The Good News Children's Bible
(American Bible Society, 1976)
The Bible does not tell us exactly how the universe began, but it does say some very important things about why it was made.
Page 19.
Then God said, “And now we will make human beings; they ill be like us and resemble us. They will have power over the fish, the birds, and all animals, domestic and wild, large and small.” So God created human beings, making them to be like himself. He created them male and female, blessed them, and said, “Have many children, so that hour descendants will live all over the earth and bring it under their control.”
Page 20.
The woman saw how beautiful the tree was and how good its fruit would be to eat, and she thought how wonderful it would be to become wise. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, and he also ate it.
Page 22.
The Lord God called out to the man, “Where are you?”
Page 24.
“Who told you that you were naked?” God asked.
Page 24.
God spoke, and these were his words: “I am the Lord your Gpd who brought you out of Egypt, where you were slaves.
“Worship no god but me.
“Do not make for yourselves images of anything in heaven or on earth or in the water under the earth. Do not bow down to any idol or worship it, because I am the Lord your God and I tolerate no rivals. I bring punishment on those who hate me and on their descendants down to the third and fourth generation. But I show my love to thousands of generations of those who loge me and obey my laws.
“Do not use my name for evil purposes, for I, the Lord your God, will punish anyone who misuses my name.
“Observe the Sabbath and keep it holy. You have six days in which to do your work, but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to me. On that day no one is to work - neither you, your children, your slaves, your animals, or the foreigners who live in your country. In six days I, the Lord, made the earth, the sky, the sea, and everything in them, but on the seventh day I rested. That is why I, the Lord, blessed the Sabbath and made it holy.
“Respect your father and your mother, so that you may live a long time in the land that I am giving you.
“Do not commit murder.
“Do not commit adultery.
“Do not steal.
“Do not accuse anyone falsely.
“Do not desire another man’s house; do not desire his wife, his slaves, his cattle, his donkeys, or anything else that he owns.”
Page 66.
To the Israelites, having children was a sign of God’s blessing. It was a great disgrace to be unable to have any.
Page 80.
“If you give me a son, I promise that I will dedicate him to you for his whole life and that he will never have his hair cut.”
Page 80.
All the people of Israel, from one end of the country to the other, knew that Samuel was indeed a prophet of the Lord. … When Samuel spoke, all Israel listened.
Page 83.
“You are not the one they have rejected; I am the one they have rejected as their king. Ever since I brought them out of Egypt, they have turned away form me and worshipped other gods; and now they are doing to you what they have always done to me.”
Page 83.
Although the Israelites were special people, this did not mean that others had no part in God’s plan.
Page 87.
Obed became the father of Jesse, who was the father of David.
Page 89.
“Pay no attention to how tall and handsome he is. I have rejected him, because I do not judge as man judges. Man looks at the outward appearance, but I look at the heart.”
Page 89.
Samuel took the olive-oil and anointed David in front of his brothers. Immediately the spirit of the Lord took control of David and was with him from that day on.
Page 90.
Goliath started walking towards David again, and David ran quickly towards the Philistine battle line to fight him. He put his hand into his bag and took out a stone, which he slung at Goliath it hit him on the forehead ad broke his skull, and Goliath fell face downwards on the ground. And so, without a sword, David defeated and killed Goliath with a sling and a stone! He ran to him, stood over him, took Goliath’s sword out of its sheath and but off his head and killed him.
Page 92.
David picked up Goliath’s head and took it to Jerusalem, but he kept Goliath’s weapons in his own tent.
Page 92.
Saul kept David with him from that day on and did not let him go back home. Jonathan swore eternal friendship with David because of his deep affection for him.
Page 94.
Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with David but had abandoned him.
Page 94.
Everyone in Israel and Judah loved David because he was such a successful leader.
Page 94.
“You must not harm him! The Lord will certainly punish whoever harms his chosen king. By the living Lord,” David continued, “I know that the Lord himself will kill Saul, either when his time comes to die a natural death or when he dies in battle. The Lord forbid that I should try to harm the one whom the Lord has made king!”
Page 97.
“Don’t let me be killed on foreign soil, away from the Lord!”
Page 98.
“The Lord rewards those who are faithful and righteous.”
Page 98.
Saul had not been a popular king. He did not have everyone’s whole-hearted support. When David became king he managed to unite many of the people who had argued before. David’s army was well-organized and this helped the Israelites to form their own country.
Page 102.
In Israel … the king, like everyone else, must obey God’s law.
Page 105.
Nathan, in his job as a prophet, made David condemn himself.
Page 105.
