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Do Not Judge Your Brother

1 Receive him that is weak in the faith, but not for passing judgment.

2 For one believes that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eats herbs.

3 Let not him that eats despise him that eats not; and let not him who eats not judge him that eats: for God has received him.

4 Who are you that judge another man's servant? to his own master he stands or falls. Yea, he shall be held up: for God is able to make him stand.

5 One man esteems one day above another: another esteems every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

6 He that regards the day, regards it unto the Lord; and he that regards not the day, to the Lord he does not regard it. He that eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he that eats not, to the Lord he eats not, and gives God thanks.

7 For none of us lives to himself, and no man dies to himself.

8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.

9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

10 But why do you judge your brother? or why do you despise your brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

11 For it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.

Do Good to Your Brother

14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteems anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.

15 But if your brother is grieved with your food, you no longer walk in love. Destroy not him with your food, for whom Christ died.

16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of:

17 For the kingdom of God is not food and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

18 For he that in these things serves Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.

19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things with which one may edify another.

20 For food destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eats with offense.

21 It is good neither to eat meat, nor to drink wine, nor anything by which your brother stumbles, or is offended, or is made weak.

22 Have you faith? have it to yourself before God. Happy is he that condemns not himself in that thing which he allows.

23 And he that doubts is condemned if he eats, because he eats not of faith: for whatever is not of faith is sin. — Romans 14 | King James 2000 Bible (KJB2K) The King James 2000 Bible, copyright © Doctor of Theology Robert A. Couric 2000, 2003. All rights reserved. Cross References: Ruth 3:14; Psalm 34:14; Ecclesiastes 11:9; Zechariah 14:21; Matthew 7:1; Matthew 12:36; Matthew 13:21; Mark 7:2; Mark 7:19; Luke 1:1; Luke 18:9; Acts 10:15; Romans 2:1; Romans 8:38; Romans 15:1; 1 Corinthians 8:8; 1 Corinthians 8:11; Philippians 2:10; Titus 1:15; James 4:11-12; 1 Peter 2:12; 1 Peter 4:5; Revelation 14:13

Notes: A judgment day is coming for Christians when Christ will examine all our works. He will determine which of our deeds were worthwhile and which were worthless.

Key Passages in Romans 14

1. Men may not condemn one another for disputable matters; 13. but must take heed that they give no offense in them; 15. which the apostle proves unlawful by many reasons.

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Righteousness is Better than Fasting

1 And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chislev;

2 When they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and Regemmelech, and their men, to pray before the LORD,

3 And to speak unto the priests who were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, consecrating myself, as I have done these so many years?

4 Then came the word of the LORD of hosts unto me, saying,

5 Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did you at all fast unto me, even to me?

6 And when you did eat, and when you did drink, did not you eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?

7 Should you not hear the words which the LORD has cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and her cities round about her, when men inhabited the south and the lowland?

8 And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying,

9 Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and show mercy and compassion every man to his brother:

10 And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the sojourner, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.

11 But they refused to hearken, and shrugged the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.

12 Yea, they made their hearts as a flint stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts has sent by his Spirit through the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.

13 Therefore it has come to pass, that just as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, says the LORD of hosts:

14 But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land became desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they made the pleasant land desolate. — Zechariah 7 | King James 2000 Bible (KJB2K) The King James 2000 Bible, copyright © Doctor of Theology Robert A. Couric 2000, 2003. All rights reserved. Cross References: Exodus 22:21-22; Leviticus 26:33; Deuteronomy 4:27; Deuteronomy 22:1; 1 Kings 13:6; 2 Chronicles 36:13; 2 Chronicles 36:16; Ezra 3:10; Nehemiah 1:1; Nehemiah 9:29; Psalm 21:11; Proverbs 1:24; proverbs 1:28; Isaiah 1:11-12; Isaiah 1:16; Isaiah 43:23; Isaiah 58:3; Jeremiah 7:5; Jeremiah 26:19; Zechariah 1:1; Zechariah 8:19; Matthew 13:15; John 7:24

Commentary on Zechariah 7 by Matthew Henry

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Here is My Chosen Servant

1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; my elect, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth justice to the Gentiles.

