• Torah (T): Wayiqra (Leviticus) 26:3 – 27:34
• Prophets (P): Jeremiah 16:19-21
• Apostolic (A): 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Matthew 23:23-24
• Additional (ADD): Baruch 4:1-30

RELATED SCRIPTURES

• Jeremiah 11:1-5 (T)
• Job 11:18-20 (T)
• Proverbs 28:1 (T)
• Joshua 23:1-16 (T)
• Ezekiel 37:25-28 (T)
• Exodus 29:42-46; Jeremiah 7:21-26 (T)
• Malachi 2:1-12 (T)
• Deuteronomy 28:1-68 (T)
• Jeremiah 5:17; Jeremiah 12:13; Jeremiah 15:1-3 (T)
• Ezekiel 4:9-17; Ezekiel 5:14-17; Ezekiel 14:12-23 (T)
• 2 Kings 6:25-33 (T)
• Lamentations 4:1-22 (T)
• Jeremiah 9:13-26 (T)
• Genesis 17:1-9 (T)
• Deuteronomy 4:23-31 (T)
• Romans 11:1-36 (T)
• Exodus 22:29-30, Exodus 34:19-21 (T)
• Joshua 6:1-21; Joshua 7:1-15 (T)
• Genesis 28:10-22 (T)
• Numbers 18:1-32 (T)
• Deuteronomy 12:1-19 (T)
• Deuteronomy 14:22-29 (T)
• Deuteronomy 26:1-15 (T)
• Amos 4:1-5 (T)
• Nehemiah 10:32-39 (T)
• Nehemiah 12:44-47 (T)
• Nehemiah 13:4-14 (T)
• 2 Chronicles 31:2-21 (T)
• Luke 11:37-42 (T)
• Luke 18:9-14 (T)

RELATED ADDITIONAL REA.D.INGS

• The Damascus Document 4Q266 Fragment 18, Column 5 (T)
• A Commentary on the Law of Moses 4Q251 Fragment 9 and 10 (T)
• The Damascus Document 4Q270 Fragment 9, Column 2 (T)
• A Sectarian Manifesto 4QMMT B 62-64 (T)
• Jubilees 32:1-15 (T)
• Judith 11:10-14 (T)
• Sirach 35:1-12 (T)
• 1 Maccabees 3:42-54; 1 Maccabees 11:20-37 (T)
• Leviticus 26:3 – 27:34 from the Jerusalem Targum aka Targum Pseudo-Jonathan (T)
• Antiquities of the Jews by Flavius Josephus 4.4.3-4; 4.8.19 & 22

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)

26:3 “If you walk in my statutes and guard my commandments, and do them, 4 then I will give [rains in your land]^(DSS) in their time, and the land will yield her increase, and the [fruit]^(DSS) trees of the field will yield his fruit. 5 Your threshing will continue until the vintage, and the vintage will continue until the sowing time. You will eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely. 6 I will give peace in the land, and you will lie down, and no one will make you afraid. I will remove evil [living ones] out of the land, neither will the sword go through your land. 7 You will chase your enemies, and they will fall before you by the sword. 8 Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand; and your enemies will fall before you by the sword. 9 I will turn my face to you, make you fruitful, multiply you, and will establish my covenant with you. 10 You will eat the long kept, and you will move out the long kept because of the new. 11 I will set my tabernacle among you, and my soul won’t abhor you. 12 I will walk among you, and will be your Elohim, and you will be my people. 13 I am YHWH your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their servants. I have broken the bars of your yoke, and made you walk upright. 14 But if you will not listen to me, and will not do all these [my]^(DSS) commandments, 15 and if you will reject my statutes, and if your soul abhors my judgments, so that you will not do all my commandments, but break my covenant, 16 I also will do this to you: I will appoint terror over you, consumption and fever, consuming eyes, and make the soul to pine away. You will sow your seed in vain, for your enemies will eat it. 17 I will set my face against you, and you will be struck before your enemies. Those who hate you will rule over you; and you will flee when no one pursues you. 18 If you in spite of these things will not listen to me, then [I will add seven times upon your failures to correct you].^(MTT) 19 I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your heavens like iron, and your soil like bronze. 20 Your strength will be spent in vain; for your land won’t yield her increase, neither will the trees of the [field]^(LXX) yield his fruit. 21 If you walk contrary to me, and won’t listen to me, then I will bring seven times more hittings on you according to your sins. 22 I will cause to send the [living ones of the field]^(MTT) among you, she will bereave you, destroy your livestock, and make you few in number. Your roads will become desolate. 23 If by these things you won’t be turned back to me, but will walk contrary to me, 24 then I will walk contrary to you [in hostile wrath];^(DSS) and I will strike you, even I, seven times for your sins. 25 I will bring a sword upon you that will execute the vengeance of the covenant. You will be gathered together within your cities, and I will send the pestilence among you. You will be delivered into the hand of the enemy. 26 When I break your staff of bread, ten women will bake your bread in one oven, and they will deliver your bread again by weight. You will eat, and not be satisfied. 27 If you in spite of this won’t listen to me, but walk contrary to me, 28 then I will walk contrary to you in wrath. I will also correct you seven times for your sins. 29 You will eat the flesh of your sons, and you will eat the flesh of your daughters. 30 I will destroy your high places, and cut down your incense altars, and cast your dead bodies upon the bodies of your idols; and my soul will abhor you. 31 I will lay your cities waste, and will bring your sanctuaries to desolation. I will not smell the sweet odors of your offerings. 32 I will bring the land into desolation, and your enemies who dwell in her will be astonished at her. 33 I will scatter you among the nations, and I will draw out the sword after you. Your land will be a desolation, and your cities will be a waste. 34 Then the land will enjoy her Sabbaths as long as she lies desolate and you are in your enemies’ land. Even then the land will rest and enjoy her Sabbaths. 35 As long as she lies desolate she will have rest, even the rest which she didn’t have in your Sabbaths when you lived on her. 36 As for those of you who are left, I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies. The sound of a driven leaf will put them to flight; and they will flee, as one flees from the sword. They will fall when no one pursues. 37 They will stumble over one another, as it were before the sword, when no one pursues. You will have no power to stand before your enemies. 38 You will perish among the nations. The land of your enemies will eat you up. 39 Those of you who are left will pine away in their iniquity in [their]^(mss.)(SP) enemies’ lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers they will pine away with them. 40 If they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, in their transgression which they transgressed against me; and also that because they walked contrary to me, 41 I also walked contrary to them, and brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised heart is lowered, and they then accept their iniquity, 42 then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham; and I will remember the land. 43 The land also will be left by them, and will enjoy her Sabbaths while she lies desolate without them; and they will accept the punishment of their iniquity because they rejected my judgments, and their soul abhorred my statutes. 44 Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly and to break my covenant with them; for I am YHWH their Elohim. 45 But I will for their sake remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their Elohim. I am YHWH.” 46 These are the statutes, judgments, and the Torot, which YHWH made between him and the sons of Israel in Mount Sinai by Moses.

27:1 YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them, ‘A man that will perform a vow, by your valuation, souls belong to YHWH. 3 Your valuation of a male from twenty years old to sixty years old will be fifty shekels of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. 4 If she is a female, then your valuation will be thirty shekels. 5 If from a son of five years old to twenty years old, then your valuation will be for a male twenty shekels, and for a female ten shekels. 6 If from a son of a new moon to five years old, then your valuation will be for a male five shekels of silver, and for a female your valuation will be three shekels of silver. 7 If from a son of sixty years old and upward; if he is a male, then your valuation will be fifteen shekels, and for a female ten shekels. 8 If he will become low from your valuation, then he will be set before the priest, and the priest will assign a value to him. The priest will value by the mouth of what the hand making a vow will reach. 9 If it is an animal of which men offer an offering to YHWH, all that any man gives of such to YHWH becomes holy. 10 He will not alter it, nor exchange it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good. If he will at all exchange animal for animal, then both it and that for which it is exchanged will be holy. 11 If it is any unclean animal, of which they do not offer as an offering to YHWH, then he will set the animal before the priest; 12 and the priest will evaluate it, whether it is good or bad. As the priest evaluates it, so it will be. 13 But if he will indeed redeem [him],^(DSS) then he will add the fifth part of it to [his]^(DSS) valuation. 14 When a man sets apart his house to be holy to YHWH, then the priest will evaluate it, whether it is good or bad. As the priest evaluates it, so it will stand. 15 If he who set it apart will redeem his house, then he will add the fifth part of the silver of your valuation to it, and it will be his. 16 If a man sets apart to YHWH part of the field of his possession, then your valuation will be by the mouth of his seed for it. The sowing of a homer of barley will be valued at fifty shekels of silver. 17 If he sets apart his field from the Year of Yovel, by the mouth of your valuation it will stand. 18 But if he sets apart his field after the Yovel, then the priest will reckon to him the silver by the mouth of the years that remain to the Year of Yovel; and it will be diminished from your valuation. 19 If he who sets apart the field will indeed redeem it, then he will add the fifth part of the silver of your valuation to it, and it will remain his. 20 If he will not redeem the field, or if he has sold the field to another man, it will not be redeemed any more; 21 but the field, when it goes out in the Yovel, will be holy to YHWH, as a devoted field. It will be owned by the priests. 22 If he dedicates a field to YHWH which he has bought, which is not of the field of his possession, 23 then the priest will reckon to him the worth of your valuation up to the Year of Yovel; and he will give your valuation on that day, as a holy to YHWH. 24 In the Year of Yovel the field will return to him from whom it was bought, even to him to whom the possession of the land belongs. 25 All your valuations will be according to the shekel of the sanctuary: twenty gerahs to the shekel. 26 However the firstborn among animals, which belongs to YHWH as a firstborn, no man may set apart, whether an ox or a sheep. It is YHWH’s. 27 If it is an unclean animal, then he will buy it back according to your valuation, and will add to it the fifth part of it; or if it isn’t redeemed, then it will be sold according to your valuation. 28 No devoted thing that a man devotes to YHWH of all that he has, whether of man or animal, or of the field of his possession, will be sold or redeemed. Everything that is permanently devoted is holy of holies to YHWH. 29 No one devoted to destruction, who will be devoted from among men, will be ransomed. He will surely be put to death. 30 All the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is YHWH’s. It is holy to YHWH. 31 If a man redeems anything of his tithe, he will add a fifth part to it. 32 All the tithe of the herds or the flocks, whatever passes under the rod, the tenth will be holy to YHWH. 33 He will not examine whether it is good or bad, neither will he exchange it. If he exchanges it at all, then both it and that for which it is exchanged will be holy. It will not be redeemed.’ ” 34 These are the commandments which YHWH commanded Moses for the sons of Israel on Mount Sinai.

Prophets Portion (P)

16:19 YHWH, my strength, my stronghold, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the nations will come to you from the ends of the land, and will say, “Our fathers have inherited nothing but lies, vanity and things in which there is no profit. 20 Should a man make to himself elohim which yet are no elohim?” 21 “Therefore behold, I will cause them to know, this once I will cause them to know my hand and my might. Then they will know that my name is YHWH.”