“I swear to you that I will cause someone from your own family to bring trouble on you. You will see it when I take your wives from you and give them to another man; and he will have intercourse with them in broad daylight. You sinned in secret, but I will make this happen in broad daylight for all Israel to see.”
Page 106.
“So give me the wisdom I need to rule your people with justice and to know the difference between good and evil. Otherwise, how would I ever be able to rule this great people of yours?”
Page 113.
Solomon’s kingdom included all the nations from the River Euphrates to Philistia and the Egyptian border. They paid him taxes and were subject to him all his life.
Page 114.
David had one great ambition which he was not able to fulfill. This was to build a permanent place for worship, a temple for God, in Jerusalem. The Covenant Box had been kept in a large tent known as the “Tent of the Lord’s Presence”. This was where the Israelites had worshipped God as they travelled through the desert on their way to Canaan. The tent was now at Shiloh, the place where Samuel had heard God speak, but David had taken the Covenant Box to Jerusalem.
Page 115.
Four hundred and eighty years after the people of Israel left Egypt, during the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, int eh second month, the month of Ziv, Solomon began work on the Temple.
Page 117.
As Solomon got older, he began to allow foreign “gods” to be worshipped in Israel. After his death this happened even more. A civil war split the country in two. The larger part in the north kept the nae Israel. The smaller southern part was called Judah, after one of the main tribes.
Page 118.
“Go out and stand before me on top of the mountain,” the Lord said to him. Then the Lord passed by and sent a furious wind that split the hills and shattered the rocks - but the Lord was not in the wind. The wind stopped blowing, and then there was an earthquake - but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake, there was a fire - but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire, there was the soft whisper of a voice.
When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. A voice said to him, “Elijah, what are you doing here?”
Page 122.
Elijah was the greatest of the prophets. In New Testament times many Jews believed that one day God would send Elijah back to earth.
Page 124.
They kept talking as they walked on; then suddenly a chariot of fire pulled by horses of fire came between them, and Elijah was taken up to heaven by a whirlwind.
Page 125.
God cared about other people as well as the Israelites. His power showed them that he was the only true God.
Page 125.
Make it your aim to do what is right, not what is evil, so that you may live. Then the Lord God Almighty really will be with you, as you claim he is. Hat what is evil, love what is right, and see that justice prevails in the courts.
Page 127.
The Lord says, “I hate your religious festivals; I cannot stand them! When you bring me burnt-offerings and grain-offerings, I will not accept them; I will not accept the animals you have fattened to bring me as offerings. Stop your noisy songs; I do not want to listen to your harps. Instead, let justice flow like a stream, and righteousness like a river that never goes dry.”
Page 127.
“The time is coming when I will make the sun go down at noon and the earth grow dark in daytime.”
Page 128.
What shall I bring to the Lord, the God of heaven, when I come to worship him? Shall I bring the best claves to burn as offerings to him? Will the Lord be pleased if I bring him thousands of sheep or endless streams of olive-oil? Shall I offer him my first-born child to pay for my sins? No, the Lord has told us what is good. What he requires of us is this: to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God.
Page 128.
The Israelites were afraid of the sea and tried to avoid it. Many of their enemies attacked form the sea, so they often pictured their enemies as sea monsters.
Page 130.
At the Lord’s command a large fish swallowed Jonah, and he was inside the fish for three days and nights.
Page 130.
The Lord answered, “What right have you to be angry?”
Page 131.
The Assyrians attacked Israel and took the people away to other countries. In their place they brought in foreigners. The Assyrians split people up into small groups, each speaking a different language, so that it would be difficult for anyone to rebel.
Page 134.
“Holy, holy, holy!
The Lord Almighty is holy!
His glory fills the world.”
Page 134.
On Zion, God’s sacred hill,
there will be nothing harmful or evil.
The land will be as full of knowledge of the Lord
as the seas are full of water.
Page 138.
“Israel, remember this! The Lord - and the Lord alone - is your God. Love the Lord your God with all your heat, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”
Page 139.
"Tie them on your arms and wear the on your foreheads as a reminder. Write them on the door-posts of our houses and on your gates.”
Page 139.
Jeremiah had a hard message to give the people and he did not really want to become a prophet.
Page 141.
“I chose you before I gave you life, and before you were born I selected you to be a prophet to the nations.”
Page 142.
“I am giving you the words you must speak.”
Page 142.
“Do you think that my Temple is a hiding place for robbers?”
Page 142.
“The new covenant that I will make with the people of Israel will be this: I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts.”
Page 144.
The Temple was the symbol of God’s presence, but it lay in ruins hundreds of miles away. Like most exiles they stayed together in a group and formed a community. It was here in exile that they began to think more deeply about some of the things thy had ignored in their own country.
