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Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood; it was two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.
Moses assembled all the congregation of the Israelites and said to them: These are the things that the LORD has commanded you to do:
The LORD said to Moses, "Go, leave this place, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, and go to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying,
When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron, and said to him, "Come, make gods for us, who shall go before us;
The LORD spoke to Moses: 2See, I have called by name Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:
You shall make an altar on which to offer incense; you shall make it of acacia wood.
Now this is what you shall do to them to consecrate them, so that they may serve me as priests.
Then bring near to you your brother Aaron, and his sons with him, from among the Israelites, to serve me as priests — Aaron and Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twisted linen, and blue, purple, and crimson yarns; you shall make them with cherubim skillfully worked into them.
Then he said to Moses, "Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship at a distance.
You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with the wicked to act as a malicious witness.
When someone steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, the thief shall pay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.
These are the ordinances that you shall set before them:
Then God spoke all these words: 2I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; 3you shall have no other gods before me.
On the third new moon after the Israelites had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that very day, they came into the wilderness of Sinai.
From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the LORD commanded.
Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: "I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously;
Then the LORD said to Moses: 2Tell the Israelites to turn back and camp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall camp opposite it,
The LORD said to Moses: 2Consecrate to me all the firstborn; whatever is the first to open the womb among the Israelites, of human beings and animals, is mine.
The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: 2This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you.
The LORD said to Moses, "I will bring one more plague upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go from here; indeed, when he lets you go, he will drive you away.
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his officials, in order that I may show these signs of mine among them,
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his officials, in order that I may show these signs of mine among them,
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh: Indeed, by a mighty hand he will let them go; by a mighty hand he will drive them out of his land."
Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Let my people go, so that they may celebrate a festival to me in the wilderness.'"
Then Moses answered, "But suppose they do not believe me or listen to me, but say, 'The LORD did not appear to you.'" 2The LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?"
Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman. 2The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him three months.
These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household:
Then Jacob called his sons, and said: "Gather around, that I may tell you what will happen to you in days to come.
So Joseph went and told Pharaoh, "My father and my brothers, with their flocks and herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan; they are now in the land of Goshen."
When Israel set out on his journey with all that he had and came to Beer-sheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, "Send everyone away from me."
Then he commanded the steward of his house, "Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man's money in the top of his sack.
Now the famine was severe in the land. 2And when they had eaten up the grain that they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, "Go again, buy us a little more food."
When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why do you keep looking at one another?
Some time after this, the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker offended their lord the king of Egypt.
It happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and settled near a certain Adullamite whose name was Hirah.
Jacob settled in the land where his father had lived as an alien, the land of Canaan. 2This is the story of the family of Jacob.
These are the descendants of Esau (that is, Edom).
God said to Jacob, "Arise, go up to Bethel, and settle there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau."
Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the region.
Now Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two maids.
Now Jacob heard that the sons of Laban were saying, "Jacob has taken all that was our father's; he has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father."
Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the people of the east.
Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and charged him, "You shall not marry one of the Canaanite women.
When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he called his elder son Esau and said to him, "My son"; and he answered, "Here I am."
Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar, to King Abimelech of the Philistines.
Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. 2She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan.
Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.
After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."
From there Abraham journeyed toward the region of the Negeb, and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While residing in Gerar as an alien, 2Abraham said of his wife Sarah, "She is my sister."
The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and bowed down with his face to the ground.
The LORD appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day.
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said to him, "I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless.
Now Sarai, Abram's wife, bore him no children. She had an Egyptian slave-girl whose name was Hagar, 2and Sarai said to Abram, "You see that the LORD has prevented me from bearing children;
After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, "Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great."
So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb. 2Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.
Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2And as they migrated from the east, they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.
These are the descendants of Noah's sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth; children were born to them after the flood.
These are the descendants of Noah's sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth; children were born to them after the flood.
God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. 2The fear and dread of you shall rest on every animal of the earth,
But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and all the domestic animals that were with him in the ark.
Then the LORD said to Noah, "Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you alone are righteous before me in this generation.
