Acts 10 Cross References - Williams

¹ Now at Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a colonel in what was known as the Italian regiment, ² a religious man, too, who revered God with all his household, who was always liberal in his many deeds of charity to the people, and who had the habit of praying to God. ³ One afternoon about three o'clock he had a vision and clearly saw an angel of God come to him and say, "Cornelius!" ⁴ He stared at him and in terror asked, "What is it, sir?" The angel answered him, "Your prayers and your deeds of charity have gone up and been remembered before God. ⁵ So now send men to Joppa and invite over a man named Simon, who is also called Peter. ⁶ He is a guest of a tanner named Simon, whose house is close by the sea." ⁷ After the angel who had spoken to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his household servants, and a religious soldier who was one of his devoted attendants, ⁸ and after telling them the whole story, sent them to Joppa. ⁹ The next day, while those men were traveling on and not far from the town, Peter went up on the housetop about noon to pray. ¹⁰ But he got very hungry and wanted something to eat. While they were getting it ready, he fell into a trance ¹¹ and saw the sky opened, and something like a great sheet coming down, lowered to the earth by the four corners, ¹² which contained all kinds of four-footed animals, reptiles, and wild birds. ¹³ A voice came to him, "Get up, Peter, kill something and eat it." ¹⁴ But Peter said, "Never by any means, sir, for I have never eaten anything common, or not ceremonially cleansed." ¹⁵ A second time the voice came to him, "The things that God has cleansed you must not call unclean." ¹⁶ This took place three times; then all at once the thing was taken up into the sky. ¹⁷ Now while Peter was still at a loss to know what the vision he had seen could mean, the men who had been sent by Cornelius had asked for the way to Simon's house and had stopped at the gate; ¹⁸ and they called and inquired if Simon who was called Peter was staying there. ¹⁹ While Peter was meditating on the vision, the Spirit said to him, "There are two men looking for you. ²⁰ Get up and go down, and without hesitation go on with them, for I have sent them." ²¹ So Peter went down and said to the men, "I am the man you are looking for. What is the purpose of your coming?" ²² They answered, "Cornelius, a colonel in the army, an upright man and one who reveres God, and a man of high reputation with the whole Jewish nation, was instructed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to listen to a message you would bring." ²³ So Peter invited them in and entertained them. ²⁴ The next day he started off with them, and some of the brothers in Joppa went along with him. The day after that they reached Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for him, as he had invited in his kinsmen and close friends. ²⁵ When Peter went into the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet and did homage to him. ²⁶ But Peter lifted him to his feet, saying, "Get up, I too am just a man myself." ²⁷ As he continued to talk with him he went into the house and found a great crowd had gathered, ²⁸ and he said to him, "You know that it is against the law for a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit one, but God has taught me not to call any man vulgar or ceremonially unclean; ²⁹ so I have come, since I was sent for, without any hesitation." ³⁰ Then Cornelius said, "Four days ago, about this hour, three o'clock in the afternoon, I was praying in my house, and all at once a man in dazzling clothing stood before me, ³¹ and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your deeds of charity have been remembered by God. ³² So send to Joppa and invite Simon, who is called Peter, to come over. He is being entertained at the house of a tanner named Simon, by the seashore.' ³³ So at once I sent for you, and you have been kind enough to come. So now we are all here in God's presence to listen to anything that the Lord has commanded you to say." ³⁴ Then Peter opened his mouth and said, "Now I really see that God shows no partiality, ³⁵ but in every nation the man who reveres God and practices doing right is acceptable to Him. ³⁶ He has sent His message to the descendants of Israel, by telling them the good news of peace through Jesus Christ. He is Lord of all. ³⁷ You know the story yourselves that spread all over Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John preached, ³⁸ how God consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and then He went about doing good and curing all who were overpowered by the devil, because God was with Him. ³⁹ We are witnesses of everything that He did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. Yet they murdered Him by hanging Him upon a tree. ⁴⁰ But God raised Him to life on the third day, and permitted Him to be dearly seen, ⁴¹ not by all the people but by witnesses whom God had beforehand appointed, namely, by us who ate and drank with Him after His resurrection from the dead. ⁴² He also ordered us to proclaim to the people and solemnly to testify that this is the One whom God has appointed to be the Judge of the living and the dead. ⁴³ To this very One all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in Him is to receive the forgiveness of sins through His name." ⁴⁴ While Peter was still speaking these truths, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message. ⁴⁵ Then the Jewish believers who had gone along with Peter were astounded because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been showered upon the heathen too, ⁴⁶ for they heard them speaking in foreign languages and telling of the greatness of God. Then Peter asked, ⁴⁷ "No one can refuse the use of water, can he, for these to be baptized, since they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did ourselves?" ⁴⁸ So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they begged him to stay on there a few days.

¹⁹ But her husband, Joseph, because he was an upright man and did not want to disgrace her, decided to break the engagement by secretly divorcing her.

¹ In those days John the Baptist appeared, and kept preaching in the desert of Judea, ² and saying, "Repent! For the kingdom of heaven is near." ³ This is he who was mentioned by the prophet Isaiah, when he said: "Here is a voice of one who shouts in the desert, 'Get the road ready for the Lord; Make the paths straight for him.'"

² After fasting forty days and forty nights, He at last felt hungry.

¹⁰ Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For the Scripture says, 'You must worship the Lord your God, and serve Him alone.'"

¹² Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, He set out for Galilee. ¹³ But He left Nazareth and made His home in Capernaum, by the sea, in the district of Zebulon and Naphtali, ¹⁴ to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: ¹⁵ "Land of Zebulon and land of Naphtali, on the road to the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the nations; ¹⁶ The people that were living in darkness have seen a great light, and on those that were living in the land of the shadow of death; a light has dawned." ¹⁷ From that time Jesus continued to preach and say, "Repent! For the kingdom of heaven is near."

²³ Then He went all over Galilee, as He continued teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and curing any disease or malady among the people. ²⁴ So the news about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were sick with various diseases, especially those who were suffering with torturing diseases; and he cured them. ²⁵ So great crowds followed Him, from Galilee and Decapolis, from Jerusalem and Judea, and from the other side of Jordan.

² Then He opened His mouth and continued to teach them as follows:

⁶ But whenever you, follower of mine, pray, you must go to your most private place, shut the door, and pray to your Father in secret, and your Father who sees what is secret will reward you.

⁷ "Keep on asking, and the gift will be given you; keep on seeking, and you will find; keep on knocking, and the door will open to you. ⁸ For everyone who keeps on asking, receives, and everyone who keeps on seeking, finds, and to the one who keeps on knocking, the door will open.

² And a leper came up to Him, and prostrated himself before Him, and said, "Lord, if you choose to, you can cure me."

⁵ When He got back to Capernaum, a Roman military captain came up to Him and kept begging Him, ⁶ "Lord, my servant-boy is at home bedridden with paralysis and suffering terrible tortures!" ⁷ He said to him, "I will come and cure him." ⁸ But the captain answered, "I am not fit for you to come under my roof, but simply speak the word, and my servant-boy will be cured. ⁹ For I, too, am under authority of others, and have soldiers under me, and I order this one to go, and he goes, another to come, and he comes, my slave-boy to do this, and he does it."

⁹ For I, too, am under authority of others, and have soldiers under me, and I order this one to go, and he goes, another to come, and he comes, my slave-boy to do this, and he does it." ¹⁰ When Jesus heard it, He was astounded, and said to His followers, "I solemnly say to you, I have not found, in a single case among the Jews, so great faith as this.

¹⁰ When Jesus heard it, He was astounded, and said to His followers, "I solemnly say to you, I have not found, in a single case among the Jews, so great faith as this. ¹¹ I tell you, many will come from the east and from the west and take their seats at the feast with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, 'in the kingdom of heaven,

¹¹ I tell you, many will come from the east and from the west and take their seats at the feast with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, 'in the kingdom of heaven, ¹² while the heirs of the kingdom will be turned out into the darkness outside, where they will be weeping and grinding their teeth." ¹³ Then Jesus said to the captain, "Go; it must be done for you as you have believed." And his servant-boy was cured that very hour.

⁹ And as He was passing along from there, He saw a man named Matthew in his seat at the tax-collector's desk, and He said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed Him. ¹⁰ While He was at table in the house many tax-collectors and notorious sinners came in and took their seats at table with Jesus and His disciples.

³⁵ Jesus kept visiting all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and curing every sort of sickness and ailment.

⁶ but rather to the lost sheep of Israel's house.

²⁷ All things have been entrusted to me by my Father, and no one but the Father perfectly knows the Son, and no one but the Son perfectly knows the Father, and the one to whom the Son chooses to make Him known.

¹ At that time Jesus walked one sabbath through the wheat fields, and His disciples became hungry, and began to pull the heads of wheat and eat them. ² And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, "Just look! Your disciples are doing something that it is against the law to do on the sabbath!" ³ But He said to them, "Did you never read what David did, when he and his soldiers became hungry?

¹⁵ But because Jesus knew it, He left there. And many people followed Him, and He cured them all,

²⁸ But if I by the Spirit of God am driving the demons out, then the kingdom of God has come to you.

⁴⁷ "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was let down into the sea, and gathered fish of every kind, ⁴⁸ which, when it was full, the fishermen drew up on the shore, and sat down and picked out the good fish for their baskets and threw the bad away.

³³ And the men in the boat worshiped Him, and said, "You are certainly God's Son."

¹¹ It is not what goes into a man's mouth that makes him foul; no, it is what comes out of a man's mouth that makes him foul."

²¹ Then Jesus left there and slipped away to the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon. ²² And a Canaanite woman of that district came out and pleaded, saying, "Do pity me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is suffering horrors from a demon." ²³ But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came up and kept begging Him, "Send her away, for she keeps on screaming after us." ²⁴ But He answered, "I have been sent only to the lost sheep of Israel's house." ²⁵ But she came and bowed to Him, and kept praying, "Lord, help me!" ²⁶ He answered, "It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the house dogs." ²⁷ She said, "Yes, Lord, and yet the house dogs usually eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table." ²⁸ Then Jesus answered her, "O woman, wonderful is your faith! You must have what you want." And her daughter was cured at that very moment. ²⁹ Then Jesus left there and went to the shore of the sea of Galilee. Then He went up the hill and kept sitting there, ³⁰ and great crowds came up to Him bringing with them the lame, the crippled, the blind, the deaf, and many others. They laid them at His feet, and He cured them, ³¹ so that the crowd was astonished to see the dumb talking, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. So they praised the God of Israel.

²² And Peter took Him aside and began to chide Him, as he said, "Heaven shield you, my Lord! This must never be your lot!"

⁴ So then, whoever becomes as lowly as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven,

³⁰ But many who are first now will be last then, and many who are last now will be first then."

⁵ Again he went out about twelve o'clock and three o'clock, and did as before.

¹⁸ Early next morning when He returned to the city, He felt hungry.

¹⁶ So they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, to say to Him, "Teacher, we know that you are in the habit of telling the truth and of teaching the way of God in honesty, and you do not care what anyone says, for you are not partial.

⁴⁴ 'The Lord has said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, Until I put your enemies under your feet!' ⁴⁵ If David, then, calls Him Lord, how can He be his son?" ⁴⁶ And not one could answer Him a word, and from that day on no one ever dared to ask Him any more questions.

