Chapter 56 of 257

6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it!

And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses to listen to the church also, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

And Yahweh said to Abram, “Go out from your land and from your relatives, and from the house of your father, to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great. And you will be a blessing. 3 And I will bless those who bless you, and those who curse you I will curse. And all families of the earth will be blessed in you.”

4 And Abram went out as Yahweh had told him, and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he went out from Haran. 5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and all the persons that they had acquired in Haran, and they went out to go to the land of Canaan. And they went to the land of Canaan. 6 And Abram traveled through the land up to the place of Shechem, to the Oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanites were in the land at that time. 7 And Yahweh appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” And he built an altar there to Yahweh, who had appeared to him. 8 And he moved on from there to the hill country, east of Bethel. And he pitched his tent at Bethel on the west, and at Ai on the east. And he built an altar there to Yahweh. And he called on the name of Yahweh. 9 And Abram kept moving on, toward the Negev.

10 And there was a famine in the land. And Abram went down to Egypt to dwell as an alien there, for the famine was severe in the land. 11 And it happened that as he drew near to enter into Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “Look now, I know that you are a woman beautiful of appearance, 12 and it shall happen that, if the Egyptians see you, then they will say, ‘This is his wife,’ then they will kill me but let you live. 13 Please say you are my sister so that it will go well for me on your account. Then I will live on account of you.” 14 And it happened that as Abram came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful. 15 And the officials of Pharaoh saw her, and they praised her beauty to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken to the house of Pharaoh. 16 And he dealt well with Abram on account of her, and he had sheep, cattle, male donkeys, male slaves, female slaves, female donkeys, and camels.

17 Then Yahweh afflicted Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues on account of the matter of Sarai the wife of Abram. 18 Then Pharaoh called for Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? 19 Why did you say ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to myself as a wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go.” 20 And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him, and then sent him and his wife and all that was with him away.

For you are a holy people for Yahweh your God; Yahweh your God has chosen you to be for him a people, a treasured possession from among all the peoples that are on the face of the earth.

7 “Yahweh loved you and chose you not because of your great number exceeding all other peoples, for you are fewer than all of the peoples, 8 but because of the love of Yahweh for you and because of his keeping of the sworn oath that he swore to your ancestors, Yahweh brought you out with a strong hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.

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,

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star at its rising and have come to worship him.” 3 And when King Herod heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him, 4 and after calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired from them where the Christ was to be born. 5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet,

6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah,

for from you will go out a ruler

who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ”

7 Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and determined precisely from them the time when the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go, inquire carefully concerning the child, and when you have found him, report to me so that I also may come and worship him.” 9 After they listened to the king, they went out, and behold, the star which they had seen at its rising led them until it came and stood above the place where the child was. 10 Now when they saw the star, they rejoiced with very great joy. 11 And when they came into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. And opening their treasure boxes, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route.

Now when he entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him, appealing to him 6 and saying, “Lord, my slave is lying paralyzed in my house, terribly tormented!” 7 And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8 And the centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should come in under my roof. But only say the word and my slave will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under authority who has soldiers under me, and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another one, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”

10 Now when Jesus heard this, he was astonished, and said to those who were following him, “Truly I say to you, I have found such great faith with no one in Israel. 11 But I say to you that many will come from east and west and be seated at the banquet with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!” 13 And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go, as you have believed it will be done for you.” And the slave was healed at that hour.

And departing from there, Jesus went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that district came and cried out, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely possessed by a demon!” 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came up and asked him, saying, “Send her away, because she is crying out after us!” 24 But he answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and knelt down before him, saying, “Lord, help me!” 26 And he answered and said, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs!” 27 So she said, “Yes, Lord, for even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” 28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, your faith is great! Let it be done for you as you want.” And her daughter was healed from that hour.

The queen of the south will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here!

But the Pharisees went out and plotted against him in order that they could destroy him.

15 Now Jesus, when he learned of it, withdrew from there, and many followed him, and he healed them all. 16 And he warned them that they should not reveal his identity, 17 in order that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah would be fulfilled, who said,

18 “Behold my servant whom I have chosen,

my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased.

I will put my Spirit on him,

and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.

19 He will not quarrel or cry out,

nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.

20 A crushed reed he will not break,

and a smoldering wick he will not extinguish,

until he brings justice to victory.

