Matthew 3 Cross References - LEB

¹ Now in those days John the Baptist came preaching in the Judean wilderness ² and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near!" ³ For this is the one who was spoken about by the prophet Isaiah, saying,
"The voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.'"* ⁴ Now John himself had his clothing made from camel's hair and a belt made of leather around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan were going out to him, ⁶ and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they* confessed their sins. ⁷ But when he* saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? ⁸ Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance! ⁹ And do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones! ¹⁰ Already now the ax is positioned at the root of the trees; therefore every tree not producing good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ¹¹ I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who comes after me is more powerful than I am, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹² His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will clean out his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the storehouse, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." ¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John in order to be baptized by him. ¹⁴ But John tried to prevent* him, saying, "_⌊I need_⌋* to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" ¹⁵ But Jesus answered and* said to him, "Permit it now, for in this way it is right for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he permitted him. ¹⁶ Now after he* was baptized, Jesus immediately went up from the water, and behold, the heavens opened* and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove coming* upon him. ¹⁷ And behold, there was* a voice from heaven saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."

¹⁰ So then, look, Yahweh has kept me alive just as he promised these forty-five years,* from the time that Yahweh spoke this word to Moses while Israel _⌊wandered_⌋* in the wilderness. Now look, today _⌊I am eighty-five years old_⌋.*

⁶¹ In the wilderness: Beth Arabah, Middin, Secacah, ⁶² Nibshan, the city of Salt, and En Gedi; six cities and their villages.

¹⁶ The descendants* of Hobab the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law, went up with the descendants* of Judah from the city of palms into the wilderness of Judah, which is in the Negev* near Arad. And they went* and settled with the people.

³ A voice is calling in the wilderness, "Clear the way of Yahweh! Make a highway smooth in the desert for our God! ⁴ Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill shall become low, And the rough ground shall be like a plain, and the rugged ground like a valley-plain. ⁵ And the glory of Yahweh shall be revealed, and all _⌊humankind_⌋* together shall see it,
for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken." ⁶ A voice is saying, "Call!" And he said, "What shall I call?" All _⌊humankind_⌋* are grass, and all his loyalty is like the flowers of the field.

⁸ Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance!

⁷ Now as* these were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

¹¹ Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen one greater than John the Baptist. But the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

² and he said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist! He has been raised from the dead, and for this reason miraculous powers are at work in him." ³ For Herod, after* arresting John, bound him and put him* in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, ⁴ because John had been saying to him, "It is not permitted for you to have her." ⁵ And although he* wanted to kill him, he feared the crowd, because they looked upon him as a prophet. ⁶ But when* Herod's birthday celebration took place, the daughter of Herodias danced in the midst of them and pleased Herod. ⁷ Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. ⁸ And coached by her mother, she said, "Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter!" ⁹ And although* the king was distressed, because of his oaths and his _⌊dinner guests_⌋* he commanded the request* to be granted. ¹⁰ And he sent orders* and* had John beheaded in the prison, ¹¹ and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it* to her mother. ¹² And his disciples came and* took away the corpse and buried it, and went and* told Jesus. ¹³ Now when* Jesus heard it,* he withdrew from there in a boat to an isolated place by himself. And when* the crowds heard it,* they followed him by land from the towns. ¹⁴ And as he* got out, he saw the large crowd and had compassion on them and healed their sick.

¹⁴ And they said, _⌊Some_⌋* say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

¹² But I say to you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did with him whatever they wanted. In the same way also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands." ¹³ Then the disciples understood that he had spoken to them about John the Baptist.

²⁵ From where was the baptism of John—from heaven or from men?" And they began to discuss* this* among themselves, saying, "If we say 'From heaven,' he will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?' ²⁶ But if we say, 'From men,' we are afraid of the crowd, because they all look upon John as a prophet." ²⁷ And they answered and* said to Jesus, "We do not know." And he said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

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

³ the voice of one shouting in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths!'"* ⁴ John was there baptizing in the wilderness, proclaiming* a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵ And all the Judean region and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem went out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. ⁶ And John was dressed in camel's hair and a belt made of leather around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷ And he was preaching, saying, "One who is more powerful than I is coming after me, of whom I am not worthy to bend down and* untie the strap of his sandals. ⁸ I baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

¹⁵ and saying, "The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe in the gospel!"

¹⁶ But when* Herod heard it,* he said, "John whom I beheaded—this one has been raised!" ¹⁷ For Herod himself had sent and* arrested John and bound him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of Philip his brother, because he had married her. ¹⁸ For John had been saying to Herod, "It is not permitted for you to have your brother's wife." ¹⁹ So Herodias held a grudge against him and was wanting to kill him, and was not able to do so. ²⁰ For Herod was afraid of John, because he* knew him to be a righteous and holy man and protected him. And when he* listened to him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he listened to him gladly. ²¹ And a suitable day came when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers and military tribunes and the most prominent men of Galilee. ²² And when* the daughter of Herodias herself* came in and danced and pleased* Herod and _⌊his dinner guests_⌋,* the king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever you want, and I will give it* to you." ²³ And he swore to her,* "Anything whatever you ask me for I will give you, up to half my kingdom!" ²⁴ And she went out and* said to her mother, "What should I ask for?" And she said, "The head of John the baptizer." ²⁵ And she came in immediately with haste to the king and* asked, saying, "I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist on a platter immediately." ²⁶ And although he* was deeply grieved, the king, because of his* oaths and _⌊dinner guests_⌋,* did not want to refuse her. ²⁷ And immediately the king sent an executioner and* ordered him* to bring his head. And he went and* beheaded him in the prison. ²⁸ And he brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. ²⁹ And when* his disciples heard this,* they came and took away his corpse and placed it in a tomb.

¹³ But the angel said to him,
"Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will call his name John. ¹⁴ And _⌊you will experience joy and exultation_⌋,* and many will rejoice at his birth. ¹⁵ For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he must never drink wine or beer, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while he is* still in his mother's womb. ¹⁶ And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ And he will go on before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready."

