCV)  Paul stayed two full years in his own rented house 
       and welcomed all people who came to visit him.

       (Acts 28:31 NCV)  He boldly preached about the kingdom of God and 
       taught about the Lord Jesus Christ, and no one tried to stop him.

       (Rom 1:1 NCV)  From Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus. God called me to 
       be an apostle and chose me to tell the Good News.

       (Rom 1:2 NCV)  God promised this Good News long ago through his 
       prophets, as it is written in the Holy Scriptures.

       (Rom 1:3 NCV)  The Good News is about God's Son, Jesus Christ our 
       Lord. As a man, he was born from the family of David. But through the 
       Spirit of holiness he was appointed to be God's Son with great power 
       by rising from the dead.

       (Rom 1:4 NCV)  

       (Rom 1:5 NCV)  Through Christ, God gave me the special work of an 
       apostle, which was to lead people of all nations to believe and obey. 
       I do this work for him.

       (Rom 1:6 NCV)  And you who are in Rome are also called to belong to 
       Jesus Christ.

       (Rom 1:7 NCV)  To all of you in Rome whom God loves and has called to 
       be his holy people: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the 
       Lord Jesus Christ.

       (Rom 1:8 NCV)  First I want to say that I thank my God through Jesus 
       Christ for all of you, because people everywhere in the world are 
       talking about your faith.

       (Rom 1:9 NCV)  God, whom I serve with my whole heart by telling the 
       Good News about his Son, knows that I always mention you

       (Rom 1:10 NCV)  every time I pray. I pray that I will be allowed to 
       come to you, and this will happen if God wants it.

       (Rom 1:11 NCV)  I want very much to see you, to give you some 
       spiritual gift to make you strong.

       (Rom 1:12 NCV)  I mean that I want us to help each other with the 
       faith we have. Your faith will help me, and my faith will help you.

       (Rom 1:13 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, I want you to know that I 
       planned many times to come to you, but this has not been possible. I 
       wanted to come so that I could help you grow spiritually as I have 
       helped the other non-Jewish people.

       (Rom 1:14 NCV)  I have a duty to all people--Greeks and those who are 
       not Greeks, the wise and the foolish.

       (Rom 1:15 NCV)  That is why I want so much to preach the Good News to 
       you in Rome.






       (Rom 1:16 NCV)  I am proud of the Good News, because it is the power 
       God uses to save everyone who believes--to save the Jews first, and 
       also to save those who are not Jews.

       (Rom 1:17 NCV)  The Good News shows how God makes people right with 
       himself--that it begins and ends with faith. As the Scripture says, 
       "But those who are right with God will live by trusting in him."

       (Rom 1:18 NCV)  God's anger is shown from heaven against all the evil 
       and wrong things people do. By their own evil lives they hide the 
       truth.

       (Rom 1:19 NCV)  God shows his anger because some knowledge of him has 
       been made clear to them. Yes, God has shown himself to them.

       (Rom 1:20 NCV)  There are things about him that people cannot see--his 
       eternal power and all the things that make him God. But since the 
       beginning of the world those things have been easy to understand by 
       what God has made. So people have no excuse for the bad things they 
       do.

       (Rom 1:21 NCV)  They knew God, but they did not give glory to God or 
       thank him. Their thinking became useless. Their foolish minds were 
       filled with darkness.

       (Rom 1:22 NCV)  They said they were wise, but they became fools.

       (Rom 1:23 NCV)  They traded the glory of God who lives forever for the 
       worship of idols made to look like earthly people, birds, animals, and 
       snakes.

       (Rom 1:24 NCV)  Because they did these things, God left them and let 
       them go their sinful way, wanting only to do evil. As a result, they 
       became full of sexual sin, using their bodies wrongly with each other.

       (Rom 1:25 NCV)  They traded the truth of God for a lie. They worshiped 
       and served what had been created instead of the God who created those 
       things, who should be praised forever. Amen.

       (Rom 1:26 NCV)  Because people did those things, God left them and let 
       them do the shameful things they wanted to do. Women stopped having 
       natural sex and started having sex with other women.

       (Rom 1:27 NCV)  In the same way, men stopped having natural sex and 
       began wanting each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and 
       in their bodies they received the punishment for those wrongs.

       (Rom 1:28 NCV)  People did not think it was important to have a true 
       knowledge of God. So God left them and allowed them to have their own 
       worthless thinking and to do things they should not do.

       (Rom 1:29 NCV)  They are filled with every kind of sin, evil, 
       selfishness, and hatred. They are full of jealousy, murder, fighting, 
       lying, and thinking the worst about each other. They gossip





       (Rom 1:30 NCV)  and say evil things about each other. They hate God. 
       They are rude and conceited and brag about themselves. They invent 
       ways of doing evil. They do not obey their parents.

       (Rom 1:31 NCV)  They are foolish, they do not keep their promises, and 
       they show no kindness or mercy to others.

       (Rom 1:32 NCV)  They know God's law says that those who live like this 
       should die. But they themselves not only continue to do these evil 
       things, they applaud others who do them.

       (Rom 2:1 NCV)  If you think you can judge others, you are wrong. When 
       you judge them, you are really judging yourself guilty, because you do 
       the same things they do.

       (Rom 2:2 NCV)  God judges those who do wrong things, and we know that 
       his judging is right.

       (Rom 2:3 NCV)  You judge those who do wrong, but you do wrong 
       yourselves. Do you think you will be able to escape the judgment of 
       God?

       (Rom 2:4 NCV)  He has been very kind and patient, waiting for you to 
       change, but you think nothing of his kindness. Perhaps you do not 
       understand that God is kind to you so you will change your hearts and 
       lives.

       (Rom 2:5 NCV)  But you are stubborn and refuse to change, so you are 
       making your own punishment even greater on the day he shows his anger. 
       On that day everyone will see God's right judgments.

       (Rom 2:6 NCV)  God will reward or punish every person for what that 
       person has done.

       (Rom 2:7 NCV)  Some people, by always continuing to do good, live for 
       God's glory, for honor, and for life that has no end. God will give 
       them life forever.

       (Rom 2:8 NCV)  But other people are selfish. They refuse to follow 
       truth and, instead, follow evil. God will give them his punishment and 
       anger.

       (Rom 2:9 NCV)  He will give trouble and suffering to everyone who does 
       evil--to the Jews first and also to those who are not Jews.

       (Rom 2:10 NCV)  But he will give glory, honor, and peace to everyone 
       who does good--to the Jews first and also to those who are not Jews.

       (Rom 2:11 NCV)  For God judges all people in the same way.

       (Rom 2:12 NCV)  People who do not have the law and who are sinners 
       will be lost, although they do not have the law. And, in the same way, 
       those who have the law and are sinners will be judged by the law.

       (Rom 2:13 NCV)  Hearing the law does not make people right with God. 
       It is those who obey the law who will be right with him.






       (Rom 2:14 NCV)  (Those who are not Jews do not have the law, but when 
       they freely do what the law commands, they are the law for themselves. 
       This is true even though they do not have the law.

       (Rom 2:15 NCV)  They show that in their hearts they know what is right 
       and wrong, just as the law commands. And they show this by their 
       consciences. Sometimes their thoughts tell them they did wrong, and 
       sometimes their thoughts tell them they did right.)

       (Rom 2:16 NCV)  All these things will happen on the day when God, 
       through Christ Jesus, will judge people's secret thoughts. The Good 
       News that I preach says this.

       (Rom 2:17 NCV)  What about you? You call yourself a Jew. You trust in 
       the law of Moses and brag that you are close to God.

       (Rom 2:18 NCV)  You know what he wants you to do and what is 
       important, because you have learned the law.

       (Rom 2:19 NCV)  You think you are a guide for the blind and a light 
       for those who are in darkness.

       (Rom 2:20 NCV)  You think you can show foolish people what is right 
       and teach those who know nothing. You have the law; so you think you 
       know everything and have all truth.

       (Rom 2:21 NCV)  You teach others, so why don't you teach yourself? You 
       tell others not to steal, but you steal.

       (Rom 2:22 NCV)  You say that others must not take part in adultery, 
       but you are guilty of that sin. You hate idols, but you steal from 
       temples.

       (Rom 2:23 NCV)  You brag about having God's law, but you bring shame 
       to God by breaking his law,

       (Rom 2:24 NCV)  just as the Scriptures say: "Those who are not Jews 
       speak against God's name because of you."

       (Rom 2:25 NCV)  If you follow the law, your circumcision has meaning. 
       But if you break the law, it is as if you were never circumcised.

       (Rom 2:26 NCV)  People who are not Jews are not circumcised, but if 
       they do what the law says, it is as if they were circumcised.

       (Rom 2:27 NCV)  You Jews have the written law and circumcision, but 
       you break the law. So those who are not circumcised in their bodies, 
       but still obey the law, will show that you are guilty.

       (Rom 2:28 NCV)  They can do this because a person is not a true Jew if 
       he is only a Jew in his physical body; true circumcision is not only 
       on the outside of the body.

       (Rom 2:29 NCV)  A person is a Jew only if he is a Jew inside; true 
       circumcision is done in the heart by the Spirit, not by the written 





       law. Such a person gets praise from God rather than from people.

       (Rom 3:1 NCV)  So, do Jews have anything that other people do not 
       have? Is there anything special about being circumcised?

       (Rom 3:2 NCV)  Yes, of course, there is in every way. The most 
       important thing is this: God trusted the Jews with his teachings.

       (Rom 3:3 NCV)  If some Jews were not faithful to him, will that stop 
       God from doing what he promised?

       (Rom 3:4 NCV)  No! God will continue to be true even when every person 
       is false. As the Scriptures say: "So you will be shown to be right 
       when you speak, and you will win your case."

       (Rom 3:5 NCV)  When we do wrong, that shows more clearly that God is 
       right. So can we say that God is wrong to punish us? (I am talking as 
       people might talk.)

       (Rom 3:6 NCV)  No! If God could not punish us, he could not judge the 
       world.

       (Rom 3:7 NCV)  A person might say, "When I lie, it really gives him 
       glory, because my lie shows God's truth. So why am I judged a sinner?"

       (Rom 3:8 NCV)  It would be the same to say, "We should do evil so that 
       good will come." Some people find fault with us and say we teach this, 
       but they are wrong and deserve the punishment they will receive.

       (Rom 3:9 NCV)  So are we Jews better than others? No! We have already 
       said that Jews and those who are not Jews are all guilty of sin.

       (Rom 3:10 NCV)  As the Scriptures say: "There is no one who always 
       does what is right, not even one.

       (Rom 3:11 NCV)  There is no one who understands. There is no one who 
       looks to God for help.

       (Rom 3:12 NCV)  All have turned away. Together, everyone has become 
       useless. There is no one who does anything good; there is not even 
       one."

       (Rom 3:13 NCV)  "Their throats are like open graves; they use their 
       tongues for telling lies." "Their words are like snake poison."

       (Rom 3:14 NCV)  "Their mouths are full of cursing and hate."

       (Rom 3:15 NCV)  "They are always ready to kill people.

       (Rom 3:16 NCV)  Everywhere they go they cause ruin and misery.

       (Rom 3:17 NCV)  They don't know how to live in peace."

       (Rom 3:18 NCV)  "They have no fear of God."

       (Rom 3:19 NCV)  We know that the law's commands are for those who have 





       the law. This stops all excuses and brings the whole world under God's 
       judgment,

       (Rom 3:20 NCV)  because no one can be made right with God by following 
       the law. The law only shows us our sin.

       (Rom 3:21 NCV)  But God has a way to make people right with him 
       without the law, and he has now shown us that way which the law and 
       the prophets told us about.

       (Rom 3:22 NCV)  God makes people right with himself through their 
       faith in Jesus Christ. This is true for all who believe in Christ, 
       because all people are the same:

       (Rom 3:23 NCV)  All have sinned and are not good enough for God's 
       glory,

       (Rom 3:24 NCV)  and all need to be made right with God by his grace, 
       which is a free gift. They need to be made free from sin through Jesus 
       Christ.

       (Rom 3:25 NCV)  God gave him as a way to forgive sin through faith in 
       the blood of Jesus' death. This showed that God always does what is 
       right and fair, as in the past when he was patient and did not punish 
       people for their sins.

       (Rom 3:26 NCV)  And God gave Jesus to show today that he does what is 
       right. God did this so he could judge rightly and so he could make 
       right any person who has faith in Jesus.

       (Rom 3:27 NCV)  So do we have a reason to brag about ourselves? No! 
       And why not? It is the way of faith that stops all bragging, not the 
       way of trying to obey the law.

       (Rom 3:28 NCV)  A person is made right with God through faith, not 
       through obeying the law.

       (Rom 3:29 NCV)  Is God only the God of the Jews? Is he not also the 
       God of those who are not Jews?

       (Rom 3:30 NCV)  Of course he is, because there is only one God. He 
       will make Jews right with him by their faith, and he will also make 
       those who are not Jews right with him through their faith.

       (Rom 3:31 NCV)  So do we destroy the law by following the way of 
       faith? No! Faith causes us to be what the law truly wants.

       (Rom 4:1 NCV)  So what can we say that Abraham, the father of our 
       people, learned about faith?

       (Rom 4:2 NCV)  If Abraham was made right by the things he did, he had 
       a reason to brag. But this is not God's view,

       (Rom 4:3 NCV)  because the Scripture says, "Abraham believed God, and 
       God accepted Abraham's faith, and that faith made him right with God."





       (Rom 4:4 NCV)  When people work, their pay is not given as a gift, but 
       as something earned.

       (Rom 4:5 NCV)  But people cannot do any work that will make them right 
       with God. So they must trust in him, who makes even evil people right 
       in his sight. Then God accepts their faith, and that makes them right 
       with him.

       (Rom 4:6 NCV)  David said the same thing. He said that people are 
       truly blessed when God, without paying attention to good deeds, makes 
       people right with himself.

       (Rom 4:7 NCV)  "Happy are they whose sins are forgiven, whose wrongs 
       are pardoned.

       (Rom 4:8 NCV)  Happy is the person whom the Lord does not consider 
       guilty."

       (Rom 4:9 NCV)  Is this blessing only for those who are circumcised or 
       also for those who are not circumcised? We have already said that God 
       accepted Abraham's faith and that faith made him right with God.

       (Rom 4:10 NCV)  So how did this happen? Did God accept Abraham before 
       or after he was circumcised? It was before his circumcision.

       (Rom 4:11 NCV)  Abraham was circumcised to show that he was right with 
       God through faith before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the father 
       of all those who believe but are not circumcised; he is the father of 
       all believers who are accepted as being right with God.

       (Rom 4:12 NCV)  And Abraham is also the father of those who have been 
       circumcised and who live following the faith that our father Abraham 
       had before he was circumcised.

       (Rom 4:13 NCV)  Abraham and his descendants received the promise that 
       they would get the whole world. He did not receive that promise 
       through the law, but through being right with God by his faith.

       (Rom 4:14 NCV)  If people could receive what God promised by following 
       the law, then faith is worthless. And God's promise to Abraham is 
       worthless,

       (Rom 4:15 NCV)  because the law can only bring God's anger. But if 
       there is no law, there is nothing to disobey.

       (Rom 4:16 NCV)  So people receive God's promise by having faith. This 
       happens so the promise can be a free gift. Then all of Abraham's 
       children can have that promise. It is not only for those who live 
       under the law of Moses but for anyone who lives with faith like that 
       of Abraham, who is the father of us all.

       (Rom 4:17 NCV)  As it is written in the Scriptures: "I am making you a 
       father of many nations." This is true before God, the God Abraham 
       believed, the God who gives life to the dead and who creates something 
       out of nothing.





       (Rom 4:18 NCV)  There was no hope that Abraham would have children. 
       But Abraham believed God and continued hoping, and so he became the 
       father of many nations. As God told him, "Your descendants also will 
       be too many to count."

       (Rom 4:19 NCV)  Abraham was almost a hundred years old, much past the 
       age for having children, and Sarah could not have children. Abraham 
       thought about all this, but his faith in God did not become weak.

       (Rom 4:20 NCV)  He never doubted that God would keep his promise, and 
       he never stopped believing. He grew stronger in his faith and gave 
       praise to God.

       (Rom 4:21 NCV)  Abraham felt sure that God was able to do what he had 
       promised.

       (Rom 4:22 NCV)  So, "God accepted Abraham's faith, and that faith made 
       him right with God."

       (Rom 4:23 NCV)  Those words ("God accepted Abraham's faith") were 
       written not only for Abraham

       (Rom 4:24 NCV)  but also for us. God will accept us also because we 
       believe in the One who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

       (Rom 4:25 NCV)  Jesus was given to die for our sins, and he was raised 
       from the dead to make us right with God.

       (Rom 5:1 NCV)  Since we have been made right with God by our faith, we 
       have peace with God. This happened through our Lord Jesus Christ,

       (Rom 5:2 NCV)  who has brought us into that blessing of God's grace 
       that we now enjoy. And we are happy because of the hope we have of 
       sharing God's glory.

       (Rom 5:3 NCV)  We also have joy with our troubles, because we know 
       that these troubles produce patience.

       (Rom 5:4 NCV)  And patience produces character, and character produces 
       hope.

       (Rom 5:5 NCV)  And this hope will never disappoint us, because God has 
       poured out his love to fill our hearts. He gave us his love through 
       the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to us.

       (Rom 5:6 NCV)  When we were unable to help ourselves, at the moment of 
       our need, Christ died for us, although we were living against God.

       (Rom 5:7 NCV)  Very few people will die to save the life of someone 
       else. Although perhaps for a good person someone might possibly die.

       (Rom 5:8 NCV)  But God shows his great love for us in this way: Christ 
       died for us while we were still sinners.

       (Rom 5:9 NCV)  So through Christ we will surely be saved from God's 
       anger, because we have been made right with God by the blood of 





       Christ's death.

       (Rom 5:10 NCV)  While we were God's enemies, he made friends with us 
       through the death of his Son. Surely, now that we are his friends, he 
       will save us through his Son's life.

       (Rom 5:11 NCV)  And not only that, but now we are also very happy in 
       God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we are now God's 
       friends again.

       (Rom 5:12 NCV)  Sin came into the world because of what one man did, 
       and with sin came death. This is why everyone must die--because 
       everyone sinned.

       (Rom 5:13 NCV)  Sin was in the world before the law of Moses, but sin 
       is not counted against us as breaking a command when there is no law.

       (Rom 5:14 NCV)  But from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, 
       everyone had to die, even those who had not sinned by breaking a 
       command, as Adam had. Adam was like the One who was coming in the 
       future.

       (Rom 5:15 NCV)  But God's free gift is not like Adam's sin. Many 
       people died because of the sin of that one man. But the grace from God 
       was much greater; many people received God's gift of life by the grace 
       of the one man, Jesus Christ.

       (Rom 5:16 NCV)  After Adam sinned once, he was judged guilty. But the 
       gift of God is different. God's free gift came after many sins, and it 
       makes people right with God.

       (Rom 5:17 NCV)  One man sinned, and so death ruled all people because 
       of that one man. But now those people who accept God's full grace and 
       the great gift of being made right with him will surely have true life 
       and rule through the one man, Jesus Christ.

       (Rom 5:18 NCV)  So as one sin of Adam brought the punishment of death 
       to all people, one good act that Christ did makes all people right 
       with God. And that brings true life for all.

       (Rom 5:19 NCV)  One man disobeyed God, and many became sinners. In the 
       same way, one man obeyed God, and many will be made right.

       (Rom 5:20 NCV)  The law came to make sin worse. But when sin grew 
       worse, God's grace increased.

       (Rom 5:21 NCV)  Sin once used death to rule us, but God gave people 
       more of his grace so that grace could rule by making people right with 
       him. And this brings life forever through Jesus Christ our Lord.

       (Rom 6:1 NCV)  So do you think we should continue sinning so that God 
       will give us even more grace?

       (Rom 6:2 NCV)  No! We died to our old sinful lives, so how can we 
       continue living with sin?





       (Rom 6:3 NCV)  Did you forget that all of us became part of Christ 
       when we were baptized? We shared his death in our baptism.

       (Rom 6:4 NCV)  When we were baptized, we were buried with Christ and 
       shared his death. So, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the 
       wonderful power of the Father, we also can live a new life.

       (Rom 6:5 NCV)  Christ died, and we have been joined with him by dying 
       too. So we will also be joined with him by rising from the dead as he 
       did.

       (Rom 6:6 NCV)  We know that our old life died with Christ on the cross 
       so that our sinful selves would have no power over us and we would not 
       be slaves to sin.

       (Rom 6:7 NCV)  Anyone who has died is made free from sin's control.

       (Rom 6:8 NCV)  If we died with Christ, we know we will also live with 
       him.

       (Rom 6:9 NCV)  Christ was raised from the dead, and we know that he 
       cannot die again. Death has no power over him now.

       (Rom 6:10 NCV)  Yes, when Christ died, he died to defeat the power of 
       sin one time--enough for all time. He now has a new life, and his new 
       life is with God.

       (Rom 6:11 NCV)  In the same way, you should see yourselves as being 
       dead to the power of sin and alive with God through Christ Jesus.

       (Rom 6:12 NCV)  So, do not let sin control your life here on earth so 
       that you do what your sinful self wants to do.

       (Rom 6:13 NCV)  Do not offer the parts of your body to serve sin, as 
       things to be used in doing evil. Instead, offer yourselves to God as 
       people who have died and now live. Offer the parts of your body to God 
       to be used in doing good.

       (Rom 6:14 NCV)  Sin will not be your master, because you are not under 
       law but under God's grace.

       (Rom 6:15 NCV)  So what should we do? Should we sin because we are 
       under grace and not under law? No!

       (Rom 6:16 NCV)  Surely you know that when you give yourselves like 
       slaves to obey someone, then you are really slaves of that person. The 
       person you obey is your master. You can follow sin, which brings 
       spiritual death, or you can obey God, which makes you right with him.

       (Rom 6:17 NCV)  In the past you were slaves to sin--sin controlled 
       you. But thank God, you fully obeyed the things that you were taught.

       (Rom 6:18 NCV)  You were made free from sin, and now you are slaves to 
       goodness.

       (Rom 6:19 NCV)  I use this example because this is hard for you to 





       understand. In the past you offered the parts of your body to be 
       slaves to sin and evil; you lived only for evil. In the same way now 
       you must give yourselves to be slaves of goodness. Then you will live 
       only for God.

       (Rom 6:20 NCV)  In the past you were slaves to sin, and goodness did 
       not control you.

       (Rom 6:21 NCV)  You did evil things, and now you are ashamed of them. 
       Those things only bring death.

       (Rom 6:22 NCV)  But now you are free from sin and have become slaves 
       of God. This brings you a life that is only for God, and this gives 
       you life forever.

       (Rom 6:23 NCV)  When people sin, they earn what sin pays--death. But 
       God gives us a free gift--life forever in Christ Jesus our Lord.

       (Rom 7:1 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, all of you understand the law of 
       Moses. So surely you know that the law rules over people only while 
       they are alive.

       (Rom 7:2 NCV)  For example, a woman must stay married to her husband 
       as long as he is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from the 
       law of marriage.

       (Rom 7:3 NCV)  But if she marries another man while her husband is 
       still alive, the law says she is guilty of adultery. But if her 
       husband dies, she is free from the law of marriage. Then if she 
       marries another man, she is not guilty of adultery.

       (Rom 7:4 NCV)  In the same way, my brothers and sisters, your old 
       selves died, and you became free from the law through the body of 
       Christ. This happened so that you might belong to someone else--the 
       One who was raised from the dead--and so that we might be used in 
       service to God.

       (Rom 7:5 NCV)  In the past, we were ruled by our sinful selves. The 
       law made us want to do sinful things that controlled our bodies, so 
       the things we did were bringing us death.

       (Rom 7:6 NCV)  In the past, the law held us like prisoners, but our 
       old selves died, and we were made free from the law. So now we serve 
       God in a new way with the Spirit, and not in the old way with written 
       rules.

       (Rom 7:7 NCV)  You might think I am saying that sin and the law are 
       the same thing. That is not true. But the law was the only way I could 
       learn what sin meant. I would never have known what it means to want 
       to take something belonging to someone else if the law had not said, 
       "You must not want to take your neighbor's things."

       (Rom 7:8 NCV)  And sin found a way to use that command and cause me to 
       want all kinds of things I should not want. But without the law, sin 
       has no power.





       (Rom 7:9 NCV)  I was alive before I knew the law. But when the law's 
       command came to me, then sin began to live,

       (Rom 7:10 NCV)  and I died. The command was meant to bring life, but 
       for me it brought death.

       (Rom 7:11 NCV)  Sin found a way to fool me by using the command to 
       make me die.

       (Rom 7:12 NCV)  So the law is holy, and the command is holy and right 
       and good.

       (Rom 7:13 NCV)  Does this mean that something that is good brought 
       death to me? No! Sin used something that is good to bring death to me. 
       This happened so that I could see what sin is really like; the command 
       was used to show that sin is very evil.

       (Rom 7:14 NCV)  We know that the law is spiritual, but I am not 
       spiritual since sin rules me as if I were its slave.

       (Rom 7:15 NCV)  I do not understand the things I do. I do not do what 
       I want to do, and I do the things I hate.

       (Rom 7:16 NCV)  And if I do not want to do the hated things I do, that 
       means I agree that the law is good.

       (Rom 7:17 NCV)  But I am not really the one who is doing these hated 
       things; it is sin living in me that does them.

       (Rom 7:18 NCV)  Yes, I know that nothing good lives in me--I mean 
       nothing good lives in the part of me that is earthly and sinful. I 
       want to do the things that are good, but I do not do them.

       (Rom 7:19 NCV)  I do not do the good things I want to do, but I do the 
       bad things I do not want to do.

       (Rom 7:20 NCV)  So if I do things I do not want to do, then I am not 
       the one doing them. It is sin living in me that does those things.

       (Rom 7:21 NCV)  So I have learned this rule: When I want to do good, 
       evil is there with me.

       (Rom 7:22 NCV)  In my mind, I am happy with God's law.

       (Rom 7:23 NCV)  But I see another law working in my body, which makes 
       war against the law that my mind accepts. That other law working in my 
       body is the law of sin, and it makes me its prisoner.

       (Rom 7:24 NCV)  What a miserable man I am! Who will save me from this 
       body that brings me death?

       (Rom 7:25 NCV)  I thank God for saving me through Jesus Christ our 
       Lord! So in my mind I am a slave to God's law, but in my sinful self I 
       am a slave to the law of sin.

       (Rom 8:1 NCV)  So now, those who are in Christ Jesus are not judged 





       guilty.

       (Rom 8:2 NCV)  Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit that brings 
       life made me free from the law that brings sin and death.

       (Rom 8:3 NCV)  The law was without power, because the law was made 
       weak by our sinful selves. But God did what the law could not do. He 
       sent his own Son to earth with the same human life that others use for 
       sin. By sending his Son to be an offering to pay for sin, God used a 
       human life to destroy sin.

       (Rom 8:4 NCV)  He did this so that we could be the kind of people the 
       law correctly wants us to be. Now we do not live following our sinful 
       selves, but we live following the Spirit.

       (Rom 8:5 NCV)  Those who live following their sinful selves think only 
       about things that their sinful selves want. But those who live 
       following the Spirit are thinking about the things the Spirit wants 
       them to do.

       (Rom 8:6 NCV)  If people's thinking is controlled by the sinful self, 
       there is death. But if their thinking is controlled by the Spirit, 
       there is life and peace.

       (Rom 8:7 NCV)  When people's thinking is controlled by the sinful 
       self, they are against God, because they refuse to obey God's law and 
       really are not even able to obey God's law.

       (Rom 8:8 NCV)  Those people who are ruled by their sinful selves 
       cannot please God.

       (Rom 8:9 NCV)  But you are not ruled by your sinful selves. You are 
       ruled by the Spirit, if that Spirit of God really lives in you. But 
       the person who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to 
       Christ.

       (Rom 8:10 NCV)  Your body will always be dead because of sin. But if 
       Christ is in you, then the Spirit gives you life, because Christ made 
       you right with God.

       (Rom 8:11 NCV)  God raised Jesus from the dead, and if God's Spirit is 
       living in you, he will also give life to your bodies that die. God is 
       the One who raised Christ from the dead, and he will give life through 
       his Spirit that lives in you.

       (Rom 8:12 NCV)  So, my brothers and sisters, we must not be ruled by 
       our sinful selves or live the way our sinful selves want.

       (Rom 8:13 NCV)  If you use your lives to do the wrong things your 
       sinful selves want, you will die spiritually. But if you use the 
       Spirit's help to stop doing the wrong things you do with your body, 
       you will have true life.

       (Rom 8:14 NCV)  The true children of God are those who let God's 
       Spirit lead them.





       (Rom 8:15 NCV)  The Spirit we received does not make us slaves again 
       to fear; it makes us children of God. With that Spirit we cry out, 
       "Father."

       (Rom 8:16 NCV)  And the Spirit himself joins with our spirits to say 
       we are God's children.

       (Rom 8:17 NCV)  If we are God's children, we will receive blessings 
       from God together with Christ. But we must suffer as Christ suffered 
       so that we will have glory as Christ has glory.

       (Rom 8:18 NCV)  The sufferings we have now are nothing compared to the 
       great glory that will be shown to us.

       (Rom 8:19 NCV)  Everything God made is waiting with excitement for God 
       to show his children's glory completely.

       (Rom 8:20 NCV)  Everything God made was changed to become useless, not 
       by its own wish but because God wanted it and because all along there 
       was this hope:

       (Rom 8:21 NCV)  that everything God made would be set free from ruin 
       to have the freedom and glory that belong to God's children.

       (Rom 8:22 NCV)  We know that everything God made has been waiting 
       until now in pain, like a woman ready to give birth.

       (Rom 8:23 NCV)  Not only the world, but we also have been waiting with 
       pain inside us. We have the Spirit as the first part of God's promise. 
       So we are waiting for God to finish making us his own children, which 
       means our bodies will be made free.

       (Rom 8:24 NCV)  We were saved, and we have this hope. If we see what 
       we are waiting for, that is not really hope. People do not hope for 
       something they already have.

       (Rom 8:25 NCV)  But we are hoping for something we do not have yet, 
       and we are waiting for it patiently.

       (Rom 8:26 NCV)  Also, the Spirit helps us with our weakness. We do not 
       know how to pray as we should. But the Spirit himself speaks to God 
       for us, even begs God for us with deep feelings that words cannot 
       explain.

       (Rom 8:27 NCV)  God can see what is in people's hearts. And he knows 
       what is in the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit speaks to God 
       for his people in the way God wants.

       (Rom 8:28 NCV)  We know that in everything God works for the good of 
       those who love him. They are the people he called, because that was 
       his plan.

       (Rom 8:29 NCV)  God knew them before he made the world, and he decided 
       that they would be like his Son so that Jesus would be the firstborn 
       of many brothers.





       (Rom 8:30 NCV)  God planned for them to be like his Son; and those he 
       planned to be like his Son, he also called; and those he called, he 
       also made right with him; and those he made right, he also glorified.

       (Rom 8:31 NCV)  So what should we say about this? If God is with us, 
       no one can defeat us.

       (Rom 8:32 NCV)  He did not spare his own Son but gave him for us all. 
       So with Jesus, God will surely give us all things.

       (Rom 8:33 NCV)  Who can accuse the people God has chosen? No one, 
       because God is the One who makes them right.

       (Rom 8:34 NCV)  Who can say God's people are guilty? No one, because 
       Christ Jesus died, but he was also raised from the dead, and now he is 
       on God's right side, begging God for us.

       (Rom 8:35 NCV)  Can anything separate us from the love Christ has for 
       us? Can troubles or problems or sufferings or hunger or nakedness or 
       danger or violent death?

       (Rom 8:36 NCV)  As it is written in the Scriptures: "For you we are in 
       danger of death all the time. People think we are worth no more than 
       sheep to be killed."

       (Rom 8:37 NCV)  But in all these things we have full victory through 
       God who showed his love for us.

       (Rom 8:38 NCV)  Yes, I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor 
       angels, nor ruling spirits, nothing now, nothing in the future, no 
       powers,

       (Rom 8:39 NCV)  nothing above us, nothing below us, nor anything else 
       in the whole world will ever be able to separate us from the love of 
       God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

       (Rom 9:1 NCV)  I am in Christ, and I am telling you the truth; I do 
       not lie. My conscience is ruled by the Holy Spirit, and it tells me I 
       am not lying.

       (Rom 9:2 NCV)  I have great sorrow and always feel much sadness.

       (Rom 9:3 NCV)  I wish I could help my Jewish brothers and sisters, my 
       people. I would even wish that I were cursed and cut off from Christ 
       if that would help them.

       (Rom 9:4 NCV)  They are the people of Israel, God's chosen children. 
       They have seen the glory of God, and they have the agreements that God 
       made between himself and his people. God gave them the law of Moses 
       and the right way of worship and his promises.

       (Rom 9:5 NCV)  They are the descendants of our great ancestors, and 
       they are the earthly family into which Christ was born, who is God 
       over all. Praise him forever! Amen.

       (Rom 9:6 NCV)  It is not that God failed to keep his promise to them. 





       But only some of the people of Israel are truly God's people,

       (Rom 9:7 NCV)  and only some of Abraham's descendants are true 
       children of Abraham. But God said to Abraham: "The descendants I 
       promised you will be from Isaac."

       (Rom 9:8 NCV)  This means that not all of Abraham's descendants are 
       God's true children. Abraham's true children are those who become 
       God's children because of the promise God made to Abraham.

       (Rom 9:9 NCV)  God's promise to Abraham was this: "At the right time I 
       will return, and Sarah will have a son."

       (Rom 9:10 NCV)  And that is not all. Rebekah's sons had the same 
       father, our father Isaac.

       (Rom 9:11 NCV)  But before the two boys were born, God told Rebekah, 
       "The older will serve the younger." This was before the boys had done 
       anything good or bad. God said this so that the one chosen would be 
       chosen because of God's own plan. He was chosen because he was the one 
       God wanted to call, not because of anything he did.

       (Rom 9:12 NCV)  

       (Rom 9:13 NCV)  As the Scripture says, "I loved Jacob, but I hated 
       Esau."

       (Rom 9:14 NCV)  So what should we say about this? Is God unfair? In no 
       way.

       (Rom 9:15 NCV)  God said to Moses, "I will show kindness to anyone to 
       whom I want to show kindness, and I will show mercy to anyone to whom 
       I want to show mercy."

       (Rom 9:16 NCV)  So God will choose the one to whom he decides to show 
       mercy; his choice does not depend on what people want or try to do.

       (Rom 9:17 NCV)  The Scripture says to the king of Egypt: "I made you 
       king for this reason: to show my power in you so that my name will be 
       talked about in all the earth."

       (Rom 9:18 NCV)  So God shows mercy where he wants to show mercy, and 
       he makes stubborn the people he wants to make stubborn.

       (Rom 9:19 NCV)  So one of you will ask me: "Then why does God blame us 
       for our sins? Who can fight his will?"

       (Rom 9:20 NCV)  You are only human, and human beings have no right to 
       question God. An object should not ask the person who made it, "Why 
       did you make me like this?"

       (Rom 9:21 NCV)  The potter can make anything he wants to make. He can 
       use the same clay to make one thing for special use and another thing 
       for daily use.

       (Rom 9:22 NCV)  It is the same way with God. He wanted to show his 





       anger and to let people see his power. But he patiently stayed with 
       those people he was angry with--people who were made ready to be 
       destroyed.

       (Rom 9:23 NCV)  He waited with patience so that he could make known 
       his rich glory to the people who receive his mercy. He has prepared 
       these people to have his glory,

       (Rom 9:24 NCV)  and we are those people whom God called. He called us 
       not from the Jews only but also from those who are not Jews.

       (Rom 9:25 NCV)  As the Scripture says in Hosea: "I will say, 'You are 
       my people" to those I had called 'not my people.' And I will show my 
       love to those people I did not love."

       (Rom 9:26 NCV)  "They were called, 'You are not my people,' but later 
       they will be called 'children of the living God.'"

       (Rom 9:27 NCV)  And Isaiah cries out about Israel: "The people of 
       Israel are many, like the grains of sand by the sea. But only a few of 
       them will be saved,

       (Rom 9:28 NCV)  because the Lord will quickly and completely punish 
       the people on the earth."

       (Rom 9:29 NCV)  It is as Isaiah said: "The Lord All-Powerful allowed a 
       few of our descendants to live. Otherwise we would have been 
       completely destroyed like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah."

       (Rom 9:30 NCV)  So what does all this mean? Those who are not Jews 
       were not trying to make themselves right with God, but they were made 
       right with God because of their faith.

       (Rom 9:31 NCV)  The people of Israel tried to follow a law to make 
       themselves right with God. But they did not succeed,

       (Rom 9:32 NCV)  because they tried to make themselves right by the 
       things they did instead of trusting in God to make them right. They 
       stumbled over the stone that causes people to stumble.

       (Rom 9:33 NCV)  As it is written in the Scripture: "I will put in 
       Jerusalem a stone that causes people to stumble, a rock that makes 
       them fall. Anyone who trusts in him will never be disappointed."

       (Rom 10:1 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, the thing I want most is for all 
       the Jews to be saved. That is my prayer to God.

       (Rom 10:2 NCV)  I can say this about them: They really try to follow 
       God, but they do not know the right way.

       (Rom 10:3 NCV)  Because they did not know the way that God makes 
       people right with him, they tried to make themselves right in their 
       own way. So they did not accept God's way of making people right.

       (Rom 10:4 NCV)  Christ ended the law so that everyone who believes in 
       him may be right with God.






       (Rom 10:5 NCV)  Moses writes about being made right by following the 
       law. He says, "A person who obeys these things will live because of 
       them."

       (Rom 10:6 NCV)  But this is what the Scripture says about being made 
       right through faith: "Don't say to yourself, 'Who will go up into 
       heaven?'" (That means, "Who will go up to heaven and bring Christ down 
       to earth?")

       (Rom 10:7 NCV)  "And do not say, 'Who will go down into the world 
       below?'" (That means, "Who will go down and bring Christ up from the 
       dead?")

       (Rom 10:8 NCV)  This is what the Scripture says: "The word is near 
       you; it is in your mouth and in your heart." That is the teaching of 
       faith that we are telling.

       (Rom 10:9 NCV)  If you use your mouth to say, "Jesus is Lord," and if 
       you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you 
       will be saved.

       (Rom 10:10 NCV)  We believe with our hearts, and so we are made right 
       with God. And we use our mouths to say that we believe, and so we are 
       saved.

       (Rom 10:11 NCV)  As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will 
       never be disappointed."

       (Rom 10:12 NCV)  That Scripture says "anyone" because there is no 
       difference between those who are Jews and those who are not. The same 
       Lord is the Lord of all and gives many blessings to all who trust in 
       him,

       (Rom 10:13 NCV)  as the Scripture says, "Anyone who calls on the Lord 
       will be saved."

       (Rom 10:14 NCV)  But before people can ask the Lord for help, they 
       must believe in him; and before they can believe in him, they must 
       hear about him; and for them to hear about the Lord, someone must tell 
       them;

       (Rom 10:15 NCV)  and before someone can go and tell them, that person 
       must be sent. It is written, "How beautiful is the person who comes to 
       bring good news."

       (Rom 10:16 NCV)  But not all the Jews accepted the good news. Isaiah 
       said, "Lord, who believed what we told them?"

       (Rom 10:17 NCV)  So faith comes from hearing the Good News, and people 
       hear the Good News when someone tells them about Christ.

       (Rom 10:18 NCV)  But I ask: Didn't people hear the Good News? Yes, 
       they heard--as the Scripture says: "Their message went out through all 
       the world; their words go everywhere on earth."





       (Rom 10:19 NCV)  Again I ask: Didn't the people of Israel understand? 
       Yes, they did understand. First, Moses says: "I will use those who are 
       not a nation to make you jealous. I will use a nation that does not 
       understand to make you angry."

       (Rom 10:20 NCV)  Then Isaiah is bold enough to say: "I was found by 
       those who were not asking me for help. I made myself known to people 
       who were not looking for me."

       (Rom 10:21 NCV)  But about Israel God says, "All day long I stood 
       ready to accept people who disobey and are stubborn."

       (Rom 11:1 NCV)  So I ask: Did God throw out his people? No! I myself 
       am an Israelite from the family of Abraham, from the tribe of 
       Benjamin.

       (Rom 11:2 NCV)  God chose the Israelites to be his people before they 
       were born, and he has not thrown his people out. Surely you know what 
       the Scripture says about Elijah, how he prayed to God against the 
       people of Israel.

       (Rom 11:3 NCV)  "Lord," he said, "they have killed your prophets, and 
       they have destroyed your altars. I am the only prophet left, and now 
       they are trying to kill me, too."

       (Rom 11:4 NCV)  But what answer did God give Elijah? He said, "But I 
       have left seven thousand people in Israel who have never bowed down 
       before Baal."

       (Rom 11:5 NCV)  It is the same now. There are a few people that God 
       has chosen by his grace.

       (Rom 11:6 NCV)  And if he chose them by grace, it is not for the 
       things they have done. If they could be made God's people by what they 
       did, God's gift of grace would not really be a gift.

       (Rom 11:7 NCV)  So this is what has happened: Although the Israelites 
       tried to be right with God, they did not succeed, but the ones God 
       chose did become right with him. The others were made stubborn and 
       refused to listen to God.

       (Rom 11:8 NCV)  As it is written in the Scriptures: "God gave the 
       people a dull mind so they could not understand." "He closed their 
       eyes so they could not see and their ears so they could not hear. This 
       continues until today."

       (Rom 11:9 NCV)  And David says: "Let their own feasts trap them and 
       cause their ruin; let their feasts cause them to stumble and be paid 
       back.

       (Rom 11:10 NCV)  Let their eyes be closed so they cannot see and their 
       backs be forever weak from troubles."

       (Rom 11:11 NCV)  So I ask: When the Jews fell, did that fall destroy 
       them? No! But their mistake brought salvation to those who are not 
       Jews, in order to make the Jews jealous.






       (Rom 11:12 NCV)  The Jews' mistake brought rich blessings for the 
       world, and the Jews' loss brought rich blessings for the non-Jewish 
       people. So surely the world will receive much richer blessings when 
       enough Jews become the kind of people God wants.

       (Rom 11:13 NCV)  Now I am speaking to you who are not Jews. I am an 
       apostle to those who are not Jews, and since I have that work, I will 
       make the most of it.

       (Rom 11:14 NCV)  I hope I can make my own people jealous and, in that 
       way, help some of them to be saved.

       (Rom 11:15 NCV)  When God turned away from the Jews, he became friends 
       with other people in the world. So when God accepts the Jews, surely 
       that will bring them life after death.

       (Rom 11:16 NCV)  If the first piece of bread is offered to God, then 
       the whole loaf is made holy. If the roots of a tree are holy, then the 
       tree's branches are holy too.

       (Rom 11:17 NCV)  It is as if some of the branches from an olive tree 
       have been broken off. You non-Jewish people are like the branch of a 
       wild olive tree that has been joined to that first tree. You now share 
       the strength and life of the first tree, the Jews.

       (Rom 11:18 NCV)  So do not brag about those branches that were broken 
       off. If you brag, remember that you do not support the root, but the 
       root supports you.

       (Rom 11:19 NCV)  You will say, "Branches were broken off so that I 
       could be joined to their tree."

       (Rom 11:20 NCV)  That is true. But those branches were broken off 
       because they did not believe, and you continue to be part of the tree 
       only because you believe. Do not be proud, but be afraid.

       (Rom 11:21 NCV)  If God did not let the natural branches of that tree 
       stay, then he will not let you stay if you don't believe.

       (Rom 11:22 NCV)  So you see that God is kind and also very strict. He 
       punishes those who stop following him. But God is kind to you, if you 
       continue following in his kindness. If you do not, you will be cut off 
       from the tree.

       (Rom 11:23 NCV)  And if the Jews will believe in God again, he will 
       accept them back. God is able to put them back where they were.

       (Rom 11:24 NCV)  It is not natural for a wild branch to be part of a 
       good tree. And you who are not Jews are like a branch cut from a wild 
       olive tree and joined to a good olive tree. But since those Jews are 
       like a branch that grew from the good tree, surely they can be joined 
       to their own tree again.

       (Rom 11:25 NCV)  I want you to understand this secret, brothers and 
       sisters, so you will understand that you do not know everything: Part 





       of Israel has been made stubborn, but that will change when many who 
       are not Jews have come to God.

       (Rom 11:26 NCV)  And that is how all Israel will be saved. It is 
       written in the Scriptures: "The Savior will come from Jerusalem; he 
       will take away all evil from the family of Jacob.

       (Rom 11:27 NCV)  And I will make this agreement with those people when 
       I take away their sins."

       (Rom 11:28 NCV)  The Jews refuse to accept the Good News, so they are 
       God's enemies. This has happened to help you who are not Jews. But the 
       Jews are still God's chosen people, and he loves them very much 
       because of the promises he made to their ancestors.

       (Rom 11:29 NCV)  God never changes his mind about the people he calls 
       and the things he gives them.

       (Rom 11:30 NCV)  At one time you refused to obey God. But now you have 
       received mercy, because those people refused to obey.

       (Rom 11:31 NCV)  And now the Jews refuse to obey, because God showed 
       mercy to you. But this happened so that they also can receive mercy 
       from him.

       (Rom 11:32 NCV)  God has given all people over to their stubborn ways 
       so that he can show mercy to all.

       (Rom 11:33 NCV)  Yes, God's riches are very great, and his wisdom and 
       knowledge have no end! No one can explain the things God decides or 
       understand his ways.

       (Rom 11:34 NCV)  As the Scripture says, "Who has known the mind of the 
       Lord, or who has been able to give him advice?"

       (Rom 11:35 NCV)  "No one has ever given God anything that he must pay 
       back."

       (Rom 11:36 NCV)  Yes, God made all things, and everything continues 
       through him and for him. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

       (Rom 12:1 NCV)  So brothers and sisters, since God has shown us great 
       mercy, I beg you to offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him. 
       Your offering must be only for God and pleasing to him, which is the 
       spiritual way for you to worship.

       (Rom 12:2 NCV)  Do not change yourselves to be like the people of this 
       world, but be changed within by a new way of thinking. Then you will 
       be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good 
       and pleasing to him and what is perfect.

       (Rom 12:3 NCV)  Because God has given me a special gift, I have 
       something to say to everyone among you. Do not think you are better 
       than you are. You must decide what you really are by the amount of 
       faith God has given you.





       (Rom 12:4 NCV)  Each one of us has a body with many parts, and these 
       parts all have different uses.

       (Rom 12:5 NCV)  In the same way, we are many, but in Christ we are all 
       one body. Each one is a part of that body, and each part belongs to 
       all the other parts.

       (Rom 12:6 NCV)  We all have different gifts, each of which came 
       because of the grace God gave us. The person who has the gift of 
       prophecy should use that gift in agreement with the faith.

       (Rom 12:7 NCV)  Anyone who has the gift of serving should serve. 
       Anyone who has the gift of teaching should teach.

       (Rom 12:8 NCV)  Whoever has the gift of encouraging others should 
       encourage. Whoever has the gift of giving to others should give 
       freely. Anyone who has the gift of being a leader should try hard when 
       he leads. Whoever has the gift of showing mercy to others should do so 
       with joy.

       (Rom 12:9 NCV)  Your love must be real. Hate what is evil, and hold on 
       to what is good.

       (Rom 12:10 NCV)  Love each other like brothers and sisters. Give each 
       other more honor than you want for yourselves.

       (Rom 12:11 NCV)  Do not be lazy but work hard, serving the Lord with 
       all your heart.

       (Rom 12:12 NCV)  Be joyful because you have hope. Be patient when 
       trouble comes, and pray at all times.

       (Rom 12:13 NCV)  Share with God's people who need help. Bring 
       strangers in need into your homes.

       (Rom 12:14 NCV)  Wish good for those who harm you; wish them well and 
       do not curse them.

       (Rom 12:15 NCV)  Be happy with those who are happy, and be sad with 
       those who are sad.

       (Rom 12:16 NCV)  Live in peace with each other. Do not be proud, but 
       make friends with those who seem unimportant. Do not think how smart 
       you are.

       (Rom 12:17 NCV)  If someone does wrong to you, do not pay him back by 
       doing wrong to him. Try to do what everyone thinks is right.

       (Rom 12:18 NCV)  Do your best to live in peace with everyone.

       (Rom 12:19 NCV)  My friends, do not try to punish others when they 
       wrong you, but wait for God to punish them with his anger. It is 
       written: "I will punish those who do wrong; I will repay them," says 
       the Lord.

       (Rom 12:20 NCV)  But you should do this: "If your enemy is hungry, 





       feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. Doing this will be like 
       pouring burning coals on his head."

       (Rom 12:21 NCV)  Do not let evil defeat you, but defeat evil by doing 
       good.

       (Rom 13:1 NCV)  All of you must yield to the government rulers. No one 
       rules unless God has given him the power to rule, and no one rules now 
       without that power from God.

       (Rom 13:2 NCV)  So those who are against the government are really 
       against what God has commanded. And they will bring punishment on 
       themselves.

       (Rom 13:3 NCV)  Those who do right do not have to fear the rulers; 
       only those who do wrong fear them. Do you want to be unafraid of the 
       rulers? Then do what is right, and they will praise you.

       (Rom 13:4 NCV)  The ruler is God's servant to help you. But if you do 
       wrong, then be afraid. He has the power to punish; he is God's servant 
       to punish those who do wrong.

       (Rom 13:5 NCV)  So you must yield to the government, not only because 
       you might be punished, but because you know it is right.

       (Rom 13:6 NCV)  This is also why you pay taxes. Rulers are working for 
       God and give their time to their work.

       (Rom 13:7 NCV)  Pay everyone, then, what you owe. If you owe any kind 
       of tax, pay it. Show respect and honor to them all.

       (Rom 13:8 NCV)  Do not owe people anything, except always owe love to 
       each other, because the person who loves others has obeyed all the 
       law.

       (Rom 13:9 NCV)  The law says, "You must not be guilty of adultery. You 
       must not murder anyone. You must not steal. You must not want to take 
       your neighbor's things." All these commands and all others are really 
       only one rule: "Love your neighbor as you love yourself."

       (Rom 13:10 NCV)  Love never hurts a neighbor, so loving is obeying all 
       the law.

       (Rom 13:11 NCV)  Do this because we live in an important time. It is 
       now time for you to wake up from your sleep, because our salvation is 
       nearer now than when we first believed.

       (Rom 13:12 NCV)  The "night" is almost finished, and the "day" is 
       almost here. So we should stop doing things that belong to darkness 
       and take up the weapons used for fighting in the light.

       (Rom 13:13 NCV)  Let us live in a right way, like people who belong to 
       the day. We should not have wild parties or get drunk. There should be 
       no sexual sins of any kind, no fighting or jealousy.

       (Rom 13:14 NCV)  But clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and 





       forget about satisfying your sinful self.

       (Rom 14:1 NCV)  Accept into your group someone who is weak in faith, 
       and do not argue about opinions.

       (Rom 14:2 NCV)  One person believes it is right to eat all kinds of 
       food. But another, who is weak, believes it is right to eat only 
       vegetables.

       (Rom 14:3 NCV)  The one who knows that it is right to eat any kind of 
       food must not reject the one who eats only vegetables. And the person 
       who eats only vegetables must not think that the one who eats all 
       foods is wrong, because God has accepted that person.

       (Rom 14:4 NCV)  You cannot judge another person's servant. The master 
       decides if the servant is doing well or not. And the Lord's servant 
       will do well because the Lord helps him do well.

       (Rom 14:5 NCV)  Some think that one day is more important than 
       another, and others think that every day is the same. Let all be sure 
       in their own mind.

       (Rom 14:6 NCV)  Those who think one day is more important than other 
       days are doing that for the Lord. And those who eat all kinds of food 
       are doing that for the Lord, and they give thanks to God. Others who 
       refuse to eat some foods do that for the Lord, and they give thanks to 
       God.

       (Rom 14:7 NCV)  We do not live or die for ourselves.

       (Rom 14:8 NCV)  If we live, we are living for the Lord, and if we die, 
       we are dying for the Lord. So living or dying, we belong to the Lord.

       (Rom 14:9 NCV)  The reason Christ died and rose from the dead to live 
       again was so he would be Lord over both the dead and the living.

       (Rom 14:10 NCV)  So why do you judge your brothers or sisters in 
       Christ? And why do you think you are better than they are? We will all 
       stand before God to be judged,

       (Rom 14:11 NCV)  because it is written in the Scriptures: "'As surely 
       as I live,' says the Lord, 'Everyone will bow before me; everyone will 
       say that I am God.'"

       (Rom 14:12 NCV)  So each of us will have to answer to God.

       (Rom 14:13 NCV)  For that reason we should stop judging each other. We 
       must make up our minds not to do anything that will make another 
       Christian sin.

       (Rom 14:14 NCV)  I am in the Lord Jesus, and I know that there is no 
       food that is wrong to eat. But if a person believes something is 
       wrong, that thing is wrong for him.

       (Rom 14:15 NCV)  If you hurt your brother's or sister's faith because 
       of something you eat, you are not really following the way of love. Do 





       not destroy someone's faith by eating food he thinks is wrong, because 
       Christ died for him.

       (Rom 14:16 NCV)  Do not allow what you think is good to become what 
       others say is evil.

       (Rom 14:17 NCV)  In the kingdom of God, eating and drinking are not 
       important. The important things are living right with God, peace, and 
       joy in the Holy Spirit.

       (Rom 14:18 NCV)  Anyone who serves Christ by living this way is 
       pleasing God and will be accepted by other people.

       (Rom 14:19 NCV)  So let us try to do what makes peace and helps one 
       another.

       (Rom 14:20 NCV)  Do not let the eating of food destroy the work of 
       God. All foods are all right to eat, but it is wrong to eat food that 
       causes someone else to sin.

       (Rom 14:21 NCV)  It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do 
       anything that will cause your brother or sister to sin.

       (Rom 14:22 NCV)  Your beliefs about these things should be kept secret 
       between you and God. People are happy if they can do what they think 
       is right without feeling guilty.

       (Rom 14:23 NCV)  But those who eat something without being sure it is 
       right are wrong because they did not believe it was right. Anything 
       that is done without believing it is right is a sin.

       (Rom 15:1 NCV)  We who are strong in faith should help the weak with 
       their weaknesses, and not please only ourselves.

       (Rom 15:2 NCV)  Let each of us please our neighbors for their good, to 
       help them be stronger in faith.

       (Rom 15:3 NCV)  Even Christ did not live to please himself. It was as 
       the Scriptures said: "When people insult you, it hurts me."

       (Rom 15:4 NCV)  Everything that was written in the past was written to 
       teach us. The Scriptures give us patience and encouragement so that we 
       can have hope.

       (Rom 15:5 NCV)  Patience and encouragement come from God. And I pray 
       that God will help you all agree with each other the way Christ Jesus 
       wants.

       (Rom 15:6 NCV)  Then you will all be joined together, and you will 
       give glory to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

       (Rom 15:7 NCV)  Christ accepted you, so you should accept each other, 
       which will bring glory to God.

       (Rom 15:8 NCV)  I tell you that Christ became a servant of the Jews to 
       show that God's promises to the Jewish ancestors are true.






       (Rom 15:9 NCV)  And he also did this so that those who are not Jews 
       could give glory to God for the mercy he gives to them. It is written 
       in the Scriptures: "So I will praise you among the non-Jewish people. 
       I will sing praises to your name."

       (Rom 15:10 NCV)  The Scripture also says, "Be happy, you who are not 
       Jews, together with his people."

       (Rom 15:11 NCV)  Again the Scripture says, "All you who are not Jews, 
       praise the Lord. All you people, sing praises to him."

       (Rom 15:12 NCV)  And Isaiah says, "A new king will come from the 
       family of Jesse. He will come to rule over the non-Jewish people, and 
       they will have hope because of him."

       (Rom 15:13 NCV)  I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with 
       much joy and peace while you trust in him. Then your hope will 
       overflow by the power of the Holy Spirit.

       (Rom 15:14 NCV)  My brothers and sisters, I am sure that you are full 
       of goodness. I know that you have all the knowledge you need and that 
       you are able to teach each other.

       (Rom 15:15 NCV)  But I have written to you very openly about some 
       things I wanted you to remember. I did this because God gave me this 
       special gift:

       (Rom 15:16 NCV)  to be a minister of Christ Jesus to those who are not 
       Jews. I served God by teaching his Good News, so that the non-Jewish 
       people could be an offering that God would accept--an offering made 
       holy by the Holy Spirit.

       (Rom 15:17 NCV)  So I am proud of what I have done for God in Christ 
       Jesus.

