Blessings, Curses, and Eternal Devotion

1. “‘You shall make for yourselves no idols, and you shall not raise up a carved image or a pillar, and you shall not place any figured stone in your land, to bow down to it; for I am Yahweh your God. 2. “‘You shall keep my Sabbaths, and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am Yahweh. 3. “‘If you walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; 4. then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. 5. Your threshing shall reach to the vintage, and the vintage shall reach to the sowing time. You shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely. 6. “‘I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and no one will make you afraid. I will remove evil animals out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land. 7. You shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. 8. Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall chase ten thousand; and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. 9. “‘I will have respect for you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and will establish my covenant with you. 10. You shall eat old store long kept, and you shall move out the old because of the new. 11. I will set my tent among you, and my soul won’t abhor you. 12. I will walk among you, and will be your God, and you will be my people. 13. I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. I have broken the bars of your yoke, and made you go upright. 14. “‘But if you will not listen to me, and will not do all these commandments; 15. and if you shall reject my statutes, and if your soul abhors my ordinances, so that you will not do all my commandments, but break my covenant; 16. I also will do this to you: I will appoint terror over you, even consumption and fever, that shall consume the eyes, and make the soul to pine away. You will sow your seed in vain, for your enemies will eat it. 17. I will set my face against you, and you will be struck before your enemies. Those who hate you will rule over you; and you will flee when no one pursues you. 18. “‘If you in spite of these things will not listen to me, then I will chastise you seven times more for your sins. 19. I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your sky like iron, and your soil like brass. 20. Your strength will be spent in vain; for your land won’t yield its increase, neither will the trees of the land yield their fruit. 21. “‘If you walk contrary to me, and won’t listen to me, then I will bring seven times more plagues on you according to your sins. 22. I will send the wild animals among you, which will rob you of your children, destroy your livestock, and make you few in number. Your roads will become desolate. 23. “‘If by these things you won’t be reformed to me, but will walk contrary to me; 24. then I will also walk contrary to you; and I will strike you, even I, seven times for your sins. 25. I will bring a sword upon you that will execute the vengeance of the covenant. You will be gathered together within your cities, and I will send the pestilence among you. You will be delivered into the hand of the enemy. 26. When I break your staff of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver your bread again by weight. You shall eat, and not be satisfied. 27. “‘If you in spite of this won’t listen to me, but walk contrary to me; 28. then I will walk contrary to you in wrath. I will also chastise you seven times for your sins. 29. You will eat the flesh of your sons, and you will eat the flesh of your daughters. 30. I will destroy your high places, and cut down your incense altars, and cast your dead bodies upon the bodies of your idols; and my soul will abhor you. 31. I will lay your cities waste, and will bring your sanctuaries to desolation. I will not take delight in the sweet fragrance of your offerings. 32. I will bring the land into desolation; and your enemies that dwell therein will be astonished at it. 33. I will scatter you among the nations, and I will draw out the sword after you. Your land will be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste. 34. Then the land will enjoy its Sabbaths as long as it lies desolate and you are in your enemies’ land. Even then the land will rest and enjoy its Sabbaths. 35. As long as it lies desolate it shall have rest, even the rest which it didn’t have in your Sabbaths, when you lived on it. 36. “‘As for those of you who are left, I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies. The sound of a driven leaf will put them to flight; and they shall flee, as one flees from the sword. They will fall when no one pursues. 37. They will stumble over one another, as it were before the sword, when no one pursues. You will have no power to stand before your enemies. 38. You will perish among the nations. The land of your enemies will eat you up. 39. Those of you who are left will pine away in their iniquity in your enemies’ lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers they shall pine away with them. 40. “‘If they confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, in their trespass which they trespassed against me, and also that, because they walked contrary to me, 41. I also walked contrary to them, and brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised heart is humbled, and they then accept the punishment of their iniquity; 42. then I will remember my covenant with Jacob; and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham; and I will remember the land. 43. The land also will be left by them, and will enjoy its Sabbaths while it lies desolate without them: and they will accept the punishment of their iniquity; because, even because they rejected my ordinances, and their soul abhorred my statutes. 44. Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them; for I am Yahweh their God; 45. but I will for their sake remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God. I am Yahweh.’” 46. These are the statutes, ordinances and laws, which Yahweh made between him and the children of Israel in Mount Sinai by Moses. 1. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2. “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘When a man consecrates a person to Yahweh in a vow, according to your valuation, 3. your valuation of a male from twenty years old even to sixty years old shall be fifty shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary. 4. If she is a female, then your valuation shall be thirty shekels. 5. If the person is from five years old even to twenty years old, then your valuation shall be for a male twenty shekels, and for a female ten shekels. 6. If the person is from a month old even to five years old, then your valuation shall be for a male five shekels of silver, and for a female your valuation shall be three shekels of silver. 7. If the person is from sixty years old and upward; if he is a male, then your valuation shall be fifteen shekels, and for a female ten shekels. 8. But if he is poorer than your valuation, then he shall be set before the priest, and the priest shall assign a value to him. The priest shall assign a value according to his ability to pay. 9. “‘If it is an animal, of which men offer an offering to Yahweh, all that any man gives of such to Yahweh becomes holy. 10. He shall not alter it, nor change it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good: and if he shall at all change animal for animal, then both it and that for which it is changed shall be holy. 11. If it is any unclean animal, of which they do not offer as an offering to Yahweh, then he shall set the animal before the priest; 12. and the priest shall value it, whether it is good or bad. As you the priest values it, so shall it be. 13. But if he will indeed redeem it, then he shall add the fifth part of it to its valuation. 14. “‘When a man dedicates his house to be holy to Yahweh, then the priest shall evaluate it, whether it is good or bad: as the priest shall evaluate it, so shall it stand. 15. If he who dedicates it will redeem his house, then he shall add the fifth part of the money of your valuation to it, and it shall be his. 16. “‘If a man dedicates to Yahweh part of the field of his possession, then your valuation shall be according to the seed for it. The sowing of a homer of barley shall be valued at fifty shekels of silver. 17. If he dedicates his field from the Year of Jubilee, according to your valuation it shall stand. 18. But if he dedicates his field after the Jubilee, then the priest shall reckon to him the money according to the years that remain to the Year of Jubilee; and an abatement shall be made from your valuation. 19. If he who dedicated the field will indeed redeem it, then he shall add the fifth part of the money of your valuation to it, and it shall remain his. 20. If he will not redeem the field, or if he has sold the field to another man, it shall not be redeemed any more; 21. but the field, when it goes out in the Jubilee, shall be holy to Yahweh, as a devoted field. It shall be owned by the priests. 22. “‘If he dedicates a field to Yahweh which he has bought, which is not of the field of his possession, 23. then the priest shall reckon to him the worth of your valuation up to the Year of Jubilee; and he shall give your valuation on that day, as a holy thing to Yahweh. 24. In the Year of Jubilee the field shall return to him from whom it was bought, even to him to whom the possession of the land belongs. 25. All your valuations shall be according to the shekel of the sanctuary: twenty gerahs to the shekel. 26. “‘Only the firstborn among animals, which is made Yahweh’s firstborn, no man may dedicate; whether an ox or a sheep. It is Yahweh’s. 27. If it is an unclean animal, then he shall buy it back according to your valuation, and shall add to it the fifth part of it; or if it isn’t redeemed, then it shall be sold according to your valuation. 28. “‘Notwithstanding, no devoted thing, that a man shall devote to Yahweh of all that he has, whether of man or animal, or of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed. Everything devoted to destruction is most holy to Yahweh. 29. “‘No one devoted, who shall be devoted from among men, shall be ransomed; he shall surely be put to death. 30. “‘All the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is Yahweh’s. It is holy to Yahweh. 31. If a man redeems anything of his tithe, he shall add a fifth part to it. 32. All the tithe of the herds or the flocks, whatever passes under the rod, the tenth shall be holy to Yahweh. 33. He shall not search whether it is good or bad, neither shall he change it. If he changes it at all, then both it and that for which it is changed shall be holy. It shall not be redeemed.’” 34. These are the commandments which Yahweh commanded Moses for the children of Israel on Mount Sinai.

1. Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the assembly of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2. We always give thanks to God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers, 3. remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and perseverance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father. 4. We know, brothers loved by God, that you are chosen, 5. and that our Good News came to you not in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and with much assurance. You know what kind of men we showed ourselves to be among you for your sake. 6. You became imitators of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, 7. so that you became an example to all who believe in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8. For from you the word of the Lord has been declared, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone out; so that we need not to say anything. 9. For they themselves report concerning us what kind of a reception we had from you; and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, 10. and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come. 1. For you yourselves know, brothers, our visit to you wasn’t in vain, 2. but having suffered before and been shamefully treated, as you know, at Philippi, we grew bold in our God to tell you the Good News of God in much conflict. 3. For our exhortation is not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in deception. 4. But even as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News, so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, who tests our hearts. 5. For neither were we at any time found using words of flattery, as you know, nor a cloak of covetousness (God is witness), 6. nor seeking glory from men (neither from you nor from others), when we might have claimed authority as apostles of Christ. 7. But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother cherishes her own children. 8. Even so, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you, not the Good News of God only, but also our own souls, because you had become very dear to us. 9. For you remember, brothers, our labor and travail; for working night and day, that we might not burden any of you, we preached to you the Good News of God. 10. You are witnesses with God, how holy, righteously, and blamelessly we behaved ourselves toward you who believe. 11. As you know, we exhorted, comforted, and implored every one of you, as a father does his own children, 12. to the end that you should walk worthily of God, who calls you into his own Kingdom and glory. 13. For this cause we also thank God without ceasing, that, when you received from us the word of the message of God, you accepted it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which also works in you who believe. 14. For you, brothers, became imitators of the assemblies of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus; for you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews; 15. who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drove us out, and didn’t please God, and are contrary to all men; 16. forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved; to fill up their sins always. But wrath has come on them to the uttermost. 17. But we, brothers, being bereaved of you for a short season, in presence, not in heart, tried even harder to see your face with great desire, 18. because we wanted to come to you—indeed, I, Paul, once and again—but Satan hindered us. 19. For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Isn’t it even you, before our Lord Jesus at his coming? 20. For you are our glory and our joy. 1. Therefore when we couldn’t stand it any longer, we thought it good to be left behind at Athens alone, 2. and sent Timothy, our brother and God’s servant in the Good News of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith; 3. that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you know that we are appointed to this task. 4. For most certainly, when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we are to suffer affliction, even as it happened, and you know. 5. For this cause I also, when I couldn’t stand it any longer, sent that I might know your faith, for fear that by any means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor would have been in vain. 6. But when Timothy came just now to us from you, and brought us glad news of your faith and love, and that you have good memories of us always, longing to see us, even as we also long to see you; 7. for this cause, brothers, we were comforted over you in all our distress and affliction through your faith. 8. For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord. 9. For what thanksgiving can we render again to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sakes before our God; 10. night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face, and may perfect that which is lacking in your faith? 11. Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you; 12. and the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we also do toward you, 13. to the end he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. 1. Finally then, brothers, we beg and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, that you abound more and more. 2. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3. For this is the will of God: your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality, 4. that each one of you know how to control his own body in sanctification and honor, 5. not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who don’t know God; 6. that no one should take advantage of and wrong a brother or sister in this matter; because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned you and testified. 7. For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification. 8. Therefore he who rejects this doesn’t reject man, but God, who has also given his Holy Spirit to you. 9. But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that one write to you. For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another, 10. for indeed you do it toward all the brothers who are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brothers, that you abound more and more; 11. and that you make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, even as we instructed you; 12. that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and may have need of nothing. 13. But we don’t want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, so that you don’t grieve like the rest, who have no hope. 14. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15. For this we tell you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep. 16. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God’s trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first, 17. then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever. 18. Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1. But concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need that anything be written to you. 2. For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. 3. For when they are saying, “Peace and safety,” then sudden destruction will come on them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman; and they will in no way escape. 4. But you, brothers, aren’t in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief. 5. You are all children of light, and children of the day. We don’t belong to the night, nor to darkness, 6. so then let’s not sleep, as the rest do, but let’s watch and be sober. 7. For those who sleep, sleep in the night; and those who are drunk are drunk in the night. 8. But let us, since we belong to the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and, for a helmet, the hope of salvation. 9. For God didn’t appoint us to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10. who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 11. Therefore exhort one another, and build each other up, even as you also do. 12. But we beg you, brothers, to know those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you, 13. and to respect and honor them in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves. 14. We exhort you, brothers, admonish the disorderly, encourage the faint-hearted, support the weak, be patient toward all. 15. See that no one returns evil for evil to anyone, but always follow after that which is good, for one another, and for all. 16. Rejoice always. 17. Pray without ceasing. 18. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you. 19. Don’t quench the Spirit. 20. Don’t despise prophesies. 21. Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good. 22. Abstain from every form of evil. 23. May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24. He who calls you is faithful, who will also do it. 25. Brothers, pray for us. 26. Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. 27. I solemnly command you by the Lord that this letter be read to all the holy brothers. 28. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

1. How lovely are your dwellings, Yahweh of Armies! 2. My soul longs, and even faints for the courts of Yahweh. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. 3. Yes, the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young, near your altars, Yahweh of Armies, my King, and my God. 4. Blessed are those who dwell in your house. They are always praising you. Selah. 5. Blessed are those whose strength is in you; who have set their hearts on a pilgrimage. 6. Passing through the valley of Weeping, they make it a place of springs. Yes, the autumn rain covers it with blessings. 7. They go from strength to strength. Everyone of them appears before God in Zion. 8. Yahweh, God of Armies, hear my prayer. Listen, God of Jacob. Selah. 9. Behold, God our shield, look at the face of your anointed. 10. For a day in your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. 11. For Yahweh God is a sun and a shield. Yahweh will give grace and glory. He withholds no good thing from those who walk blamelessly. 12. Yahweh of Armies, blessed is the man who trusts in you.