Matthew 22 Cross References - LEB

¹ And continuing, Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, ² "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man—a king—who gave a wedding celebration for his son. ³ And he sent his slaves to summon those who had been invited to the wedding celebration, and they did not want to come. ⁴ Again he sent other slaves, saying, 'Tell those who have been invited, "Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding celebration!" ' ⁵ But they paid no attention and* went away—this one to his own field, that one to his business. ⁶ And the others, seizing his slaves, mistreated them* and killed them.* ⁷ And the king was angry and sent his troops and* destroyed those murderers and burned their city. ⁸ Then he said to his slaves, 'The wedding celebration is ready, but those who had been invited were not worthy. ⁹ Therefore, go out to the places where the roads exit the city and invite to the wedding celebration as many people as you find.' ¹⁰ And those slaves went out into the roads and* gathered everyone whom they found, both evil and good, and the wedding celebration was filled _⌊with dinner guests_⌋.* ¹¹ But when* the king came in to see the _⌊dinner guests_⌋,* he saw a man there not dressed in wedding clothes. ¹² And he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here, not having wedding clothes?' But _⌊he could say nothing_⌋.* ¹³ Then the king said to the servants, 'Tie him up _⌊hand and foot_⌋* and* throw him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!' ¹⁴ For many are called but few are chosen." ¹⁵ Then the Pharisees went _⌊and consulted_⌋* so that they could entrap him with a statement. ¹⁶ And they sent their disciples to him with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and _⌊you do not care what anyone thinks_⌋,* _⌊because you do not regard the opinion of people_⌋.* ¹⁷ Therefore tell us what you think. Is it permitted to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" ¹⁸ But because he* knew their maliciousness, Jesus said, "Hypocrites! Why are you testing me? ¹⁹ Show me the coin for the tax!" So they brought him a denarius. ²⁰ And he said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?" ²¹ They said to him, "Caesar's." Then he said to them, "Therefore give to Caesar the things of Caesar, and to God the things of God!" ²² And when they* heard this,* they were astonished, and they left him and* went away. ²³ On that day Sadducees—who say there is no resurrection—came up to him and asked him, ²⁴ saying, "Teacher, Moses said if someone dies without having children, his brother is to marry his wife and _⌊father_⌋* descendants for his brother. ²⁵ Now there were seven brothers with us. And the first died after* getting married, and because he* did not have descendants, he left his wife to his brother. ²⁶ So also the second and the third, up to the seventh. ²⁷ And last of all the woman died. ²⁸ In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her as wife."* ²⁹ But Jesus answered and* said to them, "You are mistaken, because* you do not know the scriptures or the power of God! ³⁰ For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God* in heaven. ³¹ Now concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, who said, ³² "I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob"?* He is not the God of the dead, but of the living!" ³³ And when* the crowds heard this,* they were amazed at his teaching. ³⁴ Now when* the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they assembled at the same place.* ³⁵ And one of them, a legal expert, put a question to him* to test him: ³⁶ "Teacher, which commandment is greatest in the law?" ³⁷ And he said to him, " 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'* ³⁸ This is the greatest and first commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'* ⁴⁰ On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets." ⁴¹ Now while* the Pharisees were assembled, Jesus asked them, ⁴² saying, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" They said to him, "David's." ⁴³ He said to them, "How then does David, by the Spirit, call him 'Lord,' saying, ⁴⁴ 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet" '?* ⁴⁵ If then David calls him 'Lord,' how is he his son?" ⁴⁶ And no one was able to answer him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask him any more questions.*

¹⁵ And Jesus said to them, "_⌊The bridegroom's attendants_⌋* are not able to mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them. But days are coming when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. ¹⁶ But no one puts a patch of unshrunken cloth on an old garment, for its patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear becomes worse. ¹⁷ Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins. _⌊Otherwise_⌋* the wineskins burst and the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are destroyed. But they put new wine into new wineskins and both are preserved."

⁴³ "Now whenever an unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it travels through waterless places searching for rest, and does not find it.* ⁴⁴ Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came out.' And when it* arrives it finds the house* unoccupied and swept and put in order. ⁴⁵ Then it goes and brings along with itself seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and* live there. And the last state of that person becomes worse than the first. So it will be for this evil generation also!"

³ And he spoke many things to them in parables, saying, "Behold, the sower went out to sow, ⁴ and while he was sowing, _⌊some seed_⌋* fell on the side of the path, and the birds came and* devoured it. ⁵ And other seed fell on the rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up at once because it did not have any depth of soil. ⁶ But when* the sun rose it was scorched, and because it did not have enough root, it withered. ⁷ And other seed fell among the thorn plants, and the thorn plants came up and choked it. ⁸ But other seed fell on the good soil and produced grain,* this one a hundred times as much and this one sixty and this one thirty. ⁹ The one who has ears, let him hear!" ¹⁰ And the disciples came up and* said to him, "_⌊Why_⌋* do you speak to them in parables?" ¹¹ And he answered and* said to them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to those people it has not been granted.

¹ "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man—the master of the house—who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. ² And after* coming to an agreement with the workers for a denarius per day, he sent them into his vineyard. ³ And going out about the third hour, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace. ⁴ And to those people he said, 'You also go into the vineyard, and I will give you whatever is right.' ⁵ So they went. Going out* again about the sixth and ninth hour he did the same thing. ⁶ And about the eleventh hour he went out and* found others standing there and said to them, 'Why are you standing here the whole day unemployed?' ⁷ They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You go also into the vineyard.' ⁸ And when* evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, 'Call the workers and pay them their* wages, beginning from the last up to the first.' ⁹ And when the ones hired about the eleventh hour came, they received a denarius apiece. ¹⁰ And when* the first came, they thought that they would receive more, and they also received a denarius apiece. ¹¹ And when they* received it,* they began to complain* against the master of the house, ¹² saying, 'These last people worked one hour and you made them equal to us who have endured the burden of the day and the burning heat!' ¹³ But he answered one of them and* said, 'Friend, I am not doing you wrong. Did you not come to an agreement with me for a denarius? ¹⁴ Take what is yours and go! But I want to give to this last person the same as I gave* to you also. ¹⁵ Is it not* permitted for me to do whatever I want with what is mine? Or is your eye evil because I am generous?' ¹⁶ Thus the last will be first and the first last."

²⁸ "Now what do you think? A man had two sons. He approached* the first and* said, 'Son, go work in the vineyard today.' 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. ³³ "Listen to another parable: There was a man—a master of a house—who planted a vineyard, and put a fence around it, and dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower, and leased it to tenant farmers, and went on a journey. ³⁴ And when the season of fruit drew near, he sent his slaves to the tenant farmers to collect his fruit. ³⁵ And the tenant farmers seized his slaves, one of whom they beat, and one of whom they killed, and one of whom they stoned. ³⁶ Again, he sent other slaves, more than the first ones, and they did the same thing to them. ³⁷ So finally he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' ³⁸ But when* the tenant farmers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance!' ³⁹ And they seized him and* threw him* out of the vineyard and killed him.* ⁴⁰ Now when the master of the vineyard arrives, what will he do to those tenant farmers?" ⁴¹ They said to him, "He will destroy those evil men completely and lease the vineyard to other tenant farmers who will give him the fruits in their season." ⁴² Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the scriptures,
'The stone which the builders rejected, this has become _⌊the cornerstone_⌋.* This came about from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?* ⁴³ For this reason, I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and will be given to a people* who produce its fruits. ⁴⁴ And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and the one on whom it falls—it will crush him!" ⁴⁵ And when* the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he was speaking about them, ⁴⁶ and although they* wanted to arrest him, they were afraid of the crowds, because they looked upon him as a prophet.

³³ And with many parables such as these he was speaking the word to them, as they were able to hear it.* ³⁴ And he did not speak to them without a parable, but in private he explained everything to his own disciples.

¹⁰ And he said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest they are in parables, so that
'Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.'*

¹⁶ But he said to him, "A certain man was giving a large banquet and invited many.

¹⁰ Hear, O daughter, and _⌊discern_⌋* and incline your ear, and forget your people and your father's house. ¹¹ Let the king desire your beauty.* Because he is your lord, therefore* bow down to him. ¹² Even the daughter of Tyre will come with a gift. The rich from among people will seek your _⌊favor_⌋.* ¹³ The king's daughter is all glorious within;* her garment is of gold embroidered cloth. ¹⁴ She is brought to the king in colorful garments. The young women behind her, her attendants, are being brought to you. ¹⁵ They are led with joy and gladness. They enter the palace of the king. ¹⁶ In place of your* fathers will be your sons. You will make them princes in all the land.*

²⁴ He put before them another parable, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.

³¹ He put before them another parable, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and* sowed in his field. ³² _⌊It_⌋* is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it is grown it is larger than the garden herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches." ³³ He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and* put into three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened."

⁴⁴ "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, that a man found and* concealed, and in his joy he goes and sells everything that he has and buys that field. ⁴⁵ "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. ⁴⁶ And when he* found one very valuable pearl, he went and* sold everything that he possessed and purchased it. ⁴⁷ "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish* of every kind,

² "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man—a king—who gave a wedding celebration for his son. ³ And he sent his slaves to summon those who had been invited to the wedding celebration, and they did not want to come. ⁴ Again he sent other slaves, saying, 'Tell those who have been invited, "Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding celebration!" ' ⁵ But they paid no attention and* went away—this one to his own field, that one to his business. ⁶ And the others, seizing his slaves, mistreated them* and killed them.* ⁷ And the king was angry and sent his troops and* destroyed those murderers and burned their city. ⁸ Then he said to his slaves, 'The wedding celebration is ready, but those who had been invited were not worthy. ⁹ Therefore, go out to the places where the roads exit the city and invite to the wedding celebration as many people as you find.' ¹⁰ And those slaves went out into the roads and* gathered everyone whom they found, both evil and good, and the wedding celebration was filled _⌊with dinner guests_⌋.* ¹¹ But when* the king came in to see the _⌊dinner guests_⌋,* he saw a man there not dressed in wedding clothes. ¹² And he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here, not having wedding clothes?' But _⌊he could say nothing_⌋.* ¹³ Then the king said to the servants, 'Tie him up _⌊hand and foot_⌋* and* throw him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!' ¹⁴ For many are called but few are chosen."

¹ "Then the kingdom of heaven may be compared to ten virgins who took their lamps and* went out to meet the bridegroom. ² Now five of them were foolish and five were wise. ³ For when* the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take olive oil with them. ⁴ But the wise ones took olive oil in flasks with their lamps. ⁵ And when* the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.* ⁶ But in the middle of the night there was a shout, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' ⁷ Then all those virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ And the foolish ones said to the wise ones, 'Give us some of your olive oil, because our lamps are going out!' ⁹ But the wise ones answered saying, "Certainly there will never be enough for us and for you! Go instead to those who sell olive oil* and buy some* for yourselves.' ¹⁰ But while* they had gone away to buy it* the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went inside with him to the wedding celebration, and the door was shut. ¹¹ And later the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open the door* for us!' ¹² But he answered and* said, 'Truly I say to you, I do not know you!' ¹³ Therefore be on the alert, because you do not know the day or the hour! ¹⁴ For it is like a man going on a journey. He summoned his own slaves and handed over his property to them.

¹⁶ But he said to him, "A certain man was giving a large banquet and invited many. ¹⁷ And he sent his slave at the hour of the banquet to say to those who have been invited, 'Come, because now it is ready!' ¹⁸ And they all _⌊alike_⌋* began to excuse themselves. The first said to him, 'I have purchased a field, and _⌊I must_⌋* go out to look at it. I ask you, consider me excused.' ¹⁹ And another said, 'I have purchased five yoke of oxen, and I am going to examine them. I ask you, consider me excused.' ²⁰ And another said, 'I have married a wife, and for this reason I am not able to come.' ²¹ And the slave came and* reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and* said to his slave, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame!' ²² And the slave said, 'Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.' ²³ And the master said to the slave, 'Go out into the highways and hedges and press them* to come in, so that my house will be filled! ²⁴ For I say to you that none of those persons who were invited will taste my banquet!'"