       (Rom 15:18 NCV)  I will not talk about anything except what Christ has 
       done through me in leading those who are not Jews to obey God. They 
       have obeyed God because of what I have said and done,

       (Rom 15:19 NCV)  because of the power of miracles and the great things 
       they saw, and because of the power of the Holy Spirit. I preached the 
       Good News from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, and so I 
       have finished that part of my work.

       (Rom 15:20 NCV)  I always want to preach the Good News in places where 
       people have never heard of Christ, because I do not want to build on 
       the work someone else has already started.

       (Rom 15:21 NCV)  But it is written in the Scriptures: "Those who were 
       not told about him will see, and those who have not heard about him 
       will understand."

       (Rom 15:22 NCV)  This is the reason I was stopped many times from 
       coming to you.





       (Rom 15:23 NCV)  Now I have finished my work here. Since for many 
       years I have wanted to come to you,

       (Rom 15:24 NCV)  I hope to visit you on my way to Spain. After I enjoy 
       being with you for a while, I hope you can help me on my trip.

       (Rom 15:25 NCV)  Now I am going to Jerusalem to help God's people.

       (Rom 15:26 NCV)  The believers in Macedonia and Southern Greece were 
       happy to give their money to help the poor among God's people at 
       Jerusalem.

       (Rom 15:27 NCV)  They were happy to do this, and really they owe it to 
       them. These who are not Jews have shared in the Jews' spiritual 
       blessings, so they should use their material possessions to help the 
       Jews.

       (Rom 15:28 NCV)  After I am sure the poor in Jerusalem get the money 
       that has been given for them, I will leave for Spain and stop and 
       visit you.

       (Rom 15:29 NCV)  I know that when I come to you I will bring Christ's 
       full blessing.

       (Rom 15:30 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, I beg you to help me in my work 
       by praying to God for me. Do this because of our Lord Jesus and the 
       love that the Holy Spirit gives us.

       (Rom 15:31 NCV)  Pray that I will be saved from the non-believers in 
       Judea and that this help I bring to Jerusalem will please God's people 
       there.

       (Rom 15:32 NCV)  Then, if God wants me to, I will come to you with 
       joy, and together you and I will have a time of rest.

       (Rom 15:33 NCV)  The God who gives peace be with you all. Amen.

       (Rom 16:1 NCV)  I recommend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a helper 
       in the church in Cenchrea.

       (Rom 16:2 NCV)  I ask you to accept her in the Lord in the way God's 
       people should. Help her with anything she needs, because she has 
       helped me and many other people also.

       (Rom 16:3 NCV)  Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, who work 
       together with me in Christ Jesus

       (Rom 16:4 NCV)  and who risked their own lives to save my life. I am 
       thankful to them, and all the non-Jewish churches are thankful as 
       well.

       (Rom 16:5 NCV)  Also, greet for me the church that meets at their 
       house. Greetings to my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first person 
       in the country of Asia to follow Christ.

       (Rom 16:6 NCV)  Greetings to Mary, who worked very hard for you.






       (Rom 16:7 NCV)  Greetings to Andronicus and Junia, my relatives, who 
       were in prison with me. They are very important apostles. They were 
       believers in Christ before I was.

       (Rom 16:8 NCV)  Greetings to Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord.

       (Rom 16:9 NCV)  Greetings to Urbanus, a worker together with me for 
       Christ. And greetings to my dear friend Stachys.

       (Rom 16:10 NCV)  Greetings to Apelles, who was tested and proved that 
       he truly loves Christ. Greetings to all those who are in the family of 
       Aristobulus.

       (Rom 16:11 NCV)  Greetings to Herodion, my fellow citizen. Greetings 
       to all those in the family of Narcissus who belong to the Lord.

       (Rom 16:12 NCV)  Greetings to Tryphena and Tryphosa, women who work 
       very hard for the Lord. Greetings to my dear friend Persis, who also 
       has worked very hard for the Lord.

       (Rom 16:13 NCV)  Greetings to Rufus, who is a special person in the 
       Lord, and to his mother, who has been like a mother to me also.

       (Rom 16:14 NCV)  Greetings to Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, 
       Hermas, and all the brothers who are with them.

       (Rom 16:15 NCV)  Greetings to Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his 
       sister, and Olympas, and to all God's people with them.

       (Rom 16:16 NCV)  Greet each other with a holy kiss. All of Christ's 
       churches send greetings to you.

       (Rom 16:17 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, I ask you to look out for those 
       who cause people to be against each other and who upset other people's 
       faith. They are against the true teaching you learned, so stay away 
       from them.

       (Rom 16:18 NCV)  Such people are not serving our Lord Christ but are 
       only doing what pleases themselves. They use fancy talk and fine words 
       to fool the minds of those who do not know about evil.

       (Rom 16:19 NCV)  All the believers have heard that you obey, so I am 
       very happy because of you. But I want you to be wise in what is good 
       and innocent in what is evil.

       (Rom 16:20 NCV)  The God who brings peace will soon defeat Satan and 
       give you power over him. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

       (Rom 16:21 NCV)  Timothy, a worker together with me, sends greetings, 
       as well as Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my relatives.

       (Rom 16:22 NCV)  I am Tertius, and I am writing this letter from Paul. 
       I send greetings to you in the Lord.

       (Rom 16:23 NCV)  Gaius is letting me and the whole church here use his 





       home. He also sends greetings to you, as do Erastus, the city 
       treasurer, and our brother Quartus.

       (Rom 16:24 NCV)  

       (Rom 16:25 NCV)  Glory to God who can make you strong in faith by the 
       Good News that I tell people and by the message about Jesus Christ. 
       The message about Christ is the secret that was hidden for long ages 
       past but is now made known.

       (Rom 16:26 NCV)  It has been made clear through the writings of the 
       prophets. And by the command of the eternal God it is made known to 
       all nations that they might believe and obey.

       (Rom 16:27 NCV)  To the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus 
       Christ! Amen.

       (1 Cor 1:1 NCV)  From Paul. God called me to be an apostle of Christ 
       Jesus because that is what God wanted. Also from Sosthenes, our 
       brother in Christ.

       (1 Cor 1:2 NCV)  To the church of God in Corinth, to you who have been 
       made holy in Christ Jesus. You were called to be God's holy people 
       with all people everywhere who pray in the name of the Lord Jesus 
       Christ--their Lord and ours:

       (1 Cor 1:3 NCV)  Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the 
       Lord Jesus Christ.

       (1 Cor 1:4 NCV)  I always thank my God for you because of the grace 
       God has given you in Christ Jesus.

       (1 Cor 1:5 NCV)  I thank God because in Christ you have been made rich 
       in every way, in all your speaking and in all your knowledge.

       (1 Cor 1:6 NCV)  Just as our witness about Christ has been guaranteed 
       to you,

       (1 Cor 1:7 NCV)  so you have every gift from God while you wait for 
       our Lord Jesus Christ to come again.

       (1 Cor 1:8 NCV)  Jesus will keep you strong until the end so that 
       there will be no wrong in you on the day our Lord Jesus Christ comes 
       again.

       (1 Cor 1:9 NCV)  God, who has called you to share everything with his 
       Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

       (1 Cor 1:10 NCV)  I beg you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our 
       Lord Jesus Christ that all of you agree with each other and not be 
       split into groups. I beg that you be completely joined together by 
       having the same kind of thinking and the same purpose.

       (1 Cor 1:11 NCV)  My brothers and sisters, some people from Chloe's 
       family have told me quite plainly that there are quarrels among you.





       (1 Cor 1:12 NCV)  This is what I mean: One of you says, "I follow 
       Paul"; another says, "I follow Apollos"; another says, "I follow 
       Peter"; and another says, "I follow Christ."

       (1 Cor 1:13 NCV)  Christ has been divided up into different groups! 
       Did Paul die on the cross for you? No! Were you baptized in the name 
       of Paul? No!

       (1 Cor 1:14 NCV)  I thank God I did not baptize any of you except 
       Crispus and Gaius

       (1 Cor 1:15 NCV)  so that now no one can say you were baptized in my 
       name.

       (1 Cor 1:16 NCV)  (I also baptized the family of Stephanas, but I do 
       not remember that I baptized anyone else.)

       (1 Cor 1:17 NCV)  Christ did not send me to baptize people but to 
       preach the Good News. And he sent me to preach the Good News without 
       using words of human wisdom so that the cross of Christ would not lose 
       its power.

       (1 Cor 1:18 NCV)  The teaching about the cross is foolishness to those 
       who are being lost, but to us who are being saved it is the power of 
       God.

       (1 Cor 1:19 NCV)  It is written in the Scriptures: "I will cause the 
       wise men to lose their wisdom; I will make the wise men unable to 
       understand."

       (1 Cor 1:20 NCV)  Where is the wise person? Where is the educated 
       person? Where is the skilled talker of this world? God has made the 
       wisdom of the world foolish.

       (1 Cor 1:21 NCV)  In the wisdom of God the world did not know God 
       through its own wisdom. So God chose to use the message that sounds 
       foolish to save those who believe.

       (1 Cor 1:22 NCV)  The Jews ask for miracles, and the Greeks want 
       wisdom.

       (1 Cor 1:23 NCV)  But we preach a crucified Christ. This is a big 
       problem to the Jews, and it is foolishness to those who are not Jews.

       (1 Cor 1:24 NCV)  But Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God 
       to those people God has called--Jews and Greeks.

       (1 Cor 1:25 NCV)  Even the foolishness of God is wiser than human 
       wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

       (1 Cor 1:26 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, look at what you were when God 
       called you. Not many of you were wise in the way the world judges 
       wisdom. Not many of you had great influence. Not many of you came from 
       important families.

       (1 Cor 1:27 NCV)  But God chose the foolish things of the world to 





       shame the wise, and he chose the weak things of the world to shame the 
       strong.

       (1 Cor 1:28 NCV)  He chose what the world thinks is unimportant and 
       what the world looks down on and thinks is nothing in order to destroy 
       what the world thinks is important.

       (1 Cor 1:29 NCV)  God did this so that no one can brag in his 
       presence.

       (1 Cor 1:30 NCV)  Because of God you are in Christ Jesus, who has 
       become for us wisdom from God. In Christ we are put right with God, 
       and have been made holy, and have been set free from sin.

       (1 Cor 1:31 NCV)  So, as the Scripture says, "If someone wants to 
       brag, he should brag only about the Lord."

       (1 Cor 2:1 NCV)  Dear brothers and sisters, when I came to you, I did 
       not come preaching God's secret with fancy words or a show of human 
       wisdom.

       (1 Cor 2:2 NCV)  I decided that while I was with you I would forget 
       about everything except Jesus Christ and his death on the cross.

       (1 Cor 2:3 NCV)  So when I came to you, I was weak and fearful and 
       trembling.

       (1 Cor 2:4 NCV)  My teaching and preaching were not with words of 
       human wisdom that persuade people but with proof of the power that the 
       Spirit gives.

       (1 Cor 2:5 NCV)  This was so that your faith would be in God's power 
       and not in human wisdom.

       (1 Cor 2:6 NCV)  However, I speak a wisdom to those who are mature. 
       But this wisdom is not from this world or from the rulers of this 
       world, who are losing their power.

       (1 Cor 2:7 NCV)  I speak God's secret wisdom, which he has kept 
       hidden. Before the world began, God planned this wisdom for our glory.

       (1 Cor 2:8 NCV)  None of the rulers of this world understood it. If 
       they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

       (1 Cor 2:9 NCV)  But as it is written in the Scriptures: "No one has 
       ever seen this, and no one has ever heard about it. No one has ever 
       imagined what God has prepared for those who love him."

       (1 Cor 2:10 NCV)  But God has shown us these things through the 
       Spirit. The Spirit searches out all things, even the deep secrets of 
       God.

       (1 Cor 2:11 NCV)  Who knows the thoughts that another person has? Only 
       a person's spirit that lives within him knows his thoughts. It is the 
       same with God. No one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of 
       God.






       (1 Cor 2:12 NCV)  Now we did not receive the spirit of the world, but 
       we received the Spirit that is from God so that we can know all that 
       God has given us.

       (1 Cor 2:13 NCV)  And we speak about these things, not with words 
       taught us by human wisdom but with words taught us by the Spirit. And 
       so we explain spiritual truths to spiritual people.

       (1 Cor 2:14 NCV)  A person who does not have the Spirit does not 
       accept the truths that come from the Spirit of God. That person thinks 
       they are foolish and cannot understand them, because they can only be 
       judged to be true by the Spirit.

       (1 Cor 2:15 NCV)  The spiritual person is able to judge all things, 
       but no one can judge him. The Scripture says:

       (1 Cor 2:16 NCV)  "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Who has been 
       able to teach him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

       (1 Cor 3:1 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, in the past I could not talk to 
       you as I talk to spiritual people. I had to talk to you as I would to 
       people without the Spirit--babies in Christ.

       (1 Cor 3:2 NCV)  The teaching I gave you was like milk, not solid 
       food, because you were not able to take solid food. And even now you 
       are not ready.

       (1 Cor 3:3 NCV)  You are still not spiritual, because there is 
       jealousy and quarreling among you, and this shows that you are not 
       spiritual. You are acting like people of the world.

       (1 Cor 3:4 NCV)  One of you says, "I belong to Paul," and another 
       says, "I belong to Apollos." When you say things like this, you are 
       acting like people of the world.

       (1 Cor 3:5 NCV)  Is Apollos important? No! Is Paul important? No! We 
       are only servants of God who helped you believe. Each one of us did 
       the work God gave us to do.

       (1 Cor 3:6 NCV)  I planted the seed, and Apollos watered it. But God 
       is the One who made it grow.

       (1 Cor 3:7 NCV)  So the one who plants is not important, and the one 
       who waters is not important. Only God, who makes things grow, is 
       important.

       (1 Cor 3:8 NCV)  The one who plants and the one who waters have the 
       same purpose, and each will be rewarded for his own work.

       (1 Cor 3:9 NCV)  We are God's workers, working together; you are like 
       God's farm, God's house.

       (1 Cor 3:10 NCV)  Using the gift God gave me, I laid the foundation of 
       that house like an expert builder. Others are building on that 
       foundation, but all people should be careful how they build on it.






       (1 Cor 3:11 NCV)  The foundation that has already been laid is Jesus 
       Christ, and no one can lay down any other foundation.

       (1 Cor 3:12 NCV)  But if people build on that foundation, using gold, 
       silver, jewels, wood, grass, or straw,

       (1 Cor 3:13 NCV)  their work will be clearly seen, because the Day of 
       Judgment will make it visible. That Day will appear with fire, and the 
       fire will test everyone's work to show what sort of work it was.

       (1 Cor 3:14 NCV)  If the building that has been put on the foundation 
       still stands, the builder will get a reward.

       (1 Cor 3:15 NCV)  But if the building is burned up, the builder will 
       suffer loss. The builder will be saved, but it will be as one who 
       escaped from a fire.

       (1 Cor 3:16 NCV)  Don't you know that you are God's temple and that 
       God's Spirit lives in you?

       (1 Cor 3:17 NCV)  If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy 
       that person, because God's temple is holy and you are that temple.

       (1 Cor 3:18 NCV)  Do not fool yourselves. If you think you are wise in 
       this world, you should become a fool so that you can become truly 
       wise,

       (1 Cor 3:19 NCV)  because the wisdom of this world is foolishness with 
       God. It is written in the Scriptures, "He catches those who are wise 
       in their own clever traps."

       (1 Cor 3:20 NCV)  It is also written in the Scriptures, "The Lord 
       knows what wise people think. He knows their thoughts are just a puff 
       of wind."

       (1 Cor 3:21 NCV)  So you should not brag about human leaders. All 
       things belong to you:

       (1 Cor 3:22 NCV)  Paul, Apollos, and Peter; the world, life, death, 
       the present, and the future--all these belong to you.

       (1 Cor 3:23 NCV)  And you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

       (1 Cor 4:1 NCV)  People should think of us as servants of Christ, the 
       ones God has trusted with his secrets.

       (1 Cor 4:2 NCV)  Now in this way those who are trusted with something 
       valuable must show they are worthy of that trust.

       (1 Cor 4:3 NCV)  As for myself, I do not care if I am judged by you or 
       by any human court. I do not even judge myself.

       (1 Cor 4:4 NCV)  I know of no wrong I have done, but this does not 
       make me right before the Lord. The Lord is the One who judges me.





       (1 Cor 4:5 NCV)  So do not judge before the right time; wait until the 
       Lord comes. He will bring to light things that are now hidden in 
       darkness, and will make known the secret purposes of people's hearts. 
       Then God will praise each one of them.

       (1 Cor 4:6 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, I have used Apollos and myself 
       as examples so you could learn through us the meaning of the saying, 
       "Follow only what is written in the Scriptures." Then you will not be 
       more proud of one person than another.

       (1 Cor 4:7 NCV)  Who says you are better than others? What do you have 
       that was not given to you? And if it was given to you, why do you brag 
       as if you did not receive it as a gift?

       (1 Cor 4:8 NCV)  You think you already have everything you need. You 
       think you are rich. You think you have become kings without us. I wish 
       you really were kings so we could be kings together with you.

       (1 Cor 4:9 NCV)  But it seems to me that God has put us apostles in 
       last place, like those sentenced to die. We are like a show for the 
       whole world to see--angels and people.

       (1 Cor 4:10 NCV)  We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are very 
       wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You receive honor, 
       but we are shamed.

       (1 Cor 4:11 NCV)  Even to this very hour we do not have enough to eat 
       or drink or to wear. We are often beaten, and we have no homes in 
       which to live.

       (1 Cor 4:12 NCV)  We work hard with our own hands for our food. When 
       people curse us, we bless them. When they hurt us, we put up with it.

       (1 Cor 4:13 NCV)  When they tell evil lies about us, we speak nice 
       words about them. Even today, we are treated as though we were the 
       garbage of the world--the filth of the earth.

       (1 Cor 4:14 NCV)  I am not trying to make you feel ashamed. I am 
       writing this to give you a warning as my own dear children.

       (1 Cor 4:15 NCV)  For though you may have ten thousand teachers in 
       Christ, you do not have many fathers. Through the Good News I became 
       your father in Christ Jesus,

       (1 Cor 4:16 NCV)  so I beg you, please follow my example.

       (1 Cor 4:17 NCV)  That is why I am sending to you Timothy, my son in 
       the Lord. I love Timothy, and he is faithful. He will help you 
       remember my way of life in Christ Jesus, just as I teach it in all the 
       churches everywhere.

       (1 Cor 4:18 NCV)  Some of you have become proud, thinking that I will 
       not come to you again.

       (1 Cor 4:19 NCV)  But I will come to you very soon if the Lord wishes. 
       Then I will know what the proud ones do, not what they say,






       (1 Cor 4:20 NCV)  because the kingdom of God is present not in talk 
       but in power.

       (1 Cor 4:21 NCV)  Which do you want: that I come to you with 
       punishment or with love and gentleness?

       (1 Cor 5:1 NCV)  It is actually being said that there is sexual sin 
       among you. And it is a kind that does not happen even among people who 
       do not know God. A man there has his father's wife.

       (1 Cor 5:2 NCV)  And you are proud! You should have been filled with 
       sadness so that the man who did this should be put out of your group.

       (1 Cor 5:3 NCV)  I am not there with you in person, but I am with you 
       in spirit. And I have already judged the man who did that sin as if I 
       were really there.

       (1 Cor 5:4 NCV)  When you meet together in the name of our Lord Jesus, 
       and I meet with you in spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus,

       (1 Cor 5:5 NCV)  then hand this man over to Satan. So his sinful self 
       will be destroyed, and his spirit will be saved on the day of the 
       Lord.

       (1 Cor 5:6 NCV)  Your bragging is not good. You know the saying, "Just 
       a little yeast makes the whole batch of dough rise."

       (1 Cor 5:7 NCV)  Take out all the old yeast so that you will be a new 
       batch of dough without yeast, which you really are. For Christ, our 
       Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

       (1 Cor 5:8 NCV)  So let us celebrate this feast, but not with the 
       bread that has the old yeast--the yeast of sin and wickedness. Let us 
       celebrate this feast with the bread that has no yeast--the bread of 
       goodness and truth.

       (1 Cor 5:9 NCV)  I wrote you in my earlier letter not to associate 
       with those who sin sexually.

       (1 Cor 5:10 NCV)  But I did not mean you should not associate with 
       those of this world who sin sexually, or with the greedy, or robbers, 
       or those who worship idols. To get away from them you would have to 
       leave this world.

       (1 Cor 5:11 NCV)  I am writing to tell you that you must not associate 
       with those who call themselves believers in Christ but who sin 
       sexually, or are greedy, or worship idols, or abuse others with words, 
       or get drunk, or cheat people. Do not even eat with people like that.

       (1 Cor 5:12 NCV)  It is not my business to judge those who are not 
       part of the church. God will judge them. But you must judge the people 
       who are part of the church. The Scripture says, "You must get rid of 
       the evil person among you."

       (1 Cor 5:13 NCV)  






       (1 Cor 6:1 NCV)  When you have something against another Christian, 
       how can you bring yourself to go before judges who are not right with 
       God? Why do you not let God's people decide who is right?

       (1 Cor 6:2 NCV)  Surely you know that God's people will judge the 
       world. So if you are to judge the world, are you not able to judge 
       small cases as well?

       (1 Cor 6:3 NCV)  You know that in the future we will judge angels, so 
       surely we can judge the ordinary things of this life.

       (1 Cor 6:4 NCV)  If you have ordinary cases that must be judged, are 
       you going to appoint people as judges who mean nothing to the church?

       (1 Cor 6:5 NCV)  I say this to shame you. Surely there is someone 
       among you wise enough to judge a complaint between believers.

       (1 Cor 6:6 NCV)  But now one believer goes to court against another 
       believer--and you do this in front of unbelievers!

       (1 Cor 6:7 NCV)  The fact that you have lawsuits against each other 
       shows that you are already defeated. Why not let yourselves be 
       wronged? Why not let yourselves be cheated?

       (1 Cor 6:8 NCV)  But you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do 
       this to other believers!

       (1 Cor 6:9 NCV)  Surely you know that the people who do wrong will not 
       inherit God's kingdom. Do not be fooled. Those who sin sexually, 
       worship idols, take part in adultery, those who are male prostitutes, 
       or men who have sexual relations with other men, those who steal, are 
       greedy, get drunk, lie about others, or rob--these people will not 
       inherit God's kingdom.

       (1 Cor 6:10 NCV)  

       (1 Cor 6:11 NCV)  In the past, some of you were like that, but you 
       were washed clean. You were made holy, and you were made right with 
       God in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

       (1 Cor 6:12 NCV)  "I am allowed to do all things," but all things are 
       not good for me to do. "I am allowed to do all things," but I will not 
       let anything make me its slave.

       (1 Cor 6:13 NCV)  "Food is for the stomach, and the stomach for food," 
       but God will destroy them both. The body is not for sexual sin but for 
       the Lord, and the Lord is for the body.

       (1 Cor 6:14 NCV)  By his power God has raised the Lord from the dead 
       and will also raise us from the dead.

       (1 Cor 6:15 NCV)  Surely you know that your bodies are parts of Christ 
       himself. So I must never take the parts of Christ and join them to a 
       prostitute!





       (1 Cor 6:16 NCV)  It is written in the Scriptures, "The two will 
       become one body." So you should know that anyone who joins with a 
       prostitute becomes one body with the prostitute.

       (1 Cor 6:17 NCV)  But the one who joins with the Lord is one spirit 
       with the Lord.

       (1 Cor 6:18 NCV)  So run away from sexual sin. Every other sin people 
       do is outside their bodies, but those who sin sexually sin against 
       their own bodies.

       (1 Cor 6:19 NCV)  You should know that your body is a temple for the 
       Holy Spirit who is in you. You have received the Holy Spirit from God. 
       So you do not belong to yourselves,

       (1 Cor 6:20 NCV)  because you were bought by God for a price. So honor 
       God with your bodies.

       (1 Cor 7:1 NCV)  Now I will discuss the things you wrote me about. It 
       is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.

       (1 Cor 7:2 NCV)  But because sexual sin is a danger, each man should 
       have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.

       (1 Cor 7:3 NCV)  The husband should give his wife all that he owes her 
       as his wife. And the wife should give her husband all that she owes 
       him as her husband.

       (1 Cor 7:4 NCV)  The wife does not have full rights over her own body; 
       her husband shares them. And the husband does not have full rights 
       over his own body; his wife shares them.

       (1 Cor 7:5 NCV)  Do not refuse to give your bodies to each other, 
       unless you both agree to stay away from sexual relations for a time so 
       you can give your time to prayer. Then come together again so Satan 
       cannot tempt you because of a lack of self-control.

       (1 Cor 7:6 NCV)  I say this to give you permission to stay away from 
       sexual relations for a time. It is not a command to do so.

       (1 Cor 7:7 NCV)  I wish that everyone were like me, but each person 
       has his own gift from God. One has one gift, another has another gift.

       (1 Cor 7:8 NCV)  Now for those who are not married and for the widows 
       I say this: It is good for them to stay unmarried as I am.

       (1 Cor 7:9 NCV)  But if they cannot control themselves, they should 
       marry. It is better to marry than to burn with sexual desire.

       (1 Cor 7:10 NCV)  Now I give this command for the married people. (The 
       command is not from me; it is from the Lord.) A wife should not leave 
       her husband.

       (1 Cor 7:11 NCV)  But if she does leave, she must not marry again, or 
       she should make up with her husband. Also the husband should not 
       divorce his wife.






       (1 Cor 7:12 NCV)  For all the others I say this (I am saying this, not 
       the Lord): If a Christian man has a wife who is not a believer, and 
       she is happy to live with him, he must not divorce her.

       (1 Cor 7:13 NCV)  And if a Christian woman has a husband who is not a 
       believer, and he is happy to live with her, she must not divorce him.

       (1 Cor 7:14 NCV)  The husband who is not a believer is made holy 
       through his believing wife. And the wife who is not a believer is made 
       holy through her believing husband. If this were not true, your 
       children would not be clean, but now your children are holy.

       (1 Cor 7:15 NCV)  But if those who are not believers decide to leave, 
       let them leave. When this happens, the Christian man or woman is free. 
       But God called us to live in peace.

       (1 Cor 7:16 NCV)  Wife, you don't know; maybe you will save your 
       husband. And husband, you don't know; maybe you will save your wife.

       (1 Cor 7:17 NCV)  But in any case each one of you should continue to 
       live the way God has given you to live--the way you were when God 
       called you. This is a rule I make in all the churches.

       (1 Cor 7:18 NCV)  If a man was already circumcised when he was called, 
       he should not undo his circumcision. If a man was without circumcision 
       when he was called, he should not be circumcised.

       (1 Cor 7:19 NCV)  It is not important if a man is circumcised or not. 
       The important thing is obeying God's commands.

       (1 Cor 7:20 NCV)  Each one of you should stay the way you were when 
       God called you.

       (1 Cor 7:21 NCV)  If you were a slave when God called you, do not let 
       that bother you. But if you can be free, then make good use of your 
       freedom.

       (1 Cor 7:22 NCV)  Those who were slaves when the Lord called them are 
       free persons who belong to the Lord. In the same way, those who were 
       free when they were called are now Christ's slaves.

       (1 Cor 7:23 NCV)  You all were bought at a great price, so do not 
       become slaves of people.

       (1 Cor 7:24 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, each of you should stay as you 
       were when you were called, and stay there with God.

       (1 Cor 7:25 NCV)  Now I write about people who are not married. I have 
       no command from the Lord about this; I give my opinion. But I can be 
       trusted, because the Lord has shown me mercy.

       (1 Cor 7:26 NCV)  The present time is a time of trouble, so I think it 
       is good for you to stay the way you are.

       (1 Cor 7:27 NCV)  If you have a wife, do not try to become free from 





       her. If you are not married, do not try to find a wife.

       (1 Cor 7:28 NCV)  But if you decide to marry, you have not sinned. And 
       if a girl who has never married decides to marry, she has not sinned. 
       But those who marry will have trouble in this life, and I want you to 
       be free from trouble.

       (1 Cor 7:29 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, this is what I mean: We do not 
       have much time left. So starting now, those who have wives should live 
       as if they had no wives.

       (1 Cor 7:30 NCV)  Those who are crying should live as if they were not 
       crying. Those who are happy should live as if they were not happy. 
       Those who buy things should live as if they own nothing.

       (1 Cor 7:31 NCV)  Those who use the things of the world should live as 
       if they were not using them, because this world in its present form 
       will soon be gone.

       (1 Cor 7:32 NCV)  I want you to be free from worry. A man who is not 
       married is busy with the Lord's work, trying to please the Lord.

       (1 Cor 7:33 NCV)  But a man who is married is busy with things of the 
       world, trying to please his wife.

       (1 Cor 7:34 NCV)  He must think about two things--pleasing his wife 
       and pleasing the Lord. A woman who is not married or a girl who has 
       never married is busy with the Lord's work. She wants to be holy in 
       body and spirit. But a married woman is busy with things of the world, 
       as to how she can please her husband.

       (1 Cor 7:35 NCV)  I am saying this to help you, not to limit you. But 
       I want you to live in the right way, to give yourselves fully to the 
       Lord without concern for other things.

       (1 Cor 7:36 NCV)  If a man thinks he is not doing the right thing with 
       the girl he is engaged to, if she is almost past the best age to marry 
       and he feels he should marry her, he should do what he wants. They 
       should get married. It is no sin.

       (1 Cor 7:37 NCV)  But if a man is sure in his mind that there is no 
       need for marriage, and has his own desires under control, and has 
       decided not to marry the one to whom he is engaged, he is doing the 
       right thing.

       (1 Cor 7:38 NCV)  So the man who marries his girl does right, but the 
       man who does not marry will do better.

       (1 Cor 7:39 NCV)  A woman must stay with her husband as long as he 
       lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry any man she 
       wants, but she must marry in the Lord.

       (1 Cor 7:40 NCV)  The woman is happier if she does not marry again. 
       This is my opinion, but I believe I also have God's Spirit.

       (1 Cor 8:1 NCV)  Now I will write about meat that is sacrificed to 





       idols. We know that "we all have knowledge." Knowledge puffs you up 
       with pride, but love builds up.

       (1 Cor 8:2 NCV)  If you think you know something, you do not yet know 
       anything as you should.

       (1 Cor 8:3 NCV)  But if any person loves God, that person is known by 
       God.

       (1 Cor 8:4 NCV)  So this is what I say about eating meat sacrificed to 
       idols: We know that an idol is really nothing in the world, and we 
       know there is only one God.

       (1 Cor 8:5 NCV)  Even though there are things called gods, in heaven 
       or on earth (and there are many "gods" and "lords"),

       (1 Cor 8:6 NCV)  for us there is only one God--our Father. All things 
       came from him, and we live for him. And there is only one Lord--Jesus 
       Christ. All things were made through him, and we also were made 
       through him.

       (1 Cor 8:7 NCV)  But not all people know this. Some people are still 
       so used to idols that when they eat meat, they still think of it as 
       being sacrificed to an idol. Because their conscience is weak, when 
       they eat it, they feel guilty.

       (1 Cor 8:8 NCV)  But food will not bring us closer to God. Refusing to 
       eat does not make us less pleasing to God, and eating does not make us 
       better in God's sight.

       (1 Cor 8:9 NCV)  But be careful that your freedom does not cause those 
       who are weak in faith to fall into sin.

       (1 Cor 8:10 NCV)  You have "knowledge," so you eat in an idol's 
       temple. But someone who is weak in faith might see you eating there 
       and be encouraged to eat meat sacrificed to idols while thinking it is 
       wrong to do so.

       (1 Cor 8:11 NCV)  This weak believer for whom Christ died is ruined 
       because of your "knowledge."

       (1 Cor 8:12 NCV)  When you sin against your brothers and sisters in 
       Christ like this and cause them to do what they feel is wrong, you are 
       also sinning against Christ.

       (1 Cor 8:13 NCV)  So if the food I eat causes them to fall into sin, I 
       will never eat meat again so that I will not cause any of them to sin.

       (1 Cor 9:1 NCV)  I am a free man. I am an apostle. I have seen Jesus 
       our Lord. You people are all an example of my work in the Lord.

       (1 Cor 9:2 NCV)  If others do not accept me as an apostle, surely you 
       do, because you are proof that I am an apostle in the Lord.

       (1 Cor 9:3 NCV)  This is the answer I give people who want to judge 
       me:






       (1 Cor 9:4 NCV)  Do we not have the right to eat and drink?

       (1 Cor 9:5 NCV)  Do we not have the right to bring a believing wife 
       with us when we travel as do the other apostles and the Lord's 
       brothers and Peter?

       (1 Cor 9:6 NCV)  Are Barnabas and I the only ones who must work to 
       earn our living?

       (1 Cor 9:7 NCV)  No soldier ever serves in the army and pays his own 
       salary. No one ever plants a vineyard without eating some of the 
       grapes. No person takes care of a flock without drinking some of the 
       milk.

       (1 Cor 9:8 NCV)  I do not say this by human authority; God's law also 
       says the same thing.

       (1 Cor 9:9 NCV)  It is written in the law of Moses: "When an ox is 
       working in the grain, do not cover its mouth to keep it from eating." 
       When God said this, was he thinking only about oxen? No.

       (1 Cor 9:10 NCV)  He was really talking about us. Yes, that Scripture 
       was written for us, because it goes on to say: "The one who plows and 
       the one who works in the grain should hope to get some of the grain 
       for their work."

       (1 Cor 9:11 NCV)  Since we planted spiritual seed among you, is it too 
       much if we should harvest from you some things for this life?

       (1 Cor 9:12 NCV)  If others have the right to get something from you, 
       surely we have this right, too. But we do not use it. No, we put up 
       with everything ourselves so that we will not keep anyone from 
       believing the Good News of Christ.

       (1 Cor 9:13 NCV)  Surely you know that those who work at the Temple 
       get their food from the Temple, and those who serve at the altar get 
       part of what is offered at the altar.

       (1 Cor 9:14 NCV)  In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those 
       who tell the Good News should get their living from this work.

       (1 Cor 9:15 NCV)  But I have not used any of these rights. And I am 
       not writing this now to get anything from you. I would rather die than 
       to have my reason for bragging taken away.

       (1 Cor 9:16 NCV)  Telling the Good News does not give me any reason 
       for bragging. Telling the Good News is my duty--something I must do. 
       And how terrible it will be for me if I do not tell the Good News.

       (1 Cor 9:17 NCV)  If I preach because it is my own choice, I have a 
       reward. But if I preach and it is not my choice to do so, I am only 
       doing the duty that was given to me.

       (1 Cor 9:18 NCV)  So what reward do I get? This is my reward: that 
       when I tell the Good News I can offer it freely. I do not use my full 





       rights in my work of preaching the Good News.

       (1 Cor 9:19 NCV)  I am free and belong to no one. But I make myself a 
       slave to all people to win as many as I can.

       (1 Cor 9:20 NCV)  To the Jews I became like a Jew to win the Jews. I 
       myself am not ruled by the law. But to those who are ruled by the law 
       I became like a person who is ruled by the law. I did this to win 
       those who are ruled by the law.

       (1 Cor 9:21 NCV)  To those who are without the law I became like a 
       person who is without the law. I did this to win those people who are 
       without the law. (But really, I am not without God's law--I am ruled 
       by Christ's law.)

       (1 Cor 9:22 NCV)  To those who are weak, I became weak so I could win 
       the weak. I have become all things to all people so I could save some 
       of them in any way possible.

       (1 Cor 9:23 NCV)  I do all this because of the Good News and so I can 
       share in its blessings.

       (1 Cor 9:24 NCV)  You know that in a race all the runners run, but 
       only one gets the prize. So run to win!

       (1 Cor 9:25 NCV)  All those who compete in the games use self-control 
       so they can win a crown. That crown is an earthly thing that lasts 
       only a short time, but our crown will never be destroyed.

       (1 Cor 9:26 NCV)  So I do not run without a goal. I fight like a boxer 
       who is hitting something--not just the air.

       (1 Cor 9:27 NCV)  I treat my body hard and make it my slave so that I 
       myself will not be disqualified after I have preached to others.

       (1 Cor 10:1 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, I want you to know what 
       happened to our ancestors who followed Moses. They were all under the 
       cloud and all went through the sea.

       (1 Cor 10:2 NCV)  They were all baptized as followers of Moses in the 
       cloud and in the sea.

       (1 Cor 10:3 NCV)  They all ate the same spiritual food,

       (1 Cor 10:4 NCV)  and all drank the same spiritual drink. They drank 
       from that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ.

       (1 Cor 10:5 NCV)  But God was not pleased with most of them, so they 
       died in the desert.

       (1 Cor 10:6 NCV)  And these things happened as examples for us, to 
       stop us from wanting evil things as those people did.

       (1 Cor 10:7 NCV)  Do not worship idols, as some of them did. Just as 
       it is written in the Scriptures: "They sat down to eat and drink, and 
       then they got up and sinned sexually."






       (1 Cor 10:8 NCV)  We must not take part in sexual sins, as some of 
       them did. In one day twenty-three thousand of them died because of 
       their sins.

       (1 Cor 10:9 NCV)  We must not test Christ as some of them did; they 
       were killed by snakes.

       (1 Cor 10:10 NCV)  Do not complain as some of them did; they were 
       killed by the angel that destroys.

       (1 Cor 10:11 NCV)  The things that happened to those people are 
       examples. They were written down to teach us, because we live in a 
       time when all these things of the past have reached their goal.

       (1 Cor 10:12 NCV)  If you think you are strong, you should be careful 
       not to fall.

       (1 Cor 10:13 NCV)  The only temptation that has come to you is that 
       which everyone has. But you can trust God, who will not permit you to 
       be tempted more than you can stand. But when you are tempted, he will 
       also give you a way to escape so that you will be able to stand it.

       (1 Cor 10:14 NCV)  So, my dear friends, run away from the worship of 
       idols.

       (1 Cor 10:15 NCV)  I am speaking to you as to intelligent people; 
       judge for yourselves what I say.

       (1 Cor 10:16 NCV)  We give thanks for the cup of blessing, which is a 
       sharing in the blood of Christ. And the bread that we break is a 
       sharing in the body of Christ.

       (1 Cor 10:17 NCV)  Because there is one loaf of bread, we who are many 
       are one body, because we all share that one loaf.

       (1 Cor 10:18 NCV)  Think about the Israelites: Do not those who eat 
       the sacrifices share in the altar?

       (1 Cor 10:19 NCV)  I do not mean that the food sacrificed to an idol 
       is important. I do not mean that an idol is anything at all.

       (1 Cor 10:20 NCV)  But I say that what is sacrificed to idols is 
       offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to share anything 
       with demons.

       (1 Cor 10:21 NCV)  You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of 
       demons also. You cannot share in the Lord's table and the table of 
       demons.

       (1 Cor 10:22 NCV)  Are we trying to make the Lord jealous? We are not 
       stronger than he is, are we?

       (1 Cor 10:23 NCV)  "We are allowed to do all things," but all things 
       are not good for us to do. "We are allowed to do all things," but not 
       all things help others grow stronger.






       (1 Cor 10:24 NCV)  Do not look out only for yourselves. Look out for 
       the good of others also.

       (1 Cor 10:25 NCV)  Eat any meat that is sold in the meat market. Do 
       not ask questions to see if it is meat you think is wrong to eat.

       (1 Cor 10:26 NCV)  You may eat it, "because the earth belongs to the 
       Lord, and everything in it."

       (1 Cor 10:27 NCV)  Those who are not believers may invite you to eat 
       with them. If you want to go, eat anything that is put before you. Do 
       not ask questions to see if you think it might be wrong to eat.

       (1 Cor 10:28 NCV)  But if anyone says to you, "That food was offered 
       to idols," do not eat it. Do not eat it because of that person who 
       told you and because eating it might be thought to be wrong.

       (1 Cor 10:29 NCV)  I don't mean you think it is wrong, but the other 
       person might. But why, you ask, should my freedom be judged by someone 
       else's conscience?

       (1 Cor 10:30 NCV)  If I eat the meal with thankfulness, why am I 
       criticized because of something for which I thank God?

       (1 Cor 10:31 NCV)  The answer is, if you eat or drink, or if you do 
       anything, do it all for the glory of God.

       (1 Cor 10:32 NCV)  Never do anything that might hurt others--Jews, 
       Greeks, or God's church--

       (1 Cor 10:33 NCV)  just as I, also, try to please everybody in every 
       way. I am not trying to do what is good for me but what is good for 
       most people so they can be saved.

       (1 Cor 11:1 NCV)  Follow my example, as I follow the example of 
       Christ.

       (1 Cor 11:2 NCV)  I praise you because you remember me in everything, 
       and you follow closely the teachings just as I gave them to you.

       (1 Cor 11:3 NCV)  But I want you to understand this: The head of every 
       man is Christ, the head of a woman is the man, and the head of Christ 
       is God.

       (1 Cor 11:4 NCV)  Every man who prays or prophesies with his head 
       covered brings shame to his head.

       (1 Cor 11:5 NCV)  But every woman who prays or prophesies with her 
       head uncovered brings shame to her head. She is the same as a woman 
       who has her head shaved.

       (1 Cor 11:6 NCV)  If a woman does not cover her head, she should have 
       her hair cut off. But since it is shameful for a woman to cut off her 
       hair or to shave her head, she should cover her head.





       (1 Cor 11:7 NCV)  But a man should not cover his head, because he is 
       the likeness and glory of God. But woman is man's glory.

       (1 Cor 11:8 NCV)  Man did not come from woman, but woman came from 
       man.

       (1 Cor 11:9 NCV)  And man was not made for woman, but woman was made 
       for man.

       (1 Cor 11:10 NCV)  So that is why a woman should have a symbol of 
       authority on her head, because of the angels.

       (1 Cor 11:11 NCV)  But in the Lord women are not independent of men, 
       and men are not independent of women.

       (1 Cor 11:12 NCV)  This is true because woman came from man, but also 
       man is born from woman. But everything comes from God.

       (1 Cor 11:13 NCV)  Decide this for yourselves: Is it right for a woman 
       to pray to God with her head uncovered?

       (1 Cor 11:14 NCV)  Even nature itself teaches you that wearing long 
       hair is shameful for a man.

       (1 Cor 11:15 NCV)  But long hair is a woman's glory. Long hair is 
       given to her as a covering.

       (1 Cor 11:16 NCV)  Some people may still want to argue about this, but 
       I would add that neither we nor the churches of God have any other 
       practice.

       (1 Cor 11:17 NCV)  In the things I tell you now I do not praise you, 
       because when you come together you do more harm than good.

       (1 Cor 11:18 NCV)  First, I hear that when you meet together as a 
       church you are divided, and I believe some of this.

       (1 Cor 11:19 NCV)  (It is necessary to have differences among you so 
       that it may be clear which of you really have God's approval.)

       (1 Cor 11:20 NCV)  When you come together, you are not really eating 
       the Lord's Supper.

       (1 Cor 11:21 NCV)  This is because when you eat, each person eats 
       without waiting for the others. Some people do not get enough to eat, 
       while others have too much to drink.

       (1 Cor 11:22 NCV)  You can eat and drink in your own homes! You seem 
       to think God's church is not important, and you embarrass those who 
       are poor. What should I tell you? Should I praise you? I do not praise 
       you for doing this.

       (1 Cor 11:23 NCV)  The teaching I gave you is the same teaching I 
       received from the Lord: On the night when the Lord Jesus was handed 
       over to be killed, he took bread





       (1 Cor 11:24 NCV)  and gave thanks for it. Then he broke the bread and 
       said, "This is my body; it is for you. Do this to remember me."

       (1 Cor 11:25 NCV)  In the same way, after they ate, Jesus took the 
       cup. He said, "This cup is the new agreement that is sealed with the 
       blood of my death. When you drink this, do it to remember me."

       (1 Cor 11:26 NCV)  Every time you eat this bread and drink this cup 
       you are telling others about the Lord's death until he comes.

       (1 Cor 11:27 NCV)  So a person who eats the bread or drinks the cup of 
       the Lord in a way that is not worthy of it will be guilty of sinning 
       against the body and the blood of the Lord.

       (1 Cor 11:28 NCV)  Look into your own hearts before you eat the bread 
       and drink the cup,

       (1 Cor 11:29 NCV)  because all who eat the bread and drink the cup 
       without recognizing the body eat and drink judgment against 
       themselves.

       (1 Cor 11:30 NCV)  That is why many in your group are sick and weak, 
       and many have died.

       (1 Cor 11:31 NCV)  But if we judged ourselves in the right way, God 
       would not judge us.

       (1 Cor 11:32 NCV)  But when the Lord judges us, he punishes us so that 
       we will not be destroyed along with the world.

       (1 Cor 11:33 NCV)  So my brothers and sisters, when you come together 
       to eat, wait for each other.

       (1 Cor 11:34 NCV)  Anyone who is too hungry should eat at home so that 
       in meeting together you will not bring God's judgment on yourselves. I 
       will tell you what to do about the other things when I come.

       (1 Cor 12:1 NCV)  Now, brothers and sisters, I want you to understand 
       about spiritual gifts.

       (1 Cor 12:2 NCV)  You know the way you lived before you were 
       believers. You let yourselves be influenced and led away to worship 
       idols--things that could not speak.

       (1 Cor 12:3 NCV)  So I want you to understand that no one who is 
       speaking with the help of God's Spirit says, "Jesus be cursed." And no 
       one can say, "Jesus is Lord," without the help of the Holy Spirit.

       (1 Cor 12:4 NCV)  There are different kinds of gifts, but they are all 
       from the same Spirit.

       (1 Cor 12:5 NCV)  There are different ways to serve but the same Lord 
       to serve.

       (1 Cor 12:6 NCV)  And there are different ways that God works through 
       people but the same God. God works in all of us in everything we do.






       (1 Cor 12:7 NCV)  Something from the Spirit can be seen in each 
       person, for the common good.

       (1 Cor 12:8 NCV)  The Spirit gives one person the ability to speak 
       with wisdom, and the same Spirit gives another the ability to speak 
       with knowledge.

       (1 Cor 12:9 NCV)  The same Spirit gives faith to one person. And, to 
       another, that one Spirit gives gifts of healing.

       (1 Cor 12:10 NCV)  The Spirit gives to another person the power to do 
       miracles, to another the ability to prophesy. And he gives to another 
       the ability to know the difference between good and evil spirits. The 
       Spirit gives one person the ability to speak in different kinds of 
       languages and to another the ability to interpret those languages.

       (1 Cor 12:11 NCV)  One Spirit, the same Spirit, does all these things, 
       and the Spirit decides what to give each person.

       (1 Cor 12:12 NCV)  A person's body is only one thing, but it has many 
       parts. Though there are many parts to a body, all those parts make 
       only one body. Christ is like that also.

       (1 Cor 12:13 NCV)  Some of us are Jews, and some are Greeks. Some of 
       us are slaves, and some are free. But we were all baptized into one 
       body through one Spirit. And we were all made to share in the one 
       Spirit.

       (1 Cor 12:14 NCV)  The human body has many parts.

       (1 Cor 12:15 NCV)  The foot might say, "Because I am not a hand, I am 
       not part of the body." But saying this would not stop the foot from 
       being a part of the body.

       (1 Cor 12:16 NCV)  The ear might say, "Because I am not an eye, I am 
       not part of the body." But saying this would not stop the ear from 
       being a part of the body.

       (1 Cor 12:17 NCV)  If the whole body were an eye, it would not be able 
       to hear. If the whole body were an ear, it would not be able to smell.

       (1 Cor 12:18 NCV)  If each part of the body were the same part, there 
       would be no body. But truly God put all the parts, each one of them, 
       in the body as he wanted them.

       (1 Cor 12:19 NCV)  

       (1 Cor 12:20 NCV)  So then there are many parts, but only one body.

       (1 Cor 12:21 NCV)  The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" 
       And the head cannot say to the foot, "I don't need you!"

       (1 Cor 12:22 NCV)  No! Those parts of the body that seem to be the 
       weaker are really necessary.





       (1 Cor 12:23 NCV)  And the parts of the body we think are less are the 
       parts to which we give the most honor. We give special respect to the 
       parts we want to hide.

       (1 Cor 12:24 NCV)  The more respectable parts of our body need no 
       special care. But God put the body together and gave more honor to the 
       parts that need it

       (1 Cor 12:25 NCV)  so our body would not be divided. God wanted the 
       different parts to care the same for each other.

       (1 Cor 12:26 NCV)  If one part of the body suffers, all the other 
       parts suffer with it. Or if one part of our body is honored, all the 
       other parts share its honor.

       (1 Cor 12:27 NCV)  Together you are the body of Christ, and each one 
       of you is a part of that body.

       (1 Cor 12:28 NCV)  In the church God has given a place first to 
       apostles, second to prophets, and third to teachers. Then God has 
       given a place to those who do miracles, those who have gifts of 
       healing, those who can help others, those who are able to govern, and 
       those who can speak in different languages.

       (1 Cor 12:29 NCV)  Not all are apostles. Not all are prophets. Not all 
       are teachers. Not all do miracles.

       (1 Cor 12:30 NCV)  Not all have gifts of healing. Not all speak in 
       different languages. Not all interpret those languages.

       (1 Cor 12:31 NCV)  But you should truly want to have the greater 
       gifts. And now I will show you the best way of all.

       (1 Cor 13:1 NCV)  I may speak in different languages of people or even 
       angels. But if I do not have love, I am only a noisy bell or a 
       crashing cymbal.

       (1 Cor 13:2 NCV)  I may have the gift of prophecy. I may understand 
       all the secret things of God and have all knowledge, and I may have 
       faith so great I can move mountains. But even with all these things, 
       if I do not have love, then I am nothing.

       (1 Cor 13:3 NCV)  I may give away everything I have, and I may even 
       give my body as an offering to be burned. But I gain nothing if I do 
       not have love.

       (1 Cor 13:4 NCV)  Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it 
       does not brag, and it is not proud.

       (1 Cor 13:5 NCV)  Love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not get 
       upset with others. Love does not count up wrongs that have been done.

       (1 Cor 13:6 NCV)  Love is not happy with evil but is happy with the 
       truth.

       (1 Cor 13:7 NCV)  Love patiently accepts all things. It always trusts, 





       always hopes, and always remains strong.

       (1 Cor 13:8 NCV)  Love never ends. There are gifts of prophecy, but 
       they will be ended. There are gifts of speaking in different 
       languages, but those gifts will stop. There is the gift of knowledge, 
       but it will come to an end.

       (1 Cor 13:9 NCV)  The reason is that our knowledge and our ability to 
       prophesy are not perfect.

       (1 Cor 13:10 NCV)  But when perfection comes, the things that are not 
       perfect will end.

       (1 Cor 13:11 NCV)  When I was a child, I talked like a child, I 
       thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I 
       stopped those childish ways.

       (1 Cor 13:12 NCV)  It is the same with us. Now we see a dim 
       reflection, as if we were looking into a mirror, but then we shall see 
       clearly. Now I know only a part, but then I will know fully, as God 
       has known me.

       (1 Cor 13:13 NCV)  So these three things continue forever: faith, 
       hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.

       (1 Cor 14:1 NCV)  You should seek after love, and you should truly 
       want to have the spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.

       (1 Cor 14:2 NCV)  I will explain why. Those who have the gift of 
       speaking in different languages are not speaking to people; they are 
       speaking to God. No one understands them; they are speaking secret 
       things through the Spirit.

       (1 Cor 14:3 NCV)  But those who prophesy are speaking to people to 
       give them strength, encouragement, and comfort.

       (1 Cor 14:4 NCV)  The ones who speak in different languages are 
       helping only themselves, but those who prophesy are helping the whole 
       church.

       (1 Cor 14:5 NCV)  I wish all of you had the gift of speaking in 
       different kinds of languages, but more, I wish you would prophesy. 
       Those who prophesy are greater than those who can only speak in 
       different languages--unless someone is there who can explain what is 
       said so that the whole church can be helped.

       (1 Cor 14:6 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, will it help you if I come to 
       you speaking in different languages? No! It will help you only if I 
       bring you a new truth or some new knowledge, or prophecy, or teaching.

       (1 Cor 14:7 NCV)  It is the same as with lifeless things that make 
       sounds--like a flute or a harp. If they do not make clear musical 
       notes, you will not know what is being played.

       (1 Cor 14:8 NCV)  And in a war, if the trumpet does not give a clear 
       sound, who will prepare for battle?






       (1 Cor 14:9 NCV)  It is the same with you. Unless you speak clearly 
       with your tongue, no one can understand what you are saying. You will 
       be talking into the air!

       (1 Cor 14:10 NCV)  It may be true that there are all kinds of sounds 
       in the world, and none is without meaning.

       (1 Cor 14:11 NCV)  But unless I understand the meaning of what someone 
       says to me, I will be a foreigner to him, and he will be a foreigner 
       to me.

       (1 Cor 14:12 NCV)  It is the same with you. Since you want spiritual 
       gifts very much, seek most of all to have the gifts that help the 
       church grow stronger.

       (1 Cor 14:13 NCV)  The one who has the gift of speaking in a different 
       language should pray for the gift to interpret what is spoken.

       (1 Cor 14:14 NCV)  If I pray in a different language, my spirit is 
       praying, but my mind does nothing.

       (1 Cor 14:15 NCV)  So what should I do? I will pray with my spirit, 
       but I will also pray with my mind. I will sing with my spirit, but I 
       will also sing with my mind.

       (1 Cor 14:16 NCV)  If you praise God with your spirit, those persons 
       there without understanding cannot say amen to your prayer of thanks, 
       because they do not know what you are saying.

       (1 Cor 14:17 NCV)  You may be thanking God in a good way, but the 
       other person is not helped.

       (1 Cor 14:18 NCV)  I thank God that I speak in different kinds of 
       languages more than all of you.

       (1 Cor 14:19 NCV)  But in the church meetings I would rather speak 
       five words I understand in order to teach others than thousands of 
       words in a different language.

       (1 Cor 14:20 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, do not think like children. 
       In evil things be like babies, but in your thinking you should be like 
       adults.

       (1 Cor 14:21 NCV)  It is written in the Scriptures: "With people who 
       use strange words and foreign languages I will speak to these people. 
       But even then they will not listen to me," says the Lord.

       (1 Cor 14:22 NCV)  So the gift of speaking in different kinds of 
       languages is a proof for those who do not believe, not for those who 
       do believe. And prophecy is for people who believe, not for those who 
       do not believe.

       (1 Cor 14:23 NCV)  Suppose the whole church meets together and 
       everyone speaks in different languages. If some people come in who do 
       not understand or do not believe, they will say you are crazy.






       (1 Cor 14:24 NCV)  But suppose everyone is prophesying and some people 
       come in who do not believe or do not understand. If everyone is 
       prophesying, their sin will be shown to them, and they will be judged 
       by all that they hear.

       (1 Cor 14:25 NCV)  The secret things in their hearts will be made 
       known. So they will bow down and worship God saying, "Truly, God is 
       with you."

       (1 Cor 14:26 NCV)  So, brothers and sisters, what should you do? When 
       you meet together, one person has a song, and another has a teaching. 
       Another has a new truth from God. Another speaks in a different 
       language, and another person interprets that language. The purpose of 
       all these things should be to help the church grow strong.

       (1 Cor 14:27 NCV)  When you meet together, if anyone speaks in a 
       different language, it should be only two, or not more than three, who 
       speak. They should speak one after the other, and someone else should 
       interpret.

       (1 Cor 14:28 NCV)  But if there is no interpreter, then those who 
       speak in a different language should be quiet in the church meeting. 
       They should speak only to themselves and to God.

       (1 Cor 14:29 NCV)  Only two or three prophets should speak, and the 
       others should judge what they say.

       (1 Cor 14:30 NCV)  If a message from God comes to another person who 
       is sitting, the first speaker should stop.

       (1 Cor 14:31 NCV)  You can all prophesy one after the other. In this 
       way all the people can be taught and encouraged.

       (1 Cor 14:32 NCV)  The spirits of prophets are under the control of 
       the prophets themselves.

       (1 Cor 14:33 NCV)  God is not a God of confusion but a God of peace. 
       As is true in all the churches of God's people,

       (1 Cor 14:34 NCV)  women should keep quiet in the church meetings. 
       They are not allowed to speak, but they must yield to this rule as the 
       law says.

       (1 Cor 14:35 NCV)  If they want to learn something, they should ask 
       their own husbands at home. It is shameful for a woman to speak in the 
       church meeting.

       (1 Cor 14:36 NCV)  Did God's teaching come from you? Or are you the 
       only ones to whom it has come?

       (1 Cor 14:37 NCV)  Those who think they are prophets or spiritual 
       persons should understand that what I am writing to you is the Lord's 
       command.

       (1 Cor 14:38 NCV)  Those who ignore this will be ignored by God.