Page 145.
Before Ezekiel was taken into exile he was training to be a priest at the Temple in Jerusalem. At that time priests could only serve God there in the Temple, so Ezekiel thought that all is hopes of serving God were gone. Then he discovered that God had a special purpose for him in Babylon.
Page 145.
I heard a voice saying, “Mortal man, stand up. I want to talk to you.”
Page 147.
God’s spirit entered me and raised me to my feet.
Page 147.
Ezekiel compared the people with scattered sheep and the rulers of Israel with bad shepherds. But God himself would be the good shepherd.
Page 147.
I will take them out of foreign countries, gather them together, and bring them back to their own land.
Page 148.
Being in exile is compared with death.
Page 148.
God brings hope to even the most hopeless situation.
Page 148.
The power of God brings hope even when things look impossible.
Page 150.
Grass withers and flowers fade,
but the word of our God endures for ever.
Page 150.
The prophets had often spoken of God using powerful nations to fulfil his purposes.
Page 158.
Even though the returning exiles were afraid of the people who were living in the land, they rebuilt the altar where it had stood before.
Page 159.
Although the people had not yet started to rebuild the Temple, they began on the first day of the seventh month to burn sacrifices to the Lord.
Page 159.
“Don’t be afraid of our enemies. Remember how great and terrifying the Lord is, and fight for your fellow-countrymen, your children, your wives, and your homes.”
Page 162.
Everyone who was building kept a sword strapped to his waist.
Page 163.
Every day, from dawn until the stars came out at night, half of us worked on the wall, while the other half stood guard with spears.
Page 163.
The Levites explained the Law to them. They gave an oral translation of God’s Law and explained it so that the people could understand it.
Page 165.
For hundreds of years the Jews had been ruled by one foreign power after the other. This was because the main roads joining Europe, Asia and Africa all passed through Palestine (where the Jews lived) making it an important piece of land to control.
Page 169.
Rome was in control of the North and much of its food came from Egypt in the South. They were determined to keep control of Palestine and did so with great skill. Sometimes, in order to keep control, they were very brutal.
Page 169.
Over the centuries the Jews had come to believe that God would send a “Messiah”. The word means “God’s chosen one” or “anointed one”, and the Jews expected the Messiah to rescue their nation and show the power of the God of Israel to the world.
Page 169.
The Jewish people expected a period of suffering to prepare them for the Messiah’s coming. They had suffered a great deal in recent years. So everything seemed ready for the Messiah to come. But the Jews had many different ideas of what he would be like and what he would do. The writers of the stories that follow show that many of the ideas the Jews had were wrong. When he came, the Messiah was not what most people expected.
Page 169.
For the Jews a person’s name was important, because it told you a lot about them.
Page 170.
The word “angel” simply means “a messenger”.
Page 172.
“There is nothing that God cannot do.”
Page 172.
All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said. Mary remembered all these things and thought deeply about them.
Page 175.
Frankincense was burnt by the priests in the Temple, just as in some churches today incense is still burnt as part of the worship. Myrrh was a kind of spice used in cosmetics. It was also used to preserve bodies. Some people think that there may be special significance in the fact that Jesus was offered things associated with royalty, worshiping God, and death.
Page 178.
The name “Jesus” is the same as the Hebrew name “Joshua” and means “Saviour”.
Page 179.
It was the custom, during religious festivals, for the priests and religious leaders to talk and answer questions in the Temple courtyard. Sometimes they would themselves put questions to those around them. Now he was twelve, Jesus could take part in the discussions.
Page 183.
All who heard him were amazed at his intelligent answers.
Page 185.
This was before the days of radio and television, telephones, or even a postal service. So it was the custom, if a king or important official was going anywhere, for a herald or forerunner to go on in advance, to tell people to make the necessary preparations.
Page 186.
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he came up out of the water. Then heaven was opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down like a dove and alighting on him. Then a voice said form heaven, “This is my own dear Son, with whom I am pleased.”
Page 187.
The people who heard him were amazed at the way he taught, for he wasn’t like the teachers of the Law; instead, he taught with authority.
Page 192.
The news about Jesus spread quickly everywhere in the province of Galilee.
Page 194.
Jesus could not go into a town publicly. Instead, he stayed out in lonely places, and people came to him from everywhere.
Page 195.
“‘It is kindness that I want, not animal sacrifices.’ I have not come to call respectable people, but outcasts.”
Page 197.
The word “apostle” means someone who is sent out to do a special job for God.
Page 198.
“Whoever does what God wants him to do is my brother, my sister, my mother.”
Page 199.
