Luke 20 Cross References - Williams

¹ One day while He was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the good news, the high priests and the scribes, together with the elders, took a stand against Him, ² and said to Him, "Tell us what sort of authority you have for doing as you do, or who is it that gave you such authority?" ³ Then He answered them, "I will ask you a question too. Tell me, ⁴ was John's baptism from heaven or from men?" ⁵ And they argued with one another, and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why did you not believe him?' ⁶ But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet." ⁷ So they answered and said that they did not know where it was from. ⁸ Then Jesus said to them, "Nor am I going to tell you what sort of authority I have for doing as I do." ⁹ Then He went on to tell the people the following story: "Once upon a time a man planted a vineyard and leased it to tenant farmers, and then went abroad for a long stay. ¹⁰ So at the proper time He sent a slave to the tenants, that they might pay him his part of the grape-crop, but the tenants beat him and sent him back empty-handed. ¹¹ Then again he sent another slave, and they beat him and insulted him, and sent him back empty-handed. ¹² And again he sent a third slave, and they wounded him and threw him out of the vineyard. ¹³ Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my dearly loved son. They will, I should think, respect him.' ¹⁴ But when the tenants saw him, they argued among themselves, 'This is the heir; let us kill him, so that what he inherits may be ours.' ¹⁵ So they drove him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? ¹⁶ He will come and put those tenants to death and give the vineyard to others." When they heard this, they said, "May it never be so!" ¹⁷ But He glanced at them and said, "Then what does this Scripture mean: 'That stone which the builders threw away has now become the cornerstone'? ¹⁸ Everyone who falls upon that stone will be shattered, and he on whom it falls will be crushed to dust." ¹⁹ Then the scribes and the high priests tried to arrest Him at that very hour, but they were afraid of the people, for they knew that He meant this story for them. ²⁰ So they closely watched and sent spies who pretended to be upright men, to catch Him in His conversation, so as to turn Him over to the power and authority of the governor. ²¹ They asked Him, "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and show no favors to anyone, but teach the way of God honestly. ²² Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" ²³ But He detected their cunning, and said to them, ²⁴ "Show me a twenty-cent coin. Whose picture and title does it bear?" They answered, "Caesar's." ²⁵ He said to them, "Then pay Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and pay God what belongs to God!" ²⁶ So they could not use what he said before the people, and in astonishment at His answer they said no more. ²⁷ Then some of the Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection, came up and asked Him, ²⁸ "Teacher, Moses wrote for us a law that, if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no child, the man should take the widow and raise up a family for his brother. ²⁹ Now there were seven brothers. And the first brother married a wife and died childless. ³⁰ Then the second, ³¹ and the third, married her; as also the seven did who died but left no child. ³² Last of all, the woman died. ³³ Now at the resurrection which one's wife will the woman be? For the seven married her." ³⁴ Jesus said to them, "The people of this world marry and are married, ³⁵ but those who are considered worthy to attain that other world and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are married. ³⁶ For they cannot die again. They are like the angels, and since they are reborn in the resurrection, are children of God. ³⁷ But that the dead are raised, even Moses at the bush has demonstrated, when he calls the Lord 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' ³⁸ He is not the God of dead but of living people, for all live to Him." ³⁹ Then some of the scribes answered Him, "Teacher, you have given a fine answer." ⁴⁰ For they did not dare to ask Him any more questions. ⁴¹ Then He said to them, "How do people say that the Christ is David's Son? ⁴² For David himself in the Book of Psalms says: 'The Lord has said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, ⁴³ until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet."' ⁴⁴ So David calls Him Lord, then how can He be his Son?" ⁴⁵ While all the people were listening, He said to His disciples, ⁴⁶ "Beware of the scribes who like to go about in long robes and love to be saluted with honor in public places, to be seated in the front seats in the synagogues, and to occupy the places of honor at banquets -- ⁴⁷ men who eat up widows' houses and to cover it up make long prayers! They will receive a much heavier sentence."

²³ And when He had come into the temple, the high priests and elders of the people came up to Him while He was teaching, and asked, "What sort of authority have you for doing these things, and who gave you this authority?" ²⁴ Jesus answered them, "Let me too ask you just one question, and if you answer it, I will tell you what sort of authority I have for doing as I do. ²⁵ Where did John's baptism come from? From heaven, or from men?" They argued it out among themselves in this way, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Then why did you not believe him?' ²⁶ But if we say, 'From men,' we are afraid of the people, for they all consider John a prophet." ²⁷ So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." He also answered them, "Nor am I going to tell you what sort of authority I have for doing as I do.

⁵⁵ At that time Jesus said to the crowds: "Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me, as though I were a robber? Day after day I used to sit teaching in the temple, and you never laid hands on me.

²⁷ Then again they went into Jerusalem. And while Jesus was walking about in the temple, the high priests, scribes, and elders came up to Him ²⁸ and said to Him, "What sort of authority have you for doing as you do? Or, who gave you the authority to do as you do?" ²⁹ Jesus said to them, "Let me ask you just one question, and if you answer me, I will tell you what sort of authority I have for doing as I do. ³⁰ Was John's baptism from heaven or from men? Answer me." ³¹ Then they argued with one another in this way, "If we say, 'It was from heaven,' He will say, 'Then why did you not believe him?' ³² On the other hand, can we say, 'It was from men'?" For they were afraid of the people, because everybody thought that John was really a prophet. ³³ So they said to Jesus, "We do not know." Jesus also said to them, "Nor am I going to tell you what sort of authority I have for doing as I do."

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

⁴⁷ So He was teaching daily in the temple, and the high priests and the scribes and the leading men of the people were trying to destroy Him, ⁴⁸ but they could not find, as hard as they tried, what to do with Him, for all the people continued to hang on His words.

²⁰ Jesus answered him, "I have spoken publicly to the world; I have always taught in the synagogues and in the temple where all the Jews are in the habit of meeting, and I have not spoken anything in secret.

¹ While they were talking to the people, the high priests, the military commander of the temple, and the Sadducees came down upon them,

¹² By this means they excited the people, the elders, and the scribes, and so they rushed upon him, seized him, and brought him before the council.

³⁵ So they brought it to Jesus. ³⁶ Then they threw their coats upon it and mounted Jesus upon it. As He was going on, the people continued to spread their coats under Him on the road. ³⁷ Just as He was approaching the city, going down the Mount of Olives, the whole throng of the disciples began to praise God exultantly and loudly for all the wonder-works that they had seen, ³⁸ and said: "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord; peace in heaven and praise on high!" ³⁹ Then some Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, reprove your disciples." ⁴⁰ But He answered, "I tell you, if they keep silent, the stones will cry out!"

⁴⁵ Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who were selling things in it, ⁴⁶ and He said to them, "The Scripture says, 'And my house shall be a house of prayer,' but you have made it a cave for robbers."

¹⁸ Then the Jews addressed Him and asked, "What sign can you show us that you have authority to act in this way?"

²² For the Father passes sentence on no one, but He has committed all judgment to the Son, ²³ that all men may honor the Son as they do the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. ²⁴ "I most solemnly say to you, whoever listens to me and believes Him who has sent me possesses eternal life, and will never come under condemnation, but has already passed out of death into life. ²⁵ I most solemnly say to you, a time is coming -- indeed, it is already here -- when the dead will listen to the voice of the Son of God, and those who listen to it will live. ²⁶ For just as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted to the Son to have life in Himself. ²⁷ He has also granted to Him authority to act as Judge because He is the Son of Man.

⁷ They had the men stand before them and repeatedly inquired of them, "By what sort of power and authority have you done this?" ⁸ Then Peter, because he was filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Leaders and elders of the people, ⁹ if it is for a good deed to a helpless man, or to learn how he was cured, that we are today being tried, ¹⁰ you and all the people of Israel must know that it is by the authority of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead -- yes, I repeat it, it is by His authority that this man stands here before you well.

²⁷ But the man who was harming his brother pushed him aside, saying, 'Who made you our ruler and referee?

