Luke 2 Cross References - Williams

¹ Now in those days an edict was issued by the Emperor Augustus that a census of the whole world should be taken. ² This, the first census, was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³ So everyone was going to his own town to register. ⁴ And Joseph too went up from Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to the town of David in Judea called Bethlehem, because he was a descendant of the house and family of David, ⁵ to register with Mary who was engaged to be married to him and who was an expectant mother. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for her to give birth, ⁷ and she bore her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him up and laid Him in a manger, for there was no room for them at the inn. ⁸ Now there were some shepherds in the same neighborhood, living in the open fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ Then an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, so that they were fearfully frightened. 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. 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: ¹⁴ "Glory to God in highest heaven! And peace on earth to men who please him." ¹⁵ Then when the angel left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has told us." ¹⁶ So they hurried to the place and found Joseph and Mary; also the baby lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they saw this, they informed them of the story that had been told about this child. ¹⁸ And all who heard it were astounded at what was told them by the shepherds, ¹⁹ but Mary continued to treasure it all up and to ponder it in her heart. ²⁰ Then the shepherds went back continuing to give glory and praise to God for all that they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them. ²¹ When He was eight days old and it was time to circumcise Him, He was named Jesus, the name given by the angel before Mary had conceived Him. ²² Now when the period of their purification ended, in accordance with the law of Moses, they took Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord, to do as it is written in the law of the Lord, ²³ "Every first born male shall be counted consecrated to the Lord," ²⁴ and to offer the sacrifice in accordance with what is specified in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons." 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. ²⁶ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not die without seeing the Lord's Messiah. ²⁷ So under the Spirit's guidance he went into the temple, and when the parents brought the child Jesus there to do for Him as the custom of the law required, ²⁸ Symeon also took Him in his arms and blessed God, and said: ²⁹ "Now, Master, you will let your slave go free in peace, as you have promised; ³⁰ for my eyes have seen your Salvation, ³¹ which you prepared before all peoples, ³² a light of revelation to the heathen, and a glory to your people Israel." ³³ And His father and mother kept wondering at the things spoken by Symeon about Him. ³⁴ Then Symeon gave them his blessing, and said to Mary, the child's mother, "This child is destined to bring the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign continuously disputed -- ³⁵ yea, a sword will pierce your heart -- so that the secret purposes of many hearts will be revealed." ³⁶ There was also a prophetess there, Hannah, a daughter of Phanuel, who belonged to the tribe of Asher. ³⁷ She was very old; from girlhood she had lived seven years with a husband, and now had been a widow eighty years. She never left the temple, but continued to worship all day and all night with fastings and prayers. ³⁸ Just at that time she came up and began to give thanks to God and to speak about the child to all who were expecting the deliverance of Jerusalem. ³⁹ Now when they had completed everything that was in accordance with the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. ⁴⁰ And the child continued to grow and gain in strength; He continued to increase in wisdom, and the spiritual blessing of God was on Him. ⁴¹ His parents were in the habit of going to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. ⁴² And when He was twelve years old, they went up as usual to the feast ⁴³ and stayed the usual time. When they returned, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but His parents were not aware of it. ⁴⁴ They supposed that He was somewhere in the caravan, and so they traveled a whole day before they began to make an anxious search for Him among His relatives and acquaintances. ⁴⁵ As they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem in anxious search for Him. ⁴⁶ And after three days they finally found Him in the temple sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ Now everyone who was listening to Him was showing astonishment at His intelligence and at His answers. ⁴⁸ When His parents saw Him, they were utterly amazed, and yet His mother said to Him, "My child, why did you treat us so? Just see how your father and I, in agony of mind, have been searching for you!" ⁴⁹ Then He said to them, "Why is it that you were searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" ⁵⁰ But they did not understand what He said to them. ⁵¹ So He went back to Nazareth with them and continued to obey them. But His mother continued to treasure up all these sayings in her heart. ⁵² Meanwhile Jesus grew constantly in wisdom and in body, and in favor with God and man.

¹ The family tree of Jesus Christ, a descendant of David, a descendant of Abraham. ² Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, ³ Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar; Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Aram, ⁴ Aram the father of Aminadab, Aminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, ⁵ Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab; Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth; Obed the father of Jesse, ⁶ Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife; ⁷ Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, ⁸ Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah, ⁹ Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, ¹⁰ Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah, ¹¹ Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the Babylonian Exile. ¹² After the Babylonian Exile Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, ¹³ Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, ¹⁴ Azor the father of Sadoc, Sadoc the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, ¹⁵ Eliud the father of Eliazar, Eliazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, ¹⁶ Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, who was the mother of Jesus who is called the Christ.

¹⁶ Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, who was the mother of Jesus who is called the Christ. ¹⁷ So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen, from David to the Babylonian Exile fourteen, from the Babylonian Exile to Christ fourteen. ¹⁸ Now the birth of Christ Jesus occurred under these conditions: After His mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, but before they had lived together, she was found to be an expectant mother through the influence of the Holy Spirit. 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. ²⁰ But just as this thought occurred to him, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, and said, "Joseph, descendant of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for it is through the influence of the Holy Spirit that she has become an expectant mother. ²¹ And she will have a son, and you must name Him Jesus, for it is He who is to save His people from their sins."

²⁵ but he did not live with her as a husband until she had had a son; and he named Him Jesus.

