Week 144

• Torah (T): Devarim (Deuteronomy) 24:1 – 25:19
• Prophets (P): Hosea 10:11 – 11:12
• Apostolic (A): Matthew 19:1-9; 1 Corinthians 9:1-14; 1 Timothy 5:17-18
• Additional (ADD): Sirach 42:1-25

RELATED SCRIPTURES

• Matthew 5:31-32 (T, A)
• Mark 10:1-12 (T, A)
• Jeremiah 3:1-25 (T)
• 1 Corinthians 7:1-16 (T)
• Romans 7:1-6 (T)
• Deuteronomy 20:7 (T)
• Job 22:6 (T)
• Exodus 21:16 (T)
• Leviticus 13:1-39 (T)
• Numbers 12:1-15 (T)
• Exodus 22:26-27 (T)
• Leviticus 19:9-13 (T)
• Ya’aqov (James) 5:4 (T)
• 2 Kings 14:1-6 (T)
• 2 Chronicles 25:1-4 (T)
• Jeremiah 31:29-34 (T)
• Ezekiel 18:1-32 (T)
• Exodus 22:21-22; Proverbs 22:22-23; Isaiah 1:23; Jeremiah 22:1-5; Ezekiel 22:23-31; Zechariah 7:8-14 (T)
• Leviticus 23:22 (T)
• 2 Corinthians 11:1-33 (T)
• Job 24:1-11 (T, A)
• Proverbs 12:11 (T, A)
• Matthew 10:5-15; Luke 10:1-12 (T, A)
• Matthew 22:23-33; Mark 12:18-27; Luke 20:27-40 (T)
• Ruth 7:1-15 (T)
• Proverbs 11:1; Proverbs 16:11; Proverbs 20:10 (T)
• Genesis 36:11-16; 1 Chronicles 1:35-36; Antiquities of the Jews 2.1.1; Jubilees 38:10-14 (T)
• Exodus 17:8-16 (T)
• 1 Samuel 15:1-35 (T)
• Hosea 10:1 – 11:12 (P)
• Matthew 2:14-15 (P)

RELATED ADDITIONAL REA.D.INGS

• Deuteronomy 24:1 – 25:19 and 17:8-16 from the Jerusalem Targum aka Targum Pseudo-Jonathan (T)
• Antiquities of the Jews by Flavius Josephus 4.8.21, 22, 24, 26, 27, 38, 39 (T)

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)

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 24:1 – 25:19

24:1 When a man takes a woman and becomes her owner, then it will be, if she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found a nakedness of a word in her, then he will write her a certificate of divorce, put it in her hand, and send her out of his house. 2 When she has departed out of his house, she may go and be another man’s. 3 If the latter man [who took her to be his wife]^(DSS) hates her, and writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house; or if the latter man dies, who took her to be his wife; 4 her former owner (בַּעַל ba’al), who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife after she is unclean; for that would be an abomination to YHWH. You will not cause the land to sin, which YHWH your Elohim gives you for an inheritance. 5 When a man takes a new woman, he will not go out in the army, neither will he cross over to him for any word. He will be free at home one year, and will rejoice with his wife whom he has taken. 6 No man will take the mill or the upper millstone as a pledge, for he takes a life in pledge. 7 If a man is found stealing any of his brothers of the sons of Israel, and he deals with him as a slave, or sells him, then that thief will die. So you will remove the evil from among you. 8 Be careful in the plague of infection, that you guard to do according to all that the priests, the Levites, will teach you. As I commanded them, so you will guard to do. 9 Remember what YHWH your Elohim did to Miriam, by the way as you came out of Egypt. 10 When you lend your neighbor any kind of loan, you will not go into his house to get his pledge. 11 You will stand outside, and the man to whom you lend will bring the pledge outside to you. 12 If he is an afflicted man, you will not sleep with his pledge. 13 You will surely restore to him the pledge when the sun goes down, that he may sleep in his garment and bless you. It will be righteousness to you before YHWH your Elohim. 14 You will not oppress a hired-servant who is afflicted and needy, whether he is one of your brothers or one of the sojourners who are in your land within your gates. 15 In his day you will give him his wages, neither will the sun go down on it, for he is afflicted and sets his heart on it, lest he cry against you to YHWH, and it be sin to you. 16 The fathers will not be put to death for the sons, neither will the sons be put to death for the fathers. Every man will be put to death for his own sin. 17 You will not deprive the sojourner or the fatherless of judgement, nor take a widow’s clothing in pledge; 18 but you will remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and YHWH your Elohim redeemed you there. Therefore I command you to do this word. 19 When you reap your harvest in your field, and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you will not go again to get it. It will be for the sojourner, for the fatherless, and for the widow, that YHWH your Elohim may bless you in all the work of your hands. 20 When you beat your olive tree, you will not go over the boughs again. It will be for the sojourner, for the fatherless, and for the widow.  21 When you harvest your vineyard, you will not glean it after yourselves. It will be for the sojourner, for the fatherless, and for the widow. 22 You will remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt. Therefore I command you to do this word.

25:1 If there is a dispute between men, and they come to judgment and the judges judge them, then they will justify the righteous and condemn the wicked. 2 It will be, if the wicked man is worthy of striking, that the judge will cause him to lie down and to be struck before his face, according to his wickedness, by number. 3 He may sentence him to no more than forty stripes. He will not give more, lest if he should give more and strike him more than that many stripes, then your brother will be degraded in your sight. 4 You will not muzzle the ox when he treads out the grain. 5 If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the woman of the dead will not be married outside to a strange man. Her husband’s brother will go in to her, and he will take her for him for a woman, and he will do the marriage duty with her. 6 It will be that the firstborn whom she bears will rise upon the name of his brother who is dead, that his name not be blotted out of Israel. 7 If the man doesn’t want to take his brother’s wife, then his brother’s wife will go up to the gate to the elders, and say, “My husband’s brother refuses to raise up to his brother a name in Israel. He will not perform the duty of a husband’s brother to me.” 8 Then the elders of his city will call him, and speak to him. If he stands and says, “I don’t want to take her,” 9 then his brother’s wife will come to him to the eye of the elders, and loose his sandal from off his foot, and spit in his face. She will answer and say, “So will it be done to the man who does not build up his brother’s house.” 10 His name will be called in Israel, “The house of him who had his sandal removed.” 11 When men strive against each other, and the woman of one draws near to deliver her husband out of the hand of him who strikes him, and puts out her hand, and grabs him by his genitals, 12 then you will slice off her palm. Your eye will have no pity. 13 You will not have in your bag diverse weights, one heavy and one light. 14 You will not have in your house diverse measures, one large and one small. 15 You will have a complete and righteous weight. You will have a complete and righteous measure, that your days may be long in the land which YHWH your Elohim gives you. 16 For all who do these, all who do unrighteously, are an abomination to YHWH your Elohim. 17 Remember what Amalek did to you by the way as you came out of Egypt, 18 how he met you by the way, and struck the rearmost of you, all who were shattered behind you, when you were faint and weary; and he didn’t fear Elohim. 19 Therefore it will be, when YHWH your Elohim has given you rest from all your enemies all around, in the land which YHWH your Elohim gives you for an inheritance to possess it, that you will blot out the memory of Amalek from under the heavens. You will not forget.

Prophets Portion (P)

Hosea 10:11 – 11:12

10:11 Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to thresh, so I will put a yoke on her beautiful neck. I will set a rider on Ephraim. Judah will plow. Jacob will break his clods. 12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap according to kindness. Break up your fallow ground (or, Enlighten for yourselves the light of knowledge),^(LXX) for it is time to seek YHWH, until he comes and rains righteousness on you. 13 [Why have you passed passed over ungodliness in silence and reaped the sins of it?]^(LXX) You have eaten the fruit of lies, for you trusted in your way, in the multitude of your mighty men. 14 Therefore a battle roar will arise among your people, and all your fortresses will be destroyed, as Shalman destroyed Beth Arbel in the day of battle. The mother was dashed in pieces with her sons. 15 So Bethel will do to you because of your great wickedness. At daybreak the king of Israel will be destroyed.

11:1 “When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt (cf. Matthew 2:15). 2 [As I]^(LXX) called to them, so they went from [me].^(LXX) They slaughtered to the Ba’alim, and burned incense to engraved images. 3 Yet I taught Ephraim to walk. I took them in [my]^(LXX) arms, but they didn’t know that I healed them. 4 I drew them with cords of a man, with ties of love; and I was to them like those who lift up the yoke on their necks; and I bent down to him and I fed him. 5 “They won’t return into the land of Egypt [Ephraim dwelt in Egypt]^(LXX) and the Assyrian will be their king, because they refused to repent. 6 The sword will fall on their cities, and will destroy the bars of their gates, and will put an end to their plans. 7 My people are determined to turn from me. Though they call to the Most High, he certainly won’t exalt them. 8 “How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboiim? My heart is turned within me, my compassion is aroused. 9 I will not execute the fierceness of my anger. I will not return to destroy Ephraim, for I am Elohim, and not man—the Holy One among you. I will not come in wrath. 10 They will walk after YHWH, who will roar like a lion; for he will roar, and the sons will come trembling from the west. 11 They will come trembling like a bird out of Egypt, and like a dove out of the land of Assyria; and I will settle them in their houses,” says YHWH. 12 Ephraim surrounds me with falsehood, and the house of Israel with deceit. Judah still strays from Elohim, and is unfaithful to the Holy One.

