Week 121

• Torah (T): Bemidbar (Numbers) 30:1 – 31:54
• Prophets (P): Jeremiah 4:1-4
• Apostolic (A): Matthew 5:33-37
• Additional (ADD): Sirach 18:15-33; Baruch (Letter of Jeremiah) 6:29-35

RELATED SCRIPTURES

• Genesis 28:1-22; Genesis 31:1-13 (T)
• Numbers 21:1-3 (T)
• Deuteronomy 23:17-23; Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 (T)
• Judges 11:1-40 (T)
• 1 Samuel 1:1-28 (T)
• 2 Samuel 15:1-15 (T)
• Proverbs 20:14-25 (T)
• Acts 21:17-24 (T)
• Matthew 16:18-19; Matthew 18:15-20 (T)
• Acts 23:1-35 (T)
• Hebrews 3:1-19 (T, A)
• Hebrews 6:1-20 (T, A)
• Numbers 25:1-18 (T)
• Numbers 27:12-14 (T)
• Joshua 13:15-23 (T)
• Deuteronomy 20:1-20 (T)
• 2 Peter 2:15-16; Revelation 2:14-16 (T)
• Judges 21:1-25 (T)
• Numbers 19:11-16 (T)
• Joshua 8:1-35 (T)
• 1 Samuel 30:1-31 (T)
• Joshua 6:12-19 (T)
• Jeremiah 4:1-31 (P)
• Acts 4:32 – 5:11 (T, A)
• 2 Corinthians 1:15-20 (A)
• Ya’aqov (James) 5:12 (T, A)

RELATED ADDITIONAL REA.D.INGS

• The Damascus Document 4Q270 Fragment 9, Column 2 (T)
• Numbers 30:1 – 31:54 from the Jerusalem Targum aka Targum Pseudo-Jonathan
• Antiquities of the Jews by Flavius Josephus 4.7.1

Note: (T) means the verse relates to that week’s Torah portion. (P) means the verse relates to that week’s Prophets portion. (A) means the verse relates to that week’s Apostolic portion. (ADD) means the verse relates to that week’s Additional portion.

Torah Portion (T)

Numbers 30:1 – 31:54

30:1 Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the sons of Israel, saying, “This is the word which YHWH has commanded. 2 When a man vows a vow to YHWH, or swears a swearing to [tie up a bond]^(MTT) upon his soul, he will not profane his word. He will do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth. 3 Also, when a woman vows a vow to YHWH and she will [tie up a bond]^(MTT) in her father’s house, in her youth, 4 and her father hears her vow and her bond, which she [tied up upon her soul],^(MTT) and her father says nothing to her, then all her vows will stand, and every bond with which she [tied up upon her soul];^(MTT) [he will establish it].^(DSS) 5 But if her father forbids her in the day that he hears, none of her vows or of her bonds, which she [tied up upon her soul],^(MTT) will stand. YHWH will forgive her, because her father has forbidden her. 6 If she has a husband, while her vows are on her, or the rash utterance of her lips with which she has [tied up upon her soul],^(MTT) 7 and her husband hears it, and says nothing to her in the day that he hears it; then her vows will stand, and her bonds, which she [tied up upon her soul]^(MTT) will stand. 8 But if her husband [forbid her sign]^(MTT) in the day that he hears it, then he makes void [all]^(DSS) her [vows and her bonds]^(DSS) which are on her and the rash utterance of her lips, with which she has [tied up upon her soul].^(MTT) YHWH will forgive her. 9 But the vow of a widow, or of her who is divorced, everything with which she has [tied up upon her soul],^(MTT) will stand against her. 10 If she vowed in her husband’s house or [tied up upon her soul],^(MTT) by a bond with an oath, 11 and her husband heard it, and held his peace at her and didn’t disallow her, then all her vows will stand, and every bond, which she [tied up upon her soul],^(MTT) will stand. 12 But if her husband made them null and void in the day that he heard them, then whatever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the bond of her soul, will not stand. Her husband has made them void. YHWH will forgive her. 13 Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void. 14 But if her husband says nothing to her from day to day, then he establishes all her vows or all her bonds which are on her. He has established them, because he said nothing to her in the day that he heard them. 15 But if he makes them null and void after he has heard them, then he will bear her iniquity.” 16 These are the statutes which YHWH commanded Moses, between a man and his wife, between a father and his daughter, being in her youth, in her father’s house.

31:1 YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Avenge the sons of Israel on the Midianites. Afterward you will be gathered to your people.” 3 Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from among you for army, that they may go against Midian, to execute YHWH’s vengeance on Midian. 4 You will send one thousand out of every tribe, throughout all the tribes of Israel, to the army.” 5 So there were delivered, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand from every tribe, twelve thousand armed for army. 6 Moses sent them, one thousand of every tribe, to the army with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the army, with the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand. 7 They fought against Midian, as YHWH commanded Moses. They killed every male. 8 They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword. 9 The sons of Israel took the women of Midian captive with their little ones; and all their livestock, all their flocks, and all their goods, they took as plunder. 10 All their cities in the places in which they lived, and all their encampments, they burned with fire. 11 They took all the captives, and all the plunder, both of man and of animal. 12 They brought the captives with the prey and the plunder, to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the sons of Israel, to the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by the Jordan at Jericho. 13 Moses and Eleazar the priest, with all the lifted up ones of the congregation, went out to meet them outside of the camp. 14 Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, who came from the service of the army. 15 Moses said to them, “Have you saved all the women alive? 16 Behold, these caused the sons of Israel, through the word of Balaam, to commit trespass against YHWH upon the word of Peor, and so the striking was among the congregation of YHWH. 17 Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him. 18 But all the girls, who have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves. 19 “Encamp outside of the camp for seven days. Whoever has killed any person, and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves on the third day and on the seventh day, you and your captives. 20 You will purify every garment, and all that is made of skin, and all work of goats’ hair, and all things made of wood.” 21 Eleazar the priest said to the men of army who went to the battle, “This is the statute of the Torah which YHWH has commanded Moses. 22 However the gold, and the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead, 23 everything that may withstand the fire, you will make to go through the fire, and it will be clean; nevertheless it will be purified with the water for impurity. All that doesn’t withstand the fire you will make to go through the water. 24 You will wash your clothes on the seventh day, and you will be clean. Afterward you will come into the camp.” 25 YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, 26 “Count the plunder that was taken, both of man and of animal, you, and Eleazar the priest, and the heads of the fathers’ households of the congregation; 27 and divide the plunder into two parts: between the men skilled in army, who went out to battle, and all the congregation. 28 Levy a tribute to YHWH of the men of army who went out to battle: one soul of five hundred; of the persons, of the cattle, [of the flocks, and of the donkeys].^(DSS) 29 Take it from their half, and give it to Eleazar the priest, for YHWH’s wave offering. 30 Of the sons of Israel’s half, you will take one drawn out of every fifty, of the persons, of the cattle, of the donkeys, and of the flocks, of all the livestock, and give them to the Levites, who perform the duty of the tabernacle of YHWH.” 31 Moses and Eleazar the priest did as YHWH commanded Moses. 32 Now the plunder, over and above the surplus which the men of army took, was six hundred seventy-five thousand sheep, 33 seventy-two thousand head of cattle, 34 sixty-one thousand donkeys, 35 and thirty-two thousand persons in all, of the women who had not known man by lying with him. 36 The half, which was the portion of those who went out to army, was in number three hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep; 37 and YHWH’s tribute of the sheep was six hundred seventy-five. 38 The cattle were thirty-six thousand, of which YHWH’s tribute was seventy-two. 39 The donkeys were thirty thousand five hundred, of which YHWH’s tribute was sixty-one. 40 The persons were sixteen thousand, of whom YHWH’s tribute was thirty-two persons. 41 Moses gave the tribute to YHWH, the wave offering [of Elohim],^(LXX) to Eleazar the priest, as YHWH commanded Moses. 42 Of the sons of Israel’s half, which Moses divided off from the men who fought, 43 now the congregation’s half was three hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep, 44 thirty-six thousand head of cattle, 45 thirty thousand five hundred donkeys, 46 and sixteen thousand persons, 47 even of the sons of Israel’s half, Moses took one drawn out of every fifty, both of man and of animal, and gave them to the Levites, who performed the duty of the tabernacle of YHWH, as YHWH commanded Moses. 48 Then [all]^(DSS) the officers who were over the thousands of the army, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, [who came from the service of the army],^(DSS) came near to Moses. 49 They said to Moses, “Your servants have taken the sum of the men of army who are under our command, and there lacks not one man of us. 50 We have brought YHWH’s offering, what every man found: gold ornaments, armlets, bracelets, signet rings, [and]^(DSS) earrings, and necklaces, [and he made]^(DSS) atonement for our souls before YHWH.” 51 Moses and Eleazar the priest took their gold, even all worked jewels. 52 All the gold of the wave offering that they offered up to YHWH, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand [and] seven hundred fifty shekels. 53 The men of army had taken surplus, every man for himself. 54 Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the Appointed Tent for a memorial for the sons of Israel before YHWH.

