Luke Cross References - LEB

¹ Since many have attempted to compile an account concerning the events that have been fulfilled among us, ² just as those who were eyewitnesses and servants of the word from the beginning passed on to us, ³ it seemed best to me also—because I* have followed all things carefully from the beginning—to write them* down in orderly sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus, ⁴ so that you may know the certainty concerning the things about which you were taught. ⁵ It happened that in the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a certain priest, Zechariah by name, of the division of Abijah. And _⌊he had a wife_⌋* from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. ⁶ And they were both righteous in the sight of God, living blamelessly in all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. ⁷ And _⌊they did not have_⌋* a child, because Elizabeth was barren. And they were both advanced _⌊in years_⌋.* ⁸ And it happened that while* he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, ⁹ according to the custom of the priesthood he was chosen by lot to enter into the temple of the Lord to burn incense. ¹⁰ And the whole crowd of the people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering. ¹¹ And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. ¹² And Zechariah was terrified when he* saw the angel,* and fear fell upon him. ¹³ But the angel said to him,
"Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will call his name John. ¹⁴ And _⌊you will experience joy and exultation_⌋,* and many will rejoice at his birth. ¹⁵ For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while he is* still in his mother's womb. ¹⁶ And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ And he will go on before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready." ¹⁸ And Zechariah said to the angel, "By what will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced _⌊in years_⌋!"* ¹⁹ And the angel answered and* said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. ²⁰ And behold, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day these things take place, _⌊because_⌋* you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time." ²¹ And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and began to wonder* when* he was delayed in the temple. ²² And when he* came out he was not able to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them, and remained unable to speak. ²³ And it happened that when the days of his service came to an end, he went away to his home. ²⁴ Now after these days, his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying, ²⁵ "Thus the Lord has done for me in the days in which he has concerned himself with me,* to take away my disgrace among people." ²⁶ Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee _⌊named_⌋* Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin legally promised in marriage to a man _⌊named_⌋* Joseph of the house of David. And the name of the virgin was Mary. ²⁸ And he came to her and* said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." ²⁹ But she was greatly perplexed at the statement, and was pondering what sort of greeting this might be. ³⁰ And the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹ And behold, you will conceive in the womb and will give birth to a son, and you will call his name Jesus. ³² This one will be great, and he will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. ³³ And he will reign over the house of Jacob _⌊forever_⌋,* and of his kingdom there will be no end. ³⁴ And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?" ³⁵ And the angel answered and* said to her,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the one to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. ³⁶ And behold, your relative Elizabeth—she also has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren. ³⁷ For _⌊nothing will be impossible with God_⌋."* ³⁸ So Mary said, "Behold, the Lord's female slave! May it happen to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. ³⁹ Now in those days Mary set out and* traveled with haste into the hill country, to a town of Judah, ⁴⁰ and entered into the house of Zechariah, and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ And it happened that when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby in her womb leaped and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴² And she cried out with a loud shout and said,
"Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! ⁴³ And why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴ For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy! ⁴⁵ And blessed is she who believed that there will be a fulfillment to what was spoken to her from the Lord!" ⁴⁶ And Mary said,
"My soul exalts the Lord, ⁴⁷ and my spirit has rejoiced greatly in God my Savior, ⁴⁸ because he has looked upon the humble state of his female slave, for behold, from now on all generations will consider me blessed, ⁴⁹ because the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. ⁵⁰ And his mercy is for generation after generation to those who fear him. ⁵¹ He has done a mighty deed with his arm; he has dispersed the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. ⁵² He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted the lowly. ⁵³ He has filled those who are hungry with good things, and those who are rich he has sent away empty-handed. ⁵⁴ He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy, ⁵⁵ just as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants _⌊forever_⌋."* ⁵⁶ And Mary stayed with her about three months, and returned to her home. ⁵⁷ Now the time came for Elizabeth that she should give birth, and she gave birth to a son. ⁵⁸ And her neighbors and relatives heard that _⌊the Lord had shown his great mercy to her_⌋,* and they rejoiced with her. ⁵⁹ And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were wanting to name him _⌊after_⌋* his father Zechariah. ⁶⁰ And his mother answered and* said, "No, but he will be named John." ⁶¹ And they said to her, "There is no one of your relatives who is called by this name." ⁶² So they made signs to his father asking what he wanted him to be named, ⁶³ and he asked for a writing tablet and* wrote, saying, "John is his name." And they were all astonished. ⁶⁴ And his mouth and his tongue were opened immediately, and he began to speak,* praising God. ⁶⁵ And fear came on all those who lived near them, and in all the hill country of Judea all these events were discussed. ⁶⁶ And all those who heard kept these things* in their hearts, saying, "What then will this child be? For indeed the hand of the Lord was with him!" ⁶⁷ And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, ⁶⁸ "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited to help and _⌊has redeemed_⌋* his people, ⁶⁹ and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, ⁷⁰ just as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from earliest times— ⁷¹ salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all those who hate us, ⁷² to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, ⁷³ the oath that he swore to Abraham our father, to grant us ⁷⁴ that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, could serve him without fear ⁷⁵ in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. ⁷⁶ And so you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go on before the Lord to prepare his ways, ⁷⁷ to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins, ⁷⁸ because of the merciful compassion* of our God by which the dawn will visit to help us from on high, ⁷⁹ to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to direct our feet into the way of peace." ⁸⁰ And the child kept growing and becoming strong in spirit, and was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

³¹ but these things are recorded in order that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by* believing you may have life in his name.

¹ I produced the former account, O Theophilus, about all _⌊that_⌋* Jesus began to do and to teach, ² until the day he was taken up, after he* had given orders through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen, ³ to whom he also presented himself alive after he suffered, with many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking the things about the kingdom of God.

¹⁶ And most certainly, great is the mystery of godliness:
Who was revealed in the flesh, was vindicated by* the Spirit, was seen by angels, was proclaimed among the Gentiles*, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.

¹⁷ But the Lord helped me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fulfilled and all the Gentiles might hear, and he rescued me from the lion's mouth.

¹⁶ For we did not make known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ by* following ingeniously concocted myths, but by* being eyewitnesses of that one's majesty. ¹⁷ For he received honor and glory from God the Father when* a voice such as this was brought to him by the Majestic Glory, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." ¹⁸ And we ourselves heard this voice brought from heaven when we* were with him on the holy mountain, ¹⁹ and we possess as more reliable the prophetic word, to which you do well if you* pay attention to it as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts,

¹ The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ.*

¹⁴ The sower sows the word.

⁴⁸ You are witnesses of these things.

²⁷ And you also will testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.

³ to whom he also presented himself alive after he suffered, with many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking the things about the kingdom of God.

⁸ But you will receive power when* the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest part of the earth."

²¹ Therefore it is necessary for one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time in which the Lord Jesus went in and went out among us, ²² beginning from the baptism of John until the day on which he was taken up from us—one of these men must become a witness of his resurrection together with us."

²⁰ For we are not able to refrain from speaking about the things that we have seen and heard."

³⁹ And we are witnesses of all the things that he did both in the land of the Judeans and in Jerusalem, whom they also executed by* hanging him* on a tree. ⁴⁰ God raised this one up on the third day and granted that he should become visible, ⁴¹ not to all the people but to us who had been chosen beforehand by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

¹⁶ But get up and stand on your feet, because for this reason I have appeared to you, to appoint you a servant and witness both to the things in which you saw me and to the things in which I will appear to you,

¹⁶ with the result that I am a servant of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, serving the gospel of God as a priest, in order that the offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

¹ Thus let a person consider us as servants of Christ and stewards of God's mysteries.

⁷ of which I became a servant, according to the gift of God's grace given to me, according to the working of his power. ⁸ To me, the least of all the saints, was given this grace: to proclaim the good news of the fathomless riches of Christ to the Gentiles,

¹¹ And he himself gave some as apostles and some as prophets and some as evangelists and some as pastors and teachers ¹² for the equipping of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ,

²³ if indeed you remain in the faith, established and steadfast and not shifted away from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister. ²⁴ Now I rejoice in my sufferings on behalf of you, and I fill up in my flesh what is lacking of the afflictions of Christ, on behalf of his body which is the church, ²⁵ of which I became a minister, according to God's stewardship which was given to me for you, to complete the word of God,

³ how will we escape if we* neglect so great a salvation which had its beginning when it* was spoken through the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard,

¹ Therefore I, your fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and* also a sharer of the glory that is going to be revealed, exhort the elders among you:

¹⁶ For we did not make known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ by* following ingeniously concocted myths, but by* being eyewitnesses of that one's majesty.

¹ What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and our hands have touched, concerning the word of life— ² and the life was revealed, and we have seen and testify and announce to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was revealed to us— ³ what we have seen and heard, we announce to you also, in order that you also may have fellowship with us, and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

⁵ Many things, O Yahweh my God, you have done— your wonderful deeds and your thoughts toward us. There is none to compare with you. If I tried to proclaim and tell of them, they would be too numerous to count.

²¹ These things you have done, and I have been silent; You imagined that I was just like you. I will rebuke you and present an argument before your eyes.

⁹ The Teacher* was full of wisdom, and he taught the people with knowledge. He carefully considered many proverbs and carefully arranged them.

¹ Since many have attempted to compile an account concerning the events that have been fulfilled among us,

¹ I produced the former account, O Theophilus, about all _⌊that_⌋* Jesus began to do and to teach,

⁴ But Peter began and* explained it* to them in an orderly sequence, saying,

¹⁹ Therefore I conclude we should not cause difficulty for those from among the Gentiles who turn to God,

²⁵ it seemed best to us, _⌊having reached a unanimous decision_⌋,* and* having chosen men, to send them* to you together with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul,

²⁸ For it seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to us to place on you no greater burden except these necessary things:

²⁶ Claudius Lysias.
To his excellency Governor Felix.
Greetings!

³ Both in every way and everywhere we acknowledge this,* most excellent Felix, with all gratitude.

²⁵ But Paul said, "I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but am speaking words of truth and rationality.

⁴⁰ But she is happier if she remains thus, according to my opinion—and I think I have the Spirit of God.

¹² Now concerning Apollos our brother, I urged him many times that he should come to you with the brothers, and he was not at all willing that he should come now, but he will come whenever he has an opportunity.

²⁵ This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and being enthusiastic in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things about Jesus, although he* knew only the baptism of John.

¹⁸ and know his will and approve the things that are superior, because you* are instructed by the law,

¹⁹ but in the church I prefer to speak five words with my mind, in order that I may instruct other people, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

⁶ Now the one who is taught the word must share in all good things with the one who teaches.

¹⁵ And I will also make every effort that you are able at any time, after my departure, _⌊to recall these things to mind_⌋*. ¹⁶ For we did not make known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ by* following ingeniously concocted myths, but by* being eyewitnesses of that one's majesty.

¹⁰ the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah,

¹⁹ These were their appointments for their service to come into the house of Yahweh according to their custom by the hand of Aaron their father, as Yahweh the God of Israel had commanded him.

⁴ Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah,

¹⁷ of Abijah, Zicri; of Miniamin; of Moadiah, Piltai;

¹ Now after* Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem,

⁹ These are the generations* of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, without defect in his generations. Noah walked with God.

¹ Then* Yahweh said to Noah, "Go—you and all your household—into the ark, for I have seen you are righteous before me in this generation.

¹ When* Abram was ninety-nine years old Yahweh appeared to Abram. And he said to him, "I am El-Shaddai;* walk before me and be blameless

⁴ As for you, if you walk before me as David your father walked, with _⌊integrity of heart_⌋* and with uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep my ordinances and my judgments,

³ "O Yahweh, please remember how I went about before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and remember the good that I have done in your eyes." Then Hezekiah _⌊wept bitterly_⌋.*

¹ There was a man in the land of Uz whose* name was Job. That* man was blameless and upright and God-fearing and turning away from evil.

⁸ So* Yahweh said to Satan,* "Have you _⌊considered_⌋* my servant Job? Indeed,* there is no one like him on the earth—a blameless man and upright and God-fearing and turning away from evil."

² "Truly I know that it is so, but* how can a human being be just before God?

⁶ Then I would not be ashamed when I look to all your commands.

¹⁵ And he said to them, "You are the ones who justify themselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts! For what is considered exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

¹ And looking intently at the Sanhedrin, Paul said, "Men and brothers, I have lived my life in all good conscience before God to this day."

¹⁶ _⌊For this reason_⌋* also I myself _⌊always_⌋* do my best to have a clear conscience toward God and people.

⁹ What then? Do we have an advantage? Not at all. For we have already charged both Jews and Greeks are all under sin, ¹⁰ just as it is written,
"There is no one righteous, not even one; ¹¹ there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. ¹² All have turned aside together; they have become worthless; There is no one who practices kindness; there is not even one.* ¹³ Their throat is an opened grave; they deceive with their tongues; the venom of asps is under their lips,* ¹⁴ whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.* ¹⁵ Their feet are swift to shed blood; ¹⁶ destruction and distress are in their paths, ¹⁷ and they have not known the way of peace.* ¹⁸ The fear of God is not before their eyes."* ¹⁹ Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those under the law, in order that every mouth may be closed and the whole world may become accountable to God. ²⁰ For by the works of the law _⌊no person will be declared righteous_⌋* before him, for through the law comes knowledge of sin. ²¹ But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, being testified about by the law and the prophets— ²² that is, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ* to all who believe. For there is no distinction, ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ being justified as a gift by his grace, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God made publicly available as the mercy seat* through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness, because of the passing over of previously committed sins,

² Now I praise you that you remember me in all things, and just as I handed over to you the traditions, you hold fast to them.

¹² For our reason for boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you, in holiness* and purity of motive from God, not* in merely human wisdom, but by the grace of God.

¹⁵ in order that you may become blameless and innocent, children of God without fault* in the midst of a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine as stars in the world,*

⁶ according to zeal persecuting the church, according to the righteousness in the law being blameless. ⁷ But whatever things were gain to me, these things I have considered loss because of Christ. ⁸ _⌊More than that_⌋*, I even consider all things to be loss because of the surpassing greatness of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for the sake of whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and consider them* dung, in order that I may gain Christ ⁹ and may be found in him, not having my righteousness which is from the law, but which is through faith in Christ,* the righteousness from God on the basis of faith,*

²² but now you have been reconciled* by _⌊his physical body_⌋* through death, to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,

¹³ so that your hearts may be established blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.*

¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people, ¹² training us in order that, denying impiety and worldly desires, we may live self-controlled and righteously and godly in the present age, ¹³ looking forward to the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave himself for us, in order that he might redeem us from all lawlessness and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good deeds.

³ For we also were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, enslaved to various desires and pleasures, spending our lives in wickedness and envy, despicable, hating one another. ⁴ But when the kindness and love for mankind of God our Savior appeared, ⁵ he saved us, not by deeds of righteousness that we have done, but because of his mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom he poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ so that, having been justified by his grace, we may become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

¹⁴ Therefore, dear friends, because you* are waiting for these things, make every effort to be found at peace, spotless and unblemished in him.

³ And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.

²⁹ If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone* who practices righteousness has been fathered by him.

⁷ Little children, let no one deceive you: the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as that one is righteous.