¹ Now when Jesus was born at Bethlehem in Judea in the days of King Herod, stargazers came from the East to Jerusalem

¹ Now when Jesus was born at Bethlehem in Judea in the days of King Herod, stargazers came from the East to Jerusalem ² and asked, "Where is He that is born King of the Jews? We saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him."

² and asked, "Where is He that is born King of the Jews? We saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him." ³ Now when King Herod heard of it, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ So he called together all the high priests and scribes of the people, and anxiously asked them where the Christ was to be born. ⁵ They told him, "At Bethlehem in Judea, for this is what the prophet wrote: ⁶ 'And you, Bethlehem in Judah's land, You are not at all the least among the leading places of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler, who will shepherd my people Israel.'"

⁹ After listening to the king, they started on their journey, and the star which they had seen rise led them on until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were thrilled with ecstatic joy, ¹¹ and went into the house and saw the child with His mother, Mary; and they fell at His feet and worshiped Him. They opened up their treasure sacks and presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

²² But because he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in the place of his father, Herod, he was afraid to go there; and because he was divinely warned in a dream, he set out for the region of Galilee. ²³ He went to a town called Nazareth and made his home there, so that the saying of the prophet was fulfilled: "He shall be called a Nazarene."

²³ He went to a town called Nazareth and made his home there, so that the saying of the prophet was fulfilled: "He shall be called a Nazarene."

¹⁵ But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now, for this is the fitting way for both of us to do our full duty to God." Then he yielded to Him.

¹ Then Jesus was guided by the Spirit into the desert, to be tempted by the devil.

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."

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.

²⁸ When Jesus had closed this address, the result was that the crowds were dumbfounded at His teaching,

²⁰ And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, even wild birds have roosts, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."

⁸ And the crowds saw it, and were stricken with awe, and gave praise to God for giving such power to men.

¹⁹ The Son of Man came eating and drinking with others, and they say, 'Just look at Him! A glutton and a wine-drinker, a chum of tax-collectors and notorious sinners!' And yet wisdom is vindicated by her doings!"

²⁴ But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "This man is not driving out demons except by the help of Beelzebub, the prince of the demons." ²⁵ But because He knew their thoughts, He said to them, "Any kingdom that is not united is in the process of destruction, and any city or family that is not united cannot last. ²⁶ Now if Satan is driving out Satan, he has become disunited; how then can his kingdom last? ²⁷ And if I am driving out demons by the help of Beelzebub, by whose help are your sons driving them out? So they must be your judges. ²⁸ But if I by the Spirit of God am driving the demons out, then the kingdom of God has come to you. ²⁹ Or, how can anyone get into a giant's house and carry off his goods, unless he first binds the giant? After that he can make a clean sweep of his house. ³⁰ Whoever is not in partnership with me is against me, and whoever does not gather in partnership with me scatters. ³¹ So I tell you, every sin and all abusive speech will be forgiven men, but abuse against the Spirit cannot be forgiven. ³² And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven for it, but whoever speaks abusively against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven for it, either in this world or in the world to come. ³³ "You must either make the tree healthy and its fruits healthy or make the tree sickly and its fruits sickly, for a tree is judged by its fruit. ³⁴ You brood of vipers! How can you, wicked as you are, say anything that is good? For the mouth talks about the things that fill the heart. ³⁵ The good man out of his good inner storehouse, brings out good things, the bad man, out of his bad one, bad things.

⁴⁰ For as Jonah was in the whale's stomach for three days and nights, the Son of Man will be three days and nights in the heart of the earth.

⁴² The queen of the south will rise with the leaders of this age at the judgment and condemn them, for she came from the farthest limits of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and there is more than Solomon here!

⁴⁶ While He was still speaking to the crowds, His mother and His brothers had taken their stand outside, trying hard to get to speak to Him.

⁵⁵ Is He not the carpenter's son? Is not His mother's name Mary, are not His brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?

²⁷ Then Jesus at once spoke to them, "Be men of courage! It is I; stop being afraid."

¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

²⁰ Then He admonished the disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Christ. ²¹ It was just after that that Jesus Christ for the first time clearly taught His disciples that He had to go to Jerusalem and submit to many forms of suffering at the hands of the elders, high priests, and scribes, and be killed, but be raised to life on the third day.

⁹ And the crowds that went in front of Him and followed Him shouted: "Welcome the Son of David! Blessed be He who comes in the name of the Lord; Welcome Him from on high!"

¹² And Jesus went into the temple and drove out all the buyers and sellers, and turned the money-changers' tables and the dove-dealers' seats upside down,

⁴⁴ Who ever falls upon that stone will be broken to pieces, but whomever it falls upon will be crushed to powder."

¹⁷ So give us your opinion on the question: Is it right to pay Caesar the poll-tax, or not?"

¹⁴ And this good news of the kingdom must be preached all over the inhabited world, for a testimony to all the heathen, and then the end will come.

