The Skeptics Annotated Bible (540 page)

24
Behold,
the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof
.

(24.1)
“The LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.”

2 And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.

3
The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word
.

(24.3) “The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word.”

4
The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth awa
y, the haughty people of the earth do languish.

(24.4)
“The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away.”

(24.5-11) Is this a prophecy about prohibition in the United States?

5 The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because
they have
transgressed the laws,
changed the ordinance
, broken the everlasting covenant.

(24.5)
“They have … changed the ordinance.”

6
Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.

(24.6)
“Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.”

7
The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted do sigh
.

(24.7)
“The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted do sigh.”

8
The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth.

(24.8)
“The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth.”

9
They shall not drink wine with a song
; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it.

(24.9)
“They shall not drink wine with a song.”

10 The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in.

11
There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone.

(24.11)
“There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone.”

12 In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction.

13 When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done.

14 They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea.

15 Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, even the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea.

16 From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous. But I said, My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me! the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously.

17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.

(24.18-20) Earthquakes are all a part of God’s wondrous plan.

18 And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and
the foundations of the earth do shake.

(24.18)
“The foundations of the earth do shake.”

19
The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.

(24.19)
“The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.”

20
The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard
, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and
it shall fall, and not rise again.

(24.20)
“The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard … it shall fall, and not rise again.”

21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.

22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.

23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.

25
O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.

2 For thou hast made of a city an heap; of a defenced city a ruin: a palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be built.

3 Therefore shall the strong people glorify thee, the city of the terrible nations shall fear thee.

4 For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.

5 Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low.

6 And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.

7 And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations.

8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.

9 And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

10 For in this mountain shall the hand of the LORD rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill.

11 And he shall spread forth his hands in the midst of them, as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim: and he shall bring down their pride together with the spoils of their hands.

12 And the fortress of the high fort of thy walls shall he bring down, lay low, and bring to the ground, even to the dust.

26
In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks.

2 Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.

3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:

5 For he bringeth down them that dwell on high; the lofty city, he layeth it low; he layeth it low, even to the ground; he bringeth it even to the dust.

6 The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy.

7
The way of the just is uprightness
: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just.

(26.7)
“The way of the just is uprightness.”
33 Has the ever been a just person?

8 Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.

9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

10 Let favour be shewed to
the wicked
, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and
will not behold the majesty of the LORD
.

(26.10) “The wicked … will not behold the majesty of the LORD.”
316 Will everyone see the majesty of God?

11 LORD, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people; yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour them.

12 LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us.

13 O LORD our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name.

14 They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish.

15 Thou hast increased the nation, O LORD, thou hast increased the nation: thou art glorified: thou hadst removed it far unto all the ends of the earth.