The treaty you have made with death will be abolished, and your agreement with the world of the dead will be canceled. When disaster sweeps down, you will be overcome.

Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:” This one did not punch any of my buttons. It was a murder mystery, but there was little suspense. It is very wordy ... I felt more like I was in a schoolroom learning the lesson of the day, rather than enmeshed in a very good story. Therefore, hear the word of the LORD, O scoffers, who rule this people who are in Jerusalem, because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have made a pact. The overwhelming scourge (assault) will not reach us when it passes by, for we have made falsehood our refuge and we have concealed ourselves with deception.Wiggle your fingers. Wiggle your toes. Go naked to the market. Rejoice in all mornings. Join hands and kiss. Laugh. Love. If you cannot live, pity. If you cannot pity, have mercy. That man is not your brother; he is you". Your covenant with death will be dissolved, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge passes through, you will be trampled by it.

I'm not ashamed to say that the conclusion of this novel brought me to tears, for several different reasons, not the least of which is the beauty of the legal system when justice is finally done. I leave you with a quote, which just happens to be the last paragraph of this book: For ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol have we made an agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us; for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves. Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death , and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge , and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: God explains how He would annul their covenant with death. He would lay in Zion (or send to Zion) a cornerstone that would be the Messiah, and the one who trusts or believes in Him would not be disturbed (Isaiah 28:16). Rather than trust in falsehood and deception, the believer in this Cornerstone would trust in One who would actually deliver because He is just and righteous. He would be God’s way of making justice and righteousness the norm, and through Him God would sweep away lies and deception (Isaiah 28:17). But for those who had made a deal with death, that covenant with death would be annulled (Isaiah 28:18); their pact with Sheol would not stand. The overwhelming scourge of the coming exile would not pass by them; rather, it would trample them (Isaiah 28:18). The leaders in Jerusalem who had led the people astray would meet judgment. So in Isaiah he talks about Jesus setting them free through dying on the cross. Even Paul states that the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”Set in 1923 in Soledad City, New Mexico, a newly minted state, A Covenant With Death is a courtroom drama that evolves into so much more. Ben Morales is a young, inexperienced district judge in this town where serious crime is rare, and the murder of Mrs. Louise Talbot is far from being an open and shut case. What he learns as this case develops, and what we learn along with him, is literary genius. Because you have said, "We have made a covenant with death, And with Sheol we have made a pact. The overwhelming scourge will not reach us when it passes by, For we have made falsehood our refuge and we have concealed ourselves with deception." Because you have said, 'We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol are we in agreement. When the overflowing scourge passes through, it won't come to us; for we have made lies our refuge, and we have hidden ourselves under falsehood.' Because you have said, We have made death our friend, and with the underworld we have made an agreement; when the overflowing waters come through they will not come near us; for we are looking to false words for help, taking cover in what is untrue: Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.