TheChildrensBible-CEV-Full

Unforgettable Stories • • • •

Large print Simple sentences Fast-moving stories Lively, detailed illustrations

The nearly 300 action-packed stories make all the favorite Bible characters spring to life. Told in chronological order with Scripture verses listed for easy reference, these dramatic stories tell all about Noah, Joseph, Deborah, Jonah, Mary, Jesus, Peter, Paul, and many, many more

These are the stories your children will never forget.

Children's Bible Stories Reading level: 3rd to 5th grade Interest level: Ages 3 to 11

ISBN: 9788771324716

THE CHILDREN'S BIBLE

Now from the CEV version all the best adventure stories from the Bible have been carefully selected for the very young. Also, to give your child the best possible introduction to the world of the Bible, we have combined:

Printer: Discovery Printing Dongguan, China July 2013 ID#2013.02.30

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Bib CEV Contemporary English Version Illustrated by José Pérez Montero

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The children´s

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The Children’s Bible (c) 2013 Scandinavia Publishing House Drejervej 15,3rd floor DK-2400 Copenhagen NV Denmark E-mail: info@scanpublishing.dk www.scanpublishing.dk

Presented to

Illustrations: (c) José Pérez Montero Text: Contemporary English Version (c) 1995, 2013 American Bible Society Bible text from the Contemporary English Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by American Bible Society 1865 Broadway, New York, NY 10023 USA

By

ISBN 9788772472775 Printed in China

On

My Family Name Father Father´s Parents Mother

The children´s

bible

Mother´s Parents Brothers & Sisters Brothers & Sisters Brothers & Sisters

Text: Contemporary English Version Illustrations: José Pérez Montero

contents The Old Testament God Makes Everything---------------------------- 4 It Looks Good--------------------------------------- 5 The First Man and Woman------------------------ 6 All for a piece of fruit------------------------------ 8 Out of Eden---------------------------------------- 10 Two Brothers-------------------------------------- 10 The First Murder---------------------------------- 10 Noah Builds a Boat------------------------------- 12 The Voyage of the Ark--------------------------- 12 The Rescue---------------------------------------- 14 The End of the Storm---------------------------- 14 The City Builders--------------------------------- 16 God Chooses Abram----------------------------- 18 The Promise of God------------------------------ 19 On the Way to Sodom---------------------------- 20 Lot Is Rescued------------------------------------ 21 Isaac Is Born--------------------------------------- 22 Abraham and Isaac------------------------------- 22 Mission Impossible------------------------------- 25 Twin Brothers------------------------------------- 29 An Expensive Meal------------------------------- 29 Rebekah Is Cunning------------------------------ 30 A Family Is Divided------------------------------ 31 The Wrestling Match and Jacob’s New Name-------------------------- 32 Fighting in the Tent------------------------------- 34 Joseph’s Dream----------------------------------- 34 In the Well----------------------------------------- 36 On the Way to Egypt----------------------------- 38 Joseph Must Work Hard------------------------- 39 In Prison-------------------------------------------- 40 The Dreams of Two Men------------------------ 42 The Pharaoh’s Dream---------------------------- 43 Fat and Skinny Cows----------------------------- 44 Joseph Helps Pharaoh---------------------------- 46 The Brothers Learn Their Lesson--------------- 48 Benjamin May Go Along------------------------ 50 The Stolen Cup------------------------------------ 52 The Truth Comes Out---------------------------- 54 A Baby in a Boat---------------------------------- 57 Saved by a Princess------------------------------- 57 Moses Strikes a Blow for Freedom------------- 58 The Bush Which Caught Fire

without a Match----------------------------------- 58 A Hundred and One Excuses-------------------- 60 Pharaoh Says No---------------------------------- 62 God Promises Action----------------------------- 62 Terrible Plagues----------------------------------- 64 The Last Plague----------------------------------- 66 The Jewish Passover----------------------------- 66 God Leads the Way------------------------------- 68 A Wall of Waves---------------------------------- 70 Nothing to Drink---------------------------------- 74 Nothing to Eat------------------------------------- 75 God on the Mountain----------------------------- 76 The First Ten Commandments------------------ 78 The Golden Calf---------------------------------- 78 The Second Ten Commandments--------------- 82 Within Sight of the Promised Land------------ 84 We Are Not Strong Enough--------------------- 86 The Forty-year Punishment--------------------- 86 The Choice of Life or Death-------------------- 88 The Last Days of Moses------------------------- 89 I Spy the Enemy---------------------------------- 90 The Spies Escape--------------------------------- 92 Saved by a Red Cord----------------------------- 94 On the Edge of the Promised Land------------- 95 Crossing the River Jordan----------------------- 96 The Battle Won With Trumpets----------------- 98 The Wise Woman under the Palm Tree------- 100 Who Will Kill Sisera?--------------------------- 101 Gideon Begins His Work----------------------- 102 It Takes Fewer Men to Win the Battle-------- 103 Listening in the Night--------------------------- 104 Trumpets and Torches--------------------------- 105 Fighting with a Lion----------------------------- 106 Samson Tells a Riddle--------------------------- 107 Samson and Delilah----------------------------- 110 The Strongest Man Wins------------------------ 113 A Bad Time--------------------------------------- 114 A Woman of Loyalty---------------------------- 114 Ruth Goes to Work------------------------------ 116 The Great-grandmother of a King------------- 119 Waiting for a Baby------------------------------- 120 Peninnah Hurts Hannah------------------------- 122 A Prayer from the Heart------------------------ 122 Baby Samuel------------------------------------- 125 Hannah Leaves Samuel with Eli--------------- 126 Becoming a Priest------------------------------- 127 Samuel Hears God’s Voice--------------------- 128

The Lost Donkeys------------------------------- 130 The Big Secret----------------------------------- 132 Saul Becomes King------------------------------ 132 God Chooses a New King---------------------- 134 David Cares for Saul---------------------------- 135 The Giant----------------------------------------- 137 Goliath’s Insults---------------------------------- 137 David the Giant-Killer-------------------------- 138 King Saul Is Jealous----------------------------- 140 Friends for Life---------------------------------- 141 Jonathan Saves David’s Life------------------- 142 Alone in a Cave---------------------------------- 145 Everything is Lost------------------------------- 147 David Loses Saul and Jonathan---------------- 147 David Is Crowned------------------------------- 148 The Ark of God Arrives in Jerusalem--------- 151 David Becomes a Murderer-------------------- 152 The Broken King-------------------------------- 153 The Young King---------------------------------- 154 The Baby with Two Mothers------------------- 156 A Temple for the Lord--------------------------- 159 The Visit of the Queen of Sheba--------------- 160 The Contest--------------------------------------- 162 Fire and Rain------------------------------------- 164 The Chariot of Fire------------------------------ 166 A Strange Way to Cross a River--------------- 168 The Bottomless Jar of Oil---------------------- 170 Runaway from God------------------------------ 172 The Big Fish-------------------------------------- 174 Jonah Changes His Mind----------------------- 176 God Is Good-------------------------------------- 176 Jeremiah Stays Behind-------------------------- 178 A Special School--------------------------------- 180 A Test of Faith------------------------------------ 182 Passing the Test---------------------------------- 184 The Wizards-------------------------------------- 186 What Does the King’s Dream Mean?--------- 188 A Never-Ending Kingdom---------------------- 189 Three Brave Men-------------------------------- 190 The Blazing Furnace---------------------------- 190 The King’s Feast--------------------------------- 192 Writing on the Wall------------------------------ 193 The Lion’s Den----------------------------------- 194 The Proud King---------------------------------- 196 Queen Vashti’s Refusal-------------------------- 199 Miss Persia---------------------------------------- 200 The Jews Must Die------------------------------ 202

Esther Has a Plan-------------------------------- 205 Esther Saves Her People------------------------ 207 Haman Is Hung---------------------------------- 207 A Chance to Survive----------------------------- 208 Fighting Back------------------------------------ 208 The New Testament An Angel Visits a Young Girl------------------ 210 A Trip over the Mountains---------------------- 212 Joseph’s Dream---------------------------------- 213 Jesus Is Born------------------------------------- 214 The Shepherds------------------------------------ 216 The Star That Led to the Baby’s Cradle------ 218 He Will Be Called a Nazarene----------------- 220 Joseph and Mary Lose Jesus------------------- 222 Jesus Is Baptized--------------------------------- 224 Jesus and His Friend----------------------------- 225 The Enemy of God Tempts Jesus-------------- 226 The First Disciples------------------------------- 228 This Is How to Catch Fish---------------------- 229 There’s No More Wine-------------------------- 230 The Unholy Temple----------------------------- 232 He Is the Water of Life-------------------------- 234 The Woman at the Well------------------------- 235 Four Men on the Roof--------------------------- 236 The Tax Collector Says Yes-------------------- 237 Waiting for a Miracle---------------------------- 239 The Twelve Men Set Apart--------------------- 241 True Happiness----------------------------------- 242 Do You Know How to Be Salt?---------------- 242 The Treasure Hunt------------------------------- 244 How to Build a House--------------------------- 245 A Special Act------------------------------------- 246 Planting Seeds------------------------------------ 248 Planting Seeds in the Right Places------------ 248 The Difference between Wheat and Weeds-- 250 Mustard Seed and Yeast------------------------- 251 The Storm----------------------------------------- 252 The Other Side----------------------------------- 255 The Wild Man in the Graveyard--------------- 256 More People Are Healed------------------------ 259 The Weak King----------------------------------- 261 To a Quiet Place---------------------------------- 262 Teaching Thousands----------------------------- 263 Food for the Hungry----------------------------- 264 Jesus Walks on Water--------------------------- 266 Peter Walks on Water---------------------------- 268

The Faith of a Foreigner------------------------ 271 A Blind Man Healed at Bethsaida------------- 272 The Rock Man----------------------------------- 273 Moses and Elijah--------------------------------- 275 The Children Come First----------------------- 277 Not Alone----------------------------------------- 277 The Healed Leper-------------------------------- 278 A Second Chance-------------------------------- 280 The Good Samaritan---------------------------- 282 Martha and Mary-------------------------------- 285 The Good Shepherd----------------------------- 286 Lazarus Lives------------------------------------- 289 The Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin------------ 290 The Loving Father------------------------------- 292 Coming Home------------------------------------ 292 Money Lovers------------------------------------ 294 The Rich Man and Lazarus--------------------- 294 More Lessons about Prayer--------------------- 296 Broken Homes----------------------------------- 297 Let the Children Come to Me------------------ 298 The Rich Young Man---------------------------- 300 Who Comes First?------------------------------- 301 The Workers in the Vineyard------------------- 303 The Little Man in the Tree---------------------- 305 A Job Well Done--------------------------------- 306 Mary’s Act of Love------------------------------ 308 The Big Parade----------------------------------- 308 Jerusalem! Jerusalem!--------------------------- 309 Cleaning Out the Temple----------------------- 310 Healing in the Temple--------------------------- 311 Who Gave the Most?---------------------------- 312 The Five Careless Bridesmaids---------------- 314 Judas----------------------------------------------- 316 Preparing the Last Passover-------------------- 318 Who Is Greatest?--------------------------------- 319 The Servant King-------------------------------- 320 The Reason Why--------------------------------- 321 The Lord’s Supper------------------------------- 322 When the Cock Crows-------------------------- 324 A Home in Heaven------------------------------ 325 Jesus Prays for His Followers------------------ 326 Betrayed by a Kiss------------------------------- 328 Peter Fights Back-------------------------------- 331 Jesus Is Taken Prisoner------------------------- 331 Peter’s Great Mistake--------------------------- 332 Jesus and Pilate---------------------------------- 334 Jesus and Herod---------------------------------- 336

Pilate Tries to Free Jesus------------------------ 338 The Death Sentence----------------------------- 339 The Weeping Women---------------------------- 343 Jesus on the Cross------------------------------- 343 The Death of Jesus------------------------------- 346 The Temple Curtain Splits in Two------------- 349 The Burial----------------------------------------- 350 Guards at the Tomb------------------------------ 353 An Empty Tomb--------------------------------- 354 Mary Magdalene Sees Jesus-------------------- 356 The Disciples See Jesus------------------------- 358 The Story of Thomas --------------------------- 360 Breakfast by the Sea----------------------------- 360 Do You Really Love Me?----------------------- 362 Home to the Father------------------------------ 365 The Helper---------------------------------------- 366 Healing and Teaching--------------------------- 367 Peter and John in Trouble----------------------- 368 An Angel Frees the Apostles------------------- 370 The Apostles Are Questioned------------------ 371 Stephen Is Not Afraid--------------------------- 373 The Road to Damascus-------------------------- 374 A Sheet Full of Animals------------------------ 376 Peter Visits an Army Officer------------------- 379 Good News for Everyone----------------------- 379 Peter Escapes from Prison---------------------- 379 Paul as a Preacher-------------------------------- 383 Singing in the Prison---------------------------- 384 Paul Is Warned----------------------------------- 386 Paul Speaks to the Mob------------------------- 388 Paul Must Die!----------------------------------- 390 Shipwrecked!------------------------------------- 391 Rome at Last------------------------------------- 394 Special Messages-------------------------------- 397 God’s New World-------------------------------- 399

Old Testament The

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God Makes Everything Genesis 1:1-25

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was barren, with no form of life; it was under a roaring ocean covered with darkness. But the Spirit of God was moving over the water.

God said, “I command light to shine!” And light started shining.

God looked at the light and saw that it was good. He separated light from darkness. That was the first day.

God said, “I command a dome to separate the water above it from the water below it.” And that’s what happened. That was the second day.

God said, “I command the water under the sky to come together in one place, so there will be dry ground.”

And that’s what happened. God looked at what he had done and saw that it was good.

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God said, “I command the earth to produce all kinds of plants, including fruit trees and grain.” And that’s what happened. God looked at what he had done, and it was good. That was the third day.

God said, “I command lights to appear in the sky and to separate day from night and to show the time for seasons, special days, and years.

I command them to shine on the earth.” And that’s what happened.

God looked at what he had done, and it was good. That was the fourth day.

It Looks Good Genesis 1:20-25; 2:3-6

God said, “I command the ocean to be full of living creatures, and I command birds to fly above the earth.” So God made the giant sea

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monsters and all the living creatures that swim in the ocean. He also made every kind of bird. God looked at what he had done, and it was good.

That was the fifth day.

God said, “I command the earth to give life to all kinds of tame animals.

And that’s what happened. Then he looked at what he had done, and it was good.

The First Man and Woman

Genesis 1:26-27; 2:7,18-23; 1:28-2:3

God said, “Now we will make humans, and they will be like us.

We will let them rule the fish, the birds, and all other living creatures.”

So God created humans to be like himself; he made men and women.

The Lord God took a handful of soil and made a man. God breathed life into the man, and the man started breathing. The Lord God said, “It isn’t good for the man to live alone.

I need to make a suitable partner for him.” So the Lord took some soil and made animals and birds.

He brought them to the man to see what names he would give each of them. Then the man named the tame animals and the birds and the wild animals. That’s how they got their names. None of these was the right kind of partner for the man. So the Lord God made him fall into a deep sleep, and he took out one of the man’s 6

ribs. Then after closing the man’s side, the Lord made a woman out of the rib. The Lord God brought her to the man, and the man exclaimed, “Here is someone like me! She is part of my body, my own flesh and bones. She came from me, a man. So I will name her Woman!”

God gave them his blessing and said: Have a lot of children! Fill the earth with people and bring it under your control. Rule over the fish in the ocean, the birds in the sky, and every animal on the earth. I have provided all kinds of fruit and grain for you to eat. And I have given the green plants as food for everything else that breathes. These will be food for animals, both wild and tame, and for birds.

God looked at what he had done. All of it was very good! That was the sixth day.

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So the heavens and the earth and everything else were created. By the seventh day God had finished his work, and so he rested. God blessed the seventh day and made it special because on that day he rested from his work.

All for a piece of fruit Genesis 3:1-13

The snake was sneakier than any of the other wild animals that the Lord God had made. One day it came to the woman and asked, “Did God tell you not to eat fruit from any tree in the garden?”

The woman answered, “God said we could eat fruit from any tree in the garden, except the one in the middle. He told us not to eat fruit from that tree or even to touch it. If we do, we will die.”

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“No, you won’t!” the snake replied. “God understands what will happen on the day you eat fruit from that tree. You will see what you have done, and you will know the difference between right and wrong, just as God does.”

The woman stared at the fruit. She wanted the wisdom that it would give her, and she ate some of the fruit. Her husband was there with her, so she gave some to him, and he ate it too. Right away they saw what they had done, and they realized they were naked. Then they sewed fig leaves together to make something to cover themselves.

Late in the afternoon the man and woman heard the Lord God walking in the garden. They were frightened and hid behind some trees.

The Lord called out to the man and asked, “Where are you? Did you

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eat any fruit from that tree in the middle of the garden?” “It was the woman you put here with me,” the man said. “She gave me some of the fruit, and I ate it.”

The Lord God then asked the woman, “What have you done?”

“The snake tricked me,” she answered. “And I ate some of that fruit.”

Out of Eden Genesis 3:20-23

The man Adam named his wife Eve be-cause she would become the mother of all who live. The Lord said, “These people now know the difference between right and wrong, just as we do. But they must not be allowed to eat fruit from the tree that lets them live forever.” So the Lord God sent them out of the Garden of Eden, where they would have to work the ground from which the man had been made.

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Two Brothers

The First Murder

Adam and Eve had a son. Then Eve said, “I’ll name him Cain because I got him with the help of the Lord.”

Later she had another son and named him Abel.

Abel became a sheep farmer, but Cain farmed the land.

One day, Cain gave part of his harvest to the Lord, and Abel also gave an offering to the Lord. He killed the first‑born lamb from one of his sheep and gave the Lord the best parts of it. The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering, but not with Cain and his offering. This made Cain so angry that he could not hide his feelings.

The Lord said to Cain: What’s wrong with you? Why do you have such an angry look on your face? If you had done the right thing, you would be smiling. But you did the wrong thing, and now sin is waiting to attack you like a lion. Sin wants to destroy you, but don’t let it!

Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go for a walk.” And when they were out in a field, Cain killed him.

Afterwards the Lord asked Cain, “Where is Abel?”

Genesis 4:1-2

Genesis 4:3-16

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“How should I know?” he answered. “Am I supposed to look after my brother?”

Then the Lord said: Why have you done this terrible thing? You killed your own brother, and his blood flowed onto the ground.

Now his blood is calling out for me to punish you. And so, I’ll put you under a curse. From now on, you’ll be without a home, and you’ll spend the rest of your life wandering from place to place.

So Cain had to go far from the Lord and live in the Land of Wandering, which is east of Eden.

Noah Builds a Boat Genesis 6:5-22

More and more people were born, until finally they spread all over the earth.

The Lord saw how bad the people on earth were and that everything they thought and planned was evil.

He was very sorry that he had made them. So he said, “I’ll destroy every living creature on earth! I’ll wipe out people, animals, birds, and reptiles.

I’m sorry I ever made them.”

Noah was the only person who lived right and obeyed God. He had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

So he told Noah: Cruelty and violence have spread everywhere. Now I’m going to destroy the whole earth and all its 12

people. Get some good lumber and build a boat. Make the boat three stories high and put a door on one side. I’m going to send a flood that will destroy everything that breathes!

Nothing will be left alive. But I solemnly promise that you, your wife, your sons, and your daughters‑in‑law will be kept safe in the boat.

Bring into the boat with you a male and a female of every kind of animal and bird, as well as a male and a female of every reptile. I don’t want them to be destroyed. Store up enough food both for yourself and for them.

Noah did everything the Lord told him to do.

The Voyage of the Ark Genesis 7:1-16

The Lord told Noah: Take your whole family with you into the boat, because you are the only one on this earth who pleases me.

Seven days later a flood began to cover the earth.

On that day Noah and his wife

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went into the boat with their three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their wives. They took along every kind of animal. Noah took a male and a female of every living creature with him, just as God had told him to do. And when they were all in the boat, God closed the door.

The Rescue Genesis 7:17-8:1

For forty days the rain poured down without stopping. And the water became deeper and deeper, until the boat started floating high above

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the ground. Finally, the mighty flood was so deep that even the highest mountain peaks were almost twenty‑five feet below the surface of the water. Not a bird, animal, reptile, or human was left alive anywhere on earth. The Lord destroyed everything that breathed. Nothing was left alive except Noah and the others in the boat.

A hundred fifty days later, the water started going down.

The End of the Storm Genesis 8:1-9:17

God did not forget about Noah

and the animals with him in the boat.

So God made a wind blow, and the water started going down. Forty days later Noah opened a window to send out a raven, but it kept flying around until the water had dried up. Noah wanted to find out if the water had gone down, and he sent out a dove.

Deep water was still everywhere, and the dove could not find a place to land. So it flew back to the boat.

Noah held out his hand and helped it back in.

Seven days later Noah sent the dove out again. It returned in the evening, holding in its beak a green

leaf from an olive tree. Noah knew that the water was finally going down. He waited seven more days before send-ing the dove out again, and this time it did not return.

Noah made an opening in the roof of the boat and saw that the ground was getting dry.

God said to Noah, “You, your wife, your sons, and your daughters‑in‑law may now leave the boat.

After Noah and his family had gone out of the boat, the living creatures left in groups of their own kind.

God said to Noah and his sons: I promise every living creature

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that the earth and those living on it will never again be destroyed by a flood.

The rainbow that I have put in the sky will be my sign to you and to every living creature on earth. It will remind you that I will keep this promise forever. When I see the rainbow in the sky, I will always remember the promise that I have made to every living creature. The rainbow will be the sign of that solemn promise.

The City Builders Genesis 10:1-11:9

After the flood Shem, Ham, and Japheth had many descendants.

At first everyone spoke the same language, but after some of them moved from the east and settled in Babylonia, they said: Let’s build a city with a tower that reaches to the sky! We’ll use hard bricks and tar instead of stone and mortar. We’ll become famous, and we won’t be scattered all over the world.

But when the Lord came down to look at the city and the tower, he said: These people are working together

because they all speak the same language. This is just the beginning.

Soon they will be able to do anything they want. Come on! Let’s go down and confuse them by making them speak different languages— then they won’t be able to understand each other.

So the people had to stop building the city, because the Lord confused their language and scattered them all over the earth. That’s how the city of Babel got its name.

God Chooses Abram Genesis 12:1-9

The Lord said to Abram: Leave your country, your family, and your relatives and go to the land that I will show you. I will bless you and make your descendants into a

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great nation. You will become famous and be a blessing to others. I will bless anyone who blesses you, but I will put a curse on anyone who puts a curse on you. Everyone on earth will be blessed because of you.

Abram was seventy‑five years old when the Lord told him to leave the city of Haran. He obeyed and left with his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions and slaves they had gotten while in Haran.

When they came to the land of Canaan, Abram went as far as the sacred tree of Moreh in a place called Shechem. The Lord appeared to Abram and promised, “I will give this land to your family forever.”

Abram then built an altar there for

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the Lord.

Abram traveled to the hill country east of Bethel, where he built another altar and worshiped the Lord. Later, Abram started out toward the Southern Desert.

The Promise of God Genesis 15:1-7; 17:4-5

Later the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision, “Abram, don’t be afraid!

I will protect you and reward you greatly.”

But Abram answered, “Lord All‑Powerful, you have given me everything I could ask for, except

children. And when I die, Eliezer of Damascus will get all I own.” The Lord replied, “No, he won’t! You will have a son of your own, and everything you have will be his.”

Then the Lord took Abram outside and said, “Look at the sky and see if you can count the stars. That is how many descendants you will have.”

Abram believed the Lord, and the

Lord was pleased with him.

The Lord said to Abram, “ I promise that you will be the father of many nations. That’s why I now change your name from Abram to Abraham.”

On the Way to Sodom Genesis 18:20-26

One hot summer afternoon Abraham was sitting by the entrance to his tent, when the Lord appeared to him.

Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. He quickly ran to meet them, bowed with his face to the ground, and said, “Please come

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to my home where I can serve you.

“Thank you very much,” they answered. “We accept your offer.” One of the guests was the Lord. When the three men got ready to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked part of the way with them.

The Lord said, “Abraham, I have heard that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are doing all kinds of evil things.

Now I am going down to see for myself if those people really are that bad. If they aren’t, I want to know about it.”

Abraham asked, “Lord, when you destroy the evil people, are you also going to destroy those who are

good? Wouldn’t you spare the city if there are only fifty good people in it?

You surely wouldn’t let them be killed when you destroy the evil ones.

You are the judge of all the earth, and you do what is right.”

The Lord replied, “If I find fifty good people in Sodom, I will save the city to keep them from being killed.”

Abraham said, “Please don’t get angry, Lord, if I speak just once more. Suppose you find only ten good people there.”

“For the sake of ten good people,” the Lord told him, “I still won’t destroy the city.”

Lot Is Rescued Genesis 19:1-29

That evening the two angels arrived in Sodom, while Lot was sitting near the city gate.

The two angels said to Lot, “The Lord has heard many terrible things about the people of Sodom, and he has sent us here to destroy the city.

Take your family and leave. Take every relative you have in the city, as well as the men your daughters are going to marry.”

Early the next morning the two angels tried to make Lot hurry and leave. At first, Lot just stood there.

But the Lord wanted to save him.

So the angels took Lot, his wife, and his two daughters by the hand and 20

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led them out of the city. The Lord sent burning sulfur down like rain on Sodom and Gomorrah. He destroyed those cities and everyone who lived in them, as well as their land and the trees and grass that grew there.

On the way, Lot’s wife looked back and was turned into a block of salt.

When God destroyed the cities of the valley where Lot lived, he remem-bered his promise to Abraham and saved Lot from the terrible destruction.

Take him to the land of Moriah, and I will show you a mountain where you must sacrifice him to me on the fires of an altar.” So Abraham got up early the next morning and chopped wood for the fire. He put a saddle on his donkey and left with Isaac and two servants for the place where God had told him to go.

Three days later Abraham looked off in the distance and saw the place.

He told his servants, “Stay here with the donkey, while my son and I go

over there to worship. We will come back.”

Abraham put the wood on Isaac’s shoulder, but he carried the hot coals and the knife.

As the two of them walked along, Isaac said, “Father, we have the coals and the wood, but where is the lamb for the sacrifice?”

“My son,” Abraham answered, “God will provide the lamb.”

The two of them walked on, and when they reached the place that

God had told him about, Abraham built an altar and placed the wood on it. Next, he tied up his son and put him on the wood. He then took the knife and got ready to kill his son.

But the Lord’s angel shouted from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Here I am!” he answered.

“Don’t hurt the boy or harm him in any way!” the angel said. “Now I know that you truly obey God, because you were willing to offer him your only son.”

Isaac Is Born Genesis 21:1-7

The Lord was good to Sarah and kept his promise. Although Abraham was very old, Sarah had a son exactly at the time God had said. Abraham named his son Isaac. Abraham was a hundred years old when Isaac was born, and Sarah said, “God has made me laugh. Now everyone will laugh with me. Who would have dared to tell Abraham that someday I would have a child? But in his old age, I have given him a son.”

Abraham and Isaac Genesis 22:1-13,15-18

Some years later God decided to test Abraham, so he spoke to him.

Abraham answered, “Here I am, Lord.”

The Lord said, “Go get Isaac, your only son, the one you dearly love!

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Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in the bushes. So he took the ram and sacrificed it in place of his son.

The Lord’s angel called out from heaven a second time: You were willing to offer the Lord your only son, and so he makes you this solemn promise, “I will bless you and give you such a large family, that someday your descendants will be more numerous than the stars in the sky or the grains of sand along the beach. They will defeat

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their enemies and take over the cities where their enemies live. You have obeyed me, and so you and your descendants will be a blessing to all nations on earth.”

Mission Impossible Genesis 24:1-67

Abraham was now a very old man.

The Lord had made him rich, and he was successful in everything he did.

One day, Abraham called in his most trusted servant and said to him, “Go back to the land where I was born and find a wife for Isaac from among

my relatives.”

Soon after that, the servant loaded ten of Abraham’s camels with valuable gifts. Then he set out for the city in northern Syria, where Abraham’s brother Nahor lived.

When he got there, he let the camels rest near the well outside the city. It was late afternoon, the time when the women came out for water.

The servant prayed: You, Lord, are the God my master Abraham worships. Please keep your promise to him and let me find a wife for Isaac today. The young

women of the city will soon come to this well for water, and I’ll ask one of them for a drink. If she gives me a drink and then offers to get some water for my camels, I’ll know she is the one you have chosen.

While he was still praying, Rebekah walked past Abraham’s servant, and filled her water jar. When she started back, Abraham’s servant ran to her and said, “Please let me have a drink of water.”

“I’ll be glad to,” she answered.

Then she quickly took the jar from her shoulder and held it while he

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drank. After he had finished, she said, “Now I’ll give your camels all the water they want.” Abraham’s servant did not say a word, but he watched everything Rebekah did, because he wanted to know for certain if this was the woman the Lord had chosen. The servant had brought along an expensive gold ring and two large gold bracelets. When Rebekah had finished bringing the water, he gave her the ring for her nose and the bracelets for her arms. Then he said, “Please tell me who your father is.

Does he have room in his house for me and my men to spend the night?”

She answered, “My father is Bethuel the son of Milcah and Nahor.

We have a place where you and your men can stay, and we also have enough straw and feed for your camels.”

Then the servant bowed his head and prayed, “I thank you, Lord God of my master Abraham! You have led me to his relatives and kept your promise to him.”

Rebekah ran straight home and told her family everything. Her brother Laban heard her tell what the servant had said, and ran out to Abraham’s servant. Then Laban said, “The Lord has brought you safely here. Come home with me. I have a room ready for you in our house, and there’s also a place for your camels.”

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Abraham’s servant went home with Laban, where Laban’s servants unload-ed his camels. After that, they brought in food. But the servant said, “Before I eat, I must tell you why I have come.”

“Go ahead and tell us,” Laban answered.

The servant explained.

Laban and Bethuel answered, “The Lord has done this. Take Rebekah with you; she can marry your master’s son, just as the Lord has said.” Rebekah and the young wo-

men who were to travel with her prepared to leave. Then they got on camels and left with Abraham’s servant and his men.

One evening Isaac was walking out in the fields, when suddenly he saw a group of people approaching on camels. So he started toward them.

Rebekah saw him coming; she got down from her camel, and asked,

“Who is that man?”

“He is my master Isaac,” the servant answered. Then Rebekah covered her face with her veil.

The servant told Isaac everything that had happened.

Isaac took Rebekah into the tent where his mother had lived before she died, and Rebekah became his wife.

Twin Brothers Genesis 25:19-26

Isaac was the son of Abraham, and he was forty years old when he married Rebekah. Almost twenty years later, Rebekah still had no children.

So Isaac asked the Lord to let her have a child, and the Lord answered

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his prayer.

Before Rebekah gave birth, she knew she was going to have twins, because she could feel them inside her, fighting each other. She thought, “Why is this happening to me?”

Finally, she asked the Lord why her twins were fighting, and he told her: “Your two sons will become two separate nations. The younger of the two will be stronger, and the older son will be his servant.”

When Rebekah gave birth, the first baby was covered with red hair, so he was named Esau. The second baby grabbed on to his brother’s heel, so they named him Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.

An Expensive Meal Genesis 25:27-34

As Jacob and Esau grew older, Esau liked the outdoors and became a good hunter, while Jacob settled down and became a shepherd. Esau would take the meat of wild animals to his father Isaac, and so Isaac loved him more, but Jacob was his mother’s favorite son.

One day, Jacob was cooking some stew, when Esau came home hungry and said, “I’m starving to death!

Give me some of that red stew right now!” That’s how Esau got the name “Edom.”

Jacob replied, “Sell me your rights 28

as the first‑born son.”

“I’m about to die,” Esau answered.

“What good will those rights do me?”

But Jacob said, “Promise me your birthrights, here and now!” And that’s what Esau did. Jacob then gave Esau some bread and some of the bean stew, and when Esau had finished eating and drinking, he just got up and left, showing how little he thought of his rights as the first‑born.

Rebekah Is Cunning Genesis 27:1-40

After Isaac had become old and almost blind, he called in his first‑born son Esau.

Isaac said, “I am old and might die at any time. So take your bow and arrows, then go out in the fields, and kill a wild animal. Cook some of that tasty food that I love so much and bring it to me. I want to eat it once more and give you my blessing before I die.”

Rebekah had been listening, and as soon as Esau left to go hunting, she said to Jacob, “Go and kill two of your best young goats and bring them to me. I’ll cook the tasty food that your father loves so much. Then you can take it to him, so he can eat it and give you his blessing before he dies.”

“My brother Esau is a hairy man,” Jacob reminded her. “And I am not.

If my father touches me and realizes I am trying to trick him, he will put a curse on me instead of giving me a blessing.”

Rebekah insisted, so Jacob brought the meat to his mother, and she cooked the tasty food that his father liked. Then she took Esau’s best clothes and put them on Jacob. She also covered the smooth part of his hands and neck with goatskins and gave him some bread and the tasty 29

food she had cooked.

Jacob went to his father and said, “Father, here I am.”

“Which one of my sons are you?” his father asked.

Jacob replied, “I am Esau, your first‑born, and I have done what you told me. Isaac asked, “My son, how did you find an animal so quickly?”

“The Lord your God was kind to me,” Jacob answered. “My son,” Isaac said, “come closer, where I can touch you and find out if you really are Esau.” Jacob went closer. His father touched him and said, “You sound like Jacob, but your hands feel hairy like Esau’s.” And so Isaac blessed Jacob, thinking he was Esau.

Right after Isaac had given Jacob his blessing and Jacob had gone, Esau came back from hunting. He cooked 30

the tasty food, brought it to his father.

“Who are you?” Isaac asked. “I am Esau, your first‑born son.” Isaac started trembling and said, “Then who brought me some wild meat right before you came in? I ate it and gave him a blessing that cannot be taken back.”

Esau cried loudly and begged, “Father, give me a blessing too!”

Isaac answered, “Your brother tricked me and stole your blessing.”

“Father,” Esau asked, “don’t you have more than one blessing? You can surely give me a blessing too!”

Then Esau started crying again.

posed to be his. So he said to himself, “Just as soon as my father dies, I’ll kill Jacob.”

When Rebekah found out what Esau planned to do, she sent for Jacob and told him, “Son, your brother Esau is just waiting for the time when he can kill you. Now listen carefully and do what I say. Go to the home of my brother Laban in Haran and stay with him for a while. When Esau stops being angry and forgets what you have done to him, I’ll send for you to come home. Why should I lose both of my sons on the same day?”

A Family Is Divided

The Wrestling Match and Jacob’s New Name

Genesis 27:41-45

Esau hated his brother Jacob because he had stolen the blessing that was sup-

Genesis 32:3-31

As Jacob was on his way back

home, he sent messengers on ahead to Esau, who lived in Edom. Jacob told them to say to Esau, “Master, I am your servant! I have lived with Laban all this time, and now I own cattle, donkeys, and sheep, as well as many slaves. Master, I am sending these messengers in the hope that you will be kind to me.”

