The One Year Bible TLB (33 page)
Read The One Year Bible TLB Online
Authors: Tyndale
I will praise you, Lord, for you have saved me from my enemies. You refuse to let them triumph over me.
2
O Lord my God, I pleaded with you, and you gave me my health again.
3
You brought me back from the brink of the grave, from death itself, and here I am alive!
4
Oh, sing to him you saints of his; give thanks to his holy name.
5
His anger lasts a moment; his favor lasts for life! Weeping may go on all night, but in the morning there is joy.
6-7
In my prosperity I said, “This is forever; nothing can stop me now! The Lord has shown me his favor. He has made me steady as a mountain.” Then, Lord, you turned your face away from me and cut off your river of blessings.
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Suddenly my courage was gone; I was terrified and panic-stricken.
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I cried to you, O Lord; oh, how I pled:
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“What will you gain, O Lord, from killing me? How can I praise you then to all my friends? How can my dust in the grave speak out and tell the world about your faithfulness?
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Hear me, Lord; oh, have pity and help me.”
11
Then he turned my sorrow into joy! He took away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy
12
so that I might sing glad praises to the Lord instead of lying in silence in the grave. O Lord my God, I will keep on thanking you forever!
Listen to me, young men, and not only listen but obey;
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don’t let your desires get out of hand; don’t let yourself think about her. Don’t go near her; stay away from where she walks, lest she tempt you and seduce you.
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For she has been the ruin of multitudes—a vast host of men have been her victims.
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If you want to find the road to hell, look for her house.
February 7“Make the tabernacle-tent from ten colored sheets of fine linen, 42 feet long and 6 feet wide, dyed blue, purple, and scarlet, with figures of Guardian Angels embroidered on them.
3
Join five sheets end to end for each side of the tent, forming two long pieces, one for each side.
4-5
Use loops at the edges to join these two long pieces together side by side. There are to be fifty loops on each side, opposite each other.
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Then make fifty gold clasps to fasten the loops together, so that the Tabernacle, the dwelling place of God, becomes a single unit.
7-8
“The roof of the Tabernacle is made of goats’ hair tarpaulins. There are to be eleven of these tarpaulins, each 45 feet across and 6 feet wide.
9
Connect five of these tarpaulins into one wide section; and use the other six for another wide section. (The sixth tarpaulin will hang down to form a curtain across the front of the sacred tent.)
10-11
Use fifty loops along the edges of each of these two wide pieces, to join them together with fifty bronze clasps. Thus the two widths become one.
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There will be a 1
1
/
2
-foot length of this roof covering hanging down from the back of the tent,
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and a 1
1
/
2
-foot length at the front.
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On top of these blankets is placed a layer of rams’ skins, dyed red, and over them a top layer of goatskins. This completes the roof covering.
15-16
“The framework of the sacred tent shall be made from acacia wood, each frame piece being 15 feet high and 2
1
/
4
feet wide, standing upright,
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with grooves on each side to mortise into the next upright piece.
18-19
Twenty of these frames will form the south side of the sacred tent, with forty silver bases for the frames to fit into—two bases under each piece of the frame.
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On the north side there will also be twenty of these frames,
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with their forty silver bases, two bases for each frame, one under each edge.
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On the west side there will be six frames,
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and two frames at each corner.
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These corner frames will be connected at the bottom and top with clasps.
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So, in all, there will be eight frames on that end of the building with sixteen silver bases for the frames—two bases under each frame.
26-27
“Make bars of acacia wood to run across the frames, five bars on each side of the Tabernacle. Also five bars for the rear of the building, facing westward.
28
The middle bar, halfway up the frames, runs all the way from end to end of the Tabernacle.
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Overlay the frames with gold, and make gold rings to hold the bars; and also overlay the bars with gold.
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Set up this Tabernacle-tent in the manner I showed you on the mountain.
31
“Inside the Tabernacle,
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make a curtain from fine linen, with blue, purple, and scarlet Guardian Angels embroidered into the cloth.
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Hang this curtain on gold hooks set into four pillars made from acacia wood overlaid with gold. The pillars are to be set in silver bases.
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Behind this curtain place the Ark containing the stone tablets engraved with God’s laws. The curtain will separate the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place.
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“Now install the mercy place—the golden lid of the Ark—in the Most Holy Place.
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Place the table and lampstand across the room from each other on the outer side of the veil, the lampstand on the south and the table on the north.
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“As a screen for the door of the sacred tent, make another curtain from fine linen, skillfully embroidered in blue, purple, and scarlet.
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Hang this curtain on gold hooks set into posts made from acacia wood overlaid with gold. The posts are to rest on bronze bases.
27:
1
“Using acacia wood, make a square altar 7
1
/
2
feet wide, and 4
1
/
2
feet high.
2
Make horns for the four corners of the altar, attach them firmly, and overlay everything with bronze.
3
The ash buckets, shovels, basins, carcass hooks, and fire pans are all to be made of bronze.
4
Make a bronze grating, with a metal ring at each corner,
5
and fit the grating halfway down into the firebox, resting it upon the ledge built there.
6
For moving the altar, make poles from acacia wood overlaid with bronze.
7
To carry it, put the poles into the rings at each side of the altar.
