Psalm 103:3 who forgives all your iniquity,
And when he entered again into Capernaum after some days, it became known that he was at home. 2 And many had gathered, so that there was no longer room, not even at the door, and he was speaking the word to them. 3 And they came bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4 And when they were not able to bring him to him because of the crowd, they removed the roof where he was. And after digging through, they lowered the stretcher on which the paralytic was lying. 5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.”
6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like this? He is blaspheming! Who is able to forgive sins except God alone?” 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they were reasoning like this within themselves, said to them, “Why are you considering these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say ‘Get up and pick up your stretcher and walk’? 10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,”—he said to the paralytic—11 “I say to you, get up, pick up your stretcher, and go to your home.” 12 And he got up and immediately picked up his stretcher and went out in front of them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
And he went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he began to teach them. 14 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.
15 And it happened that he was dining in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners were dining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many and they were following him. 16 And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, began to say to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are healthy do not have need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
18 And John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, and they came and said to him, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 19 And Jesus said to them, “The bridegroom’s attendants are not able to fast while the bridegroom is with them, are they? As long a time as they have the bridegroom with them, they are not able to fast. 20 But days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. 21 No one sews a patch of unshrunken cloth on an old garment. Otherwise the patch pulls away from it—the new from the old—and the tear becomes worse. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the wine will burst the wineskins and the wine is destroyed and the wineskins too. But new wine is put into new wineskins.”
And when he entered again into Capernaum after some days, it became known that he was at home. 2 And many had gathered, so that there was no longer room, not even at the door, and he was speaking the word to them. 3 And they came bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4 And when they were not able to bring him to him because of the crowd, they removed the roof where he was. And after digging through, they lowered the stretcher on which the paralytic was lying. 5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.”
6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like this? He is blaspheming! Who is able to forgive sins except God alone?” 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they were reasoning like this within themselves, said to them, “Why are you considering these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say ‘Get up and pick up your stretcher and walk’? 10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,”—he said to the paralytic—11 “I say to you, get up, pick up your stretcher, and go to your home.” 12 And he got up and immediately picked up his stretcher and went out in front of them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
And as he went away, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind?” 3 Jesus replied, “Neither this man sinned nor his parents, but it happened so that the works of God could be revealed in him.
And it happened that on one of the days as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem, and the power of the Lord was there in order for him to heal.
Now when Jesus knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (although Jesus himself was not baptizing, but his disciples), 3 he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. 4 And it was necessary for him to go through Samaria.
and because he did not need anyone to testify about man, for he himself knew what was in man.
But encourage one another day by day, as long as it is called “today,” so that none of you become hardened by the deception of sin.
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said to him, “You are the Christ!”
But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,”—he said to the paralytic—
So then, the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”
And he began to teach them that it was necessary for the Son of Man to suffer many things and to be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and to be killed, and after three days to rise.
For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
And as they were coming down from the mountain, he ordered them that they should tell no one the things that they had seen, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
And he said to them, “Elijah indeed does come first and restores all things. And how is it written concerning the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt?
for he was teaching his disciples and was telling them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.”
“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles.
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
And then they will see the Son of Man arriving in the clouds with great power and glory.
It is like a man away on a journey, who left his house and gave his slaves authority—to each one his work—and to the doorkeeper he gave orders that he should be on the alert.
For the Son of Man is going just as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for him if that man had not been born.”
And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come. Behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.
And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
“I continued watching in the visions of the night, and look, with the clouds of heaven one like a son of man was coming, and he came to the Ancient of Days, and was presented before him. 14 And to him was given dominion and glory and kingship that all the peoples, the nations, and languages would serve him; his dominion is a dominion without end that will not cease, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
Why do you want to be beaten again?
You continue in rebellion.
The whole of the head is sick,
and the whole of the heart is faint.
6 From the sole of the foot and up to the head
there is no health in it;
bruise and sore and bleeding wound have not been cleansed,
and they have not been bound up
and not softened with the oil.
Wash! Make yourselves clean!
Remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes!
Cease to do evil! 17 Learn to do good!
Seek justice! Rescue the oppressed!
Defend the orphan! Plead for the widow!
18 “Come now, and let us argue,” says Yahweh.
“Even though your sins are like scarlet, they will be white like snow;
even though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
19 If you are willing and you are obedient,
you shall eat the good of the land.
20 But if you refuse and you rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword.
For the mouth of Yahweh has spoken.”