³⁵ That very Moses whom they refused, saying, 'Who made you our ruler and referee?' was the man whom God sent to be both their ruler and deliverer, by the help of the angel who had appeared to him in the bush. ³⁶ It was he who brought them out of Egypt by performing wonders and signs there and at the Red Sea -- as he did also in the desert for forty years. ³⁷ It was this Moses who said to the descendants of Israel, 'God will raise up a prophet for you from among you, just as He did me.' ³⁸ This is the one who in the congregation in the desert went between the angel, who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and our forefathers, who also received, to be handed down to you, utterances that still live. ³⁹ But our forefathers would not listen to him, but pushed him aside, and in their hearts they hankered after Egypt;

⁵¹ "You people, stubborn in will, heathenish in hearts and ears, you are always resisting the Holy Spirit, as your forefathers did, too.

² "Why do your disciples break the rules handed down by our forefathers? For they do not practice washing their hands when they take their meals." ³ But He answered, "Why do you too break God's command for the sake of the rules that have been handed down to you?

⁶⁸ and if I ask you a question, you will not answer me.

⁶ Always let your conversation be seasoned with salt, that is, with winsomeness, so that you may know how to make a fitting answer to everyone.

⁷ But as they were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out into the desert to gaze at? A reed that is tossed to and fro by the wind? ⁸ If not, what did you go out there to see? A man dressed in silks and satins? No, people who dress in that way are found in the palaces of kings. ⁹ If not, why did you go out there? To see a prophet? ¹⁰ This is the man of whom the Scripture says, "'Attention! I am sending my messenger on before you; He will prepare the road ahead of you.' ¹¹ "I solemnly say to you, of all men born of women no one greater than John the Baptist has ever appeared; and yet the one who is least important in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹² And from the days of John the Baptist until the present moment the kingdom of heaven has been continuously taken by storm, and those who take it by storm are seizing it as a precious prize. ¹³ For up to the days of John all the prophets, and even the law, prophesied about it, ¹⁴ and if you are willing to accept it, John himself is the Elijah who was to come. ¹⁵ Let him who has ears listen! ¹⁶ "But to what can I compare the leaders of this age? They are like little children sitting in the market places and calling to their fellows in the game, ¹⁷ "'We played the wedding march for you, but you did not dance. We sang the funeral dirge, but you did not beat your breasts.' ¹⁸ For John came neither eating nor drinking with others, and yet they said, 'He has a demon.' ¹⁹ The Son of Man came eating and drinking with others, and they say, 'Just look at Him! A glutton and a wine-drinker, a chum of tax-collectors and notorious sinners!' And yet wisdom is vindicated by her doings!"

¹¹ He answered, "Elijah does come and will get everything ready. ¹² But I say to you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but treated him as they pleased. Just so the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands."

²⁵ Where did John's baptism come from? From heaven, or from men?" They argued it out among themselves in this way, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Then why did you not believe him?' ²⁶ But if we say, 'From men,' we are afraid of the people, for they all consider John a prophet." ²⁷ So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." He also answered them, "Nor am I going to tell you what sort of authority I have for doing as I do. ²⁸ "But what do you think? There was a man who had two sons, He came to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in my vineyard today.' ²⁹ And he answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go. ³⁰ Then he came to the second and said the same thing. And he answered, 'I will not.' But afterward he changed his mind and went. ³¹ Which of the two did what his father wanted?" They answered, "The second one." Jesus said to them, "I solemnly say to you, the tax-collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of heaven ahead of you. ³² For John came to you walking in the way of uprightness, and yet you did not believe him. The tax-collectors and prostitutes did believe him, but you, even though you saw that, would not change your minds afterward and believe him.

²⁸ "I tell you, of all men born of women there is not one greater than John; and yet the one who is of least importance in the kingdom of God is greater than he. ²⁹ And all the people, even the tax-collectors, when they heard him, vindicated the righteous requirements of God by submitting to John's baptism, ³⁰ but the Pharisees and experts in the law thwarted God's purpose for themselves by refusing to be baptized by him. ³¹ So to what can I compare the men of this age, and what are they like? ³² They are like little children sitting in the market-place and calling to their fellows in the game: "'We played the wedding march for you, but you did not dance. We sang the funeral dirge, but you did not mourn.' ³³ "For John the Baptist came eating no bread and drinking no wine, and yet you say, 'He has a demon!' ³⁴ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking with others, and yet you say, 'Just look at Him! A glutton and a wine-drinker, an intimate friend of tax-collectors and notorious sinners!' ³⁵ But wisdom is vindicated by all who are truly wise."

¹⁸ I will get up and go to my father, and say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your opinion;

⁶ There appeared a man named John, sent from God.

¹⁹ Now this is the testimony which John gave when the Jews sent priests and Levites to him from Jerusalem, to ask him, "Who are you?" ²⁰ He frankly admitted, and did not try at all to deny it; yes, he frankly admitted, "I am not the Christ." ²¹ So they asked him again, "What are you then? Elijah?" And he answered, "Of course, I am not." "Are you the prophet?" He answered, "No." ²² Then they said to him, "Who are you? Tell us, so that we can have an answer to give to those who sent us. What have you to say for yourself?" ²³ He said, "I am a voice of one shouting in the desert, 'Make the road straight for the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said." ²⁴ Now the messengers belonged to the party of the Pharisees; ²⁵ so they asked him, "Why are you baptizing then, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?" ²⁶ John answered them, "I am baptizing only in water. There is standing among you One with whom you are not acquainted. ²⁷ He is to become my successor, because He has been put before me, and I am not fit to untie His shoestrings." ²⁸ This took place at Bethany on the farther side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

¹⁵ John testified to Him and cried out, for this was the one who said, "The One who is coming after me has been put before me, because He existed before me." ¹⁶ For from His bounty we have all received spiritual blessing after spiritual blessing. ¹⁷ For while the law was given through Moses, spiritual blessing and truth have come through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God; the only son, Deity Himself, who lies upon His Father's breast, has made him known.

³⁰ This is the One about whom I said, 'After me there is coming a man who has already been put before me, because He existed before me.'

³⁴ I did see it; and my testimony is that He is the Son of God."

²⁶ And they went to John and said to him, "Teacher, the man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan, to whom you bore testimony yourself, is baptizing people and everybody is going to Him."

³⁶ Whoever trusts in the Son possesses eternal life, but whoever refuses to trust in the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God continues to remain on him.

³³ You yourselves sent to John, and he has testified to the truth. ³⁴ However, I do not accept mere human testimony, but I am saying this that you may be saved. ³⁵ John was the lamp that kept on burning and shining, and you decided for a time to delight yourselves in his light.

²⁵ As John was closing his career, he said, 'What do you take me to be? I am not the Christ; no, but He is coming after me, and I am not fit to untie the shoes on His feet.'

⁹ If not, why did you go out there? To see a prophet?

⁵ Although he wanted to have him killed, he was afraid of the people, for they regarded him as a prophet.

²⁶ But if we say, 'From men,' we are afraid of the people, for they all consider John a prophet."

⁴⁶ but although they were trying to have Him arrested, they were afraid of the people, for they considered Him a prophet.

⁵ But they kept saying, "It must not be at the feast, for a riot may break out among the people."

¹² Then they were trying to have Him arrested, but they were afraid of the people, for they knew that He aimed this story at them. And so they left Him and went away.

⁷⁶ And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to make ready His ways,

²⁶ If not, then what did you go out there to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is far more than a prophet. ²⁷ This is the man of whom the Scripture says: "'Attention! I send my messenger on before you. He will prepare the road ahead of you.' ²⁸ "I tell you, of all men born of women there is not one greater than John; and yet the one who is of least importance in the kingdom of God is greater than he. ²⁹ And all the people, even the tax-collectors, when they heard him, vindicated the righteous requirements of God by submitting to John's baptism,

⁴¹ And many people came to Him and kept on saying, "John did not perform any wonder-works, but everything he ever said about this man was true."

²⁶ Then the military commander went with his attendants and brought them back, but without any violence, for they were afraid of being pelted with stones by the people.

¹⁹ And the ground for the sentence is this, that the light has come into the world, and yet, because their actions were evil, men have loved darkness more than the light. ²⁰ For anyone who is in the habit of doing wrong hates the light, and to keep his actions from being reproved, he does not come out into the daylight.

³⁹ Then Jesus said, "I have come into this world to judge people, so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind."