When people began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born to them, 2the sons of God saw that they were fair;
Now the man knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, "I have produced a man with the help of the LORD." 2Next she bore his brother Abel.
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude.
In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, 2the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2through the middle of the street of the city.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain.
After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Hallelujah!
After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority; and the earth was made bright with his splendor. 2He called out with a mighty voice,
Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great whore who is seated on many waters,
Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, "Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God."
Then I saw another portent in heaven, great and amazing: seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is ended.
Then I looked, and there was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion! And with him were one hundred forty-four thousand who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads.
And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads; and on its horns were ten diadems, and on its heads were blasphemous names.
A great portent appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, "Come and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, 2but do not measure the court outside the temple;
And I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire.
And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit; 2he opened the shaft of the bottomless pit,
When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.
After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth so that no wind could blow on earth or sea or against any tree.
Then I saw the Lamb open one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures call out, as with a voice of thunder, "Come!"
Then I saw in the right hand of the one seated on the throne a scroll written on the inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals;
After this I looked, and there in heaven a door stood open! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said,
And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars:
To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands:
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place;
Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, who are beloved in God the Father and kept safe for Jesus Christ:
The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.
The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth, and not only I but also all who know the truth, 2because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever:
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child.
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2By this you know the Spirit of God:
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;
We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life —
This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you;
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive opinions.
Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
Now as an elder myself and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as one who shares in the glory to be revealed,
Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same intention (for whoever has suffered in the flesh has finished with sin),
Wives, in the same way, accept the authority of your husbands, so that, even if some of them do not obey the word, they may be won over without a word by their wives' conduct,
Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander.
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
Come now, you rich people, weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to you.
Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you?
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2For all of us make many mistakes.
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings.
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings.
Let mutual love continue. 2Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely,
20By faith Isaac invoked blessings for the future on Jacob and Esau. 21By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, "bowing in worship over the top of his staff."
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval.
19Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus,
Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered year after year,
Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly sanctuary.
Now the main point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
This "King Melchizedek of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham as he was returning from defeating the kings and blessed him";
Therefore let us go on toward perfection, leaving behind the basic teaching about Christ, and not laying again the foundation: repentance from dead works and faith toward God,
Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest is still open, let us take care that none of you should seem to have failed to reach it.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, holy partners in a heavenly calling, consider that Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession,
Therefore we must pay greater attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.
Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, 2but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things,
Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work,
But as for you, teach what is consistent with sound doctrine.
Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth that is in accordance with godliness,
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you:
You must understand this, that in the last days distressing times will come.
You then, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus; 2and what you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well.
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,
Let all who are under the yoke of slavery regard their masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be blasphemed.
Do not speak harshly to an older man, but speak to him as to a father, to younger men as brothers, 2to older women as mothers, to younger women as sisters — with absolute purity.
Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will renounce the faith by paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,
The saying is sure: whoever aspires to the office of bishop desires a noble task.
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone,
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, 2To Timothy, my loyal child in the faith:
Finally, brothers and sisters, pray for us, so that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified everywhere, just as it is among you,
As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we beg you, brothers and sisters,
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you.
Finally, brothers and sisters, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus that, as you learned from us how you ought to live and to please God (as, in fact, you are doing),
Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we decided to be left alone in Athens; 2and we sent Timothy, our brother and co-worker for God in proclaiming the gospel of Christ,
You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our coming to you was not in vain, 2but though we had already suffered and been shamefully mistreated at Philippi,
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, for you know that you also have a Master in heaven. 2Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving.
So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
For I want you to know how much I am struggling for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me face to face.
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae:
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.
Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord.
If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2make my joy complete:
Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2Honor your father and mother — this is the first commandment with a promise:
17So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery;
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, 2and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2with all humility and gentleness,
This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles — 2for surely you have already heard of the commission of God's grace that was given me for you,
You were dead through the trespasses and sins 2in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air,
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in Christ Jesus:
My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness.
For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
My point is this: heirs, as long as they are minors, are no better than slaves, though they are the owners of all the property;
You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited as crucified!
Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me.
