# verses

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The words of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa—the vision he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake, when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash <n>Hebrew [Joash,] a variant of [Jehoash]</n> was king of Israel.


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He said: "The Lord roars from Zion and thunders from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds dry up, and the top of Carmel withers."


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This is what the Lord says: "For three sins of Damascus, even for four, I will not relent. Because she threshed Gilead with sledges having iron teeth,


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I will break down the gate of Damascus; I will destroy the king who is in <n>Or [the inhabitants of]</n> the Valley of Aven <n>[Aven] means [wickedness].</n> and the one who holds the scepter in Beth Eden. The people of Aram will go into exile to Kir," says the Lord.


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This is what the Lord says: "For three sins of Gaza, even for four, I will not relent. Because she took captive whole communities and sold them to Edom,


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I will destroy the king <n>Or [inhabitants]</n> of Ashdod and the one who holds the scepter in Ashkelon. I will turn my hand against Ekron, till the last of the Philistines are dead," says the Sovereign Lord.


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This is what the Lord says: "For three sins of Tyre, even for four, I will not relent. Because she sold whole communities of captives to Edom, disregarding a treaty of brotherhood,


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This is what the Lord says: "For three sins of Edom, even for four, I will not relent. Because he pursued his brother with a sword and slaughtered the women of the land, because his anger raged continually and his fury flamed unchecked,


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This is what the Lord says: "For three sins of Ammon, even for four, I will not relent. Because he ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to extend his borders,


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I will set fire to the walls of Rabbah that will consume her fortresses amid war cries on the day of battle, amid violent winds on a stormy day.


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This is what the Lord says: "For three sins of Moab, even for four, I will not relent. Because he burned to ashes the bones of Edom's king,


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I will send fire on Moab that will consume the fortresses of Kerioth. <n>Or [of her cities]</n> Moab will go down in great tumult amid war cries and the blast of the trumpet.


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This is what the Lord says: "For three sins of Judah, even for four, I will not relent. Because they have rejected the law of the Lord and have not kept his decrees, because they have been led astray by false gods, <n>Or [by lies]</n> the gods <n>Or [lies]</n> their ancestors followed,


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This is what the Lord says: "For three sins of Israel, even for four, I will not relent. They sell the innocent for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals.


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They trample on the heads of the poor as on the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed. Father and son use the same girl and so profane my holy name.


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They lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge. In the house of their god they drink wine taken as fines.


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"Yet I destroyed the Amorites before them, though they were tall as the cedars and strong as the oaks. I destroyed their fruit above and their roots below.


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I brought you up out of Egypt and led you forty years in the wilderness to give you the land of the Amorites.


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"I also raised up prophets from among your children and Nazirites from among your youths. Is this not true, people of Israel?" declares the Lord.


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The swift will not escape, the strong will not muster their strength, and the warrior will not save his life.


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The archer will not stand his ground, the fleet-footed soldier will not get away, and the horseman will not save his life.


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Hear this word, people of Israel, the word the Lord has spoken against you—against the whole family I brought up out of Egypt:


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"You only have I chosen of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your sins."


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Does a lion roar in the thicket when it has no prey? Does it growl in its den when it has caught nothing?


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Does a bird swoop down to a trap on the ground when no bait is there? Does a trap spring up from the ground if it has not caught anything?


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When a trumpet sounds in a city, do not the people tremble? When disaster comes to a city, has not the Lord caused it?


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Proclaim to the fortresses of Ashdod and to the fortresses of Egypt: "Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria; see the great unrest within her and the oppression among her people."


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"They do not know how to do right," declares the Lord, "who store up in their fortresses what they have plundered and looted."


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Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: "An enemy will overrun your land, pull down your strongholds and plunder your fortresses."


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This is what the Lord says: "As a shepherd rescues from the lion's mouth only two leg bones or a piece of an ear, so will the Israelites living in Samaria be rescued, with only the head of a bed and a piece of fabric <n>The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.</n> from a couch. <n>Or [Israelites be rescued, / those who sit in Samaria / on the edge of their beds / and in Damascus on their couches.]</n>"


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"On the day I punish Israel for her sins, I will destroy the altars of Bethel; the horns of the altar will be cut off and fall to the ground.


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I will tear down the winter house along with the summer house; the houses adorned with ivory will be destroyed and the mansions will be demolished," declares the Lord.


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Hear this word, you cows of Bashan on Mount Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy and say to your husbands, "Bring us some drinks!"


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The Sovereign Lord has sworn by his holiness: "The time will surely come when you will be taken away with hooks, the last of you with fishhooks. <n>Or [away in baskets, / the last of you in fish baskets]</n>


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You will each go straight out through breaches in the wall, and you will be cast out toward Harmon, <n>Masoretic Text; with a different word division of the Hebrew (see Septuagint) [out, you mountain of oppression]</n>" declares the Lord.


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"Go to Bethel and sin; go to Gilgal and sin yet more. Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three years. <n>Or [days]</n>


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Burn leavened bread as a thank offering and brag about your freewill offerings— boast about them, you Israelites, for this is what you love to do," declares the Sovereign Lord.


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"I gave you empty stomachs in every city and lack of bread in every town, yet you have not returned to me," declares the Lord.


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"I also withheld rain from you when the harvest was still three months away. I sent rain on one town, but withheld it from another. One field had rain; another had none and dried up.


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People staggered from town to town for water but did not get enough to drink, yet you have not returned to me," declares the Lord.


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"Many times I struck your gardens and vineyards, destroying them with blight and mildew. Locusts devoured your fig and olive trees, yet you have not returned to me," declares the Lord.


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"I sent plagues among you as I did to Egypt. I killed your young men with the sword, along with your captured horses. I filled your nostrils with the stench of your camps, yet you have not returned to me," declares the Lord.


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"I overthrew some of you as I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. You were like a burning stick snatched from the fire, yet you have not returned to me," declares the Lord.


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"Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel, and because I will do this to you, Israel, prepare to meet your God."


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He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and who reveals his thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth— the Lord God Almighty is his name.


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"Fallen is Virgin Israel, never to rise again, deserted in her own land, with no one to lift her up."


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This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Israel: "Your city that marches out a thousand strong will have only a hundred left; your town that marches out a hundred strong will have only ten left."


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do not seek Bethel, do not go to Gilgal, do not journey to Beersheba. For Gilgal will surely go into exile, and Bethel will be reduced to nothing."


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Seek the Lord and live, or he will sweep through the tribes of Joseph like a fire; it will devour them, and Bethel will have no one to quench it.


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He who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns midnight into dawn and darkens day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land— the Lord is his name.


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There are those who hate the one who upholds justice in court and detest the one who tells the truth.


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You levy a straw tax on the poor and impose a tax on their grain. Therefore, though you have built stone mansions, you will not live in them; though you have planted lush vineyards, you will not drink their wine.


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For I know how many are your offenses and how great your sins. There are those who oppress the innocent and take bribes and deprive the poor of justice in the courts.


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Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is.


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Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph.


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Therefore this is what the Lord, the Lord God Almighty, says: "There will be wailing in all the streets and cries of anguish in every public square. The farmers will be summoned to weep and the mourners to wail.


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Woe to you who long for the day of the Lord! Why do you long for the day of the Lord? That day will be darkness, not light.


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It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear, as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall only to have a snake bite him.


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Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them.


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You have lifted up the shrine of your king, the pedestal of your idols, the star of your god <n>Or [lifted up Sakkuth your king / and Kaiwan your idols, / your star-gods]; Septuagint [lifted up the shrine of Molek / and the star of your god Rephan, / their idols]</n>— which you made for yourselves.


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Woe to you who are complacent in Zion, and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria, you notable men of the foremost nation, to whom the people of Israel come!


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Go to Kalneh and look at it; go from there to great Hamath, and then go down to Gath in Philistia. Are they better off than your two kingdoms? Is their land larger than yours?


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You lie on beds adorned with ivory and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves.


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You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.


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The Sovereign Lord has sworn by himself—the Lord God Almighty declares: "I abhor the pride of Jacob and detest his fortresses; I will deliver up the city and everything in it."


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And if the relative who comes to carry the bodies out of the house to burn them <n>Or [to make a funeral fire in honor of the dead]</n> asks anyone who might be hiding there, "Is anyone else with you?" and he says, "No," then he will go on to say, "Hush! We must not mention the name of the Lord."


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For the Lord has given the command, and he will smash the great house into pieces and the small house into bits.


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Do horses run on the rocky crags? Does one plow the sea <n>With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text [plow there]</n> with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness—


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you who rejoice in the conquest of Lo Debar <n>[Lo Debar] means [nothing.]</n> and say, "Did we not take Karnaim <n>[Karnaim] means [horns]; [horn] here symbolizes strength.</n> by our own strength?"


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For the Lord God Almighty declares, "I will stir up a nation against you, Israel, that will oppress you all the way from Lebo Hamath to the valley of the Arabah."


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This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts after the king's share had been harvested and just as the late crops were coming up.


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When they had stripped the land clean, I cried out, "Sovereign Lord, forgive! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!"


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This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: The Sovereign Lord was calling for judgment by fire; it dried up the great deep and devoured the land.


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This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, <n>The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.</n> with a plumb line <n>The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain; also in verse 8.</n> in his hand.


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And the Lord asked me, "What do you see, Amos?" "A plumb line," I replied. Then the Lord said, "Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.


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"The high places of Isaac will be destroyed and the sanctuaries of Israel will be ruined; with my sword I will rise against the house of Jeroboam."


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Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent a message to Jeroboam king of Israel: "Amos is raising a conspiracy against you in the very heart of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words.


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For this is what Amos is saying: "'Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will surely go into exile, away from their native land.'"


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Then Amaziah said to Amos, "Get out, you seer! Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there.


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Don't prophesy anymore at Bethel, because this is the king's sanctuary and the temple of the kingdom."


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Amos answered Amaziah, "I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees.


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Now then, hear the word of the Lord. You say, "'Do not prophesy against Israel, and stop preaching against the descendants of Isaac.'


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"Therefore this is what the Lord says: "'Your wife will become a prostitute in the city, and your sons and daughters will fall by the sword. Your land will be measured and divided up, and you yourself will die in a pagan <n>Hebrew [an unclean]</n> country. And Israel will surely go into exile, away from their native land.'"


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"What do you see, Amos?" he asked. "A basket of ripe fruit," I answered. Then the Lord said to me, "The time is ripe for my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.


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"In that day," declares the Sovereign Lord, "the songs in the temple will turn to wailing. <n>Or ["the temple singers will wail]</n> Many, many bodies—flung everywhere! Silence!"


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saying, "When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?"— skimping on the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales,


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buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the sweepings with the wheat.


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"Will not the land tremble for this, and all who live in it mourn? The whole land will rise like the Nile; it will be stirred up and then sink like the river of Egypt.


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"In that day," declares the Sovereign Lord, "I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.


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I will turn your religious festivals into mourning and all your singing into weeping. I will make all of you wear sackcloth and shave your heads. I will make that time like mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day.


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"The days are coming," declares the Sovereign Lord, "when I will send a famine through the land— not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord.


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People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it.


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Those who swear by the sin of Samaria— who say, 'As surely as your god lives, Dan,' or, 'As surely as the god <n>Hebrew [the way]</n> of Beersheba lives'— they will fall, never to rise again."


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I saw the Lord standing by the altar, and he said: "Strike the tops of the pillars so that the thresholds shake. Bring them down on the heads of all the people; those who are left I will kill with the sword. Not one will get away, none will escape.


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Though they dig down to the depths below, from there my hand will take them. Though they climb up to the heavens above, from there I will bring them down.


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Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, there I will hunt them down and seize them. Though they hide from my eyes at the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent to bite them.


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Though they are driven into exile by their enemies, there I will command the sword to slay them. "I will keep my eye on them for harm and not for good."


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The Lord, the Lord Almighty— he touches the earth and it melts, and all who live in it mourn; the whole land rises like the Nile, then sinks like the river of Egypt;


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he builds his lofty palace <n>The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.</n> in the heavens and sets its foundation <n>The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.</n> on the earth; he calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land— the Lord is his name.


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"Are not you Israelites the same to me as the Cushites <n>That is, people from the upper Nile region</n>?" declares the Lord. "Did I not bring Israel up from Egypt, the Philistines from Caphtor <n>That is, Crete</n> and the Arameans from Kir?


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"Surely the eyes of the Sovereign Lord are on the sinful kingdom. I will destroy it from the face of the earth. Yet I will not totally destroy the descendants of Jacob," declares the Lord.


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"For I will give the command, and I will shake the people of Israel among all the nations as grain is shaken in a sieve, and not a pebble will reach the ground.


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All the sinners among my people will die by the sword, all those who say, 'Disaster will not overtake or meet us.'


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"In that day "I will restore David's fallen shelter— I will repair its broken walls and restore its ruins— and will rebuild it as it used to be,


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so that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations that bear my name, <n>Hebrew; Septuagint [so that the remnant of people / and all the nations that bear my name may seek me]</n>" declares the Lord, who will do these things.


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"The days are coming," declares the Lord, "when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills,


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and I will bring my people Israel back from exile. <n>Or [will restore the fortunes of my people Israel]</n> "They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit.


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I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them," says the Lord your God.


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The vision of Obadiah. This is what the Sovereign Lord says about Edom— We have heard a message from the Lord: An envoy was sent to the nations to say, "Rise, let us go against her for battle"—


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The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks <n>Or [of Sela]</n> and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, 'Who can bring me down to the ground?'


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Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down," declares the Lord.


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"If thieves came to you, if robbers in the night— oh, what a disaster awaits you!— would they not steal only as much as they wanted? If grape pickers came to you, would they not leave a few grapes?


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All your allies will force you to the border; your friends will deceive and overpower you; those who eat your bread will set a trap for you, <n>The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.</n> but you will not detect it.


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"In that day," declares the Lord, "will I not destroy the wise men of Edom, those of understanding in the mountains of Esau?


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Your warriors, Teman, will be terrified, and everyone in Esau's mountains will be cut down in the slaughter.


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Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame; you will be destroyed forever.


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On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them.


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You should not gloat over your brother in the day of his misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction, nor boast so much in the day of their trouble.


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You should not march through the gates of my people in the day of their disaster, nor gloat over them in their calamity in the day of their disaster, nor seize their wealth in the day of their disaster.


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You should not wait at the crossroads to cut down their fugitives, nor hand over their survivors in the day of their trouble.


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"The day of the Lord is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head.


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Just as you drank on my holy hill, so all the nations will drink continually; they will drink and drink and be as if they had never been.


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Jacob will be a fire and Joseph a flame; Esau will be stubble, and they will set him on fire and destroy him. There will be no survivors from Esau." The Lord has spoken.


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People from the Negev will occupy the mountains of Esau, and people from the foothills will possess the land of the Philistines. They will occupy the fields of Ephraim and Samaria, and Benjamin will possess Gilead.


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This company of Israelite exiles who are in Canaan will possess the land as far as Zarephath; the exiles from Jerusalem who are in Sepharad will possess the towns of the Negev.


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Deliverers will go up on <n>Or [from]</n> Mount Zion to govern the mountains of Esau. And the kingdom will be the Lord's.


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"Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me."


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But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.


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Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.


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All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.


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The captain went to him and said, "How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish."


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Then the sailors said to each other, "Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity." They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.


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So they asked him, "Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?"


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He answered, "I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land."


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This terrified them and they asked, "What have you done?" (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.)


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The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, "What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?"


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"Pick me up and throw me into the sea," he replied, "and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you."


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Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before.


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Then they cried out to the Lord, "Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man's life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, Lord, have done as you pleased."


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At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him.


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Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.


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He said: "In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry.


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You hurled me into the depths, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me.


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The engulfing waters threatened me, <n>Or [waters were at my throat]</n> the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head.


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To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you, Lord my God, brought my life up from the pit.


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"When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple.


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But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, 'Salvation comes from the Lord.'"


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Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it.


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Jonah began by going a day's journey into the city, proclaiming, "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown."


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The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.


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When Jonah's warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust.


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This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh: "By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink.


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But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence.


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Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish."


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When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.


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He prayed to the Lord, "Isn't this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.


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Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city.


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Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant <n>The precise identification of this plant is uncertain; also in verses 7, 9 and 10.</n> and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant.


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When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah's head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, "It would be better for me to die than to live."


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But God said to Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?" "It is," he said. "And I'm so angry I wish I were dead."


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But the Lord said, "You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight.


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And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?"


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The word of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah—the vision he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.


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Hear, you peoples, all of you, listen, earth and all who live in it, that the Sovereign Lord may bear witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple.


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Look! The Lord is coming from his dwelling place; he comes down and treads on the heights of the earth.


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The mountains melt beneath him and the valleys split apart, like wax before the fire, like water rushing down a slope.


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All this is because of Jacob's transgression, because of the sins of the people of Israel. What is Jacob's transgression? Is it not Samaria? What is Judah's high place? Is it not Jerusalem?


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"Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of rubble, a place for planting vineyards. I will pour her stones into the valley and lay bare her foundations.


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All her idols will be broken to pieces; all her temple gifts will be burned with fire; I will destroy all her images. Since she gathered her gifts from the wages of prostitutes, as the wages of prostitutes they will again be used."


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Because of this I will weep and wail; I will go about barefoot and naked. I will howl like a jackal and moan like an owl.


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For Samaria's plague is incurable; it has spread to Judah. It has reached the very gate of my people, even to Jerusalem itself.


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Tell it not in Gath <n>[Gath] sounds like the Hebrew for [tell.]</n>; weep not at all. In Beth Ophrah <n>[Beth Ophrah] means [house of dust.]</n> roll in the dust.