⁶⁵ Then the high priest tore his clothes, and said, "He has uttered blasphemy, What more evidence do we need? You have just heard His blasphemy. ⁶⁶ What do you think now?" Then they answered, "He deserves to die." ⁶⁷ After that they spit in His face and hit Him with their fists, and others boxed His ears,

⁴⁰ and saying, "You who would tear down the temple and build another in three days, save yourself! If you are really the Son of God, come down from the cross." ⁴¹ And the high priests, too, made sport of Him, with the scribes and elders, and said, ⁴² "He saved others but He cannot save Himself. He is the king of Israel, is He? Well, let Him come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. ⁴³ He has put His trust in God; let God deliver Him now, if He cares for Him, for He said, 'I am the Son of God.'" ⁴⁴ Even the robbers who were crucified with Him made sport of Him in the same way. ⁴⁵ Now from twelve o'clock till three, darkness covered the whole land.

⁶³ and said, "Sir, we remember that that pretender said while He was living, 'After three days I will rise again.'

⁶³ and said, "Sir, we remember that that pretender said while He was living, 'After three days I will rise again.' ⁶⁴ Issue an order then to have the tomb closely guarded, so that His disciples cannot come and steal Him and tell the people that He rose from the dead, and the last deception be worse than the first."

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

¹⁸ Then Jesus came up to them, and said, "Full authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

¹⁵ "The time is ripe and the kingdom of God is near; repent and believe in the good news."

²² And they were dumbfounded at His teaching, for He was teaching them like one who had authority to teach, and not like the scribes.

³ Is He not the carpenter, Mary's son, and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And do not His sisters live here among us?" And so they found a cause for stumbling over him.

³² But they did not understand what this statement meant, and they were afraid to ask Him.

³⁶ Then He took a little child and had him stand in the midst of them; then He took him in His arms, and said to them,

¹⁶ Then He took the little children into His arms, and as He laid His hands upon them one by one, He tenderly blessed them.

⁹ I solemnly say to you, all over the world wherever this good news is proclaimed, the deed that she has done will also be told, in memory of her."

⁴³ Joseph of Arimathea, a highly honored member of the council, who was himself looking for the kingdom of God, ventured to go to Pilate and ask for Jesus' body.

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

⁶ Now they were both upright in the sight of God, walking without reproach in all the Lord's commands and requirements.

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.

¹⁹ The angel answered him, "I am Gabriel; I stand in the very presence of God. I have been sent to talk with you and to tell you this good news.

²⁶ Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin there engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. ²⁸ So the angel came to her home and said, "Congratulations, you highly favored woman! The Lord be with you!"

³⁰ Then the angel said, "Stop being afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹ Listen! You will become pregnant and bear a son, and you must name Him Jesus.

³⁹ Now in those days Mary got up and hurried off to the hill country, to a town in Judah,

⁴¹ When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped within her. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,

⁴³ Why is this privilege mine, to have the mother of my Lord come to me?

⁴⁶ Then Mary said: "My soul extols the Lord;

⁴⁶ Then Mary said: "My soul extols the Lord; ⁴⁷ my spirit exults in God my Saviour; ⁴⁸ for He has smiled upon His slave in her lowly station, for from this day all ages will count me happy! ⁴⁹ For the Almighty has done wonders for me, and holy is His name! ⁵⁰ He shows His mercy from age to age to those who fear him. ⁵¹ He has done mighty deeds with His arm. He has scattered those that are proud in the purpose of their hearts. ⁵² He has dethroned monarchs and exalted the poor. ⁵³ He has satisfied the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands. ⁵⁴ He has helped His servant Israel, so as to remember mercy, ⁵⁵ as He promised our forefathers, Abraham and his descendants forever." ⁵⁶ Now Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned home. ⁵⁷ So it was time for Elizabeth to bear a child, and she bore a son.

⁵⁹ On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they tried to name him Zechariah, after his father.

⁶⁴ Then the use of his voice and tongue was at once restored,: and he began to speak, and continued to praise God.

⁶⁴ Then the use of his voice and tongue was at once restored,: and he began to speak, and continued to praise God. ⁶⁵ And all the neighbors were overwhelmed with awe, and all over the hill country of Judea these things were being talked, ⁶⁶ and all who heard them kept them in their hearts, and said, "What then is this child to be?" for the hand of the Lord was with him.

⁶⁶ and all who heard them kept them in their hearts, and said, "What then is this child to be?" for the hand of the Lord was with him. ⁶⁷ Now his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he uttered the following prophecy: ⁶⁸ "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for He has come and brought His people deliverance; ⁶⁹ and He has made a mighty Saviour for us in the house of His servant David,

⁷⁹ to shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." ⁸⁰ Now the child continued to grow and to gain strength in the Spirit, and he lived in the desert until the day when he announced himself to Israel.

⁴ And Joseph too went up from Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to the town of David in Judea called Bethlehem, because he was a descendant of the house and family of David,

⁷ and she bore her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him up and laid Him in a manger, for there was no room for them at the inn.

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."

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: ¹⁴ "Glory to God in highest heaven! And peace on earth to men who please him."

¹⁹ but Mary continued to treasure it all up and to ponder it in her heart. ²⁰ Then the shepherds went back continuing to give glory and praise to God for all that they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them. ²¹ When He was eight days old and it was time to circumcise Him, He was named Jesus, the name given by the angel before Mary had conceived Him. ²² Now when the period of their purification ended, in accordance with the law of Moses, they took Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord, to do as it is written in the law of the Lord,

²² Now when the period of their purification ended, in accordance with the law of Moses, they took Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord, to do as it is written in the law of the Lord, ²³ "Every first born male shall be counted consecrated to the Lord," ²⁴ and to offer the sacrifice in accordance with what is specified in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons." 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. ²⁶ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not die without seeing the Lord's Messiah.