² Then* Abram said, "O Yahweh, my Lord, what will you give me? _⌊I continue to be_⌋* childless, and _⌊my heir_⌋* is Eliezer of Damascus." ³ And Abram said, "Look, you have not given me a descendant, and here, _⌊a member of my household_⌋* is _⌊my heir_⌋."*

¹ Now* Sarai, the wife of Abram, had borne him no children. And she had a female Egyptian servant, and her name was Hagar. ² And Sarai said to Abram, "Look, please, Yahweh has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my servant; perhaps _⌊I will have children by her_⌋."* And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

¹⁷ And Abraham fell upon his face and laughed. And he said in his heart, "_⌊Can a child be born to a man a hundred years old_⌋,* or _⌊can Sarah bear a child at ninety_⌋?"*

¹¹ Now Abraham and Sarah were old, _⌊advanced in age_⌋;* _⌊the way of women_⌋* had ceased to be for Sarah.

²¹ And Isaac prayed to Yahweh on behalf of his wife, for she was barren. And Yahweh responded to his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

¹ When Rachel saw that she could not bear children to Jacob, Rachel envied her sister. And she said to Jacob, "Give me children—if not, I will die!"

² There was a certain man from Zorah, from the tribe of the Danites, and his name was Manoah; his wife was infertile and did not bear children. ³ And an angel of Yahweh appeared to the woman, and he said to her, "Behold, you are infertile and have not borne children, but you will conceive and bear a son.

² He had two wives; the name of the first was Hannah, and the name of the second was Peninnah. Now Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

⁵ But to Hannah he would give _⌊a double portion_⌋,* because he loved Hannah, though Yahweh had closed her womb. ⁶ (Now her rival wife would provoke her severely in order to upset her because Yahweh had closed her womb.) ⁷ And so he used to do* year after year; _⌊whenever_⌋* she went up to the house of Yahweh, she* would provoke her so that she* would weep and would not eat. ⁸ So Elkanah her husband would say to her: "Hannah, why do you weep and why do you not eat? And _⌊why are you heartsick_⌋?* Am I not better to you than ten sons?"

¹ Now King David had become old, _⌊advanced in years_⌋,* and they covered him with garments, but he was not warm.

¹⁴ Then he said, "What may be done for her?" Gehazi said, "Well, she has no son, and her husband is old."

¹⁹ And not being weak in faith, he considered his own body as good as dead, * because he* was approximately a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb.

¹¹ By faith also, _⌊with Sarah_⌋*,* he received _⌊the ability to procreate_⌋* even _⌊past the normal age_⌋*, because he regarded the one who had promised to be faithful.

¹ "And bring near to you Aaron, your brother, and his sons with him from the midst of the _⌊Israelites_⌋* to serve as priests for me—Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron.

⁴¹ And you will clothe them—Aaron, your brother, and his sons with him—and you will anoint them and _⌊ordain them_⌋* and consecrate them, and they will serve as priests for me.

¹ "And this is the thing that you will do for them to consecrate them to serve as a priest for me: Take _⌊one young bull_⌋* and two rams without defect

⁹ And you will gird Aaron and his sons with sashes and wrap headdresses on them. And priesthood will be theirs as a lasting rule, and _⌊you will ordain Aaron and his sons._⌋*

⁴⁴ And I will consecrate the tent of assembly and the altar, and Aaron and his sons I will consecrate to serve as priests for me.

³⁰ And you will anoint Aaron and his sons, and you will consecrate them to serve as priests for me.

⁷ But you with your sons will keep your priesthood to perform your priestly duties for everything at the altar* and for _⌊the area behind the curtain_⌋.* I give you the priesthood as a gift, but the stranger who approaches will be put to death."

² And Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and _⌊they had no sons_⌋,* so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests.

¹⁴ And in accord with the ordinance of David his father he appointed working groups of priests for their service, Levites for their responsibilities for praise and cultic service before the priests _⌊according to the daily requirement_⌋,* and the gatekeepers in their working groups, gate by gate. For thus David the man of God had commanded.

¹⁴ For the Levites left their pasturelands and their property and came to Judah and to Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them from serving as priests to Yahweh.

² And Hezekiah appointed working groups of the priests and the Levites, each according to their divisions, _⌊according to the service for priests and Levites_⌋,* for burnt offerings, for peace offerings, to serve, to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the camps of Yahweh.

¹⁹ And for the descendants* of Aaron, the priests, who were in the fields of the pasturelands of their cities, _⌊in each and every one of their cities_⌋* were men who were designated by name to give shares to every male among the priests and to everyone enrolled among the Levites.

¹⁸ Then they set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their sections for the work of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.

⁵ It happened that in the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a certain priest, Zechariah by name, of the division of Abijah. And _⌊he had a wife_⌋* from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

⁷ "And on it Aaron will turn fragrant incense into smoke; _⌊each morning_⌋* when he tends the lamps, he will turn it into smoke. ⁸ And when Aaron sets up the lamps _⌊at twilight_⌋,* he will turn it into smoke—incense of continuity—before Yahweh throughout your generations.

²⁵ And he made the incense altar of acacia wood, a cubit its length and a cubit its width—a square—and two cubits its height; its horns were _⌊of one piece with it_⌋.* ²⁶ And he overlaid it with pure gold—its top and its sides all around and its horns—and he made for it a gold molding all around. ²⁷ And he made for it two gold rings under its molding _⌊on two opposite sides_⌋* as _⌊holders_⌋* for poles to carry it with them. ²⁸ And he made the poles of acacia wood, and he overlaid them with gold. ²⁹ And he made the holy anointing oil and the pure fragrant incense—work of a perfumer.

⁴⁰ it was a memorial for the _⌊Israelites_⌋,* so that _⌊no strange man_⌋* who is not from _⌊the offspring_⌋* of Aaron should approach the presence of Yahweh to burn a smoke offering;* he will not be like Korah and his company, just as Yahweh had spoken to him by the hand of Moses.*

²⁸ And I chose him from all the tribes of Israel to be a priest to me, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to bear an ephod before me. I gave to the house of your ancestor* all the offerings made by fire by the _⌊Israelites_⌋.*

⁴⁹ But Aaron and his sons made offerings on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense for all the work of the most holy place, and to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.

¹³ The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. And Aaron was set apart to consecrate the most holy things. He and his sons were to burn offerings forever before Yahweh to serve him and to bless in his name forever.

¹⁶ But on account of his strength his heart grew proud unto destruction. And he acted unfaithfully against Yahweh his God and went into the temple of Yahweh to offer an incense offering on the altar.

¹¹ Now, my sons, do not be negligent, for Yahweh has chosen you to stand before him to serve him and to be his servants and incense burners."

⁶ Now these things having been prepared in this way, the priests enter into the first tent _⌊continually_⌋* as they* accomplish their service,

¹⁷ And _⌊no person_⌋* shall be in the tent of assembly when he enters to make atonement in the sanctuary until he comes out, and so he shall make atonement for himself and for his family and for all of Israel's assembly.

¹⁴ Therefore, because we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession.

²⁴ For Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made by hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf,

³ And another angel who had a golden censer came and stood at the altar, and a large amount of incense was given to him, in order that he could offer the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar that is before the throne.

¹ "And you will make an altar for burning incense; you will make it of acacia wood, ² a cubit its length and a cubit its width—it will be square—and two cubits its height, its horns _⌊of one piece with it_⌋.* ³ And you will overlay it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around and its horns, and you will make for it a gold molding all around. ⁴ And you will make two gold rings for it; under its molding _⌊on two opposite sides_⌋* you will make them as _⌊holders_⌋* for poles to carry it with them. ⁵ You will make the poles of acacia wood, and you will overlay them with gold. ⁶ And you will put it before the curtain that is upon the ark of the testimony, before the atonement cover, which is on the testimony, there where I will meet with you. ⁷ "And on it Aaron will turn fragrant incense into smoke; _⌊each morning_⌋* when he tends the lamps, he will turn it into smoke. ⁸ And when Aaron sets up the lamps _⌊at twilight_⌋,* he will turn it into smoke—incense of continuity—before Yahweh throughout your generations. ⁹ You will not offer on it strange incense or a burnt offering or a grain offering, and you will not pour a libation on it. ¹⁰ And Aaron will make atonement on its horns one time in the year from the blood of the sin offering of the atonement; one time in the year he will make atonement on it throughout your generations; it is a most holy thing for Yahweh."

²⁶ And he placed the gold altar in the tent of assembly before the curtain. ²⁷ And he turned fragrant incense into smoke on it, as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

¹³ and he shall put the incense on the fire _⌊before_⌋* Yahweh so that the cloud of incense might cover the atonement cover, which is on the _⌊covenant text_⌋,* so that he might not die.

³ And an angel of Yahweh appeared to the woman, and he said to her, "Behold, you are infertile and have not borne children, but you will conceive and bear a son.

⁹ And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and an angel of God came again to the woman; she was sitting in the field, but Manoah her husband was not with her.

¹⁹ And the angel answered and* said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news.

²⁸ And he came to her and* said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you."

¹⁰ And the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring good news to you of great joy which will be for all the people:

¹⁹ But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison and led them out and* said,

³ About the ninth hour of the day, he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming to him and saying to him, "Cornelius." ⁴ And he stared at him and became terrified and* said, "What is it, Lord?" And he said to him, "Your prayers and your charitable deeds have gone up for a memorial offering before God.

¹⁴ Are they not all spirits engaged in special service, sent on assignment for the sake of those who are going to inherit salvation?

³ And another angel who had a golden censer came and stood at the altar, and a large amount of incense was given to him, in order that he could offer the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar that is before the throne. ⁴ And the smoke of the incense went up before God with the prayers of the saints from the hand of the angel.

¹³ And the sixth angel blew the trumpet, and I heard one voice from the horns* of the golden altar that is before God

²² And Gideon realized that he was the angel of Yahweh; and Gideon said, "Oh, my lord Yahweh! For now I have seen the angel of Yahweh face to face."

²² And Manoah said to his wife, "We will certainly die because we have seen God."

¹⁴ dread met me, and trembling, and it made many of my bones shake. ¹⁵ And a spirit glided before my face; the hair of my flesh* bristled.

⁷ And I saw, I, Daniel _⌊alone_⌋,* the vision; and the people who were with me _⌊did not see_⌋* the vision; nevertheless, a great trembling fell upon them and they fled in order to hide themselves.

⁵ And as they* were going into the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

²⁹ But she was greatly perplexed at the statement, and was pondering what sort of greeting this might be.

⁹ And an angel of the Lord stood near them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and _⌊they were terribly frightened_⌋.* ¹⁰ And the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring good news to you of great joy which will be for all the people:

⁴ And he stared at him and became terrified and* said, "What is it, Lord?" And he said to him, "Your prayers and your charitable deeds have gone up for a memorial offering before God.

¹⁷ And when I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead person, and he placed his right hand on me, saying, "Do not be afraid! I am the first and the last,

¹⁰ This is my covenant which you shall keep, between me and you, and also with* your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised.

¹⁹ And God said, "No, but Sarah your wife shall bear a son for you, and you shall call his name Isaac. And I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant to his offspring after him.

¹⁴ Is anything too difficult for Yahweh? At the appointed time I will return to you _⌊in the spring_⌋* and Sarah shall have a son."

²³ And Yahweh said to him, "Peace be with you. Do not fear; you will not die."

³ And an angel of Yahweh appeared to the woman, and he said to her, "Behold, you are infertile and have not borne children, but you will conceive and bear a son. ⁴ So then, be careful and do not drink wine or strong drink, and do not eat anything unclean, ⁵ because you will conceive and bear a son. No razor _⌊will touch_⌋* his head, because the boy will be a _⌊Nazirite of God_⌋* _⌊from birth_⌋.* And it is he who will begin to deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines."

²⁰ _⌊In due time_⌋,* Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She called his name Samuel, for she said, "I requested him from Yahweh." ²¹ So the man Elkanah went up with all his household _⌊to make the annual sacrifice_⌋* to Yahweh and to pay his vow. ²² But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, "Once the boy is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear before Yahweh; and he will remain there forever." ²³ So her husband Elkanah said to her, "_⌊Do what seems right to you_⌋;* stay until you wean him. Only may Yahweh fulfill his word." So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him.

²¹ Yahweh took note of Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters, while the young man Samuel grew up with Yahweh.

¹⁶ And he said, "At this time _⌊next spring_⌋,* you will be embracing a son." She said, "No, my lord, O man of God! You must not tell a lie to your servant!" ¹⁷ But the woman conceived, and she bore a son _⌊in the spring_⌋,* which Elisha had promised to her.

⁹ He causes the barren woman of the house to dwell as the happy mother of children. Praise Yah!*

²¹ I will give thanks to you for you have answered me, and you have become my salvation.*

³ Look, children* are the heritage* of Yahweh; the fruit of the womb is a reward. ⁴ Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children* of one's youth. ⁵ Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them.* They shall not be put to shame when they speak with enemies at the gate.

³ And I approached the prophetess, and she conceived, and she gave birth to a son. And Yahweh said to me, "Call his name Maher-Halal-Hash-Baz.

¹² And he said to me, "You must not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and to humble yourself _⌊before_⌋* your God, your words were heard, and I myself* have come because of your words.

⁴ And Yahweh said to him, "_⌊Name him_⌋* Jezreel;* because in a little while _⌊I will punish_⌋* the house of Jehu* for the blood* of Jezreel,* and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.*

⁶ And she conceived again and bore a daughter, and he* said to him,
"_⌊Name her_⌋* Lo-ruhamah,* for I will no longer have pity on the house of Israel or _⌊forgive them_⌋.*

⁹ And he* said, "_⌊Name him_⌋* Lo-ammi,* for you are not my people and I am not your God.* ¹⁰ * The number of the children of Israel will be like the sand of the sea that cannot be measured or counted; and in the place where it is said to them, "You are not my people," it will be said to them, "Children of the living God."

²¹ And she will give birth to a son, and you will call his name 'Jesus,' because he will save his people from their sins."

²⁷ But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Have courage, I am he! Do not be afraid!"

⁵ But the angel answered and* said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.

⁶ But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene who was crucified. He has been raised, he is not here! See the place where they laid him!

³⁰ And the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

⁶⁰ And his mother answered and* said, "No, but he will be named John." ⁶¹ And they said to her, "There is no one of your relatives who is called by this name." ⁶² So they made signs to his father asking what he wanted him to be named, ⁶³ and he asked for a writing tablet and* wrote, saying, "John is his name." And they were all astonished.

²¹ And when eight days were completed _⌊so that he could be circumcised_⌋,* he was named Jesus, his name that he was called by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

³⁶ And while* they were saying these things, he himself stood there among them.* ³⁷ But they were startled and became terrified, and* thought they had seen a ghost. ³⁸ And he said to them, "Why are you frightened? And for what reason do doubts arise in your hearts? ³⁹ Look at my hands and my feet, that I am I myself! Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as _⌊you see that I have_⌋."* ⁴⁰ And when he* had said this, he showed them his* hands and his* feet.

³¹ and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your charitable deeds have been remembered before God.

⁶ And Sarah said, "God has made laughter for me; all who hear will laugh for me."

²⁰ A child of wisdom will make a father glad, but a _⌊foolish person_⌋,* he despises his mother.

¹⁵ My child, if your heart* is wise, my heart will be glad—even me!

²⁴ The father of the righteous will surely rejoice; he who bears a wise person will be happy with him.

⁵⁸ And her neighbors and relatives heard that _⌊the Lord had shown his great mercy to her_⌋,* and they rejoiced with her.

