#tanakh — Public Fediverse posts

Phillip Medhurst presents 179/402 James Tissot Bible c 1899 Ai is taken by Joshua Joshua 8:19 Jewish Museum New York https://phillipmedhurst.com/2017/09/28/phillip-medhurst-presents-179788-james-tissot-bible-c-1899-ai-is-taken-by-joshua-joshua-819-jewish-museum-new-york-city/ #Ai, #Bible, #BookOfJoshua, #Conquest, #JamesTissot, #Joshua, #OldTestament, #Tanakh, #Tissot

Phillip Medhurst presents 178/402 James Tissot Bible c 1899 Joshua gives the signal for rhe attack on Ai Joshua 8:18 Jewish Museum New York https://phillipmedhurst.com/2017/09/26/phillip-medhurst-presents-178788-james-tissot-bible-c-1899-joshua-gives-the-signal-for-rhe-attack-on-ai-joshua-818-jewish-museum-new-york/ #Ai, #Bible, #BookOfJoshua, #Canaan, #Conquest, #JamesTissot, #Joshua, #OldTestament, #Tanakh, #Tissot

Phillip Medhurst presents 144/402 James Tissot Bible c 1899 Moses destroys the tables of the Ten Commandments Exodus 32:19 Jewish Museum New York https://phillipmedhurst.com/2017/08/05/phillip-medhurst-presents-144788-james-tissot-bible-c-1899-moses-destroys-the-tables-of-the-ten-commandments-exodus-3219-jewish-museum-new-york/ #Aaron, #Bible, #BookOfExodus, #Decalogue, #Exodus, #JamesTissot, #Moses, #OldTestament, #Sinai, #StoneTablets, #TablesOfTheLaw, #Tanakh, #TenCommandments, #Tissot, #Torah

Isaiah, Chapter 3

This chapter shows a stark prophetic judgment against Jerusalem & Judah. It’s centered on the total collapse of civic order, leadership, & social stability as a consequence of national rebellion. God announces the removal of ALL societal pillars (including essential food supplies, wise elders, skilled judges, & military defenders), leaving the nation to be governed by the immature & incompetent. The chapter ends with a direct rebuke of the haughty “daughters of Zion,” whose arrogant displays of extreme wealth & luxury will be replaced by public humiliation, captivity, & desolation, leaving the once proud capital stripped of its glory & sitting ruined on the ground. Let’s get into it!

See now, the Lord, the Lord Almighty, is about to take from Jerusalem & Judah bout supply & support: all supplies of food & all supplies of water, the hero & warrior, the judge & prophet, the soothsayer & elder, the captain of 50 & man of rank, the counselor, skilled craftsmen & clever enchanter.

I’ll make boys their officials; mere kids will govern them. People will oppress each other. Man against man, neighbor against neighbor. The young will rise up against the old, the base against the honorable.

A man will seize one of his brothers at his dad’s home, & say, “You’ve a cloak, you be our leader. Take charge of this heap of ruins!” But that day, he’ll cry out, “I’ve no remedy. I’ve no food or clothing in my house. Don’t make me the leader of the people.”

Jerusalem staggers; Judah is falling. Their words & deeds are against the Lord, defying his glorious presence. The look on their faces testifies against them. They parade their sin like Sodom. They don’t hide it. Woe to them! They’ve brought disaster upon themselves.

Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they’ll enjoy the fruit of their deeds. Woe to the wicked! They’ll be paid back for what their hands have done. Youths oppress my people, women rule over them. O my people, your guides lead you astray. They turn you from the path.

The Lord takes his place in court. He rises to judge the people. The Lord enters into judgment against the elders & leaders of his people. “It’s you who have ruined my vineyard. The plunder from the poor is in your houses. What do you mean by crushing my people & grinding the faces of the poor?” declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.

The Lord says, “The women of Zion are haughty, walking along with outstretched necks, flirting with their eyes, tripping along with mincing steps, with ornaments jingling on their ankles. Therefore, the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion. The Lord will make their scalps bald.”

In that day the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles & headbands & crescent necklaces, the earrings & bracelets & veils, the headdresses & ankle chains & sashes, the perfume bottles & charms, the signet rings & nose rings, the fine robes & the capes & cloaks, the purses & mirrors, & the linen garments & tiaras & shawls.