²⁸ Symeon also took Him in his arms and blessed God, and said: ²⁹ "Now, Master, you will let your slave go free in peace, as you have promised; ³⁰ for my eyes have seen your Salvation, ³¹ which you prepared before all peoples, ³² a light of revelation to the heathen, and a glory to your people Israel." ³³ And His father and mother kept wondering at the things spoken by Symeon about Him.

³⁸ Just at that time she came up and began to give thanks to God and to speak about the child to all who were expecting the deliverance of Jerusalem. ³⁹ Now when they had completed everything that was in accordance with the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. ⁴⁰ And the child continued to grow and gain in strength; He continued to increase in wisdom, and the spiritual blessing of God was on Him. ⁴¹ His parents were in the habit of going to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover.

⁴⁴ They supposed that He was somewhere in the caravan, and so they traveled a whole day before they began to make an anxious search for Him among His relatives and acquaintances. ⁴⁵ As they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem in anxious search for Him.

⁴⁷ Now everyone who was listening to Him was showing astonishment at His intelligence and at His answers. ⁴⁸ When His parents saw Him, they were utterly amazed, and yet His mother said to Him, "My child, why did you treat us so? Just see how your father and I, in agony of mind, have been searching for you!" ⁴⁹ Then He said to them, "Why is it that you were searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"

⁵¹ So He went back to Nazareth with them and continued to obey them. But His mother continued to treasure up all these sayings in her heart. ⁵² Meanwhile Jesus grew constantly in wisdom and in body, and in favor with God and man.

¹ In the fifteenth year of the reign of the Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was governor of Galilee, and his brother Philip was governor of the territory of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was governor of Abilene,

⁶ And all mankind must see the salvation of God.'"

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!" ²³ Now Jesus Himself was about thirty years old when He began His work; He was the son, as was supposed, of Joseph, the son of Eli,

²³ Now Jesus Himself was about thirty years old when He began His work; He was the son, as was supposed, of Joseph, the son of Eli, ²⁴ the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannal, the son of Joseph, ²⁵ the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, ²⁶ the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, ²⁷ the son of Johanan, the son of Resa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Salathiel, the son of Neri, ²⁸ the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, ²⁹ the son of Jesus, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, ³⁰ the son of Symeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, ³¹ the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,

¹ Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and for forty days He was led about in the desert under the Spirit's guidance,

¹⁶ So He came to Nazareth where He had been brought up, and as His habit was on the Sabbath, He went to the synagogue and stood up to read.

²² So they all began to speak well of Him and to wonder at the gracious words that fell from His lips, and yet they continued to say, "Is He not Joseph's son?"

³² and they were completely astounded, because His message was spoken with authority.

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."

⁹ For at the haul of fish that they had made, bewildering amazement had seized him and all his men, ¹⁰ as well as James and John, Zebedee's sons, who were Simon's partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Stop being afraid; from now on you will be catching men."

¹⁷ One day as He was teaching, there were some Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Him to cure people.

³³ After that they said to Him, "John's disciples rigidly practice fasting and offering up prayers; so do the Pharisees, but your disciples keep right on eating and drinking."

¹ Soon afterwards He chanced to be making a tour of Galilee from town to town and from village to village preaching and telling the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve went with Him,

³⁹ "Go back to your home, and continue to tell what great things God has done for you." But he went off and told all over the town what great things Jesus had done for him.

²⁷ I solemnly say to you, some of you who stand here will certainly live to see the kingdom of God."

⁴³ So they all continued to be utterly astounded at the greatness of God. Now while everybody was wondering at all that He was doing, He said to His disciples, ⁴⁴ "You must store away in your memories these words, for the Son of Man is going to be turned over to the hands of men!" ⁴⁵ But they remained ignorant of what this meant; indeed, it had been hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.

³⁴ So he went to him and dressed his wounds by pouring oil and wine upon them, and then he put him on his donkey and brought him to an inn and took care of him.

¹⁰ Just so, I tell you, there is joy among the angels of God over one sinful person who repents!"

¹⁴ Now the Pharisees who were lovers of money had been listening to all this, and they began to ridicule Him. ¹⁵ Then He said to them, "You are the men who exhibit your uprightness before the public, but God knows your hearts. For what stands high in the sight of men is detestable in the sight of God.

³⁴ But they did not understand about these things, and this statement was an insoluble riddle to them; they did not even begin to grasp what He meant.

⁴³ So at once he saw again, and began to follow Him, giving thanks to God. And all the people saw it and gave praise to God.

³² So off the two messengers went and found it just as He had told them.

³⁷ Just as He was approaching the city, going down the Mount of Olives, the whole throng of the disciples began to praise God exultantly and loudly for all the wonder-works that they had seen, ³⁸ and said: "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord; peace in heaven and praise on high!"

³⁸ and said: "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord; peace in heaven and praise on high!"