2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.

3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth justice unto truth.

4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he has established justice in the earth: and the coastlands shall wait for his law.

5 Thus says God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which comes out of it; he that gives breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk in it:

6 I the LORD have called you in righteousness, and will hold your hand, and will keep you, and give you for a covenant to the people, for a light to the Gentiles;

7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

8 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

9 Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.

A New Song of Praise

10 Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise from the ends of the earth, you that go down to the sea, and all that is in it; the coastlands, and its inhabitants.

11 Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar does inhabit: let the inhabitants of Sela sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains.

12 Let them give glory unto the LORD, and declare his praise in the coastlands.

13 The LORD shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, shout aloud; he shall prevail against his enemies.

14 I have long time held my peace; I have been still, and restrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once.

15 I will lay waste the mountains and hills, and dry up all their vegetation; and I will turn the rivers into islands, and I will dry up the pools.

16 And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.

17 They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, you are our gods.

Israel is Deaf and Blind

18 Hear, you deaf; and look, you blind, that you may see.

19 Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger whom I sent? who is blind as he who is perfect, and blind as the LORD'S servant?

20 Seeing many things, but you observe not; opening the ears, but he hears not.

21 The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honorable.

22 But this is a people robbed and plundered; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses: they are for a prey, and none delivers; for a spoil, and none says, Restore.

23 Who among you will give ear to this? who will hearken and hear for the time to come?

24 Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not the LORD, he against whom we have sinned? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law.

25 Therefore he has poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle: and it has set him on fire all around, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart. — Isaiah 42 | King James 2000 Bible (KJB2K) The King James 2000 Bible, copyright © Doctor of Theology Robert A. Couric 2000, 2003. All rights reserved. Cross References: Genesis 49:10; Exodus 3:15; Exodus 15:3; 1 Samuel 6:5; Job 40:11; Psalm 50:21; Psalm 81:13; Psalm 97:7; Psalm 107:33; Psalm 138:2; Isaiah 5:29; Isaiah 12:5; Isaiah 29:18; Isaiah 41:23; Jeremiah 9:12; Matthew 3:16-17; Matthew 12:19-20; Matthew 13:13; Luke 1:78-79; Luke 2:32; John 9:7; Acts 17:24-25; Romans 2:21; Revelation 5:9

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Ezekiel's Call to a Rebellious Nation

1 And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon your feet, and I will speak unto you.

2 And the Spirit entered into me when he spoke unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spoke unto me.

3 And he said unto me, Son of man, I send you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day.

4 For they are impudent children and stubborn. I do send you unto them; and you shall say unto them, Thus says the Lord GOD.

5 And they, whether they will hear, or whether they refuse, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there has been a prophet among them.

6 And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you, and you do dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.

7 And you shall speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they refuse: for they are most rebellious.

8 But you, son of man, hear what I say unto you; Be not you rebellious like that rebellious house: open your mouth, and eat what I give you.

9 And when I looked, behold, a hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a scroll of a book was in it;

10 And he spread it before me; and it was written inside and outside: and there was written in it lamentations, and mourning, and woe. — Ezekiel 2 | King James 2000 Bible (KJB2K) The King James 2000 Bible, copyright © Doctor of Theology Robert A. Couric 2000, 2003. All rights reserved. Cross References: 1 Samuel 8:7-8; Psalm 95:8; Isaiah 3:11; Isaiah 8:11; Isaiah 48:4; Jeremiah 1:7; Jeremiah 1:17; Jeremiah 7:27; Ezekiel 3:24; Daniel 8:18; Matthew 10:12; Luke 10:10-11; Acts 9:6; Acts 26:16; Hebrews 10:7; Revelation 5:1; Revelation 8:13; Revelation 9:3; Revelation 9:5; Revelation 9:10; Revelation 10:9

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Another Promise of Restoration

1 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying,

2 Thus says the LORD the maker of the earth, the LORD that formed it, to establish it; the LORD is his name;

3 Call unto me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you know not.

4 For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, which are thrown down by the siege mounds, and by the sword;

5 They come to fight with the Chaldeans, but it is to fill them with the dead bodies of men, whom I have slain in my anger and in my fury, all for whose wickedness I have hid my face from this city.