¹⁰ and with a completely wicked deception for men who are on the way to destruction, because they refused to love the truth so as to be saved. ¹¹ This is why God sends them a misleading influence till they actually believe what is false, ¹² so that all who have refused to believe the truth but have chosen unrighteousness instead might be condemned.

⁸ Just as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, these people resist the truth, for they are depraved in mind and so counterfeits in the faith. ⁹ But they will not make any more progress, for their folly will be evident to everybody, as theirs was.

³ First of all, you must understand this, that in the last days mockers will come with their mockeries, living in accordance with their evil passions,

¹⁴ Let them alone. They are blind teachers! And if one blind man guides another, they will both fall into the ditch."

⁴ "It is a wicked and immoral age that is hankering for a spectacular sign, so no sign will be given it but the sign of Jonah." Then He left them and went away.

²⁷ So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." He also answered them, "Nor am I going to tell you what sort of authority I have for doing as I do.

³³ So they said to Jesus, "We do not know." Jesus also said to them, "Nor am I going to tell you what sort of authority I have for doing as I do."

³³ "Listen to another story. There was once an owner of an estate who planted a vineyard and built a fence around it, and hewed out a wine-vat in it, and built a tower, and rented it to tenant farmers, and then went abroad. ³⁴ But when the time for gathering grapes was near, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his rent. ³⁵ But the tenants took his slaves and beat the first one, killed the second, and stoned the third. ³⁶ Again he sent other slaves, and more than at first, and they treated them exactly the same way. ³⁷ At last he sent his son to them, for he said to himself, 'They will surely respect my son.' ³⁸ But when the tenants saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is his heir, come on, let us kill him, and get all that is coming to him!' ³⁹ So they took him and drove him out of the vineyard and murdered him. ⁴⁰ Now when the owner of the estate comes back, what will he do to these tenants?" ⁴¹ They answered, "In vengeance he will put the scoundrels to death, and rent the vineyard to other tenants who will promptly pay him the rent." ⁴² Then Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures: 'That stone which the builders threw away has become the cornerstone; this is the work of the Lord and seems wonderful to us!' ⁴³ "This, I tell you, is why the kingdom will be taken away from you, and given to a people who will pay a fair rent for it. ⁴⁴ Who ever falls upon that stone will be broken to pieces, but whomever it falls upon will be crushed to powder." ⁴⁵ When the high priests and the Pharisees heard His stories, they knew that He was speaking about them, ⁴⁶ but although they were trying to have Him arrested, they were afraid of the people, for they considered Him a prophet.

¹⁴ "For it is just like a man who was going on a long journey from his homeland, who called to him his slaves and turned his property over to them.

¹ Then He began to speak to them in stories. "A man once planted a vineyard and fenced it in and hewed out a wine-vat and built a watchtower; then he rented it to tenant farmers, and went abroad. ² At the proper time he sent a slave to the tenants to collect his part of the grape crop. ³ But they took him and beat him and sent him back empty-handed. ⁴ And again he sent another slave to them, and they beat his head and treated him shamefully. ⁵ Then he sent a third one, and they killed him, and many others, some of whom they beat, some they killed. ⁶ He had one more to send, his dearly loved son; at last he sent him to them, for he said to himself, 'They will surely respect my son.' ⁷ But those tenants said among themselves, 'This is his heir; come on, let us kill him, and all that is coming to him will be ours.' ⁸ So they took him and killed him, and threw his body outside the vineyard. ⁹ Now what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come back and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others. ¹⁰ Have you never read this passage of Scripture: "'That stone which the builders threw away has now become the cornerstone; ¹¹ This is the work of the Lord, and seems wonderful to us'?" ¹² Then they were trying to have Him arrested, but they were afraid of the people, for they knew that He aimed this story at them. And so they left Him and went away.

¹² So He said: "Once upon a time a man of noble birth went off to a distant country to get for himself a kingdom and then return.

¹ "I am the real vine, and my Father is the cultivator. ² He cuts away any branch on me that stops bearing fruit, and He repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more. ³ You are already pruned because of the teaching that I have given you. ⁴ You must remain in union with me and I will remain in union with you. Just as no branch by itself can bear fruit unless it remains united to the vine, so you cannot unless you remain in union with me. ⁵ I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in union with me and I in union with him will bear abundant fruit, because you cannot do anything cut off from union with me. ⁶ If anyone does not remain in union with me, he is thrown away as a mere branch and is dried up; then it is picked up and thrown into the fire and burned up. ⁷ If you remain in union with me and my words remain in you, you may ask whatever you please and you shall have it. ⁸ By your continuously bearing abundant fruit and in this way proving yourselves to be real disciples of mine, my Father is glorified.

⁶ I did the planting, Apollos did the watering, but it was God who kept the plants growing. ⁷ So neither the planter nor the waterer counts for much, but God is everything in keeping the plants growing. ⁸ The planter and the waterer are one in aim, and yet each of us will get his own pay in accordance with his own work, ⁹ for we belong to God as His fellow-workers; you belong to God as His field to be tilled, as His building to be built.

³⁴ But when the time for gathering grapes was near, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his rent. ³⁵ But the tenants took his slaves and beat the first one, killed the second, and stoned the third. ³⁶ Again he sent other slaves, and more than at first, and they treated them exactly the same way.

² At the proper time he sent a slave to the tenants to collect his part of the grape crop. ³ But they took him and beat him and sent him back empty-handed. ⁴ And again he sent another slave to them, and they beat his head and treated him shamefully. ⁵ Then he sent a third one, and they killed him, and many others, some of whom they beat, some they killed.

⁴⁷ A curse on you, because you build monuments for the prophets, whom your forefathers killed! ⁴⁸ So you testify to what your forefathers did and approve it, because they killed them and you build monuments for them. ⁴⁹ This is why the Wisdom of God said, 'I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill, and some they will persecute'; ⁵⁰ so that the blood of all the prophets that has been shed from the creation of the world may be charged against the men of this age --

³⁴ "O Jerusalem! Jerusalem! The city that continues to murder the prophets, and to stone those who are sent to her, how often I have yearned to gather your children around me, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings. But you refused!

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

⁴ So, my brothers, you too in the body of Christ have ended your relation to the law, so that you may be married to another husband, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.

³⁰ and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have been sharers with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' ³¹ So you are witnessing against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. ³² Then fill up to the brim the cup of your forefathers' guilt! ³³ You serpents! You brood of vipers! How can you escape a sentence to the pit! ³⁴ Therefore, I am going to send you prophets, wise men, and scribes, some of whom you will kill -- even crucify -- and some you will flog in your synagogues and chase from city to city, ³⁵ so that on you will come all the righteous blood shed on the earth from the blood of upright Abel to the blood of Zechariah, Barachiah's son, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. ³⁶ I solemnly say to you, all this will come upon this age! ³⁷ "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! The city that has kept on murdering the prophets, and stoning those who have been sent to her, how often I have yearned to gather your children around me, as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, but you refused!

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

² But, although we had just suffered and been insulted, as you remember, at Philippi, we again summoned courage by the help of God, in spite of the terrific strain, to tell you God's good news.

³⁶ Still others stood the test of taunts and tortures, and even chains and prisons. ³⁷ They were stoned to death, they were tortured to death, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. With nothing on their bodies but skins of sheep or goats they wandered here and there, destitute, oppressed, mistreated --

¹⁷ and a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, my Beloved, in whom I am delighted!"

⁵ While he was still speaking, a bright cloud cast its shadow over them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, my Beloved, in whom I am delighted. Keep on listening to Him!"

³⁵ Then a voice came out of the cloud and said, "This is my Son, my Chosen One; continue to listen to Him!"

¹⁶ "For God loved the world so much that He gave His Only Son, so that anyone who trusts in Him may never perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God sent His Son into the world, not to pass sentence on it, but that the world through Him might be saved.

³⁵ The Father loves His Son and has put everything in His hands. ³⁶ Whoever trusts in the Son possesses eternal life, but whoever refuses to trust in the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God continues to remain on him.