⁴¹ Then He said to them, "How do people say that the Christ is David's Son? ⁴² For David himself in the Book of Psalms says: 'The Lord has said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, ⁴³ until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet."' ⁴⁴ So David calls Him Lord, then how can He be his Son?"

¹³ So they went off and found it just as He had said, and they prepared the Passover supper.

⁵¹ who had not voted for the plan and action of the council. He came from a Jewish town, Arimathea, and he was waiting for the kingdom of God.

⁴ And as they were being perplexed about this, two men in dazzling robes suddenly took their stand beside them.

²¹ But we kept hoping that He was the One who was coming to set Israel free. Moreover, besides all this, it is now the third day since these things occurred.

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

⁵¹ And while He was blessing them, He parted from them, and was taken up to heaven.

¹⁴ So the Word became human and lived a little while among us, and we actually saw His glory, the glory of One who is an only Son from His Father, and He was full of spiritual blessing and truth.

⁴¹ He first found his brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which means, the Christ).

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). 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."

⁴⁶ Then Nathaniel said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see."

¹³ Now the Jewish Passover was approaching; so Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

¹⁶ Then He said to the pigeon-dealers, "Take these things out of here! Stop using my Father's house as a market place!" ¹⁷ His disciples recalled that the Scriptures say, "My zeal for your house will consume me!"

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.

²⁰ For anyone who is in the habit of doing wrong hates the light, and to keep his actions from being reproved, he does not come out into the daylight.

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?"

²⁹ "Come, see a man who has told me everything I ever did. He is not the Christ, is He?"

³⁴ Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to finish His work.

⁴² and they were saying to the woman, "It is not merely because of what you said that we now believe, for we have heard Him ourselves, and we know that He is really the Saviour of the world."

¹⁷ Then He answered them, "My Father is still working, and so am I." ¹⁸ It was on account of this that the Jews tried all the harder to put Him to death, because He not only persisted in breaking the Sabbath, but also kept on saying that God was His Father, and so was making Himself equal to God.

⁴ Now the Passover, the Jewish feast, was approaching.

³⁸ because I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of Him who sent me.

⁶⁹ and we have come to believe, yes more, we know by experience, that you are the Holy One of God."

¹⁵ The Jews were dumbfounded and said, "How can this uneducated man know the Scriptures?"

²⁵ Then some of the people of Jerusalem said, "Is not this the man they are trying to kill? ²⁶ Just look! He is talking in public, and yet they do not say a word to Him! It cannot be that the authorities have really learned that He is the Christ, can it? ²⁷ But we know where this man is from; when the Christ comes, however, no one will know where He is from."

⁴¹ Others said, "This is the Christ." But still others said, "The Christ does not come from Galilee, does He? ⁴² Do not the Scriptures say that the Christ is to spring from David and to come from the village of Bethlehem where David lived?"

⁴⁶ The officers answered, "No man ever talked as He does!"

²⁹ Yes, He who sent me is ever with me; I am not alone, because I always practice what pleases Him."

⁴² Then Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. No, indeed, I have not come on my own authority, but He has sent me. ⁴³ Why is it that you misunderstand what I say? It is because you cannot listen to what I teach. ⁴⁴ You sprang from the devil, your real father, and you want to practice your father's wishes. He was a murderer from the very start, and he does not stand by the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks out of his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies. ⁴⁵ But because I tell you the truth, you do not believe me. ⁴⁶ Who of you can prove me guilty of sin? But if I do tell you the truth, why do you not believe me? ⁴⁷ Whoever is sprung from God listens to what God says. This is why you do not listen to me: you are not sprung from God." ⁴⁸ Then the Jews answered Him, "Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and are under the power of a demon?" ⁴⁹ Jesus answered: "I am not under the power of a demon; on the other hand, I am honoring my Father, but you are dishonoring me. ⁵⁰ However, I am not seeking honor for myself; there is One who is seeking it for me, and He is judge. ⁵¹ I most solemnly say to you, if anyone follows my teaching, he will never experience death."

⁵¹ I most solemnly say to you, if anyone follows my teaching, he will never experience death." ⁵² Then the Jews said to Him, "Now we know that you are under the power of a demon. Abraham is dead; the prophets too, and yet you say, 'If anyone follows my teaching, he will never experience death.'

⁴ We must continue to do the works of Him who sent me while it is daylight. Night is coming when no one can do any work.

²⁴ So a second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, "Give God the praise; we know this man is a sinner." ²⁵ Then he answered, "I do not know whether He is a sinner. I do know one thing, that once I was blind but now I can see." ²⁶ Again they said to him, "What did He do to you? How did He make your eyes to see again?" ²⁷ He answered them, "I have already told you and you would not listen to me. Why do you want to hear it again? You do not want to become His disciples, do you?" ²⁸ Then they jeered him, and said, "You are a disciple of His yourself, but we are disciples of Moses. ²⁹ We do know that God spoke to Moses, but we do not know where this fellow comes from."

⁸ All who came as such before me are thieves and robbers, but the true sheep would not listen to them. ⁹ I am the door myself. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. ¹⁰ A thief does not come for any purpose but to steal and kill and destroy; I have come for people to have life and have it till it overflows. ¹¹ I am the good shepherd myself. The good shepherd gives his own life for his sheep. ¹² The hired man, who is not a shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf carries off some of the sheep and scatters the flock.

