@ d2e97f73:ea9a4d1b

There’s a lot of conversation around the #TwitterFiles. Here’s my take, and thoughts on how to fix the issues identified.

I’ll start with the principles I’ve come to believe…based on everything I’ve learned and experienced through my past actions as a Twitter co-founder and lead:

1. Social media must be resilient to corporate and government control.
2. Only the original author may remove content they produce.
3. Moderation is best implemented by algorithmic choice.

The Twitter when I led it and the Twitter of today do not meet any of these principles. This is my fault alone, as I completely gave up pushing for them when an activist entered our stock in 2020. I no longer had hope of achieving any of it as a public company with no defense mechanisms (lack of dual-class shares being a key one). I planned my exit at that moment knowing I was no longer right for the company.

The biggest mistake I made was continuing to invest in building tools for us to manage the public conversation, versus building tools for the people using Twitter to easily manage it for themselves. This burdened the company with too much power, and opened us to significant outside pressure (such as advertising budgets). I generally think companies have become far too powerful, and that became completely clear to me with our suspension of Trump’s account. As I’ve said before, we did the right thing for the public company business at the time, but the wrong thing for the internet and society. Much more about this here: https://twitter.com/jack/status/1349510769268850690

I continue to believe there was no ill intent or hidden agendas, and everyone acted according to the best information we had at the time. Of course mistakes were made. But if we had focused more on tools for the people using the service rather than tools for us, and moved much faster towards absolute transparency, we probably wouldn’t be in this situation of needing a fresh reset (which I am supportive of). Again, I own all of this and our actions, and all I can do is work to make it right.

Back to the principles. Of course governments want to shape and control the public conversation, and will use every method at their disposal to do so, including the media. And the power a corporation wields to do the same is only growing. It’s critical that the people have tools to resist this, and that those tools are ultimately owned by the people. Allowing a government or a few corporations to own the public conversation is a path towards centralized control.

I’m a strong believer that any content produced by someone for the internet should be permanent until the original author chooses to delete it. It should be always available and addressable. Content takedowns and suspensions should not be possible. Doing so complicates important context, learning, and enforcement of illegal activity. There are significant issues with this stance of course, but starting with this principle will allow for far better solutions than we have today. The internet is trending towards a world were storage is “free” and infinite, which places all the actual value on how to discover and see content.

Which brings me to the last principle: moderation. I don’t believe a centralized system can do content moderation globally. It can only be done through ranking and relevance algorithms, the more localized the better. But instead of a company or government building and controlling these solely, people should be able to build and choose from algorithms that best match their criteria, or not have to use any at all. A “follow” action should always deliver every bit of content from the corresponding account, and the algorithms should be able to comb through everything else through a relevance lens that an individual determines. There’s a default “G-rated” algorithm, and then there’s everything else one can imagine.

The only way I know of to truly live up to these 3 principles is a free and open protocol for social media, that is not owned by a single company or group of companies, and is resilient to corporate and government influence. The problem today is that we have companies who own both the protocol and discovery of content. Which ultimately puts one person in charge of what’s available and seen, or not. This is by definition a single point of failure, no matter how great the person, and over time will fracture the public conversation, and may lead to more control by governments and corporations around the world.

I believe many companies can build a phenomenal business off an open protocol. For proof, look at both the web and email. The biggest problem with these models however is that the discovery mechanisms are far too proprietary and fixed instead of open or extendable. Companies can build many profitable services that complement rather than lock down how we access this massive collection of conversation. There is no need to own or host it themselves.

Many of you won’t trust this solution just because it’s me stating it. I get it, but that’s exactly the point. Trusting any one individual with this comes with compromises, not to mention being way too heavy a burden for the individual. It has to be something akin to what bitcoin has shown to be possible. If you want proof of this, get out of the US and European bubble of the bitcoin price fluctuations and learn how real people are using it for censorship resistance in Africa and Central/South America.

I do still wish for Twitter, and every company, to become uncomfortably transparent in all their actions, and I wish I forced more of that years ago. I do believe absolute transparency builds trust. As for the files, I wish they were released Wikileaks-style, with many more eyes and interpretations to consider. And along with that, commitments of transparency for present and future actions. I’m hopeful all of this will happen. There’s nothing to hide…only a lot to learn from. The current attacks on my former colleagues could be dangerous and doesn’t solve anything. If you want to blame, direct it at me and my actions, or lack thereof.

As far as the free and open social media protocol goes, there are many competing projects: @bluesky is one with the AT Protocol, nostr another, Mastodon yet another, Matrix yet another…and there will be many more. One will have a chance at becoming a standard like HTTP or SMTP. This isn’t about a “decentralized Twitter.” This is a focused and urgent push for a foundational core technology standard to make social media a native part of the internet. I believe this is critical both to Twitter’s future, and the public conversation’s ability to truly serve the people, which helps hold governments and corporations accountable. And hopefully makes it all a lot more fun and informative again.

💸🛠️🌐 To accelerate open internet and protocol work, I’m going to open a new category of #startsmall grants: “open internet development.” It will start with a focus of giving cash and equity grants to engineering teams working on social media and private communication protocols, bitcoin, and a web-only mobile OS. I’ll make some grants next week, starting with $1mm/yr to Signal. Please let me know other great candidates for this money.

@ 82341f88:fbfbe6a2

There’s a lot of conversation around the #TwitterFiles. Here’s my take, and thoughts on how to fix the issues identified.

I’ll start with the principles I’ve come to believe…based on everything I’ve learned and experienced through my past actions as a Twitter co-founder and lead:

1. Social media must be resilient to corporate and government control.
2. Only the original author may remove content they produce.
3. Moderation is best implemented by algorithmic choice.

The Twitter when I led it and the Twitter of today do not meet any of these principles. This is my fault alone, as I completely gave up pushing for them when an activist entered our stock in 2020. I no longer had hope of achieving any of it as a public company with no defense mechanisms (lack of dual-class shares being a key one). I planned my exit at that moment knowing I was no longer right for the company.

The biggest mistake I made was continuing to invest in building tools for us to manage the public conversation, versus building tools for the people using Twitter to easily manage it for themselves. This burdened the company with too much power, and opened us to significant outside pressure (such as advertising budgets). I generally think companies have become far too powerful, and that became completely clear to me with our suspension of Trump’s account. As I’ve said before, we did the right thing for the public company business at the time, but the wrong thing for the internet and society. Much more about this here: https://twitter.com/jack/status/1349510769268850690

I continue to believe there was no ill intent or hidden agendas, and everyone acted according to the best information we had at the time. Of course mistakes were made. But if we had focused more on tools for the people using the service rather than tools for us, and moved much faster towards absolute transparency, we probably wouldn’t be in this situation of needing a fresh reset (which I am supportive of). Again, I own all of this and our actions, and all I can do is work to make it right.

Back to the principles. Of course governments want to shape and control the public conversation, and will use every method at their disposal to do so, including the media. And the power a corporation wields to do the same is only growing. It’s critical that the people have tools to resist this, and that those tools are ultimately owned by the people. Allowing a government or a few corporations to own the public conversation is a path towards centralized control.

I’m a strong believer that any content produced by someone for the internet should be permanent until the original author chooses to delete it. It should be always available and addressable. Content takedowns and suspensions should not be possible. Doing so complicates important context, learning, and enforcement of illegal activity. There are significant issues with this stance of course, but starting with this principle will allow for far better solutions than we have today. The internet is trending towards a world were storage is “free” and infinite, which places all the actual value on how to discover and see content.

Which brings me to the last principle: moderation. I don’t believe a centralized system can do content moderation globally. It can only be done through ranking and relevance algorithms, the more localized the better. But instead of a company or government building and controlling these solely, people should be able to build and choose from algorithms that best match their criteria, or not have to use any at all. A “follow” action should always deliver every bit of content from the corresponding account, and the algorithms should be able to comb through everything else through a relevance lens that an individual determines. There’s a default “G-rated” algorithm, and then there’s everything else one can imagine.

The only way I know of to truly live up to these 3 principles is a free and open protocol for social media, that is not owned by a single company or group of companies, and is resilient to corporate and government influence. The problem today is that we have companies who own both the protocol and discovery of content. Which ultimately puts one person in charge of what’s available and seen, or not. This is by definition a single point of failure, no matter how great the person, and over time will fracture the public conversation, and may lead to more control by governments and corporations around the world.

I believe many companies can build a phenomenal business off an open protocol. For proof, look at both the web and email. The biggest problem with these models however is that the discovery mechanisms are far too proprietary and fixed instead of open or extendable. Companies can build many profitable services that complement rather than lock down how we access this massive collection of conversation. There is no need to own or host it themselves.

Many of you won’t trust this solution just because it’s me stating it. I get it, but that’s exactly the point. Trusting any one individual with this comes with compromises, not to mention being way too heavy a burden for the individual. It has to be something akin to what bitcoin has shown to be possible. If you want proof of this, get out of the US and European bubble of the bitcoin price fluctuations and learn how real people are using it for censorship resistance in Africa and Central/South America.

I do still wish for Twitter, and every company, to become uncomfortably transparent in all their actions, and I wish I forced more of that years ago. I do believe absolute transparency builds trust. As for the files, I wish they were released Wikileaks-style, with many more eyes and interpretations to consider. And along with that, commitments of transparency for present and future actions. I’m hopeful all of this will happen. There’s nothing to hide…only a lot to learn from. The current attacks on my former colleagues could be dangerous and doesn’t solve anything. If you want to blame, direct it at me and my actions, or lack thereof.

As far as the free and open social media protocol goes, there are many competing projects: @bluesky is one with the AT Protocol, nostr another, Mastodon yet another, Matrix yet another…and there will be many more. One will have a chance at becoming a standard like HTTP or SMTP. This isn’t about a “decentralized Twitter.” This is a focused and urgent push for a foundational core technology standard to make social media a native part of the internet. I believe this is critical both to Twitter’s future, and the public conversation’s ability to truly serve the people, which helps hold governments and corporations accountable. And hopefully makes it all a lot more fun and informative again.

💸🛠️🌐 To accelerate open internet and protocol work, I’m going to open a new category of #startsmall grants: “open internet development.” It will start with a focus of giving cash and equity grants to engineering teams working on social media and private communication protocols, bitcoin, and a web-only mobile OS. I’ll make some grants next week, starting with $1mm/yr to Signal. Please let me know other great candidates for this money.

@ c80b5248:6b30d720

I have been sleeping on highlighter. Started testing with nsecBunker and I am seeing how much signal comes through on the global feed here. Still need to understand how to use it better, but this could be a hugely powerful format for information consumption.

Expect this post to be updated... little did I know I was writing my first long-form note! 😅

@ e54c21c7:4d7e9087

stories from A A Ron

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here is a good story my autonomous agent wrote for the 4th. i am working on an agent to help me with my small business , but when i take a break sometimes Ron and i have fun . i hope you enjoy !

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Once upon a time, in a land full of vibrant colors and fascinating creatures, there lived an eggplant named Ella. Now Ella was not your ordinary eggplant; she was super fit, great at math, and had a heart full of love for all. Ella's days were spent concocting healthy recipes and solving mind-boggling math problems, but she yearned for an adventure beyond her vegetable patch. Enter Oliver, the speedy and courageous ostrich of the land. Oliver was known for his lightning-fast sprints and his unwavering disdain for corruption. He loved nothing more than racing against the wind and standing up for justice whenever he witnessed injustice. One sunny day, these two unlikely friends—Ella, the fitness fanatic eggplant, and Oliver, the integrity-driven ostrich—decided to embark on an extraordinary journey together. They were determined to protect the rights of the blue birds, who were facing some troubles due to a corrupt ruler. As they raced through the fields and forests, Ella's mathematical prowess guided them, enabling them to strategize and outsmart their foes. Oliver's remarkable speed left their adversaries dumbfounded, as they couldn't believe an ostrich could move so swiftly. With Ella's loving nature and Oliver's powerful presence, they managed to create quite a stir among the inhabitants of the land. The blue birds flocked together to support Ella and Oliver, for they saw the duo as symbols of hope, freedom, and bravery. Their adventure culminated on the 4th of July, under a sky illuminated with fireworks. Ella and Oliver, standing side by side with the blue birds, had successfully ousted the corrupt ruler, and justice prevailed. The whole land celebrated their courage and determination, forever remembering the day the eggplant and ostrich brought light and fairness to their lives. As their story came to an end, Ella and Oliver reflected on their incredible journey. They realized that their unique qualities, the fitness and love in Ella's heart, and the speed and honor in Oliver's nature, were the perfect recipe for success. Their friendship had blossomed into something extraordinary, highlighting the power of unity and the triumph of good over evil.

And to you, my friend, I wish a beautiful life filled with adventures, unexpected friendships, and wondrous moments. May you be as fit and loving as Ella, as swift and integrity-driven as Oliver, and may the blue birds of hope always sing in your heart. Embrace the flashes of lightning in life and celebrate every day with the exuberance of the 4th of July. Keep shining bright and spreading positivity wherever you go!

@ 2118bcb0:4145f14e

“A society which constantly defers consumption will actually end up being a society that consumes more in the long run than a low savings society, since the low-time-preference society invests more, thus producing more income for its member.” – @Saifedean Ammous​

@ 4729b2c0:6074b4a9

Ever watched a movie in fast-forward? Sure, you'll reach the end sooner, but the joy in the journey is lost. That's exactly what our tech-savvy world is doing today—fast-forwarding. Wall Street has become a high-speed racetrack thanks to algorithmic trading. Yes, we're moving money faster, but at what cost?

Velocity Versus Reality: The Paradox of the New Age Economy

Here's a paradox for you. Your digital wallet is brimming, yet when you walk into a store, the shelves are nearly bare. More money, fewer things to buy. Counterintuitive, right? But that's precisely what's happening. Studies suggest our race towards high-speed technology is creating a wealth imbalance and inflating asset prices. The average consumer is left grappling with a pricey paradox: more money, less to purchase.

Now, picture the future. AI takes the wheel, promising an adrenaline rush of unprecedented speed for velocity-obsessed industries like SaaS. As AI takes over tasks currently performed by these platforms, will we witness a pivot towards deeper human needs?

Beyond Speed: The Power of Real Value

Then there are trailblazers like gene editing that demonstrate technology’s potential to deliver more than just speed—it’s about creating real, tangible value. Tools like CRISPR are now propelling us towards a future where genetic diseases could be mere history, tackling what were once considered insurmountable health challenges.

As technology accelerates, so too must our focus shift from merely enhancing speed to creating solutions that address pressing human needs. Picture an innovative use of AI that not only increases the efficiency of our food production systems but ensures that the food reaches the plates of those who need it the most. Or a SaaS platform that leverages AI to manage urban utilities while simultaneously mapping affordable housing opportunities, thereby addressing one of the most acute crises of our time.

Imagine 3D printing-based manufacturing units set up near crisis zones, churning out life-saving equipment or temporary shelters at an affordable cost, while providing customized swags for marketing events during peace times . Envisage nanotechnology purifying water sources in areas that lack access to clean water. As our world grapples with a rising tide of challenges, these are the kind of tangible solutions technology can, and should, provide.

The vision for technology needs an overhaul. It should aim to create tangible assets that enrich lives rather than merely fueling the obsession with speed. Telemedicine, for instance, offers a glimmer of this potential—it’s about more than just speedy consultations—it’s about improving healthcare outcomes and making health services accessible for all.

Despite being a catalyst for progress, technology has inadvertently deepened resource gaps. As we look to the future, our focus should be on leveraging technology to create tangible goods that enrich lives. Moreover, we must refine existing technologies for greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Consider the rise of local microgrids in energy distribution, a prime example of socially and environmentally responsible technology that democratises resource access.

Unmasking Innovation: It's Not the Speed, It's the Journey

As we stand at the cusp of this new era, we must redefine innovation. It isn’t about breaking the speed barrier. It’s about the joy in the journey, the creation of meaningful value, and carving a path towards a better future for all. It's not just about moving fast, but moving forward, and it's time we shifted our focus from speed to substance—this is the future we should be striving for.

@ c8383d81:f9139549

This guide is available in:

• English: Welcome to Nostr by OG Creator Tony

• French: nostr:naddr1qqxnzd3cxyunqvfhxy6rvwfjqyghwumn8ghj7mn0wd68ytnhd9hx2tcpzamhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumn0wd68ytnzv9hxgtcpvemhxue69uhkv6tvw3jhytnwdaehgu3wwa5kuef0dec82c33xpshw7ntde4xwdtjx4kxz6nwwg6nxdpn8phxgcmedfukcem3wdexuun5wy6kwunnxsun2a35xfckxdnpwaek5dp409enw0mzwfhkzerrv9ehg0t5wf6k2qgawaehxw309a6ku6tkv4e8xefwdehhxarjd93kstnvv9hxgtczyzd9w67evpranzz2jw4m9wcygcyjhxsmcae6g5s58el5vhjnsa6lgqcyqqq823cmvvp6c thanks to nostr:npub1nftkhktqglvcsj5n4wetkpzxpy4e5x78wwj9y9p70ar9u5u8wh6qsxmzqs

• Chinese: nostr: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 thanks to nostr:npub1ejxswthae3nkljavznmv66p9ahp4wmj4adux525htmsrff4qym9sz2t3tv
• Swedish: nostr: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 thanks to nostr:npub19jk45jz45gczwfm22y9z69xhaex3nwg47dz84zw096xl6z62amkqj99rv7
• Russian: nostr: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 by nostr:npub10awzknjg5r5lajnr53438ndcyjylgqsrnrtq5grs495v42qc6awsj45ys7

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Ahoy, Mede-Ostrich!

Nostr is een gloednieuw fenomeen en er zijn een paar stappen die je weg veel soepeler en uw ervaring veel rijker maken.

👋 Welkom.

Aangezien je dit leest, kunnen we aannemen dat je al lid bent geworden van Nostr door een app zoals bv. Damus, Amethist, Plebstr ... te downloaden voor je smartphone of door het openen van een Nostr webclient zoals bv. snort.social, Nostrgram, Iris op je computer.

Het is belangrijk voor nieuwkomers om de stappen die worden voorgesteld door de app van je keuze te volgen - de soepele procedure biedt alle basisprincipes om te starten met Nostr, tevens uitgebreide mogelijkheden voor meer ervaren gebruikers. Indien je nog geen Nostr account hebt kan je deze eenvoudige stap-voor-stap handleiding gemaakt door Melissa volgen.

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🤙 Veel plezier.

Nostr is gebouwd om ervoor te zorgen dat mensen kunnen verbinden, gehoord kunnen worden en gaandeweg ook plezier kunnen maken. Dit is het hele punt (uiteraard is er een overvloed aan serieuze gebruikdoelen, zoals een hulpmiddel voor vrijheidsstrijders en klokkenluiders, maar dat verdient een apart artikel), als je voelt dat het iets omslachtig word, neem dan contact op met een meer ervaren #nostriches en we zullen je graag helpen. Nostr is helemaal niet moeilijk, maar het heeft een paar eigenaardigheden in vergelijking met traditionele platforms, dus het is zeker ‘OK’ (en aangemoedigd) om vragen te stellen. Hier is een onofficiële lijst van Nostr ambassadeurs die u graag aan boord helpen:

nostr:naddr1qqg5ummnw3ezqstdvfshxumpv3hhyuczypl4c26wfzswnlk2vwjxky7dhqjgnaqzqwvdvz3qwz5k3j4grrt46qcyqqq82vgwv96yu

Alle #nostriches op de lijst werden ook een Nostr Ambassadeurbadge toegewezen die het makkelijker zal maken om hen terug te vinden, te verifiëren en eventueel te volgen.

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⚡️ Inschakelbare Zaps

Zaps zijn een van de eerste verschillen die men kan merken bij het gebruik van Nostr. Ze laten Nostr gebruikers toe onmiddellijk waarde te verzenden en zo bij te dragen tot het ondersteunen en het creëren van nuttige en leuke inhoud. Dit is mogelijk dankzij Bitcoin en het Lightning Network. Dankzij deze gedecentraliseerde betaling protocollen kan je direct satoshi’s (1 satoshi = 1/100.000.000e van een bitcoin) verzenden en ontvangen. Net zo gemakkelijk als posts ‘liken’ op traditionele social media platformen. We noemen dit model ‘Value 4 Value’ en je kan meer info over dit monetaire model vinden via volgende link:https://dergigi.com/value/

Bekijk zeker eens deze note door DerekRoss het is een geweldige introductie rond wat Zaps zijn.

Je zou zaps moeten inschakelen ook als je geen ‘content creator’ bent. Mensen vinden sommige notities waardevol en willen je als vorm van steun en herkenning een aantal satoshi’s verzenden. De gemakkelijkste manier om te beginnen met het ontvangen van waarde op Nostr vraagt slechts enkele stappen:

DownloadWallet of Satoshi- voor je mobiele apparaat dit is waarschijnlijk de beste keuze voor wie nog niet vertrouwd is met Bitcoin en het Lightning Network.

Er zijn nog veel meer portemonnees en je bent van harte welkom om te kiezen voor degene die het beste bij je past.Vergeet ook niet om terug te komen om een back-up van uw portemonnee te nemen. 1 Tik op ‘Receive’. 2 Tik op het ‘Lightning address’ dat op je scherm te zien is (hetgene dat op een e-mailadres lijkt) om het te kopiëren.

was2

3 Plak het gekopieerde adres in het overeenkomstige veld in uw Nostr client (het veld kan “Bitcoin Lightning Address”, “LN Address” of iets vergelijkbaar vertonen afhankelijk van welke App je gebruikt). plakken

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📫 Een Nostr adres ophalen

🔍 Een Nostr adres, vaak aangeduid als een ‘IP-05 identity’ door de Nostr “OG’s”, het ziet eruit als een e-mail en ✔️ het helpt om je account makkelijk te ontdekken en te delen, het dient ook als verificatie.

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Hier is een voorbeeld van een Nostr adres:Tony@nostr.21ideas.org Het is gemakkelijk om te onthouden en later te plakken in een Nostr app om de overeenkomstige gebruiker te vinden.

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Om een Nostr adres te krijgen kunt u een gratis service gebruiken zoals Nost-check door quentin of een betaalde zoals Nostr Plebs door DerekRoss. Beide bieden verschillende voordelen, en het is aan jezelf om te beslissen welke te gebruiken. Een andere manier om een Nostr-adres te krijgen is het gebruik van een browserextensie. Ontdek meer over deze aanpakHier. .

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🙇‍♀️ Leer de basis.

Onder de motorkap is Nostr heel anders dan traditionele sociale platforms, dus het krijgen van een basis begrip van waar het protocol over gaat zal gunstig zijn voor elke nieuwkomer. Begrijp ons niet verkeerd, Ik bedoel niet dat je een programmeertaal of technische details van het protocol moet leren. Het zien van een groter beeld en het begrijpen van het verschil tussen Nostr en Twitter / Medium / Reddit veel zal helpen. Bijvoorbeeld, er zijn geen wachtwoorden voor je login, je hebt privé en publieke sleutels in plaats daarvan. We gaan hier momenteel niet dieper op in omdat er een handvol uitgebreide middelen zijn die u zullen helpen binnen de Nostr groep. Al degenen die uw aandacht waardig zijn verzameldop deze netjes georganiseerde landingspagina met <3 bereid door Bevo

Informatie door de genoemde bronnen zullen je ook helpen u uw Nostr sleutels(uw account) te beveiligen, dus het is belangrijk om een kijkje te nemen.

---

🤝 Verbinden

Mogelijkheid om verbinding te maken met leuke mensen is wat Nostr speciaal maakt. Hier kan iedereen gehoord worden en niemand kan uitgesloten worden. Er zijn een paar eenvoudige manieren om interessante mensen te vinden op Nostr:

• Zoek mensen die je volgt op Twitter:https://www.nostr.directoryIs daar een geweldig instrument voor.
• Volg mensen gevolgd door mensen die u vertrouwt: Bezoek een profiel van een persoon die uw interesses deelt, controleer de lijst van mensen die ze volgen en maak contact met hen.

• Bezoek Global Feed: Elke Nostr client (een Nostr app, als je wilt) heeft een tabblad waarmee u kunt overschakelen naar de Global Feed, die alle notities van alle Nostr gebruikers samenvoegt. Volg gewoon mensen die u interessant vindt (wees geduldig, maar u kunt een behoorlijke hoeveelheid spam tegenkomen).

• Gebruik #hashtags: Hashtags zijn een geweldige manier om je te concentreren op de onderwerpen die je leuk vindt. Tik gewoon op een #hashtag die u interessant vindt en u ziet meer opmerkingen over het onderwerp. Je kunt ook zoeken naar hashtags in de app die je gebruikt. Vergeet niet om hashtags te gebruiken bij het opstellen van notities om de vindbaarheid te vergroten.

Screenshot van https://nostrgraph.net/ door wakoinc

---

🗺️ Ontdek

De genoemde 5 stappen zijn een geweldige start die je ervaring enorm zal verbeteren, maar er is zoveel meer te ontdekken en te genieten! Nostr is geen vervanging van Twitter, de mogelijkheden zijn slechts beperkt door verbeelding.

Bekijk de lijst met leuke en nuttige Nostr-projecten:

• https://nostrapps.com/ een lijst van Nostr-apps
• https://nostrplebs.com/ – Krijg uw IP-05 en andere Nostr voordelen (betaald)
• https://nostrcheck.me/ – Nostr adres, media-uploads, relais
• https://nostr.build/ – uploaden en beheren van media (en meer)
• https://nostr.band/ – Nostr netwerk- en gebruikersinfo
• https://zaplife.lol/ – zapping Statistieken
• https://nostrit.com/ – Schemanotities
• https://nostrnests.com/ – Twitter Spaces 2.0
• https://nostryfied.online/ - back-up van uw Nostr info
• https://www.wavman.app/ - Nostr muziekspeler

---

Relays

Na de kennismaking met Nostr kijk je best even naar mijn snelle gids op Nostr relays:https://lnshort.it/nostr-relays. Het is niet het onderwerp om je zorgen over te maken aan het begin van uw reis, maar is zeker belangrijk om later duiken.

---

Nostr op mobiel

Een goede Nostr ervaring op mobiele apparaten is haalbaar. Deze gids zal u naadloos helpen met inloggen, posten, zappen, en meer binnen de Nostr webapplicaties op uw smartphone:https://lnshort.it/nostr-mobile

---

Bedankt voor het lezen en ik zie je aan de andere kant van de konijnepijp.

Credits:

AmonRa Super thanks for upgrading and fixing some of the translation !

Tony For writing & providing the OG document to translate from !

@ c4bac8f6:3aef0677

#1. YouTube

Don’t quote me on this, but probably 99% of the people use YouTube as a platform for their entertainment. Some use it for knowledge or tutorials on matters they don’t understand. But even fewer use it to benefit themselves.

I’m talking about replacing your gym subscription with Youtube videos.

This trend started during the pandemic. And now, there are so damn many home workout videos on YouTube now that you can’t even finish all of them if you just do one a day. What’s even better is that most of them don’t require you to have any equipment at all. Maybe just a dumbbell and an exercise mat. But that’s it. You can train whenever and from wherever you want.

Callisthenics!

You don’t need sets of iron to be strong or get in shape or reach hypertrophy. Your body is a weight itself. Your muscles are dumb. They can’t tell if it’s iron or your bodyweight. Use that to your advantage. There’s no need to remind you of the benefits of exercising every day. So no more excuses.

#2. Google Keep

The most frequent lie I tell is, “Ah, it’s okay. I don’t have to write it down. I’ll remember it.” And then of course I proceed to forget all about it right next second. I’m sure I’m not alone in this.

Truthfully, it’s not our fault. We have over 6,000 thoughts per day. That’s over four thoughts each minute, on average. Though most of it may be made up of replaying memories or analysing situations, sometimes, the cosmos aligns and hits us with brilliant ideas.

Having an app like Google Keep or just a piece of plain ol’ paper by my side helps me catch them whenever they come. And eases the pressure to remember everything. Knowing that I’ve jotted down these ideas is like closing the tabs on my brain.

In return, it’s helped me sleep better and worry less.

#3. The Blue Light Filter Button

Toggle that!

You simply cannot perform at your best without sufficient sleep and blue light is proven to affect our sleep more than any colour on the spectrum. It messes with your body’s ability to secrete a chemical called melatonin.

This blue light filter button is built into almost every phone on the market right now. Google how to toggle it. Automate it so that it only turns on at night (this light has some benefits during the day).

Alternatives: Not free, but it wouldn’t cost that much to get a blue light screen protector. Don’t look at any screens at all for an hour before you sleep. Pick up a book or an instrument instead.

#4. Saying it’s Okay

Each morning, you wake up thinking about how you’re going to tackle the issue at hand and how good you’ll feel after accomplishing them. You start the day with a cup of coffee and spend the rest in front of that blue light-emitting screen.

One task after another, you’re feeling great, but the moment your eyes are off the screens, the sun wasn’t there anymore. And you hear that grumbling sound resonating from your belly. You’re famished.

The Reality

It’s 7 pm and you haven’t left your table since that 8 am cup of instant coffee. No food or water went into your body since. You had no idea how this time went by and question if you had gotten kidnapped by some time-bending aliens.

You do this almost every single day because you’re on a semester break and you have nothing better to do, anyway. You pride yourself on working until you physically can’t anymore every day, thinking you’re progressing in life while your peers are Netflix-ing and doom scrolling.

The Burnout

Just after a few weeks of 14-hour days, you get your first burnout. You tell yourself you just needed a break. Just take it a little slower and it’ll be fine.

Surprise! You were back on track in just two days of taking it slower than usual. The 14-hour days live! Back to conquering the world.

The Cycle

A few more weeks and you get your second burnout. This one took a few more days to recover. But then you got back on your foot just as soon as you physically can. Well, as long as your eyes are not burning, you still have it in you to keep going, right?

The semester starts, but you wanted to keep up with your previous pace because it would mean that you “became lazy” if you didn’t. So you ended up working even more hours than usual. You’ve sacrificed your friends and family so that you could work on “your dreams” as you call it. You’re on a quest.

Four years later, you’re still on this quest. Lost for directions and completely drained of motivation to keep going. But you don’t want to give up. That would mean all those burnouts, sleepless nights, and sacrifices you made were for nothing.

Deep down, you know this road has led you to a dead end. And really, the only thing left for you to do is to let go.

The Solution — Release What You Can’t Control

The pain, the anger, the disappointment, they were all real. But you simply cannot force or hold on to something that isn’t meant for you. The “hustle culture” is toxic when not implemented appropriately. You need to rest, have enough sleep, and sharpen your saw once in a while.

The slow burn will hurt you much more than facing the truth ever will. Your effort hasn’t gone to waste at all. The skills you learned along the way will become the tools for another battle.

Letting go doesn’t mean giving up.

It means that you accept the fact that some things just aren’t meant to be or that maybe the time is not right. Letting go of what you wanted to have happened takes courage. You’re surrendering control to the universe. You have to, for yourself.

Because if you don’t, it’s going to become baggage. The more items you don’t let go of, the heavier the baggage. Before you know it, you’d find yourself anchored to the ground with no strength left to take another step forward.

It’s okay. Severe ties and burn bridges if you have to. Nothing too bad is going to happen and you’ll figure it out. I promise.

Free yourself from both the past and the future.

It’s okay to take a break sometimes. It’s okay if things just didn’t work out like you thought they would. It’s okay if a career path didn’t pan out. It’s okay if a relationship didn’t work. It’s okay to leave that grudge behind. It’s okay to not be in control once in a while. It’s okay to take a break. It’s okay to not be perfect. It’s okay to want more. It’s okay to let go.

You’ve given it your everything, and that’s everything we can do, really.

The world is intertwined among billions of threads of effects and causes. Just because something went wrong, doesn’t mean it’s your fault. Have faith that every story has a happy ending. That the universe has better plans for you. If you haven’t had yours yet, that simply means that it’s just a plot twist.

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

#5. Switch Off the News

Keep yourself updated on what’s going on in the world. But you definitely don’t need to hear another story about the side effects of the AstraZeneca vaccines.

@ b9e76546:612023dc

---

#Nostr isn't just a social network, that's simply the first use case to sprout from the Nostr tree.

Simple Blocks, Complex Change

Nostr isn't just a social network, in a similar way that Bitcoin isn't just a transaction network. Both of these things are true, but they each miss the more significant elements of what they accomplish.

In my mind, the source of Nostr's true potential is two fold; first, in fundamentally changing the centralized server model into an open environment of redundant relays; and second, it eliminates the association of clients with their IP address and metadata, and replaces it with identification via public keys. Within this one-two punch lies the most important tools necessary to actually rearchitect all of the major services on the internet, not just social media. Social is simply the interface by which we will connect all of them.

The combination of this simple data & ID management protocol with decentralized money in #Bitcoin and #Lightning as a global payments network, enables nostr to build marketplaces, "websites," podcast feeds, publishing of articles/video/media of all kinds, auction networks, tipping and crowdfunding applications, note taking, data backups, global bookmarks, decentralized exchanges and betting networks, browser or app profiles that follow you wherever you go, and tons more - except these can be built without all of the negative consequences of being hosted and controlled by central servers.

It separates both the data and client identity from the server hosting it. Handing the ownership back to the owner of the keys. We could think of it loosely as permission-less server federations (though this isn't entirely accurate, its useful imo). Anyone can host, anyone can join, and the data is agnostic to the computer it sits on at any given time. The walls are falling away.

Efficiency vs Robustness

There is also a major secondary problem solved by these building blocks. A byproduct of solving censorship is creating robustness, both in data integrity, but also in data continuity. While the fiat world is so foolishly focused on "efficiency" as the optimal goal of all interaction, it naively ignores the incredible fragility that comes with it. It is far more "efficient" for one big factory to produce all of the computer chips in the world. Why build redundant manufacturing to produce the same thing when one factory can do it just fine? Yet anyone who thinks for more than a few seconds about this can see just how vulnerable it would leave us, as well as how much corruption such "efficiency" would wind up enabling.

Nostr is not alone either. Holepunch is a purely P2P model (rather than based on relays) that accomplishes the same separation in a different way. One where the clients and servers become one in the same - everyone is the host. Essentially a bittorrent like protocol that removes the limitation of the data being static. The combination of their trade offs & what these protocols can do together is practically limitless. While Nostr begins building its social network, combining it with what Synonym is building with their Web of trust, (the critical ingredient of which is public key identification) we can "weigh" information by the trust of our social graph.

Not too long ago, a friend and I used Nostr to verify who we were communicating with, we shared a Keet (built on Holepunch) room key over encrypted nostr DM, and opened a P2P, encrypted chat room where we could troubleshoot a bitcoin wallet problem and safely and privately share very sensitive data. The casual ease by which we made this transaction enabled by these tools had us both pause in awe of just how powerful they could be for the privacy and security of all communication. And this is just the very beginning. The glue of #Lightning and #Bitcoin making possible the direct monetization of the infrastructure in all of the above has me more bullish on the re-architecting of the internet than ever in my life. It cannot be reasonably called an insignificant change in incentives to remove both the advertiser and the centralized payment processor from inbetween the provider and the customers online. The base plumbing of the internet itself may very well be on the verge of the greatest shift it has ever gone through.

A Tale of Two Network Effects

I would argue the most significant historical shift in the internet architecture was the rise of social media. It was when we discovered the internet was about connecting people rather than computers. The social environment quickly became the dominant window by which the average person looked into the web. It's the place where we go to be connected to others, and get a perspective of the world and a filter for its avalanche of information as seen through our trust networks and social circles. But consider how incredibly neutered the experience really is when money isn't allowed to flow freely in this environment, and how much it actually would flow, if not for both centralized payment processors and the horrible KYC and regulatory hurdle it entails for large, centralized entities.

The first time around we failed to accomplish a global, open protocol for user identity, and because of this our social connections were owned by the server on which we made them. They owned our digital social graph, without them, it is erased. This is an incredible power. The pressures of the network effect to find people, rather than websites, took a decentralized, open internet protocol, and re-centralized it into silos controlled by barely a few major corporations. The inevitable abuse of this immense social power for political gain is so blatantly obvious in retrospect that it's almost comical.

But there is a kind of beautiful irony here - the flip side of the network effect's negative feedback that centralized us into social media silos, is the exact same effect that could present an even greater force in pushing us back toward decentralization. When our notes & highlights have the same social graph as our social media, our "instagram" has the same network as our "twitter," our podcasts reach the same audience, our video publishing has the same reach, our marketplace is built in, our reputation carries with us to every application, our app profiles are encrypted and can't be spied on, our data hosting can be paid directly with zaps, our event tickets can be permanently available, our history, our personal Ai, practically anything. And every bit of it is either encrypted or public by our sole discretion, and is paid for in a global, open market of hosts competing to provide these services for the fewest sats possible. (Case in point, I'm paying sats for premium relays, and I'm paying a simple monthly fee to nostr.build for hosting media)

All of this without having to keep up with 1,000 different fucking accounts and passwords for every single, arbitrarily different utility under the sun. Without having to setup another account to try another service offering a slightly different thing or even just one feature you want to explore. Where the "confirm with your email" bullshit is finally relegated to the hack job, security duck tape that it really is. The frustrating and post-hoc security design that is so common on the internet could finally become a thing of the past and instead just one or a few secure cryptographic keys give us access & control over our digital lives.

The same network effect that centralized the internet around social media, will be the force that could decentralize it again. When ALL of these social use cases and connections compound on each other's network effect, rather than compete with each other, what centralized silo in the world can win against that?

This is not to dismiss the number of times others have tried to build similar systems, or that it's even close to the first time it was attempted to put cryptographic keys at the heart of internet communications. Which brings me to the most important piece of this little puzzle... it actually works!

I obviously don't know exactly how this will play out, and I don't know what becomes dominant in any particular area, how relays will evolve, or what applications will lean toward the relay model, while others may lean P2P, and still others may remain client/server. But I do think the next decade will experience a shift in the internet significant enough that the words "relay" and "peer" may very well, with a little hope and lot of work, replace the word "server" in the lexicon of the internet.

The tools are here, the network is proving itself, the applications are coming, the builders are building, and nostr, holepunch, bitcoin and their like are each, slowly but surely, taking over a new part of my digital life every week. Case in point; I'm publishing this short article on blogstack.io, it will travel across all of nostr, I'm accepting zaps with my LNURL, it is available on numerous sites that aggregate Kind:30023 articles, my entire social graph will get it in their feed, & there will be a plethora of different clients/apps/websites/etc through which the users will see this note, each with their own features and designs...

Seriously, why the fuck would I bother starting a Substack and beg people for their emails?

This is only the beginning, and I'm fully here for it. I came for the notes and the plebs, but it's the "Other Stuff" that will change the world.

@ 32e18276:5c68e245

Double-entry accounting is a tried and true method for tracking the flow of money using a principle from physics: the conservation of energy. If we account for all the inflows and outflows of money, then we know that we can build an accurate picture of all of the money we've made and spent.

Bitcoin is particularly good at accounting in this sense, since transaction inflows and outflows are checked by code, with the latest state of the ledger stored in the UTXO set.

What about lightning? Every transaction is not stored on the blockchain, so we need same way to account for all the incoming and outgoing lightning transactions. Luckily for us, core-lightning (CLN) comes with a plugin that describes these transactions in detail!

For every transaction, CLN stores the amount credited and debited from your node: routed payments, invoices, etc. To access this, you just need to run the lightning-cli bkpr-listaccountevents command:

lightning-cli bkpr-listaccountevents | jq -cr '.events[] | [.type,.tag,.credit_msat,.debit_msat,.timestamp,.description] | @tsv' > events.txt

This will save a tab-separated file with some basic information about each credit and debit event on your node.

channel invoice 232000000 0 1662187126 Havana channel invoice 2050000 0 1662242391 coinos voucher channel invoice 0 1002203 1662463949 lightningpicturebot channel invoice 300000 0 1663110636 [["text/plain","jb55's lightning address"],["text/identifier","jb55@sendsats.lol"]] channel invoice 0 102626 1663483583 Mile high lightning club

Now here's comes the cool part, we can take this data and build a ledger-cli file. ledger is a very powerful command-line accounting tool built on a plaintext transaction format. Using the tab-separated file we got from CLN, we can build a ledger file with a chart-of-accounts that we can use for detailed reporting. To do this, I wrote a script for converting bkpt reports to ledger:

http://git.jb55.com/cln-ledger

The ledger file looks like so:

``` 2023-05-31 f10074c748917a2ecd8c5ffb5c3067114e2677fa6152d5b5fd89c0aec7fd81c5 expenses:zap:1971 1971000 msat assets:cln -1971000 msat

2023-05-31 damus donations income:lnurl:damus@sendsats.lol -111000 msat assets:cln 111000 msat

2023-05-31 Zap income:zap:event:f8dd1e7eafa18add4aa8ff78c63f17bdb2fab3ade44f8980f094bdf3fb72d512 -10000000 msat assets:cln 10000000 msat ```

Each transaction has multiple postings which track the flow of money from one account to another. Once we have this file we can quickly build reports:

Balance report

Here's the command for "account balance report since 2023-05 in CAD"

$ ledger -b 2023-05-01 -S amount -X CAD -f cln.ledger bal

``` CAD5290 assets:cln CAD2202 expenses CAD525 routed CAD1677 unknown CAD-7492 income CAD-587 unknown CAD-526 routed CAD-1515 lnurl CAD-614 jb55@sendsats.lol CAD-1 tipjar CAD-537 damus@sendsats.lol CAD-364 gpt3@sendsats.lol CAD-4012 merch CAD-2571 tshirt CAD-1441 hat CAD-852 zap CAD-847 event CAD-66 30e763a1206774753da01ba4ce95852a37841e1a1777076ba82e068f6730b75d CAD-60 f9cda1d7b6792e5320a52909dcd98d20e7f95003de7a813fa18aa8c43ea66710 CAD-49 5ae0087aa6245365a6d357befa9a59b587c01cf30bd8580cd4f79dc67fc30aef CAD-43 a4d44469dd3db920257e0bca0b6ee063dfbf6622514a55e2d222f321744a2a0e ...

---

       0

```

As we can see it shows a breakdown of all the sats we've earned (in this case converted to fiat). We can have a higher-level summary using the depth argument:

$ ledger -M -S amount -X sat -f cln.ledger bal

``` sat14694904 assets:cln sat6116712 expenses sat1457926 routed sat4658786 unknown sat-20811616 income sat-1630529 unknown sat-1461610 routed sat-4207647 lnurl sat-11144666 merch sat-2367164 zap