Apostolic Portion (A)

2 Corinthians 6:14 Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship do righteousness and iniquity have? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? 15 What agreement does Messiah have with Belial? Or what portion does a believer have with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement does a temple of Elohim have with idols? For [we]^(mss.) are a temple of the living Elohim. Even as Elohim said, “I will dwell in them and walk in them. I will be their Elohim and they will be my people.” (cf. Leviticus 26:12) 17 Therefore Come out from among them, and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘Touch no unclean thing. I will receive you. 18 I will be to you a Father. You will be to me sons and daughters,’ says the Lord Almighty.” (cf. Isaiah 52:11)

Matthew 23:23 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!

Additional Portion (ADD)

The Book of Baruch is named after Baruch ben Neriah, Jeremiah’s well-known scribe, who is mentioned at Baruch 1:1, and has been presumed to be the author of the whole work. Although not in the Hebrew Bible, it is found in the Septuagint, in the Eritrean/Ethiopian Orthodox Bible, and the Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Russian Orthodox Churches. In some Bibles, Baruch chapter 6 is listed as a separate book called The Letter of Jeremiah, reflecting its separation from Baruch in some copies of the Greek Septuagint. Some scholars propose that it was written during or shortly after the period of the Maccabees. Although the earliest known manuscripts of Baruch are in Greek, linguistic features of the first parts of Baruch (1:1 – 3:8) have been proposed as indicating a translation from a Semitic language.

4:1 This is the book of the commandments of Elohim, and the law that endures forever: all those who hold it fast are appointed to life; but such as leave it will die. 2 Turn you, O Jacob, and take hold of it: walk toward her shining in the face of the light thereof. 3 Give not your glory to another, nor the things that are profitable to you to a strange nation. 4 O Israel, happy are we: for the things that are pleasing to Elohim are made known to us. 5 Be of good cheer, my people, the memorial of Israel. 6 You were sold to the nations, but not for destruction: because you moved Elohim to wrath, you were delivered to your adversaries. 7 For you provoked him that made you by slaughtering to demons, and not to Elohim. 8 You forgot the everlasting Elohim, that brought you up; you grieved also Jerusalem, that nursed you. 9 For she saw the wrath that is come upon you from Elohim, and said, Listen, you women that dwell about Zion: for Elohim has brought upon me great mourning; 10 for I have seen the captivity of my sons and daughters, which the Everlasting has brought upon them. 11 For with joy did I nourish them; but sent them away with weeping and mourning. 12 Let no man rejoice over me, a widow, and forsaken of many: for the sins of my children am I left desolate; because they turned away from the law of Elohim, 13 and had no regard to his statutes, neither walked they in the ways of Elohim’s commandments, nor trod in the paths of discipline in his righteousness. 14 Let those who dwell about Zion come, and remember you the captivity of my sons and daughters, which the Everlasting has brought upon them. 15 For he has brought a nation upon them from far, a shameless nation, and of a strange language, who neither reverenced bearded man, nor pitied child. 16 And they have carried away the dear beloved sons of the widow, and left her that was alone desolate of her daughters. 17 But I, what can I help you? 18 For he that brought these plagues upon you will deliver you from the hand of your enemies. 19 Go your way, O my children, go your way: for I am left desolate. 20 I have put off the garment of peace, and put upon me the sackcloth of my petition: I will cry to the Everlasting as long as I live. 21 Be of good cheer, O my children, cry to Elohim, and he will deliver you from the power and hand of the enemies. 22 For I have trusted in the Everlasting, that he will save you; and joy is come to me from the Holy One, because of the mercy which will soon come to you from your Everlasting Savior. 23 For I sent you out with mourning and weeping: but Elohim will give you to me again with joy and gladness forever. 24 For like as now those who dwell about Zion have seen your captivity: so will they see shortly your salvation from our Elohim, which will come upon you with great glory, and brightness of the Everlasting. 25 My children, suffer patiently the wrath that is come upon you from Elohim: for your enemy has persecuted you; but shortly you will see his destruction, and will tread upon their necks. 26 My delicate ones have gone rough ways; they were taken away as a flock carried off by the enemies. 27 Be of good cheer, O my children, and cry to Elohim: for you will be remembered of him that has brought these things upon you. 28 For as it was your mind to go astray from Elohim: so, return and seek him ten times more. 29 For he that brought these plagues upon you will bring you everlasting joy again with your salvation. 30 Be of good cheer, O Jerusalem: for he that called you by name will comfort you.

Related Scriptures

11:1 The word that came to Jeremiah from YHWH, saying, 2 “Hear the words of this covenant, and speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem; 3 and say to them, YHWH, the Elohim of Israel says: ‘Cursed is the man who doesn’t hear the words of this covenant, 4 which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the iron furnace,’ saying, ‘Obey my voice and do them, according to all which I command you; so you will be my people, and I will be your Elohim; 5 that I may establish the oath which I swore to your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey,’ as it is today.” Then I answered, and said, “Amen, YHWH.”

11:18 You will be secure, because there is hope. Yes, you will search, and will take your rest in safety. 19 Also you will lie down, and no one will make you afraid. Yes, many will court your favor. 20 But the eyes of the wicked will fail. They will have no way to flee. Their hope will be the giving up of the spirit.

28:1 The wicked flee when no one pursues; but the righteous are as bold as a lion.

23:1 After many days, when YHWH had given rest to Israel from their enemies all around, and Joshua was old and well advanced in years, 2 Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders and for their heads, and for their judges and for their officers, and said to them, “I am old and well advanced in years. 3 You have seen all that YHWH your Elohim has done to all these nations because of you; for it is YHWH your Elohim who has fought for you. 4 Behold, I have allotted to you these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from the Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even to the great sea toward the going down of the sun. 5 YHWH your Elohim will thrust them out from before you, and drive them from out of your sight. You will possess their land, as YHWH your Elohim spoke to you. 6 “Therefore be very courageous to guard and to do all that is written in the book of the Torah of Moses, that you not turn away from it to the right hand or to the left; 7 that you not come among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their elohim, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow down yourselves to them; 8 but hold fast to YHWH your Elohim, as you have done to this day. 9 “For YHWH has driven great and strong nations out from before you. But as for you, no man has stood before you to this day. 10 One man of you will chase a thousand; for it is YHWH your Elohim who fights for you, as he spoke to you. 11 Take good heed therefore to yourselves, that you love YHWH your Elohim. 12 “But if you do at all go back, and hold fast to the remnant of these nations, even these who remain among you, and make marriages with them, and go in to them, and they to you; 13 know for a certainty that YHWH your Elohim will no longer drive these nations from out of your sight; but they will be a snare and a trap to you, a scourge in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which YHWH your Elohim has given you. 14 “Behold, today I am going the way of all the land. You know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which YHWH your Elohim spoke concerning you. All have happened to you. Not one thing has failed of it. 15 It will happen that as all the good things have come on you of which YHWH your Elohim spoke to you, so YHWH will bring on you all the evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land which YHWH your Elohim has given you, 16 when you disobey the covenant of YHWH your Elohim, which he commanded you, and go and serve other elohim, and bow down yourselves to them. Then the anger of YHWH will be kindled against you, and you will perish quickly from off the good land which he has given to you.”

37:25 They will dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob my servant, in which your fathers lived. They will dwell therein, they, and their sons, and their sons’ sons, forever. David my servant will be their prince forever. 26 Moreover I will cut a covenant of peace with them. It will be an everlasting covenant with them. I will place them, multiply them, and will set my sanctuary among them forever more. 27 My tent also will be with them. I will be their Elohim, and they will be my people. 28 The nations will know that I am YHWH who sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary is among them forever more.

Exodus 29:42 It will be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the Appointed Tent before YHWH, where I will meet with you, to speak there to you. 43 There I will meet with the sons of Israel; and the place will be sanctified by my glory. 44 I will sanctify the Appointed Tent and the altar. I will also sanctify Aaron and his sons to minister to me in the priest’s office. 45 I will dwell among the sons of Israel, and will be their Elohim. 46 They will know that I am YHWH their Elohim, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them: I am YHWH their Elohim.

Jeremiah 7:21 YHWH of Armies, the Elohim of Israel says: “Add your burnt offerings to your slaughters and eat flesh. 22 For I didn’t speak to your fathers or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt concerning burnt offerings or slaughters; 23 but this thing I commanded them, saying, ‘Listen to my voice, and I will be your Elohim, and you will be my people. Walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’ 24 But they didn’t listen or turn their ear, but walked in their own counsels and in the stubbornness of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward. 25 Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt to this day, I have sent to you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them. 26 Yet they didn’t listen to me or incline their ear, but made their neck stiff. They did worse than their fathers.

2:1 “Now, you priests, this commandment is for you. 2 If you will not listen, and if you will not take it to heart, to give glory to my name,” says YHWH of Armies, “then I will send the curse on you, and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have cursed them already, because you do not take it to heart. 3 Behold, I will rebuke your seed, and will spread dung on your faces, even the dung of your feasts; and you will be taken away with it. 4 You will know that I have sent this commandment to you, that my covenant may be with Levi,” says YHWH of Armies. 5 “My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him that he might be reverent toward me; and he was reverent toward me, and stood in awe of my name. 6 The Torah of truth was in his mouth, and unrighteousness was not found in his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many away from iniquity. 7 For the priest’s lips should guard knowledge, and they should seek the Torah at his mouth; for he is the messenger of YHWH of Armies. 8 But you have turned away from the path. You have caused many to stumble in the Torah. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,” says YHWH of Armies. 9 “Therefore I have also made you contemptible and wicked before all the people, according to the way you have not kept my ways, but have had respect for persons in the Torah. 10 Don’t we all have one father? Hasn’t one Elohim created us? Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, profaning the covenant of our fathers? 11 Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination is done in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the holiness of YHWH which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god. 12 YHWH will cut off the man who does this, him who wakes and him who answers, out of the tents of Jacob and him who offers an offering to YHWH of Armies.