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Pass by naked and in shame, you who live in Shaphir. <n>[Shaphir] means [pleasant.]</n> Those who live in Zaanan <n>[Zaanan] sounds like the Hebrew for [come out.]</n> will not come out. Beth Ezel is in mourning; it no longer protects you.


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Those who live in Maroth <n>[Maroth] sounds like the Hebrew for [bitter.]</n> writhe in pain, waiting for relief, because disaster has come from the Lord, even to the gate of Jerusalem.


text:
You who live in Lachish, harness fast horses to the chariot. You are where the sin of Daughter Zion began, for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.


text:
Therefore you will give parting gifts to Moresheth Gath. The town of Akzib <n>[Akzib] means [deception.]</n> will prove deceptive to the kings of Israel.


text:
I will bring a conqueror against you who live in Mareshah. <n>[Mareshah] sounds like the Hebrew for [conqueror.]</n> The nobles of Israel will flee to Adullam.


text:
Shave your head in mourning for the children in whom you delight; make yourself as bald as the vulture, for they will go from you into exile.


text:
Woe to those who plan iniquity, to those who plot evil on their beds! At morning's light they carry it out because it is in their power to do it.


text:
They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them. They defraud people of their homes, they rob them of their inheritance.


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Therefore, the Lord says: "I am planning disaster against this people, from which you cannot save yourselves. You will no longer walk proudly, for it will be a time of calamity.


text:
In that day people will ridicule you; they will taunt you with this mournful song: 'We are utterly ruined; my people's possession is divided up. He takes it from me! He assigns our fields to traitors.'"


text:
"Do not prophesy," their prophets say. "Do not prophesy about these things; disgrace will not overtake us."


text:
You descendants of Jacob, should it be said, "Does the Lord become <n>Or [Is the Spirit of the Lord]</n> impatient? Does he do such things?" "Do not my words do good to the one whose ways are upright?


text:
Lately my people have risen up like an enemy. You strip off the rich robe from those who pass by without a care, like men returning from battle.


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You drive the women of my people from their pleasant homes. You take away my blessing from their children forever.


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Get up, go away! For this is not your resting place, because it is defiled, it is ruined, beyond all remedy.


text:
If a liar and deceiver comes and says, 'I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,' that would be just the prophet for this people!


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"I will surely gather all of you, Jacob; I will surely bring together the remnant of Israel. I will bring them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture; the place will throng with people.


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The One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate and go out. Their King will pass through before them, the Lord at their head."


text:
who eat my people's flesh, strip off their skin and break their bones in pieces; who chop them up like meat for the pan, like flesh for the pot?"


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Then they will cry out to the Lord, but he will not answer them. At that time he will hide his face from them because of the evil they have done.


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This is what the Lord says: "As for the prophets who lead my people astray, they proclaim 'peace' if they have something to eat, but prepare to wage war against anyone who refuses to feed them.


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Therefore night will come over you, without visions, and darkness, without divination. The sun will set for the prophets, and the day will go dark for them.


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The seers will be ashamed and the diviners disgraced. They will all cover their faces because there is no answer from God."


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But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin.


text:
Hear this, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of Israel, who despise justice and distort all that is right;


text:
Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they look for the Lord's support and say, "Is not the Lord among us? No disaster will come upon us."


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Therefore because of you, Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets.


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In the last days the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and peoples will stream to it.


text:
Many nations will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.


text:
He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.


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Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the Lord Almighty has spoken.


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All the nations may walk in the name of their gods, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.


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"In that day," declares the Lord, "I will gather the lame; I will assemble the exiles and those I have brought to grief.


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I will make the lame my remnant, those driven away a strong nation. The Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and forever.


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As for you, watchtower of the flock, stronghold <n>Or [hill]</n> of Daughter Zion, the former dominion will be restored to you; kingship will come to Daughter Jerusalem."


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Why do you now cry aloud— have you no king <n>Or [King]</n>? Has your ruler <n>Or [Ruler]</n> perished, that pain seizes you like that of a woman in labor?


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Writhe in agony, Daughter Zion, like a woman in labor, for now you must leave the city to camp in the open field. You will go to Babylon; there you will be rescued. There the Lord will redeem you out of the hand of your enemies.


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But now many nations are gathered against you. They say, "Let her be defiled, let our eyes gloat over Zion!"


text:
But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord; they do not understand his plan, that he has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.


text:
"Rise and thresh, Daughter Zion, for I will give you horns of iron; I will give you hooves of bronze, and you will break to pieces many nations." You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the Lord, their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.


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Marshal your troops now, city of troops, for a siege is laid against us. They will strike Israel's ruler on the cheek with a rod.


text:
"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans <n>Or [rulers]</n> of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."


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Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites.


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He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.


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And he will be our peace when the Assyrians invade our land and march through our fortresses. We will raise against them seven shepherds, even eight commanders,


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who will rule <n>Or [crush]</n> the land of Assyria with the sword, the land of Nimrod with drawn sword. <n>Or [Nimrod in its gates]</n> He will deliver us from the Assyrians when they invade our land and march across our borders.


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The remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass, which do not wait for anyone or depend on man.


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The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, which mauls and mangles as it goes, and no one can rescue.


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"In that day," declares the Lord, "I will destroy your horses from among you and demolish your chariots.


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I will destroy your idols and your sacred stones from among you; you will no longer bow down to the work of your hands.


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I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles <n>That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah</n> when I demolish your cities.


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Listen to what the Lord says: "Stand up, plead my case before the mountains; let the hills hear what you have to say.


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"Hear, you mountains, the Lord's accusation; listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth. For the Lord has a case against his people; he is lodging a charge against Israel.


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I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam.


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My people, remember what Balak king of Moab plotted and what Balaam son of Beor answered. Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord."


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With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?


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Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?


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He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly <n>Or [prudently]</n> with your God.


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Listen! The Lord is calling to the city— and to fear your name is wisdom— "Heed the rod and the One who appointed it. <n>The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.</n>


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Am I still to forget your ill-gotten treasures, you wicked house, and the short ephah, <n>An ephah was a dry measure.</n> which is accursed?


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Therefore, I have begun to destroy you, to ruin <n>Or [Therefore, I will make you ill and destroy you; / I will ruin]</n> you because of your sins.


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You will eat but not be satisfied; your stomach will still be empty. <n>The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.</n> You will store up but save nothing, because what you save <n>Or [You will press toward birth but not give birth, / and what you bring to birth]</n> I will give to the sword.


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You will plant but not harvest; you will press olives but not use the oil, you will crush grapes but not drink the wine.


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You have observed the statutes of Omri and all the practices of Ahab's house; you have followed their traditions. Therefore I will give you over to ruin and your people to derision; you will bear the scorn of the nations. <n>Septuagint; Hebrew [scorn due my people]</n>"


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What misery is mine! I am like one who gathers summer fruit at the gleaning of the vineyard; there is no cluster of grapes to eat, none of the early figs that I crave.


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The faithful have been swept from the land; not one upright person remains. Everyone lies in wait to shed blood; they hunt each other with nets.


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Both hands are skilled in doing evil; the ruler demands gifts, the judge accepts bribes, the powerful dictate what they desire— they all conspire together.


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The best of them is like a brier, the most upright worse than a thorn hedge. The day God visits you has come, the day your watchmen sound the alarm. Now is the time of your confusion.


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Do not trust a neighbor; put no confidence in a friend. Even with the woman who lies in your embrace guard the words of your lips.


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For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— a man's enemies are the members of his own household.


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Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.


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Because I have sinned against him, I will bear the Lord's wrath, until he pleads my case and upholds my cause. He will bring me out into the light; I will see his righteousness.


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Then my enemy will see it and will be covered with shame, she who said to me, "Where is the Lord your God?" My eyes will see her downfall; even now she will be trampled underfoot like mire in the streets.


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In that day people will come to you from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, even from Egypt to the Euphrates and from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.


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Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance, which lives by itself in a forest, in fertile pasturelands. <n>Or [in the middle of Carmel]</n> Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead as in days long ago.


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Nations will see and be ashamed, deprived of all their power. They will put their hands over their mouths and their ears will become deaf.


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They will lick dust like a snake, like creatures that crawl on the ground. They will come trembling out of their dens; they will turn in fear to the Lord our God and will be afraid of you.


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Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.


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You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.


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You will be faithful to Jacob, and show love to Abraham, as you pledged on oath to our ancestors in days long ago.


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The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The Lord takes vengeance on his foes and vents his wrath against his enemies.


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The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet.


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He rebukes the sea and dries it up; he makes all the rivers run dry. Bashan and Carmel wither and the blossoms of Lebanon fade.


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The mountains quake before him and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at his presence, the world and all who live in it.


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Who can withstand his indignation? Who can endure his fierce anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; the rocks are shattered before him.


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but with an overwhelming flood he will make an end of Nineveh; he will pursue his foes into the realm of darkness.


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Whatever they plot against the Lord he will bring <n>Or [What do you foes plot against the Lord? / He will bring it]</n> to an end; trouble will not come a second time.


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They will be entangled among thorns and drunk from their wine; they will be consumed like dry stubble. <n>The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.</n>


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This is what the Lord says: "Although they have allies and are numerous, they will be destroyed and pass away. Although I have afflicted you, Judah, I will afflict you no more.


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The Lord has given a command concerning you, Nineveh: "You will have no descendants to bear your name. I will destroy the images and idols that are in the temple of your gods. I will prepare your grave, for you are vile."


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Look, there on the mountains, the feet of one who brings good news, who proclaims peace! Celebrate your festivals, Judah, and fulfill your vows. No more will the wicked invade you; they will be completely destroyed.


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An attacker advances against you, Nineveh. Guard the fortress, watch the road, brace yourselves, marshal all your strength!


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The Lord will restore the splendor of Jacob like the splendor of Israel, though destroyers have laid them waste and have ruined their vines.


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The shields of the soldiers are red; the warriors are clad in scarlet. The metal on the chariots flashes on the day they are made ready; the spears of juniper are brandished. <n>Hebrew; Septuagint and Syriac [ready; / the horsemen rush to and fro].</n>


text:
The chariots storm through the streets, rushing back and forth through the squares. They look like flaming torches; they dart about like lightning.


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Nineveh summons her picked troops, yet they stumble on their way. They dash to the city wall; the protective shield is put in place.


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It is decreed <n>The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.</n> that Nineveh be exiled and carried away. Her female slaves moan like doves and beat on their breasts.


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She is pillaged, plundered, stripped! Hearts melt, knees give way, bodies tremble, every face grows pale.


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Where now is the lions' den, the place where they fed their young, where the lion and lioness went, and the cubs, with nothing to fear?


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The lion killed enough for his cubs and strangled the prey for his mate, filling his lairs with the kill and his dens with the prey.


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"I am against you," declares the Lord Almighty. "I will burn up your chariots in smoke, and the sword will devour your young lions. I will leave you no prey on the earth. The voices of your messengers will no longer be heard."


text:
Charging cavalry, flashing swords and glittering spears! Many casualties, piles of dead, bodies without number, people stumbling over the corpses—


text:
all because of the wanton lust of a prostitute, alluring, the mistress of sorceries, who enslaved nations by her prostitution and peoples by her witchcraft.


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"I am against you," declares the Lord Almighty. "I will lift your skirts over your face. I will show the nations your nakedness and the kingdoms your shame.


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All who see you will flee from you and say, 'Nineveh is in ruins—who will mourn for her?' Where can I find anyone to comfort you?"


text:
Are you better than Thebes, situated on the Nile, with water around her? The river was her defense, the waters her wall.


text:
Cush <n>That is, the upper Nile region</n> and Egypt were her boundless strength; Put and Libya were among her allies.


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Yet she was taken captive and went into exile. Her infants were dashed to pieces at every street corner. Lots were cast for her nobles, and all her great men were put in chains.


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All your fortresses are like fig trees with their first ripe fruit; when they are shaken, the figs fall into the mouth of the eater.


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Look at your troops— they are all weaklings. The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies; fire has consumed the bars of your gates.


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Draw water for the siege, strengthen your defenses! Work the clay, tread the mortar, repair the brickwork!


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There the fire will consume you; the sword will cut you down— they will devour you like a swarm of locusts. Multiply like grasshoppers, multiply like locusts!


text:
You have increased the number of your merchants till they are more numerous than the stars in the sky, but like locusts they strip the land and then fly away.


text:
Your guards are like locusts, your officials like swarms of locusts that settle in the walls on a cold day— but when the sun appears they fly away, and no one knows where.


text:
King of Assyria, your shepherds <n>That is, rulers</n> slumber; your nobles lie down to rest. Your people are scattered on the mountains with no one to gather them.


text:
Nothing can heal you; your wound is fatal. All who hear the news about you clap their hands at your fall, for who has not felt your endless cruelty?


text:
How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, "Violence!" but you do not save?


text:
Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds.


text:
Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.


text:
"Look at the nations and watch— and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.


text:
I am raising up the Babylonians, <n>Or [Chaldeans]</n> that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwellings not their own.


text:
Their horses are swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves at dusk. Their cavalry gallops headlong; their horsemen come from afar. They fly like an eagle swooping to devour;


text:
they all come intent on violence. Their hordes <n>The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.</n> advance like a desert wind and gather prisoners like sand.


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They mock kings and scoff at rulers. They laugh at all fortified cities; by building earthen ramps they capture them.


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Lord, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, you <n>An ancient Hebrew scribal tradition; Masoretic Text [we]</n> will never die. You, Lord, have appointed them to execute judgment; you, my Rock, have ordained them to punish.


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Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?


text:
The wicked foe pulls all of them up with hooks, he catches them in his net, he gathers them up in his dragnet; and so he rejoices and is glad.


text:
Therefore he sacrifices to his net and burns incense to his dragnet, for by his net he lives in luxury and enjoys the choicest food.


text:
I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint. <n>Or [and what to answer when I am rebuked]</n>


text:
Then the Lord replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald <n>Or [so that whoever reads it]</n> may run with it.


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For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it <n>Or [Though he linger, wait for him; / he]</n> will certainly come and will not delay.


text:
"See, the enemy is puffed up; his desires are not upright— but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness <n>Or [faith]</n>—


text:
indeed, wine betrays him; he is arrogant and never at rest. Because he is as greedy as the grave and like death is never satisfied, he gathers to himself all the nations and takes captive all the peoples.


text:
"Will not all of them taunt him with ridicule and scorn, saying, "'Woe to him who piles up stolen goods and makes himself wealthy by extortion! How long must this go on?'


text:
Will not your creditors suddenly arise? Will they not wake up and make you tremble? Then you will become their prey.


text:
Because you have plundered many nations, the peoples who are left will plunder you. For you have shed human blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.


text:
"Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, setting his nest on high to escape the clutches of ruin!


text:
Has not the Lord Almighty determined that the people's labor is only fuel for the fire, that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing?


text:
For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.


text:
"Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk, so that he can gaze on their naked bodies!


text:
You will be filled with shame instead of glory. Now it is your turn! Drink and let your nakedness be exposed <n>Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls, Aquila, Vulgate and Syriac (see also Septuagint) [and stagger]</n>! The cup from the Lord's right hand is coming around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory.


text:
The violence you have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, and your destruction of animals will terrify you. For you have shed human blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.


text:
"Of what value is an idol carved by a craftsman? Or an image that teaches lies? For the one who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak.


text:
Woe to him who says to wood, 'Come to life!' Or to lifeless stone, 'Wake up!' Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it."


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Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.


text:
God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. <n>The Hebrew has [Selah] (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the middle of verse 9 and at the end of verse 13.</n> His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth.


text:
He stood, and shook the earth; he looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains crumbled and the age-old hills collapsed— but he marches on forever.


text:
Were you angry with the rivers, Lord? Was your wrath against the streams? Did you rage against the sea when you rode your horses and your chariots to victory?


text:
the mountains saw you and writhed. Torrents of water swept by; the deep roared and lifted its waves on high.


text:
Sun and moon stood still in the heavens at the glint of your flying arrows, at the lightning of your flashing spear.


text:
You came out to deliver your people, to save your anointed one. You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness, you stripped him from head to foot.


text:
With his own spear you pierced his head when his warriors stormed out to scatter us, gloating as though about to devour the wretched who were in hiding.


text:
I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us.


text:
Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,


text:
The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.


text:
The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, during the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah:


text:
"I will sweep away both man and beast; I will sweep away the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea— and the idols that cause the wicked to stumble." <n>The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.</n> "When I destroy all mankind on the face of the earth," declares the Lord,


text:
"I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all who live in Jerusalem. I will destroy every remnant of Baal worship in this place, the very names of the idolatrous priests—


text:
those who bow down on the roofs to worship the starry host, those who bow down and swear by the Lord and who also swear by Molek, <n>Hebrew [Malkam]</n>


text:
Be silent before the Sovereign Lord, for the day of the Lord is near. The Lord has prepared a sacrifice; he has consecrated those he has invited.


text:
"On the day of the Lord's sacrifice I will punish the officials and the king's sons and all those clad in foreign clothes.


text:
On that day I will punish all who avoid stepping on the threshold, who fill the temple of their gods with violence and deceit.


text:
"On that day," declares the Lord, "a cry will go up from the Fish Gate, wailing from the New Quarter, and a loud crash from the hills.


text:
Wail, you who live in the market district <n>Or [the Mortar]</n>; all your merchants will be wiped out, all who trade with <n>Or [in]</n> silver will be destroyed.


text:
At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent, who are like wine left on its dregs, who think, 'The Lord will do nothing, either good or bad.'


text:
Their wealth will be plundered, their houses demolished. Though they build houses, they will not live in them; though they plant vineyards, they will not drink the wine."


text:
The great day of the Lord is near— near and coming quickly. The cry on the day of the Lord is bitter; the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry.


text:
That day will be a day of wrath— a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness—


text:
"I will bring such distress on all people that they will grope about like those who are blind, because they have sinned against the Lord. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their entrails like dung.


text:
Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the Lord's wrath." In the fire of his jealousy the whole earth will be consumed, for he will make a sudden end of all who live on the earth.


text:
before the decree takes effect and that day passes like windblown chaff, before the Lord's fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the Lord's wrath comes upon you.


text:
Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord's anger.


text:
【Philistia】<br/> Gaza will be abandoned and Ashkelon left in ruins. At midday Ashdod will be emptied and Ekron uprooted.


text:
Woe to you who live by the sea, you Kerethite people; the word of the Lord is against you, Canaan, land of the Philistines. He says, "I will destroy you, and none will be left."


text:
That land will belong to the remnant of the people of Judah; there they will find pasture. In the evening they will lie down in the houses of Ashkelon. The Lord their God will care for them; he will restore their fortunes. <n>Or [will bring back their captives]</n>


text:
【Moab and Ammon】<br/> "I have heard the insults of Moab and the taunts of the Ammonites, who insulted my people and made threats against their land.


text:
Therefore, as surely as I live," declares the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, "surely Moab will become like Sodom, the Ammonites like Gomorrah— a place of weeds and salt pits, a wasteland forever. The remnant of my people will plunder them; the survivors of my nation will inherit their land."


text:
This is what they will get in return for their pride, for insulting and mocking the people of the Lord Almighty.


text:
The Lord will be awesome to them when he destroys all the gods of the earth. Distant nations will bow down to him, all of them in their own lands.


text:
【Cush】<br/> "You Cushites, <n>That is, people from the upper Nile region</n> too, will be slain by my sword."


