Matthew 22 Cross References - Williams

¹ Then Jesus again spoke to them in stories, and said: ² "The kingdom of heaven is like a king, who gave a wedding reception for his son. 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. 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. 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." 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?" ⁴⁶ And not one could answer Him a word, and from that day on no one ever dared to ask Him any more questions.

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

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.'"

² and saying, "Repent! For the kingdom of heaven is near."

⁷ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to escape from the wrath that is coming?

¹² His winnowing-fork is in His hand, and He will clean out His threshing-floor and store His wheat in His barn, but He will burn up the chaff with fire that never can be put out."

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

¹⁰ "Blessed are those who suffer persecution for being and doing right, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them. ¹¹ "Blessed are you when people abuse you, and persecute you, and keep on falsely telling all sorts of evil against you for my sake. ¹² Keep on rejoicing and leaping for ecstasy, for your reward will be rich in heaven; for this is the way they persecuted the prophets who lived before you.

¹⁹ Whoever, therefore, breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others so to do, will be ranked as least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices them and teaches others so to do, will be ranked as great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I tell you that unless your righteousness far surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven at all.

²⁰ For I tell you that unless your righteousness far surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven at all.

¹² Then you must practice dealing with others as you would like for them to deal with you, for this is the summing up of the law and the prophets. ¹³ "Go in by the narrow gate, for broad and roomy is the road that leads to destruction, and many are going in by it. ¹⁴ But narrow is the gate and hard is the road that leads to life, and few are they that find it.

²¹ Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will get into the kingdom of heaven, but only those who practice doing the will of my Father in heaven.

²⁸ When Jesus had closed this address, the result was that the crowds were dumbfounded at His teaching, ²⁹ for He was teaching them as one who had authority to teach, and not as their scribes did.

¹² while the heirs of the kingdom will be turned out into the darkness outside, where they will be weeping and grinding their teeth."

¹³ Go, learn what this means, 'It is mercy and not sacrifice that I want.' It is not upright but sinful people that I have come to invite."

¹⁵ Jesus said to them, "The wedding guests cannot mourn, can they, as long as they have the bridegroom with them? But a time will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. ¹⁶ Nobody sews a patch of brand-new goods on an old coat, for such a patch would tear away from the coat, and the hole would be bigger than ever. ¹⁷ Nobody pours new wine into old wine-bottles; or, if they do, the bottles burst, the wine runs out, and the bottles are ruined. But people pour new wine into new wine-bottles, and so both are preserved."

²⁷ As Jesus was passing along from there, two blind men followed Him, shouting, "Do pity us, O Son of David!"

⁶ but rather to the lost sheep of Israel's house. ⁷ And as you go continue to preach, 'The kingdom of heaven is near.'

¹¹ Into whatever town or village you go, inquire for some deserving person, and stay at his house until you leave the place. ¹² As you go into his house, wish it well,

¹² As you go into his house, wish it well, ¹³ and if the house should prove deserving, may your good wish for peace upon it come true, but if not, may your good wish bring peace to yourselves.

¹³ and if the house should prove deserving, may your good wish for peace upon it come true, but if not, may your good wish bring peace to yourselves. ¹⁴ And whoever will not welcome you, or listen to your words, on leaving that place shake off from your feet its very dust. ¹⁵ I tell you, the punishment on the day of judgment will be lighter for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town. ¹⁶ "Listen! I am sending you out as sheep surrounded by wolves. So you must be sensible like serpents and guileless like doves.

¹⁶ "Listen! I am sending you out as sheep surrounded by wolves. So you must be sensible like serpents and guileless like doves. ¹⁷ Be on your guard against men, for they will turn you over to the courts and will flog you in their synagogues, ¹⁸ and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness to them and the heathen.

²² And you will be hated by all men, because you bear my name, but whoever bears up to the end will be saved. ²³ But whenever they persecute you in one town, flee to a different one. For I solemnly say to you, you will not cover all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man returns. ²⁴ No pupil is better than his teacher, and no slave is better than his master. ²⁵ The pupil should be satisfied to become like his teacher, and the slave should be satisfied to become like his master. If men have called the Head of the house Beelzebub, how much worse names will they heap upon the members of His family!

³⁷ Anybody who loves father or mother more than he loves me is not worthy of me, ³⁸ and nobody is worthy of me who does not take up his cross and follow me.

³ But He said to them, "Did you never read what David did, when he and his soldiers became hungry?

⁷ If you only knew what that saying means, 'It is mercy and not sacrifice that I want,' you would not have condemned men who are not guilty.

¹⁴ But the Pharisees went out and held a consultation against Him, to put Him to death.

²⁹ Or, how can anyone get into a giant's house and carry off his goods, unless he first binds the giant? After that he can make a clean sweep of his house.

⁴³ "Whenever the foul spirit goes out of a man, it wanders about in deserts in search of rest, but cannot find it. ⁴⁴ Then it says, 'I will go back to my house which I left,' and it finds it unoccupied, swept, and ready for use. ⁴⁵ "Then it goes and gets seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and make their home there, and so the end of that man is worse than the beginning. This is the way it will be with the wicked leaders of this age."

³ And in stories, by way of comparison, He told them many things, as He continued to speak: "A sower went out to sow, ⁴ and as he was sowing, some of the seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate them up, ⁵ and some fell upon rocky ground where they did not have much soil, and at once they sprang up, because there was no depth of soil, ⁶ and when the sun was up they were scorched and dried up, because they had no root. ⁷ And some fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them out. ⁸ And some fell in rich soil, and yielded a crop, some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty-fold. ⁹ Let him who has ears listen." ¹⁰ Then His disciples came up to Him and asked, "Why do you speak to them in stories?" ¹¹ He answered: "It is you and not they who are granted the privilege of knowing the secrets of the kingdom of heaven.

²² And what was sown among the thorns illustrates the man who hears the message, and the worries of the times and the pleasures of being rich choke the truth out, and he yields no fruit.

²⁴ He told them another story, as follows: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed seed in his field.

³⁰ Let them both grow together until harvest time, and at the harvest time I will order the reapers, "Gather first the wild wheat plants and tie them into bundles to be burned up, but get the wheat into my barn."'" ³¹ He told them this story, as follows: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field. ³² It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it is grown it is the largest of plants; yea, it grows into a tree, so that the wild birds come and roost in its branches." ³³ He told another story: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to yeast which a woman took and worked into a bushel of flour until it all had risen."