Paul an apostle — sent neither by human commission nor from human authorities, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead —
This is the third time I am coming to you. "Any charge must be sustained by the evidence of two or three witnesses."
It is necessary to boast; nothing is to be gained by it, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.
16I repeat, let no one think that I am a fool; but if you do, then accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little.
I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me!
I myself, Paul, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ — I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away! —
Now it is not necessary for me to write you about the ministry to the saints, 2for I know your eagerness, which is the subject of my boasting about you to the people of Macedonia,
We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia;
Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and of spirit, making holiness perfect in the fear of God.
As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. 2For he says,
For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
Therefore, since it is by God's mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart.
Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Surely we do not need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you or from you, do we?
So I made up my mind not to make you another painful visit. 2For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained?
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God that is in Corinth, including all the saints throughout Achaia:
Now concerning the collection for the saints: you should follow the directions I gave to the churches of Galatia.
29Otherwise, what will those people do who receive baptism on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf?
Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, 2through which also you are being saved,
21In the law it is written, "By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people;
Pursue love and strive for the spiritual gifts, and especially that you may prophesy.
If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak.
17Now in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse.
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. 2I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions just as I handed them on to you.
19What do I imply then? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God.
I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea,
Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?
Now concerning food sacrificed to idols: we know that "all of us possess knowledge." Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.
20Let each of you remain in the condition in which you were called.
Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: "It is well for a man not to touch a woman."
When any of you has a grievance against another, do you dare to take it to court before the unrighteous, instead of taking it before the saints?
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not found even among pagans; for a man is living with his father's wife.
Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God's mysteries. 2Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.
And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.
When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom.
Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church at Cenchreae, 2so that you may welcome her in the Lord as is fitting for the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you,
14I myself feel confident about you, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another.
We who are strong ought to put up with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. 2Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables.
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
19You will say, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in." 20That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand only through faith.
I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
Brothers and sisters, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. 2I can testify that they have a zeal for God, but it is not enlightened.
16So it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who shows mercy.
I am speaking the truth in Christ — I am not lying; my conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit — 2I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.
22We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now;
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
Do you not know, brothers and sisters — for I am speaking to those who know the law — that the law is binding on a person only during that person's lifetime?
What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? 2By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it?
Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand;
What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh? 2For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.
Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2Much, in every way. For in the first place the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.
Therefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things.
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures,
After we had reached safety, we then learned that the island was called Malta. 2The natives showed us unusual kindness.
27When the fourteenth night had come, as we were drifting across the sea of Adria, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land.
When it was decided that we were to sail for Italy, they transferred Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort, named Julius.
Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission to speak for yourself."
Three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem 2where the chief priests and the leaders of the Jews gave him a report against Paul.
Five days later the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and an attorney, a certain Tertullus, and they reported their case against Paul to the governor.
16Now the son of Paul's sister heard about the ambush; so he went and gained entrance to the barracks and told Paul.
While Paul was looking intently at the council he said, "Brothers, up to this day I have lived my life with a clear conscience before God."
Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense that I now make before you.
18The next day Paul went with us to visit James; and all the elders were present. 19After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.
When we had parted from them and set sail, we came by a straight course to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.
17From Miletus he sent a message to Ephesus, asking the elders of the church to meet him.
After the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples; and after encouraging them and saying farewell, he left for Macedonia.
21Now after these things had been accomplished, Paul resolved in the Spirit to go through Macedonia and Achaia, and then to go on to Jerusalem.
While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the interior regions and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples.
After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.
16While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply distressed to see that the city was full of idols.
After Paul and Silas had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.
22The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods.
Paul went on also to Derbe and to Lystra, where there was a disciple named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer; but his father was a Greek.
22Then the apostles and the elders, with the consent of the whole church, decided to choose men from among their members and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.
Then certain individuals came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved."
The same thing occurred in Iconium, where Paul and Barnabas went into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers.
26My brothers, you descendants of Abraham's family, and others who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent.
Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the ruler, and Saul.
About that time King Herod laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church. 2He had James, the brother of John, killed with the sword.
Now the apostles and the believers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also accepted the word of God.
