Judges 17

New International Version

Micah’s Idols

17 Now a man named Micah^(A) from the hill country of Ephraim ²said to his mother, “The eleven hundred shekels^[a] of silver that were taken from you and about which I heard you utter a curse—I have that silver with me; I took it.”

Then his mother said, “The Lord bless you,^(B) my son!”

³When he returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she said, “I solemnly consecrate my silver to the Lord for my son to make an image overlaid with silver.^(C) I will give it back to you.”

⁴So after he returned the silver to his mother, she took two hundred shekels^[b] of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who used them to make the idol.^(D) And it was put in Micah’s house.

⁵Now this man Micah had a shrine,^(E) and he made an ephod^(F) and some household gods^(G) and installed^(H) one of his sons as his priest.^(I) ⁶In those days Israel had no king;^(J) everyone did as they saw fit.^(K)

⁷A young Levite^(L) from Bethlehem in Judah,^(M) who had been living within the clan of Judah, ⁸left that town in search of some other place to stay. On his way^[c] he came to Micah’s house in the hill country of Ephraim.

⁹Micah asked him, “Where are you from?”

“I’m a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah,^(N)” he said, “and I’m looking for a place to stay.”

¹⁰Then Micah said to him, “Live with me and be my father^(O) and priest,^(P) and I’ll give you ten shekels^[d] of silver a year, your clothes and your food.” ¹¹So the Levite agreed to live with him, and the young man became like one of his sons to him. ¹²Then Micah installed^(Q) the Levite, and the young man became his priest^(R) and lived in his house. ¹³And Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will be good to me, since this Levite has become my priest.”^(S)

Footnotes

Judges 17:2 That is, about 28 pounds or about 13 kilograms
Judges 17:4 That is, about 5 pounds or about 2.3 kilograms
Judges 17:8 Or To carry on his profession
Judges 17:10 That is, about 4 ounces or about 115 grams

Proverbs 25

New International Version

More Proverbs of Solomon

25 These are more proverbs^(A) of Solomon, compiled by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah:^(B)

²It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;
to search out a matter is the glory of kings.^(C)
³As the heavens are high and the earth is deep,
so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.

⁴Remove the dross from the silver,
and a silversmith can produce a vessel;
⁵remove wicked officials from the king’s presence,^(D)
and his throne will be established^(E) through righteousness.^(F)

⁶Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence,
and do not claim a place among his great men;
⁷it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,”^(G)
than for him to humiliate you before his nobles.

What you have seen with your eyes
⁸ do not bring^[a] hastily to court,
for what will you do in the end
if your neighbor puts you to shame?^(H)

⁹If you take your neighbor to court,
do not betray another’s confidence,
¹⁰or the one who hears it may shame you
and the charge against you will stand.

¹¹Like apples^[b] of gold in settings of silver^(I)
is a ruling rightly given.
¹²Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold
is the rebuke of a wise judge to a listening ear.^(J)

¹³Like a snow-cooled drink at harvest time
    is a trustworthy messenger to the one who sends him;
    he refreshes the spirit of his master.^(K)
¹⁴Like clouds and wind without rain
    is one who boasts of gifts never given.

¹⁵Through patience a ruler can be persuaded,^(L)
and a gentle tongue can break a bone.^(M)

¹⁶If you find honey, eat just enough—
too much of it, and you will vomit.^(N)
¹⁷Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house—
too much of you, and they will hate you.

¹⁸Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow
    is one who gives false testimony against a neighbor.^(O)
¹⁹Like a broken tooth or a lame foot
    is reliance on the unfaithful in a time of trouble.
²⁰Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day,
    or like vinegar poured on a wound,
    is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

²¹If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
²²In doing this, you will heap burning coals^(P) on his head,
and the Lord will reward you.^(Q)

²³Like a north wind that brings unexpected rain
is a sly tongue—which provokes a horrified look.

²⁴Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.^(R)

²⁵Like cold water to a weary soul
is good news from a distant land.^(S)
²⁶Like a muddied spring or a polluted well
are the righteous who give way to the wicked.

²⁷It is not good to eat too much honey,^(T)
nor is it honorable to search out matters that are too deep.^(U)

²⁸Like a city whose walls are broken through
is a person who lacks self-control.

Footnotes

Proverbs 25:8 Or nobles / on whom you had set your eyes. / ⁸Do not go
Proverbs 25:11 Or possibly apricots

Revelation 20

New International Version

The Thousand Years

20 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven,^(A) having the key^(B) to the Abyss^(C) and holding in his hand a great chain. ²He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan,^(D) and bound him for a thousand years.^(E) ³He threw him into the Abyss,^(F) and locked and sealed^(G) it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations^(H) anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.

⁴I saw thrones^(I) on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge.^(J) And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded^(K) because of their testimony about Jesus^(L) and because of the word of God.^(M) They^[a] had not worshiped the beast^(N) or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands.^(O) They came to life and reigned^(P) with Christ a thousand years. ⁵(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection.^(Q) ⁶Blessed^(R) and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death^(S) has no power over them, but they will be priests^(T) of God and of Christ and will reign with him^(U) for a thousand years.

The Judgment of Satan

⁷When the thousand years are over,^(V) Satan will be released from his prison ⁸and will go out to deceive the nations^(W) in the four corners of the earth^(X)—Gog and Magog^(Y)—and to gather them for battle.^(Z) In number they are like the sand on the seashore.^(AA) ⁹They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded^(AB) the camp of God’s people, the city he loves.^(AC) But fire came down from heaven^(AD) and devoured them. ¹⁰And the devil, who deceived them,^(AE) was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur,^(AF) where the beast^(AG) and the false prophet^(AH) had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.^(AI)

The Judgment of the Dead

¹¹Then I saw a great white throne^(AJ) and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence,^(AK) and there was no place for them. ¹²And I saw the dead, great and small,^(AL) standing before the throne, and books were opened.^(AM) Another book was opened, which is the book of life.^(AN) The dead were judged^(AO) according to what they had done^(AP) as recorded in the books. ¹³The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades^(AQ) gave up the dead^(AR) that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.^(AS) ¹⁴Then death^(AT) and Hades^(AU) were thrown into the lake of fire.^(AV) The lake of fire is the second death.^(AW) ¹⁵Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life^(AX) was thrown into the lake of fire.