²⁷ She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

⁵⁵ Now the Jewish Passover was approaching, and many people from the country went up to Jerusalem, to purify themselves before the Passover.

⁴¹ Isaiah said this, because he saw His glory; yes, he spoke about Him.

¹ Before the Passover feast started, Jesus knew that His time had come for Him to leave the world and go to the Father, and as He had loved His own in the world He loved them to the last.

²⁷ I now leave you the blessing of peace, I give you the blessing of my own peace. I myself do not give it in the way the world gives it. Stop letting your hearts be troubled or timid.

²² "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. But now the fact is, they have no excuse for their sin. ²³ Whoever continues to hate me continues to hate my Father too. ²⁴ If I had not done things among them that no one else has ever done, they would not be guilty of sin. But now the fact is, they have seen and even hated both my Father and me.

⁴ I have glorified you down here upon the earth by completing the work which you have given me to do.

²⁵ Near Jesus' cross were standing His mother and her sister Mary, the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala.

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.

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.

¹⁸ Even on my slaves, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will become prophets.

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."

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." ³⁷ When they heard this, they were stabbed to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" 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." ⁴⁰ With many more words he continued to testify and to plead with them to save themselves from that crooked age. ⁴¹ So they accepted his message and were baptized, and about three thousand persons united with them on that day.

⁴⁶ Day after day they regularly attended the temple; they practiced breaking their bread together in their homes, and eating their food with glad and simple hearts, ⁴⁷ constantly praising God and always having the favor of all the people. And every day the Lord continued to add to them the people who were being saved.

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. ¹⁷ "And yet, I know, brothers, that you did not realize what you were doing, any more than your leaders did. ¹⁸ But in this way God fulfilled what He by the lips of all the prophets foretold, that the Christ should suffer. ¹⁹ So now repent and turn to Him, to have your sins wiped out, that times of revival may come from the presence of the Lord,

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."

²⁶ The kings of the earth took their stand. The rulers met against the Lord, and too, against His Christ.'

³³ So with great power the apostles continued to give their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God's favor rested richly on them all.

¹⁹ But in the night the angel of the Lord threw open the jail doors and let them out, and said to them,

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.

³⁴ But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, highly respected by all the people, got up in the council and gave orders to put the men out of the council a little while;

³⁷ After him, at the time of the enrollment for the Roman tax, Judas the Galilean appeared and influenced people to desert and follow him, but he too perished and all his followers were scattered.

⁷ So God's message continued to spread, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem continued to grow rapidly; a large number, even of priests, continued to surrender to the faith.

⁹ And the patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him ¹⁰ and delivered him from all his troubles, and allowed him to win favor and to show wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and so he appointed Joseph governor of Egypt and of his whole household.

²¹ You have no share or part in this matter, for your heart is not sincere in the sight of God. ²² So repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord, to see if this thought of your heart may be forgiven you. ²³ For I see that you are a bitter weed and a bundle of crookedness!"

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

¹ Now Saul, as he was still breathing threats of murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest ² and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, that if he found any men or women belonging to The Way he might bring them in chains to Jerusalem. ³ As he traveled on he finally approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 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. ⁶ But get up and go into the city, and there it will be told you what you ought to do." ⁷ His fellow-travelers stood speechless, for they heard the voice but could not see anyone. ⁸ Then Saul got up off the ground, but he could not see anything, although his eyes were wide open. So they took him by the hand and led him into Damascus, ⁹ and for three days he could not see, and he did not eat or drink anything. 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. ¹² He has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, to restore his sight." ¹³ But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard many people tell of this man, especially the great sufferings he has brought on your people in Jerusalem. ¹⁴ Now he is here and has authority from the high priests to put in chains all who call upon your name." 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. ¹⁶ For I am going to show him how great are the sufferings he must endure for my name's sake." 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." ¹⁸ And all at once something like scales fell from his eyes, he regained his sight, got up and was baptized, ¹⁹ and after taking some food he felt strong again. For several days he stayed with the disciples at Damascus, ²⁰ and at once he began to preach in their synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.

²⁰ and at once he began to preach in their synagogues that Jesus is the Son of 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.

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

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."

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.

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.

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.

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."

²⁸ and one of them named Agabus got up and, through the Holy Spirit, foretold that there was going to be a great famine all over the world, which occurred in the reign of Claudius.

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.

³ So after fasting and praying, they laid their hands upon them and let them go.

⁷ He was an intimate friend of the governor, Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent man. The governor sent for Barnabas and Saul and in this way tried to hear God's message.

³² So now we are bringing you the good news about the promise that was made to our forefathers,

⁴⁵ But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were completely overcome by their jealousy and began to contradict the statements made by Paul, and even to abuse him.

⁴⁷ For here are the orders that the Lord has given us: 'I have made you a light to the heathen, To be the means of salvation to the very ends of the earth.'" ⁴⁸ The heathen kept on listening and rejoicing and giving the glory to God's message, and all who had been destined to eternal life believed,

²³ They helped them select elders in each church, and after praying and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

⁷ they went on to Mysia and tried to get into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not permit them.

³ explaining them and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead, and said, "This very Jesus whom I proclaim to you is the Christ."