¹⁷ let him who is on the roof of his house not come down to get his household goods out;

⁹ But the thoughtful ones answered, 'No, no, there may not be enough for you and us. Go to the store and buy your own oil.'

³¹ "When the Son of Man comes in His splendor, and all the angels with Him, He will take His seat on His splendid throne, ³² and all the nations will be gathered before him, and He will separate them from one another, just as a shepherd separates his sheep from his goats, ³³ and He will put the sheep at His right hand and the goats at his left. ³⁴ Then the King will say to those at His right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. ³⁵ For when I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, when I was thirsty you gave me something to drink, when I was a stranger you welcomed me to your homes, ³⁶ when I needed clothes you put them on me, when I was sick you looked after me, when I was in prison you came to see me.' ³⁷ Then the upright will answer, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and give you something to eat, or thirsty, and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we ever see you a stranger and welcome you to our homes, or needing clothes, and put them on you? ³⁹ When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and come to see you?' ⁴⁰ And the King will answer them, 'I solemnly say to you, every time you did a good deed to one of these most insignificant brothers of mine, you did a good deed to me.' ⁴¹ "Then He will say to those at His left, 'Be gone from me, you who are now cursed, to the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For when I was hungry you gave me nothing to eat, when I was thirsty you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ when I was a stranger you did not welcome me to your homes, when I needed clothes you did not put them on me, when I was sick and in prison, you did not look after me.' ⁴⁴ Then they will answer, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or needing clothes, or sick, or in prison, and did not wait on you?' ⁴⁵ Then He will answer, 'I solemnly say to you, every time you failed to do a good deed to one of these most insignificant people, you failed to do a good deed to me.' ⁴⁶ Then these will go away to everlasting punishment, but the upright to everlasting life."

¹³ I solemnly say to you, all over the world wherever this good news is proclaimed, the good deed that she has done will be told, in memory of her."

²⁷ Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the barracks, and gathered about Him the whole battalion.

⁴⁵ Now from twelve o'clock till three, darkness covered the whole land. ⁴⁶ About three Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which means, "My God! My God! why have you forsaken me?"

⁵⁴ And the army captain and his men, who were keeping guard over Jesus, who felt the earthquake and saw all that was taking place, were terribly frightened, and said, "Surely this was God's Son."

¹ After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary of Magdala and the other Mary went to get a look at the tomb. ² Now there had been a great earthquake. For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and went and rolled the boulder back and remained sitting upon it. ³ His appearance was as bright as lightning and his clothes as white as snow.

¹⁸ Then Jesus came up to them, and said, "Full authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptize them into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teach them to practice all the commands that I have given you. And I myself will surely be with you all the days, down to the very close of an age."

¹ The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ. ² As it is written in the prophet Isaiah: "Here I send my messenger ahead of you; He will prepare your way. ³ He is a voice of one who shouts in the desert, 'Get the road ready for the Lord; make the paths straight for Him.'" ⁴ John the Baptizer appeared in the desert and was preaching a baptism conditioned on repentance to obtain the forgiveness of sins. ⁵ And people from all over Judea and everybody in Jerusalem kept on going out to him and being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

¹⁴ Now after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God: ¹⁵ "The time is ripe and the kingdom of God is near; repent and believe in the good news."

³⁵ Early in the morning, long before daybreak, He got up and went out to a lonely spot, and stayed praying there.

³⁸ And He said to them, "Let us go somewhere else, to the neighboring towns, to preach in them, too, for that is why I came out here." ³⁹ So He went all over Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

⁷ So Jesus retired with His disciples to the sea, and a vast throng of people followed Him from Galilee, and from Judea, ⁸ and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and from the other side of the Jordan, and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon -- yes, a vast throng of people, as they kept hearing of the great things that He was doing, came to Him. ⁹ So He told His disciples to keep a little boat ready for Him all the time, to prevent the crowds from crushing Him. ¹⁰ For He cured so many people that all who had ailments kept crowding up against Him to touch Him. ¹¹ And whenever the foul spirits saw Him, they fell down before Him and screamed, "You are the Son of God."

¹⁶ The Twelve whom He appointed were: Peter, the name which He gave to Simon,

¹³ So He let them do so. And the foul spirits came out of the man and got into the hogs, and the drove of about two thousand rushed over the cliff and into the sea and were drowned. ¹⁴ Then the hog-feeders fled and spread the news in the town and in the country around; and the people came to see what had taken place. ¹⁵ When they came to Jesus and saw the man who had once been insane under the power of many demons, sitting, with his clothes on, and in his right mind, they were frightened.

¹⁹ However, He did not let him, but said to him, "Go home to your folks, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and has taken pity on you." ²⁰ And so he went away and began to tell everybody in the Ten Cities how much Jesus had done for him; and everybody was dumbfounded.

⁶ And He wondered at their lack of faith in Him. Then He made a circle of the villages and continued teaching.

²⁰ for Herod stood in awe of John, because he knew that he was an upright and holy man, and so he protected him. When he heard him speak, he was very much disturbed, and yet he liked to hear him.

⁴⁶ After He had told them "Goodbye," He went up the hill to pray.

⁵⁴ As soon as they got out of the boat, the people recognized Him ⁵⁵ and hurried all over the countryside and began to bring the sick to Him on their pallets, wherever they heard He was. ⁵⁶ And whatever villages or towns or country places He came to, they would lay the sick in the market-places and beg Him to let them touch just the tassel of His coat, and everybody that touched it was cured.

¹⁹ because it does not reach his heart but only his stomach, and then passes off into the waste?" In thus speaking He made all foods clean.

²⁹ Then He said to her, "Because you have said this, go home; the demon has gone out of your daughter." ³⁰ She went home and found her daughter lying in bed, and the demon gone out.

³⁸ For whoever is ashamed of me and my teaching in this unfaithful, sinful age, then the Son of Man will be ashamed of him, when He comes back in His Father's splendor with the holy angels."

¹⁵ I solemnly say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God as a little child does, will never get into it at all."

⁵¹ Then Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man answered, "Good Teacher, I want to see again."

¹⁶ Then the soldiers led Him away to a place inside the court yard, that is, of the governor's palace, and they called the whole battalion together.

⁶ But he said to them, "You must not be so astounded; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified. He has risen; He is not here. See! Here is the spot where they laid Him.

¹⁵ Then He said to them, "You must go all over the world and preach the good news to all the creation.

¹⁵ Then He said to them, "You must go all over the world and preach the good news to all the creation. ¹⁶ He who believes it and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe it will be condemned.

¹⁶ He who believes it and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe it will be condemned. ¹⁷ And the following signs will attend those who believe: By using my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in foreign languages;

² just as the original eyewitnesses who became ministers of the message

¹¹ In the meantime, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right of the altar of incense. ¹² When Zechariah saw him, he was agitated, even overwhelmed with fear. ¹³ But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you must name him John.

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

²⁸ So the angel came to her home and said, "Congratulations, you highly favored woman! The Lord be with you!" ²⁹ But she was agitated at what he said, and began to ponder what this greeting meant.

⁶⁰ But his mother said, "Never! But he must be named John."

¹⁰ But the angel said to them: "Stop being afraid, for now I bring you good tidings of great joy which is to be for all the people;

¹⁰ But the angel said to them: "Stop being afraid, for now I bring you good tidings of great joy which is to be for all the people; ¹¹ for today, in the town of David, a Saviour for you has been born, who is to be your Messiah and Lord.

¹¹ for today, in the town of David, a Saviour for you has been born, who is to be your Messiah and Lord. ¹² And this is proof for you: You will find a baby wrapped up and lying in a manger." ¹³ Then suddenly there appeared with the angel a throng of the heavenly host, praising God and saying:

¹³ Then suddenly there appeared with the angel a throng of the heavenly host, praising God and saying: ¹⁴ "Glory to God in highest heaven! And peace on earth to men who please him."

²⁵ Now there was in Jerusalem a man named Symeon, an upright, devout man; he was expecting to see the consolation of Israel, and he was under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

¹⁴ Then some soldiers too were asking him, "What ought we too to do?" So he said to them, "Never extort money from anyone, never make a false accusation, and always be satisfied with your wages."

²¹ Now when all the people had been baptized, and when Jesus had been baptized and was still praying, heaven opened ²² and the Holy Spirit came down upon Him in bodily form as a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, "You are my Son, my Beloved! In you I am delighted!"

¹⁴ Then Jesus in the power of the Spirit returned to Galilee, and news of Him spread all over the surrounding country.

¹⁸ "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for He has consecrated me to preach the good news to the poor; He has sent me to announce release to captives and recovery of sight to the blind; to send the downtrodden away in liberty and

³³ Now there was a man in the synagogue who was under the power of the spirit of a foul demon, and he screamed with a loud voice, ³⁴ "Ha! What do you want of us, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are. You are God's Holy One." ³⁵ But Jesus reproved him, saying "Be quiet! Get out of him at once!" So the demon threw the man down in the midst of them and came out of him without doing him any harm. ³⁶ Amazement then seized them all and they continued to talk it over among themselves, and to say, "What does this message mean? For with authority and power He gives orders to foul spirits, and they come out."

²⁹ Then Levi gave a great reception for Him in his house, and there was a large crowd of tax-collectors and others who were at table with them.

² There was a Roman captain who had a slave that was very dear to him, and he was sick and at the point of death,

⁴ So they went to Jesus and continued to urge Him earnestly, saying, "He deserves that you do this for him, ⁵ for he loves our nation, and he is the man who built us our synagogue."

¹⁰ Then the messengers returned to the house and found the slave well. ¹¹ Soon afterwards He chanced to go to a town called Nain, and His disciples and a great throng of people were going along with Him. ¹² As He approached the gate of the town, look, there was being carried out a dead man, his mother's only son, and she was a widow! A considerable crowd of townspeople were with her. ¹³ Now when the Lord saw her, His heart was moved with pity for her, and so He said to her, "Stop weeping." ¹⁴ Then He went up and touched the hearse and the bearers stopped; and He said, "Young man, I tell you, arise." ¹⁵ Then the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. ¹⁶ So awe seized them all, and they began to praise God, saying, "A great prophet has appeared among us!" and, "God has visited His people!" ¹⁷ This story about Him spread all over Judea and all the surrounding country.

²¹ At that very hour He cured many people of diseases and scourges and evil spirits, and graciously granted sight to many blind persons. ²² And so He answered them, "Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind are seeing and the crippled are walking, the lepers are being healed and the deaf are hearing, the dead are being raised and the poor are having the good news preached to them. ²³ And happy is the man who finds no cause for stumbling over me."

⁴² Even while the boy was coming to Him, the demon dashed him down and convulsed him, but Jesus reproved the foul spirit and cured the boy and gave back to his father.

⁵⁶ Then they went on to a different village.

¹ Now He told them the following story to show how necessary it is for people always to pray and never to give up:

¹¹ The Pharisee stood and said this self-centered prayer, 'O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of men, robbers, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector.

²¹ They asked Him, "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and show no favors to anyone, but teach the way of God honestly.

⁵ But they continued emphatically insisting, "He is exciting the people by teaching all over Judea. He started in Galilee and now He is here."