Prophets Portion (P)

Jeremiah 4:1-4

4:1 “If you will return, Israel,” says YHWH, “if you will return to me, and if you will put away your abominations out of my sight; then you will not be removed; 2 and you will swear, ‘As YHWH lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness. The nations will bless themselves in him, and they will glory in him.” 3 For YHWH says to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, “Break up your fallow ground, and don’t sow among thorns. 4 Circumcise yourselves to YHWH, and take away the foreskins of your heart, you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go out like fire, and burn so that no one can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

Apostolic Portion (A)

Matthew 5:33-37

5:33 “Again you have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, ‘You will not make false vows, but will perform to the Lord your vows,’ 34 but I tell you, don’t swear by an oath at all (cf. Leviticus 19:12; Deuteronomy 23:21-23): neither by the heavens, for it is the throne of Elohim; 35 nor by the land, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Neither will you swear by your head, for you can’t make one hair white or black. 37 But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ Whatever is more than these is of the evil one.”

Additional Portion (ADD)

Sirach 18:15-33; Baruch (Letter of Jeremiah) 6:29-35

Sirach, or Wisdom of Sirach, and also known as the Book of Ecclesiasticus (abbreviated Ecclus.) or Ben Sira, is a work of ethical teachings, from approximately 200 to 175 B.C., written by the Jewish scribe Ben Sira of Jerusalem, on the inspiration of his father Joshua son of Sirach, sometimes called Jesus son of Sirach or Yeshua ben Eliezer ben Sira. The Sirach was almost completely uncovered in Hebrew in the Dead Sea Scrolls, at Masada, and the Cairo Geniza. The multiplicity of manuscript fragments uncovered in the Cairo Genizah evidence its authoritative status among Egyptian Jewry until the Middle Ages. Quotes from Sirach can be found in Rabbinic literature in multiple places  including the Talmud in Bava Kamma 92b:13 and Hagigah 13a:2. Additionally, the Gospels and other Apostolic Scriptures quote from the Book of Sirach including the Song of Miriam in Luke 1:52 (cf. Sirach 10:14); the description of the seed in Mark 4:5, 16–17 (cf. Sirach 40:15); the statement by Yeshua in Matthew 7:16,20 (cf. Sirach 27:6); and Ya’aqov (James) 1:19 (cf. Sirach 5:11).

Sirach 18:15 My son, to your good deeds add no blemish, and no grief of words in any of your giving. 16 Doesn’t the dew relieve the scorching heat? So a word is better than a gift. 17 Behold, isn’t a word better than a gift? Both are with a gracious man. 18 A fool is ungracious and abusive. The gift of an envious man consumes the eyes. 19 Learn before you speak. Take care of your health before you are sick. 20 Before judgment examine yourself, and in the hour of inspection you will find forgiveness. 21 Humble yourself before you become sick. In the time of sins, show repentance. 22 Let nothing hinder you to pay your vow in due time. Don’t wait until death to be justified. 23 Before you make a vow, prepare yourself. Don’t be like a man who trys the Lord. 24 Think about the wrath coming in the days of the end, and the time of vengeance, when he turns away his face. 25 In the days of fullness remember the time of hunger. Remember poverty and lack in the days of wealth. 26 From morning until evening, the time changes. All things are speedy before the Lord. 27 A wise man is cautious in everything. In days of sinning, he will beware of offense. 28 Every man of understanding knows wisdom. He will give thanks to him who found her. 29 They who were of understanding in sayings also became wise themselves, and poured out apt proverbs. 30 Don’t go after your coveting. Refrain yourself from your appetites. 31 If you give fully to your soul the delight of her desire, she will make you a rejoicing to your enemies. 32 Don’t make merry in much luxury, and don’t be tied to its expense. 33 Don’t be made a beggar by banqueting upon borrowing when you have nothing in your purse.

Baruch (Letter of Jeremiah) 6:29-35

The Book of Baruch is named after Baruch ben Neriah, Jeremiah’s well-known scribe, who is mentioned at Baruch 1:1, and has been presumed to be the author of the whole work. The Letter of Jeremiah is a book in the Roman canon appended as a sixth chapter to the book of Baruch. The work is a letter sent by Jeremiah to Jews exiled to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar in 597 B.C., but it is not a letter, nor was it written by Jeremiah. It is a polemic against the worship of idols, developed around a verse in The Book of Jeremiah (10:11), stating that false elohim will perish. Possibly composed about 300 B.C. by a Jew living in Babylonia, the text suggests by its intensity that idolatry threatened fidelity to the Elohim of Israel. The author’s primary target was probably the Babylonian deity Tammuz, an agricultural elohim whose cult was associated with orgiastic fertility rites. Although the letter is extant only in Greek, certain linguistic and stylistic elements point to an original composition in Hebrew or Aramaic.

Letter of Jeremiah 6:29 The menstruous woman and the woman in childbed touch their slaughters: knowing therefore by these things that they are no elohim, fear them not. 30 For how can they be called elohim? because women set meat before the elohim of silver, gold, and wood. 31 And in their temples the priests sit on seats, having their clothes tore, and their heads and beards shaven, and nothing upon their heads. 32 They roar and cry before their elohim, as men do at the feast when one is dead. 33 The priests also take off garments from them, and clotheir wives and children withal. 34 Whether it be evil that one does to them, or good, they are not able to recompense it: they can neither set up a king, nor put him down. 35 In like manner, they can neither give riches nor money: though a man make a vow to them, and keep it not, they will never exact it.

Related Scriptures

Genesis 28:1-22; Genesis 31:1-13 (T)

Genesis 28:1 Isaac called Jacob, blessed him, and commanded him, “You will not take a woman of the daughters of Canaan. 2 Arise, go to Paddan Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father. Take a woman from there from the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. 3 May El Shaddai bless you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, that you may be a company of peoples, 4 and give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your seed with you, that you may inherit the land where you travel, which Elohim gave to Abraham.” 5 Isaac sent Jacob away. He went to Paddan Aram to Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother. 6 Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan Aram, to take him a woman from there, and that as he blessed him he gave him a command, saying, “You will not take a woman of the daughters of Canaan;” 7 and that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Paddan Aram. 8 Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan didn’t please Isaac, his father. 9 So Esau went to Ishmael, and took, in addition to the wives that he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife. 10 Jacob went out from Be’ersheba, and went toward Haran. 11 He came to a certain place, and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. He took some of the stones of the place, and put it under his head, and lay down in that place to sleep. 12 He dreamed and saw a stairway set upon the land, and its top reached to the heavens. Behold, the angels of Elohim were ascending and descending on it. 13 Behold, YHWH stood above it, and said, “I am YHWH, the Elohim of Abraham your father, and the Elohim of Isaac. I will give the land you lie on to you and to your seed. 14 Your seed will be as the dust of the land, and you will spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. In you and in your seed, all the families of the land will be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you, and will keep you, wherever you go, and will bring you again into this land. For I will not leave you until I have done that which I have spoken of to you.” 16 Jacob awakened out of his sleep, and he said, “Surely YHWH is in this place, and I didn’t know it.” 17 He was afraid, and said, “How awesome this place is! This is none other than Elohim’s house, and this is the gate of the heavens.” 18 Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil on its top. 19 He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first. 20 Jacob vowed a vow, saying, “If Elohim will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and clothing to put on, 21 so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, and YHWH will be my Elohim, 22 then this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, will be Elohim’s house. Of all that you will give me I will surely give a tenth to you.”

Genesis 31:1 Jacob heard Laban’s sons’ words, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s. He has obtained all this wealth from that which was our father’s.” 2 Jacob saw the expression on Laban’s face, and, behold, it was not toward him as before. 3 YHWH said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers, and to your relatives, and I will be with you.” 4 Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field to his flock, 5 and said to them, “I see the expression on your father’s face, that it is not toward me as before; but the Elohim of my father has been with me. 6 You know that I have served your father with all of my strength. 7 Your father has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times, but Elohim didn’t allow him to hurt me. 8 If he said, ‘The speckled will be your wages,’ then all the flock bore speckled. If he said, ‘The streaked will be your wages,’ then all the flock bore streaked. 9 Thus Elohim has taken away your father’s livestock, and given them to me. 10 During mating season, I lifted up my eyes, and saw in a dream, and behold, the male goats which leaped on the flock were streaked, speckled, and spotted. 11 The angel of Elohim said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am.’ 12 He said, ‘Now lift up your eyes, and behold, all the male goats which leap on the flock are streaked, speckled, and spotted, for I have seen all that Laban does to you. 13 I am the Elohim of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you vowed a vow to me. Now arise, get out from this land, and return to the land of your birth.’ ”

Numbers 21:1-3 (T)

21:1 The Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the South, heard that Israel came by the way of Atharim. He fought against Israel, and took some of them captive. 2 Israel vowed a vow to YHWH, and said, “If you will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.” 3 YHWH listened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities. The name of the place was called Hormah.

Deuteronomy 23:17-23; Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 (T)

Deuteronomy 23:17 There will be no sanctified female prostitute of the daughters of Israel, neither will there be a sanctified male prostitute of the sons of Israel. 18 You will not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of YHWH your Elohim for any vow; for both of these are an abomination to YHWH your Elohim. 19 You will not lend on interest to your brother: interest of money, interest of food, interest of anything that is lent on interest. 20 You may charge a foreigner interest; but you will not charge your brother interest, that YHWH your Elohim may bless you in all that you put your hand to, in the land where you go in to possess it. 21 When you vow a vow to YHWH your Elohim, you will not be slack to pay it, for YHWH your Elohim will surely require it of you; and it would be sin in you. 22 But if you refrain from making a vow, it will be no sin in you. 23 You will observe and do that which has gone out of your lips. Whatever you have vowed to YHWH your Elohim as a freewill offering, which you have promised with your mouth, you must do.