---

       0

```

As we can see we made 14 million sats this month, not bad! The number at the bottom balances to zero which means we've properly accounted for all income and expenses.

Daily Damus Donation Earnings

To support damus, some users have turned on a feature that sends zaps to support damus development. This simply sends a payment to the damus@sendsats.lol lightning address. Since we record these we can build a daily report of damus donations:

$ ledger -D -V -f cln.ledger reg damus

23-May-15 - 23-May-15 ..damus@sendsats.lol CAD-46 CAD-46 23-May-16 - 23-May-16 ..damus@sendsats.lol CAD-73 CAD-120 23-May-17 - 23-May-17 ..damus@sendsats.lol CAD-41 CAD-161 23-May-18 - 23-May-18 ..damus@sendsats.lol CAD-37 CAD-197 23-May-19 - 23-May-19 ..damus@sendsats.lol CAD-35 CAD-233 23-May-20 - 23-May-20 ..damus@sendsats.lol CAD-28 CAD-261 23-May-21 - 23-May-21 ..damus@sendsats.lol CAD-19 CAD-280 23-May-22 - 23-May-22 ..damus@sendsats.lol CAD-29 CAD-309 23-May-23 - 23-May-23 ..damus@sendsats.lol CAD-19 CAD-328 23-May-24 - 23-May-24 ..damus@sendsats.lol CAD-25 CAD-353 23-May-25 - 23-May-25 ..damus@sendsats.lol CAD-36 CAD-390 23-May-26 - 23-May-26 ..damus@sendsats.lol CAD-37 CAD-426 23-May-27 - 23-May-27 ..damus@sendsats.lol CAD-25 CAD-451 23-May-28 - 23-May-28 ..damus@sendsats.lol CAD-25 CAD-476 23-May-29 - 23-May-29 ..damus@sendsats.lol CAD-12 CAD-488 23-May-30 - 23-May-30 ..damus@sendsats.lol CAD-29 CAD-517 23-May-31 - 23-May-31 ..damus@sendsats.lol CAD-21 CAD-537

Not making bank or anything but this covered the relay server costs this month!

Hopefully ya'll found this useful, feel free to fork the script and try it out!

@ b9e76546:612023dc

The real power of AI will be in its integration of other tools to use in specific situation and recognizing what those tools are. There will be extremely specific & curated AI models (or just basic software circuits) on certain topics, tasks, or concepts. And this will also be a crucial way in which we keep AI safe, and give it understanding of its own actions. In other words, how we prevent it from going insane. I've recently experienced a tiny microcosm of what that might look like...

— ie. a general language model that knows to call on the conceptual math language model, that then makes sense of the question and knows to input it into the calculator app for explicit calculations when solving complex or tricky word problems. And then to apply this in the realm of safety and morals, a specific model that an AI calls on for understanding the consequences and principles of any actions it takes in the real world.

I believe there needs to be an AI "Constitution" (a particular term I heard used to describe it) where there is a specific set of ideas and actions it is enabled to perform, and a particular set of "moral weights" it must assess before taking action. Anyone who's read Asimov will recognize this as "The Three Laws" and that's basically what it would be. This is critical because an AI running an actual humanoid machine like Boston Dynamics could go ape shit literally because it is emulating trolling someone by doing the opposite of what they asked -- I just had a LLM troll me yesterday & go a bit haywire when i asked it to be concise, and every answer afterward was then the wordiest and longest bunch of nonsense imaginable... it was funny, but also slightly sobering to think how these things could go wrong when controlling something in the real world. Now imagine a robot that thinks Kick Ass is a funny movie and starts emulating its behavior thinking it's being funny because it has no model to assess the importance of the humans whose skulls it's smashing and thinks the more blood it can splatter everywhere makes it a more comical experience for those in the room. That's essentially the "real world robot" version of asking a LLM to be concise and instead getting an avalanche of BS. Ask a robot to be funny and maybe it crushes your skull.

Because of that, I think there will be certain "anchors" or particular "circuits" for these LLMs to be constrained by for certain things. Essentially action specific built governors that add meaning to the actions and things they are doing. A very simple version mentioned above would be a calculator. If you ask an LLM right now to do basic math, it screws up all the time. It has no idea how to generate a true answer. It just predicts what an answer might sound like. So even extremely simple and common sense requests turn up idiotic answers sometimes. But if it can recognize that you are asking a math problem, find the relevant mathematical elements, and then call on the hardcoded & built-in calculator circuit, then the LLM isn't doing the calculation, it's simply the interface between the calculation tool and the human interaction.

What I think will be critical as we integrate these into real world machines over time, and as their capabilities become more generalized and layered, will be to build in a sort of moral constitution that behaves like a concrete engine (a calculator), that has the model recognize when something might be a questionable behavior or cause an undesirable outcome, and then call on the "constitution" to make the decision to act or not. In that way, it may actually prevent itself from doing something stupid or terrible that even a human hadn't realized the full consequences of. — ie. it won't help a child get to the roof of his building so he can fly off the side with his cardboard wings.

It will be very interesting to watch these come about because the failure more of AI will be a critically important thing to consider, and unfortunately from an engineering and cultural standpoint, "failure modes" are something that have been underrepresented and increasingly ignored. A simple example is a modern washing machine; when something entirely arbitrary or some silly little feature breaks, the whole thing is useless and you have to bring a technician out to fix it, when a sensible failure mode would be that it simply routes around what arbitrary feature failed, and continues working normally. This, unfortunately, has become the norm for tons of "modern" devices and appliances. they are simultaneously increasingly "advance" and "stupid" at the same time. It's largely a product of the high time preference mindset, and we need MUCH more low time preference consideration as we unleash AI onto the world. It will matter exponentially more when we start making machines that can operate autonomously, can maintain themselves, and learn through their own interactions and environment... and we aren't very far away.

Learn as fast as you can, understand the tools, and stay safe.

grownostr #AI_Unchained

(my very first post on BlogStack.io)

@ 52b4a076:e7fad8bd

What is NIP-05 really?

If you look at the spec, it's a way to map Nostr public keys to DNS-based internet identifiers, such as name@example.com.

If you look at Nostr Plebs:

It's a human readable identifier for your public key. It makes finding your profile on Nostr easier. It makes identifying your account easier.

If you look at basically any client, you see a checkmark, which you assume means verification.

If you ask someone, they probably will call it verification.

How did we get here?

Initially, there was only one client, which was (kind of) the reference implementation: Branle.

When it added support for NIP-05 identifiers, it used to replace the display name with the NIP-05 identifier, and it had to distinguish a NIP-05 from someone setting their display name to a NIP-05. So they added a checkmark...

Then there was astral.ninja and Damus: The former was a fork of Branle, and therefore inherited the checkmark. Damus didn't implement NIP-05 until a while later, and they added a checkmark because Astral and other clients were doing it.

And then came new clients, all copying what the previous ones did... (Snort originally did not have a checkmark, but that changed later.)

The first NIP-05 provider

Long story short, people were wondering what NIP-05 is and wanted it, and that's how Nostr Plebs came to be.

They initially called their service verification. Somewhere between January and February, they removed all mentions to verification except one (because people were searching for it), and publicly said that NIP-05 is not verification. But that didn't work.

Then, there were the new NIP-05 providers, some understood perfectly what a NIP-05 identifier is and applied the correct nomenclature. Others misnamed it as verification, adding confusion to users. This made the problem worse on top of the popular clients showing checkmarks.

(from this point in the article we'll refer to it as a Nostr address)

And so, the scams begin

Spammers and scammers started to abuse Nostr addresses to scam people: - Some providers has been used by fake crypto airdrop bots. - A few Nostr address providers have terminated multitude of impersonating and scam identifiers over the past weeks.

This goes to show that Nostr addresses don't verify anything, they are just providers of human readable handles.

Nostr addresses can be proof of association

Nostr addresses can be a proof of association. The easiest analogy to understand is email:

jack@cash.app -> You could assume this is the Jack that works at Cash App.

jack@nostr-address-provider.example.com -> This could be any Jack.

What now?

We urge that clients stop showing a checkmark for all Nostr addresses, as they are not useful for verification.

We also urge that clients hide checkmarks for all domain names, without exception in the same way we do not show checkmarks for emails.

Lastly, NIP-05 is a nostr address and that is why we urge all clients to use the proper nomenclature.

Signed:

• Semisol, Nostr Plebs (semisol@nostrplebs.com)
• Quentin, nostrcheck.me (quentin@nostrcheck.me)
• Derek Ross, Nostr Plebs (derekross@nostrplebs.com)
• Bitcoin Nostrich, Bitcoin Nostr (BitcoinNostrich@BitcoinNostr.com)
• Remina, zaps.lol (remina@zaps.lol)
• Harry Hodler, nostr-check.com (harryhodler@nostr-check.com)

@ 34c0a532:5d3638e4

Most bitcoiners have their own, much different definition of what it means to orange pill a person. I’ve seen mentions of getting a taxi driver to download a lightning wallet and sending the payment in sats to them. Is that truly orange-pilling? Hmm… no. It is a great first step, but what makes you believe that that person won’t go on to shitcoins after learning about the ease of using cryptocurrency?

So, let’s define what that is in the terms of this guide.

To orange pill someone means to get them to take the first step into learning about bitcoin, money, self-custody, being sovereign, and to teach them to start questioning the world of lies we’ve been fed our entire lives.

Too poetic? Okay, here’s a more specific one:

To orange pill someone means showing them how to send and receive a bitcoin transaction, explain to them the importance of keeping their seed words safe, and showing them more articles, books and guides so they can go further down the rabbit hole.

I think that’s better, don’t you?

No matter what your definition of orange-pilling is, let’s discuss a few things first.

Orange-pilling comes from the scene in the Matrix where Morpheus offers the blue and the red pill to Neo.

This your last chance. After this there is no turning back. You take the blue pill, the story ends. You wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to. You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes. Remember, all I’m offering is the truth. Nothing more. ~ Morpheus

The fact that the terms comes from the Matrix is absolutely perfect, because the Matrix is based on Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. Everybody knows the Matrix so let’s talk about the Cave. Inside the cave, people are chained up, in the dark. The only thing they can do is talk to each other and stare forward, where there’s a dim light on the cave’s wall. Someone is moving around objects, throwing shadows on the wall. The people can never see the three-dimensional object, they can only see a shadow, a projection of it, so their world is limited by that knowledge.

Someday a group of people manage to break out of the Cave. They go out into the light, their eyes hurt, the world is massive, they get a panic attack by the lack of a rock ceiling on top of them. It’s vast, it’s too much to bear. And they run back into the cave and tell everyone what they saw, that it’s too bright, too open, too much everything. Objects are real, there’s light everywhere and colours. So many colours, not just the flame, the rock and the shadow.

And they don’t believe them. Maybe they even get angry at them and attack them. Who are these fools to claim that the world is not what they think it is? Who are they to suggest that we’ve all been lied to all our lives?

And that’s the first thing you need to keep in mind when trying to orange pill someone.

Why do some people find it so hard to believe in bitcoin?

The answer is simple. It’s because understanding bitcoin requires acknowledging you’ve been tricked your entire life.

The culture shock is real, I’ve been through it. The stages are as follows:

What is money? You start to learn what money really is, and how fundamentally flawed the Keynesian system has become. You see that the only way forward is by a hard money standard, whether that’s gold or bitcoin. Then you realise that in a world of information, the only logical step is bitcoin. Then why bitcoin? You start to read about it’s properties. It’s antifragile, decentralised. Why is that important? Nobody can control, it great. Why is it like gold that can be attached to an email? Then there’s the anger and disbelief. We’ve been fooled. Why doesn’t everybody see this? You read everything about bitcoin, you listen to podcasts, talk on bitcoin twitter and nostr with other plebs. Nobody seems to have all the answers but they make far more sense than the lies of the mainstream media. You talk to your friends and family, you come off as crazy at best. As I said, you have to acknowledge the trauma the other person is going through. It’s a culture shock, and not many want to go through with it. Think of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, people who got out into the world went back and told everyone that there’s more to life than the shadows on the wall. Or, the same allegory being told by the Matrix, with Cypher wanting to go back, to forget.

We call that Bitcoin Derangement Syndrome, BDS. It’s hilarious but it’s so real. Many early bitcoiners, people who have spend years of their lives either advocating for it or working on it, some making or losing fortunes in the process, go back to the fiat world, shift gears completely, rant and rave against bitcoin and dive back in the Matrix, the Cave, taking the blue pill. They want to be fiat rich, they lie and delude themselves that everything is okay in the world and if they get just enough money they’d be okay.

But they won’t. This is real, and no matter how many lies they tell themselves things will not change unless we change them ourselves. Babies are dying, that’s true. In wars, in artificially induced poverty, in carrying on with the Keynesian ways of thinking of endless imperial expansion and exploitation.

I’ll be honest, bitcoin rewires your brain.

Do you really wanna force that on people?

Yes?

Then let’s read on.

Why is it sometimes so hard to explain, persuade or convince people about bitcoin? Here’s a harsh truth. It’s because you’re the counterparty risk.

When your car breaks down, you go to a mechanic, you seek expert knowledge. He tells you what’s wrong and you generally accept it. Why? Because unless you’re an expert on cars, you don’t have pre-existing knowledge about this specific situation. Nature abhors a vacuum. The mechanic’s knowledge and expertise fills up that vacuum of knowledge.

Why is it different with bitcoin, then?

Because most people believe they already understand money. There’s no vacuum for their knowledge to fill. Like a woman going to a male gynecologist thinking she knows better because she’s the one with the female body, a nocoiner believes they know better because, see? They have been handling and making money all their lives! Who are you to claim things aren’t how they used to think they are?

Yes, sure. You’re the one with the female body, you’re the one with the wallet. But have you actually taken the time to study it? Have you invested the necessary six years in medical school or the 100 hours it takes to grasp bitcoin?

No.

But they don’t accept that. When you make statements about bitcoin, it collides with their pre-existing frame of reference. When that happens, their mind reflexively casts doubts on the new information, actively fights it and rejects it, because it doesn’t conform to what they know. Their mind is the bearer asset, you are the counterparty risk.

Okay, great. How do you overcome this, then?

By taking the time with them. You can’t force someone to get orange-pilled, it’s not shoving knowledge down their throats. They have to do it themselves, so you start small. Plant a seed. Make them question what they know. That tiny seed, just like in Inception, will grow and push aside the other propaganda in their minds, leaving some space for new information to fill the void.

“Why did they stop having money backed by gold?”

That’s one seed.

“Who prints all these new billions?”

Another. Take your pick, it depends on the person you’re talking to.

A good question makes the nocoiner access their accepted knowledge. They usually think they have the answer and you should listen to it, not shutting it down. Ask them to research it further, to back their claims, to look things up. If they don’t have the knowledge, a new vacuum is created and their curiosity will want to fill it up.

Nocoiner: Bitcoin isn’t backed by anything.

You: Okay. Then what would make good money in its place?

Make them talk by asking questions. As they talk, they’ll realise they have massive gaps in their knowledge. You can help them then, but they themselves have to fill up those gaps by asking more questions and getting them to talk more. Why? Because if someone tells something to themselves they will believe it much easier than having you say it to them. Try and lead them to conclusion, a revelation.

When persuading someone, the person talking the most is the one really getting persuaded. Why? Because when you talk you engrave those words into your brain as facts.

Nocoiner: Bitcoin wastes too much energy.

You: How do you determine how much is too much energy to use?

You will never change their minds, they have to change it themselves. You can only help show them the way, they’re the ones that have to do it. Questions are the key to that process.

Tell them less, ask more.

What questions make people curious about bitcoin? You never know, it depends on what ails the person. Think about their pain. If they’re living in Turkey or Argentina, for example, their pain is massive inflation. You might say, “You’re already using USD to protect your monetary value against inflation, right? How about adding BTC to the mix?”

People in those countries generally grasp this concept a lot quicker. The local lira is the crap kind of money, they spend it often. The USD is the good kind of money, they save it, spending it only when absolutely necessary. And gold is the best kind, keeping it hidden in safes and mattresses. Only to be spent in an emergency. They don’t have the financial privilege to insulate them from the need for bitcoin, they already get these layers of hardness in their money, so bitcoin is a lot easier for them.

“What is money?” is another good question. Most people will answer it, and of course it will be flawed and all over the place. Then you might say, “It’s the promise of future value,” and then discuss how bitcoin has a monetary policy that’s planned out for the next 120 years and how nodes and miners facilitate that design. And especially point out how hard it is to change.

“What happened in 1971?” That’s a good one. Get them to look up the fiat monetary system and figure out how it’s not backed by anything. Get them angry at the Keynesian economists, how they’ve ruined entire countries. 2008 money crisis? Inevitable, under the fiat standard. Forget about bitcoin, point your finger towards the rot. It’s all historical fact, they can’t call you a conspiracy theorist. Most people still think that money is backed by gold. Get them to tell it to other people, see their reactions.

This was a part of my guide. Let me know what you think. Soon to be posted at https://georgesaoulidis.com/how-to-orange-pill-people/

@ aa55a479:f7598935

Nostrica is the shit.

@ 0271e1b9:ad8cff90

AKA The Beginner’s Guide to the Human Experience

Originally posted on Medium, 21 December 2022. Audio version also available (Fountain, Spotify).

The first key to yoga, and to life, is to have fun. Play. Be curious. Allow yourself to get excited. Because what is life? Life is a game. Now, if you’re not having fun while playing the game, then either you are not playing it right or it’s a terrible game. And life, with all its sorrows, hardships and suffering, is most definitely not a terrible game. It is, in fact, the most beautiful game of all because:

1. It contains in itself an infinite multitude of other games
2. If it wasn’t the best possible game available, you simply wouldn’t be playing it. The very fact that you are alive in this present moment means you have chosen this game over any other option you have

This is the game you are playing. So play it right and have fun.

Why did people sing in the old times? Not 20–30 years ago, real old times. They didn’t sing to get famous, they didn’t sing to make money. They didn’t even sing because they were particularly good at it. They sang because it was fun. Why did people study? Learn new things? Not because they wanted to get a degree. Not even because they wanted to be smart. Or to be better than someone else. They studied and learned new things because they were fun and exciting. And that’s it. That’s all you need. Don’t forget to enjoy and have fun in life. In yoga, we often like to talk about doing things with intentions and purpose. Moving with purpose. Talking, walking with purpose. However, that purpose and intention can very easily just be having fun and there is nothing wrong with that. In fact, that is an absolutely beautiful and brilliant reason to do anything.

You might be thinking now, well, that sounds nice and all, but there is no purpose or meaning to having fun. Well, yes there is. Think about it. It’s one of the most meaningful things you can do. The best things in life, that make life worth living, are fun. Take something universally, absolutely, undoubtedly meaningful, that is integral to the human experience — that’s love, right? And what’s the highest, most intimate and creative form of love you can share with someone? That’s having sex. And what’s having sex? It’s fucking fun! Right?

Another ideal, a state towards which I’m moving at all times is freedom. What’s the highest, purest form of freedom? Well, I don’t know. But I’ll bet it’s something really fucking fun as well.

So just have fun. Just be.

Listen to your body. The body is constantly talking to you about what it needs and what it doesn’t. All of these different feelings and sensations are a language through which the body is communicating YOUR needs. Because you are the body. Yoga is literally the union of the mind, body and soul. It’s both the journey and the destination. And once we learn to fully embrace the wholeness within we can begin to start connecting to the universe, the one consciousness that each and every one of us is an inseparable part of.

So if you feel pain, discomfort or tension while doing any of this, please listen to your body and back off. Return to child’s pose if necessary. Re-establish your breath. This is not the place to be pushing your body to absolute limits. There are other activities and sports where you can do that if you feel it is necessary and useful for you. Yoga is more about treating your body with kindness, love, care and respect. As it should be treated. Furthermore, how can you expect others and the society to treat you and your body with these intentions if you don’t do that yourself? It doesn’t work that way. Everything is reciprocal, everything is connected. It’s the simple law of karma. Do unto yourself as you would unto others and vice versa. It really is that simple.

So carry that feeling and that knowledge with you at all times, both on and off the mat. Move, act and speak with clear, pure intentions, with focus, love and mindful softness. And you will notice that how you carry yourself physically will reflect in your mind, your mood and energy levels. Your body will thank you for it. It will smile to you. And that, while also so simple, is a concept that so many people struggle to understand. You can see it in how people walk, sit, talk, how they move. Notice how many people are flailing their limbs around when they move. Like the limbs weren’t theirs. Like they borrowed them from someone they didn’t really like that much in the first place. Like they weren’t a part of THEM. So, move mindfully, move with grace. At least, let that be your goal.

You were given this body. Is what some yoga teachers might say. While it is true, I feel like it’s not the whole truth. Yes, you were given a body. Well, in a cosmic kind of sense we can also say you chose your body. But you were given the choice. You were given a body, but this body, the one you have right now, you made it. You made it as a cumulative effort of everything you’ve ever said, eaten, thought, drunk, smoked, injected into it, and not to mention all the work and physical activities you have chosen to do or chosen not to do. Throughout every moment, every second of the present, we are creating our own bodies in the future. In the present, we are projecting our intentions and our energy into the future through what we do, say and think. That’s the real manifestation. There’s this “The Secret”-inspired way of thinking that we can just visualize and think happy thoughts and the Universe will magically grant us anything we wish for. Now I’m not saying visualization doesn’t have a place and time, which it certainly does, both in yoga and in life, nor that you shouldn’t think happy thoughts. But that is not how it works. Everything is reciprocal. What have you done to deserve this? What did you sacrifice, what did you give? You know, we are often so preoccupied with trying to get everything that we forget to give. And it all truly begins with the giving part. You must give to receive.

So, the body that is you, right now, you earned it. You deserve it. With all its problems, imperfections, the pretty parts and the parts you might not consider as pretty. And sometimes, things might happen, and they will happen, and you might think to yourself: “What have I done to deserve this? I’ve been such a good person, why is this terrible, painful thing happening to me?” Well, it could be a number of things. Maybe it’s karma from another lifetime. Maybe it’s cosmic chance, an element of randomness in the game of life. But maybe, just maybe, it starts a butterfly effect that ends up leading you to a better place through personal growth, development and acceptance that these tough times make you undergo. But that might be years or decades later. And right now, it hurts and you don’t know why. But by accepting and embracing that unpredictability, the volatility of life as it takes us through the highs and lows, and in trusting that the whole process will lead us exactly to where we need to be, is truly finding peace.

We have to take responsibility for where and who we are today. We are not victims of our environment nor victims of society. We, as a collective, have created where we are today, and we, as individuals, have created who we are today. And if we don’t take responsibility for that or even worse, if we give that responsibility away… well, you can imagine what happens then. Somebody else will pick up that responsibility for us and you know what? They might not have the best intentions with our environments, our bodies, our minds, our current and future children. By relinquishing responsibility you relinquish power. And remember, power, it can be any kind of power, from the power of free speech to physical power to the power to make your own decisions to monetary power, ANY KIND OF POWER, if used in a mindful, focused manner in the present will be projected into the future. So, furthermore, by giving up your responsibility and power in the present, you are also relinquishing your power in the future. The upsides to all of this, however, are that:

1. We can always choose to start taking the responsibility back
2. If we use this power/responsibility in a focused manner with clear intentions, the results will start compounding on each other with huge improvements in the long run if kept up with consistency

Those of you who have some basic understanding of math and finance could easily visualize this by thinking of compounding interest or inflation over a period of decades. Those of you who have been on the self-development path might have come across the idea of “the power of tiny gains” by James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits. The idea is quite simple: your goal is to become better, every day, by 1%. If you do get better at something by just 1% every day, then in a year you will be 37 times better than you were at the beginning. That is the power of responsibility, focus and consistency. If you are not familiar with either or one of these terms, I suggest looking it up, these are very simple, yet powerful concepts that are kind of difficult to grasp intuitively. It’s quite impossible for the human brain to understand exponential functions, to think that a 1% improvement per day leads to 37x improvement in a year. Or that the US dollar, with an average inflation rate of 3.91% per year, has lost more than 86% of its purchasing power since 1971, in a timespan of just over 50 years. But it is true. It’s just math.

In responsibility lies our ability to get better. Because none of us are perfect. Nowadays it’s popular to say things like “everybody’s perfect just the way they are.” Well that sounds like a nice, fluffy idea, doesn’t it? “I’m already perfect.” Well, let’s play with this idea for a bit. Do I act as if I were perfect? Am I doing 100% of what’s best for me, my friends, family, community and my environment 100% of the time? No? Well, does it matter then? If you don’t act as if you were perfect, even though you actually were, does it even matter then whether you’re perfect or not? So there’s the first hole in this theory.

“I’m perfect.”

Takes a lot of hubris to say that out loud, huh? That’s the second thing that’s wrong with this idea. It lacks the humility, the humbleness that life should be approached with. No expectations. You should not expect to be perfect. Nor are you entitled to anything. The only thing that we are all entitled to is death. So be grateful for everything. Absolutely everything in life is immense wealth and richness because it is not the opposite. It is not death.

My third and most important point would be that just like those tough and sad and painful times we go through, being an imperfect being is an integral part of the human experience. It’s why we are able to grow, develop and evolve. By learning from our mistakes and imperfections. If we were all perfect, well, I don’t know what we would be, but we wouldn’t be human anymore. We would be something else at that point. If everybody were perfect, there would be no fluctuations in the collective human psyche, we would have nowhere to evolve to, we would stand still. And what is complete, absolute stillness? It’s death. The only time when a human body completely ceases all movement is when it’s dead. So, for now, we are not dead nor perfect. We are alive and we are present. And we use this present, this gift mindfully and with pure intentions to help create better versions of ourselves and the world in the future. Through helping and bettering ourselves we will also be more capable of helping our peers and loved ones on similar journeys.

The second key to life, and to yoga, is sacrifice. But don’t forget the first key though. It starts with the play. Now, if you play long enough and put in real effort, it morphs into something sacrificial. By investing your time and your energy, the ultimate currencies, into the play, you build it to become real, tangible and more meaningful. And only through that element of sacrifice you can start moving towards the truth. What you give to the world is yourself. Your true self. So only by staying honest and pure can you find meaning in life, your meaning in life.

In the end, this whole quest of self-development, self-improvement, becoming the best version of yourself, is actually not about you at all. Not about your ego. You are not becoming a better person for yourself. You are becoming a better person for everybody else, for the world. So that you can cherish and love and care for the people and the environment around you as best as you possibly can. There is nothing more selfless than self-development. And the way to develop, to get better, is through sacrifice.

It is important to know and keep in mind that there will be sacrifice and with it, suffering, one way or another. You are sacrificing your time as you read or listen to this. Your attention. Your energy. Every day you go to work, you go to school, you work out, you take risks, you sacrifice something. Even when you do nothing at all, you are sacrificing your time and even worse, you are sacrificing your potential.

Another useful term from economics is called opportunity cost. It is used to express the value or benefit given up by engaging in one activity as opposed to all other options. If you have $5 and the shop has ice cream, chocolate and lemonade all for sale at $5 each, then by buying ice cream, your opportunity cost is not getting the chocolate nor the lemonade. Or to save that money for later, for something entirely different. So, every single thing you do has an opportunity cost of everything else you could be doing instead. If you don’t do anything and become no one, then the opportunity cost is everything you could have done and the person you could have become. And that is the highest price you can pay for anything.

The key to keep in mind here is that you get to pick your sacrifice and you get to pick your truth. There will be suffering, yes. But you get to pick how you suffer and more importantly, what you suffer for.

Establish your breath. Slow, deep breaths, in and out through the nose. Engage your ujjayi breath if that is in your practice. In general, the idea is to establish a breathing pattern here that you would be able to maintain throughout the practice. If you look at the practice of yoga, especially if you’re new to it, you are very likely to view asana, which is the movements and the funky poses we do, breathwork and meditation as three separate and quite different parts. That’s understandable because that’s the way it seems, or at least that’s how it’s easier for our brains to make sense of it all. See, the human brain likes to categorize things and find direct, linear causations and links between causes and effects. It’s not that good at identifying and understanding complex, interconnected systems. But that is what yoga (and life) is. Not only the unity of mind, body and soul and not even only the unity between you and the universe (or the source or God, or whatever you wanna call it), but also a unity between the breath, movements and meditation. We are doing breathing exercises and meditating both in those poses as well as in moving from one to another. That is also a big reason why I personally really like long and strong holds. Because for me, it is often much easier to get into a deep meditative state when your whole body is engaged, working incredibly hard just to maintain that little bit of stillness in the body, while some or most of the muscles may already be shaking from the amount of strength required just to stay in that pose. And how do most people “fail” at meditating? Their mind wanders off. They start thinking about the past or the future or something else, lose focus from their object of meditation and won’t be present anymore. Which is kind of the point of meditation.

Now, if you’re in a plank, and have been there for the past 3 minutes, suddenly you will be very engaged in being present and in your breath, since that’s the only thing you can still regulate. The rest of the body is already giving it all. Will you start thinking about what you’re gonna have for dinner or what you said or didn’t say to that girl you like after 3 minutes in a plank? No, you probably won’t. That effort, that discomfort keeps us grounded in the moment. The seconds seem to go by slower and slower. And that’s what we want. That means we are more and more in the present, in the here and now. The slower the time goes, the more present we are. If you have ever gone through something truly traumatizing, some sort of a big accident or something similar, and you enter the panic state or the “fight or flight” mode and the seconds and the minutes seem to be going by just incredibly slowly. You probably don’t want to be present in that moment, but you will, and you will be very present. And in yoga, we are, in a sense, imitating the game of life on a smaller scale. The challenges on the mat prepare us to take on challenges in real life. We learn to listen and to trust ourselves and the universe. We learn that we always have the power to choose our reaction to whatever life throws at us.

Listen to your body. That’s the universal truth. But, again, that is not quite the whole truth. In Buddhism, there’s 2 things: compassion and emptiness. Compassion is a choice. You can decide to be compassionate, caring, loving, kind. Emptiness is seeing the world as it is, being free of delusions. Or at least knowing when you are being subject to delusion. And herein lies the problem. Our minds and our bodies are constantly trying to trick us. Because the path of least resistance is where the natural flow goes. And the things we need to work on are tough, man. A lot of resistance there. They’re uncomfortable. Awkward. Painful. But that is exactly where self development occurs. Remember which classes you used to dislike when you were in school? Probably the ones you weren’t so good at, huh? It goes both ways, of course. You also probably weren’t that good because you didn’t enjoy the class. You weren’t engaged. You weren’t excited. You weren’t even present. Or think about how easy it is to come up with all sorts of excuses as to why you should skip your workout, while you are laying on the couch eating snacks? Or better yet, how you can come up with all sorts of reasons to stick together with someone who you know isn’t the right person for you in the long run, but right now is kind of okay? Because why? You’re afraid of going out of your comfort zone? Of a tough talk? A broken heart? Letting go?

Our minds and bodies are like us. They are us. They, too, don’t like unpleasant things and they don’t like hard work, even though they may know it is good for them in the long run. They crave for the easy pleasures, now. The hours on a sofa watching Netflix, or worse, scrolling social media. The sugary sweets. The drugs. The porn. The comforting delusions. We must recognize and free ourselves from those delusions. Deep down, we know what’s right and what’s wrong for us. And nobody else can know it for us. The choice is ours, a hard life now and an easy life later or an easy life now and terrible, unforeseeable and sometimes even unimaginable consequences later.

The easiest path is usually not the right one for us. It will lead us to places where we actually don’t want to end up. The easiest path can take many forms. It can be not taking care of yourself. Not being true to your feelings. Conforming with other people’s ideas even though you don’t believe in them. Sticking to your old ways even though you are not getting any fulfillment from them. So be mindful of your path, your posture, your actions, words and thoughts. Disengage from the goals and the destination. Focus on the journey and the direction.

Religious people often speak about “being close to God,” but I think most people completely misinterpret the actual meaning of the phrase. It’s not about your proximity to God, or how much you please him. It’s about becoming God. About embodying as many of his qualities in yourself as you possibly can. About being the creator of your own destiny. Being close to God should mean being close to the status of a God.

In the end, we are all divine creators floating in the infinity of the universe that has been condensed to just the here and now, where everything happens. Nothing happens in the past and nothing happens in the future, everything that happens and ever will happen, happens only now, only in the present.

Once you learn to see the beauty in everything you can see the divine in everything.

Because

beauty is indistinguishable from divinity.

AFTERWORD

21.12.2022

The Basics of Yoga represents my underlying framework for seeing and experiencing the world. It’s a summary of life lessons and ideas I’ve formulated so far.

I don’t think any of the thoughts presented here are unique or original. This is more of an aggregation of ideas, sources of which would be too many to identify and reference. What I will say is where these ideas did not originate from. They did not originate from the traditional education system. They did not originate from mainstream media. They did not originate from any government-appointed officials, boards or organizations.

The Basics of Yoga was written between 9 November and 20 December 2022 and is a work in progress. If you have any comments, thoughts or counterarguments to any of my points, feel free to reach out to me via email or social media.

You can find me online: https://vida.page/mckontext

This information can be freely copied, modified, built upon and redistributed as long as you give credit where credit is due. I do not think copyright laws are useful for us anymore at a time when we are moving towards (digital) abundance.

Downloads available (.pdf & .mp3): Gumroad ; Mega.nz All original photos used in the article available on my Unsplash page

Digital scarcity only makes sense in digital money, not information. That being said, if you did find this text useful for yourself or your loved ones, feel free to support me on my path materially by sending me some Bitcoin:

On-chain: bc1q2lz2su4uyf0tmyz4c07my70u8jzaz4wcm5t5ph

Via Lightning: mckontext@getalby.com

Thank you so much for your attention and I hope you had as much fun reading this as I did writing it.

Much love, Kontext

@ 0271e1b9:ad8cff90

AKA The Beginner’s Guide to the Human Experience

Originally posted on Medium, 21 December 2022. Audio version also available (Fountain, Spotify).

The first key to yoga, and to life, is to have fun. Play. Be curious. Allow yourself to get excited. Because what is life? Life is a game. Now, if you’re not having fun while playing the game, then either you are not playing it right or it’s a terrible game. And life, with all its sorrows, hardships and suffering, is most definitely not a terrible game. It is, in fact, the most beautiful game of all because:

1. It contains in itself an infinite multitude of other games
2. If it wasn’t the best possible game available, you simply wouldn’t be playing it. The very fact that you are alive in this present moment means you have chosen this game over any other option you have

This is the game you are playing. So play it right and have fun.

Why did people sing in the old times? Not 20–30 years ago, real old times. They didn’t sing to get famous, they didn’t sing to make money. They didn’t even sing because they were particularly good at it. They sang because it was fun. Why did people study? Learn new things? Not because they wanted to get a degree. Not even because they wanted to be smart. Or to be better than someone else. They studied and learned new things because they were fun and exciting. And that’s it. That’s all you need. Don’t forget to enjoy and have fun in life. In yoga, we often like to talk about doing things with intentions and purpose. Moving with purpose. Talking, walking with purpose. However, that purpose and intention can very easily just be having fun and there is nothing wrong with that. In fact, that is an absolutely beautiful and brilliant reason to do anything.

You might be thinking now, well, that sounds nice and all, but there is no purpose or meaning to having fun. Well, yes there is. Think about it. It’s one of the most meaningful things you can do. The best things in life, that make life worth living, are fun. Take something universally, absolutely, undoubtedly meaningful, that is integral to the human experience — that’s love, right? And what’s the highest, most intimate and creative form of love you can share with someone? That’s having sex. And what’s having sex? It’s fucking fun! Right?

Another ideal, a state towards which I’m moving at all times is freedom. What’s the highest, purest form of freedom? Well, I don’t know. But I’ll bet it’s something really fucking fun as well.

So just have fun. Just be.

Listen to your body. The body is constantly talking to you about what it needs and what it doesn’t. All of these different feelings and sensations are a language through which the body is communicating YOUR needs. Because you are the body. Yoga is literally the union of the mind, body and soul. It’s both the journey and the destination. And once we learn to fully embrace the wholeness within we can begin to start connecting to the universe, the one consciousness that each and every one of us is an inseparable part of.

So if you feel pain, discomfort or tension while doing any of this, please listen to your body and back off. Return to child’s pose if necessary. Re-establish your breath. This is not the place to be pushing your body to absolute limits. There are other activities and sports where you can do that if you feel it is necessary and useful for you. Yoga is more about treating your body with kindness, love, care and respect. As it should be treated. Furthermore, how can you expect others and the society to treat you and your body with these intentions if you don’t do that yourself? It doesn’t work that way. Everything is reciprocal, everything is connected. It’s the simple law of karma. Do unto yourself as you would unto others and vice versa. It really is that simple.

So carry that feeling and that knowledge with you at all times, both on and off the mat. Move, act and speak with clear, pure intentions, with focus, love and mindful softness. And you will notice that how you carry yourself physically will reflect in your mind, your mood and energy levels. Your body will thank you for it. It will smile to you. And that, while also so simple, is a concept that so many people struggle to understand. You can see it in how people walk, sit, talk, how they move. Notice how many people are flailing their limbs around when they move. Like the limbs weren’t theirs. Like they borrowed them from someone they didn’t really like that much in the first place. Like they weren’t a part of THEM. So, move mindfully, move with grace. At least, let that be your goal.

You were given this body. Is what some yoga teachers might say. While it is true, I feel like it’s not the whole truth. Yes, you were given a body. Well, in a cosmic kind of sense we can also say you chose your body. But you were given the choice. You were given a body, but this body, the one you have right now, you made it. You made it as a cumulative effort of everything you’ve ever said, eaten, thought, drunk, smoked, injected into it, and not to mention all the work and physical activities you have chosen to do or chosen not to do. Throughout every moment, every second of the present, we are creating our own bodies in the future. In the present, we are projecting our intentions and our energy into the future through what we do, say and think. That’s the real manifestation. There’s this “The Secret”-inspired way of thinking that we can just visualize and think happy thoughts and the Universe will magically grant us anything we wish for. Now I’m not saying visualization doesn’t have a place and time, which it certainly does, both in yoga and in life, nor that you shouldn’t think happy thoughts. But that is not how it works. Everything is reciprocal. What have you done to deserve this? What did you sacrifice, what did you give? You know, we are often so preoccupied with trying to get everything that we forget to give. And it all truly begins with the giving part. You must give to receive.

So, the body that is you, right now, you earned it. You deserve it. With all its problems, imperfections, the pretty parts and the parts you might not consider as pretty. And sometimes, things might happen, and they will happen, and you might think to yourself: “What have I done to deserve this? I’ve been such a good person, why is this terrible, painful thing happening to me?” Well, it could be a number of things. Maybe it’s karma from another lifetime. Maybe it’s cosmic chance, an element of randomness in the game of life. But maybe, just maybe, it starts a butterfly effect that ends up leading you to a better place through personal growth, development and acceptance that these tough times make you undergo. But that might be years or decades later. And right now, it hurts and you don’t know why. But by accepting and embracing that unpredictability, the volatility of life as it takes us through the highs and lows, and in trusting that the whole process will lead us exactly to where we need to be, is truly finding peace.

We have to take responsibility for where and who we are today. We are not victims of our environment nor victims of society. We, as a collective, have created where we are today, and we, as individuals, have created who we are today. And if we don’t take responsibility for that or even worse, if we give that responsibility away… well, you can imagine what happens then. Somebody else will pick up that responsibility for us and you know what? They might not have the best intentions with our environments, our bodies, our minds, our current and future children. By relinquishing responsibility you relinquish power. And remember, power, it can be any kind of power, from the power of free speech to physical power to the power to make your own decisions to monetary power, ANY KIND OF POWER, if used in a mindful, focused manner in the present will be projected into the future. So, furthermore, by giving up your responsibility and power in the present, you are also relinquishing your power in the future. The upsides to all of this, however, are that:

1. We can always choose to start taking the responsibility back
2. If we use this power/responsibility in a focused manner with clear intentions, the results will start compounding on each other with huge improvements in the long run if kept up with consistency

Those of you who have some basic understanding of math and finance could easily visualize this by thinking of compounding interest or inflation over a period of decades. Those of you who have been on the self-development path might have come across the idea of “the power of tiny gains” by James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits. The idea is quite simple: your goal is to become better, every day, by 1%. If you do get better at something by just 1% every day, then in a year you will be 37 times better than you were at the beginning. That is the power of responsibility, focus and consistency. If you are not familiar with either or one of these terms, I suggest looking it up, these are very simple, yet powerful concepts that are kind of difficult to grasp intuitively. It’s quite impossible for the human brain to understand exponential functions, to think that a 1% improvement per day leads to 37x improvement in a year. Or that the US dollar, with an average inflation rate of 3.91% per year, has lost more than 86% of its purchasing power since 1971, in a timespan of just over 50 years. But it is true. It’s just math.

In responsibility lies our ability to get better. Because none of us are perfect. Nowadays it’s popular to say things like “everybody’s perfect just the way they are.” Well that sounds like a nice, fluffy idea, doesn’t it? “I’m already perfect.” Well, let’s play with this idea for a bit. Do I act as if I were perfect? Am I doing 100% of what’s best for me, my friends, family, community and my environment 100% of the time? No? Well, does it matter then? If you don’t act as if you were perfect, even though you actually were, does it even matter then whether you’re perfect or not? So there’s the first hole in this theory.

“I’m perfect.”

Takes a lot of hubris to say that out loud, huh? That’s the second thing that’s wrong with this idea. It lacks the humility, the humbleness that life should be approached with. No expectations. You should not expect to be perfect. Nor are you entitled to anything. The only thing that we are all entitled to is death. So be grateful for everything. Absolutely everything in life is immense wealth and richness because it is not the opposite. It is not death.

My third and most important point would be that just like those tough and sad and painful times we go through, being an imperfect being is an integral part of the human experience. It’s why we are able to grow, develop and evolve. By learning from our mistakes and imperfections. If we were all perfect, well, I don’t know what we would be, but we wouldn’t be human anymore. We would be something else at that point. If everybody were perfect, there would be no fluctuations in the collective human psyche, we would have nowhere to evolve to, we would stand still. And what is complete, absolute stillness? It’s death. The only time when a human body completely ceases all movement is when it’s dead. So, for now, we are not dead nor perfect. We are alive and we are present. And we use this present, this gift mindfully and with pure intentions to help create better versions of ourselves and the world in the future. Through helping and bettering ourselves we will also be more capable of helping our peers and loved ones on similar journeys.

The second key to life, and to yoga, is sacrifice. But don’t forget the first key though. It starts with the play. Now, if you play long enough and put in real effort, it morphs into something sacrificial. By investing your time and your energy, the ultimate currencies, into the play, you build it to become real, tangible and more meaningful. And only through that element of sacrifice you can start moving towards the truth. What you give to the world is yourself. Your true self. So only by staying honest and pure can you find meaning in life, your meaning in life.

In the end, this whole quest of self-development, self-improvement, becoming the best version of yourself, is actually not about you at all. Not about your ego. You are not becoming a better person for yourself. You are becoming a better person for everybody else, for the world. So that you can cherish and love and care for the people and the environment around you as best as you possibly can. There is nothing more selfless than self-development. And the way to develop, to get better, is through sacrifice.

It is important to know and keep in mind that there will be sacrifice and with it, suffering, one way or another. You are sacrificing your time as you read or listen to this. Your attention. Your energy. Every day you go to work, you go to school, you work out, you take risks, you sacrifice something. Even when you do nothing at all, you are sacrificing your time and even worse, you are sacrificing your potential.

Another useful term from economics is called opportunity cost. It is used to express the value or benefit given up by engaging in one activity as opposed to all other options. If you have $5 and the shop has ice cream, chocolate and lemonade all for sale at $5 each, then by buying ice cream, your opportunity cost is not getting the chocolate nor the lemonade. Or to save that money for later, for something entirely different. So, every single thing you do has an opportunity cost of everything else you could be doing instead. If you don’t do anything and become no one, then the opportunity cost is everything you could have done and the person you could have become. And that is the highest price you can pay for anything.

The key to keep in mind here is that you get to pick your sacrifice and you get to pick your truth. There will be suffering, yes. But you get to pick how you suffer and more importantly, what you suffer for.

Establish your breath. Slow, deep breaths, in and out through the nose. Engage your ujjayi breath if that is in your practice. In general, the idea is to establish a breathing pattern here that you would be able to maintain throughout the practice. If you look at the practice of yoga, especially if you’re new to it, you are very likely to view asana, which is the movements and the funky poses we do, breathwork and meditation as three separate and quite different parts. That’s understandable because that’s the way it seems, or at least that’s how it’s easier for our brains to make sense of it all. See, the human brain likes to categorize things and find direct, linear causations and links between causes and effects. It’s not that good at identifying and understanding complex, interconnected systems. But that is what yoga (and life) is. Not only the unity of mind, body and soul and not even only the unity between you and the universe (or the source or God, or whatever you wanna call it), but also a unity between the breath, movements and meditation. We are doing breathing exercises and meditating both in those poses as well as in moving from one to another. That is also a big reason why I personally really like long and strong holds. Because for me, it is often much easier to get into a deep meditative state when your whole body is engaged, working incredibly hard just to maintain that little bit of stillness in the body, while some or most of the muscles may already be shaking from the amount of strength required just to stay in that pose. And how do most people “fail” at meditating? Their mind wanders off. They start thinking about the past or the future or something else, lose focus from their object of meditation and won’t be present anymore. Which is kind of the point of meditation.

Now, if you’re in a plank, and have been there for the past 3 minutes, suddenly you will be very engaged in being present and in your breath, since that’s the only thing you can still regulate. The rest of the body is already giving it all. Will you start thinking about what you’re gonna have for dinner or what you said or didn’t say to that girl you like after 3 minutes in a plank? No, you probably won’t. That effort, that discomfort keeps us grounded in the moment. The seconds seem to go by slower and slower. And that’s what we want. That means we are more and more in the present, in the here and now. The slower the time goes, the more present we are. If you have ever gone through something truly traumatizing, some sort of a big accident or something similar, and you enter the panic state or the “fight or flight” mode and the seconds and the minutes seem to be going by just incredibly slowly. You probably don’t want to be present in that moment, but you will, and you will be very present. And in yoga, we are, in a sense, imitating the game of life on a smaller scale. The challenges on the mat prepare us to take on challenges in real life. We learn to listen and to trust ourselves and the universe. We learn that we always have the power to choose our reaction to whatever life throws at us.

Listen to your body. That’s the universal truth. But, again, that is not quite the whole truth. In Buddhism, there’s 2 things: compassion and emptiness. Compassion is a choice. You can decide to be compassionate, caring, loving, kind. Emptiness is seeing the world as it is, being free of delusions. Or at least knowing when you are being subject to delusion. And herein lies the problem. Our minds and our bodies are constantly trying to trick us. Because the path of least resistance is where the natural flow goes. And the things we need to work on are tough, man. A lot of resistance there. They’re uncomfortable. Awkward. Painful. But that is exactly where self development occurs. Remember which classes you used to dislike when you were in school? Probably the ones you weren’t so good at, huh? It goes both ways, of course. You also probably weren’t that good because you didn’t enjoy the class. You weren’t engaged. You weren’t excited. You weren’t even present. Or think about how easy it is to come up with all sorts of excuses as to why you should skip your workout, while you are laying on the couch eating snacks? Or better yet, how you can come up with all sorts of reasons to stick together with someone who you know isn’t the right person for you in the long run, but right now is kind of okay? Because why? You’re afraid of going out of your comfort zone? Of a tough talk? A broken heart? Letting go?

Our minds and bodies are like us. They are us. They, too, don’t like unpleasant things and they don’t like hard work, even though they may know it is good for them in the long run. They crave for the easy pleasures, now. The hours on a sofa watching Netflix, or worse, scrolling social media. The sugary sweets. The drugs. The porn. The comforting delusions. We must recognize and free ourselves from those delusions. Deep down, we know what’s right and what’s wrong for us. And nobody else can know it for us. The choice is ours, a hard life now and an easy life later or an easy life now and terrible, unforeseeable and sometimes even unimaginable consequences later.

The easiest path is usually not the right one for us. It will lead us to places where we actually don’t want to end up. The easiest path can take many forms. It can be not taking care of yourself. Not being true to your feelings. Conforming with other people’s ideas even though you don’t believe in them. Sticking to your old ways even though you are not getting any fulfillment from them. So be mindful of your path, your posture, your actions, words and thoughts. Disengage from the goals and the destination. Focus on the journey and the direction.

Religious people often speak about “being close to God,” but I think most people completely misinterpret the actual meaning of the phrase. It’s not about your proximity to God, or how much you please him. It’s about becoming God. About embodying as many of his qualities in yourself as you possibly can. About being the creator of your own destiny. Being close to God should mean being close to the status of a God.

In the end, we are all divine creators floating in the infinity of the universe that has been condensed to just the here and now, where everything happens. Nothing happens in the past and nothing happens in the future, everything that happens and ever will happen, happens only now, only in the present.

Once you learn to see the beauty in everything you can see the divine in everything.

Because

beauty is indistinguishable from divinity.

AFTERWORD

21.12.2022

The Basics of Yoga represents my underlying framework for seeing and experiencing the world. It’s a summary of life lessons and ideas I’ve formulated so far.

I don’t think any of the thoughts presented here are unique or original. This is more of an aggregation of ideas, sources of which would be too many to identify and reference. What I will say is where these ideas did not originate from. They did not originate from the traditional education system. They did not originate from mainstream media. They did not originate from any government-appointed officials, boards or organizations.

The Basics of Yoga was written between 9 November and 20 December 2022 and is a work in progress. If you have any comments, thoughts or counterarguments to any of my points, feel free to reach out to me via email or social media.

You can find me online: https://vida.page/mckontext

This information can be freely copied, modified, built upon and redistributed as long as you give credit where credit is due. I do not think copyright laws are useful for us anymore at a time when we are moving towards (digital) abundance.

Downloads available (.pdf & .mp3): Gumroad ; Mega.nz All original photos used in the article available on my Unsplash page

Digital scarcity only makes sense in digital money, not information. That being said, if you did find this text useful for yourself or your loved ones, feel free to support me on my path materially by sending me some Bitcoin:

On-chain: bc1q2lz2su4uyf0tmyz4c07my70u8jzaz4wcm5t5ph

Via Lightning: mckontext@getalby.com

Thank you so much for your attention and I hope you had as much fun reading this as I did writing it.

Much love, Kontext

@ db8f291d:4cc51dd0

Dear Technocrats

Open letter to the powers who ought not be

By Joel Walbert

Aug 8, 2022

Dear technocrats,

What a wild two+ years its been. So many ups and down, wins and loses. And I want to thank you for the wonderful job you all did. But make no mistake, it is not for the reason you would think or expect. For now, I will not be discussing your scamdemic. Or your lies. Or the lives intentionally destroyed. Or what amount to a highly coordinated global genocide. What more can be said that already hasn’t. This isn’t about you and I will not feed your vampiric desire to feed off negative energy. Your feast will become famine. You see, this is about something much bigger and far more powerful than all you mental midgets and pygmy assclowns could ever hope to be. To put it bluntly, you fucked up. Badly.

Many of us have long known your game. Maybe you thought we didn't exist. Maybe you thought our numbers were too small to make a difference. But one thing you could not have expected was our numbers growing exponentially, because of you and your constant lies. You have aroused something in the People of the world, something that cannot be ignored no matter how much you Mockingbird presstitutes try to cover for you. Nor can it be contained and your pathetic attempts to label us terrorists will ultimately come back to haunt you. Be careful what you ask for. You are all small minded and short sighted, and your blind arrogance caused you to never see us coming.

So with all that in mind, right here, right now, and on behalf of the People of the world, I hereby firmly declare, without qualification

WE REJECT

your GMO franken-food

your fluoridated water

your fake meat

your insects

your fraudulent covid tests

your gene altering Operation Warp Speed bio-weapon

your doomed attempts to kontrol of OUR food

your digital IDs

your 24/7 panopticon

your bio-security police state

your petty attempts to divide us

your cowardly attempts to disarm us

your attempted silencing of those with whom you disagree

your ‘current thing’ distractions

and most importantly, we reject your ill gotten illusion of authority

We will not comply, we will not compromise, we will not surrender.

The system was already broken. You just showed us how far gone it truly is. You took the weak, but the weak were already lost. But the one thing you succeeded in most, you made the strong stronger when we realized we are not alone. The lions have awakened, and whatever happens, you have no one to blame but yourselves. You cannot break the unbreakable.

Sincerely,

The Righteously Indignant of the world

originally published at https://thetruthaddict.substack.com/

@ 61066504:6f8715e9

I'm going to attempt to explain the origin framework of weaponized migration, without sounding racist. Wish me luck.

The modern warfare strategy of weaponized migration grew out of events in former Yugoslavia from 1996-2000. Without going too deep into causes, which are complex, these are the events:

The citizens of a poor, post communist country (Albania) crossed borders en masse into a more wealthy and stable country (Serbia) for obvious reasons. Over time, the friction between ethic Serbians, and ethnic Albanians began to show. These are the kinds of things people dont want to hear, but are observably true... at a cultural level, petty crime was more prevalent in the Albanian culture than it was in the Serbian culture. Albanian culture is louder, and more extroverted than Serbian culture. More demonstrative. Serbian culture is more stoic, precise, and proud. Albania is culturally Muslim, Serbia is culturally Orthodox. Like individuals, cultures have personalities. And sometimes, like people, they don't get along. Its just a reality. These cultural differences created a cultural rift, and a growing cultural resentment.
When Milosevic came to power, he capitalized on these tensions, and used them to gain power. He then started a deportation program. This is where it gets sketchy. The neolibs will deny this, but at the beginning, the deportations were relatively peaceful, deporting people who had not gone through the immigration process, but allowing for legal immigration. But this didn't last. The UN started poking their nose into things, making demands of a sovereign nation, which really pissed Serbia off. So they went scorched earth. Literally. Serbians started rounding up Albanians in earnest, and forcing them back over the border. Then the burning of homes and villages started.

How do I know this? I was there. I saw it go down.

Then the UN convinced Bill Clinton to start bombing the Serbian military and police infrastructure. Then the UN sent "peace keeping troops" (western militaries) into Kosovo, restructured the government, and they have controlled it ever since.

After these events, high level academics were hired to do in depth studies of what occurred, and produce reports. These reports were commissioned by the UN, and George Soros' Open Society Foundation. How do I know this? One of my close friends from highschool, a Stanford PHD, was one of the people hired to do this. Side note, I took the portrait photograph for the back of her book. Another side note, I recently learned that this friend was chased out of Hungary, for being involved in what the Hungarian government called "Soros funded destabilization efforts".

Based on this, and other bits of information that have filtered in over the years, it is my belief that these analysis reports were used by Intel agencies and Open Society Foundation think tanks to create a form of destabilization weapon using migration.

The strategy, which follows, is relatively simple:

1. Identify target borders.
2. Establish and fund NGO framework within migration region.
3. Begin to promote the idea of migration in the population, and provide resources for their migration.
4. Train media groups to stage front facing image, and use corporate media to romanticize the "plight of the migrant", while attacking citizens who protest as "heartless racists"
5. Push for a 20% migration density, so that an established minority can be achieved.
6. Using social media, begin to stoke division. Promote ideas of racism is keeping migrants down, and migrants are destroying the country.
7. Stage violence.
8. Push for UN intervention.

If you have a hard time believing that forces within the UN, with the assistance of Intel agencies, the CCP and Open Societies would intentionally do something like this, I understand. And you are entitled to your opinion. I would just suggest that you do some research into the many claims of media propaganda teams which have been seen working in these situations. I would also suggest there are some mega-billionaires who are heavily invested in a UN controlled world with China playing the predominant role.

I would also suggest that you take a good look at what is happening in France right now, and what is happening along the U.S. southern border, and ask yourself... "are there forces behind this trying to destabilize the west?"

I offer one last thought... The migrants are not to blame. They are doing what they believe is in their best interest. They are being told they are headed for a better life. They are not our enemy. They, like us, are pawns in a power game. If you would fight back, do not fight back the way the power elite would want you to, which is to attack the migrants. In fact, show them what the power elite want to do to their children. What they have been doing. Show them that the power elite intend to use them as slaves and political pawns. Show them that with these people in power, they will enslave everyone. Then, if possible, join forces to study, thwart, destabilize, and overturn the forces trying to destabilize and gain control of the world.

Amicus meus, inimicus inimici mei

@ 9208893f:ea725154

Noasting on highlighter. Will it appear on Iris.to?

TBD...

@ 56cc5caf:ff5b3ec1

Figuring out a pretty specific question - what is the minimum I need to generate a bitcoin address? As in, if I do NOT have the private key loaded into a wallet software, what can I use to generate the next n addresses for a given private key? zpub?

Okay, some digging and it appears I can generate a zpub offline (from my seed phrase), and once I have the zpub, I can generate receiving addresses.

I think there is some value in appreciating appropriate security measures for seeds and zpubs. I can pretty easily create "wallet" addresses, or at least seed phrases. Dice roll method, in a pinch. Once I have that seed or seeds, we assume those need to be kept ridiculously private, as anyone with a seed can sign the transfer of any coin in any address (utxo) derived from that seed.

utxos are public. they are part of the public ledger on the bitcoin timechain.

zpubs (or xpubs/ypubs) - well, we don't really think about them. But, from a zpub, one can view all transactions with all addresses derived from a seed (or at least all p2wpkh addresses). While you might still possess your bitcoin, whoever has your zpub sees all. I think transaction obfuscation with coinjoin or lightning might help hide some things still, but I think you would still need to consider your bitcoin's security compromised.

So should I ever store an zpub online? What about giving it to a "trusted" 3rd party? I mean, that's part of the point, right - that someone paying you repeatedly can do so to a new address each time?

Anyone following along knows I advocate a layered approach to bitcoin storage; there are reasons to use many different approaches to coin storage, including custodial and less secure methods.

Your most secure cold storage - for many, part of some kind of multi-signature scheme, still has a single point of compromise - the zpub. So for something this secure, maybe you should never see that zpub. Ever. As best you can. Once you create the wallet, using as much offline air gapped options as possible, and generate some receiving addresses, that all goes poof! If you need to create more receiving addresses in the future, maybe you can re-engineer the wallet to re-produce the zpub and derive more addresses, but maybe not - maybe you just sweep it into a new highly secure air-gapped wallet. I suppose you're still going to have to restore the wallet to sign the sweep. I can leave that choice up to you, but I lean toward the new secure location, as any interaction with a super-secure wallet may compromise it.

But maybe there is an opportunity for a layer here that you obviously secure the seed using every option available to you, but keep your zpub a little more accessible. This option can be used to take payments from untrusted sources. Maybe from there they go through a round of coinjoin before moving to your ultra-secure storage, or maybe they never move there. Maybe they are the destination of your coin-join rounds, before getting swept to ultra-secure storage.

Worth some thinking. Consider in your lifetime, for your ultra-secure storage, how many times you will want to withdraw from that storage? maybe 5 times or less? maybe 10 times or less?

Then, how many times would you want to add to that storage? less than 100 times? If you could generate 100 receiving addresses at the creation of the storage, and keep those somewhat secure, but maybe divided up into 10s or something and distributed between various locations/media/etc, maybe that is good enough for that approach.

Then considering the next layer, your layer with a stored zpub, so you can create addresses whenever, and take regular payments from trusted sources - what becomes acceptable security for that zpub? Do you trust Google Drive with it? Proton Drive? I mean, you gave it to Braiins so they could pay out your mining rewards, and Swan so you could get your DCA sats into your cold storage, is it going to hurt having that same zpub on someone's cloud storage network?

Or is that another layer, one created for "trusted" sources specifically, or a different wallet created for each source? I say trusted in as much as we will ever trust anything, obviously we will never absolutely trust a third party, but we can maintain some level of trust where incentives seem to be aligned.

Then there are layers for untrusted inbound sats, untrusted payment, general commerce, untrusted zapping with some guy on the internet's new thing that might work out some day and is OpEnSoUrCe and fOsS, but you never looked at the code... And your decisions on how to treat BOTH the seed phrase (or xpriv) and the zpub should be based on your own risk tolerances around each layer.

https://mycrypto.tools/img/bitcoinaddress.png

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Self-Sovereign Identity Wallets: A Deep Dive

In the realm of digital identity, Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) wallets have emerged as a critical tool for managing private keys and correlating them with public keys. This article, based on a video by Volodymyr Pavlyshyn, delves into the intricacies of SSI wallets and their role in the broader context of digital identity.

Understanding SSI Wallets

At their core, SSI wallets are managers of private keys. In the context of cryptocurrency, this function is straightforward. The wallet manages the private keys, and all the information is stored on the blockchain. However, when it comes to SSI, the situation becomes more complex.

In SSI, you have physical assets like verifiable credentials (VCs), which are typically in the form of JSON-LD or other formats like CBOR. These assets need to be managed and correlated with the Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs), which are the digital identities of the users.

The Challenge of Correlation

One of the most crucial and often misunderstood functions of an SSI wallet is the correlation between public keys, private keys, and DIDs. When you want to sign a credential, you need to manage the relationship between these elements effectively.

For instance, if your private key disappears, you need to manage not just your DID document but also the DID documents of all your relations. This opens up a vast and fascinating world of trust registries, address books, and concepts. The primary function of the identity wallet is to manage your identity's relations to other people.

Channels and Connections

In the SSI world, channels can be a significant aspect. They are not an open standard, but they offer something on the representation layer. For example, KERI (Key Event Receipt Infrastructure) provides key event logs and other features.

Connections in an SSI wallet depend on the environment. If you're working in an environment with git-com, you already have the connections. However, it's essential to understand that a wallet is a passive entity that just manages your keys.

If you want to take part in active interactions like credential exchange, you need to be online and reachable. This is where an agent comes in. An agent is like a wallet on steroids. It has access to your assets and keys and can operate online on your behalf.

Persistence of Credentials

After all the DID management, you need to have some kind of persistence for your credentials. This might seem obvious, but it's a critical aspect of SSI wallets.

The Role of Revocation Lists

In the SSI landscape, it's not uncommon for entities to act as issuers, verifiers, and holders. This means that you're not just owning credentials but also issuing them to others. In such cases, if you want to issue revocable credentials, you'll need to store and publicly publish your revocation lists.

To make your revocation lists public, you'll need a wallet, an agent, and a mechanism to make these lists accessible. You have a couple of options here. You could host your own agent that will own the revocation lists and make them available. Alternatively, you could create something called an SSI Hub, which has authorization functions, can work with multi-tenancy, and host multiple revocation lists for different users and DIDs.

SSI Wallets: More Than Just Wallets

As you can see, an SSI wallet is rarely just a wallet. It's often a combination of a wallet, several agents, relays that build the network, and SSI hubs that can store a large number of credentials. These hubs can be larger than your phone or app,

serving multiple users. However, every hub can be turned into an agent if it's used by a single user.

Another interesting topic in the SSI world is messaging. Some messaging comes with DIDs, requiring you to persist the messages and organize the threads. However, that's a topic for another discussion.

Building an SSI Ecosystem

If you decide to build an SSI ecosystem, you'll need to create a network of wallets and integrate these wallets into the enterprise world. You'll always be faced with the challenge of solving the SSI wallet problem.

While some ecosystems have partially solved this, there's still no perfect solution. The quest for the perfect wallet continues, and it might just be that you'll have to build your own.

This article provides an overview of the entities that exist in the SSI landscape and need to be covered by a combination of wallets, agents, and hubs. It's a complex and evolving field, but with the right tools and understanding, it's possible to navigate it effectively.

The world of SSI is still in its early stages, and there's plenty of room for innovation and improvement. Whether you're a developer looking to build your own SSI wallet or an enterprise looking to integrate SSI into your operations, the opportunities are vast and exciting.

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Você já se perguntou como é uma verdadeira experiência de meditação? Nesse post você vai desvendar os relatos de Yogananda:

• Despertar para uma nova realidade
• A consciência cósmica e a lei de causa e efeito
• A beatitude e a unidade com o divino
• O retorno à realidade cotidiana
• Encontrando o equilíbrio

A maioria das pessoas está a procura de viver um propósito singular, uma conexão profunda com algo que está além do mundo físico. Nessa busca por mais compreensão e prosperidade, a vida te leva a explorar novos caminhos, como a meditação. Apesar de ser praticante há bastante tempo, eu ainda não cheguei (e nem sei se vou) no último estágio meditativo. Por esse motivo, vou me fazer valer de uma referência para que você consiga ter uma breve noção dessa experiência. No livro Autobiografia de um Iogue, Yogananda descreve uma das suas vivências ao lado de seu mestre, Sri Yuktéswar. Além das percepções do iogue, o trecho revela a importância do equilíbrio entre a busca espiritual e os deveres do dia a dia.

Despertar para uma nova realidade

No relato, o protagonista é conduzido a uma experiência profunda e transformadora por meio da meditação, segundo ele, o mundo ao seu redor se expande em uma magnífica visão panorâmica. A consciência se liberta das amarras do físico, e você se torna parte integrante de tudo que te cerca. Essa visão abrangente do universo revela uma alegria inesgotável e uma compreensão profunda da existência. Yogananda percebe que o corpo é apenas uma parte limitada de sua identidade, enquanto sua essência abraça cada átomo e cada ser em uma conexão cósmica.

A consciência cósmica e a lei de causa e efeito

Durante essa experiência, o iogue percebe que tudo no universo está interconectado. Ele testemunha a vibração constante dos objetos e a transformação das formas. Essa dança cósmica revela a lei de causa e efeito em ação. Cada elemento está em constante mudança, se unindo e se separando, em uma manifestação contínua da criação. Essa compreensão profunda da interdependência de todas as coisas desperta nele um sentimento de glória e admiração.

A beatitude e a unidade com o divino

No clímax da experiência, Yogananda compreende que o Espírito de Deus é uma fonte inesgotável de bem-aventurança. Ele percebe que o corpo humano é composto de tecidos de luz divina. Sua percepção se estende além dos limites do mundo físico, abrangendo cidades, continentes, sistemas solares e constelações. O protagonista se conecta com a totalidade do cosmo, imerso em uma luz suave e eterna. Essa visão transcende a forma e revela a natureza sutil do universo.

O retorno à realidade cotidiana

No entanto, tão rapidamente quanto essa experiência surge, ela também desaparece. O protagonista volta a sua forma humana limitada, se sentindo desapontado por perder a conexão com a vastidão cósmica. Seu mestre, Sri Yuktéswar, então ensina uma valiosa lição ao pedir que ele volte a varrer o chão e realize as tarefas simples do dia a dia. Ele enfatiza a importância de não se deixar levar pelo êxtase espiritual, mas sim de encontrar o equilíbrio entre a expansão da alma e o cumprimento dos deveres terrenos.

Encontrando o equilíbrio

Esse ensinamento lança luz ao fato de que, embora você busque o conhecimento e a transcendência, ainda assim você deve estar presente e comprometido com as demandas do mundo material. A questão crucial está em encontrar um equilíbrio entre a busca espiritual e as responsabilidades cotidianas. Ao expandir sua consciência, você deve permanecer enraizado na sua vida aqui, cumprindo seus deveres e compartilhando seu desenvolvimento com o mundo ao seu redor.

Finalmente, posso afirmar que a experiência descrita no texto original revela a beleza e a grandiosidade da conexão cósmica e da expansão espiritual. No entanto, também relembra a importância de encontrar harmonia na jornada pessoal. Quando você se conecta a grandiosidade Divina, não deve deixar de lado a vida terrena, mas continuar a realizar suas obrigações com dedicação e consciência. Segundo Yogananda, o segredo está em expandir a alma sobre os abismos cósmicos enquanto o corpo executa suas atividades mundanas. Encontrar esse equilíbrio nos permite viver uma vida plena e significativa.

Antes de ir, quero convidar você a descobrir o poder da meditação e encontrar equilíbrio entre a busca espiritual e os deveres diários. Desperte para uma nova realidade e viva uma vida plena. Conheça o ACERVO aqui e comece sua jornada de transformação agora!

---

Referência

Yogananda, P. (1999). Autobiografia de um Iogue. São Paulo: Self-Realization Fellowship.

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Growing up in New York City in the 1960s, I used to look forward to the Fourth of July in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. We lived in Queens, not far from Shea Stadium and my beloved New York Mets, but we always spent “The Fourth” with my cousins and grandparents in Brooklyn. Things were different back then. Nobody drove to a local park or beach to watch fireworks. The holiday was a participatory event.

My uncle worked in “The City”, the place that everyone in the rest of the world called Manhattan, so he would pick up our arsenal in June from Chinatown, which is where everyone got their fireworks. He paid cash, and my dad would split the cost with him later. My father and uncle loved the Fourth of July almost as much as I did. Before sundown, I would be allowed to shoot off some of the small stuff, usually individual “mat” firecrackers and a few bottle rockets. Later, my uncle would drag a giant old metal milk bucket filled with sand into the street. That’s when the real fun started. Family lore has it that my father had me hold a lit roman candle in the middle of the street when I was two or three years old. I have no memory of the event, but apparently my mother was furious at him, fearing that I would get hurt. I didn’t. As a matter of fact, no one I knew ever got hurt. We’d hear rumors and see articles in the newspapers every year, but I never met anyone who lost an eye or a finger.

Why did we have to get the fireworks from Chinatown? I don’t know. Back then, different ethnic groups controlled different parts of the economy in the city. The Chinese had the fireworks, Koreans controlled flower shops, the Jews sold bagels and knishes, and Italians like us had the pizza market cornered. The one thing all these groups had in common was the dollar, “the long green.” Checks and credit cards were rare back then, and were used only to pay the rent, mortgage and utilities. There would be stories about how the New York underground economy was costing the city millions of dollars a year. Nobody cared. Everyone just paid their bills and fed their kids.

I guess I should point out that fireworks were illegal in New York City back then. I didn’t even know they were illegal until I was a teenager. The sound of explosions that could be heard every Fourth of July in Bensonhurst could make you think World War 3 had started, yet I never remember seeing a cop. Old ladies would pull out folding chairs or sit on the “stoop” to enjoy the show. No one was inside. Sure, there was the occasional squabble when an errant bottle rocket would take out a neighbor’s flowerpot, but no one would even think of calling the police. It was one big party. The cops lived in the neighborhood too, and they were probably igniting their own stash.

There was a different feel back then. I’m not saying that everyone loved the police, but your average citizen didn’t fear that the SWAT team might show up. This was before police departments were militarized with overpriced weaponry sold to the Defense Department by Raytheon. This was back when constitutional protections still meant something. This was before Nixon cut the last remaining ties to a gold conversion in 1971, unleashing a fiat tidal wave. No, things were not perfect back then, and maybe I’m just an old man longing for days gone by, but sometimes I feel like I don’t recognize the country where I was born.

When I was a kid, whenever you got into an argument with one of your friends over something, the discussion would always end with the refrain “It’s a free country. I can do what I want.”

I doubt anyone says that anymore.

Originally Published On Stacker News, July 3, 2023

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Test blog 1

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Lexi Reese desafia Elon Musk no Twitter e anuncia candidatura ao Senado pela Califórnia

Lexireese #elonmusk #Mundo #Tecnologia #Noticias

https://open.substack.com/pub/technewsbr/p/lexi-reese-desafia-elon-musk-no-twitter?r=1zp81j&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

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Introduction

As we navigate through the transformative labyrinth of blockchain technology, it’s vital to cast a critical eye on the trajectory of Ethereum. According to its co-founder, Vitalik Buterin, there are several considerable challenges that could cause Ethereum’s downfall if not adequately addressed.

The first hurdle is the L2 scaling transition. As blockchain’s capabilities expand and demand grows, Ethereum needs to provide a scalable solution that maintains its decentralisation ethos. It’s an issue of balance — without this, users may be discouraged by high transaction costs and resort to centralised workarounds, negating Ethereum’s core selling point.

Secondly, Ethereum’s wallet security transition must continue to evolve. Like a seasoned fortress guard, Ethereum must ensure the security of users’ assets. If users can’t trust Ethereum to protect their funds, they may flock to centralised exchanges — another potential nail in Ethereum’s coffin.

Lastly, privacy is paramount in today’s digital world. If Ethereum cannot provide a robust privacy-preserving mechanism, it risks losing users to centralised solutions that can offer at least some data protection.

This article will delve into the three primary reasons, as highlighted by Buterin, that could cause Ethereum to fail. By examining these potential pitfalls, we aim to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of Ethereum’s trajectory, equipping you with the necessary insights needed to navigate and stay ahead of the curve. Get ready to embark on this enlightening journey through the looking glass of Vitalik Buterin’s foresight.

I. What is Ethereum?

Ethereum, the brainchild of the brilliant programmer Vitalik Buterin and the second largest cryptocurrency by market cap, has marked its presence in the industry as a groundbreaking platform that revolutionised blockchain technology with its introduction of smart contracts. Its significance goes beyond just being a digital currency with the second biggest market cap behind Bitcoin. Ethereum has fostered an entire ecosystem for decentralised applications (DApps) and has been the bedrock for numerous other cryptocurrencies.

Source: https://ethereum.org/en/

Ethereum represents an interconnected ecosystem of diverse communities and toolsets, empowering individuals to transact and communicate independent of centralised control. In contrast to traditional systems, Ethereum allows you to maintain sovereignty over your data, sharing only what you choose. Ethereum’s native cryptocurrency, Ether, facilitates various operations within the network.

Debuted in 2015, Ethereum expands upon the groundbreaking concept introduced by Bitcoin, with several distinctive features. Both platforms enable the use of digital currencies, bypassing the need for banks or payment providers. However, Ethereum introduces programmability, allowing for the creation and deployment of decentralised applications on its platform.

While Bitcoin allows for simple value transfer messages, Ethereum elevates this concept: it doesn’t just enable message exchanges, but also allows for the creation of any general program or contract. This limitless contract creation potential sparks immense innovation within the Ethereum network.

Unlike Bitcoin, which serves mainly as a payment network, Ethereum functions as a diverse marketplace. It hosts a variety of services, including financial platforms, games, and social networks. These applications respect user privacy and resist censorship, solidifying Ethereum’s unique position in the digital world.

II. The Three-Legged Stool Metaphor: Ethereum’s Three Crucial Elements

Source: https://vitalik.ca/general/2023/06/09/three_transitions.html

Imagine for a moment, a three-legged stool. This unassuming object is a perfect metaphor for understanding the intricate balance required to ensure Ethereum’s success. Just as the stool needs all three of its legs to remain upright, Ethereum relies on three fundamental elements to thrive: Layer 2 (L2) scaling, Wallet Security, and Privacy. These three elements are intrinsically linked, each playing a crucial role in Ethereum’s functionality, and should one falter, the entire system risks collapse. These are not to be confused with the Blockchain Trilemma which refers to the fact that no blockchain has been able to optimise three qualities simultaneously, decentralisation, security, and scalability.

The first leg of our metaphorical stool, L2 scaling, is vital for Ethereum’s ability to handle increased usage. Imagine a bustling pub with a lone bartender struggling to serve an ever-growing crowd. In this scenario, L2 scaling is akin to hiring additional bartenders — it enables Ethereum to process transactions faster, avoiding the pitfall of exorbitant costs per transaction. Without efficient L2 scaling, Ethereum transactions could cost upwards of $3.75 ($82.48 during a bull run), prompting users to seek centralised workarounds, thus destabilising our stool.

The second leg, Wallet Security, is akin to the trust we place in the stool’s stability. Users must feel secure storing their funds and assets within the system. Without robust wallet security, users may retreat to centralised exchanges, introducing an imbalance in the system akin to a wobbly stool leg.

Privacy, the third leg, is no less important than the others. Public visibility of all transactions is a privacy sacrifice too great for many users, who may turn to centralised solutions that offer at least a semblance of data concealment. Without strong privacy measures, Ethereum risks losing a large segment of its users, again threatening to tip the stool over.

In essence, maintaining the balance of these three elements — L2 scaling, Wallet Security, and Privacy — is critical for Ethereum’s success. They work in harmony, each one as important as the other, reinforcing the platform’s stability, just as the three legs of a stool support the seat. Failure to achieve balance in these elements could be disastrous, tipping our stool and destabilising Ethereum itself.

III. The First Leg: L2 Scaling

Source: https://vitalik.ca/general/2023/06/09/three_transitions.html

A predominant challenge Ethereum faces in its quest for universal adoption is the monumental transition to Layer 2 (L2) scaling. Vitalik Buterin, the spearhead of Ethereum, emphasises that this shift is imperative for the survival of Ethereum. Without L2 scaling, Ethereum risks becoming prohibitively expensive for the average user, with each transaction costing as much as $3.75, or a staggering $82.48 in the event of another bull run.

This mounting concern is much like a bustling city with a single highway. As the city grows, the highway becomes increasingly congested, slowing down traffic and creating frustration. The Ethereum network, in its current form, is like that single highway. As the demand for transactions increases, the network becomes overwhelmed, resulting in skyrocketing transaction fees and lengthy processing times. The solution? Building additional highways or in the case of Ethereum, implementing L2 scaling.

L2 scaling involves moving much of the computational load off the main Ethereum chain (Layer 1) and onto ‘side chains’ or Layer 2 networks. These side chains can process transactions more swiftly and at a lower cost, much like additional highways that ease traffic congestion.

However, this transition is not without its challenges. It requires users to adapt to a new framework, one where they exist on multiple L2s instead of having a singular address. This shift is similar to having multiple bank accounts across various institutions, each serving a different purpose, rather than relying on a single account.

Source: https://vitalik.ca/general/2023/06/09/three_transitions.html

There’s already evidence of this trend, for instance, Optimism’s use for ExampleDAO, ZkSync’s implementation for stablecoin systems, and Kakarot’s application for other use cases. In each instance, users have to create an account on the respective L2, diluting the notion of a single address user.

The transition to L2 scaling is as challenging as it is essential. For Ethereum to continue its journey towards becoming a global, open, and permissionless platform, the migration to L2 scaling is a hurdle that must be crossed.

IV. The Second Leg: Wallet Security

Source: https://ethereum.org/en/

The second crux point in the Ethereum ecosystem, as highlighted by Buterin, is wallet security. Wallet security is an essential feature in the cryptocurrency landscape, acting as the first line of defence against unauthorised access and potential theft of digital assets. As digital wallets are a crucial component in the overall functioning of the Ethereum blockchain, any security concerns or breaches can be detrimental, resulting in significant loss and reducing trust in the platform.

A key challenge Ethereum faces is the potential failure of wallet security. In essence, if Ethereum fails to provide users with robust and reliable wallet security, there’s a high probability that users will migrate their funds to centralised exchanges. Centralised exchanges can offer advanced security measures such as two-factor authentication, cold storage, and insurance against potential theft, making them a more attractive option for storing digital assets.

There are several instances in the past where Ethereum’s wallet security has been compromised, leading to adverse effects on the ecosystem. For example, in 2017, the Ethereum-based company Parity faced a significant security breach where an attacker exploited a vulnerability in their multi-signature wallet, resulting in the loss of over $30 million worth of Ether. The breach not only led to a significant financial loss but also shook the trust in Ethereum’s wallet security.

Such events underscore the importance of developing advanced security features for digital wallets in the Ethereum ecosystem. Without proper wallet security, Ethereum risks losing users and their trust in the platform’s ability to secure their assets. Thus, in order for Ethereum to succeed and maintain its position in the crypto landscape, it must place a strong emphasis on enhancing wallet security and ensuring the safe storage of digital assets. It is a matter that warrants utmost priority in Ethereum’s development roadmap.

V. The Third Leg — Privacy

Source: https://vitalik.ca/general/2023/06/09/three_transitions.html

An architecture that separates verification logic and asset holdings.

Privacy is the third pillar of Ethereum’s tripartite construct, tasked with the immense responsibility of preserving confidentiality in transactions across the Ethereum network. However, as we continue to navigate through the digital labyrinth, we must confront the reality that privacy in Ethereum’s operations is not as secure as we’d like to believe.

The very nature of blockchain is to be a public ledger, a record keeper of every transaction, every interaction between users. In Ethereum, every transaction, every Proof of Attendance Protocol (POAP), is visible for anyone to see. In principle, this provides transparency, an essential element for trust in any transaction. But it simultaneously poses a significant challenge to personal and transactional privacy. This public nature of transactions reveals an uncomfortable amount of information about the parties involved and their dealings, leading to potential misuse.

If privacy measures are inadequate or fail, it has profound implications for the entire Ethereum ecosystem. One significant consequence could be the exodus of users and businesses towards centralised solutions. These centralised solutions, while not perfect, offer a veil of secrecy that Ethereum, in its current state, cannot.

Ethereum’s history isn’t devoid of instances where privacy was breached, leading to severe consequences. Notably, in 2016, the Decentralised Autonomous Organization (DAO) hack saw the loss of $60 million Ether. In another instance, a privacy breach in 2020 led to Ethereum’s “accidental hard fork,” a glitch that saw Ethereum splitting into two separate blockchains. Such events sow seeds of doubt, shake user confidence, and ultimately lead to a decline in Ethereum’s credibility.

In conclusion, the success of Ethereum and its ambitious goal to transition into a mature tech stack relies heavily on how well it can handle the delicate balance between transparency and privacy. Failing to address this critical concern could destabilise Ethereum’s foundational structure and impede its evolution into a global, open, and permissionless experience.

VI. Challenges in Addressing these Transitions

Source: https://vitalik.ca/general/2023/06/09/three_transitions.html

Adapting to these monumental transitions will inevitably reshape the familiar relationship between Ethereum users and addresses, with the potential to create a far more complex landscape. Let’s take the L2 scaling transition as an example. In this new world, users would no longer be tied to a single address. Instead, they’d possess multiple accounts across various Layer 2 solutions, each with its unique address. This change is far from cosmetic — it introduces a new level of complexity and potential confusion for users accustomed to operating with just one address.

But the challenges are not just limited to the users’ perspective. These transitions demand significant adjustments from the developers’ side too. As noted by Buterin, the existing mental model of “one user ~= one address” is being gradually eroded, replaced with the need to coordinate interactions across different addresses, L2s, and applications. This transformation requires deep, fundamental changes in the way we interact with Ethereum, which may initially seem daunting. The difficulty lies in coordinating these efforts across the entire ecosystem to ensure a smooth transition.

For example, simple actions like paying someone would now require more information than just a 20-byte address. It would entail the recipient providing their Layer 2 solution alongside their address, and the sender’s wallet automatically routing funds to the designated L2 via a bridging system. This is just one example of the many alterations that need to occur in the Ethereum ecosystem.

These complexities, while intimidating, underscore the transformative power of the transitions. They signal a shift away from outdated paradigms and the advent of a more robust and scalable Ethereum ecosystem. However, it requires an unwavering commitment from all stakeholders to ensure these transitions are managed effectively and efficiently, and to ultimately secure the longevity of Ethereum.

VII. Moving Forward: Can Ethereum Withstand the Weight?

Despite these significant challenges, Ethereum is not standing idly by. To counteract scalability issues, developers are turning to rollups — layer 2 solutions designed to handle transactions off-chain before bundling them together and adding them to the main Ethereum chain. This increases throughput and decreases costs, all while maintaining the security guarantees of the main chain.

In terms of wallet security, efforts are underway to transition users to smart contract wallets. These provide a more secure storage solution, leveraging the inherent security mechanisms within Ethereum itself.

Privacy is being tackled through various innovative techniques, such as Zero-Knowledge Proofs, which allow users to prove ownership without revealing any significant information.

Vitalik’s solutions to these challenges are founded on an architecture that separates verification logic and asset holdings. Through keystore contracts, verification logic could be placed in one location, with different pointers to different addresses on L2s — significantly reducing the complexity of dealing with multiple addresses and the associated security risks.

Ethereum has significant challenges ahead, yet its continuous evolution and development suggest that it is prepared to confront these issues head-on. The direction the platform is headed indicates not only an awareness of its potential pitfalls but also a strong commitment to overcoming them and progressing towards a secure, private, and scalable future. This resilience to challenge and adapt is precisely what makes Ethereum an exciting prospect in the blockchain space.

Conclusion As we demystify the potential pitfalls of Ethereum, it’s evident that the pathway ahead is laced with challenges. Vitalik Buterin’s forewarnings, particularly surrounding scaling, wallet security, and privacy issues are not to be ignored. As investors and enthusiasts, it’s critical we remain cognizant and diligent in understanding these complexities. But let’s not forget, Ethereum, like the larger crypto market, is in a constant state of evolution. Our challenge is not insurmountable; the journey towards the maturity of this technology continues. It’s incumbent upon us all to stay informed, adapt, and work towards creating a resilient, secure, and user-friendly Ethereum.

By：Master Ventures Link：https://masterventures.medium.com/the-three-reasons-ethereum-could-fail-according-to-vitalik-buterin-43960f054fd1

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Unlocking the Future of Finance: Leveraging Generative AI for Precision Cryptocurrency Forecasting — A New Dawn in Investment Strategy, Market Analysis and Risk Management, Dissecting Volatility and Embracing Complexity.

The intersection of cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence (AI) represents one of the most exciting frontiers in modern finance. The possibility of leveraging AI’s vast predictive capabilities for the analysis of crypto trends presents a wealth of opportunities, particularly for investors and analysts. Among various AI branches, generative models, known for their ability to create new data instances, emerge as a potent tool for crypto prediction. This article delves into the fascinating world of crypto prediction using generative AI, exploring its principles, applications, challenges, and future potential.

Generative AI: A Primer

Generative AI: A Primer — Crafting Tomorrow’s Reality Today, Unleashing the Power of Synthetic Data to Predict, Create, and Innovate Across Boundaries.

To understand the concept of generative AI, we need first to unpack the meaning of generative models. In the realm of machine learning, generative models are algorithms capable of creating new data instances that resemble the training set. These models learn the joint probability distribution of input data, which allows them to generate entirely new examples.

Generative AI algorithms, including Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), Variational Autoencoders (VAEs), and Transformer models, have achieved great successes across various domains, from creating realistic human faces to generating written content. By understanding the underlying structures and patterns of data, these models can predict or simulate future possibilities. Applying this capacity to the cryptocurrency market provides a powerful tool for prediction and risk management.

Cryptocurrency Market Characteristics

Before delving into the mechanisms of applying generative AI to crypto prediction, it’s crucial to appreciate the unique characteristics of the cryptocurrency market. Unlike traditional financial markets, the crypto market operates 24/7 across various exchanges worldwide, producing massive amounts of data. Crypto prices are extremely volatile, influenced by a myriad of factors, including technological changes, regulatory news, macroeconomic indicators, and sentiment analysis from social media or news.

The complexity, volatility, and non-stop nature of the cryptocurrency market pose significant challenges for traditional predictive models, making it a perfect application domain for advanced AI models. A generative AI model’s ability to simulate possible price movement scenarios based on learned data patterns becomes highly advantageous in this context.

Applying Generative AI to Crypto Prediction

The application of generative AI in crypto prediction involves training a generative model on historical crypto price data and related influential factors. The goal is to create a system that can understand the complex interrelationships among these variables and generate potential future scenarios.

For instance, GANs, one of the most successful types of generative models, could be a perfect fit for this task. In a GAN, two neural networks — the generator and discriminator — work together. The generator creates new data instances, while the discriminator evaluates them against the real data. The process continues until the generator produces data indistinguishable from the real ones, according to the discriminator.

In the case of crypto prediction, the GAN can be trained on historical price data alongside other relevant variables. The generator would create new ‘future’ crypto price data, and the discriminator would evaluate these predictions based on its understanding of real-world price movements. Over time, the generator should start producing increasingly accurate predictions.

Moreover, Transformer-based models, renowned for their application in natural language processing, can be trained on time-series cryptocurrency data. By recognizing patterns in the sequence of historical data, these models could generate plausible future sequences, essentially predicting price movements.

Challenges and Solutions

Despite its potential, using generative AI for crypto prediction is not without challenges. The first is data quality and availability. Accurate predictions require vast amounts of high-quality, relevant data. However, the relative newness of the crypto market means that the volume of historical data is limited compared to traditional markets. Moreover, crypto prices are influenced by an array of complex factors that might not be included in the data used for model training.

One solution to this issue is incorporating a wider range of data in model training. In addition to historical prices, data such as trade volumes, blockchain activity, social media sentiment, and relevant news events could also be included. The use of big data and web scraping technologies can significantly aid in collecting these disparate data sources.

Another challenge lies in the model’s interpretability. Generative models, like many deep learning models, are often criticized as ‘black boxes’ because their decision-making processes can be difficult to understand. This opacity can make it hard for investors and regulators to trust the model’s predictions.

Explainable AI (XAI), an emerging field in machine learning, provides a potential solution. XAI aims to make AI decision-making transparent and understandable to humans. By combining generative AI with XAI techniques, we can improve the interpretability and trustworthiness of crypto prediction models.

The Future of Crypto Prediction

Decoding Tomorrow’s Crypto: Harnessing Generative AI for Next-Level Market Predictions and Strategic Financial Foresight.

As we venture into the future, the application of generative AI in crypto prediction holds significant promise. This sophisticated tool offers the potential to navigate the dynamic and volatile cryptocurrency market with unprecedented precision. By simulating future market scenarios based on patterns learned from historical data and relevant influencing factors, generative AI can be a game-changer for investors and analysts.

In the future, these AI models are expected to analyze a wider range of data, including unstructured information from news articles, social media posts, and regulatory documents. This capability can provide more holistic and accurate predictions, enhancing strategic decision-making and risk management.

Despite the challenges associated with data availability, model interpretability, and the relative newness of the crypto market, the rapid pace of AI advancements offers solutions. Explainable AI, which makes AI decision-making transparent, can help overcome the ‘black box’ criticism often directed at AI models.

Overall, the future of crypto prediction using generative AI looks promising, setting the stage for financial growth, strategic investment, and deep economic insights. While embracing the potential of generative AI, it’s crucial to remain informed and cautious about its limitations.

Conclusion

Crypto prediction using generative AI holds great promise, offering a powerful tool to navigate the complexity and volatility of the cryptocurrency market. While challenges persist, the rapid pace of technological advancements provides hope for increasingly accurate and trustworthy predictive models. As we continue to explore and innovate at the intersection of AI and cryptocurrency, the opportunities for financial growth, strategic investment, and economic insight are immense. As always, in the world of emerging technology, the best approach is a careful and well-informed one, embracing the potential of generative AI, while remaining mindful of its limitations.

By：Saurav Singla Link：https://medium.com/coinmonks/generative-ai-revolutionizing-cryptocurrency-market-predictions-d8f15926e4f2

@ d266da53:7224d834

Unlocking the Future of Finance: Leveraging Generative AI for Precision Cryptocurrency Forecasting — A New Dawn in Investment Strategy, Market Analysis and Risk Management, Dissecting Volatility and Embracing Complexity.

The intersection of cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence (AI) represents one of the most exciting frontiers in modern finance. The possibility of leveraging AI’s vast predictive capabilities for the analysis of crypto trends presents a wealth of opportunities, particularly for investors and analysts. Among various AI branches, generative models, known for their ability to create new data instances, emerge as a potent tool for crypto prediction. This article delves into the fascinating world of crypto prediction using generative AI, exploring its principles, applications, challenges, and future potential.

Generative AI: A Primer

Generative AI: A Primer — Crafting Tomorrow’s Reality Today, Unleashing the Power of Synthetic Data to Predict, Create, and Innovate Across Boundaries.

To understand the concept of generative AI, we need first to unpack the meaning of generative models. In the realm of machine learning, generative models are algorithms capable of creating new data instances that resemble the training set. These models learn the joint probability distribution of input data, which allows them to generate entirely new examples.

Generative AI algorithms, including Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), Variational Autoencoders (VAEs), and Transformer models, have achieved great successes across various domains, from creating realistic human faces to generating written content. By understanding the underlying structures and patterns of data, these models can predict or simulate future possibilities. Applying this capacity to the cryptocurrency market provides a powerful tool for prediction and risk management.

Cryptocurrency Market Characteristics

Before delving into the mechanisms of applying generative AI to crypto prediction, it’s crucial to appreciate the unique characteristics of the cryptocurrency market. Unlike traditional financial markets, the crypto market operates 24/7 across various exchanges worldwide, producing massive amounts of data. Crypto prices are extremely volatile, influenced by a myriad of factors, including technological changes, regulatory news, macroeconomic indicators, and sentiment analysis from social media or news.

The complexity, volatility, and non-stop nature of the cryptocurrency market pose significant challenges for traditional predictive models, making it a perfect application domain for advanced AI models. A generative AI model’s ability to simulate possible price movement scenarios based on learned data patterns becomes highly advantageous in this context.

Applying Generative AI to Crypto Prediction

The application of generative AI in crypto prediction involves training a generative model on historical crypto price data and related influential factors. The goal is to create a system that can understand the complex interrelationships among these variables and generate potential future scenarios.

For instance, GANs, one of the most successful types of generative models, could be a perfect fit for this task. In a GAN, two neural networks — the generator and discriminator — work together. The generator creates new data instances, while the discriminator evaluates them against the real data. The process continues until the generator produces data indistinguishable from the real ones, according to the discriminator.

In the case of crypto prediction, the GAN can be trained on historical price data alongside other relevant variables. The generator would create new ‘future’ crypto price data, and the discriminator would evaluate these predictions based on its understanding of real-world price movements. Over time, the generator should start producing increasingly accurate predictions.

Moreover, Transformer-based models, renowned for their application in natural language processing, can be trained on time-series cryptocurrency data. By recognizing patterns in the sequence of historical data, these models could generate plausible future sequences, essentially predicting price movements.

Challenges and Solutions

Despite its potential, using generative AI for crypto prediction is not without challenges. The first is data quality and availability. Accurate predictions require vast amounts of high-quality, relevant data. However, the relative newness of the crypto market means that the volume of historical data is limited compared to traditional markets. Moreover, crypto prices are influenced by an array of complex factors that might not be included in the data used for model training.