⁴⁴ It was already about noon, and darkness covered the whole country, and lasted until three o'clock, ⁴⁵ for the sun had failed to shine. And the curtain before the sanctuary was torn in two. ⁴⁶ Then Jesus uttered a loud cry, and said, "Father, I now commit my spirit to your care." As He said this He breathed His last.

⁵⁰ Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the council, a good and upright man,

⁴ And as they were being perplexed about this, two men in dazzling robes suddenly took their stand beside them. ⁵ Because the women were so frightened and were turning their faces to the ground, they said to them, "Why are you looking among the dead for Him who is alive?

²⁵ Then He said to them, "O men sluggish in mind and slow in heart to believe all that the prophets have said! ²⁶ Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and thus to enter into His glory?" ²⁷ Then He began with Moses and went through all the prophets and explained to them all the passages in the Scriptures about Himself.

³⁰ And after He had taken His place at table with them, He took the loaf and blessed it and broke it in pieces and handed it to them.

⁴¹ So while they were still disbelieving for sheer joy and still wondering about it, He asked them, "Have you anything here to eat?" ⁴² Then they gave Him a piece of broiled fish, ⁴³ and He took it and ate it before their eyes. ⁴⁴ Then He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you, that everything which is written about me in the law of Moses, in the prophets, and in the Psalms, had to be fulfilled." ⁴⁵ Then He opened their minds so that they might continue to understand the Scriptures, ⁴⁶ and said to them, "The Scriptures said that the Christ should suffer as He has suffered, should rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷ and that in His name repentance as the condition for the forgiveness of sins should be preached to all the nations. Beginning at Jerusalem

⁴⁷ and that in His name repentance as the condition for the forgiveness of sins should be preached to all the nations. Beginning at Jerusalem ⁴⁸ you are to continue as witnesses to these things.

⁴⁸ you are to continue as witnesses to these things.

¹ In the beginning the Word existed; and the Word was face to face with God; yea, the Word was God Himself. ² He is the One who was face to face with God in the beginning. ³ It was through Him that everything came into existence, and apart from Him not a single thing came into existence.

³⁸ Now Jesus turned, and as He saw them following Him, He said, "What are you looking for?" They said to Him, "Rabbi," (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?" ³⁹ He said to them, "Come and you will see." So they went and saw where He was staying, and they spent the rest of the day with Him; it was about four in the afternoon.

⁴¹ He first found his brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which means, the Christ). ⁴² Then he took him to Jesus. Jesus looked him over and said, "You are Simon, son of John. From now on your name shall be Cephas" (which means Peter, or Rock).

⁴² Then he took him to Jesus. Jesus looked him over and said, "You are Simon, son of John. From now on your name shall be Cephas" (which means Peter, or Rock). ⁴³ The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. So He sought out Philip and said to him, "Follow me." ⁴⁴ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter. ⁴⁵ Philip sought out Nathaniel and said to him, "We have found the One about whom Moses wrote in the law and the One about whom the prophets wrote; it is Jesus, the son of Joseph, who comes from Nazareth."

⁴⁵ Philip sought out Nathaniel and said to him, "We have found the One about whom Moses wrote in the law and the One about whom the prophets wrote; it is Jesus, the son of Joseph, who comes from Nazareth." ⁴⁶ Then Nathaniel said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." ⁴⁷ Jesus saw Nathaniel coming toward Him, and said of him, "Here is a genuine Israelite with no deceit in him!" ⁴⁸ Nathaniel said to Him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "While you were still under the fig tree, before Philip called you, I saw you." ⁴⁹ Nathaniel answered Him, "Teacher, you are the Son of God, you are the king of Israel!"

⁵¹ Then He said to him, "I most solemnly say to you all, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God going up, and coming down upon the Son of Man!"

² He came to Jesus one night and said to Him, "Teacher, we know that you have come from God, for no one can perform the wonder-works that you are doing, unless God is with him."

¹⁴ And just as Moses in the desert lifted the serpent on the pole, the Son of Man must be lifted up, ¹⁵ so that everyone who trusts in Him may have eternal life. ¹⁶ "For God loved the world so much that He gave His Only Son, so that anyone who trusts in Him may never perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God sent His Son into the world, not to pass sentence on it, but that the world through Him might be saved.

³⁴ For He whom God has sent continues to speak the words of God, for God continues to give Him the Spirit without measure. ³⁵ The Father loves His Son and has put everything in His hands. ³⁶ Whoever trusts in the Son possesses eternal life, but whoever refuses to trust in the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God continues to remain on him.

¹ Now when the Lord learned that the Pharisees had heard that He was winning and baptizing more disciples than John -- ² though Jesus Himself was not baptizing, it was His disciples --

² though Jesus Himself was not baptizing, it was His disciples -- ³ He left Judea and went back again to Galilee.

⁹ So the Samaritan woman said to Him, "How is it that a Jew like you asks a Samaritan woman like me for a drink?" For Jews have nothing to do with Samaritans.

²⁷ Just then His disciples came up, and they were surprised to find Him talking with a woman, yet not one of them asked Him, "What do you want?" or "Why are you talking with her?" ²⁸ The woman then left her pitcher and went back to town and said to the people, ²⁹ "Come, see a man who has told me everything I ever did. He is not the Christ, is He?"

³¹ Meanwhile the disciples were asking Him, and saying, "Teacher, eat something." ³² But He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know." ³³ So the disciples began to say to one another, "Nobody has brought Him anything to eat, has he?" ³⁴ Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to finish His work. ³⁵ Are you not saying, 'In four months more the harvest comes'? Look! I tell you, lift up your eyes and scan the fields, for they are already white for harvesting.

⁴⁰ So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they kept on urging Him to stay with them; so He did stay there two days.

²² For the Father passes sentence on no one, but He has committed all judgment to the Son, ²³ that all men may honor the Son as they do the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. ²⁴ "I most solemnly say to you, whoever listens to me and believes Him who has sent me possesses eternal life, and will never come under condemnation, but has already passed out of death into life.

²⁴ "I most solemnly say to you, whoever listens to me and believes Him who has sent me possesses eternal life, and will never come under condemnation, but has already passed out of death into life. ²⁵ I most solemnly say to you, a time is coming -- indeed, it is already here -- when the dead will listen to the voice of the Son of God, and those who listen to it will live. ²⁶ For just as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted to the Son to have life in Himself. ²⁷ He has also granted to Him authority to act as Judge because He is the Son of Man. ²⁸ Stop being surprised at this, for the time is coming when all that are in the graves will listen to His voice, ²⁹ and those who have done good will come out for a resurrection to life, but those who have done evil for a resurrection to condemnation.

³⁹ "You keep on searching the Scriptures, for you yourselves suppose that you will get possession of eternal life through them; and yet they are witnesses that testify to me, ⁴⁰ but you refuse to come to me to get possession of life.

²⁷ Stop toiling for the food that perishes, but toil for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, for God the Father has given Him authority to do so."

⁶³ The Spirit is what gives life; the flesh does not help at all. The truths that I have told you are spirit and life.

⁶⁸ Simon Peter answered Him, "To whom can we go, Lord? You have the message that gives eternal life,

¹⁷ If anyone is willing to keep on doing God's will, he will know whether my teaching comes from God, or merely expresses my own ideas.

³⁷ On the last day, the great day, of the feast, Jesus stood and cried aloud, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.

³² Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good deeds from my Father. For which of them are you going to stone me?"

³⁶ do you now say to me whom my Father has set apart to it and sent into the world, 'You are a blasphemer,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'? ³⁷ If I am not doing the things that my Father is doing, do not believe me. ³⁸ But if I am doing so, even if you will not believe me, believe the deeds, that you may come to know and continue to know that the Father is in union with me and I am in union with the Father."

⁵² and not only for the nation, but also to unite the scattered children of God.

³² And if I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to me."

¹² So when He had washed their feet and had put on His clothes and taken His place at the table, He said to them again: "Do you understand what I have done to you?

²⁰ I most solemnly say to you, whoever welcomes any messenger I send welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes Him who has sent me."

¹⁷ even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it does not see Him or recognize Him, because He is going to remain with you, and will be within you.

²² Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said to Him, "Why is it, Lord, that you are going to make yourself real to us and not to the world?"

¹⁶ You have not chosen me; I have chosen you, and appointed you to go and bear fruit, that your fruit may remain too, so that the Father may grant you, as bearers of my name, whatever you ask Him for.

²⁷ And you too are to bear testimony to me, because you have been with me from the start."

¹³ But when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into the whole truth, for He will not speak on His own authority but will tell what is told Him, and will announce to you the things that are to come.

³² Listen! A time is coming, yea, it is right here, when you will all be scattered to your homes and will leave me alone. And yet, I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

⁸ for I have given them the teachings that you gave me, and they have accepted them, and they have come to know in reality that I did come from you, and so they are convinced that you did send me.

²⁰ "I make this petition, not for them only, but for all who ever come to believe in me through their message,

³ So Judas got together the Roman garrison and some attendants from the high priests and Pharisees, and went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. ⁴ Then Jesus, as He knew everything that was going to befall Him, came forward and asked them, "Who is it that you are looking for?" ⁵ They answered Him, "Jesus of Nazareth." He said to them, "I am He." And Judas who betrayed Him was standing among them. ⁶ So when He said to them, "I am He," they took a lurch backward and fell to the ground. ⁷ So once more He asked them, "Who is it that you are looking for?" They said, "Jesus of Nazareth." ⁸ Jesus answered, "I have already told you that I am He; so if you are really looking for me, let these men go."

¹² So the garrison and its commander and the attendants of the Jews arrested Jesus and put handcuffs on Him,

²⁸ Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to the governor's palace. It was early in the morning, and they would not go into the governor's palace themselves, in order not to be defiled, so as to be unfit to eat the Passover supper.

¹ On the first day of the week, very early in the morning while it was still dark, Mary of Magdala went to the tomb, and she saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. ² So she ran away and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus tenderly loved, and said to them, "They have taken away the Lord from the tomb, and we do not know where they have put Him." ³ So Peter and the other disciple left the city and started for the tomb. ⁴ And they both kept running, but the other disciple outran Peter and got to the tomb first. ⁵ And he stooped down and peered in and saw the bandages lying on the ground, but he did not go in. ⁶ Then Simon Peter came running up behind him, and he went inside, and saw the bandages lying on the ground, ⁷ but the handkerchief which had been over His face was not lying with the bandages, but was folded up by itself in another place. ⁸ So then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, went inside and saw, and he came to believe it. ⁹ For they had not previously understood the Scripture which said that He must rise from the dead. ¹⁰ So the disciples went home again. ¹¹ But Mary stood just outside the tomb and kept weeping. So, as she was weeping, she stooped down and peered into the tomb ¹² and saw seated there two angels in white robes, one at the head, one at the feet, where Jesus' body had lain. ¹³ And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have put Him." ¹⁴ On saying this she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. ¹⁵ Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" Because she supposed it was the gardener, she said to Him, "If it was you, sir, who carried Him away, tell me where you put Him, and I will remove Him." ¹⁶ Jesus said to her, "Mary!" At once she turned and said to Him in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" which means Teacher. ¹⁷ Jesus said to her, "Stop clinging to me so, for I have not yet gone up to my Father; but go to my brothers and tell them that I am going up to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." ¹⁸ Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that He had told her this. ¹⁹ In the evening of that same first day of the week, even with the doors of the room bolted where the disciples had met for fear of the Jews, Jesus went in and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you!" ²⁰ On saying this, He showed them His hands and His side, and the disciples were thrilled with joy over seeing their Lord. ²¹ Jesus again said to them, "Peace be with you! Just as my Father has sent me forth, so I am now sending you."

