Luke 11 Cross References - LEB

¹ And it happened that while he was in a certain place praying, when he stopped a certain one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples." ² And he said to them, "When you pray, say,
"Father, may your name be treated as holy. May your kingdom come. ³ Give us each day our daily bread. ⁴ And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation." ⁵ And he said to them, "Who of you will have a friend, and will go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves, ⁶ because a friend of mine has come to me on a journey, and I do not have anything to set before him.' ⁷ And that one will answer from inside and* say, 'Do not cause me trouble! The door has already been shut and my children are with me in bed! I am not able to get up to give you anything.'* ⁸ I tell you, even if he does not give him anything* after he* gets up because he is his friend, at any rate because of his impudence* he will get up and* give him whatever he needs. ⁹ And I tell you, ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened for you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. ¹¹ But what father from among you, if his* son will ask for a fish, instead of a fish will give him a snake? ¹² Or also, if he will ask for an egg, will give him a scorpion? ¹³ Therefore if you, although you* are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father from heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?" ¹⁴ And he was expelling a mute demon.* Now it happened that when* the demon came out, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were astonished. ¹⁵ But some of them said, "By Beelzebul the ruler of demons he expels demons!" ¹⁶ And others, in order to* test him,* were demanding from him a sign from heaven. ¹⁷ But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and _⌊a divided household_⌋* falls. ¹⁸ So if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I expel demons by Beelzebul. ¹⁹ But if I expel demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons expel them?* For this reason they will be your judges! ²⁰ But if I expel demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you! ²¹ When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his possessions are _⌊safe_⌋.* ²² But when a stronger man attacks him and* conquers him, he takes away his full armor in which he trusted and distributes his plunder. ²³ The one who is not with me is against me, and the one who does not gather with me scatters. ²⁴ "Whenever an unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it travels through waterless places searching for rest, and does not find it.* It says,* 'I will return to my house from which I came out.' ²⁵ And when it* arrives it finds the house* swept and put in order. ²⁶ Then it goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and* live there. And the last state of that person becomes worse than the first!" ²⁷ Now it happened that as he said these things, a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and* said to him, "Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!" ²⁸ But he said, "On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and follow it!"* ²⁹ And as* the crowds were increasing, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation! It demands a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah! ³⁰ For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation. ³¹ The queen of the south will rise up at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something* greater than Solomon is here! ³² The people of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and behold, something* greater than Jonah is here! ³³ "No one after* lighting a lamp puts it* in a cellar or under a bushel basket, but on a lampstand, so that those who come in can see the light. ³⁴ Your eye is the lamp of the body. When your eye is sincere, your whole body is full of light also. But when it is evil, your body is dark also. ³⁵ Therefore pay careful attention that the light in you is not darkness! ³⁶ If therefore your whole body is full of light, not having any part dark, it will be completely full of light, as when the lamp with its light gives light to you." ³⁷ And as he was speaking, a Pharisee asked him _⌊to have a meal_⌋* with him, and he went in and* reclined at table. ³⁸ And the Pharisee, when he* saw it,* was astonished that he did not first wash before the meal. ³⁹ But the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but your inside is full of greediness and wickedness. ⁴⁰ Fools! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? ⁴¹ But give as charitable giving the things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you. ⁴² "But woe to you, Pharisees, because you pay a tenth of mint and rue and every garden herb, and neglect justice and love for God! But it was necessary to do these things without neglecting those things also. ⁴³ Woe to you, Pharisees, because you love the best seat in the synagogues and the greetings in the marketplaces! ⁴⁴ Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, and the people who walk over them* do not know it!* ⁴⁵ And one of the legal experts answered and* said to him, "Teacher, when you* say these things, you insult us also!" ⁴⁶ So he said, "Woe to you also, legal experts, because you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers! ⁴⁷ Woe to you, because you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them! ⁴⁸ As a result you are witnesses, and you approve of the deeds of your fathers, because they killed them and you build their tombs!* ⁴⁹ For this reason also the wisdom of God said, 'I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,' ⁵⁰ so that the blood of all the prophets that has been shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, ⁵¹ from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the temple building.* Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation! ⁵² Woe to you, legal experts, because you have taken away the key to knowledge! You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering!" ⁵³ And when* he departed from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be terribly hostile, and to question him closely about many things, ⁵⁴ plotting to catch him with reference to something _⌊he might say_⌋.*

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

¹⁴ Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your presence, O Yahweh, my rock and my redeemer.

¹² Now it happened that in these days he went away to the mountain to pray, and was spending the whole night in prayer to God.

¹⁸ And it happened that while he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, saying, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"

²⁸ Now it happened that about eight days after these words, he took along Peter and John and James and* went up on the mountain to pray.

³⁹ And he went away and* proceeded, according to his* custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples also followed him. ⁴⁰ And when* he came to the place, he said to them, "Pray that you will not enter into temptation." ⁴¹ And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw and _⌊knelt down_⌋* and* began to pray,* ⁴² saying, "Father, if you are willing, take away this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will but yours be done." ⁴³ And an angel from heaven appeared to him, strengthening him. ⁴⁴ And being in anguish, he began praying* more fervently and his sweat became like drops of blood falling down to the ground.* ⁴⁵ And when he* got up from the prayer and* came to the disciples, he found them sleeping from sorrow,

²⁶ And likewise also, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as one ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with unexpressed groanings. ²⁷ And the one who searches our hearts knows what the mindset of the Spirit is, because he intercedes on behalf of the saints according to the will of God.

⁷ who in the days of his flesh offered up both prayers and supplications, with loud crying and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard as a result of his reverence.

² You desire and do not have; you murder and are filled with envy, and are not able to obtain; you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. ³ You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, in order that you may spend it on your pleasures.

²⁰ But you, dear friends, by* building yourselves up in your most holy faith, by* praying in the Holy Spirit,

³ Therefore* Moses said to Aaron, "This is what Yahweh spoke, saying, 'Among those who are close to me I will show myself holy, and _⌊in the presence of_⌋* all the people I will display my glory.'"* So* Aaron was silent.

²³ As for* an ox or sheep that is deformed or* that is stunted, you may present it as a freewill offering, but* for a vow it will not be accepted.

⁴³ you shall hear in heaven, the place of your dwelling, and act according to all that the foreigner calls to you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name, to fear you as your people Israel, and to know that your name has been invoked over this house that I have built.

¹⁹ So then, O Yahweh our God, rescue us, please, from his hand, that all of the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O Yahweh, you alone are God!"

⁶ And he said, "O Yahweh, God of our ancestors,* are you not God in heaven? Now you rule in all the kingdoms of the nations, and in your hand are power and might, and there is none who can resist against you.

⁴ Yahweh is in his holy temple; Yahweh is in the heavens on his throne. His eyelids see; they test the children of humankind.

¹¹ Be exalted above the heavens, O God. Let your glory be above all the earth.

¹⁸ Blessed be Yahweh God, the God of Israel, who alone does wonderful things. ¹⁹ And blessed be his glorious name forever, and may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen.

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

⁵ Be exalted above the heavens, O God, and let your glory be above all the earth,

² Do not be rash with your mouth, and do not let your heart be quick to utter a word before God. For God is in heaven, and you are on earth; therefore, let your words be few.

² And it shall happen in the future of the days the mountain of the house* of Yahweh shall be established; it will be among the highest* of the mountains, and it shall be raised from the hills. All of the nations shall travel to him; ³ many peoples shall come. And they shall say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh, to the house* of the God of Jacob, and may he teach us part of his ways, and let us walk in his paths." For instruction shall go out from Zion, and the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem. ⁴ He shall judge between the nations and he shall arbitrate for many peoples. They shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. A nation shall not lift up a sword against a nation, and they shall not learn war again. ⁵ House of Jacob, come and let us walk in the light of Yahweh.

² Seraphs were standing above him. _⌊Each had six wings_⌋:* with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. ³ And the one called to the other and said,
"Holy, holy, holy is Yahweh of hosts! The _⌊whole earth is full of his glory_⌋."*

¹⁶ For you are our father, although Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us. You, Yahweh are our father, Our Redeemer from of old is your name.

²³ And I will consecrate my great name, which was profaned among the nations and which you have profaned in the midst of them, and the nations will know that I am Yahweh!" ' a declaration of the Lord Yahweh, _⌊when I show myself holy_⌋* _⌊before_⌋* their eyes.

²⁸ But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what it is that will be at the end of days. This is your dream and the visions of your head on your bed.

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

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

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

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

¹⁴ For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Yahweh, like the waters covering the sea.

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

¹⁶ In the same way let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

⁶ But whenever you pray, enter into your inner room and shut your door and* pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. ⁷ "But when you* pray, do not babble repetitiously like the pagans, for they think that because of their many words they will be heard. ⁸ Therefore do not be like them, for your Father knows _⌊what you need_⌋* before you ask him. ⁹ Therefore you pray in this way:
"Our Father who is in heaven, may your name be treated as holy. ¹⁰ May your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. ¹¹ Give us today our daily bread, ¹² and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ¹³ And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.* ¹⁴ For if you forgive people their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive people, neither will your Father forgive your sins.

³² "Therefore everyone who acknowledges me before people, I also will acknowledge him before my Father who is in heaven.

⁹ and heal the sick in it, and say to them, "The kingdom of God has come near to you." ¹⁰ But into whatever town you enter and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and* say, ¹¹ "Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you! Nevertheless know this: that the kingdom of God has come near!"*

⁷ To all those in Rome who are loved by God, called to be saints. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

¹⁵ For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, "Abba!* Father!"

³ Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

² Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴ who gave himself for our sins in order to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

² Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

² Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

²⁰ Now to our God and Father be the glory _⌊forever and ever_⌋*. Amen.

² to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ in Colossae. Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

¹ Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace.

³ because we* remember your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father,

¹¹ Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you, ¹² and may the Lord cause you to increase and to abound in love for one another and for all, just as also we do for you, ¹³ so that your hearts may be established blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.*

¹ Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ² Grace to you and peace from God the Father* and the Lord Jesus Christ.

¹⁶ Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal encouragement and good hope by grace,

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

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

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

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

¹⁵ And the _⌊Israelites_⌋* saw, and they said _⌊to each other_⌋,* "What is this?" because they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, "That is the bread that Yahweh has given to you as food. ¹⁶ This is the word that Yahweh commanded, 'Gather from it, _⌊each according to what he can eat_⌋,* an omer per person* according to the number of you.* You each shall take enough for whoever is in his tent.'" ¹⁷ And the _⌊Israelites_⌋* did so, and they gathered, some more and some less. ¹⁸ And when they measured with the omer, the one gathering more had no surplus, and the one gathering less had no lack; they gathered _⌊each according to what he could eat_⌋.* ¹⁹ And Moses said to them, "Let no one leave any of it until morning." ²⁰ But they did not listen to Moses. Some people* left some of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. ²¹ And they gathered it morning by morning, _⌊each according to what he could eat_⌋,* and it melted when the sun was hot.* ²² And when it was the sixth day, they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one person, and all the leaders of the community came and told Moses.

⁸ Keep falsehood and a _⌊lying word_⌋* far from me; do not give me poverty or wealth; provide me with food only for my need.

¹⁶ That one will live on the heights; the fortresses of rocks will be his refuge. His food will be given; his waters* will endure.

¹¹ Give us today our daily bread,

³⁴ Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow, because tomorrow will be anxious for itself. _⌊Each day has enough trouble of its own._⌋*

²⁷ Do not work for the food that perishes, but the food that remains to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has set his seal on this one." ²⁸ So they said to him, "What shall we do that we can accomplish the works of God?" ²⁹ Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God: that you believe in the one whom that one sent." ³⁰ So they said to him, "Then what sign will you perform, so that we can see it* and believe you? What will you do? ³¹ Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, just as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'* ³² Then Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly I say to you, Moses did not give you bread from heaven, but my Father is giving you the true bread from heaven! ³³ For the bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."

¹⁶ The angel who redeemed me from all evil, may he bless the boys. And through them let my name be perpetuated,* and the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac. And let them multiply into many in the midst of the earth.