And he went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he began to teach them. 14 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.
15 And it happened that he was dining in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners were dining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many and they were following him. 16 And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, began to say to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are healthy do not have need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
18 And John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, and they came and said to him, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 19 And Jesus said to them, “The bridegroom’s attendants are not able to fast while the bridegroom is with them, are they? As long a time as they have the bridegroom with them, they are not able to fast. 20 But days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. 21 No one sews a patch of unshrunken cloth on an old garment. Otherwise the patch pulls away from it—the new from the old—and the tear becomes worse. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the wine will burst the wineskins and the wine is destroyed and the wineskins too. But new wine is put into new wineskins.”
And leaving everything behind, he got up and began to follow him.
And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, began to say to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are healthy do not have need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save those who are lost.”
And they have treated the wound of my people lightly,
saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ but there is no peace.
And they have treated the wound of the daughter of my people lightly,
saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ but there is no peace.
The heart is deceitful more than anything else,
and it is disastrous. Who can understand it?
And John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, and they came and said to him, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 19 And Jesus said to them, “The bridegroom’s attendants are not able to fast while the bridegroom is with them, are they? As long a time as they have the bridegroom with them, they are not able to fast. 20 But days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.
“But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces who call out to one another, 17 saying,
‘We played the flute for you and you did not dance;
we sang a lament and you did not mourn.’
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ 19 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.”
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you travel around the sea and the dry land to make one convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are!
And they tie up heavy burdens and put them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing with their finger to move them.
For your husband is your maker, his name is Yahweh of hosts;
and your redeemer is the holy one of Israel, he is called the God of all of the earth.
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.
The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. But the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine is complete.
And on the third day, there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 And both Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding. 3 And when the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine!” 4 And Jesus said to her, “What does your concern have to do with me, woman? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Whatever he says to you, do it!”
6 Now six stone water jars were set there, in accordance with the ceremonial cleansing of the Jews, each holding two or three measures. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the water jars with water.” And they filled them to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the head steward. So they took it. 9 Now when the head steward tasted the water which had become wine and did not know where it was from—but the servants who had drawn the water knew—the head steward summoned the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and whenever they are drunk, the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!” 11 This beginning of signs Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee, and revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.
So then, my brothers, you also were brought to death with respect to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to the one who was raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.
But days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.
No one sews a patch of unshrunken cloth on an old garment. Otherwise the patch pulls away from it—the new from the old—and the tear becomes worse. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the wine will burst the wineskins and the wine is destroyed and the wineskins too. But new wine is put into new wineskins.”
And he also told a parable to them: “No one tears a patch from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. Otherwise, he will have torn the new also, and the old will not match the patch that is from the new. 37 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the wineskins, and it will be spilled and the wineskins will be destroyed. 38 But new wine must be put into new wineskins. 39 And no one after drinking old wine wants new, because he says, ‘The old is just fine!’ ”
In calling it new, he has declared the former to be old. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is near to disappearing.
And he took bread, and after giving thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And in the same way the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood which is poured out for you.
Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we, like some, need letters of recommendation to you or from you? 2 You are our letter, inscribed on our hearts, known and read by all people, 3 revealing that you are a letter of Christ, delivered by us, inscribed not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on stone tablets but on tablets of human hearts.
And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying,
16 “This is the covenant that I will decree for them
after those days, says the Lord:
I am putting my laws on their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.”
17 He also says,
“Their sins and their lawless deeds I will never remember again.”
18 Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.
Consequently, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what was impossible for the law, in that it was weak through the flesh, God did. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and concerning sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the requirement of the law would be fulfilled in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that is given among people by which we must be saved.”
I will rejoice greatly in Yahweh;
my being shall shout in exultation in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation,
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns himself with a head wrap like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewelry.
He made the one who did not know sin to be sin on our behalf, in order that we could become the righteousness of God in him.
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.
For the law, possessing a shadow of the good things that are about to come, not the form of things itself, is never able year by year by means of the same sacrifices which they offer without interruption to make perfect those who draw near. 2 For otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the ones who worship, having been purified once and for all, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? 3 But in them there is a reminder of sins year by year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
5 Therefore, when he came into the world, he said,
“Sacrifice and offering you did not want,
but a body you prepared for me;
6 you did not delight in whole burnt offerings and offerings for sins.
7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—
in the roll of the book it is written about me—
to do your will, O God.’
