Adventure in Evangelism

Reading With the People of God #15 Purpose

Living in the Tension: A Study on the "Now and Not Yet" Kingdom of God

Healing Family Relationships Through Boundaries

Celebrate

Lift Others Up: 3 Days of Encouragement

Name Above All

Becoming a Hero With Lisa Bevere

What Is the Fear of the Lord?

Mission Trip Checkup: On Mission

The Listener’s Bible®: NIV Edition

New International Version™  (Anglicised), Audio Edition

Holy Bible, New International Version™ (Anglicised), South Asian Audio Edition

<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
   <div class="book bkDEU">
      <div class="chapter ch13" data-usfm="DEU.13">
         <div class="label">13</div><div class="s1"><span class="heading">Worshiping Other Gods</span></div><div class="p"><span class="content">  </span><span class="note f"><span class="label">#</span><span class=" body"><span class="ft">  </span><span class="ft">In Hebrew texts 13:1-18 is numbered 13:2-19. </span><span class="ft">  </span></span></span><span class="content">  </span><span class="verse v1" data-usfm="DEU.13.1"><span class="label">1</span><span class="content">If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, </span></span><span class="verse v2" data-usfm="DEU.13.2"><span class="label">2</span><span class="content">and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, &#8220;Let us follow other gods&#8221; (gods you have not known) &#8220;and let us worship them,&#8221; </span></span><span class="verse v3" data-usfm="DEU.13.3"><span class="label">3</span><span class="content">you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The </span><span class="nd"><span class="content">Lord</span></span><span class="content"> your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. </span></span><span class="verse v4" data-usfm="DEU.13.4"><span class="label">4</span><span class="content">It is the </span><span class="nd"><span class="content">Lord</span></span><span class="content"> your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. </span></span><span class="verse v5" data-usfm="DEU.13.5"><span class="label">5</span><span class="content">That prophet or dreamer must be put to death for inciting rebellion against the </span><span class="nd"><span class="content">Lord</span></span><span class="content"> your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. That prophet or dreamer tried to turn you from the way the </span><span class="nd"><span class="content">Lord</span></span><span class="content"> your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v5" data-usfm="DEU.13.5"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v6" data-usfm="DEU.13.6"><span class="label">6</span><span class="content">If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, &#8220;Let us go and worship other gods&#8221; (gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known, </span></span><span class="verse v7" data-usfm="DEU.13.7"><span class="label">7</span><span class="content">gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), </span></span><span class="verse v8" data-usfm="DEU.13.8"><span class="label">8</span><span class="content">do not yield to them or listen to them. Show them no pity. Do not spare them or shield them. </span></span><span class="verse v9" data-usfm="DEU.13.9"><span class="label">9</span><span class="content">You must certainly put them to death. Your hand must be the first in putting them to death, and then the hands of all the people. </span></span><span class="verse v10" data-usfm="DEU.13.10"><span class="label">10</span><span class="content">Stone them to death, because they tried to turn you away from the </span><span class="nd"><span class="content">Lord</span></span><span class="content"> your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. </span></span><span class="verse v11" data-usfm="DEU.13.11"><span class="label">11</span><span class="content">Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and no one among you will do such an evil thing again.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v11" data-usfm="DEU.13.11"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v12" data-usfm="DEU.13.12"><span class="label">12</span><span class="content">If you hear it said about one of the towns the </span><span class="nd"><span class="content">Lord</span></span><span class="content"> your God is giving you to live in </span></span><span class="verse v13" data-usfm="DEU.13.13"><span class="label">13</span><span class="content">that troublemakers have arisen among you and have led the people of their town astray, saying, &#8220;Let us go and worship other gods&#8221; (gods you have not known), </span></span><span class="verse v14" data-usfm="DEU.13.14"><span class="label">14</span><span class="content">then you must inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly. And if it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done among you, </span></span><span class="verse v15" data-usfm="DEU.13.15"><span class="label">15</span><span class="content">you must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town. You must destroy it completely,</span><span class="note f"><span class="label">#</span><span class=" body"><span class="fr">13:15 </span><span class="ft">The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the <span class="nd">Lord</span>, often by totally destroying them.</span></span></span><span class="content"> both its people and its livestock. </span></span><span class="verse v16" data-usfm="DEU.13.16"><span class="label">16</span><span class="content">You are to gather all the plunder of the town into the middle of the public square and completely burn the town and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the </span><span class="nd"><span class="content">Lord</span></span><span class="content"> your God. That town is to remain a ruin forever, never to be rebuilt, </span></span><span class="verse v17" data-usfm="DEU.13.17"><span class="label">17</span><span class="content">and none of the condemned things</span><span class="note f"><span class="label">#</span><span class=" body"><span class="fr">13:17 </span><span class="ft">The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the <span class="nd">Lord</span>, often by totally destroying them.</span></span></span><span class="content"> are to be found in your hands. Then the </span><span class="nd"><span class="content">Lord</span></span><span class="content"> will turn from his fierce anger, will show you mercy, and will have compassion on you. He will increase your numbers, as he promised on oath to your ancestors&#8212; </span></span><span class="verse v18" data-usfm="DEU.13.18"><span class="label">18</span><span class="content">because you obey the </span><span class="nd"><span class="content">Lord</span></span><span class="content"> your God by keeping all his commands that I am giving you today and doing what is right in his eyes.</span></span></div>