28:1 It will happen, if you will listen diligently to YHWH your Elohim’s voice, to guard to do all his commandments which I command you today, that YHWH your Elohim will set you high above all the nations of the land. 2 All these blessings will come upon you, and overtake you, if you listen to YHWH your Elohim’s voice. 3 You will be blessed in the city, and you will be blessed in the field. 4 You will be blessed in the fruit of your womb, the fruit of your ground, the fruit of your animals, the increase of your livestock, and the young of your flock. 5 Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. 6 You will be blessed when you come in, and you will be blessed when you go out. 7 YHWH will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be struck before you. They will come out against you one way, and will flee before you seven ways. 8 YHWH will command the blessing on you in your barns, and in all that you put your hand to. He will bless you in the land which YHWH your Elohim gives you. 9 YHWH will establish you for a holy people to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you will guard the commandments of YHWH your Elohim, and walk in his ways. 10 All the peoples of the land will see that you are called by the name of YHWH, and they will be afraid of you. 11 YHWH will grant you abundant prosperity in the fruit of your womb, in the fruit of your ground and in the fruit of your livestock in the land which YHWH swore to your fathers to give you. 12 YHWH will open to you his good treasure in the heavens, to give the rain of your land in their time, and to bless all the work of your hand. You will lend to many nations, and you will not borrow. 13 YHWH will make you the head, and not the tail. You will be above only, and you will not be beneath, if you listen to the commandments of YHWH your Elohim which I command you today, to observe and to do, 14 and will not turn away from any of the words which I command you today, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other elohim to serve them. 15 But if you will not listen to YHWH your Elohim’s voice, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come on you and overtake you. 16 You will be cursed in the city, and you will be cursed in the field. 17 Your basket and your kneading trough will be cursed. 18 The fruit of your womb, the fruit of your ground, the increase of your livestock, and the young of your flock will be cursed. 19 You will be cursed when you come in, and you will be cursed when you go out. 20 YHWH will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all that you put your hand to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, because of the evil of your doings, by which you have forsaken me. 21 YHWH will make the pestilence cling to you, until he has consumed you from off the land where you go in to possess it. 22 YHWH will strike you with consumption, with fever, with inflammation, with fiery heat, with the sword, with blight, and with mildew. They will pursue you until you perish. 23 Your heavens that is over your head will be bronze, and the land that is under you will be iron. 24 YHWH will make the rain of your land powder and dust. It will come down on you from the heavens, until you are destroyed. 25 YHWH will cause you to be struck before your enemies. You will go out one way against them, and will flee seven ways before them. You will be tossed back and forth among all the reigns of the land. 26 Your dead bodies will be food to all birds of the heavens, and to the animals of the land; and there will be no one to frighten them away. 27 YHWH will strike you with the boils of Egypt, with the tumors, with the scurvy, and with the itch, of which you can not be healed. 28 YHWH will strike you with madness, with blindness, and with astonishment of heart. 29 You will grope at noonday, as the blind gropes in darkness, and you will not prosper in your ways. You will only be oppressed and robbed always, and there will be no one to save you. 30 You will betroth a woman, and another man will lie with her. You will build a house, and you won’t dwell in it. You will plant a vineyard, and not use its fruit. 31 Your ox will be slain before your eyes, and you will not eat any of it. Your donkey will be violently taken away from before your face, and will not be restored to you. Your sheep will be given to your enemies, and you will have no one to save you. 32 Your sons and your daughters will be given to another people. Your eyes will look and fail with longing for them all day long. There will be no power in your hand. 33 A nation which you don’t know will eat the fruit of your ground and all of your work. You will only be oppressed and crushed always, 34 so that the sights that you see with your eyes will drive you mad. 35 YHWH will strike you in the knees and in the legs with a sore boil, of which you cannot be healed, from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head. 36 YHWH will bring you, and your king whom you will set over yourselves, to a nation that you have not known, you nor your fathers. There you will serve other elohim of wood and stone. 37 You will become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword among all the peoples where YHWH will lead you away. 38 You will carry much seed out into the field, and will gather little in, for the locust will consume it. 39 You will plant vineyards and dress them, but you will neither drink of the wine, nor harvest, because worms will eat them. 40 You will have olive trees throughout all your borders, but you won’t anoint yourself with the oil, for your olives will drop off. 41 You will father sons and daughters, but they will not be yours, for they will go into captivity. 42 Locusts will consume all of your trees and the fruit of your ground. 43 The foreigner who is among you will mount up above you higher and higher, and you will come down lower and lower. 44 He will lend to you, and you won’t lend to him. He will be the head, and you will be the tail. 45 All these curses will come on you, and will pursue you and overtake you, until you are destroyed, because you didn’t listen to YHWH your Elohim’s voice, to guard his commandments and his statutes which he commanded you. 46 They will be for a sign and for a wonder to you and to your seed forever. 47 Because you didn’t serve YHWH your Elohim with joyfulness and with gladness of heart, by reason of the abundance of all things; 48 therefore you will serve your enemies whom YHWH sends against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in lack of all things. He will put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you. 49 YHWH will bring a nation against you from far, from the end of the land, as the eagle flies: a nation whose language you will not understand, 50 a nation of fierce facial expressions, that doesn’t respect the elderly, nor show favor to the young. 51 They will eat the fruit of your livestock and the fruit of your ground, until you are destroyed. They also won’t leave you grain, new wine, oil, the increase of your livestock, or the young of your flock, until they have caused you to perish. 52 They will besiege you in all your gates until your high and fortified walls in which you trusted come down throughout all your land. They will besiege you in all your gates throughout all your land which YHWH your Elohim has given you. 53 You will eat the fruit of your own body, the flesh of your sons and of your daughters, whom YHWH your Elohim has given you, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemies will distress you. 54 The man who is tender among you, and very delicate, his eye will be evil toward his brother, toward the woman whom he loves, and toward the remnant of his sons whom he has remaining, 55 so that he will not give to any of them of the flesh of his sons whom he will eat, because he has nothing left to him, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemy will distress you in all your gates. 56 The tender and delicate woman among you, who would not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye will be evil toward the man that she loves, toward her son, toward her daughter, 57 toward her young one who comes out from between her feet, and toward her sons whom she bears; for she will eat them secretly for lack of all things in the siege and in the distress with which your enemy will distress you in your gates. 58 If you will not observe to do all the words of this Torah that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and fearful name, YHWH your Elohim, 59 then YHWH will make your plagues and the plagues of your seed fearful, even great plagues, and of long duration, and severe sicknesses, and of long duration. 60 He will bring on you again all the diseases of Egypt, which you were afraid of; and they will cling to you. 61 Also every sickness and every plague which is not written in the book of this Torah, YHWH will bring them on you until you are destroyed. 62 You will be left few in number, even though you were as the stars of the heavens for multitude, because you didn’t listen to YHWH your Elohim’s voice. 63 It will happen that as YHWH rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you, so YHWH will rejoice over you to cause you to perish and to destroy you. You will be plucked from the land that you are going in to possess. 64 YHWH will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the land to the other end of the land. There you will serve other elohim which you have not known, you nor your fathers, even wood and stone. 65 Among these nations you will find no ease, and there will be no rest for the sole of your foot; but YHWH will give you there a trembling heart, failing of eyes, and pining of soul. 66 Your life will hang in doubt before you. You will be afraid night and day, and will have no assurance of your life. 67 In the morning you will say, “I wish it were evening!” and at evening you will say, “I wish it were morning!” for the fear of your heart which you will fear, and for the sights which your eyes will see. 68 YHWH will bring you into Egypt again with ships, by the way of which I told to you that you would never see it again. There you will offer yourselves to your enemies for male and female slaves, and nobody will buy you.

Jeremiah 5:17 They will eat up your harvest and your bread, which your sons and your daughters should eat. They will eat up your flocks and your herds. They will eat up your vines and your fig trees. They will beat down your fortified cities in which you trust with the sword.

Jeremiah 12:13 They have sown wheat, and have reaped thorns. They have exhausted themselves, and profit nothing. You will be ashamed of your fruits, because of YHWH’s fierce anger.”

Jeremiah 15:1 Then YHWH said to me, “Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind would not turn toward this people. Cast them out of my sight, and let them go out! 2 It will happen when they ask you, ‘Where will we go out?’ then you will tell them, ‘YHWH says: “Such as are for death, to death; such as are for the sword, to the sword; such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for captivity, to captivity.” ‘ 3 “I will appoint over them four kinds,” says YHWH: “the sword to kill, the dogs to tear, the birds of the heavens, and the animals of the land, to devour and to destroy.

Ezekiel 4:9 “Take for yourself also wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt, and put them in one vessel. Make bread of it. According to the number of the days that you will lie on your side, even three hundred ninety days, you will eat of it. 10 Your food which you will eat will be by weight, twenty shekels a day. From time to time you will eat it. 11 You will drink water by measure, the sixth part of a hin. From time to time you will drink. 12 You will eat it as barley cakes, and you will bake it in their sight with dung that comes out of man.” 13 YHWH said, “Even thus will the sons of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations where I will drive them.” 14 Then I said, “Ah Lord YHWH! Behold, my soul has not been polluted; for from my youth up even until now I have not eaten of that which dies of itself, or is torn of animals. No abominable flesh has come into my mouth!” 15 Then he said to me, “Behold, I have given you cow’s dung for man’s dung, and you will prepare your bread on it.” 16 Moreover he said to me, “Son of man, behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem. They will eat bread by weight, and with fearfulness. They will drink water by measure, and in dismay; 17 that they may lack bread and water, be dismayed one with another, and pine away in their iniquity.

Ezekiel 5:14 Moreover I will make you a desolation and a reproach among the nations that are around you, in the sight of all that pass by. 15 So it will be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction and an astonishment, to the nations that are around you, when I execute judgments on you in anger and in wrath, and in wrathful rebukes—I, YHWH, have spoken it— 16 when I send on them the evil arrows of famine that are for destruction, which I will send to destroy you. I will increase the famine on you and will break your staff of bread. 17 I will send on you famine and evil animals, and they will bereave you. Pestilence and blood will pass through you. I will bring the sword on you. I, YHWH, have spoken it.’ ”

Ezekiel 12:12 the word of YHWH came to me, saying, 13 “Son of man, when a land sins against me by trangressing a transgression, and I stretch out my hand on it, and break the staff of its bread and send famine on it, and cut off from it man and animal— 14 though these three men, Noaḥ, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only their own souls by their righteousness,” says the Lord YHWH. 15 “If I cause evil animals to pass through the land, and they ravage it and it is made desolate, so that no man may pass through because of the animals— 16 though these three men were in it, as I live,” says the Lord YHWH, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters. They only would be delivered, but the land would be desolate. 17 “Or if I bring a sword on that land, and say, ‘Sword, go through the land, so that I cut off from it man and animal’— 18 though these three men were in it, as I live,” says the Lord YHWH, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only would be delivered themselves. 19 “Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my wrath on it in blood, to cut off from it man and animal— 20 though Noaḥ, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live,” says the Lord YHWH, “they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would deliver only their own souls by their righteousness.” 21 For the Lord YHWH says: “How much more when I send my four severe judgments on Jerusalem—the sword, the famine, the evil animals, and the pestilence—to cut off from it man and animal! 22 Yet, behold, there will be left a remnant in it that will be carried out, both sons and daughters. Behold, they will come out to you, and you will see their way and their doings. Then you will be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought on Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought on it. 23 They will comfort you, when you see their way and their doings; then you will know that I have not done all that I have done in it without cause,” says the Lord YHWH.

6:25 There was a great famine in Samaria. Behold, they besieged it until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver. 26 As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!” 27 He said, “If YHWH doesn’t help you, where could I get help for you? From of the threshing floor, or from the wine press?” 28 Then the king asked her, “What is your problem?” She answered, “This wife said to me, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’ 29 So we boiled my son and ate him; and I said to her on the next day, ‘Give up your son, that we may eat him;’ and she has hidden her son.” 30 When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes. Now he was passing by on the wall, and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth underneath on his body. 31 Then he said, “Elohim do so to me, and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat stays on him today.” 32 But Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. Then the king sent a man from before him; but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, “Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? Behold, when the messenger comes, shut the door, and hold the door shut against him. Isn’t the sound of his master’s feet behind him?” 33 While he was still talking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him. Then he said, “Behold, this evil is from YHWH. Why should I wait for YHWH any longer?”