²⁹ The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. But the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices _⌊greatly_⌋* because of the bridegroom's voice. So this joy of mine is complete. ³⁰ It is necessary for that one to increase, but for me to decrease."

² For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

²⁴ But as the church is subject to Christ, thus also wives should be subject* to their husbands in everything. ²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for her; ²⁶ in order that he might sanctify her by cleansing her* with the washing of water by the word; ²⁷ in order that he might present to himself the church glorious, not having a spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she may be holy and blameless. ²⁸ Thus also husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. The one who loves his own wife loves himself. ²⁹ For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as also Christ does the church, ³⁰ because we are members of his body. ³¹ "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."* ³² (This mystery is great, but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.)

⁷ Let us rejoice and be glad and give him the glory, because the wedding celebration of the Lamb has come, and his bride has prepared herself. ⁸ And it has been granted to her that she be dressed in bright, clean fine linen (for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints). ⁹ And he said to me, "Write: Blessed are those who are invited to the banquet of the wedding celebration of the Lamb!" And he said to me, "These are the true words of God."

¹³ As soon as you enter the town, you will find him, before he goes up to the high place to eat. For the people will not eat until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice. Then afterward the invited guests will eat. So then, go up, because you will find him today!"

¹¹ The Lord gives the word. Great is the company of women who announce:

¹⁰ I am Yahweh your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it. ¹¹ But my people did not listen to my voice, and Israel did not yield to me. ¹² So I let them* go in the stubbornness of their heart; they walked in their counsels.

²⁴ Because I called out and you refused me, I stretched out my hand, yet there is none who heeds. ²⁵ You have ignored all my counsel, and my reproof you are not willing to accept. ²⁶ I will also laugh at your calamity;* I will mock when panic* comes upon you. ²⁷ When your panic comes like a storm, and your calamity arrives like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you, ²⁸ then they will call* me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but not find me. ²⁹ Since they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of Yahweh, ³⁰ they were not willing to accept my counsel, they despised all my reproof. ³¹ They shall eat from the fruit of their way, and they shall be sated from their own schemes, ³² for the waywardness of the simple ones will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.

¹ Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars. ² She has slaughtered her slaughtering, mixed her wine, and also set her table. ³ She has sent her servant girls,* she calls upon the wings of the high places of town,

¹⁵ For the Lord Yahweh, the holy one of Israel, said this:
"In returning and rest you shall be saved; your strength shall be in quietness and in trust."
But* you were not willing,

¹ "Ho! Everyone thirsty, come to the waters! And whoever has no money, come, buy and eat, and come, buy without money, wine and milk without price! ² Why do you weigh out money for what is not food, and your labor for _⌊what cannot satisfy_⌋?* Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and let your soul take pleasure in _⌊rich_⌋* food.

¹⁶ Thus says Yahweh: "Stand at the roads and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the way of the good is, and walk in it, and find rest for your inner selves.* But they said, 'We will not walk in it.'* ¹⁷ And I raised up watchmen over you: 'Listen attentively to the sound of a horn.' But they said, 'We will not listen attentively.'

⁴ And though Yahweh has sent all his servants the prophets to you _⌊over and over again_⌋* you have not listened, and you have not inclined your ear to hear,

¹⁵ And I have sent to you all my servants the prophets, _⌊I have sent them over and over again_⌋,* _⌊saying_⌋,* 'Turn back please each one from his evil way, and amend your deeds, and you must not go after other gods to serve them, _⌊so that you may live_⌋* on the land that I gave to you and to your ancestors.'* But you did not incline your ear and you did not listen to me.

² When I called* them, they went from my face.* They sacrificed to the Baals, and they sacrificed to idols.

⁷ My people are bent on backsliding from me. To the Most High they call, he does not raise them at all.

⁷ Be silent before the Lord Yahweh, for the day of Yahweh draws near, for Yahweh has provided a sacrifice and has consecrated his guests.

² and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near!"

⁶ but go instead to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷ And as you* are going, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven has come near!'

³⁴ And when the season of fruit drew near, he sent his slaves to the tenant farmers to collect his fruit.

³⁷ "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How many times I wanted to gather your children together _⌊the way_⌋* a hen gathers her young together under her* wings, and you were not willing!

⁷ And he summoned the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. ⁸ And he commanded them that they take along nothing for the journey except only a staff—no bread, no traveler's bag, no money in their* belts— ⁹ but to put on sandals and not to wear two tunics. ¹⁰ And he said to them, "Whenever you enter into a house, stay there until you depart from there. ¹¹ And whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, as you* go out from there, shake off the dust that is on your feet for a testimony against them."

¹ And summoning the twelve, he gave them power and authority over all the demons and to cure diseases, ² and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. ³ And he said to them, "Take along nothing for the journey—neither a staff, nor a traveler's bag, nor bread, nor money, nor to have two tunics apiece. ⁴ And into whatever house you enter, stay there and depart from there. ⁵ And as for all those who do not welcome you—when you* depart from that town, shake off the dust from your feet for a testimony against them." ⁶ So they departed and* went throughout the villages, proclaiming the good news and healing everywhere.

³⁴ "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How many times I wanted to gather your children together _⌊the way_⌋* a hen gathers* her own brood under her* wings, and you were not willing!

¹⁵ Now when* one of those reclining at the table with him heard these things, he said to him, "Blessed is _⌊everyone who_⌋* will eat bread in the kingdom of God!" ¹⁶ But he said to him, "A certain man was giving a large banquet and invited many. ¹⁷ And he sent his slave at the hour of the banquet to say to those who have been invited, 'Come, because now it is ready!'

²⁸ But he became angry and did not want to go in. So his father came out and* began to implore* him.

²⁷ But these enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them* here and slaughter them in my presence!'"

⁴⁰ And you are not willing to come to me so that you may have life.

⁴⁵ But when* the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and began contradicting what was being said by Paul by* reviling him.*

²¹ But about Israel he says,
"The whole day long I held out my hands to a disobedient and resistant people."*

²⁵ Watch out that you do not refuse the one who is speaking! For if those did not escape when they* refused the one who warned them on earth, much less will we escape,* if we* reject the one who warns from heaven,

¹⁷ And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And the one who hears, let him say, "Come!" And the one who is thirsty, let him come. The one who wants, let him take the water of life freely.*

¹⁷ They refused to listen and did not remember your wonders that you did among them. They stiffened their neck and in their rebellion _⌊determined_⌋* to return to their slavery. But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and compassionate, _⌊slow to anger_⌋,* abundant in loyal love, so you did not abandon them.

⁵ For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, and abundant in loyal love* for all who call to you.

¹ Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars. ² She has slaughtered her slaughtering, mixed her wine, and also set her table.

¹ I have come to my garden, my sister bride, I have gathered my myrrh with my spice, I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey, I have drunk my wine with my milk! Eat, O friends! _⌊Drink and become drunk with love_⌋!*

³⁶ Again, he sent other slaves, more than the first ones, and they did the same thing to them.

⁸ Then he said to his slaves, 'The wedding celebration is ready, but those who had been invited were not worthy.

¹ And after these things, the Lord also* appointed seventy-two others and sent them out two by two before _⌊him_⌋* into every town and place where he was about to go. ² And he said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest that he send out workers into his harvest. ³ Go! Behold, I am sending you out like lambs in the midst of wolves! ⁴ Do not carry a money bag or a traveler's bag or sandals, and greet no one along the road. ⁵ And into whatever house you enter, first say, "Peace be to this household!" ⁶ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on him. But if not, it will return to you. ⁷ And remain in the same house, eating and drinking _⌊whatever they provide_⌋,* for the worker is worthy of his pay. Do not move from house to house. ⁸ And into whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat _⌊whatever is_⌋* set before you, ⁹ and heal the sick in it, and say to them, "The kingdom of God has come near to you." ¹⁰ But into whatever town you enter and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and* say, ¹¹ "Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you! Nevertheless know this: that the kingdom of God has come near!"* ¹² I tell you that it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town! ¹³ Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes! ¹⁴ But it will be more bearable for Tyre and for Sidon in the judgment than for you! ¹⁵ And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No! You will be brought down to Hades! ¹⁶ The one who listens to you listens to me, and the one who rejects you rejects me. But the one who rejects me rejects the one who sent me."

¹⁷ And he sent his slave at the hour of the banquet to say to those who have been invited, 'Come, because now it is ready!'

⁴⁶ and said to them, "Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and would rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷ and repentance and the forgiveness* of sins would be proclaimed in his name to all the nations,* beginning from Jerusalem.

⁵⁰ This is the bread that comes down from heaven so that someone may eat from it and not die. ⁵¹ I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats from this bread, he will live _⌊forever_⌋.* And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." ⁵² So the Jews began to quarrel* _⌊among themselves_⌋,* saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" ⁵³ Then Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life in yourselves! ⁵⁴ The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. ⁵⁵ For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. ⁵⁶ The one who eats* my flesh and drinks my blood resides in me and I in him. ⁵⁷ Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so also the one who eats* me—that one will live because of me.

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."

¹⁹ Now those who had been scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, proclaiming the message to no one except Jews alone. ²⁰ But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they* came to Antioch, began to speak* to the Hellenists* also, proclaiming the good news about the Lord Jesus.

⁴⁶ Both Paul and Barnabas spoke boldly and* said, "It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you, since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life! Behold, we are turning to the Gentiles!

¹⁷ Now it happened that after three days, he called together those who were the most prominent of the Jews. And when* they had assembled, he said to them, "Men and brothers, although* I had done nothing against our* people or the customs of our fathers, from Jerusalem I was delivered as a prisoner into the hands of the Romans, ¹⁸ who, when they* had examined me, were wanting to release me,* because there was no basis for an accusation worthy of death with me. ¹⁹ But because* the Jews objected, I was forced to appeal to Caesar (not as if I* had any charge to bring against my own people).* ²⁰ Therefore for this reason I have requested to see you and to speak with you,* for because of the hope of Israel I am wearing this chain!" ²¹ And they said to him, "We have received no letters about you from Judea, nor has any of the brothers come and* reported or spoken anything evil about you. ²² But we would like to hear from you what you think, for concerning this sect it is known to us that it is spoken against everywhere." ²³ And when they* had set a day with him, many more came to him at his lodging place, to whom he was explaining from early in the morning until evening, testifying about the kingdom of God and attempting to convince* them about Jesus from both the law of Moses and the prophets. ²⁴ And some were convinced by* what was said, but others refused to believe. 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, ²⁶ saying,
'Go to this people and say, "_⌊You will keep on hearing_⌋* and will never understand, and _⌊you will keep on seeing_⌋* and will never perceive. ²⁷ For the heart of this people has become dull, and with their* ears they hear with difficulty, and they have shut their eyes, lest they see with their* eyes, and hear with their* ears, and understand with their* heart, and turn, and I would heal them." '* ²⁸ Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles. They also will listen!"*

³⁰ So he stayed two whole years in his own rented house, and welcomed all who came to him, ³¹ proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, without hindrance.

³² Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also, together with him, freely give us all things?

⁷ Clean out the old leaven in order that you may be a new batch of dough, just as you are unleavened. For Christ our Passover has been sacrificed. ⁸ So then, let us celebrate the feast, not with the old leaven or with the leaven of wickedness and sinfulness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

¹⁴ Then Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law who were taking* his daughters and said, "Get up! Go out from this place, because Yahweh is going to destroy the city!" But _⌊it seemed like a joke_⌋* in the eyes of his sons-in-law.