Women were not thought to be very important by most people at this time. Rabbis did not allow women to be their followers. In this, as in most things, Jesus was unusual. He had women followers from many different backgrounds.
Page 201.
So many people were going long with Jesus that they were crowding him from every side.
Page 202.
Some time between three and six o’clock in the morning he came to them, walking on the water.
Page 205.
Jesus came first to his own people, the Jews, but they did not always listen to him. So Jesus sometimes left the Jewish areas and stayed in a Gentile (non-Jewish) part of Palestine.
Page 206.
“God’s wisdom … is shown to be true by all who accept it.”
Page 208.
“Whoever has been forgiven little shows only a little love.”
Page 209.
“Everyone who makes himself great will be humbled, and everyone who humbles himself will be made great.”
Page 210.
Collecting the taxes for the hated Romans was the most unpopular job any New could do. In order to find people who would take it on, the Romans allowed them to cheat by collecting more than was due and keeping what was left over.
Page 210.
“The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Page 211.
“While I am in the world, I am the light for the world.”
Page 211.
The gospels describe many times when Jesus told a story, either n answer to a question, or to make people think.
Page 213.
It helps us to have a better understanding of the meaning of a story if we know a little about the customs of the time.
Page 213.
“There will be more joy in heaven over one simmer who repents than over ninety-nine respectable people who do not need to repent.”
Page 214.
If we love God we must also serve him.
Page 219.
The gospel writers were keen to show that, while we wait for Jesus, we can still be in touch with him and hear him through prayer.
Page 223.
“Everyone who makes himself great will be humbled, and everyone who humbles himself will be made great.”
Page 224.
“Watch out and guard yourselves for every kind of greed; because a person’s true life is not made up of the things he owns, no matter how rich he may be.”
Page 225.
It was the duty of a disciple to remember his master’s teaching accurately and pass it on to others.
Page 232.
“Your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.”
Page 233.
“Do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, let him slap your left cheek too. … When someone asks you for something, give it to him; when someone wants to borrow something, lend it to him.”
Page 233.
“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may become the sons of your Father in heaven.”
Page 235.
“You must be perfect - just as your Father in heaven is perfect!”
Page 235.
“Hypocrite” is the Greek word for an actor. It means someone who pretends to be what they are not.
Page 235.
“Make certain you do not perform your religious duties in public so that people will see what you do if you do these things publicly, you will not have any reward from your Father in heaven.”
Page 235.
“When you help a needly person, do it in such a way that even your closest friend will not know about it. Then it will be a private matter. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.”
Page 235.
“When you pray, go to your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.”
Page 236.
“Your Father already knows what you need before you ask him.”
Page 236.
“Our Father in heaven:
May our holy name be honoured;
may your Kingdom come;
may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today the food we need.
Forgive us the wrongs we have done,
as we forgive the wrongs that others have done to us.
Do not bring us to hard testing,
but keep us safe from the Evil One.”
Page 236.
“Your heart will always be where your riches are.”
Page 236.
“You cannot serve both God and money.”
Page 236.
“Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things. So do not worry about tomorrow; it will have enough worries of its own.”
Page 237.
“Do not judge others, so that God will not judge you, for God will judge you in the same way as you judge others, and he will apply to you the same rules you apply to others.”
Page 237.
“Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will ge opened to you. For everyone who asks will receive, and anyone who seeks will find, and the door will be opened to him who knocks.”
Page 237.
“Do for others what you want them to do for you: this is the meaning of the Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets.”
Page 238.
“You will know the false prophets by what they do.”
Page 238.
“Not everyone who calls me ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only those who do what my Father in heaven wants them to do.”
Page 238.
The crowd was amazed at the way he taught. He wasn’t like the teachers of the Law; instead, he taught with authority.
Page 239.
“As for the dead rising to life: haven’t you ever read what God has told you? He said, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ He is the God of the living, not of the dead.”
Page 240.
“No one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
Page 241.
“A person is born physically of human parents, but he is born spiritually of the Spirit.”
Page 241.
For God loved the world so much that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its saviour.
Page 242.
Jesus himself did not baptize anyone; only his disciples did.
Page 242.
“God is Spirit, and only by the power of his Sprit can people worship him as he really is.”
Page 243.
“It is not what goes into a person’s mouth that makes him ritually unclean; rather, what comes out of it makes him unclean.”
Page 244.
“The things that comes out of the mouth come from the heart, and these are the things that make a person ritually unclean.”
Page 246.
“‘Love the Lord your God will all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and the most important commandment the second most important commandment is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as you love yourself.’ The whole Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets depend on these two commandments.”
Page 247.
