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22 “You gave them kingdoms and ·nations [peoples; C to conquer];
you ·gave them more land [put them in every corner; L allotted/allocated to them every corner/frontier].
They ·took over [took possession of; inherited] the country of Sihon king of Heshbon
and the country of Og king of Bashan [Num. 21:21–33].
23 You made their ·children [descendants; sons] as ·many [numerous] as the stars ·in the sky [of heaven; Gen. 15:5; 22:17; 26:4],
and you brought them into the land
that you told their ·ancestors [fathers] to enter and ·take over [possess].
24 So their ·children [descendants; sons] went into the land and took ·over [possession].
The Canaanites lived there, but you ·defeated them for [subdued them before] our ancestors.
You handed over to them the Canaanites, their kings, and the ·people [peoples] of the land.
·Our ancestors [L They] could ·do what they wanted with them [deal with them as they pleased].
25 They captured ·strong, walled [fortified] cities and fertile land.
They took over houses full of good things,
·wells [cisterns] that were already dug,
vineyards, olive ·trees [groves], and ·many [abundant] fruit trees.
They ate until they were full and grew fat;
they ·enjoyed [reveled; delighted themselves in] your great goodness.
26 “But they were disobedient and ·turned [rebelled] against you
and ·ignored [turned their backs on] your ·teachings [laws; instructions; L Torah].
Your prophets ·warned [admonished] them to come back to you,
but they killed those prophets
and ·spoke against you [L committed great blasphemies].
27 So you handed them over to their ·enemies [oppressors],
and their ·enemies treated them badly [oppressors oppressed them].
But in this time of ·trouble [distress; suffering; misery] ·our ancestors [L they] cried out to you,
and you heard from heaven.
You had great ·mercy [compassion]
and gave them ·saviors [liberators; T deliverers] who ·saved [rescued] them from the ·power [hand] of their ·enemies [oppressors].
28 But as soon as they had ·rest [peace],
they again ·did what was [committed] evil.
So you ·left [abandoned; deserted; forsook] them to [L the hand of] their ·enemies [oppressors]
who ·ruled over [conquered; oppressed] them.
When they cried out to you again,
you heard from heaven.
Because of your ·mercy [compassion], you ·saved them again [rescued them time] and again.
29 You ·warned [admonished] them to return to your ·teachings [laws; instructions; L Torah],
but they were ·proud [arrogant; insolent] and did not ·obey [listen to] your commands.
If someone ·obeys [observes] your ·laws [judgments], he will live,
but they sinned against ·your laws [L them].
They ·were stubborn [L turned a stubborn shoulder], ·unwilling [rebellious; L stiff-necked], and ·disobedient [rebellious].
30 You ·were patient [T bore] with them for many years
and ·warned [admonished] them by your Spirit through ·the [your] prophets,
but they did not ·pay attention [L give ear].
So you handed them over to ·other countries [L the peoples of the lands].
31 But because your ·mercy [compassion] is great, you did not ·kill [destroy; L make an end of] them all or ·leave [abandon; desert; forsake] them.
You are a ·kind [gracious] and ·merciful [compassionate] God.
32 “And so, our God, you are the great and ·mighty [powerful] and ·wonderful [awesome] God.
You keep your ·agreement [covenant/treaty] of ·love [faithful/steadfast/unfailing love; lovingkindness].
Do not let all our ·trouble [hardship] seem ·unimportant [inconsequential; L small] ·to you [L in your sight].
This trouble has come to us, to our kings and our ·leaders [officials],
to our priests and prophets,
to our ·ancestors [fathers] and all your people
from the days of the kings of Assyria ·until today [to this very day].
33 You have been ·fair [just; righteous] in everything that has happened to us;
you have ·been loyal [been faithful; L done truth], but we have ·been wicked [acted wickedly/wrongly].
34 Our kings, ·leaders [officials], priests, and ·ancestors [fathers] did not obey your ·teachings [laws; instructions; L Torah];
they did not pay attention to the commands and ·warnings [decrees; testimonies] you gave them.
35 Even when ·our ancestors [L they] were living in their kingdom,
·enjoying [benefiting from] all the good things you ·had given [lavished/bestowed on] them,
·enjoying [benefiting from] the land that was ·fertile and full of room [rich and spacious],
they did not ·stop [serve you and turn from] their evil ·ways [deeds; practices].
36 “·Look [T Behold], we are slaves today
in the land you gave our ·ancestors [fathers].
·They were to enjoy [L …to eat] its fruit and its good things,
but ·look [T behold], we are slaves here.
37 The land’s ·great [abundant] ·harvest [produce] belongs to the kings you have ·put [set; placed] over us
because of our sins.
Those kings rule over ·us [L our bodies] and our cattle as they please,
so we are in ·much trouble [great distress/misery].
The People’s Covenant
38 “Because of all this, we are making an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] in writing, and our ·leaders [officials], Levites, and priests are putting their seals on it.”
