Chapter 133 of 257

‘You did not bring offerings and sacrifices to me

And they were devoting themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayers.

“You, therefore, listen to the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown on the side of the path. 20 And what was sown on the rocky ground—this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. 21 But he does not have a root in himself, but lasts only a little while, and when affliction or persecution happens because of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 And what was sown into the thorn plants—this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of this world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word and it becomes unproductive. 23 But what was sown on the good soil—this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces, this one a hundred times as much, and this one sixty, and this one thirty.”

Therefore, ridding yourselves of all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, 2 like newborn infants long for the unadulterated spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up to salvation, 3 if you have tasted that the Lord is kind,

For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for the sake of Jesus.

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

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

Now in these days, as the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose by the Greek-speaking Jews against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the twelve summoned the community of disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we neglect the word of God to serve tables. 3 So, brothers, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we will put in charge of this need. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 And the statement pleased the whole group, and they chose Stephen (a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit), and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus (a convert from Antioch), 6 whom they stood before the apostles. And they prayed and placed their hands on them.

7 And the word of God kept spreading, and the number of disciples in Jerusalem was increasing greatly, and a large number of priests began obeying the faith.

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

Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2 complete my joy, so that you are in agreement, having the same love, united in spirit, having one purpose. 3 Do nothing according to selfish ambition or according to empty conceit, but in humility considering one another better than yourselves, 4 each of you not looking out for your own interests, but also each of you for the interests of others.

So the twelve summoned the community of disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we neglect the word of God to serve tables.

Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons.

Deacons likewise must be dignified, not insincere, not devoted to much wine, not fond of dishonest gain, 9 holding the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience, 10 and these also must be tested first; then let them serve if they are above reproach. 11 The wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderous, temperate, faithful in all things. 12 Deacons must be husbands of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 13 For those who have served well acquire a good standing for themselves, and great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

So, brothers, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we will put in charge of this need.

And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.

And the statement pleased the whole group, and they chose Stephen (a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit), and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus (a convert from Antioch),

Now Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people.

And the word of God kept spreading, and the number of disciples in Jerusalem was increasing greatly, and a large number of priests began obeying the faith.

Now Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people.

And the word of God kept spreading, and the number of disciples in Jerusalem was increasing greatly, and a large number of priests began obeying the faith.

So those who accepted his message were baptized, and on that day about three thousand souls were added.

But many of those who listened to the message believed, and the number of the men was approximately five thousand.

Now many signs and wonders were being performed among the people through the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. 13 And none of the rest dared to join them, but the people spoke highly of them. 14 And even more believers in the Lord were being added, large numbers of both men and women, 15 so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and put them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow would fall on some of them. 16 And the people of the towns around Jerusalem also came together, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, who were all being healed.

And the word of God kept spreading, and the number of disciples in Jerusalem was increasing greatly, and a large number of priests began obeying the faith.

Then the church throughout all of Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace, being strengthened. And living in the fear of the Lord and the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it was increasing in numbers.

But the word of God kept on increasing and multiplying.

So the churches were being strengthened in the faith and were growing in number every day.

In this way the word of the Lord was growing in power and was prevailing.

proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, without hindrance.

And the word of God kept spreading, and the number of disciples in Jerusalem was increasing greatly, and a large number of priests began obeying the faith.

Now Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. 9 But some of those from the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia, stood up and disputed with Stephen. 10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. 11 Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God!” 12 And they incited the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came up and seized him and brought him to the Sanhedrin. 13 And they put forward false witnesses who said, “This man does not stop speaking words against the holy place and the law! 14 For we have heard him saying that this Nazarene Jesus will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed down to us.” 15 And as they looked intently at him, all those who were sitting in the Sanhedrin saw his face was like the face of an angel.

And fear came on every soul, and many wonders and signs were being performed by the apostles.

Now many signs and wonders were being performed among the people through the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico.

But Paul said, “I am a Jewish man from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no unimportant city. Now I ask you, allow me to speak to the people.”

for I will give you a mouth and wisdom that all your opponents will not be able to resist or contradict.

Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false testimony against Jesus in order that they could put him to death. 60 And they did not find it, although many false witnesses came forward. And finally two came forward 61 and said, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it within three days.’ ” 62 And the high priest stood up and said to him, “Do you reply nothing? What are these people testifying against you?”

Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up!” 20 Then the Jews said, “This temple has been under construction forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 So when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the saying that Jesus had spoken.

Now this was because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, in order that they might enslave us,

And they incited the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came up and seized him and brought him to the Sanhedrin.

And when Moses came down from Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony were in the hand of Moses at his coming down from the mountain; and Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with him. 30 And Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, and, to their amazement, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid of coming near to him.

And the high priest said, “Is it so concerning these things?” 2 So he said, “Men—brothers and fathers—listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran, 3 and said to him, ‘Go out from your land and from your relatives and come to the land that I will show you.’ 4 Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. And from there, after his father died, he caused him to move to this land in which you now live. 5 And he did not give him an inheritance in it—not even a footstep—and he promised to give it to him for his possession, and to his descendants after him, although he did not have a child. 6 But God spoke like this: ‘His descendants will be foreigners in a foreign land, and they will enslave them and mistreat them four hundred years, 7 and the nation that they will serve as slaves, I will judge,’ God said, ‘and after these things they will come out and will worship me in this place.’ 8 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision, and so he became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac did so with Jacob, and Jacob did so with the twelve patriarchs. 9 And the patriarchs, because they were jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt. And God was with him, 10 and rescued him from all his afflictions and granted him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And he appointed him ruler over Egypt and all his household. 11 And a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan and great affliction, and our fathers could not find food. 12 So when Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. 13 And on the second visit Joseph was made known to his brothers, and the family of Joseph became known to Pharaoh. 14 So Joseph sent and summoned his father Jacob and all his relatives, seventy-five persons in all. 15 And Jacob went down to Egypt and died, he and our fathers. 16 And they were brought back to Shechem and buried in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

17 “But as the time of the promise that God had made to Abraham was drawing near, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt 18 until another king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph. 19 This man deceitfully took advantage of our people and mistreated our ancestors, causing them to abandon their infants so that they would not be kept alive. 20 At this time Moses was born, and he was beautiful to God. He was brought up for three months in his father’s house, 21 and when he was abandoned, the daughter of Pharaoh took him up and brought him up as her own son. 22 And Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was powerful in his words and deeds.

23 “But when he was forty years old, it entered in his heart to visit his brothers, the sons of Israel. 24 And when he saw one of them being unjustly harmed, he defended him and avenged the one who had been oppressed by striking down the Egyptian. 25 And he thought his brothers would understand that God was granting deliverance to them by his hand, but they did not understand. 26 And on the following day, he made an appearance to them while they were fighting and was attempting to reconcile them in peace, saying, ‘Men and brothers, why are you doing wrong to one another?’ 27 But the one who was doing wrong to his neighbor pushed him aside, saying, ‘Who appointed you a ruler and a judge over us? 28 You do not want to do away with me the same way you did away with the Egyptian yesterday, do you?’ 29 And at this statement, Moses fled and became a foreigner in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.

30 “And when forty years had been completed, an angel appeared to him in the desert of Mount Sinai in the flame of a burning bush. 31 And when Moses saw it, he was astonished at the sight, and when he approached to look at it, the voice of the Lord came: 32 ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob!’ So Moses began trembling and did not dare to look at it. 33 And the Lord said to him, ‘Untie the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. 34 I have certainly seen the mistreatment of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.’ 35 This Moses whom they had repudiated, saying, ‘Who appointed you a ruler and a judge?’—this man God sent as both ruler and redeemer with the help of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years.

37 “This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.’ 38 This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and who with our fathers received living oracles to give to us, 39 to whom our fathers were not willing to become obedient, but rejected him and turned back in their hearts to Egypt, 40 saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go on before us! For this Moses, who led us out from the land of Egypt—we do not know what has happened to him!’ 41 And they manufactured a calf in those days, and offered up a sacrifice to the idol, and began rejoicing in the works of their hands. 42 But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, just as it is written in the book of the prophets:

‘You did not bring offerings and sacrifices to me

for forty years in the wilderness, did you, house of Israel?

43 And you took along the tabernacle of Moloch

and the star of the god Rephan,

the images that you made, to worship them,

and I will deport you beyond Babylon!’

44 The tabernacle of the testimony belonged to our fathers in the wilderness, just as the one who spoke to Moses directed him to make it according to the design that he had seen, 45 and which, after receiving it in turn, our fathers brought in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out from the presence of our fathers, until the days of David, 46 who found favor in the sight of God and asked to find a habitation for the God of Jacob. 47 But Solomon built a house for him. 48 But the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands, just as the prophet says,

49 ‘Heaven is my throne

and earth is the footstool for my feet.