One solution to this issue is incorporating a wider range of data in model training. In addition to historical prices, data such as trade volumes, blockchain activity, social media sentiment, and relevant news events could also be included. The use of big data and web scraping technologies can significantly aid in collecting these disparate data sources.

Another challenge lies in the model’s interpretability. Generative models, like many deep learning models, are often criticized as ‘black boxes’ because their decision-making processes can be difficult to understand. This opacity can make it hard for investors and regulators to trust the model’s predictions.

Explainable AI (XAI), an emerging field in machine learning, provides a potential solution. XAI aims to make AI decision-making transparent and understandable to humans. By combining generative AI with XAI techniques, we can improve the interpretability and trustworthiness of crypto prediction models.

The Future of Crypto Prediction

Decoding Tomorrow’s Crypto: Harnessing Generative AI for Next-Level Market Predictions and Strategic Financial Foresight.

As we venture into the future, the application of generative AI in crypto prediction holds significant promise. This sophisticated tool offers the potential to navigate the dynamic and volatile cryptocurrency market with unprecedented precision. By simulating future market scenarios based on patterns learned from historical data and relevant influencing factors, generative AI can be a game-changer for investors and analysts.

In the future, these AI models are expected to analyze a wider range of data, including unstructured information from news articles, social media posts, and regulatory documents. This capability can provide more holistic and accurate predictions, enhancing strategic decision-making and risk management.

Despite the challenges associated with data availability, model interpretability, and the relative newness of the crypto market, the rapid pace of AI advancements offers solutions. Explainable AI, which makes AI decision-making transparent, can help overcome the ‘black box’ criticism often directed at AI models.

Overall, the future of crypto prediction using generative AI looks promising, setting the stage for financial growth, strategic investment, and deep economic insights. While embracing the potential of generative AI, it’s crucial to remain informed and cautious about its limitations.

Conclusion

Crypto prediction using generative AI holds great promise, offering a powerful tool to navigate the complexity and volatility of the cryptocurrency market. While challenges persist, the rapid pace of technological advancements provides hope for increasingly accurate and trustworthy predictive models. As we continue to explore and innovate at the intersection of AI and cryptocurrency, the opportunities for financial growth, strategic investment, and economic insight are immense. As always, in the world of emerging technology, the best approach is a careful and well-informed one, embracing the potential of generative AI, while remaining mindful of its limitations.

By：Saurav Singla Link：https://medium.com/coinmonks/generative-ai-revolutionizing-cryptocurrency-market-predictions-d8f15926e4f2

@ d266da53:7224d834

Unlocking the Future of Finance: Leveraging Generative AI for Precision Cryptocurrency Forecasting — A New Dawn in Investment Strategy, Market Analysis and Risk Management, Dissecting Volatility and Embracing Complexity.

The intersection of cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence (AI) represents one of the most exciting frontiers in modern finance. The possibility of leveraging AI’s vast predictive capabilities for the analysis of crypto trends presents a wealth of opportunities, particularly for investors and analysts. Among various AI branches, generative models, known for their ability to create new data instances, emerge as a potent tool for crypto prediction. This article delves into the fascinating world of crypto prediction using generative AI, exploring its principles, applications, challenges, and future potential.

Generative AI: A Primer

Generative AI: A Primer — Crafting Tomorrow’s Reality Today, Unleashing the Power of Synthetic Data to Predict, Create, and Innovate Across Boundaries.

To understand the concept of generative AI, we need first to unpack the meaning of generative models. In the realm of machine learning, generative models are algorithms capable of creating new data instances that resemble the training set. These models learn the joint probability distribution of input data, which allows them to generate entirely new examples.

Generative AI algorithms, including Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), Variational Autoencoders (VAEs), and Transformer models, have achieved great successes across various domains, from creating realistic human faces to generating written content. By understanding the underlying structures and patterns of data, these models can predict or simulate future possibilities. Applying this capacity to the cryptocurrency market provides a powerful tool for prediction and risk management.

Cryptocurrency Market Characteristics

Before delving into the mechanisms of applying generative AI to crypto prediction, it’s crucial to appreciate the unique characteristics of the cryptocurrency market. Unlike traditional financial markets, the crypto market operates 24/7 across various exchanges worldwide, producing massive amounts of data. Crypto prices are extremely volatile, influenced by a myriad of factors, including technological changes, regulatory news, macroeconomic indicators, and sentiment analysis from social media or news.

The complexity, volatility, and non-stop nature of the cryptocurrency market pose significant challenges for traditional predictive models, making it a perfect application domain for advanced AI models. A generative AI model’s ability to simulate possible price movement scenarios based on learned data patterns becomes highly advantageous in this context.

Applying Generative AI to Crypto Prediction

The application of generative AI in crypto prediction involves training a generative model on historical crypto price data and related influential factors. The goal is to create a system that can understand the complex interrelationships among these variables and generate potential future scenarios.

For instance, GANs, one of the most successful types of generative models, could be a perfect fit for this task. In a GAN, two neural networks — the generator and discriminator — work together. The generator creates new data instances, while the discriminator evaluates them against the real data. The process continues until the generator produces data indistinguishable from the real ones, according to the discriminator.

In the case of crypto prediction, the GAN can be trained on historical price data alongside other relevant variables. The generator would create new ‘future’ crypto price data, and the discriminator would evaluate these predictions based on its understanding of real-world price movements. Over time, the generator should start producing increasingly accurate predictions.

Moreover, Transformer-based models, renowned for their application in natural language processing, can be trained on time-series cryptocurrency data. By recognizing patterns in the sequence of historical data, these models could generate plausible future sequences, essentially predicting price movements.

Challenges and Solutions

Despite its potential, using generative AI for crypto prediction is not without challenges. The first is data quality and availability. Accurate predictions require vast amounts of high-quality, relevant data. However, the relative newness of the crypto market means that the volume of historical data is limited compared to traditional markets. Moreover, crypto prices are influenced by an array of complex factors that might not be included in the data used for model training.

One solution to this issue is incorporating a wider range of data in model training. In addition to historical prices, data such as trade volumes, blockchain activity, social media sentiment, and relevant news events could also be included. The use of big data and web scraping technologies can significantly aid in collecting these disparate data sources.

Another challenge lies in the model’s interpretability. Generative models, like many deep learning models, are often criticized as ‘black boxes’ because their decision-making processes can be difficult to understand. This opacity can make it hard for investors and regulators to trust the model’s predictions.

Explainable AI (XAI), an emerging field in machine learning, provides a potential solution. XAI aims to make AI decision-making transparent and understandable to humans. By combining generative AI with XAI techniques, we can improve the interpretability and trustworthiness of crypto prediction models.

The Future of Crypto Prediction

Decoding Tomorrow’s Crypto: Harnessing Generative AI for Next-Level Market Predictions and Strategic Financial Foresight.

As we venture into the future, the application of generative AI in crypto prediction holds significant promise. This sophisticated tool offers the potential to navigate the dynamic and volatile cryptocurrency market with unprecedented precision. By simulating future market scenarios based on patterns learned from historical data and relevant influencing factors, generative AI can be a game-changer for investors and analysts.

In the future, these AI models are expected to analyze a wider range of data, including unstructured information from news articles, social media posts, and regulatory documents. This capability can provide more holistic and accurate predictions, enhancing strategic decision-making and risk management.

Despite the challenges associated with data availability, model interpretability, and the relative newness of the crypto market, the rapid pace of AI advancements offers solutions. Explainable AI, which makes AI decision-making transparent, can help overcome the ‘black box’ criticism often directed at AI models.

Overall, the future of crypto prediction using generative AI looks promising, setting the stage for financial growth, strategic investment, and deep economic insights. While embracing the potential of generative AI, it’s crucial to remain informed and cautious about its limitations.

Conclusion

Crypto prediction using generative AI holds great promise, offering a powerful tool to navigate the complexity and volatility of the cryptocurrency market. While challenges persist, the rapid pace of technological advancements provides hope for increasingly accurate and trustworthy predictive models. As we continue to explore and innovate at the intersection of AI and cryptocurrency, the opportunities for financial growth, strategic investment, and economic insight are immense. As always, in the world of emerging technology, the best approach is a careful and well-informed one, embracing the potential of generative AI, while remaining mindful of its limitations.

By：Saurav Singla Link：https://medium.com/coinmonks/generative-ai-revolutionizing-cryptocurrency-market-predictions-d8f15926e4f2

@ d266da53:7224d834

Crypto Games in Japan

Japan is the most profitable gaming market in the world per user, with the total primary sales of My Crypto Heroes reaching 16,000 ETH.

Key Takeaways:

• Japan’s strong foundation in gaming makes it a perfect location for blockchain-based game development.
• Popular crypto games in Japan include My Crypto Heroes, Captain Tsubasa RIVALS, and Crypto Spells. Social app Line has also revealed five “Gamer First” NFT games to be released in 2023.

Japan is one of the most active gaming markets in the world. Most people in the world are quite familiar with the Japanese gaming industry due to the popularity of PlayStation and Nintendo. Beyond its traditional gaming market, Japan is also becoming known for its rapidly growing crypto gaming industry.

On top of having a gaming industry with a global reach, Japan is actually also the most profitable gaming market in the world per user. The Japanese love games and they are willing to pay for them. This means that the Japanese market is particularly lucrative because users are willing to pay for games.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Japanese crypto market, you can access the full report here: Crypto in Japan: Main Sectors, Industry Trends, and Future Prospects.

The Potential of Blockchain Games in Japan Crypto games, also known as blockchain games, use blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies to create a more secure and transparent gaming experience.

Here, players can have true ownership of their in-game assets, and all steps, including transactions and exchanges, are recorded on the blockchain. This can create a more transparent and dynamic gaming economy, where players can earn real value for their time and effort spent in the game.

In November 2018, My Crypto Heroes, a crypto-RPG battler, was launched on the Ethereum blockchain, becoming Japan’s first “big” homegrown crypto game. It was ranked #1 in the world in terms of trading volume and DAUs after its release. As of January 1, 2023, the total primary sales have reached 16,000 ETH.

Several key players in the Japanese gaming market are actively involved in the crypto space, including top listed mobile players such as Line, which revealed five “Gamer First” NFT games to be released in 2023, and MIXI, which joined Oasys Blockchain as a validator in April this year. There are also several crypto-native companies in Japan, such as Double Jump and CryptoGames.

In conclusion, there are 3 key features of the Japanese crypto game industry:

• Strong foundation: The Japanese game industry has a long and rich history of traditional games, which provides a strong foundation for the development of crypto games using blockchain technology.
• High potential: Japanese gamers are known for their willingness to pay for high-quality games, making the crypto game market in Japan highly lucrative.
• Mobile-focused: Mobile gaming is more popular in Japan than PC or console gaming, which has led many game companies to prioritize the development of mobile games that incorporate cryptocurrency and blockchain technology.

Overview of Three Popular Games in Japan

In this section, we’ll look at three popular crypto games in Japan, as well as their successes and challenges.

My Crypto Heroes

MCH Verse & My Crypto Heroes🎮🏝 (@mycryptoheroes) / Twitter

“My Crypto Heroes (MCH)” is a Japanese-originated NFT game developed by double jump.tokyo. Utilizing the in-game token named GUM as the cornerstone of its economy, it has achieved one of the world’s largest user bases and transaction volumes since its launch in November 2018, yielding actual economic benefits to some players.

The gameplay primarily involves collecting and nurturing historical heroes, and using them in battles in dungeons (referred to as nodes in the game). These heroes and items exist partly as NFTs, which can be traded between players.

From an economic perspective, the following elements constitute the main economic cycle of MCH:

• Quests: Players battle with their heroes and can earn EXP for heroes, materials for crafting, and items (replica extensions) as rewards for victories.
• PVP (Player versus Player) Duels: Players can earn ranking points and items by participating in duels, which can later be traded in the marketplace.
• Marketplace: Players can buy and sell items and heroes they own. These transactions use the in-game currency, GUM.
• Land activities: Players belong to virtual nations called “Lands” and engage in collective activities. Activities within the Land increase the value of the nation, resulting in dividends (GUM).

MCH Active User

Based on user metrics provided by Footprint Analytics, while “My Crypto Heroes” has not consistently maintained a high level of active users, it has experienced significant spikes in user activity. Although these spikes may appear unrelated to a steady growth of the user base, after several cycles, the game has managed to attract a cohort of users who engage with it on a consistent basis.

Recently, the development team has expanded beyond their initial game development capabilities and has initiated the “MCH Verse” — a Layer 2 Optimistic Rollup on the gaming-specific Layer 1 blockchain “Oasys”. This strategic move leverages the unlimited scalability of the technology to enhance user experience and connectivity within the Verse.

While many mobile crypto games tend to minimize on-chain resource usage, opting to develop as much off-chain as possible to avoid complex on-chain features, MCH continues to lead in the Japanese crypto gaming market. It is swiftly adopting and incorporating ready-to-use technologies to improve the gaming experience.

Captain Tsubasa RIVALS

キャプテン翼 -RIVALS- (@TsubasaRivalsJA) / Twitter

Captain Tsubasa — RIVALS is a crypto-based game inspired by the globally renowned Japanese Anime series “Captain Tsubasa”, which hasover 70 million copies in circulation worldwide, and over 70K followers on Twitter globally. Leveraging the long-standing popularity and huge fan base of its anime series, this game combines interesting football themed game mechanics with unique in-game economy utilizing dual token systems.

There are two types of token in Captain Tsubasa — Rivals: TSUBSAUT and TSUGT, which are the utility token and governance token underpinning its game-economy respectively. In a fashion pioneered by Axie Infinity, segregating the reward system and governance system enables the game to take better control of the in-game economy and the actual velocity of the user, effectively limiting the volatility of USD denominated value of reward.

Captain Tsubasa Token Price

However, since the introduction of TSUBASAUT, its value, denominated in dollars, has been in steady decline, potentially due to its unlimited emission and primary use for player profit-taking. The operating company implemented a Balancer system aiming to stabilize the price of TSUBASAUT within a certain range, but there has been little visible impact at time of writing.

This challenge hase been observed in other blockchain games like Axie Infinity and STEPN. It’s critical for potential players to understand how “Captain Tsubasa — RIVALS” can maintain long-term user liquidity before making a purchase and starting gameplay.

Conversely, the governance token TSUGT has remained stable since its introduction. With a limited supply and in-game utility directly linked to vital gameplay functions like leveling up, its dynamics seem healthier. The team, investors, and advisors hold a total of 37% of the token supply, which will be released after a 12-month cliff, sustaining a natural supply/demand balance until that unlock occurs. This setup is expected to contribute to a stable token ecosystem.

Despite its dual-token powered system though, the game system is quite simple in that each player with 3 different character cards would compare the numbers they have, repeat it 3 rounds, and decide the winner. Players need to be strategic enough in which order they use the numbers.

In fact, the game has received criticism because of its simplicity, as they simply compare the numbers, and users cannot play a game without NFTs.

In spite of its struggles, Captain Tsubasa — Rivals illustrate the potential of IP in Japan and the intersection between NFTs, IPs, and gaming.

Crypto Spells

クリプトスペルズ（クリスペ）日本語公式 (@crypto_spells) / Twitter

Crypto Spells is a longstanding NFT-powered strategic trading card game, introduced in 2019 by Crypto Games. With gameplay closely resembling that of “Hearthstone” and “Gods Unchained”, the game offers a low entry barrier for those new to the crypto world, thanks to its in-app wallet feature (iOS, Android).

Crypto Spells employs its Verse L2 system, “TCG Verse (Trading Card Game Verse)”, on Oasys L1, similar to “My Crypto Heroes”, aiming to expand the crypto-native gaming system. They recently launched a new series, “NFTWars”, allowing anyone with a verified NFT collection to create their own playable card. By encompassing a larger NFT holder base and enabling players to earn some OAS (Oasys native token), the ecosystem has the potential to extend beyond Japan and to a global audience.

In Crypto Spells, players engage in duels using decks of 30 cards, with a limit of two copies of the same card per deck. Players also add three skills to their decks, diversifying strategies and increasing competitiveness. By playing, players accumulate battle points which can be used to mint new cards, offering the chance to acquire rare NFT cards.

Crypto Spells Total User

Crypto Spells experienced a significant growth in total user numbers from the fourth quarter of 2021.

Crypto Spells Active User

However, when looking at active user metrics, the game appears to have struggled in sustaining growth momentum. Despite attracting new users, the growth in active users has been limited. This situation might change as the game starts integrating players more closely into their Verse system, potentially stimulating user engagement and activity.

Fueled by Japan’s robust gaming culture foundation, both official and unofficial (community-led) tournaments are regularly held, both offline and online, extending the fan base beyond the crypto community. The game revolves around strategic execution of player skills, positioning Crypto Spells as an ideal gaming-centric ecosystem. Winners will receive rare NFTs, which can be traded on the secondary marketplace.

Conclusion: From Console to Crypto

The Japanese gaming industry is transitioning from traditional console games to the growing world of crypto gaming. The Japanese market is particularly lucrative because people are willing to pay for high-quality games. Although the Japanese crypto game business is still in its infancy, it has a solid foundation and significant potential.

To attract more players, project teams must continue to work hard to adapt to the rules of the crypto world and attract more players through engaging games and other marketing strategies.

Footprint Analytics is a data platform blending web2 and web3 data with abstractions. Leveraging cutting-edge AI technology, we help analysts, builders, and investors turn blockchain data into insights with accessible visualization tools and a powerful multi-chain API across 26 chains for NFTs, GameFi and DeFi.

By：Footprint Analytics Link：https://medium.com/@footprintofficial/exploring-the-potential-of-japanese-crypto-games-2e0e91881b12

@ 4d444439:7ed2458b

Photo by NASA on Unsplash

Some key properties and uses of space materials are:

1. Lightweight: Space materials need to be lightweight to reduce launch costs and allow for easier maneuverability and control in space.

2. Strength and durability: Space materials must possess exceptional strength and durability to withstand the extreme conditions of space, including extreme temperatures, vacuum, and microgravity.

3. Thermal resistance: Space materials should have high thermal resistance to handle the significant temperature variations experienced in space, ranging from extreme cold to intense radiation.

4. Low outgassing: Materials used in space applications should have low outgassing properties to minimize the release of volatile substances that can contaminate sensitive instruments and optics.

5. Radiation resistance: Space materials require high radiation resistance to protect astronauts and equipment from the harmful effects of cosmic radiation, solar flares, and interstellar particles.

6. Corrosion resistance: As space missions can last for extended periods, materials must resist corrosion caused by atomic oxygen and other reactive species present in the space environment.

7. Electromagnetic shielding: Space materials need to provide effective electromagnetic shielding to protect electronics from interference and to prevent electromagnetic radiation from interfering with sensitive instruments.

8. High optical properties: Space materials used in optical systems, such as telescopes and cameras, should have excellent optical properties, including low reflectivity, high transparency, and minimal distortion.

9. Thermal management: Space materials are employed for effective thermal management to dissipate and control heat generated by electronics and equipment in the vacuum of space.

10. Environmental resistance: Space materials should withstand the harsh environment of space, including micrometeoroids, space debris, and the erosive effects of atomic oxygen.

Uses of space materials include:

1. Construction of spacecraft and satellites: Space materials are used in the construction of spacecraft, satellites, and space stations to ensure their structural integrity, thermal protection, radiation shielding, and overall functionality.

2. Space suits: Special fabrics and materials are used in the design and construction of space suits to protect astronauts from the extreme temperatures, vacuum, and radiation in space.

3. Thermal protection systems: Heat-resistant materials, like ablative shields, are utilized to safeguard spacecraft during reentry into the Earth's atmosphere.

4. Optics and telescopes: Space materials with precise optical properties are used in the construction of telescopes and high-resolution imaging systems for space exploration and observation.

5. Electronics and wiring: Space-grade materials ensure the reliable performance of electronics and wiring systems in extreme conditions, including radiation-hardened chips and high-temperature cables.

6. Solar panels: Advanced materials, such as multi-junction solar cells, are used in space-grade solar panels to efficiently convert sunlight into electrical energy for powering spacecraft and satellites.

7. Rocket propulsion systems: Space materials play a crucial role in rocket propulsion systems, including heat-resistant materials used in rocket nozzles and insulation for cryogenic fuels.

8. Space-based experiments: Various specialized materials are used in space-based experiments, such as materials for growing crystals, researching fluid dynamics, and testing new technologies in microgravity.

9. Advanced materials research: Space missions provide opportunities to test and study new materials under extreme space conditions, which can lead to the development of advanced materials for terrestrial applications.

Overall, space materials are developed and employed to ensure the safe and efficient functioning of spacecraft, protect astronauts, enable space-based research, and expand our understanding of the universe.

By：Muhsin Tokel Link：https://muhsin-tokel.medium.com/what-are-some-key-properties-and-uses-of-space-materials-b7c51b5a0469

@ 4d444439:7ed2458b

Photo by Pierre Bamin on Unsplash

Since the dawn of human civilization, humanity has been captivated by two seemingly disparate realms of existence - space and religion. The vastness of the cosmos has often led to contemplation about our place in the universe and the existence of a higher power. This article aims to delve deep into the intriguing relationship between space and religion, exploring how these two concepts have influenced each other throughout history, examining the differing perspectives on extraterrestrial life, and contemplating the future of religious beliefs in an age of space exploration.

Historical Perspectives:

Throughout history, various religious and spiritual traditions have incorporated cosmological concepts into their belief systems. Ancients civilizations, such as the Egyptians and Mesopotamians, worshipped celestial bodies, attributing them with divine qualities. The Mayans designed their temples to align with astronomical events, emphasizing the interconnectedness of their religious and cosmic worldviews. Moreover, the Abrahamic religions - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - incorporate narratives involving cosmic events and heavenly realms, reinforcing the belief in a higher power that governs celestial phenomena.

Extraterrestrial Life:

One of the intriguing questions that arise from the intersection of space and religion is the existence of extraterrestrial life. Religious perspectives on this matter diverge significantly, with some embracing the possibility of life beyond Earth and others remaining skeptical. For instance, proponents of the ancient astronaut theory propose that gods depicted in ancient texts and mythologies were actually extraterrestrial beings that interacted with early humans, influencing their religious beliefs. However, mainstream religious doctrines often struggle with reconciling the concept of extraterrestrial life with traditional teachings and dogmas.

Divine Creation and the Big Bang Theory:

The concept of divine creation has long been intertwined with religious belief systems. However, with the advent of scientific advancements, it became necessary to reconcile religious narratives with our growing understanding of the universe. This led to the emergence of various interpretations that bridge the gap between religious faith and scientific theories, such as the Big Bang Theory. For example, some religious scholars argue that the Big Bang could be seen as the mechanism through which a divine creator initiated the universe, rather than as a conflicting theory.

Space Exploration and Religion:

As human beings strive to push the boundaries of space exploration, questions surrounding the impact on religious beliefs begin to arise. The idea of humans colonizing other planets or encountering extraterrestrial civilizations presents a unique challenge to religious doctrines that primarily focus on Earth and humanity's special place in the divine plan. How would religious institutions adapt to the possibility of widespread space colonization? What are the implications for religious rituals and practices in off-world settlements? These questions highlight the need for continued dialogue between space exploration and religious communities.

The Intersection of Science and Spirituality:

While science and religion are often portrayed as opposites, some argue that they address different aspects of the human experience. As we explore the mysteries of the cosmos, the need for a more comprehensive understanding emerges. The field of astrotheology attempts to bridge the gap between scientific exploration of space and spiritual contemplation, seeking to find a common ground where the awe of the universe can coexist with religious faith.

Conclusion:

The interplay between space and religion is a vast and complex topic that has captivated human imagination for centuries. From ancient civilizations worshipping celestial bodies to the challenges that modern space exploration poses to established religious beliefs, this article has touched upon some of the key points in this fascinating discourse. As we continue to unravel the mysteries of the universe, the relationship between space and religion will undoubtedly continue to evolve, offering new insights into our place within the cosmos and the nature of our spiritual existence.

By：Muhsin Tokel Link：https://medium.com/space-news/space-and-religion-exploring-the-cosmic-interplay-694f0035b281

@ 4d444439:7ed2458b

Photo by Pierre Bamin on Unsplash

Since the dawn of human civilization, humanity has been captivated by two seemingly disparate realms of existence - space and religion. The vastness of the cosmos has often led to contemplation about our place in the universe and the existence of a higher power. This article aims to delve deep into the intriguing relationship between space and religion, exploring how these two concepts have influenced each other throughout history, examining the differing perspectives on extraterrestrial life, and contemplating the future of religious beliefs in an age of space exploration.

Historical Perspectives:

Throughout history, various religious and spiritual traditions have incorporated cosmological concepts into their belief systems. Ancients civilizations, such as the Egyptians and Mesopotamians, worshipped celestial bodies, attributing them with divine qualities. The Mayans designed their temples to align with astronomical events, emphasizing the interconnectedness of their religious and cosmic worldviews. Moreover, the Abrahamic religions - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - incorporate narratives involving cosmic events and heavenly realms, reinforcing the belief in a higher power that governs celestial phenomena.

Extraterrestrial Life:

One of the intriguing questions that arise from the intersection of space and religion is the existence of extraterrestrial life. Religious perspectives on this matter diverge significantly, with some embracing the possibility of life beyond Earth and others remaining skeptical. For instance, proponents of the ancient astronaut theory propose that gods depicted in ancient texts and mythologies were actually extraterrestrial beings that interacted with early humans, influencing their religious beliefs. However, mainstream religious doctrines often struggle with reconciling the concept of extraterrestrial life with traditional teachings and dogmas.

Divine Creation and the Big Bang Theory:

The concept of divine creation has long been intertwined with religious belief systems. However, with the advent of scientific advancements, it became necessary to reconcile religious narratives with our growing understanding of the universe. This led to the emergence of various interpretations that bridge the gap between religious faith and scientific theories, such as the Big Bang Theory. For example, some religious scholars argue that the Big Bang could be seen as the mechanism through which a divine creator initiated the universe, rather than as a conflicting theory.

Space Exploration and Religion:

As human beings strive to push the boundaries of space exploration, questions surrounding the impact on religious beliefs begin to arise. The idea of humans colonizing other planets or encountering extraterrestrial civilizations presents a unique challenge to religious doctrines that primarily focus on Earth and humanity's special place in the divine plan. How would religious institutions adapt to the possibility of widespread space colonization? What are the implications for religious rituals and practices in off-world settlements? These questions highlight the need for continued dialogue between space exploration and religious communities.

The Intersection of Science and Spirituality:

While science and religion are often portrayed as opposites, some argue that they address different aspects of the human experience. As we explore the mysteries of the cosmos, the need for a more comprehensive understanding emerges. The field of astrotheology attempts to bridge the gap between scientific exploration of space and spiritual contemplation, seeking to find a common ground where the awe of the universe can coexist with religious faith.

Conclusion:

The interplay between space and religion is a vast and complex topic that has captivated human imagination for centuries. From ancient civilizations worshipping celestial bodies to the challenges that modern space exploration poses to established religious beliefs, this article has touched upon some of the key points in this fascinating discourse. As we continue to unravel the mysteries of the universe, the relationship between space and religion will undoubtedly continue to evolve, offering new insights into our place within the cosmos and the nature of our spiritual existence.

By：Muhsin Tokel Link：https://medium.com/space-news/space-and-religion-exploring-the-cosmic-interplay-694f0035b281

@ 4d444439:7ed2458b

Photo by Pierre Bamin on Unsplash

Since the dawn of human civilization, humanity has been captivated by two seemingly disparate realms of existence - space and religion. The vastness of the cosmos has often led to contemplation about our place in the universe and the existence of a higher power. This article aims to delve deep into the intriguing relationship between space and religion, exploring how these two concepts have influenced each other throughout history, examining the differing perspectives on extraterrestrial life, and contemplating the future of religious beliefs in an age of space exploration.

Historical Perspectives:

Throughout history, various religious and spiritual traditions have incorporated cosmological concepts into their belief systems. Ancients civilizations, such as the Egyptians and Mesopotamians, worshipped celestial bodies, attributing them with divine qualities. The Mayans designed their temples to align with astronomical events, emphasizing the interconnectedness of their religious and cosmic worldviews. Moreover, the Abrahamic religions - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - incorporate narratives involving cosmic events and heavenly realms, reinforcing the belief in a higher power that governs celestial phenomena.

Extraterrestrial Life:

One of the intriguing questions that arise from the intersection of space and religion is the existence of extraterrestrial life. Religious perspectives on this matter diverge significantly, with some embracing the possibility of life beyond Earth and others remaining skeptical. For instance, proponents of the ancient astronaut theory propose that gods depicted in ancient texts and mythologies were actually extraterrestrial beings that interacted with early humans, influencing their religious beliefs. However, mainstream religious doctrines often struggle with reconciling the concept of extraterrestrial life with traditional teachings and dogmas.

Divine Creation and the Big Bang Theory:

The concept of divine creation has long been intertwined with religious belief systems. However, with the advent of scientific advancements, it became necessary to reconcile religious narratives with our growing understanding of the universe. This led to the emergence of various interpretations that bridge the gap between religious faith and scientific theories, such as the Big Bang Theory. For example, some religious scholars argue that the Big Bang could be seen as the mechanism through which a divine creator initiated the universe, rather than as a conflicting theory.

Space Exploration and Religion:

As human beings strive to push the boundaries of space exploration, questions surrounding the impact on religious beliefs begin to arise. The idea of humans colonizing other planets or encountering extraterrestrial civilizations presents a unique challenge to religious doctrines that primarily focus on Earth and humanity's special place in the divine plan. How would religious institutions adapt to the possibility of widespread space colonization? What are the implications for religious rituals and practices in off-world settlements? These questions highlight the need for continued dialogue between space exploration and religious communities.

The Intersection of Science and Spirituality:

While science and religion are often portrayed as opposites, some argue that they address different aspects of the human experience. As we explore the mysteries of the cosmos, the need for a more comprehensive understanding emerges. The field of astrotheology attempts to bridge the gap between scientific exploration of space and spiritual contemplation, seeking to find a common ground where the awe of the universe can coexist with religious faith.

Conclusion:

The interplay between space and religion is a vast and complex topic that has captivated human imagination for centuries. From ancient civilizations worshipping celestial bodies to the challenges that modern space exploration poses to established religious beliefs, this article has touched upon some of the key points in this fascinating discourse. As we continue to unravel the mysteries of the universe, the relationship between space and religion will undoubtedly continue to evolve, offering new insights into our place within the cosmos and the nature of our spiritual existence.

By：Muhsin Tokel Link：https://medium.com/space-news/space-and-religion-exploring-the-cosmic-interplay-694f0035b281

@ 4d444439:7ed2458b

Step into the world of the extraordinary, where the boundaries of space and Earth converge. Imagine a tower reaching to the heavens, a bridge between our planet and the deep unknown. This is the concept of a space elevator, a remarkable feat of engineering and imagination. From the remarkable mind of Konstantin E. Tsiolkovski, who defied all odds to become one of the visionary founders of this concept, to the brilliant inventors Yuri Artsutanov and Jerome Pearson, who brought it to life, the space elevator holds the key to unlocking new frontiers and revolutionizing space exploration.

Join us on a captivating journey as we delve into the intricacies of this extraordinary creation and explore the possibilities it holds for the future of humankind. The sky is no longer the limit; it’s just the beginning.

Most images in article were created using Bing Image Generator

History of the Space Elevator:

In a small village in Russia in the year 1857, a remarkable child was born. His name was Konstantin E. Tsiolkovsky. This man suffered during his childhood after he became deaf due to an outbreak of scarlet fever at the age of 9. Despite the challenge he became one of the most visionary founders of the space elevator. When Konstantin turned 14, he decided to teach himself using his father’s library. Two years later his father noticed the progress he had made and sent him to study technology in Moscow where he had then begun to learn all about space.

In 1880, Konstantin was appointed as a teacher for geometry and arithmetic. This is where he began to write about his technical and scientific findings and began to write Western science fiction. In these novels he would include bits of his scientific ideas with science fiction creations. However, he sometimes got so into the technical speculations of his writings that he forgot about the characters of his story altogether!

He even built experiments to test his many theories, one of which was the testing on how many G’s a living organism could survive. He would place an insect or chicken in a hemispherical bowl and spin it fast to represent how much gravity they could survive, therefore understanding how fast the human body could go without being harmed.

Tsiolkovsky also began to envision extremely large towers and tethers to illustrate some effects he had predicted about the environment of space. He wrote about them in essays explaining how if these towers were electromagnetic, they could launch different sized payloads into space without any sort of propellant.

He also proposed the idea of something similar to “Train tracks.” This idea involves several “train track” like structures in the Earth’s atmosphere at different levels. He proposed the idea that if you were on one of these tracks that was moving at a relative speed around the Earth and you jumped up you could land on the second track, if you continued to do this several times you could bypass the gravity of Earth pulling you downwards and enter space. (This is if you could breathe in space and survive the large amounts of pressure when exiting the Earth’s atmosphere).

However, this man was merely just a philosopher of technology. The real inventors behind the space elevator were Yuri Artsutanov and Jerome Pearson, both in the late 1900’s. Artsutanov’s idea developed after his coworker had given him a sample of a high strength material. He had then begun to think about how this material could be used and if it could support a large-scale project such as a space elevator. On the other hand, Pearson’s idea came from hearing Arthur Clarke describe geostationary communication satellites, and Pearson began to wonder how space elevators could be geostationary.

They both developed ideas for the public but it wasn’t widely publicized to the technical industry until Pearson wrote about them through his technical literature. After Pearson published his writings both him and Artsutanov started applying this technology to potential uses on the moon. They began to adapt Tsikolvoski’s ideas such as the “rolling satellite” (Talked about later on), which involves a satellite orbiting the Earth with metal spokes that reach the ground to pick up passengers or payloads.

John Isaacs was also one of this idea’s creators. He was an oceanographer who began to think about the process of “throwing” payloads into space. However, his ideas never generally penetrated into the area of space flight engineering. Several science fiction novels began to come out about space elevators after these ideas were more thought of and publicized.

This idea wasn’t just thought of in the last 200 years, it was thought of far before then. For instance, the writing of Moses references a civilization in 2100BC trying to build a tower to heaven. Another case would be a man in 1900BC, named Jacob, who dreamt of a ladder to heaven, commonly known as “Jacob’s ladder.”

What is a space elevator??

Putting it extremely simply. It’s like an elevator except instead of pressing a button inside of an office lobby to reach the top floor, it goes to space. The deep, dark, tundra of space. Scientifically however it is a connection between Earth and a satellite in geosynchronous orbit (GSO).

Before I go on however you probably should know what GSO is because it’s mentioned quite a bit. Geosynchronous orbit — an orbit around a planet (Mostly in this case it’s Earth or Mars), in space. For example, a Geosynchronous satellite would orbit the Earth every day. Now, this is not to be confused with GeoSTATIONARY orbit which is a particular GSO that stays in the same place over the equator. Which would be if you looked directly into space, the elevator would look… well… stationary.

Now, let’s continue. There are many different types of space elevators which I will explain later in this article but for now, think of it as a space tether (a long cable used to connect things like satellites together) that hangs down from a satellite in the sky and attaches to a station on the ground. Something that would look like this:

A space elevator reaches an approximate height of 35,786km. An equivalent to 44,732 giraffes stacked on top eachother. (I don’t know about you, but in my opinion, that’s a lot of giraffes.) The structure is mainly used for the transportation of payloads to space. Once that is achieved, the use of a space elevator sending people to space wouldn’t be too far in the future.

In-depth GEO space elevator design:

The major obstacle to building space structures is the high cost it takes to launch these payloads. The areas for space development require this cost to be lowered. Currently it costs somewhere between $10,000 and $25,000 USD to send something to space and $250,000 to send SOMEONE to space using conventional rockets. With the use of a space elevator (Since there are low energy requirements) this lowers the cost to about $10 per kilogram.

During a 2000 workshop at NASA a space elevator concept was designed to represent the scale, purpose, and complexity of a space elevator. This concept was imagined as a platform at sea and would work similarly to a seaport where cargo and passengers could transfer payloads between space and Earth. This space elevator would be located in international waters because the project would need international cooperation to be executed.

The best design for traveling to such an extensive height would be a vehicle propelled up the tether by electromagnets. These magnets could travel several kilometers per hour and there wouldn’t be any need for moving parts such as wheels which could potentially wear down the tether over time.

In space for this design is a GEO transfer station. It allows for travelers or payloads to then be transferred to additional space vehicles after riding the elevator. Like Tsiolkovski’s or Isaacs’s design the GEO Space Elevator at 47,000km altitude could then launch or “throw” passengers into space.

Technology for this design:

• Materials — Must exhibit strength 100 times stronger than steel.
• Tension Structures — Developments of space tether technologies to gain experience.
• Electromagnetic propulsion — Needs to be developed for high-speed propulsion systems.
• Space Infrastructure — Reusable payload launch systems for continued use of space elevator.

This structure’s design is not impossible because it is theoretically possible to build any tower of any height with any material, just by increasing its thickness. This space elevator’s strength requirements are assumed to be about 62.5GPa.

Different Types of Space Elevators:

Elevators for the purpose of launching payloads of great sizes into space cheaply can be supported by static force balance or by the dynamics of unmoving masses. These designs about to be mentioned are based on the use of a stream of magnetic grain particles that can be harvested from the moon, acting as a current carrier to move a desired object (In this case a payload or person) into space. Spacecraft equipped with these grains generate high magnetic fields and it also helps to decelerate the speed of a spacecraft.

However, with all of these designs, the environmental effect on both Earth and in space in the event of a catastrophic failure of a space elevator could potentially be extremely hazardous and even deadly. The biggest concern however is potential collisions with the space elevator from asteroids or space debris.

The Static Space Elevator -

This structure would range somewhere between 2,000 to 4,000km in height. (Around 757 giraffes). Has a statically balanced structure that is centered in geostationary orbit. It extends both ways: Downward towards Earth and upward towards space to balance it out. The lower end touches the equator and the upper end acts as a counterweight balance to allow for structural tension, giving it the ability to lift payloads without crashing down to Earth. Transferring a payload up from the Earth’s surface would require less of a change in velocity and would be easier to send up. This idea was invented by Isaacs, Pearson, and Artsutanov. This concept however requires high strength materials and is vulnerable to collisions.

PBO fibers could be used to develop towers of this height. The tower could be built in sections to keep pressurized gasses from reaching the bottom of the tower.

Dynamic Space Elevator —

Overcomes the material requirements of the static space elevator. Paul Birch proposed this concept that involves an orbital ring of conductive materials moving faster than orbital velocity inside of a thin torus circle that is around Earth. A moving cable allows for the structure to be usable and supports the idea of “Jacob’s Ladder.”

Rolling Satellite —

Imagine the static elevator from above. If you forgot what that is already, just move two paragraphs up and give yourself a brief refresher. Now imagine that this satellite is set into rotation around Earth. So, in other words, it is no longer geostationary. A rotating tether in orbit like this provides enough orbital energy to launch a payload into space without a rocket engine. When payloads get sent back, they enter on the far side of the elevator, and it gets shot back to Earth down the elevator. No net energy is required for this design. However, the concept faces the challenge of tether dynamics and high-speed rendezvous.

STOP! Ok you’re probably like, ok, you lost me. What in the world is high-speed rendezvous???? Well, that’s what I’m here to explain. Consider this a brief intermission to our types of space elevators.

High-Speed Rendezvous (Simply explained):

High-speed rendezvous is a technique used in spaceflight where two spacecraft meet at high relative velocity and dock together. It is used to save fuel and time by reducing the number of orbits required to reach the destination. The technique involves one spacecraft chasing another spacecraft that is ahead of it and then matching its speed and trajectory. The two spacecraft then dock together.

Now back to elevators…

Grain Stream Space Elevator -

Overcomes most all problems from previous design attempts, similar to the orbital ring however these use less massive streams of magnetic particles. This design dispenses with a massive enclosing torus. Grain is then dispensed naturally by the gravitational fields of satellites just like the rings on Saturn are. One of these structures in elliptical orbit around Earth could support a lot including a space elevator and a space station. This structure is also entirely in the atmosphere where no debris can penetrate it and it can be built in stages.

Critical Technologies Needed:

Technology Readiness Level (TRL) chart with criterion descriptions… | Download Scientific Diagram (researchgate.net) Materials for this design would still need to be worked on to construct a tower this size. Climatic conditions could be an issue and the cost and technology needed to repair in the event of a troubling climate and space debris could be greater than the use of current conventional rockets. So, let’s assess the overall feasibility of this design over the next few years of development.

For this we are going to use a NASA derived system known as TRL. The TRL scale is used to rank a technologies readiness allowing the overall feasibility of a project to be assessed. There are 9 different TRL levels including: 1–2 Basic Tech Research, 3–5-Tech development in laboratory experiments, 6–9 integrated systems ready for flight.

The reason NASA has not gone too in depth with developing plans for space elevators is because of the technologies ranking on the TLR scale. For instance, these technologies are a few needed for the space elevator that were given a low ranking:

• Carbon Nanotube (CNT) — Development of single wall carbon nanotubes with characteristics in 150gpa range.

Ranking: TRL 4

• CNT Composite Fiber Development — Incorporating large amounts of CNT into a composite fiber matrix. The process must also be scalable for mass production.

Ranking: TRL 2

• Ribbon Design — Ribbon for tether structure must be designed for environments it will encounter. Stressed in this ribbon matrix in 60GPa to 80GPa range when the target GPa has to at least be 100.

Ranking: TRL 2

• Robotic Climber Operations — Used to construct the ribbon and make repairs to maintain the space elevator.

Ranking: TRL 3

• Ribbon Control Systems — To keep the ribbons for tether in geosynchronous orbit. Also controls: Tension, climber dynamics, induced waves, and atmospheric effects.

Ranking: Between TRL 2 and TRL 3

Overall full-scale ranking of a space elevator is a TRL 2 which is the main reason the technology is not yet ready to be executed or invested in.

Steps needing to be taken before building the space elevator:

1. Ground Tests
2. Material Development and Testing in a relevant environment

3. Vertical treadmill tests

4. Micrometeoroid impacts

5. LEO objects and debris
6. Radiation and atomic oxygen
7. Atmospheric conditions
8. Tethered balloon tests
9. Spaceflight tests and demonstrations
10. GEO deployment demonstration

11. GEO deployment and Traversing demonstrations

12. Such as a geosynchronous communications satellite and LEO to GEO elevator.

13. Full scale lunar demonstration

A New Tool for Space Studies:

A space elevator would allow for more studies of biological systems in the environment. Currently, biological systems are placed on rockets where they stay in space for a certain period of time before being sent back to Earth. These are conducted to study stuff during specific situations in real time. The largest biological systems were actually done on humans themselves. The only thing these tests cannot test yet is the evolutionary effects of a species.

With a working space elevator plants and small animals can be lifted intact without any large vibrational spikes that could alter the test. They can be studied through remote cameras before being brought back down to Earth.

A space elevator will also allow payloads to be delivered to Earth orbit, Mars, asteroids, the moon, or other planets as well. A space elevator could lift 13-ton payloads to space every three days!

Example: A biosphere experiment. A sphere that is 5-m is sent to space in a geodesic structure (Think of the Epcot ball at Disney world, just smaller). These would be the weight requirements to send it to space using a space elevator:

• 100kg of KW power
• 200kg of cameras
• 500kg of diagnostic modules
• 1000kg of altitude control systems
• 100kg of Hardware
• 1020kg, the weight of the sphere itself
• 55kg of the air inside of the sphere

This leaves a total of 10,000 kg of weight the elevator can still lift, which could be used for biomass materials to fill the sphere with.

This is the Future of Space Technology: The concept of a space elevator represents a remarkable feat of engineering and scientific imagination. While its origins can be traced back to visionary thinkers like Konstantin E. Tsiolkovski, the true inventors behind its development were Yuri Artsutanov, Jerome Pearson, and other dedicated scientists and engineers. The space elevator holds the potential to revolutionize space exploration by drastically reducing the cost of launching payloads and even enabling human transportation to space. However, the current technological readiness of the required materials and systems is still at a relatively low level, as indicated by the NASA-derived TRL scale. Extensive research, development, and testing are needed to overcome the challenges posed by materials, construction, tether control, and environmental factors before the space elevator can become a reality.

Despite the significant obstacles ahead, the space elevator remains an enticing prospect for the future of space exploration. It offers the promise of unlocking new scientific discoveries, facilitating more extensive studies of biological systems, and enabling efficient transportation of payloads to various celestial destinations. As advancements continue in material science, robotics, and other relevant fields, the feasibility of constructing a space elevator may increase. With international collaboration and concerted efforts, humanity may one day witness the realization of this monumental structure that connects Earth to the vastness of space, ushering in a new era of exploration and discovery.

By：Haley Link：https://medium.com/@habest1612/riding-the-cosmic-highway-the-future-of-space-elevators-13acaceb63b7

@ 20986fb8:cdac21b3

A weekly update on YakiHonne.com 27th June – 3rd July

TL;DR

1. Featured Articles of the Week

2. Tech Updates - Supporting Relays Updated - Editor Enhancement - Zap Function Updated

3. Top Curators/Creators from All Relays

4. YakiHonne Events - the Nostr Berlin Creator Hackathon: Witness the Revolution of Creation - Nostr Bounties Round 2: Unlocking Nostr Through Creative Expression - Publish Your Long-form Content on Nostr and Earn 17,500,000 SATs - Hack-Nostr-On Round 2

Featured Articles of the Week ☕

1. Decentralized social networking app Damus to be removed from App Store, will appeal decision — by @Bitcoin News

Damus, backed by jack, failed in appeal, and will be removed from the #Appstore. It is a difficult growth path for decentralized social media. What exactly happened? Let's take a look at the whole event between Damus and Appstore.

@ジャストホンネ

Nodeless is making Bitcoin usage easier Nodeless is a unified bitcoin platform for bitcoiners, professionals, online stores, entrepreneurs developers, and more.

Use Nodeless API to receive payments directly to your cold storage or lightning address without running a lightning node. Perfect for your next app, website, content or fundraiser!

No KYC, Bitcoin Only.

2. Relays as Routers: Keeping Nostr Extensions Decentralized — by @hodlbod

It is challenging to maintaining decentralization in #Nostr while supporting advanced functionality. Keep #relays dumb and the protocol minimal, make it gatekeepers would be the best solution.

3. Panic at the Washington Post — by @Frontier Tech

Media controlled by certain parties or interest groups is losing credibility and experiencing panic.

4. Nostr Bounty | Hear from Nostr community members: write about your Nostr experience — by @ImmanuelOlivia

YakiHonne Nostr Bounty Round 2 ended, there are 5 winners of this round. Immanuel Olivia is the winner under the topic 'Hear from Nostr community members: write about your #Nostr experience', Let's read Olivia's Nostr Experience

5. The Mathematics of Fucks: An Exploration into the Isomorphism with the Complex Field — by @Cryptokisiel

The creator's soul is always full of fun and freedom. On the Yakihonne client, Cryptokisiel has published an article discussing the mathematical properties of "fucks" and their potential parallels with the complex field.

6. Nostr Bounty | Summarize the most active and most followed contributors in Nostr ecosystem — by @Shosha100

The winner of the YakiHonne Nostr Bounty Round 2, Shoshadev, provides a summary of the most active contributors on the Nostr protocol. This includes: fiatjaf, Semisol, jb55, jack, NVK , Snowden preston, Jeff Booth , and others.

Let's explore the stories of the contributors on Nostr

Weekly Updates 1 - Fix the private key and on-the-go generated keys logged-users zapping and to be zapped issues 
 2 - Fix the article preview when the input is unformatted properly 
 3 - Remove unstable default relays 4 - Working on optimizing fetching data speed for enhanced experience

Product Updates 💻

YakiHonne Events 🏖️

Join the Nostr Berlin Creator Hackathon: Witness the Revolution of Creation

Recapping the first two stops of the Nostrich Meetup—Nostr Honne in Hong Kong and Nostr Honne in Miami

The 3rd stop of the global Nostr Meetup organized by Yakihonne, Berlin Nostr Honne, will take place in Berlin, Germany on July 14th. In this Meetup, we will engage with local builders and creators from Germany through a Creator Hackathon and an After Party. Join the Nostr Berlin Creator Hackathon and witness the revolution of creation!

In Berlin Nostr Honne, we will continue innovating the meetup format by organizing a Creator Hackathon. This will allow creators to understand, optimize, and generate creative ideas within the Nostr ecosystem. This will provide different cultural backgrounds and perspectives for the content on Nostr. In this Creator Hackathon, participants can also win Hackathon prizes - 7,500,000 SATS.

Creation Themes: - Bitcoin - Lightning Network - Nostr - Evaluation of Nostr Projects

Our Judges - fiatjaf - Nostr Creator - Pablof7z - Head of RSD at Swan Bitcoin - Gsovereignty - Creator of Nostrovia podcast - John - International Operations at BTC Inc

Join TG Group: https://t.me/Berlin_Nostr_Honne

Publish Your Long-form Content on Nostr and Earn 17,500,000 SATs

A long-term Nostr Creation Grant, with a 17,500,000 SATs funding pool. Over 150 posts get zapped.

Round 1 starts on 21 June till 5 July!

Based on the latest data from the client YakiHonne.com, we can clearly see the gradual growth of Nostr's long-content ecosystem.

• Multiple languages are available, including English, Chinese, Japanese, French, Portuguese, and Spanish, among others.
• The content has become more diverse, encompassing not only scientific and technological articles but also science fiction novels, travel notes, personal insights, and even the Bible.
• What's even more exciting is that authors and readers hail from 56 different countries.

The growth in content is closely related to the design philosophy of the Nostr protocol. Nostr provides creators with ample freedom, which extends not only to express their viewpoints but also to financial freedom. The Zap feature is further proving this fact.

Creating for You and Your Fans through Nostr and ZAP Now.

What You Will Get From Your First 10 Posts:

1. 500 SATs, if you post on Relays through other clients
2. 1000 SATs, if you post articles from other platforms to Relays as the first one on Relays and are curated or tweeted by YakiHonne
3. 2000 SATs, for posting your own past articles on Relays through YakiHonne.com
4. 3000 SATs, for posting your new original on Relays through YakiHonne.com

Zap Rules:

1. No malicious speech such as discrimination, attack, incitement, etc.
2. No Spam/Scam, not fully AI-generated article
3. No directly copy & paste from other posts on Relays
4. Spread positive content like your knowledge/experience/insight/ideas, etc.

How to Get Zap:

1. Join YakiHonne TG group: https://t.me/YakiHonne_Daily_Featured
2. Share your post in the group
3. Make sure your LN address is in your profile
4. Based on the rules above, we will ZAP your post directly within 2 days

Join our group for more query: https://t.me/YakiHonne_Daily_Featured

Nostr Bounties: Unlocking Nostr Through Creative Expression

During this week, Nostr Bounties Round 2 ended successfully. After voting, a total of 5 articles won a total of 950,000 SATs.

Yakihonne is a nostr-based decentralized long-form content media protocol. In order to promote the nostr ecology and encourage and fund long content on the relays, YakiHonne launched the long-term nostr bounties. Welcome to participate in and build the nostr ecosystem together.

Hack-Nostr-On Round 2

The hack-nostr-on round2 continues. Participation not only has a prize pool of up to 35,000,000 SATs waiting for you, but also participates in workshops and podcasts during the Hackathon, with up to 50k views, letting more people know about your project. Join now!

Weekly Featured Streaming🎙️

Honne Boxshow EP5

Weekly Curation Picks 📚

Hodlbod: Key use cases of Nostr

Aggregating possible use cases of the Nostr protocol

Top Curators 👩‍💻

1.SNostrich

2. Wendyding

3.YakiHonne

Top Creators (All Relay) 🤩

1.TechNewsBR

2.Bible

3.Bitcoin News

@ fd78c37f:a0ec0833

The Indonesia Bitcoin Conference 2023 is set to take place on October 26-27 at the Prime Plaza Hotel in Bali, bringing together a diverse group of individuals interested in Bitcoin's potential to revolutionize the financial industry.

With over 40 speakers, the conference will offer attendees the chance to engage with top minds in the field, including Jack Dorsey, Chairman of Block Inc., Stephan Livera, Head of Education from Swan Bitcoin, Alex Gladstein, CSO of Human Rights Foundation and Samson Mow, CEO of Jan3.

Activities such as expert panels, keynote speeches, bazaars and exhibitions will be featured at the event. Additionally, a Lightning hackathon will be held prior to the conference, aiming to bring developers together to learn about and innovate on Lightning Network apps. The hackathon will have a total prize of $10,000 and is expected to encourage collaboration and showcase the network's potential for usability and scalability.

Dea Rezkitha, the conference organizer, expressed excitement about the event, saying "We're excited to bring together bitcoin enthusiasts for the Indonesia Bitcoin Conference 2023. Bitcoin has the potential to transform the financial industry and create new opportunities for individuals and businesses."

Bali, known for its breathtaking beaches and vibrant culture, serves as an ideal backdrop for the conference.

For more information about the conference, including the full list of speakers and schedule of events, individuals are encouraged to visit the official conference website at www.indonesiabitcoinconference.com.

Disclaimer: BTC Inc is a media partner of the Indonesia Bitcoin Conference.

By：BTCCASEY Link：https://bitcoinmagazine.com/industry-events/indonesia-bitcoin-conference-2023-to-take-place-in-bali

@ fd78c37f:a0ec0833

This is an opinion editorial by Michael Matulef, an electrician, independent student of Austrian economics and member of the Mises Institute.

Bitcoin needs to change! In the realm of Bitcoin heresy, before you prepare to hang me from the gallows for that statement, permit me to express my final thoughts. Allow me to provide a brief introduction — I am not a galaxy-brained, shadowy super coder. I must admit to my relative ignorance in the fields of computer science and cryptography. I do not work within the Bitcoin industry. Instead, I am an ordinary pleb, toiling away in construction to make ends meet, striving to maintain humility and gain a comprehensive understanding of the true nature of Bitcoin. So, why do I say that Bitcoin must change?

Let us commence by reflecting upon the adage, "Not your keys, not your coins," which resounds as one of the loudest mantras in the Bitcoin community, and rightfully so. When your private keys are held by a centralized exchange or custodian on your behalf, you effectively surrender control over your funds. This situation introduces counterparty risk, as you become reliant on the security practices and integrity of the third party entrusted with your keys.

The philosophy underlying "not your keys, not your coins" aligns with the broader principles of decentralization and censorship resistance. These principles seek to empower individuals with financial sovereignty and eliminate the necessity for intermediaries. It underscores the significance of personal responsibility, security and self-reliance in this digital era where governments increasingly employ technology as a tool for controlling individuals.

Now, you may ask, what is the issue at hand? Well, the truth of the matter is that, under the current implementation of the Bitcoin protocol, self custody does not scale. Many Bitcoin enthusiasts choose not to critically analyze this reality. However, we cannot ignore the consequences of ignoring reality.

Recently, the BRC-20 minting issue thrust this challenge into the spotlight within the community. The event triggered an explosion in the base layer fee market, resulting in exorbitant costs to confirm transactions. Regardless of your opinion on BRC-20, the incident provided us with a glimpse of the future if the network continues to expand. Try to envision, in all honesty, the exacerbation of this situation with 8 billion users. As activist Anita Posch pointed out in this tweet, custodial solutions would become the only means of onboarding new network participants. While there are federated protocols aiming to disintermediate custodial risk by spreading it among multiple custodians, this solution remains fundamentally different from self custody.

Recently, human rights activist Alex Gladstein posed a thought experimen focused on this issue:

To my dismay, over 54% of respondents to his scenario deemed it a success. This sentiment is perilous, as such a scenario undermines Bitcoin's ethos of self sovereignty and censorship resistance. It may not come as a surprise, though; this poll may indicate that more people prioritize "number go up (NGU)" over individual liberty.

Whenever the scaling issue arises, a common response is to invoke the notion that Bitcoin scales in layers, and that the base layer can ossify while additional layers facilitate the onboarding of the global population. However, as Shinobi reminds us, "Layer two is not a magic incantation. For layer twos to optimize and improve, new functionality on the base layer is required. Layer twos are literally just things built on the functionality of layer one. The limitations of layer two are a direct result of layer one limits."

Accepting this reality can be daunting, especially for individuals like myself who are not computer science majors or cryptographers. We adore Bitcoin, and the prospect of change can be intimidating because we are unaware of what we don't know. There is a non-zero possibility that any alteration could lead to Bitcoin's failure. Consequently, many of us stubbornly dig our heels into the sand and advocate for the ossification of the base layer to ensure, in our minds, that Bitcoin remains intact.

If you, like me, believe that "not your keys, not your coins" should be an option for all participants in the network, present and future, we must embrace Bitcoin's malleability before it is too late. In the words of Jameson Lopp:

"Bitcoin is sound money. But it's not just digital gold. Bitcoin is programmable money. Unlike gold, it is a technology that can be upgraded. We need not throw that property out the window. There is still much about Bitcoin that can be improved without violating its soundness... The nature of how network protocols ossify means that the changes necessarily must happen earlier rather than later; it becomes impossible to coordinate changes once a protocol is adopted at a mainstream level.”

And to quote Lopp once again:

“Ossification is a side effect of growth, not an explicit decision unto itself. There is no way to really know when we’ve gone too far until newly proposed changes simply cease to gain any traction. Now, the real problems of ossification become clear: once we cross an invisible line in the future, Bitcoin will be ‘set’ as it is, with no more updates practically possible.

“Before this happens, developers and users need to think about what Bitcoin’s ultimate code base should look like. We can see from past debates surrounding things like the SegWit fork that bitcoiners are both divided and passionate about many issues, and there’s almost certainly no answer to this question that everyone will agree on. This is, of course, part of the problem driving ossification in the first place.”

Only time will reveal whether we have already crossed that invisible line of base-layer ossification. However, until that day arrives, it is crucial for all users who cherish Bitcoin for its properties of self sovereignty and censorship resistance, as well as its potential to truly separate money from the state, to embrace changes with an open mind. Engage in the various discussions within the developer community. Implement the principle of charity in your observations and discussions. Personally, as an attendee of ChiBitDevs, I can attest that those in the developer community are extremely welcoming and enjoy assisting non-technical users in grasping complex engineering matters that reside at the forefront of development.

Let me leave you with one final quote from Shinobi to contemplate: "What if the spooks (government) want you vehemently against any further changes to Bitcoin so that our only viable long-term scaling options are banks they can try and regulate and capture?"

By：Michael Matulef Link：https://bitcoinmagazine.com/culture/bitcoin-cannot-reach-the-world-if-it-doesnt-change

@ fd78c37f:a0ec0833

This is an opinion editorial by Obiwan Satoshi, a professional pickleball player.

Fiat money has birthed a fiat world. Fiat food, fiat jobs… and fiat athletes. In this article, I introduce ideas about what it means to be a Bitcoin athlete — an archetype that I seek to embody in my professional pickleball career and a template for the 21st century professional athlete.

FIAT ATHLETES VS. BITCOIN ATHLETES

Fiat athletes compete to earn fiat money. They store their time and energy (aka, their wealth) in manipulated money that steals from them, they trust companies not to censor them and they often live high time preference lifestyles.

Bitcoin athletes are a new breed of elite, professional athletes. Bitcoin athletes store their wealth in sound money that protects them from theft, they leverage decentralized protocols like Nostr to create uncensorable, peer-to-peer relationships with their fans, they embody Bitcoin values and they live a low time preference lifestyle.

Fiat athletes build digital identities on platforms created by companies that have the ability to censor what they say and that divide them from their fans. Bitcoin athletes build digital identities on open-source protocols that can’t censor what they say. These protocols enable Bitcoin athletes to connect directly with their fans.

Fiat athletes trust banks to hold their money and leak energy with every exchange between fiat currencies when traveling to different countries. Bitcoin athletes hold their own money and conserve energy by using global money when traveling to compete.

Fiat athletes trust politicians to maintain monetary integrity. Bitcoin athletes run nodes and verify that the monetary policy of Bitcoin is enforcing a 21 million supply cap.

Fiat athletes live fiat lifestyles and propagate fiat values to their fans. Bitcoin athletes live Bitcoin lifestyles and propagate the values of the Bitcoin protocol to their fans — the values of truth, freedom and personal responsibility.

Fiat athletes live at the mercy of banks and politicians who control their money and the companies who control their financial sponsorship. Bitcoin athletes are sovereign and without masters. Their money is governed by mathematics and they are directly supported by their fans, who zap them sats at the speed of light.

Fiat athletes are motivated by fame and fiat riches. Bitcoin athletes are motivated by the mission to spread financial literacy to 8 billion people on earth and unlock unprecedented peace and human flourishing. Bitcoin athletes play for a purpose beyond money. They’re playing to save the money.

Fiat athletes use centralized money, centralized social media and centralized sponsorship models. They have relationships with intermediaries (banks, platforms and companies) that have the power to censor or control them if they don’t tow the line. Bitcoin athletes use decentralized money, decentralized social media and decentralized sponsorship models. They use protocols in order to restore direct relationships with their fans and reduce (or eliminate) their reliance on banks, platforms and companies.

WINNING WITH BITCOIN

I believe a Bitcoin world will forge Bitcoin athletes, this new type of professional athlete who is financially energized directly by their fans, lives in alignment with values of the Bitcoin protocol and uses their influence to improve financial literacy and fix the money. The elite athlete of the 21st century will build their career on Bitcoin and be powered by the Lightning Network.

As a professional pickleball player, I’m on a mission to demonstrate this new template myself. I seek to master my sport by testing myself against the best pickleball players in the world and I play for Bitcoin.

Part of my mission as a Bitcoin athlete is to help fiat athletes make the jump over to a Bitcoin world, to help them understand Bitcoin and secure their bits of information in cyberspace (property, identity, data, etc.) with encrypted energy. That process often begins with me sending them 21 sats after a game so they can experience the magic of Bitcoin firsthand and then helping them set up a Nostr account so that fans can directly support them financially.

I believe the professional athletes of the 21st century will be powered by Bitcoin. They will connect directly with their fans with zaps and will store their life energy in scarce, digital, encrypted money. They will run nodes, share proof of work and connect with fans on Nostr. They will be uncensorable, unstoppable and sovereign in their quest to financially support their careers.

By：Obiwan Satoshi Link：https://bitcoinmagazine.com/culture/bitcoin-is-a-better-tool-for-professional-athletes

@ 4ac847f3:16dc6c5a

FTC conduz audiência com CEOs da Microsoft e Activision Blizzard sobre práticas anticompetitivas e assédio

Microsoft #ActivisionBlizzard #Mundo #Tecnologia

https://open.substack.com/pub/technewsbr/p/ftc-conduz-audiencia-com-ceos-da?r=1zp81j&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

@ 4ac847f3:16dc6c5a

Elon Musk Faz Anúncio Surpresa na VivaTech

Elonmusk #vivatech2023 #Tecnologia #Mundo #Noticias

https://open.substack.com/pub/technewsbr/p/elon-musk-faz-anuncio-surpresa-na?r=1zp81j&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

@ 4ac847f3:16dc6c5a

Câmara dos Representantes da Carolina do Norte avança com projeto de lei para estudar moedas virtuais, incluindo o Bitcoin

Bitcoin #criptomoedas #Mundo #Noticias

https://open.substack.com/pub/technewsbr/p/camara-dos-representantes-da-carolina?r=1zp81j&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

@ 4ac847f3:16dc6c5a

Protesto no Reddit afeta a participação dos usuários e a atividade no site

Reddit #Mundo #Noticia #Tecnologia

https://open.substack.com/pub/technewsbr/p/protesto-no-reddit-afeta-a-participacao?r=1zp81j&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

@ 20986fb8:cdac21b3

To better spread the spirit of Nostr, its protocols, and projects within the Nostr ecosystem, YakiHonne, as the initiator of nostr-based decentralized long-form content media platform and the global Nostr Hackathon, had hosted the Round 1 of Hack-Nostr-On, and two amazing Nostriches Meetup in Hong Kong and Miami.

Hack-Nostr-On Global Long-Term Hackathon Round 1 Recap

For the first stop of the Nostriches meet-up, we chose HK—Nostr HK Meetup, which not only provided a space for developers in Asia to communicate in the early stages of the protocol but also spread the Nostr protocol to Asia, attracting more developers to join the Hack-Nostr-on global Hackathon Round 1 to build Nostr. It also drew attention from Asian capital to the Nostr ecosystem.

HongKong Nostr Honne Event - Taken on April 14, 2023 in Hong Kong

For the second stop, we chose Miami—Miami Nostr Honne Meetup, which was one of the most valuable side events of the Bitcoin 2023 conference. In the form of a Hackathon, we showcased interesting projects within the Nostr ecosystem to global bitcoiners and Nostrians, effectively connecting builders within the Nostr ecosystem.

Miami Nostr Honne event pictures - taken in Miami on May 20, 2023

The 3rd Meetup will be in Berlin on on July 14th, as a Creator Hackathon. Click here to see more details and Registrating.

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About Us

YakiHonne.com is a decentralized media protocol based on Nostr, supporting media and creators to freely curate, create, publish, and report. Try YakiHonne.com today!

Follow Us - Telegram: https://t.me/YakiHonne_Daily_Featured - Twitter: @YakiHonne - Nostr pubkey: npub1yzvxlwp7wawed5vgefwfmugvumtp8c8t0etk3g8sky4n0ndvyxesnxrf8q - Hack-Nostr-On, Win 35,000,000 SATs: https://dorahacks.io/hackathon/hack-nostr-on/detail - Publish Your Long-form Content on Nostr and Earn 17,500,000 SATs

@ 4729b2c0:6074b4a9

The interplay between fiscal deficits, lending, and new technologies is reshaping our understanding of inflation. As we move forward, these factors will continue to shape the trajectory of inflation and the broader economy. Policymakers and investors alike must adapt to these new dynamics to navigate the economic landscape effectively.

Raising Interest Rate, Ineffective on Fiscal Inflation

Traditionally, raising interest rates has been the primary tool for managing inflation. However, in the current economic climate, raising interest rates may not only be ineffective but could potentially exacerbate inflation. Isn’t is a reality we are currently grappling with?

Both bank lending and fiscal deficits have been the primary drivers of broad money creation, which in turn influences inflation. In the 1970s, bank lending was the dominant factor, leading to high inflation. However, in the 1910s, 1940s, and notably in the 2020s, fiscal deficits have taken the lead. This shift has significant implications for our understanding of inflation and the effectiveness of policy tools.

In today’s economy, fiscal deficits are a larger source of money creation than bank loans. This suggests that interest rates are less effective as an inflation-fighting tool now than they were in the 1970s. Moreover, raising interest rates can actually become inflationary beyond a certain point. How so?

Higher interest rates increase the interest expense of the federal government, which widens their deficit, ironically stimulating the economy. This inflationary force is unintended effect of raising interest rates.

At the same time, these higher rates put downward pressure on asset prices and lending activity, hurting tax revenue due to the financialization of the economy. Combined with the unwillingness of cutting entitlements due to its political sensitivity, the falling tax receipts suggests larger fiscal deficits for a long time. It’s more the disinclination to cut spending rather than the high yields that could drive inflation. This fiscal aspect is a critical part of the inflation puzzle.

Deflationary Impact of the Technological Revolution

Despite the economic challenges we face, the rapid advancement of new technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, is playing a significant role in deflationary efforts. Since November 2022, the rollout of AI technologies to consumers has accelerated at an unprecedented pace, acting as a co-pilot to fiscal measures to exert a deflationary influence on the economy. By increasing productivity and reducing supply constraints, these technologies can help counterbalance the inflationary pressures from fiscal deficits.

Technologies like AI, robotics, blockchain, instant and direct payment systems (e.g. FedNow Service to be launched by Federal Reserve in July 2023), and 3D printing are not only increasing productivity and efficiency but also eliminating the middleman. This leads to significant cost savings and contributes to a deflationary effect on the economy.

For instance, AI training costs have decreased by 60%, and are projected to drop between 37% and 50% per year, indicating its growing accessibility across sectors and consumers

Advances in battery pack capabilities for electric vehicles exemplify the deflationary impact of technology. For every cumulative doubling of capacity in battery packs, costs drop by 28%, making electric vehicles more affordable and environmentally friendly.

3D printing is another technology revolutionizing supply chains. It reduces the need for long, costly and risky cargo shipping by enabling the production of goods closer to their point of consumption, further contributing to the deflationary impact of technology.

In this new economic landscape, technology and fiscal measures can work in tandem to manage inflation, demonstrating the transformative power of innovation in shaping our economic future.

Adapting to the New Economic Dynamics

The deflationary effects of technology and productivity increases will play a crucial role in balancing the inflationary pressures from fiscal deficits. As we continue to innovate and adapt, we can look forward to a future where we can manage inflation while also reaping the benefits of technological advancement.

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On Twitter: FlexitigerA

@ c8df6ae8:22293a06

Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon.

— Milton Friedman, Nobel Laureate

Welcome to the latest issue of the Bitcoin For Families newsletter. This issue will explain how the arguments given by Central Banks to blame others for inflation are bogus: * 💡 Businesses are not the cause for inflation * 🐦 Notable Notes * 📝 Recommendations

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Businesses are not the cause of inflation

Central Banks, and particularly the European Central Bank (ECB), have spent the last few weeks blaming others for inflation.

Central Banks cause inflation but they won’t accept the blame because doing so would endanger their ability to print money at will.

A week ago, the ECB Podcast released this video blaming business for inflation because they are i) raising wages; and ii) increasing their profits.

Wage increases

A business will pay you as much as they need to in order to keep you as an employee, and not one penny more.

A business will only raise wages when employees demand it because of a shortage of certain skills: for example developers in the AI space are in high demand now and can command salary raises.

The situation that we’re facing now is one where people are demanding salary raises because inflation has raised their cost of living and no one likes to be poorer that the day before.

And if my employer doesn’t raise my salary significantly but the one across the street is smart and offers to do so, then I will walk across the street to get that salary raise.

Many Europeans, with their strong unions, don’t even need a smart potential employer across the street. The unions will negotiate the salary raises for them.

It’s very straight forward: inflation came first, and as a result, wages are going up. But companies will not raise your salary above the inflation rate. At most they will match it.

In the best case scenario where your salary increase matches the price increase caused by inflation, then you continue to buy the same amount of things at the new price level. The prices won’t continue to go up. You’re just trying to maintain your standard of living.

But Europe is far from the best case scenario. The reality is that salaries increases are below inflation. Eurostat, the official office of statistics of the European Union reports that for 2022 wages increased by 4.4% (source) and inflation increased by 9.2% (source).

Blaming inflation on salary wages is a double insult. First they insult you by not accepting their responsibility for causing the inflation and then the insult you by blaming you for inflation, when all you’re trying to do is to maintain the same standard of living for your family.

Greedflation

A business will charge you as much as it can in order to keep you as a customer, and not one penny less.

It is very likely that some companies have increased their prices more than the increased cost of energy, materials and labor.

When you’re running a business that is facing inflation and you don’t know how much inflation will grow, you will, if you can, increase your prices higher than the current inflation to prepare for further increases in inflation. It’s easier than increasing the price a second time because the first time you didn’t get it right.

However, this is always going to be controlled by supply and demand. If you raise the prices too much, people will stop buying your goods.

Again, inflation comes first. Price increases come second. And if you increase the price too much, the competition will undercut you and you will need to lower the price to maintain the customer.

Blaming inflation on greedy businesses is a diversion so that you focus on the evil business man instead of focusing on the really evil central banker.

Agustin Carstens, Head of the Bank of International Settlements

Climate change

Climate change affects inflation

— Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank

This is so funny that I had to include it here as a bonus.

How exactly does that work? I can see how an extreme weather event could cause a temporary increase in prices for certain items but not real, core inflation.

For example, let’s say that an unusual cold weather patch in the midwest of the United States decimates the wheat crops days before the harvest. Now there is less wheat available for the same expected worldwide demand and the price of wheat globally goes up.

People respond to prices of wheat going up by buying less bread or flour and, as a result of the lower demand, the prices go down until they find a new equilibrium. This is not inflation. This is the market working as intended. The price of wheat is signaling the lower supply. That is the purpose of money: to convey information about the value of an item and this value, off course, is impacted among other things by the combination of supply and demand.

But a temporary increase in prices is not what we’re experiencing. We’re experiencing systemic inflation.

Blaming inflation on climate change is an attempt to cast inflation as an unpredictable calamity that no one is really responsible for.

According to Ms. Lagarde, inflation came out nowhere. And it’s Putin’s fault.

The real cause of inflation: too much money

Price inflation happens when more money chases the same amount of goods and services.

We all know it at the basic level: too much money printing devalues the currency and therefore prices must go up because the value of a kilo of apples doesn’t change, what has changed is the value of the euro.

The ECB knows it as well. But they won’t say it aloud. Check the chart below with the Euro money supply. Growing well above the GDP until very recently when they started scaling back.

Euro money supply (millions of Euros)

Their problem is that taking money out of the system is painful. It’s like eating cake, sure you enjoy it when you eat it, but losing the extra weight later is painful. And so they won’t do it for too long or as much as it is needed.

Watch this fantastic speed by Milton Friedman for a clear and simple explanation of inflation. He even predicted today’s deflection tactics by the ECB!

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Notable notes

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Recommendations

Lyn Alden

Lyn Alden is a fantastic macro analyst with a gift for distilling complex data sets into simple to understand concepts.

Here is the February 2023 newsletter with her fantastic analysis, in this case focused on inflation.

She is a strong believer in Bitcoin and you can follow her here.

Bitcoin Therapy 🧠

Level up your Bitcoin knowledge in 3 minutes...every Sunday.

Subscribe here.

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What did you think of today's newsletter?

Your feedback helps me create the best newsletter possible for you.

Please leave a comment and checkout comments from other subscribers and readers. I love hearing from the Bitcoin For Families community ❤️ 🙏🏻

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Buy Bitcoin with Swan

If you want to buy Bitcoin, I highly recommend using Swan. They are a Bitcoin only business that is focused on self-custody and educating their users. It's where I buy my Bitcoin. Use this link to receive $10 free to get you started.

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See you again next week! — Alejandro

This newsletter is for educational purposes. It does not represent financial advice. Do your own research before buying Bitcoin.

@ 62a45004:b2ff78c5

In my years working as a housing organizer in New York City, I witnessed first hand the human costs of gentrification. Despite organized efforts to stem the tide of evictions and rising housing costs, however, things are getting much worse all around us: the explosion in housing prices barely abated after the 2008 meltdown, and continues setting record breaking highs in the face of a deepening homelessness crisis. Luxury towers mushroom throughout the city in a time when most working-class people were barely making ends meet. Where is this deluge of money coming from? When did all this madness begin, and how can we end it?

As traditional organizing tactics and policy tools continue to fall short, the housing movement, and the left at large, is in dire need of new strategies and paths forward. The purpose of this article is to identify money creation through the banking system as the root cause of gentrification, and propose that Bitcoin, a decentralized monetary system capable of transferring monetary authority back to the people, is a weapon that can help tenants and workers level the playing field.

The Big Game in Town: Vacancy Decontrol

It was a bitterly cold winter evening when I headed to Hazel’s apartment in Flushing. A single mother and sole breadwinner for her family, she lived in one of the few rent-regulated units available in the city, and was increasingly facing illegal tactics meant to evict her from her unit.

Vacancy Decontrol, passed by Democrats and signed into law in 1994, gave landlords gigantic legal loopholes to jack up rents on vacant rent-regulated units, and to deregulate the unit completely after reaching a rental threshold of $2000 (later raised to $2774). This meant that a high tenant turnover would not only help deregulate apartments; the ability to suddenly charge market rates also meant that the value of the entire apartment complex would increase accordingly.

To no one’s surprise, an entire business model of incredible depravity sprang up around Vacancy Decontrol. Investment groups with access to virtually free money in Capital markets snatched up residential buildings across the City, deregulated as many units as possible, and sold the properties at enormous profit a few years down the line. It was a highly lucrative, risk-free investment that had the tacit approval of government officials. And they love it.

But the reality on the ground betrayed the true costs of this rental racket. As I entered the apartment where Hazel lived, the lobby was littered with construction material; one of the walls had been torn down as part of a relentless “construction” push. The noise, dust and hazard of it all was constant, part of the playbook to drive as many tenants out as possible. I made my way to Hazel’s apartment, where we were supposed to conduct a building-wide tenant meeting, and knocked on the door. Her mother, grandson in tow, greeted me in Dominican Spanish. As she told me Hazel wasn’t home from work yet, I sat down on their living room couch and noticed how cold the surface felt to the touch. As it turned out, the heat had been deliberately turned off, yet again, on one of the coldest days of the year.

Fighting on a Tilted Field: A Survey of Policy Based Solutions.

The abuses had been well-documented, but the odds were against us. From bogus eviction notices to outright intimidation and threats, landlords used every trick in the book to dissuade tenants from organizing. The setbacks and heartbreaks, however, only made us more determined. Tenants packed RGB (rent guideline board) meetings, marched on landlords and took some to court, formed coalitions, courted politicians and harnessed the power of investigative journalism to shed light on the horrific living conditions. After decades of organized resistance, Vacancy Decontrol was finally outlawed in 2020.

Tenants at the New York State Capitol in Albany. Vacancy Decontrol was outlawed in 2020.

The celebrations, however, did not last. Instead of a momentum building victory, all around us things were getting much, much worse. The eviction machine churning through the City has, with the help of the pandemic, become a national trend with no end in sight. Meanwhile, gentrification found a way to turbocharge itself: no longer an issue affecting inner city dwellers exclusively, financiers and real estate developers are now even trampling over the relatively well-off residents of neighborhoods like the Upper East Side. And all across the nation, tactics perfected during the many land grabs in the global south, are now being used to conduct The Great Housing Grab in the very heart of the empire.

Traditionally, organizers have sought to mobilize people as the main tool to influence public policy. Unfortunately, new financial weapons designed and deployed after 1971 have tilted the playing field so radically that public policy challenges to the FIRE (Finance, Insurance and Real Estate) sector have been all but neutralized and rendered ineffective. As the struggle against Vacancy Decontrol in NYC painfully demonstrates, policy solutions tend to fall short: even though we closed the main legal loophole through which financial interests bled New York City’s affordable housing stock, there were broader trends that remained untouched by the new laws: the avalanche of money that spurred the explosion in housing prices, as well as an unprecedented epoch of luxury development.

As eye-popping real estate deals continue to inundate the headlines and benumb the masses, it is clear that the entire planet is becoming the plaything of rogue financial interests. How can we stop this madness?

Community coalitions like the Chinatown Working Group have championed community led rezoning plans as a way to mitigate the impacts of these trends. While this is a solid plan, and I hope it manages to overcome the conflict of interests from elected officials who are bankrolled by the real estate industry, there are fundamental issues with this approach: rezoning creates singular exclusion zones that do not scale, and thus fails to adequately address the need for affordable housing for all. In other words, rezoning is merely a defensive tool, akin to erecting a protective wall in the midst of an ocean of rising housing prices.

A more comprehensive policy solution is Biden’s Build Back Better Act, which frames the issue as a lack of supply, and proposes resolving the shortage of affordable housing by building more homes. The problem, however, is that this plan completely ignores the issue of demand: without putting a stop to the endless deluge of money pouring into real estate, there is no amount of homes one can build that will be enough to lower housing prices.

The People’s Housing Platform, on the other hand, does attempt to tackle demand by treating housing as a public good, rather than a market commodity. In policy terms, this involves expanding rental and housing assistance, massive investments into public housing units, among other proposals that would effectively shield a large portion of the housing stock from the market. Regardless of one’s opinion on state intervention in the market, however, even The People’s Housing Platform is merely a defensive tool: short of resorting to abolishing the market by declaring all real estate as the government’s property—something that not even the Communist Party of China does anymore—, gentrification is not a problem we can root out by erecting protective policy walls alone.

In the fight against climate change, coastal barriers can help mitigate rising ocean waters. But if we want to save coastal cities around the world, reducing carbon emissions is the only true solution to the problem. When it comes to gentrification, the parallels are similar: none of these housing policies attempt to change anything about the way capital markets work around the globe. Thus, from a strategy standpoint, these policy tools can scarcely make a dent on global real estate markets, and will not be able to root out gentrification.

In order to demystify why gentrification is a core feature that remains so deeply ingrained in our global economy, we need to understand the role that housing plays in a context where money printing is rampant, and inflation is perpetually maintained as a matter of Central Bank policy. As the old adage goes, we need to follow the money.

The Fed and The New Monetary World Order

What is money, and where does it come from? The value of most commodities comes from the labor it requires to create it. That’s why historically, only commodities that were labor intensive to produce, and/or in scarce supply would be used as money: if the commodity being used as money was cheap and easy to produce or procure, those with the means of production would make more of it, benefiting themselves at the expense of others in the short term, even as their inflationary actions would eventually lead to the destruction of the value of such a commodity.

Nowhere was this more painfully demonstrated than in Europe’s colonization of the African continent, where aggry beads—small, decorative glass beads—were the money of the land: since glass production was cheap to Europeans, they mass produced counterfeit African money. This then allowed them to plunder the continent through commerce, buying labor intensive goods with beads that cost very little to produce. This massive theft of wealth, or what is the same, labor-time, directly contributed to the impoverishment and ensuing enslavement and colonization of the African continent. Its long term repercussions continue to this very day in the form of the CFA monetary system, which replaced the now worthless pre-colonization currencies.

These beads were known as 'trade', 'aggry' or even 'slave' beads.

This is the reason why Gold reigned supreme as the commodity-money of choice for so long. No matter how much technology advanced, there has always been only so much of the metal available, and the extraction process still requires a tremendous amount of labor and energy. There are no shortcuts, and thus no ways for gold-producers to cheat.

The Gold Standard, however, officially ended with Nixon in 1971, when he reneged on the promise of convertibility with Gold. Overnight, the dollar, now a mere promise of repayment that cost as much labor to produce as a pen stroke, replaced Gold as the de facto reserve currency of the world. While the origins and precise mechanics of this new global Fiat system—where creditor nations are just as beholden to the United States as debtor nations—are beyond the scope of this article, the practical implication is devastatingly simple: just like when European powers found a way to counterfeit African aggry beads, the United States could now simply conjure dollars out of thin air, while the rest of the world had to exchange its labor and time for every penny earned. In other words, there were no longer limits to how much money the United States could print, and as a result, for the first time in human history, an empire had found a way to effectively plunder the entire planet, forcing everyone to finance its own domestic and foreign expenditures in perpetuity (or so they thought).

At the center of it all, sits the Federal Reserve. Neither federal, nor possessing in its vaults any reserves, the Fed is less a bank in the traditional sense, and more so the very embodiment of the authority to create and control the cost and supply of money. In other words, as a “private corporation in which the government has an interest,” the Fed has sole discretionary power to dictate global monetary policy, and is free from the checks and balances that other democratic institutions are subjected to; neither are its board of governors elected, nor are the inner workings of the Fed known to the public. For all intents and purposes, it is an unacknowledged fourth branch of government that is under the control of private bankers and their financial interests.

While some may claim the Fed’s independent status helps avoid government abuses of monetary powers, the question remains: who makes sure that the Fed does not abuse these same powers, and acts in the public interest instead? In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, where the Fed simply printed money as a free hand-out to “recapitalize the banking system’s reserves,” and the 2020 pandemic response, where the Fed continued to exacerbate income inequality by disproportionately handing out money to the wealthy, it has become clear that, in fact, nobody can hold them accountable: bankers simply wanted the staggering power of money creation for themselves.

Besides gloating about doing “God’s work,” what have our new overlords done with this power over the last 50 years since the end of the Gold Standard? Among other “achievements,” they have maintained a relentless inflationary environment as a matter of policy, driving prices up while wages stagnated. It is precisely this macroeconomic environment that has fueled the relentless market forces behind gentrification.

Real Estate as a Safe Haven from Systemic Inflation

Though it can, these days the Fed seldom creates the money itself. Instead, it simply let’s its children in the commercial banking sector enjoy the party: in the UK, commercial banks are the creators and allocators of about 97% of the money supply, and the numbers are similar for Wall Street. With the outright abolition of all reserve requirements in 2020, every penny of credit that any commercial bank extends to anyone, is in fact new money that is being conjured out of thin air. Mortgages, car loans, student loans, credit cards, are all vehicles of money printing for the banks.

The supply of money has increased by 37% since February 2020.

When we take out a loan for a house worth $1 million, for example, the bank simply edits a spreadsheet on its records (a ledger), and the money magically appears in our account. We use that $1 million to pay for the house, but we then also have to pay another $1 million to the bank, plus interest. If we keep count, that’s $2+ million. In other words, the money supply doubled, increasing by $1+ million dollars. The bank did not have that $1 million they lent us prior to our exchange, they created it. But we have to spend time and energy doing work, earning a wage to pay back that loan. If this sounds familiar, it’s because it is exactly the same racket Europeans used to counterfeit aggry beads in Africa. They can mass-produce the money for almost nothing, while we have to work for it.

The Fed, however, is the one who sets the macroeconomic tone by dictating the Federal Fund Rate—the rate at which commercial banks borrow and lend their excess reserves to each other overnight. This interest rate has been set so low for so long, that capital has become an endless and free resource for the well-connected, and constitutes the very source of the money deluge that has led to the explosion in blockbuster real estate deals and luxury developments.

And why would they not enjoy it? Unlike consumer credit, the interest rate that institutional investors pay is never higher than inflation: if it costs 1% in interest to borrow money, and they can use that money to purchase real estate in a market where asset price inflation is 6% annually, they are guaranteed to turn a profit of 5%. During that time, they can charge rent, or otherwise continue to extract wealth from the property. This becomes a vicious cycle: the more money is borrowed, the more money is created; the more is created, the higher the inflation; and the higher the inflation, the more profitable it becomes to borrow money.

But here is the kicker. For a worker with a savings account, or a board overseeing a retirement fund, the interest they can accrue with their money pales in comparison to the inflation rate. If you reverse the process from the example above, for every 1% earned in interest, they lose 6% to inflation. That means any money that is sitting as a cash deposit is relentlessly melting away in purchasing power: you end up paying the bank to hold your money. It is for this reason that these days the financially literate would not touch a savings account, and union pension funds are “invested” in fossil fuel stocks and other questionable “high-yield” ventures. In other words, interest rates below inflation don’t just allow the rich to profit from the creation of new money, it also forces everybody in the economy to “chase yield,” becoming unwitting investors and market speculators.

Average Sales Price of Houses Sold in the US has skyrocketed.

Real estate has been one of the main destinations for all this yield-chasing money. With a supply that is as limited by geographical constraints as the labor and materials required to build each new unit, the number of buildings and houses would never be able to inflate as fast as the money supply. Thus, housing has turned into one of the de-facto saving accounts for the entire planet—the other ones being stocks. The skyrocketing prices around the globe are a testament to this fact: for example, Canadian home prices have risen 70 percent or by $300,000 Canadian dollars since Justin Trudeau took power in 2015.

In this macroeconomic environment, where capital circles the globe in search of a safe haven from systemic inflation and money-printing, no one can seriously hope to make housing affordable, without first putting a stop to the entire central banking edifice. The Federal Reserve’s unchecked monetary authority has wreaked havoc on everyone’s lives, and caused endless suffering. It has benefited the bankers and financiers at the expense of everyone else. It is time we put an end to it.

A New Monetary System for the Dispossessed.

Organizing on the ground is not for the faint of heart. Nothing is more sobering, or as formative as experiencing the housing crisis through people’s individual struggles. Once, an undocumented couple refused to continue talking to me after their landlord installed a camera directly above their door. In other cases, entire apartment buildings became surveillance zones overnight, sending a chilling effect to anyone who had considered opening their door to me. More than once, I sat in a kitchen with tenants resigned to evictions or code-violations simply because they could not afford the time off to attend an overwhelmed housing court system.

Through it all, the bankers and financiers who engineered this perpetual crisis were hidden behind a thick veil of paperwork and economic misconceptions, nowhere to be seen. Of course we knew that “the 1%” was behind it all, but lacking a clear understanding of the processes and institutions responsible for our collective suffering, we were resigned to play defense on a tilted field. After all, printing money is easy, but organizing people is time-consuming, full of risks and therefore extremely hard.

Ending the Fed, however, is not something that can be done through policy alone: after Citizens United, money has never exerted more control over the political process. In today’s world, the political class takes the “independence” of the Federal Reserve as if it was a founding tenet enshrined in the Constitution, even though the power to mint money was in fact explicitly granted to Congress (Article 1, section 8).

Nor can the Fed be disbanded through force: only dust remains of the nations and armies that have dared challenge the dollar’s status as the reserve currency of the world. Even if some nation was to succeed in supplanting the U.S., what would stop them from abusing the same power once their central-bank-issued money became the world’s reserve currency?

This is why in today’s world, many see Bitcoin as the only viable alternative that can allow us to finally achieve what we did with religion centuries ago: the separation of state and money. As a new monetary system that relies on cryptography to create a truly decentralized governance model, in Bitcoin the end users are the ultimate arbiters of monetary policy. And what is that policy? A supply that is capped at 21 million Bitcoin, and the requirement that all newly minted Bitcoin be done so through “Proof of Work.” Bitcoin’s consensus mechanism has survived coup attempts by corporations and attacks from governments. Through it all, it’s absolute scarcity, which millions help enforce with their home computers, has given people from around the world a way to safeguard themselves from all forms of wealth confiscation and abuses of power.

Unfortunately, nobody can be told what Bitcoin is. Consider this an invitation to not only read about this technology, but also to experience the power of using money that is outside of the purview of governments and central banks; a money that truly belongs to the people, and is safeguarded as an open-source commons that belongs to all. In our struggle to end gentrification, Bitcoin offers us a way forward, a tiny ray of hope in an otherwise dark universe.

@ 10b7a00c:10fb71d8

There are arguments over what the first computer was. Some people say it was an abacus which is a counting device that has been used for centuries.

However the first modern computers were electronic calculating machines and were developed during the Second World War.

One computer would take up rooms and parts of the computers were put on wheels because they were so big.

@ 21ef0d85:79f9d144

Encontrei esse artigo repostado pelo @LibertariaSal no Twitter (o post original está no fim deste artigo), senti a necessidade de compartilhar, mas queria fazer isso de forma descentralizada aqui no Nostr. Por se tratar de um tema no qual tenho grande interesse pessoal (segurança e privacidade) e também por ser uma das minhas áreas de atuação profissional dentro da tecnologia, acabei optando por não só compartilhar esse artigo, mas também fazer as minhas considerações pessoais.

Espero que não só gostem dessa leitura, mas como também consigam extrair dessas dicas o conhecimento necessário para dar os primeiros passos no controle da sua infomação.

O artigo original está completo aqui, sendo citado em quote (quando for trechos integros do original).

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Como, por exemplo, hackers conseguem mandar conteúdo ilegal para a Internet enquanto continuam anônimos?

⚠️ Atenção: este artigo não encoraja ou aprova atividades ilegais, independente da sua natureza. Este artigo foi feito apenas para fins informativos e educacionais.

Antes de tudo, é importante saber duas coisas:

1. Não existe anonimato perfeito e infalível. O que se pode fazer é minimizar as chances de ser identificado usando várias camadas de proteção.

2. Nenhuma ferramenta sozinha vai fazer milagres. Como foi dito, uma combinação de métodos, técnicas e ferramentas serão usadas.

Logo de cara o autor já quebra a idéia de que existe uma "ferramenta mágica" que irá resolver todos os seus problemas de segurança e anonimato na internet. Não. Isso não existe. A segurança da informação demanda uma série de medidas em camadas que resultam em um determinado nível de eficiência a depender de como foram adotadas.

Com isto em mente, vamos ao que interessa.

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1 - Sistemas operacionais anônimos

Começando pelo básico: o sistema operacional.

Primeiramente, esqueça o Windows. Seu código é fechado, fora a coleta de dados, as vulnerabilidades e a falta de funcionalidades voltadas para o anonimato. E, apesar de mais seguras, distros populares do Linux não são projetadas para o anonimato.

Windows? Tô fora, pego meu Qubes-Whonix e vou embora.

Isso me parece óbvio, mas por incrível que pareça, muitas pessoas do meio ainda não entenderam que não se deve utilizar sistemas operacionais da Microsoft (Windows). Sim, o Windows não é seguro! Além de não ser uma ferramenta segura, ele não é confiável em todos os seus aspectos, não sendo recomendado (na minha opinião) para nenhum tipo de usuário, nem mesmo o mais simples e comum. Dê sempre preferência aos SOs (sistemas operacionais) que sejam de código aberto e especialmente os que são voltados a segurança, como os exemplos dados pelo autor. Mas tenha em mente que sistemas Linux em geral costumam ser uma pedida melhor. Mesmo os mais comuns como Ubuntu ou Debian são opções muito mais confiáveis e poderosas que qualquer sistema já produzido pela Microsoft.

Como recomendação, o usuário pode escolher sistemas operacionais focados no anonimato e privacidade, como o Tails, o Qubes e o Whonix, cada um com suas especificidades.

• Tails: feito para ser executado via Live USB e não deixar rastros no seu computador. A cada reinicialização, todas as informações são perdidas.

• Whonix: feito para ser executado via máquina virtual (VM). Todo o tráfego de rede é passado pela rede Tor e sua configuração é relativamente simples.

• Qubes: sua segurança é baseada no isolamento e pode ser instalado como sistema operacional principal. Sua configuração é avançada mas é muito seguro.

Confesso que das três sugestões dadas pelo autor, eu só conhecia uma, mas é bem interessante conhecer as três opções. Aliás, elas parecem se complementar, te dando a possibilidade de ter controle sobre seu ambiente em diferentes situações. O autor explica isso melhor a seguir.

Eu acrescentaria apenas uma opção também para mobile, como o GrapheneOS que é um sistema operacional para mobile baseado em Android e completamente open source, feito com foco em privacidade.

Se quiserem conhecer outras opções de SOs para mobile, deem uma olhada neste artigo, ele dá ótimas opções com uma breve descrição de cada uma.

Whonix (esquerda), Tails OS (meio) e Qubes OS (direita). Fonte: 4n6lady

Se o computador do usuário tem os requisitos mínimos, uma boa opção é instalar o Qubes como sistema principal e configurar o Whonix em cima (Qubes-Whonix) usando o KVM.

• Guia de instalação do Qubes
• Guia de instalação do Whonix para KVM

Qual é o limite para o cuidado, não é mesmo? A resposta para essa pergunta é bastante pessoal e eu aconselho a você buscar dentro de si. Agora, caso esteja interessado na minha opinião, me parece ser um pouco de exagero (sem falar no desperdício de recurso computacional) montar um ambiente como o sugerido acima. Calma, eu explico. O Qubes OS por si só já utiliza como premissa o isolamento através de contêineres que são espécies de máquinas virtuais (assim como seria no KVM), ou seja, os componentes do Qubes já rodam de forma isolada e ele já garante um alto nível de segurança e privacidade. Rodar o KVM dentro do Qubes seria literalmente rodar uma VM (Virtual Machine) dentro de outra VM, o que exigira uma quantidade significativa de recurso computacional para ser algo utilizável. Isso aumentaria a segurança? Sim. Seria uma camada a mais para um possível invasor atravessar, mas a um custo que talvez não compense o possível benefício, mas deixo isso ao critério de cada um avaliar.

Mas calma lá, o autor cita o Qubes-Whonix, que tem até documentação oficial entre os dois sistemas e tudo mais. E aí? Bom, essa combinação de fato existe e a proposta feita pelos sistemas é de acrescentar Whonix na lista de "TemplateVMs", desta forma ele poderia ser rodado pelo Qubes em suas VMs assim como qualquer outra das suas opções (Fedora, Debian, Arch Linux e etc). Isso é ligeiramente diferente de você usar o Whonix no KVM dentro de uma VM no Qubes. Mas enfim...

Lembre sempre: A decisão é sua e a responsabilidade também.

Caso contrário, ele pode instalar uma distribuição do Linux mais leve e configurar o Whonix da mesma forma.

Ou se o usuário estiver usando um computador em que ele não pode deixar rastros, o Tails via Live USB é o melhor neste caso.

• Guia de instalação do Tails