² And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great. And you will be a blessing.

¹⁹ But his father refused and said, "I know, my son; I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great, but his younger brother shall be greater than him, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations."

² "Speak to the _⌊Israelites_⌋* and say to them, 'When a man or a woman takes a special vow, a vow of a _⌊Nazirite_⌋,* to keep separate for Yahweh, ³ he will abstain from wine and fermented drink; he will not drink wine vinegar or vinegar of fermented drink; he will not drink the fruit juice of grapes or eat fresh or dry grapes. ⁴ All the days of his separation* you will not eat from anything that is made from the grapevine, from sour grapes to the skin of grapes.

⁷ Then Yahweh said to Joshua, "This day I will begin exalting you _⌊in the sight_⌋* of all Israel, that they may know that I was with Moses, and I will be with you.

¹⁴ On that day Yahweh exalted Joshua _⌊in the sight_⌋* of all Israel, and they respected him* as they respected* Moses all the days of his life.

⁴ So then, be careful and do not drink wine or strong drink, and do not eat anything unclean, ⁵ because you will conceive and bear a son. No razor _⌊will touch_⌋* his head, because the boy will be a _⌊Nazirite of God_⌋* _⌊from birth_⌋.* And it is he who will begin to deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines." ⁶ And the woman came and told her husband, saying, "A man of God came to me, and his appearance was like the appearance of an angel of God, very awesome. I did not ask him from where he came, and he did not tell me his name.

⁸ and I have been with you wherever you went and have cut down your enemies from before you and will make a name for you, like the name of the great ones on the earth.

¹² And wealth and glory are from you, and you rule over all. And in your hand is power and might. And in your hand is power to make great and to give strength to all.

⁹ Yet you took me from the belly; you made me trust while on my mother's breasts.

⁵ "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you came out from the womb I consecrated you; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

¹⁵ Yahweh of hosts will defend them, and they will devour and subdue the slingstones;* they will drink, they will make noise* like wine, and they will be full like the sacrificial basin,* drenched like the corners of an altar.

⁹ But why did you go out? To see a prophet?* Yes, I tell you, and even more than a prophet! ¹⁰ It is this man about whom it is written:
'Behold, I am sending my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.'* ¹¹ Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen one greater than John the Baptist. But the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹² But from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven is treated violently, and the violent claim* it. ¹³ For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John, ¹⁴ and if you are willing to accept it,* he is Elijah, the one who is going to come. ¹⁵ The one who has ears, let him hear! ¹⁶ "But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces who call out to one another, ¹⁷ saying,
'We played the flute for you and you did not dance; we sang a lament and you did not mourn.' ¹⁸ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon!' ¹⁹ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold, a man who is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' But wisdom is vindicated by her deeds."*

²⁸ I tell you, there is no one greater among those born of women than John, but the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

³³ For John the Baptist has come not eating bread or drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon!'

³⁵ That one was the lamp which was burning and shining, and you wanted to rejoice for an hour in his light.

⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages* as the Spirit gave them ability to speak out.

¹⁴ But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them, "Judean men, and all those who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and pay attention to my words! ¹⁵ For these men are not drunk, as you assume, because it is the third hour of the day. ¹⁶ But this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: ¹⁷ 'And it will be in the last days,' God says, 'I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy, and your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. ¹⁸ And even on my male slaves and on my female slaves I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.

¹⁵ But when the one who set me apart* from my mother's womb and called me by his grace was pleased

¹⁸ And do not be drunk with wine (in which is dissipation), but be filled by the Spirit,

³ A voice is calling in the wilderness, "Clear the way of Yahweh! Make a highway smooth in the desert for our God! ⁴ Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill shall become low, And the rough ground shall be like a plain, and the rugged ground like a valley-plain. ⁵ And the glory of Yahweh shall be revealed, and all _⌊humankind_⌋* together shall see it,
for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken."

⁶ And he says, "It is trivial _⌊for you to be_⌋* a servant for me,
to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel. I will give you as a light to the nations, to be my salvation to the end of the earth."

³ But the ones having insight will shine like the brightness of the expanse, and the ones providing justice for the many* will be like the stars _⌊forever and ever_⌋.*

¹ "Look! I am going to send my messenger,* and he will prepare* the way _⌊before me_⌋.* And the Lord whom you are seeking will come suddenly to his temple, and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you are taking pleasure—look!—he is about to come," says Yahweh of hosts.

¹ Now in those days John the Baptist came preaching in the Judean wilderness ² and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near!" ³ For this is the one who was spoken about by the prophet Isaiah, saying,
"The voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.'"* ⁴ Now John himself had his clothing made from camel's hair and a belt made of leather around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan were going out to him, ⁶ and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they* confessed their sins.

³² For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did believe him. And when* you saw it,* you did not even change your minds later so as to believe in him.

⁷⁶ And so you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go on before the Lord to prepare his ways,

⁵ Then Samuel said, "Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to Yahweh for you."

¹ Elijah the Tishbite from Tishbe of Gilead said to Ahab, "_⌊As Yahweh lives_⌋,* the God of Israel before whom I stand, there shall surely not be dew nor rain these years _⌊except by my command_⌋."*

¹⁸ He said, "I did not throw Israel into confusion; rather you and the house of your father have by forsaking the commands of Yahweh when you went after the Baals!

²⁰ Then Ahab said to Elijah, "Have you found me, my enemy?" He said, "I have found you because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of Yahweh.

⁴ Therefore, thus says Yahweh, 'The bed upon which you have gone, you will not come down from it, but you shall surely die.'" So Elijah went. ⁵ When the messengers returned to him, he asked them, "Why have you returned?" ⁶ Then they said to him, "A man came up to meet us, and he said to us, 'Go, return to the king who sent you and speak to him, "Thus says Yahweh, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-Zebub the god of Ekron? Therefore the bed upon which you have gone, you will not come down from it, for you will surely die.'" '"

¹⁶ and he said to him, "Thus says Yahweh, 'Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron—is it because there is no God in Israel from whom to inquire his word?—therefore the bed upon which you went, you shall not come down from it, for you shall surely die.'"

¹⁸ O Yahweh, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our ancestors,* keep this forever as a plan and thoughts of the heart of your people, and establish their heart toward you.

³⁶ And Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced over what God had established with the people, for the matter happened suddenly.

¹⁷ The longing of the afflicted you have heard, O Yahweh. You will make their heart secure. You will _⌊listen attentively_⌋*

⁸ and not be like their ancestors,* a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not make ready its heart, whose spirit was not faithful to God.

¹⁰ The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom; all who do them* have a good understanding. His praise endures forever.

²⁴ And those who err in spirit will _⌊acquire_⌋* understanding, and those who grumble will learn instruction.

¹² "Therefore, thus I will do to you, O Israel. Because I will do this to you, O Israel, prepare to meet your God!

⁵ Look! I am going to send to you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of Yahweh! ⁶ And he will bring back* the hearts of the fathers to the sons, and the hearts of the sons to their fathers, so that I will not come and strike the land with a ban."

⁴ Now John himself had his clothing made from camel's hair and a belt made of leather around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.

⁷ But when he* saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? ⁸ Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance! ⁹ And do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones! ¹⁰ Already now the ax is positioned at the root of the trees; therefore every tree not producing good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ¹¹ I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who comes after me is more powerful than I am, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹² His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will clean out his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the storehouse, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

¹⁴ and if you are willing to accept it,* he is Elijah, the one who is going to come.

⁴ because John had been saying to him, "It is not permitted for you to have her."

¹¹ And he answered and* said, "Elijah indeed is coming, and will restore all things. ¹² But I say to you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did with him whatever they wanted. In the same way also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands."

²⁹ And he answered and* said, 'I do not want to!' But later he changed his mind and* went. ³⁰ And he approached the second* and* said the same thing. So he answered and* said, 'I will, sir,' and he did not go. ³¹ Which of the two did the will of his* father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going ahead of you into the kingdom of God! ³² For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did believe him. And when* you saw it,* you did not even change your minds later so as to believe in him.

¹¹ And they asked him, saying, "_⌊Why do_⌋* the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" ¹² And he said to them, "Elijah indeed does come first and* restores all things. And how is it written concerning the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? ¹³ But I tell you that indeed Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they wanted, just as it is written about him."

¹⁶ And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God.

⁷ Therefore he was saying to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "Offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? ⁸ Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance! And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones! ⁹ And even now the ax is positioned at the root of the trees; therefore every tree not producing good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." ¹⁰ And the crowds were asking him, saying, "What then should we do?" ¹¹ And he answered and* said to them, "The one who has two tunics must share with the one who does not have one,* and the one who has food must do likewise." ¹² And tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, "Teacher, what should we do?" ¹³ And he said to them, "Collect no more than _⌊what you are ordered to_⌋."* ¹⁴ And those who served in the army were also asking him, saying, "What should we also do?" And he said to them, "Extort from no one, and do not blackmail anyone,* and be content with your pay."

¹³ who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a husband, but of God.

²¹ And they asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?" And he said, "I am not!" "Are you the Prophet?"* And he answered, "No!" ²² Then they said to him, "Who are you, so that we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?" ²³ He said,
"I am 'the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, "Make straight the way of the Lord," '*
just as Isaiah the prophet said." ²⁴ (And they had been sent from the Pharisees.) ²⁵ And they asked him and said to him, "Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" ²⁶ John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water. In your midst stands one whom you do not know— ²⁷ the one who comes after me, of whom I am not worthy _⌊to untie_⌋* the strap of his sandal!" ²⁸ These things took place in Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing. ²⁹ On the next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰ This one is the one about whom I said, 'After me is coming a man who is ahead of me, because he existed before me.'

³⁴ And I have seen and testify that this one is the Chosen One* of God.

²⁸ You yourselves testify about me that I said, 'I am not the Christ, but I am sent before that one.'

³³ Therefore I sent for you at once, and you _⌊were kind enough to come_⌋.* So now we all are present before God to hear all the things that have been commanded to you by the Lord."

²³ And he did so* in order that he could make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy that he prepared beforehand for glory,

⁹ Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! Neither sexually immoral people, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor passive homosexual partners, nor dominant homosexual partners, ¹⁰ nor thieves, nor greedy persons, not drunkards, not abusive persons, not swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹ And some of you were these things, but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus* and by the Spirit of our God.

¹² giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you for a share of the inheritance of the saints in light,

²¹ Therefore, if someone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.

⁹ But you are a chosen race,* a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's possession, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light,

¹¹ Because* all these things are being destroyed in this way, what sort of people must you be in holy behavior and godliness, ¹² while* waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by* being burned up and the celestial bodies will melt as they* are consumed by heat! ¹³ But according to his promise, we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness resides. ¹⁴ Therefore, dear friends, because you* are waiting for these things, make every effort to be found at peace, spotless and unblemished in him.

²⁸ And now, little children, remain in him, so that whenever he is revealed we may have confidence and not be put to shame before him at his coming.

⁴ And I saw thrones, and they sat down on them, and authority to judge was granted to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God, and who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and did not receive the mark on their* forehead and on their hand, and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

⁸ And he said, "O Yahweh God, how shall I know that I will possess it?"

¹² So* Sarah laughed to herself saying, "After I am worn out and my husband is old, shall this pleasure be to me?"

²¹ But Moses said, "There are six hundred thousand on foot, among whom I am in the midst, and you yourself said, 'I will give meat to them, and they will eat for a whole month.' ²² Should flocks and cattle be slaughtered for them? Should all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to be enough for them?" ²³ And Yahweh said to Moses, "_⌊Is Yahweh's power limited_⌋?* Now you will see if my word will happen or not."

³⁶ Then Gideon said to God, "In order to see that you will deliver Israel by my hand, just as you have said, ³⁷ I will place a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only, and all of the ground is dry, I will know that you will deliver Israel by my hand, just as you have said." ³⁸ And it was so. He arose early the next day and squeezed the fleece, and he wrung out dew from the fleece, a full drinking bowl of water. ³⁹ And Gideon said to God, "_⌊Do not let your anger burn_⌋* against me; let me speak once more. Please let me test once more with the fleece; let the fleece be dry, and let there be dew on the ground." ⁴⁰ And God did so that night; only the fleece was dry, and dew was on all the ground.

² Then the officer _⌊on whom the king relied_⌋* answered the man of God and said, "Look, even if Yahweh is making windows in heaven, could this thing happen?" And he said, "Look, you will be seeing it with your eyes, but you shall not eat from it there."

²² And Hezekiah said, "What is the sign that I shall go up to the temple* of Yahweh?"

⁷ And _⌊they did not have_⌋* a child, because Elizabeth was barren. And they were both advanced _⌊in years_⌋.*

³⁴ And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?"

¹⁶ And I heard the voice of a human at the Ulai, and he called and said, "Gabriel, make this man understand the vision."

²¹ And I was still speaking in prayer, and the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision _⌊previously_⌋,* _⌊in my weariness touched me_⌋* at the time of the evening offering. ²² And he instructed me and he spoke with me and he said, "Daniel I have now come out* to teach you understanding. ²³ At the beginning of your pleas for mercy, a word went out, and now I have come to declare* it, for you are highly esteemed, and so consider the word and understand the vision.

¹⁰ "See to it that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven constantly see the face of my Father who is in heaven.*

²⁶ Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee _⌊named_⌋* Nazareth,

¹⁰ And he* said, "I will certainly return to you _⌊in the spring_⌋,* and look, Sarah your wife will have a son." Now Sarah was listening at the doorway of the tent, and which was behind him. ¹¹ Now Abraham and Sarah were old, _⌊advanced in age_⌋;* _⌊the way of women_⌋* had ceased to be for Sarah. ¹² So* Sarah laughed to herself saying, "After I am worn out and my husband is old, shall this pleasure be to me?" ¹³ Then Yahweh said to Abraham, "What is this that Sarah laughed, saying, 'Is it indeed true that I will bear a child, now that I have grown old?' ¹⁴ Is anything too difficult for Yahweh? At the appointed time I will return to you _⌊in the spring_⌋* and Sarah shall have a son." ¹⁵ But Sarah denied it, saying, "I did not laugh," because she was afraid. He* said, "No, but you did laugh."

¹¹ And Yahweh said to him, "Who gave a mouth to humankind, or who makes mute or deaf or sighted or blind? Is it not I, Yahweh?

¹² But Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you have not trusted in me, to regard me as holy _⌊in the sight of_⌋* the _⌊Israelites_⌋,* you will not bring this assembly into the land that I have given to them."

¹⁹ Then the officer had replied to the man of God and said, "Look, even if Yahweh is opening the windows in heaven, could this thing happen?" And he had said, "Look you are about to see it with your eyes, but you will not eat from it."

⁹ And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you do not believe then you will not endure." '"

²⁶ And I will make your tongue cling to the roof of your mouth, and you will be silenced, and you will not be a reproving man for them, for they _⌊are a rebellious house_⌋.*

²⁷ On that day your mouth shall be opened _⌊at the arrival of the fugitive_⌋,* and you shall speak, and you shall not be silent any longer, and you shall be to them as a sign, and they will know that I am Yahweh."

¹⁹ And he answered them and* said, "O unbelieving generation! _⌊How long_⌋* will I be with you? _⌊How long_⌋* must I put up with you? Bring him to me!"

¹⁴ And later, while* they were reclining at table, he appeared to the eleven. And he reprimanded their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen him after he* had been raised.

²² And when he* came out he was not able to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them, and remained unable to speak.