What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord,

or what is the place of my rest?

50 Did not my hand make all these things?’

51 “You stiff-necked people and uncircumcised in hearts and in your ears! You constantly resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers did, so also do you! 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand about the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become, 53 you who received the law by directions of angels and have not observed it!”

So he said, “Men—brothers and fathers—listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran, 3 and said to him, ‘Go out from your land and from your relatives and come to the land that I will show you.’ 4 Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. And from there, after his father died, he caused him to move to this land in which you now live. 5 And he did not give him an inheritance in it—not even a footstep—and he promised to give it to him for his possession, and to his descendants after him, although he did not have a child. 6 But God spoke like this: ‘His descendants will be foreigners in a foreign land, and they will enslave them and mistreat them four hundred years, 7 and the nation that they will serve as slaves, I will judge,’ God said, ‘and after these things they will come out and will worship me in this place.’ 8 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision, and so he became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac did so with Jacob, and Jacob did so with the twelve patriarchs.

And the patriarchs, because they were jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt. And God was with him, 10 and rescued him from all his afflictions and granted him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And he appointed him ruler over Egypt and all his household. 11 And a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan and great affliction, and our fathers could not find food. 12 So when Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. 13 And on the second visit Joseph was made known to his brothers, and the family of Joseph became known to Pharaoh. 14 So Joseph sent and summoned his father Jacob and all his relatives, seventy-five persons in all. 15 And Jacob went down to Egypt and died, he and our fathers. 16 And they were brought back to Shechem and buried in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

17 “But as the time of the promise that God had made to Abraham was drawing near, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt

until another king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph. 19 This man deceitfully took advantage of our people and mistreated our ancestors, causing them to abandon their infants so that they would not be kept alive. 20 At this time Moses was born, and he was beautiful to God. He was brought up for three months in his father’s house, 21 and when he was abandoned, the daughter of Pharaoh took him up and brought him up as her own son. 22 And Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was powerful in his words and deeds.

‘You did not bring offerings and sacrifices to me

for forty years in the wilderness, did you, house of Israel?

43 And you took along the tabernacle of Moloch

and the star of the god Rephan,

the images that you made, to worship them,

and I will deport you beyond Babylon!’

44 The tabernacle of the testimony belonged to our fathers in the wilderness, just as the one who spoke to Moses directed him to make it according to the design that he had seen,

and which, after receiving it in turn, our fathers brought in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out from the presence of our fathers, until the days of David,

who found favor in the sight of God and asked to find a habitation for the God of Jacob. 47 But Solomon built a house for him. 48 But the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands, just as the prophet says,

49 ‘Heaven is my throne

and earth is the footstool for my feet.

What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord,

or what is the place of my rest?

50 Did not my hand make all these things?’

But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

who are Israelites, to whom belong the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the temple service, and the promises,

Now his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and about to give birth. When she heard the news concerning the capture of the ark of God and that her father-in-law and her husband had died, she went into labor and gave birth, because her labor pains came upon her. 20 Just before the time of her death, those attending her said, “Do not fear, for you have given birth to a son.” But she did not answer, or pay any attention. 21 She called the boy Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel,” referring to the capture of the ark of God and concerning her father-in-law and husband. 22 And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, because the ark of God was captured.”

And the glory of Yahweh rose up from on the cherub toward the threshold of the house, and the house was filled with the cloud, and the courtyard was filled with the brightness of the glory of Yahweh.

And the glory of Yahweh went out from the threshold of the temple, and it stood above the cherubim.

And the Word became flesh and took up residence among us, and we saw his glory, glory as of the one and only from the Father, full of grace and truth.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance! 9 And do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones! 10 Already now the ax is positioned at the root of the trees; therefore every tree not producing good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who comes after me is more powerful than I am, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will clean out his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the storehouse, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

They replied to him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have not been enslaved to anyone at any time. How do you say, ‘You will become free’?” 34 Jesus replied to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, that everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And the slave does not remain in the household forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the son sets you free, you will be truly free. 37 I know that you are descendants of Abraham. But you are seeking to kill me, because my word makes no progress among you. 38 I speak the things that I have seen with the Father; so also you do the things that you have heard from the Father.”

