God Keeps Making a Way

1 After these things Yahweh’s word came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Don’t be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”

2 Abram said, “Lord Yahweh, what will you give me, since I go childless, and he who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?”

3 Abram said, “Behold, to me you have given no children: and, behold, one born in my house is my heir.”

4 Behold, Yahweh’s word came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir, but he who will come out of your own body will be your heir.”

5 Yahweh brought him outside, and said, “Look now toward the sky, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” He said to Abram, “So will your offspring be.”

6 He believed in Yahweh, who credited it to him for righteousness.

7 He said to Abram, “I am Yahweh who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land to inherit it.”

8 He said, “Lord Yahweh, how will I know that I will inherit it?”

9 He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”

10 He brought him all these, and divided them in the middle, and laid each half opposite the other; but he didn’t divide the birds.

11 The birds of prey came down on the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.

12 When the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. Now terror and great darkness fell on him.

13 He said to Abram, “Know for sure that your offspring will live as foreigners in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them. They will afflict them four hundred years.

14 I will also judge that nation, whom they will serve. Afterward they will come out with great wealth,

15 but you will go to your fathers in peace. You will be buried at a good old age.

16 In the fourth generation they will come here again, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full.”

17 It came to pass that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold, a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.

18 In that day Yahweh made a covenant with Abram, saying, “I have given this land to your offspring, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates:

19 the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites,

20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim,

21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”

8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who didn’t know Joseph.

9 He said to his people, “Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we.

10 Come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it happen that when any war breaks out, they also join themselves to our enemies, and fight against us, and escape out of the land.”

11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. They built storage cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Raamses.

15 Yahweh your God will raise up to you a prophet from among you, of your brothers, like me. You shall listen to him.

1 Peter and John were going up into the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.

2 A certain man who was lame from his mother’s womb was being carried, whom they laid daily at the door of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask gifts for the needy of those who entered into the temple.

3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive gifts for the needy.

4 Peter, fastening his eyes on him, with John, said, “Look at us.”

5 He listened to them, expecting to receive something from them.

6 But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!”

7 He took him by the right hand, and raised him up. Immediately his feet and his ankle bones received strength.

8 Leaping up, he stood, and began to walk. He entered with them into the temple, walking, leaping, and praising God.

9 All the people saw him walking and praising God.

10 They recognized him, that it was he who used to sit begging for gifts for the needy at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. They were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

11 As the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering.

12 When Peter saw it, he responded to the people, “You men of Israel, why do you marvel at this man? Why do you fasten your eyes on us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made him walk?

13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up, and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had determined to release him.

14 But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,

15 and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, to which we are witnesses.

16 By faith in his name, his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which is through him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

17 “Now, brothers, I know that you did this in ignorance, as did also your rulers.

18 But the things which God announced by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled.

19 “Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, so that there may come times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord,

20 and that he may send Christ Jesus, who was ordained for you before,

21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God spoke long ago by the mouth of his holy prophets.

22 For Moses indeed said to the fathers, ‘The Lord God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, like me. You shall listen to him in all things whatever he says to you.

23 It will be that every soul that will not listen to that prophet will be utterly destroyed from among the people.’

24 Yes, and all the prophets from Samuel and those who followed after, as many as have spoken, they also told of these days.

25 You are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘In your offspring will all the families of the earth be blessed.’

26 God, having raised up his servant Jesus, sent him to you first to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your wickedness.”

1 Yahweh says, “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build to me? Where will I rest?

2 For my hand has made all these things, and so all these things came to be,” says Yahweh: “but to this man will I look, even to he who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at my word.

1 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, with all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the fathers’ households of the children of Israel, to king Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of Yahweh’s covenant out of David’s city, which is Zion.

2 All the men of Israel assembled themselves to king Solomon at the feast, in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month.

3 All the elders of Israel came, and the priests picked up the ark.

4 They brought up Yahweh’s ark, the Tent of Meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent. The priests and the Levites brought these up.

5 King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who were assembled to him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and cattle, that could not be counted or numbered for multitude.

6 The priests brought in the ark of Yahweh’s covenant to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the most holy place, even under the cherubim’s wings.

7 For the cherubim spread their wings out over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and its poles above.

8 The poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the holy place before the inner sanctuary; but they were not seen outside. They are there to this day.

9 There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets which Moses put there at Horeb, when Yahweh made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.

10 It came to pass, when the priests had come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled Yahweh’s house,

11 so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud; for Yahweh’s glory filled Yahweh’s house.

12 Then Solomon said, “Yahweh has said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

13 I have surely built you a house of habitation, a place for you to dwell in forever.”

14 The king turned his face around, and blessed all the assembly of Israel; and all the assembly of Israel stood.

15 He said, “Blessed is Yahweh, the God of Israel, who spoke with his mouth to David your father, and has with his hand fulfilled it, saying,

16 ‘Since the day that I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build a house, that my name might be there; but I chose David to be over my people Israel.’

17 “Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel.

18 But Yahweh said to David my father, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart.

19 Nevertheless, you shall not build the house; but your son who shall come out of your body, he shall build the house for my name.’

20 Yahweh has established his word that he spoke; for I have risen up in the place of David my father, and I sit on the throne of Israel, as Yahweh promised, and have built the house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel.

21 There I have set a place for the ark, in which is Yahweh’s covenant, which he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.”

22 Solomon stood before Yahweh’s altar in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven;

23 and he said, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above, or on earth beneath; who keeps covenant and loving kindness with your servants, who walk before you with all their heart;

24 who has kept with your servant David my father that which you promised him. Yes, you spoke with your mouth, and have fulfilled it with your hand, as it is today.