³⁴ then you shall hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and you shall bring them back to the ground which you gave to their ancestors.*

³⁶ then you shall hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants and your people Israel, for you will teach them the good way in which they should go, and you will give rain upon your land which you have given to your people as an inheritance.

¹¹ Also, for the sake of your name, O Yahweh, forgive my sin, because it is great.

¹⁸ Consider my affliction and trouble, and forgive* all my sins.

¹ Of David. A maskil.*
Happy is he whose transgression is taken away, whose sin is covered. ² Happy is a person to whom Yahweh does not impute iniquity and in whose spirit there is not deceit. ³ When I kept silent, my bones were worn out due to my groaning all the day. ⁴ For day and night your hand was heavy upon me. My vigor was changed into the dry heat of summer. Selah ⁵ I made known my sin to you, and my iniquity I did not cover. I said, "I will confess concerning my transgressions to Yahweh," and you took away the guilt of my sin. Selah

¹ For the music director. A psalm of David. When Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.*
Be gracious to me, O God, according to your loyal love. According to your abundant mercies, blot out my transgressions. ² Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and from my sin cleanse me. ³ For _⌊I myself know_⌋* my transgressions,* and my sin is ever before me.

⁷ Yahweh will protect you from all evil;* he will protect your life.

³ If you, O Yah,* should _⌊keep track of_⌋* iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? ⁴ But with you is forgiveness, so that you may be feared."

²⁵ I, I am the one who blots out your transgressions for my sake, and I will not remember your sins. ²⁶ Take me to court; let us enter into judgment together. You, _⌊make an account_⌋* so that you may be in the right.

¹⁹ Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, pay heed and act! You must not delay _⌊for your sake_⌋,* my God; because _⌊your city and your people are called by your name_⌋."*

²⁵ At that time Jesus answered and* said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to young children.* ²⁶ Yes, Father, for to do so _⌊was your gracious will_⌋.*

³⁵ So also my heavenly Father will do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from your hearts!"

⁴¹ Stay awake and pray that you will not enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak!"

¹³ And those on the rock are those who receive the word with joy when they hear it,* and these do not have enough root, who believe for a time and in a time of testing fall away.

⁴⁶ and he said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Get up and* pray that you will not enter into temptation!"

¹⁵ I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one.

¹³ Temptation has not come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful, who will not permit you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but will also make a way out together with the temptation, so that you may be able to endure it.

⁷ even because of the extraordinary degree of the revelations. Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan, in order that it would torment me so that I would not exalt myself. ⁸ Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would depart from me.

³¹ All bitterness, and rage, and wrath, and clamor, and abusive speech, must be removed from you, together with all wickedness. ³² Become* kind toward one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as also God in Christ has forgiven you.

¹³ putting up with one another and forgiving one another. If anyone should have a complaint against anyone, just as also the Lord forgave you, thus also you do the same.

³ But the Lord is faithful, who will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.

¹⁸ The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will save me for his heavenly kingdom, to whom be the glory _⌊forever and ever_⌋*. Amen.

¹³ For judgment is merciless to the one who has not practiced mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

⁸ If we say that we do not have sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, so that he will forgive us our* sins and will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

¹⁰ Do not be afraid of the things which you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and you will experience affliction ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

¹⁰ Because you have kept the word of my patient endurance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing that is about to come upon the whole inhabited world, to put to the test those who live on the earth.

¹ And he told them a parable to show that they must always pray and not be discouraged, ² saying, "There was a certain judge in a certain town who did not fear God and did not respect people. ³ And there was a widow in that town, and she kept coming to him, saying, 'Grant me justice against my adversary!' ⁴ And he was not willing for a time, but after these things he said to himself, 'Even if I do not fear God or respect people, ⁵ yet because this widow is causing trouble for me, I will grant her justice, so that she does not wear me down in the end by her* coming back!'" ⁶ And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unrighteous judge is saying! ⁷ And will not God surely _⌊see to it that justice is done_⌋* to his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night, and will he delay toward them? ⁸ I tell you that _⌊he will see to it that justice is done_⌋* for them soon! Nevertheless, when* the Son of Man comes, then will he find faith on earth?"

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

⁶ So Jesus went with them. Now by this time he was not far away from the house, and* the centurion sent friends, saying to him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy that you should come in under my roof.

²⁵ when once the master of the house has gotten up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, 'Lord, open the door* for us!' And he will answer and* say to you, 'I do not know where you are from!'

¹⁷ Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I carry on my body the marks of Jesus.

²⁶ Then he* said, "Let me go, for dawn is breaking." But he answered, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."

²² And behold, a Canaanite woman from that district came and cried out, saying, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely possessed by a demon!" ²³ But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came up and* asked him, saying, "Send her away, because she is crying out after us!" ²⁴ But he answered and* said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." ²⁵ But she came and* knelt down before him, saying, "Lord, help me!" ²⁶ And he answered and* said, "It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it* to the dogs!" ²⁷ So she said, "Yes, Lord, for even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table." ²⁸ Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, your faith is great! Let it be done for you as you want." And her daughter was healed from that hour.

³⁰ Now I exhort you, brothers, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, to contend along with me in your prayers on my behalf to God,

⁸ Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would depart from me.

¹ For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on behalf of you, and those in Laodicea, and all those who have not seen my face _⌊in person_⌋*,

¹² Epaphras, who is one of you, greets you, a slave of Christ* always struggling on behalf of you in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured* in all the will of God.

⁴ One thing I have asked from Yahweh; it I will seek: that I may dwell in the house* of Yahweh all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of Yahweh, and to consider* his temple.

⁸ On your behalf my heart says, "Seek my face." Your face, O Yahweh, I do seek.

⁴ I sought Yahweh and he answered me, and from all my terrors he delivered me.

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

¹⁵ And call me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will glorify me."

³ Boast about his holy name. Let the heart of those who seek Yahweh rejoice. ⁴ Make supplication to Yahweh and his might; seek his face continually.

⁵ Out of my distress I called to Yah.* Yah answered me, setting me in a broad place.

¹ On my bed in the night, I sought* him whom my _⌊heart_⌋* loves. I sought him, but I did not find him. ² Now I will arise, and I will go about in the city, in the streets and in the squares; I will seek him whom my _⌊heart_⌋* loves. I sought him, but I did not find him. ³ The sentinels who go about in the city found me. "Have you seen the one whom my _⌊heart_⌋* loves?" ⁴ _⌊Scarcely had I passed_⌋* by them when I found him whom my _⌊heart_⌋* loves. I held him and I would not let him go until I brought him to the house of my mother, into the bedroom chamber of she who conceived me.

⁶ I opened myself to my beloved, but my beloved had turned and gone;* my heart sank* when he turned away.* I sought him, but I did not find him; I called him, but he did not answer me.

¹⁹ I have spoken not in secrecy, in a place, a land, of darkness, I have not said to the descendants of Jacob, 'Seek me _⌊in vain_⌋!'* I, Yahweh, am speaking righteousness, declaring uprightness.

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

¹² Then when you call me, and you come and pray to me, then I will listen to you.

³ 'Call to me, and I will answer you, and I will tell you great things and inaccessible things that you have not known.'

³ Then I turned my face to the Lord God to seek him by prayer and pleas for mercy,* in fasting and in sackcloth and ashes.

⁴ For thus says Yahweh to the house of Israel, "Seek me so that you may live." ⁵ But do not seek Bethel or go to Gilgal or cross over to Beersheba, for Gilgal will certainly go into exile and Bethel will come to disaster." ⁶ Seek Yahweh so that you may live, so that he will not break out like a fire against the house of Joseph! And it will devour, _⌊with none to quench_⌋* it for Bethel.

²⁹ but I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory was dressed like one of these.

⁷ "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened for you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. ⁹ Or what man is there among you, if his son will ask him for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or also if he will ask for a fish, will give him a snake? ¹¹ Therefore if you, although you* are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him?

²² And whatever you ask in prayer, if you* believe, you will receive."

³¹ Which of the two did the will of his* father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going ahead of you into the kingdom of God!

²⁴ For this reason I say to you, whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received it,* and it will be done for you.

³⁷ And what I say to you, I say to everyone: Be on the alert!"

²⁴ "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able to, ²⁵ when once the master of the house has gotten up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, 'Lord, open the door* for us!' And he will answer and* say to you, 'I do not know where you are from!'

⁴⁵ Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found the one whom Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets wrote about—Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth!" ⁴⁶ And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see!" ⁴⁷ Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said about him, "Look! _⌊A true Israelite_⌋* in whom is no deceit!" ⁴⁸ Nathanael said to him, "From where do you know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you* were under the fig tree, I saw you." ⁴⁹ Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the king of Israel!"

¹⁰ Jesus answered and said to her, "If you had known the gift of God and who it is who says to you, 'Give me water* to drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."

¹³ And _⌊whatever_⌋* you ask in my name, I will do this, in order that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you.

¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and your fruit should remain, in order that whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.

²³ And on that day you will ask me nothing. Truly, truly I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. ²⁴ Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.

⁴ And he stared at him and became terrified and* said, "What is it, Lord?" And he said to him, "Your prayers and your charitable deeds have gone up for a memorial offering before God. ⁵ And now, send men to Joppa and summon a certain Simon, who is also called Peter. ⁶ This man is staying as a guest with a certain Simon, a tanner,* whose house is by the sea."

⁷ to those who, by perseverance in good work, seek glory and honor and immortality, eternal life,

² For he says,
"At the acceptable time I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you."*
Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation!

⁸ Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would depart from me. ⁹ And he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, because the* power is perfected in weakness." Therefore rather I will boast most gladly in my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may reside in me.

¹⁶ Therefore let us approach with confidence to the throne of grace, in order that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

⁶ Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and is a rewarder of those who seek him.

⁵ Now if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask for it from God, who gives to all without reservation and not reproaching, and it will be given to him.

¹⁵ And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins _⌊he will be forgiven_⌋*.

²² and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what is pleasing _⌊in his sight_⌋*.

¹⁴ And this is the confidence that we have before him: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked from him.

²⁴ But I say to you, to the rest who are in Thyatira, all those who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they say, I do not put upon you any other burden.

²² As for me, I said in my alarm, "I am cut off from before your eyes." However you heard the voice of my supplications when I cried to you for help.

⁸ Though I cry out for help, he shuts out my prayers.

¹⁸ And I have said, "My glory is ruined, my expectation from Yahweh."

⁵⁴ Water has flown over my head, I said, "I am cut off." ⁵⁵ I have called your name, O Yahweh, from the depths of the pit. ⁵⁶ You have heard my cry, "Do not shut your ear to my cry for help, for my relief!" ⁵⁷ You came near on a day when I called you, you said, "Do not fear!" ⁵⁸ O Lord, you have pleaded for _⌊my cause_⌋,* you have redeemed my life.

² and said,
"I called _⌊from my distress_⌋* to Yahweh, and he answered me; from the belly of Sheol* I cried for help— you heard my voice. ³ And you threw me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the sea currents surrounded me; all your breakers and your surging waves passed over me. ⁴ And I said, 'I am banished* from your sight; how* _⌊will I continue to look_⌋* _⌊on your holy temple_⌋?'* ⁵ The waters encompassed me up to my neck; the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head. ⁶ I went down to the foundations of the mountains; the Underworld—its bars were around me forever. But you brought up my life from the pit, Yahweh my God. ⁷ When my life was ebbing away from me, I remembered Yahweh, and my prayer came to you, _⌊to your holy temple_⌋.* ⁸ Those who worship vain idols forsake their loyal love.*

¹ And he told them a parable to show that they must always pray and not be discouraged,

³ You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, in order that you may spend it on your pleasures.

¹¹ Behold, we consider blessed those who have endured. You have heard about the patient endurance of Job, and you saw the outcome from the Lord, that the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

¹⁵ Can a woman forget her suckling, refrain from having compassion on the child of her womb? Indeed, these may forget, but* I, I will not forget you!

⁹ Or what man is there among you, if his son will ask him for bread, will give him a stone?

⁶ And you, son of man,* you must not be afraid of them, and you must not be afraid of their words, because* briers and thorns are with you, and you are sitting among scorpions. You must not be afraid of their words, and you must not be dismayed because of their _⌊looks_⌋,* for they are a rebellious house.

¹⁹ Behold, I have given you the authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will ever harm you.