⁴⁵ And blessed is she who believed that there will be a fulfillment to what was spoken to her from the Lord!"

³ _⌊What is the result_⌋* if some refused to believe? Their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it?

¹³ if we are unfaithful, he remains faithful—_⌊he cannot deny himself_⌋*.*

² in the hope of eternal life which God, who does not lie, promised before eternal ages,

¹⁸ in order that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge may have powerful encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us,

¹⁹ As many as I love, I reprove and discipline. Be zealous, therefore, and repent!

²³ "Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, 'You will bless the _⌊Israelites_⌋:* You will say to them: ²⁴ Yahweh will bless you and keep you; ²⁵ Yahweh will make shine his face on you and be gracious to you; ²⁶ Yahweh will lift up his face upon you, and he will give you peace.' ²⁷ And they will put my name on the _⌊Israelites_⌋,* and I will bless them."

⁶² So they made signs to his father asking what he wanted him to be named,

²⁴ So Simon Peter gestured for this one to inquire who it was about whom he was speaking.

¹⁷ But motioning to them with his* hand to be silent, he related to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, "Report these things to James and to the brothers," and he departed and* went to another place.

³³ And some of the crowd advised* Alexander, when* the Jews put him forward. But Alexander, motioning with his* hand, was wanting to defend himself to the popular assembly.

⁴⁰ So when* he permitted him,* Paul, standing there on the steps, motioned with his* hand to the people. And when there* was a great silence, he addressed them* in the Aramaic language, saying,

⁵ He commanded them, saying, "This is the thing which you must do: one third of you _⌊who go off duty on the Sabbath_⌋,* the keepers of the guard in the house of the king, ⁶ and another third at the gate of Sur, and a third at the gate behind the runners, shall guard the post of the palace alternately. ⁷ Two of the units among you, all _⌊who go on duty on the Sabbath_⌋,* guard the post of the temple of Yahweh for the king.

²⁵ And their brethren in their villages were to come every seven days _⌊by turn_⌋* to be with these.

¹ And Yahweh visited Sarah as he had said. And Yahweh did to Sarah as he had promised. ² And she conceived, and Sarah bore to Abraham a son in his old age at the appointed time that God had told him.

²² Then God remembered Rachel and listened to her, and God opened her womb. ²³ And she conceived and gave birth to a son. And she said, "God has taken away my disgrace."

⁶ (Now her rival wife would provoke her severely in order to upset her because Yahweh had closed her womb.)

¹⁹ Then they rose early in the morning and worshiped before Yahweh _⌊and returned_⌋* to their house at Ramah. Then Elkanah _⌊had sexual relations with_⌋* Hannah his wife, and Yahweh remembered her. ²⁰ _⌊In due time_⌋,* Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She called his name Samuel, for she said, "I requested him from Yahweh."

²¹ Yahweh took note of Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters, while the young man Samuel grew up with Yahweh. ²² Now Eli was very old, and he heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel and that they were having sexual relations with the women who were serving at the entrance of the tent of assembly.*

¹ And seven women shall grasp at one man on that day, saying, "We will eat our own bread, and we will wear our own clothing; only _⌊let us be called by your name_⌋!* Take away our disgrace!"

¹ "Sing for joy, barren woman; who has not borne! Burst forth into rejoicing and rejoice, she who has not been in labor! For the children of the desolate woman are more than the children of the married woman," says Yahweh. ² "Enlarge the site of your tent, and let them stretch out the tent curtains of your dwelling place. You must not spare; make your tent cords long and strengthen your pegs, ³ for you will spread out to the right and to the left. And your descendants* will be heir to the nations, and they will inhabit desolate towns. ⁴ You must not fear, for you will not be ashamed, and you must not be confounded, for you will not feel abashed, for you will forget the shame of your youth, and you will no longer remember the disgrace of your widowhood.

¹³ But the angel said to him,
"Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will call his name John.

²³ And he came and* lived in a town called Nazareth, in order that what was said by the prophets would be fulfilled:* "He will be called a Nazarene."

⁴ So Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David,

⁴⁵ Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found the one whom Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets wrote about—Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth!" ⁴⁶ And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see!"

⁴¹ Others were saying, "This man is the Christ!" But others were saying, "No, for the Christ does not come from Galilee, does he?*

¹⁵ And I will put hostility between you and between the woman, and between your offspring* and between her offspring;* he will strike you on the head, and you will strike him on the heel."

¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself will give you* a sign. Look! the virgin* is with child and she is about to give birth to a son, and she shall call his name 'God with us.'

²² _⌊How long_⌋* will you waver, O unfaithful daughter? For Yahweh has created a new thing on the earth, a woman, she shelters a man."

¹⁶ and Jacob became the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary by whom* was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

¹⁸ Now the birth of Jesus Christ occurred in this way. His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found _⌊to be pregnant_⌋* by the Holy Spirit.

²⁰ But as* he was considering these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ And she will give birth to a son, and you will call his name 'Jesus,' because he will save his people from their sins."

²³ "Behold, the virgin _⌊will become pregnant_⌋* and will give birth to a son, and they will call his name Emmanuel,"*
which is translated, "God with us."*

⁴ So Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, ⁵ to be registered together with Mary, who was legally promised in marriage to him and* was pregnant.

²⁴ "Most blessed of women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite; most blessed is she of women among tent dwellers.

¹² The angel of Yahweh appeared to him and said to him, "Yahweh is with you, _⌊you mighty warrior_⌋."*

²⁹ "Many daughters have done excellence,* but _⌊you surpass_⌋* all of them." ³⁰ Charm* is deceit and beauty* is vain;* but a woman who fears Yahweh shall be praised. ³¹ Give to her from the fruit of her hand, and may they praise her works in the city gates.

⁵ You must not fear, for I am with you. I will bring your _⌊offspring_⌋* from the east, and I will gather you from the west.

¹⁸ Now look, I have made you _⌊today_⌋* as a fortified city and as an iron pillar and a bronze wall* against all the land, against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land. ¹⁹ And they will fight against you but they will not prevail against you, for I am with you," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, "to deliver you."

¹⁹ And he said, "You must not fear, O beloved man. _⌊Peace be to you_⌋;* be strong and be courageous!" And _⌊when he spoke_⌋* with me, I was strengthened and I said, "Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me."

² Take words with you, and return to Yahweh. Say to him, "Take away all guilt; accept good, and we will offer the fruit* of our lips.

⁴⁸ But he answered and* said to the one who told him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?"

⁴² And she cried out with a loud shout and said,
"Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!

²⁷ Now it happened that as he said these things, a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and* said to him, "Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!" ²⁸ But he said, "On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and follow it!"*

¹⁰ because I am with you and no one will attack you to harm you, because many people are mine in this city."

⁶ to the praise of the glory of his grace that he bestowed on us in the beloved,

¹³ Gideon said to him, "Excuse me, my lord. If Yahweh is with us, why then has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonderful deeds that our ancestors* recounted to us, saying, 'Did not Yahweh bring us up from Egypt?' But now Yahweh has forsaken us; he has given us into the palm of Midian." ¹⁴ And Yahweh turned to him and said, "Go in this your strength, and you will deliver Israel from the palm of Midian. Did I not send you?" ¹⁵ He said to him, "Excuse me, my lord. How will I deliver Israel? Look, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father's house."

²⁰ And as for your female donkeys that were lost _⌊three days ago_⌋,* _⌊do not be concerned about them_⌋,* because they have been found. For whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not for you and for all the house of your father?" ²¹ Saul answered and said, "Am I not a Benjaminite, from the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the humblest of all the families of the tribes of Benjamin? Why do you speak to me _⌊in this way_⌋?"*

⁴⁹ But when* they saw him walking on the sea, they thought that it was a ghost, and they cried out. ⁵⁰ For they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke with them and said to them, "Have courage, I am he! Do not be afraid!"

⁵ And as they* were going into the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. ⁶ But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene who was crucified. He has been raised, he is not here! See the place where they laid him!

¹² And Zechariah was terrified when he* saw the angel,* and fear fell upon him.

⁶⁶ And all those who heard kept these things* in their hearts, saying, "What then will this child be? For indeed the hand of the Lord was with him!"

¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these words, pondering them* in her heart.

⁵¹ And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was submitting to them. And his mother treasured all these things in her heart.

¹⁷ Now while Peter was greatly perplexed within himself as to what the vision that he had seen might be, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having found the house of Simon by asking around, stood at the gate.

¹⁰ You must not fear, for I am with you; you must not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, indeed I will help you, indeed I will take hold of you with the right hand of my salvation.

¹⁴ You must not fear, O worm of Jacob; people of Israel, I myself, I will help you," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, "and your redeemer is the holy one of Israel.

¹ But now thus says Yahweh,
he who created you, Jacob, and he who formed you, Israel: "You must not fear, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by your name; _⌊you are mine_⌋.* ² When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they shall not flow over you. When you walk through fire, you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not scorch* you. ³ For I am Yahweh, your God, the holy one of Israel, your savior. I give you Egypt as ransom, Cush and Seba in place of you. ⁴ Because you are precious in my eyes, you are honored, and I myself love you, and I give people in place of you, and nations in place of your life.

² Thus says Yahweh, who made you, and who formed you in* the womb and will help you: you must not fear, my servant Jacob, and Jeshurun whom I have chosen.

³² "Do not be afraid, little flock, because your Father is well pleased to give you the kingdom.

⁹ And the Lord said to Paul by a vision in the night, "Do not be afraid, but speak and do not keep silent, ¹⁰ because I am with you and no one will attack you to harm you, because many people are mine in this city."

²⁴ saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul! It is necessary for you to stand before Caesar, and behold, God has graciously granted you all who are sailing with you.'

³¹ What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

⁶ So then, we can say with confidence,
"The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.* What will man do to me?"*

²⁵ and _⌊did not have sexual relations with_⌋* her until she gave birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

²⁷ to a virgin legally promised in marriage to a man _⌊named_⌋* Joseph of the house of David. And the name of the virgin was Mary.

⁴ But when the fullness of time came, God sent out his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

¹¹ _⌊In the manner that_⌋* I appointed judges over my people Israel, I will give you rest from all your enemies. And Yahweh declares to you that Yahweh will build a house for you. ¹² When your days are full and you lie down with your ancestors,* I will raise up your offspring after you who will go out from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹³ He will build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

¹⁶ Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before you; your throne shall be established forever." '"

¹¹ Yahweh swore in truth to David; he will not turn back from it. "One from the fruit of your _⌊body_⌋* I will set on your throne.

⁶ For a child has been born for us; a son has been given to us. And the dominion will be on his shoulder, and his name is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷ _⌊His dominion will grow continually, and to peace there will be no end_⌋* on* the throne of David and over* his kingdom, to establish it* and sustain it with justice and righteousness now and forever. The zeal of Yahweh of hosts will do this.

⁵ then a throne shall be established in steadfast love, and one shall sit on it in faithfulness, in the tent of David, judging and seeking justice and zealous for righteousness.

⁵ "Look, days are coming," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, "when I will raise up for David a righteous branch, and he will reign as king, and he will achieve success, and he will do justice and righteousness in the land. ⁶ In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell _⌊in safety_⌋,* and this is his name by which he will be called: 'Yahweh is our righteousness.'

¹⁵ In those days and in that time I will make a branch of righteousness sprout for David, and he will execute justice and righteousness in the land. ¹⁶ In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell _⌊safely_⌋,* and this is what they shall call it: "Yahweh is our righteousness." ' ¹⁷ For thus says Yahweh: 'A man who sits on the throne of the house of Israel will not be cut off for David.

²² Thus says the Lord Yahweh: 'And I will take, even I, from the treetop of the high cedar, and I will plant it, from the head of its new plant shoot I will pluck a tender one, and I will plant it, even I, on a high and lofty mountain. ²³ On the height of the mountain of Israel I will plant it, and it will carry* branches,* and it will bear fruit, and _⌊it will become a noble cedar_⌋,* and all of the birds of all wings* will dwell under it in the shade of its branches. ²⁴ And all of the trees of the field will know that I, Yahweh, I will bring low a high tree, and I will exalt a low, fresh tree, and I will make a dry tree flourish. I, Yahweh, I have spoken, and I will do it.'"

²³ And I will set up over them one shepherd, and he will feed them; that is, my servant David. He will feed them, and he will be for them as* a shepherd. ²⁴ And I, Yahweh, I will be for them _⌊as God_⌋,* and my servant David will be a leader in the midst of them. I, Yahweh, I have spoken.

²⁴ " '"And my servant David will be king over them, and one shepherd will be for all of them, and in my regulations they will go, and my statutes they will observe, and they will do them. ²⁵ And they will dwell on the land that I gave to my servant, to Jacob, _⌊in which your ancestors dwelled_⌋,* and they will dwell on it, they and their children and the children of their children _⌊forever_⌋,* and my servant David will be a leader for them _⌊forever_⌋.*

¹¹ On that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen, and I will repair its breaches and will raise up its ruins and will build it like the days of old. ¹² Thus they may take possession of the remnant of Edom and all the nations _⌊who are called by my name_⌋,"* _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, who does this.

¹ The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

¹¹ I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who comes after me is more powerful than I am, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

⁴² The queen of the south will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something* greater than Solomon is here!

¹⁸ And Jesus approached and* spoke to them, saying, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

⁷ And crying out with a loud voice he said, "_⌊What have I to do with you_⌋*, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore you by God, do not torment me!"

⁶¹ But he was silent and did not reply anything. Again the high priest asked him and said to him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?"

¹⁵ For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while he is* still in his mother's womb.

³⁵ And the angel answered and* said to her,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the one to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.

¹⁶ John answered them all, saying, "I baptize you with water, but the one who is more powerful than I am is coming, of whom I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

³⁵ But love your enemies, and do good, and lend expecting back nothing, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

³⁵ The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. ³⁶ The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who disobeys the Son will not see life—but the wrath of God remains on him.*

²¹ For just as the Father raises the dead and makes them* alive, thus also the Son makes alive whomever he wishes. ²² For the Father does not judge anyone, but he has given all judgment to the Son, ²³ in order that all people* will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. The one who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. ²⁴ Truly, truly I say to you that the one who hears my word and who believes the one who sent me has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. ²⁵ "Truly, truly I say to you, that an hour is coming—and now is here—when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and the ones who hear will live. ²⁶ For just as the Father has life in himself, thus also he has granted to the Son to have life in himself. ²⁷ And he has granted him authority to carry out judgment, because he is the Son of Man. ²⁸ "Do not be astonished at this, because an hour is coming in which all those in the tombs will hear his voice ²⁹ and they will come out—those who have done good things to a resurrection of life, but those who have practiced evil things to a resurrection of judgment.

⁶⁹ And we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God."

³⁴ Then the crowd replied to him, "We have heard from the law that the Christ remains _⌊forever_⌋!* And how do you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?"

³⁰ Therefore, because he* was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat _⌊one of his descendants_⌋* on his throne,

³⁶ Therefore let all the house of Israel know beyond a doubt, that God has made him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified!"

⁴⁸ But the Most High does not live in houses* made by human hands, just as the prophet says,

¹⁷ She followed Paul and us and* was crying out, saying, "These men are slaves of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!"