³⁸ the field is the world; the good seed are the members of the kingdom; the wild wheat seed are the followers of the wicked one.

⁴² and will throw them into the furnace of torturing punishment; there they will wail and grind their teeth. ⁴³ Then the upright will shine out like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let him who has ears listen! ⁴⁴ "The kingdom of heaven is like a pot of gold which was buried in a field, which a man found and buried again; and for joy over it he went and sold all he had and bought that field. ⁴⁵ "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a gem-dealer who was looking for beautiful pearls. ⁴⁶ One day he found a very costly pearl, and he went and sold all he had and bought it. ⁴⁷ "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was let down into the sea, and gathered fish of every kind,

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

⁵⁰ and will throw them into the furnace of torturing punishment. There they will wail and grind their teeth.

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

⁶ is under no obligation at all to help his parent.' So you have set aside what God has said for the sake of what has been handed down to you.

¹ The Pharisees and the Sadducees came up, and to test Him asked Him to show them a spectacular sign from heaven. ² He answered, ³ Omitted Text. 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.

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

¹¹ How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you about bread, when I said, 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. ¹³ When Jesus reached the district of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" ¹⁴ They answered, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." ¹⁵ He said to them, "Who do you yourselves say that I am?" ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." ¹⁷ Then Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, for it is not man that made this known to you, but my Father in heaven.

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?"

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?" ²⁶ He answered, "From aliens." Jesus said to him, "So their own citizens are exempt, 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."

¹⁰ "Be careful not to look with scorn on a single one of these little children, for I tell you that in heaven their angels have uninterrupted access to my Father in heaven.

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!'

³ And some Pharisees came up to Him, to try Him out with the question, "Is it right for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?"

¹⁹ You must practice honoring your father and mother. And you must love your neighbor as you do yourself."

¹ "For the kingdom of heaven is like an owner of an estate who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. ² When he had contracted with the laborers at twenty cents a day, he sent them off to his vineyard.

² When he had contracted with the laborers at twenty cents a day, he sent them off to his vineyard. ³ He went out again about nine o'clock and found others standing around doing nothing. ⁴ So he said to them, 'You too go out to my vineyard, and I will pay you what is right.' And they went. ⁵ Again he went out about twelve o'clock and three o'clock, and did as before. ⁶ About five he went out again and found still others standing around, and he said to them, 'Why have you been standing here all day doing nothing?' ⁷ They answered him, 'Because nobody has hired us.' He said to them, 'You too go out to my vineyard.' ⁸ "When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last and ending with the first.' ⁹ And they who had been hired at five o'clock came and received twenty cents each. ¹⁰ And those who were hired first, when they came, supposed that they would receive more, but they too received twenty cents each. ¹¹ And as they received it, they began to grumble against the owner of the estate, ¹² and say, 'These last worked only one hour, and yet you have put them on the same footing with us who have borne the heavy burdens and scorching heat of the day.' ¹³ But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no injustice. Did you not contract with me at twenty cents?

¹³ But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no injustice. Did you not contract with me at twenty cents? ¹⁴ Take what belongs to you and go. I want to give this man hired last as much as I do you. ¹⁵ Have I not the right to do what I please with my own money? Or, is your eye causing you to be covetous, because I am generous? ¹⁶ So those who are last now will be first then, and those first will be last."

¹⁶ So those who are last now will be first then, and those first will be last."

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

¹⁶ and asked Him, "Do you hear what they are saying?" Jesus answered them, "Yes. Did you never read this, 'Out of the mouths of little children, yea, of infants, you have perfect praise'?"

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. 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.

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.

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.

³⁶ Again he sent other slaves, and more than at first, and they treated them exactly the same way.

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.'

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!'

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.

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?"

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."

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!'

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.

² "The kingdom of heaven is like a king, who gave a wedding reception for his son. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

²⁴ "Teacher, Moses said, 'If a man dies without children, his brother must marry his widow and raise up a family for him.'

²⁶ The second also died, and the third, and all down to the seventh.

³³ And when the crowds heard this, they were dumbfounded at His teaching. ³⁴ Now the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, and so they had a meeting.

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.'

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

²³ "A curse on you, you hypocritical scribes and Pharisees! For you pay tithes on mint and dill and cummin, and yet leave out the more vital matters of the law, justice, love and fidelity. These latter especially you ought to have done, but ought not to have left out the former. ²⁴ You blind leaders, who are straining out the gnat but gulping down the camel!

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!

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!

²² And if those days had not been cut short, nobody would have escaped, but for the sake of God's chosen people those days will be cut short.

³⁸ For just as in the days before the Flood people went on eating and drinking, marrying and being married, until the very day Noah entered the ark,

³⁸ For just as in the days before the Flood people went on eating and drinking, marrying and being married, until the very day Noah entered the ark, ³⁹ and knew nothing about it until the Flood came and swept them all away, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

⁵¹ and will cut him in two, and give him his share with the hypocrites, where they will weep and grind their teeth."

¹ "Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

¹ "Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ² Now five of them were thoughtless and five were thoughtful,

² Now five of them were thoughtless and five were thoughtful, ³ for the thoughtless ones took their lamps but took no oil with them.

³ for the thoughtless ones took their lamps but took no oil with them. ⁴ But the thoughtful ones not only took their lamps but also extra oil in their oil cans.

⁴ But the thoughtful ones not only took their lamps but also extra oil in their oil cans. ⁵ While the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and dropped off to sleep.

⁵ While the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and dropped off to sleep. ⁶ But at midnight there was a shout, 'Here comes the bridegroom! Go out to meet him!' ⁷ Then all those bridesmaids awoke and trimmed their lamp-wicks. ⁸ And the thoughtless ones said to the thoughtful ones, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' ⁹ But the thoughtful ones answered, 'No, no, there may not be enough for you and us. Go to the store and buy your own oil.' ¹⁰ And while they were going to buy it, the bridegroom came, and the bridesmaids that were ready went in with him to the wedding reception; and the door was closed.

¹⁰ And while they were going to buy it, the bridegroom came, and the bridesmaids that were ready went in with him to the wedding reception; and the door was closed. ¹¹ At last the rest of the bridesmaids came, and kept begging, 'Master, master, open the door for us!' ¹² But he answered, 'I positively say to you, I do not know you.' ¹³ So you must keep on watching, for you do not know either the day or the hour. 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.