6 Behold, I will bring it health and healing, and I will heal them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.

7 And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first.

8 And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, by which they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, by which they have sinned, and by which they have transgressed against me.

9 And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honor before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I provide for it.

10 Thus says the LORD; Again there shall be heard in this place, which you say shall be desolate without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man, and without inhabitant, and without beast,

11 The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy endures forever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captives of the land, as at the first, says the LORD.

12 Thus says the LORD of hosts; Again in this place, which is desolate without man and without beast, and in all its cities, shall be a habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down.

13 In the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the lowland, and in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shall the flocks pass again under the hands of him that counts them, says the LORD.

14 Behold, the days come, says the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.

15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.

16 In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name by which it shall be called, The LORD our righteousness.

17 For thus says the LORD; David shall never lack a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel;

18 Neither shall the priests, the Levites, lack a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to burn grain offerings, and to sacrifice continually.

19 And the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, saying,

20 Thus says the LORD; if you can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season;

21 Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers.

22 As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the descendants of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me.

23 Moreover the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying,

24 Consider you not what this people have spoken, saying, The two families which the LORD has chosen, he has even cast them off? thus they have despised my people, as if they should be no more a nation before them.

25 Thus says the LORD; If my covenant is not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth;

26 Then will I cast away the descendants of Jacob, and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his descendants to be rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them. — Jeremiah 33 | King James 2000 Bible (KJB2K) The King James 2000 Bible, copyright © Doctor of Theology Robert A. Couric 2000, 2003. All rights reserved. Cross References: Genesis 1:17; Genesis 8:22; Genesis 15:5; Genesis 22:17; Genesis 49:10; Exodus 3:15; Leviticus 16:30; Leviticus 26:32; Numbers 3:5; Deuteronomy 18:1; 2 Samuel 7:16; 2 Samuel 23:5; Nehemiah 6:16; Psalm 50:15; Psalm 72:1; Psalm 74:16-17; Psalm 85:1; Song of Solomon 1:7; Isaiah 8:17; Isaiah 32:1-2; Isaiah 32:13; Jeremiah 32:2; Luke 15:4; Romans 11:1; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Galatians 5:22-23; Hebrews 9:11; Hebrews 13:15

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A Wife for Isaac

1 And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.

2 And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray you, your hand under my thigh:

3 And I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that you shall not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:

4 But you shall go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.

5 And the servant said unto him, Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring your son again unto the land from where you came?

6 And Abraham said unto him, Beware that you bring not my son there again.

7 The LORD God of heaven, who took me from my father's house, and from the land of my kindred, and who spoke unto me, and that swore unto me, saying, Unto your descendants will I give this land; he shall send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife unto my son from there.

8 And if the woman will not be willing to follow you, then you shall be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son there again.

9 And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning that matter.

10 And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.

11 And he made his camels to kneel down outside the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water.

12 And he said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray you, send me good speed this day, and show kindness unto my master Abraham.

13 Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water:

14 And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down your pitcher, I pray you, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give your camels drink also: let the same be she that you have appointed for your servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that you have showed kindness unto my master.

15 And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.

16 And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.

17 And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray you, drink a little water of your pitcher.

18 And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hastened, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.

19 And when she had finished giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.

20 And she hastened, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.

21 And the man wondering at her held his peace, to learn whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not.

22 And it came to pass, as the camels had finished drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold;

23 And said, Whose daughter are you? tell me, I pray you: is there room in your father's house for us to lodge in?

24 And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore unto Nahor.

25 She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and fodder enough, and room to lodge in.

26 And the man bowed down his head, and worshiped the LORD.

27 And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who has not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master's kinsmen.

