Justice Will Roll Down Like Waters

1. But in the latter days, it will happen that the mountain of Yahweh’s temple will be established on the top of the mountains, and it will be exalted above the hills; and peoples will stream to it. 2. Many nations will go and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For the law will go out of Zion, and Yahweh’s word from Jerusalem; 3. and he will judge between many peoples, and will decide concerning strong nations afar off. They will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war any more. 4. But they will sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and no one will make them afraid: For the mouth of Yahweh of Armies has spoken. 5. Indeed all the nations may walk in the name of their gods; but we will walk in the name of Yahweh our God forever and ever. 6. “In that day,” says Yahweh, “I will assemble that which is lame, and I will gather that which is driven away, and that which I have afflicted; 7. and I will make that which was lame a remnant, and that which was cast far off a strong nation: and Yahweh will reign over them on Mount Zion from then on, even forever.” 8. You, tower of the flock, the hill of the daughter of Zion, to you it will come, yes, the former dominion will come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem. 9. Now why do you cry out aloud? Is there no king in you? Has your counselor perished, that pains have taken hold of you as of a woman in travail? 10. Be in pain, and labor to give birth, daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail; for now you will go out of the city, and will dwell in the field, and will come even to Babylon. There you will be rescued. There Yahweh will redeem you from the hand of your enemies. 11. Now many nations have assembled against you, that say, “Let her be defiled, and let our eye gloat over Zion.” 12. But they don’t know the thoughts of Yahweh, neither do they understand his counsel; for he has gathered them like the sheaves to the threshing floor. 13. Arise and thresh, daughter of Zion; for I will make your horn iron, and I will make your hoofs brass; and you will beat in pieces many peoples: and I will devote their gain to Yahweh, and their substance to the Lord of the whole earth. 1. Now you shall gather yourself in troops, daughter of troops. He has laid siege against us. They will strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek. 2. But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, being small among the clans of Judah, out of you one will come out to me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings out are from of old, from ancient times. 3. Therefore he will abandon them until the time that she who is in labor gives birth. Then the rest of his brothers will return to the children of Israel. 4. He shall stand, and shall shepherd in the strength of Yahweh, in the majesty of the name of Yahweh his God: and they will live, for then he will be great to the ends of the earth. 5. He will be our peace when Assyria invades our land, and when he marches through our fortresses, then we will raise against him seven shepherds, and eight leaders of men. 6. They will rule the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in its gates. He will deliver us from the Assyrian, when he invades our land, and when he marches within our border. 7. The remnant of Jacob will be among many peoples, like dew from Yahweh, like showers on the grass, that don’t wait for man, nor wait for the sons of men. 8. The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, among many peoples, like a lion among the animals of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep; who, if he goes through, treads down and tears in pieces, and there is no one to deliver. 9. Let your hand be lifted up above your adversaries, and let all of your enemies be cut off. 10. “It will happen in that day”, says Yahweh, “that I will cut off your horses out from among you, and will destroy your chariots. 11. I will cut off the cities of your land, and will tear down all your strongholds. 12. I will destroy witchcraft from your hand; and you shall have no soothsayers. 13. I will cut off your engraved images and your pillars out from among you; and you shall no more worship the work of your hands. 14. I will uproot your Asherah poles out from among you; and I will destroy your cities. 15. I will execute vengeance in anger, and wrath on the nations that didn’t listen.” 1. Listen now to what Yahweh says: “Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear what you have to say. 2. Hear, you mountains, Yahweh’s controversy, and you enduring foundations of the earth; for Yahweh has a controversy with his people, and he will contend with Israel. 3. My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me! 4. For I brought you up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage. I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. 5. My people, remember now what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of Yahweh.” 6. How shall I come before Yahweh, and bow myself before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7. Will Yahweh be pleased with thousands of rams? With tens of thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my disobedience? The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8. He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does Yahweh require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? 9. Yahweh’s voice calls to the city, and wisdom sees your name: “Listen to the rod, and he who appointed it. 10. Are there yet treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and a short ephah that is accursed? 11. Shall I be pure with dishonest scales, and with a bag of deceitful weights? 12. Her rich men are full of violence, her inhabitants speak lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their speech. 13. Therefore I also have struck you with a grievous wound. I have made you desolate because of your sins. 14. You shall eat, but not be satisfied. Your humiliation will be within you. You will store up, but not save; and that which you save I will give up to the sword. 15. You will sow, but won’t reap. You will tread the olives, but won’t anoint yourself with oil; and crush grapes, but won’t drink the wine. 16. For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of Ahab’s house. You walk in their counsels, that I may make you a ruin, and her inhabitants a hissing; And you will bear the reproach of my people.” 1. Misery is mine! Indeed, I am like one who gathers the summer fruits, as gleanings of the vineyard: There is no cluster of grapes to eat. My soul desires to eat the early fig. 2. The godly man has perished out of the earth, and there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; every man hunts his brother with a net. 3. Their hands are on that which is evil to do it diligently. The ruler and judge ask for a bribe; and the powerful man dictates the evil desire of his soul. Thus they conspire together. 4. The best of them is like a brier. The most upright is worse than a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen, even your visitation, has come; now is the time of their confusion. 5. Don’t trust in a neighbor. Don’t put confidence in a friend. With the woman lying in your embrace, be careful of the words of your mouth! 6. For the son dishonors the father, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house. 