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【Assyria】<br/> He will stretch out his hand against the north and destroy Assyria, leaving Nineveh utterly desolate and dry as the desert.


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Flocks and herds will lie down there, creatures of every kind. The desert owl and the screech owl will roost on her columns. Their hooting will echo through the windows, rubble will fill the doorways, the beams of cedar will be exposed.


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This is the city of revelry that lived in safety. She said to herself, "I am the one! And there is none besides me." What a ruin she has become, a lair for wild beasts! All who pass by her scoff and shake their fists.


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She obeys no one, she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the Lord, she does not draw near to her God.


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Her officials within her are roaring lions; her rulers are evening wolves, who leave nothing for the morning.


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Her prophets are unprincipled; they are treacherous people. Her priests profane the sanctuary and do violence to the law.


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The Lord within her is righteous; he does no wrong. Morning by morning he dispenses his justice, and every new day he does not fail, yet the unrighteous know no shame.


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【Jerusalem Remains Unrepentant】<br/> "I have destroyed nations; their strongholds are demolished. I have left their streets deserted, with no one passing through. Their cities are laid waste; they are deserted and empty.


text:
Of Jerusalem I thought, 'Surely you will fear me and accept correction!' Then her place of refuge <n>Or [her sanctuary]</n> would not be destroyed, nor all my punishments come upon <n>Or [all those I appointed over]</n> her. But they were still eager to act corruptly in all they did.


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Therefore wait for me," declares the Lord, "for the day I will stand up to testify. <n>Septuagint and Syriac; Hebrew [will rise up to plunder]</n> I have decided to assemble the nations, to gather the kingdoms and to pour out my wrath on them— all my fierce anger. The whole world will be consumed by the fire of my jealous anger.


text:
"Then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve him shoulder to shoulder.


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From beyond the rivers of Cush <n>That is, the upper Nile region</n> my worshipers, my scattered people, will bring me offerings.


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On that day you, Jerusalem, will not be put to shame for all the wrongs you have done to me, because I will remove from you your arrogant boasters. Never again will you be haughty on my holy hill.


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But I will leave within you the meek and humble. The remnant of Israel will trust in the name of the Lord.


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They will do no wrong; they will tell no lies. A deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouths. They will eat and lie down and no one will make them afraid."


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Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem!


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The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm.


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The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing."


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"I will remove from you all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals, which is a burden and reproach for you.


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At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you. I will rescue the lame; I will gather the exiles. I will give them praise and honor in every land where they have suffered shame.


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At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes <n>Or [I bring back your captives]</n> before your very eyes," says the Lord.


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In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jozadak, <n>Hebrew [Jehozadak], a variant of [Jozadak]; also in verses 12 and 14</n> the high priest:


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This is what the Lord Almighty says: "These people say, 'The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord's house.'"


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"Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?"


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You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."


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Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored," says the Lord.


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"You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the Lord Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house.


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I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands."


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Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord.


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Then Haggai, the Lord's messenger, gave this message of the Lord to the people: "I am with you," declares the Lord.


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So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God,


text:
"Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jozadak, <n>Hebrew [Jehozadak], a variant of [Jozadak]; also in verse 4</n> the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them,


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'Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?


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But now be strong, Zerubbabel,' declares the Lord. 'Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,' declares the Lord, 'and work. For I am with you,' declares the Lord Almighty.


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'This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.'


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"This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land.


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I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the Lord Almighty.


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'The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the Lord Almighty. 'And in this place I will grant peace,' declares the Lord Almighty."


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On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Haggai:


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If someone carries consecrated meat in the fold of their garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, olive oil or other food, does it become consecrated?'" The priests answered, "No."


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Then Haggai said, "If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?" "Yes," the priests replied, "it becomes defiled."


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Then Haggai said, "'So it is with this people and this nation in my sight,' declares the Lord. 'Whatever they do and whatever they offer there is defiled.


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"'Now give careful thought to this from this day on <n>Or [to the days past]</n>—consider how things were before one stone was laid on another in the Lord's temple.


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When anyone came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten. When anyone went to a wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were only twenty.


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I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail, yet you did not return to me,' declares the Lord.


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'From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the Lord's temple was laid. Give careful thought:


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Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit. "'From this day on I will bless you.'"


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I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother.


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"'On that day,' declares the Lord Almighty, 'I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,' declares the Lord, 'and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,' declares the Lord Almighty."


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In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo:


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Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Return to me,' declares the Lord Almighty, 'and I will return to you,' says the Lord Almighty.


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Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed: This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Turn from your evil ways and your evil practices.' But they would not listen or pay attention to me, declares the Lord.


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But did not my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, overtake your ancestors? "Then they repented and said, 'The Lord Almighty has done to us what our ways and practices deserve, just as he determined to do.'"


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On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo.


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During the night I had a vision, and there before me was a man mounted on a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, brown and white horses.


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I asked, "What are these, my lord?" The angel who was talking with me answered, "I will show you what they are."


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Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, "They are the ones the Lord has sent to go throughout the earth."


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And they reported to the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees, "We have gone throughout the earth and found the whole world at rest and in peace."


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Then the angel of the Lord said, "Lord Almighty, how long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and from the towns of Judah, which you have been angry with these seventy years?"


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Then the angel who was speaking to me said, "Proclaim this word: This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion,


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and I am very angry with the nations that feel secure. I was only a little angry, but they went too far with the punishment.'


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"Therefore this is what the Lord says: 'I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there my house will be rebuilt. And the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem,' declares the Lord Almighty.


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"Proclaim further: This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'My towns will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem.'"


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I asked the angel who was speaking to me, "What are these?" He answered me, "These are the horns that scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem."


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I asked, "What are these coming to do?" He answered, "These are the horns that scattered Judah so that no one could raise their head, but the craftsmen have come to terrify them and throw down these horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter its people."


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I asked, "Where are you going?" He answered me, "To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it is."


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and said to him: "Run, tell that young man, 'Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of people and animals in it.


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And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,' declares the Lord, 'and I will be its glory within.'


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"Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north," declares the Lord, "for I have scattered you to the four winds of heaven," declares the Lord.


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For this is what the Lord Almighty says: "After the Glorious One has sent me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye—


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I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them. <n>Or [says after … eye: [9] "I … plunder them."]</n> Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me.


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"Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.


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Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan <n>Hebrew [satan] means [adversary].</n> standing at his right side to accuse him.


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The Lord said to Satan, "The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?"


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The angel said to those who were standing before him, "Take off his filthy clothes." Then he said to Joshua, "See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you."


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Then I said, "Put a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood by.


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"This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'If you will walk in obedience to me and keep my requirements, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here.


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"'Listen, High Priest Joshua, you and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch.


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See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes <n>Or [facets]</n> on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,' says the Lord Almighty, 'and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day.


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"'In that day each of you will invite your neighbor to sit under your vine and fig tree,' declares the Lord Almighty."


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He asked me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lamps on it, with seven channels to the lamps.


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So he said to me, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty.


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"What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of 'God bless it! God bless it!'"


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"The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.


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"Who dares despise the day of small things, since the seven eyes of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone <n>Or [the plumb line]</n> in the hand of Zerubbabel?"


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Then I asked the angel, "What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?"


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Again I asked him, "What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?"


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So he said, "These are the two who are anointed to <n>Or [two who bring oil and]</n> serve the Lord of all the earth."


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He asked me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a flying scroll, twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide. <n>That is, about 30 feet long and 15 feet wide or about 9 meters long and 4.5 meters wide</n>"


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And he said to me, "This is the curse that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely will be banished.


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The Lord Almighty declares, 'I will send it out, and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of anyone who swears falsely by my name. It will remain in that house and destroy it completely, both its timbers and its stones.'"


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Then the angel who was speaking to me came forward and said to me, "Look up and see what is appearing."


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I asked, "What is it?" He replied, "It is a basket." And he added, "This is the iniquity <n>Or [appearance]</n> of the people throughout the land."


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He said, "This is wickedness," and he pushed her back into the basket and pushed its lead cover down on it.


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Then I looked up—and there before me were two women, with the wind in their wings! They had wings like those of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between heaven and earth.


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He replied, "To the country of Babylonia <n>Hebrew [Shinar]</n> to build a house for it. When the house is ready, the basket will be set there in its place."


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I looked up again, and there before me were four chariots coming out from between two mountains—mountains of bronze.


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The angel answered me, "These are the four spirits <n>Or [winds]</n> of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world.


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The one with the black horses is going toward the north country, the one with the white horses toward the west, <n>Or [horses after them]</n> and the one with the dappled horses toward the south."


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When the powerful horses went out, they were straining to go throughout the earth. And he said, "Go throughout the earth!" So they went throughout the earth.


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Then he called to me, "Look, those going toward the north country have given my Spirit <n>Or [spirit]</n> rest in the land of the north."


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"Take silver and gold from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon. Go the same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah.


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Take the silver and gold and make a crown, and set it on the head of the high priest, Joshua son of Jozadak. <n>Hebrew [Jehozadak], a variant of [Jozadak]</n>


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Tell him this is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the Lord.


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It is he who will build the temple of the Lord, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he <n>Or [there]</n> will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.'


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The crown will be given to Heldai, <n>Syriac; Hebrew [Helem]</n> Tobijah, Jedaiah and Hen <n>Or [and the gracious one, the]</n> son of Zephaniah as a memorial in the temple of the Lord.


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Those who are far away will come and help to build the temple of the Lord, and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. This will happen if you diligently obey the Lord your God."


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In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, the month of Kislev.


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The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-Melek, together with their men, to entreat the Lord


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by asking the priests of the house of the Lord Almighty and the prophets, "Should I mourn and fast in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?"


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"Ask all the people of the land and the priests, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted?


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Are these not the words the Lord proclaimed through the earlier prophets when Jerusalem and its surrounding towns were at rest and prosperous, and the Negev and the western foothills were settled?'"


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"This is what the Lord Almighty said: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.


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Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.'


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They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the Lord Almighty was very angry.


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"'When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen,' says the Lord Almighty.


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'I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations, where they were strangers. The land they left behind them was so desolate that no one traveled through it. This is how they made the pleasant land desolate.'"


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This is what the Lord Almighty says: "I am very jealous for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her."


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This is what the Lord says: "I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City, and the mountain of the Lord Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain."


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This is what the Lord Almighty says: "Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each of them with cane in hand because of their age.


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This is what the Lord Almighty says: "It may seem marvelous to the remnant of this people at that time, but will it seem marvelous to me?" declares the Lord Almighty.


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This is what the Lord Almighty says: "I will save my people from the countries of the east and the west.


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I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be my people, and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God."


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This is what the Lord Almighty says: "Now hear these words, 'Let your hands be strong so that the temple may be built.' This is also what the prophets said who were present when the foundation was laid for the house of the Lord Almighty.


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Before that time there were no wages for people or hire for animals. No one could go about their business safely because of their enemies, since I had turned everyone against their neighbor.


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But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as I did in the past," declares the Lord Almighty.


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"The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will produce its crops, and the heavens will drop their dew. I will give all these things as an inheritance to the remnant of this people.


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Just as you, Judah and Israel, have been a curse among the nations, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong."


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This is what the Lord Almighty says: "Just as I had determined to bring disaster on you and showed no pity when your ancestors angered me," says the Lord Almighty,


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These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts;


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do not plot evil against each other, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this," declares the Lord.


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This is what the Lord Almighty says: "The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months will become joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore love truth and peace."


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This is what the Lord Almighty says: "Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come,


text:
and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, 'Let us go at once to entreat the Lord and seek the Lord Almighty. I myself am going.'


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And many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord Almighty and to entreat him."


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This is what the Lord Almighty says: "In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, 'Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.'"


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A prophecy: The word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrak and will come to rest on Damascus— for the eyes of all people and all the tribes of Israel are on the Lord— <n>Or [Damascus. / For the eye of the Lord is on all people, / as well as on the tribes of Israel,]</n>


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Tyre has built herself a stronghold; she has heaped up silver like dust, and gold like the dirt of the streets.


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But the Lord will take away her possessions and destroy her power on the sea, and she will be consumed by fire.


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Ashkelon will see it and fear; Gaza will writhe in agony, and Ekron too, for her hope will wither. Gaza will lose her king and Ashkelon will be deserted.


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I will take the blood from their mouths, the forbidden food from between their teeth. Those who are left will belong to our God and become a clan in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.


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But I will encamp at my temple to guard it against marauding forces. Never again will an oppressor overrun my people, for now I am keeping watch.


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Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.


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I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the warhorses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River <n>That is, the Euphrates</n> to the ends of the earth.


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As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit.


text:
Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.


text:
I will bend Judah as I bend my bow and fill it with Ephraim. I will rouse your sons, Zion, against your sons, Greece, and make you like a warrior's sword.


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Then the Lord will appear over them; his arrow will flash like lightning. The Sovereign Lord will sound the trumpet; he will march in the storms of the south,


text:
and the Lord Almighty will shield them. They will destroy and overcome with slingstones. They will drink and roar as with wine; they will be full like a bowl used for sprinkling <n>Or [bowl, / like]</n> the corners of the altar.


text:
The Lord their God will save his people on that day as a shepherd saves his flock. They will sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown.


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How attractive and beautiful they will be! Grain will make the young men thrive, and new wine the young women.


text:
Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime; it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone.


text:
The idols speak deceitfully, diviners see visions that lie; they tell dreams that are false, they give comfort in vain. Therefore the people wander like sheep oppressed for lack of a shepherd.


text:
"My anger burns against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the Lord Almighty will care for his flock, the people of Judah, and make them like a proud horse in battle.


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From Judah will come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler.


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Together they <n>Or [ruler, all of them together. / [5] They]</n> will be like warriors in battle trampling their enemy into the mud of the streets. They will fight because the Lord is with them, and they will put the enemy horsemen to shame.


text:
"I will strengthen Judah and save the tribes of Joseph. I will restore them because I have compassion on them. They will be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the Lord their God and I will answer them.


text:
The Ephraimites will become like warriors, and their hearts will be glad as with wine. Their children will see it and be joyful; their hearts will rejoice in the Lord.


text:
I will signal for them and gather them in. Surely I will redeem them; they will be as numerous as before.


text:
Though I scatter them among the peoples, yet in distant lands they will remember me. They and their children will survive, and they will return.


text:
I will bring them back from Egypt and gather them from Assyria. I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon, and there will not be room enough for them.


text:
They will pass through the sea of trouble; the surging sea will be subdued and all the depths of the Nile will dry up. Assyria's pride will be brought down and Egypt's scepter will pass away.


text:
Wail, you juniper, for the cedar has fallen; the stately trees are ruined! Wail, oaks of Bashan; the dense forest has been cut down!


text:
Listen to the wail of the shepherds; their rich pastures are destroyed! Listen to the roar of the lions; the lush thicket of the Jordan is ruined!


text:
Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, 'Praise the Lord, I am rich!' Their own shepherds do not spare them.


text:
For I will no longer have pity on the people of the land," declares the Lord. "I will give everyone into the hands of their neighbors and their king. They will devastate the land, and I will not rescue anyone from their hands."


text:
So I shepherded the flock marked for slaughter, particularly the oppressed of the flock. Then I took two staffs and called one Favor and the other Union, and I shepherded the flock.


text:
and said, "I will not be your shepherd. Let the dying die, and the perishing perish. Let those who are left eat one another's flesh."


text:
Then I took my staff called Favor and broke it, revoking the covenant I had made with all the nations.


text:
It was revoked on that day, and so the oppressed of the flock who were watching me knew it was the word of the Lord.


text:
I told them, "If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it." So they paid me thirty pieces of silver.


text:
And the Lord said to me, "Throw it to the potter"—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord.


text:
For I am going to raise up a shepherd over the land who will not care for the lost, or seek the young, or heal the injured, or feed the healthy, but will eat the meat of the choice sheep, tearing off their hooves.


text:
"Woe to the worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his arm be completely withered, his right eye totally blinded!"


text:
A prophecy: The word of the Lord concerning Israel. The Lord, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the human spirit within a person, declares:


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"I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem.


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On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves.


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On that day I will strike every horse with panic and its rider with madness," declares the Lord. "I will keep a watchful eye over Judah, but I will blind all the horses of the nations.


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Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, 'The people of Jerusalem are strong, because the Lord Almighty is their God.'


