The One Year Bible TLB (31 page)
Read The One Year Bible TLB Online
Authors: Tyndale
Follow my advice, my son; always keep it in mind and stick to it.
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Obey me and live! Guard my words as your most precious possession.
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Write them down,
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and also keep them deep within your heart.
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Love wisdom like a sweetheart; make her a beloved member of your family.
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Let her hold you back from affairs with other women—from listening to their flattery.
February 5“If two men are fighting, and in the process hurt a pregnant woman so that she has a miscarriage, but she lives, then the man who injured her shall be fined whatever amount the woman’s husband shall demand, and as the judges approve.
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But if any harm comes to the woman and she dies, he shall be executed.
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“If her eye is injured, injure his; if her tooth is knocked out, knock out his; and so on—hand for hand, foot for foot,
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burn for burn, wound for wound, lash for lash.
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“If a man hits his slave in the eye, whether man or woman, and the eye is blinded, then the slave shall go free because of his eye.
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And if a master knocks out his slave’s tooth, he shall let him go free to pay for the tooth.
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“If an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox shall be stoned and its flesh not eaten, but the owner shall not be held—
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unless the ox was known to gore people in the past, and the owner had been notified and still the ox was not kept under control; in that case, if it kills someone, the ox shall be stoned and the owner also shall be killed.
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But the dead man’s relatives may accept a fine instead, if they wish. The judges will determine the amount.
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“The same law holds if the ox gores a boy or a girl.
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But if the ox gores a slave, whether male or female, the slave’s master shall be given thirty pieces of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
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“If a man digs a well and doesn’t cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,
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the owner of the well shall pay full damages to the owner of the animal, and the dead animal shall belong to him.
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“If a man’s ox injures another, and it dies, then the two owners shall sell the live ox and divide the price between them—and each shall also own half of the dead ox.
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But if the ox was known from past experience to gore, and its owner has not kept it under control, then there will not be a division of the income; but the owner of the living ox shall pay in full for the dead ox, and the dead one shall be his.
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“If a man steals an ox or sheep and then kills or sells it, he shall pay a fine of five to one—five oxen shall be returned for each stolen ox. For sheep, the fine shall be four to one—four sheep returned for each sheep stolen.
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“If a thief is caught in the act of breaking into a house and is killed, the one who killed him is not guilty.
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But if it happens in the daylight, it must be presumed to be murder and the man who kills him is guilty.
“If a thief is captured, he must make full restitution; if he can’t, then he must be sold as a slave for his debt.
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“If he is caught in the act of stealing a live ox or donkey or sheep or whatever it is, he shall pay double value as his fine.
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“If someone deliberately lets his animal loose and it gets into another man’s vineyard; or if he turns it into another man’s field to graze, he must pay for all damages by giving the owner of the field or vineyard an equal amount of the best of his own crop.
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“If the field is being burned off and the fire gets out of control and goes into another field so that the shocks of grain, or the standing grain, are destroyed, the one who started the fire shall make full restitution.
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“If someone gives money or goods to anyone to keep for him, and it is stolen, the thief shall pay double if he is found.
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But if no thief is found, then the man to whom the valuables were entrusted shall be brought before God to determine whether or not he himself has stolen his neighbor’s property.
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“In every case in which an ox, donkey, sheep, clothing, or anything else is lost, and the owner believes he has found it in the possession of someone else who denies it, both parties to the dispute shall come before God for a decision, and the one whom God declares guilty shall pay double to the other.
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“If a man asks his neighbor to keep a donkey, ox, sheep, or any other animal for him, and it dies, or is hurt, or gets away, and there is no eyewitness to report just what happened to it,
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then the neighbor must take an oath that he has not stolen it, and the owner must accept his word, and no restitution shall be made for it.
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But if the animal or property has been stolen, the neighbor caring for it must repay the owner.
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If it was attacked by some wild animal, he shall bring the torn carcass to confirm the fact, and shall not be required to make restitution.
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“If a man borrows an animal (or anything else) from a neighbor, and it is injured or killed, and the owner is not there at the time, then the man who borrowed it must pay for it.
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But if the owner is there, he need not pay; and if it was rented, then he need not pay, because this possibility was included in the original rental fee.
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“If a man seduces a girl who is not engaged to anyone
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and sleeps with her, he must pay the usual dowry and accept her as his wife.
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But if her father utterly refuses to let her marry him, then he shall pay the money anyway.
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“A sorceress shall be put to death.
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“Anyone having sexual relations with an animal shall certainly be executed.
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“Anyone sacrificing to any other god than Jehovah shall be executed.
