The Holy Bible

1571 Pages·2016·6.8 MB·English

The Holy Bible

Translated by the
Central Highlands Congregation of God
Published by
Central Highlands Christian Publications
PO Box 236, Creswick, Vic 3363 Australia
Email [email protected]
Web Page https://chcpublications.net
First Edition Copyright © 2009
Second Edition Copyright © 2014
Third Edition Copyright © 2021
Fourth Edition Copyright © 2022
Revised December 28th

Permission is given to copy and distribute this document provided it is not
altered. Copies must not be sold for a profit. We ask you to notify us if you
are making numerous copies.

This edition is based on the Aramaic Peshitta New Covenant as we believe it is
the authentic text of the New Covenant, recording the words of Jeshua (Jesus)
and His disciples in their own language. Peshitta means ‘simple’ or ‘plain’,
signifying that is it the straight-forward, unembellished text. The fully pointed
Aramaic Peshitta of Ewan MacLeod, the Aramaic-English Interlinear Peshittas
of Glenn David Bauscher and Paul Younan and the Peshitta translations of John
Etheridge, James Murdock, George Lamsa, Glenn Bauscher, Andrew Roth and
Janet Magiera have been frequently used as references. Greek manuscripts and
translations are used as guides to the Peshitta where useful. This edition is a
New Covenant conversion from the Peshitta, incorporating the Peshitta’s use of
Lord Jah and its extensive personalising of our relationship with our God,
referring to Him as my Lord, our Lord, etc.

The Masoretic Hebrew Old Covenant (OC) is usually used as the authoritative
text of the OC, but the Aramaic OC Peshitta and Greek Septuagint are
occasionally used to correct errant verses in the Masoretic text, as explained in
the Appendices. This OC version is often similar to Green’s Interlinear Bible,
the Literal KJ3 and the New King James translations.

All words in italics have been added to improve English readability.
The Holy Bible
Books Arranged in Their Original Order

Contents
Book Order and Abbreviations...........................................................................6
The Old Covenants...........................................................................1
Division One..........................................................................................1
The Books of Moses.............................................................................................1
Genesis.............................................................................................................1
Exodus............................................................................................................70
Leviticus.......................................................................................................126
Numbers......................................................................................................166
Deuteronomy...............................................................................................222
Division Two......................................................................................268
The Former Prophets......................................................................................268
Jehoshua [Joshua].......................................................................................268
Judges..........................................................................................................300
The Books of the Kingdoms............................................................................331
First Samuel................................................................................................331
Second Samuel............................................................................................371
First Kings...................................................................................................405
Second Kings...............................................................................................445
The Major Prophets.........................................................................................483
Isaiah............................................................................................................483
Jeremiah......................................................................................................545
Ezekiel..........................................................................................................614
The Minor Prophets.........................................................................................677
Hosea............................................................................................................677
Joel...............................................................................................................686
Amos............................................................................................................690
Obadiah.......................................................................................................697
Jonah............................................................................................................699
Micah...........................................................................................................702
Nahum..........................................................................................................707
Habakkuk....................................................................................................710
Zephaniah....................................................................................................713
Haggai..........................................................................................................716
Zechariah.....................................................................................................718
Malachi........................................................................................................729
Division Three...................................................................................732
The Writings.....................................................................................................732
Psalms..........................................................................................................732
Proverbs.......................................................................................................818
Job................................................................................................................847
Song of Solomon..........................................................................................880
Ruth..............................................................................................................885
Lamentations...............................................................................................890
Ecclesiastes..................................................................................................896
Esther...........................................................................................................905
Daniel...........................................................................................................915
Ezra..............................................................................................................936
Nehemiah.....................................................................................................949
First Chronicles...........................................................................................967
Second Chronicles.....................................................................................1003
The New Covenant.....................................................................1046
Division Four..................................................................................1046
The Good News and Acts...............................................................................1046
Matthew.....................................................................................................1046
Mark..........................................................................................................1094
Luke............................................................................................................1123
John............................................................................................................1172
Acts.............................................................................................................1208
Division Five...................................................................................1255
The Testimonies..............................................................................................1255
Hebrews.....................................................................................................1255
Jacob [James]............................................................................................1270
Jude............................................................................................................1275
First Peter..................................................................................................1277
Second Peter..............................................................................................1282
Division Six.....................................................................................1286
Paul’s Letters..................................................................................................1286
Romans......................................................................................................1286
First Corinthians.......................................................................................1305
Second Corinthians...................................................................................1324
Galatians....................................................................................................1335
Ephesians...................................................................................................1342
Philippians.................................................................................................1349
Colossians..................................................................................................1354
First Thessalonians...................................................................................1359
Second Thessalonians...............................................................................1363
First Timothy.............................................................................................1366
Second Timothy.........................................................................................1371
Titus...........................................................................................................1375
Philemon....................................................................................................1377
Division Seven.................................................................................1378
John’s Testimonies.........................................................................................1378
First John...................................................................................................1378
Second John...............................................................................................1383
Third John.................................................................................................1384
Revelation..................................................................................................1385
Appendices..................................................................................1408
Appendix 1: Where Jehovah is Fully Vocalised.....................................1408
Appendix 2: Jehovah in the New Covenant...........................................1409
Appendix 3: Masoretic Deletions of Jehovah.........................................1409
Appendix 4: Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek Texts of the Old Covenant1410
Appendix 5: Baal and the LORD............................................................1411
Appendix 6: Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek Fonts...................................1411
The Holy Bible
CHCoG Version
Book Order and Abbreviations
Old Covenants Esther…………………….Est
Genesis………………..…Gen Daniel……………………Dan
Exodus…………...………Exo Ezra……………………...Ezr
Leviticus……………….…Lev Nehemiah………………..Neh
Numbers………………….Num First Chronicles………….1Ch
Deuteronomy……..………Deu Second Chronicles……….2Ch