Apostolic Portion (A)

Matthew 19:1-9; 1 Corinthians 9:1-14; 1 Timothy 5:17-18

Matthew 19:1-9 When Yeshua had finished these words, he departed from Galilee and came into the borders of Judea beyond the Jordan. 2 Great multitudes followed him, and he healed them there. 3 Pharisees came to him, testing him and saying, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?” 4 He answered, “Haven’t you read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female, (cf. Genesis 1:27) 5 and said, ‘For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and will be joined to his wife; and the two will become one flesh?’ (cf. Genesis 2:24) 6 So that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore Elohim has joined together, don’t let man tear apart.” 7 They asked him, “Why then did Moses command us to give her a certificate of divorce and divorce her?” (cf. Deuteronomy 24:1; Jeremiah 3:8) 8 He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it has not been so. 9 I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery and he who marries her when she is divorced commits adultery.”^(mss)

1 Corinthians 9:1 Am I not free? Am I not an emissary? Haven’t I seen Yeshua^(mss) our Lord? Aren’t you my work in the Lord? 2 If to others I am not an emissary, yet at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my office of emissary in the Lord. 3 My defense to those who examine me is this: 4 Have we no right to eat and to drink? 5 Have we no right to take along a woman who is a believer, even as the rest of the emissaries, and the brothers of the Lord, and Peter? 6 Or have only Barnabas and I no right to not work? 7 What soldier ever serves at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard, and doesn’t eat of its fruit? Or who feeds a flock, and doesn’t drink from the flock’s milk? 8 Do I speak these things according to the ways of men? Or doesn’t the Torah also say the same thing? 9 For it is written in the Torah of Moses, “You will not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” (cf. Deuteronomy 25:4) Is it for the oxen that Elohim cares, 10 or does he say it assuredly for our sake? Yes, it was written for our sake, because he who plows ought to plow in hope, and he who threshes in the hope of having a share of his hope.^(mss) 11 If we sowed to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we reap your fleshly things? 12 If others partake of this right over you, don’t we yet more? Nevertheless we didn’t use this right, but we bear all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the Good News of Messiah. 13 Don’t you know that those who serve around sacred things eat from the things of the temple, and those who wait on the altar have their portion with the altar? 14 Even so the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the Good News should live from the Good News.

1 Timothy 5:17 Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and in teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “You will not muzzle the ox when it treads out the grain.” (cf. Deuteronomy 25:4) And, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.” (cf. Leviticus 19:13; Luke 10:7)

Additional Portion (ADD)

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 4th Century 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 42:1-25

42:1 Of these things be not ashamed, And accept no man’s person to sin by it: 2 Of the Torah of the Most High, and his covenant; And of judgment to do justice to the impious; 3 Of reckoning with a partner and with travelers; And of a gift from the heritage of friends; 4 Of exactness of balance and weights; And of getting much or little; 5 Of indifferent selling of merchants; And of much correction of children; And of making the side of an evil servant to bleed. 6 Where there is an evil woman, a seal is a good thing; And where many hands are, shut you close. 7 Whatsoever you hand over, let it be by number and weight; And in giving and receiving let all be in writing. 8 Be not ashamed to instruct the unwise and foolish, And one of extreme old age that contends with those that are young; And so will you be well instructed indeed, And approved in the sight of every man living. 9 A daughter is a secret cause of wakefulness to a father; And the care for her puts away sleep; In her youth, lest she pass the flower of her age; And when she is married, lest she should be hated: 10 In her virginity, lest she should be defiled And be with child in her father’s house; And when she has a husband, lest she should transgress; And when she is married, lest she should be barren. 11 Keep a strict watch over a headstrong daughter, Lest she make you a laughing stock to your enemies, A byword in the city and called out among the people, And shame you before the multitude. 12 Look not upon every body in regard of beauty, And sit not in the midst of women; 13 For from garments comes a moth, And from a woman a woman’s wickedness. 14 Better is the wickedness of a man than a pleasant-dealing woman, And a woman which puts you to shameful reproach. 15 I will make mention now of the works of the Lord, And will declare the things that I have seen: In the words of the Lord are his works. 16 The sun that gives light looks upon all things; And the work of the Lord is full of his glory. 17 The Lord has not given power to the saints to declare all his marvelous works; Which the Almighty Lord firmly settled, That whatever is might be established in his glory. 18 He searches out the deep, and the heart, And he has understanding of their cunning plans: For the Most High knows all knowledge, And he looks into the sign of the world, 19 Declaring the things that are past, and the things that will be, And revealing the traces of hidden things. 20 No thought escapes him; There is not a word hid from him. 21 The mighty works of his wisdom he has ordered, Who is from everlasting to everlasting: Nothing has been added to them, nor diminished from them; And he had no need of any counselor. 22 How desirable are all his works! One may behold this even to a spark. 23 All these things live and remain forever in all manner of uses, And they are all obedient. 24 All things are double one against another: And he has made nothing imperfect. 25 One thing establishes the good things of another: And who will be filled with beholding his glory?

Related Scriptures

Matthew 5:31-32 (T, A)

5:31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever will put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorce,’ (cf. Deuteronomy 24:1) 32 but I tell you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the cause of sexual immorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when she is put away commits adultery.

Mark 10:1-12 (T, A)

10:1 He arose from there and came into the borders of Judea and beyond the Jordan. Multitudes came together to him again. As he usually did, he was again teaching them. 2 Pharisees came to him testing him, and asked him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3 He answered, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “Moses allowed a certificate of divorce to be written, and to divorce her.” 5 But Yeshua said to them, “For your hardness of heart, he wrote you this commandment. 6 But from the beginning of the creation, Elohim made them male and female. (cf. Genesis 1:27) 7 For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and will join to his wife, 8 and the two will become one flesh, (cf. Genesis 2:24) so that they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 What therefore Elohim has joined together, let no man separate.” 10 In the house, his disciples asked him again about the same matter. 11 He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. 12 If [she]^(mss) herself divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Jeremiah 3:1-25 (T)

3:1 “‘If a man puts away his wife, and she goes from him, and becomes another man’s, should he return to her again?’ Wouldn’t that land be greatly polluted? But you have whored with many lovers; yet return again to me,” says YHWH. 2 “Lift up your eyes to the bare heights, and see! Where have you not been lain with? You have sat waiting for them by the road, as an Arabian in the wilderness. You have polluted the land with your whoring and with your wickedness. 3 Therefore the showers have been withheld and there has been no latter rain; yet you have had a whoring woman’s forehead and you refused to be ashamed. 4 Will you not from this time cry to me, ‘My Father, you are the guide of my youth!’? 5 “ ‘Will he retain his anger forever? Will he keep it to the end?’ Behold, you have spoken and have done evil things, and have had your way.” 6 Moreover, YHWH said to me in the days of Josiah the king, “Have you seen that which backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and has whored there. 7 I said after she had done all these things, ‘She will return to me;’ but she didn’t return, and her treacherous sister Judah saw it. 8 I saw when, for this very cause, that backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce, yet treacherous Judah, her sister, had no fear, but she also went and whored. 9 Because she took her whoredom lightly, the land was polluted, and she committed adultery with stones and with wood. 10 Yet for all this her treacherous sister, Judah, has not returned to me with her whole heart, but only in pretense,” says YHWH. 11 YHWH said to me, “Backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. 12 Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, ‘Return, you backsliding Israel,’ says YHWH; ‘I will not look in anger on you, for I am merciful,’ says YHWH. ‘I will not keep anger forever. 13 Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against YHWH your Elohim, and have scattered your ways to the strangers under every green tree, and you have not obeyed my voice,’ ” says YHWH. 14 “Return, backsliding children,” says YHWH, “for I am a husband to you. I will take one of you from a city, and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. 15 I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. 16 It will come to pass, when you are multiplied and increased in the land in those days,” says YHWH, “they will no longer say, ‘the ark of the covenant of YHWH!’ It will not come to mind. They won’t remember it. They won’t miss it, nor will another be made. 17 At that time they will call Jerusalem ‘YHWH’s Throne;’ and all the nations will be gathered to it, to YHWH’s name, to Jerusalem. They will no longer walk after the stubbornness of their evil heart. 18 In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together out of the land of the north to the land that I gave for an inheritance to your fathers. 19 “But I said, ‘How I desire to put you among the sons, and give you a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the armies of the nations!’ and I said, ‘You will call me “My Father”, and will not turn away from following me.’ 20 “Surely as a woman treacherously departs from her husband, so you have dealt treacherously with me, house of Israel,” says YHWH. 21 A voice is heard on the bare heights, the weeping and the petitions of the sons of Israel; because they have perverted their way, they have forgotten YHWH their Elohim. 22 Return, you backsliding children, and I will heal your backsliding. “Behold, we have come to you; for you are YHWH our Elohim. 23 Truly help from the hills, the tumult on the mountains, is in vain. Truly the salvation of Israel is in YHWH our Elohim. 24 But the shameful thing has devoured the labor of our fathers from our youth, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. 25 Let us lie down in our shame, and let our confusion cover us; for we have sinned against YHWH our Elohim, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day. We have not obeyed YHWH our Elohim’s voice.”