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“You must not oppress a stranger in any way; remember, you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
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“You must not exploit widows or orphans;
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if you do so in any way, and they cry to me for my help, I will surely give it.
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And my anger shall flame out against you, and I will kill you with enemy armies, so that your wives will be widows and your children fatherless.
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“If you lend money to a needy fellow Hebrew, you are not to handle the transaction in an ordinary way, with interest.
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If you take his clothing as a pledge of his repayment, you must let him have it back at night.
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For it is probably his only warmth; how can he sleep without it? If you don’t return it, and he cries to me for help, I will hear and be very gracious to him at your expense,
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for I am very compassionate.
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“You shall not blaspheme God, nor curse government officials—your judges and your rulers.
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“You must be prompt in giving me the tithe of your crops and your wine, and the redemption payment for your oldest son.
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“As to the firstborn of the oxen and the sheep, give it to me on the eighth day, after leaving it with its mother for seven days.
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“And since you yourselves are holy—my special people—do not eat any animal that has been attacked and killed by a wild animal. Leave its carcass for the dogs to eat.
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“Do not pass along untrue reports. Do not cooperate with an evil man by affirming on the witness stand something you know is false.
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“Don’t join mobs intent on evil. When on the witness stand, don’t be swayed in your testimony by the mood of the majority present, and do not slant your testimony in favor of a man just because he is poor.
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“If you come upon an enemy’s ox or donkey that has strayed away, you must take it back to its owner.
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If you see your enemy trying to get his donkey onto its feet beneath a heavy load, you must not go on by but must help him.
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“A man’s poverty is no excuse for twisting justice against him.
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“Keep far away from falsely charging anyone with evil; never let an innocent person be put to death. I will not stand for this.
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“Take no bribes, for a bribe makes you unaware of what you clearly see! A bribe hurts the cause of the person who is right.
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“Do not oppress foreigners; you know what it’s like to be a foreigner; remember your own experience in the land of Egypt.
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“Sow and reap your crops for six years,
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but let the land rest and lie fallow during the seventh year, and let the poor among the people harvest any volunteer crop that may come up; leave the rest for the animals to enjoy. The same rule applies to your vineyards and your olive groves.
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“Work six days only, and rest the seventh; this is to give your oxen and donkeys a rest, as well as the people of your household—your slaves and visitors.
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“Be sure to obey all of these instructions; and remember—never mention the name of any other god.
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As Jesus was leaving the Temple grounds, his disciples came along and wanted to take him on a tour of the various Temple buildings.
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But he told them,
“All these buildings will be knocked down, with not one stone left on top of another!”
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“When will this happen?” the disciples asked him later, as he sat on the slopes of the Mount of Olives. “What events will signal your return and the end of the world?”
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Jesus told them,
“Don’t let anyone fool you.
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For many will come claiming to be the Messiah and will lead many astray.
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When you hear of wars beginning, this does not signal my return; these must come, but the end is not yet.
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The nations and kingdoms of the earth will rise against each other, and there will be famines and earthquakes in many places.
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But all this will be only the beginning of the horrors to come.
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“Then you will be tortured and killed and hated all over the world because you are mine,
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and many of you shall fall back into sin and betray and hate each other.
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And many false prophets will appear and lead many astray.
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Sin will be rampant everywhere and will cool the love of many.
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But those enduring to the end shall be saved.
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“And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it, and then, finally, the end will come.
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“So, when you see the horrible thing
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(told about by Daniel the prophet) standing in a holy place
(Note to the reader: You know what is meant!),
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then those in Judea must flee into the Judean hills.
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Those on their porches
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must not even go inside to pack before they flee.
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Those in the fields should not return to their homes for their clothes.
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“And woe to pregnant women and to those with babies in those days.
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And pray that your flight will not be in winter, or on the Sabbath.
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For there will be persecution such as the world has never before seen in all its history and will never see again.
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“In fact, unless those days are shortened, all mankind will perish. But they will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen people.
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“Then if anyone tells you, ‘The Messiah has arrived at such and such a place, or has appeared here or there,’ don’t believe it.
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For false Christs shall arise, and false prophets, and will do wonderful miracles so that if it were possible, even God’s chosen ones
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would be deceived.
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See, I have warned you.
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“So if someone tells you the Messiah has returned and is out in the desert, don’t bother to go and look. Or, that he is hiding at a certain place, don’t believe it!
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For as the lightning flashes across the sky from east to west, so shall my coming be, when I, the Messiah,
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return.
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And wherever the carcass is, there the vultures will gather.”