4:1 How the gold has become dim! The most pure gold has changed! The stones of the sanctuary are poured out at the head of every street. 2 The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how they are esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter! 3 Even the jackals offer their breast. They nurse their young ones. But the daughter of my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness. 4 The tongue of the suckling clings to the roof of his mouth for thirst. The infants ask bread, and no one breaks it for them. 5 Those who ate delicacies are desolate in the streets. Those who were brought up in purple embrace dunghills. 6 For the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom, which was overthrown as in a moment. No hands were laid on her. 7 Her nobles were purer than snow. They were whiter than milk. They were more ruddy in body than rubies. Their polishing was like sapphire. 8 Their appearance is blacker than a coal. They are not known in the streets. Their skin clings to their bones. It is withered. It has become like wood. 9 Those who are killed with the sword are better than those who are killed with hunger; for these pine away, stricken through, for lack of the fruits of the field. 10 The hands of the pitiful women have boiled their own children. They were their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people. 11 YHWH has accomplished his wrath. He has poured out his fierce anger. He has kindled a fire in Zion, which has devoured its foundations. 12 The kings of the land didn’t believe, neither did all the inhabitants of the world, that the adversary and the enemy would enter into the gates of Jerusalem. 13 It is because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the middle of her. 14 They wander as blind men in the streets. They are polluted with blood, So that men can’t touch their garments. 15 “Go away!” they cried to them. “Unclean! Go away! Go away! Don’t touch! When they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, “They can’t live here any more.” 16 the anger of YHWH has scattered them. He will not pay attention to them any more. They didn’t respect the persons of the priests. They didn’t favor the elders. 17 Our eyes still fail, looking in vain for our help. In our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save. 18 They hunt our steps, so that we can’t go in our streets. Our end is near. Our days are fulfilled, for our end has come. 19 Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the heavens. They chased us on the mountains. They set an ambush for us in the wilderness. 20 The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of YHWH, was taken in their pits; of whom we said, under his shadow we will live among the nations. 21 Rejoice and be glad, daughter of Edom, who dwells in the land of Uz. The cup will pass through to you also. You will be drunken, and will make yourself naked. 22 The punishment of your iniquity is accomplished, daughter of Zion. He will no more carry you away into captivity. He will visit your iniquity, daughter of Edom. He will uncover your sins.

9:13 YHWH says, “Because they have forsaken my Torah which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice or walked in my ways, 14 but have walked after the stubbornness of their own heart and after the Ba’alim, which their fathers taught them.” 15 Therefore YHWH of Armies, the Elohim of Israel, says, “Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink. 16 I will scatter them also among the nations, whom neither they nor their fathers have known. I will send the sword after them, until I have consumed them.” 17 YHWH of Armies says, “Consider, and call for the mourning women, that they may come. Send for the skillful women, that they may come. 18 Let them make haste and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with tears and our eyelids gush out with waters. 19 For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, ‘How we are ruined! We are greatly confounded because we have forsaken the land, because they have cast down our dwellings.’ ” 20 Yet hear the word of YHWH, you women. Let your ear receive the word of his mouth. Teach your daughters wailing. Everyone teach her neighbor a lamentation. 21 For death has come up into our windows. It has entered into our palaces to cut off the infants from outside, and the young men from the streets. 22 Speak, “YHWH says, The dead bodies of men will fall as dung on the open field, and as the handful after the harvester. No one will gather them.’ ” 23 YHWH says, “Don’t let the wise man glory in his wisdom. Don’t let the mighty man glory in his might. Don’t let the rich man glory in his riches. 24 But let him who glories glory in this, that he has understanding, and knows me, that I am YHWH who exercises loving kindness, justice, and righteousness in the land, for I delight in these things,” says YHWH. 25 “Behold, the days come,” says YHWH, “that I will punish all those who are circumcised only in their flesh: 26 Egypt, Judah, Edom, the sons of Ammon, Moab, and all who have the corners of their hair cut off, who dwell in the wilderness, for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart.”

17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, YHWH appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am El Shaddai. Walk before me and be blameless. 2 I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” 3 Abram fell on his face. Elohim talked with him, saying, 4 “As for me, behold, my covenant is with you. You will be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 Your name will no more be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you. Kings will come out of you. 7 I will establish my covenant between me and you and your seed after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be an Elohim to you and to your seed after you. 8 I will give to you, and to your seed after you, the land where you are traveling, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. I will be their Elohim.” 9 Elohim said to Abraham, “As for you, you will guard my covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their generations.

4:23 Be careful, lest you forget the covenant of YHWH your Elohim, which he made with you, and make yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which YHWH your Elohim has forbidden you. 24 For YHWH your Elohim is a devouring fire, a zealous Elohim. 25 When you father sons and sons’ sons, and you have been long in the land, and then corrupt yourselves, and make a carved image in the form of anything, and do that which is evil in YHWH your Elohim’s sight to provoke him to anger, 26 I call the heavens and land to witness against you today, that you will soon utterly perish from off the land which you go over the Jordan to possess it. You will not prolong your days on it, but will utterly be destroyed. 27 YHWH will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where YHWH will lead you away. 28 There you will serve elohim, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. 29 But from there you will seek YHWH your Elohim, and you will find him when you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul. 30 When you are in oppression, and all these things have come on you, in the latter days you will return to YHWH your Elohim and listen to his voice. 31 For YHWH your Elohim is a merciful Elohim. He will not fail you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which he swore to them.

11:1 I ask then, did Elohim reject his people? May it never be! For I also am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 Elohim didn’t reject his people, whom he foreknew. Or don’t you know what the Scripture says about Elijah? How he pleads with Elohim against Israel: 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets. They have broken down your altars. I am left alone, and they seek my life.” 4 But how does Elohim answer him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 Even so too at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work. 7 What then? That which Israel seeks for, that he didn’t obtain, but the chosen ones obtained it, and the rest were hardened. 8 According as it is written, “Elohim gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, to this very day.” 9 David says, “Let their table be made a snare, a trap, a stumbling block, and a retribution to them. 10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see. Always keep their backs bent.” 11 I ask then, did they stumble that they might fall? May it never be! But by their fall salvation has come to the Nations, to provoke them to zeal. 12 Now if their fall is the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of the Nations, how much more their fullness! 13 For I speak to you who are Nations. Since then as I am an emissary to Nations, I glorify my service, 14 if by any means I may provoke to zeal those who are my flesh, and may save some of them. 15 For if the rejection of them is the reconciling of the world, what would their acceptance be, but life from the dead? 16 If the first fruit is holy, so is the lump. If the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the root and of the richness of the olive tree, 18 don’t boast over the branches. But if you boast, remember that it is not you who support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.” 20 True; by their unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by your faith. Don’t be conceited, but fear; 21 for if Elohim didn’t spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 See then the goodness and severity of Elohim. Toward those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness; otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 They also, if they don’t continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for Elohim is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of that which is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how much more will these, which are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? 25 For I don’t desire you to be ignorant, brothers, of this mystery, so that you won’t be wise in your own conceits, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Nations has come in, 26 and so all Israel will be saved. Even as it is written, “There will come out of Zion the Deliverer, and he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob. 27 This is my covenant with them, when I will take away their sins.” 28 Concerning the Good News, they are enemies for your sake. But concerning the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sake. 29 For the gifts and the calling of Elohim are irrevocable. 30 For as you in time past were disobedient to Elohim, but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience, 31 even so these also have now been disobedient, that by the mercy shown to you they may also obtain mercy. 32 For Elohim has bound all to disobedience, that he might have mercy on all. 33 Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of Elohim! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out! 34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” 35 “Or who has first given to him, and it will be repaid to him again?” 36 For of him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory for ever! Amen.

Exodus 22:29 Do not delay to offer from your harvest and from the outflow of your presses. You will give the firstborn of your sons to me. 30 You will do likewise with your cattle and with your sheep. It will be with its mother seven days, then on the eighth day you will give it to me.

Exodus 34:19 All that opens the womb is mine; and all your livestock that is male, the firstborn of cow and sheep. 20 You will redeem the firstborn of a donkey with a lamb. If you will not redeem it, then you will break its neck. You will redeem all the firstborn of your sons. No one will appear before me empty. 21 Six days you will work, but on the seventh day you will rest: in plowing time and in harvest you will rest.

Joshua 6:1 Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the sons of Israel. No one went out, and no one came in. 2 YHWH said to Joshua, “Behold, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the mighty men of valor. 3 All of your men of war will march around the city, going around the city once. You will do this six days. 4 Seven priests will bear seven shofars of yovels before the ark. On the seventh day, you will march around the city seven times, and the priests will blow the shofars. 5 It will be that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the voice of the shofar, all the people will shout with a great shout; then the city wall will fall down flat, and the people will go up, every man straight in front of him.” 6 Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said to them, “Take up the ark of the witness, and let seven priests bear seven shofars of yovels before the ark of YHWH.” 7 They said to the people, “Advance! March around the city, and let the armed men pass on before the ark of YHWH.” 8 It was so, that when Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests bearing the seven shofars of yovels before YHWH advanced and blew the shofars, and the ark of the covenant of YHWH followed them. 9 The armed men went before the priests who blew the shofars, and the ark went after them. The shofars sounded as they went. 10 Joshua commanded the people, saying, “You will not shout nor let your voice be heard, neither will any word proceed out of your mouth until the day I tell you to shout. Then you will shout.” 11 So he caused the ark of YHWH to go around the city, circling it once. Then they came into the camp, and stayed in the camp. 12 Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of YHWH. 13 The seven priests bearing the seven shofars of yovels in front of the ark of YHWH went on continually, and blew the shofars. The armed men went in front of them. The rear guard came after the ark of YHWH. The shofars sounded as they went. 14 The second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp. They did this six days. 15 On the seventh day, they rose early at the dawning of the day, and marched around the city in the same way seven times. On this day only they marched around the city seven times. 16 At the seventh time, when the priests blew the shofars, Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for YHWH has given you the city! 17 The city will be devoted, even it and all that is in it, to YHWH. Only Rahab the whore will live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. 18 But as for you, only guard from what is devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted it, you take of the devoted thing; so you would make the camp of Israel accursed and trouble it. 19 But all the silver, gold, and vessels of bronze and iron are holy to YHWH. They will come into YHWH’s treasury.” 20 So the people shouted and the priests blew the shofars. When the people heard the voice of the shofar, the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight in front of him, and they took the city. 21 They utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, both young and old, and ox, sheep, and donkey, with the edge of the sword.

Joshua 7:1 But the sons of Israel transgress a transgression in the devoted things; for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. Therefore the anger of YHWH burned against the sons of Israel. 2 Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth Aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, “Go up and spy out the land.” The men went up and spied out Ai. 3 They returned to Joshua, and said to him, “Don’t let all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and strike Ai. Don’t make all the people to toil there, for there are only a few of them.” 4 So about three thousand men of the people went up there, and they fled before the men of Ai. 5 The men of Ai struck about thirty-six men of them. They chased them from before the gate even to Shebarim, and struck them at the descent. The hearts of the people melted, and became like water. 6 Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the land on his face before the ark of YHWH until the evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads. 7 Joshua said, “Alas, Lord YHWH, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to cause us to perish? I wish that we had been content and lived beyond the Jordan! 8 Oh, Lord, what will I say, after Israel has turned their backs before their enemies? 9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and will surround us, and cut off our name from the land. What will you do for your great name?” 10 YHWH said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face like that? 11 Israel has sinned. Yes, they have even transgressed my covenant which I commanded them. Yes, they have even taken some of the devoted things, and have also stolen, and also deceived. They have even put it among their own stuff. 12 Therefore the sons of Israel can’t stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will not be with you any more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you. 13 Get up! Sanctify the people, and say, ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, for YHWH, the Elohim of Israel, says, “There is a devoted thing among you, Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted thing from among you.” 14 In the morning therefore you will be brought near by your tribes. It will be that the tribe which YHWH selects will come near by families. The family which YHWH selects will come near by households. The household which YHWH selects will come near man by man. 15 It will be, that he who is taken with the devoted thing will be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of YHWH, and because he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel.’ ”

28:10 Jacob went out from Be’ersheba, and went toward Haran. 11 He came to a certain place, and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. He took one of the stones of the place, and put it under his head, and lay down in that place to sleep. 12 He dreamed and saw a stairway set upon the land, and its top reached to the heavens. Behold, the angels of Elohim were ascending and descending on it. 13 Behold, YHWH stood above it, and said, “I am YHWH, the Elohim of Abraham your father, and the Elohim of Isaac. I will give the land you lie on to you and to your seed. 14 Your seed will be as the dust of the land, and you will spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. In you and in your seed, all the families of the land will be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you, and will keep you, wherever you go, and will bring you again into this land. For I will not leave you until I have done that which I have spoken of to you.” 16 Jacob awakened out of his sleep, and he said, “Surely YHWH is in this place, and I didn’t know it.” 17 He was afraid, and said, “How awesome this place is! This is none other than Elohim’s house, and this is the gate of the heavens.” 18 Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil on its top. 19 He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first. 20 Jacob vowed a vow, saying, “If Elohim will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and clothing to put on, 21 so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, and YHWH will be my Elohim, 22 then this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, will be Elohim’s house. Of all that you will give me I will surely give a tenth to you.”

