because I so feared the crowd and so dreaded the contempt of the clans that I kept silent and would not go outside—

因惧怕大众，又因宗族藐视我使我惊恐，以致闭口无言，杜门不出；

我若因大大惧怕众人，又因宗族的藐视而恐惧，以致我缄默不言，闭门不出；

我若因大大惧怕众人，又因宗族的藐视而恐惧，以致我缄默不言，闭门不出；

因惧怕群众，被族人藐视，就默不作声、不敢出门？

因为我惧怕群众，宗族的藐视又使我惊恐，以致我静默不言，足不出门。

因懼怕大眾，又因宗族藐視我使我驚恐，以致閉口無言，杜門不出；

我若因大大懼怕眾人，又因宗族的藐視而恐懼，以致我緘默不言，閉門不出；

我若因大大懼怕眾人，又因宗族的藐視而恐懼，以致我緘默不言，閉門不出；

因懼怕群眾，被族人藐視，就默不作聲、不敢出門？

因為我懼怕群眾，宗族的藐視又使我驚恐，以致我靜默不言，足不出門。

因懼怕蜂擁的眾人，又因宗族的藐視驚嚇我，以致我靜止不動，閉門不出；

因畏大眾、懼宗族之藐視、以致緘口、杜門不出、

如我若此、則必戰慄於眾前、為戚族所藐視、緘口無詞、杜門不出。

如我有此、自思大眾必驚恐我、宗族必藐視我、凌辱我、使我蒙羞緘口、不敢出門、

I was never afraid of the crowd. I never worried that my relatives might hate me. I didn’t have to keep quiet or stay inside.

because I stood in great fear of the multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silence, and did not go out of doors—

Have I feared the crowd or the contempt of the masses, so that I kept quiet and stayed indoors?

because I greatly feared the crowds and because the contempt of the clans terrified me, so I grew silent and would not go outside?

Because I feared the great multitude And the contempt of families terrified me, And I kept silent and did not go out of doors?

Because I feared the great multitude, And dreaded the contempt of families, So that I kept silence And did not go out of the door—

Because I feared the great multitude, And the contempt of families terrified me, So that I kept silence, and went not out of the door—

because I greatly feared the crowds, and the contempt of the clans terrified me, so I grew silent and would not go outside?

Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence,[ and] went not out of the door?

because I was terrified of the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I remained silent and would not go outdoors–

because I feared the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silence, and didn’t go out of the door—

“ Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd,

But King Zedekiah swore this oath secretly to Jeremiah:“ As surely as the Lord lives, who has given us breath, I will neither kill you nor hand you over to those who want to kill you.”

You levy a straw tax on the poor and impose a tax on their grain. Therefore, though you have built stone mansions, you will not live in them; though you have planted lush vineyards, you will not drink their wine.For I know how many are your offenses and how great your sins. There are those who oppress the innocent and take bribes and deprive the poor of justice in the courts.Therefore the prudent keep quiet in such times, for the times are evil.

One of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite. And I drove him away from me.

though you were a powerful man, owning land— an honored man, living on it.

But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.“ Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor.“ Barabbas,” they answered.“ What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked. They all answered,“ Crucify him!”“ Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder,“ Crucify him!”When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd.“ I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said.“ It is your responsibility!”All the people answered,“ His blood is on us and on our children!”Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.

Then the officials said to the king,“ This man should be put to death. He is discouraging the soldiers who are left in this city, as well as all the people, by the things he is saying to them. This man is not seeking the good of these people but their ruin.”“ He is in your hands,” King Zedekiah answered.“ The king can do nothing to oppose you.”

Then he said to them,“ This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says:‘ Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.’”

Before this, Eliashib the priest had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God. He was closely associated with Tobiah,and he had provided him with a large room formerly used to store the grain offerings and incense and temple articles, and also the tithes of grain, new wine and olive oil prescribed for the Levites, musicians and gatekeepers, as well as the contributions for the priests.But while all this was going on, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Some time later I asked his permissionand came back to Jerusalem. Here I learned about the evil thing Eliashib had done in providing Tobiah a room in the courts of the house of God.I was greatly displeased and threw all Tobiah’s household goods out of the room.

King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah,“ I am afraid of the Jews who have gone over to the Babylonians, for the Babylonians may hand me over to them and they will mistreat me.”

Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.

“ All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.”

who shows no partiality to princes and does not favor the rich over the poor, for they are all the work of his hands?

Both hands are skilled in doing evil; the ruler demands gifts, the judge accepts bribes, the powerful dictate what they desire— they all conspire together.

I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them,“ You are charging your own people interest!” So I called together a large meeting to deal with them

The name of the Israelite who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a Simeonite family.And the name of the Midianite woman who was put to death was Kozbi daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a Midianite family.

Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.If you say,“ But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?

For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”