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

¹ Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,* when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, ² in the time of the high priest Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. ³ And he went into all the surrounding region of the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, ⁴ as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,
"The voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight! ⁵ Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be leveled, and the crooked will become straight, and the rough road will become* smooth, ⁶ and all flesh will see the salvation of God.'"* ⁷ Therefore he was saying to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "Offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? ⁸ Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance! And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones! ⁹ And even now the ax is positioned at the root of the trees; therefore every tree not producing good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." ¹⁰ And the crowds were asking him, saying, "What then should we do?" ¹¹ And he answered and* said to them, "The one who has two tunics must share with the one who does not have one,* and the one who has food must do likewise." ¹² And tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, "Teacher, what should we do?" ¹³ And he said to them, "Collect no more than _⌊what you are ordered to_⌋."* ¹⁴ And those who served in the army were also asking him, saying, "What should we also do?" And he said to them, "Extort from no one, and do not blackmail anyone,* and be content with your pay." ¹⁵ And while* the people were waiting expectantly and all were pondering in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he might be the Christ,* ¹⁶ John answered them all, saying, "I baptize you with water, but the one who is more powerful than I am is coming, of whom I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹⁷ His winnowing shovel is in his hand, to clean out his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his storehouse, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." ¹⁸ So with many other exhortations also he proclaimed good news to the people. ¹⁹ But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him concerning Herodias, his brother's wife, and concerning all the evil deeds that Herod had done, ²⁰ added this also to them all: he also locked up John in prison.

²⁴ And when* the messengers of John had departed, he began to speak to the crowds concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

⁶ A man came, sent from God, _⌊whose name was_⌋* John. ⁷ This one came for a witness, in order that he could testify about the light, so that all would believe through him. ⁸ That one was not the light, but came* in order that he could testify about the light.

¹⁵ John testified about him and cried out, saying, "This one was he about whom I said, 'The one who comes after me is ahead of me, because he existed before me.'" ¹⁶ For from his fullness we have all received, and grace after grace. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came about through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has seen God at any time; the one and only, God, the one who is in the bosom of the Father—that one has made him* known. ¹⁹ And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent* priests and Levites from Jerusalem so that they could ask him, "Who are you?" ²⁰ And he confessed—and he did not deny, and confessed—"I am not the Christ!" ²¹ And they asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?" And he said, "I am not!" "Are you the Prophet?"* And he answered, "No!" ²² Then they said to him, "Who are you, so that we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?" ²³ He said,
"I am 'the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, "Make straight the way of the Lord," '*
just as Isaiah the prophet said." ²⁴ (And they had been sent from the Pharisees.) ²⁵ And they asked him and said to him, "Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" ²⁶ John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water. In your midst stands one whom you do not know— ²⁷ the one who comes after me, of whom I am not worthy _⌊to untie_⌋* the strap of his sandal!" ²⁸ These things took place in Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing. ²⁹ On the next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰ This one is the one about whom I said, 'After me is coming a man who is ahead of me, because he existed before me.' ³¹ And I did not know him, but in order that he could be revealed to Israel, because of this I came baptizing with water." ³² And John testified, saying, "I have seen the Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and remaining upon him. ³³ And I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water, that one said to me, 'The one upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon him—this one is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' ³⁴ And I have seen and testify that this one is the Chosen One* of God. ³⁵ On the next day again John was standing there,* and two of his disciples, ³⁶ and looking at Jesus as he* was walking by, he said, "Look! The Lamb of God!"

²⁷ John answered and said, "A man can receive not one thing unless it is granted to him from heaven! ²⁸ You yourselves testify about me that I said, 'I am not the Christ, but I am sent before that one.' ²⁹ The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. But the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices _⌊greatly_⌋* because of the bridegroom's voice. So this joy of mine is complete. ³⁰ It is necessary for that one to increase, but for me to decrease." ³¹ The one who comes from above is over all. The one who is from the earth is from the earth and speaks from the earth; the one who comes from heaven is over all. ³² What he has seen and heard, this he testifies, and no one accepts his testimony. ³³ The one who accepts his testimony has attested that God is true. ³⁴ For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God, for he does not give the Spirit by measure. ³⁵ The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. ³⁶ The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who disobeys the Son will not see life—but the wrath of God remains on him.*

²² beginning from the baptism of John until the day on which he was taken up from us—one of these men must become a witness of his resurrection together with us."

²⁴ Before _⌊his coming_⌋* John had publicly proclaimed* a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. ²⁵ But while John was completing his* mission, he said, 'What do you suppose me to be? I am not he! But behold, one is coming after me of whom I am not worthy to untie the sandals of his* feet!'

³ And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" And they said, "Into the baptism of John." ⁴ And Paul said, "John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people that they should believe in the one who was to come after him—that is, in Jesus."

⁴⁷ and then they return their heart in the land where they have been taken captive and they return and plead to you in the land of their captivity, saying, 'We have sinned and we did wrong. We acted wickedly,'

⁶ Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes."

³⁰ "Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, each one* according to his ways," _⌊declares_⌋* the Lord Yahweh. "Repent* and turn around from all of your transgression, and it will not be as a stumbling block of iniquity to you. ³¹ Throw _⌊away from yourselves_⌋* all of your transgressions that you committed,* and make _⌊for yourselves_⌋* a new heart and new spirit, and so why will you die, house of Israel? ³² For I have no pleasure in the death of the dying," _⌊declares_⌋* the Lord Yahweh. "And so repent* and live!"

¹¹ Say to them, '_⌊As I live_⌋,'* _⌊declares_⌋* the Lord Yahweh, '_⌊Surely I have no delight_⌋* in the death of the wicked, _⌊except_⌋* in the wicked returning from his way, and he lives. Turn back! Turn back from your ways, O evil ones, for why should you die, house of Israel?'

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_⌋.*

¹⁷ From that time on, Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, because the kingdom of heaven is near."

³ "Blessed are the poor in spirit, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

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

¹⁰ May your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

³³ But seek first his kingdom and righteousness,* and all these things will be added to you.

⁷ And as you* are going, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven has come near!'

¹¹ Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen one greater than John the Baptist. But the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹² But from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven is treated violently, and the violent claim* it.

²⁰ Then he began to reproach the towns in which the majority of his miracles had been done, because they did not repent:

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!

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.

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

³¹ He put before them another parable, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and* sowed in his field.

³³ He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and* put into three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened."