18:1 YHWH said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your fathers’ house with you will bear the iniquity of the sanctuary; and you and your sons with you will bear the iniquity of your priesthood. 2 Bring your brothers also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, near with you, that they may be joined to you, and minister to you; but you and your sons with you will be before the Tent of the Testimony. 3 They will keep your commands and the duty of the whole Tent; only they will not come near to the vessels of the sanctuary and to the altar, that they not die, neither they nor you. 4 They will be joined to you and keep the responsibility of the Appointed Tent, for all the service of the Tent. A stranger will not come near to you. 5 “You will perform the duty of the sanctuary and the duty of the altar, that there be no more wrath on the sons of Israel. 6 Behold, I myself have taken your brothers the Levites from among the sons of Israel. They are a gift to you, dedicated to YHWH, to do the service of the Appointed Tent. 7 You and your sons with you will keep your priesthood for everything of the altar, and for that within the veil. You will serve. I give you the service of the priesthood as a gift. The stranger who comes near will be put to death.” 8 YHWH spoke to Aaron, “Behold, I myself have given you the command of my wave offerings, even all the holy of the sons of Israel. I have given them to you by reason of the anointing, and to your sons, as a portion forever. 9 This will be yours of the holy of holies from the fire: every offering of theirs, even every grain offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they will render to me, will be most holy for you and for your sons. 10 You will eat of it like the holy of holies. Every male will eat of it. It will be holy to you. 11 “This is yours, too: the wave offering of their gift, even all the wave offerings of the sons of Israel. I have given them to you, and to your sons and to your daughters with you, as a portion forever. Everyone who is clean in your house will eat of it. 12 “I have given to you all the best of the oil, all the best of the vintage, and of the grain, the first fruits of them which they give to YHWH. 13 The first-ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to YHWH, will be yours. Everyone who is clean in your house will eat of it. 14 “Everything devoted in Israel will be yours. 15 Everything that opens the womb, of all flesh which they offer to YHWH, both of man and animal, will be yours. Nevertheless, you will surely redeem the firstborn of man, and you will redeem the firstborn of unclean animals. 16 You will redeem those who are to be redeemed of them from a new moon old, according to your estimation, for five shekels of money, according to the shekel* of the sanctuary, which weighs twenty gerahs.† 17 “But you will not redeem the firstborn of a cow, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat. They are holy. You will sprinkle their blood on the altar, and will burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a pleasant aroma to YHWH. 18 Their meat will be yours, as the wave offering breast and as the right thigh, it will be yours. 19 All the wave offerings of the holy which the sons of Israel offer to YHWH, I have given you and your sons and your daughters with you, as a portion forever. It is a covenant of salt forever before YHWH to you and to your seed with you.” 20 YHWH said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, neither will you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the sons of Israel. 21 “To the children of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they serve, even the service of the Appointed Tent. 22 Henceforth the sons of Israel will not come near the Appointed Tent, lest they bear sin, and die. 23 But the Levites will do the service of the Appointed Tent, and they will bear their iniquity. It will be a statute forever throughout your generations. Among the sons of Israel, they will have no inheritance. 24 For the tithe of the sons of Israel, which they offer as a wave offering to YHWH, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance. Therefore I have said to them, ‘Among the sons of Israel they will have no inheritance.’ ” 25 YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, 26 “Moreover you will speak to the Levites, and tell them, ‘When you take of the sons of Israel the tithe which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you will offer up a wave offering of it for YHWH, a tithe of the tithe. 27 Your wave offering will be credited to you, as though it were the grain of the threshing floor, and as the fullness of the wine press. 28 Thus you also will offer a wave offering to YHWH of all your tithes, which you receive of the sons of Israel; and of it you will give YHWH’s wave offering to Aaron the priest. 29 Out of all your gifts, you will offer every wave offering to YHWH, of all its best parts, even the holy part of it.’ 30 “Therefore you will tell them, ‘When you heave its best from it, then it will be credited to the Levites as the increase of the threshing floor, and as the increase of the wine press. 31 You may eat it anywhere, you and your households, for it is your reward in return for your service in the Appointed Tent. 32 You will bear no sin by reason of it, when you have heaved from it its best. You will not profane the holy of the sons of Israel, that you not die.

12:1 These are the statutes and the ordinances which you will observe to do in the land which YHWH, the Elohim of your fathers, has given you to possess all the days that you live on the land. 2 You will surely destroy all the places in which the nations that you will dispossess served their elohim: on the high mountains, and on the hills, and under every green tree. 3 You will break down their altars, dash their pillars in pieces, and burn their Asherah poles with fire. You will cut down the engraved images of their elohim. You will destroy their name out of that place. 4 You will not do so to YHWH your Elohim. 5 But to the place which YHWH your Elohim will choose out of all your tribes, to put his name there, you will seek his habitation, and you will come there. 6 You will bring your burnt offerings, your slaughters, your tithes, the wave offering of your hand, your vows, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock there. 7 There you will eat before YHWH your Elohim, and you will rejoice in all that you put your hand to, you and your households, in which YHWH your Elohim has blessed you. 8 You will not do all the things that we do here today, every man whatever is right in his own eyes; 9 for you haven’t yet come to the rest and to the inheritance which YHWH your Elohim gives you. 10 But when you go over the Jordan and dwell in the land which YHWH your Elohim causes you to inherit, and he gives you rest from all your enemies around you, so that you dwell in safety, 11 then it will happen that to the place which YHWH your Elohim will choose, to cause his name to dwell there, there you will bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings, your slaughters, your tithes, the wave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which you vow to YHWH. 12 You will rejoice before YHWH your Elohim—you, and your sons, your daughters, your male servants, your maids, and the Levite who is within your gates, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you. 13 Be careful that you don’t offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see; 14 but in the place which YHWH chooses in one of your tribes, there you will offer your burnt offerings, and there you will do all that I command you. 15 Yet you may kill and eat meat within all your gates, after all the desire of your soul, according to YHWH your Elohim’s blessing which he has given you. The unclean and the clean may eat of it, as of the gazelle and the deer. 16 Only you will not eat the blood. You will pour it out on the land like water. 17 You may not eat within your gates the tithe of your grain, or of your new wine, or of your oil, or the firstborn of your herd or of your flock, nor any of your vows which you vow, nor your freewill offerings, nor the wave offering of your hand; 18 but you will eat them before YHWH your Elohim in the place which YHWH your Elohim will choose: you, your son, your daughter, your male servant, your maid, and the Levite who is within your gates. You will rejoice before YHWH your Elohim in all that you put your hand to. 19 Be careful that you don’t forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land.

14:22 You will surely tithe all the increase of your seed, that which comes out of the field year by year. 23 You will eat before YHWH your Elohim, in the place which he chooses to cause his name to dwell, the tithe of your grain, of your new wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock; that you may learn to fear YHWH your Elohim always. 24 If the way is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry it because the place which YHWH your Elohim will choose to set his name there is too far from you, when YHWH your Elohim blesses you, 25 then you will turn it into money, bind up the money in your hand, and will go to the place which YHWH your Elohim will choose. 26 You will trade the money for whatever your soul desires: for cattle, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatever your soul asks of you. You will eat there before YHWH your Elohim, and you will rejoice, you and your household. 27 You will not forsake the Levite who is within your gates, for he has no portion nor inheritance with you. 28 At the end of every three years you will bring all the tithe of your increase in the same year, and will store it within your gates. 29 The Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, as well as the foreigner living among you, the fatherless, and the widow who are within your gates will come, and will eat and be satisfied; that YHWH your Elohim may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.

26:1 It will be, when you have come in to the land which YHWH your Elohim gives you for an inheritance, possess it, and dwell in it, 2 that you will take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you will bring in from your land that YHWH your Elohim gives you. You will put it in a basket, and will go to the place which YHWH your Elohim will choose to cause his name to dwell there. 3 You will come to the priest who will be in those days, and tell him, “I profess today to YHWH your Elohim, that I have come to the land which YHWH swore to our fathers to give us.” 4 The priest will take the basket out of your hand, and set it down before YHWH your Elohim’s altar. 5 You will answer and say before YHWH your Elohim, “My father was a Syrian ready to perish. He went down into Egypt, and lived there, few in number. There he became a great, mighty, and populous nation. 6 The Egyptians mistreated us, afflicted us, and imposed hard labor on us. 7 Then we cried to YHWH, the Elohim of our fathers. YHWH heard our voice, and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. 8 YHWH brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, with great terror, with signs, and with wonders; 9 and he has brought us into this place, and has given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 Now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, YHWH, have given me.” You will set it down before YHWH your Elohim, and worship before YHWH your Elohim. 11 You will rejoice in all the good which YHWH your Elohim has given to you, and to your house, you, and the Levite, and the foreigner who is among you. 12 When you have finished tithing all the tithe of your increase in the third year, which is the year of tithing, then you will give it to the Levite, to the foreigner, to the fatherless, and to the widow, that they may eat within your gates and be filled. 13 You will say before YHWH your Elohim, “I have put away the holy out of my house, and also have given them to the Levite, to the foreigner, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all your commandment which you have commanded me. I have not transgressed any of your commandments, neither have I forgotten them. 14 I have not eaten of it in my mourning, neither have I removed any of it while I was unclean, nor given of it for the dead. I have listened to YHWH my Elohim’s voice. I have done according to all that you have commanded me. 15 Look down from your holy habitation, from the heavens, and bless your people Israel, and the ground which you have given us, as you swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.”

4:1 Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husbands, “Bring us drinks!” 2 The Lord YHWH has sworn by his holiness, “Behold, the days will come on you that they will take you away with hooks, and the last of you with fish hooks. 3 You will go out at the breaks in the wall, everyone straight before her; and you will cast yourselves into Harmon,” says YHWH. 4 “Go to Bethel, and sin; to Gilgal, and sin more. Bring your slaughters every morning, your tithes every three days, 5 offer a slaughter of thanksgiving of that which is leavened, and proclaim freewill offerings and brag about them; for this pleases you, you sons of Israel,” says the Lord YHWH.