³ For though the law could not do it, because it was made helpless through our lower nature, yet God, by sending His own Son in a body similar to that of our lower nature, and as a sacrifice for sin, passed sentence upon sin through His body,

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

⁹ This is the way God's love for us has been shown, namely, God has sent His only Son into the world that we through Him might have life. ¹⁰ In this way is seen the true love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. ¹¹ Dearly beloved, if God has loved us so, we ought to love one another too. ¹² No one has ever seen God; yet if we practice loving one another, God remains in union with us, and our love for Him attains perfection in our hearts, ¹³ By the fact that He has given us a portion of His Spirit we can be sure that we remain in union with Him and He in union with us. ¹⁴ We have seen and now testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Saviour of the world. ¹⁵ Whoever owns that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in union with him and he in union with God.

² and asked, "Where is He that is born King of the Jews? We saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him." ³ Now when King Herod heard of it, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ So he called together all the high priests and scribes of the people, and anxiously asked them where the Christ was to be born. ⁵ They told him, "At Bethlehem in Judea, for this is what the prophet wrote: ⁶ 'And you, Bethlehem in Judah's land, You are not at all the least among the leading places of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler, who will shepherd my people Israel.'" ⁷ Then Herod secretly sent for the stargazers, and found out from them exactly the time the star appeared. ⁸ So he sent them to Bethlehem with this order, "Go and carefully search for the child, and when you find Him, bring back word to me, and I too may come and do Him homage." ⁹ After listening to the king, they started on their journey, and the star which they had seen rise led them on until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were thrilled with ecstatic joy, ¹¹ and went into the house and saw the child with His mother, Mary; and they fell at His feet and worshiped Him. They opened up their treasure sacks and presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. ¹² Then, as they had been divinely warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they set out to their own country by another route. ¹³ After they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Wake up! Tenderly take the child and His mother, and escape to Egypt; stay there until I further direct you, for Herod is going to search for the child to destroy Him." ¹⁴ Then he awoke and tenderly took the child and His mother by night and made their escape to Egypt; ¹⁵ he stayed there until Herod's death, so as to fulfill what the Lord had said by the prophet, "Out of Egypt I called my Son." ¹⁶ Then Herod, because he saw that a trick had been played on him by the stargazers, was very angry, and sent and slaughtered all the boy babies in Bethlehem and in all that neighborhood, from two years down, in accordance with the time which he had found out from the stargazers.

⁷ Then they began to discuss it among themselves, and said, "It is because we did not take any bread."

²⁵ Where did John's baptism come from? From heaven, or from men?" They argued it out among themselves in this way, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Then why did you not believe him?'

²¹ Still the governor answered, "Which of the two do you want me to set free for you?" And they said, "Barabbas." ²² Pilate asked them, "What then shall I do with Jesus. the so-called Christ?" They all answered, "Have Him crucified!" ²³ He asked, "Why, what has He done that is wrong?" But they kept on shouting louder and louder, "Have Him crucified!" ²⁴ So Pilate, since he saw that he was making no headway with them, but that a riot was about to break out instead, took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, and said, "I am not responsible for this man's death; you must see to it yourselves." ²⁵ And all the people answered, "His blood be on us and on our children!"

⁴⁷ So He was teaching daily in the temple, and the high priests and the scribes and the leading men of the people were trying to destroy Him,

⁵ And they argued with one another, and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why did you not believe him?'

¹⁹ Then the scribes and the high priests tried to arrest Him at that very hour, but they were afraid of the people, for they knew that He meant this story for them.

² So the high priests and the scribes continued to seek how they might put Him to death, for they were afraid of the people.

⁴⁷ So the high priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the council, and began to say, "What are we to do? For this man is certainly performing many wonder-works. ⁴⁸ If we let Him go on this way, everybody will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and blot out both our city and nation." ⁴⁹ But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing about this; ⁵⁰ you do not take into account that it is for your own welfare that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should be destroyed."

²³ this very Jesus, I say, after He was betrayed, in accordance with the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you had wicked men kill by nailing Him to a cross;

¹⁵ and you killed the Prince of life, but God raised Him from the dead, to which fact we are witnesses.

¹⁷ and if children, then also heirs, heirs of God and fellow-heirs with Christ if in reality we share His sufferings, so that we may share His glory too.

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

³⁷ At last he sent his son to them, for he said to himself, 'They will surely respect my son.' ³⁸ But when the tenants saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is his heir, come on, let us kill him, and get all that is coming to him!' ³⁹ So they took him and drove him out of the vineyard and murdered him. ⁴⁰ Now when the owner of the estate comes back, what will he do to these tenants?"

⁶ He had one more to send, his dearly loved son; at last he sent him to them, for he said to himself, 'They will surely respect my son.' ⁷ But those tenants said among themselves, 'This is his heir; come on, let us kill him, and all that is coming to him will be ours.' ⁸ So they took him and killed him, and threw his body outside the vineyard. ⁹ Now what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come back and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.

¹² So Jesus, too, in order to purify the people by His own blood, suffered outside the gate.

⁴¹ They answered, "In vengeance he will put the scoundrels to death, and rent the vineyard to other tenants who will promptly pay him the rent."

⁷ Then the king was enraged, and sent his soldiers to put those murderers to death and burned their city.

²⁷ But bring those enemies of mine here who did not want me to become king over them and slay them in my presence!'"

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

⁴² Then Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures: 'That stone which the builders threw away has become the cornerstone; this is the work of the Lord and seems wonderful to us!'

⁵ So Jesus looked around at them in anger, because He was pained over their stubbornness of mind, and said to the man, "Hold out your hand." And he held it out, and his hand was cured.

²³ Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it will be for those who have money to get into the kingdom of God!"

¹⁰ Have you never read this passage of Scripture: "'That stone which the builders threw away has now become the cornerstone;

⁴¹ As He approached it, just as soon as He saw the city, He burst into tears over it,

³⁷ For I tell you, what has been written about me must be fulfilled: 'He was classed with the outlaws.' Yes, that saying about me has its fulfillment."

⁶¹ Then the Lord turned and looked at Peter, and Peter was reminded of the word that the Lord had spoken to him, "Before a cock crows today, you will disown me three times."

⁴⁴ Then He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you, that everything which is written about me in the law of Moses, in the prophets, and in the Psalms, had to be fulfilled."

²⁵ But this is so that the saying written in their law may be fulfilled, 'They hated me without a cause.'

¹¹ He is the stone that was thrown away by you builders, which has become the cornerstone.

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

³⁴ But when the time for gathering grapes was near, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his rent.

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

¹⁶ by trying to keep us from speaking to the heathen, so that they may be saved, so as always to fill to the brim the cup of their sins. But at last God's wrath has come upon them.

³ Then the high priests and the elders of the people met in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, ⁴ and plotted to arrest Jesus by stratagem and put Him to death.

¹⁴ But when the tenants saw him, they argued among themselves, 'This is the heir; let us kill him, so that what he inherits may be ours.'

¹⁵ Then the Pharisees went and made a plot to trap Him in argument. ¹⁶ So they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, to say to Him, "Teacher, we know that you are in the habit of telling the truth and of teaching the way of God in honesty, and you do not care what anyone says, for you are not partial. ¹⁷ So give us your opinion on the question: Is it right to pay Caesar the poll-tax, or not?" ¹⁸ But Jesus saw their malicious plot, and so asked, "Why are you testing me so, you hypocrites? ¹⁹ Show me a poll-tax coin." ²⁰ And He asked them, "Whose likeness and title is this?" ²¹ They answered, "Caesar's." Then He said to them, "Pay Caesar, therefore, what belongs to Caesar, and pay God what belongs to God." ²² And when they heard it, they were dumbfounded; and they left Him and went away.

² So they bound Him, led Him away, and turned Him over to Pilate the governor.

² And they kept closely watching Him, to see whether He would cure him on the Sabbath, to get a charge to bring against Him.

¹³ Then they sent some Pharisees and Herodians to Him to trap Him in argument. ¹⁴ And they came up and said to Him, "We know that you always tell the truth, and pay no personal consideration to anyone, but teach the way of God honestly. Is it right to pay poll-tax to Caesar, or not? ¹⁵ Should we pay it, or should we not?" Now because He saw their pretense, He said to them, "Why are you testing me so? Bring me a twenty-cent coin to look at." ¹⁶ And they brought Him one. Then He asked them, "Whose picture and title is this?" They answered Him, "Caesar's." ¹⁷ So He said, "Pay Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and pay God what belongs to God." And they were utterly dumbfounded at Him.