¹⁰ And they have tails similar in appearance to scorpions, and stings, and their power to injure people for five months is in their tails.

⁵ And Yahweh saw that the evil of humankind was great upon the earth, and every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was always* only evil. ⁶ And Yahweh regretted that he had made humankind on the earth, and _⌊he was grieved in his heart_⌋.*

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

¹⁴ "What is a human being, that he can be clean, or* that one born of a woman can be righteous? ¹⁵ Look, he does not trust his holy ones, and the heavens are not clean in his eyes. ¹⁶ _⌊How much less_⌋* he who is abominable and corrupt,* a man drinking wickedness like water.

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

²³ May you turn to my argument!* Behold, I shall pour out my spirit upon you; I will make my words known to you.

³ For I will pour out water on a thirsty land and streams on dry ground. I will pour my spirit out on your descendants* and my blessing on your offspring. ⁴ And they shall sprout _⌊among_⌋* the grass like willows by a watercourse of water.

²⁷ And I will give* my spirit into your inner parts, and I will make it so that you will go* in my rules, and my regulations you will remember, and you will do them.

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

⁴⁵ in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven, because he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust.

¹⁴ For if you forgive people their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

³⁰ But if God dresses the grass of the field in this way, although it* is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not do so much more for you, you of little faith?

³² for the pagans seek after all these things. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

¹¹ Therefore if you, although you* are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him?

² And he said to them, "When you pray, say,
"Father, may your name be treated as holy. May your kingdom come.

³⁰ But when this son of yours returned—who has consumed your assets with prostitutes—you killed the fattened calf for him!' ³¹ But he said to him, 'Child, you are always with me, and _⌊everything I have belongs to you_⌋.* ³² But it was necessary to celebrate and to rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead, and is alive, and was lost, and is found!'"

⁵ Jesus answered, "Truly, truly I say to you, unless someone is born of water and spirit, he is not able to enter into the kingdom of God. ⁶ What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.

³⁷ Now on the last day of the feast—the great day—Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me, and let him drink, ³⁸ the one who believes in me.* Just as the scripture said, 'Out of his belly will flow rivers of living water.'"* ³⁹ Now he said this concerning the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were about to receive. For the Spirit was not yet given,* because Jesus had not yet been glorified.)

³⁸ And Peter said* to them, "Repent and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

⁹ Therefore, by much more, because we* have been declared righteous now by his blood, we will be saved through him from the wrath. ¹⁰ For if, while we* were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, by much more, having been reconciled, we will be saved by his life.

¹⁷ For if by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through the one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ.

¹⁸ For I know that good does not live in me, that is, in my flesh. For the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.

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

⁹ For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, by much more will the ministry of righteousness overflow with glory. ¹⁰ For indeed what had been glorified has not been glorified in this case, on account of the glory that surpasses it. ¹¹ For if what was transitory came with glory, by much more what remains is with glory.

³ For we also were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, enslaved to various desires and pleasures, spending our lives in wickedness and envy, despicable, hating one another.

⁹ Furthermore, we have had _⌊our earthly fathers_⌋* who disciplined us, and we respected them. Will we not much rather subject ourselves to the Father of spirits and live? ¹⁰ For they disciplined us for a few days according to what seemed appropriate to them, but he does so for our benefit, in order that we can have a share in his holiness.

³² Now as* they were going away, behold, they brought to him a demon-possessed man who was unable to speak. ³³ And after* the demon had been expelled, the one who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were astonished, saying, "_⌊This has never been seen before_⌋* in Israel!" ³⁴ But the Pharisees were saying,* "By the ruler of demons he expels the demons!"

²² Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to him. And he healed him so that the man who was mute could speak and see. ²³ And all the crowds were amazed and began saying, "Perhaps this one is the Son of David!" ²⁴ But the Pharisees, when they* heard it,* said, "This man does not expel demons except by Beelzebul the ruler of demons!"

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

³⁴ But the Pharisees were saying,* "By the ruler of demons he expels the demons!"

²⁵ It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household?

²⁴ But the Pharisees, when they* heard it,* said, "This man does not expel demons except by Beelzebul the ruler of demons!" ²⁵ But knowing their thoughts, he said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. ²⁶ And if Satan expels Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? ²⁷ And if I expel demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons expel them?* For this reason they will be your judges! ²⁸ But if I expel demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you! ²⁹ Or how can someone enter into the house of a strong man and steal his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? And then he can thoroughly plunder his house. ³⁰ The one who is not with me is against me, and the one who does not gather with me scatters.

²² And the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem were saying, "He is possessed by Beelzebul!" and "By the ruler of the demons he expels the demons!" ²³ And he called them to himself and* was speaking to them in parables, "How can Satan expel Satan? ²⁴ And if a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom is not able to stand. ²⁵ And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. ²⁶ And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he is not able to stand, but is at an end! ²⁷ But no one is able to enter into the house of a strong man and* plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man, and then he can thoroughly plunder his house. ²⁸ "Truly I say to you that all the sins and the blasphemies will be forgiven the sons of men, however much they blaspheme. ²⁹ But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit does not have forgiveness _⌊forever_⌋,* but is guilty of an eternal sin"— ³⁰ because they were saying, "He has an unclean spirit."

¹⁸ So if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I expel demons by Beelzebul. ¹⁹ But if I expel demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons expel them?* For this reason they will be your judges!

²⁰ The crowd replied, "You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?"

⁴⁸ The Jews answered and said to him, "Do we not correctly say that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?"

⁵² The Jews* said to him, "Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham and the prophets died, and you say, 'If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death _⌊forever_⌋.'*

²⁰ And many of them were saying, "He has a demon and is out of his mind! Why do you listen to him?"

³⁸ Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you!" ³⁹ But he answered and* said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation desires a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah!

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

¹¹ And the Pharisees came and began to argue with him, demanding from him a sign from heaven in order to* test him. ¹² And sighing deeply in his spirit, he said, "Why does this generation demand a sign? Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation!"

³⁰ So they said to him, "Then what sign will you perform, so that we can see it* and believe you? What will you do?

²² For indeed, Jews ask for sign miracles and Greeks seek wisdom,

¹⁶ So all Israel saw that the king would not listen to them, and the people answered the king, saying, "What portion is there for us in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Each to your tents, O Israel! Now look to your own house, David!" And all Israel went to their own tents. ¹⁷ But as for the _⌊Israelites_⌋* who were living in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam ruled over them. ¹⁸ Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was _⌊in charge of_⌋* the forced labor, but the _⌊Israelites_⌋* stoned him with stones, and he died. Then King Rehoboam hastily went up into the chariot to flee to Jerusalem. ¹⁹ So Israel has rebelled against the house of David until this day.

¹⁶ And the _⌊Israelites_⌋* fled from before Judah, and God gave them into their hand. ¹⁷ And Abijah and his people struck a great blow against them, and the dead from Israel that fell were five hundred thousand chosen men.

²⁰ They devoured on the right but still were hungry and devoured on the left but they were not satisfied. Each one devoured the flesh of his arm, ²¹ Manasseh devoured Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh; together they were against Judah. In all of this his anger has not turned away, and still his hand is stretched out.

² "And I will stir up _⌊Egyptians_⌋* against _⌊Egyptians_⌋,* and each one will fight against his brother and each one against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom. ³ And the spirit of _⌊the Egyptians_⌋* will be disturbed in his midst, and I will _⌊confuse_⌋* his plans,* and they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead, and the ghosts and the spiritists.

⁴ And knowing* their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts?

²⁵ But knowing their thoughts, he said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. ²⁶ And if Satan expels Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? ²⁷ And if I expel demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons expel them?* For this reason they will be your judges! ²⁸ But if I expel demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you! ²⁹ Or how can someone enter into the house of a strong man and steal his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? And then he can thoroughly plunder his house.

²³ And he called them to himself and* was speaking to them in parables, "How can Satan expel Satan? ²⁴ And if a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom is not able to stand. ²⁵ And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. ²⁶ And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he is not able to stand, but is at an end! ²⁷ But no one is able to enter into the house of a strong man and* plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man, and then he can thoroughly plunder his house.

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

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

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

²⁶ And if Satan expels Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?

³¹ For this reason I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven! ³² And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him either in this age or in the coming one! ³³ "Either make the tree good and its fruit is good, or make the tree bad and its fruit is bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. ³⁴ Offspring of vipers! How are you able to say good things when you* are evil? For from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

¹⁵ But some of them said, "By Beelzebul the ruler of demons he expels demons!"

⁵ So also the tongue is a small member of the body* and boasts great things. Behold how small a fire sets ablaze how great a forest! ⁶ And the tongue is a fire! The world of unrighteousness,* the tongue, is set among our members, defiling the whole body and setting on fire _⌊the course of human existence_⌋*, being set on fire by hell. ⁷ For every species of animals and birds, of reptiles and sea creatures, is being tamed and has been tamed by the human species, ⁸ but no human being is able to tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

⁶ Your mouth condemns you, and not I; and your lips testify against you.

²⁷ And if I expel demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons expel them?* For this reason they will be your judges! ²⁸ But if I expel demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you!

⁴¹ The people of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and behold, something* greater than Jonah is here! ⁴² The queen of the south will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something* greater than Solomon is here!

⁴⁹ And John answered and* said, "Master, we saw someone expelling demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him, because he does not follow in company with us."

³¹ The queen of the south will rise up at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something* greater than Solomon is here! ³² The people of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and behold, something* greater than Jonah is here!

²² He said to him, '_⌊By your own words_⌋* I will judge you, wicked slave! You knew that I am a severe man, withdrawing what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow.

¹⁹ Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those under the law, in order that every mouth may be closed and the whole world may become accountable to God.

¹⁹ And the magicians said to Pharaoh, "It is the finger of God." But the heart of Pharaoh was hard, and he did not listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken.

²⁸ But if I expel demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you!

⁹ and heal the sick in it, and say to them, "The kingdom of God has come near to you."

¹¹ "Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you! Nevertheless know this: that the kingdom of God has come near!"*

²⁵ "And now behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about proclaiming the kingdom, will see my face no more.

²³ And when they* had set a day with him, many more came to him at his lodging place, to whom he was explaining from early in the morning until evening, testifying about the kingdom of God and attempting to convince* them about Jesus from both the law of Moses and the prophets. ²⁴ And some were convinced by* what was said, but others refused to believe. ²⁵ So being in disagreement with one another, they began to leave after* Paul made one statement: "The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through the prophet Isaiah to your fathers, ²⁶ saying,
'Go to this people and say, "_⌊You will keep on hearing_⌋* and will never understand, and _⌊you will keep on seeing_⌋* and will never perceive. ²⁷ For the heart of this people has become dull, and with their* ears they hear with difficulty, and they have shut their eyes, lest they see with their* eyes, and hear with their* ears, and understand with their* heart, and turn, and I would heal them." '* ²⁸ Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles. They also will listen!"*

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

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

²⁷ But no one is able to enter into the house of a strong man and* plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man, and then he can thoroughly plunder his house.

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

¹ On that day, Yahweh will punish with his cruel, great and strong sword Leviathan, the fleeing serpent, and Leviathan, the twisting serpent, and he will kill the sea monster that is in the sea.

²⁴ Can war-booty be taken from the mighty? or can a captive of a righteous* person be rescued? ²⁵ But thus says Yahweh:
"Indeed a captive of the mighty shall be taken, and the war-booty of the tyrant shall be rescued, for* I myself will dispute with your opponent, and I myself will save your children.

¹² Therefore, I will divide to him a portion among the many,* and with the strong ones he will divide bounty, _⌊because_⌋* he poured his life out to death and was counted with the transgressors; and* he was the one who bore the sin of many and will intercede for the transgressors.

¹ Who is this, coming from Edom, from Bozrah in bright red garments? Who is this honored in his garment, lying down in his great strength? "It is I, speaking in justice, _⌊mighty_⌋* to save!" ² Why are your garments* red, and your garments like he who treads in the winepress? ³ "I have trodden the winepress alone, and there was no man from the peoples with me. And I trod them in my anger, and I trampled them in my wrath, and spattered their juice on my garments, and stained all my clothing, ⁴ for the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my blood-vengeance has come!