1 Corinthians 7:1-16 (T)

7:1 Now concerning the things about which you wrote: it is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2 But, because of sexual immoralities, let each man have his own woman, and let each woman have her own husband. 3 Let the husband give his wife the favor owed her, and likewise also the woman her husband. 4 The woman doesn’t have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise also the husband doesn’t have authority over his own body, but the woman does. 5 Don’t deprive one another, unless it is by consent for a season, that you may give yourselves to prayer, and may be together again, that Satan doesn’t try you because of your lack of self-control. 6 But this I say by way of concession, not of commandment. 7 Yet I wish that all men were like me. However, each man has his own gift from Elohim, one of this kind, and another of that kind. 8 But I say to the unmarried and to widows, it is good for them if they remain even as I am. 9 But if they don’t have self-control, let them marry. For it’s better to marry than to burn with passion. 10 But to the married I command—not I, but the Lord—that the woman not leave her husband, 11 but if she departs, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband, and that the husband not leave his wife. 12 But to the rest I—not the Lord—say, if any brother has an unbelieving woman, and she is content to live with him, let him not leave her. 13 The woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he is content to live with her, let her not leave her husband. 14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the woman, and the unbelieving woman is sanctified in the husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. 15 Yet if the unbeliever departs, let there be separation. The brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but Elohim has called you to peace. 16 For how do you know, woman, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

Romans 7:1-6 (T)

7:1 Or don’t you know, brothers, for I speak to men who know the law, that the law has dominion over a man for as long as he lives? 2 For the woman that has a husband is bound by law to the husband while he lives, but if the husband dies, she is discharged from the law of the husband. 3 So then if, while the husband lives, she is joined to another man, she would be called an adulteress. But if the husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is no adulteress, though she is joined to another man. 4 Therefore, my brothers, you also were made dead to the law through the body of Messiah, that you would be joined to another, to him who was raised from the dead, that we might produce fruit to Elohim. 5 For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were through the law worked in our members to bring out fruit to death. 6 But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that in which we were held; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter.

Deuteronomy 20:7 (T)

20:7 What man is there who has betrothed to 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.

Job 22:6 (T)

22:6 For you have taken pledges from your brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

Exodus 21:16 (T)

21:16 Anyone who kidnaps someone and sells him, or if he is found in his hand, he will surely be put to death.

Leviticus 13:1-39 (T)

13:1 YHWH spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2 “When a man will have a swelling in his body’s skin, or a scab, or a bright spot, and it becomes in the skin of his body the plague of infection, then he will be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons, the priests. 3 The priest will see the plague in the skin of the body. If the hair in the plague has turned white, and the appearance of the plague is deeper than the body’s skin, it is the plague of infection; so the priest will see him and pronounce him unclean. 4 If the bright spot is white in the skin of his body, and its appearance isn’t deeper than the skin, and its hair hasn’t turned white, then the priest will isolate the infected person for seven days. 5 The priest will see him on the seventh day. Behold, if in his eyes the plague is arrested and the plague hasn’t spread in the skin, then the priest will isolate him for seven more days. 6 The priest will see him again on the seventh day. Behold, if the plague has faded and the plague hasn’t spread in the skin, then the priest will pronounce him clean. It is a scab. He will wash his clothes, and be clean. 7 But if the scab spreads on the skin after he has shown himself to the priest for his cleansing, he will show himself to the priest again. 8 The priest will see him; and behold, if the scab has spread on the skin, then the priest will pronounce him unclean. It is infection. 9 When the plague of infection is in a man, then he will be brought to the priest; 10 and the priest will see him. Behold, if there is a white swelling in the skin, and it has turned the hair white, and there is raw flesh in the swelling, 11 it is a chronic infection in the skin of his body, and the priest will pronounce him unclean. He will not isolate him, for he is already unclean. 12 If the infection breaks out all over the skin, and the infection covers all the skin of the infected person from his head even to his feet, as far as it appears to the priest, 13 then the priest will see him. Behold, if the infection has covered all his flesh, he will pronounce him clean of the plague. It has all turned white: he is clean. 14 But whenever raw flesh appears in him, he will be unclean. 15 The priest will see the raw flesh, and pronounce him unclean: the raw flesh is unclean. It is infection. 16 Or if the raw flesh turns again, and is changed to white, then he will come to the priest. 17 The priest will see him. Behold, if the plague has turned white, then the priest will pronounce him clean of the plague. He is clean. 18 When the body has a boil on its skin, and it has healed, 19 and in the place of the boil there is a white swelling, or a bright spot, reddish-white, then it will be shown to the priest. 20 The priest will see it. Behold, if its appearance is deeper than the skin, and its hair has turned white, then the priest will pronounce him unclean. It is the plague of infection. It has broken out in the boil. 21 But if the priest sees it, and behold, there are no white hairs in it, and it isn’t deeper than the skin, but is dim, then the priest will isolate him seven days. 22 If it spreads in the skin, then the priest will pronounce him unclean. It is a plague. 23 But if the bright spot stays in its place, and hasn’t spread, it is the scar from the boil; and the priest will pronounce him clean. 24 Or when the body has a burn from fire on its skin, and the raw flesh of the burn becomes a bright spot, reddish-white, or white, 25 then the priest will see it; and behold, if the hair in the bright spot has turned white, and its appearance is deeper than the skin, it is infection. It has broken out in the burning, and the priest will pronounce him unclean. It is the plague of infection. 26 But if the priest sees it, and behold, there is no white hair in the bright spot, and it isn’t deeper than the skin, but has faded, then the priest will isolate him seven days. 27 The priest will see him on the seventh day. If it has spread in the skin, then the priest will pronounce him unclean. It is the plague of infection. 28 If the bright spot stays in its place, and hasn’t spread in the skin, but is faded, it is the swelling from the burn, and the priest will pronounce him clean, for it is the scar from the burn. 29 When a man or woman has a plague on the head or on the beard, 30 then the priest will see the plague; and behold, if its appearance is deeper than the skin, and the hair in it is yellow and thin, then the priest will pronounce him unclean. It is an eruption. It is infection of the head or of the beard. 31 If the priest sees the plague of eruption, and behold, its appearance isn’t deeper than the skin, and there is no black hair in it, then the priest will isolate the person infected with eruption seven days. 32 On the seventh day the priest will see the plague; and behold, if the eruption hasn’t spread, and there is no yellow hair in it, and the appearance of the eruption isn’t deeper than the skin, 33 then he will be shaved, but he will not shave the eruption. Then the priest will isolate the one who has the eruption seven more days. 34 On the seventh day, the priest will see the eruption; and behold, if the eruption hasn’t spread in the skin, and its appearance isn’t deeper than the skin, then the priest will pronounce him clean. He will wash his clothes and be clean. 35 But if the eruption spreads in the skin after his cleansing, 36 then the priest will see him; and behold, if the eruption has spread in the skin, the priest will not look for the yellow hair; he is unclean. 37 But if in his eyes the eruption is arrested and black hair has grown in it, then the eruption is healed. He is clean. The priest will pronounce him clean. 38 When a man or a woman has bright spots in the skin of the body, even white bright spots, 39 then the priest will see them. Behold, if the bright spots on the skin of their body are a dull white, it is a harmless rash. It has broken out in the skin. He is clean.

Numbers 12:1-15 (T)

12:1 Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had taken; for he had taken a Cushite woman. 2 They said, “Has YHWH indeed spoken only with Moses? Hasn’t he spoken also with us?” And YHWH heard it. 3 Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all the men who were on the face of the land. 4 YHWH spoke suddenly to Moses, to Aaron, and to Miriam, “You three come out to the Appointed Tent!” The three of them came out. 5 YHWH came down in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the door of the Tent, and called Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forward. 6 [YHWH said to them]^(LXX), “Now hear my words. If there is a prophet among you, I, YHWH, will make myself known to him in a vision. I will speak with him in a dream. 7 My servant Moses is not so. He is faithful in all my house. 8 With him, I will speak mouth to mouth, [openly]^(LXX), and not in riddles; and he will see YHWH’s form. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant, against Moses?” 9 the anger of YHWH burned against them; and he departed. 10 The cloud departed from over the Tent; and behold, Miriam was infected, as white as snow. Aaron looked at Miriam, and behold, she was infected. 11 Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, please don’t count this sin against us, in which we have done foolishly, and in which we have sinned. 12 Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb.” 13 Moses cried to YHWH, saying, “Heal her, Elohim, I beg you!” 14 YHWH said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, shouldn’t she be ashamed seven days? Let her be shut up outside of the camp seven days, and after that she will be brought in again.” 15 Miriam was shut up outside of the camp seven days, and the people didn’t travel until Miriam was brought in again.

Exodus 22:26-27 (T)

22:26 If you take your neighbor’s garment as a pledge, you will restore it to him before the sun goes down, 27 for that is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin. What would he sleep in? It will happen, when he cries to me, that I will hear, for I am gracious.

Leviticus 19:9-13 (T)

19:9 When you reap the harvest of your land, do not finish the corner of your field, neither will you gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 Do not glean your vineyard, neither will you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You will leave them for the afflicted and for the sojourner. I am YHWH your Elohim. 11 Do not steal and do not deal falsely and do not deceive one another. 12 Do not swear by my name falsely, and profane the name of your Elohim. I am YHWH. 13 Do not oppress your neighbor, nor [pluck away]. The wages of a hired-servant will not remain with you all night until the morning.

Ya’aqov (James) 5:4 (T)

5:4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you have kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of those who reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Hosts.

