A Promised Ruler From Bethlehem

       Marshal your troops, O city of troops,
          for a siege is laid against us.
       They will strike Israel's ruler
          on the cheek with a rod.

       "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
          though you are small among the clans of Judah,
       out of you will come for Me
          one who will be ruler over Israel,
       whose origins are from of old,
          from ancient times."

       Therefore Israel will be abandoned
          until the time when she who is in labor gives birth
       and the rest of His brothers return
          to join the Israelites.

       He will stand and shepherd His flock
          in the strength of The Lord,
          in the majesty of the name of The Lord His GOD.
       And they will live securely, for then His greatness
          will reach to the ends of the earth.
          And He will be their peace.


The Book of Micah: chapter 5, verses 1 - 5

Deliverance and Destruction

       When the Assyrian invades our land
          and marches through our fortresses,
       we will raise against him seven shepherds,
          even eight leaders of men.
       They will rule the land of Assyria with the sword,
          the land of Nimrod with drawn sword.
       He will deliver us from the Assyrian
          when he invades our land
          and marches into our borders.

       The remnant of Jacob will be
          in the midst of many peoples
       like dew from The Lord,
          like showers on the grass,
       which do not wait for man
          or linger for mankind.
       The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations,
          in the midst of many peoples,
       like a lion among the beasts of the forest,
          like a young lion among flocks of sheep,
       which mauls and mangles as it goes,
          and no one can rescue.
       Your hand will be lifted up in triumph
              over your enemies,
          and all your foes will be destroyed.

       "In that day," declares The Lord,

       "I will destroy your horses from among you
          and demolish your chariots.
       I will destroy the cities of your land
          and tear down all your strongholds.
       I will destroy your witchcraft
          and you will no longer cast spells.
       I will destroy your carved images
          and your sacred stones from among you;
       you will no longer bow down
          to the work of your hands.
       I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles
          and demolish your cities.
       I will take vengeance in anger and wrath
          upon the nations that have not obeyed Me."


The Book of Micah: chapter 5, verses 5 - 15

The Sign of Immanuel

       When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it.
       Now the house of David was told, "Aram has allied itself with Ephraim"; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.
       Then The Lord said to Isaiah, "Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub, to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman's Field. Say to him, 'Be careful, keep calm and don't be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood--because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah. Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah's son have plotted your ruin, saying, "Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it." Yet this is what The Sovereign Lord says:

       " 'It will not take place,
          it will not happen,
       for the head of Aram is Damascus,
          and the head of Damascus is only Rezin.
       Within sixty-five years
          Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people.
       The head of Ephraim is Samaria,
          and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah's son.
       If you do not stand firm in your faith,
          you will not stand at all.' "

       Again The Lord spoke to Ahaz, "Ask The Lord your GOD for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights."
       But Ahaz said, "I will not ask; I will not put The Lord to the test."
       Then Isaiah said, "Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my GOD also? Therefore The Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel. He will eat curds and honey when He knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right. But before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste. The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah--He will bring the king of Assyria."
       In that day The Lord will whistle for flies from the distant streams of Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria. They will all come and settle in the steep ravines and in the crevices in the rocks, on all the thornbushes and at all the water holes. In that day The Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the River--the king of Assyria--to shave your head and the hair of your legs, and to take off your beards also. In that day, a man will keep alive a young cow and two goats. And because of the abundance of the milk they give, he will have curds to eat. All who remain in the land will eat curds and honey. In that day, in every place where there were a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels, there will be only briers and thorns. Men will go there with bow and arrow, for the land will be covered with briers and thorns. As for all the hills once cultivated by the hoe, you will no longer go there for fear of the briers and thorns; they will become places where cattle are turned loose and where sheep run.