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"On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume all the surrounding peoples right and left, but Jerusalem will remain intact in her place.


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"The Lord will save the dwellings of Judah first, so that the honor of the house of David and of Jerusalem's inhabitants may not be greater than that of Judah.


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On that day the Lord will shield those who live in Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the Lord going before them.


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"And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit <n>Or [the Spirit]</n> of grace and supplication. They will look on <n>Or [to]</n> me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.


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On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be as great as the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.


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The land will mourn, each clan by itself, with their wives by themselves: the clan of the house of David and their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives,


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"On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.


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"On that day, I will banish the names of the idols from the land, and they will be remembered no more," declares the Lord Almighty. "I will remove both the prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land.


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And if anyone still prophesies, their father and mother, to whom they were born, will say to them, 'You must die, because you have told lies in the Lord's name.' Then their own parents will stab the one who prophesies.


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"On that day every prophet will be ashamed of their prophetic vision. They will not put on a prophet's garment of hair in order to deceive.


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Each will say, 'I am not a prophet. I am a farmer; the land has been my livelihood since my youth. <n>Or [farmer; a man sold me in my youth]</n>'


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If someone asks, 'What are these wounds on your body <n>Or [wounds between your hands]</n>?' they will answer, 'The wounds I was given at the house of my friends.'


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"Awake, sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!" declares the Lord Almighty. "Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones.


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In the whole land," declares the Lord, "two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it.


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This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, 'They are my people,' and they will say, 'The Lord is our God.'"


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A day of the Lord is coming, Jerusalem, when your possessions will be plundered and divided up within your very walls.


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I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city.


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On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south.


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You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake <n>Or [[5] My mountain valley will be blocked and will extend to Azel. It will be blocked as it was blocked because of the earthquake]</n> in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.


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It will be a unique day—a day known only to the Lord—with no distinction between day and night. When evening comes, there will be light.


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On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it east to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter.


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The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.


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The whole land, from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem, will become like the Arabah. But Jerusalem will be raised up high from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses, and will remain in its place.


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This is the plague with which the Lord will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.


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On that day people will be stricken by the Lord with great panic. They will seize each other by the hand and attack one another.


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Judah too will fight at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected—great quantities of gold and silver and clothing.


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A similar plague will strike the horses and mules, the camels and donkeys, and all the animals in those camps.


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Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.


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If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, they will have no rain.


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If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The Lord <n>Or [part, then the Lord]</n> will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.


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This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.


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On that day holy to the Lord will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the Lord's house will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar.


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Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the Lord Almighty, and all who come to sacrifice will take some of the pots and cook in them. And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite <n>Or [merchant]</n> in the house of the Lord Almighty.


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"I have loved you," says the Lord. "But you ask, 'How have you loved us?' "Was not Esau Jacob's brother?" declares the Lord. "Yet I have loved Jacob,


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but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals."


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Edom may say, "Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild the ruins." But this is what the Lord Almighty says: "They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the Lord.


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"A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?" says the Lord Almighty. "It is you priests who show contempt for my name. "But you ask, 'How have we shown contempt for your name?'


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"By offering defiled food on my altar. "But you ask, 'How have we defiled you?' "By saying that the Lord's table is contemptible.


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When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the Lord Almighty.


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"Now plead with God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?"—says the Lord Almighty.


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"Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you," says the Lord Almighty, "and I will accept no offering from your hands.


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My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations," says the Lord Almighty.


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And you say, 'What a burden!' and you sniff at it contemptuously," says the Lord Almighty. "When you bring injured, lame or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?" says the Lord.


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"Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king," says the Lord Almighty, "and my name is to be feared among the nations.


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If you do not listen, and if you do not resolve to honor my name," says the Lord Almighty, "I will send a curse on you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not resolved to honor me.


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"Because of you I will rebuke your descendants <n>Or [will blight your grain]</n>; I will smear on your faces the dung from your festival sacrifices, and you will be carried off with it.


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And you will know that I have sent you this warning so that my covenant with Levi may continue," says the Lord Almighty.


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"My covenant was with him, a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him; this called for reverence and he revered me and stood in awe of my name.


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True instruction was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many from sin.


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"For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty and people seek instruction from his mouth.


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But you have turned from the way and by your teaching have caused many to stumble; you have violated the covenant with Levi," says the Lord Almighty.


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"So I have caused you to be despised and humiliated before all the people, because you have not followed my ways but have shown partiality in matters of the law."


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Do we not all have one Father <n>Or [father]</n>? Did not one God create us? Why do we profane the covenant of our ancestors by being unfaithful to one another?


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Judah has been unfaithful. A detestable thing has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem: Judah has desecrated the sanctuary the Lord loves by marrying women who worship a foreign god.


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As for the man who does this, whoever he may be, may the Lord remove him from the tents of Jacob <n>Or [[12] May the Lord remove from the tents of Jacob anyone who gives testimony in behalf of the man who does this]</n>—even though he brings an offering to the Lord Almighty.


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Another thing you do: You flood the Lord's altar with tears. You weep and wail because he no longer looks with favor on your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands.


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You ask, "Why?" It is because the Lord is the witness between you and the wife of your youth. You have been unfaithful to her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant.


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Has not the one God made you? You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring. <n>The meaning of the Hebrew for the first part of this verse is uncertain.</n> So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth.


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"The man who hates and divorces his wife," says the Lord, the God of Israel, "does violence to the one he should protect," <n>Or ["I hate divorce," says the Lord, the God of Israel, "because the man who divorces his wife covers his garment with violence,"]</n> says the Lord Almighty. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful.


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You have wearied the Lord with your words. "How have we wearied him?" you ask. By saying, "All who do evil are good in the eyes of the Lord, and he is pleased with them" or "Where is the God of justice?"


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"I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the Lord Almighty.


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But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap.


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He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness,


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and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.


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"So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me," says the Lord Almighty.


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Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the Lord Almighty. "But you ask, 'How are we to return?'


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"Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How are we robbing you?' "In tithes and offerings.


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Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.


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I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe," says the Lord Almighty.


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"Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the Lord Almighty.


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"You have spoken arrogantly against me," says the Lord. "Yet you ask, 'What have we said against you?'


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"You have said, 'It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty?


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But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly evildoers prosper, and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it.'"


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Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name.


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"On the day when I act," says the Lord Almighty, "they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him.


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And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.


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"Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire," says the Lord Almighty. "Not a root or a branch will be left to them.


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But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves.


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Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act," says the Lord Almighty.


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He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction."


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This is the genealogy <n>Or [is an account of the origin]</n> of Jesus the Messiah <n>Or [Jesus Christ.] [Messiah] (Hebrew) and [Christ] (Greek) both mean [Anointed One]; also in verse 18.</n> the son of David, the son of Abraham:


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Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,


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Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram,


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Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse,


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and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife,


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and Josiah the father of Jeconiah <n>That is, Jehoiachin; also in verse 12</n> and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.


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After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,


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and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.


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Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.


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This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about <n>Or [The origin of Jesus the Messiah was like this]</n>: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.


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Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet <n>Or [was a righteous man and]</n> did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.


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But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.


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She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, <n>[Jesus] is the Greek form of [Joshua,] which means [the Lord saves.]</n> because he will save his people from their sins."


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"The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" (which means "God with us").


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When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.


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But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.


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After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi <n>Traditionally [wise men]</n> from the east came to Jerusalem


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and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him."


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When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.


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"'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.'"


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He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."


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After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.


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On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.


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And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.


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When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him."


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where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."


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When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.


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"A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more."


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and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead."


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But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee,


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and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.


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This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'"


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John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.


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But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?


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And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.


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The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.


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"I baptize you with <n>Or [in]</n> water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with <n>Or [in]</n> the Holy Spirit and fire.


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His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire."


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Jesus replied, <J>"Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness."</J> Then John consented.


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As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.


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Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted <n>The Greek for [tempted] can also mean [tested].</n> by the devil.


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Jesus answered, <J>"It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"</J>


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"If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"


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Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.


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Jesus said to him, <J>"Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"</J>


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Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali—


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"Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—


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the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."


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As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.


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Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them,


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Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.


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News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them.


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Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, <n>That is, the Ten Cities</n> Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.


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Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him,


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<J>Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.</J>


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<J>"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.</J>


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<J>Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.</J>


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<J>"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.</J>


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<J>Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.</J>


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<J>In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.</J>


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<J>"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.</J>


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<J>For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.</J>


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<J>Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.</J>


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<J>For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.</J>


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<J>"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.'</J>


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<J>But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister <n>The Greek word for [brother or sister] ([adelphos]) refers here to a fellow disciple, whether man or woman; also in verse 23.</n> <n>Some manuscripts [brother or sister without cause]</n> will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, 'Raca,' <n>An Aramaic term of contempt</n> is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.</J>


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<J>"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you,</J>


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<J>leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.</J>


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<J>"Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.</J>


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<J>But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.</J>


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<J>If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.</J>


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<J>And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.</J>


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<J>But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.</J>


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<J>"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.'</J>


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<J>or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.</J>


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<J>All you need to say is simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. <n>Or [from evil]</n></J>


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<J>But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.</J>


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<J>Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.</J>


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<J>that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.</J>


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<J>If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?</J>


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<J>And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?</J>


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<J>"Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.</J>


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<J>"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.</J>


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<J>But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,</J>


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<J>so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.</J>


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<J>"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.</J>


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<J>But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.</J>


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<J>And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.</J>


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<J>And lead us not into temptation, <n>The Greek for [temptation] can also mean [testing].</n> but deliver us from the evil one. <n>Or [from evil]; some late manuscripts [one, / for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]</n>'</J>


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<J>For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.</J>


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<J>"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.</J>


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<J>so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.</J>


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<J>"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.</J>


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<J>But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.</J>


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<J>"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, <n>The Greek for [healthy] here implies [generous].</n> your whole body will be full of light.</J>


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<J>But if your eyes are unhealthy, <n>The Greek for [unhealthy] here implies [stingy].</n> your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!</J>


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<J>"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.</J>


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<J>"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?</J>


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<J>Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?</J>


text:
<J>Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life <n>Or [single cubit to your height]</n>?</J>


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<J>"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.</J>


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<J>If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?</J>


text:
<J>So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'</J>


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<J>For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.</J>


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<J>But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.</J>


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<J>Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.</J>


text:
<J>For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.</J>


text:
<J>"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?</J>


text:
<J>How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?</J>


text:
<J>You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.</J>


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<J>"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.</J>


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<J>"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.</J>


text:
<J>For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.</J>


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<J>If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!</J>


text:
<J>So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.</J>


text:
<J>"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.</J>


text:
<J>"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.</J>


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<J>By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?</J>


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<J>"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.</J>


text:
<J>Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?'</J>


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<J>"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.</J>


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<J>The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.</J>


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<J>But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.</J>


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<J>The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."</J>


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A man with leprosy <n>The Greek word traditionally translated [leprosy] was used for various diseases affecting the skin.</n> came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."


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Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. <J>"I am willing,"</J> he said. <J>"Be clean!"</J> Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.


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Then Jesus said to him, <J>"See that you don't tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."</J>


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The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.


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For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."


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When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, <J>"Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.</J>


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<J>I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.</J>


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<J>But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."</J>


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Then Jesus said to the centurion, <J>"Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would."</J> And his servant was healed at that moment.


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When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.


text:
This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases."


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Jesus replied, <J>"Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."</J>


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Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.


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He replied, <J>"You of little faith, why are you so afraid?"</J> Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.


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When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, <n>Some manuscripts [Gergesenes]; other manuscripts [Gerasenes]</n> two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way.


text:
"What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?"


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He said to them, <J>"Go!"</J> So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water.


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Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.


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Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.


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Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, <J>"Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."</J>


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<J>But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins."</J> So he said to the paralyzed man, <J>"Get up, take your mat and go home."</J>


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When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.


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As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. <J>"Follow me,"</J> he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.


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While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples.


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When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"


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<J>But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."</J>


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Then John's disciples came and asked him, "How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?"


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Jesus answered, <J>"How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.</J>


text:
<J>"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse.</J>


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<J>Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."</J>


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While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, "My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live."


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Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak.


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Jesus turned and saw her. <J>"Take heart, daughter,"</J> he said, <J>"your faith has healed you."</J> And the woman was healed at that moment.


text:
As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!"


text:
When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, <J>"Do you believe that I am able to do this?"</J> "Yes, Lord," they replied.


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And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel."


text:
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.


text:
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.


text:
Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.


text:
These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John;


text:
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: <J>"Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans.</J>


text:
<J>Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, <n>The Greek word traditionally translated [leprosy] was used for various diseases affecting the skin.</n> drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.</J>


text:
<J>no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep.</J>


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<J>Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave.</J>


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<J>If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you.</J>


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<J>If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.</J>


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<J>Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.</J>


text:
<J>"I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.</J>


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<J>Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues.</J>


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<J>On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.</J>


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<J>But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say,</J>


text:
<J>"Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.</J>


text:
<J>You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.</J>


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<J>When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.</J>


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<J>It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!</J>


text:
<J>"So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.</J>


text:
<J>What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.</J>


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<J>Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.</J>


text:
<J>Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care. <n>Or [will]; or [knowledge]</n></J>


text:
<J>"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.</J>


text:
<J>For I have come to turn "'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—</J>


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<J>"Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.</J>


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<J>Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.</J>


text:
<J>"Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.</J>


text:
<J>Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward.</J>


text:
<J>And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward."</J>


text:
After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee. <n>Greek [in their towns]</n>


text:
<J>The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy <n>The Greek word traditionally translated [leprosy] was used for various diseases affecting the skin.</n> are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.</J>


text:
As John's disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: <J>"What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind?</J>


text:
<J>If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings' palaces.</J>


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<J>This is the one about whom it is written: "'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.'</J>


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<J>Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.</J>


text:
<J>From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, <n>Or [been forcefully advancing]</n> and violent people have been raiding it.</J>


text:
<J>"To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:</J>


text:
<J>"'We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.'</J>


text:
<J>The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.' But wisdom is proved right by her deeds."</J>


text:
Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent.


text:
<J>"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.</J>


text:
<J>But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.</J>


text:
<J>And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. <n>That is, the realm of the dead</n> For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day.</J>


text:
At that time Jesus said, <J>"I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.</J>


text:
<J>"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.</J>


text:
<J>Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.</J>


text:
At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them.


text:
When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath."


text:
<J>He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.</J>


text:
<J>Or haven't you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent?</J>


text:
<J>If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent.</J>


text:
and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"


text:
He said to them, <J>"If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out?</J>


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<J>How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."</J>


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Then he said to the man, <J>"Stretch out your hand."</J> So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other.


text:
Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill.


text:
"Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.


text:
A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory.


text:
Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see.


text:
But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons."


text:
Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, <J>"Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.</J>


text:
<J>And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.</J>


text:
<J>But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.</J>


text:
<J>"Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.</J>


text:
<J>And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.</J>


text:
<J>Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.</J>


text:
<J>"Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.</J>


text:
<J>You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.</J>


text:
<J>A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.</J>


text:
<J>But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.</J>


text:
Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you."


text:
He answered, <J>"A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.</J>


text:
<J>For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.</J>


text:
<J>The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here.</J>


text:
<J>The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here.</J>


text:
<J>"When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it.</J>


text:
<J>Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order.</J>


text:
<J>Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation."</J>


text:
While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him.


text:
Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore.


text:
<J>Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.</J>


text:
<J>But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.</J>


text:
<J>Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.</J>


text:
He replied, <J>"Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.</J>


text:
<J>Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.</J>


text:
<J>This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.</J>


text:
<J>In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.</J>


text:
<J>For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'</J>


text:
<J>For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.</J>


text:
<J>When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.</J>


text:
<J>The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.</J>


text:
<J>But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.</J>


text:
<J>The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.</J>


text:
<J>But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."</J>


text:
Jesus told them another parable: <J>"The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.</J>


text:
<J>But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.</J>


text:
<J>"The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?'</J>


text:
<J>"'An enemy did this,' he replied. "The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?'</J>


text:
<J>"'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them.</J>


text:
<J>Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.'"</J>


text:
He told them another parable: <J>"The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.</J>


text:
<J>Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches."</J>


text:
He told them still another parable: <J>"The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds <n>Or about 27 kilograms</n> of flour until it worked all through the dough."</J>


text:
Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable.


text:
So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world."


text:
Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field."


text:
<J>The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one,</J>


text:
<J>and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.</J>


text:
<J>The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.</J>


text:
<J>They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.</J>


text:
<J>Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.</J>


text:
<J>"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.</J>


text:
<J>"Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish.</J>


text:
<J>When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away.</J>


text:
<J>This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous</J>


text:
He said to them, <J>"Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old."</J>


text:
Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?" they asked.


text:
"Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?


text:
And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, <J>"A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home."</J>


text:
and he said to his attendants, "This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him."


text:
Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife,


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The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted


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When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns.


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As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food."


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And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.


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They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.


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Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.


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After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone,


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and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.


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When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.


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<J>"Come,"</J> he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.


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Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. <J>"You of little faith,"</J> he said, <J>"why did you doubt?"</J>


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And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him


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and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.


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"Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!"


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<J>For God said, 'Honor your father and mother' and 'Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.'</J>


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<J>But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is 'devoted to God,'</J>


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<J>they are not to 'honor their father or mother' with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.</J>


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<J>What goes into someone's mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them."</J>


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


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He replied, <J>"Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots.</J>


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<J>Leave them; they are blind guides. <n>Some manuscripts [blind guides of the blind]</n> If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit."</J>


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<J>"Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body?</J>


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<J>For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.</J>


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A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly."


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Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us."


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Then Jesus said to her, <J>"Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted."</J> And her daughter was healed at that moment.


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Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them.


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The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.


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Jesus called his disciples to him and said, <J>"I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way."</J>


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His disciples answered, "Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?"


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Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people.


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They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.


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The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.