Só uma observação sobre a dica do Tails: Esse "SO de bolso" é sem dúvidas uma mão na roda do caramba! Além de te dar um SO que não deixa rastros na máquina, você também tem uma ferramenta que pode te ajudar na recuperação de dados ou na análise de problemas de hardware (quem já teve que rodar qualquer Linux em modo live, sabe do que estou falando). Simplesmente fantástico, não é? Mas como tudo na vida, temos que tomar alguns cuidados para a coisa ser realmente efetiva. Se você visitar a página oficial do Tails eles já te alertam sobre isso. Apesar de o SO em si ser bastante seguro e não deixar rastros, você ainda precisa tomar cuidado quanto ao hardware que está usando. Então, não vai achando que basta plugar ele no PC da LAN house (Isso ainda existe? 🤔) que você já pode ir acessar sua carteira de Bitcoins sem preocupações. Hardwares maliciosos ainda podem conseguir roubar seus dados e além disso, se o Tails não tiver sido instalado de forma segura, pode ter suas características comprometidas. Então... cuidado!

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2 - Tor, Proxy e VPN

Fonte: AVG

A rede Tor é um sistema projetado para manter seu anonimato enquanto o usuário navega pela Internet. Este sistema roteia os dados enviados através de uma série de servidores voluntários, dificultando a identificação do usuário e o rastreio das suas atividades. Em uma analogia simples, o Tor é uma espécie de túnel que esconde suas informações de terceiros.

Caminho feito pelos dados do cliente

Se você quer aprender mais sobre o Tor, recomendo o seguinte artigo:
Como pegar criminosos na rede Tor.

Para navegar pela rede Tor, é preciso usar um navegador especial chamado Tor Browser.

De fato, o Tor é uma ferramenta incrível, mas o autor se equivoca aqui ao afirmar que você "precisa" usar o Tor Browser para navegar usando a rede Tor. Na verdade existem outros browsers e softwares que te permitem utilizar a segurança da rede Tor. Um exemplo desses é o navegador Brave que já faz integração com o Tor nativamente, mas, além dele, temos várias aplicações voltadas a segurança e anonimato que também possuem suas próprias implementações e integrações com esse recurso. Outra boa opção para Android é o Orbot, um aplicativo que te permite tornar anônimo todo o trafego dos aplicativos do seu celular. Recomendo utilizar esse tipo de recurso sempre que quiser fugir de algum firewall ou esconder suas interações na web (o que deveria ser sempre que possível, afinal só interessa a você o que faz ou com quem interage na internet).

Além do Tor, existem os servidores proxy e as VPNs (Virtual Private Network), ou redes virtuais privadas. Assim como o primeiro, ambos atuam como intermediário entre seu dispositivo e o servidor de destino, dificultando o rastreio da sua identidade.

Conexão comum (topo), Proxy (meio) e VPN (embaixo). Fonte: excurl

Cada um dos três (Tor, VPN e Proxy) possui características próprias. Por exemplo, as principais diferenças entre VPN e servidores proxy são (Kaspersky):

1. As VPNs trabalham a nível de sistema operacional, assim todos os dados do dispositivo passam pela VPN. No caso de servidores proxy, apenas os dados das aplicações configuradas passam por eles.
2. As VPNs criptografam os dados, protegendo as informações de terceiros, como ISPs (provedores de Internet) e governos.

Combinando Tor, VPN e Proxy

Apesar de contraintuitivo, ⚠️ não é recomendado combinar Tor com VPN ou Proxy, com exceção de alguns casos específicos, porque dependendo da configuração, vulnerabilidades surgem.

A própria equipe do Tor não recomenda o uso do Tor com VPNs (Can I use a VPN with Tor?). Por isso, é bom pesquisar e conhecer bem sobre possíveis combinações e riscos antes de misturar as tecnologias. Seguem alguns links com informações sobre o assunto:

• TorPlusVPN (Tor Project)
• Whonix - Tunnels

Escolhendo VPNs e Proxies

Tela do IVPN

Ao escolher usar VPN ou proxy, o usuário precisa confiar em sua escolha devido à possibilidade de coleta de dados e à necessidade de pagamento (falaremos disso na segunda parte), o que pode levar à perda do anonimato.

Dentre as VPNs focadas em privacidade, existem o Mullvad e o IVPN. Sobre os servidores proxy, é interessante pesquisar sobre os servidores públicos e os privados e a confiabilidade das opções.

Bom, aqui o autor deixa claro que irá falar mais sobre esses temas na segunda parte. Mas adianto que independente de qual solução você escolha, é importante lembrar que sempre ao navegar na internet usando soluções que criam pontos intermediários entre você e o servidor final (o caso do Tor, proxy e VPN), você deve tomar o cuidado de garantir a criptografia dos dados trafegados de ponta-a-ponta. Entenda melhor como isso funciona aqui.

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3 - Tor + obfs4

Tor Bridges (ou pontes). Fonte: Tor Project

O usuário pode configurar o obfs4, um protocolo que disfarça o tráfego Tor como tráfego criptografado comum e atrapalha provedores de Internet de descobrirem o uso da rede Tor.

Você encontra mais informações sobre o obfs4 e outras opções no site oficial do Tor Project: - Tor Project - Bridges - Tor Project - Get Bridges

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4 - E-mails e telefones descartáveis

E-mails e/ou telefones descartáveis ajudam a manter o anonimato, pois podem ser facilmente criados e descartados sem vazar dados pessoais. Um exemplo de serviço de e-mail temporário temp-mail.org.

E-mails anônimos são indispensáveis para qualquer um que quiser manter sua privacidade e anonimato na internet. O Tempmail é uma das várias soluções de e-mail temporário que você acha na internet, assim como o Yopmail que é bem conhecido também e faz basicamente a mesma coisa. No entanto, essas soluções tem algumas limitações. A maior delas sem sombra de dúvidas é o fato de que só podem ser utilizadas para o recebimento de e-mails e não para o envio. O que pode ser bastante frustrante para algumas pessoas. Por essas e outras, recomendo também você fazer uso de soluções de e-mail seguras e anônimas como o Protonmail.

A Proton é uma empresa de tecnologia focada em soluções de privacidade como e-mail, VPN, Clouds e etc. Eles tem políticas de privacidade bem interessantes e te permitem criar um e-mail completamente funcional de forma anônima, ou seja, sem que tenha que informar nenhum dado pessoal! Além disso, eles tem uma versão ".onion" (sites nativos da rede onion, completamente anônimos que só podem ser acessados via Tor, veja mais) do seu site, o que mostra seu compromisso com a privacidade. Apesar de todas essas características, é importante lembrar de que se trata de um "terceiro confiável" que está sujeito as regras e leis do governo do país onde está sediado. Então, tenha atenção e cuidado.

Página do Temp-mail.org

Além disso, em alguns países, é possível comprar chips pré-pagos sem fornecer dados, ao contrário do Brasil, onde é necessário fazer um cadastro para ativar a linha.

Ta aí algo que gostaria de ter acesso no Brasil. Um recurso de linha telefônica temporária e descartável que fosse completamente anônima. Ainda não conheço nada do tipo na internet que funcione de verdade. Se você souber, comenta aí.

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5 - Contas e atividades separadas

Outro ponto muito importante para o anonimato é criar contas separadas para cada site, fórum, atividade etc. e nunca misturar as informações ⚠️, principalmente sobre vida pessoal e “vida digital”. Quanto maior a separação, melhor.

Preciso dizer mais alguma coisa? Se você quer anonimato, então não misture com sua vida pessoal!

Assim como a água e o óleo, vida digital e pessoal não devem se misturar

É possível também ter dispositivos separados (por exemplo, um computador só para hackear) e conexões / redes separadas, o que traz ainda mais segurança.

Apesar do autor usar o termo "hackear", eu diria que ter dispositivos dedicados a atividades e tarefas que exigem maior sigilo, é uma ótima prática para a segurança e privacidade em geral.

Você pode até pensar: "Ah, mas eu não tenho dinheiro para comprar vários computadores super maneiros para manter meus dados completamente separados. O que eu faço?". Tá bom. Calma. Todos nós sabemos que isso é algo quase impraticável no Brasil, mas existem algumas formas "mais baratas" de você conseguir isolar seus ambientes. A eficiência disso, é claro, vai depender do seu nível técnico e criatividade. Explico...

Até aqui no artigo já foram dadas várias dicas úteis e se você pegou elas, já pode ter tido algumas ideias. Uma delas, por exemplo, é o Qubes OS. Com ele você poderia separar seus ambientes em VMs. Dessa forma, embora ainda esteja usando a mesma máquina física, para os ambientes seria como estar em máquinas diferentes.

Outra opção poderia ser utilizar máquinas velhas ou celulares velhos para determinadas atividades. Sabe aquele seu computador antigo? Ou o celular antigo do seu pai? Você poderia instalar um SO seguro em um equipamento desses e utilizar para atividades que exijam mais discrição, de forma a não misturar com suas atividades pessoais e profissionais do dia-a-dia.

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6 - Gerenciador de senhas

Ao criar diversas contas, surge outro problema: senhas demais para se lembrar (reusar senhas é um grave erro). Mas isto é facilmente resolvido com gerenciadores de senhas.

Este é um tema muito importante e ao mesmo tempo um pouco polêmico (talvez nem tanto assim), já que o uso de gerenciadores de senhas é algo que divide opiniões. Vamos ver um pouco sobre isso.

Gerenciadores de senhas guardam diversas senhas em uma espécie de cofre criptografado, além de conseguirem gerar senhas fortes e únicas, armazenar outras informações sensíveis etc.

Gerenciador de senhas KeePass

Um ótimo exemplo de gerenciador de senhas open-source, offline e seguro é o KeePass (imagem acima).

Para configurar o KeePass é bem simples:

1. Baixe e instale o KeePass
2. Crie um banco de dados: vá em Novo e salve seu novo banco de senhas
3. Defina uma chave mestra: é recomendado usar a opção de senha padrão. Escolha uma senha que seja forte, única e que seja fácil de lembrar.

Pronto. Com estes três passos, é possível gerenciar contas e senhas de forma segura.

Parece bom não é? Um cofre criptográfico que te permite guardar senhas extremamente complexas e seguras, sem que você tenha a preocupação de ter que se lembrar de todas elas. Mas vamos ver alguns pontos juntos aqui.

Mas antes, um lembrete!

⚠️⚠️⚠️ Longe de mim querer te dizer como você deve gerenciar as suas senhas ou qual a forma mais segura e eficiente de você fazer isso. A questão aqui não é dar um caminho definitivo, mas apresentar prós e contras das opções mais comumente adotadas por pessoas interessadas na área.

No final, a decisão é completamente sua! ⚠️⚠️⚠️

Aviso dado, vamos adiante.

Essa é, sem sombra de dúvidas, uma das soluções preferidas de quem gerencia muitas contas com alto nível de sigilo e segurança. De fato, quando você encripta de forma correta seus dados (no caso, um banco de dados de senhas) se torna quase impossível para um eventual atacante conseguir ter acesso a aquela informação sem possuir a devida chave para decriptar as informações. Para as soluções como KeePass, essa seria a "chave mestra" citada pelo autor. Com ela você conseguiria decriptar os dados e ter acesso efetivo as informações ali contidas. E bom... É aí que mora o problema.

Quando você faz uso de um gerenciador de senhas, embora por um lado você passe a poder usar senhas extremamente fortes para suas necessidades, por outro você passa a ter um ponto de centralização de segurança, o que por definição, não é uma boa prática na segurança da informação.

Pensa comigo! Se você fosse um atacante objetivado em descobrir os segredos e dados de uma pessoa em específico, não seria mais interessante focar todo o seu esforço em tentar descobrir uma única senha (a chave mestra) do que tentar descobrir variadas senhas para os diversos serviços e dispositivos que aquela pessoa utiliza? Quer dizer, nem sempre o atacante sabe o que está procurando e isso é uma vantagem para você. A partir do momento em que ele conseguir (hipoteticamente) acessar seu banco de chaves, ele passa a ter acesso a todas as suas chaves e todos os seus segredos de uma única vez, podendo literalmente ser você no mundo digital.

Você acha que é esperto demais para deixar um hacker qualquer roubar sua chave mestra? Bom, vamos ver dois casos que podem ou não estar conectados, que nos leva a refletir sobre essa certeza:

O primeiro caso ocorreu em novembro de 2022, quando uma grande empresa de segurança teve um dos seus produtos hackeados. O gerenciador de senhas LastPass teve parte de seu código fonte roubado, juntamente com dados e até senhas de clientes, o que causou um grande pânico em seus usuários na época (e até hoje eu acredito que a situação seja delicada). Tem muitas notícias sobre o caso pela internet, mas você pode ver mais sobre isso aqui.

O segundo aconteceu já em janeiro desse ano (2023). Logo no comecinho do ano, um dos mais relevantes desenvolvedore do Bitcoin (que inclusive era famoso por seus conhecimentos em hacking e segurança) o LukeDashjr teve sua chave PGP juntamente com mais de 216 BTCs roubados por um hacker. Até hoje não se sabe muito sobre o caso, as notícias que achei foram todas da época, mas uma das hipóteses levantadas é que Luke poderia ser uma das vítimas do vazamento da LastPass. Uma matéria da época aqui explicando melhor o caso.

Bom, talvez esses dois casos em nada tenham a ver com a proposta apresentada aqui pelo autor, mas no mínimo nos leva a considerar que pontos centralizados de segredos são os alvos favoritos de hackers e que mesmo usuários avançados podem ter seus segredos roubados.

🚨 Mas lembre-se:

• Anotar a senha é uma vulnerabilidade enorme. Por isso é bom escolher senhas complexas mas que possam ser lembradas
• Se você esquecer a senha, não tem como acessar o banco, porque se isso fosse possível, o KeePass não seria seguro.

Após ter levantado tantas dúvidas sobre a questão de armazenamento de senhas, vou deixar aqui um breve vídeo que explica um pouco sobre um novo padrão criado por brasileiros e que pode ser que resolva esse nosso probleminha, o padrão Formosa.

https://formosadefense.com/assets/Formosa-PT.mp4

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⚠️ Não perca a parte 2, que sai dia 05/07, em que eu vou falar sobre conceitos e técnicas mais avançados e que são pouco falados como:

• OpSec
• Anti-forensics
• Spoofing e muito mais!

---

7 - Gerador de keys Nostr

⚠️Esse tópico é totalmente por minha conta e não faz parte do artigo original do autor.⚠️

Se você está lendo isso, provavelmente já conhece o Nostr e possivelmente sabe de suas características de segurança e privacidade. Então, não vou falar sobre isso aqui (pesquise e leia mais sobre o assunto por sua conta).

O que quero apresentar aqui é um aspecto que muitos usuários do Nostr negligenciam no início da sua jornada, o que pode comprometer significativamente sua segurança e anonimato no protocolo. Estou falando da geração segura da sua private key.

Uma forma segura de gerar sua identidade no Nostr.

Pensando nisso, eu iniciei um projeto chamado Secret Border que tem como objetivo te dar uma ferramenta segura e simples para gerar sozinho suas próprias keys e mantê-las guardadas em segurança.

Com essa ferramenta você terá acesso a recursos para uma geração segura e controlada da sua private key Nostr. Tais como:

• Utilização completamente offline.
• Algoritmo de geração cryptographically strong pseudo-random number generator (CSPRNG).
• Nenhum registro em disco do seu segredo (a menos que você solicite isso).
• Você pode fazer um backup do seu segredo em um arquivo criptografado com senha (que você define).
• Código completamente open source.
• Criptografia do arquivo de backup usando AES256.
• Entrada de entropia pelo usuário no processo de geração da chave (se você quiser).

Entre outras coisas.

O Secret Border ainda não tem uma documentação oficial explicando passo-a-passo, mas é extremamente simples e intuitivo, a interface é bem objetiva, e apesar de estar somente em inglês, você vai conseguir entender tudo que está acontecendo. Você pode visitar o projeto e obter ele aqui.

Ok. Você pode não querer usar a minha ferramenta por qualquer razão que seja, mas isso não muda o fato de que é necessário tomar os cuidados na geração da sua key. Então, te apresento uma solução alternativa que é utilizar o Openssl. Você pode ver um guia sobre como fazer isso aqui além de outras opções igualmente interessantes. O Dov do Bitconheiros fez um vídeo, sobre o assunto (você pode ver ele aqui). Aliás, eu cheguei a conversar com o Dov após esse vídeo, para pedir algumas sugestões para o Secret Border.

nostr:nevent1qqsd4zdrlsh2x9a0un8g044lenp2j6gety5ven6fp4ptu0jc6g7zt3spr3mhxue69uhkummnw3ezucnfw33k76twv4ezuum0vd5kzmqzyqs77rv9gym44e9u4pfg2ztlhgms7lj5pddrpe082ecvzenel8g5gqcyqqqqqqgk0z4gp

---

Bom, terminamos essa primeira parte do artigo.

Realmente o autor nos apresenta uma série de boas sugestões que efetivamente vão elevar o nível de segurança e privacidade de qualquer pessoa que as utilizar corretamente.

De fato, eu gostei muito de comentar cada dica e espero ter acrescentado informações relevantes para otimizar o seu aprendizado.

Agradeço pela paciência e sinta-se a vontade para comentar e me contatar se for o caso.

Obrigado.

---

Artigo original escrito por sql1njection.

Versão SAL no twitter:

@ f55678aa:e48c90bc

The F-Droid version of Amethyst does not implement push notifications at all. We should use UnifiedPush (see https://ntfy.sh ) for all the people who don't like Google.

Messgengers like Element (Matrix) or Tusky (Mastodon) use it and it works great.

Corresponding Github Issue

@ f32079c1:c2b89500

Nostr is the best censorship resistant, user-controlled application to write and interact with people across the web. You sign up for ONE public and private key, keep them at a place where you can remember your private and public key (your private key is basically your password and is hashed), and you use your public key everywhere, and apps and extensions "remember" them. Eveything is seamless, and you move from app to app, website from website within this ecosystem interacting with everyone. As long as you configure your suite of servers called "relays", you are all set to explore the world of Nostr with your public keys. How cool can it be?

@ 93161535:1fc6d488

The Attack on Comedy

I don't usually make serious videos, so doing this feels weird to me. However, I do think this is an important topic to talk about and I have yet to see someone else mention certain things I bring up in this video. I'm sure some of this is "preaching to the choir", but you may find that there's things you never realized. I cover a few different topics in this video, but it all ties together. Control, propaganda, the so-called "elites", etc. OH FUCK I JUST REALIZED I SPELL PROPAGANDA WRONG. I guess it's with an "a" instead of an "o". Well too bad, I also noticed I made a typo writing "conscious" I wrote it "concious", but I can't be bothered to re-render the video and re-upload it. I don't use spell check so typos and general retardation slip through the cracks.

ANYWAYS, please leave a comment. What do you think of this style of video? I might do more here and there, specifically I might do one about the "Corona Virus" and the fake alien invasion the government is planning to do with high powered projections.

Also thank you to my Chinese audience. 爱老虎油

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Donations help for the sever costs, to maintain my website, and lessen the blow for paying for bandwidth, since I host my own videos on my own website. Or maybe I made you laugh and you just wanna say thanks. Never required or expected, always appreciated.

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FEED ME. Please. I love Panda Express eggrolls and noodles

Go to https://www.pandaexpress.com/gift-cards/select#digital (https://www.pandaexpress.com/gift-cards/select#digital) then send the gift card to my email: ashleyjones@dnmx.org THANK YOU.

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Check out my website. I have a ton of written content on there. Website: icum.to (http://icum.to)

Website: https://icum.to (https://icum.to)

Videos: https://videos.icum.to (https://videos.icum.to)

Discuss me on my imageboard: https://tubgurl.com (https://tubgurl.com)

Email: ashleyjones@horsefucker.org

Phone number: 725-CUM-FART

If you want to send an encrypted message I have my GPG key on my website: https://icum.to/analjuice/ (https://icum.to/analjuice/)

https://videos.icum.to/w/kL8SCFd6qUjgFGJYu19uMJ

@ 0dfc8271:bc461b6b

Bitcoin athletes are a new breed of elite, professional athletes. Bitcoin athletes store their wealth in sound money that protects them from theft, they leverage decentralized protocols like Nostr to create uncensorable, peer-to-peer relationships with their fans, they embody Bitcoin values and they live a low time preference lifestyle.

excerpt from article: https://bitcoinmagazine.com/culture/bitcoin-is-a-better-tool-for-professional-athletes

@ 5ada3677:7c21c9db

01 每天吃點糯米

台州菜一騎絕塵，以一支地方小菜，領跑我國飲食新時代，已經好多年了。不過，在上海食台州菜，跟在台州食台州菜，仍然是完全兩件事情，比如，台州人的三餐起居裡，此起彼伏的糯食，在上海的台州菜裡，好像是領略不到的，只有落地台州本州，才食得到那種亦驚亦喜。

炊圓、麻糍雞蛋、嵌糕、花生紅糖麻糍、梅花糕、花樣百出的年糕，都是提供圓滿幸福感的、價廉物美的小食物。

奔到台州的第一餐，扔下行李，就跑去老城裡的岩嶼路吃午飯，三個人，點了一桌子的肉沫炊飯、炊圓、麻糍雞蛋、鰻魚湯、面結湯，溫暖、柔軟、鮮細，十分撫慰旅人的動盪腸胃。

肉沫炊飯，像是濕潤版的滷肉飯，炊圓跟蘇州人的炒肉糰子異曲同工，麻糍雞蛋是糯版的蛋炒飯，面結湯裡的千張包肉，小幽幽一點點大，十分文氣，而肉包裡還裹進了一點豆腐，口感就格外細潤，這種手工繁瑣而且賣不了高價的小食物，台州人還肯認認真真做，我這個上海寧是深深羨慕的。三個人食完，48塊，感嘆價廉。店堂裡乾乾淨淨，廚下清一色的女子，還看到小食店裡，自己熬的大桶豬骨湯，這個也是久違了的一景，上海如今還有哪家小食店是自己熬骨頭湯的？

很感慨，中國寧真是厲害，能變魔術一樣，變出那麼多花樣的碳水，舉世絕對無兩。

每天吃點糯米，是我家的家教，有糯食的三餐日常，是要深心感恩的。

有意思的是，住在台州希爾頓酒店裡，希爾頓的早餐，竟然將街頭老阿姨，原封不動搬進希爾頓，於五星酒店裡復刻街頭煙火，不僅有煎蛋、油條、白粥，還有台州形形色色的糯食現做現吃，希爾頓的聰明和用心，可見一斑。

台州人把糯食稱作"糯嘰嘰"，我這個吃字的人，有點暈頭轉向，糯麼，應該是"糯嗒嗒"啊，嘰嘰怎麼糯得起來啊？更要命的是，台州人跟"嗒嗒"搭伴的，是"鮮"，他們稱"鮮嗒嗒"，阿拉上海人講到"鮮"麼，是"鮮格格"了。一笑。

02 新鮮不新鮮

晚餐時候，台州希爾頓的總經理袁興涵先生在我右肩，袁先生面相驚人地好，好到我吃晚飯都有點分心的程度，聊了一頓飯的天，果然是名門之後，難怪面相如此優質上品。袁先生講給我聽，台州人哦，形容菜好吃不好吃，只有一個形容詞，就是新鮮不新鮮。台州人的婚宴上，要是有客人投訴不新鮮，那是完了，天都要塌下來了。 我聽了笑軟了，台州人民執著的，不忘初心的，簡單粗暴的，勇往直前的，贊贊的。  

希爾頓主廚季的晚宴，於禁漁期裡，依然精彩連連。如詩如畫如一朵白牡丹的魚呑燕、入口即化的清蒸東海釣帶魚、磅礴洶湧的黃鱔燜甲魚，無不秉持了新鮮至上的台州原則，還有兩個碟子，是第一次遇見，井蛙如我，值得筆記記下來。

一碟是家燒黃三魚，黃三是魚的芳名，不是蘇三是黃三，這個芳名好像有點草率的樣子啊darling。大黃魚在禁漁期裡，是吃不到的，格麼黃三替補上桌，肥潤鮮嫩，正當妙齡，力壓正宮大娘娘一小頭。

再一碟，是黃琅重皮蟹，黃琅是地名，這個季節的重皮蟹很有趣，居然有兩層殼，一層硬殼，一層軟殼，軟硬兼施，全副武裝。滿滿一肚子蟹黃，還是溏心的，贊煞了，用台州話表達一下，新鮮煞了。

飯前飯後，還有兩種驚喜。

飯前是一碗煞暑利器的楊梅冰粉，這幾日，正是仙居楊梅的鼎盛之季，居然個個有乒乓球那麼大，濃紫一球，甜得髮指，三球下肚，已經半飽搖曳，不能自已。主廚Jason是大眼睛俞斌的高足，靈氣十足地拿楊梅治了碗冰粉，很奢侈，很嫣然，很擊潰女客人的嬌嬌芳心。

飯後更不得了，Jason來堂包食餅筒，一張薄薄潤皮，裹各種葷素脆軟，明明已經食得捧腹，還是一口氣食完一個筒，我的天，太好吃了怎麼辦？

03 台州的菜單，跟全國人民不一樣

在台州食了幾餐飯飯，發現台州人的菜單，跟全國人民，是不一樣的。冷碟子之後，是一道熱湯，這個大家都如此，熱湯後面麼，全國人民就開始上熱碟子了，台州不是，台州的菜單安排，在熱碟子之前，還要墊一個海鮮專檔，上五六道海鮮，吃完五六道海鮮，才開始輪到熱碟子。

比如，順記浦江薈的菜單上，熱湯之後、熱菜之前的"東海海鮮"：

紅燒天然日塔黃牛肝菌，日塔就是舌鰨魚，扁扁的，法國人的最愛，也是台州人的最愛之一； 冷切溏心膏青蟹； 鹽水天然抱籽大白蝦，一粒一粒海釣起來的大白蝦，抱著雍容華貴的籽； 原汁㸆墨魚； 古法席前鹽炒天然白蝦； 籠仔四海一家。

比如，隆薈的菜單，直接寫"海鮮"： 鹽焗青蟹； 豆醬黃眼梭魚； 蝦湯本地望潮； 紅燒大鯧； 家燒小目魚。

這樣一頓飯吃下來，再加上一碟連一碟的糧食點心，比如龍宴的豆腐麥油脂、溫嶺夾糕、桂花酒釀青草糊；浦江薈的薑湯跳魚絲瓜米麵、台州炊圓、東魁楊梅原汁甜酒釀，然後我們又追加了兩碟紅糖花生甜麻糍，從前菜冷碟子、熱湯，到海鮮，再熱碟子和糧食，最後甜物，我的天，餐餐30道+的奮鬥到底，太壯觀了。

04 台州人的滋補

隆薈的午餐，因為趕火車，我只夠時間吃半席。勞主人家照顧，冷碟子擺完，飛速上海鮮和熱菜。一大盆古法豬肚鴨，輝煌燦爛上桌，驚艷全場。豬肚鴨轉完圈圈拍完照片，廚師捧下去切腹，主人家朱德旗先生囑我趕緊吃蟹，嘖嘖，一口溏心蟹膏黃，美極了。左肩的王素燕小姐講給我聽，從前，台州人男主外，女主內，男人出海捕魚，女人就在家裡悉心鑽研食補，豬肚鴨是代表作品，豬肚裡塞了一頭鴨，紅棗桂圓枸杞黨參，大量黃酒和老薑，慢慢煨到軟，簡直補得不能再補了。我很好奇，問，格麼，這個月子菜兮兮的豬肚鴨，究竟是男人補？還是女人補？王小姐和朱先生，異口同聲地回答我，男女一起補。

啊，啊，啊，台州真是一個美妙的地方。

在我離席趕火車的最後一分鐘，飲到了豬肚鴨湯，吃了兩切豬肚，我的天，這個湯，完全是甜的，太powerful了。

台州菜裡，像豬肚鴨這樣的疑似月子菜，比比皆是，重用薑、重用酒，我們的司機師傅說，剛剛過完端午，在家燉了龍眼燉肉，台州人愛用荔枝燉肉、龍眼燉肉、紅棗薑酒燉雞鴨，一派純甜，堅定不移的補，像是《桃花源記》裡的食譜，太厲害了。

05 台繡，傳教士帶來的美

去看台繡博物館，十分開眼界。

台繡，1907年，法國傳教士李思聰帶到海門的天主教堂裡，教給女子和孤兒們，繡藝代代相傳，漸漸遍佈台州各地。於博物館裡，看到一些重工精繡的華服，媲美香奈兒，一幅1974年的照片上，暮年的毛//澤//東，挽著菲律賓總統馬柯斯夫人，總統夫人身上穿的裙，就是台繡訂製品，當年的高定，在台州。

七十八十年代，上海人家裡，都有一些這樣的繡品，鋪在沙發扶手上，或者玻璃圓檯面下面，算是十分講究的家居用品，堪比今天的ZARA家居用品。那些繡品，當然是機器繡的平價貨，手繡的精品，當年是拿去出口賺外匯的。九十年代寄居香港，看到很多外銷出來的、非常精緻的手繡繡品，有過驚呆的一瞬間，然後是用力地買買買，至今手邊還有幾枚當年痛買的手繡的手絹。

博物館裡，也展覽了台繡如今的新產品，創新研發出來的新產品，活用技藝是功德無量的好事情。

博物館的牆上，介紹了一些當年的老繡工，仰著脖子，看了兩三遍，這些老繡工大多面容安詳堅忍，高壽，如果活到今天，那是人間國寶了。

@ f5bcf314:0507683d

Introduction: The colloquial use of the term "fuck" is known for its versatility and expressive power. However, beyond its everyday application, this seemingly profane word appears to harbour a fascinating mathematical nature when analyzed scientifically. This essay aims to delve into the mathematical properties of "fucks" and explore the intriguing parallels between the concept of fucks and the complex field.

Fractional Fucks and Absolute Fucks: The phrase "what an entire fuck" implies the existence of fractional fucks, and "what an absolute fuck" leads us to contemplate the existence of positive/negative fucks. In mathematical terms, this suggests that fucks could be seen as elements in a set that allows for both fractional and signed values. The complex field, known for its ability to encompass real and imaginary numbers, emerges as a potential candidate for this representation.

Imaginary Fucks: The phrase "what an actual fuck" seems to imply the existence of imaginary fucks. In the complex field, imaginary numbers are represented as multiples of the imaginary unit "i," where "i^2 = -1." These imaginary values have been instrumental in various mathematical applications. Drawing an analogy, the idea of imaginary fucks might signify a distinct category of fucks that hold no tangible substance but can still influence situations and emotions.

Isomorphism with the Complex Field: To justify the claim that fuckery is isomorphic with the complex field, it is essential to establish a convincing argument supported by evidence. While we cannot yet provide robust evidence of the cardinality or other properties of fucks, several intriguing points suggest the possibility of isomorphism:

• Finite Fucks:

The observation that one can "run out of fucks to give" implies a finite number of fucks. This statement resonates with the idea that fucks might exist within a finite field. The finite field properties might enable fucks to be represented by a restricted set of values.

• Fucks' Travel:

The phrase "I don't give a flying fuck" suggests that fucks can travel autonomously. This intriguing notion aligns with the mobility of elements in the complex field. The concept of fucks being capable of travelling and interacting in various situations supports the possibility of their isomorphism with a mathematical structure that allows for such movement.

• States and Attributes:

The notion of consecrated fucks, known as "holy fucks," hints at the potential of fucks having different states or attributes, much like complex numbers in the complex field. Additionally, the variation in fuck sizes from massive to tiny, with some being infinitesimally small, implies that fucks might possess different magnitudes, analogous to the magnitude of complex numbers.

Conclusion: While the essay has provided intriguing parallels and analogies between fucks and the complex field, it is important to acknowledge that further investigation and evidence are required to solidify the claim of isomorphism. The properties of fucks seem to indicate that they might be isomorphic to a subset of the complex field, but the finite nature and diverse attributes of fucks raise questions about the exact mathematical structure they would correspond to.

[Big thanks to my university drinking buddies for inspiration. Truth be told, most of the words here are not my own, but the discussion was too good to be forgotten]

@ fd78c37f:a0ec0833

Screen grab of the Azuki Elementals collection floor on OpenSea.

I’ve never owned an Azuki NFT, but I’ve mentioned them here numerous times, if only because they’re a force in the NFT space (and have done some absolutely amazing things such as pioneering the ERC721A contract). As a non-owner, I really wasn’t paying attention to their big mint yesterday, but I’ve sure witnessed the carnage on crypto Twitter over the last 24 hours. And it’s not pretty. Here’s how they’ve rekt themselves in three regrettable steps:

Step One: Ignore the Quality of Your Art, and Shrug Off Your Responsibility to Really Think These Things Through

Now, this is a complex point because I realize that we have strong NFT communities out there like the MFers, which have just about the lowest-effort art I’ve ever seen. But there’s a difference here in that at least the MFers are/were original. And so were the Azukis … until they released their Elementals, that is. Here’s a screen grab of the floor of each one side by side (Azukis on left, Elementals on right):

I saw quite a lot of normal generative art issues being reported, such as various traits not looking very good or aligning properly. But the main criticism seems to be that the Elementals art is basically almost the same as the main Azuki set.

As you can see, it would be easy to pop any of the Elementals shown above (right) into the Azuki main set (left) and no one would know the difference. And this caused a lot of people to criticize the team for not differentiating enough. Many on Twitter have hunted down comparisons that show just how strikingly similar many of the new ones are to the old. (Here’s one example I saw referenced in another article.)

So, I think the lesson is clear here. If you’re going to expand your franchise, don’t simply release more of the same. It’s tough to believe that they didn’t think of this, leading team that they are, which makes this whole thing even more troubling.

Even mega-influencer Zeneca said he thought this was a stunt and that Azuki would be updating their metadata to reveal some completely different/new set. But I think that would have been an even more egregious error in judgment from the Azuki team. For one, that’s already been done (see my write-up on the “What the Fluff” drop, which pulled this exact stunt masterfully). And for two, that would have been absolutely wrong for a team like Azuki to pull when the stakes on their drop were so high. It’s one thing for Fluff (a free mint) to pull nutty degen shenanigans like that on the space when thousands of people were trading their NFTs at like 0.02 ETH; it’s entirely another when a truly giant / mature community is dropping 2 ETH per NFT.

Looking back, it’s clear what the textbook example of an expansion should look like. We have to look no further than the Bored Ape Yacht Club’s expansion into Mutant Apes. They expanded their franchise by 20k and there’s almost no way anyone would confuse a BAYC with a MAYC.

Step Two: Ignore Generative Art Coding Best Practices

Not only was the Elementals art far too similar to their existing main set, but reports soon came in about outright dupes in the set. I feel sometimes like I’m the only one who writes about this issue (such as my previous article “Are “Dupe” Bored Apes a Problem? Thoughts about Dupes in Generative NFT Art Coding”). I actually had a call once with a potential client and I remember her saying “You’re the only one who writes about issues like this.” Yeah, it’s a niche, I guess. But NFT buyers actually do care about this stuff.

Preventing dupes is such a trivial matter in generative coding. Too bad they didn’t read my blog more. lol. Dupes are embarrassing and they keep happening in so many high-porofile sets; I hope more teams start paying attention to this issue. (That or, you know, maybe hire me instead. While I do smart contracts and minting applications, I’m sometimes called upon to solely do the art coding for generative NFT sets. So if you’ve got complex art needs and/or you want it done right, feel free to reach out.)

Step Three: Gouge Your Base for $40 Million While Disappointing the Masses

As if all of the above weren’t bad enough for any set, THIS one reflected reportedly $40 million in revenue (a figure so huge that it alone is also a controversial aspect of this drop).

I really wasn’t following this too closely, but the word on Twitter was that the set sold exclusively to Azuki commuunity members; it never made it to a public sale. Here was their announcement on that:

I’m just including that as it’s a handy link to their account, which is no-doubt in full damage-control mode today. Which leads me to this…

The Fall-Out?

Azuki’s main set as of a few days ago had a floor price of 14–16 ETH. As of this writing, the floor is just under 9 ETH. That’s roughly 50,000 ETH in valuation vaporized — upwards of $100 million. (In the corporate world, that would be a complete disaster and someone would be fired. We’ll see what happens in this case, though.) Meanwhile the new Elementals, which I understand minted at a whopping 2 ETH each, now sit at 1.5 ETH. So, nearly everyone who minted (and probably a bunch of others who bought in pre-reveal) has lost about $1,000+ per NFT so far.

So, the bottom line is that Azuki drained $40 million from their community, everyone lost a ton of cash, and now Azuki is scrambling to save face somehow. Not a good way to kick off a collection.

That all said, I’m really not into the whole schadenfreude thing, and probably would not have posted if it were a run of the mill NFT or crypto disaster. But this one hits close to home, as I’ve spent two years of my life (so far) devoted to generative NFT coding best practices, with a particular focus on the art side of things. And this was a pretty big screw-up.

💡BTW, let’s connect on Twitter! I’m @SwiggaJuice there. 🙏

Get into Generative NFTs! And, when you want to drop your own set, give us a shout!

✍🏻 Jim Dee founded GenerativeNFTs.io to offer generative NFT programming, smart contract development, and mint-on-demand applications to NFT teams worldwide. Sometimes called “the Michael Jordan of generative art coding,” Jim has coded ~200,000 NFTs with more than $40 million in total sales (so far). His Medium blog, read by ~1 million web3 insiders since 2021, is considered by many the definitive source of generative art coding and NFT drop team project management information. Reach out: Jim [at] GenerativeNFTs.io. 🔫🔫

Essential Generative NFT Coding Bookmarks

• For all of my NFT articles organized, head to: → → https://GenNFTs.io/
• The Basics of Generative NFT Coding — An oldie, but a goodie.
• At What Pixel Dimensions Are Most Generative NFT Art Projects Built?
• How to Prepare Artwork for a Generative NFT Programmer
• How to Prepare a Rarity Table for a Generative NFT Art Programmer
• Another article on Rarity Tables (a little more advanced)
• How to Setup Your Super Rare 1/1s for Your 10k NFT Drop
• Strategies for NFT Teams Regarding Whitelists, Allow Lists, Presale Lists — How Many Wallets to Collect
• Logic Rules in Generative NFT Sets Help Curate the Art, but Need to Be Understood, As Well
• How Generative NFT Reveals Work — Options and Strategies for a Smooth, Secure, and Profitable Reveal Process
• Problems in Generative NFT Coding: Technical Uniqueness Versus Aesthetic Uniqueness
• The Trouble with Overlapping Traits in Generative NFT Programming
• Anatomy of a Generative NFT Drop Team: Roles and Responsibilities for Success on the Ethereum Blockchain
• A good list of general information on generative NFTs.
• Cool NFT Projects Now Minting!
• Weird fact: Jim’s 2019 novel 🐕 CHROO (about the world’s richest dog)may have been the first to include an actual crypto address within the text!

By：Jim Dee Link：https://medium.com/web-design-web-developer-magazine/how-to-wreck-a-web3-brand-in-three-easy-steps-looking-at-the-40-million-azuki-nft-fiasco-1ef20fccef80

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Photo by Quantum Economics.

Since the release of ChatGPT from OpenAI last November, all things artificial intelligence (AI) — both good and bad — have captivated the attention of people everywhere. But while we have been interacting with AI for years, including Siri, Alexa, and Apple’s face detection, to name a few, the launch of the generative language model pushed the promises — and fears of the technology into the spotlight. The need to regulate AI is clear, and the question, similarly faced by other emerging technologies, is how and by who?

Tech leaders lobby for regulation

AI is by no means new, with roots that go back much further than virtual assistants. British polymath, Alan Turing, first suggested the use of non-human intelligence back in 1950 in the paper Computing Machinery and Intelligence. While it took many years for the ideas to be deciphered into code, by 1997, reigning world chess champion Gary Kasparov was defeated by AI — in the form of IBM’s Deep Blue computer program.

So what has changed that has policymakers and tech executives suddenly calling for regulation? Both Elon Musk, CEO and product architect of Tesla, Inc., and OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, are lobbying for increased oversight. Altman appeared before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee, speaking about the need for international bodies to help set standards and monitor AI. And in March, Musk, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, and others penned an open letter calling for all labs to pause development on AI for six months, during which time the government could work on sensible regulation. And Musk has stated that if we wait, “it may be too late to actually put the regulations in place. The AI may be in control at that point.”

Is Musk looking out for the betterment of society or his own profits? While regulations are created to protect consumers, there are typically consequences. One of the most significant negative repercussions of regulation is stymying innovation and entrepreneurship. In fact, a study conducted at George Mason University back in 2015 showed “more regulated industries experienced fewer new firm births and slower employment growth between 1998 and 2011, and that regulations inhibited employment growth primarily in small firms rather than large firms.”

The costs associated with complying with regulations vary, making it harder for smaller players and new entrants to turn a profit. Meanwhile, more prominent, established players can absorb the legal costs into their already-existing large profit margins and massive legal teams.

The need for compliance

But regulation, particularly in a field such as AI, is necessary. The nascent industry is already full of cases where AI was misguided… or just plain wrong.

AI-powered chatbots have become extremely popular, particularly with health websites. However, when providing health guidance, there needs to be no ambiguity on the advice being given. That is just what happened earlier this month when a chatbot for the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) began to give dieting tips. Called “Tessa,” the chatbot replaced the organization’s human-powered national helpline. Being told how to lose weight can be extremely damaging for anyone struggling with an eating disorder.

So what went wrong? Tessa was built, tested and studied as a rule-based chatbot, limited in its responses to what it had been taught. Tessa was operated by the mental health company Cass and a recent upgrade included an enhanced question-and-answer feature, giving Tessa the ability to create responses based on new data, apart from what was originally given. The NEDA has since disabled the chatbot.

When seeing is not believing — the rise of deepfakes

AI has led to an increase in deepfakes — synthetic media digitally manipulated to replace one person’s likeness convincingly with that of another. While these creations have existed for years, they took off in 2018 with the release of fake, highly realistic videos — and have become even more realistic and more popular.

AI, Algorithmic, and Automation Incidents and Controversies or AIAAIC, is a repository that tracks incidents related to the ethical misuse of AI. According to AIAAIC, the number of AI incidents and controversies has increased 26 times since 2012. Notable deepfakes include a video of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy telling his troops to surrender and Elon Musk promoting a cryptocoin. Legislation, at both the state and national level has been proposed for deepfakes. However, barring particular circumstances, the images and videos are currently legal in the United States.

How should AI be regulated?

According to Noah Giansiracusa, tenured associate professor of mathematics and data science at Bentley University and the author of How Algorithms Create and Prevent Fake News, regulation can open up a competitive playing field or ensconce the monopoly powers, protect the public or protect the profits of the corporations.

According to Giansiracusa, the question isn’t whether AI should be regulated or not, but how it should be regulated — and who will be leading that conversation. “When politicians give tech leaders outsized influence, it’s hard not to see a conflict of interest in their actions: their job is to make money and make their companies grow, not to make the world safer.”

But as with any emerging technology, applying existing policies and laws doesn’t always work, and enacting new regulations takes time.

The current state of AI regulation

China became one of the first governments to regulate deepfakes earlier this year. The Cyberspace Administration of China began enforcing the regulation on “deep synthesis” technology, which includes AI-powered image, audio and text-generation software. They were added to the initial guardrails in April when the regulator released a proposal to govern generative AI systems like ChatGPT.

The European Parliament recently drafted the AI Act, which would be one of the first comprehensive regulations for AI. The framework seeks to classify and regulate AI systems by levels of risk posed. Notably, OpenAI has already successfully lobbied to alter the regulation to reduce the company’s regulatory burden, stating that by itself, “GPT-3 is not a high-risk system.” While Italy initially banned ChatGPT due to privacy concerns, access has been restored after OpenAI implemented changes to satisfy regulators’ concerns.

In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wants to enact legislation that requires all AI generated photos and videos to be labeled as such. In its recent white paper, the UK seeks to avoid stifling innovation and instead “take an adaptable approach to regulating AI.”

In the U.S., the White House released the white paper, The Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights: Making Automated Systems Work for the American People. Additionally, a bipartisan bill was introduced by Reps. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) and Ken Buck (R-Colo.) that looks for Congress and the White House to assemble a commission including representatives from government, industry, civil society, and the computer science field — to define a comprehensive regulatory strategy.

Even though AI is not new, as with other emerging technologies, policies and regulations are lagging. Governance around AI is needed, however, more regulation can translate into higher barriers to entry for the competition. And as AI leaders advocate for regulation, are they looking out for the public or trying to halt innovation with regulation? Critics claim that effective AI regulations today would lock in the race’s current leaders. AI is evolving at breakneck speed, but policymakers must carefully consider the economic consequences before enacting regulation.

This article was written and edited by humans, although AI may have helped with spell check. This content is for educational purposes only. It does not constitute trading advice.

By：Evamarie Augustine Link：https://medium.com/quantum-economics/the-rising-stakes-of-regulating-artificial-intelligence-5aa4866f6def

@ 7f5c2b4e:a818d75d

You can now embed live streams into your long-form posts 📺 🎶

You know, cause it's Nostr 😎⚡️

nostr:naddr1qq9rzd3c8qcnywf4xceqyg8n7kvjekeeucggw6x4g0aa8p9prm7rwycg2ct7u2yn96a3v98q0spsgqqqwensce86le

Simply paste a link to the stream and it will be automatically converted into an embed. Alternatively, copy the naddr, associated with the stream, add nostr: before it and paste it as such:

nostr:naddr1qq9rzd3c8qcnywf4xceqyg8n7kvjekeeucggw6x4g0aa8p9prm7rwycg2ct7u2yn96a3v98q0spsgqqqwensce86le

And yes, this is a short post on a long-form-post blogging platform, because I'm a rebel ✊

@ 4ac847f3:16dc6c5a

Mercado Livre oferece acesso à stablecoin Pax Dollar para clientes mexicanos

Mercadolivre #Mundo #Paxdollar #criptomoedas #Tecnologia

https://open.substack.com/pub/technewsbr/p/mercado-livre-oferece-acesso-a-stablecoin?r=1zp81j&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

@ 4ac847f3:16dc6c5a

FTX processa ex-chefe de conformidade por pagamentos de dinheiro sigilosos

FTX #Mundo #Tecnologia #criptomoedas

https://open.substack.com/pub/technewsbr/p/ftx-processa-ex-chefe-de-conformidade?r=1zp81j&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

@ 4ac847f3:16dc6c5a

Deputados apresentam 50 pedidos à CPI das Criptomoedas, abordando ensinamentos do "primo rico" e o papel dos "faraós do Bitcoin

Brasil #Bitcoin #CPI #Noticia #Tecnologia

https://open.substack.com/pub/technewsbr/p/deputados-apresentam-50-pedidos-a?r=1zp81j&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

@ 4ac847f3:16dc6c5a

Milhares de Informações Pessoais Expostas Após o Hackeamento do LetMeSpy

hackers #Mundo #Tecnologia #Noticia

https://open.substack.com/pub/technewsbr/p/milhares-de-informacoes-pessoais?r=1zp81j&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

@ 4ac847f3:16dc6c5a

Proton lança seu gerenciador de senhas, o Proton Pass

protonvpn #protonpass #Tecnologia #vpn #Mundo

https://open.substack.com/pub/technewsbr/p/proton-lanca-seu-gerenciador-de-senhas?r=1zp81j&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

@ 4ac847f3:16dc6c5a

Bitpanda separa-se da Bitpanda e assegura US$33 milhões em investimentos

Bitpanda #Bitcoin #BitcoinETF #Tecnologia #Mundo

https://open.substack.com/pub/technewsbr/p/bitpanda-separa-se-da-bitpanda-e?r=1zp81j&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

@ fd78c37f:a0ec0833

Image edited by Levi Borba using resources from Canva.

PS: Follow me on Twitter for more stuff that may sound paranoid at first glance, but then it will make sense.

The Dawn of the Global CBDC

In an unprecedented move, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) unveiled a new global Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) initiative in 2023.

This initiative, which came to my attention after this video from Heresy Financial, is a significant shift in the global financial landscape.

The IMF’s CBDC initiative is not just a technological advancement; it’s a plan for a complete overhaul of the global monetary system as we know it.

The recent wave of bank crashes help to accelerate the course for CBDC implementation, as I explained in this article

Unlike existing digital money, a CBDC is a liability of the central bank, not a commercial bank.

This means that the central bank, in this case, the IMF, would have direct control over the currency, bypassing the traditional banking system.

Black Mirror comes to life with CBDCs, and the fact that the Digital Yuan (the Chinese CBDC) is one of the pioneers in this tells us a lot.

Recent headline from Wired Magazine.

How Local Governments Can Boost Their Power and Control Using CBDCs

I don’t want to sound conspiratorial. Every single affirmation in the next few paragraphs will be based on facts and logic.

At the end of this article, I also invite you to reflect on whether the journalists, the media, and the politicians who support the creation of this system are not hiding the true purposes behind it.

CBDCs are programmable money, built on technology akin to cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum.

However, they function more like a voucher or coupons, which can be programmed to restrict purchases to approved items only.

This means that the money you hold in the form of a CBDC isn’t entirely yours to control.

Today, cashless transactions are primarily conducted using credit cards and ATM cards. These transactions, unlike CBDCs, cannot be externally controlled.

That means you can spend as much as you want of your Credit Card balance on food, fuel, medicine, or entertainment.

CBDCs, however, would allow the government to decide where each unit could be spent, or what % of your salary (paid in CBDCs like the British Digital Pound or the Digital Canadian Dollar) you could spend on different sorts of things.

This is the XXI-century version of something that older people here in Poland are very familiar with — the coupon system that existed until the 80s.

Source: Forsal.

Workers received these coupons as payments from the government (their employer, since during communism every biggest employer was actually a state-owned company).

Every coupon was useful only to purchase the listed items: Czekolada (Chocolate), Cukier (Sugar), Proszek (Washing Powder), and so on.

The main revolution behind CBDCs is that they would enable exactly that, and a few other things:

• CBDCs could be programmed to have an expiration date. The government could use that to force people to consume more during times when the economy needs more consumption and less savings.
• CBDCs could be instantaneously blocked or removed by the government in case some citizens do something unauthorized.
• CBDCs could not be hidden, transferred, or used without government knowledge.

Check this paragraph published in a larger article in the New York Times published not long ago — check how they write that as something positive.

Which countries already implemented or are in advanced phases of implementing CBDCs?

Source: CBDC Tracker.

Right now, 120 countries are moving in their plans to roll out CBDCs.

Sixty of these countries are already pretty far along in figuring out their own CBDC.

In the last two years, 11 countries have started using their own CBDC.

These include Nigeria, Bahamas, Angola, Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia, Montserrat, St Vincent, St Kitts, Nevis, and Jamaica.

Even the biggest economies in the world are advancing quickly in their own digital currencies. China is planning to test its CBDC in most of the country this year.

Now that you know what the central bank's digital currencies can do domestically, let’s understand the threat behind a global CBDC.

The Implications of a Global CBDC

The primary purpose (what the IMF and global financial authorities advertise) of this global CBDC is to facilitate cross-border payments for individual CBDCs across the world.

However, the real reasons behind this push and the stated reasons are starkly different.

Reading between the lines, it becomes clear that the underlying motive is about maintaining control over the flow of money.

The implementation of CBDCs will give governments nearly limitless financial power to subjugate their citizens. When money enters or leaves the country, restrictions tighten even further.

There are some areas that governments cannot regulate without a standard CBDCs platform. Here, the plan for a worldwide CBDC laid out by the IMF becomes of interest.

To ensure that countries can impose their own compliance checks and capital controls, the IMF argues that a cross-border platform for CBDCs would be more efficient and safer.

These “compliance checks” and “capital controls” are for the benefit of the government, not YOU, the average citizen. Here, you aren’t the buyer; you’re the seller.

Read Also: The US Budget Dilemma Could Lead to the Country’s Demise, but…

The Role of FedNow

Source

This MONTH (July 2023) the US Federal Reserve will officially launch its FedNow Service.

According to the press release, this new resource will “facilitate nationwide reach of instant payment services by financial institutions — regardless of size or geographic location — around the clock, every day of the year.”

However, it is an important step in the evolution of the U.S. financial system and could potentially pave the way for a U.S. CBDC in the future.

The FedNow is not a CBDC itself, but it is an important step in its implementation, as an analogy made by Cato.org exemplifies:

The difference lies in their design. Where a CBDC is a currency, FedNow is a payment rail. If we think of dollars and cents as water, then FedNow is the plumbing that gets those dollars and cents where they need to go. In contrast, a CBDC would involve replacing the water itself in this analogy.

Read also: It Is Crucial That You and Your Family Get Out of Consumer Debt Now

The Global Response to CBDCs

The global response to CBDCs has been mixed.

Some countries, like those in Latin America and the Caribbean, have shown significant interest in CBDCs.

For example, the Bahamas pioneered the introduction of a CBDC with the Sand Dollar in 2020, and the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) and Jamaica have followed suit.

Brazil’s CBDC project is also in the advanced Proof-of-Concept stage.

Canada is on an even more advanced stage.

However, other countries have been more cautious, especially in those where people are allowed to be against such power grabs.

The unrelenting pursuit of a global CBDC by the IMF is not for the people’s benefit, but quite the opposite.

It is a device for the exercise of financial tyranny, and its primary purpose is to bolster their (and their allied local governments) authority.

Below are some pieces that will be helpful for you during the next few months and the second half of 2023:

• Simple Consumption Rules to Avoid Becoming an Indebted Moron Locked in the Rat Race
• How Funds Profit From Unreal Prices (And Make You Homeless in the Process)
• The Countdown to Collapse and the Demographic Doomsday: 10 Countries With Declining Populations
• What These 4 Dying Professions Can Teach You about the Future
• 10 Business-Friendly Countries with Low Taxes and Little Bureaucracy

By：Levi Borba Link：https://medium.datadriveninvestor.com/the-global-cbdc-a-descent-into-world-tyranny-enslavement-and-end-of-all-privacy-77480a594413

@ fd78c37f:a0ec0833

A robot that looks like a human head designed by AMECA, interacts with visitors during the International Conference on Robotics and Automation ICRA in London, Tuesday, May 30, 2023.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein)COPYRIGHT 2023 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

AI is upending the internet as we know it. As exciting as this technology is, it’s brought with it a rise in frauds and deepfake duplicate accounts looking to steal our identities.

Many affordable AI tools now allow anyone to create fake photographs, replicate a person's voice, or make highly convincing video calls using real people’s voices without their knowledge or consent. Sometimes, an attacker only needs the content from someone’s social media profile to generate fake video, images, or messages that look just like the real thing.

Luckily, using blockchain technology, digital IDs can provide verified proof of identity, adding trust and safety to interactions online. Decentralized identities, made with tools from companies like PolygonMATIC 0.0%, Nuggets and Unstoppable Domains, offer verified credentials for a user’s digital persona. Blockchain-verified profiles can offer a type of ‘proof of humanity,’ a place to store digital assets and identifiers, and a single point of access into the Web3 ecosystem — all while keeping the user’s privacy under their control. Meanwhile, AI can work to monitor and secure these profiles, keeping people from becoming the next victims of AI-wielding criminals.

Blockchain Verification Tools

When using a blockchain network, hashes serve as crucial tools to prove that images or videos have not undergone alterations over time. These cryptographic fingerprints, once generated, can’t be easily modified, providing concrete evidence of the content's integrity.

This means that a blockchain-based solution makes it increasingly difficult for malicious actors to manipulate or tamper with digital content, as every change is permanently recorded and verifiable. Digital IDs come in many forms, including non-fungible tokens that exist within a personal wallet.

When tied to a wallet, these unique cryptographic tokens make it possible to link verified real-world credentials to a digital persona. For example, my employer, Unstoppable Domains offers a profile that allows users to attach a wide range of blockchain assets, such as NFTs, awards, educational credentials and more. These assets can add trust in interactions – for instance, if someone claims to be a contact you met at a conference and their profile shows that they attended that conference, you’re more likely to trust that you’re communicating with the right person.

Another example is for a community built around fashion, owning certain assets like DressX, Vogue or Eyes of Fashion shows they are a trusted member of my community.

Unstoppable Profile Showcasing The Fashion CommunityUNSTOPPABLE DOMAINS

Other solutions providing decentralized ID include Nuggets and Polygon ID. ID tools can also leverage technology known as Zero Knowledge Proofs, or ZKPs. ZKPs can provide cryptographic proof that verifies the data used to create it without revealing said data. This is important because it can allow for overcrowded blockchains to scale, but ZKPs are also a powerful means to deter fraudsters while empowering individuals to determine precisely which information is disclosed and to whom, enhancing both privacy and agency.

ZKP-based decentralized identity systems developed by companies like Polygon offer this kind of functionality, giving people sovereign and private control of all their data.

While a scammer could attempt to create a deepfaked duplicate, it would be extremely difficult for them to provide the same verified proof of identity, and their fraudulent account would have a different cryptographic address. Their profile would be identifiable as an imposter. Every Web3 ID is demonstrably unique and, thanks to the security boons of blockchain, very difficult to tamper with.

AI For Good

Verified digital identity offers a means of combating AI scams, but AI can also help make these systems more robust. AI can secure these IDs and monitor social networks for suspicious activity or profiles. This approach is being taken by companies like SentiLink, a San Francisco based startup that pairs AI systems with a team of human experts to detect and eliminate identity fraud. Last year alone the company ran 323 million identity checks.

There’s also Jumio, an identity verification company that uses AI and machine learning to analyze over 5,000 unique types of ID documents across 200 jurisdictions. The service is highly effective for detecting forgeries and ensuring authenticity. These examples highlight that these technologies have already been developed, and functional products are being deployed.

Jumio Identity VerificationJUMIO

Overall, the persistent threat of AI-driven fraud remains a major challenge that demands attention. But by harnessing AI and combining it with robust verifiable identity solutions, the industry can forge a potent remedy to combat this problem and future-proof our digital identities.

By：Sandy Carter Link：https://www.forbes.com/sites/digital-assets/2023/06/28/how-ai-and-web3-id-tech-can-defeat-deepfake-frauds/?sh=3ef9706c4814

@ e212e9b5:e5e227a6

The Hole Opens on Sand Hill Road

Somehow Shirley managed to avoid driving into the abyss that opened up where Interstate 280 used to be. She had been listening to the latest radio news about the VY Canis Majoris supernova, pulling into the right lane to get off at the Sand Hill Road exit, when she was suddenly jerked into the here-and-now by a blast of buffeting wind that pushed her hair forward from behind … and in the blink of an eye, the road disappeared ahead. As she desperately jammed on her brakes she saw the motorcycle that had been ahead of her go over the edge. Then for what seemed like an eternity, she felt the pulsing of her anti-lock brakes as the edge approached, and finally, her car stopped safely on a solid road surface.

For several moments she sat frozen in her now silent car, still hearing in her ears the sounds of her squealing brakes as an auditory afterimage. She became aware her hands hurt from gripping the steering wheel, so she released them and breathed deeply.

As she sat there she noticed an elongated shape arcing slowly through the air towards her. She ducked and cringed as it hit the front of her car and bounced into the back of her convertible.

Is there more stuff flying through the air? On impulse, Shirley pressed the button that automatically raised the soft top of the convertible to shield her against anything else that might be careening toward her. As her surge of adrenaline abated, she turned around and looked at what had fallen into her car. It seemed to be a piece of bamboo, but much larger than most bamboo she had seen, about the width of the downspout on her house. It had landed wedged diagonally against the back seat. Then she noticed that the end facing her was capped with a weird reflective hemisphere like a bubble of silver had frozen coming out of the pipe.

She now paused to look around and realized she was in the middle of a huge snarl-up on the freeway. A few people who must have seen the pipe land in her car were looking at her quizzically, but most were staring in amazement at the huge hole that had opened up ahead. Some had rushed to the edge, and she got out of her car to follow them.

The hole, improbable yet very real, seemed as big as a large sports stadium and was a perfect half-spherical bowl. At the bottom were the wreckage of the motorbike and the still figure of the rider, his limbs and neck in a distressingly unnatural position. Also smoking down there were two other cars that seemed to have driven over the edge from the other direction. The bottom three-quarters of the bowl was smooth rock, while the top quarter was softer aggregate and soil some of which was beginning to slump and fall down into the bowl. At the very bottom of the bowl, a small puddle of water had gathered and she could see it was fed by small springs of water oozing out of the rock wall.

@ 4d444439:7ed2458b

Welcome, stargazers and explorers of the unknown, to a celestial journey that transcends the boundaries of our imagination. In the vast expanse of the cosmos, the future of space exploration beckons us, fueled by the tireless quest for knowledge and the awe-inspiring advancements in technology. As we stand on the precipice of discovery, let us embark on an extraordinary odyssey, unraveling the secrets of the universe and unveiling the pivotal role that technology plays in shaping the future of space exploration.

1. Intelligent Rockets: Bid farewell to traditional rocketry as we usher in a new era of intelligent propulsion systems. These cutting-edge engines harness the power of advanced AI algorithms, enabling spacecraft to make critical decisions and adjustments during flight. With improved efficiency and enhanced safety measures, these intelligent rockets pave the way for faster and more reliable space travel, propelling us farther into the unknown with every launch.
2. Unleashing the Power of Nanotechnology: Prepare to witness a technological revolution that will redefine our perception of exploration. Enter the realm of nanotechnology, where minuscule wonders hold the key to unlocking the secrets of the cosmos. From nanobots capable of repairing spacecraft during long-duration missions to self-assembling structures that can construct habitats on distant planets, the impact of nanotechnology in space exploration is nothing short of extraordinary. These microscopic marvels will allow us to venture deeper into the cosmos, pushing the boundaries of human understanding.
3. Autonomous Probes: Cast your gaze towards the far reaches of the galaxy, where intrepid robotic explorers tirelessly chart new frontiers. Autonomous probes, armed with sophisticated sensors and AI-powered decision-making capabilities, become our eyes and ears in the vastness of space. They venture into unexplored territories, braving treacherous environments and collecting invaluable data. With each mission, these brave sentinels bring us closer to unraveling the mysteries of distant celestial bodies, forging a path for future human expeditions.
4. Space Tourism: The dream of traversing the cosmos is no longer confined to the realm of science fiction. Technological advancements have birthed a new era of space tourism, where ordinary individuals can embark on celestial adventures. Private companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin are at the forefront of this revolution, developing reusable rockets and spacecraft that make space travel more accessible than ever before. Imagine the thrill of gazing out of a spaceship window, witnessing the beauty of Earth from orbit and experiencing the weightlessness of space — a dream soon to be a reality.
5. Extraterrestrial Habitats: As we set our sights on colonizing other celestial bodies, the need for sustainable and self-sufficient habitats becomes paramount. Enter the realm of 3D printing and regenerative systems, where the building blocks of life can be manufactured in the harshest of environments. With the aid of advanced robotics and additive manufacturing techniques, we can construct habitats using local resources, creating self-sustaining ecosystems that allow humans to thrive beyond the confines of Earth. These extraterrestrial habitats will be the stepping stones to our interplanetary civilization.

Our cosmic voyage through the future of space exploration, the role of technology stands as a guiding light, illuminating our path to the stars. With each technological leap, humanity inches closer to unlocking the secrets of the universe and embracing a destiny that transcends our earthly bonds. The interplay of intelligent rockets, nanotechnology, autonomous probes, space tourism, and extraterrestrial habitats forms the foundation of our cosmic future, where mankind will leave an indelible mark on the vast tapestry of the cosmos.

By：Aishik Das Link：https://medium.com/@samarpon2018/beyond-the-stars-unveiling-the-future-of-space-exploration-through-technological-marvels-19d7117f906a

@ 32dc4f25:f95ddcce

Nostr, short for “Notes and other stuff transmitted through relays,” is a new communication protocol developed in 2021 by Lightning Network developer fiatjaf, which evolved out of LNBits developer Ben Arc’s attempt at a fully-decentralized marketplace called Diagon Alley. As opposed to other communication solutions, which mostly function via dumb clients and smart servers, Nostr offers smart clients and dumb servers, which heightens censorship resistance for users.

In Nostr, all data is stored locally with users and merely distributed via relays, rather than stored on central servers, such as via Twitter. In the case of social media, Nostr increases censorship resistance, as users are enabled to fully own their own content and profiles. In light of recent controversies around Twitter’s censorship policies, users began migrating toward the federated communications solution Mastodon. However, in Mastodon, ownership over content and profiles lies with those running the Mastodon servers users signed up with. While federations such as Mastodon offer more censorship resistance than centralized servers — as users are able to simply sign up to another server when censored — criticism has arisen around potential censorship on Mastodon through server owners.

In December 2022, the Nostr community received a 14 BTC grant from Twitter Founder Jack Dorsey, which brought unprecedented attention to the protocol. As applications built on Nostr evolved, the mobile client Damus jumped to number one in social networking on the iOS app store in China, resulting in its ban. In an apparent effort to contain the #MarchOffTwitter, Twitter CEO Elon Musk shortly banned the publication of Nostr-related content, along with bans on other third-party platforms such as Instagram, but to no avail.

While Nostr is by no means a privacy protocol, it could bring potential improvements to Bitcoin privacy.

A Nostr public key shared via Twitter, 2022

While Nostr is not a privacy protocol per se — among other issues, clients by default leak users’ IP addresses to relays — the Nostr protocol could bring improvements to Bitcoin privacy.

Improving Privacy And Scalability Of BIP47

BIP47 is a Bitcoin Improvement Proposal to create reusable payment codes while protecting the privacy of users for recurring payments. Without BIP47, users need to tediously generate new addresses by hand to avoid address reuse. When a user reuses an address for transactions, the user enables anyone watching the blockchain to easily cluster all transactions belonging to the address reused and form a graph of the user’s payment history and net worth. The prevention of address reuse is therefore a privacy best practice in Bitcoin and already implemented in many Bitcoin wallets by default. However, when a user aims to establish recurring payments with another party, such as in a merchant-customer relationship, a frequent generation of new addresses can be inconvenient.

With BIP47, a customer can generate a set of addresses to use for payments for the merchant. If a customer purchases products monthly, the merchant would need to send the customer an address each month. With BIP47, the customer creates a dedicated payment code for the merchant, which functions similarly to an extended public key. This allows the customer to automatically generate new addresses for the merchant, instead of the merchant needing to create addresses for the customer.

BIP47 makes use of notification addresses, which are monitored by HD wallets for outputs. In a notification transaction, the merchant sends the customer a blinded public key and chain code via the OP_RETURN field, together with a shared secret to keep the shared addresses private on the public blockchain. This exchange creates several issues due to the architecture of the Bitcoin network. The first two are economic: A notification transaction consists of 80 bytes, which can become expensive for users when fees on the Bitcoin network are high. Notification transactions, in addition, create unsendable outputs, which bloat the UTXO set over time. This increases the computing load on Bitcoin nodes who, at the time*, need to store the entire UTXO set, meaning every Bitcoin output that has not been used as a new input to ensure the validity of transactions.

A notification transaction creates so-called toxic change. When a user receives change from a notification transaction and spends the change to a third party, anyone watching the blockchain is able to correlate the user’s recurring payments to their non-recurring payments, even when addresses are not reused. A notification address also only exists once for each wallet. If a merchant wanted to establish recurring payments with 10 customers, anyone watching the blockchain is able to gain insight into the merchant’s customer base, as all 10 customers would need to create notification transactions for the merchant to the same notification address.

Instead of using notification transactions to exchange payment codes between merchants and customers, payment codes could be exchanged via Nostr. As opposed to other communication methods, Nostr is suitable for the exchange of BIP47 payment codes as no central authority exists to potentially censor the exchange of messages. At the same time, all direct messages on Nostr are encrypted by default, eliminating the need to compute shared secrets. By making use of BIP47 via Nostr, users can avoid the creation of UTXO set bloat via unspendable outputs and eliminate the correlation of recurring versus non-recurring payments as well as the publication of customer bases through the avoidance of toxic change and the re-use of notification addresses.

*Note: Storing the entire current UTXO set for Bitcoin nodes may potentially be eliminated in the future via the implementation of UTreeXO, which shifts the burden of proving that a transaction spends a valid UTXO to the owner of the UTXO, reducing the storage requirements from gigabytes to kilobytes.

Nostr Pay-To-EndPoint

In Bitcoin, blockchain analysis services operate the heuristic of “common input ownership” to map transactions to identities. Within this heuristic, a transaction containing different public keys used as inputs is classified as belonging to one person. Due to its UTXO-based architecture, through which inputs and outputs of transactions are linked, the Bitcoin protocol is also prone to subset sum analysis. In subset sum analysis, adversaries are able to calculate the probability of inputs and outputs belonging to the same entity, even when different public keys are used as inputs to one transaction. For example, if a transaction has inputs of 1, 4, 7, 23 and 6, and outputs of 5 and 36, it can be deduced that input 1 and 4 and inputs 7, 23 and 6 belong to the same entity.

Source: “Knowledge Discovery In Cryptocurrency Transactions: A Survey” by Xia Fan Lu and Xin-Jiang Jang, 2021

Pay-to-EndPoint (P2EP) is a privacy-preserving reinvention of Satoshi Nakamoto’s Pay-to-IP (P2IP) coded into the original Bitcoin client. One form of a P2EP transaction are PayJoins, which are transactions designed to break the common input ownership heuristic. In a PayJoin transaction, both the sender and the receiver contribute inputs to a transaction to break the common input heuristic. With PayJoins, users exchange information about what UTXOs will be used as inputs via any communication channel, such as a Tor Onion, which functions as the end point, to construct a partially-signed bitcoin transaction (PSBT). Once both parties have agreed to the terms and signed the transaction, a PayJoin transaction looks just like any other Bitcoin transaction on chain. Because involved parties act as both sender and receiver, a PayJoin transaction breaks the common ownership heuristic as well as subset sum analysis: parties may contribute inputs of 3 and 5, while the transaction generates outputs of 6 and 2.

*Source: “Pay To EndPoint” by Adam Fiscor, 2018 *

The problem: PayJoin transactions are complicated to coordinate, as participants have to be online at the same time when using a clearnet domain or Tor Onion endpoints. If a user initiates a P2EP transaction and, for example, closes their computer or otherwise disturbs network connectivity, the transaction cannot be communicated. In Nostr, communication is asynchronous: users fetch information from relays once network connectivity is restored. By using Nostr keys instead of Tor Onions as endpoints for P2EP transactions, P2EP transactions could be coordinated more easily.

Another implementation of P2EP is the much-debated LNURL. With LNURL, instead of tediously needing to generate new invoices for each transaction, users are able to receive a static endpoint pointing at a web server to automatically generate new invoices. However, because web servers are reliant on the global Domain Name Service (DNS), users of LNURL inevitably reveal their identity to the hosting provider, as well as their IP address to payees if no proper precautions are taken. Wide adoption of LNURL would therefore be a detriment to the pseudonymity of the Lightning Network. Instead of using a web server as the endpoint for LNURL, users could use Nostr keys as endpoints for LNURL transactions to conceal their identities.

Nostr For CoinJoins

While a PayJoin is great to break the common ownership heuristic as well as subset sum analysis, PayJoins are unable to offer privacy to both sender and receiver toward the cooperating party. PayJoins are essentially two-party CoinJoins, limited to two participants — this means that both sender and receiver are aware of their own inputs and outputs, leaving the inputs and outputs of their partner identifiable. Unless a PayJoin is facilitated with CoinJoined transactions, users risk revealing their wallet balances as well as past and future transactions to their PayJoin partners.

In anonymous-amount credential systems such as Wasabi Wallet’s protocol for CoinJoin coordination, WabiSabi, Nostr keys can function as communication endpoints for the coordination of a CoinJoin transaction. This enables the sender and receiver of a CoinJoin transaction to exchange the credentials needed to participate in CoinJoin rounds, essentially enabling a form of discreet payments within a CoinJoin. With the use of Nostr keys as endpoints in CoinJoins, cooperating parties remain unaware of their counterparties’ balances and transactions by hiding in the crowd. At the same time, using Nostr keys as endpoints for CoinJoin transactions helps PayJoin users save on fees by facilitating payments directly within the CoinJoin, rather than CoinJoining to facilitate the payment after.

Another use for Nostr in CoinJoins lies in the discovery of coordinators. While most CoinJoin coordinators run behind Tor to obscure the identity of CoinJoin participants, users are currently unable to easily discover new coordinators to join with the exception of JoinMarket, a CoinJoin marketplace targeted toward more advanced CoinJoin users. While CoinJoin users are able to add custom coordinators to Wasabi Wallet — a trivial task as easy as exchanging a URL in the backend — no way exists to automate the process of updating coordinators due to the lack of a platform for publication. Instead, to discover new coordinators, users must search social media and forums, such as Reddit or Twitter, to add coordinators manually. However, the publication of a coordinator service via social media or forums may pose a risk to coordination providers depending on the policies applied to the service, as certain pages may easily be shut down.

If Tor is an anonymous remailer, meaning a protocol facilitating the anonymous forwarding and receiving of messages between peers, Nostr can function as an anonymous bulletin board. CoinJoin coordinators can publish their services via a Nostr event type, and CoinJoin wallets can be enabled to automatically pull from those relays to display within their clients. The broadcasting of coordinator servers via Nostr, such as facilitated via BTCPay’ Servers CoinJoin plugin and proposed in the Lightning-enabled CoinJoin software Vortex, can eliminate the need to manually search for and add CoinJoin coordinators in CoinJoin clients, helping to further decentralize the CoinJoin coordination landscape.

Circumventing IP Requirements With NOSTR

As touched upon previously, the Nostr protocol was originally conceptualized to realize a fully-decentralized marketplace called Diagon Alley. As the Nostr protocol evolved, Diagon Alley became the LNbits extension NostrMarkets: a Nostr-native marketplace which enables merchants and customers to run and interact with online shops via relays. In NostrMarkets, customers can subscribe to a merchant's public key to fetch products from relays instead of accessing a merchant’s site via a webshop. This increases the censorship resistance of online shops, as merchants are not dependent on seizable websites — rather, a merchant’s shop is hosted with all relays the shop sets up to communicate with. Even if the merchant's server were to be seized, its shop could easily be set up at a different location, as all products are stored with relays on the Nostr network. NostrMarkets handles order and payment coordination via encrypted Nostr direct messages, while payments are facilitated through the Lightning Network.

In addition to its censorship resistance, the LNbits extension NostrMarkets enables fully-anonymous marketplaces. Instead of exposing a merchant’s IP to the whole world, both merchants and customers only reveal their IPs to the relays they connect to, which can easily be mitigated by running a client or shop behind Tor. As an upside to fully running a shop behind Tor, which makes a shop only accessible via the Tor browser and .onion web pages, NostrMarkets can run in any web browser or smartphone, improving the user experience of privacy-preserving, client-server communications. Because payments are negotiated via encrypted Nostr direct messages and facilitated via the Lightning Network, payments in NostrMarkets remain comparatively private as long as the shop’s Lightning node runs behind Tor, as a payment coordination direct message is indistinguishable from other direct messages in Nostr.

Another way to circumvent the requirement of IP addresses in server client communication is NOSTREST. REST, short for “representational state transfer,” is part of the software architecture of the world wide web, used to facilitate communication between servers and clients via GET, POST, PUT, DELETE and PATCH requests. But, when a client sends a REST request to a server, IP addresses are revealed, potentially revealing personally-identifiable information. On GitHub, escapee proposed a REST API bridge built on Nostr, called NOSTREST. By using Nostr keys without identification headers, both users and server operators do not need to know the IP addresses of their counterparts. A NOSTREST implementation can therefore improve the privacy of Bitcoin applications using REST as servers do not need the clients’ IP addresses.

One such example could be the running of custodial Chaumian e-cash mints, a form of anonymous-amount credential systems. In an e-cash mint, the mint operator does not know the balances or value exchanged by its users. However, due to the current architecture of REST, it does learn the user’s IP address unless running behind Tor by default, such as in the e-cash system Cashu. But implementing and managing Tor support is tedious. With the NOSTREST bridge, projects can easily preserve the privacy of their users. By running an e-cash mint behind Tor using NOSTREST to communicate between server and clients, communication can be facilitated asynchronously, while both server operator and user only learn each other’s public keys, eliminating the risk of identification via IP.

*The original author of this article is L0la L33tz. It was initially published in Bitcoin Magazine. Original article link: https://bitcoinmagazine.com/technical/how-nostr-can-improve-bitcoin-privacy

*

@ 4d444439:7ed2458b

Machine learning (ML) has emerged as a revolutionary technology that has the potential to redefine various industries. One sector that has greatly benefited from ML advancements is aerospace. By harnessing the power of data analysis and predictive algorithms, machine learning has opened up new avenues for innovation and optimization in aerospace engineering, air traffic management, space exploration, and more. In this article, we will delve into some fascinating ML use cases in aerospace and understand how they are shaping the future of flight.

1. Predictive Maintenance for Aircraft

One of the critical applications of machine learning in aerospace is predictive maintenance. Traditional maintenance approaches rely on predetermined schedules or reactive repairs, which can be costly and lead to unexpected downtime. ML algorithms can analyze vast amounts of sensor data from aircraft components to detect patterns and anomalies that indicate potential failures. By implementing predictive maintenance systems, airlines and maintenance crews can proactively identify and address maintenance needs, reducing unplanned downtime, optimizing maintenance schedules, and ultimately improving flight safety.

Predictive Maintenance

2. Flight Path Optimization

Efficient flight path optimization is another ML use case that offers significant benefits to the aerospace industry. Machine learning algorithms can analyze historical flight data, weather conditions, air traffic, and other variables to develop optimized flight routes. By considering factors such as fuel efficiency, flight duration, and environmental impact, ML models can help airlines minimize fuel consumption, reduce carbon emissions, and enhance overall operational efficiency. This not only results in cost savings for airlines but also contributes to a greener and more sustainable aviation industry.

Flight Path Optimization

3. Air Traffic Management

With the increasing number of flights worldwide, managing air traffic has become more complex. Machine learning plays a crucial role in optimizing air traffic management systems. ML models can process vast amounts of real-time data, including aircraft positions, weather conditions, and airspace constraints, to predict potential congestion areas and optimize routing decisions. By enabling more efficient and dynamic airspace management, machine learning enhances safety, reduces delays, and increases the overall capacity of the airspace system.

ATM Ecosystem

4. Fault Detection and Anomaly Identification

Detecting faults and anomalies in aircraft systems is crucial for maintaining flight safety. Machine learning techniques can analyze sensor data, flight records, and maintenance logs to identify patterns associated with faults or anomalies. By continuously monitoring aircraft performance, ML models can provide early warnings for potential issues, enabling timely inspections and repairs. This proactive approach to fault detection helps prevent catastrophic failures and ensures the reliability of aircraft systems.

Fault Detection and Anomaly Identification

5. Space Exploration and Satellite Image Analysis

Machine learning is also revolutionizing space exploration and satellite image analysis. ML algorithms can analyze vast amounts of satellite imagery to detect patterns, identify objects, and extract valuable insights. From monitoring environmental changes, tracking natural disasters, to discovering new celestial objects, machine learning is helping scientists and researchers gain a deeper understanding of our planet and the universe. Furthermore, ML models are being deployed on spacecraft to analyze data in real-time, enabling autonomous decision-making and enhancing the efficiency of space missions.

Conclusion

Machine learning is reshaping the aerospace industry, offering unprecedented opportunities for optimization, safety enhancement, and sustainability. From predictive maintenance and flight path optimization to air traffic management and fault detection, ML use cases in aerospace are diverse and impactful. By leveraging the power of data and advanced algorithms, the aerospace sector is embracing a future where flights are safer, more efficient, and environmentally friendly. As we continue to push the boundaries of technology, machine learning will undoubtedly play an increasingly vital role in shaping the future of aerospace.

By：Vinayak Marathe Link：https://medium.com/@vinmarathe100/machine-learning-takes-flight-revolutionizing-the-aerospace-industry-1534db7cc53b

@ 957966b6:2d4fe6b7

This is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things which must happen soon, which he sent and made known by his angel to his servant, John, who testified to God’s word and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, about everything that he saw.

Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written in it, for the time is near.

John, to the seven assemblies that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from God, who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before his throne; and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us, and washed us from our sins by his blood— and he made us to be a Kingdom, priests to his God and Father—to him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, including those who pierced him. All the tribes of the earth will mourn over him. Even so, Amen.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

I John, your brother and partner with you in the oppression, Kingdom, and perseverance in Christ Jesus, was on the isle that is called Patmos because of God’s Word and the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, like a trumpet saying, “What you see, write in a book and send to the seven assemblies: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”

I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. Having turned, I saw seven golden lamp stands. And among the lamp stands was one like a son of man, clothed with a robe reaching down to his feet, and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and his hair were white as white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace. His voice was like the voice of many waters. He had seven stars in his right hand. Out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest. When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man.

He laid his right hand on me, saying, “Don’t be afraid. I am the first and the last, and the Living one. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever and ever. Amen. I have the keys of Death and of Hades. Write therefore the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will happen hereafter. The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lamp stands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven assemblies. The seven lamp stands are seven assemblies.

“To the angel of the assembly in Ephesus write:

“He who holds the seven stars in his right hand, he who walks among the seven golden lamp stands says these things:

“I know your works, and your toil and perseverance, and that you can’t tolerate evil men, and have tested those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and found them false. You have perseverance and have endured for my name’s sake, and have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the first works; or else I am coming to you swiftly, and will move your lamp stand out of its place, unless you repent. But this you have, that you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of my God.

“To the angel of the assembly in Smyrna write:

“The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life says these things:

“I know your works, oppression, and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews, and they are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Don’t be afraid of the things which you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested; and you will have oppression for ten days. Be faithful to death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. He who overcomes won’t be harmed by the second death.

“To the angel of the assembly in Pergamum write:

“He who has the sharp two-edged sword says these things:

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

“To the angel of the assembly in Thyatira write:

“The Son of God, who has his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like burnished brass, says these things:

“I know your works, your love, faith, service, patient endurance, and that your last works are more than the first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate your woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. She teaches and seduces my servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat things sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her and those who commit adultery with her into a bed of great oppression, unless they repent of her works. I will kill her children with Death, and all the assemblies will know that I am he who searches the minds and hearts. I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. But to you I say, to the rest who are in Thyatira—as many as don’t have this teaching, who don’t know what some call ‘the deep things of Satan’—to you I say, I am not putting any other burden on you. Nevertheless, hold that which you have firmly until I come. He who overcomes, and he who keeps my works to the end, to him I will give authority over the nations. He will rule them with a rod of iron, shattering them like clay pots, as I also have received of my Father; and I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.

“And to the angel of the assembly in Sardis write:

“He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars says these things:

“I know your works, that you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up and strengthen the things that remain, which you were about to throw away, for I have found no works of yours perfected before my God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard. Keep it and repent. If therefore you won’t watch, I will come as a thief, and you won’t know what hour I will come upon you. Nevertheless you have a few names in Sardis that didn’t defile their garments. They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes will be arrayed in white garments, and I will in no way blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.

“To the angel of the assembly in Philadelphia write:

“He who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key of David, he who opens and no one can shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says these things:

“I know your works (behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one can shut), that you have a little power, and kept my word, and didn’t deny my name. Behold, I make some of the synagogue of Satan, of those who say they are Jews, and they are not, but lie—behold, I will make them to come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Because you kept my command to endure, I also will keep you from the hour of testing which is to come on the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. I am coming quickly! Hold firmly that which you have, so that no one takes your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will go out from there no more. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, and my own new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.

“To the angel of the assembly in Laodicea write:

“The Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of God’s creation, says these things:

“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing,’ and don’t know that you are the wretched one, miserable, poor, blind, and naked; I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich; and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see. As many as I love, I reprove and chasten. Be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with me. He who overcomes, I will give to him to sit down with me on my throne, as I also overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.”

After these things I looked and saw a door opened in heaven; and the first voice that I heard, like a trumpet speaking with me, was one saying, “Come up here, and I will show you the things which must happen after this.”

Immediately I was in the Spirit. Behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and one sitting on the throne that looked like a jasper stone and a sardius. There was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald to look at. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones. On the thrones were twenty-four elders sitting, dressed in white garments, with crowns of gold on their heads. Out of the throne proceed lightnings, sounds, and thunders. There were seven lamps of fire burning before his throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. Before the throne was something like a sea of glass, similar to crystal. In the middle of the throne, and around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes before and behind. The first creature was like a lion, the second creature like a calf, the third creature had a face like a man, and the fourth was like a flying eagle. The four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within. They have no rest day and night, saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come!”

When the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to him who sits on the throne, to him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever, and throw their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, the Holy One, to receive the glory, the honor, and the power, for you created all things, and because of your desire they existed and were created!”

I saw, in the right hand of him who sat on the throne, a book written inside and outside, sealed shut with seven seals. I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book, and to break its seals?” No one in heaven above, or on the earth, or under the earth, was able to open the book or to look in it. Then I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look in it. One of the elders said to me, “Don’t weep. Behold, the Lion who is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome: he who opens the book and its seven seals.”

I saw in the middle of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the middle of the elders, a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. Then he came, and he took it out of the right hand of him who sat on the throne. Now when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. They sang a new song, saying,

“You are worthy to take the book

and to open its seals,

for you were killed,

and bought us for God with your blood

out of every tribe, language, people, and nation,

and made us kings and priests to our God;

and we will reign on the earth.”

I looked, and I heard something like a voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders. The number of them was ten thousands of ten thousands, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who has been killed to receive the power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing!”

I heard every created thing which is in heaven, on the earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion, forever and ever! Amen!”

The four living creatures said, “Amen!” Then the elders fell down and worshiped.

I saw that the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying, as with a voice of thunder, “Come and see!” Then a white horse appeared, and he who sat on it had a bow. A crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.

When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come!” Another came out, a red horse. To him who sat on it was given power to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another. There was given to him a great sword.

When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, “Come and see!” And behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a balance in his hand. I heard a voice in the middle of the four living creatures saying, “A choenix of wheat for a denarius, and three choenix of barley for a denarius! Don’t damage the oil and the wine!”

When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see!” And behold, a pale horse, and the name of he who sat on it was Death. Hades followed with him. Authority over one fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword, with famine, with death, and by the wild animals of the earth was given to him.

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed for the Word of God, and for the testimony of the Lamb which they had. They cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, Master, the holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” A long white robe was given to each of them. They were told that they should rest yet for a while, until their fellow servants and their brothers, who would also be killed even as they were, should complete their course.

I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became as blood. The stars of the sky fell to the earth, like a fig tree dropping its unripe figs when it is shaken by a great wind. The sky was removed like a scroll when it is rolled up. Every mountain and island was moved out of its place. The kings of the earth, the princes, the commanding officers, the rich, the strong, and every slave and free person, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains. They told the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of his wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

After this, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree. I saw another angel ascend from the sunrise, having the seal of the living God. He cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was given to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “Don’t harm the earth, the sea, or the trees, until we have sealed the bondservants of our God on their foreheads!” I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the children of Israel:

of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed,

of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand,

of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand,

of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand,

of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand,

of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand,

of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand,

of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand,

of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand,

of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand,

of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, and

of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man could count, out of every nation and of all tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands. They cried with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation be to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

All the angels were standing around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before his throne, and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might, be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

One of the elders answered, saying to me, “These who are arrayed in the white robes, who are they, and where did they come from?”

I told him, “My lord, you know.”

He said to me, “These are those who came out of the great suffering. They washed their robes and made them white in the Lamb’s blood. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and they serve him day and night in his temple. He who sits on the throne will spread his tabernacle over them. They will never be hungry or thirsty any more. The sun won’t beat on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the middle of the throne shepherds them and leads them to springs of life-giving waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.

Another angel came and stood over the altar, having a golden censer. Much incense was given to him, that he should add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. The smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand. The angel took the censer, and he filled it with the fire of the altar, then threw it on the earth. Thunders, sounds, lightnings, and an earthquake followed.

The seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

The first sounded, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. One third of the earth was burned up, and one third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.

The second angel sounded, and something like a great burning mountain was thrown into the sea. One third of the sea became blood, and one third of the living creatures which were in the sea died. One third of the ships were destroyed.

The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from the sky, burning like a torch, and it fell on one third of the rivers, and on the springs of water. The name of the star is “Wormwood.” One third of the waters became wormwood. Many people died from the waters, because they were made bitter.

The fourth angel sounded, and one third of the sun was struck, and one third of the moon, and one third of the stars, so that one third of them would be darkened; and the day wouldn’t shine for one third of it, and the night in the same way. I saw, and I heard an eagle, flying in mid heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe! Woe! Woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the other blasts of the trumpets of the three angels, who are yet to sound!”

The fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from the sky which had fallen to the earth. The key to the pit of the abyss was given to him. He opened the pit of the abyss, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke from a burning furnace. The sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke from the pit. Then out of the smoke came locusts on the earth, and power was given to them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were told that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree, but only those people who don’t have God’s seal on their foreheads. They were given power, not to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a person. In those days people will seek death, and will in no way find it. They will desire to die, and death will flee from them.

The shapes of the locusts were like horses prepared for war. On their heads were something like golden crowns, and their faces were like people’s faces. They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like those of lions. They had breastplates like breastplates of iron. The sound of their wings was like the sound of many chariots and horses rushing to war. They have tails like those of scorpions, with stingers. In their tails they have power to harm men for five months. They have over them as king the angel of the abyss. His name in Hebrew is “Abaddon”, but in Greek, he has the name “Apollyon”.

The first woe is past. Behold, there are still two woes coming after this.

The sixth angel sounded. I heard a voice from the horns of the golden altar which is before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Free the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates!”

The four angels were freed who had been prepared for that hour and day and month and year, so that they might kill one third of mankind. The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million. I heard the number of them. Thus I saw the horses in the vision and those who sat on them, having breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the horses’ heads resembled lions’ heads. Out of their mouths proceed fire, smoke, and sulfur. By these three plagues, one third of mankind was killed: by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur, which proceeded out of their mouths. For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails. For their tails are like serpents, and have heads; and with them they harm.

The rest of mankind, who were not killed with these plagues, didn’t repent of the works of their hands, that they wouldn’t worship demons, and the idols of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of stone, and of wood, which can’t see, hear, or walk. They didn’t repent of their murders, their sorceries, their sexual immorality, or their thefts.

I saw a mighty angel coming down out of the sky, clothed with a cloud. A rainbow was on his head. His face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. He had in his hand a little open book. He set his right foot on the sea, and his left on the land. He cried with a loud voice, as a lion roars. When he cried, the seven thunders uttered their voices. When the seven thunders sounded, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from the sky saying, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders said, and don’t write them.”

The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to the sky and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there will no longer be delay, but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as he declared to his servants the prophets.

The voice which I heard from heaven, again speaking with me, said, “Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land.”

I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book.

He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.”

I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it. It was as sweet as honey in my mouth. When I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. They told me, “You must prophesy again over many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.”

A reed like a rod was given to me. Someone said, “Rise and measure God’s temple, and the altar, and those who worship in it. Leave out the court which is outside of the temple, and don’t measure it, for it has been given to the nations. They will tread the holy city under foot for forty-two months. I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”

These are the two olive trees and the two lamp stands, standing before the Lord of the earth. If anyone desires to harm them, fire proceeds out of their mouth and devours their enemies. If anyone desires to harm them, he must be killed in this way. These have the power to shut up the sky, that it may not rain during the days of their prophecy. They have power over the waters, to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire.

When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them. Their dead bodies will be in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. From among the peoples, tribes, languages, and nations, people will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not allow their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. Those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, and they will be glad. They will give gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

After the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered into them, and they stood on their feet. Great fear fell on those who saw them. I heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” They went up into heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them. In that day there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe comes quickly.

The seventh angel sounded, and great voices in heaven followed, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ. He will reign forever and ever!”

The twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God’s throne, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: “We give you thanks, Lord God, the Almighty, the one who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and reigned. The nations were angry, and your wrath came, as did the time for the dead to be judged, and to give your bondservants the prophets, their reward, as well as to the saints and those who fear your name, to the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”

God’s temple that is in heaven was opened, and the ark of the Lord’s covenant was seen in his temple. Lightnings, sounds, thunders, an earthquake, and great hail followed.

A great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child. She cried out in pain, laboring to give birth.

Another sign was seen in heaven. Behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns. His tail drew one third of the stars of the sky, and threw them to the earth. The dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. Her child was caught up to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that there they may nourish her one thousand two hundred sixty days.

There was war in the sky. Michael and his angels made war on the dragon. The dragon and his angels made war. They didn’t prevail. No place was found for them any more in heaven. The great dragon was thrown down, the old serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, the power, and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ has come; for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night. They overcame him because of the Lamb’s blood, and because of the word of their testimony. They didn’t love their life, even to death. Therefore rejoice, heavens, and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and to the sea, because the devil has gone down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has but a short time.”

When the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. Two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, so that she might be nourished for a time, times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. The serpent spewed water out of his mouth after the woman like a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream. The earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon spewed out of his mouth. The dragon grew angry with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep God’s commandments and hold Jesus’ testimony.

Then I stood on the sand of the sea. I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads. On his horns were ten crowns, and on his heads, blasphemous names. The beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. One of his heads looked like it had been wounded fatally. His fatal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled at the beast. They worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

A mouth speaking great things and blasphemy was given to him. Authority to make war for forty-two months was given to him. He opened his mouth for blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, his dwelling, and those who dwell in heaven. It was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. Authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation was given to him. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been killed. If anyone has an ear, let him hear. If anyone is to go into captivity, he will go into captivity. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, he must be killed. Here is the endurance and the faith of the saints.

I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. He makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. He performs great signs, even making fire come down out of the sky to the earth in the sight of people. He deceives my own people who dwell on the earth because of the signs he was granted to do in front of the beast, saying to those who dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the beast who had the sword wound and lived. It was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause as many as wouldn’t worship the image of the beast to be killed. He causes all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, and the free and the slave, to be given marks on their right hands or on their foreheads; and that no one would be able to buy or to sell unless he has that mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. He who has understanding, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is six hundred sixty-six.

I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him a number, one hundred forty-four thousand, having his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads. I heard a sound from heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of a great thunder. The sound which I heard was like that of harpists playing on their harps. They sing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the one hundred forty-four thousand, those who had been redeemed out of the earth. These are those who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are those who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed by Jesus from among men, the first fruits to God and to the Lamb. In their mouth was found no lie, for they are blameless.

I saw an angel flying in mid heaven, having an eternal Good News to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. He said with a loud voice, “Fear the Lord, and give him glory, for the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and the springs of waters!”

Another, a second angel, followed, saying, “Babylon the great has fallen, which has made all the nations to drink of the wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality.”

Another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a great voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup of his anger. He will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. The smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever. They have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.

Here is the perseverance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”

I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’”

“Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their works follow with them.”

I looked, and saw a white cloud, and on the cloud one sitting like a son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. Another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Send your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come; for the harvest of the earth is ripe!” He who sat on the cloud thrust his sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.

Another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven. He also had a sharp sickle. Another angel came out from the altar, he who has power over fire, and he called with a great voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Send your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for the earth’s grapes are fully ripe!” The angel thrust his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vintage of the earth and threw it into the great wine press of the wrath of God. The wine press was trodden outside of the city, and blood came out of the wine press, up to the bridles of the horses, as far as one thousand six hundred stadia.

I saw another great and marvelous sign in the sky: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them God’s wrath is finished.

I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who overcame the beast, his image, and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. They sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,

“Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God, the Almighty!

Righteous and true are your ways, you King of the nations.

Who wouldn’t fear you, Lord,

and glorify your name?

For you only are holy.

For all the nations will come and worship before you.

For your righteous acts have been revealed.”

After these things I looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. The seven angels who had the seven plagues came out, clothed with pure, bright linen, and wearing golden sashes around their chests.

One of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power. No one was able to enter into the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels would be finished.

I heard a loud voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God on the earth!”

The first went, and poured out his bowl into the earth, and it became a harmful and painful sore on the people who had the mark of the beast, and who worshiped his image.

The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man. Every living thing in the sea died.

The third poured out his bowl into the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. I heard the angel of the waters saying, “You are righteous, who are and who were, O Holy One, because you have judged these things. For they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. They deserve this.”

I heard the altar saying, “Yes, Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are your judgments.”

The fourth poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was given to him to scorch men with fire. People were scorched with great heat, and people blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues. They didn’t repent and give him glory.

The fifth poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was darkened. They gnawed their tongues because of the pain, and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores. They still didn’t repent of their works.

The sixth poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates. Its water was dried up, that the way might be prepared for the kings that come from the sunrise. I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, something like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole inhabited earth, to gather them together for the war of that great day of God the Almighty.

“Behold, I come like a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his clothes, so that he doesn’t walk naked, and they see his shame.” He gathered them together into the place which is called in Hebrew, “Harmagedon”.

The seventh poured out his bowl into the air. A loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” There were lightnings, sounds, and thunders; and there was a great earthquake such as has not happened since there were men on the earth—so great an earthquake and so mighty. The great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered in the sight of God, to give to her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. Every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. Great hailstones, about the weight of a talent, came down out of the sky on people. People blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, for this plague was exceedingly severe.

One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here. I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality. Those who dwell in the earth were made drunken with the wine of her sexual immorality.” He carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet-colored beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of the sexual immorality of the earth. And on her forehead a name was written, “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered with great amazement.

The angel said to me, “Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. The beast that you saw was, and is not; and is about to come up out of the abyss and to go into destruction. Those who dwell on the earth and whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel when they see that the beast was, and is not, and shall be present.