Instead of fragrance, there will be a stench. Instead of a sash, a rope. Instead of well-dressed hair, baldness. Instead of beauty, branding. Your men will fall by the sword, your warriors in battle. The gates of Zion will lament & mourn; destitute, she’ll sit on the ground.

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Ecclesiastes, Chapter 12

This chapter is about remembering your creator while young, & the conclusion of the matter. This is the last chapter of Ecclesiastes. We’ll be going next to Song of Songs/Song of Solomon. Enjoy!

Remember you Creator, in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come & the years approach when you’ll say, “I find no pleasure in them.” Before the sun & the light & the moon & the stars grow dark, & the clouds return after the rain.

When the keepers of the house tremble, & the strong men stoop. When the grinders cease because they’re few, & those looking through the windows grow dim. When the doors to the street are closed & the sound of grinding fades. When men rise up at the sound of birds. But all their songs grow faint.

When men are afraid of heights & of dangers in the streets. When the almond tree blossoms & the grasshopper drags himself along & desire no longer is stirred. Then man goes to his eternal home & mourners go about the streets. Remember him – before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken. Before the pitcher is shattered at the spring.

Or the wheel broken at the well, & the dust returns to the ground it came from, & the spirit returns to God who gave it. “Meaningless! Meaningless! says the Teacher. “Everything is meaningless!” Not only was the Teacher wise. But also, he imparted knowledge to the people.

He pondered & searched our & set in order many proverbs. The Teacher searched to find just the right words, & what he wrote was upright & true. The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails – given by 1 Shepherd.

Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them. Of making many books there’s no end, & much study wearies the body. Now all has been heard. Here’s the conclusion of the matter: Fear God & keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing. Whether it’s good or evil.

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Ecclesiastes, Chapter 12

This chapter is about remembering your creator while young, & the conclusion of the matter. This is the last chapter of Ecclesiastes. We’ll be going next to Song of Songs/Song of Solomon. Enjoy!

Remember you Creator, in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come & the years approach when you’ll say, “I find no pleasure in them.” Before the sun & the light & the moon & the stars grow dark, & the clouds return after the rain.

When the keepers of the house tremble, & the strong men stoop. When the grinders cease because they’re few, & those looking through the windows grow dim. When the doors to the street are closed & the sound of grinding fades. When men rise up at the sound of birds. But all their songs grow faint.

When men are afraid of heights & of dangers in the streets. When the almond tree blossoms & the grasshopper drags himself along & desire no longer is stirred. Then man goes to his eternal home & mourners go about the streets. Remember him – before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken. Before the pitcher is shattered at the spring.

Or the wheel broken at the well, & the dust returns to the ground it came from, & the spirit returns to God who gave it. “Meaningless! Meaningless! says the Teacher. “Everything is meaningless!” Not only was the Teacher wise. But also, he imparted knowledge to the people.

He pondered & searched our & set in order many proverbs. The Teacher searched to find just the right words, & what he wrote was upright & true. The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails – given by 1 Shepherd.

Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them. Of making many books there’s no end, & much study wearies the body. Now all has been heard. Here’s the conclusion of the matter: Fear God & keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing. Whether it’s good or evil.

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Ecclesiastes, Chapter 9

This chapter is about a common destiny for all & wisdom better than folly. 4 more chapters to go. Let’s go!

So I reflected on all this & concluded that the righteous & the wise & what they do are in God’s hands. But no man knows whether love or hate awaits him. All share a common destiny – the righteous & wicked, the good & the bad, the clean & the unclean, those who offer sacrifices & those who don’t.

As it is with the good man, so with the sinner. As it is with those who take oaths. So with those who are afraid to take them. This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of men, moreover, are full of evil & there is madness in their hearts while they live.

Afterward, they join the dead. Anyone who is among the living has hope. Even a live dog is better off than a dead lion! For the living know that they’ll die. But the dead know nothing. They’ve no further reward. Even the memory of them is forgotten. Their love, their hate, & their jealousy have long since vanished.

Never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun. Go, eat your food with gladness, & drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do. Always be clothed in white, & always anoint your head with oil.

Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun – all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life & in your toilsome labor under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.

For in Sheol, where you’re going, there’s neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. I’ve seen something else under the sun: The race isn’t to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned. But time & chance happen to them all.

Moreover, no man knows when his hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare. So men are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them. I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me.

There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it & built huge siegeworks against it. Now there lived in that city a man, poor but wise, & he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man. So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.”