39 They answered and said to him, “Abraham is our father!” Jesus said to them, “If you are children of Abraham, do the deeds of Abraham! 40 But now you are seeking to kill me, a man who spoke to you the truth which I heard from God. This Abraham did not do. 41 You are doing the deeds of your father!”

They said to him, “We were not born from sexual immorality! We have one father, God!” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your father, you would love me, for I have come forth from God and have come. For I have not come from myself, but that one sent me. 43 Why do you not understand my way of speaking? Because you are not able to listen to my message. 44 You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father! That one was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand firm in the truth, because truth is not in him. Whenever he speaks the lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I am telling the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Who among you convicts me concerning sin? If I am telling the truth, why do you not believe me? 47 The one who is from God listens to the words of God. Because of this you do not listen—because you are not of God.”

48 The Jews answered and said to him, “Do we not correctly say that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” 49 Jesus replied, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me! 50 But I do not seek my own glory. There is one who seeks and judges! 51 Truly, truly I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never experience death forever.”

52 The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham and the prophets died, and you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death forever.’ 53 You are not greater than our father Abraham who died, are you? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself to be?” 54 Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. The one who glorifies me is my Father, about whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ 55 And you have not known him, but I know him. And if I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you! But I know him and I keep his word. 56 Abraham your father rejoiced that he would see my day, and he saw it and was glad.”

57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was, I am!” 59 Then they picked up stones in order to throw them at him. But Jesus was hidden and went out of the temple courts.

He came to his own things, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But as many as received him—to those who believe in his name—he gave to them authority to become children of God, 13 who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a husband, but of God.

So you shall circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and do not be stubborn.

Circumcise yourselves to Yahweh,

and remove the foreskins of your hearts,

men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,

lest my wrath goes forth like the fire and burns,

and there is no one who extinguishes it,

because of the evil of your deeds.”

To whom shall I speak and admonish,

that they may hear?

Look, their ears are closed,

and they are not able to listen attentively.

Look, the word of Yahweh is to them an object of scorn,

they do not delight in it.

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

For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Look! I, Paul, tell you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing! 3 And again I testify to every man who becomes circumcised, that he is under obligation to keep the whole law. 4 You are estranged from Christ, you who are attempting to be justified by the law; you have fallen from grace. 5 For through the Spirit by faith we eagerly await the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but faith working through love.

For we are the circumcision, the ones who worship by the Spirit of God and boast in Christ Jesus and do not put confidence in the flesh,

in whom also you were circumcised with a circumcision not made by hands, by the removal of the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which also you were raised together with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

And on the second visit Joseph was made known to his brothers, and the family of Joseph became known to Pharaoh.

And then in those days when Moses had grown up, he went out to his brothers, and he saw their forced labor, and he saw an Egyptian man striking a Hebrew man, one of his brothers. 12 And he turned here and there, and he saw no one, and he struck the Egyptian, and he hid him in the sand. 13 And he went out on the second day, and there were two Hebrew men fighting, and he said to the guilty one, “Why do you strike your neighbor?” 14 And he said, “Who appointed you as a commander and a judge over us? Are you intending to kill me like you killed the Egyptian?” And Moses was afraid, and he said, “Surely the matter has become known.” 15 And Pharaoh heard this matter, and he sought to kill Moses, and Moses fled from Pharaoh, and he lived in the land of Midian, and he lived at a certain well.

16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17 And the shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and came to their rescue and watered their flock. 18 And they came to Reuel, their father, and he said, “Why have you come so quickly today?” 19 And they said, “An Egyptian man delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and he even drew water for us and watered the flock.” 20 And he said to his daughters, “Where is he? Why then have you left the man? Call him so that he can eat some food.” 21 And Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses. 22 And she bore a son, and he called his name Gershom because he said, “I am an alien in a foreign land.”

This Moses whom they had repudiated, saying, ‘Who appointed you a ruler and a judge?’—this man God sent as both ruler and redeemer with the help of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.

He came to his own things, and his own people did not receive him.

“ ‘I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication, and they will look to me whom they pierced, and they shall mourn over him, as one wails over an only child, and they will grieve bitterly over him as one grieves bitterly over a firstborn.

Behold, he is coming with the clouds,

and every eye will see him,

even every one who pierced him,

and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over him.