When the messengers returned, they told Jacob, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is heading this way with four hundred men.”

Jacob was so frightened that he divided his people, sheep, cattle, and camels into two groups. He thought, “If Esau attacks one group, perhaps the other can escape.”

Then Jacob prayed: You, Lord, are the God who was worshiped by my grandfather Abra31

ham and by my father Isaac. You told me to return home to my family, and you promised to be with me and make me successful. I don’t deserve all the good things you have done for me, your servant. When I first crossed the Jordan, I had only my walking stick, but now I have two large groups of people and animals.

Please rescue me from my brother.

I am afraid he will come and attack not only me, but my wives and children as well. But you have promised that I would be a success and that someday it will be as hard to count my descendants, as it is to count the stars in the sky.

Afterwards, a man came and fought with Jacob until just before daybreak. When the man saw that he

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could not win, he struck Jacob on the hip and threw it out of joint. They kept on wrestling until the man said, “Let go of me! It’s almost daylight.”

“You can’t go until you bless me,” Jacob replied.

Then the man asked, “What is your name?”

“Jacob,” he answered.

The man said, “Your name will no

longer be Jacob. You have wrestled with God and with men, and you have won. That’s why your name will be Israel.”

Jacob said, “Now tell me your name.”

“Don’t you know who I am?” he asked. And he blessed Jacob.

Jacob said, “I have seen God face to face, and I am still alive.” So he

named the place Peniel. The sun was coming up as Jacob was leaving Peniel. He was limping because he had been struck on the hip.

Fighting in the Tent Genesis 37:1-4

Jacob lived in the land of Canaan, where his father Isaac had lived.

When Jacob’s son Joseph was seventeen years old, he took care of the sheep with his brothers. Jacob had

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given Joseph a fancy coat to show that he was his favorite son, and so Joseph’s brothers hated him and would not be friendly to him.

Joseph’s Dream Genesis 37:5-11

One day, Joseph told his brothers what he had dreamed, and they hated him even more. Joseph said, “Let me tell you about my dream. We were out in the field, tying up bundles of wheat. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles gathered around and bowed down to it.”

His brothers asked, “Do you really think you are going to be king and rule over us?” Now they hated Joseph more than ever because of what he had said about his dream.

Joseph later had another dream, and he told his brothers, “Listen to what else I dreamed. The sun, the moon, and eleven stars bowed down to me.”

When he told his father about this dream, his father became angry and said, “What’s that supposed to mean? Are your mother and I and

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your brothers all going to come and bow down in front of you?” Joseph’s brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept wondering about the dream.

In the Well Genesis 37:12-24

One day when Joseph’s brothers had taken the sheep to a pasture near Shechem, his father Jacob said to him, “I want you to go to your brothers. They are with the sheep

near Shechem.”

“Yes, sir,” Joseph answered.

His father said, “Go and find out how your brothers and the sheep are doing. Then come back and let me know.” So he sent him from Hebron Valley.

Joseph was near Shechem and

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wandering through the fields, when a man asked, “What are you looking for?”

Joseph answered, “I’m looking for my brothers who are watching the sheep. Can you tell me where they are?”

“They’re not here anymore,” the man replied. “I overheard them say they were going to Dothan.”

Joseph left and found his brothers in Dothan. But before he got there, they saw him coming and made plans to kill him. They said to one another, “Look, here comes the hero of those dreams! Let’s kill him and throw him into a pit and say that some wild animal ate him. Then we’ll see what happens to those dreams.”

Reuben heard this and tried to protect Joseph from them. “Let’s not kill him,” he said. “Don’t murder him or even harm him. Just throw him into a dry well out here in the desert.” Reuben planned to rescue Joseph later and take him back to his father.

When Joseph came to his brothers, they pulled off his fancy coat and

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threw him into a dry well.

On the Way to Egypt Genesis 37:25-35

As Joseph’s brothers sat down to eat, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with all kinds of spices that they were taking to Egypt. So Judah said, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and hide his body? Let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not harm him. After all, he is our brother.”

And the others agreed.

When the Midianite merchants came by, Joseph’s brothers took him out of the well, and for twenty pieces of silver they sold him to the Ishmaelites who took him to Egypt.

When Reuben returned to the well and did not find Joseph there, he tore his clothes in sorrow. Then he went back to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone! What am I going to do?”

Joseph’s brothers killed a goat and

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dipped Joseph’s fancy coat in its blood. After this, they took the coat to their father and said, “We found this! Look at it carefully and see if it belongs to your son.”

Jacob knew it was Joseph’s coat and said, “It’s my son’s coat! Joseph has been torn to pieces and eaten by some wild animal.”

Jacob mourned for Joseph a long time, and to show his sorrow he tore his clothes and wore sackcloth. All of Jacob’s children came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted.

“No,” he said, “I will go to my grave, mourning for my son.” So Jacob kept on grieving.

Joseph Must Work Hard Genesis 37:36; 39:1-6

Meanwhile, the Midianites had sold Joseph in Egypt to a man named Potiphar, who was the king’s official in charge of the palace guard.

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So Joseph lived in the home of Potiphar, his Egyptian owner.

Soon Potiphar realized that the Lord was helping Joseph to be successful in whatever he did. Potiphar liked Joseph and made him his personal assistant, putting him in charge of his house and all of his property.

Because of Joseph, the Lord began to bless Potiphar’s family and fields.

Potiphar left everything up to Joseph, and with Joseph there, the only decision he had to make was what he wanted to eat.

No one in my master’s house is more important than I am. The only thing he hasn’t given me is you, and that’s because you are his wife. I won’t sin against God by doing such a terrible thing as this.” She kept begging Joseph day after day, but he refused to do what she wanted or even to go near her.

In Prison Genesis 39:7-20

Joseph was well‑built and handsome, and Potiphar’s wife soon noticed him. She asked him to make love to her, but he refused and said, “My master isn’t worried about anything in his house, because he has placed me in charge of everything he owns.

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The Dreams of Two Men Genesis 40:1-23

While Joseph was in prison, both the king’s personal servant and his chief cook made the king angry. So he had them thrown into the same prison with Joseph. One night each of the two men had a dream, but their dreams had different meanings. The next morning, when Joseph went to see the men, he could tell they were upset, and he asked, “Why are you so worried today?”

“We each had a dream last night,” they answered, “and there is no one to tell us what they mean.”

Joseph replied, “Doesn’t God know the meaning of dreams? Now tell me what you dreamed.”

One day, Joseph went to Potiphar’s house to do his work, and none of the other servants were there. Potiphar’s wife grabbed hold of his coat and said, “Make love to me!” Joseph ran out of the house, leaving her hanging onto his coat.

When this happened, she called 40

in her servants and said, “Look!

This Hebrew has come just to make fools of us. He tried to rape me, but I screamed for help. And when he heard me scream, he ran out of the house, leaving his coat with me.”

Potiphar’s wife kept Joseph’s coat until her husband came home.

Then she said, “That Hebrew slave of yours tried to rape me! Potiphar became very angry and threw Joseph in the same prison where the king’s prisoners were kept.

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The king’s personal servant told Joseph, “In my dream I saw a vine with three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed, and its grapes became ripe. I held the king’s cup and squeezed the grapes into it, then I gave the cup to the king.”

Joseph said: This is the meaning of your dream.

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The three branches stand for three days, and in three days the king will pardon you. He will make you his personal servant again, and you will serve him his wine, just as you used to do. But when these good things happen, please don’t forget to tell the king about me, so I can get out of this place. When the chief cook saw that Joseph had given a good meaning to the dream, he told Joseph, “I also had a dream. In it I was carrying three breadbaskets stacked on top of my head. The top basket was full of all kinds of baked things for the king, but birds were eating them.”

Joseph said: “This is the meaning of your dream. The three baskets are three days, and in three days the king will cut off your head. He will hang your body on a pole, and birds will come and peck at it.”

Three days later, while the king was celebrating his birthday, he sent for his personal servant and the chief cook. He put the personal servant back in his old job and had the cook put to death.

Everything happened just as Joseph had said it would, but the king’s personal servant completely forgot about Joseph.

The Pharaoh’s Dream Genesis 41:1-8

Two years later the king of Egypt dreamed he was standing beside the Nile River. Suddenly, seven fat, healthy cows came up from the river and started eating grass along the bank. Then seven ugly, skinny cows came up out of the river and ate the fat, healthy cows. When this happened, the king woke up.

The king went back to sleep and had another dream. This time seven full heads of grain were growing on a single stalk. Later, seven other heads of grain appeared, but they were thin and scorched by the east wind. The thin heads of grain swallowed the seven full heads. Again the king woke up, and it had only been a dream.

The next morning the king was upset. So he called in his magicians and wise men and told them what he had dreamed. None of them could tell him what the dreams meant.

Fat and Skinny Cows Genesis 41:9-32

The king’s personal servant said: Now I remember what I was supposed to do. When you were angry with me and your chief cook, you threw us both in jail in the house of the captain of the guard. One night we both had dreams, and each dream had 43

a different meaning. A young Hebrew, who was a servant of the captain of the guard, was there with us at the time. When we told him our dreams, he explained what each of them meant, and everything happened just as he said it would. I got my job back, and the cook was put to death.

The king sent for Joseph, who was quickly brought out of jail. He shaved, changed his clothes, and went to the king.

The king said to him, “I had a dream, yet no one can explain what it means. I am told that you can interpret dreams.”

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“Your Majesty,” Joseph answered, “I can’t do it myself, but God can give a good meaning to your dreams.” Then the king told Joseph his dreams.

Joseph replied: Your Majesty, both of your dreams mean the same thing, and in them God has shown what he is going to do. The seven good cows stand for seven years, and so do the seven good heads of grain. The seven skinny, ugly cows that came up later also stand for seven years, as do the seven bad heads of grain that were scorched by the east wind. The dreams mean

there will be seven years when there won’t be enough grain.

It is just as I said—God has shown what he intends to do. For seven years Egypt will have more than enough grain, but that will be followed by seven years when there won’t be enough. The good years of plenty will be forgotten, and everywhere in Egypt people will be starving. The famine will be so bad that no one will remember that once there had been plenty. God has given you two dreams to let you know that he has definitely decided to do this and that he will do it soon.

Joseph Helps Pharaoh Genesis 41:33-42:3

Joseph said: Your Majesty, you should find someone who is wise and will know what to do, so that you can put him in charge of all Egypt.

Then appoint some other officials to collect one‑fifth of every crop har-vested in Egypt during the seven years when there is plenty. Give them the power to collect the grain during those good years and to store it in your cities. It can be stored until it is needed during the seven years when there won’t be enough grain

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in Egypt. This will keep the country from being destroyed because of the lack of food.

The king and his officials liked this plan. So the king said to them, “No one could possibly handle this better than Joseph, since the Spirit of God is with him.”

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Then the king took off his royal ring and put it on Joseph’s finger. He gave him fine clothes to wear and placed a gold chain around his neck.

He also let him ride in the chariot next to his own, and people shouted, “Make way for Joseph!” So Joseph was governor of Egypt.

For seven years there were big harvests of grain. Joseph collected and stored up the extra grain in the cities of Egypt near the fields where it was harvested. In fact, there was so much grain that they stopped keeping record, because it was like counting the grains of sand along the beach.

Egypt’s seven years of plenty came to an end, and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was not enough food in

other countries, but all over Egypt there was plenty. When Jacob found out there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you just sitting here, staring at one another? I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Now go down and buy some, so we won’t starve to death.”

Ten of Joseph’s brothers went to Egypt to buy grain.

The Brothers Learn Their Lesson Genesis 42:6-38

Since Joseph was governor of Egypt and in charge of selling grain, his brothers came to him and bowed with their faces to the ground. They did not recognize Joseph, but right away he knew who they were, though he pretended not to know.

Instead, he spoke harshly and said, “You’re spies! You’ve come here to find out where our country is weak.”

But they explained, “Sir, we come from a family of twelve brothers.

The youngest is still with our father

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in Canaan, and one of our brothers is dead.”

Joseph replied: It’s just like I said. You’re spies, and I’m going to find out who you really are. I swear by the life of the king that you won’t leave this place until your youngest brother comes here.

Joseph kept them all under guard for three days, before saying to them: Since I respect God, I’ll give you a chance to save your lives. If you are honest men, one of you must stay here in jail, and the rest of you can take the grain back to your starving families. But you must bring your youngest brother to me. Then I’ll know that you are telling the truth, and you won’t be put to death.

Then he had Simeon tied up and taken away while they watched.

Joseph gave orders for his brothers’ grain sacks to be filled with grain and for their money to be put in their sacks. He also gave orders for them to be given food for their journey home. After this was done, they each loaded the grain on their donkeys and left.

When they stopped for the night, one of them opened his sack to get some grain for his donkey, and right away he saw his moneybag. “Here’s my money!” he told his brothers.

“Right here in my sack.”

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They were trembling with fear as they stared at one another and asked themselves, “What has God done to us?”

When they returned to the land of Canaan, they told their father Jacob everything that had happened to them.

Jacob said, “You have already taken my sons Joseph and Simeon from me. And now you want to take away Benjamin! Everything is against me.”

Reuben spoke up, “Father, if I don’t bring Benjamin back, you can kill both of my sons. Trust me with him, and I will bring him back.”

But Jacob said, “I won’t let my son Benjamin go down to Egypt with

the rest of you. His brother is already dead, and he is the only son I have left. I am an old man, and if anything happens to him on the way, I’ll die from sorrow, and all of you will be to blame.”

Benjamin May Go Along Genesis 43:1-34

The famine in Canaan got worse, until finally, Jacob’s family had eaten all the grain they had bought in Egypt. So Jacob said to his sons, “Go back and buy some more grain.”

Judah replied, “The governor strictly warned us that we would not be allowed to see him unless we brought our youngest brother with us. If you let us take Benjamin

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along, we will go and buy grain. But we won’t go without him!”

Jacob asked, “Why did you cause me so much trouble by telling the governor you had another brother?”

They answered, “He asked a lot of questions about us and our family. All we could do was answer his questions. How could we know he would tell us to bring along our brother?”

Then Judah said to his father, “Let Benjamin go with me, I promise to bring him back safely.” Their father said: If Benjamin must go with you, take the governor a gift of some of the best things from our own country.

Also take along twice the amount of money for the grain, because there must have been some mistake when the money was put back in your sacks. Take Benjamin with you and leave right away.

When you go in to see the governor, I pray that God All‑Powerful will be good to you and that the governor will let your other brother and Benjamin come back home with you. If I must lose my children, I suppose I must.

Then they hurried off to Egypt.

When they stood in front of Joseph, he saw Benjamin and told the servant in charge of his house, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and cook it, so they can eat 50

with me at noon.”

The servant did as he was told and took the brothers to Joseph’s house.

When Joseph came home, they gave him the gifts they had brought, and they bowed down to him. After Joseph had asked how they were, he said, “What about your elderly father? Is he still alive?”

They answered, “Your servant our father is still alive and well.” And again they bowed down to Joseph.

When Joseph looked around and saw his brother Benjamin, he said, “This must be your youngest brother, the one you told me about. God bless you, my son.”

Right away he rushed off to his room and cried because of his love for Benjamin. After washing his face and returning, he was able to control himself and said, “Serve the meal!”

Joseph was served at a table by himself, and his brothers were served at another. To the surprise of Joseph’s brothers, they were seated in front of him according to their ages, from the oldest to the youngest. They were served food from Joseph’s

table, and Benjamin was given five times as much as each of the others.

The Stolen Cup Genesis 44:1-34

Later, Joseph told the servant in charge of his house, “Fill the men’s grain sacks with as much as they can hold and put their money in the sacks. Also put my silver cup in the sack of the youngest brother.” Early the next morning, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys. But they had not gone far from the city when Joseph told the servant, “Go

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after those men! When you catch them, say, ‘My master has been good to you. So why have you stolen his silver cup?”

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When the servant caught up with them, he said exactly what Joseph had told him to say. But they replied, “Sir, why do you say such things?

We would never do anything like that! If you find that one of us has the cup, then kill him, and the rest of us will become your slaves.”

“Good!” the man replied, “I’ll do what you have said. But only the one who has the cup will become my slave. The rest of you can go free.”

Each of the brothers quickly put his sack on the ground and opened it. Joseph’s servant started searching the sacks, beginning with the one

that belonged to the oldest brother.

When he came to Benjamin’s sack, he found the cup. This upset the brothers so much that they began tearing their clothes in sorrow. Then they loaded their donkeys and returned to the city.

When Judah and his brothers got there, they bowed down to Joseph, who asked them, “What have you done? Didn’t you know I could find out?”

“Sir, what can we say?” Judah replied. “How can we prove we are innocent? God has shown that we are guilty. And now all of us are your slaves, especially the one who had the cup.”

Joseph told them, “I would never punish all of you. Only the one who was caught with the cup will become my slave. The rest of you are free to

go home to your father.”

Judah went over to Joseph and said: Benjamin must be with us when I go back to my father. He loves him so much that he will die if Benjamin doesn’t come back with me.

I promised my father that I would bring him safely home. Sir, I am your slave. Please let me stay here in place of Benjamin and let him return home with his brothers. How can I face my father if Benjamin isn’t with me? I couldn’t bear to see my father in such sorrow.

The Truth Comes Out Genesis 45:1-28

Since Joseph could no longer control his feelings in front of his servants, he sent them out of the room.

Joseph asked his brothers if his father was still alive, but they were too frightened to answer. Joseph told

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them to come closer to him, he said: Yes, I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt. Don’t worry or blame yourselves for what you did. God is the one who sent me ahead of you to save lives.

There has already been a famine for two years, and for five more years no one will plow fields or harvest grain. But God sent me on ahead of you to keep your families alive and to save you in this wonderful way.

After all, you weren’t really the ones who sent me here it was God. Now hurry back and tell my father that his son Joseph says, “God has made me ruler of Egypt. Come here as quickly as you can. Tell my father about my great power here in Egypt and about everything you have seen.

Hurry and bring him here.

Joseph and Benjamin hugged each other and started crying. Joseph was still crying as he kissed each of his other brothers. When it was told in the palace that Joseph’s brothers had come, the king and his officials were happy. So the king said to Joseph: Tell your brothers to load their

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donkeys and return to Canaan. Tell them to take some wagons from Egypt for their wives and children to ride in. And be sure to have them bring their father. They can leave their possessions behind, because they will be given the best of everything in Egypt.

Joseph’s brothers left Egypt, and when they arrived in Canaan, they told their father that Joseph was still alive and was the ruler of Egypt. But their father was so surprised that he could not believe them. Then they told him everything Joseph had said.

When he saw the wagons Joseph had sent, he felt much better and said, “Now I can believe you! My son Jo-

seph must really be alive, and I will get to see him before I die.”

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A Baby in a Boat Exodus 1:1-19

When Jacob went to Egypt, he took his eleven other sons and their families. Altogether, Jacob had seventy children, grandchildren, and great‑ grandchildren who went with him.

The people of Israel became so numerous that the whole region of Goshen was full of them.

Because of this, the Egyptians hated them and made them work so hard that their lives were miserable.

Finally, the king called in two women who helped the Hebrew mothers when they gave birth. He told them, “If a Hebrew woman gives birth to a girl, let the child live. If the baby is a boy, kill him!”

But the two women were faithful to God and did not kill the boys, even though the king had told them to. The king called them in again and asked, “Why are you letting those baby boys live?”

They answered, “Hebrew women have their babies much quicker than Egyptian women. By the time we ar-

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rive, their babies are already born.”

A man from the Levi tribe married a woman from the same tribe, and she later had a baby boy. He was a beautiful child, and she kept him inside for three months. But when she could no longer keep him hidden, she made a basket out of reeds and covered it with tar. She put him in the basket and placed it in the tall grass along the edge of the Nile River. The baby’s older sister stood off at a distance to see what would happen to him.

Saved by a Princess Exodus 2:5-10

About that time one of the king’s daughters came down to take a bath in the river, while her servant women walked along the riverbank.

She saw the basket in the tall grass and sent one of the young women to pull it out of the water. When the king’s daughter opened the basket, she saw the baby and felt sorry for him because he was crying. She said, “This must be one of the Hebrew babies.”

At once the baby’s older sister came up and asked, “Do you want me to get a Hebrew woman to take care of the baby for you?”

“Yes,” the king’s daughter answe-

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red.

So the girl brought the baby’s mother, and the king’s daughter told her, “Take care of this child, and I will pay you.”

The baby’s mother carried him home and took care of him. And when he was old enough, she took him to the king’s daughter, who adopted him. She named him Moses because she said; “I pulled him out of the water.”

Moses Strikes a Blow for Freedom Exodus 2:11-14

After Moses had grown up, he

went out to where his own people were hard at work, and he saw an Egyptian beating one of them. Moses looked around to see if anyone was watching, then he killed the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand.

When Moses went out the next day, he saw two Hebrews fighting.

So he went to the man who had started the fight and asked, “Why are you beating up one of your own people?”

The man answered, “Who put you in charge of us and made you our judge? Are you planning to kill me, just as you killed that Egyptian?”

This frightened Moses because he was sure that people must have found out what had happened.

the land of Midian.

Moses was sitting there by a well, when the seven daughters of Jethro, the priest of Midian, came up to water their father’s sheep and goats.

Some shepherds tried to chase them away, but Moses came to their rescue and watered their animals. When Jethro’s daughters returned home, their

father asked, “Why have you come back so early today?”

They answered, “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds, and he even watered our sheep and goats.”

“Where is he?” Jethro asked.

“Why did you leave him out there?

Invite him to eat with us.”

Moses agreed to stay on with Jet-

The Bush Which Caught Fire without a Match Exodus 2:15-3:10

When the king heard what Moses had done, the king wanted to kill him. But Moses escaped and went to

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hro, who later let his daughter Zipporah marry Moses.

One day, Moses was taking care of the sheep and goats of his father‑in‑law Jethro, the priest of Midian, and Moses decided to lead them across the desert to Sinai, the holy mountain. There an angel of the Lord appeared to him from a burning bush. Moses saw that the bush was on fire, but it was not burning up. “This is strange!” he said to himself. “I’ll go over and see why the bush isn’t burning up.”

When the Lord saw Moses coming near the bush, he called him by name, and Moses answered, “Here I am.”

God replied, “Don’t come any closer. Take off your sandals — the ground where you are standing is holy. I am the God who was worshiped by your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Moses was afraid to look at God, and so he hid his face.

The Lord said: I have seen how my people are suffer-ing as slaves in Egypt, and I have heard them beg for my help because of the way they are being mistreated.

I feel sorry for them, and I have

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come down to rescue them from the Egyptians.

Now go to the king! I am sending you to lead my people out of his country.

A Hundred and One Excuses Exodus 3:11-4:5

But Moses said, “Who am I to go to the king and lead your people out of Egypt?”

God replied, “I will be with you.

And you will know that I am the one who sent you, when you worship me on this mountain after you have led my people out of Egypt.”

Moses answered, “I will tell the people of Israel that the God their ancestors worshiped has sent me to them. But what should I say, if they ask me your name?”

God said to Moses: I am the eternal God. So tell them that the Lord, whose name is “I Am,” has sent you.

Moses asked the Lord, “Suppose everyone refuses to listen to my message, and no one believes that you really appeared to me?”

The Lord answered, “What’s that in your hand?”

“A walking stick,” Moses replied.

“Throw it down!” the Lord comman-ded. So Moses threw the stick on the ground. It immediately turned into a snake, and Moses jumped back.

“Pick it up by the tail!” the Lord told him. And when Moses did this, the snake turned back into a walking stick.

“Do this,” the Lord said, “and the Israe-lites will believe that you have seen me, the God who was worshiped by their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Next, the Lord commanded Moses, “Put your hand inside your shirt.” Moses obeyed, and when he took it out, his hand had turned

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white as snow — like someone with leprosy.

“Put your hand back inside your shirt,” the Lord told him. Moses did so, and when he took it out again, it was as healthy as the rest of his body.

Then the Lord said, “If no one believes either of these miracles, take some water from the Nile River and pour it on the ground. The water will immediately turn into blood.”

Pharaoh Says No Exodus 4:19-5:2

The Lord had told Moses, “Leave the land of Midian and return to Egypt. Everyone who wanted to kill you is dead.” So Moses put his wife and sons on donkeys and headed for

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Egypt, holding the walking stick that had the power of God. The Lord sent Aaron to meet Moses in the desert. Moses and Aaron went to the king of Egypt and told him, “The Lord God says, ‘Let my people go into the desert, so they can honor me with a celebration there.’”

“Who is this Lord and why should I obey him?” the king replied. “I refuse to let you and your people go!”

God Promises Action Exodus 5:22-7:13

Moses left them and prayed, “Our Lord, why have you brought so much trouble on your people? Is that why you sent me here? Ever since you told me to speak to the king, he has caused nothing but trouble for these people. And you haven’t done a thing to help.”

The Lord God told Moses: Soon you will see what I will do to the king. Because of my mighty power, he will let my people go, and he will even chase them out of his

country. Demand that the king of Egypt let the Israelites leave.

But Moses replied, “I’m not a powerful speaker. If the Israelites won’t listen to me, why should the king of Egypt?”

The Lord said: I am going to let your brother Aaron speak for you. He will tell your message to the king, just as a prophet speaks my message to the people. Tell Aaron everything I say to you, and he will order the king to let my people leave his country. He won’t listen even when I do many terrible things to him and his nation.

Then I will bring a final punishment on Egypt, and the king will let Israel’s families and tribes go. When this happens, the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.

Moses and Aaron went to the king and his officials and did exactly as the Lord had commanded — Aaron

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threw the stick down, and it turned into a snake. Then the king called in the wise men and the magicians, who used their secret powers to do the same thing — they threw down sticks that turned into snakes. But Aaron’s snake swallowed theirs. The king behaved just as the Lord had said and stubbornly refused to listen.

Terrible Plagues Exodus 7:14-29

The Lord said to Moses: The Egyptian king stubbornly refuses to change his mind and let the people go. Tomorrow morning take the stick that turned into a snake, then wait beside the Nile River for the king. Tell him, “The Lord God of the Hebrews sent me to order you to release his people, so they can worship him in the desert. But until now, you have paid no attention.

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“The Lord is going to do something to show you that he really is the Lord. I will strike the Nile with this stick, and the water will turn into blood.”

Aaron held out his stick then struck the Nile. The river turned into blood, the fish died, and the water smelled

so bad that none of the Egyptians could drink it. Seven days after the Lord had struck the Nile, he said to Moses: Go to the palace and tell the king of Egypt that I order him to let my people go, so they can worship me.

If he refuses, I will cover his entire

country with frogs.

Aaron obeyed, and suddenly frogs were everywhere in Egypt. The king sent for Moses and Aaron and told them, “If you ask the Lord to take these frogs away from me and my people, I will let your people go and offer sacrifices to him.” After Moses and Aaron left the palace, Moses begged the Lord to do something about the frogs he had sent as punishment for the king. The Lord listened to Moses, and frogs died everywhere. But when the king saw that things were now better, he again did just as the Lord had said and

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stubbornly refused to listen to Moses and Aaron. This time the Lord made the king so stubborn that he said to Moses, “Get out and stay out! If you ever come back, you’re dead!”

“Have it your way,” Moses answered. “You won’t see me again.”

The Last Plague Exodus 11:1-10

The Lord said to Moses: I am going to punish the king of Egypt and his people one more time. Then the king will gladly let you leave his land, so that I will stop punishing the Egyptians. He will even chase you out.

Moses went to the king and said: I have come to let you know what the Lord is going to do. About midnight he will go through the land of Egypt, and wherever he goes, the first‑born son in every family will die. Your own son will die, and so will the son of the lowest slave woman. Even the first‑born males of cattle will die.

Everywhere in Egypt there will be loud crying. Nothing like this has ever happened before or will ever happen again. But there won’t be any need for the Israelites to cry. Things will be so quiet that not even a dog will be heard barking. Then you Egyptians will know that the Lord is good to the Israelites, even while he punishes you. Your leaders will come and bow down, begging me to take my people and leave your country. Then we will leave. Moses was very angry; he tur66

ned and left the king. What the Lord had earlier said to Moses came true.

He had said, “The king of Egypt won’t listen. Then I will perform even more miracles.” So the king of Egypt saw Moses and Aaron work miracles, but the Lord made him stubbornly refuse to let the Israelites leave his country.

The Jewish Passover Exodus 12:1-41

Some time later the Lord said to Moses and Aaron: Tell the people of Israel that on the tenth day of this month the head of each family must choose a lamb or a young goat for his family to eat. It must be a one‑year‑old male that has nothing wrong with it. And it must be large enough for everyone to have some of

the meat. Each family must take care of its animal until the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, when the animals are to be killed. Some of the blood must be put on the two doorposts and above the door of each house where the animals are to be

eaten. That night the animals are to be roasted and eaten, together with bitter herbs and thin bread made without yeast. Eat what you want that night, and the next morning burn whatever is left. When you eat the meal, be dressed and ready to travel.

Have your sandals on, carry your walking stick in your hand, and eat quickly. This is the Passover Festival in honor of me, your Lord.

That same night I will pass through Egypt and kill the first‑born son in every family and the first‑born male of all animals. I am the Lord, and I will punish the gods of Egypt.

The blood on the houses will show me where you live, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. Then you won’t be bothered by the terrible disasters I will bring on Egypt.

At midnight the Lord killed the first‑born son of every Egyptian family, from the son of the king to the son of every prisoner in jail. He also killed the first‑born male of every animal that belonged to the Egyptians.

That night the king, his officials, and everyone else in Egypt got up and started crying bitterly. In every Egyptian home, someone was dead.

During the night the king sent for Moses and Aaron and told them, “Get your people out of my country and leave us alone! Go and worship the Lord, as you have asked. The 67

Israelites walked from the city of Rameses to the city of Succoth. There were about six hundred thousand of them, not counting women and children. Many other people went with them as well, and there were also a lot of sheep, goats, and cattle.

The Lord’s people left Egypt exactly four hundred thirty years after they had arrived.

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God Leads the Way Exodus 13:17-14:14

After the king had finally let the people go, the Lord did not lead them through Philistine territory, though that was the shortest way.

God had said, “If they are attacked, they may decide to return to Egypt.”

So he led them around through the desert and toward the Red Sea. The Israelites left Egypt, prepared for battle.

During the day the Lord went ahead of his people in a thick cloud, and during the night he went ahead of them in a flaming fire. That way the Lord could lead them at all times, whether day or night.

When the king of Egypt heard that the Israelites had finally left, he and his officials changed their minds and said, “Look what we have done! We let them get away, and they will no longer be our slaves.”

The king got his war chariot and army ready. He commanded his officers in charge of his six hundred best chariots and all his other chariots to start after the Israelites. The Lord made the king so stubborn that he went after them, even though the Israelites proudly went on their way.

But the king’s horses and chariots and soldiers caught up with them while they were camping by the Red Sea. When the Israelites saw the king

coming with his army, they were frightened and begged the Lord for help. They also complained to Moses, “Wasn’t there enough room in Egypt to bury us? Is that why you brought us out here to die in the desert? Why did you bring us out of Egypt anyway? While we were there, didn’t we tell you to leave us

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alone? We had rather be slaves in Egypt than die in this desert!”

But Moses answered, “Don’t be afraid! Be brave, and you will see the Lord save you today. These Egyptians will never bother you again. The Lord will fight for you, and you won’t have to do a thing.”

A Wall of Waves Exodus 14:15-31

The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you keep calling out to me for help?

Tell the Israelites to move forward.

Then hold your walking stick over the sea. The water will open up and

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make a road where they can walk through on dry ground. I will make the Egyptians so stubborn that they will go after you. Then I will be praised because of what happens to the king and his chariots and cavalry.

The Egyptians will know for sure that I am the Lord.”

All this time God’s angel had gone ahead of Israel’s army, but now he moved behind them. A large cloud had also gone ahead of them, but now it moved between the Egyptians and the Israelites. The cloud gave light to the Israelites, but made it dark for the Egyptians, and during

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the night they could not come any closer.

Moses stretched his arm over the sea, and the Lord sent a strong east wind that blew all night until there was dry land where the water had been. The sea opened up, and the Israelites walked through on dry land with a wall of water on each side.

The Egyptian chariots and cavalry went after them. The Lord told Moses, “Stretch your arm toward the sea — the water will cover the Egyptians and their cavalry and chariots.”

Moses stretched out his arm, and at daybreak the water rushed toward the Egyptians. They tried to run away,

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but the Lord drowned them in the sea. The water came and covered the chariots, the cavalry, and the whole Egyptian army that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them was left alive. But the sea had made a wall of water on each side of the Israelites; so they walked through on dry land.

On that day, when the Israelites saw the bodies of the Egyptians washed up on the shore, they knew that the Lord had saved them. Because of the mighty power he had used against the Egyptians, the Israelites worshiped him and trusted him and his servant Moses.

Nothing to Drink Exodus 15:1-27

Moses and the Israelites sang this song in praise of the Lord: I sing praises to the Lord for his great victory! He has thrown the horses and their riders into the sea.

The Lord is my strength, the reason for my song, because he has saved me. I praise and honor the Lord — he is my God and the God of my ancestors. The Lord is his name, and he is a warrior! Miriam the sister of Aaron was a prophet. So she took her tambourine and led the other women out to play their tambourines and to dance. Then she sang to them: “Sing praises to the Lord for his great victory! He has thrown the hor74

ses and their riders into the sea.”

After the Israelites left the Red Sea, Moses led them through the Shur Desert for three days, before finding water. They did find water at Marah, but it was bitter, which is how that place got its name. The people complained and said, “Moses, what are we going to drink?”

Moses asked the Lord for help,

and the Lord told him to throw a piece of wood into the water. Moses did so, and the water became fit to drink.

Later the Israelites came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees. So they camped there.

Nothing to Eat Exodus 16:1-36

On the fifteenth day of the second

month after the Israelites had escaped from Egypt, they left Elim and started through the western edge of the Sinai Desert in the direction of Mount Sinai. There in the desert they started complaining to Moses and Aaron, “We wish the Lord had killed us in Egypt. When we lived there, we could at least sit down and eat all the bread and meat we wanted. But you have brought us out here into this desert, where we are going to starve.”

The Lord said to Moses, “I have heard my people complain. Now tell them that each evening they will have meat and each morning they will have more than enough bread.

Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.” That evening a lot of quails came and landed everywhere in the camp, and the next morning dew covered the ground. After the dew had gone, the desert was covered with thin flakes that looked like frost. The

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people had never seen anything like this, and they started asking each other, “What is it?”

Moses answered, “This is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.

The Israelites called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and delicious as wafers made with honey.

God on the Mountain Exodus 19:1-18

Then two months after leaving Egypt, they arrived at the desert near Mount Sinai, where they set up camp at the foot of the mountain.