But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, & his words are no longer heeded. The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war. But 1 sinner destroys much good.

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Ecclesiastes, Chapter 9

This chapter is about a common destiny for all & wisdom better than folly. 4 more chapters to go. Let’s go!

So I reflected on all this & concluded that the righteous & the wise & what they do are in God’s hands. But no man knows whether love or hate awaits him. All share a common destiny – the righteous & wicked, the good & the bad, the clean & the unclean, those who offer sacrifices & those who don’t.

As it is with the good man, so with the sinner. As it is with those who take oaths. So with those who are afraid to take them. This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of men, moreover, are full of evil & there is madness in their hearts while they live.

Afterward, they join the dead. Anyone who is among the living has hope. Even a live dog is better off than a dead lion! For the living know that they’ll die. But the dead know nothing. They’ve no further reward. Even the memory of them is forgotten. Their love, their hate, & their jealousy have long since vanished.

Never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun. Go, eat your food with gladness, & drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do. Always be clothed in white, & always anoint your head with oil.

Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun – all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life & in your toilsome labor under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.

For in Sheol, where you’re going, there’s neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. I’ve seen something else under the sun: The race isn’t to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned. But time & chance happen to them all.

Moreover, no man knows when his hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare. So men are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them. I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me.

There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it & built huge siegeworks against it. Now there lived in that city a man, poor but wise, & he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man. So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.”

But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, & his words are no longer heeded. The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war. But 1 sinner destroys much good.

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Ecclesiastes, Chapter 4

This chapter is about oppression, toil, friendlessness, & advancement is meaningless. We hope you enjoy.

Again, I looked & saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed & they have no comforter. Power was on the side of their oppressors & they have no comforter. And I declared that the dead, who had already died, are happier than the living, who are still alive.

But better than both is he who hasn’t yet been, who hasn’t seen the evil that’s done under the sun. And I saw that all labor & all achievement spring from man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, chasing after the wind. The fool folds his hands & ruins himself.

Better 1 handful with tranquility than 2 handfuls with toil & chasing after the wind. Again, I saw something meaningless under the sun. There was a man all alone. He had neither a son nor a brother. There was no end to his toil. Yet his eyes weren’t content with his wealth.

“For whom am I toiling,” he asked, “& why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?” This too is meaningless – a miserable business! 2 are better than 1, because they have a good return for their work. If 1 falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the name who falls & has no one to help him up!

Also, if 2 lie down together, they’ll keep warm. But how can 1 keep warm alone? Though 1 may be overpowered, 2 can defend themselves. A cord of 3 strands isn’t quickly broken. Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take warning.

The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom. I saw that all who lived & walked under the sun followed the youth, the king’s successor. There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later weren’t pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, chasing after the wind.

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Ecclesiastes, Chapter 4

This chapter is about oppression, toil, friendlessness, & advancement is meaningless. We hope you enjoy.

Again, I looked & saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed & they have no comforter. Power was on the side of their oppressors & they have no comforter. And I declared that the dead, who had already died, are happier than the living, who are still alive.

But better than both is he who hasn’t yet been, who hasn’t seen the evil that’s done under the sun. And I saw that all labor & all achievement spring from man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, chasing after the wind. The fool folds his hands & ruins himself.

Better 1 handful with tranquility than 2 handfuls with toil & chasing after the wind. Again, I saw something meaningless under the sun. There was a man all alone. He had neither a son nor a brother. There was no end to his toil. Yet his eyes weren’t content with his wealth.

“For whom am I toiling,” he asked, “& why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?” This too is meaningless – a miserable business! 2 are better than 1, because they have a good return for their work. If 1 falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the name who falls & has no one to help him up!

Also, if 2 lie down together, they’ll keep warm. But how can 1 keep warm alone? Though 1 may be overpowered, 2 can defend themselves. A cord of 3 strands isn’t quickly broken. Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take warning.

The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom. I saw that all who lived & walked under the sun followed the youth, the king’s successor. There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later weren’t pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, chasing after the wind.

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Ecclesiastes, Chapter 3

This chapter is about a time for everything. I’m sure you’ve heard this before, even if you haven’t been to Sunday school. “A time to plant & a time to reap.” Enjoy!