8
The altar is to be hollow, made from planks, just as was shown you on the mountain.
9-10
“Then make a courtyard for the Tabernacle, enclosed with curtains made from fine-twined linen. On the south side the curtains will stretch for 150 feet, and be held up by twenty posts, fitting into twenty bronze post holders. The curtains will be held up with silver hooks attached to silver rods, attached to the posts.
11
It will be the same on the north side of the court—150 feet of curtains held up by twenty posts fitted into bronze sockets, with silver hooks and rods.
12
The west side of the court will be 75 feet wide, with ten posts and ten sockets.
13
The east side will also be 75 feet.
14-15
On each side of the entrance there will be 22
1
/
2
feet of curtain, held up by three posts imbedded in three sockets.
16
“The entrance to the court will be a 30-foot-wide curtain, made of beautifully embroidered blue, purple, and scarlet fine-twined linen, and attached to four posts imbedded in their four sockets.
17
All the posts around the court are to be connected by silver rods, using silver hooks, the posts being imbedded in solid bronze bases.
18
So the entire court will be 150 feet long and 75 feet wide, with curtain walls 7
1
/
2
feet high, made from fine-twined linen.
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“All utensils used in the work of the Tabernacle, including all the pins and pegs for hanging the utensils on the walls, will be made of bronze.
20
“Instruct the people of Israel to bring you pure olive oil to use in the lamps of the Tabernacle, to burn there continually.
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Aaron and his sons shall place this eternal flame in the outer holy room, tending it day and night before the Lord, so that it never goes out. This is a permanent rule for the people of Israel.”
“The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of ten bridesmaids
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who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.
2-4
But only five of them were wise enough to fill their lamps with oil, while the other five were foolish and forgot.
5-6
“So, when the bridegroom was delayed, they lay down to rest until midnight, when they were roused by the shout, ‘The bridegroom is coming! Come out and welcome him!’
7-8
“All the girls jumped up and trimmed their lamps. Then the five who hadn’t any oil begged the others to share with them, for their lamps were going out.
9
“But the others replied, ‘We haven’t enough. Go instead to the shops and buy some for yourselves.’
10
“But while they were gone, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked.
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“Later, when the other five returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Sir, open the door for us!’
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“But he called back, ‘Go away! It is too late!’
*
13
“So stay awake and be prepared, for you do not know the date or moment of my return.
*
14
“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going into another country, who called together his servants and loaned them money to invest for him while he was gone.
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“He gave $5,000 to one, $2,000 to another, and $1,000 to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities—and then left on his trip.
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The man who received the $5,000 began immediately to buy and sell with it and soon earned another $5,000.
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The man with $2,000 went right to work, too, and earned another $2,000.
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“But the man who received the $1,000 dug a hole in the ground and hid the money for safekeeping.
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“After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to him to account for his money.
20
The man to whom he had entrusted the $5,000 brought him $10,000.
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“His master praised him for good work. ‘You have been faithful in handling this small amount,’ he told him, ‘so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Begin the joyous tasks I have assigned to you.’
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“Next came the man who had received the $2,000, with the report, ‘Sir, you gave me $2,000 to use, and I have doubled it.’
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“‘Good work,’ his master said. ‘You are a good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over this small amount, so now I will give you much more.’
24-25
“Then the man with the $1,000 came and said, ‘Sir, I knew you were a hard man, and I was afraid you would rob me of what I earned,
*
so I hid your money in the earth and here it is!’
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“But his master replied, ‘Wicked man! Lazy slave! Since you knew I would demand your profit,
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you should at least have put my money into the bank so I could have some interest.
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Take the money from this man and give it to the man with the $10,000.
29
For the man who uses well what he is given shall be given more, and he shall have abundance. But from the man who is unfaithful, even what little responsibility he has shall be taken from him.
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And throw the useless servant out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”
Lord, I trust in you alone. Don’t let my enemies defeat me. Rescue me because you are the God who always does what is right.
2
Answer quickly when I cry to you; bend low and hear my whispered plea.
*
Be for me a great Rock of safety from my foes.
3
Yes, you are my Rock and my fortress; honor your name by leading me out of this peril.
4
Pull me from the trap my enemies have set for me. For you alone are strong enough.
*
5-6
Into your hand I commit my spirit.
You have rescued me, O God who keeps his promises. I worship only you; how you hate all those who worship idols, those imitation gods.
7
I am radiant with joy because of your mercy, for you have listened to my troubles and have seen the crisis in my soul.
8
You have not handed me over to my enemy but have given me open ground in which to maneuver.
Can’t you hear the voice of wisdom? She is standing at the city gates and at every fork in the road, and at the door of every house. Listen to what she says:
4-5
“Listen, men!” she calls. “How foolish and naive you are! Let me give you understanding. O foolish ones, let me show you common sense!
6-7
Listen to me! For I have important information for you. Everything I say is right and true, for I hate lies and every kind of deception.
8
My advice is wholesome and good. There is nothing of evil in it.
9
My words are plain and clear to anyone with half a mind—if it is only open!
10
My instruction is far more valuable than silver or gold.”
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For the value of wisdom is far above rubies; nothing can be compared with it.