8 When he says above,
“Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and offerings for sin
you did not want, nor did you delight in,”
which are offered according to the law, 9 then he has said,
“Behold, I have come to do your will.”
He takes away the first in order to establish the second, 10 by which will we are made holy through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 And every priest stands every day serving and offering the same sacrifices many times, which are never able to take away sins. 12 But this one, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from now on waiting until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by one offering he has perfected for all time those who are made holy. 15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying,
16 “This is the covenant that I will decree for them
after those days, says the Lord:
I am putting my laws on their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.”
17 He also says,
“Their sins and their lawless deeds I will never remember again.”
18 Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence for the entrance into the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way which he inaugurated for us through the curtain, that is, his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us approach with a true heart in the full assurance of faith, our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for the one who promised is faithful. 24 And let us think about how to stir one another up to love and good works, 25 not abandoning our meeting together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging each other, and by so much more as you see the day drawing near.
26 For if we keep on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment and a fury of fire that is about to consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment do you think the person will be considered worthy of who treats with disdain the Son of God and who considers ordinary the blood of the covenant by which he was made holy and who insults the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know the one who said,
“Vengeance is mine, I will repay,”
and again,
“The Lord will judge his people.”
31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
32 But remember the former days in which, after you were enlightened, you endured a great struggle with sufferings, 33 sometimes being publicly exposed both to insults and to afflictions, and sometimes becoming sharers with those who were treated in this way. 34 For you both sympathized with the prisoners and put up with the seizure of your belongings with joy because you knew that you yourselves had a better and permanent possession. 35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, in order that after you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. 37 For yet
“a very, very little while,
and the one who is coming will come and will not delay.
38 But my righteous one will live by faith,
and if he shrinks back, my soul is not well pleased with him.”
39 But we are not among those who shrink back to destruction, but among those who have faith to the preservation of our souls.
For as many as are the promises of God, in him they are “yes”; therefore also through him is the “amen” to the glory of God through us.
“Remember the day of the Sabbath, to consecrate it. 9 Six days you will work, and you will do all your work. 10 But the seventh day is a Sabbath for Yahweh your God; you will not do any work—you or your son or your daughter, your male slave or your female slave, or your animal, or your alien who is in your gates—11 because in six days Yahweh made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and on the seventh day he rested. Therefore Yahweh blessed the seventh day and consecrated it.
You made known your holy Sabbath to them and gave them commandments, regulations, and law by the hand of your servant Moses.
“And you, speak to the Israelites, saying, ‘Surely you must keep my Sabbaths, because it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, in order to know that I am Yahweh, who consecrates you. 14 And you must keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you; defilers of it will surely be put to death, because anyone who does work on it—that person will be cut off from among his people. 15 On six days work can be done, and on the seventh is a Sabbath of complete rest, a holy day for Yahweh; anyone doing work on the Sabbath day will surely be put to death. 16 The Israelites will pay attention to the Sabbath in order to fulfill the Sabbath throughout their generations as a lasting covenant. 17 It is a sign between me and the Israelites forever, because in six days Yahweh made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh he ceased and recovered.”
But the seventh day is a Sabbath for Yahweh your God; you will not do any work—you or your son or your daughter, your male slave or your female slave, or your animal, or your alien who is in your gates—
You will not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings on the day of the Sabbath.”
When the Israelites were in the desert, they found a man who was gathering wood on the day of the Sabbath. 33 The ones who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses, Aaron, and to all the community. 34 And they put him under watch because it was not made clear what should be done to him. 35 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Surely the man must be put to death by stoning him; all the community must stone him with stones from outside the camp.” 36 So the entire community brought him out to a place outside the camp, and they stoned him to death just as Yahweh commanded Moses.
37 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 38 “Speak to the Israelites, and tell them to make for themselves tassels on the hems of their garments throughout their generations and to put a blue cord on the tassel of the hem. 39 You will have a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commands of Yahweh and do them, and not follow after the unfaithfulness of your own heart and eyes, 40 so that you will remember and do all my commandments, and you will be holy for your God. 41 I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God; I am Yahweh your God.”
Thus says Yahweh, “Be on your guard for the sake of yourselves, that you must not carry a burden on the day of the Sabbath, and you must not bring it through the gates of Jerusalem. 22 And you must not carry a burden from your houses on the day of the Sabbath, and you must not do any work. But you must declare holy the day of Sabbath, just as I commanded your ancestors. 23 Yet they did not listen, and they did not incline their ear, and they hardened their neck so as to not hear, nor to receive discipline.