There’s a time for everything, & a season for every activity under heaven:

• a time to be born & a time to die,
• a time to plant & a time to uproot,
• a time to kill & a time to heal,
• a time to tear down & a time to build,
• a time to weep & a time to laugh,
• a time to mourn & a time to dance,
• a time to scatter stones & a time to gather them,
• a time to embrace & a time to refrain,
• a time to search & a time to give up,
• a time to keep & a time to throw away,
• a time to tear & a time to mend,
• a time to be silent & a time to speak,
• a time to love & a time to hate,
• a time for war & a time for peace.

What does the worker gain from his toilet? I’ve seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men. Yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

I know that there’s nothing better for men than to be happy & do good while they live. That everyone may eat & drink, & find satisfaction in all his toil. This is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever. Nothing can be added to it & nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere Him.

Whatever is has already been, & what will be has been before. God will call the past to account. And I saw something else under the sun: In the place of judgment, wickedness was there, in the place of justice – wickedness was there.

I thought in my heart, “God will bring to judgment both the righteous & the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time for every deed.” I also thought, “As for men, God tests them so that they may see that they’re like the animals. Man’s fate is like that of the animals. The same fate awaits them both: As 1 dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath/spirit; man has no advantage over the animal.

Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place. All come from dust, & to dust all return. Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward & if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?” So I saw that there’s nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work. Because that’s his lot. Who can bring him to see what will happen after him?

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Ecclesiastes, Chapter 3

This chapter is about a time for everything. I’m sure you’ve heard this before, even if you haven’t been to Sunday school. “A time to plant & a time to reap.” Enjoy!

There’s a time for everything, & a season for every activity under heaven:

• a time to be born & a time to die,
• a time to plant & a time to uproot,
• a time to kill & a time to heal,
• a time to tear down & a time to build,
• a time to weep & a time to laugh,
• a time to mourn & a time to dance,
• a time to scatter stones & a time to gather them,
• a time to embrace & a time to refrain,
• a time to search & a time to give up,
• a time to keep & a time to throw away,
• a time to tear & a time to mend,
• a time to be silent & a time to speak,
• a time to love & a time to hate,
• a time for war & a time for peace.

What does the worker gain from his toilet? I’ve seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men. Yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

I know that there’s nothing better for men than to be happy & do good while they live. That everyone may eat & drink, & find satisfaction in all his toil. This is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever. Nothing can be added to it & nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere Him.

Whatever is has already been, & what will be has been before. God will call the past to account. And I saw something else under the sun: In the place of judgment, wickedness was there, in the place of justice – wickedness was there.

I thought in my heart, “God will bring to judgment both the righteous & the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time for every deed.” I also thought, “As for men, God tests them so that they may see that they’re like the animals. Man’s fate is like that of the animals. The same fate awaits them both: As 1 dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath/spirit; man has no advantage over the animal.

Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place. All come from dust, & to dust all return. Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward & if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?” So I saw that there’s nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work. Because that’s his lot. Who can bring him to see what will happen after him?

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Ecclesiastes, Chapter 2

This chapter is about pleasures, wisdom, folly, & toil being meaningless. We hope you enjoy this read.

I thought in my heart, “Come now, I’ll test you with pleasure to find out what’s good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. “Laughter,” I said, “is foolish. And what does pleasure accomplish?” I tried cheering myself with wine, & embracing folly. My mind is still guiding me with wisdom.

I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives. I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself & planted vineyards. I made gardens & parks & planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees.

I brought male & female slaves & had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds & flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. I amassed silver & gold for myself, & the treasure of kings & provinces. I acquired men & women singers, & a harem as well – the delights of the heart of man. I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this, my wisdom stayed with me.

I denied myself nothing my eyes desired. I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart too delights in all my work, & this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done & what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind. Nothing was gained under the sun.

Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom, & also madness & folly. What more can the king’s successor do than what has already been done? I saw that wisdom is better than folly. Just as light is better than darkness. The wise man has eyes in his head. While the fool walks in the darkness. But I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both.

But I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both. Then I thought in my heart, “The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?” I said in my heart, “This too is meaningless.” For the wise men, like the fool, will not be long remembered (Then why is Solomon remembered for his wisdom?) In days to come, both will be forgotten. Like the fool, the wise man too must die!

So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the 1 who comes after me. And who knows whether he’ll be a wise man or a fool?