³¹ But these have been recorded, in order that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life, as bearers of His name.

¹³ Jesus went and took the bread and gave it to them, and the fish too.

¹⁷ For the third time Jesus asked him, "Simon, son of John, do you really tenderly love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus the third time asked him, "Do you really tenderly love me?" So he answered Him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I do tenderly love you." Jesus said to him, "Then feed my sheep.

²¹ So when Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "But, Lord, what about him?" ²² Jesus answered him, "If I wish him to wait until I come, what is that to you? You must keep on following me."

² up to the day when through the Holy Spirit He gave the apostles whom He had chosen their orders, and then was taken up to heaven.

² up to the day when through the Holy Spirit He gave the apostles whom He had chosen their orders, and then was taken up to heaven. ³ After He had suffered, He had shown Himself alive to them, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them through a period of forty days, and telling them the things about the kingdom of God.

⁸ but you are going to receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you must be witnesses for me in Jerusalem and all over Judea and Samaria, and to the very ends of the earth."

¹⁰ And while they were gazing after Him into heaven, two men dressed in white suddenly stood beside them,

²² from the time of His baptism by John down to the day when He was taken up from us, must be added to our number as a witness to His resurrection."

² when suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a terrific blast of wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting, ³ And they saw tongues like flames of fire separating and resting on their heads, one to each of them, ⁴ and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in foreign languages as the Spirit granted them to utter divine things.

⁴ and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in foreign languages as the Spirit granted them to utter divine things. ⁵ Now there were devout Jews from every part of the world living in Jerusalem.

¹¹ Cretans and Arabs -- we hear them all alike telling in our own tongues the great wonders of God." ¹² And thus they all continued to be astounded and bewildered, and continued to say to each other, "What can this mean?"

²² "Fellow Israelites, listen to what I say. Jesus of Nazareth, as you yourselves well know, a man accredited to you by God through mighty deeds and wonders and wonder-works which God performed through Him right here among you, ²³ this very Jesus, I say, after He was betrayed, in accordance with the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you had wicked men kill by nailing Him to a cross; ²⁴ but God raised Him up by loosing Him from the pangs of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held by the power of death.

²⁴ but God raised Him up by loosing Him from the pangs of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held by the power of death.

³² I mean Jesus whom God raised from the dead, to which fact we are all witnesses, ³³ So He has been exalted to God's right hand and has received from His Father, as promised, and poured out upon us the Holy Spirit, as you see and hear.

³⁶ "Therefore, let all the descendants of Israel understand beyond a doubt that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ."

³⁸ Peter said to them, "You must repent -- and, as an expression of it, let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ -- that you may have your sins forgiven; and then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,

³⁸ Peter said to them, "You must repent -- and, as an expression of it, let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ -- that you may have your sins forgiven; and then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, ³⁹ for the promise belongs to you and your children, as well as to all those who are far away whom the Lord our God may call to Him."

¹ Peter and John were on their way up to the temple at the three o'clock hour of prayer,

¹⁴ Yes, you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked a murderer to be pardoned as a favor to you, ¹⁵ and you killed the Prince of life, but God raised Him from the dead, to which fact we are witnesses. ¹⁶ It is His name, that is, on condition of faith in His name, that has made strong again this man whom you see and recognize -- yes, faith inspired by Him has given this man the perfect health you all see.

¹⁸ But in this way God fulfilled what He by the lips of all the prophets foretold, that the Christ should suffer.

²⁵ And you are the descendants of the prophets and the heirs of the sacred compact which God made with your forefathers, when He said to Abraham: 'All the families of the earth are to be blessed through your posterity.' ²⁶ It was to you first that He sent His Servant, after raising Him from the dead, to bless you by causing every one of you to turn from his wicked ways."

¹⁰ you and all the people of Israel must know that it is by the authority of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead -- yes, I repeat it, it is by His authority that this man stands here before you well.

¹⁰ you and all the people of Israel must know that it is by the authority of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead -- yes, I repeat it, it is by His authority that this man stands here before you well. ¹¹ He is the stone that was thrown away by you builders, which has become the cornerstone. ¹² There is no salvation by anyone else, for no one else in all the wide world has been appointed among men as our only medium by which to be saved."

¹⁹ But Peter and John answered them, "You must decide whether it is right in the sight of God to obey you instead of Him, ²⁰ for we cannot keep from telling what we have seen and heard."

²⁶ The kings of the earth took their stand. The rulers met against the Lord, and too, against His Christ.' ²⁷ "For in this city they actually met against your holy Servant Jesus, whom you had consecrated -- Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the heathen and the peoples of Israel,

³¹ When they had prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and continued courageously to speak God's message.

¹⁹ But in the night the angel of the Lord threw open the jail doors and let them out, and said to them, ²⁰ "Go and take your stand in the temple square and continue to tell the people the message of this new life."

²⁴ When the military commander of the temple square and the high priest heard this, they were utterly at a loss to know how this might turn out.

²⁹ Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men. ³⁰ The God of our forefathers raised Jesus to life after you had hanged Him on a cross and killed Him. ³¹ God has exalted to His right hand this very One as our Leader and Saviour, in order to give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.

³¹ God has exalted to His right hand this very One as our Leader and Saviour, in order to give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. ³² We and the Holy Spirit that God has given to those who practice obedience to Him are witnesses to these things."

³ So, brothers, you must select from your number seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit, and of good practical sense, and we will assign them to this business, ⁴ while we will go on devoting ourselves to prayer and the word of God."

⁵² Which of the prophets did your forefathers fail to persecute? They killed the prophets who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, and now you have betrayed and murdered Him,

⁵⁶ So he said, "Look! I see heaven open, and the Son of Man standing at God's right hand."

² Some devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation for him.

¹² But when the people came to believe the good news proclaimed by Philip about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were constantly baptized.

¹⁵ They came and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, ¹⁶ for as yet He had not come upon any of them, but they had been baptized merely in the name of the Lord Jesus.

¹⁶ for as yet He had not come upon any of them, but they had been baptized merely in the name of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁷ Then they laid their hands upon them, and one by one they received the Holy Spirit.

²⁶ Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Get up and go south by the road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza; this is the desert road."

²⁹ So the Spirit said to Philip, "Go up and join him in his chariot."

³⁵ Then Philip opened his mouth, and starting from this passage, he told him the good news about Jesus. ³⁶ As they continued down the road, they came to some water, and the official said, "Look! here is some water! What is there to keep me from being baptized?"

⁴⁰ but Philip was found at Ashdod, and he went on telling the good news in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

⁴ He dropped to the ground; then he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" ⁵ He asked, "Who are you, sir?" And He said, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.

⁵ He asked, "Who are you, sir?" And He said, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. ⁶ But get up and go into the city, and there it will be told you what you ought to do."

⁶ But get up and go into the city, and there it will be told you what you ought to do."

¹⁰ Now there was in Damascus a disciple named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias!" And he answered, "Yes, Lord, I am here." ¹¹ And the Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called 'The Straight Street,' and ask at the house of Judas for one named Saul, from Tarsus, for he is now praying there.

¹⁵ But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name to the heathen and their kings, and to the descendants of Israel.

¹⁷ So Ananias left and went to that house, and there he laid his hands upon Saul, and said, "Saul, my. brother, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road on which you were coming here, has sent me that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."

³¹ So the church all over Judea, Galilee, and Samaria enjoyed peace, and as it continued to be built up spiritually and to live in reverence for the Lord, it continued to increase in numbers through the encouragement that the Holy Spirit gave.

³⁶ At Joppa there was a woman, a disciple, whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek means Dorcas, that is, Gazelle. She had filled her life with good deeds and works of charity, which she was always doing.

³⁸ As Joppa was near Lydda, the disciples heard that Peter was there, and sent two men to him, begging him to come to them without delay.

⁴² This became known all over Joppa, and many came to believe in the Lord. ⁴³ So it came about that Peter stayed in Joppa several days, at the house of a tanner named Simon.

¹ Now at Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a colonel in what was known as the Italian regiment, ² a religious man, too, who revered God with all his household, who was always liberal in his many deeds of charity to the people, and who had the habit of praying to God.

² a religious man, too, who revered God with all his household, who was always liberal in his many deeds of charity to the people, and who had the habit of praying to God. ³ One afternoon about three o'clock he had a vision and clearly saw an angel of God come to him and say, "Cornelius!" ⁴ He stared at him and in terror asked, "What is it, sir?" The angel answered him, "Your prayers and your deeds of charity have gone up and been remembered before God. ⁵ So now send men to Joppa and invite over a man named Simon, who is also called Peter. ⁶ He is a guest of a tanner named Simon, whose house is close by the sea."

⁶ He is a guest of a tanner named Simon, whose house is close by the sea." ⁷ After the angel who had spoken to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his household servants, and a religious soldier who was one of his devoted attendants,

⁷ After the angel who had spoken to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his household servants, and a religious soldier who was one of his devoted attendants,

⁷ After the angel who had spoken to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his household servants, and a religious soldier who was one of his devoted attendants, ⁸ and after telling them the whole story, sent them to Joppa.

⁸ and after telling them the whole story, sent them to Joppa.

⁸ and after telling them the whole story, sent them to Joppa. ⁹ The next day, while those men were traveling on and not far from the town, Peter went up on the housetop about noon to pray.

⁹ The next day, while those men were traveling on and not far from the town, Peter went up on the housetop about noon to pray.

⁹ The next day, while those men were traveling on and not far from the town, Peter went up on the housetop about noon to pray. ¹⁰ But he got very hungry and wanted something to eat. While they were getting it ready, he fell into a trance

¹⁰ But he got very hungry and wanted something to eat. While they were getting it ready, he fell into a trance

¹⁰ But he got very hungry and wanted something to eat. While they were getting it ready, he fell into a trance ¹¹ and saw the sky opened, and something like a great sheet coming down, lowered to the earth by the four corners,

¹¹ and saw the sky opened, and something like a great sheet coming down, lowered to the earth by the four corners, ¹² which contained all kinds of four-footed animals, reptiles, and wild birds.

¹² which contained all kinds of four-footed animals, reptiles, and wild birds. ¹³ A voice came to him, "Get up, Peter, kill something and eat it."

¹³ A voice came to him, "Get up, Peter, kill something and eat it." ¹⁴ But Peter said, "Never by any means, sir, for I have never eaten anything common, or not ceremonially cleansed."

¹⁴ But Peter said, "Never by any means, sir, for I have never eaten anything common, or not ceremonially cleansed."

¹⁴ But Peter said, "Never by any means, sir, for I have never eaten anything common, or not ceremonially cleansed." ¹⁵ A second time the voice came to him, "The things that God has cleansed you must not call unclean."

¹⁵ A second time the voice came to him, "The things that God has cleansed you must not call unclean."

¹⁵ A second time the voice came to him, "The things that God has cleansed you must not call unclean." ¹⁶ This took place three times; then all at once the thing was taken up into the sky.