21 And in his name the Gentiles will hope.

Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding celebration is ready, but those who had been invited were not worthy. 9 Therefore, go out to the places where the roads exit the city and invite to the wedding celebration as many people as you find.’ 10 And those slaves went out into the roads and gathered everyone whom they found, both evil and good, and the wedding celebration was filled with dinner guests.

Now when the master of the vineyard arrives, what will he do to those tenant farmers?” 41 They said to him, “He will destroy those evil men completely and lease the vineyard to other tenant farmers who will give him the fruits in their season.” 42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures,

‘The stone which the builders rejected,

this has become the cornerstone.

This came about from the Lord,

and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

43 For this reason, I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and will be given to a people who produce its fruits. 44 And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and the one on whom it falls—it will crush him!” 45 And when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he was speaking about them, 46 and although they wanted to arrest him, they were afraid of the crowds, because they looked upon him as a prophet.

And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed in the whole inhabited earth for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the age.”

And as Jesus was going away from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth and said to him, “Follow me!” And he stood up and followed him.

10 And it happened as he was dining in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners were coming and dining with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when they saw it, the Pharisees began to say to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 And when he heard it, he said, “Those who are healthy do not have need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what it means, “I want mercy and not sacrifice.” For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

14 Then the disciples of John approached him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?” 15 And Jesus said to them, “The bridegroom’s attendants are not able to mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them. But days are coming when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 But no one puts a patch of unshrunken cloth on an old garment, for its patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear becomes worse. 17 Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the wineskins burst and the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are destroyed. But they put new wine into new wineskins and both are preserved.”

And as he was passing by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me!” And he stood up and followed him.

For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not the tax collectors also do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing that is remarkable? Do not the Gentiles also do the same?

And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses to listen to the church also, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a man who is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going ahead of you into the kingdom of God! 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did believe him. And when you saw it, you did not even change your minds later so as to believe in him.

And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until today.

And they said to him, “The disciples of John fast often and make prayers—likewise also the disciples of the Pharisees—but yours are eating and drinking!”

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

2 Abraham became the father of Isaac, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez became the father of Hezron, and Hezron became the father of Aram, 4 and Aram became the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon became the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon became the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz became the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed became the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse became the father of David the king.

And David became the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7 and Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam became the father of Abijah, and Abijah became the father of Asa, 8 and Asa became the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat became the father of Joram, and Joram became the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah became the father of Jotham, and Jotham became the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz became the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh became the father of Amon, and Amon became the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

12 And after the deportation to Babylon, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel became the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel became the father of Abiud, and Abiud became the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim became the father of Azor, 14 and Azor became the father of Zadok, and Zadok became the father of Achim, and Achim became the father of Eliud, 15 and Eliud became the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar became the father of Matthan, and Matthan became the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob became the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary by whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

17 Therefore all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ are fourteen generations.

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ occurred in this way. His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 So Joseph her husband, being righteous and not wanting to disgrace her, intended to divorce her secretly. 20 But as he was considering these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will give birth to a son, and you will call his name ‘Jesus,’ because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 Now all this happened in order that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled, saying,

23 “Behold, the virgin will become pregnant and will give birth to a son,

and they will call his name Emmanuel,”

which is translated, “God with us.” 24 And Joseph, when he woke up from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and he took his wife 25 and did not have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ occurred in this way. His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 So Joseph her husband, being righteous and not wanting to disgrace her, intended to divorce her secretly. 20 But as he was considering these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will give birth to a son, and you will call his name ‘Jesus,’ because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 Now all this happened in order that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled, saying,

23 “Behold, the virgin will become pregnant and will give birth to a son,

and they will call his name Emmanuel,”

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

And Jesus, when he began his ministry, was himself about thirty years old, being the son (as it was believed) of Joseph the son of Eli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, 25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, 27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, 29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon, 33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, 35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, 36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, 38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

and Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez became the father of Hezron, and Hezron became the father of Aram,

and Salmon became the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz became the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed became the father of Jesse,

and Jesse became the father of David the king.

And David became the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah,

23 “Behold, the virgin will become pregnant and will give birth to a son,

and they will call his name Emmanuel,”

and Jacob became the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary by whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ occurred in this way. His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

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.

Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin legally promised in marriage to a man named Joseph of the house of David. And the name of the virgin was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was greatly perplexed at the statement, and was pondering what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her,

“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

31 And behold, you will conceive in the womb and will give birth to a son,

and you will call his name Jesus.

32 This one will be great, and he will be called the Son of the Most High,

and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.

33 And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever,

and of his kingdom there will be no end.

34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?” 35 And the angel answered and said to her,

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,

and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.

Therefore also the one to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.

36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth—she also has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”

38 So Mary said, “Behold, the Lord’s female slave! May it happen to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

“Behold, the virgin will become pregnant and will give birth to a son,

and they will call his name Emmanuel,”

which is translated, “God with us.”

And I will put hostility

between you and between the woman,

and between your offspring and between her offspring;

he will strike you on the head,

and you will strike him on the heel.”

All the nations of the earth will be blessed through your offspring, because you have listened to my voice.”

The scepter shall not depart from Judah,

nor the ruler’s staff between his feet,

until Shiloh comes.

And to him shall be the obedience of nations.

When your days are full and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you who will go out from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He will build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

“If a man takes a woman and he has sex with her, but he then dislikes her, 14 and he accuses her falsely, and he defames her, and he says ‘This woman I took and I lay with her and I discovered that she was not a virgin,’ 15 then in defense the father of the young woman shall take, along with her mother, and together they must bring out the evidence of the virginity of the young woman to display it to the elders of the city at the city gate. 16 And then the father of the young woman shall say to the elders, ‘I gave my daughter to this man as wife, but he now dislikes her, 17 and now look he has accused her falsely, saying, “I did not find your daughter a virgin,” but here is evidence of the virginity of my daughter’; and they shall spread the cloth out before the elders of the city. 18 Then the elders of that city shall take the man, and they shall discipline him. 19 Then they shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver, and they shall give them to the father of the young woman, for he defamed an Israelite young woman, and she shall become his wife; he will not be allowed to divorce her all his days.

20 “But if this charge was true, and the signs of virginity were not found for the young woman, 21 and then they shall bring out the young woman to the doorway of the house of her father, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones, and she shall die, because she did a disgraceful thing in Israel by playing the harlot in the house of her father, and so you shall purge the evil from your midst.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look! the virgin is with child and she is about to give birth to a son, and she shall call his name ‘God with us.’

And he will sweep into Judah;

he will overflow and he will flood up to the neck.

He will reach, and he will spread his wings out over your entire land, God with us.”

6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah,

for from you will go out a ruler

who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ”

And when they came into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. And opening their treasure boxes, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.

And they were saying to the woman, “No longer because of what you said do we believe, for we ourselves have heard, and we know that this one is truly the Savior of the world!”

in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden.

because in him all the fullness of deity dwells bodily,

Now these are the generations of Isaac, the son of Abraham. Abraham fathered Isaac, 20 And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-Aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, as his wife. 21 And Isaac prayed to Yahweh on behalf of his wife, for she was barren. And Yahweh responded to his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 And the children in her womb jostled each other, and she said, “If it is going to be like this, why be pregnant?” And she went to inquire of Yahweh. 23 And Yahweh said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from birth shall be divided. And one people shall be stronger than the other. And the elder shall serve the younger.” 24 And when her days to give birth were completed, then—behold—twins were in her womb. 25 And the first came out red, all his body was like a hairy coat, so they called his name Esau. 26 And afterward his brother came out, and his hand grasped the heel of Esau, so his name was called Jacob. And Isaac was sixty years old at their birth. 27 And the boys grew up. And Esau was a skilled hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents. 28 And Isaac loved Esau because he could eat of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 Once Jacob cooked a thick stew, and Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Give me some of that red stuff to gulp down, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom). 31 Then Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright first.” 32 And Esau said, “Look, I am going to die; now what is this birthright to me?” 33 Then Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” And he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread, and thick lentil stew, and he ate and drank. Then he got up and went away. So Esau despised his birthright.

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,

too small to be among the clans of Judah,

from you one will go out for me,

to be ruler in Israel;

and his origins are from of old,

from ancient days.

After they listened to the king, they went out, and behold, the star which they had seen at its rising led them until it came and stood above the place where the child was.

And she gave birth to her firstborn son, and wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet,

I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven so that someone may eat from it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats from this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

52 So the Jews began to quarrel among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 Then Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life in yourselves! 54 The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood resides in me and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so also the one who eats me—that one will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not as the fathers ate and died. The one who eats this bread will live forever.”