⁴⁴ "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, that a man found and* concealed, and in his joy he goes and sells everything that he has and buys that field. ⁴⁵ "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.

⁴⁷ "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish* of every kind,

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."

¹ At that time the disciples came up to Jesus, saying, "Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" ² And calling a child to himself, he had him stand in their midst ³ and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you turn around and become like young children, you will never enter into the kingdom of heaven! ⁴ Therefore whoever humbles himself like this child, this person is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven,

²³ "For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man—a king—who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves.

¹ "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man—the master of the house—who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.

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

² "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man—a king—who gave a wedding celebration for his son.

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.*

¹ "Then the kingdom of heaven may be compared to ten virgins who took their lamps and* went out to meet the bridegroom.

¹⁴ For it is like a man going on a journey. He summoned his own slaves and handed over his property to them.

⁴ John was there baptizing in the wilderness, proclaiming* a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

¹² And they went out and* proclaimed that people* should repent.

²⁰ And he lifted up his eyes to his disciples and* said,
"Blessed are the poor, because yours is the kingdom of God.

² and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

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!"*

²⁰ But if I expel demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you!

³ No, I tell you, but unless you repent you will all perish as well!

⁵ No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all perish as well!"

⁷ I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.

¹⁰ In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

³⁰ And he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent!'

³¹ So also you, when you see these things happening, know* that the kingdom of God is near.

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

³ Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly I say to you, unless someone is born from above,* he is not able to see the kingdom of God." ⁴ Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is an old man? He is not able to enter into his mother's womb for the second time and be born, can he?"* 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.

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.

¹⁹ Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be blotted out,

¹⁸ And when they* heard these things, they became silent* and praised God, saying, "Then God has granted the repentance leading to life to the Gentiles also!"

³⁰ Therefore although* God has overlooked the times of ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent,

²¹ testifying both to Jews and to Greeks with respect to repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus.

²⁰ but to those in Damascus first, and in Jerusalem and all the region of Judea and to the Gentiles, I proclaimed that they should repent and turn to God, doing deeds worthy of repentance.

¹⁰ For grief according to the will of God brings about a repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted, but worldly grief brings about death.

¹³ who has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us* to the kingdom of the Son _⌊he loves_⌋*,

²⁵ correcting those who are opposed with gentleness, seeing whether perhaps God may grant them repentance to a knowledge of the truth,

¹ Therefore, leaving behind the elementary message about Christ, let us move on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and faith in God,

⁹ The Lord is not delaying the promise, as some consider slowness, but is being patient toward you, because he* does not want any to perish, but all to come to repentance.

⁵ Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do _⌊the works you did at first_⌋*. But if you do not, I am coming to you, and I will remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

²¹ And I have given her time in order to repent, and she did not want to repent from her sexual immorality.

³ A voice is calling in the wilderness, "Clear the way of Yahweh! Make a highway smooth in the desert for our God!

¹⁴ And one shall say, "Build up, build up! Clear the way! Remove the obstacles* from the way of my people!" ¹⁵ For thus says the high and lofty one who resides forever, and whose name is holy:
"I reside in a high and holy place, and with the _⌊contrite_⌋* and humble of spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the _⌊contrite_⌋.*

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

³ the voice of one shouting in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths!'"*

¹⁷ And he will go on before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare for the Lord a people made ready."

³ And he went into all the surrounding region of the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, ⁴ as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,
"The voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight! ⁵ Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be leveled, and the crooked will become straight, and the rough road will become* smooth, ⁶ and all flesh will see the salvation of God.'"*

²³ He said,
"I am 'the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, "Make straight the way of the Lord," '*
just as Isaiah the prophet said."

²² _⌊From these_⌋* you may eat the locust according to its kind and the bald locust according to its kind and the cricket according to its kind and the grasshopper according to its kind.

¹³ And he set him on the high places of the land, and he fed him the crops* of the field, and he nursed him with honey from crags,* and with oil from flinty rock,

²⁵ (Now all the people of the land used to go into the forest, for there was honey on the surface of the ground.) ²⁶ When the army came to the forest, look! There was honey flowing, but no one put his hand to his mouth, for the army was afraid of the solemn oath. ²⁷ However, Jonathan had not heard about the oath of his father with the army, so he extended the end of the staff which was in his hand, and he dipped it into the honeycomb.* Then he put his hand to his mouth and his eyes gleamed.*

⁸ They answered him, "A _⌊hairy man_⌋* with a leather belt girded around his waist." And he said, "It is Elijah the Tishbite."

⁴ _⌊And then_⌋* on that day, each of the prophets will be ashamed because of his vision when he was prophesying, and they will not put on a cloak of hair in order to deceive,

⁵ Look! I am going to send to you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of Yahweh!

⁸ But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in the houses of kings.

¹⁸ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon!'

⁶ And John was dressed in camel's hair and a belt made of leather around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.

³ And I will grant authority* to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for one thousand two hundred sixty days, dressed in sackcloth."

²⁵ And large crowds followed him from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from the other side of the Jordan.

⁷ Now as* these were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? ⁸ But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in the houses of kings. ⁹ But why did you go out? To see a prophet?* Yes, I tell you, and even more than a prophet! ¹⁰ It is this man about whom it is written:
'Behold, I am sending my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.'*

⁵ And all the Judean region and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem went out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

⁷ Therefore he was saying to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "Offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

¹⁶ "The law and the prophets were until John; from that time on the kingdom of God has been proclaimed, and everyone is urgently pressed* into it.

²³ Now John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and they were coming and were being baptized.

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

²¹ And Aaron shall place his two hands on the living goat's head, and he shall confess over it all the _⌊Israelites_⌋'* iniquities and all their transgressions for all their sins, and he shall put them on the goat's head, and he shall send it* away into the desert _⌊with_⌋* a man standing ready.*

⁴⁰ " 'But* when they confess their guilt and the guilt of their ancestors* in their infidelity that they displayed against me, and moreover that they went against me in hostility—

⁷ they will confess their sin that they did and will make restitution for their* guilt by adding a fifth _⌊to it_⌋* and giving it _⌊to whomever was wronged_⌋.*

¹⁹ And Joshua said to Achan, "My son, please, give glory to Yahweh the God of Israel, and give him a doxology in court.* Tell me, please, what you have done; do not hide it from me."