Moses went up the mountain to meet with the Lord God, who told him to say to the people:

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You saw what I did in Egypt, and you know how I brought you here to me, just as a mighty eagle carries its young. Now if you will faithfully obey me, you will be my very own people. The whole world is mine, but you will be my holy nation and serve me as priests.

Moses, that is what you must tell the Israelites.

After Moses went back, he reported to the leaders what the Lord had said, and they promised, “We will do everything the Lord has commanded.” So Moses told the Lord about this.

On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning. A thick cloud covered the mountain, a loud trumpet blast was heard, and

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everyone in camp trembled with fear. Moses led them out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord had come down in a flaming fire.

The First Ten Commandments Exodus 19:20-31:18

The Lord came down to the top of Mount Sinai and told Moses to meet him there. God said to the people of Israel: I am the Lord your God, the one who brought you out of Egypt where you were slaves.

Do not worship any god except me.

Do not make idols that look like anything in the sky or on earth or in the ocean under the earth.

Do not misuse my name. I am the Lord your God, and I will punish anyone who misuses my name.

Remember that the Sabbath Day belongs to me.

Respect your father and your mother, and you will live a long time in the land I am giving you.

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Do not murder.

Be faithful in marriage.

Do not steal.

Do not tell lies about others.

Do not want anything that belongs to someone else.

Don’t want anyone’s house, wife or husband, slaves, oxen, donkeys or anything else.

When God had finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two flat stones on which he had written all of his laws with his own hand.

The Golden Calf Exodus 32:1-20

After the people saw that Moses had been on the mountain for a long time, they went to Aaron and said, “Make us an image of a god who will lead and protect us. Moses brought us out of Egypt, but nobody knows what has happened to him.”

Aaron told them, “Bring me the gold earrings that your wives and sons and daughters are wearing.”

Everybody took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron, then he melted them and made an idol in the

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shape of a young bull.

All the people said to one another, “This is the god who brought us out of Egypt!”

Then everyone ate and drank so much that they began to carry on like wild people.

The Lord said to Moses: Hurry back down! Those people you led out of Egypt are acting like fools. They have already stopped obeying me and have made themselves an idol in the shape of a young

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bull. They have bowed down to it, offered sacrifices, and said that it is the god who brought them out of Egypt. Moses, I have seen how stubborn these people are, and I’m angry enough to destroy them, so don’t try to stop me. But I will make your descendants into a great nation.

Moses tried to get the Lord God to change his mind: If you do, the Egyptians will say that you brought your people out here into the mountains just to get

rid of them. Please don’t be angry with your people. Don’t destroy them!

Remember the solemn promise you made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

So even though the Lord had threatened to destroy the people, he changed his mind and let them live.

Moses went back down the mountain with the two flat stones on which God had written all of his laws with his own hand. As Moses got closer to the camp, he saw the

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idol, and he also saw the people dancing around. This made him so angry that he threw down the stones and broke them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. He melted the idol the people had made, and he ground it into powder. He scattered it in their water and made them drink it.

The Second Ten Commandments Exodus 32:31-34:8

Moses returned to the Lord and said, “The people have committed a terrible sin. They have made a gold idol to be their god. But I beg you to forgive them. The Lord replied, “I will wipe out of my book the name of everyone who has sinned against me. Now take my people to the place I told you about, and my angel will lead you.” So the Lord punished the people of Israel with a terrible disease for making the gold idol.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Cut two flat stones like the first ones I made, and I will write on them the

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same commandments that were on the two you broke. Be ready tomorrow morning to come up Mount Sinai and meet me at the top.” So Moses cut two flat stones like the first ones, and early the next morning he carried them to the top of Mount Sinai, just as the Lord had commanded.

Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out, “I am the Lord God. I am merciful and very patient with my people. I show great love, and I can be trusted. I keep my promises to my people forever, but I also punish anyone who sins.

When people sin, I punish them and their children, and also their grandchildren and great‑grandchildren.”

Moses quickly bowed down to the ground and worshiped the Lord.

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Within Sight of the Promised Land Numbers 13:1-33

The Lord said to Moses, “Choose a leader from each tribe and send them into Canaan to explore the land I am giving you.”

So Moses sent twelve tribal leaders from Israel’s camp in the Paran Desert with orders to explore the land of Canaan.

Before Moses sent them into Canaan, he said: After you go through the Southern Desert of Canaan, continue north into the hill country and find out what those regions are like. Be sure to remember how many people live there, how strong they are, and if they live in open towns or walled cities. See if the land is good for growing crops and find out what kinds of trees grow there.

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After exploring the land of Canaan forty days, the twelve men returned to Kadesh in the Paran Desert and told Moses, Aaron, and the people what they had seen. They showed them the fruit and said: Look at this fruit! The land we explored is rich with milk and honey.

But the people who live there are strong, and their cities are large and walled. We even saw the three Anakim clans. Caleb calmed down the crowd and said, “Let’s go and take the land. I know we can do it!”

But the other men replied, “Those people are much too strong for us.”

Then they started spreading rumors and saying, “We won’t be able to grow anything in that soil. And the people are like giants. They were so big that we felt as small as grasshoppers.”

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We Are Not Strong Enough Exodus 14:1-10

After the Israelites heard the report from the twelve men who had explored Canaan, the people cried all night and complained to Moses and Aaron, “We wish we had died in Egypt or somewhere out here in the desert!

Is the Lord leading us into Canaan, just to have us killed and our women and children captured? We’d be better off in Egypt.” Then they said to one another, “Let’s choose our own leader and go back.”

Moses and Aaron bowed down to pray in front of the crowd. Joshua and Caleb tore their clothes in sorrow and said: We saw the land ourselves, and it’s very good. If we obey the Lord, he will surely give us that land rich with milk and honey. So don’t rebel. We have no reason to be afraid of the people who live there. The Lord is on our side, and they won’t stand a chance against us!

The crowd threatened to stone Moses and Aaron to death.

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The Forty-year Punishment Numbers 14:26-35

The Lord told Moses and Aaron to give this message to the people of Israel: You sinful people have complained against me too many times! Now I swear by my own life that I will give you exactly what you wanted.

You will die right here in the desert, and your dead bodies will cover the ground. You have insulted me, and none of you men who are over twenty years old will enter the land that I solemnly promised to give you as your own — only Caleb and Joshua will go in.

You were worried that your own children would be captured. But I, the Lord, will let them enter the land you have rejected. You will die here in the desert! Your children will wander around in this desert forty

years, suffering because of your sins, until all of you are dead. I will cruelly punish you every day for the next forty years — one year for each day that the land was explored. You sinful people who ganged up against me will die here in the desert.

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The Choice of Life or Death Deuteronomy 30:15-31:6

Moses said to Israel: Today I am giving you a choice.

You can choose life and success or death and disaster. I am commanding you to be loyal to the Lord, to live the way he has told you, and to obey his laws and teachings. You are about to cross the Jordan River and take the land that he is giving you.

If you obey him, you will live and become successful and powerful.

On the other hand, you might choose to disobey the Lord and reject him. So I’m warning you that if you bow down and worship other gods, you won’t have long to live.

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Right now I call the sky and the earth to be witnesses that I am offering you this choice. Will you choose for the Lord to make you prosperous and give you a long life? Or will he put you under a curse and kill you?

Choose life! I am a hundred twenty years old, and I am no longer able to be your leader. And besides that, the Lord your God has told me that he won’t let me cross the Jordan River.

But he has promised that he and Joshua will lead you across the Jordan to attack the nations that live on the other side. Be brave and strong!

Don’t be afraid of the nations on the other side of the Jordan. The Lord your God will always be at your side, and he will never abandon you.

The Last Days of Moses Deuteronomy 34:1-10

Sometime later, Moses left the lowlands of Moab. The Lord said, “Moses, this is the land I was talking about when I solemnly promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that I would give land to their descendants.

I have let you see it, but you will not cross the Jordan and go in.”

And so, Moses the Lord’s servant died there in Moab, just as the Lord had said. The Lord buried him in a

valley near the town of Beth‑Peor, but even today no one knows exactly where. Moses was a hundred twenty years old when he died, yet his eyesight was still good, and his body was strong.

The people of Israel stayed in the lowlands of Moab, where they mourned and grieved thirty days for Moses, as was their custom. There has never again been a prophet in Israel like Moses. The Lord spoke face to face with him.

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I Spy the Enemy Joshua 1:1-2:1

Moses, the Lord’s servant, was dead. So the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, who had been the assistant of Moses. The Lord said: My servant Moses is dead. Now you must lead Israel across the Jordan River into the land I’m giving to all of you. Joshua, I will always be with you and help you as I helped Moses, and no one will ever be able to defeat you.

So be strong and brave! Be careful to do everything my servant Moses taught you. Never stop reading The Book of the Law he gave you. Day and night you must think about what it says. If you obey it completely, you and Israel will be able to take this land.

I’ve commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged! I am the Lord your God, and I will be there to help you wherever you go.

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Joshua chose two men as spies and sent them from their camp at Acacia with these instructions: “Go across the river and find out as much as you can about the whole region, especially about the town of Jericho.”

The two spies left the Israelite camp at Acacia and went to Jericho, where they decided to spend the night at the house of a prostitute

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named Rahab.

The Spies Escape Joshua 2:2-14

But someone found out about them and told the king of Jericho, “Some Israelite men came here tonight, and they are spies.” So the king sent soldiers to Rahab’s house to arrest the spies.

Meanwhile, Rahab had taken the men up to the flat roof of her house and had hidden them under some piles of flax plants that she had put there to dry.

The soldiers came to her door and demanded, “Let us have the men who are staying at your house. They are spies.”

She answered, “Some men did come to my house, but I didn’t know where they had come from. They left about sunset, just before it was time to close the town gate. I don’t know where they were going, but if you hurry, maybe you can catch them.”

The guards at the town gate let the

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soldiers leave Jericho, but they closed the gate again as soon as the soldiers went through. Then the soldiers headed toward the Jordan River to look for the spies at the place where people cross the river.

Rahab went back up to her roof.

The spies were still awake, so she told them: I know that the Lord has given Israel this land. Everyone shakes with fear because of you. We heard how the Lord dried up the Red Sea so you could leave Egypt. And we heard how you destroyed Sihon and Og, those two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River. We know that the Lord your God rules heaven and earth, and we’ve lost our courage and our will to fight.

Please promise me in the Lord’s name that you will be as kind to my family as I have been to you.

“Rahab,” the spies answered, “if you keep quiet about what we’re

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doing, we promise to be kind to you when the Lord gives us this land. We pray that the Lord will kill us if we don’t keep our promise!”

“I’ll do exactly what you said,” Rahab promised. Then she sent them on their way and tied the red rope to the window.

Saved by a Red Cord

On the Edge of the Promised Land

Joshua 2:15-21

Rahab’s house was built into the town wall, and one of the windows in her house faced outside the wall.

She gave the spies a rope, showed them the window, and said, “Use this rope to let yourselves down to the ground outside the wall. Then hide in the hills. The men who are looking for you won’t be able to find you there. They’ll give up and come back after a few days, and you can be on your way.”

The spies said: You made us promise to let you and your family live. We will keep our promise, but you can’t tell anyone why we were here. You must tie this red rope on your window when we attack, and your father and mother, your brothers, and everyone else in your family must be here with you. We’ll take the blame if anyone who stays in this house gets hurt. But anyone who leaves your house will be killed, and it won’t be our fault.

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Joshua 2:22-3:5

The spies hid in the hills for three days while the king’s soldiers looked for them along the roads. As soon as the soldiers gave up and returned to Jericho, the two spies went down into the Jordan valley and crossed the river. They reported to Joshua and told him everything that had happened. “We’re sure the Lord has given us the whole country,” they said. “The people there shake with fear every time they think of us.”

Early the next morning, Joshua and the Israelites packed up and left Acacia. They went to the Jordan River and camped there that night. Joshua

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told the people, “Make yourselves acceptable to worship the Lord, because he is going to do some amazing things for us.”

Crossing the River Jordan Joshua 3:14-18

The Israelites packed up and left camp. The priests carrying the chest walked in front, until they came to the Jordan River. The water in the river had risen over its banks, as it often does in springtime. But as soon as the feet of the priests touched the water, the river stopped flowing. No water flowed toward the Dead Sea, and the priests stood in the middle of the dry riverbed near Jericho while everyone else crossed over.

They marched quickly past the

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sacred chest and into the desert near Jericho. As soon as the priests carried the chest past the highest place that the floodwaters of the Jordan had reached, the river flooded its banks again.

That’s how the Lord showed the Israelites that Joshua was their leader. For the rest of Joshua’s life, they respected him as they had respected

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Moses.

The Battle Won With Trumpets Joshua 6:1-24

Meanwhile, the people of Jericho had been locking the gates in their town wall because they were afraid of the Israelites. No one could go out or come in.

The Lord said to Joshua: With my help, you and your army will defeat the king of Jericho and his army, and you will capture the town. Here is how to do it: March slowly around Jericho once a day for six days. Take along the sacred chest and have seven priests walk in front of it, carrying trumpets.

But on the seventh day, march slowly around the town seven times, while the priests blow their trumpets.

Then the priests will blast on their trumpets, and everyone else will shout. The wall will fall down, and your soldiers can go straight in from every side.

Joshua called the priests together and said, “Take the chest and have seven priests carry trumpets and march ahead of it. March slowly around Jericho don’t shout the battle cry or yell or even talk until the day I tell you to. Then let out a shout!”

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As soon as Joshua finished giving the orders, the army started marching. One group of soldiers led the way, with seven priests marching behind them and blowing trumpets.

Then came the priests carrying the chest, followed by the rest of the soldiers. They obeyed Joshua’s orders and carried the chest once around the town before returning to camp for the night.

The seven priests blew their trumpets while everyone marched slowly around Jericho and back to camp.

They did this once a day for six days.

On the seventh day, the army got up at daybreak. They marched slowly around Jericho the same as they had done for the past six days, except on this day they went around seven times. Then the priests blew the trumpets, and Joshua yelled:

Get ready to shout! The Lord will let you capture this town.

The priests blew their trumpets again, and the soldiers shouted as loud as they could. The walls of Jericho fell flat. Then the soldiers rushed up the hill, went straight into the town, and captured it. Joshua said to the two men who had been spies, “Rahab kept you safe when I sent you to Jericho. We promised to protect her and her family, and we will keep that promise. Now go into her house and bring them out.”

The two men went into Rahab’s house and brought her out.

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The Wise Woman under the Palm Tree Judges 2:8-4:16

Joshua died at the age of one hundred ten. Even though Joshua was gone, the Israe-lites were faithful to the Lord during the lifetime of those men who had been lea-ders with Joshua and who had seen the wonderful things the Lord had done for Israel.

After a while the people of Joshua’s generation died, and the next generation did not know the Lord or any of the things he had done for Israel. The Israelites stopped worshiping the Lord and worshi-ped the idols of Baal and Astarte, as well as the idols of other gods from nearby nations. The Lord was so angry at the Israelites that he let other nations raid Israel and steal their crops and other possessions. From time to time the Lord would choose special leaders known as judges. These judges would lead the Israelites into battle and defeat the enemies that made raids on them. In years gone by, the Israelites had been faithful to the Lord, but now they were quick to be unfaithful and to refuse even to listen to these judges. So the Lord let the Canaanite King Jabin of Hazor conquer Israel. Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, lived in Harosheth‑Ha‑Goiim. Jabin’s army had nine hundred iron chariots, and for twenty years he made life miser100

able for the Israelites, until finally they begged the Lord for help. Deborah the wife of Lappidoth was a prophet and a leader of Israel during those days. One day, Barak the son of Abinoam was in Kedesh in Naphtali, and Deborah sent word for him to come and talk with her. When he arrived, she said: I have a message for you from the Lord God of Israel! You are to get together an army of ten thousand men from the Naphtali and Zebulun tribes and lead them to Mount Tabor. The Lord will trick Sisera into coming out to fight you at the Kishon River. Sisera will be leading King Jabin’s army as usual, and they will have their chariots, but the Lord has promised to help you defeat them.

“I’m not going unless you go!”

Barak told her. “All right, I’ll go!” she replied. “But I’m warning you that the Lord is going to let a woman defeat Sisera, and no one will honor you for winning the battle.”

So Deborah and Barak left for Kedesh.

When Sisera learned that Barak had led an army to Mount Tabor, he called his troops together and got all nine hundred iron chariots ready.

Then he led his army away from Harosheth‑ Ha‑Goiim to the Kishon River.

Deborah shouted, “Barak, it’s time to attack Sisera! Because to-

day the Lord is going to help you defeat him. In fact, the Lord has already gone on ahead to fight for you.”Barak led his ten thousand troops down from Mount Tabor. And during the battle, the Lord confused Sisera, his chariot drivers, and his whole army. Everyone was so afraid of Barak and his army that even Sisera jumped down from his chariot and tried to escape. Barak’s forces went after Sisera’s chariots and army as far as Harosheth‑Ha‑Goiim.

Sisera’s entire army was wiped out.

Who Will Kill Sisera?

Judges 4:17-22

Only Sisera escaped. He ran to Heber’s camp, because Heber and his family had a peace treaty with the king of Hazor. Sisera went to the tent that belonged to Jael, Heber’s wife.

She came out to greet him and said, “Come in, sir! Please come on in.

Don’t be afraid.”

After they had gone inside, Sisera lay down, and Jael covered him with a blanket. “Could I have a little water?” he asked. “I’m thirsty.”Jael opened a leather bottle and poured him some milk then she covered him back up.

“Stand at the entrance to the tent,” Si-sera told her.

“If someone comes by and asks if anyone is inside, tell them ‘No.’” Sisera was exhausted and soon 101

fell fast asleep. Jael took a hammer and drove a tentpeg through his head into the ground, and he died.

Meanwhile, Barak had been following Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him.

“The man you’re looking for is inside,” she said. “Come in and I’ll show him to you.”

They went inside, and there was Sisera — dead and stretched out with a tent‑peg through his skull.

Gideon Begins His Work Judges 6:1-35

There was peace in Israel for about forty years. Then once again the Israelites started disobeying the Lord, so he let the nation of Midian control Israel for seven years. The Midiani-

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tes were so cruel that many Israelites ran to the mountains and hid in caves.

The Midianites stole food, sheep, cattle, and donkeys. Like a swarm of locusts, they could not be counted, and they ruined the land wherever they went. The Midianites took almost everything that belonged to the Israelites, and the Israelites begged the Lord for help. One day an angel from the Lord went to the town of Ophrah and sat down under the big tree that belonged to Joash. Joash’s son Gideon was nearby threshing grain in a shallow pit, where he could not be seen by the Midianites. The angel appeared and spoke to Gideon, “The Lord is helping you, and you are a strong warrior.” Gideon answered, “Please don’t take this wrong, but if the Lord is helping us, then why have all of these awful things happened?”

Then the Lord himself said, “Gideon, you will be strong, because I am giving you the power to rescue Israel from the Midianites.” That night the Lord spoke to Gideon again: Get your father’s second‑best bull, the one that’s seven years old. Use it to pull down the altar where your father worships Baal and cut down the sacred pole next to the altar. Then build an altar for worshiping me on the highest part of the hill where your town is built. Use layers of stones for my altar, not just a pile of rocks.

Cut up the wood from the pole, make a fire, kill the bull, and burn it as a sacrifice to me. Gideon chose ten of his servants to help him, and they did everything God had said. When the people of the town got up the next morning, they saw that Baal’s altar had been knocked over, and the sacred pole next to it had been cut down. Then they noticed the new altar covered with the remains of the sacrificed bull. “Who could have done such a thing?” they asked. And they kept on asking, until finally someone told them, “Gideon the son of Joash did it.” The men of the town went to Joash and said, “Your son Gideon knocked over Baal’s altar and cut down the sacred pole next to it. Hand him over, so we can kill him!” The crowd pushed closer and closer, but Joash replied, “Are you trying to take revenge for Baal? Are you trying to rescue Baal? If you are, you will be the ones who are put to death, and it will happen before another day dawns. If Baal really is a

god, let him take his own revenge on someone who tears down his altar.”

All the Midianites, Amalekites, and other eastern nations got together and crossed the Jordan River. Then they invaded the land of Israel and set up camp in Jezreel Valley. The Lord’s Spirit took control of Gideon, and Gideon blew a signal on a trumpet to tell the men in the Abiezer clan to follow him. He also sent messengers to the tribes of Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, telling the men of these tribes to come and join his army. Then they set out toward the

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enemy camp.

It Takes Fewer Men to Win the Battle Judges 7:1-8

Gideon and his army got up and moved their camp to Fear Spring. The Lord said, “Gideon, your army is too big. I can’t let you win with this many soldiers.

The Israelites would think that they had won the battle all by themselves and that I didn’t have anything to do with it. So call your troops together and tell them that anyone who is really afraid can leave Mount Gilead and go home.”

Twenty‑two thousand men returned home, leaving Gideon with only ten thousand soldiers.

“Gideon,” the Lord said, “you still have too many soldiers. Take them down to the spring and I’ll test them.

I’ll tell you which ones can go along with you and which ones must go back home.”

When Gideon led his army down to the spring, the Lord told him,

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“Watch how each man gets a drink of water. Then divide them into two groups — those who lap the water like a dog and those who kneel down to drink.”

Three hundred men scooped up water in their hands and lapped it, and the rest knelt to get a drink. The Lord said, “Gideon, your army will be made up of everyone who lapped the water from their hands. Send the others home. I’m going to rescue Israel by helping you and your army of three hundred defeat the Midianites.”

Then Gideon gave these orders, “You three hundred men stay here.

The rest of you may go home, but leave your food and trumpets with us.”

Gideon’s army camp was on top of a hill overlooking the Midianite camp in the valley.

Listening in the Night

“Get up! Attack the Midianite camp.

I am going to let you defeat them, but if you’re still afraid, you and your servant Purah should sneak down to their camp. When you hear what the Midianites are saying, you’ll be brave enough to attack.”

Gideon and Purah worked their way to the edge of the enemy camp, where soldiers were on guard duty.

The camp was huge. Gideon overheard one enemy guard telling another, “I had a dream about a flat loaf of barley bread that came tumbling into our camp. It hit the headquarters tent, and the tent flipped over and fell down.”

The other soldier answered, “Your dream must have been about Gideon, the Israelite commander. It means God will let him and his army defeat the Midianite army and everyone else in our camp.”

As soon as Gideon heard about the dream and what it meant, he bowed down to praise God. Then he went back to the Israelite camp and shouted, “Let’s go! The Lord is going to let us defeat the Midianite army.”

Trumpets and Torches Judges 7:16-8:28

Gideon divided his little army into three groups of one hundred men, and he gave each soldier a trumpet and a large clay jar with a burning torch inside. Gideon said, “When we get to the enemy camp, spread out and surround it. Then wait for me to blow a signal on my trumpet. As soon as you hear it, blow your trumpets and shout, ‘Fight for the Lord!

Fight for Gideon!’”

Judges 7:9-15

That night, the Lord said to Gideon.

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Gideon and his group reached the edge of the enemy camp a few hours after dark, just after the new guards had come on duty. Gideon and his soldiers blew their trumpets and smashed the clay jars that were hiding the torches. The rest of Gideon’s soldiers blew the trumpets they were holding in their right hands. Then they smashed the jars and held the burning torches in their left hands.

Everyone shouted, “Fight with your swords for the Lord and for Gideon!”

The enemy soldiers started yelling and tried to run away. Gideon’s troops stayed in their positions surrounding the camp and blew their trumpets again. As they did, the Lord made the enemy soldiers pull out their swords and start fighting each other. Gideon sent word for more Israelite soldiers to come from the tribes of Naphtali, Asher, and

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both halves of Manasseh to help fight the Midianites.

The Midianites were defeated so badly that they were no longer strong enough to attack Israel. And so Israel was at peace for the remaining forty years of Gideon’s life.

Fighting with a Lion Judges 13:1-14:6

Once again the Israelites started dis-obeying the Lord. So he let the Philistines take control of Israel for forty years. Manoah from the tribe of Dan lived in the town of Zorah. His wife was not able to have children, but one day an angel from the Lord appeared to her and said: You have never been able to have any children, but very soon you will

be pregnant and have a son. He will belong to God from the day he is born, so his hair must never be cut.

And even before he is born, you must not drink any wine or beer or eat any food forbidden by God’s laws.

Your son will begin to set Israel free from the Philistines.

Later, Manoah’s wife did give birth to a son, and she named him Samson. As the boy grew, the Lord

blessed him.

One day as Samson and his parents reached the vineyards near Timnah, a fierce young lion suddenly roared and attacked Samson. But the Lord’s Spirit took control of Samson, and with his bare hands he tore the lion apart, as though it had been a young goat. His parents didn’t know what he had done, and he didn’t tell them.

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Samson Tells a Riddle Judges 14:1-20

One day, Samson went to Timnah, where he saw a Philistine woman.

When he got back home, he told his parents, “I saw a Philistine woman in Timnah, and I want to marry her. Get her for me!”

His parents answered, “There are a lot of women in our clan and even more in the rest of Israel. Those Philistines are pagans.”

“She looks good to me,” Samson answered. “Get her for me!”

Later, Samson returned to Timnah for the wedding. And when he came near the place where the lion had attacked, he left the road to see what was left of the lion. He was surprised to see that bees were living in the lion’s skeleton, and that they had made some honey. He scooped up the honey in his hands and ate some of it as he walked along. While Samson’s father went to make the final arrangements with the bride and her family, Samson threw a big party, as grooms usually did. When the Philistines saw what Samson was like, they told thirty of their young men to stay with him at the party.

Samson told the thirty young men, “This party will last for seven days.

Let’s make a bet: I’ll tell you a riddle, and if you can tell me the right answer before the party is over, I’ll give each one of you a shirt and a full 108

change of clothing. But if you can’t tell me the answer, then each of you will have to give me a shirt and a full change of clothing.”

“It’s a bet!” the Philistines said.

“Tell us the riddle.” Samson said: Once so strong and mighty — now so sweet and tasty! Three days went by, and the Philistine young men had not come up with the right answer.

Finally, on the seventh day of the party they went to Samson’s bride and said, “You had better trick your husband into telling you the answer to his riddle. Have you invited us here just to rob us? If you don’t find out the answer, we will burn you and your family to death.” Samson’s bride went to him and started crying in his arms. “You must really hate me,” she sobbed. “If you loved me at all, you would have told me the answer to your riddle.”

“But I haven’t even told my parents the answer!” Samson replied.

“Why should I tell you?” For the

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entire seven days of the party, she had been whining and trying to get the answer from him. But that seventh day she put so much pressure on Samson that he finally gave in and told her the answer. She went straight to the young men and told them. Before sunset that day, the men of the town went to Samson with this answer: A lion is the strongest - honey is the sweetest! Samson replied, This answer you have given me doubtless came from my bride‑to‑be. Then the Lord’s Spirit took control of Samson. He went to Ashkelon, where 110

he killed thirty men and took their clothing. Samson then gave it to the thirty young men at Timnah and stormed back home to his own family.

The father of the bride had Samson’s wife marry one of the thirty young men that had been at Samson’s party.

Samson and Delilah Judges 16:4-22

Some time later, Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in Sorek Valley. The Philistine rulers went to Delilah and

said, “Trick Samson into telling you what makes him so strong and what can make him weak.

Then we can tie him up so he can’t get away. If you find out his secret, we will each give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.” The next time Samson was at Delilah’s house, she asked, “Samson, what makes you so strong? How can I tie you up so you can’t get away? Come on, you can tell me.” Samson answered, “If someone ties me up with seven new bowstrings that have never been dried, it

will make me just as weak as anyone else.” The Philistine rulers gave seven new bowstrings to Delilah. They also told some of their soldiers to go to Delilah’s house and hide in the room where Samson and Delilah were. If the bowstrings made Samson weak, they would be able to capture him.

Delilah tied up Samson with the bowstrings and shouted, “Samson, the Philistines are attacking!”

Samson snapped the bowstrings, as though they were pieces of scorched string. The Philistines had not found out why Samson was so strong. “You 111

lied and made me look like a fool,” Delilah said. “Now tell me. How can I really tie you up?” Delilah started nagging and pestering him day after day, until he couldn’t stand it any longer. Finally, Samson told her the truth. “I have belonged to God ever since I was born, so my hair has never been cut. If it were ever cut off, my strength would leave me, and I would be as weak as anyone else.” Delilah realized that he was telling the truth.

So she sent someone to tell the Philistine rulers, “Come to my house one more time. Samson has finally told me the truth.” The Philistine rulers went to Delilah’s house, and they brought along the silver they had promised her. Delilah had lulled Samson to sleep with his head resting in her lap.

She signaled to one of the Philistine men as she began cutting off Samson’s seven braids. And by the time she was finished, Samson’s strength was gone. Delilah tied him up and shouted, “Samson, the Philistines are

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attacking!”

Samson woke up and thought, “I’ll break loose and escape, just as I always do.” He did not realize that the Lord had stopped helping him.

The Philistines grabbed Samson and poked out his eyes. They took him to the prison in Gaza and chained him up. Then they put him to work, turning a millstone to grind grain. But they didn’t cut his hair any more, so it started growing back.

The Strongest Man Wins Judges 16:23-31

The Philistine rulers threw a big party and sacrificed a lot of animals to their god Dagon. The rulers said: Samson was our enemy, but our god Dagon helped us capture him! Everyone there was having a good time, and they shouted, “Bring out Samson — he’s still good for a few more laughs!” The rulers had Samson brought from the prison, and when the people saw him, this is how they praised their god: Samson ruined our crops and killed our people. He was our enemy, but our god helped us capture him. They made fun of Samson for

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a while then they told him to stand near the columns that supported the roof. A young man was leading Samson by the hand, and Samson said to him, “I need to lean against some-thing.

Take me over to the columns that hold up the roof.” The Philistine rulers were celebrating in a temple packed with people and with three thousand more on the flat roof. They had all been watching Samson and making fun of him. Samson prayed, “Please remember me, Lord God. The Philistines poked out my eyes, but make me strong one last time, so I can take revenge for at least one of my eyes!”

Samson was standing between the two middle columns that held up the roof. He felt around and found one column with his right hand, and the other with his left hand. Then he shouted, “Let me die with the Philistines!” He pushed against the columns as hard as he could, and the temple collapsed with the Philistine rulers and everyone else still inside.

Samson killed more Philistines when he died than he had killed during his entire life. Samson was a leader of Israel for twenty years.

two sons were Mahlon and Chilion.

But when their crops failed, they moved to the country of Moab. And while they were there, Elimelech died, leaving Naomi with only her two sons.

Later, Naomi’s sons married Moab women. One was named Orpah and the other Ruth. About ten years later, Mahlon and Chilion also died. Now Naomi had no husband or sons.

When Naomi heard that the Lord had given his people a good harvest, she and her two daughters‑in‑law got ready to leave Moab and go to Judah. As they were on their way there,

Naomi said to them, “Don’t you want to go back home to your own mothers? You were kind to my husband and sons, and you have always been kind to me. I pray that the Lord will be just as kind to you. May he give each of you anoth-er husband and a home of your own.”

Naomi kissed them. They cried and said, “We want to go with you and live among your people.”

But she replied, “My daughters,

A Bad Time Ruth 1:1-13

Before Israel was ruled by kings, Elimelech from the tribe of Ephrath lived in the town of Bethlehem. His wife was named Naomi, and their 114

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Ruth answered, “Please don’t tell me to leave you and return home! I will go where you go, I will live where you live; your people will be my people, your God will be my God.” When Naomi saw that Ruth had made up her mind to go with her, she stopped urging her to go back.

They reached Bethlehem, and the whole town was excited to see them.

you not to pick up grain in anyone else’s field. Stay here with the women and follow along behind them, as they gather up what the men have cut. I have warned the men not to bother you, and whenever you are thirsty, you can drink from the water jars they have filled.”

Ruth bowed down to the ground and said, “You know I come from another country. Why are you so

good to me?”

Boaz answered, “I’ve heard how you’ve helped your mother‑in‑law ever since your husband died. You even left your own father and mother to come and live in a foreign land among people you don’t know. I pray that the Lord God of Israel will reward you for what you have done.

And now that you have come to him for protection, I pray that he will

Ruth Goes to Work Ruth 2:1-21

why don’t you return home? What good will it do you to go with me?

Do you think I could have more sons for you to marry? They cried again.

A Woman of Loyalty Ruth 1:14-19

Orpah kissed her mother‑in‑law good‑by, but Ruth held on to her.

Naomi then said to Ruth, “Look, your sister‑in‑law is going back to her people and to her gods! Why don’t you go with her?”

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One day, Ruth said to Naomi, “Let me see if I can find someone who will let me pick up the grain left in the fields by the harvest workers.”

Naomi answered, “Go ahead, my daughter.” So right away, Ruth went out to pick up grain in a field owned

by Boaz. He was a relative of Naomi’s husband Elimelech, as well as a rich and important man.

When Boaz left Bethlehem and went out to his field, he said to the harvest workers, “The Lord bless you!”

They replied, “And may the Lord bless you!”

Then Boaz asked the man in charge of the harvest workers, “Who is that young woman?”

The man answered, “She is the one who came back from Moab with Naomi.” Boaz went over to Ruth and said, “I think it would be best for 117

bless you.”

Ruth worked in the field until evening. Then after she had pounded the grain off the stalks, she had a large basket full of grain. She took the grain to town and showed Naomi how much she had picked up. Naomi said, “Where did you work today?

Whose field was it? God bless the man who treated you so well!” Then Ruth told her that she had worked in the field of a man named Boaz.

“The Lord bless Boaz!” Naomi replied. “He has shown that he is still loyal to the living and to the dead.

Boaz is a close relative, one of those who is supposed to look after us.”

Ruth told her, “Boaz even said I could stay in the field with his workers until they had finished gathering

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all his grain.”

The Great-grandmother of a King Ruth 2:23-4:17

Ruth worked in the fields until the barley and wheat were harvested.

And all this time she lived with Naomi. One day, Naomi said to Ruth: It’s time I found you a husband, who will give you a home and take care of you. You have been picking up grain alongside the women who work for Boaz, and you know he is a relative of ours. Now take a bath and put on some perfume, then dress in your best clothes. Go where he is working, but don’t let him see you until he has finished eating and drinking. Watch where he goes to spend the night, then when he is asleep, lift the cover and lie down at his feet. He will tell you what to do.

Ruth answered, “I’ll do whatever you say.” She went out to the place where Boaz was working and did what Naomi had told her. In the middle of the night, Boaz suddenly woke up and was shocked to see a woman lying at his feet. “Who are you?” he asked.

“Sir, I am Ruth,” she answered, “and you are the relative who is supposed to take care of me. So spread the edge of your cover over me.”

Boaz replied: The Lord bless you! This shows 119

how truly loyal you are to your family. You could have looked for a younger man, either rich or poor, but you didn’t. Don’t worry; I’ll do what you have asked. You are respected by everyone in town.

Boaz married Ruth, and the Lord blessed her with a son. After his birth, the women said to Naomi: Praise the Lord! Today he has given you a grandson to take care of you. We pray that the boy will grow up to be famous everywhere in Israel. He will make you happy and take care of you in your old age, because he is the son of your daughter‑in‑law.