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<J>and in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. <n>Some early manuscripts do not have [When evening comes … of the times.]</n></J>


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<J>A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah."</J> Jesus then left them and went away.


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<J>"Be careful,"</J> Jesus said to them. <J>"Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."</J>


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Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, <J>"You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread?</J>


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<J>Do you still not understand? Don't you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?</J>


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<J>How is it you don't understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."</J>


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Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.


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When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, <J>"Who do people say the Son of Man is?"</J>


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They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."


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Jesus replied, <J>"Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.</J>


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<J>And I tell you that you are Peter, <n>The Greek word for [Peter] means [rock.]</n> and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades <n>That is, the realm of the dead</n> will not overcome it.</J>


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<J>I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be <n>Or [will have been]</n> bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be <n>Or [will have been]</n> loosed in heaven."</J>


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From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.


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Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!"


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Jesus turned and said to Peter, <J>"Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns."</J>


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Then Jesus said to his disciples, <J>"Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.</J>


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<J>For whoever wants to save their life <n>The Greek word means either [life] or [soul]; also in verse 26.</n> will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.</J>


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<J>What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?</J>


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<J>For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.</J>


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<J>"Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."</J>


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After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.


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There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.


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Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah."


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While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!"


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As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, <J>"Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."</J>


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<J>But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands."</J>


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"Lord, have mercy on my son," he said. "He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water.


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<J>"You unbelieving and perverse generation,"</J> Jesus replied, <J>"how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me."</J>


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He replied, <J>"Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."</J>


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When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, <J>"The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.</J>


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<J>They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life."</J> And the disciples were filled with grief.


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After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, "Doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax?"


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"Yes, he does," he replied. When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. <J>"What do you think, Simon?"</J> he asked. <J>"From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?"</J>


text:
<J>"But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours."</J>


text:
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"


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And he said: <J>"Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.</J>


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<J>Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.</J>


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<J>"If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.</J>


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<J>Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!</J>


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<J>If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.</J>


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<J>And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.</J>


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<J>"See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.</J>


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<J>"What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?</J>


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<J>And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.</J>


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<J>In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.</J>


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<J>"If your brother or sister <n>The Greek word for [brother or sister] ([adelphos]) refers here to a fellow disciple, whether man or woman; also in verses 21 and 35.</n> sins, <n>Some manuscripts [sins against you]</n> go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.</J>


text:
<J>But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.'</J>


text:
<J>If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.</J>


text:
<J>"Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be <n>Or [will have been]</n> bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be <n>Or [will have been]</n> loosed in heaven.</J>


text:
<J>"Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.</J>


text:
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?"


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Jesus answered, <J>"I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. <n>Or [seventy times seven]</n></J>


text:
<J>"Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.</J>


text:
<J>As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold <n>Greek [ten thousand talents]; a talent was worth about 20 years of a day laborer's wages.</n> was brought to him.</J>


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<J>Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.</J>


text:
<J>"At this the servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.'</J>


text:
<J>"But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.</J>


text:
<J>"His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.'</J>


text:
<J>"But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.</J>


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<J>When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.</J>


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<J>"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.</J>


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<J>In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.</J>


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<J>"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart."</J>


text:
When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan.


text:
Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?"


text:
<J>"Haven't you read,"</J> he replied, <J>"that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,'</J>


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and said, <J>'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'?</J>


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<J>So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate."</J>


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"Why then," they asked, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?"


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Jesus replied, <J>"Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.</J>


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<J>I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery."</J>


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The disciples said to him, "If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry."


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<J>For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it."</J>


text:
Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.


text:
Jesus said, <J>"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."</J>


text:
Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"


text:
<J>"Why do you ask me about what is good?"</J> Jesus replied. <J>"There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments."</J>


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"Which ones?" he inquired. Jesus replied, <J>"'You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony,</J>


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Jesus answered, <J>"If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."</J>


text:
Then Jesus said to his disciples, <J>"Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.</J>


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<J>Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."</J>


text:
Jesus looked at them and said, <J>"With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."</J>


text:
Jesus said to them, <J>"Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.</J>


text:
<J>And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife <n>Some manuscripts do not have [or wife].</n> or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.</J>


text:
<J>"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.</J>


text:
<J>He agreed to pay them a denarius <n>A denarius was the usual daily wage of a day laborer.</n> for the day and sent them into his vineyard.</J>


text:
<J>"About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing.</J>


text:
<J>So they went. "He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing.</J>


text:
<J>About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?'</J>


text:
<J>"'Because no one has hired us,' they answered. "He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.'</J>


text:
<J>"When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.'</J>


text:
<J>So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius.</J>


text:
<J>'These who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.'</J>


text:
<J>"But he answered one of them, 'I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius?</J>


text:
<J>Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?'</J>


text:
<J>"We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death</J>


text:
<J>and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!"</J>


text:
Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.


text:
<J>"What is it you want?"</J> he asked. She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom."


text:
<J>"You don't know what you are asking,"</J> Jesus said to them. <J>"Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?"</J> "We can," they answered.


text:
Jesus said to them, <J>"You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father."</J>


text:
Jesus called them together and said, <J>"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.</J>


text:
<J>just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."</J>


text:
Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"


text:
The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"


text:
Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.


text:
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples,


text:
saying to them, <J>"Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me.</J>


text:
<J>If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away."</J>


text:
"Say to Daughter Zion, 'See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'"


text:
A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.


text:
The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, "Hosanna <n>A Hebrew expression meaning "Save!" which became an exclamation of praise; also in verse 15</n> to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna <n>A Hebrew expression meaning "Save!" which became an exclamation of praise; also in verse 15</n> in the highest heaven!"


text:
Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.


text:
<J>"It is written,"</J> he said to them, <J>"'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it 'a den of robbers.'"</J>


text:
But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant.


text:
"Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him. <J>"Yes,"</J> replied Jesus, <J>"have you never read, "'From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise'?"</J>


text:
Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, <J>"May you never bear fruit again!"</J> Immediately the tree withered.


text:
When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. "How did the fig tree wither so quickly?" they asked.


text:
Jesus replied, <J>"Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done.</J>


text:
Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you this authority?"


text:
Jesus replied, <J>"I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.</J>


text:
<J>John's baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?"</J> They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?'


text:
But if we say, 'Of human origin'—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet."


text:
So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Then he said, <J>"Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.</J>


text:
<J>"What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.'</J>


text:
<J>"Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go.</J>


text:
<J>"Which of the two did what his father wanted?"</J> "The first," they answered. Jesus said to them, <J>"Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.</J>


text:
<J>For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.</J>


text:
<J>"Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place.</J>


text:
<J>Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way.</J>


text:
<J>"But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him and take his inheritance.'</J>


text:
"He will bring those wretches to a wretched end," they replied, "and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time."


text:
Jesus said to them, <J>"Have you never read in the Scriptures: "'The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?</J>


text:
<J>"Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.</J>


text:
<J>Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed." <n>Some manuscripts do not have verse 44.</n></J>


text:
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus' parables, they knew he was talking about them.


text:
They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.


text:
<J>He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.</J>


text:
<J>"Then he sent some more servants and said, 'Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.'</J>


text:
<J>"Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come.</J>


text:
<J>So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.</J>


text:
<J>"But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes.</J>


text:
<J>"Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'</J>


text:
They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. "Teacher," they said, "we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren't swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are.


text:
Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax <n>A special tax levied on subject peoples, not on Roman citizens</n> to Caesar or not?"


text:
"Caesar's," they replied. Then he said to them, <J>"So give back to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."</J>


text:
"Teacher," they said, "Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for him.


text:
Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother.


text:
Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?"


text:
<J>At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.</J>


text:
<J>'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living."</J>


text:
Jesus replied: <J>"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'</J>


text:
He said to them, <J>"How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him 'Lord'? For he says,</J>


text:
<J>"'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet."'</J>


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<J>So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.</J>


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<J>They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.</J>


text:
<J>"Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries <n>That is, boxes containing Scripture verses, worn on forehead and arm</n> wide and the tassels on their garments long;</J>


text:
<J>For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.</J>


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<J>"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.</J>


text:
<J>"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.</J>


text:
<J>"Woe to you, blind guides! You say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.'</J>


text:
<J>You also say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.'</J>


text:
<J>"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.</J>


text:
<J>"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.</J>


text:
<J>Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.</J>


text:
<J>"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.</J>


text:
<J>In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.</J>


text:
<J>"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous.</J>


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<J>And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'</J>


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<J>So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.</J>


text:
<J>Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town.</J>


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<J>And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.</J>


text:
<J>"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.</J>


text:
<J>For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"</J>


text:
Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings.


text:
<J>"Do you see all these things?"</J> he asked. <J>"Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."</J>


text:
As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"


text:
<J>You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.</J>


text:
<J>Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.</J>


text:
<J>"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.</J>


text:
<J>And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.</J>


text:
<J>"So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—</J>


text:
<J>For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.</J>


text:
<J>"If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.</J>


text:
<J>At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Messiah!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it.</J>


text:
<J>For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.</J>


text:
<J>"So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the wilderness,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it.</J>


text:
<J>For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.</J>


text:
<J>"Immediately after the distress of those days "'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'</J>


text:
<J>"Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth <n>Or [the tribes of the land]</n> will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.</J>


text:
<J>And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.</J>


text:
<J>"Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.</J>


text:
<J>Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it <n>Or [he]</n> is near, right at the door.</J>


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<J>Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.</J>


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<J>"But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, <n>Some manuscripts do not have [nor the Son.]</n> but only the Father.</J>


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<J>For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark;</J>


text:
<J>and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.</J>


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<J>But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.</J>


text:
<J>So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.</J>


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<J>"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time?</J>


text:
<J>But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,'</J>


text:
<J>The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of.</J>


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<J>He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.</J>


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<J>"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.</J>


text:
<J>"'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'</J>


text:
<J>"But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.</J>


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<J>"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them.</J>


text:
<J>To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, <n>Greek [five talents … two talents … one talent]; also throughout this parable; a talent was worth about 20 years of a day laborer's wage.</n> each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.</J>


text:
<J>The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more.</J>


text:
<J>But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.</J>


text:
<J>The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.'</J>


text:
<J>"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'</J>


text:
<J>"The man with two bags of gold also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.'</J>


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<J>"Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.</J>


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<J>So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'</J>


text:
<J>"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?</J>


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<J>Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.</J>


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<J>For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.</J>


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<J>And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'</J>


text:
<J>"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.</J>


text:
<J>All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.</J>


text:
<J>"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.</J>


text:
<J>For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,</J>


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<J>I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'</J>


text:
<J>"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?</J>


text:
<J>"The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'</J>


text:
<J>"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.</J>


text:
<J>For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,</J>


text:
<J>I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'</J>


text:
<J>"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'</J>


text:
<J>"He will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'</J>


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<J>"As you know, the Passover is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified."</J>


text:
Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas,


text:
a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.


text:
Aware of this, Jesus said to them, <J>"Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me.</J>


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<J>Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."</J>


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and asked, "What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?" So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver.


text:
On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?"


text:
He replied, <J>"Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, 'The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.'"</J>


text:
<J>The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born."</J>


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Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, "Surely you don't mean me, Rabbi?" Jesus answered, <J>"You have said so."</J>


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While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, <J>"Take and eat; this is my body."</J>


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Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, <J>"Drink from it, all of you.</J>


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<J>This is my blood of the <n>Some manuscripts [the new]</n> covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.</J>


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<J>I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."</J>


text:
Then Jesus told them, <J>"This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: "'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'</J>


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<J>"Truly I tell you,"</J> Jesus answered, <J>"this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times."</J>


text:
But Peter declared, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the other disciples said the same.


text:
Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, <J>"Sit here while I go over there and pray."</J>


text:
He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled.


text:
Then he said to them, <J>"My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."</J>


text:
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, <J>"My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."</J>


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Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. <J>"Couldn't you men keep watch with me for one hour?"</J> he asked Peter.


text:
<J>"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."</J>


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He went away a second time and prayed, <J>"My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done."</J>


text:
Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, <J>"Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners.</J>


text:
While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people.


text:
Jesus replied, <J>"Do what you came for, friend." <n>Or ["Why have you come, friend?"]</n></J> Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him.


text:
With that, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.


text:
<J>"Put your sword back in its place,"</J> Jesus said to him, <J>"for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.</J>


text:
<J>Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?</J>


text:
In that hour Jesus said to the crowd, <J>"Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me.</J>


text:
<J>But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled."</J> Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.


text:
Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled.


text:
But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.


text:
The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death.


text:
and declared, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.'"


text:
Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?"


text:
But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God."


text:
<J>"You have said so,"</J> Jesus replied. <J>"But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."</J>


text:
Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy.


text:
Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. "You also were with Jesus of Galilee," she said.


text:
Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, "This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth."


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After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, "Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away."


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Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, "I don't know the man!" Immediately a rooster crowed.


text:
Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: <J>"Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times."</J> And he went outside and wept bitterly.


text:
Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed.


text:
When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders.


text:
"I have sinned," he said, "for I have betrayed innocent blood." "What is that to us?" they replied. "That's your responsibility."


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The chief priests picked up the coins and said, "It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money."


text:
Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: "They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel,


text:
Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" <J>"You have said so,"</J> Jesus replied.


text:
At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus <n>Many manuscripts do not have [Jesus]; also in verse 17.</n> Barabbas.


text:
So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?"


text:
While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him this message: "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him."


text:
But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.


text:
"What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?" Pilate asked. They all answered, "Crucify him!"


text:
When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!"


text:
Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him.


text:
and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said.


text:
After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.


text:
As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.


text:
There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it.


text:
and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!"


text:
"He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.


text:
About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, <J><i>"Eli, Eli,</i> <n>Some manuscripts [Eloi, Eloi]</n> <i>lema</i> <i>sabachthani?"</i></J> (which means <J>"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"</J>).


text:
Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink.


text:
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split


text:
They came out of the tombs after Jesus' resurrection and <n>Or [tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they]</n> went into the holy city and appeared to many people.


text:
When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!"


text:
Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs.


text:
Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, <n>Greek [Joses], a variant of [Joseph]</n> and the mother of Zebedee's sons.


text:
As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus.


text:
and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.


text:
"Sir," they said, "we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, <J>'After three days I will rise again.'</J>


text:
So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first."


text:
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.


text:
There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.


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


text:
Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."


text:
Suddenly Jesus met them. <J>"Greetings,"</J> he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.


text:
Then Jesus said to them, <J>"Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."</J>


text:
While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened.


text:
When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money,


text:
telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.'


text:
So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.


text:
Then Jesus came to them and said, <J>"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.</J>


text:
<J>Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,</J>


text:
<J>and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."</J>


text:
The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, <n>Or [Jesus Christ.] [Messiah] (Hebrew) and [Christ] (Greek) both mean [Anointed One.]</n> the Son of God, <n>Some manuscripts do not have [the Son of God.]</n>


text:
as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way"—


text:
"a voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'"


text:
And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.


text:
The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.


text:
John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.


text:
And this was his message: "After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.


text:
I baptize you with <n>Or [in]</n> water, but he will baptize you with <n>Or [in]</n> the Holy Spirit."


text:
Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.


text:
and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted <n>The Greek for [tempted] can also mean [tested].</n> by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.


text:
<J>"The time has come,"</J> he said. <J>"The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!"</J>


text:
As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.


text:
When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets.


text:
Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.


text:
They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach.


text:
The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.


text:
"What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!"


text:
The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him."


text:
So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.


text:
and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.


text:
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.


text:
Jesus replied, <J>"Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come."</J>


text:
A man with leprosy <n>The Greek word traditionally translated [leprosy] was used for various diseases affecting the skin.</n> came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean."


text:
Jesus was indignant. <n>Many manuscripts [Jesus was filled with compassion]</n> He reached out his hand and touched the man. <J>"I am willing,"</J> he said. <J>"Be clean!"</J>


text:
<J>"See that you don't tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them."</J>


text:
Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.


text:
They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them.


text:
Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on.


text:
Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, <J>"Why are you thinking these things?</J>


text:
<J>Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'?</J>


text:
<J>But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins."</J> So he said to the man,


text:
He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"


text:
As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. <J>"Follow me,"</J> Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.


text:
While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.


text:
When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?"


text:
On hearing this, Jesus said to them, <J>"It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."</J>


text:
Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, "How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?"


text:
Jesus answered, <J>"How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them.</J>


text:
<J>But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.</J>


text:
<J>"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse.</J>


text:
<J>And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins."</J>


text:
One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain.


text:
He answered, <J>"Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need?</J>


text:
<J>In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions."</J>


text:
Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath.


text:
Then Jesus asked them, <J>"Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?"</J> But they remained silent.


text:
He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, <J>"Stretch out your hand."</J> He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.


text:
When they heard about all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon.


text:
Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him.


text:
Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God."


text:
He appointed twelve <n>Some manuscripts [twelve—designating them apostles—]</n> that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach


text:
James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means "sons of thunder"),


text:
Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat.


text:
When his family <n>Or [his associates]</n> heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, "He is out of his mind."


text:
And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, "He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons."


text:
So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: <J>"How can Satan drive out Satan?</J>


text:
<J>In fact, no one can enter a strong man's house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man's house.</J>


text:
<J>but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin."</J>


text:
A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you."


text:
Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, <J>"Here are my mother and my brothers!</J>


text:
Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water's edge.


text:
<J>Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain.</J>


text:
<J>Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times."</J>


text:
He told them, <J>"The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables</J>


text:
<J>so that, "'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'"</J>


text:
Then Jesus said to them, <J>"Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable?</J>


text:
<J>Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.</J>


text:
<J>but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.</J>


text:
<J>Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown."</J>


text:
He said to them, <J>"Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don't you put it on its stand?</J>


text:
<J>For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open.</J>


text:
<J>"Consider carefully what you hear,"</J> he continued. <J>"With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more.</J>


text:
<J>Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them."</J>


text:
<J>Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.</J>


text:
<J>All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.</J>


text:
Again he said, <J>"What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it?</J>


text:
<J>Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade."</J>


text:
He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.