2 Kings 14:1-6 (T)

14:1 In the second year of Joash, son of Joahaz, king of Israel, Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem. 3 He did that which was right in the eyes of YHWH, yet not like David his father. He did according to all that Joash his father had done. 4 However the high places were not taken away. The people still slaughtered and burned incense in the high places. 5 As soon as the reign was established in his hand, he killed his servants who had slain the king his father, 6 but the sons of the murderers he didn’t put to death, according to that which is written in the book of the Torah of Moses, as YHWH commanded, saying, “The fathers will not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for the fathers; but every man will die for his own sin.”

2 Chronicles 25:1-4 (T)

25:1 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan, of Jerusalem. 2 He did that which was right in the eyes of YHWH, but not with a perfect heart. 3 Now when the reign was established to him, he killed his servants who had killed his father the king. 4 But he didn’t put their children to death, but did according to that which is written in the Torah in the book of Moses, as YHWH commanded, saying, “The fathers will not die for the children, neither will the children die for the fathers; but every man will die for his own sin.”

Jeremiah 31:29-34 (T)

31:29 “In those days they will say no more, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the sons’ teeth are set on edge.’ 30 But everyone will die for his own iniquity. Every man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth will be set on edge. 31 “Behold, the days come,” says YHWH, “that I will make a renewed covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah, 32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, which covenant of mine they broke, although I was a husband to them,” says YHWH. 33 “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” says YHWH: “I will put my Torah in their inward parts, and I will write it in their heart. I will be their Elohim, and they will be my people. 34 They will no longer each teach his neighbor, and every man teach his brother, saying, ‘Know YHWH;’ for they will all know me, from their least to their greatest,” says YHWH, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

Ezekiel 18:1-32 (T)

18:1 the word of YHWH came to me again, saying, 2 “What do you mean, that you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’? 3 “As I live,” says the Lord YHWH, “you will not use this proverb any more in Israel. 4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine. The soul who sins, he will die. 5 “But if a man is righteous, and does judgment and righteousness, 6 and has not eaten on the mountains, hasn’t lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hasn’t defiled his neighbor’s wife, hasn’t come near a woman in her seperation, 7 and has not wronged any, but has restored to the debtor his pledge, has taken nothing by robbery, has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment; 8 he who hasn’t lent to them with interest, hasn’t taken any increase from them, who has withdrawn his hand from iniquity, has executed true justice between man and man, 9 has walked in my statutes, and has kept my ordinances, to deal truly; he is just, he will surely live,” says the Lord YHWH. 10 “If he fathers a son who is a robber who sheds blood, and who does any one of these things, 11 or who does not do any of those things but has eaten at the mountain shrines and defiled his neighbor’s wife, 12 has wronged the afflicted and needy, has taken by robbery, has not restored the pledge, and has lifted up his eyes to the idols, has committed abomination, 13 has lent with interest, and has taken increase, will he then live? He will not live. He has done all these abominations. He will surely die. His blood will be on him. 14 “Now, behold, if he fathers a son who sees all his father’s sins which he has done, and fears, and doesn’t do likewise, 15 who hasn’t eaten on the mountains, hasn’t lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hasn’t defiled his neighbor’s wife, 16 hasn’t wronged any, hasn’t taken anything to pledge, hasn’t taken by robbery, but has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment; 17 who has withdrawn his hand from the afflicted, who hasn’t received interest or increase, has executed my ordinances, has walked in my statutes; he will not die for the iniquity of his father. He will surely live. 18 As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, robbed from his brother, and did that which is not good among his people, behold, he will die in his iniquity. 19 “Yet you say, ‘Why doesn’t the son bear the iniquity of the father?’ When the son has done judgment and righteousness, and has kept all my statutes, and has done them, he will surely live. 20 The soul who sins, he will die. The son will not bear the iniquity of the father, neither will the father bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous will be on him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be on him. 21 “But if the wicked turns from all his sins that he has committed, and guards all my statutes, and does judgment and righteousness, he will surely live. He will not die. 22 None of his transgressions that he has committed will be remembered against him. In his righteousness that he has done, he will live. 23 Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked?” says the Lord YHWH, “and not rather that he should return from his way, and live? 24 “But when the righteous turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, should he live? None of his righteous deeds that he has done will be remembered. In his trespass that he has trespassed, and in his sin that he has sinned, in them he will die. 25 “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not equal.’ Hear now, house of Israel: Is my way not equal? Aren’t your ways unequal? 26 When the righteous man turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and dies in it, then he dies in his iniquity that he has done. 27 Again, when the wicked man turns away from his wickedness that he has committed, and does judgment and righteousness, he will save his soul alive. 28 Because he considers, and turns away from all his transgressions that he has committed, he will surely live. He will not die. 29 Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ House of Israel, aren’t my ways fair? Aren’t your ways unfair? 30 “Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, everyone according to his ways,” says the Lord YHWH. “Return, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so iniquity will not be your ruin. 31 Cast away from you all your transgressions in which you have transgressed; and make yourself a new heart and a new spirit. For why will you die, house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him who dies,” says the Lord YHWH. “Therefore turn yourselves, and live!

Exodus 22:21-22; Proverbs 22:22-23; Isaiah 1:23; Jeremiah 22:1-5; Ezekiel 22:23-31; Zechariah 7:8-14 (T)

Exodus 22:21 “Do not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. 22 “Do not take advantage of any widow or fatherless child.

Proverbs 22:22 Don’t exploit the helpless because he is helpless; and don’t crush the afflicted in the gate; 23 for YHWH will plead their case, and plunder the life of those who plunder them.

Isaiah 1:23 Your princes are rebellious and companions of thieves. Everyone loves bribes and follows after rewards. They don’t defend the fatherless, neither does the cause of the widow come to them.

Jeremiah 22:1 YHWH said, “Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak this word there: 2 ‘Hear the word of YHWH, king of Judah, who sits on David’s throne—you, your servants, and your people who enter in by these gates. 3 YHWH says: “Execute justice and righteousness, and deliver him who is plucked out of the hand of the oppressor. Do no wrong. Do no violence to the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow. Don’t shed innocent blood in this place. 4 For if you do this thing indeed, then kings sitting on David’s throne will enter in by the gates of this house, riding in chariots and on horses—they, their servants, and their people. 5 But if you will not hear these words, I swear by myself,” says YHWH, “that this house will become a desolation.” ‘ ”

Ezekiel 22:23 the word of YHWH came to me, saying, 24 “Son of man, tell her, ‘You are a land that is not cleansed nor rained on in the day of indignation.’ 25 There is a conspiracy of her prophets within it, like a roaring lion ravening the prey. They have devoured souls. They take treasure and precious things. They have made many widows within it. 26 Her priests have done violence to my Torah and have profaned my holy. They have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they caused men to discern between the unclean and the clean, and have hidden their eyes from my Sabbaths. So I am profaned among them. 27 Her princes within it are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood and to destroy souls, that they may get dishonest gain. 28 Her prophets have plastered for them with whitewash, seeing false visions, and divining lies to them, saying, ‘The Lord YHWH says,’ when YHWH has not spoken. 29 The people of the land have used oppression and exercised robbery. Yes, they have troubled the afflicted and needy, and have oppressed the sojourner wrongfully. 30 “I sought for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I would not destroy it; but I found no one. 31 Therefore I have poured out my indignation on them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have brought their own way on their heads,” says the Lord YHWH.

Zechariah 7:8 the word of YHWH came to Zechariah, saying, 9 “Thus has YHWH of Armies spoken, saying, ‘Execute true judgment, and show kindness and compassion every man to his brother. 10 Don’t oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, nor the afflicted; and let none of you devise evil against his brother in your heart.’ 11 But they refused to listen, and turned their backs, and stopped their ears, that they might not hear. 12 Yes, they made their hearts as hard as flint, lest they might hear the Torah and the words which YHWH of Armies had sent by his Spirit by the former prophets. Therefore great wrath came from YHWH of Armies. 13 It has come to pass that, as he called and they refused to listen, so they will call and I will not listen,” said YHWH of Armies; 14 “but I will scatter them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they have not known. Thus the land was desolate after them, so that no man passed through nor returned; for they made the pleasant land desolate.”

Leviticus 23:22 (T)

23:22 When you reap the harvest of your land, you must not finish the corner of your field. You must not gather the gleanings of your harvest. You must leave them for the afflicted and for the sojourner. I am YHWH your Elohim.