⁶ They stopped at Jason's house and tried to bring them out to the people. So, as they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the town magistrates, shouting, "These fellows, who have turned the world topsy-turvy, have come here too,

¹² While Gallio was governor of Greece, the Jews unanimously attacked Paul and one day brought him before the court,

⁹ He had four unmarried daughters who were prophetesses.

⁶ But on my way, just before I reached Damascus, suddenly about noon a blaze of light from heaven flashed around me, ⁷ and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?' ⁸ I answered, 'Who are you, Sir?' He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting.' ⁹ The men who were with me saw the light, but they did not hear the voice of Him who was speaking to me.

²⁶ "Claudius Lysias sends greetings to his Excellency Felix, the governor.

⁵ For we have found this man a perfect pest and a distributor of the peace among the Jews throughout the world. He is a ringleader in the sect of the Nazarenes;

¹⁶ So I am always striving to have a conscience that is clear before God and men.

¹¹ If I am guilty and have done anything that deserves death, I am not begging to keep from dying, but if there is nothing in the charges which these men make against me, no one can give me up as a favor to them. I appeal to the emperor."

²¹ But as Paul appealed to have his case kept for his Majesty's decision, I ordered him kept in custody until I could send him up to the emperor."

⁷ which promise our twelve tribes, by devotedly worshiping day and night, hope to see fulfilled for them. It is for this hope, your Majesty, that I am accused by some Jews.

¹³ and on the road at noon, your Majesty, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, flash around me and my fellow-travelers. ¹⁴ We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice say to me in Hebrew, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you continue to persecute me? It is hurting you to keep on kicking against the goad.'

²³ if the Christ should suffer, and by being the first to rise from the dead was to proclaim the light to the Jewish people and to the heathen."

³⁰ Then the king rose, with the governor and Bernice and those who had been seated with them,

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

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!"

⁸ First, through Jesus Christ I thank my God for you all, because the report of your faith is spreading all over the world.

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,

³² Why? Because they did not try through faith but through what they could do. They have stumbled over the stone that causes people to stumble,

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!"

¹⁸ whoever in this way continues serving Christ is well-pleasing to God and approved by men.

⁸ Yes, I mean that Christ has become a servant to Israel to prove God's truthfulness, to make valid His promises to our forefathers, 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."

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."

²³ we are preaching the Christ who was crucified -- a message that is a trap-stick to the Jews and nonsense to the Greeks,

³¹ so that, as the Scripture says, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

¹⁹ Yes, indeed, there must be parties among you, in order that people of approved fitness may come to the front among you.

¹ About spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be without information.

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

¹⁵ Indeed, I am the fragrance of Christ to God, alike for those who are being saved and for those who are perishing; ¹⁶ to the one a deadly perfume that leads to death, to the other a living perfume that leads to life.

¹⁸ And all of us, with faces uncovered, because we continue to reflect like mirrors the splendor of the Lord, are being transformed into likeness to Him, from one degree of splendor to another, since it comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

⁶ For God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in my heart, to give me the light of the knowledge of God's glory, reflected on the face of Christ.

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.

⁹ For by experience you know the unmerited favor shown by our Lord Jesus Christ; that although He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, in order that by His poverty you might become rich.

¹⁵ Thank God for His unspeakable gift!

⁴ but when the proper time had come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born subject to law,

⁴ but when the proper time had come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born subject to law, ⁵ to ransom those who were subject to law, so that we might be adopted as sons.

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who through Christ has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm.

⁶ so that we might praise the splendid favor which He has shown us in His beloved Son.

⁹ He has made known to us the secret of His will, which is in accordance with His purpose which He planned in Christ,

⁴ But God, who is so rich in mercy on account of the great love He has for us,

⁷ to show, throughout the coming ages, the boundless generosity of His unmerited favor shown us in His goodness to us through Christ Jesus.

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.

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,

¹⁰ so that the many phases of God's wisdom may now through the church be made known to the rulers and authorities in heaven,

²⁰ To Him who by His power that is at work within us can do surpassingly more than all we ask or imagine, ²¹ be glory in the church and through Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

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

¹ Children, obey your parents, for this is right. ² "You must honor your father and mother" -- this is the first commandment, with a promise to make it good

¹⁰ From now on you must grow stronger through union with the Lord and through His mighty power.

²³ I am hesitating between two desires, for I long to depart and to be with Christ, for that is far, far better,

⁸ Because He was recognized as a man, in reality as well as in outward form, He finally humiliated Himself in obedience so as to die, even to die on a cross.

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

¹³ for it is God Himself who is at work in you to help you desire it as well as do it.

⁸ Yes, indeed, I certainly do count everything as loss compared with the priceless privilege of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have lost everything, and value it all as mere refuse, in order to gain Christ

²² All God's people wish to be remembered to you, but more especially the members of the Emperor's household.

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.

² that their hearts may be encouraged, by having been knit together in love and by having atoned to the full assurance of understanding, so that they may finally reach the fullest knowledge of the open secret, Christ Himself, ³ in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are stored up.

⁶ So, just as you once accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue living in vital union with Him,

¹⁶ May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and graciously given us encouragement that is eternal, and a hope that is well-founded,

¹⁶ Undoubtedly the mystery of our religion is a great wonder: "He was made visible in human form; He was vindicated by the Spirit; He was seen by angels; He was proclaimed among the heathen; He was trusted in throughout the world; He was taken up to glory."