The Book of Isaiah: chapter 7

Assyria, The Lord's Instrument

       The Lord said to me, "Take a large scroll and write on it with an ordinary pen: Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. And I will call in Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah as reliable witnesses for Me."
       Then I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. And The Lord said to me, "Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. Before the boy knows how to say 'My father' or 'My mother,' the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria."
       The Lord spoke to me again:

       "Because this people has rejected
          the gently flowing waters of Shiloah
       and rejoices over Rezin
          and the son of Remaliah,
       therefore The Lord is about to bring against them
          the mighty floodwaters of the River--
          the king of Assyria with all his pomp.
       It will overflow all its channels,
          run over all its banks
       and sweep on into Judah, swirling over it,
          passing through it and reaching up to the neck.
       Its outspread wings will cover the breadth of your land,
          O Immanuel!"

       Raise the war cry, you nations, and be shattered!
          Listen, all you distant lands.
       Prepare for battle, and be shattered!
          Prepare for battle, and be shattered!
       Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted;
          propose your plan, but it will not stand,
       for GOD is with us.


The Book of Isaiah: chapter 8, verses 1 - 10

Fear GOD

       The Lord spoke to me with His strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people. He said:

       "Do not call conspiracy
          everything that these people call conspiracy;
       do not fear what they fear,
          and do not dread it.
       The Lord Almighty is The One you are to regard as holy,
          He is The One you are to fear,
          He is The One you are to dread,
       and He will be a sanctuary;
          but for both houses of Israel He will be
       a stone that causes men to stumble
          and a rock that makes them fall.
       And for the people of Jerusalem He will be
          a trap and a snare.
       Many of them will stumble;
          they will fall and be broken,
          they will be snared and captured."

       Bind up the testimony
          and seal up the law among my disciples.
       I will wait for The Lord,
          who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob.
       I will put my trust in Him.

       Here am I, and the children The Lord has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from The Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion.
       When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their GOD? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn. Distressed and hungry, they will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse their King and their GOD. Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness.


The Book of Isaiah: chapter 8, verses 11 - 22

To Us A Child Is Born

       Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past He humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future He will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan--

       The people walking in darkness
          have seen a great light;
       on those living in the land of the shadow of death
          a light has dawned.
       You have enlarged the nation
          and increased their joy;
       they rejoice before you
          as people rejoice at the harvest,
       as men rejoice
          when dividing the plunder.
       For as in the day of Midian's defeat,
          you have shattered
       the yoke that burdens them,
          the bar across their shoulders,
          the rod of their oppressor.
       Every warrior's boot used in battle
          and every garment rolled in blood
       will be destined for burning,
          will be fuel for the fire.
       For to us a child is born,
          to us a son is given,
          and the government will be on His shoulders.
       And He will be called
          Wonderful Counselor, Mighty GOD,
          Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
       Of the increase of His government and peace
          there will be no end.
       He will reign on David's throne
          and over his kingdom,
       establishing and upholding it
          with justice and righteousness
          from that time on and forever.
       The zeal of The Lord Almighty
          will accomplish this.


The Book of Isaiah: chapter 9, verses 1 - 7

The Birth of Jesus Christ

       This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through The Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
       But after he had considered this, an angel of The Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from The Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins."
       All this took place to fulfill what The Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel"--which means, "GOD with us."
       When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of The Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave Him the name Jesus.


The Gospel of Matthew: chapter 1, verses 18 - 25

The Visit of the Magi

       After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is The One who has been born king of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him."
       When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where The Christ was to be born. "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:

       " 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
          are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
       for out of you will come a ruler
          who will be the shepherd of My people Israel.' "

       Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find Him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship Him."
       After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.


The Gospel of Matthew: chapter 2, verses 1 - 12

The Shepherds and the Angels

       And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of The Lord appeared to them, and the glory of The Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ The Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
       Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising GOD and saying,

       "Glory to GOD in the highest,
          and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests."

       When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which The Lord has told us about."
       So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising GOD for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.


The Gospel of Luke: chapter 2, verses 8 - 20

The Birth of Jesus

       In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.
       So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.