2 Corinthians 11:1-33 (T)

11:1 I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you do bear with me. 2 For I am zealous over you with a pious zeal. For I promised you in marriage to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Messiah. 3 But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Chavah in his craftiness, so your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Messiah. 4 For if he who comes preaches another Yeshua whom we didn’t proclaim, or if you receive a different spirit which you didn’t receive, or a different good news which you didn’t accept, you put up with that well enough. 5 For I reckon that I am not at all behind the very best emissaries. 6 But though I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not unskilled in knowledge. No, in every way we have been revealed to you in all things. 7 Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached to you Elohim’s Good News free of charge? 8 I robbed other assemblies, taking wages from them that I might serve you. 9 When I was present with you and was in need, I wasn’t a burden on anyone, for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, supplied the measure of my need. In everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and I will continue to do so. 10 As the truth of Messiah is in me, no one will stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia. 11 Why? Because I don’t love you? Elohim knows. 12 But what I do, that I will continue to do, that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity, that in which they boast, they may be recognized just like us. 13 For such men are false emissaries, deceitful workers, masquerading as Messiah’s emissaries. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is no great thing therefore if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. 16 I say again, let no one think me foolish. But if so, yet receive me as foolish, that I also may boast a little. 17 That which I speak, I don’t speak according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting. 18 Seeing that many boast after the flesh, I will also boast. 19 For you bear with the foolish gladly, being wise. 20 For you bear with a man if he brings you into bondage, if he devours you, if he takes you captive, if he exalts himself, or if he strikes you on the face. 21 To my shame, I speak as though we had been weak. Yet in whatever way anyone is bold, I speak in foolishness, I am bold also. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Messiah? I speak as one beside himself. I am more so: in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, and in deaths often. 24 Five times I received forty stripes minus one from the Jews. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I suffered shipwreck. I have been a night and a day in the deep. 26 I have been in travels often, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from my countrymen, perils from the Nations, perils in the city, perils in the wilderness, perils in the sea, perils among false brothers; 27 in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, and in cold and nakedness. 28 Besides those things that are outside, there is that which presses on me daily: anxiety for all the assemblies. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and I don’t burn with indignation? 30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that concern my weakness. 31 The Elohim and Father of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah, he who is blessed forever more, knows that I don’t lie. 32 In Damascus the governor under King Aretas guarded the Damascenes’ city, desiring to arrest me. 33 I was let down in a basket through a window by the wall, and escaped his hands.

Job 24:1-11 (T, A)

24:1 “Why aren’t times laid up by the Almighty? Why don’t those who know him see his days? 2 There are people who remove the landmarks. They violently take away flocks, and feed them. 3 They drive away the donkey of the fatherless, and they take the widow’s ox for a pledge. 4 They turn the needy out of the way. The afflicted of the land all hide themselves. 5 Behold, as wild asses in the desert, they go out to their work, seeking diligently for food. The wilderness yields them bread for their children. 6 They cut their food in the field. They glean the vineyard of the wicked. 7 They lie all night naked without clothing, and have no covering in the cold. 8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for lack of a shelter. 9 There are those who pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the afflicted, 10 so that they go around naked without clothing. Being hungry, they carry the sheaves. 11 They make oil within the walls of these men. They tread wine presses, and suffer thirst.

Proverbs 12:11 (T, A)

12:11 He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, but he who chases fantasies is void of understanding.

Matthew 10:5-15; Luke 10:1-12 (T, A)

Matthew 10:5 Yeshua sent these twelve out and commanded them, saying, “Don’t go among the Nations, and don’t enter into any city of the Samaritans. 6 Rather, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim, saying, ‘The reign of the heavens is at hand!’ 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the infected ones, and cast out demons. Freely you received, so freely give. 9 Don’t take any gold, silver, or brass in your money belts. 10 Take no bag for your journey, neither two coats, nor sandals, nor staff: for the laborer is worthy of his food (cf. Leviticus 19:13). 11 Into whatever city or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you go on. 12 As you enter into the household, greet it. 13 If the household is worthy, let your peace come on it, but if it isn’t worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 Whoever doesn’t receive you or hear your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. 15 Amen, amen, I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

Luke 10:1 Now after these things, the Lord also appointed seventy others, and sent them two by two before his face into every city and place where he was about to come. 2 Then he said to them, “The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest, that he may send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go your ways. Behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. 4 Carry no purse, nor wallet, nor sandals. Greet no one on the way. 5 Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’ 6 If a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. 7 Remain in that same house, eating and drinking the things they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages (cf. Leviticus 19:13). Don’t go from house to house. 8 Into whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat the things that are set before you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘the reign of Elohim has come near to you.’ 10 But into whatever city you enter and they don’t receive you, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust from your city that clings to us, we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the reign of Elohim has come near to you.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city.

Matthew 22:23-33; Mark 12:18-27; Luke 20:27-40 (T)

Matthew 22:23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the Torah: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone. 24 You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel! 25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and unrighteousness. 26 You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the platter, that its outside may become clean also. 27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men’s bones and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. 29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the tombs of the righteous, 30 and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn’t have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’ 31 Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 33 You serpents, you seed of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehinnom?

Mark 12:18 Some Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection, came to him. They asked him, saying, 19 “Rabbi, Moses wrote to us, ‘If a man’s brother dies and leaves a woman behind him, and leaves no children, that his brother should take his wife and raise up seed for his brother.’ 20 There were seven brothers. The first took a woman, and dying left no seed. 21 The second took her, and died, leaving no children behind him. The third likewise; 22 and the seven took her and left no children. Last of all the woman also died. 23 In the resurrection, when they rise, whose woman will she be of them? For the seven had her as a woman.” 24 Yeshua answered them, “Isn’t this because you are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of Elohim? 25 For when they will rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in the heavens. 26 But about the dead, that they are raised, haven’t you read in the book of Moses about the Bush, how Elohim spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of Isaac, and the Elohim of Jacob’? (cf. Exodus 3:6) 27 He is not the Elohim of the dead, but of the living. You are therefore badly mistaken.”

Luke 20:27 Some of the Sadducees came to him, those who deny that there is a resurrection. 28 They asked him, “Rabbi, Moses wrote to us that if a man’s brother dies having a woman, and he is childless, his brother should take the woman and raise up children for his brother. 29 There were therefore seven brothers. The first took a woman, and died childless. 30 The second took her as wife, and he died childless. 31 The third took her, and likewise the seven all left no children, and died. 32 Afterward the woman also died. 33 Therefore in the resurrection whose woman of them will she be? For the seven had her as a woman.” 34 Yeshua said to them, “The children of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36 For they can’t die any more, for they are like the angels and are children of Elohim, being children of the resurrection. 37 But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he called the Lord ‘The Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of Isaac, and the Elohim of Jacob.’ (cf. Exodus 3:6) 38 Now he is not the Elohim of the dead, but of the living, for all are alive to him.” 39 Some of the scribes answered, “Rabbi, you speak well.” 40 They didn’t dare to ask him any more questions.

Ruth 4:1-15 (T)

4:1 Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there. Behold, the near kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by. Boaz said to him, “Come over here, friend, and sit down!” He came over, and sat down. 2 Boaz took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, “Sit down here,” and they sat down. 3 He said to the near kinsman, “Naomi, who has come back out of the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech’s. 4 I thought I should tell you, saying, ‘Buy it before those who sit here, and before the elders of my people.’ If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know. For there is no one to redeem it besides you; and I am after you.” He said, “I will redeem it.” 5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must buy it also from Ruth the Moabitess, the woman of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance.” 6 The near kinsman said, “I can’t redeem it for myself, lest I endanger my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption for yourself; for I can’t redeem it.” 7 Now this was the custom in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, to confirm all things: a man took off his sandal, and gave it to his neighbor; and this was the way of formalizing transactions in Israel. 8 So the near kinsman said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” then he took off his sandal. 9 Boaz said to the elders and to all the people, “You are witnesses today, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, from the hand of Naomi. 10 Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the woman of Mahlon, I have purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his place. You are witnesses today.” 11 All the people who were in the gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May YHWH make the woman who has come into your house like Rachel and like Leah, which both built the house of Israel; and treat you worthily in Ephrathah, and be famous in Bethlehem. 12 Let your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, of the seed which YHWH will give you by this young woman.” 13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and he went in to her, and YHWH enabled her to conceive, and she bore a son. 14 The women said to Naomi, “Blessed be YHWH, who has not left you today without a near kinsman. Let his name be famous in Israel. 15 He will be to you a restorer of life and sustain you in your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”

Proverbs 11:1; Proverbs 16:11; Proverbs 20:10 (T)

Proverbs 11:1 A false balance is an abomination to YHWH, but accurate weights are his delight.

Proverbs 16:11 Honest balances and scales are YHWH’s; all the weights in the bag are his work.

Proverbs 20:10 Differing weights and differing measures, both of them alike are an abomination to YHWH.

Genesis 36:11 The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam, and Kenaz. 12 Timna was concubine to Eliphaz, Esau’s son; and she bore to Eliphaz Amalek. These are the descendants of Adah, Esau’s wife. 13 These are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the descendants of Basemath, Esau’s wife. 14 These were the sons of Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon, Esau’s wife: she bore to Esau Jeush, Jalam, and Qorach. 15 These are the chiefs of the sons of Esau: the sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau: chief Teman, chief Omar, chief Zepho, chief Kenaz, 16 chief Qorach, chief Gatam, chief Amalek. These are the chiefs who came of Eliphaz in the land of Edom. These are the sons of Adah.

1 Chronicles 1:35 The sons of Esau: Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam, and Qorach. 36 The sons of Eliphaz: Teman, Omar, Zephi, Gatam, Kenaz, Timna, and Amalek.