⁵⁴ plotting, as if in ambush, to entrap Him in something that might fall from His lips.

²⁶ So they could not use what he said before the people, and in astonishment at His answer they said no more.

²⁸ Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to the governor's palace. It was early in the morning, and they would not go into the governor's palace themselves, in order not to be defiled, so as to be unfit to eat the Passover supper. ²⁹ So Pilate came outside and asked, "What is the charge you bring against this man?" ³⁰ They retorted, "If He were not a criminal, we would not have turned Him over to you." ³¹ Pilate said to them, "Take Him yourselves, and try Him in accordance with your own law." Then the Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to execute the death penalty on anyone." ³² This made it possible for the word of Jesus to be fulfilled which He spoke to indicate what sort of death He was to die.

³ In their greed they will exploit you with messages manufactured by themselves. From of old their condemnation has not been idle and their destruction has not been slumbering.

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

⁴⁹ And he went straight up to Jesus and said, "Good evening, Rabbi," and affectionately kissed Him. ⁵⁰ Jesus said to him, "My friend, do what you came for." Then they came up, laid hands on Jesus, and arrested Him.

¹⁴ And they came up and said to Him, "We know that you always tell the truth, and pay no personal consideration to anyone, but teach the way of God honestly. Is it right to pay poll-tax to Caesar, or not?

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

³⁴ Then Peter opened his mouth and said, "Now I really see that God shows no partiality, ³⁵ but in every nation the man who reveres God and practices doing right is acceptable to Him.

¹⁷ Now who is qualified for such a task? I am, for I am not a peddler of God's message, like the most of them, but like a man of sincerity, like a man that is sent from God and living in His presence, in union with Christ I speak His message.

¹⁰ Am I now trying to win men's favor, or God's? Or, am I trying to be pleasing to men? If I were still trying to be pleasing to men, I would not be a slave of Christ at all.

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

⁴ for since we have been so approved by God as to be entrusted with the good news, we are now telling it, not to please men but God, who proves and finds approved our hearts. ⁵ Indeed, we never resorted to flattery, as you are well aware, nor to any pretext for making money; God is our witness.

²⁵ He answered, "Yes." When Jesus reached home -- He got there ahead of Simon -- He asked him, "What do you think about it, Simon? From whom do civil rulers collect duties or taxes, from their own citizens or from aliens?"

¹⁷ So give us your opinion on the question: Is it right to pay Caesar the poll-tax, or not?" ¹⁸ But Jesus saw their malicious plot, and so asked, "Why are you testing me so, you hypocrites? ¹⁹ Show me a poll-tax coin." ²⁰ And He asked them, "Whose likeness and title is this?" ²¹ They answered, "Caesar's." Then He said to them, "Pay Caesar, therefore, what belongs to Caesar, and pay God what belongs to God."

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

¹ The Pharisees and the Sadducees came up, and to test Him asked Him to show them a spectacular sign from heaven.

¹⁸ But Jesus saw their malicious plot, and so asked, "Why are you testing me so, you hypocrites?

²² Jesus saw that they were arguing, and answered them: "Why are you arguing so in your hearts?

⁸ But He knew what they were thinking, and He said to the man with the withered hand, "Get up and stand at the front." So he got up and stood there.

¹⁶ But others, to test Him, were demanding from Him a spectacular sign from heaven. ¹⁷ But He knew what they were thinking, and so said to them, "Any kingdom that is not united is in the process of destruction, and one house falls after another.

⁵³ After He left the house, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be violently enraged against Him and to try to draw Him out on many subjects, ⁵⁴ plotting, as if in ambush, to entrap Him in something that might fall from His lips.

²⁰ So they closely watched and sent spies who pretended to be upright men, to catch Him in His conversation, so as to turn Him over to the power and authority of the governor.

²⁴ But He would not trust Himself to them, because He knew all men ²⁵ and needed no testimony from anyone about them, for He well knew what was in human nature.

¹⁹ For this world's wisdom is mere nonsense to God. For the Scripture says, "He who catches the wise with their own cunning,"

⁹ Let us stop trying the Lord's patience, as some of them did, and for it were destroyed by the snakes.

¹³ No creature of His can escape God's sight, but everything is bare and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we have to give account.

²⁸ "But that slave went out and found one of his fellow-slaves who owed him twenty dollars, and he caught him by the throat and began to choke him, demanding, 'Pay me what you owe me!'

² When he had contracted with the laborers at twenty cents a day, he sent them off to his vineyard.

¹ Now in those days an edict was issued by the Emperor Augustus that a census of the whole world should be taken.

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

²² Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"

² Here they began to make the following charges against Him: "We have found this fellow corrupting our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar and claiming to be a king himself."

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

⁸ Paul continued to maintain, in his defense, "I have committed no offense against the Jewish law or temple or against the emperor." ⁹ Then Festus, as he wanted to ingratiate himself with the Jews, said to Paul, "Will you go up to Jerusalem and be tried on these charges before me there?" ¹⁰ But Paul said, "I now am standing before the emperor's court where I ought to be tried. I have done the Jews no wrong, as you very well know. ¹¹ If I am guilty and have done anything that deserves death, I am not begging to keep from dying, but if there is nothing in the charges which these men make against me, no one can give me up as a favor to them. I appeal to the emperor." ¹² Then Festus, after conferring with the council, answered, "To the emperor you have appealed, to the emperor you shall go!"

³² Agrippa said to Festus, "He might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed to the emperor."

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

²⁷ but still, that we may not influence them to do anything wrong, go down to the sea and throw over a hook. Pull in the first fish that bites, open its mouth and you will find in it a dollar. Take it and pay the tax for both of us."

²¹ They answered, "Caesar's." Then He said to them, "Pay Caesar, therefore, what belongs to Caesar, and pay God what belongs to God."

¹⁷ So He said, "Pay Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and pay God what belongs to God." And they were utterly dumbfounded at Him.

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

²⁹ Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men.

⁶ for this is the reason why you pay your taxes, for the civil authorities are God's official servants faithfully devoting themselves to this very end. ⁷ Pay all of them what is due them -- tribute to the officer to receive it, taxes to the officer to receive them, respect to the man entitled to it, and honor to the man entitled to it.

³¹ So if you eat or drink or do anything else, do everything to honor God.

¹³ For the Lord's sake submit to all human authority; to the emperor as supreme, ¹⁴ and to governors as sent by Him to punish those who do evil and to reward those who do right. ¹⁵ For it is God's will that by doing right you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. ¹⁶ Live like free men, only do not make your freedom a pretext for doing evil, but live like slaves of God. ¹⁷ Show honor to everyone. Practice love for the brotherhood; practice reverence to God and honor to the Emperor.

¹¹ If anyone is preaching, let him do it as one who utters the oracles of God; if anyone is rendering any service to others, let him do it with all the strength that God supplies, so that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

¹² So he said to him, 'My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding suit on?' But his lips were sealed.

²² And when they heard it, they were dumbfounded; and they left Him and went away.

³⁴ Now the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, and so they had a meeting.

¹⁷ Even while He was saying this, His opponents were blushing with shame, but all the people were rejoicing over all the glorious things that were being done by Him.

³⁹ Then some of the scribes answered Him, "Teacher, you have given a fine answer." ⁴⁰ For they did not dare to ask Him any more questions.

¹⁹ Now we know that everything the law says is spoken to those who are under its authority, that every mouth may be stopped and the whole world be held responsible to God.

¹⁰ For there are many insubordinate people, mere talkers with nothing to say, but deceivers of their own minds, especially those of the circumcision party,

⁶ And Jesus said to them, "Look out, and keep on guarding yourselves against the yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees!"

¹² Then they understood that He meant, guard yourselves not against yeast for bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

²³ On the same day some Sadducees, who claim that there is no resurrection, came up to Him, and asked this question: ²⁴ "Teacher, Moses said, 'If a man dies without children, his brother must marry his widow and raise up a family for him.' ²⁵ Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died without children, and left his widow to his brother. ²⁶ The second also died, and the third, and all down to the seventh. ²⁷ Last of all, the woman died, too. ²⁸ Now at the resurrection which one's wife, of the seven, will she be? For they all married her." ²⁹ Jesus answered them, "You are wrong in your views, because you do not understand the Scriptures nor the power of God, ³⁰ for after the resurrection men do not marry and women are not married, but continue to live together as the angels do in heaven. ³¹ But did you never read, on the resurrection of the dead, what God said to you, ³² 'I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob!' Now God is not the God of dead but of living men." ³³ And when the crowds heard this, they were dumbfounded at His teaching.