28 And the damsel ran, and told them of her mother's house these things.

29 And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the well. — Genesis 24:1-29 | King James 2000 Bible (KJB2K) The King James 2000 Bible, copyright © Doctor of Theology Robert A. Couric 2000, 2003. All rights reserved. Cross References: Genesis 11:29; Genesis 12:11; Genesis 12:17; Genesis 22:20; Genesis 25:20; Genesis 26:24; Genesis 29:2; Genesis 29:5; Genesis 29:12; Genesis 39:4; Genesis 42:27; Exodus 2:16; Exodus 4:31; Exodus 32:2-3; Joshua 2:17; 1 Samuel 14:10; Luke 1:68; John 4:7; 2 Corinthians 6:14; Galatians 3:9; Hebrews 11:15

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Genesis 24 Bible Commentary - Matthew Henry (complete)

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Being Fed in Unlikely Ways

1 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.

2 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,

3 Get you from here, and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, that is east of the Jordan.

4 And it shall be, that you shall drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.

5 So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is east of the Jordan.

6 And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank of the brook. — 1 Kings 17:1-6 | King James 2000 Bible (KJB2K) The King James 2000 Bible, copyright © Doctor of Theology Robert A. Couric 2000, 2003. All rights reserved. Cross References: 1 Kings 17:7; 1 Kings 17:9; Jeremiah 36:19; Jeremiah 37:21; Luke 4:25; James 5:17

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Hosea's Wife and Children

1 The word of the LORD that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

2 The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto you a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry: for the land has committed great harlotry, departing from the LORD.

3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; who conceived, and bore him a son.

4 And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.

5 And it shall come to pass on that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.

6 And she conceived again, and bore a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.

7 But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.

8 Now when she had weaned Loruhamah, she conceived, and bore a son.

9 Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for you are not my people, and I will not be your God.

10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, you are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, you are the sons of the living God.

11 Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel. — Hosea 1 | King James 2000 Bible (KJB2K) The King James 2000 Bible, copyright © Doctor of Theology Robert A. Couric 2000, 2003. All rights reserved. Cross References: Genesis 4:1; Deuteronomy 31:16; Joshua 17:16; Judges 6:33; 1 Samuel 17:47; 2 Kings 10:11; 2 Kings 13:13; 2 Kings 15:8; 2 Kings 19:29; Isaiah 11:12-13; Jeremiah 3:1; Jeremiah 3:18; Jeremiah 20:3; Ezekiel 23:4; Hosea 2:4; Hosea 2:23; John 1:12; Romans 8:14; Romans 8:16; Romans 8:19; Romans 9:25; 2 Corinthians 6:18

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God Arraigns Adam and Eve

10 And he said, I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 11 And he said, Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree, of which I commanded you that you should not eat? 12 And the man said, The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. 13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that you have done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. — Genesis 3:10-13 | King James 2000 Bible (KJB2K) The King James 2000 Bible, copyright © Doctor of Theology Robert A. Couric 2000, 2003. All rights reserved. Cross References: Genesis 2:25; Exodus 20:18; 1 Samuel 15:15; Job 31:33; Proverbs 28:13; Romans 7:11; 2 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Timothy 2:14

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The Waters Prevailed Upon the Earth a Hundred and Fifty Days

22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died.

23 And every living thing was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark. — Genesis 7:22-23 | King James 2000 Bible (KJB2K) The King James 2000 Bible, copyright © Doctor of Theology Robert A. Couric 2000, 2003. All rights reserved. Cross References: Genesis 1:25; Genesis 2:7; Matthew 24:38-39; Luke 17:26-27; Hebrews 11:7; 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:5

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A Light to lighten the Gentiles

25 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Spirit, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law,

28 Then he took him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,

29 Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word:

30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,

31 Which you have prepared before the face of all people;

32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.