Antiquities of the Jews by Flavius Josephus 2.1.1 After the death of Isaac, his sons divided their habitations respectively; nor did they retain what they had before; but Esau departed from the city of Hebron, and left it to his brother, and dwelt in Seir, and ruled over Idumea. He called the country by that name from himself, for he was named Adom; which appellation he got on the following occasion:—One day returning from the toil of hunting very hungry, [it was when he was a child in age,] he lighted on his brother when he was getting ready lentile-pottage for his dinner, which was of a very red color; on which account he the more earnestly longed for it, and desired him to give him some of it to eat: but he made advantage of his brother’s hunger, and forced him to resign up to him his birthright; and he, being pinched with famine, resigned it up to him, under an oath. Whence it came, that, on account of the redness of this pottage, he was, in way of jest, by his contemporaries, called Adom, for the Hebrews call what is red Adom; and this was the name given to the country; but the Greeks gave it a more agreeable pronunciation, and named it Idumea. 2. He became the father of five sons; of whom Jaus, and Jalomus, and Coreus, were by one woman, whose name was Alibama; but of the rest, Aliphaz was born to him by Ada, and Raguel by Basemmath: and these were the sons of Esau. Aliphaz had five legitimate sons; Theman, Omer, Saphus, Gotham, and Kanaz; for Amalek was not legitimate, but by a concubine, whose name was Thamna. These dwelt in that part of Idumea which is called Gebalitis, and that denominated from Amalek, Amalekitis; for Idumea was a large country, and did then preserve the name of the whole, while in its several parts it kept the names of its peculiar inhabitants.

Jubilees 38:10 And the sons of Jacob pressed hard upon the sons of Esau in the mountains of Seir, and bowed their necks so that they became servants of the sons of Jacob. 11. And they sent to their father (to inquire) whether they should make peace with them or slay them. 12. And Jacob sent word to his sons that they should make peace, and they made peace with them, and placed the yoke of servitude upon them, so that they paid tribute to Jacob and to his sons always. 13. And they continued to pay tribute to Jacob until the day that he went down into Egypt. 14. And the sons of Edom have not got quit of the yoke of servitude which the twelve sons of Jacob had imposed on them until this day.

Exodus 17:8-16 (T)

17:8 Then Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, “Choose men for us, and go out to fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with Elohim’s rod in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses had told him, and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 When Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed. When he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands were heavy; so they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side. His hands were steady until sunset. 13 Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. 14 YHWH said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under the heavens.” 15 Moses built an altar, and called its name “YHWH Nissi”. 16 He said, “Because a hand is on the throne of Yah, YHWH will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

1 Samuel 15:1-35 (T)

15:1 Samuel said to Saul, “YHWH sent me to anoint you to be king over his people, over Israel. Now therefore listen to the voice of the word of YHWHs. 2 YHWH of Armies says, ‘I remember what Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way when he came up out of Egypt. 3 Now go and strike Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and don’t spare them; but kill both man and woman, infant and nursing baby, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’ ” 4 Shaul summoned the people, and counted them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen and ten thousand men of Judah. 5 Shaul came to the city of Amalek, and set an ambush in the valley. 6 Shaul said to the Kenites, “Go, depart, go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them; for you showed kindness to all the sons of Israel when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. 7 Shaul struck the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, which is before Egypt. 8 He took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. 9 But Shaul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, of the cattle, of the fat calves, of the lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to utterly destroy them; but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly. 10 Then the word of YHWH came to Samuel, saying, 11 “It grieves me that I have set up Shaul to be king, for he has turned back from following me, and has not performed my commandments.” Samuel was angry; and he cried to YHWH all night. 12 Samuel rose early to meet Shaul in the morning; and Samuel was told, saying, “Shaul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, turned, passed on, and went down to Gilgal.” 13 Samuel came to Saul; and Shaul said to him, “You are blessed by YHWH! I have performed the commandment of YHWH.” 14 Samuel said, “Then what does this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the cattle which I hear mean?” 15 Shaul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the cattle, to slaughter to YHWH your Elohim. We have utterly destroyed the rest.” 16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stay, and I will tell you what YHWH said to me last night.” He said to him, “Say on.” 17 Samuel said, “Though you were little in your own sight, weren’t you made the head of the tribes of Israel? YHWH anointed you king over Israel; 18 and YHWH sent you on a journey, and said, ‘Go, and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ 19 Why then didn’t you obey the voice of YHWH, but took the plunder, and did that which was evil in the sight of YHWH?” 20 Shaul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the voice of YHWH, and have gone the way which YHWH sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 21 But the people took of the plunder, sheep and cattle, the best of the devoted things, to slaughter to YHWH your Elohim in Gilgal.” 22 Samuel said, “Has YHWH as great delight in burnt offerings and slaughters, as in obeying the voice of YHWH? Behold, to obey is better than slaughter, and to listen than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because you have rejected the word of YHWH, he has also rejected you from being king.” 24 Shaul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of YHWH and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. 25 Now therefore, please pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship YHWH.” 26 Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of YHWH, and YHWH has rejected you from being king over Israel.” 27 As Samuel turned around to go away, Shaul grabbed the skirt of his robe, and it tore. 28 Samuel said to him, “YHWH has torn the reign of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours who is better than you. 29 Also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent; for he is not a man, that he should repent.” 30 Then he said, “I have sinned; yet please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and come back with me, that I may worship YHWH your Elohim.” 31 So Samuel went back with Saul; and Shaul worshiped YHWH. 32 Then Samuel said, “Bring Agag the king of the Amalekites here to me!” Agag came to him cheerfully. Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” 33 Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women!” Then Samuel cut Agag in pieces before YHWH in Gilgal. 34 Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Shaul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul. 35 Samuel came no more to see Shaul until the day of his death, but Samuel mourned for Saul. YHWH grieved that he had made Shaul king over Israel.

Hosea 10:1 – 11:12 (P)

10:1 Israel is a luxuriant vine that produces his fruit. According to the abundance of his fruit he has multiplied his altars. As their land has prospered, they have adorned their sacred stones. 2 Their heart is divided. Now they will be found guilty. He will demolish their altars. He will destroy their sacred stones. 3 Surely now they will say, “We have no king; for we don’t fear YHWH; and the king, what can he do for us?” 4 They make promises, swearing falsely in making covenants. Therefore judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field. 5 The inhabitants of Samaria will be in terror for the calves of Beth Aven, for its people will mourn over it, along with its priests who rejoiced over it, for its glory, because it has departed from it. 6 It also will be carried to Assyria for a present to a great king. Ephraim will receive shame, and Israel will be ashamed of his own counsel. 7 Samaria and her king float away like a twig on the water. 8 The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, will be destroyed. The thorn and the thistle will come up on their altars. They will tell the mountains, “Cover us!” and the hills, “Fall on us!” 9 “Israel, you have sinned from the days of Gibeah. There they remained. The battle against the sons of iniquity doesn’t overtake them in Gibeah. 10 When it is my desire, I will chastise them; and the nations will be gathered against them when they are bound to their two transgressions. 11 Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to thresh, so I will put a yoke on her beautiful neck. I will set a rider on Ephraim. Judah will plow. Jacob will break his clods. 12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap according to kindness. Break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek YHWH, until he comes and rains righteousness on you. 13 You have plowed wickedness. You have reaped iniquity. You have eaten the fruit of lies, for you trusted in your way, in the multitude of your mighty men. 14 Therefore a battle roar will arise among your people, and all your fortresses will be destroyed, as Shalman destroyed Beth Arbel in the day of battle. The mother was dashed in pieces with her sons. 15 So Bethel will do to you because of your great wickedness. At daybreak the king of Israel will be destroyed.

11:1 “When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt. 2 They called to them, so they went from them. They slaughtered to the Ba’alim, and burned incense to engraved images. 3 Yet I taught Ephraim to walk. I took them by their arms, but they didn’t know that I healed them. 4 I drew them with cords of a man, with ties of love; and I was to them like those who lift up the yoke on their necks; and I bent down to him and I fed him. 5 “They won’t return into the land of Egypt; but the Assyrian will be their king, because they refused to repent. 6 The sword will fall on their cities, and will destroy the bars of their gates, and will put an end to their plans. 7 My people are determined to turn from me. Though they call to the Most High, he certainly won’t exalt them. 8 “How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboiim? My heart is turned within me, my compassion is aroused. 9 I will not execute the fierceness of my anger. I will not return to destroy Ephraim, for I am Elohim, and not man—the Holy One among you. I will not come in wrath. 10 They will walk after YHWH, who will roar like a lion; for he will roar, and the sons will come trembling from the west. 11 They will come trembling like a bird out of Egypt, and like a dove out of the land of Assyria; and I will settle them in their houses,” says YHWH. 12 Ephraim surrounds me with falsehood, and the house of Israel with deceit. Judah still strays from Elohim, and is unfaithful to the Holy One.

Matthew 2:14-15 (P)

2:14 He arose and took the young child and his mother by night and departed into Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” (cf. Hosea 11:1)

Related Additional Readings​

---

Deuteronomy 24:1 – 25:19 and 17:8-16 from the Jerusalem Targum aka Targum Pseudo-Jonathan (T)

Composed in Talmudic Israel (c.150 – c.250 AD). 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 AD. However, some scholars date it in the 14th Century.