Yes, amen.

Therefore I say, God has not rejected his people, has he? May it never be! For I also am an Israelite, from the descendants of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people, whom he foreknew! Or do you not know, in the passage about Elijah, what the scripture says—how he appeals to God against Israel? 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have torn down your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life!” 4 But what does the divine response say to him? “I have left for myself seven thousand people who have not bent the knee to Baal.” 5 So in this way also at the present time, there is a remnant selected by grace. 6 But if by grace, it is no longer by works, for otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

For I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of this mystery, so that you will not be wise in your own sight, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, 26 and so all Israel will be saved, just as it is written,

“The deliverer will come out of Zion;

he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob.

27 And this is the covenant from me with them

when I take away their sins.”

28 With respect to the gospel, they are enemies for your sake, but with respect to election, they are dearly loved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For just as you formerly were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of the disobedience of these, 31 so also these have now been disobedient for your mercy, in order that they also may now be shown mercy. 32 For God confined them all in disobedience, in order that he could have mercy on them all.

All the persons belonging to Jacob who came to Egypt who were his descendants, not including the wives of the sons of Jacob were sixty-six persons in all. 27 And the sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt were two persons. All the persons of the house of Jacob who came to Egypt were seventy.

So Joseph sent and summoned his father Jacob and all his relatives, seventy-five persons in all.

And these are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt; with Jacob, they each came with his family: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; 4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5 And all those who descended from Jacob were seventy individuals, and Joseph was in Egypt.

The sons of Manasseh: Asriel, whom his Aramean concubine bore; she gave birth to Machir the father of Gilead. 15 And Machir took a wife for Huppim and for Shuppim. And the name of his sister was Maacah. And the name of the second, Zelophehad. And Zelophehad had daughters.

The sons of Ephraim: Shuthelah and Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eleadah his son, Tahath his son, 21 Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son, and Ezer and Elead. And the men of Gath who were born in the land killed them because they came down to take their livestock. 22 And Ephraim their father mourned many days, and his brothers came to comfort him. 23 And Ephraim went in to his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. And he called his name Beriah because disaster had been upon his house. 24 And his daughter was Sheerah, and she built Lower and Upper Beth-Horon and Uzzen-Sheerah. 25 And Rephah was his son, and Resheph, and Telah his son, Tahan his son,

And they were brought back to Shechem and buried in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

And his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which field Abraham had bought as a burial site from Ephron the Hittite before Mamre.

So the field of Ephron which was in the Machpelah, which was near Mamre—the field and the cave which was in it, with all the trees that were in the field, which were within all its surrounding boundaries—passed

The bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought out from Egypt, they buried at Shechem, in a piece of land that Jacob had bought from the children of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for one hundred pieces of money; it became an inheritance for the descendants of Joseph.

And Jacob went down to Egypt and died, he and our fathers.

And Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem which is in the land of Canaan, on his way from Paddan-Aram. And he camped before the city. 19 And he bought a piece of land where he pitched his tent for one hundred pieces of money from the hand of the sons of Hamor, father of Shechem. 20 And there he erected an altar and called it “El Elohe Israel.”

And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 15 “My lord, hear me. A piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver—what is that between me and you? Bury your dead.” 16 Then Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver at the merchants’ current rate. 17 So the field of Ephron which was in the Machpelah, which was near Mamre—the field and the cave which was in it, with all the trees that were in the field, which were within all its surrounding boundaries—passed 18 to Abraham as a property in the presence of the Hittites, with respect to all who were entering the gate of his city. 19 And thus afterward Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah near Mamre; that is Hebron, in the land of Canaan. 20 And the field and the cave which was in it passed to Abraham as a burial site from the Hittites.

“This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.’ 38 This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and who with our fathers received living oracles to give to us, 39 to whom our fathers were not willing to become obedient, but rejected him and turned back in their hearts to Egypt, 40 saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go on before us! For this Moses, who led us out from the land of Egypt—we do not know what has happened to him!’ 41 And they manufactured a calf in those days, and offered up a sacrifice to the idol, and began rejoicing in the works of their hands. 42 But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, just as it is written in the book of the prophets:

‘You did not bring offerings and sacrifices to me

for forty years in the wilderness, did you, house of Israel?

43 And you took along the tabernacle of Moloch

and the star of the god Rephan,

the images that you made, to worship them,

and I will deport you beyond Babylon!’

you who received the law by directions of angels and have not observed it!”