¹⁵ When he* had disarmed the rulers and the authorities, he made a display of them in public, triumphing over them by it.*

⁸ The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. For this reason the Son of God was revealed: in order to destroy the works of the devil.

⁴ You are from God, little children, and have conquered them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

¹ And I saw an angel descending from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. ² And he seized the dragon—the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan—and bound him for a thousand years, ³ and threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it above him, in order that he could not deceive the nations again until the thousand years are completed. After these things it is necessary for him to be released for a short time.

³⁰ The one who is not with me is against me, and the one who does not gather with me scatters.

⁴⁰ For whoever is not against us is for us.

⁵⁰ But Jesus said to him, "Do not prevent him,* because whoever is not against you is for you."

¹⁵ 'I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! ¹⁶ Thus, because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I am about to vomit you out of my mouth!

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

⁷ So* Yahweh said to Satan,* "From where have you come?"
Then* Satan* answered Yahweh and said, "From roaming on the earth and from walking about in it."

² So* Yahweh _⌊asked_⌋* Satan,* "From where have you come?"
And Satan* answered Yahweh and said, "From roaming on the earth and from walking about in it."

¹ A psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.*
O God, you are my God; I will seek you diligently. My soul thirsts for you; my flesh longs for you as in a dry and weary land without water.

¹⁶ For they will not sleep if they have not done wrong, and they are robbed of their sleep if they do not cause stumbling.

¹ Wilderness and dry land shall be glad,* and desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus. ² It shall blossom abundantly, and it shall rejoice indeed with rejoicing and exulting. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. _⌊They are the ones who_⌋* shall see the glory of Yahweh, the majesty of our God.

⁷ And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water. Her resting place is in a settlement of jackals; the grass shall become like reeds* and rushes.*

¹⁷ The poor and the needy are seeking water and there is none; their tongue is dried up with thirst. I, Yahweh, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. ¹⁸ I will open rivers on the barren heights and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness like a pool of water and the land of dryness like springs of water. ¹⁹ I will _⌊put_⌋* the cedar, acacia, myrtle, and olive oil tree in the wilderness; I will set the cypress, elm, and box tree together in the desert

³ For I will pour out water on a thirsty land and streams on dry ground. I will pour my spirit out on your descendants* and my blessing on your offspring.

²² "There is no peace," says Yahweh, "for the wicked."

²⁰ But* the wicked are like the churning sea, that is not able to keep quiet, and its waters toss up mire and mud. ²¹ There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked."

⁸ And he said to me, "These waters are going out to the eastern region, and they go down to the _⌊Jordan Valley_⌋,* and they come to the sea* and flow into the sea where _⌊they issue out_⌋,* and the waters in the sea will be healed.* ⁹ And then every living creature with which it teems,* _⌊to every place the waters come_⌋* it will live; and very many fish will live because these waters came there, and so the water will be healed* and everything will be alive _⌊everywhere that_⌋* _⌊the stream will come_⌋.* ¹⁰ And then fishers* from En Gedi and on up to En Eglaim will stand beside it, a sea-girt drying yard for nets; their fish for the dragnets will be _⌊of every kind_⌋,* like the fish of the great sea,* and very many. ¹¹ But its marshes and its swamps will not be cured, for they were given for salt.

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

¹⁰ And he was imploring him many times that he would not send them out of the region.

²⁵ Now when* Jesus saw that a crowd was running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and enter into him no more!"

² in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, the spirit now working in the sons of disobedience,

⁸ Be sober; be on the alert. Your adversary the devil walks around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

¹⁷ Now after the death of Jehoiada, the princes of Judah came and bowed down to the king. Then the king listened to them. ¹⁸ And they forsook the house of Yahweh, the God of their ancestors* and served the Asherahs and the idols. And wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem on account of this guilt. ¹⁹ But he sent prophets among them, to bring them back to Yahweh. And they testified against them, and they did not obey. ²⁰ Then the Spirit of God clothed Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, and he stood above the people and said to them, "Thus says God: 'Why are you transgressing the commandments of Yahweh so that you will not succeed? For you have forsaken Yahweh, so he will forsake you.'" ²¹ Then they conspired against him and stoned him with stones at the command of the king in the courtyard of the house of Yahweh. ²² So King Joash did not remember the loyal love that Jehoiada had shown to him, and he killed his son. And as he was dying he said, "May Yahweh see and avenge!"

³ The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit. He has ceased to have insight and to do good.

¹¹ But my people did not listen to my voice, and Israel did not yield to me. ¹² So I let them* go in the stubbornness of their heart; they walked in their counsels.

⁵ But regarding those who turn aside to their crooked ways, Yahweh will lead them away with the evildoers. Peace be upon Israel.

⁹ whose coming is in accordance with the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders, ¹⁰ and with every unrighteous deception against those who are perishing, in place of which they did not accept the love of the truth, so that they would be saved. ¹¹ And because of this, God sends them _⌊a powerful delusion_⌋* so that they will believe the lie, ¹² in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth, but delighted in unrighteousness.

¹⁰ and especially those who go after the flesh in defiling lust* and who despise authority.
Bold and arrogant, they do not tremble in awe as they* blaspheme majestic beings, ¹¹ whereas angels, who are greater in strength and power, do not bring against them a demeaning judgment.* ¹² But these persons, like irrational animals born only with natural instincts for capture and killing, blaspheming _⌊about things_⌋* they do not understand, in their destruction will also be destroyed, ¹³ being harmed as the wages of unrighteousness. Considering reveling in the daytime a pleasure, they are stains and blemishes, carousing in their deceitful pleasures when they* feast together with you, ¹⁴ having eyes full of desire for an adulteress and unceasing from sin, enticing unstable persons, and* having hearts trained for greediness. Accursed children! ¹⁵ By* leaving the straight path, they have gone astray, because they* followed the way of Balaam the son of Bosor,* who loved the wages of unrighteousness, ¹⁶ but received a rebuke for his own lawlessness: a speechless donkey, speaking with a human voice, restrained _⌊the prophet's madness_⌋*. ¹⁷ These people are waterless springs and mists driven by a hurricane, for whom the gloom of darkness has been reserved. ¹⁸ _⌊For by speaking high-sounding but empty words_⌋*, they entice with desires of the flesh and with licentiousness those who are scarcely escaping from those who live in error, ¹⁹ promising them freedom although they* themselves are slaves of depravity. For to whatever someone succumbs, by this he is also* enslaved.

⁸ Despite that, in the same way also these men, because of their* dreams, defile the flesh and reject authority and blaspheme majestic beings. ⁹ But Michael the archangel, when he argued with the devil, disputing concerning the body of Moses, did not dare to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" ¹⁰ But these persons blaspheme all that they do not understand, and all that they understand by instinct like the irrational animals, by these things they are being destroyed. ¹¹ Woe to them! For they have traveled in the way of Cain, and have given themselves up to the error of Balaam for gain, and have perished* in the rebellion of Korah. ¹² These are the ones feasting together without reverence, hidden reefs at your love feasts, caring for themselves, waterless clouds carried away by winds, late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, uprooted, ¹³ wild waves of the sea foaming up their own shameful deeds, wandering stars, for whom the deep gloom of darkness has been reserved for eternity.

⁶ and those who turned back from _⌊following_⌋* Yahweh, and who did not seek Yahweh, and did not inquire of him."

⁴⁵ Then it goes and brings along with itself seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and* live there. And the last state of that person becomes worse than the first. So it will be for this evil generation also!"

¹⁵ "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you travel around the sea and the dry land to make one convert, and when he becomes one,* you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are!

¹⁴ After these things Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, "Look, you have become well! Sin no longer, lest something worse happen to you."

⁴ For it is impossible concerning those who have once been enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and become sharers of the Holy Spirit, ⁵ and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the coming age, ⁶ and having fallen away, to renew them again to repentance, because they* have crucified again for themselves the Son of God and held him up to contempt. ⁷ For ground that drinks the rain that comes often upon it, and brings forth vegetation usable to those people _⌊for whose sake_⌋* it is also cultivated, shares a blessing from God. ⁸ But if it* produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to a curse, whose end is for burning.

²⁶ For if* we keep on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but a certain fearful expectation of judgment and a fury of fire that is about to consume the adversaries. ²⁸ Anyone who rejected the law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. ²⁹ How much worse punishment do you think the person will be considered worthy of who treats with disdain the Son of God and who considers ordinary the blood of the covenant by which he was made holy and who insults the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know the one who said,
"Vengeance is mine, I will repay,"*
and again,
"The Lord will judge his people."* ³¹ It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

²⁰ For if, after they* have escaped from the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord* and Savior Jesus Christ, and they are again entangled in these things and succumb to them, the last state has become worse for them than the first. ²¹ For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than having known it, to turn back from the holy commandment that had been delivered to them. ²² The statement of the true proverb has happened to them, "A dog returns to its own vomit,"* and "A sow, after* washing herself, returns* to wallowing in the mud."*

¹⁶ If anyone should see his brother sinning a sin not leading to death, he should ask, and he will grant life to him, to those who sin not leading to death. (There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should ask about that.

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

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

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

²⁹ For behold, days are coming in which they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that did not give birth, and the breasts that did not nurse!'

¹ Blessed is the man who does not walk in the advice of the wicked; nor does he stand in the way of sinners; nor does he sit in the assembly of mockers. ² Instead, in the law of Yahweh is his delight, and on his law he meditates day and night. ³ And so, he is like a tree planted by streams of water that gives its fruit in its season; its leaf also does not wither. Therefore all that he does prospers.

¹ Praise Yah!* Blessed is the man who fears Yahweh; he takes great delight in his commands.

¹ Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of Yahweh. ² Blessed are those who keep his testimonies; they seek him with a whole heart. ³ They also do no wrong; they walk in his ways. ⁴ You have commanded* your precepts, that we should keep them diligently. ⁵ Oh that my ways were steadfast, to keep your statutes! ⁶ Then I would not be ashamed when I look to all your commands.

¹ A song of ascents.*
Blessed is everyone who fears Yahweh, who walks in his ways.

¹⁷ Thus says Yahweh, your redeemer, the holy one of Israel:
"I am Yahweh your God, _⌊who teaches_⌋* you to profit, leads you in the way you should go. ¹⁸ O that you had listened attentively to my commandments!
Then* your prosperity would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

²¹ "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter into the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many miracles in your name?' ²³ And then _⌊I will say to them plainly_⌋,* 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness!' ²⁴ "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ And the rain came down and the rivers came and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it did not collapse, because its foundation was laid on the rock.

⁴⁸ But he answered and* said to the one who told him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" ⁴⁹ And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Behold my mother and my brothers! ⁵⁰ For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother."

⁴⁷ "Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and does them—I will show you what he is like: ⁴⁸ he is like a man building a house, who dug and went down deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when* a flood came, the river burst against that house and was not able to shake it, because it had been built well.

²¹ But he answered and* said to them, "These are my mother and my brothers—the ones who hear the word of God and do it.*

¹⁷ If you understand these things, you are blessed if you do them.

²¹ Therefore, putting aside all moral uncleanness and wicked excess, welcome* with humility the implanted message which is able to save your souls. ²² But be doers of the message and not hearers only,* deceiving yourselves, ²³ because if anyone is a hearer of the message and not a doer, this one is like someone* staring at _⌊his own face_⌋* in a mirror, ²⁴ for he looks at himself and goes away and immediately forgets what sort of person he was. ²⁵ But the one who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues to do it, not being a forgetful hearer but a doer who acts, this one will be blessed _⌊in what he does_⌋*.

²¹ Dear friends, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God, ²² and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what is pleasing _⌊in his sight_⌋*. ²³ And this is his commandment: that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as _⌊he commanded us_⌋*. ²⁴ And the one who keeps his commandments resides in him, and he in him. And by this we know that he resides in us: by the Spirit whom he has given to us.

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

³ "But* you, come near here, you children of a soothsayer, offspring of an adulterer and she who commits fornication. ⁴ At whom do you make fun? At whom do you _⌊open_⌋* your mouth and _⌊stick out_⌋* your tongue? Are you not children of transgression, offspring of deception,

⁷ But when he* saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

³⁸ Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you!" ³⁹ But he answered and* said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation desires a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah! ⁴⁰ For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.