      </div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
   <div class="book bkPSA">
      <div class="chapter ch53" data-usfm="PSA.53">
         <div class="label">53</div><div class="cl"><span class="heading">Psalm 53</span><span class="note f"><span class="label">#</span><span class=" body"><span class="ft"><span class="heading">In Hebrew texts 53:1-6 is numbered 53:2-7.</span></span></span></span></div><div class="d"><span class="content">For the director of music. According to </span><span class="tl"><span class="content">mahalath.</span></span><span class="note f"><span class="label">#</span><span class=" body"><span class="ft">Title: Probably a musical term</span></span></span><span class="content"> A </span><span class="tl"><span class="content">maskil</span></span><span class="note f"><span class="label">#</span><span class=" body"><span class="ft">Title: Probably a literary or musical term</span></span></span><span class="content"> of David.</span></div><div class="q1"><span class="content">  </span><span class="verse v1" data-usfm="PSA.53.1"><span class="label">1</span><span class="content">The fool says in his heart,</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v1" data-usfm="PSA.53.1"><span class="content">&#8220;There is no God.&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v1" data-usfm="PSA.53.1"><span class="content">They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v1" data-usfm="PSA.53.1"><span class="content">there is no one who does good.</span></span></div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v1" data-usfm="PSA.53.1"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v2" data-usfm="PSA.53.2"><span class="label">2</span><span class="content">God looks down from heaven</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v2" data-usfm="PSA.53.2"><span class="content">on all mankind</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v2" data-usfm="PSA.53.2"><span class="content">to see if there are any who understand,</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v2" data-usfm="PSA.53.2"><span class="content">any who seek God.</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v2" data-usfm="PSA.53.2"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v3" data-usfm="PSA.53.3"><span class="label">3</span><span class="content">Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt;</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v3" data-usfm="PSA.53.3"><span class="content">there is no one who does good,</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v3" data-usfm="PSA.53.3"><span class="content">not even one.</span></span></div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v3" data-usfm="PSA.53.3"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v4" data-usfm="PSA.53.4"><span class="label">4</span><span class="content">Do all these evildoers know nothing?</span></span></div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v4" data-usfm="PSA.53.4"><span class="content">They devour my people as though eating bread;</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v4" data-usfm="PSA.53.4"><span class="content">they never call on God.</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v4" data-usfm="PSA.53.4"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v5" data-usfm="PSA.53.5"><span class="label">5</span><span class="content">But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v5" data-usfm="PSA.53.5"><span class="content">where there was nothing to dread.</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v5" data-usfm="PSA.53.5"><span class="content">God scattered the bones of those who attacked you;</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v5" data-usfm="PSA.53.5"><span class="content">you put them to shame, for God despised them.</span></span></div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v5" data-usfm="PSA.53.5"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v6" data-usfm="PSA.53.6"><span class="label">6</span><span class="content">Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v6" data-usfm="PSA.53.6"><span class="content">When God restores his people,</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v6" data-usfm="PSA.53.6"><span class="content">let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!</span></span></div>
      </div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
   <div class="book bkEZR">
      <div class="chapter ch4" data-usfm="EZR.4">
         <div class="label">4</div><div class="s1"><span class="heading">Opposition to the Rebuilding</span></div><div class="p"><span class="content">  </span><span class="verse v1" data-usfm="EZR.4.1"><span class="label">1</span><span class="content">When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the </span><span class="nd"><span class="content">Lord</span></span><span class="content">, the God of Israel, </span></span><span class="verse v2" data-usfm="EZR.4.2"><span class="label">2</span><span class="content">they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the families and said, &#8220;Let us help you build because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v2" data-usfm="EZR.4.2"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v3" data-usfm="EZR.4.3"><span class="label">3</span><span class="content">But Zerubbabel, Joshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel answered, &#8220;You have no part with us in building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the </span><span class="nd"><span class="content">Lord</span></span><span class="content">, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us.&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v3" data-usfm="EZR.4.3"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v4" data-usfm="EZR.4.4"><span class="label">4</span><span class="content">Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building.</span><span class="note f"><span class="label">#</span><span class=" body"><span class="fr">4:4 </span><span class="ft">Or </span><span class="fqa">and troubled them as they built</span></span></span><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v5" data-usfm="EZR.4.5"><span class="label">5</span><span class="content">They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.</span></span></div><div class="s1"><span class="heading">Later Opposition Under Xerxes and Artaxerxes</span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v5" data-usfm="EZR.4.5"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v6" data-usfm="EZR.4.6"><span class="label">6</span><span class="content">At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes,</span><span class="note f"><span class="label">#</span><span class=" body"><span class="fr">4:6 </span><span class="ft">Hebrew </span><span class="fqa">Ahasuerus</span></span></span><span class="content"> they lodged an accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v6" data-usfm="EZR.4.6"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v7" data-usfm="EZR.4.7"><span class="label">7</span><span class="content">And in the days of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his associates wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. The letter was written in Aramaic script and in the Aramaic language.