Why then the law? It was added on account of transgressions, until the descendant should come to whom it had been promised, having been ordered through angels by the hand of a mediator.

And God spoke all these words, saying, 2 “I am Yahweh, your God, who brought you out from the land of Egypt, from the house of slaves.

3 “There shall be for you no other gods before me.

4 “You shall not make for yourself a divine image with any form that is in the heavens above or that is in the earth below or that is in the water below the earth. 5 You will not bow down to them, and you will not serve them, because I am Yahweh your God, a jealous God, punishing the guilt of the parents on the children on the third and on the fourth generations of those hating me, 6 and showing loyal love to thousands of generations of those loving me and of those keeping my commandments.

“So now, revere Yahweh and serve him in sincerity and faithfulness; remove the gods that your ancestors served beyond the river and in Egypt, and serve Yahweh.

Then I said to them, ‘Let each one throw away the detestable things of his eyes, and you must not make yourselves unclean with the idols of Egypt! I am Yahweh your God.’ 8 But they rebelled against me, and they were not willing to listen to me; each one did not throw away the detestable things of their eyes; and they did not abandon the idols of Egypt, and I decided to pour out my rage on them, to fully vent my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.

But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, just as it is written in the book of the prophets:

‘You did not bring offerings and sacrifices to me

for forty years in the wilderness, did you, house of Israel?

Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to immorality, that their bodies would be dishonored among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God with a lie, and worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator, who is blessed for eternity. Amen.

26 Because of this, God gave them over to degrading passions, for their females exchanged the natural relations for those contrary to nature, 27 and likewise also the males, abandoning the natural relations with the female, were inflamed in their desire toward one another, males with males committing the shameless deed, and receiving in themselves the penalty that was necessary for their error. 28 And just as they did not see fit to recognize God, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do the things that are not proper,

Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings those forty years in the desert, O house of Israel? 26 And you will take up Sikkuth, your king, and Kaiwan, your images, the star of your gods which you made for yourselves. 27 And I will deport you beyond Damascus,” says Yahweh—the God of hosts is his name.

But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, just as it is written in the book of the prophets:

‘You did not bring offerings and sacrifices to me

for forty years in the wilderness, did you, house of Israel?

The tabernacle of the testimony belonged to our fathers in the wilderness, just as the one who spoke to Moses directed him to make it according to the design that he had seen, 45 and which, after receiving it in turn, our fathers brought in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out from the presence of our fathers, until the days of David, 46 who found favor in the sight of God and asked to find a habitation for the God of Jacob. 47 But Solomon built a house for him. 48 But the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands, just as the prophet says,

49 ‘Heaven is my throne

and earth is the footstool for my feet.

What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord,

or what is the place of my rest?

50 Did not my hand make all these things?’

And the cloud covered the tent of assembly, and the glory of Yahweh filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was unable to go into the tent of assembly because the cloud settled on it and the glory of Yahweh filled the tabernacle. 36 And when the cloud was lifted from the tabernacle, the Israelites set out on all their journeys. 37 But if the cloud was not lifted, they did not set out until the day of its being lifted. 38 For the cloud of Yahweh was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night before the eyes of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.

When the priests went out from the holy place, the cloud filled the house of Yahweh. 11 The priests were not able to stand to minister because of the presence of the cloud, for the glory of Yahweh filled the house of Yahweh.

Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Hephzibah. 2 He did evil in the eyes of Yahweh, according to the detestable things of the nations that Yahweh had driven out from the presence of the Israelites. 3 He returned and rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah his father had destroyed. He erected altars for Baal and made a pole of Asherah worship just as Ahab king of Israel had made, and he bowed down to all of the host of heaven and served them. 4 He built altars in the temple of Yahweh about which Yahweh had said, “I will put my name in Jerusalem.” 5 He built an altar to all of the host of heaven in the two courtyards of the temple of Yahweh. 6 He made his son pass through the fire, practiced soothsaying and divination, and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He increased the doing of evil in the eyes of Yahweh to provoke him. 7 He put the image of the Asherah that he had made in the temple of which Yahweh had said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this temple and in Jerusalem which I have chosen from all of the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever. 8 I will not again make the feet of Israel wander from the land which I have given to their ancestors, if they only observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, as far as the law that Moses my servant commanded them.” 9 But Manasseh did not listen and tempted them to do evil more than the nations that Yahweh destroyed before the presence of the Israelites.

