Graves Into Gardens Biblical Review

⁸I 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. ⁹So I was great, and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me. ¹⁰Whatever 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. ¹¹Then 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. ¹²I turned myself to consider wisdom, madness, and folly; for what can the king’s successor do? Just that which has been done long ago. ¹³Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness.

¹⁷But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, ¹⁸so that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. ¹⁹“Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; ²⁰but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal; ²¹for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ²²“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light. ²³But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

¹¹The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. So where do you get that living water? ¹²Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his children and his livestock?” ¹³Jesus answered her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, ¹⁴but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” ¹⁵The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I don’t get thirsty, neither come all the way here to draw.” ¹⁶Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”

³³For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world.” ³⁴They said therefore to him, “Lord, always give us this bread.” ³⁵Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will not be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. ³⁶But I told you that you have seen me, and yet you don’t believe. ³⁷All those whom the Father gives me will come to me. He who comes to me I will in no way throw out.

⁶Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. ⁷He led them also by a straight way, that they might go to a city to live in. ⁸Let them praise the LORD for his loving kindness, for his wonderful deeds to the children of men! ⁹For he satisfies the longing soul. He fills the hungry soul with good. ¹⁰Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron, ¹¹because they rebelled against the words of God, and condemned the counsel of the Most High.

⁸Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. ⁹Withstand him steadfast in your faith, knowing that your brothers who are in the world are undergoing the same sufferings. ¹⁰But 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. ¹¹To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. ¹²Through 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.

⁵circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; ⁶concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless. ⁷However, I consider those things that were gain to me as a loss for Christ. ⁸Yes 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 ⁹and 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, ¹⁰that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death,

⁴and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; ⁵and hope doesn’t disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. ⁶For while we were yet weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷For one will hardly die for a righteous man. Yet perhaps for a good person someone would even dare to die. ⁸But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we will be saved from God’s wrath through him. ¹⁰For 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.

¹¹I have spoken these things to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be made full. ¹²“This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you. ¹³Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴You are my friends if you do whatever I command you. ¹⁵No longer do I call you servants, for the servant doesn’t know what his lord does. But I have called you friends, for everything that I heard from my Father, I have made known to you. ¹⁶You didn’t choose me, but I chose you and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you will ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you. ¹⁷“I command these things to you, that you may love one another.

¹¹For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his loving kindness toward those who fear him. ¹²As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. ¹³Like a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him. ¹⁴For he knows how we are made. He remembers that we are dust. ¹⁵As for man, his days are like grass. As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. ¹⁶For the wind passes over it, and it is gone. Its place remembers it no more.

⁵circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; ⁶concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless. ⁷However, I consider those things that were gain to me as a loss for Christ. ⁸Yes 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 ⁹and 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, ¹⁰that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death,

⁹“What profit is there in my destruction, if I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise you? Shall it declare your truth? ¹⁰Hear, LORD, and have mercy on me. LORD, be my helper.” ¹¹You have turned my mourning into dancing for me. You have removed my sackcloth, and clothed me with gladness, ¹²to the end that my heart may sing praise to you, and not be silent. LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

¹The Lord GOD’s Spirit is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the humble. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to those who are bound, ²to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, ³to provide for those who mourn in Zion, to give to them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified. ⁴They will rebuild the old ruins. They will raise up the former devastated places. They will repair the ruined cities that have been devastated for many generations. ⁵Strangers will stand and feed your flocks. Foreigners will work your fields and your vineyards.

⁸Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. ⁹Withstand him steadfast in your faith, knowing that your brothers who are in the world are undergoing the same sufferings. ¹⁰But 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. ¹¹To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. ¹²Through 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.

²³Nevertheless, I am continually with you. You have held my right hand. ²⁴You will guide me with your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. ²⁵Whom do I have in heaven? There is no one on earth whom I desire besides you. ²⁶My flesh and my heart fails, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. ²⁷For, behold, those who are far from you shall perish. You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to you. ²⁸But it is good for me to come close to God. I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.

⁵circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; ⁶concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless. ⁷However, I consider those things that were gain to me as a loss for Christ. ⁸Yes 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 ⁹and 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, ¹⁰that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death,

¹A Poem by David. Preserve me, God, for I take refuge in you. ²My soul, you have said to the LORD, “You are my Lord. Apart from you I have no good thing.” ³As for the saints who are on the earth, they are the excellent ones in whom is all my delight. ⁴Their sorrows shall be multiplied who give gifts to another god. Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer, nor take their names on my lips.

¹The LORD’s hand was on me, and he brought me out in the LORD’s Spirit, and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. ²He caused me to pass by them all around; and behold, there were very many in the open valley, and behold, they were very dry. ³He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I answered, “Lord GOD, you know.” ⁴Again he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and tell them, ‘You dry bones, hear the LORD’s word. ⁵The Lord GOD says to these bones: “Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and you will live. ⁶I will lay sinews on you, and will bring up flesh on you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you will live. Then you will know that I am the LORD.”’” ⁷So I prophesied as I was commanded. As I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, there was an earthquake. Then the bones came together, bone to its bone. ⁸I saw, and, behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh came up, and skin covered them above; but there was no breath in them. ⁹Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the wind, prophesy, son of man, and tell the wind, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Come from the four winds, breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”’” ¹⁰So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up on their feet, an exceedingly great army. ¹¹Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost. We are completely cut off.’ ¹²Therefore prophesy, and tell them, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Behold, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, my people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel.