³⁰ And throw the good-for-nothing slave out into the darkness on the outside, where he will weep and grind his teeth.' ³¹ "When the Son of Man comes in His splendor, and all the angels with Him, He will take His seat on His splendid throne, ³² and all the nations will be gathered before him, and He will separate them from one another, just as a shepherd separates his sheep from his goats,

¹⁸ And He said, "Go into the city, to a certain man, and say to him, 'The Teacher says, "My time is near. I am going to keep the Passover at your house with my disciples."'"

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.

⁸ Now Jesus at once felt in His spirit that they were arguing about this, and said, "Why are you arguing to yourselves about this?

⁶ Then the Pharisees went out and held a consultation with the Herodians against Him, to put Him to death.

³³ With many stories like these He kept on telling them the message, as far as they could understand it. ³⁴ He did not tell them anything except by stories, but to His own disciples He kept on privately explaining everything.

² When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue. And the people were dumbfounded when they heard Him, and said, "Where did He get all these things? What sort of wisdom is it that has been given Him? And such mighty deeds are done by Him!

⁷ And He called the Twelve to Him and sent them out two by two, and gave them power over the foul spirits. ⁸ He ordered them not to take anything for the journey except a staff, no bread, no bag, no money in the purse; ⁹ they were to go with plain sandals on their feet and not to wear two shirts. ¹⁰ And He continued to say to them, "Whenever you put up at a house, stay there until you leave that place. ¹¹ And if any place refuses to welcome you or to listen to you, when you leave there shake off the very dust from the soles of your feet as a warning to them."

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."

² Some Pharisees came up, and to test Him they began to ask Him whether a man should be allowed to divorce his wife.

¹⁷ As He was again starting on a journey, a man ran up to Him, and knelt to Him, and was asking Him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?"

⁵ Then he sent a third one, and they killed him, and many others, some of whom they beat, some they killed.

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. 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?

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.

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

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.

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,

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.

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.

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."

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?

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.

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." 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?"

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,

²⁹ Jesus answered, "The first one is, 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord,

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.'

³⁰ and you must love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole soul, your whole mind, and your whole strength.'

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."

³¹ And this is the second, 'You must love your neighbor as you do yourself.' No other command is greater than these."

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."

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. 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."'

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.

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

³⁷ For nothing is ever impossible for God."

⁶⁹ and He has made a mighty Saviour for us in the house of His servant David, ⁷⁰ "as He promised by the lips of His ancient prophets,

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

²⁶ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not die without seeing the Lord's Messiah. ²⁷ So under the Spirit's guidance he went into the temple, and when the parents brought the child Jesus there to do for Him as the custom of the law required,

⁴⁷ Now everyone who was listening to Him was showing astonishment at His intelligence and at His answers.

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

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

⁴⁶ "So why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' but do not practice what I tell you?

³⁰ but the Pharisees and experts in the law thwarted God's purpose for themselves by refusing to be baptized by him.

⁴⁰ Then Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." "Teacher," said he, "go on and say it."

¹⁰ So He said, "You are granted the privilege of knowing the secrets of the kingdom of God, but to others they are told in stories, so that they may look and not see, may hear and not understand.

¹ Then He called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority over all the demons, and to cure diseases, ² and then He sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to cure the sick. ³ So He said to them, "Take nothing with you for your journey, no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, nor even have two shirts. ⁴ Into whatever house you go, stay there and continue to go out from it as headquarters. ⁵ And when you leave that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a protest against all the people who do not welcome you." ⁶ And so they set out and went from village to village, telling the good news and curing people everywhere.

⁴⁷ But Jesus, as He knew that the controversy was going on in their hearts, took a little child and had it stand by His side.

¹ After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on before Him, two by two, to every town or place which He was going to visit. ² So He was saying to them: "The harvest is plentiful, but the reapers are scarce. So pray the Lord of the harvest to send out reapers to His harvest-field. ³ Go on. Listen! I am sending you out as lambs surrounded by wolves. ⁴ Do not carry a purse, a bag, or shoes, and do not stop to say 'Good morning' to anybody on the road. ⁵ Whenever you go to a house for headquarters, first say, 'Peace to this household.' ⁶ And if anyone there loves peace, your peace will come upon him; but if not, it will come back to you. ⁷ Stay on at the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the workman deserves his support. Do not keep moving about from house to house. ⁸ And if you go into any town and they welcome you, continue to eat what is offered you, ⁹ to cure the sick there, and to say, 'The kingdom of God is close upon you.' ¹⁰ But if you go into any town and they do not welcome you, go out into the streets and say, ¹¹ 'We are wiping off against you the very dust from your town that has stuck to our feet. But understand this, the kingdom of God is close by.' 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. ¹⁵ And you, Capernaum, are you to be exalted to heaven? No, you are to go down to the regions of the dead. ¹⁶ Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever pays no attention to you pays no attention to me, and whoever pays no attention to me pays no attention to Him who sent me."

²⁵ Just then an expert in the law got up to test Him by asking, "Teacher, what shall I do to get possession of eternal life?"

²⁵ Just then an expert in the law got up to test Him by asking, "Teacher, what shall I do to get possession of eternal life?" ²⁶ And He answered him, "What is written in the law? How does it read?" ²⁷ Then he answered, "You must love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole soul, your whole strength, and your whole mind, and your neighbor as you do yourself."

²⁷ Then he answered, "You must love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole soul, your whole strength, and your whole mind, and your neighbor as you do yourself." ²⁸ He said to him, "You have answered correctly. Continue to do this, and you will live." ²⁹ But he, as he wished to justify his question, said, "But who is my neighbor?" ³⁰ Jesus answered: "A man was on his way down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell into the hands of robbers, who both stripped him and beat him till he was half dead, and then went off and left him. ³¹ Now a priest happened to be going that way, but when he saw him, he went by on the other side of the road. ³² So a Levite likewise came down to the place, but when he saw him, he went by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan, while on a journey, came down to him, and when he saw him, his heart was moved with pity for him. ³⁴ So he went to him and dressed his wounds by pouring oil and wine upon them, and then he put him on his donkey and brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out a half dollar and handed it to the innkeeper, and said, 'Take care of him, and on my way back I will repay you.' ³⁶ Which one of these three do you think proved himself a real neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers' hands?" ³⁷ He said, "The one who took pity on him." Jesus said to him, "Go and practice it yourself."