Jehoshua (Jeshua)……...…Jeh New Covenant
Judges……………….……Jud Matthew………………....Mat
First Samuel……………...1Sa Mark……………………..Mar
Second Samuel……………2Sa Luke……………………...Luk
First Kings……….………1Ki John……………………….Joh
Acts……………………...Act
Second Kings……….……2Ki
Isaiah………………..……Isa Hebrews………………….Heb
Jeremiah………………….Jer Jacob (James)…………….Jac
Ezekiel…………...………Eze Jude……………………...Jude
Hosea…………….………Hos First Peter………………..1Pe
Second Peter……………..2Pe
Joel…………...…..………Joe
Amos…………..…………Amo Romans………………….Rom
Obadiah…………………..Oba First Corinthians…………1Co
Jonah………………..……Jon Second Corinthians……..2Co
Micah……………….……Mic Galatians…………………Gal
Ephesians………………..Eph
Nahum……………...……Nah
Habakkuk……...…………Hab Philippians……………….Phi
Zephaniah………………...Zep Colossians………………..Col
Haggai……………………Hag First Thessalonians………1Th
Zechariah…………………Zec Second Thessalonians…….2Th
First Timothy……………...1Ti
Malachi…………………..Mal
Psalms……………………Psa Second Timothy…………...2Ti
Proverbs………………….Pro Titus……………………....Tit
Job………………………..Job Philemon…………………Phm
Song of Solomon…………Son
First John…………………1Jo
Ruth………………………Rut Second John……………...2Jo
Lamentations……………..Lam Third John………………..3Jo
Ecclesiastes………………Ecc Revelation………………..Rev
Day One.
The Old Covenants Gen 1:6 And God said, “Let there be an
expanse in the midst of the waters, and let
it divide the waters from the waters.”
Division One Gen 1:7 And God made the expanse, and
divided the waters which were under the
expanse from the waters which were
The Books of Moses above the expanse. And it was so.6
Gen 1:8 And God called the expanse
Genesis Heaven.7 And there was evening and
there was morning: Second Day.8
Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the Gen 1:9 And God said, “Let the waters
heavens and the earth,1 under the heavens be collected into one
Gen 1:2 and the earth was formless and region, and let the dry land be seen.” And
empty,2 and darkness was on the face of it was so.
the deep. And the Spirit of God fluttered Gen 1:10 And God called the dry land
over the face of the waters.3 Earth and the collection of the waters He
Gen 1:3 And God said, “Let there be called Seas,9 and God saw that it was
light.”4 And there was light. good.
Gen 1:4 And God saw the light, that it Gen 1:11 And God said, “Let there spring
was good: and God divided the light from forth on the earth grass, the plant yielding
the darkness.5 seed after its kind,10 and the fruit tree
Gen 1:5 And God called the light Day,
and the darkness he called Night. And 6 2 Peter 3:4-5
there was evening and there was morning: 7 Expanse is translated from the Hebrew word
עַ יקִ רָ Raqiya, primarily meaning “extended
1 Quoted by Jeshua (Jesus) in Mark 13:19.
surface (solid), expanse, firmament.” Brown’s
Mat 7:23 also suggests this may be the
hydroplate theory proposes that earth’s crust
beginning of time as we know it.
2 The Hebrew does not say that the Earth was this expanse, supported by a deep layer of
pressurized water beneath it. Earth was
“became empty and formless”, but simply says
created to become God’s Throne, so it could
that it “was empty and formless.” At this point
also correctly be called Heaven until the Fall.
it was like a blank canvas:—it was lifeless and
The heavens in plural in verse 9 refer to our
the surface of our world was completely
atmosphere, space and God’s Throne.
covered with water. No crust had been formed
8 The Hebrew has been carefully crafted to
and forced up out of the water and no life had
show that Jehovah God is referring to literal
been created yet. Contrary to the Gap theory,
24 hour days throughout this account, with
there is nothing in the Bible which even
each day having a clearly stated night-time,
suggests that the earth (or our universe) had
beginning at evening, and daylight period,
existed or been inhabited prior to this time. In
beginning at morning and ending at evening