The Gospel of Luke: chapter 2, verses 1 - 7

Zechariah's Song

       His father Zechariah was filled with The Holy Spirit and prophesied:

       "Praise be to The Lord, The GOD of Israel,
          because He has come and has redeemed His people.
       He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
          in the house of His servant David
       (as He said through His holy prophets of long ago),
       salvation from our enemies
          and from the hand of all who hate us--
       to show mercy to our fathers
          and to remember His holy covenant,
          the oath He swore to our father Abraham:
       to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
          and to enable us to serve Him without fear
          in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.

       And you, my child, will be called a prophet of The Most High;
          for you will go on before The Lord to prepare the way for Him,
       to give His people the knowledge of salvation
          through the forgiveness of their sins,
       because of the tender mercy of our GOD,
          by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
       to shine on those living in darkness
          and in the shadow of death,
       to guide our feet into the path of peace."

       And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.


The Gospel of Luke: chapter 1, verses 67 - 80

The Birth of John the Baptist

       When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that The Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.
       On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother spoke up and said, "No! He is to be called John."
       They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who has that name."
       Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone's astonishment he wrote, "His name is John." Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising GOD. The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, "What then is this child going to be?" For The Lord's hand was with him.


The Gospel of Luke: chapter 1, verses 57 - 66

Mary's Song

       And Mary said:

       "My soul glorifies The Lord
          and my spirit rejoices in GOD my Savior,
       for He has been mindful
          of the humble state of His servant.
       From now on all generations will call me blessed,
          for The Mighty One has done great things for me--holy is His name.
       His mercy extends to those who fear Him,
          from generation to generation.
       He has performed mighty deeds with His arm;
          He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
       He has brought down rulers from their thrones
          but has lifted up the humble.
       He has filled the hungry with good things
          but has sent the rich away empty.
       He has helped His servant Israel,
          remembering to be merciful
       to Abraham and his descendants forever,
          even as He said to our fathers."

       Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.


The Gospel of Luke: chapter 1, verses 46 - 56

Mary Visits Elizabeth

       At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with The Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what The Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"


The Gospel of Luke: chapter 1, verses 39 - 45

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

       In the sixth month, GOD sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
       Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with GOD. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called The Son of The Most High. The Lord GOD will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; His kingdom will never end."
       "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"
       The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of The Most High will overshadow you. So The Holy One to be born will be called The Son of GOD. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with GOD."
       "I am The Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.


The Gospel of Luke: chapter 1, verses 26 - 38

The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

       In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were upright in the sight of GOD, observing all The Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.
       Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before GOD, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of The Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.
       Then an angel of The Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of The Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with The Holy Spirit even from birth. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to The Lord their GOD. And he will go on before The Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for The Lord."
       Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years."
       The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of GOD, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time."
       Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.
       When his time of service was completed, he returned home. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. "The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days He has shown His favor and taken away my disgrace among the people."


The Gospel of Luke: chapter 1, verses 5 - 25

Introduction to The Gospel of Luke

       Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of The Word. Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.


The Gospel of Luke: chapter 1, verses 1 - 4

The Fall of Jerusalem

       This is how Jerusalem was taken: In the ninth year of  Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege to it. And on the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah's eleventh year, the city wall was broken through. Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officials of the king of Babylon. When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled; they left the city at night by way of the king's garden, through the gate between the two walls, and headed toward the Arabah.
       But the Babylonian army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They captured him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him. There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and also killed all the nobles of Judah. Then he put out Zedekiah's eyes and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.
       The Babylonians set fire to the royal palace and the houses of the people and broke down the walls of Jerusalem. Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard carried into exile to Babylon the people who remained in the city, along with those who had gone over to him, and the rest of the people. But Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people, who owned nothing; and at that time he gave them vineyards and fields.
       Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given these orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard: "Take him and look after him; don't harm him but do for him whatever he asks." So Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard, Nebushazban a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officers of the king of Babylon sent and had Jeremiah taken out of the courtyard of the guard. They turned him over to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him back to his home. So he remained among his own people.
       While Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of The Lord came to him: "Go and tell Ebed-Melech the Cushite, "This is what The Lord Almighty, The GOD of Israel, says: I Am about to fulfill My words against this city through disaster, not prosperity. At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes. But I will rescue you on that day, declares The Lord; you will not be handed over to those you fear. I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in Me, declares The Lord.' "