¹⁶ This took place three times; then all at once the thing was taken up into the sky. ¹⁷ Now while Peter was still at a loss to know what the vision he had seen could mean, the men who had been sent by Cornelius had asked for the way to Simon's house and had stopped at the gate;

¹⁷ Now while Peter was still at a loss to know what the vision he had seen could mean, the men who had been sent by Cornelius had asked for the way to Simon's house and had stopped at the gate;

¹⁷ Now while Peter was still at a loss to know what the vision he had seen could mean, the men who had been sent by Cornelius had asked for the way to Simon's house and had stopped at the gate; ¹⁸ and they called and inquired if Simon who was called Peter was staying there.

¹⁸ and they called and inquired if Simon who was called Peter was staying there. ¹⁹ While Peter was meditating on the vision, the Spirit said to him, "There are two men looking for you.

¹⁹ While Peter was meditating on the vision, the Spirit said to him, "There are two men looking for you.

¹⁹ While Peter was meditating on the vision, the Spirit said to him, "There are two men looking for you.

¹⁹ While Peter was meditating on the vision, the Spirit said to him, "There are two men looking for you. ²⁰ Get up and go down, and without hesitation go on with them, for I have sent them."

²⁰ Get up and go down, and without hesitation go on with them, for I have sent them." ²¹ So Peter went down and said to the men, "I am the man you are looking for. What is the purpose of your coming?" ²² They answered, "Cornelius, a colonel in the army, an upright man and one who reveres God, and a man of high reputation with the whole Jewish nation, was instructed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to listen to a message you would bring."

²² They answered, "Cornelius, a colonel in the army, an upright man and one who reveres God, and a man of high reputation with the whole Jewish nation, was instructed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to listen to a message you would bring." ²³ So Peter invited them in and entertained them.

²³ So Peter invited them in and entertained them.

²³ So Peter invited them in and entertained them. ²⁴ The next day he started off with them, and some of the brothers in Joppa went along with him. The day after that they reached Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for him, as he had invited in his kinsmen and close friends.

²⁴ The next day he started off with them, and some of the brothers in Joppa went along with him. The day after that they reached Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for him, as he had invited in his kinsmen and close friends.

²⁴ The next day he started off with them, and some of the brothers in Joppa went along with him. The day after that they reached Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for him, as he had invited in his kinsmen and close friends. ²⁵ When Peter went into the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet and did homage to him. ²⁶ But Peter lifted him to his feet, saying, "Get up, I too am just a man myself." ²⁷ As he continued to talk with him he went into the house and found a great crowd had gathered, ²⁸ and he said to him, "You know that it is against the law for a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit one, but God has taught me not to call any man vulgar or ceremonially unclean;

²⁸ and he said to him, "You know that it is against the law for a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit one, but God has taught me not to call any man vulgar or ceremonially unclean; ²⁹ so I have come, since I was sent for, without any hesitation."

²⁹ so I have come, since I was sent for, without any hesitation." ³⁰ Then Cornelius said, "Four days ago, about this hour, three o'clock in the afternoon, I was praying in my house, and all at once a man in dazzling clothing stood before me,

³⁰ Then Cornelius said, "Four days ago, about this hour, three o'clock in the afternoon, I was praying in my house, and all at once a man in dazzling clothing stood before me, ³¹ and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your deeds of charity have been remembered by God.

³¹ and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your deeds of charity have been remembered by God. ³² So send to Joppa and invite Simon, who is called Peter, to come over. He is being entertained at the house of a tanner named Simon, by the seashore.'

³² So send to Joppa and invite Simon, who is called Peter, to come over. He is being entertained at the house of a tanner named Simon, by the seashore.' ³³ So at once I sent for you, and you have been kind enough to come. So now we are all here in God's presence to listen to anything that the Lord has commanded you to say." ³⁴ Then Peter opened his mouth and said, "Now I really see that God shows no partiality, ³⁵ but in every nation the man who reveres God and practices doing right is acceptable to Him.

³⁵ but in every nation the man who reveres God and practices doing right is acceptable to Him.

³⁹ We are witnesses of everything that He did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. Yet they murdered Him by hanging Him upon a tree.

⁴¹ not by all the people but by witnesses whom God had beforehand appointed, namely, by us who ate and drank with Him after His resurrection from the dead.

⁴⁵ Then the Jewish believers who had gone along with Peter were astounded because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been showered upon the heathen too,

² So when Peter returned to Jerusalem, the champions of circumcision began to bring charges against him ³ for having visited and eaten with men who were not Jews.

³ for having visited and eaten with men who were not Jews.

⁵ "I was praying in the town of Joppa, and while I was praying I fell in a trance and had a vision. I saw something like a great sheet coming down out of the sky, lowered by the four comers; and it came right down to me. ⁶ With fixed eyes I kept looking at it and saw all kinds of four-footed animals, wild beasts, reptiles, and wild birds. ⁷ And I heard a voice say to me, 'Get up, Peter, kill something and eat it!' ⁸ But I answered, 'Never by any means, sir, for nothing common or not ceremonially cleansed has ever passed my lips.' ⁹ Then the voice from heaven answered again, 'The things that God has cleansed you must not call unclean.'

⁹ Then the voice from heaven answered again, 'The things that God has cleansed you must not call unclean.' ¹⁰ This took place three times; then all at once the whole thing was drawn back into the sky. ¹¹ Just at that moment three men, who had been sent from Caesarea for me, stopped at the house where we were staying.

¹¹ Just at that moment three men, who had been sent from Caesarea for me, stopped at the house where we were staying. ¹² And the Spirit told me to go with them without any hesitation at all. These six brothers, too, went with me, and we all went into the man's house.

¹² And the Spirit told me to go with them without any hesitation at all. These six brothers, too, went with me, and we all went into the man's house. ¹³ Then he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say to him, 'Send to Joppa and invite Simon, who is called Peter, to come over;

¹³ Then he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say to him, 'Send to Joppa and invite Simon, who is called Peter, to come over; ¹⁴ he will tell you truths through which you and your whole household will be saved.'

¹⁴ he will tell you truths through which you and your whole household will be saved.' ¹⁵ When I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them as He did upon us at the beginning,

¹⁵ When I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them as He did upon us at the beginning,

¹⁵ When I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them as He did upon us at the beginning, ¹⁶ and I remembered the saying of the Lord, 'John baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit.'

¹⁶ and I remembered the saying of the Lord, 'John baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit.' ¹⁷ So if God had given them the same gift that He gave us when we believed upon the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to try -- and how could I if I tried -- to thwart God?"

¹⁷ So if God had given them the same gift that He gave us when we believed upon the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to try -- and how could I if I tried -- to thwart God?" ¹⁸ When they heard this, they had no answer to make, but gave God the glory, saying, "So God has given even the heathen the repentance that leads to life." ¹⁹ Now the fugitives from the persecution that started over Stephen went all the way to Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, telling the message to none but Jews.

⁷ And suddenly an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in his cell, and by striking Peter on the side the angel woke him, and said, "Get up quickly!" At once the chains fell off his hands. ⁸ Then the angel said to him, "Tighten your belt and put on your shoes? He did so. Then the angel said to him, "Put on your coat and follow me!" ⁹ So he kept following him out, but he was not conscious that what was being done by the angel was real; he thought he was dreaming it. ¹⁰ They passed the first guard, then the second, and at last came to the iron gate which led into the city. The gate of itself opened to them, and they passed out and proceeded one block when all at once the angel left him. ¹¹ Then Peter came to himself and said, "Now I really know that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from the power of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting to do to me."

² While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul, for the work to which I have called them."

⁴ So, as they were sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from that port sailed away to Cyprus.

¹⁶ Then Paul got up and motioned with his hand and said: "Fellow Israelites, and you who reverence God, listen!

²⁴ as John, before His coming, had already preached baptism as an expression of repentance, for all the people of Israel. ²⁵ As John was closing his career, he said, 'What do you take me to be? I am not the Christ; no, but He is coming after me, and I am not fit to untie the shoes on His feet.' ²⁶ Brothers, descendants of the race of Abraham, and all among you who reverence God, it is to us that the message of this salvation has been sent. ²⁷ For the people of Jerusalem and their leaders, because they were ignorant of Him, by condemning Him have actually fulfilled the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, ²⁸ and although they could not find Him guilty of a capital offense, they begged Pilate to have Him put to death. ²⁹ When they had carried out everything that had been written in the Scriptures about Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb. ³⁰ But God raised Him from the dead, ³¹ and for many days He appeared to those who had come up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, and they are now witnesses for Him to the people.

³¹ and for many days He appeared to those who had come up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, and they are now witnesses for Him to the people. ³² So now we are bringing you the good news about the promise that was made to our forefathers,

³⁸ So, my brothers, you must understand that through Him the forgiveness of your sins is now proclaimed to you, ³⁹ and that through union with Him every one of you who believes is given right standing with God and freed from every charge from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.

⁴⁶ Then Paul and Barnabas courageously spoke out, "God's message had to be spoken to you Jews first, but since you continue to thrust it from you and since you show yourselves unworthy to receive eternal life, now and here we turn to the heathen.

⁵⁰ But the Jews stirred up the devout women of high rank and the men of first rank in town, and so started a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district.

¹¹ So the crowds, because they saw what Paul had done, shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods in human form have come down to us!" ¹² They called Barnabas Zeus and Paul, because he was the principal speaker, Hermes. ¹³ The priest of the temple of Zeus, which stood at the entrance to the town, came with crowds of people to the gates, bringing bulls and garlands; he meant to offer sacrifices to them. ¹⁴ But the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, when they heard it, tore their clothes and rushed into the crowd, ¹⁵ and shouted, "Men, why are you doing this? We are merely men with natures like your own, who are telling you the good news, so that you may turn from these foolish things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and all that they contain.

²⁷ On arriving there they called the church together, and in detail reported to them all that God had done through them as instruments, and how He had opened to the heathen the door of faith.

⁷ After a lengthy discussion Peter got up and said to them, "Brothers, you know that in the early days God chose among you that through me the heathen should hear the message of the good news and believe it.

⁷ After a lengthy discussion Peter got up and said to them, "Brothers, you know that in the early days God chose among you that through me the heathen should hear the message of the good news and believe it. ⁸ And God who knows men's hearts testifies for them by giving them the Holy Spirit, as He did us,

⁸ And God who knows men's hearts testifies for them by giving them the Holy Spirit, as He did us, ⁹ and in this way He put no difference between us and them, because He cleansed their hearts by faith.

⁹ and in this way He put no difference between us and them, because He cleansed their hearts by faith.

²⁰ but we should write them to abstain from everything that is contaminated by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from tasting blood.

²⁹ that you abstain from everything that is offered to idols, from tasting blood, from the meat of animals that have been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves free from these things, you will prosper. Good-by."

⁶ Then they crossed Phrygia and Galatia. But because they were prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in Asia, ⁷ they went on to Mysia and tried to get into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not permit them.

⁹ There Paul had a vision one night: a man from Macedonia kept standing and pleading with him in these words, "Come over to Macedonia and help us!"

¹⁴ Among them was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple goods from the town of Thyatira, and she stayed to listen to us. She was already a worshiper of God, and the Lord so moved upon her heart that she accepted the message spoken by Paul. ¹⁵ When she and her household were baptized, she begged us by continuing to say, "If you have made up your mind that I am a real believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house." And she continued to insist that we do so.