³⁴ Then Jacob gave Esau bread, and thick lentil stew, and he ate and drank. Then he got up and went away. So Esau despised his birthright.

²⁴ Then they refused the desirable land; they did not believe his word, ²⁵ but grumbled in their tents. They did not obey the voice of Yahweh.

⁷ Fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge; wisdom and instruction, fools despise.

²⁴ Because I called out and you refused me, I stretched out my hand, yet there is none who heeds. ²⁵ You have ignored all my counsel, and my reproof you are not willing to accept.

²² And what was sown into the thorn plants—this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of this world* and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word and it becomes unproductive.

³⁸ For as in the days* before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered into the ark. ³⁹ And they did not know anything* until the deluge came and swept them* all away. So also the coming of the Son of Man will be.

¹⁸ And they all _⌊alike_⌋* began to excuse themselves. The first said to him, 'I have purchased a field, and _⌊I must_⌋* go out to look at it. I ask you, consider me excused.' ¹⁹ And another said, 'I have purchased five yoke of oxen, and I am going to examine them. I ask you, consider me excused.' ²⁰ And another said, 'I have married a wife, and for this reason I am not able to come.'

²⁶ And just as it was in the days of Noah, so also it will be in the days of the Son of Man— ²⁷ they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. ²⁸ Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building. ²⁹ But on the day that Lot went out from Sodom, it rained fire and sulphur from heaven and destroyed them all. ³⁰ It will be _⌊just the same_⌋* on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. ³¹ On that day, whoever is on the housetop and his goods are in the house must not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field must not turn back ³² Remember Lot's wife!

¹³ But others jeered and* said, "They are full of sweet new wine!"

²⁵ And while* he was discussing about righteousness and self control and the judgment that is to come, Felix became afraid and* replied, "Go away for the present, and when I* have an opportunity, I will summon you."

⁴ Or do you despise the wealth of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

⁶ For the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the Spirit is life and peace,

⁹ But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and a trap and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge those people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all evil, by which some, because they* desire it, have gone astray from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains.

⁴ traitors, reckless, conceited, loving pleasure rather than loving 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,

¹⁵ Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, ¹⁶ because everything that is in the world—the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance of material possessions—is not from the Father, but is from the world.

¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ¹¹ Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things against you, lying on account of me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.

¹² And when you* enter into the house, greet it. ¹³ And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴ And whoever does not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you* are going out of that house or that* town. ¹⁵ Truly I say to you, it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town! ¹⁶ "Behold, I am sending you out like sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. ¹⁷ But beware of people, because they will hand you over to councils, and they will flog you in their synagogues. ¹⁸ And you will be brought before both governors and kings because of me, for a witness to them and to the Gentiles.

²² and you will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who endures to the end—this one will be saved. ²³ And whenever they persecute you in this town, flee to another, for truly I say to you, you will never finish going through the towns of Israel until the Son of Man comes. ²⁴ "A disciple is not superior to his teacher, nor a slave superior to his master. ²⁵ It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household?

³⁵ And the tenant farmers seized his slaves, one of whom they beat, and one of whom they killed, and one of whom they stoned. ³⁶ Again, he sent other slaves, more than the first ones, and they did the same thing to them. ³⁷ So finally he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' ³⁸ But when* the tenant farmers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance!' ³⁹ And they seized him and* threw him* out of the vineyard and killed him.*

³⁴ For this reason, behold, I am sending to you prophets and wise men and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues and will pursue from town to town, ³⁵ so that upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on the earth from the blood of righteous Abel up to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. ³⁶ Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation! ³⁷ "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How many times I wanted to gather your children together _⌊the way_⌋* a hen gathers her young together under her* wings, and you were not willing!

¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember the word that I said to you: 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will keep yours also.

² _⌊They will expel you from the synagogue_⌋,* but an hour is coming that everyone who kills you will think they are offering service to God. ³ And they will do these things because they do not know the Father or me.

¹ And while* they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees approached them, ² greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. ³ And they laid hands on them and put them* in custody until the next day, because it was already evening.

⁴⁰ And they summoned the apostles, beat them,* commanded them* not to speak in the name of Jesus, and released them.* ⁴¹ So they went out from the presence of the Sanhedrin* rejoicing, because they had been considered worthy to be dishonored for the sake of the name.

⁵¹ "You stiff-necked people and uncircumcised in hearts and in your* ears! You constantly resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers did, so also do you! ⁵² Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand about the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become, ⁵³ you who received the law by directions of angels and have not observed it!" ⁵⁴ Now when they* heard these things, they were infuriated in their hearts and gnashed their* teeth at him. 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. ⁵⁶ And he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" ⁵⁷ But crying out with a loud voice, they stopped their ears and rushed at him with one purpose.

¹ And Saul was agreeing with his murder. Now there happened on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

¹⁴ For you became imitators, brothers, of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus, because you also suffered the same things at the hands of your own people, just as they themselves did also at the hands of the Jews, ¹⁵ who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and who persecuted us, and who are not pleasing to God and are opposed to all people,

⁴⁹ Yahweh will raise up against you a nation from far off, from the end of the earth, attacking as the eagle swoops down, _⌊a nation whose language you will not understand_⌋,* ⁵⁰ _⌊a grim-faced nation_⌋* _⌊who does not show respect_⌋* to the old and the young and does not show pity. ⁵¹ And it* shall consume the fruit of your livestock and the fruit of your ground _⌊until you are destroyed_⌋,* and who will not leave for you any grain, wine, and olive oil, _⌊calves of your herds_⌋,* and _⌊lambs of_⌋* your flock _⌊until it has destroyed you_⌋.* ⁵² And it shall besiege you in all your towns _⌊until your high and fortified walls fall_⌋,* which you are trusting in* _⌊throughout your land_⌋;* and it shall besiege you in all of your towns in all of your land that Yahweh your God has given to you. ⁵³ And you shall eat the fruit of your womb, the flesh of your sons and your daughters, whom Yahweh your God gave to you, _⌊during the siege and during the distress_⌋* your enemy inflicts upon you. ⁵⁴ The most refined and the very sensitive* man among you _⌊shall be mean with his brother_⌋* and _⌊against his beloved wife_⌋* and against the rest* of his children that he has left over, ⁵⁵ _⌊by refraining from giving_⌋* to even one of them any of the meat of his children that he eats, because there is not anything that is left over for him _⌊during the siege and distress_⌋* that your enemy inflicts upon you. ⁵⁶ The most refined and the most delicate woman among you, who shall* not venture to put the sole of her foot on the ground from being so delicate and from such gentleness, _⌊shall be mean to her beloved husband_⌋* and against her son and against her daughter, ⁵⁷ and even concerning her afterbirth _⌊that goes out_⌋* from between her feet and also concerning her children that she bears, because she eats them for lack of anything in secret _⌊during the siege and during the distress_⌋* that your enemy inflicts upon her in your _⌊towns_⌋.* ⁵⁸ "If _⌊you do not diligently observe_⌋* all the words of this law written in this scroll by revering this glorious and awesome name, Yahweh your God, ⁵⁹ then Yahweh shall overwhelm you with your plagues and the plagues of your offspring, severe plagues and lasting illnesses, grievous and enduring. ⁶⁰ And he shall bring back upon you all the diseases of Egypt concerning which _⌊you were in dread_⌋* _⌊because of them_⌋.* ⁶¹ Also any illness and any plague* that is not written in the scroll of this law, he shall bring them, Yahweh, upon you until you are destroyed. ⁶² And you shall remain _⌊only a few people_⌋* in place of the fact you were formerly as the stars of heaven as far as number is concerned, because you did not listen to the voice of Yahweh your God. ⁶³ _⌊And then_⌋* as Yahweh delighted over you _⌊to make you prosperous_⌋* to make you numerous, so Yahweh shall delight over you to exterminate you* and to destroy you, and so you shall be plucked from the land that you are going there to take possession of it. ⁶⁴ And Yahweh shall scatter you among all the nations from one end of the earth up to the other end of the earth, and there you shall serve other gods that you have not known nor* your ancestors,* gods of wood and stone. ⁶⁵ And among these nations you shall not find rest, and there shall not be a resting place for the sole of your foot, and Yahweh shall give you there an anxious heart and a weakening of eyes* and a languishing of your inner self.* ⁶⁶ And _⌊your life shall hang in doubt before you_⌋,* and you shall be startled* night and day, and you shall not be confident of your life. ⁶⁷ In the morning you shall say, '_⌊If only it was evening_⌋!'* and in the evening you shall say '_⌊If only it was morning_⌋!'* because of the dread of your heart that you shall feel, and because of the sight of your eyes that you shall see. ⁶⁸ And Yahweh shall bring you back to Egypt in ships by the route that I _⌊promised_⌋* to you that '_⌊You shall not see it again_⌋!'* And you shall sell yourself there to your enemies as slaves and as female slaves, but there will not be a buyer."

⁵ Ah! Assyria, the rod of my anger, and a staff is in their hand: my wrath! ⁶ I send him against a godless nation, and I command him against the people of my wrath, to capture spoil and to carry off plunder, and to make them* a trampling place, like the clay of the streets. ⁷ But he does not think this,* and his heart does not plan this. For it is in his heart to destroy and to cut off not a few nations.

² Raise a signal on a bare hill, lift up your voice to them; wave the hand and may they enter the gateways of the noblemen. ³ I myself I have commanded my consecrated ones, I have also summoned my mighty warriors concerning my anger, the _⌊ones who exalt over_⌋* my majesty. ⁴ A sound, a noise is on the mountains, the likeness of many people! A sound of the roar of the kingdoms, of nations gathering! Yahweh of hosts is mustering an army for battle. ⁵ They are coming from a distant land, from the end of the heavens, Yahweh and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy _⌊the whole earth_⌋.*

²⁰ He says, "You are a war club for me, a weapon of battle, and I smash nations with you, and I destroy kingdoms with you. ²¹ And I smash the horse with you, and its rider, and I smash the chariot with you, and its rider. ²² And I smash man and woman with you, and I smash the old man and the boy with you, and I smash the young man and the young woman with you. ²³ And I smash the shepherd and his flock with you, and I smash the farmer and his team with you, and I smash the governors and the officials with you.

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.

¹¹ And Yahweh _⌊utters_⌋* his voice before his army, because his encampment is very large; strong is the one who carries out his decree, for great is the day of Yahweh and exceedingly fearful. Who can endure it?

²⁵ I will repay you the years that the locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my mighty troops that I sent against you.

² I will gather all the nations, and I will bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat, and I will argue _⌊a case against them_⌋* there concerning my people and my inheritance Israel whom they have scattered among the nations, and my land that they have divided.

¹ Look! A day is coming for Yahweh, when your plunder will be divided in your midst. ² I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, and they will loot the houses, and the women will be raped; half of the city will go into exile, but the remainder of the people will not be cut off from the city.

⁴⁰ Now when the master of the vineyard arrives, what will he do to those tenant farmers?" ⁴¹ They said to him, "He will destroy those evil men completely and lease the vineyard to other tenant farmers who will give him the fruits in their season."

⁴² saying, "If you had known on this day—even you—the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. ⁴³ For days will come upon you and your enemies will put up an embankment* against you, and will surround you and press you hard from all directions. 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."

²¹ Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those _⌊inside it_⌋* must depart, and those in the fields must not enter into it,

²⁴ and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations,* and Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

¹⁶ hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles in order that they may be saved, so that they always fill up their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the end.*

¹⁷ For it is the time for the judgment to begin out from the household of God. But if it begins out from us first, what will be the outcome for those who are disobedient to the gospel of God? ¹⁸ And if the righteous are saved with difficulty, _⌊what will become of the ungodly and the sinner_⌋*?*

¹¹ And into whatever town or village you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there until you depart. ¹² And when you* enter into the house, greet it. ¹³ And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.