Ecclesiastes 5:1 Guard your steps when you go to Elohim’s house; for to draw near to listen is better than to give the slaughter of fools, for they don’t know that they do evil. 2 Don’t be rash with your mouth, and don’t let your heart be hasty to utter anything before Elohim; for Elohim is in the heavens, and you on land. Therefore let your words be few. 3 For as a dream comes with a multitude of cares, so a fool’s speech with a multitude of words. 4 When you vow a vow to Elohim, don’t defer to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which you vow. 5 It is better that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay. 6 Don’t allow your mouth to lead you into sin. Don’t protest before the angel that this was a mistake. Why should Elohim be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands? 7 For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, as well as in many words; but you must fear Elohim.

Judges 11:1-40 (T)

11:1 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor. He was the son of a prostitute. Gilead became the father of Jephthah. 2 Gilead’s wife bore him sons. When his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to him, “You will not inherit in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.” 3 Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. Outlaws joined up with Jephthah, and they went out with him. 4 After a while, the sons of Ammon made battle against Israel. 5 When the sons of Ammon made battle against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah out of the land of Tob. 6 They said to Jephthah, “Come and be our chief, that we may fight with the sons of Ammon.” 7 Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Didn’t you hate me, and drive me out of my father’s house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?” 8 The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “Therefore we have turned again to you now, that you may go with us and fight with the sons of Ammon. You will be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.” 9 Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you bring me home again to fight with the sons of Ammon, and YHWH delivers them before me, will I be your head?” 10 The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “YHWH will be witness between us. Surely we will do what you say.” 11 Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and chief over them. Jephthah spoke all his words before YHWH in Mizpah. 12 Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the sons of Ammon, saying, “What do you have to do with me, that you have come to me to fight against my land?” 13 The king of the sons of Ammon answered the messengers of Jephthah, “Because Israel took away my land when he came up out of Egypt, from the Arnon even to the Jabbok, and to the Jordan. Now therefore restore that territory again peaceably.” 14 Jephthah sent messengers again to the king of the sons of Ammon; 15 and he said to him, “Jephthah says: Israel didn’t take away the land of Moab, nor the land of the sons of Ammon; 16 but when they came up from Egypt, and Israel went through the wilderness to the Red Sea, and came to Kadesh, 17 then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Please let me pass through your land;’ but the king of Edom didn’t listen. In the same way, he sent to the king of Moab, but he refused; so Israel stayed in Kadesh. 18 Then they went through the wilderness, and went around the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and they encamped on the other side of the Arnon; but they didn’t come within the border of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab. 19 Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said to him, ‘Please let us pass through your land to my place.’ 20 But Sihon didn’t trust Israel to pass through his border; but Sihon gathered all his people together, and encamped in Jahaz, and fought against Israel. 21 YHWH, the Elohim of Israel, delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they struck them. So Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country. 22 They possessed all the border of the Amorites, from the Arnon even to the Jabbok, and from the wilderness even to the Jordan. 23 So now YHWH, the Elohim of Israel, has dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and should you possess them? 24 Won’t you possess that which Chemosh your elohim gives you to possess? So whoever YHWH our Elohim has dispossessed from before us, them will we possess. 25 Now are you anything better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them? 26 Israel lived in Heshbon and its towns, and in Aroer and its towns, and in all the cities that are along the side of the Arnon for three hundred years! Why didn’t you recover them within that time? 27 Therefore I have not sinned against you, but you do me wrong to fight against me. May YHWH the Judge be judge today between the sons of Israel and the sons of Ammon.” 28 However, the king of the sons of Ammon didn’t listen to the words of Jephthah which he sent him. 29 Then the spirit of YHWH came on Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed over to the sons of Ammon. 30 Jephthah vowed a vow to YHWH, and said, “If you will indeed deliver the sons of Ammon into my hand, 31 then it will be, that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon, it will be YHWH’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.” 32 So Jephthah passed over to the sons of Ammon to fight against them; and YHWH delivered them into his hand. 33 He struck them from Aroer until you come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and to Abelcheramim, with a very great slaughter. So the sons of Ammon were subdued before the sons of Israel. 34 Jephthah came to Mizpah to his house; and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes, and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are one of those who trouble me; for I have opened my mouth to YHWH, and I can’t go back.” 36 She said to him, “My father, you have opened your mouth to YHWH; do to me according to that which has proceeded out of your mouth, because YHWH has taken vengeance for you on your enemies, even on the sons of Ammon.” 37 Then she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me. Leave me alone two new moons, that I may depart and go down on the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my companions.” 38 He said, “Go.” He sent her away for two new moons; and she departed, she and her companions, and mourned her virginity on the mountains. 39 At the end of two new moons, she returned to her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed. She was a virgin. It became a custom in Israel 40 that the daughters of Israel went yearly to celebrate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.

1 Samuel 1:1-28 (T)

1:1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 He had two wives. The name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had sons, but Hannah had no sons. 3 This man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to slaughter to YHWH of Armies in Shiloh. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests to YHWH, were there. 4 When the day came that Elkanah slaughtered, he gave portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters; 5 but he gave a double portion to Hannah, for he loved Hannah, but YHWH had shut up her womb. 6 Her rival provoked her severely, to irritate her, because YHWH had shut up her womb. 7 So year by year, when she went up to YHWH’s house, her rival provoked her. Therefore she wept, and didn’t eat. 8 Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why don’t you eat? Why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?” 9 So Hannah rose up after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his seat by the doorpost of the temple of YHWH. 10 She was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to YHWH, weeping bitterly. 11 She vowed a vow, and said, “YHWH of Armies, if you will indeed look at the affliction of your servant and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a boy, then I will give him to YHWH all the days of his life, and no razor will come on his head.” 12 As she continued praying before YHWH, Eli saw her mouth. 13 Now Hannah spoke in her heart. Only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk. 14 Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Get rid of your wine!” 15 Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have not been drinking wine or strong drink, but I poured out my soul before YHWH. 16 Don’t consider your servant a wicked woman; for I have been speaking out of the abundance of my complaint and my provocation.” 17 Then Eli answered, “Go in peace; and may the Elohim of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of him.” 18 She said, “Let your servant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate; and her facial expression wasn’t sad any more. 19 They rose up in the morning early and did bow down to YHWH, then returned and came to their house to Ramah. Then Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and YHWH remembered her. 20 When the time had come, Hannah conceived, and bore a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked him of YHWH.” 21 The man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer to YHWH the yearly slaughter and his vow. 22 But Hannah didn’t go up, for she said to her husband, “Not until the child is weaned; then I will bring him, that he may appear before YHWH, and stay there forever.” 23 Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems good to you. Wait until you have weaned him; only may YHWH establish his word.” So the woman waited and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24 When she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bulls, and one ephah of meal, and a container of wine, and brought him to YHWH’s house in Shiloh. The child was young. 25 They killed the bull, and brought the child to Eli. 26 She said, “Oh, my lord, as your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to YHWH. 27 I prayed for this child, and YHWH has given me my petition which I asked of him. 28 Therefore I have also given him to YHWH. As long as he lives he is given to YHWH.” He worshiped YHWH there.

2 Samuel 15:1-15 (T)

15:1 After this, Absalom prepared a chariot and horses for himself, and fifty men to run before him. 2 Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate. When any man had a suit which should come to the king for judgment, then Absalom called to him, and said, “What city are you from?” He said, “Your servant is of one of the tribes of Israel.” 3 Absalom said to him, “Behold, your words are good and right; but there is no man deputized by the king to hear you.” 4 Absalom said moreover, “Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man who has any suit or cause might come to me, and I would do him justice!” 5 It was so, that when any man came near to bow down to him, he stretched out his hand, took hold of him, and kissed him. 6 Absalom did this sort of thing to all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. 7 At the end of forty years, Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed to YHWH, in Hebron. 8 For your servant vowed a vow while I stayed at Geshur in Syria, saying, ‘If YHWH will indeed bring me again to Jerusalem, then I will serve YHWH.’ ” 9 The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he arose and went to Hebron. 10 But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the voice of the shofar, then you will say, ‘Absalom is king in Hebron!’ ” 11 Two hundred men went with Absalom out of Jerusalem, who were invited, and went in their simplicity; and they didn’t know anything. 12 Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he was offering the slaughters. The conspiracy was strong, for the people increased continually with Absalom. 13 A messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.” 14 David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “Arise! Let’s flee, or else none of us will escape from Absalom. Hurry to depart, lest he overtake us quickly and bring down evil on us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword.” 15 The king’s servants said to the king, “Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king chooses.”

Proverbs 20:14-25 (T)

20:14 “It’s no good, it’s no good,” says the buyer; but when he is gone his way, then he boasts. 15 There is gold and abundance of rubies, but the lips of knowledge are a rare jewel. 16 Take the garment of one who puts up collateral for a stranger; and hold him in pledge for a wayward woman. 17 Fraudulent food is sweet to a man, but afterwards his mouth is filled with gravel. 18 Plans are established by advice; by wise guidance you wage battle! 19 He who goes about as a tale-bearer reveals secrets; therefore don’t keep company with him who opens wide his lips. 20 Whoever curses his father or his mother, his lamp will be put out in blackness of darkness. 21 An inheritance quickly gained at the beginning won’t be blessed in the end. 22 Don’t say, “I will pay back evil.” Wait for YHWH, and he will save you. 23 YHWH detests differing weights, and dishonest scales are not pleasing. 24 A man’s steps are from YHWH; how then can man understand his way? 25 It is a snare to a man to make a rash dedication, then later to consider his vows.