10 These are the men who sealed the ·agreement [covenant; treaty]:
Nehemiah the governor, son of Hacaliah.
Zedekiah, 2 Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, 3 Pashhur, Amariah, Malkijah, 4 Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, 5 Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, 6 Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, 7 Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, 8 Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah. These are the priests.
9 These are the Levites who sealed it: Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel, 10 and their ·fellow Levites [colleagues; L brothers]: Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, 11 Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, 12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, 13 Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu.
14 These are the ·leaders [officials] of the people who sealed the ·agreement [covenant]: Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, 15 Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, 16 Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, 17 Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, 18 Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, 19 Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, 20 Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, 21 Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, 22 Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, 23 Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub, 24 Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, 25 Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, 26 Ahiah, Hanan, Anan, 27 Malluch, Harim, and Baanah.
28 The rest of the people ·took an oath [made a vow; swore]. They were the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, Temple servants, all those who separated themselves from ·foreigners [L the peoples of the lands] to keep the ·Teachings [Laws; Instructions; L Torah] of God, and also their wives and their sons and daughters who ·could [were able to; C were old enough] understand. 29 They joined their ·fellow Israelites [kinsmen] and their ·leading men [nobles] in taking an ·oath with a curse [L curse and an oath/vow; C the curse followed if they broke the oath]. They ·promised to follow [L were to walk in] the ·Teachings [Laws; Instructions; L Torah] of God, which they had been given through Moses the servant of God, and to ·obey [keep; observe] all the commands, ·rules [judgments], and ·laws [statutes; ordinances; requirements] of the Lord our God.
30 They said:
We promise not to ·let [give] our daughters ·marry foreigners [to the peoples of the land] nor to let our sons ·marry [take] their daughters. 31 When ·foreigners [L the peoples of the land] bring goods or grain to sell on the Sabbath, we will not buy on the Sabbath or any holy day. Every seventh year we will not plant, and that year we will ·forget all that people owe us [cancel every debt/loan; Ex. 21:2–6; 23:10–11; Deut. 15:1–2].
32 We ·will be responsible for [accept the obligation of] the commands to pay for the service of the ·Temple [L house] of our God. We will give ·an eighth of an ounce [L one third of a shekel] of silver each year. 33 It is for the ·bread that is set out on the table [Bread of Presence; T showbread; Ex. 25:30; C bread continually on a table in the Temple as an offering to God]; the regular grain [L gift; tribute] offerings [Lev. 2:1] and burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17]; the offerings on the Sabbaths, New Moon festivals, and ·special feasts [appointed festivals]; the ·holy [sacred] offerings; the ·sin [or purification] offerings [Lev. 4:3] to make ·Israel right with God [atonement for Israel]; and for the ·work [duties] of the ·Temple [L house] of our God.
34 We, the priests, the Levites, and the people, have ·thrown [cast] lots to decide at what time of year each family must ·bring [offer; supply] wood to the ·Temple [L house]. The wood is for burning on the altar of the Lord our God, and we will do this as it is written in the ·Teachings [Laws; Instructions; L Torah].
35 We also will bring the firstfruits from our ·crops [L land] and the firstfruits of every tree to the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord each year.
36 We will bring to the ·Temple [L house] of our God our firstborn sons and cattle and the firstborn of our herds and flocks, as it is written in the ·Teachings [Laws; Instructions; L Torah; Ex. 13:1–3]. We will bring them to the priests who ·are serving [minister] in the ·Temple [L house] of our God.
37 We will bring to the priests at the storerooms of the ·Temple [L house] of our God the first of our ·ground meal [flour; or dough], our ·offerings [contributions], the fruit from all our trees, and our new wine and oil. And we will bring a ·tenth [tithe] of our ·crops [L ground] to the Levites, who will collect these things in all the rural towns where we work. 38 A priest of Aaron’s ·family [line] must be with the Levites when they receive the ·tenth of the people’s crops [tithe]. The Levites must bring a ·tenth [tithe] of ·all they receive [the tithes] to the ·Temple [L house] of our God to put in the storerooms of the treasury. 39 The people of Israel and the Levites are to bring to the storerooms the ·gifts [contributions; offerings] of grain, new wine, and oil. That is where the ·utensils [vessels] for the ·Temple [sanctuary] are kept and where the priests who are ·serving [ministering], the gatekeepers, and singers stay.
We will not ·ignore [neglect] the ·Temple [L house] of our God.
19 I am free and belong to no one. But I make myself a slave to all people to win as many as I can. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew to win the Jews. I myself am not ·ruled by [subject to; L under] the law. But to those who are ·ruled by [subject to; L under] the law I became like a person who is ·ruled by [subject to; L under] the law. I did this to win those who are ·ruled by [subject to; L under] the law. 21 To those who are without the law [C Gentiles] I became like a person who is without the law. I did this to win those people who are without the law. (But really, I am not without God’s law—I am ·ruled by [L under] Christ’s law.) 22 To those who are weak [C in faith; 8:7–13], I became weak so I could win the weak. I have become all things to all people so I could save some of them in any way possible. 23 I do all this because of the ·Good News [Gospel] and so I can ·share in its blessings [or be a participant in it].