text:
Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him.


text:
Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"


text:
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, <J>"Quiet! Be still!"</J> Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.


text:
They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. <n>Some manuscripts [Gadarenes]; other manuscripts [Gergesenes]</n>


text:
For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him.


text:
He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God's name don't torture me!"


text:
Then Jesus asked him, <J>"What is your name?"</J> "My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many."


text:
He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.


text:
Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened.


text:
When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.


text:
Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well.


text:
Jesus did not let him, but said, <J>"Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you."</J>


text:
So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis <n>That is, the Ten Cities</n> how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.


text:
When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake.


text:
He pleaded earnestly with him, "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live."


text:
She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse.


text:
At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, <J>"Who touched my clothes?"</J>


text:
"You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, <J>'Who touched me?'</J> "


text:
Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth.


text:
He said to her, <J>"Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."</J>


text:
While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher anymore?"


text:
Overhearing <n>Or [Ignoring]</n> what they said, Jesus told him, <J>"Don't be afraid; just believe."</J>


text:
When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly.


text:
He went in and said to them, <J>"Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep."</J>


text:
But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was.


text:
He took her by the hand and said to her, <J><i>"Talitha koum!"</i></J> (which means <J>"Little girl, I say to you, get up!"</J>).


text:
Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished.


text:
He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.


text:
When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. "Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing?


text:
Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, <n>Greek [Joses], a variant of [Joseph]</n> Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.


text:
Jesus said to them, <J>"A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home."</J>


text:
Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.


text:
These were his instructions: <J>"Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts.</J>


text:
<J>And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them."</J>


text:
King Herod heard about this, for Jesus' name had become well known. Some were saying, <n>Some early manuscripts [He was saying]</n> "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him."


text:
Others said, "He is Elijah." And still others claimed, "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago."


text:
For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, whom he had married.


text:
because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled <n>Some early manuscripts [he did many things]</n>; yet he liked to listen to him.


text:
Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.


text:
When the daughter of <n>Some early manuscripts [When his daughter]</n> Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, "Ask me for anything you want, and I'll give it to you."


text:
She went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?" "The head of John the Baptist," she answered.


text:
At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: "I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter."


text:
The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her.


text:
So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison,


text:
Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, <J>"Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."</J>


text:
But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.


text:
When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.


text:
By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. "This is a remote place," they said, "and it's already very late.


text:
Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat."


text:
But he answered, <J>"You give them something to eat."</J> They said to him, "That would take more than half a year's wages <n>Greek [take two hundred denarii]</n>! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?"


text:
<J>"How many loaves do you have?"</J> he asked. <J>"Go and see."</J> When they found out, they said, "Five—and two fish."


text:
Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.


text:
Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.


text:
He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them,


text:
because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, <J>"Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."</J>


text:
And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.


text:
(The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders.


text:
When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles. <n>Some early manuscripts [pitchers, kettles and dining couches]</n>)


text:
So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?"


text:
He replied, <J>"Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.</J>


text:
And he continued, <J>"You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe <n>Some manuscripts [set up]</n> your own traditions!</J>


text:
<J>For Moses said, 'Honor your father and mother,' and, 'Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.'</J>


text:
<J>But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)—</J>


text:
<J>Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that."</J>


text:
<J>Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them."</J>


text:
<J>"Are you so dull?"</J> he asked. <J>"Don't you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them?</J>


text:
<J>For it doesn't go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body."</J> (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)


text:
<J>For it is from within, out of a person's heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder,</J>


text:
Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. <n>Many early manuscripts [Tyre and Sidon]</n> He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret.


text:
In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet.


text:
The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.


text:
<J>"First let the children eat all they want,"</J> he told her, <J>"for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs."</J>


text:
Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. <n>That is, the Ten Cities</n>


text:
There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him.


text:
After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man's ears. Then he spit and touched the man's tongue.


text:
He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, <J><i>"Ephphatha!"</i></J> (which means <J>"Be opened!"</J>).


text:
Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it.


text:
People were overwhelmed with amazement. "He has done everything well," they said. "He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."


text:
During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said,


text:
<J>"I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat.</J>


text:
<J>If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance."</J>


text:
He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people, and they did so.


text:
They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them.


text:
The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.


text:
He sighed deeply and said, <J>"Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it."</J>


text:
<J>"Be careful,"</J> Jesus warned them. <J>"Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod."</J>


text:
Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: <J>"Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened?</J>


text:
<J>When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?"</J> "Twelve," they replied.


text:
<J>"And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?"</J> They answered, "Seven."


text:
He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, <J>"Do you see anything?"</J>


text:
Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.


text:
Jesus sent him home, saying, <J>"Don't even go into <n>Some manuscripts [go and tell anyone in]</n> the village."</J>


text:
Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, <J>"Who do people say I am?"</J>


text:
They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets."


text:
<J>"But what about you?"</J> he asked. <J>"Who do you say I am?"</J> Peter answered, "You are the Messiah."


text:
He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.


text:
But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. <J>"Get behind me, Satan!"</J> he said. <J>"You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns."</J>


text:
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: <J>"Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.</J>


text:
<J>For whoever wants to save their life <n>The Greek word means either [life] or [soul]; also in verses 36 and 37.</n> will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.</J>


text:
<J>If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."</J>


text:
And he said to them, <J>"Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power."</J>


text:
After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them.


text:
Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah."


text:
Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!"


text:
As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.


text:
Jesus replied, <J>"To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected?</J>


text:
<J>But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him."</J>


text:
When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them.


text:
A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech.


text:
Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not."


text:
<J>"You unbelieving generation,"</J> Jesus replied, <J>"how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me."</J>


text:
So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.


text:
Jesus asked the boy's father, <J>"How long has he been like this?"</J> "From childhood," he answered.


text:
"It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."


text:
When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. <J>"You deaf and mute spirit,"</J> he said, <J>"I command you, come out of him and never enter him again."</J>


text:
The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead."


text:
He replied, <J>"This kind can come out only by prayer. <n>Some manuscripts [prayer and fasting]</n>"</J>


text:
because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, <J>"The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise."</J>


text:
They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, <J>"What were you arguing about on the road?"</J>


text:
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, <J>"Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all."</J>


text:
<J>"Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."</J>


text:
"Teacher," said John, "we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us."


text:
<J>"Do not stop him,"</J> Jesus said. <J>"For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me,</J>


text:
<J>Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.</J>


text:
<J>"If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.</J>


text:
<J>If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out.</J>


text:
<J>And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.</J>


text:
<J>And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,</J>


text:
<J>"Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other."</J>


text:
Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them.


text:
<J>'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, <n>Some early manuscripts do not have [and be united to his wife.]</n></J>


text:
He answered, <J>"Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her.</J>


text:
People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them.


text:
When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, <J>"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.</J>


text:
<J>Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."</J>


text:
As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"


text:
<J>You know the commandments: 'You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.'"</J>


text:
Jesus looked at him and loved him. <J>"One thing you lack,"</J> he said. <J>"Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."</J>


text:
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, <J>"How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!"</J>


text:
The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, <J>"Children, how hard it is <n>Some manuscripts [is for those who trust in riches]</n> to enter the kingdom of God!</J>


text:
<J>It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."</J>


text:
Jesus looked at them and said, <J>"With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."</J>


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<J>"Truly I tell you,"</J> Jesus replied, <J>"no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel</J>


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<J>will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.</J>


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They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him.


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<J>"We are going up to Jerusalem,"</J> he said, <J>"and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles,</J>


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Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask."


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<J>"You don't know what you are asking,"</J> Jesus said. <J>"Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?"</J>


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"We can," they answered. Jesus said to them, <J>"You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with,</J>


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<J>but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared."</J>


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Jesus called them together and said, <J>"You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.</J>


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<J>For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."</J>


text:
Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means "son of Timaeus"), was sitting by the roadside begging.


text:
When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"


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Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"


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Jesus stopped and said, <J>"Call him."</J> So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you."


text:
<J>"What do you want me to do for you?"</J> Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see."


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<J>"Go,"</J> said Jesus, <J>"your faith has healed you."</J> Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.


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As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples,


text:
saying to them, <J>"Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.</J>


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<J>If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.'"</J>


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Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields.


text:
Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, "Hosanna! <n>A Hebrew expression meaning "Save!" which became an exclamation of praise; also in verse 10</n>" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"


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Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.


text:
Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.


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Then he said to the tree, <J>"May no one ever eat fruit from you again."</J> And his disciples heard him say it.


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On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves,


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And as he taught them, he said, <J>"Is it not written: 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it 'a den of robbers.'"</J>


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The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.


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When evening came, Jesus and his disciples <n>Some early manuscripts [came, Jesus]</n> went out of the city.


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<J>"Truly <n>Some early manuscripts ["If you have faith in God," Jesus answered, [23] "truly]</n> I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.</J>


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<J>Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.</J>


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<J>And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."</J>


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They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him.


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"By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you authority to do this?"


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Jesus replied, <J>"I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.</J>


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They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?'


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But if we say, 'Of human origin' …" (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.)


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So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Jesus said, <J>"Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things."</J>


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Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: <J>"A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place.</J>


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<J>At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.</J>


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<J>Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully.</J>


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<J>He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.</J>


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<J>"He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, 'They will respect my son.'</J>


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<J>"But the tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'</J>


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<J>"What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.</J>


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<J>Haven't you read this passage of Scripture: "'The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;</J>


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Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.


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They came to him and said, "Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren't swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax <n>A special tax levied on subject peoples, not on Roman citizens</n> to Caesar or not?


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Should we pay or shouldn't we?" But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. <J>"Why are you trying to trap me?"</J> he asked. <J>"Bring me a denarius and let me look at it."</J>


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They brought the coin, and he asked them, <J>"Whose image is this? And whose inscription?"</J> "Caesar's," they replied.


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Then Jesus said to them, <J>"Give back to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's."</J> And they were amazed at him.


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"Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.


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The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third.


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At the resurrection <n>Some manuscripts [resurrection, when people rise from the dead,]</n> whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?"


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Jesus replied, <J>"Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?</J>


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<J>When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.</J>


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<J>Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?</J>


text:
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"


text:
<J>"The most important one,"</J> answered Jesus, <J>"is this: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. <n>Or [The Lord our God is one Lord]</n></J>


text:
<J>Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'</J>


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<J>The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."</J>


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"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.


text:
To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."


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When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, <J>"You are not far from the kingdom of God."</J> And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.


text:
While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, <J>"Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David?</J>


text:
<J>David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared: "'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet."'</J>


text:
<J>David himself calls him 'Lord.' How then can he be his son?"</J> The large crowd listened to him with delight.


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As he taught, Jesus said, <J>"Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces,</J>


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<J>They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely."</J>


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Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts.


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Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, <J>"Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.</J>


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<J>They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."</J>


text:
As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!"


text:
<J>"Do you see all these great buildings?"</J> replied Jesus. <J>"Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."</J>


text:
As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately,


text:
"Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?"


text:
<J>When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.</J>


text:
<J>Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.</J>


text:
<J>"You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them.</J>


text:
<J>Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.</J>


text:
<J>"Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.</J>


text:
<J>"When you see 'the abomination that causes desolation' standing where it <n>Or [he]</n> does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.</J>


text:
<J>because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again.</J>


text:
<J>"If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them.</J>


text:
<J>At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Messiah!' or, 'Look, there he is!' do not believe it.</J>


text:
<J>For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.</J>


text:
<J>"But in those days, following that distress, "'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light;</J>


text:
<J>And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.</J>


text:
<J>Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it <n>Or [he]</n> is near, right at the door.</J>


text:
<J>"But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.</J>


text:
<J>Be on guard! Be alert <n>Some manuscripts [alert and pray]</n>! You do not know when that time will come.</J>


text:
<J>It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.</J>


text:
<J>"Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn.</J>


text:
Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him.


text:
While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.


text:
It could have been sold for more than a year's wages <n>Greek [than three hundred denarii]</n> and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly.


text:
<J>"Leave her alone,"</J> said Jesus. <J>"Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.</J>


text:
<J>The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me.</J>


text:
<J>Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."</J>


text:
They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.


text:
On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus' disciples asked him, "Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?"


text:
So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, <J>"Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him.</J>


text:
<J>Say to the owner of the house he enters, 'The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?'</J>


text:
<J>He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there."</J>


text:
The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.


text:
While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, <J>"Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me."</J>


text:
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, <J>"Take it; this is my body."</J>


text:
<J>"This is my blood of the <n>Some manuscripts [the new]</n> covenant, which is poured out for many,"</J> he said to them.


text:
<J>"Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."</J>


text:
<J>"You will all fall away,"</J> Jesus told them, <J>"for it is written: "'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.'</J>


text:
<J>"Truly I tell you,"</J> Jesus answered, <J>"today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice <n>Some early manuscripts do not have [twice.]</n> you yourself will disown me three times."</J>


text:
But Peter insisted emphatically, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the others said the same.


text:
They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, <J>"Sit here while I pray."</J>


text:
<J>"My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,"</J> he said to them. <J>"Stay here and keep watch."</J>


text:
Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him.


text:
<J><i>"Abba</i>, <n>Aramaic for [father]</n> Father,"</J> he said, <J>"everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."</J>


text:
Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. <J>"Simon,"</J> he said to Peter, <J>"are you asleep? Couldn't you keep watch for one hour?</J>


text:
<J>Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."</J>


text:
When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.


text:
Returning the third time, he said to them, <J>"Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners.</J>


text:
Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders.


text:
Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: "The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard."


text:
Then one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.


text:
<J>"Am I leading a rebellion,"</J> said Jesus, <J>"that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me?</J>


text:
<J>Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled."</J>


text:
They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the law came together.


text:
Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire.


text:
The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any.


text:
"We heard him say, <J>'I will destroy this temple made with human hands and in three days will build another, not made with hands.'</J>"


text:
Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?"


text:
But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?"


text:
<J>"I am,"</J> said Jesus. <J>"And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."</J>


text:
Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, "Prophesy!" And the guards took him and beat him.


text:
When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him. "You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus," she said.


text:
But he denied it. "I don't know or understand what you're talking about," he said, and went out into the entryway. <n>Some early manuscripts [entryway and the rooster crowed]</n>


text:
When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, "This fellow is one of them."


text:
Again he denied it. After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, "Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean."


text:
Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. <n>Some early manuscripts do not have [the second time.]</n> Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: <J>"Before the rooster crows twice <n>Some early manuscripts do not have [twice.]</n> you will disown me three times."</J> And he broke down and wept.


text:
Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.


text:
So again Pilate asked him, "Aren't you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of."


text:
A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising.


text:
Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.


text:
The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers.


text:
Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him.


text:
And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.


text:
A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.


text:
Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days,


text:
In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself!


text:
Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe." Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.


text:
And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, <J><i>"Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?"</i></J> (which means <J>"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"</J>).


text:
Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down," he said.


text:
And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, <n>Some manuscripts [saw that he died with such a cry]</n> he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!"


text:
Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph, <n>Greek [Joses,] a variant of [Joseph]; also in verse 47</n> and Salome.


text:
In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.


text:
Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body.


text:
Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died.


text:
So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.


text:
When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body.


text:
As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.


text:
"Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.


text:
But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.'"


text:
Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. <n>Some manuscripts have the following ending between verses 8 and 9, and one manuscript has it after verse 8 (omitting verses 9-20): [Then they quickly reported all these instructions to those around Peter. After this, Jesus himself also sent out through them from east to west the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation. Amen.]</n>


text:
<n>[The earliest manuscripts and some other ancient witnesses do not have verses 9–20.]</n> <i>When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene,</i> <i>out of whom he had driven seven demons.</i>


text:
<i>Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country.</i>


text:
<i>Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.</i>


text:
<i>Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.</i>


text:
<i>And these signs</i> <i>will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons;</i> <i>they will speak in new tongues;</i>


text:
<i>they will pick up snakes</i> <i>with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on</i> <i>sick people, and they will get well."</i>


text:
<i>After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven</i> <i>and he sat at the right hand of God.</i>


text:
<i>Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs</i> <i>that accompanied it.</i>


text:
Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled <n>Or [been surely believed]</n> among us,


text:
just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.


text:
With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,


text:
In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.


text:
Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commands and decrees blamelessly.


text:
he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.


text:
And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.


text:
But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.


text:
for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.


text:
And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."


text:
Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years."


text:
The angel said to him, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.


text:
And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time."


text:
When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.


text:
"The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people."


text:
In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,


text:
to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary.


text:
He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,


text:
The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called <n>Or [So the child to be born will be called holy,]</n> the Son of God.


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Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month.


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"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May your word to me be fulfilled." Then the angel left her.


text:
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.


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In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!


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for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed,


text:
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.


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On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah,


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All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things.


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Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, "What then is this child going to be?" For the Lord's hand was with him.


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He has raised up a horn <n>[Horn] here symbolizes a strong king.</n> of salvation for us in the house of his servant David


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And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,


text:
to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace."


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And the child grew and became strong in spirit <n>Or [in the Spirit]</n>; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.


text:
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.


text:
(This was the first census that took place while <n>Or [This census took place before]</n> Quirinius was governor of Syria.)


text:
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.


text:
He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.


text:
and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.


text:
An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.


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But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.


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When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."


text:
The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.


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On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.


text:
When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord


text:
and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons."


text:
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him.


text:
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Messiah.


text:
Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,


text:
"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss <n>Or [promised, / now dismiss]</n> your servant in peace.


text:
Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against,


text:
There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,


text:
and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. <n>Or [then had been a widow for eighty-four years.]</n> She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.


text:
Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.


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When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.


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After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it.


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Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends.


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After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.


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When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you."


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<J>"Why were you searching for me?"</J> he asked. <J>"Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" <n>Or [be about my Father's business]</n></J>


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Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.


text:
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene—


text:
during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.


text:
He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.


text:
As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "A voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.


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Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth.


text:
John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?


text:
Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.


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The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."


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John answered, "Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same."


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Then some soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?" He replied, "Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely—be content with your pay."