³⁷ The one who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and the one who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸ And whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

³⁵ but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage,

³⁶ But be alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to happen, and to stand before the Son of Man."

⁵ a proof of the righteous judgment of God, so that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, on behalf of which also you are suffering,

⁴ But you have a few _⌊people_⌋* in Sardis who have not defiled their clothing, and they will walk with me in white, because they are worthy.

¹⁴ Blessed are the ones who wash their robes, so that their authority will be over the tree of life and they may enter into the city through the gates.

²⁰ Wisdom calls out in the streets, in the squares she raises her voice. ²¹ On a _⌊busy corner_⌋* she cries out, at the entrances of the gates in the city, she speaks her sayings: ²² "_⌊How long_⌋,* O simple ones, will you love simplicity? And how long will scoffers delight in their scoffing, and fools hate knowledge? ²³ May you turn to my argument!* Behold, I shall pour out my spirit upon you; I will make my words known to you.

¹ Does not wisdom call, and understanding raise its voice? ² _⌊Atop the heights_⌋* beside the road, at the crossroads she stands. ³ Beside gates, before towns, at the entrance of doors, she cries out: ⁴ "To you, O _⌊people_⌋,* I call, and my cry is to the children of humankind. ⁵ Learn prudence, O simple ones; fools, learn _⌊intelligence_⌋.*

⁴ "Whoever is simple, let him turn here." As for the one who lacks _⌊sense_⌋,* she says to him, ⁵ "Come, eat with my bread; drink with the wine I have mixed. ⁶ Lay aside simplicity and live; walk in the way of understanding."

¹ "Ho! Everyone thirsty, come to the waters! And whoever has no money, come, buy and eat, and come, buy without money, wine and milk without price! ² Why do you weigh out money for what is not food, and your labor for _⌊what cannot satisfy_⌋?* Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and let your soul take pleasure in _⌊rich_⌋* food. ³ Extend your ear, and come to me! Listen so that* your soul may live, and I will _⌊make_⌋* an everlasting covenant with* you, the enduring proofs of _⌊the mercies shown to_⌋* David.

⁶ Seek Yahweh _⌊while he lets himself be found_⌋;* call him _⌊while he is_⌋* near. ⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way, and the man of sin his thoughts. And let him return to Yahweh, that* he may take pity on him, and to our God, for he will _⌊forgive manifold_⌋.*

²¹ For the king of Babylon stands at the fork of the road at the head of the two roads to practice divination. _⌊He shakes the arrows_⌋,* he inquires with the teraphim, he _⌊examines_⌋* the liver.

¹⁵ And he said to them, "Go* into all the world and* preach the gospel to all creation. ¹⁶ The one who believes and is baptized will be saved, but the one who refuses to believe will be condemned.

⁴⁷ and repentance and the forgiveness* of sins would be proclaimed in his name to all the nations,* beginning from Jerusalem.

⁴⁷ For so the Lord has commanded us:
'I have appointed you _⌊to be_⌋* a light for the Gentiles, _⌊that you would bring_⌋* salvation to the end of the earth.'*

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,

³⁸ and the field is the world. And the good seed—these are the sons of the kingdom, but the darnel are the sons of the evil one.

⁴⁷ "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish* of every kind, ⁴⁸ which when it was filled they pulled to shore and sat down and* collected the good fish* into containers, but the bad they threw out.

¹¹ But when* the king came in to see the _⌊dinner guests_⌋,* he saw a man there not dressed in wedding clothes. ¹² And he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here, not having wedding clothes?' But _⌊he could say nothing_⌋.*

¹ "Then the kingdom of heaven may be compared to ten virgins who took their lamps and* went out to meet the bridegroom. ² Now five of them were foolish and five were wise.

¹⁰ But while* they had gone away to buy it* the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went inside with him to the wedding celebration, and the door was shut.

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.

²¹ I am afraid lest when I* come again my God will humiliate me _⌊in your presence_⌋*, and I will grieve over many of those who sinned previously and have not repented because of their impurity and sexual immorality and licentiousness that they have practiced.

¹⁹ They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us. But they went out*, in order that it might be shown that all of them are not of us.

¹⁴ But I have a few things against you: that you have there those who hold fast to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat food sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality. ¹⁵ So likewise you also have those who hold fast to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

²⁰ But I have against you that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, the one who calls herself a prophetess, and teaches and deceives my slaves to commit sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. ²¹ And I have given her time in order to repent, and she did not want to repent from her sexual immorality. ²² Behold, I am throwing her into a sickbed and those who committed adultery with her into great affliction, unless they repent from her deeds. ²³ And I will kill her children with deadly disease, and all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts, and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.

⁹ And they were singing a new song, saying,
"You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slaughtered, and bought people for God by your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation,

⁹ After these things I looked, and behold, a great crowd that no one was able to number, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes and with palm branches in their hands.

⁶ And I heard something like the sound of a great crowd and something like the sound of many waters and something like the sound of powerful thunder, saying,
"Hallelujah! For the Lord God,* the All-Powerful, reigns!

²² He said to the one who was over the wardrobe, "Bring out clothing for all of the servants of Baal." So he brought the clothing out for them.

¹³ The king's daughter is all glorious within;* her garment is of gold embroidered cloth. ¹⁴ She is brought to the king in colorful garments. The young women behind her, her attendants, are being brought to you.

¹ Awake! Awake; put on your strength, Zion! Put on the garments of your beauty, Jerusalem, _⌊holy city_⌋!* For the uncircumcised and the unclean shall not _⌊continue to_⌋* enter you any longer.

³ to _⌊give_⌋* for those in mourning in Zion, to give them a head wrap instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, a garment of praise instead of a faint spirit. And _⌊they will be called_⌋* oaks of righteousness, the planting of Yahweh, to show his glory. ⁴ And they shall build the ancient ruins, they shall erect the former deserted places. And they shall restore the _⌊devastated cities_⌋,* the deserted places of _⌊many generations_⌋.* ⁵ And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks,* and _⌊foreigners_⌋* shall be your farmers and vinedressers. ⁶ But* you shall be called the priests of Yahweh, _⌊you will be called_⌋* servers of our God. You shall eat the wealth of the nations, and you shall boast in their riches. ⁷ Instead of your shame, a double portion, and instead of insult, they will rejoice over their portion. Therefore they will take a double portion in their land; _⌊they shall possess everlasting joy_⌋.* ⁸ For I, Yahweh, love justice, hate robbery and* injustice, and I will _⌊faithfully_⌋* give their reward, and I will _⌊make_⌋* an everlasting covenant _⌊with_⌋* them. ⁹ And their descendants* will be known among the nations, and their offspring in the midst of the peoples. All those who see them shall recognize them, that they are descendants* whom Yahweh has blessed. 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.

⁶ And we all have become like the unclean, and all our deeds of justice like a menstrual cloth, And we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities take us away like the wind.

²² Unless you have utterly rejected us, unless you are angry with us beyond measure.

¹² And it shall be that at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men _⌊whose senses are dulled from drinking_⌋,* who say in their hearts, 'Yahweh will not do good, nor will he do evil.'

³ And Joshua was clothed in filthy garments and was standing _⌊before_⌋* the angel. ⁴ And he answered and said to the ones standing _⌊before_⌋* him, saying, "Remove the filthy garments from him." And he said to him, "See, I have taken away your guilt* from you, and will clothe you with rich garments."

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."

³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the season of the harvest I will tell the reapers, "First gather the darnel and tie it into bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my storehouse." '"

³¹ Now when the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² And all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them from one another like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

²² that is, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ* to all who believe. For there is no distinction,

¹⁴ But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and do not make provision for the desires of the flesh.

⁵ Therefore do not judge anything before the time, until the Lord should come, who will both enlighten the hidden things of darkness and will reveal the counsels of hearts, and then praise will come to each one from God.

³ if indeed, even after we* have taken it off,* we will not be found naked.

²⁷ for as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

²⁴ and put on the new man (in accordance with God), who is created in righteousness and holiness from the truth.

¹⁰ and have put on the new man that is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created him, ¹¹ where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all, and in all.

¹² For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, both joints and marrow, and able to judge the reflections and thoughts of the heart. ¹³ And no creature is hidden in the sight of him, but all things are naked and laid bare to the eyes of him to whom _⌊we must give our account_⌋*.

²³ And I will kill her children with deadly disease, and all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts, and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.

⁴ But you have a few _⌊people_⌋* in Sardis who have not defiled their clothing, and they will walk with me in white, because they are worthy. ⁵ The one who conquers in this way will be dressed in white clothing, and I will never erase his name from the book of life, and I will declare his name before my Father and before his angels.

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.

¹⁵ (Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who is on the alert and who keeps his clothing, so that he does not walk around naked and they see his shamefulness!)

⁸ And it has been granted to her that she be dressed in bright, clean fine linen (for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints).

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.

¹⁶ So* there is hope* for the powerless, and wickedness shuts its mouth.

⁴² The upright see it and are glad, and all wickedness shuts its mouth.

²³ "How can you say, 'I have not defiled myself, I have not gone after the Baals?' Look at your way in the valley, know what you have done. You are a young she-camel, interweaving her ways.

²⁶ As the shame of a thief when he is caught in the act, so the house of Israel will be ashamed. They, their kings, their officials, and their priests, and their prophets.

²⁰ For I say to you that unless your righteousness greatly surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter into the kingdom of heaven.

¹³ But he answered one of them and* said, 'Friend, I am not doing you wrong. Did you not come to an agreement with me for a denarius?

⁵⁰ And Jesus said to him, "Friend, do that* for which you have come."* Then they came up and* laid hands on Jesus and arrested him.

² and he kept back for himself some of the proceeds, and his* wife was aware of it.* And he brought a certain part and* placed it* at the feet of the apostles. ³ But Peter said, "Ananias, for what reason has Satan filled your heart, that you lied to the Holy Spirit and kept back for yourself some of the proceeds of the piece of land? ⁴ When it* remained to you, did it not remain yours? And when it* was sold, was it at your disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to people, but to God!" ⁵ And when* Ananias heard these words, he fell down and* died. And great fear came on all those who heard about it.* ⁶ So the young men stood up, wrapped him up, and carried him* out and* buried him.* ⁷ And it happened that there was an interval of about three hours, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. ⁸ And Peter said to her, "Tell me whether you both* were paid this much for the piece of land." And she said, "Yes, this much." ⁹ So Peter said to her, "How is it that it was agreed by you two* to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out!" ¹⁰ And immediately she fell down at his feet and died. So when* the young men came in, they found her dead, and carried her* out and* buried her* with her husband. ¹¹ And great fear came on the whole church and on all who heard about these things.

²⁰ But Peter said to him, "May your silver _⌊be destroyed along with you_⌋,* because you thought _⌊you could acquire_⌋* the gift of God by means of money! ²¹ _⌊You have no_⌋* part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right before God. ²² Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and ask the Lord if perhaps the intent of your heart may be forgiven you!" ²³ For I see you are in _⌊a state of bitter envy_⌋* and _⌊bound by unrighteousness_⌋."*

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.

¹¹ knowing that such a person is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.

¹² The wicked plans evil against the righteous, and gnashes at him with his teeth.

¹⁰ The wicked* sees it and is vexed. He gnashes his teeth and _⌊becomes weak_⌋.* The desire of the wicked* perishes.

²⁰ And he commanded _⌊the strongest men of the guards_⌋* who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire.

¹² But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!"

²⁹ Or how can someone enter into the house of a strong man and steal his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? And then he can thoroughly plunder his house.

⁴² and throw them into the fiery furnace.* In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!