¹⁵ When she and her household were baptized, she begged us by continuing to say, "If you have made up your mind that I am a real believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house." And she continued to insist that we do so.

¹¹ The Jews there were better disposed than those in Thessalonica, for they welcomed the message with all eagerness and carried on a daily study of the Scriptures to see if Paul's message was true. ¹² Many of them came to believe, and not a few distinguished Greek women and men.

³¹ since He has set a day on which He will justly judge the world through a man whom He has appointed. He has made this credible to all by raising Him from the dead."

⁸ But Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, became a believer in the Lord, and so did all his family, and from time to time many of the Corinthians heard, believed, and were baptized.

⁵ On hearing this they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, ⁶ and when Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began to speak in foreign tongues and to prophesy.

⁴ So we looked up the disciples there and stayed a week with them. Because of impressions made by the Spirit they kept on warning Paul not to set foot in Jerusalem.

⁸ The next day we left there and went on to Caesarea, where we went to the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the Seven, and stayed with him.

¹⁰ Then I asked, 'What am I to do, Lord?' And the Lord answered, 'Get up and go into Damascus, and there it will be told you what you are destined to do.'

¹² There a man named Ananias, a man devout in strict accordance with the law, of good reputation among all the Jews who lived there,

¹⁷ After I had come back to Jerusalem, one day while I was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance,

²¹ Then He said to me, 'Go, because I am to send you out and far away among the heathen.'" ²² They listened to him until he said this, and then all at once they shouted, "Away with such a fellow from the earth! He is certainly not fit to live!"

²⁵ But when they had tied him for the flogging, Paul asked the captain who was standing by, "Is it lawful for you to flog a Roman, and one who is uncondemned at that?"

²³ Then he called in two of his captains and said to them, "Get two hundred men ready to march to Caesarea, with seventy mounted soldiers and two hundred armed with spears, to leave at nine o'clock tonight."

³³ they, on reaching Caesarea, delivered the letter to the governor and turned Paul over to him, too.

¹⁵ and I have the same hope in God that they cherish for themselves, that there is to be a resurrection of the upright and the wicked.

¹ Now three days after his arrival Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem,

¹³ After the passing of a few days, King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to pay official respects to Festus,

²⁰ I was at a loss how to investigate such matters and so asked Paul if he would go to Jerusalem and there stand trial on these matters.

¹⁸ to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from Satan's power to God, so as to have their sins forgiven and have a possession among those that are consecrated by faith in me.' ¹⁹ Therefore, King Agrippa, I could not disobey that heavenly vision,

²² As I have gotten help from God clear down to this very day, I stand here to testify to high and low alike, without adding a syllable to what Moses and the prophets said should take place,

²⁶ The king, indeed, knows about this and I can speak to him with freedom. I do not believe that any of this escaped his notice, for it did not occur in a corner!

¹ When it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they turned over Paul and some other prisoners to a colonel of the imperial regiment, named Julius.

²³ For just last night an angel of God, to whom I belong and whom I serve, stood by my side

³¹ Paul said to the colonel and his soldiers, "Unless these sailors remain on the ship, you cannot be saved."

⁴³ but the colonel wanted to save Paul, and so he prevented them from carrying out this plan, and ordered all who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land, and the rest to follow,

²² But we think it fitting to let you tell us what your views are, for as to this sect it is known by all of us that it is everywhere denounced."

²⁸ "So you must understand that this message of God's salvation has been sent to the heathen; and they will listen to it!"

⁴ proved to be God's Son in power by the resurrection from the dead -- I mean, Jesus Christ, our Lord,

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the good news, for it is God's power for the salvation of everyone who trusts, of the Jew first and then of the Greek. ¹⁷ For in the good news God's Way of man's right standing with Him is uncovered, the Way of faith that leads to greater faith, just as the Scripture says, "The upright man must live by faith."

¹¹ for there is no partiality in God's dealings.

¹³ For merely hearing the law read does not make men upright with God, but men who practice the law will be recognized as upright.

²⁵ Now circumcision benefits you only if you practice the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision is no better than uncircumcision. ²⁶ So if the uncircumcised heathen man observes the just demands of the law, will he not be counted as though he were a Jew? ²⁷ And shall not the heathen man who is physically uncircumcised, and yet observes the law, condemn you who have the letter of the law and are physically circumcised, and yet break the law? ²⁸ For the real Jew is not the man who is a Jew on the outside, and real circumcision is not outward physical circumcision. ²⁹ The real Jew is the man who is a Jew on the inside, and real circumcision is heart-circumcision, a spiritual, not a literal, affair. This man's praise originates, not with men, but with God.

²² God's own way of giving men right standing with Himself is through faith in Jesus Christ. It is for everybody who has faith, for no distinction at all is made.

²⁹ Or is He the God of Jews alone? Is He not the God of heathen peoples too? Of course, He is the God of heathen peoples too,

²⁹ Or is He the God of Jews alone? Is He not the God of heathen peoples too? Of course, He is the God of heathen peoples too, ³⁰ since there is but one God, who will consider the Jews in right standing with Himself, only on condition of their faith, and the heathen peoples on the same condition.

³⁰ since there is but one God, who will consider the Jews in right standing with Himself, only on condition of their faith, and the heathen peoples on the same condition. ³¹ Do we then through faith make null and void the law? Not at all; instead, we confirm it.

¹¹ Afterward he received the mark of circumcision as God's seal of his right standing with Him on condition of faith which he had before he was circumcised, that he might be the forefather of all who have faith while still uncircumcised, that they might have their faith credited to them as right standing with God;

²⁴ it was for our sakes too, for it is going to be credited to us who put our faith in God who raised from the dead our Lord Jesus, ²⁵ who was given up to death because of our shortcomings and was raised again to give us right standing with God.

¹ Since we have been given right standing with God through faith, then let us continue enjoying peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

⁴ So through baptism we have been buried with Him in death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the Father's glorious power, so we too should live an entirely new life. ⁵ For if we have grown into fellowship with Him by sharing a death like His, surely we shall share a resurrection life like His, ⁶ for we know that our former self was crucified with Him, to make our body that is liable to sin inactive, so that we might not a moment longer continue to be slaves to sin. ⁷ For when a man is dead, he is freed from the claims of sin. ⁸ So if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, ⁹ for we know that Christ, who once was raised from the dead, will never die again; death has no more power over Him. ¹⁰ For by the death He died He once for all ended His relation to sin, and by the life He now is living He lives in unbroken relation to God. ¹¹ So you too must consider yourselves as having ended your relation to sin but living in unbroken relation to God.

²³ For the wages paid by sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life through union with Christ Jesus our Lord.

¹ So then there is no condemnation at all for those who are in union with Christ Jesus.

¹¹ If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead has His home within you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give your mortal bodies life through His Spirit that has His home within you.

³⁴ who can condemn them? Christ Jesus who died, or rather, who was raised from the dead, is now at God's right hand, and is actually pleading for us.

⁴ For they are Israelites; to them belong the privileges of sonship, God's glorious presence, the special covenants, the giving of the law, the temple service, the promises,

¹¹ For the Scripture says, "No one who puts his faith in Him will ever be put to shame."

¹¹ For the Scripture says, "No one who puts his faith in Him will ever be put to shame." ¹² But there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is over them all, because He is infinitely kind to all who call upon Him.

¹² But there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is over them all, because He is infinitely kind to all who call upon Him. ¹³ For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. ¹⁴ But how can people call upon One in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in One about whom they have not heard? And how can people hear without someone to preach to them? ¹⁵ And how can men preach unless they are sent to do so? As the Scripture says, "How beautiful are the feet of men who bring the glad news of His good things!" ¹⁶ However, they have not all given heed to the good news, for Isaiah says, "Lord, who has put faith in what we told?" ¹⁷ So faith comes from hearing what is told, and hearing through the message about Christ.

¹⁷ So faith comes from hearing what is told, and hearing through the message about Christ. ¹⁸ But may I ask, They had no chance to hear, did they? Yes, indeed: "All over the earth their voices have gone, to the ends of the world their words."

⁹ For Christ died and lived again for the very purpose of being Lord of both the dead and the living.

⁹ For Christ died and lived again for the very purpose of being Lord of both the dead and the living. ¹⁰ Then why should you criticize your brother? Or, why should you look down on your brother? Surely, we shall all stand before God to be judged,

¹⁴ I know, and through my union with the Lord Jesus I have a clear conviction, that nothing is unclean in itself; that a thing is unclean only to the person who thinks it unclean.

²⁰ Stop undoing the work of God just for the sake of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything when it makes another stumble.

⁹ and for the heathen peoples to praise God for His mercy, as the Scripture says: "For this I will give thanks to you among the heathen, and will sing praises to your name." ¹⁰ And again: "Rejoice, you heathen peoples, with His people!" ¹¹ And again: "All you heathen peoples, praise the Lord, yea, let all peoples sing His praise." ¹² And again Isaiah says: "The noted Son of Jesse will come, even He who rises to rule the heathen; on Him the heathen will set their hope."

²⁶ For Macedonia and Greece were delighted to make a contribution to the poor among God's people in Jerusalem. ²⁷ They certainly were delighted to do it, and they really are under obligation to them, for if the heathen peoples have shared in their spiritual blessings, they ought to serve them in material blessings.

²⁵ To Him who can make you strong in accordance with the good news I bring and in accordance with the message preached about Jesus Christ, in accordance with the uncovering of the secret which for ages past had not been told, ²⁶ but now has been fully brought to light by means of the prophetic Scriptures, and in accordance with the command of the eternal God has been made known to all the heathen, to win them to obedience inspired by faith --

¹³ Christ has been parceled out by you! It was not Paul who was crucified for you, was it? You were not baptized in Paul's name, were you? ¹⁴ I am thankful that I baptized none of you but Crispus and Gaius, ¹⁵ so as to keep anyone from saying that you were baptized in my name. ¹⁶ Yes, I did baptize the family of Stephanas, too; I do not now recall that I baptized anyone else. ¹⁷ For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the good news -- but not by means of wisdom and rhetoric, so that the cross of Christ may not be emptied of its power.

¹⁸ Let no one deceive himself. If any one of you supposes that he is wise in this world's wisdom, as compared with the rest of you, to become really wise he must become a fool.

⁹ Do you not know that wrongdoers will not have a share in the kingdom of God? Stop being misled; people who are sexually immoral or idolaters or adulterers or sensual or guilty of unnatural sexual vice ¹⁰ or thieves or greedy graspers for more or drunkards or slanderers or swindlers will not have a share in the kingdom of God. ¹¹ And these are just the characters some of you used to be. But now you have washed yourselves clean, you have been consecrated, you are now in right standing with God, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of God.

²⁵ As a rule eat anything that is sold in the meat market without raising any question about it for conscience' sake,

¹¹ But the one and same Spirit accomplishes all these achievements, and apportions power to each of us as He chooses.

¹³ For by one Spirit all of us, Jews or Greeks, slaves or freemen, have been baptized into one body, and were all imbued with one Spirit.