Acts 21:17-24 (T)

21:17 When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly. 18 The day following, Paul went in with us to Jacob; and all the elders were present. 19 When he had greeted them, he reported one by one the things which Elohim had worked among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 They, when they heard it, glorified God. They said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Judeans of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Torah. 21 They have been informed about you, that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children and not to walk after the customs. 22 What then? The assembly must certainly meet, for they will hear that you have come. 23 Therefore do what we tell you. We have four men who have taken a vow. 24 Take them and purify yourself with them, and pay their expenses for them, that they may shave their heads. Then all will know that there is no truth in the things that they have been informed about you, but that you yourself also walk keeping the Torah.

Matthew 16:18-19; Matthew 18:15-20 (T)

Matthew 16:18 I also tell you that you are Kepha, and on this rock  I will build my assembly, and the gates of Sheol will not prevail against it. 19 I will give to you the keys of the Reign of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven; and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven.”

Matthew 18:15 “If your brother sins against you,^(mss) go, show him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained back your brother. 16 But if he doesn’t listen, take one or two more with you, that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. (cf. Deuteronomy 19:15) 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly. If he refuses to hear the assembly also, let him be to you as a Gentile or a tax collector. 18 Most certainly I tell you, whatever things you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever things you release on earth will have been released in heaven. 19 Again, assuredly I tell you, that if two of you will agree on earth concerning anything that they will ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the middle of them.”

Acts 23:1-35 (T)

23:1 Paul, looking steadfastly at the council, said, “Brothers, I have lived before Elohim in all good conscience until today.” 2 The high priest, Ananias, commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “Elohim will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to judge me according to the Torah, and command me to be struck contrary to the law?” 4 Those who stood by said, “Do you malign Elohim’s high priest?” 5 Paul said, “I didn’t know, brothers, that he was high priest. For it is written, ‘You will not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’ ” (cf. Exodus 22:28) 6 But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Men and brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. Concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!” 7 When he had said this, an argument arose between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the crowd was divided. 8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess all of these. 9 A great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ part stood up, and contended, saying, “We find no evil in this man. But if a spirit or angel has spoken to him, let’s not fight against Elohim!” 10 When a great argument arose, the commanding officer, fearing that Paul would be torn in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them and bring him into the barracks. 11 The following night, the Lord stood by him and said, “Cheer up, Paul, for as you have witnessed about me at Jerusalem, so you must testify also at Rome.” 12 When it was day, some of the Judeans banded together and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. 13 There were more than forty people who had made this conspiracy. 14 They came to the chief priests and the elders, and said, “We have bound ourselves under a great oath to taste nothing until we have killed Paul. 15 Now therefore, you with the council inform the commanding officer that he should bring him down to you tomorrow, as though you were going to judge his case more exactly. We are ready to kill him before he comes near.” 16 But Paul’s sister’s son heard they were lying in wait, and he came and entered into the barracks and told Paul. 17 Paul summoned one of the centurions and said, “Bring this young man to the commanding officer, for he has something to tell him.” 18 So he took him and brought him to the commanding officer and said, “Paul, the prisoner, summoned me and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you.” 19 The commanding officer took him by the hand, and going aside, asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?” 20 He said, “The Judeans have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though intending to inquire somewhat more accurately concerning him. 21 Therefore don’t yield to them, for more than forty men lie in wait for him, who have bound themselves under an oath to neither eat nor drink until they have killed him. Now they are ready, looking for the promise from you.” 22 So the commanding officer let the young man go, charging him, “Tell no one that you have revealed these things to me.” 23 He called to himself two of the centurions, and said, “Prepare two hundred soldiers to go as far as Caesarea, with seventy horsemen and two hundred men armed with spears, at the third hour of the night.” 24 He asked them to provide mounts, that they might set Paul on one, and bring him safely to Felix the governor. 25 He wrote a letter like this: 26 “Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor Felix: Greetings. 27 “This man was seized by the Judeans, and was about to be killed by them when I came with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman. 28 Desiring to know the cause why they accused him, I brought him down to their council. 29 I found him to be accused about questions of their law, but not to be charged with anything worthy of death or of imprisonment. 30 When I was told that the Judeans lay in wait for the man, I sent him to you immediately, charging his accusers also to bring their accusations against him before you. Farewell.” 31 So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. 32 But on the next day they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the barracks. 33 When they came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him. 34 When the governor had read it, he asked what province he was from. When he understood that he was from Cilicia, he said, 35 “I will hear you fully when your accusers also arrive.” He commanded that he be kept in Herod’s palace.

Hebrews 3:1-19 (T, A)

5:3 Therefore, holy brothers, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Emissary and High Priest of our confession: Yeshua, 2 who was faithful to him who appointed him, as also Moses was in all his house. 3 For he has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, because he who built the house has more honor than the house. 4 For every house is built by someone; but he who built all things is Elohim. 5 Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a witness of those things which were afterward to be spoken, 6 but Messiah is faithful as a Son over his house. We are his house, if we hold fast our confidence and the glorying of our hope firm to the end. 7 Therefore, even as the Holy Spirit says, “Today if you will hear his voice, 8 don’t harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of the trial in the wilderness, 9 where your fathers tested me and tried me, and saw my deeds for forty years. 10 Therefore I was displeased with that generation, and said, ‘They always err in their heart, but they didn’t know my ways.’ 11 As I swore in my wrath, ‘They will not enter into my rest.’ ” (cf. Psalms 95:7-11) 12 Beware, brothers, lest perhaps there might be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living Elohim; 13 but exhort one another day by day, so long as it is called “today”, lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Messiah, if we hold the beginning of our confidence firm to the end, 15 while it is said, “Today if you will hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts, as in the rebellion.” (cf. Psalms 95:7-8) 16 For who, when they heard, rebelled? Wasn’t it all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? 17 With whom was he displeased forty years? Wasn’t it with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18 To whom did he swear that they wouldn’t enter into his rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19 We see that they weren’t able to enter in because of unbelief.

Hebrews 6:1-20 (T, A)

6:1 Therefore leaving the teaching of the first principles of Messiah, let’s press on to perfection—not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, of faith toward Elohim, 2 of the teaching of immersions, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 This will we do, if Elohim permits. 4 For concerning those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and tasted the good word of Elohim and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance; seeing they crucify the Son of Elohim for themselves again, and put him to open shame. 7 For the land which has drunk the rain that comes often on it and produces a crop suitable for them for whose sake it is also tilled, receives blessing from Elohim; 8 but if it bears thorns and thistles, it is rejected and near being cursed, whose end is to be burned. 9 But, beloved, we are persuaded of better things for you, and things that accompany salvation, even though we speak like this. 10 For Elohim is not unrighteous, so as to forget your work and the labor of love which you showed toward his name, in that you served the holy ones, and still do serve them. 11 We desire that each one of you may show the same diligence to the fullness of hope even to the end, 12 that you won’t be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherited the promises. 13 For when Elohim made a promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” (cf. Genesis 22:17) 15 Thus, having patiently endured, he obtained the promise. 16 For men indeed swear by a greater one, and in every dispute of theirs the oath is final for confirmation. 17 In this way Elohim, being determined to show more abundantly to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, interposed with an oath, 18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for Elohim to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to take hold of the hope set before us. 19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and entering into that which is within the veil, 20 where as a forerunner Yeshua entered for us, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

Numbers 25:1-18 (T)

25:1 Israel stayed in Shittim; and the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab; 2 for they called the people to the slaughters of their elohim. The people ate and bowed down to their elohim. 3 Israel yoked himself to Baal Peor, and the anger of YHWH burned against Israel. 4 YHWH said to Moses, “Take the heads of the people, and hang them up to YHWH before the sun, that the fierce anger of YHWH may turn away from Israel.” 5 Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Everyone kill his men who have yoked themselves to Baal Peor.” 6 Behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought to his brothers a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of the congregation of the sons of Israel, and they [began] weeping at the door of the Appointed Tent. 7 When Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw, he rose up from the middle of the congregation, and took a spear in his hand. 8 He went after the man of Israel into the alcove, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the smiting was stopped among the sons of Israel. 9 Those who died by the smiting were twenty-four thousand. 10 YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, 11 “Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my wrath away from the sons of Israel, in that he was zealous with my zeal among them, so that I didn’t consume the sons of Israel in my zeal. 12 Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace. 13 It will be to him, and to his seed after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his Elohim, and made atonement for the sons of Israel.’ ” 14 Now the name of the man of Israel that was slain, who was slain with the Midianite woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a fathers’ house among the Shimonites. 15 The name of the Midianite woman who was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur. He was head of the people of a fathers’ house in Midian. 16 YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, [“Speak to the sons of Israel saying,]^{(DSS + LXX)} 17 “Harass the Midianites, and strike them; 18 for they harassed you with their craftiness, wherein they have deceived you upon the word of Peor, and in the incident regarding Cozbi, the daughter of the prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain on the day of the smiting upon the word of Peor.”

Numbers 27:12-14 (T)

27:12 YHWH said to Moses, “Go up into this mountain of Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the sons of Israel. 13 When you have seen it, you also will be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered; 14 because in the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against my word in the wilderness of Zin, to honor me as holy at the waters before their eyes.” These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.

Joshua 13:15-23 (T)

13:15 Moses gave to the tribe of the sons of Reuben according to their families. 16 Their border was from Aroer, that is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the plain by Medeba; 17 Heshbon, and all its cities that are in the plain; Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon, 18 Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, 19 Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth Shahar in the mount of the valley, 20 Beth Peor, the slopes of Pisgah, Beth Jeshimoth, 21 all the cities of the plain, and all the reign of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses struck with the chiefs of Midian, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the princes of Sihon, who lived in the land. 22 The sons of Israel also killed Balaam the son of Beor, the soothsayer, with the sword, among the rest of their slain.
23 The border of the sons of Reuben was the bank of the Jordan. This was the inheritance of the sons of Reuben according to their families, the cities and its villages.