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The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah.


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John answered them all, "I baptize you with <n>Or [in]</n> water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with <n>Or [in]</n> the Holy Spirit and fire.


text:
His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."


text:
But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of his marriage to Herodias, his brother's wife, and all the other evil things he had done,


text:
When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened


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


text:
Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli,


text:
the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, <n>Some early manuscripts [Sala]</n> the son of Nahshon,


text:
the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, <n>Some manuscripts [Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni]; other manuscripts vary widely.</n> the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,


text:
where for forty days he was tempted <n>The Greek for [tempted] can also mean [tested].</n> by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.


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And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to.


text:
The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here.


text:
Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.


text:
He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read,


text:
and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:


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<J>"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,</J>


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Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him.


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All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. "Isn't this Joseph's son?" they asked.


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Jesus said to them, <J>"Surely you will quote this proverb to me: 'Physician, heal yourself!' And you will tell me, 'Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.'"</J>


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<J>I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land.</J>


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<J>And there were many in Israel with leprosy <n>The Greek word traditionally translated [leprosy] was used for various diseases affecting the skin.</n> in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian."</J>


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They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff.


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In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice,


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"Go away! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!"


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<J>"Be quiet!"</J> Jesus said sternly. <J>"Come out of him!"</J> Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him.


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All the people were amazed and said to each other, "What words these are! With authority and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!"


text:
Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon's mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her.


text:
So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.


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At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them.


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Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah.


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At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them.


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But he said, <J>"I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent."</J>


text:
One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, <n>That is, the Sea of Galilee</n> the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God.


text:
He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.


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When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, <J>"Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."</J>


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Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."


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So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.


text:
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!"


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and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, <J>"Don't be afraid; from now on you will fish for people."</J>


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While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. <n>The Greek word traditionally translated [leprosy] was used for various diseases affecting the skin.</n> When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."


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Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. <J>"I am willing,"</J> he said. <J>"Be clean!"</J> And immediately the leprosy left him.


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Then Jesus ordered him, <J>"Don't tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them."</J>


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Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses.


text:
One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick.


text:
Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus.


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When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.


text:
The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, "Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"


text:
Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, <J>"Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?</J>


text:
<J>But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins."</J> So he said to the paralyzed man, <J>"I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home."</J>


text:
Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God.


text:
Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, "We have seen remarkable things today."


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After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. <J>"Follow me,"</J> Jesus said to him,


text:
Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them.


text:
But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"


text:
They said to him, "John's disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking."


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<J>But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast."</J>


text:
He told them this parable: <J>"No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old.</J>


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<J>And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined.</J>


text:
One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels.


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Jesus answered them, <J>"Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?</J>


text:
<J>He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions."</J>


text:
On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled.


text:
The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath.


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But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, <J>"Get up and stand in front of everyone."</J> So he got up and stood there.


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Then Jesus said to them, <J>"I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?"</J>


text:
He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, <J>"Stretch out your hand."</J> He did so, and his hand was completely restored.


text:
But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.


text:
When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:


text:
He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon,


text:
who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured,


text:
Looking at his disciples, he said: <J>"Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.</J>


text:
<J>Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.</J>


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<J>Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.</J>


text:
<J>"Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.</J>


text:
<J>Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.</J>


text:
<J>Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.</J>


text:
<J>If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.</J>


text:
<J>Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.</J>


text:
<J>"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.</J>


text:
<J>And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.</J>


text:
<J>And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.</J>


text:
<J>But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.</J>


text:
<J>"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.</J>


text:
<J>Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."</J>


text:
He also told them this parable: <J>"Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit?</J>


text:
<J>The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.</J>


text:
<J>How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.</J>


text:
<J>Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers.</J>


text:
<J>A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.</J>


text:
<J>As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like.</J>


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<J>They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.</J>


text:
<J>But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."</J>


text:
The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant.


text:
So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: "Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.


text:
That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed.


text:
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, <J>"I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel."</J>


text:
Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him.


text:
As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her.


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Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, <J>"Young man, I say to you, get up!"</J>


text:
They were all filled with awe and praised God. "A great prophet has appeared among us," they said. "God has come to help his people."


text:
he sent them to the Lord to ask, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?"


text:
When the men came to Jesus, they said, "John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, 'Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?'"


text:
At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind.


text:
So he replied to the messengers, <J>"Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy <n>The Greek word traditionally translated [leprosy] was used for various diseases affecting the skin.</n> are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.</J>


text:
After John's messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: <J>"What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind?</J>


text:
<J>If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces.</J>


text:
<J>I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."</J>


text:
(All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus' words, acknowledged that God's way was right, because they had been baptized by John.


text:
But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God's purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)


text:
Jesus went on to say, <J>"To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like?</J>


text:
<J>They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other: "'We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.'</J>


text:
<J>For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.'</J>


text:
<J>The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.'</J>


text:
When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table.


text:
A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume.


text:
As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.


text:
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner."


text:
<J>"Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.</J>


text:
<J>Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"</J>


text:
Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven." <J>"You have judged correctly,"</J> Jesus said.


text:
Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, <J>"Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.</J>


text:
<J>You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet.</J>


text:
<J>Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little."</J>


text:
After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him,


text:
and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out;


text:
Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod's household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.


text:
While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable:


text:
<J>"A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up.</J>


text:
<J>Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture.</J>


text:
<J>Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown."</J> When he said this, he called out, <J>"Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear."</J>


text:
He said, <J>"The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, "'though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.'</J>


text:
<J>Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.</J>


text:
<J>Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.</J>


text:
<J>The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.</J>


text:
<J>But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.</J>


text:
<J>"No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.</J>


text:
<J>For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.</J>


text:
<J>Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them."</J>


text:
Now Jesus' mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd.


text:
One day Jesus said to his disciples, <J>"Let us go over to the other side of the lake."</J> So they got into a boat and set out.


text:
As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.


text:
The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!" He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.


text:
<J>"Where is your faith?"</J> he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."


text:
They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, <n>Some manuscripts [Gadarenes]; other manuscripts [Gergesenes]; also in verse 37</n> which is across the lake from Galilee.


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When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs.


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When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don't torture me!"


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For Jesus had commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.


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Jesus asked him, <J>"What is your name?"</J> "Legion," he replied, because many demons had gone into him.


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A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission.


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When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.


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When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside,


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and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.


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Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left.


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<J>"Return home and tell how much God has done for you."</J> So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.


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Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus' feet, pleading with him to come to his house


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because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying. As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him.


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And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, <n>Many manuscripts [years, and she had spent all she had on doctors]</n> but no one could heal her.


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<J>"Who touched me?"</J> Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you."


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Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed.


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While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. "Your daughter is dead," he said. "Don't bother the teacher anymore."


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When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child's father and mother.


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Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. <J>"Stop wailing,"</J> Jesus said. <J>"She is not dead but asleep."</J>


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When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases,


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He told them: <J>"Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt.</J>


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<J>If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them."</J>


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So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.


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Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was going on. And he was perplexed because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead,


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others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life.


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But Herod said, "I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?" And he tried to see him.


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When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida,


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but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.


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Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, "Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here."


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He replied, <J>"You give them something to eat."</J> They answered, "We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd."


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(About five thousand men were there.) But he said to his disciples, <J>"Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each."</J>


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Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people.


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Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, <J>"Who do the crowds say I am?"</J>


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They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life."


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<J>"But what about you?"</J> he asked. <J>"Who do you say I am?"</J> Peter answered, "God's Messiah."


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And he said, <J>"The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life."</J>


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Then he said to them all: <J>"Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.</J>


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<J>For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.</J>


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<J>What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?</J>


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<J>Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.</J>


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<J>"Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God."</J>


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About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray.


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As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.


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They spoke about his departure, <n>Greek [exodos]</n> which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.


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Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.


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As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." (He did not know what he was saying.)


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While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.


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When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.


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A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him.


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<J>"You unbelieving and perverse generation,"</J> Jesus replied, <J>"how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here."</J>


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Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the impure spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father.


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And they were all amazed at the greatness of God. While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus did, he said to his disciples,


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<J>"Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men."</J>


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But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.


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Then he said to them, <J>"Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest."</J>


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"Master," said John, "we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us."


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When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them <n>Some manuscripts [them, just as Elijah did]</n>?"


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He said to another man, <J>"Follow me."</J> But he replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."


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Jesus said to him, <J>"Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."</J>


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Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family."


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Jesus replied, <J>"No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."</J>


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After this the Lord appointed seventy-two <n>Some manuscripts [seventy]; also in verse 17</n> others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.


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He told them, <J>"The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.</J>


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<J>If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you.</J>


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<J>Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.</J>


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<J>'Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.'</J>


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<J>"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.</J>


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<J>And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. <n>That is, the realm of the dead</n></J>


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<J>"Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me."</J>


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<J>I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.</J>


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<J>However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."</J>


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At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, <J>"I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.</J>


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<J>"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."</J>


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Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, <J>"Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.</J>


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<J>For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."</J>


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On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"


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He answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"


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In reply Jesus said: <J>"A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.</J>


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<J>A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.</J>


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<J>But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.</J>


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<J>He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.</J>


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<J>The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'</J>


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<J>"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"</J>


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The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, <J>"Go and do likewise."</J>


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As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.


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But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"


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<J>but few things are needed—or indeed only one. <n>Some manuscripts [but only one thing is needed]</n> Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."</J>


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One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."


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He said to them, <J>"When you pray, say: "'Father, <n>Some manuscripts [Our Father in heaven]</n> hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. <n>Some manuscripts [come. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.]</n></J>


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<J>Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. <n>Greek [everyone who is indebted to us]</n> And lead us not into temptation. <n>Some manuscripts [temptation, but deliver us from the evil one]</n>'"</J>


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Then Jesus said to them, <J>"Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread;</J>


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<J>And suppose the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.'</J>


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<J>I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity <n>Or [yet to preserve his good name]</n> he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.</J>


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<J>"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.</J>


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<J>"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for <n>Some manuscripts [for bread, will give him a stone?] [Or if he asks for]</n> a fish, will give him a snake instead?</J>


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<J>If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"</J>


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Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed.


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Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: <J>"Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.</J>


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<J>If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebul.</J>


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<J>Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.</J>


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<J>But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder.</J>


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<J>"When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.'</J>


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<J>Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first."</J>


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As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, "Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you."


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As the crowds increased, Jesus said, <J>"This is a wicked generation. It asks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.</J>


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<J>The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom; and now something greater than Solomon is here.</J>


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<J>The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and now something greater than Jonah is here.</J>


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<J>"No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light.</J>


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<J>Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, <n>The Greek for [healthy] here implies [generous].</n> your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, <n>The Greek for [unhealthy] here implies [stingy].</n> your body also is full of darkness.</J>


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<J>Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you."</J>


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When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table.


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Then the Lord said to him, <J>"Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.</J>


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<J>But now as for what is inside you—be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.</J>


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<J>"Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.</J>


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<J>"Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and respectful greetings in the marketplaces.</J>


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<J>"Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which people walk over without knowing it."</J>


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One of the experts in the law answered him, "Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also."


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Jesus replied, <J>"And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.</J>


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<J>"Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your ancestors who killed them.</J>


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<J>So you testify that you approve of what your ancestors did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs.</J>


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<J>Because of this, God in his wisdom said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.'</J>


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<J>Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world,</J>


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<J>from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all.</J>


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<J>"Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering."</J>


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When Jesus went outside, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions,


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Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: <J>"Be <n>Or [speak to his disciples, saying: "First of all, be]</n> on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.</J>


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<J>There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.</J>


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<J>What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.</J>


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<J>"I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.</J>


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<J>But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.</J>


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<J>Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.</J>


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<J>"I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God.</J>


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<J>And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.</J>


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<J>"When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say,</J>


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Then he said to them, <J>"Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions."</J>


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And he told them this parable: <J>"The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest.</J>


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<J>"Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain.</J>


text:
<J>And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."'</J>


text:
<J>"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'</J>


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<J>"This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God."</J>


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Then Jesus said to his disciples: <J>"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear.</J>


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<J>Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!</J>


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<J>Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life <n>Or [single cubit to your height]</n>?</J>


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<J>"Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.</J>


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<J>If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith!</J>


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<J>Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.</J>


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<J>like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him.</J>


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<J>It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.</J>


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<J>It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak.</J>


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<J>But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.</J>


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<J>You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."</J>


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The Lord answered, <J>"Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time?</J>


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<J>But suppose the servant says to himself, 'My master is taking a long time in coming,' and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk.</J>


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<J>The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.</J>


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<J>"The servant who knows the master's will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows.</J>


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<J>But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.</J>


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<J>From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three.</J>


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<J>They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."</J>


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He said to the crowd: <J>"When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, 'It's going to rain,' and it does.</J>


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<J>Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don't know how to interpret this present time?</J>


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<J>As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled on the way, or your adversary may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.</J>


text:
Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.


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Jesus answered, <J>"Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?</J>


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<J>Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem?</J>


text:
Then he told this parable: <J>"A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any.</J>


text:
<J>So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?'</J>


text:
<J>"'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it.</J>


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and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all.


text:
When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, <J>"Woman, you are set free from your infirmity."</J>


text:
Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, "There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath."


text:
The Lord answered him, <J>"You hypocrites! Doesn't each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water?</J>


text:
<J>Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?"</J>


text:
When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.


text:
<J>It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches."</J>


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<J>It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds <n>Or about 27 kilograms</n> of flour until it worked all through the dough."</J>


text:
<J>"Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.</J>


text:
<J>Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.' "But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from.'</J>


text:
<J>"But he will reply, 'I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!'</J>


text:
<J>"There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.</J>


text:
<J>People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.</J>


text:
At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, "Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you."


text:
He replied, <J>"Go tell that fox, 'I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.'</J>


text:
<J>In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!</J>


text:
<J>Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"</J>


text:
One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched.


text:
Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, <J>"Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?"</J>


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Then he asked them, <J>"If one of you has a child <n>Some manuscripts [donkey]</n> or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?"</J>


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<J>"When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited.</J>


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<J>If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this person your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place.</J>


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<J>But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests.</J>


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<J>For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."</J>


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Then Jesus said to his host, <J>"When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid.</J>


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<J>and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."</J>


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When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, "Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God."


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<J>At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.'</J>


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<J>"But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.'</J>


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<J>"Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.'</J>


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<J>"The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.'</J>


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<J>"Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.</J>


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<J>"If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.</J>


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<J>"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won't you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?</J>


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<J>For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you,</J>


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<J>"Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won't he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?</J>


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<J>If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.</J>


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<J>It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. "Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear."</J>


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But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."


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<J>"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?</J>


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<J>and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.'</J>


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<J>I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.</J>


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<J>"Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins <n>Greek [ten drachmas,] each worth about a day's wages</n> and loses one. Doesn't she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?</J>


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<J>And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.'</J>


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<J>In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."</J>


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<J>The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.</J>


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<J>"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.</J>


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<J>After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.</J>


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<J>So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.</J>


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<J>He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.</J>


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<J>"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!</J>


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<J>I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.</J>


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<J>So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.</J>


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<J>"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'</J>


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<J>"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.</J>


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<J>For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.</J>


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<J>"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.</J>


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<J>'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'</J>


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<J>"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.</J>


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<J>But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.</J>


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<J>But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'</J>


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<J>But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'"</J>


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Jesus told his disciples: <J>"There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions.</J>


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<J>So he called him in and asked him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.'</J>


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<J>"The manager said to himself, 'What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I'm not strong enough to dig, and I'm ashamed to beg—</J>


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<J>I know what I'll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.'</J>


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<J>"So he called in each one of his master's debtors. He asked the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'</J>


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<J>"'Nine hundred gallons <n>Or about 3,000 liters</n> of olive oil,' he replied. "The manager told him, 'Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.'</J>


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<J>"Then he asked the second, 'And how much do you owe?' "'A thousand bushels <n>Or about 30 tons</n> of wheat,' he replied. "He told him, 'Take your bill and make it eight hundred.'</J>


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<J>"The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.</J>


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<J>I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.</J>


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<J>"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.</J>


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<J>So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?</J>


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<J>And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own?</J>


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<J>"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."</J>


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He said to them, <J>"You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God's sight.</J>


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<J>"The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing their way into it.</J>


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<J>It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.</J>


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<J>"Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.</J>


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<J>"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.</J>


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<J>and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.</J>


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<J>"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried.</J>


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<J>In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.</J>


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<J>So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'</J>


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<J>"But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.</J>


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<J>And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'</J>


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<J>for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'</J>


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<J>"'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'</J>


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<J>"He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"</J>


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Jesus said to his disciples: <J>"Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come.</J>


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<J>It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.</J>


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<J>So watch yourselves. "If your brother or sister <n>The Greek word for [brother or sister] ([adelphos]) refers here to a fellow disciple, whether man or woman.</n> sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them.</J>


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<J>Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying 'I repent,' you must forgive them."</J>


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He replied, <J>"If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you.</J>


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<J>"Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'?</J>


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<J>Won't he rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'?</J>


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<J>So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'"</J>


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As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy <n>The Greek word traditionally translated [leprosy] was used for various diseases affecting the skin.</n> met him. They stood at a distance


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When he saw them, he said, <J>"Go, show yourselves to the priests."</J> And as they went, they were cleansed.


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Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, <J>"The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed,</J>


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<J>nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is in your midst." <n>Or [is within you]</n></J>


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Then he said to his disciples, <J>"The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.</J>


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<J>For the Son of Man in his day <n>Some manuscripts do not have [in his day.]</n> will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other.</J>


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<J>People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.</J>


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<J>"It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building.</J>


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<J>On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything.</J>


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<J>Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.</J>


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<J>I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left.</J>


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"Where, Lord?" they asked. He replied, <J>"Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather."</J>


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He said: <J>"In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought.</J>


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<J>And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'</J>


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<J>"For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care what people think,</J>


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<J>yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually come and attack me!'"</J>


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<J>And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?</J>


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<J>I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"</J>


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To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable:


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<J>The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.</J>


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<J>"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'</J>


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<J>"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."</J>


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People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them.