²⁰ Brothers, stop being children in intelligence, but as to evil keep on being babies; and yet as to intelligence be men of maturity. ²¹ In the law it is written, "By men of foreign languages and by the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord." ²² So speaking in ecstasy is meant as a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is meant, not for unbelievers but for believers. ²³ Hence, if the whole church has met and everybody speaks in ecstasy, and illiterate people or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are crazy? ²⁴ But if everybody prophesies, and some unbeliever or illiterate man comes in, he is convinced of his sins by all, he is closely questioned by all, ²⁵ the secrets of his heart are laid bare, he falls upon his face and worships God, declaring, "God is really among you."

³ For I passed on to you, among the primary principles of the good news, what I had received, that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁴ that He was buried, that on the third day He was raised from the dead, in accordance with the Scriptures,

¹² Now if we preach that Christ has been raised from the dead, how is it that some of you are saying that there is no such thing as a resurrection of the dead? ¹³ If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised, ¹⁴ and if Christ was not raised, the message which we preach has nothing in it; there is nothing in our faith either, ¹⁵ and we are found guilty of lying about God, for we have testified that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if indeed the dead are never raised. ¹⁶ For if the dead are never raised, Christ has not been raised; ¹⁷ and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is a mere delusion; you are still under the penalty of your sins. ¹⁸ Yes, even those who have fallen asleep, though in union with Christ, have perished. ¹⁹ If for this life only we Christians have set our hopes on Christ, we are the most pitiable people in the world. ²⁰ But in reality Christ has been raised from the dead, the first to be raised of those who have fallen asleep.

²⁷ for He has put everything in subjection under His feet. But when He says that everything has been put in subjection to Him, He Himself is evidently excepted who put it all in subjection to Him.

⁴⁷ The first man was made of the dust of the earth; the second Man is from heaven.

⁹ For I have an opportunity here that is great and calls for work, and it has many opponents.

¹² When I went to Troas to preach the good news of Christ, although I had an opportunity in the service of the Lord,

¹⁴ because I know that He who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will raise me too in fellowship with you.

¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment-bar of Christ, that each may get his pay for what he has done, whether it be good or bad.

¹⁸ This has all originated with God, for He through Christ has reconciled me to Himself and has given me the ministry of reconciliation.

¹⁸ This has all originated with God, for He through Christ has reconciled me to Himself and has given me the ministry of reconciliation. ¹⁹ For it was through Christ that God was reconciling the world to Himself instead of debiting men's offenses against them, and He has committed to me the message of this reconciliation. ²⁰ So I am an envoy to represent Christ, because it is through me that God is making His appeal. As one representing Christ I beg you, be reconciled to God. ²¹ He made Him who personally knew nothing of sin to be a sin-offering for us, so that through union with Him we might come into right standing with God.

¹ So, since we have such promises as these, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles our bodies and spirits, and in reverence to God carry on our consecration to completeness.

²¹ For I am taking the precaution to do what is right, not only in the sight of the Lord but also in the eyes of men.

⁸ And God is able to make your every spiritual blessing overflow for you, so that you will always have in every situation an entire sufficiency and so overflow for every good cause; ⁹ as the Scripture says: "He has generously given to the poor; His deeds of charity go on forever." ¹⁰ He who always supplies the sower with seed and the eater with bread will supply you with seed and multiply it and enlarge the harvest which your deeds of charity yield. ¹¹ In every way you will grow richer and richer so as to give with perfect liberality, which will through me result in thanksgiving to God for it. ¹² Because the service rendered by this sacred offering is not only fully supplying the needs of God's people, but it is also running over with many thanks to God for it. ¹³ For through the test you get by doing this service you will continue praising God for your fidelity to your confession of the good news of Christ, and for the liberality of your contributions to them and all others; ¹⁴ and so in their prayers for you they will continue longing for you, because of God's surpassing favor shown you. ¹⁵ Thank God for His unspeakable gift!

² I know a man in union with Christ fourteen years ago -- whether in the body or out of it, I do not know, but God knows -- who was caught up to the third heaven. ³ Yes, I know that this man -- whether in or out of the body, I do not know, but God knows -- ⁴ was actually caught up into paradise, and heard things that must not be told, which no man has a right even to mention.

¹ This is my third visit to you. Any charge preferred must be sustained by the evidence of two or three witnesses.

¹⁶ chose to unveil His Son in me, so that I might preach the good news about Him among the heathen, at once, before I conferred with any human creatures,

⁶ Those who were looked upon as leaders -- what they were makes no difference to me -- God pays no attention to outward appearances these leaders added nothing new to me.

¹² For before the coming of certain people from James, he was in the habit of eating with heathen Christians, but after they came, he began to draw back and hold aloof from them, because he was afraid of the circumcision party.

¹² For before the coming of certain people from James, he was in the habit of eating with heathen Christians, but after they came, he began to draw back and hold aloof from them, because he was afraid of the circumcision party. ¹³ The rest of the Jewish Christians, too, joined him in this pretense so that even Barnabas was influenced to join them in their pretense.

¹³ The rest of the Jewish Christians, too, joined him in this pretense so that even Barnabas was influenced to join them in their pretense. ¹⁴ But when I saw that they were not living up to the truth of the good news, I said to Cephas, and that before them all, "If you are living like a heathen and not like a Jew, although you are a Jew yourself, why do you try to make the heathen live like Jews?" ¹⁵ We ourselves are Jews by birth and not heathen sinners, and yet,

¹³ Christ ransomed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us -- for the Scripture says, "Cursed be everyone who is hanged on a tree" --

¹³ Christ ransomed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us -- for the Scripture says, "Cursed be everyone who is hanged on a tree" -- ¹⁴ that the blessing promised to Abraham might through Jesus Christ come to the heathen, so that through faith we might receive the promised Spirit.

²² But the Scripture pictures all mankind as prisoners of sin, so that the promised blessing through faith in Christ might be given to those who have faith.

²⁷ For all of you who have been baptized into union with Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. ²⁸ There is no room for Jew or Greek, no room for slave or freeman, no room for male or female, for you are all one through union with Christ Jesus.

¹⁴ but still you did not scorn the test my illness made of you, nor did you spurn me for it; on the contrary, you welcomed me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself.

⁶ so that we might praise the splendid favor which He has shown us in His beloved Son. ⁷ It is through union with Him that we have redemption by His blood and the forgiveness of our shortcomings, in accordance with the generosity of His unmerited favor

¹⁰ so that, at the coming of the climax of the ages, everything in heaven and on earth should be unified through Christ,

²⁰ when He raised Christ from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in heaven, ²¹ far above every other government, authority, power, and dominion, yea, far above every other title that can be conferred, not only in this world but in the world to come. ²² And so He has put all things under His feet and made Him the supreme Head of the church, ²³ which is His body, that is being filled by Him who fills everything everywhere.

¹¹ So remember that you were once heathen in a physical sense, called the uncircumcised by those who call themselves the circumcised -- though only in a physical sense, by human hands.

¹³ But now through your union with Christ Jesus you who were once far away have through the blood of Christ been brought near. ¹⁴ For He Himself is our peace, He is the one who has made us both into one body and has broken down the barrier that kept us apart; ¹⁵ through His human nature He has put a stop to the hostility between us, namely, the law with its commands and decrees, in order to create one new humanity out of the two parties and so make peace through union with Himself, and in one body ¹⁶ to reconcile them both to God with His cross after He had killed the hostility through it. ¹⁷ When He came, He brought the good news of peace for you who were far away and for you who were near; ¹⁸ for it is by Him through one Spirit that both of us now have an introduction to the Father.

⁵ which in the earlier ages, so different from the present, was not made known to mankind as fully as now, but through the Spirit it has been revealed to His Holy apostles and prophets -- ⁶ that the heathen through union with Christ Jesus are fellow-heirs with the Jews, are members with them of the same body, and sharers with them of the promise through the good news,

⁶ that the heathen through union with Christ Jesus are fellow-heirs with the Jews, are members with them of the same body, and sharers with them of the promise through the good news,

⁶ that the heathen through union with Christ Jesus are fellow-heirs with the Jews, are members with them of the same body, and sharers with them of the promise through the good news, ⁷ for which I was called to serve in accordance with the gift of God's unmerited favor which was bestowed on me by the exercise of His power--

⁷ for which I was called to serve in accordance with the gift of God's unmerited favor which was bestowed on me by the exercise of His power-- ⁸ yes, on me, the very least of all His people, this unmerited favor was bestowed -- that I might preach as good news to the heathen the boundless riches of Christ,

⁵ there is but one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over us all, who pervades us all, and who is within us all. ⁷ But in accordance with the measure of Christ's gift, His favor has been bestowed upon each one of us. ⁸ Concerning this the Scripture says: "He led a host of captives, when He went up on high, and granted gifts to men." ⁹ What does "He went up" mean, except that He had first gone down into the lower regions of the earth? ¹⁰ The very One that went down has gone up, too, far above all the heavens, to fill the universe. ¹¹ And He has given some men to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, some to be pastors and teachers, ¹² for the immediate equipment of God's people for the work of service, for the ultimate building up of the body of Christ,

²¹ keep on living in subordination to one another out of reverence to Christ.

⁹ You slave-owners, too, must maintain the same attitude toward your slaves, and stop threatening them, for you know that their real Lord and yours is in heaven, and that He never shows partiality.

¹⁸ Keep on praying in the Spirit, with every kind of prayer and entreaty, at every opportunity, be ever on the alert with perfect devotion and entreaty for all God's people, ¹⁹ and for me that a message may be given me when I open my lips, so that I may boldly make known the open secret of the good news, ²⁰ for the sake of which I am an envoy in prison: so that, when I tell it, I may speak as courageously as I ought.

¹¹ and everyone should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the praise of God the Father.

³ For we are the true circumcision, who by the Spirit of God worship Him, who take pride in Christ Jesus only, and do not rely on outward privileges,

⁶ Stop being worried about anything, but always, in prayer and entreaty, and with thanksgiving, keep on making your wants known to God.

¹⁸ I have received your payment in full, and more too. I am amply supplied after getting the things you sent by Epaphroditus; they are like sweet incense, the kind of sacrifice that God accepts and approves.

⁶ which reached you, and since it is bearing fruit and growing among you, just as it is all over the world, from the day you first heard of God's favor and in reality came to know it,

¹⁴ by whom we possess the ransom from captivity, which means the forgiveness of our sins. ¹⁵ Yes, He is the exact likeness of the unseen God, His first-born Son who existed before any created thing, ¹⁶ for it was through Him that everything was created in heaven and on earth, the seen and the unseen, thrones, dominions, principalities, authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. ¹⁷ So He existed before all things, and through Him all things are held together. ¹⁸ Yes, He is the Head of the church as His body. For He is the beginning, the first-born among the dead, so that He alone should stand first in everything.

²⁰ and that through Him He might reconcile to Himself all things on earth or in heaven, making this peace through the blood He shed On His cross.

²³ if indeed you continue well grounded and firm in faith and never shift from the hope inspired by the good news you heard, which has been preached all over the world, and of which I, Paul, have been made a minister. ²⁴ I am now glad to be suffering for you, and in my own person I am filling in what is lacking in Christ's sufferings for His body, that is, the church. ²⁵ In it I have been made a minister in accordance with the trusteeship God entrusted to me for you, that I might prove among you the universal message of God, ²⁶ the open secret, covered up from the people of former ages and generations, but now uncovered to God's people, ²⁷ to whom God has chosen to make known how glorious are the riches of this open secret among the heathen, namely, Christ in you the hope of your glorification.