       (1 Cor 14:39 NCV)  So my brothers and sisters, you should truly want 
       to prophesy. But do not stop people from using the gift of speaking in 
       different kinds of languages.

       (1 Cor 14:40 NCV)  But let everything be done in a right and orderly 
       way.

       (1 Cor 15:1 NCV)  Now, brothers and sisters, I want you to remember 
       the Good News I brought to you. You received this Good News and 
       continue strong in it.

       (1 Cor 15:2 NCV)  And you are being saved by it if you continue 
       believing what I told you. If you do not, then you believed for 
       nothing.

       (1 Cor 15:3 NCV)  I passed on to you what I received, of which this 
       was most important: that Christ died for our sins, as the Scriptures 
       say;

       (1 Cor 15:4 NCV)  that he was buried and was raised to life on the 
       third day as the Scriptures say;

       (1 Cor 15:5 NCV)  and that he was seen by Peter and then by the twelve 
       apostles.

       (1 Cor 15:6 NCV)  After that, Jesus was seen by more than five hundred 
       of the believers at the same time. Most of them are still living 
       today, but some have died.

       (1 Cor 15:7 NCV)  Then he was seen by James and later by all the 
       apostles.

       (1 Cor 15:8 NCV)  Last of all he was seen by me--as by a person not 
       born at the normal time.

       (1 Cor 15:9 NCV)  All the other apostles are greater than I am. I am 
       not even good enough to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the 
       church of God.

       (1 Cor 15:10 NCV)  But God's grace has made me what I am, and his 
       grace to me was not wasted. I worked harder than all the other 
       apostles. (But it was not I really; it was God's grace that was with 
       me.)

       (1 Cor 15:11 NCV)  So if I preached to you or the other apostles 
       preached to you, we all preach the same thing, and this is what you 
       believed.

       (1 Cor 15:12 NCV)  Now since we preached that Christ was raised from 
       the dead, why do some of you say that people will not be raised from 
       the dead?

       (1 Cor 15:13 NCV)  If no one is ever raised from the dead, then Christ 
       has not been raised.





       (1 Cor 15:14 NCV)  And if Christ has not been raised, then our 
       preaching is worth nothing, and your faith is worth nothing.

       (1 Cor 15:15 NCV)  And also, we are guilty of lying about God, because 
       we testified of him that he raised Christ from the dead. But if people 
       are not raised from the dead, then God never raised Christ.

       (1 Cor 15:16 NCV)  If the dead are not raised, Christ has not been 
       raised either.

       (1 Cor 15:17 NCV)  And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith 
       has nothing to it; you are still guilty of your sins.

       (1 Cor 15:18 NCV)  And those in Christ who have already died are lost.

       (1 Cor 15:19 NCV)  If our hope in Christ is for this life only, we 
       should be pitied more than anyone else in the world.

       (1 Cor 15:20 NCV)  But Christ has truly been raised from the dead--the 
       first one and proof that those who sleep in death will also be raised.

       (1 Cor 15:21 NCV)  Death has come because of what one man did, but the 
       rising from death also comes because of one man.

       (1 Cor 15:22 NCV)  In Adam all of us die. In the same way, in Christ 
       all of us will be made alive again.

       (1 Cor 15:23 NCV)  But everyone will be raised to life in the right 
       order. Christ was first to be raised. When Christ comes again, those 
       who belong to him will be raised to life,

       (1 Cor 15:24 NCV)  and then the end will come. At that time Christ 
       will destroy all rulers, authorities, and powers, and he will hand 
       over the kingdom to God the Father.

       (1 Cor 15:25 NCV)  Christ must rule until he puts all enemies under 
       his control.

       (1 Cor 15:26 NCV)  The last enemy to be destroyed will be death.

       (1 Cor 15:27 NCV)  The Scripture says that God put all things under 
       his control. When it says "all things" are under him, it is clear this 
       does not include God himself. God is the One who put everything under 
       his control.

       (1 Cor 15:28 NCV)  After everything has been put under the Son, then 
       he will put himself under God, who had put all things under him. Then 
       God will be the complete ruler over everything.

       (1 Cor 15:29 NCV)  If the dead are never raised, what will people do 
       who are being baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at 
       all, why are people being baptized for them?

       (1 Cor 15:30 NCV)  And what about us? Why do we put ourselves in 
       danger every hour?





       (1 Cor 15:31 NCV)  I die every day. That is true, brothers and 
       sisters, just as it is true that I brag about you in Christ Jesus our 
       Lord.

       (1 Cor 15:32 NCV)  If I fought wild animals in Ephesus only with human 
       hopes, I have gained nothing. If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat 
       and drink, because tomorrow we will die."

       (1 Cor 15:33 NCV)  Do not be fooled: "Bad friends will ruin good 
       habits."

       (1 Cor 15:34 NCV)  Come back to your right way of thinking and stop 
       sinning. Some of you do not know God--I say this to shame you.

       (1 Cor 15:35 NCV)  But someone may ask, "How are the dead raised? What 
       kind of body will they have?"

       (1 Cor 15:36 NCV)  Foolish person! When you sow a seed, it must die in 
       the ground before it can live and grow.

       (1 Cor 15:37 NCV)  And when you sow it, it does not have the same 
       "body" it will have later. What you sow is only a bare seed, maybe 
       wheat or something else.

       (1 Cor 15:38 NCV)  But God gives it a body that he has planned for it, 
       and God gives each kind of seed its own body.

       (1 Cor 15:39 NCV)  All things made of flesh are not the same: People 
       have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds have another, and 
       fish have another.

       (1 Cor 15:40 NCV)  Also there are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. 
       But the beauty of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the beauty of 
       the earthly bodies is another.

       (1 Cor 15:41 NCV)  The sun has one kind of beauty, the moon has 
       another beauty, and the stars have another. And each star is different 
       in its beauty.

       (1 Cor 15:42 NCV)  It is the same with the dead who are raised to 
       life. The body that is "planted" will ruin and decay, but it is raised 
       to a life that cannot be destroyed.

       (1 Cor 15:43 NCV)  When the body is "planted," it is without honor, 
       but it is raised in glory. When the body is "planted," it is weak, but 
       when it is raised, it is powerful.

       (1 Cor 15:44 NCV)  The body that is "planted" is a physical body. When 
       it is raised, it is a spiritual body. There is a physical body, and 
       there is also a spiritual body.

       (1 Cor 15:45 NCV)  It is written in the Scriptures: "The first man, 
       Adam, became a living person." But the last Adam became a spirit that 
       gives life.

       (1 Cor 15:46 NCV)  The spiritual did not come first, but the physical 





       and then the spiritual.

       (1 Cor 15:47 NCV)  The first man came from the dust of the earth. The 
       second man came from heaven.

       (1 Cor 15:48 NCV)  People who belong to the earth are like the first 
       man of earth. But those people who belong to heaven are like the man 
       of heaven.

       (1 Cor 15:49 NCV)  Just as we were made like the man of earth, so we 
       will also be made like the man of heaven.

       (1 Cor 15:50 NCV)  I tell you this, brothers and sisters: Flesh and 
       blood cannot have a part in the kingdom of God. Something that will 
       ruin cannot have a part in something that never ruins.

       (1 Cor 15:51 NCV)  But look! I tell you this secret: We will not all 
       sleep in death, but we will all be changed.

       (1 Cor 15:52 NCV)  It will take only a second--as quickly as an eye 
       blinks--when the last trumpet sounds. The trumpet will sound, and 
       those who have died will be raised to live forever, and we will all be 
       changed.

       (1 Cor 15:53 NCV)  This body that can be destroyed must clothe itself 
       with something that can never be destroyed. And this body that dies 
       must clothe itself with something that can never die.

       (1 Cor 15:54 NCV)  So this body that can be destroyed will clothe 
       itself with that which can never be destroyed, and this body that dies 
       will clothe itself with that which can never die. When this happens, 
       this Scripture will be made true: "Death is destroyed forever in 
       victory."

       (1 Cor 15:55 NCV)  "Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your 
       pain?"

       (1 Cor 15:56 NCV)  Death's power to hurt is sin, and the power of sin 
       is the law.

       (1 Cor 15:57 NCV)  But we thank God! He gives us the victory through 
       our Lord Jesus Christ.

       (1 Cor 15:58 NCV)  So my dear brothers and sisters, stand strong. Do 
       not let anything change you. Always give yourselves fully to the work 
       of the Lord, because you know that your work in the Lord is never 
       wasted.

       (1 Cor 16:1 NCV)  Now I will write about the collection of money for 
       God's people. Do the same thing I told the Galatian churches to do:

       (1 Cor 16:2 NCV)  On the first day of every week, each one of you 
       should put aside money as you have been blessed. Save it up so you 
       will not have to collect money after I come.

       (1 Cor 16:3 NCV)  When I arrive, I will send whomever you approve to 





       take your gift to Jerusalem. I will send them with letters of 
       introduction,

       (1 Cor 16:4 NCV)  and if it seems good for me to go also, they will go 
       along with me.

       (1 Cor 16:5 NCV)  I plan to go through Macedonia, so I will come to 
       you after I go through there.

       (1 Cor 16:6 NCV)  Perhaps I will stay with you for a time or even all 
       winter. Then you can help me on my trip, wherever I go.

       (1 Cor 16:7 NCV)  I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope 
       to stay a longer time with you if the Lord allows it.

       (1 Cor 16:8 NCV)  But I will stay at Ephesus until Pentecost,

       (1 Cor 16:9 NCV)  because a good opportunity for a great and growing 
       work has been given to me now. And there are many people working 
       against me.

       (1 Cor 16:10 NCV)  If Timothy comes to you, see to it that he has 
       nothing to fear with you, because he is working for the Lord just as I 
       am.

       (1 Cor 16:11 NCV)  So none of you should treat Timothy as unimportant, 
       but help him on his trip in peace so that he can come back to me. I am 
       expecting him to come with the brothers.

       (1 Cor 16:12 NCV)  Now about our brother Apollos: I strongly 
       encouraged him to visit you with the other brothers. He did not at all 
       want to come now; he will come when he has the opportunity.

       (1 Cor 16:13 NCV)  Be alert. Continue strong in the faith. Have 
       courage, and be strong.

       (1 Cor 16:14 NCV)  Do everything in love.

       (1 Cor 16:15 NCV)  You know that the family of Stephanas were the 
       first believers in Southern Greece and that they have given themselves 
       to the service of God's people. I ask you, brothers and sisters,

       (1 Cor 16:16 NCV)  to follow the leading of people like these and 
       anyone else who works and serves with them.

       (1 Cor 16:17 NCV)  I am happy that Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus 
       have come. You are not here, but they have filled your place.

       (1 Cor 16:18 NCV)  They have refreshed my spirit and yours. You should 
       recognize the value of people like these.

       (1 Cor 16:19 NCV)  The churches in the country of Asia send greetings 
       to you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you in the Lord, as does the church 
       that meets in their house.

       (1 Cor 16:20 NCV)  All the brothers and sisters here send greetings. 





       Give each other a holy kiss when you meet.

       (1 Cor 16:21 NCV)  I, Paul, am writing this greeting with my own hand.

       (1 Cor 16:22 NCV)  If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be 
       separated from God--lost forever! Come, O Lord!

       (1 Cor 16:23 NCV)  The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.

       (1 Cor 16:24 NCV)  My love be with all of you in Christ Jesus.

       (2 Cor 1:1 NCV)  From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am an 
       apostle because that is what God wanted. Also from Timothy our brother 
       in Christ. To the church of God in Corinth, and to all of God's people 
       everywhere in Southern Greece:

       (2 Cor 1:2 NCV)  Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the 
       Lord Jesus Christ.

       (2 Cor 1:3 NCV)  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus 
       Christ. God is the Father who is full of mercy and all comfort.

       (2 Cor 1:4 NCV)  He comforts us every time we have trouble, so when 
       others have trouble, we can comfort them with the same comfort God 
       gives us.

       (2 Cor 1:5 NCV)  We share in the many sufferings of Christ. In the 
       same way, much comfort comes to us through Christ.

       (2 Cor 1:6 NCV)  If we have troubles, it is for your comfort and 
       salvation, and if we have comfort, you also have comfort. This helps 
       you to accept patiently the same sufferings we have.

       (2 Cor 1:7 NCV)  Our hope for you is strong, knowing that you share in 
       our sufferings and also in the comfort we receive.

       (2 Cor 1:8 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the 
       trouble we suffered in Asia. We had great burdens there that were 
       beyond our own strength. We even gave up hope of living.

       (2 Cor 1:9 NCV)  Truly, in our own hearts we believed we would die. 
       But this happened so we would not trust in ourselves but in God, who 
       raises people from the dead.

       (2 Cor 1:10 NCV)  God saved us from these great dangers of death, and 
       he will continue to save us. We have put our hope in him, and he will 
       save us again.

       (2 Cor 1:11 NCV)  And you can help us with your prayers. Then many 
       people will give thanks for us--that God blessed us because of their 
       many prayers.

       (2 Cor 1:12 NCV)  This is what we are proud of, and I can say it with 
       a clear conscience: In everything we have done in the world, and 
       especially with you, we have had an honest and sincere heart from God. 
       We did this by God's grace, not by the kind of wisdom the world has.






       (2 Cor 1:13 NCV)  We write to you only what you can read and 
       understand. And I hope that as you have understood some things about 
       us, you may come to know everything about us. Then you can be proud of 
       us, as we will be proud of you on the day our Lord Jesus Christ comes 
       again.

       (2 Cor 1:14 NCV)  

       (2 Cor 1:15 NCV)  I was so sure of all this that I made plans to visit 
       you first so you could be blessed twice.

       (2 Cor 1:16 NCV)  I planned to visit you on my way to Macedonia and 
       again on my way back. I wanted to get help from you for my trip to 
       Judea.

       (2 Cor 1:17 NCV)  Do you think that I made these plans without really 
       meaning it? Or maybe you think I make plans as the world does, so that 
       I say yes, yes and at the same time no, no.

       (2 Cor 1:18 NCV)  But if you can believe God, you can believe that 
       what we tell you is never both yes and no.

       (2 Cor 1:19 NCV)  The Son of God, Jesus Christ, that Silas and Timothy 
       and I preached to you, was not yes and no. In Christ it has always 
       been yes.

       (2 Cor 1:20 NCV)  The yes to all of God's promises is in Christ, and 
       through Christ we say yes to the glory of God.

       (2 Cor 1:21 NCV)  Remember, God is the One who makes you and us strong 
       in Christ. God made us his chosen people.

       (2 Cor 1:22 NCV)  He put his mark on us to show that we are his, and 
       he put his Spirit in our hearts to be a guarantee for all he has 
       promised.

       (2 Cor 1:23 NCV)  I tell you this, and I ask God to be my witness that 
       this is true: The reason I did not come back to Corinth was to keep 
       you from being punished or hurt.

       (2 Cor 1:24 NCV)  We are not trying to control your faith. You are 
       strong in faith. But we are workers with you for your own joy.

       (2 Cor 2:1 NCV)  So I decided that my next visit to you would not be 
       another one to make you sad.

       (2 Cor 2:2 NCV)  If I make you sad, who will make me glad? Only you 
       can make me glad--particularly the person whom I made sad.

       (2 Cor 2:3 NCV)  I wrote you a letter for this reason: that when I 
       came to you I would not be made sad by the people who should make me 
       happy. I felt sure of all of you, that you would share my joy.

       (2 Cor 2:4 NCV)  When I wrote to you before, I was very troubled and 
       unhappy in my heart, and I wrote with many tears. I did not write to 





       make you sad, but to let you know how much I love you.

       (2 Cor 2:5 NCV)  Someone there among you has caused sadness, not to 
       me, but to all of you. I mean he caused sadness to all in some way. (I 
       do not want to make it sound worse than it really is.)

       (2 Cor 2:6 NCV)  The punishment that most of you gave him is enough 
       for him.

       (2 Cor 2:7 NCV)  But now you should forgive him and comfort him to 
       keep him from having too much sadness and giving up completely.

       (2 Cor 2:8 NCV)  So I beg you to show that you love him.

       (2 Cor 2:9 NCV)  I wrote you to test you and to see if you obey in 
       everything.

       (2 Cor 2:10 NCV)  If you forgive someone, I also forgive him. And what 
       I have forgiven--if I had anything to forgive--I forgave it for you, 
       as if Christ were with me.

       (2 Cor 2:11 NCV)  I did this so that Satan would not win anything from 
       us, because we know very well what Satan's plans are.

       (2 Cor 2:12 NCV)  When I came to Troas to preach the Good News of 
       Christ, the Lord gave me a good opportunity there.

       (2 Cor 2:13 NCV)  But I had no peace, because I did not find my 
       brother Titus. So I said good-bye to them at Troas and went to 
       Macedonia.

       (2 Cor 2:14 NCV)  But thanks be to God, who always leads us in victory 
       through Christ. God uses us to spread his knowledge everywhere like a 
       sweet-smelling perfume.

       (2 Cor 2:15 NCV)  Our offering to God is this: We are the sweet smell 
       of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are 
       being lost.

       (2 Cor 2:16 NCV)  To those who are lost, we are the smell of death 
       that brings death, but to those who are being saved, we are the smell 
       of life that brings life. So who is able to do this work?

       (2 Cor 2:17 NCV)  We do not sell the word of God for a profit as many 
       other people do. But in Christ we speak the truth before God, as 
       messengers of God.

       (2 Cor 3:1 NCV)  Are we starting to brag about ourselves again? Do we 
       need letters of introduction to you or from you, like some other 
       people?

       (2 Cor 3:2 NCV)  You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, 
       known and read by everyone.

       (2 Cor 3:3 NCV)  You show that you are a letter from Christ sent 
       through us. This letter is not written with ink but with the Spirit of 





       the living God. It is not written on stone tablets but on human 
       hearts.

       (2 Cor 3:4 NCV)  We can say this, because through Christ we feel 
       certain before God.

       (2 Cor 3:5 NCV)  We are not saying that we can do this work ourselves. 
       It is God who makes us able to do all that we do.

       (2 Cor 3:6 NCV)  He made us able to be servants of a new agreement 
       from himself to his people. This new agreement is not a written law, 
       but it is of the Spirit. The written law brings death, but the Spirit 
       gives life.

       (2 Cor 3:7 NCV)  The law that brought death was written in words on 
       stone. It came with God's glory, which made Moses' face so bright that 
       the Israelites could not continue to look at it. But that glory later 
       disappeared.

       (2 Cor 3:8 NCV)  So surely the new way that brings the Spirit has even 
       more glory.

       (2 Cor 3:9 NCV)  If the law that judged people guilty of sin had 
       glory, surely the new way that makes people right with God has much 
       greater glory.

       (2 Cor 3:10 NCV)  That old law had glory, but it really loses its 
       glory when it is compared to the much greater glory of this new way.

       (2 Cor 3:11 NCV)  If that law which disappeared came with glory, then 
       this new way which continues forever has much greater glory.

       (2 Cor 3:12 NCV)  We have this hope, so we are very bold.

       (2 Cor 3:13 NCV)  We are not like Moses, who put a covering over his 
       face so the Israelites would not see it. The glory was disappearing, 
       and Moses did not want them to see it end.

       (2 Cor 3:14 NCV)  But their minds were closed, and even today that 
       same covering hides the meaning when they read the old agreement. That 
       covering is taken away only through Christ.

       (2 Cor 3:15 NCV)  Even today, when they read the law of Moses, there 
       is a covering over their minds.

       (2 Cor 3:16 NCV)  But when a person changes and follows the Lord, that 
       covering is taken away.

       (2 Cor 3:17 NCV)  The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the 
       Lord is, there is freedom.

       (2 Cor 3:18 NCV)  Our faces, then, are not covered. We all show the 
       Lord's glory, and we are being changed to be like him. This change in 
       us brings ever greater glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the 
       Spirit.





       (2 Cor 4:1 NCV)  God, with his mercy, gave us this work to do, so we 
       don't give up.

       (2 Cor 4:2 NCV)  But we have turned away from secret and shameful 
       ways. We use no trickery, and we do not change the teaching of God. We 
       teach the truth plainly, showing everyone who we are. Then they can 
       know in their hearts what kind of people we are in God's sight.

       (2 Cor 4:3 NCV)  If the Good News that we preach is hidden, it is 
       hidden only to those who are lost.

       (2 Cor 4:4 NCV)  The devil who rules this world has blinded the minds 
       of those who do not believe. They cannot see the light of the Good 
       News--the Good News about the glory of Christ, who is exactly like 
       God.

       (2 Cor 4:5 NCV)  We do not preach about ourselves, but we preach that 
       Jesus Christ is Lord and that we are your servants for Jesus.

       (2 Cor 4:6 NCV)  God once said, "Let the light shine out of the 
       darkness!" This is the same God who made his light shine in our hearts 
       by letting us know the glory of God that is in the face of Christ.

       (2 Cor 4:7 NCV)  We have this treasure from God, but we are like clay 
       jars that hold the treasure. This shows that the great power is from 
       God, not from us.

       (2 Cor 4:8 NCV)  We have troubles all around us, but we are not 
       defeated. We do not know what to do, but we do not give up the hope of 
       living.

       (2 Cor 4:9 NCV)  We are persecuted, but God does not leave us. We are 
       hurt sometimes, but we are not destroyed.

       (2 Cor 4:10 NCV)  We carry the death of Jesus in our own bodies so 
       that the life of Jesus can also be seen in our bodies.

       (2 Cor 4:11 NCV)  We are alive, but for Jesus we are always in danger 
       of death so that the life of Jesus can be seen in our bodies that die.

       (2 Cor 4:12 NCV)  So death is working in us, but life is working in 
       you.

       (2 Cor 4:13 NCV)  It is written in the Scriptures, "I believed, so I 
       spoke." Our faith is like this, too. We believe, and so we speak.

       (2 Cor 4:14 NCV)  God raised the Lord Jesus from the dead, and we know 
       that God will also raise us with Jesus. God will bring us together 
       with you, and we will stand before him.

       (2 Cor 4:15 NCV)  All these things are for you. And so the grace of 
       God that is being given to more and more people will bring increasing 
       thanks to God for his glory.

       (2 Cor 4:16 NCV)  So we do not give up. Our physical body is becoming 
       older and weaker, but our spirit inside us is made new every day.






       (2 Cor 4:17 NCV)  We have small troubles for a while now, but they are 
       helping us gain an eternal glory that is much greater than the 
       troubles.

       (2 Cor 4:18 NCV)  We set our eyes not on what we see but on what we 
       cannot see. What we see will last only a short time, but what we 
       cannot see will last forever.

       (2 Cor 5:1 NCV)  We know that our body--the tent we live in here on 
       earth--will be destroyed. But when that happens, God will have a house 
       for us. It will not be a house made by human hands; instead, it will 
       be a home in heaven that will last forever.

       (2 Cor 5:2 NCV)  But now we groan in this tent. We want God to give us 
       our heavenly home,

       (2 Cor 5:3 NCV)  because it will clothe us so we will not be naked.

       (2 Cor 5:4 NCV)  While we live in this body, we have burdens, and we 
       groan. We do not want to be naked, but we want to be clothed with our 
       heavenly home. Then this body that dies will be fully covered with 
       life.

       (2 Cor 5:5 NCV)  This is what God made us for, and he has given us the 
       Spirit to be a guarantee for this new life.

       (2 Cor 5:6 NCV)  So we always have courage. We know that while we live 
       in this body, we are away from the Lord.

       (2 Cor 5:7 NCV)  We live by what we believe, not by what we can see.

       (2 Cor 5:8 NCV)  So I say that we have courage. We really want to be 
       away from this body and be at home with the Lord.

       (2 Cor 5:9 NCV)  Our only goal is to please God whether we live here 
       or there,

       (2 Cor 5:10 NCV)  because we must all stand before Christ to be 
       judged. Each of us will receive what we should get--good or bad--for 
       the things we did in the earthly body.

       (2 Cor 5:11 NCV)  Since we know what it means to fear the Lord, we try 
       to help people accept the truth about us. God knows what we really 
       are, and I hope that in your hearts you know, too.

       (2 Cor 5:12 NCV)  We are not trying to prove ourselves to you again, 
       but we are telling you about ourselves so you will be proud of us. 
       Then you will have an answer for those who are proud about things that 
       can be seen rather than what is in the heart.

       (2 Cor 5:13 NCV)  If we are out of our minds, it is for God. If we 
       have our right minds, it is for you.

       (2 Cor 5:14 NCV)  The love of Christ controls us, because we know that 
       One died for all, so all have died.






       (2 Cor 5:15 NCV)  Christ died for all so that those who live would not 
       continue to live for themselves. He died for them and was raised from 
       the dead so that they would live for him.

       (2 Cor 5:16 NCV)  From this time on we do not think of anyone as the 
       world does. In the past we thought of Christ as the world thinks, but 
       we no longer think of him in that way.

       (2 Cor 5:17 NCV)  If anyone belongs to Christ, there is a new 
       creation. The old things have gone; everything is made new!

       (2 Cor 5:18 NCV)  All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace 
       between us and himself, and God gave us the work of telling everyone 
       about the peace we can have with him.

       (2 Cor 5:19 NCV)  God was in Christ, making peace between the world 
       and himself. In Christ, God did not hold the world guilty of its sins. 
       And he gave us this message of peace.

       (2 Cor 5:20 NCV)  So we have been sent to speak for Christ. It is as 
       if God is calling to you through us. We speak for Christ when we beg 
       you to be at peace with God.

       (2 Cor 5:21 NCV)  Christ had no sin, but God made him become sin so 
       that in Christ we could become right with God.

       (2 Cor 6:1 NCV)  We are workers together with God, so we beg you: Do 
       not let the grace that you received from God be for nothing.

       (2 Cor 6:2 NCV)  God says, "At the right time I heard your prayers. On 
       the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you that the "right time" 
       is now, and the "day of salvation" is now.

       (2 Cor 6:3 NCV)  We do not want anyone to find fault with our work, so 
       nothing we do will be a problem for anyone.

       (2 Cor 6:4 NCV)  But in every way we show we are servants of God: in 
       accepting many hard things, in troubles, in difficulties, and in great 
       problems.

       (2 Cor 6:5 NCV)  We are beaten and thrown into prison. We meet those 
       who become upset with us and start riots. We work hard, and sometimes 
       we get no sleep or food.

       (2 Cor 6:6 NCV)  We show we are servants of God by our pure lives, our 
       understanding, patience, and kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by true 
       love,

       (2 Cor 6:7 NCV)  by speaking the truth, and by God's power. We use our 
       right living to defend ourselves against everything.

       (2 Cor 6:8 NCV)  Some people honor us, but others blame us. Some 
       people say evil things about us, but others say good things. Some 
       people say we are liars, but we speak the truth.





       (2 Cor 6:9 NCV)  We are not known, but we are well known. We seem to 
       be dying, but we continue to live. We are punished, but we are not 
       killed.

       (2 Cor 6:10 NCV)  We have much sadness, but we are always rejoicing. 
       We are poor, but we are making many people rich in faith. We have 
       nothing, but really we have everything.

       (2 Cor 6:11 NCV)  We have spoken freely to you in Corinth and have 
       opened our hearts to you.

       (2 Cor 6:12 NCV)  Our feelings of love for you have not stopped, but 
       you have stopped your feelings of love for us.

       (2 Cor 6:13 NCV)  I speak to you as if you were my children. Do to us 
       as we have done--open your hearts to us.

       (2 Cor 6:14 NCV)  You are not the same as those who do not believe. So 
       do not join yourselves to them. Good and bad do not belong together. 
       Light and darkness cannot share together.

       (2 Cor 6:15 NCV)  How can Christ and Belial, the devil, have any 
       agreement? What can a believer have together with a nonbeliever?

       (2 Cor 6:16 NCV)  The temple of God cannot have any agreement with 
       idols, and we are the temple of the living God. As God said: "I will 
       live with them and walk with them. And I will be their God, and they 
       will be my people."

       (2 Cor 6:17 NCV)  "Leave those people, and be separate, says the Lord. 
       Touch nothing that is unclean, and I will accept you."

       (2 Cor 6:18 NCV)  "I will be your father, and you will be my sons and 
       daughters, says the Lord Almighty."

       (2 Cor 7:1 NCV)  Dear friends, we have these promises from God, so we 
       should make ourselves pure--free from anything that makes body or soul 
       unclean. We should try to become holy in the way we live, because we 
       respect God.

       (2 Cor 7:2 NCV)  Open your hearts to us. We have not done wrong to 
       anyone, we have not ruined the faith of anyone, and we have not 
       cheated anyone.

       (2 Cor 7:3 NCV)  I do not say this to blame you. I told you before 
       that we love you so much we would live or die with you.

       (2 Cor 7:4 NCV)  I feel very sure of you and am very proud of you. You 
       give me much comfort, and in all of our troubles I have great joy.

       (2 Cor 7:5 NCV)  When we came into Macedonia, we had no rest. We found 
       trouble all around us. We had fighting on the outside and fear on the 
       inside.

       (2 Cor 7:6 NCV)  But God, who comforts those who are troubled, 
       comforted us when Titus came.






       (2 Cor 7:7 NCV)  We were comforted, not only by his coming but also by 
       the comfort you gave him. Titus told us about your wish to see me and 
       that you are very sorry for what you did. He also told me about your 
       great care for me, and when I heard this, I was much happier.

       (2 Cor 7:8 NCV)  Even if my letter made you sad, I am not sorry I 
       wrote it. At first I was sorry, because it made you sad, but you were 
       sad only for a short time.

       (2 Cor 7:9 NCV)  Now I am happy, not because you were made sad, but 
       because your sorrow made you change your lives. You became sad in the 
       way God wanted you to, so you were not hurt by us in any way.

       (2 Cor 7:10 NCV)  The kind of sorrow God wants makes people change 
       their hearts and lives. This leads to salvation, and you cannot be 
       sorry for that. But the kind of sorrow the world has brings death.

       (2 Cor 7:11 NCV)  See what this sorrow--the sorrow God wanted you to 
       have--has done to you: It has made you very serious. It made you want 
       to prove you were not wrong. It made you angry and afraid. It made you 
       want to see me. It made you care. It made you want the right thing to 
       be done. You proved you were innocent in the problem.

       (2 Cor 7:12 NCV)  I wrote that letter, not because of the one who did 
       the wrong or because of the person who was hurt. I wrote the letter so 
       you could see, before God, the great care you have for us.

       (2 Cor 7:13 NCV)  That is why we were comforted. Not only were we very 
       comforted, we were even happier to see that Titus was so happy. All of 
       you made him feel much better.

       (2 Cor 7:14 NCV)  I bragged to Titus about you, and you showed that I 
       was right. Everything we said to you was true, and you have proved 
       that what we bragged about to Titus is true.

       (2 Cor 7:15 NCV)  And his love for you is stronger when he remembers 
       that you were all ready to obey. You welcomed him with respect and 
       fear.

       (2 Cor 7:16 NCV)  I am very happy that I can trust you fully.

       (2 Cor 8:1 NCV)  And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know 
       about the grace God gave the churches in Macedonia.

       (2 Cor 8:2 NCV)  They have been tested by great troubles, and they are 
       very poor. But they gave much because of their great joy.

       (2 Cor 8:3 NCV)  I can tell you that they gave as much as they were 
       able and even more than they could afford. No one told them to do it.

       (2 Cor 8:4 NCV)  But they begged and pleaded with us to let them share 
       in this service for God's people.

       (2 Cor 8:5 NCV)  And they gave in a way we did not expect: They first 
       gave themselves to the Lord and to us. This is what God wants.






       (2 Cor 8:6 NCV)  So we asked Titus to help you finish this special 
       work of grace since he is the one who started it.

       (2 Cor 8:7 NCV)  You are rich in everything--in faith, in speaking, in 
       knowledge, in truly wanting to help, and in the love you learned from 
       us. In the same way, be strong also in the grace of giving.

       (2 Cor 8:8 NCV)  I am not commanding you to give. But I want to see if 
       your love is true by comparing you with others that really want to 
       help.

       (2 Cor 8:9 NCV)  You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. You know 
       that Christ was rich, but for you he became poor so that by his 
       becoming poor you might become rich.

       (2 Cor 8:10 NCV)  This is what I think you should do: Last year you 
       were the first to want to give, and you were the first who gave.

       (2 Cor 8:11 NCV)  So now finish the work you started. Then your 
       "doing" will be equal to your "wanting to do." Give from what you 
       have.

       (2 Cor 8:12 NCV)  If you want to give, your gift will be accepted. It 
       will be judged by what you have, not by what you do not have.

       (2 Cor 8:13 NCV)  We do not want you to have troubles while other 
       people are at ease, but we want everything to be equal.

       (2 Cor 8:14 NCV)  At this time you have plenty. What you have can help 
       others who are in need. Then later, when they have plenty, they can 
       help you when you are in need, and all will be equal.

       (2 Cor 8:15 NCV)  As it is written in the Scriptures, "The person who 
       gathered more did not have too much, nor did the person who gathered 
       less have too little."

       (2 Cor 8:16 NCV)  I thank God because he gave Titus the same love for 
       you that I have.

       (2 Cor 8:17 NCV)  Titus accepted what we asked him to do. He wanted 
       very much to go to you, and this was his own idea.

       (2 Cor 8:18 NCV)  We are sending with him the brother who is praised 
       by all the churches because of his service in preaching the Good News.

       (2 Cor 8:19 NCV)  Also, this brother was chosen by the churches to go 
       with us when we deliver this gift of money. We are doing this service 
       to bring glory to the Lord and to show that we really want to help.

       (2 Cor 8:20 NCV)  We are being careful so that no one will criticize 
       us for the way we are handling this large gift.

       (2 Cor 8:21 NCV)  We are trying hard to do what the Lord accepts as 
       right and also what people think is right.





       (2 Cor 8:22 NCV)  Also, we are sending with them our brother, who is 
       always ready to help. He has proved this to us in many ways, and he 
       wants to help even more now, because he has much faith in you.

       (2 Cor 8:23 NCV)  Now about Titus--he is my partner who is working 
       with me to help you. And about the other brothers--they are sent from 
       the churches, and they bring glory to Christ.

       (2 Cor 8:24 NCV)  So show these men the proof of your love and the 
       reason we are proud of you. Then all the churches can see it.

       (2 Cor 9:1 NCV)  I really do not need to write you about this help for 
       God's people.

       (2 Cor 9:2 NCV)  I know you want to help. I have been bragging about 
       this to the people in Macedonia, telling them that you in Southern 
       Greece have been ready to give since last year. And your desire to 
       give has made most of them ready to give also.

       (2 Cor 9:3 NCV)  But I am sending the brothers to you so that our 
       bragging about you in this will not be empty words. I want you to be 
       ready, as I said you would be.

       (2 Cor 9:4 NCV)  If any of the people from Macedonia come with me and 
       find that you are not ready, we will be ashamed that we were so sure 
       of you. (And you will be ashamed, too!)

       (2 Cor 9:5 NCV)  So I thought I should ask these brothers to go to you 
       before we do. They will finish getting in order the generous gift you 
       promised so it will be ready when we come. And it will be a generous 
       gift--not one that you did not want to give.

       (2 Cor 9:6 NCV)  Remember this: The person who plants a little will 
       have a small harvest, but the person who plants a lot will have a big 
       harvest.

       (2 Cor 9:7 NCV)  Each one should give as you have decided in your 
       heart to give. You should not be sad when you give, and you should not 
       give because you feel forced to give. God loves the person who gives 
       happily.

       (2 Cor 9:8 NCV)  And God can give you more blessings than you need. 
       Then you will always have plenty of everything--enough to give to 
       every good work.

       (2 Cor 9:9 NCV)  It is written in the Scriptures: "He gives freely to 
       the poor. The things he does are right and will continue forever."

       (2 Cor 9:10 NCV)  God is the One who gives seed to the farmer and 
       bread for food. He will give you all the seed you need and make it 
       grow so there will be a great harvest from your goodness.

       (2 Cor 9:11 NCV)  He will make you rich in every way so that you can 
       always give freely. And your giving through us will cause many to give 
       thanks to God.





       (2 Cor 9:12 NCV)  This service you do not only helps the needs of 
       God's people, it also brings many more thanks to God.

       (2 Cor 9:13 NCV)  It is a proof of your faith. Many people will praise 
       God because you obey the Good News of Christ--the gospel you say you 
       believe--and because you freely share with them and with all others.

       (2 Cor 9:14 NCV)  And when they pray, they will wish they could be 
       with you because of the great grace that God has given you.

       (2 Cor 9:15 NCV)  Thanks be to God for his gift that is too wonderful 
       for words.

       (2 Cor 10:1 NCV)  I, Paul, am begging you with the gentleness and the 
       kindness of Christ. Some people say that I am easy on you when I am 
       with you and bold when I am away.

       (2 Cor 10:2 NCV)  They think we live in a worldly way, and I plan to 
       be very bold with them when I come. I beg you that when I come I will 
       not need to use that same boldness with you.

       (2 Cor 10:3 NCV)  We do live in the world, but we do not fight in the 
       same way the world fights.

       (2 Cor 10:4 NCV)  We fight with weapons that are different from those 
       the world uses. Our weapons have power from God that can destroy the 
       enemy's strong places. We destroy people's arguments

       (2 Cor 10:5 NCV)  and every proud thing that raises itself against the 
       knowledge of God. We capture every thought and make it give up and 
       obey Christ.

       (2 Cor 10:6 NCV)  We are ready to punish anyone there who does not 
       obey, but first we want you to obey fully.

       (2 Cor 10:7 NCV)  You must look at the facts before you. If you feel 
       sure that you belong to Christ, you must remember that we belong to 
       Christ just as you do.

       (2 Cor 10:8 NCV)  It is true that we brag freely about the authority 
       the Lord gave us. But this authority is to build you up, not to tear 
       you down. So I will not be ashamed.

       (2 Cor 10:9 NCV)  I do not want you to think I am trying to scare you 
       with my letters.

       (2 Cor 10:10 NCV)  Some people say, "Paul's letters are powerful and 
       sound important, but when he is with us, he is weak. And his speaking 
       is nothing."

       (2 Cor 10:11 NCV)  They should know this: We are not there with you 
       now, so we say these things in letters. But when we are there with 
       you, we will show the same authority that we show in our letters.

       (2 Cor 10:12 NCV)  We do not dare to compare ourselves with those who 
       think they are very important. They use themselves to measure 





       themselves, and they judge themselves by what they themselves are. 
       This shows that they know nothing.

       (2 Cor 10:13 NCV)  But we will not brag about things outside the work 
       that was given us to do. We will limit our bragging to the work that 
       God gave us, and this includes our work with you.

       (2 Cor 10:14 NCV)  We are not bragging too much, as we would be if we 
       had not already come to you. But we have come to you with the Good 
       News of Christ.

       (2 Cor 10:15 NCV)  We limit our bragging to the work that is ours, not 
       what others have done. We hope that as your faith continues to grow, 
       you will help our work to grow much larger.

       (2 Cor 10:16 NCV)  We want to tell the Good News in the areas beyond 
       your city. We do not want to brag about work that has already been 
       done in another person's area.

       (2 Cor 10:17 NCV)  But, "If someone wants to brag, he should brag only 
       about the Lord."

       (2 Cor 10:18 NCV)  It is not those who say they are good who are 
       accepted but those who the Lord thinks are good.

       (2 Cor 11:1 NCV)  I wish you would be patient with me even when I am a 
       little foolish, but you are already doing that.

       (2 Cor 11:2 NCV)  I am jealous over you with a jealousy that comes 
       from God. I promised to give you to Christ, as your only husband. I 
       want to give you as his pure bride.

       (2 Cor 11:3 NCV)  But I am afraid that your minds will be led away 
       from your true and pure following of Christ just as Eve was tricked by 
       the snake with his evil ways.

       (2 Cor 11:4 NCV)  You are very patient with anyone who comes to you 
       and preaches a different Jesus from the one we preached. You are very 
       willing to accept a spirit or gospel that is different from the Spirit 
       and Good News you received from us.

       (2 Cor 11:5 NCV)  I do not think that those "great apostles" are any 
       better than I am.

       (2 Cor 11:6 NCV)  I may not be a trained speaker, but I do have 
       knowledge. We have shown this to you clearly in every way.

       (2 Cor 11:7 NCV)  I preached God's Good News to you without pay. I 
       made myself unimportant to make you important. Do you think that was 
       wrong?

       (2 Cor 11:8 NCV)  I accepted pay from other churches, taking their 
       money so I could serve you.

       (2 Cor 11:9 NCV)  If I needed something when I was with you, I did not 
       trouble any of you. The brothers who came from Macedonia gave me all 





       that I needed. I did not allow myself to depend on you in any way, and 
       I will never depend on you.

       (2 Cor 11:10 NCV)  No one in Southern Greece will stop me from 
       bragging about that. I say this with the truth of Christ in me.

       (2 Cor 11:11 NCV)  And why do I not depend on you? Do you think it is 
       because I do not love you? God knows that I love you.

       (2 Cor 11:12 NCV)  And I will continue doing what I am doing now, 
       because I want to stop those people from having a reason to brag. They 
       would like to say that the work they brag about is the same as ours.

       (2 Cor 11:13 NCV)  Such men are not true apostles but are workers who 
       lie. They change themselves to look like apostles of Christ.

       (2 Cor 11:14 NCV)  This does not surprise us. Even Satan changes 
       himself to look like an angel of light.

       (2 Cor 11:15 NCV)  So it does not surprise us if Satan's servants also 
       make themselves look like servants who work for what is right. But in 
       the end they will be punished for what they do.

       (2 Cor 11:16 NCV)  I tell you again: No one should think I am a fool. 
       But if you think so, accept me as you would accept a fool. Then I can 
       brag a little, too.

       (2 Cor 11:17 NCV)  When I brag because I feel sure of myself, I am not 
       talking as the Lord would talk but as a fool.

       (2 Cor 11:18 NCV)  Many people are bragging about their lives in the 
       world. So I will brag too.

       (2 Cor 11:19 NCV)  You are wise, so you will gladly be patient with 
       fools!

       (2 Cor 11:20 NCV)  You are even patient with those who order you 
       around, or use you, or trick you, or think they are better than you, 
       or hit you in the face.

       (2 Cor 11:21 NCV)  It is shameful to me to say this, but we were too 
       "weak" to do those things to you! But if anyone else is brave enough 
       to brag, then I also will be brave and brag. (I am talking as a fool.)

       (2 Cor 11:22 NCV)  Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So 
       am I. Are they from Abraham's family? So am I.

       (2 Cor 11:23 NCV)  Are they serving Christ? I am serving him more. (I 
       am crazy to talk like this.) I have worked much harder than they. I 
       have been in prison more often. I have been hurt more in beatings. I 
       have been near death many times.

       (2 Cor 11:24 NCV)  Five times the Jews have given me their punishment 
       of thirty-nine lashes with a whip.

       (2 Cor 11:25 NCV)  Three different times I was beaten with rods. One 





       time I was almost stoned to death. Three times I was in ships that 
       wrecked, and one of those times I spent a night and a day in the sea.

       (2 Cor 11:26 NCV)  I have gone on many travels and have been in danger 
       from rivers, thieves, my own people, the Jews, and those who are not 
       Jews. I have been in danger in cities, in places where no one lives, 
       and on the sea. And I have been in danger with false Christians.

       (2 Cor 11:27 NCV)  I have done hard and tiring work, and many times I 
       did not sleep. I have been hungry and thirsty, and many times I have 
       been without food. I have been cold and without clothes.

       (2 Cor 11:28 NCV)  Besides all this, there is on me every day the load 
       of my concern for all the churches.

       (2 Cor 11:29 NCV)  I feel weak every time someone is weak, and I feel 
       upset every time someone is led into sin.

       (2 Cor 11:30 NCV)  If I must brag, I will brag about the things that 
       show I am weak.

       (2 Cor 11:31 NCV)  God knows I am not lying. He is the God and Father 
       of the Lord Jesus Christ, and he is to be praised forever.

       (2 Cor 11:32 NCV)  When I was in Damascus, the governor under King 
       Aretas wanted to arrest me, so he put guards around the city.

       (2 Cor 11:33 NCV)  But my friends lowered me in a basket through a 
       hole in the city wall. So I escaped from the governor.

       (2 Cor 12:1 NCV)  I must continue to brag. It will do no good, but I 
       will talk now about visions and revelations from the Lord.

       (2 Cor 12:2 NCV)  I know a man in Christ who was taken up to the third 
       heaven fourteen years ago. I do not know whether the man was in his 
       body or out of his body, but God knows.

       (2 Cor 12:3 NCV)  And I know that this man was taken up to paradise. I 
       don't know if he was in his body or away from his body, but God knows. 
       He heard things he is not able to explain, things that no human is 
       allowed to tell.

       (2 Cor 12:4 NCV)  

       (2 Cor 12:5 NCV)  I will brag about a man like that, but I will not 
       brag about myself, except about my weaknesses.

       (2 Cor 12:6 NCV)  But if I wanted to brag about myself, I would not be 
       a fool, because I would be telling the truth. But I will not brag 
       about myself. I do not want people to think more of me than what they 
       see me do or hear me say.

       (2 Cor 12:7 NCV)  So that I would not become too proud of the 
       wonderful things that were shown to me, a painful physical problem was 
       given to me. This problem was a messenger from Satan, sent to beat me 
       and keep me from being too proud.






       (2 Cor 12:8 NCV)  I begged the Lord three times to take this problem 
       away from me.

       (2 Cor 12:9 NCV)  But he said to me, "My grace is enough for you. When 
       you are weak, my power is made perfect in you." So I am very happy to 
       brag about my weaknesses. Then Christ's power can live in me.

       (2 Cor 12:10 NCV)  For this reason I am happy when I have weaknesses, 
       insults, hard times, sufferings, and all kinds of troubles for Christ. 
       Because when I am weak, then I am truly strong.

       (2 Cor 12:11 NCV)  I have been talking like a fool, but you made me do 
       it. You are the ones who should say good things about me. I am worth 
       nothing, but those "great apostles" are not worth any more than I am!

       (2 Cor 12:12 NCV)  When I was with you, I patiently did the things 
       that prove I am an apostle--signs, wonders, and miracles.

       (2 Cor 12:13 NCV)  So you received everything that the other churches 
       have received. Only one thing was different: I was not a burden to 
       you. Forgive me for this!

       (2 Cor 12:14 NCV)  I am now ready to visit you the third time, and I 
       will not be a burden to you. I want nothing from you, except you. 
       Children should not have to save up to give to their parents. Parents 
       should save to give to their children.

       (2 Cor 12:15 NCV)  So I am happy to give everything I have for you, 
       even myself. If I love you more, will you love me less?

       (2 Cor 12:16 NCV)  It is clear I was not a burden to you, but you 
       think I was tricky and lied to catch you.

       (2 Cor 12:17 NCV)  Did I cheat you by using any of the messengers I 
       sent to you? No, you know I did not.

       (2 Cor 12:18 NCV)  I asked Titus to go to you, and I sent our brother 
       with him. Titus did not cheat you, did he? No, you know that Titus and 
       I did the same thing and with the same spirit.

       (2 Cor 12:19 NCV)  Do you think we have been defending ourselves to 
       you all this time? We have been speaking in Christ and before God. You 
       are our dear friends, and everything we do is to make you stronger.

       (2 Cor 12:20 NCV)  I am afraid that when I come, you will not be what 
       I want you to be, and I will not be what you want me to be. I am 
       afraid that among you there may be arguing, jealousy, anger, selfish 
       fighting, evil talk, gossip, pride, and confusion.

       (2 Cor 12:21 NCV)  I am afraid that when I come to you again, my God 
       will make me ashamed before you. I may be saddened by many of those 
       who have sinned because they have not changed their hearts or turned 
       from their sexual sins and the shameful things they have done.

       (2 Cor 13:1 NCV)  I will come to you for the third time. "Every case 





       must be proved by two or three witnesses."

       (2 Cor 13:2 NCV)  When I was with you the second time, I gave a 
       warning to those who had sinned. Now I am away from you, and I give a 
       warning to all the others. When I come to you again, I will not be 
       easy with them.

       (2 Cor 13:3 NCV)  You want proof that Christ is speaking through me. 
       My proof is that he is not weak among you, but he is powerful.

       (2 Cor 13:4 NCV)  It is true that he was weak when he was killed on 
       the cross, but he lives now by God's power. It is true that we are 
       weak in Christ, but for you we will be alive in Christ by God's power.

       (2 Cor 13:5 NCV)  Look closely at yourselves. Test yourselves to see 
       if you are living in the faith. You know that Jesus Christ is in 
       you--unless you fail the test.

       (2 Cor 13:6 NCV)  But I hope you will see that we ourselves have not 
       failed the test.

       (2 Cor 13:7 NCV)  We pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. 
       It is not important to see that we have passed the test, but it is 
       important that you do what is right, even if it seems we have failed.

       (2 Cor 13:8 NCV)  We cannot do anything against the truth, but only 
       for the truth.

       (2 Cor 13:9 NCV)  We are happy to be weak, if you are strong, and we 
       pray that you will become complete.

       (2 Cor 13:10 NCV)  I am writing this while I am away from you so that 
       when I come I will not have to be harsh in my use of authority. The 
       Lord gave me this authority to build you up, not to tear you down.

       (2 Cor 13:11 NCV)  Now, brothers and sisters, I say good-bye. Try to 
       be complete. Do what I have asked you to do. Agree with each other, 
       and live in peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.

       (2 Cor 13:12 NCV)  Greet each other with a holy kiss.

       (2 Cor 13:13 NCV)  All of God's holy people send greetings to you.

       (2 Cor 13:14 NCV)  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of 
       God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

       (Gal 1:1 NCV)  From Paul, an apostle. I was not chosen to be an 
       apostle by human beings, nor was I sent from human beings. I was made 
       an apostle through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Jesus 
       from the dead.

       (Gal 1:2 NCV)  This letter is also from all those of God's family who 
       are with me. To the churches in Galatia:

       (Gal 1:3 NCV)  Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord 
       Jesus Christ.






       (Gal 1:4 NCV)  Jesus gave himself for our sins to free us from this 
       evil world we live in, as God the Father planned.

       (Gal 1:5 NCV)  The glory belongs to God forever and ever. Amen.

       (Gal 1:6 NCV)  God, by his grace through Christ, called you to become 
       his people. So I am amazed that you are turning away so quickly and 
       believing something different than the Good News.

       (Gal 1:7 NCV)  Really, there is no other Good News. But some people 
       are confusing you; they want to change the Good News of Christ.

       (Gal 1:8 NCV)  We preached to you the Good News. So if we ourselves, 
       or even an angel from heaven, should preach to you something 
       different, we should be judged guilty!

       (Gal 1:9 NCV)  I said this before, and now I say it again: You have 
       already accepted the Good News. If anyone is preaching something 
       different to you, he should be judged guilty!

       (Gal 1:10 NCV)  Do you think I am trying to make people accept me? No, 
       God is the One I am trying to please. Am I trying to please people? If 
       I still wanted to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

       (Gal 1:11 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, I want you to know that the Good 
       News I preached to you was not made up by human beings.

       (Gal 1:12 NCV)  I did not get it from humans, nor did anyone teach it 
       to me, but Jesus Christ showed it to me.

       (Gal 1:13 NCV)  You have heard about my past life in the Jewish 
       religion. I attacked the church of God and tried to destroy it.

       (Gal 1:14 NCV)  I was becoming a leader in the Jewish religion, doing 
       better than most other Jews of my age. I tried harder than anyone else 
       to follow the teachings handed down by our ancestors.

       (Gal 1:15 NCV)  But God had special plans for me and set me apart for 
       his work even before I was born. He called me through his grace

       (Gal 1:16 NCV)  and showed his son to me so that I might tell the Good 
       News about him to those who are not Jewish. When God called me, I did 
       not get advice or help from any person.

       (Gal 1:17 NCV)  I did not go to Jerusalem to see those who were 
       apostles before I was. But, without waiting, I went away to Arabia and 
       later went back to Damascus.

       (Gal 1:18 NCV)  After three years I went to Jerusalem to meet Peter 
       and stayed with him for fifteen days.

       (Gal 1:19 NCV)  I met no other apostles, except James, the brother of 
       the Lord.

       (Gal 1:20 NCV)  God knows that these things I write are not lies.






       (Gal 1:21 NCV)  Later, I went to the areas of Syria and Cilicia.

       (Gal 1:22 NCV)  In Judea the churches in Christ had never met me.

       (Gal 1:23 NCV)  They had only heard it said, "This man who was 
       attacking us is now preaching the same faith that he once tried to 
       destroy."

       (Gal 1:24 NCV)  And these believers praised God because of me.

       (Gal 2:1 NCV)  After fourteen years I went to Jerusalem again, this 
       time with Barnabas. I also took Titus with me.

       (Gal 2:2 NCV)  I went because God showed me I should go. I met with 
       the believers there, and in private I told their leaders the Good News 
       that I preach to the non-Jewish people. I did not want my past work 
       and the work I am now doing to be wasted.

       (Gal 2:3 NCV)  Titus was with me, but he was not forced to be 
       circumcised, even though he was a Greek.

       (Gal 2:4 NCV)  We talked about this problem because some false 
       believers had come into our group secretly. They came in like spies to 
       overturn the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. They wanted to make us 
       slaves.

       (Gal 2:5 NCV)  But we did not give in to those false believers for a 
       minute. We wanted the truth of the Good News to continue for you.

       (Gal 2:6 NCV)  Those leaders who seemed to be important did not change 
       the Good News that I preach. (It doesn't matter to me if they were 
       "important" or not. To God everyone is the same.)

       (Gal 2:7 NCV)  But these leaders saw that I had been given the work of 
       telling the Good News to those who are not Jewish, just as Peter had 
       the work of telling the Jews.

       (Gal 2:8 NCV)  God gave Peter the power to work as an apostle for the 
       Jewish people. But he also gave me the power to work as an apostle for 
       those who are not Jews.

       (Gal 2:9 NCV)  James, Peter, and John, who seemed to be the leaders, 
       understood that God had given me this special grace, so they accepted 
       Barnabas and me. They agreed that they would go to the Jewish people 
       and that we should go to those who are not Jewish.

       (Gal 2:10 NCV)  The only thing they asked us was to remember to help 
       the poor--something I really wanted to do.

       (Gal 2:11 NCV)  When Peter came to Antioch, I challenged him to his 
       face, because he was wrong.

       (Gal 2:12 NCV)  Peter ate with the non-Jewish people until some Jewish 
       people sent from James came to Antioch. When they arrived, Peter 
       stopped eating with those who weren't Jewish, and he separated himself 





       from them. He was afraid of the Jews.

       (Gal 2:13 NCV)  So Peter was a hypocrite, as were the other Jewish 
       believers who joined with him. Even Barnabas was influenced by what 
       these Jewish believers did.

       (Gal 2:14 NCV)  When I saw they were not following the truth of the 
       Good News, I spoke to Peter in front of them all. I said, "Peter, you 
       are a Jew, but you are not living like a Jew. You are living like 
       those who are not Jewish. So why do you now try to force those who are 
       not Jewish to live like Jews?"

       (Gal 2:15 NCV)  We were not born as non-Jewish "sinners," but as Jews.

       (Gal 2:16 NCV)  Yet we know that a person is made right with God not 
       by following the law, but by trusting in Jesus Christ. So we, too, 
       have put our faith in Christ Jesus, that we might be made right with 
       God because we trusted in Christ. It is not because we followed the 
       law, because no one can be made right with God by following the law.

       (Gal 2:17 NCV)  We Jews came to Christ, trying to be made right with 
       God, and it became clear that we are sinners, too. Does this mean that 
       Christ encourages sin? No!

       (Gal 2:18 NCV)  But I would really be wrong to begin teaching again 
       those things that I gave up.

       (Gal 2:19 NCV)  It was the law that put me to death, and I died to the 
       law so that I can now live for God.

       (Gal 2:20 NCV)  I was put to death on the cross with Christ, and I do 
       not live anymore--it is Christ who lives in me. I still live in my 
       body, but I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave 
       himself to save me.

       (Gal 2:21 NCV)  By saying these things I am not going against God's 
       grace. Just the opposite, if the law could make us right with God, 
       then Christ's death would be useless.

       (Gal 3:1 NCV)  You people in Galatia were told very clearly about the 
       death of Jesus Christ on the cross. But you were foolish; you let 
       someone trick you.

       (Gal 3:2 NCV)  Tell me this one thing: How did you receive the Holy 
       Spirit? Did you receive the Spirit by following the law? No, you 
       received the Spirit because you heard the Good News and believed it.

       (Gal 3:3 NCV)  You began your life in Christ by the Spirit. Now are 
       you trying to make it complete by your own power? That is foolish.

       (Gal 3:4 NCV)  Were all your experiences wasted? I hope not!