25 Now therefore, may Yahweh, the God of Israel, keep with your servant David my father that which you have promised him, saying, ‘There shall not fail from you a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your children take heed to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me.’

26 “Now therefore, God of Israel, please let your word be verified, which you spoke to your servant David my father.

27 But will God in very deed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens can’t contain you; how much less this house that I have built!

28 Yet have respect for the prayer of your servant, and for his supplication, Yahweh my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which your servant prays before you today;

29 that your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which you have said, ‘My name shall be there;’ to listen to the prayer which your servant prays toward this place.

30 Listen to the supplication of your servant, and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Yes, hear in heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive.

31 “If a man sins against his neighbor, and an oath is laid on him to cause him to swear, and he comes and swears before your altar in this house;

32 then hear in heaven, and act, and judge your servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way on his own head, and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.

33 “When your people Israel are struck down before the enemy, because they have sinned against you; if they turn again to you, and confess your name, and pray and make supplication to you in this house;

34 then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them again to the land which you gave to their fathers.

35 “When the sky is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against you; if they pray toward this place, and confess your name, and turn from their sin, when you afflict them,

36 then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of your servants, and of your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on your land, which you have given to your people for an inheritance.

37 “If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there is blight, mildew, locust or caterpillar; if their enemy besieges them in the land of their cities; whatever plague, whatever sickness there is;

38…

1 In you, Yahweh, I take refuge. Let me never be disappointed. Deliver me in your righteousness.

2 Bow down your ear to me. Deliver me speedily. Be to me a strong rock, a house of defense to save me.

3 For you are my rock and my fortress, therefore for your name’s sake lead me and guide me.

4 Pluck me out of the net that they have laid secretly for me, for you are my stronghold.

5 Into your hand I commend my spirit. You redeem me, Yahweh, God of truth.

6 I hate those who regard lying vanities, but I trust in Yahweh.

7 I will be glad and rejoice in your loving kindness, for you have seen my affliction. You have known my soul in adversities.

8 You have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy. You have set my feet in a large place.

9 Have mercy on me, Yahweh, for I am in distress. My eye, my soul, and my body waste away with grief.

10 For my life is spent with sorrow, my years with sighing. My strength fails because of my iniquity. My bones are wasted away.

11 Because of all my adversaries I have become utterly contemptible to my neighbors, A fear to my acquaintances. Those who saw me on the street fled from me.

12 I am forgotten from their hearts like a dead man. I am like broken pottery.

13 For I have heard the slander of many, terror on every side, while they conspire together against me, they plot to take away my life.

14 But I trust in you, Yahweh. I said, “You are my God.”

15 My times are in your hand. Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.

16 Make your face to shine on your servant. Save me in your loving kindness.

17 Let me not be disappointed, Yahweh, for I have called on you. Let the wicked be disappointed. Let them be silent in Sheol.

18 Let the lying lips be mute, which speak against the righteous insolently, with pride and contempt.

19 Oh how great is your goodness, which you have laid up for those who fear you, which you have worked for those who take refuge in you, before the sons of men!

20 In the shelter of your presence you will hide them from the plotting of man. You will keep them secretly in a dwelling away from the strife of tongues.

21 Praise be to Yahweh, for he has shown me his marvelous loving kindness in a strong city.

22 As for me, I said in my haste, “I am cut off from before your eyes.” Nevertheless you heard the voice of my petitions when I cried to you.

23 Oh love Yahweh, all you his saints! Yahweh preserves the faithful, and fully recompenses him who behaves arrogantly.

24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in Yahweh.

1 The righteous perish, and no one lays it to heart. Merciful men are taken away, and no one considers that the righteous is taken away from the evil.

2 He enters into peace. They rest in their beds, each one who walks in his uprightness.

3 “But draw near here, you sons of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes.

4 Whom do you mock? Against whom do you make a wide mouth, and stick out your tongue? Aren’t you children of disobedience, and offspring of falsehood,

5 you who inflame yourselves among the oaks, under every green tree; who kill the children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks?

6 Among the smooth stones of the valley is your portion; they, they are your lot. You have even poured a drink offering to them. You have offered an offering. Shall I be appeased for these things?

7 On a high and lofty mountain you have set your bed. You also went up there to offer sacrifice.

8 You have set up your memorial behind the doors and the posts; for you have exposed yourself to someone besides me, and have gone up; you have enlarged your bed, and made you a covenant with them. You loved what you saw on their bed.

9 You went to the king with oil, and increased your perfumes, and sent your ambassadors far off, and degraded yourself even to Sheol.

10 You were wearied with the length of your ways; yet you didn’t say, ‘It is in vain.’ You found a reviving of your strength; therefore you weren’t faint.

11 “Whom have you dreaded and feared, so that you lie, and have not remembered me, nor laid it to your heart? Haven’t I held my peace for a long time, and you don’t fear me?

12 I will declare your righteousness; and as for your works, they will not benefit you.

13 When you cry, let those whom you have gathered deliver you; but the wind will take them. a breath will carry them all away: but he who takes refuge in me will possess the land, and will inherit my holy mountain.”

14 He will say, “Build up, build up, prepare the way! Remove the stumbling-block out of the way of my people.”

15 For thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.

16 For I will not contend forever, neither will I be always angry; for the spirit would faint before me, and the souls whom I have made.

17 I was angry because of the iniquity of his covetousness, and struck him; I hid myself and was angry; and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart.

18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts to him and to his mourners.

19 I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace, to him who is far off and to him who is near,” says Yahweh; “and I will heal them.”

20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea; for it can’t rest, and its waters cast up mire and mud.

21 “There is no peace”, says my God, “for the wicked.”