¹³ Yes, although you were dead through your shortcomings and were physically uncircumcised, God made you live again through fellowship with Christ. He graciously forgave us all our shortcomings, ¹⁴ canceled the note that stood against us, with its requirements, and has put it out of our way by nailing it to the cross.

¹¹ In this new relation there is no Greek and Jew, no circumcised and uncircumcised, no barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is everything and in us all.

²⁵ For the man who wrongs another will be paid back the wrong he has done; and there are no exceptions.

² You must persevere in prayer and by this means stay wide awake when you give thanks. ³ At the same time keep on praying for me too, that God may open the door of opportunity for the message, so that I may tell the open secret about Christ, for the sake of which I am held a prisoner,

¹³ For another reason too, we, as far as we are concerned, are constantly giving thanks to God; that is, when you received the message you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the message of men but as the message of God, as it really is, which keeps on working in you who believe.

¹⁷ Never stop praying.

³ Do not let anybody at all deceive you about this, because that cannot take place until the great revolt occurs and the representative of lawlessness is uncovered, the one who is doomed to destruction, ⁴ the one who keeps up his opposition and so far exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, that he actually takes his seat in the sanctuary of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

⁸ So I want the men everywhere to offer prayer, lifting to heaven holy hands which are kept unstained by anger and dissensions.

⁷ He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, or else he may incur reproach and fall into the devil's trap.

¹ Now the Spirit distinctly declares that in later times some will turn away from the faith, because they continuously give their attention to deceiving spirits and the things that demons teach

³ who forbid people to marry and teach them to abstain from certain sorts of food which God created for the grateful enjoyment of those who have faith and a clear knowledge of the truth. ⁴ For everything in God's creation is good, and nothing is to be refused, provided it is accepted with thanksgiving; ⁵ for in this way it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.

² Those who have Christian masters must not pay them less respect because they are brothers; they must serve them all the better, because those who get the benefit of their service are believers and so are dear to them. These are the things that you must continue to teach and urge them to do.

¹ I solemnly charge you, before God and Christ Jesus who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom,

⁸ Now the crown for doing right awaits me, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award me on that day, and not only me but also all who have loved His appearing.

¹⁵ To the pure everything is pure, but to the impure and unbelieving nothing is pure, but their very minds and consciences are impure. ¹⁶ not as a slave any longer but more than a slave, a dearly loved brother, especially to me and much more to you, both as a servant and as a Christian.

² but in these latter days He has spoken to us through a Son, whom He had appointed lawful owner of everything, and through whom He had made the worlds.

⁴ thus proving Himself to be as much superior to angels as the title He has inherited is superior to theirs.

⁶ Or again, "I will become His Father, and He shall become my Son"? But when He brings again His first-born Son into the world, He says, "And let all the angels worship Him." ⁷ However, regarding the angels He says: "He turns His angels into winds, and His attendants into flames of fire." ⁸ But regarding the Son He says: "Your throne, O God, will stand forever and ever; a righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom. ⁹ You loved the right and hated wrong; so God, your God, anointed you, with oil of exultation beyond all your companions."

⁹ You loved the right and hated wrong; so God, your God, anointed you, with oil of exultation beyond all your companions." ¹⁰ And: "You, Lord, in the beginning founded the earth, and the heavens are the works of your hands. ¹¹ They will perish, but you always remain; they all will grow old like a coat, ¹² And you will fold them up just like a robe, and they will be changed like the changing of one's coat, but you are the same, and your years will never cease."

¹⁴ Are not the angels all attending spirits sent forth to serve for the sake of those who are going to be unceasing possessors of salvation?

¹⁴ Since then the children mentioned share our mortal nature, He too took on Himself a full share of the same, in order that He by His death might put a stop to the power of him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, ¹⁵ and set at liberty those who all their lifetime had been subject to slavery because of their dread of death.

¹⁰ For God is not so unjust as to forget the work you have done and the love you have shown His name in the service you have rendered for your fellow-Christians, and still are doing.

² to whom Abraham contributed a tenth of all his spoils, who first of all, in accordance with the meaning of his name, is king of righteousness, and then king of Salem, which means king of peace; ³ with no father, no mother, no ancestry; no beginning to his days, no end to his life, but, like the Son of God, as priest continues on and on with no successor.

⁹ for it is merely a symbol of the present time in connection with which gifts and sacrifices are repeatedly offered though they cannot make the conscience of the worshiper perfect, ¹⁰ since they deal only with food and drink and various washings, that is, with mere material regulations which are in force only until the time of setting things straight.

³⁸ Meantime, my righteous servant will live by faith. But if a man draws back, my soul has no delight in him."

² For by it the men of old won God's approval.

⁴ By faith Abel offered a sacrifice more acceptable to God than Cain did, for by it he was approved as an upright man, since God approved him for the offering he made; and by it he still continues to speak, though dead. ⁵ By faith Enoch was transplanted from earth, so that he did not experience dying; and he could not be found, because God had transplanted him from earth. For before he was transplanted from earth evidence was given him that he pleased God; ⁶ but without faith it is impossible to please Him, for anyone who approaches God must believe that there is a God and that He gives rewards to all who earnestly try to find Him.

²³ to the festal gathering and assembly of God's firstborn sons enrolled as citizens in heaven, to a Judge who is the God of all, to the spirits of upright men who have attained perfection,

² Do not remain neglectful of hospitality to strangers, for by it some have entertained angels without knowing it.

¹⁶ And stop neglecting to do good and to be generous, for God is highly pleased with just such sacrifices as these.

²⁰ May God, who gives us peace, who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, who through the blood by which He ratified the everlasting covenant, is now the Great Shepherd of the sheep,

⁵ But if any one of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask God who generously gives to everyone and never reproaches one with its lack, and it will be given to him.

¹⁹ You must understand this, my dearly loved brothers. Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to get angry;

²¹ So strip yourselves of everything impure and all the evils prevailing around you, and in humble spirit welcome the message which when rooted in your hearts is able to save your souls.

⁴ do you not make improper distinctions among yourselves and prove to be critics with evil motives?

⁹ but if you show partiality, you are committing sin, because you are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.

¹¹ earnestly trying to find out the time, and the nature of the times, which the Spirit of the Christ within them pointed to, in foretelling the sufferings of the Christ and the glory that should follow them.

¹⁷ And if you address as Father, Him who judges everyone impartially in accordance with what he does, you must live reverently all your fleeting stay on earth,

²¹ who through Him trust in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory; so that your faith and hope may rest in God.

¹ So once for all get rid of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all sorts of slander, ² and like new-born babies thirst for pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up to final salvation,

²⁴ He bore our sins in His own body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to uprightness. By His wounds you have been healed,

¹⁵ but in your hearts be consecrated to Christ as Lord, and always be ready to make your defense to anyone who asks a reason for the hope you have. But you must do it in gentleness and reverence,

²² who has gone to heaven and is now at God's right hand, with angels, heavenly authorities and powers made subject to Him.

⁵ but they will have to give account for it to Him who is ready to judge living and dead.

⁹ Be ungrudgingly hospitable to one another.

⁸ Be calm and alert. Your opponent the devil is always prowling about like a roaring lion, trying to devour you.

² to remember the things foretold by the holy prophets, and the command of the Lord and Saviour through your apostles.

²⁹ If you know that He is upright, you must know that everyone who practices uprightness is born of Him.

⁸ Whoever practices sin belongs to the devil, because the devil has practiced sin from the beginning. This is why the Son of God appeared, to undo the devil's works.

¹² Demetrius has a good testimony from everybody and from truth itself; yea, from me too, and you know that my testimony to him is true.

⁵ and from Jesus Christ the trustworthy witness, the First-born of the dead, and the Sovereign of the kings of the earth. To Him who ever loves us and once for all released us from our sins by His blood,

⁷ See! He is coming on the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even the men who pierced Him, and all the tribes of the earth will lament over Him. Even so. Amen.

¹⁰ On the Lord's day I was in the Spirit's power, and I heard a voice like a trumpet behind me say:

¹⁸ yea, the ever-living One. I once was dead, but now I live forever and ever. I carry the keys of death and the underworld.

¹ After this I had another vision: A door was standing open in heaven, and the first voice, like a trumpet, that I had heard speaking with me, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place." ² Immediately I was under the Spirit's power, and I saw a throne in heaven with One seated on it. ³ The One who was seated on it looked like jasper or sardius, and around the throne there was a rainbow that looked like an emerald.

⁸ When He took it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each with a harp, and golden bowls that were full of incense, which represent the prayers of God's people.

³ Then another angel with a censer of gold came and stood at the altar, and a great quantity of incense was given to him to mingle with the prayers of all God's people, on the altar of gold that stood before the throne. ⁴ So the smoke of the incense went up from the angel's hand to the presence of God for the prayers of His people.

⁴ So the smoke of the incense went up from the angel's hand to the presence of God for the prayers of His people.

¹⁹ Then the doors of God's temple in heaven were thrown open, and inside the temple was seen the chest containing God's covenant, and there followed flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and heavy hail.

⁸ All the inhabitants of the earth whose names, from the foundation of the world, have not been written in the slaughtered Lamb's book of life, will worship him.

¹⁴ Then I looked, and there was a bright cloud with one seated on it like the Son of man, with a crown of gold on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. ¹⁵ Then another angel came out of the temple and cried in a loud voice to Him who was seated on the cloud, "Put forth your sickle and reap, for the time to reap has come, because the earth's harvest is ripe." ¹⁶ So He who was seated on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped. ¹⁷ Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle.

²⁰ The grapes in the wine press were trodden outside the city, and blood streamed from the wine press until it reached the horses' bridles for a distance of two hundred miles.

⁴ Who will not fear and glorify your name, O Lord? For you alone are holy. All the nations will come and worship you, because the justice of your sentences has now been shown."

¹⁴ They will make war upon the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them, and His chosen, elect, and faithful followers will conquer with Him, too, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings."

¹⁰ Then I fell before his feet to worship him, but he said to me, "You must take care not to do that. I am only a fellow-slave of yours and of your brothers who hold to the testimony borne by Jesus. Worship God. For the testimony borne by Jesus is the inspiring spirit of prophecy." ¹¹ Then I saw heaven thrown open and a white horse appeared. His rider was called Faithful and True, and in justice He passes judgment and wages war.

¹⁶ On His garment and on His thigh He has this title written: King of kings and Lord of lords.

¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it, from whose presence earth and sky fled away, no more to be found. ¹² I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened; it was the book of life, And the dead were judged by what was written in the books in accordance with what they had done. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and the underworld gave up the dead that were in them, and they were all judged in accordance with what they had done. ¹⁴ Then death and the underworld were hurled into the fiery lake, This is the second death -- the fiery lake. ¹⁵ If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was hurled into the fiery lake.

⁸ It is I, John, who heard and saw these things. When I heard and saw them, I fell at the feet of the angel who was showing them to me, to worship him. ⁹ But he said to me: "You must be careful not to do that; I am only a fellow-slave of yours, of your brothers the prophets, and of the people who practice the truths contained in this book. Worship God."

¹² "See! I am coming soon, and my rewards are with me, to repay each one just as his work has been.