secret place

take your stand against him,+ firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by the entire association of your brothers* in the world.

After that Jehovah shut the door behind him.

Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you.+ Cleanse your hands, you sinners,+ and purify your hearts,+ you indecisive ones.

He then took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the streambed* and placed them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag, and his sling+ was in his hand. And he began approaching the Phi·lisʹtine.

Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey.+ But I will not go in the midst of you, for you are an obstinate* people,+ and I might exterminate you on the way.”+ 4  When the people heard this harsh word, they began to mourn, and not one of them put on his ornaments. 5  Jehovah said to Moses: “Say to the Israelites, ‘You are an obstinate* people.+ In one moment I could go through the midst of you and exterminate you.+ So now keep your ornaments off while I consider what to do to you.’” 6  So from Mount Hoʹreb onward, the Israelites refrained from wearing* their ornaments. 7  Now Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, at some distance from the camp, and he called it a tent of meeting. Everyone inquiring of Jehovah+ would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. 8  As soon as Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise and stand at the entrance of their own tents, and they would gaze after Moses until he entered into the tent. 9  As soon as Moses would go into the tent, the pillar of cloud+ would come down and stand at the entrance of the tent while God spoke with Moses.+ 10  When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, each of them rose and bowed down at the entrance of his own tent. 11  Jehovah spoke to Moses face-to-face,+ just as one man would speak to another man. When he returned to the camp, Joshua+ the son of Nun, his minister and attendant,+ would not depart from the tent. 12  Now Moses said to Jehovah: “See, you are saying to me, ‘Lead this people up,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Moreover, you have said, ‘I know you by name,* and you have also found favor in my eyes.’ 13  Please, if I have found favor in your eyes, make me know your ways,+ so that I may know you and continue to find favor in your eyes. Consider, too, that this nation is your people.”+ 14  So he said: “I myself* will go with you,+ and I will give you rest.”+ 15  Then Moses said to him: “If you yourself are* not going along, do not lead us up from here. 16  How will it be known that I have found favor in your eyes, I and your people? Is it not by your going along with us,+ so that I and your people will be distinguished from every other people on the face of the earth?”+ 17  Jehovah went on to say to Moses: “I will also do this thing that you request, because you have found favor in my eyes and I know you by name.” 18  Then he said: “Please show me your glory.” 19  But he said: “I will make all my goodness pass before your face, and I will declare before you the name of Jehovah;+ and I will favor the one whom I favor, and I will show mercy to the one to whom I show mercy.”+ 20  But he added: “You cannot see my face, for no man can see me and live.” 21  Jehovah said further: “Here is a place near me. Station yourself on the rock. 22  When my glory is passing by, I will place you in a crevice of the rock, and I will shield you with my hand until I have passed by. 23  After that I will take my hand away, and you will see my back. But my face may not be seen.

‘You must not make cuts in your flesh for a dead person,*+ and you must not make tattoo markings on yourselves. I am Jehovah.

 And the word of Jehovah again came to me, saying: 12  “Son of man, sing a dirge* concerning the king of Tyre, and tell him, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: “You were the model of perfection,* Full of wisdom+ and perfect in beauty.+ 13  You were in Eʹden, the garden of God. You were adorned with every precious stone —Ruby, topaz, and jasper; chrysʹo·lite, onyx, and jade; sapphire, turquoise,+ and emerald; And their settings and mountings were made of gold. They were prepared on the day you were created. 14  I assigned you as the anointed covering cherub. You were on the holy mountain of God,+ and you walked about among fiery stones. 15  You were faultless in your ways from the day you were created Until unrighteousness was found in you.+ 16  Because of your abundant trade,+ You became filled with violence, and you began to sin.+ So I will cast you out as profane from the mountain of God and destroy you,+ O covering cherub, away from the stones of fire. 17  Your heart became haughty because of your beauty.+ You corrupted your wisdom because of your own glorious splendor.+ I will throw you down to the earth.+ I will make you a spectacle before kings. 18  Because of your great guilt and your dishonest trading, you have profaned your sanctuaries. I will cause a fire to break out in your midst, and it will consume you.+ I will reduce you to ashes on the earth before all those looking at you. 19  All who knew you among the peoples will stare at you in amazement.+ Your end will be sudden and terrible, And you will cease to exist for all time.”’”

After all these things, Abʹsa·lom acquired for himself a chariot and horses and 50 men to run before him.+ 2  Abʹsa·lom would rise up early and stand at the side of the road to the city gate.+ Whenever any man had a legal case that was to come to the king for judgment,+ Abʹsa·lom would call him and say: “From what city are you?” and he would say: “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.” 3  Abʹsa·lom would say to him: “See, your claims are right and proper, but there is no one from the king to hear your case.” 4  Abʹsa·lom would say: “If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then every man who has a legal case or judgment could come to me, and I would see that he receives justice.” 5  And when a man came near to bow down to him, Abʹsa·lom would extend his hand and grab hold of him and kiss him.+ 6  Abʹsa·lom would do this to all the Israelites who would come in to the king for judgment; so Abʹsa·lom kept stealing the hearts of the men of Israel.

May people know that you, whose name is Jehovah,+ You alone are the Most High over all the earth

At that time the lame will leap like the deer,+ And the tongue of the speechless will shout for joy.+ For waters will burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert plain.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.