24 “And it will happen, if you carefully listen to me,” declares Yahweh, “to bring no burden through the gates of this city on the day of the Sabbath, but to declare holy the day of Sabbath, not to do on it any work, 25 then kings and officials who sit on the throne of David will enter through the gates of this city riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their officials, the people of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and this city will be inhabited forever. 26 And they will come from the towns of Judah, and from all around Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the Shephelah, and from the hill country, and from the Negev, bringing burnt offerings, and sacrifices, and grain offerings, and frankincense, and bringing thank offerings to the house of Yahweh. 27 But if you do not listen to me, to declare holy the day of the Sabbath, and to not carry a burden and enter through the gates of Jerusalem on the day of the Sabbath, then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it will devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it will not be quenched.” ’ ”
And the peoples of the land who bring merchandise and any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, we will not accept it from them on the Sabbath or on a holy day. We will forego the crops of the seventh year and cancel every debt.
In those days I saw in Judah people treading the wine press on the Sabbath, bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys along with wine, grapes and figs, and every kind of burden and bringing it all to Jerusalem on the day of the Sabbath. And I warned them at that time against selling food.
So when it became dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors be shut and said that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. And I appointed some of my young men over the gates to prevent any goods being brought in on the day of the Sabbath.
But there will be a distance between you and it of about two thousand cubits in measurement. Do not come near it, so that you may know the way that you must go, for you have not passed on this way before.”
“When you come into the vineyard of your neighbor, then you may eat grapes as you please and until you are full, but you shall not put any into your container.
25 “When you come into the standing grain of your neighbor, then you may pluck ears with your hand, but you may not swing a sickle among the standing grain of your neighbor.”
So he said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those with him, 4 how he entered into the house of God and ate the bread of the presentation, which it was not permitted for him or for those with him to eat, but only for the priests?
Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple violate the sanctity of the Sabbath and are guiltless? 6 But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here!
And if you had known what it means, ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
Now David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech came trembling to meet David, and he said to him, “Why are you alone and there are no men with you?” 2 So David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king charged me with a matter and said to me, ‘No one must know anything about this matter on which I am sending you, with which I have charged you and the servants.’ ” So I have arranged to meet with my servants at a certain place. 3 Now then, what do you have at hand? Give me five loaves of bread or whatever is here.” 4 The priest answered David and said, “There is no ordinary bread here at hand; there is only holy bread, but only if the young men have kept themselves from women.” 5 David answered the priest and said to him, “Indeed, women were held back from us as it has been when I’ve gone out before. And the things of the young men are holy when it is an ordinary journey. How much more today will the things be holy?” 6 So the priest gave him the holy bread, for there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence, which was removed from before Yahweh, in order to set hot bread there on the day when it was taken away.
“And you shall take finely milled flour, and you shall bake with it twelve ring-shaped bread cakes: each one shall be two-tenths of an ephah. 6 And you shall place them in two rows, six to the row, on the pure gold table before Yahweh. 7 And you shall put pure frankincense on each row so that it shall be for the bread as a memorial offering, an offering made by fire for Yahweh. 8 On every Sabbath he shall arrange it in rows before Yahweh continually; they are from the Israelites as an everlasting covenant. 9 And it shall be for Aaron and for his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place, because it is a most holy thing for him from Yahweh’s offerings made by fire—a lasting rule.”
But, one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, whose name was Abiathar, escaped and fled after David.
And Zadok son of Ahitub and Abimelech son of Abiathar were priests, and Shavsha was secretary.
And Shemaiah the son of Nethanel, the scribe, from the Levites, recorded them before the king, the princes, Zadok the priest, Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and the heads of the families of the priests and Levites, one father’s house drawn by lot for Eleazar and one drawn by lot for Ithamar.
But, one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, whose name was Abiathar, escaped and fled after David.
Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests and Seraiah was scribe.
Now concerning the dead, that they are raised, have you not read in the book of Moses in the passage about the bush how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob’?
So the scribes and the Pharisees were watching closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath, in order that they could find a reason to accuse him.
And he said to them, “Is it permitted on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent.
And so then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, 24 saying, “Leave us alone, Jesus the Nazarene! Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” 25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26 And after convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, the unclean spirit came out of him.