Exodus 20:11 and 31:17 Jehovah God clearly
(dusk). The Creation Week is then used by
states that He made the earth during these six
Jehovah as the basis for His seven day cycle
days.
3 ‘face of the waters’ is a Hebrew expression which celebrates His creative genius with the
seventh-day Sabbath, recorded for us in
meaning the surface of the ocean.
4 John 1:1-9 teaches that the Light is God’s Genesis 2:1-3.
9 Though there was only one Sea above the
Son Jeshua, and He may have provided the
expanse/crust, there was another one below
required light here until the sun was created.
5 Compare with John 1:1-5, 2 Cor 4:6, Rev the expanse/crust, so there were Seas in plural.
3:14. 10 Kind is from the Hebrew נֵ ימִ meen, meaning
2 Genesis
making fruit after its kind, in which is its there was morning: Fourth Day.
seed, upon the earth.” And it was so. Gen 1:20 Then God said, “Let the waters
Gen 1:12 And the earth brought forth swarm with swarms of living souls, and
grass, the plant yielding seed after its kind, let flying creatures fly above the earth
and the tree yielding fruit in which is its across the face of the expanse of the
seed after its kind, and God saw that it heavens.”
was good. Gen 1:21 God created great sea dragons4
Gen 1:13 And there was evening and and every living soul that moves,5 which
there was morning: Third Day. the waters swarmed with, according to
Gen 1:14 And God said, “Let there be their kind, and every winged flying
lights in the expanse of the heavens1 to creature according to its kind. And God
divide between the day and the night; and saw that it was good.
let them be for signs, and for appointed Gen 1:22 And God blessed them, saying,
times,2 and for days, and years. “Be fruitful and become many, and fill the
Gen 1:15 “And let them be for lights in waters in the seas, and let the flying
the expanse of the heavens to give light creatures multiply on the earth.”
upon the earth.” And it was so. Gen 1:23 And there was evening and
Gen 1:16 And God made two great lights there was morning: Fifth Day.
and the stars: the greater light for ruling Gen 1:24 Then God said, “Let the earth
the day, and the lesser light for ruling the bring forth live souls, each after its kind:
night.3 livestock and creeping things and its
Gen 1:17 And God set them in the animals of the earth, each after its kind.”
expanse of the heavens to give light upon And it was so.
the earth, Gen 1:25 So God made the animals of the
Gen 1:18 And to rule over the day and earth after their kinds, livestock after their
over the night, and to divide the light from kinds, and everything that creeps on the
the darkness: and God saw that it was earth after their kinds. And God saw that
good. it was good.
Gen 1:19 And there was evening and Gen 1:26 Then God said, “Let Us make
man in Our image, according to Our
‘portion’. A kind is above the species level, likeness;6 and let them rule over the fish of
usually at the genus or family levels, such as
the created wolf kind, which diversified to
include wolves, foxes, dogs, dingos, etc. 4 From the Hebrew םנִינִּתַּ taninym, usually
1 The expanse of the heavens in plural is meaning large reptiles, but including whales
different to the earlier expanse. The heavens and creatures once known as dragons, but
expanse includes the space between the called dinosaurs today.
heavenly bodies. 5 This is an accurate translation of soul from
2 From the Hebrew דִעֲ וֹמ moade. The the Hebrew שׁפֶ נֶ nephesh. God tells us that
Appointed Times are appointed by God, and all animals have souls. Ecclesiastes 3:21 also
are His Annual Holy Days (See Lev 23). tells us that all animals have spirits. But Ecc
3 By delaying the creation of the sun until the 3:21 also confirms that mankind’s spirit is
fourth day, Jehovah God has demonstrated that different to that of the animals, as our spirits