⁵ But a woman who is really a widow and lives alone has fixed her hope on God, and night and day devotes herself to prayers and entreaties,

⁹ For He saved us and called us with a holy call, not in accordance with anything that we had done, but in accordance with His own purpose and unmerited favor which was shown us through union with Christ Jesus eternal ages ago, ¹⁰ but has only recently been made known through the appearance of our Saviour Christ Jesus, who through the good news has put a stop to the power of death, and brought life and immortality to light.

¹ So you, my son, must keep renewing your strength in the spiritual blessing that comes through union with Christ Jesus.

¹⁰ to stop resisting them and stealing from them, but to show such perfect fidelity as to adorn, in everything they do, the teaching of God our Saviour. ¹¹ For God's favor has appeared with its offer of salvation to all mankind, ¹² training us to give up godless ways and worldly cravings and live serious, upright, and godly lives in this world, ¹³ while we are waiting for the realization of our blessed hope at the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Christ Jesus, ¹⁴ who gave Himself for us to ransom us from all iniquity and purify for Himself a people to be His very own, zealous of good works.

⁴ But when the goodness and lovingkindness of God our Saviour were brought to light, ⁵ He saved us, not for upright deeds that we had done, but in accordance with His mercy, through the bath of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, ⁶ which He abundantly poured out upon us through Jesus Christ our Saviour, ⁷ so that we might come into right standing with God through His unmerited favor and become heirs of eternal life in accordance with our hope.

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."

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?

¹ For this man Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was coming back from the defeat of the kings, and put his blessing on him,

⁷ Now beyond any contradiction, it is always the inferior that is blessed by the superior.

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;

¹ Therefore, as we have so vast a crowd of spectators in the grandstands, let us throw off every impediment and the sin that easily entangles our feet, and run with endurance the race for which we are entered, ² keeping our eyes on Jesus, the perfect leader and example of faith, who, instead of the joy which lay before Him, endured the cross with no regard for its shame, and since has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Yes, to keep from growing weary and fainthearted, just think of the examples set by Him who has endured so great opposition aimed at Him by sinful men!

²¹ and so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, "I am terrified and terror-stricken!"

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, ²¹ perfectly fit you to do His will, He Himself, through Jesus Christ, accomplishing through you what is pleasing to Him. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen.

¹² It was made known to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in their searching for these things that have already been told to you by those who through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven brought you the good news. The angels long to take a peep into these things.

⁷ So to you who put your trust in Him the honor belongs, but to those who fail to trust Him: "That stone which then the builders threw away Has now become the cornerstone," ⁸ and: "A stone for them to stumble over and a rock to trip them up." They keep on stumbling over the message, because they are disobedient to it, and this is their appointed doom.

²¹ Indeed, it was to this kind of living that you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you might follow His footsteps.

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

¹⁴ If you are suffering abuse because you bear the name of Christ, you are happy, because the glorious Spirit of God is resting upon you.

²¹ for no prophecy has ever yet originated in man's will, but men who were led by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

¹⁹ They have gone out from our own number, but they did not really belong to us; for if they had, they would have stayed with us. It was to show that none of those who went out really belonged to us.

⁹ This is the way God's love for us has been shown, namely, God has sent His only Son into the world that we through Him might have life. ¹⁰ In this way is seen the true love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

¹⁴ We have seen and now testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Saviour of the world.

¹ Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves His child.

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

¹⁷ So when I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He laid His right hand upon me and said: "Do not be afraid any more. I am the First and the Last; 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.

¹² I will make him who conquers a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall never again go out of it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God, and my own new name.

¹¹ Then I looked and heard the voices of many angels surrounding the throne, the living creatures, and the elders. Their number was myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,

¹³ Then I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, underneath the earth, and on the sea, and all that they contain, say: "Blessing, honor, glory, and power be to Him who is seated on the throne and to the Lamb forever."

⁶ twelve thousand from the tribe of Asher; twelve thousand from the tribe of Naphtali; twelve thousand from the tribe of Manasseh;

¹⁵ This is why they are before the throne of God, and day and night serve Him in His temple, and He who is seated on His throne will shelter them in His tent.

¹ Then a great symbol was seen in heaven -- a woman clothed in the sun with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. ² She was about to become a mother, and she cried out in anguish in giving birth to a child. ³ Another symbol was seen in heaven -- there was a huge dragon, red as fire, with seven heads and ten horns, with seven diadems on his heads. ⁴ His tail was dragging after it a third part of the stars of heaven and dashed them down upon the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth to a child, in order to devour her child as soon as it was born. ⁵ She gave birth to a son, a male child who is going to rule all the nations with a scepter of iron; and the child was caught up to God, to His throne.

¹³ Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write: 'Blessed are the dead who from this time die as Christians.'" "Yes," says the Spirit, "let them rest from their toils, for the things they have done are going with them."

³ So he carried me away in spiritual rapture to a desert, and I saw a woman seated on a scarlet wild beast, covered with blasphemous titles; he had seven heads and ten horns.

¹ After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority and the earth was lighted up with his splendor.

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.

²³ The city does not need the sun or moon to shine in it, for the glory of God has lighted it, and the Lamb is its lamp.