And she loves you more than seven sons of your own would love you.

Naomi loved the boy and took good care of him. The neighborhood women named him Obed, but they called him “Naomi’s Boy.” When Obed grew up he had a son named Jesse, who later became the father of King David.

Lord’s priest there, and his two sons Hophni and Phinehas served with him as priests.

Whenever Elkanah offered a sacrifice, he gave some of the meat to Peninnah and some to each of her sons and daughters. But he gave Hannah even more, because he loved Hannah very much, even though the Lord

Waiting for a Baby 1 Samuel 1:1-5

Elkanah lived in Ramah, a town in the hill country of Ephraim. He had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah.

Although Peninnah had children, Hannah did not have any.

Once a year Elkanah traveled from his hometown to Shiloh, where he worshiped the Lord All‑Powerful and offered sacrifices. Eli was the 120

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had kept her from having children of her own.

Peninnah Hurts Hannah 1 Samuel 1:6-8

Peninnah liked to make Hannah feel miserable about not having any children, especially when the family went to the house of the Lord each year.

One day, Elkanah was there offering a sacrifice, when Hannah began

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crying and refused to eat. So Elkanah asked, “Hannah, why are you crying? Why won’t you eat? Why do you feel so bad? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”

A Prayer from the Heart 1 Samuel 1:9-19

When the sacrifice had been offered, and they had eaten the meal, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli was sitting in his chair near the door

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to the place of worship. Hannah was brokenhearted and was crying as she prayed, Lord All‑Powerful, I am your servant, but I am so miserable!

Please let me have a son. I will give him to you for as long as he lives, and his hair will never be cut.”

Hannah prayed silently to the Lord for a long time. But her lips were moving, and Eli thought she was drunk. “How long are you going to stay drunk?” he asked. “Sober up!”

“Sir, please don’t think I’m no good!” Hannah answered. “I’m not drunk, and I haven’t been drinking.

But I do feel miserable and terribly upset. I’ve been praying all this time, telling the Lord about my problems.”

Eli replied, “You may go home now and stop worrying. I’m sure the God of Israel will answer your prayer.”

“Sir, thank you for being so kind to me,” Hannah said. Then she left, and after eating something, she felt much better. Elkanah and his family got up early the next morning and

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worshiped the Lord.

Baby Samuel 1 Samuel 1:20-23

Later the Lord blessed Elkanah and Hannah with a son. She named him Samuel because she had asked the Lord for him. The next time Elkanah and his family went to offer their yearly sacrifice, he took along a gift that he had promised to give to the Lord. But Hannah stayed home,

because she had told Elkanah, “Samuel and I won’t go until he’s old enough for me to stop nursing him. Then I’ll give him to the Lord, and he can stay there at Shiloh for the rest of his life.”

“You know what’s best,” Elkanah said, “Stay here until it’s time to stop nursing him. I’m sure the Lord will help you do what you have promised.” Hannah did not go to Shiloh until she stopped nursing Samuel.

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Hannah Leaves Samuel with Eli 1 Samuel 1:24-28

When it was the time of year to go to Shiloh again, Hannah and Elkanah took Samuel to the Lord’s house.

They brought along a three‑year‑old bull, a twenty‑pound sack of flour, and a clay jar full of wine. Hannah and Elkanah offered the bull as a sacrifice then brought the little boy to Eli. “Sir,” Hannah said, “a few years ago I stood here beside you and asked the Lord to give me a child.

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Here he is! The Lord gave me just what I asked for. Now I am giving him to the Lord, and he will be the Lord’s servant for as long as he lives.”

Becoming a Priest 1 Samuel 2:18-21

The boy Samuel served the Lord and wore a special linen garment and the clothes his mother made for him.

She would bring new clothes every year, when she and her husband came to offer sacrifices at Shiloh.

Eli would always bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “Samuel was

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born in answer to your prayers.

Now you have given him to the Lord. I pray that the Lord will bless you with more children to take his place.” After Eli had blessed them, Elkanah and Hannah would return home. The Lord was kind to Hannah, and she had three more sons and two daughters. But Samuel grew up at the Lord’s house in Shiloh.

Samuel Hears God’s Voice 1 Samuel 3:2-18

In those days, the Lord hardly ever spoke directly to people, and he did not appear to them in dreams very often. But one night, Eli was asleep in his room, and Samuel was sleeping on a mat near the sacred chest in the Lord’s house. They had not been asleep very long when the Lord called out Samuel’s name.

“Here I am!” Samuel answered.

Then he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. What do you want?” “I didn’t call you,” Eli answered. “Go back to bed.”

Samuel went back. Again the Lord called out Samuel’s name. Samuel

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got up and went to Eli. “Here I am,” he said. “What do you want?” Eli told him, “Son, I didn’t call you. Go back to sleep.”

The Lord had not spoken to Samuel before, and Samuel did not recognize the voice. When the Lord called out his name for the third time, Samuel went to Eli again and said, “Here I am. What do you want?”

Eli finally realized that it was the Lord who was speaking to Samuel.

So he said, “Go back and lie down!

If someone speaks to you again, answer, ‘I’m listening, Lord. What do you want me to do?’” Once again Samuel went back and lay down.

The Lord then stood beside Samuel and called out as he had done before, “Samuel! Samuel!”“I’m listening,” Samuel answered. “What do you want me to do?”

The Lord said: Samuel, I am going to do something in Israel that will shock everyone who hears about it!

I will punish Eli and his family, just

as I promised. He knew that his sons refused to respect me, and he let them get away with it, even though I said I would punish his family forever. I warned Eli that sacrifices or offerings could never make things right! His family has done too many disgusting things. The next morning, Samuel got up and opened the doors to the Lord’s house. He was afraid to tell Eli what the Lord had said.

But Eli told him, “Samuel, my boy, come here!” “Here I am,” Samuel an-

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swered. Eli said, “What did God say to you? Tell me everything. I pray that God will punish you terribly if you don’t tell me every word he said!”

Samuel told Eli everything. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord, and he will do what’s right.”

The Lost Donkeys 1 Samuel 8:1-20

Samuel had two sons. But they were not like their father. One day the nation’s leaders came to Samuel at Ramah and said, “You are an old man. You set a good example for your sons, but they haven’t followed it. Now we want a king to be our leader, just like all the other nations.

Choose one for us!”

Samuel was upset to hear the leaders say they wanted a king, so he prayed about it. The Lord answered: Samuel, do everything they want you to do. I am really the one they have rejected as their king. Kish was a wealthy man who belonged to the tribe of Benjamin. He had a son named Saul, who was better looking and more than a head taller than anyone else in all Israel. Kish owned some donkeys, but they had run off.

So he told Saul, “Take one of the servants and go look for the donkeys.”

Saul and the servant went through the hill country of Ephraim and the territory of Shalishah, but they could not find the donkeys. “Let’s go back home,” Saul told his servant. “If we don’t go back soon, my father will 130

stop worrying about the donkeys and start worrying about us!” “Wait!” the servant answered. “There’s a man of God who lives in a town near here. He’s amazing! Everything he says comes true. Let’s talk to him. Maybe he can tell us where to look.”

“Great!” Saul replied. They went to the town, and just as they were going through the gate, Samuel was coming out on his way to the place of worship. Saul went over to Samuel in the gateway and said, “A man who can see visions lives here in town. Could you tell me the way to his house?” “I am the one who sees visions!” Samuel

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answered. “Go on up to the place of worship. You will eat with me today, and in the morning I’ll answer your questions. Don’t worry about your donkeys that ran off three days ago.

They’ve already been found. Everything of value in Israel now belongs to you and your family.”

The Big Secret 1 Samuel 9:24-10:1

Samuel took Saul and his servant into the dining room at the place of worship. After Saul and Samuel had finished eating, they went down from the place of worship and back into town. A bed was set up for Saul on the flat roof of Samuel’s house, and Saul slept there.

About sunrise the next morning, Samuel called up to Saul on the roof, “Time to get up! I’ll help you get started on your way.”

Saul got up. He and Samuel left together and had almost reached the edge of town when Samuel stopped and said, “Have your servant go on.

Stay here with me for a few minutes, and I’ll tell you what God has told me.” After the servant had gone, Samuel took a small jar of olive oil and poured it on Saul’s head. Then he kissed Saul and told him: The Lord has chosen you to be the leader and ruler of his people.

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Saul Becomes King 1 Samuel 10:17-25

Samuel sent messengers to tell the Israelites to come to Mizpah and meet with the Lord. When everyone had arrived, Samuel said: The Lord God of Israel told me to remind you that he had rescued you from the Egyptians and from the other nations that abused you. God has rescued you from your troubles and hard times. But you have rejected your God and have asked for a king. Now each tribe and clan must come near the place of worship so the Lord can choose a king.

Samuel brought each tribe, one after the other, to the altar, and the Lord chose the Benjamin tribe.

Next, Samuel brought each clan of Benjamin there, and the Lord chose the Matri clan. Finally, Saul the son of Kish was chosen. But when they looked for him, he was nowhere to be found.

The people prayed, “Our Lord, is Saul here?”

“Yes,” the Lord answered, “he is hiding behind the baggage.”

The people ran and got Saul and brought him into the middle of the crowd. He was more than a head taller than anyone else. “Look closely at the man the Lord has chosen!”

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Samuel told the crowd. “There is no one like him!” The crowd shouted, “Long live the king!”

Samuel explained the rights and duties of a king and wrote them all in a book. He put the book in a temple building at one of the places where the Lord was worshiped. Then Samuel sent everyone home.

God Chooses a New King 1 Samuel 15:10-16:13

The Lord told Samuel, “Saul has stopped obeying me, and I’m sorry that I made him king. I’ve rejected Saul, and I refuse to let him be king any longer. Stop feeling sad about him.

Put some olive oil in a small container and go visit a man named Jesse, who lives in Bethlehem. I’ve chosen one of his sons to be my king.” Samuel did what the Lord told him and went to Bethlehem. Samuel noticed Jesse’s oldest son, Eliab. “He has to be the one the Lord has chosen,” Samuel said to himself. But the Lord told him, “Samuel, don’t think Eliab is the one just because he’s tall and handsome.

He isn’t the one I’ve chosen. People judge others by what they look like, but I judge people by what is in their hearts.” Jesse told his son Abinadab to go over to Samuel, but Samuel said, “No, the Lord hasn’t chosen him.” Jesse had all seven of his sons go over to Samuel. Finally, Samuel 134

said, “Jesse, the Lord hasn’t chosen any of these young men. Do you have any more sons?” “Yes,” Jesse answered. “My youngest son David is out taking care of the sheep.” Jesse sent for David. He was a healthy, good‑looking boy with a sparkle in his eyes. As soon as David came, the Lord told Samuel, “He’s the one! Get up and pour the olive oil on his head.” Samuel poured the oil on David’s head while his brothers watched. At that moment, the Spirit of the Lord took control of David and stayed with him from then on.

Samuel returned home to Ramah.

David Cares for Saul 1 Samuel 16:14-23

The Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord was terri-fying him. “It’s an evil spirit from God that’s frightening you,” Saul’s officials told him. “Your Majesty, let us go and look for someone who is good at playing the harp. He can play for you whenever the evil spirit from God bothers you, and you’ll feel better.”

“All right,” Saul answered. “Find me someone who is good at playing the harp and bring him here.” “A man named Jesse who lives in Bethlehem has a son who can play the harp,” one official said. “He’s a brave warrior, he’s good‑looking, he can speak well, and the Lord is with him.”

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Saul sent a message to Jesse: “Tell your son David to leave your sheep and come here to me.” David went to Saul and started working for him.

Saul liked him so much that he put David in charge of carrying his weapons. Not long after this, Saul sent another message to Jesse: “I really like David. Please let him stay with me.” Whenever the evil spirit from God bothered Saul, David would play his harp. Saul would relax and feel better, and the evil spirit would go away.

The Giant 1 Samuel 17:3-16

King Saul and the Israelite army got ready to fight the Philistine army that was on a hill on the other side of the valley.

The Philistine army had a hero named Goliath who was from the town of Gath and was over nine feet tall. He wore a bronze helmet and had bronze armor to protect his chest and legs. The chest armor alone weighed about one hundred twenty-five pounds.

He carried a bronze sword strapped on his back, and his spear was so big that the iron spearhead alone weig-hed more than fifteen pounds. A soldier 136

always walked in front of Goliath to carry his shield. Goliath went out and shouted to the army of Israel: Why are you lining up for battle? I’m the best soldier in our army, and all of you are in Saul’s army. Choose your best soldier to come out and fight me!

If he can kill me, our people will be your slaves. But if I kill him, your people will be our slaves. Here and now I challenge Israel’s whole army!

Choose someone to fight me! Saul and his men heard what Goliath said, but they were so frightened of Goliath that they couldn’t do a thing. Goliath came out and gave his challenge every morning and every evening for forty days.

Goliath’s Insults 1 Samuel 17:17-27

One day, Jesse told David, “Hurry and take this sack of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread to your brothers at the army camp. They’re with Saul’s army, fighting the Philistines in Elah Valley.”

David obeyed his father. He got up early the next morning and left some-one else in charge of the sheep; then he loaded the supplies and started off. He reached the army camp just as the soldiers were taking their places and shouting the battle cry. The army of Israel and the Philistine army stood there facing each other. David left his things with the man in charge of supplies and ran up 137

to the battle line to ask his brothers if they were well. While David was talking with them, Goliath came out from the line of Philistines and started boasting as usual. David heard him. When the Israelite soldiers saw Goliath, they were scared and ran off. They said to each other, “Look how he keeps coming out to

insult us. The king is offering a big reward to the man who kills Goliath.

That man will even get to marry the king’s daughter, and no one in his family will ever have to pay taxes

again.” David asked some soldiers standing nearby, “What will a man get for killing this Philistine and stopping him from insulting our people? Who does that worthless Philistine think he is? He’s making fun of the army of the living God!” The soldiers told David what the king would give the man who killed Goliath.

David the Giant-Killer 1 Samuel 17:31-51

Some soldiers overheard David talking, so they told Saul what Da-

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vid had said. Saul sent for David, and David came. “Your Majesty,” he said, “this Philistine shouldn’t turn us into cowards. I’ll go out and fight him myself!” “You don’t have a chance against him,” Saul replied.

“You’re only a boy, and he’s been a soldier all his life.” But David told him: Your Majesty, I take care of my father’s sheep. And when one of them is dragged off by a lion or a bear, I go after it and beat the wild animal until it lets the sheep go. Sir, I have killed lions and bears that way, and I can kill this worthless Philistine. He shouldn’t have made fun of the army of the living God! “All right,” Saul answered, “go ahead and fight him.

And I hope the Lord will help you.”

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Saul had his own military clothes and armor put on David. David strapped on a sword and tried to walk around, but he was not used to wearing those things.

“I can’t move with all this stuff on,” David said. “I’m just not used to it.”

David took off the armor and picked up his shepherd’s stick. He went out to a stream and picked up five smooth rocks and put them in his leather bag. Then with his sling in his hand, he went straight toward Goliath. Goliath came toward David, walking behind the soldier who was carrying his shield. When Goliath saw that David was just a healthy, good‑ looking boy, he made fun of him. “Do you think I’m a dog?”

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Goliath asked. “Is that why you’ve come after me with a stick?” He cursed David in the name of the Philistine gods and shouted, “Come on!

When I’m finished with you, I’ll feed you to the birds and wild animals!”

David answered: You’ve come out to fight me with a sword and a spear and a dagger. But I’ve come out to fight you in the name of the Lord All‑Powerful. He is the God of Israel’s army, and you have insulted him too! When Goliath started forward, David ran toward him. He put a rock in his sling and swung the sling around by its straps. When he let go of one strap, the rock flew out and hit Goliath on the forehead. It cracked

his skull, and he fell facedown on the ground. David defeated Goliath with a sling and a rock. He killed him without even using a sword. David ran over and pulled out Goliath’s sword. Then he used it to cut off Goliath’s head. When the Philistines saw what had happened to their hero, they started running away.

King Saul Is Jealous 1 Samuel 18:6-16

David had killed Goliath, the battle was over, and the Israelite army set out for home. As the army went along, women came out of each Israelite town to wel-come King Saul.

They were singing happy songs and dancing to the music of tambourines and harps. They sang: Saul has killed a thousand enemies; David has killed ten thousand enemies!

This song made Saul very angry, and he thought, “They are saying that David has killed ten times more enemies than I ever did. Next they will want to make him king.” Saul never again trusted David.

The next day the Lord let an evil spirit take control of Saul, and he began acting like a crazy man inside his house. David came to play the harp for Saul as usual, but this time Saul had a spear in his hand. Saul thought, “I’ll pin David to the wall.”

He threw the spear at David twice, but David dodged and got away both times.

Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was helping David and was no longer helping him. Saul put David in charge of a thousand soldiers and sent him out to fight. The Lord helped David, and he and his soldiers always won their battles. This made Saul even more afraid of David. But everyone else in Judah and Israel was loyal to David, because he led the army in battle.

Friends for Life 1 Samuel 18:1-19:7

Soon David and Jonathan, Saul’s son, became best friends. Jonathan thought as much of David as he did 141

of himself. Jonathan liked David so much that they promised to always be loyal friends. Jonathan took off the robe that he was wearing and gave it to David. He also gave him his military clothes, his sword, his bow and arrows, and his belt. One day, Saul told his son Jonathan and his officers to kill David. But Jonathan liked David a lot, and he warned David, “My father is trying to have you killed, so be very careful.

Hide in a field tomorrow morning, and I’ll bring him there. Then I’ll talk to him about you, and if I find out anything, I’ll let you know.”

The next morning, Jonathan reminded Saul about the many good things David had done for him. Then he said, “Why do you want to kill David? He hasn’t done anything to you.

He has served in your army and has always done what’s best for you. He even risked his life to kill Goliath. The Lord helped Israel win a great victory that day, and it made you happy.”

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Saul agreed and promised, “I swear by the living Lord that I won’t have David killed!” Jonathan called to David and told him what Saul had said. Then he brought David to Saul, and David served in Saul’s army just as he had done before.

Jonathan Saves David’s Life 1 Samuel 19:9-20:41

One night, David was in Saul’s home, playing the harp for him. Saul was sitting there, holding a spear, when an evil spirit from the Lord took control of him. Saul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear, but David dodged, and it stuck in the wall. David ran out of the house and

escaped. Then he ran to see Jonathan and asked, “Why does your father Saul want to kill me? What have I done wrong?” Jonathan said: Tomorrow is the New Moon Festival, and people will wonder where you are, because your place will be empty.

By the day after tomorrow, everyone will think you’ve been gone a long time. Then go to the place where you hid before and stay beside Going‑ Away Rock. I’ll shoot three arrows at a target off to the side of the rock, and send my servant to find the arrows.

You’ll know if it’s safe to come out by what I tell him. If it is safe, I swear by the living Lord that I’ll

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say, “The arrows are on this side of you! Pick them up!” But if it isn’t safe, I’ll say to the boy, “The arrows are farther away!” This will mean that the Lord wants you to leave, and you must go. So David hid there in the field. During the New Moon Festival, Saul sat down to eat by the wall, just as he always did. Saul didn’t say anything that day, because he was thinking, “Something must have happened to make David unfit to be at the Festival.” The day after the New Moon Festival, when David’s place was still empty, Saul asked Jonathan, “Why hasn’t that son of Jesse come to eat with us? He wasn’t here yesterday, and he still isn’t here today!” Jonathan answered, “The reason David hasn’t come to eat with you is that he begged me to let him go to Bethlehem.” Saul was furious with Jonathan and yelled, “You’re no son of mine, you traitor! I know you’ve chosen to be loyal to that son of Jesse. You should be ashamed of yourself! And your own mother should be ashamed that you were ever born. You’ll never be safe, and your kingdom will be in danger as long as that son of Jesse is alive. Turn him over to me now! He deserves to die!”

Jonathan was angry that his father had insulted David so terribly. In the morning, Jonathan went out to the field to meet David. He took a servant boy 144

along and told him, “When I shoot the arrows, you run and find them for me.”

The boy started running, and Jonathan shot an arrow so that it would go beyond him. When the boy got near the place where the arrow had landed, Jonathan shouted, “Isn’t the arrow on past you?” Jonathan shouted to him again, “Hurry up! Don’t stop!” The boy picked up the arrows and brought them back to Jonathan, but he had no idea about what was going on. Only Jonathan and David

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knew. After the boy had gone, David got up from beside the mound and bowed very low three times. Then he and Jonathan kissed each other and cried, but David cried louder.

Alone in a Cave 1 Samuel 24:2-19

Saul led three thousand of Israel’s best soldiers out to look for David and his men near Wild Goat Rocks at En-Gedi. There were some sheep pens along the side of the road, and one of them was built around the entrance to a cave. Saul went into the cave to relieve himself.

David and his men were hiding at the back of the cave. They whispered to David, “The Lord told you he was going to let you defeat your enemies and do whatever you want with them. This must be the day the Lord was talking about.”

David sneaked over and cut off a small piece of Saul’s robe, but Saul didn’t notice a thing. Afterwards, David was sorry that he had even done that, and he told his men, “Stop talking foolishly. We’re not going to attack Saul. He’s my king, and I pray that the Lord will keep me 146

from doing anything to harm his chosen king.” Saul left the cave and started down the road. Soon, David also got up and left the cave. “Your Majesty!” he shouted from a distance.

Saul turned around to look. David bowed down very low and said: Your Majesty, why do you listen to people who say that I’m trying to harm you?

You can see for yourself that the Lord gave me the chance to catch you in the cave today. Some of my men wanted to kill you, but I wouldn’t let them do it. I told them, “I will not harm the Lord’s chosen king!” I’ll let the Lord decide which one of us has done right. I pray that the Lord will punish you for what you’re doing to me, but I won’t do anything to you. An old proverb says, “Only evil people do evil things,” and so I won’t harm you. Why should the king of Israel be out chasing me, anyway? I’m as worthless as a dead dog or a flea. Saul said: David, you’re a better person than I am. You treated me with kindness, even though I’ve been cruel to you.

If you really were my enemy, you wouldn’t have let me leave here alive.

I pray that the Lord will give you a big reward for what you did today.

Everything is Lost 1 Samuel 30:1-18

While they had been away, the Amalekites had been raiding in 147

the desert around there. They had attacked Ziklag, burned it to the ground, and had taken away the women and children. When David and his men came to Ziklag, they saw the burned‑out ruins and learned that their families had been taken captive. They started crying and kept it up until they were too weak to cry any more. David was desperate. His soldiers were so upset over what had happened to their sons and daughters that they were thinking about stoning David to death. But he felt the Lord God giving him strength, and he said to the priest, “Abiathar, let’s ask God what to do.” Then David asked the Lord, “Should I go after the people who raided our town? Can I catch up with them?” “Go after them,” the Lord answered. “You will catch up with them, and you will rescue your families.”

The Amalekites were eating and drinking everywhere, celebrating because of what they had taken from Philistia and Judah. David attacked just before sunrise the next day and fought until sunset. Four hundred Amalekites rode away on camels, but they were the only ones who escaped.

David rescued his two wives and everyone else the Amalekites had taken from Ziklag.

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Jonathan 1 Samuel 31:1-6

Meanwhile, the Philistines were fighting Israel at Mount Gilboa.

Israel’s soldiers ran from the Philistines, and many of them were killed.

The Philistines closed in on Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua. The fighting was fierce around Saul, and he was badly wounded by enemy arrows.

Saul told the soldier who carried his weapons, “Kill me with your sword! I don’t want those worthless Philistines to torture me and make fun.” But the soldier was afraid to kill him.

Saul then took out his own sword; he stuck the blade into his stomach, and fell on it. When the soldier knew that Saul was dead, he killed himself in the same way. Saul was dead, his three sons were dead, and the soldier who carried his weapons was dead.

They and all his soldiers died on that same day.

David Is Crowned

2 Samuel 5:1-10; 1 Chronicles 14:8-17

Israel’s leaders met with David at Hebron and said, “We are your relatives.

Even when Saul was king, you led our nation in battle. And the Lord promised that someday you would rule Israel and take care of us like a shepherd.”

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During the meeting, David made an agreement with the leaders and asked the Lord to be their witness.

Then the leaders poured olive oil on David’s head to show that he was now the king of Israel. David was thirty years old when he became king, and he ruled for forty years.

He lived in Hebron for the first seven and a half years and ruled only Judah. Then he moved to Jerusalem, where he ruled both Israel and Judah for thirty‑three years.

The Jebusites lived in Jerusalem, and David led his army there to attack them. The Jebusites did not think he could get in, so they told him, “You can’t get in here!

We could run you off, even if we couldn’t see or walk!”

David told his troops, “You will have to go up through the water tunnel to get those Jebusites.” David captured the fortress on Mount Zion

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then he moved there and named it David’s City. He had the city rebuilt, starting with the landfill to the east.

David became a great and strong ruler, because the Lord All‑Powerful was on his side.

When the Philistines heard that David had become king of Israel, they came to capture him. But David heard about their plan and marched out to meet them in battle. David asked God, “Should I attack the Philistines? Will you help me win?”

The Lord told David, “Yes, attack them! I will give you victory.”

David and his army marched to Baal‑Perazim, where they attacked and defeated the Philistines. He said, “I defeated my enemies because God broke through them like a mighty flood.” Then David ordered his troops to burn the idols that the Philistines had left behind.

From then on, David became even

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more famous, and the Lord made all the nations afraid of him.

The Ark of God Arrives in Jerusalem 1 Chronicles 15:1-16:6

David had several buildings built in Jerusalem, and he had a tent set up where the sacred chest would be kept. He said, “Only Levites will be allowed to carry the chest, because the Lord has chosen them to do that work and to serve him forever.”

Next, David invited everyone to come to Jerusalem and watch the sacred chest being carried to the place he had set up for it.

The priests were to carry the sacred chest on poles that rested on their shoulders, just as the Lord had told Moses to do.

David then told the leaders to choose some Levites to sing and play music on small harps, other stringed

instruments, and cymbals.

David, the Levites, and all the musicians were wearing linen robes.

While the sacred chest was being carried into Jerusalem, everyone was celebrating by shouting and playing music on horns, trumpets, cymbals, harps, and other stringed instruments.

Saul’s daughter Michal looked out her window and watched the chest being brought into David’s City. But when she saw David jumping and dancing in honor of the Lord, she was disgusted.

They put the sacred chest inside the tent that David had set up for it then they offered sacrifices to please the Lord and sacrifices to ask his blessing. After David had finished, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord and gave every person in the crowd a small loaf of bread, some meat, and a handful of raisins.

David appointed some of the Levites to serve at the sacred chest; they were to play music and sing praises to the Lord God of Israel.

David Becomes a Murderer 2 Samuel 11:2-17

Late one afternoon, David got up from a nap and was walking around on the flat roof of his palace. A beautiful young woman was down below in her courtyard, bathing as her religion required. David happened to see her, 152

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and he sent one of his servants to find out who she was.

The servant came back and told David, “Her name is Bathsheba. She is the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” David sent some messengers to bring her to his palace. She came to him, and he slept with her. Then she returned home. But later, when she found out that she was going to have a baby, she sent someone to David with this message: “I’m pregnant!” David sent a message to Joab: “Send Uriah the Hittite to me.”

Joab sent Uriah to David’s palace, and David asked him, “How is the army doing? And how about the war?”

Then David told Uriah, “Go home and clean up.”

But Uriah didn’t go home. Instead, he slept outside the entrance to the royal palace, where the king’s guards

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slept.

Early the next morning, David wrote a letter and told Uriah to deliver it to Joab. The letter said: “Put Uriah on the front line where the fighting is the worst. Then pull the troops back from him, so that he will be wounded and die.”

Joab had been carefully watching the city of Rabbah, and he put Uriah in a place where he knew there were some of the enemy’s best soldiers.

When the men of the city came out, they fought and killed some of David’s soldiers — Uriah the Hittite was one of them.

same town. The rich man owned a lot of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had only one little lamb that he had bought and raised. The lamb became a pet for him and his children. He even let it eat from his plate and drink from his cup and sleep on his lap.

The lamb was like one of his own children. One day someone came to visit the rich man, but the rich man didn’t want to kill any of his own

The Broken King 2 Samuel 12:1-15

The Lord was angry at what David had done, and he sent Nathan the prophet to tell this story to David: A rich man and a poor man lived in the

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sheep or cattle and serve it to the visitor.

So he stole the poor man’s little lamb and served it instead.

David was furious with the rich man and said to Nathan, “I swear by the living Lord that the man who did this deserves to die! And because he didn’t have any pity on the poor man, he will have to pay four times what the lamb was worth.”

Then Nathan told David: You are that rich man! Now listen to what the Lord God of Israel says to you: “I chose you to be the king of Israel.

I kept you safe from Saul. Why did you disobey me and do such a horrible thing? You murdered Uriah the Hittite. Because you wouldn’t obey me and took Uriah’s wife for yourself, your family will never live in peace.” David said, “I have disobeyed the Lord.” “Yes, you have!” Nathan answered. “You showed you didn’t care what the Lord wanted. He has forgiven you, and you won’t die.

But your newborn son will.” Then Nathan went back home.The Young

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King 1 Kings 2:10-3:15

David was king of Israel forty years.

Then he died and was buried in Jerusalem. His son Solomon became king and took control of David’s kingdom. Solomon loved the Lord and followed his father David’s instructions. One night while Solomon was in Gibeon, the Lord God appeared to him in a dream and said, “Solomon, ask for anything you want, and I will give it to you.”

Solomon answered: My father David, your servant, was honest and did what you commanded. You were always loyal to him, and you gave him a son who is now king. Lord God, I’m your servant, and you’ve made me king in my father’s place.

But I’m very young and know so little about being a leader. And now I must rule your chosen people, even though there are too many of them to count.

Please make me wise and teach me the difference between right and wrong. Then I will know how to rule your people. If you don’t, there is no way I could rule this great nation of yours.

God said: Solomon, I’m pleased that you asked for this. You could have asked to live a long time or to be rich.

Or you could have asked for your enemies to be destroyed. Instead, you asked for wisdom to make right 158

decisions. So I’ll make you wiser than anyone who has ever lived or ever will live. I’ll also give you what you didn’t ask for. You’ll be rich and respected as long as you live, and you’ll be greater than any other king. If you obey me and follow my commands, as your father David did, I’ll let you live a long time.

Solomon woke up and realized that God had spoken to him in the dream.

He went back to Jerusalem and stood in front of the sacred chest, where he offered sacrifices to please the Lord and sacrifices to ask his blessing.

Then Solomon gave a feast for his officials.

The Baby with Two Mothers 1 Kings 3:16-28

One day two women came to King Solomon, and one of them said: Your Majesty, this woman and I live in the same house. Not long ago my baby was born at home, and three days later her baby was born.

Nobody else was there with us. One night while we were all asleep, she rolled over on her baby, and he died.

Then while I was still asleep, she got up and took my son out of my bed.

She put him in her bed, and then she put her dead baby next to me.

In the morning when I got up to feed my son, I saw that he was dead. But when I looked at him in 159

the light, I knew he wasn’t my son.

“No!” the other woman shouted. “He was your son. My baby is alive!”

They argued back and forth in front of Solomon, until finally he said, “Both of you say this live baby is yours. Someone bring me a sword.”

A sword was brought, and Solomon ordered, “Cut the baby in half!

That way each of you can have part of him.”

“Please don’t kill my son,” the baby’s mother screamed. “Your Majesty, I love him very much, but give him to her. Just don’t kill him.”

The other woman shouted, “Go ahead and cut him in half. Then neither of us will have the baby.”

Solomon said, “Don’t kill the baby.” Then he pointed to the first woman, “She is his real mother. Give the baby to her.”

Everyone in Israel was amazed when they heard how Solomon had made his decision. They realized that God had given him wisdom to judge fairly.

was king, he sent some of his officials to meet with Solomon.

Solomon sent a message back to Hiram: Remember how my father David wanted to build a temple where the Lord his God could be worshiped?

But enemies kept attacking my fa-

A Temple for the Lord 1 Kings 5:1-6:38

King Hiram of Tyre had always been friends with Solomon’s father David.

When Hiram learned that Solomon

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ther’s kingdom, and he never had the chance. Now, thanks to the Lord God, there is peace in my kingdom and no trouble or threat of war anywhere. The Lord God promised my father that when his son became king, he would build a temple for worshiping the Lord. So I’ve decided to do that. I’d like you to have your workers cut down cedar trees in Lebanon for me. I will pay them whatever you say and will even have my workers help them. We both know that your workers are more experienced than anyone else at cutting lumber. Hiram was so happy when he heard Solomon’s request that he said, “I am grateful that the Lord gave David such a wise son to be king of that great nation!” Then he sent back his answer: I received your message and will give you all the cedar and pine logs you need.

Hiram gave Solomon all the cedar and pine logs he needed. Solomon did not want the noise of hammers and axes to be heard at the place where the temple was being built. So he had the workers shape the blocks of stone at the quarry. The Lord told

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Solomon: If you obey my commands and do what I say, I will keep the promise I made to your father David. I will live among my people Israel in this temple you are building, and I will not desert them. So Solomon’s workers finished building the temple.

It was built exactly as it had been planned.

The Visit of the Queen of Sheba 1 Kings 4:29-33 10:1-7

Solomon was brilliant. God had blessed him with insight and understanding. He was wiser than anyone else in the world, including the wisest people of the east and of Egypt.

Solomon became famous in every country around Judah and Israel.

Solomon wrote three thousand wise sayings and composed more than one thousand songs. He could talk about all kinds of plants, from large trees to small bushes, and he taught about animals, birds, reptiles, and fish.

The Queen of Sheba heard how famous Solomon was, so she went to Jerusalem to test him with difficult questions. She took along several

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of her officials, and she loaded her camels with gifts of spices, jewels, and gold. When she arrived, she and Solomon talked about everything she could think of. He answered every question, no matter how difficult it was.

The Queen was breathless when she saw his palace, the food on his table, his officials, and his servants in their uniforms, the people who served his food, and the sacrifices he offered at the Lord’s temple. She said: Solomon, in my own country I had heard about your wisdom and all you’ve done. But I didn’t believe it until I saw it with my own eyes! And there’s so much I didn’t hear about.

You are wiser and richer than I was

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told.

The Contest 1 Kings 16:29-18:24

Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel in the thirty‑eighth year of Asa’s rule in Judah. Ahab did more things to disobey the Lord than any king before him. He married Jezebel the daughter of King Ethbaal of Sidon and started worshiping Baal.

Ahab built an altar and temple for Baal in Samaria and set up a sacred pole for worshiping the goddess Asherah. Ahab did more to make the Lord God of Israel angry than any king of Israel before him.

Elijah was a prophet from Tishbe in Gilead. One day he went to King Ahab and said, “I’m a servant of the

living Lord, the God of Israel. And I swear in his name that it won’t rain until I say so. There won’t even be any dew on the ground.”