He is far greater than the sun, for he created go to God when we die, but the animals’
the earth, provided light for it and created spirits go into the earth.
photosynthesising plants on it all before the 6 Here God is clearly revealing someone else
sun even existed. By these actions, He also was involved in the creation of man. Joh 1:1-
destroys all ancient and current theories of 3, Joh 1:14-17, Joh 3:11, Joh 17:24, Col 1:15-
how our solar system formed and life arose. 17 & Heb 1:1-12 identify the person Jehovah
Genesis 3
the sea, over the flying creatures of the and the earth when they were created,5 in
heavens, and over the livestock, and over the days that Jehovah6 God7 made the
all the earth and over all the creeping earth and the heavens,8
things that creep on the earth.” Gen 2:5 before any bush of the field was
Gen 1:27 So God created man in His in the earth and before any plant of the
image; in the image of God He created field had grown. For Jehovah God had
him; male and female He created them.1 not caused it to rain on the earth, and there
Gen 1:28 Then God blessed them, and was no man to work the ground;
God said to them, “Be fruitful and Gen 2:6 but a mist went up from the earth
multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; rule and watered the whole face of the ground.
over the fish of the sea, and over the Gen 2:7 And Jehovah God formed man of
flying creatures of the heaven, and over dust from the ground, and breathed into
every animal that moves on the earth.”2 his nostrils the breath of life; and the man
Gen 1:29 And God said, “See, I have became a living soul.9
given to you every plant that yields seed
which is on the face of all the earth, and 5 Quoted by Jeshua (Jesus) in Mark 13:19, also
every tree whose fruit yields seed; it will Rom 1:20 & 4:17
be for food for you. 6 This the correct spelling of the One True
God’s Name, as confirmed in the most ancient
Gen 1:30 “Also, to every animal of the
vowel-pointed Hebrew manuscripts we have,
earth, to every flying creature of the
including both the Aleppo and Leningrad
heavens, and to everything that creeps on
codices. Jehovah in Hebrew is ה֨וָׂהיְ The
the earth, in which there is life, I have
fully vocalised writing of Jehovah occurs 50
given every green plant for food.” And it
times in the Leningrad codex, including Gen
was so.
3:14, 9:26, 18:17, Exodus 3:2, 13:3, 13:9,
Gen 1:31 Then God saw everything that
13:12, 13:15, 14:1, etc. It is pronounced as Je-
He had made, and indeed it was very
ho-VAH by the Sephardi Judeans and has been
good. And there was evening and there used by Biblical followers of Jeshua (Jesus)
was morning: The Sixth Day. going back to the Apostles. The Ashkanazi
Gen 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth, Jews pronounce it as Ye-ho-VAH. The Bible
and all the host of them, were finished.3 teaches us to use Jehovah’s Name, but always
Gen 2:2 And by the seventh day God had in an honourable way (Psa 116:13, Isa 12:4,
completed His work which He had done, Zec 13:9). Jehovah has several meanings,
including “the One Who Is”, “the Self-
and He rested on the seventh day from all
Existing”, “Giver of Life”, “the One Bringing
His work which He had done.
into Being”. See Appendix 1 for the full list in
Gen 2:3 Then God blessed the seventh
the Leningrad manuscript.
day and sanctified it, because He rested
7 Jehovah Elohim םיהִ לֹאֱ הוָׂ֨היְ in Hebrew.
from all His work in it, which He4 had
8 Some claim that what follows is an
created and made.
‘alternative creation account’. That is not true.
Gen 2:4 This is the history of the heavens
This is a second perspective of the Creation
which centres on the creation of Mankind and
God is addressing as His Son Jeshua (Jesus). the setting that Jehovah placed Adam and Eve
Also see Pro 8:22-31. into. Note that the two accounts reveal that it