Jesus was popular with many people but opposition was growing. He had openly criticized the Pharisees and upset the Sadducees. These were very powerful groups. Together they formed much of the council which, with the Romans’ permission, was in charge of anything to do with religion.
Page 248.
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Page 248.
“I tell you, Peter: you are a rock, and on this rock foundation I will build my church. … I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of heaven; what you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and what you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”
Pages 248-249.
“I assure you that there are some her who will not die until they have seen the Son of Man come as King.”
Page 249.
Jesus goes to great lengths to emphasize to his followers the importance of humility and service. To be a follower of Jesus, people had to put the needs of others before their own and to serve others, not themselves.
Page 252.
“Whoever wants to be fist must place himself last of all and be the servant of all.”
Page 252.
“Everything is possible for God.”
Page 254.
“Many who now are first will be last, and many who now are last will be first.”
Page 254.
“If one of you wants to be great, he must be the servant of the rest; and if one of you wants to be first, he must be the slave of all.”
Page 254.
“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”
Page 256.
Jesus wept.
Page 257.
The Law said that every adult male Jew living within twenty-four kilometers of Jerusalem must attend and make sacrifices int eh Temple. It was the aim of every Jew living anywhere in the world to do this t least once during their lives.
Page 260.
In the Old Testament, the prophets of Israel had not only spoken God’s word but acted it out.
Page 260.
His closest disciples believed that he was the long-awaited Messiah. However, many of the things he did still surprised them. Everyone thought the Messiah would destroy their Roman rulers and make Israel a great country again. Instead, Jesus spoke about suffering and dying.
Page 265.
“You will always have poor people with you, and any time you want to, you can help them.”
Page 266.
As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered him.
Page 269.
Jesus told the disciples that by knowing him, they knew God.
Page 269.
“I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me.”
Pages 269-271.
“Whoever believes in me will do what I do.”
Page 271.
“My Father will love whoever loves me; I too will love him and reveal myself to him.”
Page 272.
“After I am raised to life, I will go to Galilee ahead of you.”
Page 273.
“Keep watch, and pray that you will hot fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Page 273.
In Palestine a kiss was a sign of greeting between friends as well as a sign of respect.
Page 275.
All the disciples left him and ran away.
Page 275.
Many witnesses told lies against Jesus, but their stories did not agree.
Page 276.
Jesus kept quiet and would not say a word.
Page 276.
Jesus refused to answer a single word, with the result that the Governor was greatly surprised.
Page 277.
Two other men, both of them criminals, were also led out to be put to death with Jesus. When they came to the place called “The Skull,” they crucified Jesus there’re, and the two criminals, one on his right and the other on his left. Jesus said, “Forgive them, Father! They don’t know what they are doing.”
Page 280.
Above him were written the words: “This is the King of the Jews.”
Page 280.
Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father! In your hands I place my spirit!”
Page 282.
All those who knew Jesus personally, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance to watch.
Page 282.
Suddenly the Lord himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
Page 287.
The doors were locked, but Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
Page 287.
“Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”
Page 290.
“When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all Judaea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Page 290.
God did what he had purposed, and made known to use the secret plan he had already decided to complete by means of Christ. This plan, which God will complete when the time is right, is to bring all creation together, everything in heaven and on earth, with Christ as head.
Page 290.
All things are done according to God’s plan and decision.
Page 290.
In the Old Testament the covenant was made between God and the Jews (Israelites). God’s covenant is now open to all people, Jews and Gentiles.
Page 291.
God puts people right through their faith in Jesus Christ.
Page 291.
Everyone has sinned and is far away from God’s saving presence. But by the free gift of Gods grace all are put right with him through Christ Jesus, who sets them free.
Page 291.
All the believers continued together in close fellowship and shared their belongings with one another. They would sell their property and possessions, and distribute the money among all, according to what each one needed.
Page 294.
As a result of what the apostles were doing, sick people were carried out into the streets and placed on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by.
Page 296.
Peter and the apostles saw Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah, and their first task was to convince their fellow-Jews of this. Jerusalem therefore became, for a while, the centre of the church. Then they realized that the message of Jesus was for everyone. God was calling them to spread his message throughout the world.
Page 298.
The apostles’ message came at a time when safe transport and reliable communication were just beginning.
Page 298.
When the New Testament writers use the word “church” they do not mean a building, but the people who believe in and worship Jesus Christ.
Pages 298-299.
“You have appealed to the Emperor, so to the Emperor you will go.”
Page 311.
When we arrived in Rome Paul was allowed to live by himself with a soldier guarding him.
Page 315.
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty.
who was, who is, and who is to come.”
Page 317.