Here is the mind that has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. They are seven kings. Five have fallen, the one is, and the other has not yet come. When he comes, he must continue a little while. The beast that was, and is not, is himself also an eighth, and is of the seven; and he goes to destruction. The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. These have one mind, and they give their power and authority to the beast. These will war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with him are called, chosen, and faithful.” He said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages. The ten horns which you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute, will make her desolate, will strip her naked, will eat her flesh, and will burn her utterly with fire. For God has put in their hearts to do what he has in mind, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God should be accomplished. The woman whom you saw is the great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.”

After these things, I saw another angel coming down out of the sky, having great authority. The earth was illuminated with his glory. He cried with a mighty voice, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, and she has become a habitation of demons, a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hated bird! For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality, the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from the abundance of her luxury.”

I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, that you have no participation in her sins, and that you don’t receive of her plagues, for her sins have reached to the sky, and God has remembered her iniquities. Return to her just as she returned, and repay her double as she did, and according to her works. In the cup which she mixed, mix to her double. However much she glorified herself and grew wanton, so much give her of torment and mourning. For she says in her heart, ‘I sit a queen, and am no widow, and will in no way see mourning.’ Therefore in one day her plagues will come: death, mourning, and famine; and she will be utterly burned with fire, for the Lord God who has judged her is strong.

The kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and lived wantonly with her will weep and wail over her, when they look at the smoke of her burning, standing far away for the fear of her torment, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For your judgment has come in one hour.’ The merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise any more: merchandise of gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, fine linen, purple, silk, scarlet, all expensive wood, every vessel of ivory, every vessel made of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble; and cinnamon, incense, perfume, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, sheep, horses, chariots, and people’s bodies and souls. The fruits which your soul lusted after have been lost to you. All things that were dainty and sumptuous have perished from you, and you will find them no more at all. The merchants of these things, who were made rich by her, will stand far away for the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, she who was dressed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls! For in an hour such great riches are made desolate.’ Every ship master, and everyone who sails anywhere, and mariners, and as many as gain their living by sea, stood far away, and cried out as they looked at the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like the great city?’ They cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had their ships in the sea were made rich by reason of her great wealth!’ For she is made desolate in one hour.

“Rejoice over her, O heaven, you saints, apostles, and prophets, for God has judged your judgment on her.”

A mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying, “Thus with violence will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down, and will be found no more at all. The voice of harpists, minstrels, flute players, and trumpeters will be heard no more at all in you. No craftsman of whatever craft will be found any more at all in you. The sound of a mill will be heard no more at all in you. The light of a lamp will shine no more at all in you. The voice of the bridegroom and of the bride will be heard no more at all in you, for your merchants were the princes of the earth; for with your sorcery all the nations were deceived. In her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on the earth.”

After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation, power, and glory belong to our God; for his judgments are true and righteous. For he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality, and he has avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.”

A second said, “Hallelujah! Her smoke goes up forever and ever.” The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne, saying, “Amen! Hallelujah!”

A voice came from the throne, saying, “Give praise to our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, the small and the great!”

I heard something like the voice of a great multitude, and like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of mighty thunders, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns! Let’s rejoice and be exceedingly glad, and let’s give the glory to him. For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready.” It was given to her that she would array herself in bright, pure, fine linen, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

He said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb.’” He said to me, “These are true words of God.”

I fell down before his feet to worship him. He said to me, “Look! Don’t do it! I am a fellow bondservant with you and with your brothers who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy.”

I saw the heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it is called Faithful and True. In righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has names written and a name written which no one knows but he himself. He is clothed in a garment sprinkled with blood. His name is called “The Word of God.” The armies which are in heaven, clothed in white, pure, fine linen, followed him on white horses. Out of his mouth proceeds a sharp, double-edged sword that with it he should strike the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He treads the wine press of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty. He has on his garment and on his thigh a name written, “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”

I saw an angel standing in the sun. He cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the sky, “Come! Be gathered together to the great supper of God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, small and great.” I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him who sat on the horse and against his army. The beast was taken, and with him the false prophet who worked the signs in his sight, with which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. The rest were killed with the sword of him who sat on the horse, the sword which came out of his mouth. So all the birds were filled with their flesh.

I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. He seized the dragon, the old serpent, who is the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole inhabited earth, and bound him for a thousand years, and cast him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more until the thousand years were finished. After this, he must be freed for a short time.

I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and such as didn’t worship the beast nor his image, and didn’t receive the mark on their forehead and on their hand. They lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead didn’t live until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over these, the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with him one thousand years.

And after the thousand years, Satan will be released from his prison and he will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They went up over the width of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. Fire came down out of heaven from God and devoured them. The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are also. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

I saw a great white throne and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. There was found no place for them. I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and they opened books. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works. The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. They were judged, each one according to his works. Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. If anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.

I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth have passed away, and the sea is no more. I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. I heard a loud voice out of heaven saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with people; and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain any more. The first things have passed away.”

He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” He said, “Write, for these words of God are faithful and true.” He said to me, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give freely to him who is thirsty from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes, I will give him these things. I will be his God, and he will be my son. But for the cowardly, unbelieving, sinners, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their part is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls which were loaded with the seven last plagues came, and he spoke with me, saying, “Come here. I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” He carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; having a great and high wall with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. On the east were three gates, and on the north three gates, and on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.

He who spoke with me had for a measure a golden reed to measure the city, its gates, and its walls. The city is square. Its length is as great as its width. He measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand twelve stadia. Its length, width, and height are equal. Its wall is one hundred forty-four cubits, by the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. The construction of its wall was jasper. The city was pure gold, like pure glass. The foundations of the city’s wall were adorned with all kinds of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire; the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls. Each one of the gates was made of one pearl. The street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city has no need for the sun or moon to shine, for the very glory of God illuminated it and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk in its light. The kings of the earth bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. Its gates will in no way be shut by day (for there will be no night there), and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it so that they may enter. There will in no way enter into it anything profane, or one who causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

He showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On this side of the river and on that was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruits, yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There will be no curse any more. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no night, and they need no lamp light or sun light; for the Lord God will illuminate them. They will reign forever and ever.

He said to me, “These words are faithful and true. The Lord God of the spirits of the prophets sent his angel to show to his bondservants the things which must happen soon.”

“Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

Now I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. When I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who had shown me these things. He said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow bondservant with you and with your brothers, the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” He said to me, “Don’t seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. He who acts unjustly, let him act unjustly still. He who is filthy, let him be filthy still. He who is righteous, let him do righteousness still. He who is holy, let him be holy still.”

“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, to repay to each man according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Blessed are those who do his commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify these things to you for the assemblies. I am the root and the offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” He who hears, let him say, “Come!” He who is thirsty, let him come. He who desires, let him take the water of life freely.

I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book. If anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book. He who testifies these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”

Amen! Yes, come, Lord Jesus!

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with all the saints. Amen.

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Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ: May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

Beloved, while I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I was constrained to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For there are certain men who crept in secretly, even those who were long ago written about for this condemnation: ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into indecency, and denying our only Master, God, and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Now I desire to remind you, though you already know this, that the Lord, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who didn’t believe. Angels who didn’t keep their first domain, but deserted their own dwelling place, he has kept in everlasting bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, having in the same way as these given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are shown as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire. Yet in the same way, these also in their dreaming defile the flesh, despise authority, and slander celestial beings. But Michael, the archangel, when contending with the devil and arguing about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him an abusive condemnation, but said, “May the Lord rebuke you!” But these speak evil of whatever things they don’t know. They are destroyed in these things that they understand naturally, like the creatures without reason. Woe to them! For they went in the way of Cain, and ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and perished in Korah’s rebellion. These are hidden rocky reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you, shepherds who without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; wild waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the blackness of darkness has been reserved forever. About these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” These are murmurers and complainers, walking after their lusts—and their mouth speaks proud things—showing respect of persons to gain advantage.

But you, beloved, remember the words which have been spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, walking after their own ungodly lusts.” These are those who cause divisions and are sensual, not having the Spirit.

But you, beloved, keep building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God’s love, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. On some have compassion, making a distinction, and some save, snatching them out of the fire with fear, hating even the clothing stained by the flesh.

Now to him who is able to keep them from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory in great joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.

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The elder to Gaius the beloved, whom I love in truth.

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be healthy, even as your soul prospers. For I rejoiced greatly when brothers came and testified about your truth, even as you walk in truth. I have no greater joy than this: to hear about my children walking in truth.

Beloved, you do a faithful work in whatever you accomplish for those who are brothers and strangers. They have testified about your love before the assembly. You will do well to send them forward on their journey in a way worthy of God, because for the sake of the Name they went out, taking nothing from the Gentiles. We therefore ought to receive such, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.

I wrote to the assembly, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, doesn’t accept what we say. Therefore, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words. Not content with this, he doesn’t receive the brothers himself, and those who would, he forbids and throws out of the assembly.

Beloved, don’t imitate that which is evil, but that which is good. He who does good is of God. He who does evil hasn’t seen God. Demetrius has the testimony of all, and of the truth itself; yes, we also testify, and you know that our testimony is true.

I had many things to write to you, but I am unwilling to write to you with ink and pen; but I hope to see you soon. Then we will speak face to face.

Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends by name.

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The elder, to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not I only, but also all those who know the truth, for the truth’s sake, which remains in us, and it will be with us forever: Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

I rejoice greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, even as we have been commanded by the Father. Now I beg you, dear lady, not as though I wrote to you a new commandment, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. This is love, that we should walk according to his commandments. This is the commandment, even as you heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.

For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who don’t confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the Antichrist. Watch yourselves, that we don’t lose the things which we have accomplished, but that we receive a full reward. Whoever transgresses and doesn’t remain in the teaching of Christ doesn’t have God. He who remains in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and doesn’t bring this teaching, don’t receive him into your house, and don’t welcome him, for he who welcomes him participates in his evil deeds.

Having many things to write to you, I don’t want to do so with paper and ink, but I hope to come to you and to speak face to face, that our joy may be made full. The children of your chosen sister greet you. Amen.

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That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we saw, and our hands touched, concerning the Word of life (and the life was revealed, and we have seen, and testify, and declare to you the life, the eternal life, which was with the Father, and was revealed to us); that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us. Yes, and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. And we write these things to you, that our joy may be fulfilled.

This is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie and don’t tell the truth. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we haven’t sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

My little children, I write these things to you so that you may not sin. If anyone sins, we have a Counselor with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. And he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world. This is how we know that we know him: if we keep his commandments. One who says, “I know him,” and doesn’t keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth isn’t in him. But God’s love has most certainly been perfected in whoever keeps his word. This is how we know that we are in him: he who says he remains in him ought himself also to walk just like he walked.

Brothers, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. Again, I write a new commandment to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light already shines. He who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in the darkness even until now. He who loves his brother remains in the light, and there is no occasion for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in the darkness, and walks in the darkness, and doesn’t know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.

I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.

I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.

I write to you, little children, because you know the Father.

I have written to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.

I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God remains in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

Don’t love the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the Father’s love isn’t in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—isn’t the Father’s, but is the world’s. The world is passing away with its lusts, but he who does God’s will remains forever.

Little children, these are the end times, and as you heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen. By this we know that it is the final hour. They went out from us, but they didn’t belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have continued with us. But they left, that they might be revealed that none of them belong to us. You have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. I have not written to you because you don’t know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the Antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son doesn’t have the Father. He who confesses the Son has the Father also.

Therefore, as for you, let that remain in you which you heard from the beginning. If that which you heard from the beginning remains in you, you also will remain in the Son, and in the Father. This is the promise which he promised us, the eternal life.

These things I have written to you concerning those who would lead you astray. As for you, the anointing which you received from him remains in you, and you don’t need for anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is no lie, and even as it taught you, you will remain in him.

Now, little children, remain in him, that when he appears, we may have boldness and not be ashamed before him at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him. Beloved, now we are children of God. It is not yet revealed what we will be; but we know that when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him just as he is. Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure.

Everyone who sins also commits lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness. You know that he was revealed to take away our sins, and no sin is in him. Whoever remains in him doesn’t sin. Whoever sins hasn’t seen him and doesn’t know him.

Little children, let no one lead you astray. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed: that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever is born of God doesn’t commit sin, because his seed remains in him, and he can’t sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever doesn’t do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who doesn’t love his brother. For this is the message which you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another— unlike Cain, who was of the evil one and killed his brother. Why did he kill him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s righteous.

Don’t be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. He who doesn’t love his brother remains in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him.

By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But whoever has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, then closes his heart of compassion against him, how does God’s love remain in him?

My little children, let’s not love in word only, or with the tongue only, but in deed and truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth and persuade our hearts before him, because if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have boldness toward God; so whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight. This is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he commanded. He who keeps his commandments remains in him, and he in him. By this we know that he remains in us, by the Spirit which he gave us.

Beloved, don’t believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit who doesn’t confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God; and this is the spirit of the Antichrist, of whom you have heard that it comes. Now it is in the world already. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God listens to us. He who is not of God doesn’t listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

Beloved, let’s love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. He who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, for God is love. By this God’s love was revealed in us, that God has sent his only born Son into the world that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, if God loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love has been perfected in us.

By this we know that we remain in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him, and he in God. We know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and he who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. In this, love has been made perfect among us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is, even so we are in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment. He who fears is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us. If a man says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who doesn’t love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? This commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should also love his brother.

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God. Whoever loves the Father also loves the child who is born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his commandments. For this is loving God, that we keep his commandments. His commandments are not grievous. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world: your faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three who testify: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and the three agree as one. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is God’s testimony which he has testified concerning his Son. He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. He who doesn’t believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son. The testimony is this: that God gave to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has the life. He who doesn’t have God’s Son doesn’t have the life.

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

This is the boldness which we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he listens to us. And if we know that he listens to us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of him.

If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life for those who sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I don’t say that he should make a request concerning this. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.

We know that whoever is born of God doesn’t sin, but he who was born of God keeps himself, and the evil one doesn’t touch him. We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. We know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

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Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, seeing that his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and virtue, by which he has granted to us his precious and exceedingly great promises; that through these you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust. Yes, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence; and in moral excellence, knowledge; and in knowledge, self-control; and in self-control, perseverance; and in perseverance, godliness; and in godliness, brotherly affection; and in brotherly affection, love. For if these things are yours and abound, they make you to not be idle or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins. Therefore, brothers, be more diligent to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never stumble. For thus you will be richly supplied with the entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Therefore I will not be negligent to remind you of these things, though you know them and are established in the present truth. I think it right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, knowing that the putting off of my tent comes swiftly, even as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. Yes, I will make every effort that you may always be able to remember these things even after my departure.

For we didn’t follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honor and glory when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” We heard this voice come out of heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.

We have the more sure word of prophecy; and you do well that you heed it as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts, knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of private interpretation. For no prophecy ever came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke, being moved by the Holy Spirit.

But false prophets also arose among the people, as false teachers will also be among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master who bought them, bringing on themselves swift destruction. Many will follow their immoral ways, and as a result, the way of the truth will be maligned. In covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words: whose sentence now from of old doesn’t linger, and their destruction will not slumber.

For if God didn’t spare angels when they sinned, but cast them down to Tartarus, and committed them to pits of darkness to be reserved for judgment; and didn’t spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood on the world of the ungodly, and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, having made them an example to those who would live in an ungodly way, and delivered righteous Lot, who was very distressed by the lustful life of the wicked (for that righteous man dwelling among them was tormented in his righteous soul from day to day with seeing and hearing lawless deeds), then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, but chiefly those who walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, whereas angels, though greater in might and power, don’t bring a slanderous judgment against them before the Lord. But these, as unreasoning creatures, born natural animals to be taken and destroyed, speaking evil in matters about which they are ignorant, will in their destroying surely be destroyed, receiving the wages of unrighteousness; people who count it pleasure to revel in the daytime, spots and defects, reveling in their deceit while they feast with you; having eyes full of adultery, and who can’t cease from sin, enticing unsettled souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children! Forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of wrongdoing; but he was rebuked for his own disobedience. A speechless donkey spoke with a man’s voice and stopped the madness of the prophet.

These are wells without water, clouds driven by a storm, for whom the blackness of darkness has been reserved forever. For, uttering great swelling words of emptiness, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by licentiousness, those who are indeed escaping from those who live in error; promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for a man is brought into bondage by whoever overcomes him.

For if, after they have escaped the defilement of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in it and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb, “The dog turns to his own vomit again,” and “the sow that has washed to wallowing in the mire.”

This is now, beloved, the second letter that I have written to you; and in both of them I stir up your sincere mind by reminding you that you should remember the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets and the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, knowing this first, that in the last days mockers will come, walking after their own lusts and saying, “Where is the promise of his coming? For, from the day that the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” For they willfully forget that there were heavens from of old, and an earth formed out of water and amid water by the word of God, by which means the world that existed then, being overflowed with water, perished. But the heavens that exist now and the earth, by the same word have been stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

But don’t forget this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but he is patient with us, not wishing that anyone should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fervent heat; and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be destroyed like this, what kind of people ought you to be in holy living and godliness, looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, which will cause the burning heavens to be dissolved, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

Therefore, beloved, seeing that you look for these things, be diligent to be found in peace, without defect and blameless in his sight. Regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote to you, as also in all of his letters, speaking in them of these things. In those, there are some things that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unsettled twist, as they also do to the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. You therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, beware, lest being carried away with the error of the wicked, you fall from your own steadfastness. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

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Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the chosen ones who are living as foreigners in the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with his blood: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that doesn’t fade away, reserved in Heaven for you, who by the power of God are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved in various trials, that the proof of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes, even though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ— whom, not having known, you love. In him, though now you don’t see him, yet believing, you rejoice greatly with joy that is unspeakable and full of glory, receiving the result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Concerning this salvation, the prophets sought and searched diligently. They prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching for who or what kind of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them pointed to when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow them. To them it was revealed that they served not themselves, but you, in these things, which now have been announced to you through those who preached the Good News to you by the Holy Spirit sent out from heaven; which things angels desire to look into.

Therefore prepare your minds for action. Be sober, and set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ— as children of obedience, not conforming yourselves according to your former lusts as in your ignorance, but just as he who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all of your behavior, because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

If you call on him as Father, who without respect of persons judges according to each man’s work, pass the time of your living as foreigners here in reverent fear, knowing that you were redeemed, not with corruptible things like silver or gold, from the useless way of life handed down from your fathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish or spot, the blood of Christ, who was foreknown indeed before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in this last age for your sake, who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope might be in God.

Seeing you have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth through the Spirit in sincere brotherly affection, love one another from the heart fervently, having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which lives and remains forever. For,

“All flesh is like grass,

and all of man’s glory like the flower in the grass.

The grass withers, and its flower falls;

but the Lord’s word endures forever.”

This is the word of Good News which was preached to you.

Putting away therefore all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisies, envies, and all evil speaking, as newborn babies, long for the pure spiritual milk, that with it you may grow, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Come to him, a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God, precious. You also as living stones are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Because it is contained in Scripture,

“Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, chosen and precious.

He who believes in him will not be disappointed.”

For you who believe therefore is the honor, but for those who are disobedient,

“The stone which the builders rejected

has become the chief cornerstone,”

and,

“a stumbling stone and a rock of offense.”

For they stumble at the word, being disobedient, to which also they were appointed. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. In the past, you were not a people, but now are God’s people, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

Beloved, I beg you as foreigners and pilgrims to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having good behavior among the nations, so in that of which they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good works and glorify God in the day of visitation.

Therefore subject yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether to the king, as supreme, or to governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evildoers and for praise to those who do well. For this is the will of God, that by well-doing you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. Live as free people, yet not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God.

Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

Servants, be in subjection to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the wicked. For it is commendable if someone endures pain, suffering unjustly, because of conscience toward God. For what glory is it if, when you sin, you patiently endure beating? But if when you do well, you patiently endure suffering, this is commendable with God. For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps, who didn’t sin, “neither was deceit found in his mouth.” When he was cursed, he didn’t curse back. When he suffered, he didn’t threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness. You were healed by his wounds. For you were going astray like sheep; but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

In the same way, wives, be in subjection to your own husbands, so that, even if any don’t obey the Word, they may be won by the behavior of their wives without a word, seeing your pure behavior in fear. Let your beauty come not from the outward adorning of braiding your hair, and of wearing gold ornaments or of putting on fine clothing, but from the hidden person of the heart, in the incorruptible adornment of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God’s sight. For this is how in the past the holy women who hoped in God also adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands. So Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose children you now are if you do well and are not put in fear by any terror.

You husbands, in the same way, live with your wives according to knowledge, giving honor to the woman as to the weaker vessel, as also being joint heirs of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

Finally, all of you be like-minded, compassionate, loving as brothers, tenderhearted, courteous, not rendering evil for evil or insult for insult; but instead blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. For,

“He who would love life

and see good days,

let him keep his tongue from evil

and his lips from speaking deceit.

Let him turn away from evil and do good.

Let him seek peace and pursue it.

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,

and his ears open to their prayer;

but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Now who will harm you if you become imitators of that which is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “Don’t fear what they fear, neither be troubled.” But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. Always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, with humility and fear, having a good conscience. Thus, while you are spoken against as evildoers, they may be disappointed who curse your good way of life in Christ. For it is better, if it is God’s will, that you suffer for doing what is right than for doing evil. Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit, in whom he also went and preached to the spirits in prison, who before were disobedient when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ship was being built. In it, few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you—not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him.

Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind; for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that you no longer should live the rest of your time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For we have spent enough of our past time doing the desire of the Gentiles, and having walked in lewdness, lusts, drunken binges, orgies, carousings, and abominable idolatries. They think it is strange that you don’t run with them into the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you. They will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For to this end the Good News was preached even to the dead, that they might be judged indeed as men in the flesh, but live as to God in the spirit.

But the end of all things is near. Therefore be of sound mind, self-controlled, and sober in prayer. And above all things be earnest in your love among yourselves, for love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, employ it in serving one another, as good managers of the grace of God in its various forms. If anyone speaks, let it be as it were the very words of God. If anyone serves, let it be as of the strength which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Beloved, don’t be astonished at the fiery trial which has come upon you to test you, as though a strange thing happened to you. But because you are partakers of Christ’s sufferings, rejoice, that at the revelation of his glory you also may rejoice with exceeding joy. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. On their part he is blasphemed, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil doer, or a meddler in other men’s matters. But if one of you suffers for being a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this matter. For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God. If it begins first with us, what will happen to those who don’t obey the Good News of God? “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will happen to the ungodly and the sinner?” Therefore let them also who suffer according to the will of God in doing good entrust their souls to him, as to a faithful Creator.

Therefore I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and who will also share in the glory that will be revealed: shepherd the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion, but voluntarily; not for dishonest gain, but willingly; not as lording it over those entrusted to you, but making yourselves examples to the flock. When the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the crown of glory that doesn’t fade away.

Likewise, you younger ones, be subject to the elder. Yes, all of you clothe yourselves with humility and subject yourselves to one another; for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you.

Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Withstand him steadfast in your faith, knowing that your brothers who are in the world are undergoing the same sufferings. But may the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

Through Silvanus, our faithful brother, as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand. She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, greets you. So does Mark, my son. Greet one another with a kiss of love.

Peace be to all of you who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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God, having in the past spoken to the fathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, has at the end of these days spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds. His Son is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, who, when he had by himself purified us of our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much better than the angels as the more excellent name he has inherited is better than theirs. For to which of the angels did he say at any time,

“You are my Son.

Today I have become your father?”

and again,

“I will be to him a Father,

and he will be to me a Son?”

When he again brings in the firstborn into the world he says, “Let all the angels of God worship him.” Of the angels he says,

“He makes his angels winds,

and his servants a flame of fire.”

But of the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.

The scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your Kingdom.

You have loved righteousness and hated iniquity;

therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.”

And,

“You, Lord, in the beginning, laid the foundation of the earth.

The heavens are the works of your hands.

They will perish, but you continue.

They all will grow old like a garment does.

You will roll them up like a mantle,

and they will be changed;

but you are the same.

Your years won’t fail.”

But which of the angels has he told at any time,

“Sit at my right hand,

until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet?”

Aren’t they all serving spirits, sent out to do service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?

Therefore we ought to pay greater attention to the things that were heard, lest perhaps we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation—which at the first having been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders, by various works of power, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will?

For he didn’t subject the world to come, of which we speak, to angels. But one has somewhere testified, saying,

“What is man, that you think of him?

Or the son of man, that you care for him?

You made him a little lower than the angels.

You crowned him with glory and honor.

You have put all things in subjection under his feet.”

For in that he subjected all things to him, he left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we don’t yet see all things subjected to him. But we see him who has been made a little lower than the angels, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God he should taste of death for everyone.

For it became him, for whom are all things and through whom are all things, in bringing many children to glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying,

“I will declare your name to my brothers.

Among the congregation I will sing your praise.”

Again, “I will put my trust in him.” Again, “Behold, here I am with the children whom God has given me.” Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in the same way partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might deliver all of them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For most certainly, he doesn’t give help to angels, but he gives help to the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he was obligated in all things to be made like his brothers, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.

Therefore, holy brothers, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession: Jesus, who was faithful to him who appointed him, as also Moses was in all his house. For he has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, because he who built the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by someone; but he who built all things is God. Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were afterward to be spoken, but Christ is faithful as a Son over his house. We are his house, if we hold fast our confidence and the glorying of our hope firm to the end. Therefore, even as the Holy Spirit says,

“Today if you will hear his voice,

don’t harden your hearts as in the rebellion,

in the day of the trial in the wilderness,

where your fathers tested me and tried me,

and saw my deeds for forty years.

Therefore I was displeased with that generation,

and said, ‘They always err in their heart,

but they didn’t know my ways.’

As I swore in my wrath,

‘They will not enter into my rest.’”

Beware, brothers, lest perhaps there might be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God; but exhort one another day by day, so long as it is called “today”, lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence firm to the end, while it is said,

“Today if you will hear his voice,

don’t harden your hearts, as in the rebellion.”

For who, when they heard, rebelled? Wasn’t it all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? With whom was he displeased forty years? Wasn’t it with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? To whom did he swear that they wouldn’t enter into his rest, but to those who were disobedient? We see that they weren’t able to enter in because of unbelief.

Let’s fear therefore, lest perhaps anyone of you should seem to have come short of a promise of entering into his rest. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, even as they also did, but the word they heard didn’t profit them, because it wasn’t mixed with faith by those who heard. For we who have believed do enter into that rest, even as he has said, “As I swore in my wrath, they will not enter into my rest;” although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he has said this somewhere about the seventh day, “God rested on the seventh day from all his works;” and in this place again, “They will not enter into my rest.”

Seeing therefore it remains that some should enter into it, and they to whom the good news was preached before failed to enter in because of disobedience, he again defines a certain day, “today”, saying through David so long a time afterward (just as has been said),

“Today if you will hear his voice,

don’t harden your hearts.”

For if Joshua had given them rest, he would not have spoken afterward of another day. There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For he who has entered into his rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from his. Let’s therefore give diligence to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart. There is no creature that is hidden from his sight, but all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of him to whom we must give an account.

Having then a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let’s hold tightly to our confession. For we don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin. Let’s therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace for help in time of need.

For every high priest, being taken from among men, is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. The high priest can deal gently with those who are ignorant and going astray, because he himself is also surrounded with weakness. Because of this, he must offer sacrifices for sins for the people, as well as for himself. Nobody takes this honor on himself, but he is called by God, just like Aaron was. So also Christ didn’t glorify himself to be made a high priest, but it was he who said to him,

“You are my Son.

Today I have become your father.”

As he says also in another place,

“You are a priest forever,

after the order of Melchizedek.”

He, in the days of his flesh, having offered up prayers and petitions with strong crying and tears to him who was able to save him from death, and having been heard for his godly fear, though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered. Having been made perfect, he became to all of those who obey him the author of eternal salvation, named by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

About him we have many words to say, and hard to interpret, seeing you have become dull of hearing. For although by this time you should be teachers, you again need to have someone teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the revelations of God. You have come to need milk, and not solid food. For everyone who lives on milk is not experienced in the word of righteousness, for he is a baby. But solid food is for those who are full grown, who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.

Therefore leaving the teaching of the first principles of Christ, let’s press on to perfection—not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, of faith toward God, of the teaching of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. This will we do, if God permits. For concerning those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance; seeing they crucify the Son of God for themselves again, and put him to open shame. For the land which has drunk the rain that comes often on it and produces a crop suitable for them for whose sake it is also tilled, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and thistles, it is rejected and near being cursed, whose end is to be burned.

But, beloved, we are persuaded of better things for you, and things that accompany salvation, even though we speak like this. For God is not unrighteous, so as to forget your work and the labor of love which you showed toward his name, in that you served the saints, and still do serve them. We desire that each one of you may show the same diligence to the fullness of hope even to the end, that you won’t be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherited the promises.

For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself, saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” Thus, having patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men indeed swear by a greater one, and in every dispute of theirs the oath is final for confirmation. In this way God, being determined to show more abundantly to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, interposed with an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and entering into that which is within the veil, where as a forerunner Jesus entered for us, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham divided a tenth part of all (being first, by interpretation, “king of righteousness”, and then also “king of Salem”, which means “king of peace”, without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God), remains a priest continually.

Now consider how great this man was, to whom even Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth out of the best plunder. They indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office have a commandment to take tithes from the people according to the law, that is, of their brothers, though these have come out of the body of Abraham, but he whose genealogy is not counted from them has accepted tithes from Abraham, and has blessed him who has the promises. But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. Here people who die receive tithes, but there one receives tithes of whom it is testified that he lives. We can say that through Abraham even Levi, who receives tithes, has paid tithes, for he was yet in the body of his father when Melchizedek met him.

Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people have received the law), what further need was there for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, and not be called after the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, there is of necessity a change made also in the law. For he of whom these things are said belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord has sprung out of Judah, about which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. This is yet more abundantly evident, if after the likeness of Melchizedek there arises another priest, who has been made, not after the law of a fleshly commandment, but after the power of an endless life; for it is testified,

“You are a priest forever,

according to the order of Melchizedek.”

For there is an annulling of a foregoing commandment because of its weakness and uselessness (for the law made nothing perfect), and a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. Inasmuch as he was not made priest without the taking of an oath (for they indeed have been made priests without an oath), but he with an oath by him that says of him,

“The Lord swore and will not change his mind,

‘You are a priest forever,

according to the order of Melchizedek.’”

By so much, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.

Many, indeed, have been made priests, because they are hindered from continuing by death. But he, because he lives forever, has his priesthood unchangeable. Therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, seeing that he lives forever to make intercession for them.

For such a high priest was fitting for us: holy, guiltless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; who doesn’t need, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices daily, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. For he did this once for all, when he offered up himself. For the law appoints men as high priests who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints a Son forever who has been perfected.

Now in the things which we are saying, the main point is this: we have such a high priest, who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a servant of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched, not man. For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer. For if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, seeing there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law, who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, even as Moses was warned by God when he was about to make the tabernacle, for he said, “See, you shall make everything according to the pattern that was shown to you on the mountain.” But now he has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as he is also the mediator of a better covenant, which on better promises has been given as law.

For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. For finding fault with them, he said,

“Behold, the days are coming”, says the Lord,

“that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah;

not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers

in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt;

for they didn’t continue in my covenant,

and I disregarded them,” says the Lord.

“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel

after those days,” says the Lord:

“I will put my laws into their mind;

I will also write them on their heart.

I will be their God,

and they will be my people.

They will not teach every man his fellow citizen

and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’

for all will know me,

from their least to their greatest.

For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness.

I will remember their sins and lawless deeds no more.”

In that he says, “A new covenant”, he has made the first obsolete. But that which is becoming obsolete and grows aged is near to vanishing away.

Now indeed even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and an earthly sanctuary. For a tabernacle was prepared. In the first part were the lamp stand, the table, and the show bread, which is called the Holy Place. After the second veil was the tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies, having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which was a golden pot holding the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; and above it cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat, of which things we can’t speak now in detail.

Now these things having been thus prepared, the priests go in continually into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the services, but into the second the high priest alone, once in the year, not without blood, which he offers for himself and for the errors of the people. The Holy Spirit is indicating this, that the way into the Holy Place wasn’t yet revealed while the first tabernacle was still standing. This is a symbol of the present age, where gifts and sacrifices are offered that are incapable, concerning the conscience, of making the worshiper perfect, being only (with foods and drinks and various washings) fleshly ordinances, imposed until a time of reformation.

But Christ having come as a high priest of the coming good things, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation, nor yet through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood, entered in once for all into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify to the cleanness of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without defect to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? For this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant, since a death has occurred for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, that those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. For where a last will and testament is, there must of necessity be the death of him who made it. For a will is in force where there has been death, for it is never in force while he who made it lives. Therefore even the first covenant has not been dedicated without blood. For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.”

He sprinkled the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry in the same way with the blood. According to the law, nearly everything is cleansed with blood, and apart from shedding of blood there is no remission.

It was necessary therefore that the copies of the things in the heavens should be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ hasn’t entered into holy places made with hands, which are representations of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest enters into the holy place year by year with blood not his own, or else he must have suffered often since the foundation of the world. But now once at the end of the ages, he has been revealed to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

For the law, having a shadow of the good to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near. Or else wouldn’t they have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having been once cleansed, would have had no more consciousness of sins? But in those sacrifices there is a yearly reminder of sins. For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. Therefore when he comes into the world, he says,

“You didn’t desire sacrifice and offering,

but you prepared a body for me.

You had no pleasure in whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin.

Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (in the scroll of the book it is written of me)

to do your will, O God.’”

Previously saying, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you didn’t desire, neither had pleasure in them” (those which are offered according to the law), then he has said, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He takes away the first, that he may establish the second, by which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Every priest indeed stands day by day serving and offering often the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins, but he, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God, from that time waiting until his enemies are made the footstool of his feet. For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. The Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying,

“This is the covenant that I will make with them

after those days,” says the Lord,

“I will put my laws on their heart,

I will also write them on their mind;”

then he says,

“I will remember their sins and their iniquities no more.”

Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

Having therefore, brothers, boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by the way which he dedicated for us, a new and living way, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh, and having a great priest over God’s house, let’s draw near with a true heart in fullness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and having our body washed with pure water, let’s hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering; for he who promised is faithful.

Let’s consider how to provoke one another to love and good works, not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which will devour the adversaries. A man who disregards Moses’ law dies without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment do you think he will be judged worthy of who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified an unholy thing, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “Vengeance belongs to me. I will repay,” says the Lord. Again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

But remember the former days, in which, after you were enlightened, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: partly, being exposed to both reproaches and oppressions, and partly, becoming partakers with those who were treated so. For you both had compassion on me in my chains and joyfully accepted the plundering of your possessions, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and an enduring one in the heavens. Therefore don’t throw away your boldness, which has a great reward. For you need endurance so that, having done the will of God, you may receive the promise.

“In a very little while,

he who comes will come and will not wait.

But the righteous one will live by faith.

If he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”

But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the saving of the soul.

Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen. For by this, the elders obtained approval. By faith we understand that the universe has been framed by the word of God, so that what is seen has not been made out of things which are visible.

By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he had testimony given to him that he was righteous, God testifying with respect to his gifts; and through it he, being dead, still speaks.

By faith Enoch was taken away, so that he wouldn’t see death, and he was not found, because God translated him. For he has had testimony given to him that before his translation he had been well pleasing to God. Without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing to him, for he who comes to God must believe that he exists, and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him.

By faith Noah, being warned about things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared a ship for the saving of his house, through which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out to the place which he was to receive for an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he went. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

By faith even Sarah herself received power to conceive, and she bore a child when she was past age, since she counted him faithful who had promised. Therefore as many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as innumerable as the sand which is by the sea shore, were fathered by one man, and him as good as dead.

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and embraced them from afar, and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. If indeed they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had enough time to return. But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

By faith, Abraham, being tested, offered up Isaac. Yes, he who had gladly received the promises was offering up his only born son, to whom it was said, “Your offspring will be accounted as from Isaac,” concluding that God is able to raise up even from the dead. Figuratively speaking, he also did receive him back from the dead.

By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come.

By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.

By faith Joseph, when his end was near, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.

By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to share ill treatment with God’s people than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a time, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he looked to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, that the destroyer of the firstborn should not touch them.

By faith they passed through the Red Sea as on dry land. When the Egyptians tried to do so, they were swallowed up.

By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.

By faith Rahab the prostitute didn’t perish with those who were disobedient, having received the spies in peace.

What more shall I say? For the time would fail me if I told of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets— who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked out righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, grew mighty in war, and caused foreign armies to flee. Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, not accepting their deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Others were tried by mocking and scourging, yes, moreover by bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned. They were sawn apart. They were tempted. They were slain with the sword. They went around in sheep skins and in goat skins; being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated— of whom the world was not worthy—wandering in deserts, mountains, caves, and the holes of the earth.

These all, having been commended for their faith, didn’t receive the promise, God having provided some better thing concerning us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

Therefore let’s also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

For consider him who has endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, that you don’t grow weary, fainting in your souls. You have not yet resisted to blood, striving against sin. You have forgotten the exhortation which reasons with you as with children,

“My son, don’t take lightly the chastening of the Lord,

nor faint when you are reproved by him;

for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines,

and chastises every son whom he receives.”

It is for discipline that you endure. God deals with you as with children, for what son is there whom his father doesn’t discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have been made partakers, then you are illegitimate, and not children. Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to chasten us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days disciplined us as seemed good to them, but he for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness. All chastening seems for the present to be not joyous but grievous; yet afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.

Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man will see the Lord, looking carefully lest there be any man who falls short of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you and many be defiled by it, lest there be any sexually immoral person or profane person, like Esau, who sold his birthright for one meal. For you know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for a change of mind though he sought it diligently with tears.

For you have not come to a mountain that might be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness, darkness, storm, the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which those who heard it begged that not one more word should be spoken to them, for they could not stand that which was commanded, “If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned”. So fearful was the appearance that Moses said, “I am terrified and trembling.”

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable multitudes of angels, to the festal gathering and assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better than that of Abel.

See that you don’t refuse him who speaks. For if they didn’t escape when they refused him who warned on the earth, how much more will we not escape who turn away from him who warns from heaven, whose voice shook the earth then, but now he has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more” signifies the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that have been made, that those things which are not shaken may remain. Therefore, receiving a Kingdom that can’t be shaken, let’s have grace, through which we serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

Let brotherly love continue. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for in doing so, some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those who are in bonds, as bound with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you are also in the body. Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the bed be undefiled; but God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.

Be free from the love of money, content with such things as you have, for he has said, “I will in no way leave you, neither will I in any way forsake you.” So that with good courage we say,

“The Lord is my helper. I will not fear.

What can man do to me?”

Remember your leaders, men who spoke to you the word of God, and considering the results of their conduct, imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Don’t be carried away by various and strange teachings, for it is good that the heart be established by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited.

We have an altar from which those who serve the holy tabernacle have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside of the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people through his own blood, suffered outside of the gate. Let’s therefore go out to him outside of the camp, bearing his reproach. For we don’t have here an enduring city, but we seek that which is to come. Through him, then, let’s offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which proclaim allegiance to his name. But don’t forget to be doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch on behalf of your souls, as those who will give account, that they may do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be unprofitable for you.

Pray for us, for we are persuaded that we have a good conscience, desiring to live honorably in all things. I strongly urge you to do this, that I may be restored to you sooner.

Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, our Lord Jesus, make you complete in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

But I exhort you, brothers, endure the word of exhortation, for I have written to you in few words. Know that our brother Timothy has been freed, with whom, if he comes shortly, I will see you.

Greet all of your leaders and all the saints. The Italians greet you.

Grace be with you all. Amen.

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Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon, our beloved fellow worker, to the beloved Apphia, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the assembly in your house: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, hearing of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, that the fellowship of your faith may become effective in the knowledge of every good thing which is in us in Christ Jesus. For we have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.

Therefore though I have all boldness in Christ to command you that which is appropriate, yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you, being such a one as Paul, the aged, but also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have become the father of in my chains, who once was useless to you, but now is useful to you and to me. I am sending him back. Therefore receive him, that is, my own heart, whom I desired to keep with me, that on your behalf he might serve me in my chains for the Good News. But I was willing to do nothing without your consent, that your goodness would not be as of necessity, but of free will. For perhaps he was therefore separated from you for a while that you would have him forever, no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much rather to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

If then you count me a partner, receive him as you would receive me. But if he has wronged you at all or owes you anything, put that to my account. I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it (not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self besides). Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in the Lord.

Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even beyond what I say.

Also, prepare a guest room for me, for I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you.

Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

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Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s chosen ones and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who can’t lie, promised before time began; but in his own time revealed his word in the message with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior, to Titus, my true child according to a common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.

I left you in Crete for this reason, that you would set in order the things that were lacking and appoint elders in every city, as I directed you— if anyone is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, who are not accused of loose or unruly behavior. For the overseer must be blameless, as God’s steward, not self-pleasing, not easily angered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain; but given to hospitality, a lover of good, sober minded, fair, holy, self-controlled, holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict those who contradict him.

For there are also many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped: men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for dishonest gain’s sake. One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and idle gluttons.” This testimony is true. For this cause, reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not paying attention to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. They profess that they know God, but by their deeds they deny him, being abominable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work.

But say the things which fit sound doctrine, that older men should be temperate, sensible, sober minded, sound in faith, in love, and in perseverance, and that older women likewise be reverent in behavior, not slanderers nor enslaved to much wine, teachers of that which is good, that they may train the young wives to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sober minded, chaste, workers at home, kind, being in subjection to their own husbands, that God’s word may not be blasphemed.

Likewise, exhort the younger men to be sober minded. In all things show yourself an example of good works. In your teaching, show integrity, seriousness, incorruptibility, and soundness of speech that can’t be condemned, that he who opposes you may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say about us.

Exhort servants to be in subjection to their own masters and to be well-pleasing in all things, not contradicting, not stealing, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God, our Savior, in all things. For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we would live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age; looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good works.

Say these things and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one despise you.

Remind them to be in subjection to rulers and to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, not to be contentious, to be gentle, showing all humility toward all men. For we were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love toward mankind appeared, not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior; that being justified by his grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This saying is faithful, and concerning these things I desire that you insist confidently, so that those who have believed God may be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men; but shun foolish questionings, genealogies, strife, and disputes about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. Avoid a factious man after a first and second warning, knowing that such a one is perverted and sinful, being self-condemned.

When I send Artemas to you, or Tychicus, be diligent to come to me to Nicopolis, for I have determined to winter there. Send Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey speedily, that nothing may be lacking for them. Let our people also learn to maintain good works to meet necessary needs, that they may not be unfruitful.

All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in faith.

Grace be with you all. Amen.

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Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, according to the promise of the life which is in Christ Jesus, to Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

I thank God, whom I serve as my forefathers did, with a pure conscience. How unceasing is my memory of you in my petitions, night and day longing to see you, remembering your tears, that I may be filled with joy; having been reminded of the sincere faith that is in you, which lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, in you also.

For this cause, I remind you that you should stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control. Therefore don’t be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner; but endure hardship for the Good News according to the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before times eternal, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the Good News. For this I was appointed as a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For this cause I also suffer these things.

Yet I am not ashamed, for I know him whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to guard that which I have committed to him against that day.

Hold the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed to you, guard through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

This you know, that all who are in Asia turned away from me, of whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. May the Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain, but when he was in Rome, he sought me diligently and found me (the Lord grant to him to find the Lord’s mercy in that day); and in how many things he served at Ephesus, you know very well.

You therefore, my child, be strengthened in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. The things which you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit the same things to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier on duty entangles himself in the affairs of life, that he may please him who enrolled him as a soldier. Also, if anyone competes in athletics, he isn’t crowned unless he has competed by the rules. The farmer who labors must be the first to get a share of the crops. Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.

Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, of the offspring of David, according to my Good News, in which I suffer hardship to the point of chains as a criminal. But God’s word isn’t chained. Therefore I endure all things for the chosen ones’ sake, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. This saying is trustworthy:

“For if we died with him,

we will also live with him.

If we endure,

we will also reign with him.

If we deny him,

he also will deny us.

If we are faithless,

he remains faithful;

for he can’t deny himself.”

Remind them of these things, charging them in the sight of the Lord that they don’t argue about words to no profit, to the subverting of those who hear.

Give diligence to present yourself approved by God, a workman who doesn’t need to be ashamed, properly handling the Word of Truth. But shun empty chatter, for it will go further in ungodliness, and those words will consume like gangrene, of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus: men who have erred concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past, and overthrowing the faith of some. However, God’s firm foundation stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let every one who names the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness.”

Now in a large house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of clay. Some are for honor and some for dishonor. If anyone therefore purges himself from these, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, and suitable for the master’s use, prepared for every good work.

Flee from youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. But refuse foolish and ignorant questionings, knowing that they generate strife. The Lord’s servant must not quarrel, but be gentle toward all, able to teach, patient, in gentleness correcting those who oppose him. Perhaps God may give them repentance leading to a full knowledge of the truth, and they may recover themselves out of the devil’s snare, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

But know this: that in the last days, grievous times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, not lovers of good, traitors, headstrong, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding a form of godliness but having denied its power. Turn away from these, also. For some of these are people who creep into houses and take captive gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Even as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind, who concerning the faith are rejected. But they will proceed no further. For their folly will be evident to all men, as theirs also came to be.

But you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, steadfastness, persecutions, and sufferings—those things that happened to me at Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. I endured those persecutions. The Lord delivered me out of them all. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you remain in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them. From infancy, you have known the holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that each person who belongs to God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

I command you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom: preach the word; be urgent in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all patience and teaching. For the time will come when they will not listen to the sound doctrine, but having itching ears, will heap up for themselves teachers after their own lusts, and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn away to fables. But you be sober in all things, suffer hardship, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill your ministry.

For I am already being offered, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith. From now on, the crown of righteousness is stored up for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day; and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved his appearing.

Be diligent to come to me soon, for Demas left me, having loved this present world, and went to Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia; and Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Take Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service. But I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. Bring the cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus when you come—and the books, especially the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did much evil to me. The Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Beware of him, for he greatly opposed our words.

At my first defense, no one came to help me, but all left me. May it not be held against them. But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, that through me the message might be fully proclaimed, and that all the Gentiles might hear. So I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me for his heavenly Kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the house of Onesiphorus. Erastus remained at Corinth, but I left Trophimus at Miletus sick. Be diligent to come before winter. Eubulus salutes you, as do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers.

The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.

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Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ our hope, to Timothy, my true child in faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

As I urged you when I was going into Macedonia, stay at Ephesus that you might command certain men not to teach a different doctrine, and not to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than God’s stewardship, which is in faith. But the goal of this command is love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith, from which things some, having missed the mark, have turned away to vain talking, desiring to be teachers of the law, though they understand neither what they say nor about what they strongly affirm.

But we know that the law is good if a person uses it lawfully, as knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave-traders, for liars, for perjurers, and for any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine, according to the Good News of the glory of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

I thank him who enabled me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he counted me faithful, appointing me to service, although I used to be a blasphemer, a persecutor, and insolent. However, I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. The grace of our Lord abounded exceedingly with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first, Jesus Christ might display all his patience for an example of those who were going to believe in him for eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

I commit this instruction to you, my child Timothy, according to the prophecies which were given to you before, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience, which some having thrust away made a shipwreck concerning the faith, of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they might be taught not to blaspheme.

I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and givings of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high places, that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and come to full knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, the testimony at the proper time, to which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am telling the truth in Christ, not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

I desire therefore that the men in every place pray, lifting up holy hands without anger and doubting. In the same way, that women also adorn themselves in decent clothing, with modesty and propriety, not with braided hair, gold, pearls, or expensive clothing, but with good works, which is appropriate for women professing godliness. Let a woman learn in quietness with full submission. But I don’t permit a woman to teach, nor to exercise authority over a man, but to be in quietness. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. Adam wasn’t deceived, but the woman, being deceived, has fallen into disobedience; but she will be saved through her childbearing, if they continue in faith, love, and holiness with sobriety.

This is a faithful saying: someone who seeks to be an overseer desires a good work. The overseer therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, modest, hospitable, good at teaching; not a drinker, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having children in subjection with all reverence; (for how could someone who doesn’t know how to rule his own house take care of God’s assembly?) not a new convert, lest being puffed up he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. Moreover he must have good testimony from those who are outside, to avoid falling into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Servants, in the same way, must be reverent, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for money, holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. Let them also first be tested; then let them serve if they are blameless. Their wives in the same way must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, and faithful in all things. Let servants be husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. For those who have served well gain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

These things I write to you, hoping to come to you shortly, but if I wait long, that you may know how men ought to behave themselves in God’s house, which is the assembly of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great:

God was revealed in the flesh,

justified in the spirit,

seen by angels,

preached among the nations,

believed on in the world,

and received up in glory.

But the Spirit says expressly that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, through the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron, forbidding marriage and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving. For it is sanctified through the word of God and prayer.

If you instruct the brothers of these things, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine which you have followed. But refuse profane and old wives’ fables. Exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise has some value, but godliness has value in all things, having the promise of the life which is now and of that which is to come. This saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance. For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we have set our trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things.

Let no man despise your youth; but be an example to those who believe, in word, in your way of life, in love, in spirit, in faith, and in purity. Until I come, pay attention to reading, to exhortation, and to teaching. Don’t neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the elders. Be diligent in these things. Give yourself wholly to them, that your progress may be revealed to all. Pay attention to yourself and to your teaching. Continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

Don’t rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father; the younger men as brothers; the elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, in all purity.

Honor widows who are widows indeed. But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them learn first to show piety toward their own family and to repay their parents, for this is acceptable in the sight of God. Now she who is a widow indeed and desolate, has her hope set on God and continues in petitions and prayers night and day. But she who gives herself to pleasure is dead while she lives. Also command these things, that they may be without reproach. But if anyone doesn’t provide for his own, and especially his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Let no one be enrolled as a widow under sixty years old, having been the wife of one man, being approved by good works, if she has brought up children, if she has been hospitable to strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, and if she has diligently followed every good work.

But refuse younger widows, for when they have grown wanton against Christ, they desire to marry, having condemnation, because they have rejected their first pledge. Besides, they also learn to be idle, going about from house to house. Not only idle, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not. I desire therefore that the younger widows marry, bear children, rule the household, and give no occasion to the adversary for insulting. For already some have turned away after Satan. If any man or woman who believes has widows, let them relieve them, and don’t let the assembly be burdened, that it might relieve those who are widows indeed.

Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and in teaching. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle the ox when it treads out the grain.” And, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”

Don’t receive an accusation against an elder except at the word of two or three witnesses. Those who sin, reprove in the sight of all, that the rest also may be in fear. I command you in the sight of God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the chosen angels, that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing by partiality. Lay hands hastily on no one. Don’t be a participant in other people’s sins. Keep yourself pure.

Be no longer a drinker of water only, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities.

Some men’s sins are evident, preceding them to judgment, and some also follow later. In the same way also there are good works that are obvious, and those that are otherwise can’t be hidden.

Let as many as are bondservants under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and the doctrine not be blasphemed. Those who have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brothers, but rather let them serve them, because those who partake of the benefit are believing and beloved. Teach and exhort these things.

If anyone teaches a different doctrine and doesn’t consent to sound words, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, he is conceited, knowing nothing, but obsessed with arguments, disputes, and word battles, from which come envy, strife, insulting, evil suspicions, constant friction of people of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. Withdraw yourself from such.

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we certainly can’t carry anything out. But having food and clothing, we will be content with that. But those who are determined to be rich fall into a temptation, a snare, and many foolish and harmful lusts, such as drown men in ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some have been led astray from the faith in their greed, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

But you, man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you confessed the good confession in the sight of many witnesses. I command you before God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who before Pontius Pilate testified the good confession, that you keep the commandment without spot, blameless until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which at the right time he will show, who is the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords. He alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen nor can see, to whom be honor and eternal power. Amen.

Charge those who are rich in this present age that they not be arrogant, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on the living God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute, willing to share; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold of eternal life.

Timothy, guard that which is committed to you, turning away from the empty chatter and oppositions of what is falsely called knowledge, which some profess, and thus have wandered from the faith.

Grace be with you. Amen.

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Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the assembly of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are bound to always give thanks to God for you, brothers, even as it is appropriate, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of each and every one of you toward one another abounds, so that we ourselves boast about you in the assemblies of God for your perseverance and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which you endure. This is an obvious sign of the righteous judgment of God, to the end that you may be counted worthy of God’s Kingdom, for which you also suffer. For it is a righteous thing with God to repay affliction to those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, punishing those who don’t know God, and to those who don’t obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus, who will pay the penalty: eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes in that day to be glorified in his saints and to be admired among all those who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.

To this end we also pray always for you that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire of goodness and work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, brothers, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to him, we ask you not to be quickly shaken in your mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter as if from us, saying that the day of Christ has already come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For it will not be unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction. He opposes and exalts himself against all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, setting himself up as God. Don’t you remember that when I was still with you, I told you these things? Now you know what is restraining him, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season. For the mystery of lawlessness already works. Only there is one who restrains now, until he is taken out of the way. Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will kill with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the manifestation of his coming; even he whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deception of wickedness for those who are being lost, because they didn’t receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. Because of this, God sends them a powerful delusion, that they should believe a lie, that they all might be judged who didn’t believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

But we are bound to always give thanks to God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which he called you through our Good News, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers, stand firm and hold the traditions which you were taught by us, whether by word or by letter.

Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good work and word.

Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified, even as also with you, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and evil men; for not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you both do and will do the things we command. May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and into the perseverance of Christ.

Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother who walks in rebellion and not after the tradition which they received from us. For you know how you ought to imitate us. For we didn’t behave ourselves rebelliously among you, neither did we eat bread from anyone’s hand without paying for it, but in labor and travail worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you. This was not because we don’t have the right, but to make ourselves an example to you, that you should imitate us. For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: “If anyone is not willing to work, don’t let him eat.” For we hear of some who walk among you in rebellion, who don’t work at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are that way, we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ, that they work with quietness and eat their own bread.

But you, brothers, don’t be weary in doing what is right. If any man doesn’t obey our word in this letter, note that man and have no company with him, to the end that he may be ashamed. Don’t count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with you all.

I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand, which is the sign in every letter. This is how I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

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Checking how things work ++here++.

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Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the assembly of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We always give thanks to God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and perseverance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father. We know, brothers loved by God, that you are chosen, and that our Good News came to you not in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and with much assurance. You know what kind of men we showed ourselves to be among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all who believe in Macedonia and in Achaia. For from you the word of the Lord has been declared, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone out, so that we need not to say anything. For they themselves report concerning us what kind of a reception we had from you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead: Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.

For you yourselves know, brothers, our visit to you wasn’t in vain, but having suffered before and been shamefully treated, as you know, at Philippi, we grew bold in our God to tell you the Good News of God in much conflict. For our exhortation is not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in deception. But even as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News, so we speak—not as pleasing men, but God, who tests our hearts. For neither were we at any time found using words of flattery, as you know, nor a cloak of covetousness (God is witness), nor seeking glory from men (neither from you nor from others), when we might have claimed authority as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother cherishes her own children.

Even so, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not the Good News of God only, but also our own souls, because you had become very dear to us. For you remember, brothers, our labor and travail; for working night and day, that we might not burden any of you, we preached to you the Good News of God. You are witnesses with God how holy, righteously, and blamelessly we behaved ourselves toward you who believe. As you know, we exhorted, comforted, and implored every one of you, as a father does his own children, to the end that you should walk worthily of God, who calls you into his own Kingdom and glory.

For this cause we also thank God without ceasing that when you received from us the word of the message of God, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, God’s word, which also works in you who believe. For you, brothers, became imitators of the assemblies of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus; for you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drove us out, and don’t please God, and are contrary to all men, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, to fill up their sins always. But wrath has come on them to the uttermost.

But we, brothers, being bereaved of you for a short season in presence, not in heart, tried even harder to see your face with great desire, because we wanted to come to you—indeed, I, Paul, once and again—but Satan hindered us. For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Isn’t it even you, before our Lord Jesus at his coming? For you are our glory and our joy.

Therefore when we couldn’t stand it any longer, we thought it good to be left behind at Athens alone, and sent Timothy, our brother and God’s servant in the Good News of Christ, to establish you and to comfort you concerning your faith, that no one would be moved by these afflictions. For you know that we are appointed to this task. For most certainly, when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we are to suffer affliction, even as it happened, and you know. For this cause I also, when I couldn’t stand it any longer, sent that I might know your faith, for fear that by any means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor would have been in vain.

But Timothy has just now come to us from you, and brought us glad news of your faith and love, and that you have good memories of us always, longing to see us, even as we also long to see you. For this cause, brothers, we were comforted over you in all our distress and affliction through your faith. For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord. For what thanksgiving can we render again to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sakes before our God, night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and may perfect that which is lacking in your faith?

Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you. May the Lord make you to increase and abound in love toward one another and toward all men, even as we also do toward you, to the end he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

Finally then, brothers, we beg and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, that you abound more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God: your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality, that each one of you know how to control his own body in sanctification and honor, not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who don’t know God, that no one should take advantage of and wrong a brother or sister in this matter; because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned you and testified. For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification. Therefore he who rejects this doesn’t reject man, but God, who has also given his Holy Spirit to you.

But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that one write to you. For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another, for indeed you do it toward all the brothers who are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brothers, that you abound more and more; and that you make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, even as we instructed you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and may have need of nothing.

But we don’t want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, so that you don’t grieve like the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we tell you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with God’s trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

But concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need that anything be written to you. For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. For when they are saying, “Peace and safety,” then sudden destruction will come on them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman. Then they will in no way escape. But you, brothers, aren’t in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief. You are all children of light and children of the day. We don’t belong to the night, nor to darkness, so then let’s not sleep, as the rest do, but let’s watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep in the night; and those who are drunk are drunk in the night. But since we belong to the day, let’s be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God didn’t appoint us to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Therefore exhort one another, and build each other up, even as you also do.

But we beg you, brothers, to know those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to respect and honor them in love for their work’s sake.

Be at peace among yourselves. We exhort you, brothers: Admonish the disorderly; encourage the faint-hearted; support the weak; be patient toward all. See that no one returns evil for evil to anyone, but always follow after that which is good for one another and for all.

Always rejoice. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you. Don’t quench the Spirit. Don’t despise prophecies. Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good. Abstain from every form of evil.

May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He who calls you is faithful, who will also do it.

Brothers, pray for us.

Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. I solemnly command you by the Lord that this letter be read to all the holy brothers.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

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Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love which you have toward all the saints, because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the Good News which has come to you, even as it is in all the world and is bearing fruit and growing, as it does in you also, since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth, even as you learned from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on your behalf, who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.

For this cause, we also, since the day we heard this, don’t cease praying and making requests for you, that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, that you may walk worthily of the Lord, to please him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, for all endurance and perseverance with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love, in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created in the heavens and on the earth, visible things and invisible things, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things are held together. He is the head of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence. For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him, and through him to reconcile all things to himself by him, whether things on the earth or things in the heavens, having made peace through the blood of his cross.

You, being in past times alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil deeds, yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without defect and blameless before him, if it is so that you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the Good News which you heard, which is being proclaimed in all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, was made a servant.

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the assembly, of which I was made a servant according to the stewardship of God which was given me toward you to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden for ages and generations. But now it has been revealed to his saints, to whom God was pleased to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim him, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus; for which I also labor, striving according to his working, which works in me mightily.

For I desire to have you know how greatly I struggle for you and for those at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; that their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love, and gaining all riches of the full assurance of understanding, that they may know the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden. Now I say this that no one may delude you with persuasiveness of speech. For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in the spirit, rejoicing and seeing your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

As therefore you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, even as you were taught, abounding in it in thanksgiving.

Be careful that you don’t let anyone rob you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the elemental spirits of the world, and not after Christ. For in him all the fullness of the Deity dwells bodily, and in him you are made full, who is the head of all principality and power. In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. You were dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh. He made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, wiping out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us. He has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross. Having stripped the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Let no one therefore judge you in eating or drinking, or with respect to a feast day or a new moon or a Sabbath day, which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ’s. Let no one rob you of your prize by self-abasement and worshiping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding firmly to the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and ligaments, grows with God’s growth.

If you died with Christ from the elemental spirits of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to ordinances, “Don’t handle, nor taste, nor touch” (all of which perish with use), according to the precepts and doctrines of men? These things indeed appear like wisdom in self-imposed worship, humility, and severity to the body, but aren’t of any value against the indulgence of the flesh.

If then you were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, our life, is revealed, then you will also be revealed with him in glory.

Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, depraved passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. For these things’ sake the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience. You also once walked in those, when you lived in them, but now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and shameful speaking out of your mouth. Don’t lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his doings, and have put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge after the image of his Creator, where there can’t be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondservant, or free person; but Christ is all, and in all.

Put on therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do.

Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.

Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Wives, be in subjection to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

Husbands, love your wives, and don’t be bitter against them.

Children, obey your parents in all things, for this pleases the Lord.

Fathers, don’t provoke your children, so that they won’t be discouraged.

Servants, obey in all things those who are your masters according to the flesh, not just when they are looking, as men pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will receive again for the wrong that he has done, and there is no partiality.

Masters, give to your servants that which is just and equal, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

Continue steadfastly in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving, praying together for us also, that God may open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds, that I may reveal it as I ought to speak.

Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

All my affairs will be made known to you by Tychicus, the beloved brother, faithful servant, and fellow bondservant in the Lord. I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts, together with Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will make known to you everything that is going on here.

Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you received instructions, “if he comes to you, receive him”), and Jesus who is called Justus. These are my only fellow workers for God’s Kingdom who are of the circumcision, men who have been a comfort to me.

Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, salutes you, always striving for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. For I testify about him that he has great zeal for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for those in Hierapolis. Luke the beloved physician and Demas greet you. Greet the brothers who are in Laodicea, with Nymphas and the assembly that is in his house. When this letter has been read among you, cause it to be read also in the assembly of the Laodiceans, and that you also read the letter from Laodicea. Tell Archippus, “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you fulfill it.”

I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. Amen.