33 And Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him.

34 And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;

35 (Yea, a sword shall pierce through your own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher: she was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity;

37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, who departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spoke of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

39 And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.

40 And the child grew, and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him. — Luke 2:25-40 | King James 2000 Bible (KJB2K) The King James 2000 Bible, copyright © Doctor of Theology Robert A. Couric 2000, 2003. All rights reserved. Cross References: Deuteronomy 18:15; 1 Samuel 2:20; Joshua 19:24; Joshua 22:33; 1 Samuel 1:2; 1 Samuel 2:21; Psalm 89:48; Psalm 119:166; Psalm 119:174; Isaiah 8:14; Isaiah 9:2; Isaiah 11:10; Jeremiah 32:11; Matthew 2:12; Matthew 2:23; Matthew 8:10; Matthew 12:46; Mark 15:43; Luke 1:26; Luke 1:68; Luke 1:80; Luke 2:22; Luke 5:33; Acts 13:3; Revelation 6:10

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His Own Did Not Receive Him

He came unto his own, and his own received him not. — John 1:11 | King James 2000 Bible (KJB2K) The King James 2000 Bible, copyright © Doctor of Theology Robert A. Couric 2000, 2003. All rights reserved. Cross References: Isaiah 53:3; John 1:10; John 1:12; John 19:27

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My Beloved is like a Young Stag

My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag: behold, he stands behind our wall, he looks forth through the windows, showing himself through the lattice. — Song of Solomon 2:9 | King James 2000 Bible (KJB2K) The King James 2000 Bible, copyright © Doctor of Theology Robert A. Couric 2000, 2003. All rights reserved. Cross References: Judges 5:28; Proverbs 5:19; Proverbs 6:5; Proverbs 7:6; Song of Solomon 1:16; Song of Solomon 2:7; Song of Solomon 2:17

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A song of ascents. The Dwelling Place For the LORD

1 LORD, remember David, and all his afflictions:

2 How he swore unto the LORD, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob;

3 Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed;

4 I will not give sleep to my eyes, or slumber to my eyelids,

5 Until I find out a place for the LORD, a habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.

6 Lo, we heard of it at Ephrathah: we found it in the fields of the woods.

7 We will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool.

8 Arise, O LORD, into your rest; you, and the ark of your strength.

9 Let your priests be clothed with righteousness; and let your saints shout for joy.

10 For your servant David's sake turn not away the face of your anointed.

11 The LORD has sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of your body will I set upon your throne.

12 If your children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon your throne forevermore.

13 For the LORD has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his habitation.

14 This is my rest forever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.

15 I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread.

16 I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.

17 There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for my anointed.

18 His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish. — Psalm 132 | King James 2000 Bible (KJB2K) The King James 2000 Bible, copyright © Doctor of Theology Robert A. Couric 2000, 2003. All rights reserved. Cross References: Genesis 35:19; Genesis 49:24; Exodus 15:17; Numbers 10:35; Joshua 3:14; Ruth 1:6; Ruth 4:11; 1 Chronicles 28:2; 2 Chronicles 6:41-42; 2 Chronicles 21:7; 1 Kings 8:13; 1 Kings 8:17; Job 8:22; Job 21:28; Psalm 2:2; Psalm 5:7; Psalm 21:3; Psalm 26:8; Psalm 48:1-2; Psalm 68:16; Psalm 71:23; Psalm 149:4; Proverbs 6:4; Proverbs 13:25; Isaiah 1:24; Amos 3:12; Matthew 1:1; Luke 1:32; Luke 1:55; Luke 1:69; Acts 2:30; Acts 7:46

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The Price of Wisdom

1 Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they refine it.

2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted out of the ore.

3 Man sets an end to darkness, and searches out all recesses for ore in darkness, and the shadow of death.

4 He breaks open a shaft away from the inhabitants; even in places forgotten of the foot: they are gone away from men, they swing to and fro.