Deuteronomy 20:1-20 (T)

20:1 When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses, chariots, and a people more numerous than you, you will not be afraid of them; for YHWH your Elohim, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, is with you. 2 It will be, when you draw near to the battle, that the priest will approach and speak to the people, 3 and will tell them, “Hear, Israel, you draw near today to battle against your enemies. Don’t let your heart faint! Don’t be afraid, nor tremble, neither be scared of them; 4 for YHWH your Elohim is he who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.” 5 The officers will speak to the people, saying, “What man is there who has built a new house, and has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it. 6 What man is there who has planted a vineyard, and has not used its fruit? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man use its fruit. 7 What man betrothed a woman and has not taken her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.” 8 The officers will speak further to the people, and they will say, “What man is there who is fearful and faint-hearted? Let him go and return to his house, lest his brother’s heart melt as his heart.” 9 It will be, when the officers have finished speaking to the people, that they will appoint captains of armies at the head of the people. 10 When you draw near to a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace to it. 11 It will be, if it gives you answer of peace and opens to you, then it will be that all the people who are found therein will become forced laborers to you, and will serve you. 12 If it will make no peace with you, but will make battle against you, then you will besiege it. 13 When YHWH your Elohim delivers it into your hand, you will strike every male of it with the edge of the sword; 14 but the women, the little ones, the livestock, and all that is in the city, even all its plunder, you will take for plunder for yourself. You may use the plunder of your enemies, which YHWH your Elohim has given you. 15 Thus you will do to all the cities which are very far off from you, which are not of the cities of these nations. 16 But of the cities of these peoples that YHWH your Elohim gives you for an inheritance, you will save alive nothing that breathes; 17 but you will utterly destroy them: the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, as YHWH your Elohim has commanded you; 18 that they not teach you to follow all their abominations, which they have done for their elohim; so would you sin against YHWH your Elohim. 19 When you will besiege a city a long time, in making battle against it to take it, you will not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them; for you may eat of them. You will not cut them down, for is the tree of the field man, that it should be besieged by you? 20 Only the trees that you know are not trees for food, you will destroy and cut them down. You will build bulwarks against the city that makes battle with you, until it falls.

2 Peter 2:15-16; Revelation 2:12-17 (T)

2 Peter 2:15 Forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of wrongdoing; 16 but he was rebuked for his own disobedience. A speechless donkey spoke with a man’s voice and stopped the madness of the prophet.

Revelation 2:12 “To the angel of the assembly in Pergamum write: “He who has the sharp two-edged sword says these things: 13 “I know your works and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. You hold firmly to my name, and didn’t deny my faith in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to throw a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things slaughtered to idols, and to commit fornication. 15 So also you likewise have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Repent therefore, or else I am coming to you quickly and I will make war against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To him who overcomes, to him I will give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows but he who receives it.

Judges 21:1-25 (T)

21:1 Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, “None of us will give his daughter to Benjamin as a woman.” 2 The people came to Bethel and sat there until evening before Elohim, and lifted up their voices, and wept severely. 3 They said, “YHWH, the Elohim of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that there should be one tribe lacking in Israel today?” 4 On the next day, the people rose early and built an altar there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. 5 The sons of Israel said, “Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who didn’t come up in the assembly to YHWH?” For they had made a great oath concerning him who didn’t come up to YHWH to Mizpah, saying, “He will surely be put to death.” 6 The sons of Israel grieved for Benjamin their brother, and said, “There is one tribe cut off from Israel today. 7 How will we provide wives for those who remain, since we have sworn by YHWH that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?” 8 They said, “What one is there of the tribes of Israel who didn’t come up to YHWH to Mizpah?” Behold, no one came from Jabesh Gilead to the camp to the assembly. 9 For when the people were counted, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead there. 10 The congregation sent twelve thousand of the most valiant men there, and commanded them, saying, “Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the little ones. 11 This is the word that you will do: you will utterly destroy every male, and every woman who has lain with a man.” 12 They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead four hundred young virgins who had not known man by lying with him; and they brought them to the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. 13 The whole congregation sent and spoke to the sons of Benjamin who were in the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace to them. 14 Benjamin returned at that time; and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh Gilead. There still weren’t enough for them. 15 The people grieved for Benjamin, because YHWH had made a breach in the tribes of Israel. 16 Then the elders of the congregation said, “How will we provide wives for those who remain, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?” 17 They said, “There must be an inheritance for those who are escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel. 18 However, we may not give them wives of our daughters, for the sons of Israel had sworn, saying, ‘Cursed is he who gives a woman to Benjamin.’ ” 19 They said, “Behold, there is a feast of YHWH from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.” 20 They commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, “Go and lie in wait in the vineyards, 21 and see, and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards, and each man catch his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. 22 It will be, when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, that we will say to them, ‘Grant them graciously to us, because we didn’t take for each man his wife in battle, neither did you give them to them; otherwise you would now be guilty.’ ” 23 The sons of Benjamin did so, and took wives for themselves according to their number, of those who danced, whom they carried off. They went and returned to their inheritance, built the cities, and lived in them. 24 The sons of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they each went out from there to his own inheritance. 25 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did that which was right in his own eyes.

Numbers 19:11-16 (T)

19:11 He who touches the dead body of any man will be unclean seven days. 12 He will purify himself with water on the third day, and on the seventh day he will be clean; but if he doesn’t purify himself the third day, then the seventh day he will not be clean. 13 Whoever touches a dead person, the body of a man who has died, and doesn’t purify himself, defiles the tabernacle of YHWH; and that soul will be cut off from Israel; because the water for impurity was not sprinkled on him, he will be unclean. His uncleanness is yet on him. 14 This is the Torah when a man dies in a tent: everyone who comes into the tent, and everyone who is in the tent, will be unclean seven days. 15 Every open vessel, which has no [bracelet of cord]^(MTT) on it, is unclean. 16 Whoever in the open field touches one who is slain with a sword, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, will be unclean seven days.

Joshua 8:1-35 (T)

8:1 YHWH said to Joshua, “Don’t be afraid, and don’t be dismayed. Take all the warriors with you, and arise, go up to Ai. Behold, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, with his people, his city, and his land. 2 You will do to Ai and her king as you did to Jericho and her king, except you will take its goods and its livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush for the city behind it.” 3 So Joshua arose, with all the warriors, to go up to Ai. Joshua chose thirty thousand men, the mighty men of valor, and sent them out by night. 4 He commanded them, saying, “Behold, you will lie in ambush against the city, behind the city. Don’t go very far from the city, but all of you be ready. 5 I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. It will happen, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them. 6 They will come out after us until we have drawn them away from the city; for they will say, ‘They flee before us, like the first time.’ So we will flee before them, 7 and you will rise up from the ambush, and take possession of the city; for YHWH your Elohim will deliver it into your hand. 8 It will be, when you have seized the city, that you will set the city on fire. You will do this according to the word of YHWH. Behold, I have commanded you.” 9 Joshua sent them out; and they went to set up the ambush, and stayed between Bethel and Ai on the west side of Ai; but Joshua stayed among the people that night. 10 Joshua rose up early in the morning, mustered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai. 11 All the people, even the men of battle who were with him, went up and came near, and came before the city and encamped on the north side of Ai. Now there was a valley between him and Ai. 12 He took about five thousand men, and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city. 13 So they set the people, even all the army who was on the north of the city, and their ambush on the west of the city; and Joshua went that night into the middle of the valley. 14 When the king of Ai saw it, they hurried and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at the time appointed, before the Arabah; but he didn’t know that there was an ambush against him behind the city. 15 Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness. 16 All the people who were in the city were called together to pursue after them. They pursued Joshua, and were drawn away from the city. 17 There was not a man left in Ai or Bethel who didn’t go out after Israel. They left the city open, and pursued Israel. 18 YHWH said to Joshua, “Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.” Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city. 19 The ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand and entered into the city and took it. They hurried and set the city on fire. 20 When the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to the heavens, and they had no power to flee this way or that way. The people who fled to the wilderness turned back on the pursuers. 21 When Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned back and killed the men of Ai. 22 The others came out of the city against them, so they were in the middle of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side. They struck them, so that they let none of them remain or escape. 23 They captured the king of Ai alive, and brought him to Joshua. 24 When Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness in which they pursued them, and they had all fallen by the edge of the sword until they were consumed, all Israel returned to Ai and struck it with the edge of the sword. 25 All that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the people of Ai. 26 For Joshua didn’t draw back his hand, with which he stretched out the javelin, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. 27 Israel took for themselves only the livestock and the goods of that city, according to the word of YHWH which he commanded Joshua. 28 So Joshua burned Ai and made it a heap forever, even a desolation, to this day. 29 He hanged the king of Ai on a tree until the evening. At sundown, Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the tree and threw it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raised a great heap of stones on it that remains to this day. 30 Then Joshua built an altar to YHWH, the Elohim of Israel, on Mount Ebal, 31 as Moses the servant of YHWH commanded the sons of Israel, as it is written in the book of the Torah of Moses: an altar of uncut stones, on which no one had lifted up any iron. They offered burnt offerings on it to YHWH and slaughtered peace offerings. 32 He wrote there on the stones a copy of Moses’ law, which he wrote in the face of the sons of Israel. 33 All Israel, with their elders, officers, and judges, stood on both sides of the ark before the priests, the Levites, who carried the ark of the covenant of YHWH, the foreigner as well as the native; half of them in front of Mount Gerizim, and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of YHWH had commanded at the first, that they should bless the people of Israel. 34 Afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses commanded which Joshua didn’t read before all the assembly of Israel, with the women, the little ones, and the foreigners who were among them.