²⁷ "He will sing to men, and he will say, 'I have sinned and have perverted what is right, and it was not paid back to me. ²⁸ He redeemed my life from going down into the pit, so* _⌊I will enjoy the light_⌋.'*

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

¹³ He who conceals his transgression will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes will obtain mercy.

²⁵ And I will sprinkle on you pure water, and you will be clean from all of your uncleanness, and I will cleanse you from all of your idols.

⁴ And I prayed to Yahweh my God, and I made confession and I said, "O Lord, the great and awesome God, keeping the covenant and loyal love with those who love him and with those who keep his commandments,

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

¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John in order to be baptized by him. ¹⁴ But John tried to prevent* him, saying, "_⌊I need_⌋* to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" ¹⁵ But Jesus answered and* said to him, "Permit it now, for in this way it is right for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he permitted him. ¹⁶ Now after he* was baptized, Jesus immediately went up from the water, and behold, the heavens opened* and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove coming* upon him.

⁸ I baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." ⁹ And it happened that in those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John.

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

¹⁸ I will set out and* go to my father and will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and _⌊in your sight_⌋!* ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son! Make me like one of your hired workers.' ²⁰ And he set out and* came to his own father. But while* he was still a long way away, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran _⌊and embraced him_⌋* and kissed him. ²¹ And his* son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and _⌊in your sight_⌋!* I am no longer worthy to be called your son!'

²⁵ And they asked him and said to him, "Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" ²⁶ John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water. In your midst stands one whom you do not know— ²⁷ the one who comes after me, of whom I am not worthy _⌊to untie_⌋* the strap of his sandal!" ²⁸ These things took place in Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

³¹ And I did not know him, but in order that he could be revealed to Israel, because of this I came baptizing with water." ³² And John testified, saying, "I have seen the Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and remaining upon him. ³³ And I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water, that one said to me, 'The one upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon him—this one is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'

²³ Now John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and they were coming and were being baptized. ²⁴ (For John had not yet been thrown into prison.) ²⁵ So a dispute occurred on the part of John's disciples with a Jew* concerning purification.

⁵ For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit _⌊not many days from now_⌋."*

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. ³⁹ For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all those who are far away, as many as the Lord our God calls to himself." ⁴⁰ And with many other words he solemnly urged and exhorted them, saying, "Be saved from this crooked generation!" ⁴¹ So those who accepted his message were baptized, and on that day about three thousand souls were added.

³⁶ As for* the message that he sent to the sons of Israel, proclaiming the good news of peace through Jesus Christ—this one is Lord of all— ³⁷ you know the thing that happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee, after the baptism that John proclaimed: ³⁸ Jesus of Nazareth—how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with him.

¹⁶ And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'*

⁴ And Paul said, "John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people that they should believe in the one who was to come after him—that is, in Jesus." ⁵ And when they* heard this,* they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

¹⁸ And many of those who had believed came, confessing and disclosing their practices,

¹⁶ And now why are you delaying? Get up, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name!'

² and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,

¹² having been buried with him in baptism, in which also you were raised together with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

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

² teaching about baptisms and laying on of hands, and resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.

¹⁰ concerning instead only food and drink and different washings, regulations of outward things imposed until the time of setting things right.

¹⁶ Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous person accomplishes much.

²¹ And* also, corresponding to this, baptism now saves you, not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

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.

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."

³ The wicked are estranged from the womb. They go astray from the belly, speaking lies. ⁴ Their venom is like snake venom; They are like a deaf viper that closes its ear ⁵ so that it does not hear the voice of charmers or the skilled caster of spells. ⁶ O God, break their teeth in their mouth. Break off the fangs of the young lions, O Yahweh.

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,

⁵ they hatch viper eggs, and they weave a spider web. One who eats their eggs dies, and that which is pressed is hatched as a serpent.

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.

⁶ Flee from the midst of Babylon and save each one his life. You must not perish because of her guilt. For this is the time of vengeance for Yahweh, he will repay her what is deserved.

¹⁸ _⌊When I say_⌋* to the wicked, 'Surely you will die,' and you do not warn him and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way _⌊so that he may live_⌋,* that wicked person will die because of his guilt, and from your hand I will seek his blood. ¹⁹ And you, if you do warn the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness and from his wicked way, on account of his guilt he will die, and you yourself will have saved your life.* ²⁰ And _⌊when the righteous turns from his righteousness_⌋* and does injustice, and I place* a stumbling block _⌊before him_⌋,* he will die, for you did not warn him. Because of his sin he will die, and his righteousness* that he did will not be remembered, and his blood I shall seek from your hand. ²¹ And if you warn him, the righteous, not to sin, and the righteous does not sin, surely he will live, for he heeded a warning. And you will have saved your life."*

³ and he sees the sword coming against the land, and he blows on the horn and he warns the people, ⁴ and _⌊anyone who listens_⌋* hears the sound of the horn and _⌊he does not take warning_⌋* and the sword comes and it takes him, his blood will be on his own head. ⁵ For he heard the sound of the horn and he did not take warning; his blood will be on him. But if he took warning, he saved his life. ⁶ And as for the watchman, if he sees the sword coming and _⌊he does not blow_⌋* the horn, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and it takes _⌊their lives_⌋,* he will be taken through his guilt, but his blood from the hand of the watchman I will seek.' ⁷ "And you, son of man,* I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; if you hear a word from my mouth, then you must warn them from me.

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

²⁴ But the Pharisees, when they* heard it,* said, "This man does not expel demons except by Beelzebul the ruler of demons!"

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.

¹² Then the disciples came and* said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they* heard this saying?"

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

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

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

²³ On that day Sadducees—who say there is no resurrection—came up to him and asked him,

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

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.*

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! ¹⁶ "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing! But whoever swears by the gold of the temple is bound by his oath.'* ¹⁷ Fools and blind people! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold holy? ¹⁸ And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing! But whoever swears by the gift that is on it is bound by his oath.'* ¹⁹ Blind people! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift holy? ²⁰ Therefore the one who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything that is on it. ²¹ And the one who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. ²² And the one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by the one who sits on it. ²³ "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you pay a tenth of mint and dill and cumin, and neglect the more important matters of the law—justice and mercy and faithfulness! It was necessary* to do these things _⌊while not neglecting those_⌋.* ²⁴ Blind guides who filter out a gnat and swallow a camel! 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. 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.