10:32 Also we made ordinances for ourselves, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel* for the service of the house of our Elohim: 33 for the bread of the presence, for the continual grain offering, for the continual burnt offering, for the Sabbaths, for the new moons, for the set feasts, for the holy, for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our Elohim. 34 We, the priests, the Levites, and the people, cast lots for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our Elohim, according to our fathers’ houses, at times appointed year by year, to burn on YHWH our Elohim’s altar, as it is written in the law; 35 and to bring the first fruits of our ground and the first fruits of all fruit of all kinds of trees, year by year, to YHWH’s house; 36 also the firstborn of our sons and of our livestock, as it is written in the law, and the firstborn of our herds and of our flocks, to bring to the house of our Elohim, to the priests who minister in the house of our Elohim; 37 and that we should bring the first fruits of our dough, our wave offerings, the fruit of all kinds of trees, and the new wine and the oil, to the priests, to the rooms of the house of our Elohim; and the tithes of our ground to the Levites; for they, the Levites, take the tithes in all our farming villages. 38 The priest, the descendent of Aaron, will be with the Levites when the Levites take tithes. The Levites will bring up the tithe of the tithes to the house of our Elohim, to the rooms, into the treasure house. 39 For the sons of Israel and the children of Levi will bring the wave offering of the grain, of the new wine, and of the oil, to the rooms where the vessels of the sanctuary are, and the priests who minister, with the gatekeepers and the singers. We will not forsake the house of our Elohim.

12:44 On that day, men were appointed over the rooms for the treasures, for the wave offerings, for the first fruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them according to the fields of the cities the portions appointed by the law for the priests and Levites; for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites who served. 45 They performed the duty of their Elohim and the duty of the purification, and so did the singers and the gatekeepers, according to the commandment of David and of Solomon his son. 46 For in the days of David and Asaph of old there was a chief of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to Elohim. 47 All Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah gave the portions of the singers and the gatekeepers, as every day required; and they set apart that which was for the Levites; and the Levites set apart that which was for the sons of Aaron.

13:4 Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the rooms of the house of our Elohim, being allied to Tobiah, 5 had prepared for him a great room, where before they laid the grain offerings, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes of the grain, the new wine, and the oil, which were given by commandment to the Levites, the singers, and the gatekeepers; and the wave offerings for the priests. 6 But in all this, I was not at Jerusalem; for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king; and after some days I asked leave of the king, 7 and I came to Jerusalem, and understood the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in preparing him a room in the courts of Elohim’s house. 8 It grieved me severely. Therefore I threw all Tobiah’s household stuff out of the room. 9 Then I commanded, and they cleansed the rooms. I brought into them the vessels of Elohim’s house, with the grain offerings and the frankincense again. 10 I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them, so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had each fled to his field. 11 Then I contended with the rulers, and said, “Why is Elohim’s house forsaken?” I gathered them together, and set them in their place. 12 Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, the new wine, and the oil to the treasuries. 13 I made treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah: and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were counted faithful, and their business was to distribute to their brothers. 14 Remember me (Nehemiah), my Elohim, concerning this, and don’t wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my Elohim, and for its observances.

31:2 Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites after their divisions, every man according to his service, both the priests and the Levites, for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister, to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of YHWH’s camp. 3 He also appointed the king’s portion of his possessions for the burnt offerings: for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths, for the new moons, and for the set feasts, as it is written in the law of YHWH. 4 Moreover he commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might give themselves to the law of YHWH. 5 As soon as the commandment went out, the sons of Israel gave in abundance the first fruits of grain, new wine, oil, honey, and of all the increase of the field; and they brought in the tithe of all things abundantly. 6 The sons of Israel and Judah, who lived in the cities of Judah, also brought in the tithe of cattle and sheep, and the tithe of dedicated things which were consecrated to YHWH their Elohim, and laid them in heaps. 7 In the third new moon, they began to lay the foundation of the heaps, and finished them in the seventh new moon. 8 When Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed YHWH and his people Israel. 9 Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites about the heaps. 10 Azariah the chief priest, of the house of Zadok, answered him and said, “Since people began to bring the offerings into YHWH’s house, we have eaten and had enough, and have plenty left over, for YHWH has blessed his people; and that which is left is this great store.” 11 Then Hezekiah commanded them to prepare rooms in YHWH’s house, and they prepared them. 12 They brought in the offerings, the tithes, and the dedicated things faithfully. Conaniah the Levite was ruler over them, and Shimei his brother was second. 13 Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers under the hand of Conaniah and Shimei his brother, by the appointment of Hezekiah the king and Azariah the ruler of Elohim’s house. 14 Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the gatekeeper at the east gate, was over the freewill offerings of Elohim, to distribute YHWH’s offerings and the holy of holies. 15 Under him were Eden, Miniamin, Yeshua, Shemayah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, in the cities of the priests, in their office of trust, to give to their brothers by divisions, to the great as well as to the small; 16 in addition to those who were listed by genealogy of males, from three years old and upward, even everyone who entered into YHWH’s house, as the duty of every day required, for their service in their offices according to their divisions; 17 and those who were listed by genealogy of the priests by their fathers’ houses, and the Levites from twenty years old and upward, in their offices by their divisions; 18 and those who were listed by genealogy of all their little ones, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, through all the congregation; for in their office of trust they sanctified themselves in holiness. 19 Also for the sons of Aaron the priests, who were in the fields of the pasture lands of their cities, in every city, there were men who were mentioned by name to give portions to all the males among the priests and to all who were listed by genealogy among the Levites. 20 Hezekiah did so throughout all Judah; and he did that which was good, right, and faithful before YHWH his Elohim. 21 In every work that he began in the service of Elohim’s house, in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his Elohim, he did it with all his heart and prospered.

18:9 He also spoke this parable to certain people who were convinced of their own righteousness, and who despised all others: 10  “Two men went up into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. 11  The Pharisee stood and prayed by himself like this: ‘Elohim, I thank you that I am not like the rest of men: extortionists, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13  But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn’t even lift up his eyes to the heavens, but beat his breast, saying, ‘Elohim, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Related Additional Readings​

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

[… Whoever] comes and tells it to the priest who presides over the general membership, he must receive his judgment willingly, just as it says through Moses concerning the person who sins unwittingly, that they will bring his sin offering or his guilt offering, and concerning Israel it is written, “I will go to the ends of the heavens and I will not smell the odor of your incense” (Lev. 26:31). In another place it is written, “Rend your hearts and not your garments” (Joel 2:13), and,”Return to Elohim with weeping and fasting” (Joel 2:12). Anyone who rejects these regulations, which are in keeping with the statutes found in the Law of Moses, will not be considered one of those who belong to his truth, for he is repulsed by righteous discipline. He will be sent away in the face of the general membership for the crime of rebellion, and the priest who presides over the general membership will speak, and raise his voice and say…

Frag. 9 [… If it concerns] the unclean animal that [may not be brought as an offering to the LORD, you may not] redeem it. And the devoted field will be the property [of the city. (?)… redemptio]n for his life, to pay […]
Frag. 10 [… ] it will be [most ho]ly […] [… and] he will set it apart for the priest to pass it […] [… And you will be] as a priest for him. And the man who[… [Let no] man eat [from the holy gifts
who …]

The below excerpt is from Wise, Michael Owen, et al. The Dead Sea Scrolls: a New Translation. HarperSanFrancisco, 2005.

[…] the Aaronites are the plantation […] [… he gave] them all that they have, the tithe of ca[ttle] and flock, the redeemed of the [unclean beasts,] the redeemed of the cattle and the flock, and the assessmet money for their own redemption […] cannot be returned; “a fifth must be added to it” (Lev. 27:31) or […] by their names, defiling His holy spirit […] “or is afflicted with a skin infection or a bodily discharge is unclean; [and whoever] reveals the secret of his people to the Nations or curses [or speaks] rebellion against those anointed by the Holy Spirit or misleads [his people or who flouts] Elohim’s command or slaughters a beast with a living fetus [in it or] who lies with a pregnant woman when her monthly period [ceases or lies with a man] as one lies with a woman: these are the ones who violate the [Way …] Elohim has decreed to remove […] So listen now, all you experts in righteousness, [who obey the To]rah, [I have shown] you the ways that lead to life and the paths that lead to destruction; I [… their schemes] you should not trust; and when you understand the things that have happened in every generation […]

Concerning the planting of fruit trees which are planted in the land of Israel, their produce is to be considered as first fruits belonging to the priests. Also the tithe of the cattle and sheep belong to the priest.

Between 1947 and 1956 approximately 15 Jubilees scrolls were found in five caves at Qumran, all written in Hebrew. The large number of manuscripts (more than for any biblical books except for Psalms, Deuteronomy, Isaiah, Exodus, and Genesis, in descending order) indicates that Jubilees was widely used at Qumran. A comparison of the Qumran texts with the Ethiopic version, performed by James VanderKam, found that the Ethiopic was in most respects an accurate and literalistic translation. Scholars have dated Jubilees to have been written sometime around 160-150 B.C.

32:1 And he abode that night at Bethel, and Levi dreamed that they had ordained and made him the priest of the Most High Elohim, him and his sons for ever; and he awoke from his sleep and blessed the Lord. 2. And Jacob rose early in the morning, on the fourteenth of this new moon, and he gave a tithe of all that came with him, both of men and cattle, both of gold and every vessel and garment, yea, he gave tithes of all. 3. And in those days Rachel became pregnant with her son Benjamin. And Jacob counted his sons from him upwards and Levi fell to the portion of the Lord, and his father clothed him in the garments of the priesthood and filled his hands. 4. And on the fifteenth of this new moon, he brought to the altar fourteen oxen from amongst the cattle, and twenty-eight rams, and forty-nine sheep, and seven lambs, and twenty-one kids of the goats as a burnt offering on the altar of slaughter, well pleasing for a sweet savour before Elohim. 5. This was his offering, in consequence of the vow which he had vowed that he would give a tenth, with their fruit-offerings and their drink-offerings. 6. And when the fire had consumed it, he burnt incense on the fire over the fire, and for a thank offering two oxen and four rams and four sheep, four he-goats, and two sheep of a year old, and two kids of the goats; and thus he did daily for seven days. 7. And he and all his sons and his men were eating (this) with joy there during seven days and blessing and thanking the Lord, who had delivered him out of all his tribulation and had given him his vow. 8. And he tithed all the clean animals, and made a burnt slaughter, but the unclean animals he gave (not) to Levi his son, and he gave him all the souls of the men. 9. And Levi discharged the priestly office at Bethel before Jacob his father in preference to his ten brothers, and he was a priest there, and Jacob gave his vow: thus he tithed again the tithe to the Lord and sanctified it, and it became holy unto Him. 10. And for this reason it is ordained on the heavenly tables as a law for the tithing again the tithe to eat before the Lord from year to year, in the place where it is chosen that His name should dwell, and to this law there is no limit of days for ever. 11. This ordinance is written that it may be fulfilled from year to year in eating the second tithe before the Lord in the place where it hath been chosen, and nothing will remain over from it from this year to the year following. 12. For in its year will the seed be eaten till the days of the gathering of the seed of the year, and the wine till the days of the wine, and the oil till the days of its season. 13. And all that is left thereof and becometh old, let it be regarded as polluted: let it be burnt with fire, for it is unclean. 14. And thus let them eat it together in the sanctuary, and let them not suffer it to become old. 15. And all the tithes of the oxen and sheep will be holy unto the Lord, and will belong to His priests, which they will eat before Him from year to year; for thus is it ordained and engraven regarding the tithe on the heavenly tables.