1 Samuel 30:1-31 (T)

30:1 When David and his men had come to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid on the South and on Ziklag, and had struck Ziklag and burned it with fire, 2 and had taken captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great. They didn’t kill any, but carried them off and went their way. 3 When David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters were taken captive. 4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voice and wept until they had no more power to weep. 5 David’s two wives were taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the woman of Nabal the Carmelite. 6 David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the souls of all the people were grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters; but David strengthened himself in YHWH his Elohim. 7 David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Please bring the ephod here to me.” Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 David inquired of YHWH, saying, “If I pursue after this troop, will I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue, for you will surely overtake them, and will without fail recover all.” 9 So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed. 10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so faint that they couldn’t go over the brook Besor. 11 They found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he ate; and they gave him water to drink. 12 They gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. When he had eaten, his spirit came again to him; for he had eaten no bread, and drank no water for three days and three nights. 13 David asked him, “To whom do you belong? Where are you from?” He said, “I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days ago I got sick. 14 We made a raid on the South of the Cherethites, and on that which belongs to Judah, and on the South of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.” 15 David said to him, “Will you bring me down to this troop?” He said, “Swear to me by Elohim that you will not kill me and not deliver me up into the hands of my master, and I will bring you down to this troop.” 16 When he had brought him down, behold, they were spread around over all the ground, eating, drinking, and dancing, because of all the great plunder that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah. 17 David struck them from the twilight even to the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped from there, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled. 18 David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives. 19 There was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither plunder, nor anything that they had taken. David brought them all back. 20 David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drove before those other livestock, and said, “This is David’s plunder.” 21 David came to the two hundred men, who were so faint that they could not follow David, whom also they had made to stay at the brook Besor; and they went out to meet David, and to meet the people who were with him. When David came near to the people, he greeted them. 22 Then all the wicked men and worthless fellows of those who went with David answered and said, “Because they didn’t go with us, we will not give them anything of the plunder that we have recovered, except to every man his wife and his sons, that he may lead them away and depart.” 23 Then David said, “Do not do so, my brothers, with that which YHWH has given to us, who has preserved us, and delivered the troop that came against us into our hand. 24 Who will listen to you in this word? For as his share is who goes down to the battle, so will his share be who stays with the baggage. They will share alike.” 25 It was so from that day forward that he made it a statute and a judgment for Israel to this day. 26 When David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, “Behold, a present for you from the plunder of YHWH’s enemies.” 27 He sent it to those who were in Bethel, to those who were in Ramoth of the South, to those who were in Jattir, 28 to those who were in Aroer, to those who were in Siphmoth, to those who were in Eshtemoa, 29 to those who were in Racal, to those who were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, to those who were in the cities of the Kenites, 30 to those who were in Hormah, to those who were in Borashan, to those who were in Athach, 31 to those who were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men used to stay.

Joshua 6:12-19 (T)

6:12 Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of YHWH. 13 The seven priests bearing the seven shofars of rams’ horns in front of the ark of YHWH went on continually, and blew the shofars. The armed men went in front of them. The rear guard came after the ark of YHWH. The shofars sounded as they went. 14 The second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp. They did this six days. 15 On the seventh day, they rose early at the dawning of the day, and marched around the city in the same way seven times. On this day only they marched around the city seven times. 16 At the seventh time, when the priests blew the shofars, Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for YHWH has given you the city! 17 The city will be devoted, even it and all that is in it, to YHWH. Only Rahab the whore will live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. 18 But as for you, only keep yourselves from what is devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted it, you take of the devoted thing; so you would make the camp of Israel accursed and trouble it. 19 But all the silver, gold, and vessels of bronze and iron are holy to YHWH. They will come into YHWH’s treasury.”

Jeremiah 4:1-31 (P)

“If you will return, Israel,” says YHWH, “if you will return to me, and if you will put away your abominations out of my sight; then you will not be removed; 2 and you will swear, ‘As YHWH lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness. The nations will bless themselves in him, and they will glory in him.” 3 For YHWH says to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, “Break up your fallow ground, and don’t sow among thorns. 4 Circumcise yourselves to YHWH, and take away the foreskins of your heart, you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go out like fire, and burn so that no one can quench it, because of the evil of your doings. 5 Declare in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, ‘Blow the shofar in the land!’ Cry aloud and say, ‘Assemble yourselves! Let’s go into the fortified cities!’ 6 Set up a standard toward Zion. Flee for safety! Don’t wait; for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.” 7 A lion has gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations. He is on his way. He has gone out from his place, to make your land desolate, that your cities be laid waste, without inhabitant. 8 For this, clothe yourself with sackcloth, lament and wail; for the fierce anger of YHWH hasn’t turned back from us. 9 “It will happen at that day,” says YHWH, “that the heart of the king will perish, along with the heart of the rulers. The priests will be astonished, and the prophets will wonder.” 10 Then I said, “Ah, Lord YHWH! Surely you have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘You will have peace;’ whereas the sword reaches to the heart.” 11 At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A hot wind blows from the bare heights in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to winnow, nor to cleanse. 12 A full wind from these will come for me. Now I will also utter judgments against them.” 13 Behold, he will come up as clouds, and his chariots will be as the whirlwind. His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us! For we are ruined. 14 Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved. How long will your evil thoughts lodge within you? 15 For a voice declares from Dan, and publishes evil from the hills of Ephraim: 16 “Tell the nations, behold, publish against Jerusalem, ‘Watchers come from a far country, and raise their voice against the cities of Judah. 17 As keepers of a field, they are against her all around, because she has been rebellious against me,’ ” says YHWH. 18 “Your way and your doings have brought these things to you. This is your wickedness, for it is bitter, for it reaches to your heart.” 19 My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart! My heart trembles within me. I can’t hold my peace, because you have heard, O my soul, the sound of the shofar, the alarm of battle. 20 Destruction on destruction is decreed, for the whole land is laid waste. Suddenly my tents are destroyed, and my curtains gone in a moment. 21 How long will I see the standard and hear the sound of the shofar? 22 “For my people are foolish. They don’t know me. They are foolish sons, and they have no understanding. They are skillful in doing evil, but they don’t know how to do good.” 23 I saw the land and, behold, it was waste and void, and the heavens, and they had no light. 24 I saw the mountains, and behold, they trembled, and all the hills moved back and forth. 25 I saw, and behold, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens had fled. 26 I saw, and behold, the fruitful field was a wilderness, and all its cities were broken down at the face of YHWH, before his fierce anger. 27 For YHWH says, “The whole land will be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end. 28 For this the land will mourn, and the heavens above be black, because I have spoken it. I have planned it, and I have not repented, neither will I turn back from it.” 29 Every city flees for the noise of the horsemen and archers. They go into the thickets and climb up on the rocks. Every city is forsaken, and not a man dwells therein. 30 You, when you are made desolate, what will you do? Though you clothe yourself with scarlet, though you deck yourself with ornaments of gold, though you enlarge your eyes with makeup, you make yourself beautiful in vain. Your lovers despise you. They seek your life. 31 For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, the anguish as of her who gives birth to her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, who gasps for breath, who spreads her hands, saying, “Woe is me now! For my soul faints before the murderers.”

Acts 4:32 – 5:11 (T, A)

4:32 The multitude of those who believed were of one heart and soul. Not one of them claimed that anything of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. 33 With great power, the emissaries gave their testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Yeshua. Great grace was on them all. 34 For neither was there among them any who lacked, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, 35 and laid them at the emissaries’ feet; and distribution was made to each, according as anyone had need. 36 Yosi, who by the emissaries was also called Barnabas, which is, being interpreted, Son of Encouragement, a Levite, a man of Cyprus by race, 37 having a field, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the emissaries’ feet. 5:1 But a certain man named Hananiah, with Shappirah his wife, sold a possession, 2 and kept back part of the price, his wife also being aware of it, then brought a certain part and laid it at the emissaries’ feet. 3 But Peter said, “Hananiah, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4 While you kept it, didn’t it remain your own? After it was sold, wasn’t it in your power? How is it that you have conceived this thing in your heart? You haven’t lied to men, but to God.” 5 Hananiah, hearing these words, fell down and died. Great fear came on all who heard these things. 6 The young men arose and wrapped him up, and they carried him out and buried him. 7 About three hours later, his wife, not knowing what had happened, came in. 8 Peter answered her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” She said, “Yes, for so much.” 9 But Peter asked her, “How is it that you have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” 10 She fell down immediately at his feet and died. The young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her by her husband. 11 Great fear came on the whole assembly, and on all who heard these things.

2 Corinthians 1:15-20 (A)

1:15 In this confidence, I was determined to come first to you, that you might have a second benefit, 16 and by you to pass into Macedonia, and again from Macedonia to come to you, and to be sent forward by you on my journey to Judea. 17 When I therefore planned this, did I show fickleness? Or the things that I plan, do I plan according to the flesh, that with me there should be the “Yes, yes” and the “No, no?” 18 But as Elohim is faithful, our word toward you was not “Yes and no.” 19 For the Son of Elohim, Yeshua the Messiah, who was preached among you by us—by me, Silvanus, and Timothy—was not “Yes and no,” but in him is “Yes.” 20 For however many are the promises of Elohim, in him is the “Yes.” Therefore also through him is the “Amen”, to the glory of Elohim through us.