Chapter 24 When a man hath taken a woman and gone unto her, if she hath not favour in his eyes because he findeth the thing that is wrong in her, then he may write her a bill of divorce before the court of justice, and put it into her power, and send her away from his house. And departing from his house she may go and marry another man. But should they proclaim from the heavens about her that the latter husband will dislike her, and write her a bill of divorce, and put it into her power to go from his house; or should they proclaim about him that he, the latter husband, will die: it will not be in the power of the first husband who dismissed her at the beginning to return and take her to be with him as his wife, after that she hath been defiled; for that is an abomination before the Lord: for the children whom she might bear should not be made abominable, or the land which the Lord your Elohim giveth you to inherit become obnoxious to the plague. When a man hath taken a new woman a virgin he will not go forth with the army, lest anything evil befall him; he will be at leisure in his house one year, and rejoice with his wife whom he hath taken. A man will not take the millstones, lower or upper, as a pledge; for they are necessary in making food for every one. [JERUSALEM. You will not take the upper and lower millstones for a pledge; for the pledge is a necessary of life.] Neither will a man join bridegrooms and brides by magical incantations ; for what would be born of such would perish. [JERUSALEM. Nor will there be unlawful conjoinments of bridegrooms and brides; for what such produce is denied the life of the world to come.] Then a man is found stealing a person of his brethren of the sons of Israel, making merchandise of him, and selling him, that man will die by strangulation with the napkin; and you will put away the evil doer from among thee. Take heed that you cut not into flesh in which there is an ulcer; but make careful distinction between the plague of leprosy and ulceration; between the unclean and clean, according to all that the priests of the tribe of Levi will teach you: whatever, they prescribe to you be observant to perform. Be mindful that no one contemn his neighbour, lest he be smitten: remember that which the Lord your Elohim did to Miriam, who contemned Mosheh for that which was not in him, when she was smitten with leprosy, and you were delayed in the way when coming out of Mizraim. When a man hath lent any thing to his neighbour upon a pledge, he will not enter into his house to take his pledge; he will stand in the street, and the man to whom thou hast made the loan will bring out the pledge to thee into the street. If the man be poor, thou shalt not have his pledge all night with thee; as the sun goeth down, thou shalt return the pledge, that he may lie in his garment and may bless thee; and to thee it will be righteousness, for the sun will bear the witness of thee before the Lord thy Elohim. [JERUSALEM. Thou shalt certainly return the pledge to him as the sun goeth down, that he may sleep in his garment, and may bless thee and to thee it will be righteousness before the Lord thy Elohim.] You will not be hard upon your neighbours, or shift (or decrease) the wages of the needy and poor hireling of thy brethren, or of the strangers who sojourn in your land, in your cities. In his day thou shalt pay him his hire. Nor let the sun go down upon it; because he is poor, and he hopes (for that hire) to sustain his life: lest he appeal against thee before the Lord, and it be guilt in thee. [JERUSALEM. You will not wilfully keep back the wages of the poor and needy of your brethren. In his day thou shalt pay his wages, nor let the sun go down upon them; for he is poor, and by means of his hire he sustaineth his life: that he may not cry against thee before the Lord: so beware that it become not guilt in you.] Fathers will not die either by the witness or for the sin of the children, and children will not die either by the witness or for the sin of the fathers: every one will die, by proper witnesses, for his own sin. Thou shalt not warp the judgment of the stranger, the orphan, or the widow, nor will any one of you take the garment of the widow for a pledge, that evil neighbours rise not and bring out a bad report against her when you return her pledge unto her. And remember that you were bondservants in the land of Mizraim, and that the Word of the Lord your Elohim delivered you from thence; therefore have I commanded you to observe this thing. When you have reaped your harvests in your fields, and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you will not return to take it; let it be for the stranger, the orphan, and the widow, that the Word of the Lord your Elohim may bless you in all the works of your hands. When you beat your olive trees, you will not search them after (you have done it); for the stranger, the orphan, and widow, let it be. [JERUSALEM. When you beat your olive trees, search them not afterward; let them be for the stranger, the orphan, and the widow.] When you gather in your vineyard, you will not glean the branches after you; they will be for the stranger, the orphan, and widow. [JERUSALEM. When you gather your vines, search not their branches afterwards let them be for the stranger and the widow.] So remember that you were bondservants in the land of Mizraim; therefore I command you to do this thing.

Chapter 25 If there be a controversy, between two men, then they will come to the judges, and they will judge them, and give the decision (or outweighing of) righteousness to the innocent, and of condemnation to the guilty. And if the wicked deserve stripes, the judge will make him lie down, and they will scourge him in his face by his judgment, according to the measure of his guilt. [JERUSALEM. And if it be needful to scourge the guilty, the judge will make him lie down, and they will smite him in his face, according to the measure of his guilt, by number.] Forty (stripes) may be laid upon him, but with one less will he be beaten, (the full number) will not be completed, lest he should add to smite him beyond those thirty and nine, exorbitantly, and he be in danger ; and that thy brother may not be made despicable in thy sight. You will not muzzle the mouth of the ox in the time of his treading out; [JERUSALEM. Sons of Israel, My people, you will not muzzle the ox in the hour of his treading;] nor the woman of the (deceased) brother, who would be mated with one smitten with an ulcer, and who is poorly related, shalt thou tie up with him. When brethren from the (same) father inhabit this world at the same time, and have the same inheritance, the woman of one of them, who may have died, will not go forth into the street to marry a stranger; her brother-in-law will go to her, and take her to wife, and become her husband. And the first-born whom she beareth will stand in the inheritance in the name of the deceased brother, that his name may not be blotted out from Israel. But if the man be not willing, to take his sister-in-law, then will his sister-in-law go up to the gate of the beth din before five of the sages, three of whom will be judges and two of them witnesses, and let her say before them in the holy language: My husband’s brother refuseth to keep up the name of his brother in Israel, he not being willing to marry me. And the elders of his city will call him and speak with him, with true counsel; and he may rise up in the house of justice, and say in the holy tongue, I am not willing to take her. Then will his sister-in-law come to him before the sages, and there will be a shoe upon the foot of the brother-in-law, a heeled sandal whose lachets are tied, the latchets at the opening of the sandal being fastened; and he will stamp on the ground with his foot; and the woman will arise and untie the latchet, and draw off the sandal from his foot, and afterward spit before him, as much spittle as may be seen by the sages, and will answer and say, So is it fit to be done to the man who would not build up the house of his brother. And all who are standing there will exclaim against him, and call his name in Israel the House of the Unshod. [JERUSALEM. And his name in Israel will be called the House of him whose shoe was loosed, and who made void the law of Yeboom.] While men are striving together, if the woman of one of them approach to rescue her husband from the hand of him who smiteth him, and putting forth her hand layeth hold of the place of his shame, you will cut off her hand; your eyes will not pity. [JERUSALEM. If she put forth her hand, and lay hold by the place of his shame.] You will not have in your bag weights that are deceitful; great weights to buy with, and less weights to sell with. Nor will you have in your houses measures that deceive; great measures to buy with, and less measures to sell with. [JERUSALEM. You will not have in your houses measures and measures; great .ones for buying with, and small ones to sell with.] Perfect weights, and true balances shalt thou have, perfect measures and scales that are true will be yours, that your days may be multiplied on the land which the Lord your Elohim giveth you. For whosoever committeth these frauds, every one who acteth falsely in trade, is an abomination before the Lord. Keep in mind what the house of Amalek did unto you in the way, on your coming up out of Mizraim; how they overtook you in the way, and slew every one of those among you who were thinking to go aside from My Word; the men of the tribe of the house of Dan, in whose hands were idols (or things of strange worship), and the clouds overcast them, and they of the house of Amalek took them and mutilated them, and they were cast up: but you, O house of Israel, were faint and weary from great servitude of the Mizraee, and the terrors of the waves of the sea through the midst of which you had passed. Nor were the house of Amalek afraid before the Lord. [JERUSALEM. Who overtook you in the way, and slew among you those who were thinking to desist from My Word, the cloud overcast him, and they of the house of Amalek took him and slew him. But you, people of the sons of Israel, were weary and faint; nor were they of the house of Amalek afraid before the Lord.] Therefore, when the Lord hath given you rest from all your enemies round about in the land that the Lord Your Elohim giveth you to inherit for a possession, you will blot out the memory of Amalek from under the heavens; but of the days of the King Meshiha you will not be unmindful.

Chapter 17…And Amalek came from the land of the south and leaped on that night a thousand and six hundred miles; and on account of the disagreement which had been between Esau and Jakob, he came and waged war with Israel in Rephidim, and took and killed (some of the) men of the house of Dan; for the cloud did not embrace them, because of the strange worship that was among them. And Mosheh said to Jehoshua, Choose such men as are strong in the precepts, and victorious in fight; and go, under the Cloud of glory, and set battle in array against the hosts of Amalek. To‑morrow I will stand, prepared with fasting, with the righteous fathers of the chiefs of the people, and the righteous mothers who are like the hills, with the rod with which the miracles have been wrought from before the Lord, in my hand. And Jehoshua did as Mosheh bad bidden him, to wage war with Amalek. And Mosheh, and Aharon, and Hur went up to the top of the height. And it was, when Mosheh lifted up his hands in prayer, that the house of Israel prevailed; and when he rested his hand from praying, that the house of Amalek prevailed. And the hands of Mosheh were heavy, because the conflict was prolonged till the morrow, and the deliverance of Israel was not prepared on that day; and he could not hold them up in prayer; on which account he would have afflicted his soul. And they took a stone, and placed it under him, and he sat upon it; and Aharon and Hur supported his hand, this the one, and that the other; and his hands were outstretched with firmness, (or, fidelity,) in prayer and fasting, until the going down of the sun. And Jehoshua shattered Amalek, and cut off the heads, of the strong men of his people, by the mouth of the Word of the Lord, with the slaughter of the sword. [Jerusalem. 11. And it was that when Mosheh lifted up his hands in prayer, the house of Israel prevailed; and when his hands declined from prayer, Amalek prevailed; and (Israel) fell. in the line of battle. 12. And the hands of Mosheh were lifted up in prayer.]