       (Gal 3:5 NCV)  Does God give you the Spirit and work miracles among 
       you because you follow the law? No, he does these things because you 
       heard the Good News and believed it.





       (Gal 3:6 NCV)  The Scriptures say the same thing about Abraham: 
       "Abraham believed God, and God accepted Abraham's faith, and that 
       faith made him right with God."

       (Gal 3:7 NCV)  So you should know that the true children of Abraham 
       are those who have faith.

       (Gal 3:8 NCV)  The Scriptures, telling what would happen in the 
       future, said that God would make the non-Jewish people right through 
       their faith. This Good News was told to Abraham beforehand, as the 
       Scripture says: "All nations will be blessed through you."

       (Gal 3:9 NCV)  So all who believe as Abraham believed are blessed just 
       as Abraham was.

       (Gal 3:10 NCV)  But those who depend on following the law to make them 
       right are under a curse, because the Scriptures say, "Anyone will be 
       cursed who does not always obey what is written in the Book of the 
       Law."

       (Gal 3:11 NCV)  Now it is clear that no one can be made right with God 
       by the law, because the Scriptures say, "Those who are right with God 
       will live by trusting in him."

       (Gal 3:12 NCV)  The law is not based on faith. It says, "A person who 
       obeys these things will live because of them."

       (Gal 3:13 NCV)  Christ took away the curse the law put on us. He 
       changed places with us and put himself under that curse. It is written 
       in the Scriptures, "Anyone whose body is displayed on a tree is 
       cursed."

       (Gal 3:14 NCV)  Christ did this so that God's blessing promised to 
       Abraham might come through Jesus Christ to those who are not Jews. 
       Jesus died so that by our believing we could receive the Spirit that 
       God promised.

       (Gal 3:15 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, let us think in human terms: 
       Even an agreement made between two persons is firm. After that 
       agreement is accepted by both people, no one can stop it or add 
       anything to it.

       (Gal 3:16 NCV)  God made promises both to Abraham and to his 
       descendant. God did not say, "and to your descendants." That would 
       mean many people. But God said, "and to your descendant." That means 
       only one person; that person is Christ.

       (Gal 3:17 NCV)  This is what I mean: God had an agreement with Abraham 
       and promised to keep it. The law, which came four hundred thirty years 
       later, cannot change that agreement and so destroy God's promise to 
       Abraham.

       (Gal 3:18 NCV)  If the law could give us Abraham's blessing, then the 
       promise would not be necessary. But that is not possible, because God 
       freely gave his blessings to Abraham through the promise he had made.





       (Gal 3:19 NCV)  So what was the law for? It was given to show that the 
       wrong things people do are against God's will. And it continued until 
       the special descendant, who had been promised, came. The law was given 
       through angels who used Moses for a mediator to give the law to 
       people.

       (Gal 3:20 NCV)  But a mediator is not needed when there is only one 
       side, and God is only one.

       (Gal 3:21 NCV)  Does this mean that the law is against God's promises? 
       Never! That would be true only if the law could make us right. But God 
       did not give a law that can bring life.

       (Gal 3:22 NCV)  Instead, the Scriptures showed that the whole world is 
       bound by sin. This was so the promise would be given through faith to 
       people who believe in Jesus Christ.

       (Gal 3:23 NCV)  Before this faith came, we were all held prisoners by 
       the law. We had no freedom until God showed us the way of faith that 
       was coming.

       (Gal 3:24 NCV)  In other words, the law was our guardian leading us to 
       Christ so that we could be made right with God through faith.

       (Gal 3:25 NCV)  Now the way of faith has come, and we no longer live 
       under a guardian.

       (Gal 3:26 NCV)  You were all baptized into Christ, and so you were all 
       clothed with Christ. This means that you are all children of God 
       through faith in Christ Jesus.

       (Gal 3:27 NCV)  

       (Gal 3:28 NCV)  In Christ, there is no difference between Jew and 
       Greek, slave and free person, male and female. You are all the same in 
       Christ Jesus.

       (Gal 3:29 NCV)  You belong to Christ, so you are Abraham's 
       descendants. You will inherit all of God's blessings because of the 
       promise God made to Abraham.

       (Gal 4:1 NCV)  I want to tell you this: While those who will inherit 
       their fathers' property are still children, they are no different from 
       slaves. It does not matter that the children own everything.

       (Gal 4:2 NCV)  While they are children, they must obey those who are 
       chosen to care for them. But when the children reach the age set by 
       their fathers, they are free.

       (Gal 4:3 NCV)  It is the same for us. We were once like children, 
       slaves to the useless rules of this world.

       (Gal 4:4 NCV)  But when the right time came, God sent his Son who was 
       born of a woman and lived under the law.

       (Gal 4:5 NCV)  God did this so he could buy freedom for those who were 





       under the law and so we could become his children.

       (Gal 4:6 NCV)  Since you are God's children, God sent the Spirit of 
       his Son into your hearts, and the Spirit cries out, "Father."

       (Gal 4:7 NCV)  So now you are not a slave; you are God's child, and 
       God will give you the blessing he promised, because you are his child.

       (Gal 4:8 NCV)  In the past you did not know God. You were slaves to 
       gods that were not real.

       (Gal 4:9 NCV)  But now you know the true God. Really, it is God who 
       knows you. So why do you turn back to those weak and useless rules you 
       followed before? Do you want to be slaves to those things again?

       (Gal 4:10 NCV)  You still follow teachings about special days, months, 
       seasons, and years.

       (Gal 4:11 NCV)  I am afraid for you, that my work for you has been 
       wasted.

       (Gal 4:12 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, I became like you, so I beg you 
       to become like me. You were very good to me before.

       (Gal 4:13 NCV)  You remember that it was because of an illness that I 
       came to you the first time, preaching the Good News.

       (Gal 4:14 NCV)  Though my sickness was a trouble for you, you did not 
       hate me or make me leave. But you welcomed me as an angel from God, as 
       if I were Jesus Christ himself!

       (Gal 4:15 NCV)  You were very happy then, but where is that joy now? I 
       am ready to testify that you would have taken out your eyes and given 
       them to me if that were possible.

       (Gal 4:16 NCV)  Now am I your enemy because I tell you the truth?

       (Gal 4:17 NCV)  Those people are working hard to persuade you, but 
       this is not good for you. They want to persuade you to turn against us 
       and follow only them.

       (Gal 4:18 NCV)  It is good for people to show interest in you, but 
       only if their purpose is good. This is always true, not just when I am 
       with you.

       (Gal 4:19 NCV)  My little children, again I feel the pain of 
       childbirth for you until you truly become like Christ.

       (Gal 4:20 NCV)  I wish I could be with you now and could change the 
       way I am talking to you, because I do not know what to think about 
       you.

       (Gal 4:21 NCV)  Some of you still want to be under the law. Tell me, 
       do you know what the law says?

       (Gal 4:22 NCV)  The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons. The 





       mother of one son was a slave woman, and the mother of the other son 
       was a free woman.

       (Gal 4:23 NCV)  Abraham's son from the slave woman was born in the 
       normal human way. But the son from the free woman was born because of 
       the promise God made to Abraham.

       (Gal 4:24 NCV)  This story teaches something else: The two women are 
       like the two agreements between God and his people. One agreement is 
       the law that God made on Mount Sinai, and the people who are under 
       this agreement are like slaves. The mother named Hagar is like that 
       agreement.

       (Gal 4:25 NCV)  She is like Mount Sinai in Arabia and is a picture of 
       the earthly Jewish city of Jerusalem. This city and its people, the 
       Jews, are slaves to the law.

       (Gal 4:26 NCV)  But the heavenly Jerusalem, which is above, is like 
       the free woman. She is our mother.

       (Gal 4:27 NCV)  It is written in the Scriptures: "Be happy, Jerusalem. 
       You are like a woman who never gave birth to children. Start singing 
       and shout for joy. You never felt the pain of giving birth, but you 
       will have more children than the woman who has a husband."

       (Gal 4:28 NCV)  My brothers and sisters, you are God's children 
       because of his promise, as Isaac was then.

       (Gal 4:29 NCV)  The son who was born in the normal way treated the 
       other son badly. It is the same today.

       (Gal 4:30 NCV)  But what does the Scripture say? "Throw out the slave 
       woman and her son. The son of the slave woman should not inherit 
       anything. The son of the free woman should receive it all."

       (Gal 4:31 NCV)  So, my brothers and sisters, we are not children of 
       the slave woman, but of the free woman.

       (Gal 5:1 NCV)  We have freedom now, because Christ made us free. So 
       stand strong. Do not change and go back into the slavery of the law.

       (Gal 5:2 NCV)  Listen, I Paul tell you that if you go back to the law 
       by being circumcised, Christ does you no good.

       (Gal 5:3 NCV)  Again, I warn every man: If you allow yourselves to be 
       circumcised, you must follow all the law.

       (Gal 5:4 NCV)  If you try to be made right with God through the law, 
       your life with Christ is over--you have left God's grace.

       (Gal 5:5 NCV)  But we have the true hope that comes from being made 
       right with God, and by the Spirit we wait eagerly for this hope.

       (Gal 5:6 NCV)  When we are in Christ Jesus, it is not important if we 
       are circumcised or not. The important thing is faith--the kind of 
       faith that works through love.






       (Gal 5:7 NCV)  You were running a good race. Who stopped you from 
       following the true way?

       (Gal 5:8 NCV)  This change did not come from the One who chose you.

       (Gal 5:9 NCV)  Be careful! "Just a little yeast makes the whole batch 
       of dough rise."

       (Gal 5:10 NCV)  But I trust in the Lord that you will not believe 
       those different ideas. Whoever is confusing you with such ideas will 
       be punished.

       (Gal 5:11 NCV)  My brothers and sisters, I do not teach that a man 
       must be circumcised. If I teach circumcision, why am I still being 
       attacked? If I still taught circumcision, my preaching about the cross 
       would not be a problem.

       (Gal 5:12 NCV)  I wish the people who are bothering you would castrate 
       themselves!

       (Gal 5:13 NCV)  My brothers and sisters, God called you to be free, 
       but do not use your freedom as an excuse to do what pleases your 
       sinful self. Serve each other with love.

       (Gal 5:14 NCV)  The whole law is made complete in this one command: 
       "Love your neighbor as you love yourself."

       (Gal 5:15 NCV)  If you go on hurting each other and tearing each other 
       apart, be careful, or you will completely destroy each other.

       (Gal 5:16 NCV)  So I tell you: Live by following the Spirit. Then you 
       will not do what your sinful selves want.

       (Gal 5:17 NCV)  Our sinful selves want what is against the Spirit, and 
       the Spirit wants what is against our sinful selves. The two are 
       against each other, so you cannot do just what you please.

       (Gal 5:18 NCV)  But if the Spirit is leading you, you are not under 
       the law.

       (Gal 5:19 NCV)  The wrong things the sinful self does are clear: being 
       sexually unfaithful, not being pure, taking part in sexual sins,

       (Gal 5:20 NCV)  worshiping gods, doing witchcraft, hating, making 
       trouble, being jealous, being angry, being selfish, making people 
       angry with each other, causing divisions among people,

       (Gal 5:21 NCV)  feeling envy, being drunk, having wild and wasteful 
       parties, and doing other things like these. I warn you now as I warned 
       you before: Those who do these things will not inherit God's kingdom.

       (Gal 5:22 NCV)  But the Spirit produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, 
       patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

       (Gal 5:23 NCV)  gentleness, self-control. There is no law that says 





       these things are wrong.

       (Gal 5:24 NCV)  Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their 
       own sinful selves. They have given up their old selfish feelings and 
       the evil things they wanted to do.

       (Gal 5:25 NCV)  We get our new life from the Spirit, so we should 
       follow the Spirit.

       (Gal 5:26 NCV)  We must not be proud or make trouble with each other 
       or be jealous of each other.

       (Gal 6:1 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, if someone in your group does 
       something wrong, you who are spiritual should go to that person and 
       gently help make him right again. But be careful, because you might be 
       tempted to sin, too.

       (Gal 6:2 NCV)  By helping each other with your troubles, you truly 
       obey the law of Christ.

       (Gal 6:3 NCV)  If anyone thinks he is important when he really is not, 
       he is only fooling himself.

       (Gal 6:4 NCV)  Each person should judge his own actions and not 
       compare himself with others. Then he can be proud for what he himself 
       has done.

       (Gal 6:5 NCV)  Each person must be responsible for himself.

       (Gal 6:6 NCV)  Anyone who is learning the teaching of God should share 
       all the good things he has with his teacher.

       (Gal 6:7 NCV)  Do not be fooled: You cannot cheat God. People harvest 
       only what they plant.

       (Gal 6:8 NCV)  If they plant to satisfy their sinful selves, their 
       sinful selves will bring them ruin. But if they plant to please the 
       Spirit, they will receive eternal life from the Spirit.

       (Gal 6:9 NCV)  We must not become tired of doing good. We will receive 
       our harvest of eternal life at the right time if we do not give up.

       (Gal 6:10 NCV)  When we have the opportunity to help anyone, we should 
       do it. But we should give special attention to those who are in the 
       family of believers.

       (Gal 6:11 NCV)  See what large letters I use to write this myself.

       (Gal 6:12 NCV)  Some people are trying to force you to be circumcised 
       so the Jews will accept them. They are afraid they will be attacked if 
       they follow only the cross of Christ.

       (Gal 6:13 NCV)  Those who are circumcised do not obey the law 
       themselves, but they want you to be circumcised so they can brag about 
       what they forced you to do.





       (Gal 6:14 NCV)  I hope I will never brag about things like that. The 
       cross of our Lord Jesus Christ is my only reason for bragging. Through 
       the cross of Jesus my world was crucified, and I died to the world.

       (Gal 6:15 NCV)  It is not important if a man is circumcised or 
       uncircumcised. The important thing is being the new people God has 
       made.

       (Gal 6:16 NCV)  Peace and mercy to those who follow this rule--and to 
       all of God's people.

       (Gal 6:17 NCV)  So do not give me any more trouble. I have scars on my 
       body that show I belong to Christ Jesus.

       (Gal 6:18 NCV)  My brothers and sisters, the grace of our Lord Jesus 
       Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

       (Eph 1:1 NCV)  From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am an apostle 
       because that is what God wanted. To God's holy people living in 
       Ephesus, believers in Christ Jesus:

       (Eph 1:2 NCV)  Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord 
       Jesus Christ.

       (Eph 1:3 NCV)  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus 
       Christ. In Christ, God has given us every spiritual blessing in the 
       heavenly world.

       (Eph 1:4 NCV)  That is, in Christ, he chose us before the world was 
       made so that we would be his holy people--people without blame before 
       him.

       (Eph 1:5 NCV)  Because of his love, God had already decided to make us 
       his own children through Jesus Christ. That was what he wanted and 
       what pleased him,

       (Eph 1:6 NCV)  and it brings praise to God because of his wonderful 
       grace. God gave that grace to us freely, in Christ, the One he loves.

       (Eph 1:7 NCV)  In Christ we are set free by the blood of his death, 
       and so we have forgiveness of sins. How rich is God's grace,

       (Eph 1:8 NCV)  which he has given to us so fully and freely. God, with 
       full wisdom and understanding,

       (Eph 1:9 NCV)  let us know his secret purpose. This was what God 
       wanted, and he planned to do it through Christ.

       (Eph 1:10 NCV)  His goal was to carry out his plan, when the right 
       time came, that all things in heaven and on earth would be joined 
       together in Christ as the head.

       (Eph 1:11 NCV)  In Christ we were chosen to be God's people, because 
       from the very beginning God had decided this in keeping with his plan. 
       And he is the One who makes everything agree with what he decides and 
       wants.






       (Eph 1:12 NCV)  We are the first people who hoped in Christ, and we 
       were chosen so that we would bring praise to God's glory.

       (Eph 1:13 NCV)  So it is with you. When you heard the true 
       teaching--the Good News about your salvation--you believed in Christ. 
       And in Christ, God put his special mark of ownership on you by giving 
       you the Holy Spirit that he had promised.

       (Eph 1:14 NCV)  That Holy Spirit is the guarantee that we will receive 
       what God promised for his people until God gives full freedom to those 
       who are his--to bring praise to God's glory.

       (Eph 1:15 NCV)  That is why since I heard about your faith in the Lord 
       Jesus and your love for all God's people,

       (Eph 1:16 NCV)  I have not stopped giving thanks to God for you. I 
       always remember you in my prayers,

       (Eph 1:17 NCV)  asking the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious 
       Father, to give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you will 
       know him better.

       (Eph 1:18 NCV)  I pray also that you will have greater understanding 
       in your heart so you will know the hope to which he has called us and 
       that you will know how rich and glorious are the blessings God has 
       promised his holy people.

       (Eph 1:19 NCV)  And you will know that God's power is very great for 
       us who believe. That power is the same as the great strength

       (Eph 1:20 NCV)  God used to raise Christ from the dead and put him at 
       his right side in the heavenly world.

       (Eph 1:21 NCV)  God has put Christ over all rulers, authorities, 
       powers, and kings, not only in this world but also in the next.

       (Eph 1:22 NCV)  God put everything under his power and made him the 
       head over everything for the church,

       (Eph 1:23 NCV)  which is Christ's body. The church is filled with 
       Christ, and Christ fills everything in every way.

       (Eph 2:1 NCV)  In the past you were spiritually dead because of your 
       sins and the things you did against God.

       (Eph 2:2 NCV)  Yes, in the past you lived the way the world lives, 
       following the ruler of the evil powers that are above the earth. That 
       same spirit is now working in those who refuse to obey God.

       (Eph 2:3 NCV)  In the past all of us lived like them, trying to please 
       our sinful selves and doing all the things our bodies and minds 
       wanted. We should have suffered God's anger because of the way we 
       were. We were the same as all other people.

       (Eph 2:4 NCV)  But God's mercy is great, and he loved us very much.






       (Eph 2:5 NCV)  Though we were spiritually dead because of the things 
       we did against God, he gave us new life with Christ. You have been 
       saved by God's grace.

       (Eph 2:6 NCV)  And he raised us up with Christ and gave us a seat with 
       him in the heavens. He did this for those in Christ Jesus

       (Eph 2:7 NCV)  so that for all future time he could show the very 
       great riches of his grace by being kind to us in Christ Jesus.

       (Eph 2:8 NCV)  I mean that you have been saved by grace through 
       believing. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God.

       (Eph 2:9 NCV)  It was not the result of your own efforts, so you 
       cannot brag about it.

       (Eph 2:10 NCV)  God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made 
       us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our 
       lives doing.

       (Eph 2:11 NCV)  You were not born Jewish. You are the people the Jews 
       call "uncircumcised." Those who call you "uncircumcised" call 
       themselves "circumcised." (Their circumcision is only something they 
       themselves do on their bodies.)

       (Eph 2:12 NCV)  Remember that in the past you were without Christ. You 
       were not citizens of Israel, and you had no part in the agreements 
       with the promise that God made to his people. You had no hope, and you 
       did not know God.

       (Eph 2:13 NCV)  But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away from 
       God are brought near through the blood of Christ's death.

       (Eph 2:14 NCV)  Christ himself is our peace. He made both Jewish 
       people and those who are not Jews one people. They were separated as 
       if there were a wall between them, but Christ broke down that wall of 
       hate by giving his own body.

       (Eph 2:15 NCV)  The Jewish law had many commands and rules, but Christ 
       ended that law. His purpose was to make the two groups of people 
       become one new people in him and in this way make peace.

       (Eph 2:16 NCV)  It was also Christ's purpose to end the hatred between 
       the two groups, to make them into one body, and to bring them back to 
       God. Christ did all this with his death on the cross.

       (Eph 2:17 NCV)  Christ came and preached peace to you who were far 
       away from God, and to those who were near to God.

       (Eph 2:18 NCV)  Yes, it is through Christ we all have the right to 
       come to the Father in one Spirit.

       (Eph 2:19 NCV)  Now you who are not Jewish are not foreigners or 
       strangers any longer, but are citizens together with God's holy 
       people. You belong to God's family.






       (Eph 2:20 NCV)  You are like a building that was built on the 
       foundation of the apostles and prophets. Christ Jesus himself is the 
       most important stone in that building,

       (Eph 2:21 NCV)  and that whole building is joined together in Christ. 
       He makes it grow and become a holy temple in the Lord.

       (Eph 2:22 NCV)  And in Christ you, too, are being built together with 
       the Jews into a place where God lives through the Spirit.

       (Eph 3:1 NCV)  So I, Paul, am a prisoner of Christ Jesus for you who 
       are not Jews.

       (Eph 3:2 NCV)  Surely you have heard that God gave me this work 
       through his grace to help you.

       (Eph 3:3 NCV)  He let me know his secret by showing it to me. I have 
       already written a little about this.

       (Eph 3:4 NCV)  If you read what I wrote then, you can see that I truly 
       understand the secret about the Christ.

       (Eph 3:5 NCV)  People who lived in other times were not told that 
       secret. But now, through the Spirit, God has shown that secret to his 
       holy apostles and prophets.

       (Eph 3:6 NCV)  This is that secret: that through the Good News those 
       who are not Jews will share with the Jews in God's blessing. They 
       belong to the same body, and they share together in the promise that 
       God made in Christ Jesus.

       (Eph 3:7 NCV)  By God's special gift of grace given to me through his 
       power, I became a servant to tell that Good News.

       (Eph 3:8 NCV)  I am the least important of all God's people, but God 
       gave me this gift--to tell those who are not Jews the Good News about 
       the riches of Christ, which are too great to understand fully.

       (Eph 3:9 NCV)  And God gave me the work of telling all people about 
       the plan for his secret, which has been hidden in him since the 
       beginning of time. He is the One who created everything.

       (Eph 3:10 NCV)  His purpose was that through the church all the rulers 
       and powers in the heavenly world will now know God's wisdom, which has 
       so many forms.

       (Eph 3:11 NCV)  This agrees with the purpose God had since the 
       beginning of time, and he carried out his plan through Christ Jesus 
       our Lord.

       (Eph 3:12 NCV)  In Christ we can come before God with freedom and 
       without fear. We can do this through faith in Christ.

       (Eph 3:13 NCV)  So I ask you not to become discouraged because of the 
       sufferings I am having for you. My sufferings are for your glory.






       (Eph 3:14 NCV)  So I bow in prayer before the Father

       (Eph 3:15 NCV)  from whom every family in heaven and on earth gets its 
       true name.

       (Eph 3:16 NCV)  I ask the Father in his great glory to give you the 
       power to be strong inwardly through his Spirit.

       (Eph 3:17 NCV)  I pray that Christ will live in your hearts by faith 
       and that your life will be strong in love and be built on love.

       (Eph 3:18 NCV)  And I pray that you and all God's holy people will 
       have the power to understand the greatness of Christ's love--how wide 
       and how long and how high and how deep that love is.

       (Eph 3:19 NCV)  Christ's love is greater than anyone can ever know, 
       but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be 
       filled with the fullness of God.

       (Eph 3:20 NCV)  With God's power working in us, God can do much, much 
       more than anything we can ask or imagine.

       (Eph 3:21 NCV)  To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for 
       all time, forever and ever. Amen.

       (Eph 4:1 NCV)  I am in prison because I belong to the Lord. God chose 
       you to be his people, so I urge you now to live the life to which God 
       called you.

       (Eph 4:2 NCV)  Always be humble, gentle, and patient, accepting each 
       other in love.

       (Eph 4:3 NCV)  You are joined together with peace through the Spirit, 
       so make every effort to continue together in this way.

       (Eph 4:4 NCV)  There is one body and one Spirit, and God called you to 
       have one hope.

       (Eph 4:5 NCV)  There is one Lord, one faith, and one baptism.

       (Eph 4:6 NCV)  There is one God and Father of everything. He rules 
       everything and is everywhere and is in everything.

       (Eph 4:7 NCV)  Christ gave each one of us the special gift of grace, 
       showing how generous he is.

       (Eph 4:8 NCV)  That is why it says in the Scriptures, "When he went up 
       to the heights, he led a parade of captives, and he gave gifts to 
       people."

       (Eph 4:9 NCV)  When it says, "He went up," what does it mean? It means 
       that he first came down to the earth.

       (Eph 4:10 NCV)  So Jesus came down, and he is the same One who went up 
       above all the sky. Christ did that to fill everything with his 





       presence.

       (Eph 4:11 NCV)  And Christ gave gifts to people--he made some to be 
       apostles, some to be prophets, some to go and tell the Good News, and 
       some to have the work of caring for and teaching God's people.

       (Eph 4:12 NCV)  Christ gave those gifts to prepare God's holy people 
       for the work of serving, to make the body of Christ stronger.

       (Eph 4:13 NCV)  This work must continue until we are all joined 
       together in the same faith and in the same knowledge of the Son of 
       God. We must become like a mature person, growing until we become like 
       Christ and have his perfection.

       (Eph 4:14 NCV)  Then we will no longer be babies. We will not be 
       tossed about like a ship that the waves carry one way and then 
       another. We will not be influenced by every new teaching we hear from 
       people who are trying to fool us. They make plans and try any kind of 
       trick to fool people into following the wrong path.

       (Eph 4:15 NCV)  No! Speaking the truth with love, we will grow up in 
       every way into Christ, who is the head.

       (Eph 4:16 NCV)  The whole body depends on Christ, and all the parts of 
       the body are joined and held together. Each part does its own work to 
       make the whole body grow and be strong with love.

       (Eph 4:17 NCV)  In the Lord's name, I tell you this. Do not continue 
       living like those who do not believe. Their thoughts are worth 
       nothing.

       (Eph 4:18 NCV)  They do not understand, and they know nothing, because 
       they refuse to listen. So they cannot have the life that God gives.

       (Eph 4:19 NCV)  They have lost all feeling of shame, and they use 
       their lives for doing evil. They continually want to do all kinds of 
       evil.

       (Eph 4:20 NCV)  But what you learned in Christ was not like this.

       (Eph 4:21 NCV)  I know that you heard about him, and you are in him, 
       so you were taught the truth that is in Jesus.

       (Eph 4:22 NCV)  You were taught to leave your old self--to stop living 
       the evil way you lived before. That old self becomes worse, because 
       people are fooled by the evil things they want to do.

       (Eph 4:23 NCV)  But you were taught to be made new in your hearts,

       (Eph 4:24 NCV)  to become a new person. That new person is made to be 
       like God--made to be truly good and holy.

       (Eph 4:25 NCV)  So you must stop telling lies. Tell each other the 
       truth, because we all belong to each other in the same body.

       (Eph 4:26 NCV)  When you are angry, do not sin, and be sure to stop 





       being angry before the end of the day.

       (Eph 4:27 NCV)  Do not give the devil a way to defeat you.

       (Eph 4:28 NCV)  Those who are stealing must stop stealing and start 
       working. They should earn an honest living for themselves. Then they 
       will have something to share with those who are poor.

       (Eph 4:29 NCV)  When you talk, do not say harmful things, but say what 
       people need--words that will help others become stronger. Then what 
       you say will do good to those who listen to you.

       (Eph 4:30 NCV)  And do not make the Holy Spirit sad. The Spirit is 
       God's proof that you belong to him. God gave you the Spirit to show 
       that God will make you free when the final day comes.

       (Eph 4:31 NCV)  Do not be bitter or angry or mad. Never shout angrily 
       or say things to hurt others. Never do anything evil.

       (Eph 4:32 NCV)  Be kind and loving to each other, and forgive each 
       other just as God forgave you in Christ.

       (Eph 5:1 NCV)  You are God's children whom he loves, so try to be like 
       him.

       (Eph 5:2 NCV)  Live a life of love just as Christ loved us and gave 
       himself for us as a sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice to God.

       (Eph 5:3 NCV)  But there must be no sexual sin among you, or any kind 
       of evil or greed. Those things are not right for God's holy people.

       (Eph 5:4 NCV)  Also, there must be no evil talk among you, and you 
       must not speak foolishly or tell evil jokes. These things are not 
       right for you. Instead, you should be giving thanks to God.

       (Eph 5:5 NCV)  You can be sure of this: No one will have a place in 
       the kingdom of Christ and of God who sins sexually, or does evil 
       things, or is greedy. Anyone who is greedy is serving a false god.

       (Eph 5:6 NCV)  Do not let anyone fool you by telling you things that 
       are not true, because these things will bring God's anger on those who 
       do not obey him.

       (Eph 5:7 NCV)  So have nothing to do with them.

       (Eph 5:8 NCV)  In the past you were full of darkness, but now you are 
       full of light in the Lord. So live like children who belong to the 
       light.

       (Eph 5:9 NCV)  Light brings every kind of goodness, right living, and 
       truth.

       (Eph 5:10 NCV)  Try to learn what pleases the Lord.

       (Eph 5:11 NCV)  Have nothing to do with the things done in darkness, 
       which are not worth anything. But show that they are wrong.






       (Eph 5:12 NCV)  It is shameful even to talk about what those people do 
       in secret.

       (Eph 5:13 NCV)  But the light makes all things easy to see,

       (Eph 5:14 NCV)  and everything that is made easy to see can become 
       light. This is why it is said: "Wake up, sleeper! Rise from death, and 
       Christ will shine on you."

       (Eph 5:15 NCV)  So be very careful how you live. Do not live like 
       those who are not wise, but live wisely.

       (Eph 5:16 NCV)  Use every chance you have for doing good, because 
       these are evil times.

       (Eph 5:17 NCV)  So do not be foolish but learn what the Lord wants you 
       to do.

       (Eph 5:18 NCV)  Do not be drunk with wine, which will ruin you, but be 
       filled with the Spirit.

       (Eph 5:19 NCV)  Speak to each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual 
       songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord.

       (Eph 5:20 NCV)  Always give thanks to God the Father for everything, 
       in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

       (Eph 5:21 NCV)  Yield to obey each other because you respect Christ.

       (Eph 5:22 NCV)  Wives, yield to your husbands, as you do to the Lord,

       (Eph 5:23 NCV)  because the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ 
       is the head of the church. And he is the Savior of the body, which is 
       the church.

       (Eph 5:24 NCV)  As the church yields to Christ, so you wives should 
       yield to your husbands in everything.

       (Eph 5:25 NCV)  Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church 
       and gave himself for it

       (Eph 5:26 NCV)  to make it belong to God. Christ used the word to make 
       the church clean by washing it with water.

       (Eph 5:27 NCV)  He died so that he could give the church to himself 
       like a bride in all her beauty. He died so that the church could be 
       pure and without fault, with no evil or sin or any other wrong thing 
       in it.

       (Eph 5:28 NCV)  In the same way, husbands should love their wives as 
       they love their own bodies. The man who loves his wife loves himself.

       (Eph 5:29 NCV)  No one ever hates his own body, but feeds and takes 
       care of it. And that is what Christ does for the church,





       (Eph 5:30 NCV)  because we are parts of his body.

       (Eph 5:31 NCV)  The Scripture says, "So a man will leave his father 
       and mother and be united with his wife, and the two will become one 
       body."

       (Eph 5:32 NCV)  That secret is very important--I am talking about 
       Christ and the church.

       (Eph 5:33 NCV)  But each one of you must love his wife as he loves 
       himself, and a wife must respect her husband.

       (Eph 6:1 NCV)  Children, obey your parents as the Lord wants, because 
       this is the right thing to do.

       (Eph 6:2 NCV)  The command says, "Honor your father and mother." This 
       is the first command that has a promise with it--

       (Eph 6:3 NCV)  "Then everything will be well with you, and you will 
       have a long life on the earth."

       (Eph 6:4 NCV)  Fathers, do not make your children angry, but raise 
       them with the training and teaching of the Lord.

       (Eph 6:5 NCV)  Slaves, obey your masters here on earth with fear and 
       respect and from a sincere heart, just as you obey Christ.

       (Eph 6:6 NCV)  You must do this not only while they are watching you, 
       to please them. With all your heart you must do what God wants as 
       people who are obeying Christ.

       (Eph 6:7 NCV)  Do your work with enthusiasm. Work as if you were 
       serving the Lord, not as if you were serving only men and women.

       (Eph 6:8 NCV)  Remember that the Lord will give a reward to everyone, 
       slave or free, for doing good.

       (Eph 6:9 NCV)  Masters, in the same way, be good to your slaves. Do 
       not threaten them. Remember that the One who is your Master and their 
       Master is in heaven, and he treats everyone alike.

       (Eph 6:10 NCV)  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his great power.

       (Eph 6:11 NCV)  Put on the full armor of God so that you can fight 
       against the devil's evil tricks.

       (Eph 6:12 NCV)  Our fight is not against people on earth but against 
       the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world's darkness, 
       against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly world.

       (Eph 6:13 NCV)  That is why you need to put on God's full armor. Then 
       on the day of evil you will be able to stand strong. And when you have 
       finished the whole fight, you will still be standing.

       (Eph 6:14 NCV)  So stand strong, with the belt of truth tied around 
       your waist and the protection of right living on your chest.






       (Eph 6:15 NCV)  On your feet wear the Good News of peace to help you 
       stand strong.

       (Eph 6:16 NCV)  And also use the shield of faith with which you can 
       stop all the burning arrows of the Evil One.

       (Eph 6:17 NCV)  Accept God's salvation as your helmet, and take the 
       sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

       (Eph 6:18 NCV)  Pray in the Spirit at all times with all kinds of 
       prayers, asking for everything you need. To do this you must always be 
       ready and never give up. Always pray for all God's people.

       (Eph 6:19 NCV)  Also pray for me that when I speak, God will give me 
       words so that I can tell the secret of the Good News without fear.

       (Eph 6:20 NCV)  I have been sent to preach this Good News, and I am 
       doing that now, here in prison. Pray that when I preach the Good News 
       I will speak without fear, as I should.

       (Eph 6:21 NCV)  I am sending to you Tychicus, our brother whom we love 
       and a faithful servant of the Lord's work. He will tell you everything 
       that is happening with me. Then you will know how I am and what I am 
       doing.

       (Eph 6:22 NCV)  I am sending him to you for this reason--so that you 
       will know how we are, and he can encourage you.

       (Eph 6:23 NCV)  Peace and love with faith to you from God the Father 
       and the Lord Jesus Christ.

       (Eph 6:24 NCV)  Grace to all of you who love our Lord Jesus Christ 
       with love that never ends.

       (Phil 1:1 NCV)  From Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus. To 
       all of God's holy people in Christ Jesus who live in Philippi, 
       including your elders and deacons:

       (Phil 1:2 NCV)  Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the 
       Lord Jesus Christ.

       (Phil 1:3 NCV)  I thank my God every time I remember you,

       (Phil 1:4 NCV)  always praying with joy for all of you.

       (Phil 1:5 NCV)  I thank God for the help you gave me while I preached 
       the Good News--help you gave from the first day you believed until 
       now.

       (Phil 1:6 NCV)  God began doing a good work in you, and I am sure he 
       will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again.

       (Phil 1:7 NCV)  And I know that I am right to think like this about 
       all of you, because I have you in my heart. All of you share in God's 
       grace with me while I am in prison and while I am defending and 





       proving the truth of the Good News.

       (Phil 1:8 NCV)  God knows that I want to see you very much, because I 
       love all of you with the love of Christ Jesus.

       (Phil 1:9 NCV)  This is my prayer for you: that your love will grow 
       more and more; that you will have knowledge and understanding with 
       your love;

       (Phil 1:10 NCV)  that you will see the difference between good and bad 
       and will choose the good; that you will be pure and without wrong for 
       the coming of Christ;

       (Phil 1:11 NCV)  that you will do many good things with the help of 
       Christ to bring glory and praise to God.

       (Phil 1:12 NCV)  I want you brothers and sisters to know that what has 
       happened to me has helped to spread the Good News.

       (Phil 1:13 NCV)  All the palace guards and everyone else knows that I 
       am in prison because I am a believer in Christ.

       (Phil 1:14 NCV)  Because I am in prison, most of the believers have 
       become more bold in Christ and are not afraid to speak the word of 
       God.

       (Phil 1:15 NCV)  It is true that some preach about Christ because they 
       are jealous and ambitious, but others preach about Christ because they 
       want to help.

       (Phil 1:16 NCV)  They preach because they have love, and they know 
       that God gave me the work of defending the Good News.

       (Phil 1:17 NCV)  But the others preach about Christ for selfish and 
       wrong reasons, wanting to make trouble for me in prison.

       (Phil 1:18 NCV)  But it doesn't matter. The important thing is that in 
       every way, whether for right or wrong reasons, they are preaching 
       about Christ. So I am happy, and I will continue to be happy.

       (Phil 1:19 NCV)  Because you are praying for me and the Spirit of 
       Jesus Christ is helping me, I know this trouble will bring my freedom.

       (Phil 1:20 NCV)  I expect and hope that I will not fail Christ in 
       anything but that I will have the courage now, as always, to show the 
       greatness of Christ in my life here on earth, whether I live or die.

       (Phil 1:21 NCV)  To me the only important thing about living is 
       Christ, and dying would be profit for me.

       (Phil 1:22 NCV)  If I continue living in my body, I will be able to 
       work for the Lord. I do not know what to choose--living or dying.

       (Phil 1:23 NCV)  It is hard to choose between the two. I want to leave 
       this life and be with Christ, which is much better,





       (Phil 1:24 NCV)  but you need me here in my body.

       (Phil 1:25 NCV)  Since I am sure of this, I know I will stay with you 
       to help you grow and have joy in your faith.

       (Phil 1:26 NCV)  You will be very happy in Christ Jesus when I am with 
       you again.

       (Phil 1:27 NCV)  Only one thing concerns me: Be sure that you live in 
       a way that brings honor to the Good News of Christ. Then whether I 
       come and visit you or am away from you, I will hear that you are 
       standing strong with one purpose, that you work together as one for 
       the faith of the Good News,

       (Phil 1:28 NCV)  and that you are not afraid of those who are against 
       you. All of this is proof that your enemies will be destroyed but that 
       you will be saved by God.

       (Phil 1:29 NCV)  God gave you the honor not only of believing in 
       Christ but also of suffering for him, both of which bring glory to 
       Christ.

       (Phil 1:30 NCV)  When I was with you, you saw the struggles I had, and 
       you hear about the struggles I am having now. You yourselves are 
       having the same kind of struggles.

       (Phil 2:1 NCV)  Does your life in Christ give you strength? Does his 
       love comfort you? Do we share together in the spirit? Do you have 
       mercy and kindness?

       (Phil 2:2 NCV)  If so, make me very happy by having the same thoughts, 
       sharing the same love, and having one mind and purpose.

       (Phil 2:3 NCV)  When you do things, do not let selfishness or pride be 
       your guide. Instead, be humble and give more honor to others than to 
       yourselves.

       (Phil 2:4 NCV)  Do not be interested only in your own life, but be 
       interested in the lives of others.

       (Phil 2:5 NCV)  In your lives you must think and act like Christ 
       Jesus.

       (Phil 2:6 NCV)  Christ himself was like God in everything. But he did 
       not think that being equal with God was something to be used for his 
       own benefit.

       (Phil 2:7 NCV)  But he gave up his place with God and made himself 
       nothing. He was born to be a man and became like a servant.

       (Phil 2:8 NCV)  And when he was living as a man, he humbled himself 
       and was fully obedient to God, even when that caused his death--death 
       on a cross.

       (Phil 2:9 NCV)  So God raised him to the highest place. God made his 
       name greater than every other name






       (Phil 2:10 NCV)  so that every knee will bow to the name of Jesus-- 
       everyone in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.

       (Phil 2:11 NCV)  And everyone will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord 
       and bring glory to God the Father.

       (Phil 2:12 NCV)  My dear friends, you have always obeyed God when I 
       was with you. It is even more important that you obey now while I am 
       away from you. Keep on working to complete your salvation with fear 
       and trembling,

       (Phil 2:13 NCV)  because God is working in you to help you want to do 
       and be able to do what pleases him.

       (Phil 2:14 NCV)  Do everything without complaining or arguing.

       (Phil 2:15 NCV)  Then you will be innocent and without any wrong. You 
       will be God's children without fault. But you are living with crooked 
       and mean people all around you, among whom you shine like stars in the 
       dark world.

       (Phil 2:16 NCV)  You offer the teaching that gives life. So when 
       Christ comes again, I can be happy because my work was not wasted. I 
       ran the race and won.

       (Phil 2:17 NCV)  Your faith makes you offer your lives as a sacrifice 
       in serving God. If I have to offer my own blood with your sacrifice, I 
       will be happy and full of joy with all of you.

       (Phil 2:18 NCV)  You also should be happy and full of joy with me.

       (Phil 2:19 NCV)  I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon. 
       I will be happy to learn how you are.

       (Phil 2:20 NCV)  I have no one else like Timothy, who truly cares for 
       you.

       (Phil 2:21 NCV)  Other people are interested only in their own lives, 
       not in the work of Jesus Christ.

       (Phil 2:22 NCV)  You know the kind of person Timothy is. You know he 
       has served with me in telling the Good News, as a son serves his 
       father.

       (Phil 2:23 NCV)  I plan to send him to you quickly when I know what 
       will happen to me.

       (Phil 2:24 NCV)  I am sure that the Lord will help me to come to you 
       soon.

       (Phil 2:25 NCV)  Epaphroditus, my brother in Christ, works and serves 
       with me in the army of Christ. When I needed help, you sent him to me. 
       I think now that I must send him back to you,

       (Phil 2:26 NCV)  because he wants very much to see all of you. He is 





       worried because you heard that he was sick.

       (Phil 2:27 NCV)  Yes, he was sick, and nearly died, but God had mercy 
       on him and me too so that I would not have more sadness.

       (Phil 2:28 NCV)  I want very much to send him to you so that when you 
       see him you can be happy, and I can stop worrying about you.

       (Phil 2:29 NCV)  Welcome him in the Lord with much joy. Give honor to 
       people like him,

       (Phil 2:30 NCV)  because he almost died for the work of Christ. He 
       risked his life to give me the help you could not give in your service 
       to me.

       (Phil 3:1 NCV)  My brothers and sisters, be full of joy in the Lord. 
       It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it 
       will help you to be more ready.

       (Phil 3:2 NCV)  Watch out for those who do evil, who are like dogs, 
       who demand to cut the body.

       (Phil 3:3 NCV)  We are the ones who are truly circumcised. We worship 
       God through his Spirit, and our pride is in Christ Jesus. We do not 
       put trust in ourselves or anything we can do,

       (Phil 3:4 NCV)  although I might be able to put trust in myself. If 
       anyone thinks he has a reason to trust in himself, he should know that 
       I have greater reason for trusting in myself.

       (Phil 3:5 NCV)  I was circumcised eight days after my birth. I am from 
       the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin. I am a Hebrew, and my 
       parents were Hebrews. I had a strict view of the law, which is why I 
       became a Pharisee.

       (Phil 3:6 NCV)  I was so enthusiastic I tried to hurt the church. No 
       one could find fault with the way I obeyed the law of Moses.

       (Phil 3:7 NCV)  Those things were important to me, but now I think 
       they are worth nothing because of Christ.

       (Phil 3:8 NCV)  Not only those things, but I think that all things are 
       worth nothing compared with the greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my 
       Lord. Because of him, I have lost all those things, and now I know 
       they are worthless trash. This allows me to have Christ

       (Phil 3:9 NCV)  and to belong to him. Now I am right with God, not 
       because I followed the law, but because I believed in Christ. God uses 
       my faith to make me right with him.

       (Phil 3:10 NCV)  I want to know Christ and the power that raised him 
       from the dead. I want to share in his sufferings and become like him 
       in his death.

       (Phil 3:11 NCV)  Then I have hope that I myself will be raised from 
       the dead.






       (Phil 3:12 NCV)  I do not mean that I am already as God wants me to 
       be. I have not yet reached that goal, but I continue trying to reach 
       it and to make it mine. Christ wants me to do that, which is the 
       reason he made me his.

       (Phil 3:13 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, I know that I have not yet 
       reached that goal, but there is one thing I always do. Forgetting the 
       past and straining toward what is ahead,

       (Phil 3:14 NCV)  I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for 
       which God called me through Christ to the life above.

       (Phil 3:15 NCV)  All of us who are spiritually mature should think 
       this way, too. And if there are things you do not agree with, God will 
       make them clear to you.

       (Phil 3:16 NCV)  But we should continue following the truth we already 
       have.

       (Phil 3:17 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, all of you should try to follow 
       my example and to copy those who live the way we showed you.

       (Phil 3:18 NCV)  Many people live like enemies of the cross of Christ. 
       I have often told you about them, and it makes me cry to tell you 
       about them now.

       (Phil 3:19 NCV)  In the end, they will be destroyed. They do whatever 
       their bodies want, they are proud of their shameful acts, and they 
       think only about earthly things.

       (Phil 3:20 NCV)  But our homeland is in heaven, and we are waiting for 
       our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven.

       (Phil 3:21 NCV)  By his power to rule all things, he will change our 
       simple bodies and make them like his own glorious body.

       (Phil 4:1 NCV)  My dear brothers and sisters, I love you and want to 
       see you. You bring me joy and make me proud of you, so stand strong in 
       the Lord as I have told you.

       (Phil 4:2 NCV)  I ask Euodia and Syntyche to agree in the Lord.

       (Phil 4:3 NCV)  And I ask you, my faithful friend, to help these 
       women. They served with me in telling the Good News, together with 
       Clement and others who worked with me, whose names are written in the 
       book of life.

       (Phil 4:4 NCV)  Be full of joy in the Lord always. I will say again, 
       be full of joy.

       (Phil 4:5 NCV)  Let everyone see that you are gentle and kind. The 
       Lord is coming soon.

       (Phil 4:6 NCV)  Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for 
       everything you need, always giving thanks.






       (Phil 4:7 NCV)  And God's peace, which is so great we cannot 
       understand it, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

       (Phil 4:8 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, think about the things that are 
       good and worthy of praise. Think about the things that are true and 
       honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected.

       (Phil 4:9 NCV)  Do what you learned and received from me, what I told 
       you, and what you saw me do. And the God who gives peace will be with 
       you.

       (Phil 4:10 NCV)  I am very happy in the Lord that you have shown your 
       care for me again. You continued to care about me, but there was no 
       way for you to show it.

       (Phil 4:11 NCV)  I am not telling you this because I need anything. I 
       have learned to be satisfied with the things I have and with 
       everything that happens.

       (Phil 4:12 NCV)  I know how to live when I am poor, and I know how to 
       live when I have plenty. I have learned the secret of being happy at 
       any time in everything that happens, when I have enough to eat and 
       when I go hungry, when I have more than I need and when I do not have 
       enough.

       (Phil 4:13 NCV)  I can do all things through Christ, because he gives 
       me strength.

       (Phil 4:14 NCV)  But it was good that you helped me when I needed it.

       (Phil 4:15 NCV)  You Philippians remember when I first preached the 
       Good News there. When I left Macedonia, you were the only church that 
       gave me help.

       (Phil 4:16 NCV)  Several times you sent me things I needed when I was 
       in Thessalonica.

       (Phil 4:17 NCV)  Really, it is not that I want to receive gifts from 
       you, but I want you to have the good that comes from giving.

       (Phil 4:18 NCV)  And now I have everything, and more. I have all I 
       need, because Epaphroditus brought your gift to me. It is like a 
       sweet-smelling sacrifice offered to God, who accepts that sacrifice 
       and is pleased with it.

       (Phil 4:19 NCV)  My God will use his wonderful riches in Christ Jesus 
       to give you everything you need.

       (Phil 4:20 NCV)  Glory to our God and Father forever and ever! Amen.

       (Phil 4:21 NCV)  Greet each of God's people in Christ. Those who are 
       with me send greetings to you.

       (Phil 4:22 NCV)  All of God's people greet you, particularly those 
       from the palace of Caesar.






       (Phil 4:23 NCV)  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

       (Col 1:1 NCV)  From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am an apostle 
       because that is what God wanted. Also from Timothy, our brother.

       (Col 1:2 NCV)  To the holy and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ 
       that live in Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.

       (Col 1:3 NCV)  In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father 
       of our Lord Jesus Christ,

       (Col 1:4 NCV)  because we have heard about the faith you have in 
       Christ Jesus and the love you have for all of God's people.

       (Col 1:5 NCV)  You have this faith and love because of your hope, and 
       what you hope for is kept safe for you in heaven. You learned about 
       this hope when you heard the message about the truth, the Good News

       (Col 1:6 NCV)  that was told to you. Everywhere in the world that Good 
       News is bringing blessings and is growing. This has happened with you, 
       too, since you heard the Good News and understood the truth about the 
       grace of God.

       (Col 1:7 NCV)  You learned about God's grace from Epaphras, whom we 
       love. He works together with us and is a faithful servant of Christ 
       for us.

       (Col 1:8 NCV)  He also told us about the love you have from the Holy 
       Spirit.

       (Col 1:9 NCV)  Because of this, since the day we heard about you, we 
       have continued praying for you, asking God that you will know fully 
       what he wants. We pray that you will also have great wisdom and 
       understanding in spiritual things

       (Col 1:10 NCV)  so that you will live the kind of life that honors and 
       pleases the Lord in every way. You will produce fruit in every good 
       work and grow in the knowledge of God.

       (Col 1:11 NCV)  God will strengthen you with his own great power so 
       that you will not give up when troubles come, but you will be patient.

       (Col 1:12 NCV)  And you will joyfully give thanks to the Father who 
       has made you able to have a share in all that he has prepared for his 
       people in the kingdom of light.

       (Col 1:13 NCV)  God has freed us from the power of darkness, and he 
       brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son.

       (Col 1:14 NCV)  The Son paid for our sins, and in him we have 
       forgiveness.

       (Col 1:15 NCV)  No one can see God, but Jesus Christ is exactly like 
       him. He ranks higher than everything that has been made.





       (Col 1:16 NCV)  Through his power all things were made--things in 
       heaven and on earth, things seen and unseen, all powers, authorities, 
       lords, and rulers. All things were made through Christ and for Christ.

       (Col 1:17 NCV)  He was there before anything was made, and all things 
       continue because of him.

       (Col 1:18 NCV)  He is the head of the body, which is the church. 
       Everything comes from him. He is the first one who was raised from the 
       dead. So in all things Jesus has first place.

       (Col 1:19 NCV)  God was pleased for all of himself to live in Christ.

       (Col 1:20 NCV)  And through Christ, God has brought all things back to 
       himself again--things on earth and things in heaven. God made peace 
       through the blood of Christ's death on the cross.

       (Col 1:21 NCV)  At one time you were separated from God. You were his 
       enemies in your minds, and the evil things you did were against God.

       (Col 1:22 NCV)  But now God has made you his friends again. He did 
       this through Christ's death in the body so that he might bring you 
       into God's presence as people who are holy, with no wrong, and with 
       nothing of which God can judge you guilty.

       (Col 1:23 NCV)  This will happen if you continue strong and sure in 
       your faith. You must not be moved away from the hope brought to you by 
       the Good News that you heard. That same Good News has been told to 
       everyone in the world, and I, Paul, help in preaching that Good News.

       (Col 1:24 NCV)  I am happy in my sufferings for you. There are things 
       that Christ must still suffer through his body, the church. I am 
       accepting, in my body, my part of these things that must be suffered.

       (Col 1:25 NCV)  I became a servant of the church because God gave me a 
       special work to do that helps you, and that work is to tell fully the 
       message of God.

       (Col 1:26 NCV)  This message is the secret that was hidden from 
       everyone since the beginning of time, but now it is made known to 
       God's holy people.

       (Col 1:27 NCV)  God decided to let his people know this rich and 
       glorious secret which he has for all people. This secret is Christ 
       himself, who is in you. He is our only hope for glory.

       (Col 1:28 NCV)  So we continue to preach Christ to each person, using 
       all wisdom to warn and to teach everyone, in order to bring each one 
       into God's presence as a mature person in Christ.

       (Col 1:29 NCV)  To do this, I work and struggle, using Christ's great 
       strength that works so powerfully in me.

       (Col 2:1 NCV)  I want you to know how hard I work for you, those in 
       Laodicea, and others who have never seen me.





       (Col 2:2 NCV)  I want them to be strengthened and joined together with 
       love so that they may be rich in their understanding. This leads to 
       their knowing fully God's secret, that is, Christ himself.

       (Col 2:3 NCV)  In him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are 
       safely kept.

       (Col 2:4 NCV)  I say this so that no one can fool you by arguments 
       that seem good, but are false.

       (Col 2:5 NCV)  Though I am absent from you in my body, my heart is 
       with you, and I am happy to see your good lives and your strong faith 
       in Christ.

       (Col 2:6 NCV)  As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so continue to 
       live in him.

       (Col 2:7 NCV)  Keep your roots deep in him and have your lives built 
       on him. Be strong in the faith, just as you were taught, and always be 
       thankful.

       (Col 2:8 NCV)  Be sure that no one leads you away with false and empty 
       teaching that is only human, which comes from the ruling spirits of 
       this world, and not from Christ.

       (Col 2:9 NCV)  All of God lives in Christ fully (even when Christ was 
       on earth),

       (Col 2:10 NCV)  and you have a full and true life in Christ, who is 
       ruler over all rulers and powers.

       (Col 2:11 NCV)  Also in Christ you had a different kind of 
       circumcision, a circumcision not done by hands. It was through 
       Christ's circumcision, that is, his death, that you were made free 
       from the power of your sinful self.

       (Col 2:12 NCV)  When you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, 
       and you were raised up with him through your faith in God's power that 
       was shown when he raised Christ from the dead.

       (Col 2:13 NCV)  When you were spiritually dead because of your sins 
       and because you were not free from the power of your sinful self, God 
       made you alive with Christ, and he forgave all our sins.

       (Col 2:14 NCV)  He canceled the debt, which listed all the rules we 
       failed to follow. He took away that record with its rules and nailed 
       it to the cross.

       (Col 2:15 NCV)  God stripped the spiritual rulers and powers of their 
       authority. With the cross, he won the victory and showed the world 
       that they were powerless.

       (Col 2:16 NCV)  So do not let anyone make rules for you about eating 
       and drinking or about a religious feast, a New Moon Festival, or a 
       Sabbath day.





       (Col 2:17 NCV)  These things were like a shadow of what was to come. 
       But what is true and real has come and is found in Christ.

       (Col 2:18 NCV)  Do not let anyone disqualify you by making you 
       humiliate yourself and worship angels. Such people enter into visions, 
       which fill them with foolish pride because of their human way of 
       thinking.

       (Col 2:19 NCV)  They do not hold tightly to Christ, the head. It is 
       from him that all the parts of the body are cared for and held 
       together. So it grows in the way God wants it to grow.

       (Col 2:20 NCV)  Since you died with Christ and were made free from the 
       ruling spirits of the world, why do you act as if you still belong to 
       this world by following rules like these:

       (Col 2:21 NCV)  "Don't eat this," "Don't taste that," "Don't even 
       touch that thing"?

       (Col 2:22 NCV)  These rules refer to earthly things that are gone as 
       soon as they are used. They are only man-made commands and teachings.

       (Col 2:23 NCV)  They seem to be wise, but they are only part of a 
       man-made religion. They make people pretend not to be proud and make 
       them punish their bodies, but they do not really control the evil 
       desires of the sinful self.

       (Col 3:1 NCV)  Since you were raised from the dead with Christ, aim at 
       what is in heaven, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God.

       (Col 3:2 NCV)  Think only about the things in heaven, not the things 
       on earth.

       (Col 3:3 NCV)  Your old sinful self has died, and your new life is 
       kept with Christ in God.

       (Col 3:4 NCV)  Christ is our life, and when he comes again, you will 
       share in his glory.

       (Col 3:5 NCV)  So put all evil things out of your life: sexual 
       sinning, doing evil, letting evil thoughts control you, wanting things 
       that are evil, and greed. This is really serving a false god.

       (Col 3:6 NCV)  These things make God angry.

       (Col 3:7 NCV)  In your past, evil life you also did these things.

       (Col 3:8 NCV)  But now also put these things out of your life: anger, 
       bad temper, doing or saying things to hurt others, and using evil 
       words when you talk.

       (Col 3:9 NCV)  Do not lie to each other. You have left your old sinful 
       life and the things you did before.

       (Col 3:10 NCV)  You have begun to live the new life, in which you are 
       being made new and are becoming like the One who made you. This new 





       life brings you the true knowledge of God.

       (Col 3:11 NCV)  In the new life there is no difference between Greeks 
       and Jews, those who are circumcised and those who are not circumcised, 
       or people who are foreigners, or Scythians. There is no difference 
       between slaves and free people. But Christ is in all believers, and 
       Christ is all that is important.

       (Col 3:12 NCV)  God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He 
       loves you. So always do these things: Show mercy to others, be kind, 
       humble, gentle, and patient.

       (Col 3:13 NCV)  Get along with each other, and forgive each other. If 
       someone does wrong to you, forgive that person because the Lord 
       forgave you.