7. But as for me, I will look to Yahweh. I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. 8. Don’t rejoice against me, my enemy. When I fall, I will arise. When I sit in darkness, Yahweh will be a light to me. 9. I will bear the indignation of Yahweh, because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my case, and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light. I will see his righteousness. 10. Then my enemy will see it, and shame will cover her who said to me, where is Yahweh your God? Then my enemy will see me and will cover her shame. Now she will be trodden down like the mire of the streets. 11. A day to build your walls— In that day, he will extend your boundary. 12. In that day they will come to you from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, and from Egypt even to the River, and from sea to sea, and mountain to mountain. 13. Yet the land will be desolate because of those who dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings. 14. Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your heritage, who dwell by themselves in a forest, in the middle of fertile pasture land, let them feed; in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old. 15. “As in the days of your coming out of the land of Egypt, I will show them marvelous things.” 16. The nations will see and be ashamed of all their might. They will lay their hand on their mouth. Their ears will be deaf. 17. They will lick the dust like a serpent. Like crawling things of the earth they shall come trembling out of their dens. They will come with fear to Yahweh our God, and will be afraid because of you. 18. Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity, and passes over the disobedience of the remnant of his heritage? He doesn’t retain his anger forever, because he delights in loving kindness. 19. He will again have compassion on us. He will tread our iniquities under foot; and you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. 20. You will give truth to Jacob, and mercy to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.

1. He also said to his disciples, “There was a certain rich man who had a manager. An accusation was made to him that this man was wasting his possessions. 2. He called him, and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ 3. “The manager said within himself, ‘What will I do, seeing that my lord is taking away the management position from me? I don’t have strength to dig. I am ashamed to beg. 4. I know what I will do, so that when I am removed from management, they may receive me into their houses.’ 5. Calling each one of his lord’s debtors to him, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe to my lord?’ 6. He said, ‘A hundred batos of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7. Then he said to another, ‘How much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred cors of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 8. “His lord commended the dishonest manager because he had done wisely, for the children of this world are, in their own generation, wiser than the children of the light. 9. I tell you, make for yourselves friends by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when you fail, they may receive you into the eternal tents. 10. He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much. He who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11. If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12. If you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? 13. No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You aren’t able to serve God and Mammon.” 14. The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they scoffed at him. 15. He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts. For that which is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God. 16. The law and the prophets were until John. From that time the Good News of God’s Kingdom is preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. 17. But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one tiny stroke of a pen in the law to fall. 18. Everyone who divorces his wife, and marries another, commits adultery. He who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery. 19. “Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day. 20. A certain beggar, named Lazarus, was taken to his gate, full of sores, 21. and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Yes, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22. The beggar died, and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried. 23. In Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom. 24. He cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue! For I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25. “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in the same way, bad things. But here he is now comforted, and you are in anguish. 26. Besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that those who want to pass from here to you are not able, and that no one may cross over from there to us.’ 27. “He said, ‘I ask you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house; 28. for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, so they won’t also come into this place of torment.’ 29. “But Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ 30. “He said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31. “He said to him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead.’” 1. He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no occasions of stumbling should come, but woe to him through whom they come! 2. It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, rather than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3. Be careful. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him. 4. If he sins against you seven times in the day, and seven times returns, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.” 5. The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” 6. The Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you would tell this sycamore tree, ‘Be uprooted, and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. 7. But who is there among you, having a servant plowing or keeping sheep, that will say, when he comes in from the field, ‘Come immediately and sit down at the table,’ 8. and will not rather tell him, ‘Prepare my supper, clothe yourself properly, and serve me, while I eat and drink. Afterward you shall eat and drink’? 9. Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded? I think not. 10. Even so you also, when you have done all the things that are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants. We have done our duty.’” 11. As he was on his way to Jerusalem, he was passing along the borders of Samaria and Galilee. 12. As he entered into a certain village, ten men who were lepers met him, who stood at a distance. 13. They lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14. When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” As they went, they were cleansed. 15. One of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice. 16. He fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks; and he was a Samaritan. 17. Jesus answered, “Weren’t the ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18. Were there none found who returned to give glory to God, except this stranger?” 