And he brought me to the doorway of the courtyard, and I saw, and look! A hole in the wall. 8 And he said to me, “Son of man, dig now through the wall.” And I dug through the wall, and look! There was a doorway. 9 And he said to me, “Come and see the detestable things, the evil that they are doing here. 10 And I came, and I saw, and look, all kinds of creatures and detestable beasts; and all of the idols of the house of Israel were carved on the wall all around. 11 And seventy men from the elders of the house of Israel, and Jaazaniah, the son of Shaphan, was standing in the midst of them, and they were standing before them. Each one had his censer in his hand, and the fragrance of the cloud of the incense was going up. 12 And he said to me, “Have you seen, son of man, what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in the inner rooms of his idol, for they are saying, ‘Yahweh is not seeing us; Yahweh has abandoned the land.’ ”

The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying, 2 “Stand in the gate of the house of Yahweh and proclaim there this word, and say, ‘Hear the word of Yahweh, all of Judah, those who enter through these gates to bow in worship to Yahweh. 3 Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, “Make your ways and your deeds good and let me dwell with you in this place. 4 Do not trust in the deceitful words, saying, ‘The temple of Yahweh, the temple of Yahweh, they are the temple of Yahweh.’ 5 For if you truly make your ways and your deeds good, if you truly do justice between a man and his neighbor, 6 you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, and the widow, you do not shed innocent blood in this place, and you do not go after other gods to your harm, 7 then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your ancestors forever and ever.

8 Look, you are relying for yourselves on deceitful words without benefiting. 9 Will you steal? Will you murder? And will you commit adultery? And will you swear falsely? And will you make a smoke offering to the Baal? And will you go after other gods whom you have not known? 10 And then you come and you stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and you say, ‘we are safe to go on doing all of these detestable things.’ 11 Has this house, which is called by my name, become a cave of robbers in your eyes? Look, I, even I, have seen it,” declares Yahweh.

12 “For go now to my place that was in Shiloh, where I caused my name to dwell in the beginning, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel. 13 And now, because of your doing all these things,” declares Yahweh, “and I have spoken to you over and over again, and you have not listened, and I called you, and you have not answered, 14 therefore I will do to the house that is called by my name, in which you are trusting, and to the place that I gave to you and to your ancestors what I did to Shiloh. 15 And I will cast you out of my sight just as I cast out all of your blood relatives, all of the offspring of Ephraim.” ’

16 “And you, you must not pray for this people, and you must not lift up for them a cry of entreaty or a prayer, and you must not plead with me, for I will not hear you.

For will God really dwell on the earth? Behold, the heavens and the heaven of heavens could not contain you! How could this house that I have built?

Thus says Yahweh:

“Heaven is my throne,

and the earth is the footstool for my feet.

Where is this house that you would build for me?

And where is this resting place for me?

2 And my hand has made all these things,

and all these came to be,”

declares Yahweh, “but I look to this one:

to the humble and the contrite of spirit

and the one frightened at my word.

the God who made the world and all the things in it. This one, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands,

“You stiff-necked people and uncircumcised in hearts and in your ears! You constantly resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers did, so also do you! 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand about the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become, 53 you who received the law by directions of angels and have not observed it!”

Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem, saying, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat a meal.” 3 So he answered and said to them, “Why do you also break the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and ‘The one who speaks evil of father or mother must certainly die.’ 5 But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or his mother, “Whatever benefit you would have received from me is a gift to God,” 6 need not honor his father,’ and you make void the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7 Hypocrites! Isaiah correctly prophesied about you saying,

8 ‘This people honors me with their lips,

but their heart is far, far away from me,

9 and they worship me in vain,

teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”

10 And summoning the crowd, he said to them, “Hear and understand: 11 It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth—this defiles a person.” 12 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” 13 And he answered and said, “Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. 14 Let them! They are blind guides of the blind. And if the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.” 15 But Peter answered and said to him, “Explain this parable to us.” 16 But he said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not understand that everything that enters into the mouth goes into the stomach and is evacuated into the latrine? 18 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these defile the person. 19 For from the heart come evil plans, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, abusive speech. 20 These are the things that defile a person. But eating with unwashed hands does not defile a person!”

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