       (Col 3:14 NCV)  Do all these things; but most important, love each 
       other. Love is what holds you all together in perfect unity.

       (Col 3:15 NCV)  Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking, 
       because you were all called together in one body to have peace. Always 
       be thankful.

       (Col 3:16 NCV)  Let the teaching of Christ live in you richly. Use all 
       wisdom to teach and instruct each other by singing psalms, hymns, and 
       spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

       (Col 3:17 NCV)  Everything you do or say should be done to obey Jesus 
       your Lord. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through 
       Jesus.

       (Col 3:18 NCV)  Wives, yield to the authority of your husbands, 
       because this is the right thing to do in the Lord.

       (Col 3:19 NCV)  Husbands, love your wives and be gentle with them.

       (Col 3:20 NCV)  Children, obey your parents in all things, because 
       this pleases the Lord.

       (Col 3:21 NCV)  Fathers, do not nag your children. If you are too hard 
       to please, they may want to stop trying.

       (Col 3:22 NCV)  Slaves, obey your masters in all things. Do not obey 
       just when they are watching you, to gain their favor, but serve them 
       honestly, because you respect the Lord.

       (Col 3:23 NCV)  In all the work you are doing, work the best you can. 
       Work as if you were doing it for the Lord, not for people.

       (Col 3:24 NCV)  Remember that you will receive your reward from the 
       Lord, which he promised to his people. You are serving the Lord 
       Christ.

       (Col 3:25 NCV)  But remember that anyone who does wrong will be 
       punished for that wrong, and the Lord treats everyone the same.





       (Col 4:1 NCV)  Masters, give what is good and fair to your slaves. 
       Remember that you have a Master in heaven.

       (Col 4:2 NCV)  Continue praying, keeping alert, and always thanking 
       God.

       (Col 4:3 NCV)  Also pray for us that God will give us an opportunity 
       to tell people his message. Pray that we can preach the secret that 
       God has made known about Christ. This is why I am in prison.

       (Col 4:4 NCV)  Pray that I can speak in a way that will make it clear, 
       as I should.

       (Col 4:5 NCV)  Be wise in the way you act with people who are not 
       believers, making the most of every opportunity.

       (Col 4:6 NCV)  When you talk, you should always be kind and pleasant 
       so you will be able to answer everyone in the way you should.

       (Col 4:7 NCV)  Tychicus is my dear brother in Christ and a faithful 
       minister and servant with me in the Lord. He will tell you all the 
       things that are happening to me.

       (Col 4:8 NCV)  This is why I am sending him: so you may know how we 
       are and he may encourage you.

       (Col 4:9 NCV)  I send him with Onesimus, a faithful and dear brother 
       in Christ, and one of your group. They will tell you all that has 
       happened here.

       (Col 4:10 NCV)  Aristarchus, a prisoner with me, and Mark, the cousin 
       of Barnabas, greet you. (I have already told you what to do about 
       Mark. If he comes, welcome him.)

       (Col 4:11 NCV)  Jesus, who is called Justus, also greets you. These 
       are the only Jewish believers who work with me for the kingdom of God, 
       and they have been a comfort to me.

       (Col 4:12 NCV)  Epaphras, a servant of Jesus Christ, from your group, 
       also greets you. He always prays for you that you will grow to be 
       spiritually mature and have everything God wants for you.

       (Col 4:13 NCV)  I know he has worked hard for you and the people in 
       Laodicea and in Hierapolis.

       (Col 4:14 NCV)  Demas and our dear friend Luke, the doctor, greet you.

       (Col 4:15 NCV)  Greet the brothers in Laodicea. And greet Nympha and 
       the church that meets in her house.

       (Col 4:16 NCV)  After this letter is read to you, be sure it is also 
       read to the church in Laodicea. And you read the letter that I wrote 
       to Laodicea.

       (Col 4:17 NCV)  Tell Archippus, "Be sure to finish the work the Lord 
       gave you."






       (Col 4:18 NCV)  I, Paul, greet you and write this with my own hand. 
       Remember me in prison. Grace be with you.

       (1 Th 1:1 NCV)  From Paul, Silas, and Timothy. To the church in 
       Thessalonica, the church in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 
       Grace and peace to you.

       (1 Th 1:2 NCV)  We always thank God for all of you and mention you 
       when we pray.

       (1 Th 1:3 NCV)  We continually recall before God our Father the things 
       you have done because of your faith and the work you have done because 
       of your love. And we thank him that you continue to be strong because 
       of your hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

       (1 Th 1:4 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, God loves you, and we know he 
       has chosen you,

       (1 Th 1:5 NCV)  because the Good News we brought to you came not only 
       with words, but with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with sure 
       knowledge that it is true. Also you know how we lived when we were 
       with you in order to help you.

       (1 Th 1:6 NCV)  And you became like us and like the Lord. You suffered 
       much, but still you accepted the teaching with the joy that comes from 
       the Holy Spirit.

       (1 Th 1:7 NCV)  So you became an example to all the believers in 
       Macedonia and Southern Greece.

       (1 Th 1:8 NCV)  And the Lord's teaching spread from you not only into 
       Macedonia and Southern Greece, but now your faith in God has become 
       known everywhere. So we do not need to say anything about it.

       (1 Th 1:9 NCV)  People everywhere are telling about the way you 
       accepted us when we were there with you. They tell how you stopped 
       worshiping idols and began serving the living and true God.

       (1 Th 1:10 NCV)  And you wait for God's Son, whom God raised from the 
       dead, to come from heaven. He is Jesus, who saves us from God's angry 
       judgment that is sure to come.

       (1 Th 2:1 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, you know our visit to you was 
       not a failure.

       (1 Th 2:2 NCV)  Before we came to you, we suffered in Philippi. People 
       there insulted us, as you know, and many people were against us. But 
       our God helped us to be brave and to tell you his Good News.

       (1 Th 2:3 NCV)  Our appeal does not come from lies or wrong reasons, 
       nor were we trying to trick you.

       (1 Th 2:4 NCV)  But we speak the Good News because God tested us and 
       trusted us to do it. When we speak, we are not trying to please 
       people, but God, who tests our hearts.






       (1 Th 2:5 NCV)  You know that we never tried to influence you by 
       saying nice things about you. We were not trying to get your money; we 
       had no selfishness to hide from you. God knows that this is true.

       (1 Th 2:6 NCV)  We were not looking for human praise, from you or 
       anyone else,

       (1 Th 2:7 NCV)  even though as apostles of Christ we could have used 
       our authority over you. But we were very gentle with you, like a 
       mother caring for her little children.

       (1 Th 2:8 NCV)  Because we loved you, we were happy to share not only 
       God's Good News with you, but even our own lives. You had become so 
       dear to us!

       (1 Th 2:9 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, I know you remember our hard 
       work and difficulties. We worked night and day so we would not burden 
       any of you while we preached God's Good News to you.

       (1 Th 2:10 NCV)  When we were with you, we lived in a holy and honest 
       way, without fault. You know this is true, and so does God.

       (1 Th 2:11 NCV)  You know that we treated each of you as a father 
       treats his own children.

       (1 Th 2:12 NCV)  We encouraged you, we urged you, and we insisted that 
       you live good lives for God, who calls you to his glorious kingdom.

       (1 Th 2:13 NCV)  Also, we always thank God because when you heard his 
       message from us, you accepted it as the word of God, not the words of 
       humans. And it really is God's message which works in you who believe.

       (1 Th 2:14 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, your experiences have been like 
       those of God's churches in Christ that are in Judea. You suffered from 
       the people of your own country, as they suffered from the Jews,

       (1 Th 2:15 NCV)  who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets and 
       forced us to leave that country. They do not please God and are 
       against all people.

       (1 Th 2:16 NCV)  They try to stop us from teaching those who are not 
       Jews so they may be saved. By doing this, they are increasing their 
       sins to the limit. The anger of God has come to them at last.

       (1 Th 2:17 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, though we were separated from 
       you for a short time, our thoughts were still with you. We wanted very 
       much to see you and tried hard to do so.

       (1 Th 2:18 NCV)  We wanted to come to you. I, Paul, tried to come more 
       than once, but Satan stopped us.

       (1 Th 2:19 NCV)  You are our hope, our joy, and the crown we will take 
       pride in when our Lord Jesus Christ comes.

       (1 Th 2:20 NCV)  Truly you are our glory and our joy.






       (1 Th 3:1 NCV)  When we could not wait any longer, we decided it was 
       best to stay in Athens alone

       (1 Th 3:2 NCV)  and send Timothy to you. Timothy, our brother, works 
       with us for God and helps us tell people the Good News about Christ. 
       We sent him to strengthen and encourage you in your faith

       (1 Th 3:3 NCV)  so none of you would be upset by these troubles. You 
       yourselves know that we must face these troubles.

       (1 Th 3:4 NCV)  Even when we were with you, we told you we all would 
       have to suffer, and you know it has happened.

       (1 Th 3:5 NCV)  Because of this, when I could wait no longer, I sent 
       Timothy to you so I could learn about your faith. I was afraid the 
       devil had tempted you, and then our hard work would have been wasted.

       (1 Th 3:6 NCV)  But Timothy now has come back to us from you and has 
       brought us good news about your faith and love. He told us that you 
       always remember us in a good way and that you want to see us just as 
       much as we want to see you.

       (1 Th 3:7 NCV)  So, brothers and sisters, while we have much trouble 
       and suffering, we are encouraged about you because of your faith.

       (1 Th 3:8 NCV)  Our life is really full if you stand strong in the 
       Lord.

       (1 Th 3:9 NCV)  We have so much joy before our God because of you. We 
       cannot thank him enough for all the joy we feel.

       (1 Th 3:10 NCV)  Night and day we continue praying with all our heart 
       that we can see you again and give you all the things you need to make 
       your faith strong.

       (1 Th 3:11 NCV)  Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus 
       prepare the way for us to come to you.

       (1 Th 3:12 NCV)  May the Lord make your love grow more and multiply 
       for each other and for all people so that you will love others as we 
       love you.

       (1 Th 3:13 NCV)  May your hearts be made strong so that you will be 
       holy and without fault before our God and Father when our Lord Jesus 
       comes with all his holy ones.

       (1 Th 4:1 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, we taught you how to live in a 
       way that will please God, and you are living that way. Now we ask and 
       encourage you in the Lord Jesus to live that way even more.

       (1 Th 4:2 NCV)  You know what we told you to do by the authority of 
       the Lord Jesus.

       (1 Th 4:3 NCV)  God wants you to be holy and to stay away from sexual 
       sins.






       (1 Th 4:4 NCV)  He wants each of you to learn to control your own body 
       in a way that is holy and honorable.

       (1 Th 4:5 NCV)  Don't use your body for sexual sin like the people who 
       do not know God.

       (1 Th 4:6 NCV)  Also, do not wrong or cheat another Christian in this 
       way. The Lord will punish people who do those things as we have 
       already told you and warned you.

       (1 Th 4:7 NCV)  God called us to be holy and does not want us to live 
       in sin.

       (1 Th 4:8 NCV)  So the person who refuses to obey this teaching is 
       disobeying God, not simply a human teaching. And God is the One who 
       gives us his Holy Spirit.

       (1 Th 4:9 NCV)  We do not need to write you about having love for your 
       Christian family, because God has already taught you to love each 
       other.

       (1 Th 4:10 NCV)  And truly you do love the Christians in all of 
       Macedonia. Brothers and sisters, now we encourage you to love them 
       even more.

       (1 Th 4:11 NCV)  Do all you can to live a peaceful life. Take care of 
       your own business, and do your own work as we have already told you.

       (1 Th 4:12 NCV)  If you do, then people who are not believers will 
       respect you, and you will not have to depend on others for what you 
       need.

       (1 Th 4:13 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about those 
       Christians who have died so you will not be sad, as others who have no 
       hope.

       (1 Th 4:14 NCV)  We believe that Jesus died and that he rose again. 
       So, because of him, God will raise with Jesus those who have died.

       (1 Th 4:15 NCV)  What we tell you now is the Lord's own message. We 
       who are living when the Lord comes again will not go before those who 
       have already died.

       (1 Th 4:16 NCV)  The Lord himself will come down from heaven with a 
       loud command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet 
       call of God. And those who have died believing in Christ will rise 
       first.

       (1 Th 4:17 NCV)  After that, we who are still alive will be gathered 
       up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And we will be 
       with the Lord forever.

       (1 Th 4:18 NCV)  So encourage each other with these words.

       (1 Th 5:1 NCV)  Now, brothers and sisters, we do not need to write you 





       about times and dates.

       (1 Th 5:2 NCV)  You know very well that the day the Lord comes again 
       will be a surprise, like a thief that comes in the night.

       (1 Th 5:3 NCV)  While people are saying, "We have peace and we are 
       safe," they will be destroyed quickly. It is like pains that come 
       quickly to a woman having a baby. Those people will not escape.

       (1 Th 5:4 NCV)  But you, brothers and sisters, are not living in 
       darkness, and so that day will not surprise you like a thief.

       (1 Th 5:5 NCV)  You are all people who belong to the light and to the 
       day. We do not belong to the night or to darkness.

       (1 Th 5:6 NCV)  So we should not be like other people who are 
       sleeping, but we should be alert and have self-control.

       (1 Th 5:7 NCV)  Those who sleep, sleep at night. Those who get drunk, 
       get drunk at night.

       (1 Th 5:8 NCV)  But we belong to the day, so we should control 
       ourselves. We should wear faith and love to protect us, and the hope 
       of salvation should be our helmet.

       (1 Th 5:9 NCV)  God did not choose us to suffer his anger but to have 
       salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

       (1 Th 5:10 NCV)  Jesus died for us so that we can live together with 
       him, whether we are alive or dead when he comes.

       (1 Th 5:11 NCV)  So encourage each other and give each other strength, 
       just as you are doing now.

       (1 Th 5:12 NCV)  Now, brothers and sisters, we ask you to appreciate 
       those who work hard among you, who lead you in the Lord and teach you.

       (1 Th 5:13 NCV)  Respect them with a very special love because of the 
       work they do. Live in peace with each other.

       (1 Th 5:14 NCV)  We ask you, brothers and sisters, to warn those who 
       do not work. Encourage the people who are afraid. Help those who are 
       weak. Be patient with everyone.

       (1 Th 5:15 NCV)  Be sure that no one pays back wrong for wrong, but 
       always try to do what is good for each other and for all people.

       (1 Th 5:16 NCV)  Always be joyful.

       (1 Th 5:17 NCV)  Pray continually,

       (1 Th 5:18 NCV)  and give thanks whatever happens. That is what God 
       wants for you in Christ Jesus.

       (1 Th 5:19 NCV)  Do not hold back the work of the Holy Spirit.





       (1 Th 5:20 NCV)  Do not treat prophecy as if it were unimportant.

       (1 Th 5:21 NCV)  But test everything. Keep what is good,

       (1 Th 5:22 NCV)  and stay away from everything that is evil.

       (1 Th 5:23 NCV)  Now may God himself, the God of peace, make you pure, 
       belonging only to him. May your whole self--spirit, soul, and body--be 
       kept safe and without fault when our Lord Jesus Christ comes.

       (1 Th 5:24 NCV)  You can trust the One who calls you to do that for 
       you.

       (1 Th 5:25 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, pray for us.

       (1 Th 5:26 NCV)  Give each other a holy kiss when you meet.

       (1 Th 5:27 NCV)  I tell you by the authority of the Lord to read this 
       letter to all the believers.

       (1 Th 5:28 NCV)  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

       (2 Th 1:1 NCV)  From Paul, Silas, and Timothy. To the church in 
       Thessalonica in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

       (2 Th 1:2 NCV)  Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the 
       Lord Jesus Christ.

       (2 Th 1:3 NCV)  We must always thank God for you, brothers and 
       sisters. This is only right, because your faith is growing more and 
       more, and the love that every one of you has for each other is 
       increasing.

       (2 Th 1:4 NCV)  So we brag about you to the other churches of God. We 
       tell them about the way you continue to be strong and have faith even 
       though you are being treated badly and are suffering many troubles.

       (2 Th 1:5 NCV)  This is proof that God is right in his judgment. He 
       wants you to be counted worthy of his kingdom for which you are 
       suffering.

       (2 Th 1:6 NCV)  God will do what is right. He will give trouble to 
       those who trouble you.

       (2 Th 1:7 NCV)  And he will give rest to you who are troubled and to 
       us also when the Lord Jesus appears with burning fire from heaven with 
       his powerful angels.

       (2 Th 1:8 NCV)  Then he will punish those who do not know God and who 
       do not obey the Good News about our Lord Jesus Christ.

       (2 Th 1:9 NCV)  Those people will be punished with a destruction that 
       continues forever. They will be kept away from the Lord and from his 
       great power.

       (2 Th 1:10 NCV)  This will happen on the day when the Lord Jesus comes 





       to receive glory because of his holy people. And all the people who 
       have believed will be amazed at Jesus. You will be in that group, 
       because you believed what we told you.

       (2 Th 1:11 NCV)  That is why we always pray for you, asking our God to 
       help you live the kind of life he called you to live. We pray that 
       with his power God will help you do the good things you want and 
       perform the works that come from your faith.

       (2 Th 1:12 NCV)  We pray all this so that the name of our Lord Jesus 
       Christ will have glory in you, and you will have glory in him. That 
       glory comes from the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

       (2 Th 2:1 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, we have something to say about 
       the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and the time when we will meet 
       together with him.

       (2 Th 2:2 NCV)  Do not become easily upset in your thinking or afraid 
       if you hear that the day of the Lord has already come. Someone may say 
       this in a prophecy or in a message or in a letter as if it came from 
       us.

       (2 Th 2:3 NCV)  Do not let anyone fool you in any way. That day of the 
       Lord will not come until the turning away from God happens and the Man 
       of Evil, who is on his way to hell, appears.

       (2 Th 2:4 NCV)  He will be against and put himself above anything 
       called God or anything that people worship. And that Man of Evil will 
       even go into God's Temple and sit there and say that he is God.

       (2 Th 2:5 NCV)  I told you when I was with you that all this would 
       happen. Do you not remember?

       (2 Th 2:6 NCV)  And now you know what is stopping that Man of Evil so 
       he will appear at the right time.

       (2 Th 2:7 NCV)  The secret power of evil is already working in the 
       world, but there is one who is stopping that power. And he will 
       continue to stop it until he is taken out of the way.

       (2 Th 2:8 NCV)  Then that Man of Evil will appear, and the Lord Jesus 
       will kill him with the breath that comes from his mouth and will 
       destroy him with the glory of his coming.

       (2 Th 2:9 NCV)  The Man of Evil will come by the power of Satan. He 
       will have great power, and he will do many different false miracles, 
       signs, and wonders.

       (2 Th 2:10 NCV)  He will use every kind of evil to trick those who are 
       lost. They will die, because they refused to love the truth. (If they 
       loved the truth, they would be saved.)

       (2 Th 2:11 NCV)  For this reason God sends them something powerful 
       that leads them away from the truth so they will believe a lie.

       (2 Th 2:12 NCV)  So all those will be judged guilty who did not 





       believe the truth, but enjoyed doing evil.

       (2 Th 2:13 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, whom the Lord loves, God chose 
       you from the beginning to be saved. So we must always thank God for 
       you. You are saved by the Spirit that makes you holy and by your faith 
       in the truth.

       (2 Th 2:14 NCV)  God used the Good News that we preached to call you 
       to be saved so you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

       (2 Th 2:15 NCV)  So, brothers and sisters, stand strong and continue 
       to believe the teachings we gave you in our speaking and in our 
       letter.

       (2 Th 2:16 NCV)  May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father 
       encourage you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. 
       God loved us, and through his grace he gave us a good hope and 
       encouragement that continues forever.

       (2 Th 2:17 NCV)  

       (2 Th 3:1 NCV)  And now, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the 
       Lord's teaching will continue to spread quickly and that people will 
       give honor to that teaching, just as happened with you.

       (2 Th 3:2 NCV)  And pray that we will be protected from stubborn and 
       evil people, because not all people believe.

       (2 Th 3:3 NCV)  But the Lord is faithful and will give you strength 
       and will protect you from the Evil One.

       (2 Th 3:4 NCV)  The Lord makes us feel sure that you are doing and 
       will continue to do the things we told you.

       (2 Th 3:5 NCV)  May the Lord lead your hearts into God's love and 
       Christ's patience.

       (2 Th 3:6 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord 
       Jesus Christ we command you to stay away from any believer who refuses 
       to work and does not follow the teaching we gave you.

       (2 Th 3:7 NCV)  You yourselves know that you should live as we live. 
       We were not lazy when we were with you.

       (2 Th 3:8 NCV)  And when we ate another person's food, we always paid 
       for it. We worked very hard night and day so we would not be an 
       expense to any of you.

       (2 Th 3:9 NCV)  We had the right to ask you to help us, but we worked 
       to take care of ourselves so we would be an example for you to follow.

       (2 Th 3:10 NCV)  When we were with you, we gave you this rule: "Anyone 
       who refuses to work should not eat."

       (2 Th 3:11 NCV)  We hear that some people in your group refuse to 
       work. They do nothing but busy themselves in other people's lives.






       (2 Th 3:12 NCV)  We command those people and beg them in the Lord 
       Jesus Christ to work quietly and earn their own food.

       (2 Th 3:13 NCV)  But you, brothers and sisters, never become tired of 
       doing good.

       (2 Th 3:14 NCV)  If some people do not obey what we tell you in this 
       letter, then take note of them. Have nothing to do with them so they 
       will feel ashamed.

       (2 Th 3:15 NCV)  But do not treat them as enemies. Warn them as fellow 
       believers.

       (2 Th 3:16 NCV)  Now may the Lord of peace give you peace at all times 
       and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

       (2 Th 3:17 NCV)  I, Paul, end this letter now in my own handwriting. 
       All my letters have this to show they are from me. This is the way I 
       write.

       (2 Th 3:18 NCV)  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

       (1 Tim 1:1 NCV)  From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, by the command 
       of God our Savior and Christ Jesus our hope.

       (1 Tim 1:2 NCV)  To Timothy, a true child to me because you believe: 
       Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

       (1 Tim 1:3 NCV)  I asked you to stay longer in Ephesus when I went 
       into Macedonia so you could command some people there to stop teaching 
       false things.

       (1 Tim 1:4 NCV)  Tell them not to spend their time on stories that are 
       not true and on long lists of names in family histories. These things 
       only bring arguments; they do not help God's work, which is done in 
       faith.

       (1 Tim 1:5 NCV)  The purpose of this command is for people to have 
       love, a love that comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a 
       true faith.

       (1 Tim 1:6 NCV)  Some people have missed these things and turned to 
       useless talk.

       (1 Tim 1:7 NCV)  They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not 
       understand either what they are talking about or what they are sure 
       about.

       (1 Tim 1:8 NCV)  But we know that the law is good if someone uses it 
       lawfully.

       (1 Tim 1:9 NCV)  We also know that the law is not made for good people 
       but for those who are against the law and for those who refuse to 
       follow it. It is for people who are against God and are sinful, who 
       are not holy and have no religion, who kill their fathers and mothers, 





       who murder,

       (1 Tim 1:10 NCV)  who take part in sexual sins, who have sexual 
       relations with people of the same sex, who sell slaves, who tell lies, 
       who speak falsely, and who do anything against the true teaching of 
       God.

       (1 Tim 1:11 NCV)  That teaching is part of the Good News of the 
       blessed God that he gave me to tell.

       (1 Tim 1:12 NCV)  I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who gave me strength, 
       because he trusted me and gave me this work of serving him.

       (1 Tim 1:13 NCV)  In the past I spoke against Christ and persecuted 
       him and did all kinds of things to hurt him. But God showed me mercy, 
       because I did not know what I was doing. I did not believe.

       (1 Tim 1:14 NCV)  But the grace of our Lord was fully given to me, and 
       with that grace came the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

       (1 Tim 1:15 NCV)  What I say is true, and you should fully accept it: 
       Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the 
       worst.

       (1 Tim 1:16 NCV)  But I was given mercy so that in me, the worst of 
       all sinners, Christ Jesus could show that he has patience without 
       limit. His patience with me made me an example for those who would 
       believe in him and have life forever.

       (1 Tim 1:17 NCV)  To the King that rules forever, who will never die, 
       who cannot be seen, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. 
       Amen.

       (1 Tim 1:18 NCV)  Timothy, my child, I am giving you a command that 
       agrees with the prophecies that were given about you in the past. I 
       tell you this so you can follow them and fight the good fight.

       (1 Tim 1:19 NCV)  Continue to have faith and do what you know is 
       right. Some people have rejected this, and their faith has been 
       shipwrecked.

       (1 Tim 1:20 NCV)  Hymenaeus and Alexander have done that, and I have 
       given them to Satan so they will learn not to speak against God.

       (1 Tim 2:1 NCV)  First, I tell you to pray for all people, asking God 
       for what they need and being thankful to him.

       (1 Tim 2:2 NCV)  Pray for rulers and for all who have authority so 
       that we can have quiet and peaceful lives full of worship and respect 
       for God.

       (1 Tim 2:3 NCV)  This is good, and it pleases God our Savior,

       (1 Tim 2:4 NCV)  who wants all people to be saved and to know the 
       truth.





       (1 Tim 2:5 NCV)  There is one God and one way human beings can reach 
       God. That way is through Christ Jesus, who is himself human.

       (1 Tim 2:6 NCV)  He gave himself as a payment to free all people. He 
       is proof that came at the right time.

       (1 Tim 2:7 NCV)  That is why I was chosen to tell the Good News and to 
       be an apostle. (I am telling the truth; I am not lying.) I was chosen 
       to teach those who are not Jews to believe and to know the truth.

       (1 Tim 2:8 NCV)  So, I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up 
       their hands in a holy manner, without anger and arguments.

       (1 Tim 2:9 NCV)  Also, women should wear proper clothes that show 
       respect and self-control, not using braided hair or gold or pearls or 
       expensive clothes.

       (1 Tim 2:10 NCV)  Instead, they should do good deeds, which is right 
       for women who say they worship God.

       (1 Tim 2:11 NCV)  Let a woman learn by listening quietly and being 
       ready to cooperate in everything.

       (1 Tim 2:12 NCV)  But I do not allow a woman to teach or to have 
       authority over a man, but to listen quietly,

       (1 Tim 2:13 NCV)  because Adam was formed first and then Eve.

       (1 Tim 2:14 NCV)  And Adam was not tricked, but the woman was tricked 
       and became a sinner.

       (1 Tim 2:15 NCV)  But she will be saved through having children if 
       they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.

       (1 Tim 3:1 NCV)  What I say is true: Anyone wanting to become an elder 
       desires a good work.

       (1 Tim 3:2 NCV)  An elder must not give people a reason to criticize 
       him, and he must have only one wife. He must be self-controlled, wise, 
       respected by others, ready to welcome guests, and able to teach.

       (1 Tim 3:3 NCV)  He must not drink too much wine or like to fight, but 
       rather be gentle and peaceable, not loving money.

       (1 Tim 3:4 NCV)  He must be a good family leader, having children who 
       cooperate with full respect.

       (1 Tim 3:5 NCV)  (If someone does not know how to lead the family, how 
       can that person take care of God's church?)

       (1 Tim 3:6 NCV)  But an elder must not be a new believer, or he might 
       be too proud of himself and be judged guilty just as the devil was.

       (1 Tim 3:7 NCV)  An elder must also have the respect of people who are 
       not in the church so he will not be criticized by others and caught in 
       the devil's trap.






       (1 Tim 3:8 NCV)  In the same way, deacons must be respected by others, 
       not saying things they do not mean. They must not drink too much wine 
       or try to get rich by cheating others.

       (1 Tim 3:9 NCV)  With a clear conscience they must follow the secret 
       of the faith that God made known to us.

       (1 Tim 3:10 NCV)  Test them first. Then let them serve as deacons if 
       you find nothing wrong in them.

       (1 Tim 3:11 NCV)  In the same way, women must be respected by others. 
       They must not speak evil of others. They must be self-controlled and 
       trustworthy in everything.

       (1 Tim 3:12 NCV)  Deacons must have only one wife and be good leaders 
       of their children and their own families.

       (1 Tim 3:13 NCV)  Those who serve well as deacons are making an 
       honorable place for themselves, and they will be very bold in their 
       faith in Christ Jesus.

       (1 Tim 3:14 NCV)  Although I hope I can come to you soon, I am writing 
       these things to you now.

       (1 Tim 3:15 NCV)  Then, even if I am delayed, you will know how to 
       live in the family of God. That family is the church of the living 
       God, the support and foundation of the truth.

       (1 Tim 3:16 NCV)  Without doubt, the secret of our life of worship is 
       great: He was shown to us in a human body, proved right in spirit, and 
       seen by angels. He was preached to those who are not Jews, believed in 
       by the world, and taken up in glory.

       (1 Tim 4:1 NCV)  Now the Holy Spirit clearly says that in the later 
       times some people will stop believing the faith. They will follow 
       spirits that lie and teachings of demons.

       (1 Tim 4:2 NCV)  Such teachings come from the false words of liars 
       whose consciences are destroyed as if by a hot iron.

       (1 Tim 4:3 NCV)  They forbid people to marry and tell them not to eat 
       certain foods which God created to be eaten with thanks by people who 
       believe and know the truth.

       (1 Tim 4:4 NCV)  Everything God made is good, and nothing should be 
       refused if it is accepted with thanks,

       (1 Tim 4:5 NCV)  because it is made holy by what God has said and by 
       prayer.

       (1 Tim 4:6 NCV)  By telling these things to the brothers and sisters, 
       you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus. You will be made strong by 
       the words of the faith and the good teaching which you have been 
       following.





       (1 Tim 4:7 NCV)  But do not follow foolish stories that disagree with 
       God's truth, but train yourself to serve God.

       (1 Tim 4:8 NCV)  Training your body helps you in some ways, but 
       serving God helps you in every way by bringing you blessings in this 
       life and in the future life, too.

       (1 Tim 4:9 NCV)  What I say is true, and you should fully accept it.

       (1 Tim 4:10 NCV)  This is why we work and struggle: We hope in the 
       living God who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who 
       believe.

       (1 Tim 4:11 NCV)  Command and teach these things.

       (1 Tim 4:12 NCV)  Do not let anyone treat you as if you are 
       unimportant because you are young. Instead, be an example to the 
       believers with your words, your actions, your love, your faith, and 
       your pure life.

       (1 Tim 4:13 NCV)  Until I come, continue to read the Scriptures to the 
       people, strengthen them, and teach them.

       (1 Tim 4:14 NCV)  Use the gift you have, which was given to you 
       through prophecy when the group of elders laid their hands on you.

       (1 Tim 4:15 NCV)  Continue to do those things; give your life to doing 
       them so your progress may be seen by everyone.

       (1 Tim 4:16 NCV)  Be careful in your life and in your teaching. If you 
       continue to live and teach rightly, you will save both yourself and 
       those who listen to you.

       (1 Tim 5:1 NCV)  Do not speak angrily to an older man, but plead with 
       him as if he were your father. Treat younger men like brothers,

       (1 Tim 5:2 NCV)  older women like mothers, and younger women like 
       sisters. Always treat them in a pure way.

       (1 Tim 5:3 NCV)  Take care of widows who are truly widows.

       (1 Tim 5:4 NCV)  But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let 
       them first learn to do their duty to their own family and to repay 
       their parents or grandparents. That pleases God.

       (1 Tim 5:5 NCV)  The true widow, who is all alone, puts her hope in 
       God and continues to pray night and day for God's help.

       (1 Tim 5:6 NCV)  But the widow who uses her life to please herself is 
       really dead while she is alive.

       (1 Tim 5:7 NCV)  Tell the believers to do these things so that no one 
       can criticize them.

       (1 Tim 5:8 NCV)  Whoever does not care for his own relatives, 
       especially his own family members, has turned against the faith and is 





       worse than someone who does not believe in God.

       (1 Tim 5:9 NCV)  To be on the list of widows, a woman must be at least 
       sixty years old. She must have been faithful to her husband.

       (1 Tim 5:10 NCV)  She must be known for her good works--works such as 
       raising her children, welcoming strangers, washing the feet of God's 
       people, helping those in trouble, and giving her life to do all kinds 
       of good deeds.

       (1 Tim 5:11 NCV)  But do not put younger widows on that list. After 
       they give themselves to Christ, they are pulled away from him by their 
       physical needs, and then they want to marry again.

       (1 Tim 5:12 NCV)  They will be judged for not doing what they first 
       promised to do.

       (1 Tim 5:13 NCV)  Besides that, they learn to waste their time, going 
       from house to house. And they not only waste their time but also begin 
       to gossip and busy themselves with other people's lives, saying things 
       they should not say.

       (1 Tim 5:14 NCV)  So I want the younger widows to marry, have 
       children, and manage their homes. Then no enemy will have any reason 
       to criticize them.

       (1 Tim 5:15 NCV)  But some have already turned away to follow Satan.

       (1 Tim 5:16 NCV)  If any woman who is a believer has widows in her 
       family, she should care for them herself. The church should not have 
       to care for them. Then it will be able to take care of those who are 
       truly widows.

       (1 Tim 5:17 NCV)  The elders who lead the church well should receive 
       double honor, especially those who work hard by speaking and teaching,

       (1 Tim 5:18 NCV)  because the Scripture says: "When an ox is working 
       in the grain, do not cover its mouth to keep it from eating," and "A 
       worker should be given his pay."

       (1 Tim 5:19 NCV)  Do not listen to someone who accuses an elder, 
       without two or three witnesses.

       (1 Tim 5:20 NCV)  Tell those who continue sinning that they are wrong. 
       Do this in front of the whole church so that the others will have a 
       warning.

       (1 Tim 5:21 NCV)  Before God and Christ Jesus and the chosen angels, I 
       command you to do these things without showing favor of any kind to 
       anyone.

       (1 Tim 5:22 NCV)  Think carefully before you lay your hands on anyone, 
       and don't share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.

       (1 Tim 5:23 NCV)  Stop drinking only water, but drink a little wine to 
       help your stomach and your frequent sicknesses.






       (1 Tim 5:24 NCV)  The sins of some people are easy to see even before 
       they are judged, but the sins of others are seen only later.

       (1 Tim 5:25 NCV)  So also good deeds are easy to see, but even those 
       that are not easily seen cannot stay hidden.

       (1 Tim 6:1 NCV)  All who are slaves under a yoke should show full 
       respect to their masters so no one will speak against God's name and 
       our teaching.

       (1 Tim 6:2 NCV)  The slaves whose masters are believers should not 
       show their masters any less respect because they are believers. They 
       should serve their masters even better, because they are helping 
       believers they love. You must teach and preach these things.

       (1 Tim 6:3 NCV)  Anyone who has a different teaching does not agree 
       with the true teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that 
       shows the true way to serve God.

       (1 Tim 6:4 NCV)  This person is full of pride and understands nothing, 
       but is sick with a love for arguing and fighting about words. This 
       brings jealousy, fighting, speaking against others, evil mistrust,

       (1 Tim 6:5 NCV)  and constant quarrels from those who have evil minds 
       and have lost the truth. They think that serving God is a way to get 
       rich.

       (1 Tim 6:6 NCV)  Serving God does make us very rich, if we are 
       satisfied with what we have.

       (1 Tim 6:7 NCV)  We brought nothing into the world, so we can take 
       nothing out.

       (1 Tim 6:8 NCV)  But, if we have food and clothes, we will be 
       satisfied with that.

       (1 Tim 6:9 NCV)  Those who want to become rich bring temptation to 
       themselves and are caught in a trap. They want many foolish and 
       harmful things that ruin and destroy people.

       (1 Tim 6:10 NCV)  The love of money causes all kinds of evil. Some 
       people have left the faith, because they wanted to get more money, but 
       they have caused themselves much sorrow.

       (1 Tim 6:11 NCV)  But you, man of God, run away from all those things. 
       Instead, live in the right way, serve God, have faith, love, patience, 
       and gentleness.

       (1 Tim 6:12 NCV)  Fight the good fight of faith, grabbing hold of the 
       life that continues forever. You were called to have that life when 
       you confessed the good confession before many witnesses.

       (1 Tim 6:13 NCV)  In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, 
       and of Christ Jesus, I give you a command. Christ Jesus made the good 
       confession when he stood before Pontius Pilate.






       (1 Tim 6:14 NCV)  Do what you were commanded to do without wrong or 
       blame until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.

       (1 Tim 6:15 NCV)  God will make that happen at the right time. He is 
       the blessed and only Ruler, the King of all kings and the Lord of all 
       lords.

       (1 Tim 6:16 NCV)  He is the only One who never dies. He lives in light 
       so bright no one can go near it. No one has ever seen God, or can see 
       him. May honor and power belong to God forever. Amen.

       (1 Tim 6:17 NCV)  Command those who are rich with things of this world 
       not to be proud. Tell them to hope in God, not in their uncertain 
       riches. God richly gives us everything to enjoy.

       (1 Tim 6:18 NCV)  Tell the rich people to do good, to be rich in doing 
       good deeds, to be generous and ready to share.

       (1 Tim 6:19 NCV)  By doing that, they will be saving a treasure for 
       themselves as a strong foundation for the future. Then they will be 
       able to have the life that is true life.

       (1 Tim 6:20 NCV)  Timothy, guard what God has trusted to you. Stay 
       away from foolish, useless talk and from the arguments of what is 
       falsely called "knowledge."

       (1 Tim 6:21 NCV)  By saying they have that "knowledge," some have 
       missed the true faith. Grace be with you.

       (2 Tim 1:1 NCV)  From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of 
       God. God sent me to tell about the promise of life that is in Christ 
       Jesus.

       (2 Tim 1:2 NCV)  To Timothy, a dear child to me: Grace, mercy, and 
       peace to you from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

       (2 Tim 1:3 NCV)  I thank God as I always mention you in my prayers, 
       day and night. I serve him, doing what I know is right as my ancestors 
       did.

       (2 Tim 1:4 NCV)  Remembering that you cried for me, I want very much 
       to see you so I can be filled with joy.

       (2 Tim 1:5 NCV)  I remember your true faith. That faith first lived in 
       your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice, and I know you now 
       have that same faith.

       (2 Tim 1:6 NCV)  This is why I remind you to keep using the gift God 
       gave you when I laid my hands on you. Now let it grow, as a small 
       flame grows into a fire.

       (2 Tim 1:7 NCV)  God did not give us a spirit that makes us afraid but 
       a spirit of power and love and self-control.

       (2 Tim 1:8 NCV)  So do not be ashamed to tell people about our Lord 





       Jesus, and do not be ashamed of me, in prison for the Lord. But suffer 
       with me for the Good News. God, who gives us the strength to do that,

       (2 Tim 1:9 NCV)  saved us and made us his holy people. That was not 
       because of anything we did ourselves but because of God's purpose and 
       grace. That grace was given to us through Christ Jesus before time 
       began,

       (2 Tim 1:10 NCV)  but it is now shown to us by the coming of our 
       Savior Christ Jesus. He destroyed death, and through the Good News he 
       showed us the way to have life that cannot be destroyed.

       (2 Tim 1:11 NCV)  I was chosen to tell that Good News and to be an 
       apostle and a teacher.

       (2 Tim 1:12 NCV)  I am suffering now because I tell the Good News, but 
       I am not ashamed, because I know Jesus, the One in whom I have 
       believed. And I am sure he is able to protect what he has trusted me 
       with until that day.

       (2 Tim 1:13 NCV)  Follow the pattern of true teachings that you heard 
       from me in faith and love, which are in Christ Jesus.

       (2 Tim 1:14 NCV)  Protect the truth that you were given; protect it 
       with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

       (2 Tim 1:15 NCV)  You know that everyone in the country of Asia has 
       left me, even Phygelus and Hermogenes.

       (2 Tim 1:16 NCV)  May the Lord show mercy to the family of 
       Onesiphorus, who has often helped me and was not ashamed that I was in 
       prison.

       (2 Tim 1:17 NCV)  When he came to Rome, he looked eagerly for me until 
       he found me.

       (2 Tim 1:18 NCV)  May the Lord allow him to find mercy from the Lord 
       on that day. You know how many ways he helped me in Ephesus.

       (2 Tim 2:1 NCV)  You then, Timothy, my child, be strong in the grace 
       we have in Christ Jesus.

       (2 Tim 2:2 NCV)  You should teach people whom you can trust the things 
       you and many others have heard me say. Then they will be able to teach 
       others.

       (2 Tim 2:3 NCV)  Share in the troubles we have like a good soldier of 
       Christ Jesus.

       (2 Tim 2:4 NCV)  A soldier wants to please the enlisting officer, so 
       no one serving in the army wastes time with everyday matters.

       (2 Tim 2:5 NCV)  Also an athlete who takes part in a contest must obey 
       all the rules in order to win.

       (2 Tim 2:6 NCV)  The farmer who works hard should be the first person 





       to get some of the food that was grown.

       (2 Tim 2:7 NCV)  Think about what I am saying, because the Lord will 
       give you the ability to understand everything.

       (2 Tim 2:8 NCV)  Remember Jesus Christ, who was raised from the dead, 
       who is from the family of David. This is the Good News I preach,

       (2 Tim 2:9 NCV)  and I am suffering because of it to the point of 
       being bound with chains like a criminal. But God's teaching is not in 
       chains.

       (2 Tim 2:10 NCV)  So I patiently accept all these troubles so that 
       those whom God has chosen can have the salvation that is in Christ 
       Jesus. With that salvation comes glory that never ends.

       (2 Tim 2:11 NCV)  This teaching is true: If we died with him, we will 
       also live with him.

       (2 Tim 2:12 NCV)  If we accept suffering, we will also rule with him. 
       If we refuse to accept him, he will refuse to accept us.

       (2 Tim 2:13 NCV)  If we are not faithful, he will still be faithful, 
       because he cannot be false to himself.

       (2 Tim 2:14 NCV)  Continue teaching these things, warning people in 
       God's presence not to argue about words. It does not help anyone, and 
       it ruins those who listen.

       (2 Tim 2:15 NCV)  Make every effort to give yourself to God as the 
       kind of person he will accept. Be a worker who is not ashamed and who 
       uses the true teaching in the right way.

       (2 Tim 2:16 NCV)  Stay away from foolish, useless talk, because that 
       will lead people further away from God.

       (2 Tim 2:17 NCV)  Their evil teaching will spread like a sickness 
       inside the body. Hymenaeus and Philetus are like that.

       (2 Tim 2:18 NCV)  They have left the true teaching, saying that the 
       rising from the dead has already taken place, and so they are 
       destroying the faith of some people.

       (2 Tim 2:19 NCV)  But God's strong foundation continues to stand. 
       These words are written on the seal: "The Lord knows those who belong 
       to him," and "Everyone who wants to belong to the Lord must stop doing 
       wrong."

       (2 Tim 2:20 NCV)  In a large house there are not only things made of 
       gold and silver, but also things made of wood and clay. Some things 
       are used for special purposes, and others are made for ordinary jobs.

       (2 Tim 2:21 NCV)  All who make themselves clean from evil will be used 
       for special purposes. They will be made holy, useful to the Master, 
       ready to do any good work.





       (2 Tim 2:22 NCV)  But run away from the evil young people like to do. 
       Try hard to live right and to have faith, love, and peace, together 
       with those who trust in the Lord from pure hearts.

       (2 Tim 2:23 NCV)  Stay away from foolish and stupid arguments, because 
       you know they grow into quarrels.

       (2 Tim 2:24 NCV)  And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must 
       be kind to everyone, a good teacher, and patient.

       (2 Tim 2:25 NCV)  The Lord's servant must gently teach those who 
       disagree. Then maybe God will let them change their minds so they can 
       accept the truth.

       (2 Tim 2:26 NCV)  And they may wake up and escape from the trap of the 
       devil, who catches them to do what he wants.

       (2 Tim 3:1 NCV)  Remember this! In the last days there will be many 
       troubles,

       (2 Tim 3:2 NCV)  because people will love themselves, love money, 
       brag, and be proud. They will say evil things against others and will 
       not obey their parents or be thankful or be the kind of people God 
       wants.

       (2 Tim 3:3 NCV)  They will not love others, will refuse to forgive, 
       will gossip, and will not control themselves. They will be cruel, will 
       hate what is good,

       (2 Tim 3:4 NCV)  will turn against their friends, and will do foolish 
       things without thinking. They will be conceited, will love pleasure 
       instead of God,

       (2 Tim 3:5 NCV)  and will act as if they serve God but will not have 
       his power. Stay away from those people.

       (2 Tim 3:6 NCV)  Some of them go into homes and get control of silly 
       women who are full of sin and are led by many evil desires.

       (2 Tim 3:7 NCV)  These women are always learning new teachings, but 
       they are never able to understand the truth fully.

       (2 Tim 3:8 NCV)  Just as Jannes and Jambres were against Moses, these 
       people are against the truth. Their thinking has been ruined, and they 
       have failed in trying to follow the faith.

       (2 Tim 3:9 NCV)  But they will not be successful in what they do, 
       because as with Jannes and Jambres, everyone will see that they are 
       foolish.

       (2 Tim 3:10 NCV)  But you have followed what I teach, the way I live, 
       my goal, faith, patience, and love. You know I never give up.

       (2 Tim 3:11 NCV)  You know how I have been hurt and have suffered, as 
       in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. I have suffered, but the Lord saved 
       me from all those troubles.






       (2 Tim 3:12 NCV)  Everyone who wants to live as God desires, in Christ 
       Jesus, will be hurt.

       (2 Tim 3:13 NCV)  But people who are evil and cheat others will go 
       from bad to worse. They will fool others, but they will also be 
       fooling themselves.

       (2 Tim 3:14 NCV)  But you should continue following the teachings you 
       learned. You know they are true, because you trust those who taught 
       you.

       (2 Tim 3:15 NCV)  Since you were a child you have known the Holy 
       Scriptures which are able to make you wise. And that wisdom leads to 
       salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

       (2 Tim 3:16 NCV)  All Scripture is given by God and is useful for 
       teaching, for showing people what is wrong in their lives, for 
       correcting faults, and for teaching how to live right.

       (2 Tim 3:17 NCV)  Using the Scriptures, the person who serves God will 
       be capable, having all that is needed to do every good work.

       (2 Tim 4:1 NCV)  I give you a command in the presence of God and 
       Christ Jesus, the One who will judge the living and the dead, and by 
       his coming and his kingdom:

       (2 Tim 4:2 NCV)  Preach the Good News. Be ready at all times, and tell 
       people what they need to do. Tell them when they are wrong. Encourage 
       them with great patience and careful teaching,

       (2 Tim 4:3 NCV)  because the time will come when people will not 
       listen to the true teaching but will find many more teachers who 
       please them by saying the things they want to hear.

       (2 Tim 4:4 NCV)  They will stop listening to the truth and will begin 
       to follow false stories.

       (2 Tim 4:5 NCV)  But you should control yourself at all times, accept 
       troubles, do the work of telling the Good News, and complete all the 
       duties of a servant of God.

       (2 Tim 4:6 NCV)  My life is being given as an offering to God, and the 
       time has come for me to leave this life.

       (2 Tim 4:7 NCV)  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the 
       race, I have kept the faith.

       (2 Tim 4:8 NCV)  Now, a crown is being held for me--a crown for being 
       right with God. The Lord, the judge who judges rightly, will give the 
       crown to me on that day --not only to me but to all those who have 
       waited with love for him to come again.

       (2 Tim 4:9 NCV)  Do your best to come to me as soon as you can,

       (2 Tim 4:10 NCV)  because Demas, who loved this world, left me and 





       went to Thessalonica. Crescens went to Galatia, and Titus went to 
       Dalmatia.

       (2 Tim 4:11 NCV)  Luke is the only one still with me. Get Mark and 
       bring him with you when you come, because he can help me in my work 
       here.

       (2 Tim 4:12 NCV)  I sent Tychicus to Ephesus.

       (2 Tim 4:13 NCV)  When I was in Troas, I left my coat there with 
       Carpus. So when you come, bring it to me, along with my books, 
       particularly the ones written on parchment.

       (2 Tim 4:14 NCV)  Alexander the metalworker did many harmful things 
       against me. The Lord will punish him for what he did.

       (2 Tim 4:15 NCV)  You also should be careful that he does not hurt 
       you, because he fought strongly against our teaching.

       (2 Tim 4:16 NCV)  The first time I defended myself, no one helped me; 
       everyone left me. May they be forgiven.

       (2 Tim 4:17 NCV)  But the Lord stayed with me and gave me strength so 
       I could fully tell the Good News to all those who are not Jews. So I 
       was saved from the lion's mouth.

       (2 Tim 4:18 NCV)  The Lord will save me when anyone tries to hurt me, 
       and he will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. Glory forever and 
       ever be the Lord's. Amen.

       (2 Tim 4:19 NCV)  Greet Priscilla and Aquila and the family of 
       Onesiphorus.

       (2 Tim 4:20 NCV)  Erastus stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick 
       in Miletus.

       (2 Tim 4:21 NCV)  Try as hard as you can to come to me before winter. 
       Eubulus sends greetings to you. Also Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all 
       the brothers and sisters in Christ greet you.

       (2 Tim 4:22 NCV)  The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.

       (Titus 1:1 NCV)  From Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus 
       Christ. I was sent to help the faith of God's chosen people and to 
       help them know the truth that shows people how to serve God.

       (Titus 1:2 NCV)  That faith and that knowledge come from the hope for 
       life forever, which God promised to us before time began. And God 
       cannot lie.

       (Titus 1:3 NCV)  At the right time God let the world know about that 
       life through preaching. He trusted me with that work, and I preached 
       by the command of God our Savior.

       (Titus 1:4 NCV)  To Titus, my true child in the faith we share: Grace 
       and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.






       (Titus 1:5 NCV)  I left you in Crete so you could finish doing the 
       things that still needed to be done and so you could appoint elders in 
       every town, as I directed you.

       (Titus 1:6 NCV)  An elder must not be guilty of doing wrong, must have 
       only one wife, and must have believing children. They must not be 
       known as children who are wild and do not cooperate.

       (Titus 1:7 NCV)  As God's manager, an elder must not be guilty of 
       doing wrong, being selfish, or becoming angry quickly. He must not 
       drink too much wine, like to fight, or try to get rich by cheating 
       others.

       (Titus 1:8 NCV)  An elder must be ready to welcome guests, love what 
       is good, be wise, live right, and be holy and self-controlled.

       (Titus 1:9 NCV)  By holding on to the trustworthy word just as we 
       teach it, an elder can help people by using true teaching, and he can 
       show those who are against the true teaching that they are wrong.

       (Titus 1:10 NCV)  There are many people who refuse to cooperate, who 
       talk about worthless things and lead others into the wrong way--mainly 
       those who say all who are not Jews must be circumcised.

       (Titus 1:11 NCV)  These people must be stopped, because they are 
       upsetting whole families by teaching things they should not teach, 
       which they do to get rich by cheating people.

       (Titus 1:12 NCV)  Even one of their own prophets said, "Cretans are 
       always liars, evil animals, and lazy people who do nothing but eat."

       (Titus 1:13 NCV)  The words that prophet said are true. So firmly tell 
       those people they are wrong so they may become strong in the faith,

       (Titus 1:14 NCV)  not accepting Jewish false stories and the commands 
       of people who reject the truth.

       (Titus 1:15 NCV)  To those who are pure, all things are pure, but to 
       those who are full of sin and do not believe, nothing is pure. Both 
       their minds and their consciences have been ruined.

       (Titus 1:16 NCV)  They say they know God, but their actions show they 
       do not accept him. They are hateful people, they refuse to obey, and 
       they are useless for doing anything good.

       (Titus 2:1 NCV)  But you must tell everyone what to do to follow the 
       true teaching.

       (Titus 2:2 NCV)  Teach older men to be self-controlled, serious, wise, 
       strong in faith, in love, and in patience.

       (Titus 2:3 NCV)  In the same way, teach older women to be holy in 
       their behavior, not speaking against others or enslaved to too much 
       wine, but teaching what is good.





       (Titus 2:4 NCV)  Then they can teach the young women to love their 
       husbands, to love their children,

       (Titus 2:5 NCV)  to be wise and pure, to be good workers at home, to 
       be kind, and to yield to their husbands. Then no one will be able to 
       criticize the teaching God gave us.

       (Titus 2:6 NCV)  In the same way, encourage young men to be wise.

       (Titus 2:7 NCV)  In every way be an example of doing good deeds. When 
       you teach, do it with honesty and seriousness.

       (Titus 2:8 NCV)  Speak the truth so that you cannot be criticized. 
       Then those who are against you will be ashamed because there is 
       nothing bad to say about us.

       (Titus 2:9 NCV)  Slaves should yield to their own masters at all 
       times, trying to please them and not arguing with them.

       (Titus 2:10 NCV)  They should not steal from them but should show 
       their masters they can be fully trusted so that in everything they do 
       they will make the teaching of God our Savior attractive.

       (Titus 2:11 NCV)  That is the way we should live, because God's grace 
       that can save everyone has come.

       (Titus 2:12 NCV)  It teaches us not to live against God nor to do the 
       evil things the world wants to do. Instead, that grace teaches us to 
       live now in a wise and right way and in a way that shows we serve God.

       (Titus 2:13 NCV)  We should live like that while we wait for our great 
       hope and the coming of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus 
       Christ.

       (Titus 2:14 NCV)  He gave himself for us so he might pay the price to 
       free us from all evil and to make us pure people who belong only to 
       him--people who are always wanting to do good deeds.

       (Titus 2:15 NCV)  Say these things and encourage the people and tell 
       them what is wrong in their lives, with all authority. Do not let 
       anyone treat you as if you were unimportant.

       (Titus 3:1 NCV)  Remind the believers to yield to the authority of 
       rulers and government leaders, to obey them, to be ready to do good,

       (Titus 3:2 NCV)  to speak no evil about anyone, to live in peace, and 
       to be gentle and polite to all people.

       (Titus 3:3 NCV)  In the past we also were foolish. We did not obey, we 
       were wrong, and we were slaves to many things our bodies wanted and 
       enjoyed. We spent our lives doing evil and being jealous. People hated 
       us, and we hated each other.

       (Titus 3:4 NCV)  But when the kindness and love of God our Savior was 
       shown,





       (Titus 3:5 NCV)  he saved us because of his mercy. It was not because 
       of good deeds we did to be right with him. He saved us through the 
       washing that made us new people through the Holy Spirit.

       (Titus 3:6 NCV)  God poured out richly upon us that Holy Spirit 
       through Jesus Christ our Savior.

       (Titus 3:7 NCV)  Being made right with God by his grace, we could have 
       the hope of receiving the life that never ends.

       (Titus 3:8 NCV)  This teaching is true, and I want you to be sure the 
       people understand these things. Then those who believe in God will be 
       careful to use their lives for doing good. These things are good and 
       will help everyone.

       (Titus 3:9 NCV)  But stay away from those who have foolish arguments 
       and talk about useless family histories and argue and quarrel about 
       the law. Those things are worth nothing and will not help anyone.

       (Titus 3:10 NCV)  After a first and second warning, avoid someone who 
       causes arguments.

       (Titus 3:11 NCV)  You can know that such people are evil and sinful; 
       their own sins prove them wrong.

       (Titus 3:12 NCV)  When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, make every 
       effort to come to me at Nicopolis, because I have decided to stay 
       there this winter.

       (Titus 3:13 NCV)  Do all you can to help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos 
       on their journey so that they have everything they need.

       (Titus 3:14 NCV)  Our people must learn to use their lives for doing 
       good deeds to provide what is necessary so that their lives will not 
       be useless.

       (Titus 3:15 NCV)  All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love 
       us in the faith. Grace be with you all.

       (Phile 1:1 NCV)  From Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and from 
       Timothy, our brother. To Philemon, our dear friend and worker with us;

       (Phile 1:2 NCV)  to Apphia, our sister; to Archippus, a worker with 
       us; and to the church that meets in your home:

       (Phile 1:3 NCV)  Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the 
       Lord Jesus Christ.

       (Phile 1:4 NCV)  I always thank my God when I mention you in my 
       prayers,

       (Phile 1:5 NCV)  because I hear about the love you have for all God's 
       holy people and the faith you have in the Lord Jesus.

       (Phile 1:6 NCV)  I pray that the faith you share may make you 
       understand every blessing we have in Christ.






       (Phile 1:7 NCV)  I have great joy and comfort, my brother, because the 
       love you have shown to God's people has refreshed them.

       (Phile 1:8 NCV)  So, in Christ, I could be bold and order you to do 
       what is right.

       (Phile 1:9 NCV)  But because I love you, I am pleading with you 
       instead. I, Paul, an old man now and also a prisoner for Christ Jesus,

       (Phile 1:10 NCV)  am pleading with you for my child Onesimus, who 
       became my child while I was in prison.