Ya’aqov (James) 5:12 (T, A)

5:12 But above all things, my brothers, don’t swear by an oath— not by the heavens, or by the land, or by any other oath; but let your “yes” be “yes”, and your “no”, “no”, so that you don’t fall into hypocrisy.

Related Additional Readings​

The Damascus Document 4Q270 Fragment 9, Column 2 (T)

The Damascus Document, also called the Damascus Covenant or the Book of the Covenant of Damascus, Cairo Damascus document (CD) or Damascus Rule, is an ancient Jewish document that some scholars suggest serves as a “bridge” document, connecting Judaism’s post-exilic ‘Enochian’-Essene majority to the asserted leadership of its radical minority Qumran-Essene community that was established in isolation near the shores of the Dead Sea. It forms part of the Dead Sea Scrolls, found after 1947 near Qumran, but two fragments had already been discovered in 1897 in the Cairo Geniza. The below excerpt is from Wise, Michael Owen, et al. The Dead Sea Scrolls: a New Translation. HarperSanFrancisco, 2005.

15 [A man must not] swear either by Aleph and Lamedh (Elohim) or by Aleph and Daleth (Adonai), but rather by the oath of those who enter into the covenant vows. He must not make mention of the Law of Moses, because the Name of Elohim is written out fully in it, and if he swears by it, and then commits a sin, he will have defiled the Name. But if he has sworn by the covenant vows in front of the judges, if he has violated them, he is guilty: he should then confess his sin and make restitution and then he will not bear the burden of sin and die.

Whoever enters the covenant for all Israel, this is a perpetual observance: any children who reach the age to be included in the registrants, they will impose the covenant oath upon them.

This is the rule during all the era of wickedness for all who repent of their wicked ways: On the day he speaks to the Overseer of the general membership, they will register him by the oath of the covenant that Moses made with Israel, the covenant to return to the Law of Moses with a whole heart, and to return with a whole spirit to that which is found therein to do during the era of [wickedness]. No one is allowed to tell him the rules until he appears before the Overseer, so that he, the Overseer, is not fooled by him when he examines him: and when he imposes upon him the oath to return to the Law of Moses with a whole heart and with a whole soul, they are innocent with respect to him if he proves false.

Everything that is revealed from the Law for the multitude of the Camp, and of which he (the postulant) is capable, the Overseer should tell him and command him to study for one full year; and then according to his knowledge he may draw near. But no one who is a fool or insane may enter; and no simpleton or ignoramus or one with eyes too weak to see or lame or crippled or deaf or minor child, none of these will enter the congregation, for the holy angels are in your midst.

16 […] with you a covenant, and with all Israel. Therefore let man take upon himself the oath to return to the Law of Moses, for in it everything is laid out in detail. But the specification of the times during which all Israel is blind to all these rules is laid out in detail in the Book of Time Divisions by Jubilees and Weeks.” On the day man promises to return to the Law of Moses the Angel of Obstruction will leave him, if he keeps His words. That is why Abraham was circumcised on the day he gained true knowledge.

As for the passage “observe what comes out of your lips” (Deut. 23-24), it means to abide by every binding oath in which a man promises to do anything from the Law: he may not break it, even at the price of death. Any promise a man makes to depart from the Law he will not keep, even at the price of death.

Concerning a woman’s oath: The passage that speaks of her husband annulling her oath (Num. 30:9) means he should not annul an oath if he does not know whether it should be allowed to stand or be annulled. If it violates the covenant he should annul it and not allow it to stand. The rule also applies to her father.

Concerning the rule of freewill offerings: A man will not vow to the altar anything stolen, nor will the priests accept it from an Israelite. A man will not consecrate the food of his mouth to Elohim, for that is referred to by the passage, “Men trap each other with what is consecrated to Elohim” (Mic. 7:2); nor should a man consecrate any […] And the rule also applies if he consecrates part of a field he owns himself […] The one who so vows will be punished […] money of its value […] to the judges [for a fair decision and to evaluate … after the thing is vowed … If [it is gained by extortion, the extorter will pay, if he has not spoken the truth to his fellow …]

9 Any human being that any other human being is under a religious obligation to kill will be put to death by the laws of the Nations.

Numbers 30:1 – 31:54 from the Jerusalem Targum aka Targum Pseudo-Jonathan

Composed in Talmudic Israel (c.150 – c.250 A.D.). Targum Pseudo-Jonathan is a western targum (translation) of the Torah (Pentateuch) from the land of Israel (as opposed to the eastern Babylonian Targum Onkelos). Its correct title was originally Targum Yerushalmi (Jerusalem Targum), which is how it was known in medieval times. But because of a printer’s mistake it was later labeled Targum Jonathan, in reference to Jonathan ben Uzziel. Some editions of the Pentateuch continue to call it Targum Jonathan to this day. Most scholars refer to the text as Targum Pseudo-Jonathan. This targum is more than a mere translation. It includes much Aggadic material collected from various sources as late as the Midrash Rabbah as well as earlier material from the Talmud. It is effectively a combination of a commentary and a translation. In the portions where it is pure translation, it often agrees with the Targum Onkelos. The date of its composition is disputed. It cannot have been completed before the Arabic conquest as it refers to Mohammad’s wife Fatimah, but might have been initially composed in the 4th Century A.D.. However, some scholars date it in the 14th Century.

Chapter 30 And Mosheh spake with the chiefs of the Tribes of the Beni Israel, saying: This is the Word which the Lord hath spoken, saying: A man, a son of thirteen when he will have vowed a vow before the Lord, or have sworn an oath, saying, I will withhold from such a thing which is permitted to me, will not be allowed to relax his word (at his own will): nevertheless, the house of judgment (beth dina) can absolve him; but if they absolve him not, whatsoever hath gone out of his mouth he will perform.

And a female who hath not passed twelve years when she hath vowed a vow before the Lord, and hath bound herself in her father’s house until her thirteenth year; and her father hear her vow, and whatever bond she hath bound upon her soul, and her father be acquiescent, and speak not to her; then every vow and every bond which she hath bound upon her soul will be confirmed. But if her father prohibit her on the day that he heareth, or, not being prepared to confirm, annulleth after he hath heard, (then) no vow or bond that she hath bound upon her soul will be confirmed; but is remitted and forgiven her before the Lord, because her father hath made her free from the authority of the vow, (or, nullified to her the power of the vow.) And if when she hath been taken by a husband a vow be upon her, or her lips have expressed that which is binding upon her soul while in her father’s house, and her father had not absolved her while unmarried, then, when she hath been married, it will be confirmed. But if after she is married she make a vow, and her husband hear it, and on the day that he heareth it he is minded to confirm it, and is silent to her, then the vow and the bond which she hath bound upon her soul will be ratified. But if her husband prohibit her on the day that he heareth, then the vow which is upon her, and the utterance of her lips which bound her soul, are remitted and forgiven her. Yet the vow of a widow, or a divorced, whatever hath bound her soul, will be confirmed upon her. But if, while she was in her husband’s house, or while she had not attained to marriage years, she had vowed, or bound her soul with the bond of an oath which her husband had heard of, and had neither spoken nor prohibited her, or had died before she was married, then all her vows will be confirmed, and all the obligations with which she had bound her soul be ratified, and her father will have no power to absolve her. But if her husband released her [JERUSALEM. Her husband released her] on the day that he heard, then, whatever her lips had pronounced to be a vow, or a bond upon her soul, will not be confirmed; and if her husband had annulled them, [JERUSALEM. Her husband had released them,] and she, not knowing, had performed, it will be forgiven her before the Lord. Every vow, every oath‑bond to chasten the soul, her husband may ratify or annul. But if her husband was silent and consented when he heard from one day to the next, then all her vows and all the bonds upon her are ratified; by his silence he hath confirmed them; for he was silent to her on the day, and consented, and absolved her not on the day that he heard. But if, absolving, he would absolve her one day after he had heard, there is no force in the absolution; and if he then nullify the word, her husband or her father will bear her sin. These are the publications of the statutes which the Lord commanded Mosheh (on these matters) between a man and his wife, and a father and his daughter in the day of her youth in her father’s house; [JERUSALEM. In the time of her youth in her father’s house;] but not in the time of her youth, and she be in the house of her husband.

Chapter 31 And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying: Take retribution for the sons of Israel from the Midianites; and afterward thou shalt be gathered to thy people. And Moses spake with the people, saying: Arm of you men, [JERUSALEM. Arm of you,] for the host to make war against Midian, to give the people of the Lord avengement upon Midian; a thousand of each tribe of all the tribes of Israel send ye to the war. And of the thousands of Israel fit men were chosen who gave up themselves, a thousand of a tribe, twelve thousand, armed for the war. And Mosheh sent them, a thousand of each tribe to the war, them and Phinehas bar Elazar the priest unto the war, with the Uraia and Thummaia consecrated to inquire for them, and the Jubilee trumpets in his hand for assembling, encamping, and ordering forward the host of Israel. And they warred against Midian, circumventing them from three corners, as the Lord had instructed Mosheh, and they killed every male; and they slew the kings of the Midianites with the slain of their armies, Evi, Rekem, Zur, who is Balak, and Hur and Reba, five kings of Midian; and Bileam bar Beor they killed with the sword. And it was when Bileam the guilty saw Phinehas the priest pursuing him, he made use of his magical arts, (lit., made words of enchantment,) and flew in the air of the heavens; but Phinehas forthwith pronounced the Great and Holy Name, and flew after him, and seized him by his head, and bringing him down drew the sword, and sought to kill him; but he opened his mouth with words of deprecation, and said to Phinehas: If thou wilt spare my life, I swear to thee that all the days I live I will not curse thy people. He answered him, and said: Art thou not Laban the Amarite who didst seek to destroy Jakob our father, who wentest down into Mizraim, to destroy his children, and, after they had come out of Mizraim, didst send the wicked Amalek against them; and hast thou not now been sent to curse them? But after thou hadst seen that thy works did not prosper, and that the Word of the Lord would not hear thee, thou didst give the evil counsel to Balak to set his daughters in the way to make them go wrong, when there fell of them twentyfour thousand. Therefore, it cannot be that thy life may be spared; and at once he drew the sword and slew him.