³³ Serpents! Offspring of vipers! How will you escape from the condemnation to hell?

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?"

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

¹³ And they sent some of the Pharisees and the Herodians to him so that they could catch him unawares in a statement.

¹⁸ And Sadducees—who say there is no resurrection—came up to him and began to ask* him, saying,

⁷ Therefore he was saying to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "Offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? ⁸ Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance! And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones! ⁹ And even now the ax is positioned at the root of the trees; therefore every tree not producing good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

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

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!*

¹⁴ Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him.

¹¹ The Pharisee stood and* prayed these things with reference to himself: 'God, I give thanks to you that I am not like other people—swindlers, unrighteous people, adulterers, or even like this tax collector!

²⁴ (And they had been sent from the Pharisees.)

⁴⁵ So the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees. And they said to them, "_⌊Why_⌋* did you not bring him?" ⁴⁶ The officers replied, "Never has a man spoken like this!" 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!"

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_⌋.*

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

¹ And while* they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees approached them, ² greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

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

⁵ But some of those who had believed from the party of the Pharisees stood up, saying, "It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them* to observe the law of Moses!"

³¹ Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning each one of you* with tears.

⁶ Now when* Paul realized that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he shouted out in the Sanhedrin, "Men and brothers! I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees! I am being judged concerning the hope and the resurrection of the dead!" ⁷ And when* he said this, a dispute developed between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸ (For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection or angel or spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.) ⁹ And there was loud shouting, and some of the scribes from the party of the Pharisees stood up and* contended sharply, saying, "We find nothing wrong with this man! But what if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?"

⁵ having known me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that in accordance with the strictest party of our religion I lived as a Pharisee.

¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all impiety and unrighteousness of people, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

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 and to await his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus, the one who delivers us from the coming wrath.

⁹ who will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his strength, ¹⁰ whenever he should come to be glorified on that day by his saints and to be marveled at by all who believe, because our testimony was believed among you,

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

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.

¹⁰ By this the children of God and the children of the devil are evident: everyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, namely, the one who does not love his brother.

¹⁶ And they said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, ¹⁷ because the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"

⁹ And the great dragon was thrown down, the ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. ¹⁰ And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying,
"Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, because the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, the one who accuses them before our God day and night.

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!

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_⌋.*

¹³ Now _⌊therefore_⌋* amend your ways and your deeds, and obey the voice of Yahweh your God, and Yahweh will relent of the disaster that he has spoken over you.

³ Perhaps when the house of Judah hears all the disasters* that I am planning to do to them, then they may turn back each one from his evil way, and I will forgive their guilt and their sin."

²⁸ "Now what do you think? A man had two sons. He approached* the first and* said, 'Son, go work in the vineyard today.' ²⁹ And he answered and* said, 'I do not want to!' But later he changed his mind and* went. ³⁰ And he approached the second* and* said the same thing. So he answered and* said, 'I will, sir,' and he did not go.

⁸ Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance! And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones!

¹⁰ And the crowds were asking him, saying, "What then should we do?" ¹¹ And he answered and* said to them, "The one who has two tunics must share with the one who does not have one,* and the one who has food must do likewise." ¹² And tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, "Teacher, what should we do?" ¹³ And he said to them, "Collect no more than _⌊what you are ordered to_⌋."* ¹⁴ And those who served in the army were also asking him, saying, "What should we also do?" And he said to them, "Extort from no one, and do not blackmail anyone,* and be content with your pay."

⁴ Or do you despise the wealth of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? ⁵ But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God, ⁶ who will reward each one according to his works: ⁷ to those who, by perseverance in good work, seek glory and honor and immortality, eternal life,

¹⁰ For grief according to the will of God brings about a repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted, but worldly grief brings about death. ¹¹ For behold how much diligence this very thing, being grieved according to the will of God, has brought about in you: what defense of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! In everything you have demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in this matter.

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self control. Against such things there is no law.

⁹ (for the fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth),

¹¹ having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.

⁴ through which things he has bestowed on us his precious and very great promises, so that through these you may become sharers of the divine nature after* escaping from the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire, ⁵ and for this same reason, and by* applying all diligence, supply with your faith excellence of character, and with excellence of character, knowledge, ⁶ and with knowledge, self-control, and with self-control, patient endurance, and with patient endurance, godliness, ⁷ and with godliness, brotherly love, and with brotherly love, love. ⁸ For if* these things are yours and are increasing, this does not make you useless or unproductive in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

²⁴ "Son of man,* the inhabitants of these ruins on the soil of Israel are saying, 'Abraham was one man, and he took possession of the land, and we are many; the land has been given for* us as a possession.'

¹¹ But I say to you that many will come from east and west and _⌊be seated at the banquet_⌋* with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. ¹² But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!"

²¹ For from within, from the heart of people, come evil plans, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders,

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

³⁹ Now when* the Pharisee who invited him saw this,* he spoke to himself, saying, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner."

¹⁷ And he reasoned to himself, saying, 'What should I do? For I do not have anywhere I can gather in my crops.'

²⁴ And he called out and* said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he could dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am suffering pain in this flame!'

⁴⁰ And he answered and* said, "I tell you that* if these keep silent, the stones will cry out!"

³³ They replied to him, "We are descendants of Abraham and have not been enslaved to anyone at any time. How do you say, 'You will become free'?"

³⁹ They answered and said to him, "Abraham is our father!" Jesus said to them, "If you are children of Abraham, do the deeds of Abraham! ⁴⁰ But now you are seeking to kill me, a man who spoke to you the truth which I heard from God. This Abraham did not do.

⁵³ You are not greater than our father Abraham who died, are you?* And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself to be?"

²⁶ "Men and brothers, sons of the family of Abraham and those among you who fear God—to us the message of this salvation has been sent!

¹⁴ Simeon has described how God first concerned himself to take from among the Gentiles a people for his name.

¹ What then shall we say that Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh, has found?