The Book of Jeremiah: chapter 39

Jeremiah Freed

       The word came to Jeremiah from The Lord after Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had released him at Ramah. He had found Jeremiah bound in chains among all the captives from Jerusalem and Judah who were being carried into exile to Babylon. When the commander of the guard found Jeremiah, he said to him, "The Lord your GOD decreed this disaster for this place. And now The Lord has brought it about; He has done just as He said He would. All this happened because you people sinned against The Lord and did not obey Him. But today I am freeing you from the chains on your wrists. Come with me to Babylon, if you like, and I will look after you; but if you do not want to, then don't come. Look, the whole country lies before you; go wherever you please." However, before Jeremiah turned to go, Nebuzaradan added, "Go back to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed over the towns of Judah, and live with him among the people, or go anywhere else you please."
       Then the commander gave him provisions and a present and let him go. So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah and stayed with him among the people who were left behind in the land.


The Book of Jeremiah: chapter 40, verses 1 - 6

Gedaliah Assassinated

       When all the army officers and their men who were still in the open country heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor over the land and had put him in charge of the men, women and children who were the poorest in the land and who had not been carried into exile to Babylon, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah--Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite, and their men. Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, took an oath to reassure them and their men. "Do not be afraid to serve the Babylonians, he said. "Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you. I myself will stay at Mizpah to represent you before the Babylonians who come to us, but you are to harvest the wine, summer fruit and oil, and put them in your storage jars, and live in the towns you have taken over."
       When all the Jews in Moab, Ammon, Edom and all the other countries heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, as governor over them, they all came back to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, from all the countries where they had been scattered. And they harvested an abundance of wine and summer fruit.
       Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers still in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah and said to him, "Don't you know that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to take your life?" But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.
       Then Johanan son of Kareah said privately to Gedaliah in Mizpah, "Let me go and kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he take your life and cause all the Jews who are gathered around you to be scattered and the remnant of Judah to perish?"
       But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, "Don't do such a thing! What you are saying about Ishmael is not true."
       In the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood and had been one of the king's officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. While they were eating together there, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword, killing the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land. Ishmael also killed all the Jews who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Babylonian soldiers who were there.
       The day after Gedaliah's assassination, before anyone knew about it, eighty men who had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes and cut themselves came from Shechem, Shiloh and Samaria, bringing grain offerings and incense with them to the house of The Lord. Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went. When he met them, he said, "Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam." When they went into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men who were with him slaughtered them and threw them into a cistern. But ten of them said to Ishmael, "Don't kill us! We have wheat and barley, oil and honey, hidden in a field." So he let them alone and did not kill them with the others. Now the cistern where he threw all the bodies of the men he had killed along with Gedaliah was the one King Asa had made as part of his defense against Baasha king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the dead.
       Ishmael made captives of all the rest of the people who were in Mizpah--the king's daughters along with all the others who were left there, over whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites.
       When Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him heard about all the crimes Ishmael son of Nethaniah had committed, they took all their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They caught up with him near the great pool in Gibeon. When all the people Ishmael had with him saw Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers who were with him, they were glad. All the people Ishmael had taken captive at Mizpah turned and went over to Johanan son of Kareah. But Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men escaped from Johanan and fled to the Ammonites.


