Showing results by author "King James Bible" in All Categories

The Book of Joel narrates the story of the Prophet Joel. The book starts with him telling the people that a locust invasion has wreaked havoc on the land. He asked the priests and people to ask forgiveness from God and prayed. He then goes on to describe a day in the future when the locusts will attack again. This time, he describes the locusts in a way that seems like God will send them as He would his army. He again tells the people to ask for forgiveness.

In this audio compilation of the Book of Jeremiah, the narrator tells the story of the prophet Jeremiah. These chapters of the Bible are broken into biographical, prose, and poetic strands - and have a heavy focus on the events leading up to the fall of Jerusalem during a forty-year period. Here we focus on Jeremiah as the prophet who, from his young age to his grown years, delivers the word of God to the people of Israel at the most volatile and troubling times of their lives.

In this audio compilation of the Book of Lamentations, the narrator offers a collection of poetic laments of the Destruction of Jerusalem. Here, we focus on how the collection is partly a traditional "city lament" mourning the desertion of the city by God, its destruction, and the ultimate return of the divinity, and partly a funeral dirge in which the bereaved bewails and addresses the dead.

While it is not known when or where exactly The Book of Chronicles was written, it is speculated that it was written around 537 BC. The second Book of Chronicles details the reign of King Solomon, who was the son of King David. He ruled over Jerusalem as a just and prosperous king. Solomon built the temple as instructed by his father. After a 40-year rule, King Solomon died and thus began the reign of his son, Rehoboam. During the rule of King Rehoboam, the key tribes of Jews in Jerusalem rebelled against him, resulting in the division of the kingdom, except the tribes of Judah and Benjamin.

While we do not know when the Book of Esther written, or who wrote it, the events that unfold in it suggest that it was written approximately 100 years after the exile of Jews from Jerusalem. In this Book, there is no mention of God, and it is believed that that is done because the author wanted to make God present and active through His work. Around 484 BC, King Ahasuerus ordered a 180-day celebration as a show of his wealth and power. On the last day of the celebration, he ordered his wife, Queen Vashti, to appear and demonstrate her beauty, but she refused.

It is unclear when this book was written or who wrote it. However, there is speculation to conclude that it might have been written by King Solomon or another descendant within the lines of King David or a figure of authority in his times. There are two distinct voices at play in this book. One belongs to The Teacher, while the other is that of the author of the book. At the beginning of the book, the author begins with repeating the word “hevel,” which roughly translates to mean "meaningless."

The Book of Isaiah was written by Isaiah (the son of Amoz), who served as prophet between 740 - 701 BC. This was a critical period in the history of Israel when corruption was rampant. The Jews were breaking God’s covenant and engaging in idolatry. Isaiah mentions Israel as falling to corruption. He says that there is hope for the people of Israel if they repent and mend their ways. In his dream, Isaiah saw God, who told him to preach to the people to remember and obey Him. He foretells of the fall of Israel and the exile of the Jews if they persist in their corrupt ways.

It is not clear who wrote the Book of Proverbs or when it was written. However, we know that a part of it was written by King Solomon, who was the son of King David of Israel. This book is considered a set of instructions with which to tune the compass of one’s moral life. It is written in a poetic form using vivid imagery and begins with an emphasis on the quest to acquire wisdom. The first part of the book is about a father’s advice to his son. The central message of this advice pertains to seek virtue, integrity, and generosity, as only then can one achieve success and peace.

It is not known who wrote the Book of Nehemiah. However, it is written in the first-person narrative style, which seems to suggest that at least parts of the book were written by Nehemiah himself. Nehemiah was a cupbearer for King Artaxerxes of Persia. On a particular day, he broke down before the king and mentioned how Jerusalem had been destroyed. The king ordered him to go back and build the walls around the city. He was also given supplies and an armed escort. As Nehemiah began to build the walls with his team, there was fierce opposition from the countries surrounding Jerusalem.

We do not know when this book was written or who wrote it. We do know that King Solomon is mentioned in this book. This book is a collection of love poems celebrating the love between a couple. The main voice in these poems is that of a woman, while we also have a voice that seems to belong to a man who is not Solomon. The woman seems to be engaged to the man, who is a shepherd. It is virtually impossible to analyze this book as a single poem because it does follow a structure and is quite disjointed. However, we can understand it using key themes.

The Book of Psalms is a collection of 150 poems that were written by various sages, kings, and prophets throughout Jewish history. The book was compiled after the exiled Jews returned from Babylon to Jerusalem. About half of them, 73 to be exact, are attributed to King David. Each of these poems is expertly and strategically placed in the book and go as far back as the creation of man.

It is not known who wrote the Book of Job or when it was written. It is written poetically and is considered wisdom literature. The book starts with a dialogue between God and Satan. God first brings up Job and how noble and pious he is, then Satan contends that it is so because of the wealth and comfort which God has bestowed upon him. God allows Satan to inflict suffering upon Job. As a consequence, Job loses all his wealth, his children die, and he contracts disease.

The Books of Samuel, 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel, form part of the narrative history of Israel in the Nevi'im or "prophets" section of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, called the Deuteronomistic history, a series of books (Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings) that constitute a theological history of the Israelites and aim to explain God's law for Israel under the guidance of the prophets. According to Jewish tradition, the book was written by Samuel, with additions by the prophets Gad and Nathan.

The Books of Samuel, 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel, form part of the narrative history of Israel in the Nevi'im or "prophets" section of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, called the Deuteronomistic history, a series of books (Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings) that constitute a theological history of the Israelites and aim to explain God's law for Israel under the guidance of the prophets. According to Jewish tradition, the book was written by Samuel, with additions by the prophets Gad and Nathan.

The two Books of Kings, originally a single book, is the tenth of the Hebrew Bible or the eleventh and twelfth books of the Christian Old Testament. It concludes the Deuteronomistic history, a history of Israel also comprising the books of Joshua and Judges and the Book of Samuel, which biblical commentators believe was written to provide a theological explanation for the destruction of the Kingdom of Judah by Babylon in c. 586 BCE and a foundation for a return from exile.

The Book of Genesis, the first book of the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament, is Judaism's account of the creation of the world and the origins of the Jewish people. It is divisible into two parts, the primeval history (chapters 1–11) and the ancestral history (chapters 12–50).

The last book of the Christian Bible, Revelation, read by award-winning narrator Mike Vendetti, could leave one wondering, "Should I repent now?"

The Apostle Paul is imprisoned for Christ, yet he writes his most joy-filled letter yet. Writing to the church in Philippi, Paul gives countless pieces of encouragement. He commends the people for their support and tells them he is sure that "...he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6). Listen as the apostle tells us to rejoice in the Lord and press forward with our eyes fixed on Christ.

While there is suffering, evil, sickness, and death in this world, the book of Joel reminds us that we have an everlasting hope through it all. Joel warns the people of Judah as a horrifying locust plague has come upon them. He urges the people to repent and return to God, predicting that this is just the beginning of their judgment. Thankfully Joel's prophecies do not end there.

Much like the wisdom literature in the OT, James offers snippets of wisdom to Christians. The practical instruction he gives serves to motivate believers to be doers not just hearers of the word. His audience, Jewish Christians, is in the midst of social conflict in which they are seeking worldly advice instead of pursuing God's way. James' letter should inspire Christians today to seek divine wisdom in all situations while translating one's faith into practice.