And the Lord said unto Mosheh, Write this memorial in the book of the elders that were of old, and these words in the hearing, of Jehoshua, that blotting, I will blot out the memory of Amalek from under the heavens. And Mosheh builded an altar, and called the name of it, The Word of the Lord is my banner; for the sign which He hath wrought (in this) place was on my behalf. And he said, Because the Word of the Lord hath sworn by the throne of His glory, that He by His Word will fight against those of the house of Amalek, and destroy them unto three generations; from the generation of this world, from the generation of the Meshiha, and from the generation of the world to come. [JERUSALEM. 16. And he said, The oath hath come forth from beneath the throne of the Great One, of all the world the Lord; the first king who will sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the sons of Israel, Shaul, the son of Kish, will set the battle in array against the house of Amalek, and will slay them; and those of them that remain will Mardekai and Esther destroy. The Lord hath said by His Word that the memory of Amalek will perish to the age of ages.]

Antiquities of the Jews by Flavius Josephus 4.8.21, 22, 24, 26, 27, 38, 39 (T)

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.).

4.8.21. Let not those that reap, and gather in the corn that is reaped, gather in the gleanings also; but let them rather leave some handfuls for those that are in want of the necessaries of life, that it may be a support and a supply to them, in order to their subsistence. In like manner when they gather their grapes, let them leave some smaller bunches for the poor, and let them pass over some of the fruits of the olive-trees, when they gather them, and leave them to be partaken of by those that have none of their own; for the advantage arising from the exact collection of all, will not be so considerable to the owners as will arise from the gratitude of the poor. And Elohim will provide that the land will more willingly produce what will be for the nourishment of its fruits, in case you do not merely take care of your own advantage, but have regard to the support of others also. Nor are you to muzzle the mouths of the oxen when they tread the ears of corn in the thrashing-floor; for it is not just to restrain our fellow-laboring animals, and those that work in order to its production, of this fruit of their labors. Nor are you to prohibit those that pass by at the time when your fruits are ripe to touch them, but to give them leave to fill themselves full of what you have; and this whether they be of your own country or strangers, – as being glad of the opportunity of giving them some part of your fruits when they are ripe; but let it not be esteemed lawful for them to carry any away. Nor let those that gather the grapes, and carry them to the wine-presses, restrain those whom they meet from eating of them; for it is unjust, out of envy, to hinder those that desire it, to partake of the good things that come into the world according to Elohim’s will, and this while the season is at the height, and is hastening away as it pleases Elohim. Nay, if some, out of bashfulness, are unwilling to touch these fruits, let them be encouraged to take of them (I mean, those that are Israelites) as if they were themselves the owners and lords, on account of the kindred there is between them. Nay, let them desire men that come from other countries, to partake of these tokens of friendship which Elohim has given in their proper season; for that is not to be deemed as idly spent, which any one out of kindness communicates to another, since Elohim bestows plenty of good things on men, not only for themselves to reap the advantage, but also to give to others in a way of generosity; and he is desirous, by this means, to make known to others his peculiar kindness to the people of Israel, and how freely he communicates happiness to them, while they abundantly communicate out of their great superfluities to even these strangers also. But for him that acts contrary to this law, let him be beaten with forty stripes save one by the public executioner; let him undergo this punishment, which is a most ignominious one for a free-man, and this because he was such a slave to gain as to lay a blot upon his dignity; for it is proper for you who have had the experience of the afflictions in Egypt, and of those in the wilderness, to make provision for those that are in the like circumstances; and while you have now obtained plenty yourselves, through the mercy and providence of Elohim, to distribute of the same plenty, by the like sympathy, to such as stand in need of it.

4.8.22. Besides those two tithes, which I have already said you are to pay every year, the one for the Levites, the other for the festivals, you are to bring every third year a third tithe to be distributed to those that want; to women also that are widows, and to children that are orphans. But as to the ripe fruits, let them carry that which is ripe first of all into the temple; and when they have blessed Elohim for that land which bare them, and which he had given them for a possession, when they have also offered those slaughters which the law has commanded them to bring, let them give the first fruits to the priests. But when any one hath done this, and hath brought the tithe of all that he hath, together with those first fruits that are for the Levites, and for the festivals, and when he is about to go home, let him stand before the holy house, and return thanks to Elohim, that he hath delivered them from the injurious treatment they had in Egypt, and hath given them a good land, and a large, and lets them enjoy the fruits thereof; and when he hath openly witnessed that he hath fully paid the tithes [and other dues] according to the laws of Moses, let him entreat Elohim that he will be ever merciful and gracious to him, and continue so to be to all the Hebrews, both by preserving the good things which he hath already given them, and by adding what it is still in his power to bestow upon them.

4.8.24. As to those young men that despise their parents, and do not pay them honor, but offer them affronts, either because they are ashamed of them or think themselves wiser than they, – in the first place, let their parents admonish them in words, (for they are by nature of authority sufficient for becoming their judges,) and let them say thus to them: – That they cohabited together, not for the sake of pleasure, nor for the augmentation of their riches, by joining both their stocks together, but that they might have children to take care of them in their old age, and might by them have what they then should want. And say further to him, “That when thou wast born, we took thee up with gladness, and gave Elohim the greatest thanks for thee, and brought time up with great care, and spared for nothing that appeared useful for thy preservation, and for thy instruction in what was most excellent. And now, since it is reasonable to forgive the sins of those that are young, let it suffice thee to have given so many indications Of thy contempt of us; reform thyself, and act more wisely for the time to come; considering that Elohim is displeased with those that are insolent towards their parents, because he is himself the Father of the whole race of mankind, and seems to bear part of that dishonor which falls upon those that have the same name, when they do not meet with dire returns from their children. And on such the law inflicts inexorable punishment; of which punishment mayst thou never have the experience.” Now if the insolence of young men be thus cured, let them escape the reproach which their former errors deserved; for by this means the lawgiver will appear to be good, and parents happy, while they never behold either a son or a daughter brought to punishment. But if it happen that these words and instructions, conveyed by them in order to reclaim the man, appear to be useless, then the offender renders the laws implacable enemies to the insolence he has offered his parents; let him therefore be brought forth by these very parents out of the city, with a multitude following him, and there let him be stoned; and when he has continued there for one whole day, that all the people may see him, let him be buried in the night. And thus it is that we bury all whom the laws condemn to die, upon any account whatsoever. Let our enemies that fall in battle be also buried; nor let any one dead body lie above the ground, or suffer a punishment beyond what justice requires.

4.8.26. Those who have borrowed either silver or any sort of fruits, whether dry or wet, (I mean this, when the Jewish affairs shall, by the blessing of Elohim, be to their own mind,) let the borrowers bring them again, and restore them with pleasure to those who lent them, laying them up, as it were, in their own treasuries, and justly expecting to receive them thence, if they will want them again. But if they be without shame, and do not restore it, let not the lender go to the borrower’s house, and take a pledge himself, before judgment be given concerning it; but let him require the pledge, and let the debtor bring it of himself, without the least opposition to him that comes upon him under the protection of the law. And if he that gave the pledge be rich, let the creditor retain it till what he lent be paid him again; but if he be poor, let him that takes it return it before the going down of the sun, especially if the pledge be a garment, that the debtor may have it for a covering in his sleep, Elohim himself naturally showing mercy to the poor. It is also not lawful to take a millstone, nor any utensil thereto belonging, for a pledge, that the debtor, may not be deprived of instruments to get their food withal, and lest they be undone by their necessity.

4.8.27. Let death be the punishment for stealing a man; but he that hath purloined gold or silver, let him pay double. If any one kill a man that is stealing something out of his house, let him be esteemed guiltless, although the man were only breaking in at the wall. Let him that hath stolen cattle pay fourfold what is lost, excepting the case of an ox, for which let the thief pay fivefold. Let him that is so poor that he cannot pay what mulet is laid upon him, be his servant to whom he was adjudged to pay it.

4.8.38. Let him that has received any thing in trust for another, take care to keep it as a sacred and divine thing; and let no one invent any contrivance whereby to deprive him that hath entrusted it with him of the same, and this whether he be a man or a woman; no, not although he or she were to gain an immense sum of gold, and this where he cannot be convicted of it by any body; for it is fit that a man’s own conscience, which knows what he hath, should in all cases oblige him to do well. Let this conscience be his witness, and make him always act so as may procure him commendation from others; but let him chiefly have regard to Elohim, from whom no wicked man can lie concealed: but if he in whom the trust was reposed, without any deceit of his own, lose what he was entrusted withal, let him come before the seven judges, and swear by Elohim that nothing hath been lost willingly, or with a wicked intention, and that he hath not made use of any part thereof, and so let him depart without blame; but if he hath made use of the least part of what was committed to him, and it be lost, let him be condemned to repay all that he had received. After the same manner as in these trusts it is to be, if any one defraud those that undergo bodily labor for him. And let it be always remembered, that we are not to defraud a poor man of his wages, as being sensible that Elohim has allotted these wages to him instead of land and other possessions; nay, this payment is not at all to be delayed, but to be made that very day, since Elohim is not willing to deprive the laborer of the immediate use of what he hath labored for.

4.8.39. You are not to punish children for the faults of their parents, but on account of their own virtue rather to vouchsafe them commiseration, because they were born of wicked parents, than hatred, because they were born of bad ones. Nor indeed ought we to impute the sin of children to their fathers, while young persons indulge themselves in many practices different from what they have been instructed in, and this by their proud refusal of such instruction.