The Book of Jeremiah: chapter 40, verses 7 - 16 & chapter 41, verses 1 - 15

Flight to Egypt

       Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him led away all the survivors from Mizpah whom he had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after he had assassinated Gedaliah son of Ahikam: the soldiers, women, children and court officials he had brought from Gibeon. And they went on, stopping at Geruth Kimham near Bethlehem on their way to Egypt to escape the Babylonians. They were afraid of them because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land.
       Then all the army officers, including Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest approached Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, "Please hear our petition and pray to The Lord your GOD for this entire remnant. For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few are left. Pray that The Lord your GOD will tell us where we should go and what we should do."
       "I have heard you," replied Jeremiah the prophet. "I will certainly pray to The Lord your GOD as you have requested; I will tell you everything The Lord says and will keep nothing back from you."
       Then they said to Jeremiah, "May The Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with everything The Lord your GOD sends you to tell us. Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey The Lord our GOD, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey The Lord our GOD."
       Ten days later the word of The Lord came to Jeremiah. So he called together Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him and all the people from the least to the greatest. He said to them, "This is what The Lord, The GOD of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition, says: 'If you stay in this land, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I Am grieved over the disaster I have inflicted on you. Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you now fear. Do not be afraid of him, declares The Lord, for I Am with you and will save you and deliver you from his hands. I will show you compassion so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your land.'
       "However, if you say, 'We will not stay in this land,' and so disobey The Lord your GOD, and if you say, 'No, we will go and live in Egypt, where we will not see war or hear the trumpet or be hungry for bread,' then hear the word of The Lord, O remnant of Judah. This is what The Lord Almighty, The GOD of Israel, says: 'If you are determined to go to Egypt and you do go to settle there, then the sword you fear will overtake you there, and the famine you dread will follow you into Egypt, and there you will die. Indeed, all who are determined to go to Egypt to settle there will die by the sword, famine and plague; not one of them will survive or escape the disaster I will bring on them.' This is what The Lord Almighty, The GOD of Israel, says: 'As My anger and wrath have been poured out on you when you go to Egypt. You will be an object of cursing and horror, of condemnation and reproach; you will never see this place again.'
       "O remnant of Judah, The Lord has told you, 'Do not go to Egypt.' Be sure of this: I warn you today that you made a fatal mistake when you sent me to The Lord your GOD and said, 'Pray to The Lord our GOD for us; tell us everything He says and we will do it.' I have told you today, but you still have not obeyed The Lord your GOD in all He sent me to tell you. So now, be sure of this: You will die by the sword, famine and plague in the place where you want to go to settle."
       When Jeremiah finished telling the people all the words of The Lord their GOD--everything The Lord had sent him to tell them--Azariah son of Hoshaiah and Johanan son of Kareah and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, "You are lying! The Lord our GOD has not sent you to say, 'You must not go to Egypt to settle there.' But Baruch son of Neriah is inciting you against us to hand us over to the Babylonians, so they may kill us or carry us into exile to Babylon."
       So Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers and all the people disobeyed The Lord's command to stay in the land of Judah. Instead, Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers led away all the remnant of Judah who had come back to live in the land of Judah from all the nations where they had been scattered. They also led away all the men, women and children and the king's daughters whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had left with Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch son of Neriah. So they entered Egypt in disobedience to The Lord and went as far as Tahpanhes.
       In Tahpanhes the word of The Lord came to Jeremiah: "While the Jews are watching, take some large stones with you and bury them in clay in the brick pavement at the entrance to Pharaoh's palace in Tahpanhes. Then say to them, 'This is what The Lord Almighty, The GOD of Israel, says: I will send for My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I will set his throne over these stones I have buried here; he will spread his royal canopy above them. He will come and attack Egypt, bringing death to those destined for death, captivity to those destined for captivity, and the sword to those destined for the sword. He will set fire to the temples of the gods of Egypt; he will burn their temples and take their gods captive. As a shepherd wraps his garment around him, so will he wrap Egypt around himself and depart from there unscathed. There in the temple of the sun in Egypt he will demolish the sacred pillars and will burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt.' "