24 ·You [L Don’t you…?] know that in a ·race [L stadium] all the runners run, but only one gets the prize. So run to win! 25 All those who compete in the games ·use self-control [train with strict discipline] so they can win a ·crown [victor’s wreath]. That ·crown [victor’s wreath] is ·an earthly thing that lasts only a short time [L perishable], but our crown ·will never be destroyed [L is imperishable]. 26 So I do not run ·without a goal [aimlessly]. I fight like a boxer who is hitting something—not just the air. 27 I ·treat my body hard [discipline/subdue/pummel my body] and ·make it my slave [subdue it] so that I myself will not be disqualified after I have preached to others.
Warnings from Israel’s Past
10 Brothers and sisters, I ·want you to know [L don’t want you to be ignorant of] what happened to our ancestors. They were all under the cloud [C the Israelites were guided in the wilderness by a cloud, a symbol of God’s presence; Ex. 13:21; Num. 9:15–23] and all went through the sea [C the miraculous passage through the Red Sea; Ex. 14:22]. 2 They were all baptized ·as followers of [L into] Moses in the cloud and in the sea [C just as believers are baptized “into Christ” (Rom. 6:3), so the Israelites were “baptized” into Moses, their leader-redeemer]. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food [C the manna God provided from heaven; Ex. 16:15, 35], 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink [C the water miraculously provided from a rock; Ex. 17:6; Num. 20:7–13]. They drank from that spiritual rock that followed them [C in Jewish tradition, the rock travelled with the Israelites, providing continual refreshment], and that rock was Christ [C a type of Christ, who provides spiritual sustenance]. 5 But God was not pleased with most of them, so they ·died [or were struck down; or (their bodies) were scattered] in the desert [C as judgment for unbelief and refusing to enter the Promised Land; Num. 13—14].
6 And these things happened as examples for us, to stop us from ·wanting [desiring; craving] evil things as those people did. 7 Do not worship idols, as some of them did. Just as it is written in the Scriptures: “The people sat down to eat and drink, and then they got up and ·sinned sexually [L played; C a euphemism for immoral revelry; Ex. 32:6].” 8 We must not take part in sexual sins, as some of them did. In one day twenty-three thousand of them ·died because of their sins [L fell; Num 25:1–9]. 9 We must not test Christ as some of them did; they were ·killed [destroyed] by snakes. 10 Do not ·complain [grumble] as some of them did; they were killed by the ·angel that destroys [L destroyer; Num. 16:41–50; Ex. 12:23].
11 The things that happened to those people are examples. They were written down to ·teach [instruct; warn] us ·who live in the final days of this age [L for whom the end/climax/culmination of the ages has come]. 12 [L So; Therefore] If you think you are ·strong [L standing (firm)], you should be careful not to fall. 13 The only ·temptation [or trials] that has come to you is ·that which everyone has [L (common to) human life]. But ·you can trust God [God is faithful], who will not permit you to be tempted more than you can stand. But when you are tempted, he will also give you a way to escape so that you will be able to ·stand [endure] it.
Praise God Who Judges and Saves
David’s song from the time he ·acted crazy [acted mad/insane; L changed his mind/discernment] so Abimelech [C perhaps another name for Achish] would ·send [drive] him away, and David did leave [1 Sam. 21:10–15].
34 I will ·praise [bless] the Lord at all times;
his praise is always ·on my lips [L in my mouth].
2 My ·whole being [soul] praises the Lord.
The ·poor [humble] will hear and be glad.
3 ·Glorify [Praise; Magnify] the Lord with me,
and let us ·praise [L extol] his name together.
4 I ·asked the Lord for help [sought the Lord], and he answered me.
He ·saved [rescued; T delivered] me from all that I feared.
5 Those who ·go [L look] to him for help are ·happy [radiant],
and ·they [L their faces] are never ·disgraced [shamed].
6 This ·poor [afflicted] man [C someone in the congregation or the psalmist himself] ·called [prayed], and the Lord heard him
and ·saved him from [gave him victory over] all his ·troubles [distress].
7 The angel of the Lord [91:11; Gen. 32:1–2; 2 Kin. 6:17; Matt. 4:5–6] camps around those who fear God [Prov. 1:7],
and he saves them.
8 ·Examine [L Taste] and see how good the Lord is.
·Happy [Blessed] is the person who ·trusts [finds refuge in] him.
9 You ·who belong to the Lord [holy ones], fear him [Prov. 1:7]!
Those who fear him will ·have everything they need [not lack anything; 23:1].
10 Even lions [C the most noble wild beast] may get weak and hungry,
but those who ·look to [seek] the Lord ·will have every [L do not lack any] good thing.
13 Whoever ·ignores [L closes their ears to] the poor when they cry for help
will also ·cry for help [call out] and not be answered.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.