⁴ who was declared Son of God in power according to _⌊the Holy Spirit_⌋* by the resurrection from the dead of Jesus Christ our Lord,

²⁰ which he has worked* in Christ, raising* him from the dead and seating him* at his right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ above all rule and authority and power and lordship and every name named, not only in this age but also in the coming one, ²² and he subjected all things under his feet* and gave him as head over all things to the church, ²³ which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.

⁹ Therefore also God exalted him and graciously granted him the name above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and of those on earth and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

² in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the world,* ³ who is the radiance of his glory and the representation of his essence, sustaining all things by the word of power.* When he* had made purification for sins through him, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, ⁴ having become by so much better than the angels, by as much as he has inherited a more excellent name than theirs. ⁵ For to which of the angels did he ever say,
"You are my son, today I have begotten you,"*
and again,
"I will be _⌊his father_⌋*, and he will be _⌊my son_⌋*"?* ⁶ And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,
"And let all the angels of God worship him."* ⁷ And concerning the angels he says,
"The one who makes his angels winds, and his servants a flame of fire,"* ⁸ but concerning the Son,
"Your throne, O God, is _⌊forever and ever_⌋*, and the scepter of righteous is the scepter of your kingdom.

⁷ "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
"This is what the holy one, the true one, the one who has the key of David, the one who opens and no one can shut, and who shuts and no one can open, says:

⁶ Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.

³⁵ Once* I have sworn by my holiness, 'I will surely not lie to David, ³⁶ His offspring will endure* forever, and his throne as the sun before me. ³⁷ Like the moon it will be steadfast forever, and like an enduring witness in the sky.'" Selah

⁴⁴ And _⌊in the day of those kings_⌋,* the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will _⌊never_⌋* be destroyed, and the kingdom will not be left for another nation,* and it will bring an end to all these kingdoms, but it will stand _⌊forever_⌋.*

¹³ "_⌊I continued watching_⌋* in the visions of the night, and look, with the clouds of heaven one like a son of man* was coming, and he came to the Ancient of Days, and _⌊was presented_⌋* before him. ¹⁴ And to him was given dominion and glory and kingship that* all the peoples, the nations, and languages would serve him; his dominion is a dominion _⌊without end_⌋* that will not cease, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.

¹⁸ But the holy ones* of the Most High will receive the kingdom, and they will take possession of the kingdom forever, _⌊forever and ever_⌋.'*

²⁷ And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the nation of the holy ones* of the Most High; his kingdom _⌊is an everlasting kingdom_⌋,* and all the dominions will serve and obey him.'

²¹ And those who have been saved will go up on Mount Zion to rule the mountain of Esau. And the kingdom _⌊will belong to_⌋* Yahweh.

⁷ And I will make the one who limps a remnant, and the one driven far away a strong nation, and Yahweh will reign over them on Mount Zion from now to forever.

⁶ But it is not as if the word of God had failed. For not all those who are descended from Israel are truly Israel,

²⁴ then the end, when he hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when he has abolished all rule and all authority and power. ²⁵ For it is necessary for him to reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

²⁹ And if you are Christ's, then you are descendants of Abraham, heirs according to the promise.

¹⁶ And all those who follow this rule, peace and mercy be on them and on the Israel of God.

³ For we are the circumcision, the ones who worship* by the Spirit* of God and boast in Christ Jesus and do not put confidence in the flesh,

⁸ but concerning the Son,
"Your throne, O God, is _⌊forever and ever_⌋*, and the scepter of righteous is the scepter of your kingdom.

¹⁵ And the seventh angel blew the trumpet, and there was a loud voice in heaven saying,
"The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign _⌊forever and ever_⌋*."

⁴ And I saw thrones, and they sat down on them, and authority to judge was granted to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God, and who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and did not receive the mark on their* forehead and on their hand, and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. ⁵ (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed.) This is the first resurrection. ⁶ Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection. Over this person the second death has no authority, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him a thousand* years.

³ And there will not be any curse any longer, and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his slaves will serve* him, ⁴ and they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. ⁵ And night will not exist any longer, and they will not have need of the light of a lamp and the light* of the sun, because the Lord God will give light to them, and they will reign _⌊forever and ever_⌋*.

⁸ Then Manoah prayed to Yahweh and said, "Excuse me, my Lord, please let the man of God whom you sent again come to us and teach us what we should do concerning the boy who will be born." ⁹ And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and an angel of God came again to the woman; she was sitting in the field, but Manoah her husband was not with her. ¹⁰ The woman quickly ran and told her husband, and she said to him, "Look! The man who came to me the other day appeared to me." ¹¹ So Manoah got up and went after his wife, and he came to the man and said to him, "Are you the man that spoke to the woman?" And he said, "I am." ¹² And Manoah said to him, "Now _⌊when your words come true_⌋,* what will be the boy's _⌊manner of life_⌋* and work?"

⁶ But get up and enter into the city, and it will be told to you _⌊what you must do_⌋."*

⁴ "Who can bring a clean thing from an unclean thing? No one!*

¹⁶ _⌊How much less_⌋* he who is abominable and corrupt,* a man drinking wickedness like water.

⁴ "Indeed,* how can a human being be righteous before God? And how will he who is born of a woman be pure?

⁷ I will tell the decree; Yahweh said to me: "You are my son; today I have begotten you.

⁵ Behold, in iniquity I was born, and in sin my mother conceived me.

²⁰ But as* he was considering these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

³ And the tempter approached and* said to him, "If you are the Son of God, order that these stones become bread."

³³ So those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God!"

⁶³ But Jesus was silent. And the high priest said to him, "I put you under oath by the living God, that you tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God!" ⁶⁴ Jesus said to him, "You have said it.* But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power* and coming on the clouds of heaven."

⁵⁴ Now the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus, when they* saw the earthquake and the things that took place, were extremely frightened, saying, "Truly this man was God's Son!"

²⁴ saying, "_⌊Leave us alone_⌋,* Jesus the Nazarene! Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!"

³¹ And behold, you will conceive in the womb and will give birth to a son, and you will call his name Jesus. ³² This one will be great, and he will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.

⁴⁹ Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the king of Israel!"

³⁶ And as they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, "Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?"*

²⁰ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me, and that life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

³ among whom also we all formerly lived in the desires of our flesh, doing the will* of the flesh and of the mind, and we were children of wrath* by nature, as also the rest of them were.

¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is not able to sympathize with our weaknesses, but who has been tempted in all things in the same way, without sin.

²⁶ For a high priest such as this indeed is fitting for us, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and having become exalted above the heavens, ²⁷ who does not _⌊need every day_⌋* like the former high priests to offer up sacrifices for his own sins and then for the sins of the people, because he did this once for all when he* offered up himself. ²⁸ For the law appoints men as high priests who have weakness, but the statement of the oath, after the law, appoints a Son, who is made perfect _⌊forever_⌋*.

²³ And Yahweh said to Moses, "_⌊Is Yahweh's power limited_⌋?* Now you will see if my word will happen or not."

² _⌊What you* know_⌋,* I myself* also know— I am not more inferior than you.*

¹⁷ 'Ah Lord Yahweh! Look, you made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm. _⌊Nothing_⌋* is too difficult for you,

²⁷ "Look, I am Yahweh, the God of all flesh; is _⌊anything_⌋* too difficult for me?"

⁶ Thus says Yahweh of hosts: 'Even if it seems impossible* _⌊to the remnant_⌋* of this people in those days, should it also seem impossible* _⌊to me_⌋?'* _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh of hosts.

²⁶ But Jesus looked at them* and* said to them, "With human beings this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

²⁷ Jesus looked at them and* said, "With human beings it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God."

²⁷ But he said, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."

²¹ who will transform our humble body to be conformed to his glorious body, in accordance with the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

²⁵ So then, Yahweh God, the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, confirm it forever, and do just as you have promised. ²⁶ Your name shall be great forever, _⌊and they will say_⌋,* 'Yahweh of hosts is God over Israel'; and the house of your servant David shall be established before you. ²⁷ For you, O Yahweh of hosts, are God of Israel! You have revealed to the ear of your servant, 'I will build a house for you'; therefore your servant _⌊has found courage_⌋* to pray this prayer to you. ²⁸ Now, my Lord Yahweh, you alone are God, and your words are* true. You have promised this good to your servant. ²⁹ So then, be content and bless the house of your servant to be forever in your presence, for you, my Lord Yahweh, have spoken, and because of your blessing, may the house of your servant be blessed forever."

¹⁶ Ah, Yahweh, I am indeed your servant; I am your servant, the child of your maidservant. You have loosed my bonds.

³⁸ Fulfill your word* to your servant, which is to bring about a reverence for you.

²⁰ And he did not waver in unbelief at the promise of God, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God ²¹ and being fully convinced that what he had promised, he was also able to do.

⁴⁰ So Joshua struck all the land—the hill country, the Negev,* the Shephelah,* and the slopes*—and all their kings; he left behind no survivor, and _⌊all that breathed_⌋* he utterly destroyed as Yahweh the God of Israel commanded.

⁴⁸ And in the hill country: Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, ⁴⁹ Dannah, Kiriath Sanna (that is, Debir), ⁵⁰ Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, ⁵¹ Goshen, Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities and their villages. ⁵² Arab, Dumah, Eshan, ⁵³ Janim, Beth-tappuah, Aphekah, ⁵⁴ Humtah, Kiriath Arba* (that is, Hebron), and Zior; nine cities and their villages. ⁵⁵ Moan, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, ⁵⁶ Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, ⁵⁷ Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities and their villages. ⁵⁸ Halhul, Beth Zur, Gedor, ⁵⁹ Maarath, Beth Anoth, and Eltekon; six cities and their villages.

⁷ So _⌊they set apart_⌋* Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba* (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.

⁹ They gave these cities, which are here mentioned by name, from the tribe of the families of Judah and from the tribe of the families of Simeon; ¹⁰ and they were for the descendants* of Aaron, from the families of the Kohathites,* from the descendants* of Levi, because the first lot was theirs. ¹¹ And they gave to them Kiriath Arba,* Arba being the father of Anak (that is, Hebron), in the hill country of Judah and the pasturelands surrounding it.

⁶⁵ And fear came on all those who lived near them, and in all the hill country of Judea all these events were discussed.

²² And the children in her womb jostled each other, and she said, "_⌊If it is going to be like this, why be pregnant_⌋?"* And she went to inquire of Yahweh.

¹⁰ On you I was cast from the womb. From my mother's belly you have been my God.

⁴⁴ For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy!

⁶⁷ And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,

¹ And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness

⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders,

³ So, brothers, select from among you seven men _⌊of good reputation_⌋,* full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we will put in charge of this need.

⁵⁵ But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven and* saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

¹⁰ I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a great sound like a trumpet

¹⁸ All the nations of the earth will be blessed through your offspring, because you have listened to my voice."

⁶ For you set on him blessings forever. You make him glad with the joy of your presence.

² You are the most handsome of the sons of humankind; grace is poured out on your lips; therefore God has blessed you forever.

¹⁷ May his name endure forever. May his name increase _⌊as long as the sun shines_⌋,* and let them be blessed in him. Let all nations call him blessed. ¹⁸ Blessed be Yahweh God, the God of Israel, who alone does wonderful things. ¹⁹ And blessed be his glorious name forever, and may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen.

⁴⁸ because he has looked upon the humble state of his female slave, for behold, from now on all generations will consider me blessed,

³⁸ saying,
"Blessed is the king, the one who comes in the name of the Lord!* Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

²⁶ For this reason my heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced greatly, furthermore also my flesh will live in hope, ²⁷ because you will not abandon my soul in Hades, nor will you permit your Holy One to experience decay. ²⁸ You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with gladness with your presence.'*

⁵ to whom belong the patriarchs, and from whom is the Christ according to human descent, who is God over all, blessed _⌊forever_⌋*! Amen.

² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the originator and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

¹⁰ And she fell on her face and bowed down to the ground and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your eyes by recognizing me—for I am a foreigner?"

⁴¹ She got up and bowed down with her face to the ground and said, "Here is your female servant, as a slave to wash the feet of my lord's servants."

¹ Of David. A psalm.*
A declaration of Yahweh to my lord, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool."

¹⁴ But John tried to prevent* him, saying, "_⌊I need_⌋* to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"

¹¹ that today a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, was born for you in the city of David.

⁷ For this reason neither did I consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word and my slave must be healed.

⁴² For David himself says in the book of Psalms,
'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, ⁴³ until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." '* ⁴⁴ David therefore calls him 'Lord,' and how is he his son?"

⁵ Then he poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, and to wipe them* dry with the towel _⌊which he had tied around himself_⌋.* ⁶ Then he came to Simon Peter. He said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" ⁷ Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will understand after these things." ⁸ Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet _⌊forever_⌋!"* Jesus replied to him, "Unless I wash you, you do not have a share with me."

¹³ You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and you speak correctly, for I am.

²⁸ Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!"

³ Do nothing according to selfish ambition or according to empty conceit, but in humility considering one another better than yourselves,

⁸ _⌊More than that_⌋*, I even consider all things to be loss because of the surpassing greatness of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for the sake of whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and consider them* dung, in order that I may gain Christ

²⁰ And they rose up early in the morning and went out to the desert of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in Yahweh your God, and you shall be established! Believe in his prophets, and you shall succeed!"

²⁰ And behold, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day these things take place, _⌊because_⌋* you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time."

⁴⁰ Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"

²⁹ Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen me, have you believed? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."

¹ Then Hannah prayed and said,
"My heart exults in Yahweh, my strength is exalted in Yahweh; _⌊I grin_⌋* over my enemies, for I rejoice over your salvation. ² There is no one holy like Yahweh, for there is no one besides you, and there is no rock like our God. ³ Do not increase speaking _⌊very proud_⌋* words! Let no arrogance go forth from your mouth, for Yahweh is a God of knowledge whose deeds are not weighed.* ⁴ The bows of mighty warriors are shattered, but those who stumble gird themselves with strength. ⁵ Those who were full must hire themselves out for bread, but those who are hungry will become fat. As for the infertile, she will bear seven, but she who has many sons withers away. ⁶ Yahweh kills and restores alive, he brings down to Sheol* and raises up. ⁷ Yahweh makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and also exalts. ⁸ He raises up the poor from the dust. From the ash heap he lifts up the needy, to cause them to sit with noble people and to cause them to inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth belong to Yahweh and he has set the inhabited world on them. ⁹ He will guard the feet of his faithful* ones, but the wicked will be destroyed* in the darkness, because a man will not prevail by his might. ¹⁰ Yahweh will shatter* his adversaries;* he will thunder against them in the heavens. Yahweh will judge the ends of the earth. He will give strength to his king and will exalt the might of his anointed one.

² My soul makes its boast in Yahweh; let the humble hear and be glad. ³ Magnify Yahweh with me, and let us exalt his name together.

⁹ Then my soul will rejoice in Yahweh; it will rejoice in his salvation.

¹ Of David.*
Bless Yahweh, O my soul, and all within me, bless his holy name. ² Bless Yahweh, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits:

¹⁵ Therefore glorify Yahweh in the east, the name of Yahweh the God of Israel in the coastlands of the sea. ¹⁶ We hear songs from the _⌊edge_⌋* of the earth: "Glory to the righteous one!" But I say, "Ruin to me! Ruin to me! Woe to me! The treacherous ones deal treacherously, and the treacherous ones deal treacherously with treachery!"

²⁵ In Yahweh all the offspring of Israel shall be in the right, and they shall boast."

¹⁰ I will rejoice greatly in Yahweh; my being shall shout in exultation in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns himself with a head wrap like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewelry.