The Book of Judith relates the story of God’s deliverance of the Jewish people. This was accomplished “by the hand of a female”—a constant motif meant to recall the “hand” of Elohim in the Exodus narrative. The work may have been written around 100 B.C., but its historical range is extraordinary.

11:10 Therefore, O lord and master, don’t neglect his word, but lay it up in your heart, for it is true; for our race will not be punished, neither will the sword prevail against them, unless they sin against their Elohim. 11 And now, that my lord may not be defeated and frustrated in his purpose, and that death may fall upon them, their sin has overtaken them, wherewith they will provoke their Elohim to anger, whenever they do wickedness. 12 Since their food failed them, and all their water was scant, they took counsel to kill their livestock, and determined to consume all those things which Elohim charged them by his laws that they should not eat. 13 They are resolved to spend the first fruits of the grain and the tithes of the wine and the oil, which they had sanctified and reserved for the priests who stand before the face of our Elohim in Jerusalem, which it is not fitting for any of the people so much as to touch with their hands. 14 They have sent some to Jerusalem, because they also that dwell there have done this thing, to bring them permission from the council of elders.

Sirach 35:1-12 (T)

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

35:1 He who guards the Torah multiplies offerings. He who heeds the commandments slaughters a peace offering. 2 He who returns a kindness offers fine flour. He who gives alms slaughters a thank offering. 3 To depart from wickedness pleases the Lord. To depart from unrighteousness is an atoning slaughter. 4 See that you don’t appear in the face of the Lord empty. 5 For all these things are done because of the commandment. 6 The offering of the righteous enriches the altar. The sweet fragrance of it is before the Most High. 7 The slaughter of a righteous man is acceptable. It won’t be forgotten. 8 Glorify the Lord with generosity. Don’t reduce the first fruits of your hands. 9 In every gift show a cheerful countenance, And dedicate your tithe with gladness. 10 Give to the Most High according as he has given. As your hand has found, give generously. 11 For the Lord repays, and he will repay you sevenfold. 12 Don’t plan to bribe him with gifts, for he will not receive them. Don’t set your mind on an unrighteous slaughter, For the Lord is the judge, and with him is no respect of persons.

1 Maccabees 3:42 Judas and his kindred saw that evils were multiplied, and that the forces were encamping in their borders. They learned about the king’s words which he had commanded, to destroy the people and make an end of them. 43 Then they each said to his neighbor, “Let’s raise up the ruins of our people. Let’s fight for our people and the holy place.” 44 The congregation was gathered together, that they might be ready for battle, and that they might pray, and ask for mercy and compassion. 45 Jerusalem was without inhabitant like a wilderness. There was none of her seed who went in or went out. The sanctuary was trampled down. Children of foreigners were in the citadel. The Nations lived there. Joy was taken away from Jacob, and the pipe and the harp ceased. 46 They gathered themselves together, and came to Mizpeh, near Jerusalem; for in Mizpeh there used to be a place of prayer for Israel. 47 They fasted that day, put on sackcloth, put ashes on their heads, tore their clothes, 48 and laid open the book of the law, to learn about the things for which the Nations consulted the images of their idols. 49 They brought the priests’ garments, the first fruits, and the tithes. They stirred up the Nazarites, who had accomplished their days. 50 They cried aloud toward the heavens, saying, “What should we do with these men? Where should we carry them away? 51 Your holy place is trampled down and profaned. Your priests mourn in humiliation. 52 Behold, the Nations are assembled together against us to destroy us. You know what things they imagine against us. 53 How will we be able to stand before them, unless you help us?” 54 They sounded with the trumpets, and gave a loud shout.

1 Maccabees 11:20 In those days Jonathan gathered together the Judeans to take the citadel that was at Jerusalem. He made many engines of war to use against it. 21 Some who hated their own nation, men who transgressed the law, went to the king and reported to him that Jonathan was besieging the citadel. 22 He heard, and was angry, but when he heard it, he set out immediately, and came to Ptolemais, and wrote to Jonathan, that he should not besiege it, and that he should meet him and speak with him at Ptolemais with all speed. 23 But when Jonathan heard this, he gave orders to continue the siege. He chose some of the elders of Israel and of the priests, and put himself in peril 24 by taking silver, gold, clothing, and various other presents, and went to Ptolemais to the king. Then he found favor in his sight. 25 Some lawless men of those who were of the nation made complaints against him, 26 and the king did to him even as his predecessors had done to him, and exalted him in the sight of all his† Friends, 27 and confirmed to him the high priesthood, and all the other honors that he had before, and gave him preeminence among his Chief Friends. 28 And Jonathan requested of the king that he would make Judea free from tribute, along with the three§ provinces and the country of Samaria, and promised him three hundred talents. 29 The king consented, and wrote letters to Jonathan concerning all these things as follows: 30 “King Demetrius to his brother Jonathan, and to the nation of the Jews, greetings. 31 The copy of the letter which we wrote to Lasthenes our kinsman concerning you, we have written also to you, that you may see it. 32 ‘King Demetrius to Lasthenes his father, greetings. 33 We have determined to do good to the nation of the Jews, who are our friends, and observe what is just toward us, because of their good will toward us. 34 We have confirmed therefore to them the borders of Judea, and also the three governments of Aphaerema, Lydda, and Ramathaim (these were added to Judea from the country of Samaria), and all their territory to them, for all who do slaughter in Jerusalem, instead of the king’s dues which the king received of them yearly before from the produce of the land and the fruits of trees. 35 As for the other payments to us from henceforth, of the tithes and the taxes that pertain to us, and the salt pits, and the crown taxes due to us, all these we will give back to them. 36 Not one of these things will be annulled from this time forth and forever. 37 Now therefore be careful to make a copy of these things, and let it be given to Jonathan, and let it be set up on the holy mountain in a suitable and conspicuous place.’ ”

Leviticus 26:3 – 27:34 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.

IF you will go forward in the statutes of My law, and keep the orders of My judgments, and perform them, then will I give you the rains for your lands in your seasons, the early and the late, and the land will yield the fruits of increase, and the tree on the face of the field will be prosperous in its fruit. And with you the threshing will reach to the vintage, and the vintage unto the springing of the seed, and you will eat your bread and be satisfied, and dwell securely in your land. And I will give peace in the land of Israel, that you may repose, and there be none to disturb; and I will make the power of the wild beast to cease from the land of Israel, and the unsheather of the sword will not pass through your land. And you will chase your adversaries, and they will fall before you broken with the sword. And five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you put a myriad to flight, and your adversaries will fall before you, broken with the sword. For I will turn from the wages of the Gentiles, to fulfil to you the recompense of your good works, and I will strengthen you, and multiply you, and establish My covenant with you. And you will eat the old that is old without having the corn‑worm, and the old from before the new produce will ye turn out of your barns. And I will set the Shekinah of My Glory among you, and my Word will not abhor you, but the Glory of My Shekinah will dwell among you, and My Word will be to you for a redeeming God, and you will be unto My Name for a holy people. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out redeemed from the land of Mizraim, that you should not be bondmen to them, and brake the yoke of their bondage from off you, and brought you out from among them, the children of liberty, and led you forth with an erect stature.

But if you will be unwilling to hear the instructions of the doctrine of My law, and to perform all these precepts with your free choice; and if you despise My statutes, and hate in your soul the orders of My judgments, to do not all My precepts, but your purpose be to abolish My covenant; this also will I do to you: I will draw out against you the smiting pestilence, the flame and the fever, to consume your eyes, and to exhaust life; and ye will sow your seed in vain, for it will not spring up, and that which groweth of itself will your enemies devour. And I will appoint a reverse to your affairs, and you will be broken before your foes, and they who hate you will rule over you; and you will flee when no one pursueth you. And if after these chastisements ye be not willing to obey the doctrines of My law, I will add to punish you with seven plagues, for the seven transgressions with which ye have sinned before Me. And I will break down the glory of the strength of your sanctuary, and will make the heavens above you obdurate as iron, to yield no moisture, nor send you dew or rain, and the ground beneath you to be like brass to put forth (only) to destroy its fruit. And your strength will be consumed in vain, for your land will not yield what you bestow upon it, and the tree upon the face of the field will drop its fruit. And if you still walk perversely with Me, and will not hearken to the doctrine of My law, I will add to bring upon you (yet) seven plagues, for the seven transgressions with which ye have sinned before Me; and I will send against you the strength of the wild beast, to make you childless, and to destroy your cattle without, and to diminish you within, and your highways will be desolate.

And if by these chastisements ye will not be corrected before Me, but will walk before Me perversely, I will Myself also remember you adversely in the world, and will destroy you, even I, with seven plagues, for seven transgressions with which ye have sinned before Me. And I will bring against you a people unsheathing the sword to take vengeance upon you, for that you will have abolished My covenant; and when you are gathered together from the wilderness into your cities, I will send the pestilence among you, or deliver you to die by the hand of your adversaries. And when I will have broken for you the staff of all the subsistence of food, then ten women may bake your bread in one oven on account of its scarcity, and measure and divide it to you diminished in weight, and you will eat and not be satisfied.

But if by no one correction ye will hearken to the instruction of My law, but will walk perversely before Me, I will also remember you adversely in the world, and will chastise you, even I, with seven plagues, for the seven transgressions with which ye have sinned before Me. And ye will eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters. Mosheh the prophet hath said, How heavy will have been the guilt, and how bitter those sins, that caused our fathers to eat the flesh of their sons, and the flesh of their daughters, because they kept not the commandments of the law! [JERUSALEM. How evil that guilt, and bow bitter those sins, which caused our fathers in Jerusalem to eat the flesh of their sons and their daughters!] And I will destroy your high places, and overthrow your diviners and your enchanters, and your carcasses will I cast away with the carcasses of your idols, and My Word will abhor you. And I will make your cities desert places, and desolate your sanctuary; nor will I receive with acceptance the odour of your oblations. And I, even I, will lay your country waste, that the spirit of quietness may not be upon it; so that your enemies who will dwell in it will be confounded. And you will I disperse among the nations; for I will stir up against you a people who draw the sword, and your country will be devastated, and your cities be solitary. Behold, then will the land enjoy the years of its Sabbaths all the days that it is forsaken of you, and you are wanderers in the land of your enemies. All the days that it is forsaken by you it will rest, because it was not at rest in the years of the times for repose when you were dwellers upon it.

And unto those of you who remain will I bring brokenness of their hearts in the land of their enemies; and the sound of a leaf falling from the tree will put them to flight; and they will flee as those who flee from the sword, and fall, while no man pursueth. And they will thrust each man his brother, as before them who draw the sword, though none pursue; and you will have no power of resistance to stand before your adversaries. And you will perish among the nations, and be consumed with pestilence in the land of your enemies, And those who remain of you will fail (melt away) for their sins in the land of your enemies, and also for the evil sin of your fathers which they held fast in their hands: like them will they melt away.