For three years no rain fell in Samaria, and there was almost nothing to eat anywhere. The Lord said to Elijah, “Go and meet with King Ahab. I will soon make it rain.”

So Elijah went to see Ahab. When Ahab saw him, he shouted, “There you are, the biggest troublemaker in Israel!”

Elijah answered: You’re the troublemaker — not me! You and your family have disobeyed the Lord’s commands by worshiping Baal.

Call together everyone from Israel and have them meet me on Mount Carmel. Ahab got everyone together, then they went to meet Elijah on Mount Carmel. Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you try to have things both ways? If the Lord is God, worship him! But if Baal is God, worship him!”

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re are more of you, so you go first.

Pick out a bull and get it ready, but don’t light the fire. Then pray to your god.”

They chose their bull, then they got it ready and prayed to Baal all mor-

The people did not say a word.

Then Elijah continued: I am the Lord’s only prophet, but Baal has four hundred fifty prophets.

Bring us two bulls. Baal’s prophets can take one of them, kill it, and cut it into pieces. Then they can put the meat on the wood without lighting the fire. I will do the same thing with the other bull, and I won’t light a fire under it either.

The prophets of Baal will pray to their god, and I will pray to the 166

Lord. The one who answers by starting the fire is God. “That’s a good idea,” everyone agreed.

Fire and Rain 1 Kings 18:25-46

Elijah said to Baal’s prophets, “The167

ning, asking him to start the fire.

They danced around the altar and shouted, “Answer us, Baal!” But there was no answer.

At noon, Elijah began making

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fun of them. “Pray louder!” he said.

“Baal must be a god. Maybe he’s day‑dreaming or using the toilet or traveling somewhere. Or maybe he’s asleep, and you have to wake him up.” The prophets kept shouting louder and louder, and they cut themselves with swords and knives until they were bleeding. This was the way they worshiped, and they kept it up all afternoon. But there was

no answer of any kind. Elijah told everyone to gather around him while he repaired the Lord’s altar. Then he used twelve stones to build an altar in honor of the Lord. Each stone stood for one of the tribes of Israel, which was the name the Lord had given to their ancestor Jacob. Elijah dug a ditch around the altar, large enough to hold about thirteen quarts.

He placed the wood on the altar,

then they cut the bull into pieces and laid the meat on the wood. He told the people, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it over the meat and the wood.” After they did this, he told them to do it two more times. They did exactly as he said until finally, the water ran down the altar and filled the ditch. When it was time for the evening sacrifice, Elijah prayed: Our Lord, you are the God of Abraham,

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Isaac, and Israel. Now, prove that you are the God of this nation, and that I, your servant, have done this at your command. Please answer me, so these people will know that you are the Lord God, and that you will turn their hearts back to you.

The Lord immediately sent fire, and it burned up the sacrifice, the wood, and the stones. It scorched the ground everywhere around the altar and dried up every drop of water in the ditch. When the crowd saw what had happened, they all bowed down and shouted, “The Lord is God! The Lord is God!” Just then, Elijah said, “Grab the prophets of Baal! Don’t let any of them get away.”

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Elijah told Ahab, “Get something to eat and drink. I hear a heavy rain coming.”

A few minutes later, it got very cloudy and windy, and rain started pouring down.

The Chariot of Fire 2 Kings 2:1-12

Not long before the Lord took Elijah up into heaven in a strong wind, Elijah and Elisha were leaving Gilgal.

Fifty prophets followed Elijah and Elisha from Jericho, then stood at a distance and watched as the two men walked toward the river. After they had reached the other side, Elijah said, “Elisha, the Lord will soon take me away. What can I do for you before that happens?”

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Elisha answered, “Please give me twice as much of your power as you give the other prophets, so I can be the one who takes your place as their leader.”

“It won’t be easy,” Elijah answered. “It can happen only if you see me as I am being taken away.”

Elijah and Elisha were walking along and talking, when suddenly there appeared between them a flaming chariot pulled by fiery horses. Right away, a strong wind took

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Elijah up into heaven. Elisha saw this and shouted, “Israel’s cavalry and chariots have taken my master away!”

A Strange Way to Cross a River 2 Kings 2:12-18

After Elijah had gone, Elisha tore his clothes in sorrow.

Elijah’s coat had fallen off, so Elisha picked it up and walked back to the Jordan River. He struck the water with the coat and wondered, “Will the Lord perform miracles for me as he did for Elijah?” As soon as Elisha did this, a dry path opened up through the water, and he walked across.

When the prophets from Jericho

saw what happened, they said to each other, “Elisha now has Elijah’s power.”

They walked over to him, bowed down, and said, “There are fifty strong men here with us. Please let them go look for your master. Maybe the Spirit of the Lord carried him off to some mountain or valley.”

“No,” Elisha replied, “they won’t find him.” They kept begging until he was embarrassed to say no. He finally agreed, and the prophets sent the men out. They looked three days for Elijah but never found him. They returned to Jericho, and Elisha said, “I told you that you wouldn’t find him.”

Oil

2 Kings 4:1-7

One day the widow of one of the Lord’s prophets said to Elisha, “You know that before my husband died, he was a follower of yours and a worshiper of the Lord. But he owed a man some money, and now that man is on his way to take my two sons as his slaves.”

“Maybe there’s something I can do to help,” Elisha said. “What do you have in your house?”

The Bottomless Jar of

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“Sir, I have nothing but a small bottle of olive oil.”

Elisha told her, “Ask your neighbors for their empty jars. And after you’ve borrowed as many as you can, go home and shut the door behind you and your sons. Then begin filling the jars with oil and set each one aside as you fill it.” The woman left.

Later, when she and her sons were back inside their house, the two sons brought her the jars, and she began filling them.

At last, she said to one of her sons, “Bring me another jar.”

“We don’t have any more,” he answered, and the oil stopped flowing from the small bottle.

After she told Elisha what had

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happened, he said, “Sell the oil and use part of the money to pay what you owe the man. You and your sons can live on what is left.”

Runaway from God Jonah 1:1-16

One day the Lord told Jonah, the son of Amittai, to go to the great city of Nineveh and say to the people, “The Lord has seen your terrible sins. You are doomed!”

Instead, Jonah ran from the Lord.

He went to the seaport of Joppa and bought a ticket on a ship that was going to Spain. Then he got on the ship and sailed away to escape.

But the Lord made a strong wind

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blow, and such a bad storm came up that the ship was about to be broken to pieces. The sailors were frightened, and they all started praying to their gods. They even threw the ship’s cargo overboard to make the ship lighter.

All this time, Jonah was down below deck, sound asleep. The ship’s captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep at a time like this? Get up and pray to your God! Maybe he will have pity on us and keep us from drowning.”

Finally, the sailors got together and said, “Let’s ask our gods to show us who caused all this trouble.” It turned out to be Jonah.

They started asking him, “Are you the one who brought all this trouble on us? What business are you in? Where do you come from?

What is your country? Who are your people?”

Jonah answered, “I’m a Hebrew, and I worship the Lord God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”

When the sailors heard this, they were frightened, because Jonah had already told them he was running from the Lord. Then they said, “Do you know what you have done?”

The storm kept getting worse, until finally the sailors asked him, “What should we do with you to make the sea calm down?”

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Jonah told them, “Throw me into the sea, and it will calm down. I’m the cause of this terrible storm.”

The sailors tried their best to row to the shore. But they could not do it, and the storm kept getting worse every minute. So they prayed to the Lord, “Please don’t let us drown for taking this man’s life. Don’t hold us guilty for killing an innocent man.

All of this happened because you wanted it to.” Then they threw Jonah over-board, and the sea calmed down. The sailors were so terrified that they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made all kinds of promises.

The Big Fish Jonah 1:17-2:10

The Lord sent a big fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights. From inside the fish, Jonah prayed to the Lord his God: When I was in trouble, Lord, I prayed to you, and you listened to me. You threw me down to the bottom of the sea.

The water was churning all around; I was completely covered by your mighty waves.

I thought I was swept away from your sight, never again to see your holy temple.

I was almost drowned by the swirling waters that surrounded me.

Seaweed had wrapped around my

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head.

But, you, Lord God, rescued me from that pit.

When my life was slipping away, I remembered you — and in your holy temple you heard my prayer.

All who worship worthless idols turn from the God who offers them mercy.

But with shouts of praise, I will offer a sacrifice to you, my Lord.

I will keep my promise, because you are the one with power to save.

The Lord commanded the fish to vomit up Jonah on the shore. And it did.

Jonah Changes His Mind Jonah 3:1-10

Once again the Lord told Jonah to go to that great city of Nineveh and preach his message of doom.

Jonah obeyed the Lord and went to Nineveh. The city was so big that it took three days just to walk through it. After walking for a day, Jonah warned the people, “Forty days from now, Nineveh will be destroyed!”

They believed God’s message and set a time when they would go without eating to show their sorrow.

Then everyone in the city, no matter who they were, dressed in sackcloth.

When the king of Nineveh heard what was happening, he also dressed in sackcloth; he left the royal palace and sat in dust. Then he and his officials sent out an order for everyone in the city to obey. It said: None of you or your animals may eat or drink a thing. Each of you must wear sackcloth, and you must even put sackcloth on your animals.

You must also pray to the Lord God with all your heart and stop being sinful and cruel. Maybe God will change his mind and have mercy on us, so we won’t be destroyed.

When God saw that the people had stopped doing evil things, he had pity and did not destroy them as he had planned.

God Is Good Jonah 4:1-11

Jonah was really upset and angry.

So he prayed: Our Lord, I knew from the very beginning that you 178

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wouldn’t destroy Nineveh. That’s why I left my own country and headed for Spain. You are a kind and merciful God, and you are very patient. You always show love, and you don’t like to punish anyone, not even foreigners. Now let me die! I’d be better off dead.

The Lord replied, “What right do you have to be angry?”

Jonah then left through the east gate of the city and made a shelter to protect himself from the sun. He sat under the shelter, waiting to see what would happen to Nineveh. The Lord made a vine grow up to shade Jonah’s head and protect him from the sun. Jonah was very happy to have the vine, but early the next morning the Lord sent a worm to chew on the vine, and the vine dried up.

During the day the Lord sent a scorching wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head, making him feel faint. Jonah was ready to die, and he

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shouted, “I wish I were dead!” But the Lord asked, “Jonah, do you have the right to be angry about the vine?”

“Yes, I do,” he answered, “and I’m angry enough to die.”

But the Lord said: You are concerned about a vine that you did not plant or take care of, a vine that grew up in one night and died the next. In that city of Nineveh there are more than a hundred twenty thousand people who cannot tell right from wrong, and many cattle are also there. Don’t you think I should be concerned about that big

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city?

Jeremiah Stays Behind 2 Chronicles 36:11-21

Zedekiah was twenty‑one years old when he was appointed king of Judah, and he ruled from Jerusalem for eleven years. He disobeyed the Lord his God and refused to change his ways, even after a warning from Jeremiah, the Lord’s prophet.

King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylo-

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nia had forced Zedekiah to promise in God’s name that he would be loyal. Zedekiah was stubborn and refused to turn back to the Lord God of Israel, so he rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar. The people of Judah and even the priests who were their leaders became more unfaithful. They followed the disgusting example of the nations around them and made the Lord’s holy temple unfit for worship. But the Lord God felt sorry for his people, and instead of destroying the temple, he sent prophets who warned the people over and over about their sins. But the people only laughed and insulted these prophets. They ignored what the Lord God was trying to tell them, until he finally became so angry that nothing could stop him from punishing Judah and Jerusalem.

The Lord sent King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia to attack Jerusalem.

Nebuchadnezzar killed the young men who were in the temple, and he showed no mercy to anyone, whether man or woman, young or old. God

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let him kill everyone in the city. Nebuchadnezzar carried off everything that was left in the temple; he robbed the treasury and the personal storerooms of the king and his officials.

He took everything back to Babylon.

Nebuchadnezzar’s troops burned down the temple and destroyed every important building in the city.

Then they broke down the city wall.

The survivors were taken to Babylonia as prisoners, where they were slaves of the king and his sons, until Persia became a powerful nation.

Judah was an empty desert, and it stayed that way for seventy years, to make up for all the years it was not allowed to rest. These things happened just as Jeremiah the Lord’s prophet had said.

were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, all from the tribe of Judah. But the king’s chief official gave them Babylonian names: Daniel became Belteshazzar, Hananiah became Shadrach, Mishael became Meshach, and Azariah became Abednego.

A Test of Faith Daniel 1:8-14

A Special School Daniel 1:3-7

One day the king ordered Ashpenaz, his highest palace official, to choose some young men from the royal family of Judah and from other lead-ing Jewish families. The king said, “They must be healthy, handsome, smart, wise, educated, and fit to serve in the royal palace. Teach them how to speak and write our language and give them the same food and wine that I am served. Train them for three years, and then they can become court officials.”

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Daniel made up his mind to eat and drink only what God had approved for his people to eat. And he asked the king’s chief official for permission not to eat the food and wine served in the royal palace. God had made the official friendly and kind to Daniel. But the man still told him, “The king has decided what you must eat and drink. And I am afraid he will kill me, if you eat something else and end up looking worse than the other young men.”

The king’s official had put a guard in charge of Daniel and his three friends. So Daniel said to the guard, “For the next ten days, let us have only vegetables and water at mealtime. When the ten days are up, compare how we look with the other young men, and decide what to do with us.” The guard agreed to do what Daniel had asked.

Passing the Test Daniel 1:15-21

Ten days later, Daniel and his friends looked healthier and better than the young men who had been served food from the royal palace. After this, the guard let them eat vegetables instead of the rich food and wine.

God made the four young men smart and wise.

They read a lot of books and became well 188

educated. Daniel could also tell the meaning of dreams and visions.

At the end of the three‑year period set by King Nebuchadnezzar, his chief palace official brought all the young men to him. The king interviewed them and discovered that none of the others were as outstanding as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they were given positions in the royal court. From then on, whenever the king asked for advice, he found their wisdom was ten times better than that of any of his other advisors and magicians.

Daniel served there until the first year of King Cyrus.

The Wizards Daniel 2:1-13

During the second year that Nebuchadnezzar was king, he had such horrible nightmares that he could not sleep. So he called in his counselors, advisors, magicians, and wise men, and said, “I am disturbed by a dream that I don’t understand, and I want you to explain it.”

They answered in Aramaic, “Your Majesty, we hope you live forever!

We are your servants. Please tell us your dream, and we will explain what it means.”

But the king replied, “No! I have made up my mind. If you don’t tell me both the dream and its meaning, you will be chopped to pieces and your houses will be torn down. Howe189

ver, if you do tell me both the dream and its meaning, you will be greatly rewarded and highly honored. Now tell me the dream and explain what it means.”

“Your Majesty,” they said, “if you will only tell us your dream, we will interpret it for you.”

The king replied, “You’re just stalling for time, because you know what’s going to happen if you don’t come up with the answer. You’ve decided to make up a bunch of lies, hoping I might change my mind.

Now tell me the dream, and that will prove that you can interpret it.”

His advisors explained, “Your Majesty, you are demanding the impossible! No king, not even the most famous and powerful, has ever ordered his advisors, magicians, or wise men to do such a thing. It can’t be done, except by the gods, and they don’t live here on earth.”

This made the king so angry that he gave orders for every wise man in Babylonia to be put to death, including Daniel and his three friends.

explain the meaning of his dream.”

Arioch rushed Daniel to the king. The king asked Daniel, “Can you tell me my dream and what it means?”

Daniel answered: Your Majesty, not even the smartest person in all the world can do what you are demanding. But the God who rules from heaven can explain mysteries. And while you were sleeping, he showed you what will happen in the future.

Your Majesty, what you saw standing in front of you was a huge and terrifying statue, shining brightly. Its head was made of gold, its chest and arms were silver, and from its waist down to its knees, it was bronze.

From there to its ankles it was iron, and its feet were a mixture of iron and clay. As you watched, a stone was cut from a mountain — but not by human hands. The stone struck the feet, completely shattering the iron

What Does the King’s Dream Mean?

Daniel 2:19-42

In a vision one night, Daniel was shown the dream and its meaning.

Daniel went back to Arioch, the official in charge of executing the wise men. Daniel said, “Don’t kill those men! Take me to the king, and I will 190

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and clay. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed and blown away without a trace, like husks of wheat at threshing time. But the stone became a tremendous mountain that covered the entire earth. That was the dream, and now I’ll tell you what it means.

Your Majesty, you are the greatest of kings, and God has highly honored you with power. You are the head of gold. After you are gone, another kingdom will rule, but it won’t be as strong. Then it will be followed by a kingdom of bronze that will rule the whole world. Next, a kingdom of iron will come to power. This fourth kingdom will be divided — just as you saw that the feet and toes were a mixture of iron and clay.

A Never-Ending Kingdom Daniel 2:44-48

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During the time of those kings, the God who rules from heaven will set up an eternal kingdom that will never fall. It will be like the stone that was cut from the mountain, but not by human hands — the stone that crushed the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. Your Majesty, in your dream the great God has told you what is going to happen, and you can trust this interpretation. The king said, “Now I know that your God is above all other gods and and kings, because he gave you the power to explain this mystery.” The king then presented Daniel with a lot of gifts; he promoted him to governor of Babylon Province and put him in charge of the other wise men.

Three Brave Men Daniel 3:1-

King Nebuchadnezzar ordered a gold statue to be built ninety feet high

and nine feet wide. Then an official stood up and announced: All kinds of musical instruments will soon start playing. When you hear the music, you must bow down and worship the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Anyone who refuses will at once be thrown into a flaming furnace.

Some Babylonians used this as a chance to accuse the Jews to King Nebuchadnezzar. They said, “Your Majesty, you said that anyone who did not bow down and worship the statue would be thrown into a flaming furnace. Those Jews, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, refuse to worship your gods and the statue you have set up.”

King Nebuchadnezzar was furious. So he sent for the three young men. The three men said, “Your Majesty, we don’t need to defend ourselves. The God we worship can

save us from you and your flaming furnace. But even if he doesn’t, we still won’t worship your gods and the gold statue you have set up.”

The Blazing Furnace Daniel 3:19-29

Nebuchadnezzar’s face twisted with anger at the three men. And he ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual. Next, he commanded some of his strongest soldiers to tie up the men and throw them into the flaming furnace. So the soldiers tied up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and threw them into the flaming furnace. The fire was so hot that flames leaped out and killed the soldiers. Suddenly the king jumped up and shouted, “Weren’t only three men tied up and thrown into the fire?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the people answered. “But I see four men

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walking around in the fire,” the king replied. “None of them is tied up or harmed, and the fourth one looks like a god.”

Nebuchadnezzar went closer to the flaming furnace and said to the three young men, “You servants of the Most High God, come out at once!”

They came out, and they were not burned, their hair wasn’t scorched, and their clothes didn’t even smell like smoke. King Nebu-chadnezzar said: Praise their God for sending an angel to rescue his servants! They trusted their God and chose to die rather than to worship or serve any god except their own. And I won’t allow people of any nation or race to say anything against their God.

The King’s Feast Daniel 5:1-12

One evening, King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his highest officials, and he drank wine with them. He got drunk and ordered his servants to bring in the gold and silver cups his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem. When the gold cups were brought in, everyone at the banquet drank from them and praised their idols made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

Suddenly a human hand was seen writing on the plaster wall of the palace. The hand was just behind the 194

lamp stand, and the king could see it writing. He was so frightened that his face turned pale, his knees started shaking, and his legs became weak.

The king called in his advisors, who claimed they could talk with the spirits of the dead and understand the meanings found in the stars. He told them, “The man who can read this writing and tell me what it means will become the third most powerful man in my kingdom. He will wear robes of royal purple and a gold chain around his neck.”

All of King Belshazzar’s highest officials came in, but not one of them could read the writing or tell what it meant, and they were completely puzzled. Now the king was more afraid than ever before, and his face turned white as a ghost.

When the queen heard the king and his officials talking, she came in and said: Your Majesty, I hope you live forever! Don’t be afraid or look so pale. In your kingdom there is a man who has been given special powers by the holy gods. Not only is he wise and intelligent, but also he can explain dreams and riddles and solve difficult problems. Send for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.

Writing on the Wall

Daniel 5:13-31 When Daniel was brought in, the king said:So you are Daniel. Now then, if you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will become the third most powerful man in my kingdom.

Daniel answered: Your Majesty, I will read the writing and tell you what it means. But you may keep your gifts or give them to someone else. Sir, the Most High God made your father a great and powerful man

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and brought him much honor and glory. But when he became proud and stubborn, his glorious kingdom was taken from him. His mind became like that of an animal, and he slept outside where his body was soaked with dew.

King Belshazzar, you knew all of this, but you ordered the cups from God’s temple to be brought here, so that you and your wives and officials could drink wine from them. You refused to worship the God who gives

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you breath and controls everything you do. That’s why he sent the hand to write this message on the wall.

The words written there are mene, which means “numbered,” tekel, which means “weighed,” and parsin, which means “divided.” God has numbered the days of your kingdom and has brought it to an end.

He has weighed you on his balance scales, and you fall short of what it takes to be king. So God has divided your kingdom between the Medes

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and the Persians. Belshazzar gave a command for Daniel to be made the third most powerful man in his kingdom.

That same night, the king was killed. Then Darius the Mede, who was sixty‑two years old, took over his kingdom.

The Lion’s Den Daniel 6:1-28

Darius divided his kingdom into a hundred and twenty states and placed a governor in charge of each one.

In order to make sure that his government was run properly, Darius put three other officials in charge of the governors. One of these officials was Daniel.

The other men tried to find something wrong with the way Daniel did his work for the king. But they could not accuse him of anything wrong, because he was honest and faithful and did everything he was supposed to do. Finally, they said to one another, “We will never be able to bring any charge against Daniel, unless it has to do with his religion.”

They all went to the king and said: Your Majesty, you should make a law forbidding anyone to pray to any god or human except you for the next thirty days. Everyone who disobeys this law must be thrown into a pit of lions.” So King Darius made the law and had it written down.

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Daniel heard about the law, but when he returned home, he went upstairs and prayed in front of the window that faced Jerusalem. In the same way that he had always done, he knelt down in prayer three times a day, giving thanks to God. The men who had spoken to the king watched Daniel and saw him praying to his God for help. They went back to the king and said, “That Jew named Daniel, refuses to obey you or the law that you ordered to be written. And he still prays to his god three times a day.”

So Darius ordered Daniel to be brought out and thrown into a pit of lions. But he said to Daniel, “You have been faithful to your God, and I pray that he will rescue you.”

A stone was rolled over the pit, and it was sealed. All night long the king could not sleep. He did not eat anything, and he would not let anyone come in to entertain him.

At daybreak the king got up and ran to the pit. He was anxious and shouted, “Daniel, you were faithful and served your God. Was he able to save you from the lions?”

Daniel answered, “Your Majesty, I hope you live forever! My God knew that I was innocent, and he sent an angel to keep the lions from eating me. Your Majesty, I have never done anything to hurt you.”

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The king was relieved to hear Daniel’s voice, and he gave orders for him to be taken out of the pit. Daniel’s faith in his God had kept him from being harmed. And the king ordered the men who had brought charges against Daniel to be thrown into the pit. But before they even reached the bottom, the lions ripped them to pieces.

All went well for Daniel while Darius was king, and even when Cyrus the Persian ruled.The Proud King Esther 1:1-7

King Xerxes of Persia lived in his capital city of Susaand ruled one hundred twenty‑seven provinces from India to Ethiopia.. Xerxes gave a big dinner for all his officials and officers. For one hundred eighty days he showed off his wealth and spent a lot of money to impress his guests with the greatness of his kingdom.

King Xerxes soon gave another dinner and invited everyone in the city of Susa, no matter who they were. The eating and drinking lasted seven days in the beautiful palace gardens. The area was decorated with blue and white cotton curtains tied back with purple linen cords that ran through silver rings fastened to marble columns. The guests drank from gold cups, and each cup had a different design. The king was generous and said to them, “Drink all you want!”

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Queen Vashti’s Refusal Esther 1:10-21

By the seventh day, King Xerxes was feeling happy because of so much wine. And he asked his seven personal servants, to bring Queen Vashti to him. The king wanted her to wear her crown and let his people and his officials see how beautiful she was. The king’s servants told Queen Vashti what he had said, but she refused to go to him, and this made him terribly angry.

The king called in the seven highest officials of Persia and Media.

These men were very wise and understood all the laws and customs of the country, and the king always asked them what they thought about such matters.

Then Memucan told the king and the officials: Your Majesty, Queen Vashti has not only embarrassed you, but she has insulted your officials and everyone else in all the provinces.

The women in the kingdom will hear about this, and they will refuse to respect their husbands.

Your Majesty, if you agree, you should write for the Medes and Persians a law that can never be changed. Then you could let someone who respects you be queen in her place.

King Xerxes and his officials liked what Memucan had said.

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Miss Persia Esther 2:1-17

After a while, King Xerxes got over being angry. But he kept thinking about what Vashti had done and the law that he had written because of her. Then the king’s personal servants said: Your Majesty, a search must be made to find you some beautiful young women. Then let the young woman who pleases you most take Vashti’s place as queen.

King Xerxes liked these suggestions, and he followed them.

At this time a Jew named Mor-

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decai was living in Susa. Mordecai had a very beautiful cousin named Esther. When the king ordered the search for beautiful women, many were taken to the king’s palace, and Esther was one of them.

The young women were given

beauty treatments for one whole year. The first six months their skin was rubbed with olive oil and myrrh, and the last six months it was treated with perfumes and cosmetics. Then each of them spent the night alone with King Xerxes.

Xerxes had been king for seven years when Esther’s turn came to go to him. Xerxes liked Esther more than he did any of the other young women. None of them pleased him as much as she did, and right away he fell in love with her and crowned her queen in place of Vashti.

The Jews Must Die Esther 2:19-3:15

Esther’s cousin Mordecai had become a palace official. Later, King Xerxes promoted Haman the son of Hammedatha to the highest position in his kingdom. The king had given orders for his officials at the royal gate to honor Haman by kneeling down to him. All of them obeyed except Mordecai.

When the other officials asked Mordecai why he disobeyed the king’s command, he said, “Because I am a Jew.” Haman was furious to learn that Mordecai refused to kneel down and honor him. And when he found out that Mordecai was a Jew, he knew that killing only Mordecai was not enough. Every Jew in the whole kingdom had to be killed.

Then Haman went to the king and said: Why not give orders for all of the Jews to be killed? I can promise that you will get tons of silver for your treasury. The king told him, “Do what you want with those people! You can keep their money.”

Haman called in the king’s secreta-

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ries and ordered them to write letters in every language used in the kingdom. This is what was said in the letters: All Jewish men, women, and children are to be killed. And their property is to be taken. One of the letters was read aloud to the people in the walled city of Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink together, but no one in the city could figure out what was going on.

Esther Has a Plan Esther 4:8-5:9

Esther had a servant named Hathach, who had been given to her by the king.

Mordecai gave Hathach a copy of the orders for the murder of the Jews and said, “Show this to Esther and explain what it means. Ask her to go to the king and beg him to have pity on her people, the Jews!” Esther answered, “Tell Mordecai anyone who goes in to see the king without being invited by him will be put to death.

The only way that anyone can be saved is for the king to hold out the gold scepter to that person. And it’s been thirty days since he has asked for me.”

When Mordecai was told what Esther had said, he sent back this reply, “Don’t think that you will escape being killed with the rest of the Jews, just because you live in the king’s palace. If you don’t speak up now, we will somehow get help, but 208

you and your family will be killed. It could be that you were made queen for a time like this!”

Esther sent a message to Mordecai, saying, “Bring together all the Jews and tell them not to eat or drink for three days and nights. My servant girls and I will do the same. Then I will go in to see the king, even if it means I must die.”

Three days later, Esther dressed in her royal robes and went to the inner court of the palace in front of the throne. He was happy to see Esther, and he held out the gold scepter to her.

When Esther came up and touched the tip of the scepter, the king said, “Esther, what brings you here? Just ask, and I will give you as much as half of my kingdom.”

Esther answered, “Your Majesty, please come with Haman to a dinner I will prepare for you later today.”

The king said to his servants, “Hurry and get Haman, so we can accept Esther’s invitation.” The king and Haman went to Esther’s dinner, and the king asked her, “What can I do for you? Just ask, and I will give you as much as half of my kingdom.”

Esther replied, “Your Majesty, if you really care for me and are willing to do what I want, please come again tomorrow with Haman to the dinner I will prepare for you. At that

time I will answer Your Majesty’s question.”

Haman was feeling great as he left.

But when he saw Mordecai at the pal-ace gate, he noticed that Mordecai did not stand up or show him any respect. This made Haman really angry.

Esther Saves Her People Esther 7:1-6

The king and Haman were dining with Esther and drinking wine during the second dinner, when the king again said, “Esther, what can I do for you? Just ask, and I will give you as much as half of my kingdom!”

Esther answered, “Your Majesty, if you really care for me and are willing to help, you can save me and my people. That’s what I really want, because a reward has been promised to anyone who kills my people. Your Majesty, if we were merely going to be sold as slaves, I would not have bothered you.” “Who would dare to do such a thing?” the king asked.

Esther replied, “That evil Haman is the one out to get us!”

Haman Is Hung Esther 7:7-8:2

The king was so angry that he got up, left his wine, and went out into the palace garden.

Haman realized that the king had already decided what to do with him,

and he stayed and begged Esther to save his life.

Haman got down on his knees beside Esther, who was lying on the couch. The king shouted, “Now you’re even trying to rape my queen here in my own palace!”

Then Harbona, one of the king’s personal servants, said, “Your Majesty, Haman built a tower seventy‑five feet high beside his house, so he could hang Mordecai on it.” Right away, Haman was hanged on the tower he had built to hang Mordecai, and the king calmed down. Before the end of the day, King Xerxes gave Esther everything that had belonged to Haman, the enemy of the Jews.

Esther told the king that Mordecai was her cousin. So the king made Mordecai one of his highest officials and gave him the royal ring that Haman had worn. Then Esther put Mordecai in charge of Haman’s property.

A Chance to Survive Esther 8:3-17

Once again Esther went to speak to the king. This time she fell down at his feet, crying and begging, “Please stop Haman’s evil plan to have the Jews killed!”

King Xerxes then said to Esther and Mordecai, “I have already ordered Haman to be hanged and his house given to Esther, because of his 209

evil plans to kill the Jews. I now give you permission to make a law that will save the lives of your people.

You may use my ring to seal the law, so that it can never be changed.�

The king’s secretaries wrote the law, and wrote to the Jews, the rulers, the governors, and the officials of all one hundred twenty‑seven provinces. The letters were written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with his ring.

Then the king ordered his messengers to take their fastest horses and deliver the law as quickly as possible to every province. In every province and city where the law was sent, the Jews had parties and celebrated.

Fighting Back Esther 9:1-28

The first law that the king had made was to be followed on the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month. This was the very day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to do away with them. But the Jews turned things around, and in the cities of every province they came together to attack their enemies. Everyone was afraid of the Jews, and no one could do anything to oppose them.

Mordecai wrote down everything that had happened. Then he sent letters to the Jews everywhere and told them: Each year you must celebrate on

both the fourteenth and the fifteenth of Adar, the days when we Jews defeated our enemies. Remember this month as a time when our sorrow was turned to joy, and celebration took the place of crying. Celebrate by having parties and by giving to the poor and by sharing gifts of food with each other.

From now on, all Jewish families must remember to celebrate on these two days each year.

New Testament

The

An Angel Visits a Young Girl Luke 1:5-38

When Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest by the name of Zechariah from the priestly group of Abijah. His wife Elizabeth was from the family of Aaron. Both of them were good people and pleased the Lord God by obeying all that he had commanded.

One day God sent the angel Gabriel to the town of Nazareth in Galilee with a message for a virgin named

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Mary. She was engaged to Joseph from the family of King David. The angel greeted Mary and said, “You are truly blessed! The Lord is with you.”

Mary was confused by the angel’s words and wondered what they meant. Then the angel told Mary, “Don’t be afraid! God is pleased with you, and you will have a son.

His name will be Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of God Most High. The Lord God will make him king, as his ancestor David was. He will rule the people of Israel forever, and his kingdom will never end.”

Mary asked the angel, “How can this happen? I am not married!”

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come down to you, and God’s power will come over you.

So your child will be called the holy Son of God. Your relative Elizabeth is also going to have a son, even though she is old. No one thought she could ever have a baby, but in three months she will have a son.

Nothing is impossible for God!” Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant! Let it happen as you have said.” And the angel left her.

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A Trip over the Mountains Luke 1:39-45

A short time later Mary hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea.

She went into Zechariah’s home, where she greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, her baby moved within her.

The Holy Spirit came upon Elizabeth. Then in a loud voice she said to Mary: God has blessed you more than any other woman! He has also blessed the child you will have. Why should the mother of my Lord come to me?

As soon as I heard your greeting, my baby became happy and moved within me. The Lord has blessed you because you believed that he will keep his promise.

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Joseph’s Dream Matthew 1:18-24

This is how Jesus Christ was born.

A young woman named Mary was engaged to Joseph from King David’s family. But before they were married, she learned that she was going to have a baby by God’s Holy Spirit. Joseph was a good man and did not want to embarrass Mary in front of everyone. So he decided to quietly call off the wedding.

While Joseph was thinking about this, an angel from the Lord came to him in a dream. The angel said, “Joseph, the baby that Mary will have is from the Holy Spirit. Go ahead and marry her. Then after her baby is born, name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

So the Lord’s promise came true, just as the prophet had said, “A virgin will have a baby boy, and he will be called Immanuel,” which means “God is with us.”

After Joseph woke up, he and Mary were soon married, just as the Lord’s angel had told him to do.

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Jesus Is Born Luke 2:1-7

About that time Emperor Augustus gave orders for the names of all the people to be listed in record books.

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hometown to be listed. So Joseph had to leave Nazareth in Galilee and go to Bethlehem in Judea. Long ago Bethlehem had been King David’s hometown, and Joseph went there because he was from David’s family.

Mary was engaged to Joseph and traveled with him to Bethlehem. She was soon going to have a baby, and while they were there, she gave birth to her first-born son. She dressed him in baby clothes and laid him on

a bed of hay, because there was no room for them in the inn.

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The Shepherds Luke 2:8-20

That night in the fields near Bethlehem some shepherds were guarding their sheep. All at once an angel came down to them from the Lord, and the brightness of the Lord’s glory flashed around them.

The shepherds were frightened. But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid! I have good news for you, which will make everyone happy. This very day in King David’s hometown a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. You will know who he is, because you will find him dressed in baby clothes and lying on a bed of hay.”

Suddenly many other angels came down from heaven and joined in praising God. They said: “Praise God in heaven!

Peace on earth to everyone who pleases God.”

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After the angels had left and gone back to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see what the Lord has told us about.” They hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and they saw the baby lying on a bed of hay.