The next day he got up and went with them, and some of the believers from Joppa accompanied him. 24The following day they came to Caesarea.
In Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian Cohort, as it was called.
22Saul became increasingly more powerful and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Messiah.
Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus,
26Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a wilderness road.)
And Saul approved of their killing him. That day a severe persecution began against the church in Jerusalem,
44Our ancestors had the tent of testimony in the wilderness, as God directed when he spoke to Moses, ordering him to make it according to the pattern he had seen.
22So Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in his words and deeds.
Then the high priest asked him, "Are these things so?" 2And Stephen replied: "Brothers and fathers, listen to me.
Now during those days, when the disciples were increasing in number,
22But when the temple police went there, they did not find them in the prison; so they returned and reported,
But a man named Ananias, with the consent of his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property; 2with his wife's knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds,
23After they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them.
While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came to them,
One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, at three o'clock in the afternoon. 2And a man lame from birth was being carried in.
22You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you,
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.
In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning 2until the day when he was taken up to heaven,
After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way.
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.
23When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier.
Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 2And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe.
19Then the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching.
After Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley to a place where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered.
John 17 After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come;
I have said these things to you to keep you from stumbling. 2They will put you out of the synagogues.
I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. 2He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit.
Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. 2In my Father's house there are many dwelling places.
21After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, "Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me." 22The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking.
Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
27Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say — 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. 28Father, glorify your name."
Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 2There they gave a dinner for him.
30Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him.
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
24So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly."
Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit.
24So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, "Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner." 25He answered, "I do not know whether he is a sinner.
As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
29And the one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him." 30As he was saying these things, many believed in him.
while Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them.
28Then Jesus cried out as he was teaching in the temple, "You know me, and you know where I am from. I have not come on my own. But the one who sent me is true, and you do not know him.
After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He did not wish to go about in Judea because the Jews were looking for an opportunity to kill him.
45It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me.
22The next day the crowd that had stayed on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there.
After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. 2A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick.
25Very truly, I tell you, the hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
After this there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
31Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, "Rabbi, eat something."
Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard, "Jesus is making and baptizing more disciples than John" 2— although it was not Jesus himself but his disciples who baptized —
19And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.
Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God;
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.
29The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God.
36While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared.
26As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus.
Then the assembly rose as a body and brought Jesus before Pilate.
47While he was still speaking, suddenly a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them.
21But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table. 22For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!"
Now the festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was near.
20When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near.
He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; 2he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins.
27Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him 28and asked him a question, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies,
One day, as he was teaching the people in the temple and telling the good news, the chief priests and the scribes came with the elders 2and said to him,
28After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
He entered Jericho and was passing through it. 2A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich.
24Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!
Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. 2He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people.
20Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, "The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed;
Jesus said to his disciples, "Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come!
Then Jesus said to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property.
11Then Jesus said, "There was a man who had two sons. 12The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.'
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. 2And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them."
25Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, 26"Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters,
On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely.
23Someone asked him, "Lord, will only a few be saved?" He said to them, 24Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able.
At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
32Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33Sell your possessions, and give alms.
Meanwhile, when the crowd gathered by the thousands, so that they trampled on one another, he began to speak first to his disciples, "Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees,
29When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation; it asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.
He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples."
25Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he said, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 26He said to him, "What is written in the law? What do you read there?"
After this the Lord appointed seventyothers and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go.
37On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. 38Just then a man from the crowd shouted, "Teacher, I beg you to look at my son; he is my only child.
18Once when Jesus was praying alone, with only the disciples near him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"
Then Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.
26Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee.
Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God.
31To what then will I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like?
After Jesus had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death.
27But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.
One sabbath while Jesus was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked some heads of grain, rubbed them in their hands, and ate them.
17One day, while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting near by (they had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem);
Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, 2he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake;
31He went down to Capernaum, a city in Galilee, and was teaching them on the sabbath. 32They were astounded at his teaching, because he spoke with authority.
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 2where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea
25Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him.
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.
57Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.
39In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
21Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah, and wondered at his delay in the sanctuary.
Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us,