But (when) in the hour of their need they will confess their sins, and the sins of their fathers, with their falseness with which they have acted falsely against My Word; and that they have acted frowardly also with Me, so that I have remembered them adversely in the world, and brought them into captivity in the land of their enemies; behold, then will their proud heart have been broken, and they will make confession of their sins, and I will remember in mercy the covenant which I confirmed with Jakob at Bethel, and the covenant which I covenanted with Izhak at Mount Moriah, and the covenant which I covenanted with Abraham, between the divided portions, I will remember, and the land of Israel will I remember in mercy. But the land will (first) be relinquished and forsaken you; and enjoy the repose of her forgivenesss all the days that it will be deserted by you. And they will receive retribution for their sins: curses instead of blessings will come upon them, measure for measure: because they shunned the orders of judgments, and their souls revolted from the covenant of My law.

Yet for all this I will have mercy upon them by My Word, when they are captives in the land of their enemies, I will not spurn them away in the kingdom of Babel; nor will My Word abhor them. in the kingdom of Madai, to destroy them in the kingdom of Javan, or to abolish My covenant with them in the kingdom of Edom; for I am the Lord in the days of Gog. [JERUSALEM. And I will remember in mercy the covenant which I established with Jakob at Bethel; and the covenant which I confirmed with Izhak at Mount Moriah, and the covenant I confirmed with Abraham between the divided parts I will remember in mercy; and the land of Israel will I remember in mercy. Yet the land will be forsaken by you, and will enjoy the repose of her forgiveness (times) all the days that she is deserted of you. And they will be broken for their sins; with measure for measure, and orders for orders, because they spurned the order of My judgments. Yet for this, when dwellers in the land of their enemies, I will not spurn them away in the kingdom of Babel, nor abhor them in the kingdom of Madai, nor destroy them in the kingdom of Javan, (Greece,) to abolish My covenant with them in the kingdom of Edom; for He (will be) the Lord your Elohim in the days of Gog.] And I will remember with them the covenant which I confirmed before Me with their fathers in the time that I brought them out redeemed from the land of Mizraim; when all the nations beheld all the mighty acts which I wrought for them, that I might be their God; I, the Lord.

These are the statutes and the orders of the judgments and decrees of the law, which the Lord appointed between His Word and the sons of Israel, in the mountain of Sinai, by the hand of Mosheh.

XXVII. And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying: Speak with the sons of Israel, and say to them: When a man willeth to set apart the separation of a vow, in the valuing of the life unto the name of the Lord, then his valuation for a male from twenty years old unto sixty years, fifty shekels, in the shekel of the sanctuary, will be his valuation: but if for a female, his valuation will be thirty shekels. And if it be a child from five years until twenty years, his estimation for a male will be twenty shekels; and for a female, ten shekels. But for a child of a new moon old until five years, his estimation for a male will be five silver shekels; and for a female, three silver shekels. Moreover, for a man of sixty years and upwards, his estimation will be fifteen shekels; and for a female, ten shekels. But if he be too poor for (such) a rate of his estimation, he will stand before the priest; and the priest will make an estimation for him, according to the ability of his hand, so will the priest estimate for him.

And if it be an animal, of such as are offered as an oblation before the Lord, whatever he giveth of it before the Lord will be sacred. He will not alter it nor change it, that which is perfect for that which hath blemish, or that in which there is blemish for the perfect: but if by changing he will exchange animal for animal, both that and the one that is changed will be consecrate. [JERUSALEM. And he will not change it, good for bad, or bad for good: but if changing he will exchange animal for animal, both that and his changed one will be sacred.] But if it be an unclean animal, of such as are not offered as an oblation before the Lord, he will make the animal stand before the priest. And the priest will value it, whether good or bad; as the priest will value, so will it be. But if he would redeem it, let him add a fifth of its price upon that of its valuation. [JERUSALEM. And if it be some unclean animal of such as are not offered as an oblation to the name of the Lord, let the priest order it, whether good or bad; according to the priest’s valuation will it be….And let him add a fifth of its price above its valuation.]

When a man would consecrate his house, as a consecrated thing before the Lord; the priest will value it, whether good or bad; according as the priest will estimate, so will it stand. [JERUSALEM. A sanctified thing unto the name of the Lord: then the priest will order: as the priest hath ordered it will be.] And if he who hath consecrated would redeem his house, let him add a fifth of the price of its valuation thereunto, and it will be his. [JERUSALEM. And if he who hath made sacred….a fifth of the price of its valuation upon it, and it will be his.]

And if a man would dedicate (a portion) of the field of his inheritance before the Lord, the valuation of it will be according to the measure of its seed: a space on which may be sown a kor (seventy‑five and a half pints) of barley (will be considered) worth fifty shekels of silver. If he will dedicate the ground from the year of Jubela, it will stand according to its valuation. But if he will dedicate his field after the year of Jubela, the priest will compute with him the sum of the money according to the proportion of years that remain unto the next Jubela year, and will abate it from the valuation. [JERUSALEM. And if a man would separate (a portion) of a field of his inheritance unto the Name of the Lord, its valuation will be according to its sowing, a chomer of barley seed…. And if he separate his field from the year of Jubela, according to its value it will stand.] And if he would redeem the field that he had consecrated, let him add one fifth of the money upon its valued price, and it will be confirmed to him. [JERUSALEM. And if he would redeem that field which had been consecrated, let him add a fifth of the silver shekels above its estimation, and it will be his.] But if he will not redeem the field, but sell it to another man, it will not be redeemed again: the field, when it goeth out at the Jubela, will be sacred before the Lord; as a field separated for the priest it will be his inheritance. [JERUSALEM. It will be a sanctified thing unto the Lord, as a field of separation.] And if he would consecrate before the Lord a field which he hath bought, and which is not of the land of his inheritance, then the priest will compute with him the amount of the price of its valuation until the year of Jubela; and he will give its value on that day, as a consecrated thing before the Lord. In the year of Jubela the field will return to him from whom he bought it, to him who had the inheritance of the land. And every valuation will be in shekels of the sanctuary twenty mahin are a shekel. [JERUSALEM. And if he would consecrate a purchased field unto the Name of the Lord, then the priest will compute with him the value of the separation unto the year of Jubela, and he will give the separation of the value on that day, a holy unto the Name of the Lord. At the year of Jubela the field will revert to him from whom he had bought it, to him who had the inheritance of the land. And every estimation will be according to the shekels of the sanctuary.]

Moreover, the firstling among cattle which is separated to the Name of the Lord, whether ox or lamb, a man cannot separate (as a votive gift), because it (already belongeth) to the Name of the Lord. And if it be an unclean animal, then he will redeem it according to its valuation, and add a fifth of the price to it; but if he will not redeem it, then it will be sold at the price of its valuation. [JERUSALEM. But the firstling among cattle, whether ox or lamb, which is separated before the Lord, belongeth (already) to the Name of the Lord. But if it be of an unclean animal, then let him redeem it according to its valuation, and add a fifth of its price unto it. And if it be not redeemed, it will be sold according to its value.

Nevertheless, no devoted thing which a man will separate before the Lord of anything that is his, of man, or beast, or of his inheritance, will be sold or redeemed; every (devoted) separation is most sacred before the Lord. [JERUSALEM. Only no devoted thing that a man will separate to the Name of the Lord of anything, that he hath of child or cattle; every separation is most sacred to the Name of the Lord.] Every separation which will be separated of man will not be redeemed with money, but with burnt offerings, and with sanctified victims, and with supplication for mercy before the Lord, because such are to be put to death. [JERUSALEM. Every one of the children of men set apart (or devoted) will not be redeemed; dying, he will be put to death.]

And all the tythe of the land, of the seed of the ground, or the fruits of the tree, is the Lord’s, and is most sacred before the Lord. But if a man will redeem any (part) of his tithes, he will add a fifth part of its value thereunto. And every tythe of oxen and sheep, whatever passeth under the (tything) rod, the tenth will be consecrated before the Lord. He will not scrutinize between the good and the bad, nor exchange it; but if changing he will exchange it, both it and that for which it is changed will be sacred, and not be redeemed.

These are the precepts which the Lord prescribed unto Mosheh, and of which not one must be trifled with (or, innovated upon); and He prescribed them to be shown Unto the sons of Israel at Mount Sinai. [JERUSALEM. Verse 30 : It pertaineth to the Name of the Lord; it is holy unto the Name of the Lord. 31: But if a man will redeem any portion of his tithe, let him add upon, it a fifth part of its price; and every tythe of ox and sheep, whatever passeth under the rod, a tenth will be holy Unto the Name of the Lord. He will not scrutinize between good and bad, nor exchange it; but if he will change it, then will both it and that for which it is changed be sacred, and not be redeemed. These are the Commandments.]

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.).

4.4.3. And now Moses, because the tribe of Levi was made free from war and warlike expeditions, and was set apart for the Divine worship, lest they should want and seek after the necessaries of life, and so neglect the temple, commanded the Hebrews, according to the will of Elohim, that when they should gain the possession of the land of Canaan, they should assign forty-eight good and fair cities to the Levites; and permit them to enjoy their suburbs, as far as the limit of two thousand cubits would extend from the walls of the city. And besides this, he appointed that the people should pay the tithe of their annual fruits of the land, both to the Levites and to the priests. And this is what that tribe receives of the multitude; but I think it necessary to set down what is paid by all, peculiarly to the priests.

4.4.4. Accordingly he commanded the Levites to yield up to the priests thirteen of their forty-eight cities, and to set apart for them the tenth part of the tithes which they every year receive of the people; as also, that it was but just to offer to Elohim the first fruits of the entire product of the ground; and that they should offer the first-born of those four-footed beasts that are appointed for slaughters, if it be a male, to the priests, to be slain, that they and their entire families may eat them in the holy city; but that the owners of those first-born which are not appointed for slaughters in the laws of our country, should bring a shekel and a half in their stead: but for the first-born of a man, five shekels: that they should also have the first fruits out of the shearing of the sheep; and that when any baked bread corn, and made loaves of it, they should give somewhat of what they had baked to them. Moreover, when any have made a sacred vow, I mean those that are called Nazarites, that suffer their hair to grow long, and use no wine, when they consecrate their hair, 4 and offer it for a slaughter, they are to allot that hair for the priests [to be thrown into the fire]. Such also as dedicate themselves to Elohim, as a corban, which denotes what the Greeks call a gift, when they are desirous of being freed from that ministration, are to lay down money for the priests; thirty shekels if it be a woman, and fifty if it be a man; but if any be too poor to pay the appointed sum, it will be lawful for the priests to determine that sum as they think fit. And if any slay beasts at home for a private festival, but not for a religious one, they are obliged to bring the maw and the cheek, [or breast,] and the right shoulder of the slaughter, to the priests. With these Moses contrived that the priests should be plentifully maintained, besides what they had out of those offerings for sins which the people gave them, as I have set it down in the foregoing book. He also ordered, that out of every thing allotted for the priests, their servants, [their sons,] their daughters, and their wives, should partake, as well as themselves, excepting what came to them out of the slaughters that were offered for sins; for of those none but the males of the family of the priests might eat, and this in the temple also, and that the same day they were offered.

4.8.19. He that plants a piece of land, the trees of which produce fruits before the fourth year, is not to bring thence any first fruits to Elohim, nor is he to make use of that fruit himself, for it is not produced in its proper season; for when nature has a force put upon her at an unseasonable time, the fruit is not proper for Elohim, nor for the master’s use; but let the owner gather all that is grown on the fourth year, for then it is in its proper season. And let him that has gathered it carry it to the holy city, and spend that, together with the tithe of his other fruits, in feasting with his friends, with the orphans, and the widows. But on the fifth year the fruit is his own, and he may use it as he pleases.

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; 23 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.