¹¹ And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal* of the righteousness by faith which he had _⌊while uncircumcised_⌋*, so that he could be the father of all who believe _⌊although they are uncircumcised_⌋*, so that righteousness could be credited to them,* ¹² and the father _⌊of those who are circumcised_⌋* to those who are not only from the circumcision, but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith of our father Abraham _⌊which he had while uncircumcised_⌋*. ¹³ For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants, that he would be heir of the world, was not through the law, but through the righteousness by faith. ¹⁴ For if those of the law are heirs, faith is rendered void and the promise is nullified. ¹⁵ For the law produces wrath, but where there is no law, neither is there transgression. ¹⁶ Because of this, it is by faith, in order that it may be according to grace, so that the promise may be secure to all the descendants, not only to those of the law, but also to those of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all ¹⁷ (just as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations")* before God, in whom he believed, the one who makes the dead alive and who calls the things that are not as though they are,

⁷ nor are they all children because they are descendants of Abraham, but "In Isaac will your descendants be named."* ⁸ That is, it is not the children _⌊by human descent_⌋* who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as descendants.

²⁷ But the foolish things of the world God chose in order that he might put to shame the wise, and the weak things of the world God chose in order that he might put to shame the strong, ²⁸ and the insignificant of the world, and the despised, God chose, the things that are not, in order that he might abolish the things that are,

²⁷ for as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And if you are Christ's, then you are descendants of Abraham, heirs according to the promise.

²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the female slave and one by the free woman. ²³ But the one by the female slave was born according to human descent, and the one by the free woman through the promise, ²⁴ which things are spoken allegorically, for these women are two covenants, one from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery, who is Hagar. ²⁵ Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is a slave with her children. ²⁶ But the Jerusalem above is free, which is our mother. ²⁷ For it is written,
"Rejoice, O barren woman, who does not give birth to children; burst out and shout, you who do not have birth pains, because many are the children of the desolate woman, even more than those of the one who has a husband."* ²⁸ But you, brothers, are children of the promise, just as Isaac. ²⁹ But just as at that time the child born according to human descent persecuted the child born according to the Spirit, so also now. ³⁰ But what does the scripture say? "Drive out the female slave and her son, for the son of the female slave will never inherit with the son"* of the free woman. ³¹ Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the female slave but of the free woman.

¹² that you were at that time apart from Christ, alienated from the citizenship of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, not having hope, and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you, the ones who once were far away, have become near by the blood of Christ.

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.

¹⁵ eventhe stalk that your right hand planted, and concerning the shoot* you strengthened for yourself. ¹⁶ It is burned with fire, cut down. They perish at the rebuke of your face.

¹³ Planted in the house* of Yahweh, they will flourish in the courts of our God. ¹⁴ They will still prosper in old age. They will be fat and luxuriant,*

² And he dug it and cleared it of stones, and he planted it with choice vines,* and he built a watchtower in the middle of it, and he even hewed out a wine vat in it, and he waited for it to yield grapes— but it yielded wild grapes. ³ And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men* of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. ⁴ What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it? Why did I hope for it to yield grapes, and it yielded wild grapes? ⁵ And now let me tell you what I myself am about to do to my vineyard.
I will remove its hedge, and it shall become a devastation. I will break down its wall, and it shall become a trampling. ⁶ And I will make it a wasteland; it shall not be pruned and hoed, and it shall be overgrown with briers* and thornbushes.* And concerning the clouds, I will command _⌊them not to send_⌋* rain down upon it. ⁷ For the vineyard of Yahweh of hosts is the house of Israel, and the man* of Judah is the plantation of his delight. And he waited for justice,* but look! Bloodshed!* For righteousness,* but look! A cry of distress!*

¹¹ _⌊When its branches are dry_⌋,* they are broken; women are coming and setting light to it.
For it is not a people of understanding;
therefore his maker will not have compassion on him, and his creator will not show him favor.

³ to _⌊give_⌋* for those in mourning in Zion, to give them a head wrap instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, a garment of praise instead of a faint spirit. And _⌊they will be called_⌋* oaks of righteousness, the planting of Yahweh, to show his glory.

⁸ For he will be like a tree planted by water, and to the stream it sends its roots, and it will not fear when heat comes, and its leaves* will be luxuriant, and in the year of drought it will not be anxious, and it will not cease from the bearing of fruit.

² "Son of man, how will the wood of the vine be _⌊better than_⌋* _⌊any of the wood of_⌋* the branch which is among the trees of the forest?* ³ Can wood be taken from it to make anything, or can they take a tent peg from it to hang on it any object?* ⁴ Look! It is given to the fire as fuel. The fire will consume two of its ends, and its middle will be charred. Is it useful for anything? ⁵ Look! _⌊When it is in perfect condition_⌋,* it will not be used for anything, _⌊how much less_⌋* _⌊when the fire has consumed it_⌋* and it is charred; and then can it be used again for anything? ⁶ Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: _⌊Just like_⌋* the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest* which I gave to the fire for fuel, so I have given the inhabitants of Jerusalem. ⁷ And I will set my face against them. From the fire they may_⌊escape_⌋,* but the fire will yet consume them, and they will know that I am Yahweh _⌊when I set my face against them_⌋.*

¹ "Look! I am going to send my messenger,* and he will prepare* the way _⌊before me_⌋.* And the Lord whom you are seeking will come suddenly to his temple, and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you are taking pleasure—look!—he is about to come," says Yahweh of hosts. ² And who can endure the day of his coming? And who is the one who can stand _⌊when he appears_⌋?* For he is like a refiner's fire, like launderers' alkali.* ³ He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the children of Levi, and he will refine them like gold and like silver, and they will present to Yahweh offerings* in righteousness.

¹ * "For look! The day is about to come, burning like an oven, and all the arrogant and every _⌊evildoer_⌋* will be stubble. The coming day will consume* them," says Yahweh of hosts. "It will not leave behind for them root or branch.

¹⁹ Every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

¹⁹ And seeing a single fig tree by the road, he went to it and found nothing on it except leaves only. And he said to it, "May there be no more fruit from you _⌊forever_⌋,* and the fig tree withered at once.