¹⁷ Though the fig tree does not blossom, nor there be fruit on the vines; the yield of the olive tree fails, and the cultivated fields do not yield food; the flock is cut off from the animal pen, and there is no cattle in the stalls, ¹⁸ Yet I will rejoice in Yahweh; I will exult in the God of my salvation.

¹¹ And not only this, but also we are boasting in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

³¹ so that, just as it is written, "The one who boasts, let him boast in the Lord."*

¹⁴ But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ, and who reveals the fragrance of the knowledge of him through us in every place.

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice.

⁸ whom, although you* have not seen, you love; in whom now you believe, although you* do not see him, and you rejoice greatly with joy inexpressible and full of glory,

² Look! God is my salvation; I will trust, and I will not be afraid, for my strength and might is Yah, Yahweh; and he has become salvation for me." ³ And you will draw water from the wells of salvation in joy.

²¹ Declare and present your case, also let them consult together! Who _⌊made this known_⌋* from _⌊former times_⌋,* declared it from _⌊of old_⌋?* Was it not I, Yahweh? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God besides me, and no savior besides me. ²² Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God and there is none besides me.

¹⁸ Yet I will rejoice in Yahweh; I will exult in the God of my salvation.

¹⁴ Shout for joy, O daughter of Zion! Cry aloud, O Israel! Rejoice and be jubilant with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! ¹⁵ Yahweh has annulled your judgments; he has turned away your enemies. The king of Israel, Yahweh, is in your midst; you shall no longer fear misfortune. ¹⁶ On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, "Fear not, O Zion; your hands shall not hang limp. ¹⁷ Yahweh your God is in your midst; a mighty warrior who saves. He shall rejoice over you with joy; he renews* you in his love; he will exult over you with singing.

⁹ Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Look! Your king comes to you; he is righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, and on a male donkey, _⌊the foal of_⌋* a female donkey!

¹ Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,

³ This is good and acceptable before God our Savior,

³ but at the proper time has disclosed his message in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the command of God our Savior,

¹⁰ not stealing, but demonstrating all good faith, in order that they may do credit to the teaching of God our Savior in everything.

¹³ looking forward to the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

⁴ But when the kindness and love for mankind of God our Savior appeared, ⁵ he saved us, not by deeds of righteousness that we have done, but because of his mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom he poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

²⁵ to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time and now and for all eternity. Amen.

¹³ Then Leah said, "How happy am I! For women have called me happy." So she called his name Asher.

¹¹ She _⌊made a vow_⌋* and said: "O Yahweh of hosts, if you will look with compassion on the misery of your female servant, and will remember me, and not forget your female servant, and will give to your female servant _⌊a male child_⌋* then I will give him to Yahweh all the days of his life, and a razor will never pass over his head."*

⁸ He raises up the poor from the dust. From the ash heap he lifts up the needy, to cause them to sit with noble people and to cause them to inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth belong to Yahweh and he has set the inhabited world on them.

⁸ So then, thus you shall say to my servant David, 'Thus says Yahweh of hosts, "I took you from the pasture _⌊from following_⌋* the sheep to be a leader over my people, over Israel,

¹⁸ Then King David went and sat before Yahweh and said, "Who am I, my lord Yahweh, and what is my house that you have brought me up to _⌊this place_⌋?* ¹⁹ Still, this was _⌊insignificant_⌋* in your eyes, my lord Yahweh, and also you have spoken about the house of your servant from afar, and this may be the teaching of humans, my lord Yahweh.

¹⁷ He will turn his attention to the prayer of the destitute and will not despise their prayer.

⁷ He raises the helpless from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap, ⁸ to seat them with princes, with the princes of his people.

²³ Who remembered us in our low estate, for his loyal love endures forever.

⁶ Though Yahweh is high, yet he sees the lowly, but the proud he perceives* at a distance.

² And my hand has made all these things, and all these _⌊came to be_⌋,"*
_⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, "but* I look to this one:
to the humble and the contrite of spirit and the one frightened at my word.

¹² "And all the nations will call you blessed, because you will be _⌊a land in which one takes joy_⌋,"* says Yahweh of hosts.

²⁷ Now it happened that as he said these things, a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and* said to him, "Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!"

²⁶ For consider your calling, brothers, that not many were wise according to human standards,* not many were powerful, not many were well born. ²⁷ But the foolish things of the world God chose in order that he might put to shame the wise, and the weak things of the world God chose in order that he might put to shame the strong, ²⁸ and the insignificant of the world, and the despised, God chose, the things that are not, in order that he might abolish the things that are,

⁵ Listen, my dear brothers! Did not God choose the poor of the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? ⁶ But you have dishonored the poor! Are not the rich exploiting you and they themselves dragging you into the courts?

¹¹ Who is like you among the gods, Yahweh? Who is like you—glorious in holiness, awesome in praiseworthy actions, doing wonders?*

² There is no one holy like Yahweh, for there is no one besides you, and there is no rock like our God.

⁸ Who is the king of glory?* Yahweh, strong and mighty; Yahweh, mighty in war!

¹⁹ And your righteousness, O God, is to the height of heaven. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you? ²⁰ You who have caused me* to see many troubles and evils, you will again revive me.* And from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. ²¹ You will increase my greatness, and you will comfort me all around.*

³ Let them praise your great and fearful name. He is holy.

⁹ Exalt Yahweh our God, and worship at his holy mountain, for Yahweh our God is holy.

⁹ He has sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever; holy and fearful is his name.

² Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with rejoicing. Then they said among the nations, "Yahweh has done great things for these people." ³ Yahweh has done great things for us; we are glad.

²⁴ Therefore, the declaration of the Lord Yahweh of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: "Ah, I will be relieved of my enemies, and I will avenge myself on my foes.

³ And the one called to the other and said,
"Holy, holy, holy is Yahweh of hosts! The _⌊whole earth is full of his glory_⌋."*

¹⁵ For thus says the high and lofty one who resides forever, and whose name is holy:
"I reside in a high and holy place, and with the _⌊contrite_⌋* and humble of spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the _⌊contrite_⌋.*

¹ Who is this, coming from Edom, from Bozrah in bright red garments? Who is this honored in his garment, lying down in his great strength? "It is I, speaking in justice, _⌊mighty_⌋* to save!"

⁶ There is none like you, O Yahweh, you are great and your name is great in might.

¹¹ But Yahweh is with me like a powerful warrior. _⌊Therefore_⌋* my persecutors will stumble and will not prevail. They will be very ashamed, for they will not achieve success. Their _⌊everlasting insult_⌋* will not be forgotten.

¹³ And he permitted them. And the unclean spirits came out and* entered into the pigs, and the herd—about two thousand—rushed headlong down the steep slope into the sea and were drowned in the sea.

²⁰ Now to the one who is able to do beyond all measure more than all that we ask or think, according to the power that is at work in us,

⁸ And the four living creatures, _⌊each one_⌋* of them, had six wings apiece, full of eyes around and inside, and they do not have rest day and night, saying,
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God All-Powerful,* the one who was and the one who is and the one who is coming!"

⁴ Who would never fear, Lord, and glorify your name? For only you are holy, because all the nations* will come and worship before you, because your righteous deeds have been revealed."

⁷ And I will establish my covenant between me and you, and between your offspring after you, throughout their generations as an everlasting covenant to be as God for you and to your offspring after you.

⁶ and showing loyal love to thousands of generations* of those loving me and of those keeping my commandments.

⁶ And Yahweh passed over before him, and he proclaimed, "Yahweh, Yahweh, God, who is compassionate and gracious, _⌊slow to anger_⌋,* and abounding with* loyal love and faithfulness, ⁷ keeping loyal love to the thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and he does not leave utterly unpunished, punishing the guilt of fathers on sons and on sons of sons on third and fourth generations."

¹⁹ How abundant is your goodness that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you perform for those who take refuge in you before the children of humankind.

⁹ Surely his salvation is near for those who fear him, that glory may abide in our land.

¹¹ For as the heavens are high above the earth, so his loyal love prevails over those who fear him.

¹⁷ But the loyal love of Yahweh is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to their children's children, ¹⁸ to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his precepts.

¹³ He will bless those who fear Yahweh, the small with the great.

⁴ Let those who fear Yahweh say, "His loyal love is forever."

¹⁹ He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry for help, and saves them.

¹¹ Yahweh takes pleasure in those who fear him, the ones who hope* for his loyal love.

¹⁶ Then those who revered* Yahweh spoke _⌊with one another_⌋.* And Yahweh listened attentively* and heard, and a scroll of remembrance was written _⌊before him_⌋* of those who revere* Yahweh and ponder his name. ¹⁷ "They will be mine," says Yahweh of hosts, "on the day that I am acting, my treasured possession. I will have compassion on them as a man has compassion on his son who serves him. ¹⁸ You will return and see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between the one who serves God and the one who does not serve him.

⁵ And a voice came out from the throne, saying,
"Praise our God all his slaves, and those who fear him, the small and the great!"

⁵ And Yahweh saw that the evil of humankind was great upon the earth, and every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was always* only evil.

²¹ And Yahweh smelled the soothing fragrance, and Yahweh said _⌊to himself_⌋,* "_⌊Never again will I curse_⌋* the ground for the sake of humankind, because the inclination of the heart of humankind is evil from his youth. _⌊Nor will I ever again destroy_⌋* all life as I have done.

⁶ Yahweh, your right hand is glorious in power; Yahweh, your right hand destroyed the enemy. ⁷ And in the greatness of your majesty you overthrew those standing up to you; you released your fierce anger, and it consumed them like stubble.

⁹ The enemy said, 'I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide plunder, my desire will be full of them, I will draw my sword, my hand will destroy them.' ¹⁰ You blew with your breath; the sea covered them; they dropped like lead in the mighty waters. ¹¹ Who is like you among the gods, Yahweh? Who is like you—glorious in holiness, awesome in praiseworthy actions, doing wonders?* ¹² You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them. ¹³ In your loyal love you led the people whom you redeemed; in your strength you guided them to the abode of your holiness.*

¹¹ Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all the gods, _⌊even in the matter where they the Egyptians dealt arrogantly against the Israelites_⌋."*

³⁴ Or has a god ever attempted to go to take for himself* a nation from the midst of a nation, using trials and signs and wonders and war, with an outstretched arm and with great and awesome deeds, like all that Yahweh your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?

¹⁹ And then when he hears the words of this oath, then* _⌊he will assure himself_⌋* in his heart, _⌊saying_⌋,* '_⌊Safety shall be mine even though I go in the stubbornness of my heart_⌋,'* thereby destroying the well-watered land along with the parched.* ²⁰ Yahweh will not be willing to forgive him, for by then the anger of Yahweh will smoke, and his passion against that man and all the curses written in this scroll will descend on him, and Yahweh will blot out his name from under heaven.

³ Do not increase speaking _⌊very proud_⌋* words! Let no arrogance go forth from your mouth, for Yahweh is a God of knowledge whose deeds are not weighed.* ⁴ The bows of mighty warriors are shattered, but those who stumble gird themselves with strength.

⁹ Or do you have an arm like God, and can you thunder with a voice like his? ¹⁰ Adorn* yourself with pride and dignity, and clothe yourself with splendor. ¹¹ Pour out the overflowing of your anger, and look at all the proud, and humble them. ¹² Look at all the proud, humble them, and tread down the wicked _⌊where they stand_⌋.*

¹ Why are nations in tumult, and countries plotting* in vain?* ² The kings of the earth establish themselves, and the rulers conspire* together against Yahweh and his anointed: ³ "Let us tear off their bonds, and cast their cords from us!" ⁴ He who sits enthroned in the heavens laughs. The Lord derides them. ⁵ Then he speaks to them in his wrath, and in his fury he terrifies them: ⁶ "But as for me, I have set my king on Zion, my holy mountain."

¹⁰ Yahweh brings to nothing* the plan of nations; he frustrates* the intents of peoples.

⁹ I will give thanks to you forever, because of what you have done, and I will wait on your name, because it is good, in the presence of your faithful ones.

⁵ My soul will be satisfied as with the best and richest food, and with joyful lips my mouth will praise.

¹⁰ _⌊You yourself crushed_⌋* Rahab like one who is slain; you scattered your enemies with your strong arm.

¹³ You have a mighty arm; Your hand is strong; your right hand reaches high.

¹ A psalm.*
Sing to* Yahweh a new song, for he has done wonders. His right hand and his holy arm have secured his victory.

¹⁵ The sound of rejoicing and salvation* is in the tents of the righteous; the right hand of Yahweh has done valiantly.

¹² And this shall happen: when the Lord has finished all his work against _⌊Mount Zion_⌋* and Jerusalem, "I will punish the _⌊arrogance_⌋* of the king of Assyria and _⌊his haughtiness_⌋."* ¹³ For he says,
"I have done it by the strength of my hand and by my wisdom, for I have understanding, and I have removed the boundaries of peoples, and I have plundered their stores, and like a bull I have brought down _⌊the inhabitants_⌋.* ¹⁴ And my hand has found, like a nest, the wealth of the peoples, and like the gathering of forsaken eggs, I myself have gathered all the earth. And there was no fluttering wing or open mouth or chirp." ¹⁵ Does the ax boast against the one who cuts with it, or the saw magnify itself against the one who moves it to and fro? _⌊As if a rod should move the one who lifts it_⌋!* _⌊As if a staff should lift up that which is not wood_⌋!* ¹⁶ Therefore the Lord, Yahweh of hosts, will send leanness among his sturdy warriors, and a burning like the burning of fire will burn under his glory. ¹⁷ And the light of Israel will become like a fire, and his holy one like a flame, and it will burn and devour his thorns* and briers* in one day. ¹⁸ And he will destroy the glory of his forest and orchard _⌊completely_⌋,* and it will be like the wasting away of one who is sick. ¹⁹ And the rest of the trees* of his forest will be a small number, and a boy can write them down.

¹⁰ Look! The Lord Yahweh comes with _⌊strength_⌋,* and his arm rules for him. Look! His reward is with him, and his recompense _⌊in his presence_⌋.*

⁹ Awake! Awake; put on strength, O arm of Yahweh! Awake as in days of long ago, the generations of a long time back! Are you not the one who cut Rahab in pieces, the one who pierced the sea-dragon?

¹⁰ Yahweh has bared _⌊his holy arm_⌋* to the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends* of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

¹² _⌊who made_⌋* his magnificent arm move _⌊at_⌋* the right hand of Moses, _⌊who divided_⌋* the waters _⌊before them_⌋,* to make an everlasting name for himself,

²⁹ We have heard of the pride of Moab —he is very proud— his height, and his pride, and his arrogance, and the haughtiness of his heart. ³⁰ I know his insolence," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, "and his boastings are _⌊false_⌋;* they act _⌊falsely_⌋.*

³⁷ Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and honor the king of heaven, for all his works are truth,* and his ways are justice and that he is able to humble those who walk in pride."

²⁵ "Now this was the writing that was inscribed: 'Mene, Mene, Tekel and Parsin.' ²⁶ "This is the explanation of the matter:* 'Mene'—God has numbered your kingdom and brought an end to it. ²⁷ " 'Tekel'—you have been weighed on scales and you have been found wanting.* ²⁸ " 'Peres'—your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.'" ²⁹ Then Belshazzar commanded, and they clothed Daniel with purple and placed a necklace of gold around his neck, and they made a proclamation concerning him that he would be the third ruler in authority in the kingdom. ³⁰ _⌊That same night_⌋* Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed. ³¹ * And Darius the Mede received the kingdom _⌊when he was about sixty-two years old_⌋.*

²¹ For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasoning, and their senseless hearts were darkened.