¹⁸ Then some Sadducees, who claim that there is no resurrection, came up to Him and asked Him this question, ¹⁹ "Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man's brother died leaving a wife but no child, the man must marry the widow and raise up a family for his brother. ²⁰ There were once seven brothers. The eldest married a wife and on dying left no child, ²¹ and the second married her and died leaving no child; and so did the third. ²² And not one of the seven left a child. At last the woman died too. ²³ Now at the resurrection, which one's wife will she be? For all seven of them married her." ²⁴ Jesus said to them, "Does not this prove that you are wrong in your views, because you do not understand either the Scriptures or the power of God? ²⁵ For when people rise from the dead, men do not marry and women are not married, but continue to live together as the angels in heaven do. ²⁶ But as to the rising of the dead, did you never read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? ²⁷ He is not the God of dead but of living people! You are entirely wrong in your views."

¹ While they were talking to the people, the high priests, the military commander of the temple, and the Sadducees came down upon them, ² because they were very much disturbed over their continuing to teach the people and to declare in the case of Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

¹⁷ Now the high priest took a stand, and all his friends, the party of the Sadducees; and being filled with jealousy,

⁶ Because Paul knew that part of them were Sadducees and part of them Pharisees, he began to cry out in the council chamber, "Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a Pharisee's son, and now I am on trial for the hope of the resurrection of the dead." ⁷ When he said that, an angry dispute arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the crowded court was divided. ⁸ For the Sadducees hold that there is no resurrection, and no such thing as an angel or spirit, but the Pharisees believe in all of them.

¹² Now if we preach that Christ has been raised from the dead, how is it that some of you are saying that there is no such thing as a resurrection of the dead?

¹⁷ and their message will spread like a cancer; men like Hymenaeus and Philetus, ¹⁸ who have missed the truth by saying that the resurrection has already taken place, are undermining some people's faith.

²⁷ Indeed, just as men must die but once and after that be judged,

²⁴ "Teacher, Moses said, 'If a man dies without children, his brother must marry his widow and raise up a family for him.' ²⁵ Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died without children, and left his widow to his brother. ²⁶ The second also died, and the third, and all down to the seventh. ²⁷ Last of all, the woman died, too. ²⁸ Now at the resurrection which one's wife, of the seven, will she be? For they all married her."

¹⁹ "Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man's brother died leaving a wife but no child, the man must marry the widow and raise up a family for his brother. ²⁰ There were once seven brothers. The eldest married a wife and on dying left no child, ²¹ and the second married her and died leaving no child; and so did the third. ²² And not one of the seven left a child. At last the woman died too. ²³ Now at the resurrection, which one's wife will she be? For all seven of them married her."

⁸ And his master praised the dishonest manager, because he acted with shrewd business sense, for the men of the world act with more business sense toward their fellows than the men who enjoy spiritual light.

²⁷ People continued to eat, drink, marry, and be married, right up to the day when Noah went into the ark, and the Flood came and destroyed them all.

² but because of so much sexual immorality every man should have a wife of his own, and every woman a husband of her own. ³ The husband must always give his wife what is due her, and the wife too must do so for her husband. ⁴ The wife does not have the right to do as she pleases with her own body; the husband has his right to it. In the same way the husband does not have the right to do as he pleases with his own body; the wife has her right to it. ⁵ You husbands and wives must stop refusing each other what is due, unless you agree to do so just for awhile, so as to have plenty of time for prayer, and then to be together again, so as to keep Satan from tempting you because of your lack of self-control. ⁶ But I say this by way of concession, not by way of command. ⁷ However, I should like for everyone to be just as I am myself, yet each of us has his own special gift from God, one for one way, another for another. ⁸ To unmarried people and to widows I would say this: It would be a fine thing for them to remain single, as I am. ⁹ But if they do not practice self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to be burning in the fire of passion. ¹⁰ To the people already married I give this instruction -- no, not I but the Lord -- that a wife is not to leave her husband. ¹¹ But if she does leave him, she must remain single, or better, be reconciled to her husband. I instruct the husband too not to divorce his wife. ¹² To the rest of the people I myself would say -- though the Lord Himself has said nothing about it -- if a Christian has a wife that is not a believer and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her; ¹³ and a woman who has a husband that is not a believer, but he consents to live with her, must not divorce her husband. ¹⁴ For the unbelieving husband is consecrated by union with his wife and the unbelieving wife by union with her Christian husband, for otherwise your children would be unblessed, but in this way they are consecrated. ¹⁵ But if the unbelieving consort actually leaves, let the separation stand. In such cases the Christian husband or wife is not morally bound; God has called us to live in peace. ¹⁶ For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

³¹ Therefore, a man must leave his father and mother and so perfectly unite himself to his wife that the two shall be one.

⁴ Marriage must be held in honor by all, and the marriage relations kept sacred. Persons who are sexually vicious and immoral God will punish.

³² And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven for it, but whoever speaks abusively against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven for it, either in this world or in the world to come.

²⁹ Jesus answered them, "You are wrong in your views, because you do not understand the Scriptures nor the power of God,

²⁴ Jesus said to them, "Does not this prove that you are wrong in your views, because you do not understand either the Scriptures or the power of God?

³⁶ But ever be watching and always praying, so that you may have strength to escape all this that is going to take place, and so you may take your stand in the presence of the Son of Man."

²⁹ and those who have done good will come out for a resurrection to life, but those who have done evil for a resurrection to condemnation.

⁴¹ So they went out from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer disgrace for Jesus' name;

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

⁵ This is a proof of God's righteous judgment, His aim being to let you show yourselves worthy of His kingdom, for which you are suffering; since,

³⁵ Women by a resurrection received their dead again; others endured tortures, because they would not accept release, that they might rise to a better life.

⁴ Yet you have in Sardis a few who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me in white, for they deserve to do so.

³⁰ for after the resurrection men do not marry and women are not married, but continue to live together as the angels do in heaven.

²⁵ For when people rise from the dead, men do not marry and women are not married, but continue to live together as the angels in heaven do.

¹⁷ and if children, then also heirs, heirs of God and fellow-heirs with Christ if in reality we share His sufferings, so that we may share His glory too. ¹⁸ For I consider all that we suffer in this present life is nothing to be compared with the glory which by-and-by is to be uncovered for us. ¹⁹ For all nature is expectantly waiting for the unveiling of the sons of God. ²⁰ For nature did not of its own accord give up to failure; it was for the sake of Him who let it thus be given up, in the hope ²¹ that even nature itself might finally be set free from its bondage to decay, so as to share the glorious freedom of God's children. ²² Yes, we know that all nature has gone on groaning in agony together till the present moment. ²³ Not only that but this too, we ourselves who enjoy the Spirit as a foretaste of the future, even we ourselves, keep up our inner groanings while we wait to enter upon our adoption as God's sons at the redemption of our bodies.

²⁶ Death is the last enemy to be stopped,

⁴² It is just like this with the resurrection of the dead.

⁴⁹ and as we have reflected the likeness of him who was made of dust, let us also reflect the likeness of the Man from heaven.

⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the sound of the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised with bodies not subject to decay, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this decaying part of us must put on the body that can never decay, and this part once capable of dying must put on the body that can never die. ⁵⁴ And when this part once capable of dying puts on the body that can never die, then what the Scripture says will come true, "Death has been swallowed up in victory.

²¹ He will so change the outward appearance of our lowly bodies that they will be like His glorious body, by the exertion of the power He has to subject everything to Himself.

¹³ Also we do not want you to have any misunderstanding, brothers, about those who are falling asleep, so as to keep you from grieving over them as others do who have no hope. ¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, then through Jesus, God will bring back with Him those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁵ For on the Lord's own authority we say that those of us who may be left behind and are still living when the Lord comes back, will have no advantage at all over those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord Himself, at the summons sounded by the archangel's call and by God's trumpet, will come down from heaven, and first of all the dead in union with Christ will rise, ¹⁷ then those of us who are still living will be caught up along with them on clouds in the air to meet the Lord, and so we shall be with the Lord forever.