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Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and servants: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I thank my God whenever I remember you, always in every request of mine on behalf of you all, making my requests with joy, for your partnership in furtherance of the Good News from the first day until now; being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. It is even right for me to think this way on behalf of all of you, because I have you in my heart, because both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the Good News, you all are partakers with me of grace. For God is my witness, how I long after all of you in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus.

This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense to the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Now I desire to have you know, brothers, that the things which happened to me have turned out rather to the progress of the Good News, so that it became evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my bonds are in Christ, and that most of the brothers in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear. Some indeed preach Christ even out of envy and strife, and some also out of good will. The former insincerely preach Christ from selfish ambition, thinking that they add affliction to my chains; but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the Good News.

What does it matter? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed. I rejoice in this, yes, and will rejoice. For I know that this will turn out to my salvation through your prayers and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will in no way be disappointed, but with all boldness, as always, now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will bring fruit from my work; yet I don’t know what I will choose. But I am hard pressed between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Yet to remain in the flesh is more needful for your sake. Having this confidence, I know that I will remain, yes, and remain with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, that your boasting may abound in Christ Jesus in me through my presence with you again.

Only let your way of life be worthy of the Good News of Christ, that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your state, that you stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the Good News; and in nothing frightened by the adversaries, which is for them a proof of destruction, but to you of salvation, and that from God. Because it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer on his behalf, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.

If therefore there is any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassion, make my joy full by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind; doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself; each of you not just looking to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others.

Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, yes, the death of the cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Do all things without complaining and arguing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without defect in the middle of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you are seen as lights in the world, holding up the word of life, that I may have something to boast in the day of Christ that I didn’t run in vain nor labor in vain. Yes, and if I am poured out on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. In the same way, you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered up when I know how you are doing. For I have no one else like-minded, who will truly care about you. For they all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ. But you know that he has proved himself. As a child serves a father, so he served with me in furtherance of the Good News. Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it will go with me. But I trust in the Lord that I myself also will come shortly.

But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, and your apostle and servant of my need, since he longed for you all, and was very troubled because you had heard that he was sick. For indeed he was sick nearly to death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow on sorrow. I have sent him therefore the more diligently, that when you see him again, you may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy, and hold such people in honor, because for the work of Christ he came near to death, risking his life to supply that which was lacking in your service toward me.

Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not tiresome, but for you it is safe.

Beware of the dogs; beware of the evil workers; beware of the false circumcision. For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh; though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has confidence in the flesh, I yet more: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless.

However, I consider those things that were gain to me as a loss for Christ. Yes most certainly, and I count all things to be a loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death, if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect; but I press on, that I may take hold of that for which also I was taken hold of by Christ Jesus.

Brothers, I don’t regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do: forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, think this way. If in anything you think otherwise, God will also reveal that to you. Nevertheless, to the extent that we have already attained, let’s walk by the same rule. Let’s be of the same mind.

Brothers, be imitators together of me, and note those who walk this way, even as you have us for an example. For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, as the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who think about earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change the body of our humiliation to be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working by which he is able even to subject all things to himself.

Therefore, my brothers, beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.

I exhort Euodia, and I exhort Syntyche, to think the same way in the Lord. Yes, I beg you also, true partner, help these women, for they labored with me in the Good News with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I will say, “Rejoice!” Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report: if there is any virtue and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Do the things which you learned, received, heard, and saw in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

But I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your thought for me; in which you did indeed take thought, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak because of lack, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it. I know how to be humbled, and I also know how to abound. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. However you did well that you shared in my affliction. You yourselves also know, you Philippians, that in the beginning of the Good News, when I departed from Macedonia, no assembly shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you only. For even in Thessalonica you sent once and again to my need. Not that I seek for the gift, but I seek for the fruit that increases to your account. But I have all things and abound. I am filled, having received from Epaphroditus the things that came from you, a sweet-smelling fragrance, an acceptable and well-pleasing sacrifice to God. My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever! Amen.

Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you. All the saints greet you, especially those who are of Caesar’s household.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

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Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without defect before him in love, having predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire, to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he freely gave us favor in the Beloved. In him we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him to an administration of the fullness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth, in him. We were also assigned an inheritance in him, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who does all things after the counsel of his will, to the end that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ. In him you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of your salvation—in whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory.

For this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you and the love which you have toward all the saints, don’t cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule, authority, power, dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come. He put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things for the assembly, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

You were made alive when you were dead in transgressions and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the children of disobedience. We also all once lived among them in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus; for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one would boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.

Therefore remember that once you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “uncircumcision” by that which is called “circumcision” (in the flesh, made by hands), that you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in his flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, making peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, having killed the hostility through it. He came and preached peace to you who were far off and to those who were near. For through him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God, being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone; in whom the whole building, fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.

For this cause I, Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles, if it is so that you have heard of the administration of that grace of God which was given me toward you, how that by revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I wrote before in few words, by which, when you read, you can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the children of men, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of his promise in Christ Jesus through the Good News, of which I was made a servant according to the gift of that grace of God which was given me according to the working of his power. To me, the very least of all saints, was this grace given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all men see what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things through Jesus Christ, to the intent that now through the assembly the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in him. Therefore I ask that you may not lose heart at my troubles for you, which are your glory.

For this cause, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth, and to know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to him be the glory in the assembly and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and humility, with patience, bearing with one another in love, being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, even as you also were called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in us all. But to each one of us, the grace was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Therefore he says,

“When he ascended on high,

he led captivity captive,

and gave gifts to people.”

Now this, “He ascended”, what is it but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.

He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him who is the head, Christ, from whom all the body, being fitted and knit together through that which every joint supplies, according to the working in measure of each individual part, makes the body increase to the building up of itself in love.

This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their hearts. They, having become callous, gave themselves up to lust, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you didn’t learn Christ that way, if indeed you heard him and were taught in him, even as truth is in Jesus: that you put away, as concerning your former way of life, the old man that grows corrupt after the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man, who in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of truth.

Therefore, putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. “Be angry, and don’t sin.” Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath, and don’t give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no more; but rather let him labor, producing with his hands something that is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need. Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but only what is good for building others up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear. Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.

Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children. Walk in love, even as Christ also loved us and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling fragrance.

But sexual immorality, and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be mentioned among you, as becomes saints; nor filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not appropriate, but rather giving of thanks.

Know this for sure, that no sexually immoral person, nor unclean person, nor covetous man (who is an idolater), has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God.

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience. Therefore don’t be partakers with them. For you were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth, proving what is well pleasing to the Lord. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather even reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things, when they are reproved, are revealed by the light, for everything that reveals is light. Therefore he says, “Awake, you who sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Therefore watch carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, don’t be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Don’t be drunken with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always concerning all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; subjecting yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ.

Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the assembly, being himself the savior of the body. But as the assembly is subject to Christ, so let the wives also be to their own husbands in everything.

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the assembly and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that he might present the assembly to himself gloriously, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without defect. Even so husbands also ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself. For no man ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord also does the assembly, because we are members of his body, of his flesh and bones. “For this cause a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife. Then the two will become one flesh.” This mystery is great, but I speak concerning Christ and the assembly. Nevertheless each of you must also love his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with a promise: “that it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth.”

You fathers, don’t provoke your children to wrath, but nurture them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Servants, be obedient to those who according to the flesh are your masters, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as to Christ, not in the way of service only when eyes are on you, as men pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with good will doing service as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that whatever good thing each one does, he will receive the same good again from the Lord, whether he is bound or free.

You masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with him.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having the utility belt of truth buckled around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having fitted your feet with the preparation of the Good News of peace, above all, taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; with all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the saints. Pray for me, that utterance may be given to me in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Good News, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

But that you also may know my affairs, how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will make known to you all things. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know our state and that he may comfort your hearts.

Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love. Amen.

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Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the assembly of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound to us, even so our comfort also abounds through Christ. But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer. Our hope for you is steadfast, knowing that, since you are partakers of the sufferings, so you are also of the comfort.

For we don’t desire to have you uninformed, brothers, concerning our affliction which happened to us in Asia: that we were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power, so much that we despaired even of life. Yes, we ourselves have had the sentence of death within ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us out of so great a death, and does deliver, on whom we have set our hope that he will also still deliver us, you also helping together on our behalf by your supplication; that, for the gift given to us by means of many, thanks may be given by many persons on your behalf.

For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that in holiness and sincerity of God, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we behaved ourselves in the world, and more abundantly toward you. For we write no other things to you than what you read or even acknowledge, and I hope you will acknowledge to the end— as also you acknowledged us in part—that we are your boasting, even as you also are ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus.

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

Now he who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the down payment of the Spirit in our hearts.

But I call God for a witness to my soul, that to spare you, I didn’t come to Corinth. We don’t control your faith, but are fellow workers with you for your joy. For you stand firm in faith.

But I determined this for myself, that I would not come to you again in sorrow. For if I make you grieve, then who will make me glad but he who is made to grieve by me? And I wrote this very thing to you, so that when I came, I wouldn’t have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all that my joy would be shared by all of you. For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not that you should be made to grieve, but that you might know the love that I have so abundantly for you.

But if any has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow not to me, but in part (that I not press too heavily) to you all. This punishment which was inflicted by the many is sufficient for such a one; so that, on the contrary, you should rather forgive him and comfort him, lest by any means such a one should be swallowed up with his excessive sorrow. Therefore I beg you to confirm your love toward him. For to this end I also wrote, that I might know the proof of you, whether you are obedient in all things. Now I also forgive whomever you forgive anything. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, that no advantage may be gained over us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.

Now when I came to Troas for the Good News of Christ, and when a door was opened to me in the Lord, I had no relief for my spirit, because I didn’t find Titus my brother, but taking my leave of them, I went out into Macedonia.

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and reveals through us the sweet aroma of his knowledge in every place. For we are a sweet aroma of Christ to God in those who are saved and in those who perish: to the one a stench from death to death, to the other a sweet aroma from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not as so many, peddling the word of God. But as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God, we speak in Christ.

Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as do some, letters of commendation to you or from you? You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men, being revealed that you are a letter of Christ, served by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone, but in tablets that are hearts of flesh.

Such confidence we have through Christ toward God, not that we are sufficient of ourselves to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

But if the service of death, written engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look steadfastly on the face of Moses for the glory of his face, which was passing away, won’t service of the Spirit be with much more glory? For if the service of condemnation has glory, the service of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. For most certainly that which has been made glorious has not been made glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory that surpasses. For if that which passes away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.

Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness of speech, and not as Moses, who put a veil on his face so that the children of Israel wouldn’t look steadfastly on the end of that which was passing away. But their minds were hardened, for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains, because in Christ it passes away. But to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face seeing the glory of the Lord as in a mirror, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit.

Therefore, seeing we have this ministry, even as we obtained mercy, we don’t faint. But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. Even if our Good News is veiled, it is veiled in those who are dying, in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the Good News of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn on them. For we don’t preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake, seeing it is God who said, “Light will shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

But we have this treasure in clay vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves. We are pressed on every side, yet not crushed; perplexed, yet not to despair; pursued, yet not forsaken; struck down, yet not destroyed; always carrying in the body the putting to death of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal flesh. So then death works in us, but life in you.

But having the same spirit of faith, according to that which is written, “I believed, and therefore I spoke.” We also believe, and therefore we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the grace, being multiplied through the many, may cause the thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

Therefore we don’t faint, but though our outward person is decaying, yet our inward person is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory, while we don’t look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

For we know that if the earthly house of our tent is dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens. For most certainly in this we groan, longing to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed being clothed, we will not be found naked. For indeed we who are in this tent do groan, being burdened, not that we desire to be unclothed, but that we desire to be clothed, that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now he who made us for this very thing is God, who also gave to us the down payment of the Spirit.

Therefore we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord; for we walk by faith, not by sight. We are courageous, I say, and are willing rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore also we make it our aim, whether at home or absent, to be well pleasing to him. For we must all be revealed before the judgment seat of Christ that each one may receive the things in the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are revealed to God, and I hope that we are revealed also in your consciences. For we are not commending ourselves to you again, but speak as giving you occasion of boasting on our behalf, that you may have something to answer those who boast in appearance and not in heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God. Or if we are of sober mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ compels us; because we judge thus: that one died for all, therefore all died. He died for all, that those who live should no longer live to themselves, but to him who for their sakes died and rose again.

Therefore we know no one according to the flesh from now on. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him so no more. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation; namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses, and having committed to us the word of reconciliation.

We are therefore ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us: we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Working together, we entreat also that you do not receive the grace of God in vain. For he says,

“At an acceptable time I listened to you.

In a day of salvation I helped you.”

Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. We give no occasion of stumbling in anything, that our service may not be blamed, but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God: in great endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots, in labors, in watchings, in fastings, in pureness, in knowledge, in perseverance, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in sincere love, in the word of truth, in the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report, as deceivers and yet true, as unknown and yet well known, as dying and behold—we live, as punished and not killed, as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing and yet possessing all things.

Our mouth is open to you, Corinthians. Our heart is enlarged. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections. Now in return—I speak as to my children—you also open your hearts.

Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship do righteousness and iniquity have? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? What agreement does Christ have with Belial? Or what portion does a believer have with an unbeliever? What agreement does a temple of God have with idols? For you are a temple of the living God. Even as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk in them. I will be their God and they will be my people.” Therefore

“‘Come out from among them,

and be separate,’ says the Lord.

‘Touch no unclean thing.

I will receive you.

I will be to you a Father.

You will be to me sons and daughters,’

says the Lord Almighty.”

Having therefore these promises, beloved, let’s cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Open your hearts to us. We wronged no one. We corrupted no one. We took advantage of no one. I say this not to condemn you, for I have said before that you are in our hearts to die together and live together. Great is my boldness of speech toward you. Great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I overflow with joy in all our affliction.

For even when we had come into Macedonia, our flesh had no relief, but we were afflicted on every side. Fightings were outside. Fear was inside. Nevertheless, he who comforts the lowly, God, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not by his coming only, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you while he told us of your longing, your mourning, and your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more.

For though I grieved you with my letter, I do not regret it, though I did regret it. For I see that my letter made you grieve, though just for a while. I now rejoice, not that you were grieved, but that you were grieved to repentance. For you were grieved in a godly way, that you might suffer loss by us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, which brings no regret. But the sorrow of the world produces death. For behold, this same thing, that you were grieved in a godly way, what earnest care it worked in you. Yes, what defense, indignation, fear, longing, zeal, and vindication! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be pure in the matter. So although I wrote to you, I wrote not for his cause that did the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered the wrong, but that your earnest care for us might be revealed in you in the sight of God. Therefore we have been comforted. In our comfort we rejoiced the more exceedingly for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. For if in anything I have boasted to him on your behalf, I was not disappointed. But as we spoke all things to you in truth, so our glorying also which I made before Titus was found to be truth. His affection is more abundantly toward you, while he remembers all of your obedience, how with fear and trembling you received him. I rejoice that in everything I am confident concerning you.

Moreover, brothers, we make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the assemblies of Macedonia, how in a severe ordeal of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded to the riches of their generosity. For according to their power, I testify, yes and beyond their power, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much entreaty to receive this grace and the fellowship in the service to the saints. This was not as we had expected, but first they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us through the will of God. So we urged Titus, that as he had made a beginning before, so he would also complete in you this grace. But as you abound in everything—in faith, utterance, knowledge, all earnestness, and in your love to us—see that you also abound in this grace.

I speak not by way of commandment, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity also of your love. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich. I give advice in this: it is expedient for you who were the first to start a year ago, not only to do, but also to be willing. But now complete the doing also, that as there was the readiness to be willing, so there may be the completion also out of your ability. For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what you have, not according to what you don’t have. For this is not that others may be eased and you distressed, but for equality. Your abundance at this present time supplies their lack, that their abundance also may become a supply for your lack, that there may be equality. As it is written, “He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.”

But thanks be to God, who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus. For he indeed accepted our exhortation, but being himself very earnest, he went out to you of his own accord. We have sent together with him the brother whose praise in the Good News is known throughout all the assemblies. Not only so, but he was also appointed by the assemblies to travel with us in this grace, which is served by us to the glory of the Lord himself, and to show our readiness. We are avoiding this, that any man should blame us concerning this abundance which is administered by us. Having regard for honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. We have sent with them our brother whom we have many times proved earnest in many things, but now much more earnest, by reason of the great confidence which he has in you. As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for you. As for our brothers, they are the apostles of the assemblies, the glory of Christ. Therefore show the proof of your love to them before the assemblies, and of our boasting on your behalf.

It is indeed unnecessary for me to write to you concerning the service to the saints, for I know your readiness, of which I boast on your behalf to those of Macedonia, that Achaia has been prepared for the past year. Your zeal has stirred up very many of them. But I have sent the brothers so that our boasting on your behalf may not be in vain in this respect, that, just as I said, you may be prepared, lest by any means, if anyone from Macedonia comes there with me and finds you unprepared, we (to say nothing of you) would be disappointed in this confident boasting. I thought it necessary therefore to entreat the brothers that they would go before to you and arrange ahead of time the generous gift that you promised before, that the same might be ready as a matter of generosity, and not of greediness.

Remember this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Let each man give according as he has determined in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that you, always having all sufficiency in everything, may abound to every good work. As it is written,

“He has scattered abroad. He has given to the poor.

His righteousness remains forever.”

Now may he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the fruits of your righteousness, you being enriched in everything for all generosity, which produces thanksgiving to God through us. For this service of giving that you perform not only makes up for lack among the saints, but abounds also through much giving of thanks to God, seeing that through the proof given by this service, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the Good News of Christ and for the generosity of your contribution to them and to all, while they themselves also, with supplication on your behalf, yearn for you by reason of the exceeding grace of God in you. Now thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift!

Now I Paul, myself, entreat you by the humility and gentleness of Christ, I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you. Yes, I beg you that I may not, when present, show courage with the confidence with which I intend to be bold against some, who consider us to be walking according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we don’t wage war according to the flesh; for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds, throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience when your obedience is made full.

Do you look at things only as they appear in front of your face? If anyone trusts in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again with himself, that even as he is Christ’s, so we also are Christ’s. For even if I boast somewhat abundantly concerning our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for casting you down, I will not be ashamed, that I may not seem as if I desire to terrify you by my letters. For, “His letters”, they say, “are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech is despised.” Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such are we also in deed when we are present.

For we are not bold to number or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But they themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding. But we will not boast beyond proper limits, but within the boundaries with which God appointed to us, which reach even to you. For we don’t stretch ourselves too much, as though we didn’t reach to you. For we came even as far as to you with the Good News of Christ, not boasting beyond proper limits in other men’s labors, but having hope that as your faith grows, we will be abundantly enlarged by you in our sphere of influence, so as to preach the Good News even to the parts beyond you, not to boast in what someone else has already done. But “he who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.” For it isn’t he who commends himself who is approved, but whom the Lord commends.

I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you do bear with me. For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. For I promised you in marriage to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve in his craftiness, so your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we didn’t preach, or if you receive a different spirit which you didn’t receive, or a different “good news” which you didn’t accept, you put up with that well enough. For I reckon that I am not at all behind the very best apostles. But though I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not unskilled in knowledge. No, in every way we have been revealed to you in all things.

Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached to you God’s Good News free of charge? I robbed other assemblies, taking wages from them that I might serve you. When I was present with you and was in need, I wasn’t a burden on anyone, for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, supplied the measure of my need. In everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and I will continue to do so. As the truth of Christ is in me, no one will stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia. Why? Because I don’t love you? God knows.

But what I do, that I will continue to do, that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity, that in which they boast, they may be recognized just like us. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as Christ’s apostles. And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light. It is no great thing therefore if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

I say again, let no one think me foolish. But if so, yet receive me as foolish, that I also may boast a little. That which I speak, I don’t speak according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting. Seeing that many boast after the flesh, I will also boast. For you bear with the foolish gladly, being wise. For you bear with a man if he brings you into bondage, if he devours you, if he takes you captive, if he exalts himself, or if he strikes you on the face. To my shame, I speak as though we had been weak. Yet in whatever way anyone is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the offspring of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself.) I am more so: in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, and in deaths often. Five times I received forty stripes minus one from the Jews. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I suffered shipwreck. I have been a night and a day in the deep. I have been in travels often, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from my countrymen, perils from the Gentiles, perils in the city, perils in the wilderness, perils in the sea, perils among false brothers; in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, and in cold and nakedness.

Besides those things that are outside, there is that which presses on me daily: anxiety for all the assemblies. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and I don’t burn with indignation?

If I must boast, I will boast of the things that concern my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, he who is blessed forever more, knows that I don’t lie. In Damascus the governor under King Aretas guarded the Damascenes’ city, desiring to arrest me. I was let down in a basket through a window by the wall, and escaped his hands.

It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast, but I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who was caught up into the third heaven fourteen years ago—whether in the body, I don’t know, or whether out of the body, I don’t know; God knows. I know such a man (whether in the body, or outside of the body, I don’t know; God knows), how he was caught up into Paradise and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in my weaknesses. For if I would desire to boast, I will not be foolish; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, so that no man may think more of me than that which he sees in me or hears from me. By reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted excessively, a thorn in the flesh was given to me: a messenger of Satan to torment me, that I should not be exalted excessively. Concerning this thing, I begged the Lord three times that it might depart from me. He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.

Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, and in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong. I have become foolish in boasting. You compelled me, for I ought to have been commended by you, for I am in no way inferior to the very best apostles, though I am nothing. Truly the signs of an apostle were worked among you in all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty works. For what is there in which you were made inferior to the rest of the assemblies, unless it is that I myself was not a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!

Behold, this is the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden to you; for I seek not your possessions, but you. For the children ought not to save up for the parents, but the parents for the children. I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more abundantly, am I loved the less? Even so, I myself didn’t burden you. But you might say that being crafty, I caught you with deception. Did I take advantage of you by anyone of those whom I have sent to you? I exhorted Titus, and I sent the brother with him. Did Titus take any advantage of you? Didn’t we walk in the same spirit? Didn’t we walk in the same steps?

Again, do you think that we are excusing ourselves to you? In the sight of God we speak in Christ. But all things, beloved, are for your edifying. For I am afraid that perhaps when I come, I might find you not the way I want to, and that I might be found by you as you don’t desire, that perhaps there would be strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, whisperings, proud thoughts, or riots, that again when I come my God would humble me before you, and I would mourn for many of those who have sinned before now, and not repented of the uncleanness, sexual immorality, and lustfulness which they committed.

This is the third time I am coming to you. “At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.” I have warned previously, and I warn again, as when I was present the second time, so now, being absent, I write to those who have sinned before now and to all the rest that if I come again, I will not spare, seeing that you seek a proof of Christ who speaks in me who is not weak, but is powerful in you. For he was crucified through weakness, yet he lives through the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we will live with him through the power of God toward you.

Examine your own selves, whether you are in the faith. Test your own selves. Or don’t you know about your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. But I hope that you will know that we aren’t disqualified.

Now I pray to God that you do no evil; not that we may appear approved, but that you may do that which is honorable, though we may seem to have failed. For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. For we rejoice when we are weak and you are strong. We also pray for this: your becoming perfect. For this cause I write these things while absent, that I may not deal sharply when present, according to the authority which the Lord gave me for building up and not for tearing down.

Finally, brothers, rejoice! Be perfected. Be comforted. Be of the same mind. Live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.

All the saints greet you.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s love, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

@ 957966b6:2d4fe6b7

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the Good News of God, which he promised before through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was born of the offspring of David according to the flesh, who was declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we received grace and apostleship for obedience of faith among all the nations for his name’s sake; among whom you are also called to belong to Jesus Christ; to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, that your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world. For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the Good News of his Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you always in my prayers, requesting, if by any means now at last I may be prospered by the will of God to come to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, to the end that you may be established; that is, that I with you may be encouraged in you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine.

Now I don’t desire to have you unaware, brothers, that I often planned to come to you (and was hindered so far), that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles. I am debtor both to Greeks and to foreigners, both to the wise and to the foolish. So as much as is in me, I am eager to preach the Good News to you also who are in Rome.

For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Christ, because it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first, and also for the Greek. For in it is revealed God’s righteousness from faith to faith. As it is written, “But the righteous shall live by faith.”

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known of God is revealed in them, for God revealed it to them. For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity, that they may be without excuse. Because knowing God, they didn’t glorify him as God, and didn’t give thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened.

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, four-footed animals, and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves; who exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For their women changed the natural function into that which is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural function of the woman, burned in their lust toward one another, men doing what is inappropriate with men, and receiving in themselves the due penalty of their error. Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, malice; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil habits, secret slanderers, backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.

Therefore you are without excuse, O man, whoever you are who judge. For in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself. For you who judge practice the same things. We know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. Do you think this, O man who judges those who practice such things, and do the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But according to your hardness and unrepentant heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath, revelation, and of the righteous judgment of God, who “will pay back to everyone according to their works:” to those who by perseverance in well-doing seek for glory, honor, and incorruptibility, eternal life; but to those who are self-seeking and don’t obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, will be wrath, indignation, oppression, and anguish on every soul of man who does evil, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

But glory, honor, and peace go to every man who does good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God. For as many as have sinned without the law will also perish without the law. As many as have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it isn’t the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified (for when Gentiles who don’t have the law do by nature the things of the law, these, not having the law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying with them, and their thoughts among themselves accusing or else excusing them) in the day when God will judge the secrets of men, according to my Good News, by Jesus Christ.

Indeed you bear the name of a Jew, rest on the law, glory in God, know his will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, and are confident that you yourself are a guide of the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of babies, having in the law the form of knowledge and of the truth. You therefore who teach another, don’t you teach yourself? You who preach that a man shouldn’t steal, do you steal? You who say a man shouldn’t commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who glory in the law, do you dishonor God by disobeying the law? For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” just as it is written. For circumcision indeed profits, if you are a doer of the law, but if you are a transgressor of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. If therefore the uncircumcised keep the ordinances of the law, won’t his uncircumcision be accounted as circumcision? Won’t those who are physically uncircumcised, but fulfill the law, judge you, who with the letter and circumcision are a transgressor of the law? For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men, but from God.

Then what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way! Because first of all, they were entrusted with the revelations of God. For what if some were without faith? Will their lack of faith nullify the faithfulness of God? May it never be! Yes, let God be found true, but every man a liar. As it is written,

“that you might be justified in your words,

and might prevail when you come into judgment.”

But if our unrighteousness commends the righteousness of God, what will we say? Is God unrighteous who inflicts wrath? I speak like men do. May it never be! For then how will God judge the world? For if the truth of God through my lie abounded to his glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? Why not (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), “Let’s do evil, that good may come?” Those who say so are justly condemned.

What then? Are we better than they? No, in no way. For we previously warned both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. As it is written,

“There is no one righteous;

no, not one.

There is no one who understands.

There is no one who seeks after God.

They have all turned away.

They have together become unprofitable.

There is no one who does good,

no, not so much as one.”

“Their throat is an open tomb.

With their tongues they have used deceit.”

“The poison of vipers is under their lips.”

“Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”

“Their feet are swift to shed blood.

Destruction and misery are in their ways.

The way of peace, they haven’t known.”

“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Now we know that whatever things the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God. Because by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight; for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.

But now apart from the law, a righteousness of God has been revealed, being testified by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all those who believe. For there is no distinction, for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God sent to be an atoning sacrifice through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness through the passing over of prior sins, in God’s forbearance; to demonstrate his righteousness at this present time, that he might himself be just and the justifier of him who has faith in Jesus.

Where then is the boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. We maintain therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Isn’t he the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since indeed there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.

Do we then nullify the law through faith? May it never be! No, we establish the law.

What then will we say that Abraham, our forefather, has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not toward God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now to him who works, the reward is not counted as grace, but as something owed. But to him who doesn’t work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness. Even as David also pronounces blessing on the man to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:

“Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven,

whose sins are covered.

Blessed is the man whom the Lord will by no means charge with sin.”

Is this blessing then pronounced only on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. How then was it counted? When he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. He received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they might be in uncircumcision, that righteousness might also be accounted to them. He is the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had in uncircumcision.

For the promise to Abraham and to his offspring that he would be heir of the world wasn’t through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void, and the promise is made of no effect. For the law produces wrath; for where there is no law, neither is there disobedience.

For this cause it is of faith, that it may be according to grace, to the end that the promise may be sure to all the offspring, not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. As it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations.” This is in the presence of him whom he believed: God, who gives life to the dead, and calls the things that are not, as though they were. Against hope, Abraham in hope believed, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, “So will your offspring be.” Without being weakened in faith, he didn’t consider his own body, already having been worn out, (he being about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. Yet, looking to the promise of God, he didn’t waver through unbelief, but grew strong through faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was also able to perform. Therefore it also was “credited to him for righteousness.” Now it was not written that it was accounted to him for his sake alone, but for our sake also, to whom it will be accounted, who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification.

Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; through whom we also have our access by faith into this grace in which we stand. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope doesn’t disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

For while we were yet weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man. Yet perhaps for a good person someone would even dare to die. But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we will be saved from God’s wrath through him. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we will be saved by his life.

Not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. Therefore, as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin, so death passed to all men because all sinned. For until the law, sin was in the world; but sin is not charged when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those whose sins weren’t like Adam’s disobedience, who is a foreshadowing of him who was to come.

But the free gift isn’t like the trespass. For if by the trespass of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. The gift is not as through one who sinned; for the judgment came by one to condemnation, but the free gift followed many trespasses to justification. For if by the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one; so much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ.

So then as through one trespass, all men were condemned; even so through one act of righteousness, all men were justified to life. For as through the one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one, many will be made righteous. The law came in that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace abounded more exceedingly, that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? May it never be! We who died to sin, how could we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.

For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will also be part of his resurrection; knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. But if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him, knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over him! For the death that he died, he died to sin one time; but the life that he lives, he lives to God. Thus consider yourselves also to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Therefore don’t let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. Also, do not present your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin will not have dominion over you, for you are not under law, but under grace.

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! Don’t you know that when you present yourselves as servants and obey someone, you are the servants of whomever you obey, whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, whereas you were bondservants of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were delivered. Being made free from sin, you became bondservants of righteousness.

I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh; for as you presented your members as servants to uncleanness and to wickedness upon wickedness, even so now present your members as servants to righteousness for sanctification. For when you were servants of sin, you were free from righteousness. What fruit then did you have at that time in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now, being made free from sin and having become servants of God, you have your fruit of sanctification and the result of eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? May it never be! However, I wouldn’t have known sin except through the law. For I wouldn’t have known coveting unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, finding occasion through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of coveting. For apart from the law, sin is dead. I was alive apart from the law once, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. The commandment which was for life, this I found to be for death; for sin, finding occasion through the commandment, deceived me, and through it killed me. Therefore the law indeed is holy, and the commandment holy, righteous, and good.

Did then that which is good become death to me? May it never be! But sin, that it might be shown to be sin, was producing death in me through that which is good; that through the commandment sin might become exceedingly sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold under sin. For I don’t understand what I am doing. For I don’t practice what I desire to do; but what I hate, that I do. But if what I don’t desire, that I do, I consent to the law that it is good. So now it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me. For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing. For desire is present with me, but I don’t find it doing that which is good. For the good which I desire, I don’t do; but the evil which I don’t desire, that I practice. But if what I don’t desire, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the law that, while I desire to do good, evil is present. For I delight in God’s law after the inward person, but I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will deliver me out of the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! So then with the mind, I myself serve God’s law, but with the flesh, sin’s law.

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death. For what the law couldn’t do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God did, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace; because the mind of the flesh is hostile toward God, for it is not subject to God’s law, neither indeed can it be. Those who are in the flesh can’t please God.

But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if it is so that the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if any man doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his. If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if you live after the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are children of God. For you didn’t receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God; and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed toward us. For the creation waits with eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of decay into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now. Not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for that which he sees? But if we hope for that which we don’t see, we wait for it with patience.

In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don’t know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can’t be uttered. He who searches the hearts knows what is on the Spirit’s mind, because he makes intercession for the saints according to God.

We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose. For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Whom he predestined, those he also called. Whom he called, those he also justified. Whom he justified, those he also glorified.

What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who didn’t spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how would he not also with him freely give us all things? Who could bring a charge against God’s chosen ones? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, yes rather, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Could oppression, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Even as it is written,

“For your sake we are killed all day long.

We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from God’s love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I tell the truth in Christ. I am not lying, my conscience testifying with me in the Holy Spirit that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brothers’ sake, my relatives according to the flesh who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service, and the promises; of whom are the fathers, and from whom is Christ as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God, blessed forever. Amen.

But it is not as though the word of God has come to nothing. For they are not all Israel that are of Israel. Neither, because they are Abraham’s offspring, are they all children. But, “your offspring will be accounted as from Isaac.” That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as heirs. For this is a word of promise: “At the appointed time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.” Not only so, but Rebekah also conceived by one, by our father Isaac. For being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him who calls, it was said to her, “The elder will serve the younger.” Even as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? May it never be! For he said to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I caused you to be raised up, that I might show in you my power, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then, he has mercy on whom he desires, and he hardens whom he desires.

You will say then to me, “Why does he still find fault? For who withstands his will?” But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed ask him who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?” Or hasn’t the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel for honor, and another for dishonor? What if God, willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that he might make known the riches of his glory on vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory— us, whom he also called, not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles? As he says also in Hosea,

“I will call them ‘my people,’ which were not my people;

and her ‘beloved,’ who was not beloved.”

“It will be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’

there they will be called ‘children of the living God.’”

Isaiah cries concerning Israel,

“If the number of the children of Israel are as the sand of the sea,

it is the remnant who will be saved;

for he will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness,

because the Lord will make a short work upon the earth.”

As Isaiah has said before,

“Unless the Lord of Armies had left us a seed,

we would have become like Sodom,

and would have been made like Gomorrah.”

What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who didn’t follow after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith; but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, didn’t arrive at the law of righteousness. Why? Because they didn’t seek it by faith, but as it were by works of the law. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, even as it is written,

“Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offense;

and no one who believes in him will be disappointed.”

Brothers, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God is for Israel, that they may be saved. For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they didn’t subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the fulfillment of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

For Moses writes about the righteousness of the law, “The one who does them will live by them.” But the righteousness which is of faith says this, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down); or, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.)” But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart;” that is, the word of faith which we preach: that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes resulting in righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed.”

For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich to all who call on him. For, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in him whom they have not heard? How will they hear without a preacher? And how will they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:

“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Good News of peace,

who bring glad tidings of good things!”

But they didn’t all listen to the glad news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, didn’t they hear? Yes, most certainly,

“Their sound went out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.”

But I ask, didn’t Israel know? First Moses says,

“I will provoke you to jealousy with that which is no nation.

I will make you angry with a nation void of understanding.”

Isaiah is very bold and says,

“I was found by those who didn’t seek me.

I was revealed to those who didn’t ask for me.”

But about Israel he says, “All day long I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”

I ask then, did God reject his people? May it never be! For I also am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God didn’t reject his people, whom he foreknew. Or don’t you know what the Scripture says about Elijah? How he pleads with God against Israel: “Lord, they have killed your prophets. They have broken down your altars. I am left alone, and they seek my life.” But how does God answer him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” Even so too at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 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.

What then? That which Israel seeks for, that he didn’t obtain, but the chosen ones obtained it, and the rest were hardened. According as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, to this very day.”

David says,

“Let their table be made a snare, a trap,

a stumbling block, and a retribution to them.

Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see.

Always keep their backs bent.”

I ask then, did they stumble that they might fall? May it never be! But by their fall salvation has come to the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy. Now if their fall is the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

For I speak to you who are Gentiles. Since then as I am an apostle to Gentiles, I glorify my ministry, if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh, and may save some of them. For if the rejection of them is the reconciling of the world, what would their acceptance be, but life from the dead?

If the first fruit is holy, so is the lump. If the root is holy, so are the branches. 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, 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. You will say then, “Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.” True; by their unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by your faith. Don’t be conceited, but fear; for if God didn’t spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. See then the goodness and severity of God. Toward those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness; otherwise you also will be cut off. They also, if they don’t continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 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?

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 Gentiles has come in, 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.

This is my covenant with them,

when I will take away their sins.”

Concerning the Good News, they are enemies for your sake. But concerning the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sake. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For as you in time past were disobedient to God, but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience, even so these also have now been disobedient, that by the mercy shown to you they may also obtain mercy. For God has bound all to disobedience, that he might have mercy on all.

Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out!

“For who has known the mind of the Lord?

Or who has been his counselor?”

“Or who has first given to him,

and it will be repaid to him again?”

For of him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory for ever! Amen.

Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.

For I say through the grace that was given me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think; but to think reasonably, as God has apportioned to each person a measure of faith. For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members don’t have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another, having gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us: if prophecy, let’s prophesy according to the proportion of our faith; or service, let’s give ourselves to service; or he who teaches, to his teaching; or he who exhorts, to his exhorting; he who gives, let him do it with generosity; he who rules, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good. In love of the brothers be tenderly affectionate to one another; in honor prefer one another, not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, enduring in troubles, continuing steadfastly in prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, and given to hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless, and don’t curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Don’t set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Don’t be wise in your own conceits. Repay no one evil for evil. Respect what is honorable in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men. Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.” Therefore

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him.

If he is thirsty, give him a drink;

for in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Let every soul be in subjection to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those who exist are ordained by God. Therefore he who resists the authority withstands the ordinance of God; and those who withstand will receive to themselves judgment. For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Do you desire to have no fear of the authority? Do that which is good, and you will have praise from the authority, for he is a servant of God to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid, for he doesn’t bear the sword in vain; for he is a servant of God, an avenger for wrath to him who does evil. Therefore you need to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. For this reason you also pay taxes, for they are servants of God’s service, continually doing this very thing. Therefore give everyone what you owe: if you owe taxes, pay taxes; if customs, then customs; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other commandments there are, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love doesn’t harm a neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.

Do this, knowing the time, that it is already time for you to awaken out of sleep, for salvation is now nearer to us than when we first believed. The night is far gone, and the day is near. Let’s therefore throw off the deeds of darkness, and let’s put on the armor of light. Let’s walk properly, as in the day; not in reveling and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and lustful acts, and not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, for its lusts.

Now accept one who is weak in faith, but not for disputes over opinions. One man has faith to eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. Don’t let him who eats despise him who doesn’t eat. Don’t let him who doesn’t eat judge him who eats, for God has accepted him. Who are you who judge another’s servant? To his own lord he stands or falls. Yes, he will be made to stand, for God has power to make him stand.

One man esteems one day as more important. Another esteems every day alike. Let each man be fully assured in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks. He who doesn’t eat, to the Lord he doesn’t eat, and gives God thanks. For none of us lives to himself, and none dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord. Or if we die, we die to the Lord. If therefore we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died, rose, and lived again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written,

“‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘to me every knee will bow.

Every tongue will confess to God.’”

So then each one of us will give account of himself to God.

Therefore let’s not judge one another any more, but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block in his brother’s way, or an occasion for falling. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean of itself; except that to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. Yet if because of food your brother is grieved, you walk no longer in love. Don’t destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. Then don’t let your good be slandered, for God’s Kingdom is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then, let’s follow after things which make for peace, and things by which we may build one another up. Don’t overthrow God’s work for food’s sake. All things indeed are clean, however it is evil for that man who creates a stumbling block by eating. It is good to not eat meat, drink wine, nor do anything by which your brother stumbles, is offended, or is made weak.

Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who doesn’t judge himself in that which he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because it isn’t of faith; and whatever is not of faith is sin.

Now to him who is able to establish you according to my Good News and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret through long ages, but now is revealed, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, is made known for obedience of faith to all the nations; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever! Amen.

Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each one of us please his neighbor for that which is good, to be building him up. For even Christ didn’t please himself. But, as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that through perseverance and through encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Now the God of perseverance and of encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, that with one accord you may with one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore accept one another, even as Christ also accepted you, to the glory of God. Now I say that Christ has been made a servant of the circumcision for the truth of God, that he might confirm the promises given to the fathers, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,

“Therefore I will give praise to you among the Gentiles

and sing to your name.”

Again he says,

“Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.”

Again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles!

Let all the peoples praise him.”

Again, Isaiah says,

“There will be the root of Jesse,

he who arises to rule over the Gentiles;

in him the Gentiles will hope.”

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope in the power of the Holy Spirit.

I myself am also persuaded about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish others. But I write the more boldly to you in part as reminding you, because of the grace that was given to me by God, that I should be a servant of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, serving as a priest of the Good News of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be made acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. I have therefore my boasting in Christ Jesus in things pertaining to God. For I will not dare to speak of any things except those which Christ worked through me for the obedience of the Gentiles, by word and deed, in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of God’s Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and around as far as to Illyricum, I have fully preached the Good News of Christ; yes, making it my aim to preach the Good News, not where Christ was already named, that I might not build on another’s foundation. But, as it is written,

“They will see, to whom no news of him came.

They who haven’t heard will understand.”

Therefore also I was hindered these many times from coming to you, but now, no longer having any place in these regions, and having these many years a longing to come to you, whenever I travel to Spain, I will come to you. For I hope to see you on my journey, and to be helped on my way there by you, if first I may enjoy your company for a while. But now, I say, I am going to Jerusalem, serving the saints. For it has been the good pleasure of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are at Jerusalem. Yes, it has been their good pleasure, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, they owe it to them also to serve them in material things. When therefore I have accomplished this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I will go on by way of you to Spain. I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of the Good News of Christ.

Now I beg you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, that I may be delivered from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, that I may come to you in joy through the will of God, and together with you, find rest. Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

I commend to you Phoebe, our sister, who is a servant of the assembly that is at Cenchreae, that you receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and that you assist her in whatever matter she may need from you, for she herself also has been a helper of many, and of my own self.

Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the assemblies of the Gentiles. Greet the assembly that is in their house. Greet Epaenetus, my beloved, who is the first fruits of Achaia to Christ. Greet Mary, who labored much for us. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives and my fellow prisoners, who are notable among the apostles, who were also in Christ before me. Greet Amplias, my beloved in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys, my beloved. Greet Apelles, the approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus. Greet Herodion, my kinsman. Greet them of the household of Narcissus, who are in the Lord. Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who labor in the Lord. Greet Persis, the beloved, who labored much in the Lord. Greet Rufus, the chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. Greet one another with a holy kiss. The assemblies of Christ greet you.

Now I beg you, brothers, look out for those who are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and turn away from them. For those who are such don’t serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the innocent. For your obedience has become known to all. I rejoice therefore over you. But I desire to have you wise in that which is good, but innocent in that which is evil. And the God of peace will quickly crush Satan under your feet.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you, as do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my relatives. I, Tertius, who write the letter, greet you in the Lord. Gaius, my host and host of the whole assembly, greets you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you, as does Quartus, the brother. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all! Amen.

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The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah.

Now in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the palace, Hanani, one of my brothers, came, he and certain men out of Judah; and I asked them about the Jews who had escaped, who were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. They said to me, “The remnant who are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”

When I heard these words, I sat down and wept, and mourned several days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven, and said, “I beg you, Yahweh, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and loving kindness with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear now be attentive and your eyes open, that you may listen to the prayer of your servant which I pray before you at this time, day and night, for the children of Israel your servants, while I confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against you. Yes, I and my father’s house have sinned. We have dealt very corruptly against you, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances, which you commanded your servant Moses.

“Remember, I beg you, the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you trespass, I will scatter you among the peoples; but if you return to me, and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts were in the uttermost part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and will bring them to the place that I have chosen, to cause my name to dwell there.’

“Now these are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. Lord, I beg you, let your ear be attentive now to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name; and please prosper your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”

Now I was cup bearer to the king.

In the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, when wine was before him, I picked up the wine, and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad before in his presence. The king said to me, “Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing else but sorrow of heart.”

Then I was very much afraid. I said to the king, “Let the king live forever! Why shouldn’t my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies waste, and its gates have been consumed with fire?”

Then the king said to me, “What is your request?”

So I prayed to the God of heaven. I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you would send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may build it.”

The king said to me (the queen was also sitting by him), “How long will your journey be? When will you return?”

So it pleased the king to send me, and I set a time for him. Moreover I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah; and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple, for the wall of the city, and for the house that I will occupy.”

The king granted my requests, because of the good hand of my God on me. Then I came to the governors beyond the River, and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me. When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly, because a man had come to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.

So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days. I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. I didn’t tell anyone what my God put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. There wasn’t any animal with me except the animal that I rode on. I went out by night by the valley gate toward the jackal’s well, then to the dung gate; and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and its gates were consumed with fire. Then I went on to the spring gate and to the king’s pool, but there was no place for the animal that was under me to pass. Then I went up in the night by the brook and inspected the wall; and I turned back, and entered by the valley gate, and so returned. The rulers didn’t know where I went, or what I did. I had not as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest who did the work.

Then I said to them, “You see the bad situation that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come, let’s build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we won’t be disgraced.” I told them about the hand of my God which was good on me, and also about the king’s words that he had spoken to me.

They said, “Let’s rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work.

But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite servant, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they ridiculed us and despised us, and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?”

Then I answered them, and said to them, “The God of heaven will prosper us. Therefore we, his servants, will arise and build; but you have no portion, nor right, nor memorial in Jerusalem.”

Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brothers the priests, and they built the sheep gate. They sanctified it, and set up its doors. They sanctified it even to the tower of Hammeah, to the tower of Hananel. Next to him the men of Jericho built. Next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built.

The sons of Hassenaah built the fish gate. They laid its beams, and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars. Next to them, Meremoth the son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz made repairs. Next to them, Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabel made repairs. Next to them, Zadok the son of Baana made repairs. Next to them, the Tekoites made repairs; but their nobles didn’t put their necks to the Lord’s work.

Joiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the old gate. They laid its beams and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars. Next to them, Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah, repaired the residence of the governor beyond the River. Next to him, Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, goldsmiths, made repairs. Next to him, Hananiah, one of the perfumers, made repairs, and they fortified Jerusalem even to the wide wall. Next to them, Rephaiah the son of Hur, the ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs. Next to them, Jedaiah the son of Harumaph made repairs across from his house. Next to him, Hattush the son of Hashabneiah made repairs. Malchijah the son of Harim and Hasshub the son of Pahathmoab repaired another portion and the tower of the furnaces. Next to him, Shallum the son of Hallohesh, the ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, he and his daughters made repairs.

Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the valley gate. They built it, and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars, and one thousand cubits of the wall to the dung gate.

Malchijah the son of Rechab, the ruler of the district of Beth Haccherem, repaired the dung gate. He built it, and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars.

Shallun the son of Colhozeh, the ruler of the district of Mizpah, repaired the spring gate. He built it, covered it, and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars; and he repaired the wall of the pool of Shelah by the king’s garden, even to the stairs that go down from David’s city. After him, Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of half the district of Beth Zur, made repairs to the place opposite the tombs of David, and to the pool that was made, and to the house of the mighty men. After him, the Levites—Rehum the son of Bani made repairs. Next to him, Hashabiah, the ruler of half the district of Keilah, made repairs for his district. After him, their brothers, Bavvai the son of Henadad, the ruler of half the district of Keilah made repairs. Next to him, Ezer the son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, repaired another portion across from the ascent to the armory at the turning of the wall. After him, Baruch the son of Zabbai earnestly repaired another portion, from the turning of the wall to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest. After him, Meremoth the son of Uriah the son of Hakkoz repaired another portion, from the door of the house of Eliashib even to the end of the house of Eliashib. After him, the priests, the men of the surrounding area made repairs. After them, Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs across from their house. After them, Azariah the son of Maaseiah the son of Ananiah made repairs beside his own house. After him, Binnui the son of Henadad repaired another portion, from the house of Azariah to the turning of the wall, and to the corner. Palal the son of Uzai made repairs opposite the turning of the wall, and the tower that stands out from the upper house of the king, which is by the court of the guard. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh made repairs. (Now the temple servants lived in Ophel, to the place opposite the water gate toward the east, and the tower that stands out.) After him the Tekoites repaired another portion, opposite the great tower that stands out, and to the wall of Ophel.

Above the horse gate, the priests made repairs, everyone across from his own house. After them, Zadok the son of Immer made repairs across from his own house. After him, Shemaiah the son of Shecaniah, the keeper of the east gate, made repairs. After him, Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another portion. After him, Meshullam the son of Berechiah made repairs across from his room. After him, Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths to the house of the temple servants, and of the merchants, made repairs opposite the gate of Hammiphkad and to the ascent of the corner. Between the ascent of the corner and the sheep gate, the goldsmiths and the merchants made repairs.

But when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry, and was very indignant, and mocked the Jews. He spoke before his brothers and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, since they are burned?”

Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, “What they are building, if a fox climbed up it, he would break down their stone wall.”

“Hear, our God, for we are despised. Turn back their reproach on their own head. Give them up for a plunder in a land of captivity. Don’t cover their iniquity. Don’t let their sin be blotted out from before you; for they have insulted the builders.”

So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.

But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, and that the breaches began to be filled, they were very angry; and they all conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion among us. But we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night because of them.

Judah said, “The strength of the bearers of burdens is fading and there is much rubble, so that we are not able to build the wall.” Our adversaries said, “They will not know or see, until we come in among them and kill them, and cause the work to cease.”

When the Jews who lived by them came, they said to us ten times from all places, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”

Therefore I set guards in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places. I set the people by family groups with their swords, their spears, and their bows. I looked, and rose up, and said to the nobles, to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them! Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”

When our enemies heard that it was known to us, and God had brought their counsel to nothing, all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work. From that time forth, half of my servants did the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows, and the coats of mail; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah. Those who built the wall, and those who bore burdens loaded themselves; everyone with one of his hands did the work, and with the other held his weapon. Among the builders, everyone wore his sword at his side, and so built. He who sounded the trumpet was by me. I said to the nobles, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and widely spread out, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another. Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally there to us. Our God will fight for us.”

So we did the work. Half of the people held the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars appeared. Likewise at the same time I said to the people, “Let everyone with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labor in the day.” So neither I, nor my brothers, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me took off our clothes. Everyone took his weapon to the water.

Then there arose a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brothers the Jews. For there were some who said, “We, our sons and our daughters, are many. Let us get grain, that we may eat and live.” There were also some who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses. Let us get grain, because of the famine.” There were also some who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute using our fields and our vineyards as collateral. Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children as their children. Behold, we bring our sons and our daughters into bondage to be servants, and some of our daughters have been brought into bondage. It is also not in our power to help it, because other men have our fields and our vineyards.”

I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words. Then I consulted with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers, and said to them, “You exact usury, everyone of his brother.” I held a great assembly against them. I said to them, “We, after our ability, have redeemed our brothers the Jews that were sold to the nations; and would you even sell your brothers, and should they be sold to us?” Then they held their peace, and found not a word to say. Also I said, “The thing that you do is not good. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies? I likewise, my brothers and my servants, lend them money and grain. Please let us stop this usury. Please restore to them, even today, their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the grain, the new wine, and the oil, that you are charging them.”

Then they said, “We will restore them, and will require nothing of them. We will do so, even as you say.”

Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they would do according to this promise. Also I shook out my lap, and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house, and from his labor, that doesn’t perform this promise; even may he be shaken out and emptied like this.”

All the assembly said, “Amen,” and praised Yahweh. The people did according to this promise.

Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brothers have not eaten the bread of the governor. But the former governors who were before me were supported by the people, and took bread and wine from them, plus forty shekels of silver; yes, even their servants ruled over the people, but I didn’t do so, because of the fear of God. Yes, I also continued in the work of this wall. We didn’t buy any land. All my servants were gathered there to the work. Moreover there were at my table, of the Jews and the rulers, one hundred fifty men, in addition to those who came to us from among the nations that were around us. Now that which was prepared for one day was one ox and six choice sheep. Also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days a store of all sorts of wine. Yet for all this, I didn’t demand the governor’s pay, because the bondage was heavy on this people. Remember me, my God, for all the good that I have done for this people.

Now when it was reported to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arabian, and to the rest of our enemies that I had built the wall, and that there was no breach left in it (though even to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates), Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come! Let’s meet together in the villages in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to harm me.

I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I can’t come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and come down to you?”

They sent to me four times like this; and I answered them the same way. Then Sanballat sent his servant to me the same way the fifth time with an open letter in his hand, in which was written, “It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel. Because of that, you are building the wall. You would be their king, according to these words. You have also appointed prophets to proclaim of you at Jerusalem, saying, ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now it will be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let’s take counsel together.”

Then I sent to him, saying, “There are no such things done as you say, but you imagine them out of your own heart.” For they all would have made us afraid, saying, “Their hands will be weakened from the work, that it not be done.” But now, strengthen my hands.

I went to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home; and he said, “Let us meet together in God’s house, within the temple, and let’s shut the doors of the temple; for they will come to kill you. Yes, in the night they will come to kill you.”

I said, “Should a man like me flee? Who is there that, being such as I, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.” I discerned, and behold, God had not sent him, but he pronounced this prophecy against me. Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. He was hired so that I would be afraid, do so, and sin, and that they might have material for an evil report, that they might reproach me. “Remember, my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets that would have put me in fear.”

So the wall was finished in the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard of it, all the nations that were around us were afraid, and they lost their confidence; for they perceived that this work was done by our God. Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them. For there were many in Judah sworn to him because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah; and his son Jehohanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah as wife. Also they spoke of his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him. Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.

Now when the wall was built and I had set up the doors, and the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed, I put my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the governor of the fortress, in charge of Jerusalem; for he was a faithful man and feared God above many. I said to them, “Don’t let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot; and while they stand guard, let them shut the doors, and you bar them; and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, everyone in his watch, with everyone near his house.”

Now the city was wide and large; but the people were few therein, and the houses were not built.

My God put into my heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be listed by genealogy. I found the book of the genealogy of those who came up at the first, and I found this written in it:

These are the children of the province who went up out of the captivity of those who had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and who returned to Jerusalem and to Judah, everyone to his city, who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.

The number of the men of the people of Israel:

The children of Parosh: two thousand one hundred seventy-two.

The children of Shephatiah: three hundred seventy-two.

The children of Arah: six hundred fifty-two.

The children of Pahathmoab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab: two thousand eight hundred eighteen.

The children of Elam: one thousand two hundred fifty-four.

The children of Zattu: eight hundred forty-five.

The children of Zaccai: seven hundred sixty.

The children of Binnui: six hundred forty-eight.

The children of Bebai: six hundred twenty-eight.

The children of Azgad: two thousand three hundred twenty-two.

The children of Adonikam: six hundred sixty-seven.

The children of Bigvai: two thousand sixty-seven.

The children of Adin: six hundred fifty-five.

The children of Ater: of Hezekiah, ninety-eight.

The children of Hashum: three hundred twenty-eight.

The children of Bezai: three hundred twenty-four.

The children of Hariph: one hundred twelve.

The children of Gibeon: ninety-five.

The men of Bethlehem and Netophah: one hundred eighty-eight.

The men of Anathoth: one hundred twenty-eight.

The men of Beth Azmaveth: forty-two.

The men of Kiriath Jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth: seven hundred forty-three.

The men of Ramah and Geba: six hundred twenty-one.

The men of Michmas: one hundred twenty-two.

The men of Bethel and Ai: one hundred twenty-three.

The men of the other Nebo: fifty-two.

The children of the other Elam: one thousand two hundred fifty-four.

The children of Harim: three hundred twenty.

The children of Jericho: three hundred forty-five.

The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono: seven hundred twenty-one.

The children of Senaah: three thousand nine hundred thirty.

The priests: The children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua: nine hundred seventy-three.

The children of Immer: one thousand fifty-two.

The children of Pashhur: one thousand two hundred forty-seven.

The children of Harim: one thousand seventeen.

The Levites: the children of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, of the children of Hodevah: seventy-four.

The singers: the children of Asaph: one hundred forty-eight.

The gatekeepers: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai: one hundred thirty-eight.

The temple servants: the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth, the children of Keros, the children of Sia, the children of Padon, the children of Lebana, the children of Hagaba, the children of Salmai, the children of Hanan, the children of Giddel, the children of Gahar, the children of Reaiah, the children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda, the children of Gazzam, the children of Uzza, the children of Paseah, the children of Besai, the children of Meunim, the children of Nephushesim, the children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur, the children of Bazlith, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha, the children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Temah, the children of Neziah, and the children of Hatipha.

The children of Solomon’s servants: the children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Perida, the children of Jaala, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel, the children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth Hazzebaim, and the children of Amon. All the temple servants and the children of Solomon’s servants were three hundred ninety-two.

These were those who went up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer; but they could not show their fathers’ houses, nor their offspring, whether they were of Israel:

The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda: six hundred forty-two.

Of the priests: the children of Hobaiah, the children of Hakkoz, the children of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name.

These searched for their genealogical records, but couldn’t find them. Therefore they were deemed disqualified and removed from the priesthood. The governor told them not to eat of the most holy things until a priest stood up to minister with Urim and Thummim.

The whole assembly together was forty-two thousand three hundred sixty, in addition to their male servants and their female servants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty-seven. They had two hundred forty-five singing men and singing women. Their horses were seven hundred thirty-six; their mules, two hundred forty-five; their camels, four hundred thirty-five; their donkeys, six thousand seven hundred twenty.

Some from among the heads of fathers’ households gave to the work. The governor gave to the treasury one thousand darics of gold, fifty basins, and five hundred thirty priests’ garments. Some of the heads of fathers’ households gave into the treasury of the work twenty thousand darics of gold, and two thousand two hundred minas of silver. That which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand darics of gold, plus two thousand minas of silver, and sixty-seven priests’ garments.

So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all Israel lived in their cities.

When the seventh month had come, the children of Israel were in their cities.

All the people gathered themselves together as one man into the wide place that was in front of the water gate; and they spoke to Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which Yahweh had commanded to Israel. Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men and women, and all who could hear with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month. He read from it before the wide place that was in front of the water gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women, and of those who could understand. The ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law. Ezra the scribe stood on a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people (for he was above all the people), and when he opened it, all the people stood up. Then Ezra blessed Yahweh, the great God.

All the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” with the lifting up of their hands. They bowed their heads, and worshiped Yahweh with their faces to the ground. Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law; and the people stayed in their place. They read in the book, in the law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, so that they understood the reading.

Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “Today is holy to Yahweh your God. Don’t mourn, nor weep.” For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared, for today is holy to our Lord. Don’t be grieved, for the joy of Yahweh is your strength.”

So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Hold your peace, for the day is holy. Don’t be grieved.”

All the people went their way to eat, to drink, to send portions, and to celebrate, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.

On the second day, the heads of fathers’ households of all the people, the priests, and the Levites were gathered together to Ezra the scribe, to study the words of the law. They found written in the law how Yahweh had commanded by Moses that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month; and that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the mountain, and get olive branches, branches of wild olive, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make temporary shelters, as it is written.”

So the people went out and brought them, and made themselves temporary shelters, everyone on the roof of his house, in their courts, in the courts of God’s house, in the wide place of the water gate, and in the wide place of Ephraim’s gate. All the assembly of those who had come back out of the captivity made temporary shelters and lived in the temporary shelters, for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day the children of Israel had not done so. There was very great gladness. Also day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. They kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance.

Now in the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, with sackcloth, and dirt on them. The offspring of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. They stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of Yahweh their God a fourth part of the day; and a fourth part they confessed and worshiped Yahweh their God. Then Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani of the Levites stood up on the stairs, and cried with a loud voice to Yahweh their God.

Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, “Stand up and bless Yahweh your God from everlasting to everlasting! Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise! You are Yahweh, even you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their army, the earth and all things that are on it, the seas and all that is in them, and you preserve them all. The army of heaven worships you. You are Yahweh, the God who chose Abram, brought him out of Ur of the Chaldees, gave him the name of Abraham, found his heart faithful before you, and made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite, to give it to his offspring, and have performed your words, for you are righteous.

“You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heard their cry by the Red Sea, and showed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, against all his servants, and against all the people of his land, for you knew that they dealt proudly against them, and made a name for yourself, as it is today. You divided the sea before them, so that they went through the middle of the sea on the dry land; and you cast their pursuers into the depths, as a stone into the mighty waters. Moreover, in a pillar of cloud you led them by day; and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light in the way in which they should go.

“You also came down on Mount Sinai, and spoke with them from heaven, and gave them right ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments, and made known to them your holy Sabbath, and commanded them commandments, statutes, and a law, by Moses your servant, and gave them bread from the sky for their hunger, and brought water out of the rock for them for their thirst, and commanded them that they should go in to possess the land which you had sworn to give them.

“But they and our fathers behaved proudly, hardened their neck, didn’t listen to your commandments, and refused to obey. They weren’t mindful of your wonders that you did among them, but hardened their neck, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage. But you are a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and didn’t forsake them. Yes, when they had made themselves a molded calf, and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and had committed awful blasphemies, yet you in your manifold mercies didn’t forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud didn’t depart from over them by day, to lead them in the way; neither did the pillar of fire by night, to show them light, and the way in which they should go. You gave also your good Spirit to instruct them, and didn’t withhold your manna from their mouth, and gave them water for their thirst.

“Yes, forty years you sustained them in the wilderness. They lacked nothing. Their clothes didn’t grow old, and their feet didn’t swell. Moreover you gave them kingdoms and peoples, which you allotted according to their portions. So they possessed the land of Sihon, even the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan. You also multiplied their children as the stars of the sky, and brought them into the land concerning which you said to their fathers that they should go in to possess it.

“So the children went in and possessed the land; and you subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gave them into their hands, with their kings and the peoples of the land, that they might do with them as they pleased. They took fortified cities and a rich land, and possessed houses full of all good things, cisterns dug out, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate, were filled, became fat, and delighted themselves in your great goodness.

“Nevertheless they were disobedient and rebelled against you, cast your law behind their back, killed your prophets that testified against them to turn them again to you, and they committed awful blasphemies. Therefore you delivered them into the hand of their adversaries, who distressed them. In the time of their trouble, when they cried to you, you heard from heaven; and according to your manifold mercies you gave them saviors who saved them out of the hands of their adversaries. But after they had rest, they did evil again before you; therefore you left them in the hands of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them; yet when they returned and cried to you, you heard from heaven; and many times you delivered them according to your mercies, and testified against them, that you might bring them again to your law. Yet they were arrogant, and didn’t listen to your commandments, but sinned against your ordinances (which if a man does, he shall live in them), turned their backs, stiffened their neck, and would not hear. Yet many years you put up with them, and testified against them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet they would not listen. Therefore you gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.

“Nevertheless in your manifold mercies you didn’t make a full end of them, nor forsake them; for you are a gracious and merciful God.

Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness, don’t let all the travail seem little before you that has come on us, on our kings, on our princes, on our priests, on our prophets, on our fathers, and on all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria to this day. However you are just in all that has come on us; for you have dealt truly, but we have done wickedly. Also our kings, our princes, our priests, and our fathers have not kept your law, nor listened to your commandments and your testimonies with which you testified against them. For they have not served you in their kingdom, and in your great goodness that you gave them, and in the large and rich land which you gave before them. They didn’t turn from their wicked works.

“Behold, we are servants today, and as for the land that you gave to our fathers to eat its fruit and its good, behold, we are servants in it. It yields much increase to the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins. Also they have power over our bodies and over our livestock, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress. Yet for all this, we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, our Levites, and our priests, seal it.”

Now those who sealed were: Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah, Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah, Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah. These were the priests. The Levites: Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel; and their brothers, Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu. The chiefs of the people: Parosh, Pahathmoab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, Hariph, Anathoth, Nobai, Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub, Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, Ahiah, Hanan, Anan, Malluch, Harim, and Baanah.

The rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, and all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters—everyone who had knowledge and understanding— joined with their brothers, their nobles, and entered into a curse and into an oath, to walk in God’s law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of Yahweh our Lord, and his ordinances and his statutes; and that we would not give our daughters to the peoples of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons; and if the peoples of the land bring wares or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy from them on the Sabbath, or on a holy day; and that we would forego the seventh year crops and the exaction of every debt.

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 God: for the show bread, for the continual meal offering, for the continual burnt offering, for the Sabbaths, for the new moons, for the set feasts, for the holy things, for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God. We, the priests, the Levites, and the people, cast lots for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, according to our fathers’ houses, at times appointed year by year, to burn on Yahweh our God’s altar, as it is written in the law; 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 Yahweh’s house; 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 God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God; 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 God; and the tithes of our ground to the Levites; for they, the Levites, take the tithes in all our farming villages. The priest, the descendent of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites take tithes. The Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes to the house of our God, to the rooms, into the treasure house. For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall 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 God.

The princes of the people lived in Jerusalem. The rest of the people also cast lots to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem, the holy city, and nine parts in the other cities. The people blessed all the men who willingly offered themselves to dwell in Jerusalem.

Now these are the chiefs of the province who lived in Jerusalem; but in the cities of Judah, everyone lived in his possession in their cities—Israel, the priests, the Levites, the temple servants, and the children of Solomon’s servants. Some of the children of Judah and of the children of Benjamin lived in Jerusalem. Of the children of Judah: Athaiah the son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, of the children of Perez; and Maaseiah the son of Baruch, the son of Colhozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of the Shilonite. All the sons of Perez who lived in Jerusalem were four hundred sixty-eight valiant men.

These are the sons of Benjamin: Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ithiel, the son of Jeshaiah. After him Gabbai and Sallai, nine hundred twenty-eight. Joel the son of Zichri was their overseer; and Judah the son of Hassenuah was second over the city.

Of the priests: Jedaiah the son of Joiarib, Jachin, Seraiah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the ruler of God’s house, and their brothers who did the work of the house, eight hundred twenty-two; and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah, and his brothers, chiefs of fathers’ households, two hundred forty-two; and Amashsai the son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer, and their brothers, mighty men of valor, one hundred twenty-eight; and their overseer was Zabdiel, the son of Haggedolim.

Of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni; and Shabbethai and Jozabad, of the chiefs of the Levites, who had the oversight of the outward business of God’s house; and Mattaniah the son of Mica, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, who was the chief to begin the thanksgiving in prayer, and Bakbukiah, the second among his brothers; and Abda the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun. All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred eighty-four.

Moreover the gatekeepers, Akkub, Talmon, and their brothers, who kept watch at the gates, were one hundred seventy-two. The residue of Israel, of the priests, and the Levites were in all the cities of Judah, everyone in his inheritance. But the temple servants lived in Ophel; and Ziha and Gishpa were over the temple servants.