When the shepherds saw Jesus, they told his parents what the angel had said about him. Everyone listened and was surprised. But Mary kept thinking about all this and wondering what it meant.

As the shepherds returned to their sheep, they were praising God and saying wonderful things about him.

Everything they had seen and heard just as the angel had said.

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The Star That Led to the Baby’s Cradle Matthew 2:1-12

When Jesus was born in the village of Bethlehem in Judea, Herod was king. During this time some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem and said, “Where is the child born to

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be king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard about this, he was worried, and so was everyone else in Jerusalem. Herod brought together the chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses and asked them, “Where will the Messiah be born?”

They told him, “He will be born in Bethlehem, just as the prophet wrote, ‘Bethlehem in the land

of Judea, You are very important among the towns of Judea.

From your town will come a leader, who will be like a shepherd for my people Israel.’”

Herod secretly called in the wise men and asked them when they had first seen the star. He told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, let me know. I want to go and worship him too.”

The wise men listened to what the

king said and then left. And the star they had seen in the east went on ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. They were thrilled and excited to see the star.

When the men went into the house and saw the child with Mary, his mother, they knelt down and worshiped him. They took out their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh and gave them to him. Later they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, and they went back home by another road.

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He Will Be Called a Nazarene Matthew 2:13-23; Luke 2:40

After the wise men had gone, an angel from the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Hurry and take the child and his moth-er to Egypt! Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is looking for the child and wants to kill him.”

That night, Joseph got up and took his wife and the child to Egypt, where they stayed until Herod died.

So the Lord’s promise came true, just as the prophet had said, “I called my son out of Egypt.”

When Herod found out that the wise men from the east had tricked him, he was very angry. He gave orders for his men to kill all the boys who lived in or near Bethlehem and were two years old and younger.

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This was based on what he had learned from the wise men.

So the Lord’s promise came true, just as the prophet Jeremiah had said, “In Ramah a voice was heard crying and weeping loudly.

Rachel was mourning for her children, and she refused to be comforted, because they were dead.”

After King Herod died, an angel from the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph while he was still in Egypt.

The angel said, “Get up and take the child and his mother back to Israel.

The people who wanted to kill him are now dead.”

Joseph got up and left with them for Israel. But when he heard that Herod’s son Archelaus was now ruler of

Judea, he was afraid to go there. Then in a dream he was told to go to Galilee, and they went to live there in the town of Nazareth. So the Lord’s promise came true, just as the

prophet had said, “He will be called a Nazarene.”

The child Jesus grew. He became strong and wise, and God blessed him.

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Joseph and Mary Lose Jesus Luke 2:41-52

Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for Passover. And when Jesus was twelve years old, they all went there as usual for the celebration. After Passover his parents left, but they did not know that Jesus had stayed on in the city. They thought he was traveling with some other people, and they went a whole day before they started looking for him.

When they could not find him with their relatives and friends, they went back to Jerusalem and started looking for him there.

Three days later they found Jesus sitting in the temple, listening to the teachers and asking them questions.

Everyone who heard him was surprised at how much he knew and at the answers he gave.

When his parents found him, they were amazed. His mother said, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been very worried, and we have been searching for

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you!”

Jesus answered, “Why did you have to look for me? Didn’t you know that I would be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he meant.

Jesus went back to Nazareth with his parents and obeyed them. His mother kept on thinking about all that had happened.

Jesus became wise, and he grew strong. God was pleased with him and so were the people.

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Jesus Is Baptized

Jesus and His Friend

Years later, John the Baptist started preaching in the desert of Judea. He said, “Turn back to God! The kingdom of heaven will soon be here.”

John wore clothes made of camel’s hair. He had a leather strap around his waist and ate grasshoppers and wild honey.

From Jerusalem and all Judea and from the Jordan River Valley crowds of people went to John. They told how sorry they were for their sins, and he baptized them in the river.

Jesus left Galilee and went to the Jordan River to be baptized by John.

But John kept objecting and said, “I ought to be baptized by you. Why have you come to me?”

Jesus answered, “For now this is how it should be, because we must do all that God wants us to do.” Then John agreed.

So Jesus was baptized. And as soon as he came out of the water, the sky opened, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down on him like a dove. Then a voice from heaven said, “This is my own dear Son, and I am pleased with him.”

The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and temple helpers to ask John who he was. He told them plainly, “I am not the Messiah.”

Then when they asked him if he were Elijah, he said, “No, I am not!”

And when they asked if he were the Prophet, he also said “No!” Finally, they said, “Who are you then? We have to give an answer to the ones who sent us. Tell us who you are!”

John answered in the words of the prophet Isaiah, “I am only someone shouting in the desert, ‘Get the road ready for the Lord!’”

They asked him, “Why are you baptizing people, if you are not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet?”

John told them, “I use water to baptize people. But here with you is someone you don’t know. Even though I came first, I am not good enough to untie his sandals.” The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said: Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! I was there and saw the Spirit come down on him like a dove from heaven. And the Spirit stayed on him. I saw this happen, and I tell you that he is the Son of God.

Matthew 3:1-17

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John 1:19-34

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The Enemy of God Tempts Jesus Luke 4:1-15

When Jesus returned from the Jordan River, the power of the Holy Spirit was with him, and the Spirit led him into the desert. For forty days Jesus was tested by the devil,

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and during that time he went without eating. When it was all over, he was hungry.

The devil said to Jesus, “If you are God’s Son, tell this stone to turn into bread.”

Jesus answered, “The Scriptures say, ‘No one can live only on food.’”

Then the devil led Jesus up to a high place and quickly showed him all the nations on earth. The devil said, “I will give all this power and glory to you. It has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. Just worship me, and you

can have it all.”

Jesus answered, “The Scriptures say: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve only him!’”

Finally, the devil took Jesus to Jerusalem and had him stand on top of the temple. The devil said, “If you are God’s Son, jump off. The Scriptures say: ‘God will tell his angels to take care of you.

They will catch you in their arms, and you will not hurt your feet on the stones.’”

Jesus answered, “The Scriptures also say, ‘Don’t try to test the Lord your God!’” After the devil had finished testing Jesus in every way possible, he left him for a while.

Jesus returned to Galilee with the power of the Spirit. News about him spread everywhere. He taught in the Jewish meeting places, and everyone praised him.

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The First Disciples John 1:35-51

The next day, John was there again, and two of his followers were with him. When he saw Jesus walking by, he said, “Here is the Lamb of God!” John’s two followers heard him, and they went with Jesus.

When Jesus turned and saw them, he asked, “What do you want?”

They answered, “Rabbi, where do you live?” The Hebrew word “Rabbi” means “Teacher.”

Jesus replied, “Come and see!”

It was already about four o’clock in the afternoon when they went with him and saw where he lived. So they stayed on for the rest of the day.

One of the two men who had heard John and had gone with Jesus was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother and tell him, “We have found the Messiah!” The Hebrew word “Messiah” means the same as the Greek word “Christ.”

Andrew brought his brother to Jesus. And when Jesus saw him, he said, “Simon son of John, you will be called Cephas.” This name can be translated as “Peter.”

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. There he met Philip, Jesus said to Philip, “Come with me.”

Philip then found Nathanael and said, “We have found the one that Moses and the Prophets wrote about.

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He is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.”

Nathanael asked, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”

Philip answered, “Come and see.”

When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said, “Here is a true descendant of our ancestor Israel. And he isn’t deceitful.”

“How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.

Jesus answered, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”

Nathanael said, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God and the King of

Israel!”

Jesus answered, “Did you believe me just because I said that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see something even greater. I tell you for certain that you will see heaven open and God’s angels going up and coming down on the Son of Man.”

This Is How to Catch Fish Luke 5:1-11

Jesus was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret, teaching the people as they crowded around him to hear God’s message. Near the shore he saw two boats left there by some fish-ermen who had gone to wash their nets. Jesus got into the boat that belonged to Simon and asked him to row it out a little way from the shore. Then Jesus sat down in the boat to teach the crowd.

When Jesus had finished speaking, he told Simon, “Row the boat out into the deep water and let your nets down to catch some fish.”

“Master,” Simon answered, “we have worked hard all night long and have not caught a thing. But if you tell me to, I will let the nets down.”

They did it and caught so many fish that their nets began ripping apart.

Then they signaled for their partners

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in the other boat to come and help them. The men came, and together they filled the two boats so full that they both began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw this happen, he knelt down in front of Jesus and said, “Lord, don’t come near me! I am a sinner.” Peter and everyone with him were completely surprised at all the fish they had caught.

His partners James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were surprised too.

Jesus told Simon, “Don’t be afraid!

From now on you will bring in people instead of fish.” The men pulled their boats up on the shore. Then they left everything and went with Jesus.

There’s No More Wine John 2:1-11

Mary, the mother of Jesus, was at a wedding feast in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited and were there.

When the wine was all gone, Mary said to Jesus, “They don’t have any more wine.”

Jesus replied, “Mother, my time hasn’t yet come! You must not tell me what to do.”

Mary then said to the servants, “Do whatever Jesus tells you to do.”

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must. Each jar held about twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus told the servants to fill them to the top with water.

Then after the jars had been filled, he said, “Now take some water and give it to the man in charge of the feast.”

The servants did as Jesus told them, and the man in charge drank some of the water that had now turned into wine. He did not know where the wine had come from, but the servants did. He called the bridegroom over and said, “The best wine is always served first. Then after the guests have had plenty, the other wine is served. But you have kept the best until last!”

This was Jesus’ first miracle, and he did it in the village of Cana in Galilee. There Jesus showed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

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The Unholy Temple John 2:13-22

Not long before the Jewish festival of Passover, Jesus went to Jerusalem. There he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves in the temple. He also saw moneychangers sitting at their tables. So he took some rope and made a whip.

Then he chased everyone out of the temple, together with their sheep and cattle. He turned over the tables of the moneychangers and scattered their coins.

Jesus said to the people who had been selling doves, “Get those doves out of here! Don’t make my Father’s house a marketplace.”

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that the Scriptures say, “My love for your house burns in me like a fire.”

The Jewish leaders asked Jesus, “What miracle will you work to show us why you have done this?”

“Destroy this temple,” Jesus answered, “and in three days I will build it again!”

The leaders replied, “It took fortysix years to build this temple. What makes you think you can rebuild it in three days?”

But Jesus was talking about his body as a temple. And when he was raised from death, his disciples remembered what he had told them.

Then they believed the Scriptures and the words of Jesus.

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He Is the Water of Life John 4:4-26

This time he had to go through Samaria, and on his way he came to the town of Sychar. It was near the field that Jacob had long ago given to his son Joseph. The well that Jacob had dug was still there, and Jesus sat down beside it because he was tired from traveling. It was noon, and after Jesus’ disciples had gone into town to buy some food, a Samaritan woman came to draw water from the well.

Jesus asked her, “Would you please give me a drink of water?”

“You are a Jew,” she replied, “and I am a Samaritan woman.

How can you ask me for a drink of water when Jews and Samaritans won’t have anything to do with each other?”

Jesus answered, “You don’t know what God wants to give you, and you don’t know who is asking you for a drink. If you did, you would ask me for the water that gives life.”

“Sir,” the woman said, “you don’t even have a bucket, and the well is deep. Where are you going to get this life-giving water? Our ancestor Jacob dug this well for us, and his family and animals got water from it.

Are you greater than Jacob?”

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again. But no one who drinks the 234

water I give will ever be thirsty again. The water I give is like a flowing fountain that gives eternal life.”

The woman replied, “Sir, please give me a drink of that water! Then I won’t get thirsty and have to come to this well again.”

Jesus told her, “Go and bring your husband.”

The woman answered, “I don’t have a husband.”

“That’s right,” Jesus replied, “you’re telling the truth. You don’t have a husband. You have already been married five times, and the man you are now living with isn’t your husband.”

The woman said, “Sir, I can see that you are a prophet. My ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say Jerusalem is the only place to worship.”

Jesus said to her: Believe me, the time is coming when you won’t worship the Father either on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans don’t really know the one you worship. But we Jews do know the God we worship, and by using us, God will save the world. But a time is coming, and it is already here! Even now the true worshipers are being led by the Spirit to worship the Father according to the truth. These are the ones the Fa-

ther is seeking to worship him. God is Spirit, and those who worship God must be led by the Spirit to worship him according to the truth.

The woman said, “I know that the Messiah will come. He is the one we call Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

“I am that one,” Jesus told her, “and I am speaking to you now.”

The Woman at the Well John 4:27-42

The disciples returned about this time and were surprised to find Jesus talking with a woman. But none of them asked him what he wanted or why he was talking with her.

The woman left her water jar and ran back into town. She said to the people, “Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done!

Could he be the Messiah?” Everyone in town went out to see Jesus.

While this was happening, Jesus’ disciples were saying to him, “Teacher, please eat something.”

But Jesus told them, “I have food that you don’t know anything about.”

His disciples started asking each other, “Has someone brought him something to eat?”

Jesus said: My food is to do what God wants!

He is the one who sent me, and I must finish the work that he gave me 235

just because of what you told us. We have heard him ourselves, and we are certain that he is the Savior of the world!”

Four Men on the Roof Luke 5:17-26

to do A lot of Samaritans in that town put their faith in Jesus because the woman had said, “This man told me everything I have ever done.” They came and asked him to stay in their town, and he stayed on for two days.

Many more Samaritans put their faith in Jesus because of what they heard him say. They told the woman, “We no longer have faith in Jesus 236

One day some Pharisees and experts in the Law of Moses sat listening to Jesus teach. They had come from every village in Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem.

God had given Jesus the power to heal the sick, and some people came carrying a crippled man on a mat.

They tried to take him inside the house and put him in front of Jesus.

But because of the crowd, they could not get him to Jesus. So they went up on the roof, where they removed some tiles and let the mat down in the middle of the room.

When Jesus saw how much faith they had, he said to the crippled man, “My friend, your sins are forgiven.”

The Pharisees and the experts began arguing, “Jesus must think he is God! Only God can forgive sins.”

Jesus knew what they were thinking, and he said, “Why are you thinking that? Is it easier for me to tell this crippled man that his sins are forgiven or to tell him to get up and walk? But now you will see that the Son of Man has the right to forgive sins here on earth.” Jesus then said to the man, “Get up! Pick up your mat

and walk home.”

At once the man stood up in front of everyone. He picked up his mat and went home, giving thanks to God. Everyone was amazed and praised God. What they saw surprised them, and they said, “We have seen a great miracle today!”

The Tax Collector Says Yes Mark 2:13-17

Once again, Jesus went to the shore of Lake Galilee. A large crowd gathered around him, and he taught them. As he walked along, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus. Levi was sitting at the place for paying taxes, and Jesus said to him, “Come with me!” So he got up and went with Jesus.

Later, Jesus and his disciples were having dinner at Levi’s house. Many tax collectors and other sinners had become followers of Jesus, and they were also guests at the dinner.

Some of the teachers of the Law of Moses were Pharisees, and they saw that Jesus was eating with sinners and tax collectors. So they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

Jesus heard them and answered, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor, but sick people do. I didn’t come to invite good people to be my followers. I came to invite sinners.”

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Waiting for a Miracle John 5:1-9

Later, Jesus went to Jerusalem for another Jewish festival. In the city near the sheep gate was a pool with five porches, and its name in Hebrew was Bethzatha.

Many sick, blind, lame, and crippled people were lying close to the

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pool.

Beside the pool was a man who had been sick for thirty-eight years.

When Jesus saw the man and realized that he had been crippled for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to be healed?”

The man answered, “Lord, I don’t have anyone to put me in the pool when the water is stirred up. I try to get in, but someone else always gets there first.”

Jesus told him, “Pick up your mat and walk!” Right then the man was healed.

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The Twelve Men Set Apart Luke 6:12-16; 9:2-6

Jesus went off to a mountain to pray, and he spent the whole night there. The next morning he called his disciples together and chose twelve of them to be his apostles. One was Simon, and Jesus named him Peter. Another was Andrew, Peter’s brother. There were also James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus. The rest of the apostles were Simon, known as the Eager One,

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Jude, who was the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed Jesus.

Then he sent them to tell about God’s kingdom and to heal the sick.

He told them, “Don’t take anything with you! Don’t take a walking stick or a traveling bag or food or money or even a change of clothes. When you are welcomed into a home, stay there until you leave that town. If people won’t welcome you, leave the town and shake the dust from your feet as a warning to them.”

The apostles left and went from village to village, telling the good news and healing people everywhere.

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True Happiness Matthew 4:23-25; 5:1-12

Jesus went all over Galilee, teaching in the Jewish meeting places and preaching the good news about God’s kingdom. He also healed every kind of disease and sickness.

Large crowds followed Jesus from Galilee and the region around the ten cities known as Decapolis. They also came from Jerusalem, Judea, and from across the Jordan River.

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on the side of a mountain and sat down.

Jesus’ disciples gathered around him, and he taught them: God blesses those people who depend only on him. They belong to the kingdom of heaven! God blesses those people who grieve. They will find comfort! God blesses those people who are humble. The earth will belong to them! God blesses those people who want to obey him more than to eat or drink. They will be given what they want! God blesses those people who are merciful.

They will be treated with mercy!

God blesses those people whose hearts are pure. They will see him! God blesses those people

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who make peace. They will be called his children! God blesses those people who are treated badly for doing right.

They belong to the kingdom of heaven. God will bless you when people insult you, mistreat you, and tell all kinds of evil lies about you because of me. Be happy and excited! You will have a great reward in heaven. People did these same things to the prophets who lived long ago.

Do You Know How to Be Salt?

Matthew 5:13-16

You are like salt for everyone on earth. But if salt no longer tastes like salt, how can it make food salty? All it is good for is to be thrown out and walked on.

You are like light for the whole world. A city built on top of a hill cannot be hidden, and no one would light a lamp and put it under a clay pot.

A lamp is placed on a lamp stand, where it can give light to everyone in the house. Make your light shine, so that others will see the good that you do and will praise your Father in heaven.

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wealth wasn’t as well clothed as one of them. God gives such beauty to everything that grows in the fields, even though it is here today and thrown into a fire tomorrow. He will surely do even more for you! Why do you have such little faith?

The Treasure Hunt Matthew 6:19-30

Don’t store up treasures on earth!

Moths and rust can destroy them, and thieves can break in and steal them. Instead, store up your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy them, and thieves cannot break in and steal them. Your heart will always be where your treasure is.

You cannot be the slave of two masters! You will like one more than the other or be more loyal to one than the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

I tell you not to worry about your life. Don’t worry about having something to eat, drink, or wear. Isn’t life more than food or clothing?

Look at the birds in the sky! They don’t plant or harvest. They don’t even store grain in barns. Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them.

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How to Build a House Matthew 7:24-29

Aren’t you worth more than birds?

Can worry make you live longer?

Why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow. They don’t work hard to make their clothes. But I tell you that Solomon with all his

Anyone who hears and obeys these teachings of mine is like a wise person who built a house on solid rock. Rain poured down, rivers flooded, and winds beat against that house. But it did not fall, because it was built on solid rock.

Anyone who hears my teachings and doesn’t obey them is like a foolish person who built a house on sand. The rain poured down, the rivers flooded, and the winds blew and beat against that house. Finally, it fell with a crash.

When Jesus finished speaking, the crowds were surprised at his teaching. He taught them like someone with authority, and not like their teachers of the Law of Moses.

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A Special Act Luke 7:36-50

A Pharisee invited Jesus to have dinner with him. So Jesus went to the Pharisee’s home and got ready to eat.

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When a sinful woman in that town found out that Jesus was there, she bought an expensive bottle of perfume. Then she came and stood behind Jesus. She cried and started washing his feet with her tears and drying them with her hair. The woman kissed his feet and poured the perfume on them.

The Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this and said to himself, “If this man really were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him! He would know that she is a sinner.”

Jesus said to the Pharisee, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”

“Teacher, what is it?” Simon replied.

Jesus told him, “Two people were

in debt to a moneylender. One of them owed him five hundred silver coins, and the other owed him fifty.

Since neither of them could pay him back, the moneylender said that they didn’t have to pay him anything.

Which one of them will like him more?”

Simon answered, “I suppose it would be the one who had owed more and didn’t have to pay it back.”

“You are right,” Jesus said.

He turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Have you noticed this woman? When I came into your home, you didn’t give me any water so I could wash my feet. But she has washed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. You didn’t even pour olive oil on my head, but she has poured expensive perfume on my feet. So I tell you that all her sins are forgiven, and that is why she has shown great love. But anyone who has been forgiven for only a little will show only a little love.”

Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Some other guests started saying to one another, “Who is this who dares to forgive sins?”

But Jesus told the woman, “Because of your faith, you are now saved. May God give you peace!”

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Planting Seeds Mark 4:1-9

The next time Jesus taught beside Lake Galilee, a big crowd gathered.

It was so large that he had to sit in a boat out on the lake, while the people stood on the shore. He used stories to teach them many things, and this is part of what he taught: Now listen! A farmer went out to scatter seed in a field. While the farmer was scattering the seed, some of it fell along the road and was eaten by birds. Other seeds fell on thin, rocky ground and quickly started growing because the soil wasn’t very deep. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched and dried up, because they did not have enough roots. Some other seeds fell where thorn bushes grew up and choked out the plants. So they did not produce any grain. But a few seeds did fall on good ground where the plants

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grew and produced thirty or sixty or even a hundred times as much as was scattered.

Then Jesus said, “If you have ears, pay attention.”

Planting Seeds in the Right Places Mark 4:10-20

When Jesus was alone with the twelve apostles and some others, they asked him about these stories.

He answered: I have explained the secret about

God’s kingdom to you, but for others I can use only stories. The reason is, “These people will look and look, but never see.

They will listen and listen, but never understand.

If they did, they would turn to God, and he would forgive them.”

Jesus told them: If you don’t understand this story, you won’t understand any others.

What the farmer is spreading is really the message about the kingdom.

The seeds that fell along the road are the people who hear the message.

But Satan soon comes and snatches it away from them. The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it right away. But they don’t have any roots, and they don’t last very long. As soon as life gets hard or the message gets them in trouble, they give up.

The seeds that fell among the thorn bushes are also people who hear the message. But they start worrying about the needs of this life. They are fooled by the desire to get rich and to have all kinds of other things. So the message gets choked out, and they never produce anything. The seeds that fell on good ground are the people who hear and welcome the message. They produce thirty or sixty or even a hundred times as much as was planted.

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The Difference between Wheat and Weeds Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Jesus then told them this story: The kingdom of heaven is like what happened when a farmer scattered good seed in a field. But while everyone was sleeping, an enemy came and scattered weed seeds in the field and then left.

When the plants came up and began to ripen, the farmer’s servants could see the weeds. The servants came and asked, “Sir, didn’t you scatter good seed in your field?

Where did these weeds come from?”

“An enemy did this,” he replied.

His servants then asked, “Do you want us to go out and pull up the weeds?”

“No!” he answered. “You might also pull up the wheat. Leave the weeds alone until harvest time.

Then I’ll tell my workers to gather the weeds and tie them up and burn them. But I’ll have them store the wheat in my barn.”

After Jesus left the crowd and went inside, his disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the story about the weeds in the wheat field.”

Jesus answered: The one who scattered the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seeds are the people who belong to the kingdom. The weed seeds are those who belong to the evil one, and the one who scattered them is the devil. The harvest is the end of time, and angels are the ones who bring in the harvest.

Weeds are gathered and burned.

That’s how it will be at the end of time. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everyone who does wrong or causes others to sin. Then he will throw them into a flaming furnace, where people will cry and grit their teeth in pain. But everyone who has done right will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. If you have ears, pay attention!

Mustard Seed and Yeast Matthew 13:31-34

Jesus told them another story: The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when a farmer plants a mustard seed in a field. Although it is the smallest of all seeds, it grows larger than any garden plant and 250

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becomes a tree. Birds even come and nest on its branches.

Jesus also said: The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when a woman mixes a little yeast into three big batches of flour. Finally, all the dough rises.

Jesus used stories when he spoke to the people. In fact, he did not tell them anything without using stories.

The Storm

disciples started across the lake with him in the boat. Some other boats followed along. Suddenly a windstorm struck the lake. Waves started splashing into the boat, and it was about to sink.

Jesus was in the back of the boat with his head on a pillow, and he was asleep. His disciples woke him and said, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re about to drown?”

Mark 4:35-38

That evening, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the east side.” So they left the crowd, and his

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The Other Side Mark 4:39-41

Jesus got up and ordered the wind and the waves to be quiet. The wind stopped, and everything was calm.

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Jesus asked his disciples, “Why were you afraid? Don’t you have any faith?”

Now they were more afraid than ever and said to each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

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The Wild Man in the Graveyard Mark 5:1-20

Jesus and his disciples crossed Lake Galilee and came to shore near the town of Gerasa. When he was getting out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit quickly ran to him from the graveyard where he had been living. No one was able to tie the man up anymore, not even with a chain. He had often been put in chains and leg irons, but he broke

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the chains and smashed the leg irons.

No one could control him. Night and day he was in the graveyard or on the hills, yelling and cutting himself with stones.

When the man saw Jesus in the distance, he ran up to him and knelt down. He shouted, “Jesus, Son of God in heaven, what do you want with me? Promise me in God’s name that you won’t torture me!” The man said this because Jesus had already told the evil spirit to come out of him.

Jesus asked, “What is your name?”

The man answered, “My name is Lots, because I have ‘lots’ of evil spirits.” He then begged Jesus not to send them away.

Over on the hillside a large herd of pigs was feeding. So the evil spirits begged Jesus, “Send us into those pigs! Let us go into them.” Jesus let them go, and they went out of the man and into the pigs. The whole herd of about two thousand pigs rushed down the steep bank into the

lake and drowned.

The men taking care of the pigs ran to the town and the farms to spread the news. Then the people came out to see what had happened.

When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had once been full of demons. He was sitting there with his clothes on and in his right mind, and they were terrified.

Everyone who had seen what had happened told about the man and the pigs. Then the people started begging Jesus to leave their part of the

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country.

When Jesus was getting into the boat, the man begged to go with him. But Jesus would not let him.

Instead, he said, “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how good he has been to you.”

The man went away into the region near the ten cities known as Decapolis and began telling everyone how much Jesus had done for him. Everyone who heard what had happened was amazed.

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More People Are Healed Matthew 9:27-31

As Jesus was walking along, two blind men began following him and shouting, “Son of David, have pity on us!”

After Jesus had gone indoors, the two blind men came up to him. He asked them, “Do you believe I can make you well?”

“Yes, Lord,” they answered.

Jesus touched their eyes and said, “Because of your faith, you will be healed.” They were able to see, and Jesus strictly warned them not to tell anyone about him. But they left and talked about him to everyone in that part of the country.

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The Weak King Mark 6:14-29

Jesus became so well-known that Herod the ruler heard about him.

Some people thought he was John the Baptist, who had come back to life with the power to work miracles. Others thought he was Elijah or some other prophet who had lived long ago. But when Herod heard about Jesus, he said, “This must be John! I had his head cut off, and now he has come back to life.”

Herod had earlier married Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip.

But John had told him, “It isn’t right for you to take your brother’s wife!”

So, in order to please Herodias, Herod arrested John and put him in prison.

Herodias had a grudge against 260

John and wanted to kill him. But she could not do it because Herod was afraid of John and protected him. He knew that John was a good and holy man. Even though Herod was confused by what John said, he was glad to listen to him. And he often did.

Finally, Herodias got her chance when Herod gave a great birthday celebration for himself and invited his officials, his army officers, and the leaders of Galilee. The daughter of Herodias came in and danced for Herod and his guests. She pleased them so much that Herod said, “Ask for anything, and it’s yours! I swear that I will give you as much as half of my kingdom, if you want it.”

The girl left and asked her mother, “What do you think I should ask for?”

Her mother answered, “The head of John the Baptist!”

The girl hurried back and told Herod, “Right now on a platter I want the head of John the Baptist!”

The king was very sorry for what he had said. But he did not want to break the promise he had made in front of his guests. At once he ordered a guard to cut off John’s head there in prison. The guard put the head on a platter and took it to the girl. Then she gave it to her mother.

When John’s followers learned that he had been killed, they took his body and put it in a tomb.

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To a Quiet Place

Teaching Thousands

After the apostles returned to Jesus, they told him everything they had done and taught. But so many people were coming and going that Jesus and the apostles did not even have a chance to eat. Then Jesus said, “Let’s go to a place where we can be alone and get some rest.”

They left in a boat for a place where they could be alone. But many people saw them leave and figured out where they were going. So people from every town ran on ahead and got there first.

When Jesus got out of the boat, he saw the large crowd that was like sheep without a shepherd. He felt sorry for the people and started tea-

Mark 6:30-33

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Mark 6:34-36

ching them many things.

That evening the disciples came to Jesus and said, “This place is like a desert, and it is already late. Let the crowds leave, so they can go to the farms and villages near here and buy something to eat.”

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Food for the Hungry Mark 6:37; John 6:8-14

Jesus replied, “You give them something to eat.”

But they asked him, “Don’t you know that it would take almost a year’s wages to buy all of these people something to eat?”

Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the disciples. He spoke up and said, “There is a boy here who has five small loaves of barley bread and two fish. But what good is that with all these people?”

The ground was covered with grass, and Jesus told his disciples to have everyone sit down. About five thousand men were in the crowd.

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Jesus took the bread in his hands and gave thanks to God. Then he passed the bread to the people, and he did the same with the fish, until everyone had plenty to eat.

The people ate all they wanted, and Jesus told his disciples to gather up the leftovers, so that nothing would be wasted. The disciples gathered them up and filled twelve large baskets with what was left over from the five barley loaves.

After the people had seen Jesus work this miracle, they began saying, “This must be the Prophet who is to come into the world!”

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Jesus Walks on Water Mark 6:45-50

Right away, Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and start back across to Bethsaida. But he stayed until he had sent the crowds away.

Then he told them good-by and went up on the side of a mountain to pray.

Later that evening he was still there by himself, and the boat was somewhere in the middle of the lake.

He could see that the disciples were

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struggling hard, because they were rowing against the wind. Not long before morning, Jesus came toward them. He was walking on the water and was about to pass the boat.

When the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water, they thought he was a ghost, and they started screaming. All of them saw him and were terrified. But at that same time he said, “Don’t worry! I am Jesus.

Don’t be afraid.”

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Peter Walks on Water Matthew 14:28-33

Peter replied, “Lord, if it is really you, tell me to come to you on the water.”

“Come on!” Jesus said. Peter then got out of the boat and started walking on the water toward him.

But when Peter saw how strong the wind was, he was afraid and

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started sinking. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

Right away, Jesus reached out his hand. He helped Peter up and said, “You surely don’t have much faith.

Why do you doubt?”

When Jesus and Peter got into the boat, the wind died down. The men in the boat worshiped Jesus and said, “You really are the Son of God!”

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The Faith of a Foreigner Matthew 15:21-28

Jesus left and went to the territory near the cities of Tyre and Sidon.

Suddenly a Canaanite woman from there came out shouting, “Lord and Son of David, have pity on me! My daughter is full of demons.” Jesus did not say a word. But the woman kept following along and shouting,

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so his disciples came up and asked him to send her away.

Jesus said, “I was sent only to the people of Israel! They are like a flock of lost sheep.”

The woman came closer. Then she knelt down and begged, “Please help me, Lord!”

Jesus replied, “It isn’t right to take food away from children and feed it to dogs.”

“Lord, that’s true,” the woman said, “but even dogs get the crumbs that fall from their owner’s table.”

Jesus answered, “Dear woman, you really do have a lot of faith, and you will be given what you want.”

At that moment her daughter was healed.

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A Blind Man Healed at Bethsaida Mark 8:22-26

As Jesus and his disciples were going into Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch the man. Jesus took him by the hand and led him out of the village, where he spit into the man’s eyes. He placed his hands on the blind man and asked him if he could see anything. The man looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees walking around.”

Once again Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes, and this time the man stared. His eyes were healed, and he saw everything clearly. Jesus said to him, “You may return home now, but don’t go into the village.”

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The Rock Man Matthew 16:13-19

When Jesus and his disciples were near the town of Caesarea Philippi, he asked them, “What do people say about the Son of Man?” The disciples answered, “Some people say you are John the Baptist or maybe Elijah or Jeremiah or some other prophet.”

Then Jesus asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

Simon Peter spoke up, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus told him: Simon, son of Jonah, you are blessed! You didn’t discover this on your own. It was shown to you by my Father in heaven. So I will call you Peter, which means “a rock.” On this rock I will build my church, and death itself will not have any power over it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and God in heaven will allow whatever you allow on earth. But he will not allow anything that you don’t allow.

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Moses and Elijah Luke 9:28-36

About eight days later Jesus took Peter, John, and James with him and went up on a mountain to pray.

While he was praying, his face changed, and his clothes became shining white. Suddenly Moses and Elijah were there speaking with him.

They appeared in heavenly glory and talked about all that Jesus’ death in Jerusalem would mean.

Peter and the other two disciples had been sound asleep. All at once they woke up and saw how glorious Jesus was. They also saw the two men who were with him.

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Moses and Elijah were about to leave, when Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here! Let us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

But Peter did not know what he was talking about.

While Peter was still speaking, a shadow from a cloud passed over them, and they were frightened as the cloud covered them. From the cloud a voice spoke, “This is my chosen Son. Listen to what he says!”

After the voice had spoken, Peter, John, and James saw only Jesus. For some time they kept quiet and did not say anything about what they had seen.

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The Children Come First Matthew 18:1-14

About this time the disciples came to Jesus and asked him who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus called a child over and had the child stand near him. Then he said: I promise you this. If you don’t change and become like a child, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven. But if you are as humble as this child, you are the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And when you welcome one of these children because of me, you welcome me.

It will be terrible for people who cause even one of my little followers to sin. Those people would be better off thrown into the deepest part of the ocean with a heavy stone tied around their neck! The world is in for trouble because of the way it causes people to sin. There will always be something to cause people to sin, but anyone who does this will be in for trouble.

If your hand or foot causes you to sin, chop it off and throw it away!

You would be better off to go into life crippled or lame than to have

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two hands or two feet and be thrown into the fire that never goes out. If your eye causes you to sin, poke it out and get rid of it. You would be better off to go into life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fires of hell.

Don’t be cruel to any of these little ones! I promise you that their angels are always with my Father in heaven. Let me ask you this. What would you do if you had a hundred sheep and one of them wandered off? Wouldn’t you leave the ninetynine on the hillside and go look for the one that had wandered away? I am sure that finding it would make you happier than having the ninetynine that never wandered off. That’s how it is with your Father in heaven.

He doesn’t want any of these little ones to be lost.

Not Alone Matthew 18:15-20

If one of my followers sins against you, go and point out what was wrong. But do it in private, just between the two of you. If that person listens, you have won back a follower. But if that one refuses to listen, take along one or two others. The Scriptures teach that every complaint must be proven true by two or more witnesses. If the follower refuses to listen to them, report the matter to the church. Anyone who refuses to 277

listen to the church must be treated like an unbeliever or a tax collector.

