The Bible in Fewer Words

This is the end of "First Isaiah" or "Deutero-Isaiah". It is, as the thumbnail indicates, filled with blood. It also contains one of Joseph Smith's favorite verses from his favorite book (Isaiah), which he claimed prophesied the Book of Mormon as "a marvelous work and a wonder". (29:11-14) There are also some interesting verses about liberals, who, Isaiah says, de...

There are many apocalypses, the most famous, of course, is the Apocalypse of John - or the Book of Revelation. But these four chapters (24-27) are often called "The Apocalypse of Isaiah." In it we are told that God will completely destroy the earth, burning everyone to death except for a few men. And he'll kill the leviathan and the sea dragon, which is good to know. The text and not...

This episode has it all: lions, cockatrices, satyrs, and fiery flying serpents - and a prophet who walks around naked for three years (as a sign and a wonder). The text for this episode can be found here: https://skepticsannotatedbible.com/fewer-words/Isaiah-walks-naked If you enjoy this podcast, consider supporting us at https:/Patreon.com/BFW

There are a lot of feet in this episode. It begins with Isaiah seeing God, who is surrounded by seraphim with six wings -- two to cover their faces, two to fly with, and two to cover their feet. A bit later, God says he plans to shave the feet of the Assyrians and Egyptians. Now that's something I'd like to see! And, of course, the word "feet" here probably doesn't really ref...

The book of Isaiah begins with a series of threats and rewards. Threats for not obeying God, and rewards for obeying him. The threats include: destroying the people like he did at Sodom and Gomorrah causing them to be ruled by children and women and discovering the women's secret parts The text and notes for this episode can be found here: https://skepticsannotatedbible.com/fewer-words/180.htm...

What's an erotic poem doing in the Bible? That's what everyone who reads the Song of Solomon must wonder. But believers have an answer for that. The Christian's say that it expresses Jesus's love for the church, while the Jews say it's God's love for Israel. Try not to think about that too much. The text and notes for this episode can be found here: https://skepticsannotate...

This is the second half of Ecclesiastes - the best book in the Bible. In it we learn the truth about life and death. This life is all we will ever know, for the dead know nothing. The text and notes for this episode can be found here: https://skepticsannotatedbible.com/fewer-words/178.html This episode is also available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PVau-Wh_q8 If you enjoy these pod...

In this episode we cover the first half of the book of Ecclesiastes - which is the best book in the Bible by far. It also includes the lyrics of a famous song by Pete Seeger - Turn! Turn! Turn! The text for this podcast with links to the verses in the Bible can be found here . If you enjoy these podcasts, consider supporting us at Patreon.com/BFW

The title for this episode is taken from Proverbs 30:17, which says, "The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it." The text and notes for this episode can be found here . If you enjoy these podcasts, consider supporting us at Patreon.com/BFW .

The title for this episode comes from Proverbs 13:24 - "He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes." It is similar to the more familiar "proverb" (Spare the rod, spoil the child), which isn't actually in the Bible. The text and notes for this episode can be found here . If you enjoy these podcasts, consider supporting us at Patreon...

The title for this episode comes from Proverbs 11:29 - "He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind." It was also the title of a great movie about the 1925 Scopes trial . The text and notes for this episode can be found here . If you enjoy these podcasts, consider supporting us at Patreon.com/BFW .

This is the fifth (and last) book of Psalms. The title comes from Psalm 137: "Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones." The text and notes for this episode can be found here . If you enjoy these podcasts, consider supporting us at Patreon.com/BFW .

This is the fourth book of Psalms. The title comes from Psalm 92:10: "my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn." The text and notes for this episode can be found here . If you enjoy these podcasts, consider supporting us at Patreon.com/BFW .

This is the third book of Psalms. The title is taken from Psalm 78:49 - "He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them." The text and notes for this episode can be found here . If you enjoy these podcasts, consider supporting us at Patreon.com/BFW .

This is the second book of Psalms. The title is taken from Psalm 64. The text and notes for this episode can be found here . If you enjoy these podcasts, consider supporting us at Patreon.com/BFW .

The Book of Psalms is traditionally divided into five "books". This is my attempt to summarize the first book. The title is taken from Psalm 2:12. The text and notes for this episode can be found here . If you enjoy these podcasts, consider supporting us at Patreon.com/BFW .

After Job concedes to God, God rewards him by giving him twice as much stuff as he had before. He even replaced the seven sons and three daughters that he and Satan killed in the bet. The text and notes for this episode can be found here . If you enjoy these podcasts, consider supporting us at Patreon.com/BFW .

In this episode, God shows up to tell Job what's what. He taunts him about what he knows but Job doesn't, and tells him about his favorite creatures: the behemoth and leviathan. The text and notes for this episode can be found here . If you enjoy these podcasts, consider supporting us at Patreon.com/BFW .

Job speaks to his friends in what the Bible calls a parable. Then another friend shows up (Elihu), who blames Job for what God did to him. The text and notes for this episode can be found here . If you enjoy these podcasts, consider supporting us at Patreon.com/BFW .

After Job's children are killed in God and Satan's bet, and everything he owns has been destroyed, while he is covered in boils, his friends come to visit. They make long speeches telling Job that he is getting what he deserves. The text and notes for this episode can be found here . If you enjoy these podcasts, consider supporting us at Patreon.com/BFW .

The book of Job begins with a bet between God and Satan, who seem to be best buddies just hanging out together with the other sons of God. The text and notes for this episode can be found here . If you enjoy these podcasts, consider supporting us at Patreon.com/BFW .

Haman and his ten sons are hanged on the gallows that Haman made to hang Mordecai. And more than 75,000 people who wanted to kill Jews are killed on the same day that they had planned to kill Jews. This is the basis of the Jewish feast of Purim. The text and notes for this episode can be found here . If you enjoy these podcasts, consider supporting us at Patreon.com/BFW .

In this episode, a kingdom-wide kill-the-Jews day is scheduled and a 50-cubit high gallows is built to hang Mordecai on. But Esther and the book of Chronicles cause the king to completely reverse the plan. The text and notes for this episode can be found here . If you enjoy these podcasts, consider supporting us at Patreon.com/BFW .

The book of Esther is one of the two books in the Bible in which God is not even mentioned (the other is the Song of Solomon). It has an important message for women: your job in life is to look pretty and to please, honor, and obey men. If that means dancing naked in front of your husband's drunken guests, dance naked. Be an Esther, not a Vashti. (Which is, of course, bad advice. Vashti is the her...

Nehemiah is similar to Ezra, repeating the same list of the people returning to Judah from Babylon - disagreeing only with Ezra only on the numbers. Nehemiah reacted similarly to Ezra when the people intermarried and lived peacefully with their non-Israelite neighbors - he cursed them and beat them and pulled out their hair (whereas Ezra pulled out his own hair). The text and notes for this episod...