⁹ And even now the ax is positioned at the root of the trees; therefore every tree not producing good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

⁶ And he told this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any.* ⁷ So he said to the gardener, 'Behold, _⌊for three years_⌋* I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree and did not find any.* Cut it down!* Why should it even exhaust the soil?' ⁸ But he answered and* said to him, 'Sir, leave it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put manure on it.* ⁹ And if indeed it produces fruit in the coming year, so much the better,* but if not, you can cut it down.'"

³¹ For if they do these things _⌊when the wood is green_⌋,* what will happen _⌊when it is dry_⌋?"*

² Every branch that does not bear fruit in me, he removes it, and every branch that bears fruit, he prunes it in order that it may bear more fruit.

⁶ If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown out as a branch, and dries up, and they gather them and throw them* into the fire, and they are burned.

¹ Therefore, holy brothers, sharers in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, ² who was faithful to the one who appointed him, as Moses also was in his household.* ³ For this one is considered worthy of greater glory than Moses, inasmuch as the one who builds it has greater honor than the house.

⁸ But if it* produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to a curse, whose end is for burning.

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.

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

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

⁴ when the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the blood of Jerusalem from her midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning.

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.

²⁰ "And a redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn away from transgression,"
_⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh. ²¹ "And as for me, this is my covenant with them, says Yahweh:
my spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have placed in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, or* from the mouths* of your _⌊children_⌋,* or* from the mouths* of _⌊your children's children_⌋,"* says Yahweh, "from now on and forever."

⁹ And I will bring the remaining third into the fire, and I will refine them like one refines silver, and I will test them like one tests gold. They* will call my name, and I will answer them.* I will say, 'They* are my people,' and they* will say, 'Yahweh is my God.'"

² And who can endure the day of his coming? And who is the one who can stand _⌊when he appears_⌋?* For he is like a refiner's fire, like launderers' alkali.* ³ He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the children of Levi, and he will refine them like gold and like silver, and they will present to Yahweh offerings* in righteousness. ⁴ And the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to Yahweh, like in the days of old and like in former years.

⁶ and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they* confessed their sins.

³ And he went into all the surrounding region of the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,

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

¹⁵ John testified about him and cried out, saying, "This one was he about whom I said, 'The one who comes after me is ahead of me, because he existed before me.'"

²⁶ John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water. In your midst stands one whom you do not know— ²⁷ the one who comes after me, of whom I am not worthy _⌊to untie_⌋* the strap of his sandal!"

³⁰ This one is the one about whom I said, 'After me is coming a man who is ahead of me, because he existed before me.'

³³ And I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water, that one said to me, 'The one upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon him—this one is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' ³⁴ And I have seen and testify that this one is the Chosen One* of God.

²³ Now John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and they were coming and were being baptized. ²⁴ (For John had not yet been thrown into prison.) ²⁵ So a dispute occurred on the part of John's disciples with a Jew* concerning purification. ²⁶ And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, he who was with you on the other side of the Jordan, about whom you testified—look, this one is baptizing, and all are coming to him!"

² And suddenly a sound like a violent rushing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ And divided* tongues like fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. ⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages* as the Spirit gave them ability to speak out.

¹⁵ And as I was beginning to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as also on us at the beginning. ¹⁶ And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'*

⁴ And Paul said, "John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people that they should believe in the one who was to come after him—that is, in Jesus."

¹³ For by* one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free persons, and all were made to drink one Spirit.

²⁷ for as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

⁸ To me, the least of all the saints, was given this grace: to proclaim the good news of the fathomless riches of Christ to the Gentiles,

⁵ he saved us, not by deeds of righteousness that we have done, but because of his mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit,

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

¹⁸ How often are they like straw _⌊before_⌋* the wind, and like chaff that the storm carries away?

⁴ Not so the wicked. Instead, they are like the chaff that the wind scatters.

⁵ Let them be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of Yahweh _⌊driving them_⌋.*

³¹ And the strong man shall become like tinder, and his work like a spark. And both of them shall burn together, and there is not one to quench them."

²⁴ Therefore as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root will become like the stench, and their blossom will go up like the dust. For they have rejected the instruction of Yahweh of hosts, and they have treated the word of the holy one of Israel with contempt.

¹³ The nations roar like the roar of many waters, but he will rebuke him, and he will flee far away. And they are chased like chaff of the mountains before the wind and like tumbleweed before the storm.

²⁴ and the oxen and the donkeys that till* the ground will eat fodder, sorrel that has been winnowed with shovel and pitchfork.

¹⁶ You shall winnow them and the wind shall carry them, and the tempest shall scatter them. And you yourself shall rejoice in Yahweh; you shall boast in the holy one of Israel.

²⁴ "And they shall go out and look at the corpses of the people* _⌊who have rebelled_⌋* against me,
for their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh."

¹¹ At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, "_⌊A hot wind from the barren heights_⌋* in the desert,* _⌊in the direction of_⌋* the daughter of my people, not to winnow and not to cleanse,

²⁰ _⌊Therefore_⌋* thus says the Lord Yahweh, "Look, my anger and my wrath will be poured out on this place, on the humankind, and on the animal, and on the tree of the field, and on the fruit of the ground, and it will not be extinguished."

⁷ And I have winnowed them with a winnowing fork in the gates of the land. I am bereaved. I have destroyed my people. They did not turn back from their ways.

²⁷ But if you do not listen to me, to declare holy the day of the Sabbath, and to not carry a burden and enter through the gates of Jerusalem on the day of the Sabbath, then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it will devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it will not be quenched." '"

² And I will send winnowers to Babylon, and they will winnow her, and they will lay waste her land, for they will be against her from all sides on the day of disaster.

⁴⁷ And you must say to the forest of the Negev, 'Hear the word of Yahweh, thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Look! I am kindling against you a fire, and it will devour in you every fresh tree and every dry tree; the blaze of the flame will not be quenched, and all the surfaces from the south to the north will be scorched by it. ⁴⁸ And all creatures will see that I, Yahweh, I kindled it—it will not be quenched!" '"

³ Therefore, they will be like the morning cloud, and like the dew of early morning going away, like chaff swirling from the threshing floor, or like smoke from a window.

⁹ "Yes, look, I am going to command and I will shake the house of Israel among all the nations like one who shakes with a sieve, but not a pebble will fall to the ground.