⁴² But a curse on you Pharisees, because you pay tithes on mint, rue, and every tiny garden herb, but neglect justice and the love of God! These latter especially you ought to have done, but ought not to have neglected the former.

⁴⁵ Then an expert in the law interrupted Him and said, "Teacher, in saying this you are insulting us, too." ⁴⁶ He said, "Yes, a curse on you experts in the law, too, because you load people down with loads too heavy to carry, and yet you do not touch the loads yourselves with one of your fingers!

⁵² A curse on you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to the door of knowledge! You did not go in yourselves, and you kept out those who tried to get in." 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.

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.

²³ And someone asked Him, "Lord, are only a few to be saved?" And He said to them, ²⁴ "You must struggle on to get in through the narrow door, for I tell you, many will try to get in, but will not succeed,

²⁸ There you will weep and grind your teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves being driven away on the outside.

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!

³ He answered the experts in the law and the Pharisees by asking, "Is it right to cure people on the Sabbath or not?"

⁶ But they could make no reply to this.

¹⁵ But one of the fellow-guests heard this, and said to Him, "Happy will be the man who is fortunate enough to be at the feast in the kingdom of God." ¹⁶ Then Jesus said to him: "Once a man was giving a great dinner and invited many people to it.

¹⁶ Then Jesus said to him: "Once a man was giving a great dinner and invited many people to it.

¹⁶ Then Jesus said to him: "Once a man was giving a great dinner and invited many people to it. ¹⁷ And at the dinner hour he sent his slave to say to the invited guests, 'Come, for it is now ready.'

¹⁷ And at the dinner hour he sent his slave to say to the invited guests, 'Come, for it is now ready.'

¹⁷ And at the dinner hour he sent his slave to say to the invited guests, 'Come, for it is now ready.' ¹⁸ But they all in the same attitude began to excuse themselves. The first one said, 'I have just bought a piece of land and I must go and look it over. Please excuse me.'

¹⁸ But they all in the same attitude began to excuse themselves. The first one said, 'I have just bought a piece of land and I must go and look it over. Please excuse me.' ¹⁹ Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I am on my way to try them. Please excuse me.'

¹⁹ Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I am on my way to try them. Please excuse me.' ²⁰ Another said, 'I have just gotten married, and so I cannot come.'

²⁰ Another said, 'I have just gotten married, and so I cannot come.' ²¹ So the slave returned and reported these answers to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his slave, 'Hurry out into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor, the maimed, the crippled, and the blind.' ²² Then the slave said, 'Sir, what you ordered has been done, and still there is room.' ²³ "Then the master said to his slave, 'Go out on the roads and by the hedges and make the people come in, so that my house may be filled. ²⁴ For I tell you, not one of those people who were invited shall get a taste of my dinner!'"

²⁸ So he became angry and would not go into the house. Then his father came out and began to plead with him.

²⁶ And just as it was in the time of Noah, so it will be in the time of the Son of Man. 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.

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. ²⁸ It was so in the time of Lot; people continued to eat, drink, buy, sell, plant, and build; ²⁹ and the very day Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. ³⁰ It will be so on the day when the Son of Man appears ³¹ The man who is on the roof of his house that day, and his goods in the house, must not come down to carry them out; and the man in the field, too, must not turn back. ³² Remember Lot's wife!

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

⁴² and said: "If today you yourself had only known the conditions of peace! But now they are hidden from you. ⁴³ For a time is coming upon you when your enemies will throw up earthworks around you and surround you and hem you in on all sides, ⁴⁴ and they will throw you and your children within you to the ground, and they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know when God visited you."

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.

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,

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."

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.

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.

²⁹ Now there were seven brothers. And the first brother married a wife and died childless. ³⁰ Then the second,

³⁰ Then the second, ³¹ and the third, married her; as also the seven did who died but left no child.

³¹ and the third, married her; as also the seven did who died but left no child. ³² Last of all, the woman died.

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."

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,

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.

³⁵ but those who are considered worthy to attain that other world and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor 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.

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.'

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."

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.

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?"

¹⁵ for I will give you such wisdom of speech as all your opponents combined will not be able to resist and refute.

²¹ Then let those in Judea begin to fly to the mountains, and those within the city begin to get out of it,

²⁴ They will fall by the edge of the sword and will be carried off as captives among all the nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled under the feet of the heathen, until the times of the heathen come to full measure.

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."

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."

⁴⁴ Then He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you, that everything which is written about me in the law of Moses, in the prophets, and in the Psalms, had to be fulfilled." ⁴⁵ Then He opened their minds so that they might continue to understand the Scriptures, ⁴⁶ and said to them, "The Scriptures said that the Christ should suffer as He has suffered, should rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷ and that in His name repentance as the condition for the forgiveness of sins should be preached to all the nations. Beginning at Jerusalem

⁴⁷ and that in His name repentance as the condition for the forgiveness of sins should be preached to all the nations. Beginning at Jerusalem

¹⁷ For while the law was given through Moses, spiritual blessing and truth have come through Jesus Christ.

⁴⁹ Nathaniel answered Him, "Teacher, you are the Son of God, you are the king of Israel!"

²⁵ and needed no testimony from anyone about them, for He well knew what was in human nature.

²⁹ It is the bridegroom who has the bride, but the bridegroom's friend, who stands outside and listens to him, is very happy to hear the bridegroom's voice. So this happiness of mine is running over. ³⁰ He must grow greater and greater, but I less and less."

²⁸ Stop being surprised at this, for the time is coming when all that are in the graves will listen to His voice, ²⁹ and those who have done good will come out for a resurrection to life, but those who have done evil for a resurrection to condemnation.

⁴⁰ but you refuse to come to me to get possession of life.

⁵⁰ But here is the bread that comes down out of heaven, so that anyone may eat it and never die. ⁵¹ I am this living bread that has come down out of heaven. If anyone eats this bread, he will live forever, and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my own flesh." ⁵² But the Jews kept on wrangling with one another and saying, "How can He give us His flesh to eat?" ⁵³ Then Jesus said to them, "I most solemnly say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life in you. ⁵⁴ Whoever continues to eat my flesh and drink my blood already possesses eternal life, and I will raise him to life on the last day. ⁵⁵ For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. ⁵⁶ Whoever continues to eat my flesh and drink my blood continues to live in union with me and I in union with him. 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.