⁵⁰ and throw them into the fiery furnace.* In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!

⁵¹ and will cut him in two and assign his place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!

³⁰ And throw the worthless slave into the outer darkness—in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!'

²⁸ In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves thrown outside!

¹⁸ Truly, truly I say to you, when you were young, you tied your clothes* around yourself and walked wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will tie you up and carry you where you do not want to go.*

⁵⁴ Now when they* heard these things, they were infuriated in their hearts and gnashed their* teeth at him.

¹¹ And he came to us and took Paul's belt. Tying up his own feet and hands, he said, "This is what the Holy Spirit says: 'In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will tie up the man whose belt this is, and will deliver him* into the hands of the Gentiles.'"

⁹ who will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his strength,

⁴ For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but held them captive in Tartarus with chains of darkness and handed them over to be kept for judgment,

¹⁷ These people are waterless springs and mists driven by a hurricane, for whom the gloom of darkness has been reserved.

⁶ And the angels who did not keep to their own domain but deserted their proper dwelling place, he has kept in eternal bonds under deep gloom for the judgment of the great day,

¹³ wild waves of the sea foaming up their own shameful deeds, wandering stars, for whom the deep gloom of darkness has been reserved for eternity.

²⁷ And every unclean thing and one who practices* detestable things and falsehood will never enter into it, except those who are written in the book of life of the Lamb.

¹³ "Enter through the narrow gate, because broad is the gate and spacious is the road that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it, ¹⁴ because narrow* is the gate and constricted is the road that leads to life, and there are few who find it!

¹⁶ Thus the last will be first and the first last."

²² And unless those days had been shortened, _⌊no human being would be saved_⌋.* But for the sake of the elect, those days will be shortened.

²³ And someone said to him, "Lord, _⌊are there only_⌋* a few who are saved?" And he said to them, ²⁴ "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able to,

¹⁰ Therefore, brothers, be zealous even more to make your calling and election secure, because if you* do these things, you will never ever stumble.

¹⁴ These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful."

² The kings of the earth establish themselves, and the rulers conspire* together against Yahweh and his anointed:

⁶ And when one comes to see me, he speaks falsely; his heart gathers disaster for itself. He goes out to the street; he speaks.

⁵ All day they twist my words; all their thoughts are against me for evil. ⁶ They attack,* they hide, they watch my _⌊steps_⌋,* as they lie in wait for my life. ⁷ Because of iniquity will they escape? In anger cast down the peoples, O God.

⁶ They have set a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down. They have dug a pit before me; they have fallen into the midst of it. Selah

³ For look, they lie in wait for my life.* The mighty attack* against me, not because of my transgression or my sin, O Yahweh.

²¹ those who mislead a person into sin with a word and set a trap for the _⌊arbitrator_⌋* in the gate and guide away the righteous by emptiness.

¹⁸ Then they said, "Come and let us plan plans against Jeremiah, for instruction will not be lost from the priest, nor advice from the wise man, nor the word from the prophet. Come and _⌊let us bring charges against him_⌋,* and let us not listen attentively to any of his words."

¹⁰ For I hear the rumor of many, "Terror is from all around, denounce him,* yes, let us denounce him!" _⌊All my close friends_⌋* are watchers of my stumbling, saying, "perhaps he can be persuaded, and we can prevail over him, and we can take our revenge on him."

¹³ And they sent some of the Pharisees and the Herodians to him so that they could catch him unawares in a statement. ¹⁴ And when they* came, they said to him, "Teacher, we know that you are truthful and _⌊you do not care what anyone thinks_⌋,* _⌊because you do not regard the opinion of people_⌋* but teach the way of God in truth. Is it permitted to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay or should we not pay?" ¹⁵ But because he* knew their hypocrisy, he said to them, "Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius so that I can look at it!"* ¹⁶ So they brought one.* And he said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?" And they said to him, "Caesar's." ¹⁷ And Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar the things of Caesar, and to God the things of God!" And they were utterly amazed at him.

⁵³ And when* he departed from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be terribly hostile, and to question him closely about many things, ⁵⁴ plotting to catch him with reference to something _⌊he might say_⌋.*

²⁰ And they watched him* closely and* sent spies who pretended they were upright, in order that they could catch him in a statement, so that they could hand him over to the authority and the jurisdiction of the governor. ²¹ And they asked him, saying, "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and do not _⌊show partiality_⌋,* but teach the way of God in truth. ²² Is it permitted for us to pay taxes* to Caesar or not?" ²³ But seeing through their craftiness, he said to them, ²⁴ "Show me a denarius! Whose image and inscription does it have?" And they answered and* said,* "Caesar's." ²⁵ So he said to them, "Well then, give to Caesar the things of Caesar, and to God the things of God!" ²⁶ And they were not able to catch him** in a statement in the sight of the people, and astonished at his answer, they became silent.

³ For consider the one who endured such hostility by sinners against himself,* so that you will not grow weary in your souls and give up.

⁹ The one saying of his father and of his mother, 'I have not regarded them,' and his brothers he did not acknowledge, and his children* he did not know, but rather they observed your word, and your covenant they kept.

¹⁴ Then Micaiah said, "_⌊As Yahweh lives_⌋,* surely only as Yahweh speaks to me, that will I speak."

²¹ _⌊Please let me not show partiality to anyone_⌋,* and let me not show flattery to human beings, ²² for I do not know how _⌊to flatter_⌋,* else my Maker would _⌊soon_⌋* put an end to me.

⁹ For there is not anything reliable in his mouth; their inner part is destruction.* Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit.*

² They speak falseness _⌊to each other_⌋.* With flattering lips, with _⌊a double heart_⌋* they speak.

²¹ The _⌊buttery words_⌋* of his mouth were smooth, but there was battle in his heart. His words were smoother than oil, but they were drawn swords.

⁵ A strong man who flatters his neighbor is spreading a net for his feet.

¹³ transgressing and denying Yahweh, and turning _⌊away from following_⌋* our God; speaking oppression and falsehood, conceiving and uttering words of deception from the heart. ¹⁴ And justice is pushed back, and righteousness stands afar; for truth stumbles in the public square, and straightforwardness is unable to enter, ¹⁵ and truth is missing, and he who turns aside from evil is plundered. And Yahweh saw, and it was displeasing in his eyes that there was no justice

³ And they bend their tongue like their bow, for falsehood and not truth is superior in the land, for they go forth* from evil to evil, and they do not know me," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh. ⁴ "Let everyone be on your guard against his neighbor, and you must not trust in any brother, for everyone surely betrays, and every neighbor goes about with slander. ⁵ And everyone deceives his neighbor, and they do not speak the truth, they have taught their tongues* to speak lies,* they are tired from going astray.

³⁰ "And you, son of man,* _⌊your people_⌋,* the ones talking together concerning you beside the walls and in the doorways of the houses, each one with his brother _⌊saying_⌋,* 'Please come and hear what is the word _⌊that is going out from Yahweh_⌋.'* ³¹ And they come to you _⌊as people do_⌋,* and they sit _⌊before you_⌋,* and my people hear your words, and they do not do them, for they are showing* passion in their mouth, but their heart is going after ill-gotten gain.

⁹ Hear this, O rulers of the house of Jacob and leaders of the house of Israel, those detesting justice and perverting all that is right, ¹⁰ he who builds Zion with blood and Jerusalem with wickedness. ¹¹ Its rulers judge for a bribe; its priests teach for a price; its prophets practice divination for money. But they lean on Yahweh, saying, "Is not Yahweh in our midst? Disaster will not come upon us." ¹² Therefore on account of you Zion will be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem will be a heap of rubble, and _⌊the temple mount_⌋* as a high place in a forest.

⁶ The instruction of truth* was in his mouth, and wickedness was not found on his lips. In peace and in uprightness* he walked with me, and he brought back many from sin.*

⁹ "And in turn I have made you despised and humbled before all the people, inasmuch as you are not keeping* my way, but are _⌊favoring your own instruction_⌋."*

¹¹ How do you not understand that I did not speak to you about bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees!" ¹² Then they understood that he did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

²⁴ saying, "Teacher, Moses said if someone dies without having children, his brother is to marry his wife and _⌊father_⌋* descendants for his brother.

²⁶ So also the second and the third, up to the seventh.

¹⁸ And he said, "Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, 'The Teacher says, "My time is near. I am celebrating the Passover with you with my disciples." '

⁴⁹ And he came up to Jesus immediately and* said, "Greetings, Rabbi," and kissed him.

⁶ And the Pharisees went out immediately with the Herodians _⌊and began to conspire_⌋* against him with regard to how they could destroy him.

¹⁵ And he ordered them, saying, "Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod!"

¹⁷ And as* he was setting out on his way, one individual ran up and knelt down before him and* asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do so that I will inherit eternal life?"

¹⁴ And when they* came, they said to him, "Teacher, we know that you are truthful and _⌊you do not care what anyone thinks_⌋,* _⌊because you do not regard the opinion of people_⌋* but teach the way of God in truth. Is it permitted to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay or should we not pay?"

⁴⁰ And Jesus answered and* said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he said, "Teacher, say it."*

²¹ And they asked him, saying, "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and do not _⌊show partiality_⌋,* but teach the way of God in truth.

¹⁸ The one who speaks from himself seeks his own glory. But the one who seeks the glory of the one who sent him—this one is true, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

⁶ Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

³⁷ Then Pilate said to him, "So then you are a king!" Jesus replied, "You say that I am a king. For this reason I was born, and for this reason I have come into the world: in order that I can testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice."

¹⁷ For we are not like the majority who peddle the word of God, but as from pure motives—but as from God—we speak before God in Christ.

² but we have renounced shameful hidden things, not behaving with craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but with the open proclamation of the truth commending ourselves to every person's conscience before God.

¹⁶ So then, from now on we know no one _⌊from a human point of view_⌋*, if indeed we have known Christ _⌊from a human point of view_⌋*, but now we know him this way no longer.

¹⁰ For am I now making an appeal to people or to God? Or am I seeking to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ.

⁶ But from those _⌊who were influential_⌋* (whatever they were, it makes no difference to me, _⌊God does not show partiality_⌋*)—for those who were influential added nothing to me.

⁴ but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, thus we speak, not as pleasing people but God, who examines our hearts.

¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, obedient, full of mercy and good fruits, nonjudgmental, without hypocrisy,

²⁰ And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, in order that we may know the one who is true, and we are in the one who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This one is the true God and eternal life.

¹⁴ "When you have come to that land that Yahweh your God is giving to you and you have taken possession of it and you have settled in it, and you say, 'I will set over me a king like all the nations that are around me,' ¹⁵ indeed, you may set a king over you whom Yahweh your God will choose, from the midst of your countrymen* you must set a king over you; you are not allowed to appoint over you a man, a foreigner, who is not your countryman.*

¹³ Now be it known to the king that if this city is built and the walls are finished, they will not pay tribute and toll, and the royal revenue will be reduced.

²⁴ You also should be aware that it is not permitted to place tax, tribute, or duty upon all of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the doorkeepers, the temple servants, and other servants of the house of God.

⁴ And there were those who were saying, "We have borrowed money on our fields and our vineyards for the tax of the king.

³⁷ Its rich yield goes to the kings whom you have given over us because of our sins, and they are ruling over our dead bodies and our livestock at their pleasure. We are in great trouble.

² and said to Jeremiah the prophet, "May our plea please fall _⌊before you_⌋,* and pray for us to Yahweh your God, for all this remnant, for we are left but a few of many, as your eyes are seeing us. ³ And let Yahweh your God inform us the way in which we should go and the thing that we should do."

