The  Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground – trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

And out of the ground the  Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

To the woman he said,

‘I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;
with painful labor you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband,
and he will rule over you.’

To the woman he said,

“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
in pain you shall bring forth children.
Your desire shall be for your husband,
and he shall rule over you.”

If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.’

If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”

Then Rebekah took the best clothes of her elder son Esau, which she had in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob.

Then Rebekah took the best garments of Esau her older son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son.

But Hamor said to them, ‘My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife.

But Hamor spoke with them, saying, “The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him to be his wife.

‘You shall not covet your neighbour’s house. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.’

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

All the posts around the courtyard are to have silver bands and hooks, and bronze bases.

All the pillars around the court shall be filleted with silver. Their hooks shall be of silver, and their bases of bronze.

I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your territory, and no one will covet your land when you go up three times each year to appear before the  Lord your God.

For I will cast out nations before you and enlarge your borders; no one shall covet your land, when you go up to appear before the  Lord your God three times in the year.

The bases for the posts were bronze. The hooks and bands on the posts were silver, and their tops were overlaid with silver; so all the posts of the courtyard had silver bands.

And the bases for the pillars were of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver. The overlaying of their capitals was also of silver, and all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver.

They used the 1,775 shekels to make the hooks for the posts, to overlay the tops of the posts, and to make their bands.

And of the 1,775 shekels he made hooks for the pillars and overlaid their capitals and made fillets for them.

The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, ‘If only we had meat to eat!

Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, “Oh that we had meat to eat!

Therefore the place was named Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had craved other food.

Therefore the name of that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had the craving.

‘You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbour’s house or land, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.’

“‘And you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. And you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.’

The  Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.

It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the  Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples,

The images of their gods you are to burn in the fire. Do not covet the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it, for it is detestable to the  Lord your God.

The carved images of their gods you shall burn with fire. You shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, lest you be ensnared by it, for it is an abomination to the  Lord your God.

Yet the  Lord set his affection on your ancestors and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations – as it is today.

Yet the  Lord set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day.

Nevertheless, you may slaughter your animals in any of your towns and eat as much of the meat as you want, as if it were gazelle or deer, according to the blessing the  Lord your God gives you. Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat it.

“However, you may slaughter and eat meat within any of your towns, as much as you desire according to the blessing of the  Lord your God that he has given you. The unclean and the clean may eat of it, as of the gazelle and as of the deer.

When the  Lord your God has enlarged your territory as he promised you, and you crave meat and say, ‘I would like some meat,’ then you may eat as much of it as you want.

“When the  Lord your God enlarges your territory as he has promised you, and you say, ‘I will eat meat,’ because you crave meat, you may eat meat whenever you desire.

If the place where the  Lord your God chooses to put his Name is too far away from you, you may slaughter animals from the herds and flocks the  Lord has given you, as I have commanded you, and in your own towns you may eat as much of them as you want.

If the place that the  Lord your God will choose to put his name there is too far from you, then you may kill any of your herd or your flock, which the  Lord has given you, as I have commanded you, and you may eat within your towns whenever you desire.

Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the  Lord your God and rejoice.

and spend the money for whatever you desire—oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. And you shall eat there before the  Lord your God and rejoice, you and your household.

If a Levite moves from one of your towns anywhere in Israel where he is living, and comes in all earnestness to the place the  Lord will choose,

“And if a Levite comes from any of your towns out of all Israel where he lives—and he may come when he desires — to the place that the  Lord will choose,

if you notice among the captives a beautiful woman and are attracted to her, you may take her as your wife.

and you see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you desire to take her to be your wife,

when I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.’

when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”

If the person said to him, ‘Let the fat be burned first, and then take whatever you want,’ the servant would answer, ‘No, hand it over now; if you don’t, I’ll take it by force.’

And if the man said to him, “Let them burn the fat first, and then take as much as you wish,” he would say, “No, you must give it now, and if not, I will take it by force.”

As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and your whole family line?’

As for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not set your mind on them, for they have been found. And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you and for all your father’s house?”

But Samuel replied:

‘Does the  Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the  Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

And Samuel said,

“Has the  Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the  Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to listen than the fat of rams.

Saul replied, ‘Say to David, “The king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.”’ Saul’s plan was for David to fall by the hands of the Philistines.

Then Saul said, “Thus shall you say to David, ‘The king desires no bride-price except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, that he may be avenged of the king’s enemies.’” Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

Now, Your Majesty, come down whenever it pleases you to do so, and we will be responsible for giving him into your hands.’

Now come down, O king, according to all your heart’s desire to come down and our part shall be to surrender him into the king’s hand.”

Then Abner said to David, ‘Let me go at once and assemble all Israel for my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires.’ So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

And Abner said to David, “I will arise and go and will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may reign over all that your heart desires.” So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

‘If my house were not right with God,
surely he would not have made with me an everlasting covenant,
arranged and secured in every part;
surely he would not bring to fruition my salvation
and grant me my every desire.

“For does not my house stand so with God?
For he has made with me an everlasting covenant,
ordered in all things and secure.
For will he not cause to prosper
all my help and my desire?

David longed for water and said, ‘Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!’