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

⁴¹ The Son of Man will send out his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all the causes of sin and those who do lawless deeds,

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

⁴⁹ Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the evil from among the righteous ⁵⁰ and throw them into the fiery furnace.* In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!

⁴³ And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter into life crippled than, having two hands, to go into hell—into the unquenchable fire!*

⁴⁵ And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter into life lame than, having two feet, to be thrown into hell!*

⁴⁷ And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out! It is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than, having two eyes, to be thrown into hell, ⁴⁸ 'where their worm does not die and the fire is not extinguished.'*

¹⁷ His winnowing shovel is in his hand, to clean out his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his storehouse, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

²² But when he* heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream, he took refuge in the regions of Galilee.

⁹ And it happened that in those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. ¹⁰ And immediately as he* was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens being split apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. ¹¹ And a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."

²¹ Now it happened that when all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized, and while he* was praying, heaven was opened, 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."

³² And John testified, saying, "I have seen the Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and remaining upon him.

⁴³ And why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

¹⁶ For from his fullness we have all received, and grace after grace.

³ Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly I say to you, unless someone is born from above,* he is not able to see the kingdom of God." ⁴ Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is an old man? He is not able to enter into his mother's womb for the second time and be born, can he?"* 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. ⁷ Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'It is necessary for you to be born from above.'*

⁶ Then he came to Simon Peter. He said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" ⁷ Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will understand after these things." ⁸ Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet _⌊forever_⌋!"* Jesus replied to him, "Unless I wash you, you do not have a share with me."

⁵ For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit _⌊not many days from now_⌋."* ⁶ So when* they had come together, they began asking* him, saying, "Lord, is it at this time you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" ⁷ But he said to them, "It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has set by his own authority. 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."

²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

²⁵ whom God made publicly available as the mercy seat* through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness, because of the passing over of previously committed sins,

²² But the scripture imprisoned all under sin, in order that the promise could be given by faith* in Jesus Christ to those who believe.

⁶ And because you are sons, God sent out the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, "Abba!* (Father!),"

³ among whom also we all formerly lived in the desires of our flesh, doing the will* of the flesh and of the mind, and we were children of wrath* by nature, as also the rest of them were. ⁴ But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, ⁵ and we being dead in trespasses, he made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are saved),

⁹ After these things I looked, and behold, a great crowd that no one was able to number, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes and with palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰ And they were crying out with a loud voice, saying,
"Salvation to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!" ¹¹ And all the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, ¹² saying,
"Amen! Praise and glory, and wisdom and thanksgiving, and honor and power and strength be to our God _⌊forever and ever_⌋*. Amen!" ¹³ And one of the elders answered, saying to me, "These who are dressed in the white robes—who are they, and from where have they come?" ¹⁴ And I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me,
"These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. ¹⁵ Because of this, they are before the throne of God, and they serve* him day and night in his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne _⌊will shelter_⌋* them. ¹⁶ They will not be hungry any longer or be thirsty any longer, nor will the sun ever beat down on them, nor any heat,* ¹⁷ because the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and will lead them to springs of living waters, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."*

⁷ Then I said, "Look, I come. In the scroll of the book it is written concerning me: ⁸ 'I delight to do your will, O my God, and your law is _⌊deep within me_⌋.'"*

²¹ Yahweh was willing for the sake of his righteousness; he showed his teaching to be great and proved it to be glorious.

⁶ And they were both righteous in the sight of God, living blamelessly in all the commandments and regulations of the Lord.

³⁴ Jesus said to them, "My food is that I do the will of the one who sent me and complete his work.

²⁹ And the one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do the things that are pleasing to him."

⁷ Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will understand after these things." ⁸ Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet _⌊forever_⌋!"* Jesus replied to him, "Unless I wash you, you do not have a share with me." ⁹ Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my* hands and my* head!"

¹⁵ For I have given you an example, that just as I have done for you, you also do.

¹⁰ If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love.

⁷ but emptied himself by* taking the form of a slave, by* becoming in the likeness of people. And being found in appearance like a man, ⁸ he humbled himself by* becoming obedient to the point of death, that is, death on a cross.

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,

²¹ For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his footsteps, ²² who did not commit sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth,* ²³ who when he* was reviled, did not revile in return; when* suffering, he did not threaten, but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly, ²⁴ who himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we may die to sins and live to righteousness, by whose wounds you were healed.

⁶ The one who says that he resides in him ought also to walk* just as that one walked.

² And the spirit of Yahweh shall rest on him— a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of counsel and might, a spirit of knowledge and the fear of Yahweh.

¹ Look! here is my servant; I hold him, my chosen one, in whom my soul delights. I have _⌊put_⌋* my spirit on him; he will bring justice forth to the nations.

²¹ "And as for me, this is my covenant with them, says Yahweh:
my spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have placed in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, or* from the mouths* of your _⌊children_⌋,* or* from the mouths* of _⌊your children's children_⌋,"* says Yahweh, "from now on and forever."

¹ The Spirit of the Lord Yahweh is upon me, because Yahweh has anointed me, he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up _⌊the brokenhearted_⌋,* to _⌊proclaim_⌋* release to the captives and liberation to those who are bound,

¹ And it was in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, and I was in the midst of* the exiles* by the _⌊Kebar River_⌋.* The heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

¹⁰ And immediately as he* was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens being split apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.

³¹ And I did not know him, but in order that he could be revealed to Israel, because of this I came baptizing with water."

³⁴ For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God, for he does not give the Spirit by measure.

⁵⁶ And he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!"

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

¹⁸ "Behold my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.

⁵ While* he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him!"

¹¹ And a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."

⁷ And a cloud came, overshadowing them, and a voice came from the cloud, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him!"

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!"

³⁷ And the Father who sent me, that one has testified about me. You have neither heard his voice at any time nor seen his form.

²⁸ Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have both glorified it,* and I will glorify it* again." ²⁹ Now the crowd that stood there and heard it* said _⌊it had thundered_⌋.* Others were saying, "An angel has spoken to him!" ³⁰ Jesus answered and said, "This voice has not happened for my sake, but for your sake.

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

¹⁷ For he received honor and glory from God the Father when* a voice such as this was brought to him by the Majestic Glory, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

² And I heard a sound from heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the sound that I heard was like harpists playing on their harps.