⁵ and all pride that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

⁵ In the same way, younger men, be subject to the elders, and all of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

⁸ Because of this her plagues will come in one day— death and mourning and famine— and she will be burned up with fire, because the Lord God who passes judgment on her is powerful!"

⁴ The bows of mighty warriors are shattered, but those who stumble gird themselves with strength.

⁶ Yahweh kills and restores alive, he brings down to Sheol* and raises up. ⁷ Yahweh makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and also exalts. ⁸ He raises up the poor from the dust. From the ash heap he lifts up the needy, to cause them to sit with noble people and to cause them to inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth belong to Yahweh and he has set the inhabited world on them.

¹¹ to set the lowly on high, and those mourning are lifted to safety. ¹² He is frustrating the devices of the crafty, and their hands do not achieve success. ¹³ He is capturing the wise in their craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are rushed.

²⁴ He shatters the mighty without investigation, and he sets others in their place. ²⁵ Therefore he knows their works, and he overturns them in the night _⌊so that_⌋* they are crushed. ²⁶ He strikes them _⌊where the wicked stood_⌋,* _⌊where there are onlookers_⌋,* ²⁷ because they have turned aside from him and have not understood any of his ways, ²⁸ so that they cause the cry of distress from the helpless to come to him, and he hears the cry of distress from the needy,

⁴⁰ he pours contempt on princes and causes them to wander in a trackless waste. ⁴¹ But he protects* the needy from misery, and he makes their families like a flock.

⁶ who _⌊condescends to look at_⌋* what is in the heavens and in the earth?

¹⁴ For he came out of the prison house to reign, _⌊since he was born poor in his kingdom_⌋.*

²⁴ And all of the trees of the field will know that I, Yahweh, I will bring low a high tree, and I will exalt a low, fresh tree, and I will make a dry tree flourish. I, Yahweh, I have spoken, and I will do it.'"

¹¹ On that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen, and I will repair its breaches and will raise up its ruins and will build it like the days of old.

³ Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?" And they were offended by him.

¹⁴ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than that one! For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

⁹ Now let the brother of humble circumstances boast in his high position, ¹⁰ but the rich person in his humiliation, because he will pass away like a flower of the grass.

¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

⁵ Those who were full must hire themselves out for bread, but those who are hungry will become fat. As for the infertile, she will bear seven, but she who has many sons withers away.

¹⁰ The young lions are in want and suffer hunger, but those who seek Yahweh will not lack for any good thing.

⁸ Let them give thanks to Yahweh for his loyal love, and his wonderful deeds for the children of humankind, ⁹ for he satisfies the longing soul,* and the hungry soul he fills with good.

⁷ who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food for the hungry. Yahweh sets prisoners free;

²⁹ And I will raise for them a garden plot* of renown, and they will _⌊no longer_⌋* be victims of famine in the land, and they will not bear any more the insult of the nations.

⁶ Blessed are the ones who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they will be satisfied.

²¹ Blessed are those who are hungry now, because you will be satisfied. Blessed are those who weep now, Because you will laugh.

²⁴ "But woe to you who are rich, because you have received your comfort.

¹⁶ And he told a parable to them, saying, "The land of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. ¹⁷ And he reasoned to himself, saying, 'What should I do? For I do not have anywhere I can gather in my crops.' ¹⁸ And he said, 'I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and I will gather in there all my grain and possessions. ¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many possessions stored up for many years. Relax, eat, drink, celebrate!" ' ²⁰ But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your life* is demanded from you, and the things which you have prepared—whose will they be?' ²¹ So is the one who stores up treasure for himself, and who is not rich toward God!"

¹⁹ "Now a certain man was rich, and dressed in purple cloth and fine linen, feasting sumptuously every day. ²⁰ And a certain poor man _⌊named_⌋* Lazarus, covered with sores, lay at his gate, ²¹ and was longing to be filled with what fell from the table of the rich man. But even the dogs came and* licked his sores. ²² Now it happened that the poor man died, and he was carried away by the angels to _⌊Abraham's side_⌋.* And the rich man also died and was buried. ²³ And in Hades he lifted up his eyes as he* was in torment and* saw Abraham from a distance, and Lazarus _⌊at his side_⌋.* ²⁴ And he called out and* said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he could dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am suffering pain in this flame!' ²⁵ But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that you received your good things during your life, and Lazarus likewise bad things. But now he is comforted here, but you are suffering pain.

¹¹ The Pharisee stood and* prayed these things with reference to himself: 'God, I give thanks to you that I am not like other people—swindlers, unrighteous people, adulterers, or even like this tax collector! ¹² I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all that I get.' ¹³ But the tax collector, standing far away, did not want even to raise his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' ¹⁴ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than that one! For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

²⁴ And Jesus took notice of him* and* said, "How _⌊difficult it is for_⌋* those who possess wealth to enter into the kingdom of God! ²⁵ For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of God.

¹¹ Then Jesus took the bread, and after he* had given thanks, he distributed it* to those who were reclining—likewise also of the fish, as much as they wanted. ¹² And when they were satisfied, he said to his disciples, "Gather the remaining fragments so that nothing is lost." ¹³ So they gathered them,* and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.

³⁵ Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. The one who comes to me will never be hungry, and the one who believes in me will never be thirsty again.

²⁶ For consider your calling, brothers, that not many were wise according to human standards,* not many were powerful, not many were well born.

⁸ Already you are satiated! Already you are rich! Apart from us you reign as kings! And would that indeed you reigned as kings, in order that we also might reign as kings with you!

¹ Come now, you rich people, weep and cry aloud over the miseries that are coming upon you! ² Your wealth has rotted, and your clothing has become moth-eaten. ³ Your gold and silver have become corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you, and it will consume your flesh like fire. You have stored up treasure in the last days. ⁴ Behold, the wages that were held back by you from the workers who reap your fields cry out, and the cries of the reapers have come to the ears of the Lord of hosts. ⁵ You have lived self-indulgently on the earth* and have lived luxuriously. You have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter. ⁶ You have condemned, you have murdered the righteous person; he does not resist you.

¹⁷ Because you are saying, "I am rich, and have become rich, and I have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and pitiable and poor and blind and naked, ¹⁸ I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire, in order that you may become rich, and white clothing, in order that you may be clothed and the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed, and eye salve to smear on your eyes, in order that you may see.

¹⁶ They will not be hungry any longer or be thirsty any longer, nor will the sun ever beat down on them, nor any heat,* ¹⁷ because the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and will lead them to springs of living waters, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."*

³ He has remembered his loyal love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation* of our God.

²¹ "Remember these things, Jacob, and Israel, for you are my servant: I formed you; you are my servant; Israel, you will not be forgotten by me!

³ "Listen to me, house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel who have been carried from the belly, who have been carried from the womb: ⁴ Even* to your old age I am he; even* to your advanced age I myself will support you. I myself have made you, and I myself will carry you, and I myself will support you, and I will save you.

¹⁴ But* Zion said, "Yahweh has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me!" ¹⁵ Can a woman forget her suckling, refrain from having compassion on the child of her womb? Indeed, these may forget, but* I, I will not forget you! ¹⁶ Look, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.

⁶ For Yahweh has called you like a wife forsaken and hurt of spirit, like* the wife of childhood when she is rejected, says your God. ⁷ I abandoned you _⌊for a short_⌋* moment, but* I will gather you with great compassion. ⁸ I hid my face from you for a moment, in the flowing of anger, but* I will have compassion on you with everlasting faithfulness" says your redeemer, Yahweh. ⁹ "For this is like the waters of Noah to me, when I swore _⌊that the waters of Noah would never again pass_⌋* over the earth, so I swore _⌊that I would not be_⌋* angry at you and rebuke you. ¹⁰ For the mountains may depart, and the hills may sway, but* my faithfulness shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not sway," says Yahweh, who has compassion on you,

⁷ I will mention the loyal love of Yahweh, the praises of Yahweh, according to all that Yahweh has done for us, and the greatness of goodness to the house of Israel that he has done to them according to his mercy and the abundance of his loyal love. ⁸ And he said, "Surely my people are children; they will not break faith." And he became a Savior to them. ⁹ In all their distress, _⌊there was no distress_⌋,* and the messenger of his _⌊presence_⌋* saved them, in his love and compassion he himself redeemed them, and he lifted them up, and he supported them all the days of old. ¹⁰ But* they _⌊were the ones who_⌋* rebelled, and they grieved _⌊his Holy Spirit_⌋,* so* he _⌊became an enemy to them_⌋;* he himself fought against them. ¹¹ Then* his people remembered the days of old, of Moses. Where is the one who led up them from the sea with the shepherds of his flock? Where is the one who puts _⌊his Holy Spirit_⌋* inside him, ¹² _⌊who made_⌋* his magnificent arm move _⌊at_⌋* the right hand of Moses, _⌊who divided_⌋* the waters _⌊before them_⌋,* to make an everlasting name for himself, ¹³ _⌊who led_⌋* them through the depths? They did not stumble like a horse in the desert; ¹⁴ like cattle in the valley that goes down, the Spirit of Yahweh _⌊gave him rest_⌋,* so you lead your people to make a magnificent name for yourself. ¹⁵ Look from heaven, and see from the lofty residence of your holiness and glory. Where are your zeal and strength? _⌊Your compassion_⌋* and mercy to me hold themselves back. ¹⁶ For you are our father, although Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us. You, Yahweh are our father, Our Redeemer from of old is your name.

³ From afar Yahweh appeared to me, saying, "I have loved you with an everlasting love. _⌊Therefore_⌋* I have drawn you with loyal love.

²⁰ Is Ephraim my dear son, or the child of my delight? For _⌊as often as_⌋* I have earnestly spoken against him, I still remember him. _⌊Therefore_⌋* my bowels are turbulent for him, surely I will have compassion on him," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh.

²⁴ "Have you not seen how these people speak, _⌊saying_⌋,* 'The two clans* whom Yahweh chose, he has also rejected them'? Thus they spurn my people from being a nation _⌊before them_⌋* any longer. ²⁵ Thus says Yahweh: 'If my covenant with day and with night, the regulations of heaven and earth, I had not established, ²⁶ then the offspring of Jacob and David my servant I would reject, from choosing rulers from his offspring over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; for I will restore their fortunes* and I will have compassion on them.'"

²⁰ You will show faithfulness to Jacob, and loyal love to Abraham, as you have sworn to our ancestors* from the days of old.

¹⁴ Shout for joy, O daughter of Zion! Cry aloud, O Israel! Rejoice and be jubilant with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! ¹⁵ Yahweh has annulled your judgments; he has turned away your enemies. The king of Israel, Yahweh, is in your midst; you shall no longer fear misfortune. ¹⁶ On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, "Fear not, O Zion; your hands shall not hang limp. ¹⁷ Yahweh your God is in your midst; a mighty warrior who saves. He shall rejoice over you with joy; he renews* you in his love; he will exult over you with singing. ¹⁸ I will gather those of you grieving on account of the feast; they were raising against her a reproach. ¹⁹ Behold, at that time I will deal with all your oppressors; I will save the lame and gather the outcast. I will change* them from shame to glory and _⌊renown_⌋* throughout the whole world. ²⁰ At that time I will bring you in; at the time of my gathering you together. For I will make you _⌊renowned_⌋* and praised among all the nations of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your eyes," says Yahweh.

⁹ Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Look! Your king comes to you; he is righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, and on a male donkey, _⌊the foal of_⌋* a female donkey! ¹⁰ And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; the battle bow will be cut down, and he will announce peace to the nations. His dominion will be from sea to sea, and from the River* to the ends of the earth. ¹¹ As for you also, because of the blood of your covenant, I will release your prisoners from _⌊the waterless pit_⌋.*

⁷⁰ just as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from earliest times— ⁷¹ salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all those who hate us, ⁷² to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, ⁷³ the oath that he swore to Abraham our father, to grant us ⁷⁴ that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, could serve him without fear ⁷⁵ in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

³ And I will bless those who bless you, and those who curse you I will curse. And all families of the earth will be blessed in you."

⁴ And I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and I will give to your descendants all these lands. And all nations of the earth will be blessed through your offspring,

¹⁴ Your descendants shall be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west, and to the east, and to the north and to the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and through your descendants.

⁶ O offspring of Abraham his servant, you descendants* of Jacob, his chosen ones. ⁷ He is Yahweh our God; his judgments are in all the earth. ⁸ He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded for a thousand generations, ⁹ that he made with Abraham, and by his oath swore to Isaac. ¹⁰ He then confirmed it to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant,

¹¹ Yahweh swore in truth to David; he will not turn back from it. "One from the fruit of your _⌊body_⌋* I will set on your throne. ¹² If your sons will heed my covenant and my testimonies that I will teach them, their sons also forever will sit on your throne." ¹³ For Yahweh has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his habitation. ¹⁴ "This is my resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it. ¹⁵ I will bless its provisions abundantly; I will satisfy its poor with bread. ¹⁶ I will also clothe its priests with salvation, and its faithful will shout exuberantly for joy. ¹⁷ There I will cause a horn to grow for David; I will set a lamp for my anointed one.

²⁸ With respect to the gospel, they are enemies for your sake, but with respect to election, they are dearly loved for the sake of the fathers. ²⁹ For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

¹⁶ Now to Abraham and to his descendant the promises were spoken. It does not say, "and to descendants," as concerning many, but as concerning one, "and to your descendant,"* who is Christ. ¹⁷ Now I am saying this: the law, that came after four hundred and thirty years, does not revoke a covenant previously ratified by God, in order to nullify the promise.

² And she conceived, and Sarah bore to Abraham a son in his old age at the appointed time that God had told him. ³ And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.

¹⁹ God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of humankind, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? And has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

⁶ And it happened that while they were there, _⌊the time came_⌋* for her to give birth. ⁷ And she gave birth to her firstborn son, and wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

¹⁹ Behold, your servant has found favor in your eyes and _⌊you have shown me great kindness_⌋* in saving my life. But I cannot flee to the mountains, lest the disaster overtake me and I die.

¹⁴ And the women said to Naomi, "Blessed be Yahweh who today _⌊did not leave you without a redeemer_⌋!* And may his name be renowned in Israel! ¹⁵ He shall be for you a restorer of life and a sustainer in your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is better for you than seven sons, has borne him." ¹⁶ And Naomi took the child and she put him on her bosom and became his nurse. ¹⁷ And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, "A son has been born to Naomi." And they called his name Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

⁹ Shall I myself I break open and not _⌊deliver_⌋?"* says Yahweh, "or I who _⌊delivers_⌋* lock up the womb?" says your God. ¹⁰ "Rejoice with Jerusalem and shout in exultation with her, all those who love her! Rejoice with her in joy, all those who mourn over her,

¹⁴ And _⌊you will experience joy and exultation_⌋,* and many will rejoice at his birth.

²⁵ "Thus the Lord has done for me in the days in which he has concerned himself with me,* to take away my disgrace among people."

¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.

²⁶ And if one member suffers, all the members suffer together; if a member* is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

¹² And _⌊at eight days of age_⌋* you shall yourselves circumcise every male belonging to your generations and _⌊the servant born in your house and the one bought from any foreigner_⌋* who is not from your offspring.