The Book of Jeremiah: chapter 41, verses 16 - 18 & chapter 42 & chapter 43

Disaster Because of Idolatry/Freemasonry

       This word came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews living in Lower Egypt--in Migdol, Tahpanhes and Memphis--and in Upper Egypt: "This is what The Lord Almighty, The GOD of Israel, says: You saw the great disaster I brought on Jerusalem and on all the towns of Judah. Today they lie deserted and in ruins because of the evil they have done. They provoked Me to anger by burning incense and by worshiping other gods that neither they nor you nor your fathers ever knew. Again and again I sent My servants the prophets, who said, 'Do not do this detestable thing that I hate!' But they did not listen or pay attention; they did not turn from their wickedness or stop burning incense to other gods. Therefore, My fierce anger was poured out; it raged against the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem and made them the desolate ruins they are today.
       "Now this is what The Lord GOD Almighty, The GOD of Israel, says: Why bring such great disaster on yourselves by cutting off from Judah the men and women, the children and infants, and so leave yourselves without a remnant? Why provoke Me to anger with what your hands have made, burning incense to other gods in Egypt, where you have come to live? You will destroy yourselves and make yourselves an object of cursing and reproach among all the nations on earth. Have you forgotten the wickedness committed by your fathers and by the kings and queens of Judah and the wickedness committed by you and your wives in the land of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem? To this day they have not humbled themselves or shown reverence, nor have they followed My law and the decrees I set before you and your fathers.
       "Therefore, this is what The Lord Almighty, The GOD of Israel, says: I Am determined to bring disaster on you and to destroy all Judah. I will take away the remnant of Judah who were determined to go to Egypt to settle there. They will all perish in Egypt; they will fall by the sword or die from famine. From the least to the greatest, they will die by sword or famine. They will become an object of cursing and horror, of condemnation and reproach. I will punish those who live in Egypt with the sword, famine and plague, as I punished Jerusalem. None of the remnant of Judah who have gone to live in Egypt will escape or survive to return to the land of Judah, to which they long to return and live; none will return except a few fugitives."
       Then all the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods, along with all the women who were present--a large assembly--and all the people living in Lower and Upper Egypt, said to Jeremiah, "We will not listen to the message you have spoken to us in the name of The Lord! We will certainly do everything we said we would: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we and our fathers, our kings and our officials did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and were well off and suffered no harm. But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have had nothing and have been perishing by sword and famine."
       The women added, "When we burned incense to the Queen of Heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, did not our husbands know that we were making cakes like her image and pouring out drink offerings to her?"
       Then Jeremiah said to all the people, both men and women, who were answering him, "Did not The Lord remember and think about the incense burned in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem by you and your fathers, your kings and your officials and the people of the land? When The Lord could no longer endure your wicked actions and the detestable things you did, your land became an object of cursing and a desolate waste without inhabitants, as it is today. Because you have burned incense and have sinned against The Lord and have not obeyed Him or followed His law or His decrees or His stipulations, this disaster has come upon you, as you now see."
       Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including the women, "Hear the word of The Lord, all you people of Judah in Egypt. This is what The Lord Almighty, The GOD of Israel, says: You and your wives have shown by your actions what you promised when you said, 'We will certainly carry out the vows we made to burn incense and pour out drink offerings to the Queen of Heaven.'
       "Go ahead then, do what you promised! Keep your vows! But hear the word of The Lord, all Jews living in Egypt: 'I swear by My great name,' says The Lord, 'that no one from Judah living anywhere in Egypt will ever again invoke My name or swear, "As surely as the Sovereign Lord lives." For I Am watching over them for harm, not for good; the Jews in Egypt will perish by sword and famine until they are all destroyed. Those who escape the sword and return to the land of Judah from Egypt will be very few. Then the whole remnant of Judah who came to live in Egypt will know whose word will stand--mine or theirs.
       " 'This will be the sign to you that I will punish you in this place,' declares The Lord, 'so that you will know that My threats of harm against you will surely stand.' This is what The Lord says: 'I Am going to hand Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt over to his enemies who seek his life, just as I handed Zedekiah king of Judah over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the enemy who was seeking his life.' "


The Book of Jeremiah: chapter 44