³⁴ For this reason, behold, I am sending to you prophets and wise men and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues and will pursue from town to town, ³⁵ so that upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on the earth from the blood of righteous Abel up to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. ³⁶ Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation!

³⁸ For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

⁴¹ So Jesus answered and* said, "O unbelieving and perverted generation! _⌊How long_⌋* will I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here!"

¹⁶ And others, in order to* test him,* were demanding from him a sign from heaven.

⁵⁰ so that the blood of all the prophets that has been shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation,

¹ During _⌊this time_⌋* when* a crowd of many thousands had gathered together, so that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, "Beware for yourselves of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

²⁵ Now large crowds were going along with him, and he turned around and* said to them, ²⁶ "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, and furthermore, even his own life, _⌊he cannot be_⌋* my disciple.

¹⁸ So the Jews answered and said to him, "What sign do you show to us, because you are doing these things?"

⁴⁴ You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father! That one was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand firm in the truth, because truth is not in him. Whenever he speaks the lie, he speaks from his own nature,* because he is a liar and the father _⌊of lies_⌋.*

⁵¹ "You stiff-necked people and uncircumcised in hearts and in your* ears! You constantly resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers did, so also do you! ⁵² Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand about the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become,

¹⁷ * And Yahweh provided a large fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

¹⁰ And Yahweh spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out on the dry land.

² "Get up! Go to Nineveh, the great city, and proclaim to it the message that I am telling you." ³ So Jonah got up* and went to Nineveh according to the word of Yahweh. Now Nineveh was _⌊an extraordinarily great city_⌋*—a journey of three days across.* ⁴ And Jonah began to go into the city a journey of one day, and he cried out and said, "Forty more days and Nineveh will be demolished!"* ⁵ And the people of Nineveh believed in God, and they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth—from the greatest of them _⌊to the least important_⌋.* ⁶ And the news reached the king of Nineveh, and he rose from his throne and removed his royal robe, put on sackcloth, and sat in the ashes. ⁷ And he had a proclamation made, and said,
"In Nineveh, by a decree of the king and his nobles:
"No human being or animal, no herd or flock, shall taste anything! They must not eat, and they must not drink water! ⁸ And the human beings and the animals must be covered with sackcloth! And they must call forcefully to God, and each must turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his* hands. ⁹ Who knows? God may relent and change his mind and turn _⌊from his blazing anger_⌋* _⌊so that_⌋* we will not perish." ¹⁰ And God saw their deeds—that they turned from their evil ways—and God changed his mind about the evil that he had said he would bring upon them, and he did not do it.*

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

¹ Now the queen of Sheba had heard of the fame of Solomon regarding the name of Yahweh, and she came to test him with hard questions. ² So she came to Jerusalem with very great wealth; with camels carrying spices, very much gold, and precious stones. She came to Solomon, and she spoke to him all that was on her heart. ³ _⌊Solomon answered all of her questions_⌋;* there was not a thing hidden from the king which he could not explain to her. ⁴ When the queen of Sheba observed all the wisdom of Solomon and the house which he had built, ⁵ the food of his table, the seat of his servants, the _⌊manner_⌋* of his servants and their clothing, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings which he offered in the house of Yahweh, _⌊she was breathless_⌋.* ⁶ Then she said to the king, "The report which I heard in my land was true concerning your accomplishments and your wisdom. ⁷ I had not believed the report to be true until I came and my eyes had seen, and behold! The half had not been told to me. _⌊Your wisdom and prosperity surpass_⌋* the report that I had heard. ⁸ Happy are your men and happy are these your servants who stand before you continually hearing your wisdom. ⁹ May Yahweh your God be blessed, who has delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel, because of the love of Yahweh for Israel forever, and he has made you king to execute justice and righteousness." ¹⁰ Then she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, abundant spices, and precious stones. Spices as these did not come again in such abundance as that which the queen of Sheba brought to King Solomon. ¹¹ Moreover, the fleet of ships of Hiram which carried the gold from Ophir also brought from Ophir abundant amounts of almug wood and precious stones. ¹² The king made a raised structure for the house of Yahweh and for the house of the king out of the almug wood, as well as lyres and harps for the singers. This much almug wood has not come nor been seen again up to this day. ¹³ King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all of her desire that she asked, besides that which _⌊King Solomon freely offered her_⌋.* Then she turned and went to her land with her servants.

¹ Now the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, and she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with hard questions, with much wealth and camels, bearing spices and much gold and precious stones. And she came to Solomon and told him all that was _⌊on her mind_⌋.*

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

¹⁷ Every weapon formed against you shall not succeed, and you shall declare guilty every tongue that rises against you for judgment. This is the inheritance of the servants of Yahweh, and their _⌊legal right_⌋* from me,"
_⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh.

¹¹ Then Yahweh said to me, "Apostate* Israel has proved herself more upright* than treacherous Judah.

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

²² and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."

³⁵ And a voice came from the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him!"

²⁷ And the uncircumcised person by nature who carries out the law will judge you who, though provided with _⌊the precise written code_⌋* and circumcision are a transgressor of the law.

¹⁵ who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all* creation, ¹⁶ because all things in the heavens and on the earth were created by him, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers, all things were created through him and for him, ¹⁷ and he himself is before all things, and in him all things are held together, ¹⁸ and he himself is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he himself may become first in everything, ¹⁹ because he was well pleased for all the fullness to dwell in him,

⁷ By faith Noah, having been warned about things not yet seen, out of reverence constructed an ark for the deliverance of his family, by which he pronounced sentence on the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

² "Get up! Go to the great city Nineveh and cry out against her, because their evil has come up _⌊before me_⌋."* ³ But Jonah set out to flee toward Tarshish from _⌊the presence of_⌋* Yahweh. And he went down to Joppa and found a merchant ship going to Tarshish, and paid her fare, and went on board her to go with them toward Tarshish from _⌊the presence of_⌋* Yahweh.

⁵ And the people of Nineveh believed in God, and they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth—from the greatest of them _⌊to the least important_⌋.*

⁹ So God said to Jonah, "_⌊Is it right for you to be angry_⌋* about the plant?" And he said, "_⌊It is right for me to be angry enough to die_⌋!"*

³¹ The queen of the south will rise up at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something* greater than Solomon is here!

²⁶ For a high priest such as this indeed is fitting for us, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and having become exalted above the heavens,

¹⁵ nor do they light a lamp and place it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it shines on all those in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

²⁷ What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light, and what you hear in your ear, proclaim on the housetops.

²¹ And he said to them, "Surely a lamp is not brought so that it may be put under a bushel basket or under a bed, is it?* Is it not* so that it may be put on a lampstand? ²² For nothing is secret except so that it may be revealed, nor has become hidden except so that it will come to light.

¹⁶ "And no one, after* lighting a lamp, covers it with a jar or puts it* under a bed, but puts it* on a lampstand, so that those who come in can see the light. ¹⁷ For nothing is secret that will not become evident, and nothing hidden that will never be known and come to light.

⁹ Jesus replied, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks around in the daylight, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.

⁴⁶ I have come as a light into the world, in order that everyone who believes in me will not remain in the darkness.

¹⁵ in order that you may become blameless and innocent, children of God without fault* in the midst of a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine as stars in the world,* ¹⁶ holding fast to the word of life, for a source of pride* to me in the day of Christ, that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

¹¹ And the men who were at the entrance of the house they struck with blindness, both small and great, and they were unable to find the entrance.

¹⁵ The attendant of the man of God arose early and went out, and look, the army was surrounding the city with horses and chariots. His servant said to him, "Oh no, my master! What shall we do?" ¹⁶ And he said, "Don't be afraid, for more are with us than are with them." ¹⁷ Then Elisha prayed and said, "O Yahweh, please open his eyes that he may see," and Yahweh opened the eyes of the servant, and he saw, and look, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. ¹⁸ They came down to him, and Elisha prayed to Yahweh and said, "Please strike this people with blindness," so he struck them with blindness as _⌊Elisha had spoken_⌋.* ¹⁹ Then Elisha said to them, "This is not the way and this is not the city. Come after me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek." Then he brought them to Samaria. ²⁰ It happened at the moment they came to Samaria, Elisha said, "O Yahweh, open the eyes of these that they may see," so Yahweh opened their eyes, and they saw, and look, the middle of Samaria!

¹² So I let them* go in the stubbornness of their heart; they walked in their counsels.

¹⁸ Uncover my eyes, that I may look at* wonderful things from your law.

²² He who hurries for wealth is _⌊a man with an evil eye_⌋,* but he does not know that poverty will come upon him.

¹⁰ Make the heart of this people insensitive, and make its ears unresponsive, and shut its eyes so that it may not look with its eyes and listen with its ears and comprehend with its mind and turn back, and it may be healed for him."

¹⁰ For Yahweh has poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep, and he has shut your eyes, the prophets, and he has covered your heads, the seers.

¹⁹ Who is blind but my servant or* deaf like my messenger whom I sent? Who is blind like the one who is repaid or* blind like the servant of Yahweh?

¹⁸ They do not know, and they do not understand, for their eyes are besmeared _⌊so that they cannot see_⌋,* their _⌊minds_⌋* _⌊so that they have no insight_⌋.*

²¹ 'Hear this please, O foolish and _⌊senseless_⌋* people, _⌊who have eyes_⌋* but do not see, _⌊who have ears_⌋* but do not hear.'

²² "The eye is the lamp of the body. Therefore if your eye is sincere, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be dark. Therefore if the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

¹² so that
'_⌊they may look closely_⌋* and not perceive, and _⌊they may listen carefully_⌋* and not understand, lest they turn and it be forgiven them.'"*

²² adulteries, acts of greed, malicious deeds, deceit, licentiousness, _⌊envy_⌋,* abusive speech, pride, foolishness.

¹⁸ Although you* have eyes, do you not see? And although you* have ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember?

⁴⁶ And every day, devoting themselves to meeting* with one purpose in the temple courts* and breaking bread from house to house, they were eating their food with joy and simplicity of heart,

¹¹ And now behold, the hand of the Lord is against you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sun _⌊for a while_⌋.* And immediately mist and darkness fell over him, and he was going around looking for people* to lead him* by the hand.

¹⁸ to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'

⁸ just as it is written,
"God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear, until this very day."* ⁹ And David says,
"Let their table become a snare and a trap, and a cause for stumbling and a retribution to them; ¹⁰ let their eyes be darkened so that they do not see, and cause their backs to bend _⌊continually_⌋*."*

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

⁴ among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that they would not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

³ But I am afraid lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds may be led astray from the sincerity and the purity of devotion to Christ.

¹⁷ that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, _⌊the glorious Father_⌋*,* may give you a spirit of wisdom* and revelation in the knowledge of him

⁵ Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ,

²² Slaves, obey your _⌊human_⌋* masters in everything, not _⌊while being watched_⌋*, as people pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.

²⁵ There is a way that seems upright _⌊to_⌋* a man, but its end is the way of death.

¹² Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

²⁰ Ah! Those who call evil good and good evil, those who put darkness for light and light for darkness, those who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! ²¹ Ah! Those who are wise in their own eyes and have understanding _⌊in their view_⌋!*

⁸ How can you say, 'We are wise and the law of Yahweh is with us'? Look, surely _⌊the lying stylus of the scribes_⌋* has made it a lie. ⁹ The wise will be put to shame, they will be dismayed, and they will get taken. Look, they have rejected the word of Yahweh, and what is wisdom to them?

⁴⁸ _⌊None_⌋* of the rulers or of the Pharisees have believed in him, have they?* ⁴⁹ But this crowd who does not know the law is accursed!"

³⁹ And Jesus said,* "For judgment I have come into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind!" ⁴⁰ Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things and said to him, "We are not also blind, are we?"* ⁴¹ Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now you say, 'We see,' your sin remains.