³ And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac. ⁴ And Abraham circumcised Isaac his son when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.

³ And on the eighth day his foreskin's flesh shall be circumcised.

⁸ And he gave him the covenant of circumcision, and so he became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac did so with* Jacob, and Jacob did so with* the twelve patriarchs.

⁵ _⌊circumcised on the eighth day_⌋*, from the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born from Hebrews, according to the law a Pharisee,

²⁵ He sent word by the hand of Nathan the prophet, so he called him Jedidiah* because of Yahweh.

⁶³ and he asked for a writing tablet and* wrote, saying, "John is his name." And they were all astonished.

³ May loyal love* and truth not forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them upon your heart.

⁸ Now go, write it on a tablet with them, and inscribe it on a scroll, _⌊that_⌋* it may be _⌊for the time to come_⌋,* forever, forever.

¹ "The sin of Judah is written with an iron stylus, with a point of diamond it is engraved on the tablet of their heart, and on the horns of their altars.

² Then Yahweh answered me and said, "Write the vision and make it plain on the tablet so that _⌊it might be read quickly_⌋.*

⁶⁰ And his mother answered and* said, "No, but he will be named John."

¹⁵ And you will speak to him, and you will put words in his mouth, and I myself will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you what you must do. ¹⁶ And he will speak for you to the people, _⌊and then_⌋* he will be to you as a mouth, and you will be to him as a god.

⁷ O Yahweh, by your favor you caused my strong mountain to stand. You hid your face. I was bewildered. ⁸ To you, O Yahweh, I called, and to the Lord I pleaded for grace saying, ⁹ "What gain is there in my _⌊death_⌋,* in my going down into the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? ¹⁰ "O Yahweh, hear and be gracious to me. O Yahweh, be my helper." ¹¹ You have turned my wailing into my dancing. You have removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy ¹² so that _⌊I_⌋* may sing praises to you and not be quiet. O Yahweh, my God, I will give thanks to you forever.

¹⁵ O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will proclaim your praise.

¹⁸ Yah has disciplined me severely, but he did not consign* me to death. ¹⁹ Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to Yah.*

¹ And you will say on that day, "I will give you thanks, Yahweh, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, and you comforted me.

⁹ Then Yahweh stretched out his hand and he touched my mouth, and Yahweh said to me,
"Look, I have put my words in your mouth.

²⁷ And when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you must say to them, 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "The one hearing him, let him hear, and the one failing to hear, let him fail," ' for they _⌊are a rebellious house_⌋.*

²¹ "On that day I will cause _⌊power_⌋* to grow up for the house of Israel, and for you I will give an opening of your mouth in the midst of them, and they will know that I am Yahweh."

²² And the hand of Yahweh was on me on the evening _⌊before_⌋* the coming of the survivor, and he opened my mouth _⌊before the survivor came to me in the morning_⌋,* and my mouth was opened, and I was _⌊no longer_⌋* dumb.*

³⁴ "But at the end of _⌊that period_⌋,* I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and then my reason returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and _⌊the one who lives forever_⌋* I praised and I honored.
"For his sovereignty is an everlasting sovereignty, and his kingdom continues from generation to generation. ³⁵ And all the dwellers of the earth are regarded as nothing, and he does _⌊according to_⌋* his desire in the host of heaven and among the dwellers of earth, and there is not one who can hold back his hand, or _⌊ask him_⌋,* 'What are you doing?' ³⁶ "_⌊At that time_⌋* my reason returned to me, and also the glory of my kingdom and my majesty and splendor returned to me, and my advisers and my lords* searched me out, and I was established over my kingdom and abundant greatness was added to me. ³⁷ Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and honor the king of heaven, for all his works are truth,* and his ways are justice and that he is able to humble those who walk in pride."

³³ And after* the demon had been expelled, the one who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were astonished, saying, "_⌊This has never been seen before_⌋* in Israel!"

³² And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had difficulty speaking, and they were imploring him that he would place his* hand on him. ³³ And he took him away from the crowd by himself and* put his fingers into his ears, and after* spitting, he touched his tongue. ³⁴ And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, "Ephphatha!" (that is, "Be opened!"). ³⁵ And* his ears were opened and _⌊his difficulty in speaking was removed_⌋* and he began to speak normally. ³⁶ And he ordered them that they should say nothing, but as much as he ordered them not to, they proclaimed it* even more instead. ³⁷ And they were amazed beyond all measure, saying, "He has done all things well! He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak!"

⁶ And the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying, "_⌊Do not abandon_⌋* your servant. Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, for all the kings of the Amorites* who dwell in the hill country have gathered against us."

³⁹ Now in those days Mary set out and* traveled with haste into the hill country, to a town of Judah,

¹⁶ And fear seized them all, and they began to glorify* God, saying, "A great prophet has appeared among us!" and "God has visited to help his people!"

⁴³ And fear came on every soul, and many wonders and signs were being performed by the apostles.

⁵ And when* Ananias heard these words, he fell down and* died. And great fear came on all those who heard about it.*

¹¹ And great fear came on the whole church and on all who heard about these things.

¹⁷ And this became known to all who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, and fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was exalted.

¹¹ And after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered into them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.

¹¹ And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

² And Yahweh was with Joseph, and he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian.

²⁴ The woman bore a son, and she called him Samson; the boy grew big, and Yahweh blessed him. ²⁵ And the Spirit of Yahweh began to stir him in the camp of Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

¹⁸ Now Samuel was serving before Yahweh, as a boy wearing a linen ephod.

¹⁸ One of the servants answered and said, "Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is skillful in playing a stringed instrument, a _⌊brave man, a warrior, prudent in speech, and handsome_⌋.* And Yahweh is with him."

⁴⁶ but the hand of Yahweh was on Elijah; he girded up his loins and ran before Ahab as one comes to Jezreel.

¹⁷ Let your hand be on the man of your right hand, on the son of humankind whom you made strong for yourself.

²¹ with whom my hand will be steadfast. Surely my arm will strengthen him.

¹¹ In my heart I have hidden your word,* so that I may not sin against you.

⁸⁰ And the child kept growing and becoming strong in spirit, and was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

⁴⁰ And the child was growing and becoming strong, filled with wisdom, and the favor of God was upon him.

⁴⁴ "_⌊You take these words to heart_⌋,* for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men."

²¹ And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord.

²⁵ Then Yahweh went down in the cloud and spoke to him, and he took away the spirit that was on him, and he _⌊put it_⌋* on the seventy elders. And as soon as the spirit was resting on them they prophesied, but they did not do it again.

² "The spirit of Yahweh speaks through me, and his word is upon my tongue.

²⁸ * And it will happen afterward thus: I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy, and your elders will dream dreams; your young men shall see visions.

⁴¹ And it happened that when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby in her womb leaped and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

²¹ for no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men carried along by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

²⁶ Then* he said,
"Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Shem, and let Canaan be a slave to them.

²⁰ And blessed be God Most High who delivered your enemies into your hand."
And he* gave to him a tenth of everything.

¹⁶ Go and gather the elders of Israel and say to them, 'Yahweh, the God of your ancestors,* appeared to me, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, "I have carefully attended to you and what has been done to you in Egypt." ¹⁷ And I said, "I will bring you up from the misery of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites* and the Hittites* and the Amorites* and the Perizzites* and the Hivites* and the Jebusites,* to a land flowing with milk and honey." '

³¹ And the people believed when they heard that Yahweh had attended to the _⌊Israelites_⌋* and that he had seen their misery, and they knelt down and they worshiped.

⁴⁸ What is more, the king said, 'May Yahweh the God of Israel be blessed, who has given this day one sitting on my throne, and my eyes are seeing it!'"

¹⁰ Then David blessed Yahweh in the sight of all the assembly, and David said, "Blessed are you, O Yahweh, God of Israel, our father forever and ever!

²⁰ And David said to all the assembly, "Bless Yahweh your God!" And all the assembly blessed Yahweh, the God of their ancestors.* And they bowed down and prostrated themselves before Yahweh and the king.

¹³ Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.

⁴⁸ Blessed is Yahweh, the God of Israel, from everlasting and to everlasting. And let all the people say, "Amen!" Praise Yah.*

³⁸ And at that same hour she approached and* began to give thanks* to God, and to speak about him to all those who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

⁴⁴ And they will raze you to the ground, you and your children within you, and will not leave a stone upon a stone within you, _⌊because_⌋* you did not recognize the time of your visitation."

³ Blessed is* the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

⁷ in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace,

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

¹ Then Hannah prayed and said,
"My heart exults in Yahweh, my strength is exalted in Yahweh; _⌊I grin_⌋* over my enemies, for I rejoice over your salvation.

¹⁰ Yahweh will shatter* his adversaries;* he will thunder against them in the heavens. Yahweh will judge the ends of the earth. He will give strength to his king and will exalt the might of his anointed one.

²⁶ Your name shall be great forever, _⌊and they will say_⌋,* 'Yahweh of hosts is God over Israel'; and the house of your servant David shall be established before you.

³ I take refuge in God, my rock,* my shield, and the _⌊strength_⌋* of my salvation. My stronghold and my refuge, O my savior, you will save me from violence!

¹³ Yet all of the kingdom I will not tear away. I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen."

² Yahweh is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I have taken refuge, my shield and the horn of my deliverance, my stronghold.

³ "I made a covenant with my chosen one; I swore an oath to David my servant:

¹⁷ For you are the glory of their strength, and by your favor our horn rises up,*

²⁰ I have found David, my servant. With my holy oil I have anointed him, ²¹ with whom my hand will be steadfast. Surely my arm will strengthen him. ²² The enemy will not deceive him, and no _⌊evil man_⌋* will afflict him. ²³ But I will crush his adversaries before him, and I will strike those who hate him. ²⁴ And so my faithfulness and my loyal love will be with him, and in my name his horn will rise up. ²⁵ And I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers. ²⁶ He will call out to me, 'You are my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.' ²⁷ I will also make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. ²⁸ Forever I will keep my loyal love for him, and my covenant will be reliable for him. ²⁹ I will also establish his offspring forever, and his throne as the days of the heavens. ³⁰ If his sons forsake my law and do not walk in my judgments, ³¹ if they defile* my statutes and do not keep my commandments, ³² then I will punish their transgression with a rod, and their guilt with wounds. ³³ But I will not break off my loyal love from him, and I will not be false against my faithfulness. ³⁴ I will not defile* my covenant, or alter what proceeded from my lips.

¹⁷ There I will cause a horn to grow for David; I will set a lamp for my anointed one. ¹⁸ I will clothe his enemies with shame, but on him his crown will flourish."*

¹ And a shoot will come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from its roots will bear fruit. ² And the spirit of Yahweh shall rest on him— a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of counsel and might, a spirit of knowledge and the fear of Yahweh. ³ And his _⌊breath_⌋* is in the fear of Yahweh. And he shall judge not by his eyesight, and he shall rebuke not by _⌊what he hears with_⌋* his ears. ⁴ But he shall judge the poor with righteousness, and he shall decide for the needy of the earth with rectitude. And he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and he shall kill the wicked person with the breath of his lips. ⁵ And righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins. ⁶ And a wolf shall _⌊stay_⌋* with a lamb, and a leopard shall lie down with a kid, and a calf and a lion and a fatling together _⌊as a small boy leads_⌋* them. ⁷ And a cow and a bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together. And a lion shall eat straw like the cattle. ⁸ And _⌊an infant_⌋* shall play over a serpent's hole, and _⌊a toddler_⌋* shall put his hand on a viper's hole. ⁹ They will not injure and they will not destroy on all of my _⌊holy mountain_⌋,* for the earth will be full of the knowledge of Yahweh, as the waters cover the sea.

¹⁵ In those days and in that time I will make a branch of righteousness sprout for David, and he will execute justice and righteousness in the land. ¹⁶ In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell _⌊safely_⌋,* and this is what they shall call it: "Yahweh is our righteousness." ' ¹⁷ For thus says Yahweh: 'A man who sits on the throne of the house of Israel will not be cut off for David. ¹⁸ And for the priests, a man from the Levites who offers burnt offerings* and who burns grain offerings* and who brings sacrifices* will not be cut off _⌊before me_⌋* _⌊forever_⌋.'"* ¹⁹ And the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, _⌊saying_⌋,* ²⁰ "Thus says Yahweh: 'If you could break my covenant with the day, and my covenant with the night, so that day and night would not come at their time, ²¹ then my covenant could be broken with David my servant, from _⌊having_⌋* a son who could rule on his throne, and with the Levites, the priests, my ministers. ²² As the host of heaven cannot be counted, and the sand of the sea cannot be measured, so I will make numerous the offspring of David my servant and the Levites who minister to me.'" ²³ And the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, _⌊saying_⌋,*

¹⁰ Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!"*

² which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy scriptures, ³ concerning his Son, who was born _⌊a descendant_⌋* of David according to the flesh,

¹⁶ "I, Jesus, sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star."

¹⁰ The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff between his feet, until Shiloh comes. And to him shall be the obedience of nations.

⁵ "Look, days are coming," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, "when I will raise up for David a righteous branch, and he will reign as king, and he will achieve success, and he will do justice and righteousness in the land.

¹⁰ But you must not fear, my servant Jacob,' _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, 'and you must not be dismayed, Israel, for look, I am going to save you from far, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. And Jacob will return, and he will be at rest, and he will be at ease, and there will be no one who makes him* afraid.

²⁴ "Seventy weeks is decreed for your people and _⌊for your holy city_⌋,* to put an end to the transgression and to seal up sin* and to make atonement for guilt and to bring in everlasting righteousness and to seal vision and prophet and to anoint _⌊the most holy place_⌋.* ²⁵ And you must know and you must understand* that from the time of the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem until an anointed* one—a leader—will be _⌊seven weeks and sixty-two weeks_⌋;* it will be restored and will be built with streets and a moat, but _⌊in a time of oppression_⌋.* ²⁶ "And after the sixty and two weeks an anointed one* shall be cut off, and _⌊he shall have nothing_⌋,* and the people of the coming leader will destroy the city and the sanctuary,* and its end will be with the flood and on to the end there shall be war; these desolations are determined. ²⁷ And he will make a strong covenant with the many for one week, but in half of the week he will let cease sacrifice and offering _⌊and in its place_⌋* a desolating abomination comes even until _⌊the determined complete destruction_⌋* is poured out on the desolator."

³⁶ David himself said by the Holy Spirit,
'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet." '*

²⁶ Was it not necessary that the Christ suffer these things and enter into his glory?" ²⁷ And beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things concerning himself in all the scriptures.

⁴⁴ And he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I* was still with you, that everything that is written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled."

²¹ whom heaven must receive until the times of the restoration of all things, about which God spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from earliest times. ²² Moses said, 'The Lord God* will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You will listen to him in everything that he says to you.* ²³ And it will be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet will be destroyed utterly from the people.'* ²⁴ And indeed, all the prophets from Samuel and all those who followed him* have spoken about and proclaimed these days.

²⁵ So being in disagreement with one another, they began to leave after* Paul made one statement: "The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through the prophet Isaiah to your fathers,

² which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy scriptures,

⁷ Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says,
"Today, if you hear his voice,

¹² to whom it was revealed that they were serving not themselves but you with reference to the same things which now have been announced to you through those who proclaimed the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, _⌊things into which_⌋* angels desire to look.