59 He said these things while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. 60 Thus many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, “This saying is hard! Who can understand it?” 61 But Jesus, because he knew within himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Does this cause you to be offended? 62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascending where he was before? 63 The Spirit is the one who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65 And he said, “Because of this I said to you that no one can come to me unless it has been granted to him by the Father.”

66 For this reason many of his disciples drew back and were not walking with him any longer. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 And we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” 70 Jesus replied to them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is the devil?” 71 (Now he was speaking about Judas son of Simon Iscariot, because this one—one of the twelve—was going to betray him.)

Now after they had gone away, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph, saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to seek the child to destroy him.” 14 So he got up and took the child and his mother during the night and went away to Egypt. 15 And he was there until the death of Herod, in order that what was said by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled, saying,

“Out of Egypt I called my son.”

16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been deceived by the wise men, became very angry, and he sent soldiers and executed all the children in Bethlehem and in all the region around it from the age of two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined precisely from the wise men. 17 Then what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled, saying,

18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,

weeping and great mourning,

Rachel weeping for her children,

and she did not want to be comforted,

because they exist no longer.”

And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go, inquire carefully concerning the child, and when you have found him, report to me so that I also may come and worship him.”

When Israel was a child, I loved him,

and out of Egypt I called my son.

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.

Thus says Yahweh,

“A voice is heard in Ramah,

lamentation, the weeping of bitterness.

Rachel is weeping for her children;

she refuses to be comforted because of her children,

for they are no more.”

Then they journeyed from Bethel. And when they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor. And she had hard labor. 17 And when her labor was the most difficult the midwife said to her, “Do not be afraid for you have another son.” 18 And it happened that when her life was departing (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-Oni. But his father called him Benjamin. 19 And Rachel died and she was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20 And Jacob erected a pillar at her burial site. That is the pillar of the burial site of Rachel unto this day.

He was despised and rejected by men,

a man of suffering, and acquainted with sickness,

and like one from whom others hide their faces, he was despised,

and we did not hold him in high regard.

This one God has exalted to his right hand as Leader and Savior to grant repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

who is the radiance of his glory and the representation of his essence, sustaining all things by the word of power. When he had made purification for sins through him, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Thus says Yahweh:

“Restrain your voice from weeping,

and your eyes from tears,

for there is a reward for your work,” declares Yahweh,

“and they will return from the land of the enemy.

17 And there is hope for your future,” declares Yahweh,

“and your children will return to their territory.

“Look, the days are coming,” declares Yahweh, “and I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of humankind, and with the seed of animals. 28 And then as I have watched over them to pull up, and to tear down, and to annihilate, and to destroy, and to do evil, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares Yahweh. 29 “In those days they will say no longer, ‘Parents have eaten unripe fruit, and the teeth of the children are set on edge.’ 30 But each will die because of his iniquity, everyone who eats the unripe fruit, their teeth will be set on edge.

31 Look, the days are coming,” declares Yahweh, “and I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their ancestors on the day of my grasping them by their hand, bringing them out from the land of Egypt, my covenant that they themselves broke, though I myself was a master over them,” declares Yahweh. 33 “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares Yahweh: “I will put my law in their inward parts and on their hearts I will write it, and I will be to them God, and they themselves will be to me people. 34 And they will no longer teach each one his neighbor, or each one his brother, saying, ‘Know Yahweh,’ for all of them will know me, from their smallest and up to their greatest,” declares Yahweh, “for I will forgive their iniquity and their sin I will no longer remember.”

35 Thus says Yahweh, who gives the sun for light by day, the regulations of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea and its waves roar—Yahweh of hosts is his name. 36 “If these rules would cease from before me,” declares Yahweh, “also the offspring of Israel would cease from being a nation before me forever.” 37 Thus says Yahweh, “If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth below can be explored, also I will reject all the offspring of Israel because of all that they have done,” declares Yahweh. 38 “Look, days are coming,” declares Yahweh, “and the city will be rebuilt for Yahweh, from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 39 And the measuring line will still go out immediately in front of it to the hill of Gareb, and it will turn to Goah. 40 And the whole of the valley of the corpses, and the ashes, and all the cultivated fields up to the wadi of Kidron, up to the corner of the Gate of the Horses toward the east will be holy to Yahweh. It will not be uprooted, and it will not be overthrown again forever.”