²⁰ that _⌊you have made a fatal mistake_⌋,* for you sent me to Yahweh your God, _⌊saying_⌋,* 'Pray for us to Yahweh our God, and all that Yahweh our God says, so tell us and we will do it.'*

²⁵ He said, "Yes." And when he* came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth collect tolls or taxes—from their own sons, or from foreigners?"

¹ Now it happened that in those days a decree went out from Caesar* Augustus to register all the empire.

¹ Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,* when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,

¹² From this point on Pilate was seeking to release him, but the Jews shouted, saying, "If you release this man, you are not a friend of Caesar! Everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar!" ¹³ So Pilate, when he* heard these words, brought Jesus outside and sat down on the judgment seat, in the place called The Stone Pavement (but Gabbatha in Aramaic). ¹⁴ (Now it was the day of preparation of the Passover; it was about the sixth hour.) And he said to the Jews, "Behold your king!" ¹⁵ Then those shouted, "Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your king?" The chief priests replied, "We do not have a king except Caesar!"

³⁷ After this man, Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and _⌊caused people to follow him in revolt_⌋.* And that one perished, and all who followed him were scattered.

⁷ whom Jason has entertained as guests! And these people are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king, Jesus!"

⁸ while* Paul said in his defense, "Neither against the law of the Jews nor against the temple nor against Caesar have I sinned with reference to anything!"

²² But we would like to hear from you what you think, for concerning this sect it is known to us that it is spoken against everywhere."

⁶ For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities* are servants of God, busily engaged in this very thing. ⁷ Pay to everyone what is owed: pay taxes to whom taxes are due; pay customs duties to whom customs duties are due; pay respect to whom respect is due; pay honor to whom honor is due.*

¹ And when* the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test him,* they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. ² So he answered and* said to them, "When* evening comes you say, 'It will be fair weather because the sky is red,' ³ and early in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy weather, because the sky is red and* darkening.' You know how to evaluate correctly the appearance of the sky, but you are not able to evaluate* the signs of the times. ⁴ An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, and a sign will not be given to it except the sign of Jonah!" And he left them and* went away.

³ And Pharisees came up to him in order to* test him, and asked* if it was permitted for a man to divorce his wife for any cause.

⁸ And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they were reasoning like this within themselves, said to them, "Why are you considering these things in your hearts?

⁵ And he sent another, and that one they killed. And he sent* many others, some of whom they beat and some of whom they killed.

²² But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, answered and* said to them, "Why are you reasoning in your hearts?

⁴⁷ But Jesus, because he* knew the thoughts of their hearts, took hold of a child and had him stand beside him

²⁵ And behold, a certain legal expert stood up to test him, saying, "Teacher, what must I do so that I will inherit eternal life?"

²³ But seeing through their craftiness, he said to them,

²⁵ and because he did not _⌊need_⌋* anyone _⌊to testify_⌋* about man, for he himself knew what was in man.*

⁶ (Now they were saying this to test him, so that they would have an occasion* to bring charges against him.) But Jesus, bending down, began to write* with his* finger on the ground, taking no notice.*

⁹ So Peter said to her, "How is it that it was agreed by you two* to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out!"

²⁸ But that slave went out and* found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii, and taking hold of him, he began to choke him,* saying, 'Pay back everything that you owe!'

² And after* coming to an agreement with the workers for a denarius per day, he sent them into his vineyard.

⁶ And I heard something like a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not damage the olive oil and the wine!"

²⁴ "Show me a denarius! Whose image and inscription does it have?" And they answered and* said,* "Caesar's."

²¹ Fear Yahweh, my son, and the king; with those who change, do not associate.

¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego answered and said to the king, Nebuchadnezzar, "We have no need on this matter _⌊to present a defense to you_⌋.* ¹⁷ _⌊If it is so_⌋,* our God, whom we serve, is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire. And from your hand, O king, let him rescue us. ¹⁸ And if not, let it be known to you, O king, that _⌊we will not serve your gods_⌋,* and the statue of gold* that you have set up we will not worship."

¹⁰ Now _⌊when_⌋* Daniel realized that the document was signed, he went to his house (_⌊now he had windows in his upper room that were open_⌋* toward Jerusalem), and three times _⌊daily_⌋* he knelt on his knees and prayed and gave praise before his God, _⌊just as_⌋* he had been doing _⌊previously_⌋.* ¹¹ Then these men came as a group and they found Daniel praying and pleading for mercy before his God.

²⁰ And _⌊when he came near_⌋* to the pit, he cried out to Daniel with a distressed voice, and the king _⌊spoke_⌋* and said to Daniel, "O Daniel, servant of the living God, your God whom you serve faithfully, was he able to rescue you from the lions?" ²¹ Then Daniel spoke to* the king, "O king, live _⌊forever_⌋!* ²² My God sent his angel and he shut the mouth of the lions and they did not* hurt me, _⌊because_⌋* before him _⌊I was found_⌋* blameless, and also before you, O king, I have not done any wrong." ²³ Then the king was exceedingly glad over it* and commanded that Daniel be lifted up from the pit; and there was not any wound found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

⁶ "A son honors his father, and a slave his master;* but if I am a father, where is my honor, and if I am a master,* where is my reverence?" says Yahweh of hosts to you, O priests, _⌊who despise_⌋* my name. "But you say, 'How have we despised your name?' ⁷ You are presenting defiled food on my altar! But you ask, 'How have we defiled you?' By saying that the table of Yahweh is despised! ⁸ When you offer a blind animal for sacrifice, is that not wrong?* And when you offer the lame and the one who is ill, is that not wrong?* Present it, please, to your governor! Will he be pleased with you? _⌊Will he show you favor_⌋?"* says Yahweh of hosts.

⁸ Will a human dare to rob God? Yet you are robbing me! And you say, 'How have we robbed you?' In the tithes and the contributions! ⁹ You are being cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you! ¹⁰ Bring the whole tithe to _⌊the storehouse_⌋,* so that there will be food in my house, and test me please in this," says Yahweh of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour forth for you _⌊an overflowing blessing_⌋.*

¹⁰ Then Jesus said to him, "Go away, Satan, for it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God and serve only him.'"*

²⁵ He said, "Yes." And when he* came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth collect tolls or taxes—from their own sons, or from foreigners?" ²⁶ And when he* said, "From foreigners," Jesus said to him, "Then the sons are free. ²⁷ But so that we do not give offense to them, go out to the sea, cast a line with* a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. And when you* open its mouth, you will find a four-drachma coin. Take that and* give it* to them for me and you."

³⁷ And he said to him, " 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'*

² And they began to accuse him, saying, "We have found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us* to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying he himself is Christ, a king!"

¹⁹ But Peter and John answered and* said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than God, you decide!

²⁹ But Peter and the apostles answered and* said, "It is necessary to obey God rather than men!

⁷ Pay to everyone what is owed: pay taxes to whom taxes are due; pay customs duties to whom customs duties are due; pay respect to whom respect is due; pay honor to whom honor is due.*

¹³ Subject yourselves to every human authority for the sake of the Lord, whether to a king* as having supreme authority, ¹⁴ or to governors as those sent out by him for the punishment of those who do evil and the praise of those who do good. ¹⁵ For the will of God is as follows: by* doing good to silence the ignorance of foolish people. ¹⁶ Live as free persons, and not using your* freedom as a covering for evil, but as slaves of God. ¹⁷ Honor all people, love the community of believers, fear God, honor the king.*

⁴ Do not answer a fool according to his folly lest you become like him—even you. ⁵ Answer a fool according to his folly, or else he will be wise in his own eyes.

¹⁶ "Behold, I am sending you out like sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

³³ And when* the crowds heard this,* they were amazed at his teaching.

⁴⁶ And no one was able to answer him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask him any more questions.*

¹² And they were seeking to arrest him, and they were afraid of the crowd, because they knew that he had told the parable with reference to them. And they left him and* went away.

¹⁵ for I will give you a mouth and wisdom that all your opponents will not be able to resist or contradict.

¹⁰ And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.

⁶ Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how it is necessary for you to answer each one.

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?

⁶ And Jesus said to them, "Watch out for and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees!"

¹⁸ And Sadducees—who say there is no resurrection—came up to him and began to ask* him, saying, ¹⁹ "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if someone's brother dies and he leaves behind a wife and does not leave a child, that his brother should take the wife and _⌊father_⌋* descendants for his brother. ²⁰ There were seven brothers, and the first took a wife. And when he* died, he did not leave descendants. ²¹ And the second took her, and he died without leaving descendants. And the third likewise. ²² And the seven did not leave descendants. Last of all the woman also died. ²³ In the resurrection, when they rise, _⌊whose_⌋* wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife. ²⁴ Jesus said to them, "Are you not deceived because of this, because you* do not know the scriptures or the power of God? ²⁵ For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. ²⁶ Now concerning the dead, that they are raised, have you not read in the book of Moses _⌊in the passage about the bush_⌋* how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob'?* ²⁷ He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are very much mistaken!"

²⁷ Now some of the Sadducees—who deny _⌊that there is a resurrection_⌋*—came up and* asked him, ²⁸ saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us if someone's brother dies having a wife, and this man is childless, that his brother should take the wife and _⌊father_⌋* descendants for his brother. ²⁹ Now there were seven brothers, and the first took a wife and* died childless, ³⁰ and the second, ³¹ and the third took her, and likewise also the seven did not leave children and died. ³² Finally the woman also died. ³³ Therefore in the resurrection, the woman—whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife." ³⁴ And Jesus said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, ³⁵ but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, ³⁶ for they are not even able to die any longer, because they are like the angels and are sons of God, because they* are sons of the resurrection. ³⁷ But that the dead are raised, even Moses revealed in the passage about* the bush, when he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. ³⁸ Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him!" ³⁹ And some of the scribes answered and* said, "Teacher, you have spoken well." ⁴⁰ For they no longer dared to ask him anything.

¹ And while* they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees approached them,

¹⁷ Now the high priest rose up and all those who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and* they were filled with jealousy.

⁶ Now when* Paul realized that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he shouted out in the Sanhedrin, "Men and brothers! I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees! I am being judged concerning the hope and the resurrection of the dead!" ⁷ And when* he said this, a dispute developed between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸ (For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection or angel or spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.)

¹² Now if Christ is preached as raised up from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³ But if there is no resurrection of the dead, Christ has not been raised either. ¹⁴ But if Christ has not been raised, then* our preaching is in vain, and your faith is in vain.

¹⁸ who have deviated concerning the truth by* saying the resurrection has already taken place, and they are upsetting the faith of some.

⁸ Then Judah said to Onan, "Go in to the wife of your brother and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother."

¹¹ Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, "Stay a widow in your father's house until Shelah my son grows up," for _⌊he feared he would also die_⌋* like his brother. So Tamar went and stayed in the house of her father.

⁵ "When brothers dwell together and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the deceased shall not become the wife of a _⌊man of another family_⌋;* her brother-in-law _⌊shall have sex with her_⌋,* and he shall take her _⌊to himself_⌋* as a wife, and he shall perform his duty as a brother-in-law with respect to her. ⁶ And then the firstborn that she bears _⌊shall represent his dead brother_⌋,* so that his name is not blotted out from Israel. ⁷ But if the man does not want to take his sister-in-law, then his sister-in-law shall go up to the gate, to the elders, and she shall say, 'My brother-in-law refused _⌊to perpetuate his brother's name_⌋* in Israel, for he is not willing _⌊to marry me_⌋.'* ⁸ Then the elders of his town shall summon him and speak to him, and if he persists and says, '_⌊I do not desire to_⌋* marry her' ⁹ then his sister-in-law shall go near him before the eyes of the elders, and she shall pull off his sandal from his foot, and she shall spit in his face, and she shall _⌊declare_⌋* and she shall say, 'This is how it is done to the man who does not build the house of his brother.' ¹⁰ And his _⌊family_⌋* shall be called in Israel, 'The house where the sandal was pulled off.'*

¹¹ And Naomi said, "Return, my daughters. _⌊Why do you still want to go with me_⌋?* Are there sons _⌊in my womb_⌋* that may be husbands for you?