And David said longingly, “Oh, that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!”

So Hiram sent word to Solomon:

‘I have received the message you sent me and will do all you want in providing the cedar and juniper logs.

And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, “I have heard the message that you have sent to me. I am ready to do all you desire in the matter of cedar and cypress timber.

My men will haul them down from Lebanon to the Mediterranean Sea, and I will float them as rafts by sea to the place you specify. There I will separate them and you can take them away. And you are to grant my wish by providing food for my royal household.’

My servants shall bring it down to the sea from Lebanon, and I will make it into rafts to go by sea to the place you direct. And I will have them broken up there, and you shall receive it. And you shall meet my wishes by providing food for my household.”

In this way Hiram kept Solomon supplied with all the cedar and juniper logs he wanted,

So Hiram supplied Solomon with all the timber of cedar and cypress that he desired,

When Solomon had finished building the temple of the  Lord and the royal palace, and had achieved all he had desired to do,

As soon as Solomon had finished building the house of the  Lord and the king’s house and all that Solomon desired to build,

King Solomon gave twenty towns in Galilee to Hiram king of Tyre, because Hiram had supplied him with all the cedar and juniper and gold he wanted.

and Hiram king of Tyre had supplied Solomon with cedar and cypress timber and gold, as much as he desired, King Solomon gave to Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.

as well as all his store cities and the towns for his chariots and for his horses – whatever he desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon and throughout all the territory he ruled.

and all the store cities that Solomon had, and the cities for his chariots, and the cities for his horsemen, and whatever Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.

King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for, besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty. Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country.

And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all that she desired, whatever she asked besides what was given her by the bounty of King Solomon. So she turned and went back to her own land with her servants.

However, as for you, I will take you, and you will rule over all that your heart desires; you will be king over Israel.

And I will take you, and you shall reign over all that your soul desires, and you shall be king over Israel.

But about this time tomorrow I am going to send my officials to search your palace and the houses of your officials. They will seize everything you value and carry it away.”’

Nevertheless I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they shall search your house and the houses of your servants and lay hands on whatever pleases you and take it away.’”

David longed for water and said, ‘Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!’

And David said longingly, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!”

as well as Baalath and all his store cities, and all the cities for his chariots and for his horses – whatever he desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon and throughout all the territory that he ruled.

and Baalath, and all the store cities that Solomon had and all the cities for his chariots and the cities for his horsemen, and whatever Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.

King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for; he gave her more than she had brought to him. Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country.

And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all that she desired, whatever she asked besides what she had brought to the king. So she turned and went back to her own land with her servants.

So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothing and also articles of value – more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it.

When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil, they found among them, in great numbers, goods, clothing, and precious things, which they took for themselves until they could carry no more. They were three days in taking the spoil, it was so much.

Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for eight years. He passed away, to no one’s regret, and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he departed with no one’s regret. They buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

Hezekiah had very great wealth and honour, and he made treasuries for his silver and gold and for his precious stones, spices, shields and all kinds of valuables.

And Hezekiah had very great riches and honor, and he made for himself treasuries for silver, for gold, for precious stones, for spices, for shields, and for all kinds of costly vessels;

In the spring, King Nebuchadnezzar sent for him and brought him to Babylon, together with articles of value from the temple of the  Lord, and he made Jehoiachin’s uncle, Zedekiah, king over Judah and Jerusalem.

In the spring of the year King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, with the precious vessels of the house of the  Lord, and made his brother Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem.

They set fire to God’s temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there.

And they burned the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem and burned all its palaces with fire and destroyed all its precious vessels.

20 bowls of gold valued at 1,000 darics, and two fine articles of polished bronze, as precious as gold.

20 bowls of gold worth 1,000 darics and two vessels of fine bright bronze as precious as gold.

‘If only my anguish could be weighed
and all my misery be placed on the scales!

“Oh that my vexation were weighed,
and all my calamity laid in the balances!

Is there any wickedness on my lips?
Can my mouth not discern malice?

Is there any injustice on my tongue?
Cannot my palate discern the cause of calamity?

‘Surely he will have no respite from his craving;
he cannot save himself by his treasure.

“Because he knew no contentment in his belly,
he will not let anything in which he delights escape him.

For what do they care about the families they leave behind
when their allotted months come to an end?

For what do they care for their houses after them,
when the number of their months is cut off?

What pleasure would it give the Almighty if you were righteous?
What would he gain if your ways were blameless?

Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are in the right,
or is it gain to him if you make your ways blameless?

‘But he stands alone, and who can oppose him?
He does whatever he pleases.

But he is unchangeable and who can turn him back?
What he desires, that he does.

They break up my road;
they succeed in destroying me.
“No one can help him,” they say.

They break up my path;
they promote my calamity;
they need no one to help them.

‘If I have denied the desires of the poor
or let the eyes of the widow grow weary,

“If I have withheld anything that the poor desired,
or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,

so that their body finds food repulsive
and their soul loathes the choicest meal.

so that his life loathes bread,
and his appetite the choicest food.

Oh, that Job might be tested to the utmost
for answering like a wicked man!

Would that Job were tried to the end,
because he answers like wicked men.