Now after Herod had died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the life of the child are dead.” 21 So he got up and took the child and his mother and entered the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream, he took refuge in the regions of Galilee. 23 And he came and lived in a town called Nazareth, in order that what was said by the prophets would be fulfilled: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the life of the child are dead.”

And Yahweh said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return to Egypt because all the men have died who were seeking your life.”

Now while they were listening to these things, he went on and told a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and they thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. 12 Therefore he said, “A certain nobleman traveled to a distant country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. 13 And summoning ten of his own slaves, he gave them ten minas and said to them, ‘Do business until I come back.’ 14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to be king over us!’ 15 And it happened that when he returned after receiving the kingdom, he ordered these slaves to whom he had given the money to be summoned to him, so that he could know what they had gained by trading. 16 So the first arrived, saying, ‘Sir, your mina has made ten minas more!’ 17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good slave! Because you have been faithful in a very small thing, have authority over ten cities.’ 18 And the second came, saying, ‘Sir, your mina has made five minas.’ 19 So he said to this one also, ‘And you be over five cities.’ 20 And another came, saying, ‘Sir, behold your mina, which I had put away for safekeeping in a piece of cloth. 21 For I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man—you withdraw what you did not deposit, and you reap what you did not sow!’ 22 He said to him, ‘By your own words I will judge you, wicked slave! You knew that I am a severe man, withdrawing what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. 23 And why did you not give my money to the bank, and I, when I returned, would have collected it with interest?’ 24 And to the bystanders he said, ‘Take away from him the mina and give it to the one who has the ten minas!’ 25 And they said to him, ‘Sir, he has ten minas.’ 26 ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 27 But these enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and slaughter them in my presence!’ ”

And he came and lived in a town called Nazareth, in order that what was said by the prophets would be fulfilled: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see!”

For he went up like a shoot before him,

and like a root from dry ground.

He had no form and no majesty that we should see him,

and no appearance that we should take pleasure in him.

3 He was despised and rejected by men,

a man of suffering, and acquainted with sickness,

and like one from whom others hide their faces, he was despised,

and we did not hold him in high regard.

He was taken by restraint of justice,

and who concerned himself with his generation?

For he was cut off from the land of the living;

he received a blow because of the transgression of my people.

For we have found this man to be a public menace and one who causes riots among all the Jews throughout the Roman Empire and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes,

And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee!”

And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked intently at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.”

They replied to him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He said to them, “I am he.” (Now Judas, the one who betrayed him, was also standing with them.)

Then he asked them again, “Who are you looking for?” And they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.”

On that day the branch of Yahweh shall become beautiful and glorious,

and the fruit of the land shall become the pride and glory of the survivors of Israel.

And a shoot will come out from the stump of Jesse,

and a branch from its roots will bear fruit.

“Look, days are coming,” declares Yahweh,

“when I will raise up for David a righteous branch,

and he will reign as king, and he will achieve success,

and he will do justice and righteousness in the land.

In those days and in that time I will make a branch of righteousness sprout for David, and he will execute justice and righteousness in the land.

Listen, please, O Joshua the high priest, you and your companions that are sitting before you. For the men are a sign that, look, I am going to bring my servant the Branch.

And say to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts: “Look, here is a man whose name is Branch, and from his place he will sprout, and he will build the temple of Yahweh. 13 And he will build the temple of Yahweh, and he will bear majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two of them.” ’

Nicodemus, the one who came to him previously—who was one of them—said to them, 51 “Our law does not condemn a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?” 52 They answered and said to him, “You are not also from Galilee, are you? Investigate and see that a prophet does not arise from Galilee!” ⟦

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.

5 Think this in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

6 who, existing in the form of God,

did not consider being equal with God something to be grasped,

7 but emptied himself

by taking the form of a slave,

by becoming in the likeness of people.

And being found in appearance like a man,

8 he humbled himself

by becoming obedient to the point of death,

that is, death on a cross.

9 Therefore also God exalted him

and graciously granted him the name above every name,

10 so that at the name of Jesus

every knee should bow,

of those in heaven and of those on earth and of those under the earth,

11 and every tongue confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

12 Therefore my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For the one at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure, is God.

↑ Back to top