²¹ "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter into the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

¹⁶ And they sent their disciples to him with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and _⌊you do not care what anyone thinks_⌋,* _⌊because you do not regard the opinion of people_⌋.*

³⁶ "Teacher, which commandment is greatest in the law?"

¹⁹ "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if someone's brother dies and he leaves behind a wife and does not leave a child, that his brother should take the wife and _⌊father_⌋* descendants for his brother.

⁴⁶ "And why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I tell you?*

²⁸ saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us if someone's brother dies having a wife, and this man is childless, that his brother should take the wife and _⌊father_⌋* descendants for his brother.

¹⁹ "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if someone's brother dies and he leaves behind a wife and does not leave a child, that his brother should take the wife and _⌊father_⌋* descendants for his brother. ²⁰ There were seven brothers, and the first took a wife. And when he* died, he did not leave descendants. ²¹ And the second took her, and he died without leaving descendants. And the third likewise. ²² And the seven did not leave descendants. Last of all the woman also died. ²³ In the resurrection, when they rise, _⌊whose_⌋* wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife.

²⁹ Now there were seven brothers, and the first took a wife and* died childless, ³⁰ and the second, ³¹ and the third took her, and likewise also the seven did not leave children and died. ³² Finally the woman also died. ³³ Therefore in the resurrection, the woman—whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife."

²⁷ And _⌊just as_⌋* it is destined for people to die once, and after this, judgment,

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."

²⁵ But* I myself* know that my redeemer is alive, and at the last he will stand up upon _⌊the earth_⌋.* ²⁶ And after my skin has been thus destroyed, but* from* my flesh I will see God, ²⁷ whom _⌊I will see for myself_⌋,* and whom my eyes will see and not a stranger.* _⌊My heart faints within me_⌋.*

⁹ Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices. Yes, my body will dwell in safety, ¹⁰ for you will not abandon my soul to Sheol; you will not give your faithful one to see the grave. ¹¹ You will make known to me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of joy. At your right hand are pleasures forever.

¹⁵ By contrast, I in righteousness shall see your face. Upon awakening I will be satisfied seeing your form.

¹⁴ Like sheep they are destined to Sheol; death will shepherd them. But the upright will rule over them in the morning, and their forms will be for Sheol to consume, far from his lofty abode. ¹⁵ Surely God will ransom my life from the _⌊power_⌋* of Sheol, because he will receive me. Selah

²⁵ Whom do I have in the heavens except you? And with you I have no other desire on earth. ²⁶ My flesh and heart failed, but God is the _⌊strength_⌋* of my heart and my reward forever.

⁸ He will _⌊destroy_⌋* death forever, and the Lord Yahweh will wipe off the tears from all faces, and he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth,
for Yahweh has spoken.

¹⁹ Your dead shall live; _⌊their corpses_⌋* shall rise. Wake up and sing for joy, dwellers of the dust, for your dew is _⌊celestial dew_⌋,* and the earth will give birth to dead spirits.*

¹ The righteous one perishes, and there is no one who takes* it to heart. And men of faithfulness are gathered, while there is no one who understands, for the righteous is gathered from the presence of wickedness. ² he enters into peace; they will rest on their beds, walking straight ahead of him.

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,

² And many from those sleeping _⌊in the dusty ground_⌋* will awake, some to _⌊everlasting life_⌋* and some to disgrace and _⌊everlasting contempt_⌋.* 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_⌋.*

¹⁴ Should I redeem them from _⌊the power_⌋* of Sheol? * Should I deliver them from death? Where are your plagues, O Death? Where is your destruction, O Sheol?* Compassion is hidden from my eyes.

³⁷ For _⌊nothing will be impossible with God_⌋."*

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." ⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures,

⁹ (For they did not yet know the scripture that it was necessary for him to rise from the dead.)

⁸ Why is it thought incredible by you people* that God raises the dead?

⁴ For whatever was written beforehand was written for our instruction, in order that through patient endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures we may have hope.

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.

²⁰ Bless Yahweh, you his angels, you mighty heroes who do his word by _⌊obeying_⌋* the sound of his word.

⁷ "Thus says Yahweh of hosts: 'If you will walk in my ways, and if you will keep my requirements, then you will judge* my house, and you will also guard my courtyards, and I will give to you passageways* among these that are standing here.

⁴³ Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.* The one who has ears, let him hear!

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.*

³⁸ For as in the days* before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered into the ark.

²⁴ Jesus said to them, "Are you not deceived because of this, because you* do not know the scriptures or the power of God? ²⁵ For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

²⁷ they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

³⁴ And Jesus said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, ³⁵ but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, ³⁶ for they are not even able to die any longer, because they are like the angels and are sons of God, because they* are sons of the resurrection.

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.

²⁹ But I say this, brothers: the time is shortened, that from now on even those who have wives should be as if they do not have wives, ³⁰ and those who weep as if they do not weep, and those who rejoice as if they do not rejoice, and those who buy as if they do not possess, ³¹ and those who make use of the world as if they do not make full use of it. For the present form of this world is passing away.

¹ See what sort of love the Father has given to us: that we should be called children of God, and we are! Because of this the world does not know us: because it did not know him. ² Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that whenever he is revealed we will be like him, because we will see him just as he is.

⁹ And they were singing a new song, saying,
"You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slaughtered, and bought people for God by your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation, ¹⁰ and made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth." ¹¹ And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and of the living creatures and of the elders, and their number was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands times thousands,

¹⁰ And I fell down before his feet to worship him, and he said to me, "_⌊Do not do that!_⌋* I am a fellow slave of you and of your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

¹³ But go and* learn what it means, "I want mercy and not sacrifice."* For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

³ So he said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those with him,

⁷ And if you had known what _⌊it means_⌋,* 'I want mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless.

¹⁶ And they said to him, "Do you hear what these children* are saying?" So Jesus said to them, "Yes, have you never read, 'Out of the mouths of children and nursing babies you have prepared for yourself praise'?"*

⁴² Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the scriptures,
'The stone which the builders rejected, this has become _⌊the cornerstone_⌋.* This came about from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?*

⁶ And he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face because he was afraid of looking at God.

¹⁵ And God said again to Moses, "So you must say to the _⌊Israelites_⌋,* 'Yahweh, the God of your ancestors,* the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is my name forever, and this is my remembrance from generation to generation.' 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."

³⁷ But that the dead are raised, even Moses revealed in the passage about* the bush, when he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. ³⁸ Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him!"

³² 'I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob!'* So Moses began trembling and* did not dare to look at it.*

¹⁶ But now they aspire to a better land, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

²⁸ And it happened when Jesus finished these words the crowds were amazed at his teaching, ²⁹ because he was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their scribes.

²² And when they* heard this,* they were astonished, and they left him and* went away.

² And when* the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him* were amazed, saying, "Where did this man get these things? And what is this wisdom that has been granted to this man, and the miracles such as these performed through his hands?

¹⁷ And Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar the things of Caesar, and to God the things of God!" And they were utterly amazed at him.

⁴⁷ And all who heard him were amazed at his insight and his* answers.

²² And they were all speaking well of him, and were astonished at the gracious words that were coming out of his mouth. And they were saying, "Is this man not the son of Joseph?"

⁴⁶ The officers replied, "Never has a man spoken like this!"

⁵ The coastlands have seen and are afraid; the ends of the earth tremble. They have drawn near, and they have come. ⁶ Each one helps* his neighbor; he says to his brother, "Take courage!" ⁷ And the artisan encourages the _⌊goldsmith_⌋,* the one who makes smooth with the hammer encourages the one who strikes the anvil, saying of the soldering, "It is good!" And they strengthen it with nails so it cannot be knocked over.

¹⁴ But the Pharisees went out _⌊and plotted_⌋* against him in order that they could destroy him.

³ For when* the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take olive oil with them. ⁴ But the wise ones took olive oil in flasks with their lamps. ⁵ And when* the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.*

²⁸ And one of the scribes came up and* heard them debating. When he* saw that he answered them well, he asked him, "Which commandment is the most important of all?" ²⁹ Jesus answered, "The most important is, 'Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰ And you shall love the Lord your God from your whole heart and from your whole soul and from your whole mind and from your whole strength.'* ³¹ The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'* There is no other commandment greater than these."

⁴⁷ So the chief priests and the Pharisees called together the Sanhedrin and said, "What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs! ⁴⁸ If we allow him to go on in this way, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place* and our* nation." ⁴⁹ But a certain one of them, Caiaphas (who was high priest in that year), said to them, "You do not know anything at all! ⁵⁰ Nor do you consider that it is profitable for you that one man should die for the people, and the whole nation not perish."

²⁴ Now when both the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed concerning them, as to what this might be. ²⁵ But someone came and* reported to them, "Behold, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple courts* and teaching the people!" ²⁶ Then the captain went with the officers and* brought them, not with force (for they were afraid of the people, lest they be stoned by them).* ²⁷ And when they* had brought them, they made them* stand in the Sanhedrin,* and the high priest put a question to them, ²⁸ saying, "_⌊We strictly commanded_⌋* you* not to teach in this name? And behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching! And you are intending to bring upon us the blood of this man!"

²³ Now there happened at that time no little disturbance concerning the Way. ²⁴ For someone _⌊named_⌋* Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver replicas of the temple of Artemis, was bringing no little business to the craftsmen. ²⁵ _⌊These_⌋* he gathered together, and the workers occupied with such things, and* said, "Men, you know that from this business _⌊we get our prosperity_⌋,* ²⁶ and you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia* this man Paul has persuaded and* turned away a large crowd by* saying that the gods made by hands are not gods. ²⁷ So not only is there a danger this line of business of ours will come into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be regarded as nothing—and she is about to be brought down even from her grandeur, she whom the whole of Asia* and the entire world worship!" ²⁸ And when they* heard this* and became full of rage, they began to shout,* saying, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"

²⁸ shouting, "Israelite men, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place! And furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple, and has defiled this holy place!" ²⁹ (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, whom they thought that Paul had brought into the temple.) ³⁰ And the whole city was stirred up, and the people came running together, and they seized Paul and* dragged him outside of the temple courts,* and immediately the doors were shut.

¹⁸ But because he* knew their maliciousness, Jesus said, "Hypocrites! Why are you testing me?

² And they asked* him if it was permitted for a man to divorce his* wife, in order to* test him.

³⁰ but the Pharisees and the legal experts rejected the purpose of God for themselves, because they* had not been baptized by him.)

²⁵ And behold, a certain legal expert stood up to test him, saying, "Teacher, what must I do so that I will inherit eternal life?" ²⁶ And he said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read it?"* ²⁷ And he answered and* said, "You shall love the Lord your God from all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind,* and your neighbor as yourself."* ²⁸ And he said to him, "You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live." ²⁹ But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" ³⁰ And* Jesus replied and* said, "A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who both stripped him and beat him.* After* inflicting blows on him,* they went away, leaving him* half dead. ³¹ Now by coincidence a certain priest was going down on that road, and when he* saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. ³² And in the same way also a Levite, when he* came down to the place* and saw him,* passed by on the opposite side. ³³ But a certain Samaritan who was traveling came up to him and, when he* saw him,* had compassion. ³⁴ And he came up and* bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine, and he put him on his own animal and* brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ And on the next day, he took out two denarii and* gave them** to the innkeeper, and said, "Take care of him, and whatever you spend in addition, I will repay to you when I return. ³⁶ Which of these three do you suppose became a neighbor of the man who fell among the robbers?" ³⁷ So he said, "The one who showed mercy to him." And Jesus said to him, "You go and do likewise."