Yet he’ll have control over all the work into which I’ve poured my effort & skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge & skill, & then he must leave all he owns to someone who hasn’t worked for it. (This reminds us of what Bill Gates said about giving an inheritance to his kids) This too is meaningless & a great misfortune.

What does a man get for all the toil & anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? All his days his work is pain & grief. Even at night, his mind doesn’t rest. This too is meaningless. A man can do nothing better than to eat & drink & find satisfaction in his work. This, too, I see, is from the hand of God.

For without Him, who can eat or find enjoyment? To the man who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, & happiness. But to the sinner, He gives the task of gathering & storing up wealth to hand it over to the 1 who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

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Ecclesiastes, Chapter 2

This chapter is about pleasures, wisdom, folly, & toil being meaningless. We hope you enjoy this read.

I thought in my heart, “Come now, I’ll test you with pleasure to find out what’s good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. “Laughter,” I said, “is foolish. And what does pleasure accomplish?” I tried cheering myself with wine, & embracing folly. My mind is still guiding me with wisdom.

I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives. I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself & planted vineyards. I made gardens & parks & planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees.

I brought male & female slaves & had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds & flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. I amassed silver & gold for myself, & the treasure of kings & provinces. I acquired men & women singers, & a harem as well – the delights of the heart of man. I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this, my wisdom stayed with me.

I denied myself nothing my eyes desired. I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart too delights in all my work, & this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done & what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind. Nothing was gained under the sun.

Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom, & also madness & folly. What more can the king’s successor do than what has already been done? I saw that wisdom is better than folly. Just as light is better than darkness. The wise man has eyes in his head. While the fool walks in the darkness. But I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both.

But I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both. Then I thought in my heart, “The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?” I said in my heart, “This too is meaningless.” For the wise men, like the fool, will not be long remembered (Then why is Solomon remembered for his wisdom?) In days to come, both will be forgotten. Like the fool, the wise man too must die!

So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the 1 who comes after me. And who knows whether he’ll be a wise man or a fool?

Yet he’ll have control over all the work into which I’ve poured my effort & skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge & skill, & then he must leave all he owns to someone who hasn’t worked for it. (This reminds us of what Bill Gates said about giving an inheritance to his kids) This too is meaningless & a great misfortune.

What does a man get for all the toil & anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? All his days his work is pain & grief. Even at night, his mind doesn’t rest. This too is meaningless. A man can do nothing better than to eat & drink & find satisfaction in his work. This, too, I see, is from the hand of God.

For without Him, who can eat or find enjoyment? To the man who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, & happiness. But to the sinner, He gives the task of gathering & storing up wealth to hand it over to the 1 who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

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Ecclesiastes, Chapter 1

We finally made it to the book of Ecclesiastes. The author of Ecclesiastes is traditionally King Solomon. It’s because Ecclesiastes opens with “son of David, king in Jerusalem.” We hope you enjoy.

The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:

“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless!” What does man gain from his labor at which he toils under the sun? Generations come & generations go. But the earth remains forever. The sun rises & sets, & hurries back to where it rises.

The wind blows to the south & turns to the north; round & round it goes. Ever returning on its course. All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again. All things are wearisome, more than one can say.

The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there’s nothing new under the sun. (This is 1 of the lines that ancient alien theorists like to quote.) Is there anything of which one can say, “Look! This is something new”?

It was here already, long ago. It was here before our time. There’s no remembrance of men of old. Even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow.

I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. I devoted myself to study & to explore by wisdom all that’s done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men! I’ve seen all the things that are done under the sun. All of them are meaningless, chasing after the wind.

What is twisted cannot be straightened. What is lacking cannot be counted. I thought to myself, “Look, I’ve grown & increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me. I’ve experienced much wisdom & knowledge.

Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, & also of madness & folly. But I learned that this, too, is chasing after the wind. For with much wisdom comes much sorrow. The more knowledge, the more grief. (Ignorance is bliss?)

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Ecclesiastes, Chapter 1

We finally made it to the book of Ecclesiastes. The author of Ecclesiastes is traditionally King Solomon. It’s because Ecclesiastes opens with “son of David, king in Jerusalem.” We hope you enjoy.

The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:

“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless!” What does man gain from his labor at which he toils under the sun? Generations come & generations go. But the earth remains forever. The sun rises & sets, & hurries back to where it rises.

The wind blows to the south & turns to the north; round & round it goes. Ever returning on its course. All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again. All things are wearisome, more than one can say.