19. Then he said to him, “Get up, and go your way. Your faith has healed you.” 20. Being asked by the Pharisees when God’s Kingdom would come, he answered them, “God’s Kingdom doesn’t come with observation; 21. neither will they say, ‘Look, here!’ or, ‘Look, there!’ for behold, God’s Kingdom is within you.” 22. He said to the disciples, “The days will come, when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23. They will tell you, ‘Look, here!’ or ‘Look, there!’ Don’t go away, nor follow after them, 24. for as the lightning, when it flashes out of the one part under the sky, shines to the other part under the sky; so will the Son of Man be in his day. 25. But first, he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26. As it was in the days of Noah, even so will it be also in the days of the Son of Man. 27. They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ship, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 28. Likewise, even as it was in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29. but in the day that Lot went out from Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from the sky, and destroyed them all. 30. It will be the same way in the day that the Son of Man is revealed. 31. In that day, he who will be on the housetop, and his goods in the house, let him not go down to take them away. Let him who is in the field likewise not turn back. 32. Remember Lot’s wife! 33. Whoever seeks to save his life loses it, but whoever loses his life preserves it. 34. I tell you, in that night there will be two people in one bed. The one will be taken, and the other will be left. 35. There will be two grinding grain together. One will be taken, and the other will be left.” 36. 37. They, answering, asked him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the body is, there will the vultures also be gathered together.” 1. He also spoke a parable to them that they must always pray, and not give up, 2. saying, “There was a judge in a certain city who didn’t fear God, and didn’t respect man. 3. A widow was in that city, and she often came to him, saying, ‘Defend me from my adversary!’ 4. He wouldn’t for a while, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God, nor respect man, 5. yet because this widow bothers me, I will defend her, or else she will wear me out by her continual coming.’” 6. The Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge says. 7. Won’t God avenge his chosen ones, who are crying out to him day and night, and yet he exercises patience with them? 8. I tell you that he will avenge them quickly. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” 9. He spoke also this parable to certain people who were convinced of their own righteousness, and who despised all others. 10. “Two men went up into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. 11. The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this: ‘God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortionists, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12. I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13. But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn’t even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” 15. They were also bringing their babies to him, that he might touch them. But when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16. Jesus summoned them, saying, “Allow the little children to come to me, and don’t hinder them, for God’s Kingdom belongs to such as these. 17. Most certainly, I tell you, whoever doesn’t receive God’s Kingdom like a little child, he will in no way enter into it.” 18. A certain ruler asked him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 19. Jesus asked him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good, except one—God. 20. You know the commandments: ‘Don’t commit adultery,’ ‘Don’t murder,’ ‘Don’t steal,’ ‘Don’t give false testimony,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’” 21. He said, “I have observed all these things from my youth up.” 22. When Jesus heard these things, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have, and distribute it to the poor. You will have treasure in heaven. Come, follow me.” 23. But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was very rich. 24. Jesus, seeing that he became very sad, said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter into God’s Kingdom! 25. For it is easier for a camel to enter in through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into God’s Kingdom.” 26. Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” 27. But he said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” 28. Peter said, “Look, we have left everything, and followed you.” 29. He said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, there is no one who has left house, or wife, or brothers, or parents, or children, for God’s Kingdom’s sake, 30. who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the world to come, eternal life.” 31. He took the twelve aside, and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all the things that are written through the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be completed. 32. For he will be delivered up to the Gentiles, will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit on. 33. They will scourge and kill him. On the third day, he will rise again.” 34. They understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they didn’t understand the things that were said. 35. As he came near Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the road, begging. 36. Hearing a multitude going by, he asked what this meant. 37. They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. 38. He cried out, “Jesus, you son of David, have mercy on me!” 39. Those who led the way rebuked him, that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “You son of David, have mercy on me!” 40. Standing still, Jesus commanded him to be brought to him. When he had come near, he asked him, 41. “What do you want me to do?” He said, “Lord, that I may see again.” 42. Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight. Your faith has healed you.” 43. Immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God. All the people, when they saw it, praised God.

1. Blessed is he who considers the poor. Yahweh will deliver him in the day of evil. 2. Yahweh will preserve him, and keep him alive. He shall be blessed on the earth, and he will not surrender him to the will of his enemies. 3. Yahweh will sustain him on his sickbed, and restore him from his bed of illness. 4. I said, “Yahweh, have mercy on me! Heal me, for I have sinned against you.” 5. My enemies speak evil against me: “When will he die, and his name perish?” 6. If he comes to see me, he speaks falsehood. His heart gathers iniquity to itself. When he goes abroad, he tells it. 7. All who hate me whisper together against me. They imagine the worst for me. 8. “An evil disease”, they say, “has afflicted him. Now that he lies he shall rise up no more.” 9. Yes, my own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, who ate bread with me, has lifted up his heel against me. 10. But you, Yahweh, have mercy on me, and raise me up, that I may repay them. 11. By this I know that you delight in me, because my enemy doesn’t triumph over me. 12. As for me, you uphold me in my integrity, and set me in your presence forever. 13. Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, from everlasting and to everlasting! Amen and amen.