</span><span class="note f"><span class="label">#</span><span class=" body"><span class="fr">4:7 </span><span class="ft">Or </span><span class="fqa">written in Aramaic and translated</span></span></span><span class="note f"><span class="label">#</span><span class=" body"><span class="fr">4:7 </span><span class="ft">The text of 4:8&#8211;6:18 is in Aramaic.</span></span></span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v7" data-usfm="EZR.4.7"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v8" data-usfm="EZR.4.8"><span class="label">8</span><span class="content">Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows:</span></span></div><div class="pmo"><span class="verse v8" data-usfm="EZR.4.8"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v9" data-usfm="EZR.4.9"><span class="label">9</span><span class="content">Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary, together with the rest of their associates&#8212;the judges, officials and administrators over the people from Persia, Uruk and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa, </span></span><span class="verse v10" data-usfm="EZR.4.10"><span class="label">10</span><span class="content">and the other people whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the city of Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v10" data-usfm="EZR.4.10"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v11" data-usfm="EZR.4.11"><span class="label">11</span><span class="content">(This is a copy of the letter they sent him.)</span></span></div><div class="pmo"><span class="verse v11" data-usfm="EZR.4.11"><span class="content">To King Artaxerxes,</span></span></div><div class="b"></div><div class="pmo"><span class="verse v11" data-usfm="EZR.4.11"><span class="content">From your servants in Trans-Euphrates:</span></span></div><div class="b"></div><div class="pm"><span class="verse v11" data-usfm="EZR.4.11"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v12" data-usfm="EZR.4.12"><span class="label">12</span><span class="content">The king should know that the people who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem and are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are restoring the walls and repairing the foundations.</span></span></div><div class="pm"><span class="verse v12" data-usfm="EZR.4.12"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v13" data-usfm="EZR.4.13"><span class="label">13</span><span class="content">Furthermore, the king should know that if this city is built and its walls are restored, no more taxes, tribute or duty will be paid, and eventually the royal revenues will suffer.</span><span class="note f"><span class="label">#</span><span class=" body"><span class="fr">4:13 </span><span class="ft">The meaning of the Aramaic for this clause is uncertain.</span></span></span><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v14" data-usfm="EZR.4.14"><span class="label">14</span><span class="content">Now since we are under obligation to the palace and it is not proper for us to see the king dishonored, we are sending this message to inform the king, </span></span><span class="verse v15" data-usfm="EZR.4.15"><span class="label">15</span><span class="content">so that a search may be made in the archives of your predecessors. In these records you will find that this city is a rebellious city, troublesome to kings and provinces, a place with a long history of sedition. That is why this city was destroyed. </span></span><span class="verse v16" data-usfm="EZR.4.16"><span class="label">16</span><span class="content">We inform the king that if this city is built and its walls are restored, you will be left with nothing in Trans-Euphrates.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v16" data-usfm="EZR.4.16"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v17" data-usfm="EZR.4.17"><span class="label">17</span><span class="content">The king sent this reply:</span></span></div><div class="pmo"><span class="verse v17" data-usfm="EZR.4.17"><span class="content">To Rehum the commanding officer, Shimshai the secretary and the rest of their associates living in Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates:</span></span></div><div class="b"></div><div class="pmo"><span class="verse v17" data-usfm="EZR.4.17"><span class="content">Greetings.</span></span></div><div class="b"></div><div class="pm"><span class="verse v17" data-usfm="EZR.4.17"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v18" data-usfm="EZR.4.18"><span class="label">18</span><span class="content">The letter you sent us has been read and translated in my presence. </span></span><span class="verse v19" data-usfm="EZR.4.19"><span class="label">19</span><span class="content">I issued an order and a search was made, and it was found that this city has a long history of revolt against kings and has been a place of rebellion and sedition. </span></span><span class="verse v20" data-usfm="EZR.4.20"><span class="label">20</span><span class="content">Jerusalem has had powerful kings ruling over the whole of Trans-Euphrates, and taxes, tribute and duty were paid to them. </span></span><span class="verse v21" data-usfm="EZR.4.21"><span class="label">21</span><span class="content">Now issue an order to these men to stop work, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order. </span></span><span class="verse v22" data-usfm="EZR.4.22"><span class="label">22</span><span class="content">Be careful not to neglect this matter. Why let this threat grow, to the detriment of the royal interests?</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v22" data-usfm="EZR.4.22"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v23" data-usfm="EZR.4.23"><span class="label">23</span><span class="content">As soon as the copy of the letter of King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum and Shimshai the secretary and their associates, they went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and compelled them by force to stop.</span></span></div><div class="b"></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v23" data-usfm="EZR.4.23"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v24" data-usfm="EZR.4.24"><span class="label">24</span><span class="content">Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.</span></span></div>
      </div>
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