¹ See what wonderful love the Father has bestowed on us in letting us be called God's children, and that is what we are! This is why the world does not know what we are, because it has never come to know Him. ² Dearly beloved, we are now God's children, but what we are going to be has not been unveiled. We know that if it is unveiled, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is.

⁶ Then I saw, midway between the throne and the four living creatures, standing among the elders, a Lamb that looked as though He had been slaughtered. He had seven horns and seven eyes; the latter are the seven spirits of God which are sent on duty to every portion of the earth. ⁷ He came and took the book from the right hand of Him who was seated on the throne. ⁸ When He took it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each with a harp, and golden bowls that were full of incense, which represent the prayers of God's people. ⁹ Then they sang a new song: "You deserve to take the book and break its seals, because you have been slaughtered, and with your blood have bought men from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation, ¹⁰ and have made them a kingdom of priests for our God; and they will rule over the earth." ¹¹ Then I looked and heard the voices of many angels surrounding the throne, the living creatures, and the elders. Their number was myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, ¹² saying in a loud voice: "The Lamb that was slaughtered deserves to receive power, riches, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing." ¹³ Then I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, underneath the earth, and on the sea, and all that they contain, say: "Blessing, honor, glory, and power be to Him who is seated on the throne and to the Lamb forever." ¹⁴ Then the four living creatures said, "Amen!" And the elders fell down and worshiped.

⁹ After this I looked, and there was a vast throng that no one could count from every nation, tribe, people, and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, ¹⁰ and they cried in a loud voice: "Our salvation is due to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb." ¹¹ Then all the angels stood around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, ¹² saying: "Amen! Blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and strength be to our God forever and ever. Amen!"

⁶ Blessed and holy is the man who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death will have no power, but they will be priests of God and Christ, and reign with Him the thousand years.

⁴ and He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no death any longer, no sorrow, no crying, no pain. The first order of things has passed away."

² down the middle of the city's Broadway. On both sides of the river grew the tree of life, which bore twelve kinds of fruit, yielding a different kind each month, and its leaves contained the remedy to cure the nations. ³ No longer will there be anything that has a curse on it. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and His slaves will worship Him, ⁴ They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. ⁵ There will be no night any longer; so they will need no lamplight nor sunlight, for the Lord God will give them light, and they will rule forever and ever.

⁹ But he said to me: "You must be careful not to do that; I am only a fellow-slave of yours, of your brothers the prophets, and of the people who practice the truths contained in this book. Worship God."

³ And he sent his slaves to summon those who had been invited to the wedding reception, but they refused to come. ⁴ A second time he sent other slaves, and said to them, 'Tell the invited guests that I have my reception all ready, my bullocks and fatlings are butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding reception!' ⁵ But they paid no attention to it, but went off, one to his farm, another to his place of business, ⁶ and the rest seized his slaves, treated them with violence, and murdered them. ⁷ Then the king was enraged, and sent his soldiers to put those murderers to death and burned their city. ⁸ After that he said to his slaves, 'My wedding reception is ready, but those invited have proved unworthy. ⁹ So go out to the country crossroads and invite everybody you find to my wedding reception.' ¹⁰ And those slaves went out into the roads and gathered everybody they found, both good and bad, and the bridal-hall was packed with guests. ¹¹ But when the king came in to take a look at the guests, he saw there a man who did not have on a wedding suit. ¹² So he said to him, 'My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding suit on?' But his lips were sealed. ¹³ Then the king said to his attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot and throw him out into the darkness on the outside, where he will have to weep and grind his teeth.' ¹⁴ For many are invited, but few are selected." ¹⁵ Then the Pharisees went and made a plot to trap Him in argument. ¹⁶ So they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, to say to Him, "Teacher, we know that you are in the habit of telling the truth and of teaching the way of God in honesty, and you do not care what anyone says, for you are not partial. ¹⁷ So give us your opinion on the question: Is it right to pay Caesar the poll-tax, or not?" ¹⁸ But Jesus saw their malicious plot, and so asked, "Why are you testing me so, you hypocrites? ¹⁹ Show me a poll-tax coin." ²⁰ And He asked them, "Whose likeness and title is this?" ²¹ They answered, "Caesar's." Then He said to them, "Pay Caesar, therefore, what belongs to Caesar, and pay God what belongs to God." ²² And when they heard it, they were dumbfounded; and they left Him and went away.

³⁰ When forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the desert of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush. ³¹ When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight, and when he went up to look at it, the voice of the Lord said to him, ³² 'I am the God of your forefathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.' Moses was so terrified that he did not dare to look at the bush.

⁵⁷ Just as the living Father has sent me and I live because of the Father, so whoever keeps on eating me will live because of me.

²⁵ Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life myself. Whoever continues to believe in me will live right on even though he dies, ²⁶ and no person who continues to live and believe in me will ever die at all. Do you believe this?"

¹⁹ In just a little while the world will not see me any more, but you will be seeing me. Because I am to live on, you too will live on.

¹⁰ For by the death He died He once for all ended His relation to sin, and by the life He now is living He lives in unbroken relation to God. ¹¹ So you too must consider yourselves as having ended your relation to sin but living in unbroken relation to God.

²² But now, since you have been freed from sin and have become the slaves of God, the immediate result is consecration, and the final destiny is eternal life. ²³ For the wages paid by sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life through union with Christ Jesus our Lord.

⁷ For none of us can live alone by himself, and none of us can die alone by himself; ⁸ indeed, if we live, we always live in relation to the Lord, and if we die, we always die in relation to the Lord. So whether we live or die we belong to the Lord. ⁹ For Christ died and lived again for the very purpose of being Lord of both the dead and the living.

¹⁶ And what agreement can a temple of God make with idols? For we are the temple of the living God, just as God said: "I will live in them and walk in them, and I will be their God and they will be my people."

⁴ For though He was crucified in weakness, yet by the power of God He goes on living. We too, indeed, show weakness through our union with Him, yet by the power of God we too shall be alive toward you through fellowship with Him.

³ for you have died, and your life is now hidden in God through your fellowship with Christ. ⁴ When Christ, who is our life, appears, you too will appear to be glorified in fellowship with Him.

¹⁶ But in reality they were aspiring for a better country, I mean, a heavenly one. This is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

¹⁵ This is why they are before the throne of God, and day and night serve Him in His temple, and He who is seated on His throne will shelter them in His tent. ¹⁶ They will never again be hungry or thirsty, and never again will the sun strike them, or any scorching heat, ¹⁷ because the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will be their Shepherd, and God will wipe every tear from their eyes."

¹ Then he showed me a river of living water, clear as crystal, which continued to flow from the throne of God and of the Lamb

³⁴ Now the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, and so they had a meeting. ³⁵ And one of their number, an expert in the law, to tempt Him, asked, ³⁶ "Teacher, what sort of command is greatest in the law?" ³⁷ And He answered him, "'You must love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole soul, and your whole mind.' ³⁸ This is the greatest command, and is first in importance. ³⁹ The second is like it: 'You must love your neighbor as you do yourself.' ⁴⁰ The essence of the whole law and the prophets is packed into these two commands."

²⁸ Then one of the scribes, on hearing them arguing, came up, and since he saw that Jesus had answered them properly, he asked Him, "What sort of command is the first of all commands?" ²⁹ Jesus answered, "The first one is, 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord, ³⁰ and you must love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole soul, your whole mind, and your whole strength.' ³¹ And this is the second, 'You must love your neighbor as you do yourself.' No other command is greater than these." ³² Then the scribe said to Him, "Indeed, Teacher, you have properly said that He is one by Himself, and there is no other but Him, ³³ and to love Him with one's whole heart, one's whole understanding, and one's whole strength, and to love one's neighbor as one loves himself is far more than all the burnt-offerings and sacrifices." ³⁴ So Jesus said to him, as He saw that he had answered thoughtfully, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And no one ventured to ask Him any more questions.

⁹ So there was a vociferous yelling until some of the scribes, belonging to the party of the Pharisees, got up and fiercely contended, "We find nothing wrong with this man. Suppose a spirit or angel has really spoken to him!"