I promise you that God in heaven will allow whatever you allow on earth, but he will not allow anything you don’t allow. I promise that when any two of you on earth agree about some-thing you are praying for, my Father in heaven will do it for you.

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Whenever two or three of you come together in my name, I am there with you.

The Healed Leper Luke 17:11-19

On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus went along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men with leprosy came toward him. They stood at a

distance and shouted, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

Jesus looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.”

On their way they were healed.

When one of them discovered that he was healed, he came back, shouting praises to God. He bowed down at

the feet of Jesus and thanked him.

The man was from the country of Samaria.

Jesus asked, “Weren’t ten men healed? Where are the other nine?

Why was this foreigner the only one who came back to thank God?” Then Jesus told the man, “You may get up and go. Your faith has made you well.”

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A Second Chance John 8:1-11

Jesus walked out to the Mount of Olives. Then early the next morning he went to the temple. The people came to him, and he sat down and started teaching them.

The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses brought in a woman who had been caught in bed with a man who wasn’t her husband.

They made her stand in the middle of the crowd. Then they said, “Teacher, this woman was caught sleeping with a man who isn’t her husband. The Law of Moses teaches that a woman like this should be stoned to death! What do you say?”

They asked Jesus this question, because they wanted to test him and bring some charge against him. But Jesus simply bent over and started writing on the ground with his finger.

They kept on asking Jesus about the woman. Finally, he stood up and said, “If any of you have never sinned, then go ahead and throw the

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first stone at her!” Once again he bent over and began writing on the ground. The people left one by one, beginning with the oldest. Finally, Jesus and the woman were there alone.

Jesus stood up and asked her, “Where is everyone? Isn’t there anyone left to accuse you?”

“No sir,” the woman answered.

Then Jesus told her, “I am not going to accuse you either. You may go now, but don’t sin anymore.”

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The Good Samaritan Luke 10:25-37

An expert in the Law of Moses stood up and asked Jesus a question to see what he would say. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to have eternal life?”

Jesus answered, “What is written in the Scriptures? How do you understand them?”

The man replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind.’ They also say, ‘Love your

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neighbors as much as you love yourself.’”

Jesus said, “You have given the right answer. If you do this, you will have eternal life.”

But the man wanted to show that he knew what he was talking about.

So he asked Jesus, “Who are my neighbors?”

Jesus replied: As a man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, robbers attacked him and grabbed everything he had.

They beat him up and ran off, lea-

ving him half dead.

A priest happened to be going down the same road. But when he saw the man, he walked by on the other side. Later a temple helper came to the same place. But when he saw the man who had been beaten up, he also went by on the other side.

A man from Samaria then came traveling along that road. When he saw the man, he felt sorry for him and went over to him. He treated his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put him on

his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next morning he gave the innkeeper two silver coins and said, “Please take care of the man. If you spend more than this on him, I will pay you when I return.”

Then Jesus asked, “Which one of these three people was a real neighbor to the man who was beaten up by robbers?”

The teacher answered, “The one who showed pity.”

Jesus said, “Go and do the same!”

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Martha and Mary Luke 10:38-42

The Lord and his disciples were traveling along and came to a village. When they got there, a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat down in front of the Lord and was listening to what he said. Martha was worried about all

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that had to be done. Finally, she went to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it bother you that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to come and help me!”

The Lord answered, “Martha, Martha! You are worried and upset about so many things, but only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen what is best, and it will not be taken away from her.”

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The Good Shepherd John 10:11-18

Jesus said: I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd gives up his life for his sheep. Hired workers are not like the shepherd. They don’t own the sheep, and when they see a wolf coming, they run off and leave the sheep. Then the wolf attacks and scatters the flock. Hired workers run away because they don’t care about the sheep.

I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep, and they know me. Just as the Father knows me, I know the Father, and I give up my life for my sheep. I have other sheep that are not in this sheep pen. I must bring them together too, when they hear my voice. Then there will be one flock of sheep and one shepherd.

The Father loves me, because I give up my life, so that I may receive it back again. No one takes my life from me. I give it up willingly! I have the power to give it up and the power to receive it back again, just as my Father commanded me to do.

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Lazarus Lives John 11:1-44

A man by the name of Lazarus was sick in the village of Bethany.

He had two sisters, Mary and Martha. The sisters sent a message to the Lord and told him that his good friend Lazarus was sick.

But Jesus stayed where he was for two more days. Then he said to his disciples, “Now we will go back to Judea.”

When Jesus got to Bethany, he found that Lazarus had already been

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in the tomb four days. When Martha heard that Jesus had arrived, she went out to meet him.

Jesus then said, “I am the one who raises the dead to life! Everyone who has faith in me will live, even if they die. And everyone who lives because of faith in me will never really die.

Do you believe this?”

“Yes, Lord!” she replied. “I believe that you are Christ, the Son of God. You are the one we hoped would come into the world.”

Mary went to where Jesus was.

Then as soon as she saw him, she knelt at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

When Jesus saw that Mary and the people with her were crying, he was terribly upset and asked, “Where have you put his body?”

They replied, “Lord, come and you will see.”

Jesus started crying, and the people said, “See how much he loved Lazarus.”

So he went to the tomb, which was a cave with a stone rolled against the entrance. Then he told the people to roll the stone away. But Martha said, “Lord, you know that Lazarus has been dead four days, and there will

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be a bad smell.”

After the stone had been rolled aside, Jesus looked up toward heaven and prayed, “Father, I thank you for answering my prayer. I know that you always answer my prayers. But I said this, so that the people here would believe that you sent me.”

When Jesus had finished praying, he shouted, “Lazarus, come out!”

The man who had been dead came out. His hands and feet were wrapped with strips of burial cloth, and a cloth covered his face.

Jesus then told the people, “Untie him and let him go.”

The Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin Luke 15:1-10

Tax collectors and sinners were all crowding around to listen to Jesus.

So the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses started grumbling, “This man is friendly with sinners.

He even eats with them.”

Then Jesus told them this story:

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If any of you has a hundred sheep, and one of them gets lost, what will you do? Won’t you leave the ninetynine in the field and go look for the lost sheep until you find it? And when you find it, you will be so glad that you will put it on your shoulder and carry it home. Then you will call in your friends and neighbors and say, “Let’s celebrate! I’ve found my lost sheep.”

Jesus said, “In the same way there is more happiness in heaven because of one sinner who turns to God than over ninety-nine good people who don’t need to.”

Jesus told the people another story: What will a woman do if she has ten silver coins and loses one of them? Won’t she light a lamp, sweep the floor, and look carefully until she finds it? Then she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, “Let’s celebrate! I’ve found the coin I lost.”

Jesus said, “In the same way God’s angels are happy when even one person turns to him.”

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The Loving Father Luke 15:11-19

Jesus also told them another story: Once a man had two sons. The younger son said to his father, “Give me my share of the property.” So the father divided his property between his two sons.

Not long after that, the younger son packed up everything he owned and left for a foreign country, where he wasted all his money in wild living. He had spent everything, when a bad famine spread through that whole land. Soon he had nothing to eat.

He went to work for a man in that country, and the man sent him out to take care of his pigs. He would have been glad to eat what the pigs were eating, but no one gave him a thing.

Finally, he came to his senses and said, “My father’s workers have plenty to eat, and here I am, starving

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to death! I will go to my father and say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against God in heaven and against you. I am no longer good enough to be called your son. Treat me like one of your workers.’”

Coming Home Luke 15:20-32

The younger son got up and started back to his father. But when he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt sorry for him. He ran to his son and hugged and kissed him.

The son said, “Father, I have sinned against God in heaven and against you. I am no longer good enough to be called your son.”

But his father said to the servants, “Hurry and bring the best clothes

and put them on him. Give him a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. Get the best calf and prepare it, so we can eat and celebrate. This son of mine was dead, but has now come back to life. He was lost and has now been found.” And they began to celebrate.

The older son had been out in the field. But when he came near the house, he heard the music and dancing. So he called one of the servants over and asked, “What’s going on here?”

The servant answered, “Your brother has come home safe and sound, and your father ordered us to kill the best calf.” The older brother got so angry that he would not even go into the house.

His father came out and begged him to go in. But he said to his father, “For years I have worked for you like a slave and have always obeyed you. But you have never even given me a little goat, so that I could give a dinner for my friends.

This other son of yours wasted your money on prostitutes. And now that he has come home, you ordered the best calf to be killed for a feast.”

His father replied, “My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we should be glad and celebrate! Your brother was dead, but he is now alive. He was lost and has now been found.”

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Money Lovers Luke 16:10-14

Jesus said: Anyone who can be trusted in little matters can also be trusted in important matters. But anyone who is dishonest in little matters will be dishonest in important matters. If you cannot be trusted with this wicked wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? And if you cannot be trusted with what belongs to someone else, who will give you something that will be your own? You cannot be the slave of two masters. You will like one more than the other or be more loyal to one than to the other. You cannot serve God and money.

The Pharisees really loved money.

So when they heard what Jesus said, they made fun of him.

The Rich Man and Lazarus Luke 16:19-31

Jesus told them: There was once a rich man who wore expensive clothes and every day ate the best food. But a poor beggar named Lazarus was brought to the gate of the rich man’s house.

He was happy just to eat the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table.

His body was covered with sores, and dogs kept coming up to lick them. The poor man died, and an294

gels took him to the place of honor next to Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. He went to hell and was suffering terribly. When he looked up and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side, he said to Abraham, “Have pity on me! Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water and touch my tongue. I’m suffering terribly in this fire.”

Abraham answered, “My friend, remember that while you lived, you had everything good, and Lazarus had everything bad. Now he is happy, and you are in pain. And besides, there is a deep ditch between us, and no one from either side can cross over.”

But the rich man said, “Abraham, then please send Lazarus to my father’s home. Let him warn my five brothers, so they won’t come to this horrible place.”

Abraham answered, “Your brothers can read what Moses and the prophets wrote. They should pay attention to that.”

Then the rich man said, “No, that’s not enough! If only someone from the dead would go to them, they would listen and turn to God.” So Abraham said, “If they won’t pay attention to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even to someone who comes back from the dead.”

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More Lessons about Prayer Luke 18:1-8

Jesus told his disciples a story about how they should keep on praying and never give up: In a town there was once a judge who didn’t fear God or care about people. In that same town there was a widow who kept going to the judge and saying, “Make sure that I get fair treatment in court.”

For a while the judge refused to do anything. Finally, he said to himself, “Even though I don’t fear God or care about people, I will help this widow because she keeps on bothering me. If I don’t help her, she will wear me out.”

The Lord said: Think about what that crooked judge said. Won’t God protect his chosen ones who pray to him day and night? Won’t he be concerned for them? He will surely hurry and help them. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find on this earth anyone with faith?

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Broken Homes Mark 10:1-9

After Jesus left, he went to Judea and then on to the other side of the Jordan River. Once again large crowds came to him, and as usual, he taught them.

Some Pharisees wanted to test Jesus. So they came up to him and asked if it was right for a man to divorce his wife. Jesus asked them, “What does the Law of Moses say about that?”

They answered, “Moses allows a man to write out divorce papers and send his wife away.”

Jesus replied, “Moses gave you this law because you are so heartless. But in the beginning God made a man and a woman. That’s why a man leaves his father and mother and gets married. He becomes like one person with his wife. Then they are no longer two people, but one. And no one should separate a couple that God has joined together.”

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Let the Children Come to Me Mark 10:13-16

Some people brought their children to Jesus so that he could bless them by placing his hands on them. But his disciples told the people to stop bothering him.

When Jesus saw this, he became angry and said, “Let the children come to me! Don’t try to stop them.

People who are like these little children belong to the kingdom of God. I promise you that you cannot get into God’s kingdom, unless you accept it the way a child does.”

Then Jesus took the children in his arms and blessed them by placing his hands on them.

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The Rich Young Man

Who Comes First?

A man came to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to have eternal life?”

Jesus said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? Only God is good. If you want to have eternal life, you must obey his commandments.”

“Which ones?” the man asked.

Jesus answered, “Do not murder.

Be faithful in marriage. Do not steal.

Do not tell lies about others. Respect your father and mother. And love others as much as you love yourself.” The young man said, “I have obeyed all of these. What else must I do?”

Jesus replied, “If you want to be perfect, go sell everything you own!

Give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come and be my follower.” When the young man heard this, he was sad, because he was very rich.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “It’s hard for rich people to get into God’s kingdom!”

The disciples were shocked to hear this. So Jesus told them again, “It’s terribly hard to get into God’s kingdom! In fact, it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into God’s kingdom.”

Jesus’ disciples were even more amazed. They asked each other, “How can anyone ever be saved?”

Jesus looked at them and said, “There are some things that people cannot do, but God can do anything.”

Peter replied, “Remember, we left everything to be your followers!”

Jesus told him: You can be sure that anyone who gives up home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or land for me and for the good news will be rewarded. In this world they will be given a hundred times as many houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and pieces of land, though they will also be mistreated. And in the world to come, they will have eternal life. But many who are now first will be last, and many who are now last will be first.

Matthew 19:16-22

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Mark 10:23-31

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The Workers in the Vineyard Matthew 20:1-16

As Jesus was telling what the kingdom of heaven would be like, he said: Early one morning a man went out to hire some workers for his vineyard. After he had agreed to pay them the usual amount for a day’s work, he sent them off to his vineyard.

About nine that morning, the man saw some other people standing in the market with nothing to do. He said he would pay them what was fair, if they would work in his vineyard. So they went.

At noon and again about three in the afternoon he returned to the market. And each time he made the same agreement with others who were loafing around with nothing to do.

Finally, about five in the afternoon the man went back and found some others standing there. He asked them, “Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?”

“Because no one has hired us,” they answered. Then he told them to go work in his vineyard. That evening the owner of the vineyard

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told the man in charge of the workers to call them in and give them their money. He also told the man to begin with the ones who were hired last. When the workers arrived, the ones who had been hired at five in the afternoon were given a full day’s pay.

The workers who had been hired first thought they would be given more than the others. But when they were given the same, they began complaining to the owner of the vineyard. They said, “The ones who were hired last worked for only one hour. But you paid them the same that you did us. And we worked in the hot sun all day long!”

The owner answered one of them, “Friend, I didn’t cheat you. I paid you exactly what we agreed on.

Take your money now and go! What business is it of yours if I want to pay them the same that I paid you?

Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Why should you be jealous, if I want to be generous?”

Jesus then said, “So it is. Everyone who is now first will be last, and everyone who is last will be first.”

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The Little Man in the Tree Luke 19:1-10

Jesus was going through Jericho, where a man named Zacchaeus lived. He was in charge of collecting taxes and was very rich. Jesus was heading his way, and Zacchaeus wanted to see what he was like.

But Zacchaeus was a short man and could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree.

When Jesus got there, he looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry down! I want to stay with you to-

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day.” Zacchaeus hurried down and gladly welcomed Jesus.

Everyone who saw this started grumbling, “This man Zacchaeus is a sinner! And Jesus is going home to eat with him.”

Later that day Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “I will give half of my property to the poor. And I will now pay back four times as much to everyone I have ever cheated.”

Jesus said to Zacchaeus, “Today you and your family have been saved, because you are a true son of Abraham. The Son of Man came to look for and to save people who are lost.”

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A Job Well Done Luke 19:11-27

The crowd was still listening to Jesus as he was getting close to Jerusalem. Many of them thought that God’s kingdom would soon appear, and Jesus told them this story: A prince once went to a foreign country to be crowned king and then to return. But before leaving, he called in ten servants and gave each of them some money. He told them, “Use this to earn more money until I get back.”

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But the people of his country hated him, and they sent messengers to the foreign country to say, “We don’t want this man to be our king.”

After the prince had been made king, he returned and called in his servants. He asked them how much they had earned with the money they had been given.

The first servant came and said, “Sir, with the money you gave me I have earned ten times as much.”

“That’s fine, my good servant!” the king said. “Since you have shown that you can be trusted with a small amount, you will be given ten cities to rule.”

The second one came and said, “Sir, with the money you gave me, I have earned five times as much.”

The king said, “You will be given five cities.”

Another servant came and said, “Sir, here is your money. I kept it safe in a handkerchief. You are a hard man, and I was afraid of you.

You take what isn’t yours, and you harvest crops you didn’t plant.”

“You worthless servant!” the king told him. “You have condemned yourself by what you have just said.

You knew that I am a hard man, taking what isn’t mine and harvesting what I’ve not planted. Why didn’t you put my money in the bank? On my return, I could have had the money together with interest.”

Then he said to some other servants standing there, “Take the money away from him and give it to the servant who earned ten times as much.”

But they said, “Sir, he already has ten times as much!”

The king replied, “Those who have something will be given more.

But everything will be taken away from those who don’t have anything.

Now bring me the enemies who didn’t want me to be their king. Kill them while I watch!”

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Mary’s Act of Love

The Big Parade

Jerusalem! Jerusalem!

Six days before Passover Jesus went back to Bethany, where he had raised Lazarus from death. A meal had been prepared for Jesus. Martha was doing the serving, and Lazarus himself was there.

Mary took a very expensive bottle of perfume and poured it on Jesus’ feet. She wiped them with her hair, and the sweet smell of the perfume filled the house.

A disciple named Judas Iscariot was there. He was the one who was going to betray Jesus, and he asked, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred silver coins and the money given to the poor?” Judas did not really care about the poor.

He asked this because he carried the moneybag and sometimes would steal from it.

Jesus replied, “Leave her alone!

She has kept this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor with you, but you won’t always have me.”

When Jesus had finished saying all this, he went on toward Jerusalem.

As he was getting near Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples on ahead.

He told them, “Go into the next village, where you will find a young donkey that has never been ridden.

Untie the donkey and bring it here. If anyone asks why you are doing that, just say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

They went off and found everything just as Jesus had said. While they were untying the donkey, its owners asked, “Why are you doing that?”

They answered, “The Lord needs it.”

Then they led the donkey to Jesus.

They put some of their clothes on its back and helped Jesus get on. And as he rode along, the people spread clothes on the road in front of him.

When Jesus was starting down the Mount of Olives, his large crowd of disciples were happy and praised God because of all the miracles they had seen. They shouted, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!

Peace in heaven and glory to God.”

Some Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, make your disciples stop shouting!”

John 12:1-8

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Luke 19:28-38

Luke 19:39-44

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But Jesus answered, “If they keep quiet, these stones will start shouting.”

When Jesus came closer and could see Jerusalem, he cried and said: It is too bad that today your people don’t know what will bring them peace! Now it is hidden from them.

Jerusalem, the time will come when your enemies will build walls around you to attack you. Armies will surround you and close in on you from every side. They will level you to the ground and kill your people. Not one stone in your buildings will be left on top of another. This will happen because you did not see that God had come to save you.

Cleaning Out the Temple Mark 11:15-19

After Jesus and his disciples reached Jerusalem, he went into the temple and began chasing out everyone who was selling and buying.

He turned over the tables of the moneychangers and the benches of those who were selling doves. Jesus would not let anyone carry things through the temple. Then he taught

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the people and said, “The Scriptures say, ‘My house should be called a place of worship for all nations.’ But you have made it a place where robbers hide!”

The chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses heard what Jesus said, and they started looking for a way to kill him. They were afraid of him, because the crowds were completely amazed at his teaching.

That evening, Jesus and the discipes went outside the city.

Healing in the Temple Matthew 21:14-16

Blind and lame people came to Jesus in the temple, and he healed them. But the chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses were angry when they saw his miracles and heard the children shouting praises to the Son of David. The men said to Jesus, “Don’t you hear what those children are saying?”

“Yes, I do!” Jesus answered. “Don’t you know that the Scriptures say, ‘Children and infants will sing praises’?”

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Who Gave the Most?

Mark 12:41-44

Jesus was sitting in the temple near the offering box and watching people put in their gifts. He noticed that many rich people were giving a lot of money. Finally, a poor widow came up and put in two coins that were worth only a few pennies. Jesus told his disciples to gather around him. Then he said: I tell you that this poor widow has put in more than all the others.

Everyone else gave what they didn’t need. But she is very poor and gave everything she had. Now she doesn’t have a cent to live on.

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The Five Careless Bridesmaids Matthew 25:1-13

The kingdom of heaven is like what happened one night when ten girls took their oil lamps and went to a wedding to meet the groom. Five of the girls were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps, but no extra oil. The ones who were wise took along extra oil for their lamps.

The groom was late arriving, and the girls became drowsy and fell asleep. Then in the middle of the night someone shouted, “Here’s the groom! Come to meet him!”

When the girls got up and started getting their lamps ready, the foolish ones said to the others, “Let us have some of your oil! Our lamps are going out.”

The girls who were wise answe-

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red, “There’s not enough oil for all of us! Go and buy some for yourselves.”

While the foolish girls were on their way to get some oil, the groom arrived. The girls who were ready went into the wedding, and the doors

were closed. Later the other girls returned and shouted, “Sir, sir! Open the door for us!”

But the groom replied, “I don’t even know you!”

So, my disciples, always be ready!

You don’t know the day or the time when all this will happen.

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Judas

Matthew 26:1-5, 14-16

When Jesus had finished teaching, he told his disciples, “You know that two days from now will be Passover.

That is when the Son of Man will be handed over to his enemies and nailed to a cross.”

At that time the chief priests and the nation’s leaders were meeting at the home of Caiaphas the high priest. They planned how they could

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sneak around and have Jesus arrested and put to death. But they said, “We must not do it during Passover, because the people will riot.”

Judas Iscariot was one of the twelve disciples. He went to the chief priests and asked, “How much will you give me if I help you arrest Jesus?” They paid Judas thirty silver coins, and from then on he started looking for a good chance to betray Jesus.

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Preparing the Last Passover Luke 22:7-13

The day had come for the Festival of Thin Bread, and it was time to kill the Passover lambs. So Jesus said to Peter and John, “Go and prepare the Passover meal for us to eat.”

But they asked, “Where do you want us to prepare it?”

Jesus told them, “As you go into the city, you will meet a man carrying a jar of water. Follow him into 318

the house and say to the owner, ‘Our teacher wants to know where he can eat the Passover meal with his disciples.’ The owner will take you upstairs and show you a large room ready for you to use. Prepare the meal there.”

Peter and John left. They found everything just as Jesus had told them, and they prepared the Passover meal.

Who Is Greatest?

Luke 22:14, 24-30

When the time came for Jesus and the apostles to eat, the apostles got into an argument about which one of them was the greatest. So Jesus told them: Foreign kings order their people around, and powerful rulers call themselves everyone’s friends. But don’t be like them. The most important one of you should be like the least important, and your leader

should be like a servant. Who do people think is the greatest, a person who is served or one who serves?

Isn’t it the one who is served? But I have been with you as a servant.

You have stayed with me in all my troubles. So I will give you the right to rule as kings, just as my Father has given me the right to rule as a king. You will eat and drink with me in my king-dom, and you will each sit on a throne to judge the twelve tribes of Israel.

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The Servant King John 13:1-9

It was before Passover, and Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and to return to the Father. He had always loved his followers in this world, and he loved them to the very end.

Even before the evening meal started, the devil had made Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, decide to betray Jesus.

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Jesus knew that he had come from God and would go back to God. He also knew that the Father had given him complete power. So during the meal Jesus got up, removed his outer garment, and wrapped a towel around his waist. He put some water into a large bowl. Then he began washing his disciples’ feet and drying them with the towel he was wearing.

But when he came to Simon Peter, that disciple asked, “Lord, are you

going to wash my feet?”

Jesus answered, “You don’t really know what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

“You will never wash my feet!”

Peter replied.

“If I don’t wash you,” Jesus told him, “you don’t really belong to me.”

Peter said, “Lord, don’t wash just my feet. Wash my hands and my head.”

The Reason Why John 13:12-17

After Jesus had washed his disciples’ feet and had put his outer garment back on, he sat down again.

Then he said: Do you understand what I have done? You call me your teacher and Lord, and you should, because that is who I am. And if your Lord and teacher has washed your feet, you should do the same for each other. I have set the example, and you should do for each other exactly what I have done for you. I tell you for certain that servants are not greater than their master, and messengers are not greater than the one who sent them.

You know these things, and God will bless you, if you do them.

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The Lord’s Supper Mark 14:18-25

While Jesus and the twelve disciples were eating together that evening, he said, “The one who will betray me is now eating with me.”

This made the disciples sad, and one after another they said to Jesus, “You surely don’t mean me!”

He answered, “It is one of you twelve men who is eating from this dish with me. The Son of Man will die, just as the Scriptures say. But it is going to be terrible for the one who betrays me. That man would be better off if he had never been born.”

During the meal Jesus took some bread in his hands. He blessed the bread and broke it. Then he gave it to his disciples and said, “Take this.

It is my body.”

Jesus picked up a cup of wine and gave thanks to God. He gave it to his disciples, and they all drank some. Then he said, “This is my blood, which is poured out for many people, and with it God makes his agreement. From now on I will not drink any wine, until I drink new wine in God’s kingdom.”

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When the Cock Crows

A Home in Heaven

Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus said to his disciples, “All of you will reject me, as the Scriptures say, ‘I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’

But after I am raised to life, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”

Peter spoke up, “Even if all the others reject you, I never will!”

Jesus replied, “This very night before a rooster crows twice, you will say three times that you don’t know me.”

But Peter was so sure of himself that he said, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never say that I don’t know you!”

All the others said the same thing.

Jesus said to his disciples, “Don’t be worried! Have faith in God and have faith in me. There are many rooms in my Father’s house. I wouldn’t tell you this, unless it was true. I am going there to prepare a place for each of you. After I have done this, I will come back and take you with me. Then we will be together. You know the way to where I am going.”

Thomas said, “Lord, we don’t even know where you are going!

How can we know the way?”

“I am the way, the truth, and the life!” Jesus answered. “Without me, no one can go to the Father.”

Mark 14:26-31

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John 14:1-6

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Jesus Prays for His Followers John 17:1-18:1; Mark 14:33-42

After Jesus had finished speaking to his disciples, he looked up toward heaven and prayed: Father, the time has come for you to bring glory to your Son, in order that he may bring glory to you. And you gave him power over all people; so that he would give eternal life to everyone you give him. Eternal life is to know you, the only true God, and to know Jesus Christ, the one you sent. You have given me some followers from this world, and I have shown them what you are like. They were yours, but you gave them to me, and they have obeyed you. They know that you gave me everything I have. I told my followers what you told me, and they accepted it.

They know that I came from you, and they believe that you are the one who sent me. Holy Father, I am no longer in the world. I am coming to you, but my followers are still in the world. So keep them safe by the power of the name that you have given me. Then they will be one with each other, just as you and I are one.

Father, I don’t ask you to take my followers out of the world, but keep them safe from the evil one. Your word is the truth. So let this truth make them completely yours.

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When Jesus had finished praying, he and his disciples crossed the Kidron Valley and went into a garden.

Jesus took along Peter, James, and John. He was sad and troubled and told them, “I am so sad that I feel as if I am dying. Stay here and keep awake with me.”

Jesus walked on a little way. Then he knelt down on the ground and prayed, “Father, if it is possible, don’t let this happen to me! Father, you can do anything. Don’t make me suffer by having me drink from this cup. But do what you want, and not what I want.”

When Jesus came back and found the disciples sleeping, he said to Simon Peter, “Are you asleep? Can’t you stay awake for just one hour?

Stay awake and pray that you won’t be tested. You want to do what is right, but you are weak.”

Jesus went back and prayed the same prayer. But when he returned to the disciples, he found them sleeping again. They simply could not keep their eyes open, and they did not know what to say.

When Jesus returned to the disciples the third time, he said, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough of that! The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to sinners.

Get up! Let’s go. The one who will betray me is already here.”

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Betrayed by a Kiss John 18:2-8; Matthew 26:48-49

Jesus had often met there with his disciples, and Judas knew where the place was.

Judas had promised to betray Jesus. So he went to the garden with some Roman soldiers and temple police, who had been sent by the chief priests and the Pharisees. They carried torches, lanterns, and weapons.

Jesus already knew everything that was going to happen, but he asked, “Who are you looking for?”

They answered, “We are looking for Jesus from Nazareth!”

Jesus told them, “I am Jesus!” At once they all backed away and fell to the ground.

Jesus again asked, “Who are you looking for?”

“We are looking for Jesus from Nazareth,” they answered.

This time Jesus replied, “I have already told you that I am Jesus. If I am the one you are looking for, let these others go. Judas had told them ahead of time, “Arrest the man I greet with a kiss.”

Judas walked right up to Jesus and said, “Hello, teacher.” Then Judas kissed him.

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Peter Fights Back John 18:10-11; Luke 22:51-53

Simon Peter had brought along a sword. He now pulled it out and struck at the servant of the high priest. The servant’s name was Malchus, and Peter cut off his right ear.

Jesus told Peter, “Put your sword away. I must drink from the cup that the Father has given me.” Then he touched the servant’s ear and healed it.

Jesus spoke to the chief priests, the temple police, and the leaders who had come to arrest him. He said, “Why do you come out with swords and clubs and treat me like a criminal? I was with you every day in the temple, and you didn’t arrest me. But this is your time, and darkness is in control.”

Jesus Is Taken Prisoner John 18:12-14

The Roman officer and his men, together with the temple police, arrested Jesus and tied him up. They took him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. This was the same Caiaphas who had told the Jewish leaders, “It is better if one person dies for the people.”

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Peter’s Great Mistake Luke 22:54-62

Jesus was arrested and led away to the house of the high priest, while Peter followed at a distance. Some people built a fire in the middle of the courtyard and were sitting around it. Peter sat there with them, and a servant girl saw him. Then after she had looked at him carefully, she said, “This man was with Jesus!”

Peter said, “Woman, I don’t even know that man!”

A little later someone else saw Peter and said, “You are one of them!”

“No, I’m not!” Peter replied.

About an hour later another man insisted, “This man must have been with Jesus. They both come from Galilee.”

Peter replied, “I don’t know what you are talking about!” Right then, while Peter was still speaking, a rooster crowed.

The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered that the Lord had said, “Before a rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will say three times that you don’t know me.” Then Peter went out and cried hard.

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Jesus and Pilate Mark 14:53-65, 15:1

Jesus was led off to the high priest. Then the chief priests, the nation’s leaders, and the teachers of the Law of Moses all met together. The chief priests and the whole council tried to find someone to accuse Jesus

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of a crime, so they could put him to death. But they could not find anyone to accuse him. Many people did tell lies against Jesus, but they did not agree on what they said. Finally, some men stood up and lied about him. They said, “We heard him say he would tear down this temple that

we built. He also claimed that in three days he would build another one without any help.” But even then they did not agree on what they said.

The high priest stood up in the council and asked Jesus, “Why don’t you say something in your own defense? Don’t you hear the charges they are making against you?” But Jesus kept quiet and did not say a word. The high priest asked him another question, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the glorious God?” “Yes, I am!” Jesus answered.

“Soon you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right side of God All-Powerful, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

At once the high priest ripped his robe apart and shouted, “Why do we need more witnesses? You heard him claim to be God! What is your decision?” They all agreed that he should be put to death.

Some of the people started spitting on Jesus. They blindfolded him, hit him with their fists, and said, “Tell us who hit you!” Then the guards took charge of Jesus and beat him. Early the next morning the chief priests, the nation’s leaders, and the teachers of the Law of Moses met together with the whole Jewish council. They tied up Jesus and led him off to Pilate.

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Jesus and Herod Luke 23:7-12

After Pilate learned that Jesus came from the region ruled by Herod, he sent him to Herod, who was in Jerusalem at that time.

For a long time Herod had wanted to see Jesus and was very happy because he finally had this chance.

He had heard many things about Jesus and hoped to see him work a miracle.

Herod asked him a lot of questions, but Jesus did not answer. Then the chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses stood up and accused him of all kinds of bad things.

Herod and his soldiers made fun of Jesus and insulted him. They put a fine robe on him and sent him back to Pilate. That same day Herod and Pilate became friends, even though they had been enemies before this.

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Pilate Tries to Free Jesus John 18:28-40

It was early in the morning when Jesus was taken from Caiaphas to the building where the Roman governor stayed. But the crowd waited outside.

Any of them who had gone inside would have become unclean and would not be allowed to eat the Passover meal.

Pilate came out and asked, “What char-ges are you bringing against this man?”

They answered, “He is a criminal!

That’s why we brought him to you.”

Pilate told them, “Take him and judge him by your own laws.”

The crowd replied, “We are not allowed to put anyone to death.” And so what Jesus said about his death would soon come true.

Pilate then went back inside. He called Jesus over and asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

Jesus answered, “Are you asking this on your own or did someone tell you about me?”

“You know I’m not a Jew!” Pilate said. “Your own people and the chief priests brought you to me. What have you done?”

Jesus answered, “My kingdom doesn’t belong to this world. If it did, my followers would have fought to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. No, my kingdom doesn’t belong to this world.”

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“So you are a king,” Pilate replied.

“You are saying that I am a king,” Jesus told him. “I was born into this world to tell about the truth. And everyone who belongs to the truth knows my voice.”

Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?”

Pilate went back out and said; “I don’t find this man guilty of anything! And since I usually set a prisoner free for you at Passover, would you like for me to set free the king of the Jews?”

They shouted, “No, not him! We want Barabbas.” Now Barabbas was a terrorist.

The Death Sentence John 19:1-16

Pilate gave orders for Jesus to be beaten with a whip. The soldiers made a crown out of thorn branches and put it on Jesus. Then they put a purple robe on him. They came up to him and said, “Hey, you king of the Jews!” They also hit him with their fists.

Once again Pilate went out. This time he said, “I will have Jesus brought out to you again. Then you

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can see for yourselves that I have not found him guilty.”

Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said, “Here is the man!”

When the chief priests and the temple police saw him, they yelled, “Nail him to a cross! Nail him to a cross!”

Pilate told them, “You take him and nail him to a cross! I don’t find him guilty of anything.”

The crowd replied, “He claimed to

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be the Son of God! Our Jewish Law says that he must be put to death.”

When Pilate heard this, he was terrified. He went back inside and asked Jesus, “Where are you from?”

But Jesus did not answer.

“Why won’t you answer my question?” Pilate asked. “Don’t you know that I have the power to let you go free or to nail you to a cross?”

Jesus replied, “If God had not given you the power, you couldn’t do anything at all to me. But the one who handed me over to you did something even worse.”

Then Pilate wanted to set Jesus free. But the crowd again yelled, “If you set this man free, you are no friend of the Emperor! Anyone who claims to be a king is an enemy of the Emperor.”

When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out. Then he sat down on the judge’s bench at the place known as “The Stone Pavement.” In Aramaic this pavement is called “Gabbatha.”

It was about noon on the day before Passover, and Pilate said to the crowd, “Look at your king!”

“Kill him! Kill him!” they yelled.

“Nail him to a cross!”

“So you want me to nail your king to a cross?” Pilate asked.

The chief priests replied, “The Empe-ror is our king!” Then Pilate handed Jesus over to be nailed to a cross.