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But Jesus called the children to him and said, <J>"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.</J>


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<J>You know the commandments: 'You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'"</J>


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When Jesus heard this, he said to him, <J>"You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."</J>


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<J>Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."</J>


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<J>"Truly I tell you,"</J> Jesus said to them, <J>"no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God</J>


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Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, <J>"We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled.</J>


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The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.


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Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"


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Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.


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When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, <J>"Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today."</J>


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But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."


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Jesus said to him, <J>"Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.</J>


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While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once.


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He said: <J>"A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return.</J>


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<J>So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. <n>A mina was about three months' wages.</n> 'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.'</J>


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<J>"But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We don't want this man to be our king.'</J>


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<J>"He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it.</J>


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<J>"'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.'</J>


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<J>"Then another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth.</J>


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<J>I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.'</J>


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<J>"His master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow?</J>


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<J>Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?'</J>


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<J>"Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.'</J>


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<J>"He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away.</J>


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<J>But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.'"</J>


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As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them,


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<J>"Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.</J>


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When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:


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"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"


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and said, <J>"If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.</J>


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<J>The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side.</J>


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<J>They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you."</J>


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<J>"It is written,"</J> he said to them, <J>"'My house will be a house of prayer'; but you have made it 'a den of robbers.'"</J>


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Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him.


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One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him.


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They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Why didn't you believe him?'


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But if we say, 'Of human origin,' all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet."


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He went on to tell the people this parable: <J>"A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time.</J>


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<J>At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed.</J>


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<J>He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed.</J>


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<J>"Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.'</J>


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<J>"But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. 'This is the heir,' they said. 'Let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'</J>


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<J>So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. "What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?</J>


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<J>He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others."</J> When the people heard this, they said, "God forbid!"


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Jesus looked directly at them and asked, <J>"Then what is the meaning of that which is written: "'The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone'?</J>


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<J>Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed."</J>


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The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.


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Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said, so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor.


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So the spies questioned him: "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.


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They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent.


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<J>But those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage,</J>


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<J>and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection.</J>


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<J>But in the account of the burning bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord 'the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'</J>


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<J>David himself declares in the Book of Psalms: "'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand</J>


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<J>"Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.</J>


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<J>All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."</J>


text:
Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said,


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<J>"As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down."</J>


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"Teacher," they asked, "when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?"


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He replied: <J>"Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not follow them.</J>


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<J>When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away."</J>


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<J>There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.</J>


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<J>"But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name.</J>


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<J>For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.</J>


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<J>You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death.</J>


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<J>"When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near.</J>


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<J>Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city.</J>


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<J>How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people.</J>


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<J>They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.</J>


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<J>"There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.</J>


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<J>People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.</J>


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<J>When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."</J>


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<J>"Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.</J>


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<J>"Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap.</J>


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<J>Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."</J>


text:
Each day Jesus was teaching at the temple, and each evening he went out to spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives,


text:
and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people.


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And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus.


text:
He replied, <J>"As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters,</J>


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<J>and say to the owner of the house, 'The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?'</J>


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<J>For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."</J>


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And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, <J>"This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."</J>


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In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, <J>"This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. <n>Some manuscripts do not have [given for you … poured out for you.]</n></J>


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Jesus said to them, <J>"The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors.</J>


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<J>But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.</J>


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<J>For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.</J>


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<J>so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.</J>


text:
<J>But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."</J>


text:
Jesus answered, <J>"I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me."</J>


text:
Then Jesus asked them, <J>"When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?"</J> "Nothing," they answered.


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He said to them, <J>"But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.</J>


text:
<J>It is written: 'And he was numbered with the transgressors'; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment."</J>


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And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. <n>Many early manuscripts do not have verses 43 and 44.</n>


text:
When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.


text:
<J>"Why are you sleeping?"</J> he asked them. <J>"Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation."</J>


text:
While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him,


text:
When Jesus' followers saw what was going to happen, they said, "Lord, should we strike with our swords?"


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Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, <J>"Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs?</J>


text:
<J>Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns."</J>


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Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance.


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And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them.


text:
A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, "This man was with him."


text:
A little later someone else saw him and said, "You also are one of them." "Man, I am not!" Peter replied.


text:
Peter replied, "Man, I don't know what you're talking about!" Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed.


text:
The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: <J>"Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times."</J>


text:
At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and the teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them.


text:
"If you are the Messiah," they said, "tell us." Jesus answered, <J>"If I tell you, you will not believe me,</J>


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And they began to accuse him, saying, "We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king."


text:
Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, "I find no basis for a charge against this man."


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But they insisted, "He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here."


text:
When he learned that Jesus was under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.


text:
When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort.


text:
Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate.


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and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him.


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Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death.


text:
For the third time he spoke to them: "Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him."


text:
He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.


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As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.


text:
Jesus turned and said to them, <J>"Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.</J>


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<J>For the time will come when you will say, 'Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!'</J>


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When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left.


text:
Jesus said, <J>"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." <n>Some early manuscripts do not have this sentence.</n></J> And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.


text:
The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is God's Messiah, the Chosen One."


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One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!"


text:
But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence?


text:
We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."


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Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. <n>Some manuscripts [come with your kingly power]</n>"


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Jesus called out with a loud voice, <J>"Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."</J> When he had said this, he breathed his last.


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When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away.


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But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.


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who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God.


text:
Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid.


text:
The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it.


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Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.


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On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.


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While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.


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In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead?


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<J>'The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'</J> "


text:
It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles.


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Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.


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Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles <n>Or about 11 kilometers</n> from Jerusalem.


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As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them;


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He asked them, <J>"What are you discussing together as you walk along?"</J> They stood still, their faces downcast.


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One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?"


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<J>"What things?"</J> he asked. "About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people.


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but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.


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but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive.


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Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus."


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He said to them, <J>"How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!</J>


text:
And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.


text:
As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther.


text:
But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.


text:
When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.


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They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"


text:
They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together


text:
Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.


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While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, <J>"Peace be with you."</J>


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<J>Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have."</J>


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And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, <J>"Do you have anything here to eat?"</J>


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He said to them, <J>"This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."</J>


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He told them, <J>"This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,</J>


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<J>and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.</J>


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<J>I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."</J>


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Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—


text:
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.


text:
(John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, "This is the one I spoke about when I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'")


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No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and <n>Some manuscripts [but the only Son, who]</n> is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.


text:
Now this was John's testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was.


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They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No."


text:
Finally they said, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"


text:
John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.'"


text:
"I baptize with <n>Or [in]; also in verses 31 and 33 (twice)</n> water," John replied, "but among you stands one you do not know.


text:
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!


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This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'


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I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel."


text:
And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.'


text:
Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, <J>"What do you want?"</J> They said, "Rabbi" (which means "Teacher"), "where are you staying?"


text:
<J>"Come,"</J> he replied, <J>"and you will see."</J> So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.


text:
Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus.


text:
The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ).


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And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, <J>"You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas"</J> (which, when translated, is Peter <n>[Cephas] (Aramaic) and [Peter] (Greek) both mean [rock].</n>).


text:
The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, <J>"Follow me."</J>


text:
Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."


text:
When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, <J>"Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit."</J>


text:
"How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, <J>"I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you."</J>


text:
Jesus said, <J>"You believe <n>Or [Do you believe … ?]</n> because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that."</J>


text:
He then added, <J>"Very truly I tell you, <n>The Greek is plural.</n> you <n>The Greek is plural.</n> will see 'heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on' the Son of Man."</J>


text:
<J>"Woman, <n>The Greek for [Woman] does not denote any disrespect.</n> why do you involve me?"</J> Jesus replied. <J>"My hour has not yet come."</J>


text:
Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. <n>Or from about 75 to about 115 liters</n>


text:
Then he told them, <J>"Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet."</J> They did so,


text:
and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside


text:
and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."


text:
What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.


text:
After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.


text:
In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money.


text:
So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.


text:
To those who sold doves he said, <J>"Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father's house into a market!"</J>


text:
They replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?"


text:
After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.


text:
Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. <n>Or [in him]</n>


text:
He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him."


text:
Jesus replied, <J>"Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. <n>The Greek for [again] also means [from above]; also in verse 7.</n>"</J>


text:
"How can someone be born when they are old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born!"


text:
Jesus answered, <J>"Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.</J>


text:
<J>You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You <n>The Greek is plural.</n> must be born again.'</J>


text:
<J>The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." <n>The Greek for [Spirit] is the same as that for [wind].</n></J>


text:
<J>Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.</J>


text:
<J>I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?</J>


text:
<J>No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. <n>Some manuscripts [Man, who is in heaven]</n></J>


text:
<J>Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, <n>The Greek for [lifted up] also means [exalted].</n></J>


text:
<J>that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him." <n>Some interpreters end the quotation with verse 21.</n></J>


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<J>For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.</J>


text:
<J>For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.</J>


text:
<J>Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.</J>


text:
<J>This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.</J>


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<J>Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.</J>


text:
<J>But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.</J>


text:
After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized.


text:
Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized.


text:
An argument developed between some of John's disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing.


text:
They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him."


text:
The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.


text:
He must become greater; I must become less." <n>Some interpreters end the quotation with verse 36.</n>


text:
The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all.


text:
For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God <n>Greek [he]</n> gives the Spirit without limit.


text:
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them.


text:
Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John—


text:
So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph.


text:
Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.


text:
The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. <n>Or [do not use dishes Samaritans have used]</n>)


text:
Jesus answered her, <J>"If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."</J>


text:
"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water?


text:
Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?"


text:
<J>but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life."</J>


text:
The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."


text:
"I have no husband," she replied. Jesus said to her, <J>"You are right when you say you have no husband.</J>


text:
<J>The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true."</J>


text:
Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."


text:
<J>"Woman,"</J> Jesus replied, <J>"believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.</J>


text:
<J>You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.</J>


text:
<J>Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.</J>


text:
The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."


text:
Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, "What do you want?" or "Why are you talking with her?"


text:
<J>Don't you have a saying, 'It's still four months until harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.</J>


text:
<J>Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.</J>


text:
<J>I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor."</J>


text:
Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did."


text:
They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world."


text:
When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, for they also had been there.


text:
Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum.


text:
When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.


text:
<J>"Go,"</J> Jesus replied, <J>"your son will live."</J> The man took Jesus at his word and departed.


text:
When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, "Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him."


text:
Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, <J>"Your son will live."</J> So he and his whole household believed.


text:
Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda <n>Some manuscripts [Bethzatha]; other manuscripts [Bethsaida]</n> and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades.


text:
[4]  <n>Some manuscripts include here, wholly or in part, [paralyzed—and they waited for the moving of the waters.] [[4] From time to time an angel of the Lord would come down and stir up the waters. The first one into the pool after each such disturbance would be cured of whatever disease they had.]</n>


text:
When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, <J>"Do you want to get well?"</J>


text:
"Sir," the invalid replied, "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me."


text:
At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath,


text:
and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat."


text:
The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.


text:
Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, <J>"See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you."</J>


text:
In his defense Jesus said to them, <J>"My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working."</J>


text:
For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.


text:
Jesus gave them this answer: <J>"Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.</J>


text:
<J>For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed.</J>


text:
<J>For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.</J>


text:
<J>that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.</J>


text:
<J>"Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.</J>


text:
<J>Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.</J>


text:
<J>For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.</J>


text:
<J>"Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice</J>


text:
<J>and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.</J>


text:
<J>By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.</J>


text:
<J>"I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me.</J>


text:
<J>And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form,</J>


text:
<J>You study <n>Or [[39] Study]</n> the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,</J>


text:
<J>I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him.</J>


text:
<J>How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God <n>Some early manuscripts [the Only One]</n>?</J>


text:
<J>"But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set.</J>


text:
Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias),


text:
and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick.


text:
When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, <J>"Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?"</J>


text:
Philip answered him, "It would take more than half a year's wages <n>Greek [take two hundred denarii]</n> to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"


text:
"Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"


text:
Jesus said, <J>"Have the people sit down."</J> There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there).


text:
Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.


text:
When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, <J>"Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted."</J>


text:
So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.


text:
After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world."


text:
Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.


text:
where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them.


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When they had rowed about three or four miles, <n>Or about 5 or 6 kilometers</n> they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened.


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Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.


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The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone.


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Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.


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Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.


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Jesus answered, <J>"Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.</J>


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<J>Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."</J>


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So they asked him, "What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do?


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Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"


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Jesus said to them, <J>"Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.</J>


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Then Jesus declared, <J>"I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.</J>


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<J>All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.</J>


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<J>And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.</J>


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<J>For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day."</J>


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At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, <J>"I am the bread that came down from heaven."</J>


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They said, "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, <J>'I came down from heaven'</J>?"


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<J>"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.</J>


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<J>It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me.</J>


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<J>I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."</J>


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Jesus said to them, <J>"Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.</J>


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<J>Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.</J>


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<J>Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.</J>


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<J>This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever."</J>


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Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, <J>"Does this offend you?</J>


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<J>The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit <n>Or [are Spirit]; or [are spirit]</n> and life.</J>


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<J>Yet there are some of you who do not believe."</J> For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.


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He went on to say, <J>"This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them."</J>


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(He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)


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After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He did not want <n>Some manuscripts [not have authority]</n> to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him.


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Jesus' brothers said to him, "Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do.


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No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world."


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<J>You go to the festival. I am not <n>Some manuscripts [not yet]</n> going up to this festival, because my time has not yet fully come."</J>


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Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, "He is a good man." Others replied, "No, he deceives the people."


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The Jews there were amazed and asked, "How did this man get such learning without having been taught?"


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<J>Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.</J>


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<J>Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.</J>


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<J>Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?"</J>


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<J>Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath.</J>


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<J>Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man's whole body on the Sabbath?</J>


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At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, "Isn't this the man they are trying to kill?


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Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Messiah?


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Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, <J>"Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him,</J>


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Still, many in the crowd believed in him. They said, "When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?"


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The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.


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Jesus said, <J>"I am with you for only a short time, and then I am going to the one who sent me.</J>


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The Jews said to one another, "Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks?


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What did he mean when he said, <J>'You will look for me, but you will not find me,'</J> and <J>'Where I am, you cannot come'</J>?"


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On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, <J>"Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.</J>


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<J>Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them." <n>Or [me. And let anyone drink] [[38] who believes in me." As Scripture has said, "Out of him] (or [them]) [will flow rivers of living water."]</n></J>


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By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.


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Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David's descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?"


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Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, "Why didn't you bring him in?"


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They replied, "Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee."


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[The earliest manuscripts and many other ancient witnesses do not have John 7:53—8:11. A few manuscripts include these verses, wholly or in part, after John 7:36, John 21:25, Luke 21:38 or Luke 24:53.] <i>Then they all went home,</i>


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<i>At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.</i>


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<i>The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group</i>


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<i>They were using this question as a trap,</i> <i>in order to have a basis for accusing him.</i> <i>But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.</i>


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<i>When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone</i> <i>at her."</i>


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<i>At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.</i>


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<i>"No one, sir," she said.</i> <i>"Then neither do I condemn you,"</i> <i>Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."</i>


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When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, <J>"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."</J>


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The Pharisees challenged him, "Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid."


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Jesus answered, <J>"Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going.</J>


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<J>But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me.</J>


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Then they asked him, "Where is your father?" <J>"You do not know me or my Father,"</J> Jesus replied. <J>"If you knew me, you would know my Father also."</J>


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He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.


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Once more Jesus said to them, <J>"I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come."</J>


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This made the Jews ask, "Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, <J>'Where I go, you cannot come'</J>?"


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But he continued, <J>"You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.</J>


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<J>I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins."</J>


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"Who are you?" they asked. <J>"Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,"</J> Jesus replied.


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<J>"I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy, and what I have heard from him I tell the world."</J>


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So Jesus said, <J>"When you have lifted up <n>The Greek for [lifted up] also means [exalted].</n> the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.</J>


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To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, <J>"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.</J>


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They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?"


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<J>I know that you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word.</J>


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<J>I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father. <n>Or [presence. Therefore do what you have heard from the Father.]</n>"</J>


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"Abraham is our father," they answered. <J>"If you were Abraham's children,"</J> said Jesus, <J>"then you would <n>Some early manuscripts ["If you are Abraham's children," said Jesus, "then]</n> do what Abraham did.</J>


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<J>As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things.</J>


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<J>You are doing the works of your own father."</J> "We are not illegitimate children," they protested. "The only Father we have is God himself."


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Jesus said to them, <J>"If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me.</J>


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<J>You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.</J>


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<J>Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God."</J>


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<J>"I am not possessed by a demon,"</J> said Jesus, <J>"but I honor my Father and you dishonor me.</J>


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At this they exclaimed, "Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death.


text:
Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?"


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Jesus replied, <J>"If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.</J>


text:
<J>Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word.</J>


text:
At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.


text:
<J>"Neither this man nor his parents sinned,"</J> said Jesus, <J>"but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.</J>


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<J>As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.</J>


text:
After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes.


text:
<J>"Go,"</J> he told him, <J>"wash in the Pool of Siloam"</J> (this word means "Sent"). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.


text:
His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, "Isn't this the same man who used to sit and beg?"


text:
Some claimed that he was. Others said, "No, he only looks like him." But he himself insisted, "I am the man."


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He replied, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to <J>go to Siloam and wash.</J> So I went and washed, and then I could see."


text:
Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. "He put mud on my eyes," the man replied, "and I washed, and now I see."


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Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath." But others asked, "How can a sinner perform such signs?" So they were divided.


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Then they turned again to the blind man, "What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened." The man replied, "He is a prophet."


text:
They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man's parents.


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"Is this your son?" they asked. "Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?"


text:
But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don't know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself."


text:
His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue.


text:
A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. "Give glory to God by telling the truth," they said. "We know this man is a sinner."


text:
He replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!"


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He answered, "I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?"


text:
Then they hurled insults at him and said, "You are this fellow's disciple! We are disciples of Moses!