The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there’s nothing new under the sun. (This is 1 of the lines that ancient alien theorists like to quote.) Is there anything of which one can say, “Look! This is something new”?

It was here already, long ago. It was here before our time. There’s no remembrance of men of old. Even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow.

I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. I devoted myself to study & to explore by wisdom all that’s done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men! I’ve seen all the things that are done under the sun. All of them are meaningless, chasing after the wind.

What is twisted cannot be straightened. What is lacking cannot be counted. I thought to myself, “Look, I’ve grown & increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me. I’ve experienced much wisdom & knowledge.

Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, & also of madness & folly. But I learned that this, too, is chasing after the wind. For with much wisdom comes much sorrow. The more knowledge, the more grief. (Ignorance is bliss?)

Make a one-time donation

Your contribution is appreciated.

Make a monthly donation

Your contribution is appreciated.

Make a yearly donation

Your contribution is appreciated.

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𝐘𝐀𝐇 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐓𝐕 100 𝐁𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐓𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌|𝐂𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐊 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊 𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐖

https://youtube.com/live/YrFJwbMSrC0?is=QTEXwBG0asNNznPr

Some notes about about recent work on building a new interface for the ancient Hebrew Classics: https://andreklein.net/rebuilding-the-reading-experience-for-a-3000-year-old-text #hebrew #tanakh #poetry #verse

I'm working on an original translation of the Bible. My goal is to let the words of scripture guide my translation rather than reading a favored theology into the text. As the saying goes, "Where the Bible speaks, we speak, where it is silent, we are silent." In addition to being a formal equivalence, I try to preserve original idioms (with clarification in the footnotes), poetic and metaphorical language, and distinct synonyms (ie. land/ground/dust) where possible.

The text is available under a Creative Commons license. And it is available at a website, and as an ebook, though it is still incomplete.

Please support my translation work:
☕ https://ko-fi.com/wltbible
📖 https://wlt.ct.ws

#Bible #Tanakh #Torah #Religion #Christianity #Christian #Church #ChurchOfChrist #Judaism #Jewish #MessianicJudaism #LGBTQIA2S #LGBTQIA #LGBTQ #LGBT #Transgender #Nonbinary #Agender #CreativeCommons #CCBY #FOSS #Translation #Language #Literature #Books #English #Hebrew #Aramaic #Greek

Please help me descend to the depths of nerdery. At least Biblical nerdery. I'm writing a translation of the Bible and trying to crowdfund this to make it my job for the next few years to translate the Bible.

I think we can all agree that among biblical translators there are far too few furry, nonbinary, tabletop gamers and far too much bias.

This translation will be released for free under a CC-BY 4.0 license when it is finished. (It's not like Zondervan or Nelson is going to be interested in an *unbiased* translation anyway.) You can use it for sermons or bible studies without limit, fill it with notes, share it with friends, or even change the parts you don't like. It's yours, do whatever you want with it.

:blobcoffeeraccoon: https://ko-fi.com/wltbible

#Bible #Scripture #Translation
#Christian #Christianity #Church
#ProgressiveChristianity
#Judaism #Jewish
#Tanakh #Tanach #Torah
#LGBTQIA2S #LGBTQIA #LGBTQ #LGBT
#Transgender #Agender #Nonbinary
#Furry #FurryArt #FurryFandom
#TTRPG #DnD #DnD5e

I could not love this guy, Dan Maklelan, more. All his videos are great, and his understanding of the #Tanakh (the #Hebrew #Bible) is really quite solid. And he knows #hypocrisy when he sees it.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFI0bUdPKKH/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

Mes écoutes de la semaine du 02 December 2024 :

#DominiqueA, #ShaneAspegren, #TheCure, #Diabologum, #DivisionNuit, #DivisionNuit, #EinstuerzendeNeubauten, #GeggyTah, #GodspeedYouBlackEmperor, #GogolBordello, #HisNameIsAlive, #HumanError, #Hyperculte, #PhilippeKaterine, #LaTène, #LSR #Kid606, #Migala, #PointeDuLac, #Seefeel, #Tanakh, #TheCatsMiaow, #TheFrankAndWalters, #ThousandYardStare, #ToutDebord, #TristwchYFenywod, #VoxLow, #SanaeYamada,