⁶⁸ Simon Peter answered Him, "To whom can we go, Lord? You have the message that gives eternal life, ⁶⁹ and we have come to believe, yes more, we know by experience, that you are the Holy One of God."

¹⁸ Whoever utters merely his own ideas is seeking his own honor, but whoever seeks the honor of him who sent him is sincere, and there is no dishonesty in him.

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

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

⁶ They were asking this to trap him so that they might have something to accuse him of. But Jesus stooped and began to write in the dirt with his finger. ⁷ When the questioners persisted, Jesus straightened up and said to them, "Let the one of you who is sinless be the first one to cast a stone at her." ⁸ Then Jesus again stooped and continued writing in the dirt. ⁹ Having heard, they began to leave one by one, starting with the eldest, until only Jesus was left with the woman.

⁵⁸ Then Jesus said to them, "I most solemnly say to you, I existed before Abraham was born."

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."

⁶ Jesus answered him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

¹⁹ If you belonged to the world, the world would love what is its own. But it is because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, that the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember what I once told you: No slave is greater than his master. If they have persecuted me, they will persecute you too. If they have observed my teaching, they will observe yours too.

² Men will turn you out of their synagogues. Yes, indeed, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think that he is rendering a religious service to God. ³ They will do this, because they have never come to know God nor me.

³⁷ Then Pilate said to Him, "So you are a king then?" Jesus answered, "Certainly I am a king. For this very purpose I was born, for this very purpose I have come into the world, to testify for truth. Everybody who is a friend of truth listens to my voice."

¹² Because of this Pilate kept on trying to set Him free, but the Jews shouted, "If you set Him free, you are no friend to the emperor. Anyone who claims to be a king is uttering treason against the emperor!" ¹³ On hearing this Pilate had Jesus brought out and had Him sit on the judge's bench at the place called the Stone Platform, or in Hebrew, Gabbatha. ¹⁴ It was the day of Preparation for the Passover, and it was about noon. Then Pilate said to the Jews, "There is your king!" ¹⁵ But they shouted, "Kill Him! Kill Him! Crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Must I crucify your king?" The high priests answered, "We have no king but the emperor!"

⁹ For they had not previously understood the Scripture which said that He must rise from the dead.

²⁸ Thomas answered Him, "My Lord and my God!"

¹⁸ I most solemnly say to you, when you were young, you used to put on your own belt and go where you pleased, but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will put a belt on you and you will go where you do not please to go."

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

¹⁶ "Brothers, that Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit uttered by the mouth of David in the former times about Judas who became the guide to those who arrested Jesus;

¹³ But others in derision were saying, "They are running over with new wine."

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, ³¹ he foresaw the resurrection of the Christ and told of it, for He was not forsaken to Hades, and His body did not undergo decay.

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."'

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

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. ³ So they arrested them and put them into prison until next morning, for it was already evening.

¹⁴ and since they saw the man who had been cured standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply.

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,

² and, with his wife's full knowledge of it, kept back for themselves a part of the money and brought only a part of it and put it at the disposal of the apostles. ³ And Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan so completely possessed your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and kept back for yourselves a part of the money received for the land? ⁴ As long as it was unsold, was it not yours, and when it was sold, was not the money at your disposal? How could you have the heart to do such a thing! You did not lie to men but to God!" ⁵ When Ananias heard these words, he fell dead, and a strange awe seized everybody who heard it. ⁶ The younger men, however, got up, wrapped up his body, carried it out, and buried it. ⁷ About three hours later, his wife came in, without having learned what had taken place. ⁸ Peter said to her, "Tell me, did you sell the land for such and such a sum?" She answered, "Yes, that is it." ⁹ Peter said to her, "How could both of you agree in such a way to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door; they will carry you out, too."

⁹ Peter said to her, "How could both of you agree in such a way to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door; they will carry you out, too." ¹⁰ She instantly fell dead at his feet. When the young men came in, they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. ¹¹ So a strange awe seized the whole church and everybody who heard it.

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

²⁴ When the military commander of the temple square and the high priest heard this, they were utterly at a loss to know how this might turn out. ²⁵ But somebody came by and reported to them, "The men that you put in jail are standing right here in the temple square, teaching the people." 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. ²⁷ So they brought them and had them stand before the council. And the high priest asked them, ²⁸ "Did we not positively forbid you to teach anymore on this authority, and yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and now want to bring on us the people's vengeance for this man's death!" ²⁹ Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men.

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.

⁴⁰ They were convinced by him, and after calling the apostles in and having them flogged, they charged them to stop speaking on the authority of Jesus, and then turned them loose. ⁴¹ So they went out from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer disgrace for Jesus' name;

¹⁰ but they could not cope with his good practical sense and the spiritual power with which he usually spoke.

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.

⁵¹ "You people, stubborn in will, heathenish in hearts and ears, you are always resisting the Holy Spirit, as your forefathers did, too. 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, ⁵³ you who received the law by order of the angels, and yet you did not obey it!" ⁵⁴ As they continued to listen to this address, they were becoming infuriated and began to grind their teeth at him.

⁵⁴ As they continued to listen to this address, they were becoming infuriated and began to grind their teeth at him. ⁵⁵ But since he was full of the Holy Spirit, he looked right into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at God's right hand. ⁵⁶ So he said, "Look! I see heaven open, and the Son of Man standing at God's right hand." ⁵⁷ But they raised a great shout and held their ears, and all together rushed upon him,

¹ Saul heartily approved of his being put to death. So on that day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all of them, except the apostles, were scattered over Judea and Samaria.

²⁰ But Peter said to him, "Your money go to perdition with you for even dreaming you could buy the gift of God with money! ²¹ You have no share or part in this matter, for your heart is not sincere in the sight of God. ²² So repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord, to see if this thought of your heart may be forgiven you. ²³ For I see that you are a bitter weed and a bundle of crookedness!"

¹⁹ Now the fugitives from the persecution that started over Stephen went all the way to Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, telling the message to none but Jews. ²⁰ But there were some of them, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who on reaching Antioch began to speak to the Greeks too, and proceeded to tell them the good news about the Lord Jesus.