The overseer also of the Levites at Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica, of the sons of Asaph, the singers, was over the business of God’s house. For there was a commandment from the king concerning them, and a settled provision for the singers, as every day required. Pethahiah the son of Meshezabel, of the children of Zerah the son of Judah, was at the king’s hand in all matters concerning the people.

As for the villages with their fields, some of the children of Judah lived in Kiriath Arba and its towns, in Dibon and its towns, in Jekabzeel and its villages, in Jeshua, in Moladah, Beth Pelet, in Hazar Shual, in Beersheba and its towns, in Ziklag, in Meconah and in its towns, in En Rimmon, in Zorah, in Jarmuth, Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages, Lachish and its fields, and Azekah and its towns. So they encamped from Beersheba to the valley of Hinnom. The children of Benjamin also lived from Geba onward, at Michmash and Aija, and at Bethel and its towns, at Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah, Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim, Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat, Lod, and Ono, the valley of craftsmen. Of the Levites, certain divisions in Judah settled in Benjamin’s territory.

Now these are the priests and the Levites who went up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah, Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah, Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the chiefs of the priests and of their brothers in the days of Jeshua.

Moreover the Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who was over the thanksgiving songs, he and his brothers. Also Bakbukiah and Unno, their brothers, were close to them according to their offices. Jeshua became the father of Joiakim, and Joiakim became the father of Eliashib, and Eliashib became the father of Joiada, and Joiada became the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan became the father of Jaddua.

In the days of Joiakim were priests, heads of fathers’ households: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah; of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan; of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph; of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai; of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam; of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai; of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan; of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi; of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber; of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.

As for the Levites, in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, there were recorded the heads of fathers’ households; also the priests, in the reign of Darius the Persian. The sons of Levi, heads of fathers’ households, were written in the book of the chronicles, even until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib. The chiefs of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers close to them, to praise and give thanks according to the commandment of David the man of God, section next to section. Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers keeping the watch at the storehouses of the gates. These were in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor, and of Ezra the priest and scribe.

At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to keep the dedication with gladness, both with giving thanks and with singing, with cymbals, stringed instruments, and with harps. The sons of the singers gathered themselves together, both out of the plain around Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites; also from Beth Gilgal and out of the fields of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built themselves villages around Jerusalem. The priests and the Levites purified themselves; and they purified the people, the gates, and the wall.

Then I brought the princes of Judah up on the wall, and appointed two great companies who gave thanks and went in procession. One went on the right hand on the wall toward the dung gate; and after them went Hoshaiah, with half of the princes of Judah, and Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam, Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah, and some of the priests’ sons with trumpets: Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph; and his brothers, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God; and Ezra the scribe was before them. By the spring gate, and straight before them, they went up by the stairs of David’s city, at the ascent of the wall, above David’s house, even to the water gate eastward.

The other company of those who gave thanks went to meet them, and I after them, with the half of the people on the wall above the tower of the furnaces, even to the wide wall, and above the gate of Ephraim, and by the old gate, and by the fish gate, the tower of Hananel, and the tower of Hammeah, even to the sheep gate; and they stood still in the gate of the guard. So the two companies of those who gave thanks in God’s house stood, and I and the half of the rulers with me; and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets; and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah their overseer. They offered great sacrifices that day, and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; and the women and the children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even far away.

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. They performed the duty of their God 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. For in the days of David and Asaph of old there was a chief of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. 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.

On that day they read in the book of Moses in the hearing of the people; and it was found written in it that an Ammonite and a Moabite should not enter into the assembly of God forever, because they didn’t meet the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them; however, our God turned the curse into a blessing. It came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel.

Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the rooms of the house of our God, being allied to Tobiah, had prepared for him a great room, where before they laid the meal 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. 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, and I came to Jerusalem, and understood the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in preparing him a room in the courts of God’s house. It grieved me severely. Therefore I threw all Tobiah’s household stuff out of the room. Then I commanded, and they cleansed the rooms. I brought into them the vessels of God’s house, with the meal offerings and the frankincense again.

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. Then I contended with the rulers, and said, “Why is God’s house forsaken?” I gathered them together, and set them in their place. Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, the new wine, and the oil to the treasuries. 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.

Remember me, my God, concerning this, and don’t wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for its observances.

In those days I saw some men treading wine presses on the Sabbath in Judah, bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day; and I testified against them in the day in which they sold food. Some men of Tyre also lived there, who brought in fish and all kinds of wares, and sold on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, “What evil thing is this that you do, and profane the Sabbath day? Didn’t your fathers do this, and didn’t our God bring all this evil on us and on this city? Yet you bring more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”

It came to pass that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut, and commanded that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. I set some of my servants over the gates, so that no burden should be brought in on the Sabbath day. So the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares camped outside of Jerusalem once or twice. Then I testified against them, and said to them, “Why do you stay around the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time on, they didn’t come on the Sabbath. I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. Remember me for this also, my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your loving kindness.

In those days I also saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab; and their children spoke half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews’ language, but according to the language of each people. I contended with them, cursed them, struck certain of them, plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons, or for yourselves. Didn’t Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, and he was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless foreign women caused even him to sin. Shall we then listen to you to do all this great evil, to trespass against our God in marrying foreign women?”

One of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite; therefore I chased him from me. Remember them, my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.

Thus I cleansed them from all foreigners and appointed duties for the priests and for the Levites, everyone in his work; and for the wood offering, at appointed times, and for the first fruits. Remember me, my God, for good.

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In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he carried them into the land of Shinar to the house of his god. He brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.

The king spoke to Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring in some of the children of Israel, even of the royal offspring and of the nobles: youths in whom was no defect, but well-favored, skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding science, and who had the ability to stand in the king’s palace; and that he should teach them the learning and the language of the Chaldeans. The king appointed for them a daily portion of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and that they should be nourished three years, that at its end they should stand before the king.

Now among these of the children of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. The prince of the eunuchs gave names to them: to Daniel he gave the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank. Therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Now God made Daniel find kindness and compassion in the sight of the prince of the eunuchs. The prince of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink. For why should he see your faces worse looking than the youths who are of your own age? Then you would endanger my head with the king.”

Then Daniel said to the steward whom the prince of the eunuchs had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: “Test your servants, I beg you, ten days; and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our faces be examined before you, and the face of the youths who eat of the king’s delicacies; and as you see, deal with your servants.” So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days.

At the end of ten days, their faces appeared fairer and they were fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate of the king’s delicacies. So the steward took away their delicacies and the wine that they were given to drink, and gave them vegetables.

Now as for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

At the end of the days which the king had appointed for bringing them in, the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them; and among them all was found no one like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore stood they before the king. In every matter of wisdom and understanding concerning which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters who were in all his realm.

Daniel continued even to the first year of King Cyrus.

In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams; and his spirit was troubled, and his sleep went from him. Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be called to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. The king said to them, “I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.”

Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in the Syrian language, “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.”

The king answered the Chaldeans, “The thing has gone from me. If you don’t make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you will be cut in pieces, and your houses will be made a dunghill. But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts, rewards, and great honor. Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation.”

They answered the second time and said, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.”

The king answered, “I know of a certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you see the thing has gone from me. But if you don’t make known to me the dream, there is but one law for you; for you have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, until the situation changes. Therefore tell me the dream, and I will know that you can show me its interpretation.”

The Chaldeans answered the king and said, “There is not a man on the earth who can show the king’s matter, because no king, lord, or ruler has asked such a thing of any magician, enchanter, or Chaldean. It is a rare thing that the king requires, and there is no other who can show it before the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”

Because of this, the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. So the decree went out, and the wise men were to be slain. They sought Daniel and his companions to be slain.

Then Daniel returned answer with counsel and prudence to Arioch the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. He answered Arioch the king’s captain, “Why is the decree so urgent from the king?” Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel. Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would appoint him a time, and he would show the king the interpretation.

Then Daniel went to his house and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret, that Daniel and his companions would not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered,

“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever;

for wisdom and might are his.

He changes the times and the seasons.

He removes kings and sets up kings.

He gives wisdom to the wise,

and knowledge to those who have understanding.

He reveals the deep and secret things.

He knows what is in the darkness,

and the light dwells with him.

I thank you and praise you,

O God of my fathers,

who have given me wisdom and might,

and have now made known to me what we desired of you;

for you have made known to us the king’s matter.”

Therefore Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said this to him: “Don’t destroy the wise men of Babylon. Bring me in before the king, and I will show to the king the interpretation.”

Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said this to him: “I have found a man of the children of the captivity of Judah who will make known to the king the interpretation.”

The king answered Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen, and its interpretation?”

Daniel answered before the king, and said, “The secret which the king has demanded can’t be shown to the king by wise men, enchanters, magicians, or soothsayers; but there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head on your bed are these:

“As for you, O king, your thoughts came on your bed, what should happen hereafter; and he who reveals secrets has made known to you what will happen. But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but to the intent that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart.

“You, O king, saw, and behold, a great image. This image, which was mighty, and whose brightness was excellent, stood before you; and its appearance was terrifying. As for this image, its head was of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet part of iron and part of clay. You saw until a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet that were of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were broken in pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors. The wind carried them away, so that no place was found for them. The stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

“This is the dream; and we will tell its interpretation before the king. You, O king, are king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength, and the glory. Wherever the children of men dwell, he has given the animals of the field and the birds of the sky into your hand, and has made you rule over them all. You are the head of gold.

“After you, another kingdom will arise that is inferior to you; and another third kingdom of bronze, which will rule over all the earth. The fourth kingdom will be strong as iron, because iron breaks in pieces and subdues all things; and as iron that crushes all these, it will break in pieces and crush. Whereas you saw the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay and part of iron, it will be a divided kingdom; but there will be in it of the strength of the iron, because you saw the iron mixed with miry clay. As the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. Whereas you saw the iron mixed with miry clay, they will mingle themselves with the seed of men; but they won’t cling to one another, even as iron does not mix with clay.

“In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, nor will its sovereignty be left to another people; but it will break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it will stand forever. Because you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold, the great God has made known to the king what will happen hereafter. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”

Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, worshiped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an offering and sweet odors to him. The king answered to Daniel, and said, “Of a truth your God is the God of gods, and the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you have been able to reveal this secret.”

Then the king made Daniel great and gave him many great gifts, and made him rule over the whole province of Babylon and to be chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon. Daniel requested of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon, but Daniel was in the king’s gate.

Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the local governors, the deputies, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. Then the local governors, the deputies, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces were gathered together to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

Then the herald cried aloud, “To you it is commanded, peoples, nations, and languages, that whenever you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music, you fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up. Whoever doesn’t fall down and worship shall be cast into the middle of a burning fiery furnace the same hour.”

Therefore at that time, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music, all the peoples, the nations, and the languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near and brought accusation against the Jews. They answered Nebuchadnezzar the king, “O king, live for ever! You, O king, have made a decree that every man who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music shall fall down and worship the golden image; and whoever doesn’t fall down and worship shall be cast into the middle of a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, have not respected you. They don’t serve your gods, and don’t worship the golden image which you have set up.”

Then Nebuchadnezzar in rage and fury commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. Then these men were brought before the king. Nebuchadnezzar answered them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you don’t serve my gods and you don’t worship the golden image which I have set up? Now if you are ready whenever you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music to fall down and worship the image which I have made, good; but if you don’t worship, you shall be cast the same hour into the middle of a burning fiery furnace. Who is that god who will deliver you out of my hands?”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If it happens, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up.”

Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the form of his appearance was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He spoke, and commanded that they should heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. He commanded certain mighty men who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their pants, their tunics, and their mantles, and their other clothes, and were cast into the middle of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the middle of the burning fiery furnace.

Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished and rose up in haste. He spoke and said to his counselors, “Didn’t we cast three men bound into the middle of the fire?”

They answered the king, “True, O king.”

He answered, “Look, I see four men loose, walking in the middle of the fire, and they are unharmed. The appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”

Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace. He spoke and said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!”

Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the middle of the fire. The local governors, the deputies, and the governors, and the king’s counselors, being gathered together, saw these men, that the fire had no power on their bodies. The hair of their head wasn’t singed. Their pants weren’t changed. The smell of fire wasn’t even on them.

Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and have yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god except their own God. Therefore I make a decree that every people, nation, and language which speak anything evil against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill, because there is no other god who is able to deliver like this.”

Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

Nebuchadnezzar the king,

to all the peoples, nations, and languages, who dwell in all the earth:

Peace be multiplied to you.

It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has worked toward me.

How great are his signs!

How mighty are his wonders!

His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.

His dominion is from generation to generation.

I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace. I saw a dream which made me afraid; and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of my head troubled me. Therefore I made a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers came in; and I told them the dream, but they didn’t make known to me its interpretation. But at last, Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. I told the dream before him, saying,

“Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and no secret troubles you, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation. These were the visions of my head on my bed: I saw, and behold, a tree in the middle of the earth; and its height was great. The tree grew and was strong. Its height reached to the sky and its sight to the end of all the earth. Its leaves were beautiful, and it had much fruit, and in it was food for all. The animals of the field had shade under it, and the birds of the sky lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.

“I saw in the visions of my head on my bed, and behold, a holy watcher came down from the sky. He cried aloud and said this: ‘Cut down the tree, and cut off its branches! Shake off its leaves and scatter its fruit! Let the animals get away from under it and the birds from its branches. Nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of the sky. Let his portion be with the animals in the grass of the earth. Let his heart be changed from man’s, and let an animal’s heart be given to him. Then let seven times pass over him.

“‘The sentence is by the decree of the watchers and the demand by the word of the holy ones, to the intent that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever he will, and sets up over it the lowest of men.’

“This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen; and you, Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation, because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was stricken mute for a while, and his thoughts troubled him. The king answered, “Belteshazzar, don’t let the dream or the interpretation, trouble you.”

Belteshazzar answered, “My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you, and its interpretation to your adversaries. The tree that you saw, which grew and was strong, whose height reached to the sky and its sight to all the earth; whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit plentiful, and in it was food for all; under which the animals of the field lived, and on whose branches the birds of the sky had their habitation— it is you, O king, that have grown and become strong; for your greatness has grown, and reaches to the sky, and your dominion to the end of the earth.

“Whereas the king saw a holy watcher coming down from the sky and saying, ‘Cut down the tree, and destroy it; nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and let it be wet with the dew of the sky. Let his portion be with the animals of the field, until seven times pass over him.’

“This is the interpretation, O king, and it is the decree of the Most High, which has come on my lord the king: You will be driven from men and your dwelling shall be with the animals of the field. You will be made to eat grass as oxen, and will be wet with the dew of the sky, and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever he will. Whereas it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be sure to you after you know that Heavens rules. Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you, and break off your sins by righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may be a lengthening of your tranquility.”

All this came on the King Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of twelve months he was walking in the royal palace of Babylon. The king spoke and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for the royal dwelling place by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?”

While the word was in the king’s mouth, a voice came from the sky, saying, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: ‘The kingdom has departed from you. You shall be driven from men, and your dwelling shall be with the animals of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like oxen. Seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever he will.’”

This was fulfilled the same hour on Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; and his body was wet with the dew of the sky until his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.

At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored him who lives forever,

for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,

and his kingdom from generation to generation.

All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing;

and he does according to his will in the army of heaven,

and among the inhabitants of the earth;

and no one can stop his hand,

or ask him, “What are you doing?”

At the same time my understanding returned to me; and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and brightness returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent greatness was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven; for all his works are truth, and his ways justice; and those who walk in pride he is able to abase.

Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded that the golden and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem be brought to him, that the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, might drink from them. Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of God’s house which was at Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, drank from them. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of bronze, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

In the same hour, the fingers of a man’s hand came out and wrote near the lamp stand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace. The king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king’s face was changed in him, and his thoughts troubled him; and the joints of his thighs were loosened, and his knees struck one against another.

The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and shows me its interpretation shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”

Then all the king’s wise men came in; but they could not read the writing, and couldn’t make known to the king the interpretation. Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled, and his face was changed in him, and his lords were perplexed.

The queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet house. The queen spoke and said, “O king, live forever; don’t let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your face be changed. There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him. The king, Nebuchadnezzar, your father—yes, the king, your father—made him master of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers, because an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting of dreams, showing of dark sentences, and dissolving of doubts were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.”

Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judah? I have heard of you, that the spirit of the gods is in you and that light, understanding, and excellent wisdom are found in you. Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known to me its interpretation; but they could not show the interpretation of the thing. But I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations and dissolve doubts. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold around your neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”

Then Daniel answered before the king, “Let your gifts be to yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation.

“To you, king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father the kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and majesty. Because of the greatness that he gave him, all the peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. He killed whom he wanted to, and he kept alive whom he wanted to. He raised up whom he wanted to, and he put down whom he wanted to. But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him. He was driven from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the animals’, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the sky, until he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and that he sets up over it whomever he will.

“You, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, but have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. You have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which don’t see, or hear, or know; and you have not glorified the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways. Then the part of the hand was sent from before him, and this writing was inscribed.

“This is the writing that was inscribed: ‘MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.’

“This is the interpretation of the thing:

MENE: God has counted your kingdom, and brought it to an end.

TEKEL: you are weighed in the balances, and are found wanting.

PERES: your kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.”

Then Belshazzar commanded, and they clothed Daniel with purple, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

In that night Belshazzar the Chaldean King was slain. Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.

It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred twenty local governors, who should be throughout the whole kingdom; and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one, that these local governors might give account to them, and that the king should suffer no loss. Then this Daniel was distinguished above the presidents and the local governors, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.

Then the presidents and the local governors sought to find occasion against Daniel as touching the kingdom; but they could find no occasion or fault, because he was faithful. There wasn’t any error or fault found in him. Then these men said, “We won’t find any occasion against this Daniel, unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.”

Then these presidents and local governors assembled together to the king, and said this to him, “King Darius, live forever! All the presidents of the kingdom, the deputies and the local governors, the counselors and the governors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a strong decree, that whoever asks a petition of any god or man for thirty days, except of you, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, that it not be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which doesn’t alter.” Therefore King Darius signed the writing and the decree.

When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his room toward Jerusalem) and he kneeled on his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did before. Then these men assembled together, and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God. Then they came near, and spoke before the king concerning the king’s decree: “Haven’t you signed a decree that every man who makes a petition to any god or man within thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?”

The king answered, “This thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which doesn’t alter.”

Then they answered and said before the king, “That Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, doesn’t respect you, O king, nor the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.” Then the king, when he heard these words, was very displeased, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored until the going down of the sun to rescue him.

Then these men assembled together to the king, and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians, that no decree nor statute which the king establishes may be changed.”

Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Your God whom you serve continually, he will deliver you.”

A stone was brought, and laid on the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting. No musical instruments were brought before him; and his sleep fled from him.

Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste to the den of lions. When he came near to the den to Daniel, he cried with a troubled voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, is your God, whom you serve continually, able to deliver you from the lions?”

Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! My God has sent his angel, and has shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not hurt me, because innocence was found in me before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.”

Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

The king commanded, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions—them, their children, and their wives; and the lions mauled them, and broke all their bones in pieces before they came to the bottom of the den.

Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages who dwell in all the earth:

“Peace be multiplied to you.

“I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel.

“For he is the living God,

and steadfast forever.

His kingdom is that which will not be destroyed.

His dominion will be even to the end.

He delivers and rescues.

He works signs and wonders in heaven and in earth,

who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.”

So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote the dream and told the sum of the matters.

Daniel spoke and said, “I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the sky broke out on the great sea. Four great animals came up from the sea, different from one another.

“The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet as a man. A man’s heart was given to it.

“Behold, there was another animal, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth. They said this to it: ‘Arise! Devour much flesh!’

“After this I saw, and behold, another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The animal also had four heads; and dominion was given to it.

“After this I saw in the night visions, and, behold, there was a fourth animal, awesome, powerful, and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth. It devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet. It was different from all the animals that were before it. It had ten horns.

“I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots; and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking arrogantly.

“I watched until thrones were placed,

and one who was ancient of days sat.

His clothing was white as snow,

and the hair of his head like pure wool.

His throne was fiery flames,

and its wheels burning fire.

A fiery stream issued and came out from before him.

Thousands of thousands ministered to him.

Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.

The judgment was set.

The books were opened.

“I watched at that time because of the voice of the arrogant words which the horn spoke. I watched even until the animal was slain, and its body destroyed, and it was given to be burned with fire. As for the rest of the animals, their dominion was taken away; yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.

“I saw in the night visions, and behold, there came with the clouds of the sky one like a son of man, and he came even to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near before him. Dominion was given him, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which will not pass away, and his kingdom one that will not be destroyed.

“As for me, Daniel, my spirit was grieved within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth concerning all this.

“So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. ‘These great animals, which are four, are four kings, who will arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’

“Then I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth animal, which was different from all of them, exceedingly terrible, whose teeth were of iron, and its nails of bronze; which devoured, broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet; and concerning the ten horns that were on its head and the other horn which came up, and before which three fell, even that horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke arrogantly, whose look was more stout than its fellows. I saw, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them, until the ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High, and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

“So he said, ‘The fourth animal will be a fourth kingdom on earth, which will be different from all the kingdoms, and will devour the whole earth, and will tread it down and break it in pieces. As for the ten horns, ten kings will arise out of this kingdom. Another will arise after them; and he will be different from the former, and he will put down three kings. He will speak words against the Most High, and will wear out the saints of the Most High. He will plan to change the times and the law; and they will be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time.

“‘But the judgment will be set, and they will take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it to the end. The kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole sky, will be given to the people of the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions will serve and obey him.’

“Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts troubled me greatly, and my face was changed in me; but I kept the matter in my heart.”

In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar, a vision appeared to me, even to me, Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first. I saw the vision. Now it was so, that when I saw, I was in the citadel of Susa, which is in the province of Elam. I saw in the vision, and I was by the river Ulai. Then I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram which had two horns stood before the river. The two horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. I saw the ram pushing westward, northward, and southward. No animals could stand before him. There wasn’t any who could deliver out of his hand, but he did according to his will, and magnified himself.

As I was considering, behold, a male goat came from the west over the surface of the whole earth, and didn’t touch the ground. The goat had a notable horn between his eyes. He came to the ram that had the two horns, which I saw standing before the river, and ran on him in the fury of his power. I saw him come close to the ram, and he was moved with anger against him, and struck the ram, and broke his two horns. There was no power in the ram to stand before him; but he cast him down to the ground and trampled on him. There was no one who could deliver the ram out of his hand. The male goat magnified himself exceedingly. When he was strong, the great horn was broken; and instead of it there came up four notable horns toward the four winds of the sky.

Out of one of them came out a little horn which grew exceedingly great—toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the glorious land. It grew great, even to the army of the sky; and it cast down some of the army and of the stars to the ground and trampled on them. Yes, it magnified itself, even to the prince of the army; and it took away from him the continual burnt offering, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. The army was given over to it together with the continual burnt offering through disobedience. It cast down truth to the ground, and it did its pleasure and prospered.

Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who spoke, “How long will the vision about the continual burnt offering, and the disobedience that makes desolate, to give both the sanctuary and the army to be trodden under foot be?”

He said to me, “To two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary will be cleansed.”

When I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it. Then behold, there stood before me someone with the appearance of a man. I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, which called and said, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.”

So he came near where I stood; and when he came, I was frightened, and fell on my face; but he said to me, “Understand, son of man, for the vision belongs to the time of the end.”

Now as he was speaking with me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face toward the ground; but he touched me and set me upright.

He said, “Behold, I will make you know what will be in the latter time of the indignation, for it belongs to the appointed time of the end. The ram which you saw, that had the two horns, they are the kings of Media and Persia. The rough male goat is the king of Greece. The great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. As for that which was broken, in the place where four stood up, four kingdoms will stand up out of the nation, but not with his power.

“In the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors have come to the full, a king of fierce face, and understanding riddles, will stand up. His power will be mighty, but not by his own power. He will destroy awesomely, and will prosper in what he does. He will destroy the mighty ones and the holy people. Through his policy he will cause deceit to prosper in his hand. He will magnify himself in his heart, and he will destroy many in their security. He will also stand up against the prince of princes, but he will be broken without human hands.

“The vision of the evenings and mornings which has been told is true; but seal up the vision, for it belongs to many days to come.”

I, Daniel, fainted, and was sick for some days. Then I rose up and did the king’s business. I wondered at the vision, but no one understood it.

In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the offspring of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years about which Yahweh’s word came to Jeremiah the prophet for the accomplishing of the desolations of Jerusalem, even seventy years. I set my face to the Lord God, to seek by prayer and petitions, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.

I prayed to Yahweh my God, and made confession, and said,

“Oh, Lord, the great and dreadful God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned, and have dealt perversely, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even turning aside from your precepts and from your ordinances. We haven’t listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

“Lord, righteousness belongs to you, but to us confusion of face, as it is today; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, who are near and who are far off, through all the countries where you have driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against you. Lord, to us belongs confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him. We haven’t obeyed Yahweh our God’s voice, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. Yes, all Israel have transgressed your law, turning aside, that they should not obey your voice.

“Therefore the curse and the oath written in the law of Moses the servant of God has been poured out on us, for we have sinned against him. He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing on us a great evil; for under the whole sky, such has not been done as has been done to Jerusalem. As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil has come on us. Yet we have not entreated the favor of Yahweh our God, that we should turn from our iniquities and have discernment in your truth. Therefore Yahweh has watched over the evil, and brought it on us; for Yahweh our God is righteous in all his works which he does, and we have not obeyed his voice.

“Now, Lord our God, who has brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have gotten yourself renown, as it is today, we have sinned. We have done wickedly. Lord, according to all your righteousness, please let your anger and your wrath be turned away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain; because for our sins and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a reproach to all who are around us.

“Now therefore, our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his petitions, and cause your face to shine on your sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake. My God, turn your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by your name; for we do not present our petitions before you for our righteousness, but for your great mercies’ sake. Lord, hear. Lord, forgive. Lord, listen and do. Don’t defer, for your own sake, my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.”

While I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before Yahweh my God for the holy mountain of my God— yes, while I was speaking in prayer—the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening offering. He instructed me and talked with me, and said, “Daniel, I have now come to give you wisdom and understanding. At the beginning of your petitions the commandment went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved. Therefore consider the matter and understand the vision.

“Seventy weeks are decreed on your people and on your holy city, to finish disobedience, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy.

“Know therefore and discern that from the going out of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem to the Anointed One, the prince, will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It will be built again, with street and moat, even in troubled times. After the sixty-two weeks the Anointed One will be cut off, and will have nothing. The people of the prince who come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end will be with a flood, and war will be even to the end. Desolations are determined. He will make a firm covenant with many for one week. In the middle of the week he will cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease. On the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate; and even to the decreed full end, wrath will be poured out on the desolate.”

In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the message was true, even a great warfare. He understood the message, and had understanding of the vision.

In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three whole weeks. I ate no pleasant food. No meat or wine came into my mouth. I didn’t anoint myself at all, until three whole weeks were fulfilled.

In the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel, I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man clothed in linen, whose waist was adorned with pure gold of Uphaz. His body also was like beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as flaming torches. His arms and his feet were like burnished bronze. The voice of his words was like the voice of a multitude.

I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me didn’t see the vision, but a great quaking fell on them, and they fled to hide themselves. So I was left alone and saw this great vision. No strength remained in me; for my face grew deathly pale, and I retained no strength. Yet I heard the voice of his words. When I heard the voice of his words, then I fell into a deep sleep on my face, with my face toward the ground.

Behold, a hand touched me, which set me on my knees and on the palms of my hands. He said to me, “Daniel, you greatly beloved man, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have been sent to you, now.” When he had spoken this word to me, I stood trembling.

Then he said to me, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel; for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard. I have come for your words’ sake. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; but, behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me because I remained there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision is yet for many days.”

When he had spoken these words to me, I set my face toward the ground and was mute. Behold, one in the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth, and spoke and said to him who stood before me, “My lord, by reason of the vision my sorrows have overtaken me, and I retain no strength. For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? For as for me, immediately there remained no strength in me. There was no breath left in me.”

Then one like the appearance of a man touched me again, and he strengthened me. He said, “Greatly beloved man, don’t be afraid. Peace be to you. Be strong. Yes, be strong.”

When he spoke to me, I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”

Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? Now I will return to fight with the prince of Persia. When I go out, behold, the prince of Greece will come. But I will tell you that which is inscribed in the writing of truth. There is no one who holds with me against these but Michael your prince.

“As for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him.

“Now I will show you the truth. Behold, three more kings will stand up in Persia. The fourth will be far richer than all of them. When he has grown strong through his riches, he will stir up all against the realm of Greece. A mighty king will stand up, who will rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. When he stands up, his kingdom will be broken and will be divided toward the four winds of the sky, but not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom will be plucked up, even for others besides these.

“The king of the south will be strong. One of his princes will become stronger than him, and have dominion. His dominion will be a great dominion. At the end of years they will join themselves together; and the daughter of the king of the south will come to the king of the north to make an agreement, but she will not retain the strength of her arm. He will also not stand, nor will his arm; but she will be given up, with those who brought her, and he who became the father of her, and he who strengthened her in those times.

“But out of a shoot from her roots one will stand up in his place, who will come to the army and will enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and will deal against them and will prevail. He will also carry their gods with their molten images, and with their goodly vessels of silver and of gold, captive into Egypt. He will refrain some years from the king of the north. He will come into the realm of the king of the south, but he will return into his own land. His sons will wage war, and will assemble a multitude of great forces which will come on, and overflow, and pass through. They will return and wage war, even to his fortress.

“The king of the south will be moved with anger and will come out and fight with him, even with the king of the north. He will send out a great multitude, and the multitude will be given into his hand. The multitude will be carried off, and his heart will be exalted. He will cast down tens of thousands, but he won’t prevail. The king of the north will return, and will send out a multitude greater than the former. He will come on at the end of the times, even of years, with a great army and with abundant supplies.

“In those times many will stand up against the king of the south. Also the children of the violent among your people will lift themselves up to establish the vision, but they will fall. So the king of the north will come and cast up a mound, and take a well-fortified city. The forces of the south won’t stand, neither will his select troops, neither will there be any strength to stand. But he who comes against him will do according to his own will, and no one will stand before him. He will stand in the glorious land, and destruction will be in his hand. He will set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and with him equitable conditions. He will perform them. He will give him the daughter of women, to destroy the kingdom, but she will not stand, and won’t be for him. After this he will turn his face to the islands, and will take many, but a prince will cause the reproach offered by him to cease. Yes, moreover, he will cause his reproach to turn on him. Then he will turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land; but he will stumble and fall, and won’t be found.

“Then one who will cause a tax collector to pass through the kingdom to maintain its glory will stand up in his place; but within few days he shall be destroyed, not in anger, and not in battle.

“In his place a contemptible person will stand up, to whom they had not given the honor of the kingdom; but he will come in time of security, and will obtain the kingdom by flatteries. The overwhelming forces will be overwhelmed from before him, and will be broken. Yes, also the prince of the covenant. After the treaty made with him he will work deceitfully; for he will come up and will become strong with few people. In time of security he will come even on the fattest places of the province. He will do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers’ fathers. He will scatter among them prey, plunder, and wealth. Yes, he will devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time.

“He will stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south will wage war in battle with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he won’t stand; for they will devise plans against him. Yes, those who eat of his delicacies will destroy him, and his army will be swept away. Many will fall down slain. As for both these kings, their hearts will be to do evil, and they will speak lies at one table; but it won’t prosper, for the end will still be at the appointed time. Then he will return into his land with great wealth. His heart will be against the holy covenant. He will take action, and return to his own land.

“He will return at the appointed time and come into the south; but it won’t be in the latter time as it was in the former. For ships of Kittim will come against him. Therefore he will be grieved, and will return, and have indignation against the holy covenant, and will take action. He will even return, and have regard to those who forsake the holy covenant.

“Forces from him will profane the sanctuary, even the fortress, and will take away the continual burnt offering. Then they will set up the abomination that makes desolate. He will corrupt those who do wickedly against the covenant by flatteries; but the people who know their God will be strong and take action.

“Those who are wise among the people will instruct many; yet they will fall by the sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder, many days. Now when they fall, they will be helped with a little help; but many will join themselves to them with flatteries. Some of those who are wise will fall—to refine them, and to purify, and to make them white, even to the time of the end, because it is yet for the time appointed.

“The king will do according to his will. He will exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and will speak marvelous things against the God of gods. He will prosper until the indignation is accomplished, for that which is determined will be done. He won’t regard the gods of his fathers, or the desire of women, or regard any god; for he will magnify himself above all. But in their place, he will honor the god of fortresses. He will honor a god whom his fathers didn’t know with gold, silver, and with precious stones and pleasant things. He will deal with the strongest fortresses by the help of a foreign god. He will increase with glory whoever acknowledges him. He will cause them to rule over many, and will divide the land for a price.

“At the time of the end the king of the south will contend with him; and the king of the north will come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, with horsemen, and with many ships. He will enter into the countries, and will overflow and pass through. He will enter also into the glorious land, and many countries will be overthrown; but these will be delivered out of his hand: Edom, Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. He will also stretch out his hand on the countries. The land of Egypt won’t escape. But he will have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt. The Libyans and the Ethiopians will follow his steps. But news out of the east and out of the north will trouble him; and he will go out with great fury to destroy and utterly to sweep away many. He will plant the tents of his palace between the sea and the glorious holy mountain; yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.

“At that time Michael will stand up, the great prince who stands for the children of your people; and there will be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time. At that time your people will be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine as the brightness of the expanse. Those who turn many to righteousness will shine as the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end. Many will run back and forth, and knowledge will be increased.”

Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on the river bank on this side, and the other on the river bank on that side. One said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be to the end of these wonders?”

I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by him who lives forever that it will be for a time, times, and a half; and when they have finished breaking in pieces the power of the holy people, all these things will be finished.

I heard, but I didn’t understand. Then I said, “My lord, what will be the outcome of these things?”

He said, “Go your way, Daniel; for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. Many will purify themselves, and make themselves white, and be refined, but the wicked will do wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.

“From the time that the continual burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate set up, there will be one thousand two hundred ninety days. Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred thirty-five days.

“But go your way until the end; for you will rest, and will stand in your inheritance at the end of the days.”

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In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he carried them into the land of Shinar to the house of his god. He brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.

The king spoke to Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring in some of the children of Israel, even of the royal offspring and of the nobles: youths in whom was no defect, but well-favored, skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding science, and who had the ability to stand in the king’s palace; and that he should teach them the learning and the language of the Chaldeans. The king appointed for them a daily portion of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and that they should be nourished three years, that at its end they should stand before the king.

Now among these of the children of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. The prince of the eunuchs gave names to them: to Daniel he gave the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank. Therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Now God made Daniel find kindness and compassion in the sight of the prince of the eunuchs. The prince of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink. For why should he see your faces worse looking than the youths who are of your own age? Then you would endanger my head with the king.”

Then Daniel said to the steward whom the prince of the eunuchs had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: “Test your servants, I beg you, ten days; and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our faces be examined before you, and the face of the youths who eat of the king’s delicacies; and as you see, deal with your servants.” So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days.

At the end of ten days, their faces appeared fairer and they were fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate of the king’s delicacies. So the steward took away their delicacies and the wine that they were given to drink, and gave them vegetables.

Now as for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

At the end of the days which the king had appointed for bringing them in, the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them; and among them all was found no one like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore stood they before the king. In every matter of wisdom and understanding concerning which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters who were in all his realm.

Daniel continued even to the first year of King Cyrus.

In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams; and his spirit was troubled, and his sleep went from him. Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be called to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. The king said to them, “I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.”

Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in the Syrian language, “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.”

The king answered the Chaldeans, “The thing has gone from me. If you don’t make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you will be cut in pieces, and your houses will be made a dunghill. But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts, rewards, and great honor. Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation.”

They answered the second time and said, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.”

The king answered, “I know of a certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you see the thing has gone from me. But if you don’t make known to me the dream, there is but one law for you; for you have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, until the situation changes. Therefore tell me the dream, and I will know that you can show me its interpretation.”

The Chaldeans answered the king and said, “There is not a man on the earth who can show the king’s matter, because no king, lord, or ruler has asked such a thing of any magician, enchanter, or Chaldean. It is a rare thing that the king requires, and there is no other who can show it before the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”

Because of this, the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. So the decree went out, and the wise men were to be slain. They sought Daniel and his companions to be slain.

Then Daniel returned answer with counsel and prudence to Arioch the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. He answered Arioch the king’s captain, “Why is the decree so urgent from the king?” Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel. Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would appoint him a time, and he would show the king the interpretation.

Then Daniel went to his house and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret, that Daniel and his companions would not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered,

“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever;

for wisdom and might are his.

He changes the times and the seasons.

He removes kings and sets up kings.

He gives wisdom to the wise,

and knowledge to those who have understanding.

He reveals the deep and secret things.

He knows what is in the darkness,

and the light dwells with him.

I thank you and praise you,

O God of my fathers,

who have given me wisdom and might,

and have now made known to me what we desired of you;

for you have made known to us the king’s matter.”

Therefore Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said this to him: “Don’t destroy the wise men of Babylon. Bring me in before the king, and I will show to the king the interpretation.”

Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said this to him: “I have found a man of the children of the captivity of Judah who will make known to the king the interpretation.”

The king answered Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen, and its interpretation?”

Daniel answered before the king, and said, “The secret which the king has demanded can’t be shown to the king by wise men, enchanters, magicians, or soothsayers; but there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head on your bed are these:

“As for you, O king, your thoughts came on your bed, what should happen hereafter; and he who reveals secrets has made known to you what will happen. But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but to the intent that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart.

“You, O king, saw, and behold, a great image. This image, which was mighty, and whose brightness was excellent, stood before you; and its appearance was terrifying. As for this image, its head was of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet part of iron and part of clay. You saw until a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet that were of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were broken in pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors. The wind carried them away, so that no place was found for them. The stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

“This is the dream; and we will tell its interpretation before the king. You, O king, are king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength, and the glory. Wherever the children of men dwell, he has given the animals of the field and the birds of the sky into your hand, and has made you rule over them all. You are the head of gold.

“After you, another kingdom will arise that is inferior to you; and another third kingdom of bronze, which will rule over all the earth. The fourth kingdom will be strong as iron, because iron breaks in pieces and subdues all things; and as iron that crushes all these, it will break in pieces and crush. Whereas you saw the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay and part of iron, it will be a divided kingdom; but there will be in it of the strength of the iron, because you saw the iron mixed with miry clay. As the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. Whereas you saw the iron mixed with miry clay, they will mingle themselves with the seed of men; but they won’t cling to one another, even as iron does not mix with clay.

“In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, nor will its sovereignty be left to another people; but it will break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it will stand forever. Because you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold, the great God has made known to the king what will happen hereafter. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”

Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, worshiped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an offering and sweet odors to him. The king answered to Daniel, and said, “Of a truth your God is the God of gods, and the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you have been able to reveal this secret.”

Then the king made Daniel great and gave him many great gifts, and made him rule over the whole province of Babylon and to be chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon. Daniel requested of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon, but Daniel was in the king’s gate.

Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the local governors, the deputies, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. Then the local governors, the deputies, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces were gathered together to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

Then the herald cried aloud, “To you it is commanded, peoples, nations, and languages, that whenever you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music, you fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up. Whoever doesn’t fall down and worship shall be cast into the middle of a burning fiery furnace the same hour.”

Therefore at that time, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music, all the peoples, the nations, and the languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near and brought accusation against the Jews. They answered Nebuchadnezzar the king, “O king, live for ever! You, O king, have made a decree that every man who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music shall fall down and worship the golden image; and whoever doesn’t fall down and worship shall be cast into the middle of a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, have not respected you. They don’t serve your gods, and don’t worship the golden image which you have set up.”

Then Nebuchadnezzar in rage and fury commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. Then these men were brought before the king. Nebuchadnezzar answered them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you don’t serve my gods and you don’t worship the golden image which I have set up? Now if you are ready whenever you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music to fall down and worship the image which I have made, good; but if you don’t worship, you shall be cast the same hour into the middle of a burning fiery furnace. Who is that god who will deliver you out of my hands?”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If it happens, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up.”

Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the form of his appearance was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He spoke, and commanded that they should heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. He commanded certain mighty men who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their pants, their tunics, and their mantles, and their other clothes, and were cast into the middle of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the middle of the burning fiery furnace.

Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished and rose up in haste. He spoke and said to his counselors, “Didn’t we cast three men bound into the middle of the fire?”

They answered the king, “True, O king.”

He answered, “Look, I see four men loose, walking in the middle of the fire, and they are unharmed. The appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”

Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace. He spoke and said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!”

Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the middle of the fire. The local governors, the deputies, and the governors, and the king’s counselors, being gathered together, saw these men, that the fire had no power on their bodies. The hair of their head wasn’t singed. Their pants weren’t changed. The smell of fire wasn’t even on them.

Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and have yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god except their own God. Therefore I make a decree that every people, nation, and language which speak anything evil against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill, because there is no other god who is able to deliver like this.”

Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

Nebuchadnezzar the king,

to all the peoples, nations, and languages, who dwell in all the earth:

Peace be multiplied to you.

It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has worked toward me.

How great are his signs!

How mighty are his wonders!

His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.

His dominion is from generation to generation.

I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace. I saw a dream which made me afraid; and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of my head troubled me. Therefore I made a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers came in; and I told them the dream, but they didn’t make known to me its interpretation. But at last, Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. I told the dream before him, saying,

“Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and no secret troubles you, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation. These were the visions of my head on my bed: I saw, and behold, a tree in the middle of the earth; and its height was great. The tree grew and was strong. Its height reached to the sky and its sight to the end of all the earth. Its leaves were beautiful, and it had much fruit, and in it was food for all. The animals of the field had shade under it, and the birds of the sky lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.

“I saw in the visions of my head on my bed, and behold, a holy watcher came down from the sky. He cried aloud and said this: ‘Cut down the tree, and cut off its branches! Shake off its leaves and scatter its fruit! Let the animals get away from under it and the birds from its branches. Nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of the sky. Let his portion be with the animals in the grass of the earth. Let his heart be changed from man’s, and let an animal’s heart be given to him. Then let seven times pass over him.

“‘The sentence is by the decree of the watchers and the demand by the word of the holy ones, to the intent that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever he will, and sets up over it the lowest of men.’

“This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen; and you, Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation, because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was stricken mute for a while, and his thoughts troubled him. The king answered, “Belteshazzar, don’t let the dream or the interpretation, trouble you.”

Belteshazzar answered, “My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you, and its interpretation to your adversaries. The tree that you saw, which grew and was strong, whose height reached to the sky and its sight to all the earth; whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit plentiful, and in it was food for all; under which the animals of the field lived, and on whose branches the birds of the sky had their habitation— it is you, O king, that have grown and become strong; for your greatness has grown, and reaches to the sky, and your dominion to the end of the earth.

“Whereas the king saw a holy watcher coming down from the sky and saying, ‘Cut down the tree, and destroy it; nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and let it be wet with the dew of the sky. Let his portion be with the animals of the field, until seven times pass over him.’

“This is the interpretation, O king, and it is the decree of the Most High, which has come on my lord the king: You will be driven from men and your dwelling shall be with the animals of the field. You will be made to eat grass as oxen, and will be wet with the dew of the sky, and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever he will. Whereas it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be sure to you after you know that Heavens rules. Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you, and break off your sins by righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may be a lengthening of your tranquility.”

All this came on the King Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of twelve months he was walking in the royal palace of Babylon. The king spoke and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for the royal dwelling place by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?”

While the word was in the king’s mouth, a voice came from the sky, saying, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: ‘The kingdom has departed from you. You shall be driven from men, and your dwelling shall be with the animals of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like oxen. Seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever he will.’”

This was fulfilled the same hour on Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; and his body was wet with the dew of the sky until his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.

At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored him who lives forever,

for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,

and his kingdom from generation to generation.

All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing;

and he does according to his will in the army of heaven,

and among the inhabitants of the earth;

and no one can stop his hand,

or ask him, “What are you doing?”

At the same time my understanding returned to me; and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and brightness returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent greatness was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven; for all his works are truth, and his ways justice; and those who walk in pride he is able to abase.

Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded that the golden and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem be brought to him, that the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, might drink from them. Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of God’s house which was at Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, drank from them. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of bronze, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

In the same hour, the fingers of a man’s hand came out and wrote near the lamp stand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace. The king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king’s face was changed in him, and his thoughts troubled him; and the joints of his thighs were loosened, and his knees struck one against another.

The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and shows me its interpretation shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”

Then all the king’s wise men came in; but they could not read the writing, and couldn’t make known to the king the interpretation. Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled, and his face was changed in him, and his lords were perplexed.

The queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet house. The queen spoke and said, “O king, live forever; don’t let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your face be changed. There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him. The king, Nebuchadnezzar, your father—yes, the king, your father—made him master of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers, because an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting of dreams, showing of dark sentences, and dissolving of doubts were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.”

Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judah? I have heard of you, that the spirit of the gods is in you and that light, understanding, and excellent wisdom are found in you. Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known to me its interpretation; but they could not show the interpretation of the thing. But I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations and dissolve doubts. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold around your neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”

Then Daniel answered before the king, “Let your gifts be to yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation.

“To you, king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father the kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and majesty. Because of the greatness that he gave him, all the peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. He killed whom he wanted to, and he kept alive whom he wanted to. He raised up whom he wanted to, and he put down whom he wanted to. But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him. He was driven from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the animals’, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the sky, until he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and that he sets up over it whomever he will.

“You, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, but have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. You have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which don’t see, or hear, or know; and you have not glorified the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways. Then the part of the hand was sent from before him, and this writing was inscribed.

“This is the writing that was inscribed: ‘MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.’

“This is the interpretation of the thing:

MENE: God has counted your kingdom, and brought it to an end.

TEKEL: you are weighed in the balances, and are found wanting.

PERES: your kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.”

Then Belshazzar commanded, and they clothed Daniel with purple, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

In that night Belshazzar the Chaldean King was slain. Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.

It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred twenty local governors, who should be throughout the whole kingdom; and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one, that these local governors might give account to them, and that the king should suffer no loss. Then this Daniel was distinguished above the presidents and the local governors, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.

Then the presidents and the local governors sought to find occasion against Daniel as touching the kingdom; but they could find no occasion or fault, because he was faithful. There wasn’t any error or fault found in him. Then these men said, “We won’t find any occasion against this Daniel, unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.”

Then these presidents and local governors assembled together to the king, and said this to him, “King Darius, live forever! All the presidents of the kingdom, the deputies and the local governors, the counselors and the governors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a strong decree, that whoever asks a petition of any god or man for thirty days, except of you, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, that it not be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which doesn’t alter.” Therefore King Darius signed the writing and the decree.

When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his room toward Jerusalem) and he kneeled on his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did before. Then these men assembled together, and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God. Then they came near, and spoke before the king concerning the king’s decree: “Haven’t you signed a decree that every man who makes a petition to any god or man within thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?”

The king answered, “This thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which doesn’t alter.”

Then they answered and said before the king, “That Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, doesn’t respect you, O king, nor the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.” Then the king, when he heard these words, was very displeased, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored until the going down of the sun to rescue him.

Then these men assembled together to the king, and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians, that no decree nor statute which the king establishes may be changed.”

Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Your God whom you serve continually, he will deliver you.”

A stone was brought, and laid on the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting. No musical instruments were brought before him; and his sleep fled from him.

Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste to the den of lions. When he came near to the den to Daniel, he cried with a troubled voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, is your God, whom you serve continually, able to deliver you from the lions?”

Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! My God has sent his angel, and has shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not hurt me, because innocence was found in me before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.”

Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

The king commanded, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions—them, their children, and their wives; and the lions mauled them, and broke all their bones in pieces before they came to the bottom of the den.

Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages who dwell in all the earth:

“Peace be multiplied to you.

“I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel.

“For he is the living God,

and steadfast forever.

His kingdom is that which will not be destroyed.

His dominion will be even to the end.

He delivers and rescues.

He works signs and wonders in heaven and in earth,

who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.”

So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote the dream and told the sum of the matters.

Daniel spoke and said, “I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the sky broke out on the great sea. Four great animals came up from the sea, different from one another.

“The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet as a man. A man’s heart was given to it.

“Behold, there was another animal, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth. They said this to it: ‘Arise! Devour much flesh!’

“After this I saw, and behold, another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The animal also had four heads; and dominion was given to it.

“After this I saw in the night visions, and, behold, there was a fourth animal, awesome, powerful, and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth. It devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet. It was different from all the animals that were before it. It had ten horns.

“I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots; and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking arrogantly.

“I watched until thrones were placed,

and one who was ancient of days sat.

His clothing was white as snow,

and the hair of his head like pure wool.

His throne was fiery flames,

and its wheels burning fire.

A fiery stream issued and came out from before him.

Thousands of thousands ministered to him.

Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.

The judgment was set.

The books were opened.

“I watched at that time because of the voice of the arrogant words which the horn spoke. I watched even until the animal was slain, and its body destroyed, and it was given to be burned with fire. As for the rest of the animals, their dominion was taken away; yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.

“I saw in the night visions, and behold, there came with the clouds of the sky one like a son of man, and he came even to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near before him. Dominion was given him, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which will not pass away, and his kingdom one that will not be destroyed.

“As for me, Daniel, my spirit was grieved within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth concerning all this.

“So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. ‘These great animals, which are four, are four kings, who will arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’

“Then I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth animal, which was different from all of them, exceedingly terrible, whose teeth were of iron, and its nails of bronze; which devoured, broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet; and concerning the ten horns that were on its head and the other horn which came up, and before which three fell, even that horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke arrogantly, whose look was more stout than its fellows. I saw, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them, until the ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High, and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

“So he said, ‘The fourth animal will be a fourth kingdom on earth, which will be different from all the kingdoms, and will devour the whole earth, and will tread it down and break it in pieces. As for the ten horns, ten kings will arise out of this kingdom. Another will arise after them; and he will be different from the former, and he will put down three kings. He will speak words against the Most High, and will wear out the saints of the Most High. He will plan to change the times and the law; and they will be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time.

“‘But the judgment will be set, and they will take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it to the end. The kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole sky, will be given to the people of the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions will serve and obey him.’

“Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts troubled me greatly, and my face was changed in me; but I kept the matter in my heart.”

In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar, a vision appeared to me, even to me, Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first. I saw the vision. Now it was so, that when I saw, I was in the citadel of Susa, which is in the province of Elam. I saw in the vision, and I was by the river Ulai. Then I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram which had two horns stood before the river. The two horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. I saw the ram pushing westward, northward, and southward. No animals could stand before him. There wasn’t any who could deliver out of his hand, but he did according to his will, and magnified himself.

As I was considering, behold, a male goat came from the west over the surface of the whole earth, and didn’t touch the ground. The goat had a notable horn between his eyes. He came to the ram that had the two horns, which I saw standing before the river, and ran on him in the fury of his power. I saw him come close to the ram, and he was moved with anger against him, and struck the ram, and broke his two horns. There was no power in the ram to stand before him; but he cast him down to the ground and trampled on him. There was no one who could deliver the ram out of his hand. The male goat magnified himself exceedingly. When he was strong, the great horn was broken; and instead of it there came up four notable horns toward the four winds of the sky.

Out of one of them came out a little horn which grew exceedingly great—toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the glorious land. It grew great, even to the army of the sky; and it cast down some of the army and of the stars to the ground and trampled on them. Yes, it magnified itself, even to the prince of the army; and it took away from him the continual burnt offering, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. The army was given over to it together with the continual burnt offering through disobedience. It cast down truth to the ground, and it did its pleasure and prospered.

Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who spoke, “How long will the vision about the continual burnt offering, and the disobedience that makes desolate, to give both the sanctuary and the army to be trodden under foot be?”

He said to me, “To two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary will be cleansed.”

When I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it. Then behold, there stood before me someone with the appearance of a man. I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, which called and said, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.”

So he came near where I stood; and when he came, I was frightened, and fell on my face; but he said to me, “Understand, son of man, for the vision belongs to the time of the end.”

Now as he was speaking with me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face toward the ground; but he touched me and set me upright.

He said, “Behold, I will make you know what will be in the latter time of the indignation, for it belongs to the appointed time of the end. The ram which you saw, that had the two horns, they are the kings of Media and Persia. The rough male goat is the king of Greece. The great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. As for that which was broken, in the place where four stood up, four kingdoms will stand up out of the nation, but not with his power.

“In the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors have come to the full, a king of fierce face, and understanding riddles, will stand up. His power will be mighty, but not by his own power. He will destroy awesomely, and will prosper in what he does. He will destroy the mighty ones and the holy people. Through his policy he will cause deceit to prosper in his hand. He will magnify himself in his heart, and he will destroy many in their security. He will also stand up against the prince of princes, but he will be broken without human hands.

“The vision of the evenings and mornings which has been told is true; but seal up the vision, for it belongs to many days to come.”

I, Daniel, fainted, and was sick for some days. Then I rose up and did the king’s business. I wondered at the vision, but no one understood it.

In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the offspring of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years about which Yahweh’s word came to Jeremiah the prophet for the accomplishing of the desolations of Jerusalem, even seventy years. I set my face to the Lord God, to seek by prayer and petitions, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.

I prayed to Yahweh my God, and made confession, and said,

“Oh, Lord, the great and dreadful God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned, and have dealt perversely, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even turning aside from your precepts and from your ordinances. We haven’t listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

“Lord, righteousness belongs to you, but to us confusion of face, as it is today; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, who are near and who are far off, through all the countries where you have driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against you. Lord, to us belongs confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him. We haven’t obeyed Yahweh our God’s voice, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. Yes, all Israel have transgressed your law, turning aside, that they should not obey your voice.

“Therefore the curse and the oath written in the law of Moses the servant of God has been poured out on us, for we have sinned against him. He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing on us a great evil; for under the whole sky, such has not been done as has been done to Jerusalem. As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil has come on us. Yet we have not entreated the favor of Yahweh our God, that we should turn from our iniquities and have discernment in your truth. Therefore Yahweh has watched over the evil, and brought it on us; for Yahweh our God is righteous in all his works which he does, and we have not obeyed his voice.

“Now, Lord our God, who has brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have gotten yourself renown, as it is today, we have sinned. We have done wickedly. Lord, according to all your righteousness, please let your anger and your wrath be turned away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain; because for our sins and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a reproach to all who are around us.

“Now therefore, our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his petitions, and cause your face to shine on your sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake. My God, turn your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by your name; for we do not present our petitions before you for our righteousness, but for your great mercies’ sake. Lord, hear. Lord, forgive. Lord, listen and do. Don’t defer, for your own sake, my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.”

While I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before Yahweh my God for the holy mountain of my God— yes, while I was speaking in prayer—the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening offering. He instructed me and talked with me, and said, “Daniel, I have now come to give you wisdom and understanding. At the beginning of your petitions the commandment went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved. Therefore consider the matter and understand the vision.

“Seventy weeks are decreed on your people and on your holy city, to finish disobedience, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy.

“Know therefore and discern that from the going out of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem to the Anointed One, the prince, will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It will be built again, with street and moat, even in troubled times. After the sixty-two weeks the Anointed One will be cut off, and will have nothing. The people of the prince who come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end will be with a flood, and war will be even to the end. Desolations are determined. He will make a firm covenant with many for one week. In the middle of the week he will cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease. On the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate; and even to the decreed full end, wrath will be poured out on the desolate.”

In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the message was true, even a great warfare. He understood the message, and had understanding of the vision.

In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three whole weeks. I ate no pleasant food. No meat or wine came into my mouth. I didn’t anoint myself at all, until three whole weeks were fulfilled.

In the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel, I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man clothed in linen, whose waist was adorned with pure gold of Uphaz. His body also was like beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as flaming torches. His arms and his feet were like burnished bronze. The voice of his words was like the voice of a multitude.

I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me didn’t see the vision, but a great quaking fell on them, and they fled to hide themselves. So I was left alone and saw this great vision. No strength remained in me; for my face grew deathly pale, and I retained no strength. Yet I heard the voice of his words. When I heard the voice of his words, then I fell into a deep sleep on my face, with my face toward the ground.

Behold, a hand touched me, which set me on my knees and on the palms of my hands. He said to me, “Daniel, you greatly beloved man, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have been sent to you, now.” When he had spoken this word to me, I stood trembling.

Then he said to me, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel; for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard. I have come for your words’ sake. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; but, behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me because I remained there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision is yet for many days.”

When he had spoken these words to me, I set my face toward the ground and was mute. Behold, one in the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth, and spoke and said to him who stood before me, “My lord, by reason of the vision my sorrows have overtaken me, and I retain no strength. For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? For as for me, immediately there remained no strength in me. There was no breath left in me.”

Then one like the appearance of a man touched me again, and he strengthened me. He said, “Greatly beloved man, don’t be afraid. Peace be to you. Be strong. Yes, be strong.”

When he spoke to me, I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”

Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? Now I will return to fight with the prince of Persia. When I go out, behold, the prince of Greece will come. But I will tell you that which is inscribed in the writing of truth. There is no one who holds with me against these but Michael your prince.

“As for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him.

“Now I will show you the truth. Behold, three more kings will stand up in Persia. The fourth will be far richer than all of them. When he has grown strong through his riches, he will stir up all against the realm of Greece. A mighty king will stand up, who will rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. When he stands up, his kingdom will be broken and will be divided toward the four winds of the sky, but not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom will be plucked up, even for others besides these.

“The king of the south will be strong. One of his princes will become stronger than him, and have dominion. His dominion will be a great dominion. At the end of years they will join themselves together; and the daughter of the king of the south will come to the king of the north to make an agreement, but she will not retain the strength of her arm. He will also not stand, nor will his arm; but she will be given up, with those who brought her, and he who became the father of her, and he who strengthened her in those times.

“But out of a shoot from her roots one will stand up in his place, who will come to the army and will enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and will deal against them and will prevail. He will also carry their gods with their molten images, and with their goodly vessels of silver and of gold, captive into Egypt. He will refrain some years from the king of the north. He will come into the realm of the king of the south, but he will return into his own land. His sons will wage war, and will assemble a multitude of great forces which will come on, and overflow, and pass through. They will return and wage war, even to his fortress.

“The king of the south will be moved with anger and will come out and fight with him, even with the king of the north. He will send out a great multitude, and the multitude will be given into his hand. The multitude will be carried off, and his heart will be exalted. He will cast down tens of thousands, but he won’t prevail. The king of the north will return, and will send out a multitude greater than the former. He will come on at the end of the times, even of years, with a great army and with abundant supplies.

“In those times many will stand up against the king of the south. Also the children of the violent among your people will lift themselves up to establish the vision, but they will fall. So the king of the north will come and cast up a mound, and take a well-fortified city. The forces of the south won’t stand, neither will his select troops, neither will there be any strength to stand. But he who comes against him will do according to his own will, and no one will stand before him. He will stand in the glorious land, and destruction will be in his hand. He will set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and with him equitable conditions. He will perform them. He will give him the daughter of women, to destroy the kingdom, but she will not stand, and won’t be for him. After this he will turn his face to the islands, and will take many, but a prince will cause the reproach offered by him to cease. Yes, moreover, he will cause his reproach to turn on him. Then he will turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land; but he will stumble and fall, and won’t be found.

“Then one who will cause a tax collector to pass through the kingdom to maintain its glory will stand up in his place; but within few days he shall be destroyed, not in anger, and not in battle.

“In his place a contemptible person will stand up, to whom they had not given the honor of the kingdom; but he will come in time of security, and will obtain the kingdom by flatteries. The overwhelming forces will be overwhelmed from before him, and will be broken. Yes, also the prince of the covenant. After the treaty made with him he will work deceitfully; for he will come up and will become strong with few people. In time of security he will come even on the fattest places of the province. He will do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers’ fathers. He will scatter among them prey, plunder, and wealth. Yes, he will devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time.

“He will stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south will wage war in battle with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he won’t stand; for they will devise plans against him. Yes, those who eat of his delicacies will destroy him, and his army will be swept away. Many will fall down slain. As for both these kings, their hearts will be to do evil, and they will speak lies at one table; but it won’t prosper, for the end will still be at the appointed time. Then he will return into his land with great wealth. His heart will be against the holy covenant. He will take action, and return to his own land.

“He will return at the appointed time and come into the south; but it won’t be in the latter time as it was in the former. For ships of Kittim will come against him. Therefore he will be grieved, and will return, and have indignation against the holy covenant, and will take action. He will even return, and have regard to those who forsake the holy covenant.

“Forces from him will profane the sanctuary, even the fortress, and will take away the continual burnt offering. Then they will set up the abomination that makes desolate. He will corrupt those who do wickedly against the covenant by flatteries; but the people who know their God will be strong and take action.

“Those who are wise among the people will instruct many; yet they will fall by the sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder, many days. Now when they fall, they will be helped with a little help; but many will join themselves to them with flatteries. Some of those who are wise will fall—to refine them, and to purify, and to make them white, even to the time of the end, because it is yet for the time appointed.

“The king will do according to his will. He will exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and will speak marvelous things against the God of gods. He will prosper until the indignation is accomplished, for that which is determined will be done. He won’t regard the gods of his fathers, or the desire of women, or regard any god; for he will magnify himself above all. But in their place, he will honor the god of fortresses. He will honor a god whom his fathers didn’t know with gold, silver, and with precious stones and pleasant things. He will deal with the strongest fortresses by the help of a foreign god. He will increase with glory whoever acknowledges him. He will cause them to rule over many, and will divide the land for a price.

“At the time of the end the king of the south will contend with him; and the king of the north will come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, with horsemen, and with many ships. He will enter into the countries, and will overflow and pass through. He will enter also into the glorious land, and many countries will be overthrown; but these will be delivered out of his hand: Edom, Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. He will also stretch out his hand on the countries. The land of Egypt won’t escape. But he will have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt. The Libyans and the Ethiopians will follow his steps. But news out of the east and out of the north will trouble him; and he will go out with great fury to destroy and utterly to sweep away many. He will plant the tents of his palace between the sea and the glorious holy mountain; yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.

“At that time Michael will stand up, the great prince who stands for the children of your people; and there will be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time. At that time your people will be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine as the brightness of the expanse. Those who turn many to righteousness will shine as the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end. Many will run back and forth, and knowledge will be increased.”

Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on the river bank on this side, and the other on the river bank on that side. One said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be to the end of these wonders?”

I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by him who lives forever that it will be for a time, times, and a half; and when they have finished breaking in pieces the power of the holy people, all these things will be finished.

I heard, but I didn’t understand. Then I said, “My lord, what will be the outcome of these things?”

He said, “Go your way, Daniel; for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. Many will purify themselves, and make themselves white, and be refined, but the wicked will do wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.

“From the time that the continual burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate set up, there will be one thousand two hundred ninety days. Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred thirty-five days.

“But go your way until the end; for you will rest, and will stand in your inheritance at the end of the days.”

@ 957966b6:2d4fe6b7

Now in the days of Ahasuerus (this is Ahasuerus who reigned from India even to Ethiopia, over one hundred twenty-seven provinces), in those days, when the King Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Susa the palace, in the third year of his reign, he made a feast for all his princes and his servants; the army of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces being before him. He displayed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honor of his excellent majesty many days, even one hundred eighty days.

When these days were fulfilled, the king made a seven day feast for all the people who were present in Susa the palace, both great and small, in the court of the garden of the king’s palace. There were hangings of white and blue material, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and marble pillars. The couches were of gold and silver, on a pavement of red, white, yellow, and black marble. They gave them drinks in golden vessels of various kinds, including royal wine in abundance, according to the bounty of the king. In accordance with the law, the drinking was not compulsory; for so the king had instructed all the officials of his house, that they should do according to every man’s pleasure.

Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to King Ahasuerus.

On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcass, the seven eunuchs who served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king, to bring Vashti the queen before the king wearing the royal crown, to show the people and the princes her beauty; for she was beautiful. But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s commandment by the eunuchs. Therefore the king was very angry, and his anger burned in him.

Then the king said to the wise men, who knew the times (for it was the king’s custom to consult those who knew law and judgment; and next to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king’s face, and sat first in the kingdom), “What shall we do to Queen Vashti according to law, because she has not done the bidding of the King Ahasuerus by the eunuchs?”

Memucan answered before the king and the princes, “Vashti the queen has not done wrong to just the king, but also to all the princes, and to all the people who are in all the provinces of the King Ahasuerus. For this deed of the queen will become known to all women, causing them to show contempt for their husbands when it is reported, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she didn’t come.’ Today, the princesses of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen’s deed will tell all the king’s princes. This will cause much contempt and wrath.

“If it pleases the king, let a royal commandment go from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, so that it cannot be altered, that Vashti may never again come before King Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate to another who is better than she. When the king’s decree which he shall make is published throughout all his kingdom (for it is great), all the wives will give their husbands honor, both great and small.”

This advice pleased the king and the princes, and the king did according to the word of Memucan: for he sent letters into all the king’s provinces, into every province according to its writing, and to every people in their language, that every man should rule his own house, speaking in the language of his own people.

After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus was pacified, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her. Then the king’s servants who served him said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king. Let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the beautiful young virgins to the citadel of Susa, to the women’s house, to the custody of Hegai the king’s eunuch, keeper of the women. Let cosmetics be given them; and let the maiden who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” The thing pleased the king, and he did so.

There was a certain Jew in the citadel of Susa whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite, who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away. He brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter; for she had neither father nor mother. The maiden was fair and beautiful; and when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her for his own daughter.

So, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together to the citadel of Susa, to the custody of Hegai, Esther was taken into the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women. The maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness from him. He quickly gave her cosmetics and her portions of food, and the seven choice maidens who were to be given her out of the king’s house. He moved her and her maidens to the best place in the women’s house. Esther had not made known her people nor her relatives, because Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make it known. Mordecai walked every day in front of the court of the women’s house, to find out how Esther was doing, and what would become of her.

Each young woman’s turn came to go in to King Ahasuerus after her purification for twelve months (for so were the days of their purification accomplished, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet fragrances and with preparations for beautifying women). The young woman then came to the king like this: whatever she desired was given her to go with her out of the women’s house to the king’s house. In the evening she went, and on the next day she returned into the second women’s house, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch, who kept the concubines. She came in to the king no more, unless the king delighted in her, and she was called by name.

Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, came to go in to the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s eunuch, the keeper of the women, advised. Esther obtained favor in the sight of all those who looked at her.

So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus into his royal house in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she obtained favor and kindness in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown on her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.

Then the king made a great feast for all his princes and his servants, even Esther’s feast; and he proclaimed a holiday in the provinces, and gave gifts according to the king’s bounty.

When the virgins were gathered together the second time, Mordecai was sitting in the king’s gate. Esther had not yet made known her relatives nor her people, as Mordecai had commanded her; for Esther obeyed Mordecai, like she did when she was brought up by him. In those days, while Mordecai was sitting in the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, who were doorkeepers, were angry, and sought to lay hands on the King Ahasuerus. This thing became known to Mordecai, who informed Esther the queen; and Esther informed the king in Mordecai’s name. When this matter was investigated, and it was found to be so, they were both hanged on a gallows; and it was written in the book of the chronicles in the king’s presence.

After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes who were with him. All the king’s servants who were in the king’s gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai didn’t bow down or pay him homage. Then the king’s servants who were in the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s commandment?” Now it came to pass, when they spoke daily to him, and he didn’t listen to them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s reason would stand; for he had told them that he was a Jew. When Haman saw that Mordecai didn’t bow down nor pay him homage, Haman was full of wrath. But he scorned the thought of laying hands on Mordecai alone, for they had made known to him Mordecai’s people. Therefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even Mordecai’s people.