⁴⁶ And not one could answer Him a word, and from that day on no one ever dared to ask Him any more questions.

³⁴ So Jesus said to him, as He saw that he had answered thoughtfully, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And no one ventured to ask Him any more questions.

¹ The family tree of Jesus Christ, a descendant of David, a descendant of Abraham.

⁴¹ And when the Pharisees came together, Jesus asked them, ⁴² "What is your opinion of the Christ? Whose son is He?" They answered Him, "He is David's son." ⁴³ He asked them, "How then does David, under the guidance of the Spirit, call Him Lord, when he says: ⁴⁴ 'The Lord has said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, Until I put your enemies under your feet!' ⁴⁵ If David, then, calls Him Lord, how can He be his son?"

³⁵ While He was teaching in the temple, He answered them and said, "How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? ³⁶ David himself, Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, said: 'The Lord has said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand Until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet."' ³⁷ David himself called him Lord, so how can He be his son?" Most of the people liked to hear Him.

³⁸ Then he cried out, "Jesus, you Son of David, do pity me!" ³⁹ But those who were marching in front reproved him and told him to keep quiet, but he cried out all the louder, "O Son of David, do pity me!"

⁴² Do not the Scriptures say that the Christ is to spring from David and to come from the village of Bethlehem where David lived?"

³⁰ So, as he was a prophet and knew that God with an oath had promised to put one of his descendants on his throne,

³ about His Son, who on the physical side became a descendant of David, and on the holy, spiritual side ⁴ proved to be God's Son in power by the resurrection from the dead -- I mean, Jesus Christ, our Lord,

¹⁶ "I, Jesus, sent my angel to bear this testimony to you for the churches. I belong to the line and family of David; I am the bright morning star."

²⁰ For in the Book of Psalms it is written: 'Let his estate be desolate, and let no one live on it,' and 'Let someone else take his position.'

³⁴ For David did not go up to heaven, but he himself says: 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, ³⁵ Until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet."'

³³ that God has fulfilled it to us their children, by raising Jesus to life, just as the Scripture says in the Second Psalm, 'You are my Son, today I have become your Father.' ³⁴ Now as a proof that He has raised Him from the dead, no more to return to decay, He has spoken this, 'I will fulfill to you the holy promises made to David.' ³⁵ Because in another psalm he says, 'You will not let your Holy One experience decay.'

²⁵ for He must continue to be king until He puts all His enemies under His feet.

¹³ But to what angel did He ever say: "Just keep your seat at my right hand, until I make your foes a footstool for your feet"?

⁷ Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: "If you but hear His voice today,

¹⁴ The armies of heaven, wearing pure white linen, followed Him on white horses. ¹⁵ From His mouth shot a sharp sword, so that He could smite the nations with it. He will rule them with a scepter of iron, and will tread the wine press of the raging wrath of the Almighty God. ¹⁶ On His garment and on His thigh He has this title written: King of kings and Lord of lords. ¹⁷ Then I saw an angel standing on the sun, and in a loud voice shouting to all the birds that fly in mid-air: "Come! Gather for God's great banquet, ¹⁸ to feast on the flesh of kings, generals, heroes, of horses and their riders; yes, the flesh of all men, freemen and slaves, great and small." ¹⁹ Then I saw the wild beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies gather to go to war with the Rider of the horse and His army. ²⁰ Then the wild beast was captured and with him the false prophet who performed wonders in his presence, by which he led astray those who let the mark of the wild beast be put on them and worshiped his statue. Both of them were hurled alive into the fiery lake that burns with brimstone. ²¹ The rest were killed with the sword that shot from the mouth of the horse's Rider, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.

²³ "The virgin will become pregnant and have a son, and they will call Him Immanuel" -- which means "God with us."

³¹ Listen! You will become pregnant and bear a son, and you must name Him Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His forefather David, ³³ and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; His reign will have no end." ³⁴ But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no husband?" ³⁵ Then the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you, and so your child will be called holy, the Son of God.

¹¹ for today, in the town of David, a Saviour for you has been born, who is to be your Messiah and Lord.

⁵ the patriarchs, and from them by natural descent the Christ has come, who is exalted over all, God blessed forever. Amen!

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

¹⁰ And He called the people to Him and said, "Listen to this and learn it!

¹ Then Jesus said to the crowds and to His disciples: ² "The scribes and Pharisees have taken Moses' seat as teachers.

⁵ They do what they do to attract people's attention. They wear on their coats Scripture texts in big letters, and they wear large tassels, ⁶ and they like the places of honor at feasts and the front seats in synagogues, ⁷ to be greeted with honor in public places, and to have men call them 'Teacher.'

³⁴ Then He called the people to Him along with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wants to be my disciple, he must say, 'No' to self, put the cross on his shoulders, and keep on following me.

³⁸ And in His teaching He continued to say: "Beware of the scribes who like to go about in long robes, to be saluted with honor in public places, ³⁹ to be seated in the front seats in the synagogues, to occupy the places of honor at banquets --

²⁰ Those who are guilty reprove in public, so that others may be warned.

¹⁵ Then He kept warning them by saying, "Look out! Keep on guarding yourselves against the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod."

⁴³ A curse on you Pharisees, because you like to have the front seats in synagogues, and to be greeted with honor in public places!

¹ Meanwhile as the people had gathered in tens of thousands, so that they were trampling upon one another, He began to say, first of all, to His disciples: "Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, that is, hypocrisy.

⁷ When He noticed how the guests were picking out the best places, He told them the following story:

¹⁰ In brotherly love be affectionate to one another, in personal honors put one another to the fore,

³ Stop acting from motives of selfish strife or petty ambition, but in humility practice treating one another as your superiors. ⁴ Stop looking after your own interests only but practice looking out for the interests of others too. ⁵ Keep on fostering the same disposition that Christ Jesus had.

¹⁵ You too must be on your guard against him, for he has vigorously opposed my teaching.

⁹ I have written briefly to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to be first among them, refuses to listen to me.

²² Moreover, I tell you, on the day of judgment the punishment will be lighter for Tyre and Sidon than for you! ²³ And you, Capernaum, are you to be exalted to heaven? No, you belong to the regions of the dead! For if the wonder-works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have continued until today. ²⁴ But I tell you, on the day of judgment the punishment will be lighter for the land of Sodom than for you!"

¹³ "A curse on you, you hypocritical scribes and Pharisees! For you bolt the doors of the kingdom of heaven in men's faces, for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you let those who are trying to do so go in.

²⁶ You blind Pharisees! You must first clean the inside of the cup and the dish, so that the outside may be clean too. ²⁷ "A curse on you, you hypocritical scribes and Pharisees, for you are like white-washed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead people's bones and everything that is unclean! ²⁸ So you, too, on the outside seem to people to be upright, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

⁴⁰ men who eat up widows' houses and to cover it up make long prayers. They will get a much heavier sentence!"

¹² I tell you, on that day the punishment will be lighter for Sodom than for that town. ¹³ A curse on you, Chorazin! A curse on you, Bethsaida! For if the wonder-works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, long ago they would have repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. ¹⁴ But at the judgment the punishment will be lighter for Tyre and Sidon than for you.

⁴⁷ That slave who knows his master's wishes and does not get ready or act upon them will be severely punished. ⁴⁸ But the one who does wrong without knowing it will be lightly punished. Much will be demanded from anyone to whom much has been given; yea, people will demand much more from anyone to whom they have entrusted much.

⁵ Indeed, we never resorted to flattery, as you are well aware, nor to any pretext for making money; God is our witness.

² For people will be selfish, avaricious, boastful, haughty, abusive, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, irreverent, ³ lacking in love for kinsmen, irreconcilable, slanderers, having no self-control, savage, lacking in love for the good, ⁴ treacherous, reckless, conceited, loving pleasure more than God, ⁵ keeping up the forms of religion but not giving expression to its power. Avoid such people. ⁶ For some of them practice going into people's houses and capturing weak and silly women who are overwhelmed with the weight of their sins, who are easily led about by all sorts of evil impulses,

¹⁶ They profess to know God, but by their actions they disown Him; they are detestable, disobedient, and useless for anything good.

¹ Many of you, my brothers, should avoid becoming teachers, because you know that we teachers are going to be judged with stricter judgment than other people.