And the sons of Israel led captive the wives of the Midianites, their children, their cattle, and all their flocks, and destroyed all their goods; and all their towns, the houses, of their rulers, and the high places of their houses of worship, they burned with fire; but they took all the spoil and the prey both of men and beasts, and brought to Mosheh, Elazar the priest, and all the congregation of Israel, the captives, the prey, and the spoils, at the camp in the fields of Moab, by the Jordan, near Jericho.

And Mosheh and Elazar the priest, with all the heads of the congregation, went forth to meet them without the camp. But Mosheh was angry with the leaders appointed over the host, the chiefs of thousands and of hundreds who came from the war with the host; and Mosheh said to them, Why have you spared all the women? These are they who caused the offence of the sons of Israel, by the counsel of Bileam, to do wrongly before the Lord in the word of Peor, so that pestilence came upon the congregation of the Lord. Now, therefore, slay every male among the children, and every woman who hath known a man; but every female child you will stand before the Crown of Holiness, (the priest’s tiara,) and look upon her: she who is not a virgin will be pallid in the face, but she who is a virgin child will blush in the face, like fire; them you will spare. But as for you, abide without the camp seven days; whoever hath slain a man, or touched the dead, you will sprinkle on the third; and on the seventh day both you and your captives, and every garment, and whatever is made of skin, goats’ hair, horn, or bone, and every vessel of wood, you will sprinkle.

And Elazar the priest said to the men of the host who had returned from the war: This is the manifestation of the decree of the law which the Lord hath commanded to Mosheh. Nevertheless, these (articles) without their rust, the gold, silver, brass, iron, tin, and lead, [JERUSALEM. Tin and lead,] their vessels, but not the unformed and simple (metals), every thing whose nature it is to abide the fire, of the pans, pots, spits, and gridirons, you will make to pass through fire to purify them, and afterward (sprinkle them) with water such as is used to purify the unclean; but whatever will not abide the fire coverlids, cups flagons, and utensils, you will make to pass through forty sata of water; and you will wash your raiment on the seventh day to be clean, and afterwards come into the camp.

And the Lord spake with Mosheh saying: Take the sum of the prey of the captives, both of man and beast, and take their amount, thou and Elazar the priest, and the chiefs of the fathers of the congregation; and divide the spoil between the men of war who took the spoil in the conflict of battle, having gone forth with the host, and between all the congregation; and separate that which is to be given up to the Name of the Lord by the men of war who went forth with the host: one woman out of five hundred; so, likewise, of oxen, donkeys, and sheep. From their half, the portion of the men of war, shalt thou take them, and give to Elazar the priest, as a separation unto the Name of the Lord; but of the half (falling to) the sons of Israel thou shalt take one out of fifty of the women, and of the oxen, the donkeys, and of all the cattle, and give them to the Levites who keep charge of the Lord’s tabernacle; and Mosheh and Elazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Mosheh.

And the amount of the prey, the rest of the spoil which had been taken by the people who went forth in the host,‑the number of the sheep was six hundred and seventy‑five thousand; oxen, seventy‑two thousand; donkeys, sixty‑one thousand; persons, the women who had not known man, all the persons thirty‑two thousand. And the half of the portion for the men who had gone to the war, the number of the sheep was three hundred and thirty‑seven thousand five hundred; and the amount of that brought up for the Name of the Lord was of sheep six hundred and seventy‑five; oxen thirty‑six thousand, those for the Name of the Lord seventy‑two; donkeys thirty thousand five hundred, for the Name of the Lord sixty‑one; persons sixteen thousand, for the Name of the Lord thirty‑two. And Mosheh gave the number separated to the Name of the Lord unto Elazar the priest, as the Lord commanded Mosheh. And the half part for the sons of Israel which Mosheh divided from the men’s who went forth to the war, the amount was three hundred and thirty‑seven thousand five hundred sheep, thirty‑six thousand oxen, thirty thousand five hundred donkeys, and sixteen thousand women. And Mosheh took from the half part for the sons of Israel of that which bad been captured, one out of fifty, whether of man or beast, and gave it to the Levites who kept charge of the tabernacle of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Mosheh.

And the officers who had been appointed over the thousands of the host, the captains of thousands and of hundreds, drew near to Mosheh, and they said to Mosheh, Thy servants have taken the account of the men of war who have been with us, and not any of them are wanting. And we have brought a gift unto the Name of the Lord, forasmuch as the Lord hath delivered the Midianites into our hands, and we have been able to subdue their land and their cities. And we entered into their chambers, and there saw their daughters, fair, tender, and delicate; and every man who found on them jewels of gold, loosened the coronets from their heads, the earrings from their ears, the necklaces from their necks, the bracelets from their arms, the rings from their fingers, and the brooches from their bosoms;‑but in all this we abstained from lifting our eyes upon themselves, or gazing on one of them, lest we should sin with any one of them, and die the death which the wicked die in the world to come. And may this be had in memorial for us in the day of the great judgment, to make propitiation for our souls before the Lord. [JERUSALEM. And we have brought the oblation of the Lord. When we entered into the houses of the Midianite kings, and into their sleeping‑chambers, and saw there the fair and delicate daughters of the Midianite kings, we took from their beads their golden coronets, the earrings from their ears, the rings from their fingers, the bracelets from their arms, and the jewels from their bosoms; yet, Mosheh our master! far was it from us,‑not one of us was united with any one of them, neither will he be companion with her in Gehinnom. In the world to come may it stand to us, in the day of the great judgment, to propitiate for our souls before the Lord.]

And Mosheh and Elazar the priest took the gold from them, every article fabricated; and the sum of all the gold of the separation which they had separated unto the Name of the Lord was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels, from the captains of thousands and of hundreds. For the men of the host had taken spoil, every man for himself. And Mosheh and Elazar the priest took the gold from the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of ordinance, a good memorial of the sons of Israel before the Lord.

Antiquities of the Jews by Flavius Josephus 4.7.1

Josephus was born Joseph ben Mattathias in 37 AD in Jerusalem of a priestly and royal family. He excelled in his studies of Jewish law and studied with the Sadducees, Pharisees, and the Essenes, eventually aligning himself with the Pharisees. In 62 AD he went to Rome to free some imprisoned priests. After accomplishing this mission through the intercession of Nero’s wife, Poppaea, he returned to Jerusalem in 65 AD to find the country in revolt against Rome. Josephus shrewdly reinterpreted the Messianic prophecies. He predicted that Vespasian would become the ruler of the ‘entire world’. His prophecy became true in 68 AD when Nero committed suicide and Vespasian became Ceasar. As a result, Josephus was freed; he moved to Rome and became a Roman citizen, taking the Vespasian family name Flavius. Vespasian commissioned Josephus to write a history of the war, which he finished in 78 AD, the Jewish War. His second major work, the Antiquities of the Jews, was completed in 93 AD. The extant manuscripts of the book Antiquities of the Jews contain two references to Yeshua of Nazareth (18.3.3. and 20.9.1.) and one reference to the imprisonment and death of John the Baptist (18.5.2.).

4.7.1. Now Moses sent an army against the land of Midian, for the causes forementioned, in all twelve thousand, taking an equal number out of every tribe, and appointed Phineas for their commander; of which Phineas we made mention a little before, as he that had guarded the laws of the Hebrews, and had inflicted punishment on Zimri when he had transgressed them. Now the Midianites perceived beforehand how the Hebrews were coming, and would suddenly be upon them: so they assembled their army together, and fortified the entrances into their country, and there awaited the enemy’s coming. When they were come, and they had joined battle with them, an immense multitude of the Midianites fell; nor could they be numbered, they were so very many: and among them fell all their kings, five in number, viz. Evi, Zur, Reba, Hur, and Rekem, who was of the same name with a city, the chief and capital of all Arabia, which is still now so called by the whole Arabian nation, Arecem, from the name of the king that built it; but is by the Greeks called – Petra. Now when the enemies were discomfited, the Hebrews spoiled their country, and took a great prey, and destroyed the men that were its inhabitants, together with the women; only they let the virgins alone, as Moses had commanded Phineas to do, who indeed came back, bringing with him an army that had received no harm, and a great deal of prey; fifty-two thousand beeves, seventy-five thousand six hundred sheep, sixty thousand donkeys, with an immense quantity of gold and silver furniture, which the Midianites made use of in their houses; for they were so wealthy, that they were very luxurious. There were also led captive about thirty-two thousand virgins. So Moses parted the prey into parts, and gave one fiftieth part to Eleazar and the two priests, and another fiftieth part to the Levites; and distributed the rest of the prey among the people. After which they lived happily, as having obtained an abundance of good things by their valor, and there being no misfortune that attended them, or hindered their enjoyment of that happiness.