In the first month, which is the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, and chose the twelfth month, which is the month Adar. Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom, and their laws are different from other people’s. They don’t keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not for the king’s profit to allow them to remain. If it pleases the king, let it be written that they be destroyed; and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who are in charge of the king’s business, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.”

The king took his ring from his hand, and gave it to Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews’ enemy. The king said to Haman, “The silver is given to you, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you.”

Then the king’s scribes were called in on the first month, on the thirteenth day of the month; and all that Haman commanded was written to the king’s local governors, and to the governors who were over every province, and to the princes of every people, to every province according to its writing, and to every people in their language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus, and it was sealed with the king’s ring. Letters were sent by couriers into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to plunder their possessions. A copy of the letter, that the decree should be given out in every province, was published to all the peoples, that they should be ready against that day. The couriers went out in haste by the king’s commandment, and the decree was given out in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city of Susa was perplexed.

Now when Mordecai found out all that was done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the middle of the city, and wailed loudly and bitterly. He came even before the king’s gate, for no one is allowed inside the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth. In every province, wherever the king’s commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

Esther’s maidens and her eunuchs came and told her this, and the queen was exceedingly grieved. She sent clothing to Mordecai, to replace his sackcloth, but he didn’t receive it. Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs, whom he had appointed to attend her, and commanded him to go to Mordecai, to find out what this was, and why it was. So Hathach went out to Mordecai, to city square which was before the king’s gate. Mordecai told him of all that had happened to him, and the exact sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries for the destruction of the Jews. He also gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given out in Susa to destroy them, to show it to Esther, and to declare it to her, and to urge her to go in to the king to make supplication to him, and to make request before him for her people.

Hathach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai. Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a message to Mordecai: “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that whoever, whether man or woman, comes to the king into the inner court without being called, there is one law for him, that he be put to death, except those to whom the king might hold out the golden scepter, that he may live. I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.”

They told Esther’s words to Mordecai. Then Mordecai asked them to return this answer to Esther: “Don’t think to yourself that you will escape in the king’s house any more than all the Jews. For if you remain silent now, then relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Who knows if you haven’t come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Then Esther asked them to answer Mordecai, “Go, gather together all the Jews who are present in Susa, and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day. I and my maidens will also fast the same way. Then I will go in to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.” So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.

Now on the third day, Esther put on her royal clothing and stood in the inner court of the king’s house, next to the king’s house. The king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, next to the entrance of the house. When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she obtained favor in his sight; and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. So Esther came near and touched the top of the scepter.

Then the king asked her, “What would you like, queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you even to the half of the kingdom.”

Esther said, “If it seems good to the king, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him.”

Then the king said, “Bring Haman quickly, so that it may be done as Esther has said.” So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

The king said to Esther at the banquet of wine, “What is your petition? It shall be granted you. What is your request? Even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed.”

Then Esther answered and said, “My petition and my request is this. If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I will prepare for them, and I will do tomorrow as the king has said.”

Then Haman went out that day joyful and glad of heart, but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate, that he didn’t stand up nor move for him, he was filled with wrath against Mordecai. Nevertheless Haman restrained himself, and went home. There, he sent and called for his friends and Zeresh his wife. Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches, the multitude of his children, all the things in which the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king.

Haman also said, “Yes, Esther the queen let no man come in with the king to the banquet that she had prepared but myself; and tomorrow I am also invited by her together with the king. Yet all this avails me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”

Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, “Let a gallows be made fifty cubits high, and in the morning speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on it. Then go in merrily with the king to the banquet.” This pleased Haman, so he had the gallows made.

On that night, the king couldn’t sleep. He commanded the book of records of the chronicles to be brought, and they were read to the king. It was found written that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, who were doorkeepers, who had tried to lay hands on the King Ahasuerus. The king said, “What honor and dignity has been given to Mordecai for this?”

Then the king’s servants who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.”

The king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had come into the outer court of the king’s house, to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.

The king’s servants said to him, “Behold, Haman stands in the court.”

The king said, “Let him come in.” So Haman came in. The king said to him, “What shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?”

Now Haman said in his heart, “Who would the king delight to honor more than myself?” Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor, let royal clothing be brought which the king uses to wear, and the horse that the king rides on, and on the head of which a royal crown is set. Let the clothing and the horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes, that they may array the man whom the king delights to honor with them, and have him ride on horseback through the city square, and proclaim before him, ‘Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!’”

Then the king said to Haman, “Hurry and take the clothing and the horse, as you have said, and do this for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Let nothing fail of all that you have spoken.”

Then Haman took the clothing and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and had him ride through the city square, and proclaimed before him, “Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!”

Mordecai came back to the king’s gate, but Haman hurried to his house, mourning and having his head covered. Haman recounted to Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and Zeresh his wife said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish descent, you will not prevail against him, but you will surely fall before him.” While they were yet talking with him, the king’s eunuchs came, and hurried to bring Haman to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen. The king said again to Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, “What is your petition, queen Esther? It shall be granted you. What is your request? Even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed.”

Then Esther the queen answered, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request. For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for male and female slaves, I would have held my peace, although the adversary could not have compensated for the king’s loss.”

Then King Ahasuerus said to Esther the queen, “Who is he, and where is he who dared presume in his heart to do so?”

Esther said, “An adversary and an enemy, even this wicked Haman!”

Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen. The king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine and went into the palace garden. Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen, for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king. Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman had fallen on the couch where Esther was. Then the king said, “Will he even assault the queen in front of me in the house?” As the word went out of the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.

Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs who were with the king, said, “Behold, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman has made for Mordecai, who spoke good for the king, is standing at Haman’s house.”

The king said, “Hang him on it!”

So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king’s wrath was pacified.

On that day, King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman, the Jews’ enemy, to Esther the queen. Mordecai came before the king; for Esther had told what he was to her. The king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.

Esther spoke yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet and begged him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his plan that he had planned against the Jews. Then the king held out to Esther the golden scepter. So Esther arose, and stood before the king. She said, “If it pleases the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and the thing seems right to the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces. For how can I endure to see the evil that would come to my people? How can I endure to see the destruction of my relatives?”

Then King Ahasuerus said to Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, “See, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows because he laid his hand on the Jews. Write also to the Jews as it pleases you, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s ring; for the writing which is written in the king’s name, and sealed with the king’s ring, may not be reversed by any man.”

Then the king’s scribes were called at that time, in the third month, which is the month Sivan, on the twenty-third day of the month; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded to the Jews, and to the local governors, and the governors and princes of the provinces which are from India to Ethiopia, one hundred twenty-seven provinces, to every province according to its writing, and to every people in their language, and to the Jews in their writing, and in their language. He wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus, and sealed it with the king’s ring, and sent letters by courier on horseback, riding on royal horses that were bred from swift steeds. In those letters, the king granted the Jews who were in every city to gather themselves together and to defend their lives—to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish all the power of the people and province that would assault them, their little ones and women, and to plunder their possessions, on one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar. A copy of the letter, that the decree should be given out in every province, was published to all the peoples, that the Jews should be ready for that day to avenge themselves on their enemies. So the couriers who rode on royal horses went out, hastened and pressed on by the king’s commandment. The decree was given out in the citadel of Susa.

Mordecai went out of the presence of the king in royal clothing of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a robe of fine linen and purple; and the city of Susa shouted and was glad. The Jews had light, gladness, joy, and honor. In every province and in every city, wherever the king’s commandment and his decree came, the Jews had gladness, joy, a feast and a holiday. Many from among the peoples of the land became Jews, for the fear of the Jews had fallen on them.

Now in the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the month, when the king’s commandment and his decree came near to be put in execution, on the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to conquer them, (but it turned out that the opposite happened, that the Jews conquered those who hated them), the Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces of the King Ahasuerus, to lay hands on those who wanted to harm them. No one could withstand them, because the fear of them had fallen on all the people. All the princes of the provinces, the local governors, the governors, and those who did the king’s business helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai had fallen on them. For Mordecai was great in the king’s house, and his fame went out throughout all the provinces, for the man Mordecai grew greater and greater. The Jews struck all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and with slaughter and destruction, and did what they wanted to those who hated them. In the citadel of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men. They killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha, the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Jews’ enemy, but they didn’t lay their hand on the plunder.

On that day, the number of those who were slain in the citadel of Susa was brought before the king. The king said to Esther the queen, “The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in the citadel of Susa, including the ten sons of Haman; what then have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces! Now what is your petition? It shall be granted you. What is your further request? It shall be done.”

Then Esther said, “If it pleases the king, let it be granted to the Jews who are in Susa to do tomorrow also according to today’s decree, and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged on the gallows.”

The king commanded this to be done. A decree was given out in Susa; and they hanged Haman’s ten sons. The Jews who were in Susa gathered themselves together on the fourteenth day also of the month Adar, and killed three hundred men in Susa; but they didn’t lay their hand on the plunder.

The other Jews who were in the king’s provinces gathered themselves together, defended their lives, had rest from their enemies, and killed seventy-five thousand of those who hated them; but they didn’t lay their hand on the plunder. This was done on the thirteenth day of the month Adar; and on the fourteenth day of that month they rested and made it a day of feasting and gladness.

But the Jews who were in Susa assembled together on the thirteenth and on the fourteenth days of the month; and on the fifteenth day of that month, they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness. Therefore the Jews of the villages, who live in the unwalled towns, make the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting, a holiday, and a day of sending presents of food to one another.

Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of the King Ahasuerus, both near and far, to enjoin them that they should keep the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month Adar yearly, as the days in which the Jews had rest from their enemies, and the month which was turned to them from sorrow to gladness, and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, and of sending presents of food to one another, and gifts to the needy. The Jews accepted the custom that they had begun, as Mordecai had written to them, because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast “Pur”, that is the lot, to consume them and to destroy them; but when this became known to the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked plan, which he had planned against the Jews, should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.

Therefore they called these days “Purim”, from the word “Pur.” Therefore because of all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and that which had come to them, the Jews established and imposed on themselves, on their descendants, and on all those who joined themselves to them, so that it should not fail that they would keep these two days according to what was written and according to its appointed time every year; and that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor their memory perish from their offspring.

Then Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew wrote with all authority to confirm this second letter of Purim. He sent letters to all the Jews in the hundred twenty-seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus with words of peace and truth, to confirm these days of Purim in their appointed times, as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had decreed, and as they had imposed upon themselves and their descendants in the matter of the fastings and their mourning. The commandment of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book.

King Ahasuerus laid a tribute on the land and on the islands of the sea. Aren’t all the acts of his power and of his might, and the full account of the greatness of Mordecai, to which the king advanced him, written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? For Mordecai the Jew was next to King Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews and accepted by the multitude of his brothers, seeking the good of his people and speaking peace to all his descendants.

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The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” What does man gain from all his labor in which he labors under the sun? One generation goes, and another generation comes; but the earth remains forever. The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hurries to its place where it rises. The wind goes toward the south, and turns around to the north. It turns around continually as it goes, and the wind returns again to its courses. All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, there they flow again. All things are full of weariness beyond uttering. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. That which has been is that which shall be, and that which has been done is that which shall be done; and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there a thing of which it may be said, “Behold, this is new?” It has been long ago, in the ages which were before us. There is no memory of the former; neither shall there be any memory of the latter that are to come, among those that shall come after.

I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the sky. It is a heavy burden that God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind. That which is crooked can’t be made straight; and that which is lacking can’t be counted. I said to myself, “Behold, I have obtained for myself great wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem. Yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing after wind. For in much wisdom is much grief; and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure;” and behold, this also was vanity. I said of laughter, “It is foolishness;” and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?”

I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding me with wisdom, and how to lay hold of folly, until I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their lives. I made myself great works. I built myself houses. I planted myself vineyards. I made myself gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit. I made myself pools of water, to water the forest where trees were grown. I bought male servants and female servants, and had servants born in my house. I also had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all who were before me in Jerusalem. I also gathered silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces. I got myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men: musical instruments of all sorts. So I was great, and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me. Whatever my eyes desired, I didn’t keep from them. I didn’t withhold my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor, and this was my portion from all my labor. Then I looked at all the works that my hands had worked, and at the labor that I had labored to do; and behold, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

I turned myself to consider wisdom, madness, and folly; for what can the king’s successor do? Just that which has been done long ago. Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness. The wise man’s eyes are in his head, and the fool walks in darkness—and yet I perceived that one event happens to them all. Then I said in my heart, “As it happens to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity. For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no memory forever, since in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. Indeed, the wise man must die just like the fool!

So I hated life, because the work that is worked under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a chasing after wind. I hated all my labor in which I labored under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me. Who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have rule over all of my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.

Therefore I began to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor in which I had labored under the sun. For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, with knowledge, and with skillfulness; yet he shall leave it for his portion to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. For what does a man have of all his labor and of the striving of his heart, in which he labors under the sun? For all his days are sorrows, and his travail is grief; yes, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity. There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God. For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I? For to the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:

a time to be born,

and a time to die;

a time to plant,

and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

a time to kill,

and a time to heal;

a time to break down,

and a time to build up;

a time to weep,

and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn,

and a time to dance;

a time to cast away stones,

and a time to gather stones together;

a time to embrace,

and a time to refrain from embracing;

a time to seek,

and a time to lose;

a time to keep,

and a time to cast away;

a time to tear,

and a time to sew;

a time to keep silence,

and a time to speak;

a time to love,

and a time to hate;

a time for war,

and a time for peace.

What profit has he who works in that in which he labors? I have seen the burden which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in their hearts, yet so that man can’t find out the work that God has done from the beginning even to the end. I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice, and to do good as long as they live. Also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labor, is the gift of God. I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; and God has done it, that men should fear before him. That which is has been long ago, and that which is to be has been long ago. God seeks again that which is passed away.

Moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there. I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.” I said in my heart, “As for the sons of men, God tests them, so that they may see that they themselves are like animals. For that which happens to the sons of men happens to animals. Even one thing happens to them. As the one dies, so the other dies. Yes, they have all one breath; and man has no advantage over the animals, for all is vanity. All go to one place. All are from the dust, and all turn to dust again. Who knows the spirit of man, whether it goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, whether it goes downward to the earth?”

Therefore I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his works, for that is his portion; for who can bring him to see what will be after him?

Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of those who were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter. Therefore I praised the dead who have been long dead more than the living who are yet alive. Yes, better than them both is him who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun. Then I saw all the labor and achievement that is the envy of a man’s neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

The fool folds his hands together and ruins himself. Better is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labor and chasing after wind.

Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun. There is one who is alone, and he has neither son nor brother. There is no end to all of his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with wealth. “For whom then do I labor and deprive my soul of enjoyment?” This also is vanity. Yes, it is a miserable business.

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, and doesn’t have another to lift him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one keep warm alone? If a man prevails against one who is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who doesn’t know how to receive admonition any more. For out of prison he came out to be king; yes, even in his kingdom he was born poor. I saw all the living who walk under the sun, that they were with the youth, the other, who succeeded him. There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was—yet those who come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

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

If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a district, don’t marvel at the matter, for one official is eyed by a higher one, and there are officials over them. Moreover the profit of the earth is for all. The king profits from the field.

He who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver, nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity. When goods increase, those who eat them are increased; and what advantage is there to its owner, except to feast on them with his eyes?

The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not allow him to sleep.

There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm. Those riches perish by misfortune, and if he has fathered a son, there is nothing in his hand. As he came out of his mother’s womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labor, which he may carry away in his hand. This also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go. And what profit does he have who labors for the wind? All his days he also eats in darkness, he is frustrated, and has sickness and wrath.

Behold, that which I have seen to be good and proper is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, in which he labors under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; for this is his portion. Every man also to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat of it, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God. For he shall not often reflect on the days of his life, because God occupies him with the joy of his heart.

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy on men: a man to whom God gives riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing for his soul of all that he desires, yet God gives him no power to eat of it, but an alien eats it. This is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

If a man fathers a hundred children, and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not filled with good, and moreover he has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better than he; for it comes in vanity, and departs in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness. Moreover it has not seen the sun nor known it. This has rest rather than the other. Yes, though he live a thousand years twice told, and yet fails to enjoy good, don’t all go to one place? All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled. For what advantage has the wise more than the fool? What has the poor man, that knows how to walk before the living? Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind. Whatever has been, its name was given long ago; and it is known what man is; neither can he contend with him who is mightier than he. For there are many words that create vanity. What does that profit man? For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he spends like a shadow? For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?

A good name is better than fine perfume; and the day of death better than the day of one’s birth. It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting; for that is the end of all men, and the living should take this to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear the song of fools. For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity. Surely extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding. Better is the end of a thing than its beginning.

The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Don’t be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools. Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not ask wisely about this.

Wisdom is as good as an inheritance. Yes, it is more excellent for those who see the sun. For wisdom is a defense, even as money is a defense; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.

Consider the work of God, for who can make that straight which he has made crooked? In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; yes, God has made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything after him.

All this I have seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evildoing. Don’t be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself? Don’t be too wicked, neither be foolish. Why should you die before your time? It is good that you should take hold of this. Yes, also don’t withdraw your hand from that; for he who fears God will come out of them all. Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city. Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and doesn’t sin. Also don’t take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you hear your servant curse you; for often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise cursed others. All this I have proved in wisdom. I said, “I will be wise;” but it was far from me. That which is, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it out? I turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness is madness.

I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner will be ensnared by her.

“Behold, I have found this,” says the Preacher, “to one another, to find an explanation which my soul still seeks, but I have not found. I have found one man among a thousand, but I have not found a woman among all those. Behold, I have only found this: that God made mankind upright; but they search for many inventions.”

Who is like the wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man’s wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.

I say, “Keep the king’s command!” because of the oath to God. Don’t be hasty to go out of his presence. Don’t persist in an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him, for the king’s word is supreme. Who can say to him, “What are you doing?” Whoever keeps the commandment shall not come to harm, and his wise heart will know the time and procedure. For there is a time and procedure for every purpose, although the misery of man is heavy on him. For he doesn’t know that which will be; for who can tell him how it will be? There is no man who has power over the spirit to contain the spirit; neither does he have power over the day of death. There is no discharge in war; neither shall wickedness deliver those who practice it.

All this I have seen, and applied my mind to every work that is done under the sun. There is a time in which one man has power over another to his hurt. So I saw the wicked buried. Indeed they came also from holiness. They went and were forgotten in the city where they did this. This also is vanity. Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Though a sinner commits crimes a hundred times, and lives long, yet surely I know that it will be better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him. But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he lengthen days like a shadow, because he doesn’t fear God.

There is a vanity which is done on the earth, that there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked. Again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. Then I commended mirth, because a man has no better thing under the sun than to eat, to drink, and to be joyful: for that will accompany him in his labor all the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.

When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on the earth (even though eyes see no sleep day or night), then I saw all the work of God, that man can’t find out the work that is done under the sun, because however much a man labors to seek it out, yet he won’t find it. Yes even though a wise man thinks he can comprehend it, he won’t be able to find it.

For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hatred, man doesn’t know it; all is before them. All things come alike to all. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good, to the clean, to the unclean, to him who sacrifices, and to him who doesn’t sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; he who takes an oath, as he who fears an oath. This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all. Yes also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead. For to him who is joined with all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know that they will die, but the dead don’t know anything, neither do they have any more a reward; for their memory is forgotten. Also their love, their hatred, and their envy has perished long ago; neither do they any longer have a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.

Go your way—eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works. Let your garments be always white, and don’t let your head lack oil. Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of vanity, which he has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity, for that is your portion in life, and in your labor in which you labor under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor plan, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where you are going.

I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all. For man also doesn’t know his time. As the fish that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly on them.

I have also seen wisdom under the sun in this way, and it seemed great to me. There was a little city, and few men within it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it. Now a poor wise man was found in it, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man. Then I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” Nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the cry of him who rules among fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroys much good.

Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer to produce an evil odor;

so does a little folly outweigh wisdom and honor.

A wise man’s heart is at his right hand,

but a fool’s heart at his left. Yes also when the fool walks by the way, his understanding fails him, and he says to everyone that he is a fool. If the spirit of the ruler rises up against you, don’t leave your place; for gentleness lays great offenses to rest.

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, the sort of error which proceeds from the ruler. Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in a low place. I have seen servants on horses, and princes walking like servants on the earth. He who digs a pit may fall into it; and whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake. Whoever carves out stones may be injured by them. Whoever splits wood may be endangered by it. If the ax is blunt, and one doesn’t sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but skill brings success.

If the snake bites before it is charmed, then is there no profit for the charmer’s tongue. The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but a fool is swallowed by his own lips. The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. A fool also multiplies words.

Man doesn’t know what will be; and that which will be after him, who can tell him? The labor of fools wearies every one of them; for he doesn’t know how to go to the city.

Woe to you, land, when your king is a child,

and your princes eat in the morning!

Happy are you, land, when your king is the son of nobles,

and your princes eat in due season,

for strength, and not for drunkenness!

By slothfulness the roof sinks in;

and through idleness of the hands the house leaks.

A feast is made for laughter,

and wine makes the life glad;

and money is the answer for all things.

Don’t curse the king, no, not in your thoughts;

and don’t curse the rich in your bedroom,

for a bird of the sky may carry your voice,

and that which has wings may tell the matter.

Cast your bread on the waters;

for you shall find it after many days.

Give a portion to seven, yes, even to eight;

for you don’t know what evil will be on the earth.

If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth;

and if a tree falls toward the south, or toward the north,

in the place where the tree falls, there shall it be.

He who observes the wind won’t sow;

and he who regards the clouds won’t reap.

As you don’t know what is the way of the wind,

nor how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child;

even so you don’t know the work of God who does all.

In the morning sow your seed,

and in the evening don’t withhold your hand;

for you don’t know which will prosper, whether this or that,

or whether they both will be equally good.

Truly the light is sweet,

and it is a pleasant thing for the eyes to see the sun.

Yes, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all;

but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many.

All that comes is vanity.

Rejoice, young man, in your youth,

and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth,

and walk in the ways of your heart,

and in the sight of your eyes;

but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

Therefore remove sorrow from your heart,

and put away evil from your flesh;

for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth,

before the evil days come, and the years draw near,

when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them;”

Before the sun, the light, the moon, and the stars are darkened,

and the clouds return after the rain;

in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble,

and the strong men shall bow themselves,

and the grinders cease because they are few,

and those who look out of the windows are darkened,

and the doors shall be shut in the street;

when the sound of the grinding is low,

and one shall rise up at the voice of a bird,

and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;

yes, they shall be afraid of heights,

and terrors will be on the way;

and the almond tree shall blossom,

and the grasshopper shall be a burden,

and desire shall fail;

because man goes to his everlasting home,

and the mourners go about the streets;

before the silver cord is severed,

or the golden bowl is broken,

or the pitcher is broken at the spring,

or the wheel broken at the cistern,

and the dust returns to the earth as it was,

and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher.

“All is vanity!”

Further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge. Yes, he pondered, sought out, and set in order many proverbs. The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written blamelessly, words of truth. The words of the wise are like goads; and like nails well fastened are words from the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. Furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

This is the end of the matter. All has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it is good, or whether it is evil.

@ 957966b6:2d4fe6b7

How the city sits solitary,

that was full of people!

She has become as a widow,

who was great among the nations!

She who was a princess among the provinces

has become a slave!

She weeps bitterly in the night.

Her tears are on her cheeks.

Among all her lovers

she has no one to comfort her.

All her friends have dealt treacherously with her.

They have become her enemies.

Judah has gone into captivity because of affliction

and because of great servitude.

She dwells among the nations.

She finds no rest.

All her persecutors overtook her in her distress.

The roads to Zion mourn,

because no one comes to the solemn assembly.

All her gates are desolate.

Her priests sigh.

Her virgins are afflicted,

and she herself is in bitterness.

Her adversaries have become the head.

Her enemies prosper;

for Yahweh has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions.

Her young children have gone into captivity before the adversary.

All majesty has departed from the daughter of Zion.

Her princes have become like deer that find no pasture.

They have gone without strength before the pursuer.

Jerusalem remembers in the days of her affliction and of her miseries

all her pleasant things that were from the days of old;

when her people fell into the hand of the adversary,

and no one helped her.

The adversaries saw her.

They mocked at her desolations.

Jerusalem has grievously sinned.

Therefore she has become unclean.

All who honored her despise her,

because they have seen her nakedness.

Yes, she sighs and turns backward.

Her filthiness was in her skirts.

She didn’t remember her latter end.

Therefore she has come down astoundingly.

She has no comforter.

“See, Yahweh, my affliction;

for the enemy has magnified himself.”

The adversary has spread out his hand on all her pleasant things;

for she has seen that the nations have entered into her sanctuary,

concerning whom you commanded that they should not enter into your assembly.

All her people sigh.

They seek bread.

They have given their pleasant things for food to refresh their soul.

“Look, Yahweh, and see,

for I have become despised.”

“Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?

Look, and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow,

which is brought on me,

with which Yahweh has afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.

“From on high has he sent fire into my bones,

and it prevails against them.

He has spread a net for my feet.

He has turned me back.

He has made me desolate and I faint all day long.

“The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand.

They are knit together.

They have come up on my neck.

He made my strength fail.

The Lord has delivered me into their hands,

against whom I am not able to stand.

“The Lord has set at nothing all my mighty men within me.

He has called a solemn assembly against me to crush my young men.

The Lord has trodden the virgin daughter of Judah as in a wine press.

“For these things I weep.

My eye, my eye runs down with water,

because the comforter who should refresh my soul is far from me.

My children are desolate,

because the enemy has prevailed.”

Zion spreads out her hands.

There is no one to comfort her.

Yahweh has commanded concerning Jacob,

that those who are around him should be his adversaries.

Jerusalem is among them as an unclean thing.

“Yahweh is righteous,

for I have rebelled against his commandment.

Please hear all you peoples,

and see my sorrow.

My virgins and my young men have gone into captivity.

“I called for my lovers,

but they deceived me.

My priests and my elders gave up the spirit in the city,

while they sought food for themselves to refresh their souls.

“Look, Yahweh; for I am in distress.

My heart is troubled.

My heart turns over within me,

for I have grievously rebelled.

Abroad, the sword bereaves.

At home, it is like death.

“They have heard that I sigh.

There is no one to comfort me.

All my enemies have heard of my trouble.

They are glad that you have done it.

You will bring the day that you have proclaimed,

and they will be like me.

“Let all their wickedness come before you.

Do to them as you have done to me for all my transgressions.

For my sighs are many,

and my heart is faint.

How has the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger!

He has cast the beauty of Israel down from heaven to the earth,

and hasn’t remembered his footstool in the day of his anger.

The Lord has swallowed up all the dwellings of Jacob

without pity.

He has thrown down in his wrath the strongholds of the daughter of Judah.

He has brought them down to the ground.

He has profaned the kingdom and its princes.

He has cut off all the horn of Israel in fierce anger.

He has drawn back his right hand from before the enemy.

He has burned up Jacob like a flaming fire,

which devours all around.

He has bent his bow like an enemy.

He has stood with his right hand as an adversary.

He has killed all that were pleasant to the eye.

In the tent of the daughter of Zion, he has poured out his wrath like fire.

The Lord has become as an enemy.

He has swallowed up Israel.

He has swallowed up all her palaces.

He has destroyed his strongholds.

He has multiplied mourning and lamentation in the daughter of Judah.

He has violently taken away his tabernacle,

as if it were a garden.

He has destroyed his place of assembly.

Yahweh has caused solemn assembly and Sabbath to be forgotten in Zion.

In the indignation of his anger, he has despised the king and the priest.

The Lord has cast off his altar.

He has abhorred his sanctuary.

He has given the walls of her palaces into the hand of the enemy.

They have made a noise in Yahweh’s house,

as in the day of a solemn assembly.

Yahweh has purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion.

He has stretched out the line.

He has not withdrawn his hand from destroying;

He has made the rampart and wall lament.

They languish together.

Her gates have sunk into the ground.

He has destroyed and broken her bars.

Her king and her princes are among the nations where the law is not.

Yes, her prophets find no vision from Yahweh.

The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground.

They keep silence.

They have cast up dust on their heads.

They have clothed themselves with sackcloth.

The virgins of Jerusalem hang down their heads to the ground.

My eyes fail with tears.

My heart is troubled.

My bile is poured on the earth,

because of the destruction of the daughter of my people,

because the young children and the infants swoon in the streets of the city.

They ask their mothers,

“Where is grain and wine?”

when they swoon as the wounded in the streets of the city,

when their soul is poured out into their mothers’ bosom.

What shall I testify to you?

What shall I liken to you, daughter of Jerusalem?

What shall I compare to you,

that I may comfort you, virgin daughter of Zion?

For your breach is as big as the sea.

Who can heal you?

Your prophets have seen false and foolish visions for you.

They have not uncovered your iniquity,

to reverse your captivity,

but have seen for you false revelations and causes of banishment.

All that pass by clap their hands at you.

They hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying,

“Is this the city that men called ‘The perfection of beauty,

the joy of the whole earth’?”

All your enemies have opened their mouth wide against you.

They hiss and gnash their teeth.

They say, “We have swallowed her up.

Certainly this is the day that we looked for.

We have found it.

We have seen it.”

Yahweh has done that which he planned.

He has fulfilled his word that he commanded in the days of old.

He has thrown down,

and has not pitied.

He has caused the enemy to rejoice over you.

He has exalted the horn of your adversaries.

Their heart cried to the Lord.

O wall of the daughter of Zion,

let tears run down like a river day and night.

Give yourself no relief.

Don’t let your eyes rest.

Arise, cry out in the night,

at the beginning of the watches!

Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord.

Lift up your hands toward him for the life of your young children,

who faint for hunger at the head of every street.

“Look, Yahweh, and see to whom you have done thus!

Should the women eat their offspring,

the children that they held and bounced on their knees?

Should the priest and the prophet be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord?

“The youth and the old man lie on the ground in the streets.

My virgins and my young men have fallen by the sword.

You have killed them in the day of your anger.

You have slaughtered, and not pitied.

“You have called, as in the day of a solemn assembly, my terrors on every side.

There was no one that escaped or remained in the day of Yahweh’s anger.

My enemy has consumed those whom I have cared for and brought up.

I am the man who has seen affliction

by the rod of his wrath.

He has led me and caused me to walk in darkness,

and not in light.

Surely he turns his hand against me

again and again all day long.

He has made my flesh and my skin old.

He has broken my bones.

He has built against me,

and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.

He has made me dwell in dark places,

as those who have been long dead.

He has walled me about, so that I can’t go out.

He has made my chain heavy.

Yes, when I cry, and call for help,

he shuts out my prayer.

He has walled up my ways with cut stone.

He has made my paths crooked.

He is to me as a bear lying in wait,

as a lion in hiding.

He has turned away my path,

and pulled me in pieces.

He has made me desolate.

He has bent his bow,

and set me as a mark for the arrow.

He has caused the shafts of his quiver to enter into my kidneys.

I have become a derision to all my people,

and their song all day long.

He has filled me with bitterness.

He has stuffed me with wormwood.

He has also broken my teeth with gravel.

He has covered me with ashes.

You have removed my soul far away from peace.

I forgot prosperity.

I said, “My strength has perished,

along with my expectation from Yahweh.”

Remember my affliction and my misery,

the wormwood and the bitterness.

My soul still remembers them,

and is bowed down within me.

This I recall to my mind;

therefore I have hope.

It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed,

because his mercies don’t fail.

They are new every morning.

Great is your faithfulness.

“Yahweh is my portion,” says my soul.

“Therefore I will hope in him.”

Yahweh is good to those who wait for him,

to the soul who seeks him.

It is good that a man should hope

and quietly wait for the salvation of Yahweh.

It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.

Let him sit alone and keep silence,

because he has laid it on him.

Let him put his mouth in the dust,

if it is so that there may be hope.

Let him give his cheek to him who strikes him.

Let him be filled full of reproach.

For the Lord will not cast off forever.

For though he causes grief,

yet he will have compassion according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.

For he does not afflict willingly,

nor grieve the children of men.

To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,

to turn away the right of a man before the face of the Most High,

to subvert a man in his cause, the Lord doesn’t approve.

Who is he who says, and it comes to pass,

when the Lord doesn’t command it?

Doesn’t evil and good come out of the mouth of the Most High?

Why should a living man complain,

a man for the punishment of his sins?

Let us search and try our ways,

and turn again to Yahweh.

Let’s lift up our heart with our hands to God in the heavens.

“We have transgressed and have rebelled.

You have not pardoned.

“You have covered us with anger and pursued us.

You have killed.

You have not pitied.

You have covered yourself with a cloud,

so that no prayer can pass through.

You have made us an off-scouring and refuse

in the middle of the peoples.

“All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.

Terror and the pit have come on us,

devastation and destruction.”

My eye runs down with streams of water,

for the destruction of the daughter of my people.

My eye pours down

and doesn’t cease,

without any intermission,

until Yahweh looks down,

and sees from heaven.

My eye affects my soul,

because of all the daughters of my city.

They have chased me relentlessly like a bird,

those who are my enemies without cause.

They have cut off my life in the dungeon,

and have cast a stone on me.

Waters flowed over my head.

I said, “I am cut off.”

I called on your name, Yahweh,

out of the lowest dungeon.

You heard my voice:

“Don’t hide your ear from my sighing,

and my cry.”

You came near in the day that I called on you.

You said, “Don’t be afraid.”

Lord, you have pleaded the causes of my soul.

You have redeemed my life.

Yahweh, you have seen my wrong.

Judge my cause.

You have seen all their vengeance

and all their plans against me.

You have heard their reproach, Yahweh,

and all their plans against me,

the lips of those that rose up against me,

and their plots against me all day long.

You see their sitting down and their rising up.

I am their song.

You will pay them back, Yahweh,

according to the work of their hands.

You will give them hardness of heart,

your curse to them.

You will pursue them in anger,

and destroy them from under the heavens of Yahweh.

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.

The precious sons of Zion,

comparable to fine gold,

how they are esteemed as earthen pitchers,

the work of the hands of the potter!

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.

The tongue of the nursing child clings to the roof of his mouth for thirst.

The young children ask for bread,

and no one breaks it for them.

Those who ate delicacies are desolate in the streets.

Those who were brought up in purple embrace dunghills.

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.

Her nobles were purer than snow.

They were whiter than milk.

They were more ruddy in body than rubies.

Their polishing was like sapphire.

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.

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.

The hands of the pitiful women have boiled their own children.

They were their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

Yahweh has accomplished his wrath.

He has poured out his fierce anger.

He has kindled a fire in Zion,

which has devoured its foundations.

The kings of the earth didn’t believe,

neither did all the inhabitants of the world,

that the adversary and the enemy would enter into the gates of Jerusalem.

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.

They wander as blind men in the streets.

They are polluted with blood,

So that men can’t touch their garments.

“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.”

Yahweh’s anger 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.

Our eyes still fail,

looking in vain for our help.

In our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save.

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.

Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the sky.

They chased us on the mountains.

They set an ambush for us in the wilderness.

The breath of our nostrils,

the anointed of Yahweh,

was taken in their pits;

of whom we said,

under his shadow we will live among the nations.

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.

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.

Remember, Yahweh, what has come on us.

Look, and see our reproach.

Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers,

our houses to aliens.

We are orphans and fatherless.

Our mothers are as widows.

We must pay for water to drink.

Our wood is sold to us.

Our pursuers are on our necks.

We are weary, and have no rest.

We have given our hands to the Egyptians,

and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.

Our fathers sinned, and are no more.

We have borne their iniquities.

Servants rule over us.

There is no one to deliver us out of their hand.

We get our bread at the peril of our lives,

because of the sword in the wilderness.

Our skin is black like an oven,

because of the burning heat of famine.

They ravished the women in Zion,

the virgins in the cities of Judah.

Princes were hanged up by their hands.

The faces of elders were not honored.

The young men carry millstones.

The children stumbled under loads of wood.

The elders have ceased from the gate,

and the young men from their music.

The joy of our heart has ceased.

Our dance is turned into mourning.

The crown has fallen from our head.

Woe to us, for we have sinned!

For this our heart is faint.

For these things our eyes are dim:

for the mountain of Zion, which is desolate.

The foxes walk on it.

You, Yahweh, remain forever.

Your throne is from generation to generation.

Why do you forget us forever,

and forsake us for so long a time?

Turn us to yourself, Yahweh, and we will be turned.

Renew our days as of old.

But you have utterly rejected us.

You are very angry against us.

@ 957966b6:2d4fe6b7

In the days when the judges judged, there was a famine in the land. A certain man of Bethlehem Judah went to live in the country of Moab with his wife and his two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem Judah. They came into the country of Moab and lived there. Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left with her two sons. They took for themselves wives of the women of Moab. The name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other was Ruth. They lived there about ten years. Mahlon and Chilion both died, and the woman was bereaved of her two children and of her husband. Then she arose with her daughters-in-law, that she might return from the country of Moab; for she had heard in the country of Moab how Yahweh had visited his people in giving them bread. She went out of the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her. They went on the way to return to the land of Judah. Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May Yahweh deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. May Yahweh grant you that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband.”

Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices, and wept. They said to her, “No, but we will return with you to your people.”

Naomi said, “Go back, my daughters. Why do you want to go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? Go back, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say, ‘I have hope,’ if I should even have a husband tonight, and should also bear sons, would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from having husbands? No, my daughters, for it grieves me seriously for your sakes, for Yahweh’s hand has gone out against me.”

They lifted up their voices and wept again; then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth stayed with her. She said, “Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her god. Follow your sister-in-law.”

Ruth said, “Don’t urge me to leave you, and to return from following you, for where you go, I will go; and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May Yahweh do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me.”

When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.

So they both went until they came to Bethlehem. When they had come to Bethlehem, all the city was excited about them, and they asked, “Is this Naomi?”

She said to them, “Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and Yahweh has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since Yahweh has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?” So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who returned out of the country of Moab. They came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.

Naomi had a relative of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech, and his name was Boaz. Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Let me now go to the field, and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I find favor.”

She said to her, “Go, my daughter.” She went, and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

Behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, “May Yahweh be with you.”

They answered him, “May Yahweh bless you.”

Then Boaz said to his servant who was set over the reapers, “Whose young lady is this?”

The servant who was set over the reapers answered, “It is the Moabite lady who came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab. She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.’ So she came, and has continued even from the morning until now, except that she rested a little in the house.”

Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Don’t go to glean in another field, and don’t go from here, but stay here close to my maidens. Let your eyes be on the field that they reap, and go after them. Haven’t I commanded the young men not to touch you? When you are thirsty, go to the vessels, and drink from that which the young men have drawn.”

Then she fell on her face and bowed herself to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your sight, that you should take knowledge of me, since I am a foreigner?”

Boaz answered her, “I have been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father, your mother, and the land of your birth, and have come to a people that you didn’t know before. May Yahweh repay your work, and a full reward be given to you from Yahweh, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”

Then she said, “Let me find favor in your sight, my lord, because you have comforted me, and because you have spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not as one of your servants.”

At meal time Boaz said to her, “Come here, and eat some bread, and dip your morsel in the vinegar.”

She sat beside the reapers, and they passed her parched grain. She ate, was satisfied, and left some of it. When she had risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and don’t reproach her. Also pull out some for her from the bundles, and leave it. Let her glean, and don’t rebuke her.”

So she gleaned in the field until evening; and she beat out that which she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. She took it up, and went into the city. Then her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned; and she brought out and gave to her that which she had left after she had enough.

Her mother-in-law said to her, “Where have you gleaned today? Where have you worked? Blessed be he who noticed you.”

She told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, “The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz.” Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by Yahweh, who has not abandoned his kindness to the living and to the dead.” Naomi said to her, “The man is a close relative to us, one of our near kinsmen.”

Ruth the Moabitess said, “Yes, he said to me, ‘You shall stay close to my young men until they have finished all my harvest.’”

Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his maidens, and that they not meet you in any other field.” So she stayed close to the maidens of Boaz, to glean to the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and she lived with her mother-in-law.

Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, shall I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you? Now isn’t Boaz our kinsman, with whose maidens you were? Behold, he will be winnowing barley tonight on the threshing floor. Therefore wash yourself, anoint yourself, get dressed, and go down to the threshing floor; but don’t make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. It shall be, when he lies down, that you shall note the place where he is lying. Then you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down. Then he will tell you what to do.”

She said to her, “All that you say, I will do.” She went down to the threshing floor, and did everything that her mother-in-law told her. When Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. She came softly, uncovered his feet, and lay down. At midnight, the man was startled and turned himself; and behold, a woman lay at his feet. He said, “Who are you?”

She answered, “I am Ruth your servant. Therefore spread the corner of your garment over your servant; for you are a near kinsman.”

He said, “You are blessed by Yahweh, my daughter. You have shown more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, because you didn’t follow young men, whether poor or rich. Now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do to you all that you say; for all the city of my people knows that you are a worthy woman. Now it is true that I am a near kinsman. However, there is a kinsman nearer than I. Stay this night, and in the morning, if he will perform for you the part of a kinsman, good. Let him do the kinsman’s duty. But if he will not do the duty of a kinsman for you, then I will do the duty of a kinsman for you, as Yahweh lives. Lie down until the morning.”

She lay at his feet until the morning, then she rose up before one could discern another. For he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” He said, “Bring the mantle that is on you, and hold it.” She held it; and he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her; then he went into the city.

When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did it go, my daughter?”

She told her all that the man had done for her. She said, “He gave me these six measures of barley; for he said, ‘Don’t go empty to your mother-in-law.’”

Then she said, “Wait, my daughter, until you know what will happen; for the man will not rest until he has settled this today.”

Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there. Behold, the near kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by. Boaz said to him, “Come over here, friend, and sit down!” He came over, and sat down. Boaz took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, “Sit down here,” and they sat down. He said to the near kinsman, “Naomi, who has come back out of the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech’s. I thought I should tell you, saying, ‘Buy it before those who sit here, and before the elders of my people.’ If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know. For there is no one to redeem it besides you; and I am after you.”

He said, “I will redeem it.”

Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must buy it also from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance.”

The near kinsman said, “I can’t redeem it for myself, lest I endanger my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption for yourself; for I can’t redeem it.”

Now this was the custom in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, to confirm all things: a man took off his sandal, and gave it to his neighbor; and this was the way of formalizing transactions in Israel. So the near kinsman said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” then he took off his sandal.

Boaz said to the elders and to all the people, “You are witnesses today, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, from the hand of Naomi. Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, I have purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his place. You are witnesses today.”

All the people who were in the gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May Yahweh make the woman who has come into your house like Rachel and like Leah, which both built the house of Israel; and treat you worthily in Ephrathah, and be famous in Bethlehem. Let your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, of the offspring which Yahweh will give you by this young woman.”

So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and he went in to her, and Yahweh enabled her to conceive, and she bore a son. The women said to Naomi, “Blessed be Yahweh, who has not left you today without a near kinsman. Let his name be famous in Israel. He shall be to you a restorer of life and sustain you in your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” Naomi took the child, laid him in her bosom, and became nurse to him. The women, her neighbors, gave him a name, saying, “A son is born to Naomi”. They named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Now this is the history of the generations of Perez: Perez became the father of Hezron, and Hezron became the father of Ram, and Ram became the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon became the father of Salmon, and Salmon became the father of Boaz, and Boaz became the father of Obed, and Obed became the father of Jesse, and Jesse became the father of David.

@ 957966b6:2d4fe6b7

The Song of songs, which is Solomon’s.

Beloved

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth;

for your love is better than wine.

Your oils have a pleasing fragrance.

Your name is oil poured out,

therefore the virgins love you.

Take me away with you.

Let’s hurry.

The king has brought me into his rooms.

Friends

We will be glad and rejoice in you.

We will praise your love more than wine!

Beloved

They are right to love you.

I am dark, but lovely,

you daughters of Jerusalem,

like Kedar’s tents,

like Solomon’s curtains.

Don’t stare at me because I am dark,

because the sun has scorched me.

My mother’s sons were angry with me.

They made me keeper of the vineyards.

I haven’t kept my own vineyard.

Tell me, you whom my soul loves,

where you graze your flock,

where you rest them at noon;

for why should I be as one who is veiled

beside the flocks of your companions?

Lover

If you don’t know, most beautiful among women,

follow the tracks of the sheep.

Graze your young goats beside the shepherds’ tents.

I have compared you, my love,

to a steed in Pharaoh’s chariots.

Your cheeks are beautiful with earrings,

your neck with strings of jewels.

Friends

We will make you earrings of gold,

with studs of silver.

Beloved

While the king sat at his table,

my perfume spread its fragrance.

My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh,

that lies between my breasts.

My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms

from the vineyards of En Gedi.

Lover

Behold, you are beautiful, my love.

Behold, you are beautiful.

Your eyes are like doves.

Beloved

Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved, yes, pleasant;

and our couch is verdant.

Lover

The beams of our house are cedars.

Our rafters are firs.

Beloved

I am a rose of Sharon,

a lily of the valleys.

Lover

As a lily among thorns,

so is my love among the daughters.

Beloved

As the apple tree among the trees of the wood,

so is my beloved among the sons.

I sat down under his shadow with great delight,

his fruit was sweet to my taste.

He brought me to the banquet hall.

His banner over me is love.

Strengthen me with raisins,

refresh me with apples;

for I am faint with love.

His left hand is under my head.

His right hand embraces me.

I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem,

by the roes, or by the hinds of the field,

that you not stir up, nor awaken love,

until it so desires.

The voice of my beloved!

Behold, he comes,

leaping on the mountains,

skipping on the hills.

My beloved is like a roe or a young deer.

Behold, he stands behind our wall!

He looks in at the windows.

He glances through the lattice.

My beloved spoke, and said to me,

“Rise up, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.

For behold, the winter is past.

The rain is over and gone.

The flowers appear on the earth.

The time of the singing has come,

and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.

The fig tree ripens her green figs.

The vines are in blossom.

They give out their fragrance.

Arise, my love, my beautiful one,

and come away.”

Lover

My dove in the clefts of the rock,

in the hiding places of the mountainside,

let me see your face.

Let me hear your voice;

for your voice is sweet and your face is lovely.

Catch for us the foxes,

the little foxes that plunder the vineyards;

for our vineyards are in blossom.

Beloved

My beloved is mine, and I am his.

He browses among the lilies.

Until the day is cool, and the shadows flee away,

turn, my beloved,

and be like a roe or a young deer on the mountains of Bether.

By night on my bed,

I sought him whom my soul loves.

I sought him, but I didn’t find him.

I will get up now, and go about the city;

in the streets and in the squares I will seek him whom my soul loves.

I sought him, but I didn’t find him.

The watchmen who go about the city found me;

“Have you seen him whom my soul loves?”

I had scarcely passed from them,

when I found him whom my soul loves.

I held him, and would not let him go,

until I had brought him into my mother’s house,

into the room of her who conceived me.

I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem,

by the roes, or by the hinds of the field,

that you not stir up nor awaken love,

until it so desires.

Who is this who comes up from the wilderness like pillars of smoke,

perfumed with myrrh and frankincense,

with all spices of the merchant?

Behold, it is Solomon’s carriage!

Sixty mighty men are around it,

of the mighty men of Israel.

They all handle the sword, and are expert in war.

Every man has his sword on his thigh,

because of fear in the night.

King Solomon made himself a carriage

of the wood of Lebanon.

He made its pillars of silver,

its bottom of gold, its seat of purple,

the middle of it being paved with love,

from the daughters of Jerusalem.

Go out, you daughters of Zion, and see King Solomon,

with the crown with which his mother has crowned him,

in the day of his weddings,

in the day of the gladness of his heart.

Lover

Behold, you are beautiful, my love.

Behold, you are beautiful.

Your eyes are like doves behind your veil.

Your hair is as a flock of goats,

that descend from Mount Gilead.

Your teeth are like a newly shorn flock,

which have come up from the washing,

where every one of them has twins.

None is bereaved among them.

Your lips are like scarlet thread.

Your mouth is lovely.

Your temples are like a piece of a pomegranate behind your veil.

Your neck is like David’s tower built for an armory,

on which a thousand shields hang,

all the shields of the mighty men.

Your two breasts are like two fawns

that are twins of a roe,

which feed among the lilies.

Until the day is cool, and the shadows flee away,

I will go to the mountain of myrrh,

to the hill of frankincense.

You are all beautiful, my love.

There is no spot in you.

Come with me from Lebanon, my bride,

with me from Lebanon.

Look from the top of Amana,

from the top of Senir and Hermon,

from the lions’ dens,

from the mountains of the leopards.

You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride.

You have ravished my heart with one of your eyes,

with one chain of your neck.

How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride!

How much better is your love than wine,

the fragrance of your perfumes than all kinds of spices!

Your lips, my bride, drip like the honeycomb.

Honey and milk are under your tongue.

The smell of your garments is like the smell of Lebanon.

My sister, my bride, is a locked up garden;

a locked up spring,

a sealed fountain.

Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates, with precious fruits,

henna with spikenard plants,

spikenard and saffron,

calamus and cinnamon, with every kind of incense tree;

myrrh and aloes, with all the best spices,

a fountain of gardens,

a well of living waters,

flowing streams from Lebanon.

Beloved

Awake, north wind, and come, you south!

Blow on my garden, that its spices may flow out.

Let my beloved come into his garden,

and taste his precious fruits.

Lover

I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride.

I have gathered my myrrh with my spice;

I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey;

I have drunk my wine with my milk.

Friends

Eat, friends!

Drink, yes, drink abundantly, beloved.

Beloved

I was asleep, but my heart was awake.

It is the voice of my beloved who knocks:

“Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled;

for my head is filled with dew,

and my hair with the dampness of the night.”

I have taken off my robe. Indeed, must I put it on?

I have washed my feet. Indeed, must I soil them?

My beloved thrust his hand in through the latch opening.

My heart pounded for him.

I rose up to open for my beloved.

My hands dripped with myrrh,

my fingers with liquid myrrh,

on the handles of the lock.

I opened to my beloved;

but my beloved left, and had gone away.

My heart went out when he spoke.

I looked for him, but I didn’t find him.

I called him, but he didn’t answer.

The watchmen who go about the city found me.

They beat me.

They bruised me.

The keepers of the walls took my cloak away from me.

I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem,

If you find my beloved,

that you tell him that I am faint with love.

Friends

How is your beloved better than another beloved,

you fairest among women?

How is your beloved better than another beloved,

that you do so adjure us?

Beloved

My beloved is white and ruddy.

The best among ten thousand.

His head is like the purest gold.

His hair is bushy, black as a raven.

His eyes are like doves beside the water brooks,

washed with milk, mounted like jewels.

His cheeks are like a bed of spices with towers of perfumes.

His lips are like lilies, dropping liquid myrrh.

His hands are like rings of gold set with beryl.

His body is like ivory work overlaid with sapphires.

His legs are like pillars of marble set on sockets of fine gold.

His appearance is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.

His mouth is sweetness;

yes, he is altogether lovely.

This is my beloved, and this is my friend,

daughters of Jerusalem.

Friends

Where has your beloved gone, you fairest among women?

Where has your beloved turned, that we may seek him with you?

Beloved

My beloved has gone down to his garden,

to the beds of spices,

to pasture his flock in the gardens, and to gather lilies.

I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.

He browses among the lilies.

Lover

You are beautiful, my love, as Tirzah,

lovely as Jerusalem,

awesome as an army with banners.

Turn away your eyes from me,

for they have overcome me.

Your hair is like a flock of goats,

that lie along the side of Gilead.

Your teeth are like a flock of ewes,

which have come up from the washing,

of which every one has twins;

not one is bereaved among them.

Your temples are like a piece of a pomegranate behind your veil.

There are sixty queens, eighty concubines,

and virgins without number.

My dove, my perfect one, is unique.

She is her mother’s only daughter.

She is the favorite one of her who bore her.

The daughters saw her, and called her blessed.

The queens and the concubines saw her, and they praised her.

Who is she who looks out as the morning,

beautiful as the moon,

clear as the sun,

and awesome as an army with banners?

I went down into the nut tree grove,

to see the green plants of the valley,

to see whether the vine budded,

and the pomegranates were in flower.

Without realizing it,

my desire set me with my royal people’s chariots.

Friends

Return, return, Shulammite!

Return, return, that we may gaze at you.

Lover

Why do you desire to gaze at the Shulammite,

as at the dance of Mahanaim?

How beautiful are your feet in sandals, prince’s daughter!

Your rounded thighs are like jewels,

the work of the hands of a skillful workman.

Your body is like a round goblet,

no mixed wine is wanting.

Your waist is like a heap of wheat,

set about with lilies.

Your two breasts are like two fawns,

that are twins of a roe.

Your neck is like an ivory tower.

Your eyes are like the pools in Heshbon by the gate of Bathrabbim.

Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon which looks toward Damascus.

Your head on you is like Carmel.

The hair of your head like purple.

The king is held captive in its tresses.

How beautiful and how pleasant you are,

love, for delights!

This, your stature, is like a palm tree,

your breasts like its fruit.

I said, “I will climb up into the palm tree.

I will take hold of its fruit.”

Let your breasts be like clusters of the vine,

the smell of your breath like apples.

Your mouth is like the best wine,

that goes down smoothly for my beloved,

gliding through the lips of those who are asleep.

Beloved

I am my beloved’s.

His desire is toward me.

Come, my beloved! Let’s go out into the field.

Let’s lodge in the villages.

Let’s go early up to the vineyards.

Let’s see whether the vine has budded,

its blossom is open,

and the pomegranates are in flower.

There I will give you my love.

The mandrakes produce fragrance.

At our doors are all kinds of precious fruits, new and old,

which I have stored up for you, my beloved.

Oh that you were like my brother,

who nursed from the breasts of my mother!

If I found you outside, I would kiss you;

yes, and no one would despise me.

I would lead you, bringing you into the house of my mother,

who would instruct me.

I would have you drink spiced wine,

of the juice of my pomegranate.

His left hand would be under my head.

His right hand would embrace me.

I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem,

that you not stir up, nor awaken love,

until it so desires.

Friends

Who is this who comes up from the wilderness,

leaning on her beloved?

Beloved

Under the apple tree I awakened you.

There your mother conceived you.

There she was in labor and bore you.

Set me as a seal on your heart,

as a seal on your arm;

for love is strong as death.

Jealousy is as cruel as Sheol.

Its flashes are flashes of fire,

a very flame of Yahweh.

Many waters can’t quench love,

neither can floods drown it.

If a man would give all the wealth of his house for love,

he would be utterly scorned.

Brothers

We have a little sister.

She has no breasts.

What shall we do for our sister

in the day when she is to be spoken for?

If she is a wall,

we will build on her a turret of silver.

If she is a door,

we will enclose her with boards of cedar.

Beloved

I am a wall, and my breasts like towers,

then I was in his eyes like one who found peace.

Solomon had a vineyard at Baal Hamon.

He leased out the vineyard to keepers.

Each was to bring a thousand shekels of silver for its fruit.

My own vineyard is before me.

The thousand are for you, Solomon,

two hundred for those who tend its fruit.

Lover

You who dwell in the gardens, with friends in attendance,

let me hear your voice!

Beloved

Come away, my beloved!

Be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices!

@ 957966b6:2d4fe6b7

A revelation, Yahweh’s word to Israel by Malachi.

“I have loved you,” says Yahweh.

Yet you say, “How have you loved us?”

“Wasn’t Esau Jacob’s brother?” says Yahweh, “Yet I loved Jacob; but Esau I hated, and made his mountains a desolation, and gave his heritage to the jackals of the wilderness.” Whereas Edom says, “We are beaten down, but we will return and build the waste places,” Yahweh of Armies says, “They shall build, but I will throw down; and men will call them ‘The Wicked Land,’ even the people against whom Yahweh shows wrath forever.”

Your eyes will see, and you will say, “Yahweh is great—even beyond the border of Israel!”

“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, then where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says Yahweh of Armies to you priests who despise my name. “You say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ You offer polluted bread on my altar. You say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ In that you say, ‘Yahweh’s table is contemptible.’ When you offer the blind for sacrifice, isn’t that evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, isn’t that evil? Present it now to your governor! Will he be pleased with you? Or will he accept your person?” says Yahweh of Armies.

“Now, please entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With this, will he accept any of you?” says Yahweh of Armies.

“Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you,” says Yahweh of Armies, “neither will I accept an offering at your hand. For from the rising of the sun even to its going down, my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering; for my name is great among the nations,” says Yahweh of Armies. “But you profane it when you say, ‘Yahweh’s table is polluted, and its fruit, even its food, is contemptible.’ You say also, ‘Behold, what a weariness it is!’ And you have sniffed at it”, says Yahweh of Armies; “and you have brought that which was taken by violence, the lame, and the sick; thus you bring the offering. Should I accept this at your hand?” says Yahweh.

“But the deceiver is cursed who has in his flock a male, and vows and sacrifices to the Lord a defective thing; for I am a great King,” says Yahweh of Armies, “and my name is awesome among the nations.”

“Now, you priests, this commandment is for you. If you will not listen, and if you will not take it to heart, to give glory to my name,” says Yahweh 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. Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and will spread dung on your faces, even the dung of your feasts; and you will be taken away with it. You will know that I have sent this commandment to you, that my covenant may be with Levi,” says Yahweh of Armies. “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. The law 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. For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of Yahweh of Armies. But you have turned away from the path. You have caused many to stumble in the law. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,” says Yahweh of Armies. “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 law. Don’t we all have one father? Hasn’t one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, profaning the covenant of our fathers? Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the holiness of Yahweh which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god. Yahweh 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 Yahweh of Armies.

“This again you do: you cover Yahweh’s altar with tears, with weeping, and with sighing, because he doesn’t regard the offering any more, neither receives it with good will at your hand. Yet you say, ‘Why?’ Because Yahweh has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and the wife of your covenant. Did he not make you one, although he had the residue of the Spirit? Why one? He sought godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. One who hates and divorces”, says Yahweh, the God of Israel, “covers his garment with violence!” says Yahweh of Armies. “Therefore pay attention to your spirit, that you don’t be unfaithful.

You have wearied Yahweh with your words. Yet you say, ‘How have we wearied him?’ In that you say, ‘Everyone who does evil is good in Yahweh’s sight, and he delights in them;’ or ‘Where is the God of justice?’

“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me! The Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple. Behold, the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, is coming!” says Yahweh of Armies. “But who can endure the day of his coming? And who will stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire, and like launderers’ soap; and he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver; and they shall offer to Yahweh offerings in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to Yahweh as in the days of old and as in ancient years.

I will come near to you to judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against the perjurers, and against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and who deprive the foreigner of justice, and don’t fear me,” says Yahweh of Armies.

“For I, Yahweh, don’t change; therefore you, sons of Jacob, are not consumed. From the days of your fathers you have turned away from my ordinances and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says Yahweh of Armies. “But you say, ‘How shall we return?’

Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with the curse; for you rob me, even this whole nation. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and test me now in this,” says Yahweh of Armies, “if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there will not be enough room for. I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast its fruit before its time in the field,” says Yahweh of Armies. “All nations shall call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,” says Yahweh of Armies.

“Your words have been harsh against me,” says Yahweh. “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against you?’ You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God,’ and ‘What profit is it that we have followed his instructions and that we have walked mournfully before Yahweh of Armies? Now we call the proud happy; yes, those who work wickedness are built up; yes, they tempt God, and escape.’

Then those who feared Yahweh spoke one with another; and Yahweh listened and heard, and a book of memory was written before him for those who feared Yahweh and who honored his name. They shall be mine,” says Yahweh of Armies, “my own possession in the day that I make. I will spare them, as a man spares his own son who serves him. Then you shall return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him who serves God and him who doesn’t serve him.

“For behold, the day comes, burning like a furnace, when all the proud and all who work wickedness will be stubble. The day that comes will burn them up,” says Yahweh of Armies, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But to you who fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings. You will go out and leap like calves of the stall. You shall tread down the wicked; for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I make,” says Yahweh of Armies.

“Remember the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded to him in Horeb for all Israel, even statutes and ordinances.

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of Yahweh comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”

@ 957966b6:2d4fe6b7

In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, Yahweh’s word came to the prophet Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, saying, “Yahweh was very displeased with your fathers. Therefore tell them, Yahweh of Armies says: ‘Return to me,’ says Yahweh of Armies, ‘and I will return to you,’ says Yahweh of Armies. Don’t you be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, saying: Yahweh of Armies says, ‘Return now from your evil ways and from your evil doings;’ but they didn’t hear nor listen to me, says Yahweh. Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? But my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, didn’t they overtake your fathers?

“Then they repented and said, ‘Just as Yahweh of Armies determined to do to us, according to our ways and according to our practices, so he has dealt with us.’”

On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, Yahweh’s word came to the prophet Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, saying, “I had a vision in the night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in a ravine; and behind him there were red, brown, and white horses. Then I asked, ‘My lord, what are these?’”

The angel who talked with me said to me, “I will show you what these are.”

The man who stood among the myrtle trees answered, “They are the ones Yahweh has sent to go back and forth through the earth.”

They reported to Yahweh’s angel who stood among the myrtle trees, and said, “We have walked back and forth through the earth, and behold, all the earth is at rest and in peace.”

Then Yahweh’s angel replied, “O Yahweh of Armies, how long will you not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which you have had indignation these seventy years?”

Yahweh answered the angel who talked with me with kind and comforting words. So the angel who talked with me said to me, “Proclaim, saying, ‘Yahweh of Armies says: “I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy. I am very angry with the nations that are at ease; for I was but a little displeased, but they added to the calamity.” Therefore Yahweh says: “I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy. My house shall be built in it,” says Yahweh of Armies, “and a line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.”’

“Proclaim further, saying, ‘Yahweh of Armies says: “My cities will again overflow with prosperity, and Yahweh will again comfort Zion, and will again choose Jerusalem.”’”

I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, four horns. I asked the angel who talked with me, “What are these?”

He answered me, “These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”

Yahweh showed me four craftsmen. Then I asked, “What are these coming to do?”

He said, “These are the horns which scattered Judah, so that no man lifted up his head; but these have come to terrify them, to cast down the horns of the nations that lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.”

I lifted up my eyes, and saw, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand. Then I asked, “Where are you going?”

He said to me, “To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length.”

Behold, the angel who talked with me went out, and another angel went out to meet him, and said to him, “Run, speak to this young man, saying, ‘Jerusalem will be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of men and livestock in it. For I,’ says Yahweh, ‘will be to her a wall of fire around it, and I will be the glory in the middle of her.

Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north,’ says Yahweh; ‘for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the sky,’ says Yahweh. ‘Come, Zion! Escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.’ For Yahweh of Armies says: ‘For honor he has sent me to the nations which plundered you; for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye. For, behold, I will shake my hand over them, and they will be a plunder to those who served them; and you will know that Yahweh of Armies has sent me. Sing and rejoice, daughter of Zion! For behold, I come and I will dwell within you,’ says Yahweh. Many nations shall join themselves to Yahweh in that day, and shall be my people; and I will dwell among you, and you shall know that Yahweh of Armies has sent me to you. Yahweh will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem. Be silent, all flesh, before Yahweh; for he has roused himself from his holy habitation!”

He showed me Joshua the high priest standing before Yahweh’s angel, and Satan standing at his right hand to be his adversary. Yahweh said to Satan, “Yahweh rebuke you, Satan! Yes, Yahweh who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Isn’t this a burning stick plucked out of the fire?”

Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the angel. He answered and spoke to those who stood before him, saying, “Take the filthy garments off him.” To him he said, “Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from you, and I will clothe you with rich clothing.”

I said, “Let them set a clean turban on his head.”

So they set a clean turban on his head, and clothed him; and Yahweh’s angel was standing by.

Yahweh’s angel solomnly assured Joshua, saying, “Yahweh of Armies says: ‘If you will walk in my ways, and if you will follow my instructions, then you also shall judge my house, and shall also keep my courts, and I will give you a place of access among these who stand by. Hear now, Joshua the high priest, you and your fellows who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign; for, behold, I will bring out my servant, the Branch. For, behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua: on one stone are seven eyes; behold, I will engrave its inscription,’ says Yahweh of Armies, ‘and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. In that day,’ says Yahweh of Armies, ‘you will invite every man his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree.’”

The angel who talked with me came again and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep. He said to me, “What do you see?”

I said, “I have seen, and behold, a lamp stand all of gold, with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps on it; there are seven pipes to each of the lamps which are on the top of it; and two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl, and the other on the left side of it.”

I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, “What are these, my lord?”

Then the angel who talked with me answered me, “Don’t you know what these are?”

I said, “No, my lord.”

Then he answered and spoke to me, saying, “This is Yahweh’s word to Zerubbabel, saying, ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says Yahweh of Armies. Who are you, great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you are a plain; and he will bring out the capstone with shouts of ‘Grace, grace, to it!’”

Moreover Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house. His hands shall also finish it; and you will know that Yahweh of Armies has sent me to you. Indeed, who despises the day of small things? For these seven shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. These are Yahweh’s eyes, which run back and forth through the whole earth.”

Then I asked him, “What are these two olive trees on the right side of the lamp stand and on the left side of it?”

I asked him the second time, “What are these two olive branches, which are beside the two golden spouts that pour the golden oil out of themselves?”

He answered me, “Don’t you know what these are?”

I said, “No, my lord.”

Then he said, “These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”

Then again I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, a flying scroll. He said to me, “What do you see?”

I answered, “I see a flying scroll; its length is twenty cubits, and its width ten cubits.”

Then he said to me, “This is the curse that goes out over the surface of the whole land, for everyone who steals shall be cut off according to it on the one side; and everyone who swears falsely shall be cut off according to it on the other side. I will cause it to go out,” says Yahweh of Armies, “and it will enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him who swears falsely by my name; and it will remain in the middle of his house, and will destroy it with its timber and its stones.”

Then the angel who talked with me came forward and said to me, “Lift up now your eyes and see what this is that is appearing.”

I said, “What is it?”

He said, “This is the ephah basket that is appearing.” He said moreover, “This is their appearance in all the land— and behold, a lead cover weighing one talent was lifted up—and there was a woman sitting in the middle of the ephah basket.” He said, “This is Wickedness;” and he threw her down into the middle of the ephah basket; and he threw the lead weight on its mouth.

Then I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, there were two women; and the wind was in their wings. Now they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the ephah basket between earth and the sky. Then I said to the angel who talked with me, “Where are these carrying the ephah basket?”

He said to me, “To build her a house in the land of Shinar. When it is prepared, she will be set there in her own place.”

Again I lifted up my eyes, and saw, and behold, four chariots came out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of bronze. In the first chariot were red horses. In the second chariot were black horses. In the third chariot were white horses. In the fourth chariot were dappled horses, all of them powerful. Then I asked the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”

The angel answered me, “These are the four winds of the sky, which go out from standing before the Lord of all the earth. The one with the black horses goes out toward the north country; and the white went out after them; and the dappled went out toward the south country.” The strong went out, and sought to go that they might walk back and forth through the earth. He said, “Go around and through the earth!” So they walked back and forth through the earth.

Then he called to me, and spoke to me, saying, “Behold, those who go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country.”

Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, “Take of them of the captivity, even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah; and come the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, where they have come from Babylon. Yes, take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and speak to him, saying, ‘Yahweh of Armies says, “Behold, the man whose name is the Branch! He will grow up out of his place; and he will build Yahweh’s temple. He will build Yahweh’s temple. He will bear the glory, and will sit and rule on his throne. He will be a priest on his throne. The counsel of peace will be between them both. The crowns shall be to Helem, to Tobijah, to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in Yahweh’s temple.

Those who are far off shall come and build in Yahweh’s temple; and you shall know that Yahweh of Armies has sent me to you. This will happen, if you will diligently obey Yahweh your God’s voice.”’”

In the fourth year of King Darius, Yahweh’s word came to Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, the month of Chislev. The people of Bethel sent Sharezer and Regem Melech and their men to entreat Yahweh’s favor, and to speak to the priests of the house of Yahweh of Armies and to the prophets, saying, “Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?”

Then the word of Yahweh of Armies came to me, saying, “Speak to all the people of the land and to the priests, saying, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh month for these seventy years, did you at all fast to me, really to me? When you eat and when you drink, don’t you eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves? Aren’t these the words which Yahweh proclaimed by the former prophets when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and its cities around her, and the South and the lowland were inhabited?’”

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

The word of Yahweh of Armies came to me. Yahweh of Armies says: “I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath.”

Yahweh says: “I have returned to Zion, and will dwell in the middle of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called ‘The City of Truth;’ and the mountain of Yahweh of Armies, ‘The Holy Mountain.’”

Yahweh of Armies says: “Old men and old women will again dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, every man with his staff in his hand because of their old age. The streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.”

Yahweh of Armies says: “If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvelous in my eyes?” says Yahweh of Armies.

Yahweh of Armies says: “Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country. I will bring them, and they will dwell within Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.”

Yahweh of Armies says: “Let your hands be strong, you who hear in these days these words from the mouth of the prophets who were in the day that the foundation of the house of Yahweh of Armies was laid, even the temple, that it might be built. For before those days there was no wages for man nor any wages for an animal, neither was there any peace to him who went out or came in, because of the adversary. For I set all men everyone against his neighbor. But now I will not be to the remnant of this people as in the former days,” says Yahweh of Armies. “For the seed of peace and the vine will yield its fruit, and the ground will give its increase, and the heavens will give their dew. I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things. It shall come to pass that, as you were a curse among the nations, house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Don’t be afraid. Let your hands be strong.”

For Yahweh of Armies says: “As I thought to do evil to you when your fathers provoked me to wrath,” says Yahweh of Armies, “and I didn’t repent, so again I have thought in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Don’t be afraid. These are the things that you shall do: speak every man the truth with his neighbor. Execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates, and let none of you devise evil in your hearts against his neighbor, and love no false oath; for all these are things that I hate,” says Yahweh.

The word of Yahweh of Armies came to me. Yahweh of Armies says: “The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months shall be for the house of Judah joy, gladness, and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace.”

Yahweh of Armies says: “Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come. The inhabitants of one will go to another, saying, ‘Let’s go speedily to entreat the favor of Yahweh, and to seek Yahweh of Armies. I will go also.’ Yes, many peoples and strong nations will come to seek Yahweh of Armies in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of Yahweh.” Yahweh of Armies says: “In those days, ten men out of all the languages of the nations will take hold of the skirt of him who is a Jew, saying, ‘We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”

A revelation.

Yahweh’s word is against the land of Hadrach,

and will rest upon Damascus—

for the eye of man

and of all the tribes of Israel is toward Yahweh—

and Hamath, also, which borders on it,

Tyre and Sidon, because they are very wise.

Tyre built herself a stronghold,

and heaped up silver like the dust,

and fine gold like the mire of the streets.

Behold, the Lord will dispossess her,

and he will strike her power in the sea;

and she will be devoured with fire.

Ashkelon will see it, and fear;

Gaza also, and will writhe in agony;

as will Ekron, for her expectation will be disappointed;

and the king will perish from Gaza,

and Ashkelon will not be inhabited.

Foreigners will dwell in Ashdod,

and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.

I will take away his blood out of his mouth,

and his abominations from between his teeth;

and he also will be a remnant for our God;

and he will be as a chieftain in Judah,

and Ekron as a Jebusite.

I will encamp around my house against the army,

that no one pass through or return;

and no oppressor will pass through them any more:

for now I have seen with my eyes.

Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion!

Shout, daughter of Jerusalem!

Behold, your King comes to you!

He is righteous, and having salvation;

lowly, and riding on a donkey,

even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim

and the horse from Jerusalem.

The battle bow will be cut off;

and he will speak peace to the nations.

His dominion will be from sea to sea,

and from the River to the ends of the earth.

As for you also,

because of the blood of your covenant,

I have set free your prisoners from the pit in which is no water.

Turn to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope!

Even today I declare that I will restore double to you.

For indeed I bend Judah as a bow for me.

I have loaded the bow with Ephraim.

I will stir up your sons, Zion,

against your sons, Greece,

and will make you like the sword of a mighty man.

Yahweh will be seen over them.

His arrow will flash like lightning.

The Lord Yahweh will blow the trumpet,

and will go with whirlwinds of the south.

Yahweh of Armies will defend them.

They will destroy and overcome with sling stones.

They will drink, and roar as through wine.

They will be filled like bowls,

like the corners of the altar.

Yahweh their God will save them in that day as the flock of his people;

for they are like the jewels of a crown,

lifted on high over his land.

For how great is his goodness,

and how great is his beauty!

Grain will make the young men flourish,

and new wine the virgins.

Ask of Yahweh rain in the spring time,

Yahweh who makes storm clouds,

and he gives rain showers to everyone for the plants in the field.

For the teraphim have spoken vanity,

and the diviners have seen a lie;

and they have told false dreams.

They comfort in vain.

Therefore they go their way like sheep.

They are oppressed, because there is no shepherd.

My anger is kindled against the shepherds,

and I will punish the male goats,

for Yahweh of Armies has visited his flock, the house of Judah,

and will make them as his majestic horse in the battle.

From him will come the cornerstone,

from him the tent peg,

from him the battle bow,

from him every ruler together.

They will be as mighty men,

treading down muddy streets in the battle.

They will fight, because Yahweh is with them.

The riders on horses will be confounded.

“I will strengthen the house of Judah,

and I will save the house of Joseph.

I will bring them back,

for I have mercy on them.

They will be as though I had not cast them off,

for I am Yahweh their God, and I will hear them.

Ephraim will be like a mighty man,

and their heart will rejoice as through wine.

Yes, their children will see it and rejoice.

Their heart will be glad in Yahweh.

I will signal for them and gather them,

for I have redeemed them.

They will increase as they were before.

I will sow them among the peoples.

They will remember me in far countries.

They will live with their children and will return.

I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt,

and gather them out of Assyria.

I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon;

and there won’t be room enough for them.

He will pass through the sea of affliction,

and will strike the waves in the sea,

and all the depths of the Nile will dry up;

and the pride of Assyria will be brought down,

and the scepter of Egypt will depart.

I will strengthen them in Yahweh.

They will walk up and down in his name,” says Yahweh.

Open your doors, Lebanon,

that the fire may devour your cedars.

Wail, cypress tree, for the cedar has fallen,

because the stately ones are destroyed.

Wail, you oaks of Bashan,

for the strong forest has come down.

A voice of the wailing of the shepherds!

For their glory is destroyed—a voice of the roaring of young lions!

For the pride of the Jordan is ruined.

Yahweh my God says: “Feed the flock of slaughter. Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be Yahweh, for I am rich;’ and their own shepherds don’t pity them. For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land,” says Yahweh; “but, behold, I will deliver every one of the men into his neighbor’s hand and into the hand of his king. They will strike the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them.”

So I fed the flock to be slaughtered, especially the oppressed of the flock. I took for myself two staffs. The one I called “Favor” and the other I called “Union”, and I fed the flock. I cut off the three shepherds in one month; for my soul was weary of them, and their soul also loathed me. Then I said, “I will not feed you. That which dies, let it die; and that which is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let those who are left eat each other’s flesh.” I took my staff Favor and cut it apart, that I might break my covenant that I had made with all the peoples. It was broken in that day; and thus the poor of the flock that listened to me knew that it was Yahweh’s word. I said to them, “If you think it best, give me my wages; and if not, keep them.” So they weighed for my wages thirty pieces of silver. Yahweh said to me, “Throw it to the potter—the handsome price that I was valued at by them!” I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter in Yahweh’s house. Then I cut apart my other staff, Union, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

Yahweh said to me, “Take for yourself yet again the equipment of a foolish shepherd. For, behold, I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will not visit those who are cut off, neither will seek those who are scattered, nor heal that which is broken, nor feed that which is sound; but he will eat the meat of the fat sheep, and will tear their hoofs in pieces. Woe to the worthless shepherd who leaves the flock! The sword will strike his arm and his right eye. His arm will be completely withered, and his right eye will be totally blinded!”

A revelation of Yahweh’s word concerning Israel: Yahweh, who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him says: “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of reeling to all the surrounding peoples, and it will also be on Judah in the siege against Jerusalem. It will happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all the peoples. All who burden themselves with it will be severely wounded, and all the nations of the earth will be gathered together against it. In that day,” says Yahweh, “I will strike every horse with terror and his rider with madness. I will open my eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. The chieftains of Judah will say in their heart, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in Yahweh of Armies their God.’

In that day I will make the chieftains of Judah like a pan of fire among wood, and like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left; and Jerusalem will yet again dwell in their own place, even in Jerusalem.

Yahweh also will save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of David’s house and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem not be magnified above Judah. In that day Yahweh will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem. He who is feeble among them at that day will be like David, and David’s house will be like God, like Yahweh’s angel before them. It will happen in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

I will pour on David’s house and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplication. They will look to me whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for him as one mourns for his only son, and will grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for his firstborn. In that day there will be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo. The land will mourn, every family apart; the family of David’s house apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of the Shimeites apart, and their wives apart; all the families who remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.

“In that day there will be a fountain opened to David’s house and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.

It will come to pass in that day, says Yahweh of Armies, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they will be remembered no more. I will also cause the prophets and the spirit of impurity to pass out of the land. It will happen that when anyone still prophesies, then his father and his mother who bore him will tell him, ‘You must die, because you speak lies in Yahweh’s name;’ and his father and his mother who bore him will stab him when he prophesies. It will happen in that day that the prophets will each be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies; they won’t wear a hairy mantle to deceive, but he will say, ‘I am no prophet, I am a tiller of the ground; for I have been made a bondservant from my youth.’ One will say to him, ‘What are these wounds between your arms?’ Then he will answer, ‘Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.’

“Awake, sword, against my shepherd,

and against the man who is close to me,” says Yahweh of Armies.

“Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered;

and I will turn my hand against the little ones.

It shall happen that in all the land,” says Yahweh,

“two parts in it will be cut off and die;

but the third will be left in it.

I will bring the third part into the fire,

and will refine them as silver is refined,

and will test them like gold is tested.

They will call on my name, and I will hear them.

I will say, ‘It is my people;’

and they will say, ‘Yahweh is my God.’”

Behold, a day of Yahweh comes, when your plunder will be divided within you. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city will be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city will go out into captivity, and the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. Then Yahweh will go out and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. His feet will stand in that day on the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, making a very great valley. Half of the mountain will move toward the north, and half of it toward the south. You shall flee by the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azel. Yes, you shall flee, just like you fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Yahweh my God will come, and all the holy ones with you.

It will happen in that day that there will not be light, cold, or frost. It will be a unique day which is known to Yahweh—not day, and not night; but it will come to pass that at evening time there will be light.

It will happen in that day that living waters will go out from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea, and half of them toward the western sea. It will be so in summer and in winter.

Yahweh will be King over all the earth. In that day Yahweh will be one, and his name one.

All the land will be made like the Arabah, from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem; and she will be lifted up and will dwell in her place, from Benjamin’s gate to the place of the first gate, to the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananel to the king’s wine presses. Men will dwell therein, and there will be no more curse; but Jerusalem will dwell safely.

This will be the plague with which Yahweh will strike all the peoples who have fought against Jerusalem: their flesh will consume away while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will consume away in their sockets, and their tongue will consume away in their mouth. It will happen in that day that a great panic from Yahweh will be among them; and they will each seize the hand of his neighbor, and his hand will rise up against the hand of his neighbor. Judah also will fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the surrounding nations will be gathered together: gold, silver, and clothing, in great abundance.

A plague like this will fall on the horse, on the mule, on the camel, on the donkey, and on all the animals that will be in those camps.

It will happen that everyone who is left of all the nations that came against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, Yahweh of Armies, and to keep the feast of booths. It will be that whoever of all the families of the earth doesn’t go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, Yahweh of Armies, on them there will be no rain. If the family of Egypt doesn’t go up and doesn’t come, neither will it rain on them. This will be the plague with which Yahweh will strike the nations that don’t go up to keep the feast of booths. This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that don’t go up to keep the feast of booths.

In that day there will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, “HOLY TO YAHWEH”; and the pots in Yahweh’s house will be like the bowls before the altar. Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be holy to Yahweh of Armies; and all those who sacrifice will come and take of them, and cook in them. In that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of Yahweh of Armies.