#music #disque #reco

Getting ready for #tanakhyomi with #exploringjudaism https://www.exploringjudaism.org/learning/tanakh-yomi/ a few chapters a day of a biblical book from the Prophets (N'vi'im) section of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), and later from the Writings (K'tuvim) section, keep up with the weekly Torah portion daily or just all on Shabbat... And in a year we'll finish the whole #tanakh
@rabbimarkiz

Among those murdered on 7 Oct were Moshe Ohayon and his son Eliad, defending Ofakim from Hamas onslaught. He was, among other things, the head of Project 929, which seeks to make Torah accessible for all Jews regardless of religious education and observance. Each chapter of Tanakh has essays, poems, artwork, and even videos to expand on the text from every imaginable direction. First, the project was in Hebrew, and then they created an English version, with all original content, not translations. I discovered the app (also website) years ago and have found it meaningful.

Moshe Ohayon was a bridge-builder and peacemaker whose life was dedicated to bringing people together across Israeli society regardless of ethnicity, religion, or religious observance. May his memory be a blessing.

#Torah #October7 #7Oct #Mazeldon #Israel #Tanakh

https://www.929.org.il/pages/aboutEN.html

https://www.timesofisrael.com/moshe-ohayon-52-social-activist-ceo-of-929-torah-project/

Becoming obvious to me there's a lot of biblically-illiterate users on Masto. Doesn't matter if you believe or disbelieve; many Jews are professed atheists also.

As is said in any court of law; "ignorance is no excuse."

#tanakh #oldtestament #illiteracy #Genesis12:3

If people cannot write well, they cannot think well, and if they cannot think well, others will do their thinking for them.-George Orwell

Josie Riesmann (@abrahamjoseph ) has startet out on a (probably) highly accurate and really highly funny webcomic to tell the #Genesis of the Book of Genesis.

#bibel #tanakh #historyofthebible #historyofreligion #history #religion

You can read it here:
https://abrahamriesman.com/genesis-of-genesis

Just stumbled across what might be my new favorite episode of the #JudaismUnbound podcast in which guest Wendie Lash and host @lexaphus talked about the idea of the book of #SongIfSongs as a kind of spiritual foreplay for the #HighHolidays.

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9xVGFaRGFfTg/episode/NjMwNGQyMWQtZWMyZi00ODcyLThlMGYtOGY5Y2JjYWY1MWZh?ep=14

#Mazedon #Jewish #Jewdiverse #Tanakh #Judaiam

Quote of the day (from episode #399 of #JudaiamUnbound)

"Ezekiel is the Steven Spielberg of the Babylonian exile" - Dan Libenson

Tagging: @lexaphus

#Mazeldon #Jewdiverse #Ezekiel #Tanakh

https://www.judaismunbound.com/fall-2023-courses/p/diverse-theologies

I finally decided which class I'm enrolling in for the Fall at the #Unyeshiva --- God? Gods? Goddesses? Godexes?: Diverse Theologies in #Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) taught by Tamar Kamionkowski. I'm really looking forward to it.

P.S. For anyone who wants to take their Jewish learning to the next level, I strongly recommend Unyeshiva (started by Dan & @lexaphus at #JudaismUnbound). They have some amazing classes this semester.

#Mazeldon #Jewdiverse

the idea of my namesake as an autistic dude who has no interest in participating in the absolution of bullies and abusers, who is "grieved unto death" over the loss of a giant plant, who struggled with haShem and is RIGHT ... it makes my name and my identity fit me more than I knew when I first chose them

#yonah #jonah #yomKippur #tanakh #ketuvim #neurodivergent #autistic #neurodivergentJudaism @actuallyautistic @mazeldon

my girlfriend found this, and it's ... indescribable, what this means to me. my Hebrew name is Yonah, bc I felt so drawn to him as a biblical character, and yet I wasn't fully able to put my connection to him into words, until this article

"We know why Jonah runs because the prophet himself tells us at the end of the text. Jonah objects that God spares the Assyrians the consequences of their actions. They have done evil and they do not deserve to retain their status as the capital of the Assyrian Empire. Jonah is not particularly impressed with the fasting and the public repentance; but he knows that God finds such behavior acceptable and averts their doom. If Jonah knows that there will be no real change and that Nineveh’s might and cruelty will ride roughshod over his people, why should he prophecize to them? Why do they not deserve justice?"

#yonah #jonah #yomKippur #tanakh #ketuvim #neurodivergent #autistic #neurodivergentJudaism @actuallyautistic @mazeldon

https://www.yeshivatmaharat.org/post/finding-justice-in-jonah

I got a letter!