²² Claiming to be wise, they became fools,

¹⁹ and are confident that you yourself are a guide of the blind, a light of those in darkness, ²⁰ an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth in the law. ²¹ Therefore, the one who teaches someone else, do you not teach yourself? The one who preaches not to steal, do you steal? ²² The one who says not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? The one who abhors idols, do you rob temples? ²³ Who boast in the law, by the transgression of the law you dishonor God!*

¹⁹ For it is written,
"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the intelligence of the intelligent I will confound."* ²⁰ Where is the wise person? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ²¹ For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not know God, God was pleased through the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe.

¹⁸ Let no one deceive himself. If anyone thinks himself to be wise among you in this age, let him become a fool, in order that he may become wise. ¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, for it is written, "The one who catches the wise in their craftiness,"* ²⁰ and again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile."*

¹³ Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by his* good behavior his works, with the humility of wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth. ¹⁵ This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every evil practice. ¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, obedient, full of mercy and good fruits, nonjudgmental, without hypocrisy,

⁹ For the one for whom these things are not present is blind, being nearsighted, _⌊having forgotten the cleansing_⌋* of his former sins.

¹⁸ _⌊For by speaking high-sounding but empty words_⌋*, they entice with desires of the flesh and with licentiousness those who are scarcely escaping from those who live in error,

¹⁷ Because you are saying, "I am rich, and have become rich, and I have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and pitiable and poor and blind and naked,

⁹⁷ How I love your law! The whole day it is my meditation. ⁹⁸ Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, because they* are ever with me. ⁹⁹ I have more insight than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. ¹⁰⁰ I understand more than the elders, for I keep your precepts. ¹⁰¹ I have restrained my feet from every evil way, so that I may heed your word. ¹⁰² I have not turned aside from your ordinances, for you have taught me. ¹⁰³ How smooth* are your words* to my palate, more than honey in my mouth. ¹⁰⁴ From your precepts I get understanding, therefore I hate every false way. ¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

⁵ may the wise hear and increase learning, and the one who understands gain direction,*

¹ My child, if you will receive* my sayings, and hide my commands with you, ² in order to incline your ear toward wisdom, then you shall apply your heart to understanding. ³ For if you cry out for understanding,* if you lift* your voice for insight, ⁴ if you seek her like silver and search her out _⌊like treasure_⌋,* ⁵ then you will understand the fear of Yahweh, and the knowledge of God you will find. ⁶ For Yahweh will give wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. ⁷ For the upright, he stores* sound judgment, a shield for those who walk uprightly, ⁸ in order to guard paths of justice and keep* the way of his faithful ones. ⁹ Then you will understand righteousness and justice and uprightness—every good course— ¹⁰ for wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasing to your soul.* ¹¹ Discretion will watch over you; understanding will protect you,

¹⁸ But the path of the righteous ones is like the light of dawn, leading and shining until the day _⌊is full_⌋.* ¹⁹ The way of the wicked ones is like deep darkness; they do not know what they stumble over.

²³ For like a lamp is a commandment, and instruction is light, and the way of life* is the reproof of discipline,

²⁷ The lamp of Yahweh is the spirit* of humankind, he who searches every _⌊innermost part_⌋.*

²⁰ for teaching and for testimony?" _⌊surely they who speak like this have no dawn_⌋.*

¹⁶ And I will lead the blind by a road they do not know; I will cause them to tread on paths they have not known. I will make darkness _⌊in their presence_⌋* into light and rough places into level ground. These are the things I will do, and I will not forsake them.

³ Let us know, let us press on to know Yahweh; his rising is sure like the dawn. He will come like the showers to us, like the spring rain that waters the earth.

¹¹ And he answered and* said to them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to those people it has not been granted. ¹² For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

⁵² And he said to them, "For this reason every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of the house who brings out of his storeroom new things and old things."

²⁴ And he said to them, "Take care what you hear! With the measure by which you measure out, it will be measured out to you, and will be added to you. ²⁵ For whoever has, more will be given to him, and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."

⁶ For God who said, "Light will shine out of darkness,"* is the one who has shined in our hearts for the enlightenment of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.*

¹⁴ so that we may no longer be infants, tossed about by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching, by the trickery of people, by craftiness with reference to the scheming of deceit.

¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another with all wisdom, with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God,

¹⁵ and that from childhood you have known the holy writings that are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ in order that the person of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

¹⁴ But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have trained their faculties for the distinguishing of both good and evil.

²⁵ But the one who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues to do it, not being a forgetful hearer but a doer who acts, this one will be blessed _⌊in what he does_⌋*.

¹⁸ But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

³⁶ Now one of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he entered into the house of the Pharisee and* reclined at the table.

¹ And it happened that when he came to the house of a certain one of the leaders of the Pharisees on a Sabbath to eat _⌊a meal_⌋,* they were watching him closely.

¹⁹ For although I* am free from all people, I have enslaved myself to all, in order that I may gain more. ²⁰ I have become like a Jew to the Jews, in order that I may gain the Jews. To those under the law I became as under the law (although I* myself am not under the law) in order that I may gain those under the law. ²¹ To those outside the law I became as outside the law (although I* am not outside the law of God, but subject to the law of Christ) in order that I may gain those outside the law. ²² To the weak I became weak, in order that I may gain the weak. I have become all things to all people, in order that by all means I may save some. ²³ I do all this for the sake of the gospel, in order that I may become a participant with it.

² "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat _⌊a meal_⌋."* ³ So he answered and* said to them, "Why do you also break the commandment of God because of your tradition?

² And they saw that some of his disciples were eating their* bread with unclean—that is, unwashed—hands. ³ (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands _⌊ritually_⌋,* thus* holding fast to the traditions of the elders. ⁴ And when they come* from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions* which they have received and* hold fast to—for example,* the washing of cups and pitchers and bronze kettles and dining couches.)* ⁵ And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their* bread with unclean hands?"

²⁵ So a dispute occurred on the part of John's disciples with a Jew* concerning purification.

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

² And he did what was right in the eyes of Yahweh, only not with a fully-devoted heart.

²⁰ And Hezekiah did according to this throughout all Judah. And he did what is good and what is right and what is faithful before Yahweh his God. ²¹ And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God or with respect to the law and the commandment to seek his God, he did with all his heart, and he prospered.

¹³ They open their mouth against me like a lion tearing and roaring.

²⁵ When he makes his voice gracious, do not believe him, for seven abominations are in his heart.

¹² There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, but from its filthiness it will not be cleansed.

¹⁴ Cleanse your heart from wickedness, O Jerusalem, so that you may be saved. _⌊How long_⌋* will your thoughts of mischief dwell in your inner part?

²⁵ The conspiracy of its prophets in the midst of her is like a roaring lion that is tearing prey. They devour people, and they take wealth and treasure; they make its widows numerous in the midst of her.

²⁷ Its officials are like wolves tearing prey in its midst, to pour out blood, to destroy people, to make dishonest gain.

³ Her officials in her midst are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they leave nothing until the morning.

¹⁵ "Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inside are ravenous wolves.

³³ "Either make the tree good and its fruit is good, or make the tree bad and its fruit is bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. ³⁴ Offspring of vipers! How are you able to say good things when you* are evil? For from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. ³⁵ The good person from his* good treasury brings out good things, and the evil person from his* evil treasury brings out evil things.

¹⁹ For from the heart come evil plans, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, abusive speech.

²⁵ "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence! ²⁶ Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the dish,* so that the outside of it may become clean also.

¹³ And when* the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, "Do not weep!"

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

⁶ (Now he said this not because _⌊he was concerned_⌋* about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having the money box, he used to steal what was put into it.)*

² And as* a dinner was taking place, when* the devil had already put into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot that he should betray him,

³ But Peter said, "Ananias, for what reason has Satan filled your heart, that you lied to the Holy Spirit and kept back for yourself some of the proceeds of the piece of land?

²¹ _⌊You have no_⌋* part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right before God. ²² Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and ask the Lord if perhaps the intent of your heart may be forgiven you!" ²³ For I see you are in _⌊a state of bitter envy_⌋* and _⌊bound by unrighteousness_⌋."*

¹⁴ and was progressing in Judaism beyond many contemporaries in my nation, because* I was a far more zealous adherent of the traditions handed down by my forefathers.

⁵ maintaining a form of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid these people.

¹⁵ To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure, but both their mind and conscience are defiled.

⁸ Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded!

²⁶ And God said, "Let us make humankind in* our image and according to* our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of heaven,* and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every moving thing that moves upon the earth."

⁷ when* Yahweh God formed the man* of dust from the ground, and he blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

²² And they fell on their faces, and they said, "God, God of the spirits of all flesh, will one man sin and you become angry toward the entire community?"

¹ For the music director. Of David.*
The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt. They do abominable deeds. There is none who does good.

¹⁵ he who fashions altogether their heart, he who understands all their works.

⁴ I say to the boastful, 'Do not boast!' and to the wicked, 'Do not lift up your horn! ⁵ Do not lift up high your* horn. Do not speak with _⌊arrogant pride_⌋.'"*

⁸ You pay attention, O brutes among the people. And you fools, when you will show insight? ⁹ Will the one who planted the ear not hear? Will the one who formed the eye not see?

²² "_⌊How long_⌋,* O simple ones, will you love simplicity? And how long will scoffers delight in their scoffing, and fools hate knowledge?

⁵ Learn prudence, O simple ones; fools, learn _⌊intelligence_⌋.*

¹ An oracle. The word of Yahweh concerning Israel. "_⌊Thus declares_⌋* Yahweh, who stretches out the heavens, founds the earth, and forms the spirit of humankind in its midst:*

¹⁷ Fools and blind people! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold holy?

²⁶ Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the dish,* so that the outside of it may become clean also.

²⁰ But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your life* is demanded from you, and the things which you have prepared—whose will they be?'

²⁵ And he said to them, "O foolish and slow in heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!

³⁶ Foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.

⁹ Furthermore, we have had _⌊our earthly fathers_⌋* who disciplined us, and we respected them. Will we not much rather subject ourselves to the Father of spirits and live?

⁸ But you shall certainly open your hand for him, and _⌊you shall willingly lend_⌋* to him enough to meet his need, _⌊whatever it is_⌋.* ⁹ _⌊Take care_⌋* so that there* will not be _⌊a thought of wickedness_⌋* in your heart, _⌊saying_⌋,* 'The seventh year, the year of the remission of debt is near,' _⌊and you view your needy neighbor with hostility_⌋,* and so you do not give to him, and he might cry out against you to Yahweh, and _⌊you would incur guilt against yourself_⌋.* ¹⁰ By all means you must give to him, and _⌊you must not be discontented_⌋* at your giving to him, because on account of this very thing, Yahweh your God will bless you in all your work and _⌊in all that you undertake_⌋.*

¹⁶ Moreover, this is salvation to me, that the godless would not come _⌊before him_⌋.* ¹⁷ "Listen carefully to my words, and let my exposition be in your ears. ¹⁸ Please look,* I have prepared my case; I know that I myself* will be vindicated. ¹⁹ Who is he who will contend with me? For _⌊then_⌋ I would be silent, and I would pass away. ²⁰ "Only you* must not do these two things to me; then I will not hide from your face:

¹ For the music director. A psalm of David.*
Blessed is the one who has regard for the poor; in the day of disaster, Yahweh delivers him.

⁹ _⌊He gives lavishly_⌋* to the needy; his righteousness endures forever. His horn rises high in honor.

³¹ He who oppresses the poor insults him who made him, but he who has mercy on the poor honors him.

¹⁷ He who lends to Yahweh is he who is kind to the poor, and his benefits he will repay to him.

¹ Send out your bread on the water, for in many days you will find it. ² Divide your share in seven or in eight, for you do not know what disaster will happen on the earth.

⁷ Is it not to break your bread for the hungry? You must bring _⌊home_⌋* the poor, the homeless. When you see the naked, you must cover him, and you must not hide yourself from your _⌊relatives_⌋.* ⁸ Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall grow quickly. And your salvation shall go before you; the glory of Yahweh will be your rear guard. ⁹ Then you shall call, and Yahweh himself will answer. You shall cry for help, and he will say, 'Here I am!' If you remove from among you the yoke, the _⌊finger-pointing_⌋* and _⌊evil speech_⌋,* ¹⁰ if* you offer your soul to the hungry, and you satisfy the appetite of the afflicted, then* your light shall rise in the darkness, and your darkness will be like noon. ¹¹ And Yahweh will lead you continually, and satisfy your soul in a barren land, and he will strengthen your bones, and you shall be like a well-watered garden, and like a spring of water whose water does not fail.