²² Then He deposed him and raised up for them David to be king, to whom He bore this testimony, 'I have found in David, the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will do all that my will requires.' ²³ It is from this man's descendants that God, as He promised, has brought to Israel a Saviour in the person of Jesus,

⁴⁵ But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were completely overcome by their jealousy and began to contradict the statements made by Paul, and even to abuse him. 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. ⁴⁷ For here are the orders that the Lord has given us: 'I have made you a light to the heathen, To be the means of salvation to the very ends of the earth.'"

⁷ and Jason has welcomed them. They are all acting contrary to the Emperor's decrees, because they claim there is another king, Jesus."

²³ Now just about that time a great commotion arose about The Way. ²⁴ A silversmith named Demetrius, by manufacturing silver shrines of Artemis, was bringing in great profits to his workmen. ²⁵ He called together his workmen, and others engaged in similar trades, and said to them: "Men, you well know that our prosperity depends on this business of ours, ²⁶ and you see and hear that, not only in Ephesus but all over the province of Asia, this man Paul has led away a vast number of people by persuading them, telling them that gods made by human hands are not gods at all. ²⁷ Now the danger facing us is, not only that our business will lose its reputation but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be brought into contempt and that she whom all Asia and all the world now worship will soon be dethroned from her majestic glory!" ²⁸ When they heard this, they became furious and kept on shouting, "Great Artemis of Ephesus!"

¹¹ He came to see us and took Paul's belt and with it bound his own hands and feet, and said, "This is what the Holy Spirit says, 'The Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt like this, and then will turn him over to the heathen.'"

²⁸ as they kept shouting, "Men of Israel, help! help! This is the man who teaches everybody everywhere against our people and the law and this place; yea, more than that, he has actually brought Greeks into the temple and desecrated this sacred place." ²⁹ For they had previously seen Trophimus of Ephesus in the city with him, and so they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. ³⁰ The whole city was stirred with excitement, and all at once the people rushed together, and seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and its gates at once were shut.

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.

²⁵ But as he continued to talk about uprightness, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became alarmed, and said, "For the present you may go, but when I find a good opportunity, I will send for you."

⁸ Paul continued to maintain, in his defense, "I have committed no offense against the Jewish law or temple or against the emperor."

⁸ Why is it considered incredible by all of you that God should raise the dead?

¹⁷ Three days later, he invited the leading men of the Jews to come to see him, and when they came, he said to them, "Brothers, I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our forefathers; yet at Jerusalem I was turned over to the Romans as a prisoner. ¹⁸ After examining me the Romans wanted to set me free, because I was innocent of any crime that deserved the death penalty. ¹⁹ But the Jews objected, so I was forced to appeal to the Emperor; yet it was not because I had any charge to make against my own nation. ²⁰ Now it is for this reason that I invited you to come, namely, to see you and speak with you, for it is on account of Israel's hope that I am wearing this chain." ²¹ They answered him, "We have not received any letters from Judea about you, and not one of our Jewish brothers has come and reported or stated anything wicked about you. ²² But we think it fitting to let you tell us what your views are, for as to this sect it is known by all of us that it is everywhere denounced."

²² But we think it fitting to let you tell us what your views are, for as to this sect it is known by all of us that it is everywhere denounced." ²³ So they set a day for him, and came in large numbers to see him at the place where he was lodging, and from morning till night he continued to explain to them the kingdom of God, at the same time giving them his own testimony and trying from the law of Moses and the prophets to convince them about Jesus. ²⁴ Some of them were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe. ²⁵ Because they could not agree among themselves, they started to leave, when Paul had spoken one word more: "The Holy Spirit beautifully expressed it in speaking to your forefathers through the prophet Isaiah: ²⁶ 'Go to this people and say to them, "You will listen, and listen, and never understand, and you will look, and look, and never see! ²⁷ For this people's soul has grown dull, and they scarcely hear with their ears, and they have shut tight their eyes, so that they may never see with their eyes, and understand with their souls, and turn to me, that I may cure them."' ²⁸ "So you must understand that this message of God's salvation has been sent to the heathen; and they will listen to it!" ²⁹ Omitted Text. ³⁰ So Paul for two whole years lived in a rented house of his own; he continued to welcome everybody who came to see him; ³¹ yes, he continued to preach to them the kingdom of God, and to teach them about the Lord Jesus Christ, and that with perfect, unfettered freedom of speech.

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,

⁴ Do you think so little of the riches of God's kindness, forbearance, and patience, not conscious that His kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

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.

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. ²⁰ Because no human creature can be brought into right standing with God by observing the law. For all the law can do is to make men conscious of sin. ²¹ But now God's way of giving men right standing with Himself has come to light; a way without connection with the law, and yet a way to which the law and the prophets testify. ²² God's own way of giving men right standing with Himself is through faith in Jesus Christ. It is for everybody who has faith, for no distinction at all is made.

⁶ For to be thinking the things suggested by the lower nature means death, but to be thinking the things suggested by the Spirit means life and peace. ⁷ Because one's thinking the things suggested by the lower nature means enmity to God, for it does not subject itself to God's law, nor indeed can it.

³² Since He did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not with Him graciously give us everything else?

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

²¹ But of Israel he said: "All day long I have held out my hands to a people that is disobedient and obstinate."

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.

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.

⁹ For the commandments, "You must not commit adultery; you must not murder; you must not steal; you must not have an evil desire," and any other commandment if there is any, are summed up in this command, "You must love your neighbor as you do yourself."

⁹ For the commandments, "You must not commit adultery; you must not murder; you must not steal; you must not have an evil desire," and any other commandment if there is any, are summed up in this command, "You must love your neighbor as you do yourself." ¹⁰ Love never does a wrong to one's neighbor; so love is the perfect satisfaction of the law.

¹⁴ Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and put a stop to gratifying the evil desires that lurk in your lower nature.

² Each one of us must practice pleasing his neighbor, to help in his immediate upbuilding for his eternal good.

⁴ For everything that was written in the earlier times was written for our instruction, so that by our patient endurance and through the encouragement the Scriptures bring we might continuously cherish our hope.