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The Weeping Women Luke 23:26-31

As Jesus was being led away, some soldiers grabbed hold of a man from Cyrene named Simon. He was coming in from the fields, but they put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.

A large crowd was following Jesus, and in the crowd a lot of women were crying and weeping for him.

Jesus turned to the women and said: Women of Jerusalem don’t cry for me! Cry for yourselves and for your children. Someday people will say, “Women who never had children are really fortunate!” At that time everyone will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” They will say to the hills, “Hide us!” If this can happen when the wood is green, what do you think will happen when it is dry?

Jesus on the Cross Luke 23:32-38

Two criminals were led out to be put to death with Jesus. When the

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soldiers came to the place called “The Skull,” they nailed Jesus to a cross. They also nailed the two criminals to crosses, one on each side of Jesus.

Jesus said, “Father, forgive these people! They don’t know what they’re doing.”

While the crowd stood there watching Jesus, the soldiers gambled for his clothes. The leaders insulted him by saying, “He saved others.

Now he should save himself, if he really is God’s chosen Messiah!”

The soldiers made fun of Jesus

and brought him some wine. They said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!”

Above him was a sign that said, “This is the King of the Jews.”

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The Death of Jesus Luke 23:39-44; John 19:28-30

One of the criminals hanging there also insulted Jesus by saying, “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and save us!”

But the other criminal told the first one off, “Don’t you fear God? Aren’t you getting the same punishment as this man? We got what was coming to us, but he didn’t do anything wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Remember me when you come into power!”

Jesus replied, “I promise that today you will be with me in paradise.”

Around noon the sky turned dark and stayed that way until the middle of the afternoon.

Jesus knew that he had now finished his work. And in order to make the Scriptures come true, he said, “I am thirsty!” A jar of cheap wine was there. Someone then soaked a sponge with the wine and held it up to Jesus’ mouth on the stem of a hyssop plant. After Jesus drank the wine, he said, “Everything is done!”

He bowed his head and died.

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The Temple Curtain Splits in Two Matthew 27:51-54

At once the curtain in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

The earth shook, and rocks split apart. Graves opened, and many of God’s people were raised to life.

Then after Jesus had risen to life,

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they came out of their graves and went into the holy city, where they were seen by many people.

The officer and the soldiers guarding Jesus felt the earthquake and saw everything else that happened.

They were frightened and said, “This man really was God’s Son!”

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The Burial

John 19:31-34; Matthew 27:57-61

The next day would be both a Sabbath and the Passover. It was a special day for the Jewish people, and they did not want the bodies to stay on the crosses during that day. So they asked Pilate to break the men’s legs and take their bodies down. The soldiers first broke the legs of the other two men who were nailed there.

But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, and they did not break his legs.

One of the soldiers stuck his spear into Jesus’ side, and blood and water came out.

That evening a rich disciple named Joseph from the town of Arimathea went and asked for Jesus’ body.

Pilate gave orders for it to be given to Joseph, who took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth.

Then Joseph put the body in his own tomb that had been cut into solid rock and had never been used. He rolled a big stone against the entrance to the tomb and went away.

All this time Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb.

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Guards at the Tomb Matthew 27:62-66

On the next day, which was a Sabbath, the chief priests and the Pharisees went together to Pilate. They said, “Sir, we remember what that liar said while he was still alive. He claimed that in three days he would come back from death. So please order the tomb to be carefully guarded for three days. If you don’t, his disciples may come and steal his body.

They will tell the people that he has been raised to life, and this last lie will be worse than the first one.”

Pilate said to them, “All right, take some of your soldiers and guard the tomb as well as you know how.” So they sealed it tight and placed soldiers there to guard it.

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An Empty Tomb Matthew 28:1-10

The Sabbath was over, and it was almost daybreak on Sunday when Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. Suddenly a strong earthquake struck, and the Lord’s angel came down from heaven. He rolled away the stone and sat on it. The angel looked as bright as lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards shook from fear and fell down, as though they were dead.

The angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid! I know you are looking for Jesus, who was nailed to a cross. He isn’t here! God has

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raised him to life, just as Jesus said he would. Come; see the place where his body was lying. Now hurry! Tell his disciples that he has been raised to life and is on his way to Galilee.

Go there, and you will see him. That is what I came to tell you.”

The women were frightened and yet very happy, as they hurried from the tomb and ran to tell his disciples.

Suddenly Jesus met them and greeted them. They went near him, held on to his feet, and worshiped him.

Then Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid!

Tell my followers to go to Galilee.

They will see me there.”

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Mary Magdalene Sees Jesus John 20:2-18

Mary Magdalene ran to Simon Peter and to Jesus’ favourite disciple and said, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb! We don’t know where they have put him.”

Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. They ran side by side, until the other disciple ran faster than Peter and got there first. He bent over and saw the strips of linen cloth lying inside the tomb, but he did not go in.

When Simon Peter got there, he went into the tomb and saw the strips of cloth. He also saw the piece of cloth that had been used to cover Jesus’ face. It was rolled up and in a place by itself. The disciple who got there first then went into the tomb, and when he saw it, he believed. At that time Peter and the other disciple did not know that the Scriptures said Jesus would rise to life. So the two

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of them went back to the other disciples.

Mary Magdalene stood crying outside the tomb. She was still weeping, when she stooped down and saw two angels inside. They were dressed in white and were sitting where Jesus’ body had been. One was at the head and the other was at the foot. The angels asked Mary, “Why are you crying?”

She answered, “They have taken away my Lord’s body! I don’t know where they have put him.”

As soon as Mary said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing

there. But she did not know who he was. Jesus asked her, “Why are you crying? Who are you looking for?”

She thought he was the gardener and said, “Sir, if you have taken his body away, please tell me, so I can go and get him.”

Then Jesus said to her, “Mary!”

She turned and said to him, “Rabboni.” The Aramaic word “Rabboni” means “Teacher.”

Jesus told her, “Don’t hold on to me! I have not yet gone to the Father. But tell my disciples that I am

going to the one who is my Father and my God, as well as your Father and your God.” Mary Magdalene then went and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord. She also told them what he had said to her.

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The Disciples See Jesus John 20:19; Luke 24:37-45; John 20:21-23

The disciples were afraid of the Jewish leaders, and on the evening of that same Sunday they locked themselves in a room. Suddenly, Jesus appeared in the middle of the group.

They were frightened and terrified because they thought they were seeing a ghost.

But Jesus said, “Why are you so frightened? Why do you doubt?

Look at my hands and my feet and see who I am! Touch me and find out for yourselves. Ghosts don’t have flesh and bones as you see I have.”

After Jesus said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. The disciples were so glad and amazed that they could not believe it. Jesus then asked them, “Do you have something to eat?” They gave him a piece of baked fish. He took it and ate it as they watched.

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Jesus said to them, “While I was still with you, I told you that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Books of the Prophets, and in the Psalms had to happen.”

Then he helped them understand the Scriptures.

After Jesus had greeted them again, he said, “I am sending you, just as the Father has sent me.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they will be forgiven.

But if you don’t forgive their sins, they will not be forgiven.”

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The Story of Thomas John 20:24-29

Although Thomas the Twin was one of the twelve disciples, he wasn’t with the others when Jesus appeared to them. So they told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But Thomas said, “First, I must see the nail scars in his hands and touch them with my finger. I must put my hand where the spear went into his side. I won’t believe unless I do this!”

A week later the disciples were together again. This time, Thomas was

with them. Jesus came in while the doors were still locked and stood in the middle of the group. He greeted his disciples and said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at my hands! Put your hand into my side.

Stop doubting and have faith!”

Thomas replied, “You are my Lord and my God!” Jesus said, “Thomas, do you have faith because you have seen me? The people who have faith in me without seeing me are the ones who are really blessed!”

and you will catch some fish.”

They did, and the net was so full of fish that they could not drag it up into the boat.

Jesus’ favorite disciple told Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon heard that it was the Lord, he put on the clothes that he had taken off while he was working. Then he jumped into the water. The boat was only about a hundred yards from shore. So the other disciples stayed in the boat and dragged in the net full of fish.

Breakfast by the Sea John 21:1-14

Jesus later appeared to his disciples along the shore of Lake Tiberias.

Simon Peter, Thomas the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, and the brothers James and John, were there, together with two other disciples. Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing!”

The others said, “We will go with you.” They went out in their boat.

But they didn’t catch a thing that night.

Early the next morning Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize who he was. Jesus shouted, “Friends, have you caught anything?”

“No!” they answered.

So he told them, “Let your net down on the right side of your boat, 360

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When the disciples got out of the boat, they saw some bread and a charcoal fire with fish on it. Jesus told his disciples, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.” Simon Peter got back into the boat and dragged the net to shore. In it were one hundred fifty-three large fish, but still the net did not rip.

Jesus said, “Come and eat!” But none of the disciples dared ask who he was. They knew he was the Lord.

Jesus took the bread in his hands and

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gave some of it to his disciples. He did the same with the fish. This was the third time that Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from death.

Do You Really Love Me? John 21:15-19

When Jesus and his disciples had finished eating, he asked, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than the others do?”

Simon Peter answered, “Yes, Lord,

you know I do!”

“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus said.

Jesus asked a second time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you!”

“Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus told him.

Jesus asked a third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus had asked him three times if he loved him.

So he told Jesus, “Lord, you know everything. You know I love you.”

Jesus replied, “Feed my sheep. I tell you for certain that when you were a young man, you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will hold out your hands. Then others will wrap your belt around you and lead you where you don’t

want to go.”

Jesus said this to tell how Peter would die and bring honor to God. Then he said to Peter, “Follow me!”

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Home to the Father Acts 1:3-11

For forty days after Jesus had suffered and died, he proved in many ways that he had been raised from death. He appeared to his apostles and spoke to them about God’s kingdom. While he was still with them, he said: Don’t leave Jerusalem yet. Wait here for the Father to give you the Holy Spirit, just as I told you he has promised to do. John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

While the apostles were still with Jesus, they asked him, “Lord, are you now going to give Israel its own king again?”

Jesus said to them, “You don’t

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need to know the time of those events that only the Father controls.

But the Holy Spirit will come upon you and give you power. Then you will tell everyone about me in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and everywhere in the world.” After Jesus had said this and while they were watching, he was taken up into a cloud. They could not see him, but as he went up, they kept looking up into the sky.

Suddenly two men dressed in white clothes were standing there beside them. They said, “Why are you men from Galilee standing here and looking up into the sky? Jesus has been taken to heaven. But he will come back in the same way that you have seen him go.”

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The Helper Acts 2:1-17

On the day of Pentecost all the Lord’s followers were together in one place. Suddenly there was a noise from heaven like the sound of a mighty wind! It filled the house where they were meeting. Then they saw what looked like fiery tongues moving in all directions, and a tongue came and settled on each person there. The Holy Spirit took control of everyone, and they began speaking whatever languages the Spirit let them speak.

Many religious Jews from every country in the world were living in Jerusalem. And when they heard this noise, a crowd gathered. But they were surprised, because they were hearing everything in their own languages. They were excited and amazed, and said: Don’t all these who are speaking come from Galilee? Then why do we hear them speaking our very own languages? Some of us are from Parthia, Media, and Elam. Others are from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and parts of Libya near Cyrene, Rome, Crete, and Arabia. Some of us were born Jews, and others of us have chosen to be Jews. Yet we all hear them using our own languages to tell the wonderful things God has done.

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Everyone was excited and confused. Some of them even kept asking each other, “What does all this mean?”

Others made fun of the Lord’s followers and said, “They are drunk.”

Peter stood with the eleven apostles and spoke in a loud and clear voice to the crowd: Friends and everyone else living in Jerusalem, listen carefully to what I have to say! You are wrong to think that these people are drunk. After all, it is only nine o’clock in the morning. But this is what God had the prophet Joel say, “When the last days come, I will give my Spirit to everyone.”

Healing and Teaching Acts 2:43-47; 3:1-8

Everyone was amazed by the many miracles and wonders that the apostles worked. All the Lord’s followers often met together, and they shared everything they had. Everyone liked them, and each day the Lord added to their group others who were being saved.

The time of prayer was about three o’clock in the afternoon, and Peter and John were going into the temple.

A man who had been born lame was being carried to the temple door. The man saw Peter and John entering the temple, and he asked them for 367

money. But they looked straight at him and said, “Look up at us!” The man stared at them and thought he was going to get something. But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold! But I will give you what I do have. In the name of Jesus Christ from Nazareth, get up and start walking.” Peter then took him by the right hand and helped him up. At once the man’s feet and ankles became strong, and he jumped up and started walking. He went with Peter and John into the temple, walking and jumping and praising God.

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Peter and John in Trouble Acts 3:11-4:22

While the man kept holding on to Peter and John, the whole crowd ran to them in amazement at the place known as Solomon’s Porch. Peter saw that a crowd had gathered, and he said: Friends, why are you surprised at what has happened? Why are you staring at us? Do you think we have some power of our own? Do you think we were able to make this man walk because we are so religious?

The God that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and our other ancestors worshiped

has brought honor to his Servant Jesus. He is the one you betrayed.

You turned against him when he was being tried by Pilate, even though Pilate wanted to set him free.

You killed the one who leads people to life. But God raised him from death, and all of us can tell you what he has done. You see this man, and you know him. He put his faith in the name of Jesus and was made strong. Faith in Jesus made this man completely well while everyone was watching.

The apostles were still talking to the people, when some priests, the captain of the temple guard, and some Saddu-cees arrived. These men were angry because the apostles were teaching the people that the dead would be raised from death, just as Jesus had been raised from death. It was already late in the afternoon, and they arrested Peter and John and put them in jail for the night. But a lot of people who had

heard the message believed it. So by now there were about five thousand followers of the Lord.

The next morning the leaders, the elders, and the teachers of the Law of Moses met in Jerusalem. They brought in Peter and John and made them stand in the middle while they questioned them. They asked, “By what power and in whose name have you done this?”

Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and told the nation’s leaders and the elders: You are questioning us today about a kind deed in which a crippled man was healed. But there is something we must tell you and everyone else in Israel. This man is standing here completely well because of the power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth. You put Jesus to death on a cross, but God raised him to life. Only Jesus has the power to save! His name is the only one in all the world that can save anyone.

The officials were amazed to see how brave Peter and John were, and they knew that these two apostles were only ordinary men and not well educated.

The officials were certain

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that these men had been with Jesus.

The officials commanded them to leave the council room. Then the officials said to each other, “What can we do with these men? Everyone in Jerusalem knows about this miracle, and we cannot say it didn’t happen.” So they called the two apostles back in and told them that they must never, for any reason, teach anything about the name of Jesus.

Peter and John answered, “Do you think God wants us to obey you or to obey him? We cannot keep quiet about what we have seen and heard.”

The officials could not find any reason to punish Peter and John. So they threatened them and let them go. The man who was healed by this miracle was more than forty years old, and everyone was praising God for what had happened.

An Angel Frees the Apostles Acts 5:12-20

The apostles worked many miracles and wonders among the people.

All of the Lord’s followers often met in the part of the temple known as Solomon’s Porch. No one outside their group dared join them, even though everyone liked them very much.

Many men and women started having faith in the Lord. The high priest and all the other Sadducees 370

who were with him became jealous.

They arrested the apostles and put them in the city jail. But that night an angel from the Lord opened the doors of the jail and led the apostles out. The angel said, “Go to the temple and tell the people everything about this new life.”

The Apostles Are Questioned Acts 5:21-42

So they went into the temple before sunrise and started teaching.

The high priest and his men called together their council, which included all of Israel’s leaders. Then they ordered the apostles to be brought to them from the jail. The temple police who were sent to the jail did not find the apostles. They returned and said, “We found the jail locked tight and the guards standing at the doors. But when we opened the doors and went in, we didn’t find anyone there.” Just then someone came in and said, “Right now those men you put in jail are in the temple, teaching the people!” The captain went with some of the temple police and brought the apostles back. But they did not use force. They were afraid that the people might start throwing stones at them.

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When the apostles were brought before the council, the high priest said to them, “We told you plainly not to teach in the name of Jesus. But look what you have done! You have been teaching all over Jerusalem, and you are trying to blame us for his death.”

Peter and the apostles replied: We don’t obey people. We obey God. You killed Jesus by nailing him to a cross. But the God our ancestors worshiped raised him to life and made him our Leader and Savior. Then God gave him a place at his right side, so that the people of Israel would turn back to him and be forgiven. We are here to tell you about all this, and so is the Holy Spirit, who is God’s gift to everyone who obeys God. When the council members heard this, they became so angry that they wanted to kill the apostles. But one of the members was the Pharisee Gamaliel, a highly respected teacher.

He ordered the apostles to be taken out of the room for a little while.

Then he said to the council: People of Israel, be careful what you do with these men. Leave them alone. If what they are planning is something of their own doing, it will fail. But if God is behind it, you cannot stop it anyway, unless you want to fight against God.

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The council members agreed with what he said, and they called the apostles back in. They had them beaten with a whip and warned them not to speak in the name of Jesus. Then they let them go. The apostles left the council and were happy, because God had considered them worthy to suffer for the sake of Jesus. Every day they spent time in the temple and in one home after another. They never stopped teaching and telling the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.

Stephen Is Not Afraid Acts 6:8-7:60

God gave Stephen the power to work great miracles and wonders among the people. But some Jews from Cyrene and Alexandria started arguing with Stephen. But they were no match for Stephen, who spoke with

the great wisdom that the Spirit gave him. So they talked some men into saying, “We heard Stephen say terrible things against Moses and God!” They turned the people and their leaders and the teachers of the Law of Moses against Stephen. Then they all grabbed Stephen and dragged him in front of the council.

Some men agreed to tell lies about Stephen, and they said, “This man keeps on saying terrible things about this holy temple and the Law of Moses. We have heard him claim that Jesus from Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses gave us.”

The high priest asked Stephen, “Are they telling the truth about you?”

Stephen answered: You are always fighting against the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors did. Is there one prophet that your ancestors didn’t mistreat? They killed the prophets who told about the coming of the One Who Obeys God. And now you have turned against him and killed him. Angels gave you God’s Law, but you still don’t obey it. When the council members heard Stephen’s speech, they were angry and furious.

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But Stephen was filled with the Holy Spirit. He looked toward heaven, where he saw our glorious God and Jesus standing at his right side. Then Stephen said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right side of God!” The council members shouted and covered their ears. At once they all attacked Stephen and dragged him out of the city. Then they started throwing stones at him. As Stephen was being stoned to death, he called out, “Lord Jesus, please welcome me!” He knelt down and shouted, “Lord, don’t blame them for what they have done.” Then he died.

The Road to Damascus Acts 8:1-3; 9:1-18

Some faithful followers of the Lord buried Stephen and mourned very much for him.

At that time the church in Jerusalem suffered terribly. All of the Lord’s followers, except the apostles, were scattered everywhere in Judea and Samaria. Saul started making a lot of trouble for the church. He went from house to house, arresting men and women and putting them in jail.

He even went to the high priest and asked for letters to the Jewish leaders in Damascus. He did this because he wanted to arrest and take to Jerusalem any man or woman who had accepted the Lord’s Way. When 374

Saul had almost reached Damascus, a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice that said, “Saul! Saul! Why are you so cruel to me?”

“Who are you?” Saul asked.

“I am Jesus,” the Lord answered.

“I am the one you are so cruel to.

Now get up and go into the city, where you will be told what to do.”

The men with Saul stood there speechless. They had heard the voice, but they had not seen anyone. Saul got up from the ground, and when he opened his eyes, he could not see a thing. Someone then led him by the hand to Damascus. A follower named Ananias lived in Damascus, and the Lord spoke to him in a vision. Ananias answered, “Lord, here I am.”

The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the house of Judas on Straight Street. When you get there, you will find a man named Saul from the city of Tarsus. Ananias replied, “Lord, a lot of people have told me about the terrible things this man has done to your followers in Jerusalem.” The Lord said to Ananias, “Go! I have chosen him to tell foreigners, kings, and the people of Israel about me.”

Ananias left and went into the house where Saul was staying. Ananias placed his hands on him and said, “Saul, the Lord Jesus has sent me.

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He is the same one who appeared to you along the road. He wants you to be able to see and to be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Suddenly something like fish scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see. He got up and was baptized.

A Sheet Full of Animals Acts 10:1-16

In Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, who was the captain of a group of soldiers called “The Italian Unit.” Cornelius worshiped God, and so did everyone else who lived in his house. One afternoon at about three o’clock, Cornelius had a vision. He saw an angel from God coming to him and calling him by name. Cornelius was surprised and stared at the angel. Then he asked, “What is this all about?”

The angel answered, “God has heard your prayers and knows about your gifts to the poor. Now send some men to Joppa for a man named Simon Peter.” After saying this, the angel left.

He explained everything to them and sent them off to Joppa.

The next day about noon these men were coming near Joppa. Peter went up on the roof of the house to pray and became very hungry. He fell sound asleep and had a vision.

He saw heaven open, and something 376

came down like a huge sheet held up by its four corners. In it were all kinds of animals, snakes, and birds.

A voice said to him, “Peter, get up!

Kill these and eat them.”

But Peter said, “Lord, I can’t do that! I’ve never eaten anything that is unclean and not fit to eat.”

The voice spoke to him again, “When God says that something can be used for food, don’t say it isn’t fit to eat.”

This happened three times before the sheet was suddenly taken back to heaven.

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Peter Visits an Army Officer Acts 10:19-45

While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, “Three men are here looking for you. Hurry down and go with them. Don’t worry, I sent them.”

Peter went down and said to the men, “I am the one you are looking for. Why have you come?”

They answered, “Captain Cornelius sent us. He is a good man who worships God and is liked by the Jewish people. One of God’s holy angels told Cornelius to send for you, so he could hear what you have to say.” Peter invited them to spend the night.

The next morning, Peter and some of the Lord’s followers in Joppa left with the men who had come from Cornelius. The next day they arrived in Caesarea where Cornelius was waiting for them. He had also invited his relatives and close friends.

Peter then said: Now I am certain that God treats all people alike. God is pleased with everyone who worships him and does right, no matter what nation they come from. This is the same message that God gave to the people of Israel, when he sent Jesus Christ, the Lord of all, to offer peace to them.

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Holy Spirit took control of everyone who was listening. Some Jewish followers of the Lord had come with Peter, and they were surprised that the Holy Spirit had been given to Gentiles.

Good News for Everyone Acts 11:1-4,18

The apostles and the followers in Judea heard that Gentiles had accepted God’s message. So when Peter came to Jerusalem, some of the Jewish followers started arguing with him. They wanted Gentile followers to be circumcised, and they said, “You stayed in the homes of Gentiles, and you even ate with them!”

Then Peter told them exactly what had happened. When they heard Peter say this, they stopped arguing and started praising God. They said, “God has now let Gentiles turn to him, and he has given life to them!”

Peter Escapes from Prison Acts 12:1-17

At that time King Herod caused terrible suffering for some members of the church. He ordered soldiers to cut off the head of James, the brother of John. When Herod saw that this pleased the Jewish people, he put Peter in jail and ordered four squads 379

of soldiers to guard him. Herod planned to put him on trial in public after the festival.

While Peter was being kept in jail, the church never stopped praying to God for him.

The night before Peter was to be put on trial, he was asleep and bound by two chains. A soldier was guarding him on each side, and two other soldiers were guarding the entrance to the jail. Suddenly an angel from the Lord appeared, and light flashed around in the cell. The angel poked Peter in the side and woke him up.

Then he said, “Quick! Get up!”

The chains fell off his hands, and the angel said, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” Peter did what he was told. Then the angel said, “Now put on your coat and follow me.” Peter left with the angel, but he thought everything was only a dream. They went past the two groups of soldiers, and when they came to the iron gate to the city, it opened by itself. They went out and were going along the street, when all at once the angel disappeared.

Peter now realized what had happened, and he said, “I am certain that the Lord sent his angel to rescue me from Herod and from everything the Jewish leaders planned to do to me.” Then Peter went to the house of Mary the mother of John whose other name was Mark. Many of the 380

Lord’s followers had come together there and were praying.

Peter knocked on the gate, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer. When she heard Peter’s voice, she was too excited to open the gate.

She ran back into the house and said that Peter was standing there.

“You are crazy!” everyone told her. But she kept saying that it was Peter. Then they said, “It must be his angel.” But Peter kept on knocking, until finally they opened the gate.

They saw him and were completely amazed.

Peter motioned for them to keep quiet. Then he told how the Lord had led him out of jail.

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Paul as a Preacher Acts 14:8-20

In Lystra there was a man who had been born with crippled feet and had never been able to walk. The man was listening to Paul speak, when Paul saw that he had faith in Jesus and could be healed. So he looked straight at the man and shouted, “Stand up!” The man jumped up and started walking around.

When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they yelled out in the language of Lycaonia, “The gods have turned into humans and have come down to us!” The people then gave Barnabas the name Zeus, and they gave Paul the name Hermes, because he did the talking.

The temple of Zeus was near the entrance to the city. Its priest and the crowds wanted to offer a sacrifice to Barnabas and Paul. So the priest brought some bulls and flowers to the city gates. When the two apostles found out about this, they tore their clothes in horror and ran to the crowd, shouting: Why are you doing this? We are humans just like you. Please give up all this foolishness. Turn to the living God, who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and everything in them.

Even after Paul and Barnabas had said all this, they could hardly keep the people from offering a sacrifice to them.

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Some Jewish leaders from Antioch and Iconium came and turned the crowds against Paul. They hit him with stones and dragged him out of the city, thinking he was dead. But when the Lord’s followers gathered around Paul, he stood up and went back into the city.

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Singing in the Prison Acts 16:16-34

One day we were met by a slave girl. She had a spirit in her that gave her the power to tell the future. By doing this she made a lot of money for her owners. The girl followed

Paul and the rest of us and kept yelling. Finally, Paul said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ, I order you to leave this girl alone!” At once the evil spirit left her.

When the girl’s owners realized that they had lost all chances for making more money, they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them into court. They told the officials, “These Jews are upsetting our city! They are telling us to do things we Romans are not allowed to do.”

The crowd joined in the attack on Paul and Silas. Then the officials tore the clothes off the two men and ordered them to be beaten with a whip.

After they had been badly beaten, they were put in jail, and the jailer was told to guard them carefully.

The jailer did as he was told. He put them deep inside the jail and chained their feet to heavy blocks of wood.

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing praises to God, while the other prisoners listened. Suddenly a strong earthquake

shook the jail to its foundations. The doors opened, and the chains fell from all the prisoners.

When the jailer woke up and saw that the doors were open, he thought that the prisoners had escaped. He pulled out his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! No one has escaped.”

The jailer asked for a torch and went into the jail. He was shaking all over as he knelt down in front of Paul and Silas. After he had led them out of the jail, he asked, “What must I do to be saved?”

They replied, “Have faith in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved!

This is also true for everyone who lives in your home.”

Then Paul and Silas told him and everyone else in his house about the Lord. While it was still night, the jailer took them to a place where he could wash their cuts and bruises.

Then he and everyone in his home were baptized. They were very glad that they had put their faith in God. After this, the jailer took Paul and Silas to his home and gave them something to eat.

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Paul Is Warned Acts 20:17-38

From Miletus, Paul sent a message for the church leaders at Ephesus to come and meet with him. When they got there, he said: Some of the Jews plotted against me and caused me a lot of sorrow and trouble. But I served the Lord and was humble. When I preached in public or taught in your homes, I didn’t hold back from telling anything that would help you. I told Jews and Gentiles to turn to God and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

I don’t know what will happen to me in Jerusalem, but I must obey God’s Spirit and go there. In every city I visit, I am told by the Holy Spirit that I will be put in jail and will be in trouble in Jerusalem. But I don’t care what happens to me, as long as I finish the work that the Lord Jesus gave me to do. And that work is to tell the good news about God’s great kindness. After Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. Everyone cried and hugged and kissed him. They were especially sad because Paul had told them, “You will never see me again.”

Then they went with him to the ship.

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Paul Speaks to the Mob Acts 21:27-36; 22:23-24

Some of the Jewish people from Asia saw Paul in the temple. They got a large crowd together and started attacking him. They were shouting, “Friends, help us! This man goes around everywhere, saying bad things about our nation and about the Law of Moses and about this temple. He has even brought shame to this holy temple by bringing in Gentiles.” Some of them thought that Paul had brought Trophimus from Ephesus into the temple, because they had seen them together in the city.

The whole city was in an uproar, and the people turned into a mob.

They grabbed Paul and dragged him out of the temple. Then suddenly the doors were shut. The people were about to kill Paul when the Roman army commander heard that all Jerusalem was starting to riot. So he quickly took some soldiers and officers and ran to where the crowd had gathered.

As soon as the mob saw the commander and soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. The army commander went over and arrested him and had him bound with two chains. Then he tried to find out who Paul was and what he had done. Part of the crowd shouted one thing, and part of them shouted something else.

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But they were making so much noise that the commander could not find out a thing. Then he ordered Paul to be taken into the fortress. As they reached the steps, the crowd became so wild that the soldiers had to lift Paul up and carry him. The crowd followed and kept shouting, “Kill him! Kill him!” They kept shouting.

They waved their clothes around and threw dust into the air.

The Roman commander ordered Paul to be taken into the fortress and beaten with a whip.

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Paul Must Die! Acts 24:24-27; 25:8-12

Felix and his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, went to the place where Paul was kept under guard. They sent for Paul and listened while he spoke to them about having faith in Christ Jesus. But Felix was frightened when Paul started talking to them about doing right, about self-control, and about the coming judgment. So he said to Paul, “That’s enough for now. You may go. But when I have time I will send for you.” After this, Felix often sent for Paul and talked with him, because he hoped that Paul would offer him a bribe.

Two years later Porcius Festus became governor in place of Felix.

Then Paul spoke in his own defense, “I have not broken the Law of my people. And I have not done anything against either the temple or the Emperor.”

Festus wanted to please the leaders. So he asked Paul, “Are you willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried by me on these charges?” Paul replied, “I am on trial in the Emperor’s court, and that’s where I should be tried. You know very well that I have not done anything to harm the Jewish nation. If I had done some-thing deserving death, I would not ask to escape the death penalty. But I am not guilty of any of these crimes, and 390

no one has the right to hand me over to these people. I now ask to be tried by the Emperor himself.”

After Festus had talked this over with members of his council, he told Paul, “You have asked to be tried by the Emperor, and to the Emperor you will go!”

Shipwrecked!

Acts 27:1-44

Then it was time for us to sail to Rome. We sailed along slowly for several days and finally reached a place called Fair Havens, not far from the town of Lasea.

By now we had already lost a lot of time, and sailing was no longer safe. In fact, even the Great Day of Forgiveness was past. Then Paul spoke to the crew of the ship, “Men, listen to me! If we sail now, our ship and its cargo will be badly damaged, and many lives will be lost.” But Julius listened to the captain of the ship and its owner, rather than to Paul.

The harbor at Fair Havens wasn’t a good place to spend the winter.

Because of this, almost everyone agreed that we should at least try to sail along the coast of Crete as far as Phoenix. It had a harbor that opened toward the southwest and northwest, and we could spend the winter there.

When a gentle wind from the south started blowing, the men thought it was a good time to do what they had planned. So they pulled up the anchor, and we sailed along the coast of Crete. But soon a strong wind called “The Northeaster” blew against us from the island. The wind struck the ship, and we could not sail against it. So we let the wind carry the ship.

For fourteen days and nights we had been blown around over the Mediter391

ranean Sea. But about midnight the sailors realized that we were getting near land. The sailors were afraid that we might hit some rocks, and they let down four anchors from the back of the ship. Then they prayed for daylight.

Morning came, and the ship’s crew saw a coast that they did not recognize. But they did see a cove with a beach. So they decided to try to run the ship aground on the beach. They cut the anchors loose and let them sink into the sea. At the same time they untied the ropes that were holding the rudders. Next, they raised

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the sail at the front of the ship and let the wind carry the ship toward the beach. But it ran aground on a sandbank. The front of the ship stuck firmly in the sand, and the rear was being smashed by the force of the waves. Captain Julius ordered everyone who could swim to dive into the water and head for shore.

Then he told the others to hold on to planks of wood or parts of the ship.

At last, everyone safely reached shore.

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Rome at Last Acts 28:11-31

Three months later we sailed in a ship that had been docked at Malta for the winter. We arrived in Rome, and Paul was allowed to live in a house by himself with a soldier to guard him. Three days after we got there, Paul called together some of the Jewish leaders and said: My friends, I have never done anything

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to hurt our people, and I have never gone against the customs of our ancestors. But in Jerusalem I was handed over as a pris-oner to the Romans. They looked into the charges against me and wanted to release me. They found that I had not done anything deserving death. The Jewish leaders disagreed, so I asked to be tried by the Emperor. That’s why I have called you here to talk about this hope of ours. The leaders replied, “No one from Judea has written us a letter about you. And not one of them has come here to report on you or to say anything against you.

But we would like to hear what you have to say. We understand that people everywhere are against this new group.” They agreed on a time to meet with Paul, and many of them came to his house. From early morning until late in the afternoon, Paul talked to them about God’s kingdom.

He used the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets to try to win them over to Jesus. Some of the leaders agreed with what Paul said, but others did not. Since they could not agree among themselves, they started leaving. Paul said, “You may be sure that God wants to save the Gen-tiles! And they will listen.” For two years Paul stayed in a rented house and welcomed everyone who came to see him. He bravely preached about God’s kingdom and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ, and no one tried to stop him.

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Special Messages Revelation 1:9-18

I am John, a follower together with all of you. We suffer because Jesus is our king, but he gives us the strength to endure. I was sent to Patmos Island, because I had preached God’s message and had told about Jesus. On the Lord’s day the Spirit took control of me, and behind me I heard a loud voice that sounded like a trumpet.

When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. There with the lampstands was someone who seemed to be the Son of Man. He was wearing a robe that reached down to his feet, and a gold cloth was wrapped around his chest. His head and his hair were white as wool or snow, and his eyes looked like flames of fire. His feet were glowing like bronze being heated in a furnace, and his voice sounded like the roar of a waterfall.

He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp double-edged sword was coming from his mouth. His face was shining as bright as the sun at noon.

When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead person. But he put his right hand on me and said: Don’t be afraid! I am the first, the last, and the living one. I died, but now I am alive forevermore.

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God’s New World Revelation 21:1-4; 22:20

I saw a new heaven and a new earth.

The first heaven and the first earth had disappeared, and so had the sea.

Then I saw New Jerusalem, that holy city, coming down from God in heaven. It was like a bride dressed in her wedding gown and ready to meet her husband.

I heard a loud voice shout from the throne: God’s home is now with his people. He will live with them, and they will be his own. Yes, God will make his home among his people.

He will wipe all tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death, suffering, crying, or pain. These things of the past are gone forever.

The one who has spoken these things says, “I am coming soon!”

So, Lord Jesus, please come soon!

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Unforgettable Stories • • • •

Large print Simple sentences Fast-moving stories Lively, detailed illustrations

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THE CHILDREN'S BIBLE

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