1 Mat 19:4, Mar 10:6, 1Co 11:7, Col 3:10, Jac is only humans which God describes as being
3:9 created in His Image and into whom God
2 1Co 15:38-39, Heb 2:7-8, Psa 8:4-6 personally breathed life. Also see Eph 3:9 -
3 Acts 14:15 & 17:24, Heb 4:3, Heb 11:3 creation through Jeshua.
4 As in the Aramaic Peshitta. The Hebrew has 9 It is likely that the breath of life was not just
“God”. air, but also an imparting of the spirit of man,
4 Genesis
Gen 2:8 Jehovah God planted the Hiddekel;7 it was the one which went
Paradise of Eden1 to the east, and He put toward the east of Assur.8 The fourth river
the man whom He had formed there. was the Euphrates.9
Gen 2:9 And out of the earth Jehovah Gen 2:15 Then Jehovah God took the
God had made every tree grow that is man and settled him in the Paradise of
pleasant to the sight and good for food. Pleasure to tend and keep it.10
The tree of life was in the midst of Gen 2:16 And Jehovah God commanded
Paradise and also the tree of the the man, saying, “Of every tree in
knowledge of good and evil.2 Paradise you may freely eat;
Gen 2:10 Now a river went out of Eden to Gen 2:17 “but of the tree of the
water Paradise and from there it parted knowledge of good and evil you will not
and became four riverheads. eat, for in the day that you eat from it,
Gen 2:11 The name of the first was dying you will die.”11
Pishon;3 it was the one which skirted the Gen 2:18 And Jehovah God said, “It is
whole land of Havilah,4 where there was not good that man should be alone; I will
gold. make him a helper comparable to him.”
Gen 2:12 And the gold of that land was Gen 2:19 Out of the earth Jehovah God
good. Bdellium and the onyx stone were had formed every animal of the field and
there. every flying creature of heaven. He
Gen 2:13 The name of the second river brought them to Adam12 to see what he
was Gihon;5 it was the one which went would call them. And whatever Adam
around the whole land of Cush.6 called each living soul, that was its name.
Gen 2:14 The name of the third river was Gen 2:20 So Adam gave names to all
cattle, to the flying creatures of the
heavens, and to every animal of the field.
enabling Adam to not merely be alive, though But a helper comparable to Adam was not
comatose, but to be a conscious, fully found for him there.
functioning human.—1Co 2:11, 1 Thes 5:23, Gen 2:21 And Jehovah God caused a
Job 32:8, Joh 20:22 & Ecc 12:6-7. Also
quoted in 1Co 15:44-49. That God breathed 7 Meaning Rapid. The Septuagint calls this
through Adam’s nostrils, and not his mouth, river the Tigris, but there is no evidence to
shows that we should always do the same. support their renaming of this river with the
1 Paradise is from the Aramaic Peshitta, name of the post-Flood Tigris.
Fardaysa אסׇ ידַּ רפַַֿ The Hebrew text says 8 Meaning A Step. Perhaps this land was an
elevated pre-Flood Plain.
garden. The Aramaic and Hebrew word for
Eden (Ayden ןדֶ עֵ ) means Pleasure in English. 9 Literally תרָפְ Perath, meaning Fruitfulness,
but Euphrates in Greek. These were all pre-
This Paradise of Pleasure was created to be a
Flood rivers. The Euphrates River of today is
place to enjoy for both God and man. See Luk
a different river named nostalgically after the
23:43, 2Co 12:4 & Rev 2:7.
2 Rev 2:7 & Rev 22:14 Flood, as the pre-Flood surface was pulverized
3 Meaning Increase. and often buried beneath kilometers of
4 Meaning Circle. sedimentary and volcanic rock. This is why
5 Meaning Bursting Forth, suggesting the we cannot be sure where Eden would have
been.
source of these rivers was one of the Fountains
10 So right from the start humans were farmers,
of the Great Deep before it was split apart
not nomadic hunter-gatherers.
during the Great Flood (Gen 7:11).
6 Meaning Black. There is no reason to 11 Rom 5:12-19
believe this land was the post-Flood land of 12 Adam םדָ אָ is the Hebrew word for man.
Cush. Adam means dust.