⁴⁵ And one of the legal experts answered and* said to him, "Teacher, when you* say these things, you insult us also!" ⁴⁶ So he said, "Woe to you also, legal experts, because you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers!

⁵² Woe to you, legal experts, because you have taken away the key to knowledge! You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering!"

³ And Jesus answered and* said to the legal experts and Pharisees, saying, "Is it permitted to heal on the Sabbath, or not?"

¹³ Diligently send on their way Zenas the lawyer and Apollos, so that _⌊they may lack nothing_⌋*.

¹² I write for him myriads of my instruction;* they are regarded as a strange thing.

¹⁹ Therefore whoever abolishes one of the least of these commandments and teaches people to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever keeps them and teaches them, this person will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I say to you that unless your righteousness greatly surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter into the kingdom of heaven.

⁶ need not honor his father,'* and you make void the word of God for the sake of your tradition.

²³ "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you pay a tenth of mint and dill and cumin, and neglect the more important matters of the law—justice and mercy and faithfulness! It was necessary* to do these things _⌊while not neglecting those_⌋.* ²⁴ Blind guides who filter out a gnat and swallow a camel!

²⁸ And one of the scribes came up and* heard them debating. When he* saw that he answered them well, he asked him, "Which commandment is the most important of all?" ²⁹ Jesus answered, "The most important is, 'Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰ And you shall love the Lord your God from your whole heart and from your whole soul and from your whole mind and from your whole strength.'* ³¹ The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'* There is no other commandment greater than these." ³² And the scribe said to him, "That is true, Teacher. You have said _⌊correctly_⌋* that he is one and there is no other except him. ³³ And to love him from your* whole heart and from your* whole understanding and from your* whole strength, and to love your* neighbor as yourself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."

⁴² "But woe to you, Pharisees, because you pay a tenth of mint and rue and every garden herb, and neglect justice and love for God! But it was necessary to do these things without neglecting those things also.

⁵ And you shall love Yahweh your God with all of your heart* and with all of your soul* and with all of your might.

¹² And now, Israel, what is Yahweh your God asking* from you, except* to revere Yahweh your God, to go* in all his ways and to love him and to serve Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul,*

⁶ "And Yahweh your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring to love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your inner self* _⌊so that you may live_⌋.*

²⁹ Jesus answered, "The most important is, 'Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰ And you shall love the Lord your God from your whole heart and from your whole soul and from your whole mind and from your whole strength.'*

³³ And to love him from your* whole heart and from your* whole understanding and from your* whole strength, and to love your* neighbor as yourself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."

²⁷ And he answered and* said, "You shall love the Lord your God from all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind,* and your neighbor as yourself."*

⁷ because the mindset of the flesh is enmity toward God, for it is not subjected to the law of God, for it is not able to do so,

¹⁶ "This is the covenant that I will decree for them after those days, says the Lord: I am putting my laws on their hearts, and I will write them on their minds."* ¹⁷ He also says,
"Their sins and their lawless deeds I will never remember again."*

² By this we know that we love the children of God: whenever we love God and keep his commandments. ³ For this is the love of God: that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, ⁴ because everyone who is fathered by God conquers the world. ⁵ Now who is the one who conquers the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

¹⁸ You* shall not seek vengeance, and you* shall not harbor a grudge against _⌊your* fellow citizens_⌋;* and you* shall love your* neighbor like yourself; * I am Yahweh. ¹⁹ honor your* father and your* mother, and love your neighbor as yourself."

³¹ The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'* There is no other commandment greater than these."

⁹ For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, you shall not commit murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet,"* and if there is any other commandment, are summed up in this statement: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."* ¹⁰ Love does not commit evil against a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

² Let each one of us please his neighbor for his good, for the purpose of edification.

¹⁴ For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."*

¹⁰ So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the household of faith.

⁸ However, if you carry out the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself,"* you are doing well.

¹² Therefore in all things, whatever you want that people should do to you, thus also you do to them. For this is the law and the prophets.

¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came about through Jesus Christ.

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—

⁹ For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, you shall not commit murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet,"* and if there is any other commandment, are summed up in this statement: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."*

⁵ But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a faith without hypocrisy,

⁷ Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been fathered by God and knows God. ⁸ The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹ By this the love of God is revealed in us: that God sent his one and only Son into the world in order that we may live through him. ¹⁰ In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation* for our sins. ¹¹ Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another.

¹⁹ We love, because he first loved us. ²⁰ If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar, for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen is not able to love God whom he has not seen. ²¹ And this is the commandment we have from him: that the one who loves God should love his brother also.

¹⁵ Then the Pharisees went _⌊and consulted_⌋* so that they could entrap him with a statement.

³⁴ Now when* the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they assembled at the same place.*

³⁵ And continuing, Jesus said while* teaching in the temple courts,* "How can the scribes say that the Christ is David's son? 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." '* ³⁷ David himself calls him 'Lord,' and how is he his son?" And the large crowd was listening to him gladly.

⁴¹ But he said to them, "In what sense do they say that the Christ is David's son? 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?"

¹³ Then he said, "Hear, house of David! Is it too little for you to make men weary, that you should also make my God weary? 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.'

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.

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 "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.'

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.

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.

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

⁴ and after* calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired from them where the Christ was to be born. ⁵ So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet, ⁶ 'And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for from you will go out a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.'"*

²⁷ And as* Jesus was going away from there, two blind men followed him, crying out and saying, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!"

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

¹³ Now when* Jesus came to the region of Caesarea _⌊Philippi_⌋,* he began asking* his disciples, saying, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" ¹⁴ And they said, _⌊Some_⌋* say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." ¹⁵ He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" ¹⁶ And Simon Peter answered and* said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!" ¹⁷ And Jesus answered and* said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this* to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

⁹ And the crowds who went ahead of him and the ones who followed were shouting, saying,
"Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!* Hosanna in the highest heaven!"*

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—

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

⁶⁸ Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life. ⁶⁹ And we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God."

⁴¹ Others were saying, "This man is the Christ!" But others were saying, "No, for the Christ does not come from Galilee, does he?* ⁴² Has not the scripture said that the Christ comes from the descendants of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?"

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

²² And after* removing him, he raised up David for their king, about whom he also said, testifying, 'I have found David the son of Jesse to be a man in accordance with my heart, who will carry out all my will.'* ²³ From the descendants of this man, according to his promise, God brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus.

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.

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,* ¹⁰ so that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, ¹¹ where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all, and in all.

⁴ to whom you are drawing near, a living stone rejected by men but chosen and precious in the sight of God. ⁵ And you yourselves, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ For it stands in scripture,
"Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame."* ⁷ Therefore the honor is for you who believe, but for those who refuse to believe,
"The stone that the builders rejected, this one has become _⌊the cornerstone_⌋*,"

¹² saying with a loud voice,
"Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" ¹³ And I heard every creature that is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and in the sea and everything in them saying,
"To the one who is seated on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power* _⌊forever and ever_⌋*." ¹⁴ And the four living creatures were saying, "Amen!" and the elders fell down and worshiped.

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

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 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he would see the Lord's Christ.* ²⁷ And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus so that they could do for him according to what was customary under the law,

¹⁶ "Men and brothers, it was necessary that the scripture be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit proclaimed beforehand through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus,

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, ³¹ by* having foreseen this,* he spoke about the resurrection of the Christ,* that neither was he abandoned in Hades nor did his flesh experience decay.

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

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

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

² Immediately I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one was seated on the throne.

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."

⁸ Ask from me and I will make the nations your heritage, and your possession the ends of the earth. ⁹ You will break them with an iron rod. Like a potter's vessel you will shatter them."

⁹ You will make them like your fiery furnace at the time of your appearance. Yahweh will swallow them in his wrath and fire will consume them.

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

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!" ² Why are your garments* red, and your garments like he who treads in the winepress? ³ "I have trodden the winepress alone, and there was no man from the peoples with me. And I trod them in my anger, and I trampled them in my wrath, and spattered their juice on my garments, and stained all my clothing, ⁴ for the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my blood-vengeance has come! ⁵ And I looked, but* there was no helper, and I was appalled, but* there was no one who sustains, so* my arm came to assist me, and my wrath _⌊was what_⌋* sustained me. ⁶ And I trampled peoples in my anger, and I made them drunk in my wrath, and I brought their juice down to the earth."

³⁴ For David did not ascend into heaven, but he himself says,
'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, ³⁵ until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." '*

² to the church of God sanctified in Christ Jesus that is in Corinth,* called to be saints, together with all those who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, their Lord* and ours.

²⁵ For it is necessary for him to reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

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

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,

¹³ But to which of the angels has he ever said,
"Sit down at my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."*

¹² But this one, after he* had offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, ¹³ from now on waiting until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet.

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.

¹⁹ And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war with the one who is seated on the horse and with his army.

¹¹ And I saw a great white throne and the one who was seated on it, _⌊from whose presence_⌋* earth and heaven fled, and a place was not found for them. ¹² And I saw the dead—the great and the small—standing before the throne, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to their deeds. ¹³ And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and each one was judged according to their deeds. ¹⁴ And Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire. ¹⁵ And if anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

⁵⁸ Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was, I am!"

³ concerning his Son, who was born _⌊a descendant_⌋* of David according to the flesh, 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,

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

⁶ who, existing in the form of God, did not consider being equal with God something to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied himself by* taking the form of a slave, by* becoming in the likeness of people. And being found in appearance like a man, ⁸ he humbled himself by* becoming obedient to the point of death, that is, death on a cross.

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.

¹⁴ Therefore, since the children share in blood and flesh, he also in like manner shared in these same things, in order that through death he could destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,

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."

¹⁵ "They are dismayed; they no longer answer; _⌊they have nothing to say_⌋.* ¹⁶ And I have waited because they do not speak, because they stand there and no longer answer.

² Why was there no man when I came, no one who answered when I called? _⌊Do I lack the strength to save_⌋?* Or is there no power in me to deliver? Look! by my rebuke I dry up the sea; I _⌊make_⌋* the rivers a desert; their fish stink because there is no water, and they* die because of thirst. ³ I clothe the heavens with darkness, and I _⌊make_⌋* their covering sackcloth." ⁴ The Lord Yahweh has given me the tongue of a pupil, to know how to help the weary with a word. He awakens _⌊morning by morning_⌋,* awakens an ear for me to listen as do the pupils. ⁵ The Lord Yahweh has opened an ear for me, and I, I was not rebellious. I did not turn backwards; ⁶ I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out my _⌊beard_⌋;* I did not hide my face from insults and spittle. ⁷ And the Lord Yahweh helps me,
therefore I have not been put to shame; therefore I have set my face like flint. And I know that I shall not be ashamed; ⁸ he who obtains rights for me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand together. Who is the master of my judgment? Let him approach me. ⁹ Look! The Lord Yahweh helps me. Who is the one who will declare me guilty? Look! All of them will be worn out like a garment; the moth will eat them.

²⁷ And they answered and* said to Jesus, "We do not know." And he said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

³⁴ And Jesus, when he* saw that he had answered thoughtfully, said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And no one dared to put a question to him any longer.

¹⁷ And when* he said these things, all those who opposed him were humiliated, and the whole crowd was rejoicing at all the splendid things that were being done by him.

⁶ And they were not able to make a reply to these things.

⁴⁰ For they no longer dared to ask him anything.

⁷ And when they persisted in asking him, straightening up he said* to them, "The one of you without sin, let him throw the first stone at her!" ⁸ And bending down again, he wrote on the ground. ⁹ Now when they* heard it,* being convicted by their conscience,* they began to depart,* one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus* was left alone—and the woman who was in their midst.

¹⁴ And because they* saw the man who had been healed standing there with them, they had nothing to say in return.