       (Phile 1:11 NCV)  In the past he was useless to you, but now he has 
       become useful for both you and me.

       (Phile 1:12 NCV)  I am sending him back to you, and with him I am 
       sending my own heart.

       (Phile 1:13 NCV)  I wanted to keep him with me so that in your place 
       he might help me while I am in prison for the Good News.

       (Phile 1:14 NCV)  But I did not want to do anything without asking you 
       first so that any good you do for me will be because you want to do 
       it, not because I forced you.

       (Phile 1:15 NCV)  Maybe Onesimus was separated from you for a short 
       time so you could have him back forever--

       (Phile 1:16 NCV)  no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a 
       loved brother. I love him very much, but you will love him even more, 
       both as a person and as a believer in the Lord.

       (Phile 1:17 NCV)  So if you consider me your partner, welcome Onesimus 
       as you would welcome me.

       (Phile 1:18 NCV)  If he has done anything wrong to you or if he owes 
       you anything, charge that to me.

       (Phile 1:19 NCV)  I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will 
       pay it back, and I will say nothing about what you owe me for your own 
       life.

       (Phile 1:20 NCV)  So, my brother, I ask that you do this for me in the 
       Lord: Refresh my heart in Christ.

       (Phile 1:21 NCV)  I write this letter, knowing that you will do what I 
       ask you and even more.

       (Phile 1:22 NCV)  One more thing--prepare a room for me in which to 
       stay, because I hope God will answer your prayers and I will be able 
       to come to you.

       (Phile 1:23 NCV)  Epaphras, a prisoner with me for Christ Jesus, sends 
       greetings to you.





       (Phile 1:24 NCV)  And also Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, workers 
       together with me, send greetings.

       (Phile 1:25 NCV)  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your 
       spirit.

       (Heb 1:1 NCV)  In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the 
       prophets many times and in many different ways.

       (Heb 1:2 NCV)  But now in these last days God has spoken to us through 
       his Son. God has chosen his Son to own all things, and through him he 
       made the world.

       (Heb 1:3 NCV)  The Son reflects the glory of God and shows exactly 
       what God is like. He holds everything together with his powerful word. 
       When the Son made people clean from their sins, he sat down at the 
       right side of God, the Great One in heaven.

       (Heb 1:4 NCV)  The Son became much greater than the angels, and God 
       gave him a name that is much greater than theirs.

       (Heb 1:5 NCV)  This is because God never said to any of the angels, 
       "You are my Son. Today I have become your Father." Nor did God say of 
       any angel, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son."

       (Heb 1:6 NCV)  And when God brings his firstborn Son into the world, 
       he says, "Let all God's angels worship him."

       (Heb 1:7 NCV)  This is what God said about the angels: "God makes his 
       angels become like winds. He makes his servants become like flames of 
       fire."

       (Heb 1:8 NCV)  But God said this about his Son: "God, your throne will 
       last forever and ever. You will rule your kingdom with fairness.

       (Heb 1:9 NCV)  You love right and hate evil, so God has chosen you 
       from among your friends; he has set you apart with much joy."

       (Heb 1:10 NCV)  God also says, "Lord, in the beginning you made the 
       earth, and your hands made the skies.

       (Heb 1:11 NCV)  They will be destroyed, but you will remain. They will 
       all wear out like clothes.

       (Heb 1:12 NCV)  You will fold them like a coat. And, like clothes, you 
       will change them. But you never change, and your life will never end."

       (Heb 1:13 NCV)  And God never said this to an angel: "Sit by me at my 
       right side until I put your enemies under your control."

       (Heb 1:14 NCV)  All the angels are spirits who serve God and are sent 
       to help those who will receive salvation.

       (Heb 2:1 NCV)  So we must be more careful to follow what we were 
       taught. Then we will not stray away from the truth.





       (Heb 2:2 NCV)  The teaching God spoke through angels was shown to be 
       true, and anyone who did not follow it or obey it received the 
       punishment that was earned.

       (Heb 2:3 NCV)  So surely we also will be punished if we ignore this 
       great salvation. The Lord himself first told about this salvation, and 
       it was proven true to us by those who heard him.

       (Heb 2:4 NCV)  God also proved it by using wonders, great signs, many 
       kinds of miracles, and by giving people gifts through the Holy Spirit, 
       just as he wanted.

       (Heb 2:5 NCV)  God did not choose angels to be the rulers of the new 
       world that was coming, which is what we have been talking about.

       (Heb 2:6 NCV)  It is written in the Scriptures, "Why are people 
       important to you? Why do you take care of human beings?

       (Heb 2:7 NCV)  You made them a little lower than the angels and 
       crowned them with glory and honor.

       (Heb 2:8 NCV)  You put all things under their control." When God put 
       everything under their control, there was nothing left that they did 
       not rule. Still, we do not yet see them ruling over everything.

       (Heb 2:9 NCV)  But we see Jesus, who for a short time was made lower 
       than the angels. And now he is wearing a crown of glory and honor 
       because he suffered and died. And by God's grace, he died for 
       everyone.

       (Heb 2:10 NCV)  God is the One who made all things, and all things are 
       for his glory. He wanted to have many children share his glory, so he 
       made the One who leads people to salvation perfect through suffering.

       (Heb 2:11 NCV)  Jesus, who makes people holy, and those who are made 
       holy are from the same family. So he is not ashamed to call them his 
       brothers and sisters.

       (Heb 2:12 NCV)  He says, "Then, I will tell my fellow Israelites about 
       you; I will praise you in the public meeting."

       (Heb 2:13 NCV)  He also says, "I will trust in God." And he also says, 
       "I am here, and with me are the children God has given me."

       (Heb 2:14 NCV)  Since these children are people with physical bodies, 
       Jesus himself became like them. He did this so that, by dying, he 
       could destroy the one who has the power of death--the devil--

       (Heb 2:15 NCV)  and free those who were like slaves all their lives 
       because of their fear of death.

       (Heb 2:16 NCV)  Clearly, it is not angels that Jesus helps, but the 
       people who are from Abraham.

       (Heb 2:17 NCV)  For this reason Jesus had to be made like his brothers 
       in every way so he could be their merciful and faithful high priest in 





       service to God. Then Jesus could bring forgiveness for their sins.

       (Heb 2:18 NCV)  And now he can help those who are tempted, because he 
       himself suffered and was tempted.

       (Heb 3:1 NCV)  So all of you holy brothers and sisters, who were 
       called by God, think about Jesus, who was sent to us and is the high 
       priest of our faith.

       (Heb 3:2 NCV)  Jesus was faithful to God as Moses was in God's family.

       (Heb 3:3 NCV)  Jesus has more honor than Moses, just as the builder of 
       a house has more honor than the house itself.

       (Heb 3:4 NCV)  Every house is built by someone, but the builder of 
       everything is God himself.

       (Heb 3:5 NCV)  Moses was faithful in God's family as a servant, and he 
       told what God would say in the future.

       (Heb 3:6 NCV)  But Christ is faithful as a Son over God's house. And 
       we are God's house if we keep on being very sure about our great hope.

       (Heb 3:7 NCV)  So it is as the Holy Spirit says: "Today listen to what 
       he says.

       (Heb 3:8 NCV)  Do not be stubborn as in the past when you turned 
       against God, when you tested God in the desert.

       (Heb 3:9 NCV)  There your ancestors tried me and tested me and saw the 
       things I did for forty years.

       (Heb 3:10 NCV)  I was angry with them. I said, 'They are not loyal to 
       me and have not understood my ways.'

       (Heb 3:11 NCV)  I was angry and made a promise, 'They will never enter 
       my rest.'"

       (Heb 3:12 NCV)  So brothers and sisters, be careful that none of you 
       has an evil, unbelieving heart that will turn you away from the living 
       God.

       (Heb 3:13 NCV)  But encourage each other every day while it is 
       "today." Help each other so none of you will become hardened because 
       sin has tricked you.

       (Heb 3:14 NCV)  We all share in Christ if we keep till the end the 
       sure faith we had in the beginning.

       (Heb 3:15 NCV)  This is what the Scripture says: "Today listen to what 
       he says. Do not be stubborn as in the past when you turned against 
       God."

       (Heb 3:16 NCV)  Who heard God's voice and was against him? It was all 
       those people Moses led out of Egypt.





       (Heb 3:17 NCV)  And with whom was God angry for forty years? He was 
       angry with those who sinned, who died in the desert.

       (Heb 3:18 NCV)  And to whom was God talking when he promised that they 
       would never enter his rest? He was talking to those who did not obey 
       him.

       (Heb 3:19 NCV)  So we see they were not allowed to enter and have 
       God's rest, because they did not believe.

       (Heb 4:1 NCV)  Now, since God has left us the promise that we may 
       enter his rest, let us be very careful so none of you will fail to 
       enter.

       (Heb 4:2 NCV)  The Good News was preached to us just as it was to 
       them. But the teaching they heard did not help them, because they 
       heard it but did not accept it with faith.

       (Heb 4:3 NCV)  We who have believed are able to enter and have God's 
       rest. As God has said, "I was angry and made a promise, 'They will 
       never enter my rest.'" But God's work was finished from the time he 
       made the world.

       (Heb 4:4 NCV)  In the Scriptures he talked about the seventh day of 
       the week: "And on the seventh day God rested from all his works."

       (Heb 4:5 NCV)  And again in the Scripture God said, "They will never 
       enter my rest."

       (Heb 4:6 NCV)  It is still true that some people will enter God's 
       rest, but those who first heard the way to be saved did not enter, 
       because they did not obey.

       (Heb 4:7 NCV)  So God planned another day, called "today." He spoke 
       about that day through David a long time later in the same Scripture 
       used before: "Today listen to what he says. Do not be stubborn."

       (Heb 4:8 NCV)  We know that Joshua did not lead the people into that 
       rest, because God spoke later about another day.

       (Heb 4:9 NCV)  This shows that the rest for God's people is still 
       coming.

       (Heb 4:10 NCV)  Anyone who enters God's rest will rest from his work 
       as God did.

       (Heb 4:11 NCV)  Let us try as hard as we can to enter God's rest so 
       that no one will fail by following the example of those who refused to 
       obey.

       (Heb 4:12 NCV)  God's word is alive and working and is sharper than a 
       double-edged sword. It cuts all the way into us, where the soul and 
       the spirit are joined, to the center of our joints and bones. And it 
       judges the thoughts and feelings in our hearts.

       (Heb 4:13 NCV)  Nothing in all the world can be hidden from God. 





       Everything is clear and lies open before him, and to him we must 
       explain the way we have lived.

       (Heb 4:14 NCV)  Since we have a great high priest, Jesus the Son of 
       God, who has gone into heaven, let us hold on to the faith we have.

       (Heb 4:15 NCV)  For our high priest is able to understand our 
       weaknesses. When he lived on earth, he was tempted in every way that 
       we are, but he did not sin.

       (Heb 4:16 NCV)  Let us, then, feel very sure that we can come before 
       God's throne where there is grace. There we can receive mercy and 
       grace to help us when we need it.

       (Heb 5:1 NCV)  Every high priest is chosen from among other people. He 
       is given the work of going before God for them to offer gifts and 
       sacrifices for sins.

       (Heb 5:2 NCV)  Since he himself is weak, he is able to be gentle with 
       those who do not understand and who are doing wrong things.

       (Heb 5:3 NCV)  Because he is weak, the high priest must offer 
       sacrifices for his own sins and also for the sins of the people.

       (Heb 5:4 NCV)  To be a high priest is an honor, but no one chooses 
       himself for this work. He must be called by God as Aaron was.

       (Heb 5:5 NCV)  So also Christ did not choose himself to have the honor 
       of being a high priest, but God chose him. God said to him, "You are 
       my Son. Today I have become your Father."

       (Heb 5:6 NCV)  And in another Scripture God says, "You are a priest 
       forever, a priest like Melchizedek."

       (Heb 5:7 NCV)  While Jesus lived on earth, he prayed to God and asked 
       God for help. He prayed with loud cries and tears to the One who could 
       save him from death, and his prayer was heard because he trusted God.

       (Heb 5:8 NCV)  Even though Jesus was the Son of God, he learned 
       obedience by what he suffered.

       (Heb 5:9 NCV)  And because his obedience was perfect, he was able to 
       give eternal salvation to all who obey him.

       (Heb 5:10 NCV)  In this way God made Jesus a high priest, a priest 
       like Melchizedek.

       (Heb 5:11 NCV)  We have much to say about this, but it is hard to 
       explain because you are so slow to understand.

       (Heb 5:12 NCV)  By now you should be teachers, but you need someone to 
       teach you again the first lessons of God's message. You still need the 
       teaching that is like milk. You are not ready for solid food.

       (Heb 5:13 NCV)  Anyone who lives on milk is still a baby and knows 
       nothing about right teaching.






       (Heb 5:14 NCV)  But solid food is for those who are grown up. They 
       have practiced in order to know the difference between good and evil.

       (Heb 6:1 NCV)  So let us go on to grown-up teaching. Let us not go 
       back over the beginning lessons we learned about Christ. We should not 
       again start teaching about faith in God and about turning away from 
       those acts that lead to death.

       (Heb 6:2 NCV)  We should not return to the teaching about baptisms, 
       about laying on of hands, about the raising of the dead and eternal 
       judgment.

       (Heb 6:3 NCV)  And we will go on to grown-up teaching if God allows.

       (Heb 6:4 NCV)  Some people cannot be brought back again to a changed 
       life. They were once in God's light, and enjoyed heaven's gift, and 
       shared in the Holy Spirit.

       (Heb 6:5 NCV)  They found out how good God's word is, and they 
       received the powers of his new world.

       (Heb 6:6 NCV)  But they fell away from Christ. It is impossible to 
       bring them back to a changed life again, because they are nailing the 
       Son of God to a cross again and are shaming him in front of others.

       (Heb 6:7 NCV)  Some people are like land that gets plenty of rain. The 
       land produces a good crop for those who work it, and it receives God's 
       blessings.

       (Heb 6:8 NCV)  Other people are like land that grows thorns and weeds 
       and is worthless. It is in danger of being cursed by God and will be 
       destroyed by fire.

       (Heb 6:9 NCV)  Dear friends, we are saying this to you, but we really 
       expect better things from you that will lead to your salvation.

       (Heb 6:10 NCV)  God is fair; he will not forget the work you did and 
       the love you showed for him by helping his people. And he will 
       remember that you are still helping them.

       (Heb 6:11 NCV)  We want each of you to go on with the same hard work 
       all your lives so you will surely get what you hope for.

       (Heb 6:12 NCV)  We do not want you to become lazy. Be like those who 
       through faith and patience will receive what God has promised.

       (Heb 6:13 NCV)  God made a promise to Abraham. And as there is no one 
       greater than God, he used himself when he swore to Abraham,

       (Heb 6:14 NCV)  saying, "I will surely bless you and give you many 
       descendants."

       (Heb 6:15 NCV)  Abraham waited patiently for this to happen, and he 
       received what God promised.





       (Heb 6:16 NCV)  People always use the name of someone greater than 
       themselves when they swear. The oath proves that what they say is 
       true, and this ends all arguing.

       (Heb 6:17 NCV)  God wanted to prove that his promise was true to those 
       who would get what he promised. And he wanted them to understand 
       clearly that his purposes never change, so he made an oath.

       (Heb 6:18 NCV)  These two things cannot change: God cannot lie when he 
       makes a promise, and he cannot lie when he makes an oath. These things 
       encourage us who came to God for safety. They give us strength to hold 
       on to the hope we have been given.

       (Heb 6:19 NCV)  We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and 
       strong. It enters behind the curtain in the Most Holy Place in heaven,

       (Heb 6:20 NCV)  where Jesus has gone ahead of us and for us. He has 
       become the high priest forever, a priest like Melchizedek.

       (Heb 7:1 NCV)  Melchizedek was the king of Salem and a priest for God 
       Most High. He met Abraham when Abraham was coming back after defeating 
       the kings. When they met, Melchizedek blessed Abraham,

       (Heb 7:2 NCV)  and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything he had 
       brought back from the battle. First, Melchizedek's name means "king of 
       goodness," and he is king of Salem, which means "king of peace."

       (Heb 7:3 NCV)  No one knows who Melchizedek's father or mother was, 
       where he came from, when he was born, or when he died. Melchizedek is 
       like the Son of God; he continues being a priest forever.

       (Heb 7:4 NCV)  You can see how great Melchizedek was. Abraham, the 
       great father, gave him a tenth of everything that he won in battle.

       (Heb 7:5 NCV)  Now the law says that those in the tribe of Levi who 
       become priests must collect a tenth from the people--their own 
       people--even though the priests and the people are from the family of 
       Abraham.

       (Heb 7:6 NCV)  Melchizedek was not from the tribe of Levi, but he 
       collected a tenth from Abraham. And he blessed Abraham, the man who 
       had God's promises.

       (Heb 7:7 NCV)  Now everyone knows that the more important person 
       blesses the less important person.

       (Heb 7:8 NCV)  Priests receive a tenth, even though they are only men 
       who live and then die. But Melchizedek, who received a tenth from 
       Abraham, continues living, as the Scripture says.

       (Heb 7:9 NCV)  We might even say that Levi, who receives a tenth, also 
       paid it when Abraham paid Melchizedek a tenth.

       (Heb 7:10 NCV)  Levi was not yet born, but he was in the body of his 
       ancestor when Melchizedek met Abraham.





       (Heb 7:11 NCV)  The people were given the law based on a system of 
       priests from the tribe of Levi, but they could not be made perfect 
       through that system. So there was a need for another priest to come, a 
       priest like Melchizedek, not Aaron.

       (Heb 7:12 NCV)  And when a different kind of priest comes, the law 
       must be changed, too.

       (Heb 7:13 NCV)  We are saying these things about Christ, who belonged 
       to a different tribe. No one from that tribe ever served as a priest 
       at the altar.

       (Heb 7:14 NCV)  It is clear that our Lord came from the tribe of 
       Judah, and Moses said nothing about priests belonging to that tribe.

       (Heb 7:15 NCV)  And this becomes even more clear when we see that 
       another priest comes who is like Melchizedek.

       (Heb 7:16 NCV)  He was not made a priest by human rules and laws but 
       through the power of his life, which continues forever.

       (Heb 7:17 NCV)  It is said about him, "You are a priest forever, a 
       priest like Melchizedek."

       (Heb 7:18 NCV)  The old rule is now set aside, because it was weak and 
       useless.

       (Heb 7:19 NCV)  The law of Moses could not make anything perfect. But 
       now a better hope has been given to us, and with this hope we can come 
       near to God.

       (Heb 7:20 NCV)  It is important that God did this with an oath. Others 
       became priests without an oath,

       (Heb 7:21 NCV)  but Christ became a priest with God's oath. God said: 
       "The Lord has made a promise and will not change his mind. 'You are a 
       priest forever.'"

       (Heb 7:22 NCV)  This means that Jesus is the guarantee of a better 
       agreement from God to his people.

       (Heb 7:23 NCV)  When one of the other priests died, he could not 
       continue being a priest. So there were many priests.

       (Heb 7:24 NCV)  But because Jesus lives forever, he will never stop 
       serving as priest.

       (Heb 7:25 NCV)  So he is able always to save those who come to God 
       through him because he always lives, asking God to help them.

       (Heb 7:26 NCV)  Jesus is the kind of high priest we need. He is holy, 
       sinless, pure, not influenced by sinners, and he is raised above the 
       heavens.

       (Heb 7:27 NCV)  He is not like the other priests who had to offer 
       sacrifices every day, first for their own sins, and then for the sins 





       of the people. Christ offered his sacrifice only once and for all time 
       when he offered himself.

       (Heb 7:28 NCV)  The law chooses high priests who are people with 
       weaknesses, but the word of God's oath came later than the law. It 
       made God's Son to be the high priest, and that Son has been made 
       perfect forever.

       (Heb 8:1 NCV)  Here is the point of what we are saying: We have a high 
       priest who sits on the right side of God's throne in heaven.

       (Heb 8:2 NCV)  Our high priest serves in the Most Holy Place, the true 
       place of worship that was made by God, not by humans.

       (Heb 8:3 NCV)  Every high priest has the work of offering gifts and 
       sacrifices to God. So our high priest must also offer something to 
       God.

       (Heb 8:4 NCV)  If our high priest were now living on earth, he would 
       not be a priest, because there are already priests here who follow the 
       law by offering gifts to God.

       (Heb 8:5 NCV)  The work they do as priests is only a copy and a shadow 
       of what is in heaven. This is why God warned Moses when he was ready 
       to build the Holy Tent: "Be very careful to make everything by the 
       plan I showed you on the mountain."

       (Heb 8:6 NCV)  But the priestly work that has been given to Jesus is 
       much greater than the work that was given to the other priests. In the 
       same way, the new agreement that Jesus brought from God to his people 
       is much greater than the old one. And the new agreement is based on 
       promises of better things.

       (Heb 8:7 NCV)  If there had been nothing wrong with the first 
       agreement, there would have been no need for a second agreement.

       (Heb 8:8 NCV)  But God found something wrong with his people. He says: 
       "Look, the time is coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new 
       agreement with the people of Israel and the people of Judah.

       (Heb 8:9 NCV)  It will not be like the agreement I made with their 
       ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of Egypt. But 
       they broke that agreement, and I turned away from them, says the Lord.

       (Heb 8:10 NCV)  This is the agreement I will make with the people of 
       Israel at that time, says the Lord. I will put my teachings in their 
       minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they 
       will be my people.

       (Heb 8:11 NCV)  People will no longer have to teach their neighbors 
       and relatives to know the Lord, because all people will know me, from 
       the least to the most important.

       (Heb 8:12 NCV)  I will forgive them for the wicked things they did, 
       and I will not remember their sins anymore."





       (Heb 8:13 NCV)  God called this a new agreement, so he has made the 
       first agreement old. And anything that is old and worn out is ready to 
       disappear.

       (Heb 9:1 NCV)  The first agreement had rules for worship and a 
       man-made place for worship.

       (Heb 9:2 NCV)  The Holy Tent was set up for this. The first area in 
       the Tent was called the Holy Place. In it were the lamp and the table 
       with the bread that was made holy for God.

       (Heb 9:3 NCV)  Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most 
       Holy Place.

       (Heb 9:4 NCV)  In it was a golden altar for burning incense and the 
       Ark covered with gold that held the old agreement. Inside this Ark was 
       a golden jar of manna, Aaron's rod that once grew leaves, and the 
       stone tablets of the old agreement.

       (Heb 9:5 NCV)  Above the Ark were the creatures that showed God's 
       glory, whose wings reached over the lid. But we cannot tell everything 
       about these things now.

       (Heb 9:6 NCV)  When everything in the Tent was made ready in this way, 
       the priests went into the first room every day to worship.

       (Heb 9:7 NCV)  But only the high priest could go into the second room, 
       and he did that only once a year. He could never enter the inner room 
       without taking blood with him, which he offered to God for himself and 
       for sins the people did without knowing they did them.

       (Heb 9:8 NCV)  The Holy Spirit uses this to show that the way into the 
       Most Holy Place was not open while the system of the old Holy Tent was 
       still being used.

       (Heb 9:9 NCV)  This is an example for the present time. It shows that 
       the gifts and sacrifices offered cannot make the conscience of the 
       worshiper perfect.

       (Heb 9:10 NCV)  These gifts and sacrifices were only about food and 
       drink and special washings. They were rules for the body, to be 
       followed until the time of God's new way.

       (Heb 9:11 NCV)  But when Christ came as the high priest of the good 
       things we now have, he entered the greater and more perfect tent. It 
       is not made by humans and does not belong to this world.

       (Heb 9:12 NCV)  Christ entered the Most Holy Place only once--and for 
       all time. He did not take with him the blood of goats and calves. His 
       sacrifice was his own blood, and by it he set us free from sin 
       forever.

       (Heb 9:13 NCV)  The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a cow 
       are sprinkled on the people who are unclean, and this makes their 
       bodies clean again.





       (Heb 9:14 NCV)  How much more is done by the blood of Christ. He 
       offered himself through the eternal Spirit as a perfect sacrifice to 
       God. His blood will make our consciences pure from useless acts so we 
       may serve the living God.

       (Heb 9:15 NCV)  For this reason Christ brings a new agreement from God 
       to his people. Those who are called by God can now receive the 
       blessings he has promised, blessings that will last forever. They can 
       have those things because Christ died so that the people who lived 
       under the first agreement could be set free from sin.

       (Heb 9:16 NCV)  When there is a will, it must be proven that the one 
       who wrote that will is dead.

       (Heb 9:17 NCV)  A will means nothing while the person is alive; it can 
       be used only after the person dies.

       (Heb 9:18 NCV)  This is why even the first agreement could not begin 
       without blood to show death.

       (Heb 9:19 NCV)  First, Moses told all the people every command in the 
       law. Next he took the blood of calves and mixed it with water. Then he 
       used red wool and a branch of the hyssop plant to sprinkle it on the 
       book of the law and on all the people.

       (Heb 9:20 NCV)  He said, "This is the blood that begins the Agreement 
       that God commanded you to obey."

       (Heb 9:21 NCV)  In the same way, Moses sprinkled the blood on the Holy 
       Tent and over all the things used in worship.

       (Heb 9:22 NCV)  The law says that almost everything must be made clean 
       by blood, and sins cannot be forgiven without blood to show death.

       (Heb 9:23 NCV)  So the copies of the real things in heaven had to be 
       made clean by animal sacrifices. But the real things in heaven need 
       much better sacrifices.

       (Heb 9:24 NCV)  Christ did not go into the Most Holy Place made by 
       humans, which is only a copy of the real one. He went into heaven 
       itself and is there now before God to help us.

       (Heb 9:25 NCV)  The high priest enters the Most Holy Place once every 
       year with blood that is not his own. But Christ did not offer himself 
       many times.

       (Heb 9:26 NCV)  Then he would have had to suffer many times since the 
       world was made. But Christ came only once and for all time at just the 
       right time to take away all sin by sacrificing himself.

       (Heb 9:27 NCV)  Just as everyone must die once and be judged,

       (Heb 9:28 NCV)  so Christ was offered as a sacrifice one time to take 
       away the sins of many people. And he will come a second time, not to 
       offer himself for sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting 
       for him.






       (Heb 10:1 NCV)  The law is only an unclear picture of the good things 
       coming in the future; it is not the real thing. The people under the 
       law offer the same sacrifices every year, but these sacrifices can 
       never make perfect those who come near to worship God.

       (Heb 10:2 NCV)  If the law could make them perfect, the sacrifices 
       would have already stopped. The worshipers would be made clean, and 
       they would no longer have a sense of sin.

       (Heb 10:3 NCV)  But these sacrifices remind them of their sins every 
       year,

       (Heb 10:4 NCV)  because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and 
       goats to take away sins.

       (Heb 10:5 NCV)  So when Christ came into the world, he said: "You do 
       not want sacrifices and offerings, but you have prepared a body for 
       me.

       (Heb 10:6 NCV)  You do not ask for burnt offerings and offerings to 
       take away sins.

       (Heb 10:7 NCV)  Then I said, 'Look, I have come. It is written about 
       me in the book. God, I have come to do what you want.'"

       (Heb 10:8 NCV)  In this Scripture he first said, "You do not want 
       sacrifices and offerings. You do not ask for burnt offerings and 
       offerings to take away sins." (These are all sacrifices that the law 
       commands.)

       (Heb 10:9 NCV)  Then he said, "Look, I have come to do what you want." 
       God ends the first system of sacrifices so he can set up the new 
       system.

       (Heb 10:10 NCV)  And because of this, we are made holy through the 
       sacrifice Christ made in his body once and for all time.

       (Heb 10:11 NCV)  Every day the priests stand and do their religious 
       service, often offering the same sacrifices. Those sacrifices can 
       never take away sins.

       (Heb 10:12 NCV)  But after Christ offered one sacrifice for sins, 
       forever, he sat down at the right side of God.

       (Heb 10:13 NCV)  And now Christ waits there for his enemies to be put 
       under his power.

       (Heb 10:14 NCV)  With one sacrifice he made perfect forever those who 
       are being made holy.

       (Heb 10:15 NCV)  The Holy Spirit also tells us about this. First he 
       says:

       (Heb 10:16 NCV)  "This is the agreement I will make with them at that 
       time, says the Lord. I will put my teachings in their hearts and write 





       them on their minds."

       (Heb 10:17 NCV)  Then he says: "Their sins and the evil things they 
       do-- I will not remember anymore."

       (Heb 10:18 NCV)  Now when these have been forgiven, there is no more 
       need for a sacrifice for sins.

       (Heb 10:19 NCV)  So, brothers and sisters, we are completely free to 
       enter the Most Holy Place without fear because of the blood of Jesus' 
       death.

       (Heb 10:20 NCV)  We can enter through a new and living way that Jesus 
       opened for us. It leads through the curtain--Christ's body.

       (Heb 10:21 NCV)  And since we have a great priest over God's house,

       (Heb 10:22 NCV)  let us come near to God with a sincere heart and a 
       sure faith, because we have been made free from a guilty conscience, 
       and our bodies have been washed with pure water.

       (Heb 10:23 NCV)  Let us hold firmly to the hope that we have 
       confessed, because we can trust God to do what he promised.

       (Heb 10:24 NCV)  Let us think about each other and help each other to 
       show love and do good deeds.

       (Heb 10:25 NCV)  You should not stay away from the church meetings, as 
       some are doing, but you should meet together and encourage each other. 
       Do this even more as you see the day coming.

       (Heb 10:26 NCV)  If we decide to go on sinning after we have learned 
       the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice for sins.

       (Heb 10:27 NCV)  There is nothing but fear in waiting for the judgment 
       and the terrible fire that will destroy all those who live against 
       God.

       (Heb 10:28 NCV)  Anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was found 
       guilty from the proof given by two or three witnesses. He was put to 
       death without mercy.

       (Heb 10:29 NCV)  So what do you think should be done to those who do 
       not respect the Son of God, who look at the blood of the agreement 
       that made them holy as no different from others' blood, who insult the 
       Spirit of God's grace? Surely they should have a much worse 
       punishment.

       (Heb 10:30 NCV)  We know that God said, "I will punish those who do 
       wrong; I will repay them." And he also said, "The Lord will judge his 
       people."

       (Heb 10:31 NCV)  It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the 
       living God.

       (Heb 10:32 NCV)  Remember those days in the past when you first 





       learned the truth. You had a hard struggle with many sufferings, but 
       you continued strong.

       (Heb 10:33 NCV)  Sometimes you were hurt and attacked before crowds of 
       people, and sometimes you shared with those who were being treated 
       that way.

       (Heb 10:34 NCV)  You helped the prisoners. You even had joy when all 
       that you owned was taken from you, because you knew you had something 
       better and more lasting.

       (Heb 10:35 NCV)  So do not lose the courage you had in the past, which 
       has a great reward.

       (Heb 10:36 NCV)  You must hold on, so you can do what God wants and 
       receive what he has promised.

       (Heb 10:37 NCV)  For in a very short time, "The One who is coming will 
       come and will not be delayed.

       (Heb 10:38 NCV)  The person who is right with me will live by trusting 
       in me. But if he turns back with fear, I will not be pleased with 
       him."

       (Heb 10:39 NCV)  But we are not those who turn back and are lost. We 
       are people who have faith and are saved.

       (Heb 11:1 NCV)  Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and 
       knowing that something is real even if we do not see it.

       (Heb 11:2 NCV)  Faith is the reason we remember great people who lived 
       in the past.

       (Heb 11:3 NCV)  It is by faith we understand that the whole world was 
       made by God's command so what we see was made by something that cannot 
       be seen.

       (Heb 11:4 NCV)  It was by faith that Abel offered God a better 
       sacrifice than Cain did. God said he was pleased with the gifts Abel 
       offered and called Abel a good man because of his faith. Abel died, 
       but through his faith he is still speaking.

       (Heb 11:5 NCV)  It was by faith that Enoch was taken to heaven so he 
       would not die. He could not be found, because God had taken him away. 
       Before he was taken, the Scripture says that he was a man who truly 
       pleased God.

       (Heb 11:6 NCV)  Without faith no one can please God. Anyone who comes 
       to God must believe that he is real and that he rewards those who 
       truly want to find him.

       (Heb 11:7 NCV)  It was by faith that Noah heard God's warnings about 
       things he could not yet see. He obeyed God and built a large boat to 
       save his family. By his faith, Noah showed that the world was wrong, 
       and he became one of those who are made right with God through faith.





       (Heb 11:8 NCV)  It was by faith Abraham obeyed God's call to go to 
       another place God promised to give him. He left his own country, not 
       knowing where he was to go.

       (Heb 11:9 NCV)  It was by faith that he lived like a foreigner in the 
       country God promised to give him. He lived in tents with Isaac and 
       Jacob, who had received that same promise from God.

       (Heb 11:10 NCV)  Abraham was waiting for the city that has real 
       foundations--the city planned and built by God.

       (Heb 11:11 NCV)  He was too old to have children, and Sarah could not 
       have children. It was by faith that Abraham was made able to become a 
       father, because he trusted God to do what he had promised.

       (Heb 11:12 NCV)  This man was so old he was almost dead, but from him 
       came as many descendants as there are stars in the sky. Like the sand 
       on the seashore, they could not be counted.

       (Heb 11:13 NCV)  All these great people died in faith. They did not 
       get the things that God promised his people, but they saw them coming 
       far in the future and were glad. They said they were like visitors and 
       strangers on earth.

       (Heb 11:14 NCV)  When people say such things, they show they are 
       looking for a country that will be their own.

       (Heb 11:15 NCV)  If they had been thinking about the country they had 
       left, they could have gone back.

       (Heb 11:16 NCV)  But they were waiting for a better country--a 
       heavenly country. So God is not ashamed to be called their God, 
       because he has prepared a city for them.

       (Heb 11:17 NCV)  It was by faith that Abraham, when God tested him, 
       offered his son Isaac as a sacrifice. God made the promises to 
       Abraham, but Abraham was ready to offer his own son as a sacrifice.

       (Heb 11:18 NCV)  God had said, "The descendants I promised you will be 
       from Isaac."

       (Heb 11:19 NCV)  Abraham believed that God could raise the dead, and 
       really, it was as if Abraham got Isaac back from death.

       (Heb 11:20 NCV)  It was by faith that Isaac blessed the future of 
       Jacob and Esau.

       (Heb 11:21 NCV)  It was by faith that Jacob, as he was dying, blessed 
       each one of Joseph's sons. Then he worshiped as he leaned on the top 
       of his walking stick.

       (Heb 11:22 NCV)  It was by faith that Joseph, while he was dying, 
       spoke about the Israelites leaving Egypt and gave instructions about 
       what to do with his body.

       (Heb 11:23 NCV)  It was by faith that Moses' parents hid him for three 





       months after he was born. They saw that Moses was a beautiful baby, 
       and they were not afraid to disobey the king's order.

       (Heb 11:24 NCV)  It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused 
       to be called the son of the king of Egypt's daughter.

       (Heb 11:25 NCV)  He chose to suffer with God's people instead of 
       enjoying sin for a short time.

       (Heb 11:26 NCV)  He thought it was better to suffer for the Christ 
       than to have all the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking for 
       God's reward.

       (Heb 11:27 NCV)  It was by faith that Moses left Egypt and was not 
       afraid of the king's anger. Moses continued strong as if he could see 
       the God that no one can see.

       (Heb 11:28 NCV)  It was by faith that Moses prepared the Passover and 
       spread the blood on the doors so the one who brings death would not 
       kill the firstborn sons of Israel.

       (Heb 11:29 NCV)  It was by faith that the people crossed the Red Sea 
       as if it were dry land. But when the Egyptians tried it, they were 
       drowned.

       (Heb 11:30 NCV)  It was by faith that the walls of Jericho fell after 
       the people had marched around them for seven days.

       (Heb 11:31 NCV)  It was by faith that Rahab, the prostitute, welcomed 
       the spies and was not killed with those who refused to obey God.

       (Heb 11:32 NCV)  Do I need to give more examples? I do not have time 
       to tell you about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and 
       the prophets.

       (Heb 11:33 NCV)  Through their faith they defeated kingdoms. They did 
       what was right, received God's promises, and shut the mouths of lions.

       (Heb 11:34 NCV)  They stopped great fires and were saved from being 
       killed with swords. They were weak, and yet were made strong. They 
       were powerful in battle and defeated other armies.

       (Heb 11:35 NCV)  Women received their dead relatives raised back to 
       life. Others were tortured and refused to accept their freedom so they 
       could be raised from the dead to a better life.

       (Heb 11:36 NCV)  Some were laughed at and beaten. Others were put in 
       chains and thrown into prison.

       (Heb 11:37 NCV)  They were stoned to death, they were cut in half, and 
       they were killed with swords. Some wore the skins of sheep and goats. 
       They were poor, abused, and treated badly.

       (Heb 11:38 NCV)  The world was not good enough for them! They wandered 
       in deserts and mountains, living in caves and holes in the earth.





       (Heb 11:39 NCV)  All these people are known for their faith, but none 
       of them received what God had promised.

       (Heb 11:40 NCV)  God planned to give us something better so that they 
       would be made perfect, but only together with us.

       (Heb 12:1 NCV)  We have around us many people whose lives tell us what 
       faith means. So let us run the race that is before us and never give 
       up. We should remove from our lives anything that would get in the way 
       and the sin that so easily holds us back.

       (Heb 12:2 NCV)  Let us look only to Jesus, the One who began our faith 
       and who makes it perfect. He suffered death on the cross. But he 
       accepted the shame as if it were nothing because of the joy that God 
       put before him. And now he is sitting at the right side of God's 
       throne.

       (Heb 12:3 NCV)  Think about Jesus' example. He held on while wicked 
       people were doing evil things to him. So do not get tired and stop 
       trying.

       (Heb 12:4 NCV)  You are struggling against sin, but your struggles 
       have not yet caused you to be killed.

       (Heb 12:5 NCV)  You have forgotten the encouraging words that call you 
       his children: "My child, don't think the Lord's discipline is worth 
       nothing, and don't stop trying when he corrects you.

       (Heb 12:6 NCV)  The Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes 
       everyone he accepts as his child."

       (Heb 12:7 NCV)  So hold on through your sufferings, because they are 
       like a father's discipline. God is treating you as children. All 
       children are disciplined by their fathers.

       (Heb 12:8 NCV)  If you are never disciplined (and every child must be 
       disciplined), you are not true children.

       (Heb 12:9 NCV)  We have all had fathers here on earth who disciplined 
       us, and we respected them. So it is even more important that we accept 
       discipline from the Father of our spirits so we will have life.

       (Heb 12:10 NCV)  Our fathers on earth disciplined us for a short time 
       in the way they thought was best. But God disciplines us to help us, 
       so we can become holy as he is.

       (Heb 12:11 NCV)  We do not enjoy being disciplined. It is painful, but 
       later, after we have learned from it, we have peace, because we start 
       living in the right way.

       (Heb 12:12 NCV)  You have become weak, so make yourselves strong 
       again.

       (Heb 12:13 NCV)  Live in the right way so that you will be saved and 
       your weakness will not cause you to be lost.





       (Heb 12:14 NCV)  Try to live in peace with all people, and try to live 
       free from sin. Anyone whose life is not holy will never see the Lord.

       (Heb 12:15 NCV)  Be careful that no one fails to receive God's grace 
       and begins to cause trouble among you. A person like that can ruin 
       many of you.

       (Heb 12:16 NCV)  Be careful that no one takes part in sexual sin or is 
       like Esau and never thinks about God. As the oldest son, Esau would 
       have received everything from his father, but he sold all that for a 
       single meal.

       (Heb 12:17 NCV)  You remember that after Esau did this, he wanted to 
       get his father's blessing, but his father refused. Esau could find no 
       way to change what he had done, even though he wanted the blessing so 
       much that he cried.

       (Heb 12:18 NCV)  You have not come to a mountain that can be touched 
       and that is burning with fire. You have not come to darkness, sadness, 
       and storms.

       (Heb 12:19 NCV)  You have not come to the noise of a trumpet or to the 
       sound of a voice like the one the people of Israel heard and begged 
       not to hear another word.

       (Heb 12:20 NCV)  They did not want to hear the command: "If anything, 
       even an animal, touches the mountain, it must be put to death with 
       stones."

       (Heb 12:21 NCV)  What they saw was so terrible that Moses said, "I am 
       shaking with fear."

       (Heb 12:22 NCV)  But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the 
       living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands of 
       angels gathered together with joy.

       (Heb 12:23 NCV)  You have come to the meeting of God's firstborn 
       children whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the 
       judge of all people, and to the spirits of good people who have been 
       made perfect.

       (Heb 12:24 NCV)  You have come to Jesus, the One who brought the new 
       agreement from God to his people, and you have come to the sprinkled 
       blood that has a better message than the blood of Abel.

       (Heb 12:25 NCV)  So be careful and do not refuse to listen when God 
       speaks. Others refused to listen to him when he warned them on earth, 
       and they did not escape. So it will be worse for us if we refuse to 
       listen to God who warns us from heaven.

       (Heb 12:26 NCV)  When he spoke before, his voice shook the earth, but 
       now he has promised, "Once again I will shake not only the earth but 
       also the heavens."

       (Heb 12:27 NCV)  The words "once again" clearly show us that 
       everything that was made--things that can be shaken--will be 





       destroyed. Only the things that cannot be shaken will remain.

       (Heb 12:28 NCV)  So let us be thankful, because we have a kingdom that 
       cannot be shaken. We should worship God in a way that pleases him with 
       respect and fear,

       (Heb 12:29 NCV)  because our God is like a fire that burns things up.

       (Heb 13:1 NCV)  Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters.

       (Heb 13:2 NCV)  Remember to welcome strangers, because some who have 
       done this have welcomed angels without knowing it.

       (Heb 13:3 NCV)  Remember those who are in prison as if you were in 
       prison with them. Remember those who are suffering as if you were 
       suffering with them.

       (Heb 13:4 NCV)  Marriage should be honored by everyone, and husband 
       and wife should keep their marriage pure. God will judge as guilty 
       those who take part in sexual sins.

       (Heb 13:5 NCV)  Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be 
       satisfied with what you have. God has said, "I will never leave you; I 
       will never forget you."

       (Heb 13:6 NCV)  So we can be sure when we say, "I will not be afraid, 
       because the Lord is my helper. People can't do anything to me."

       (Heb 13:7 NCV)  Remember your leaders who taught God's message to you. 
       Remember how they lived and died, and copy their faith.

       (Heb 13:8 NCV)  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and 
       forever.

       (Heb 13:9 NCV)  Do not let all kinds of strange teachings lead you 
       into the wrong way. Your hearts should be strengthened by God's grace, 
       not by obeying rules about foods, which do not help those who obey 
       them.

       (Heb 13:10 NCV)  We have a sacrifice, but the priests who serve in the 
       Holy Tent cannot eat from it.

       (Heb 13:11 NCV)  The high priest carries the blood of animals into the 
       Most Holy Place where he offers this blood for sins. But the bodies of 
       the animals are burned outside the camp.

       (Heb 13:12 NCV)  So Jesus also suffered outside the city to make his 
       people holy with his own blood.

       (Heb 13:13 NCV)  So let us go to Jesus outside the camp, holding on as 
       he did when we are abused.

       (Heb 13:14 NCV)  Here on earth we do not have a city that lasts 
       forever, but we are looking for the city that we will have in the 
       future.





       (Heb 13:15 NCV)  So through Jesus let us always offer to God our 
       sacrifice of praise, coming from lips that speak his name.

       (Heb 13:16 NCV)  Do not forget to do good to others, and share with 
       them, because such sacrifices please God.

       (Heb 13:17 NCV)  Obey your leaders and act under their authority. They 
       are watching over you, because they are responsible for your souls. 
       Obey them so that they will do this work with joy, not sadness. It 
       will not help you to make their work hard.

       (Heb 13:18 NCV)  Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear 
       conscience, because we always want to do the right thing.

       (Heb 13:19 NCV)  I especially beg you to pray so that God will send me 
       back to you soon.

       (Heb 13:20 NCV)  I pray that the God of peace will give you every good 
       thing you need so you can do what he wants. God raised from the dead 
       our Lord Jesus, the Great Shepherd of the sheep, because of the blood 
       of his death. His blood began the eternal agreement that God made with 
       his people. I pray that God will do in us what pleases him, through 
       Jesus Christ, and to him be glory forever and ever. Amen.

       (Heb 13:21 NCV)  

       (Heb 13:22 NCV)  My brothers and sisters, I beg you to listen 
       patiently to this message I have written to encourage you, because it 
       is not very long.

       (Heb 13:23 NCV)  I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been 
       let out of prison. If he arrives soon, we will both come to see you.

       (Heb 13:24 NCV)  Greet all your leaders and all of God's people. Those 
       from Italy send greetings to you.

       (Heb 13:25 NCV)  Grace be with you all.

       (James 1:1 NCV)  From James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus 
       Christ. To all of God's people who are scattered everywhere in the 
       world: Greetings.

       (James 1:2 NCV)  My brothers and sisters, when you have many kinds of 
       troubles, you should be full of joy,

       (James 1:3 NCV)  because you know that these troubles test your faith, 
       and this will give you patience.

       (James 1:4 NCV)  Let your patience show itself perfectly in what you 
       do. Then you will be perfect and complete and will have everything you 
       need.

       (James 1:5 NCV)  But if any of you needs wisdom, you should ask God 
       for it. He is generous and enjoys giving to all people, so he will 
       give you wisdom.





       (James 1:6 NCV)  But when you ask God, you must believe and not doubt. 
       Anyone who doubts is like a wave in the sea, blown up and down by the 
       wind.

       (James 1:7 NCV)  Such doubters are thinking two different things at 
       the same time, and they cannot decide about anything they do. They 
       should not think they will receive anything from the Lord.

       (James 1:8 NCV)  

       (James 1:9 NCV)  Believers who are poor should be proud, because God 
       has made them spiritually rich.

       (James 1:10 NCV)  Those who are rich should be proud, because God has 
       shown them that they are spiritually poor. The rich will die like a 
       wild flower in the grass.

       (James 1:11 NCV)  The sun rises with burning heat and dries up the 
       plants. The flower falls off, and its beauty is gone. In the same way 
       the rich will die while they are still taking care of business.

       (James 1:12 NCV)  When people are tempted and still continue strong, 
       they should be happy. After they have proved their faith, God will 
       reward them with life forever. God promised this to all those who love 
       him.

       (James 1:13 NCV)  When people are tempted, they should not say, "God 
       is tempting me." Evil cannot tempt God, and God himself does not tempt 
       anyone.

       (James 1:14 NCV)  But people are tempted when their own evil desire 
       leads them away and traps them.

       (James 1:15 NCV)  This desire leads to sin, and then the sin grows and 
       brings death.

       (James 1:16 NCV)  My dear brothers and sisters, do not be fooled about 
       this.

       (James 1:17 NCV)  Every good action and every perfect gift is from 
       God. These good gifts come down from the Creator of the sun, moon, and 
       stars, who does not change like their shifting shadows.

       (James 1:18 NCV)  God decided to give us life through the word of 
       truth so we might be the most important of all the things he made.

       (James 1:19 NCV)  My dear brothers and sisters, always be willing to 
       listen and slow to speak. Do not become angry easily,

       (James 1:20 NCV)  because anger will not help you live the right kind 
       of life God wants.

       (James 1:21 NCV)  So put out of your life every evil thing and every 
       kind of wrong. Then in gentleness accept God's teaching that is 
       planted in your hearts, which can save you.





       (James 1:22 NCV)  Do what God's teaching says; when you only listen 
       and do nothing, you are fooling yourselves.

       (James 1:23 NCV)  Those who hear God's teaching and do nothing are 
       like people who look at themselves in a mirror.

       (James 1:24 NCV)  They see their faces and then go away and quickly 
       forget what they looked like.

       (James 1:25 NCV)  But the truly happy people are those who carefully 
       study God's perfect law that makes people free, and they continue to 
       study it. They do not forget what they heard, but they obey what God's 
       teaching says. Those who do this will be made happy.

       (James 1:26 NCV)  People who think they are religious but say things 
       they should not say are just fooling themselves. Their "religion" is 
       worth nothing.

       (James 1:27 NCV)  Religion that God accepts as pure and without fault 
       is this: caring for orphans or widows who need help, and keeping 
       yourself free from the world's evil influence.

       (James 2:1 NCV)  My dear brothers and sisters, as believers in our 
       glorious Lord Jesus Christ, never think some people are more important 
       than others.

       (James 2:2 NCV)  Suppose someone comes into your church meeting 
       wearing nice clothes and a gold ring. At the same time a poor person 
       comes in wearing old, dirty clothes.

       (James 2:3 NCV)  You show special attention to the one wearing nice 
       clothes and say, "Please, sit here in this good seat." But you say to 
       the poor person, "Stand over there," or, "Sit on the floor by my 
       feet."

       (James 2:4 NCV)  What are you doing? You are making some people more 
       important than others, and with evil thoughts you are deciding that 
       one person is better.

       (James 2:5 NCV)  Listen, my dear brothers and sisters! God chose the 
       poor in the world to be rich with faith and to receive the kingdom God 
       promised to those who love him.

       (James 2:6 NCV)  But you show no respect to the poor. The rich are 
       always trying to control your lives. They are the ones who take you to 
       court.

       (James 2:7 NCV)  And they are the ones who speak against Jesus, who 
       owns you.

       (James 2:8 NCV)  This royal law is found in the Scriptures: "Love your 
       neighbor as you love yourself." If you obey this law, you are doing 
       right.

       (James 2:9 NCV)  But if you treat one person as being more important 
       than another, you are sinning. You are guilty of breaking God's law.






       (James 2:10 NCV)  A person who follows all of God's law but fails to 
       obey even one command is guilty of breaking all the commands in that 
       law.

       (James 2:11 NCV)  The same God who said, "You must not be guilty of 
       adultery," also said, "You must not murder anyone." So if you do not 
       take part in adultery but you murder someone, you are guilty of 
       breaking all of God's law.

       (James 2:12 NCV)  In everything you say and do, remember that you will 
       be judged by the law that makes people free.

       (James 2:13 NCV)  So you must show mercy to others, or God will not 
       show mercy to you when he judges you. But the person who shows mercy 
       can stand without fear at the judgment.

       (James 2:14 NCV)  My brothers and sisters, if people say they have 
       faith, but do nothing, their faith is worth nothing. Can faith like 
       that save them?

       (James 2:15 NCV)  A brother or sister in Christ might need clothes or 
       food.

       (James 2:16 NCV)  If you say to that person, "God be with you! I hope 
       you stay warm and get plenty to eat," but you do not give what that 
       person needs, your words are worth nothing.

       (James 2:17 NCV)  In the same way, faith that is alone--that does 
       nothing--is dead.

       (James 2:18 NCV)  Someone might say, "You have faith, but I have 
       deeds." Show me your faith without doing anything, and I will show you 
       my faith by what I do.

       (James 2:19 NCV)  You believe there is one God. Good! But the demons 
       believe that, too, and they tremble with fear.

       (James 2:20 NCV)  You foolish person! Must you be shown that faith 
       that does nothing is worth nothing?

       (James 2:21 NCV)  Abraham, our ancestor, was made right with God by 
       what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar.

       (James 2:22 NCV)  So you see that Abraham's faith and the things he 
       did worked together. His faith was made perfect by what he did.

       (James 2:23 NCV)  This shows the full meaning of the Scripture that 
       says: "Abraham believed God, and God accepted Abraham's faith, and 
       that faith made him right with God." And Abraham was called God's 
       friend.

       (James 2:24 NCV)  So you see that people are made right with God by 
       what they do, not by faith only.

       (James 2:25 NCV)  Another example is Rahab, a prostitute, who was made 





       right with God by something she did. She welcomed the spies into her 
       home and helped them escape by a different road.

       (James 2:26 NCV)  Just as a person's body that does not have a spirit 
       is dead, so faith that does nothing is dead!

       (James 3:1 NCV)  My brothers and sisters, not many of you should 
       become teachers, because you know that we who teach will be judged 
       more strictly.

       (James 3:2 NCV)  We all make many mistakes. If people never said 
       anything wrong, they would be perfect and able to control their entire 
       selves, too.

       (James 3:3 NCV)  When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make 
       them obey us, we can control their whole bodies.

       (James 3:4 NCV)  Also a ship is very big, and it is pushed by strong 
       winds. But a very small rudder controls that big ship, making it go 
       wherever the pilot wants.

       (James 3:5 NCV)  It is the same with the tongue. It is a small part of 
       the body, but it brags about great things. A big forest fire can be 
       started with only a little flame.

       (James 3:6 NCV)  And the tongue is like a fire. It is a whole world of 
       evil among the parts of our bodies. The tongue spreads its evil 
       through the whole body. The tongue is set on fire by hell, and it 
       starts a fire that influences all of life.

       (James 3:7 NCV)  People can tame every kind of wild animal, bird, 
       reptile, and fish, and they have tamed them,

       (James 3:8 NCV)  but no one can tame the tongue. It is wild and evil 
       and full of deadly poison.

       (James 3:9 NCV)  We use our tongues to praise our Lord and Father, but 
       then we curse people, whom God made like himself.

       (James 3:10 NCV)  Praises and curses come from the same mouth! My 
       brothers and sisters, this should not happen.

       (James 3:11 NCV)  Do good and bad water flow from the same spring?

       (James 3:12 NCV)  My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree make olives, 
       or can a grapevine make figs? No! And a well full of salty water 
       cannot give good water.

       (James 3:13 NCV)  Are there those among you who are truly wise and 
       understanding? Then they should show it by living right and doing good 
       things with a gentleness that comes from wisdom.

       (James 3:14 NCV)  But if you are selfish and have bitter jealousy in 
       your hearts, do not brag. Your bragging is a lie that hides the truth.

       (James 3:15 NCV)  That kind of "wisdom" does not come from God but 





       from the world. It is not spiritual; it is from the devil.

       (James 3:16 NCV)  Where jealousy and selfishness are, there will be 
       confusion and every kind of evil.

       (James 3:17 NCV)  But the wisdom that comes from God is first of all 
       pure, then peaceful, gentle, and easy to please. This wisdom is always 
       ready to help those who are troubled and to do good for others. It is 
       always fair and honest.

       (James 3:18 NCV)  People who work for peace in a peaceful way plant a 
       good crop of right-living.

       (James 4:1 NCV)  Do you know where your fights and arguments come 
       from? They come from the selfish desires that war within you.

       (James 4:2 NCV)  You want things, but you do not have them. So you are 
       ready to kill and are jealous of other people, but you still cannot 
       get what you want. So you argue and fight. You do not get what you 
       want, because you do not ask God.

       (James 4:3 NCV)  Or when you ask, you do not receive because the 
       reason you ask is wrong. You want things so you can use them for your 
       own pleasures.

       (James 4:4 NCV)  So, you are not loyal to God! You should know that 
       loving the world is the same as hating God. Anyone who wants to be a 
       friend of the world becomes God's enemy.

       (James 4:5 NCV)  Do you think the Scripture means nothing that says, 
       "The Spirit that God made to live in us wants us for himself alone."

       (James 4:6 NCV)  But God gives us even more grace, as the Scripture 
       says, "God is against the proud, but he gives grace to the humble."

       (James 4:7 NCV)  So give yourselves completely to God. Stand against 
       the devil, and the devil will run from you.

       (James 4:8 NCV)  Come near to God, and God will come near to you. You 
       sinners, clean sin out of your lives. You who are trying to follow God 
       and the world at the same time, make your thinking pure.

       (James 4:9 NCV)  Be sad, cry, and weep! Change your laughter into 
       crying and your joy into sadness.

       (James 4:10 NCV)  Don't be too proud in the Lord's presence, and he 
       will make you great.

       (James 4:11 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, do not tell evil lies about 
       each other. If you speak against your fellow believers or judge them, 
       you are judging and speaking against the law they follow. And when you 
       are judging the law, you are no longer a follower of the law. You have 
       become a judge.

       (James 4:12 NCV)  God is the only Lawmaker and Judge. He is the only 
       One who can save and destroy. So it is not right for you to judge your 





       neighbor.

       (James 4:13 NCV)  Some of you say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to 
       some city. We will stay there a year, do business, and make money."

       (James 4:14 NCV)  But you do not know what will happen tomorrow! Your 
       life is like a mist. You can see it for a short time, but then it goes 
       away.

       (James 4:15 NCV)  So you should say, "If the Lord wants, we will live 
       and do this or that."

       (James 4:16 NCV)  But now you are proud and you brag. All of this 
       bragging is wrong.

       (James 4:17 NCV)  Anyone who knows the right thing to do, but does not 
       do it, is sinning.

       (James 5:1 NCV)  You rich people, listen! Cry and be very sad because 
       of the troubles that are coming to you.