² to the church of God at Corinth, to those who are consecrated by union with Christ Jesus, and called to be God's people, in fellowship with those who anywhere call upon the name of Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:

⁵ So you must stop forming any premature judgments, but wait until the Lord shall come again, for He will bring to light the secrets hidden in the dark and will make known the motives of men's hearts, and the proper praise will be awarded each of us.

⁷ You must clean out the old yeast, that you may be a fresh lump, as you are to be free from the old yeast. For our Passover Lamb, Christ, has already been sacrificed. ⁸ So let us keep our feast, not with old yeast nor with the yeast of vice and wickedness, but with the bread of purity and truth without the yeast.

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

²⁹ I mean this, brothers. The time has been cut short. For the future, men who have wives should live as though they had none, ³⁰ and those that mourn as though they did not mourn, and those who are glad as though they were not glad, and those who buy as though they did not own a thing, ³¹ and those who are enjoying the world as though they were not entirely absorbed in it. For the outward order of this world is passing away.

¹² Now if we preach that Christ has been raised from the dead, how is it that some of you are saying that there is no such thing as a resurrection of the dead? ¹³ If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised, ¹⁴ and if Christ was not raised, the message which we preach has nothing in it; there is nothing in our faith either,

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

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.

² On the other hand, I have renounced all underhanded, disgraceful methods; I neither practice cunning nor do I tamper with God's message, but by clear and candid statements of truth I try to commend myself to every human conscience in God's sight.

³ and if I do put it on, I shall not find myself to be disembodied.

¹⁶ So from this moment on, I do not estimate anybody by the standard of outward appearances. Although I once did estimate Christ by this standard, I do not do so any longer.

² For I feel a divine jealousy for you, as I betrothed you to Christ, to present you as a pure bride to her one husband.

²¹ and that when I come back my God may humiliate me before you, and I may have to mourn over some of those who formerly have committed shocking sins, and have not repented for them -- their impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality, which once they practiced.

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.

²⁷ For all of you who have been baptized into union with Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

¹⁴ For the whole law is summed up in one saying, "You must love your neighbor as you do yourself."

¹⁰ So then whenever we have an opportunity, let us practice doing good to everybody, but especially to the members of the family of faith.

⁸ yes, on me, the very least of all His people, this unmerited favor was bestowed -- that I might preach as good news to the heathen the boundless riches of Christ,

²⁴ and put on the new self which has been created in the likeness of God, which fruits in right and holy living inspired by the truth.

²⁴ Just as the church is subject to Christ, so the married women in everything must be subject to their husbands. ²⁵ You married men must love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her, ²⁶ to consecrate her, after cleansing her through His word, as pictured in the water bath, ²⁷ that He might present the church to Himself as a splendid bride without a blot or wrinkle or anything like it, but to be consecrated and faultless. ²⁸ This is the way married men ought to love their wives, as they do their own bodies. The married man who loves his wife is really loving himself, ²⁹ for no one ever hates his own physical person, but he feeds and fosters it, just as Christ does the church; ³⁰ because we are parts of His body. ³¹ Therefore, a man must leave his father and mother and so perfectly unite himself to his wife that the two shall be one. ³² This is a great secret; I mean this about Christ and the church.

⁶ Though He was existing in the nature of God, He did not think His being on an equality with God a thing to be selfishly grasped, ⁷ but He laid it aside as He took on the nature of a slave and became like other men. ⁸ Because He was recognized as a man, in reality as well as in outward form, He finally humiliated Himself in obedience so as to die, even to die on a cross. ⁹ This is why God has highly exalted Him, and given Him the name that is above every other name, ¹⁰ so that in the name of Jesus everyone should kneel, in heaven, on earth, and in the underworld, ¹¹ and everyone should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the praise of God the Father.

⁷ But for Christ's sake I have counted all that was gain to me as loss. ⁸ Yes, indeed, I certainly do count everything as loss compared with the priceless privilege of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have lost everything, and value it all as mere refuse, in order to gain Christ

⁸ Yes, indeed, I certainly do count everything as loss compared with the priceless privilege of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have lost everything, and value it all as mere refuse, in order to gain Christ ⁹ and be actually in union with Him, not having a supposed right standing with God which depends on my doing what the law commands, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the real right standing with God which originates from Him and rests on faith. ¹⁰ Yes, I long to come to know Him; that is, the power of His resurrection and so to share with Him his sufferings as to be continuously transformed by His death,

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.

¹⁰ and have put on the new self which is in the process of being made new in the likeness of its Creator, so that you may attain a perfect knowledge of Him. ¹¹ In this new relation there is no Greek and Jew, no circumcised and uncircumcised, no barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is everything and in us all.

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

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.

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.

¹⁴ For you, brothers, followed the example of God's churches in Judea that are in union with Christ Jesus, for you too have suffered the same sort of ill-treatment at the hands of your fellow-countrymen as they did at the hands of the Jews, ¹⁵ who killed the Lord Jesus and persecuted the prophets and us; and who continue to displease God and show themselves in opposition to all mankind, 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.

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,

⁹ These will receive the punishment of eternal destruction as exiles from the presence of the Lord and His glorious might,

⁵ But the aim of your instruction is to be love that flows out of a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.

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."

⁹ But men who keep planning to get rich fall into temptations and snares and many foolish, hurtful desires which plunge people into destruction and ruin. ¹⁰ For the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil, and some men in reaching after riches have wandered from the faith and pierced their hearts with many a pang.

¹⁸ who have missed the truth by saying that the resurrection has already taken place, are undermining some people's faith.

⁴ treacherous, reckless, conceited, loving pleasure more than God,

¹¹ for you may be sure that such a man is crooked and sinful, even self-condemned.

¹³ Give a hearty send-off to Zenas the lawyer, and Apollos, so that they may want for nothing.

³ He is the reflection of God's glory and the perfect representation of His being, and continues to uphold the universe by His mighty word. After He had procured man's purification from sins, He took His seat at the right hand of God's majesty,

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"?

³ how can we escape, if we pay no attention at all to a salvation that is so great? This is so because it was first proclaimed by the Lord Himself, and then it was proved to us to be valid by the very men who heard Him themselves,

¹⁴ Since then the children mentioned share our mortal nature, He too took on Himself a full share of the same, in order that He by His death might put a stop to the power of him who has the power of death, that is, the devil,

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

¹² For God's message is alive and full of power in action, sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the depths of soul and spirit, to the dividing of joints and marrow, and passing judgment on the thoughts and purposes of the heart. 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.