¹⁹The angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them, and stood behind them. ²⁰It came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. There was the cloud and the darkness, yet it gave light by night. One didn’t come near the other all night. ²¹Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. ²²The children of Israel went into the middle of the sea on the dry ground; and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. ²³The Egyptians pursued, and went in after them into the middle of the sea: all of Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. ²⁴In the morning watch, the LORD looked out on the Egyptian army through the pillar of fire and of cloud, and confused the Egyptian army.

²³Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” ²⁴Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” ²⁵Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies. ²⁶Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” ²⁷She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, God’s Son, he who comes into the world.” ²⁸When she had said this, she went away and called Mary, her sister, secretly, saying, “The Teacher is here and is calling you.”

⁹They 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, ¹⁰and made us kings and priests to our God; and we will reign on the earth.” ¹¹I 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, ¹²saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who has been killed to receive the power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing!” ¹³I 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!” ¹⁴The four living creatures said, “Amen!” Then the elders fell down and worshiped.

¹⁶The LORD, who makes a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters, ¹⁷who brings out the chariot and horse, the army and the mighty man (they lie down together, they shall not rise; they are extinct, they are quenched like a wick) says: ¹⁸“Don’t remember the former things, and don’t consider the things of old. ¹⁹Behold, I will do a new thing. It springs out now. Don’t you know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. ²⁰The animals of the field, the jackals and the ostriches, shall honor me, because I give water in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen, ²¹the people which I formed for myself, that they might declare my praise.

²⁶In 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. ²⁷He who searches the hearts knows what is on the Spirit’s mind, because he makes intercession for the saints according to God. ²⁸We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose. ²⁹For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. ³⁰Whom he predestined, those he also called. Whom he called, those he also justified. Whom he justified, those he also glorified.

¹⁷‘You shall tell Joseph, “Now please forgive the disobedience of your brothers, and their sin, because they did evil to you.”’ Now, please forgive the disobedience of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. ¹⁸His brothers also went and fell down before his face; and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.” ¹⁹Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for am I in the place of God? ²⁰As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to save many people alive, as is happening today. ²¹Now therefore don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones.” He comforted them, and spoke kindly to them. ²²Joseph lived in Egypt, he, and his father’s house. Joseph lived one hundred ten years.

¹The Lord GOD’s Spirit is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the humble. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to those who are bound, ²to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, ³to provide for those who mourn in Zion, to give to them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified. ⁴They will rebuild the old ruins. They will raise up the former devastated places. They will repair the ruined cities that have been devastated for many generations. ⁵Strangers will stand and feed your flocks. Foreigners will work your fields and your vineyards.

¹The LORD’s hand was on me, and he brought me out in the LORD’s Spirit, and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. ²He caused me to pass by them all around; and behold, there were very many in the open valley, and behold, they were very dry. ³He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I answered, “Lord GOD, you know.” ⁴Again he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and tell them, ‘You dry bones, hear the LORD’s word. ⁵The Lord GOD says to these bones: “Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and you will live. ⁶I will lay sinews on you, and will bring up flesh on you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you will live. Then you will know that I am the LORD.”’” ⁷So I prophesied as I was commanded. As I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, there was an earthquake. Then the bones came together, bone to its bone. ⁸I saw, and, behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh came up, and skin covered them above; but there was no breath in them. ⁹Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the wind, prophesy, son of man, and tell the wind, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Come from the four winds, breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”’” ¹⁰So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up on their feet, an exceedingly great army. ¹¹Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost. We are completely cut off.’ ¹²Therefore prophesy, and tell them, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Behold, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, my people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel.

¹⁹The angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them, and stood behind them. ²⁰It came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. There was the cloud and the darkness, yet it gave light by night. One didn’t come near the other all night. ²¹Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. ²²The children of Israel went into the middle of the sea on the dry ground; and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. ²³The Egyptians pursued, and went in after them into the middle of the sea: all of Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. ²⁴In the morning watch, the LORD looked out on the Egyptian army through the pillar of fire and of cloud, and confused the Egyptian army.

¹The LORD’s hand was on me, and he brought me out in the LORD’s Spirit, and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. ²He caused me to pass by them all around; and behold, there were very many in the open valley, and behold, they were very dry. ³He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I answered, “Lord GOD, you know.” ⁴Again he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and tell them, ‘You dry bones, hear the LORD’s word. ⁵The Lord GOD says to these bones: “Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and you will live. ⁶I will lay sinews on you, and will bring up flesh on you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you will live. Then you will know that I am the LORD.”’” ⁷So I prophesied as I was commanded. As I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, there was an earthquake. Then the bones came together, bone to its bone. ⁸I saw, and, behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh came up, and skin covered them above; but there was no breath in them. ⁹Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the wind, prophesy, son of man, and tell the wind, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Come from the four winds, breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”’” ¹⁰So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up on their feet, an exceedingly great army. ¹¹Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost. We are completely cut off.’ ¹²Therefore prophesy, and tell them, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Behold, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, my people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel.

¹⁹The angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them, and stood behind them. ²⁰It came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. There was the cloud and the darkness, yet it gave light by night. One didn’t come near the other all night. ²¹Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. ²²The children of Israel went into the middle of the sea on the dry ground; and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. ²³The Egyptians pursued, and went in after them into the middle of the sea: all of Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. ²⁴In the morning watch, the LORD looked out on the Egyptian army through the pillar of fire and of cloud, and confused the Egyptian army.

²³Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” ²⁴Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” ²⁵Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies. ²⁶Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” ²⁷She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, God’s Son, he who comes into the world.” ²⁸When she had said this, she went away and called Mary, her sister, secretly, saying, “The Teacher is here and is calling you.”

³For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴who desires all people to be saved and come to full knowledge of the truth. ⁵For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶who gave himself as a ransom for all, the testimony at the proper time, ⁷to 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.