5 As for the earth, out of it comes bread: but under it is turned up as it were fire.

6 The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it has dust of gold.

7 There is a path which no fowl knows, and which the falcon's eye has not seen:

8 The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.

9 He puts forth his hand upon the flinty rock; he overturns the mountains by the roots.

10 He cuts out rivers in the rocks; and his eye sees every precious thing.

11 He binds the streams from overflowing; and the thing that is hid brings he forth to light.

12 But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?

13 Man knows not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.

14 The deep says, It is not in me: and the sea says, It is not with me.

15 It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.

16 It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.

17 The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.

18 No mention shall be made of coral, or of crystal: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.

19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.

20 From where then comes wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?

21 Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the fowls of the air.

22 Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame of it with our ears.

23 God understands its way, and he knows its place.

24 For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole heaven;

25 To make the weight for the wind; and he apportions the waters by measure.

26 When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:

27 Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out.

28 And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding. — Job 28 | King James 2000 Bible (KJB2K) The King James 2000 Bible, copyright © Doctor of Theology Robert A. Couric 2000, 2003. All rights reserved. Cross References: Deuteronomy 4:6; 1 Kings 18:3; Job 9:4-5; Job 10:4; Job 11:11; Job 12:15; Job 27:23; Job 37:3; Job 37:6; Job 41:34; Psalm 104:14; Psalm 135:7; Proverbs 3:13-14; Proverbs 8:10-11; Proverbs 8:19; Proverbs 8:32; Ecclesiastes 1:13; Ecclesiastes 7:24; Song of Solomon 5:14; Matthew 13:44; Revelation 9:11

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The Song of the Vineyard

1 Now will I sing to my well-beloved a song of my beloved regarding his vineyard. My well-beloved has a vineyard on a very fruitful hill:

2 And he dug it, and gathered out its stones, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress in it: and he expected that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.

3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, between me and my vineyard.

4 What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? why, when I expected that it should bring forth grapes, it brought forth wild grapes?

5 And now; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be eaten up; and break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down:

6 And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor dug; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.

7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for justice, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.

Woes Coming

8 Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may dwell alone in the midst of the earth!

9 In my hearing said the LORD of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant.

10 Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and the seed of a homer shall yield an ephah.

11 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflames them!

12 And the harp, and the lyre, the timbrel, and flute, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands.

13 Therefore my people have gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honorable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.

14 Therefore sheol has enlarged itself, and opened its mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that exults, shall descend into it.

15 And man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled:

16 But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in justice, and God who is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.

17 Then shall the lambs feed in their pasture, and the waste places of the rich ones shall strangers eat.

18 Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:

19 That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come, that we may know it!

20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

22 Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mix strong drink:

23 Who justify the wicked for a bribe, and take away the justice of the righteous from him!

24 Therefore as the fire devours the stubble, and the flame consumes the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

25 Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he has stretched forth his hand against them, and has stricken them: and the hills did tremble, and their dead bodies were as refuse in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

26 And he will lift up a banner to the nations from afar, and will whistle unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed, swiftly:

27 None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the belt on their waist be loosed, nor the strap of their shoes be broken:

28 Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind.

29 Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safely, and none shall deliver it.

30 And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one looks unto the land, behold, darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in its heavens. — Isaiah 5 | King James 2000 Bible (KJB2K) The King James 2000 Bible, copyright © Doctor of Theology Robert A. Couric 2000, 2003. All rights reserved. Cross References: Exodus 7:19; Exodus 23:8; Leviticus 26:26; Deuteronomy 28:49; 1 Samuel 25:36; 2 Samuel 7:10; 2 Samuel 22:28; 1 Kings 8:35; Job 15:28; Psalm 7:12-13; Proverbs 30:16; Ecclesiastes 12:2; Isaiah 1:3; Isaiah 7:25; Isaiah 10:6; Isaiah 59:4; Matthew 3:4; Matthew 6:22; Matthew 21:19; Matthew 21:33; Matthew 21:40; Matthew 23:37-38; Luke 21:24,25 and 26; Acts 13:41; Romans 12:16; 1 Corinthians 14:7; James 5:4; James 5:6; 1 Peter 3:15; 2 Peter 3:4