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

¹² But this One offered up once for all and for all time one sacrifice for sins, and once for all took His seat at God's right hand, ¹³ from that time waiting till His enemies should be made the footstool of His feet.

¹⁶ "'This is the covenant that I will make with them: In those last days,' says the Lord, 'I will put my laws into their hearts, and write them on their minds,'" ¹⁷ He continues to say: "I will never, never any more recall their sins and deeds of wrong."

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.

² keeping our eyes on Jesus, the perfect leader and example of faith, who, instead of the joy which lay before Him, endured the cross with no regard for its shame, and since has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Yes, to keep from growing weary and fainthearted, just think of the examples set by Him who has endured so great opposition aimed at Him by sinful men!

²⁵ See to it that you do not refuse to listen to Him who is speaking to you. For if they did not escape, because they refused to listen to him who warned them here on earth, how much less can we, if we reject Him who is from heaven?

⁸ But if you really observe the law of the King in accordance with the Scripture, "You must love your neighbor as you do yourself," you are doing right;

¹⁷ The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of compassion and good deeds, free from doubts and insincerity.

⁴ Keep on coming to Him, as to a living stone, rejected by men but chosen by God and precious in His sight, ⁵ and keep on building yourselves up, as living stones, into a spiritual house for a consecrated priesthood, to offer up, through Jesus Christ, spiritual sacrifices that will be acceptable to God. ⁶ It must be so, because the Scriptures say: "Here now I lay in Zion a chosen stone, a costly cornerstone, And not a single one who puts his trust in Him will ever be put to shame." 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,"

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.

¹⁷ Because the time has come for judgment to begin at the household of God, and if it begins with us, what will the end be of those who are rejecting God's good news? ¹⁸ And if it is hard for the upright man to be saved, what will become of the godless and sinful?

¹⁰ Therefore, brothers, be all the more in earnest to make certain to yourselves God's call and choice of you. For if you cultivate these qualities, you will never slip,

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

⁴ For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but hurled them down to Tartarus and committed them to dark dungeons to await their doom,

¹⁷ Such men are dried-up springs, clouds driven by the storm, and they are doomed to densest darkness.

¹⁵ Stop loving the world, or the things that are in the world. If anyone persists in loving the world, there is no love for the Father in his heart, ¹⁶ because everything that is in the world, the things that our lower nature and eyes are longing for, and the proud pretensions of life, do not come from the Father, but from the world;

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

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.

⁷ Dearly beloved, let us practice loving one another, because love originates with God, and everyone who practices loving is a child of God and knows God by experience. ⁸ Whoever does not love has never come to know God by experience, because God is love. 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.

¹⁹ We love, because He loved us first. ²⁰ If anyone says, "I love God," and yet habitually hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. ²¹ This is the command that we get from Him, that whoever loves God loves his brother too.

² This is how we can be sure that we love the children of God, by continuing to love God and to obey His commands. ³ For love to God means this, to practice obedience to His commands, and His commands are not burdensome, ⁴ for every child of God continues to conquer the world. Our faith is the victory that has conquered the world. ⁵ Now who is it that continues to conquer the world, if it is not the person who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

²⁰ And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us insight to recognize the True One; and we are in union with the True One through His Son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

⁶ And angels, who did not preserve their original rank but left their proper home, He has kept in everlasting chains under darkness, for the day of judgment,

¹³ wild waves of the sea foaming up their own shame; wandering stars that are forever doomed to utter darkness.

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

¹⁴ Yet I hold it somewhat against you that you have among you some who are clinging to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to set a trap for the children of Israel, to entice them to eat the meat that had been sacrificed to idols and to commit immoral practices. ¹⁵ And you also have among you some who are clinging to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

²⁰ But I hold it against you that you are tolerating that Jezebel of a woman who claims to be a prophetess, and by her teaching is misleading my slaves to practice immorality and to eat meat that has been sacrificed to idols. ²¹ I have given her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her immorality. ²² See! I am going to lay her on a bed of sickness, and bring down to great and pressing sorrow those who practice immorality with her, unless they repent of their practices; ²³ and I will surely strike her children dead. So all the churches will know that I am He who searches men's inmost hearts, and that I will repay each of you for exactly what you have done.

²³ and I will surely strike her children dead. So all the churches will know that I am He who searches men's inmost hearts, and that I will repay each of you for exactly what you have done.

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.

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. ⁵ Whoever conquers will be clothed this way -- in white clothes -- and I will never blot his name out of the book of life, but I will own him as mine in the presence of my Father and His angels.

¹⁸ I advise you to buy of me gold that has been refined in the fire, so that you may become rich, and white clothes to put on, to hide your shameful nakedness, and salve to put on your eyes, to make you see.

² Immediately I was under the Spirit's power, and I saw a throne in heaven with One seated on it.

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,

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.

⁶ and I heard what seemed to be a voice from the midst of the four living creatures say: "Wheat, fifty cents a quart, barley, fifty cents for three quarts! But you must not injure the oil and wine."

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,

¹⁵ (See! I am coming like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes ready, so that he may not go naked and people see his shame.)

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

⁶ Then I heard something like the shout of a great multitude and the roar of many waters and the peal of mighty thunders, saying: "Praise the Lord! For the Lord, our Almighty God, has now begun to reign! ⁷ Let us be glad and shout for joy and give Him glory, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. ⁸ Permission has been granted her to dress in clean, brilliant linen, for linen signifies the upright deeds of God's people."

⁸ Permission has been granted her to dress in clean, brilliant linen, for linen signifies the upright deeds of God's people." ⁹ Then he said to me, "Write, 'Blessed are they who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.' These," he said to me, "are the true words of God." ¹⁰ Then I fell before his feet to worship him, but he said to me, "You must take care not to do that. I am only a fellow-slave of yours and of your brothers who hold to the testimony borne by Jesus. Worship God. For the testimony borne by Jesus is the inspiring spirit of prophecy."

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.

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

²⁷ Nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices abominable living and lying, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.

¹⁴ Blessed are those who wash their robes, so as to have a right to the tree of life and to enter the gates of the city.

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." ¹⁷ The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." Let everyone who hears this say, "Come." Let everyone who is thirsty come. Let everyone who wishes come and take the living water without any cost.