       (James 5:2 NCV)  Your riches have rotted, and your clothes have been 
       eaten by moths.

       (James 5:3 NCV)  Your gold and silver have rusted, and that rust will 
       be a proof that you were wrong. It will eat your bodies like fire. You 
       saved your treasure for the last days.

       (James 5:4 NCV)  The pay you did not give the workers who mowed your 
       fields cries out against you, and the cries of the workers have been 
       heard by the Lord All-Powerful.

       (James 5:5 NCV)  Your life on earth was full of rich living and 
       pleasing yourselves with everything you wanted. You made yourselves 
       fat, like an animal ready to be killed.

       (James 5:6 NCV)  You have judged guilty and then murdered innocent 
       people, who were not against you.

       (James 5:7 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord comes 
       again. A farmer patiently waits for his valuable crop to grow from the 
       earth and for it to receive the autumn and spring rains.

       (James 5:8 NCV)  You, too, must be patient. Do not give up hope, 
       because the Lord is coming soon.

       (James 5:9 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, do not complain against each 
       other or you will be judged guilty. And the Judge is ready to come!

       (James 5:10 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, follow the example of the 
       prophets who spoke for the Lord. They suffered many hard things, but 
       they were patient.

       (James 5:11 NCV)  We say they are happy because they did not give up. 
       You have heard about Job's patience, and you know the Lord's purpose 
       for him in the end. You know the Lord is full of mercy and is kind.






       (James 5:12 NCV)  My brothers and sisters, above all, do not use an 
       oath when you make a promise. Don't use the name of heaven, earth, or 
       anything else to prove what you say. When you mean yes, say only yes, 
       and when you mean no, say only no so you will not be judged guilty.

       (James 5:13 NCV)  Anyone who is having troubles should pray. Anyone 
       who is happy should sing praises.

       (James 5:14 NCV)  Anyone who is sick should call the church's elders. 
       They should pray for and pour oil on the person in the name of the 
       Lord.

       (James 5:15 NCV)  And the prayer that is said with faith will make the 
       sick person well; the Lord will heal that person. And if the person 
       has sinned, the sins will be forgiven.

       (James 5:16 NCV)  Confess your sins to each other and pray for each 
       other so God can heal you. When a believing person prays, great things 
       happen.

       (James 5:17 NCV)  Elijah was a human being just like us. He prayed 
       that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and 
       a half years!

       (James 5:18 NCV)  Then Elijah prayed again, and the rain came down 
       from the sky, and the land produced crops again.

       (James 5:19 NCV)  My brothers and sisters, if one of you wanders away 
       from the truth, and someone helps that person come back,

       (James 5:20 NCV)  remember this: Anyone who brings a sinner back from 
       the wrong way will save that sinner's soul from death and will cause 
       many sins to be forgiven.

       (1 Pet 1:1 NCV)  From Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. To God's 
       chosen people who are away from their homes and are scattered all 
       around the countries of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and 
       Bithynia.

       (1 Pet 1:2 NCV)  God planned long ago to choose you by making you his 
       holy people, which is the Spirit's work. God wanted you to obey him 
       and to be made clean by the blood of the death of Jesus Christ. Grace 
       and peace be yours more and more.

       (1 Pet 1:3 NCV)  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus 
       Christ. In God's great mercy he has caused us to be born again into a 
       living hope, because Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

       (1 Pet 1:4 NCV)  Now we hope for the blessings God has for his 
       children. These blessings, which cannot be destroyed or be spoiled or 
       lose their beauty, are kept in heaven for you.

       (1 Pet 1:5 NCV)  God's power protects you through your faith until 
       salvation is shown to you at the end of time.





       (1 Pet 1:6 NCV)  This makes you very happy, even though now for a 
       short time different kinds of troubles may make you sad.

       (1 Pet 1:7 NCV)  These troubles come to prove that your faith is pure. 
       This purity of faith is worth more than gold, which can be proved to 
       be pure by fire but will ruin. But the purity of your faith will bring 
       you praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is shown to you.

       (1 Pet 1:8 NCV)  You have not seen Christ, but still you love him. You 
       cannot see him now, but you believe in him. So you are filled with a 
       joy that cannot be explained, a joy full of glory.

       (1 Pet 1:9 NCV)  And you are receiving the goal of your faith--the 
       salvation of your souls.

       (1 Pet 1:10 NCV)  The prophets searched carefully and tried to learn 
       about this salvation. They prophesied about the grace that was coming 
       to you.

       (1 Pet 1:11 NCV)  The Spirit of Christ was in the prophets, telling in 
       advance about the sufferings of Christ and about the glory that would 
       follow those sufferings. The prophets tried to learn about what the 
       Spirit was showing them, when those things would happen, and what the 
       world would be like at that time.

       (1 Pet 1:12 NCV)  It was shown them that their service was not for 
       themselves but for you, when they told about the truths you have now 
       heard. Those who preached the Good News to you told you those things 
       with the help of the Holy Spirit who was sent from heaven--things into 
       which angels desire to look.

       (1 Pet 1:13 NCV)  So prepare your minds for service and have 
       self-control. All your hope should be for the gift of grace that will 
       be yours when Jesus Christ is shown to you.

       (1 Pet 1:14 NCV)  Now that you are obedient children of God do not 
       live as you did in the past. You did not understand, so you did the 
       evil things you wanted.

       (1 Pet 1:15 NCV)  But be holy in all you do, just as God, the One who 
       called you, is holy.

       (1 Pet 1:16 NCV)  It is written in the Scriptures: "You must be holy, 
       because I am holy."

       (1 Pet 1:17 NCV)  You pray to God and call him Father, and he judges 
       each person's work equally. So while you are here on earth, you should 
       live with respect for God.

       (1 Pet 1:18 NCV)  You know that in the past you were living in a 
       worthless way, a way passed down from the people who lived before you. 
       But you were saved from that useless life. You were bought, not with 
       something that ruins like gold or silver,

       (1 Pet 1:19 NCV)  but with the precious blood of Christ, who was like 
       a pure and perfect lamb.






       (1 Pet 1:20 NCV)  Christ was chosen before the world was made, but he 
       was shown to the world in these last times for your sake.

       (1 Pet 1:21 NCV)  Through Christ you believe in God, who raised Christ 
       from the dead and gave him glory. So your faith and your hope are in 
       God.

       (1 Pet 1:22 NCV)  Now that you have made your souls pure by obeying 
       the truth, you can have true love for your Christian brothers and 
       sisters. So love each other deeply with all your heart.

       (1 Pet 1:23 NCV)  You have been born again, and this new life did not 
       come from something that dies, but from something that cannot die. You 
       were born again through God's living message that continues forever.

       (1 Pet 1:24 NCV)  The Scripture says, "All people are like the grass, 
       and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass dies 
       and the flowers fall,

       (1 Pet 1:25 NCV)  but the word of the Lord will live forever." And 
       this is the word that was preached to you.

       (1 Pet 2:1 NCV)  So then, rid yourselves of all evil, all lying, 
       hypocrisy, jealousy, and evil speech.

       (1 Pet 2:2 NCV)  As newborn babies want milk, you should want the pure 
       and simple teaching. By it you can grow up and be saved,

       (1 Pet 2:3 NCV)  because you have already examined and seen how good 
       the Lord is.

       (1 Pet 2:4 NCV)  Come to the Lord Jesus, the "stone" that lives. The 
       people of the world did not want this stone, but he was the stone God 
       chose, and he was precious.

       (1 Pet 2:5 NCV)  You also are like living stones, so let yourselves be 
       used to build a spiritual temple--to be holy priests who offer 
       spiritual sacrifices to God. He will accept those sacrifices through 
       Jesus Christ.

       (1 Pet 2:6 NCV)  The Scripture says: "I will put a stone in the ground 
       in Jerusalem. Everything will be built on this important and precious 
       rock. Anyone who trusts in him will never be disappointed."

       (1 Pet 2:7 NCV)  This stone is worth much to you who believe. But to 
       the people who do not believe, "the stone that the builders rejected 
       has become the cornerstone."

       (1 Pet 2:8 NCV)  Also, he is "a stone that causes people to stumble, a 
       rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they do not obey what 
       God says, which is what God planned to happen to them.

       (1 Pet 2:9 NCV)  But you are a chosen people, royal priests, a holy 
       nation, a people for God's own possession. You were chosen to tell 
       about the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into 





       his wonderful light.

       (1 Pet 2:10 NCV)  At one time you were not a people, but now you are 
       God's people. In the past you had never received mercy, but now you 
       have received God's mercy.

       (1 Pet 2:11 NCV)  Dear friends, you are like foreigners and strangers 
       in this world. I beg you to avoid the evil things your bodies want to 
       do that fight against your soul.

       (1 Pet 2:12 NCV)  People who do not believe are living all around you 
       and might say that you are doing wrong. Live such good lives that they 
       will see the good things you do and will give glory to God on the day 
       when Christ comes again.

       (1 Pet 2:13 NCV)  For the Lord's sake, yield to the people who have 
       authority in this world: the king, who is the highest authority,

       (1 Pet 2:14 NCV)  and the leaders who are sent by him to punish those 
       who do wrong and to praise those who do right.

       (1 Pet 2:15 NCV)  It is God's desire that by doing good you should 
       stop foolish people from saying stupid things about you.

       (1 Pet 2:16 NCV)  Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as 
       an excuse to do evil. Live as servants of God.

       (1 Pet 2:17 NCV)  Show respect for all people: Love the brothers and 
       sisters of God's family, respect God, honor the king.

       (1 Pet 2:18 NCV)  Slaves, yield to the authority of your masters with 
       all respect, not only those who are good and kind, but also those who 
       are dishonest.

       (1 Pet 2:19 NCV)  A person might have to suffer even when it is 
       unfair, but if he thinks of God and stands the pain, God is pleased.

       (1 Pet 2:20 NCV)  If you are beaten for doing wrong, there is no 
       reason to praise you for being patient in your punishment. But if you 
       suffer for doing good, and you are patient, then God is pleased.

       (1 Pet 2:21 NCV)  This is what you were called to do, because Christ 
       suffered for you and gave you an example to follow. So you should do 
       as he did.

       (1 Pet 2:22 NCV)  "He had never sinned, and he had never lied."

       (1 Pet 2:23 NCV)  People insulted Christ, but he did not insult them 
       in return. Christ suffered, but he did not threaten. He let God, the 
       One who judges rightly, take care of him.

       (1 Pet 2:24 NCV)  Christ carried our sins in his body on the cross so 
       we would stop living for sin and start living for what is right. And 
       you are healed because of his wounds.

       (1 Pet 2:25 NCV)  You were like sheep that wandered away, but now you 





       have come back to the Shepherd and Protector of your souls.

       (1 Pet 3:1 NCV)  In the same way, you wives should yield to your 
       husbands. Then, if some husbands do not obey God's teaching, they will 
       be persuaded to believe without anyone's saying a word to them. They 
       will be persuaded by the way their wives live.

       (1 Pet 3:2 NCV)  Your husbands will see the pure lives you live with 
       your respect for God.

       (1 Pet 3:3 NCV)  It is not fancy hair, gold jewelry, or fine clothes 
       that should make you beautiful.

       (1 Pet 3:4 NCV)  No, your beauty should come from within you--the 
       beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit that will never be destroyed and 
       is very precious to God.

       (1 Pet 3:5 NCV)  In this same way the holy women who lived long ago 
       and followed God made themselves beautiful, yielding to their own 
       husbands.

       (1 Pet 3:6 NCV)  Sarah obeyed Abraham, her husband, and called him her 
       master. And you women are true children of Sarah if you always do what 
       is right and are not afraid.

       (1 Pet 3:7 NCV)  In the same way, you husbands should live with your 
       wives in an understanding way, since they are weaker than you. But 
       show them respect, because God gives them the same blessing he gives 
       you--the grace that gives true life. Do this so that nothing will stop 
       your prayers.

       (1 Pet 3:8 NCV)  Finally, all of you should be in agreement, 
       understanding each other, loving each other as family, being kind and 
       humble.

       (1 Pet 3:9 NCV)  Do not do wrong to repay a wrong, and do not insult 
       to repay an insult. But repay with a blessing, because you yourselves 
       were called to do this so that you might receive a blessing.

       (1 Pet 3:10 NCV)  The Scripture says, "A person must do these things 
       to enjoy life and have many happy days. He must not say evil things, 
       and he must not tell lies.

       (1 Pet 3:11 NCV)  He must stop doing evil and do good. He must look 
       for peace and work for it.

       (1 Pet 3:12 NCV)  The Lord sees the good people and listens to their 
       prayers. But the Lord is against those who do evil."

       (1 Pet 3:13 NCV)  If you are trying hard to do good, no one can really 
       hurt you.

       (1 Pet 3:14 NCV)  But even if you suffer for doing right, you are 
       blessed. "Don't be afraid of what they fear; do not dread those 
       things."





       (1 Pet 3:15 NCV)  But respect Christ as the holy Lord in your hearts. 
       Always be ready to answer everyone who asks you to explain about the 
       hope you have,

       (1 Pet 3:16 NCV)  but answer in a gentle way and with respect. Keep a 
       clear conscience so that those who speak evil of your good life in 
       Christ will be made ashamed.

       (1 Pet 3:17 NCV)  It is better to suffer for doing good than for doing 
       wrong if that is what God wants.

       (1 Pet 3:18 NCV)  Christ himself suffered for sins once. He was not 
       guilty, but he suffered for those who are guilty to bring you to God. 
       His body was killed, but he was made alive in the spirit.

       (1 Pet 3:19 NCV)  And in the spirit he went and preached to the 
       spirits in prison

       (1 Pet 3:20 NCV)  who refused to obey God long ago in the time of 
       Noah. God was waiting patiently for them while Noah was building the 
       boat. Only a few people--eight in all--were saved by water.

       (1 Pet 3:21 NCV)  And that water is like baptism that now saves 
       you--not the washing of dirt from the body, but the promise made to 
       God from a good conscience. And this is because Jesus Christ was 
       raised from the dead.

       (1 Pet 3:22 NCV)  Now Jesus has gone into heaven and is at God's right 
       side ruling over angels, authorities, and powers.

       (1 Pet 4:1 NCV)  Since Christ suffered while he was in his body, 
       strengthen yourselves with the same way of thinking Christ had. The 
       person who has suffered in the body is finished with sin.

       (1 Pet 4:2 NCV)  Strengthen yourselves so that you will live here on 
       earth doing what God wants, not the evil things people want.

       (1 Pet 4:3 NCV)  In the past you wasted too much time doing what 
       nonbelievers enjoy. You were guilty of sexual sins, evil desires, 
       drunkenness, wild and drunken parties, and hateful idol worship.

       (1 Pet 4:4 NCV)  Nonbelievers think it is strange that you do not do 
       the many wild and wasteful things they do, so they insult you.

       (1 Pet 4:5 NCV)  But they will have to explain this to God, who is 
       ready to judge the living and the dead.

       (1 Pet 4:6 NCV)  For this reason the Good News was preached to those 
       who are now dead. Even though they were judged like all people, the 
       Good News was preached to them so they could live in the spirit as God 
       lives.

       (1 Pet 4:7 NCV)  The time is near when all things will end. So think 
       clearly and control yourselves so you will be able to pray.

       (1 Pet 4:8 NCV)  Most importantly, love each other deeply, because 





       love will cause many sins to be forgiven.

       (1 Pet 4:9 NCV)  Open your homes to each other, without complaining.

       (1 Pet 4:10 NCV)  Each of you has received a gift to use to serve 
       others. Be good servants of God's various gifts of grace.

       (1 Pet 4:11 NCV)  Anyone who speaks should speak words from God. 
       Anyone who serves should serve with the strength God gives so that in 
       everything God will be praised through Jesus Christ. Power and glory 
       belong to him forever and ever. Amen.

       (1 Pet 4:12 NCV)  My friends, do not be surprised at the terrible 
       trouble which now comes to test you. Do not think that something 
       strange is happening to you.

       (1 Pet 4:13 NCV)  But be happy that you are sharing in Christ's 
       sufferings so that you will be happy and full of joy when Christ comes 
       again in glory.

       (1 Pet 4:14 NCV)  When people insult you because you follow Christ, 
       you are blessed, because the glorious Spirit, the Spirit of God, is 
       with you.

       (1 Pet 4:15 NCV)  Do not suffer for murder, theft, or any other crime, 
       nor because you trouble other people.

       (1 Pet 4:16 NCV)  But if you suffer because you are a Christian, do 
       not be ashamed. Praise God because you wear that name.

       (1 Pet 4:17 NCV)  It is time for judgment to begin with God's family. 
       And if that judging begins with us, what will happen to those people 
       who do not obey the Good News of God?

       (1 Pet 4:18 NCV)  "If it is very hard for a good person to be saved, 
       the wicked person and the sinner will surely be lost!"

       (1 Pet 4:19 NCV)  So those who suffer as God wants should trust their 
       souls to the faithful Creator as they continue to do what is right.

       (1 Pet 5:1 NCV)  Now I have something to say to the elders in your 
       group. I also am an elder. I have seen Christ's sufferings, and I will 
       share in the glory that will be shown to us. I beg you to

       (1 Pet 5:2 NCV)  shepherd God's flock, for whom you are responsible. 
       Watch over them because you want to, not because you are forced. That 
       is how God wants it. Do it because you are happy to serve, not because 
       you want money.

       (1 Pet 5:3 NCV)  Do not be like a ruler over people you are 
       responsible for, but be good examples to them.

       (1 Pet 5:4 NCV)  Then when Christ, the Chief Shepherd, comes, you will 
       get a glorious crown that will never lose its beauty.

       (1 Pet 5:5 NCV)  In the same way, younger people should be willing to 





       be under older people. And all of you should be very humble with each 
       other. "God is against the proud, but he gives grace to the humble."

       (1 Pet 5:6 NCV)  Be humble under God's powerful hand so he will lift 
       you up when the right time comes.

       (1 Pet 5:7 NCV)  Give all your worries to him, because he cares about 
       you.

       (1 Pet 5:8 NCV)  Control yourselves and be careful! The devil, your 
       enemy, goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to eat.

       (1 Pet 5:9 NCV)  Refuse to give in to him, by standing strong in your 
       faith. You know that your Christian family all over the world is 
       having the same kinds of suffering.

       (1 Pet 5:10 NCV)  And after you suffer for a short time, God, who 
       gives all grace, will make everything right. He will make you strong 
       and support you and keep you from falling. He called you to share in 
       his glory in Christ, a glory that will continue forever.

       (1 Pet 5:11 NCV)  All power is his forever and ever. Amen.

       (1 Pet 5:12 NCV)  I wrote this short letter with the help of Silas, 
       who I know is a faithful brother in Christ. I wrote to encourage you 
       and to tell you that this is the true grace of God. Stand strong in 
       that grace.

       (1 Pet 5:13 NCV)  The church in Babylon, who was chosen like you, 
       sends you greetings. Mark, my son in Christ, also greets you.

       (1 Pet 5:14 NCV)  Give each other a kiss of Christian love when you 
       meet. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

       (2 Pet 1:1 NCV)  From Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus 
       Christ. To you who have received a faith as valuable as ours, because 
       our God and Savior Jesus Christ does what is right.

       (2 Pet 1:2 NCV)  Grace and peace be given to you more and more, 
       because you truly know God and Jesus our Lord.

       (2 Pet 1:3 NCV)  Jesus has the power of God, by which he has given us 
       everything we need to live and to serve God. We have these things 
       because we know him. Jesus called us by his glory and goodness.

       (2 Pet 1:4 NCV)  Through these he gave us the very great and precious 
       promises. With these gifts you can share in being like God, and the 
       world will not ruin you with its evil desires.

       (2 Pet 1:5 NCV)  Because you have these blessings, do your best to add 
       these things to your lives: to your faith, add goodness; and to your 
       goodness, add knowledge;

       (2 Pet 1:6 NCV)  and to your knowledge, add self-control; and to your 
       self-control, add patience; and to your patience, add service for God;





       (2 Pet 1:7 NCV)  and to your service for God, add kindness for your 
       brothers and sisters in Christ; and to this kindness, add love.

       (2 Pet 1:8 NCV)  If all these things are in you and are growing, they 
       will help you to be useful and productive in your knowledge of our 
       Lord Jesus Christ.

       (2 Pet 1:9 NCV)  But anyone who does not have these things cannot see 
       clearly. He is blind and has forgotten that he was made clean from his 
       past sins.

       (2 Pet 1:10 NCV)  My brothers and sisters, try hard to be certain that 
       you really are called and chosen by God. If you do all these things, 
       you will never fall.

       (2 Pet 1:11 NCV)  And you will be given a very great welcome into the 
       eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

       (2 Pet 1:12 NCV)  You know these things, and you are very strong in 
       the truth, but I will always help you remember them.

       (2 Pet 1:13 NCV)  I think it is right for me to help you remember as 
       long as I am in this body.

       (2 Pet 1:14 NCV)  I know I must soon leave this body, as our Lord 
       Jesus Christ has shown me.

       (2 Pet 1:15 NCV)  I will try my best so that you may be able to 
       remember these things even after I am gone.

       (2 Pet 1:16 NCV)  When we told you about the powerful coming of our 
       Lord Jesus Christ, we were not telling just smart stories that someone 
       invented. But we saw the greatness of Jesus with our own eyes.

       (2 Pet 1:17 NCV)  Jesus heard the voice of God, the Greatest Glory, 
       when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice said, 
       "This is my Son, whom I love, and I am very pleased with him."

       (2 Pet 1:18 NCV)  We heard that voice from heaven while we were with 
       Jesus on the holy mountain.

       (2 Pet 1:19 NCV)  This makes us more sure about the message the 
       prophets gave. It is good for you to follow closely what they said as 
       you would follow a light shining in a dark place, until the day begins 
       and the morning star rises in your hearts.

       (2 Pet 1:20 NCV)  Most of all, you must understand this: No prophecy 
       in the Scriptures ever comes from the prophet's own interpretation.

       (2 Pet 1:21 NCV)  No prophecy ever came from what a person wanted to 
       say, but people led by the Holy Spirit spoke words from God.

       (2 Pet 2:1 NCV)  There used to be false prophets among God's people, 
       just as you will have some false teachers in your group. They will 
       secretly teach things that are wrong--teachings that will cause people 
       to be lost. They will even refuse to accept the Master, Jesus, who 





       bought their freedom. So they will bring quick ruin on themselves.

       (2 Pet 2:2 NCV)  Many will follow their evil ways and say evil things 
       about the way of truth.

       (2 Pet 2:3 NCV)  Those false teachers only want your money, so they 
       will use you by telling you lies. Their judgment spoken against them 
       long ago is still coming, and their ruin is certain.

       (2 Pet 2:4 NCV)  When angels sinned, God did not let them go free 
       without punishment. He sent them to hell and put them in caves of 
       darkness where they are being held for judgment.

       (2 Pet 2:5 NCV)  And God punished the world long ago when he brought a 
       flood to the world that was full of people who were against him. But 
       God saved Noah, who preached about being right with God, and seven 
       other people with him.

       (2 Pet 2:6 NCV)  And God also destroyed the evil cities of Sodom and 
       Gomorrah by burning them until they were ashes. He made those cities 
       an example of what will happen to those who are against God.

       (2 Pet 2:7 NCV)  But he saved Lot from those cities. Lot, a good man, 
       was troubled because of the filthy lives of evil people.

       (2 Pet 2:8 NCV)  (Lot was a good man, but because he lived with evil 
       people every day, his good heart was hurt by the evil things he saw 
       and heard.)

       (2 Pet 2:9 NCV)  So the Lord knows how to save those who serve him 
       when troubles come. He will hold evil people and punish them, while 
       waiting for the Judgment Day.

       (2 Pet 2:10 NCV)  That punishment is especially for those who live by 
       doing the evil things their sinful selves want and who hate authority. 
       These false teachers are bold and do anything they want. They are not 
       afraid to speak against the angels.

       (2 Pet 2:11 NCV)  But even the angels, who are much stronger and more 
       powerful than false teachers, do not accuse them with insults before 
       the Lord.

       (2 Pet 2:12 NCV)  But these people speak against things they do not 
       understand. They are like animals that act without thinking, animals 
       born to be caught and killed. And, like animals, these false teachers 
       will be destroyed.

       (2 Pet 2:13 NCV)  They have caused many people to suffer, so they 
       themselves will suffer. That is their pay for what they have done. 
       They take pleasure in openly doing evil, so they are like dirty spots 
       and stains among you. They delight in trickery while eating meals with 
       you.

       (2 Pet 2:14 NCV)  Every time they look at a woman they want her, and 
       their desire for sin is never satisfied. They lead weak people into 
       the trap of sin, and they have taught their hearts to be greedy. God 





       will punish them!

       (2 Pet 2:15 NCV)  These false teachers left the right road and lost 
       their way, following the way Balaam went. Balaam was the son of Beor, 
       who loved being paid for doing wrong.

       (2 Pet 2:16 NCV)  But a donkey, which cannot talk, told Balaam he was 
       sinning. It spoke with a man's voice and stopped the prophet's crazy 
       thinking.

       (2 Pet 2:17 NCV)  Those false teachers are like springs without water 
       and clouds blown by a storm. A place in the blackest darkness has been 
       kept for them.

       (2 Pet 2:18 NCV)  They brag with words that mean nothing. By their 
       evil desires they lead people into the trap of sin--people who are 
       just beginning to escape from others who live in error.

       (2 Pet 2:19 NCV)  They promise them freedom, but they themselves are 
       not free. They are slaves of things that will be destroyed. For people 
       are slaves of anything that controls them.

       (2 Pet 2:20 NCV)  They were made free from the evil in the world by 
       knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But if they return to evil 
       things and those things control them, then it is worse for them than 
       it was before.

       (2 Pet 2:21 NCV)  Yes, it would be better for them to have never known 
       the right way than to know it and to turn away from the holy teaching 
       that was given to them.

       (2 Pet 2:22 NCV)  What they did is like this true saying: "A dog goes 
       back to what it has thrown up," and, "After a pig is washed, it goes 
       back and rolls in the mud."

       (2 Pet 3:1 NCV)  My friends, this is the second letter I have written 
       you to help your honest minds remember.

       (2 Pet 3:2 NCV)  I want you to think about the words the holy prophets 
       spoke in the past, and remember the command our Lord and Savior gave 
       us through your apostles.

       (2 Pet 3:3 NCV)  It is most important for you to understand what will 
       happen in the last days. People will laugh at you. They will live 
       doing the evil things they want to do.

       (2 Pet 3:4 NCV)  They will say, "Jesus promised to come again. Where 
       is he? Our fathers have died, but the world continues the way it has 
       been since it was made."

       (2 Pet 3:5 NCV)  But they do not want to remember what happened long 
       ago. By the word of God heaven was made, and the earth was made from 
       water and with water.

       (2 Pet 3:6 NCV)  Then the world was flooded and destroyed with water.





       (2 Pet 3:7 NCV)  And that same word of God is keeping heaven and earth 
       that we now have in order to be destroyed by fire. They are being kept 
       for the Judgment Day and the destruction of all who are against God.

       (2 Pet 3:8 NCV)  But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: To 
       the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as 
       one day.

       (2 Pet 3:9 NCV)  The Lord is not slow in doing what he promised--the 
       way some people understand slowness. But God is being patient with 
       you. He does not want anyone to be lost, but he wants all people to 
       change their hearts and lives.

       (2 Pet 3:10 NCV)  But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The 
       skies will disappear with a loud noise. Everything in them will be 
       destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be burned 
       up.

       (2 Pet 3:11 NCV)  In that way everything will be destroyed. So what 
       kind of people should you be? You should live holy lives and serve 
       God,

       (2 Pet 3:12 NCV)  as you wait for and look forward to the coming of 
       the day of God. When that day comes, the skies will be destroyed with 
       fire, and everything in them will melt with heat.

       (2 Pet 3:13 NCV)  But God made a promise to us, and we are waiting for 
       a new heaven and a new earth where goodness lives.

       (2 Pet 3:14 NCV)  Dear friends, since you are waiting for this to 
       happen, do your best to be without sin and without fault. Try to be at 
       peace with God.

       (2 Pet 3:15 NCV)  Remember that we are saved because our Lord is 
       patient. Our dear brother Paul told you the same thing when he wrote 
       to you with the wisdom that God gave him.

       (2 Pet 3:16 NCV)  He writes about this in all his letters. Some things 
       in Paul's letters are hard to understand, and people who are ignorant 
       and weak in faith explain these things falsely. They also falsely 
       explain the other Scriptures, but they are destroying themselves by 
       doing this.

       (2 Pet 3:17 NCV)  Dear friends, since you already know about this, be 
       careful. Do not let those evil people lead you away by the wrong they 
       do. Be careful so you will not fall from your strong faith.

       (2 Pet 3:18 NCV)  But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and 
       Savior Jesus Christ. Glory be to him now and forever! Amen.

       (1 John 1:1 NCV)  We write you now about what has always existed, 
       which we have heard, we have seen with our own eyes, we have looked 
       at, and we have touched with our hands. We write to you about the Word 
       that gives life.

       (1 John 1:2 NCV)  He who gives life was shown to us. We saw him and 





       can give proof about it. And now we announce to you that he has life 
       that continues forever. He was with God the Father and was shown to 
       us.

       (1 John 1:3 NCV)  We announce to you what we have seen and heard, 
       because we want you also to have fellowship with us. Our fellowship is 
       with God the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

       (1 John 1:4 NCV)  We write this to you so you can be full of joy with 
       us.

       (1 John 1:5 NCV)  Here is the message we have heard from Christ and 
       now announce to you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness at 
       all.

       (1 John 1:6 NCV)  So if we say we have fellowship with God, but we 
       continue living in darkness, we are liars and do not follow the truth.

       (1 John 1:7 NCV)  But if we live in the light, as God is in the light, 
       we can share fellowship with each other. Then the blood of Jesus, 
       God's Son, cleanses us from every sin.

       (1 John 1:8 NCV)  If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, 
       and the truth is not in us.

       (1 John 1:9 NCV)  But if we confess our sins, he will forgive our 
       sins, because we can trust God to do what is right. He will cleanse us 
       from all the wrongs we have done.

       (1 John 1:10 NCV)  If we say we have not sinned, we make God a liar, 
       and we do not accept God's teaching.

       (1 John 2:1 NCV)  My dear children, I write this letter to you so you 
       will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have a helper in the presence 
       of the Father--Jesus Christ, the One who does what is right.

       (1 John 2:2 NCV)  He is the way our sins are taken away, and not only 
       our sins but the sins of all people.

       (1 John 2:3 NCV)  We can be sure that we know God if we obey his 
       commands.

       (1 John 2:4 NCV)  Anyone who says, "I know God," but does not obey 
       God's commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.

       (1 John 2:5 NCV)  But if someone obeys God's teaching, then in that 
       person God's love has truly reached its goal. This is how we can be 
       sure we are living in God:

       (1 John 2:6 NCV)  Whoever says that he lives in God must live as Jesus 
       lived.

       (1 John 2:7 NCV)  My dear friends, I am not writing a new command to 
       you but an old command you have had from the beginning. It is the 
       teaching you have already heard.





       (1 John 2:8 NCV)  But also I am writing a new command to you, and you 
       can see its truth in Jesus and in you, because the darkness is passing 
       away, and the true light is already shining.

       (1 John 2:9 NCV)  Anyone who says, "I am in the light," but hates a 
       brother or sister, is still in the darkness.

       (1 John 2:10 NCV)  Whoever loves a brother or sister lives in the 
       light and will not cause anyone to stumble in his faith.

       (1 John 2:11 NCV)  But whoever hates a brother or sister is in 
       darkness, lives in darkness, and does not know where to go, because 
       the darkness has made that person blind.

       (1 John 2:12 NCV)  I write to you, dear children, because your sins 
       are forgiven through Christ.

       (1 John 2:13 NCV)  I write to you, parents, because you know the One 
       who existed from the beginning. I write to you, young people, because 
       you have defeated the Evil One.

       (1 John 2:14 NCV)  I write to you, children, because you know the 
       Father. I write to you, parents, because you know the One who existed 
       from the beginning. I write to you, young people, because you are 
       strong; the teaching of God lives in you, and you have defeated the 
       Evil One.

       (1 John 2:15 NCV)  Do not love the world or the things in the world. 
       If you love the world, the love of the Father is not in you.

       (1 John 2:16 NCV)  These are the ways of the world: wanting to please 
       our sinful selves, wanting the sinful things we see, and being too 
       proud of what we have. None of these come from the Father, but all of 
       them come from the world.

       (1 John 2:17 NCV)  The world and everything that people want in it are 
       passing away, but the person who does what God wants lives forever.

       (1 John 2:18 NCV)  My dear children, these are the last days. You have 
       heard that the enemy of Christ is coming, and now many enemies of 
       Christ are already here. This is how we know that these are the last 
       days.

       (1 John 2:19 NCV)  These enemies of Christ were in our fellowship, but 
       they left us. They never really belonged to us; if they had been a 
       part of us, they would have stayed with us. But they left, and this 
       shows that none of them really belonged to us.

       (1 John 2:20 NCV)  You have the gift that the Holy One gave you, so 
       you all know the truth.

       (1 John 2:21 NCV)  I do not write to you because you do not know the 
       truth but because you do know the truth. And you know that no lie 
       comes from the truth.

       (1 John 2:22 NCV)  Who is the liar? It is the person who does not 





       accept Jesus as the Christ. This is the enemy of Christ: the person 
       who does not accept the Father and his Son.

       (1 John 2:23 NCV)  Whoever does not accept the Son does not have the 
       Father. But whoever confesses the Son has the Father, too.

       (1 John 2:24 NCV)  Be sure you continue to follow the teaching you 
       heard from the beginning. If you continue to follow what you heard 
       from the beginning, you will stay in the Son and in the Father.

       (1 John 2:25 NCV)  And this is what the Son promised to us--life 
       forever.

       (1 John 2:26 NCV)  I am writing this letter about those people who are 
       trying to lead you the wrong way.

       (1 John 2:27 NCV)  Christ gave you a special gift that is still in 
       you, so you do not need any other teacher. His gift teaches you about 
       everything, and it is true, not false. So continue to live in Christ, 
       as his gift taught you.

       (1 John 2:28 NCV)  Yes, my dear children, live in him so that when 
       Christ comes back, we can be without fear and not be ashamed in his 
       presence.

       (1 John 2:29 NCV)  If you know that Christ is all that is right, you 
       know that all who do right are God's children.

       (1 John 3:1 NCV)  The Father has loved us so much that we are called 
       children of God. And we really are his children. The reason the people 
       in the world do not know us is that they have not known him.

       (1 John 3:2 NCV)  Dear friends, now we are children of God, and we 
       have not yet been shown what we will be in the future. But we know 
       that when Christ comes again, we will be like him, because we will see 
       him as he really is.

       (1 John 3:3 NCV)  Christ is pure, and all who have this hope in Christ 
       keep themselves pure like Christ.

       (1 John 3:4 NCV)  The person who sins breaks God's law. Yes, sin is 
       living against God's law.

       (1 John 3:5 NCV)  You know that Christ came to take away sins and that 
       there is no sin in Christ.

       (1 John 3:6 NCV)  So anyone who lives in Christ does not go on 
       sinning. Anyone who goes on sinning has never really understood Christ 
       and has never known him.

       (1 John 3:7 NCV)  Dear children, do not let anyone lead you the wrong 
       way. Christ is all that is right. So to be like Christ a person must 
       do what is right.

       (1 John 3:8 NCV)  The devil has been sinning since the beginning, so 
       anyone who continues to sin belongs to the devil. The Son of God came 





       for this purpose: to destroy the devil's work.

       (1 John 3:9 NCV)  Those who are God's children do not continue 
       sinning, because the new life from God remains in them. They are not 
       able to go on sinning, because they have become children of God.

       (1 John 3:10 NCV)  So we can see who God's children are and who the 
       devil's children are: Those who do not do what is right are not God's 
       children, and those who do not love their brothers and sisters are not 
       God's children.

       (1 John 3:11 NCV)  This is the teaching you have heard from the 
       beginning: We must love each other.

       (1 John 3:12 NCV)  Do not be like Cain who belonged to the Evil One 
       and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because the things 
       Cain did were evil, and the things his brother did were good.

       (1 John 3:13 NCV)  Brothers and sisters, do not be surprised when the 
       people of the world hate you.

       (1 John 3:14 NCV)  We know we have left death and have come into life 
       because we love each other. Whoever does not love is still dead.

       (1 John 3:15 NCV)  Everyone who hates a brother or sister is a 
       murderer, and you know that no murderers have eternal life in them.

       (1 John 3:16 NCV)  This is how we know what real love is: Jesus gave 
       his life for us. So we should give our lives for our brothers and 
       sisters.

       (1 John 3:17 NCV)  Suppose someone has enough to live and sees a 
       brother or sister in need, but does not help. Then God's love is not 
       living in that person.

       (1 John 3:18 NCV)  My children, we should love people not only with 
       words and talk, but by our actions and true caring.

       (1 John 3:19 NCV)  This is the way we know that we belong to the way 
       of truth. When our hearts make us feel guilty, we can still have peace 
       before God. God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

       (1 John 3:20 NCV)  

       (1 John 3:21 NCV)  My dear friends, if our hearts do not make us feel 
       guilty, we can come without fear into God's presence.

       (1 John 3:22 NCV)  And God gives us what we ask for because we obey 
       God's commands and do what pleases him.

       (1 John 3:23 NCV)  This is what God commands: that we believe in his 
       Son, Jesus Christ, and that we love each other, just as he commanded.

       (1 John 3:24 NCV)  The people who obey God's commands live in God, and 
       God lives in them. We know that God lives in us because of the Spirit 
       God gave us.






       (1 John 4:1 NCV)  My dear friends, many false prophets have gone out 
       into the world. So do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits 
       to see if they are from God.

       (1 John 4:2 NCV)  This is how you can know God's Spirit: Every spirit 
       who confesses that Jesus Christ came to earth as a human is from God.

       (1 John 4:3 NCV)  And every spirit who refuses to say this about Jesus 
       is not from God. It is the spirit of the enemy of Christ, which you 
       have heard is coming, and now he is already in the world.

       (1 John 4:4 NCV)  My dear children, you belong to God and have 
       defeated them; because God's Spirit, who is in you, is greater than 
       the devil, who is in the world.

       (1 John 4:5 NCV)  And they belong to the world, so what they say is 
       from the world, and the world listens to them.

       (1 John 4:6 NCV)  But we belong to God, and those who know God listen 
       to us. But those who are not from God do not listen to us. That is how 
       we know the Spirit that is true and the spirit that is false.

       (1 John 4:7 NCV)  Dear friends, we should love each other, because 
       love comes from God. Everyone who loves has become God's child and 
       knows God.

       (1 John 4:8 NCV)  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God 
       is love.

       (1 John 4:9 NCV)  This is how God showed his love to us: He sent his 
       one and only Son into the world so that we could have life through 
       him.

       (1 John 4:10 NCV)  This is what real love is: It is not our love for 
       God; it is God's love for us in sending his Son to be the way to take 
       away our sins.

       (1 John 4:11 NCV)  Dear friends, if God loved us that much we also 
       should love each other.

       (1 John 4:12 NCV)  No one has ever seen God, but if we love each 
       other, God lives in us, and his love is made perfect in us.

       (1 John 4:13 NCV)  We know that we live in God and he lives in us, 
       because he gave us his Spirit.

       (1 John 4:14 NCV)  We have seen and can testify that the Father sent 
       his Son to be the Savior of the world.

       (1 John 4:15 NCV)  Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God has 
       God living inside, and that person lives in God.

       (1 John 4:16 NCV)  And so we know the love that God has for us, and we 
       trust that love. God is love. Those who live in love live in God, and 
       God lives in them.






       (1 John 4:17 NCV)  This is how love is made perfect in us: that we can 
       be without fear on the day God judges us, because in this world we are 
       like him.

       (1 John 4:18 NCV)  Where God's love is, there is no fear, because 
       God's perfect love drives out fear. It is punishment that makes a 
       person fear, so love is not made perfect in the person who fears.

       (1 John 4:19 NCV)  We love because God first loved us.

       (1 John 4:20 NCV)  If people say, "I love God," but hate their 
       brothers or sisters, they are liars. Those who do not love their 
       brothers and sisters, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they 
       have never seen.

       (1 John 4:21 NCV)  And God gave us this command: Those who love God 
       must also love their brothers and sisters.

       (1 John 5:1 NCV)  Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is 
       God's child, and whoever loves the Father also loves the Father's 
       children.

       (1 John 5:2 NCV)  This is how we know we love God's children: when we 
       love God and obey his commands.

       (1 John 5:3 NCV)  Loving God means obeying his commands. And God's 
       commands are not too hard for us,

       (1 John 5:4 NCV)  because everyone who is a child of God conquers the 
       world. And this is the victory that conquers the world--our faith.

       (1 John 5:5 NCV)  So the one who wins against the world is the person 
       who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

       (1 John 5:6 NCV)  Jesus Christ is the One who came by water and blood. 
       He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit 
       says that this is true, because the Spirit is the truth.

       (1 John 5:7 NCV)  So there are three witnesses that tell us about 
       Jesus:

       (1 John 5:8 NCV)  the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these 
       three witnesses agree.

       (1 John 5:9 NCV)  We believe people when they say something is true. 
       But what God says is more important, and he has told us the truth 
       about his own Son.

       (1 John 5:10 NCV)  Anyone who believes in the Son of God has the truth 
       that God told us. Anyone who does not believe makes God a liar, 
       because that person does not believe what God told us about his Son.

       (1 John 5:11 NCV)  This is what God told us: God has given us eternal 
       life, and this life is in his Son.





       (1 John 5:12 NCV)  Whoever has the Son has life, but whoever does not 
       have the Son of God does not have life.

       (1 John 5:13 NCV)  I write this letter to you who believe in the Son 
       of God so you will know you have eternal life.

       (1 John 5:14 NCV)  And this is the boldness we have in God's presence: 
       that if we ask God for anything that agrees with what he wants, he 
       hears us.

       (1 John 5:15 NCV)  If we know he hears us every time we ask him, we 
       know we have what we ask from him.

       (1 John 5:16 NCV)  If anyone sees a brother or sister sinning (sin 
       that does not lead to eternal death), that person should pray, and God 
       will give the sinner life. I am talking about people whose sin does 
       not lead to eternal death. There is sin that leads to death. I do not 
       mean that a person should pray about that sin.

       (1 John 5:17 NCV)  Doing wrong is always sin, but there is sin that 
       does not lead to eternal death.

       (1 John 5:18 NCV)  We know that those who are God's children do not 
       continue to sin. The Son of God keeps them safe, and the Evil One 
       cannot touch them.

       (1 John 5:19 NCV)  We know that we belong to God, but the Evil One 
       controls the whole world.

       (1 John 5:20 NCV)  We also know that the Son of God has come and has 
       given us understanding so that we can know the True One. And our lives 
       are in the True One and in his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God 
       and the eternal life.

       (1 John 5:21 NCV)  So, dear children, keep yourselves away from gods.

       (2 John 1:1 NCV)  From the Elder. To the chosen lady and her children: 
       I love all of you in the truth, and all those who know the truth love 
       you.

       (2 John 1:2 NCV)  We love you because of the truth that lives in us 
       and will be with us forever.

       (2 John 1:3 NCV)  Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and his 
       Son, Jesus Christ, will be with us in truth and love.

       (2 John 1:4 NCV)  I was very happy to learn that some of your children 
       are following the way of truth, as the Father commanded us.

       (2 John 1:5 NCV)  And now, dear lady, this is not a new command but is 
       the same command we have had from the beginning. I ask you that we all 
       love each other.

       (2 John 1:6 NCV)  And love means living the way God commanded us to 
       live. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is this: Live 
       a life of love.






       (2 John 1:7 NCV)  Many false teachers are in the world now who do not 
       confess that Jesus Christ came to earth as a human. Anyone who does 
       not confess this is a false teacher and an enemy of Christ.

       (2 John 1:8 NCV)  Be careful yourselves that you do not lose 
       everything you have worked for, but that you receive your full reward.

       (2 John 1:9 NCV)  Anyone who goes beyond Christ's teaching and does 
       not continue to follow only his teaching does not have God. But 
       whoever continues to follow the teaching of Christ has both the Father 
       and the Son.

       (2 John 1:10 NCV)  If someone comes to you and does not bring this 
       teaching, do not welcome or accept that person into your house.

       (2 John 1:11 NCV)  If you welcome such a person, you share in the evil 
       work.

       (2 John 1:12 NCV)  I have many things to write to you, but I do not 
       want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to come to you and talk 
       face to face so we can be full of joy.

       (2 John 1:13 NCV)  The children of your chosen sister greet you.

       (3 John 1:1 NCV)  From the Elder. To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love 
       in the truth:

       (3 John 1:2 NCV)  My dear friend, I know your soul is doing fine, and 
       I pray that you are doing well in every way and that your health is 
       good.

       (3 John 1:3 NCV)  I was very happy when some brothers and sisters came 
       and told me about the truth in your life and how you are following the 
       way of truth.

       (3 John 1:4 NCV)  Nothing gives me greater joy than to hear that my 
       children are following the way of truth.

       (3 John 1:5 NCV)  My dear friend, it is good that you help the 
       brothers and sisters, even those you do not know.

       (3 John 1:6 NCV)  They told the church about your love. Please help 
       them to continue their trip in a way worthy of God.

       (3 John 1:7 NCV)  They started out in service to Christ, and they have 
       been accepting nothing from nonbelievers.

       (3 John 1:8 NCV)  So we should help such people; when we do, we share 
       in their work for the truth.

       (3 John 1:9 NCV)  I wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes, who 
       loves to be their leader, will not listen to us.

       (3 John 1:10 NCV)  So if I come, I will talk about what Diotrephes is 
       doing, about how he lies and says evil things about us. But more than 





       that, he refuses to accept the other brothers and sisters; he even 
       stops those who do want to accept them and puts them out of the 
       church.

       (3 John 1:11 NCV)  My dear friend, do not follow what is bad; follow 
       what is good. The one who does good belongs to God. But the one who 
       does evil has never known God.

       (3 John 1:12 NCV)  Everyone says good things about Demetrius, and the 
       truth agrees with what they say. We also speak well of him, and you 
       know what we say is true.

       (3 John 1:13 NCV)  I have many things I want to write you, but I do 
       not want to use pen and ink.

       (3 John 1:14 NCV)  I hope to see you soon and talk face to face.

       (3 John 1:15 NCV)  Peace to you. The friends here greet you. Please 
       greet each friend there by name.

       (Jude 1:1 NCV)  From Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of 
       James. To all who have been called by God. God the Father loves you, 
       and you have been kept safe in Jesus Christ:

       (Jude 1:2 NCV)  Mercy, peace, and love be yours richly.

       (Jude 1:3 NCV)  Dear friends, I wanted very much to write you about 
       the salvation we all share. But I felt the need to write you about 
       something else: I want to encourage you to fight hard for the faith 
       that was given the holy people of God once and for all time.

       (Jude 1:4 NCV)  Some people have secretly entered your group. Long ago 
       the prophets wrote about these people who will be judged guilty. They 
       are against God and have changed the grace of our God into a reason 
       for sexual sin. They also refuse to accept Jesus Christ, our only 
       Master and Lord.

       (Jude 1:5 NCV)  I want to remind you of some things you already know: 
       Remember that the Lord saved his people by bringing them out of the 
       land of Egypt. But later he destroyed all those who did not believe.

       (Jude 1:6 NCV)  And remember the angels who did not keep their place 
       of power but left their proper home. The Lord has kept these angels in 
       darkness, bound with everlasting chains, to be judged on the great 
       day.

       (Jude 1:7 NCV)  Also remember the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and the 
       other towns around them. In the same way they were full of sexual sin 
       and people who desired sexual relations that God does not allow. They 
       suffer the punishment of eternal fire, as an example for all to see.

       (Jude 1:8 NCV)  It is the same with these people who have entered your 
       group. They are guided by dreams and make themselves filthy with sin. 
       They reject God's authority and speak against the angels.

       (Jude 1:9 NCV)  Not even the archangel Michael, when he argued with 





       the devil about who would have the body of Moses, dared to judge the 
       devil guilty. Instead, he said, "The Lord punish you."

       (Jude 1:10 NCV)  But these people speak against things they do not 
       understand. And what they do know, by feeling, as dumb animals know 
       things, are the very things that destroy them.

       (Jude 1:11 NCV)  It will be terrible for them. They have followed the 
       way of Cain, and for money they have given themselves to doing the 
       wrong that Balaam did. They have fought against God as Korah did, and 
       like Korah, they surely will be destroyed.

       (Jude 1:12 NCV)  They are like dirty spots in your special Christian 
       meals you share. They eat with you and have no fear, caring only for 
       themselves. They are clouds without rain, which the wind blows around. 
       They are autumn trees without fruit that are pulled out of the ground. 
       So they are twice dead.

       (Jude 1:13 NCV)  They are like wild waves of the sea, tossing up their 
       own shameful actions like foam. They are like stars that wander in the 
       sky. A place in the blackest darkness has been kept for them forever.

       (Jude 1:14 NCV)  Enoch, the seventh descendant from Adam, said about 
       these people: "Look, the Lord is coming with many thousands of his 
       holy angels to

       (Jude 1:15 NCV)  judge every person. He is coming to punish all who 
       are against God for all the evil they have done against him. And he 
       will punish the sinners who are against God for all the evil they have 
       said against him."

       (Jude 1:16 NCV)  These people complain and blame others, doing the 
       evil things they want to do. They brag about themselves, and they 
       flatter others to get what they want.

       (Jude 1:17 NCV)  Dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord 
       Jesus Christ said before.

       (Jude 1:18 NCV)  They said to you, "In the last times there will be 
       people who laugh about God, following their own evil desires which are 
       against God."

       (Jude 1:19 NCV)  These are the people who divide you, people whose 
       thoughts are only of this world, who do not have the Spirit.

       (Jude 1:20 NCV)  But dear friends, use your most holy faith to build 
       yourselves up, praying in the Holy Spirit.

       (Jude 1:21 NCV)  Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the 
       Lord Jesus Christ with his mercy to give you life forever.

       (Jude 1:22 NCV)  Show mercy to some people who have doubts.

       (Jude 1:23 NCV)  Take others out of the fire, and save them. Show 
       mercy mixed with fear to others, hating even their clothes which are 
       dirty from sin.






       (Jude 1:24 NCV)  God is strong and can help you not to fall. He can 
       bring you before his glory without any wrong in you and can give you 
       great joy.

       (Jude 1:25 NCV)  He is the only God, the One who saves us. To him be 
       glory, greatness, power, and authority through Jesus Christ our Lord 
       for all time past, now, and forever. Amen.

       (Rev 1:1 NCV)  This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave 
       to him, to show his servants what must soon happen. And Jesus sent his 
       angel to show it to his servant John,

       (Rev 1:2 NCV)  who has told everything he has seen. It is the word of 
       God; it is the message from Jesus Christ.

       (Rev 1:3 NCV)  Happy is the one who reads the words of God's message, 
       and happy are the people who hear this message and do what is written 
       in it. The time is near when all of this will happen.

       (Rev 1:4 NCV)  From John. To the seven churches in the country of 
       Asia: Grace and peace to you from the One who is and was and is 
       coming, and from the seven spirits before his throne,

       (Rev 1:5 NCV)  and from Jesus Christ. Jesus is the faithful witness, 
       the first among those raised from the dead. He is the ruler of the 
       kings of the earth. He is the One who loves us, who made us free from 
       our sins with the blood of his death.

       (Rev 1:6 NCV)  He made us to be a kingdom of priests who serve God his 
       Father. To Jesus Christ be glory and power forever and ever! Amen.

       (Rev 1:7 NCV)  Look, Jesus is coming with the clouds, and everyone 
       will see him, even those who stabbed him. And all peoples of the earth 
       will cry loudly because of him. Yes, this will happen! Amen.

       (Rev 1:8 NCV)  The Lord God says, "I am the Alpha and the Omega. I am 
       the One who is and was and is coming. I am the Almighty."

       (Rev 1:9 NCV)  I, John, am your brother. All of us share with Christ 
       in suffering, in the kingdom, and in patience to continue. I was on 
       the island of Patmos, because I had preached the word of God and the 
       message about Jesus.

       (Rev 1:10 NCV)  On the Lord's day I was in the Spirit, and I heard a 
       loud voice behind me that sounded like a trumpet.

       (Rev 1:11 NCV)  The voice said, "Write what you see in a book and send 
       it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, 
       Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea."

       (Rev 1:12 NCV)  I turned to see who was talking to me. When I turned, 
       I saw seven golden lampstands

       (Rev 1:13 NCV)  and someone among the lampstands who was "like a Son 
       of Man." He was dressed in a long robe and had a gold band around his 





       chest.

       (Rev 1:14 NCV)  His head and hair were white like wool, as white as 
       snow, and his eyes were like flames of fire.

       (Rev 1:15 NCV)  His feet were like bronze that glows hot in a furnace, 
       and his voice was like the noise of flooding water.

       (Rev 1:16 NCV)  He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp 
       double-edged sword came out of his mouth. He looked like the sun 
       shining at its brightest time.

       (Rev 1:17 NCV)  When I saw him, I fell down at his feet like a dead 
       man. He put his right hand on me and said, "Do not be afraid. I am the 
       First and the Last.

       (Rev 1:18 NCV)  I am the One who lives; I was dead, but look, I am 
       alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys to death and to the place 
       of the dead.

       (Rev 1:19 NCV)  So write the things you see, what is now and what will 
       happen later.

       (Rev 1:20 NCV)  Here is the secret of the seven stars that you saw in 
       my right hand and the seven golden lampstands: The seven lampstands 
       are the seven churches, and the seven stars are the angels of the 
       seven churches.

       (Rev 2:1 NCV)  "Write this to the angel of the church in Ephesus: "The 
       One who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the 
       seven golden lampstands says this:

       (Rev 2:2 NCV)  I know what you do, how you work hard and never give 
       up. I know you do not put up with the false teachings of evil people. 
       You have tested those who say they are apostles but really are not, 
       and you found they are liars.

       (Rev 2:3 NCV)  You have patience and have suffered troubles for my 
       name and have not given up.

       (Rev 2:4 NCV)  "But I have this against you: You have left the love 
       you had in the beginning.

       (Rev 2:5 NCV)  So remember where you were before you fell. Change your 
       hearts and do what you did at first. If you do not change, I will come 
       to you and will take away your lampstand from its place.

       (Rev 2:6 NCV)  But there is something you do that is right: You hate 
       what the Nicolaitans do, as much as I.

       (Rev 2:7 NCV)  "Every person who has ears should listen to what the 
       Spirit says to the churches. To those who win the victory I will give 
       the right to eat the fruit from the tree of life, which is in the 
       garden of God.

       (Rev 2:8 NCV)  "Write this to the angel of the church in Smyrna: "The 





       One who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again, 
       says this:

       (Rev 2:9 NCV)  I know your troubles and that you are poor, but really 
       you are rich! I know the bad things some people say about you. They 
       say they are Jews, but they are not true Jews. They are a synagogue 
       that belongs to Satan.

       (Rev 2:10 NCV)  Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I 
       tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and 
       you will suffer for ten days. But be faithful, even if you have to 
       die, and I will give you the crown of life.

       (Rev 2:11 NCV)  "Everyone who has ears should listen to what the 
       Spirit says to the churches. Those who win the victory will not be 
       hurt by the second death.

       (Rev 2:12 NCV)  "Write this to the angel of the church in Pergamum: 
       "The One who has the sharp, double-edged sword says this:

       (Rev 2:13 NCV)  I know where you live. It is where Satan has his 
       throne. But you are true to me. You did not refuse to tell about your 
       faith in me even during the time of Antipas, my faithful witness who 
       was killed in your city, where Satan lives.

       (Rev 2:14 NCV)  "But I have a few things against you: You have some 
       there who follow the teaching of Balaam. He taught Balak how to cause 
       the people of Israel to sin by eating food offered to idols and by 
       taking part in sexual sins.

       (Rev 2:15 NCV)  You also have some who follow the teaching of the 
       Nicolaitans.

       (Rev 2:16 NCV)  So change your hearts and lives. If you do not, I will 
       come to you quickly and fight against them with the sword that comes 
       out of my mouth.

       (Rev 2:17 NCV)  "Everyone who has ears should listen to what the 
       Spirit says to the churches. "I will give some of the hidden manna to 
       everyone who wins the victory. I will also give to each one who wins 
       the victory a white stone with a new name written on it. No one knows 
       this new name except the one who receives it.