²⁷ Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you and your sin remove* with righteousness and your iniquity with having mercy on the oppressed, _⌊in case there might be a prolongation of your prosperity_⌋.'"*

⁴² Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

¹ "And take care not to practice your righteousness before people to be seen by them; _⌊otherwise_⌋* you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. ² Therefore whenever you practice charitable giving, do not sound a trumpet in front of you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, in order that they may be praised by people. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward in full! ³ But you, when you* practice charitable giving, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ in order that your charitable giving may be in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

³⁴ Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world! ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something* to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something* to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me as a guest, ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you cared for me, I was in prison and you came to me.' ³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,* or thirsty and give you something* to drink? ³⁸ And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you* as a guest, or naked and clothe you?* ³⁹ And when did we see you sick or in prison and come to you?' ⁴⁰ And the king will answer and* say to them, 'Truly I say to you, in as much as you did it* to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it* to me.'

¹¹ For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.

³³ Sell your possessions and give charitable gifts. Make for yourselves money bags that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven* where thief does not approach or moth destroy.

¹² And he also said to the one who had invited him, "When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or wealthy neighbors, lest they also invite you in return, and repayment come to you. ¹³ But whenever you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, ¹⁴ and you will be blessed, because they are not able to repay you. For it will be paid back to you at the resurrection of the righteous."

⁹ And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it runs out they will welcome you into the eternal dwellings.

²² And when he* heard this,* Jesus said to him, "_⌊You still lack one thing_⌋:* Sell all that you have, and distribute the proceeds* to the poor—and you will have treasure in heaven—and come, follow me."

⁸ And Zacchaeus stopped and* said to the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I am giving to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone, I am paying it* back four times as much!"

³⁶ Now in Joppa there was a certain female disciple _⌊named_⌋* Tabitha (which translated means "Dorcas").* She was full of good deeds and charitable giving which she was constantly doing.* ³⁷ Now it happened that in those days after* becoming sick, she died. And after* washing her,* they placed her in an upstairs room. ³⁸ And because* Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, when they* heard that Peter was in _⌊Lydda_⌋,* sent two men to him, urging, "Do not delay to come to us!" ³⁹ So Peter got up and* accompanied them. When he* arrived, they brought him* up to the upstairs room, and all the widows came to him, weeping and showing him* tunics and other clothing that Dorcas used to make while she* was with them.

¹⁵ And the voice came again to him for the second time: "The things which God has made clean, you must not consider unclean!"

³¹ and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your charitable deeds have been remembered before God. ³² Therefore send to Joppa and summon Simon who is also called Peter. This man is staying as a guest in the house of Simon, a tanner,* by the sea.

²⁹ So from the disciples, _⌊according to their ability to give_⌋,* each one of them determined to send financial aid* for support to the brothers who lived in Judea,

¹⁷ So after many years, I came to practice charitable giving and offerings to my people,*

¹⁴ I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean of itself, except to the one who considers something to be unclean; to that person it is unclean. ¹⁵ For if because of food, your brother is grieved, you are no longer living according to love. Do not destroy by your food that person for whom Christ died. ¹⁶ Therefore do not let your good be slandered. ¹⁷ For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸ For the one who serves Christ in this way is well-pleasing to God and approved by people.

⁷ But just as you excel in everything—in faith and in speaking and in knowledge and with all diligence and in the love from us that is in you—so may you excel in this grace also. ⁸ I am not saying this as a command, but proving the genuineness of your love by means of the diligence of others. ⁹ For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he* was rich, for your sake he became poor, in order that you, by his poverty, may become rich.

¹² For if the eagerness is present _⌊according to what one has_⌋*, it is acceptable not _⌊according to what one does not have_⌋*.

⁶ Now the point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. ⁷ Each one should give as he has decided in his heart, not _⌊reluctantly_⌋* or from compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And God is able to cause all grace to abound to you, so that in everything at all times, because you* have enough of everything, you may overflow in every good work. ⁹ Just as it is written,
"He scattered widely, he gave to the poor; his righteousness remains _⌊forever_⌋*."* ¹⁰ Now the one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your seed, and will cause the harvest of your righteousness to grow, ¹¹ being made rich in every way for all generosity, which is producing through us thanksgiving to God, ¹² because the service of this ministry is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but also is overflowing through many expressions of thanksgiving to God. ¹³ Through the proven character of this service they will glorify God because of the submission of your confession to the gospel of Christ and the generosity of your participation toward them and toward everyone, ¹⁴ and they are longing for you in their prayers for you, because of the surpassing grace of God to you. ¹⁵ Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

²⁸ The one who steals must steal no longer, but instead must labor, working with his own hands what is good, so that he may have something to share with the one who has need.

⁴ because everything created by God is good and nothing is to be rejected if it is* received with thankfulness, ⁵ for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.

¹⁰ For God is not unjust, so as to forget your work and the love which you demonstrated for his name by* having served the saints, and continuing to serve them.

¹⁶ And do not neglect doing good and generosity, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.

²⁷ Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our* God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

¹⁴ What is the benefit, my brothers, if someone says that he has faith but does not have works? That faith is not able to save him, is it?* ¹⁵ If a brother or a sister is poorly clothed and lacking food for the day, ¹⁶ and one of you should say to them, "Go in peace, keep warm and _⌊eat well_⌋*," but does not give them what is necessary for the body, what is the benefit?

¹⁶ We have come to know love by this: that _⌊he_⌋* laid down his life on behalf of us, and we ought to lay down our lives on behalf of the brothers. ¹⁷ But whoever has the world's material possessions and observes his brother _⌊in need_⌋* and shuts his heart against him, how does the love of God reside in him?

³⁰ " 'And any tithe of the land from the land's seed or from the fruit of the trees is for Yahweh; it is a holy object for Yahweh. ³¹ And if a man indeed redeems from his tithe, he shall add a fifth of its value onto it. ³² As for* every tithe of cattle or* of the flock,* all which crosses under the rod, the tenth shall be a holy object for Yahweh. ³³ He shall not inspect between the good and the bad, and he shall not exchange it; but* if he indeed exchanges it, then* _⌊it and its substitution shall be_⌋* a holy object—it shall not be redeemed.'"

¹² And now, Israel, what is Yahweh your God asking* from you, except* to revere Yahweh your God, to go* in all his ways and to love him and to serve Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul,* ¹³ to keep the commandments of Yahweh and his statutes that I am commanding you today _⌊for your own good_⌋.*

²² Then Samuel said,
"Is there as much delight for Yahweh in burnt offerings and sacrifices as there is in _⌊obeying_⌋* Yahweh? Look! _⌊To obey_⌋* is better than sacrifice; to give heed than the fat of rams.

⁵ And the word spread. The Israelites gave abundantly from the firstfruits of grain, new wine, olive oil, honey, and all kinds of grains from the field. And they brought tithes of everything in abundance. ⁶ Then the people of Israel and Judah who were living in the cities of Judah, they also brought a tithe of cattle and sheep and a tithe of consecrated objects to Yahweh their God. And they gave heaps upon heaps. ⁷ In the third month the heaps began to pile up, and in the seventh month they ceased. ⁸ When Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed Yahweh and his people Israel. ⁹ And Hezekiah questioned* the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps. ¹⁰ And Azariah the chief priest of the house of Zadok answered him, saying, "Since the offerings began to be brought to the house of Yahweh, we have eaten and been satisfied, and have much to spare, for Yahweh has blessed his people. Now see this abundant remainder!"

³⁷ And we bring the best of our dough, our offerings, the fruit of every tree, new wine, and olive oil to the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and to bring the tithe of our soil to the Levites, for the Levites receive the tithes in all of our rural towns.

³ Doing righteousness and justice is more acceptable to Yahweh than sacrifice.

¹⁸ It is good to take hold of the one and also must not let go of the other; for whoever fears God will hold both of them secure.

¹⁰ Hear the word of Yahweh, rulers of Sodom! Listen to the teaching of our God, people of Gomorrah! ¹¹ What is the abundance of your sacrifices to me? says Yahweh. I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened animals and I do not delight in the blood of bulls and ram-lambs and goats. ¹² When you come to appear before me, who asked for this from your hand: you trampling my courts? ¹³ You must not _⌊continue_⌋* to bring offerings* of futility, incense—it is an abomination to me; new moon and Sabbath, the calling of a convocation— I cannot endure iniquity with solemn assembly. ¹⁴ Your new moons and your appointed festivals my soul hates; they have become to me like a burden, I am not able to bear them. ¹⁵ And when you stretch out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers,* I will not be listening. Your hands are full of blood. ¹⁶ Wash! Make yourselves clean! Remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes! Cease to do evil! ¹⁷ Learn to do good! Seek justice! Rescue the oppressed! Defend the orphan! Plead for the widow!

² Yet* they seek me day by day, and they desire the knowledge of my ways like a nation that _⌊practiced_⌋* righteousness, and had not forsaken the judgment of its God; they ask me for _⌊righteous judgments_⌋,* they desire the closeness of God. ³ 'Why do we fast, and you do not see it? We humiliate our soul, and you do not notice it?' Look! You find delight on the day of your fast, and you oppress all your workers! ⁴ Look! You fast to quarrel and strife, and to strike with a _⌊wicked fist_⌋.* You shall not fast as you do _⌊today_⌋,* to _⌊make your voice heard_⌋* on the height. ⁵ Is the fast I choose like this, a day for humankind to humiliate _⌊himself_⌋*? To bow his head like a reed, and _⌊make_⌋* his bed on sackcloth and ashes; you call this a fast and a day of pleasure to Yahweh? ⁶ Is this not the fast I choose: to release the bonds of injustice, to untie the ropes of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and _⌊tear_⌋* every yoke to pieces?

² "Stand in the gate of the house of Yahweh and proclaim there this word, and say, 'Hear the word of Yahweh, all of Judah, those who enter through these gates to bow in worship to Yahweh. ³ Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, "Make your ways and your deeds good and let me dwell with you in this place. ⁴ Do not trust in _⌊the deceitful words_⌋,* _⌊saying_⌋,* 'The temple of Yahweh, the temple of Yahweh, they are the temple of Yahweh.' ⁵ For if you truly make your ways and your deeds good, if you truly do justice between a man and his neighbor, ⁶ you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, and the widow, you do not shed innocent blood in this place, and you do not go after other gods _⌊to your harm_⌋,* ⁷ then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your ancestors* _⌊forever and ever_⌋.* ⁸ Look, you are relying for yourselves on _⌊deceitful words_⌋* without benefiting. ⁹ Will you steal? Will you murder? And will you commit adultery? And will you swear _⌊falsely_⌋?* And will you make a smoke offering to the Baal? And will you go after other gods whom you have not known? ¹⁰ And then you come and you stand _⌊before_⌋* me in this house, which is called _⌊by my name_⌋,* and you say, 'we are safe _⌊to go on doing_⌋* all of these detestable things.'

²¹ Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, "Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices, and eat the flesh. ²² For I did not speak with your ancestors,* nor did I command them in the day of bringing them out from the land of Egypt, concerning the matter of burnt offering and sacrifice.

⁸ He has told you, O mortal, what is good, and what does Yahweh ask from you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

⁶ "A son honors his father, and a slave his master;* but if I am a father, where is my honor, and if I am a master,* where is my reverence?" says Yahweh of hosts to you, O priests, _⌊who despise_⌋* my name. "But you say, 'How have we despised your name?'

¹⁷ You have wearied Yahweh with your words, but you ask, "With what have we wearied him?" You have done so _⌊when you say_⌋,* "Everyone who does evil is good in the _⌊sight_⌋* of Yahweh, and in them he delights," or "Where is the God of justice?"

⁸ Will a human dare to rob God? Yet you are robbing me! And you say, 'How have we robbed you?' In the tithes and the contributions!

¹³ "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you shut the kingdom of heaven before people! For you do not enter, nor permit those wanting to go in* to enter.*

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

²⁷ "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean!

¹² I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all that I get.'

⁴² but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves.

¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people, ¹² training us in order that, denying impiety and worldly desires, we may live self-controlled and righteously and godly in the present age,

²⁰ If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar, for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen is not able to love God whom he has not seen.

¹⁸ Before destruction comes pride, and before a fall, a haughty spirit.*

⁶ And they love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues ⁷ and the greetings in the marketplaces and to be called 'Rabbi' by people.

³⁸ And in his teaching he said, "Beware of the scribes, who like walking around in long robes and greetings in the marketplaces ³⁹ and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets,

⁷ Now he told a parable to those who had been invited when he* noticed how they were choosing for themselves the places of honor, saying to them, ⁸ "When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast,* do not recline at the table in the place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you has been invited by him, ⁹ and the one who invited you _⌊both_⌋* will come and* say to you, 'Give the place to this person,' and then with shame you will begin to take the last place. ¹⁰ But when you are invited, go and* recline at the table in the last place, so that when the one who invited you comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up higher.' Then it will be an honor to you in the presence of all those who are reclining at the table with you. ¹¹ For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

⁴⁶ "Beware of the scribes, who like walking around in long robes and who love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets,

¹⁰ being devoted to one another in brotherly love, esteeming one another more highly in honor,

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

² For if someone* enters into your assembly* in fine clothing with a gold ring on his finger, and a poor person in filthy clothing also enters, ³ and you look favorably on the one wearing the fine clothing and you say, "Be seated here in a good place," and to the poor person you say, "You stand or be seated there* by my footstool," ⁴ have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

⁹ I wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes, who wants to be first among them, does not acknowledge us.

¹⁶ Anyone _⌊in the open field_⌋* who touches _⌊one who has been slain_⌋,* or a corpse, or a bone of a person, or a burial site, he will be unclean for seven days.

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

⁸ The prophet keeps watch over Ephraim for my God; the snare of a fowler is on all his ways, and hostility in the house of his God.

²⁷ "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean! ²⁸ In the same way, on the outside you also appear righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

³ Then Paul said to him, "God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! And are you sitting there judging me according to the law, and acting contrary to the law do you order me to be struck?"

⁸ Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is still one man to inquire from Yahweh, but I despise him, for he never prophesies anything good concerning me, but only bad: Micaiah the son of Imlah." Then Jehoshaphat said, "The king should not say so."

¹⁰ To whom shall I speak and admonish, that they may hear? Look, their ears are _⌊closed_⌋,* and they are not able to listen attentively. Look, the word of Yahweh is to them an object of scorn, they do not delight in it.

⁸ For _⌊as often as_⌋* I speak, I must cry out violence and destruction. I must shout, for the word of Yahweh has become for me a disgrace and derision all day long.

¹⁰ Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam the king of Israel, saying, "Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to endure all of his words. ¹¹ For this Amos has said, 'Jeroboam will die by the sword and Israel will certainly go into exile away from his land.'" ¹² And Amaziah said to Amos, "O seer, go, flee to the land of Judah and earn food there and prophesy there!" ¹³ But do not prophesy again at Bethel, because this is a sanctuary of a king and this is a temple of a kingdom."

³⁵ And one of them, a legal expert, put a question to him* to test him:

⁴⁶ So he said, "Woe to you also, legal experts, because you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers!

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

⁷ The world cannot hate you, but it hates me, because I am testifying about it, that its deeds are evil.

⁴⁸ _⌊None_⌋* of the rulers or of the Pharisees have believed in him, have they?*

⁴⁰ Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things and said to him, "We are not also blind, are we?"*

¹ Ah! Those who decree decrees of evil, and writers who have written harm,

⁶ Is this not the fast I choose: to release the bonds of injustice, to untie the ropes of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and _⌊tear_⌋* every yoke to pieces?

² saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on the seat of Moses. ³ Therefore do and observe everything that they tell you, but do not do as _⌊they do_⌋,* for they tell others to do something* and do not do it themselves.* ⁴ And they tie up heavy burdens* and put them* on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing with their finger to move them.

⁴⁵ And one of the legal experts answered and* said to him, "Teacher, when you* say these things, you insult us also!"

¹³ For not even those who are circumcised observe the law themselves, but they want you to be circumcised in order that they may boast in your flesh.

²⁹ "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous, ³⁰ and you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in the blood of the prophets!' ³¹ Thus you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets! ³² And you—fill up the measure of your fathers! ³³ Serpents! Offspring of vipers! How will you escape from the condemnation to hell?

⁵¹ "You stiff-necked people and uncircumcised in hearts and in your* ears! You constantly resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers did, so also do you!

¹⁵ who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and who persecuted us, and who are not pleasing to God and are opposed to all people,

²² And Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen for yourselves to serve Yahweh." And they said, "We are witnesses."

¹⁶ But they were mocking the messengers of God and despising his words and scoffing at his prophets until the wrath of Yahweh rose against his people until there was no remedy.

⁸ * And they who would cause him* to stumble, their own tongue will be against them. All who gaze on them will shake.*

¹⁹ "Yet* you say, 'Why does the son not bear the guilt of the father?' And since the son does justice and righteousness and he keeps all of my statutes and does them, he shall surely live!

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

³¹ Thus you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets!

³⁵ Women received back their dead by resurrection. But others were tortured, not accepting release, in order that they might gain a better resurrection. ³⁶ And others _⌊experienced mocking and flogging_⌋*, and in addition bonds and imprisonment. ³⁷ They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they died by murder with a sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, impoverished, afflicted, mistreated, ³⁸ of whom the world was not worthy, wandering about on deserts and mountains and in caves and in holes in the ground.

¹⁰ Brothers, take as an example of perseverance and endurance the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

² To know wisdom and instruction, to understand sayings of understanding, ³ to gain _⌊insightful instruction_⌋,* righteousness and justice and equity, ⁴ to give shrewdness* to the simple, knowledge and purpose* to the young, ⁵ may the wise hear and increase learning, and the one who understands gain direction,* ⁶ to understand a proverb and an expression, words of wisdom and their riddles.

¹ Does not wisdom call, and understanding raise its voice? ² _⌊Atop the heights_⌋* beside the road, at the crossroads she stands. ³ Beside gates, before towns, at the entrance of doors, she cries out: ⁴ "To you, O _⌊people_⌋,* I call, and my cry is to the children of humankind. ⁵ Learn prudence, O simple ones; fools, learn _⌊intelligence_⌋.* ⁶ Listen! For noble things I will speak, and upright things from the opening of my lips. ⁷ My mouth will utter truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. ⁸ All sayings of my mouth are in righteousness; none of them are twisted and crooked. ⁹ All of them are straight to him who understands, and upright to those who find knowledge. ¹⁰ Take my teaching and not silver; may you choose knowledge rather than choice gold. ¹¹ For wisdom is better than jewels, and all desires shall not compare with her. ¹² I, wisdom, live with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion.

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

⁶ And the others, seizing his slaves, mistreated them* and killed them.*

¹⁶ And you will be handed over even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put to death some of you. ¹⁷ And you will be hated by all because of my name.

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

² _⌊They will expel you from the synagogue_⌋,* but an hour is coming that everyone who kills you will think they are offering service to God.

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

⁵⁷ But crying out with a loud voice, they stopped their ears and rushed at him with one purpose.

³ But Saul was attempting to destroy the church. Entering _⌊house after house_⌋,* he dragged off both men and women and* delivered them* to prison.

¹ But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest ² and* asked for letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, both men and women, he could bring them* tied up* to Jerusalem.

¹ Now at that time, Herod the king laid hands on some of those from the church to harm them.* ² So he executed James the brother of John with a sword.

⁴ _⌊I_⌋* persecuted this Way to the death, tying up and delivering to prison both men and women, ⁵ as indeed the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me, from whom also I received letters to the brothers in Damascus, and* was traveling there* to lead away those who were there also tied up to Jerusalem so that they could be punished.

²⁰ And when the blood of your witness Stephen was being shed, I myself also was standing near and was approving, and was guarding the cloaks of those who were killing him.'

¹⁰ which I also did in Jerusalem, and not only did I lock up many of the saints in prison, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when* they were being executed, I cast my vote* against them.* ¹¹ And throughout all the synagogues I punished them often and* tried to force* them* to blaspheme, and because I* was enraged at them beyond measure, I was pursuing them* even as far as to foreign cities.

²⁴ but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

³⁰ But from him you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom to us from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption,

²⁴ Five times I received at the hands of the Jews forty lashes less one. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked. A day and a night I have spent in the deep water.

¹¹ And he himself gave some as apostles and some as prophets and some as evangelists and some as pastors and teachers

³ in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden.

⁵ And* _⌊your lifeblood_⌋* I will require; from _⌊every animal_⌋* I will require it. And from the hand of humankind, from the hand of each man to his brother I will require the life of humankind. ⁶ "As for the one shedding the blood of humankind, by humankind his blood shall be shed, for God made humankind in his own image.

⁵ You will not bow down to them, and you will not serve them, because I am Yahweh your God, a jealous God, punishing the guilt of the parents on the children on the third and on the fourth generations* of those hating me,

³³ So you will not pollute the land in which you are; because blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is poured out on it except with the blood of the one who poured it out.

⁴ Also, for the blood of the innocent that he had shed—and he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood—Yahweh was not willing to forgive.

¹² for he who _⌊avenges bloodshed_⌋* remembers them. He does not forget the distressed cry of the afflicted.

²¹ For look! Yahweh is about to come out from his place to punish the iniquity of the inhabitants* of the earth against him, and the earth will disclose her blood and will no longer cover her slain.

²⁹ Shear your hair and throw it* away, and lift up a lament on the barren heights, for Yahweh has rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath.'

⁵⁶ For a destroyer is coming against her, against Babylon, and her warriors are captured. Their bows are broken; for Yahweh is a God of recompense, certainly he will repay.

²⁰ Rejoice over her, heaven and the saints and the apostles and the prophets, because God has pronounced your judgment on her!" ²¹ And one powerful angel picked up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying,
"In this way Babylon the great city will be thrown down with violence, and will never be found again! ²² And the sound of harpists and musicians and flute players and trumpeters will never be heard in you again! And every craftsman of every trade will never be found in you again! And the sound of a mill will never be heard in you again! ²³ And the light of a lamp will never shine in you again! And the sound of a bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again! For your merchants were the most important people of the earth, because with your sorcery they deceived all the nations. ²⁴ And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints and all those who had been slaughtered on the earth.

⁸ Then* Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let us go out into the field."* And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. ⁹ Then* Yahweh said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?" ¹⁰ And he said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground. ¹¹ So now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive the blood of your brother from your hand.

²⁸ "And you shall say to them, 'This is the nation that has not obeyed the voice of Yahweh their God, and they have not accepted discipline. The truth has perished, and it is cut off from their mouths.*

¹ In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of Yahweh came* to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, son of Iddo, saying,

³⁵ so that upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on the earth from the blood of righteous Abel up to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

⁴ By faith Abel offered to God a greater sacrifice than Cain, by which he was approved that he was righteous, because* God approved him for his gifts, and through it* he still speaks, although he* is dead.

²⁴ and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and _⌊to the sprinkled blood_⌋* that speaks better than Abel's does.

¹² not as Cain, who was of the evil one and violently murdered his brother. And _⌊for what reason_⌋* did he violently murder him? Because his deeds were evil and the deeds of his brother were righteous.

⁷ For the lips of the priest should guard knowledge, and they should seek instruction* from his mouth, for he is the messenger of Yahweh of hosts.

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

³⁹ And some of the Pharisees from the crowd said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" ⁴⁰ And he answered and* said, "I tell you that* if these keep silent, the stones will cry out!"

⁴⁷ Then the Pharisees replied to them, "You have not also been deceived, have you?* ⁴⁸ _⌊None_⌋* of the rulers or of the Pharisees have believed in him, have they?* ⁴⁹ But this crowd who does not know the law is accursed!" ⁵⁰ Nicodemus, the one who came to him previously—who was one of them—said to them, ⁵¹ "Our law does not condemn a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?"* ⁵² They answered and said to him, "You are not also from Galilee, are you?* Investigate and see that a prophet does not arise from Galilee!"