#Sefaria, a digital library of Jewish literature, is celebrating its 10 year anniversary by letting folks claim a Hebrew letter from the Torah. I know very little about #Hebrew so why not learn about what the letter means, as well as what the word in the verse means. (1/5)

#abjad #languagelearning #etymology #Judaism #tanakh #genesis

I picked up a JPS #Tanakh in like-new condition for dirt cheap so I’m vibin’. Wanted something physical as I explore things.

The wildest thing was seeing an original hardcover copy of the JPS #Torah – 1st Edition from 1962! The cover was worn but it was neat nonetheless. #Judaism

Abib 18 (2023-04-08): Today, 2,000 years ago, the #Messiah resurrected on the third day as was prophesied. It was a weekly #Sabbath / #Shabbat, for the Messiah is the Master of Sabbath/Shabbat. It was not on the first day of the week, not on #Easter.

He left his tomb on Sabbath day and have shown himself to countless people who did not recognise he has resurrected. Just like how it is today!

Rejoice! For the Messiah has conquered the grave! #HeIsRisen!

#ResurrectionDay #HappyResurrectionDay

#Remnant #Torah #RenewedCovenant #TaNaKh #Scripture #Bible #Scriptures #haDerech #TheWay #Messianic #Christianity

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Image:
* By: Crystal A Murray
* Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/crystalwriter/49763140598
* License: CC-BY-NC-SA 2.0 (retrieved on 2023-04-08)

Happy #Passover and the #FeastOfUnleavenedBread

#ChagHaPesach #חגהפסח #Pesach #ChagHaMatzot #חגהמצות #Matzot #UnleavenedBread

---

* Abib 14 falls on April 04, 2023
- Passover meal

* Abib 15 falls on April 05, 2023
- Day 1 of Unleavened Bread
- A high sabbath (no work)
- 09:00 crucifixion
- 15:00 death

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Photo:
* By: Tim Sackton
* Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sackton/6916977596
* License: #CCBYSA2 (retrieved: 2023-04-05 14:17:40 ACT)

#Torah #Tanakh #HaDerech #TheWay #הדרך #RenewedCovenant #Bible #Christianity #Messianic #HolyWeek #Philippines #Ophir #Israel #Remnant

One’s Jewish lineage, or yiches, can be serious business:but should it be? Our deep dive into the meaning of yiches, and its tension today. https://momentmag.com/jewish-word-yiches/

#Religion #Judaism #Spirituality #Clergy #Faith #Torah #Bible #Tanakh

@mazeldon

Jewish women Bible commentators - Adele Berlin. She has written these books, and more

Zephaniah, Anchor Bible Series, Vol. 25A

The JPS Bible Commentary: Esther

Lamentations: A Commentary, Westminster John Knox Press

#Tanakh #Bible #Jewish #Jewishwomen #womenauthors

@mazeldon

Jewish women Bible commentators:

Yairah Amit
____________
The book of Judges: The Art of Editing, 1992

History and Ideology: An Introduction to Historiography in the Hebrew Bible (1999)

Hidden Polemics in Biblical Narrative (2000)

https://merrimackvalleyhavurah.wordpress.com/2022/07/28/jewish-women-commentators-on-torah-and-tanakh/

#Tanakh #Bible #Jewish #Jewishwomen #womenauthors

Reading Biblical Narratives: Literary Criticism and the Hebrew Bible (2001).

"Why did #God create #angels (malachim?)"
Almost no one asks it. The #Torah, and indeed the entire #Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) doesn't address it. They just take it for granted that everyone in the ANE (ancient near east) knew that angels existed.
What were you told about this issue?

https://merrimackvalleyhavurah.wordpress.com/

@judaism @mazeldon

All forms of #Judaism have taught that we have an immortal #soul. But what precisely is it, how does the soul work? Our #Torah and #Tanakh don't go into detail. More thought is found in our oral law, but there is no unified understanding of it. It is only among kabbalists or the philosophical rationalists (e.g. Maimonides, Gersonides) that we find detailed discussions. For a Jewish mystical view of the soul let's see ->

https://merrimackvalleyhavurah.wordpress.com/2022/01/10/what-is-the-soul-a-kabbalistic-view/

@judaism
#Mazeldon #Jewish #Judaism #Jews