Now it happened that in these days he went away to the mountain to pray, and was spending the whole night in prayer to God.
And Jesus went away with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd from Galilee followed him. And from Judea 8 and from Jerusalem and from Idumea and the other side of the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon a great crowd came to him because they heard all that he was doing. 9 And he told his disciples that a small boat should stand ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not press upon him.
And he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they were not even able to eat a meal.
And a crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Behold, your mother and your brothers are outside looking for you.”
And again he began to teach beside the sea, and a very large crowd was gathered to him, so that he got into a boat and sat on the sea, and the whole crowd was at the sea on the land.
Now as these were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in the houses of kings. 9 But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and even more than a prophet! 10 It is this man about whom it is written:
‘Behold, I am sending my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.’
11 Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen one greater than John the Baptist. But the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 But from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven is treated violently, and the violent claim it. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John, 14 and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, the one who is going to come. 15 The one who has ears, let him hear!
And he went up on the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted, and they came to him. 14 And he appointed twelve, so that they would be with him and so that he could send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to expel demons. 16 And he appointed the twelve. And to Simon he gave the name Peter, 17 and James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (and he gave to them the name Boanerges, that is, “Sons of Thunder”), 18 and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, 19 and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
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.”
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s possession, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light,
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.
Now it happened that in these days he went away to the mountain to pray, and was spending the whole night in prayer to God.
And after John had been taken into custody, Jesus went into Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe in the gospel!”
And he said to them, “Let us go elsewhere, into the neighboring rural towns, so that I can preach there also, because I have come out for this very reason.” 39 And he went into all Galilee preaching in their synagogues and expelling demons.
And he summoned the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 And he commanded them that they take along nothing for the journey except only a staff—no bread, no traveler’s bag, no money in their belts—9 but to put on sandals and not to wear two tunics. 10 And he said to them, “Whenever you enter into a house, stay there until you depart from there. 11 And whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake off the dust that is on your feet for a testimony against them.” 12 And they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. 13 And they were expelling many demons and anointing many sick people with olive oil and healing them.
and the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these things to faithful people who will be competent to teach others also.
Now these are the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, 3 Philip, and Bartholomew, Thomas, and Matthew the tax collector, James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, 4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot—the one who also betrayed him.
Simon (whom he also named Peter) and his brother Andrew, and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, 15 and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, 16 and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
And when they had entered, they went up to the upstairs room where they were staying—Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas son of James.
Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found the one whom Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets wrote about—Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth!”
Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, why is it that you are going to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?”
And he summoned the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed him. 41 This one first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah!” (which is translated “Christ”). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Looking at him, Jesus said, “You are Simon the son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is interpreted “Peter”).
John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone expelling demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not prevent him, because there is no one who does a miracle in my name and will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40 For whoever is not against us is for us. 41 For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name because you are Christ’s, truly I say to you that he will never lose his reward.
And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask you.” 36 And he said to them, “What do you want that I do for you?” 37 So they said to him, “Grant to us that we may sit one at your right hand and one at your left in your glory.” 38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking! Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” 39 And they said to him, “We are able.” So Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup that I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with,
Now when the disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to call fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55 But he turned around and rebuked them,
And taking hold of the child’s hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”),
But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or to his mother, “Whatever benefit you would have received from me is corban” (that is, a gift to God),
And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”).
And those who went ahead and those who were following were shouting,
“Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you! Take away this cup from me! Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
And they brought him to the place Golgotha (which is translated “Place of a Skull”).
And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which is translated, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”)
and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot,
and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
And he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they were not even able to eat a meal.
And he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they were not even able to eat a meal. 21 And when his family heard this, they went out to restrain him, for they were saying, “He has lost his mind!”
And his mother and his brothers arrived, and standing outside, they sent word to him to summon him. 32 And a crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Behold, your mother and your brothers are outside looking for you.” 33 And he answered them and said, “Who is my mother or my brothers?” 34 And looking around at those who were sitting around him in a circle, he said, “Behold, my mother and my brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God, this person is my brother and sister and mother.”
Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they were offended by him.
And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “You are out of your mind, Paul! Your great learning is driving you insane!” 25 But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but am speaking words of truth and rationality.