       (Rev 2:18 NCV)  "Write this to the angel of the church in Thyatira: 
       "The Son of God, who has eyes that blaze like fire and feet like 
       shining bronze, says this:

       (Rev 2:19 NCV)  I know what you do. I know about your love, your 
       faith, your service, and your patience. I know that you are doing more 
       now than you did at first.

       (Rev 2:20 NCV)  But I have this against you: You let that woman 
       Jezebel spread false teachings. She says she is a prophetess, but by 
       her teaching she leads my people to take part in sexual sins and to 
       eat food that is offered to idols.





       (Rev 2:21 NCV)  I have given her time to change her heart and turn 
       away from her sin, but she does not want to change.

       (Rev 2:22 NCV)  So I will throw her on a bed of suffering. And all 
       those who take part in adultery with her will suffer greatly if they 
       do not turn away from the wrongs she does.

       (Rev 2:23 NCV)  I will also kill her followers. Then all the churches 
       will know I am the One who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay 
       each of you for what you have done.

       (Rev 2:24 NCV)  "But others of you in Thyatira have not followed her 
       teaching and have not learned what some call Satan's deep secrets. I 
       say to you that I will not put any other load on you.

       (Rev 2:25 NCV)  Only continue in your loyalty until I come.

       (Rev 2:26 NCV)  "I will give power over the nations to everyone who 
       wins the victory and continues to be obedient to me until the end.

       (Rev 2:27 NCV)  'You will rule over them with an iron rod, as when 
       pottery is broken into pieces.'

       (Rev 2:28 NCV)  This is the same power I received from my Father. I 
       will also give him the morning star.

       (Rev 2:29 NCV)  Everyone who has ears should listen to what the Spirit 
       says to the churches.

       (Rev 3:1 NCV)  "Write this to the angel of the church in Sardis: "The 
       One who has the seven spirits and the seven stars says this: I know 
       what you do. People say that you are alive, but really you are dead.

       (Rev 3:2 NCV)  Wake up! Make yourselves stronger before what you have 
       left dies completely. I have found that what you are doing is less 
       than what my God wants.

       (Rev 3:3 NCV)  So do not forget what you have received and heard. Obey 
       it, and change your hearts and lives. So you must wake up, or I will 
       come like a thief, and you will not know when I will come to you.

       (Rev 3:4 NCV)  But you have a few there in Sardis who have kept their 
       clothes unstained, so they will walk with me and will wear white 
       clothes, because they are worthy.

       (Rev 3:5 NCV)  Those who win the victory will be dressed in white 
       clothes like them. And I will not erase their names from the book of 
       life, but I will say they belong to me before my Father and before his 
       angels.

       (Rev 3:6 NCV)  Everyone who has ears should listen to what the Spirit 
       says to the churches.

       (Rev 3:7 NCV)  "Write this to the angel of the church in Philadelphia: 
       "This is what the One who is holy and true, who holds the key of 
       David, says. When he opens a door, no one can close it. And when he 





       closes it, no one can open it.

       (Rev 3:8 NCV)  I know what you do. I have put an open door before you, 
       which no one can close. I know you have a little strength, but you 
       have obeyed my teaching and were not afraid to speak my name.

       (Rev 3:9 NCV)  Those in the synagogue that belongs to Satan say they 
       are Jews, but they are not true Jews; they are liars. I will make them 
       come before you and bow at your feet, and they will know that I have 
       loved you.

       (Rev 3:10 NCV)  You have obeyed my teaching about not giving up your 
       faith. So I will keep you from the time of trouble that will come to 
       the whole world to test those who live on earth.

       (Rev 3:11 NCV)  "I am coming soon. Continue strong in your faith so no 
       one will take away your crown.

       (Rev 3:12 NCV)  I will make those who win the victory pillars in the 
       temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. I will write 
       on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new 
       Jerusalem, that comes down out of heaven from my God. I will also 
       write on them my new name.

       (Rev 3:13 NCV)  Everyone who has ears should listen to what the Spirit 
       says to the churches.

       (Rev 3:14 NCV)  "Write this to the angel of the church in Laodicea: 
       "The Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of all God has 
       made, says this:

       (Rev 3:15 NCV)  I know what you do, that you are not hot or cold. I 
       wish that you were hot or cold!

       (Rev 3:16 NCV)  But because you are lukewarm--neither hot, nor cold--I 
       am ready to spit you out of my mouth.

       (Rev 3:17 NCV)  You say, 'I am rich, and I have become wealthy and do 
       not need anything.' But you do not know that you are really miserable, 
       pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.

       (Rev 3:18 NCV)  I advise you to buy from me gold made pure in fire so 
       you can be truly rich. Buy from me white clothes so you can be clothed 
       and so you can cover your shameful nakedness. Buy from me medicine to 
       put on your eyes so you can truly see.

       (Rev 3:19 NCV)  "I correct and punish those whom I love. So be eager 
       to do right, and change your hearts and lives.

       (Rev 3:20 NCV)  Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear 
       my voice and open the door, I will come in and eat with you, and you 
       will eat with me.

       (Rev 3:21 NCV)  "Those who win the victory will sit with me on my 
       throne in the same way that I won the victory and sat down with my 
       Father on his throne.






       (Rev 3:22 NCV)  Everyone who has ears should listen to what the Spirit 
       says to the churches."

       (Rev 4:1 NCV)  After the vision of these things I looked, and there 
       before me was an open door in heaven. And the same voice that spoke to 
       me before, that sounded like a trumpet, said, "Come up here, and I 
       will show you what must happen after this."

       (Rev 4:2 NCV)  Immediately I was in the Spirit, and before me was a 
       throne in heaven, and someone was sitting on it.

       (Rev 4:3 NCV)  The One who sat on the throne looked like precious 
       stones, like jasper and carnelian. All around the throne was a rainbow 
       the color of an emerald.

       (Rev 4:4 NCV)  Around the throne there were twenty-four other thrones 
       with twenty-four elders sitting on them. They were dressed in white 
       and had golden crowns on their heads.

       (Rev 4:5 NCV)  Lightning flashes and noises and thundering came from 
       the throne. Before the throne seven lamps were burning, which are the 
       seven spirits of God.

       (Rev 4:6 NCV)  Also before the throne there was something that looked 
       like a sea of glass, clear like crystal. In the center and around the 
       throne were four living creatures with eyes all over them, in front 
       and in back.

       (Rev 4:7 NCV)  The first living creature was like a lion. The second 
       was like a calf. The third had a face like a man. The fourth was like 
       a flying eagle.

       (Rev 4:8 NCV)  Each of these four living creatures had six wings and 
       was covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day and night they 
       never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. He was, 
       he is, and he is coming."

       (Rev 4:9 NCV)  These living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to 
       the One who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever.

       (Rev 4:10 NCV)  Then the twenty-four elders bow down before the One 
       who sits on the throne, and they worship him who lives forever and 
       ever. They put their crowns down before the throne and say:

       (Rev 4:11 NCV)  "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory 
       and honor and power, because you made all things. Everything existed 
       and was made, because you wanted it."

       (Rev 5:1 NCV)  Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the One 
       sitting on the throne. The scroll had writing on both sides and was 
       kept closed with seven seals.

       (Rev 5:2 NCV)  And I saw a powerful angel calling in a loud voice, 
       "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?"





       (Rev 5:3 NCV)  But there was no one in heaven or on earth or under the 
       earth who could open the scroll or look inside it.

       (Rev 5:4 NCV)  I cried hard because there was no one who was worthy to 
       open the scroll or look inside.

       (Rev 5:5 NCV)  But one of the elders said to me, "Do not cry! The Lion 
       from the tribe of Judah, David's descendant, has won the victory so 
       that he is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."

       (Rev 5:6 NCV)  Then I saw a Lamb standing in the center of the throne 
       and in the middle of the four living creatures and the elders. The 
       Lamb looked as if he had been killed. He had seven horns and seven 
       eyes, which are the seven spirits of God that were sent into all the 
       world.

       (Rev 5:7 NCV)  The Lamb came and took the scroll from the right hand 
       of the One sitting on the throne.

       (Rev 5:8 NCV)  When he took the scroll, the four living creatures and 
       the twenty-four elders bowed down before the Lamb. Each one of them 
       had a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of 
       God's holy people.

       (Rev 5:9 NCV)  And they all sang a new song to the Lamb: "You are 
       worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were 
       killed, and with the blood of your death you bought people for God 
       from every tribe, language, people, and nation.

       (Rev 5:10 NCV)  You made them to be a kingdom of priests for our God, 
       and they will rule on the earth."

       (Rev 5:11 NCV)  Then I looked, and I heard the voices of many angels 
       around the throne, and the four living creatures, and the elders. 
       There were thousands and thousands of angels,

       (Rev 5:12 NCV)  saying in a loud voice: "The Lamb who was killed is 
       worthy to receive power, wealth, wisdom, and strength, honor, glory, 
       and praise!"

       (Rev 5:13 NCV)  Then I heard all creatures in heaven and on earth and 
       under the earth and in the sea saying: "To the One who sits on the 
       throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power forever 
       and ever."

       (Rev 5:14 NCV)  The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders 
       bowed down and worshiped.

       (Rev 6:1 NCV)  Then I watched while the Lamb opened the first of the 
       seven seals. I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice 
       like thunder, "Come!"

       (Rev 6:2 NCV)  I looked, and there before me was a white horse. The 
       rider on the horse held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode 
       out, determined to win the victory.





       (Rev 6:3 NCV)  When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the 
       second living creature say, "Come!"

       (Rev 6:4 NCV)  Then another horse came out, a red one. Its rider was 
       given power to take away peace from the earth and to make people kill 
       each other, and he was given a big sword.

       (Rev 6:5 NCV)  When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third 
       living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black 
       horse, and its rider held a pair of scales in his hand.

       (Rev 6:6 NCV)  Then I heard something that sounded like a voice coming 
       from the middle of the four living creatures. The voice said, "A quart 
       of wheat for a day's pay, and three quarts of barley for a day's pay, 
       and do not damage the olive oil and wine!"

       (Rev 6:7 NCV)  When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice 
       of the fourth living creature say, "Come!"

       (Rev 6:8 NCV)  I looked, and there before me was a pale horse. Its 
       rider was named death, and Hades was following close behind him. They 
       were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill people by war, by 
       starvation, by disease, and by the wild animals of the earth.

       (Rev 6:9 NCV)  When the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the 
       altar the souls of those who had been killed because they were 
       faithful to the word of God and to the message they had received.

       (Rev 6:10 NCV)  These souls shouted in a loud voice, "Holy and true 
       Lord, how long until you judge the people of the earth and punish them 
       for killing us?"

       (Rev 6:11 NCV)  Then each one of them was given a white robe and was 
       told to wait a short time longer. There were still some of their 
       fellow servants and brothers and sisters in the service of Christ who 
       must be killed as they were. They had to wait until all of this was 
       finished.

       (Rev 6:12 NCV)  Then I watched while the Lamb opened the sixth seal, 
       and there was a great earthquake. The sun became black like rough 
       black cloth, and the whole moon became red like blood.

       (Rev 6:13 NCV)  And the stars in the sky fell to the earth like figs 
       falling from a fig tree when the wind blows.

       (Rev 6:14 NCV)  The sky disappeared as a scroll when it is rolled up, 
       and every mountain and island was moved from its place.

       (Rev 6:15 NCV)  Then the kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, 
       the rich people, the powerful people, the slaves, and the free people 
       hid themselves in caves and in the rocks on the mountains.

       (Rev 6:16 NCV)  They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on 
       us. Hide us from the face of the One who sits on the throne and from 
       the anger of the Lamb!





       (Rev 6:17 NCV)  The great day for their anger has come, and who can 
       stand against it?"

       (Rev 7:1 NCV)  After the vision of these things I saw four angels 
       standing at the four corners of the earth. The angels were holding the 
       four winds of the earth to keep them from blowing on the land or on 
       the sea or on any tree.

       (Rev 7:2 NCV)  Then I saw another angel coming up from the east who 
       had the seal of the living God. And he called out in a loud voice to 
       the four angels to whom God had given power to harm the earth and the 
       sea.

       (Rev 7:3 NCV)  He said to them, "Do not harm the land or the sea or 
       the trees until we mark with a sign the foreheads of the people who 
       serve our God."

       (Rev 7:4 NCV)  Then I heard how many people were marked with the sign. 
       There were one hundred forty-four thousand from every tribe of the 
       people of Israel.

       (Rev 7:5 NCV)  From the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were marked 
       with the sign, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the 
       tribe of Gad twelve thousand,

       (Rev 7:6 NCV)  from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe 
       of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh twelve 
       thousand,

       (Rev 7:7 NCV)  from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the 
       tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve 
       thousand,

       (Rev 7:8 NCV)  from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the 
       tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, and from the tribe of Benjamin twelve 
       thousand were marked with the sign.

       (Rev 7:9 NCV)  After the vision of these things I looked, and there 
       was a great number of people, so many that no one could count them. 
       They were from every nation, tribe, people, and language of the earth. 
       They were all standing before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing 
       white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.

       (Rev 7:10 NCV)  They were shouting in a loud voice, "Salvation belongs 
       to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."

       (Rev 7:11 NCV)  All the angels were standing around the throne and the 
       elders and the four living creatures. They all bowed down on their 
       faces before the throne and worshiped God,

       (Rev 7:12 NCV)  saying, "Amen! Praise, glory, wisdom, thanks, honor, 
       power, and strength belong to our God forever and ever. Amen!"

       (Rev 7:13 NCV)  Then one of the elders asked me, "Who are these people 
       dressed in white robes? Where did they come from?"





       (Rev 7:14 NCV)  I answered, "You know, sir." And the elder said to me, 
       "These are the people who have come out of the great distress. They 
       have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

       (Rev 7:15 NCV)  Because of this, they are before the throne of God. 
       They worship him day and night in his temple. And the One who sits on 
       the throne will be present with them.

       (Rev 7:16 NCV)  Those people will never be hungry again, and they will 
       never be thirsty again. The sun will not hurt them, and no heat will 
       burn them,

       (Rev 7:17 NCV)  because the Lamb at the center of the throne will be 
       their shepherd. He will lead them to springs of water that give life. 
       And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

       (Rev 8:1 NCV)  When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was 
       silence in heaven for about half an hour.

       (Rev 8:2 NCV)  And I saw the seven angels who stand before God and to 
       whom were given seven trumpets.

       (Rev 8:3 NCV)  Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a 
       golden pan for incense. He was given much incense to offer with the 
       prayers of all God's holy people. The angel put this offering on the 
       golden altar before the throne.

       (Rev 8:4 NCV)  The smoke from the incense went up from the angel's 
       hand to God with the prayers of God's people.

       (Rev 8:5 NCV)  Then the angel filled the incense pan with fire from 
       the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were flashes of 
       lightning, thunder and loud noises, and an earthquake.

       (Rev 8:6 NCV)  Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets 
       prepared to blow them.

       (Rev 8:7 NCV)  The first angel blew his trumpet, and hail and fire 
       mixed with blood were poured down on the earth. And a third of the 
       earth, and all the green grass, and a third of the trees were burned 
       up.

       (Rev 8:8 NCV)  Then the second angel blew his trumpet, and something 
       that looked like a big mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into 
       the sea. And a third of the sea became blood,

       (Rev 8:9 NCV)  a third of the living things in the sea died, and a 
       third of the ships were destroyed.

       (Rev 8:10 NCV)  Then the third angel blew his trumpet, and a large 
       star, burning like a torch, fell from the sky. It fell on a third of 
       the rivers and on the springs of water.

       (Rev 8:11 NCV)  The name of the star is Wormwood. And a third of all 
       the water became bitter, and many people died from drinking the water 
       that was bitter.






       (Rev 8:12 NCV)  Then the fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of 
       the sun, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars were 
       struck. So a third of them became dark, and a third of the day was 
       without light, and also the night.

       (Rev 8:13 NCV)  While I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying high 
       in the air cry out in a loud voice, "Trouble! Trouble! Trouble for 
       those who live on the earth because of the remaining sounds of the 
       trumpets that the other three angels are about to blow!"

       (Rev 9:1 NCV)  Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star 
       fall from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the deep 
       hole that leads to the bottomless pit.

       (Rev 9:2 NCV)  Then it opened up the hole that leads to the bottomless 
       pit, and smoke came up from the hole like smoke from a big furnace. 
       Then the sun and sky became dark because of the smoke from the hole.

       (Rev 9:3 NCV)  Then locusts came down to the earth out of the smoke, 
       and they were given the power to sting like scorpions.

       (Rev 9:4 NCV)  They were told not to harm the grass on the earth or 
       any plant or tree. They could harm only the people who did not have 
       the sign of God on their foreheads.

       (Rev 9:5 NCV)  These locusts were not given the power to kill anyone, 
       but to cause pain to the people for five months. And the pain they 
       felt was like the pain a scorpion gives when it stings someone.

       (Rev 9:6 NCV)  During those days people will look for a way to die, 
       but they will not find it. They will want to die, but death will run 
       away from them.

       (Rev 9:7 NCV)  The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On 
       their heads they wore what looked like crowns of gold, and their faces 
       looked like human faces.

       (Rev 9:8 NCV)  Their hair was like women's hair, and their teeth were 
       like lions' teeth.

       (Rev 9:9 NCV)  Their chests looked like iron breastplates, and the 
       sound of their wings was like the noise of many horses and chariots 
       hurrying into battle.

       (Rev 9:10 NCV)  The locusts had tails with stingers like scorpions, 
       and in their tails was their power to hurt people for five months.

       (Rev 9:11 NCV)  The locusts had a king who was the angel of the 
       bottomless pit. His name in the Hebrew language is Abaddon and in the 
       Greek language is Apollyon.

       (Rev 9:12 NCV)  The first trouble is past; there are still two other 
       troubles that will come.

       (Rev 9:13 NCV)  Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a 





       voice coming from the horns on the golden altar that is before God.

       (Rev 9:14 NCV)  The voice said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, 
       "Free the four angels who are tied at the great river Euphrates."

       (Rev 9:15 NCV)  And they let loose the four angels who had been kept 
       ready for this hour and day and month and year so they could kill a 
       third of all people on the earth.

       (Rev 9:16 NCV)  I heard how many troops on horses were in their 
       army--two hundred million.

       (Rev 9:17 NCV)  The horses and their riders I saw in the vision looked 
       like this: They had breastplates that were fiery red, dark blue, and 
       yellow like sulfur. The heads of the horses looked like heads of 
       lions, with fire, smoke, and sulfur coming out of their mouths.

       (Rev 9:18 NCV)  A third of all the people on earth were killed by 
       these three terrible disasters coming out of the horses' mouths: the 
       fire, the smoke, and the sulfur.

       (Rev 9:19 NCV)  The horses' power was in their mouths and in their 
       tails; their tails were like snakes with heads, and with them they 
       hurt people.

       (Rev 9:20 NCV)  The other people who were not killed by these terrible 
       disasters still did not change their hearts and turn away from what 
       they had made with their own hands. They did not stop worshiping 
       demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood--things 
       that cannot see or hear or walk.

       (Rev 9:21 NCV)  These people did not change their hearts and turn away 
       from murder or evil magic, from their sexual sins or stealing.

       (Rev 10:1 NCV)  Then I saw another powerful angel coming down from 
       heaven dressed in a cloud with a rainbow over his head. His face was 
       like the sun, and his legs were like pillars of fire.

       (Rev 10:2 NCV)  The angel was holding a small scroll open in his hand. 
       He put his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land.

       (Rev 10:3 NCV)  Then he shouted loudly like the roaring of a lion. And 
       when he shouted, the voices of seven thunders spoke.

       (Rev 10:4 NCV)  When the seven thunders spoke, I started to write. But 
       I heard a voice from heaven say, "Keep hidden what the seven thunders 
       said, and do not write them down."

       (Rev 10:5 NCV)  Then the angel I saw standing on the sea and on the 
       land raised his right hand to heaven,

       (Rev 10:6 NCV)  and he made a promise by the power of the One who 
       lives forever and ever. He is the One who made the skies and all that 
       is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that 
       is in it. The angel promised, "There will be no more waiting!





       (Rev 10:7 NCV)  In the days when the seventh angel is ready to blow 
       his trumpet, God's secret will be finished. This secret is the Good 
       News God told to his servants, the prophets."

       (Rev 10:8 NCV)  Then I heard the same voice from heaven again, saying 
       to me: "Go and take the open scroll that is in the hand of the angel 
       that is standing on the sea and on the land."

       (Rev 10:9 NCV)  So I went to the angel and told him to give me the 
       small scroll. And he said to me, "Take the scroll and eat it. It will 
       be sour in your stomach, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey."

       (Rev 10:10 NCV)  So I took the small scroll from the angel's hand and 
       ate it. In my mouth it tasted sweet as honey, but after I ate it, it 
       was sour in my stomach.

       (Rev 10:11 NCV)  Then I was told, "You must prophesy again about many 
       peoples, nations, languages, and kings."

       (Rev 11:1 NCV)  I was given a measuring stick like a rod, and I was 
       told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the 
       people worshiping there.

       (Rev 11:2 NCV)  But do not measure the yard outside the temple. Leave 
       it alone, because it has been given to those who are not God's people. 
       And they will trample on the holy city for forty-two months.

       (Rev 11:3 NCV)  And I will give power to my two witnesses to prophesy 
       for one thousand two hundred sixty days, and they will be dressed in 
       rough cloth to show their sadness."

       (Rev 11:4 NCV)  These two witnesses are the two olive trees and the 
       two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.

       (Rev 11:5 NCV)  And if anyone tries to hurt them, fire comes from 
       their mouths and kills their enemies. And if anyone tries to hurt them 
       in whatever way, in that same way that person will die.

       (Rev 11:6 NCV)  These witnesses have the power to stop the sky from 
       raining during the time they are prophesying. And they have power to 
       make the waters become blood, and they have power to send every kind 
       of trouble to the earth as many times as they want.

       (Rev 11:7 NCV)  When the two witnesses have finished telling their 
       message, the beast that comes up from the bottomless pit will fight a 
       war against them. He will defeat them and kill them.

       (Rev 11:8 NCV)  The bodies of the two witnesses will lie in the street 
       of the great city where the Lord was killed. This city is named Sodom 
       and Egypt, which has a spiritual meaning.

       (Rev 11:9 NCV)  Those from every race of people, tribe, language, and 
       nation will look at the bodies of the two witnesses for three and 
       one-half days, and they will refuse to bury them.

       (Rev 11:10 NCV)  People who live on the earth will rejoice and be 





       happy because these two are dead. They will send each other gifts, 
       because these two prophets brought much suffering to those who live on 
       the earth.

       (Rev 11:11 NCV)  But after three and one-half days, God put the breath 
       of life into the two prophets again. They stood on their feet, and 
       everyone who saw them became very afraid.

       (Rev 11:12 NCV)  Then the two prophets heard a loud voice from heaven 
       saying, "Come up here!" And they went up into heaven in a cloud as 
       their enemies watched.

       (Rev 11:13 NCV)  In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a 
       tenth of the city was destroyed. Seven thousand people were killed in 
       the earthquake, and those who did not die were very afraid and gave 
       glory to the God of heaven.

       (Rev 11:14 NCV)  The second trouble is finished. Pay attention: The 
       third trouble is coming soon.

       (Rev 11:15 NCV)  Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet. And there 
       were loud voices in heaven, saying: "The power to rule the world now 
       belongs to our Lord and his Christ, and he will rule forever and 
       ever."

       (Rev 11:16 NCV)  Then the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones 
       before God, bowed down on their faces and worshiped God.

       (Rev 11:17 NCV)  They said: "We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, 
       who is and who was, because you have used your great power and have 
       begun to rule!

       (Rev 11:18 NCV)  The people of the world were angry, but your anger 
       has come. The time has come to judge the dead and to reward your 
       servants the prophets and your holy people, all who respect you, great 
       and small. The time has come to destroy those who destroy the earth!"

       (Rev 11:19 NCV)  Then God's temple in heaven was opened. The Ark that 
       holds the agreement God gave to his people could be seen in his 
       temple. Then there were flashes of lightning, noises, thunder, an 
       earthquake, and a great hailstorm.

       (Rev 12:1 NCV)  And then a great wonder appeared in heaven: A woman 
       was clothed with the sun, and the moon was under her feet, and a crown 
       of twelve stars was on her head.

       (Rev 12:2 NCV)  She was pregnant and cried out with pain, because she 
       was about to give birth.

       (Rev 12:3 NCV)  Then another wonder appeared in heaven: There was a 
       giant red dragon with seven heads and seven crowns on each head. He 
       also had ten horns.

       (Rev 12:4 NCV)  His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and 
       threw them down to the earth. He stood in front of the woman who was 
       ready to give birth so he could eat her baby as soon as it was born.






       (Rev 12:5 NCV)  Then the woman gave birth to a son who will rule all 
       the nations with an iron rod. And her child was taken up to God and to 
       his throne.

       (Rev 12:6 NCV)  The woman ran away into the desert to a place God 
       prepared for her where she would be taken care of for one thousand two 
       hundred sixty days.

       (Rev 12:7 NCV)  Then there was a war in heaven. Michael and his angels 
       fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.

       (Rev 12:8 NCV)  But the dragon was not strong enough, and he and his 
       angels lost their place in heaven.

       (Rev 12:9 NCV)  The giant dragon was thrown down out of heaven. (He is 
       that old snake called the devil or Satan, who tricks the whole world.) 
       The dragon with his angels was thrown down to the earth.

       (Rev 12:10 NCV)  Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying: "The 
       salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority 
       of his Christ have now come. The accuser of our brothers and sisters, 
       who accused them day and night before our God, has been thrown down.

       (Rev 12:11 NCV)  And our brothers and sisters defeated him by the 
       blood of the Lamb's death and by the message they preached. They did 
       not love their lives so much that they were afraid of death.

       (Rev 12:12 NCV)  So rejoice, you heavens and all who live there! But 
       it will be terrible for the earth and the sea, because the devil has 
       come down to you! He is filled with anger, because he knows he does 
       not have much time."

       (Rev 12:13 NCV)  When the dragon saw he had been thrown down to the 
       earth, he hunted for the woman who had given birth to the son.

       (Rev 12:14 NCV)  But the woman was given the two wings of a great 
       eagle so she could fly to the place prepared for her in the desert. 
       There she would be taken care of for three and one-half years, away 
       from the snake.

       (Rev 12:15 NCV)  Then the snake poured water out of its mouth like a 
       river toward the woman so the flood would carry her away.

       (Rev 12:16 NCV)  But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth 
       and swallowing the river that came from the mouth of the dragon.

       (Rev 12:17 NCV)  Then the dragon was very angry at the woman, and he 
       went off to make war against all her other children--those who obey 
       God's commands and who have the message Jesus taught.

       (Rev 12:18 NCV)  And the dragon stood on the seashore.

       (Rev 13:1 NCV)  Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It had 
       ten horns and seven heads, and there was a crown on each horn. A name 
       against God was written on each head.






       (Rev 13:2 NCV)  This beast looked like a leopard, with feet like a 
       bear's feet and a mouth like a lion's mouth. And the dragon gave the 
       beast all of his power and his throne and great authority.

       (Rev 13:3 NCV)  One of the heads of the beast looked as if it had been 
       killed by a wound, but this death wound was healed. Then the whole 
       world was amazed and followed the beast.

       (Rev 13:4 NCV)  People worshiped the dragon because he had given his 
       power to the beast. And they also worshiped the beast, asking, "Who is 
       like the beast? Who can make war against it?"

       (Rev 13:5 NCV)  The beast was allowed to say proud words and words 
       against God, and it was allowed to use its power for forty-two months.

       (Rev 13:6 NCV)  It used its mouth to speak against God, against God's 
       name, against the place where God lives, and against all those who 
       live in heaven.

       (Rev 13:7 NCV)  It was given power to make war against God's holy 
       people and to defeat them. It was given power over every tribe, 
       people, language, and nation.

       (Rev 13:8 NCV)  And all who live on earth will worship the beast--all 
       the people since the beginning of the world whose names are not 
       written in the Lamb's book of life. The Lamb is the One who was 
       killed.

       (Rev 13:9 NCV)  Anyone who has ears should listen:

       (Rev 13:10 NCV)  If you are to be a prisoner, then you will be a 
       prisoner. If you are to be killed with the sword, then you will be 
       killed with the sword. This means that God's holy people must have 
       patience and faith.

       (Rev 13:11 NCV)  Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. 
       It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon.

       (Rev 13:12 NCV)  This beast stands before the first beast and uses the 
       same power the first beast has. By this power it makes everyone living 
       on earth worship the first beast, who had the death wound that was 
       healed.

       (Rev 13:13 NCV)  And the second beast does great miracles so that it 
       even makes fire come down from heaven to earth while people are 
       watching.

       (Rev 13:14 NCV)  It fools those who live on earth by the miracles it 
       has been given the power to do. It does these miracles to serve the 
       first beast. The second beast orders people to make an idol to honor 
       the first beast, the one that was wounded by the deadly sword but 
       sprang to life again.

       (Rev 13:15 NCV)  The second beast was given power to give life to the 
       idol of the first one so that the idol could speak. And the second 





       beast was given power to command all who will not worship the image of 
       the beast to be killed.

       (Rev 13:16 NCV)  The second beast also forced all people, small and 
       great, rich and poor, free and slave, to have a mark on their right 
       hand or on their forehead.

       (Rev 13:17 NCV)  No one could buy or sell without this mark, which is 
       the name of the beast or the number of its name.

       (Rev 13:18 NCV)  This takes wisdom. Let the one who has understanding 
       find the meaning of the number, which is the number of a person. Its 
       number is six hundred sixty-six.

       (Rev 14:1 NCV)  Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb 
       standing on Mount Zion. With him were one hundred forty-four thousand 
       people who had his name and his Father's name written on their 
       foreheads.

       (Rev 14:2 NCV)  And I heard a sound from heaven like the noise of 
       flooding water and like the sound of loud thunder. The sound I heard 
       was like people playing harps.

       (Rev 14:3 NCV)  And they sang a new song before the throne and before 
       the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the new 
       song except the one hundred forty-four thousand who had been bought 
       from the earth.

       (Rev 14:4 NCV)  These are the ones who did not do sinful things with 
       women, because they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb every 
       place he goes. These one hundred forty-four thousand were bought from 
       among the people of the earth as people to be offered to God and the 
       Lamb.

       (Rev 14:5 NCV)  They were not guilty of telling lies; they are without 
       fault.

       (Rev 14:6 NCV)  Then I saw another angel flying high in the air. He 
       had the eternal Good News to preach to those who live on earth--to 
       every nation, tribe, language, and people.

       (Rev 14:7 NCV)  He preached in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him 
       praise, because the time has come for God to judge all people. So 
       worship God who made the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the 
       springs of water."

       (Rev 14:8 NCV)  Then the second angel followed the first angel and 
       said, "Ruined, ruined is the great city of Babylon! She made all the 
       nations drink the wine of the anger of her adultery."

       (Rev 14:9 NCV)  Then a third angel followed the first two angels, 
       saying in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his idol and 
       gets the beast's mark on the forehead or on the hand,

       (Rev 14:10 NCV)  that one also will drink the wine of God's anger, 
       which is prepared with all its strength in the cup of his anger. And 





       that person will be put in pain with burning sulfur before the holy 
       angels and the Lamb.

       (Rev 14:11 NCV)  And the smoke from their burning pain will rise 
       forever and ever. There will be no rest, day or night, for those who 
       worship the beast and his idol or who get the mark of his name."

       (Rev 14:12 NCV)  This means God's holy people must be patient. They 
       must obey God's commands and keep their faith in Jesus.

       (Rev 14:13 NCV)  Then I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this: 
       Happy are the dead who die from now on in the Lord." The Spirit says, 
       "Yes, they will rest from their hard work, and the reward of all they 
       have done stays with them."

       (Rev 14:14 NCV)  Then I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, 
       and sitting on the white cloud was One who looked like a Son of Man. 
       He had a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.

       (Rev 14:15 NCV)  Then another angel came out of the temple and called 
       out in a loud voice to the One who was sitting on the cloud, "Take 
       your sickle and harvest from the earth, because the time to harvest 
       has come, and the fruit of the earth is ripe."

       (Rev 14:16 NCV)  So the One who was sitting on the cloud swung his 
       sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.

       (Rev 14:17 NCV)  Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, 
       and he also had a sharp sickle.

       (Rev 14:18 NCV)  And then another angel, who has power over the fire, 
       came from the altar. This angel called to the angel with the sharp 
       sickle, saying, "Take your sharp sickle and gather the bunches of 
       grapes from the earth's vine, because its grapes are ripe."

       (Rev 14:19 NCV)  Then the angel swung his sickle over the earth. He 
       gathered the earth's grapes and threw them into the great winepress of 
       God's anger.

       (Rev 14:20 NCV)  They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, 
       and blood flowed out of the winepress as high as horses' bridles for a 
       distance of about one hundred eighty miles.

       (Rev 15:1 NCV)  Then I saw another wonder in heaven that was great and 
       amazing. There were seven angels bringing seven disasters. These are 
       the last disasters, because after them, God's anger is finished.

       (Rev 15:2 NCV)  I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire. 
       All of those who had won the victory over the beast and his idol and 
       over the number of his name were standing by the sea of glass. They 
       had harps that God had given them.

       (Rev 15:3 NCV)  They sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and 
       the song of the Lamb: "You do great and wonderful things, Lord God 
       Almighty. Everything the Lord does is right and true, King of the 
       nations.






       (Rev 15:4 NCV)  Everyone will respect you, Lord, and will honor you. 
       Only you are holy. All the nations will come and worship you, because 
       the right things you have done are now made known."

       (Rev 15:5 NCV)  After this I saw that the temple (the Tent of the 
       Agreement) in heaven was opened.

       (Rev 15:6 NCV)  And the seven angels bringing the seven disasters came 
       out of the temple. They were dressed in clean, shining linen and wore 
       golden bands tied around their chests.

       (Rev 15:7 NCV)  Then one of the four living creatures gave to the 
       seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the anger of God, who 
       lives forever and ever.

       (Rev 15:8 NCV)  The temple was filled with smoke from the glory and 
       the power of God, and no one could enter the temple until the seven 
       disasters of the seven angels were finished.

       (Rev 16:1 NCV)  Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to 
       the seven angels, "Go and pour out the seven bowls of God's anger on 
       the earth."

       (Rev 16:2 NCV)  The first angel left and poured out his bowl on the 
       land. Then ugly and painful sores came upon all those who had the mark 
       of the beast and who worshiped his idol.

       (Rev 16:3 NCV)  The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and 
       it became blood like that of a dead man, and every living thing in the 
       sea died.

       (Rev 16:4 NCV)  The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and 
       the springs of water, and they became blood.

       (Rev 16:5 NCV)  Then I heard the angel of the waters saying: "Holy 
       One, you are the One who is and who was. You are right to decide to 
       punish these evil people.

       (Rev 16:6 NCV)  They have poured out the blood of your holy people and 
       your prophets. So now you have given them blood to drink as they 
       deserve."

       (Rev 16:7 NCV)  And I heard a voice coming from the altar saying: 
       "Yes, Lord God Almighty, the way you punish evil people is right and 
       fair."

       (Rev 16:8 NCV)  The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and 
       he was given power to burn the people with fire.

       (Rev 16:9 NCV)  They were burned by the great heat, and they cursed 
       the name of God, who had control over these disasters. But the people 
       refused to change their hearts and lives and give glory to God.

       (Rev 16:10 NCV)  The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of 
       the beast, and darkness covered its kingdom. People gnawed their 





       tongues because of the pain.

       (Rev 16:11 NCV)  They also cursed the God of heaven because of their 
       pain and the sores they had, but they refused to change their hearts 
       and turn away from the evil things they did.

       (Rev 16:12 NCV)  The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great 
       river Euphrates so that the water in the river was dried up to prepare 
       the way for the kings from the east to come.

       (Rev 16:13 NCV)  Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs 
       coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, 
       and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

       (Rev 16:14 NCV)  These evil spirits are the spirits of demons, which 
       have power to do miracles. They go out to the kings of the whole world 
       to gather them together for the battle on the great day of God 
       Almighty.

       (Rev 16:15 NCV)  "Listen! I will come as a thief comes! Happy are 
       those who stay awake and keep their clothes on so that they will not 
       walk around naked and have people see their shame."

       (Rev 16:16 NCV)  Then the evil spirits gathered the kings together to 
       the place that is called Armageddon in the Hebrew language.

       (Rev 16:17 NCV)  The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air. 
       Then a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, "It 
       is finished!"

       (Rev 16:18 NCV)  Then there were flashes of lightning, noises, 
       thunder, and a big earthquake--the worst earthquake that has ever 
       happened since people have been on earth.

       (Rev 16:19 NCV)  The great city split into three parts, and the cities 
       of the nations were destroyed. And God remembered the sins of Babylon 
       the Great, so he gave that city the cup filled with the wine of his 
       terrible anger.

       (Rev 16:20 NCV)  Then every island ran away, and mountains 
       disappeared.

       (Rev 16:21 NCV)  Giant hailstones, each weighing about a hundred 
       pounds, fell from the sky upon people. People cursed God for the 
       disaster of the hail, because this disaster was so terrible.

       (Rev 17:1 NCV)  Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls 
       came and spoke to me. He said, "Come, and I will show you the 
       punishment that will be given to the great prostitute, the one sitting 
       over many waters.

       (Rev 17:2 NCV)  The kings of the earth sinned sexually with her, and 
       the people of the earth became drunk from the wine of her sexual sin."

       (Rev 17:3 NCV)  Then the angel carried me away by the Spirit to the 
       desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a red beast. It was covered 





       with names against God written on it, and it had seven heads and ten 
       horns.

       (Rev 17:4 NCV)  The woman was dressed in purple and red and was 
       shining with the gold, precious jewels, and pearls she was wearing. 
       She had a golden cup in her hand, a cup filled with evil things and 
       the uncleanness of her sexual sin.

       (Rev 17:5 NCV)  On her forehead a title was written that was secret. 
       This is what was written: THE GREAT BABYLON MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND 
       OF THE EVIL THINGS OF THE EARTH

       (Rev 17:6 NCV)  Then I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of 
       God's holy people and with the blood of those who were killed because 
       of their faith in Jesus. When I saw the woman, I was very amazed.

       (Rev 17:7 NCV)  Then the angel said to me, "Why are you amazed? I will 
       tell you the secret of this woman and the beast she rides--the one 
       with seven heads and ten horns.

       (Rev 17:8 NCV)  The beast you saw was once alive but is not alive now. 
       But soon it will come up out of the bottomless pit and go away to be 
       destroyed. There are people who live on earth whose names have not 
       been written in the book of life since the beginning of the world. 
       They will be amazed when they see the beast, because he was once 
       alive, is not alive now, but will come again.

       (Rev 17:9 NCV)  "You need a wise mind to understand this. The seven 
       heads on the beast are seven mountains where the woman sits.

       (Rev 17:10 NCV)  And they are seven kings. Five of the kings have 
       already been destroyed, one of the kings lives now, and another has 
       not yet come. When he comes, he must stay a short time.

       (Rev 17:11 NCV)  The beast that was once alive, but is not alive now, 
       is also an eighth king. He belongs to the first seven kings, and he 
       will go away to be destroyed.

       (Rev 17:12 NCV)  "The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet 
       begun to rule, but they will receive power to rule with the beast for 
       one hour.

       (Rev 17:13 NCV)  All ten of these kings have the same purpose, and 
       they will give their power and authority to the beast.

       (Rev 17:14 NCV)  They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb 
       will defeat them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings. He 
       will defeat them with his called, chosen, and faithful followers."

       (Rev 17:15 NCV)  Then the angel said to me, "The waters that you saw, 
       where the prostitute sits, are peoples, races, nations, and languages.

       (Rev 17:16 NCV)  The ten horns and the beast you saw will hate the 
       prostitute. They will take everything she has and leave her naked. 
       They will eat her body and burn her with fire.





       (Rev 17:17 NCV)  God made the ten horns want to carry out his purpose 
       by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until what God has 
       said comes about.

       (Rev 17:18 NCV)  The woman you saw is the great city that rules over 
       the kings of the earth."

       (Rev 18:1 NCV)  After the vision of these things, I saw another angel 
       coming down from heaven. This angel had great power, and his glory 
       made the earth bright.

       (Rev 18:2 NCV)  He shouted in a powerful voice: "Ruined, ruined is the 
       great city of Babylon! She has become a home for demons and a prison 
       for every evil spirit, and a prison for every unclean bird and unclean 
       beast.

       (Rev 18:3 NCV)  She has been ruined, because all the peoples of the 
       earth have drunk the wine of the desire of her sexual sin. She has 
       been ruined also because the kings of the earth have sinned sexually 
       with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the 
       great wealth of her luxury."

       (Rev 18:4 NCV)  Then I heard another voice from heaven saying: "Come 
       out of that city, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, 
       so that you will not receive the disasters that will come to her.

       (Rev 18:5 NCV)  Her sins have piled up as high as the sky, and God has 
       not forgotten the wrongs she has done.

       (Rev 18:6 NCV)  Give that city the same as she gave to others. Pay her 
       back twice as much as she did. Prepare wine for her that is twice as 
       strong as the wine she prepared for others.

       (Rev 18:7 NCV)  She gave herself much glory and rich living. Give her 
       that much suffering and sadness. She says to herself, 'I am a queen 
       sitting on my throne. I am not a widow; I will never be sad.'

       (Rev 18:8 NCV)  So these disasters will come to her in one day: death, 
       and crying, and great hunger, and she will be destroyed by fire, 
       because the Lord God who judges her is powerful."

       (Rev 18:9 NCV)  The kings of the earth who sinned sexually with her 
       and shared her wealth will see the smoke from her burning. Then they 
       will cry and be sad because of her death.

       (Rev 18:10 NCV)  They will be afraid of her suffering and stand far 
       away and say: "Terrible! How terrible for you, great city, powerful 
       city of Babylon, because your punishment has come in one hour!"

       (Rev 18:11 NCV)  And the merchants of the earth will cry and be sad 
       about her, because now there is no one to buy their cargoes--

       (Rev 18:12 NCV)  cargoes of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, 
       purple cloth, silk, red cloth; all kinds of citron wood and all kinds 
       of things made from ivory, expensive wood, bronze, iron, and marble;





       (Rev 18:13 NCV)  cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, 
       olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, carriages, 
       slaves, and human lives.

       (Rev 18:14 NCV)  The merchants will say, "Babylon, the good things you 
       wanted are gone from you. All your rich and fancy things have 
       disappeared. You will never have them again."

       (Rev 18:15 NCV)  The merchants who became rich from selling to her 
       will be afraid of her suffering and will stand far away. They will cry 
       and be sad

       (Rev 18:16 NCV)  and say: "Terrible! How terrible for the great city! 
       She was dressed in fine linen, purple and red cloth, and she was 
       shining with gold, precious jewels, and pearls!

       (Rev 18:17 NCV)  All these riches have been destroyed in one hour!" 
       Every sea captain, every passenger, the sailors, and all those who 
       earn their living from the sea stood far away from Babylon.

       (Rev 18:18 NCV)  As they saw the smoke from her burning, they cried 
       out loudly, "There was never a city like this great city!"

       (Rev 18:19 NCV)  And they threw dust on their heads and cried out, 
       weeping and being sad. They said: "Terrible! How terrible for the 
       great city! All the people who had ships on the sea became rich 
       because of her wealth! But she has been destroyed in one hour!

       (Rev 18:20 NCV)  Be happy because of this, heaven! Be happy, God's 
       holy people and apostles and prophets! God has punished her because of 
       what she did to you."

       (Rev 18:21 NCV)  Then a powerful angel picked up a large stone, like 
       one used for grinding grain, and threw it into the sea. He said: "In 
       the same way, the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, and it 
       will never be found again.

       (Rev 18:22 NCV)  The music of people playing harps and other 
       instruments, flutes, and trumpets, will never be heard in you again. 
       No workman doing any job will ever be found in you again. The sound of 
       grinding grain will never be heard in you again.

       (Rev 18:23 NCV)  The light of a lamp will never shine in you again, 
       and the voices of a bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you 
       again. Your merchants were the world's great people, and all the 
       nations were tricked by your magic.

       (Rev 18:24 NCV)  You are guilty of the death of the prophets and God's 
       holy people and all who have been killed on earth."

       (Rev 19:1 NCV)  After this vision and announcement I heard what 
       sounded like a great many people in heaven saying: "Hallelujah! 
       Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God,

       (Rev 19:2 NCV)  because his judgments are true and right. He has 
       punished the prostitute who made the earth evil with her sexual sin. 





       He has paid her back for the death of his servants."

       (Rev 19:3 NCV)  Again they said: "Hallelujah! She is burning, and her 
       smoke will rise forever and ever."

       (Rev 19:4 NCV)  Then the twenty-four elders and the four living 
       creatures bowed down and worshiped God, who sits on the throne. They 
       said: "Amen, Hallelujah!"

       (Rev 19:5 NCV)  Then a voice came from the throne, saying: "Praise our 
       God, all you who serve him and all you who honor him, both small and 
       great!"

       (Rev 19:6 NCV)  Then I heard what sounded like a great many people, 
       like the noise of flooding water, and like the noise of loud thunder. 
       The people were saying: "Hallelujah! Our Lord God, the Almighty, 
       rules.

       (Rev 19:7 NCV)  Let us rejoice and be happy and give God glory, 
       because the wedding of the Lamb has come, and the Lamb's bride has 
       made herself ready.

       (Rev 19:8 NCV)  Fine linen, bright and clean, was given to her to 
       wear." (The fine linen means the good things done by God's holy 
       people.)

       (Rev 19:9 NCV)  And the angel said to me, "Write this: Happy are those 
       who have been invited to the wedding meal of the Lamb!" And the angel 
       said, "These are the true words of God."

       (Rev 19:10 NCV)  Then I bowed down at the angel's feet to worship him, 
       but he said to me, "Do not worship me! I am a servant like you and 
       your brothers and sisters who have the message of Jesus. Worship God, 
       because the message about Jesus is the spirit that gives all 
       prophecy."

       (Rev 19:11 NCV)  Then I saw heaven opened, and there before me was a 
       white horse. The rider on the horse is called Faithful and True, and 
       he is right when he judges and makes war.

       (Rev 19:12 NCV)  His eyes are like burning fire, and on his head are 
       many crowns. He has a name written on him, which no one but himself 
       knows.

       (Rev 19:13 NCV)  He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name 
       is the Word of God.

       (Rev 19:14 NCV)  The armies of heaven, dressed in fine linen, white 
       and clean, were following him on white horses.

       (Rev 19:15 NCV)  Out of the rider's mouth comes a sharp sword that he 
       will use to defeat the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of 
       iron. He will crush out the wine in the winepress of the terrible 
       anger of God the Almighty.

       (Rev 19:16 NCV)  On his robe and on his upper leg was written this 





       name: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

       (Rev 19:17 NCV)  Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he 
       called with a loud voice to all the birds flying in the sky: "Come and 
       gather together for the great feast of God

       (Rev 19:18 NCV)  so that you can eat the bodies of kings, generals, 
       mighty people, horses and their riders, and the bodies of all 
       people--free, slave, small, and great."

       (Rev 19:19 NCV)  Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth. 
       Their armies were gathered together to make war against the rider on 
       the horse and his army.

       (Rev 19:20 NCV)  But the beast was captured and with him the false 
       prophet who did the miracles for the beast. The false prophet had used 
       these miracles to trick those who had the mark of the beast and 
       worshiped his idol. The false prophet and the beast were thrown alive 
       into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.

       (Rev 19:21 NCV)  And their armies were killed with the sword that came 
       out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds ate the 
       bodies until they were full.

       (Rev 20:1 NCV)  I saw an angel coming down from heaven. He had the key 
       to the bottomless pit and a large chain in his hand.

       (Rev 20:2 NCV)  The angel grabbed the dragon, that old snake who is 
       the devil and Satan, and tied him up for a thousand years.

       (Rev 20:3 NCV)  Then he threw him into the bottomless pit, closed it, 
       and locked it over him. The angel did this so he could not trick the 
       people of the earth anymore until the thousand years were ended. After 
       a thousand years he must be set free for a short time.

       (Rev 20:4 NCV)  Then I saw some thrones and people sitting on them who 
       had been given the power to judge. And I saw the souls of those who 
       had been killed because they were faithful to the message of Jesus and 
       the message from God. They had not worshiped the beast or his idol, 
       and they had not received the mark of the beast on their foreheads or 
       on their hands. They came back to life and ruled with Christ for a 
       thousand years.

       (Rev 20:5 NCV)  (The others that were dead did not live again until 
       the thousand years were ended.) This is the first raising of the dead.

       (Rev 20:6 NCV)  Happy and holy are those who share in this first 
       raising of the dead. The second death has no power over them. They 
       will be priests for God and for Christ and will rule with him for a 
       thousand years.

       (Rev 20:7 NCV)  When the thousand years are over, Satan will be set 
       free from his prison.

       (Rev 20:8 NCV)  Then he will go out to trick the nations in all the 
       earth--Gog and Magog--to gather them for battle. There are so many 





       people they will be like sand on the seashore.

       (Rev 20:9 NCV)  And Satan's army marched across the earth and gathered 
       around the camp of God's people and the city God loves. But fire came 
       down from heaven and burned them up.

       (Rev 20:10 NCV)  And Satan, who tricked them, was thrown into the lake 
       of burning sulfur with the beast and the false prophet. There they 
       will be punished day and night forever and ever.

       (Rev 20:11 NCV)  Then I saw a great white throne and the One who was 
       sitting on it. Earth and sky ran away from him and disappeared.

       (Rev 20:12 NCV)  And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before 
       the throne. Then books were opened, and the book of life was opened. 
       The dead were judged by what they had done, which was written in the 
       books.

       (Rev 20:13 NCV)  The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death 
       and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. Each person was judged by 
       what he had done.

       (Rev 20:14 NCV)  And Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of 
       fire. The lake of fire is the second death.

       (Rev 20:15 NCV)  And anyone whose name was not found written in the 
       book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

       (Rev 21:1 NCV)  Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first 
       heaven and the first earth had disappeared, and there was no sea 
       anymore.

       (Rev 21:2 NCV)  And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming 
       down out of heaven from God. It was prepared like a bride dressed for 
       her husband.

       (Rev 21:3 NCV)  And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Now 
       God's presence is with people, and he will live with them, and they 
       will be his people. God himself will be with them and will be their 
       God.

       (Rev 21:4 NCV)  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and 
       there will be no more death, sadness, crying, or pain, because all the 
       old ways are gone."

       (Rev 21:5 NCV)  The One who was sitting on the throne said, "Look! I 
       am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this, because these 
       words are true and can be trusted."

       (Rev 21:6 NCV)  The One on the throne said to me, "It is finished. I 
       am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give 
       free water from the spring of the water of life to anyone who is 
       thirsty.

       (Rev 21:7 NCV)  Those who win the victory will receive this, and I 
       will be their God, and they will be my children.






       (Rev 21:8 NCV)  But cowards, those who refuse to believe, who do evil 
       things, who kill, who sin sexually, who do evil magic, who worship 
       idols, and who tell lies--all these will have a place in the lake of 
       burning sulfur. This is the second death."

       (Rev 21:9 NCV)  Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls 
       full of the seven last troubles came to me, saying, "Come with me, and 
       I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."

       (Rev 21:10 NCV)  And the angel carried me away by the Spirit to a very 
       large and high mountain. He showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming 
       down out of heaven from God.

       (Rev 21:11 NCV)  It was shining with the glory of God and was bright 
       like a very expensive jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.

       (Rev 21:12 NCV)  The city had a great high wall with twelve gates with 
       twelve angels at the gates, and on each gate was written the name of 
       one of the twelve tribes of Israel.

       (Rev 21:13 NCV)  There were three gates on the east, three on the 
       north, three on the south, and three on the west.

       (Rev 21:14 NCV)  The walls of the city were built on twelve foundation 
       stones, and on the stones were written the names of the twelve 
       apostles of the Lamb.

       (Rev 21:15 NCV)  The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod made 
       of gold to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.

       (Rev 21:16 NCV)  The city was built in a square, and its length was 
       equal to its width. The angel measured the city with the rod. The city 
       was twelve thousand stadia long, twelve thousand stadia wide, and 
       twelve thousand stadia high.

       (Rev 21:17 NCV)  The angel also measured the wall. It was one hundred 
       forty-four cubits high, by human measurements, which the angel was 
       using.

       (Rev 21:18 NCV)  The wall was made of jasper, and the city was made of 
       pure gold, as pure as glass.

       (Rev 21:19 NCV)  The foundation stones of the city walls were 
       decorated with every kind of jewel. The first foundation was jasper, 
       the second was sapphire, the third was chalcedony, the fourth was 
       emerald,

       (Rev 21:20 NCV)  the fifth was onyx, the sixth was carnelian, the 
       seventh was chrysolite, the eighth was beryl, the ninth was topaz, the 
       tenth was chrysoprase, the eleventh was jacinth, and the twelfth was 
       amethyst.

       (Rev 21:21 NCV)  The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate having 
       been made from a single pearl. And the street of the city was made of 
       pure gold as clear as glass.






       (Rev 21:22 NCV)  I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord 
       God Almighty and the Lamb are the city's temple.

       (Rev 21:23 NCV)  The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine 
       on it, because the glory of God is its light, and the Lamb is the 
       city's lamp.

       (Rev 21:24 NCV)  By its light the people of the world will walk, and 
       the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.

       (Rev 21:25 NCV)  The city's gates will never be shut on any day, 
       because there is no night there.

       (Rev 21:26 NCV)  The glory and the honor of the nations will be 
       brought into it.

       (Rev 21:27 NCV)  Nothing unclean and no one who does shameful things 
       or tells lies will ever go into it. Only those whose names are written 
       in the Lamb's book of life will enter the city.

       (Rev 22:1 NCV)  Then the angel showed me the river of the water of 
       life. It was shining like crystal and was flowing from the throne of 
       God and of the Lamb

       (Rev 22:2 NCV)  down the middle of the street of the city. The tree of 
       life was on each side of the river. It produces fruit twelve times a 
       year, once each month. The leaves of the tree are for the healing of 
       all the nations.

       (Rev 22:3 NCV)  Nothing that God judges guilty will be in that city. 
       The throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and God's servants 
       will worship him.

       (Rev 22:4 NCV)  They will see his face, and his name will be written 
       on their foreheads.

       (Rev 22:5 NCV)  There will never be night again. They will not need 
       the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, because the Lord God will 
       give them light. And they will rule as kings forever and ever.

       (Rev 22:6 NCV)  The angel said to me, "These words can be trusted and 
       are true." The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his 
       angel to show his servants the things that must happen soon.

       (Rev 22:7 NCV)  "Listen! I am coming soon! Happy is the one who obeys 
       the words of prophecy in this book."

       (Rev 22:8 NCV)  I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. 
       When I heard and saw them, I bowed down to worship at the feet of the 
       angel who showed these things to me.

       (Rev 22:9 NCV)  But the angel said to me, "Do not worship me! I am a 
       servant like you, your brothers the prophets, and all those who obey 
       the words in this book. Worship God!"





       (Rev 22:10 NCV)  Then the angel told me, "Do not keep secret the words 
       of prophecy in this book, because the time is near for all this to 
       happen.

       (Rev 22:11 NCV)  Let whoever is doing evil continue to do evil. Let 
       whoever is unclean continue to be unclean. Let whoever is doing right 
       continue to do right. Let whoever is holy continue to be holy."

       (Rev 22:12 NCV)  "Listen! I am coming soon! I will bring my reward 
       with me, and I will repay each one of you for what you have done.

       (Rev 22:13 NCV)  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, 
       the Beginning and the End.

       (Rev 22:14 NCV)  "Happy are those who wash their robes so that they 
       will receive the right to eat the fruit from the tree of life and may 
       go through the gates into the city.

       (Rev 22:15 NCV)  Outside the city are the evil people, those who do 
       evil magic, who sin sexually, who murder, who worship idols, and who 
       love lies and tell lies.

       (Rev 22:16 NCV)  "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to tell you these 
       things for the churches. I am the descendant from the family of David, 
       and I am the bright morning star."

       (Rev 22:17 NCV)  The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" Let the one who 
       hears this say, "Come!" Let whoever is thirsty come; whoever wishes 
       may have the water of life as a free gift.

       (Rev 22:18 NCV)  I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy 
       of this book: If anyone adds anything to these words, God will add to 
       that person the disasters written about in this book.

       (Rev 22:19 NCV)  And if anyone takes away from the words of this book 
       of prophecy, God will take away that one's share of the tree of life 
       and of the holy city, which are written about in this book.

       (Rev 22:20 NCV)  Jesus, the One who says these things are true, says, 
       "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

       (Rev 22:21 NCV)  The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.