And after these things Jesus was going about in Galilee. For he did not want to go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. 2 Now the feast of the Jews—the feast of Tabernacles—was near. 3 So his brothers said to him, “Depart from here and go to Judea, so that your disciples also can see your works that you are doing. 4 For no one does anything in secret and yet he himself desires to be publicly recognized. If you are doing these things, reveal yourself to the world!” 5 (For not even his brothers believed in him.)
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, and furthermore, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
But if someone does not provide for his own relatives, and especially the members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
Now there was a man of the Pharisees whose name was Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to him at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one is able to perform these signs that you are performing unless God were with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless someone is born from above, he is not able to see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is an old man? He is not able to enter into his mother’s womb for the second time and be born, can he?”
5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless someone is born of water and spirit, he is not able to enter into the kingdom of God. 6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘It is necessary for you to be born from above.’
Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for sincere brotherly love, love one another fervently from the heart, 23 because you have been born again, not from perishable seed but imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For
“all flesh is like grass,
and all its glory like the flower of the grass.
The grass withers and the flower falls off,
25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.”
And this is the word that has been proclaimed to you.
because his divine power has bestowed on us all things that are necessary for life and godliness, through the knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence of character, 4 through which things he has bestowed on us his precious and very great promises, so that through these you may become sharers of the divine nature after escaping from the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire,
For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself confirms to our spirit that we are children of God,
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.
For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 it is not from works, so that no one can boast.
And the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul!” and “By the ruler of the demons he expels the demons!” 23 And he called them to himself and was speaking to them in parables, “How can Satan expel Satan? 24 And if a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom is not able to stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he is not able to stand, but is at an end! 27 But no one is able to enter into the house of a strong man and plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man, and then he can thoroughly plunder his house.
28 “Truly I say to you that all the sins and the blasphemies will be forgiven the sons of men, however much they blaspheme. 29 But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit does not have forgiveness forever, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—30 because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
And again he began to teach beside the sea, and a very large crowd was gathered to him, so that he got into a boat and sat on the sea, and the whole crowd was at the sea on the land. 2 And he began to teach them many things in parables, and was saying to them in his teaching, 3 “Listen! Behold, the sower went out to sow. 4 And it happened that while he was sowing, some seed fell on the side of the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5 And other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up at once, because it did not have any depth of soil. 6 And when the sun rose it was scorched, and because it did not have enough root, it withered. 7 And other seed fell among the thorn plants, and the thorn plants came up and choked it, and it did not produce grain. 8 And other seed fell on the good soil, and produced grain, coming up and increasing, and it bore a crop—one thirty and one sixty and one a hundred times as much. 9 And he said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear!”
10 And when he was alone, those around him together with the twelve began asking him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been granted the secret of the kingdom of God, but to those who are outside everything is in parables, 12 so that
‘they may look closely and not perceive,
and they may listen carefully and not understand,
lest they turn and it be forgiven them.’ ”
13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? And how will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones beside the path where the word is sown, and whenever they hear it, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 And these are like the ones sown on the rocky ground, who whenever they hear the word immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but are temporary. Then when affliction or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are the ones sown among the thorn plants—these are the ones who hear the word, 19 and the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word and it becomes unproductive. 20 And those are the ones sown on the good soil, who hear the word and receive it and bear fruit—one thirty and one sixty and one a hundred times as much.”
21 And he said to them, “Surely a lamp is not brought so that it may be put under a bushel basket or under a bed, is it? Is it not so that it may be put on a lampstand? 22 For nothing is secret except so that it may be revealed, nor has become hidden except so that it will come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!” 24 And he said to them, “Take care what you hear! With the measure by which you measure out, it will be measured out to you, and will be added to you. 25 For whoever has, more will be given to him, and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
26 And he said, “The kingdom of God is like this: like a man scatters seed on the ground. 27 And he sleeps and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows—he does not know how. 28 By itself the soil produces a crop: first the grass, then the head of grain, then the full grain in the head. 29 But when the crop permits, he sends in the sickle right away, because the harvest has come.”
30 And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or by what parable can we present it? 31 It is like a mustard seed that when sown on the ground, although it is the smallest of all the seeds that are on the ground, 32 but when it is sown it grows up and becomes the largest of all the garden herbs, and sends out large branches so that the birds of the sky are able to nest in its shade.” 33 And with many parables such as these he was speaking the word to them, as they were able to hear it. 34 And he did not speak to them without a parable, but in private he explained everything to his own disciples.
Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are inscribed in heaven.”
For our commonwealth exists in heaven, from which also we eagerly await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,